by Eden Redd
A shadow loomed closer; a shaggy wolf next to it. Will turned his attention when it growled. The moment he made eye contact with the wolf’s yellow eyes, something locked into his spirit. Unable to turn away, he spun his body around to face it as he sat. The shadow watched as the wolf padded closer, staring into Will’s unblinking eyes. The two kept their gaze, neither one blinking until the wolf licked Will’s cheek.
Will smiled as he lifted a hand, scratching at its neck. The wolf leaned into him, eyes closing and tongue out. The shadow watched as the other shadows pulled back, staring with oval eyes.
“Why are you with these guys,” Will asked the wolf.
The wolf said nothing, pushing into the player’s hands and enjoying the scratches. Time lost all meaning as Will enjoyed the wolf’s company, despite a crowd of shadows creating a semi-circle and watching like abyssal ghosts.
“Well, I hope we can see each other again. My dreams can be a little weird, especially with those guys watching me,” Will gestured to the shadows.
The sky brightened and the shadows fell away like dust in the wind. The wolf looked up at the brightening sky before turning and bounding off. Will sat, watching the wolf turn to sand and drift away on the breeze. Heart glowing warm in his chest, he enjoyed the comfort of touching such a magnificent beast. The sky blazed bright and Will found himself back in his body.
Eyes blinking, an unfocused haze filled his vision. A shadow hovered over him. Panic set in as sunlight streamed into his home. Eyes focusing, the shadow took shape, forming into a woman’s face. She smiled as Will looked to her curved horns at each side of her head. Long curly hair spilled down behind the horns and past her neck. Pale skin glowed in the sunlight as her brown eyes widened in excitement.
“Good morning,” the horned woman said with a cheery smile.
Four
Will scurried back until his back hit the wall, clutching his blanket to him. The ram-woman stared, her excited gaze turning to concern. Will couldn’t help but stare at her, silence filling the space between them. The ram-woman sat up, heavy breasts bouncing with small dark nipples. She was completely naked, her hips twisted to the side and legs hanging off the edge of the bed.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. You have been sleeping for some time and I thought it might be best if I woke you from your slumber,” the woman smiled.
Will saw an alert silently blinking in the corner of his vision. The timer for the Soul Casket was at zero. Will’s muscles relaxed, but he still kept the blanket to his chest.
The ram-woman smiled again. “I can’t thank you enough for waking up my soul. The fog of my original form was dull and scared.”
“You’re…the sheep I killed in the forest?”
The woman nodded, keeping her bright smile. “I understand the laws of survival. You did what you needed to do to survive. I’m just happy you chose to re-create and awaken me.”
The woman stretched her arms up and yawned, eyes squeezed shut. Will stayed where he was, unsure what was actually happening. The woman’s arms fell to her sides before she stood up. Will stared, seeing her full-figured nude body. Thick black hair formed a triangle along her womanhood while a small, thin tail with a straw-like hair swished back and forth past her rather plump bottom and thick thighs.
“What’s your name?” the woman with ram horns asked.
“Will…Asher,” Will replied.
“Will Asher, a good, strong name. My name is Milly. Pleased to meet you,” Milly’s smile brightened a little more.
“Hi Milly,” Will said awkwardly.
The woman with curved ram horns lifted a brow, “Am I the first soul you have awakened?”
Will gave a slow, silent nod.
Brow softening, Milly gave a small nod. “It makes me happy to know that.”
Milly turned and made her way to the rudimentary stairs. Making her way down, she disappeared from sight. Will threw his blanket aside and scooped up his leggings from the floor. Putting them on in a hurry, he hopped and bounced until he reached the stairs. Jumping down with each step, he slipped his leggings on just before he reaching the lower floor.
Milly was walking around the main room, eyes drinking in the windows, craft bench, oven, and fireplace. Sun filtered in with thick glowing shafts of light.
“I see you don’t have much right now. I’m sure that will change with time. Do you have any water?”
Will looked around before realizing he never collected any water. “I haven’t collected any. I’ve been here for about two days and am still getting my bearings. There is a lake not too far from here.”
Milly nodded as she turned around and faced Will in her naked glory. “We should collect some. I looked around outside your home and saw the mine and apple trees. Two saplings are still growing, but one has already matured.”
Will scratched his head. He had planted them just yesterday. He thought the trees would take longer than a night to grew to maturity. The whole thing seemed to skew what he knew from some previous life and what it was now. Using tools, digging, mining, and crafting all seemed to happen at accelerated rates. It did make some things easier than he expected, but it also gave him more questions he could not answer. Looking to Milly, he thought he would try to see if she could explain the world a little more.
“Milly, how is it that you seem to know a lot more than you did when you were…a sheep?”
Milly stepped to the Craft Bench as she spoke, “I’m not completely sure. I have flashes of when I lived in the woods. It felt like a foggy dream. When I woke up in the soul casket, it was like all the fog and haze went away. I know things and I’m not sure how I learned them.
“Can you give me some wood?”
Will’s body froze while his eyes blinked.
Milly gave him a warm smile. “I need some wood to see if I can craft something.”
The tension in Will’s body eased as he brought up his inventory and pulled wood blocks from it. Stepping closer to the naked woman with horns, he handed over ten blocks. Milly took them, the small blocks filling her hand as she placed them in a pattern on the craft bench. The wood melted together and a strange wooden container appeared. Milly kept her smile as she lifted it up and placed it on the side of the bench before adding more wood to the slots.
“If we are going to gather water, we will need containers. These wooden ones aren’t very good, but they will do. We will need leather to make waterskins.”
Will eyed the wooden container. “You know how to craft?”
Milly nodded. “I know how to craft a little. I can see what I can do with the Crafting Bench. I’m sure you can create more than I can.”
Will watched as she created five wooden containers. When she was finished, Will couldn’t help but glance at her full figure. She seemed completely at ease being naked, but the player knew he had to address it or he would be staring at her all the time.
Walking over to the Crafting Bench, a 2-D screen appeared. Will ran through what he could create and saw that he could create simple clothes. They required wool of which he had gotten some when he killed those other sheep.
“How would you feel if I create some clothes for you?”
Milly smiled. “I would love anything you create for me. I’m fine as I am, but if you feel I need them.”
Will nodded as wool appeared in his hand and he pressed the pieces to slots and made a pattern. Options came up, but he didn’t have the materials needed to change colors. The wool was gray so any outfit he made would be gray in color. Looking at a robe design, it was simple and effective. Placing the last piece, the wool blended together and then unfurled into a thin, gray robe.
Will picked up the robe and held it before Milly.
Milly’s eyes shined as she stepped closer, picked it up and pressed the side of her face to it. “This is wonderful!”
“It’s probably your wool from before,” Will muttered under his breath.
Milly didn’t seem to hear him as she put her arms through the sle
eves. There was a small clasp with which she closed the front of the robe, but the top had a low cut, her warm cleavage plain as day.
Will looked away. “I can create some shoes too.”
Milly shook her head. “No thanks. I like the feel of dirt under my feet.”
The player nodded. “I want to talk some more, but the morning is half gone. As you said, we should get some water. I don’t want to be out too late. Would you like to come with me?”
Milly smiled. “I would love too. It will give us a chance to talk.”
Will gathered the wood containers and placed them in his inventory. Turning, he rushed back up the stairs to the side of his bed and picked up his tunic, pulling it over his head. Boots were next before putting on his belt, stone sword against one hip and wooden axe against the other. Checking his inventory again, he had a number of pickaxes, shovels, stone, and wood materials. Looking it over, he frowned as he needed more coal to create torches and wool to create another bed. He had no idea how he was going to make room for Milly and a stray thought touched his mind, saying if he didn’t find more wool, she was sleeping with him tonight.
Will looked down from the loft, seeing Milly looking around with a sweet smile. “I think we are ready to go.”
Milly looked up. “I’m ready too,” the ram-horned woman grinned.
The pair stepped out of the home and into the bright daylight. Will looked over to the three saplings he had planted. One had indeed grown to full size, apples already hanging from its branches. Food was plentiful, Will thought as he and Milly made their way to the double doors.
Torches continued to flicker in the daylight. Will looked to his left and right, the wall he built around his home undamaged and standing. It seemed to be doing its job, keeping the monsters out. Thoughts drifted to reinforcing it at another time just to be sure. Sliding the bar across, the door opened to a lush green forest.
Will’s hand touched his sword pommel as he stepped out. Milly followed, her smile fading as her eyes widened and took in their surroundings. Will turned and looked at the other side of the wooden door, his gaze narrowing as he saw a dozen claw-like grooves etched into the surface.
Milly followed Will’s gaze until she saw the marks. “The forest fills with monsters every night.”
“I know. First night I woke up to ghouls breaking into my home. I had to build a wall just to make sure they didn’t do that again,” Will said as he turned in the direction of the lake and began walking.
Milly stayed at his side. “There are more than just ghouls. All kinds of monsters prowl the lands. I have some memories, seeing all kinds of monsters roaming and hunting. Some can even tolerate the daylight.”
Will nodded. “Did they ever hunt you?”
Milly’s eyes took on hints of fear. “Sometimes. I remember running through the woods in the dark, some of my friends screaming behind me before they went silent. We lost one of our flock every few nights. Other sheep would wander to our group and stay with us, but over time, we would lose one or two to the monsters.”
Milly looked down. “I am very thankful to you for…waking me up. I want to help you in any way I can and will earn my keep.”
Will’s brow softened, but he continued to look forward. “You don’t have to worry. I wouldn’t send anyone back out into the forests with so many monsters.”
Milly’s smile returned. The horned-woman glanced down to the underbrush as they walked. Before long, she knelt down, fingers digging into the brush and dirt. Will stopped to look at what she was doing. Milly drew he hand back showing her open palm to Will.
“I can find us seeds so we can plant some crops. The weather here can be a little strange at times and we should prepare food stores. I know how to farm and cook.”
Will’s lips curved into a small smile. “That would be helpful. I’m sure we can help each other.”
Milly noticed Will’s eyes looking away as an uncomfortable shadow touched his expression. She placed the seeds she gathered in a robe pocket. Will started walking and Milly stayed to his side.
“Is everything okay,” Milly asked.
“Yes, I think so. It’s hard to say. I feel odd saying this, but I don’t remember too much beyond the last few days. When you mentioned your foggy memory, I felt the same way when I woke up on the beach. There was a chest with some items, but I've pretty much had to wing it.”
Will hesitated before he continued, “I feel, deep down, I don’t get along with people.”
“Do you think you won’t get along with me?”
Will’s eyes widened as he turned to Milly. “No, it’s not that. You seem great. I like your horns and…I must sound like a lunatic. I think I don’t get along with…normal people. If that makes any sense?”
Milly gave Will a cheery smile. “It makes sense. I doubt I could return to munching on grass and wandering the woods. Awakening has changed something for me and maybe the same thing is happening to you?”
Will nodded. “Maybe. Right now, I guess we should make our lives a little better.”
“We can!” Milly said with an excited edge. “I think I know a few ways we can improve your home.”
“I would like…” Will trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder to the dark forest around them.
They had been walking for about twenty minutes, the forest serene in the daylight. Now, a creepy feeling touched Will’s senses as he looked around, trying to find where it was coming from.
Milly did the same, her ears flexing as if to localize where it was coming from. “I sense it too.”
“Could it be one of the daytime monsters?” Will asked, his hand on the pommel of his sword.
“I’m not sure,” Milly whispered and senses sharp.
“Let’s keep moving. The lake isn’t too much farther. We can collect some water and go back home.”
The rest of the walk was in silence. Will turned his head numerous times, checking the way they came, but the creepy feeling never left him. Milly would stop, dig in the dirt and pull up batches of seeds. She placed them in her pockets as they walked on silently.
Trees swayed to the breeze, sending a calming white noise across the dark forest. Thoughts filled the player’s mind, wondering if he should cut down most of the nearby forest so he would have a better line of sight of anything approaching and giving the monsters less places to hide. The reality of the situation weighed on him, knowing that at any moment, something terrifying could burst from the woods and try to kill him. A faint thought spoke to him that he could not die, but there would be a price he would have to pay if he died. Looking over to Milly, he knew if she died, she wouldn’t come back, ever.
The couple stepped out of the forest, a glimmering small lake stretching out before them. Will remembered the hand that tried to reach for him from the water as he touched Milly’s shoulder. She turned to him with curious eyes.
“I think there might be something in the water so we need to be careful. I can give you one of my wooden swords to protect yourself?”
Milly shook her head. “I wouldn’t know how to use it. I’m not a fighter.”
Will nodded. “Then we should stay together. I still have that feeling something is following us and I don’t know what’s in the lake. We can…” Will was cut off.
The brush not too far away began to shudder. Will drew his sword with one hand while using his other arm to push Milly behind him. Brow hard and sword at the ready, the two backed up as the brush trembled again. Will readied himself when something big emerged into the sunlight.
Milly smiled as Will’s shoulders relaxed. A cow stepped out of the shadowy brush and woods, grass in its mouth and a dazed, unconcerned look in its bovine eyes. It stared at them for a moment before lowering its head to take another mouthful of grass.
Milly patted Will’s shoulders from behind in excitement, “Oh Oh! We need leather for waterskins!”
Will glanced over his shoulder to her, “You don’t mind me killing her?”
Milly grin
ned, “Law of survival.”
Will turned back to the cow about ten feet away. He stepped closer, sword still in hand. When he was about two feet away, he looked down as the cow went on munching, paying him no mind.
“Sorry girl,” the player said before raising the stone sword and bringing it down on the cow’s neck.
The cow let out a screeching moan as the sword stuck halfway. Will pulled it back and threw his shoulders into it, bringing the stone blade down on the neck again. This time, the head came off, hitting the grassy floor with a thud. The entire body slumped to the ground and fell on its side. Pieces of leather and beef hovered over the body. Will took everything, 4 pieces of leather appearing in his inventory as did 4 pieces of beef. The carcass melted into the ground and soon it and the head were completely gone.
“It’s a start,” Milly smiled before sauntering off to the edge of the lake.
Will followed. At the edge of the lake, the two knelt down. Will pulled out the wooden containers and placed them on the sandy ground between them. Together, they dunked the containers until they filled with water, two at a time. Will picked them up and placed them in his inventory. The containers seemed to be doing the job of holding water, but Will felt if they hit anything too hard, they would break. Eyeing the sand along the lake edge, he would need more if he was going to make any more glass.
Milly collected water, her face a calm mask. Will looked to her, wondering if he should build her a home next to his or he should build a bigger home. Conflicted feelings rushed his heart. Deep down he knew he didn’t get along with people, but there was something refreshing about the horned sheep woman. It was nice to have someone else around and he thought about what he would do if he gained more soul stones. There was nobody there to judge him and Milly seemed practical and non-judgmental. If anything, she seemed to encourage him to do whatever he wanted
