Chapter 2: Troubled Twins

When I open my eyes I am standing in a small clearing. A forest spreads in all directions, the leaves filter the light from above, an ominous purple glow fills the fog that swirls on the forest floor.

If this isn't a curse or evil magic forest, I've never read a fantasy book in my life. I'm wearing some weird robes. Gray with gold trim. Just like my character was supposed to wear. On the ground before me is my magic bag and staff of the magi. I pick them up and begin to look around.

I'm not sure what's going on but it looks like… I'm IN the story. This is amazing and terrifying. I'm not sure exactly how this happened...but I've read enough of these kinds of books to know the first priority is survival, they aren't always kind to their Main Character's. Ok, my class in the game was Artificer, I'm almost completely dependent on magical objects. I have to know if my items work. Without them I'm basically useless. I reach into my magic bag and think about an item. I pull out a small blue rod covered in intricate runes, one of my principle attack weapons, The Wand of Bolts. I place it into a small holster on my belt, it can hold six winds or rods on it. I reach into my magic bag and fill the belt with items. Luckily, I'm already wearing my power armor. Then I fill the holster on my back with 3 long staves made of a variety of materials. Finally, I pull out one of my masterpieces called "staff of magic and a large round shield with a massive glyph on it. This staff is a shining black staff carves with blue arcane marks and symbols all the way up and down the staff. A small white orb sits inside the black claw setting at the top of it. This Artifact level weapon has more spells and charges then anything in my arsenal.

Looks like my bag works, now to test my other items. I focus on my staff and will it to bring forth the zero tier spell, light. If I concentrate on the item I can command it with my mind to take the effect I want it to

My staff illuminates the dim woods around me and the fog seems to recede to the edge of the light. Just like evil ominous fog should, I hate it. At least my items work, my magic is almost entirely dependent on my items, so this is good. This item cast specific spells using charges, but tier zero spells shouldn't take any charges. It looks like magic chants are in plain English, but I'll have to experiment later.

Time to test my armor's offensive abilities. A crystal is embedded into each hand and the center of the armor's chest plate. I mentally command the central crystal to fire. A powerful bolt of lightning fires from my helm and into the nearby tree, chairing it and blowing a sizable chunk off of the armor. Hopefully I'm able to hold my own in this world with the tools I have. I was max level in my old TTRPG, level 40.

I place a necklace from my bag around my neck. It's a silver spiral necklace that comes to a point and has two silver wings on it. I concentrate on the magic within it and call to it with my mind. I begin to float into the air. I rise over the nasty purple woods and begin to fly in a random direction. The forest goes on for as far as I can see. Soaring just above the trees I begin looking for a road or any sign of civilization.

Before long I hear the clash of metal against a hard surface and the screams of a woman. I really didn't want to get caught up in someone else's drama, but my own sense of justice won't let me turn away from someone in trouble. This is the reason I alway got my ass kicked in school, I just can't mind my own business.

*******

Mer and Mo lived rather luxurious lives. Despite that, they trained as warriors rather intensely because they knew that someday they would have to help their elder brother, heir to their father's land and title, maintain order on the Island where they lived.

They had brought 2 Yomen, scouts specializing in ranged combat in their father's service, and 4 men-at-arms, professional soldiers from their father's personal house guard, with them when they left the city. They wanted to hunt monsters and gain some experience.

They had gone on their own to kill a Primal Boar. It was a normal animal of its kind that had infused itself with natural magical energy, morphing them into a larger version with nasty bone spikes armor and plates. They were fairly dangerous, but not for two well trained warriors of the iron blood.

They killed it swiftly. I snuck up and peppered it with arrows and when it charged Mo held it down with his shield and finished it with a powerful hammer blow. I can't wait to show the others its hide and valuable parts, as well as the tasty tasty boar meat. I can see the camp, the firelight low and the anti-monster crystals keeping the fog at day with a green glow, I smell blood.

I turn to my brother

"Yea, I smell it to"

He unsheathes his hammer, Iron Justice, and raises his steel shield.

"I'll take a look first. Cover me"

He nods and replaces his hammer with a heavy crossbow and places the shield on his back. I begin to slowly creep up into the camp my twin daggers, Grace and Beauty, at the ready. The underbrush is light so I dart from tree to tree, using the fog and shadow to hide me.

The tents are ripped to shreds and the bodies of our men are nothing but scattered blobs of meat. The blood and gore was beyond anything I've ever seen. They weren't eaten, they were ripped apart for sport.

A cold chill runs down my spine as I jump from my hiding spot, just as an enormous explosion of icey energy explodes where I was standing. The shards cut into my face and exposed arms but I avoid more than a superficial wound. I hear my brother's crossbow and the loud sound of it strike a nearby tree. I see a figure, drapped in misty dark shadow floating inches above the ground.

His outstretched hand glowed blue as he began another spell. He quickly chants under his breath in the language of creation and moves his hand to create a floating magical glyph. The icey blade shoots from the glyph and through the air. It bounced off my brother's shield as he charged forward. I throw both of my daggers at the figure and they appear to pass straight through him. The daggers return to me in a flash of energy, thanks to the small magical bangles on each wrist.

The figure's cloak floats and expands, and a hulking beast emerges from the darkness. A ghoul, a lesser Nightmare that takes over the bodies of dead creatures and endlessly seeks to devour the living. It looks like it has possessed the body of a huge wolf. This is trouble.

I whip out my bow and loose three arrows as quick as lightning. I angle them and all three hit the target at the same time. The arrows sink into the sagging flesh of the hound's back. Unphased, it lunges at my brother. It snaps with its rotten maw at his face and claws at his shield with its long black claws. Black icor flies out of its jowls. My brother stabs the flesh again and again, but the monster shows no sign of slowing.

Attacking the body and destroying the physical form will drive off the nightmare, but if they want to destroy it they will need the power of magic. I pull out a silver arrow, blessed by a high priestess of Apollo with holy magic. I lose the arrow with all my might and it strikes the beast in its ugly face. The holy magic flashes white and the creature lets out a disturbing scream.

The body of the creature falls to the ground and the crimson eyes fade to darkness.

"Be on guard Mur, there is no telling where that dark sorcerer went. How many more of those do you have"

"None. What was that sound!"

Suddenly, emerging from the fog, four more forms shambled from the darkness. Four rotting wolves with crimson eyes filled with hate surrounded the pair of siblings.

"I love you, run sister! System Call! Activate Skill: HOWL OF THE WARRIOR!

Green waves of energy flow forth from her brother and crash into the nightmare wolves. They all began to turn, and snarl at Mo. His skill would force the simple monsters to attack him for 6 to 24 seconds. Mur didn't want to leave but with tears in her eyes she began to turn and run.