Steve Grant entered his small room after 6 hours of college and 8 hours of shift at the neighborhood fast-food chain restaurant, it was 11 p.m... He was tired. Negative thoughts ran through his mind. He transferred some money to his landlord digitally. ‘It has been tough paying that guy lately, with the term fees coming up.’
‘come on steve, you got to be positive, two more years like the last two you have had, and then you will have a job to do more work at’, steve thought with a smirk. ‘Got to eat, cant stay hungry for too long. Got some leftover burgers from the workplace. Advantages of working at a food place I guess. Cheaper for employees... yay! What's that brown envelope on my pillow?’ Steve opened the envelope to read his eviction notice. ‘well, 10 days for that to happen, will try to settle this in a couple of days.’
Steve had many problems, money being at the very source of each one of them. His engineering classes were interesting, but he was failing on the social front. Just a guy who studies and minds his own business. Nothing to give, nothing to take, nothing to talk with you. Just a dirt-poor guy trying to live term by term. At least he had coworkers to talk to at his part-time job. Self-pity though was not his way. To all these problems, steve had one trusted solution, SLEEP for now, yes SLEEP. His tired brain, with the help of that one cheeseburger, was shutting his mind down. Just one last lazy thought in his mind, maybe it was the tiresomeness of routine or his money problems or his loneliness that prompted the question.
‘ DO I BELONG? ’
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‘It is raining, the ground is wet, I am drenched in rain? But I am indoors, did I keep the window open? wait, I have no windows in my room!’ A startled steve found himself laying in a field of some sort of grain. It's early morning, steve ballparks it as 4 to 5 a.m., the sun might rise any minute now. ‘I got kidnapped, didn't I? I pity that poor soul who transported me here for apparently wasting gas. My landlord can not get money out of me and he is doing that legally!! Ohhhh... my mobile phone’s gone.’ After a second to compose himself, he searched for a shed or house as cover from the rain. A brisk walk slowly became a galloping run when he couldn't find anything other than crop and grain in his field of view.
A quick look at the crop gave him the impression of wheat, but a closer view revealed a white-colored tetrahedron-shaped grain. ‘ I knew these biology fellows were up to something. Must taste later.‘
His run terminated when he came across a wagon, pulled by a donkey-like creature. ‘broooo, is this what people say happens to perception when one is in shock? Dudeeee, they drugged me...’
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“Hey, stranger why the early morning run?” A confused-looking young lady in medieval clothing on the wagon waved at steve.
“Help, I have been kidnapped.” Is all that blurted out of steve’s mouth.
“Well, I can give you a ride to windrow”
“Get me there, please?” said Steve, hopping on the wagon, his first respite from the rain. The wagon had 5 stacks of the same crop as in the field.
“Do you know your kidnappers?” the young lady questioned.
‘whoa... she’s to the point, maybe she’s smuggling these drugs out of this place, maybe SHE IS THE KIDNAPPER!!! Do not tell your real name Mr. Grant’
“I didn’t see them.” said a serious-looking steve.
“Anyway, I’ll get you to windrow as soon as possible.” The wagon speed increased all of a sudden. “I am Madilyn, I live in windrow, where are you from?”
‘what kind of twisted kidnapper is this dooode, which state was windrow in again? ‘
“My name is... Jason, yeah. Sooooo, windrow, you like that place?” A suspicious steve asked.
“Well, I run a restaurant and food delivery service there so I am kinda biased,” said Madilyn, “But, I must say, it's much better than the city of tantrax. I was born and raised there, moved here after my grandfather left me his workplace.”
‘Why is this young lady telling me her life story? Wait steve, shake the laxness off!! It's an honest restaurant owner taking some DRUGS back to her place, early in the morning from a large field of that drug, makes sense, MAKES TOTAL SENSE!!!’
“Hey, I asked, where are you from?” A talking Madilyn halted with that question.
“Same city, the same city as you, I work there as a plumber” steve lied through his teeth.
A bright smile entered Madilyn’s face. “So, you were kidnapped in tantrax. Seems plausible.”
After a few moments of silence Madilyn interjected “ So, Jason, you got any work to do in the windrow, or are you going to return to the city?”
‘dooode... she is not the kidnapper, that smile was too good for a kidnapper. Anyway, I have no money, got to get to a bank, might as well play along until windrow.’
“I’ll search some jobs in windrow I guess, maybe stay there for a while.” said steve. ‘And the national yearly award for the most lies spoken in an hour goes to Mr. Jasonnnn Statham’
“Well I do require a handyman for setup of my restaurant, can you help me for the week? I’ll pay you 1 silver every day”
‘no, No, NO, NOOOO, I know where this copper, silver, and gold business takes place. Don't tell me I am in a medieval Isekai world.’
“So, which continent are we on? Just asking to test your general knowledge.” steve crossed his fingers after asking the question for some reason.
“I know I don't look much but you don't need to test me, it's kinda rude. And to answer your question we are on the southernmost continent glavador, in the southernmost country dravos. And that village wall that you see is of windrow, an old village at the southern outskirts of dravos.”
‘OK STATUS CHECK!!!! I am not a fighter, never was. Not a real plumber, but can do plumbing, wait this is medieval stuff I will have to learn. This lady sells food, I need food, ok then.’
“Hello, my name is Steve and I would like that job of yours,” Steve said in a moment of clarity.
“But you said Jason earlier”, A mischievously smiling Madilyn reminded.
“You know I was kidnapped right? About that job” said steve.
“It’s good you said the truth before the guard questioned you, yeah you can have that job, food and lodging included” Madilyn was smiling for some reason.
“Also, 1 silver is 100 copper right?” questioned steve.
“ok, I admit it, I dropped out of school when I was 13. Does it show in the way I talk? You don't have to insult me like that by asking basic questions, you know...”
And so, Madilyn continued making small talk and steve kept adding information about this new world he had entered, as they entered windrow.