A soft, morning light shown through the window onto the bed. Had he overslept? Was he late for work? No, no it should be Sunday morning. He could sleep in as late as he wanted. Or, at least just a few more minutes. *CLANK* Devon jerked, awaking slightly, eyes still heavy. A voice came from downstairs.

"Oh dammit all!"

Devon shot up. Someone was in his apartment! He didn't own a gun, but he did have a pocket knife... somewhere. Devon looked around. This wasn't his apartment.

What happened? He was drinking, and... Devon looked around again. No, this didn't look like any apartment or house he'd seen before.

"Dammit." He said putting his head in his hands.

"That shit was real?! Why am I cussing so much?! Ah! Fuck!" Annoyed, Devon got up, but realized he wasn't naked anymore. Now he was worried for another reason.

"Oh come on. Now this guy's seen me naked. Are these his underwear?!" That made Devon think. He was in some stranger's house, in a mysterious world, with TWO FUCKING MOONS! He thought it was odd that he seemed to be most bothered by the fact that someone saw him naked. He took this as either a very good sign, and he was handling things relatively well. Or, more likely, it was a very bad sign, and he was just going bat shit crazy. Either way, he needed answers.

Devon looked around the room again, with his head clearing somewhat. He spotted a shirt and pants hanging folded on the back of a chair near the bed.

"That seems intentional. GAhh! why am I saying everything out loud now too?!" He stomped over and grabbed the clothes, putting them on. The voice came from downstairs again.

"Ohhhh son of a gastrolance!"

Wait, Devon thought, that sounded like English. He didn't know that last word, but the first few were definitely English. He hoped this wasn't just a coincidence, and the stranger actually did speak it.

"Ok. Time to meat the neighbors." He said, building up his courage.

Devon slowly opened the door to the room, and made his way to the stairs. He creeped down them gently, but of course one noisy step gave him away. And if it didn't, the next five noisy steps definitely did. Of course, he thought. Devon paused. The noises coming from downstairs had stopped. Dammit, he thought. He peaked his head around the wall at the bottom of the stairs to find a strange looking old man standing on the other side of the room, with his hands raised, as if to... cast a spell? Wait. Does this world have magic? That would definitely be cool.

"Uhhmm." Devon said, cautiously. "H-hello?"

The man's demeanor didn't change at all. "Ahhh! So you CAN speak Reyalic." The man said, still not moving a muscle, and looking accusatorially at Devon.

"Tell me, spirit of the fey. Why were you fighting those gol beasts in the forest last night? And why are you in that human form? Answer me!"

Oh yeah, Devon thought, this guy is off it.

"I, you, what?" Devon said, more confused than scared. "I woke up in that forest yesterday. Or, I think it was yesterday. I'm not actually sure how long I was out." He said.

"I brought you here just last night." The man replied.

"Yeah, but I was unconscious several times before that. What are you doing?" Devon looked at the man curiously.

"Ah, I see you would be unfamiliar with our ways. Especially after so long. I merely have a... defensive spell readied. In case you do something I don't like." The man had an odd look in his eye. He was definitely unstable.

"A spell? So this world really does have magic!" Devon's eyes were a bit wider, and looked enthusiastic. After all, he shouldn't have anything to worry about. This man saved him, and clearly had him confused with... whatever a spirit of the fey was.

The man lowered his arms just a bit.

"This... world?" He asked.

"Yeah, uhh." Devon just considered that it might not actually be a good idea to reveal he was from another world.

"I, I mean. Well you see." He was floundering. It was too late now anyways. He might as well just say it.

"Yeah, I'm from another world. I just woke up here the other day. In that forest."

The man's eyes went wide and somehow appeared even more crazed than before. Devon didn't even think that was possible. The man lowered his arms and rushed over to Devon.

"An explosion! Did you hear an explosion when you awoke?!"

"Uhhh, yeah " Devon said, a little concerned now.

"It happened just after I woke up actually."

"It happened!" The man said, grabbing Devon by the arms.

"Did you SEE it happen?!"

"Hey man, can you give me some space?" Devon said, breaking free from the man's grip.

"I didn't just see it happen. I WAS the explosion."

The man's gaze veered away from Devon. He appeared to be entering a state of deep thought.

"Right after the spell. So that means, maybe it did work after all." He paused. "But then, no, no it definitely backfired. But..." He slowly turned to look at Devon. "My boy, I do believe I was the one to summon you here."

Devon just looked at him, in shock.

"You? But how?"

"I recently discovered an ancient spell. After deciphering it from ancient spirit runes, I was sure it would open a portal to the spirit realm. But, after this, and you..." He paused. "I feel I may have made a grave error." The man seemed to be putting all this together in his head as he spoke.

"I must have mistranslated the runes. I read in them something about traversing realities and I took that to mean different realms within the bounds of this world. But, it appears to have been talking about other worlds entirely. I've heard stories of such a thing, but, well, I never suspected they were actually real. Or if they were, those ancient spells must have been lost, and much more convoluted than the one I cast." He paused and looked up at Devon. "I'm sorry my boy. Truly I am. I'm afraid I may have uprooted your entire life."

Devon didn't really know what to say to all of this. He just stood there for a moment, looking dazed.

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It was one thing to think that some random mystical event that he couldn't explain was responsible for his being here. But now to think that it was a person who had grabbed him, and dragged him here... it was a very unsettling thought. But, Devon was a pragmatist.

"Well, I mean, hey don't worry about it. It was an honest mistake. It could have happened to anyone."

"Yes but you see, as a mage, it is my duty to be well read and knowledgeable about such things. I was too hasty in my work. I spent mere days studying the spell. I should have taken months, if not years to do so. Finding all I could about the spell. Researching every book in my library. I should have been more prepared. But I was too excited to see what the spell would do. I was foolish. And for that, I am truly sorry."

This was all very hard to process for Devon.

"Well then, I forgive you... uhh, what's your name?"

"Ah yes, please, again forgive me. My name is Lavernias Felton. A master mage, and wielder of the arcane arts. At your service my good man." He took a slight bow. "And what might your name be?"

"Uhh, yeah I'm Devon. Devon Sanders."

"Well master Devon Sanders. I vow to you here and now that I will stop at nothing to get you back to your home world. Or at the very least to help you as much as I can here on this one."

Devon was weirded out by Lavernias, but he did seem to be an earnest man at least.

"Well, yeah I appreciate that." Devon said.

"So... what do we do now?"

Lavernias paused. "Well, uhhh. That's a good question. Wait, didn't you say that you WERE the explosion?"

"Oh yeah." Devon said. "Maybe you can explain what happened to me. A few minutes after I woke up in that forest, I just burst into flames. I could feel my whole body being burned alive. It was... intense." Devon paused, looking concerned, while Lavernias looked on with great intrigue.

"I could feel the flames coursing through my veins. It was as if... as if the fire itself was alive, and trying to take control of my whole body."

"Hmmm." Lavernias said. "I've never heard of such a thing happening to a man. Unless of course he were the subject of a malicious mage's spellcasting. Did you see anyone else around there?" Lavernias asked, though he felt that he knew the actual cause of Devon's traumatic experience.

Devon shook his head. "No, I didn't see anyone. Though I guess it would have been easy for me to miss someone there. I wasn't in the best state of mind at the time."

"Of course, of course." Lavernias said. Then he stopped to ponder the situation.

"Oh yeah." Devon said.

"Then later I think I was able to... sort of control the fire."

Lavernias looked up in shock. "Control it you say?! Have you ever studied the magical arts before? Do they have magic on your world?"

"No. On my world, magic is only a fantasy. It only exists in stories. I've never even tried to cast a spell before."

"Remarkable." Lavernias exclaimed quietly to himself.

"What was it like?"

Devon thought on the experience.

"Well it was when those... beast things, were latched onto me. One had a hold of my forearm, and the other my calf. I could feel a sense of power and pressure build in both of those places on my body. I could feel myself getting angry at the creatures. Then..." Devon paused to think for a moment.

"... it was almost as if my body instinctually pulled from a power deep within myself. I could feel it rushing upwards, and finally shooting out of my body as intense flames."

Lavernias stared at him in amazement.

"I have not heard of any sort of magic that would produce such a reaction. And if what you said about never having studied or performed magic before is true... My boy, I fear you may be in grave danger." Lavernias' face took on a serious expression.

"Danger?" Devon asked. "What kind of danger?"

Lavernias looked around cautiously.

"The garrison went out looking for you early this morning." He said.

"The garrison? You mean like, of a town or something?" Devon asked, looking confused.

"Ah yes, I assume they don't have kingdoms where you come from?"

"Oh. Well no we do. Although they are mostly just things of the past. There aren't many kings in my world these days. Government's typically don't give one man all the power like that anymore."

Devon said.

"Fascinating!" Replied Lavernias, looking more than a little interested in the concept. He then shook his head. "Another time perhaps. Anyway, the garrison is the main force of troops within the city of Tamél , the capital city of the Kingdom of Freyondel. That's the kingdom we are in right now. The kingdom I live in." As Lavernias spoke, Devon seemed to be understanding everything. So Lavernias continued.

"The explosion, and subsequent forest fire you caused was so immense that it attracted the attention of almost everyone within this central region of the kingdom." He paused to look at Devon. "You burned down a third of the Aufarine Forest in one night. Even with the typical use of magic that feat is nearly impossible."

Devon winced a bit. "Oooo yeah, sorry about that."

Lavernias waved a hand dismissively. "No no, it wasn't your fault. But the point is, you caused such a stir, that even the king felt it necessary to take action. These, powers, of yours... they are incredible. I don't know of a mage alive today who could do what you did. And the king is scared. His men are investigating it now."

Devon now looked very concerned.

"Well, I mean, do they have any clues yet?"

Lavernias shook his head.

"As far as I know they haven't discovered anything about you yet. It's quite likely they believe this to have been caused by some natural phenomenon. I doubt they would have suspected any one person would be behind it, if they suspect a person at all. I believe you should be safe, for now."

Devon looked a bit relieved. But Lavernias continued.

"But chances are someone will find out something at some point. I know that is not much to go on, but for now, it's all we have. Needless to say you should not divulge anything about yourself, to anyone."

Devon nodded.

"Honestly I almost didn't tell you about myself. It kinda just slipped out."

"Well I'm glad you did tell me." Lavernias said with a smile. "Now I can help you." Lavernias looked thoughtful.

"We'll need to figure out how to hide you. Yes. But first, I'm sure you're quite hungry."