Trees! Even the trees around me exuded an exciting mystery. The grass is not just grass, flowers not just flowers. As I stood up and took everything in that was around me, even the smallest of things made me giddy. I smiled, smiled so much it hurt.

A thing that looked like a lily, smelled like a lily was no longer such but completely new. Colors vibrant and weird leaped out like in a dream, the green of leaves being a bit different than for my whole life, smells strange and fresh infested me and I let them, and although I saw no animals skipping around I was certain that they would emanate a similar feeling of wonder. Summer, this had to be it, the way others had always pictured it. Just better. More.

What really grabbed me though was the city just a mile or two in front of me. It spoke to me, called me to explore, take a journey through its wide and narrow streets full of people from a whole new world. For the first time of my life the idea of people did not bring me anxiety or fear, but excitement for what wonders they could offer, and if the figure truly brought me to a world I wanted, magic and other mysterious forces were sure to show up. Maybe I could be someone! Respected by my peers and held in a high regard because of my amazing talents and knowledge! Even the thought was enough to send shivers down my spine.

That city… it had to be it. Carriage after another, drawn by horses, slowly drove past me towards it. All the weird looks and words I did not pay attention bothered me not, I had other plans. Every bone of my body yearned me to scuttle forward, seek out a new path to myself in this new and wondrous world. How many minutes or hours I just stood still and took everything in I had no idea, but it did not matter to me, time was irrelevant, but as irrelevant as it may have been, I needed to go. Go to that city that looked like a world onto itself, a microcosmos of chance and possibility -- a new beginning devoid of my miserable and sordid past.

So I began, full of vigor and might, to walk along the paved road to Eden, kicking pebbles to the wayside grass as I went whistling under the bright blue sky. What was all of this or why, I truly did not care to know the answer, what was around me was enough no matter what. Paradise was here and now, just a mile ahead and all around of me.

The walls of the city must have been at least forty-feet tall and from up close, they seemed daunting and impenetrable. Huge slabs of stone packed on top of others, glued together with gravity and skillful masonry, an imposing scene for anyone seeing it for the first time for sure, not to speak of the portcullis. Walking behind a caravan, all of the travelling wagons had slowed down when approaching the gate, I gawked at amazement of a handful of soldiers dressed in light armor process each oncoming carriage. The whole scene looked like right out of a generic fantasy flick.

One after the other people got through the check-up and the line moved on. Onwards I went, under the portcullis, and then -- bam! -- someone grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me aside. Startled, I looked beside me and saw a bearded man wearing a helmet, one of the soldiers, saying something intelligible to me as he angrily waved his hand.

“I… no! I’m not dangerous or, or a… I need to go in,” I tried to explain in panic but it seemed to only make the matter worse. My hands were grabbed by another soldier, almost pulling me onto the ground as he began to put shackles on me, yanking me from side to side effortlessly. “This is not how it goes! Let me go!”

Pinning me into the ground, the soldier behind me pushed his knee on my neck and it hurt like hell. My chin racking on the gravel, I could hear someone else running at me, laughing. Heated chit chat bounced back and forth with the new arrival. After a while, the soldier released me from the pinch and a familiar figure took my arm and hurried me away. It was the man travelling in front of me, patting me on the back and smiling as he led me inside of his lavish, well-decorated carriage.

I tried to express my thankfulness to this mustachioed saver wearing a flamboyant feathered hat and flowy silken robe with gold and silver woven into it, but as soon as he sat me down his smile vanished and grinning he offered me flagon. I was going for a handshake but did not mind the water, and who was I to argue against my benefactor. Soon after he left the carriage, making sure with hand gestures that I was to sit down and rest.

The language… I had to learn it as soon as possible. Things could have gone much worse at the border, I really had not taken anything into consideration, being too reckless and overwhelmed. If not for the kindly benefactor my journey might have been over already, but no, as luck would have it I carried on. This new and wonderful world really was for me! I really need to find that figure who pushed me into here and thank him.

Stolen novel; please report.

Through a window on the carriage I watched and marveled the view of the city. Shops, shops and shops! Jewelry boutiques displaying their beautiful gemmed masterpieces, forges selling weapons and armor of strange metals and otherwise, fabulous clothiers flaunting with marvelous fabrics and intricate designs, food stalls with wild fruits and weird vegetables, but amongst these were the real heavy hitters that got my blood boiling with excitement -- potion breweries stacked with otherworldly seeming liquids and shops selling magical artifacts. Those two seemed rare as I only saw one of each, guarded unlike the others and magnificently decorated from outside to inside. They were nothing like the rest, and I even witnessed a shopkeep of the magical store casting something to make a book float. Magic!

What was even more wonderful than the shops were the people of Eden. Dwarves and halflings roamed the streets, although rare, and even from time to time an elven gentleman or a lady was visible from the carriage. This world had everything! Rag-tag parties of adventurers coming out of taverns, priests and clerics preaching on the streets and collecting alms for their different churches and gods, and in the center of the city a mystical tower circulated by dancing lights barely visible in the daylight. Not to speak of the Veras.

Beautiful women littered the streets, many looking in my direction what seemed to be in awe, some even waving to me before carrying on what they were doing. At one point a well-clad, petite elven lady with the cutest of faces stopped our carriage and after having a chat with my benefactor came by the window and brushed my hand whilst blowing a kiss toward me. I could not but stare at her behind as she walked away, seductively swaying her delicate hips in a skin-tight dress. She touched me! A potential Vera for sure who ever she was.

Who knew paradise was a fantasy world with medieval architecture, magic and mystery, and a host of different races of humanoids! The kindly benefactor offered me exquisit red wine and amazing dried fruits as we ventured further into the city, trying his best to have a conversation with me, but all I understood was the pointing. “Eat this,” he gestured, “drink that,” and I did, fully embracing everything the world had to offer.

We finally stopped close to the central tower and I got extremely excited of what was to come next. Perhaps a banquet for the newcomer? A comprehensive tour of the marvelous city? Exploring the magic of the world? Whatever Bhalil, as he revealed himself to be called by pointing at himself and repeating the word, had planned was sure to be special. He had already done so much for me, more than anyone ever in my life, so much so that I could not help but feel blessed by our meeting.

Pouring my goblet full of wine again, Bhalil closed the curtains of the carriage and tapped on the bench I was sitting on. With a smile, he gestured me to drink up and hopped out. I complied, at last getting a bit woozy from all of the drinking. I must have drunk at least a bottle of the stuff Bhalil was pouring for me, our trip together lasting at most an hour and a half.

In my own world, I must have not been out as much in years. The only time I left home was to go by tobacco or alcohol, sometimes food as well. Those times the outside world seemed colorless, drab and dull, dangerous even. To my amazement, I hadn’t felt a drop of anxiety yet, not including the incident with the gatekeepers. Usually I was mortified with people and their inevitable judgements of me, but not now, and it felt great. I couldn’t feel any hostility coming from anyone, all the looks I was given were either neutral or positive, all the laughs with me, not at me. I hadn’t even craved a smoke for the whole time being here!

Bhalil took his time and I patiently waited, thinking what I was to become in this new world, what steps to take next. The baseline was certain, I wanted to learn the language, to learn magic and everything fantastical, and become a true hero with unimaginable powers; find love and be loved by a Vera, hold her dear to me and shower her with affection, and be her savior and companion -- preferrably that Vera would be like that thin, petite elven woman; and garner respect and admiration of the world and my peers. That was to be my path, my hero’s journey, the only uncertainty was how and the specifics.

The door to the carriage opened up and I gulped down my wine and extended my hand to ask for a refill. Did Bhalil buy a new pair of gloves?

Ripped out of the carriage, thrown onto the ground, gagged and cuffed, and surrounded by armed men pointing swords at me, loud yelling commenced. Shocked and head ringing from the impact the men, dressed like the soldiers from before, lifted me up from each side and dragged me to the feet of a scarred, bald figure gritting his teeth in rage and loathing. He spat on me and screamed and shouted and yelled and kicked me in the head. Again, and again, and again until my tear and blood mixed into a steady stream, teeth scattered on the ground and…