The Land of the Prophet

Lex grunted after the carriage stumbled over a large rock. At just 23, he got himself into this mess. He might hold a record for the most disorienting and absurd experience in the Guinness World Records. The view through the window carved into the sides of the carriage became the same plain but beautiful mush of colourful trees. The air reeked of sweat that hung in the icy air.

Lex, however, didn't feel frozen, but hot at the close proximity of the group to him, which kinda made him feel claustrophobic, and he was too on edge to shiver. Lex grew restless on the road, despite wanting to rest earlier. Ironic. Celia had been fidgeting for a while now, which peaked Lex's anxiety. The quiet ones are the most terrifying.

The eerie silence held between the group disturbed Lex the most. The only thing audible was the scramble of horses and the groaning of wood. He tried to spark a conversation, but everyone had run out of the energy to form words.

Leo hopped out of the carriage as it came to a sudden stop, leaving without a word and his footsteps fading in the distance. Where was he going? Lex watched the towering stone walls stretch into the distance. Neon moss climbed the stone and burrowed into the multiple cracks and fissures that lined the surface.

It robbed Lex of his breath whilst sending shivers down his spine at its sheer size. It was something one couldn't climb. Ice shivered up Lex's spine when Leo returned with a grim expression. A grumpy woman, whose face was terribly scarred, followed behind him. Only her grey hair remained intact.

"So, this is the outsider?" She huffed as she glared at Lex. Leo nodded, and with a heavy sigh, he gestured for Lex to come out of the carriage.

"Lex, you need to go with the knights," Leo sighed. Lex looked at him bewildered. Luna shook her head, disappointed.

"Why?" Lex questioned Leo, who avoided his gaze.

"It's just a requirement that the knights of Eborn investigate outsiders before they enter the city," Leo shoved a card into Lex's hands, "when you're finished, find this address."

"So you're just going to leave me here?" Lex gasped, but he wasn't too affected by it all. After all, they saved him, and he isn't even part of their guild. Lex bowed his head, and Leo helped him down onto the rough road. With that, Leo hopped back into the carriage and Lex watched as they abandoned him with a stranger.

Lex winced as the knight twisted his arms behind his back and something cold bit into his skin. He gulped as the knight shoved him along like some slave. Was that what he'd been reduced to?

"Where are we going?" Lex asked the expressionless woman who gave him an especially hard shove towards a large wooden door after they passed underneath the giant walls. He caught a quick glimpse of a bustling street and modern houses before being shoved into the room. Lex was at a loss for words when he saw the houses. The armour these people wore, their weapons and their mode of transport all pointed to medieval times. From a distance, they looked like old dilapidated houses, but he was wrong.

Lex's foot caught the edge of a table after he stumbled into a small stuffy room, and pain shot up his body as he collided right arm first onto the frozen rock floor. He imagined this place as perfect for murder.

"Lieutenant Graves, that is unnecessary!" A voice growled through the door. A furious man stomped into the room, and to Lex's dismay, he shut the door, "that is not how you treat anyone. I expect an explanation from you in my office after this." The air cracked with electricity. Lieutenant Graves bowed her head, saluted her boss and opened the door, briefly letting clean air and golden rays before cutting them off. Lex gulped.

"Sorry about that. I'm General Moore, but you can call me Rex, nice to meet you." He offered his hand to Lex, who lay in the corner like a cornered animal. As if he remembered something, he grabbed something from his pocket and fiddled with the thing that Lieutenant Graves attached to Lex's wrists. 

Lex took Rex's hand, who helped him up, and he thanked Rex for his help.

"My name's Lex," he quipped as Rex gestured for him to sit on an ocean-blue couch. It confused Lex to watch Rex pull out an uncomfortable-looking chair that had a neon purple tint to it.

"So, where did you come from?" He pressed Lex, who felt an urge to tell him the truth.

"From a different world," he blurted before he grabbed his mouth out of shock. He hadn't planned on telling General Moore that. He realised General Moore wasn't wearing the same armour. It was interesting. It looked like it was made of dragon scales instead of some metal, and gave General Moore a graceful look.

Rex scratched his golden hair, his pale green eyes studying Lex like a museum specimen.

"So you came from another world?"

"Yeah, I did."

"So, how did you get here? And when?"

"I don't know. I woke up in the forest last night."

"Wait, last night?" Rex's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing," Rex dismissed. They continued their back-and-forth chatter. After Lex had spilled everything that he knew about the world he came from, Rex stood up and gestured for Lex to do the same. With a beaming smile that could scare away any shadow, Rex shook Lex's hand and thanked him for being patient and apologised once again for his subordinate's behaviour.

Lex, however, hadn't learnt much except that Rex would always dodge questions about why he was so interested when Lex arrived. Lex wanted Rex to be honest with him about the prophecy. He also learned some history about the place.

It turns out they have advanced technology, however; they have mana, which will only attach to certain materials and weapons, rendering their modern weapons useless against monsters in which you need a weapon infused with your mana to kill.

Lex sighed at the card Leo had given him that was now crumpled in his hand as he stepped out of the cramped yet frozen dungeon into crisp fresh air. A smile crossed his lips as he took a deep breath, savouring the clean smell and taste he'd never smelt before. What made it even better was his skin absorbing the golden rays of the sun that warmed his skin.

He missed out on enjoying the smell in the carriage and was too preoccupied to appreciate the pollution-free air during his walk in the forest.

Now all he needed to do was find where Leo was. Lex looked at the sprawling city and sighed. He didn't have the luxury of a holo-nav, a device that gives you directions on a hologram produced by a wristwatch-like device, so he'd have to do it the hard way.

He looked at the crowds of people. It couldn't be that hard, could it? He took a step onto a patch of soft grass which was shadowed by a neon orange tree. He approached a woman sitting on the bench, engrossed in a book, with flowing black hair.

"Excuse me," he called out to the woman and realised it was a girl, maybe a young teenager, but she didn't flinch, "excuse me," he called again to get the same response. Hoping to grab her attention, he waved his hands in front of the book, and she looked up and glared at Lex with fierce red eyes. Lex gulped and took a step back.

"Yes?" She sighed.

"Umm... Do you know where this place is?" Lex handed her the card with the address and she nodded. "Could you tell me how to get there, please?"

"I could. You're not from here, so you'll get lost even if I give you directions. I'll take you there myself," she offered. Lex froze. He hadn't expected such kindness from her. Also, wouldn't she be worried that he might try something?

"Umm, are you sure?" Lex hesitated.

"Sure, on one condition," she slammed her book shut and focused on Lex.

"Yes?"

"You get Leo to talk to me."

"Umm, sure?" Lex scratched his brown hair, confused by her condition. He would ask her why she couldn't just speak to Leo herself, but decided against it. He did, however, feel concerned about the girl. If she's always like this, she'd be hurt by someone someday.