Chapter 1: Oh, Hello!

~~~289 AC~~~

~~~Wolfswood, The North~~~

~~~MC's POV~~~

"Wai-- what? Not even a goodbye?"

A wry smile graced my face as I tried to wrap my head around everything happening so fast.

"Could've at least warned me before she sent me off."

A bit disorienting actually. One moment I was adapting to my gifts, then the next second...

"Anyway, no use complaining over it any longer-- now, where the hell am I?"

Shaking myself out of stupor, I found myself surrounded by towering, snow-capped trees.

The gentle yet frequent blows of pleasantly cool winds occasionally brush over my very skin.

"Wintery breeze, damp and misty ambiance-- I'm in the North? But which side, I wonder?"

Oh, I know where I currently am, alright? Titania told me so before she spirited me away.

In a spur of a moment, she said, before dumping me a bunch of things she called gifts.

And with a 'off you go then, tata!' closing remark, here I am, in a world where life is cheap.

Landing in the region where many would find the least pleasant place to be in the continent.

"Well, either way, it can't be considered a problem for me at all."

Shrugging the unnecessary thoughts aside, I took the first few steps, intending to leave.

Only to abruptly stop after catching a disturbance a few distances away with my senses.

"A fight-- oh, now, wait just a damn minute! What are orcs doing in this world anyway..."

----

Out of curiosity and wonder, I sprinted towards where all the commotion originated from.

Yet while in deep thought, the lethargic yet crisp voice of the Goddess reached my ears.

"Surprised? Well, that's just the tip of it. Expect more of such things to come, Good luck!"

Then all my pondering thoughts abruptly halted as she ended her piece in a teasing tone.

Oh, I know where's all this going. It's not the first that she has done something out of a whim.

I won't be surprised if something more bizarre happens soon enough. I'll know it's her doing.

"Great, not only do I have to expect the white walkers, but these fantasy monsters as well."

While spluttering the words out of my mouth, a comical chase in front of my eyes ensued.

"Seems like this unlucky man is a hunter-- well, at least, was. Now being the hunted."

Wearing a makeshift fur cloak with all his hunting gear on him, he ran fast and nimbly.

An experienced hunter, I could tell. Although, sooner or later, he'll exhaust himself and...

"That is if I don't lend him a hand-- oh, for the love of-- why'd it have to happen so soon?"

I probably jinxed it, goodness me, when I saw the man fall on his back after a bad footing.

And not incredibly far behind were three humongous, grotesquely large pigs on their toes.

Each had an arrow or two stuck on their bodies as they made their way to their fallen prey.

"Hmm, not bad, that man must've fought them for a bit before dashing off."

I can't blame him for that. Even more so if their' physical capabilities are like in those shows.

"Oh, chow time? I better get to it then. Can't have him eaten in front of me..."

----

To say that it was easy as pie would be an understatement. They didn't even stand a chance.

Any slight, physical resistance on the orcs' side was given no regard before they all fell.

So, it was a quick, short work. A little bit of effort on my part and they're done for good...

"Oh, hello! You still breathing there, old man?"

Keeping my eyes on the orcs' littered corpses, a slight stir from the side had my attention.

"That-- what are they?", he asked. "Gods, I've never seen anything like them here before!"

Still clearly horrified and so close to drying, he was wincing while grumbling on his own.

He had been frequenting the woods ever since and not once he saw something like them.

"Once before-- now there are three. Who knows how many more are there lurking around."

"More, you say?", wide-eyed, he asked again. "How-- how can these monsters be-- argh!"

And when he heard that there might be more, he repeatedly shook his head, spluttering.

Only for him, the very next second, to wince in pain. Grunting as he tried to push himself up.

Again, I couldn't blame him. It's not every day he gets to see a three-meter-tall monster.

"And here I thought that you northerners are hard men-- oh, keep still would you?"

But it appears that I had offended him at that as with a sharp gaze, he turned scowling.

"Aye, no men can turn us, Northmen, into a craven. But these are no men! These--"

"Orcs, old man. They're called orcs. Oversized, monster pigs that shouldn't be in this land..."

----

"By the Old Gods, who are you!? And-- and what was that glowing light that healed my leg?"

Explaining what the orcs were had been a chore since the man kept asking me questions.

Although it halted for a bit after I healed his leg with magic, it was pandemonium afterward...

"Too many questions at the same time, old man. And that was magic-- oh, you're welcome!"

While in a daze spluttering the word magic over and over again, I yanked the man on his feet.

"So, magic does exist.", he said, though looking a bit overwhelmed. "I thought the tales--"

"Yes, yes, magic is real. Now, come along and tell me-- wait, do you have a name?"

Cutting him off, I brought him up close to the orcs' corpses when I realized something.

"Hm? Oh! Name's Will, lad. A hunter from Wintertown-- just outside the walls of Winterfell."

"Right, good to know you. My name is-- uh, Theoden. Yes, you can call me that."

"Uh, sounds like just a made-up one.", he said, brow raised. "You sure that's your name, lad?"

Just like he suspected, he was damn right about it. After all, I've just been dropped out here.

And I'm currently living a new life, so a new name to match that was to be expected.

"Sure, sure. Anyway, come along old Will, and tell me if you can cut these pigs up."

"And why would you want me to cut these-- orcs, you called them?"

"Why, of course! To see if we can have them for barbecue-- must be delicious, these are."

I could see old man Will grimacing as if he'd been so close to throwing up at the moment.

His eyes darted toward me and to the pig corpses beneath us. Repeatedly so, at that.

"I don't know what 'barbecue' is but-- it sounds to me like you wanted to eat them..."