The atmosphere of the tent was unreadable. Perhaps info-dumping my companions with my purpose, gamer abilities, and the fate of their world all at once had been not wise.
During the lecture, more time had passed than expected. Most of the light now emanated from the dying flame.
A stillness hung over the inhabitants of the tent. Faces illuminated by the flame, eyes looking to me.
In both my lives reading people was not my forte, but perhaps it would be best to break the tension. "Any questions?" I asked.
A few moments passed before surprisingly Tom was the first to crack. Breaking the stillness that had fallen over the tent. "So you died? And then you were reborn on our world to… complete it?" He questioned, his confused voice lacked the nervous tint it usually held.
"Yes, I died. Afterward, I was given a choice as to what path my soul would take. Due to unusual circumstances, I had the option to be sent into your world." Pausing to grab a candle from my inventory and placed it on the table.
Using fire magic to light the wick, I continued. "The one who sent me here told me by sending a soul with a certain quality, its excess acts as fuel for the host realm, stopping the realm from burning itself out."
Pouring mana into the flame, the candle rapidly melted. Cutting off the flow of mana, wax poured inward engulfing the flame.
"That's the best I can explain, is that satisfactory?" After receiving a nod, I looked at the others.
That was about all I knew anyways. I had not thought to ask too many questions before being sent here. And knowledge on how exactly souls could stop worlds from fading away was not a high priority.
"Anything else?" I prodded.
"So the whole world is going to get overrun by Others and corpses then?" Corbin questioned with an uncommon frown. Right-hand rubbing the pouch under his neck.
"Well if I succeed the Others should be pushed back to the far north for a time, If not eliminated completely. I still have time to grow stronger and gather resources for this endeavor. I would hope that after all that I have shared, all of you would join me."
While at my current level of strength high-level dungeons were doable. I found out quickly, that not all dungeons were meant to be soloed. Running into dead ends requiring multiple members for puzzles, boss encounters, or ability usage was annoying to say the least. Adding 4 members to my party would greatly increase the number of dungeons I could clear.
"That's what it is then? We will be a band of heroes saving the world, count me in." Meros's eyes sparkled in the firelight, face split with a grin. "I can see it now, being revered as a hero of legend. I always knew I would find a grand destiny by following you," he gushed, looking like a man who had won the lottery.
"Don't accept my offer lightly unless you understand what you're getting yourself into," I growled. rising from where I was seated. Taking a few steps until slightly above eye level from the seated fool. "This path will be paved in blood. If the Others come and my efforts turn out to be for nothing, I will be forced to exterminate enough lives until I can handle them myself. Defeat is not an option!"
Satisfied with his grin wavering, I continued. "If you accept, you will be bound to me until the Others are purged from this world." Pausing to glance at the others in the tent, they seemed to be paying attention.
"I will not bind you with magic to follow my every order, your mind and body will be your own. All that I ask is you follow my orders, give me council if asked, and not turn against me. After the threat is over, you will be released from my service, any powers gained intact."
"I need companions to cover for my weaknesses, and while some of you I have not known till recently." Turning my eyes to Tom, staring wide-eyed at the remains of the candle. "All of you could have a part to play in saving the world."
"Why now?" The gravelly voice of Chem pierced the tent.
"I have outgrown the company, by staying I would stunt my own growth. And time left to prepare for the arrival of the Others is running out. I can not be the only shield between them and humanity. I'll need to warn the Westrosi of the threat." I said. Surprised at Chem of all people asking a question.
Receiving a grunt from Chem. "Any more questions?" I asked. Waiting a few moments before returning to my seat, I outstretched a hand. "If you wish to join me, come and take my hand and pledge service to me, If not then leave."
Rising to his feet Corbin was the first to accept my hand with his leathery callused one. Eyes lighting up in surprise after seeing my party request, staring at it a few moments longer before accepting it. "Lad, I've known you since you joined this company, and while you might have some rough edges, I would be happy to join you," he smiled, patting me on the shoulder before he returned to his seat.
Next was Meros, who seemed to rediscover his grin, taking my hand. Quickly accepted the party request. "I expected something a little more, to cement a brotherhood of heroes," he jested.
"That comes later," I said, gesturing to Chem, and Tom. "Make up your mind soon, holding up my hand is tiring."
That seemed to jolt Tom into action, as he was the next to grab my hand. Though from the way he hesitated maybe he thought it would bite him.
"Ma would tan my hide if she learned of me giving up an opportunity like this." His grip tightened. "And I won't let the Others kill my family. I'm your man Kain," he declared, accepting the request. his walk back showing some spine.
Chem was the last to grab hold of my hand, his hand engulfing mine. While Chem was a bit shorter than the average man, he made up for that by being built like a brick shit house. At times my own fighting could be brutal, but after watching Chem using a sword like a cudgel to beat an armored opponent to death. Any notions I had of humans being similar physically to Earth's was thrown out.
Unlike the others, he had nothing to say, simply accepting the party request then reseating himself.
My UI displayed my new party members. It had been a while since I had anyone in my party, taking a moment to refamiliarise myself with the menus. My [Observe] skill was high enough to give a rough estimate of attributes. But now that they are registered as party members. I could see a mostly complete profile for each one, and more importantly the ability to spend their stat points.
Name: [Corbin Waters]-Name:[Tom]-Name:[Chem]-Name[Meros Moqqu]
Age:49-Age:15-Age:27-Age:22
Level:20- Level:7-Level:13-Level:11
Experience.(38%/100%)-Experience.(95%/100%)-Experience.(32%/100%)-Experience.(3%/100%)
HP: (1270/1270)-HP: (1200/1200)-HP: (2550/2550)-HP: (1270/1270)
MP: (50/50)-MP: (50/50)-MP: (80/80)-MP: (50/50)
STR:7-STR:8-STR:17-STR:8
DEX:10-DEX:7-DEX:10-DEX:12
CON:10-CON:10-CON:14-CON:10
END:12-END:10-END:15-END:11
VIT:11-VIT:10-VIT:13-VIT:10
INT:10-INT:8-INT:10-INT:13
WIS:14-WIS:5-WIS:7-WIS:5
CHA:18-CHA:6-CHA:5-CHA:12
LUC:56-LUC:6-LUC:8-LUC:13
MG:5-MG:5-MG:8-MG:5
Will:10-Will:8-Will:14-Will:11
Stat points:32-Stat points:11-Stat points:21-Stat points:19
Glancing over their stat sheets showed me nothing I had not already known. Taking a moment to admire Chem stats, while I had found some interesting specimens during my time in this world, Chem was a step above the average human in almost every category, he even had a slightly higher MG stat than normal. I had only seen similar in those with Valyrian blood ties.
Most of my party members were of decent levels excluding Tom. After I spend their stat points they should all strong enough to handle themselves, a nice mix of strength and dexterity should do for now. It would be a shame if they died before I could even take them to a dungeon.
Closing the menus I looked at my party members: Chem, Meros, Tom, Corbin. Their faces seeming more real than before.
Before accepting my offer they would probably have just died a sellsword. Their lives having little impact on the world. I had seen it happen many times over, a face, a story, blood seeping into the ground. All that they were, erased from the world
Now they were my companions, mine to use as weapons against the Great Other or whatever eldritch abomination the bastard who sent me here wanted erased from this world.
The idea of having others around to help me seemed to lift a weight off my heart, that I was unaware of. It felt like progress, the years in the company felt hollow to the greater goal. Only serving as a way to gain levels and skills.
"Before I spend your stat points I would like some input on how you would like to improve your abilities." I would probably spend their stat points the same regardless of their input. People liked having their thoughts and feelings taken into consideration, it would cost me nothing. "And after we are done here, let's go for a walk."
What a productive day this has been. I could almost smile.
They had been walking for what felt like an hour now.
Shortly after their oaths, Kain had led them outside of camp and began their trek.
Tom had wanted to ask where they were going. Kain had not given any hint as to where they were heading, only silently striding forward to only god's know where.
The darkness did not help, the only illumination coming from the stars above and the torch Kain carried.
It did not help that the others seemed content in the silence. Thoughts about how he ended up in such a situation bubbled up from his restlessness.
Before becoming a sellsword he was to be a guardsman in service to White harbor. One drunken night during his 16th name-day and a tavern brawl was all it took to change that. Waking to most of the garrison shunning him. Later finding out from a friend he knocked out a couple of teeth from the Guard Captain's son.
No official punishment came from it, yet any attempts to join or converse with the garrison were met with rejection. He tried his best to make amends but the Captain would have none of it.
Being the third son to a carpenter blessed with five, gave his family little to spare to help him find skillful employment, not that he wanted to take away coin meant to pay for his younger brother's apprenticeship funds.
Left with little option's he turned to work at the docks where strong backs are always needed. After overhearing men speak of all the gold one could make in Essos, It had seemed so simple, find a ship to Essos, join up with a sellsword company to make enough coin to return home and live comfortably.
He knew his way around a blade well enough, and if his time in the guard had taught him anything, it was that no matter how skilled someone was with a blade. All it took was numbers to overwhelm a skilled opponent.
Saying his farewells after finding a ship willing to ferry him in exchange for labor, thereafter landing in Pentos where he realized he may be in over his head. In a strange land with strange tounges, finding someone who could understand common and willing to point him in the right direction had been hard enough.
After fumbling around in the city for a time he was recruited into the Company of the Bloody Sands, the life of a sellsword was nothing like the stories, and the coin he received was not worth the pants-shitting fear during his first battle. Coin he did not even know the worth of, losing what little he had trying to feed himself.
Corbin inviting him to dice probably saved him from getting shanked by the other men in the company. After the games, he was offered to join their motley crew, which he quickly accepted.
That had been over a moon ago, spending time with them had him improving his skills in High Valyrian. Corbin and Meros had even taught him a couple of tricks with a blade.
Meros had given him some advice about how to survive in the vanguard, stand behind Kain and clean up the leftovers. Kain... Even after his oath, he did not know how to feel about him. A boy with Valyrian features, hair so silver you could mistake it for white, eyes a deep purple, Like the old dragon kings.
Yet despite Kain treating him fairly, he could not suppress his uneasiness when around him. As if a beast was always at his back poised to pounce at any moment.
Maybe that's what it felt like to be around a hero from the tales. Despite Kain's rebuke to Meros about treating it like an adventure. He could deny it having the ingredients of one. A hero receiving a blessing from the Gods, then being sent on a quest to slay a monster, aided by his allies.
He could not deny a boyish wonder from being a part of such a quest, maybe by the end of it, he'd be knighted and given a holding.
Picturing reactions from Ma and Pa when he told them made the walk a b-
"We're here." Kain's words pierced his thoughts. Torch illuminated the rocky outcropping in front of them.
"Come on in," Kain said, before stepping inside the cavern entrance.
Authors Note
A bit of a long time between updates, sorry for the wait.
Anyone wants to Beta my horrible writing hit me up, any feedback very nice.
Sorry about the formatting on the stat sheets.