I gasped for air as I shuffled forwards.

My desperate sprint had long since turned into an exhausted jog. A shuffle that barely outpaced walking speed performed with the last of my dying stamina.

I had been walking with that elf, then out of nowhere arrows started coming from everywhere and people died. Well, a person died.

A thing died.

Now I eyed the trees with uncertainty, the same way I feared vents and dark places. There could be something beyond the green canopies, unseen watchers with the intent to harm me. I turned to observe the other side of the road, and caught sight of something further down the path.

It looks like stone.

A mass of grey covered the distance, peeking out between the trees as I got closer. I pushed my exhausted body to run just a little further and closed the distance to the man made object. Eventually the woods were left behind me and I almost sank to my knees.

What may have been half a mile away was a wall. I could see tree stumps and mounds of dirt where the people here had cleared the forest around this fortification. I continued my pace, my chest felt like it was going to collapse into itself but the mere existence of a city where there might be humans renewed me. Despite my lead feet and burning lungs I moved with an eagerness to put the forest behind me.

Armored plates did not make running easy, their weight impacted me to the point that I forgot I had boots on. Each step felt like it would drag me into the ground.

Gradually I managed to close in on the town’s gates.

“Halt.”

I lumbered to a stop and leaned forwards panting with my hands on my knees.

“-I said show yourself!”

I missed the first half of what he said. I turned upwards and saw the men beside the gate lowering their spears at me. The words finally registered so I went to peel off my headgear and face them.

Seeing my face they relaxed somewhat, though they maintained a grip on their weapons.

“You look like you are going to keel over, what is the rush friend?”

I gasped in air, “We got jumped, we got hit with arrows from the trees and- and-”

Sweat poured from my face as I tried to inhale the world. One of the guards in front of me grabbed a bag from his side and held it out to me. I took the waterskin and downed its contents so quickly I almost choked.

“Shit, go get the sergeant. We might have to tell the captain.” One of the guards ran back into the city. “How many people were you with? Did you see how many attackers?”

“There was an elf and- one of the monks with them. I ran as soon as the arrows started hitting.” I answered. “Do we send people back for them, or do we- what do we do?”

The guard took his waterskin back and appraised me, “If this was about elves I’m not sure we can do much sir. Make sure you tell our captain this here was elf business, otherwise they might try you for cowardice if they think you fled your caravan.”

Fled my caravan?

I glanced down, the fact that this was armor was not subtle. I supposed that I did look like some sort of guard. With my mind clearer now that I had a moment to hydrate and rest I took a much more detailed survey of the people around me.

The things I had mistaken for spears had broad axeheads. The guards wore thick coats, metallic helmets and bore halberds. The walls were easily ten feet high and made from a grey brick. I could now hear people walking above me, though whether they had always been there and I had missed them in my desperate run or if they had suddenly come out after my story of the ambush I did not know.

They also wore brightly colored garments over their coats, tabards painted a bright neon green. I supposed that it helped them stand out of a crowd.

“Guard, who is that?” A man walked up in the same uniform as the others.

“Uh, didn’t get his name sergeant. He says there’r elves in the woods and they got his friends.”

“Damn.” The sergeant was a few inches shorter than his guard, but rather than carry a halberd he had a sword at his waist. “Any clue why they’re there? You don’t suppose they want something from us do they?”

“I have no idea sir.” I answered truthfully. “You met one before?”

He shook his head, “I’ve been on these gates for ten years, I think there might have been three? They always walk up demanding to see the lord and luckily never paid us much mind.”

Elves are not common in this place. Humans do not like elves.

That was my main takeaway, if the average person was lucky to ever see an elf then what were the chances of me meeting two on my first day here?

Was it a coincidence or was there something I wasn’t seeing?

Was there some reason behind my meeting them, one that I did not know yet?

When I got down to it what were the odds of being abducted by aliens? What were the odds of being the only survivor? What were the odds of just happening to find a habitable planet and that planet having humans on it?

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Was all of this just chance?

I shook my head to clear the thoughts.

“Did you have business here sir?” The sergeant asked me.

“I suppose I am still contracted to visit an herbalist here,” I answered. “My lord wanted information on plants or something.”

One of the guards thumbed his nose, “What’s he wanna know plants for?”

I shrugged, “I dunno. He just told me to travel down here and buy a book on them. Do you know anyone who might be a good pick?”

“Maybe a medicineman? If you want a book you might need a scholar and those are high neck sorts. You might need to head into the castle to ask around for a high neck and they ain’t the type to let random folk in. Armor or no.” The sergeant shrugged. “The guard got one of the scholarly types on reserve but only when we get hurt on the job.”

“Ah,” I bowed my head, “Thank you. If I may enter then I will begin my search.”

The sergeant held up a hand. “One moment, first you must tell me your name and where you came from for the logs.”

I saw that at this point the other guards had grown disinterested and wandered back to their posts on either side of the gate. It might be possible for me to rush the sergeant and disappear into the crowd.

I glanced at my bright orange armor and banished the thought, that was the dumbest notion I had ever had.

“My name is John, I was born in Washington, America.” I stated. “I traveled quite far to get here.”

One of the guards turned his attention to me, “I ain’t never heard of that place.”

For a moment I wondered if the truth was a mistake, then the sergeant shrugged. “No shit, look at this man’s skin. He’s almost shining white and covered in fruit colored armor. Obviously he’s not from around here.”

The sergeant pulled a booklet out of his pocket and began writing, “Is that Washing-ton with one ‘n’?”

“One ‘n’ sir.” I answered and the man waved me in.

“Don’t let me keep you, if someone wants more testimonies from you then some guards might direct you back here. But for now you’re free to go.”

“Thank you.”

The man knuckled his helmet and saw me off.

I walked away and finally managed to take in the crowd of people before me. Though, by the same measure everyone nearby turned to eye me as the newcomer. A mother and child carrying laundry, a man behind a stall covered in fish, a group of men unloading a cart-

Too many people were staring at me at once, I placed my helmet back on to make sure it didn’t get stolen and gripped the elven sword’s handle.

This was a large crowd with dozens of people on this street alone. But I grew up in large cities where there might be hundreds walking beside you. For a moment I wanted to throw myself onto the ground and sob. For whatever reason these people were medieval peasants, a point that broke my hopes for some kind of help against alien invaders.

It raised yet more questions, how did two different planets have humans on them when neither had access to space travel? Not only was it seemingly insane but it threw all of my plans out the window.

Goodbye alien resistance, hello spears.

I shook my head, that goal did not seem like something worth chasing now. For now I would need to put that energy into my other main goals. I needed to find writing on flora and fauna, then I needed to find a way to protect myself from the demons.

I walked further into the crowd, for now I should just explore town. Maybe ask around for some kind of temple? The elf had said something about monks and temples right?

I put that on my mental list. While visiting a temple was an obvious step I couldn’t help but wonder if they would let me go after finding out I was cursed? The elf seemed nice enough but religious fanatics were known for zealotry. Would I be summed up as a witch or a demon’s cohort and burned at the stake?

The easiest decision was simple, I was going to put it off. The demons were terrifying but I couldn’t get the thought of that blue thing’s mouthless face out of my mind.

Besides, if the ship deemed that I failed at my basic tasks I might not be sent on the away teams anymore. My first priority should be mission accomplishment. First I should perform what my own alien overlords expected from me.

With that in mind I set forward, I needed to find someone familiar with nature. Some sort of woodsman or ranger. The guard seemed to think that finding someone who would write this stuff down was difficult, so maybe I should try to bluff my way into the big stone castle in the distance for some kind of so-called scholar? Churches write stuff down right? Maybe the temple is the right way to go?

My thoughts ran wild as I tried to logic out which direction needed to go. Someone bumped into me and I reflexively grabbed their wrist before they could go for one of my pouches.

I held a dirty child who couldn’t have been more than ten, they flinched wordlessly and tried to pry my hand off of them with no such luck, my hand was armored and I felt no pain from their teeth. While I was still underweight I had still gained back some strength from my weeks of nutrient paste and labor. Compared to this small frail kid I was a giant, even if thin my well nurtured upbringing meant that I was broad shouldered and taller than most of the people here.

I checked my pouch as the child thrashed and found it still intact before letting them go. It had been easy to see them coming because no one else came within reach of me, the giant armored man with a sword, choosing instead to keep distance and watch on with curious eyes.

Nothing had been stolen, I don’t think they knew how zippers work and the bags were rated for ‘heavy industrial duty without damage’ so I doubted a primitive knife could go through them. I watched them vanish into the crowd and realized that I was surrounded by people. Dozens upon dozens of people who I did not know and who may have the same idea.

I did have valuables, silver plates and alien tech. These things may be enough to turn a crowd against me if they came to light.

I gripped my blade hard enough my knuckles must have gone white and turned to survey my environment. I crossed the street and ducked into an alleyway. Stuck in an environment with little room to maneuver I fully unsheathed the elven blade and watched it shimmer lightly even in the shadow between two buildings.

Stepping forwards I felt something squelch under my boot and shuttered slightly.

Did these people have sewers or…

I continued on without thinking that hard about the subject, I continued forwards following a small maze built between houses. Seeing the filth and decay built in the crevices between buildings finally made me thankful that my helmet blocked smells.

The trees had been nice but I checked beneath my boot and wondered if it had rained recently enough for there to be this much mud.

I turned a corner and saw a person huddled in the fetal position, their skin covered in enough filth to make determining their true skin color difficult. I looked down upon my own soiled boots and leggings and determined they must have had a similar journey, albeit barefoot. But how their hair managed to end up so greasy and covered in dirt was an open question.

Ironically I was far more worried about this seemingly naked homeless person than I was about a bear or even armed and clothed people. I had grown up in a bustling metropolis where one of the biggest threats were drug addicts.

I almost turned to leave, before another thought came.

I know very little about this place. Here is an isolated person who is unlikely to share information with others.

Instead I turned to the homeless person, “Excuse me, do you have a moment?”

There was no response, I nudged them with my boot and the person fell over. Dead fishlike eyes stared up at the sky from a face hidden behind a pale beard.

I backed away from the corpse and heard footsteps behind me, I turned fearing the worst.

Town guards catching me standing above a desiccated corpse, weapon in hand. This one looked badly mangled and filthy, clearly no death from old age or overdose.

Instead I locked eyes with a sweaty man baring no signs of a shirt, he had a thick cudgel.

Then I saw a man behind him, and a man behind that man.

I had a sword, much longer and pointier than what he was holding. I may be at an advantage but I had no idea how many people were coming at me. There were three in sight but there may be more around the corner.

If all of them rushed me it couldn’t be that hard to disarm me, and then after that rip my helmet off and brain me. The man licked his chapped lips, and glanced between my sword and face.

“Drop the sword and- toss the sword to me and then give me your-”

I turned and ran with all of my might.

“You bastard-” I heard a curse and felt a thrown stone collide with my helmet. Fighting was a bad idea, how many rocks to the face could I take?

I sprinted past the corpse and rounded the corner.

The corpse moved and-

The shirtless man in front fell, landing roughly in the muck with a string of curses as he almost tripped the man behind him. I realized he must have stumbled over the dead body and given me an extra moment to make distance. I turned a corner and then sprinted down the street until my stamina gave out.

A door to my right was open, I ducked through and then crouched onto the other side. I heard the footsteps pass me and panted quietly until they were gone.

It was only after minutes passed that I decided to turn to the room I found myself in. Leaves hung to dry from the roof and a small fire burned beneath a pot. Simple furniture dotted the room, everything was made from wood and there was little cloth. There were no drapes, no cushions, no rugs.

I locked eyes with an elderly woman who quietly sat in the corner.

“You tracked mud into the house.”

I sighed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” I observed the plants hanging from the ceiling, “Nice herbs? What’s that you got boiling over there?”

“Soup.”

Ah, I wondered if she knew anything about the local wildlife.