Aaron awoke in a white room. The feeling it gave off was similar, yet the actual appearance was as like chalk and cheese to that of the one in which he had met the Goddess Aelia.
This looked like a bedroom, with high tasteful tapestries and brilliant columns, leading out onto a balcony adorned with plant life. In a far corner from the balcony, a large mahogany four post bed complete with a satin canopy, stood. It had silk sheets with green quilt covers embroidered with vines so lifelike they almost appeared to be alive.
In the opposing corner was a beautiful desk of matching wood to the bed, intricately carved with quills and ink organized neatly in the corner. Papers were placed in neat piles on the desk and stacked in the twin shelves above were rows and rows of books, all organized in a language Aaron could not recognize.
The bedroom was beautiful although very neat and tidy. Something Aarons own bedroom on Earth had no similarities to. The owner was clearly studious and neat. Or had someone that cleaned up after him.
"Hello"
Aaron spun around to face the owner of the voice that sounded behind him.
It was a creature he had never seen before in real life, with a head halfway between that of a man and a lion. It's had pale skin, light green eyes like his own and sharp pointy teeth. A kind of orangey coloured fur cascaded down his back and it was dressed in a crisp, clean white shirt with dark green trousers. Yet an oversaturation of online streaming services, video games and books left Aaron curious. Not afraid.
"Hi, how's it going?"
"How is what going?" The young creature replied perplexed.
"Um, it's a saying from… where I'm from. It's like a how are you/how is your day kinda thing" Aaron said back, realizing that obviously despite them being able to communicate in what sounded like English, saying and euphemisms from Australia or even Earth most likely wouldn't translate.
"I see" The creature replied, his brows furrowed in thought. Despite his animalistic features Aaron felt nothing inhuman from him. It was clearly thoughtful and intelligent.
"Well, my name is Diego. Right now, things are not… 'going' well. But I'm hoping this will be well worth it. If any of our beliefs hold true, what awaits me next will be far grander than the life I've lived so far." Diego said introducing himself.
"And if my current life is anything to go by, I expect I'll be reincarnated as Emperor of the world!" he ended jokingly.
"I'm Aaron… Er…. Hang on what are you talking about?" Aaron replied bewilderedly.
"Oh… You don't know" Diego said sadly, shaking his head.
"Well, it's not your fault. Do me one favor though will you? Look after my family. We're all very close so they're going to take this hard. Especially my little sister Delia, she's a cry baby, but she's probably stronger than Father and the rest of them put together. But they'll understand eventually. Oh, and protect my country and the world too, I know that's more than one favor, but it will technically be your job after all." Diego attempted to explain yet his rambling left Aaron more confused not less.
"Hang on, why are you asking this? What are you talking about, are we swapping places or something?" Aaron said with a confused expression as he drew closer to Diego, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Yet even as he spoke the words the walls appeared to begin melting downwards and the lights in the room began shining brighter. Glancing around Diego took a final look at what was once his room, his life, and smiled.
"Or something" He replied gently before taking one of Aarons hands in his own.
"It's all up to you now. Give my father my best and tell him I am proud to be chosen with no hesitation and no regrets. Good luck and take good care of my body, my family and my people. Oh, and tell my brothers that if they start to be dicks to Delia while I'm gone I'll come back and haunt their asses. And that you'll give them a whooping for me. And tell mother I wish I'd eaten more fruit like she always insisted… And!" Diego suddenly stopped with a smile.
"No. No words would be enough" His gripped tightened on Aaron's wrist until it was almost painful. Diego looked downwards for a moment, then up into Aaron's eyes, his own streaked with tears belying the pained smile on his face.
"Just tell them this. Tell them I love them. So very much"
"Wait what…" Aaron began, reaching out with his free hand to grasp Diego's shoulder. Yet as he reached him Diego's form dissolved into glittering lights, sparkling like stardust and leaving a trail as it flew from the room.
"WAIT!" Aaron cried before the room dissolved completely and whiteness consumed him.
....
Aaron awoke slowly, his hearing coming back first, gentle murmurings surrounding him. Then feeling as a pressure wrapped him tightly like an embrace. He began to struggle slightly, attempting to escape the confines of whatever was holding him as his eyes began to gradually flutter open.
All of a sudden, he was released. Only a gentle pressure on his shoulders remained as he realized he'd been held in a sitting position and was being tenderly laid back on the ground. Beneath him he could feel thick carpet and as Aaron's eyes opened blearily, they swam with tears, dripping down the side of his face and leaving his vision a swampy haze of shapes he could barely make sense of.
Blinking continually and raising an arm to wipe his face, the room slowly came into focus as he saw a huge animalistic face only inches from his own that gave Aaron a strong sense of déjà vu.
"..iego?" Aaron said slowly, pulling himself up into a sitting position, one hand rubbing his face.
As the face in front of him came further into focus he could see that while there were clearly many similarities and characteristics shared by the creature in front of him and Diego, this being was far older and a lot bigger, appearing to be 7 feet of pure muscle. Yet despite that the most striking feature of the creature before him was the utter grief leaking from every pore in its body.
Tears streaked down and matted hairy face and its whole body was hunched over, it's hands on its knees as it looked at him like both his last hope and that hope being crushed beyond repair simultaneously. Even his barely audible word caused the creature to hunch over further in pain, a keening cry coming from its mouth.
As Aarons brain began to catch up with his situation, he realized this was clearly not Diego but a relative. Most likely his father. Looking down at his arms they appeared normal, just as they were in his world, yet his clothes were the same thick green pants and white shirt that he had seen Diego wearing in that other place. His shirt was not neat and ironed like Diego's, instead it looked crumpled and wet, most likely with the tears coming from the being before him.
Looking around he noted the others looking at him with sorrow, in beautiful fancy clothing, very different from anything he had seen on Earth. Not that Aaron was a clothing expert by any means.
As one plus one began to equal two in his head, Aaron looked over at the keening creature, realizing it was in no condition to answer any questions he had and instead turned to a woman hovering nearby, looking torn between helping and not interfering in whatever was occurring here.
She was clad in velvet hues, a yellow sash over one shoulder with writing in a language Aaron could not understand immediately, when a Ding sounded in his head.
Hearing a notification like bell, his eyes opened wide as a status like box appeared before them. No matter which way he looked the words were before his gaze like they had been tattooed on his eyeballs.
Name: Aaron
Title- None
Class: ???
Level: 1
HP: 20
MP:0
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 12
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 8
Perception: 8
Passive Skills:
???,
Language Comprehension- level 10 (Inherited)
Sense Hostility- level 1
Active Skills:
Inspect- level 1
Blinking repeatedly Aaron read the words before him. So, Jarreds wish had been made for them both it seemed. Still, he needed to get a grasp of his situation and ask the question burning at the back of his mind. Seeing a small – or minimize tab in the top right hand corner Aaron focused on it for a moment and the screen shrunk down to a small green icon in the corner of his vision. A thought brought it back and minimized it again, so it was at least simple to use. Seemed like the icon would be annoying being always there, but he guessed he'd just have to get used to it.
Now that the matter was solved, Aaron's glazed eyes refocused on the nearby woman who continued to eye him with a peculiar gaze that he could not even begin to understand nor identify. With a deep breath he glanced at the weeping Wereperson, then asked his question quietly.
"Excuse me, where is Diego?"
The abject sadness that crossed her features would have been answer enough. Yet at his words the creature nearby burst into a new stream of howling tears. The silent fear in the back of his mind turned into a look of horrified realization dawning across Aaron's face as he once again looked down at the clothes he was wearing. The ones he had seen on Diego in what felt like a dream world only moments ago.
....
"They're all bastards"
Scylla's soul meeting did not go as calmly as Aaron's.
She found herself in a dank, depressed dungeon. The musky scent of body odor, mold and piss decorated what was otherwise an unremarkable, if horrific, grey bricked cell. Only a single stream of light passed through a barred window just beyond her reach as she found herself afraid and alone.
Scylla's scream echoed as the words were spoken from right behind her in a raspy voice. Turning to face the creature did nothing to contain her fright as she witnessed a short, scaley figure hunched down in the darkness. Its arms wrapped around itself as it looked up at Scylla as she backed up against the bars with bright red eyes and an angry hateful expression on her face.
"Stop screaming, you're hurting my fucking ears"
Scylla's jaw locked tight before changing from scared to angry.
"Who the fuck are you? Where am I? Why am I here?" The questions shot out and as they did Scylla ceased cowering as anger gave her courage.
"I said stop fucking screaming. It doesn't help. I'm surprised you don't know but I guess why the fuck would you?" Raelle replied angrily.
"Basically, you're here to steal my body, fuck you very much, and go save the world from Demons or whatever. Honestly, I feel like the kind of world that must sacrifice people to save it can burn for all I care, but at least this way my people can go free"
"Wait what? What about where I'm from? Fuck this just send me back!" Scylla yelled back, not interested in this otherworldly bullshit. She wasn't taking it from that asshole "God of magic" or whatever and she DEFINITELY wasn't taking it from a lizard in a dim, dreary cell.
"Yeah, sorry no can do sweetie" Raelle said with an angry flick of her matted black hair.
"Only way you get back is beating the Demon's and even then, that's only IF there really are any Gods up there and IF they don't decide to throw you away like they do everyone else. Good luck though" The ending filled with so much hateful sarcasm that Scylla flinched.
Attempting to understand she took a breath and tried to calm down.
"So, you're saying I'm apparently stealing your body and have to go fight some Demons to get home? Why don't you do it? I'll happily head back and leave the fighting to you"
"Trust me sweetie" Again with a voice dripping with malice "If that was an option, I'd gladly throw your ass out. Unfortunately, it's not on the cards so we'll just have to play the hand we're dealt"
Scylla was finding this girl more and more annoying as time went on. She was clearly still young, maybe roughly the same age as Scylla herself. But clearly this girl had more than a few chips on her shoulder.
"My name isn't 'sweetie' its Scylla"
"Hi Scylla, I'm Raelle" The lizard creature replied in a snarky tone.
"Now listen here's the deal. You can have my body, whatever I don't give a shit. But you make damn sure they follow through on their promise and release my people. Make sure they get somewhere safe where they can start their lives over again"
"You know in my world, we have words like please and thank you" Scylla replied with an equal heaping teaspoon of attitude, sick of the one she'd been receiving since being shoved in this cell with what can only be described as a teenage lizard with a stick up her ass.
"Fine. PLEASE will you save my people who have been suffering and wasting away for a decade in a tiny cell for a crime no one can remember?"
Hearing these words Scylla paled a little. Suddenly the attitude made a little more sense.
"I mean, yes of course I will"
"Good!"
The walls began to melt, and the tiny sliver of light slowly became blindingly bright until Scylla could see nothing at all.
Raelle's final words drifted to her ears as her consciousness faded.
"I'll be watching you"