You can read in books, or see in television, an event in which two people meet for the first time that is often times described as magical. Or hear from one of the characters that it was a moment in which they knew right away that fate had brought them together.
There is nothing strange about reading such passages when they come from literary works of course. It is, after all, the job of a good author to make such scenes as descriptive and vivid of course. To exaggerate the normally mundane to make it somehow seem extraordinary.
It was then Daniel’s sole gripe with the subject, even if small, when people used those same terms to describe a meeting in real life. To try to give a flare an importance to their own events as if worthy of being put by pen on paper. But in the end, it wasn’t something he felt strongly about, just a minor thing he found silly.
So then, what was the point of this entire bit. Why were such thoughts about a subject Daniel didn’t really care about in his mind? Well that had to do with the event occurring right before his eye. What was occurring in his room right after the power suddenly went out in his room.
Because when a a blinding multicolored light suddenly filled in for the missing light, drowning his room in its prismic color. Only to reveal the sight of a woman dressed in a medieval fashion, with a sword at her waist, and long pointy ears. Well, at that moment, it was hard for Daniel to find a way to describe the encounter with this unknown person as anything but—
Magical.
****
Immediately, before she had even opened her eyes, she could sense that something was wrong.
No, it was better to say that it was because she could sense nothing from her surroundings, that she could tell right away that things had gone awfully wrong.
She awaited for the last remnants of the powerful spell that had taken her to another land to fade. So that she may open her eyes and confirm the worse of her fears.
But when she did so she found not the barren, life-less landscape that she had expected to find in front of her. The kind of view that a world that felt as dead as the one she was in could only produce. But instead, she found herself inside a dark small room, with only the light of the moon to illuminate the surroundings.
Accompanying her was a young man wearing what she believed to be undergarments, which made sense considering the time of day, staring back at her with a flabbergasted expression from the chair he sat on.
To say the sight was surprising would be understatement. She had been prepared for the possibly of coming across beings who were not human in origin. Prepared for the occasion in which she would need to fight upon arrival. Prepared for something to go wrong in the large spell and for her to die in the process of teleporting.
But what she had not expected was to find a world that seemed completely devoid of the very life essence that had always surrounded her. To see a world that should have been dead, and yet could have a young man who looked as healthy as the one before her did.
She hoped, then, that this incongruity was caused by an inability from her to sense the life essence of this world, the energy that should have suffused it wherever life existed. Hoped that this didn’t mean that her mission has failed before it began. That she would have to go return to her comrades with nothing to show for after all they had spent on this endeavor.
Hoped, that she would not have to face her father after such a failure…
She let out a pulse of energy with complete disregard for subtlety. As she had both feared and hoped, there was nothing to be returned for her effort, no other signs of any other living being nearby, despite her being sure that that was not the case.
“You.” She called out to the young man in front of her who had been staring at her this entire time.
He was startled by her words, but soon recovered and attempted to communicate with her. But of course, as was to be expected, she was unable to understand a single word coming from his mouth.
She brought down the leather satchel that was hanging from her back, the one that was meant to carry with it everything that she would need for this mission.
She looked past expensive gifts and rare, but sturdy, magical items. Past extra clothes and items meant for grooming. Until finally, she reached the part where she kept a few items carefully bundled. She brought it out, and unwrapped it to reveal three ivory sticks engraved with script that was unknown to her.
It was a special item meant to allow her to communicate with the locals of this land. One whose creation and composition was unknown to her, but whose value she was keenly aware of.
So she hesitated for a second, before taking one and breaking it in twain.
As soon as she did so the script written on it began to glow, and she quickly threw one of the glowing halves in the direction of the perplexed man. Who thankfully, instinctively caught it. And no sooner had he done so that the intensity of the light coming from the two halves of the ivory stick, now one in each of their hands, increased in magnitude.
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
But just as soon as the sticks lit up the room, their light went quiet. The sticks, despite being solid constructs just seconds ago, having dissolved in motes of light. Leaving the two back in darkness.
“Do yo—”
Light suddenly engulfed the room.
She swallowed the question, and immediately jumped to attention. She took stock of her surroundings, keeping watch of the young man as she tried to discover the source of the light, eventually pegging it to three different sources.
“Huh…the power’s back on…” She heard the young man mumble.
“Did you do this?” She asked him, no longer needing to ask if they could understand each other.
“Uhh…no. You speak English?”
She ignored him, allowing her gaze to linger on him for only a moment before taking the opportunity to look around the room. This was a good chance for her to carefully study the space she was in, to get clues on the type of person that the summoning spell had brought her in front of. And therefore, give her some advantages when it came to dealing with him.
“Alright just ignore me.”
Which was good that she did so, because right away she was able to notice the immense quantity and diversity of items strewn around the small space, as well the high quality that they all seemed to possess.
She turned back to glance at the young man, who had made his way to the wardrobe at the end of the small room, and pulled out a pair of shorts he proceeded to put on.
He was clean and well groomed, with a pleasant odor coming from his direction, one that felt familiar, and yet unknown, to her. Also of note were his unblemished hands, free of signs of having ever endured hard labor or training, despite his decent physique.
She took a second glance around the room. This one being more critical to its design and composition. Her thoughts were that it was too cluttered, far too many things in such a little space. So not a man of the upper classes, who could afford the luxury of space. But someone wealthy enough that the luxuries of life were within reach. So someone who was part of wealthier side of the middle class perhaps?
The only thing she was certain of, was that he was not a fighter. The person who mean to save her troubled world.
She still asked him, just in case.
“Are you strong? Can you fight?”
The young man stared at her, then at the sword that was hanging by her waist. He then looked upwards, towards the ceiling, a pensive look on his face as he pondered on whatever it was that he was pondering.
“Wanna have a match?” He suddenly asked after a while.
“A…spar?” She asked, perplexed at this request.
“Not anything that serious, just a little arm-wrestling match. You do know what that is, right?”
She nodded. “What’s your purpose in doing so?”
“You’ll see…maybe.” Was his simple reply.
The young man then stood up, made his way past her and towards the night stand next to his bed, picked it up, and then placed it in the middle of his room. Having at no point waited for her to give him an answer.
“Alright, so here’s how we’re going to do this. I’m going to give it my all to beat you, and all I want you to do, is to hold out as best as you can. Alright?”
She wasn’t fully sure why she decided to go along with his request. Perhaps because she didn’t find him threatening in the least. Or perhaps because he was the first, and only, person she had met in this unknown world. But despite it being a waste of time in her opinion, she still agreed.
“So you want me to just hold still?” She asked for clarification.
She received a thumbs up in response.
The two got in position. Bodies leaning forward as their arms entwined with another. Then, when both of their grips were set, the young man across from her began counting down.
“Alright, get ready to hold out in 3…2…1…Hhhhng!”
She watched him. Watched him push with all his might against her arm. Watched him throw his body to the other side as he tried to leverage his body weight to get her to move. Then, when that showed no promise, he brought his other hand to use against her as well. Disqualifying him, but also…
“Nothing is happening…” She drawled.
He let go.
“I honestly can’t fucking believe this is happening.” He said in between heavy breaths.
“So what was the point of all of this?” She asked, still in the same place she had been in at the start, and actually somewhat curious about his intentions with this.
“Can I ask you why you’re here?” He asked a question back instead.
She thought about not answering him for blowing off her question. But decided in the end to not be petty when she still had quite a bit of use from him.
“Are you asking why I’m in your room or…?”
“Just in general I guess.”
She took a pause, and thought back to her mission. To the people who were waiting for her to return with the prophesied hero, who would finally save their world.
“I’m looking for the person that will vanquish the Great Evil of my world once and for all. The hero that prophecy promised would finally liberate all life.” She answered him in a serious tone. One filled with determination.
But the face the young man made, even before saying anything, caused her to feel a pit begin to form in her stomach.
“I’m letting you know right now. And I’m being completely honest. I don’t think there’s anyone in this world as strong as you.”
She stared at the young man before her. She wasn't ready to deem her mission a failure just from the words of one man. But from the moment she had arrived here, she had a feeling that things were wrong.
And so, in case that his answer wasn't a lie. In the case that this one man before her somehow knew with certainty that there was no one here stronger than her, then her mission truly was doomed. Also doomed were the hopes and futures of all who had placed their trust on this mission. And lastly...was her. For if his words were true, then...
“So whoever it is you’re looking for, they’re not here. Sorry.”
There was no way, she could show her face back in her world again.