This was a particular favorite of mine, experimenting with a 'show don't tell' in regards to the changes. After all, from your perspective nothing should have changed, right? You were always an Axe-Wielding Beastman, and nothing more~

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28) ‘Time’

"Welcome, Hero." The Dark Lord said as you quietly approached, bow in hand. "It's rare to see someone so skilled as to infiltrate my inner sanctum while completely evading my guards. I'm impressed."

Though human in form, you could sense the otherworldly miasma emanating off them, the inhuman aura. A monster playing at being something they were not. You didn’t have any words for such a creature. You knew they had a silver tongue, and you wouldn’t let them deceive you, immediately firing off a sequence of arrows aimed at their head. The Dark Lord seemed unphased. In fact, they seemed rather smug, as their mouth opened once again.

"Come past, kneel future."
"What once was spun shall be unwound,"
"What once was made shall be unbound,"
"In the depths of time let fate be drowned."

Suddenly, the floor beneath you exploded with light, arrows bouncing off a barrier that surrounded you on all sides, you grimaced, firing up towards the ceiling, only for them too to be deflected. You were trapped, unable to do anything but watch as the Dark Lord continued his chant, and the magic beneath your feet swelled

"Be broken past, be unmade future."
"Let history be reforged anew by my fury."

The Dark Lord would chuckle as you continued to fire arrows at the barrier, searching for a weak point you could exploit "Oh, you poor poor fool. Did you think I would not have prepared for this encounter? Don't bother trying to break out of that spell. None of you have ever succeeded."

That drew your attention, as you paused your assault to stare at the figure before you, the Dark Lord smirking at your obvious confusion.

"What, did you think that in my 30 year reign, you were the first hero born to defeat me? Such ignorance, such foolishness. Many heroes have walked into these halls before you, and not one has defeated me. You know why? Because, they became my miracles. My heroes, to bring ME victory."

"You see, the you before me is just a culmination of events in your past. Where you lived, who you met, decisions made or forgone. Hundreds of events, minor and major, forming a chain of dominos that resulted in the person you are today. But with that in mind, all it takes is a single nudge to send one domino in a different direction, and create an entirely different future."

"Say... imagine if you had chosen to stay at home and help cut the firewood instead of hunting. You would have learnt how to use an axe, not a bow. You would have never been taught how to hide in the undergrowth, about camouflage, staying upwind of your prey. Instead you would have trained on improving your body, building your strength. And because of which, you would be scouted by the army, and taught how to fight as a soldier. You would never encounter that spirit while out in the woods, instead befriending your fellow trainees in the camp. You would become a warrior who draws others towards them, not a lone assassin thriving in the shadows. But you don't need to imagine that, do you? Because that's exactly what happened"

You gripped the hilt of your blade tighter, confused as to what the Dark Lord was on about. Your friends were fighting valiantly outside to get you this chance, you couldn't waste it! Gripping your Axe tightly, you swung, trying to shatter the barrier imprisoning you

"No? Was that not a good enough example? Well... let's go back a bit further then. What if, instead of being born to a human family, it was instead to a pair of loving Beastmen? A Panther and a Wolf, with you getting the best of both worlds. You were raised amongst your own kin, amongst other monsters, as the humans so lovingly called you all. You grew up learning everything you needed to know about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, the kingdom you were born in, and what they fought for. Who they served. Me~. Until one day you heard a knock at the door, and found yourself encountering a recruiter for the army.”

"Indeed, born as part of my kingdom, it was only natural your talents would be noticed, and put to work as one of my loyal soldiers. You fought valiantly in my name, winning me many battles, and eventually being promoted to one of my trusted generals. Your power and experience in the art of war has been key to our domination of the Ironwood Forest. This keep is the last bastion of those foolish knights. Once you have taken it, there will be nothing they can do against our armies. Go now, and fulfil your mission" *The Dark Lord, no, your Master, ordered. You readied your mighty War Axe, and stepped out into the battlefield that was once the courtyard, letting out a bellowing warcry. This land would be yours to claim in the name of your people and your lord, and no human, no force, would ever stand in your way. That is what it meant to be a hero of the people after all.