"What happened?"
Gaith could feel his sense returning as the burning sensation on his body began to wear off. He couldn't believe it—he had been sure he was dead, his limbs torn apart by the explosion. Yet, he could feel his limbs again. "Did I survive? No, that's impossible!"
It took several minutes for his eyes to adjust and see colors again after being blinded by the earlier explosion. But when his vision finally cleared—it left him utterly flabbergasted—the scene before him was so awe-inspiring that it seemed to take his breath away.
"Where am I? What happened to me? " Gaith turned around slowly, checking his surroundings to ensure where he was. The first thing he noticed was the sky—the earlier dull and gray switched to a brilliant blue sky, which meant it was already evening.
“How could the dawn turn into an evening in an instant?”
As he continued, the buildings took his interest. They were unlike any he had ever encountered, constructed from a combination of stone and wood and taking the form of small towers, castles, and flats with two to three floors each. Those buildings were lined up in a circular formation, which made Gaith think it resembled a stronghold, which was impressive.
"Since when do we have a country with buildings like this?" Gaith's mouth opened in disbelief as panic rose within him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't comprehend what had happened, “Really … Just what the heck is happening?” he said while scraping his hair.
And to add to his confusion, the people around him. They dressed in odd and basic clothing, such as cheap robes or tunics. Almost—no, all of those people were taller than him. Jealousy flashed on his head, followed by raising his eyebrows, but he quickly shook that thought away, "No, that's not important! What's important is which ethnicity they are?"
Those people were setting up their market stalls on the cobblestone road in front of those buildings. Some other of those people talking to each other, from their gesture, made Gaith think they were doing transactions.
However, Gaith couldn't understand a single word of their conversations, not even a single phrase:
“Come here; we're going to give you a discount!”
“We sell the best weapons in this area!”
“Sorry, but I can’t accept that little!”
“Come on. It looks old enough to be that expensive!”
The babble of unfamiliar voices only made him scratch his head. He tried hard to understand what they were saying, but it all sounded gibberish.
While lost in thought, Gaith saw something strange that caught his attention. Carriages pulled by creatures he had never seen before—a four-legged beast with a horn on its head, shaped like a rhinoceros but sticking out its tongue like a snake—passed him on the street.
"What the hell is that? Am I dreaming?”
Gaith couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. He even pinched himself on the cheeks to check if he was dreaming, but the pain confirmed that he was awake—leaving a conclusion that he had been transported to a different world. As strange and surreal as it seemed, it was the only explanation he had for his situation.
He started pacing around in circles while murmuring and cursing the exact phrase repeatedly, "What the heck, what the heck, what the heck." His brain couldn't process the information.
Suddenly, something bumped into him with force, causing him to snap back to reality. “Hey! What are you doing daydreaming in the middle of the street?” A sizzling voice came from the stranger who was two—no, three times taller than Gaith.
Gaith turned into the source of that sizzling voice, “Sorry–” He began, “My bad–” but couldn’t continue as a stranger in front of him, standing firmly. The stranger's towering figure made Gaith pinch his cheeks again, checking if it was real, and another pain came in, confirming it was real.
That stranger wore a mossy black robe covering almost his entire body. However, there was something that locked Gaith's eyes on him. From the slight gap at the stranger's hoodie, a mouth that jutted forward looked like a crocodile's, pictured by Gaith's eyes.
“Eeeh– is he not a human?”
A dry lump formed in Gaith's throat as he involuntarily swallowed, his body tensing with a primal instinct to retreat. Fear coiled around his heart, constricting his breath. Yet, before he could react further, the stranger's hand lashed out with lightning speed, making contact with Gaith's body—sweeping Gaith off the ground. However, his quick reflexes kicked in, allowing him to brace for impact and land safely, unharmed.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
A seed of doubt sprouted in Gaith's mind: had he grown weaker? Gaith, known for his invincibility, stood at the pinnacle of physical prowess. Bullets bounced off his impenetrable skin, and no human could budge him, no matter what their weight was. Yet, within a brief span of time, he had encountered two individuals who matched his strength.
Gaith was eager to ask the stranger, ‘what his problem is?’ However, when he looked at him once more, the hood that covered the stranger figure's face lifted, revealing a face that made Gaith's face turn deathly pale: eyes akin to those of an eagle, sharp and penetrating, a skin adorned with scales, and a snouted mouth teeming with an array of formidable, razor-sharp teeth.
“Monster? No, no waaay—”
Fear gripped Gaith's mind, his heart pounding in his chest. The thoughts of the stranger's monstrous nature consumed him. The intensity of his fear transformed into tightness in his fists, hardening them into barren rocks. “Die! You monster!” Gaith shouted, then unleashed a swift punch toward the stranger.
Yet, to Gaith's surprise, the stranger effortlessly sidestepped the incoming blow, evading it with a simple step back. A smug smirk crept across the stranger's face as he taunted, "You want to fight, huh? Small man, knows your place!"
Though he didn't understand what the stranger was saying, he could sense that he was looking down on him. It fueled his anger, “Die, you monster!” Another shout from Gaith.
With a surge of agility, Gaith propelled himself upward, defying gravity, aiming to deliver a spinning kick directly at the stranger's head.
The impact was thunderous, resonating through the air like an explosive crescendo. The resounding thud echoed, a testament to the force behind Gaith's strike. And instantly, the stranger dropped to the floor, losing consciousness.
However, the terror feeling already consumed his mind, which caused him to continue stomping and trampling on that stranger's head continuously while cursing. “Die! Die! Die! Die, Y’ monster!”
The resounding thud seized the attention of the other people around him; their gazes fixated on Gaith. Feeling the weight of their scrutiny, Gaith raised both hands before stopping his violent act.
An uneasy silence settled over the scene.
"I'm sorry for the commotion, but this thing is a monster!" Gaith's voice rang out, his hands swaying back and forth as if pleading for understanding. However, the residents remained perplexed, unable to grasp the meaning behind his words. Their murmurs cascaded through the air, a chorus of confusion and uncertainty :
"Who is that little man?"
"I have no idea!"
"Did you see his peculiar attire?"
"Perhaps he is of noble birth?"
"No, no. Royals don't dress like that! He looks more like a clown! Look, he wore a red and black cloth, resembling joker!"
"Well, what does it matter? He knocked down that big beast-human with ease using his small stature!"
Gradually, one by one, the individuals clad in modest robes lifted their hoods, revealing a multitude of fantastical beings. Gaith's eyes widened in astonishment and trepidation, his mind racing to comprehend the surreal sight that unfolded before him. Among them were those with elongated ears, faces resembling foxes and serpents, and countless other races he had never encountered.
To Gaith's surprise, fellow humans like him displayed an unexpected reaction. They seemed unperturbed by the presence of these extraordinary beings, engaging in conversations and exchanges with an air of familiarity. Their ease and nonchalant demeanor amidst such diversity made Gaith feel like an outsider among his fellow humans.
As time ticked away, more individuals gathered around Gaith, their curiosity piqued by the commotion and the enigmatic presence he exuded. Filled with an earnest desire to connect and communicate, Gaith attempted to engage them in conversation. He shouted, calling out in the various languages he knew, hoping to bridge the linguistic barrier that separated them.
Yet, despite his efforts, no one stepped forward to engage in dialogue or to reciprocate his attempts at communication. It was like an invisible wall stood between Gaith and the gathered crowd, preventing his words from reaching their ears or their understanding.
"What is that man shouting?"
"I have no idea!"
"Can anyone understand the language he's speaking?"
"Never heard anything like it!"
"Is he perhaps deranged?"
"Yes, we should call for the guardian. He appears to be mentally unstable."
After a few tense moments, a group clad in formidable armor and brandishing spears and shields pushed through the crowd, their voices resounding with authority:
"Make way! Where is the madman?"
The people around Gaith eagerly pointed their fingers, drawing the attention of the armored group toward him. Gaith's anxiety increased, and he nervously circled his fingers around his neck while muttering, "Am I in big trouble?"
One figure, distinguished from the others by his elevated position on a horse with fiery red eyes, surveyed the scene with a commanding presence.
"Captain, I believe that peculiar little man is the deranged one!" a group member, walking alongside on foot, remarked to the mounted leader.
“Hummu!” The captain's nod was followed by a booming command directed at Gaith, his voice reverberating through the air, "You there! Get down on the ground!" With a swift movement of his hand, he signaled for his troops to advance, their boots pounding against the cobblestone street as they marched in a circular formation surrounding Gaith.