Scourge of Time

[Cecil]

Post your stories here!
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I am Nothing, a Hopeless Dreamer tossed aside by society, labeled a reject a defect...Oppressed to the point of no return, I sacrifice my being to aid the weak. The liberation has begun, the time now. I am Nothing.

[bashue]

Welcome one and all to jhoira. I was asked to relate to you my story of how I saved the mayor's daughter. This story however is not just about hacking and slashing, it is also about love, loyalty, friendship and devotion. Are you comfortable? Good. Let's begin.

It started out to be a very nice day. The sun was shining, the weather was quite warm, no clouds and no rain. Business was steady, food was plentiful and everyone was happy in midgaard. I returned from my journey in the spirit world and awoke at the temple alter in midgaard. My old mentor and shamaness turned goddess was there, making my day. She is the first one I think of in the morning and the last one at night. I greeted her with a kiss and a hug and she returned my greeting heartily.

Let me first tell you about my history. I was a proud and arrogant ogre. My fighting abilities were unmatched and I boasted about it frequently. I never minded getting into any fight as fighting was my way of life. Anyway, one day, I came across a witch who took offense to me, my lifestyle and the way I was. I didn't even get a chance to strike a blow. Before I knew what was happening, that blasted witch turned me into a human. Of course, not being use to a human form, I couldn't fight the way I use to and I tired very quickly. I was weak like a fool and to make matters worse, the witch teleported me into a strange land, one I've never visited, the land of jhoira. I was lost and alone. Fear was an emotion I have never experienced before and damn, was I scared. Fortunately for me, a very powerful shamaness who knows all and who sees all that occurs in jhoira, saw me being teleported into jhoira. However, the witch was powerful to and the shamaness could not see nor identify her. Looking into my mind, she viewed my past as an ogre, my fearlessness, my arrogance, my pride, greed but she also saw something I didn't even know I possessed. That was my love, kindness, generosity, my thoughtfulness and the ability to make friends. She could also see that I would become a powerful mage in my own right.

The shamaness teleported to me and introduced herself to me but for some reason, I could not hear her name. I think that witch did something to me but try as I might, I could not hear her name. The shamaness realized this and so I just called her shamaness or teacher. Teaching me the ins and outs of the human form, teaching me about spellcasting, various spells, how to get food and drink, how to interact with others and how to work around my anger, my first days in jhoira were full of new experiences, lessons and the like. It was not at all easy, especially as I was use to the ogre way and that way was unavailable to me now. I mean, I couldn't just bash someone's head in if they offended me and I couldn't just take whatever I wanted because I was hungry. In time and with a lot of tutoring from my shamaness, I eventually learned how to stand on my own two feet and the teacher/student relationship became a friendship. One of the lessons I learned was how to fight again and I was very happy about this as I no longer felt so out of my depth. I worked to get back to my former status and I'm partly there now. As I leveled up in the world, our friendship deepened and by the time I reached level 401, I fell in love with my shamaness. I went into remort but did not elect to go back to being an ogre. Too much had happened for me to ever go back to being an ogre. Besides, ogres don't know how to love, but humans do. So, I elected to become an immortal. My shamaness gave her blessings to me and I transformed. Starting out at level 1 again, I knew the ropes and didn't find it as hard a second time round.

It also seemed that after remorting, the curse the witch placed on me was partially broken and there were 2 things that had to be done to completely break it. You see, I only recently fell in love with my shamaness but I did not understand what was happening to me. Because I did not understand, I became quite moody and angry. My shamaness was away at the time so she couldn't help me at that time. So, with much convincing on my part, my wolf friend Puppy told me that I was in love with my shamaness. At that moment, a bolt of lightning came down from the heavens and struck me hard. I felt new knowledge blossom in my mind. I felt stronger, more agile, more intelligent, wiser and my constitution increased to. All that was left now was for the shamaness to reveal her name to me. I knew that if I could hear it, I would be free from the witch's curse forever. So, when my shamaness returned from her journeys, she finally told me her name, Jenya. As soon as I heard her name, another bolt of lightning came from the heavens and struck me hard. Unlike the first bolt, this one surrounded me and created an electrical net. The electric was coursing through my body and I curled up into myself in pain. It lasted for about 1 minute but when the electrical net dissipated, a warm wind of rejuvenation flowed around me and I was healed. Free from the curse at last, I was able to give my heart freely and I immediately gave it to Jenya. I then received some blessings and also some spellups.

Not long after that, the creator of all, our beloved Mother/Father God, was so pleased with what Jenya did for me that he/she turned Jenya into a goddess. Now immortal in her own right, she was not allowed to give me anymore spellups but I can still receive her blessings. That my friends, is the end of my history. Let's continue now to the day I rescued the mayor of elham's daughter.

So, we exchanged greetings and I received my daily blessings. However, Jenya had some bad news for me. Being a goddess, she was not allowed to help directly with mortals, so she told me what happened and asked me to help. She told me that late the night before, the mayor's daughter was kidnapped by a group of time travelers. Because I wandered round during my time in the spirit world, I discovered a compound just off the freeway. I visited it in the past but I did not wander there the night before. Jenya confirmed my suspicions by telling me that the girl was taken to that compound. I was surprised because it hadn't been used in years. Well, not properly. Mostly punks, gangs and the like frequented it. So, anyway I agreed to save the girl. As you probably know, the modern gimpville is my second home. The past gimpville is my first. Anyway, I knew what I had to get. I had a sneaking suit in my locker, complete with all the accessories. Heavy boots, backpack, helmet, various holsters, various guns, my rocket launcher, my stealth camouflage, medical kit, some rations and a bottle to put water in. I was all set and I donned my gear. I time traveled to downtown gimpville and went onto the freeway and went to exit 16. There was the compound as I remembered it. There was a fence I had to climb. Thanks to the stealth camouflage I was wearing, the cameras and guards couldn't see me but I wanted to remain quiet. It seemed that the leader had unified the various gang into a good working army. Thanks to my suit and gloves, the barbed wire posed no problem to me and I was able to slip down the other side. I killed a guard to obtain his security card and hid the body in some bushes after getting more rations and other stuff from it. I then walked to the door and used the card to get inside. I then stepped back outside as I felt the ogre part of me serge and this time, I did not hold back. Quietly killing guards and stealing from their bodies, then dragging them into bushes, I then went back inside the building. Looting whatever I could and killing more guards, I worked my way to a door that did not require a card but had to be opened. I opened it and there was the leader.

I froze for a second as I recognized the witch who cursed me and transformed me into a human. How she got into jhoira, I'll never know and because the creator does not allow any immortals to interfere with mortals directly, Jenya could not stop the witch from coming in. There, tied to a chair was the mayor's daughter. Bound, gagged, bleeding and shaking, the girl could not even ask me for help. Recovering from my fear, I closed the door and took off my stealth camouflage. I wanted the fucking bitch of a fucking witch to see that I was after her blood. As arrogant as I was as an ogre, I would be honest about my desire to fight. There was nothing deceptive about it, if I wanted to fight, I would. If you lost, you would still be respected if you stood up to me. If you won, you would be very highly respected as you fought very well and managed to beet me. There was no real anger behind it, it was just a desire to fight. However, the witch was driven by hatred and rather than just fighting and winning, she wanted to end my life and kick me after I fall. Where is the honor in that? There is no benefit in that to the victor or to the loser. The loser, when beaten will undergo training to improve on their fighting and when challenged again, they would surely win. If they lose again, they would undergo more training until they win or if not, they can choose to train in other arts. Some, even train in basic enchantments and the art of healing. So you can understand why I wanted the witch dead. The witch does not follow our code of honor, she doesn't even care whether she wins or not. All she wants is for others to lose. She doesn't care about getting hurt, she just wants others to hurt. She doesn't care about getting killed, she just wants others to get killed. She cares not whether she suffers, just as long as others are suffering.

Thanks to Jenya, I learned how to block, repel and cast spells. I also delved into the art of necromancy. True, Jenya did not exactly encourage me to delve into it but she did not stop me and gave me resources to. This time, I was prepared. "So, you managed to enter jhoira?" "Back to curse me again?" "I think it'll be a little more difficult to do that now, especially as I picked the immortal race, and because I had the best mentor/tutor in all of jhoira on my side, teaching me the art of magic!" The witch just laughed and asked, "do you wish to know my name before I kill you?" "Yes" I said. "I'd love to know your name before I KILL YOU!" The witch laughed again and said, "I am Eve." "Okay Eve" I said "Why did you curse me and teleport me into jhoira?" Eve glared at me and said "I cursed you because I thought it was funny and I teleported you because I thought you wouldn't last very long." "My teleportation spell is random so I took a chance and you just happened to end up in jhoira." "If I'd have known that would happen, I would have left you to return to your ogres and they would have killed you on sight." "You wouldn't have been able to last even a second, weak as you were and as arrogant as you were." "I just thought to give you a chance to run before someone found you and killed you." "Well, enough talking. I kidnapped the mayor's daughter to bring you here and kill you. It's time for you to dye! Unfortunately, I cannot teleport you back, your shamaness before she turned into a goddess has cast a protective shield around you and were I to try, it would backfire and I'd be teleported instead." "Well, shall we begin?" I put my middle finger up at the witch and nodded.

We both cast our beneficial spells and began to battle it out. I again donned my stealth camouflage thus making myself invisible to her physical eyes. Unfortunately, she was able to see with her mind and I was spotted. "That trick won't work on me! she cackled. Fortunately, my camouflage was just as resistant as my sneaking suit and my weapons were infused with magic so they couldn't get damaged. She cast a fireball at me. I deflected it and instead of casting an offensive spell back at her, I got my single action army and fired. Eve fortunately, has no defense against modern weapons except for a weak telekinesis spell that could slow the bullet down. It bounced off the wall and struck the witch in the leg. I then remembered the girl tied to the chair. I turned to her and cast a protective shield around her and the chair. While I was distracted, the witch managed to fire acid blast at me. My shields held but I was knocked off my feet and fell to the ground. Cursing myself for being careless, I got up and fired another round at the wall. It bounced off, bounced off the shield surrounding the girl thanks to the witch trying to slow the bullet down and redirecting it, it struck the witch again in her shoulder. True I was winning but these shields wouldn't last forever and it'd take time to cast again. So this time, I put away my single action army and got out my patriot. Continually firing rounds at the witch, I managed to hit her but none of the hits were critical. Then I noticed she was wearing a magnetic force shield, just like the one fortune was wearing but an earlier model. It didn't protect the witch as well so she could still be hit, but it would take a long time for me to do any serious damage.

I resorted to some spellcasting of my own and I cast my dispel and all my harmful spells at the witch. The magnetic shield couldn't protect the witch from my spells and I was successful. The witch was disoriented and I managed to get the magnetic shield away from her as she forgot what she was doing for a moment. I thought, let's now finnish this off. I got my rpg7 out and blasted the witch with it. Wanting to make sure, I got my stinger out, my nakita and grenade launcher and blasted her with each one in turn. I killed the witch and gathered up the mess. Bagging it, I then untied, un gagged and healed the girl up. Leading the girl out of the compound, I put the bag in the bushes with the dead bodies of the soldiers. The girl was sickened at the destruction so I cast a mental shield around her so she wouldn't react to the destruction. The barbed wire was not an appealing option so we used the gate instead. Going out of the compound, I time traveled us back to midgaard. Jenya was there to greet us. I received my blessings and the girl received some knowledge and although she was still sickened by what just happened, she understood now that the world is not always a safe place. It turns out that she was always complaining to her father about not being able to leave elham village. Now she knew why.

All that remained left to do was to return the girl to the mayor. I waved to Jenya and we went back to elham village. Going to a very nice house in the village, we entered. The mayor was ecstatic to see his daughter safe and sound. He also saw that the girl looked older. Gone was the child he once new, replaced by a spirit who has experienced true sorrow, fear and brutality. Thanking me heartily, I was offered a reward. I told the mayor that I did not want anything now but maybe I could save my wish for the future for when I may be in difficulty. He agreed and waved goodbye to me. I returned to the midgaard temple and rested. I thought to myself, I need a vacation. This saving girls from kidnappers, dealing with trauma is taking it's tole on me. Jenya, reading my thoughts, agreed. So I took myself to downtown gimpville and pigged out at the various food stores there. I played in the casino and I talked and chilled out with the students there.

So my friends, this concludes my story of how I saved the girl from her kidnappers. So farewell, till next time!!!

[Thingol]

Prelude
A dark and cloudy night looks over the shambling roof top of Gargamel's castle.
High up on the roof, four cats sit in council. Two are cats, the others kittens.
A cute and cuddly black and white kitten speaks to the other three..

"Thank you all for coming to my call. "
"Thanxs to you Azreal for giving us this place to meet.", The kitten nods to a ragged
looking feline of red fur.
"Brothers and sister, hear my sad tale. I once had a wonderful home in the village Elhaym.
All was good. I had loyal humans, who maintained my house, brought me food and milk,
and honored me with petting. I did my best in my young age to keep away the no good mice
and to play with the humans. It always seemed to make them happy. Life was grand.
Until the day they brought home this tiny thing...there infant daughter. Such a strange and helpless little soul. Alas I related. It wasn't so very long ago that I was thus. To honor my humans, that night I caught two spiders and a young mouse for her. That morning I came into her room to see if she had enjoyed my nice meal. My human called Mayor yelled at me and smacked me with a broom! Me! I was shocked and frankly frightened. It occurred to me that my gift had not been good enough for Baby perhaps. I am not nearly as big as you Azreal and you Black, but Snowball can understand. All the same I resolved to bring her an even greater gift. That night I went out and hunted like no kitten has ever hunted before. I was a tiger. Heroically I fought and defeated a garden snake! Exhausted, I lay my bloody and mangled prize at the baby's mouth, to make it easy for her to enjoy. I was so proud! I fell asleep there by her, exhausted and drifting into dreams of all the wonderful praise I would receive.
I was awoken roughly by Mayor! He grabbed me by the neck and shook me. Yelling loudly
as he paddled my backside brutally. I cried in pain and fear, confused as to why I was being
treated so. How could he be so cruel? What more did he expect, did he know how long it
took for me to kill that snake? I cried out with pain and tried my best to defend myself with my small claws and teeth. I bit and scratched and hissed as menacingly as I could muster! He was just to big for me though. The harder I tried to fight back, the rougher he got. He pinned me down and threw me out side, roaring that I couldn't be trusted! Me?! I couldn't be trusted! Mates...I didn't see then, what I see now. That was just a convenient excuse. Mayor wanted me out of the way so Baby could inherent my house! Despite my honor, he whipped up some cockamamie reason to throw me out in the streets.
Frightened and stressed I stumbled out onto the dangerous streets of the village. I tried
to get by on the docks, but the local Alleys always begrudged us pampered house owners, and I was quickly beaten up by afew of them and ran out of town. Cold, hungry and with
crushed spirits, I found myself wandering the streets of a town to the east that worships a
strange human dressed from head to town in black shinny cow skin. There Ive survived on white cockroaches, they are the one thing there weaker then me. They taste awful.
And there Ive been friends, wandering the streets like a furry ghost. Hoping beyond hope,
that a new human will give me a new home. I sometimes follow one that looks hopeful, but
they always shun me. My tragedy lies at the feet of Mayor and Baby. Things where great
before she came.
Help me win back my house from the little usurper and punish Mayor for his cruel treachery. Azreal will provide our hideout. Black, will provide magical concealment. His career as Black Master's familiar in Hightower has taught him many tricks. Snowball will be our political protection. She is the favored kitten of a line of royals descending from Clare herself. So friends, Will you help me win my revenge?
The three nodded and four paws came together in a solemn pact.
High up on the crumbling chimney, two tinny eyes watches from a crack in the darkness...

A back alley in Old Thalos
A mob of beastly fidos form a circle around a highly illegal underground game of tug. To
many jaws have been dislocated by this popular if controversial canine sport.

"Urrr goin dnnn dis time Uppy! Der rope isss mine!", Fido growls through clenched teeth.
"Isss off Ido, iss mine!" a small silvery dog growls back with a strong tug, making Fido
stumble forward, then brace himself. Redoubling his great strength, Fido tugs back brutishly.
Instead of countering, Puppy charges at Fido and skillfully launches himself over his head combining his momentum with Fidos. The combines force proves to much for Fidos
mightily jaw, and the rope is violently wrenched free.
"Yess! The rope is mine !! Go try your luck with sheep Fido."
"Get fleas Puppy" Fido growls back as he gets up.
Puppy laughs and wags his tail. "Lets go get some beer. Drinks are on me."
Fido grins and wags his tail in reply.
As the crowd start to thin, a small figure steps forward.
"Whats up little mouse? Looking to get eaten?", Puppy stares down at the mouse.
Fido laughs in agreement, licking his chops.
"Please hear me before you decide to, brave dogs. Ive come along way in search of Puppy
the adventurer. I saw your match. Are you he?"
"Adventurer?...biter, begger, barker to be sure. Adventurer?..Sure why not. I've bitten things
for thrills and treasure occasionally." Puppy grins down at the mouse.
"Four nights ago, I witnessed a diabolical plot on the roof of the castle I live in. Four cats
met and formed a plan to kidnap the daughter of the Mayor of Elhaym village. There leader
is Adorable Kitten. She plans to murder and eat her!"
"Murder and eat her? That don't sound much like a kitten. Did you hear her say that?"
"Uhhhm, Yes, yes. She plans to pounce on her and hold her down with sharp claws and
then crush her, and all sorts of other horrible things cats do!"
"This won't do brother." Fido replies. "She is just alittle girl. It's our nature to keep cats and
their evil ways from hurting defenseless humans.
"Ok Mouse, show us the way." Puppy growls.
As they race off to Elhaym, Puppy say "Four days ago!? Why did you wait so long to find me Mouse?"
"You try crossing half of Jhoira on half inch legs!"

Elhaym village.

"Fido, go ask the local fidos which house is the Mayors."
"Right"

Local Fido, "Mayors house?! Thats the house the cats attacks last night!"
Fido, "What!?"
"I know, can you believe there balls. This gang of cats lead by an adorable kitten snuck in
and kidnapped Holly, the Mayor's daughter last night!"
"We know they fled the town, else me and the boys would have sniffed them out by now."
Fido. "Thanxs brother"

Back outside the town.

Fido, "We are to late! Adorable Kitten and her gang have struck last night, there is no time
to lose!"
"Lets go!" Puppy barks as the three race off to Gargamel's castle.

On the road to Fizzledink

"Dogs, we might have a problem." Fizzledink and Gargamel are good drinking buddies. He
might give us trouble.," Mouse squeaks from Puppies back.
Fido. "Leave him to me.."

Frizzledinks portal.

Fizzledink, *hick*, what are you three up to..*hick*
Fido whispers "go on ahead, no time to lose, I got this"
Fido "I'm a factory Fido, we are...>>Snap!<<
Puppy and Mouse take off down the road to the castle as Fido sneak bites Frizzledink in
the ass, unleashing a flurry of vicious snaps and snipps.

Gargamel's castle

Puppy races up to the front door and bangs away.
Gargamel answers, "Heh? What the hell do you want?"
Puppy, "Umm, I just came from Smurf village...They said you lick your windows...."
Gargamel, "What did you say!!?"
Puppy, "Yeah, they said your a monkey spanker.."
Gargamel fumes with rage. "Thats it! fuck the script, I'm gonna show those little blue sonna
bitches the bottom of my boots..." He swears as he stomps on down the road towards the
village...
Mouse, "Wow, nice."
Puppy, "Show me the way, quick."
Mouse, "Azreal lives in the tower, up those stairs!"
As they race up the stairs they hear voices through the door above..
"No, I don't want to eat those!, I want to go home!" a small girls voice cries.
"So do I!, Oh wait, I don't have one, you stold it, you little thief. Have some more white
cockroaches, there good aren't they! Mmmm, yummy." A small feline voice meows.
Puppy and Mouse mount the stairs and smash through the door!

Adorable Kitten, "Dog!, we have been found mates, get him!"
Azreal hisses and charges out the window.
Adorable Kitten "Damn coward!"
Just then Black step out of the shadows and stabs Puppy in the side with his obsidian
shard. Puppy howls with pain as he twists and snaps at Black.
Mouse rolls free and stands up, drawing his tiny sword just in time to meet little Snowball
in a deadly duel.
Snowball, "You two are in for it now!, I'm gonna tell!, You'll be scrubbing toilets in Trollith
by the time we are through with you!"
Puppy turns and rushes Black as the cat tries to lead high into the rafters. As he jumps,
Puppy jumps with him and bites him by the tail in mind air.
Adorable Kitten sits nestled on Holly's shoulder..."Stop!, put him down our I'll, I'll scratch
her on the cheek! I'll do it!"
Puppy lands with Black in his mouth.
Mouse and Snowball tensely square up on each other, looking from each other to Adorable
Kitten and back.
"Drop Him!" Adorable Kitten screams, "I'll do it, ill scratch her!"
Holly cries, "No..don't.."
Puppy's eyes squint and steel. With lightning speed he spins and throws Black at the
kitten, clipping her off Holly's shoulder with an expert missile of screeching black fur.
Black is dashed on the wall and killed in a bloody spray of gore as Adorable kitten spins and lands violently on the stones below, her small bones shattering.
Snowball swears and dives out the window, shouting. "Mommy is gonna send an
army of newspaper wielding trees after you, you rotten dog! You'll be sorry you crossed the
path of me!
Puppy turns to the dying Adorable Kitten, "What do you have to say for yourself, you
naughty kitty! Mouse told me what a wicked kitten you are. Look where it got you."
Adorable Kitten lays on the floor gasping her last breaths, "I just wanted my family back
I was never gonna hurt her, I was just playin to make Mayor love me again...", Adorable
Kitten gives up her ghost and passes on to kitty heaven, where the ocean is warm milk and
the earth is made of yarn.
Puppy looks down at Mouse with a frown. Not quite the monster you lead on there
squeekums, but done is done..
Puppy trots up to Holly, wagging his tail and licks her face. "Are you ok kid?"
Holly. *Sniff* I want to go home.
Ok, lets go home..
Puppy mutters to Mouse,"Humans, there a full time job."


Two weeks later

A formal letter.

Sir Puppy
You are formally sued with a civil action buy the population of Smurf village for inciting
one Gargamel the wizard into a rampage of carnage and mayhem against said village. The late wizard killed and or maimed forty three smurfs before he was shot to death
by smurf commandos. Smurf village feels your are responsible for this tragedy and demands
reciprocity.
Consider yourself served.

Brainy Smurf.