It was cold.
After a sleepless night in my little manhole, I woke up a shivering mess, teeth clattering as I massaged my arms for warmth. It wasn't cold enough to hurt, but it was still unpleasant. I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes, stretching my limbs which earned me a few satisfying pops from my joints. I took a deep breath of the cool air around me, staring at the random patterns of the giant tree's roots above.
I hated getting up to school every morning. I'd rather let my natural clock do the work and tell me when I had to stop being a slob and start my day. However, this was different. Okay, that's probably the biggest understatement of the century. I was in another fucking world! Good news; I had no school. Bad news; everything else. Before I could fall down the never-ending slope that is my worries, I forced myself to get up and out of the hole.
I stored the blanket back into my bag with some struggle, trying to fold sheets on your own was no easy task. Climbing out of the underground shelter was like trying to climb a slide from the other way around, but I managed to escape the dank hole after a good minute or two. I brushed off any excess dirt left on my clothes, not that it mattered much thanks to my awful smell. First thing I'm doing when I find civilization is taking a thorough shower, that is if I find one.
I massaged my temples, I only woke up and I was already working up a headache. I still couldn't believe everything that was happening to me. What was I even doing?! No, stay focused. But how?! This is fucking crazy! What? Was I supposed to act like everything was normal? That nothing was out of the ordinary? "Guys, I just woke up in a another world, yesterday I cried like a bitch and almost got raped by a rabbit-cunt. But before we continue with the video, don't forget to smash that like button down below!"
Okay, the last part didn't have anything to do with my situation, but it felt fitting to poke some fun at the content creators. In any case, I didn't know if I could ever truly believe any of this, maybe this was all some crazy illusion and I was in a coma? But… it felt so real. I felt pain when I slipped while climbing out of the manhole and scratched my forearm, I felt fear when the rabbit tried to get into my pants without consent and more. This had to be real, right? Yes. It had to be. I will get out of here, I will return home, I have to! For my friends- okay, I didn't have those. For my family! They most likely think I'm dead, but I'm alive so I had a reason. It was all about drive, it was all about power.
Humor is a great coping mechanism, it has always helped me at my lowest. If it works, it works.
Finally, I began my journey into the scary, great unknown. I walked at a steady pace, keeping my eyes peeled for any surprises. Once I made it back to the road I had come across on my first day in this world, I had to decide which direction to go.
The sun was rising, shining in its blazing might, taunting me with its endless supply of warm light. The roads weren't perfectly aligned with the sun's axis, but since I had begun my way towards it, it was only logical to continue in roughly the same direction.
And so began another uneventful walk in my life. The further I travelled down the dirt road, the more the scenery changed; the density of the trees lessened, different types of wildlife appeared, mainly plants, the animals were either hiding or bolted the moment they noticed me. I thought I saw what looked like a deer with three antlers, but at this point I couldn't care. Don't get me wrong, I was glad that I hadn't encountered any more of the natives, but I was still bored out of my mind.
Perhaps I was acting up because I was still quite hungry, that was a good excuse to munch down on some more goodies. But before I could do that, I heard a faint sound of clopping.
Wait, clopping? Clopping means horses, horses means carriage, carriage means people! But what if they were just like the bunny? I ran to the bushes as fast as I could, ducking inside and waiting for the oncomers to reveal who they were. Worst case scenario; I follow where they go, a nice way to describe stalking.
The clopping of hooves came closer and closer to me. I didn't have to wait for long until I saw a sight that made my heart skip a beat; an entire caravan carried by two horses at the front, best part? They passengers were human. I know that sounded racist, specie-ist? But you know what? I didn't care, I was saved.
I got out of my hiding spot which was behind a random tree, waiting at the side of the road. "Hey!" I called out to them, waving a hand.
The driver immediately stopped the horses, there was some chattering amongst them before a group of eight people hopped out of the back, carrying weapons that could probably cut flesh like a hot knife through butter.
Do you ever have these moments where you die inside and think to yourself, "Haha, I'm in danger!" That was me. I was so happy to see other people that I hadn't even considered the possibility that they weren't the friendly type. Bandits, criminals, rapists, human traffickers, plain psychopaths, etc, they could've been any one of those or a combination of all. The moment I realized that I put my hands up, with a heavy pack like mine they'd be able to catch up without a sweat. Also, they were likely more fit than me, a fact I wasn't that ashamed of.
"Why we stoppin'- who the fuck is this?" one of the men asked.
The group consisted of five men and three women; two of the men had spears, one held a shield in one hand and a shortsword in the other, another one was kitted in full plate armor, and the fifth had a longbow, weirdly enough his ears were sharp and pointy- that's a fucking elf, of course. One woman wore robes that covered her from head to toe, the second one held a fireball at the ready and the third had a belt of potions around her waist. They were all staring at me, clearly ready for a fight, one that I was definitely looking to avoid.
"Uhhh… hey?" I gave a friendly wave and an awkward smile.
In response, they raised their weapons at me. Okay, stay calm, no sudden movements. Just play it cool man, you're fine. Explain to them what happened to you and…
Fuck. What could I tell them? That I was from another world? They'd think I was talking nonsense and kill me on the spot, no risks taken and all that. I didn't think it would come to this that quickly, but I had to lie. I hated lying, but what choice did I have? I took a risk, and it didn't exactly pay off.
"Careful, this could be an ambush."
"It's a fucking incubus, stay alert!"
"Incu-what? Listen, I-I need your help, I- '' the man with full plate armor raised a sword at me, a very long, sharp sword. One that could slice my head off with no effort. I was hyperventilating, I was on the verge of tears once again. You fucked up big time! You imbecile, you-
"Stop," the woman in the robes commanded, stepping out of the crowd right towards me.
"Gaatha, what are you doing?!" the elf said, his arrow ready to release from the bow.
Once she was in reach's length from me, she placed a hand on my forehead. Her eyes were closed and she was concentrating on something. Then she let go, relief washing over her.
"As always, my magic never disappoints me. It's alright, he's pure," hold up, what does she mean by "pure"? Did she just detect my virginity or something? No fucking way, fuck off. More importantly, what the hell is an "Incubus"? A bus full of incubators?
They lowered their guard at the woman's words, but still held their weapons at the ready. A heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders, so much that my knees almost gave out from the sensation.
"Who are you, stranger?"
"Also, mind telling us what in the Chief God are you doin' in the fuckin' forest of all places? I'm surprised you weren't taken with all the monsters roamin' 'round."
"Zack, I'm Zack. And…" I had no other choice, I had to lie. They'd think I was crazy, I wasn't! I am normal, yes, I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me. You got this.
"...I… I don't know. I-I just woke up here yesterday and, and-"
"Are you sure this guy ain't a fuckin' incubus? 'Cause I heard the same shit back in Lescatie," one of the spearmen glared at me, holding his weapon of choice tighter.
"Yes. Although it is strange the monsters haven't caught you. Wait, I have just the thing," the mage, I assumed since she said she could do voodoo magic bullshit, rummaged through her inner pockets, pulling out a gray, spherical object.
"Hold this," she handed me the ball, it was cold to the touch and hard as stone. Let me guess, this one would tell my size. Actually, I had a good guess on what this was, and if I worded my sentences correctly.
"Speak."
"Yesterday I woke up in the middle of the forest, walked all day long, met a bunny-human-thing that tried to get in my pants but I smashed her head with a rock, slept under the roots of a tree, woke up with a headache and here we are now," I may have gone over the top, but it felt good letting all of this out of my system. It was basically free therapy, but I was the therapist and I was talking to a mirror, something like that.
All the while I told them the short version of my story, the stone had kept the consistent, lifeless, gray color which shocked the group. By the end of my story they were far more relaxed than just a few moments ago.
"He's telling the truth," the fully armored man said.
"No shit. I'm guessin'' you need a ride, eh?"
"YES!" They all stared at me, baffled at my sudden outburst. I cleared my throat, voicing my request in the politest way possible, "Yes, I would like to ride with you to town."
"Great, got any payment?"
"Uh… no," this man had to be trolling, he had to be.
"I was kiddin'. Zack, weird name,'' I doubt yours is any better, Ay-Ayron. It was a joke, but I didn't dare respond. I had to be on my best behavior with these pleasant people whom agreed to take me to town. Ha, back to school again. Yeah…
Don't think about that, get to town. One step at a time, one step at a time.
Although, I had a question nagging me; how come they trusted me so quickly? Not real trust, basic trust. As you expected, I didn't say anything about that either. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut the whole ride and be done with it, heh, just like school- oh, fuck you brain.
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" The mage asked.
"Eighteen."
"Prime age for the taking as well. Do you even realize how lucky you are to be here?" She took the stone back, an angry undertone to her voice.
"Yeah," since the stone was no longer in my hand, I could lie freely. These people were dangerous. I was unfit, had no fighting skills or magic, however that worked. Magic, huh? I suppose the universe truly had endless possibilities. But I digress, to put it simply; I was weak as fuck. I had to lie for my own safety. However, I didn't have to fully lie. I could show part of the truth, and what's a little white lie here and there?
"Everybody, get on. We have to stay on schedule," the mage ordered, and we complied. Within ten or so seconds they were all back on the caravan. I was the last to climb up, requiring some assistance due to the heavy weight on my back.
Inside the long wagon were two benches at each side, the belongings of each individual safely stored under their respective seats. Since I was the last one to enter I sat down at the edge of the left bench, taking off the bag and placing it between my legs with a sigh of relief. Some of them didn't bat an eye, some were glancing at me from time to time, but I was being chill harder than a Chinese man holding ice cream.
Did I mention that I had zero social skills? Because the only thing I could do for the next hours was just sit there while the rest either kept themselves busy or chatted about their quests and kills and shit, I didn't listen to what they said. Although, looking back I should've, I could've learned useful information from them. What information? I don't know, do I look like a schemer to you? I zoned out of their small talks out of habit. Usually whenever I'd try to join in I would be made fun of and bullied, which escalated to me making them use their two brain cells to decipher my thought-out insults.
However, I didn't mind being excluded from their conversation. I looked out of the back, counting the trees I saw as the caravan going on its way. Big tree, bigger tree, green tree, greener tree, fallen tree, gray silhouettes darting across the shrubbery- wait, the fuck?
Before I could call out what I had momentarily spotted, I felt the entire caravan tilt on its side, ceasing its journey.
"AWOOOO!"
"IT'S AN AMBUSH!"
Oh shit. Oh, shit. OH SHIT! We were under attack! Everyone was on high alert the moment the driver had announced their call to battle, and in rapid succession they all exited the carriage, leaving me alone, confused, panicked, and most importantly; terrified.
I couldn't fight. I had no way to fight. What if the ambushers saw me? What if they were the types to kill on sight?!
Hide. I had to hide. I frantically looked around the caravan, searching for anything I could use to hide myself. Then it clicked, I had a blanket in my bag! Brilliant! Thank you mother!
I heard the clashing of metal against metal, the screams of pain, many curses being thrown around. I opened the bag as quickly as I could, pulling out the blanket I had used last night. I closed the bag, shoving it further under the bench. Then, I crawled underneath said bench, curling up into a ball with the blanket over me, huddling closer to the backpack in order to appear as if I was part of it. I know it sounded stupid, but I was under pressure! They were being murdered out there and there was nothing I could do about it. Weirdly enough, their screams turned into- moans? What?
"Well done girls, Mother will be pleased with all of you," a sultry, feminine voice said, followed by the cheering and cries of joy and pleasure- what the fuck is going on out there?! Why did it sound like they were having an orgy? The curiosity was there, but it was overshadowed by the fear of whatever the fuck they were.
"Search the back, someone could still be hiding in there," no, no, no no no NO! FUCK YOU! YOU FUCKING BITCH!
I heard them climb into the caravan, beginning their search all the way to the front, sniffing the air like dogs. I knew I smelled, but come on! It wasn't my fault. My breath was shallow and quiet, my body frozen solid as a statue under my improvised hiding spot. After a short time, I heard the sound of nails scratching against wood come closer to me, stopping just in front of me. I held my breath, pinching my nose closed.
"Nobody left. Let's move," they jumped out of the carriage, running away from the scene of the crime I had just narrowly avoided becoming part of.
"AWOOOO!"
Their footsteps became more distant by the second. After that, there was only silence with the occasional chirp of a bird.
I waited for what felt like hours, but was actually a few minutes. My cheeks were stained with tears, there was so much sweat on my body I might as well have been a fountain. Perhaps I didn't act right away because my mind couldn't process everything that had just taken place, or because I was too horrified to discover what awaited me out there. Everything happened so fast. I had so many questions, so many thoughts, so much fear. It overwhelmed me, like a trooper experiencing shellshock for the first time.
I had played many shooters, but that didn't mean I could stomach gore. I didn't smell any iron which was even stranger, blood and iron had similar smells. I slowly pushed off the sheet, glancing underneath the bench in case one of the attackers decided to become a smart fella and stick around for some reason. Adding more confusion to my stressed state, they had barely looted any of the people's belongings.
Crawling from under the bench, I brought the backpack along with me, strapping it onto my back. With quiet, cautious steps, I snuck to the edge of the tilted carriage, peaking at the surrounding area with one eye.
There was no blood, the weapons were left on the ground, stainless. How? I heard them fight, so it only made sense that some would be covered with blood. I hopped out of the wreckage, almost losing my balance in my landing. I took a closer look at the shortsword the man with the shield had yielded since it was the closest to me, the weapon was covered in a weird substance that smelled like rotten fish.
Wait… hell no, oh hell no! WHAT THE FUCK?!
It was just an assumption, but the dots connected, the dots connected! The moans, the fluids on the ground, the fishy smell. It was the only logical explanation! But why, what reason could they have had to do this?! What else were they going to do to them? I didn't want to think about that. I had lost the first people that I'd met to something unbeknownst to me, the only clue I had about them was that they were gray which told me as much as you'd imagine.
There was also a small pouch beside the weapon, inspecting it revealed that it held coins of copper, silver and gold. Money! How did I not think that. I shoved it into one of my pant's pockets, I had to stay on track. I made my way to the front of the caravan, its outer shell was covered in scratches and an arrow was lodged into it at an awkward angle. It was peaceful once again, but my paranoia was in having a field day. You couldn't even call it paranoia because it was perfectly rational to think as I did if you were in my shoes.
Once I made it around to the front of the ruined carriage, I saw something that shouldn't have been possible; the two horses were still alive and well. They just stood there, menacingly, but besides that they were fine. I almost cried tears of joy, this was too good to be true. I could use one of them as a getaway, one small issue though; I had no clue on how to ride a horse. But hey, first-hand experience is the best way to begin, right?
One horse was brown with patches of white and a darker brown mane, the other had a thinner coat of black fur, a splotch of amber on its middle part. I had to choose one, but I didn't know which one was faster. It didn't matter, I had to get away from here now. I went with the first one I spotted, the brown one. What about the other? I couldn't just leave it here to die.
I took the arrow lodged into the caravan since it was the only sharp object not covered in suspicious juices, using it to cut off the reins of both horses. Once I was done with that, I tried to shoo the black horse away, but since it ignored my attempt at making it flee, I slapped its rear while standing at its side, only then the horse run away. Satisfied with my increased good karma and social points, I mounted the brown horse, albeit with some struggle. I took the reins with both hands and…
Now what? I had no idea how to ride a horse. I was a city boy, who the fuck knows how to do that nowadays when there are cars, bicycles and planes? Some people do, but I wasn't one of those people. However, I remember watching horse racing on television once, in order to speed up the riders slapped the reins, hard. It looked painful, but maybe if I did the same with less force it'd get the horse moving, anything would be better than continuing to stand here like a sitting duck.
So I did just that, and it actually worked. The horse began moving down the road and away from the once lively caravan. I don't think I'd be able to ever forget this even if I wanted to. This was so fucked on so many levels, but at least I made it out, I escaped whatever faith awaited those poor souls. I'll address the elephant in the room; it was probably lots of rape, but I didn't have time for these hoes. I had to get back home, and with how "direct" they were, I doubted they'd let me go if they caught me. As a great man once said: "Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks." Of course not all of them are bad, but as another great man once said: "Better safe than sorry."
And so I continued my misadventure, alone again with nothing but a constant fear and the nagging thoughts in my head. The next few hours, just like the ones before, were devoid of action. It only served to unsettle me to the point I was ready to smack the reins as hard as I could just to make this beast run as fast as it could. By then the trees were even more spread out, there was little to no wildlife visible including the birds which was bizarre, just like this whole fucking world. Honestly, from now on I won't acknowledge any of the bullshiterry that occurs in my life unless it's something new. And now that I've given some thought to that statement, I'd like to retract it and say that every little thing is going to be a complete mind-fuck for me. When I get to town, what am I going to do? Again with self-doubt. Focus, you have to get back home. It doesn't matter how, just remember that there are people waiting for you. They may not know it, but you must return to them, for their sake, for your sake.
I'm referring to myself in second person, isn't that great? Yup, I'm doing perfectly fine doctor. What's that? I need medication? Okay! If you say so- medication, my prescription, I completely forget about that! I had muted my phone and watch in the morning in case the either alarm rang at the wrong time, I definitely missed a dosage for sure. There was a flock of birds in the sky, I suppose this region wasn't completely devoid of life. Why are they getting closer? And why are they naked women with wings- OH SHIT!
I flung the reins against the horse, forcing it to switch from casually "going down the hood" to "run or die". The effect was immediate, I began making a good distance away from the bird-women. Hey, how come there are only female monsters- Now's not the time for that brain! I glanced back at the flock, they had swiftly diverted their trajectory towards me once again, confirming they were indefinitely chasing me.
I averted my attention back to the road, lowering my body closer to the horse's back. I had to be close by now, I had to be. Why is my luck so trash?! Come on horsie, run!
"...-on't run! We won't hurt you!" One of the bird-women shouted, indicating they were within hearing range.
"Too much~" Another added, shaking me to the core.
"I call first dibs on mating!" WHAT THE FUCK?! I'M SEVENTEEN YOU CRAZY CUNTS! Okay, they didn't know that. But it didn't make it any better!
"Bet!" A third replied. I could hear her clearly, they were way too close for comfort. I had to get away. But how? There were little to no trees around so cover wasn't an option, they could fly so there was no way I could outrun them even on a horse so it left me only one option; evasive maneuvers!
I tugged the reins to the left, but the horse didn't turn as much as I wished. I could feel the wind blowwing on my back, their shadows casting above and ahead of me. In my panic I did the only sensible thing I thought could make the beast turn; I gave it a kick in the side with my left leg. It finally made a sharp turn, the momentum almost throwing me off the horse if I hadn't held onto it with my dear life.
The bird-women narrowly missed me, crashing into the ground with a small amount of feathers getting thrown into the air.
"TAKE THAT, BITCHES!" I swore, giving them the middle finger as I left them in the dust. I did it! I managed to dodge their sharp, deadly, horny claws!
My short lived victory was crushed when I heard the flapping of wings return, much more rapid this time. They could fly, of course. Man that's some bullshit right there. I pulled off a movie stunt and what do I get in return? A "you tried!" star.
"I'm gonna' fuck you till you're a mess!" A fourth bird-woman said, at which I snapped the reins once again, anything to force the horse to run like its life depended on it.
Not like this! Not like that! Why did it have to be me?! I'm just a high schooler for fuck's sake! What did I do to deserve this madness?! I just want to go home! I never asked for much, I always did what I was told. So why was this happening to me?! WHY?! And what are those walls?!
Wait, walls?
Around three hundred meters away, I saw my destination, the promise land; a town. The walls were cracked and worn down by weather and time, a gate in my current path. I was almost there, just a little more and I was safe.
"HEY! HEEEEEY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, repeating myself until I saw the two tiny figures standing on the walls notice me, one of them immediately began opening the massive, metal gate I was heading for while the other sounded a horn; the alarm.
"No! Not fair!"
"Don't let him get away!"
Two hundred. One hundred fifty. One hundred. Seventy five. Fifty.
Almost there, almost there. You can do it buddy, run like the wind. You're almost done. Just a little more-
"FIRE!" A barrage of arrows flew past me, hitting some of the targets behind.
"Ouch!"
"Owie!"
"Fall back! Fall back!"
The bird-women finally gave up on me. They were crazy for sure, who in their right mind would run, fly, right into possible death? Not me, because I'm not crazy.
The horse ran past the gate which fell down the moment I had made it inside. I did it! Wait, wasn't I still moving?
I pulled the reins back, making the horse finally end its exhaustive run. It raised its front legs in the air and neighed, attempting to throw me off. The moment its front legs touched the ground again, I excused myself and got off as smoothly as I could; I fell face first into the ground. The horse ran away to somewhere else.
I rolled over on my back, was the sky always so beautiful? The clouds had so many unique shapes, the blue was magnificent. I was hyperventilating from all the adrenaline still present in my veins, gradually breaking into a maniacal laughter. I had no words for this. Sometimes you can't express yourself in any way, sometimes everything overwhelms you to the point where the only option left is to laugh. If laughter is the best medicine, I might as well be the healthiest man in the world.
"Sir?! Are you alright?!" A guard was standing over me, a platoon of them behind him.
"Alright? Alright?! Do you think I'm alright?!" the guard flinched back, his hand over his sheathed sword, "Sorry, sorry. No, I'm not. But I think I'll manage."
I began standing back up, wiping off any dust and debris off of my clothes.
"So, how's your day been?" I said, hands in my pockets.
"...how can you be so casual about something like this?! Do you realize how fortunate you are?!"
"I've been told that a lot, but I guess I don't," that's only half a lie, it only happened once so far.
"You survived a harpy attack, a flock of them no less! That's incredible!"
"Yeah, that's the life of an adventurer," this guy was making me uncomfortable, I was missing something for sure. I had to figure out everything I could about this world and if this town was anything like the ones back home, there had to be a library that held all the answers to my questions, or at least as much as I could get from written paper.
"Ah, now it makes sense. I don't want to sound rude, but there is a tax for entering a settlement. It's three silver pieces by the way," the guard awkwardly rubbed his arm, looking away from me. He looked around my age, probably a little older so he had to be a newbie or something. Luckily, I had known that I'd need some money, so I gave him the requested amount without a fuss.
"Thank you sir. Are you sure you're alright? If you need anything-"
"I'm fine, really. This happens quite often, but hey, it pays well," I shrugged.
"If you say so. Welcome to Krosburg," he said before walking away with his platoon, leaving me to stand alone again, some people were staring at me thanks to my grand entrance, but I couldn't bother with them.
I was safe. I was worried that the guards would start prying in into who I was and all that, but no. I payed them and they went back to their posts. Was this some sort of common occurrence? I truly had no idea what was normal here. And if this was considered a relatively normal thing, I dared not to imagine what was abnormal to them.
Now, I had to find shelter. I think I spent enough time in the wild, I just called a house a shelter. Technically, they were synonyms, but still. I had a sack of coins in my pocket and had a feeling it would be more than enough for a few nights in a hotel. But what after I ran out of money? That meant I had to keep the river flowing, so to speak, and that meant that I had to get a job. How? Fuck all. I had as much experience in working as I had in horse-riding.
One step at a time, one step at a time. I began exploring the town, Krosburg, what an original and thought out name, I wonder what it could mean? I stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the other people around; not much due to my appearance, my clothes just didn't fit in the picture at all. Mission acquired: Like A Chameleon, buy a new outfit to blend in with the locals.
But that could wait for tomorrow. I couldn't check what the approximate time was since I basically had alien technology on me that I didn't want to show to anybody, so I used the sun's position in the sky to estimate that it was around late after-noon. I was so fucking tired, I had to rest. I was jobless anyway, I'd do everything tomorrow.
I asked around if anyone knew a place I could stay at, and after a few minutes I had found my sanctuary, my safe haven, my salvation; a simple tavern. Sure, its appearance might have been uninteresting, but what mattered was on the inside.
I pushed open the double doors leading into the tavern, being greeted by the ringing of a bell above the doorway. The inside was decent, the floor was kept clean and the air felt fresh. As you'd expect from a tavern, it had a bar at which people could drink their day's pay away. Behind said bar stood a blonde man wearing a vest, wiping off a stain on a glass, whistling a tune.
I began approaching the man. I was almost done with today, I couldn't wait to finally sleep on a regular bed again, showering could wait for tomorrow.
"Hello, I'd like a room please."
"Ah! Ay' lad. Don' scare me like that," the man said, placing the glass he almost dropped on the counter. His accent was thick, reminding me of some funny stereotypes that would be considered offensive by today's standards, not that it made them any less comedic, mind you.
"Sorry. So, can I get a room?"
"Sure, gold piece a night. 'Aven't seen your face 'round... you new 'ere, aren't ya?
"Yup, arrived just today."
"Ya an adventurer by chance?"
"Yes."
"Really? Aren't ya a lil' young for that sort o' dirty work?"
"I'm older than I look, genetics is all."
"...what?"
"Uhh, my family's all baby-faces, you know what I mean?"
"Ah, ain't that somethin','' I hated small talk. I don't get why people do it. Maybe I was just grumpy from the lack of proper sleep, but I didn't care anymore.
"Here," I slid three gold coins to the man, each with my index, middle and ring finger.
"Ight, 'ere's your key. It's the last one o' the left," the blonde man gave me a thin key, its shape much less complicated than a modern one.
"Thank you," I said, making my way to a flight of stairs right to the bar, a sign on the wall indicating that the rooms were up there.
"What's your name lad?"
"Zack," please leave me alone. I want nothing but sleep.
"See ya 'round Zack," fuck off.
Every step I took felt more sluggish than the last, but I was just exaggerating. Once I reached the second floor, I saw that the long corridor had fourteen rooms in total, seven on each side. Mine was the last one on the left wall, what joy.
I walked down the dimly lit corridor, opened the door to my room with some struggle, closed it as quietly as I could in my agitated, along with many other emotions, state of being, took the bag off my back, put it at the foot of my bed, took off my mud-stained boots and threw myself onto the bed.
I'd never felt better in my life. Despite all the madness that has happened to me yesterday and today, I was finally able to rest. I had earned a new appreciation for beds, they were fan-fucking-tastic. Whoever invented them should be awarded an Oscar.
I still haven't taken my medication today… nah, it's fine. What's a day skipped? I had gone through enough, I deserve a break.
Today wasn't easy, but tomorrow will be better.
Author's Note:
Here's the third chapter done. Writing a single chapter takes time because I double check that there are no mistakes and sometimes I re-write entire sections, plus I'm working on other stories.
Now onto the reviews.
graywolfjj: A good story so far keep writing if you have the time cheak out my stories and review them.
I'm glad you like it and don't worry, I'm not planning on stopping. I've read some of your works, while I personally don't like some of them, the main tip I can give you is to work on your grammar. I believe that good grammar greatly improves the quality of a story.
CrappyIdiots: Some Isekai stories here in this section are starting to dwindle, or rather go hiatus due to writer's block. I hope you wouldn't meet the same fate as them, especially you got me hooked on this. But I wouldn't impose you to upload quickly, take your time as much as you like and milk the every living shit of MGE original content(source material itself).
I'm glad you like my story so far. Writing whenever I want to is easier, but I try to write about two thousand words a day. I'm also thankful that you understand why it takes a significant amount of time. I might go on a break from time to time, but I enjoy writing for fun. So don't worry, I'm not planning on stopping any time soon.
Zerg: I find it funny that the MC is good at roasting, yet he gets thrown into the one place where words don't matter and will 99% of the time get you into extremely awkward situations or the HORRIFIC CRIME OF MAMONO HEART BREAK!111
I'm glad you also like my story. I won't spoil anything, but you've given me some ideas for future chapters and ways to advance the plot. There will be chaos, I assure you.
Your feedback means a lot to me, it motivates me to continue my stories and keep improving my writing. Thank you.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay safe and hydrated.
-FacelessUser