Chapter 1: Gwenith (2nd year after Hope, Spring)

- Faster faster! I can already hear the beasts!

Gwenith was hurrying her little sister.

'Stupid, stupid! How could I not control the boat.'

While her little sister, Dora, was unloading the meager couple fish they had caught this afternoon Gwenith carefully put leafs and sticks on top of the fisher boat.

'Maybe this time they won't destroy it.'

The people living in Valaan are dependent on the fish from the nearby river. Valaan is a small town to the east of New Sydney inhabiting around 200'000 Travelers. Even though two years have passed since the Hour of Hope food supply and safety are still in a desperate state.

Gwenith and Dora were asked to catch some fish in a relatively safe part of the river to help out. Beasts rarely venture there but the night is never safe.

'I should have been stronger, I couldn't do anything against the strong current.'

Thought Gwenith while hurriedly running southwards with her sister close behind. The weather was darkening and heavy clouds were forming ready to pour their collected water on the fields. A blessing for the yields but dangerous nonetheless. As soon as the sun leaves the sky beasts get more aggressive and bold. Barely a sane adventurer can stand for long against an onslaught of beasts at night.

- Sis it's starting to rain!

- I can see that, try to run faster but don't lose the fish! I don't want this day to go to waste!

Running through the blooming rain covered forest the two girls nearly showed an idyllic picture if it wasn't for their tensed expressiones.

- I can hear them...

Dora whispered almost inaudible but Gwenith caught the meaning immediately.

- Drop the fish, maybe they'll take it first.

Dora did as she was told and scattered their food for the next two weeks around them.

- We have to split up, you know the lessons.

- Gwen I can't...please don't

- Don't cry, not now. You have to be strong now. You know where the Valaan is..now run!

- I love you!

- Run!

They split up and run vaguely southwards. They were told to always split up when danger is near to divert the beasts attention. At least half the people were sometimes saved that way. Of course most people wouldn't listen or wouldn't abandon their loved ones. They at least died together but to survive in this world...the world of Dawn, one had to be ruthless and strong.

Gwenith knew this even though she was only twelve years old. Before the great light enveloped their country Gwenith already lost both her parents. When the Empire troops came through her village, pillaging and killing she hid. She didn't make a single sound in the five days she hid below the rubble of her house. If it didn't rain on the third day she would have died.

The rain soaked her and even though it was spring a shiver went through her body. Terrified and cold but she still had hope. At least one of them should survive.

'Let it be Dora..it was my fault, my fault, my fault...If I was stronger we wouldn't be so late!'

But as calamity often strikes the already unfortunate a shrill scream went through the forest, freezing Gwenith's bones and striking terror in her mind.

'AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH'

She could hear growling and the whimpering of her friend...Dora, in the distance. Dora wasn't her real sister but they stuck together after coming here, she was just like family. Terror and fear occupied Gwenith's mind but she just stood there mud covered and shivering.

'Stop...please just stop...not again not again not again....I can't take it anymore...make them stop'

Gwineth screamed...she screamed louder than she ever has. It sounded more like a shriek. Something you would hear when driving past a mental asylum.

- AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

The growling stopped for a second and then came closer. Out of the trees came six brown and grey wolves. Well wolves are the closest they resemble on earth. They were over a meter fifty (about four feet) in height and three meters (eight feet) long. Their muscle was easily visible through the thick fur and their eyes were black like death itself. Their paws and mouths were embellished with impractically long fangs and teeth, yet none the less deadly. They circled the small girl that attracted their interest.

- no more no more no more

'Kill them...make them stop'

A thought crossed Gwenith's mind. A thought that rejected reason. A twelve year old girl is ambushed by four bloodthirsty wolves looking for their next meal. They stepped closer still cautious because of the shriek displayed earlier.

Another girl missing and probably dead would be the logical conclusion of the events unfolding right now but perhaps the logic and reason we came to accept isn't at play in this world...

The weak prey standing before them suddenly exploded in crimson light. A radius of sixteen feet was covered in what was seemingly blood. The confused wolves retreated a couple steps to reevaluate their opponent.

- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Laughter could be heard coming from the little girl. Gwenith was staring in front of her, where a small non intrusive display could be clearly seen hovering.

You have aquired a unique class: Berserker

Vitality

+50

Endurance

+50

Strength

+100

Dexterity

+50

Resistance

+50

You have acquired a new stat: Mental Strength

Mental Strength

+10

You have learned a skill: Bloodthirst

10% Damage and Attack speed increase (Tier 1) when in Bloodthirst.

Chance to regenerate Vitality and Endurance when attacking

Ignores Pain and reduces 25% Damage taken.

10 Mental Strength required (Tier 1) to uphold

1 Endurance per Second

The once weak prey standing before them now emitted a dangerous aura making the wolf's fur stand up. A connected blood red tattoo started to show up all over her body. The little girl licked her lips smelling the blood covering her adversaries. She slowly bent down and picked up a log twice as big as herself in each hand. This would not have been physiologically possible on Earth but in a world reigned by different rules this wasn't the case.

This world was Dawn and here begins the story of the Berserker Gwenith...

She felt the air around her, could hear and see each step her prey took. Her perception seemed to have skyrocketed. The smell of blood in the air was making her excited. She wanted to fight, to destroy and splatter her enemies. She never did anything like that before but she understood that this world they entered after the great war was different.

People could do things thought impossible before so why shouldn't she?

Gwenith took three fast steps towards the nearest brown furred wolf and smashed the nearly ten feet long logs together in a horizontal swing from both sides. The wolf was startled from the fast movement and couldn't react in time. His front legs were brutally broken inward making him unable to move. Blood and bone was flying around covering both the wolf and Gwenith.

- HAHAHAHAHA

A laugh from the depths of her being could be heard even through the crashing rain and thunder. A laugh signifying that hiding was no longer an option, that the weak and broken has finally stood up.

Looking at the next wolf terrified of the scene before him Gwenith threw the log in her right hand like a javelin, crushing the wolves head and back. The log and wolf alike splintered and an explosion of blood, wood and flesh could be seen in the next illuminating flash of lightning.

The other two wolves soon regained their composure and circled the mad girl now only having one log remaining. They closed in at the same time and the wolf at her back bit in her right leg. There was no pain though, the only thing Gwenith saw and felt was blood. Ignoring the wolf before her she used her free hand to grab the one behind her, ripping his snout off in a swift movement, spraying blood at herself.

The mangled wolf whimpered and tried to flee while the other one was already gone, seeing the fate of his pack. Gwenith jumped on his back and hacked with all her might and teeth into the wolf.

The struggling wolf soon lay limp before her.

You have leveled up by 300%, current level 4 (100% = 1 level and 200 = 2 levels). You have 15 undistributed stat points.

Name

Gwenith Thersa

Level

4

Class

Berserker

Stats

Vitality

55

Endurance

55

Strength

105

Dexterity

55

Intelligence

5

Wisdom

5

Resistance

55

Special Stats

Mental Strength

10

Skills

Bloodthirst

The Valaan guard came running as soon as they heard the screams coming from the northern forest. Ten men armed with either swords or spears were closing in on the scream, unmistakably a human girl. They had an average level of about 10, so the wolves occupying this part of the forest being an estimated level 5 or 6 weren't much of a problem. Rapidly running through the mud covered field the guards soon found something other than the expected 19th corpse this month.

Two crying girls were holding each other in the midst of a gruesome scene. Three dead wolves were lying around them with their bones broken and bodies smashed. The stench pierced right through the heavy rain. Noah, the 18 year guard who started his duty this week was emptying the contents of his stomach.

- Jal cover the girls up and get them back to Valaan. Let a healer check them out. Peter collect the usable pelts and meat. Cécile look after Noah.

Gareth calmly analyzed the situation and ordered his men accordingly. He was an officer before Hope, so gruesome scenes and fast thinking weren't new for him, not that is was for anybody coming to Dawn.

'Pity about the stew though, it even had meat in it today. What in the fuck happened here though, I'll have to talk to that girl later and maybe even hide her from the Guild.'