The Ceaseless Fog

Lost souls heed forgotten tales,

Of one who sought to be challenged. To learn.

Those abandoned by death. Forsaken, called forth from ceaseless fog to new accursed life.

Arise now.

Be bestowed boundless purpose.

Seek to challenge, to grow,

Be driven forth by maddening power,

Grant wisdom through endless suffering,

Fulfill this glorious purpose.

Until nothing more may be sought.

And so it will be, that even lost souls shall forget their tales.

 ---

No matter how large the sky seemed, it would never be endless.

How many times had he looked upon this blue sky? Now that seemed endless… Years had blurred his reality, yet not even a single one had passed.

The wind gently caressed his cheek, the grass tickling his bare arms. His body felt light, no longer marred and restrained by scar tissue. No longer weighed down by armour. Rolling his head to the side he saw his palm, his skin was smooth and unblemished. His muscles were frail. The same as always when he started...

Was there really any meaning to trying again?

Yes… yes, there was, he couldn't give up. If he did what purpose would he have?

Looking past his palm his eyes focused on the trees, their vibrant leaves contrasting the clear sky. It was so peaceful. Was he scared of this the first time? It would have been so unfamiliar… His lips curled upward slightly as he looked back towards the sky. Even it could be so many different shades.

It was all the same. All but his mind, and with his mind came magic, understanding… power.

He knew what needed to be done to progress towards the next layer, there wasn't even a point in standing up. Snapping his fingers he closed his eyes as the sky turned red.

A peaceful forest turned into dunes of ash, embers flickering out leaving naught but bleak gray

---

All he could see was the sky, his hands grasping instantly at the grass beneath him. Looking around as he tried to stand, failing and falling back to his knees as the world spun around him. Gasping for air he regained his balance as his vision focused on the trees surrounding the small clearing. His eyes darting back and forth taking in the large boulders and the tall trunks that blocked his sight further into the forest.

He was surrounded by shrouding foliage and rocks, no mountains could be seen over the tree line and no clouds were in the sky, the sun the only blazing bearing he could align himself to.

Where was he, what was happening? Why was his heart so cold.

Clutching his chest he felt the faint beats pounding away, the feeling bringing brief comfort and slowing the rushing thoughts in his mind.

Who was he?

Why didn't he know anything?

All he could recall was fog… endless and yearning. Coiling around his formless self as he drifted aimlessly. Why was it so chilling? Why did it linger in his heart and on the edges of his mind? It was death, he knew that.

Sitting down carelessly he held his head in his hands. His nail scratched at the skin on his thumb as his foot tapped on the grass, his eyes staying focused on the tree line surrounding him.

He was sure of one thing. He had been dead a moment ago, now he was… here. Wherever here was. The warmth of the sun was calming him at least. It kept the cold in his heart at bay.

Slowly standing up again he made his way towards the edge of the tree line. Staying behind one of the large rocks he peaked around it and into the forest, no movement catching his eye, it seemed normal enough, the underbrush having small paths carved through it from animals.

He shouldn't be so cautious, staying cooped up in the clearing wouldn't help him find out where he was. He may as well explore a bit…

Taking a deep breath he walked towards one of the animal trails, looking both ways that it went before heading right. It seemed to go downhill even if it was only a bit. He could hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of things moving as they darted away from him.

It was fairly pleasant once he started to adjust to the unknown of it all. Although it still wasn't relaxing he could at least appreciate it.

Supporting himself with a tree as he stepped over a large root he paused as he pulled his hand away from the bark, looking at it with curiosity. Something had stabbed into the bark… it definitely wasn't done by an animal.

Crouching down into the shrubbery he listened carefully, still hearing the birds and other small sounds. Looking back at the stab he ran his finger along the edge of it. An arrow maybe? A missed shot… it didn't look too old.

Getting his best bearing on where it came from he made his way in that direction, carefully keeping an eye on the ground till he saw his next clue… blood, it was dried and coating some of the fallen leaves but it was defiantly blood. A trail of it at that.

Some animal had been dragged after being killed, maybe something the size of a deer?

He could hear his heart again… it was warmer… was he getting closer to what he was here for? Why did this feel natural to him? It didn't matter right now, if something or someone was hunting with tools around here then he could possibly talk to it…

That or become its prey.

He needed to figure out what it was regardless.

Following the trail of the dragged creature he kept as low and as quiet as he could, it felt natural the way he moved. Looking at his hands the skin was smooth though, he hadn't worked with tools much… that or this was a new body. He had come from death after all.

Hearing something his gaze shot up, staring in that direction as he froze, he couldn't see anything moving. The area was getting more rocky too, large boulders blocked his sight and the ground was more uneven.

Hearing something again, almost a chatter he moved to one of the large oak-like trees and quickly climbed up into its thick limbs. Getting into the branches and leaves he stayed as still as he could as his heart started to beat faster.

"Aghra- all gah aree- hakth-" He heard, the sound was faint but he could make out some form of speaking, it certainly wasn't human though. It was high-pitched and strained. The sound of footsteps further followed as the chatter became louder.

Small green creatures no larger than a child came out from around one of the rocks, their bodies only covered by untreated hides that hung from their scrawny shoulders tied on by lengths of plant rope.

Goblins.

Two of them carried crude stone spears caked in old blood never once having been cleaned, the other held a bow that seemed far too well made for such feral monsters.

There was a chance humans were around. Watching them pass beneath him he heard them chatter and growl at each other pausing where they were. The one with the bow, the tallest out of them growled and pointed in the direction he had come from.

One of the others sniffed the air and exclaimed something as it was slapped on the back of the head by the one with the bow, probably the leader of the group.

Had they smelt him? This wasn't good.

But he felt it, there was a heat in his heart. Something chased away the fog that lingered. He knew what he was meant to do.

Kill them.

Why? He didn't know yet, he didn't even know if he could. But something within him was telling him it was the answer to why he was here. He had found his goal.

Watching the leader point again and push one of the spear wielders he saw the two smaller ones start to search the area, looking for something. It didn't take long before one of them called the leader over, the other one coming running behind them as they all looked at the ground together.

They must have found his trail, seeing them follow it to the base of the tree he could clearly see even from up here the leaves that had been hurriedly pushed to the side as he had pushed down on the ground to jump up and grab a branch. 

As they all looked up he cursed as he tried to stay behind the limbs but it was too late, they had already seen him.

Hearing them yell he stayed tucked behind the branches as best he could, the only positive he could think of was that they only had one bow and were way too short to reach the branches.

Peaking out from the limb as best he could he saw that two of them were letting the third climb them to get up to the branches.

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself, his voice coarse and dry like he hadn't used it for months. He could move along the limb he was on and jump to one of the large rocks but as soon as he left the cover of the tree he knew the one with the bow would start shooting him.

Peaking around the branch again he saw the large one had already nocked an arrow and was pointing it in his direction ready to shoot if he made himself seen.

Luckily for him, the small one had decided that bringing its spear was the best choice and was struggling to carry it and climb at the same time… he could do this. 

Adrenaline was already starting to push his body into overdrive as he adjusted, waiting for the smaller goblin to get closer to him. Watching it come around one of the limbs to his right he crouched down making sure he was stable, the taller goblin was trying to move and get a better shot but with all the limbs it would be hard while he was tucked up against the trunk.

Seeing the other goblin climb onto a limb below him and get ready to stab at him he made sure his footing was as best as he was going to get it, he was bigger and stronger. There was no way the goblin would have as much weight as he did.

Seeing it stab towards him he fairly easily grabbed the spear, the unstable thrust already wonky as the goblin tried to fight in the tree. Pulling on the spear as hard as he could it didn't take much before the goblin was falling off the branch and bouncing between the limbs on the way to the ground although saving itself from the plummet as it managed to cling to a limb that it was falling past.

Pushing himself against the trunk he saw the leader lining up as shot curse as he moved so that he was covered by the limbs below him. Turning the spear around so that he could throw it, it was short. No longer than his arm and the shaft was wonky.

If he threw it he would most likely miss. He could try to outlast their interest but… wait where did the third one go? He couldn't see it on the ground, he was trying to avoid the leader's sight but still, he should be able to see it.

He had to hurry this up, he couldn't stay in this tree if it had gone to get friends. They would probably wait him out or cut the tree down if they really wanted to get him.

Cursing as he saw the other one had started trying to climb back up this time much faster without its spear although clearly a bit wobbly from its fall he heard a thunk to his left and saw an arrow had nailed the tree. The goblin had climbed up one of the rocks to get a better angle.

Moving as quickly as he could he made his way onto another limb and around to the other side of the tree, balancing before he felt a hand clutch his ankle.

The other one had managed to go around the other way and had jumped from the limb it was on as he was moving.

Feeling the sudden weight he grabbed one of the branches as his foot slid off the one he was standing on. The sudden movement made him drop the spear and he was forced to hold onto the tree with both hands to keep himself from falling.

Hanging from some branches he let both his feet dangle as he started to kick at the goblin. Its sharp nails dug through the thin pants he was wearing as it started to claw its way up his leg. Dragging itself upwards as he kicked at it.

Feeling a solid impact his foot slammed into its face as soon as it got close enough, but as he kicked at it he felt pain through his foot, before he could pull back it bit his foot hard enough its teeth sank deep into his flesh through the thin shoe. Feeling the flare of pain he had one thought.

'I'm going to die.' His mind filled with a cold numbness as he screamed from the pain. The sound of something rushing below him barely registered as he shook his legs before a flaring pain was felt in his side.

An arrow had hit one of his ribs. The pain almost made him let go of the tree. It hadn't had much power, but it had certainly hurt like hell. Turning he saw the leader who had found a gap in the limbs already drawing another arrow.

He could hear more goblins now, their loud cheers clearly heard even if he couldn't see them on the other side of the tree. Maybe 7 or 8? He really couldn't pay attention right now.

Kicking his legs harder he felt pain flare in his side again as an arrow slammed into his shoulder. His grip failed as he fell. Slamming into a branch that he tried to grab onto but the arrow in his rib caught a branch as he was falling and snapped, twisting the arrowhead and making his vision swim.

He felt himself slam into the ground. The pain flared in his side as he landed at an odd angle. He had felt a bone in his leg snap…

He was going to die.

Seeing other goblins run towards him he found himself counting… even now as he was about to die. Why was he counting?

There were 9 in total…

One of them stabbed at his front and weakly he slapped the spear aside grabbing at it. Feeling his hand grasp one of its long ears he at least wanted to take one out.

Feeling a spear pierce his side, the head buried deep into his heart the warmth that was in it vanished. His vision faded to black as the cold fog spread through his body.

He had died. He was back in the fog, he could feel it surrounding him, almost as if it was asking who he was?

Then it pushed, the fog pushed him, it didn't want him.

Death was rejecting him.

Gasping for air his hands clasped grass. His chest heaved as he desperately sucked in the air like a drowned man, filling his empty lungs. He had just been being swarmed by goblins. He had died, he had seen the fog again.

Now he was staring at the bright sky.

Running his hands over his chest he looked around him. He was in the clearing, the same one he woke up in. The pain was fading, he didn't have any wounds. Looking at his side he felt it was fine… his legs were uninjured. The dull white cloth clothes he was wearing were clean and whole. No signs of the tears or blood that had marred them.

He had died though…

He had been rejected by the fog, death didn't want him.

He felt the coldness in his heart yet he knew his goal was the same. He had to kill the goblins…

Standing up shakily he stared at his hands.

What was this place? What the hell was happening!?