3

  Astoria

  ”You don’t have any magic.”

  Elsa was surprised at first, then she watched the boy’s face carefully, to see how he would react. She knew the Diviner couldn’t be tricked or deceived, yet she felt it was wrong this time, wrong about him. There was just no way he could have survived out there on his own, without any power, while a whole squad of knights had perished.

  “Well, that’s a bummer,” he said simply.

  His face showed some disappointment, but it was quickly washed away by the same thoughtful look that had been on his face since he opened his blue eyes. He claimed not to remember things, and she believed him, at least a little. Not even the most skilled performer could fake the kind of confusion she had seen on his face when he first woke up.

  But Elsa knew there was something he was not telling her.

  He had been attacked in the forest, of that she had no doubt about. His tattered and bloodied clothes were clear evidence. But how was he alive? Why had whatever it was that had attacked him not finished him off? She had thought he might have fought it off with a power he didn’t know about—it wasn’t unheard of for one’s power to fully manifest in life or death situations—and that was why she had tested him with the Diviner.

  But he had no magic whatsoever, not even a slight trace. The only explanation that made sense was that something inside the forest had saved him from death, something they knew nothing about. The mere thought was hard to believe.

  Still, it would explain what Elliot had noticed, and the way he had reacted to it. But what could it possibly be? Why save him? Was he important for something?

  “Are you going to let me go now?” he asked.

  She held his gaze, letting his question hang unanswered. “Before that, I have a final question to ask,” she said finally, releasing a little bit of her mana and the air swelled with sudden heat. “Do you mean any harm to this kingdom or anyone within it?”

  His eyes swelled with shock and he drew back slightly. “No.”

  “Swear it to the One Light,” Elsa commanded, releasing a little bit more of her mana into the air, and a sudden light burst, enveloping her in a soft golden glow like the morning sun. The air in the dungeon grew heavier and hotter, thin fumes curled from the walls, iron bars began to soften, and the stone beneath her feet shimmered with heat.

  “I swear it to the One Light,” he sputtered.

  Immediately, she restrained her mana and the light and heat quickly ebbed. Her gaze remained on the boy, and she saw sweat beading on his forehead, his expression a mix of confusion, fear, and awe. The fear and awe were understandable, it was the natural reaction for anyone without magic when they were exposed to a high concentration of mana.

  And it was dangerous. It might be only a fraction of her mana, but any more and she could have blinded him, or worse. But she’d needed to get a point across.

  Elsa turned back to the table where she had left the bag. She slipped the Diviner orb inside and brought out some clothes she set aside, then she faced him once more. From her waist, she drew a key and unlocked the cell gate, stepping aside to let him pass.

  “Just like that?” he asked, his voice still filled with fear.

  “You made an oath,” she replied. “I will be your punishment if you break it.”

  Still, he did not move from where he sat.

  Elsa offered a disarming smile. “You’re not guilty of any crime, so there’s no reason to hold or hurt you,” she explained. “I just had some questions. That’s all.”

  She wasn’t lying. He’d done nothing that deserved punishment. Still, there were too many unknowns around him, and she had no intention of leaving them as unknowns.

  Somehow, she’d figure out what she had brought into the city.

  The boy finally pushed to his feet and shuffled forward. Elsa watched him, her sharp gaze following each moment. He stepped out of the cell, and she realized they were similar height. It surprised her, for some reason he had seemed much shorter than she was.

  “Your hands,” she ordered gently.

  He nodded and put them forward. At once, she unlocked the shackles and the metal fell to the ground with loud thud. With him unrestrained, a cautious part of her mind urged her to be on guard, her hand even moved instinctively to rest on one of her swords. But as she looked into his face, she didn’t think he would cause problems.

  “Thanks,” he muttered, looking off to the side as he rubbed his wrists.

  “I didn’t do anything,” Elsa remarked, then her gaze dropped to the strange clothes he was wearing. “Your clothes, they’re very strange.”

  “Strange?” he asked and quickly looked down at himself as though he had forgotten what it was he was wearing. “They’re normal where I’m from.”

  “America Sea…attle?” She asked, lifting a brow. The kingdom she had never heard about. Elsa put the name in her mind, she would search about it when she had time.

  “Yeah,” he replied quickly. “America, Seattle.”

  She gave a subtle nod. “Well, I don’t know what value they hold to you, but you’ll need to change them. I can’t have you walking around in bloody clothes.”

  The boy frowned. “I don’t have—” he began to explain.

  Elsa pointed to the clothes she had set on the table. “I brought some. They’re spares from the training ground. I didn’t know your size, so you have to manage them.”

  “Thank you,” he voiced.

  He walked past her toward the large table and picked up the clothes, smelling them first. If they were closer, she would have been tempted to make a comment about his sudden regard for cleanliness when he hadn’t seemed to mind the blood covering his clothes just a moment ago, but she bit her tongue and said nothing about it.

  The boy began to peel off the large top he wore on. It was some kind of material she didn’t recognize, but it looked heavy, she wasn’t sure how he could be comfortable. As the top came off, her gaze subtly dropped to his bare chest and further down his abdomen. His body was well-built, slim and solid, not emancipated as she’d half expected.

  There was a small marking along his lower rib, a faint brown patch, darker than the rest of his cream skin, like an old burn or birthmark. It resembled the shape of a handprint.

  “Umm, do you mind …” he said, not finishing the words.

  Elsa had been staring so intently she didn’t realize he had hooked his fingers around the edge of his pants and was about to pull it down. Her face began to burn red with shame at the realization and she gave a quick apologetic nod, turning around to hide it.

  What was wrong with her?

  She waited a few moments then he called to her that he was finished. Elsa turned to him once more, her composure regained. He was in a simple tunic and dark pants, it fit him well enough. The crust of blood that smeared his face and mattered his hair might still raise some eyebrows, but it would hardly cause a commotion.

  Elsa led the boy through several dimly lit corridors before they finally emerged from the dungeon beneath the gatehouse.

  ***

  Adam stood frozen, unable to blink or breath, as he saw this world for the first time.

  It was vast, like standing in the heart of downtown Seattle and seeing the city stretch endlessly into the horizon. Only there were no skyscrapers, no glint of glass or steel. It was a massive medieval kingdom, with smooth cobbled streets bending in every direction, and lined with buildings built of pale stone and dark timber. Far in the distance, he could see a towering wall that seemed to mark the kingdom’s end. He couldn’t see all of it as buildings blocked his sight, but if he were to guess, it probably circled the entire kingdom.

  The afternoon sun burned hot, a part of him considered it might be hotter than it was on earth, but he wasn’t sure. Smoke billowed from several chimneys, carrying the mingled scents of burning wood, baking bread, and something else… something metallic.

  The entire kingdom was busy and drowned in noise, with cart wheels clattering over cobblestones, distant bells ringing, the pounding of a blacksmith’s hammer, and merchants crying their wares. People loitered all around, humans, yes, but he also saw others, people who looked human weren’t quite humans, with furred ears and tails.

  No one batted an eye at them, as though it was nothing out of the ordinary.

  Fucking hell, he really was in another world. He really was...

  Adam had guessed it already from all that had happened to him, but to see the reality of it confirmed in front of his eyes like this was another thing entirely. His pulse quickened as he took in all the sights, his eyes straining to remain in their sockets.

  He was in another world…

  He didn’t even try to hide his shock.

  The sight before him was too surreal… too impossible.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  ***

  Elsa glanced to her side and saw the shocked look on the boy’s face. If he was from some small fishing village, she could understand why. The city stretched endlessly before them and was crawling with kinds of people, Demi-humans and humans alike. It was one of the few kingdoms on the continent where they lived together. During the last census, the city’s population had grown to almost half a million. It took every ounce of the knights effort to maintain the King’s peace, and even then, there was still plenty of chaos and crime.

  “Welcome to Astoria,” Elsa said to him. “Come with me.”

  He didn’t ask to where, he just began walking beside her, completely awestruck by everything he saw. His head swung to and fro, his eyes darting up and down. Elsa resisted the smile pulling at her lips. He looked like a lost pup. It was kind of endearing.

  “Holy fuck…” He gasped. “What is that?”

  She followed his gaze and instantly saw what it was that had caught his attention. It was the Tower of Heaven, a pale tower that stood at the center of the kingdom and stretched endlessly into the sky, piercing through clouds. No one knew where it ended. The kingdom had been built around it. The tower was one of the Divine Wonders.

  “It’s called the Tower of Heaven,” she answered, deciding to explain things instead of leaving him wanting. “There are six of them scattered all over the continent. You’ll often find adventurers on the lower floors, fighting monsters to gain wealth and artifacts. There’s said to be a hundred and twenty floors, and the greatest prize is on the first.”

  “What is it?” he asked slowly, utterly amazed.

  “A wish granted,” she replied in a soft, wistful voice. “Whatever it is, no matter how impossible, it will be granted. But no one has ever reached or cleared the first floor.”

  The boy looked at her, brows furrowed. “Not even you?”

  “Me?” Elsa repeated in surprise, tilting her head.

  He set his gaze back on the cobblestone road. “I’ve noticed a lot of people in bronze and silver armor walking around like they’re on patrol, but I’m yet to see any other person in gold besides you. I also noticed a few people in the crowd go pale and turn the other way after they caught sight of you. So, I figured you have a lot of power here.”

  A soft smile crossed her lips. She couldn’t hide the fact that she was impressed. He was quite observant and clever, but she’d suspected it already from the way he always had to take a moment to think. Even the blue of his eyes showed keen intelligence.

  The truth was that she’d ordered more patrol because of him. She didn’t know what to expect once he woke up, but she’d wanted to be prepared to contain him, and if necessary to end him. But thankfully, he wasn’t a threat. It would have been a shame to kill him. She had also noticed the people who turned away when they saw her. They were petty criminals whose crimes deserved soft-handed judgment and a stern warning to never repeat.

  Beheading every pickpocket was a quick way to destabilize the kingdom, but Elsa knew there were some of her peers who would prefer they did it anyway.

  They were such cruel fools…

  “I’m a gold-ranked knight,” she replied finally. “There are only twenty-one of us in the kingdom, one to protect each district. We don’t often see eye to eye, too much ego.”

  The boy nodded. “I see,” he whispered.

  “As for your other question,” she continued, “even I can’t reach the highest floor of the tower. In my last ascent, I was repelled at the forty-first floor. I was lucky to survive.”

  The harrowing memories threatened to surface, but she quickly nipped it.

  As if sensing her mood had soured, the boy didn’t ask anymore questions. But if she were to admit, she didn’t really dislike talking with him. It surprised her that she even spoke so freely. Asides Elliot and her adopted father, there were few others she talked to.

  They walked in silence for a while. Eventually, Elsa stopped in front of an inn. She pushed the door open and they stepped inside. The noise of the place first welcomed them, low voices, a few loud laughters, and the clatter of cups somewhere in the back. It was still busy for a slow afternoon, but nighttime was when most patrons arrived.

  Elsa led him toward the counter where all the stools stood empty and they sat down comfortably. Behind the counter, the owner—a sturdy woman with a permanent frown and sleeves rolled to her elbow—was wiping down a mug. She looked up as they settled.

  “Afternoon, Elsa. You come with another request?” she asked gruffly, then her gaze shifted to the boy sat beside her and a brow lifted. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Someone who could use a room and something warm.”

  The woman nodded once, then set the mug she’d been wiping aside. “Then you’ve come to the right place. I have bit of stew left, and some bread if you’ll want it.”

  “That’s perfect, Yara,” Elsa said and offered a smile.

  The owner turned and began to move slowly toward the kitchen.

  Elsa released a quiet breath and dug her fingers into the small pouch at her side. She pulled out two gold coins and set them on the counter. “That’s enough for room and board for seven nights. I don’t know how to get you home to this America Sea-attle you mention, but I can at least do this much till you figure out what to do.”

  “You’re leaving?” he asked, surprised.

  Had he expected her to stay and keep watch over him?

  “Yes, like I said earlier, you’re not guilty of any crime. I have no reason to hold or keep watch over you,” she said. “Take care, may the light guide your way.”

  He held her gaze. “Thank you… Elsa. You’re very kind.”

  It was the first time he’d said her name, Elsa realized, and something about the way he said it, the sincerity in his voice, the soft look in his eyes, it made her heart flutter just a little. She’d never called him his name either, she always just considered him as ‘the boy’, her subconscious effort to maintain the balance of power between them, even though she couldn’t be much older than he was, perhaps three or four years at most.

  She didn’t think she could do so now…

  “You’re welcome… Adam,” she whispered quietly.

  Gathering herself with a deep breath, Elsa rose from the stool and walked out of the inn. Immediately she got outside, she noticed Elliot leaning against the wall, waiting.

  “Did you notice anything?” she asked quickly.

  He straightened from the wall and fell into step beside her. “No, nothing. As soon as we left the forest, I couldn’t smell the strangeness on the boy anymore,” he replied, then cast a glance at her. “Did you learn anything about him? Where he’s from?”

  “He said he was from a kingdom called America Sea…attle. I’ve never heard of it.”

  Elliot frowned, thinking for a moment. “Me either, was he lying?”

  “I don’t think so, but he was hiding something,” she responded. “Still, I don’t think he’s a danger to anyone but himself. He knows nothing about the kingdom, or the continent itself. He might be from a different continent. Probably activated a teleportation circle.”

  “Probably?” Elliot raised a brow, almost like she often did.

  She shrugged. “He doesn’t remember.”

  He scoffed. “How convenient.”

  “Have a few men watch the inn. I don’t expect trouble, but—”

  “Better caution than regret,” Eliot finished.

  Elsa gave a faint smile, but deep down in her heart, there was a pang of regret as her conscience judged her for so brazenly lying to the boy’s face about keeping watch on him.

  She tried to comfort herself with the thought that would he understand.

  But why did she even care whether he did?

  ***

  Adam ate the stew greedily. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until he had his first taste of the food. It wasn’t that the meal was that good, there was hardly any taste, unavailability of spice maybe? And the meat was hard and gamey, like chewing on salted tire. The bread was hard, tasteless too. But, in the moment, it might as well have been a five-star cuisine.

  He couldn’t complain, especially when he hadn’t even paid.

  Adam looked to the side of the counter where the scary-looking woman had left his change, four coppers and one silver. He didn’t quite understand the monetary value in this world, he hadn’t expected there would be change left, let alone that it would be given him. Was that why Elsa had brought him here? Because she trusted the owner?

  She had done a lot for him, Adam thought, and she had been under no obligation to help him. He had meant it when he called her kind, even though he didn’t fully trust her.

  He would be an idiot to trust someone he didn’t really know.

  Adam polished off the final piece of bread and scraped the last of the stew from his plate before pushing it aside. He glanced at the owner who was back to wiping down a mug from earlier. He knew the mug wasn’t really that dirty, and he had in fact caught the woman staring when she thought he wasn’t looking, not with mistrust, but with curiosity.

  When he pushed the plate away, she raised her head to glance at him. “You must be starving, lad, almost ate the whole plate,” she said, her tone level, probing.

  “Couldn’t help myself. It was really good,” he said.

  She snorted and shook her head, whether sensing his compliment was false or from something else, he wasn’t sure. “Follow me, I’ll show you up to your room.”

  “Thanks,” he said, rising from the stool.

  He followed the woman up the stairs at the corner of the room, arriving at the upper floor where several rooms faced each other. She led him to the farthest one, and pulled out a key from somewhere in her skirt and handed it over to him.

  “Do not lose it,” she said sternly. “I’ll come back with water for washing.”

  Adam had barely uttered his thanks before she turned to leave. He gave a shrug and turned to the closed door, unlocking it with key she’d given. He stepped inside and closed the door before taking in the space. It was a small room, the only furniture a single bed, a wooden box next to it that might have been a nightstand, and a small window.

  “This is home I guess,” he muttered. “For the next seven days.”

  He sat down on the bed and shifted his weight to test it, but instead of bouncing, the mattress just sank inside.

  Yeah, he wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.

  There was a knock on the door and Adam rose to his feet to answer. He had expected the same old woman as she said she would return, but instead he met a young girl, around his age. She was thin, with dark hair, and dewy brown eyes. She was attractive, but not in the way that drew all eyes to her—like Elsa—her beauty was softer, less imposing.

  “You needed water for washing?” she asked.

  Adam’s gaze fell to the water-filled bucket in front of the door and understanding dawned on him. She was probably an employee here, or the old woman’s daughter. But he couldn’t see much of a family resemblance. Then again, he didn’t know how the old woman might’ve looked when she was younger, or maybe the girl took after her father.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Adam found his voice.

  She nodded and turned to leave, but then stopped short as if something else had just occurred to her. “I heard you came with Ms. Elsa? Are you in trouble?”

  Adam’s forehead lined and he bent his neck in confusion. He didn’t understand why she was asking the question. Trouble? Did Elsa usually bring people here? Like some kind of protective custody? Was that why the old woman had been staring at him earlier?

  “No,” he answered warily. “Not that I can think of.”

  “I see,” she said quietly and turned back to leave.

  “Hey, wait,” Adam called, worry threading through his voice as he thought he might be in some kind of trouble he didn’t know about. “Why did you ask that?”

  The girl turned halfway. She must’ve seen his worried look as a small laugh escaped her throat. “I didn’t mean anything. It’s just that Ms. Elsa is always looking to help people, so I thought she was doing the same for you,” she explained. “But thinking about it now, I can see how it sounded ominous. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

  “It’s fine,” Adam said. He released a breath to calm himself and met her gaze. There was a slight glint in her eyes and a mischievousness in her smile that told him she’d done it on purpose to see him react this way. But it was only a suspicion.

  “My name is Katryn,,” she said, her voice now light. “The grumpy woman you met earlier is my mother, and don’t worry, she’s all bark and no bite. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Adam,” he said, still guarded. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “Adam? That’s not a name you hear often. I like it, its different.”

  “Thanks?”

  She nodded. “Well, Adam, I have more work to do. But I hope we can talk again.”

  “Yeah,” he said simply and she left after a wave.

  She seemed like a bundle of energy…

  Adam picked up the bucket with some effort and carried it back into his room. He set it down in the center of the room and sat down on the bed once more.

  Pushing thoughts of the girl overly cheery away from his mind, he was faced with a problem. How was he supposed to bathe with this?

  He looked around the room, and the moment he saw the large basin leaned against the far wall, the idea came together. He truly was in a medieval world, there was no shower, no tub, no trace of modernity. With everything he had seen of this world, he knew this, but he guessed it hadn’t sunk in enough as a part of his mind still expected to find a tub.

  Adam sighed and ran his palms through his face.

  Before he washed himself, he needed to think about what to do. Too much had been going on, he hadn’t once settled down and really thought things through.

  First, he was in another world where magic was actually real, but he had none. Adam struggled to accept that. If had no magic, then how had he survived that goblin attack.

  He should have died, no, he did die…

  And there was that tower that could grant any wish, he wondered if it might be able to send him home. That was his only desire, to return home and reunite with his sister.

  But he knew nothing about the tower, or even about himself…

  He needed information.

  Yeah, that was a good start. He needed to know about this world and its people, he needed to learn about its magic, its religion, and its society.

  Most of all, he needed to know how he was alive and how he got here…

  “You can figure this out,” Adam muttered. “You always figure things out.”