Hearth, Home, and Family Ch. 01

Disclaimer: These works are made by human hands. I do not condone nor do I consent AI to learn/train using my works nor too steal my work for their own uses. I do not give permission for others to repost my works.

Authors Note:

Hey y'all this is my first fully written story, I'm sure there will be plenty of things I do wrong but I hope to improve quickly. Any feedback would be appreciated just know I may not respond but if this story gets any traction, I'll try to be social.

Sadly, in this day and age a disclaimer is very useful so one will be at the top of each of my published works going forward, I shall make them quick and concise so that you the reader can get to the juicy bits! Though This chapter and likely the next one or two won't have anything spicy in it.

Anyways this first chapter is short but that likely won't be the case for any future chapters, I hope I can look back at this story one day and say,

I Must Be Dreaming

'My neck feels stiff,' I thought, as I tried to reach for it my arms felt heavy and I could barely move my legs. I opened my eyes and raised my head with difficulty trying to figure out what was happening. I realized nothing was amiss other than the scenery.

"I'm not dreaming right?"

I was lying in a glade, trees and bushes obscuring the outside world. It felt like spring, a little cool but otherwise pleasant. The glade was surprisingly egg shaped, seemingly designed, and it was slightly bigger than your average pool.

I tried to get up but my whole body felt tingly like it fell asleep. I pushed through the feeling and rose into a seated position. I was near a tree so I scooted over until I could lean on it.

As I took in my surroundings I felt like something was off. The only thing I heard was the wind rustling the leaves. 'Wait that's all I hear,' realization made the hair on my body stand. It was never a good sign for there not to be some sound of wildlife when in the forest.

I tried to shake the fatigue off my body and stand. Leaning against the tree, it took me far longer than I liked but eventually I was standing. Looking around, I didn't really recognize the foliage but I wasn't concerned with that yet. I was concerned with what might be hiding in it.

I felt something lay over the glade like a blanket. Not really perceivable but you could feel it, like a magnet pulling on you. I tried to step away from the tree but my legs felt stiff. I didn't like the odds of me running.

The magnetic feeling around me pulled a little harder on my chest before an audible pop was heard with a flash of light. As I blinked through it, I saw lodged in three trees across the glade items, mostly what looked like medieval weaponry.

The tree on the right had most of the weapons; swords and axes, a few hammers and maces. The middle tree contained shields and a few daggers. The tree on the left contained 3 items; an intricate wand, a staff with an emerald on top, and an amulet with purple gems.

'Choose,' was spoken in an unfamiliar, mist like, voice in my head.

"Choose? Like one of each? As many as I want? Or is this like 'Kingdom Hearts' where what I choose determines something?"

'Yes,' was the cryptic reply.

"Ya ok sure..." I approached the trees, still wary of possible danger.

I considered my options. Never having taken any actual swordplay lessons, I leaned towards the axes and hammers; simple, efficient, and plays towards my strength. I chose an axe meant for swinging with one hand but had a long enough handle it could be swung with both.

The weapons became blurry, like my choice was made but not finished. I looked at the middle tree. Bucklers, kite shields, and a tower shield all tempted me; I also considered a parrying dagger but knew I didn't have the expertise. I settled on a rounded shield that could protect most of my torso.

Once again, the tree became blurry, along with the tree on the left.

"Do I only get to choose from two trees or something?" No response was given.

I considered the shield and looked at the potential magical items on the left tree. 'They might not even be magical, and if they are, could I even use them?' I made the decision to keep my shield.

The items disappeared without any fanfare. I then heard rustling in the bushes across the glade. I lowered myself realizing the stiffness in my body faded. I readied for something to approach.

'Defend yourself,' was said in that unfamiliar voice in my head.

Uncertainty gripped my body; a spring waiting to be sprung. I kept watching the glade over my raised shield. Then a green arm pushed the bushes out of its way. A goblin by all rights emerged. Loincloth and pointy ears, a crude look in its eyes, and a crude club in its hands.

Before I even had time to take this in, a second and third goblin entered the glade near the first. The second had a notch in its ear; it wielded a sword and a buckler. The third goblin had leathers protecting its body and a bow in its hand; a quiver with maybe 6 or so arrows on its back.

I stood there thinking, calculating how bad this could go. I watched them, they watched me. They seem enthused with the idea of gutting me; smiles spreading across their faces.

They started separating, testing my nerve, trying to flank me. This forced me to lower my guard so I could defend from more sides. I kept the most attention on the archer; I didn't want to lose track of him.

The goblins ended up with Clubby on my right where my axe was raised. Stabby on my left where my shield was, and the archer in front of me holding a relaxed pose. Adrenaline started to pump through me making this feel less and less like a dream.

'I know I was told to defend myself but I don't want to make the first move,' the thought was cleared when Stabby approached buckler raised. He held his sword over his shield like a Roman or Greek soldier would.

I let him close the gap, still not feeling right to attack first. Just out of reach of my shield, he jumped like he was going to attack. I lowered my shield to defend from his attack, but it was a fake out. Clubby had gotten closer than I realized and he swatted at my axe.

Nearly losing my grip on it, I decided to rush the archer and get away from the other two. Surprise was written in Archie's eyes as I ran straight at him. The archer rolled out of my way and I turned to face the next attack.

Clubby was right on me, he swung for my knees; I kicked him in the chest. Then Stabby went for my gut. I used my axe to parry, then I swung at him. I looked for the archer.

'Shit,' I had lost him, then I felt pain across my thigh. An arrow thudded into a nearby tree, my blood adorning it.

I saw where he fired from but he must have dipped into the bushes. Clubby finally recovering started to approach again. Stabby was still too close for comfort so I swung at him again and then shield bashed Clubby on his approach. I heard something break and parried another swing from Stabby.

I heard rustling from the foliage and fell shield first onto Clubby as I heard another arrow whiz by. Clubby pushed me off and I rolled towards where the archer was. Standing up, I blocked Stabby with my shield and swung down with my axe. I hit his buckler and tore through the upper half, nearly hitting his arm. I couldn't pull the axe free so I swung us both around and tried to throw Stabby into Clubby.

Clubby having just stood up got clipped by Stabby and fell over again. Stabby dropped his sword during his flight so I picked it up and before I swung at Clubby felt an arrow cut up the length of my forearm. Keeping grip of the sword, I turned toward where Archie should be; I saw him duck into the bushes.

'Three more,' I thought and then I almost fell as Stabby and Clubby both pulled on my left leg. I stabbed the sword into the ground and pulled my leg free. Standing again, Clubby went for my legs while Stabby tried to remove the axe in his shield. I blocked Clubby and stabbed him in the chest. The light in his eyes left before I pulled my sword free.

I heard a yell from the bushes and felt an arrow hit my shield, barely missing my elbow. I made to turn, but saw Stabby before I did. His shield was on the ground and my axe in his hands. He swung down hard on my shield; I felt my arm go numb from the impact. He raised it again and I met his swing with my shield. He lost his balance from the impact and I stabbed him in the gut.

He dropped the axe behind him and fell to his knees. I heard another yell before an arrow hit my shoulder blade. It didn't stick but it was like a hundred needles just stabbed my shoulder. Turning to face the last threat, I saw the archer standing in the open, drawing his last arrow.

I rushed at him. He notched his arrow. I raised my shield and sword. He aimed at my head.

DTOONG

I felt a pain in my eye and swung down. The sword landed in his clavicle; blood spurted from the cut. He grimaced and while the goblin looked me in the eye, he fell forward, sword stuck in its shoulder, propping him up.

I looked at the glade. What was once peaceful now was bloodstained. 'Bloodstained,' I thought, 'just like me now,' as I looked at my hands. Before I got too deep in my head, I heard Stabby cough.

Turning to look, I saw him smiling as he reached behind him. He pulled what looked to be a smooth stone from his belt. He whispered something into it. It glowed and runes danced across its surface. He spoke in some language before dropping the stone and falling dead on top of it.

Scanning the glade, ensuring I was safe, I picked up my axe and sat down against a tree. I felt something wet near my left eye. I wiped it, a mix of blood and tears. I made sure I wasn't seriously injured. That last arrow having likely bounced off my shield and grazed me.

As I sat in quiet, reality setting in, 'I killed someone. I killed someone and I don't like that I did. But I enjoyed the fighting...' I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

I could rationalize it, I'm sure, but the raw emotions didn't leave room for that at the moment. Tears kept falling from my face as my mind raced at all the possibilities that could have been during the fight.

'I came so close to dying so many times,' I started shaking at this thought and the fact that I killed.

After what seemed like hours, but was likely only 20 minutes, I finally got up and grabbed the broken buckler off the ground. Using it I dug a hole, two, three, four feet deep. Then I started another. I dug three holes and buried the goblins within. I checked for anything of value on them. Other than the equipment and the magic rock, there was nothing.

I buried them with their weapons, using the broken buckler as a grave marker. I considered keeping the bow but I didn't really know how to fire one, and it's a bit small for me. I held the magical rock before me; there was pros and cons to keeping it.

It could be traceable. Whomever they called before dying could be on their way here guided by the rock. It could simply be a messaging device, no risk in holding onto it. It may be mundane now, any magic used up for the final message.

The risk outweighed the potential and I decided to place it in front of the buckler. Preparing to leave the glade, I tightened the strap on my shield, not knowing what the forest really held for me. I stepped through the bushes onto the other side. I don't know if I actually expected something but nothing of note was here.

I looked around for anything to give me direction. The sun wasn't exactly visible so I couldn't even tell which direction I was generally going. With nothing to guide me I chose what felt like "down" whether it was actually south or not, I'm not sure.

Walking towards the unknown, I realized I could hear birdsong. So, the forest was alive once more; the threat removed.

It was getting late; I could tell by the creeping shadows, that the sun was an hour or more from dropping. I found some berries that I saw a mouse eating and ate them as I contemplated finding shelter or continuing until finding some form of civilization.

Then I saw her. Glowing with silver light, she slowly approached, gently humming. Having read too many fairytales, I felt like this was a trap and prepared for an unlikely outcome. She stopped about five or so feet from me and in a misty voice spoke.

"Be not afraid..."

I blinked, not expecting her to seemingly quote the Bible. Then she held her hand to her mouth and giggled.

"Sorry, I thought it'd be funny," she said. "I hope those goblins didn't hurt you too badly."

Taking in her form, she was technically nude but smooth where the interesting bits would be. Her hair was a reddish-brown color and her eyes a dark blue. Her round face had freckles that trailed down to her shoulders. She was as tall as me and was sturdy but not fat. Clearly strong but soft where it mattered.

"You can speak, can't you?" she asked. "I heard you in the glade."

"Yes, sorry. I'm just... who are you, and why did you help me?"

She smiled, clearly amused at my confusion, "I wouldn't want the hero I brought here to perish immediately, now, would I?"

"Hero? I'm just a guy who last, I remember, was on my way home from work..."

My stomach dropped, before my eyes it played out. I turned. Too sharp. The road was wet. I rolled. Head hit the window. The car hit something as I finally blacked out.

"What? How? am I... no, I feel pain, exhaustion, hunger. I'm alive, I have to be"

Her patient gaze watched me catch up. Hundreds of thoughts crashed around my head. Thousands of questions, but not wanting to ask them. She responded regardless.

"You're not dead, however your mind is here instead. They won't be able to wake you"

Processing her words some understanding was gleaned. I watched enough shows to get the idea.

"You're telling me I've been isekaied? Like I got knocked out back on earth and now I'm here?"

"I'm glad I chose such a fast thinker! Yes and no. Yes, you've been isekaied to a degree. No, you weren't knocked out. You are actually dying"

'Dying, I'm dying.'