Another World

The cart pulled by the horse rolled slowly along the path through the woods. The trees were getting sparser.

“How did you get here?”, asked Violet and interrupted the silence.

Alex paused a bit before he looked at her and asked, “Where is here?”

“I already told you, this is the Forest of Findings.”

“Oh, why is it called like that?”

“Legend says a hero of the old times once found a weapon in these woods that helped him slay a monstrous beast and prevent a world ending calamity. After that the rumors spread, that you always find what you need in here, which naturally made a lot of people curious, and buttload of adventurers set out to do as the hero of old. Sure enough, all of them found something… most of them death. Back then the wildlife here in the Edgeregions was even more terrifying and dangerous, so a lot got eaten. Others fell victim to nature’s moods or diseases. It has become a bit safer in these regards since land development has started here, but now bandits and other scoundrels have been seen in these woods, praying on adventurers trying their luck... Nowadays only young and stupid people come here trying to find something."

"How old are you?”

“Twentynine.”

“Oh, so only stupid people come here too…

“Yea… Oi! Don’t get cheeky with me! I am young… but I’m not stupid! I’m studying the Magic Arts under one of the greatest sorcerers there is, and I’m quite the witch myself already! So, you see, there is no way, that I’m stupid!”

“Quite the witch…I see…”

“You…hmph!”, Violet exclaimed, glared at Alex for a bit and then faced demonstrative the other way.

He looked around and his gaze fell again on the staff with the amethyst.

He thought,” What is going on? Where am I? Magic? Sorcerer? Witch? This Staff?”

Alex blinked and looked to Violet before he asked, “You… can use Magic?”

She turned to him and with a smirk asked, “Didn’t you see me? Were you already out back there?”

“I… can you show me?”

“Sure.”

Violet touched the staff with three fingers.

“Ablaze”, she whispered, and a flame sparked between her fingertips.

Violet let the flame dance around in her hand and threw it finally into the air. The small flaming ball exploded in a small blaze. Alex eyes widened as he watched.

He thought, “This all is just like… just like… a Fantasy World! It can’t be!? Was I transported to this other world, like in a lot of the stories I have read recently? So, this is real? This is really happening?”

His gaze wandered a bit further back the cart, where bundles of herbs, some wood, and a few potions were loaded. Between them was an axe. The edge of it and the cloak under it were bloody. Alex eyes widened.

“So…I… killed… those guys back there…I killed … someone…”, he muttered.

His hands began to shake a bit. Violet grabbed and squeezed them. Her hands were warm. Alex looked her into the eyes. They were like two deep green malachites reflecting the warm light of a campfire.

“Yes. Yes, you did. There is no denying it and you have got to accept that fact. But, by killing those two you saved me from getting murdered and something which is at least as bad as death… Additionally, you probably saved a lot of people in the future from an equally as bad fate and you avenged a lot of people for sure. They seemed like this wasn’t their first rodeo… They got what was coming to them. You did the right thing in my eyes. It’s good of you to not kill without a second thought, but don’t let this get to you. The world doesn’t forgive hesitation at the wrong moments. Especially out here in the Edgeregions. Like Grandpa Barrik always says, ‘Killing is not something you should do, but sometimes have to, and if you do, make sure the bastard isn’t gonna get up again. You never know if there isn’t a Lich around. Those creepy fuckers are everywhere, and you don’t want to kill the same dude multiple times… trust me, after five times it get’s really, really boring…’ ”, said Violet, the last part in her best imitation of a gruff sounding man.

Alex started to smile and soon after began laughing.

“Thanks… your grandpa seems interesting.”, said Alex rubbing his face after laughing hard.

“Yeah, they both are very interesting… a bit strange, but very interesting!”, she said with a smile.

Violet let go of his hand and they both turned forward on the coach box. The horse pulled the cart out of the woods and a vast sea of green grass stretched out across before them. Right out of the forest there was a fork in the path. Without hesitation Violet directed the horse on the right path.

“You didn’t answer my question…”, said Violet after a while of silence.

“What question?”

“How did you get here?”

“I don’t know…”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I woke up in these woods and then I heard your scream.”

“Okay… And what brings you here into the Edgeregions? What do you plan to do here?”

“I … don’t have a plan. I didn’t know I would be here…”

“Hm… where do you come from?”

“I… from far away… you wouldn’t know.”

“You sure about that? I studied a bit of geography! I know all the countries!”

“I come from Österreich”

“Huh, O… Oe… Oesterreich? I never heard about that country, where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? Is it North? South? West? East?

“Well neither, I think… I don’t know.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“That I can’t say where it is… It’s complicated.”

“Then explain it.”

“You would not believe it.”

“Try me.”

“No… I’m not sure how things are myself, so let’s just drop this…”

“Okay… for now.”

Violet gripped the reigns a bit tighter and steered the cart around a hole in the path. Alex looked silently around. The sun was close to the horizon. As Alex looked at some funny-looking clouds he saw something which confirmed that he must be in another world. Three big moons were clearly visible in a triangle formation.

“Look! We are nearly there! That’s the village of Werden and I live right there on the hill.”, Violet exclaimed, interrupting Alex thoughts of his discovery.

Violet pointed at a small village surrounded by a palisade. Fields and pastures were outside of the defense structure. Violet steered the cart onto a smaller path between two fields towards a small hill. On top of it she stopped between four houses. One was a stable, the others were a smithy, a small tower, and a half-timbered house. As the cart stopped, the doors of the tower and the smithy opened. Alex eyes widened as he saw two more reason, why he had to be in another world. Out of the smithy stepped a small and wide figure. Way smaller than the average human but at least double the width. His long and braided beard nearly touched the floor. His face was covered in scars, and his brown eyes had a hint of crazy but also warmth. He furrowed his brows and crossed his muscular arms on his chest. The man coming out of the tower was the complete opposite. He was tall and slender. His face was clean, shaven and had very soft features. He wore his long and ashen hair bound back in a ponytail. But the most surprising feature he had were his long and pointy ears.

“A dwarf and an elf… now this is a fantasy world…”, thought Alex.

Violet shouted, “I’m home!”

“We can see that… and you brought a… guest? What happened? You are late…”, said the elf as he approached them.

The dwarf came to his side and warily looked at Alex. Violet told the whole story of what happened in the Woods.

“I see…”, said the elf as she was finished.

He made a small gesture with his finger and a small pebble shot from the ground right onto Violet’s forehead.

“Ouuch!”, she exclaimed and rubbed the reddening place.

“What do I always tell you?”, asked the elf in calmly.

“To always have my staff in reach.”, answered Violet quietly and ashamed.

The elf nodded slowly and then turned to Alex.

“My name is Yaeon and this is my grumpy old friend Barrik. You saved our stupid granddaughter. You have our thanks. You are free to stay and rest here as long as you wish.”, said Yaeon the elf and bowed slightly.

Barrik nodded and went to the back of the cart. Alex and Violet just hopped from the coach box as the dwarf came back with the bloody axe in hand.

“Boy… where did you find this axe?”, he asked

“I found it leaning against a tree right before I killed… saved Violet.”, answered Alex.

Barrik examined the axe closely and scratched the dried blood off the edge. Then he looked up and right into Alex’s eyes. A few moments they just stared at each other. Then the dwarf grumbled something into his beard, swung the axe around and pointed at Alex.

“From tomorrow on I’ll show ya how to use it.”, he said in an indeclinable tone.

“Well, first… Let’s get something to eat and then a good rest! I’m tired and I bet he is too”, said Violet and began to shove Alex into the house, before he could even answer.

Barrik still stood there twisting the axe around and looking at it.

“Is that…”, said Yaeon confused as he approached his friend and saw the axe.

“Yeah… look here is the nick it got when I clobbered the Armored Cavedevil. And here this is from a griffon beak…”

“But how? You… let’s say lost… it hundreds of years ago far away from here… how is it possible that he found it?”

“It is not… at least it should not…”