A screech cut through the air as it whistled over my head. It was fast. Too fast, almost like a supersonic jet and when I looked above my head, I saw a streak of white left in its trail. “A jet?” I thought to myself.
I had to find out more about this world, I was just thrown into a new land where there were humans and half… I didn’t even know what to call them. Demi-humans maybe? Some of them had ears of tigers and cats, while some had literally heads of reptiles. Some creatures didn’t even look real to me. Maybe this was a prank. Maybe someone had kidnapped me as part of some experiment and put me to sleep, throwing me in some cosplaying event.
No.
This was too real. How could I even fool myself? I gathered my thoughts and stopped wasting myself away with meaningless emotion because the first thing I needed to do was survive. And by surviving, I meant I needed to make money, maybe get a job and at the same time obtain knowledge in this world. What could be the first step? Job, or knowledge?
No. How could I be so foolish? Of course it was a job. My brain was just so disorientated from the sudden events that it slowed MY rationality. I needed to find a job. But where to start? I immediately set off and walked through the streets, observing my surroundings. I darted my eyes around, I didn’t want to seem suspicious, because who knows what this civilisation was like? I needed to remain calm and understand what the level of technology this land had. So far, the level of infrastructure looked like that of medieval times, mixed with Ancient Rome due to some of its grand structures. It also gave a little cyberpunk vibe to it, which was weird because I witnessed no form of technology or even advanced mechanisms.
It was more of the architecture surrounding this part of the… city? This had to be a city but it looked like it was the poorer side of it.
It was too compact.
Nonetheless, I hooked onto the obvious gap in the market where I could flourish. Technology. That bit was obvious, but I couldn’t just go around building new machinery. First of all, I didn’t know if there was some sort of identification system in this country. Like were there passports, ID, background checks? Was every birth recorded? Was every citizen known? Too many unknown variables were on the table. The likelihood of this world having those systems in place, was somewhat low looking around at the level of infrastructure. I mean, if their technology was so far back, surely their systems were too? But I couldn’t afford taking a chance because if that was the case, I was sent to a dark era.
The medieval times were not a happy era to be born in and looking around me, nearly everyone had some sort of weapon on them. I was the only defenseless one. I had to avoid alleyways and places away from the public eye because it looked like around me, no one was seeming to cause trouble openly.
I was afraid. There was a small spider crawling across my heart, jolting it with pangs every time I thought of the helpless situation. But I couldn’t falter.
I needed to look for someone that was nearest to the level of an engineer or a scientist back in my world. Maybe it was finally time to speak up and ask someone. I avoided the reptiles, maybe I was being racist. I didn’t care, they were too much of an unknown variable. I even wanted to avoid some of the men if possible, one wrong word and they may just slit my throat. If I could pick my receiver correctly, I could probably get a decent answer. And so I decided a woman would do me best and I could possibly use my looks to appeal and get an answer from them.
I saw a group of what seemed to be, cat eared women huddling around together like it was a tea party. They sat on top of barrels and spoke to one another and it seemed like they were a group of friends. I thought I’d give it a shot.
“Excuse me… madam,” I approached the one woman standing, dropping her long robe down to her toes while wearing a small top underneath, exposing her naval. The women of this era definitely dressed differently to those of earth in relation to this era. It would be safe to say that women were equal to men here and it wasn’t patriarchal.
“Yessooh…” the woman seemed to slur her words as she lost focus. She looked at me up and down. I wanted to show a smile knowing I chose the right person to approach but I cast the feeling away for now.
“What does a man like you want? You’re wearing some awfully different clothes.” She said.
“Oh you don’t like it?” I replied to which the woman quickly responded, “no in fact it’s definitely new. I actually quite like it. You don’t see clothing like this from around here. Where you from?”
“From outside the city. I’m just trying to move in and find a job.” I continued, seeing if I could fish out more information about the city.
“Mmmmhm well, you made your way to the right city… this is the capital city after all,” she replied and looked at her friends with a worried expression.
“These parts aren’t really known for any uh… what’s the word? Legal jobs.” She continued and I quickly looked at my surroundings. I couldn’t initially see anything suspicious of the sort but of course I wouldn’t. I was an outsider. And this did seem like the poorer parts of the capital city. I had at least obtained that information but it seemed that jobs were scarce here.
“I have some skills though,” I said.
“Oh? And what may those be?” She asked.
“I can build things, I’m very skilled at my craft and I’m good with my hands-” the woman shot me a sneaky smirk as I said so but I continued on. In a sense, I was relieved by her demeanour and made me feel somewhat more calm about my situation. As long as everyone was not hostile.
Her two friends kept glancing at one another in the background, whispering amongst themselves.
“Maybe if you know anyone that’s aaaa…carpenter? A craftsman? If I could go meet someone like that.”
“Hmmmmm,” the woman said.
Another one of the girls behind stuck up her finger and spoke for the first time, “Old man Jay! Everyone around district fourteen knows him!”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
The woman before me spoke again, “Well there you have it. He ain’t too far and he’s quite well known in district fourteen. Don’t know if he’ll take you in-“
“No, he will. Anyway, do you know how I can get there?” I asked.
“Because you got a good face and you asked politely, I’ll lead you to him,” she said as she began to walk on, waving at me to follow behind. She too, had a dagger at her waist and I just questioned even more deeply, how dangerous these people were and what life was like living here.
I have to make my own weapon.
I walked slightly behind her and watched my surroundings closely, but something kept sticking out to me and it seemed like the woman before me noticed my screwed up face. She shot a glance at me, over her shoulder and that was when I realised that the creases in my face were clearly visible. But it wasn’t for no reason, no. But I saw something very peculiar. Something that seemed to defy my entire being and identity as a scientist, engineer and innovator.
Hanging from a window, there was a woman leaning out and heating up, what seemed to be her washing line. It drooped down and was attached to a building opposite her.
But that wasn’t the odd part, no.
It was how she was doing it. And that how, defied my whole reality.
Out of her finger, a relatively small flame, around the size of her palm, just fluttered around in the wind as it dried her wet clothes. It was like her hand was a physical lighter and the flame just danced with no oil. But that shouldn’t be possible. Was it a hidden mechanism? It couldn’t be. This society wasn’t advanced enough to be like that.
Until I saw a sight even more reality-bending before me. And that was a man looking at a relatively large crack and hole in a wall of what seemed to be his home, with a disappointed look on his face. But with the raising of his arms, the stone from the very earth began to rise like it had its own life force, following the lead of the man's hand as it slithered its way into the cracks and crevices, slowly filling the hole too.
Insanity.
I just realised a petrifying thought, and the more I dwelled on it, the more I felt like the spider of despair crawling in my stomach had begun to weave its web.
This was a world of law-defying…magic.
And me, walking in this unknown land, had no knowledge or understanding of how to even use such techniques. How huge was the gap in strength between me and the average person? They could make literal fire from thin air. From nothing…no it can’t be from nothing. Energy cannot be created, nor destroyed, just transferred. So then whatever this magic was, could there be an explanation to it? If I could understand the mechanics behind it, maybe I could wield it using the laws of this world but the other scary thought was: what if this magic purely defied the laws of physics? Then what?
“You got quite the look on your face, are you worried about somethin’,” she said, “Oh and I never asked for your name. My name’s Sylvie, what’s yours?”
“Axure,” I replied, “Just Axure.”
“Anyway Axure, we’re here,” she said, leading me to a relatively tall-er building than most. Of course, these houses couldn’t compare to those in my world, but it seemed like a four or five story building was the peak of these ones. It wasn’t anything special, built like most other places with its wooden frame, sandy white walls and simple windows.
There were wooden steps leading up to the front entrance and Sylvie went on first, knocking on the door. I stood behind, still heavily on guard as I kept watch of my surroundings. I couldn’t rest my senses for one second. I could be attacked from anywhere.
My hands remained out of my pockets. I heard rustling movement protruding from behind the walls and a sound of hurried footsteps and in no time, the door was flung open to the sight of a relatively short old man. He was bald with a big white beard. And before he even got to acknowledge who was before him, he spoke with a smile on his face and welcomed the woman before him.
“Welcome young woman? Are you looking-” he paused when he finally looked at Sylvie’s face, “Oh, it’s you Sylvie. I’m happy to see you again. How come you have come to seek this old man?” He continued.
“Don’t go acting all wise on me all of a sudden” she said and pointed her thumb back at me over her shoulder, “This man wants to work under you.”
Part Two
Sylvie left me with the old man who looked at me up and down with a look of concern. “Say boy, are you really capable?” He asked. Even though I was in a whole different world, I couldn’t believe he asked me such a question but I responded calmly nonetheless, “Old man Jay. I can introduce you to inventions you’ve never even seen before.”
“Ho? That’s bold words from you young man. You see, I won’t just hire anyone. Getting a good job in Rozaria is hard enough if you’re not in the middle or upper classes.”
“You’re a craftsman right?” I asked.
“Mmhm. This is my passion, my life. I love building after all.” He replied as I theorised more about the world in my head. It seemed there was an obvious class divide in this city and it made sense that the technological advancement was so poor. In fact, it wasn’t poor, there was none. In a world of magic, humans didn’t need innovation or technology to solve problems but instead they relied on their mystical powers.
Houses need building? Use magic. Need water? Use magic. Fight wars? Use magic. What a contrast to earth that was where humans created wonders while on the brink of survival. I, too, was the pinnacle of that world. Regardless of that past, I was not anyone of concern here and I needed to increase my chances of survival and find a way to get home. If I was summoned here, then it too was possible for me to go back home.
“Old man… if I prove to you my genius, will you hire me?” I asked.
“Why of course. You will have to surprise me though. In this day and age, no one really pursues this career, so it’s wonderful to see a young one like you try,” he stared at me with glee in his eyes as he spoke, “so show me what you have got.”
I walked around the workshop with my hands behind my back, examining the garage-like space before me. I began to fiddle with his tools, hammers, makeshift wrenches, anvils and clockwork. There were gears and boxes lying around messily with carved woodwork resting on the side. I zoomed in on the clockwork, examining the smoothness closely as I turned it around with my finger. I felt the old man's gaze on my back so I questioned him before he could, “You made this?”
“Why, of course. You doubt my abilities?” He quickly responded. There was clear irritation in his voice but I paid no attention. I didn’t doubt his abilities, no. I wanted to know the level of his abilities in this world.
“And how accurately do you think you can reproduce it?” I asked another sharp question. I heard a snort come from the man’s nose and so I turned around in smooth fashion and quickly pitched an idea to the man. For a second, I felt as if I was standing upon that stage once again, which in hindsight, was only a short while ago.
A small page with drawings and scribblings over it sat atop his desk as ink dripped down from it. And it caught my eye, it looked like something of a blueprint, but I paid it no attention when I pulled the page over and took the pen.
I scribbled over his drawing, ignoring whatever face he had just made upon the action, and moved everything around to the side. My hand rattled as I slithered across the page hastily drawing the design. Old man Jay leaned in, too interested to pull his eyes away and too fascinated to pester me about making his mess even messier.
“What… What is this?” The man asked.
“It’s the next thing we’re going to build, Old man Jay,” I flung the pen onto the floor as the ink splattered across the room. The drawing was messy, but I had the ideas all in my head nonetheless.
“It’s what I call a gun."