章 4: New World
many of the occupants turned to the entrance as I walked in. My boots on the hardwood floors creaking as I walked in. Seeing a bar I walked towards it.
Glad I was able to keep things in my backpack and summon them at will. Reaching the bar I placed a hand in my mantle away from sight and sat down.
The bartender, an older gentleman with graying hair and a dirty apron on spoke up as the Tavern was quiet.
"What's a stranger doing around these parts, ehh?" with a tone equal parts suspicious and curious.
Chuckling I said, "Just dropped from the sky a couple miles from here in the woods. No Idea where I am just looked for the nearest place with people."
"Musta been hell of a fall. What'll you have then?"
"Got a strong drink?" I was curious as to what the man could produce out here.
"Your in luck, Merchants came by just a day ago. Brought with them a bottle of Dwarven stuff. I may not like those bastards but they make a mean drink."
Dwarves? file that under things to research. "I don't have coin, but I do have somethin to trade if that'll do?"
He cocked an eyebrow at me. I revealed a hand to some unprocessed silver. It wasn't much, just something I found in my travels around the world back on earth.
"Hmm?" as he weighed it in his hand. "And where'd you fine this? Most of the mines belong to King around here."
I put up my hands and said, "Like I said, fell from the sky earlier. Not from anywhere around here."
He cocked an eyebrow at me and said, "You were serious? Damn, how you still walking then?"
"Hurt like a bitch for awhile, Heal fast though. Now about that drink?"
"Ahh, yes of course." he reached below and brought up a bottle of amber liquid. He poured two shots out and said, "I'll have one with you, been meaning to try this stuff since I got the bottle." A smile on his face as he looked at the wooden shot glass.
Glass seems a stretch for out here then. Bottle must have cost a pretty penny.
Smelling the shot I got a whiff of the whiskey. Nice blend with a good smell on it. Oak aged by the notes on it.
Toasting the man across from me we downed the shots. A good fire on it but nothing I couldn't handle. It was a mellow drop after.
The Bartender was this close to a coughing fit though after he had his? He looked to me after and was a bit stunned. "Haaa, Real fiery that stuff. You took that quiet easy though?"
"Had stuff like it before." I answered curtly. He nodded his head as the tavern began to be used to my presence. Only a few people seemed to be a little more on edge of me though.
"So mind telling me where I wound up at?" I said. With the Bartender a little more relaxed having spoke to me a bit now.
"Yeah, don't know where you were before but... your in Valen now. In the Crookback region. This here little town is Downwarren. Quaint little place, as we get a good bit o traffic from the north and south. Got a name stranger?"
"Yeah, Argus. Anything in the rumor mill?"
"Ha, is there ever. With the convergence or whatever it's called, Lotsa new people being seen crossing the waters of the new continent. Guards always complaining about those other races coming around. Then you got the Monsters too that came here. That's what the merchant caravans were saying anyways. Not easy to trust their word though."
"Monsters?" Cocking an eyebrow at the man. "Yeah, vile creatures they say. Haven't seen one myself but, I've heard the stories."
"Think I might have seen one myself." I add. "Ho? what was it?"
"Don't know the name. Was walking through the marsh where I landed in and was attacked by two of them. They came from the water, pale blue skin, fins seemed to grow on them. Bodies were rotting."
A voice came from the side, "A Drowner"
A couple people looked his way. As he saw he had our attention he said, "You found some Drowners. Surprised you're still alive."
The man was relaxed but a certain air on him told me of a mild danger. "Now I know a name for the creature, thank you." I said.
The bartender spoke up next, "He's right normally if we get those kind of things around here we hope for a passing mercenary group, or gods forbid a bigger monster shows up."
"Ho? and who do you call when a bigger one shows up?"
The man in the seat spoke up an answer that gave me just a little answer as to where the hell I was.
"A Witcher"
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I asked for a room for the night not long after. I had an Idea where I was now. And what a crazy world to be in.
Not long after going into the room Spark phased in. She immediately questioned me, "Your vitals skyrocketed when he said that word, Witcher. What's up?"
Sitting on the bed I could feel just how sad it was back in the old days. Not the worst I have slept on though. Another bit of silver was the price until I could find a merchant to get some actual coin. "I know a bit about this world. Very little, mind you. not to mention if this world really underwent a Convergence of Spheres it will be even more insane."
"Come on tell me." she said as she floated around me.
with a sigh I said, "Remember the console I pressed in the old apartment building?"
She "Nodded" more like bobbed and said, "Sure! you said it was some kind of game console from before the golden age right?"
"Yup, this world, or at least some timeline of it was a game, just like where the Traveler was." she spun around to my face and said, "Yeah yeah, I know that. Coulda guessed after your reaction. So what's to tell?"
"The Witcher series followed the adventures of a Witcher named Geralt. Witchers are humans who through alchemy and magic are mutated. It makes them stronger, faster, and way more deadly. I don't quite know why they were made in the first place but they do have very long lives."
Putting my thoughts together I said, "The actual story was mostly about Geralt and his "Child of Surprise". A legend where when you want to return the favor of something when you go home the first thing you see is payment for the deeds.
In Geralt's case he ended up with saving a cursed man. With him finding out his love was with child just after invoking the Law of Surprise. Only said child was both a princess and with some kind of magical blood."
"Oh Oh! what happens next?" Spark was well and true invested now.
"In the original story the princess had to flee her kingdom as it was burned to the ground and she sought Geralt, as destiny intended. Geralt would act as a father figure to her as she grew up with the other Witchers. I can't say I remember much else though. But her bloodline or something is bad news as it attracts some dangerous beings. I think they were called the Wild Hunt."
"So what now?" she asked. And I was stumped. Sure I could just try to find Geralt and all that but I had no idea where to even start. And that was assuming something very big.
The world hadn't changed.
"The Convergence of the Spheres puts a damper on any actual plans." I started. "There's no way to know what world was mixed up with the original world here. Until we get some more info we are too far in the dark to make any real plans. For now we just need to relax and train."
"Train?" Flicking her shell I said, "Yes, train. I maybe hundreds of years old but I have never had the light nor the dark. I may have records on how to train but I have never done it myself."
"Ahh, Yeah... SO! What are we training first?"
"Solar" I stated. She tilted her shell as an unspoken question to my choice so I elaborated, "Solar is going to be helpful for it's purifying properties. Not to mention It is fire. Which will be very helpful on the road as we travel."
"Ahh, right. I'll bring up the records. Which class do you wanna follow for it?"
Closing my eyes I thought of the three classes and determined what felt right. "Bring up the hunter courses. Survival is the name of the game for now. We can worry about bringing the hurt when we discuss Ark."
"Oh already have one in mind?" she said. She still projected the documents on the ways to utilize the light as she asked.
"Striker" I said. A grin forming on my face as I remembered Shaxx and all his glory at the Twilight Gap. Just a man and his Fist. No holds bared as he struck with a fist of lightning.
"Yeah, I should have figured. So how are you doing this?"
"Says here... "For new Lightbearers, To begin to understand how to utilize the light first begin to imbue objects with the light. It is most common to fill with the preferred element of choice. This should be done with an object that will be used consistently by the New Lightbearers. Hunters should either begin with a hand cannon or knife." Sounds simple enough. I'm sure we have some survival knifes in the back pack right?"
A projection appeared next to me as she phased a few knives from the backpack. Soon enough a few were on the bed next to me. Picking up a throwing knife I closed my eyes and reached into the void inside me.
I searched and found the tiny spark inside. It was still so small but that was fine. It was there and that was all that mattered. I followed the line in the document that said to call upon the feelings of the element. I dredged up my thoughts of Sol. How it burned in the vast expanse of space. From the heat on the surface of mercury as I was so close to it.
A small heat was felt in my hands so I opened my eyes. It wasn't much but it was there. I could feel my vision getting clouded as I watched the small flickers of fire on the blade. So insignificant they wouldn't make a noticeable difference in power... but there they were.
Solar Flames. The Light. And it hit me like a truck. Spark made no noise as she settled on my shoulder. Being there for me. As the embers of fire went out I felt exhausted. That small bit of fire used all of the light I had for now. But that was fine. It was there and I could feel it.
That was enough. It was far more than enough.
Spark spoke up as I recovered, "I always was happy, Argus. I know you blamed yourself for not being able to be a true Guardian. To be the Hero, like Ray was. Especially because you knew what was to happen."
I looked to my Ghost. My chatty companion for centuries now.
"And while it may have been true you were the reason we couldn't wield the light, it's done now. But! you did so much without the light OR the dark before. Imagine... just briefly, what you will do with it now."
Well, Watch out world. Cause a Guardian has just arrived.
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