‘Don’t say you don’t remember me lad!’ the man said, resting his cart down. ‘We had a fine chat, you and I, just a few hours ago it was!’

‘We did?’ Ted asked, confused. ‘I don’t remember it at all, I’m sorry. I was very drunk.’

‘I remember!’ the dark skinned man said. ‘You kept on telling me, in fact. “Thanks for helping me out, I’m very drunk. Thanks for the directions, I’m really drunk.”’ he mimicked Ted’s voice, which still somehow managed to sound slightly northern English, even in this new language. It didn’t sound like mockery, though from anyone Ted knew from home, it certainly would have been.

‘You were the most grateful drunk I’ve ever helped!’ the man finished.

‘Well. Thank you for helping me; I did make it home in the end.’ Ted said, a little embarrassed, looking at Cam for support, or perhaps a suggestion that they needed to leave right away. It was not forthcoming.

‘’Oh you knew the way home well enough!’ the cheerful man said. ‘You were very concerned about your dancing skills, and that you couldn’t dance as well as the Arachnids. Though you kept on calling them the Spidermen, which I had to keep telling you, they don’t take kindly to.’

‘Oh.’ Ted said, now a little more embarrassed. He felt his cheeks start to burn.

‘Kept saying you wanted to do whatever a spider could, even sung it to me!’ the man chuckled. ‘Catchy tune actually, though I daren’t sing it in case I get myself in a pickle with the Arachnids.’

Ted buried his head in his hands.

‘Well, thank you again. I think we have to be going, uh…’ he realised he didn’t know the man’s name, and let it hang.

‘Ollie.’ Ollie said. ‘And that’s okay Ted, I’m just glad I could help. You be off now. And don’t let that secret tattoo be worrying you anymore either.’

A feeling akin to ice cold water being poured down Ted’s back suddenly gave him clarity at the old man’s last line. The tattoo. Had he really been talking about it? He’d almost forgotten about it, and had meant to keep it secret. Clearly he had failed. And couldn’t be trusted drunk.

‘I won’t, thank you.’ he said, as calmly as he could, before climbing onto the wagon next to Cam. The man had a wry smile on his face, and murmured ‘Tattoo?’ as Ted clambered to the seat next to him.

‘Tell you later.’ Ted muttured. ‘Bye Ollie! See you next time I’m in town.’ he called down to the man.

‘I look forward to it Ted! It’s always nice to hear more stories from the old worlds, and you were a very friendly man to talk to.’ Ollie replied, smiling brightly.

‘Better get Jennie moving; the conversation will never end otherwise. I know this guy’s type.’ Ted muttered to Cam again under his breath. Cam chuckled and nodded, twitching Jennie’s reins.

‘Thanks Ollie, you too!’ he shouted down to the man, as the wagon finally started pulling away, and out of the city.

-

‘So what was that about?’ Cam asked, as they got clear of the city walls. Ted groaned.

‘Don’t ask. I’m still hungover, I feel awful, and I’m pretty sure I was singing the Spiderman theme tune to strangers last night.’ Ted replied. ‘I need rest and a break from humiliation.’

‘I thought I recognised the song lyrics.’ Cam said, laughing. ‘I didn’t think you’d be so self-conscious about your dancing.’

‘I didn’t either.’ said Ted. ‘Honestly, that beer absolutely ruined me.’

‘And what was that about a secret tattoo?’ Cam asked.

‘Not a clue.’ Ted said, smooth in the lie even despite the hangover. That hadn’t happened in a while; he’d not felt the need to lie at all since coming to the Second World, with all of his past suddenly becoming irrelevant, unimportant. And frankly, no one had really asked. Instantly he questioned why he’d decided to do so now.

‘More ramblings then?’ Cam asked, looking over and smiling at Ted.

‘Well.’ Ted said. ‘Not exactly.’

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Ted told him about the tattoo on his back, even turning and pulling down his shirt to show him. Cam looked reassuringly unconcerned.

‘That’s a very nice tattoo, my friend.’ he said, twitching Jenny’s reins again, even though Ted was pretty sure it was now only mostly for show.

‘Yeah, cheers.’ Ted said. ‘So what does it mean?’

‘Not everything means something, I’m afraid. This world is still full of secrets, and over the years I’ve started to doubt that we really have full control of it. New monsters show up, new enemies, new races; the men from Galor have only been arriving for a decade or so. Maybe you were marked by the world, maybe someone is playing a joke. Maybe every thousandth human from Earth gets a free tattoo.’ Cam said. Ted looked at him, disbelievingly.

‘So, basically, it’s just a mystery?’ Ted asked.

‘I think it may be. As your powers grow you may be able to use your own understanding of magic and physiology to understand it more. Or we could take you to some of the arcane bio-mages in the next city and they could look? I’m afraid I don’t have the Skills to really look into it any further.’

‘The reason I kept quiet about it was because I didn’t want people prodding or probing me. Or to be called the Antichrist and set on fire.’ Ted admitted. ‘But it sounds like it’s really not a big deal.’

‘It’s not.’ Cam reassured him.

‘Is anything a big deal?’ Ted pushed. ‘We’ve been on the road for a few days now, and I was supposed to be at the Front two days ago. I’ve kind of taken it on trust that I’m not going to be shouted at and court martialled for that, but considering that one of the Sassar actually killed a guy on day one, I’m not really sure on the rules. We’re supposed to be at war, but there are night clubs and cafes and markets and all kinds of stuff that really don’t gel with my idea of what a constant war footing is. And now a mystic dark star tattoo appearing on the back of my neck is also nothing to worry about?’

Cam looked at him, seemingly thinking of what to say. Ted continued.

‘I’m just struggling to follow the sense of things here. It all feels like a dream where you realise that none of it adds up once you think about it further. And I’ve lost everyone I started with, and that’s bumming me out a bit too.’ He smiled and added. ‘Even though half of them acted like they had a stick up their arse and a second life is exactly what they expected.’

‘Well, most of them probably did.’ Cam pointed out.

‘I know.’ Ted admitted. ‘It’s almost annoying that they were right, if I’m honest.’

‘There’s always more than a few pompous and righteous ones about.’ Cam said. ‘A lot of it fades. I do understand how you feel my friend, I really do. You’ve moved from a world where you knew how things worked, to a certain degree, to one that’s completely alien, but filled with familiarity. It’s difficult to get your head around, but we all go through it. My advice? Stop thinking of it as something that you have to understand every part of. I know that’s an easy answer for me to give, but you’ll learn what you need to as you go. Think of how things were where you came from. Did you know how everything worked?’

‘Well, yeah. Obviously.’ Ted said, defensively.

‘Do you know who made the laws?’ Cam probed further.

‘The government? We had a Parliament that decided everything.’ Ted said, already realising that his lack of clarity was losing him points in this argument.

‘Who was in that?’ Cam said.

‘Generally a massive bunch of arseholes.’ Ted replied.

‘Do you know any of their names?’ Cam pushed.

‘Well… obviously I can name the Prime Minister. And the Health Minister got pretty famous for having an affair and then going on TV to eat cockroaches. But for the rest… I guess not?’

‘Do you know who you were at war with?’ Cam asked.

‘We weren’t at war with anyone!’ Ted protested. ‘Well. Maybe Russia? I think we were bombing Afghanistan too? Or was that Syria.’

He stopped, registering Cam’s expression.

‘Okay, I get it. I didn’t know what was going on in my world either.’ he said, frustrated.

‘I’m not trying to make you look stupid.’ Cam said. ‘In our own original lives we knew exactly how our part on the cog worked. As adults we’re analytical, but not about the things that we grow up with. You never ask why things are the way they are, and the reason is generally hundreds of years old and no longer agreed on. You’re coming here, and everything is new, so you’re full of questions.’

‘But weren’t you full of the same questions?’ Ted asked.

‘You know, I actually wasn’t. Most aren’t, if I’m honest; you’ve asked more than any new entry that I’ve ever met. Whether it’s because I’ve caught you off the back of some shoddy Basic Training, or just because you’ve yet to go into your first vocation here, you’re certainly a lot more inquisitive than most.’

‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’ Ted said.

‘I’m happy for you to do so, my friend, but I’d also recommend that you tamp it down and just start accepting things as you see them. It’ll be easier.’ Cam told him.

‘What a cop out.’ Ted accused.

‘It certainly is. Now, we’re outside of town, and you’re chatty enough that I believe your hangover must be fading. Let’s do some training.’ Cam said, smiling.

‘Oh, and with regards to you getting court martialled for being late to the Front; I wouldn’t worry, they probably don’t even have your name on their lists yet. They’re not very organised over there, trust me on that.’ he added. ‘And since you’ll be arriving much better trained than your cohort, they should just be happy to have you.’

They chatted for a few more minutes, until Cam spotted something and pulled over. The ‘something’ was just a wide area of land, it turned out, where he climbed off, and loudly announced that it was time to train.

‘Let’s make you a warrior.’