Yomi’s adventure begins

I stared at the pink sky in confusion, trying to understand where I was and how I had gotten there. As I looked around, I noticed that the entire town was made of cobblestone - the buildings, the roads, even the street lamps. My confusion quickly turned to shock as I felt the presence of three small, but powerful, alien energies emanating from different parts of the planet. "Where am I? This can't be home," I whispered to myself, feeling a sense of despair wash over me.

Just as I was about to break down in tears, I heard a voice from beyond the walls of the room. "What's that sound? I think I hear someone crying. It's coming from that room," the voice said.

Startled, I quickly stood up and wiped away my tears, trying to compose myself. The voices didn't sound like my parents or my brother, and I didn't want to confront whoever was on the other side of the door. So I made the quick decision to jump out of the window and escape.

As I landed on the cobblestone streets below, I was greeted with a fresh, alien air that I had never experienced before. I took a deep breath, savoring the crispness of it, but I knew I couldn't stay there for long. I heard the door to the room open, and I knew I had to get as far away as possible. So I started running, taking as many turns as I could and following the winding cobblestone roads until I was sure I was a safe distance away.

…

After running for half an hour, I collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. The air smelled like an indescribable combination of roses, blueberry, and grass, and I couldn't help but bask in its freshness.

"Ya alright there, kid?" It was a raspy woman's voice that emanated gentleness and confidence, with a rough accent. I looked up to see a well-built woman with chain armor wrapped around her body, outlining the shapes of her grandiose muscles, and scars crisscrossing her rough, calloused hands. She had a soft smile on her face, that pulled attention towards her strong jawline, yet she bore a concerned look in her eyes. I grabbed onto her wrist and was suddenly pulled to my feet, surprised by her strength. Despite being on my feet, she still towered over me, being at the height of her lower stomach. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't stop the tears from falling, so I wiped them away as more came.

"Hey, it's okay. What happened ta ya?" she asked, pulling me in for a comforting hug. I could feel her muscles as if they were solid stone, greatly contrasting with her soft and clear face.

"I- I-," I stuttered, unable to find the right words as emotion overwhelmed me.

"It's okay," she said, releasing me from the hug and placing her hands on my shoulders. "Look at me."

I met her brown eyes, trying to compose myself.

"Take a deep breath. Do it with me," she said, holding out her hand.

We both took a deep breath, then another.

"Feelin' better? Ya look lost and hungry," she said, eyeing my thin, pajama-clad figure covered in cobblestone dirt. I nodded, feeling embarrassed.

"Alright, first let's get ya somethin' to eat. Come with me," she said, waving her hand for me to follow.

I walked alongside her in silence, our steps echoing on cobble through the empty streets - mine being soft and silenced and hers being strong and present. She walked with her head high and fists clenched at all times, making her forearms burst in muscle definition. My eyes dry from crying and my cheeks flushed from exertion. Despite that, I couldn't help but constantly look up at the pink sky in confusion, awe, and interest. It was so beautiful, unlike anything I had ever seen before. In my world, the sky was blue and the sun was yellow, but here the sun was red and the sky was pink. The woman noticed my gaze and chuckled, squinting her eyes and raising her brows.

"Ya like the sky, kid?" she said, casting glances at me and smiling as we walked.

…

The woman suddenly stopped in front of a building, stomped her feet together and spread her palm flat, presenting it to me. "We're here. This is the Tavern," she said, not showing any sign of fatigue from all the smiling she had been doing. I looked up at the building and saw a large, dimly-lit cobblestone sign that read "Adventurer's Hangout". Its size and soft lighting felt like it was warmly pulling me into the tavern, urging me to walk under the sign and inside, somehow triggering memories of my family causing me to feel melancholic.

She opened the glassy cobblestone door and walked in, patting me as I followed, allowing me to feel these emotions, going into the noisy tavern, which was filled with roars of laughter, conversation, and the sound of cutlery crashing together.

"Hmm, it's kinda full today," she said, placing her hands on her hips. I raised my head at that comment to scan the scenery. The tables, made of cobble, sat scattered across the room, each with irregular amounts of stone chairs. The room was bustling with people slamming their drinks on tables in laughter, causing it to spill on the ground, others tearing through meat and gulping down a bowl as if they hadn't eaten in a while. It looked like everyone carried on themselves some type of armor, mostly of chain or leather. Some carried weapons at their waists, others rested theirs on their tables. The waiters, constantly on the run, respond to screams from customers' orders. They also bore armor below their dimly-glowing, yellow aprons with the name of the tavern written on them in calligraphy. "Is everything cobblestone here? Even the chairs and plates?", speaking my first full sentence since meeting this woman.

"Oh, so ya can talk?" she teased with a smirk. "Yeah, everything's cobblestone here. That's just how it is," she said, walking over to a vacant table with two chairs and sitting down. "What ya standing there for?" she laughed and signaled for me to sit down.

"Two cabbage chowders, a beer, and water over here!" she yelled across the Tavern, causing everyone to fall silent for a moment before the usual chatter resumed.

"So, are ya an outsider? You don't seem to be from around here," she said, resting her chin on her clasped hands and playfully swinging her legs back and forth. I scratched my head. "I've never heard of this place. Where are we?"

"I don't know how ya here without knowing what Logar is, kid. We're not even close to the border. This is the capital, Shagrin. We're lines away from the sea and the bordering Nerstar United Republic." I tilted my head, not being familiar with any of the names she threw out.

"Alright kid, let's get ya some food. Ya gotta tell me what happened to ya cus now I'm getting curious" She said just in time, as a waiter arrived to dress the table and serve. I stared at the food, feeling both blessed by this stranger's kindness and cursed by the unknown. Those thoughts didn't matter as my stomach screamed for fill due to not having eaten before going to sleep the night before. She laughed, this time it sounded more gentle rather than raspy, "Eat ya fill. Don't be shy ta ask for seconds." She plunged into her food and chugged her beer, as did I. After finishing up our bowls, she gave me a look, hinting to say "it's your turn". Not backing down from the anxiety of unknown new-world manners and being too young at the age of 10 to produce a powerful voice, my not-yet-full stomach was my courage. I imitated the woman's mannerisms, raising my hand high and screaming "Waiter! Another round of Chowder and drink!". She nods in acknowledgement with a smirk as the room reduced to a silence once again, before resuming. This is how people ordered food in this tavern. The volume of chatter would not remain stable for long, as it would always reduce whenever someone would order and increase once again after it is heard.

…

After filling up my stomach and quenching my thirst, I felt alive once again. She grunted "that was a good ass meal". She appeared sober after having downed five large glasses of beer. "So, what happened?" I took a deep breath, trying to remember everything since the day before, when I had dueled Zadd during my first day at the martial arts school in the other world.

"I was at home and slept last night without having dinner. I had a weird vivid dream where I was falling into a void endlessly and I woke up in someone else's house. I had to leave before the people living there found me."

"I don't know if you'll believe me, but I don't think I'm from this world. The sky's blue where I come from. I'm from a country called Kiiro and my dad is Karsz Woods."

She tilted her head, mirroring me earlier. "That's interesting. Ya know, I wouldn't be surprised. No offense, but ya don't look like ya from this world. Little too scrawny too for a kid ya age, and ya clothes? Kinda funky. Anyway ya could prove you're not from this world?"

"Are you familiar with elements?"

She shook her head. Despite having not practiced enough, it was a cakewalk to produce a bit of the light element. I put my arm on the table and opened my palm. "What? Am I supposed to give ya something?" She chuckled only to swallow it up as she saw a white light shine out of my palms in a straight line. I tried not to make the strand too long for others to see, but it was more than enough to prove to her that I was not of this world.

"What's ya name kid?" She nodded.

"Yomi. Yomi Woods" She put out her hand and we shook. "I'm Star Dye, nice to meet ya".