The Reason We Were Summoned Is…

Paul

“Cherry Rose!”

I reach for her hand, but I’m too slow. Gravity pulls her away from me, and I watch in 0.5 x speed as her head hits the side of the cliff and she tumbles overhead. My heart feels like it’s being ripped in half – I can’t just stand here!

So without thinking, I leap over the cliff after her.

And… now we’re both falling off the side of a mountain… good job Paul…

Gravity caresses my body, then slams me into the rocks.

OUCH!

I tumble overhead.

WAIT! I have magic!

“Shield us!”

I’m starting to learn that this world’s magic executes exactly what you’re thinking at the instant you speak an incantation. So when I shout ‘Shield us!’, what is running through my mind is a giant inflatable hamster ball. But I also realize that the mana has to be pulled from the earth, and since I don’t have good contact with the ground at this instant, the energy sparks into my hands like a sputtering short circuit.

The result?

Cherry Rose and I are engulfed in flimsy square bubbles.

This – tumble – ouch

Is – tumble – ouch

NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING!

The ride down the side of the cliff is therefore a rather bumpy and uncomfortable one. But we make it to the bottom of the cliff in one piece, which counts for something I guess. I try to climb out of the square, but the bubble pops, which throws me off balance. I collapse on the swirling ground-

I feel… like… I might get… sick…

-then proceed to vomit.

“Paul, are you okay?” Cherry Rose asks.

I wipe the sourness from my lips.

“Never been better,” I reply. “How are you not-”

“Oh, it was like tumbling,” Cherry Rose says, smiling. “I guess I’m used to spinning in circles from cheer, he he.”

Oh, right. Meanwhile I couldn’t even keep my lunch down on the kiddie coaster back in Wonderland.

Cherry Rose helps me to my feet, and we begin walking through the small pasture that bleeds into the city. We wind between smooth beige stone buildings, two stories high with shops on the first floor and housing above. Vendors shout at us, shoving spices and scarves and sacks of grain in our face from their rainbow booths. I can’t stop staring at all the magical people around us– fairies, elves, beasts, witches, some people even have pointed teeth, meaning they’re vampires!

Paul hardcore crushes on vampires…

The grin on my face is uncontrollable – it’s all too much to take in! Who knew a world could be so beautiful?

“Paul.”

I turn. Cherry Rose is a few steps behind me, and a crowd is growing around her, pointing fingers. I push a beast person aside and grab Cherry Rose’s hand.

“Is this creature yours?” an elf asks.

“Yes, well, she’s not mine, she’s just with me,” I say.

“How did you tame one?” a witch asks.

“Where did you find it?”

“What tricks can it do?”

I pull Cherry Rose out of the crowd, and we take off running down the street, hand in hand. More people stare at us – at her – so I pull her into a shadowed alley. She plops on the ground and begins crying.

“Why are they all staring at me?” she says. “Am I really that ugly?”

“Of course not,” I say, seeking to comfort her.

But, why are they all so interested in her –

It clicks.

“It’s because you’re the only ogre here,” I say, replaying all the magical people I saw. None resembled an ogre.

“Perhaps they’ve never seen an ogre.”

Cherry Rose wipes the snot from her nose and looks up at me with her big purple eyes.

“What’s an ogre?” she asks.

I want to hit my head on the wall.

Right, she’s… probably never played a fantasy game…

Wait, I know!

“You’re Shrek!” I say.

“I’m Shrek?!” Cherry Rose repeats, horrified. She begins to sob uncontrollably.

Good Job Paul, you made her cry…

“Wait, no, you’re Fiona,” I say.

“I’m an ugly ogre!” Cherry Rose cries. I decide it’s best to stop digging myself deeper into this hole, and take a seat by her side. I pull her into my chest and pat her stringy, rough hair. We sit, embraced, for some time. I watch people pass by, too consumed in their worlds to notice us, thankfully. But then the sun begins to set, painting the yellow streets in a soft golden hue. We need to find a place to sleep for the night.

I coax Cherry Rose to her feet and lead her through the streets. A short way down, there’s a sign for an inn. But when I ask the desk worker about a room, I’m faced with two dilemmas:

1. Cherry Rose is considered a pet

2. We have no money

At least for problem two, if I know what the currency in this world looks like, I can just make some with magic. That’s probably illegal though, so I’ll have to do it in the shadows or something, but at this point I just need enough to get us through the night. As for the first dilemma,

“Do you know an inn that allows pets?” I ask the desk worker.

Turns out there’s a pet-friendly inn around the block. After secretly making some copper coins in my pocket, I pay for a room for the night at the second inn, then Cherry Rose and I head upstairs. We’re at the end of the hall, in room thirteen. I unlock the wooden door with the rusted key, and we step inside. The air is musty and the room is small, but the worst part is, there’s only one bed.

“This place kind of blows,” Cherry Rose says, taking a seat on the bed. “Like, who in their right mind would pair navy curtains with a maroon comforter?”

I close the room door and take a seat in the linen recliner in the corner. It’s not the most comfortable chair, but it’ll be better than sleeping on the streets.

“The desk clerk said the washroom was at the end of the hall,” I say. “You can go clean up first.”

I collect a towel from the dresser drawer, then walk Cherry Rose down the hall to the washroom. It’s a small, tiled room with a large metal basin, what I assume is a toilet, and a tan ceramic sink. After helping Cherry Rose figure out the controls on the basin’s water faucet, I head back to the room and plop down on the bed.

This is going to be an adventure.

I feel like Cherry Rose is taking a long time in the washroom, so eventually I walk down to the end of the hall and knock on the door. She immediately comes out, her eyes puffy like she’s been crying.

I should say something to cheer her up. But, what can I say?

We head back to the hotel room and settle in for the night. Cherry Rose insists I can sleep in the bed with her – she says she doesn’t mind – but honestly the bed is kind of too small for two people, so I insist on sleeping in the recliner.

The next morning, I clean up in the washroom, then Cherry Rose and I check out of the inn and begin wandering the streets. The first task is finding a job – perhaps there’s an adventurer’s guild around here, that would be the easiest way to make some cash quick. Next, we’ll need to find a library or school that teaches about magic so I can understand the rules for how this world works. Then –

“Paul, look!”

Cherry Rose has stopped in front of a shop window, her eyes sparkling like stars. I walk over to see what has captivated her attention. In the shop window is a puffy pink dress, the kind that reminds me of a Wonderland princess. This particular dress has scintillating stones adorning the bottom skirt, and a tight corset that flows up into a curved neckline that seems kind of low on the mannequin.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Cherry Rose asks. I’m suddenly aware of what she’s wearing – a dirty pink shirt with holes and green linen shorts that barely reach her knees. Oh, and she’s barefoot. I should make her some clothes and shoes – but, I need to understand how this world’s mana works first. Ever since making those coins last night, my hands have had this uncontrollable itch. For the time being, I don’t want to use any magic unless I have to.

“We can see about making some money, and then we can buy it,” I say. Cherry Rose turns to me, amazed.

“We need money?” she asks. “Can you like, just make some with your magic?”

“I… don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s probably a forbidden magic or something.”

“Hey!”

I look down and see a dwarf staring up at me. He’s sporting a long white beard and a nice-looking gray jacket with gold buttons. He reaches up, handing me something. I lower my hand, and he places a copper coin in my palm.

“Why are you giving me this?” I say, confused.

“Aren’t you taking donations for showing off the beast?” he says, pointing to Cherry Rose. “Everyone is talking about the nobleman who tamed the ogre.”

But, she’s not a beast, she’s just Cherry Rose –

“Although, it would be cooler if it could do tricks,” the dwarf says, then before I can respond, he’s disappeared into the crowd.

What… just happened… I TALKED TO A DWARF?!

“That’s it!” Cherry Rose exclaims. She grabs my other hand and drags me through the winding streets.

“Cherry Rose, where are we going?” I say. Eventually, she stops near a large fountain in the center of a grand plaza. I watch as she jumps up onto the edge of the fountain and strikes a pose. Some people have turned to see what we are doing.

“Get ready to collect all the money Paul,” Cherry Rose says, then to my amazement, she breaks out into a cheerleading routine. More people turn at the sound of her shouts, then migrate towards us to watch. Even in a body that is vastly different from her petite human form, Cherry Rose hits all the moves perfectly and precisely. When she’s finished, the small crowd that has gathered applauds, and people begin to hand me money. Before I know it, my hands are overflowing with copper and even a few silver coins. Cherry Rose hops down from the edge of the fountain.

“That was genius!” I say. “We should have enough now for a room tonight!”

“What about my dress?” Cherry Rose asks. “How much do we need for that?”

She’s… worried about the dress?

I count the coins in my palms.

“Well, considering we need money for a room and food, I’d say…”

I hand her a single copper coin.

“This is what we’ve made that can go towards your dress.”

Cherry Rose’s face lights up with excitement.

“How much is this worth?” she asks. “Can I buy the dress with this?”

“Uh… probably not,” I say. Cherry Rose frowns. “But don’t worry, after we get some breakfast, you can do another performance and we can make some more money.”

We find a pastry cart at the edge of the plaza and use the copper coins to purchase breakfast and fruit drinks. To my delight, the yellow puff pastry is sweet like a donut and the fruit drink reminds me of orange juice, but more tart. After a short break, we head back to the fountain and Cherry Rose cheers again. I take off one of my boots and use it as a collection cup for donations. Many people stop to watch Cherry Rose dance, but we don’t make nearly as much money as we did for the first performance. Around lunchtime, we break for kabobs, then entertain the crowds for the remainder of the afternoon. When twilight comes, we head back to the pet-friendly inn. We’ve made enough money that I can pay for a room with two beds for an entire week.

The next few days are the same – Cherry Rose cheers in the town square and I collect the coins people give us as donations. I even used a little of the extra money to purchase a hip bag to hold all the coins we get. But by the third day, the donations dry up as everyone has grown board of Cherry Rose’s performances.

“I need a new outfit,” Cherry Rose says that night in the hotel room. “If I can get something that is flashy and flowy, it will help define my dance moves and add some pizzazz.”

So the next day, while she is performing, I slip through the crowd to one of the surrounding tailor shops. When I return to the plaza sometime later, I find Cherry Rose crying on the edge of the fountain. She looks up, sees me, and leaps into my arms, causing me to drop the bag.

“Cherry Rose, what’s wrong?” I ask.

“I thought you left me!” she says through tears.

Oh. I guess I should have told her I was stepping away for a bit.

I gently wrap my arms around her.

“I promised I’d never leave you,” I say. “I had to go get you something. Here.” I reach down and pick up the paper bag, then hand it to her. Curious, she pulls out the garment, and her eyes light up like fireflies.

“Oh Paul, it’s perfect!”

We hurry back to the inn. I wait in the hallway while Cherry Rose changes in our room. When she opens the door, my heart skips a beat. The flowy purple gown compliments her green complexion perfectly, and the cut of the fabric shapes her curves elegantly. The flower headband adds a much-needed pop of color to her gray hair, and the ribbons that hang down on the sides frame her round cheeks. Even better, the pink shoes fit her large feet perfectly! She’s starting to look more like the cherry blossom she is.

“What do you think?” she asks nervously.

“I think it’s perfect,” I say. “Come on, let’s see what everyone else thinks.” I take her hand and lead her down the stairway. But as we exit the inn, someone grabs my shoulder. I turn and see a young boy dressed in a fancy white and gold uniform with knee-high black boots, holding a scroll.

“Are you the mysterious nobleman who tamed the ogre?” he asks.

“Hi!” Cherry Rose says, smiling. The boy is startled for a second by Cherry Rose, but quickly conceals his nerves and hands me the scroll.

“Sir, you have been summoned by the Great Him,” the boy says. “Please allow me to escort you to the Grand Castle of Olagåshia.”

Cherry Rose

Paul said the boy told him we were being summoned to the castle of this world. How exciting! I bet the king or whoever wants me to perform shows for him – that would totes be cool, I’ve always wanted to live in a castle. But like, we keep following the messenger boy for ages, and my feet are hurting in these new shoes. I’m going to have blisters for sure!

Eventually, we march up a steep hill and arrive at the grand golden gates to the castle. It’s a lovely place made of snow-colored stone with flowering trees and bushes dotting the landscape; I feel like a princess as the tall auburn doors open and we step into a snow-white marble cathedral. I gasp. The long hallway is flanked by artisan marble columns, and between the pillars, rainbow-stained glass windows glisten from the sunlight.

OMG this is totes like, way prettier than Buckingham Palace!

“This way,” Paul says, taking my hand. We follow the messenger boy up a grand spiraling staircase, then weave through narrow hallways decorated with gold and silver tapestries, until we finally reach a plum-colored double door. The messenger boy knocks, and an old man in a pointed denim blue hat opens the door. His beard is silver and matted, with hella dead ends that extend all the way to the floor. He speaks some funny words that only Paul understands, and we step into a circular room cluttered with books, bottles, jars and –

EW IS THAT A DEAD RAT?!

I scream and point at the mummified body. Paul says something to the old man. He laughs, then walks over and covers the hideous thing with an indigo cloth. The old man motions for us to sit in two celeste chairs, then takes a seat himself on a wooden stool across from us. The old man and Paul go back in forth, speaking in funny words, then Paul turns to me and says:

“Get ready Cherry Rose, he’s going to tell us a story!”

Oh, how exciting, story time!

The old man clears his throat, takes a breath, and begins to talk.

…in a language I can’t understand…

The old man talks for a long time. I entertain myself by looking around. There must be hundreds of books, mostly on wooden shelves but several strewn across an oak-colored table at the far end of the room. Beige papers and a rack of feather pens also sit on the table, along with a curved bottle of rogue liquid. Near the desk is an ebony shelf stacked with hundreds of glass bottles filled with colorful liquids of every palette imaginable. I try to imagine what the old man does in this room – it’s low key giving me Harry Potter vibes for sure! I start to daydream – if this was my office, I’d make love potions!

“Cherry Rose.”

I snap out of my potion-mixing daydream.

“We can leave now.”

The messenger boy escorts us back through the marble maze and to the grand exit doors. From there, we find our way back to the motel. When we get to our room, I plop down on my bed and stare up at the ceiling.

“Did you understand anything that old man said?” I ask Paul.

“Every word,” Paul says. “I forgot you can’t understand the native language here yet.”

I roll over on my side.

“Can you like, tell me what he said?” I say.

“Of course,” Paul says, clearing his throat. “Here it goes.”

Long ago, there was an ogre queen who fell in love with a human prince. She was worried the prince would never reciprocate her love, but she confessed it anyways, and much to her delight, the prince promised to marry her. But the prince’s heart was hard, and he had ulterior motives. On their wedding night, the prince slayed the ogre queen, completing a ritual that released a burst of dark magic into the world. The curse gave the prince incredible power, but at the expense of the ogre kingdom. Most of the ogre people were killed, but a few remaining were able to flee to a stronghold in the north pole. As the prince’s power grew, his army devoured neighboring kingdoms, swallowing up the entire continent and forming the kingdom of Olagåshia, over which he became the authoritarian king. To feed his power and maintain the dark curse, the king needs a constant supply of dark magic, which he obtains by segregating people in the kingdom based on race, creating a fruitful harvest of hatred and discrimination.

“Wow, that’s like, totes a really sad story,” I say.

“I know,” Paul says. “But, there is hope.”

The only way the curse can be broken is by summoning a burst of light magic that is so strong, it devours the dark curse. However, the people in this world have grown accustomed to the hatred festering in their culture, so that any good they do is always countered by their unconscious predispositions, especially their hatred towards the ogre race.

“That’s why the wizard believes we were summoned,” Paul says. “We don’t have those predispositions because we’re not from this world, so-.”

He looks down at his hands.

“Paul?” I say.

“I made you a promise, that I’d get you back home,” he finally says. “So Cherry Rose, we have to break the curse.”

I trust Paul. I believe him when he says he’s going to keep his promise.

But also, I totes get the feeling there’s something he’s not telling me.