NATHANIEL

Nathaniel used to be a whole lot different. He was rowdy, stubborn, a deviant and a miscreant. But even then that was never who he truly was. He changed too many times that he had lost count of which face he wore and for which situation or occasion he wore that face for.

He had no idea who he really was, and at the moment he was just so exhausted to no longer put the effort to find out. Nathaniel had no idea who he was or what his path would be. The easiest way to explain his life right now, was that he was just existing with a purpose.

He had his family, so he had to live for them. At least that was what he felt was right. Because when you think about, what kind of achievement could he ever gain in a game. He did not have the drive or motivation to care about anything other than making amends for past mistakes and taking care of his family which ever way he could. He was at the end of his rope, but he still had to keep climbing.

As far as classes go, Nathaniel was not really happy with being asked to be a druid. He would much rather have preferred if he was given a lifestyle class, and not a class that would most definitely put him in a fight sooner or later. Besides if it had to be a combat class why not have made it a warrior, rogue or a mage. Why did it have to be a druid.

Druids are the most balanced class in the game. They were both healers, and damage dealers. And in some rare games druids are allowed to wield weapons. Nathaniel had an inkling that Zion was just the same. Druids were a complicated class because they had to many areas of expertise and without focusing on a particular one. You might end up too weak in magic, and strong in healing and buffs. Or it could be the other way around, or the alternative of going for a balanced build and ending up being nothing more than a decoration without sufficient attack or healing.

Druid was a magic class that emphasized the connection to nature and all of its inhabitants. As such druids were tamers of beasts, and they had the ability to take on the form of beasts just as well. They had spells and skills that improved and protected every facet of nature, from things as mundane as the plants, to as complicated as the living beings that roamed the wilds of Zion.

But why the hell was the house of the druid class trainer so hard to get to. The man was a recluse, but Nathaniel could not understand the need to go and live right at the top of a hill that was to much of a pain to climb. Halfway up the hill Nathaniel was already breathing hard and drenched in sweat. The realism of Zion was so cutting edge that there was no difference between it and earth. But he would never have been this weak in real life. While the stats he had now was derived straight from his physical body, it was not enough to reach the standard for Zion, considering this world was governed by a whole other set of natural laws.

This world was extremely reliant on its statistics and the strength of every person was also governed by their stats. Quite frankly his stats sucked, but that was no fault of his, he was after all still level zero.

With every step he took, Nathaniel drew closer to the hut that housed the druid. From a distance this hut looked rather peculiar, most people might not recognize its architecture, but Nathaniel could fully comprehend the manner in which that hut was built.

That was African architecture, the hut was built from mud, and the roof was made of palm fronds from coconut and palm kernel trees, If Nathaniel had to hazard a guess he would say this house looks like the home of native witch doctors from old Nigerian movies. It was quite a surprise seeing something like this here, he knew that Zion was made on a template of Earth and all it’s histories, and the continent they were currently on, shared a name with an ancient Nigerian kingdom.

So it was quite obvious this was a place where people from the west African side of the world spawn when they began the game. So far most of the things he had seen was more western like, than African. This was the first time he came across something distinctively African, and it also had to be something so connected to the ancient traditions of the Nigerian people. Nathaniel felt proud, but he also felt extremely tired.

The hut had symbols of animals drawn and painted on its walls with white chalk. It was eerie, but familiar. In the stories told about African witch doctors, they were always depicted as people who drew their power from the land, the spirits, and the Gods. So in gaming terms they were basically a combination of clerics, druids, and summoner. But more often than not, they were also viewed as evil malevolent beings who derived great pleasure in causing pain and destruction. They were quite complicated.

When Nathaniel finally got to the front of the druid’s hut he bent over gasping for breath. But when he looked at the display screen that showed his stamina, he was shocked to notice that not one bit of his stamina bar had dropped. He turned back to look down the hill he spent the better part of an hour trying to climb, his jaw almost got dislocated from his face when he saw a three meter incline rather than the three hundred he just finished climbing.

“what the hell?” he asked out in shock. But the answer he received was in the form of a rattle.

Nathaniel turned to see a giant of man, standing at almost eight foot tall and covered with muscles that made him look like the second coming of the terminator.

His dark brown skin glistened with sweat under the sunlight, but the white tattoos that criss crossed all over his body gave him a more intimidating look. At first Nathaniel thought those tattoos were painted on his body with the same chalk used on the wall of his mud hut. However when he took a closer look he saw that those tattoos were really tattoos and not chalk painted on his body.

His tattoos seemed to sparkle under the sunlight, and on his bare chest the tattoo of an eagle could be seen. In his right hand was a spear that had tiny gourds hanging from the tip where the metal head meets the wooden shaft. And with every step he made and brought the spear to the ground, the gourds rattled in protests.

Nathaniel was intimidated, this man was huge, and the sharp eyebrows pointed nose and narrow eyes made him like a predator about to spring for an attack. He looked like a bird of prey, and Nathaniel felt like the little chick about to be snatched up by an angry eagle.

He did not say anything, but instead chose to walk round Nathaniel while rhythmically striking the ground with his rattling spear. Nathaniel felt so self conscious that the only thing he could think about was that he has not had a shower today at all.

“Calm your troubled heart boy. The path of the druid is the path of nature. It is a path that does not see you controlling nature but serving it. And nature with all it’s splendor is a fickle thing, one minute it would be the calm that soothes and heals the broken, or it would be the breaker and harbinger of destruction. Without a sure mind and a confident soul, you would loose your way, or be swallowed and destroyed by nature itself for not being up to task.”

His impromptu speech did not serve to calm Nathaniel down, instead it made him a million times more conscious, because now he has to prove himself worthy to nature. Somewhere at the back of his mind Nathaniel wondered if it was this complicated and hard to pick a class in Zion, and if his sisters had to go through the same things as him.

“Perhaps it’s too much to ask such from you, after all the path of a druid is also a journey of self discovery and learning. You have shown that you have perseverance and the will to go past the limit, but be careful boy, do not live your life by the clarity of your eyes. But by the strength of your heart, and the will of your mind. My name is Luke, and from this moment forward I’m your teacher and guardian in the way of the druid. Kneel.”

Nathaniel went down on his knees to much in shock and in awe to say anything. It would not take much of his brain cells for him to realize that Will was an N.P.C (non player character). This eight foot tall beast of a man was a part of the game, but he knew what was wrong. Every word he had spoken had hit the points and biggest angles of Nathaniel's insecurities, and it freaked him out badly.

“Repeat after me boy, and say this words with all sincerity.

This is the path of life.

This is the path of destruction.

This is the path of creation.

This is the path of understanding.

This is the path of protection.

For this is the path of my father.

The sworn path of a druid.

One with the land.

One with the trees.

One with the beasts.

One with the sky.

One with the world.”

[CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE DRUID'S OATH AND HAVE BECOME A DRUID.]

[YOU HAVE GAINED PASSIVE SKILLS: NATURE GUARD, BEAST TONGUE, ELEMENTAL RESISTANCE. YOU HAVE GAINED ACTIVE SKILLS: RAIN DANCE, VINE HOLD, SHOCK. YOU HAVE GAINED THE STAT: WISDOM.]

[YOU RECEIVED 10 EXP, YOU ARE NOW LEVEL ONE.]

Nathaniel did not really feel different, but he really found it difficult to reconcile the fact that he now suddenly had the knowledge of the skills he just received in his head. Zion was a lot more flexible than other games, this skills still had a cool down, and cost and an amount of damage they could deal. But the owner of the skill can use it in a manner of different situations, and you can modify the skill to fit your play style or situation completely making the skill personal rather a rigid system animation.

But now that Nathaniel had become a druid, the next question to come to his mind, was what was he supposed to do next. He raised his head up only to see Will staring at him intently, whatever question Nathaniel had to ask the massive druid disappeared right out of his throat. This guy was really huge, and the action of him staring at someone alone was enough to make someone loose control of their bladder.

“This is just the beginning of your journey as a druid young Nathaniel, and there’s still many things for you to learn. In twenty days the great moon Artemis will finally wake up from her three year slumber. And on that day it would be quite fortuitous if you receive your awakening ceremony and fully become a druid. But for that to be possible, you have to be worthy and stronger than you are right now.”

[SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST]

[GRADE: F-E]

[TYPE: CLASS]

[TWENTY DAYS FROM NOW, THE GREAT MOON ARTEMIS WILL WAKE UP FROM HER THREE YEAR SLUMBER. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR ALL DRUIDS AND PRACTICIONERS OF OTHER MAGIC PROFESSIONS. YOUR MASTER WILL HAS ASKED YOU TO PREPARE FOR AN AWAKENING TO FULLY COME INTO YOUR ABILITIES AS A DRUID AND TO RECEIVE BLESSINGS FROM THE GREAT MOON.]

[CONDITIONS: REACH LEVEL 10 IN TWENTY DAYS, YOU MUST HAVE GAINED YOUR FIRST FAMILIAR BEFORE THE RITUAL. YOU MUST KEEP YOURSELF PURE BY NOT ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES OF SEX, OR KILLING A HUMAN BEING BETWEEN NOW AND THE DAY OF THE RITUAL.]

[REWARDS: +4000 EXP, + 10 SKILL POINTS, DRUID MANTLE, MOON CHILD, MOON WAIL]

This was rather unexpected, and Nathaniel wondered if this was one of those plot armor stories where everything the main character did only ended up as a favor from the system. Nathaniel would not be to picky, but a significant amount of luck and being the system’s love child will definitely work in his favor.

After Nathaniel accepted the quest Will did not say anything else and strolled back into his hut, with a gait that almost seemed as if he was rolling on the ground. The clump of black and brown shadows beneath his feet did not help either as it really left Nathaniel confused. He gave what could be considered an awkward series of bows as he turned and left the hill that was not a hill, that place was weird, but you have to consider the fact that this druid witch doctor guy, knew a lot of things about Nathaniel that no one else other than his profile in his citizens database should know.

It seems he brought along more than just his consciousness from earth. He also came with his identity, and with it every secret about his past. The system would definitely make use of all that information to make every encounter he had with magic somewhat supernatural. But there was nothing he could do about it, this game did not have a GM, but was completely controlled by a series of A.I (artificial intelligence) That formed up the high council of Gods and creators for Zion. In the end it meant everybody had no choice but to be fully immersed into this game, since even their identities and past have become a part of it.

JERRY OLAGOKE (EXPLICIT CONTENT AHEAD.)

What makes a villain, what did it take for someone to be considered evil. Jerry was still asking that question, even now that he was no longer flesh and blood, but an amalgamation of ones and zeroes.

Earth was a whole lot different from Zion, but they both actually worked the same way. As long as you had enough power, you can get away with almost anything. Which meant he was about to get away with this.

As soon as she turned the corner, he grabbed her through the hidden doorway in the castle wall. He had his hands wrapped around her throat to prevent her from screaming, but it was all he could do to prevent himself from squeezing. He felt her curvy body struggle beneath his grasp, but her weak level 1 frame was nothing against his level 20 strength. But he loved her struggle, every twist and turn she made, every whimper she let out, set a fire burning deep within his body as his little head stood at attention. He moved his lips closer to her ear and gave it a long sloppy kiss and said to her.

“Tell me Esther, did you miss me.” And then he blew into her ear causing her to stiffen her body in fright. At least he hoped it was fright, with a woman like Esther you could never really tell whether your actions were scaring her or just amusing her.

“Jerry!” she spoke his name with a raspy almost breathless voice, and this time he was the one who felt his body shiver. He had to have her again, the first time he touched her had left him completely unsettled and hungry for more. Esther was the best he had ever had, and quite frankly after he has had the best, he did not want anything else.

Jerry was not quite so foolish that he would think he had fallen for her……or was it so. If that was the case then villains loved really strangely.

“I want you, I want you so badly.” It was almost as if he was pleading, like he so desperately needed to become one with her or nothing will feel right.

“You’ve already had me Jerry, having me again was not part of the deal, and even if it was, it would cost you much more than you can afford.”

“Name your price, anything you want, you will have it. It doesn’t matter just as long as I know I have you.”

“Sorry, but I can’t. This is a new start for me and my family, no matter how ugly it is. Let’s leave the bonds and deals of earth, on earth. So which means you should forget what happened, you’re not man enough to own me, and I don’t even want you. I slept with you not because I was attracted to you, but because it was the only way I could save my family.”

Jerry really did not like what he was hearing, he hoped, no he was sure there was a connection between the two of them, and that they had slept with each other based on mutual attraction and not just because she had to save her family. In all twenty seven years of his life, he had never been rejected, much less by a woman who he has already fucked once and refused to spread her legs for him a second time. He couldn’t accept it, not now and not ever.

Jerry reinforced his grip on her throat and pushed towards the wall hard. He could hear her choke in the darkness of the hidden tunnel, but her death was not what he was after. Esther was a fascinating creature, on Earth she was beautiful, but here she was divine. He tried to find her eyes in the darkness and saw how frightened they were.

He was a warrior with a night vision passive, so he could see her, but she couldn’t see him. He loved those purple orbs of hers, and he looked right at them as he used his knee to spread her legs, and pulled down the sack like trousers she was wearing. She struggled for a bit, and then she stopped as if she was resigned to her fate.

Jerry did not like that, so he squeezed a little harder, and relish the moment fear was reignited within her eyes. He felt the inside of her silky smooth thigh, their cocoa brown color melding perfectly with the darkness. His fingers traveled all the way to the land of the forbidden and softly caressed his prize.

She was wet and she was ready, his actions aside, it was quite obvious her body wanted him. At this point it would mean that he had won, but he knew better than anyone the meaning of the words “the mind was willing, but the body was weak.” And he also knew that sometimes it went the other way.

But he couldn’t wait, not anymore. He hurriedly let loose his cotton trousers and dove right in. She was warm, wet and so much better than the first time. He grinded and she whimpered, and then he pulled out all the way in, and slammed back in. Her screams echoed through the dark tunnel bringing great joy to his pride and heart.

Then he began to build a tempo, a matchless beat of carnal symphony that has stood for generations. Right there in that tunnel, within the darkness, he took her, she belonged to him. It was what he wanted, it was what he needed. He slurred himself to move faster and stronger feeling that urge beginning to build deep within his stomach. And as he closed his eyes and roared his release to the darkness, he never once saw the mischievous glint hidden within her eyes.