Kimiko moaned in pain as the pounding in her head slowly receded.
“Where are my clothes!” She said, covering her breasts by folding her arms across her chest. She was sitting on a small boulder in a wide, grassy field. She had no memory of how she got here. The field sloped gently away, in the distance she could see a wood, in the far distance what looked like mountains, or perhaps clouds.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a wall of text, green on black, covering most of her vision. It read:
Welcome to Elysareth, Traveller!
You are unnamed.
You are aligned with the forces of Resonance.
You have no class.
BEWARE!
Danger lurks.
Quest offered: Find your companions!
The Umpire offers you a quest: Reunite your party. Rewards: 25 XP per companion found.
Quest offered: Befriend a citizen. Rewards: friendship is its own reward.
The Umpire offers you a quest: Wear clothing of at least terrible quality covering at least 30% of your body. Rewards: variable.
Accept or decline each quest now.
“What the hell is going on?” said Kimiko, steadying herself on her rock, her arms straight down, hands on the rock. She had no idea how she had ended up here, in this strange place. She looked around in confusion and disbelief, trying to make sense of what was happening. “Am I in some kind of GAME!?” she screeched, losing her composure.
Kimiko was no stranger to games. She’d played several role-playing games on her computer when she was younger, taking the form of a healer or a warrior to battle monsters and complete quests. But those days seemed so far away now. All of that was in her past. Kimiko had given up games, given up all manner of distractions to focus on schoolwork and her piano playing years ago. She hadn’t wasted time on distractions.
She stood there for a moment longer, pondering what she should do next. Was this really a game? Was it real life? And if so, how could she get out? Kimiko thought furiously, recalling what she knew about how players interact with adventure and role-playing games.
“Help system messages!” she said, which was followed immediately by a new window appearing, overlayed on top of the first, obscuring it:
Help System:
“Help: system messages” returned 1 result.
Top result:
The system user interface is displayed in text form only. One can dismiss system messages using the command: “System messages - dismiss”. One can recall system messages using the command: “System messages - recall (n)” whereby n limits the search to the specified number of messages (omitted implies all previous messages, latest first). One can delete system messages using the command: “System messages: delete (n)” whereby n deletes the specified number of messages, (omitted implies all previous messages, oldest first). Additional system message commands: “share with (recipients)”, “pin”, “archive (n)”.
“Oh my God! It is a game!” she exclaimed. “There’s probably a lot of stuff I need to figure out about this system thing, but not here, and not naked.” she muttered.
Kimiko stood up, and began walking down the slope, towards the forest a mile or so in the distance. The sun shone down on the grass, and the air was filled with the sound of birds singing. The wind blew through the grass, making it sway and ripple like waves in the sea. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, and the smell of the grass was sweet and fragrant. The grass was unusual. It was just grass, but unlike in any field she’d ever seen. It was tall, a hundred different varieties competing for space and light. Nobody had mowed it for hay, it hadn’t been grazed at all. This land was untouched by modern agri-business. It was untouched by any kind of agriculture. The grass was lush and vibrant, a deep emerald green that seemed to stretch on forever. The blades were long and slender, and they rustled and whispered in the breeze. The sun sparkled off the dew that clung to the tips of the grass, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers. Kimiko could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, and the coolness of the breeze as it blew through her hair. She could hear the birds chirping in the trees, and the sound of the wind rustling the grass. She could feel the softness of the grass beneath her feet, and the warmth of the sun on her face. The air was filled with the sweet smell of the wildflowers, and the sound of the birds singing in the trees. Kimiko felt a sense of peace and tranquility as she walked through the untouched land, and she knew she was in a place of beauty and wonder.
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Presently, Kimiko came upon a narrow dirt road that cut across the field diagonally from the direction she’d been walking. She paused, surveying the scene before her. The path was a thin, winding ribbon of earth that stretched away in both directions, running in parallel to the tree line. It disappeared over a shallow hill to her right; the sun glinting off the grassy knoll. She chose that direction, her feet crunching on the dry, dusty road as she walked toward the hill. The air was still and silent, the only sound the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustle of a breeze through the trees. The sun beat down on her back, and she could feel the heat radiating off the ground. She kept her eyes on the horizon, watching as the hill grew closer.
“I’m going to get a sunburn soon,” she thought to herself.
The clopping of the mare’s hooves grew louder as it approached, and soon enough, she could make out the details of the horse, a chestnut mare, pulling a rickety cart. A tarpaulin had been thrown over the cart, hiding whatever was inside from her view. The woman driving the cart was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and rough farmer’s clothes, her face weathered and lined from years of toil in the sun.
Covering her private parts as best she could, she called out to the woman driving the cart, making her stop. The woman was taken aback to be stopped by a naked stranger, her expression of confusion evident in the furrow of her brows. But she was unafraid, after all who could be afraid of a naked girl in the road?
The mare snorted, her breath fogging the air, her chestnut coat glinting in the morning sun. The cart creaked as the woman pulled on the reins, bringing the horse to a halt. The woman’s gaze shifted from the girl to the cart, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“You’se alright there, girly?” the woman called out. “Why’s you’se naked so?”
“Hello! I don’t know what happened to me, but I woke up here a little while ago like this. I don’t know where I am! Can you help me?” replied Kimiko.
The old woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she took in the sight of the strange figure before her. She had never seen anyone quite like this before, and the only person she had ever heard speak in such a manner was the Baron Sheakes, the local landowner. The woman was tall and slender, her skin pale and unblemished, her hair a deep, dark brown, cascading down her back in waves. She wore no clothing, but her body was adorned with intricate tattoos, swirling and twining around her arms and legs. This woman was of noble birth, yet here she was, alone and naked on the roadside. Something must have happened to her, something so terrible that she had no recollection of how she had arrived here.
The old woman’s heart filled with compassion as she looked upon the woman’s plight. She had seen enough of the world to know that this was a peaceful place compared to some of the other places she had heard of, and she couldn’t leave a defenceless person out here on the road. She stepped closer, her worn leather boots crunching on the gravel, and reached out a hand to the woman.
Kimiko’s eyes were wide and fearful, her body trembling as she looked at the old woman. She seemed to be searching for something, some sign of recognition, but the old woman could not provide it. She could only offer her help and kindness, and so she cooed, her voice gentle and reassuring.
Kimiko relaxed a little at the sound of the old woman’s voice, and she slowly reached out her own hand. The old woman took it in her own, and with a reassuring smile, she led the woman away from the roadside and towards her cart.
“Let’s get you’se covered up, girly. I ain’t got much, but you can have this for now,” said the farmer woman, lifting herself slightly and removing a thin, mottled brown horse-blanket she’d been using as a seat cushion.
“Thank you so much, thank you!” said Kimiko, wrapping the blanket around her like a shawl, covering herself. The blanket smelled strongly of horse, but also of mildew. It was made from coarse wool, scratchy and deeply unfamiliar to Kimiko’s skin.
“I’ll take you’se to my home. It ain’t far from here. We’ll get you something better to wear and something t’ eat, too. Then you’se can tell me about yerself, perhaps?” she said.
“Thank you so much. That’s very kind of you. Yes, I’d like that very much.” said Kimiko.
They set off, soon having retraced the way that Kimiko had come from, then continuing alongside the forest. Suddenly, Kimiko was surprised by another system message appearing in her vision:
Quest update: quest completed!
Congratulations, you have completed the quest “Befriend a citizen”.
Rewards: friendship is its own reward!
You have been befriended by Elsa Cartwright, a farmer. Elsa has clothed you and is providing you with aid and shelter. Cherish and tend your friendships like you would a garden.
Kimiko swiftly dismissed the system message, which would have been an impossible accomplishment a few short hours ago. Kimiko considered her predicament, her companion, and her future.
“Elsa, thank you for helping me, a stranger, from the kindness of your heart. I don’t know what’s coming, or even what’s been going on. But you can be certain that I will repay your kindness as soon as I can.” she said, slipping naturally into a more formal style of language than she had used for many years.
“Don’t youse worry yourself, girly. Look, further out, you’se can see the smoke from my farm. That husband of mine has lit the fire early today! Maybe he’s got a stew for us?” Elsa smiled.