I died to my own stupidity. I've always been somewhat naive, and that's alright. It's what holds back the darkness, and keeps me whole. So when given a chance to go to another world by a godly being claiming to be my ancestor, I had one wish. To heal the divide between the four Heroes, and snap that foolish king back to his senses, before he ends up ruining his life.
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Saving This Selfish World (D&D/ Rising of The Shield Hero)
- Thread starter Stimpak Medic
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Prologue: A Naive, Selfish Wish
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Stimpak Medic
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Prologue: A Naive, Selfish Wish
At first there were lights. The sound of a loud Eighteen Wheeler's horn blaring, then nothing.
After the nothing came the soft white of something. It enveloped the fragile tiny soul that had made it's way to it's realm. It was like an exceptionally soft blanket. A gentile woman's touch, and the comforting strength of his father all at once.
"Rest for now little one. Your time has not yet come." The soft sound of a placid woman's voice filled his mind.
He did not know how long he lay in that whiteness, yet it didn't seem more than a moment. Time seemed to work differently in the white. He did not get hungry or thirsty, nor did he sweat or need to use the bathroom.
"Oh. I died...and became a spirit."
The realization dawned on him. Yet he did not panic, nor did he feel resentment.
It was his fault.
He had gone hitchhiking and out on the road in the night, he had stepped out a little too far, and the rest was history. He would have liked to tell his mother and father that he was alright, but he was no longer a child. He had just turned twenty two several weeks before, and he had his own small apartment.
They must be worried sick about him, his mother, father and younger brother.
"Will they be alright?" He asked, and the response came simply, but concise.
"They will grieve your loss but they will live long and healthy lives. Your father will be a lawyer for many more years. Your mother will work as a teacher for several more years before becoming a superintendent, then she will retire with your father to live in peace till the day they die of old age in a wonderful nursing home."
The voice paused, as if looking for something.
"Your younger brother will grieve the most over you, for he loved you even more dearly than you him, but he too will live long and prosper. So worry not for their futures."
"Can I go back?" I asked, not really expecting yes as an answer.
"No. What has passed has passed. I am sorry that you have to pass on so early, and to your family as well. It must wound them deeply." The voice said, sympathetically.
"Oh.." I paused before falling silent.
"Though not all ends are permanent." The voice continued.
"What do you mean?" I asked, curious as to the meaning behind those words.
"The laws of your world state that I cannot bring you back to your world...But." She said, and I was starting to feel dread.
"Your world is not the only world. I come to you with an offer." She said, and I couldn't help but shudder.
"There are a collection of worlds you know very closely. They are all real. Let's see. Dungeons and Dragons, Comics like DC, Marvel, Manga, Anime, Literature, Video games, and many more. They are all real. And I offer those good souls that pass through my realm an option. Let your soul be purified, and be added to the many afterlives of choice, or do what you wished to do but couldn't in your world." She said, then spoke after a short pause.
"However, I am not All-Powerful. I cannot give you the powers of an omnipotent god, but I can give you a head start." She said, and I immediately understood what she was saying.
"I may be naive, and I understand that my wish may be impossible, but there is one world. One story I would wish to heal. A wounded heart. A betrayed shield, A foolish spear. An ignorant sword. A misguided bow. A king who has lost his way and the woman who still loves him. An evil, but preventable future. I want to heal them. I want to heal the wounds between the heroes."
I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts.
"I want to save that selfish world."
"A noble goal, befitting of you. Very well. Go forth with my blessing. To save the world and to mend the wounds takes time, and a bit of magic. I know you enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons with your little brother, and you always chose either a wizard or a sorcerer. So to help you out on your journey, I will give you access to every spell in every spell book, but only when you grow strong enough to use them and study them properly. Every story has it's Heroes, and you. You will become a new Hero. The Rod Hero. What destiny you carve out in that world, be it your failure, or your success, I believe in you and will always love you, my long away descendant.
With those words, and a deep sense of loss in my heart, I found the whiteness to fade, and I awoke in a scene that I was very familiar with.
Four other young men of similar age to me, if not a bit younger were standing in a round tower room, and in front of us were three men in white robes. They all looked old, wise, but also desperate and terrified.
"Heroes! Welcome to our world!" The man in the middle, likely the strongest of the three, with light wrinkled skin, and devoted blue eyes, held a golden crozier.
And just like that, I had become part of this cruel story. I had one goal. Mend the wounds, and stop the worst from happening. I didn't particularly care much for anything else. My goal was to help the heroes, and to turn this story around from tragedy to at least something better.
Somewhere better.
At first there were lights. The sound of a loud Eighteen Wheeler's horn blaring, then nothing.
After the nothing came the soft white of something. It enveloped the fragile tiny soul that had made it's way to it's realm. It was like an exceptionally soft blanket. A gentile woman's touch, and the comforting strength of his father all at once.
"Rest for now little one. Your time has not yet come." The soft sound of a placid woman's voice filled his mind.
He did not know how long he lay in that whiteness, yet it didn't seem more than a moment. Time seemed to work differently in the white. He did not get hungry or thirsty, nor did he sweat or need to use the bathroom.
"Oh. I died...and became a spirit."
The realization dawned on him. Yet he did not panic, nor did he feel resentment.
It was his fault.
He had gone hitchhiking and out on the road in the night, he had stepped out a little too far, and the rest was history. He would have liked to tell his mother and father that he was alright, but he was no longer a child. He had just turned twenty two several weeks before, and he had his own small apartment.
They must be worried sick about him, his mother, father and younger brother.
"Will they be alright?" He asked, and the response came simply, but concise.
"They will grieve your loss but they will live long and healthy lives. Your father will be a lawyer for many more years. Your mother will work as a teacher for several more years before becoming a superintendent, then she will retire with your father to live in peace till the day they die of old age in a wonderful nursing home."
The voice paused, as if looking for something.
"Your younger brother will grieve the most over you, for he loved you even more dearly than you him, but he too will live long and prosper. So worry not for their futures."
"Can I go back?" I asked, not really expecting yes as an answer.
"No. What has passed has passed. I am sorry that you have to pass on so early, and to your family as well. It must wound them deeply." The voice said, sympathetically.
"Oh.." I paused before falling silent.
"Though not all ends are permanent." The voice continued.
"What do you mean?" I asked, curious as to the meaning behind those words.
"The laws of your world state that I cannot bring you back to your world...But." She said, and I was starting to feel dread.
"Your world is not the only world. I come to you with an offer." She said, and I couldn't help but shudder.
"There are a collection of worlds you know very closely. They are all real. Let's see. Dungeons and Dragons, Comics like DC, Marvel, Manga, Anime, Literature, Video games, and many more. They are all real. And I offer those good souls that pass through my realm an option. Let your soul be purified, and be added to the many afterlives of choice, or do what you wished to do but couldn't in your world." She said, then spoke after a short pause.
"However, I am not All-Powerful. I cannot give you the powers of an omnipotent god, but I can give you a head start." She said, and I immediately understood what she was saying.
"I may be naive, and I understand that my wish may be impossible, but there is one world. One story I would wish to heal. A wounded heart. A betrayed shield, A foolish spear. An ignorant sword. A misguided bow. A king who has lost his way and the woman who still loves him. An evil, but preventable future. I want to heal them. I want to heal the wounds between the heroes."
I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts.
"I want to save that selfish world."
"A noble goal, befitting of you. Very well. Go forth with my blessing. To save the world and to mend the wounds takes time, and a bit of magic. I know you enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons with your little brother, and you always chose either a wizard or a sorcerer. So to help you out on your journey, I will give you access to every spell in every spell book, but only when you grow strong enough to use them and study them properly. Every story has it's Heroes, and you. You will become a new Hero. The Rod Hero. What destiny you carve out in that world, be it your failure, or your success, I believe in you and will always love you, my long away descendant.
With those words, and a deep sense of loss in my heart, I found the whiteness to fade, and I awoke in a scene that I was very familiar with.
Four other young men of similar age to me, if not a bit younger were standing in a round tower room, and in front of us were three men in white robes. They all looked old, wise, but also desperate and terrified.
"Heroes! Welcome to our world!" The man in the middle, likely the strongest of the three, with light wrinkled skin, and devoted blue eyes, held a golden crozier.
And just like that, I had become part of this cruel story. I had one goal. Mend the wounds, and stop the worst from happening. I didn't particularly care much for anything else. My goal was to help the heroes, and to turn this story around from tragedy to at least something better.
Somewhere better.