As I sat there, mostly naked, and still dripping seawater from my damp hair, trying to figure out what just happened and what that thing was, I was suddenly surrounded by men in armor pointing spears at me.
"Uhh, hello! Those are particularly sharp, and I'm particularly defenseless. Please don't stab me." I attempted to make light of it in hopes of calming them down, but they all seemed to tense in suspicion. " It didn't help that I was probably pale as death and ice cold from fear.
Someone said something, in some language I have never heard before. Hell, it didn't even sound like any language on Earth.
"Uhh, pardon?" I asked, confused. Where am I?
There was a long-suffering sigh from the one with a big red symbol on his chest piece, before he grabbed me by the arm, hauled me up, and said something to the rest of them. I was in too much shock to struggle.
"Wait, did I say something?" He had to be in charge, right? He wasn't going to do anything weird, right?
He didn't answer me, grumbling under his breath, as he started dragging me along by my upper arm. Unfortunately, my bare feet made walking at that pace more than just a little bit difficult. I stumbled as I walked, stepping on rocks and cobbles on the street alike.
"Wait-" I gasped out, "I don't have shoes."
My plea was ignored entirely as he kept walking through the streets, basically dragging me along by my arm, with some unknown destination in mind. Coming to the conclusion that he just didn't understand a word of what I was saying, I decided to stop trying to communicate with him for the moment.
At this point I looked around and realized that there were many men on the street eying me like wolves stalking a sheep. A couple of them called after me with varying degrees of lewdness in their tones. I immediately came to the conclusion that I was very glad I couldn't understand them. I tried in vain to cover myself a bit, but who would have guessed that I'd be dropped into some unknown destination in nothing but the two piece bikini that I had bought for the trip to the beach? There was hardly enough fabric to cover anything, and my one free arm definitely was not enough to make a difference.
His steps lengthened as he hurried us along, and I realized he was leading me to a tower.
It was very large, several stories tall and somewhat crooked in it's build. It seemed like the kind of place someone important would live. I gaped at it for a moment, before the man tightened his grip on my arm and started climbing.
The steps leading to the landing were at least smooth and were easier to walk across. He led me to the door and used the intricate shining brass knocker on the imposing, ornate, enormous door. Had I had a moment to think, I'd have guessed that it would take multiple men to open it, or some mechanical device.
I did not expect a much smaller door to open in the door itself, letting an old woman in a long plain dress come into view.
She said something that sounded like a question to the man with me, to which he answered gruffly. It looked like they knew each other. Nodding, she went back in, and then came out with a bundle of cloth. She handed it to me with a smile and said something that sounded like it was meant to be kind, so I smiled and took it. Nodding like she had done something good, she turned back towards the tower door and said something again to the man, who answered, as she went back in.
Looking at the bundle of cloth in my hands, I realized that they were dealing with my state of undress. I unraveled the bundle and found a cotton dress, an apron, and a simple pair of cloth shoes, as well as a simple comb. I threw on the dress and used the apron to secure it in place, and put the shoes on, quickly. They were a little big, but not so much that it was a problem. I then quickly got to work on the mess of wet tangles that was my hair. I'd never used a wooden comb before, and it was awkward in my hands, but I did what I could.
As I finished dressing the old woman opened the door again. She spoke again, and moved to let us into the building. The man grabbed my arm again, and led me through. When the old woman saw his hand on me, she frowned and said something sharply, at which, the man flinched and released my arm. Smiling at me, the old woman took my hand, and began leading me through the building.
I looked around me in awe. Aside from the very old beautiful furniture, there were many items I couldn't guess the purpose of. Orbs, candles, jars with various dried goods, bundles of plants and grasses hanging from the ceiling and walls, decanters of strange liquids and gels, as well as jars full of things that looked like frog eggs and moss.
I was led up some stairs, and through a room that was an enormous library, full of huge tomes and scrolls and tapestries hanging from the walls. Another set of stairs led us past a room with various caged animals, including a couple of aquariums of fish and other creatures I'd never heard of.
In the center of the room was a glowing circle with some sort of intricate design on it and some little creatures that looked like imps inside the circle. I'd seen enough TV to know a magic circle when I saw one, but all of those shows were fictional and CGI and those imps were way too lifelike to be a hologram or anything. It was then that I realized "I'm definitely not on Earth anymore."
Another set of stairs brought us to a room filled with items that looked like they belonged in a museum, and maybe, in this world, this qualified. The items were all old and dusty, made of tarnished silver, brass, and gold, as well as various wooden items. From furniture to taxidermied animals, to mirrors, jewelry, orbs, and watches. The room was packed with items that looked like they had needed a good cleaning for years.
The final staircase led to a sitting room. The stuffed armchairs looked plush and soft, and I longed to sit after everything I had endured up to that point. However, we were led past the sitting room and into an office. There, sitting behind an ornate, polished wooden desk was a man who appeared to be in his thirties.
The armored man who had led me to the tower said something to the man behind the desk, who looked at him in surprise and then me in interest.
"Umm, hello?" I tried, hoping that he might understand me.
His eyebrows shot up, jaw dropping a bit. "Abyssal?" he said to himself, his tone unrecognizable.
"Excuse me?" I asked, wondering what he meant.
"The language," he clarified, then said something to the armored man once more, who gave an odd salute and strode out of the room once more.
"Now, young lady, exactly who are you and where are you from? I hear you caused quite a ruckus popping into our town in naught but the barest coverings, and then I find that you speak Abyssal."
"I'm so confused," I stated, tears finally coming to my eyes, "Where the hell even am I?!"
With more patience than I could have mustered, he calmly stated, "You are in the city of Wellicas, in the country of Illiel, in the Material Plane, on the world of Othlonel. Now, strange traveller, where are you -from-?"