I was trained as an engineer, and so I obviously believed in thinking things through. I’d always proposed that to my study mates back in college - let’s get all the facts clear, and think this through carefully. I had never really understood just how awful that advice was when you didn’t have all the facts. When you had no idea what the facts were, even.

When Lecander left me, I spent some time staring at the door, ready for him to come back and attack me, or something. When he didn’t, I sat down in the cage and tried to relax. That wasn’t easy, and it didn’t get any easier once I started to think things through. Trying to, at least.

I very quickly realized that I had basically no idea what was going on. Tiriel and the others had told me a lot about this world and what they were doing, and I had simply accepted it. I hadn’t had any reason to question it, or any real way to question it.

Now Lecander had told me a - very different story. Who was right? They couldn’t both be right, I thought. My gut feeling told me to believe Tiriel, Caveria, and the others, but my engineering-trained mind demanded some kind of verification. Both versions sounded fantastical to me - heck, this whole world was fantastical. This world was real, though. I vividly remembered the battle between Caveria and Lecander in the sky above the palace in Ambor. That hadn’t been a children’s tale.

If Tiriel was right, the world teetered on the edge of chaos, and if the Dragonblade was used by someone with ambitions there would likely be a huge, devastating war.

If Lecander was right, the world teetered on the edge of chaos as well. Not because of the Dragonblade, which didn’t even exist, but because the Elves, Dwarves and Merfolk were plotting to enslave humanity in the name of “harmony.” Which Lecander and others were resisting, which in turn would also lead to war.

I turned these two opposing perspectives over in my mind, over and over. I tried to dredge up any memories, anything I might have heard or seen that favored one over the other, but that was hard. Both seemed equally likely, or equally unlikely.

They had one thing in common, I noticed after a while. They both agreed the world was about to plunge into chaos and war. How reassuring.

That part unfortunately seemed all too likely, from what I’d heard and seen. So, I thought. What the heck can I do about all this? Does it even matter what I do? I’ve been amazingly useless so far.

The only thing I could really think of was the people involved. I liked Tiriel and the others. Even gruff Thord and scary Caveria. I didn’t want to think they were scheming against... humanity. They could be deluded, of course. Even Tiriel could be, I supposed. She seemed so very confident and certain, but she had never really backed this up with facts or arguments.

I found myself wishing Lecander had been more obviously evil or deranged. He seemed pressured, yes, pressured and ambitious, but if he was right, he better feel pressured. Apart from that, he seemed pretty normal.

I got up and paced around the cage. I couldn’t make my choice based on personalities, that was clear. Or beauty - I also remembered just how stunning Tiriel had been when we’d danced, back in the Dwarven Hall. I had to find something else to decide by. But what?

As I walked and tried to think, the door creaked. I spun around, and saw a young maid come into the room. She didn’t look at me, but walked quickly over to a large cupboard and took something out. Then she turned and headed back. I decided to try to talk to her, to see if I could get any kind of useful information. Like where I was, or even what time it was.

“Hi,” I said, trying to sound friendly. “I’m Peter. Could you answer a question for me? I wonder what the weather is like outside. It was raining before.”

“I can’t talk to you,” she said, but stopped. “Mister Lecander won’t allow it. But it’s not raining.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear,” I said. “I lost my rain gear, you see, and it was fine when traveling in the wagon but I wouldn’t want to walk far without.”

The maid was standing right by the door, staring at the floor. I didn’t understand why she just stood there, but then she whirled and faced me. She looked terrified, and glanced at the door.

“Is it true you know Caveria?” she said in a half-whisper.

“Uh, yes,” I said. That wasn’t a secret, was it?

“That’s awesome,” she said, her eyes going round. “She’s - she’s my hero,” she stuttered.

Well, I thought. Isn’t that interesting. Lecander’s maid is another Caveria fan.

“Wait here!” the maid said, and darted out the door.

“Wait!” I called after her. What did she mean - I was in a cage, I wasn't going anywhere! She was the one who needed to wait... Darn kid. Maybe she’d come back.

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I sat back down and tried to pick up my train of thought from before. So, it seemed war was coming. That was bad, no matter why it was coming. But what could I do about that? I wasn’t a hero, I wasn’t a fighter, and I didn’t know anything about this world. I wasn't even born in this world. That was...

That was important, I suddenly realized. I wasn’t from this world. I'd been brought here. Somehow. And that meant... a lot. My eyes widened as the implications dawned on me. I wasn’t from here. I’d come here by falling into a moonlit lake. It was impossible, but it was true. It had happened to me. It wasn’t a tale. It was - a fact. Perhaps it was the fact I needed.

If I came here through a lake, that meant someone - or something - brought me here. It wasn’t simple physics - I hadn't fallen into Lumaria, it wasn’t on the bottom of that lake. Something took me here. Presumably, because something wanted me to be here. It wasn’t just chance. There was a purpose. Could it be... to stop the war?

What if I wasn’t just tagging along with Tiriel and her party? What if I’d been sent here for a reason?

I couldn’t see any such reason, to be honest, but I got up and began to pace again as I got more excited. This was completely crazy, but it was logical. If it wasn’t just chance that I ended up here, and that was impossible, then it was for a reason. I had a purpose, being here.

I carefully avoided any deeper analysis of my reasoning. I needed something to hold on to, otherwise I’d just be lost. Especially if there was a war coming.

What if I could stop the war? With or without the Dragonblade, I was in a unique position between two opposing forces. Which meant that right now, my most important task was to maintain that position.

The door creaked again and I turned towards it with a friendly smile, but it wasn’t the maid. It was Lecander . He was also smiling, in that annoyingly superior way of his.

“Well,” he said. “Have you considered our previous discussion?”

“Yes,” I said warily.

“Good, good. And have you considered helping us?”

I took a deep breath. “Yes,” I said. “I’d be happy to help you to stop this war.” I didn’t say which war. It seemed to be the right answer, because his smile grew wider and warmer.

“Thank you,” he said, “that makes me very happy indeed. We need all the help we can get against the cold ones. Thank you,” he said again.

“There is no time to lose,” he continued. “I will have you released, and will give you a small sum of gold. I want you to return to Tiriel’s party and act as a normal member of it. I will be in contact, and let you know what you need to do.”

What? Was that it? He was setting me free? That seemed... too easy. It had to be better than being locked in a cage, though.

“Thank you,” I said, trying to keep my disbelief out of my voice. It had be a lie. “That sounds good.” It didn't, i sounded like a trap, but - another trap, instead of the one I was in? Bring it on, I thought. It didn't really bother me, since I was still excited about the purpose I’d found - or talked myself into believing. I was going to stop this war, whichever one was coming. Getting out of the cage was the first step.

Lecander left to give orders, and I waited impatiently in the cage. It wasn’t long until the maid girl came scurrying back into the room. She looked terrified again, but she ran right up to the cage and held something out, through the golden bars.

“Here,” she said, dangling the thing she held. “Take it, please!”

I accepted it, and realized it was my amulet! Or... was it my amulet? I held it up. It looked familiar, and the leather strap looked right, but it looked redder than I remembered it.

“What’s this?” I asked the maid. She hunched her shoulders and didn’t look at me.

“It’s your protection amulet,” she said, stumbling a bit on the words. “We have polished it. It will keep you safe.”

“I see,” I said. That probably explained why it looked different. I smiled at the maid. “Thank you very much,” I said.

She smiled back at me, but it was a nervous smile. Then she turned and ran back out the door.

Poor girl, I thought. Although I could understand why she was nervous - Lecander would hardly be happy when he found out she’d returned the amulet. So don’t let him find out. I hung it around my neck and tucked it into my tunic. It was almost invisible, unless you knew it was there. I knew it could be detected via magic, though.

Luckily for me, I didn’t meet Lecander again. Shortly after the maid’s visit three large, armed men came and opened the cage. There was no lock, but one of them held up something that looked like a golden disc, and pulled the door open. They led me out the room, down a corridor and a staircase, and out into a courtyard.

I looked around as we exited. It looked like a farm, with a paved yard surrounded by low, long buildings. One of them looked like the farmer family’s house, the others like stables and barns.

“Here,” one of the men grunted and held out a bag. “From Master Lecander. He wishes you luck.”

I thanked the men and walked quickly out through the portal in one of the buildings, into the street outside.

Into the road, rather. This was a farm, so obviously we weren’t in a town or city. I stopped and looked first left, then right. A road, leading from somewhere unknown to somewhere unknown, and surrounding it, and me - fields, woods, and... mountains. I had expected to be back in Ambor, or close by, but they hadn’t taken me that far.

Left or right? I couldn’t see any clear, factual reason to choose, but I got a feeling the road to the right was a dead end. So, left it was. I set off down the road at a brisk pace, feeling good to be free again.

In less than half an hour my road ended in an intersection with another, larger road, and giving me the same choice again. Left, or right, on the empty road? I seemed to be in a large valley, but to the right tall mountains rose beyond the valley side. Right, I decided, towards those mountains.

I didn’t meet many people on the road, but it felt like late afternoon or evening, and so most travelers had probably found some place to spend the night already. I hoped I would too - I had no desire to sleep outside, alone, with no gear. As I walked, I pushed all further thinking about my purpose and future plans out of my mind. It wouldn't lead anywhere, and would just distract me. Focus. Focus on the goal, the purpose.

My luck held, as I reached a roadside inn after about an hour of walking. It seemed busy, but as I hoped, there was always room for one more lone traveler - with gold. I got a small room - very small, with a bed taking up almost all the floor and a small chair in the corner. It would do fine, but first: dinner. My belly growled as I headed back to the common room. Some food, some beer, and then bed.