Otherlife Awakening: The Selfless Hero Trilogy Read online

  As suddenly as it had appeared, the pentagram snuffed itself out.

  Kneeling directly in front of him was his familiar.

  She was on her hands and knees as if she had collapsed there. Trembling like a leaf in a strong wind, she managed to get into a sitting position. To Runner she looked like she had been summoned violently and against her will.

  Long black hair that reached her slim waist brushed against the ground. Lifting a hand to push her hair over her shoulders, she revealed pale skin as white as snow.

  Runner’s gaze flowed from her shoulders to her face and found a pair of yellow eyes with slit pupils staring into him. Those eyes looked confused and concerned. At a loss as to what had happened.

  Her face could be described as artistically beautiful, and judging from the slight cant of her eyes, she was of Asian descent.

  Runner would gauge her in her late teens, bordering on hitting twenty.

  Barely a woman.

  Despite his best intentions, his eyes slid down her figure to find a bust that could compare easily to Thana’s, though her hips were narrower than the sorceress’s.

  All at once Runner realized there was a problem. Atop her head sat a pair of animal-like ears. Black hair that more closely resembled fur spread from the tips of the ears down to their base atop her skull.

  She isn’t a succubus. What the fuck is she?

  A large puffed-up black tail with a white tip swished from side to side behind her.

  Runner brought his hand up to lightly scratch at his cheek. Targeting the woman, he threw out a quick Analyze.

  Level thirty, female, Satomi, Kitsune. There was no information beyond that meager response. A lot was left in question.

  He checked the name-plate. She was listed as “Satomi, Runner’s Familiar” and nothing more.

  No surname.

  Slowly making his way down into a crouched position in front of Satomi, he gave her a small smile.

  “Good afternoon. My name is Runner Norwood. I apologize for summoning you here. I was attempting to procure a familiar. You don’t have the look of what I was expecting.”

  “What? I—where am I?” Her voice had a vibrancy to it that he could not describe. Light and playful, like the note of a flute on the wind.

  “You’re on the island of Vix.”

  “Vix? I do not even know where that is. I am from the Kitsune tribe. Do you know where that is? How do I get home?”

  “Satomi, I’m sorry. You’ve been summoned as a familiar. That means that you’re bound to me. For eternity. There is no home for you other than at my side.”

  “This cannot be true. I am a Kitsune, we are not familiars.”

  “Yet you are, and here you remain. This isn’t something I can undo, either. Take some time, get your thoughts together. List out all the questions that you probably have. I’m going to go speak to my companions over there,” Runner said, pointing at Isabelle and Sophia.

  “When you feel like you’re ready, come talk to me. Okay?”

  Satomi blinked her wide golden eyes at him and gave a tiny nod of her head.

  “Good.” Runner stood up and walked over to his compatriots.

  “Well. That didn’t turn out as I expected.”

  “Could certainly say that, sir.”

  “She’s pretty. Better than a succubus if you ask me, my lord.”

  “I’ve never heard of a Kitsune. I’ll need to do some research later. Unfortunately, this leaves us with a problem. We still need to get into the city. Ideas?”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “Likewise, my lord.”

  With a soft grunt, Runner leaned his head back and looked to the sky. Pressing his hands to his temples, he wondered which way fate would push him now. He couldn’t decide if this was a better familiar or a worse one than a succubus.

  Can’t use the forced obedience on her now, now can I? Ripping the free will out of a sex demon who wants to suck my soul out through my dick is one thing. Destroying the mind of a young woman who’s lost? Not possible.

  Letting his arms hang at his sides, he brought his sight back down to earth and met the gaze of the two women before him.

  “Have Norwood’s Own set up camp. While they’re doing that, see yourselves into the town. Do not separate for any reason. No mystery to solve, no quest to complete, nothing. Since you’re not on the list and therefore don’t have them looking for you, you shouldn’t have any problems if you keep your head down. Get in town and get yourself accommodations. Preferably a larger inn that could house more of us as we get inside. Be sure to mark down any expenses you incur, and I’ll reimburse you. I’ll remain here with the guard and Satomi for the time being.”

  “That’s not fair. I wanted to watch over you tonight.”

  “Tomorrow then, silly Belle. I’ll be fine tonight. Just give Me a club and tell her to hit me hard if I wake up screaming.”

  Sophia laughed at that and gave her head a light shake, sending her dark mane tumbling.

  “She’d be more likely to hurt herself, sir. She’s a good girl and does her job well, but she’s not a guard exactly.”

  “All the better. Go on, get thee hence before I decide to tie you both up and have you keep me company tonight. Or better yet, I’ll have Minxy do it for me.”

  Saluting crisply, Sophia turned and left.

  The model guard captain.

  Isabelle pouted at him. “Tomorrow night. You said it. I heard it.”

  “I said it. Go, my little tree mouse.”

  Grinning wolfishly at him, she held up an index finger. “Yours? Done. I’m off.”

  She spun on her heel and nearly skipped towards Sophia, her elven charm on full display to anyone watching.

  A sharp tug on his sleeve got his attention, and he turned to find Satomi standing behind him. She could be measured at about five foot two on a good day.

  “Yes, Satomi? Are you ready?”

  “I believe so. I do not think this is the spirit plane. Is it?”

  “No. This is a mortal realm.”

  Satomi nodded at that, her long fingernails digging into her palms.

  “You are my master? I am your familiar?”

  “Yes, to both. It wasn’t my intention, and I’m sorry for it. I had expected to summon… something else.”

  “This is a strange place. The smells are different. The wind is different. The taste of the air is different.”

  “Ah, I’d bet on you being Awakened. That is to say, where you were before wasn’t quite real. This reality that you’re in now, that you’re aware of, is very real to you. Even this, though, is a story told by someone else. You and I are mere actors on a stage.”

  Satomi digested that and then slapped a closed fist into her palm.

  “I understand. I have heard stories similar to this before when I was a child. Though I do not like this nor do I wish it, I am an adult of the Kitsune tribe, and I will hold myself to that honor.”

  “Alright. Glad to hear that since we’ll be stuck with each other for eternity.”

  “Eternity? You are human, are you not? My contract will be to the end of your natural life.”

  “I’m afraid I’m immortal to the pull of time. I will never age. I can die, but only through violence or other means. Even then, you will not be freed. You’ll be bound to my corpse. Forever.”

  Satomi’s face flushed, from what emotion he couldn’t tell. He hadn’t known her long enough to understand her quite at that level yet.

  “Forever.”

  “Indeed, forever, Satomi.”

  “I would know you. If I am to be bound to you, I would understand you. You and this… place.”

  “That… sounds like it would take a while. How about the quick and dirty version and you can get the rest as we go along? We’re on a bit of a time crunch.”

  “I see. That is unacceptable, but if that is what we must do, it is what we must do.”

  “Right, then. Runner Norwood. I can use any ability, spell, and craft an
y item given enough time to develop the skill. I’m the lord of Norwood, a city to the south of here. I’m currently engaged in a religious war with those who would see my nation burnt to the ground and my friends slain.”

  “Are you honorable?”

  “I can’t answer that. Honor is a lovely thing to have when things are going your way. It’s a burden when trying to save the life of another.”

  “Are you just?”

  “Again, I can’t answer that. I believe myself to be, yet I’m sure there are those who would say I’m not. All people believe they’re the good guys.”

  Satomi looked perplexed, her eyes flashing as she looked down at his boots. Her ears flattened to the top of her head.

  “I’m sorry, Satomi. Things are never as clear cut as the stories would have you believe.”

  “Yes. You are correct. What role am I to serve? Adviser? Bodyguard? Concubine?” She said the last word with distaste, but offered it up all the same.

  “No, no, and no. I’m not really sure what to do with you. How about we start with trying to be friends and work from there?”

  Satomi’s eyes locked onto his face again. They flashed twice as she tilted her head side to side as if to see him better.

  “Are you married?”

  “No. I’m not married.”

  “You have the scent of many women on you. Both divine and mortal.”

  “That I do. Many. If I had to describe it in a simple way, I have a harem?” Even to his own ears it sounded ridiculous.

  A closed mouth smile popped up on Satomi’s face as she took that in.

  “You are embarrassed by your own answer, and I detect no lie in your words. You are interesting.” She leaned her head in close, pressed her small nose to his chest, and took a deep breath of him.

  Feeling his skin prickle at the closeness of her, he lightly pushed her back by pressing on her shoulders.

  “Ah, good to know?” Runner took a step back from the diminutive woman and cleared his throat. “My current goal is getting into a shantytown north of here. They have a likeness of me that they’re using, however. I was hoping to find a way in without being noticed.”

  “I make you uneasy. Why?” She took a step closer to him, lifting a hand as if to touch him.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Runner said, trying to keep himself from slapping her hand back as it came up to rest on his chest.

  “Your heartbeat has sped up. You smell of fear and excitement. You lie.”

  “Aaaaand that’s enough of that.” Runner lightly patted her hand and began walking to Boxy.

  “I’m going to go do some research. I’ll be back later.”

  “I can get you in.”

  Runner turned around, facing Satomi.

  “What was that?”

  “I can get you in. Easily. We Kitsune are magicians of the mind. Illusion masters. A change of who you appear to be is simple.” Satomi folded her hands on top of one another against her stomach, watching him.

  “That would be wonderful. If you don’t mind, I’d need it for myself as soon as possible.”

  “Unacceptable.”

  “Err, no?”

  “Today, no. Tomorrow, yes. For now, I wish to eat with you. Spend time with you. Learn more of you. The two you sent ahead smell of desire and yearning. They will interfere. We will remain here for the night.”

  “I see.” Runner found himself trapped. The forced obedience was available to him, but that would destroy her mind completely. Turn her into a puppet at best.

  She was clearly alive. Very much awake and aware of the world.

  Nadine would hate me for it. For even considering it.

  Finding himself smiling at Satomi, he held up his hands in defeat.

  “So be it. I’m yours for the evening. I’ll answer whatever questions you have, but I imagine there will be some answers that might need further explaining that I may or may not be able to give.”

  “Acceptable. Come, I will make a fire, and you will begin your tale.”

  “Oh? You sure I’m not the familiar here?”

  “You are not the master. I am not the familiar. I am your bond mate. You do not want a familiar. Come.”

  The little fox woman sat down on the grass and patted the ground next to her. In front of her a fire sprang to life with nothing more than a slight motion of her hands.

  “Yeah. Maybe you’re worse than a succubus,” Runner grumbled in an unkind tone, moving over to Satomi. He sat down next to her and then eyed her speculatively.

  “I name you Vixen.” The nickname popped into place in his head as if it had always been there.

  “I am not a female fox. I am a Kitsune.” As if to emphasize the point, she pointed at her chest and then the ears atop her head. “Foxes do not appear thus.”

  “Vixen it is,” Runner confirmed, nodding his head, sending a raid invite to Satomi. “Now, to start with. When was the last time you went to the bathroom?”

  3:13 am Sovereign Earth time

  12/30/43

  Runner sat bolt upright in his sleeping bag. His hair was plastered to his forehead and neck, his skin felt clammy and sticky. His mind struggled valiantly to wake and orient itself.

  Staring out into the dark, his eyes tried to adjust. There was no moonlight, so he was nearly unable to see anything.

  He felt like he would fall into the sky and be sucked into the void. To drift endlessly without end. To pay for his crimes without end.

  A small blue flame appeared before him. Gentle light bathed him and the area immediately around him. Warmth flooded through him as if he were bathed in heated water. The flame itself didn’t have the intensity of heat he normally associated with fire.

  Cupped in a small hand, the fire danced in a merry way, comforting, promising safety.

  Runner stared into it, his hands reaching up to close around the small wrist and hand, supporting them as his mind focused on it.

  “Fear not, my bonded. I am here. All is as it should be. Your fear is false and your body is hale. You are surrounded by those who would lay their life down for you without question. Their loyalty and determination come off of them in waves. Like a sun sending out rays.” Satomi’s quiet tone and gentle words calmed him.

  Runner felt everything snap into place as if there had never been a problem—faster than he had ever experienced previously. The clarity of his mind was stunning considering the circumstances.

  Maybe having a familiar is far more beneficial than I gave it credit for.

  “Thank you, Vixen. Uhm, can you keep the fire going for a bit? Does it drain you?”

  “I most certainly can. It takes little effort, though this is an awkward position. A moment.”

  The fire winked out, and the camp was plunged into darkness again. Runner felt more than saw Satomi position herself next to him.

  Again the small greenish-blue flame appeared between them, her small hand holding it up for him.

  “Nightmares trouble you. I sensed your distress.”

  “I’ve made choices in the past that I pay for in my dreams. No honorable man, no just man, would have those dreams.” Runner snapped the sentence off like an offending arrow sticking from his chest.

  “Untrue. I would argue that because you have these dreams, your worth is higher. To not have the dreams would be more the pity.”

  Her words echoed similar sentiments from Nadine. Even up to last week the simple thought of Nadine would send him into a spiral of negativity. Doubt, shame, and pain. Instead he felt only warmth. Warmth and a sad acceptance.

  “Thank you, Vixen. I’m going to try to go back to bed now.”

  “I will sleep with you. Should the need arise, I will resummon my foxfire.”

  “Mm.” Runner turned onto his side, facing Satomi, and immediately dropped back into sleep without another thought.

  Chapter 5 - Ascension -

  8:01 am Sovereign Earth time

  12/30/43

  Satomi reached up to Run
ner’s head and drew her hand slowly down across his face.

  Runner felt odd at a strange woman’s hand touching him like that. Holding still, he waited quietly, his guard standing nearby, watching the display.

  When Satomi’s hand passed his chin, she stopped and gripped it with her fingers.

  Pulling his head down, she peered into his face with her golden eyes. She tilted his head firmly to one side and then the other. Reaching up with her free hand, she lightly fluffed his hair into a different style.

  A soft huff and she finally released his chin.

  “It will do. You now have the appearance of a male Sunless. A moment please and I shall take care of my own form.”

  Satomi rolled her hands down herself, starting at the top of her head and moving down along her face and neck.

  When her hands moved down past her shoulders, Runner spun around to his guards and addressed them.

  “Break apart into small groups. Start filtering in when and where you can with other refugees on the road. Use the minimap to find everyone else. Check in with Grace for your orders. Questions?”

  Me raised her hand.

  “Yes, Me?”

  “Should I remain with the vehicles?”

  “Not a bad idea. Are there any other pilots in our group?”

  There was a collective shaking of heads.

  “Stay in Boxy then. Me, if you have to sacrifice the other one, do so. Keep yourself safe, don’t leave the safety of Boxy unless you absolutely must.”

  “Yes, Lord Norwood.”

  “Good. Proceed.” Runner dismissed them with a crisp salute.

  After returning the salute, his guard scattered into small two- to three-person units and began adjusting their equipment to fit whatever backstory they’d developed for themselves.

  Checking his status, Runner switched himself to a build set up for extreme intelligence and charisma. It only had a smattering of constitution, which left him a little vulnerable.

  Real glass cannon there, idiot.

  Name:

  Runner

  Level:

  38

  Class:

  Race: