Focusing on the Rowan Ocean, West to one of the countries of the Storm Continent, lies a still boat. It's a caravel with two white sails, with the one closest to the front of the ship having a symbol of a wisteria flower. The sea is calm as it could be, with the only meteorological anomaly being the giant veil of rain and wind way out East. It was difficult for the crew finding an opening through the storm, with only the map -which is trade secret amongst various sailors and pirates- and nautical tools to help them navigate the veil, but this was an experimented bunch, one that many times have sailed these waters in search of treasure and, most importantly, recognition from the one they wanted to convince they were worth the while. The captain wanted the crown, and his crew wanted him to be the king.
On the deck, there were nine people, all of them apparently waiting for something. The one dressed in a blue outfit with various gems and golden chains was the captain, and is climbing one of the masts. When he reaches the top, he takes out a spyglass from his pockets and peers to the tranquil sea, not even a ripple in sight.
"Captain! It's already midday and there's no sign of the turtle, maybe it decided today wasn't worth it" said one of the crew members, dressed in simple clothes and wearing a big straw hat, while carrying in her hand a small orb that seems to display the time of day.
"Roo, you know that I always say patience is a virtue and you already know the plan: we wait until we see the turtle and then we get its treasure" said the captain while still looking to the sea "it always comes, its hunger for more treasure never says that 'it isn't worth it today'"
"Well, it must be a very diligent turtle, not even Fallou is that diligent with her magic" says another crew member, this time a scrawny young man with long hair and dressed with light clothes and a leather breastplate.
"Shut it Ylfe or I won't save you when you get swallowed, go and drown for all I care" said Fallou, the mage of the crew with a neutral expression "oh but first, pay me the whole bottle of Albeuor you made me buy you back in Rand"
"First, tell Careme to pay me for the daggers he threw the other day overboard while fighting that giant shark. He promised me that if I lend them to him he would get them back and we couldn't even get to the shark before another, bigger shark ate it"
Ylfe said this while pointing to a burly man, he was bald and had multiple scars along his arms and chest, but besides these naked parts, his head, hands and legs were covered with reinforced hardened leather, seemingly easy to don on and off.
Even though the man was accused of a careless act, he didn't seem to bother. No, it was more that he didn't even notice they were talking about him, as he was patiently drawing the clouds above the sea in a little notebook with a piece of coal, which betrayed his violent body.
While they were arguing, the more productive members of the crew seemed to be working on the preparations for the encounter with the turtle. A man with gray hair and a tall woman were taking notes of the supplies and the state of various parts of the ship.
"Deria dear, pass me the tools, this part needs some reinforcing" said the man, who seemed to be adding some armor to the hull of the ship.
"Here you go grampa Bar, be careful not to fall, sharks might eat ya" said Deria with a sweet tone, while passing some materials to the man.
The remaining crew members were in the other mast, one of them was playing a flute while the other was watching the environs with another spyglass.
"Onepy, do you see something?"
"No captain, I see nothin'. We've been waiting to hunt this turtle for months, and now it decides not to show up. Maybe Knack's song is putting the turtle to sleep" said Onepy with a sarcastic laugh.
"Very funny Ney, just don't tell me to go to your room at night needing a bedtime song like you always do" said the one playing the flute, smiling to himself.
"Stop bickering, I see something" said the captain of the ship.
While looking through the spyglass, one could see the ocean surface sitting still, the sun shining its rays off the surface. No signs of the turtle, apparently, however.
"Agh! Captain, it's coming!" shouted Ney Onepy while holding his head, seemingly hurting.
"Get ready crew! Do not let that monster escape!" said the captain, while a faint shimmer showed on the surface of the water, followed by the surfacing of a giant turtle shell.
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After bearing the questioning of the team self-named "Company of the Wolf", we all got ready and decided to grab a quick bite to eat before leaving the city. And although I would've very much stayed some time here and explore, I couldn't exactly argue against the established schedule the team had. It was better to be on their good side and not become a burden, at least until we got to the town of Lantanna.
As we got out of the inn, reality of this medievalesque world settled before my eyes.
I could see walls made of stone erected some four meters tall surrounding the city, peeking over them were the various mountain ranges of the region, some I could recognize from my time outside, before I was attacked by the goblins and I did remember seeing some farming land on the outskirts of the city.
Various types of people were present at this time of day, either walking on the mud and stone roads or on horses and carts. It seemed to be a city that had some presence of merchants since I could see some small stands that were selling vegetables, tools, clothes and other various implements that seemed far from modern.
Walking behind the party of three (now four) to the nearest eatery, I caught a glimpse of the inn's name on a sign that read "Balik".
"You don't have to worry Occam, I'll cover for you" said Irina, while slowing down until she was beside me.
I didn't answer. I didn't really know what to answer. I didn't understand what she could mean.
"You know, how we found you is very similar to how my first adventure outside of the Magisterium went"
I turned to look at her, with a puzzled expression on my face, and her mouth was curled up in a small smile. In her eyes, there was a hint of nostalgia and sadness.
"I know you haven't lost your memories, that was a lie. Sorry" she said while whispering.
I got a deep and uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. Sweat started to flow from the pores of my hands and my back and head felt hot.
"My great grandfather, he was from beyond the Storm. He apparently was a great sailor that scoured the sea for Wandering Dungeons in search of treasure. He came here, to Ozark, and established himself with the small fortune he had gathered over the years"
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"What I'm trying to say is that... I know you are from beyond the Storm too. And I know that it's not common to see people like that, so you decided not to reveal your identity with people you just met"
I had no idea what this girl was talking about.
"Come on, I don't exactly know what continent you come from but it's obvious with your weird clothes and your weird accent. Although, it is indeed strange that we found you in the middle of nowhere without supplies, money or even a weapon to defend yourself, but I won't force you to tell me, you must have your reasons; my great grandfather apparently had his fair share of secrets, too"
After hearing all this, I knew what I had to do.
"Please don't tell anyone" I said.
A lie upon a lie, I need to get to that town fast and lose this group before the lie crumbles. Though, I don't know how I would fare for myself here.
Irina raised a finger to her mouth, signaling she will not tell anyone. And before I could notice, the voice of Valna announced we had arrived to the eatery.
It was a rustic place that looked like a combination of a shack and a food truck. It had pieces of dried and fresh meat hanging from the beams of the place and a big pot over a fire contained by a clay structure. The person attending the eatery was a small man and was serving the other two people there wooden bowls of what looked to be like a stew.
"I would like one-two-three-four bowls of what you have" said Valna to the man.
The man quickly fetched four bowls and served generous spoonfuls of the stew and put them on the counter. Valna then fetched 3 small pale copper coins and left them besides the bowls. The group approached to a bowl and started to eat. I followed suit.
"Be grateful, you eating was thanks to the money we made by selling some monster pelts" said Neill to me, taking a big piece of meat from the bowl with his hands.
Standing up, I grabbed my bowl and, without any type of cutlery provided, slurped the liquid.
It had a salty taste and not much more. I tried a piece of meat and, while it was tender, tasted like boiled meat with a hint of 'animal' after taste. Really, what could I expect from medieval food. Maybe I could make a profit from modern cuisine, I would only need to find the ingredients.
"Alright team, we are ready to go, we just need to get our horses from the stable and, if we get going now, should arrive in three days if all goes according to plan"
We arrived at the stables and the three of them jumped on their respective horses. I felt kinda left out, like that time all my friends got to go on the school trip but I didn't because I forgot to give my parents the permission slip.
"Come on kid, you don't want to be left behind, do you?" Neill said while beckoning me to hop on his horse.
"Don't even think that I like this, but Valna said that it was my duty to protect you since I am the one with the armor and sword"
While on the horse, me and the group approached the city gates, guarded by soldiers wielding spears.
As we were coming closer to the gates, I felt something. A feeling of wanting to stop, to start running in the other direction, to keep being blessed by the protection of walls and civilization. The sounds of the city started to echo and muddle in my ears. Going outside meant being unprotected. Going outside meant seeing those monsters.
Going outside meant death.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, a strong hand.
"Let's go young man, we will keep you safe, you needn't worry" Valna said while giving me a genuine smile.
My nerves started to calm down, the world recovered its sounds. I shook my head and clenched my fists, looking directly at the gate and at the green plains that awaited me.
✦✦✦
Some time passed and the sky was now cloudy, a cold breeze could be felt.
Contrary to my previous experience, the trip went on without the sight of more goblins or any other creature.
"I would've thought Goblin attacks were common around these parts" I said to the group.
"Well, they are common, especially now that they are preparing for war when the weather gets warmer, but they are not exactly stupid so they don't tend to attack groups that look strong, that's why we have Neill here with his imposing armor" said Valna while gesturing with her face towards Neill.
It truly was imposing, and all the while we were riding, the plates rubbing against each other produced a sound that made it impossible for anyone to not hear him coming.
"Occam, Valna and Neill are plenty strong to fend off a group of Goblins. You saw for yourself, no?" said Irina.
"Yeah, maybe you are right, I'm just still shaken by what happened I guess..."
Dejected, I started to reminisce about my near-death experience. Honestly, even I had had a weapon, I don't think I could've saved myself, so I'm lucky those three found me. Still, I'm hoping magic is something I'm blessed with and hasn't shown up yet, or at least something I could learn. Maybe asking Irina would be a good option.
"Irina, what can you tell me about magic?"
"Oh? Do you think maybe magic has something to do with your past, young man?" said Valna.
"Umm, sure, I think it could be something like that"
"Well, magic is everywhere, and acts like a cycle" started explaining Irina with a concentrated look on her face "A creature has a level of wolnide in their bodies, which humanoids and other creatures can cultivate and expand, and when they die, it gets reabsorbed and can be used again".
"All spells are made up of one to five of the elements. Even when spells materialize using the wolnide in our bodies, they almost never use it in its pure state, rather they transform that energy into some combination of the five elements. Those elements can be Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Chaos. The spells use the wolnide to transform into these material elements to correctly manifest, using some catalyzer like a wand, seal, staff or whatever helps conduct the wolnide from the Mage's body to the exterior".
A mix of known fantasy words and unknown concepts came pouring out of the girl's mouth. I kind of got the idea on how magic operated in this world, but still had my doubts if I could learn it.
"And if I wanted to, could I learn how to do magic?"
Please say yes, please say yes.
"Well, to be a Wizard you need to study at least 8 years in a Magisterium, and even then it can be very expensive. Although there are exceptional individuals who have learned magic by themselves, such as Krulik McRaven or the Champion Primus"
So it was, in essence, like getting a university degree, with tuition fees and the like.
"Although, since you are are not really a kid anymore, you couldn't take the Magus Curriculum, but you could take the Late Magus Curriculum. It teaches you the basics"
It sounds like further bureaucracy, and right now wasting years of my life here is not on my to-do list.
"Hmmm, then maybe magic is not for me. Thank you Irina." I said while we continued our trip.
We had arrived at a point in the main road that we passed through a forest glade. That was, in my mind, the perfect place for a bandit ambush. One thing was monsters, and another thing was murderous and intelligent humanoids attacking us.
I don't know what it was, but my nerves seemed to have passed through to Valna, because she made us a signal to stop and took out her longbow.
"We are not alone, be ready"
We continued through the glade, with grey clouds further covering the sun. Suddenly, while making a turn obscured by trees, a foul smell filled my nostrils.
In front of us was a carriage that was pulled by two horses. The carriage was smashed to splinters and some of the parts of the horses appeared to have been eaten. Large pools of fresh blood were surrounding the scene and the people that were supposed to be riding the carriage were in the air.
Two large and pale creatures stood around the cart, they were wearing skins of animals around their belt and shoulders, and in their hands laid the bodies of the carriage's passengers. Their small bodies laid in the creature's hands and were being crushed by their jaws, and the sound of bones breaking, flesh tearing and blood spilling filled the quiet forest glade.
We stopped, in fear, at the sight. They hadn't seen us.
One of them raised its head, and smelled the air.
It looked towards us, and gave a red stained crooked smile.
"More... Food... Here...." mumbled the creature, an Ogre.
Rain started pouring, as if the forest wanted its soil to be washed from the carnage.