dorms.”
“I would be glad to,” Jemas said and Redstreak spread his
wings. “But I will have to ask my captain first.” Redstreak dropped his wings
with an air of frustration.
The giant yawned and stretched, pounding the street. As he
stood up, Eric saw a large smelly puddle where he lay.
“Hey, he's up!” Hasina cried. “I guess he didn't have as
much in him as we thought.”
Jemas slapped his forehead, muttering about looking for a
second vial. Hasina looked up from the giant and towards Eric, grinning. What
could she see in me . . .to make her smile like that?
“Otherworlder, how would you like to be a vital member of a
groundbreaking research project?”
“Uh . . .” Eric didn't know what to make of the strange
lady's offer. He did need a job but the last time he did research, it
didn't end well. Besides, the woman scared him.
“Say no,” Jemas advised. “You'll be the subject of research.
Hence 'vital'.”
“Lieutenant Jemas!”
“Captain,” Jemas began, unaffected by her reprimand. “Do you
remember what happened the last time you used a sapient as a guinea pig?”
“I got permission from them!” Hasina protested. “And 'guinea
pig' is such a leading phrase; I didn't do anything cruel !” Eric noticed
that she omitted “unusual.” Jemas stared expectantly at his captain. “Leader
got mad,” Hasina said reluctantly.
“ And you got the guild in trouble,” Jemas pointed
out.
“Excuse me!” Redstreak shouted. “Could one of you take this
human to the Silver Dragon Dorms? I have a colony to get back to.”
“I'm sorry, Chief Tedteek.” Eric thought he saw a vein poke
out of Redstreak's forehead. “But both the lieutenant and I are busy.” Hasina
lifted a vial containing a liquid that looked suspiciously like the waste on
the street. “Come along, Lieutenant.”
“Coming, Captain,” Jemas said wearily. “My apologies.” He
bowed and followed his captain.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, but Eric was far
from bored. From the talking animals to the monsters and magic and the
existence of monarchy, he felt like he was in a medieval fantasy novel.
Other signs said otherwise. The streets he walked through
were cleaner than the streets he drove through in his own world, and he saw
manholes and storm drains. An unemployment office meant the state aided private
employment. A school system meant large numbers of people were being educated.
Glass being commonly used in windows meant the population could afford it. Add
to that the diplomatic relations animals had with humans and it was some kind
of mix between an old-fashioned “magical world” and his own modern world.
Modern Magic . . . Or maybe “magical real world.”
“We're here.” Redstreak stopped in front of a large brick
and mortar building. The lobby contained somewhat comfortable-looking chairs
and pictures of landscapes on the walls.
“Hello,” Redstreak said to the man at the lobby. “I've
brought an Otherworlder.”The man looked up at Redstreak with sleepy
eyes
“Papers?” he said in a monotone. Eric handed them to the
dorm keeper and waited in silence as they were evaluated. “You can sit down if
you want.”
There was nothing for Eric to do but sit and think. I'm
in a world where fairytale creatures walk among humans like it's normal and
plants eat people. I'm a teenager again AND I have nothing in the world except
the clothes on my back. Is this Tasio's idea of helping me!?
Finally, the man spoke up. “You will be staying in Room 137
until you get a job. Your roommate will be able to guide you to the school.” He
handed Eric a hemp string that held two crystals: a small clear crystal and
another bigger bronze one.
“The clear one is your room key and the bronze is your meal
pass,” the dorm keeper said. “Don't lose either of them.”
Instead of putting it on, Eric felt compelled to examine the
crystals. He looked at them from every angle and felt the polished surface.
Both were
“I would be glad to,” Jemas said and Redstreak spread his
wings. “But I will have to ask my captain first.” Redstreak dropped his wings
with an air of frustration.
The giant yawned and stretched, pounding the street. As he
stood up, Eric saw a large smelly puddle where he lay.
“Hey, he's up!” Hasina cried. “I guess he didn't have as
much in him as we thought.”
Jemas slapped his forehead, muttering about looking for a
second vial. Hasina looked up from the giant and towards Eric, grinning. What
could she see in me . . .to make her smile like that?
“Otherworlder, how would you like to be a vital member of a
groundbreaking research project?”
“Uh . . .” Eric didn't know what to make of the strange
lady's offer. He did need a job but the last time he did research, it
didn't end well. Besides, the woman scared him.
“Say no,” Jemas advised. “You'll be the subject of research.
Hence 'vital'.”
“Lieutenant Jemas!”
“Captain,” Jemas began, unaffected by her reprimand. “Do you
remember what happened the last time you used a sapient as a guinea pig?”
“I got permission from them!” Hasina protested. “And 'guinea
pig' is such a leading phrase; I didn't do anything cruel !” Eric noticed
that she omitted “unusual.” Jemas stared expectantly at his captain. “Leader
got mad,” Hasina said reluctantly.
“ And you got the guild in trouble,” Jemas pointed
out.
“Excuse me!” Redstreak shouted. “Could one of you take this
human to the Silver Dragon Dorms? I have a colony to get back to.”
“I'm sorry, Chief Tedteek.” Eric thought he saw a vein poke
out of Redstreak's forehead. “But both the lieutenant and I are busy.” Hasina
lifted a vial containing a liquid that looked suspiciously like the waste on
the street. “Come along, Lieutenant.”
“Coming, Captain,” Jemas said wearily. “My apologies.” He
bowed and followed his captain.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, but Eric was far
from bored. From the talking animals to the monsters and magic and the
existence of monarchy, he felt like he was in a medieval fantasy novel.
Other signs said otherwise. The streets he walked through
were cleaner than the streets he drove through in his own world, and he saw
manholes and storm drains. An unemployment office meant the state aided private
employment. A school system meant large numbers of people were being educated.
Glass being commonly used in windows meant the population could afford it. Add
to that the diplomatic relations animals had with humans and it was some kind
of mix between an old-fashioned “magical world” and his own modern world.
Modern Magic . . . Or maybe “magical real world.”
“We're here.” Redstreak stopped in front of a large brick
and mortar building. The lobby contained somewhat comfortable-looking chairs
and pictures of landscapes on the walls.
“Hello,” Redstreak said to the man at the lobby. “I've
brought an Otherworlder.”The man looked up at Redstreak with sleepy
eyes
“Papers?” he said in a monotone. Eric handed them to the
dorm keeper and waited in silence as they were evaluated. “You can sit down if
you want.”
There was nothing for Eric to do but sit and think. I'm
in a world where fairytale creatures walk among humans like it's normal and
plants eat people. I'm a teenager again AND I have nothing in the world except
the clothes on my back. Is this Tasio's idea of helping me!?
Finally, the man spoke up. “You will be staying in Room 137
until you get a job. Your roommate will be able to guide you to the school.” He
handed Eric a hemp string that held two crystals: a small clear crystal and
another bigger bronze one.
“The clear one is your room key and the bronze is your meal
pass,” the dorm keeper said. “Don't lose either of them.”
Instead of putting it on, Eric felt compelled to examine the
crystals. He looked at them from every angle and felt the polished surface.
Both were
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