Chapter 1 - The Beginning

I was dying.

There was no denying that, despite the reassurances from the doctors, the cancer that I had fought against for almost 2 years was winning.

There was nothing I could do. My family crouched around me, the muttering sobs of their voices were only interrupted by the slow, steady beeping of the monitor a couple feet from me.

My brother said something, I couldn't hear it, I was far beyond the point of fighting anymore.

I felt it come, the warm, wet darkness and then fog closed in. The beep grew continuous.

Wind whistled across my face, the sun glaring down at me from above. That was weird, I was dead. My brain started thinking and I shot back up, now very much awake and worried. I seemed to be on a cliff, a big cliff, a very big cliff.

I stood and looked over the edge; straight down to the clashing, dark water over 500 metres down.

"Greetings Chosen"

I nearly shat myself. I spun round to see, something. I couldn't really describe it. It was like a weird assortment of twisted shapes and circles, spinning round a pulsating blob of light. I admit, there was some screaming, but considering the situation I think I did better than most.

"W-What are you" I stammered, trying to keep myself composed.

"They call me many names, but you may call me Gaea". That was edgy, like a 14 year old goth had named..... This.

"What do you want", My voice was steadier now, I had long ago lost the will to live and this orgy of lines wasn't about to break me.

"I need you"

"Why?", I asked back

"Well, I saw your valiant attempt at existence in your previous life and decided for you to become my champion". The voice seemed to originate from the.. god?, thing?.

"Yes, I am a diety, God of Earth to be precise."

"Why do you want me, you could have just grabbed some muscley guy or a warrior from there past, Why me?"

"An excellent question, I could have chosen a "muscley guy" as you put it. But I am afraid that muscle won't work in the place you're going. You need a will, a will strong enough to overcome anything, to shatter the ground and rip the sky asunder. Last time I checked you fought that "cancer", without complaint or whining despite the extreme pain. That inner strength is much more valuable than you realise"

"Now, you have no choice in the matter as I need a champion, the other gods have entire religions so I am at quite a disadvantage".

I thought carefully about my next question, "That was a great pep talk, I just spent the last 4 years on a bed, however shit the place is you're going to send me, its better than this". It changed, shifting and morphing into a man-shaped creature, It was about 9 feet tall and seemed to be made of an grey alloy covered with emerald green vines that twisted like living snakes.

"Now, as you are my first champion I will give you a choice of body and three skills" He said, I'm not sure why but the gender seemed to click now he wasn't that thing.

"Show me the strongest skills available", I asked. He smirked and snapped his fingers.

A long list of skills appeared on a slate, like it had been carved from stone. It slammed down into the ground. The skills numbered in the thousands. My musings was interrupted by Gaea. "These are the strongest skills, each one Mythic Ranked, the strongest available for any creature that has ever existed.

I looked at the list again, I had been a geologist before getting lung cancer, maybe that was a reason for why the God of Earth chose someone who studied rocks and terrestrial materials.

"Cancel out all non-earth related skills" I said, I felt a pulse of warmth radiate from the God.

"A man after my own heart", he snapped his fingers as the list now numbered at around 20 skills. I thought for a moment as I selected my chosen three.

- Obsidian Armour- Call on the Armour of the Deeps to guard you.

-Earth Manipulation(Obsidian) - Command the earth with grace and strength, form spells and shapes from any natural material. Cost - 5 mana per 1m3 of material shaped.

- Aura (Locked)

I closed the options and the list crumbled away. I looked at Gaea and saw the first emotion on his metallic face since I got here.

He smiled down at me "Those were excellent choice, Champion. Now a new name, something like Darkfang or Irontooth, perhaps Metalking?.

"Those are horrible names". I thought for a second, rolling some choices over in my head, I was obviously going to become an Earth Mage or Wizard or whatever, so I needed something to keep it subtle but recognisable.

"Ferrous, My name will be Ferrous"