Words For Words

A yawn escapes my mouth. I didn't think I'd be staying up late right after a Christmas party. I should be tucked under my sheets right about now. Instead here I am trapped in who knows where reading about the crystal stuck to my right hand.

After looking around this circular room, I wiped off the dust on what I thought was a block of rubble and found a glass screen on it. There are larger monitors all over the place but they all seem to be broken. So far, this screen and the large double doors are the only ones that respond to the crystal.

That said, I couldn't get much out of it. Turns out this place isn't as big of a deal as I thought. Or maybe it is, but it's not the kind of place where important information would be stored. Apparently the thing on my hand is called a 'facilitator gem' meant to help with 'gathering magic to open a path to the new world'. It's like a manual with all of the 'how' but none of the 'why' or 'who'.

Magic huh...

Maybe I'm adapting to the situation, or maybe I'm just too tired to care. I'm way past wishing this is all some crazy dream. I'm in a different world where magic and fantasy creatures exist. That's my reality now. I can only hope I'm still sane after all this.

That said, what I can't make sense of is how the gem got activated. It's like a locked room case from those murder mystery novels. There's only one way in and out of this place, the doors were locked when I got here, and the facilitator gem requires manual input.

Does that mean someone else entered this place using the gem, locked the doors, used it to 'open a path to a new world', went through, and left it open like a two-way door that I wandered into? Or is there an entirely different explanation?

No good, I can't think properly, my mind is extra tired right now, and not to mention...

My stomach growls.

It might be time to change priorities. Answers can come later. I need to eat and sleep soon. I'm worried those creatures are still out there, but staying holed up in here literally won't get me anywhere.

Tapping footsteps echo as I approach the doors. I look left and right, scanning the smooth walls of the corridor, still wondering how I can see so clearly in this place without an apparent light source. I brace myself as I tap on the screen to open the doors.

They open with a familiar rumble and I swallow from nervousness. Light starts pouring through from between the doors and the fresh air blows on my face. The sounds of birds and rustling leaves replaces the still and silence of the dilapidated room.

It looks to be around noon. No, afternoon? I take one slow step outside and look to the left. Nothing, no one, good. Now that I'm taking a closer look at things, I notice a large tree stump with both mushrooms and flowers growing around it.

Then I look to my right. Two pairs of eyes meet mine in a slightly different but very familiar situation. Again, the green leafy woman and the big black wolf man are staring at me in silence. This time they stand side by side and the wolf man is not pointing its bow at me.

Alright, let's start with a simple greeting. I raise up my right hand, slowly.

"...Hi..."

They had every opportunity to attack me earlier today, and unlike the orc, they weren't immediately aggressive. On top of that, they made no effort to pursue me into the building so I have to assume conversation is still an option.

I didn't expect this though.

Their eyes widened when they heard me speak. They looked to one another and the plant lady shrugged. She then got down on one knee with her head bowed and the wolf man quickly followed her example.

Before panic and confusion could set in, two floating screens appeared when I started looking intently at the two, just like it did with the orc earlier. 'Species: Wood Nymph'... 'Species: Wolfkin'... The 'Execute' button is greyed out for both of them.

The wood nymph is the first to raise her head. Her round black eyes and unmoving expression makes her hard to read. Being next to such a large wolf-man hybrid makes her approachable by comparison though.

"Gan-hyomun aras osren?"

Hmm. Yep. I have no idea what she's saying. It sounds like she's asking a question though. I don't really want to do the thing where people think talking slowly will somehow make a different language easier to understand. So what do I do? Maybe... maybe if I add gestures? I tap my stomach, open my mouth, and point into it.

"Food."

Now that I think about it, they'll probably say something like, "We're in a forest, catch your own food!", or something. Maybe it would've been better if I asked where the nearest town was or something. Damnit, why do I only realize I'm doing something dumb after doing it and not before?!

"Fwud?"

"Ud yap aed trisnu lect?"

Now they're asking each other questions. This isn't working. What if I draw it on the ground with a stick? Oh man, I haven't tried drawing anything since I was ten, that's not gonna work. Okay, what are the chances that we share the same alphabet. I'm not panicking. I'm thinking so calmly right now.

""Cho.""

While trying to come up some other way to communicate, they speak up at the same time and stand up. The wolfkin walks then leaps into the dense foliage behind him. Meanwhile the nymph walks past me. I get a waft of a flowery scent as she passes by. I look back at where the wolfkin was and see no sign of him at all. The nymph is nonchalantly walking away somewhere behind the building.

I guess for now I'll follow the nymph. Maybe my message actually got through and she knows where to get food. With a press of a button, I close the doors behind me. She turns to watch it slide shut and I look as well. I didn't get a good look at it last time I was outside but this thing is definitely bigger on the outside. It's fifteen meters tall with a domed top. Vines and all matter of plant life is growing over it.

Hm?

I look at the surrounding trees and shrubs. That's strange. The vines and plants on the ruined structure seems... different.

The doors seal with a metallic thud and the wood nymph continues walking. I pick up the pace and follow her to the back of the building.

Half a dozen bushes come into view. Some have big green flowers and a few have round green fruits the size of a tennis ball. The wood nymph approaches one of the fruiting bushes and extends a hand towards a fruit. As if handing it over, the fruit moves to her hand and changes to a light pink color. She then turns to me and offers the fruit.

"Thanks... I think."

I hold the pink round fruit in my hand. It doesn't seem dangerous. I think. Hopefully. Do I peel this or... I guess I'll try biting into it. Huh. It's like biting into a strawberry... but the inside is like a mango. It's juicy, sweet and sour. It's pretty good.

"Fwud?"

"Yeah, food."

I take another bite. I'm trying to enjoy the fruit but being constantly watched is making it difficult. Wait, I haven't even introduced myself, or asked their name. I mean she probably won't understand what I'm saying but manners are manners. I place a palm on my chest. 

"Ken. My name is Ken."

"Ken..."

I offer an open hand to her. She seems to have picked up on the meaning. She mimics me and places her hand on her chest.

"Sofi."

Sophie, huh. I take a good look at her. Despite being primarily leaves and having wooden roots for legs, it's hard to view her as a dangerous monster. There's a certain aesthetic to her body. Her leaves look almost like feathers and the way her legs transition from green to brown around her thighs is seamless. Her root-like legs also flow smoothly to the ground.

Wait, what am I doing? I've been looking all over her body. After she so kindly gave me food I start staring at her like some kind of pervert. What is wrong with me? I can barely get myself to look her straight in the eyes...

...

Yeah, no, I still can't read her expression. She's just staring right back at me, mouth straight and eyes unblinking. Now I feel nervous for a different reason. Then all of a sudden she breaks eye contact. She looks down on the ground, kneels on both knees, and picks up a smooth rock. She looks back at me and points at the rock in her hand.

"...That's a rock."

Sophie puts down the rock, then picks up a mushroom. She does the same thing and points at it while looking at me with expectant eyes.

"That's a mushroom."

Is she... trying to learn my language? That's weird, usually it's the other way around. I'm not from here so I should be the one learning how things work and what things are called. Sophie picks up a flower with big white petals yet to bloom.

"That's a flower."

Minutes pass and I've come to realize that Sophie has a one-track mind. She is relentless. The moment I describe whatever she's holding or pointing at, she finds something else to hold or point at. From trees to the sky, even the building I came out of. She even started pointing at different colors. At least I think that's what she was doing. Now she's making facial expressions and miming actions like 'hunting', 'fighting' and a couple other things while I sit here and give her answers and guesses. At this point mostly guesses.

But as interesting as it is playing charades with Sophie, I can't help but let out a yawn. The fatigue is really getting to me. It's been like what, twenty hours since I woke up? Sophie takes notice of this and pauses mid-action.

"Sorry, I'm... really tired."

To be honest I'd like to eat something more filling before laying down but staying up without any caffeine in me is just not working out. I gesture sleeping and she seems to pick up on the meaning.

"Nakat"

...? All of a sudden drowsiness hits me all at once. Everything's going dark. This time in the same way as falling asleep. I catch myself as I fall to my side. Then, I feel rope-like things wrap around me. Then, nothing.

...

...

...

"Ken. Visitors. Come."

My eyes open. Sophie? That was Sophie's voice. But it sounded muffled. I sit up. It's dark. Am I in a tent? No, it feels more like I'm surrounded by large white sheets intersecting one another. I stand up and press my hands against the cloth. No, not cloth. What is this?

Then it opens, all on its own, starting from the top. Moonlight enters accompanied by the chilly evening air. Stars glisten far brighter than they ever did back in the city. Wait... are these, giant petals? The things that were around me look like the petals from the flower Sophie showed me earlier. Did she put me in a giant flower?

"Sophie?"

I call out to her as the petals bloomed open and dropped all the way down, but what greeted me was not the friendly wood nymph. A hulking red orc stands with five other green orcs. All with serious expressions darkened by the night and lit up by the torches they carry. I raise my right hand, slowly.

"...Hi..."