Chapter 1-You Have Died

My body feels foreign to me. I can’t feel my hands or arms. Bubbles gurgle up from bellow popping near my head. I’m floating inside of some thick slimy green liquid. A large tube is inside my throat and a mask covers my face. I can’t breathe but I also don’t feel the need to breathe. I try to reach out in front of me with my hand but instead I extend a strange brown lump. Did I lose my hand?

While I question what is going on a red light flashes outside my spherical chamber and a noise like a truck backing up echoes in my ears. The chamber opens up and I collapse on the ground. I rip the mask off tearing the tube from my throat. Gasping for air I examine my body. I pull my hands near my face, but instead of hands the tips of brown feather covered wings appear in my vision. I look down at my naked slime covered body and my eyes widen in horror. My arms are replaced with the brown wings of a giant eagle. My feet are yellow talons with razor sharp white claws. Feathers protrude from my back. What on earth have I become?

A high pitched voice comes from my left. “Specimen number 35 of the gene splice experiment. Vitals check; heart beat normal, breathing normal, cognitive functions normal. Welcome to the world my friend” A man in a white trench coat and a silver clip board stands over me smiling. Large glasses frame his face and his silver hair stands straight. He lists off a variety of things but I do not understand a word he says.

I stare blankly at the man speaking a foreign language. Why is he not freaked out by my strange appearance? Did he do this to me?

A second man perfectly mirroring the first man’s appearance stands on the other side of me saying. “Let’s see how he survives in the stadium, we haven’t produced any flying type splicers in a while.”

What language do these men speak, maybe if I try talking to them they will help me. I open my mouth to speak.

“Sqeuuuaaakkkk” What the hell was that? Why can’t I talk, did I just make some type of bird noise?

The first man rubs his chin as he speaks. “Do we really want to kill him that quickly?”

The second man puts his hands on his waist “You always treat the test subjects too nicely, it’s not like they have feelings or emotions!”

The first man raises his shoulders in a matter of fact gesture then sighs “I guess you’re right, let’s send him to the arena, should we give him a weapon?”

The second man scoffs. “And how will he hold this weapon? With his wings? No just toss him in there!” He then walks over to a large green button and slaps it with his clip board. “Off you go!”

My vision becomes fractured as images of a large metal disk fill my vision. My vision interchanges between the two men and the image of the metallic disk until I see only the new one. I have been teleported somewhere. I’m in a glass tube with a metal floor. The room looks like a metal coliseum. A large crowd of people fill the stands cheering and clapping. Across the room a metallic man with glowing red eyes stands at the center. Several other glass containers with strange animal like creatures sit in each one. One of the creatures has the head of a rhino but the body of a large muscular man. Another one had the body of a giant spider, but where the eyes and head would be the upper portion of a human women exists. She looks like some type of spider centaur, while the man reminds me of a Minotaur. Am I also some kind of strange mutant?

A large sound similar to a gunshot rings in my ears. The glass surrounding me and the other nine beings shatters and dissolves into the air before hitting the ground. A surge of energy fills the crowd and their cheers escalate. The strange metallic man charges directly at me. In a panic I jump into the air and flap my arms vigorously. I soar in the air, I’m flying! I’m actually flying! I yell with excitement! “Sqeeeeeaaaakkk!” But my avoidance is short lived; the metallic man raises his fist in my direction. A sound like ratatatata comes from his arm. Bullets fly from his wrist cutting through my wings and abdominal.

I fall from the sky into a heap on the ground with a loud thud. A metallic taste coats my tongue. Hot green liquid pores out of the fresh bullet wounds. Is that my blood? I feel weak, my vision is fading. The sound of clashing metal rings in my ears and then nothing but silence.

…

Ugh? The pain is gone! This place feels familiar. It’s that same place of nonexistence! Is it some type of purgatory? Did I die? Or was that the second time I died? Nonsense! This is all just some giant hallucination or dream. No it felt way too real to be a dream, but this place well it feels exactly like a dream.

I try to yell and scream but nothing comes out, I guess that makes since I don’t have a body.

Ugh I get this weird forgetful feeling; I think I’m beginning to fade away…

…

The darkness fades from my vision and in its place I am met with a strange screen, one that reminds me of some type of video game menu.

Status WindowName:???Alignment:DeathLevel:35Class:Undead WarriorRace:UndeadGender:??Titles??Fame:??Infamy:??-Health:2040 / 2040Health Regen:14.5 / SecMana:400 / 400Mana Regen:0 / SecStamina:!!! / 2305Stamina Regen:16.5 / Sec- Strenght:147Agility:75Vitality:145Intelligence:5Wisdom:0Fortitude:48Luck:0-Attributes: Complete Obedience of summoner.

Skills: Piecing Resistance, Unlimited Stamina, Auto Equip Gear

Purgatory player Skills: Life Retention, Memory Retention.

I look down from the menu and see my own body. My skin, my muscle, all of it is gone. I still have a human body, but it is nothing but pale white bones. Metal and brown leather gauntlets cover my hands. A highly worn grey mantle with slivers of rusted iron hang from my shoulder blades covering my exposed ribcage. In my right hand is a short sword with the tip broken off and a few jagged pieces missing along the edge. My left hand holds a wooden shield with metal fittings and broken arrows protruding from its front face. A pressure builds around the outside of my head along with a cold hard iron like feeling I assume it’s from some type of helmet. I appear to be some type of undead warrior.

There are several similar looking creatures around me wearing armor that resembles mine. The Cobblestone ground matches the tall over bearing walls on all sides. Several yards in front of the group of skeletons a wooden door shakes as something bangs on it from the other side.

I hear a raspy old voice yell “Attack the soldier’s don’t let them pass!” It came from a dark robed figure that was behind me. His face is impossible to identify under the shadows of the black cloak. The figure is horribly hunched over and disfigured. A brown wooden and knotted staff is in his hand supporting his weight as he points in the direction of a wooden door with his pale wart covered hand. He had a menacing and over powering feel to him. Somehow I feel connected to him and his thoughts. I feel anger and fear radiating from him. He was commanding me and several tens of other undead warriors around me to attack whatever is behind the wooden door.

After hearing his words I can feel strength I have never felt before radiate within and around me. It feels almost like the gushing of blood flowing in and out of my body. It is very subtle yet distinct. It is a feeling I have never felt before. I feel powerful, almost like I could do anything in this world. I feel extremely light and quick. My senses are on high alert. I can hear the sounds of clashing metal and stomping feet beyond the door. I stare at the status window in front of me. What do all of these things mean? It feels as though I am playing a video game yet it’s too real for this to be some game. Is this some virtual reality or am I not truly dead and only being played with?

The status window disappears from my sight with a ping noise. Simultaneously the wooden gate slams open and an avalanche of iron clad warriors march inside. The men in iron let out a battle cry and charge toward my group of skeleton warriors.

“Now, attack!” The old hooded man rasps out his command and my body moves automatically.

I charge into one of the men opposing us with my shield and push him back. I slice down at him with my sword but he quickly parries it. “Die you undead menace!” He shouts while throwing a counter attack.

The tip of his sword slide through my bones and into my rib cage. For a moment I wince thinking I am about to die but I feel nothing more than a small pressure with his attack. I look him in the face and open my mouth to talk but only a strange rattling noise comes out “ rtttle ktttle rtttle!” It sounds like a mocking laugh or a crazed battle cry. More rattling goes off all around me from my fellow skeletons.

The look on the man in front of me is one of fear, but determination. He pulls his sword out from my ribs and slashes at me from above. I pull my shield up to block the attack. The heavy impact rattles the bones of my body stunning me for a brief moment. The opponent’s blade gets sent back up toward the sky, and after a moment of hesitation I swing my jagged blade toward him.

The blade strikes his stomach and grazes past him. “auughhhhaaagh” the man screams in pain even though the cut was shallow. He looks into the sockets of my skull and glares angrily at me. “I’m not done yet!” He lifts his sword again and charges.

I step toward him while pushing his blade aside with my shield. His sword glances off the shield sending the blade into the ground making him stumble closer to me. Simultaneously I thrust my rusted sword at him piecing his ribs. I can feel his muscles and organs obstruct my blade. Blood seeps out and around my blade. He coughs up blood and groans for a moment then collapses on the ground. I rip the blade out of his body. This is the first time I have killed another person directly. A million thoughts enter my mind but I quickly brush them away. I don’t have time I must prepare myself for the next attack

*Ding*

250 XP gained

The message quickly fades away. I hear cries of pain mixed with rattling noises all around me. I search my surroundings and several other skeletons have killed their opponents, however several skeletons have also been slain as well. The fight continues as many soldiers and skeletons charge at each other. Before I can continue attacking an over whelming pressure comes over me and I turn toward the direction of the broken gate.

I see three warriors that outshine the rest. The two in the front are both adorned in shiny silver armor that covered their entire bodies. While the one in back wears a dozen fabrics, almost like some type of priest.

The one on the left side had his helmet open face; I could see his extremely confident smile. He held a golden spear that was at least 8 feet long. A golden serpent spirals around the staff. A trail of red fur attached at the end and at the point of contact of the bladed portion. The blade looking like that of a large falchion with white tribal symbols burned into the sides. His armor contains mostly white and silver leather. The vital organs and shoulders have heavy plate armor covering them. Small silver gauntlets cover his hands, and sharp looking metal boots go up to slightly below his knees. He holds is body sideways as to make less area for the enemy to attack, obviously a master fighter. He gave of the strength and speed of many men, while simultaneously being non-threatening.

The man on the right being of a larger stature seems to be well over six feet tall. He is completely clad In heavy armor. He holds a large white great shield with a blue dragon carved into it. The eyes of the dragon made of some type of rainbow colored gym that I have never seen before. He had a large hand and a half knight’s sword in the other hand embedded with several colors of gym and a golden handle. His armor consists of mainly heavy plates and chain mail covering his joints. His helmet had a blue trail of fur coming off the back that flapped in the wind. He gave off an aura of strength and valor, making any good man want to follow in his path.

The third person being of smaller stature and standing behind the front two is covered in a brilliant multi layered white cloak with golden edges and hems. Each layer covering more and more until the entire body is covered from head to toe. A hood covers the person’s head, but bleach blond hair, fair white skin and bright blue eyes shine from under the hood revealing a woman with great beauty. She had a silver chain wrapped around her neck. The chain holds a silver cross the size of a small book. Similar jeweler is around each of her wrists. She gives off a feeling of grace and wisdom unmatched by any other.

These three warriors are of a much higher caliber then the rest of the men. They would be considered the heroes of any fairy tale book.

The man on the right claps his sword against his shield and yells “These monsters don’t stand a chance, do you really think they will stop us?”

Behind me I hear a strange chant coming from the old man. “Dark lord of ice and death…”

“I guess we better not hold back if he’s going to summon that thing.” The man with the spear looks in my direction. It looks as if he winks before giving off a small laugh. Fire engulfs his spear and hands and a golden light fills his eyes, he is about to attack.

The woman in the back casts a bright white light from her hands temporally stunning and blinding me. Several seconds later when I snap out of being stunned and can see again the front row of skeletons has been mowed down with their bones scattered across the ground. The giant swordsman is steadily marching forward bashing skeletons with his shield and blocking any on coming attack. His sword slices through bones like butter. Charging forward like a tank, he is completely unfazed by the weak skeleton warriors grouping around him.

The spearman is jumping around wildly stabbing all the skeletons with pinpoint accuracy, instantly having them fall apart. Fire reaps anything that gets near him, scorching the skeletons around him, but leaving the human soldiers unharmed. Any attacks that come his way are avoided and countered with either a pillar of fire or a flame engulfed spear completely over taking the skeletons defenses. The agile and fluid movements he makes are like that of a leaf drifting in the wind.

The robed women in the back is casting white balls of light at any undead warriors that try to flank the other two instantly disintegrating them to nothing but ash. If a soldier falls back she rests her hand on them and they are bathed in a white light before rushing back into the fight.

I charge at the shielded warrior and slash down at him with all my strength, he slices upwards at my wrist severing my hand and forcing my sword to drop to the ground. He kicks me in the rib cage causing me to fly back several feet and land on my back. I am stunned for a few second then begin to get back up to attack once again. When I am not even completely stabilized a light sliver of light with a golden rod behind it fills my vision and I feel hot metal piece my skull. Darkness fills my sight and a status window pops up.

*Ding*

You have Died.

…

A familiar feeling envelops me. My body is missing and I am nothingness once again. I guess that window that popped up was telling the truth. I died again. I died really quickly; I didn’t even get a chance to know what was going on. I was some type of weird skeleton. Will I be revived again now? Well anyways for now I am in that weird world that I came into the last time I died, what is this place? It has to be purgatory like I previously guessed. It’s like some type of waiting room between deaths. I wonder if I will be resurrected again or if I’ll be stuck here forever…

It’s truly an empty world, nothing here but myself. I can’t even tell how long I have been in this world. I don’t want to be in this place, there is something wrong about this place.

…

I have been in purgatory for a much longer than the first two times around, I hope I get resurrected soon...

What if I never get resurrected again? I don’t want to be here anymore, I hate this place! I want to get out now! Someone please help me!

[…pa…]

Huh? What was that? I felt like I heard something in the back of my mind.

[…d…]

There it was again! What the hell was that? I thought I was alone in this purgatory.

[..no…]

No? Are they trying to communicate with me? Hey who the hell are you! What is this place? Help me!

[…]

Hello?

[..]

What was that noise? Was there ever really something there? What can I do to make it happen again?

[……..]

Silence… complete silence… maybe I’m going crazy.

…

Finally I’m beginning to fade away once more. I hope I never come back to this place again.

…

***********************************************************************************************************

AN: I do look at comments in all chapters that are made even when they are an older one such as this one. So please do make comments about any chapter at any time. This is a work in progress so if you have any way I can fix something or make it better please do tell me.

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