I changed into something more appropriate for the era I was in; a dark-gray hood over a cotton shirt that itched something fierce, as if filled with ants.

Vekrem and I snatched our packs, along with the three additional ones that Vhol had prepared. They were heavy, far heavier than I expected, but, of course, I never imagined myself embarking on some sort of epic quest in an unknown fantasy land with a hybrid-rat friend—

I was becoming used to being surprised.

“Are you ready,” Vekrem asked, with a tone that belayed that he attributed to me all of our ill luck. “Or, perhaps, you want to punch another noble’s servant on the way out of town?”

“Vekrem,” I said, lowering my head. “I regret it, and I’m sorry. What else do you want from me?”

“Really? You are sorry?”

I cocked a smile. “Sorry I didn’t stab them instead.” He narrowed his eyes, and I added, “They were trash, and they would have killed that woman had I not… Well, let's not talk about it again. What’s done is done. Time to look forward.”

Vekrem shook his head, a look of worry creasing his glossy face. “This really is my fault; I should have known you would get me in trouble.” He straightened his cloak, craning his neck from side to side. “Well, as you said, we can’t change the past, so we press on towards a brighter future.” Surprisingly, he held out a hand to me.

Taking his hand, I shook it, replying, “Not exactly what I said, but to a brighter future it is.”

***

Vekrem and I walked the perpetually crowded streets of Silverock. It was twilight, and, apparently, the people of this city never went home. Never slept. Hawkers still hawked their wares. Servants still served their petty lords. And Rodrent children still played in the streets, large mule-drawn carriages rolling dangerously close to them, but they seemed to not have a care in the world.

“Ike, come here,” Vekrem said, drawing me away from the street to the edge of a canal overlooking the water below. “The canals lead out of the city, and into a river. Boats are by far the easiest way to travel, so, we’ll solicit one, and begin our journey.”

“And by ‘solicit,’ you mean?”

“Rent… what did you think I meant?”

“Oh nothing,” I replied. Then, a question popped into my head. “How long will it take? To get to the Primordial, I mean.”

Vekrem put his hand to his chin. “A few weeks I would wager. Depends on various factors—weather, mostly.”

“A few weeks!” I exclaimed, suddenly feeling idiotic for having agreed to this. “I’m not sure if—”

“If you are worried about home,” Dragon replied in the depths of my mind, “don’t be. Remember what I have done. I have caused the passage of time to correlate between the two worlds. Each second spent here is—”

“A second spent there. I got it.” Vekrem looked at me awkwardly, as if I were some type of lunatic staring off into the distance. Still speaking in my mind, I added, “A few weeks is still a long time. Grant is probably throwing my shit out as we speak.”

Vekrem coughed into his hand, drawing my attention back towards him. “Why do you do that?” he asked. “Go off into a whole other world, leaving me wondering if you are truly alright in the head.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I am,” I replied, tapping my head. “It’s just how I think.”

“No… that’s not it. It’s something more. Something secret. I have told you mine; I think it is time you told me yours.”

“Vekrem—” Just then, a scream caught our attention, but as I turned to address it, Vekrem reached out, grabbing my shoulder, and pulling me close.

“Not again!” he said. “We have to go. This… distraction will only lead to more trouble.”

Then, surprisingly, the woman from before, Asema, her face and hair now back to its normal young and dark color, sprinted by me, sparing me a shocked expression for just a moment as she passed.

“That’s her!” A woman called out, and I saw two Rodrent’s dressed in full armor carrying spears followed by a human female—

The same one from the alley.

Turning to hide my face in the hood, I stepped out of the way. Vekrem, ever sharp-witted, followed my lead.

The guards passed, and then the woman, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I think we’re safe,” I whispered to Vekrem, daring to look up, and, unfortunately, catching the woman’s eyes squarely.

She shrieked, causing the Sentinels to halt. “That’s him! He’s the one who attacked us!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake—” I declared before Vekrem grabbed me roughly, pulling me into a wild sprint as we ran away.

“Stop!” I heard one sentinel yell, but fuck that, who knew what they’d do to us if they managed to catch us.

We ran into the crowd and women scooped up their children, men yelled angrily, and I shoved past a particularly slow human servant, knocking him to the ground and sending the various items he carried scattering to the floor alongside him.

“Sorry,” I muttered, but I didn’t stop, following Vekrem as he gracefully darted between both Humans and Rodrents. He wasn’t just fast in his movement, he was masterful. Adept; precise, and I couldn’t help but be awestruck by the way he was able to move his body.

“This way,” Vekrem yelled from the front, not bothering to even turn to see if I was still behind him. Suddenly, to my horror, he jumped to the right, sending an elderly human woman reeling back screeching in horror as he jumped off a ledge. I followed without thinking, and, to my dismay, there was nothing on the other side of the ledge except a two-story drop to the canal below. Turning mid-air, I tried to reach back and grab something, but it was too late as I heard Vekrem’s body hit the water. I held my breath the moment before my own body struck.

The water embraced me as if I were a cheating lover; with a dark coldness. Then, some type of plant, like seaweed, grasped at my ankle, wrapping it like a vice. I pulled and pulled, but the weed was heavy, and its grip on me was as firm as I’d ever felt.

Was this it? Was I to die such a stupid, pathetic death? Opening my eyes, I saw Vekrem swimming right in front of me. He grabbed me, and tried to help me to the surface, but even he could not help. Looking down, Vekrem dove below, and, with one quick swipe from his long claw-like nails, he cut the plant, releasing me from a certain death.

I swam up as fast as I could, and when my head emerged through the top of the water, I inhaled as large a breath as I could. Then, I coughed out a lungful of water and knew that I’d been so close to passing out.

Vekrem breached the surface next to me, and he barely looked out of breath at all. Bastard. Turning towards me, he said, “Come on, let’s move. We need to find a boat. Now!”

I hadn’t the breath to reply, so instead, I simply nodded to his words, swimming behind him as we made our way to the edge of the canal which was made of stone, and solid. We both climbed out of the water, rolling and lying on our backs.

“Are… you… crazy?” I asked, still breathless, but doing my best to stay conscious.

“You’re the one who got recognized!” Vekrem replied. “Bah, no use in arguing, we still need to keep moving before they find us. So much for quietly slipping out of Silverock. First time back in the city in so long and this is how it goes. Typical.”

Propping myself up, I spit up more water. “Did you expect it to go smoothly?”

“Sadly, no,” he replied. “I suppose I didn’t. Nothing ever seems to be easy when you are around.”

“Amen to that brother. Amen to that.”

“Ahem,” A voice said from the location of the water. A female voice. Vekrem and I craned our heads to look, and we saw a spectacular sight. Even Dragon seemed to roar with delight.