Magic in the air - Explosive arrival

My second story on the website, hope you enjoy.

"Speech"


I grunted hard as I opened my eyes. I was feeling rather woozy. "Oh, hell," I groaned out loud.

With a grunt, I got up from the grassy ground and slowly looked down at myself. Looks like that goddess was right, I was definitely in a younger body. I was rather thin for my age, I think she said I was around 8 now?

Looking around the forest I was now in, I saw morning light coming through the foliage of the trees, and mountains on one side.

I shook my head. Right, focus.

First on the agenda. I looked myself over I was wearing light blue trousers complete with side pockets and huh, white boots, ok then. Moving up was just a white T-shirt, no wonder I felt chilly.

Oh, that's why. Next to one of the, I'm going to guess oak trees? Was an over-the-shoulder bag and a dark blue jacket.

Quickly putting the jacket on, to protect against the early morning chill, I began searching the bag, "Let's see, some food provisions, a water canteen, a compass, and a letter?"

I took the letter out and began to read it, it's probably important all things considered:

Dear Salem Warden

This body is a replication of your old one. One that exists in this world, only younger, and with a magical core. Don't think about it too hard, the multiverse is vast. I don't know what magic it will be attuned to when you get it though, I thought it best to happen naturally, you'll have to find out as you go.

Don't forget you can't tell anyone, have fun, but remember you have a job to do, and good luck.

- Hestia of Olympus

P.S. Head South and be safe.

Hestia the goddess of home, hearth, and family. I could only sigh, I appreciate the sentiment and the body, but my task is already difficult as is. I hope my magic is something useful.

Still, my old body's earthland equivalent, that's pretty cool, I guess. I pulled out the metal canteen and checked my reflection. Blond, blue eyes, pale skin, yup that's about right.

I removed the compass and checked my heading, looks like I'm heading toward the mountains.


Walking, walking, walking, oh my god... Or goddess, seeing as I was under Hestia's employ now. Regardless it's been hours, and it was easily midday now, birds were singing and bugs were buzzing and... Where the hell am I?

I was getting frustrated with all this walking and no change in scenery. Time to take a break.

Taking out a piece of jerky and the water canteen from my white bag... Seriously what's with all the light colors Hestia I'm in a forest, it's not good camouflage.

I leaned against one of the trees and took a few sips of water while eating the jerky with gusto. Thank goodness it isn't hot out, I haven't come across any streams yet and water is vital. If this continues, I'm going to have to see about finding or making some shelter.

CRACK

Finally! I jumped up from my slouch, putting my canteen back in the bag. Now, normally you would run from such a commotion in a forest, I was unarmed and didn't have access to my magic. Still, Hestia had said to go South, and this was the first time something different had happened in hours.

I moved rapidly toward the noise, but it all looked the same. Dammit, I'm sure it was around here. Looking around showed nothing out of the ordinary.

Though that log looked fresh, no moss near where the ground met wood. I automatically began thinking of bears then realized that I'd be lucky if that was it, I'm in fairy tail this place has wyverns.

So with that in mind, I approached eyes on the sky as well as my other surroundings. And found... Nothing.

Twitch

Getting really sick of this-

Snap

...Maybe boring isn't that bad, I thought to myself.

I turned to the disturbance, a Vulcan, I think. It was an ape-like creature about 11 feet tall with green fur but its pectorals, abdomen, hands, ears, and facial features were colored a bright shade of purple. The lower half of its body was a shade of green. Well, shit.

Perhaps it hasn't seen me yet?

"Woman?" It questioned. Right some of them can talk. On the bright side, if I can understand it, I can speak the language.

"No," I replied flatly, and subconsciously checked my 'gear', oh, thank God...dess? "Definitely not," I affirmed. Maybe it was confused because I had rather long hair?

And it was charging, crap. I dived to the side. Dammit Hestia, go South, my ass. I legged it, nothing else I could do.

It was already gaining, so I took cover behind a modestly sized tree as it closed, hoping it would ram the tree. Which, to be fair, it did, but the tree didn't stop it.

"Ahhh," I exclaimed as the tree soared over me. I scrambled to the side as the tree crashed where I had been.

Its hand was already descending, "Shiiit!" I was frantically looking for something, anything, and grabbed a piece of a tree branch that had snapped off.

"Ah," I was a little late, it had already grabbed me.

Sniff, sniff, sniff, "Not, woman?"

So, its nose does work...Well in for a penny, "Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape." Hey, if I'm dying again, might as well go out with a bang. I brought the snapped wood down with as much force as I could.

The Vulcan screamed as I dug the wood into its hand, "Come on then!"

BANG

The wood detonated.

THUD

And the damn monkey dropped me.

"Oww," The fall winded me. Head in the fight, Salem.

I grabbed at some loose dirt, as the creature bore down on me angrily, and attempted to blind it. The rough dirt reached its eyes, then exploded like a sparkler almost akin to a flash bang, almost.

I backpedaled for distance, if this is my magic, I might have a chance. Rock! The beast was still holding its eyes in agony, I threw true, a perfect shot.

Thunk

Oh, shit, a dud, and I've snapped it back into attack mode. Brilliant (insert sarcasm).

It charged again, and I took off running, with it blind I had a much better chance of getting away.

Magic, magic, I tried to recall what exactly had happened when the items had detonated. I had felt something through the panic and fear, a stinging heat, tingled through me.

Experience is the best teacher and I needed to learn fast, I slammed my hand into a tree trying to push that feeling into it. Nothing. Dammit.

Again, nothing, crap, crap, crap.

I rolled to the side, avoiding a tackle. Oh, good now its nose was working farther than a foot! And it had my scent. Just great.

I was panting now, I would wear out before it did, I'd have to risk it. Pausing as the beast hit another tree, I stopped at another.

Alright, again I pushed that feeling into the tree again and kept going for seconds rather than less than a second. Then the Vulcan roared, coming after me again.

Pushing off slightly and using the momentum to accelerate around the tree, I was sprinting again.

BOOM

Holy shit, I stumbled slightly. It worked, and that explosion was way bigger than the others.

A feral roar, however, told me we weren't done.

I, however, had another issue, a cliff wall was sat right in front of me. You've got to be kidding me. REALLY!

The Vulcan smashed through several trees and beat its chest in rage. It looked scorched on its arms, chest, and eyes, and was bleeding from various shrapnel wounds. Unfortunately, it was only angered at my resistance, not deterred.

The creature sprang forward with reckless abandon. Coursing me to duck down onto my back and lashed out with my legs as it passed, bringing that intense stinging burn to my feet, and BOOM.

HA! I rolled back to my feet. Oh, shit, there go my shoes, stones were already digging into my feet. I was gasping for breath at this point, but. It. Still. Wasn't. Down.

It thrust its fist at me, my legs, however, were shaking. I raised my arms in a guard position pushing my, what I am assuming, is my magic into them, hopefully strengthening them.

Another BOOM rattled out, along with twin groans of pain. I landed, hard on my back and rose back to my feet as quickly as I was able, my arms and legs were both in agony now but responding, if not burning. Unfortunately, so was the monkey.

"JUST GO DOWN!" I screamed in pain and anger.

My adrenalin had to be numbing the pain and giving me tunnel vision because as it closed and threw its fist at me, I closed in moving around its massive knuckle, while slamming my own into its face, which once more detonated.

BOOM

It screeched and backhanded me into the cliff side for my trouble.

I choked as I puked and tried to breathe at once. "Screw, you!" I hacked out and began pouring energy into the cliff behind me.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

It reacquired its bearing, it was coming. At fifteen seconds, I dove forward under its legs. Duck and cover, belly first, hands on head.

A deafening explosion ripped through the area, with enough of a shockwave to throw me back a good 10 meters, cracked to life. Then the sound of crumbling rock, followed by silence.

Panting was the only sound that I could make as I looked up at the cliff that had collapsed from the detonation. The beast's arm poking out from the rubble, Oh jeez.

It better be dead.

I rolled from my side onto my back, still panting from the exertion I felt so weak.

A few minutes later I found myself beginning to pass out but caught myself, and slowly crawled back to my feet toward the cliff face. Yeah, I get the feeling that this wasn't what Hestia meant when she said go south.

I made it to the cliffside and used it as a brace. Taking out the compass and for the second time that day I checked for South unfortunately, it was smashed, the letter was destroyed as well, hell even the metal canteen was crumpled, I drained what was left.

If I was still on track then the west was much less mountain than the east and I wasn't about to go climbing mountains in this condition.

No way I was walking unassisted either, I'd have to stick to the cliff face and hope for the best, I needed to keep moving.

I'd have to thank Hestia for the new younger version of my old body, I wouldn't have survived otherwise, it was much tougher.


Night had fallen, and I was still marching on, but I couldn't see for shit. It was a moot point so long as I followed the cliff face and didn't fall into any ravines, just keep checking your footing, Salem. One foot at a time.

I had a mission from Hestia to protect and repair as many families as I could in this world. Ironic I know, this world was based on family bonds. But I wouldn't quit, I shared the same belief. I'd died protecting my niece, shot in the throat, but I'd taken the home intruders with me in the ensuing gunfight.

This was my second chance, I wouldn't see my Sibling or parents or anyone from back on Earth again, but I could make sure that wouldn't happen here.

As I rounded the cliff face, my eyes were drawn to a light in the distance. Doesn't matter what it is, it's civilization, so that's where I'm going...please don't be bandits or dark mages or whatever else.

One foot in front of the other, keep moving forward, was my new mantra. And that's what I kept doing even as light began to filter through the darkness, heralding dawn's arrival.

One foot in front of the other. I'd long since reentered the forest at this point, thankfully I hadn't been accosted or gone looking for trouble. My hazy mind and haggard body, only continuing forward because of my constant mantra.

Exhaustion had set in before nightfall, right now, only fear of death and sheer willpower were keeping me going. I felt sick, dizzy, my chest was in constant pain and I had a migraine of sorts. But I kept going focused, I had to.

Finally, I entered a clearing sitting in the center with thatched houses around it was a large pavilion, in the shape of a cat's head, white on top and brown on the bottom, with two windows representing the cat's eyes. Cait shelter.

One foot in front of the other, I stumbled forward, hearing noise from within from the open entrance. Or there was until I entered, then there was silence.

... "Morning," I promptly collapsed.


A/N: So yeah MC is going to be into demolitions, and actively attempting to change the story for the better. Well if it works out.

You will all so learn more about his deal and interations with Hestia later in the story along with the how and why.

As a heads up any relationships for the MC will be straight(heterosexual) and not until he is older.