《Alternate Worlds》NL Chapter One: Welcome to your New Life
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Head spinning, heart racing, arcs of lightning bouncing off the ground and the massive pool of water the cloaked figure floated in. The body drifted to the shore on a normally still lake in a far land where men dared not travel and even the goblin races were afraid to explore. For these were the Lands of the Gods, the mountains at the End of the World. Nothing lives beyond these forbidding peeks but gods and demons and the end of everything.
The only people who come here are lost, mad, or adventurers who were well bit of the first two really. The body in the pond is very lost in more ways than one. Space and time and dimension and self.
She pulls herself up on the shore, looks around, then down at herself then falls on her shapely butt. She spends several minutes exploring her body with her hands before getting up and finding a still spot of water to use as a mirror to see her face. The face that stares back is a little on the round side, but very pretty, with long curly red hair, shocking ice grey eyes and ruby lips. Nice chest but tiny waist. Going by the length of her cloak she guesses she is pretty short, 4ft or so. Hard to say as she was never really sure how long the cloak was to start with. She also notes the excellent muscle tone, and it does not detract from her feminine figure, she always hated women with huge muscles that looked more masculine because of it. This was much more like it.
She dances around a bit, happily chanting 'It worked, it worked' and laughing. She throws a fist in to the air and is knocked to the ground by the burst of lightning that streaks from her to the slightly cloudy skies. She stares at the sky then at her hand then back at the sky, slowly she grins and says "Cooool" Slowly sitting up she takes stock again. This time holding her hands apart and seeing if she can make lightning jump between them. It takes a couple tries but she figures it out. Then she is back to happy bubbly person again. Though she does learn Lightning can bounce and while the blast itself does her no harm it can throw her off her feet and give her bruises when she hits the ground.
On a whim, to see if she can do it, control the weather, she starts trying to make a small storm cloud, like her favorite female super hero. She uses stuff she learned in her former life on cloud control (though that was willing them apart), slowly the clouds form in to one larger, more ominous cloud and thunder rolls across the sky. She is so happy she starts dancing around again. Then the cloud decides to 'dance' to and sends down bolts of lightning, which hit her more than anything else and sends her flying again. The final blast though she throws herself in to it and something remarkable happens. She vanishes.
She finds herself Inside the clouds, bouncing around in thousands of little sparks and pieces and it comes to her she just turned herself in to lightning. For a while she plays around in the clouds, bouncing here and there and seeing how fast or high she can go. (Very damn fast actually) before calming down enough to look around and see what she can see from up here. The thing is Lightning does not really 'see' that well. It Feels things, it can feel how close or far things are, it can tell if something has the right sort of charge to attract it or repel it. It can Feel the moisture in the air, or the heat of the land and air, but seeing, not so much. Searching around a bit and finally aiming 'downhill', she hopes, she lets go. Blasting to earth and stumbling around after taking on human form again, cloak still with her miraculously.
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About a 100ft away a squat, heavily bearded man stands, staring in shock and awe at this beauty who just appeared out of a bolt of lightning. She sees him, smiles and walks / stumbles in his direction, hoping they speak a similar language. He watches her approach for a minute then grabs his dropped bags, turns and runs away as fast as his legs will carry him. She frowns and thinks about it. Yeah she can understand it, a person appearing from a bolt of lightning is not something you see every day and his reaction is probably very normal. But she needs directions and food. All that jumping around up there made her hungry. She just walks after him, occasionally shifting to lightning to keep up, or get ahead. (navigating is tricky). At one point she passed him by such a distance it took him a couple minutes to catch up and pass her on the rock she was standing on. She tried to call out to him as he was only 10ft away at that point, but he took one look at her and found new reserves of speed.
Following him was tiring but on the up side he lead her almost straight to a walled town of sorts. Short squat looking buildings with sod and stone roofs and walls. It was not very big but it seemed full of all sorts of people. Add in several different shrines, alters and assorted statues a hundred or so yards from the town, in a strange staggering line between the village and the mountains behind them. (from the direction she and the man are coming.) She can hear the scared man screaming "Open The Gate! Open The Gate!" as he barrels forward, arms pumping legs eating up the ground in chunks. At the line of shrines he stumbles over something and drops one of his bags.
When she gets to that point she feels a strange pressure, she looks around and then notes strange colored lights around the different statues and shrines. She picks up his bag and looks in to it. It's full of cloth wrapped items and chunks of rocks, maybe ore samples, she guesses.
When she tries to pass between the statues however she finds herself pushed back. She looks around confused. She walks up the line in one direction, in each spot she can't pass, at the end of that line is a large rock face and she is stopped. Looking at it she sighs and the turns and goes the other direction. About 100ft past the last shrine (a small one with little animal skulls and mountain flowers on it) she finds the end of the weird aura and walks around it then back toward the village. All in all it takes her just over an hour to walk around all the wards and make it to the large wooden gate set in the crude stone wall.
The fellow inside the gate sees her and states so she can hear him, "You ain't coming in, no way, no how. Return to the mountain that spawned you demon."
She frowns and thinks, "I am no demon. I am just a traveler who got lost while trying out a spell I found."
He shakes his head, "I doubt that very much demon, now leave or we will shoot you with our magic arrows and make you very dead."
She sees 4 archers and glares, "You are very rude." she declares. One of them shoots at her, the arrow barely missing her. She looks at it, it has the same kind of glow as the statues on the hill above. She picks it up and looks it over. It's very crude work, bronze with letters that spell out 'Demon Repellant" She stares at it for a long bit even as the guard threatens to shoot her for real if she does not leave. She holds up her hand, makes a swirling motion and a funnel forms over the town wall, she lowers her hand and the twister comes down and sucks up the rude guards and flings them back in to the town. Then she uses the funnel cloud to remove the gate. Once it's gone she sends it back up in to the sky.
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Carrying the arrow and the bearded mans bag she walks calmly in to the town. Inside are 6 people in shoddy robes, some swinging incense some chanting what pretty much sounds like names and 'send the demon from our midst' over and over in english. Cocking her head she starts to wonder if by chanting her prayer in English she was sent to a world where English is the Magical Language. Given the number of alternate realities she supposes it's very possible.
She looks longer, and sees faces and forms in the smoke and says to them, in English, "I am not a demon." One of these figures, a man in armor, steps out from his cloud, though he still looks a little transparent, "You are not one of the 21 accepted gods so there for you are a demon. I will prove this now. He draws a sword of bright metal and swings it at her. A bolt of lightning strikes from the sky, hitting his upraised sword and making him visible to all there, The look of surprise on his face is priceless.
She looks at the other 'gods' present and states, "I didn't do it." There is a rumble in the air and a voice made of thunder laughs, "No child, you didn't. I Did." the gods look up and quake. A female in animal skins and skulls looks at the massive white cloud, "Oh might Sky Lord, why did you strike down Ag the Mighty ?" The sky rumbles, "He tried to strike a child of the Storm. I am sending her in to the world. Letting her make her way, but know, she is no demon, but a goddess of the lowest order. At least for now. In time she may become more than that. Like you all, everyone has to start Somewhere."
The guardian gods look at the small woman clad only in a black linen cloak, holding a bag she picked up on the trail, and nod. A grizzled old dwarf of a god sighs, "So be it Sky Lord. But we will be watching, just in case."
The sky is quiet and the gods leave, taking their smoke with them. The priest all look very surprised as this has never happened before.
She looks at them, "I told you I am not a demon. I am a Child of the Storm. Or that is what the Sky Lord called me at any rate."
She moves closer and the priest back off. There is a little fear, a little respect but none offer help or hindrance either. "Is there any place I can get something to eat ?" she ask a guard, "Got any coin ?" He counters. She shakes her head, "Then no. No coin no food. Now get you gone from this place, we have no need for the likes of you here." he states darkly.
She moves on, looking around. Not one friendly face. Though she can't really blame them, she did hurt their friends and destroy their gate. She spots the first man and walks up to him, he is looking for aid, or a place to run, but none is forthcoming, she holds out his bag to him, "Here you dropped this back there." she says softly. He takes it, carefully from her. She moves on while he looks through it and finds it all there. He thinks for a moment then pulls out a bundle of something and jogs up to her. "Here, for your honesty." and thrust it at her. She takes it and opens it. Inside are some dark crackers, cheese and some kind of sausage. She smiles. "Thank you and I am sorry I scared you. It was not my intent." He nods, still nervous. Thinking a moment she looks at him, and says, in English, "For your kindness may you find what you need in the near future and have a blessed day." The priest Sort of understood what she said and while she walks away eating some of the crackers and cheese one walks up to the stout man, "Well this is a day to remember. If I understood her right, she blessed you for your kind act. Something about finding what you Need in the near future and a blessing for the rest of the day." The dwarf nods, "She does not really strike me as a bad sort. More like a lost child in some ways." The priest nods. "Still better she is gone from here. You know ones like that tend to attract more trouble than they are worth." The dwarf nods, "Sad but true."
[Later that day the dwarf prospector stumbles and falls down in to a small crevice, he is about to curse his luck when he notes a gleam in the rock. Getting his tools he digs out a little and finds much to his surprise a nice vein of mithrilian, the raw form of Mythril. Very highly prized and very very rare. He digs out as much as he can safely carry and then sets his own mark in the spot and just outside, near to it but not on top of it, in case of claim poachers. This will save his family. This find fills the need he most had. As that thought occurs to him he thinks back to the little red haired goddess and then looks up, "Thank you Sky Lord for sending your child unto me. I hope she does as well in her journeys as her blessing has done for me." He did not see the rainbow that streaked across the sky after his prayer, for his eyes were on the road ahead and the well fair of his family.]
She walks down the trail leading from the town. Sad she scared them, she is just hungry and frustrated. And a little upset with herself for over reacting.
As she walks, she tries to think of a name. She used to collect interesting names for characters. So she thinks along those lines and recalls one for a super hero she made once. Nyesha (pronounced: Ne Sha) it is Swahili for Rain and being called a 'Child of the Storm' it fits, besides it’s a pretty word. She repeats it to herself several times. "I am Nyesha, hello, I am called Nyesha. Pleasure to meet you sir or madam, I am Nyesha, what is your name." she giggles to herself and skips down the trail. Doing little jumps and twirls to make her cloak dance in the air. A new life, a new chance at happiness, a healthy body and magical powers. More than she hoped for. Time to leave her old life and fears behind. Time to find new friends, loves, and adventures.
-----
Something moves in the rocks and scrub just behind her. In her happy little playing she does not notice it. It leaps from rock to shadow till it's close enough to Strike, muttering "first day of life, little godling, last day of life to." It leaps out at her, claws extended just as she does a twirling leap in to the air, which carries her farther up than she expected and by pure chance made the creature miss it's mark. As it turns to strike again a tall figure in shining armor appears below the small woman and brings his electrically charged weapon down on the Demons head, splitting it in two, spraying it's acidic blood all over the ground.
The girl comes down, looking surprised, The Knight moves in to strike down the demon, but it leaps back and spits its venom at him, scaring the pristine armor. The knight speaks, "Ware Child, this demon means to end your existence." She looks at it, then raises a hand and unleashes her lightning at it. There is a flash and scream and then nothing but crackling scorched earth where the fell thing had been. The Knight looks very surprised. "Nice Shot" he states impressed. She nods then moves over to him, "Thank you for your good timing. Are you hurt ?" He grins down at her, "Nothing a little buffing won't fix. Thank you for your concern. By the look at that bolt you know something of your powers I take it." She nods, "Weather Control primarily with a side of Lightning. I was playing with it where I woke up. So that was a demon then ?"
He nods, "Fraid so and they will be hunting you from now on. Old war, Gods vs Demons. They kill us we kill them. They kill everyone actually, we try to protect the world from them." she nods slowly, "Old good vs evil or law vs chaos ?"
He squints, "Little of both and creation and life vs death and Destruction to. Ah I forget my manners, I am Ag the Warrior. Defender of the weak . Official title you understand." She nods, "Well Met Ag the Knight." bright smile, which he returns, "I am Nyesha, have not worked anything beyond that yet."
He nods, "Pretty name. and thank you for the compliment. Knights as yet don't exist in this world. They are just now figuring out Iron." She curtseys and nods, "Thank you good sir. I read allot of stories of knights and such in my past lives." he nods, "I was a knight in my last mortal life. It's why I got to keep my armor and weapon in this one. The Sky Lord does things like that. We all start out like you to. Souls who lived a life for others but got little recognition for it. The enemy seeks selfish power hungry types."
She nods, "I was wearing a cloak like this when I died. I was actually struck by lightning while sitting in my room, praying." he winces, "ouch and ironic. If you don't mind my asking, what were you praying for ?" She grins, "That in my next life I could be healthy, strong, and pretty, and maybe have a special talent or two. Always wanted to be special, in a noticeable way. I was sick all the time, born early, and in pain to. But I tried to deal with life using humor and I made a point to try and help people, or at least spread a little happiness by a kind word from time to time."
He nods, "Well you got all that then. Now you get to do it all again, but hopefully with less pain." she nods, "Well so far I found I heal fast and while lightning does not hurt me, rocks do. The first few test of my abilities I forgot to brace myself. Flying backwards is not recommended." she rubs her behind at the remembered pain. He grins, "Yes I know what you mean. I gained great strength, speed and accuracy but that does not help when you run off a cliff." she winces and nods. "I imagine."
He walks with her a bit as they talk, "I can only help so much, rules you know." she nods, "Knowing them would be helpful, well the few you can share ." she added as he winced, "Well we other gods can only help so many times in a life time. While you’re a minor goddess you still count as a mortal." she nods, "Like the Archangels back home, they had a 3 visits in a life time rule." he nods. "We get 5 but yes. This counts as 1 visit just so you know. Not supposed to do freebie's. Also I can only walk with you to a certain barrier. My post is these mountains and I am not supposed to leave them, well corporeally. I can still send visions and such beyond here." she nods.
He looks around and up then heads around a rock outcropping and gets something. He comes back, "Little off track but here this should help some. It's stuff I picked up from the adventurers who come here and don't make it back. The ones who do survive end up in settlements like the one you just came from. Also there is a purse with some coin in it. Mind you Copper and Silver are the most commonly used coins but some merchants will try to charge you gold for stuff. Shiftless scum." she nods, "Always a few like that." he nods and sighs, "To true. Oh and just because Most of your abilities are in weather or such, you are not limited to that domain. Lastly you are of the Halfling race, tall fellow branch going by your size. Your very tall for a halfling to. Not beyond their maximum height, but close." she nods, "ah that is good to know actually." He looks around and sighs, pointing to a darkening in the rocks ahead. "Border" she ask, he nods, "Ok, one more thing, look around rocks, caves and such. You never know what you will find that someone else lost out here. Oh and other than the demons there are vampires and Immortals. The only difference between those 2 is Immortals are a tiny bit nicer, walk in sunlight and like a nice drink that is not blood every now and then. The other ones burn in sunlight and tend to just be mean and hungry and I really don't know why they skulk around up here. Hunting for them is terrible. You can treat with them as you will, but Becareful they Can turn you in to one of them. I personally don't care for them but unless they are very bad I won't go out of my way to kill them." she nods. "Ok so the things to watch out for are blood drinkers, demons and mortals with little common sense ?" He grins, standing next to the border, "Yeah that's pretty much it. Good luck out there." she smiles and then hugs him, "Thank you for your help and advice, it is very appreciated." he actually blushes a little as he faded out. She smiles, looks at the barrier and then steps over it and 'officially' in to a new world.
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