Chapter I: Clashfist
"AAAAAAARRRRRGGG!" Roared Gillian, thrusting his two handed axe into a small demon's head. "DIE YOU LITTLE VERMIN!" He screamed. Stabbing his axe blade into more and more little demon's made him stronger and stronger. Suddenly a larger demon holding a staff came out from behind a rock and in a burst of flames, all of the small demons Gillian had just kill rose to fight again. This act of evil pissed Gillian off like hell, and he ran as fast a he could towards the Shaman, yelling his war cry as he went.
The Shaman stood stock still, not moving a muscle, to afraid to run away from the giant Human running towards it, shouldering Fallen away as if they were flies buzzing around his ear. The Shaman was suddenly knocked out of his trance and he immediately threw three consecutive fireballs at the large Human, the fireballs did not have much effect on the Human, the fireballs only conflicted a few burns to the giant muscly Human's bare chest. Once again the Shaman froze in fright, hoping that the Human would spare his life. But his hopes went to waste. The Human smashed the Shaman's skull in with the butt of his axe, and the Shaman fell to the ground, blood pouring from its temples. "Good Riddance" were the last words the Shaman ever heard before it descended to the depths of hell were it could never escape again.
As Gillian followed the mossy overgrown path to the Undead Cave, he encountered clans of Small Demons and their Shamans, Mummies and Quill Rats. He had collected small pouches of gold, cracked and flawed scimitars, one short staff and healing and mana potions. Finally, Gillian found what he was looking for. Hidden behind an overgrowth of vines and roots. As Gillian parted the vines, small Quill Rats scurried away into the dark. Gillian heard a load groan and a call for help from deep inside the cave.
Gillian slowly crept into the cave, holding his axe high, ready for action. As he rounded a corner a giant beast, larger than Gillian himself, met his eyes. As soon as he registered the situation to his brain (which didn't take very long) he struck at the giant beast, slicing a deep gash into the giant's stomach. The beast roared as blood spurted from his stomach. Gillian then attempted to do another critical hit, but was bashed in the head by the beast's fists, knocking him down to the ground, almost unconscious. The beast grabbed Gillian's feat and dragged him along the ground, bumping his head on rocks sticking out of the ground. Just before Gillian was bashed to unconsciousness, he saw a bright red light behind him.
* * *
Hours later Gillian woke up. His body bruised and bleeding. He tried to roll over, but was unsuccessful. He was tied to a wall. He began to reach over for his axe, hanging on the wall next to him, missing the axe by half an arm's length. Gillian stopped reaching and began to swing, each swing getting him closer and closer.
After what seemed like hours of swinging continuously, he finally reached his axe, pulling it out of the hook quickly before he fell back. As he swung the other way, he bumped into the wall of the cave, almost dropping the axe, but catching it just before it fell, the blade cutting into the palm of his hand. Gillian groaned and moved his hand off the blade. Blood dripping from his hand, he began to saw at the restraining ropes. When the ropes began to split, Gillian heard loud footsteps coming towards the room he was in. Gillian began to saw faster and faster. The ropes snapped, the monster entered the room, Gillian gulped down a healing potion, and charged at the monster. He dealt a hard blow to the monsters right leg, slicing right through it. The monster roared in utter pain and fell to the ground. Gillian charged again and swung at the monsters neck, cutting a deep gash into its neck, blood sticking in its fur. Gillian struck again and again at its neck, the monster bathing in a pool of its own blood. Gillian struck one final blow, severing the monster's head. Gillian fell to the floor in exhaustion.
* * *
Gillian crept around the cave, sticking to the shadows to keep out of sight. As he snuck around, he had encounters with Demons, Mummies, and other Beasts, Collecting red and blue potions, gold, and cracked and flawed weaponry and armoury. After countless battles with clans of demons, he came across a red-glowing Mummy. Behind the groaning, Undead beast there was a cage. Inside the cage was an old unconscious man; next to the cage was a blue-glowing staff with a diamond embedded at the tip. Gillian returned his eyes to the Mummy.
"Clashfist!" He growled and charged attempting to slash at Clashfist's stomach, but being simply bashed away by Clashfist's fists. Gillian flew across the room, crashing into the wall, rocks crumbling behind his back from the force. He fell to the ground. Clashfist clumsily walked over to Gillian's body and pulled him up. Gillian gave an almighty roar, surprising the Mummy, making Clashfist drop Gillian. Gillian took the chance to strike at Clashfist's feet, slicing them off with one clean swipe. Clashfist fell to the floor, groaning. Gillian struck as hard as he could at Clashfist's neck, severing it from the Mummy's body. Just before Clashfist died, the severed head collected up the strength to vow,
"My brothers will avenge my death!"
Gillian ran to the cage and opened it, shaking the old man awake.
"Sorcerer Tralen, we must go before more evil comes!" Gillian warned.
"No, child" Tralen replied, "We do not need to hurry. You have murdered their leader. They will not attack with full force for a while now. Not until a monster is promoted to a le…" Before Tralen could finish, Gillian suffered a fit and fell to the floor, screaming in pain.
"The antidote is wearing off! The antidote is wearing off!" He screamed. Tralen, staying calm cast a Scroll of Town Portal and dragged Gillian behind him back to the town, the portal closing behind them.
* * *
Hours later Gillian revived, fully healed from his poisoned blood. Gillian sat up, noticing Tralen sitting in a chair next to his bed, putting a glass bottle into a bag.
"What were all those creatures? What are all these items I found? What happened?" Gillian blurted out, straight after thinking how rude it was. Tralen just smiled.
"All in good time, it will be explained, All in good time, you will be taught." Gillian stood up and put on his belt, pants and strapped his axe to his back.
"Teach me now, while I'm up to it." Gillian demanded. Tralen slowly rose, nodding and thinking.
"First of all" he said, "You should learn that there are alternatives to using a two handed axe" Gillian raised his bushy eyebrows, surprised. Was there possibly an alternative? How could something else be as effective?
"I guess I do have a lot to learn." Gillian said.
"You could, for example" Tralen continued, "Use a One Handed Axe and a shield, raising your defence. The axe may not deal as serious blows, but it would be faster. Allowing you to strike more times." Gillian nodded, understanding the logic of the old man.
"What were all the items I found?" Gillian asked, pouring out the contents of his pack.
"Well" said Tralen, rubbing his chin, "These are healing potions, which heal wounds. I used one to revive you of your cut hand and bruises." He explained, indicating the red potions on the floor. "The larger the bottle, the more effect it will have.
"These blue potions are Mana potions, they will revive you of your mana after you have used magic. Again, the larger the bottle, the more effect it will have."
"What were the creatures I found? The devil-like ones? The bears? And the Skeletons? What are they?" Gillian blurted. Tralen walked over to Gillian and placed his hands on Gillian's forehead.
"I'm fine!" Gillian said, attempting to shake of Tralen's hand, but was surprised at the unsuspected strength of the old man. A blue light glowed from the old man's fingertips, moving onto Gillian's forehead, before disappearing. Gillian jumped back, surprised at the sudden light and the feeling of knowledge.
"Do not be afraid, I have inserted all of my knowledge into your brain. You now should know all that I know." Tralen comforted.
"Why did you do this?" Gillian asked, still not trusting the old man.
"Because my time has come to pass through to eternal life. I have done what I came here to do. Now I must go."
"You don't mean to say, you're dieing, do you?" Gillian said.
"Yes, I do mean to say this. I am dieing." Tralen replied, lifting up his shirt to reveal a deep gash in his stomach.
"You can get help, you can be healed! You can!" Gillian insisted.
"No, I cannot. And even if I could, I would not want to. My time has come." Gillian opened his mouth to complain, but Tralen interrupted him before he could begin to talk.
"Deep down inside you, is all the information you need. To know that it is true my time has come, and to defeat the evil that defeated your clan. I will still exist, in part, inside you." After saying this Tralen lied down to have his last sleep. Gillian sat next to Tralen until he passed away.
"I will still exist, in part, inside you" Gillian rolled over inside his head. The last sentence Tralen had said. The last sentence.
