Nick Smith

Adventurer Level: N/A

Human - American

"We should wake him up," Yulk said, his voice doing just that.

"Don't get impatient. We've got a lot to do today, he'll need his rest," Nash replied.

Silently giving my whole-hearted agreement to Nash, I pretended to still be asleep.

"We DO have a lot to do today, and I can't wait to get started!" Yulk exclaimed. Loudly.

"It won't be as fun as you're imagining, and it will be even less fun if he's half asleep all day," Nash stated.

The only thing I could think of that we had to do today was move me from this hospital to Nash and Yulk's mom's place. Since I didn't have any stuff, that shouldn't take all day. Unless there were ceremonies or something. I don't want to take part in a ceremony, though.

"Fun or not, it's still exciting to see what training will bring out in him. Is he strong? Is he weak? Only one way to find out, and we can't do that while he's asleep!" Yulk nearly shouted.

A feeling of dread spread through my core. Training. I doubt they had Virtual Reality, which would mean actual fighting. And since Yulk doesn't appear to be the physical fitness guru of the village, that will mean fighting against Nash. A fight against a 6'10" orc that has muscles that professional bodybuilders would kill for? No thanks. I'll pretend to be asleep all damned day.

"Quiet down. Why are you so excited about his training? The only thing you care about is whether he can do magic or not," Nash said.

Magic?

"The abilities of those with magical talent are frequently opposed to the abilities of those with physical talent. So if he's bad at physical skills, then he might be amazing at magical skills! Or if he's good at physical skills, he might be terrible at magic. That would be disappointing, but either way it will answer questions that I have," Yulk said, toning his voice down a couple of notches. "Although, there's a chance that he's good at both. We've never seen anything like him, so it doesn't make sense to apply our own limitations to him offhand."

"So which would you rather have him do first? Magic or muscle?" Nash asked.

"Magic," I said, sitting up.

Both orcs turned to look at me. Nash raised an eyebrow at me as Yulk began to smile ear to ear. The mental image of a grinning demon was difficult to shake. Especially with the sharp teeth. Nash stood up and looked down at me.

"Fine. We'll do magic before testing your physical abilities. Before we do any of that, though, we're going to introduce you to our mom. She's going to decide whether or not you get to stay with us, and if she decides you can stay you're going to become our brother," he said. "Don't be expecting any fanfare, though. Best you'll get is a big dinner tonight."

"Indeed. Elves and dwarves may throw lavish celebrations, but orcs rarely do," Yulk added. "Do humans celebrate often?"

"It depends on the humans," I answered. "Some celebrate every chance they get. Others never celebrate anything. There's a lot of in between, too."

Nash looked impatient, "Let's go. Mom's already up, so we might as well get this out of the way."

I quickly got dressed and followed the two orcs out of the hospital and down the street. The more we walked, the more I noticed the buildings in the village. There were a lot more than I thought there'd be. These buildings looked as if they were made from different architects, and those architects were trying to outdo each other. Some were made of wood, some were made of a type of gray brick, and others were made of a mixture of materials. Some buildings were obviously houses or shops, but others were anyone's guess.

There was also plenty of plant-life. Grasses, trees, bushes, and everything else you would normally see in a wooded area. On the horizon were mountains, looking like jagged black teeth that had just bit a pouch of white paint. They reminded me of the Rocky Mountains, but with less snow on top. It was comforting, in a way.

I also noticed that we were getting a lot of stares. I felt a little self-conscious, but completely understood their curiosity. I tried imagining the reactions that humans would have to an orc being escorted down a busy street. Actually, come to think of it, most people would probably just assume it was a really good cosplay. I chuckled to myself as I realized that little kids would likely have the most appropriate reactions to that situation.

As we walked, Nash and Yulk nodded and waved to people that we passed. The village seemed too large for everyone to know each other, so these two seem to have a lot of friends. I had some friends back in my world, but not close enough for me to be broken up by their absence. More like the hanging out if it's convenient and occasionally vent with kinda pals.

Even so, Cassandra's illness had closed me off in a big way. I didn't have time for anyone but her because our time together was so limited. She hated that, but understood that it was my choice and the only way that I could cope. I had been hoping for some miracle to happen, and now I'm just hoping to get to see her one more time.

I was pulled from this line of thought by Nash pointing to a big wooden house surrounded by an equally wooden fence.

"That's ours," he said.

We approached the gate and two large creatures that looked like a lot like dogs came bounding out the front door, yelling as they came. They were about twice the size of a Husky and similarly shaped, but completely without fur. Their skin was black with green stripes. I was startled by their size and appearance as well as the fact that they weren't barking so much as shouting "hey" over and over. Yulk noticed my expression.

"Those are puppers. Dima and Nucho, specifically. Dima is carnivorous, Nucho is herbivorous. You'll be able to tell by the teeth," he explained as Nash wrangled them back into the house.

I followed Yulk closely, suddenly feeling out of place. I also found it odd that I hadn't felt this out of place before. I guess it must be how lived in this house feels compared to everywhere else I had been. Makes me feel like I'm intruding. It looked about as clean as a normal house, and smelled like unfamiliar cooking and cleaning. Like going to a new friend's home.

The furniture in the house was similar to that of the hospital, like modern day medieval knock-offs. Tables with metallic inlays, wooden chairs with padding on the seats and backs, and even doors with metal handles. Nash was struggling to hold onto the puppers as Yulk led me deeper into the house until we entered the kitchen. At the table sat an orc woman who gave me a warm smile when she saw me.

I had expected her hair to be black like Nash's, but it was blonde with some gray strands here and there. She had a bit of wizening around the eyes, but other than that it was hard to tell that she was any older than the two orcs that escorted me here. Her green skin was also a few shades lighter than her sons. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen any male orcs with light skin or female orcs with dark skin.

"Mom, this is Nick Smith. He's a human. Nick, this is Yilda, Mother of Nash, Mother of Yulk, and many other titles," Yulk said with pride.

"I only go by my two most important titles," Yilda said, standing from the table.

"Nice to meet you," I replied as she walked up to me.

She narrowed her eyes to study me closely and placed a hand upon my shoulder. She turned me so that she could look at me in profile, and I was taken aback by how strong she was. Yilda was only an inch or two taller than me and didn't look particularly muscular, but I got the distinct feeling that even if I had tried not to be turned my resistance would have been futile. After a few seconds of examination and mumbling, she turned back to Nash and Yulk.

"He's cute. I'll take him into my care," she said. "Say hello to your new brother, boys."

"We already have, mom," Nash said, still struggling with the dog-like creatures.

"Hello Nick!" Yulk exclaimed with glee.

"Nash..." Yilda said, staring pointedly at the orc in question.

"Alright... Hello, Nick. Welcome to the family," Nash sighed.

"Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality," I replied, nearly choking up.

This was a confusingly emotional moment for me. If I were to look at it from afar, I would probably find it funny. In the moment, though, I felt warm and fuzzy feelings. I'd never had siblings before, and the kindness that I was being shown was nearly overwhelming. This orc, this woman, had just given me a once-over and decided to keep me fed and housed. It's not the kind of kindness that you see every day.

With the warm and fuzzy feelings came a sense of profound sadness. I miss my parents, and I miss Cass. I didn't have the perfect life in my world, to be sure, but the people in it made it worth living. Despite Nash's aggression and Yulk's mad scientist vibes, they seem like good people. I have to find a way back to Cass, but by doing so I'll be abandoning them. And now they are my brothers.

Deep breath in, clench your jaw. Men don't cry, that's the law. A little rhyme that my father taught me when I was younger to help teach me to calm down in emotional moments. I used to tell him that there isn't a law against men crying, and he would smile back and say that not all laws are written. I didn't really know what that meant until high school.

"Alright, that's settled then! Time for training!" Yulk said, nearly bouncing again.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Yilda asked indignantly.

"There's no time for such things, mother! We must discover what Nick is capable of! Scientific discovery awaits!" Yulk exclaimed.

"Yulk, training doesn't work as well on an empty stomach," Nash said.

"We'll eat after! Don't want food sloshing around our stomachs ruining things! Let's go, Nick!"

Nash and Yilda looked at me as Yulk marched past me, holding his staff in the air like he was leading a marching band. I shrugged, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm not really hungry right now, but maybe training could change that," I said cautiously.

"Alright, I'll hang back and get your room ready. Don't let Yulk push you too hard. One of the things he wants to know is your limits, so be sure to let him know once you've reached them," Nash said as he wrangled the puppers into another room.

"Have fun dear, we'll get to know each other a bit better over dinner," Yilda said with a smile.

"Thanks," I replied, turning to follow Yulk.

"COME ON, NICK!" Yulk shouted from the door.

I hurried after him. We walked through town again, his high spirits unfaltering. I was excited to learn more about magic, and whether or not I could do it. I also felt nervous, both because of Yulk's expectations and the fact that magic was likely my way home. If I suck at it... No, negativity won't help. I can do this, whatever this is.

We passed many staring eyes until we finally came to what looked like an old fashioned archery training pit. Bricks surrounded a dirt ring with targets placed intermittently within. Yulk sat on a nearby bench and gestured in front of him. I sat cross legged in the dirt facing him.

"Alright, let's begin your magic training," he said with a smile. "Do you have any questions to start off with?"

"I don't know enough to have any," I explained.

"Fair enough. Magic is easier done than said. It stems from forces that we don't quite understand, but seems to be contained within everything. Those who are attuned to magic often feel as if they should be able to do things that they can't, like move objects without their hands. Have you ever felt like that?" he asked.

"Yes, when I was a kid," I replied.

"Excellent!" Yulk exclaimed with a grin. "Now, the reason that people get this feeling is because they are partially attuned to the magic that surrounds us. Or they're fully attuned and just aren't attuned to their own magic energy. To use a spell, you have to mix the surrounding magic with your own magic and properly channel it through the natural pathways in your own body."

"Pathways?" I asked.

"Yes. There are many pathways in the body. Your blood vessels, nerves, and digestive system for example. Your magic pathways are similar but separate. Your magical energy is stored somewhere in your body, and can be channeled elsewhere in your body through these pathways. If you concentrate on yourself, you should be able to feel it. Mine is in my brain," he said while pointing to his skull.

"Okay, I'll try," I replied.

I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on my body. I felt my skin, tingling from exposure to the sun and whatever else was in the air. I felt my ribs spreading and closing with every breath. I felt my heart beating, and the blood being pushed through my veins and arteries. I felt the wind blow through my hair and my clothes resting on my body. Then I felt it. A somewhat... electrical energy, directly in the center of my upper torso.

I pointed at it, "It's here."

"I knew it!" Yulk said, pumping his fist in celebration. "Okay, for the next part you're going to have to learn channeling. Your own magic won't be able to do much on its own, so you'll need to intake magic from your surroundings and mix it in your core to fire off a spell."

"How do I do that?" I asked.

"The easiest way is through breathing. The air has magic in it, and you just need to think about pulling the magic out and storing it in your core. It will mix with your own magic, and you can channel that into a spell," he explained. "But you get more by drawing magic in through your channels."

"I can't feel my channels, though."

"Exactly. And you won't be able to until you use them. That's why we start out new mages with breath charging before anything else. Go on, try it out. It should take about twenty or so deep breaths to get you nice and charged up."

I closed my eyes again and began to do as instructed. I breathed in through my mouth and out through my nose. The electric feeling got slightly more intense, and I could feel the two different magics in my chest. I imagined them combining, and a third kind of magic appeared. It felt amazing, like I had all the energy in the world. A few breaths later, and I somehow knew that I was fully charged up.

"Okay, I'm ready," I said.

"What? That was only ten breaths. Are you sure?" Yulk asked.

"No. Well... Yes? My core feels full," I replied. "Is that bad?"

The orc studied me with narrowed eyes and scratched his chin for a moment.

"I don't know," he finally replied. "We'll see. Okay, let's go to the targets."

We got up and approached the range. From a distance I had thought they were made of straw, but they were actually statues made of stone. Judging by all the pits and charring, they had definitely seen plenty of use. Yulk picked up two stones and walked over to one of the targets. He placed the stones on the target's shoulders and walked back over to me.

"Alright, I want you to try an easy spell. It's called wind spear, and its name is a very apt description of what you will need to imagine to create the spell. I'll demonstrate," he said, raising his hand. "Raeps Dniw Tsac!"

I flinched as I felt wind erupt from Yulk's hand. But I also felt the magic, and was transfixed. The stone on the statue's left shoulder shattered into pieces. The orc grinned and turned to me, the sun gleaming off his bald head.

"Like that," he said. "You should be able to disturb the stone on the right once you figure out the spell."

"Wait, do I have to do the incantation?" I asked.

"No, the incantation happens naturally. You can increase the power of a spell by mindfully saying the incantation, but that takes quite a bit of practice," he said with a smile. "Now give it a try. Use both hands, though. For safety, since you don't know your channels yet."

"Will I need a staff like the one you have?"

Yulk laughed, "No. You won't need an arcane focus until you're much further along. Even further along than I am! The only reason I have one is because when I was younger, I went on a dungeon raid with Nash and ended up breaking my back. Rirnu did his best to heal me, but he was only level six at the time, so I ended up with difficulty walking. So, my staff is both an arcane focus and a walking stick, but I use it for walking. Enough about that. Go ahead and try to cast the spell, Nick."

"Okay, I'll try."

I raised my hands and aimed them at the stone. I thought about how wind works, gas molecules bumping into other gas molecules, pushing them along. The pushing is caused by gases getting hotter and colder, which causes them to get lighter or heavier than the other molecules around them. The harder they push, the faster the wind goes. I imagined this happening, but being channeled into a spear that rushed toward the stone. Then I felt a sort of click.

"Raeps Dniw Tsac," my voice said.

I felt the magic in my chest flow through my arms and through all ten of my fingers. The intensity of the movement almost hurt, but felt good at the same time. The tingling sensation pushed itself out of my fingers, manifesting my will. The air pressure around my hands erupted with a blast of wind that pushed me back a step.

-Wind spear unlocked.-

"What?" I asked, looking at Yulk.

"I... I didn't say anything..." Yulk said, staring at the target with his mouth agape.

I looked at the target, and my mouth dropped open as well. There was dust settling around the statue, but I could see that it was missing its head and shoulder. The stone was nowhere to be seen, and the arm had fallen onto the ground. Behind the target, there was a noticeable dent in the bricks. What the hell? Wind did this? I did this?

We stood shocked for a few moments, but then Yulk's opened mouth turned back into a grin as he turned to me. I met his eyes, and he placed his hand on my shoulder, his sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight. He definitely reminded me of a smiling demon.

"I fucking KNEW it," he said. "We're gonna have quite a time together, Nick."