Kearan entered the small shack taking in its contents curiously. Along the left wall were wooden crates and rucksacks of various sizes, most likely for supplies. Along the right wall were two cots rolled out with large traveller packs next to them, and the far wall was mostly empty except for a few chairs. The chairs were next to a fireplace that sat smoldering in the right corner. Above the embers was a black cooking pot that hung from a metal bar resting in the middle of the chimney chute.
All in all it was a bare place, but it gave off a comfortable feeling. The burly man set his axe against the wall near the larger cot, which was obviously his. While the woman removed her quiver and threw it, along with her bow, unceremoniously onto the smaller cot.
"My name is Celeste and he is Draymarc. They keep extra clothes in the crate, and it seems you need some, so give me a minute to find something about your size" Celeste said this while heading towards the right side of the building.
Draymarc plopped down on his cot, still within arms reach of his axe, and quickly filled the silence. "You're a lucky man Kearan. The Explorer's League just finished clearing the whole outer edge of this forest so we can expand the Red Wheat town border. If you were out there just 2 days earlier you would have been monster food in this forest. The Bloodless Viel is no place for a noble like yourself, especially without any guards." Kearan was looking at Draymarc in clear confusion wondering if they thought he was part of their little game, or campaign, or whatever they are called. When he was about to reply, he saw a wad of clothes flying at him from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to catch it and failed miserably as a shirt stuck on his head and the rest fell on the floor. This was all owed to his 'amazing' reflexes. Kearan heard the two laugh heartily and his face was a little red when he retrieved the fallen items.
"Take those and go wash yourself in the river. No offense but you stink. There is a large group of rocks a little further up stream so you can avoid being caked in mud when you finish. We'll talk when you get back" Celeste's voice was commanding but softened a little as she took in his raggedy appearance. Kearan nodded and mumbled his thanks before leaving the shack.
As the door closed Draymarc turned to the Celeste with a questioning look "What are you thinking boss? I almost confirmed if he was a noble or not." Celeste just shook her head before replying "No, he looked genuinely confused. So he is either a really good actor, or he isn't a noble like we assumed. I also confirmed he wasn't any type of warrior with those crap reflexes. In fact the more I think about it he seems to fit another role much better." Draymarc was still confused as he considered her words, so Celeste just sighed and explained. "He is extremely handsome without scars or calluses. His looks are slightly feminine, combined with his thin clothing and lean non-muscular figure. The guy might just be some high grade prostitute." Clesete said all this matter of factly and Draymarc couldnt help laughing. "Damn boss, didn't know you frequented such places and have such an intimate knowledge of the 'goods'." Celeste's face went slightly red before she called him a bunch of unflattering name's.
As Draymarc's laughter died down they both looked serious again. "So seriously, whats the plan?" Celeste looked a little upset but her eyes were full of desperation and determination. "Either noble or prostitute, the cult here in the outer forest will pay good money for such quality goods. You know I need that money. So once we confirm wether or not he could bring any unwanted attention upon us, we will make the final decision." Draymarc looked at her with understanding. "I chose to follow you boss. Whatever you decide I will back you up. I know you need it and I will not condemn you for it. Your sister needs that medicine, so I say we do it." After Draymarc's little speech Celeste smiled warmly and a little sadly "thank you, Draymarc".
..............
Kearan found the spot Celeste was talking about and removed his pajamas. The water was shallow and very clear. He could see tiny schools of minnow's. The bottom filled with fine weather worn rocks and sediment. He waded out to chest height and without soap he had to put in extra effort to make sure he was thoroughly clean, before stepping out of the water. Kearan felt absolutely fantastic without all the sweat and grime he had accumulated throughout the day. He sat on a large rock to dry a little before clothing himself. It was there, as the sun set over the horizon, that Kearan witnessed the final nail in his coffin.
Two moons started to rise, one in the east and the other in the west, above the skyline. One was large and glowing blue. It was not at all like the moon he was used too, as it had large bodies of what appeared to be water, and swathes of green that could be plant life. It looked as beautiful, if not more so, as the space photos of Earth. It was like a miniature paradise floating in the sky and glowing bright blue. The other moon was slightly smaller and glowing a vibrant red. From what he could see of the surface, it was black and crystalline almost like volcanic glass. Without the different colors of the other moon, it was hard to really differentiate what was on the surface of the scary looking moon. Kearan stared at them in awe.
Despite what one would expect, Kearan didn't freak out or have any extreme emotional outbursts. No, he was just hit in the face with the cold, hard, truth. As the fact of his new reality settled, he started to go over everything again since he seemingly woke up and had the weird dream. From there he thoroughly analyzed the truth and he couldnt help but start to cry a little. His possessions may have just been material, but they contained his memories and emotions over the course of his life. He cried for a minute or so silently, while staring at nothing in particular.
This actually helped him calm down and come to terms with his new life. He was even starting to remember his slight breakdown when he first met Celeste and Draymarc. 'So I really am in a different world. Brought here by some kind of department? Atleast according to that original male voice. I can't go home anymore.' Kearan sighed and felt a wave of melancholy wash over him. He did not have anything except his pajamas from his original world and he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could ever make it back. Something like that would require means far beyond his own and he wasn't ambitious enough to try. No he would have to except his life here and rebuild once again. 'On the bright side nobody knows who I am here I won't have to hide from the nosy neighbors or endure the hard stares of everyone in town. I may have been enjoying the routine I had built lately, but who knows I might have fun here? I will miss my things and especially the photos of my family but, just like my counselor said, I need to face the truth head on and I will no longer have anything to hide from or fear. Yeah I mean I'm in a different world. So far all I know is that it seems to be in the Medievil type of time period and there are monsters. This could be awesome! Adventure? Dungeon crawling? Elf and cat girls!? Dragons? ELF AND CAT GIRLS!!!!??'
Kearans excitement started to build and build as he was starting to completely forget his previous hollow self, but before too long reality set in once again. He had seen the movies, read the books, and he knew he wasn't cut out for something like this. He stopped paying attention to school his junior year of high school after the incident. While he was plenty intelligent, Kearan had no practical knowledge of survival or fighting. That combined with his perpetual lack of motivation or willpower despite his so called Mental Resilience, means his future wasn't looking bright. Kearan was confronted with another hard truth right then, he didn't want to die. After all the misery he had endured. All the bitching and moaning about the unfairness of life. He truly did not want to die, which is quite strange when you think about how much death he has been surrounded by in his life. You would think someone who had such a close relationship with death wouldn't fear it, but death frankly terrified him. This still did not make the whole survival and training montage he saw coming any more appealing.
Kearan just hoped they had a somewhat civilized society on this planet. That was well protected from the so called monsters. With the skill Advanced Knowledge perhaps he could work as a clerk? Yeah that might work.
With those thoughts bouncing around in his head. Kearan stood up and headed to his clothes, seemingly free from his previous bouts of insanity that had haunted him the past six hours.