If I owned Faerun, don't you think I would be publishing my stories, and making lots of money? Ah If only.
Strangers in a very strange land
Chapter two: Recollections
David sat up, and stared around, for he found that he was no longer in his living room. He was in a building that looked a lot like a church, but the large seal on the podium was not a cross. It was a symbol he would not expect to see in a church, at least not in his life. It was the blue and red seal of Mystra
It was then that he took the time to look at himself. He was wearing fine blue and white robes over a suit of finely crafted chain mail and there was a set of white wings folded behind his back. Before him was a large mirror-like surface, and he took the time to see his image clearly. His hair was worn long and undone, and it was pure white in color. And his eyes were a deep rich purple; they shimmered in the low light of the church.
'I look like Yue from card captors.' He thought to himself.
David took a moment to look around and saw that he wasn't the only one there. A priest, wearing the robes of a cleric of Mystra, was before him, looking slightly winded. On his left on two more stone tables like the one he was sitting on, lay two elves. One was a woman, and he realized that, based on her complexion, she was actually a half elf. She had tanned skin, and light brown hair. She had the pointed ears of an elf, but they were not as well defined, as the second elf in the room.
The second elf was small and slight, probably didn't way more than 120 pounds. He had dark hair, and very pale skin. He wore leather armor, and a large long bow was laid beside him.
David then turned the other direction and saw one other lying on another table. He was shorter than any of them, but he made up for it in girth. David knew that he had to be a dwarf. He had fiery red beard that stuck out of his spiked helmet. And his black hooked and spiked armor made him a fearsome sight.
David turned to the priest, who was leaning against the altar looking a bit winded.
"Where are we?" he questioned.
"You are in a temple to the Lady Mystra, in Silverymoon."
"We are in silvery moon. As in the domain of Alustriel."
"That is correct."
"Oh boy. This is not what I was expecting."
"What do you mean my friend?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"You are Tev Seckal, The Angel of Death."
"Oh shit. This is very bad."
"What do you mean? What is wrong?"
The others, who were slowly coming around, stared at the two as the conversation grew louder.
"My name is not Tev Seckal, my name is David Anderson. Tev Seckal is a character I created."
The cleric stared at him in wonder for a long moment. Then he turned away, muttering, "I don't understand this. The spell was perfect."
The dwarf who seemed to finally have found a voice asked. "What are you talking about?"
The cleric turned to the dwarf and responded with a question of his own. "Tell me, is your name Liren Bloodhammer."
"Hell no, my name is Daniel Chills."
He then turned to the half elf, "And you are?"
"Gweneth Sanchez."
And he turned to the last one. "And you?"
"Michael Turner."
"Oh dear. It seams that my spell was unable to locate the souls who had passed on, instead it found souls that seemed to match those of these bodies."
David looked aghast. "Wait a sec. These guys died, and when you tried to resurrect them, you got us instead."
"That seems to be the situation. This has never happened before. I do not understand why it would take your spirits. Usually if the spirits are to far gone, then the spell simply does not work. It has never before taken another's soul. We must inform the Lady. She wanted to know what became of the four."
Before any of the four could respond, the cleric spoke a command word and vanished from the room.
David stared at the faces around him, faces that hid the people he knew. "So where are we, the outer limits or the twilight zone?"
Gwen glared at him with the eyes that weren't hers. "Lousy time for jokes smart ass."
"Can you think of a better time? We are in a very stressful environment, and this is how I lighten the mood."
"Point."
"So are we just supposed to wait here?"
Mike, who up till now had been standing quietly looking a little shell shocked, spoke up. "Well I guess we should just wait for the cleric guy to come back with a certain chosen of Mystra."
"Hmm, I wonder if she looks as good as the art work claims."
A moment later he had his answer.
Not only was she as beautiful as the pictures had shown, but she was a very impressive figure in person. She was of average height for a human, with long silver hair like all of the seven sisters. She was wearing a gorgeous gown of some material that shimmered the same color as her hair. She also carried with her the regal bearing of one accustomed to rule, that presence that always follows a true leader.
"You are the four that Jasten spoke of?"
"If Jasten is the guy in the robes of a cleric of Mystra, then yes." Replied David.
"I must admit that based on what he said, I have no idea how you came to be brought here, but I will tell you that I will do anything I can to find a way for you to return to your home. But until then, let me offer you a place to stay…
"Imagine, if you had told me then, that being a Harper would be this much fun, I would have laughed in your face." Said David.
"Yes, and living in this world has surely been interesting. Though I still don't understand how we can do all the things that our former selves could do." Replied Gwen. "I just sort of accepted it, and never asked."
"I think I figured that one out. I think when we were given these bodies; we absorbed what was left of the spirits that had lived in them. So we absorbed all of the knowledge necessary to function."
There retrospection was interrupted unfortunately by an incessant pounding on the door of their home. The two of them glanced at the door, and in unison got up form their seats and moved towards the door, Gwen picking up her sword on the way. They had set up a peephole in their door, and David peered threw and saw who it was, and gave a sigh of relief. He motioned to Gwen to put away her sword and opened the door. He then let in a haggard looking half-elf in studded leather.
"Zan, what are you doing here?" David asked of the half-elf.
"No choice. Had to come here. I needed backup, those bandits I told you about last week. Well, it turns out their leader is a well established fist fighter. I tried to fight him, but he wears a pare of gauntlets that he can block sword slashes with. That's why I need your help. I remember you showing me those fighting techniques of yours, and thought that you might be able to show him up, because he accepts challenges."
"I see. Well maybe I can give him a good fight, but just in case," David turned to Gwen. "Bring your bow."
Gwen grinned.
Zan, with his long daggers, David, with his gleaming scythe, and Gwen, who now had a massive long bow in her hand, as well as the long sword and shield she always carried. Zan was leading them to the place where he had run afoul of the bandits. And sure enough they were their. They didn't even bother to hide; they were just standing there in road, some sitting on a fallen tree, the rest, standing around. In total there were about twelve of them. One was standing in front of the fallen tree practicing combinations of kicks, punches, and similar strikes.
We sauntered right up to them, not even slowing. That's when they stopped us. Three of them, stepped in front of us. Two were small, and holding short swords, but the third made up for the lack of size, for he was a good 7 feet tall and very well built, and he was holding a massive great sword.
One of the small ones pointed to them.
"You must pay a toll to pass on this road."
David smirked at the confidence in the voice, "Under whose authority."
The one who had been practicing the attacks stepped forward. "Mine."
David turned to this one. "And who might you be."
"I am Solazan the fist. If you don't want to pay, you could always challenge me to combat. If you can make me give up, or beat me unconscious, you may pass. If you lose however, I will take from you what I will. Do you wish to issue a challenge?"
"Yes, I do."
"Alright, unarmed, or do you wish to use that weapon of yours."
"Unarmed I think. This is for more worthy opponents." David handed the scythe to Zan, and then took up a fighting stance, left foot forward, weight on the back leg, left hand covering the high line, right covering the low line.
"I will make you eat those words." Solazan took up a similar stance, but with his right side forward instead of his left.
Solazan came at David with several short jabs followed up by a massive round house kick. David ducked under the kick and followed with a sweep, which jumped over. The two opponents backed off, now with a small understanding that both knew what they were doing.
David then charged at Solazan. Solazan neatly sidestepped the rush, believing that he had dodged the attack, but that was when David fell forward onto his hands, and launched himself feet first back into Solazan. Solazan, caught completely off guard by this attack was sent stumbling backward when David's feet collided with his stomach. David sprang back to his feet, and again charged his opponent, who was too dazed to dodge this time, and delivered a massive spear. David backed off and waited as Solazan slowly staggered to his feet. Solazan then came in at David with a right hook, but David dodged underneath it, while rapping his right arm around Solazan's torso, and followed this up by lifting him up and slamming him to the ground, in a move that the bandits had never seen before. David and Gwen on the other hand, knew it as a "Rock Bottom." David sprang to his feet, while Solazan lay their, very much unconscious. The bandits stared at this, and all ran away as fast as their legs could carry them.
That's when David heard a strange noise. It was coming from the side of the road, near the trees. The noise was clapping. And a man stepped out of the woods. He was wearing clothes that were fit for traveling, but still very fine in make. And to David, he seemed oddly familiar. It wasn't the mans purple eyes, or his shock white hair, that reminded him of the past, it was something in his stance, and his expression that gave him memories of the past, which he had left behind.
"Would you like me to conjure you some ring ropes? Then you could give the poor fool a People's elbow."