When Robert reached the ship. The three soldiers were waiting for him. The two men from earlier, took him by the arms and dragged him away from the hatch.

Robert felt unnaturally relieved. Back on earth, he could have never willingly chosen to be manhandled, over anything else. The soldiers moved him against the wall, and the third guy tied Robert's hands together with a thin rope.

“Alright I'll go report change or plans to the captain.” the third guy said, as he turned to leave. “ Private, strip search him, and then move him to an open cell.”

“Yes, Sarge.” said the guy on Robert's right.

“Hey, this cape's from a Liba Royal guard? Are you one of them?” asked a younger-looking soldier on Robert's left. The soldier gave Robert the once over. “No, wait the clothes say otherwise, maybe he's a Liba Nobleman?”

“Wait, I'm not a Liba anything. I'm just an actor”. Robert said as he gestured toward the cape. “I took this cape off of a dead man.”

“An actor really? I didn't know actors had the guts to do that.” the younger soldier said, as he leaned into Robert more. The guy's elbow hurt. “Did you kill the Tainter too?”

“Ow... no! I didn't kill him.” Robert said as the other guy man patted him down. “He was already dead. ”

“Oh really? Then how did he die?”

“I saw it happen. A soldier like you stabbed him. There were more prisoners like you there too. I was one of the prisoners there too.”

“ Did you hear that private? Some Liba royal guards died?” the younger soldier said as a nasty smile crossed his lips. “Serves the Tainters right then. ”

What the Hell? Did he really just say that? Robert thought. Who the hell would pass over the deaths of their own people like that.

“Don't joke like that, Victor. It's unpleasant and..... hold on, he has Cinta on him, get it quick.” Private said as he moved the yellow cape aside.

The guy was looking for something. When he spotted the glass tube around Robert's neck, he reached out and detached it with both hands.

“Here we are. Hum? That's funny. People normally try and hid their Cinta before they get caught? Wait a second!!?" Private yelped, as he looked down at the cape. "This cape hasn't been severed yet. We thought this one has already been severed. Wow, a fully working one. What a find.”

Victor grabbed the cape away from private.

“What really?!” Victor asked, examining it himself. “I only heard stories?”

Wait the cape does something? Robert thought. What did he mean by it being severed?

“The Sarge says it has the power to protect the wearer from some of the dangers of the desert,” Private said, as he removed the cape. “Or something like that. But finding an unsevered one is rare. Very rare. They must not know it had gone missing.”

“I heard it could make you invisible to certain monsters,” Victor said, as he look down at the cape. “Came I keep it?”

“Are you tinted boy,” Private said, as he rolled the cape up. “You would get punished for stealing loot from the captain.”

Private placed the cape and tube in a nearby box on a nearby table.

“Oh... just joking,” Victor said as he checked Robert's pants pockets.

“Hey don't take those.” Robert snapped, as he tried to cover his pockets. “They're mine! They're the only things I got left.”

Victor flashed a wicked grin and removed the cellphone.

“What the taint is this?” asked Victor, holding up the cellphone. “It looks like metal, but it doesn't feel like metal.”

“It could be a seeing-stone of some kind?” Private said as he checked Robert's other pocket. “The captain has a seeing stone in his room. Hey, what's this?”

He had just removed Robert's pocket pen.

“It nothing, just something used for writing things down,” Robert said, nervously. He reached for it. “It's nothing really. Please can I have it... Ow!”

Victor sucker-punched Robert in the guts.

Ouch, why did he need to sucker punch me? Robert thought, clenching his stomach. Hell, I surrendered and everything.

“Can't you understand? It's not your stuff anymore. It's now the property of the Podor empire.” Victor stated as he placed the cellphone in the box too. “Okay, that seems to be all of it.”

"Get up, prisoner or I'll force you to stand.” private said, as Robert slowly stood.

They're just like the Liba guards, they're all brutes. Robert thought as Private placed his pen in the same box.

Robert noticed that the strange coins he had found were not brought up or even put in the box with the rest of his things.

Great, they're thefts too. Robert thought. I wonder if this really was the better choice? I could have survived those wolves, maybe.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

They forced Robert out of the room. A ladder was there with their help, Robert climbed the ladder and arrived at a hallway, which looked very familiar to him. The ceiling was glowing and it was lined with doors, like the wreck below.

But unlike the wreck, this hallway was crowded. Soldiers passed in a hurry. Each heading for different doors. A female soldier almost run into Robert as she left her door.

“Whoa!” the woman said, as she scan Robert over. She blushed. “Ah, sorry sir.”

“Wow! She called you sir.” Victor said as the woman closed her door. “Why can't I get women to talk to me, like that.”

"It's because you're a little creep Victor," Private said, as the crowd opened up. A taller man appeared.

“Now that's going on here? Why are people lollygagging about?" The tall soldier asked. He wore a more colorful uniform than the rest. he glanced over a Robert. “What's this! Why haven't you retired him yet? I was just about to head to the cells.”

“Sorry inspector,” Victor said, as he pushed Robert away. “We were just about to do that.”

“Well then hurry it up, about it” The inspector snapped. “I want him locked behind bars now.”

“Yes, inspector.” private said. “Come on Victor.”

Seemingly satisfied with that answer the inspector behind them. Finding the crowds lessened with the inspector here. Victor and private moved Robert around a corner in the ship and into a secondary hallway.

This hallway was empty of people, and the walls were lined with barred-off rooms. The bars on each were made of wood with a metal lock. Inside was a bench fixed to the wall with a chamber pot underneath. Well, they were more like closets than rooms, only big enough to sit in.

What the hell is this? Is this really where they're going to put me? Robert thought. It's so small. This shouldn't even count as a prison cell.

“Hey, these are too small! You can't put me in there!.” Robert said as he grabbed the walls and started resisting them. “This is inhuman treatment. Get me a bigger cell!”

“Come on. Get inside already,” Private stated. “There are no bigger cells.”

“Is something wrong, private?” the inspector asked/ his head appearing from over Victor's shoulder. “Is he resisting again?”

“Sorry inspector. The prisoner said it was too small.” Victor said, as he opened the cell and Private pushed Robert inside. Victor then closed the door and locked it. “Do you think it's too small now tainter?” Robert turned and tried to grab Victor through the bars, Victor jumped back. "Oh too slow."

Crap. He playing with me. Now I want to punch him even more. Robert thought as he pulled his arm back and collapsed onto the cell's bench. He glanced around the small cell. Ok, it's a little bigger than I thought. But I can't sleep in here, even if I wanted to.

“ I'll be interrogating him from here. Both of you are not needed.” the inspector stated. “ Make sure no one comes in here until I'm done?”

“Yes Sir,” Victor said. They turned and headed for the door. "Oh and maybe you should hurt him if he acts up again, inspector."

“I'm going to ignore that comment soldier. ” The inspector said, as he opened the cell opposite from Robert and took a seat in it. “Ok, let's start simple. What's your name? I know you got one."

"It's Robert."

"I mean your full name. Only slaves are without last names.”

“Slaves!?” Robert jumped to his feet. “Oh crap, are you slavers?”

“That was not what I asked you! Sit down!” The inspector growled. The man glanced away for a moment before speaking again. “I see this going to be harder than I thought."

His tone of anger was soon replaced by a new coldness. It made Robert shiver. "If you're going to be difficult, we can try something a little more... painful to get my answers." He raised a hand and in seconds a gentle wind enveloped the hallway. The inspector lowered his hand and the wind fainted. “The power of wind is a dangerous thing in the hands of an expert. Do you understand what that means? Now... what is your full name?”

“Wait! ” Robert yelped, stunned. "How did you do that magic!"

“Magic? I'm the one asking the questions here!" The inspector shouted. "If your family failed to teach you even this. Then you only have them to blame. now answer the question!"

"I'm... Robert Price" Robert said, as he reluctantly sit down.

"Good. The Sarge reported that you came in from the desert with a cape of a Liba royal guard? Where did you get it? A caravan maybe?"

"I already told the other guys. I got it from a dead man. I didn't kill him though."

"So you just found a dead guy in the desert? Then what were you doing down there in that ship? You couldn't have been living in it?"

"You know what. I don't deserve this kind of treatment." Robert barked, as he leaned forward. "I don't know who you are, or where I am, or who you're fighting. I don't really care. Because I don't belong in this world. So ask your useless questions because I can't answer them!"

"I see. " The inspector said, as he rolled his eyes. The guy didn't believe him. "I completely understand now. You're just some rich Liba noble, isolated from the world all your life. Well your not going to get special treatment here."

"Holy Crap! Are you all mentally stupid or something! How can I be a Liba anything just look at me!" Robert said as he jumped to his feet and grabbed the bars.

"Sit down!" The inspector barked, as he flicked a finger at Robert. Robert felt a strong invisible force push him back into his seat. "You will answer my questions nothing more."

"No, wait. what did you just do? I thought you could only control the elements. Like the caravan Guards." Robert said as he put a hand on his forehead. "But what you did just now wasn't an element. It was like the force or something."

"Finally, we're getting somewhere. So you admit it you were in the Liba caravan?" the inspector said. "Tell me everything you know about that. Their defenses, their numbers."

“What! I wouldn't know any of that stuff." Robert stated. His legs were hurting now. "I'm sorry, but I didn't think to count any of them. I was their prisoner. I'm not a noble like you think. ”

"When tell me what you do know." The inspector paused for a moment then spoke.

"Ah. Well, they. The Liba originally was going to deliver the prisoners to a kingdom called Gudo. I saw a map. The prisoners were your guys, right." Robert said. "Men had the same color of uniforms as you. I'm sorry, they were killed. "

"Yes, we passed over their bodies a few hours ago. The bodies are mostly gone now. But their wounds were familiar. Likely done by Liba royal guards.”

The inspector said as he raised a hand again. Robert flinched back. “ ha, I believe that enough for now. Someone will be assigned to feed you later. If I find you been hiding things, I'll be back."

The inspector stood and stepped from his cell.

“I wasn't lying” Robert yelled, as he stood out and peeked out the bars. “They better bring water.”

Oh, great. I just made another enemy in this world. Robert thought as he tried coping with the two gestures. Robert sit down and leaned against the wall. He did that so easily? Hell, I'm so thirsty and tired. He closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

----------------------------------------

Robert stood in front of a green screen. He wore an outlandish Viking getup, with a prop ax and shield. Around him were many others wearing Viking costumes.

“ We got a fortress to raise! Ready the longboats!” Robert Yelled, as he raised his ax high. “Our Kin's spilled blood calls for vengeance! Brothers ready yourselves!”

“Cut, cut!” shouted the director, as the lights came on. “This is all wrong. Robert, you're being a little too hammy out there. Can't you fix that?”

“I'm sorry, Mr. Stevenson. it's just the way I do it." Robert said, relaxing his arms. “Should we try another take?”

“No, it's are getting late. Everyone pack it up.” Mr. Stevenson said, addressing the crowd. “Meet here tomorrow at the normal time. Good night everyone.”

The stage was abuzz with activity. Robert walked off the set and a stage worker walked up to him.

"We need those," the man said. So Robert handed his props weapons over. " and the armor."

"What? It stuck?" Robert said as he sit down to try to remove his boot. "It's like someone glued it on. Are you pranking me now?"

What the....? The floor was covered in sand. Robert thought as he looked up. What!

The studio was empty and everything was covered in sand. The wind picked up, and in seconds a sandstorm appeared.

“What the heck is happening?!" Robert yelled into the storm. “Wait this isn't how it happened?”

A cluster of stars appeared in the air above him and Robert recognized them.

"Omega!" Robert yelped. "I remember now. Why did you do this to me?"

Robert's answer was a set of pictures flashing inside his head. The hindenburg exploding. A box of kittens with the word "abandoned" on it. A picture of earth from space and finally a picture of the princess's map.