It wasn’t a dream, was it? Adrian couldn’t begin to process what was going on. He was in someone’s backyard, placed next to a pristine small stream. The vast warm grasslands with massive patches of farmland in the distance seemed so unfamiliar compared to his usual surroundings. Sure, there were little huts and houses sprinkled across the landscape, crude cobblestone roads connecting each of them, but everything seemed so fantastical, so… “unnatural”, if he could say it that way. Especially—

“Would you like some tea?” The talking otter (she introduced herself as Susan, didn’t she?) repeated her question, helping the bewildered Adrian to a rather small wooden chair, the piece of furniture squeaking a little as he sat down.

Before him was a rather simple porcelain tea set. It was well polished, the smooth white surfaces of the cups, plates, and the teapot almost reflecting his own disheveled face. As Susan poured the tea out of the teapot, he felt a fragrant aroma massaging his nose, and for his thirst at the time, this beverage would’ve been perfect… if not for the size of the cups, barely the size of his palm.

“Thank you…” As politely as he could, he took a little sip from the teacup, only to realize he had swallowed it all.

“Now, aren’t you thirsty?” Susan chuckled a little. “Or is the tea very suitable for your tastes?” To Adrian, she felt like a kind grandma of some sort, speaking with a graceful voice soothing his soul. A rare feeling for the spearman so used to the opposite extremes between hearty laughter and complete silence.

There was the issue of the other sentient animal though. A rabbit dressed like a farmer, complete with a rake and a wide straw hat, stared at him as if he was some kind of alien. Well, not that Adrian could blame him (the rabbit did sound like a male earlier), considering he himself was especially out of place with his gear. It would’ve caused anyone ample suspicion for him, dressed in fur hides, nevermind in the presence of animals.

“What’re you staring at?” the rabbit said sharply. “Even for one as small as me, I deserve some dignity too!”

“Well, uh… I didn’t really get to know your name,” Adrian apologetically replied.

“Susan told you earlier, didn’t she?” the rabbit complained. “All of you humans are like that. Shy, forgetful, rude! Anyway, my name’s Moses.”

That… was an abrupt change of pace.

“Hello… Moses,” Adrian cautiously said. “Thank you two… for treating me and bringing me here, I guess.” It was certainly a strange encounter. He still hadn’t wrapped his mind around the whole “talking animals” situation, especially not creatures he would’ve otherwise considered as game. To call it a culture shock would be an understatement. And they had names as well? Perhaps he may have to indulge in more cups of this tea before he even acquired a hint on what exactly was going on.

“Treating you? Maybe we did,” Moses said. “Bringing you here? No, you were just lying asleep in the middle of the farmlands when we found you. Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Definitely,” Susan answered. “I remember you were fuming and so worried for your precious carrots!”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Please, don’t mention that again. I only lost a bit of my temper there.”

Well, that was peculiar.

“So, uh, what do you mean by ‘lying asleep in the middle of the farmlands’?” Adrian asked. “I only remember blacking out at some point and suddenly finding myself staring at you two.”

“Simple as that. You were sleeping,” Moses said.

“But I don’t remember how I got here,” Adrian insisted. “I remember I was hunting for—” He realized he should probably stop, given his audience at the moment.

“Perhaps you were so tired you lost a bit of memory?” Susan guessed, although Adrian noticed she was probably just trying to comfort him.

“Yeah, maybe…” Adrian mumbled before coming to a realization. “Wait, I wasn’t hunting! I was searching for the Codex of… of…”

“He definitely has amnesia,” Moses sighed. “Anyway, I guess we might as well offer you a place of shelter while you get your memories back.”

“I’m surprised you would be the first to say that, dear!” Susan exclaimed. “Earlier, you were so reluctant to take in the first human until I mentioned his condition!”

“Well, Greenshire is supposed to be a place where creatures of all kinds can gather and live in peace,” Moses said. “Even if I forgot that for a few seconds then.”

“It’s definitely not because of that incident, right?”

Somehow, Adrian felt a little bit of unease between Moses and Susan, the two of them narrowing their eyebrows a little.

“No, not really,” Moses answered, albeit unsurely.

It was becoming a little too awkward.

“So, em, thanks for offering a place for me to stay,” Adrian said, attempting to change the topic. “I’ll… try my best to remember what happened to me.” Not that he was hoping for any miracle, but surely amnesia was the reason he ended up in this “Greenshire” place?

“Let’s head back, shall we?” Susan suggested. “I think it’s already pretty late.”

“It’s barely late afternoon, Susan,” Moses commented.

“Late afternoon is just twilight, isn’t it?” Chuckling a little, she began heading back, carrying the tray of tea that only Adrian had drank from. Obligated by custom and habit, Moses hopped quickly past her, opening the door and allowing her to pass through without much difficulty. All the while, Adrian followed slowly behind, still perplexed as to what world he had somehow “wandered” into.

“Oh, is he finally awake?” Adrian heard a familiar voice as he stepped into the homely but short interior.

In the small dining room was a single male, not that much different from Adrian’s size. Inside the clothing made from wolfskins, he was a relatively lean person despite his huge appetite. Perhaps that was why the individual was particularly skilled at hunting and the use of a bow: he just had to hunt a lot of animals to feed himself and his family.

“He was the first human we’ve seen in a long while,” Susan said as she placed down the tray. “And then you appeared as well. Do you two know each other?”

“Dear, just look at them and decide for yourself!” Moses said.

Adrian was shocked. The one before him, from his homeland, his dear friend…

“Anthony?” The word slipped out of his mouth.

His friend smiled.