An aging overweight man who plays too much online gaming receives a gift from Freya, the
goddess of love, lust, beauty, sorcery, fertility, gold, war and death.

Freya's Gift

Chapter One: In the Beginning

When you think you know everything there is, life always has a way to prove you wrong!

It all started a month ago, when my life really changed. I'm Michael, a 56yr old man, overweight and not considered very attractive without much of a real life let alone a dating life. I was never very good with women at any point in my life. Some friends, but mostly a loner. My best friend was my mom. We shared many a day fishing at the local lakes until she had a stroke a while back. She survived, but was never the same strong, vibrant women as before, at least until she finally passed on, may the gods bless her and hold her in their hearts.

With my mother gone, I had my 2 nieces and my nephew. Katherine and Michael are twins aged 18yr and Maryanne is 15yr. All three liked to shoot archery with me, but Katie loved to shoot just so she could spend more time with me. My brother-in-law is bipolar and mentally and sometimes physically abusive.

I had my hobbies. Besides archery I loved to fish. Again Katie would go every time she had the chance, and since I looked after the kids for my sister before Maryanne was born, Katie and her brother spent many a day at the lake before their fourth birthday with mom and I. Both have become very proficient anglers. The younger child likes fishing, but won't go out her way to be at the lake.

She's daddy's girl and completely fooled by his abuses. Michael is a momma's boy. And Katie is uncle's little girl. The other day she and I went out for Chinese buffet and she was complaining about how much of an asshole her father is, and I told her that's why she has me to look after her. All three are fantastic in sports. Katie and Maryanne play softball, Katie got an 85% scholarship to a collage up north to play as a catcher. She comes from a long line of catchers in both families.

Maryanne pitches in high school and travel ball leagues and will probably get a good scholarship as well. Now Michael loves to play football and baseball, but missed out on a scholarship because while he is tall for his age, he lacks some weight for his favored middle linebacker position. So he works with his dad and goes to community college, enjoying his girlfriend.

And I had my passion. I had completely become addicted to playing Tera online. I have three separate accounts, each with multiple avatars. Now if you're not familiar with Tera, it is a hugely followed MMROPG online with several million players the world over in three groups. Americas, north and south, and part of Europe. Europe and the Soviet block nations. And Asia to Africa. If you want to know more look online for yourself.

On one account I had 2 characters. A High Elf Female sorceress and a Castanic female warrior both at level 65. Then about a month ago Tera's programmers added a new weapons class. Gunner class using a weapon of magically created ballistic effects. The game allowed for the new third avatar for free during the first week of availability, and millions of players jumped at the chance, including myself. Gunners are only females, just so you know. After many crashes and slow downs and freezes the game admin took the game down for repairs. I don't think they were ready for how many players came back to the game for the first day.

The game was finally running without issues by noon PST. And got on and created my Gunner, now all my characters are named Freya after Freya of Norse mythology and not for the in game NPC Fraya. My sorceress was Freya.Hotheart and my warrior is Freya.Steelheart, so I chose Freya.Blaster for my new girl. And like the others are redheads and like my sorceress a High Elf female.

Starting game play after building Freya, I leveled very fast, thanks to many incentives included with the new player patch. After playing for about 8hr, I realized how hungry I was and took a very short break and then was back into it hard. At midnight I tried to go to sleep, but my mind was too into the game to settle down. So after a half hour I was back playing again.

By 4am I was taking a break in the town of Highwatch selling loot and upgrading armor and costume when I got a private message from this male character on how attractive my avatar was and how he liked my costume, this written in poetic form. I thought it was a little weird, but thanked him, as was only polite. Then I received a second ode to beauty and was feeling odd. But again thank him and then went on my way continuing on my quests, that was at level 54.

Now, I was leveling this character faster than any other I had ever played so far and by 11pm that night after being up since 8am the day before, I had been awake for 40hr of which I had played for 36+ hours to level 64. And very near capping out at 65,when I decided I really need some sleep.

When I go to bed, I read for a while and listen to meditation for lucid dreaming and pain relief. After reading for a short, for me, while, I closed my eyes and as asleep within moments. I rested very well and had an interesting dream.

I was laying in a bed of absolute softness and comfort in the middle of a peaceful and serene forest glade. I felt as though no harm could possibly come to me. As I lay there in that veiled 4 poster bed like something out of a fairy tale, I think this was such a wonderful feeling, having no aches or pains. When I was approached by a woman of such incomparable beauty as to make my heart ache to see her. It almost hurt to look upon her.

And then she spoke in a voice so soft and sweet yet so very full a strength and power, "Michael, you have used my name in your games and you honor me in doing so. You also do honor onto your family since you were a fine son and uncle and charitable friend to those you associate with."

I was quite moved by this homage and merely said, "Freya, goddess mother, you who are far too kind to someone such as me. I am just an aging, overweight man just playing games to pass his days."

Freya says, "Be that as may be, you have a kind heart and come from good Icelandic stock as your mother Valgerður and your Irish father Lawrence. You shall receive a gift from me in your game when you reach level 65."

I knew this was a dream and said so to her, and she said, answering in a quote from Shakespeare, "There are more in heaven or earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy". She leaned forward and placed a kiss on my lips, then on my forehead. Then said, "you will not remember this until you receive my boon in the game, till then, peace my child."

With that, I fell back to sleep with peaceful dreams of running free in the forest along a wonderful stream with a magnificent waterfall.

End of Chapter 1