Magic

After dinner, Marcus took his borrowed woolen blanket to the hay shed. He grabbed the pitchfork and started stabbing the hay bales in a haphazard pattern. After not seeing any mice or other unsavory occupants, he started to make his bed for the night.

Smoothing out his blanket in the corner of the shed. Fluffing up the hay underneath to provide the maximum amount of cushion, Marcus laid down. Staring at the thatched ceiling, Marcus started to ruminate over everything Issac had told him at dinner.

Apparently he was in the New World. A continent discovered by the Carnova Empire. The Carnova Empire was the main force on the Osperia continent. Controlling more than two-thirds of the landmass. It did control more, but has been on the decline since some two-hundred years ago, due to too fast of an expansion.

About sixty years ago, this New World was discovered by the Empire. Of course they named it the continent of Carnova. Apparently they are a very humble empire. Due to the desire of new found wealth, they of course started to send over explorers and colonists.

The voyage is very long and harsh. Due to the sometimes extreme weather, only about seventy-five percent of the ships make it to the New World. The city of Jakarta was founded not long after the first colonists arrived on this new land. Being the first means that it is also the largest city.

Situated on the eastern coast, Jakarta enjoys a rich fishing industry. It also has a booming mining industry due to the mountains about a days travel north-west of the city. In the mountains they mine precious metals that they send back to the Empire. They also mine iron, copper, and tin as well.

The fish, they send to the other smaller cities dotted on the land. The next biggest city is Rosevalley, named for it being located in a fertile valley nestled between two mountain ranges; and for the man that founded it, Artenial Rose. He later died while exploring the Frontier.

Rosevalley is the closest city to the Frontier. The Frontier is what people call the unexplored area of the New World. Filled with wild beasts, dangerous terrain, and unfathomable riches just waiting to be discovered. Many people try their luck exploring the unknown, and many people die doing it.

Issac's farm is located about two-hundred and fifty miles east of Rosevalley. About thirty-five miles south-west of Jakarta. The area is fairly safe due to the regular patrols of the Knights Squad. The Knights Squad is composed of five-hundred knights, all of varying strength, split into groups of fifty knights. Each group, but one, is on constant patrol through the explored areas of the New World in order to keep the peace and to quell any beasts that might threaten the populace. The one group not on patrol switches out with the other groups every month in order for the other groups to have time to rest.

Still, there are instances of beasts attacking people and livestock. As Issac said before, griffins are a pretty big threat to his goats. There have even been reports of people spotting dragons flying high in the sky. Luckily there hasn't been any casualties due to dragon attacks. Back in the Empire, such beasts are actually rare. Over the course of several thousand years, most beasts have been hunted towards extinction. The only time most people would have a chance to see them is when the traveling circus would come into the bigger cities.

With death defying acrobatics, feats of extreme skill, and rare fantastical beasts, the circus is one of the most popular pastimes in the Empire. The greatest pastime is the Coliseum. Most battles in the Coliseum aren't battles to the death, but deaths do happen. Most gladiators use blunted weapons and choreographed fights to provide maximum entertainment. Think of it as this world's WWE. Gladiators are highly paid, so of course they wouldn't want to die or suffer too serious of injuries.

The currency is pretty straightforward; there's half-copper, copper, half-silver, silver, half-gold, and gold coins. Half-copper is the same as fifty cents, copper is a dollar. There are one-hundred coppers in a silver, half that for a half-silver. One hundred silvers for a gold coin, half that for a half-gold. There is also something called The Empires Promise, basically it's like a check, only merchants and nobles use those for larger sums of money.

Marcus was always a man of logic, he never really bought into religion in any meaningful way. He would always trust the word of a scientist over that of a preacher. Still, he was having a hard time coming to grips with his current situation. If he had to make sense of what was going on he'd be a subscriber to the scientific theory of parallel universes. There could be worlds exactly like his with only very minute differences, or there could be worlds like this. Worlds completely different from what he knew. He just didn't know how he got here, or why. He didn't see any diety, talk to any God. He just woke up in the middle of a pasture, half naked and confused.

Silently accepting his predicament, and with a heavy heart, Marcus closed his eyes and slept a dreamless sleep.

...…

As the sun started to peak over the horizon, and the world was waking from its slumber; Marcus was still dead asleep. He was exhausted from all that had happened the day before. As he was sleeping, a green goat was eyeing the pattern of his pants. Nimbly approaching it's breakfast, the goat started to nibble on the cuff of his pants. Tugging in order to get more into its mouth, it bleated in frustration.

Startling awake, Marcus spotted the green goat making a meal of his pants. With a curse, he kicked at it's head. Knocking it silly, the goat stumbled and ran out of the shed, yelling in protest.

"Damn stupid goat, that's my only pair of pants I got."

Standing, Marcus made his way outside. Looking at the pinks and purples of the horizon, taking in the beauty, Marcus stretched his back.

He made his way to the well that wasn't too far from the house to get some water. At the well already, was Mary, collecting water in order to make breakfast.

"Did you sleep well? I know it mustn't have been too comfortable in the shed." Mary asked while hefting the bucket full of water.

"It was fine really. I must have been exhausted, I slept like the dead. Although I think I may have almost killed your goat, kicked him in the head for chewing on my pants." Marcus chuckled while scratching his cheek.

"Ha, that little bastard gets what he deserves, always trying to eat the wash. Here, make yourself useful and bring this into the house. Issac is out getting some eggs from the chickens, should be back soon." Mary said while handing Marcus the bucket of water.

"Sure thing."

In the house, Marcus set quietly at the table, watching Mary prepare breakfast. Nathan was outside feeding the goats and chickens, the cattle always graze on the grasses in the prairie. Issac just returned from the chicken coop with about a dozen brown eggs.

"Ignītus!" Mary uttered.

Then a small flame leapt from her palms and into the kindling that was in the iron stove.

"What was that!" Marcus exclaimed with wide eyes and shock on his bearded face.

"What was what?" Issac asked, confusion all over his face.

"The fire that came out of Mary's palm. I saw it clear as day!"

"Oh that, that's just everyday magic. Nothing to write home about." Mary said with a giggle.

"You ain't seen magic before? Everyone can use everyday magic, I never saw one that couldn't." Issac asked seriously.

With a shake of his head, Marcus was momentarily shocked. Then he realized that he was in a whole different world. Of course there should be magic, there were griffins and dragons after all. He just never put two and two together before this.

"I guess I lived a sheltered life, that's the first time I've seen magic." Marcus said while trying his best to stay calm.

After his shock, he was actually excited. Magic was fantastical, ask anyone and they would almost always say that magic was great. If only it were real then life would be exciting. All the games and movies with magic in them were very popular.

All of a sudden, Marcus thought that maybe his situation wasn't so bad anymore. He may have been a meathead, but deep down he loved playing RPGs and reading fantasy novels. He was even part of a D&D group that would meet every Saturday. Of course he kept that on the downlow.

"Well it's real easy to use everyday magic. You just need to imagine what you want to happen, then say the word of power." Issac said while lifting his hands and putting them together into the shape of a bowl.

"Aqua." Issac said in a level voice.

Clear water started to slowly fill his cupped hands. Stopping after about four ounces.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Issac explained "Of course it takes some concentration to do, it always gives me a headache. Some people are better at it than others too. They say if you know how the process is supposed to work then it's easier, but all I know is that I can light a fire and get about a cup full of water, that's it."

'That must mean that if you can envision the way that the reaction is supposed to occur, then you can strengthen the magic and lower the burden on your mind. Does that mean I can use overpowered magic?'

Giddy, like a schoolgirl on her first date, Marcus cupped his hands, and with a deep breath; and a deeper voice said "AQUA!"

Then, before everyone present….. nothing, absolutely nothing happened. Marcus was at a loss.

"AQUA!"

Nothing.

"Water!"

Nothing.

"AGUA!" Marcus finally yelled, still nothing.

After a moment, he realized he looked a little frantic. Pulling himself together he said "Sorry about that."

Issac, clearing his throat said "That's alright. I acted the same way when I was a boy and just learned how to use magic. Although I was able to do it on my first try. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with you."

Looking at Marcus's disappointed face Issac really didn't know what to say. Everyone that he knew of could use some level of magic. He'd never heard of a case where someone couldn't. It was just as natural to people as breathing. Although some people were much better at it than others.

"Don't worry too much Marcus." Mary said with a gentle smile. "There's an academy in Jakarta, I'm sure someone there could help you figure something out. Tell you what's wrong."

"There is? Thanks. I'll keep trying though, if I need to I'll check it out."

Replying with a smile, Mary set the finished breakfast on the table. Nathan had just walked in when Mary was mentioning the academy and had taken his seat at the table.

"Get all the animals fed boy?"

"Sure did pops!" Nathan said enthusiastically.

"What's mom talking about the academy for?"

"Oh, nothing to worry about. Marcus just never seen magic before, so he's not brushed up on how to use it." Issac told his son.

"Enough about that, let's eat, we got a lot of work to get done today."

Nathan nodded and started to shovel fried eggs and cheese into his mouth. Marcus started to do the same, although without as much gusto as Nathan.

.......

"Have everything loaded into the wagon?"

"Sure do pops!" Nathan replied in his usual energetic way.

Nathan was helping Issac load the wagon with the wheels of cheese that Issac had made the last month. Cheese was what Issac mainly made to support his family, both goat and cow. He also sold any herbs that Nathan might have found while he was checking traps throughout the month. At the end of every month, Issac would use an ox to pull his wagon loaded with goods to Jakarta.

Over the last week, Marcus had been helping out on the farm just like he said he would. Every night after a hard day's work, he would sit in the shed and try to use magic. And every night was the same, nothing would happen. Once, he did feel like there was pressure building up just beneath his skin, but the result was the same.

He did discover something else though. His stamina was almost bottomless. He was always in good shape, but this was something else. Even after working in the sun all day, wrangling cattle and goats, splitting wood, and hauling buckets of feed, he would barely break a sweat.

That was one thing, but he nearly frightened himself when one day he toppled a cow. One afternoon, he was trying to herd the cattle to be milked, when one particular cow took offense. It was a full grown heffer, probably about twelve-hundred pounds. It'd seen Marcus, and trampled towards him with it's head lowered, wanting to gorge him.

Marcus was slow to react and couldn't get out of the way in time. He reactively grabbed a hold of it's singular horn, and pulled down with all his might. Its face buried itself into the soft dirt of the pasture, and left a short trail. The cow's rear end flopped over its head in an arc. When it landed with a loud thud, it started to spasm and it's tongue lolled out of its mouth. Finally, after just a moment, the cow stopped breathing.

After butchering the cow, Issac had said that its skull had been completely detached from its spine. All the ligaments were torn and nerves pulled apart. He asked Marcus what happened, Marcus told him the truth. After a long pause all Issac said was "Just don't 'handle' any more like that, can't afford the loss."

Shaking his head Issac left to tend to the other animals.

Since that day, Marcus tested his newfound strength, and what he found was earth shattering. It seemed like his strength was almost as endless as his stamina. He could only try it out so much, so he didn't know how strong he really was, but it was still ridiculous.

With everything loaded, it was finally time to head towards Jakarta. The journey would take about twelve hours walking at a leisurely pace. Marcus was more than ready to start exploring his new world

"You ready Marcus? Got the wagon all loaded."

"I'm ready. Thanks for everything Mary. And I'll see you later Nathan." Marcus said as he gave Mary a light hug and shook Nathan's hand.

"Anytime, and remember to come visit if you're ever out this way ok?" Mary said with a gentle smile.

"Will do."

"See ya later Marcus!" Nathan yelled back.

"Alright, let's head out. Yaaa!" Issac said as he whipped the ox to get it moving.

With a final wave, Marcus and Issac were on their way to Jakarta.