The carriage wheels crunched over the gravel path as Grace gazed through the window, observing the scenery transition into a denser, taller forest, shrouded in an ethereal blue mist. Beside her, Carter was absorbed in an ancient tome, its pages on the brink of disintegration.
"What is that?" Grace broke the silence, "A map?""You would be correct, Miss Grace." He said absentmindedly as his eyes glued to the pavement.She sighed, "It's just Grace," She muttered before she quickly added, "Earlier, you said there were 'others', that are like me, were…transmigrating from my world. What happened to them?"
Carter finally tore his gaze away from the tome, "Yes, there have been others." He confirmed, "Not many, but a few over the years. Each of them, like you, possessed an innate magic that was alien to Ethyra." He sighed, "Shame, those others have refused my proposal to study them in the name of quote 'privacy and human rights' unquote."
"Sounds about right." Grace said, "But did they at least answer how they got here? And what happened to them before all this? A-And their memories, did they.."
Carter looked back at her with the same curious eyes, the kind of eyes that would search and dig and poke anyone for information, that's exactly what she was to him. She bit her back her question, "Never mind." She returned back to the window.
"I didn't get any answer," Carter said, focusing back on the map, "if I did I wouldn't have spent a fortune on you." "What a way to make a girl feel special." She spoke, barely a whisper, nevertheless, he continued. "There's a theory, well it more so believed to be a fact than anything else, is that the Goddess Aeloria has chosen specific souls and transported them here. That's why some would refer to you people as, 'Chosens'"
"Cool, and I suppose I have this unspoken destiny to save the world?" She grinned jokingly.
Carter waved his hand, "Don't be ridiculous, although, they are some instances where Chosens are to be destined for success, for example, one a young man with a talent for elemental magic, became a revered mage in the Court of Flames. Another, a woman with a knack for healing, set up a sanctuary in the Alderwood. However," He rubbed his head, "some has not ended favorably, so I suppose that theory is wrong."
Grace's smile faltered, "So much for destined for greatness." Silence stretched across the carriage once again, suddenly Grace didn't feel like adding more to the conversation than she already had. The carriage bumped, jolting them from our seats. Outside, the forest had changed; the trees were larger than any she had ever seen or remembered before. Their branches were interlaced, forming a canopy that filtered the sunlight into a pattern of greens and golds.
Carter opened the carriage door, and they stepped out into a clearing. The air was warm, scented with pine, and a hint of something akin to roasted meat.
"We walk from here," he pointed at the forest.
She stared at him skeptically, "Walk? In a forest that looks as big as the field from 'In The Tall Grass'? I don't want my head being crushed," She said half-jokingly, the other very much not.
Carter glanced back over his shoulder, "Oh, relax," he brushed off her concern with a casual flick of his hand. "I've got a copy of a map here."
"Oh well, why didn't you say so, now that's such a game changer." Carter did not look amused by her comment as he continued "This is our path," Carter's finger traced a route through the forest, bypassing the most dangerous areas but still leading through parts marked with symbols, 'Given your unique abilities. I trust we can make it through a day or two."
"Perfect." She said, "Just perfect."
***
As they traversed the uneven forest ground, Grace, battling with curiosity and skepticism, initiated another conversation.
"So you said you 'needed' me however I failed to see how my involvement is supposed to help you get this artifact."
Carter, who had been navigating through the dense foliage, stopped and turned towards her, as if weighing his response. "Your involvement," he started, "is crucial because of your unique condition. You see, the Heart of Tír na nÓg is enveloped in a magical mist, a defense mechanism set centuries ago. It renders the artifact invisible and untraceable to those of this world. But you," he paused, looking her directly in the eyes, "being from another world, are not bound by the same magical laws that govern us here."
"Okay," She rolled up her sleeves, "then gimme the map and I'll be like your lighthouse." She outstretched her arms, expecting him to drop the parchment into her hand but what she got was an unamused and almost guarded look from Carter.
"No." He shook his head, "No way." He walked away from her. She opened her mouth in distraught.
"Wha—What!?" She stumped her foot over to him, "Then how am I—?"
Carter raised a hand, cutting her off. "Listen," he said, his tone slightly less harsh, "I can't give you the map. It's too risky. But," he continued, seeing the protest forming on her lips, "I have a solution. You don't need the map to see through the mist, right? That's your unique advantage. I, on the other hand, cannot see through this magical fog. So, we will use a system."
He reached into his coat, pulling out a length of rope. "We'll tether ourselves with this. You'll lead since you can see through the mist. I'll follow with the map, guiding you verbally from a safe distance. This way, you won't get lost, and neither of us will wander into danger unnecessarily."
Grace eyed the rope, a mix of disbelief and amusement crossing her face. "You want to leash me like a dog?"
"Not a leash," Carter corrected, "a lifeline. For both of us. If something happens, we can pull each other to safety. Plus, this ensures we stay within speaking distance without risking losing sight of each other in the mist."
"I..Carter I didn't sign up for this.""Look, please. Do you have any idea what I have to go through to get this map? My only clue to getting this damned artifact for a bunch of bubble blowers?""Bubble..?" She shook her head, "You know I don't want to know, nevertheless, I still think—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a low growl rumbled through the underbrush, instantly silencing the tension between them. They froze, the forest's natural sounds morphing into a sinister quiet. A pair of luminescent eyes peered out from the shadows, fixing on them and a creature, large and feline, emerged. Its fur shimmered with an eerie glow, its muscles rippling under its skin as it stalked closer.
"Mother of all…" Grace muttered, her feet stumbling backward, what was that thing she did again? How was she even able to do that? Her mind blanked as she reached out her hands, hoping, praying something will happen like last time. As panic clouded her thoughts, she noticed Carter calmly retrieving a sleek, metallic object from his coat – a gun. He aimed it at the creature, a soft whirring sound emanating from the device as it powered up.
The creature pounced, but Carter was quicker. He fired the weapon, releasing a beam of light that transformed into a shimmering net, ensnaring the beast and bringing it to a temporary halt. Grace blinked, her whole body stilted until Carter tugged her along the path.
"Come—…won't hold it for long," Her ear barely caught his voice as they hastened down the rocky path.
Seconds..or maybe minutes later, they stopped near a lake. . Grace, heart pounding and legs barely supporting her, leaned against a nearby tree. She lifted her head and saw Carter who stood a few feet away, calmly studying his map and compass as if they hadn't just been attacked by a creature out of a nightmare. The sight of him, so composed and unbothered, made her feel so small in comparison, like Grace was the one being over dramatic for having her heart beat so fast and barely being able to stand and that 'hey this guy handles the situation so well, why couldn't you?' nagging thought.
"You..you have a gun?" Even by her ears, she sounded weak, "You…how did you get a gun? I have never, never seen a gun like that before."
Carter turned around, a smug smile playing on his lips. "Well, that's because I made it," he whipped out the gun for her to see it more clearly, its design sleek and futuristic.
The gun had a streamlined appearance, its body made of a silvery metal that gleamed under the faint light filtering through the forest canopy. Intricate engravings, reminiscent of ancient runes, adorned the barrel. The handle was wrapped in a dark, textured material that looked like it would provide a perfect grip.
With a flourish, Carter tossed the gun into the air. It spun gracefully, reflecting shards of light as it rotated. He caught it with ease. "I've been working on this for years," he so clearly boosted, "It's not just any gun. It uses a combination of Ethyrian magic and my technological expertise. Non-lethal, but it can incapacitate most creatures we encounter here."
He then continued to ramble, "I designed it to be lightweight, yet durable, able to withstand the harsh conditions of Ethyra. And, of course, it needed to be capable of handling the unique magical energies of this world. It took quite a few trials and errors to get it right, but, I think the final product turned out quite well. Oh! And I also…"
Grace just stared at him, barely listening to whatever nonsense he was saying. They were just attacked by a monster and he treated it like another stroll in the park. A weak desperate laugh almost threatens to slip out, this is insane, a dream almost. But she had the purple spots in her arm to prove it was not true, this real, her reality, her life now. But then what will she do with that? Just be on Carter's leash for all her life? Pray to the goddess up there to have a fortunate ending like the ones before her or..does she have to wait for another disaster to run over her. Run over her…
A sharp pain pierced through her head.
"̶̡̰̰͔͖̈̉́̈́̚Y̸͔̰̝̠͔͌̈͆͘͘o̴̰̩̳͎͈͊̽̆́͠υ̸̢̣̳͖͎̉̿͐̈́̈ ̶̧̛̼̺̖̝̀͛̕͝ǹ̴̛̥͚͇̗͎͗̃͂ɘ̷̨̰̬̰̜̉̊̃͊͆ɘ̷̛̹̟̬̦̭͐̎̾̉b̷̢̢͓̻̳̈́͛͑͗̈́ ̷̡͍̺͓̳̆̅̉̐͌Ɉ̴̛̛̩͙̣̠̂͗̂ͅo̵̳͕̜̦̘͗̅̈́́̚ ̶̡̘̻̗̩̅̿͒̑̃Ɉ̴̨̢̟͚͚̔̏̊͘̕ɿ̷̗͇̲̭͈͊̀̌̆͐γ̴̻̬̠̥̺̂̋̈́͝͝ ̸̣̞͓̩̳̀̈́͌͐̌ʜ̵̛͔̫̘̩͙̃̉͒̑ɒ̴̢̡͕̘̭̀͊̋̕͝ɿ̶̢͎͕̝͖̽̉̏̓͊b̵̹̞̜̪̗̾̒̈́̊̋ɘ̷̛͎̰͉̞̮̅̎́͠ɿ̵̢̬̰̜̯̽̍̋́̑,̶̢͕͍̼͇̌͌̓̌͠ ̷̝̼͍̳͈̾̒͐̆͠Ә̷̛̻̘̝̩̔̅̅͐ͅɿ̶̩̯͖͍̯̀̊̊̐͆ɒ̷̻̗̮̳̳͐͗̾̑͝ɔ̵͍͉̞̖̞̽̂͛̀̎ɘ̴̧̛̹̻̦̤̇̏̏͌,̵̺͉̙̩̱͗̀̀͗̋"̷̧̝̜̜̻̉̈́̿̚͝
Grace clutched her head, Each throb, each ache pounds on her skull, like vice tightening around it, suffocating it until–
"-ace…Grace!"
"Huh?" Suddenly she was on the ground, her knees touching the dirt and stones. She cranked her head up, and Carter was looking down at her with those concerned eyes. She doesn't know why, but she doesn't like it when he does that, especially when he doesn't know anything about what is going on with her.
And he doesn't need to.
"I'm fine." She said before he could even ask, "I just…my head was.."
"Spinning? Yeah, I know." He then crouched down next to her, "My head's been spinning ever since looking at this map." He handed it to her.
Grace's eyes widened. Hesitant but curious, Grace accepted the map, her fingers brushing against the aged parchment.
The aged parchment crackled softly as Grace's fingers traced the intricate patterns etched upon its surface. At first glance, the markings seemed like an indecipherable tangle of lines and symbols, but as her gaze lingered, details began to emerge with startling clarity.
Her brow furrowed in concentration, the world around her fading into the periphery as she zeroed in on the map. Shapes coalesced, forming recognizable landmarks – a winding river snaking through a dense forest, a jutting mountain peak piercing the horizon. Grace's fingers danced across the parchment, her mind processing and cataloging every nuance, every minute detail.
"This river here," she murmured, her voice low and focused. "It forks into three smaller streams, but only one leads directly to that mountain range." Her fingertip tapped a specific intersection on the map, the lines blurring together and reforming with each gentle tap.
Carter watched her with rapt attention, "You're certain?" he asked, leaning in to study the spot she indicated.
Grace shot him a look that bordered on withering. "Of course I'm certain." Her tone brooked no argument as she turned the map, angling it to catch the filtered sunlight. "See these markings here, along the riverbank? They're different from the rest – older, more faded. And if you follow their path…" Her fingers traced an invisible line, her eyes narrowing. "They intersect with that mountain range at a narrow pass."
A pregnant pause stretched between them as Carter digested her observations. Finally, he nodded, a slow, grudging gesture. "Well then, Miss Grace," he cleared his throat, "I see you..are..useful in more ways.." He said with great struggle."Thanks." She grinned smugly, "I have to say it's way better than putting me in a leash all day, isn't it?""Yes well..I see now that isn't the most effective way.""Mhm.." She nodded.
"Okay." He breathed as he quickly stood up, she followed suit, but this time she was leading, map in hand. Some aching feeling in her chest thinks he merely gave it to her as pity or couldn't deal with her so he distracted her. Either way, it did, and she's thankful for that at least.