I woke up with a groan. “How’m I supposed to do that…” I muttered, blinking as I tried to adjust my eyes to the sudden firelight. I tried to remember just what I was talking about, but the details fell from me as the mist of a dream, and the contents of that dream were swiftly discarded among the foreign sights before me.
My eyes, still half-open, darted around to see the flickering of torches amidst pillars of marble. The earthy smell of herbs and the comfortable feeling of a wood fire heating my skin from the nearby hearth made me think of vacations spent at my grandmothers, except the room I stood in was at least ten times the size of her entire home. A bright hallway, a golden throne, a great big kingly figure sitting atop it with a great big belly, and four shocked dudes in much more modern clothes all throwing a panic in front of me.
Yeah, so I was pretty sure this was some kind of medieval throne room, covered in splendor and paintings, populated by a few guys I’d guess were nobles by the fanciness of their clothes, and some guys in funny-looking robes I had to assume were wizards, or fantastic wizard cosplayers. I was left too overwhelmed to even stand up, let alone speak, so I sat duck-legged where I was in the corner, instead. I saw glowing symbols, ink that radiated light of different colors around the four - red, blue, yellow, and teal. Magic wasn’t real, of course, but this whole place didn’t really give off the “real” vibes I was familiar with, so I figured it didn’t have to be.
The room was mostly well lit… outside of the corners, the smooth, circular edges of the corner pillar being what I was resting against. My torn-up zookeeper’s outfit was gone - replaced with something else, thankfully. A very drab leather outfit, trying to capture the least enjoyable colors of yellow and brown, and with some rough stitching. The boots I was now wearing at least felt tough and fairly comfortable, solid leather boots that already looked rather battered. Whatever thing or creature had decided to redress me, they were excellent supporters of their local thrift shop!
“So we have summoned, and so you have come, just as the legends foretold!” The Kingly looking guy boomed. His enthusiasm was contrasted with the exhaustion I read on the faces of the wizardly looking guys and gals around him. I figured that whatever kinda thing they were doing here had worn them down pretty bad. I supposed summoning someone from another world like some kind of fantasy novel would probably be pretty exhausting. I didn’t really know what was going on, but it reminded me of a children’s novel I’d read back as a kid - a child who’d been made knight of a tiny kingdom to save them from a dark lord, before returning to his own world a little braver.
Of course, I wasn’t a child, and neither were the four panicked people in front of the regal man standing in front of the throne, so there were some clear differences, and I held out hope the whole dark lord thing was also absent due to some changes!
“I-I-what do you mean we’ve been-”
“-This some kind of reality TV joke-”
“-Absolutely impossible, all of it-”
“What the actual FU-”
I was apparently the only one having my panic attack quietly, but the king scratched his great maroon beard as he held up his hands, clearly trying to be some kind of anchor in this psychological storm. “Calm yourselves, calm yourselves. I’m sure this must be quite a shock-”
“Yeah, I’d say it’s a bit of a shock!” the hero standing in the blue circle spoke up. He was wearing some very dull blue robes that made him look a bit more wizardly but the sort of wizard who you’d see on halloween who got their stuff on sale from Value Village. Looked as Italian as anyone I’d ever seen, with some beautiful, well-tended sandy brown hair, a pronounced English accent, and a lanky countenance like a tiger to his features.
“Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am King Cesar, ruler of the Leofric Commonwealth. I have summoned you four here for a matter most urgent. I would hear your names, for you four shall be the ones to save this kingdom - and the world beyond it!” The kingly one spoke - actually, I corrected myself, the kingy one - resting his arms by his sides as a grandfatherly patience sunk into his features, his great golden crown hanging a little further down his head.
“We four… I… think you must be a little mistaken.” another one spoke up - she was a bit darker skinned than the others with short black hair. She wore an outfit I recognized through exposure to the hit TV show “Ninja Scroll” as a kendo uniform. A lot shorter than the rest, she was an Asian beauty with a stare that seemed scarily blank. My guess was she was a bit overwhelmed, maybe disassociating? Seemed like a pretty safe guess considering the situation.
“What, is this some kind of magical enslavement? Is this a kidnapping?” the girl that had stepped from the red circle spoke up with… more enthusiasm than I’d have expected. This woman was a lot taller and a bit more muscled. She was wearing something like a medieval work outfit, covered in black and with thick leather across it, which she’d already adjusted to fall off her shoulders - It might have been for style points, or it might have been for the fact it was kinda hot in here, I wasn’t sure. She also had scarlet hair that was pulled back into a ponytail - I guess those were pretty popular among the magically summoned crowd - and it showed off a pair of dazzling sapphire earrings. She sounded pretty intense, the sort of intensity that makes you passively intimidating.
“We do not intend to force you four to do anything. But you are our only chance at survival, as the prophecy foretells.” The king spoke up, a hand to his crown as he stepped back to rest on a very stereotypical but nonetheless impressive golden throne covered in purple fabric and some very cool iconography of bears. It made sense to me, because with this king’s wide features and bulky build he really did remind me a whole lot of a bear, so it was nice seeing the family line resemble the coat of arms…
I realized I might not be focusing on the right thing as he crossed his arms and turned to the four newly summoned people.
“One thousand years ago, a threat we thought had disappeared with the ancients resurfaced - the wicked agents of The Black Court. We banded together to fight them, but even with the five kingdoms combined efforts, and the sacrifice of many brave heroes and adventurers, we barely pushed them back. There was one great hero in particular who sacrificed his life, not only to push back the courts once and for all, but to find vital information hidden beneath the earth of what we now know as The Ashlands - a prophecy written by those who once ruled this world, the Ancient kingdom of En.” the King spoke, a silent request as he met all of their eyes to listen carefully to his words.
“The prophecy spoke of a spell we must cast at this time to summon four heroes - heroes who would have the power to drive the darkness back once again when the time comes. It speaks of them coming from another time and place, and that when the four come, they must be trained, supplied, and equipped to lead the four kingdoms: The lands of the Blue Sakura, The Mountain Kingdom of Gullveig, the Province of Amphisa, and the Confederacy of Okamiwahit. They will lead us to battle, and with their power, defeat The Black Court and drive the remainders of their holdings from our lands… and without them, our extinction is assured, and The Black Court will turn this land into a corrupted parody of what it once was, destroying everything we have sworn to protect.”
“Pardon me.” The fourth hero finally spoke up. “My name is Cameron.” He had black hair that was mostly well taken care of, and tanned skin with a couple tattoos. His skin was a dark tan, and his voice sounded perfectly calm compared to the rest. He was also physically imposing - looking like he could bench-press the other three in the room without much effort. “Could you explain exactly what The Black Court is? It is difficult for us to understand what we must do against a concept so vague.”
King Cesar rested a shoulder on his chair, scratching at his beard as he took in the question. He seemed to chew on nothing in his mouth as he sat all thoughtful, but after a couple of seconds he began speaking with purpose. “That is a question I can only answer in part, for we know only so much about The Black Court. Much has been lost in the millenia hence. What I can say is that the monsters now left in our world are but a reflection of what their invasion was - a small and weak remnant compared to the mighty armies that once ravaged our world, if the stories are to be believed. What we do know is that they are not of this world, and that ours is not the first they had ever burned down. The power they brought to bear on this world has left scars on the world that may never heal, despite our best efforts. They are a collection of many evils, united in a desire for conquest…” The king’s voice faltered, a bit of helpless frustration in his voice as he continued. “But their true nature… their why’s… and their hows, as they travel through the stars, is beyond our understanding.”
“So these Black Court people… what do they plan on doing to this place?” Cameron asked, giving a nod as he seemed to stand tall in the midst of this interrogation.
“That, we know clearly.” The king spoke up. “As has been stated before, all races they meet that do not bend the knee to be twisted into dark, monstrous forms, are exterminated. This would become another bastion for them, another world where their power is unchallenged. They wish to reshape it in their image - thus, the urgency, for this is no mere change in government or fight for territory. This is a battle for our survival!”
“And so you called an IT from Scotland and put him in a dress? And that will fix the problem?” The Italian guy spoke up, and I barely suppressed a snort as I realized that, yeah, with how poofy the blue robes he had on were, they really gave more of an ‘aging grandma at the harvest festival’ vibe. I figured he wouldn’t appreciate the commentary though.
“You have not been summoned merely as you were, as your garb may have given you some insight - as well as the weapons which you now wield. You have been given powers by the Celestial Spirit as you travelled here. Tell me your names, and I will tell you your powers.
“Victor.” The Italian spoke, sounding pretty impatient, and I was getting vibes of the big animal at the hot dog cart, just in a much smaller frame.
“Victor. Your power is that of the Elementalist, or the Wizard. You may bend the natural forces of the world - earth, air, water, fire - to your will, and utilize the magic inherent in the world on a basic level.
“U-uhm, I’m Calia.” The smaller woman with the styled black hair spoke up, seeming to shrink in her shoulders even as she did so.
“Calia, you have gained the power of the Samurai. To fight, and to lead in battle, a member of divine nobility.”
“I’m Alicia. Tell me what I got!” The Red-haired athletic one spoke up almost giddily, and the King gave a nod.
“Alicia. You are the Runesmith of this world. You have the power to use weapons none other could invent, and the ability to fuse magic and technology in ways we do not understand. You have no less direct power at arms then the other heroes, but you will also make wonders the others cannot.”
“...I would like to know mine next.” Cameron spoke up once Alicia had finished her celebratory fist pump.
“Cameron. You are the Spiritist - one who handles and deals with the other realm. You can speak to many beings not of this world, and bring their power into the world. Respect the natural world and its purpose, and it will become a great ally to you and all you cherish.”
Each class spoken for, each wonderful set of powers popped up reduced my initial fear of ‘coming to another world for the sake of getting murdered by some otherworldly demons’ that had been building up in my chest, and my heart went before my head as I quite impolitely jumped up to my feet and called out.
“Oooh! Ooh! I’m Noah! What do I get?!”
The mood of the entire room shifted as suddenly every eye turned to me as though I’d appeared from thin air. You could hear a pin drop as everyone turned to see me, outside of the clanking of some guard’s armor and weapons as they turned.
And like, that was true, I had appeared from thin air, but the other four had done that too, and they didn’t get that treatment, so why was I the elephant in the room?
One of the guards held up their spear. “Why do you intrude on the ceremony, commoner?”
“I’m not a common-well, I guess technically, yeah, kinda commoner, but I just got teleported here, man!” I said, putting my hands up. “Please don’t stab me sir! I wouldn’t like that!”
“You are not one of the four heroes…” The King spoke up, striding past the other four briefly as he looked to me with piercing eyes. “Why do you speak as though you would be one of them?”
“Because I just got here from another world. Got struck by lightning, now I am here.”
“You speak as though you were called by the divine lightning… then, We shall judge if that is really true.”
[King Cesar has used the skill “Greater Identify”]
A big blue screen like a videogame popped up in front of me to inform me that the King’s unusually close gaze wasn’t merely a good way to make me feel even more uncomfortable in a social situation as he looked me up and down.
“You are… A druid. One of the tree-tenders. And you are from another world. But why…? The ritual is supposed to summon only four Heroes.”
“So I am a hero?”
The King shook his head. “No. The heroes of prophecy are arrayed here.” He spoke up with a lot more brusqueness. “You are an acc… an unexpected occurrence.” He corrected himself, looking irritated and embarrassed with himself as he spoke.
“Wait, so you grabbed me by accident?!” I asked. “And you didn’t even get me new clothes?” I asked, flashing my hands to my ragged gear.
King Cesar turned to me, dipping his head in acknowledgement in what I felt was the closest thing to a bow I could get from a monarch as… not a monarch. “...I formally apologize for taking you from your world. I had no intention of causing such woe to your circumstances.”
“So, can you send me back?” I asked, giving a weak, hopeful smile.
“I cannot.” Cesar admitted with a solemn shake of his head. “Though if I could, know that I would.”
I wasn’t really sure if that was care on the king’s part or a dismissal, but I figured it was better to take it as the first on that part.
“U-uhm, can I ask what a druid can do?” Calia asked from before, as she held up a hand. It seemed like the other four were looking at me, too, every other hero’s stare now fixed on me like a fly under a microscope.
“Druids were a class of spellcaster at one point. They were considered to be very useful for tending to the health of the local wildlife and plants, helping farmers keep their fields free, and fighting off smaller monster invasions and incursions, as well as healing when proper priests were not available. They usually specialize in turning into animals, should they specialize in combat.”
I listened to that, giving a short nod, before realizing. “...And that’s, uhhh, it?” I ask.
The king gave a pained wince at the statement, but returned to walking to his throne. “With all due respect to your spontaneous difficulties, I’m afraid we will have to speak more on that a little later. Right now my duty is to finish my introduction to our four heroes.”
King Cesar turned back his focus to the four heroes, a troubled expression written across his face.
“While I apologize to the druid for changing subjects so abruptly, the most important thing at this moment is the task before us. I believe there may be a chance, should you so wish, to go back to your old lives once you’ve defeated the Black Court. Otherwise, I am afraid we are all in the same boat. I realize this is an enormous task I am asking you to assist us with.” King Cesar admitted, “But this is the only option that ends with our world continuing, our people safe.
“I’ll do it. I’ll make sure I protect everyone here.” Cameron spoke up, giving a nod. “...I don’t like how we were taken from our lives, but I understand why completely. If I were in your position, I would have done the same, and in my position, I cannot ignore a threat that would claim so many lives.”
Victor was next to speak up in a voice that I couldn’t tell was sarcastic or genuine. “Quite noble, big guy. And our compensation for this is… what?”
“In six months time, we shall be offering you a kingdom of your own to govern as you see fit, for starters.” King Cesar spoke up. “We have been managing the other kingdoms in this recent time of peril, following the great war, via stewards. It is time for this great kingdom of Lumis to be broken up, finally.”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“So you’re giving up your crown to us, old man?” Victor asked, suddenly having his eyes spark to life.
“No. I shall continue reigning over the Leofric Commonwealth proper, giving you advice as you settle in. But the territory my fathers and their fathers before them have been handling since two hundred years ago, in the time of the great plague, shall be handed down to you. The four kingdoms you control each border a different side of my own - together, we shall be a united force of five kingdoms, and I will do everything in my power to support you as you defend the world, or otherwise
Victor’s eyes flashed back and forth between himself and the other candidates, a grin slowly forming. “...Understood.” Victor said. “Anything else?”
“We will offer you training, gold, and quite a few training facilities in the meantime - free of charge. I have put quite a bit of money in reserve for this moment.” Cesar would note with a smile dancing across his features. “And it’s gotten me the best of the best to train you and prepare you for the next steps. There are also many quests that are normally open only to adventurers that have gained permission to adventure properly - you will not need to meet the initial requirements, and can enter with your initial rank permissions immediately.”
“So we can be heroes? And do quests and stuff?” Calia spoke up again with a higher pitch of excitement than I’d heard so far. “Fighting dragons and saving princesses and stuff?”
The king held up a hand. “Oh, you also had dragons in your home dimension? Sadly they’re mostly the stuff of myth nowadays, so I’m afraid the closest you’d find now is a drake. With that said… The Lumis Capital adventurer’s guild was still quite firm with me that you would need to earn higher guild qualifications, if you wish to start doing any great quests. They do not wish to be known as the guild who sent a hero to their death and doomed the world.”
“So we’re not the strongest by default, at least not immediately.” Victor asked, calculating.
Alicia was the next one to speak up. “So we’re expected to do a bunch of work to improve our abilities and… fight for our lives, now or later? What happens if we don’t end up doing this?” Alicia will ask.
King Cesar’s face turned grave. “...Sorrily, if you do not do this, we will all die. There’s no other outcome. The prophecy was quite clear. I will certainly add no additional penalties, but the truth is that it will end with obliteration. Not as a punishment from me, but because we would have faced it in the first place.”
Alicia gave a sigh. “...Then in that case, I suppose I have to be in. At least this looks like we have a real shot.”
Calia also raised her hand. “I-I’m in too. I’ll level up and help everyone slay monsters!”
Victor gave a sigh. “You guys are terrible at haggling. Fine, I’m in. What about the druid? What’s he getting.”
Cesar raised an eyebrow, seeming to be considering the question as his eyes moved upwards, staring at the roof as though it contained a wealth of new considerations.“I cannot afford to give much to our current visitor. Much of my resources have been pooled for you four, specifically, and with all due respect, I do not see a Druid..-”
Something occurred to me as Cesar was talking, and I blurted out, “Menu.” to myself. To no surprise, a big blue RPG-style menu screen opened up. It didn’t have like, an inventory or anything, but it did list stats and skills, and had a trait section that was grayed out, as I started to look through it. It seemed this was the sort of RPG where you had EXP in different things? Like I was pretty sure soapmaking was on there and everything!
I did notice a big blinking white 1, covered in a red circle. It reminded me a lot of a certain messaging app in the real world, so I touched it, and it immediately brought me to a tree with 3 abilities highlighted.
“Create Plants” was the first one highlighted on the left, and it had some sort of submenu, so I touched that - and to my surprise, I saw a “scanning…” message above my head.
My head felt a bit like a fax machine, with the middle of my head being the paper, as I struggled to stay standing, but after a brief headache the plants menu opened up. “Plants/animal data retrieved from user”
To my surprise there were a whole bunch of specializations - desert, tundra, taiga, Shrublands, etc… At the bottom was-
Mesozoic?
I impulsively smashed my finger against ‘Mesozoic’, curious to know more and see where the menu took me.
“Learned “Summon Plants (Mesozoic)”. The system helpfully dinged, the menu changing with only an ‘okay’ option left to press.
“...Uhhh. aren’t these supposed to have an ‘are you sure?’ button” I asked nervously, realizing only after the words had left my mouth that I was absolutely interrupting the king while he was saying some king stuff.
“You’ve already accessed the ability menu? I was getting to that.” The king spoke up.
“So the Druid’s quick on the uptake… and also has no attention span. Reminds me of a classmate” Victor spoke up with a very sarcastic smile. “So what fantastic Druid powers did you learn?”
“Uhhh…” I stammered, before holding out my hand, and trying really hard to use the ability. I wasn’t entirely sure “how” to summon something… until eventually, I felt something slip. It felt like lightning buzzing through my fingers, lightning I was able to direct with knowledge that felt as easy as sneezing or coughing - I simply knew!
Within the midst of the castle’s flooring, the stone cracked and broke as an emerald light washed over me, and a splash of green burst from beneath the ground through the now cracked floor. A vivid fern, growing roughly to the size of an average houseplant, appeared through the cracks as I felt an exhaustion grow over me.
Two screens appeared in front of me, as though I just used an ability in an RPG.
MP: 60/113
-50 used.
Druid EXP: +10/100.
Create plants rank EXP: +12/100.
Frankly, I wasn’t sure the numeric display was really needed to tell me I’d used a bunch of mana as I fell to one knee, giving a weak groan as I placed a hand on the cold stone flooring. After some panting, I took inventory of the beautiful, verdant ferns in front of me with pride. I hadn’t just done something like, a fireball, or the like. I had created Life! Real, actual life!
The thought struck me with a grin as I began to giddily laugh, overjoyed with how powerful I felt in this moment. I wasn’t just a normal gardener, I could bring back extinct plants we’d only ever seen samples of. Stuff we could study and learn from back home that’d revolutionize our understanding of a lost and dead era…
“...So that’s it?” Victor asked. “Does it shoot thorns, or something?”
I looked to the status screen in front of me. “Does it shoot thorns or something?” I asked it, not sure what I was expecting as a response.
To its credit, in bold white letters over a navy blue background, a resounding “No” was my status screen's answer.
“The stat screen says no.” I replied back to Victor.
Victor looked ready to say something back, but both of us were surprised by the sudden burst of speed as a blur nearly knocked me off my feet, the sudden rush of wind disturbing the Fern like it was caught in a dust devil and forcing the king to hold onto his crown.
Calia was suddenly in front of me with a grin, her long cloak flapping in the wind she’d just created for a second.
“So that’s Speed Burst!” She gushed. “That’s so awesome! I love it!”
And like that, as I remembered the purpose of these abilities, my brief moment of empowerment was deflated, as everyone looked on in awe at Calia’s awesome speed skills. I couldn’t really complain - she was one of the big heroes, so it makes sense she had something that awesome, but it did remind me how strong they must have to be to fight this black court thing.
“Very impressive.” Cameron nodded.
“Immediately showing off your skills, huh?” Alicia asked with a grin.
“A lot better than the herb garden Noah brought out there. Looks like Samurai’s a fast kind of combat class.” Victor noted appraisingly.
A purple flourish flashed across Alicia’s clothes as energy began to sparkle from her work clothes, forming around them like armor, and she gave a grin. “Mage armor. Try to punch me, Miss Calia.”
“I dunno, my stat screen says my strength’s pretty high.” Calia said with a frown, looking concerned.
“Come on - you just got to show off, help me do the same.” She said with a wry wink, looking the samurai-in-training in the eyes.
“Well, you asked for it…” Calia replied, disappearing in that same burst of speed and punching the runesmith in the stomach… and then immediately shaking her hand off with a pained look. “Ow! That felt like punching a rock!”
“Err… Sorry, Calia! I didn’t realize it would hurt.” Alicia said, looking embarrassed as the magic dissipated. “...If I understand the ability right, you hit it so hard it broke, if that makes you feel any better.”
Calia gave a weak smile at that. “...Actually, it does make me feel a lot better. And my hand’s not cut or anything, it just hurts a little.”
Cameron walked forward, wordlessly, taking Calia’s hand without a thought as a golden light suffused his body and travelled through it like water across Calia’s hand. The bruises and cut on her knuckle closed as soon as it had come as Cameron gave a simple nod. “Healing may not be the most effective way to fight. But I figured that all of us will be injured at some point in this war. It is best to take care of those injuries here, and learn how to keep our group in shape.”
“Y-yeah. You can, uhh… let go of my hand now.” Calia replied, blushing as she pulled her hand away.
“Of course.” Cameron replied smoothly, giving a nod as he stepped back from the two, still holding that unfathomably calm expression he’d had this entire time.
“And what has the budding wizard over here decided to go with?” Alicia asked Victor, giving a wry eyebrow.
Victor didn’t answer her, but instead turned to me, and I felt those eyes lock onto mine with a fire that made me want to shrink away instinctively as our eyes met. Not the way that you want to shrink away from a pretty girl you’d just met, more like locking eyes with a big dog who’s decided you’re in his territory.
Victor extended his deathly pale hand and pointed to the ferns I’d made, and I watched in silent horror as something almost invisible - pale, and blue - flashed from his hands, striking the ferns I’d just made.
Ice formed across the green leaves as the plants drooped and changed, turning brown and purple from their former vibrant hue. The life I had just breathed in the world was snuffed in the next instant, as I reached out for the plants almost instinctively, seeing them covered in cold death…
My hands grasped at the frozen ferns, and the ice was so cold I felt the pain immediately. I grabbed roughly, due to some misshapen instinct hiding in my mind, and I saw the mistake as soon as I did, the ice shattering into a million icy chunks that now scattered across the hall.
The life I made, shattered into a million icy chunks that now scattered across the hall…
“I got an ability that lets me dispose of trash.” Victor replied with a grin. “And if I’m honest, I’m pretty sure my ability is the best one.”
My hands balled up into fists as I fell to my knees in front of the ferns, tiny bits of ice cutting at my legs.
I wasn’t mad, exactly. There was a rational part of my brain that reminded me I really shouldn’t have made plants in the middle of a throne room, and that it was probably in the way at best. I hadn’t exactly been the most conscious of other people’s lives, and I was far from a vegetarian, and yet I found my heart sinking like it did when I lost my first dog. Maybe it was due to this being the first thing I’d animated. Maybe it was the pride I’d felt when I performed my first spell. I didn’t really know if I could tell at the moment. What I knew was that I’d lost something important.
Victor gave a wink as I caught his eye, as I met it with a pointed glare. I went to say something - from the looks of it, everyone had an opinion to share - but the King’s voice raised now, much louder than before.
“Heroes, my throne room is not a play pen! While I appreciate how quick you are learning thy powers, we have training rooms and outdoor areas in this kingdom and castle, and they are far more accommodating and less expensive to repair than this!” Cesar barked, more irritated than the king had seemed since we got here. I winced as I realized I’d probably marked up some really nice flooring.
“Perfect. Then send me on my way. I’d like to learn more about what I’m able to do here.” Victor replied with a nonchalant shrug. “Do we have rooms?”
“Indeed. You four will be shown to your rooms right now.” he said, gesturing to the four heroes, then pointing straight at me, his expression growing gentler again. “As for you… I will find a place in the castle fitting for one who is still undoubtedly a worthy guest. I would not throw you on the streets as a pauper. But it will take some time. In the meantime… might I suggest visiting the gardens? I plan to use a favor, and send someone there to meet you, specifically.”
“I guess… take all the time you need.” I said with a frown, digging at the ground as I pulled up the roots of what was left of my fern.
The few shattered pieces that were intact had turned a bright orange. It was for sure dead. I got up with a sigh as I decided to head out. “I’ll be in the garden if you need me, then.”
The other heroes all left before I got up - Calia gave me a pitying glance the way someone would look at a dying dog - I didn’t quite want to get that look, so I didn’t look back up to her. Alicia seemed lost in thought, humming something to herself that seemed lyrical as she walked past me without glancing my way, Cameron gave a small bow as though apologizing to me as he continued on, and Victor…
Victor’s gaze fell where my plant was, a look of disgust in his eyes as he walked past.
I left when all four of them did, lagging behind as I now felt no hustle. The king hadn’t told me where the gardens were, I realized once I got my way through the stone halls, and I was left walking through the hectic stone hallways wordlessly, thinking about my situation.
In some ways, I was a bit envious of these big four heroes - their powers seemed amazing, and my powers seemed less so. My old life hadn’t been particularly significant, and here, I’d been quickly shown that I wasn’t main character material either.
The longer I walked though, and the more my feet started to tire, I realized something else, too.
The four heroes were destined to face this unstoppable, evil force.
I wasn’t expected to do a damn thing.
A lot of the stress I’d felt coming here, hearing of This Black Court and great destiny started to release as my mind really put that together. I might have been the weakest class, with the smallest destiny, but I also had the smallest responsibility. Sure, I wasn’t going home anytime soon, but my homelife wasn’t exactly amazing, and it wasn’t like being a druid was useless in a humble context. I could be a cool gardener here, or some kind of restorer of forests. It was not a life of fame, but there was a life of comfort and ease to be had here, and none of that life revolved around fighting for my life like those other four had to.
Here, I had no taxes, no bills, no childhood hang-ups, no lingering problems from high school! Here, I was really free!
“I’m… actually free and clear.” I muttered, realizing that I had wandered to the sunny side of the castle, walking up musty stairs to an open, lit area, and enjoying the warm orange rays of the sun landing across my body. I raised my hands to the skies as I looked out into the warmth of the beautiful city below, and the forests that existed beyond - all vibrant and waiting for me to find a place in them! “I really have a chance at a new life here. Maybe a medieval vet, or fire safety or… maybe I could start my own zoo!” I noted excitedly. Staring out atop the battlements, I felt fantastic, my heart up in my chest.
A hand clasped around my shoulder, and I almost stumbled off my feet just from the sudden startle.
“Bit of an odd way to look at getting shanghai’d, innit? But I also come from a land of taxes, so I can sort of sympathize.”
Victor’s words rang as I felt equal parts irritation and fear. I didn’t expect the lanky looking dude to have such a strong grip, as I struggled, and it felt like that glowing heart had fallen down into my legs
“Careful there. We’re high up. Relax.” Victor said, and to his credit he did let me go after a second, once my legs had stopped trying to execute the “run anyway” command. “I’m actually here to apologize.”
“For my ferns?” I asked, turning to face him quickly as irritation formed into a frown and overcame that sudden spike of fear momentarily.
“Yeah. I just thought it’d be funny to freeze out the underwhelming ability. Include you in the theater. I didn’t realize till afterwards that you seemed to care about those plants, or I wouldn’t have done it. I’d rather not make people mad for no reason.” Victor replied.
I gave a deeper frown, but there was at least a degree of a genuine apology in there - even if I was starting to think I just really wouldn’t like Victor from here.
“Apology accepted. I guess I just-” I started to speak up, but then that hand was back on my shoulder, again, and the fear came back as I realized just how icy his hands were.
“Got my second level - and ability point on the way up here. Funnily enough, I was actually planning on meeting you at the garden. Had my interests in learning the metas of my class and the others from the court magicians, and the king’s guard.” He said with a smile that just kept growing. “So, did you realize summon plants was useless when you got it?”
“Err…” I stammered, “well, I don’t know about-”
“Let me be a little more clear. Druids - the ones that are meant for combat - shapeshift. Asked about that on the way up! That’s what a combat druid does. And while you might not be a good hero, you could be a fantastic meatshield for the early game - help us through quests, turn into a bear a few times and take out weaker enemies for us, and then gracefully bow out when it’s your time. That’d make my job a lot easier, you know?”
“B-but…” I stammered, but Victor’s eyes seemed to sink into feral balls of ice as he continued, and I couldn’t really find the will to look away.
“-And since my job is saving the world you’re currently squatting in, you’ll do your best to prop me up, right?” Victor asked with a grin. “...Well, I’m sure you’ve got the picture, so I’ll leave you to do what you want. Incidentally, ‘summon plant’ is a pretty useless way to level. Find another skill to level up and raise your druid levels that way to start. Ask the magician or… something. That part’s your job to figure out, as I’ve done more than enough to figure out the meta for you. Got it?”
I wanted to tell him to go take a flying leap off the parapet, but the icy touch around my shoulder told me that would be a really bad idea. Victor wasn’t hinged - but it was totally outside of my understanding how unhinged he actually was, and I didn’t need to be the early death in the Isekai story.
After all, it had been made pretty abundantly clear no one would miss me if I took a tumble right now.
“Yeah. I got it.” I muttered softly.
“Awesome. Good talk! Knew I could count on you, kid!” Victor said with a rising chuckle, and all of a sudden I was let go, and being patted on the back, like we’d just had some warm heart to heart. “Just keep yourself - and me - out of trouble in the future here, and I’ll make sure I keep a nice, comfortable spot open for you with a little manor when I am King Victor. That understood?”
“Yeah.” I replied with a dry throat. “Is it… okay if I go find the garden now.”
“Oh, where you’re at, it’s your third right down the stairs, then your first left. I wouldn’t have come so far without at least getting directions. Oh, and your room’s the one close to the meatery. I asked ahead of time. Wanted to make sure it was properly prepped for my new friend!” Victor added, giving a sidelong smile. “Anyways, I’ll check up on you in a little while. The way you’re levelling, It’ll be a while before you’re any use to me anyways. Work hard until then, little earthworm.”
I gave a rough nod as I parsed what I thought Victor meant from this - Victor had expectations from me. And if I didn’t meet those expectations, Victor knew where I lived.
I swallowed hard, squatting low by the parapets for a little while before my legs had energy to move.
