1 Chapter 1: Useless.

On the edge of a cliff, a silhouette of a tall man stands, arms stretched out widely as he soaks in the setting sun, behind him, a densely packed and flourishing forest.

"This is the life right Damage!"

"Awoo! Awoof!"

The man looks downwards and to the left, to a service dog sitting at his feet.

It was a German Shepard decked out in the latest tactical service dog harness and vest.

His tail was wagging happily but was still alert and attentive.

The man lifted his shades showing, scaring, around both eyes and his greyed out pupils.

This man is Alexander Hunt, he was once an army medic, however, during his last tour there was a devastating attack and explosion in the green zone which caused him to loose his sight.

All of that was three years ago. In that time, he'd been training and working with Damage, the dog next to him, into the best service dog he could while strengthening their bond.

The pair were both in the forest behind his home doing outdoor exercises and training while also testing out the latest tactical vest for military dogs that had recently been given to him by an old army buddy of his.

This was a no rub rig that had four ergonomic grips and the rig was made entirely with woven Kevlar as were the pouches, packs, pockets and holsters that gave the rig a robustness unlike the others of its kind.

Sensing no stress or discomfort from Damage himself, Xander seemed to understand the rig to be of a very comfortable design overall.

"Well I've seen enough!"

"Awooo!?"

"Haha, Ah if you really understood me you'd get the joke. Well, let's head back home shall we."

"Woof awoof!"

Damaged barked softly as Xander quipped.

Xander affixed his dark shades then reached out his hand. Damage stood up and walked closer to the out stretched hand until Xander felt the carbon bridge handle hit the tips of his fingers.

Xander adjusted the hikers backpack on his back and set off for the three hour walk home.

However, only having taken three or so steps, he felt a strange pressure fall over him. After a few seconds he started feeling queasy.

If he still had vision he would have seen a tear in the space in front of him that both he and Damage had walked through.

Damage had tried to back out but the force pulling them both forwards was too fast.

All of a sudden, Xander could feel his chest tightening as his insides felt as if they were being twisted violently.

Xander managed to hold all the contents of his stomach in, as he gulped hard.

Xander grabbed his water bottle uncapped it and drank in small sips. He then gave a series of whistles and cupped his hand and let the water run and pool in his palm.

He felt Damages snout then tongue lapping at his wet palm. Damage tapped the ground twice causing Xander to stop his action.

"Hmm, what the hell was all that then!?"

Xander said out loud. Suddenly he heard a series of sounds that sounded metallic in nature coming towards him.

"Oh, metal, here!? The reverb and resonance is all wrong for the forest, am I not in their anymore?"

He recognised the cadence as marching. He was right, at this moment he was no longer in the forest behind his home, he was in another world.

The sound Xander was hearing was exactly that what he was imagining, they were armoured knights.

Damage started barking, Xander frowns as he heard a youngish voice,

"Hey do you know what's happening?"

Xander turned to his right with a cocked head as that was the direction of the young voice he heard.

"An Englishman?"

Xander thought to himself as he heard the distinctive accent.

"No idea, I can't even see you!"

"Ah! . . Oh you're blind. Apologies."

"Mhm, so tell me, how'd you get to this part of the forest?"

"Forest!? . . Ah that's right you're blind."

" . . . "

"I don't know how to say this but we're in no forest, this looks like a castle or something close to it."

"Huh!?"

The young voice then explains the rest of their new surroundings.

"It's like a huge hall, a huge midieval type hall."

"Ah wait you're blind, you probably don't know what a medieval hall or castle looks like right!?"

"I've only been blind for three years, I wasn't born blind."

"Ah right, well yeah that's about it. Ah! There are three others with us but they seem to be unconscious, two women and another man,"

Xander nodded then asked about the metal sound,

"I don't know I don't see anything, maybe you're still disoriented or something."

"Maybe,"

Xander knew what he heard and could still hear it and it was getting louder. He thought maybe his senses became more heightened due to what's happening.

"I'm Xander by the way, and this is my service dog Damage."

"I'm Jared, Jared White,"

"Jared, where are you from? What were you doing?"

"I live in Derbyshire, England. I was just about to head home from work, I went to the loo first and when I entered the stall I found myself here lying in my own vomit."

" . . . "

"And you? . . "

"For me, Vermont. I was in the woods located behind my property doing some outdoor training with Damage here, then on my way back home I felt a little off kilter and here we are."

"Vermont!? Is that in Canada!?"

" . . Close but no,"

"Oh sorry, I was just guessing because of the winter gear you're wearing,"

"Yeah no problem."

Suddenly a large door opened and scores of soldiers decked in armour entered followed by a group of wizened men and then an elderly man and a young woman dressed differently from the rest.

Jared started describing what he was seeing.

"Wizards, clergymen, armoured soldiers, a pretty young woman and an old looking guy!?"

"Woah! Are we in Camelot!?"

"I think so?"

Jared detailed as much as he could to Xander, before he was yelled at by a man leading the soldiers.

"Shut your mouths! You are in the presence of his royal majesty, King Artis Vvan of Sirena."

"Huh what language is that!?"

Jared mumbled, Xander frowned, he only frown because he could understand every word but it seemed Jared had no idea what was being said.

"Don't stop, if they're the ones that brought us here then they need us for something. So what else do you see?"

Jared shook his head then whispered back to Xander,

"Um . . I see a long metal pointed spear aiming at my throat."

"Oh! We best do as they say then,"

Xander thought to himself then whispered to Jared to stop talking. Jared said nothing in reply, understanding enough.

Soon Xander heard a withered voice as Jared looked on.

"Useless, useless, hmm, this one seems okay, he has a lot of power within him, as for the two standing they're both useless, the one with the animal has no sight at all my king."

"So the summoning was a failure! Damnable idiots! Two hundred years! two hundred! All of that spent collecting resources and this is the result!?"

"Stow you're anger my king, this one here shows extreme promise, we can coax him with treasures and such, build his ego and have him destroy our enemies!"

"Hmph! Fine, sell the women to any of the high end brothels, that fat one can go to the mines in Gustan and that blind one can be dropped off at Tourrin Village on the way back to the capital."

"The cursed village of Tourrin!?

"We'll need to collect more resources from those idiots at Tourrin due to this failure, and for that pretence, goad them. Just tell them that he's the summoned hero that I've sent to rid them of the curse. I don't care either way if he can or not, if he does that would bode well for me, if not we can blame it all on him and still get the resources we need as they'll see I'm trying my best to help them also. It's a win win for me Hahaha!"

"Yes my king."

Xander frowns after hearing the conversation between the king and one of his loyal subjects, he lowered his voice and asked,

"Hey Jared by chance are you on the weighty side!?"

"Ah yeah! I'm quite large, How'd you know?"

"It seems they want to get rid of us and the two women. The other guy is the only one they want to keep."

"What! Yo screw that! . . Wait a minute, how'd you know? Do you know what they're talking about?"

"Mhm, I was in the Army, I was an army medic so I learnt plenty of languages."

Xander says, he actually didn't know how to tell Jared that he had no idea how he could somehow understand this foreign language.

"Father, I want the two women for myself, I've some spare slaving collars on hand, please leave them to me."

"Mhm alright."

"Who was that!?"

"It was the guy that shouted at me earlier,"

"Oh, remember his face he's the king's son, he wants to take the two women for himself."

Jared turns to the king's son in disgust, he could see the lecherous look in his eyes and on his face,

"He looks like the scummy type, now that you mentioned it, his rat looking face and that huge mole above his right eye, it's like he's the spitting image of the king guy."

Xander committed the details to memory, then whispered that they planned to send him into some mine called Gustan to work, while he himself will be heading to some cursed village called Tourrin.

"Oh mighty heroes from afar, this humble princess welcomes you to our world. We ask that you lend us your strength in our time of need, in return you shall be rewarded with riches beyond compare, a life of luxury and of course for you heroes all your desires shall be at the tips of your fingers."

Xander and Jared froze, Jared turns to Xander and asked,

"Brother, was that princess speaking English just now?"

"I believe so,"

"Don't let on that we know about what they were talking about earlier."

"Right, I almost forgot about that,"

"Haaa! Let's good cop, bad cop them for information,"

"Alright I'll go good, you can be the "I hate the world because I've lost my sight!" Guy okay!?"

"Tsk! Why can't you be the "I hate the world because I don't have an awesome dog like Damage!" Guy!?"

"Hmm maybe because I like cats better, so I'll be the good guy because I like cats, you'll be the bad guy because you like dogs . . Plus you hate the world because you lost your sight!"

"Haha, alright,"

Jared nods and quickly adopted a respectful and a somewhat relieved expression on his face as he turns to the princess,

"Princess it's truly an honour, I was getting worried we'd have a problem communicating. I have a few questions if you will,"

"Of course, how may we be of service!"

"Why are we here? And where is here?"

"Ah, all of this will be explained to each individual at a latter time, right now you've seem to be experiencing some slight discomfort, but since time is of the essence we would like to send you all to designated areas to aid in our efforts against an evil enemy so I ask . . ,"

"Huh!? Piss off! Why should we help you!? I don't need money I've more than I could spend if I live my life 100 times over. Listen girly, just send me home!"

Xander shouted out angrily, some of the soldiers readied their weapons to attack but were all waved off by the princess.

"Unfortunately hero, we are unable to do so, this is why we've offered such a lavish reward for your aid."

"What! Why can't you send us back you brought us here!"

"Well since you really want to go back we can send you to Tourrin village, it's were we gather some of the resources to summon you, if you want to go back to your world that's the only place I can send you but I can't promise you anything but if there's a way then the village is still your best shot."

"So we really can't go back at all,"

"I'm sorry but we really can't send you back, we don't know how, even summoning heroes, this is a first in the history of this world,"

"But you speak our language how is that if we're the first!?"

"Ah it's because I have an ability that allows me to do so. I ask that you trust us and if you aid us you'll be duly rewarded for your efforts."

"Then can I go with him to Tourrin Village also, if there's a chance I'd like to find away home also. I figure those three there would be of the same mind."

"I'm sorry our resources are thin at the moment because we're fighting against the demons, so if you can all follow these people here we'll lead you to where you need to be,"

"Huh!? So where are you sending me to? Are saying I'd have to go even if I don't want to?"

"We'll ask if you can go with these people to Gustan, you'll be well suited there, and it's away from the frontlines so you'll be safe there, as for the others we'll discuss it with them once they have roused from their unconsciousness."

" . . . "

Both Jared and Xander were going over what the princess just said, Jared started mumbling to himself,

"Abilities, powers, demons, this is a fantasy world with swords and magic."

"Bro, I don't want to go to some mine, sorry but every man for himself,"

"Jared! what are saying? Speak up a little more!?"

Jared said nothing more and approached the princess and whispered,

"Princess, I don't feel like going to some crappy mine, although I've no ability like him, I have knowledge that would benefit all of us. Send the angry blind guy to that cursed village and I'll offer you my knowledge in return for your rewards."

The princess was shocked at first to hear what Jared was saying,

"So he knows about the mines and the village, did he understand what we were all talking about!?"

The princess thought to herself, she looked over the others then back to Jared and nodded her approval.

"Alright deal,"