“Uhhh, my head…”

I groaned as I awoke, the sun doing its part in waking me just like yesterday. I had passed out in the evening, and remained so through the night, all the way until early morning. My HP was at 90/90 and no sign of my injury remained, except for a missing piece of fabric.

I stretched, and felt a bit woozy. Thirst and Hunger debuffs ever present, the latter decreased my HP by ten. I hadn’t had anything since before the fight, roughly eighteen to twenty hours ago. I wasn’t sure if this world worked on a 24-hour cycle, but it seemed at least close based on my experience.

Another curious thing dawned on me as I looked at the debuffs. I hadn’t pissed, or needed to, since I’d arrived.

So going to the bathroom isn’t a thing here? Wow, really taking the RPG elements to heart.

Thinking back to what Fenley had done gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, I understood from an analytics point of view. He did not know me, but knew everyone in that town. If it truly was a stranger versus someone he knew, it was a no brainer. On the other hand, the fuck!? He didn't go to bat for me either, that's for sure. Something to remember in the future, if I ever found myself back here. 

Without even looking back toward Favor, I made my way along the dirt road in the direction the panther had directed. I looked around for the panther, but just as before, she had disappeared. Something told me it wouldn’t be the last I saw of my mysterious friend, and I hoped as much. I owed her my life.

The Transport Academy was what she told me to go find. I assumed it was the place I would have immediately found if the new memory implantation had worked. Hopefully I’d be able to keep things low key, learn the ropes, and figure out what to do next.

The adoption process seemed difficult to wrap my head around. Being taken into a family? I’d been here two days. Getting adopted into a clan or family seemed above my emotional pay grade. I was just trying to put one foot in front of the other.

I jogged along the path as much as I could, branching off to nearby clusters of woods to search for berries and a stream to refill my canteen. They weren’t too difficult to find. I was able to make it to Johan without issue in a half a day.

To say Johan was an upgrade to Favor would be putting it lightly. A stone wall surrounded the entire place, with farmland and cattle outside its perimeter. The path widened as it accepted other feeder roads and it lead directly to the city gates. Many townsfolk went about their business both with and outside the walls. I couldn’t even guess at the population accurately, but it had to be near ten thousand easily.

Approaching the gate, two guards in chainmail armor came up to me. “Halt!”

“Who goes there?” I added.

“I beg your pardon?” the other man replied.

“Oh, sorry. Just was filling in the blank. Can I help you?”

My sarcasm is not transitioning very well.

“What are you doing in the city?”

He looked me up and down in mild disgust. Covered in dirt, torn clothing, I’m sure I didn’t look the part of a citizen ready to spend money.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“I’m a Transport and I am here to report to the Academy.” I replied with confidence.

I had tooled over the different options on my way over, and decided the direct truth was my best bet. The panther and my short conversation with Fenley both had led me to believe that this was where I should be. Since it’s where I should have been, I surmised that meant my new memories should have taken me here in the first place. With everyone being a Transport, or whatever, it meant the process was normal. So my direct statements shouldn't be shocking.

“You’re late,” replied the guard. He stepped aside. “Class initiation was this morning.”

“Yes, I ran into an issue in my starting location. Apologies.” I bowed my head and walked.

I didn’t ask where the Academy was, because I know he would respond with, “What a weird question! You should already know, blah blah.” So I avoided looking like a dingus all together.

I asked a random citizen where the Academy was, pretending to be a representative of my clan, and was able to find the school relatively easily. A large stone building housed the Transport Academy. A tower with a bell at it’s roof stood the middle structure which housed the entrance, six stories tall. Lower support buildngs stood to either side. Well manicured grounds, a small fountain and benches capped off the look.

A jolly looking man in extravagant clothing greeted me outside the door. The buttons on his vest jacket were being tested to their fullest stretching to fit his frame. A white long-sleeved shirt with frills around the cuff links signified a higher-class citizen than I had seen thus far. His beard was short and neatly groomed, and his hair was slicked back.

“Transport! Hello! Welcome!” he beckoned me closer with his hands. His deep voice carried like a drunken burly sailor. “You have missed much!”

“My apologies, sir. I had a run in at my starting area.”

I nodded my head in respect. Well, that was my intention at least. Who knows what that meant here. Maybe I told him to fuck off.

He nodded in return, “Quite alright, occasionally transports aren’t able to make it during the first few days at all, but they only have to wait two weeks before the next batch comes in. No worries, you will not have to wait, we will work you in just fine.”

Oh. My. Fuck. I was voluntarily given information! I think I love him.

“Thank you very much for the information, sir.” I replied with sincere gratitude.

“Of course young man, that’s our job!” He jerked his head toward the door gestured me to enter.

Picture a hotel, but from 500 to 1000 years ago. Transports were greeted by a reception desk, wooden floors, and artwork decorating the walls. Balls of light—similar appearance to a will-o-wisp—adorned the walls and ceilings -. I couldn’t see any electricity or sign they were tethered to the wall in any way. This, a simple light source, was my first example of magic. Well, not counting the mysterious force that was responsible for throwing me to the lions, literally. This type of magic was easier to appreciate.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, calming my nerves as best as possible. The man behind me laughed.

“The lights?” he asked. I had a feeling it was more of a statement than a question. I nodded in the affirmative.

“Yes, it is one thing to know from your implanted memories that magic exists. To see it firsthand, however, always takes the breath away.” He smiled and gazed off, like he was recalling his own memories of his first experience.

We approached the desk where a young man sat with a comically oversized book in front of him. It must have been 3000 to 4000 pages at least.

“Name?” he asked in a voice that lead me to believe he was probably tired of asking the same thing repeatedly.

“Vince Tieman.”

The registrar looked at me, and nodded. “Confirmed with inspection analysis… Confirmed class has not been selected… Confirmed level 1.” He wrote in the book as he spoke, glancing at me occasionally to see if I denied anything he said.

“Hand.” He held out his hand in request of mine. “Mild prick.”

You are bleeding due to the Transport Initiation process. No health or bleed effect will be applied.

He took what looked like a sowing needle and poked my finger and grabbed it to mark a spot in the book next to my name, I assumed. The writing was unrecognizable to me.

The book lit in a faint blue light, and the man nodded in completion. “All finished Mr. Murdock.”

“Very good!” the greeter, Mr. Murdock, replied. He put a hand around my shoulder to lead me away. We walked up the spiral staircase to the left of the desk. We got off at the first available door, and when he opened it, my mouth dropped.

There stood a space that physically should be impossible given the dimensions of the building I had walked into.