‘I really need to get a bigger bookshelf’ Taylor thought to himself.
He stood in his bedroom staring at the small shelf covered in what one might call a geeks collection. Multiple titles of manga and books to play dungeons and dragons cover the shelves. Here and there are a few odd things such as a set of dice or a small figurine.
He turned to his left and called out “Hey babes! Which one do you want me to pick up while I’m out?”
A feminine voice calls back “which one of what?”
Rounding the corner came a woman, his wife holding their two year old daughter. Following close behind is their 5 year old daughter still trying to bug mommy for some more snacks.
“Oh are you going to go get me a new book?” His wife, Virginia, asks a bit excitedly, “I really want the next chapter of my dress up darling and goblin hunter.”
He takes a mental note of that as he picks up his oldest daughter, Alice. “I’ll see if they have them, if not I’m sure I can find something else for you.”
Alice says “daddy can I have cheese? I’m really hungry” she stretches out the really to emphasize how hungry she is.
“That’s up to mommy” Taylor replies, “you just had lunch but maybe if you behave mommy will let you have a snack for being so good”
She replies with a happy “okay!” And squirms out of his arms to go ask mommy, who’s only about ten feet away.
Before she can even ask Virginia says “yes I suppose you both can have some string cheese” both of the girls cheer, “but only if you promise to behave for the rest of the day”
Both of the girls mod their head in the affirmative and scamper off to the kitchen to claim their prize. Meanwhile Taylor went to the living room to get his shoes on and grab his keys to head to the book store.
Virginia gives him a hug and a kiss “don’t take too long, we’re having chicken tacos for dinner” she reminds him.
He nods and says “I’ll try not to” then he looks back and calls out “bye girls!”
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He’s answered with a chorus of “ bye daddy!” From his daughters, both of whom are now stuffing their mouths with cheese.
He turns to leave and closes the door behind him and makes his way to the car.
• • •
At the store Taylor turns off his car and steps out closing the door behind him and locking it for good measure. He begins to swing his keys around his finger by the lanyard as he walks toward the bookstore. Being here reminds him about the new books that he wants to get for himself as well. Mostly isekai manga, as he calls himself a weeb for liking them. But he doesn’t care, everyone has something they like right? So what If his just so happens to be magic and swords.
His keys slip and fly off in front of him, “god damn it” he mumbles to himself as he picks up the pace to grab them, and he’s suddenly overcome by a bright light followed by endless black.
• • •
Stumbling a bit, his vision slowly comes back as he finds himself in some kind of throne room surrounded by people.
“Oh great hero-“ begins the old man say in the throne.
“Oh you have GOT to be kidding me!” Taylor half yells.
“E-excuse me?” The old man asks almost incredulous. Many guards raise their weapons toward the newcomer, a mix of spears and swords. A couple of figures dressed in what could only be called a crop top and booty shorts, which were not flattering as they both seemed to be old men themselves leveled long sticks at Taylor.
“No,” he began trying to both placate them and explain his thinking, “I’m happy I was picked and all but why me? I have a wife and kids I have to take care of! Who’s going to pay their bills? Can you bring them here too? I know my wife would love that. But I’d that even an option?”
The king seemed bewildered “oh, uh, w-well no actually” he said apologetically.
“What do you mean no? Can you send me back then?” He asked with growing desperation.
“We can’t do that either sadly” the young woman next to him said as she began to walk toward him, “I’m princess Alice of the-“
“Alice? You’ve gotta be joking.” Taylor said while cocking an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with my name?” The princess asks looking semi offended.
“That’s my oldest daughters name” he replies, his mind still reeling, thinking of ways to get home. ‘Maybe I just fell and hit my head? Yeah that must be it. No way I actually got summoned, this is just some sort of hallucination.’ Reaching down he pinched his arm, ‘fuck, shit, nononono, that hurt, which means this is real, fuck’
The princess must’ve noticed something because her hand appeared on his forearm. “I’m so sorry, but we need your help. We can work together to find a way back after we’re done” she says with a sympathetic smile.
Taylor sighed and started to take things a bit more seriously, “so why can’t you summon my family?”
One of the scantily clad figures by the king answered, “the summoning spell is very costly and isn’t something that we can do another handful of times just to make you happy” the old man raised his head in a form of superiority.
“Costly how? Does it cost a lot of mana? Gold? Resources? Lives?” Taylor rambles off the only things he can think of that any magic he knows of, as fictional as it is, would need. At the mention of lives though the other, mage? Must be since the other knew about the summoning magic and hold a staff of some sort too. But the other mage looked away at the mention, as did the princess.
“No,” he said softly, “you can’t tell me that you all actually, how many? Why? What was so important? Do I need to fight demons? Dragons? Other countries? Are you bro my plagues by some gods you want me to train to fight?”
“We need your help” answered the king, “we need you to save what’s left of our kingdom”