“Could you say that again?” Oakley asked, though he already knew he was going to understand little to none of it the second time around.

“I intend to travel to Garrian Tryne, to enroll with the Strantu Observers and I’d like to have you as a travelling companion while I attempt to do so,” Rigdraz said, calmly with a polite smile on his face, though two sharp teeth threatened to poke out of his mouth.

“Exactly as I thought,” Oakley said, shrugging. “You lost me at travel.”

“Where are you from, exactly?” Aren asked, but Oakley decided to avoid answering the question by pretending he didn’t hear it.

“Why would you want me as a travelling companion?” He asked, keeping his focus on Rigdraz; which wasn’t difficult as the demon-looking man had a huge, hulking form.

“People don’t react kindly to beings that look like me,” Rigdraz explained. “It takes a lot of effort to keep up a more acceptable appearance and I hope to have someone to keep me protected while I keep that effort up.”

“So, you’d like a bodyguard?” Oakley asked.

“I can take care of myself, easily enough,” Rigdraz said, “but I can’t even get out of town without people coming after me. If I get spotted, I’m done for, so someone to tag along for company and to provide a distraction every once in a while wouldn’t go amiss. If you’re planning on travelling south, too, then it works out really well for the both of us.”

“Where do you come from?” Aren tried again, to no avail.

“I can’t say I’d be much help,” Oakley shrugged, “but I see no reason why I can’t go south with you. I don’t currently have any plans besides tracking Hariel down.”

“Then it’s settled!” Rigdraz grinned, “we can both travel down south to Garrian Tryne.”

“Where exactly is Garrian Tryne?” Oakley asked.

“Where are you from?” Aren insisted. “Anyone from Charrunir knows Garrian Tryne. It’s the capital of our island.”

“So, this is an island called Charrunir…” Oakley muttered, making a mental note, but mentally cursed at himself for speaking it out loud.

“Where are you from?” Rigdraz asked, curious about what Oakley had said.

“It’s a long story,” Oakley said, trying to handwave away the questions.

“You clearly aren’t from this land,” Rigdraz said, “and it would be hard to travel here without at least knowing the name of this kingdom.”

“Okay!” Oakley exclaimed, holding up his hands in surrender. “I’ll explain, don’t worry yourselves silly. The reason I don’t know landmarks, or things about magic, or the forest, or potions, or whatever else I seem to have struggled with so far, is because I’m not from here. Not just this town or this kingdom, but this reality. I was summoned here by Hariel along with a bunch of other people as cannon fodder against a dragon. Everyone else was sent back home- the ones that survived at least- but I stayed here. I’m hoping to catch up to Hariel to get him to send me back.”

Rigdraz and Aren shared a look, which didn’t sit well with Oakley.

“What was that about?” He asked, his eyes flicking between the two others.

“Summoning magics are… disliked among the spellcasting communities,” Rigdraz explained. “It’s a long story, but what Hariel did was against several codes, I believe. The fact you didn’t return to your place of origin, however, that’s the cause for concern. I don’t know what could have caused such a predicament.”

“Neither,” Aren said, rubbing his jaw with a tense hand, “but it is not a good sign.”

“Aren, my dear, you have next to no knowledge of the arcane,” Rigdraz said amusedly.

“I have enough to know it isn’t good,” Aren retorted.

“You saw my expression and copied it.”

“Did not.”

“In any case,” Rigdraz sighed, “it’s rarely a good sign when spells do not work as intended. You are right to want to track down the caster.”

“So, we leave now?” Oakley asked, not wanting to waste much more time chatting about leaving, instead of just going ahead and going.

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“We’ll need to prepare for the long journey,” Rigdraz said, shaking his head. “I suggest we go tomorrow, early morning.”

“We could go during the service at the Church of Brator,” Oakley suggested. “That would make sure there are fewer prying eyes around to spot us as we go.”

“Good idea,” Rigdraz nodded, “we shall go while they’re singing to their tree god.”

Oakley sat in his room in the inn. It had been a long afternoon of learning and preparation. Aren, despite his apparent dislike of other people, had helped him to go around to the relevant shops in town to buy the supplies he needed to travel safely and for a long period of time.

They went to the general store for all the supplies needed for making camp each night, as well as dried foods and a waterskin. They went to the local blacksmith and Oakley picked out a sword and a dagger to take- along with a belt with loops to place them both safely by his sides.

Oakley had no clue how to use a sword, but Aren suggested that it was better to visibly have one, as it might deter some of the weaker-willed bandits away. It would also help when it came to potential animal attacks.

Oakley wasn’t sure what he would face on the trip down south, but Rigdraz had offered to help teach him about the kingdom they were in, as well as a few of the more basic, widely known bits of information. A general knowledge speed run was how Oakley thought of it.

He had all of his supplies packed up and resting on the chair in his room at the inn, while he sat, perched on the end of his bed. There was a small mirror in the room and he couldn’t help but keep looking in it. He looked terrible. He had rings around his eyes from the consistently bad sleeps, his hair was all knotted and greasy thanks to not being able to keep up his daily showers.

Worst of all, he was somewhere entirely away from his family. He had been gone for days by this point. He tried to keep the length of the absence out of his mind, but his reflection stared back, accusing. Every day away from his family was another day they would be worrying about him; another day of him failing them.

He hated having to wait an extra night to be able to go, but he understood Rigdraz’s hesitation. They needed to be well-prepared for the journey and they needed a time when there were the fewest numbers of people out and about to see through Rigdraz’s disguise- though he claimed it was quite impressive.

Oakley struggled to sleep that night, but he managed to force through a couple hours of fitful rest.

There was a nagging feeling that had been growing ever since he’d arrived in this world. An itch at the base of his neck. It wouldn’t go away and while he’d believed it to be either a cut or a bite from his days in the woods, it was still lingering; if anything, it was getting worse.

Oakley dragged himself out of his scratchy bed and pulled on all of his travelling gear, so that he was ready when the time came. Apparently, the church rung a bell to signify that it was time to begin its service, so he just had to keep his window open and listen for the bell. He had plans to meet Rigdraz in the town square not too long after the bell chimed.

Oakley heard the bell, ringing for nearly a full minute, and started to make his way downstairs and to the town square. The square was bordered on one side by the main outer wall of the town. There was also the southernmost exit to the town via that town square. They just had to make it there.

Oakley reached the square not too long after the bells had finished and he could only see one other person mooching around the town square. Oddly enough, they appeared to be clad in adventuring gear, too. They were tall, well over six feet, and muscular. He had dark, black hair, tied up in a ponytail. Once Oakley noticed that detail, he knew the person was Rigdraz- in disguise.

Oakley walked across the town square towards the ‘stranger’, winking at him as he got close.

“Are you ready to begin our little quest?” Rigdraz asked, looking down at Oakley, who nodded.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Oakley said, adjusting the straps on his backpack.

“Let’s get going then,” Rigdraz said. “We just need to get one of those watchers to open the gates for us.”

Oakley looked around and noticed a couple people, dressed in a similar uniform to what Frederick had been wearing on duty. They were the ones he needed to get through the gate. From then on, it was simply a matter of travelling south and asking more people if they’d seen a green person breaking the apparent laws of magic.

“You’re not a fan of Brator, I take it?” Oakley asked as the pair of them began to walk towards the outer wall and the first, true leg of their journey.

“Not especially,” Rigdraz shrugged. “I just don’t get why everyone here adores him so much more than the others.”

“The Chapel of Families?”

“That’s right,” Rigdraz said, nodding. “Imagine if all of your family and almost of another family were shoved to the side while some random person in that other family was given special treatment and praised for all the good things that came their way, while you were blamed for all the bad- while still being pushed aside. Building a church to one god alone seems like a great way to piss off the rest, if you ask me.”

“You talk as if they’re real,” Oakley chuckled, “I doubt anything will come of it.”

“They are real,” Rigdraz said with a slight snort as he held back disbelief. “Do people in your land not believe so?”

“Some do, some don’t,” Oakley shrugged. “I always tended to steer away from all the debates and arguments around it.”

“Why would some not believe the gods are real?” Rigdraz asked, genuinely curious at the stance.

“Lack of proof, I guess?” Oakley said.

“There’s no lack of proof here,” Rigdraz said. “They’re real and they make themselves known, so I’d suggest you… ‘steer away’ from making any further comments about their invalidity.”

“They can smite me if they like,” Oakley said. “Until I see one with my own eyes, I don’t really care. No offence.”

“None taken,” Rigdraz said, though his tone suggested otherwise. “Any chance we could hop on through to the south path?” They had gotten close enough to the guards that he could divert attention away from the topic of religion and back towards something they both wanted to do. Get started on their journey.

Oakley watched the gates open slowly as the guards pulled them open. He waved and smiled goodbye to the two on duty, before they pushed gates closed once more- shutting Rigdraz and Oakley out on their own.

“Shall we?” Rigdraz asked, looking down at Oakley.

Oakley didn’t need to reply. He just smiled and started walking. There was no time like the present.