I stared at the king. He stared at me. Seraphina joined the staring contest, but it was Alister who broke first. "I thought so."

"Hold the damn phone," I lowered my voice and leaned in. "How many of us are there? Seriously? Is Urzan the orc actually Tyler from down the street?"

The king stifled a laugh and motioned toward his guards. They nodded and opened the back door. The revelry continued without us, and it appeared a small band had materialized. I knew what would happen next: ale, singing, and many happy faces as they devoured my stew. I couldn't wait to get out there and join my community, but right now, I needed answers.

Seraphina held up one finger, reached into her bag, and extracted the silencing gemstone. She placed it on the bar, lowered her head, and muttered quiet words. The room took on its customary vacuum-like atmosphere as her spell worked its magic with the stone.

"She and I have a rule. We only discuss our other world when we're under the protection of that, so we know for sure no one will overhear us."

"Ah, yes. Smart." The king nodded. "As to the existence of others from our world, you are the first I have met. The first two, I should say." The king looked inquiringly at Seraphina.

"If there are three of us, it stands to reason there will be more." I took a sip of my drink.

"Indeed. One of the reasons I sought you out wasn't just for the free food and drinks, although that is a nice way to spend the afternoon. What you are doing here, Varix, is nothing short of remarkable. I came to this world over ten years ago and love it with every fiber of my being. How about you?" King Alister turned his attention to Seraphina.

The three of us recounted how we had arrived here, though the king's version of the story was new to me. He'd awoken one morning in a new bed, in a huge bedchamber, with servants and perks for days. Alister had initially been thrilled, but as the days had passed, he'd come to somewhat hate it. He’d initially missed all of the creature comforts of our world, not to mention the pressure of suddenly becoming a monarch in the middle of a war.

"It was not easy. On our old world, I was a young man named Jeffrey, a few years out of college. I'd taken a job as a driver for a startup called Uber. You’ve probably never heard of it. Unfortunately, my degree in Art History was getting me nowhere. Before I could secure a regular job, I woke up here," he looked down at his garb, "like this. I was not driving when this occurred, which is fortunate for a prospective rider."

I couldn't help but snort when King Alister mentioned Uber, but didn't feel the need to explain how big the company had grown.

"One of the most peculiar parts of inhabiting this body was dealing with the skin condition. It is known in some parts of the land, but is still exceedingly rare. We would call it a genetic anomaly on our world. Here, it's just a curse."

"That bad?" I asked.

"I must limit sunlight. I'm like a vampire, I suppose. Minus the teeth and blood-sucking. The sun is like fire on my skin."

"The cloak isn’t just for hiding your appearance," Seraphina said.

"Correct."

I gave King Alister a version of how I had arrived here, but conveniently left out the whole Dark Lord Morthisal part. While he seemed cool, I wasn't sure how he would take that news.

Seraphina then related the story she told me after revealing her status as a person transferred to this world. Seraphina and I hadn't had a chance to discuss deeply what we had done in the old world before being brought here. I knew she had been an accountant, but she had left out one small detail.

"I wasn't able to walk," Seraphina looked down, then smiled, looked back up, and shook her head lightly. "I was in a car accident and lost the use of my legs. I hated my day job, but they had been accommodating. I suspect I was their diversity hire, probably for the tax break. As I told Varix, I hated my job. When I came here, I discovered, much as you all had, this beautiful and vibrant world. My legs worked again, and that was initially a problem. I had forgotten how to walk. The first few days here were … interesting."

"Seraphina," I whispered and touched her hand. "I had no idea."

"It's something that is literally from another time and world. I didn't think it bore mentioning, mainly because I was sick of the pitying looks back on Earth. Not to mention the sheer difficulty of getting around. Our world is still not particularly welcoming to those with disabilities. I hope to change that someday."

"I'm sorry," I said honestly and put on a big smile. "Better?"

"You're such a ham."

"I know, right?"

"It truly gladdens my heart to see you two so happy," King Alister said.

"What about you? Do you have a girlfriend or wife? Both?" I asked.

"No such luck, though I fancy Kara."

I glanced toward the door. "The woman who looks like she could rip us in half between eye blinks?"

"Yes. She is fierce and strong, and yet she can be very soft. She was trained by one of the Duerthians. A race of people who produce rather efficient killers. She can find or even create shadows and stay in them, completely invisible." King Alister said.

My eyes darted to the spot Zyn had occupied. He had been a Duerthian. He hadn't talked much, but I somehow missed his presence.

He sighed and looked down. "My time is nearly up, friends. I wish I could stay for the rest of the afternoon, but duty calls."

"You have to go?" I said. "You just got here. I feel like we should compare notes or something. At least stay for the rest of the little impromptu festival outside."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I will stay and greet the kind people of Everspring, but only for a few moments. I fear these little excursions outside the capitol are frowned upon by all my advisors. And, I'm to be wed soon. I must make plans with my bride-to-be."

"Kara?" Seraphina asked.

"Oh, no. Unfortunately. It's a wedding that will join two houses. It's perfunctory, at best. Princess Elowen Dawnwatcher is a very nice woman. She is attractive, well-spoken, and has a sense of humor. Her family has been in power in the The Radiant Territories for hundreds of years."

"She sounds nice," Seraphina said.

"She is quite nice, but she is not the one I would prefer to be with. Ah, listen to me rambling. I really must be going, friends. My guardians will need a full accounting of what we spoke of, which means embellishing a few things."

"It has been quite surreal, King Alister," I told him.

Seraphina smiled, dipped her head, and said, "Very. It was also lovely to meet you, but knowing there are three of us is confusing. It makes me wonder how many more of us are out there."

"Ah!" The king snapped his fingers. "Yes. I was going to mention this. It seems you and your tavern have already attracted two of us. If there are more, perhaps they will also find you. I have something for you."

"Oh?"

He withdrew a curiously shaped coin. It was triangular, but its edges were softly serrated. Three blue gems clustered around the middle.

Seraphina gasped when he laid it on the bar. "Is that what I think it is?"

"You're an enchanter. What can you tell me about it?" the king asked in a bemused voice.

"It's an aether beacon."

"Very good. This can be used to send me a notification if there is a crisis. It would be best if you did not use this unless there is a genuine emergency. I cannot stress that enough. If I run out in the middle of state affairs, there will be questions."

"Understood," Seraphina said and looked at me. "Shall I hold onto it?"

"Please." I nodded.

King Alister rose from his seat with a warm smile gracing his features. "Varix, Seraphina, it has been truly wonderful to meet you both," he said. "I cannot express how much it means to me to find others who understand our unique situation."

I nodded, still processing the surreal nature of our conversation. "Likewise, Your Majesty. It's... comforting to know we're not alone in this."

The king looked around the tavern. "Varix, I must commend you on what you're doing here. This establishment is more than just a tavern. It's a beacon, and a place where different races can coexist. I encourage you to continue fostering this goodwill. It's precisely what our kingdom needs."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I replied. "I'll do my best."

"I intend to check in when I can, though I cannot promise when such visits will occur."

"I understand." I nodded.

Alister's expression turned serious for a moment. "Oh, and regarding that bothersome Baron Swiftwood? You needn't worry about him anymore. I will, shall we say, have a word with him. He won't be causing you any further trouble. After all, I have the authority to hand out baronies. Therefore, I can also take them away." He chuckled.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Terrific. Thank you."

As the king headed for the door, he suddenly paused and reached into another pocket. "Ah, I almost forgot," he said, returning to us. He pulled out a small handful of coins and divided them between Seraphina and me. "Consider this a personal token of my appreciation, in addition to the reward for capturing Thalindra that Roland Hightown will issue to you later today."

I stared at the coins in my hand, surprised. "This is very generous, but I don't think…"

The king cut me off with a chuckle as his eyes swept the tavern again. "Trust me, Varix, you do need it. This place is only a few steps above 'should be condemned.'"

I couldn't help but laugh with him; he was right. "Point taken, Your Majesty. Thank you."

Seraphina retrieved her silencing stone, stashed it in her pouch, and returned to join me.

As we opened the door, Thane and Kara materialized to flank the king. The sounds of the impromptu festival outside filtered in, reminding me of the celebration we were missing.

Seraphina and I followed the king outside. The air was filled with laughter and the aroma of my stew, which had been nearly cleaned out. I spotted a familiar face in the crowd as we walked among the revelers.

"Your Majesty," I said, gesturing towards a small figure, "I'd like you to meet Lady Churl, my invaluable kitchen assistant. And the true hero who helped capture Thalindra."

King Alister's face lit up. "Lady Churl! What a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand to her.

"Eh. Great. Nice ta meet ya, yer kingship." Churl tried to maintain her usual calm demeanor, but she had stammered over her words. Was she star-struck?

"Hello there, Lady Churl." He dropped to one knee so they were the same height.

"They was right about your skin," Lady Churl said. "Color'a milk."

The king's eyes widened, and then he laughed. "Very observant, Lady Churl. It was an honor to meet you."

"Yeah. I was honored, too, I reckon."

As the king moved on to greet other people, I caught Churl's eye. She tried to shrug off the encounter, but I think she might have been blushing. It seemed that even my tough-as-nails kitchen assistant wasn't immune to a little royal charm.

King Alister continued moving through the crowd, personally greeting people and making them smile. At some point, I noticed he was there, shaking hands and offering kind words, and the next... he was gone. Seraphina and I exchanged glances. He had vanished as mysteriously as he had arrived.

The other person who had also disappeared was Baron Swiftwood, although it appeared his guards were still in the crowd. Alic, who stood with his brother Caden, laughed and shoved each other playfully. Doan was still eating stew, probably on his third bowl by now.

"Well, that was certainly an interesting afternoon," Seraphina murmured, her eyes still scanning the crowd for any sign of the king.

I nodded. "To say the least. I wonder how often he pulls disappearing acts like that."

Before we could ponder further, Roland Hightown approached us through the crowd of revelers.

"Varix! Seraphina!" he called out as he approached. "I'm glad you are both here."

"Did you try the stew, Roland?" I asked.

"Yes, and it was excellent."

"As you know, you deserve a reward of one hundred platinum sovereigns. It will be delivered tomorrow."

I still had trouble wrapping my head around this amount of money. It was the equivalent of one thousand gold. I had paid almost that much for The Shadow's Respite. Not that the entire reward was mine, far from it.

"If it's alright with Seraphina, I intend to split the reward three ways. Her, me, and Lady Churl, who was instrumental in capturing the dark sorceress."

"It's your reward to do with as you please."

"Care to join us, Roland? I have a small amount of peach ale, which I know you love."

Roland straightened his back and smiled. "I believe I will."

I offered Seraphina my arm. She locked hers with mine. I pointed with my other hand at Urzan, Moktar, Caden, Alic, Doan, and Lady Churl. "Can I have a word with you all inside?" I raised my voice and called their names to ensure they knew I was singling them out.

We piled into the tavern, and I went behind the bar to start mixing drinks. It was time for a private celebration with my closest friends.