The Arrow of Beginning

Cars moving across the street, people talking and walking around, and the bells of stores ringing. Downtown Franklin, Tennessee is as alive as ever. Groups of friends gathering inside cafes, businessmen walking briskly to their cars, local government officials walking around town.

Walking down the sidewalk was a middle-aged man with dark brown hair in a short-style cut. This was Bill Nussex. As he was walking past the McChronalds, he came upon a cross section with an orange hand. As he pushed the button on the traffic light, he waited for that iconic white figure that would grant him access across the street. The orange hand disappeared and he was granted permission.

Ftoof!

That was the sound that greeted his ears as he crossed the busy street. Finding it odd he looked for the cause of it. As he turned his head to look for the source of the sound, he caught a glimpse at his neck and found a viscous, deep crimson liquid on it. Curious, he touched what seemed to be the source, and found an arrowhead in his neck.

The world slowly grew dimmer, like if the slide the contrast switch was slowly dragged all the way to black. The last thing he heard was the blaring sound of a car horn, as he felt himself get pushed. He fell and never got back up.

It was then that a winged figure entered his field of view. It flew toward him, and picked him up.

***

Darkness enveloped him for who knows how long. Eventually he opened his groggy eyes, as if he just awoke from a terrible nightmare. However, instead of a studio apartment, he was met with a gaudy dining hall. As Bill slowly lifted his head he found he wasn't the only one in this hall. There, across the dining table that was fit for a king, he found an old man. And while that was nothing to note, the two crows sitting on his shoulders were. Not only that, but the fact that this old man had on gaudy robes, an eyepatch, and thick white beard was also not adding to the "solemn" atmosphere.

"You've been asleep for quite a while." The old man spoke, all the while scrutinizing Bill.

"Asleep is hardly the term I'd use. Anyway, what the hell happened?" Bill replied.

"Ah," the old man started, as if only just now remembering, "you're dead. And I, Odin, killed you. "

"...Huh?" Bill, just as confused as any might be, stared blankly at Odin, not wanting this reality to set in. What the actual hell!? I'm dead? No, that can't be it; I'm right here. And what was that end part? You can't just throw in that random bit of information! Odin? Like hell. Not only did Bill die, but he was now being told that not only do gods exist, they are from an extinct religion. It was world shattering.

"It is as I say. You have died, and I was your killer. You don't mind, do you? You seemed bored with that world, anyhow." Odin reiterated his statement with no sense of sarcasm or hostility. That was what hurt the most. Bill was mostly at home during his life. He played games, read books, and worked from home. He did have family, but he didn't really keep in touch. That was why he couldn't refute him. Odin wasn't wrong.

"Okay fine, I guess I'll believe you for now. But I do have one question, why did you kill me?" After the mental breakdown, Bill was able to recompose himself and ask the most prevalent question.

"Hm? Well I just shot my bow in a random direction and you were hit. I did, however, make sure to only hit someone with a desire for fantasy, and you were the one who got hit." Odin replied without hesitation, as if this was completely normal. Then he muttered something under his breath.

"Curious though. To think I would get the bottom of the barrel. Ah well, I'll just work with what I got."

This was too inaudible for Bill to hear, but he did get a feeling he was being insulted. So do you just insult whoever you kill? Or am I the exception? He was exasperated. First he was killed for no reason, and now he was being insulted. He was about to break.

"Hm, seems I've gotten you mad… I guess now is the time to tell you why I needed to kill someone." It was like Odin was reading his mind. And so he began his tale.

"Around a thousand years ago, there was a single faction of gods. This included both the Norse, my family, and the Celts. All was well, we lived peacefully as a united front. But one day tragedy struck. Taliesin, Chief of the Bards, was mortally wounded, and the real culprit has yet to be captured."

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean by 'real' culprit? Did they accuse someone? And, to reiterate my point, why am I dead?"

"Ah, you see, I was accused. However, I am innocent. I know not who it was that planted these seeds of false accusation, but I will find them and bring true justice." Odin said with a stoic face, not a trace of hostility, just a sense of justice. "As for why I killed you… I need your help in this endeavor. I could not choose someone who will be missed, because of the problems it could cause for me. That is why it had to be you. If you agree to help me, not only will I grant you power beyond your imagination, but I will also reincarnate you into a new world. One with magic and monsters. It does sound appealing, does it not?"

I can't say it doesn't… But I still can't negotiate with a "god" who would kill a random person for their own agenda….

"Argh, fine you have a deal. But know that I'm only doing this because I'm curious what actual magic is like." Bill couldn't believe that his own tongue would betray him. While he was curious, he was more excited at this new prospect. A world with magic and monsters. Who wouldn't want to do that! There was still one issue, however. "What exactly do you want me to do though? I mean, you're a literal god. What good could a normal human do?"

"A fair question. I want you to live in this world and accumulate non-biased knowledge of the gods. After some decades I will hold a trial, and wish for you to testify."

So basically I'm just a PI? Well it doesn't sound that bad. He had no idea what he was looking for, except the vague who-dun-it. It wasn't an awful idea, and the benefits he gets from doing it are too great to outright deny them.

"Okay I will take the deal, but I would like to know what it is that I'm getting out of this."

"Ah yes, you get three things. The first one is called Patron of the Spirits. Basically all of the spirits will adhere to your command, giving you the power of these spirits. You will also get Complete Affinity. This allows you to use all four types of elemental magic easily. And lastly you will be born into a bloodline of mages, giving you powerful magic circuits. You will be a very powerful human. Are these satisfactory?"

"Uhh… Sure. I'll help you out, so can we get this over with. It's not like I can do anything right now."

"Very well, in approximately ten seconds you will be reborn into Celtia. I hope you have a good life."

"Good. We have a deal. Just know that I won't go back on my word. Alright let's do this."

"It is time. Goodbye young Bill."

Ten… Nine… Eight… Alright, let's do this. I'll live to the fullest and help this old man… Seven… Six… This'll be fun… Five… Four… Three… Two… Goodbye Earth, hello Celtia… One…

Thus Bill Nussex was no more. His soul moved between worlds and he gained immense power, just as Odin had promised him. He then gained the name Egil Skall.

<>

The first three years of my life were spent learning the language and regaining my ability to do other mundane things. I was a little stunted in my ability to learn the language because I already knew English, so that was difficult. After that, I spent five years going to a school. Because both my parents are Magus, they are treated like nobility. That's why I went to an excellent school.

While I was in school my abilities were discovered. The teachers were completely floored by my mana capacity. They just shouted things like "W-What is this kid!?" and "By the Gods, he's a champion." The same thing happened when they saw my Complete Affinity and my patron.

***

I was in a line with the other kids. We were slowly moving toward the front of the room. Looking over the shoulders of the kid in front of me proved difficult, but I managed. I saw that they were having the kids press their hands on a crystal ball. I could just barely hear the instructors saying things like, "You have an affinity for wind, and a wind spirit is your patron." Or things like, "You have an affinity for white magic, and you have an angel for a patron." Things were going smoothly, and sure enough I was next.

"Next," The instructor said in disinterest, as if not wanting to be there. He had the face of a soldier and round glasses. He reminded me of Joker, who was from a war movie I watched in my old life. Honestly, teaching did not suit him well.

"Hi sir!" I exclaimed happily. I knew what my affinity and my patron were, and I wanted to blow his mind. I uhh… may have been enjoying my skills a little bit too much.

"Let's see, your name is... Egil? Are you the one the other instructors were talking about in the mess hall? Well, I doubt you are anything special. Could you place your hands on the ball for me." The last statement was less of a question, and more of a command. In front of me was a beautiful glass ball, it was almost completely clear, with what looked to be crystalized frost on the inside. It was about the size of a dodgeball, which emphasized what a masterpiece this was.

I looked to both sides of the stone laden walls, before placing my hands on the ball. It glowed palely for a little bit before glowing an orangish color.

"Hm… Seems your affinity is fire. Okay ne-"

"Let me try this," I examined the ball and thought of flowing water, and it turned a light blue. Just as I thought, all I have to do is think of the element and it should show.

"W-What was that? Am I mistaken?" The instructor regained his composure. "Well, sorry guess I was wrong your affinity is wat- No, earth… No, wind? Don't tell me you have an affinity for all elemental types of magic!?"

Bingo. I really did enjoy this. Having someone think you're nothing, then showing them that you are pretty powerful is one of the best feelings. And, with that, he turned to me and gazed straight into my eyes. It was pretty creepy. After about 30 seconds, his whole body started to tremble.

"How could this be!? A mere child having four different patrons! Preposterous, why if you have four then…" He trailed off on a tangent. It took about ten seconds for him to calm down. It was then that his gaze caught my eyes again, and he shuddered.

"No, no, no. Not four different patrons, but one spirit. A spirit who has power over the four elemental affinities. This is insane. Maybe if you had a God's Blessing, then I'd believe it, but just one spirit." There he goes again. The instructor went off into another rant, and after about 30 seconds I decided to just go home. This was all we were doing today right? Might as well just go home. I can't wait to tell Barbra and Jax.

Barbra and Jax Skall are my parents. I call them Mama and Papa when I'm around them, but it just feels strange always referring to them as such. I mean, I had different parents back in my original world.

***

After that fiasco, I was renowned for my apparent aptitude toward magic. Many thought I had a God's Blessing, which wasn't exactly wrong. Despite this nothing else interesting happened for the next seven years. It was mostly just; really basic math, science, language comprehension, and magic classes. Because of my affinities, I had quadrupled work when it came to magic class.

That was my next seven years, just as repetitive as it was in my old world. I can't say I hated it, but it was still exhausting. I had a couple of friends like Lexx, Egior, and Brian. This was my main friend group for school, and soon they became some of my closest friends. They were all unique too.

Lexx- Black Magus with a demon patron. She is a striking beauty, but not in the usual way. She's the type of girl who dresses in all black.

Egior- Water Magus with a water spirit patron. He is just really chill. I mean he'll pretty much go with anything you say, to the point where it's scary. He can also get fairly mad if you are able to manage that.

Brian- Earth Magus with an earth spirit patron. Reliable, and the voice of reason. Especially if Egior is about to do something stupid, or if Lexx dares him to.

Honestly, I've made more friends here than in my own world. Which I'm thankful for. Our group really didn't stand out, and we weren't part of any cliques. Though the thought of school cliques in the Middle Ages is a bit odd. Anyways, the seven years flew by, and now I'm of the adult age, fifteen.

***

We were in the middle of town, at my favorite cafe. The smell of tea and pastries filled the air. The sweet smell of sugar is what drew me here in the first place. The owners of the shop were an old couple who lived with each other for 30 years. I've been coming here since I was twelve. The owners, Laurlie and Beck, are always nice to me, and their sweets and tea are amazing.

The four of us were sitting on the outside of the shop, at a log table. We were enjoying some pastries and some tea, of which I would say was the equivalent to that of earl gray tea. Since we were bored, I decided to bring up the idea of going to the forest. I had something amazing to show them. They all agreed, so we polished off our snacks, I left some coins on the table, and we left. As we approached the, approximately, 15 meter wall, we were greeted with imperial soldiers. They were wearing their half-plate-half-leather armor, with metal helmets, not unlike the kind musketmen wore. They stopped us.

"Halt. State your business." The soldier said this as if he was a robot, with a kind of despondent tone.

"Umm… We're going to the woods, cause' we need firewood." Brian said coolly, as if it was the truth, which it technically was.

"Okay, be back before dark. Monsters roam those woods."

'"Okay!"' we shouted in union. Because the Empire technically owns most of the east woods, we didn't have to go through customs. That was a relief considering none of us had any type of identification, we just went through the open, cast iron gates.

We walked down the dirt path. I say path, but it was more of a trail that was made by constant walking. Soon we reached our destination, the tree line. The forest had multiple types of trees, the most prevalent being oak and birch. It was pretty dense, but not to the point where I couldn't walk through the gaps. We traveled through the forest in a line, with Brian in front, Egior behind him, Lexx in front of me, and me in last. This wasn't our first time going into this forest, which was why we moved so confidently. We were heading to a place I found when I was little. How long has it been, five, six, years? Can't wait to see how it's holding up. This is the first time the rest of the gang will see it too. I have high hopes that they'll enjoy this. We continued into the woods.

***

After about 2 hours of walking we came across a clearing. This was the place I wanted to show them. It was a beautiful opening, with sparkling grass, and a ditch. That ditch housed clear water. This was my discovery when I was ten or nine: a water spring.

"Holy… Where'd you find a place like this Egil?"

"Yeah, I would like to know as well."

"It is a nice place. Good job, Egil. I'll go find a rock to sit on."

Egior, Brian, and Lexx were impressed. Which, who wouldn't be. It had a kinda pseudo-cliff that was only 2 meters high, with a stream running off it into the ditch. Not only that but it was also pretty deep, at least 3 meters. This is pretty amazing. To think nature could be so cool. Lexx was especially impressed, already finding a rock to relax on. So we took off our robes and shoes, then jumped in.

SPLASH!

With three people jumping in at the same time, it caused a larger splash than I was expecting, and water was launched a meter off the surface. The result?

"Dammit! You guys are in for it now!!"

Lexx was pissed. Justifiably so, and we were in for it. After a couple seconds of muttering, Lexx lifted her hand and pointed straight at us.

"Illusion hand!"

A translucent, swamp-green outlined hand appeared and started to chase us. Egior went underwater to avoid it, while Brian just got out of the water and started to run. I was the only one left, which resulted in me getting pummeled by the illusion.

Brian turned around, and Egior came up to the surface. Apparently the abuse was loud enough for both of them to hear. They started laughing like crazy.

"Yeah, yeah real funny, you guys… Sorry about that Lexx."

"It's fine, just be more aware of what it is you're doing."

We settled down and started talking. While enjoying the water we heard a crunch sound, like a twig was snapped in half. We all instinctively turned toward the sound with our hands out. I had several spells prepared, but the others couldn't maintain that amount of strain on their mana circuits to prepare a spell beforehand. One of Odin's gifts, I guess.

We held our breath as we waited, hoping the threat would pass us. Because we were relatively close to the town, I doubted that we would've come across a hostile creature. Guess I was wrong. Let's hope it's not a monster, and just a bear or something. Monsters were much more dangerous than animals because they had mana circuits and control of some spirits, meaning they could use magic.

The bush to the north slowly started ruffling, like something was approaching. Should I attack first? We would have the advantage that way. Nah, too risky. I might end up wasting a spell. While I was deliberating with myself, a creature slowly started to emerge from the bush. Suddenly-

"Water Blade!" Egior casted a spell. He must've been chanting from the beginning. Blue particles, spirits, started to congregate in the air, then a film of water formed and was shot at a surprising speed, like a pressure washer. It was then that I looked at the target and hurried to block that spell.

"Stone Wall" I shouted frantically. A meter thick, 3 meter long space in the earth started to glow with golden spirits that then pushed out from the earth, creating a 3 meter tall wall. This was one of my prepared spells, all it did was to terraform a wall into existence by using earth spirits, and I was able to cast it just in time. The water hit the wall with a loud SPLASH. My wall remained, but now had a deep gash in it.

"What the hell, Egil!? Why'd you block my shot?" Egior was less than happy with me.

"Next time look at what you're aiming at!" I shouted hotly. Then, completely switching gears, I asked non-threateningly, "You okay?"

"Umm… y-yes…" A meek, little voice answered from behind the stone wall. A small figure came out from behind the wall, and what we were met with was a little girl. She had pale blonde hair in a sort of curly bob-cut, and a pale complexion. Our so-called monster was, in fact, not a monster. It was a little girl. Sometimes Egior can be way too stupid. It was then that Lexx hopped off her rock and approached us. Talking in a low voice she addressed me.

"Uhh, Egil? How were you able to block that spell? You didn't even chant anything!"

"I'll tell you later. For now let's focus on the girl," I whispered in response.

The girl stood there not moving a muscle. It was almost like she was afraid of us. I couldn't blame her though, I mean she almost had her head lobbed off by an idiot. I swear I'm gonna punch him later.

"Y-you guys aren't g-gonna take me are you?" The girl stood in place, still terrified of us. What she said did interest me though. Take? What does she mean, take? It was then that I caught sight of her ears. They were long and pointed, which means she's an elf. That was an issue. In my 15 years of living in the Enlightened Empire, I've noticed that they really only care about the human race. Every other race is an abomination in their eyes. That was why she was so terrified. Lexx must've realized this as well, because she bent down so they were at eye level.

"Nobody's going to take you. Did you get lost?" Lexx was handling this like a pro. I had to give her props.

"Yes… I was… cart… b-bad men…" She was whispering so quietly, that it was a miracle that Lexx could hear her at all.

"Okay... do you know where you live? How you got here?" Brian, being the man of reason, started slinging questions left and right trying to glean more information.

"I-I live on a farm in Rayton." That was a familiar word. Rayton, Rayton, Rayton. Oh! The country in Mitica. That makes some sense, but how did she get here of all places? Only Wood Elves live in this forest, and High Elves live in, and manage, Rayton.

"Okay, so you're not a Wood Elf then?" I decided to ask the question on my mind. It may have been a bit rude of me, but come on! This is the first time I'm meeting any type of elf.

"N-no, I'm an h-High Elf…" My question must have scared her. Lexx and Brian even gave me withering looks. My bad guys. I'll apologize later. Lexx took over from there.

"What's your name, sweetie?" She was talking like a mother who was helping a lost kid in a supermarket.

"Alma…" A cute name, that's to be sure.

"Okay Alma, do you need help?"

"Y-yes, miss."

"Alright then, Alma. We'll do what we can.