-Planet: Earth -Year: 2021 -Location: Unknown -POV: Anon
The air was cold as it always was during the fall, though today, that cold was accompanied by a thick fog that allow for no more than 4 meters of vision, the surrounding land being a forest didn't help either. The atmosphere made the journey through the road extremely slow, not to mention an uncanny feeling that was creeping up on Anon's mind. He pushed aside the feeling, this day was no different than any other, or at least that's how he tried to convince himself, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, the feeling was there as if he was being watched.
Living alone in a forest has several merits, for one, you were completely alone and away from human habitation, making it an excellent spot for someone who enjoys silence, especially if you're into meditation, and the fresh air making the morning runs especially enjoyable. The cons, however, might be worst despite it being the same as its pros, being away from human habitation meant that you were away from any public services available in the city, away from the sense of security that came with that. The worst and the last part was being forced to drive to the city every morning.
Anon sighed as he continued to drive, it wasn't like he had another choice, the current housing prices were so astronomical that the only thing he could afford near the city was a small-sized mansion, the thing was completely impractical for a single man like him, it was pretty but no one wanted to live in it because of the bad ambiance surrounding the area.
'Damn, it's getting worse' Anon muttered under his breath, the fog was getting even worse by the hour, at this rate he won't be able to see two meters in front of his car, should he go back and take a day off? or should he continue onwards?
'NO' he said to himself, he can't stay home, he had a review for promotion today, he can't lose this opportunity.
Suddenly, appearing from nowhere, a figure came into the road. Anon quickly hit the brakes, with a shrieking sound of the tires, the car stopped fully on its tracks, his head almost hitting the steering wheel. He looked outside through the window, only to see the figure gone.
"What the hell?" Anon muttered under his breath "WHOA!" without warning, his car was thrown into the air, with a panicked scream, his car crashed into the ground and that was the last thing he could remember.
His eyes slowly opened as the sunlight warmed his body, his gaze rested on the sky for what seemed like minutes, his head was still dizzy from the experience he hardly could remember.
"MY CAR!" suddenly he stood up, only for him to cradle his head between his arms a second later, his head was screaming in pain as if someone has struck him with a hammer 'My head, it hurts!' he collapsed on his knees and soon, his head kissed the ground as the pain increased.
Anon wanted to scream but his entire body was paralyzed, it was as if something was trying to burst out of a prison that was his skull, he didn't even know whether a human body was capable of handling such levels of pain. As suddenly as it appeared, the pain stopped and a dark cloud covered his frame, not a real cloud but something his mind has made up, he knew it was something his mind has made because it disappeared immediately, taking the pain with it.
The man looked at the surrounding area in a confused state, still fearing that the pain might come back but what he saw, or more like what he didn't see confused him even further. Anon stood on the border between a forest and farmland, both the trees and crops not familiar to his eyes, as if he was in an entirely different country, was he kidnapped when he was asleep?
Anon shook his head, this was no time to be confused, he needed to find someone, somewhere he could make a phone call or contact local authorities. It was likely that he was far away from where he was before, and given the amount of time required, his kidnappers were most likely drugged him to keep him unconscious for several days or maybe even weeks. Anon bet on the former since his body was completely healthy, if he was drugged for more than a few days, he would've felt the fatigue but as far as he knew, he was more energetic than before.
His gaze then turned towards himself and the surrounding area, his clothes were different, replaced with a golden robe with two red stripes on top that came down from his neck area until they reached his leather belt. He was also covered in a wine red cloak, his pants were the same color as the rest of his clothing, the material of his clothes being surprisingly comfortable, leather boots too were perfectly shaped for his legs. All of his clothing was weaved from silk which gave him quite the appearance, to be frank, he looked like a medieval wizard from a fantasy story, maybe Balthasar gelt from Warhammer fantasy?
His possessions were gone, his phone and wallet replaced with a shoulder-mounted bag, filled with some dried meat, a water bottle, a book, and a knife. On the ground where he first woke up, was a staff and a silver mask shaped like an indifferent face, devoid of emotion.
'No phone, I need to find somewhere to make contact with someone, I don't know why they have kidnapped me or dressed me like this, but I don't want to stick around to find out, I also need to seek medical attention, I don't want to feel that pain ever again, from the how it felt it must've been something from my head, a really bad head trauma maybe?' Anon evaluated the situation, he was still worried but kept his feelings under control, it was one of his skills that he prided greatly, the ability to stay calm regardless of the situation and make logical choices, it was the reason why he has come as far as he did, a skill which saved his neck several times throughout his life.
He grabbed the staff under his shoulder and put the mask inside of his bag, they might become useful later on, despite them being useless cosplay. Anon located a hill nearby and began walking towards it, he will be able to get a better view of the surrounding area from a higher vantage point. After two minutes, he was already on the hill, observing the surrounding area, whatever drug the kidnappers have given him was affecting his stamina, he felt younger and much stronger, this information only made his efforts faster, he didn't know how much longer the effects will last.
The area he was on seemed like large farmland surrounded on all sides by a thick forest, in a distance was a rather large house that doesn't seem to be connected to an electric pole, powered by solar energy most likely.
Anon began to make his way towards the house, hoping that it didn't belong to those who kidnapped him, if it was then might be able to take them out with his knife, that is if he engage them one at a time. While walking through the farmland, Anon realized something, the soil beneath the farm was extremely rich, by the looks of the surrounding area, this place was once a forest that have been burned down. This procedure makes the soil extremely rich but at the cost of damaging the echo system, that is why it was illegal.
'Better not mentioned it when he met with the home owner' he thought, he didn't want to pick a fight with someone who might be his ticket to safety.
After what seemed like a 30 minutes walk, he stood before the house, what he didn't saw from the distance made itself apparent now, the house looked primitive, medieval, it didn't even seem to have electricity, judging by the way he himself was dressed, this place looked like a host for an event, or perhaps he was in a rural area of the country, in places far away from bustling cities, there were places like this which didn't even have electricity. The revelation was concerning, no power meant no telephone.
Anon took the information in stride, there was no point in being dishearted, he will find his way to safety one way or another, this was a mere bump through the said journey.
Bracing himself for whatever might come from inside the house, Anon knocked on the door several times, his hand ready to take out the knife hidden underneath his sleeves, he will either meet with people unrelated to his kidnapping or will teach the kidnappers that he wasn't so helpless as they thought he was. Sounds of light footsteps came from behind the wooden door, soon, he was greeted with a face of a small child, a boy with brown hair.
Anon's grip on the knife softened a little as he saw the small boy, his head barely reaching his waist, quite tall for a child of his age, considering Anon was 186cm tall. With the most non-threatening smile he could muster, he addressed the child "Hello there, little one, is your parents home? can you call them for me?" he asked, cursing himself under his breath, he didn't know how to talk to children, he just hoped he didn't look weird.
"M-my parents aren't home, sir Wizard" the boy answered.
'Wizard? is he role playing?' it was not uncommon for children to act like this, their imaginations are strong and there was a big cosplay event in this location, it wasn't weird for him to act like this, or maybe his lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to kids was so little that he was mistaking it for something else.
"Is that so? can I borrow your phone instead? I lost mine in the forest over there" he asked, making sure not to frighten the child by telling of the events that transpired 'I don't know why they kidnapped me but once I find them, I might beat them up first, before calling the police, then again, why would they dress me up like Belthesar gelt?' Anon tried to understand the logic behind their action but couldn't, their goals were beyond his understanding.
"Foonee? sorry sir, we don't have magical artifacts like that" the boy looked confused, his grip on the door tightening "My father is feeding the grox over there" the boy pointed to somewhere behind the house "Y-you should talk to him" with that, the boy shut the door close.
Anon looked towards the direction the kid pointed, thinking that it was better to talk to adults than some over-imaginative kid, besides, the house likely didn't have any phone, he couldn't see anything like a wire connecting to the house. Anon began making his way in the direction he was given, making sure not to he was combat ready at every moment.
After half an hour, he arrived at his destination, it was a large stone barn reinforced with primitive iron beams, if you ask him, it was a little overkill for protecting some livestock, a wooden structure would've been much cheaper and could protect them from the predators just fine, granite stone reinforced with iron beams was just too much.
Slowly, he made his way to the corner of the barn where he could hear the shouting of the man and some weird growls, as he peeked through the corner, his eyes locked on a black-haired man ordering his workers around the livestock. Anon was stunned as he saw the beasts they were handling, giant reptilian creatures the size of a man, around 2 meters in height and 1 meter in width, its head looked like a creature spawn in hell, maybe it was.
"What in the world?!" Anon muttered, trying to match the shape of the creature with the image of the beasts he kept in his mind, the thing matched none of them, no matter how much he denied it, it was a real creature, a creature he has never seen before, was this some isolated part of the world? after all, he couldn't possibly know every single animal on earth, but if it was, then he should be somewhere far away from his home, but the evidence so far suggested otherwise, he couldn't been unconscious for more than a few days, how could they transport him so far away in such a short time? they could've used a plane but how do you excuse an unconscious human to be your luggage? a private plane maybe? that would be extremely expansive, unpractical even.
Anon collapsed to the ground, his back resting against the barn as he tried to process the situation, his condition was bizarre at best. He sighed after twenty minutes of thinking, no matter how much he tried, he didn't have an explanation. Standing up from where he sat, he began to walk towards the man that he thought was the owner of the farm.
The man turned his head towards him as he realized he was getting close, he narrowed his eyes, trying to remember who he was, and a few moments later, his eyes widened. The man waved his hand in the air as a form of greeting, Anon did the same, his hands ready to draw the knife at a moment's notice. Soon, he stood in front of the smiling man.
"Hail friend" the man said with a charming smile on his face, he looked every hour of his age, friendship echoing in every word as they came out of his mouth, Anon, having experienced people like him before, instantly recognized him as a fellow colleague in the trading business.
"What brings you here, friend? you never left your cabin in the woods" he said.
'Cabin in the woods? am I still near my home?' Anon thought, his mind racing to put together the pieces 'Then why didn't I see him before? he seems to recognize me' Anon studied the man before him, no matter how hard he tried he could remember him, from the way he spoke, he seems like a hard man to forget.
Anon coughed in order to clear his throat "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, have we met before sir?"
"Well no, but my lads have seen you around. You, not coming out of the forest often doesn't help either" he chuckled "My name is Malos by the way" he introduced himself.
"Anon" he extended his hand in a greeting gesture, a handshake. Malos seemed confused by the gesture but took Anon's hand anyways, Anon shook the hand then released it, leaving Malos even more confused.
"Are you the owner of this farm, Malos?"
"The one and only my friend" he said, puffing his chest with pride "Well this and the razor farm over there" he pointed towards where he has come from before.
"I have met your son, I asked him whether you had a phone or not, I would appreciate it if you allow me to borrow yours for a call" Anon requested, but Malos seems even more confused.
"Foone?" he asked, as if it was his first time hearing such a word.
"You know, phone, mobile phone, you use it to call others" he explained.
Malos's eyes widened "A magical artifact that allows you to communicate with others? do you have one? how much for a few dozen?" he grabbed Anon's shoulders and began asking questions, his tone was too real to be staged, he wasn't acting, he genuinely didn't know what phone was.
struggling his way out of the man's grip, Anon coughed again, not to clear his throat but to prevent the man from grabbing him again, he didn't like being touched, not by anyone other than his friends and family. Malos seems to get his gesture and took an apologetic face "I don't have a phone with myself, that's why I asked to borrow yours but it seems your don have any either" Anon shook his head, he couldn't go far with this man so he decided to head back home, if this man spoke the truth then he was near his own house, despite how unlikely that sounded, it was his best option.
"Can you tell me where my house is? I am a bit lost you see" Anon explained, Malos slightly tilted his head.
"You don't know where your own home is?" he asked, Anon nodded.
"As shameful as it sounds, it seems I lost my way" Anon replied.
"I guess things like that happen too" Malos scratched the back of his head, he then pointed towards the forest "You always come out of that direction but I don't know if it's where your house is, sorry"
"I appreciate the help, there is no need for an apology" Anon said as he began to walk towards the pointed direction but suddenly stopped, his steps holding. He looked back toward the black-haired man and waved him goodbye, Malos returning it in kind.
Anon resumed his steps, when he reached the border of the forest, he heard someone shouting, his head turned towards the direction of the barn where the sound came from, and he saw Malos, frantically waving his hand in the air and shouting something.
"BWAR OF THE RKS!" Anon couldn't hear what he was saying, only hearing the word 'beware' and another half-intelligible word 'Ork', the word losing half of its letters over the distance. Thinking of the gesture as a charm of good luck, Anon waved goodbye and walked into the woods, following directions toward his home.
A few hours passed as he continued to navigate through the forest, following a trail left behind by footsteps, someone has walked here so many times that it has left a small road-like trail, it wasn't him that was for sure, he never walked through the forest near his house, not enough to make a footpath.
As he continued to walk through the footpath, he heard a low growling sound, an animalistic growl but not quite. He stopped in his tracks as he saw something passing through the shadows, something small has passed him. Anon looked around, his head turning on every sound around him, his senses screaming at him that he was in danger, slowly, he continued his journey, for a single moment, he thought about returning back but decided against it, he has come this far, he can continue without a problem, besides, he can defend himself from a beast or two.
Anon turned around as he heard a giant beast come out of the thick thickets from behind, his arm pulling out the knife from under his sleeves, he turned back to face the beast. He saw a big green humanoid monster, a head taller than him, he jumped back in order to dodge the beast's club.
The beast's club landed on the ground with great force that could've easily crushed a human, not having the time to think about what he was facing, Anon leaped forward, instincts guiding his knife and allowing it to contact the monster's knee from behind, cutting its movement muscles and disabling one of his legs. As the monster dropped to one knee, it let out a growl and herded its hand towards the small human, throwing him across the woods with great force, Anon heard a few of his bones cracking under the force but endured the pain thanks to a sudden rush of adrenalin pumping through his system.
The monster roared as it leaped towards the human, fury resonating in its war cry. The monster began to stump its way towards Anon, one leg still not working due to the cut received by the human. Gritting his teeth, Anon moves out of the giant's way, allowing the monster to hit the tree and fall to the ground. Seeing an opportunity to finish the monster, Anon jumped on its back as the monster's face kissed the tree.
Anon's hand was locked on the green monster's neck as it tried desperately to throw him away, the monster's attempts only met the end of Anon's knife as he shoved it into the creature's eye socket. Normally, this should be more than enough to kill a beast but apparently not this one.
Anon's eyes widened in shock as the monster brought back its hand, grabbing his hand and throwing him away. Anon let out a groan as his back hit a rock, pain surpassing the effects of adrenaline that was pumping through his veins, the creature charged again, Anon's knife still in his eye as it went on the offensive. Seeing how he will die if he didn't make a move, he rolled out of the club's way by jumping to the side of the creature.
The human heard a loud sound as the monster hit the rock, its animalistic howling has stopped. Turning around to see what happened to his opponent, Anon saw the monster lying on the ground, the creature has lost balance and hit the rock with its head, allowing the knife to sink deeper into its head, puncturing its brain and giving it a painless instant killing instantly.
Anon breathed heavily as he saw the monster's dead corpse, his lungs working to full capacity in order to feed oxygen to his brain and in turn, helping him understand the situation. It was at this moment when the realization dawned on him, he was not on the earth he knew.
It took a few hours of navigation to find his house, he almost lost his way multiple times during the process, the cabin was made out of stone with wooden support beams on the sides, and all around the house is protected by a wooden fence, unfortunately, they weren't tall or strong enough to protect him from the green monster he has faced before. Right next to the house was what Anon recognized as a meat dryer, basically, a survivalist wooden meat dryer on top of a fire, a simple primitive contraption that allowed for the creation of preserved meat, the fire was still on so it could be used later, there was also a well for drinkable water, it was a calming thought to have drinkable water for the foreseeable future.
Anon gritted his teeth, his entire frame was still in pain, he needed to find a way to disinfect his wounds and patch himself up, he could only hope that his broken bones would heal in the right way, or else he would be suffering from a disfigured bone structure for the rest of his life. Anon opened the door to the cabin and turned on the lights.
"Fuck, there is no light!" he cursed, it seems he had to deal with his modern expectation but that was a thought for the future, right now all that mattered was tending to his wounds.
As he looked for something to light the house, he found a few candles lying next to a box in the corner of the room, he also located a fireplace under the chimney. Anon took a torch from the wall and use the fire under the meat dryer outside to light it. He lit the candles, just several was enough to light the entire room, he can save the others for later use.
Once the lighting problem was dealt with, he began exploring the house, the house was extremely primitive, the design reminded him of 12th-century houses from the history books, the level of technology in this world seems to be extremely low, and they will need another 500 or 700 years to reach modern levels of understanding.
The room he was in was a kitchen and dining room combined with several weapons positioned on the walls for instant use, considering the monster he had faced before, it was understandable, though he would've preferred a room far away from the main door. He inspected the kitchen, it was just a fireplace under the chimney with a pot on it. There was also another door leading to the bedroom that acted as storage space for hard-to-perish food and gold and silver coins.
'Good' Anon thought, he could use this currency to trade with the locals. Anon's eyes drifted towards the mirror placed in the corner of the room near the bed, with a gulp, he approached the mirror to look at himself and what he saw when he reached the mirror was enough to freeze him at the moment.
Anon stared at his reflection, his body feezing in shock as his mind tried to comprehend the situation "What in the world..." he muttered against the image of a young man staring back at him through the mirror "What happened to me?" he asked, as brought his hands before his eyes to inspect them, he was young again, he looked exactly the way he looked fifteen years ago.
"No time to be shocked" he shook his head, allowing the logical side of his brain to take control, he needed to find something to treat his wounds with, then he can think about his situation as much as he wanted.
As he looked through the mirror, he noticed a wooden trap door located behind him, he didn't see it before in his rush to find something to treat his wounds. Anon took a torch from the wall and carefully inspected it, the thing was made primarily out of wood with a few iron hinges to lock it. Slowly, he opened the door leading downwards to the ground, he brought up his torch to illuminate the path, it was only eight or nine meters deep.
With a grunt, he began his descent downwards, when he reached down, he lighted several candles placed on the walls and when that was done, he surveyed his surroundings. The entire basement was a library filled with books and different herbs, had it been an RPG game you could say its a Wizard's den, or maybe an alchemist. Anon's hand gently brushed over the books, clearing the dust and reading their titles, delving deeper and deeper into madness as he continued to read.
"Basics of the sea souls" "How to combat daemons possession" "The lore of flesh" "The lore of force" "How to prevent corruption" "Souls shield and mental wards" "Primordial truth" Anon blinked at the last title.
"What is this madness? how am I suppose to cope with this?" a sense of frustrated anger began to brew inside of him, threatening to take control of his logical mind, too many things had happened in a single day and he was reaching his limits.
He took a deep breath, the gesture calming him a little, losing his temper now would do him no good.
As he breathed the air, something tickled the senses in his nose "Alcohol" the word escaped his mouth with a little joy, never had he been this happy to find alcohol. Following his senses, he navigated the room and reached a section filled with bottles full of alcohol and wine barrels, the amount alone was enough to supply several restaurants for a week "Alright, that is a bit too much" he chuckled, as he took a glass bottle filled with white liquid, it smelled like alcohol, a very very strong one at that "Medical grade, are primitive people even capable of producing it? oh well, better not drink this one" he said as he began to take off his cloth, his hands trying to locate the wounds he has received during his encounter with the green beast.
His hands touched every location on his back but couldn't locate the wound "For fuck sake" he cursed as he made his way upstairs and into the bedroom, once there, he walked towards the mirror and turned his back with the bottle still in his hand "Alright, I'm not going crazy, what the fuck is going on here?!" Anon shouted, his mind tired of trying to comprehend the situation "I'm %100 sure that I was wounded, I touched it and saw the blood coming out so where the fuck is it?" he demanded to his own reflection, no matter how he looked, his wounds had disappeared as if there wasn't any to begin with, and now that he paid attention, his bones weren't in pain either "I'm going crazy" Anon shook his head then began to search through his cloth until he found the bloodstains decorating the golden robe "See? I was wounded!" he said out loud, he was reaching his limits, his mind no longer able to comprehend the situation, so he decided to the do what every sensible man would do in this situation, use his newfound alcohol stocks.
The next day, Anon woke up with a hangover, his head ready to explode due to his reckless action yesterday, though he have achieved what he wished for, he had a terrible headache, yes but his mind was also clear and well rested, allowing him to digest the situation better, being thrown into another world was not an easy thing to process, not at all.
"Orks" Anon said the name of the beast he had killed the day before, only now that he realized what Malos had said to him "Beware of the orks" he recited the sentence he didn't understand back then, the poor bastard was trying to warn him, no matter how much he cursed himself, it wasn't enough for his stupidity.
The robed man took a sip of his soup, flinching at the terrible taste, he was terrible at cooking and that fact hasn't changed in this new world, unfortunately for him, however, this was the only thing he had, either that or use his precious supply of dried meat.
Ever since he woke up, he has been busy studying the books he found in the basement, one of the few things he had to pass the time while thinking about what to do, he couldn't return to his own world, at least for now, he didn't know anything about this world other than it having fantasy races like Orks, he didn't even know what to do ti survive, were any of his skills of use in this primitive age?
[To use the powers of the sea, one must be ready of the will and heart, to call upon its powers without readiness of the heart, is to call upon thy demise, such is the will of the lords above, those who weaved a path between the world of Aether and the world of flesh]
"So magic is real?" Anon chuckled, when he first saw the titles he was quite excited about the idea of magic, as childish as it may sound, but the more he learned of it, the less he wished to use it "Demons tearing your soul and using your body as a fleshy portal, what a lovely idea" he chortled, he closed the book and placed it on the table, the name 'Duran' inscribed with crimson red under the title every book and scroll he has found.
"But do I have another choice?" Anon let back his head, his vision being covered with the image of the ceiling "I don't have a skill that is useful here and magic might be my ticket to a better life" he deduced, he really didn't want to use magic, not at all, not when the dangers outweighed its benefits.
He sighed as he opened another book, the last one was a rather short one, containing only twenty pages, it was meant as an entry point into magic but this one, this one was on how to use them and avoid dangers.
[There are those amongst the blessed who don't desire to use their power, those who know of its dangers and don't wish to partake in it, this is a warning to these folk. Your soul is a beacon, regardless of whether you use it or not, your light will remain, attracting ever more daemons of the sea]
"Absolutely, fucking, fantastic" he slammed his fist on the table, it seems he didn't have a choice, he needed to find out whether he had powers or not, if he didn't then the problem is solved, if he did then he is fucked. Going through the pages, Anon reached what he was looking for, instructions on how to make a small fireball.
He carefully read through the manual, making sure he understood every word by heart, he then began to act on the instructions. Anon brought up his palm, focusing his mind and trying to tap into something he didn't even know what it was, to be honest, he was expecting failure but to his utter surprise, he found something, a chaotic shapeless light floating in nothingness, covered by an unnatural black shroud of energy, for reasons unknown, he knew it was something unnatural, an outside force that dimmed the light from his soul.
Anon gasped for air as he returned, his vision returning to normal as his mind was retracted to the real space, was that thin his soul? it was bright, too bright. Anon for a single second panicked, his soul was a bright raging fire that hollered invites to daemons, was it not for the dark veil dimming his light a great deal, he would've continued to panic, but still, there was a worry in the back of his mind, was the veil something temporary? what disappears?
His line of questioning stopped as his nose picked up a smell, looking around, a cloud of black smoke was consuming the room with a small fire in the direction where Anon's hand was pointed towards "SHIT!" he said as he rushed towards the bucket of water and pouring it into the fire, with the fire now extinguished, Anon sighed "From now on, lets practice outside" Anon placed the bucket on the ground and brought his hand in front of his face, studying as if looking for beyond flesh and blood "To think its real, magic" it was still hard to understand, not the verity he could magic, no, the fact that he has accepted it as given, the speed in which his nature has adapted it was frightening.
"Well the only left, is to make sure I'm self-sufficient and have enough things to maintain my life for the foreseeable future" Anon said with a yawn "Food, enough for two years and a half. Clean water, accessible. Firewood, I have enough for a few weeks then I have the entire forest within walking distance of the house. Candles, they are not essential but they help" Anon listed everything he needed, not sure to whether include medicine or not. He still remembers how his body healed from the injuries, it has healed unnaturally fast, so fast that his broken bones have healed in a matter of hours, the same thing that takes weeks or months to heal.
Anon shook his head "Whatever that was, I can't rely on it, it might be a one-time thing" he nodded to himself, and decided to add medicine to the list as well, it was better to be ready than sorry.
Finishing the list of things he needed, Anon went inside his bedroom, his gaze fixated on the mirror. As he stood in front of the mirror again, he couldn't help but touch his own face and pinch it, making sure he wasn't dreaming, he wasn't dreaming at all, the face of the handsome young man greeting him through the mirror was very much real 'So that's why I feel more energetic' Anon deduced, from everything that has happened to him, this was the hardest to accept, after all, it was the thing he desired the most, to do things the way he did when he was young.
A smile began to form on his lips as he began to laugh at his own reflection, soon the laughter grew more crazed until he looked like the very image of a psychopath, he laughed and laughed within the solace of his own house, the true scope of the reality he was in finally setting on him, once a normal man living his life, now, a magician of a shitty Japanese novel, how couldn't he laugh?
The laughing grew until it echoed in the forest around, scaring away all those who dwelled within it, a few travelers who heard the laughter tell tales of its maddening nature till this day.
It's been 3 months since Anon came here, Most days go uneventful since he doesn't leave the woods, He will eventually leave, but not now.
Most of his day consisted of doing house works and reading books and scrolls left behind by this 'Duran' fella, whoever he was, he had a solid grip on magic. Duran's scrolls helped him immensely in using his newfound power.
Manifesting his powers wasn't that hard after the first time, the real problem lay with how he manifests said powers, like that time when he almost burned down his house while trying to make a fireball, obviously expected since it was his first attempt, but it being his first it being his attempt didn't excuse his folly on trying it indoors. After that incident he became more mindful of the power he wielded, the books he read helped but it wasn't as good as having a mentor.
Anon didn't know which god bestowed these "GIFTS" to people but he is willing to bet his teeth, that they were laughing at their misery. The side effects of failing to control your powers were ridiculously dark, ranging from turning into a flesh portal to losing your soul and suffering for the rest of time.
[The only way to protect oneself, is through willpower and discipline. By training, one can decrease the amount of Soul light that is generated, And by using discipline, concentration, and hard work, one can create a shield around the soul and harm the daemons. Some even become a shadow within the sea that is hard to detect by daemons and other sorcerers, and if one trains long enough, they may even become an anathema to the denizens of the sea. Although there are no records of a person becoming an anathema, due to the need for an extreme amount of training, it is still Theoretically it is possible, but only in theory] Anon read through the text, his mind racing at the possibilities.
"Anathema you say?" Anon asked "That sounds great but impossible for me" He admitted without a hint of shame "That is something only talented people can achieve, I am not one of them"
Anon wasn't a pessimist who saw everything as an impossibility, he was in fact, one of the most optimistic people you can ever meet, he was optimistic but also a realist, he knew his limits, not that he can't achieve becoming an 'Anathema', he simply didn't have enough time to do so, his mortal lifespan was too little to allow such a thing.
Anon continued reading, and so far, he knew all he needed to know about the basics of his power and the dangers that came with it, like every sane man, he didn't want to take any chances with magic. Now it was time to learn the reals spells, and the first thing in his eyes was the soul shield, only after making sure he won't turn into a daemon portal was he willing to learn the offensive spells.
So began his long training to survive and use his "Gifts" in an unfamiliar world.
-Planet: Craftworld Biel-tan -Year: 100.M34 -Location: Segmentum Tempestus -POV: Farseer Anath'lan
Farseer Anath'lan found himself in deep meditation beneath the shrine of Morai-Heg, as always he was seeing through the threads of time, his craftworld was safe from danger, for now. The threads of fate were of no concern, everything was the way it should be, but there was one thing that has been bothering his mind, taking root in the back of his psyche like a poisonous plant, an enigma appearing alongside his visions,
A familiar footstep was heard from his back, Anath'lan knew who she was, his apprentice, a Warlock by the name of Kaedra, he always had great expectations from her ever since her childhood, she was the most talented Eldar in the art of the seer in the entire craftworld, perhaps matching even those of the Craftworld Ulthwe.
"Farseer" a soft voice was heard from his back.
Anath'lan turned to see Kaedra's face "Welcome, Warlock" Anath'lan welcomed his student with a troubled smile on his face which quickly gave it a place to stoic calm, Kaedra noticed her master's troubled mood, "Which wind has brought you here, Warlock?" asked the farseer.
"I have come here to meditate under the shrine of the crow" Kaedra answered before pausing for a moment "Does it trouble you?" she asked, wanting to know whether it was her presence that caused her teacher's distress.
Anath chuckled "The gods curse me if I am to be bothered by your intrusion" she raised her eyebrow "Trouble come to those of old age, Warlock, I am no exception" said the farseer in an attempt to comfort his apprentice.
"Yet your body dances across the field like the warriors quarter your age" Kaedra said, it seem that her eyes caught his every act, as expected of his student "It is your spirit that lies disturbed, not your flesh, besides, your skills in the art of acting are as poor as a mon'keigh trying to dance"
Farseer chuckled at her words, she was right he was terrible at acting, maybe even worse than humans "Is nothing of this old man hidden from your eyes? is the hatchling ready to fly and take her mentor's place?" Anath asked, there was no malice in his tone, the only thing that could be guessed was slight pride and happiness in his student, that one day she'll replace him, granting the craftworld a greater chance of fulfilling its destiny, to dominate the stars again as their ancestors did once.
"Your words wound me, Farseer" Kaedra chuckled, she already knew how her master feel, she can't hear his thought, to do that she at least needs another 300 years of training, what she can do is to read his face "Master we both know your attempts at hiding anything is futile" said the Warlock, "Even if you don't reveal the truth to me now, you will in the future. You know how stubborn I can be when it comes to satisfying my curiosity" said the Warlock with a smile.
"Well..." the word escaped Anath'lan's mouth with a heavy sigh "The cause of my recent distress is not very important... so I think" He paused "No matter what vision I see, it is always there, not within the visions itself, but beside it. I don't see any trouble in such sights but..." he paused again but only for few seconds "When it comes to seeing the future, nothing can go wrong with some caution" said the Farseer.
Hearing the word 'future' caused Kaedra to tilt her head 'Is Anath's distress caused by a vision?' Warlock asked herself, if that is true then he should've discussed this with the council and the warlocks, they might not be able to see the future as clearly as he did, but they can at least help him decipher his visions.
"I don't understand Anath, if it makes you worry, why not share it with others? we can certainly help you carry the burden"
"I'm sure you will Warlock but it's not that important to pester the council for"
"Then at least let me hear your vision Farseer, as you taught me before 'When in doubt share, do not hesitate to share your burden with others. If Aeldari is to survive it must bleed together'" Kaedra recalled Anath's words, the very first thing he taught her when she took her first steps in the path of the witch.
Farseer was surprised that Kaedra remembered his first teaching, many hear those words but do not heed them, but Warlock seems an exception, 'It appears that I made the right decision to accept her as an apprentice' Anath'lan thought to himself "Very well young acolyte"
"Recently my visions have been plagued with this phenomenon"
"What is that troubles you this much master?"
"A Mask Warlock, a Silver Mask" Said the farseer then paused for a moment "I have seen our Craftworld, There nothing threatening our beloved Craftworld... for now"
"For now?" questioned the acolyte, her teacher's distress visible.
"Yes, I do not know what that silver mask means, but whenever I delve into the fabric of time to divine the future, it accompanies my vision, not changing the currents of fate, but going along with my spirit as I move through the nether, like a vengeful knife ready to strike at my throat" Anath explained anxiety showing itself across his face as he recalled his visions.
"That is... unheard of, there is nothing said of a Silver mask within our ancestral history. Perhaps it has something to do with Children of the laughing god?" Kaedra questioned, "They are enigmatic even for their own kin, If it's truly them, then..." Kaedra said before pausing "Then I fear your vision might be a herald of a great danger, Farseer"
"Perhaps, perhaps not, only time will tell" said Anath'lan then turned to the shrine, "For now let us continue your training Kaedra, there is much to be learned and my time runs short" he knelt in front of the shrine.
"But Anath, you cannot possibly sit idle when you're beset by such visions" said the Warlock in an act of protest.
"You are young Warlock. There are many things you need to learn, and believe me when I say this, this vision means nothing, at least for now that we are besieged by so many others" Said Anath-lan with a calmed tone "Now let us continue your training, and don't let this revelation trouble your mind when we meditate" said the farseer pointing beside him for Warlock to sit.
Kaedra wanted to object, but she couldn't find an argument. A few seconds later She sat beside her master in acknowledgment and started her training.
-Planet: Unknown -Year: 102.M34 -Location: North of Ultima Segmentum, Ghoul Stars -POV: Anon
It's been two years since Anon came to this world, he has spent all this time studying and occasionally, leaving the forest to buy things from Malos's family, mostly Grox meat which he came to enjoy a lot recently. even though the creature looked like an abomination from hell, it tastes great.
The reason why Anon still lived in the forest, was that he didn't enjoy social interactions, not to say he was shy no, he just enjoyed being alone, and with his current position, being alone suited him just fine, he could practice his new powers away from other people, especially when the people of this world might be bent on burning him at the stakes for using witchcraft, since the world is in a medieval period, he tread with caution.
Anon knew what the mobs did to people who were accused of witchcraft in the ages past and he wished none of it, though there was a chance that this world might be different, until he confirmed however, he won't be taking any risks, he may be able to regenerate from his wounds, but he didn't want to test the limits of this ability.
His training in the last few months was bearing its fruit, the first thing he did, was to learn all the dangers that came with his powers, then he learned how to put a protective shield around his soul, once the shield was put in place, the dark shroud that once covered his soul disappeared, whether it had left due to him being able to protect himself or not wasn't clear.
Only when the shroud left that he truly understood the magnitude of the threats the sea of souls possessed, his soul was constantly under assault by different manner of creatures, none of them being able to penetrate his mental fortress, an achievement he took pride in, his once liquid shaped souls changing to be as solid as steel, shaped like an impenetrable fortress, though it could still use some improvements.
Anon's affinity for learning Magic was a surprising thing though not an unwelcome one, as if he already knew some of these teachings before, his body and mind were instinctively supporting his efforts, was this thanks to the shroud? perhaps he simply had talent in doing things? a gut feeling told him it was the first, he felt as if his knowledge of magic was not an intellectual one but an instinctual one, as if he already had done these before.
After using his powers more often and on regular bases, something within him began to change, before that, he saw the world through the eyes of his own, now, he felt different, he could sense the beings around in as if seeing them with his own eyes, his psyche being able to detect their souls, overall, it was an improvement, helping him detect Orks within the forest and either avoid them or kill them.
Anon's path when it came to magic was that of caution and discipline, sure he did want to start throwing fireballs around like every man his age, but he decided to focus on his soul shield instead, strengthening it further, besides, a few offensive spells he learned was more than enough to deal with the occasional Orks roaming around his house. All and all, many days of study were in front of him, only after making sure he had enough strength will he ever leave his hermit lifestyle.
He has been practicing his Soul shield for almost two years now, he mastered it to the point where he can constantly keep it on, and if the need ever arises, strengthen it.
He also learned a few spells that help him cure wounds, one might ask why learn a healing spell when there are all these cool offensive spells? the answer is money, he had food and some money but eventually, they are going to run out so he planned to learn and use healing to earn some money, after all, everyone wishes to be cured by the best doctors, and he knew he was the best, unlike doctors in the medieval era, who only knew praying and mixing random herbs in the hopes of making right the medicine, Anon could cure with his mind.
First, he tested it on himself by wounding himself and healing his wound, it was a painful process but a necessary one, he wasn't fortunate enough to have a guinea pig to test his spells with, besides you get used to the pain after the first 10 times you do it, in 6 months he finally manage to learn the healing spell, not as masterful as the way he cast shields around his soul but enough to cast it quickly.
After memorizing the proper way to cast it, he decided to finally act upon his plan of visiting the nearest city, he needed custamors and from what he heard from Malos, there was an Ork army attacking the land nearby, leaving many wounded soldiers who were in need of a healer, and what better healer than the least painful one?
So began his preparations for the journey ahead, he stocked some food and water for the journey along with some other necessities like a torch, a sleeping bag, and a compass, everything he needed for the short journey, the only question remaining was the matter of safety, he could use some offensive magic, he also could handle himself CQC.
Several hours were already passed when Anon left the forest in search of Malos's residence, he wished to visit the city he mentioned in one of his conversations but didn't know which way it was, so he decided to pay him a visit and ask for directions. Malos was a good man, a bit on the greedy side bit a good man nonetheless, he owned a razor farm, a plant most popular among the nobility and higher echelons of society for its calming properties once boiled with water, a tea containing more caffeine than coffee itself.
Alongside the razor, Malos also raised grox, the hellish abomination that, despite its appearance, tasted better than anything Anon had eaten. Grox is highly aggressive creatures that can survive in any condition, they can eat anything including humans, they are hard to keep a leash on but the savory taste of their flesh made keeping them a worthwhile endeavor. Anon once ask Malos how he manage to keep them considering their aggressive nature, Malos didn't answer his questions saying that its a 'family secret'.
After half hour of walking through the farmlands Anon made his way to Malos's house, he stood in front of the door and knocked it a few times, before waiting for Malos to open the door. after a few minutes, the door opened with a shriek.
"How can I hel..." said the man before pausing and looking at his visitor "Oh isn't this my friend, Anon!" said Malos with a smile on his face "How are you doing my friend, did you come here to buy more grox meat?" Malos asked.
"Good to see you too, Malos" Anon returned the greeting in kind "I'm not here to buy anything, I came here to ask for directions, you see I wish to go to a city nearby and find a way to earn some coin, I was hoping you could show me the way" he explained.
"Oh please Anon, I can do better than that!" Malo patted Anon's shoulder "I have Delivery to make, my men are already loading the goods, we can make the journey together once they are done" Malos suggested but his offer wasn't over "If you're looking for a job I can offer you one as well, don't worry I pay my men well" offered Malos with a chuckle.
Anon smiled "Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately, I already have a job in mind" he declined the offer as politely as possible.
"Do not worry Anon, not a problem" Malos looked curiously at his friend "If you forgive my curiosity, what is it that you excel at? no offense but people who live alone in a forest are mostly thieves and poachers. NOT that I'm implying that you are one!"
"None taken, and to answer your question, I am a healer"
"A healer?" a surprised expression formed on his face "That's GREAT!" Malos cheered with a grin that only a businessman sensing a profit can make, his smile made Anon slightly uncomfortable "To think I have been friends with a healer all this time!"
"Yes I can heal wounds and diseases, but there is a problem"
"A problem? If it is medical herbs you need I can provide you when we reach the city, you can just pay me later" offered Malos.
"No, nothing like that" said Anon declining his offer "You see I don't heal with herbs, I heal with spells"
Hearing this Malos laughed "A fine jest, you certainly know how to make an old man laugh"
"Expected of those who are yet to bear witness to it" Anon said, a small grin forming on his face, Anon pulled out a knife from his bag and put it on his palm "Observe" said Anon then proceeded to cut his palm.
Malos watched in mild shock as his friend turned mad after living alone in the forest for all this time "What are you going?!" asked Malos out loud. Just as he was about to do something, Anon's hand began glimmering with a faint light, then his wound started to disappear, closing in on itself as if it was never there to begin with.
Once the wound was closed, Anon's eyes went up towards the blacked-haired man, witnessing the amusing sight as Malos's jaw dropped.
"By the Golden Prince" Malos muttered, he always heard about sorcerers but thought them to be nothing more than children's tales, but to see one with his own eyes. He was thinking about what to do with this new information when an idea hit him, a devilish smile forming on his face, he was a genius for coming up with this idea, one that would make him the richest man in the region.
"To think the Sorcerers are real. Say Anon have you heard the story of saint Jermai?"
"No I'm afraid, I am not well versed in local legends" the Sorcerer admitted.
Malos's hand went over Anon's shoulder but immediately retreated as he remembered how Anon didn't like psychical contact, though he still maintained his smile "Come, let us sit while we talk, I rather not talk this wonderful idea while standing".
'This is a bad idea' Anon thought to himself "Malos, are you sure this is a good idea?" Asked the masked man sitting behind the carriage.
"Don't worry everything will be fine, besides, if you introduce yourself as you are, they'll burn you as a witch" Malos revealed, he was the one driving the carriage.
"And what about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean aren't you a follower of the same religion? isn't me pretending to be this saint Jamil heresy?"
"Saint Jermai, not Jamil" Malos corrected "And yes, I believe in the Prince on the throne as much as the next person, but not to the point where I deny the flaws within my faith" he answered.
"And these flaws being?"
"Burning the "Witchs", I have been friends with you for more than 2 years now Anon, you are a good man and you have the power to heal others from their pains, to mistake you for an evil witch is an act of foolishness" Malos answered "You can save so many lives with your blessings, I don't see any priest doing the same"
'A "Blessing" sure' Anon muttered to himself then spoke "You know, I have seen another religion that is extremely similar to yours" said Anon, in the last few days moving with Malos's caravan he has been educated on "Church of the Golden Prince" a man ascended into godhood after sacrificing himself to protect all of humanity from certain doom, apparently, now he sits on a golden throne in the realm of the gods, watching and protecting his loyal servants.
"Is that so? and what is the name of the religion?" Asked Malos, a curious aura surrounding his soul "Maybe it's the same religion under a different name" Malos Theorized.
"It's called 'Cult Imperialis', it has the same base concepts of your religion but instead of 'Golden prince' its 'God Emperor', and also he was bound to a throne, tormenting himself with unimaginable pain so that humans may survive" Anon answered, although the Imperial Cult wasn't a real religion, it is very similar to the one people have here, the difference being, Golden prince didn't have any sons to betray him. Instead, he was killed by an evil rival god.
"That is very interesting, especially the title, but I'm afraid our discussion has to wait, we have reached the city" Said Malos pointing at the gates of the city "Welcome to Susia, my friend"
Anon extended his powers and sensed the city, there were lots of people there and their combined Soul lights shining bright like a beacon compared to the time he was in the forest, it was a pleasant change to see his own kind in large numbers. The feeling and the light of their souls wasn't the only thing that Anon noticed, there were lots of sick and wounded in the town, their pain threatening to overpower the positive emotions, there was darkness under the skin of the city, one Anon was prepared to face.
-Planet: Unknown -Year: 102.M34 -Location: North of Ultima Segmentum, Ghoul Stars -POV: Markus
The plan was coming along, the green skins were besieging Susia and the war had turned into a battle of attrition, the walls of the city would hold long enough so a plague may spread within it, bringing despair.
He has been planning this for a few years now, first, he provoked the orks into attacking Susia, one of the greatest trading hubs within the kingdom, then he made sure that battle will turn into a siege, and now the final stage has begun. His diseases spread like a wildfire within the crowded population of the city, despair was an ever-growing feeling amongst the common folk and soldiers alike, soon all of them will accept the gifts of the Grand Father in order to escape the pain of the plague.
He could feel the blessing of grandfather Nurgle, his favor ever growing with each soul that is being infected with disease, no one could stop his plans now, and when the city finally accepts their new patriarch he will march with his new armies until the entire world succumbs to the plague, then, he will ascend.
His efforts were unchallenged until one day when one man came along. An imposter that disguised himself as a long-lost saint of the church, Saint Jermai, he was the figure that came centuries ago, when a great plague spread across the world, a disease that threatened to kill every living creature.
No one saw his face beneath his silver mask and at first, were suspicious of the masked man. when he claimed to have the cure to their suffering no one believed him, they considered him a madman and threw him out of the city. One day, however, the plague grew in strength and the people of the city despaired, seeking salvation from their god, they offered great tributes to the prince, leaving mountains of gold and jewels at his church to appease him, the fanatics prayed day and night so that may receive some sort of revelation from their god.
This continued until one day when a priestess of the great church finally manage to communicate with her god within her dreams, she begged her god to save her people, offering herself to be sacrificed to please her god, but the Golden Prince would not listen, he only said one thing, that he already had sent his salvation, a deliverance they refused and threw out. The priestess's god then vanished leaving her dream and returning to his realm.
When the Priestess brought her god's message to the council of the city, governors of the city remembered the man they once claimed as mad. They search every corner of their lands desperately seeking the masked man, and after many days when they could not find him, they returned to their city only to find a robed man standing in front of the gate, he was the same man they once drew away.
Last time, Saint Jermai was thrown out like a beggar but now he was welcomed like a king, the people who saw him kneeled before him and begged forgiveness to their new saint, offering untold riches if he were to absolve them of their sins, however, the Saint refused their offer while telling them that he was a man of god and no amount of gold can rival his lord's favor.
In a great show of faith, Saint performed a miracle. He held his hands towards the sky, then a shimmering light surrounded his body, the light grew in size until it consumed the entire city only to disappear afterward. The entire population of the city was cured of their diseases, it is said that even men with lost limbs returned to what they were before. People of the city drowned him in praise and kneeling before their saint, the story says that the saint married the priestess that had the vision of their god in her dreams only to disappear 10 years later.
He wasn't heard of for 200 years, until now. Markus had already heard the rumors about a robed man with a silver mask healing the injured and the diseased, he wasn't sure who he was but he'll be damned if he was going to let some random guy pretending to be a saint ruin his plans for ascension, he followed the crowd that was flocking towards the city's main square. There were lots of sick and diseased people moving with a glimmer of hope on their faces, 'That is not good' Markus thought to himself, if people won't suffer all of his work until now would go to waste.
It took the crowd a few minutes to reach there.
The city square was filled with sick and the dying, who were desperate to find their way out of the misery and pain. There was also a large group of priests and nobles seeking to see if the masked man was truly their lost Saint or an imposter feeding off of people's misery.
The news of their saint was spread by a group of people who claimed that they have been cured of the plague and that the masked man was curing more people in the city square. Naturally, such news spread with great speed among the people, after all, hope is a commodity sought out by desperate people.
After a few hours of waiting two men exited from the mayor's house, one of them was Malos, a farmer that grew grox and razor, the other man was covered in a golden robe and wearing a silver mask that covered his entire face, the mask had a carving of a face that looked indifferent. The self-proclaimed saint stood there for a few moments observing the crowd before pointing at an old man from the crowd, he was sick both from age and plague, the pox covering his face and the smell of rotten, dead flesh covering him.
The old man claimed up a few stairs and approached the masked man, "Kneel Faithful one, kneel" the masked man said in an arcane voice, the old man kneeled on his knees, the priests watched with great focus as the masked man put his hands on his patient's head, then a light appeared on his hands pouring into the sick man.
The crowd watched in awe as the old man's pox disappeared and his scars healed, the priest muttered their prayers as the old man stood up and looked at his arms, he did not feel pain, and more than that, he felt as if touched by the god.
The old man kissed the hands of the long-lost saint and thanked him, Markus watched in horror as the plague he have crafted in grandfather Nurgle's name disappear from the man, he needed to get rid of the saint lest his plans will fail. As he was thinking about what to do, he notice that the saint was looking at him dead in the eye, Markus panicked and move through the crowd towards his base where his followers were. 'Did the saint notice he was the one who spread the plague? is he going to come after me?' questioned Markus to himself, the saint was dangerous HE have to die.
Malos stood by Anon's side smiling as he watched the saint heal one person after another, he was going to get rich thanks to his friend. Malos was a greedy man, a businessman through and through, he did not deny that fact, but he was also a human who cared about others, no merchant in the kingdom cared for their servants better than him, he regularly donates to the church and sponsored some military force to cull the bandits time to time. He wasn't doing that because he was a good man, he was doing that so he could use his reputation to his advantage, the thing many merchants ignored. Reputation had served him way more than greed, people bought his products and were willing to even sell their precious lands to him, in short, he was playing the long game.
And now that Malos has found the saint and brought him to the people who need him, people will view him in a better light, perhaps even holy light. Malos could feel the profit.
It has been a few weeks since he came into the city, in that time Anon was busy curing the people of their diseases, he could already feel more positive Soul light from the city's population.
People came to see Anon as their lost saint, praying at his feet and trying to give him their entire life savings as tribute, people had good intentions with their offerings but the Saint find them to be annoying. The worst part of all this, was the priests that were following him around asking him to bless them or come to their church which he had to refuse, and don't forget the nobles who were offering hands of their daughters, it was an exhausting affair for Anon, he didn't want to continue being saint for too long, he felt terrible deceiving people 'well... at least being a saint is better than burning as a witch' he thought to himself.
In the days he spent in the city, he noticed something, something that have been bothering his mind, he could feel something, something bad that was constantly bashing against his soul shield trying to get in, Anon tried to repel them but they kept coming, every time he drives them off they would come back later, the only thing that can do that were other sorcerers and daemons, Anon hated both, so after a long time he decided to take action, he was going to find the thing that is causing this and put an end to it, and Anon knew exactly where to start.
Anon remembered the guy he saw during his first day in the city, that day one soul from the crowd stood up from the rest, everyone has a soul that is shaped differently, some people are paragons of society, they have a pleasant soul to look at, a golden-colored soul for a person with golden heart, and there were others who's soul was dark, red and purple, they have many different colors but Anon could notice which ones were bad and which ones are not. The person he saw on that day had a rotten soul, green color in the shape of a demon, it was the first time Anon had seen a soul like that, he have seen a soul shaped like an angel from one of the priests but not a demon.
Anon decided to look for that man, if anyone knew what was causing this feeling of darkness, it was that man.
A few hours later Anon had reached the biggest church in the city, it was a huge gothic-style marble building with two towers reaching 30 meters up to the air with lots of colored glass that had holy images carved on them. As he approach the church he was greeted by the guards on the door, they were not normal town guards but knights in full plate armor, the largest church in the city was home to a holy knightly order, all of whom were chosen from noble houses, all of the houses sent their youngest child to "serve" in the holy order, but Anon knew it was just to get rid of them so they can give everything to their eldest child.
"Lord Saint Jermai" gasped the female knight "My name is Kight Selina, It is a great honor that you decided to visit our church" said the knight to the masked man.
"Yes sir knight, but I have not come for prayers or pleasantries, I can pray alone and I do not need the latter" said the saint.
The knight was confused "Are there other reasons for your arrival?" asked the knight.
"I need to talk with your head priest sir Knight, there is an evil aura within the city, one that we must purge before it can do more harm" answered the Masked man.
After hearing the words 'Evil' and 'Purge' expression of the knight changed, Anon noticed that it wasn't fear or anger emanating from the knight's soul, it was excitement 'Poor knight, she must've been on guard duty for so long that purging demons hyped her up' Anon thought to himself.
"As you wish my lord, I will inform the high priestess and our marshal" said the knight with excitement before quickly rushing inside. The priests who were nearby when they were having a conversation, heard them and start whispering at each other.
Half an hour later Anon was sitting on a table with knights and priests surrounding him, he was in a room with tall ceilings made of marble with a dark gothic tone and color, in front of him were two figures whose names Anon didn't bother to learn, one of them was an Old woman clad in white expansive robes and the other was a middle-aged man with the longest mustache Anon have seen, the man was in decorated white plate armor on a mail and padded shirt.
The room was silent until the high priestess broke her silence "It is truly a blessing to have you here lord saint, you have honored our church greatly, truly the prince is watching over us" said the old woman smiling.
"The high priest is right, to think our god's chosen is here to bless us with his teachings" said the man in the full plate while playing with his mustache.
"I have not come here to pray or to talk faithful ones" said the saint, everyone in the room listening to their saint's words "It was not sins of the people who caused this plague my children" Anon revealed as he tried to act as holy as possible. People's faces were in shock after hearing his words.
"If not for our sins then why would lord send us such disaster?" asked the old woman.
"It was not my master who sent the plague, it was a demon, a demon is hiding within the city and we need to find it if we truly wish to save the city" Declared the saint, everyone looked at him in shock.
"A demon into our city?" the Marshal pondered as he played with his mustache.
"If that is true we cannot allow this demon to live within our city, we must purge them" the High priestess shouted "Marshal, gather your men and prepare to find this demon" said the priest looking at the man in the full plate "Lord saint, do you know where this demon is?" asked the old women politely.
Anon stood still for a moment and then start extending his power's reach to the entire city, trying to find the soul that looked like a demon, after a few moments Anon nod his head, he have found where the demon-like soul was but there were also other souls around him, not demon shaped but their soul had evil light "I know where he is but he is not alone" answered Anon "The demon has gathered a group of followers"
"Very well lord saint, we will prepare and wait for your command" declared the marshal.
Selina was standing before the demon-infested house, her mission was to help the saint purge the demon and clean the city from its evil, if what the saint said was true then this demon is behind the plague that killed thousands of people, as a knight of the church, she could not forgive such evil. She was prepared, by the orders of the high priestess every damned soul within this house must burn to please our holy saint.
Saint Jermai blessed them with his presence, saying that he will make sure that the taint of this place was cleansed, she was grateful to the prince for blessing them with such a noble soul, even though he is a healer and companion of her god, he was willing to stand with her kind, standing beside his lowly servants, his holy light shined even greater than before.
After everyone got into position their mission began, the Knights broke the door and stormed into the building, the heretics were stunned at the sight of holy knights, they tried to grab their weapons but were quickly butchered by trained knights, the faces of the heretic were covered in disgusting green poxes that screamed infection, their skins were more resilient than leather making it hard for swords to slash.
Knights outnumbered the heretics inside the building, Selina found herself facing a heretic whose skin was falling off his flesh, he was covered in pox that spewed out green liquid, he smelled like a corpse bathed in sun. The heretic grabbed his mace and attacked the knight, Selina brought her sword up to stop the momentum of the mace, she stopped the mace before it got any momentum then moved to counter-attack with the hilt of her sword, she hit her opponent's head causing him to stagger, Selina noted that heretics did not wear armor yet they were unnaturally resilient, was this the blessing they received from the demon? it did not matter, as long as they have the lord Saint with them, the blessing of the prince was with them, after her counter attack Selina brought her sword for a slash aiming for the heretic's neck, in a single slash she liberated his head from his body.
Selina looked around to see all the heretics dead, 14 heretics dead, and only a single knight wounded. Selina saw Lord saint as he healed the knight's wound and then helped him to his feet, "The fight is not over knights" said the saint pointing at a trap door at the end of the room "The demon is underground" said the saint.
The fight underground was tough, there were lots of heretics in these surprisingly long tunnels, the knights were outnumbered against the heretics but thanks to lord saint, no casualties were suffered, the miracle of life that lord Saint has shown drove Selina to greater levels of faith.
The assault on tunnels was going well and Anon could feel getting closer to the target, the person he had suspected turned out to be the guys behind the plague, maybe he could use magic just like him, or maybe he was really a demon that Duran's books were talking about, either way, his involvement with the plague was confirmed.
When he saw the corpses of his enemy, he noted that they had reinforced skin that was harder to kill, they were also infected with a disease even he couldn't cure. The plague that had spread within the city was a normal disease, it was curable but these 'heretics' were infected with something magical and foul he couldn't cure.
He was getting closer, his senses picking up his suspect just ahead of them, but something was wrong, something kept bashing itself against his shield trying to reach his soul, there was no doubt at this point, that the enemy was also a sorcerer and he was possessed by a daemon. Anon and his knights fought their way through the tunnel, killing heretics as they went, and after 30 minutes they reached a corner.
Anon could sense the daemon and his followers inside, he signed his knights to stop, then he listened, he could hear what seems like a chanting 'A ritual?' Anon thought to himself, there was something about rituals in Duran's books, but he didn't read them yet, as he was thinking to himself, he sensed something, immediately Anon ordered his knights to attack the heretics and then went along with them.
Anon and his knight entered the room and that was the moment when anon saw it. All around the daemon, were his followers bloating with a green disease, a tube-like plant was attached to their bodies like a parasite feeding on blood, the vain-like tube connected all of the 7 followers directly to the daemon, his followers were suffering as their flesh and fat were going through the living tube to feed their leader. It was the most disgusting sight he have ever seen in his life, he barely held himself from puking.
Anon looked around him, he was not the only one disgusted by this sight, he even saw one of the knights, Selina puke inside her helmet, as the shock of the scene disappeared from the mind of the attackers, something happened that Anon could not explain. All of the heretics around the daemon exploded splattering green liquid everywhere, fortunately, most of them were far enough that it did not affect them, only 2 knights unwillingly caught the liquid. The other knights looked in horror as their companions were digested by the liquid, their skin melted as they tried to end their own lives to end the suffering.
The daemon, on the other hand, used this distraction to summon something, Anon watched in horror as the daemon changed from his human form to something else, his stomach split in two allowing his organs and livers to fall, a single horn start to grow from his head letting out a sound, sound of his skull breaking under the pressure, his skin started to turn green then he started to grow from inside, to the point where his skin couldn't support such level of rapid grow and start tearing itself apart.
As transformation was getting over, Anon realized something... he was a daemon of Nurgle!, he was not in a normal fantasy world, he was in Warhammer universe and he was not a mage but a Psyker!
His thoughts were cut short, he had to do something to kill the plague bearer before it could infect someone. Anon tried to think of a way to kill the daemon. Fire was one of the only things effective against Nurgle but there wasn't enough fire to burn him, that left him with one option, he needed to use warp fire, the problem being he didn't know how, he could conjure fire but only in small amounts just enough to start a fire, conjuring offensive fire without knowing how, can be dangerous but he had no choice "ALL OF YOU STAY BEHIND ME!" Shouted Anon, hearing this knight immediately retreated behind him.
Anon brought up his staff and focused, he delved into the Immaterium and draw power from it while making sure his soul was shielded, then he focused power into a single point in front of him, a giant ball of fire was visible to all knights around him, then Anon made sure he had conjured enough to kill it but also low enough that it won't kill friendlies.
The daemon's transformation was complete, and he was ready to spread his grandfather's love, he opened his eyes only to see a ray of fire coming his way, in an instant daemon burned in agony and died, normally souls of the daemons would return to the warp but not this time, the psychic attack was so great for a lesser daemon that his soul was shattered, never to exist again.
Anon's hands burned in the warpfire of his own creation, he was not ready for doing something like that, so he paid the price, his hands burned from his fingers to his elbows, the pain was unbearable.
Anon tried to heal himself with his biomancy, but he couldn't, he waited for his perpetual nature to heal it for him, which also failed, it was at this moment he realized that he was cursed with this pain forever.