Chapter Three: Abducted, Surrounded.

Nothing.

The feeling of no mouth, no face, no senses.

Not even mana could be sensed anymore.

Even Shad-

Waynev slams into the dirt floor, wildly disoriented and for once, not standing on her legs while getting ripped from dimension to dimension.

Though if she thought about it, the odds of landing on her feet were 50% while the odds landing on her face were also 50%.

Those were betting odds if she ever heard them… at least in her dizzy state of mind.

Quest:

Meet the inhabitants on Temporous.

* Meet up to one friendly inhabitant of Temporous.

* Meet up to one hostile inhabitant of Temporous.

Consequence:

One of your forearms will be taken.

Time Limit:

Three days.

The quest seemed easy but the consequences were…

Her fist flexed in frustration as she stared at the screen covering the floor with it’s familiar blue blur but unfortunately not shielding her from the ground otherwise.

'Tastes bitter, muddy and… sandy' Waynev's tongue glossed over, spitting out the small particles with little to no saliva, as she lifted her face and looked around at a very dimly lit house.

Or was it a hut she mused, beginning to get on her knees slowly, carefully.

Still, a bit lost.

Well more than a bit when considering the current location, inside a hut made of mud, with a stale putrid smell which could put the old storehouse to shame.

“Hmm, the hut’s likely near running water. Considering the noise.” Shadow talked normally but due to the dull roar of noise it muffled her voice.

"Well," Waynev started pulling in a full lungful of air.

Then stopped and started coughing it out. Turns out the inside of a mud hut was quite dusty, especially when a human flops in the middle of the cramped interiors.

Trying again, she took a careful breath of air.

"Shit." Letting the air slowly draw out as the word left her mouth barely being heard, Waynev thought back to what would probably be in her dreams for weeks if not months to come.

"Looks like we weren't drugged at least."

As Shadow talked Waynev noticed another discrepancy.

"Shadow, you were quiet as the sky when talking to Vein.”

“Why?" Her first assumption was due to him being a god, but she knew Shadow.

Vein being a god shouldn't have baffled or scared her, she knew the ever present voice well.

Shadow was quiet for a few moments.

Waynev meanwhile leaned on the barebones wooden table she found behind her, only now noticing a bucket of water, she peered at her reflection, the light being just barely enough to discern her features.

Brown eyes paired with brown hair and lips a pinkish-red 'like a baby radish' her mom always said, claiming her lips were her favourite vegetable and just as cute.

"I was embarrassed,"

"Having someone else to talk to after years of just us was… welcoming, but also intimidating." Shadow paused.

"Or the fact that he was a 'god'. I still wonder what he meant by our definition and theirs being different…"

"But we can do that later, for now, Wayne check your jeans for what we brought with us… Or maybe, for another 'gift' from our benefactor."

"Sure, things can only get better from here." Wayne thought aloud while searching through her numerous jean pockets, something she treasured considering the lack of pockets in most of her clothes.

"We know that our phone isn't with us, we left it at our house so our location couldn't be tracked when Thomas' death came to light, but I think I left my…" Waynev stopped.

Finally finding the squarish device, slightly illuminated in the dark.

"Watch." Waynev grimaced at her unlucky prospects, shoes would’ve been better than a timekeeper.

Despite this, she still put her watch on her right hand, preferring it to her left.

"At least we have our clothes, being nude would’ve certainly concluded our journey before it began."

"True,” Waynev, feeling uncomfortable at the thought bounced off the wooden table, the bucket slightly tossing at the movement, and onto the mud floor with it feeling strangely sturdy yet grimy under her toes.

"Let’s leave this hut, I wonder if we're in the medieval era now?" Waynev mused, not noticing over the noise the footsteps or babbling just outside.

“Hmm, how do we check our qu-” Shadow was interrupted by… nothing?

At least nothing Waynev could see.

“I'm not sure how to check the quest’s just th-” The familiar screen popped up again.

Quest:

Meet the inhabitants on Temporous.

* Meet up to one friendly inhabitant of Temporous.

* Meet up to one hostile inhabitant of Temporous.

Consequence:

One of your forearms will be taken.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Time Limit:

Three days.

“Voice activated. Great.”

The quest gift was a mixed package of emotions on the one side, she had a solid goal but on the other there was a constraint.

A limit.

Snapping herself out of it Waynev took two steps to the wooden door which was leaning against the entrance of the hut rather than its rusty hinges.

Suddenly blinded with light as the bright outdoors opened.

Beyond her, she was staring at the bloodshot eyes of a rat-thing.

But instead of a rat, it had human teeth pressed together with lips open, a surprised look turned to its face before Waynev spoke.

"Oh! Um h-" coming closer to it.

Shouting while cornering the beast wasn’t the best idea Waynev found out as she was suddenly tackled by the smaller creature taking her off guard and pulling her feet out from under her.

Crash! Spssssssh!

The Rat thing projected Waynev 3 feet back into the edge of the table, the water bucket spilled all over the mud floor around the two.

Covered in water Waynev contorted her body.

“SHOVE-” Shadow screamed, as Waynev reacted.

Shoving its nozzle away with her hands she scrambled to get up, the wet surface under her feet causing her to stumble on the ground next to the crouching abomination, preparing to strike again at Waynev.

Lunging it missed as Waynev pivoted around the wooden table, leaving the rat-thing unable to stop as it crashed into the mud wall, the roof and walls slightly crumbling.

Waynev grabbed the bucket seeing her chance.

Her eyes broad, now having a better job of seeing with the red light colouring the room, a benefit of the door being left open.

Grabbing it by the handholds she jumped at the giant half-Rat, slipping but the bucket still hitting it's mark as the Rat was back at a crouch trying to grab something.

Only noticing the human with the bucket coming towards him, just as he ripped a crude dagger out from his pouch.

The bucket and dagger forced into each other as the two desperate fighters once again scrambled in a mess of limbs on the floor.

Waynev now caked in the muddy ground while the monster was bleeding slightly.

As she tried to punch the thing under her, it's swiftness surprised her as it [Contracted] it's legs and kicked out.

Leaving her off balance and close to the table.

The humanoid Rat grabbed the dagger with a smirk.

It's blood now only a slight dribble but painted over his chest as the Rat stalked the young woman, only now the ground had very little liquid left.

On stable ground again, the dagger was now being a substantial danger to Waynev.

"The TABLE!" Shadow shouted as Waynev picked up the table by its pillar, the Rat seeing what she was doing rushed towards Waynev, leaving her no other option than to use the table as a blunt spear.

The table wooshed through the air, it's weight not mattering to the desperate woman.

But such a big weapon left Waynev exposed as the Rat simply lunged under the table.

It's purple wrinkled hand did a quick slash with the dagger causing the woman to drop the table.

The shrewd Rat wasn’t out the way as it was nearly crushed.

Waynev dodged into the wall with more force than she meant.

The wall she crashed against suddenly fell back-

The mud roof above fell onto the Rat stuck under the table, it could only look up and screech.

A loud earthy crash descended along with a wall of dust and mud, Waynev stared at the moving patch of dirt for a few seconds until it stopped.

Silence came.

Then feeling.

The pain began, blinking her eyes she looked down at the cuts on her knees, noticing the blood-curling around all the way to the bottom of her soles.

Breathing roughly and feeling the adrenaline leave her she exhaled. "What the fuuuhh."

Not bothering to fully articulate the word, she tried standing.

"The cuts are small, but they need to be cleaned, that dagger… no more like a shiv looked like it could be useful if we find it, hmm." Shadow began accessing the situation before a wall of blue assaulted the two.

Quest:

Meet the inhabitants on Temporous.

* Meet up to one friendly inhabitant of Temporous.

* Meet up to one hostile inhabitant of Temporous.

Consequence:

One of your forearms will be taken.

Time Limit:

Three days.

“Well half the quest’s done. Let’s see what happens if we’re ahead of the time limit.” Waynev thought, already putting the fight behind her.

The water now a lot louder, drew Waynev's attention away from the collapsed mud hut and to the mist of water, she could barely see over the tree's around her, to her current goal.

A cleansing that was desperately needed.

She could smell it, breathing in deeply, calmly, Waynev could smell the water and the fresh scent of the forest.

Walking towards the roar of liquid, Waynev began looking at the tree's and… everything.

It was all new, no one in her world had been here before, and only the rat-thing had been nearby.

The tree's bark looked like her sister's braids but with cuts and imperfections throughout them, she noticed the luscious undergrowth as well, with grass bearing where it could find space.

The scene was entrancing, the mist from the nearby waterfall finished it like desert to a meal.

"This is…. beautiful." Shadow’s typical cynical and calculating voice was replaced by the wonder around Waynev.

"Better than the grotesque sight of Thomas that's for sure." Shadow chuckled, causing Waynev to flinch but continue walking, she had to be fast if she wanted to complete the quest in time.

Finally making it to the water's edge, she glanced around quickly, remembering the rat that took her by surprise.

Around her was a secluded paradise, with trees surrounding the small waterfall, the water was pure and light green moss could be spotted at the top where the rock stood before the liquid swam downwards.

Soft sparkling at its surface and glimmering on the small waves, a paradise Waynev knew it to be.

Her shins dipped in, she was startled at the depth of the river and its gentle current carrying the proof of her sins away.

Splashing the cool yet not freezing water onto her legs, arms and face some droplets landed on her shirt. She decided to take it off, leaving her bra alone for modesty, despite the lack of people or civilisation for that manner.

Before slapping it back on she washed and wrung it out.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, she picked her feet out of the cold embrace and went upstream slightly, feeling the grass and dirt both dry and dirty her feet.

Bending over into the water, she drank deeply from her hands, feeling refreshed Waynev swooped down to take another sip.

Then suddenly she heard a small splash.

She looked further into the water and saw a deep forbidding mass move towards her.

Startled Waynev yelped and fell back onto her back, quickly scrambling away from the false peace, she saw the mass stop it's approach and begin to go back to the deeper ends of the waterfall.

"Jesus I didn't even notice that thing," Shadow looked around again at the serene, picturesque waterfall before noticing Waynev's mood beginning to foul.

"Looks like this world is going to be tough, even with magic." Shadow completely forgetting about her magic powers asked, "Also have you been able to cast any spells? Or use your power at all? I can still sense mana slightly, but I haven't been able to do anything with my powers.''

Shadow finished, realising her incompetence at not questioning Vein more.

Sighing Waynev snapped out of the much-needed reprieve before she asked.

“Shadow what should we do? The quest’s limit is three days but our stats aren’t even average and were in the middle of nowhere! Hell, how are we even going to eat?”

Problems arrayed didn’t mean problems without aid, they had the tools but where to start?

"Status"

Shadow said simply, with Waynev mirroring the act.

Current Status:

Agility:

1.1AH

Strength:

0.7AH

Vitality:

0.9AH

Wisdom:

1AH

Mana:

(Locked)

"First, we need to leave the forest." Shadow plainly stated, "It's dangerous because we're alone, we need to get the Rat's dagger and bucket. Dagger for protection and bucket to lug around berries and hopefully some forage." Shadow continued her tone turning grim then excited at the prospects of surviving out in the wilderness.

"Then we need to find out how to increase our stats, we've done gymnastics, acrobatics and even a bit of kickboxing. We should start actively training our body."

This surprised Waynev, not the plan but at it being 'our' body rather than just hers.

It was a surprise to be sure, but she found it to be a pleasant one.

"Our clothing will also help us, we can let foes think we're a weak, lost girl and turn the tide on them," Shadow remarked with confidence and certainty evident in her tone.

"We will survive this Wayne, I won't let us die and throw Elise to the dogs." Thinking of their most recent encounter, she continued.

"... Or the rats."

Looking around for a moment Waynev spoke.

"For a start, I think I know where to go at least." Waynev looked to the river.

"I remember reading that most villages are set up close to rivers." A grin began to form.

"Since rivers were a source of food, transportation and water, I'm assuming that technology in this world is at least in the medieval era. So we could even find a town or maybe a kingdom." Waynev poured over her prospects, the sour mood was forgotten.

She hurried with determination towards the mud hut.

"Hmm and if we don't find any villages near the river we could use the bucket as a way to carry water… Also, did you notice where the dagger went?" Shadow considered the prospects of taking the river's path, after finding the dagger.

While Waynev glanced at the bucket in the distance covered in dirt and mud, cheerfully claimed.

"Bucket's found, the dagger though…"

Half an hour passed with no luck and with time not on their side they had no choice but to leave.

"Shame too,"

"I like daggers. They're short and straight to the point."

Shadow's attempt at lifting the mood certainly lifted hers, Waynev on the other hand, was annoyed and with a scowl on her face stood up.

Opting to clean herself at the stream.