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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2326256-No-name-but-here-is-Chapter-1
by Leo
Rated: 13+ · Sample · Fantasy · #2326256
A tale of people ripped into a new world that slowly begins to corrupt them all.
Tenya, a settlement built around the small blacksmithing forge of Black Snow, has been a hub for the World Adventurer’s Guild. The World Adventurer’s Guild holds many people who are not originally from this world. People from alternate universes were brought here by the Gods of this realm.
Feathers Tavern, a small yet busy place to find quests, frequently houses the heroes of the world we all live in now. Portals run through the city streets, each with its plaque and name to help those heroes find their way to the quest’s location. However, if some portals are not mapped, they categorise them as zones instead of specific places. Most zones are not mapped because their contents are dangerous, and no one has returned alive from such locations.
Like every other hero brought here, the forces that govern this universe, transported me from a different world, my home. Several others who had arrived shortly before or after I had soon become a part of my adventuring party. When we registered, we decided on the name of our gaggle, “Nambu Zero.” Nabmu was chosen as a reminder of one of our member's old homes that the Void Gate that appeared in their town had been destroyed.
“Ragnar!” Gerret shouted as I walked out of my room. I, as per usual, woke up at about midday, not needing to worry about waking up early because we had been in the town for about four weeks without a single B Class job showing up in the tavern since our last adventure into the Erith Plains to explore a newly discovered cave that appeared overnight. It was just a regular cave, nothing to brag about.
“Gerret,” I sighed. “What did I tell you about shouting indoors?” My leather jacket rubbed against my black fur, hot pink highlighted hair falling over my right eye as I shook the dust out of my fur.
“My bad, boss,” Gerret said, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. He was a human, with brown hair, blue eyes and tanned skin. Most of the population of heroes were humans, but occasionally there would be someone like me, a beast-man, or Anthro, as some humans called us.
People knew that Beastmen didn’t possess the same magical abilities as humans, but they respected us greatly for our strength and resilience. But, I wasn’t like other Beastmen, not only did I have a high constitution and great strength, but I also was proficient in healing and lightning magic. Some humans, those who knew about my abilities, swore to keep it a secret and also stated how I was a lot like what they called a “Paladin” from a game called Dungeons and Dragons from their world.
I didn’t understand most humans and how they think, but they are not as bad as I originally thought they might be, still, some think that beastmen are supposed to be used as tools in the party.
I followed Gerret down the small flight of stairs in the tavern, watching his brown hair sway from left to right each time he stepped down a stair. It was almost enthralling to look at, even if he already had his girlfriend waiting for him back in their room in a different tavern.
Once we got to the bar where everyone else in the party was, I relieved myself of a sigh that I had been holding since yesterday afternoon when we split off. Since many things could kill anyone, I always wondered if I would see everyone in the morning again.
I’ve been here in Tenya for about three weeks, just about the same as the others. We’ve completed twelve missions in total, excluding the one “mission” that we did on our arrival here.
“Hey, Noah!” Bethany said with the same gleaming white smile she always had on her face. “Hope the bugs didn’t come and try to eat ya’ last night.” Her impossibly blue eyes locked on with mine for a split second. It was a code for something. We concluded, eventually, that we could trust each other the most because we always had each other’s backs in fights.
She stared at me for a moment longer before I understood what she said. Someone attempted an assassination on me while I was in bed, asleep. I doubt she got any information on who they were, however; I knew I would have to be careful from now on. “Nah, they are too scared to bite me.” I chuckle slightly.
Her smile, unwavering, took up a little more of a calmer touch at the tip of her lips. I knew that, even if they did succeed in harming me, they wouldn't have been able to get far from her.
In a realm where survival and war were a way of life, Bethany stood out as an exceptional elven archer. Her family's legacy was intertwined with the hunt, and she thrived in the high-intensity situations that defined their existence. Unfazed by attempts to intimidate her, Bethany seemed to possess an unbreakable spirit. Few could claim to have struck fear in her heart, and I, by accident, was the exception to that rule, having managed to scare her just once.
Gerret, our stalwart frontline warrior and primary source of close-quarters combat prowess, was notorious for his impulsive nature. When faced with adversaries, regardless of their strength or numbers, he would recklessly charge into battle without consulting the rest of the group. While this bold approach often caught foes off guard and secured victories, it was not a sustainable strategy for achieving success in the higher echelons of the guild. Despite its lack of excitement, we resolved to equitably distribute the spoils of our conquests among all party members, ensuring that each received what best suited their strengths and needs.
Emily serves as our bastion mage, our last line of defence when we sustain significant damage and require time to recuperate with a potion. Her incantations possess extraordinary potency, surpassing the resilience of any man-made fortification or stronghold. On numerous occasions, I sought refuge within her protective haven to shield myself from enduring intolerable and irrevocable harm.
Judas, the cunning and resourceful member of our group, is adept in both trickery and mending. With agility and precision, he wields a dagger in each hand, expertly dismantling the opponents' leather armour while, at the same time, Gerret and I make short work of their metallic protection. Judas also deals with our Black Market relations, which I was unfavourable to, however, the others wanted the money that could be gained from going this route. Now, if we were to be caught trading and selling the monster cores that dropped, we'd all surely go to jail for a long period.
As I pondered our options, I entertained the thought of breaking into two smaller groups to tackle some less critical tasks for the day. By doing so, we would ensure that we meet the quota required to cover our accommodation expenses while also allowing ourselves some extra funds for leisure activities during our time in town.
I gazed at the posse I had joined when a thought struck me: why did we accept the fact that we were brought here, changing our lives for better or worse? Why did we allow this world to upend what we had known as a law of the universe and force us to start over without any explanation? Was there something... No, is there something we overlooked or is it actually that this was all prepared from the beginning and we are just pawns in a game of chess?
I shifted my weight over to my left foot, forgetting that it was still healing from our last encounter. As I fell, I looked at my party members all violently turning their heads towards my direction. The faces that stared at me were not their own. All but Bethany's face was covered in shadows with only a red glowing smile emanating off of them. As soon as I hit the ground, and winced in pain, closing my eyes, I was transported to a large open and flat mirror-like world.
My feet caused ripples through the mirror, and although it seemed like water, nothing was wet. The solidity of the material underneath me was surprising. But, even still, I had no clue where I was.
"You see them too, don't you?" A voice echoed through my mind, freezing my body in place.
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