I am Shadow, less than a day old, and I am a shard of Prince Ren Drakemore's soul placed inside of a wooden puppet masquerading as an adventure. Tonight, I am setting off on our first quest as an E-rank adventure to kill some wolves that have been killing livestock on Lord Griswald's Lands. Slaying these wolves should be a piece of cake and will be great for growing my reputation with the guild. I snuck into the castle's tables and "borrowed" an all-black stallion, that according to the sign over his stall his name is Phantom.
It seemed like destiny. Shadow and Phantom, partners in crime.
I set off from the stables at a gallop toward Lord Griswald's lands on Phantom's back with the sun set in the distance. On my journey northward I notice dark menacing clouds rolling in as if pursuing me. I arrived hours later at the area along the edge of the forest where the attacks had taken place by nightfall. By this time my quarry the storm clouds have caught up to me and now stand above me threatening with a steady wind with the promise of heavy rain.
The cloak of dark now draped over the land and the tree line separating the farmlands and the edge of the forest of Erwin. The storm clouds blowing in block the moon and stars, deepening the darkness of the night. Sitting atop phantom I check the map provided by the guild confirming I am in the correct location. I use a faint light spell to orient myself as I follow the path into the forest. Before entering the forest, I tie phantom up to a tree at the start of the forest trail. I pat him on the head and say "I'll be right back. stay right here." Shadows stretch long and thin, twisting around me as I step under the dark canopy. The forest seems to be alive with movement, a snap of a twig here, a rustle of leaves there. Each sound sends a shiver of awareness through me, sharpening my senses, but I press on, searching the forest floor for signs of wolves.
A soft drizzle turns into steady rain, transforming the ground beneath my feet into a slick, muddy mess. As I tread deeper into the heart of the forest, I start to wonder if all forests at night feel this eerie. But just as that thought flickers through my mind, a sudden weight crashes into me from the side.
The attack comes without warning. Before I have a chance to draw my sword, something large and hairy latches onto my right arm, dragging me down with a brutal force. Mud splashes as I hit the ground, the rough wood of my puppet form grinding against sharp teeth and claws. The massive wolf shakes its head violently, and in an instant, my arm splinters, ripping from my body with a sickening crack.
For a moment, my mind blanks, the giant wolf still biting and clawing at my chest. Then panic floods in watching it's fearsome jaws rip my armored chest plate off and crushing it. I regain my senses and kick hard with both feet, throwing the wolf off me and crashing into a thick tree trunk. I cast a barrier to fend off a second wolf lunging from the left, but my fractured concentration leaves openings. More wolves rush forward, snarling, eyes gleaming in the dark, ripping at my cloak and clawing deep into the wooden frame of my body.
In desperation, I hurl Fire Lance spells from the ground, each one a blazing streak of destruction. One, two, three wolves are struck, their bodies hurled backward as fiery bolts tear through them, leaving gaping, charred wounds. Their lifeless forms slam into the ground with sickening thuds. I continue casting in rapid succession, each spell roaring into the darkness. Some strike true, while others miss, shattering trees and sending them crashing down around me. The relentless barrage drains me quickly, and I can feel my mana reserves dwindling.
I need to get off the ground!
I summon a wall of fire, the flames roaring to life as they encircle me. The searing heat forces the wolves back, giving me just enough time to get to my feet and to grab my sword with my remaining hand. I can't rely on magic alone. At this rate my mana is going to run out. If it runs out, my enchantment will end, leaving this puppet to collapse uselessly.
The remaining wolves encircle me, their snarls echoing through the dark as the torrent of fire shielding me begins to sputter and die. With the flames fading, the beasts retreat into the shadows, their bloodthirsty maws just out of sight. I can barely see them now, but I can hear them, the low growls, the scrape of claws on wet ground.
Then, they pounce.
Gripping my sword tightly, I swipe at where I think the nearest wolf is. The blade connects, slicing through fur and bone with a sickening crunch, spraying blood into the rain. But the others keep coming, their claws tearing into me from every side, their jaws snapping at my wooden frame.
I swing wildly, striking true only occasionally, my blade often meeting empty air. The wolves are unrelenting, ripping me apart piece by piece. One sinks its teeth into the side of my head, shattering part of my mask and ripping out my right eye. My vision halves as I thrust my blade into its neck, sending a torrent of blood over me. I throw the beast off me, sending it crashing to the ground at my feet.
I keep fighting, hacking and slashing, each move more desperate than the last. My strikes grow frantic as panic overtakes precision. In the chaos, another wolf lunges, its jaws closing around my hand. With a brutal shake, it knocks my sword from my grip, the blade landing in the mud with a dull thud far out of reach.
My sword! and I don't have mana for another spell. I'm screwed!
Desperation consumes me. With no other options, I lunge for my severed arm, gripping it tightly. Wielding it like a club, I swing with everything I have, battering the last wolf repeatedly until it collapses.
Finally, silence falls. The forest is still again, save for the faint hiss of dying flames as the rain extinguishes the remnants of fire. Around me lie the broken bodies of the wolves, their blood mixing with the mud.
I stand, battered and broken, my limbs splintered, and my mask shattered, barely holding together. But it's over.
Though this puppet body doesn't feel pain, the sight of my shattered limbs, fractured chest, and splintered faceplate fills me with a grim sense of weariness. I have to get back to the tower. Gathering my severed arm, I stagger through the mud, retracing my steps out of the forest.
When I reach the edge of the trail, my heart sinks. Phantom lies lifeless, his body reduced to a bloody, mangled corpse, still tied to the tree. His guts spill onto the ground, torn apart by the same beasts I just fought. I stare for a moment, then force myself to move. There's no time to hesitate. With my ride gone, I limp toward the capital on foot.
Sorry Phantom, you deserved better than that.
The rain pours relentlessly, each drop cold and heavy, but it doesn't slow me down. Thanks to my inability to feel pain or tire, I make steady progress without rest. The trip takes all night and into the morning. By some stroke of luck, the storm's fierce rain and wind keep the streets deserted, allowing me to slip unnoticed toward the castle's hidden passage.
At last, I stumble into the sanctuary of the tower basement. The creaking of my shattered body is masked by the steady rumble of thunder outside. I am safe, for now, though I hardly feel victorious. All I want is to end my nightmare by returning to Ren.
Then it'll be his problem.
I ascend the stairs slowly, shadows stretching long as I reach Ren's quarters. The storm outside casts jagged flashes of lightning through the windows, illuminating the dim corridor. I push open his bedroom door and stagger inside. The real Ren lies peacefully on the bed, oblivious to the ordeal his puppet self has just endured.
I can barely hold myself up right now, my mana near empty, but with the last dregs of mana, I made sure to return to Ren. I stand in the doorway to him room, tattered, missing an arm, cloak shredded, my mask cracked and exposing a single remaining glowing eye. Lightning flashes behind me, lighting up the wrecked, monstrous silhouette I've become. I almost pity him for what he's about to experience.
Then, with the last bit of energy left, I let go and drift into nothing. My consciousness and memories return to Ren.
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Suddenly I find myself looking down at myself… or no… I am looking at Ren. He looks exhausted, with black bags under his weary eyes. He is looking at me as if barely awake but expecting confirmation.
I look down at my steel hands, flex my fingers and make a fist. My body moves smoothly with no resistance but my body moves with such weight. I feel,... powerful. I step out form the frame that had been holding me up, my step cause a shud and a creasing of wood that my wooden body never did.
"Everything feels good, I feel… really strong." I say to ren.
Ren signs with relief and slumps down onto the coach behind him. "Oh ... good." he says weakly through clear exhaustion.
Next I activate the Night Vision enchantment. Instantly all areas in the workshop that were not touched by the light of the lamps become clearly lit to my eyes.
Then I activated the threat detections ability and my mind was then flooded with an insane jumble of information about every person or creature in the castle. For a moment I try focusing on individual people. I find quickly by doing so I am able to see in my mind's eye their direction and distance from myself.
"The new enchantments are working perfectly." I say, but as I look back at Ren on the coach. He had fallen asleep. "That's alright brother,...get some sleep." I add.
I then dressed myself in the new clothes, armor, cloak and mask that Ren had provided for me. As I did, Lady Willow entered the workshop, she nodds to me with a smile before picking up Ren gracefully as though he were weightless and whisked him away whistling a tune up the staircase to return Ren to his bed.
Then I make my way out of the castle's hidden exit. Using my Enhance Speed enchantment I start Running through the city and down the road toward Lord Griswald's domain. With no muscles to grow tired I am able to run the entire distance without growing tired or slowing down. My heavy footsteps thud loudly on the ground like the thundering of a bull. As I went I turned many a curious eye in my direction and spooked the horses of a carriage I passed, but I paid it no mind.
Eventually I reach the corpse of Phantom, now picked to the bone leaving only little bits of rotting flesh and bones left, still tied to the tree. I retrace my steps into the forest which is now much brighter in the light of the day even without my night vision capability. Before long I reached an area clearly away as trees in the area had been blasted away by my fire spells. Partially charred and splintered wood scattered about the ground mixes with a great deal of blood mixed with dried mud.
Strewn about the ground are burned and mutilated bodies of 10 massive wolves. I look around at the beasts that tore me apart days before. They looks much smaller now. I look around and find the one that had eaten half my face. Before long I find it, taking my sword I slice open its gut and remove my crystal eye from it;s stomach. "This crystal was hard to craft, you asshole." I mutter as I place the eye into my pocket.
Then I went to each and every wolf and ripped out their fangs. I was able to do it effortlessly with my powerful steel hands. I filled a bag with their fangs so that I could bring them back to the adventurer's guild as proof I had completed the quest.
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Suddenly, I find myself looking down at myself, or no, I'm looking at Ren. He sits slumped on the couch, exhaustion carved into his pale face, dark rings under his weary eyes. He looks at me, barely awake, clearly waiting for confirmation.
I look down at my steel hands, flexing my fingers. They move smoothly, no resistance, but the weight—the sheer solidity, is unlike anything I've felt before. I ball my fist, testing the strength. When I step out of the frame holding me, the floor groans under my foot, and a deep thud echoes through the workshop.
"Everything feels good. I feel… really strong," I say, my voice steady.
Ren lets out a long breath of relief, his entire body slumping further into the couch. "Oh… good," he mutters weakly, his eyes fluttering shut.
I activate the Night Vision enchantment next. Instantly, the dark corners of the workshop come alive, every detail illuminated as though lit by day. Then I focus on the Threat Detection spell. A rush of information fills my mind, directions and distances of every living being nearby. For a moment, it's overwhelming, but I quickly learn to filter it, isolating only what matters.
"The new enchantments are working perfectly," I report. I glance back at Ren, but he's already fallen asleep, his soft breathing the only sound in the room. "That's all right, brother. Get some rest," I add quietly.
After dressing in the new clothes, armor, cloak, and mask Ren prepared, I raise my hood and make my way to the castle's hidden exit. With my Enhance Speed enchantment activated, I sprint through the city streets and down the road toward Lord Griswald's domain, my steel frame driving me forward without a hint of fatigue. Each heavy footfall pounds against the ground like the rumble of a charging bull. Passersby glance at me in confusion, and I spook the horses of a passing carriage, but I don't slow down or pay them any mind.
It seems the price of this stronger, more durable body is sacrificing any sense of stealth.
Eventually, I reach Phantom's remains, little more than bones picked clean, still tied to the tree. I retrace my steps into the forest. In the daylight, it looks far less menacing, though the damage from my fight remains clear. Blasted trees and churned mud mark the place where the battle happened, scattered with blood and the burned, mangled bodies of the wolves.
They seem smaller now
I carefully survey the grotesque, mutilated, and rotting wolf corpses scattered around the area. Before long, I find the one that took my eye. Without hesitation, I draw a dagger from my belt and slice into its bloated belly. The blade cuts effortlessly, and the beast's decomposed insides spill out, pushed by the foul gases of decay.
I am very thankful at this moment that I lack a sense of smell.
I plunge my hand into the gore, digging until I find what I'm looking for, my crystal eye. Pulling it free, I stare at the rare gem, still slick with rotted flesh. "This was hard to make, you bastard," I mutter, wiping it clean before pocketing it.
One by one, I move to the other corpses and begin ripping their fangs from their jaws. My steel hands make the task effortless, though each extraction is accompanied by a sickening crack that echoes through the otherwise silent forest. I collect the fangs in a small bag, securing the proof of my victory to present to the Adventurer's Guild.
I look once more at the battlefield, at the wolves that had nearly ended me. Never again.
With my bag in hand, I turn back toward the road.