Capítulo 1: First
"-4.8% more to reach our goal. That's less than 5% left before we hit our sales goal for the year." The woman smiled a smile that didn't feel sincere at all as she pointed at the graph behind her.
"You guys are great, my crew is the best in this building, so I know that we can pull together, get those extra hours in, and reach our target!"
Emily sighed, not bothering to look up at the woman as she slumped in her chair.
We can't just magic up more customers...
"Cameron, honey, I need you to stay Saturday-"
She stared down at her notebook, scratching nothing of importance into it.
If we didn't waste our time with these meetings maybe we wouldn't have to pull extra hours...
The day passed in a blur.
The week passed in a blur.
The month passed in a blur.
The cheerful manager pushed and pushed for more productivity in every mandatory, unnecessary meeting.
It's 2.7% of the way to their goal.
When was her last day off?
A monotone voice called out each stop on the train. She was too exhausted to stand on the way home, but there were few enough people riding the last train of the night that there was ample space to sit.
Someone chittered about...terrorists or...maybe it was just their children.
The market report on her phone screen blurred as she tried to read it.
She closed her eyes to try to clear her vision.
Cool, dewy air clung to her skin as her eyes fluttered open.
She felt sore.
But a good kind of sore, like she'd slept for 18 hours straight and her body finally had enough.
The sky above her was blue, and the grass tickled her face.
She blinked rapidly, and rubbed at her eyes.
This is not the train.
She jerked up with a shot, looking around her.
"Wh...what...? What's going on??"
Even if the train had derailed, she'd be in the underground somewhere. If she'd been thrown off the train, she'd be in a train stop. And if she'd been kidnapped she'd be...somewhere not here.
Somewhere not in a dewy, lush forest, the likes of which was nowhere around for miles and miles.
She stumbled to her feet and immediately took off her shoes.
She didn't relish cutting her feet on the ground, but the pumps she wore at work would get her ankles broken if she walked in the forest in them.
'H...hello?" She called out.
If I ended up here, maybe someone else did, too...?
But she didn't hear anyone, just...birds. Animals.
She spotted a point in the trees that seemed a little more worn down. An animal trail, perhaps.
Distantly, all the stories she read and videos she watched for fun about forest survival jumbled up and repeated in her mind.
She'd never studied them, because she never intended to go out and get lost in the forest, but she did enjoy watching them. Following animal trails was good.
She was pretty sure.
Follow the trail to bigger trails, or to water, then follow the water.
Then she'd find her way out of the woods and figure out what happened to her.
Carefully, she picked her way through the woods, wincing each time her nylon covered feet stepped on a bramble or sharp rock.
Soon, though, she heard voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sounded animated. Maybe it was the others from the train...or something.
She hurried toward the voices. Just in case they picked up and left without her.
When she broke through the trees into the clearing though...it was...not the other passengers.
She froze in place, mouth open.
Three...men? Three something stood in a circle around a campfire. They stood tall than any man that she'd ever seen. Broader than anyone she'd seen in person. And green.
They looked just as surprised as her.
"Oh..."
She took one step back.
Two.
She fled.
The sound of branches and shrubbery breaking behind her told her at least one of those...things was chasing her.
Her heart raced in her ears and she ran down the winding trail completely heedless of how hurt her feet might be, only concerned with her legs forcing her to move forward as quickly as possible.
She had a head start, but it was gaining on her. She could hear its heavy breathing getting closer and closer.
She screamed in terror, and birds flew from the trees above her.
For a moment she closed her eyes - willing herself to go back to the train somehow, to wake up from this bizarre nightmare - and she ran off of a sheer cliff.
It wasn't a large drop, but she still fell heavily on her side, rolling down to a larger trail.
The shadow of the creature above her blotted out the sun, and she curled up, gritting her teeth to prepare for whatever horrible death it had in store for her.
Something hot spattered across her arms and face.
A crash rang out through the forest and something heavy slammed to the ground next to her.
"...Are you alright?"
A rich masculine voice filled her ears.
She hesitantly peeked open one eye.
A handsome young man with long red hair messily tied behind his head in a loose pony tail, clad in some kind of renaissance faire armor, held his hand out to her. There was a kind smile on his lips. "The danger has passed, milady. Are you hurt?"
Blackish blood splattered on her arm, and she didn't dare look to her left to see the body that fell beside her. She reached out a shaky hand to his, and when she spoke, her voice was raw. "The...there were two more-"
"Orcs are cowards." He assured her with a confident smile, pulling her to her feet. "They'll not come near you while I'm here to protect you. Ah, your feet are bleeding..."
Before she could protest, he swept her up in his arms.
She yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck. She'd - never felt lighter than when a man barely larger than her lifted her up off the ground as if she were no heavier than a briefcase.
"How did you get all the way out here?" He asked conversationally, as he walked her down the path.
"I..." Her voice was still raw. On account of all the screaming she'd done. Finally, she shook her head. "I don't know. I was...just on the train and...I woke up here."
"You were training...?" He squinted at her in confusion.
"Eh?" She lifted her head. "No. I was on the train."
His confused look only deepened.
Suddenly a light glimmered in his eyes. "Green hair...purple eyes...you...I think. The prince will need to see you."
"...Prince???"
He carefully lifted her up onto a...horse. She clung to its neck.
Horses didn't like her. They always ran around and threw her off of them.
This one made an angry noise and stamped its foot as if it were strongly considering doing it as well.
The man climbed up behind her and lightly patted its neck, soothing it, and...then they were riding through the forest, away from danger. On a...horse.
What's happening...?
"Please hold on, miss." The man smiled at her as they rode. "If I'm right...you must be very confused, but it will make sense soon. Tell me, what's your name?"
She lifted her head - just a little, not fully trusting the horse yet. "...Emily."
His smile was...very charming. "Kieran. Knight of Verilonia. If I'm right...well. Hopefully things will make sense to you soon."
She wasn't sure when 'soon' was, but things seemed to only make less sense as she continued riding the horse.
They made their way to some kind of old fashioned village, but it was far too large to just be some kind of renaissance faire. As far as she knew those were always small, right?
There were children of all ages running around playing, and adults who stared at her in confusion - not the kind of confusion that said 'why is someone not dressed appropriately and ruining my immersion' but the kind that said 'what even is that woman wearing'.
When Kieran helped her down from the horse - and let her lean on him as she limped on bleeding feet - he led her into...a...castle.
It was grand. Huge.
It looked real.
She gaped at the throne room as the knight led her in, and Kieran had to tug her gently to get her to bow appropriately.
The man sitting on the throne was slim. Beautiful in a sort of otherworldly way. He had long purple hair and purple eyes just a shade darker than his hair. He slouched in his throne as he looked down at her.
"Your Highness." Kieran spoke. "I apologize for interrupting you...but I believe I've found you the Keybearer."
She blinked, turning between Kieran and the lonely looking man on the throne.
"The...the what?!"
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