Shapeless Hero

4 - A Deal Before I Disappear

I just want to die already. 

I decided to end my life as a gray, useless puddle but my damn limbs are too weak to harm myself in any meaningful way. I can't even move away from the current spot, so falling from a high place or walking into a hungry forest beast are out of question too.

I hate it. This feels like a cruel joke. Was Hilda maybe toying with me? Was she a demon pretending to be a nice old lady in the afterlife?

As an act of desperation, I just repeat the phrase "kill me" in one of the realm's languages, hoping that some merciful passerby or random wildlife would fulfill my last wish. It feels silly but I don't care at this point. The only passing creatures so far are those two crows, though I doubt that they care for my desires, let alone understand me.

Except...

One crow's eyes sparkle whenever they take a look at me. Do they see me as a potential lunch or something? Well, I don't recall singular crows having the capacity to devour human-sized creatures. That said, the birds seem to communicate with each other, gesticulating with their wings and everything. It almost looks like a puppet show,  yet I don't hear any words being exchanged.

Hold on, maybe they're more intelligent than I thought—this is a different world after all! I could try to ask them to find someone who can finish me off. I'm sure somebody will oblige, since I'm just a bunch of free experience points, assuming Hilda's stupid syst-

"HELLO!" a voice in my head yells. I wince under the loudness of the word. One of the crows looks at me with a magic circle floating in front of it. It waves at me with its wings. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" I wince again.

"Yes, I understand you - please stop yelling in my head! Fuck, that's loud!" I quickly respond, in hopes the crow won't send another message with all letters verbally capitalized.

"Oh! My apologies. I didn't mean to blast your mind like that." responds the crow, now in a normal volume. "Good day, shapeshifter! My name is Karl, an independent scholar. I'm glad you can talk. Things should be quick and easy then. I just like t-"

"Shapeshifter?!" I blurt out, once the meaning of the word unfolds in my mind.

"Yes! That's the term that is used to describe your kind. Are...are you not a shapeshifter? You fit the descriptions and illustrations almost perfectly at least. And I can't think of other creatures that one could mistake you for, in terms of look and arcane signatures. Slimes are too round and golems too solid."

"Is that so? I can't shift my shape as much as I try." If I'm truly a shapeshifter, that would mean my soul can't even work with the body of a creature that should be able to change itself into whatever it wants to look like! Wow, I really shouldn't be alive. 

I take a deep breath. "Look, can you just do me a favor and bring someone to end me? I'm sure, there are other talking shapeshifters in this magical world worth your time. Especially ones that aren't a defect."

The crow named Karl cocks his head and looks towards the sky, probably considering my words. Few moments later, he focuses on me again. "Yes, I promise to deliver a coup-de-grâce, as quickly and painlessly as possible... if you agree to try something with me before that. Just one thing. It will only take... 5 minutes?"

Great, even if I try to get myself erased from existence, the world only allows it with complications. I consider refusing, because I think it's wrong to negotiate for extras when somebody has barely a choice like me. I don't care anymore though. I sigh. "Sounds quicker than waiting for somebody else to kill me. Sure."

"Wonderful! Do you have a name by the way?"

"My name i-" I hit a mental wall as I try to recall it. Why is this happening? "I can't remember, actually." I answer honestly.

"Hmm... odd as it is, we need a name for this to work. A temporary name will do. Anything that comes to mind?"

"Don't ask me to name anything, including myself. Trust me." I remember getting stuck in character creation of pretty much any RPG with nameable characters that I played. Wait, why do I remember that detail from my past, but not my name?

Karl laughs through the telepathic connection. It sounds genuine. "That is two of us then. Names aren't my forte either." A small bonding moment on the day I die. Cool.

The magical crow starts to change the active, arcane circle in front of him, which I assume is responsible for the telepathic connection. "Okay, let me get my friend August. Just a moment." As he said, a moment passes and a new presence can be felt.

"Heya! What do ya need?"

"August dear, our shapeshifter here needs a name. Apparently it... Apparently, they can't remember their origina-"

"Fylka!" August abruptly proposes, as if premeditated.

"Fylka? Why Fylka?" asks Karl.

"Buddy, I'm a combat specialist, not a storybook writer. You've got seven minutes before they arrive, so get on with it!" Augusts' annoyed presence disappears from the telepathic connection. Seven minutes? Before what?

Karl addresses me again. "Well, I hope you're happy about your new name, Fylka."

I shrug. "Works for me. It's only for some minutes anyway."

"Right you are. Let us commence then!" The magic circle that Karl uses to communicate moves on top of his head and stays there like a hat. The crow takes off and soon sails about a dozen yards above the ground in circles around me. "All you have to do is meditate according to my instructions. Take deep breaths during the whole procedure and, assuming you have actual eyes, close them now. Keep them closed, no matter what happens."

While closing my eyes, I see hundreds of purple magic circles appear on my body, including on the seemingly melted part of me. I take a deep breath. "I'm ready."

I can make out the faint sound of galloping horses somewhere in the distance. Maybe they carry someone, who could kill me faster.