In a strange world as a Doppelganger

Chapter 41 - The Face

The top-heavy body of this corpse entangled with vines barrels towards me and slams a massive fist down from overhead. I thought I had gained more than enough ground but its limb extends as it comes toward me and as the large vegetation-covered fist connects the world goes dark.

I see the sad person. Sitting under a drenched canvas in heavy rain. As I come in closer, I can hear the sobbing. For the first time ever during these dreams, the sad person looks up. They stare at me and I can see the lips move. I need not hear the words to know what was said. "Not yet"

My eyes open slowly, I feel groggy and my head is pounding. There's an uncomfortable pressure all over my body. Looking down at myself I can see vines constricting down my limbs and small, fine-tipped vines are moving towards my head. I can feel them starting to slowly penetrate the skin of my temples. So, this is how it does it then? Is this how I end? "Not yet!" I scream out through dry and hoarse throat. I pour all my energy into my magic and will fire into existence. Surrounded by these vines I might get taken out by the flames myself but I will not go down alone.

The fire catches on dry twigs and dead wood all around. The gouts light the forest up in a sudden orange glow. Crackling and creaking sounds mingle with a shrill screech from the yellow flowers. Spreading across the vines the fire is quickly taking over. Against any better judgement the large lumbering shape walks into the fire in an attempt to reach the pod that controls it. A self-preservation mechanism no doubt.

"No, you don't!" I unleash the flames one more time getting up slowly as the vines release their grip. I aim the fire, shooting out of my open palms, towards the core of the vines. The screeching grows even higher in pitch but the pod shifts ever so slightly, making for safety away from the fire.

Having exhausted the reservoir of stronger magic, I can only rely upon the weaker stuff. The yellow thing creeping along the burning ground is quickly burning away. The hulking brute reaches down into the fire, picks up the pod and is just about to turn around when it stops. Whatever it was that allowed this creature to control the body has perished. Ashes and embers fall from its hands before it topples over into the fire.

Dousing myself in water I crawl across the ground over dead vines. The fire rages on and catches hither and tither. I find myself surrounded on all sides by the roar of flames. Using the magical waters within me, all I can do is keep it from reaching all the way to me. There's no way I could put it all out like this.

The fire burns for some time but slowly seem to die down. Over the course of an hour the fire claims this entire area and then just subsides. Rather suspicious how the fire just didn't reach any further. I stand up, cold even in this heat from having kept myself constantly wet through the small inferno. I take a step toward the fallen brute and my foot falls through some dried vines. I come face to face with... a face.

Pale skin, even for a dead person. Blue eyes staring at me, just faintly milked over. Smooth and hairless. I can't tell if it's a man, woman or what it might be. The face is familiar though. Not in its features but the expression. It looks like the sad person. There's fear, desperation and pleading. Forever locked on the dead person's face. I reach down to move some sticks and dirt away and cradle the face in my hands. I close my eyes and focus. Moments later I open my eyes and close the eyelids of the dead person. My fingers are shorter and have nails. I feel slightly shorter in general compared to my natural form but not as short as a goblin. I feel my face, the nose, the lips and the eyebrows that I now have. The curly hair on my head feels strange though. My clothes still fit rather well. I wonder if I could wear the armour of the other body while I'm in this form?

I look around the den of the Yellow Flower. There are still embers and smouldering bits here and there. I splash water and those I pass by and start heading back.

I spend quite some time getting back to the man who was pinned up. Constantly keeping an eye out for what could have stopped the fire from spreading. The man hangs where he was. Using the sword, I cut him down and get to work on unbuckling the straps that holds the armour. Then I hear a familiar voice or more like a feeling in my head.

[Level Up]

Hi!
Dear reader I need your help!

What ability should Doppie gain now that they've reached level 2?

A familiar

Passive damage increase on spells.

Increased are on AoE spells.

Access to a larger variety of cantrips (budget spells)

Please let me know in the Comments below!