Jikad pulled up his baggy trousers and stared at his legs. They were slender, short and without a single speck of testosterone in them.He used to be six foot four and would easily tower above most people before. But, ever since he got here,the only person he's been taller than was Garam.And it was only by one or two inches.
His hands travelled to his chest,it was bare and flat with a little softness.
" oh no my pecs!" Jikad cried internally at the longing memory of his once built body.
He lifted his shirt and his abs were gone too. His belly was flat not a single ridge in sight.
He grabbed his face,nose,cheeks and ears. He couldn't tell how they looked like since there was no mirror. Running a hand through his hair,he could tell that it was a tangled mess. He groaned in frustration until a soft pat on his shoulder alerted him.
"Are you okay?" Garam asked wearing a worried expression. Jikad suddenly grabbed his shoulders
"You! how,how do I look like?" He asked frantically shaking Garam's shoulders.
"I,I don't kn-"
"My eyes! what do they look like!? Please tell me I at least have my glorious beautiful emerald eyes!"
"um- yes they're green" Garam answered his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Huuuu!" Jikad sighed relief washing over him.
" poor boy, loosing his mind at such a young age- tsk!" An elderly man on the opposite side of the cart said shaking his head.
Jikad realized he had yet again caused another scene. He slowly released Garam's shoulders cringing at the awkward atmosphere he had created.
Still, he had discovered that he did not look like he did before.' no wonder everyone was tosing me around ' Jikad recalled the angry bald man. He was sure that if he was in his previous body, that knight would not have dared to manhandle him as he did before.
Now he was an entire foot shorter than his original height.Jikad guessed his height to be about five foot six or so.
'i can't believe it took me this long to realize '
Jikad turned to look at Garam who was also coincidentally staring at him.
"I'm not crazy by the way" Jikad stated. He saw it necessary to at least clear his name to Garam.
"What's you name?" Garam asked changing the topic.Jikad blinked taken aback. He was not used to introducing himself since normally people always knew him wherever he went.
"oh-erm.. it Jikad" He scratched his neck a little embarrassed for not introducing himself earlier.
"Jikad" Garam repeated slowly. Jikad figured that Garam probably found the name strange.
"Celebrities have a habit of giving weird names to their kids" Jikad flashed him a sheepish smile."My mother was a famous singer."
Garam slowly nodded wondering how Jikad ended up as a peasant if his mother was a famous performer. His ears were also keen and caught on to the ' was' in his statement. He wanted to ask if she didn't sing anymore but his eyes glanced at the bander on Jikad's wrist and decided not to.
The last thing he wanted was bring up a painful memory to this poor guy who was already unwell, mentally.
The sky was clear with a few scattered clouds. The sun was at it's apex so it was apparent that it was midday. Jikad's stomach growled loudly drawing the attention of the other passengers again.
"it's not my fault I'm hungry" He grumbled to himself. The last time he had eaten was at his hotel room and he couldn't tell how much time had passed since then.
"We're almost at the business district" Garam assured.
Jikad looked ahead and true to Garam's words there were buildings emerging ahead of them. The cart rattled as the road transitioned from earthy to cobblestone.
The kingdom of Sagia, Garam had called it. The name still didn't ring a bell to Jikad.The more he stayed here the more sure he was that he had never read or seen such a story. One in the middle of a religious war at that.Those had ended almost centuries ago in the world where Jikad was from.
He knew that this place wasn't as developed as the mordern world given even their roads had not been tarmarked.A clear sign that cars had not been invented here.
Well wherever this was,Jikad had already decided he didn't want to be here anymore.He had to find a way to go back to his original world but before that,he had to have lunch. They slowly approached the throng of buildings that were surprisingly taller than Jikad had expected them to be. They were about fivestoryshigh and closely knitted that they blocked the sun ,so it was a bit chilly.
The road that passed between these buildings was dirty to say the least. A pungent smell of rotting flesh hit Jikad's nostrils forcing him to cover his nose.
There were puddles of water so dirty it looked dark.The potholes after every few meters made the cart wobble from time to time splashing the dirty water. Trash or what Jikad assumed was trash covered the edges of the road narrowing it and making it even harder to avoid the potholes. There was a distance buzzing indicating the dense population of flies.
A single drop of water landed on the cart floor and Jikad looked above wondering if it was raining. To his surprise, there were clothes hanging from multiple lines connecting the buildings.
'People live in a place like this?' He thought to himself in awe. This place which was no different from a sewer,was infact a residential area.
The buildings themselves looked as if they would collapse any moment with the deep cracks and crevices on the walls.
Shockingly, the other passenger didn't seem fazed at all. It was as if this was nothing out of the ordinary for them. Jikad turned to Garam who also seemed to be as unfazed as the rest.
'Am I the only one smelling/seeing this?'
Jikad wondered if it was a side effect of entering the story. It seemed that the more deeper they moved the darker it got and the more pungent it became. They travelled like that for abut thirty minutes going deeper and deeper.
"erg"Jikad pulled his shirt and used it to pinch his nose shut.
Garam had called it the business district but this was far from what Jikad had expected.
"Garam where the hell are we? the sewer district?" Jikad glanced at Garam who made him realize how dark it had gotten since he couldn't clearly see his face.
Garam didn't answer and seemed focused on something ahead of them.
"Garam?" Jikad was still covering his nose with his shirt. Jikad wanted to call him again but caught the serious look on his face.
"Bandits"
Garam uttered in a low tone frowning.Jikads eyes snapped ahead of them where Garam had been staring at.
In the darkened street ahead of them, Jikad made out the huge shape of a man. Even from a far,Jikad could tell that he was huge. The cart continued forward in the same slow pace it was moving on before.
Two other men emerged from behind a building a head of them and about three others from the building across it. All of them were huge but not as the bulky as the one standing in the middle of the road.
'Am I actually cursed?' Jikad eyes caught something glinting in the men's hands, Daggers. Jikad breath hitched and it wasn't because of the horrible smell in that dingy street. He could hardly smell it anymore.
"What do we do?" He whispered to Garam instinctively inching closer towards him.
"Quiet!" A harsh whisper came from the man sitted across them. It seemed that the other passengers had also caught on to their current situation. A little girl clung to her mother as if she knew what was to come next.
Other men slowly emerged from the shadows on each side of the road. They were all huge.
'What the hell do they feed people in this place?!'
The cart rolled into a halt Infront of the first mountain of a man.Now that he was closer,Jikad could tell that he was about seven feet tall.He had long wild red hair that was tied back and fell all the way past his shoulders. As if being ridiculously tall was not enough, he had biceps as if he benched rhinos in his free time.He had the built of an athlete gladiator.
His eyebrows were bushy and thick with a scar on left one. His face has hard and chiseled resembling the warriors in Greek mythology.
Though unlike them,his face was clean shaven without a beard. He had a confident smirk on his face which reasonably,anyone with that build would have. The huge sword on his hand was barely necessary,he was already intimidating without it.His outfit which looked more of a gear was comprised of a black shirt that stretched on his broad chest.A belt tied on his toned abdomen that Jikad assumed held the sword's sheath as well as another belt on his torso that was strapped to a dagger.
His toned long legs were covered in a black trouser that also had a few straps around the thighs that held small bags.
His features were sharp enough to be considered handsome and his tanned almond skin gave him an indeginous appeal. Even so,his aura was anything but welcoming. From his demeanor it was apparent that he was used to asserting fear and dominance to all those he came across.
It went without saying that he was definitely their leader.
"Alright people, you know the drill" He said tapping his sword lightly on his shoulder "Cough up the passage fee and we'll let you be on your way"
His words and tone were playful enough to make someone drop their guard but his eyes said otherwise.
There were a few Snickers from the other bandits.
"Yer heard the boss"
"ey' just do as we say an' nobody gets hurt alrighty?"
Jikad was sure he'd now seen it all in this place.'Daytime robbery?' He could hardly believe it. But he was a bit relieved that they at least seemed like regular thugs who just wanted cash and nothing else. So it meant as long as he gave them money,they'd let him go. And Jikad had all the money he wanted. As a billionaire's son, even a few millions was just chump change to him.
In high spirits,Jikad patted on the side of his leg and was surprised to find no pocket. He searched his other side and there wasn't
any either. There definitely wasn't any money hidden in the worn out sandals he was wearing either.His baggy shirt was also too light to be carrying anything of worth. Jikad was confused since he always made sure to carry some cash in his wallet. But now he neither had the wallet nor the cash.
The only thing on him was the yellow bander for disabled people and Jikad doubted it was actually valuable. Suddenly an idea came to him, leaning closer to Garam he whispered in a low tone
"Can I borrow some cash? I'll pay you back later" He was confident that Garam would at least help him out. He was the only person who had been doing so ever since Jikad came to this place.
'I'm sure Garam's a good guy so he'll definitely-
"I don't have any money."
"..."
They stared blankly at each other for a while.
"What about jewelry? maybe a watch or-
"I'm poor."
"....."
"Not even a penny?"
Garam shook his head with a sincere expression.
' That poor?' Jikad wondered .
"Hup!" A bandit hauled himself into the cart and landed with a thud.He retrieved a leather bag which he opened. He walked to the front of the cart and stood in front of the elderly man.
Jikad was at least relived that he wasn't the first one was aware that it'd be his turn soon.
"Ey'! Start running yer pockets!"
"Oh dear" The old man tremblingly perused through his old coat covered in patches. He removed some a worn out pouch which jingled indicating that it had some coins.
He nervously tried to open it but it was quickly snatched from him and tossed in the leather bag.
"We don't 'ave all day old geezer!"
The bandit progressed to the person next to him.
"Garam what are we going t-
Thunk!
"Ey'! Quit yappin!"
Another bandit slammed his sword on the cart's side making Jikad to flinch. Jikad clammed his mouth shut not wanting to bring trouble to himself. After a few people had been run through the bandit paused Infront of a young lady.
" Huh?what did you say?" The bandit collecting the money asked leaning towards the clearly frightened woman.
"I-I,I d-do-
"Speak up lady!"
The woman jumped at the sudden shriek looking as if she was about to cry.
"I have,have n-no m-money-y"