Birds?

I open my eyes. My heart still pounding in my chest, what lies before me is something straight out of a movie.

Vast green mountains stretch before me in all directions. The cliff which I stand on overlooks a valley, the natural beauty of which would rival the most edited desktop background. A soft river meanders through the green, and leaves flow lazily in the breeze, sojourning no longer the boughs of their mother tree. All of this painting a beautifully clear sky. The serenity of it is magnificent.

Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?

Definitely not what I had expected. Always pictured something along the lines of the Christian heaven. Golden gates and all that jazz.

"Where the hell am I?" I say to no one in particular. Maybe I'm in a coma? The fuck is going on.

I do a full 360. There's a trail leading away from the cliff into the deep of the forest. A squirrel skitters around looking for nuts or whatever else a squirrel could be looking for. Hasn't noticed I'm here yet. Then something I hadn't seen before catches my eye.

Somebody had built a cairn near the edge of the cliff.

I walk over to inspect the odd structure. Considering there aren't any large rocks in the vicinity, it's an odd placement for a cairn. It's just thick foliage and a sheer drop. The cairn stands about three-ish feet high, and there's an inscription on the topmost rock.

'NN'

It dawns on me. There are other people here. Across this breathtaking landscape of maybe-heaven there are other humans, not just vivacious birds and marsupials.

I pick up the engraved rock. It's nothing fancy. Someone had just scraped it into the stone, like with another rock. Out of respect for the trek whomever had built the cairn underwent, I place the rock back on the top of the cairn. But in all my wisdom I was too careless, and the cairn crashes down in front of me. One of the rocks even rolls off of the edge of the cliff, ending its fall with a loud crack which resounds throughout the valley.

Shit. Now I feel bad. I start restacking the rocks, the largest of them weighing a surprising lot. The last few rocks are relatively easy to stack, and it's when I am looking for the final few pieces that I realize the engraved rock has split in half. This wouldn't normally matter, as who cares if there's one less rock, but something is apparent about this rock. There seems to be something lodged inside one of the halves.

I pick it up and examine it. Paper? I shake the rock and out falls a rolled slip of paper. I open it.

And I read my name.

“Cassius. I know this world will eventually call to you, as it did me. God told me so. Such a conquered realm like earth is no place for people like you and I. There is so much more to learn and discover. Just as I was, you will be confused but worry not! Your journey has just begun. This world is more beautiful than you could ever imagine.

I theorize it is possible your mother has been brought here as well, so I have begun my journey to find her. If you happen to stumble across this note, then you must come help me find her. It is as if I have been renewed with purpose!

I will have moved since I have written this note, and so it won't be easy to locate me. If you follow this trail I laid out, you will come across a road which will take you to a town. Begin your voyage there, after you've figured everything out. Wishing you luck and a hasty travel!

  - Nikola Night."

I stand there speechless, a million emotions whirling inside me. No fucking chance. I stuff the note into my pocket, and sprint down the trail and away from the beautiful view of the cliff.

I would have thought it was some sick joke, but only my Dad would sign his full name in an address to his son.

Branches and leaves whip at me. A stray bramble catches my pants. It stings a little. Damn I hate those thorny shits. The forest turns into a green blur as it whizzes past me, hoping I don't trip on a camouflaged root. Even through my controlled breaths, I can't resist the urge to laugh. Everything is so bright! So colorful!

I burst through the foliage and out into an open path. The sunlight pierces the thick canopy overhead, and the rustling wind patters the ground in a kaleidoscope of gold.

"What the hell!" Exclaims an unfamiliar voice. I look over in the direction it came from. A man sits atop a strange wooden carriage which slowly comes to a stop. "What're you doing?" Asks the man, who dons a surprisingly tall hat and thick mustache. He is clothed in shades of brown leather and fur and such.

"Uhhh," I struggle to find the right words. What do I even say? I just woke up from another life? If it's as my father implied, I'm on a whole new planet. This is fuckin crazy. "I got lost?"

"Damn right y'did. Somethin scare ya back there?" He moves his hand away from the wheel and grabs the sheathe of a sword. "You came runnin' outta there pretty darn fast."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Oh nah, I just found a deer trail and thought I'd follow it," I bluff.

"The hell is a deer?"

I stand still, emotionless. They don't have deer? "It's a…” I draw off. Never mind. Any chance you could give me a ride into town?"

"You're a strange boy. Acts strange, is dressed strange." He glares. "Fine, I''ll let you hop aboard, but no funny business. Try anything'n I'll use you as fuel for ole' Bessie here." He pats the carriage lovingly.

It's like something straight out of a movie. "Thank you." I walk over and climb up onto the wooden bench where the man is perched. The carriage itself is odd. In place of where you'd normally expect horse leads, there's a wheel. They have gasoline but use swords? And what kind of car is made of wood and looks like a medieval carriage?

Then the wheels shudder to life and we begin to move. I look down at the mans feet. No pedals.

"How is this thing moving?" I ask.

"Huh? Are you one of them stupid boys?" It seems a genuine question. “I knew one in school but I’d be darned if he even knew how to move his eye.”

Eye? Singular? "No sir I. I uhhh, grew up differently than most I guess." I hope he'll leave off. "I've never been taught how these carriages work."

"Alright..." He says, the doubt in his voice thicker than molasses. "See I killed a boar 'while back. Was a huge one, n'kept mucking up my crops. Caught him unawares one night after he'd gotten on my nerves, so I snared his soul right up n' put him to work running this wagon. He's bound to the carriage now. Only when this thing gets old and breaks down will he be set free. Serves the bastard right fer ruinin a perfect harvest."

The hell? My first thought is this guy is senile. He's off his rocker. What the hell is he talking about? Maybe it's a religious practice? But it doesn't explain how the carriage functions.

I laugh anxiously, testing the waters to see if he was joking. He stares ahead, stone-faced. This guy has gone crazy. Maybe they have crackheads in this new world.

I decide to keep quiet the rest of the way.

Along the way we leave the forest, opening up to hills conquered by farmland reminiscent of corn crops. Contrasting the mountainous range I originally experienced when first arriving here, the rolling hills add a more relaxing vibe than the sharp majesty of mother nature. We ride through the hills for maybe twenty minutes. The carriage seemed to have no trouble powering through the pitch and roll of the path, I noted.

The what I can only assume are corn fields become sparse as the hills die down, and a town appears in the distance. We cross a bridge running over a wide river, which I assume must be the same river I saw at the cliff.

The driver of the carriage speaks up after a long silence. "Well, here we are."

I nod in acknowledgement. As we pull closer to the town, and buildings appear on either side I throw out a question. "You haven't heard of a man by the name of Nikola Night, have you?" Fingers crossed.

"Can't say I have. He’s not a local, if that’s what yer wonderin. Cuz I know everybody. An If you're looking fer anyone stoppin through, check with the Inn. They usually keep records n'all that legal business. Or maybe check with the taverns, if yer man is a drinker. An odd name like that'll probably stick out to most."

We pass what appears to be a guard post, and the man gives the driver a nod.

"Thank you," I say. "Right here is good."

Before I hopped off the carriage, we traded names. Dude was named Bairn, and ran a farm with his family on the outskirts on the town. Said I owed him a favor if we ever saw each other again. Waved him off and he kept on through the village. Not sure where he was going, never figured to ask.

The road through the village wasn't much of a road, just trodden dirt likely from all the carriage traffic. Like something out of a movie, buildings line the street with labels such as Shady Leaf Tavern, and Samsin General Shop. I'm pretty sure one of them is a brothel.

People litter the street, making their way through the various shops and what appeared to be a pop-up food market. Tents lean on either side, advertising their latest produce. The village economy obviously revolves around agriculture.

I meander through, observing the behavior of the people and trying to take in as much information as possible. Every once in a while another carriage would pass by, and the people milling about the street would make room, albeit slowly.

Where do I even start? It's gonna get dark soon. I need to find a place to stay, but I also want to continue the search for my father.

I decide to approach one of the few taverns decorating the street. Paddy's Pub. Looked friendly enough. I open the door and am greeted by a young hostess, who motions me to one of the many round wooden tables inside. "I'll be with you shortly," She says.

"Oh actually I'm not looking for anything to eat. I was wondering if you've ever heard of a man by the name Nikola Night? He's really tall, has dark hair. It's my father. We look kinda similar he's just older."

"I'm not sure sweetheart. I work on and off, so there's a chance he came in when I wasn't here. I'll go ask around the kitchen for you though."

I thank her and she walks behind the counter and disappears into the back of the establishment. I survey my surroundings. The tavern is lit by several luminous glass orbs, likely some type of lamp, which fall from the wooden roof suspended by some sort of sting or rope. Most of the tables are empty. Must be a slow night.

The dark has begun to set in by the time to Hostess returns. Nobody had seen or heard of a tall dark-haired man recently. Makes sense, my father was never much of a drinker, and when he did drink he was refined. Preferred the aged wines and liquors of the elite.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" The Hostess asks.

"Do you know of any place that would allow me to stay the night for free? I don't have any money on me at the moment."

"Oh you poor thing. I'm not certain of any commercial place that would let you, but there's Jome the librarian who lives at the edge of town. He might let you stay with him. Always been charitable as they come. If you follow the main road, he'll be in the tall tower-looking building to your left. It's a bit of a walk though. I myself would offer but my house is packed full of relatives. We've no room even for ourselves."

"That's quite alright," I reassure. "Thanks for all your help."

"Anytime sweetie," She says with a smile, and goes off to greet a new pair of customers who had just arrived.

I leave the tavern with a farewell wave to the hostess and set out along the road as the sun begins to set, painting the horizon in a swathe of pink and orange. I realize people are staring at me. I really do stick out like a sore thumb with this modern sweatshirt and sweatpants.

The sun has fully set by the time I reach the tall library. A light can be seen flickering underneath the wooden door. I hesitantly approach, and knock maybe a little too hard. "I'll get it," Piques up a female voice from the second story. Not much soundproofing, it seems. Also, didn't the hostess said the librarian was a dude? Or maybe Jome just sounds like a guys name.

After several seconds, and the unlatching of a lock or two the door opens and a beautiful girl stares up at me with wide green eyes and brown hair.

"Cassius?"