《Somewhere Else》
Chapter 0
Adam started his day like any other. His face buried in a pillow, he reached next to the bed. Feeling around for a moment, he grabbed only the surface of his bedside table.
"Urghh?..." he grunted, as he raised his head, blearily opening his eyes and leaning forward. Still, his quarry eluded him.
Adam squinted at the table, stupefied. His slowly forming thoughts were interrupted by a quiet "Mrrrow," from the other side of the room. He could only make out an orange blur by the door, with some dark shape on the carpet in front of it.
Adam was struck by a moment of wakefulness, and he was able to form a complete thought. Sitting up and swinging his legs out from beneath the covers, he asked huskily "Charlie, were you playing with my glasses again?"
His cat''s only response was to pad up and rub her face against Adam''s leg, leaving the dark shape of his glasses by the door.
Adam snatched them from the ground on his way to the bathroom, stepping carefully to keep Charlie from getting under his feet. He noticed the soft gray light coming from the windows, and bent down to scratch at the cat''s back.
"It''s looking like a writing day to me, Charlie," he said. "If I''m ever gonna get started, I have to stop putting it off. No time like the present. Urgh."
Leaning his arms on the countertop, Adam bent over the bathroom sink to examine his reflection in the mirror.
Average, he thought. The word had dominated his life as long as Adam could remember. Above average in school, below average in sports, but not ever enough to stand out either way. His looks were plain, his style was safe and boring, at least according to his ex.
Adam felt a wave of apathy rising from the back of his head. He shook himself, focusing a keen edge of frustration against the apathy. He focused on what he wanted to accomplish, thinking about what he wanted the day to be. He knew, if he let it, the uncaring lethargy would consume his day, leaving him drowning in distractions as time passed him by.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
As the silent battle waged in his brain, Adam sighed and stood up straight. He raised his arms in front of him, bringing them above his head, before leaning back to finish the stretch. Adam slowly worked out the tension in his body, feeling his mind settle into a more relaxed state with the flow of constant movement. It was almost meditation, focusing on the nerves of his body instead of the neurons of his brain. It wasn''t perfect, but by the end of the routine, Adam''s head was settle with a far healthier foundation.
When he had finished with his morning bathroom routine, Adam felt lighter, clean and prepared. He stepped into the kitchen and swung open the door of the fridge, only to be met with swiftly growing disappointment.
The fridge was full of food, there just wasn''t anything Adam wanted to eat. He picked up the milk jug and gave it a little shake, noting there was enough milk left for a small glass, but definitely not enough for a bowl of cereal. There were leftovers aplenty, from Italian to Chinese, but none seemed appealing to him now.
"Oh, well... I''ll make something when I get hungry."
Adam grabbed a can of cat food from the fridge, pulling off the lid and grabbing a plastic teaspoon from the drawer. He made his way over to Charlie, who was watching him expectantly while sitting in front of her food bowl.
As he crouched to drop the cat food in the bowl, Adam said, "Yeah, yeah, you''ve trained me well, kitten. Even if I don''t eat, you''ll get yours like clockwork."
Charlie only purred in reply, padding lightly as she ate her breakfast.
As Adam cracked open the laptop, he watched the electrical glow lighten the space around him. He tapped in the code to unlock the computer, then pulled up the empty document that had confounded him for years.
He sat there. Staring. First it was a minute, but it quickly stretched into two.
But Adam was not procrastinating, as he had so many times before. No, his mind was alive, stretching and reaching out for people, places, and worlds unknown. Searching for a story untold.
He felt a current in his head, a connection so vast and deep he could be lost in it. As his fingers stretched over the keyboard, lowering to tap the first key, he felt himself being pulled, pushed, twisted away. He felt crushed from all sides by an immense weight, only to be pulled apart the next moment.
Suddenly, he was somewhere else.
Chapter 1
Boy, the Hinterlands are no place for one of your level. A Gold-Ranked [Adventurer] hesitates to tarry too far west in the [Sovereign]''s land, but you and your friends judge yourselves able? Pah. It''d be a week before you all stumble to the domain of some primeval creature. Pray they would only kill you, boy... There are those with abilities far more torturous than mere death.
-Alastair Stormwell to his grandson, recorded 412 A.S.
Kaitiaki looked over her charge as she carried him limply on her shoulders, desperation and despair building equally in her heart. She knew it was very likely he would die before she could find aid, but it didn''t matter. Her oath to protect him aside, the guilt of her failure was what pushed her forward. Never had she paid such a terrible price for her arrogance.
As the sun''s light faded past the horizon, Kaitiaki struggled onward through the dense woodland. Moving carefully to keep the bulk of her ward from further damage, she fought through the untamed greenery of her surroundings. Her shame burned through her veins, as she forced one foot in front of the other.
Her will against her doubt.
Her hope against her fear.
Wishing for fate''s kindness.
Searching for salvation.
Adam gasped, barely able to think through the pounding in his skull. This was worse than any headache or migraine he had ever experienced, his every thought only brought greater pain. It radiated through every nerve in his body, making him clench every muscle to keep him from screaming his suffering to the world.
Curling himself into a ball, Adam felt a grip on his shoulder. Ravaged by the pain and unable to move, he could barely hear the soft song-like chanting filling the area as an unnatural calm settled into his mind. It neatly detached Adam from his pain, numbing his mind to the agony. Relief washed over him as the pain slowly abated. After several minutes adjusting to the aching, Adam relaxed, uncurling to take in his surroundings.
His first sight was the ceiling, a weave of branches and leaves artfully intertwining, with a large opening in the corner letting in light from above. The leaves were almost comically oversized, seeming to softly glow green in the more shaded space.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
The second was the figure sitting next to him, her hand steadying his shoulder. Her worry was clear on her face, but as he met her eyes, her distress only fueled Adam''s growing confusion. He was certain he had never met her at any point in his life.
Her eyes were distinctive, one the color of polished brass, and the other appearing a bright blue-green. They seemed to glow in the shaded room, reflecting some of the light from the leaves above. Her hair was short and wildy spread, with two shortened braids hanging to keep the hair from her face.
As their gazes met, she searched his face for any sign of recognition. The woman noticed his confusion, and lightly pushed Adam to lay back as she turned to address the shape standing on the foot of the bed.
"You said he''d be different, but I don''t think he knows me at all! You''re sure he''ll be okay?"
As Adam looked for who she was speaking to, he was shocked to see the form of an owl sitting on the bed. The owl was large and thick-bodied, with a pair of feathered tufts on its head. The feathers of its body were a mottled grey-brown, but its face held shades of red with a patch of white by its throat. Its eyes were closed as its head turned to face the woman.
There was little left of his mind when you brought him here, Kaitiaki. What little remains will be scattered memories, as well as his body''s instincts. You would do well to treat him like a different person. He will never be the same.
The voice echoed through Adam''s mind, though he was certain he had heard no sound. It was like one of his own thoughts, though it carried a different tone.
Adam tried to sit up, but the woman was stronger than she looked, easily keeping his back against the bed.
"What..." He rasped, feeling the dryness in his throat and mouth. "What''s happening? Where am I?"
The woman, Kaitiaki, turned back to him, pulling out a waterskin and offering it as she replied softly. She lifted him up as he started to drink.
"We''re safe, Adam. Here, drink small sips. Take it slow, don''t want you coughin''. We''re in the Hinterlands, somewhere in Wild Woods if I had to guess. These owl-folk found us. They''re pretty decent, creepy mind-speakin'' magic aside."
Adam followed her advice as he drank, feeling reinvigorated as the strange-tasting water refreshed him. The rest of her words only strengthened his confusion, before freezing him in shock. A thousand questions spun through his head.
"Where''s.... wait,magic? How do you know me? I was just at home, but now..."
Once more, a strange voice filled his mind.
I apologize, Adam Sherwood. This is not the life, nor the world you know. Some aspects you may find rather similar, but many will appear completely alien. Including, yes, magic. Know this was not done without reason, Adam. This traversal, this merge... was done because you are needed.