3.
*What's that sound? Sounds like a horse. What happened to me? It's cooler than it was before. Why does my hand hurt so much?*
As the girl starts to regain her consciousness, she starts to make out a figure looking over her. She tries to move but the person holds her down and reassures her that she will be fine in a calm manner. Their voice is soft and a little high pitched.
Her eyes start to focus in on the person. They have dark blue hair that is short and well kept. The person's eyes were a similar colour and had a friendly, warm look to them. They were wearing a black 3 piece suit that looked as if it was freshly dry cleaned. *You know what, he may look like he's from the Victorian era, but he's kinda handsome in a refined kind of way. Doesn't look much older than me.* His face was kind of round and his build was slender. They looked to be about 13 or 14.
"You're finally awake. We found you collapsed on the old Britannia/Ashland trading road. We don't see anyone around there much anymore. " His voice finally starts to sound clear.
"Waah, what's an Ashland? Where am I? Who are you?" The girl cuts in, her words slurred and her face looks like a mix between puzzled and drowsy.
"Of course, where are my manners my name is Alex. You're safe now, we're in a carriage on our way to my family's estate. Just try to get some rest and we'll have our doctors give you a look over. The guards said your hand looked pretty badly burnt up, sorry we couldn't do more to help heal it right now."
"Thanks for helping me." Her words are starting to get clearer once again. "Did you see that Orthus lookin' thing where you found me. I remember fighting one before passing out. Or was I just dreaming? I don't know man, everything is still all fuzzy t-" The boy whose name is Alex cuts the girl off mid-sentence.
"Yes, we saw the Orthus you slew. You must be strong to be able to hold yourself against one of those things out here. What happened to the rest of your party, if it is okay for me to ask?"
At these words, the girl begins to talk about the recent events going from waking in a field to just before she collapsed and explains the fact that she was alone.
The carriage was light blue and was lined with cotton. It was quite spacious as she was lying across without having to bend her legs or back. It had a door on either side of the carriage in the centre leaving space for a bench on the front and back. The benches were cushioned.
"Wait you beat that thing one on one with only that case?!" Alex exclaims, jumping forward and getting mere inches away from the girls face. *I'm still processing that this is another world.*
"Don't act like that's nothing! No one can just do that out of nowhere, you would at least need at least a sword or gun or will, something."
"Is it really that big a deal? I mean I just hit it and it went down." she becomes shaken.
"Yes, it is. You must pretty strong. Where did you train?"
"I haven't done any training. I've got no idea what you're talkin' about."
"How old are you?"
"Um… 13"
"Same as me then. But how are you that strong at this age?"
"Maybe the Orthus was weak?"
"No, you did something incredible for our age Alice. I can barely manifest my Lifeforce yet here you are killing an Orthus with 2 hits!"
The 2 of them fall silent for a moment before Alex returns to his seat. Alice's face is a mix of scared and confused as to the events that had just transpired. Only the sounds of the horses can be heard. Finally, the silence is broken with a question from Alice.
"Hey, I have a couple of questions for you" her voice is calm and her words have a colder feel to them.
"Of course, ask away."
"How did you know my name was Alice?" She stares Alex dead in the eyes, not blinking.
"It was written on the bags you had on you when we found you."
"Okay, that makes sense. Follow up question, where are my bags? I had 3 on me." *So the language is the same both spoken and written, that's an upside. I suck at languages.*
"In the other carriage, we didn't know if we could trust you or not so we kept your weapons away from you. After all, you are in the presence of a noble who willingly let you ride in her carriage."
"Well, I guess that makes… wait did you just say her!" Alice's voice goes from calm and understanding to confused screams very quickly.
"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?" Alex's voice remains calm.
"Bu-bu-bu-but I thought that. That you were. I mean… umm… I thought you were a hot dude!"
"EHHH! Wha- what are you saying?!"
"I SAID I THOUGHT YOU WERE A HOT GUY!"
"THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'VE EVER HEARD BEFORE!"
"I FELL FOR A REVERSE TRAP!"
"WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MAKES SO SENSE!"
Alice takes a deep breath before following up, "Sorry I've just had an eventful day. First I finish school for the summer and I had a flute recital in front of the whole school and I just wanted to relax at home and watch YouT-" *Wait, they don't have the internet here, don't start explaining that one, some of my teachers can't understand it and they've had it a while* "I mean do some archery." her tone sounds more exhausted as she talks.
"Archery huh, guess you're more of a hunter than a solder, right?."
"Yeah, sure, I'm a hunter, even though I've never hunted anything."
"Apart from a giant 2 headed killer dog. Also, you play the flute, which is something bards often use for casting magic, seems like you are perfectly prepared to go to war. Apart from the attire that is. I could help with armour and replacement clothing" Alex's eyes study each item of clothing as she speaks. "Upon closer inspection, you do need my help."
Before Alice can respond, a deafening bang sound echoes through the air. Screams soon fill the air. Alex peers through the window, "Shit, bandits."
Comments (0)
See all