2) He's Going To 'Pig's Hell' For This.

Not only where Liam’s wrists bound and eyes covered, but his hands were put into thick mitts to keep his fingers from moving. He was gagged with a rag as well. What could they fear about him to go to these lengths to restrain him?

Despite Liam’s senses being dulled; he could tell that the fair weather from when he’d arrived in this world had shifted in the few moments since he turned himself in.

It was pouring rain as the carriage he’d been stuffed in made its way through town, presumably to the castle that woman had mentioned. Through the sound of rain and the rumbling of the carriage. He could hear some of the guards in the carriage with him whispering to one another;

‘I’ve never escorted an Eartherner before, are they as dangerous as they say?’ asked one, trying, but failing to suppress his voice.

A light, kurt clatter of armor comes from his direction as another guard taps his arm signalling him to be quiet. ‘Hush. Very few are dangerous. Just let him be.’

Liam had been sitting in some kind of small chamber, presumably an interrogation room, for what seemed to be over half an hour before being escorted by four guards to a very large set of double doors. They looked very regal. Most likely hand crafted.

The interior of the castle is decorated quite eclectically. Strange paintings, statues, and nicknacks. But it all fits for some reason. Everything is different, but nothing feels out of place.

A set of heeled foot steps hurriedly approaches from his right. He catches a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye. She was holding the front of her dress up to not step on it. It is the woman from before. She was soaked from the rain. Her black make-up was running.

‘I’m terribly sorry! I had some hold-ups getting here!’ the woman said in between catching her breath. Once she composes herself she gets closer to him and continues in a hushed tone, ‘Ok, Uh… We don’t have much time… what did you do back in our world?’ she asks.

‘I-I…’ Liam stammers. He was unsure if to answer that he was a construction worker or what he actually wanted to do; make games. She seemed to be around his age, late 20’s at least, so maybe she’d understand. He strengthens his resolve; ‘I made video games…’

The woman pauses with a blank expression for a second, before letting out a small laugh ‘Heh, hmm…’

‘It’s not funny, it’s what I did… or at least what I liked doing the most.’ Liam says defensively.

‘Oh, no no. Don’t get me wrong; I think that’s awesome,’ she says reassuringly, making him blush, ‘but I don’t think we’ll have an easy time explaining what that is...’ She takes a second to think while she rumages through her cloak again. ‘What did you do on the games you worked on?’

She pulls out a small compact with a mirror in it and begins to fix herself up.

‘Uh… mostly programming, but I really loved making art too, and music, and sound. And… well basically everything! I made games alone mostly...’ Liam said in a rushed manner, almost like he was on a time limit, which he was, but that wasn’t why. In his previous life he always explained quickly and simply what he did because most people’s eyes would glaze over and the conversation would end soon after, if not in the middle of his explanation.

Stunned for a moment she stares at him in mild disbelief before breaking into a smile of wonderment. ‘That’s so cool! I didn’t know they could be made by one person!’ she yells under her breath. Making him blush again.

A voice from behind the door rumbles bringing their attention to the large door in front of them. An announcement of some sort. Not long after the door cracks open and starts to creak as both sides swing ajar.

‘Ok, just say you’re an artist! They’ll understand that!’ she says with an eager confident look in her eyes.

In stark contrast; Liam’s look was that of intense fear. The only art form he considered himself decent at was… pixel art.

...

It’s a long regal hall. A throne room. Post-storm sunlight spills in from the windows and skylights against the light grey stone architecture. The walls and great pillars are adorned with red tapestries lined with gold thread. The symbol featured in the center of each one is of a creature he’d not seen before. Long planters plush with bright flowers and luscious foliage border the red carpeted path along the center of the room. All leading to a set of platforms. The highest platform in the center belonged to the king who was present in his large throne. The platforms below featured about a half-dozen chairs. Only one of which, the closest to the king, was occupied.

Liam limps hesitantly alongside the woman.

He leans in towards her and starts ‘I’m not sure if ‘artist’ is the best way to descri-’, but she cuts him off; 

‘It’ll be alright. I loved games before I arrived here. And I’m certain games look leagues better now than they did when I could still play them! So even if you’re not great, I know it must look way better than anything I grew up playing!’

Before he could retort, he realized they’d reached the end of the carpet. She holds up her hand and nods towards him with a confident smile, signaling him to stop there. She steps forward.

‘Your Majesty,’ she bows, ’pardon my appearance; I got caught in the storm on my way here.’ The king nods and gestures to her to continue. ’This is the new Eartherner who appeared in town today.’ She said with an air of grace followed by a pause and a quick look back at Liam, her face struck with mild embarrassment. She’s realized she never got his name.

With some quick thinking she steps aside. ‘If you may, please introduce yourself to your new king: King Elios.’ she says towards Liam.

‘Hello, your… Grace.’ he says as he bows with a lot of uncertainty. ‘My name is Liam Davis. I hail from… Vancouver.’

After what felt like an infinitely long pause. A booming, but gentle voice emanates from the throne;

‘Liam, son of David, from Vancouver. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You may stop bowing. I understand you injured your ankle before turning yourself in.’ The king’s kind demeanour takes Liam back a bit. He half expected to be executed after the first words rolled out of his mouth.

‘Bring Liam a chair!’ he orders as he gestures to a servant on the side of the room.

The servant brings out a large comfortable looking chair. Smaller than the lesser chairs on the platforms in front of him, but possibly more cushioned. As Liam sits; his suspicion is confirmed. He continues to sink farther and farther into the cushion of the chair. After what feels like an eternity he finally reaches the point of resistance. This seat… is to die for. Liam leans back into the chair and the spine of the chair is no different. It feels like being enveloped in a cloud.

Back in his world, Liam hadn’t sat in a seat other than his busted ass office chair for months. And his bed… well he didn’t have a bed, he slept on the floor. He had to throw out the last mattress he had because it had bed bugs and couldn’t afford to get another. He’d convinced himself; ‘It’s better this way! More ergonomic!’

‘Liam… Liam…’

The woman’s loud whispers and light shaking on his forearm snap him back to reality. How long has he been out? And when did they place this ottoman under his legs?

Liam realized the situation and looked back up at the king in absolute terror, still unsure if he’d fallen asleep.

The king laughs and nods approvingly; ‘I like a man who can appreciate a good chair! I often fall asleep on my throne as well! Hahaha!’ Should a king be admitting this?

A sigh emanates from the chair closest to the king. A small, older woman rolls her eyes at the king's admission.

She clears her throat and speaks up; ‘Liam, welcome to the Kingdom of Biel. I am Chancellor Lena Bo. We’re sorry for the manner in which you arrived here today, but not all people who arrive here from your world are good. So these precautions are a necessity for the safety of our people.’ she says in a direct tone of voice.

The king nods solemnly and chimes in; ’We will give you the benefit of the doubt though. You’ve made it this far because Lady Cecilia, our trusted ambassador to your world, has allowed you before us.’

The woman who’d helped Liam turns her head to smile and give him a nod.

‘Cecilia, what a beautiful name...’ Liam thought.

Chancellor Lena continues; ‘I sense your aura and I can’t perceive any ill will from you, and I do trust Cecilia’s judgement, but that doesn’t mean an Earthener’s intentions haven't changed in the past. So we have a few questions to get to know you a little better. Tell us, what was your occupation in your previous world?’

Cecilia looks at Liam and gives him a nod of encouragement.

‘I was an… artist…’ Liam eked out.

The king’s eyes lit up. ‘Intriguing! And what kind of art do you make? Painting? Sculpture? ...Something from your world, perhaps!?’

Taken aback by the king’s burst of excitement and fishing for what to say; Liam looks to Cecilia for answers. She’s smiling, she clearly knew the king would react this way, but he notices her hand behind her back moving back and forth. Is she signaling something? Her index and middle fingers are pinched against her thumb…

Writing? No… drawing? I'd better not say I can draw, that’d get my head chopped off for sure! Oh, maybe it’s just this world's way of signalling to hurry up... Understood, Cecilia!

She was signalling him to say ‘painting.’

Liam had to make a judgement call and quick;

The king seems very open to new art forms so maybe He could say video games? Hmm… but I doubt this world would have the equipment to make them like I did back home. And I’m sure if I said games, they’d try to get me doing some kind of sports thing, which I’m not about. I could make board games… but I was never a big fan of making them… Ah, right I could just say that…

‘I make pixel art!’ Liam declares with confidence.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Liam looked to Cecilia for affirmation, but when his eyes met hers; she had a look of mild disgust and her chipper posture had deflated.

He then looked up and caught the expression of Chancellor Lena, her brow was furrowed, but otherwise seemed indifferent to what he said.

But the king… had a look of child-like bewilderment on his face.

‘Pigs… Hell… Art? What’s that!?!’ The king asked, vibrating excitedly.

The mix of reactions in this room was tantamount to how people reacted to pixel art back in his previous world.