Saesquar’s Return

“Don’t worry your pretty little head off,” the voice said. It sounded slightly … metallic. “I can’t hurt you like this anyways.”

Nia looked around.

“I’m right next to you.”

It took her another moment to recognize where the sound was coming from. My fucking sword is talking now?

“Now you’re asking yourself, why your sword is talking. Well, you managed to seal me in here. Congratulations.”

“Are you sure you should hold onto that?” Tom asked and pointed at the red blade.

“Wait, wait, wait!” The blade sounded panicked. “It took me a lot of power and energy to be able to speak like this and even more to have some kind of perception of the outside. I can’t move the blade, I can’t do any magic from here, I am powerless.”

“So what? Ram the sword into a stone and let her rust there.” Tom suggested.

“I don’t think she’s sword in the stone material,” Nia mumbled.

“Please don’t be so mean. I can be of help to all of you!”

“And what would that help entail? You just said you can’t do anything.” Sonja crossed her arms.

“Knowledge. Your little saint still doesn’t know how to consciously teleport, right?”

Nia turned beet red.

“And you can teach her?” Ralf asked.

“Yes. I think.”

They looked at each other and back at the sword.

“Can something go wrong? Can she kill us by teaching you wrong things?” Tom asked and looked at Nia.

Shrugging, Nia looked at the sword.

“Well, you can teleport into the sun, which I don’t recommend, but you can determine, where you’re going.” The sword talked a bit fast.

“She can teach me how to teleport and I’ll test it on something else first,” Nia suggested.

Tom looked at her for a moment. “That sounds sensible.”

“I don’t want help of a dark goddess.” Tina sighed.

“Let’s try. I don’t want to stumble through this world in the dark.” Sonja looked to Ralf.

The man shrugged. “I don’t mind trekking through this world a bit, if we’re going to live here, but I also wouldn’t mind having a shortcut.”

“Seems like you have your chance, Saesquar.” Nia shook her head.

There was a short pause. “Okay. I understand that you don’t trust me, but I will help you. Maybe I can still get all of you home.”

Nia felt a shock. A shock that was mirrored on the faces of the others.

“Let’s don’t get our hopes up,” Tina cautioned. “Let’s first see, if she can teach you how to teleport us.”

Nia and the rest nodded. “Good. Then start teaching.”

“It would probably be easier to show you, but I’ll try my best explaining. First thing first: You have to acknowledge that you’re overriding reality when teleporting. You’re basically rewriting the position of every molecule in your and everyone’s bodies.”

“Overriding reality.” Her subconsciousness had told her that that’s hoe her magic worked. “Does that mean I can change the rules of this world, too?”

“To an extent. The world itself will fight you and enforce its rules again, but since my mother is weakened, you can do it. Especially since you even have done it two times already.”

“I was pretty desperate both times.” Nia sighed.

“Your mental strength needs to be strong enough to overcome the rules of the world, the will of my mother.”

That’s easier said than done. Nia closed her eyes and started to concentrate.

“My mother also liked music, which is why a priests song are more powerful.”

“So my magic reacting to music was just …”

“Less interference from my mother’s will.”

“Great.” Nia rolled her eyes, closed her eyes and concentrated again on the monastery’s garden. “About lyrics I don’t fucking care, I hope my magic brings us there!”

From one moment to the next, she felt really dizzy.

“This was no less disorienting than the first time.” That sounded like Tom. “And what was that for a rhyme? Really, girl?”

“As I just said: I don’t care.” Nia leaned on the sword.

“Okay, let’s get our stuff.” Sonja said. “You still know where your rooms are?”

“Yes.”

“Give me a moment, I’ll get my stuff myself. I just need to rest a bit.” Nia felt as if she’d topple over at any moment.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Tina touched Nia’s forehead.

“What do you think? I’ve been drugged, stabbed, had an exhausting mental battle and teleported all of us here against the will of a goddess.”

“If you put it like that …” Tina hugged her tightly. “You did well.”

Nia shook and started to tear up.

“It’s okay.” Tina put a hand on her head and pulled her close.

“What a touching display. Tell me when you’re done, I’m going to work on my interior here!” Saesquar sounded a bit miffed. Maybe even envious.

Tina held her for a while longer. “What that woman thinks is none of our concern.”

“Thanks.” Nia slowly pushed herself off of Tina. “Let’s get our stuff.”

The rest nodded and Tina helped her move.

The monastery was really a total maze. It took them hours of walking in the darkness to find the rooms of everyone. No one had much, but everyone grabbed what they had had when arriving in this world. Nia didn’t find her old clothes, and even if she had, she’d have left them behind. They wouldn’t fit her anymore anyways.

For a moment she sat down on the bed in her rooms and stared at her old ID. At the picture of who she was before. And the name printed there. It … wasn’t her. The name didn’t really fit. It was dead to her. And the picture. It just looked wrong. For a moment she wondered, if she should leave it here. Keeping it wouldn’t help her in this world and in her old … It also wouldn’t be able to prove who she was.

What should I do, if I can bring us back? I’d basically be an immigrant to my own country. I need to keep dyeing my hair and I’d need to wear color contact lenses all the time just to look normal.

She sighed and looked at the others. Well, at least I have to get them home.

She took her bag and got back to the rest.

“Let’s see, if we can plunder their kitchen or something,” Tom suggested.

“Good idea. And then … Let’s see, if we can get home.”