Where am I? I swear I took every turn towards the forest, the only place I’m safe around here..

The landscape was different from everything Cain had seen in this world yet. It was in ruin, it nearly reminded him of home, if you substituted high-rise concrete buildings for small wooden huts and cracked roads for washed away dirt paths. It was a feeling he didn’t want to be reminded of. Despair, and forced sub ordinance. Something that he had silently been wishing didn’t exist in this world.

“Cain, I thought this would feel familiar.”

“Daeva, what is this place? How did I end up here?”

“The tunnels are mysterious things Cain, they take you where you truly want to be, to where you feel safe.”

“I have never felt safe in my world! Why would it bring me here!”

“Only the tunnels know, but now that this is where you’ve ended up, I will give you a quest to help Darkness.”

“I don’t want to help Darkness! I don’t want you to be my god! All you’ve brought is trouble, I can’t go into cities, I have bounties on my head! Once I reach level 10 I’ll feel real pain because of you! If I followed the Gods of Light I wouldn’t have these stupid restrictions.”

“Cain, Darkness has been a gift to you, it has allowed you to be everything you wanted to be, you have power and speed. You have a say in this world. You can make change! What could you have done as a knight, or a Mage? You would still be in the fields killing vermin. You’re built to be a Thief, you’re destined to be my follower, you will make change.”

“What good is change if my life is as repressive as the real world. I want good food! I want Friends! I want money!”

“You’re talking like a Corporate leech! I offered you power, and the ability to rise above them! AND YOU have already fallen to their disgusting ideology!”

“What do you know about the Corporates, you’re created by this world, you’re not even real!”

“When you devoted your life to me, you provided me with every memory, thought and dream you’ve ever had Cain! I know YOU, the real you! But I am a generous god, and will give you what you desire. The choice is yours.”

“It is?”

“Here is my quest. The town is in ruin, they have been cursed, not by myself, but by the Gods of Light. Their suffering is infinite and as you know, NPCs cannot be respawned such as yourself. This town has two weeks left before every civilian is dead. This will be your choice. You can save them, or finish them. Both options are more humane than this curse. Take these two vials. One is the symbol of life, if follow this path, you will revive the town and they will follow you, if you tell them the Gods of Light saved them, they will forgive the Gods, and the Gods will forgive you. You will be reborn. The second vial is the symbol of death, this vial will quickly finish the town, they will die and never respawn. And our bond will become stronger!”

“But why, why do you want to kill them?”

“I do not care whether they live or die Cain, I am a God. You asked to change to your devotion, I am simply providing you with the ways. To show you where your soul truly lies. Remember Cain, I know you, the real you.”

“Before I accept this quest. If you are a gracious god, you will tell me exactly what they need to be brought back to good health.”

“Water Cain, they need water.”

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QUEST: The Curse of Gods

The Choice is yours:

Vial containing: Symbol of Life

Vial containing: Symbol of Death

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Well that is vague. Accept.

Cain inspected each vial, the only information he received is what he already had.

*A Vial containing: Symbol of Life

*A Vail containing: Symbol of Death

If water is what they need, then all I’ll need to do is mix in one of these vials with water and feed it to the town! That must be my choice, I will save this town! I will become a devoted follower of Light. I don’t care if I’m acting like a Corporate, the Corporates live great lives!

Cain searched the barren town, the huts were falling down, the land was turned up and dried out, there were no crops in site. A single run down well, it looks as though it hadn’t been used in years.

No one could live here… Wait, where is everyone? I haven’t seen a single person in this last hour.

Cain walked towards the well, flicking a stone over the edge he could hear the splash of water echoing up the walls.

Water! All I need is some rope and a bucket the problem is solved!

Cain continued searching the town, returning to the well each time he’d found a bucket or clay pot, any suitable container that would hold water. The old church of the town’s bells pull rope was collapsed in the middle of the room, the bell cracked on its side.

Perfect.

He inspected the vials, making sure to use the vial containing the Symbol of Life and poured it down the well, saving the last drops increase he ever needed an Apothecary to make more. Then starting pulling bucket after bucket out of the well until he’d filled every that could hold it.

Where is everyone? The beds in the houses have been used, the rotten hay and shredded rugs have obviously been used recently and there are no rats or spider webs on the walls like the unused rooms in the real world. People here, somewhere.

Cain lugged the containers to the front of each house and waited in the center of town.

The hours dragged by, Cain wasted time by building and collapsing traps, the experience was small without a catch, but he noticed his hands were able to put together each trap quicker and with less concentration each time.

As night fell, he could hear the heavy footsteps and rugged breathing of people, the villagers. He got to his feet, hands on the dagger hilts, just in case. They came into view.

Looking straight at Cain they stopped, it was as though they’d seen death. Slowly lowering the clay pots and woven sacks but never taking their eyes off him. They were about to run.

“I’m here to help! I brought a Vial of Life! I bought safe water! I have the solution to your curse!”

One man approached him, the only man that didn’t flinch when Cain spoke, the leader.

“yer’ Lying son. Yer’ anotha one of ‘em God followers’ try’na get some rep’putation. We know yer’ kind. We lost three of thee young’ins to ye’ kind last week”

“I don’t Follow the Gods of Light, my God is Daeva, the God of Darkness.”

“We don’t care what god ye’ follow!”

I have to gain their trust somehow…

Cain removed his cloak, holding it under his arm, allowing the villagers to see his name and negative favour with the Capital. The villages started to step back slowly. The man walked towards Cain

“I’ve killed 8 Followers of Light so far! Now I’ll ask you to reconsider.’

“I can see ye’ tellin’ we the truth. There ain’t no level 8s ‘round ‘ere murderin’ ‘nd still livin without the help of ‘em dark folk. I say ye our friend. Now what’s this water ye got for we.”

Ugh, I can barely understand what they’re saying, but as long as I get to eat nice food and enter towns, who cares!

“I’ve hauled all day filling your containers with clean water, each container has the symbol of Life in it! It will revive your town to its glory!”

Cain held out the close to empty vial before him, allowing the man to inspect.

“Ye, he be tellin’ we the truth!”

The cautiously approached the two to take a look at the vail Cain held before himself.

“The water is in the containers laid before your houses! Drink, grow back your strength, we will rebuild this town!”

the villagers excitedly ran to their houses and started to gulp down the water Cain had provided. The man continued to stand before him.

“Thank ye’ Sir, we been avoidin’ the worst for days now.”

“The water I provided you with is all I have with the Symbol of Life mixed though, hopefully its enough, you better not use it too fast.”

“Sir, we been collecting water n ‘erbs all day, we can get enough fresh to last out the curse with that vial ye brought we.”

“Good. When do we start to rebuild.”

“te’morrow Sir, We’ll start te’morrow. Ye can sleep in we church.”

Cain collapsed in the makeshift bed the villagers quickly put together for him, tired of his days work.

I need to get my stamina level up….

***

He removed his headset… how many days has it been since he has to return the device? Or has that already passed? Something that I’ll have to reread. I’ll try put in the spreadsheet how many days have passed

***

A new day, a day to make change. And Daeva thought I needed him to make real change. This village will thrive once I’m done here.