Post by Saber on Oct 28, 2016 3:33:37 GMT
Heavy. He felt heavy.
Floating there in limbo, Darius blinked and lay on what he thought was solid ground but he wasn’t able to check. Instead he was stuck there, doing nothing but staring off into space. He wasn’t able to move, wasn’t able to speak, and wasn’t even able to breath. Yet his lungs, they didn’t burn. His body didn’t ask for oxygen and he lay there, flat, unable to do anything but blink. But the weight on his chest bothered him. It came in short intervals, as though someone was pushing on him? Maybe, but he couldn’t feel hands on him. It was almost like a wall was laid over his chest and the wall was squeezing him for one second, and then lifting for another. But he didn’t feel pain from it?
Where was he? The last thing Darius could remember was leaving the mountain and entering the city. But why had he gone out? He didn’t recall having to get food and the last time he checked, Hono didn’t need anything either. Wait, Elder Tale. Elder Tale was why. He had overheard about the game getting some kind of new release during one of his trips and had made a point to see what the fuss was about. Yes, that was right! He had sat down in a small computer booth after paying for a three-hour time slot. Then… then he created a character! Right, he had begun his character creation and had started making an avatar named… Saber? Yes, that made sense. But what happened? Did he fall asleep? He had eaten in the morning and he had not taken anything odd either. Had he been knocked out? No, impossible. He checked the room when he entered and even locked the door after putting the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob. So, why?
“---UP!” Darius’s eyes began to shift around as he heard the voice. It was faint, but he could sense that there was someone there. Before he could pinpoint its location or anything about it, though, it was gone.
“—UP!!” The pressure on his chest began to increase and the intervals quickened. The voice grew louder; it was a male voice? Maybe. He had been tricked before.
“-KE, UP!!” Louder, it sounded. Closer, but Darius was still in the dark and his lips were sealed. He wasn’t able to open them and call back. He couldn’t even grunt. What was this? A trap? Some kind of trick? His eyes narrowed and he tensed his jaw. Wait… he could tense his jaw? Darius glanced to his left and right. Then, he started tensing other muscles. Slowly, he began to be able to control more of his body until finally, he felt a shot. He blinked and then light flooded his eyes.
Jerking awake, Darius sat up, gasping for air as he reached out for something to grab. His hands flailed in front of him for a moment as he steadied himself upright and stared straight ahead. The light was thin where he sat but compared to where he had come from, he was blinded. Darius sat between two buildings in what he assumed was an alleyway. Straight ahead of him about ten meters off was a busy street. Odd, a street? The ground was cobbleston—No, broken pavement. What? How? Even the buildings looked old and aged. Darius blinked and clutched his hands. He looked to his right and then to his left, noting that he wasn’t alone. Two people knelt beside him, one a man, one a woman, both middle aged and wearing concerned looks. Darius blinked.
“Hello. Where am I?” Darius looked down at himself and noticed that he wasn’t wearing the clothes he had been. Instead, he wore what looked to be a bland and dirty looking pair of black pants that had four holes in it, and a filthy white shirt. It was stained in a few places and also had holes in it. Compared to the nice looking, handmade clothing he had just been wearing, this was a sharp contrast.
“Thank the Gods you’re awake. How do you feel?” The woman sounded distraught by the situation, but Darius wasn’t concerned with his own well-being. He was awake, he was alive, and he was confused. Those matters were more pressing to him.
“Awake and alive. Where am I?” Darius looked towards the man instead of the woman, his eyes sharp. The man looked to his companion for a moment and then nodded.
“Londinium, sir. You appeared out of nowhere in front of us after a massive earthquake. We’ve been trying to wake you for the past ten minutes.” Londinium? Did the man mean London? How was Darius in London? That was impossible. He was just in Japan!
“Impossible. That can’t be right.” Darius leaned forward and attempted to stand, but he staggered and almost fell over again. The man and woman caught him and sat him back down, this time against one of the buildings. Why was that difficult? His muscles felt sore and he was so uncoordinated. He hadn’t even trained in the morning. This wasn’t making much sense now.
“Here, drink this.” After reaching into her satchel, the woman produced a small vial. There was a tinted red liquid inside that sloshed fairly easily around in its container. Darius didn’t accept it at first, but after some staring he eventually did take it. It smelt like juice, so he didn’t think it any harm. He placed the lip of the vial to his mouth, tipped up the end, and downed the liquid. As it flowed down into his throat, Darius immediately began to feel better. He blinked and stared at the vial.
“What was that?” He looked at the woman and passed her the container. She smiled as she took it back, placing the cork back into the top before placing it into her satchel.
“A healing potion. Feel better?” Darius nodded. The two extended their hands and helped Darius up to his feet. This time, it was much easier to do. How strange.
Before he could ask more, though, screams echoed out into the alley. Darius looked towards the direction and his first instinct told him to run towards it, but he heard metal boots and shortly after, he saw four armored soldiers run by the entrance. Darius clenched his jaw and squeezed his hands into fists. A moment later, he felt a hand on his bicep. He looked to see the man holding and looking at him.
“Come, quickly. It sounds like things are already going bad to worse. I’ll explain once we get safe, okay?” Darius nodded and the three were off, the two leading him out of the alley and into the streets. It was chaos.
People were appearing out of large towers of lights in passed out states, leading Darius to believe he had come here in the same way. Those who were in the streets were poking at the sleeping persons and some were trying to wake them, but not all of the awoken were coming out of their comas politely. Some were demanding questions, while others were running away. Men wearing armor, most likely guards, were attempting to round up the runners and trouble makers as best as they could but some were getting away.
Little did Darius know; this was the beginning of a rough few days.
He followed the two people out of the city, passing a group of guards that ordered them to stop, and they climbed into a wooden cart. Darius was hidden beneath the tarp and the cart sped off, away from the city. Darius lay beneath the tarp for only a short time but after a rough ride, he was finally called out.
When he popped is head up, Darius find himself on the outskirts of a large forest with the tall walls of the city still in view, but well in the distance. It was probably two miles from where they were now but it was enough of a distance to lose any pursuers. The couple climbed down from the cart and the woman began to tend to their horse while the man helped Darius out of the cart. Darius got his bearings and adjusted his clothes, noting that the katana he found on his waist was still safely attached. He adjusted the strap holding it around his waist to tighten it and then stopped fiddling.
He thought it odd that he now had a weapon, but he was also reminded that he had chosen one during the creation procedure. During their escape from the city, Darius had also learned that he had a menu that he could access and it had several features and a large amount of information on it. In this world, he apparently wore the name of the avatar he had created; Saber. He was a Summoner, the same Main Class he had picked, and had the subclasses of Blacksmith and Animal Tamer. Both of which he had chosen as well. Those details, along with several others he had checked on during his ride in the cart, led Darius to believe that he wasn’t in Japan anymore. No; he was in Elder Tale, and he was Saber. It made his stomach feel hollow for quite a few minutes but after climbing out of the cart, he had no choice but to believe it to be true.
“Sorry about the ride.” The man said as Darius finished fixing himself.
“It’s fine. Thanks for the lift.” Darius reminded himself to speak English and used the Auto-translate feature of the game to do so. Fluent in Greek, English, and Japanese, Darius elected to pick the original language for Elder Tale just in case he came across someone different.
“What’s going on? Why did we have to run?” Darius had checked his menu for something that could tell him about the events taking place but he had come up empty. The menu did not contain anything except for how to play the game, what to expect, and information on his character. It did tell him how to start a fire though.
“We’re not really sure ourselves. We were in Londinium for some simple trading and were walking towards the market district when there was a huge earthquake. That’s when the tall light towers appeared, and inside of them were those like you; passed out and in odd clothes with weapons. You weren’t the first to appear but after seeing a few others start waking up, we decided to try and find one we could help.” The man explained what had happened to the best of his ability, informing Darius that hundreds of people were appearing out of practically thin air inside of the light towers. Darius could see them appearing from where he stood but they were decreasing in frequency now.
The man went on to explain that some of those who had awakened had actually attacked some people, while others were going crazy. There weren’t many like Darius who remained calm or didn’t spring up ready to fight. Darius found the phenomenon strange and thought of it all as a life but it wasn’t like he could deny its happening. He saw people appear, out of nowhere, and he had probably done the same. After the short story, Darius sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“Oh, I’m Marice and that is my wife, Anabelle.” Marice finally introduced himself, probably taking note of Darius’s distance to them. Knowing who they were did help, but Darius didn’t trust people that easily. Still he took it as a good gesture and shook their hands. They had got him out of the city and away from those guards, so the least he could do was not run off right away.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am…” He hesitated. Should he..? No, no he shouldn’t. Just in case.
“...Saber.” Using his character name, Darius established himself as Saber. The two nodded and smiled. Then, they set up a small camp and Anabelle started lunch.
Darius sat with the two, enjoying a small pot of stew with them and chatted lightly. The two were from a distant city called Margate. It was a peaceful port city and was doing quite well for itself. Marice had wanted to travel though, at least for the Spring season, so he and Anabelle gathered up some of their shop’s wears and left their home in the hands of a family member. Their travels had taken them to a few places but they hadn’t been in Londinium for a day before things all went downhill. After the earthquake had hit, they instantly thought about returning to Margate in order to check on their home. Darius didn’t blame them, as he would have done the same.
Darius nudged the conversation towards the surrounding areas and gathered as much information as he could about where they were, what to expect if he traveled, and any contacts he should look into. The two were helpful and even though Marice grinned at him, most likely acknowledging the Darius’s fishing, they told him as much as they could. Darius appreciated it and noted down as much as possible into his menu’s notepad. Before long, several hours had passed and the sun was going down. The three cleaned up the campfire and returned to Londinium, only to find the gates closed.
The cart rolled up to the gates and guards had pulled them closed. On the other side, Darius could hear shouting. It wasn’t the good kind either. The guards seemed on edge and had stopped three other carts and one carriage from entering the city before Darius and the couple had arrived. The guard did glance at Darius but said nothing as he informed Marice that Londinium was closed off for the time being. Marice attempted to talk with the guard and persuade him to let them in, but the soldier did his duty and denied entry. They were offered the ability to sleep at the inn beside the gates, though. Defeated, the group followed the suggestion.
Darius helped the two with their horse and cart and then followed them into the inn. Inside, it was quiet. There were dozens of people but it was silent except for light whispers. Heads were hung low, faces were hard or wet with tears, and the air was thick with tension. Darius wiggled his nose at the sight. He kept his mouth shut, figuring that would be the best way to go about things. He followed Marice and Anabelle up to the innkeeper. Marice requested two rooms; one for himself and Anabelle, and one for Darius. Darius thought about denying his offer but he didn’t exactly have any money. Instead he thanked the man and took the key to his room. They agreed to meet in the morning at sunrise by the stables before parting ways. The two went to eat, while Darius went back outside.
“Excuse me, Sir.” Darius left the inn and returned to where the guards were. The men in armor had been standing around talking amongst themselves when Darius walked up to them. They looked at him for a moment and then at one another. Finally, after a few awkward breaths, one of them addressed Darius.
“How can we help you?” The Guard was quite tall, probably six-foot, and his armor made him look pretty frightening.
“Sorry, but I’m not really from around here…” Well, he wasn’t lying.
“…but may I ask what’s going on inside the city? It sounds like trouble.” Darius motioned towards the gates, as well as the distant sounds of yelling and chanting of some sorts. It was weird, and didn’t sound good in the least. The guards hesitated to answer but the one who had come forward sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know a whole lot but---“ He started. Another guard grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered something, but the original guard shook him off and shot a glare towards his ally. The two men stared at one another before the guard continued.
“But, it seems like there’s a bit of an issue with people appearing out of thin air. A good number of them have begun to riot and it’s not safe right now for travelers. The other Guards are currently handling the situation and we expect things to calm down in the morning.” The guard gave Darius a light smile.
“Sorry, friend, but until we get word we can’t let anyone inside.”
“Garon.” One of the other guards spoke up, but the originaly guard only frowned. The others shifted their feet. Darius did that same, adjusting his stance so he could move back quickly if necessary.
“Sorry, but I have a question for you.” The guard, apparently named Garon, looked down at Darius with a saddened look. Darius didn’t like that, not in the least. Darius’s left hand twitched and one of the guards picked up on it. The man squeezed his spear, Darius’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I have never seen you around these parts, nor have I seen your race either. Traveling merchants don’t exactly carry swords with them either. May I ask, where are you from, Sir?” The guard continued to look at Darius softly, but his body was tensing. It looked like he was ready to lunge at any moment. Thinking quick, Darius remembered the name of the distant city; Margate. Right now he didn’t have any other options, so he ran with it.
“I hail from Margate, the port city. I came here originally with plans to hunt in the area but then the earthquake happened. I figured it was a bad sign so I left the city with some friends a few hours ago.” The guard nodded and then glanced in the same direction Darius had gone earlier when he and the couple had fled. The guard must have been on duty at the time.
“We came back because it had got late. We had hoped to try and find a place to rest inside the city with good food but then we learned the gates were closed.” Darius kept his ground and didn’t move if he didn’t have to. The other guards listened keenly and the one in front of him didn’t say anything when he had finished, not for a long, long minute. After what seemed like an eternity, Garon relaxed and turned to the other guards. He gave them a nod, and they did the same.
“Right, then. Sorry to have bothered you like that but I needed to be sure. Stay safe in your hunts. Londinium may not be the only place having difficulties and we don’t know where else these strange people have appeared.” Garon offered his advice and Darius took it with a smile. He said his goodbyes to the guards and then returned to the inn to sleep.
The inside of the inn was still quiet and Darius noted that his companions were already gone, most likely having had left to sleep. He took the motion as an excuse to go as well. He went up the stairs, headed to his room and unlocked the door. The room was of modest sized and furnished like a standard inn room; basic bed, a table, a window, and a small fire place for heat in the cold. It was spring time so it was getting warm, which made there being no wood in the pit an understandable sight. He wiggled his nose and checked the corners of the room and the ceiling for anyone trying to hide and then shut the door. He locked it before heading to the bed. Stripping down, he took a seat and opened his menu. He was a Summoner, and in his menu, there were several monsters listed. However only one was illuminated; the Salamander.
Darius stared at the menu to read the description of the creature and its effects, and also how he would have to summon the thing. It seemed as though there were no real requirements aside from the creature being weakened if they weren’t summoned with the use of an actual fire. Darius grimaced at the thought and looked towards the fire pit. Of course, it was empty when he needed it. He sighed and decided to try anyways. What was the hurt?
It was a mistake. Darius triggered the skill and watched a small crest appear on the floor. The crest illuminated, flaring a bright red, and then a creature appeared out of a small puff of smoke. It was a large, boar sized creature with a flaming tail and a reptilian body. It looked like bright red Armadillo Gilded Lizard with the tip of its tail on fire. To be honest, it was a bit scary at first. When it first appeared, Darius’s instinct was to kill it and he had jumped to his feet with a hand on his blade. Yet the creature just stood there, staring at the wall for a moment. It looked around the room, most likely figuring out where it was, and then it looked up at Darius. It’s head tilted and Darius noticed that the flame tail brightened. The body of the creature seemed to glow and it trotted over. Once it was close, it squeaked and its tail whisked from one side of its body to the other. Darius smirked. It was cute.
“Hey there, buddy.” Darius knelt down and placed a hand on its head. The scales were hot at first, but the Salamander cooled its body to the touch. Darius smirked and scratched under its chin, causing the Salamander to squeak again with a happy smile.
“Quite a big fella, aren’t you? I’m Darius. I guess we’re going to be partners now.” Darius smiled at the creature and gave it a pat on the head. The Salamander rumbled and walked closer before placing one of its paws on Darius’s leg. He chuckled and rubbed the Salamander’s sides and then its belly when the creature rolled over. It was more like a large, armored dog than a lizard, but it was pretty cool. Darius played with the creature for a little longer, giving it pats and rubs before finally looking at the time. It had become late and if he didn’t sleep soon, he would have an issue getting out of bed. With that in mind, he said goodbye to his new friend and desummoned the lizard. It vanished in another puff of smoke and Darius found himself alone once more, alone in a world he didn’t know.
“And I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” He muttered as he stared up towards the ceiling. He sighed, heavily, and then closed his eyes. His first day came to an uneventful end, but he didn’t mind.
Darius rested at the inn for the next few days and spent his time helping the couple with their material gathering. The three drew close over time and Darius learned quite a bit more about the world he was now stuck in. He summoned his Salamander when he had some spare time and hunted a few of the animals in the area, learning a bit of combat. It wasn’t much but it helped him feel a bit more prepared. The Salamander was quite the tough fighter and after Darius learned its strengths, weaknesses, and a bit about the creature’s personality, the two become more effective than they originally had been. Rather than just standing back and watching, Darius worked in tandem with his Salamander partner. They developed steadily but the monsters in the area were scarce and weak. Darius didn’t grow much level wise but he had begun to gather quite a few materials and gold.
After the first week went by, the sounds from Londinium finally subsided and the gates were opened. Darius had heard rumors that the riots were finally coming under control and a lot of the rioters were fleeing out of the northern gate. Darius and the couple were at the eastern side so he never saw any of them but apparently, the gate had been broken through. When the gates reopened, Londinium was a completely different city. Instead of being calm, it was quiet. People held their heads low and spoke in whispers. The people who had been called to the world were called “Adventurers” and it was obvious that they were being discriminated against. A lot of the “People of the Land”, or Landers, didn’t trust the Adventurers anymore and there were no helping hands reaching out when Darius returned.
To his luck, Darius was considered a traveler to the Landers and it seemed that the guards had believed his story. With that in mind, Darius took on the role of a traveling hunter. His name was Saber, and he was a Person of the Land now. He originated from Margate, a port city to the east he had never been to and had come to Londinium in search of monsters to hunt. It would be his cover for quite some time, and he would do his best to keep it that way.
Word Count: 4206
Floating there in limbo, Darius blinked and lay on what he thought was solid ground but he wasn’t able to check. Instead he was stuck there, doing nothing but staring off into space. He wasn’t able to move, wasn’t able to speak, and wasn’t even able to breath. Yet his lungs, they didn’t burn. His body didn’t ask for oxygen and he lay there, flat, unable to do anything but blink. But the weight on his chest bothered him. It came in short intervals, as though someone was pushing on him? Maybe, but he couldn’t feel hands on him. It was almost like a wall was laid over his chest and the wall was squeezing him for one second, and then lifting for another. But he didn’t feel pain from it?
Where was he? The last thing Darius could remember was leaving the mountain and entering the city. But why had he gone out? He didn’t recall having to get food and the last time he checked, Hono didn’t need anything either. Wait, Elder Tale. Elder Tale was why. He had overheard about the game getting some kind of new release during one of his trips and had made a point to see what the fuss was about. Yes, that was right! He had sat down in a small computer booth after paying for a three-hour time slot. Then… then he created a character! Right, he had begun his character creation and had started making an avatar named… Saber? Yes, that made sense. But what happened? Did he fall asleep? He had eaten in the morning and he had not taken anything odd either. Had he been knocked out? No, impossible. He checked the room when he entered and even locked the door after putting the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob. So, why?
“---UP!” Darius’s eyes began to shift around as he heard the voice. It was faint, but he could sense that there was someone there. Before he could pinpoint its location or anything about it, though, it was gone.
“—UP!!” The pressure on his chest began to increase and the intervals quickened. The voice grew louder; it was a male voice? Maybe. He had been tricked before.
“-KE, UP!!” Louder, it sounded. Closer, but Darius was still in the dark and his lips were sealed. He wasn’t able to open them and call back. He couldn’t even grunt. What was this? A trap? Some kind of trick? His eyes narrowed and he tensed his jaw. Wait… he could tense his jaw? Darius glanced to his left and right. Then, he started tensing other muscles. Slowly, he began to be able to control more of his body until finally, he felt a shot. He blinked and then light flooded his eyes.
Jerking awake, Darius sat up, gasping for air as he reached out for something to grab. His hands flailed in front of him for a moment as he steadied himself upright and stared straight ahead. The light was thin where he sat but compared to where he had come from, he was blinded. Darius sat between two buildings in what he assumed was an alleyway. Straight ahead of him about ten meters off was a busy street. Odd, a street? The ground was cobbleston—No, broken pavement. What? How? Even the buildings looked old and aged. Darius blinked and clutched his hands. He looked to his right and then to his left, noting that he wasn’t alone. Two people knelt beside him, one a man, one a woman, both middle aged and wearing concerned looks. Darius blinked.
“Hello. Where am I?” Darius looked down at himself and noticed that he wasn’t wearing the clothes he had been. Instead, he wore what looked to be a bland and dirty looking pair of black pants that had four holes in it, and a filthy white shirt. It was stained in a few places and also had holes in it. Compared to the nice looking, handmade clothing he had just been wearing, this was a sharp contrast.
“Thank the Gods you’re awake. How do you feel?” The woman sounded distraught by the situation, but Darius wasn’t concerned with his own well-being. He was awake, he was alive, and he was confused. Those matters were more pressing to him.
“Awake and alive. Where am I?” Darius looked towards the man instead of the woman, his eyes sharp. The man looked to his companion for a moment and then nodded.
“Londinium, sir. You appeared out of nowhere in front of us after a massive earthquake. We’ve been trying to wake you for the past ten minutes.” Londinium? Did the man mean London? How was Darius in London? That was impossible. He was just in Japan!
“Impossible. That can’t be right.” Darius leaned forward and attempted to stand, but he staggered and almost fell over again. The man and woman caught him and sat him back down, this time against one of the buildings. Why was that difficult? His muscles felt sore and he was so uncoordinated. He hadn’t even trained in the morning. This wasn’t making much sense now.
“Here, drink this.” After reaching into her satchel, the woman produced a small vial. There was a tinted red liquid inside that sloshed fairly easily around in its container. Darius didn’t accept it at first, but after some staring he eventually did take it. It smelt like juice, so he didn’t think it any harm. He placed the lip of the vial to his mouth, tipped up the end, and downed the liquid. As it flowed down into his throat, Darius immediately began to feel better. He blinked and stared at the vial.
“What was that?” He looked at the woman and passed her the container. She smiled as she took it back, placing the cork back into the top before placing it into her satchel.
“A healing potion. Feel better?” Darius nodded. The two extended their hands and helped Darius up to his feet. This time, it was much easier to do. How strange.
Before he could ask more, though, screams echoed out into the alley. Darius looked towards the direction and his first instinct told him to run towards it, but he heard metal boots and shortly after, he saw four armored soldiers run by the entrance. Darius clenched his jaw and squeezed his hands into fists. A moment later, he felt a hand on his bicep. He looked to see the man holding and looking at him.
“Come, quickly. It sounds like things are already going bad to worse. I’ll explain once we get safe, okay?” Darius nodded and the three were off, the two leading him out of the alley and into the streets. It was chaos.
People were appearing out of large towers of lights in passed out states, leading Darius to believe he had come here in the same way. Those who were in the streets were poking at the sleeping persons and some were trying to wake them, but not all of the awoken were coming out of their comas politely. Some were demanding questions, while others were running away. Men wearing armor, most likely guards, were attempting to round up the runners and trouble makers as best as they could but some were getting away.
Little did Darius know; this was the beginning of a rough few days.
He followed the two people out of the city, passing a group of guards that ordered them to stop, and they climbed into a wooden cart. Darius was hidden beneath the tarp and the cart sped off, away from the city. Darius lay beneath the tarp for only a short time but after a rough ride, he was finally called out.
When he popped is head up, Darius find himself on the outskirts of a large forest with the tall walls of the city still in view, but well in the distance. It was probably two miles from where they were now but it was enough of a distance to lose any pursuers. The couple climbed down from the cart and the woman began to tend to their horse while the man helped Darius out of the cart. Darius got his bearings and adjusted his clothes, noting that the katana he found on his waist was still safely attached. He adjusted the strap holding it around his waist to tighten it and then stopped fiddling.
He thought it odd that he now had a weapon, but he was also reminded that he had chosen one during the creation procedure. During their escape from the city, Darius had also learned that he had a menu that he could access and it had several features and a large amount of information on it. In this world, he apparently wore the name of the avatar he had created; Saber. He was a Summoner, the same Main Class he had picked, and had the subclasses of Blacksmith and Animal Tamer. Both of which he had chosen as well. Those details, along with several others he had checked on during his ride in the cart, led Darius to believe that he wasn’t in Japan anymore. No; he was in Elder Tale, and he was Saber. It made his stomach feel hollow for quite a few minutes but after climbing out of the cart, he had no choice but to believe it to be true.
“Sorry about the ride.” The man said as Darius finished fixing himself.
“It’s fine. Thanks for the lift.” Darius reminded himself to speak English and used the Auto-translate feature of the game to do so. Fluent in Greek, English, and Japanese, Darius elected to pick the original language for Elder Tale just in case he came across someone different.
“What’s going on? Why did we have to run?” Darius had checked his menu for something that could tell him about the events taking place but he had come up empty. The menu did not contain anything except for how to play the game, what to expect, and information on his character. It did tell him how to start a fire though.
“We’re not really sure ourselves. We were in Londinium for some simple trading and were walking towards the market district when there was a huge earthquake. That’s when the tall light towers appeared, and inside of them were those like you; passed out and in odd clothes with weapons. You weren’t the first to appear but after seeing a few others start waking up, we decided to try and find one we could help.” The man explained what had happened to the best of his ability, informing Darius that hundreds of people were appearing out of practically thin air inside of the light towers. Darius could see them appearing from where he stood but they were decreasing in frequency now.
The man went on to explain that some of those who had awakened had actually attacked some people, while others were going crazy. There weren’t many like Darius who remained calm or didn’t spring up ready to fight. Darius found the phenomenon strange and thought of it all as a life but it wasn’t like he could deny its happening. He saw people appear, out of nowhere, and he had probably done the same. After the short story, Darius sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“Oh, I’m Marice and that is my wife, Anabelle.” Marice finally introduced himself, probably taking note of Darius’s distance to them. Knowing who they were did help, but Darius didn’t trust people that easily. Still he took it as a good gesture and shook their hands. They had got him out of the city and away from those guards, so the least he could do was not run off right away.
“Pleasure to meet you. I am…” He hesitated. Should he..? No, no he shouldn’t. Just in case.
“...Saber.” Using his character name, Darius established himself as Saber. The two nodded and smiled. Then, they set up a small camp and Anabelle started lunch.
Darius sat with the two, enjoying a small pot of stew with them and chatted lightly. The two were from a distant city called Margate. It was a peaceful port city and was doing quite well for itself. Marice had wanted to travel though, at least for the Spring season, so he and Anabelle gathered up some of their shop’s wears and left their home in the hands of a family member. Their travels had taken them to a few places but they hadn’t been in Londinium for a day before things all went downhill. After the earthquake had hit, they instantly thought about returning to Margate in order to check on their home. Darius didn’t blame them, as he would have done the same.
Darius nudged the conversation towards the surrounding areas and gathered as much information as he could about where they were, what to expect if he traveled, and any contacts he should look into. The two were helpful and even though Marice grinned at him, most likely acknowledging the Darius’s fishing, they told him as much as they could. Darius appreciated it and noted down as much as possible into his menu’s notepad. Before long, several hours had passed and the sun was going down. The three cleaned up the campfire and returned to Londinium, only to find the gates closed.
The cart rolled up to the gates and guards had pulled them closed. On the other side, Darius could hear shouting. It wasn’t the good kind either. The guards seemed on edge and had stopped three other carts and one carriage from entering the city before Darius and the couple had arrived. The guard did glance at Darius but said nothing as he informed Marice that Londinium was closed off for the time being. Marice attempted to talk with the guard and persuade him to let them in, but the soldier did his duty and denied entry. They were offered the ability to sleep at the inn beside the gates, though. Defeated, the group followed the suggestion.
Darius helped the two with their horse and cart and then followed them into the inn. Inside, it was quiet. There were dozens of people but it was silent except for light whispers. Heads were hung low, faces were hard or wet with tears, and the air was thick with tension. Darius wiggled his nose at the sight. He kept his mouth shut, figuring that would be the best way to go about things. He followed Marice and Anabelle up to the innkeeper. Marice requested two rooms; one for himself and Anabelle, and one for Darius. Darius thought about denying his offer but he didn’t exactly have any money. Instead he thanked the man and took the key to his room. They agreed to meet in the morning at sunrise by the stables before parting ways. The two went to eat, while Darius went back outside.
“Excuse me, Sir.” Darius left the inn and returned to where the guards were. The men in armor had been standing around talking amongst themselves when Darius walked up to them. They looked at him for a moment and then at one another. Finally, after a few awkward breaths, one of them addressed Darius.
“How can we help you?” The Guard was quite tall, probably six-foot, and his armor made him look pretty frightening.
“Sorry, but I’m not really from around here…” Well, he wasn’t lying.
“…but may I ask what’s going on inside the city? It sounds like trouble.” Darius motioned towards the gates, as well as the distant sounds of yelling and chanting of some sorts. It was weird, and didn’t sound good in the least. The guards hesitated to answer but the one who had come forward sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know a whole lot but---“ He started. Another guard grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered something, but the original guard shook him off and shot a glare towards his ally. The two men stared at one another before the guard continued.
“But, it seems like there’s a bit of an issue with people appearing out of thin air. A good number of them have begun to riot and it’s not safe right now for travelers. The other Guards are currently handling the situation and we expect things to calm down in the morning.” The guard gave Darius a light smile.
“Sorry, friend, but until we get word we can’t let anyone inside.”
“Garon.” One of the other guards spoke up, but the originaly guard only frowned. The others shifted their feet. Darius did that same, adjusting his stance so he could move back quickly if necessary.
“Sorry, but I have a question for you.” The guard, apparently named Garon, looked down at Darius with a saddened look. Darius didn’t like that, not in the least. Darius’s left hand twitched and one of the guards picked up on it. The man squeezed his spear, Darius’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I have never seen you around these parts, nor have I seen your race either. Traveling merchants don’t exactly carry swords with them either. May I ask, where are you from, Sir?” The guard continued to look at Darius softly, but his body was tensing. It looked like he was ready to lunge at any moment. Thinking quick, Darius remembered the name of the distant city; Margate. Right now he didn’t have any other options, so he ran with it.
“I hail from Margate, the port city. I came here originally with plans to hunt in the area but then the earthquake happened. I figured it was a bad sign so I left the city with some friends a few hours ago.” The guard nodded and then glanced in the same direction Darius had gone earlier when he and the couple had fled. The guard must have been on duty at the time.
“We came back because it had got late. We had hoped to try and find a place to rest inside the city with good food but then we learned the gates were closed.” Darius kept his ground and didn’t move if he didn’t have to. The other guards listened keenly and the one in front of him didn’t say anything when he had finished, not for a long, long minute. After what seemed like an eternity, Garon relaxed and turned to the other guards. He gave them a nod, and they did the same.
“Right, then. Sorry to have bothered you like that but I needed to be sure. Stay safe in your hunts. Londinium may not be the only place having difficulties and we don’t know where else these strange people have appeared.” Garon offered his advice and Darius took it with a smile. He said his goodbyes to the guards and then returned to the inn to sleep.
The inside of the inn was still quiet and Darius noted that his companions were already gone, most likely having had left to sleep. He took the motion as an excuse to go as well. He went up the stairs, headed to his room and unlocked the door. The room was of modest sized and furnished like a standard inn room; basic bed, a table, a window, and a small fire place for heat in the cold. It was spring time so it was getting warm, which made there being no wood in the pit an understandable sight. He wiggled his nose and checked the corners of the room and the ceiling for anyone trying to hide and then shut the door. He locked it before heading to the bed. Stripping down, he took a seat and opened his menu. He was a Summoner, and in his menu, there were several monsters listed. However only one was illuminated; the Salamander.
Darius stared at the menu to read the description of the creature and its effects, and also how he would have to summon the thing. It seemed as though there were no real requirements aside from the creature being weakened if they weren’t summoned with the use of an actual fire. Darius grimaced at the thought and looked towards the fire pit. Of course, it was empty when he needed it. He sighed and decided to try anyways. What was the hurt?
It was a mistake. Darius triggered the skill and watched a small crest appear on the floor. The crest illuminated, flaring a bright red, and then a creature appeared out of a small puff of smoke. It was a large, boar sized creature with a flaming tail and a reptilian body. It looked like bright red Armadillo Gilded Lizard with the tip of its tail on fire. To be honest, it was a bit scary at first. When it first appeared, Darius’s instinct was to kill it and he had jumped to his feet with a hand on his blade. Yet the creature just stood there, staring at the wall for a moment. It looked around the room, most likely figuring out where it was, and then it looked up at Darius. It’s head tilted and Darius noticed that the flame tail brightened. The body of the creature seemed to glow and it trotted over. Once it was close, it squeaked and its tail whisked from one side of its body to the other. Darius smirked. It was cute.
“Hey there, buddy.” Darius knelt down and placed a hand on its head. The scales were hot at first, but the Salamander cooled its body to the touch. Darius smirked and scratched under its chin, causing the Salamander to squeak again with a happy smile.
“Quite a big fella, aren’t you? I’m Darius. I guess we’re going to be partners now.” Darius smiled at the creature and gave it a pat on the head. The Salamander rumbled and walked closer before placing one of its paws on Darius’s leg. He chuckled and rubbed the Salamander’s sides and then its belly when the creature rolled over. It was more like a large, armored dog than a lizard, but it was pretty cool. Darius played with the creature for a little longer, giving it pats and rubs before finally looking at the time. It had become late and if he didn’t sleep soon, he would have an issue getting out of bed. With that in mind, he said goodbye to his new friend and desummoned the lizard. It vanished in another puff of smoke and Darius found himself alone once more, alone in a world he didn’t know.
“And I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” He muttered as he stared up towards the ceiling. He sighed, heavily, and then closed his eyes. His first day came to an uneventful end, but he didn’t mind.
Darius rested at the inn for the next few days and spent his time helping the couple with their material gathering. The three drew close over time and Darius learned quite a bit more about the world he was now stuck in. He summoned his Salamander when he had some spare time and hunted a few of the animals in the area, learning a bit of combat. It wasn’t much but it helped him feel a bit more prepared. The Salamander was quite the tough fighter and after Darius learned its strengths, weaknesses, and a bit about the creature’s personality, the two become more effective than they originally had been. Rather than just standing back and watching, Darius worked in tandem with his Salamander partner. They developed steadily but the monsters in the area were scarce and weak. Darius didn’t grow much level wise but he had begun to gather quite a few materials and gold.
After the first week went by, the sounds from Londinium finally subsided and the gates were opened. Darius had heard rumors that the riots were finally coming under control and a lot of the rioters were fleeing out of the northern gate. Darius and the couple were at the eastern side so he never saw any of them but apparently, the gate had been broken through. When the gates reopened, Londinium was a completely different city. Instead of being calm, it was quiet. People held their heads low and spoke in whispers. The people who had been called to the world were called “Adventurers” and it was obvious that they were being discriminated against. A lot of the “People of the Land”, or Landers, didn’t trust the Adventurers anymore and there were no helping hands reaching out when Darius returned.
To his luck, Darius was considered a traveler to the Landers and it seemed that the guards had believed his story. With that in mind, Darius took on the role of a traveling hunter. His name was Saber, and he was a Person of the Land now. He originated from Margate, a port city to the east he had never been to and had come to Londinium in search of monsters to hunt. It would be his cover for quite some time, and he would do his best to keep it that way.
Word Count: 4206
