Urban Gods
I picked up the book: Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney. Heros of the ancients never impressed me. A different age, one where monsters lived and heros were worshiped for the protection they gave. Its a different time now.
I briefly scanned the Barnes and Nobles. I felt a shade somewhere, but I couldn't afford to act. I gave up my two freebies: the next one would last. As much as I enjoyed being a hero, I still had a life ahead of me. Let another Shadow Warrior take care of it.
A chill went down my spine. The shade was approaching. I looked up and watched as a TV reporter on the news talked about "Several people have gone missing in the downtown area." Almost certainly collateral damage from a fight between Shadow Warriors and Shades.
Even Urban Gods aren't perfect.
The shade was definitely coming closer. I could feel it. But unless it was a big one, no one would die. They might faint, probably get scared, but death or erasure isn't a possibility. And yet...
As a hero, my job is to guard mortals. Monsters are here to hurt them. The course of action should be clear. But if I took action, made my decision, that would be the end. I would vanish from this world to join the shadow war eternally. My friends would forget me, my pictures would fade, birth records would disappear, and my family would move. I would never find them again. How could it be worth it?
What if I knew someone in this store? What if some of their life force was lost to this Shade? I could have stopped it. My mind was set. I whispered a goodbye to my family, my friends, all my loved ones, and embraced oblivion.
Your first ascension is the most vivid. You have so much power and evil monsters to use it on. By the second time, you know the risks, and most of the color is missing, leaving things in shades of grey. But the last time? The world is black and white. Your fighting for a race that won't remember you, against an unspeakable, indestructible evil, with godlike powers that can ruin lives with collateral damage.
As I entered the shadows, I realized the shade was a full scale fireblood. Unless they had been around for a long time, no shadow warrior could hope to take one in one on one combat. But I don't mind a challenge. A good friend of mine once said "A true adventurer never ignores danger, he embraces it."
Power swirling around me, I leapt at the fireblood, my hands beating a pattern upon his scales. Some of them began to crack and I followed up with another flurry. The beast was shocked, I had ascended out of nowhere. I chose to be a monk, I always liked them.
Its tail came from nowhere and smashed my side. I rolled with the blow in order to minimize damage and disengage. I ended up halfway across the store after hitting a few shelves. Knowing I was outside of my weight class, I rolled behind a counter. If I was lucky, another warrior might arrive. With a healer or fighter, we might be able to banish it. Then I heard the scream.
I hate it when I'm wrong, it happens way too often. This fullscale might be able to devour a normal before it left. The time to wait was over. I tore around the bookcases, my arms glowing with an unearthly color, a gleam in my eye. With a roar I leapt into the air. I leapt towards what could be my death, not with a scream, but with a smile.