Before The Journey

A week had passed since the kidnapping incident. Security in and around Aldelthorne Castle had tripled, especially after having found the bodies of the other criminals, all slain in their cells. Reports stated that there was no noise coming from the cells, but when they came to feed the criminals later that day, they had all been ripped to pieces. Even the bailiff, a long time veteran, was sick with utter revulsion at what he witnessed down at the prison. Magicians and trackers went to investigate the scene, but all that they could come up with were theories as to what could have done this, yet none of the theories they could conjure could explain how such beasts would get in and out with nary a noise. All that everyone could agree on was that, whatever it was, it likely entered and exited through the windows, but nothing so small could brutalize such hardened criminals, even defenseless.

Renji had been acclimating to the new world fairly well after his breakdown. He studied under the castle chef and his daughter, Tavric and Hestia Marlowe. His culinary skills transferred well from one world to the next. Many of the smaller animals were present, though there were many differences between them. Chickens in this world, for example, had a sack in their chest that let them spit out small fireballs. Sheep and goats had different horns, and were able to harden their bodies at will. These differences proliferated the fauna that he had seen thus far, though he still heard many names he did not yet recognize. When it came to fish, not a single one of them had been familiar to him thus far, but the basics of preparing one to eat were still the same.

He had been using fishing as a form of practice for his magic. By studying with Nemi, he had come to have a firmer grasp on how to more traditionally cast magic. Power words, gestures—all the kinds of things he was familiar with through his interactions with table-top roleplaying games, though his familiarity didn’t make mastery of the arcane arts any easier to achieve. No matter how hard he tried, he saw no way of catching up to Nemi. She was brilliant, gifted, and utterly in love with anything mystical—so much so that her enthusiasm had begun to rub off on Renji. Focusing on water and earth first, Renji found it easy to create solid structures with stone, but had a hard time manipulating it once it left the ground unless it was in direct contact with him. Water, meanwhile, was the opposite issue; he had an easier time controlling it while it was afloat, but he struggled to create a firm wave from the sea itself.

When fishing, he would practice his manipulation of water and stone by creating darts of each, and like a fisherman with a bow, waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. The first few days were a dud, but on the third day he was achieving consistent results. Aiming to catch a variety of fish, he would then bring them back to the castle and cook them with Hestia in her spare time. Many of the fish tasted awful, but there were a few winners. None had yet tasted like salmon—a flavor he desperately craved, but the flavors he did get were wholly unique to this world. Curing methods were consistent between worlds, which meant he’d have an easier time preparing meals for himself and Illyandaril for their impending trip.

While Renji fished in the mornings, by the afternoons he was sparring with Illya and Balam. He still specialized with the rapier, but he tried a couple different weapon types. Upon day five, however, he was certain he would stick to one-handed weapons. While he recognized the value of a two-handed weapon, or even having a shield in his off-hand, he desired to have the utility of magic with his left hand, and he began to practice creating shields of stone during his later practices with Nemi—and even further when he was alone.

The events of the kidnapping had shifted the attitude of the castle completely. The servants had a spark in them that hadn’t been there before, and most did their utmost to help Renji and Illya. It was likely they believed that the assailants were indeed servants of The Dark Lord, and they didn’t take too kindly to being hit so close to home. The knights were all apologetic, and each swore to do better with their work—and it showed in just how hard they worked themselves. Nothing escaped their sight from that day onward. Finally, King Roland himself was more resolute with his decision regarding Renji. That Renji had reportedly attempted to sacrifice himself to save his daughter told him that summoning someone from another world was indeed the correct play. It was a gamble, but in his eyes it had already paid off. He granted Renji full rights to the castle, dubbing him as a lord.

Renji struggled to get used to the new clothes he was given, but at his request the local seamstresses were quick to make the adjustments he wanted. In the end, he had a deep forest-green gambeson with some dark leathery brown accents. It was thick, and would serve as good civilian attire in addition to protecting his body. Shortly after donning his new favorite outfit, Mariel escorted Renji from his room, promising him a surprise.

Indeed, Renji hadn’t anticipated this. Brought to the stables, creatures that appeared to be horses were lined up, all resting and relaxing in their own way or calmly chewing upon some hay. “The king has asked that I bring you here, that you may select one to take with you. The Princess already has her steed, but it wouldn’t do for our newest lord to walk. Many of them are as of yet unnamed, but each has been given some standard training. Please,” Mariel gestured out in front of her, beckoning Renji to get acquainted with the steeds in front of him.

Renji had always been incredibly fond of animals. There was something about the company of beasts that made him feel more at ease than the company of humans—though that was likely part of what made Tiamat choose him to bestow a blessing. Mariel seemed surprised by just how well each of the beasts had taken to him, explaining that a fair few of them had been known for being anti-social and having bad temperaments. Perhaps this was simply one of the many little things that came with Tiamat’s blessings, Renji had thought.

He had tested and discovered more about the blessing on his own time. He was absolutely certain now that each of his senses were enhanced in some way. His hearing could catch noises he otherwise couldn’t—and from much further away. His sense of sight felt clearer, picking up on patterns and oddities far quicker than before, and he had even developed a form of sixth sense. It allowed him to feel things coming that he was yet to see, though it wasn’t perfect. When he told Balam about what happened at the docks, he suggested that it could be “sensing killing intent,” but Renji wasn’t satisfied by that answer—though chalking it up to his blessing seemed more plausible than anything else.

More than that, Renji felt like he was stronger in many ways. His stamina was better, his strength received a small boost, and his reflexes were sharper than ever. If this blessing was considered “minor,” then Renji could hardly fathom what would be considered a major blessing—the first person he thought of when entertaining such a thought was Illya, and her superhuman strength. He wondered if there were any rules, or hidden meanings to these blessings, or if it truly was all just at the whims of capricious and mysterious gods.

As he walked along the horse-like beasts, he noted the subtle differences. Their legs seemed stronger, their overall bodies thinner, but each had a set of horns above their eyes, pointing forward—not unlike the horns of a bull or goat. Notably, beneath the manes and along the spinal column of many of these horses were a set of scales, varying in color but each shimmering with a unique strength that gave Renji pause. However, when he got to the final beast, a mare, a feeling gripped him he hadn’t expected; he didn’t want to leave.

“This one. She seems strong,” Renji remarked, petting her head gently as he stared into the beast’s eyes.

“Are you sure? She’s quite old. She is quite stubborn, too.” Mariel looked over the beast with concern, one that had seen many who would try to use her, but always brought her back. “She doesn’t even have a name.”

“No? Then let’s change that. Let’s see.” Renji closed his eyes for a moment, before looking back into the mare’s eyes. “How about ‘Haru?’ Where I’m from, it means spring. Seems fitting, for a new beginning. Plus, I like the look in her eyes. This here is a beast that’ll never give up, no matter what. What is the name of this kind of creature?” An important question he had forgotten to ask sooner, swept up in the moment.

“A hoshirin. Legends tell of some of the oldest heroes riding these steeds to defeat The Dark Lord, some even saying that they descended from the heavens, riding upon the very stars.”

Renji wasn’t surprised by the fantastical nature of the legend, especially given the fantastical nature of the world he had found himself in. However, he couldn’t help but find himself interested. Just what would it be like to ride among the stars on a majestic steed? “Well, maybe we’ll get to make it happen one day, right, Haru?”

Renji spent the next few hours just petting Haru. To Mariel’s surprise, the two were getting along swimmingly. She wondered if there were beasts like this in the world where Renji was from, but she didn’t dare to ask. They had precious few days before she’d have to say goodbye, and watch Renji ride off into history. She wasn’t a fighter, but she would do everything she could for them now so that they may come back not just successful, but alive.