It's a giant, big green and undoubtedly mean Goblin. It groans and moans, rubbing the side of his head like it aches. An understandable reaction to being possessed and tossed aside to sleep.

 

The giant squints and rubs his eyes, I figure his poor eyesight is the only reason I haven't been smacked away and place my bets on that. With haste and as silently as I'm able -which isn't very silent- I slide out of the water and crawl out of the Goblins line of sight.

 

I must have not been silent enough because it lets out a rumbling roar and hammers the water with its club, soaking himself and I, but more importantly, it wakes the others.

 

"Sense Death, Summon Spirit!" In my panic, I call out my spell, if I am to die here and now, I at least want the privilege of companionship and the honour of going down with a fight. In a flash Anselm appears, hovering in front of me, more panicked than I.

 

I spurt out an order, something from my past as a gang member but useful in everyday magical life, "Possess him again and take a hostage, NOW!"

 

As he floods into the giant's body there's a scuttle amongst the wooden and leather tents. Then, like a mob awakened by a call for chaos the goblins marched out.

 

Many wielding their weapons- Spears and clubs and the occasional brilliant sheen of a sword. They vary in sizes, from small to medium to my size, but one thing was certain- None are as giant as the one behind me

 

I hold onto my mana and crawl to my feet, at the ready with my would-be assailant now ally behind me growling in a strange fashion.

 

Casting two spells in a row and prepping for a third is tasking even on my large reserves but I am certain I have more than enough to fight my way out, I only have to find an exit.

 

The Goblins stand at the ready, growling and speaking in a language I can't understand. It seems like they are trying to communicate with Anselm, if he understands what they are saying I can't know. Whenever he possessed something, he loses all functionality with his tongue.

 

Anselm in the giant body stomps past me, the club still firm in hand. The other Goblins quiet, aside from the light chanting and cheering for something I instinctively know is bad even with the language barrier.

 

I wait and watch as he approached, none seemed to question the giant except the small one at the front that still barked orders at him. At least until Anselm picks it up, almost crushing it in the process.

 

"Ahh!!!" It screams. The others brandish their weapons and start jabbing at Anselm's feet.

 

"Squeeze him!" I cheer on but it seems Anselm caught on to the general idea. He shoves and shoos them away from his feet like flies and squeezes the small goblin until it begins barking out something different. Slowly the goblin horde back down.

 

The small one regards me with a look that's either a product of its pain or its disgust for me "Hrek! Reek tybal?" Finally, it seems to understand that I am the one in charge here, it asks a question, I don't know what it asks but intonation tells me it's a question.

 

I look to Anselm for answers but he only regards me with a mouth full of teeth and a clueless look.

 

"Way out of here, where is it?" I demand, hoping the goblin understands even if I didn't understand it.

 

"Reek yi vey? Ulk tie dur!"

 

"I don't understand you! Point me out of here or else he'll squeeze you again!"

 

It grumbles under its breath a bit but points me…to the way I came in.

 

"Ugh!" I cry in frustration, I could feel the timer on Anselm's possession ticking at the back of my head now, I didn't have much time left. "Squeeze."

 

"Ahh!!" the horde bristle at the screams, watching with barely contained rage, I don't mind them.

 

"I've been through that path. It's blocked by stones, I had to kill a bear to get in here. I know you have an exit. And I know you blocked this place off with a boulder to get away from the bear."

 

I don't know anything for sure but I'm pretty confident in the mosaic of clues my brain painted before me.

 

When I first saw the bear it was chewing quite on a short-lived goblin. It's obvious now, the Bear may not have been a native of the cave, it must have wandered in and gone on hunting the Goblins it met.

 

This of course led to the Goblins locking themselves up in here, behind the boulder and with the only source of water. As far as I can tell there isn't any source of food in here, the pool has no fish and the Goblins aren't advanced enough for agriculture.

 

However, there's the little creep hole beneath the boulder, the one I intended on using to slip my rat in to spy. If rats are the goblins main food source then there aren't enough around to feed the number I see here, not to mention the big one Anselm possesses.

 

Although horrid looking, the Goblins can't be so dumb to starve themselves out, and so there must be an exit. An exit leading out to their source of food...the outside.

 

The Goblin groans then waves at its people, shouting out some new orders. They make way and one of them at the very back of the horde runs over to a wall, knocking on it.

 

It fails to make the usual thudding you'd expect from a stone wall, instead, there's a light flapping sound.

 

The goblin holds onto the edge of the wall and peels it back. I would chuckle if not for the rather nerve-wracking atmosphere, the 'wall' is a black leather flap covering a dark tunnel.

 

The Goblin watches me expectantly as if to say 'You've got your way out now get out'.

 

I give a cautious nod and start a hurried strut with Anselm. Not only because his single stride equalled three of mine but also because alarm bells go off at the back of my head now, soon he'll be knocked out of the Goblins body and I'll lose my hostage.

 

I don't take the time to complain or register the growling and murderous mutterings of the goblins around me, my attention fixed on the leather flap covering my path to freedom, real food and baths.

 

We approach at the flap, only a few more feet and I'd be free. I make sure not to have my back turned on the little angry creatures, especially with the small one getting louder with its chants.

 

Cruelly, as is the nature of time, mine ran out. Anselm's giant falls with thunder, my eyes shoot over to him, his hand let the equally wide-eyed goblin leader out of his grasp and onto the floor. My eyes locked with his, I still have [Sense Death] on so I can see and get the blatant hint from him to run like hell.

 

And so, I do, but with a horde of goblins right on my tail, I don't make it very far. Tackled to the ground by a me-sized goblin, it seems to have abandoned its spear to get its grimy hands wrapped around my neck.

 

[HP- 10]

 

Choking, I and call for help even though there is none. The goblins reach me and are cheering on for the one atop me to strangle the life out of me. Others play their part by kicking at my head, legs, thighs- anywhere that isn't covered by the goblin already draining the life out of me.

 

[HP- 8]

 

[HP- 13]

 

[ HP- 29]

 

[Status Effect: Head Trauma- INT- 20 WIS- 20]

 

[WARNING: Effectiveness of Spells Declines, Dizziness, Confusion, Coma.]

 

[HP- 18]

 

[HP- 19]

 

Having no choice, I unleash my strongest spell, hard as it is to concentrate on mana flowing into my hands whilst being strangled and battered it's worth it in the end.

 

"Soul Drain." I declare. Immediately the me-sized goblin is drained, within mere seconds he transforms from a maniacal grinning green-skinned murderer strangling the life out of me to a shrivelled husk hanging on to me for life.

 

[Soul Drain Complete!]

 

HP+ 10

 

HP+ 10

 

HP+ 10

 

HP+ 10

 

[Soul Drain Proficiency +1]

 

[Necromancy Proficiency +2]

 

The horde does not fail to see this. Immediately they back away, leaving me the chance to get up to my feet, panting and exhausted. [Soul Drain] is as powerful as it is costly. Even with my mana low, I persist.

 

"Death Grip!" sighting one of my grinning assailants I shot out a green deathly tether resembling my hand to wrap around its neck. I screamed and screeched.

 

Like the rat had when I performed this spell the first time, the goblins flesh churns and boils at the necrotic energies coursing throughout its entire body, turning its blood to murk that spilt out all orifices.

 

[Death Grip Proficiency +2]

 

[Necromancy Proficiency +0.5]

 

Once I'm sure it's dead, I let the spell end. Unlike Soul Drain I didn't get any health from the success of the spell. Which is too bad cuz I was hurting pretty bad, one of my legs broken and blood still pours out of the side of my head.

 

"Stay back, or else!" I let green mana manifest in my hand, waving it at anyone too close. They growl and grunt, stepping away.

 

Not waiting for them to change their mind or even worse, for the giant goblin to wake up, I back away, slipping through the leather flap and limping out to the sound of crickets, of wolves and of the fields of freedom.

***

 

The sun is even brighter than I remember. Could be because I'm in a new world though. An alien world wielding no remorse for those lost in it. While I lie in the fields till dawn, I ponder on the possibility that I am not the only one tossed into a new body in this world and granted magic.

 

In the end, as the sun comes up and I conclude it's possible, but chances are I'll never find out. I don't know how many people there are in this world but even if there are a thousand it would take forever before meeting another like myself.

 

For now, I satisfy myself with seeking out the nearest settlement. My ghostly companion's existence reassured me that there are indeed pockets of civilisation scattered throughout the…

 

"What did you call it again?" I huff, trudging through the long grasses. I'm thankful the sky held only one sun over my head.

 

"The shattered lands." he says with a chirp, evidently ghosts don't feel exhaustion.

 

"Right, the shattered lands." I had him give me a brief history of the world while we walked. He didn't question my ignorance, I don't want to explain how I am or who I am, although, from his brief history of the world, I doubt he would be shocked by the truth.

 

"Yes. The land shattered by the will of the gods to adhere to the love and request of their followers for the land to be free of violence and bloodshed."

 

He has a dreamy look on as he starts muttering about their charity to lowly mortals like themselves. I find it a bit odd that gods tearing a solid continent apart and to all corners of the planet is considered charity.

 

Each continent represents and to an extent, exclusively serves the Deity that participated in the war. I am lucky enough to be on the continent belonging to the Goddess of life.

 

That may be the reason I live still, not the way I'd like it, in my own body and not another but still, I live.

 

"How much longer to the town, Anselm?" My thighs and feet ache with each step, I long for a respite of any kind, food, water or people. But all I see are hills, valleys and grass all around.

 

"Town? We're far off from the nearest town, unfortunately."

 

"Hells! I need water damn it." Perhaps I shouldn't have left the cave so hastily, I could have subjugated the goblins and made the place my lair with enough mana.

 

He floats into the sky, scouting ahead best as he can before coming down, "Well, there's a river up ahead, but there's a village right next to it so I don't think you want to drink from it."

 

"Why not? Are there laws or something against it?"

 

He regards me with a strange look as if I was nuttier than he thought, "Well, no, but it's rather disgusting don't you think? Drinking from…" he gags at the thought, "The river."

 

I shook my head and trotted on. Trying my best not to despair. "How far away is the village?"

 

He shrugs, "At your walking pace? Another day."

 

"Why the hell is the cave so far away from civilization?" I shoot my question at him, this time I'm not just whining, I want to know. "There's an entire days' worth of land here, a city or two could fill it."

 

He places his hand under his chin in a thinking position as he floats next to me. "Well, when I died, I was going to war. The cave was past the border of my Kingdom."

 

"So, there are laws preventing Kingdoms from building so close to each other." I muse.

 

"Well, probably, I wouldn't know. But it's only to give a bit of space and time to mobilize the armies before the first major casualties and losses occur, especially if the attacker is launching a surprise attack, rare as it may be."

 

"How long have you been…dead?" It's a tough question to ask, how much time may have passed for the man in front of me. How much he's lost.

 

The question catches him by surprise and he falls out of the sky. "Huh? Why?"

 

"Information decay. You could have been in there decades and things change."

 

He has a far-off look now, staring a hole into my head. "Uh, I don't know…"

 

It's obvious the line of questioning troubles him, he stares off into nowhere, deep in thought. I let him be knowing he will recover, besides I have other things to worry about.

 

An hour ago, I munched on my last roasted rat stick and despite trudging through large fields the only thing that's out here are blades of grass and sand. I hadn't even spied an insect all this time.

 

With the village being a day away I can manage. I would have starved in the cave and I'd like to think that experience increased my tolerance for an empty stomach.

 

Hopefully, the villagers would see it in their kind hearts to gift me a small meal and a jar of water.

 

***

 

The blighting sun sets and rises rather quickly. Although the night was cold, the natural breeze of the open world is welcome.

 

The night sky was beautiful, the moon is much larger than I'm used to and has patches of red on its surface. Likely it's all from plentiful resources beneath its surface, but I don't care much about science, I only appreciate its beauty.

 

Anselm did so too. Perhaps having a much greater appreciation for the sky given he was stuck in that cave for near centuries I'm sure.

 

While I dosed, he told me the story of how the sky was made, the convoluted drama behind the celestial bodies and the relation with the Deities who made them. It was the perfect lullaby as I can't remember a thing now that I'm awake.

 

I get up as the sun does and I went on trudging through the fields and when the sunset comes again I can make out the faint outline of a settlement on the orange horizon.

 

I've made it to civilization at last.

 

I want to walk through the night, get to the village and spare myself the hunger and thirst. But Anselm advises otherwise.

 

The people of this world, especially villagers, don't take kindly to strangers knocking on their doorstep in the depths of the night as messengers of the God of vengeance and reckoning do. I conclude that the people of this world are subject to many superstitions.

 

Still, I heed his advice and wait.

 

It's a long night with a growling stomach and a parched throat. In my frustrations, I can't stand Anselm so I don't summon his spirit again. Still, I praised the Deity that made the sun as it came up.

 

Quick on my feet, I approach the village, there's the river Anselm spoke of but it's farther away from the voices I hear, so I headed for their voices. The closer I got the louder I hear what sounds like chanting.

 

The village has a very simple set-up. It has no walls or fences aside from the animal pens and the barbed food stands I catch a glance of ahead.

 

However, the people have gathered in front of what can effectively function as a gate or main entrance. It's a sort of totem pole with a board that reads 'Arak Village' hammered onto it. There about three dozen or more people stood and chanted strange words.

 

I come at them from behind so I don't interrupt their bowing and chanting with my presence and take a look around the village from where I stood.

 

They don't have a lot and it seems like all they have going for them is the pen of sheep and cow in the corner and the barbed stand that holds some sort of goods.

 

Their houses are small and clustered, I'd think they'd have a town hall because of all the RPG game tropes but there aren't that many of them to forgo simply shouting out whatever new information that graced the village.

 

I stand about for close to ten minutes behind them while they bowed, prostrated and chanted to the totem pole with colourful imagery.

 

It irks me a bit how all three dozen of them could be in tune with each other's movement, but I guess that's what choreography is for. Either way, I get impatient and I doubt I could resist stealing one of their sheep for much longer.

 

"Hey!" I call out. "Uhm, can anyone spare me some food and water?"

 

At the sound of my voice, they stop moving, standing deathly still in front of their totem. Freaky.

 

Freakier is the way they scratched their feet on the floor to turn a smooth one-eighty and face me. All at the same time.

 

"Whom do you worship, Strange one?" they speak in unison, their voices overlapping each other's, even the children.

 

I start backing away, people speaking in unison is generally never a good sign.

 

"Uhm, I'm no one." I force a chuckle, "Look, sorry to disturb your…activity, I'll be on my way."

 

They took a step forward, moving at the same time. "Do not be frightened…No one. We will guide you to venerate they that is-"

 

Nope! I bolt off in the direction I came. I've heard similar lines before in movies and cartoons. I am not giving up my consciousness to serve some unnatural being