Markus felt stiff, and he stretched and yawned. As his brain slowly booted, he realized he was naked, covered in some kind of blanket, and he opened his eyes to see the apex of a tent.
Heart racing, he sat up as quickly as he could manage his aching bones, and looked around. He found himself draped in a tartan rug, and the smell of campfire smoke wafted into the tent. He looked through the slit in the tent, and could just make out three suns low in the sky but rising.
“Ugh,” he said to himself. “I’m still in the nightmare.”
“Nightmare?” A deep bellowing voice laughed. “That’s some way to talk about my camp. I don’t think it is half bad, considering the needless comforts you humans require.”
Janie the cat was gone from his feet, and Markus peeked his head outside of the tent.
Sitting on the far side of the campfire, was a massive humanoid, with green and grey scales, a wide shield-like head, with three horns. His hands were three large fingers and a thumb, which were holding a pot and a ladle.
Markus froze, unsure how to proceed.
“Come. Come, child. You must be hungry after a long sleep.” The deep voice of the creature encouraged. “Janie said you might be wary, but I didn’t expect this kind skittishness. Come, come. I don’t bite... Rather… I do... But I won’t bite you.” The large triangular head bobbed as he smiled.
“Um-“ Markus started, then held the blanket around him tighter, “I… um… I am naked.”
“Ah, Yes.” The gargantuan creature said. “I forgot, Janie left these for you.”
The creature waved a massive hand and a small bundle, tied with twine, floated into the air and then toward Markus’s tent, setting down just inside. The creature nodded, and went back to reading a book that looked far too small for his massive hands.
At the top of the bundle, under the twine, was a note with a paw stamped into a rainbow colored wax seal.
***
Dearest Markus,
This was not the transition I had hoped for, and I am terribly sorry to do this to you, but I have to leave for a bit. It has come to my attention that there have been some developments that require my direct attention. Apparently, I have been gone far too long. It was worth, you were worth it, but, I must attend to this for a bit.
Worry not, I have left you in the best hands I could find. Ko’Akh is a dear friend and a wise sage. If anyone can help you get a real start on this journey, it will be him. Alas, while I am a Watcher and Seer, I have never been a great teacher. A storyteller, yes. Oh my yes, but not a teacher.
Listen to him, watch him, and pay attention to your inner self, it will guide you.
I will try to return as soon as I can, but for now, stay with Ko’Akh until he delivers you safely to a human settlement.
Your Watcher, Janie the Cat
PS: I burned your clothes, they were stained and would stand out in this reality. I know you watch too many movies, but I couldn’t resist setting you up with this package.
***
Markus untied the twine, and pulled the cloth wrapping apart. Inside, he found a Kilt in the blue-green tartan, a black tunic, a belt with some small bags hanging on it, and a black cloak. Along with this, he found a T-shirt from back home, which sported a stylized hand of the Vulcan greeting.
Finding the other materials surprisingly higher quality and better fit than his Ren Faire gear back home, Markus put himself together and tugged at everything a few times to ensure it was together. He found the bags held a few coins, and a small utility knife was sheathed at his side.
The creature, apparently Ko’Akh, was still reading and lost in thought as Markus stepped out of the tent and into the light of three suns, cloak draped easily over his shoulders, hood back. The smell of food hit him from the fireplace, just now noticing how hungry he felt.
Tentatively, Markus stood and walked across the yard to the fire and sat on the opposing log. “Is that breakfast?” Markus asked hoping it was edible for a human.
The massive creature bowed his head slightly, set down his book, and filled a bowl using a ladle. With a dexterity belying his size, he placed a spoon inside the bowl, and reached his hand out. The bowl floated across the fire slowly, and paused in floating in front of Markus, who received it.
“I’m Ko’Akh,” the creature said, with a guttural sound at the end of the word, as if clearing his throat. It reminded Markus of Klingon, or the German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
“I’m Markus,” he said, raising the spoon to his mouth.
For a while, neither spoke. Ko’Akh allowing Markus to take in the scenery and give an appraising few glances at him.
“So…” After a long silence, Markus broke the ice. “Talking cat, talking wolves, now a talking Triceratops man.”
“Hey now,” Ko’Akh laughed. “I’m not sure what a triceratops is, but I’m a Threxan. Of the horde of Ko’Enns, keepers of the ancient wisdoms. Please to make your acquaintance young human.”
“I’m not exactly young, I’m 36.” Markus offered. Then speaking out-loud but more to himself, “Great, I’m talking to a dinosaur man.”
“Our young-lings don’t even leave the heard until they are at least 100-years. I’m still only middle aged, and I am 2,000 years old. So, forgive me, but you are a young one. Though, for humans, I understand you are middle aged yourself. So, from your perspective, I can see how you would not feel so young.” Ko’Akh let out a slow bellowing laugh.
“When you are quite ready, there is much to do, a big journey ahead of us.”
“A journey, where?” Markus asked.
“Janie left on an urgent duty, but assigned me to escort you to a village of your fellow humans. No wolf packs will bother you with me around. Vile creatures.” Ko’Akh shook his head at the thought of them.
“Wolves?”
“All dogs, vile, Just vile. Never trust a dog, even the cute ones, they’re always making a mess of things. Cats. They are your allies.”
Markus couldn't argue, he had been a cat person, or, at least, a cat adopting him was the only way he ever decided to keep an animal, one who, apparently can talk, and also have urgent business. So he was feeling less sure that was ever his decision to begin with.
After Markus was done eating, and set his bowl down, Ko’Akh stood and waved his hands in a flowing motion over the entire campsite.
Markus took in the sheer size of the creature. He stood at least eight feet tall with a mass easily in the hundreds of pounds, and yet the ground only shook slightly when he walked. He was draped in a long robe with symbols all over it, with a large hammer in his belt, as well as cooking pots and other paraphernalia hanging about.
The bowl Markus had set down vanished, the campfire was suddenly cold and smokeless, the tent disappeared behind him. The rocks around the campfire rolled away into an unorganized layout. In less than two minutes, the campsite was missing as though it had never existed.
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps,” Markus murmured to himself.
“That is a lovely saying,” Ko’Akh said. “I shall add it to my texts.”
Leaving the former campsite, Ko’Akh began walking into the woods then looked back to see if Markus was following.
Seeing no other choice, Markus stood to follow. “I wonder if they have burritos?”
***
For what Markus guessed was half a day, though with three suns it is hard to tell, they worked their way through forests, up and over rocky hills, through streams, and into a slowly changing landscape of new trees. The original forest had been primarily pine trees, but now various other trees dotted the land as well.
Throughout the journey, Ko’Akh walked with an agility that belied his size. As they walked, Markus thought about how much Janie the Human would have loved this scenery, and would probably have been twice as brave as he was. Plus, she loved camping, while Markus’ idea of camping was a hotel without room service, not that he’d seen a hotel in the last few years as his fortunes dried up.
Every so often, Markus slapped his face again, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, or force himself to wake up. No such luck, they were still walking. At least he was wearing his new boots, provided by Janie the Cat, which he found were shockingly still comfortable even after hours of walking. He wondered if they were magic boots too.
Finally, they came to the first sign of civilization, a sturdy stone bridge crossing a wide river.
“Excuse me, Ko’Akh, what is this place called?”
“This place?” Ko’Akh asked, pointing to the bridge. “Is Maplewood Crossing.”
Across the river, there were maple trees as far as Markus’ could see, the pine trees stopping at this side of the river’s edge.
“No,” Markus replied. “I mean, this place, this… planet? This reality?”
Ko’Akh stopped their trek across the bridge, turned around, and placed an elbow on the bridge railing. They were halfway across the bridge, which may have been at least a mile wide, Markus guessed.
The giant gave him an assessing stare, then spoke.
“When Janie, as you know her, asked me to watch over you,” he said. “I never imagined you would be so poorly educated. You don’t seem to be much a magician, and you’ve never met a Threxan, and you seem so… helpless, if you’ll excuse the tactlessness. Then again, you do seem like the kind of case she would find fascinating.”
“Um…” Markus said, while fiddling with the old ring on his necklace, which Janie the Cat had left on his naked body. It was his wedding ring, which he now wore for a memorial, and sometimes for stimming when he’s overwhelmed, which he always was.
Markus down, resting his aching legs, leaning against one of the rail posts on the other side of the bridge. “Thanks, I think? But… do you have a name for this… reality? Do you know what planets are?”
“The translation magic may not be working well in this case. Your village must be a long way away.”
“You have no idea, compadre, you have no idea.”
“You must tell me about it sometime, but later, when I can get my recording crystals set up.” Ko’Akh sat down for himself against a rail post, somehow managing to bring his legs into something approximating a lotus pose. “Let me see if I can give an answer that would help. This, planet, as you call it, is one of three inhabitable orbs which rotates our three suns.”
“Three habitable planets?!” Markus exclaimed.
Ko’Akh smiled and nodded. “You really don’t get out much. Yes, three, though, not to humans, per se. You are all so fragile, especially if you are without training in the Manna arts.”
“I’ve been sheltered,” Markus offered. “Apparently more than I realized.” Markus made a note to himself to follow up on what Manna Arts might be, though after the glowing blue light saber stick event, he had his guesses. He unconsciously rubbed his forearm tattoo, which was visible but no longer glowing.
“Indeed,” The giant man said, as he stretched his arms and yawned. “Well… This orb is called by many names, in many cultures, but many of us have come to call is Ha Aretz .”
As he spoke, the dino-man pulled out a small scone, like the one Janie the Cat had given him yesterday, and threw it at Markus. Ko’Akh filled a fresh skin of water from the river before tossing it as well.
Markus felt the energy surge through him again, washing away his tiredness. His arm tattoo glowed, briefly as well, before settling back into white and black ink. Markus always imagined he would be brave enough to get a tattoo, though this wasn’t what he imagined it would look like. He always thought it would be Yoda and Spock standing together. He guessed nobody here would be able to draw that one, having no reference. Although, he might get them to replicate his shirt, maybe.
Ko’Akh, having finished his scone in one great bite, continued… “There is also Oceana, which you would find inhospitable, and Zora, which you would find less hospitable. My people cannot visit Oceana, due to not breathing under water, and there are no visitors facilities. However, I have been to Zora a few times. It is primarily a place of fire and lava, which is why Dragonites and other fire beings call it their home.”
“DragonBorn,” Markus sat up straighter. “There are DragonBorn here?”
“Dragonites, but yes. So, you have at least heard of them,” the dino-man said. “I suppose that makes sense, they are flashier, their legends and stories travel farther.”
“Am I likely to meet one?” Markus asked. “Are they… friendly?”
“Friendly enough, I suppose.” Ko’Akh paused to consider the question. “They are a tough race, but generally not harmful if not provoked. They can be a bit arrogant though, given they are an apex species.”
“Fascinating,” Markus mused. He finished his lembas bread, which is how he now was thinking of it. “Whatever bakery you got this from is better than where Janie shops.”
Ko’Akh laughed and offered more, Markus shook his head no, “I’m full, but thank you.”
And the dino-man took another in one bite. “You are a polite young human.”
The large man stood, which Markus took as clue that the rest was over.
Ko’Akh said, “As I understand it, Zora used to be much like Ha Aretz, but that may have been before it began orbiting closer to the third sun. Still, as long as you stay in the visitors facility, it is a breathtaking set of views. You might like it, maybe, but it can feel cramped after a while being stuck inside all the time…” Ko’Akh drifted off with a far-off gaze for a moment. He then sighed a heavy sigh, and nodded to start walking again.
The dino-man hummed a soft tune and Markus trailed behind. He thought about his apartment, and the take-out containers that were piled by his trash can, and wondered how long it would be before someone checked on him. Whether he was really in another reality, or he was lying unconscious on the kitchen floor and Janie the Cat was waiting for him to wake up and feed her, either way, someone might eventually come looking, right? Then again, with his wife gone, no job, no royalties from his book, and his family in another state, it could be months. He hoped he didn’t get an infestation because of those take-out containers. He might have to start a scone business if he woke up, or, maybe he’d go work for the taco truck. At least then he’d get income, and discount burritos.
Whatever this was, he was starting to find it a welcome break from his normal life. No bills, no rent at the moment, just walking through the most beautiful place he had ever seen, with magic scones to keep him full of energy. Still, it had been a long time since he’d stayed at the MGM Grand or Marriott Desert Springs on a book signing tour or work conference. He missed room service and spa treatments.
“I wonder if they have golf here…” Markus wondered barely audibly.
“What is golf?” Ko’Akh asked.
“Oh,” Markus said. “You have excellent hearing, I barely said that out loud.
“My hearing is wider than your human ears can perceive,” Ko’Akh said matter-of-factly.
“Well, anyway, golf is a game where you walk around outside on grass that is mowed very short, and you use metal sticks to hit a small ball into a hole.” Markus thought that was a sufficient, if crude, explanation.
“I can’t say I am aware of such a game,” Ko’Akh said. “But you humans do have different habits than we do, and your games are often not possible for us, due to our size difference.” Dino-man shrugged and went back to humming his tune.
After the river crossing, they left the dense forests behind. The forest was getting thinner and trees more diversified, fewer pines, more deciduous trees with large three pointed leaves. Markus counted this a great relief, as the pine trees had been hard to navigate.
The new wildlife was fascinating too; birds with long rainbow feathers that glowed brightly against the now overcast sky and perched in the tops of the maples. A family of tiny tree frogs with bulging eyes and purple skin greeted them from a nearby oak. Even then, walking and walking and walking was monotonous for a man who’d lived his life behind a keyboard syncing his life’s work to GitHub repos and Excel sheets.

“We’ve been walking for hours,” Markus griped. “I enjoy a stroll through the forest as much as the next nerd, but this is exhausting.”
“Shall I carry you little one?” Ko’Akh raised his scale encrusted eye brow, with what might be a smirk.
“No,” Markus sulked. “I just… Are we getting close?”
“It should be just over the next few hills.”
“Well, then,” Markus found himself rubbing his forearm tattoo again. “Can you tell me about this?”
Lifting the inside of his forearm to show Ko’Akh his tattoo. The dino-man paused, briefly, and bent over to see it more closely.
“You don’t know about your own soul mark?” Ko’Akh, a little incredulous.
“Soul mark?” Markus shrugged. “Almost as soon as Janie the Cat brought me here, to this reality… orb… whatever… we got attacked by three white wolves, and she told me to pick up a stick to defend myself, which I thought was a bit underwhelming as a defensive item.”
Ko’Akh eyed the tattoo another moment, and then started walking again, this time side by side in the open rolling hills.
“Interesting,” is all the dino-man offered.
“Well, the stick started glowing, which reminded me a weapon from stories in my home town. Then the big wolf attacked me and I hit it with the glowing stick, and it died. The other two wolves left, and then this just… kind of appeared? I guess. On my arm.”
“Does nobody in your village have soul marks?” Ko’Akh asked with what sounded like genuine curiosity. “And this is your first soul mark?”
“I have never heard the term,” Markus said, and shrugged.
“Hm,” the dino-man pondered this for a bit. “Where to start. Green as a hatchling this one. I can see why Janie said you needed an escort to your kind.”
“Wolf Killer,” Ko’Akh said. “Well, I suppose that makes sense, given your history, and your story. I shall be interested to watch your progress little one.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A soul mark,” the dino-man started. “They are common among the mages, but usually those of higher class and skill than you seem to have. Most people only achieve theirs when they have faced great hardships. Not the inconveniences of life, mind you, but real hardships.”
“That does sound like me,” Markus replied, not wanting to discuss her right now.
“Even then,” Ko’Akh continued without prying. “It is unusual for someone not trained in the Manna Arts to achieve a soul mark of this kind. You must have some innate access to your Manna.”
Markus found himself rubbing the tattoo as he listened. “Wait, what is Manna?”
Ko’Akh gave a sideways glance at him, but then shook his head and answered. “Manna is the source of all that is. It is life. It is energy. It is essence. It is matter. There is Manna in everything, but living beings hold it in more concentrated forms. The Manna Arts are how we train to pull the energy from Manna, and shape it according to our needs.”
“Is that dangerous?” Markus asked.
“Yes. No. Is fire dangerous?”
Markus pondered a moment, then replied, “I see.”
“Fire is simply a lower form of Manna release. The cut wood in our fire pit is converted to energy, which is released as fire.”
“That tracks with the education I do have, from my… village.” Markus said. “We have a technology that takes matter and splits it into energy, powering our homes.”
“Good, you aren’t a complete illiterate.” Ko’Akh teased. “Those who have trained in the Manna Arts generally fall into two types, Generalists and Specialists. As they train, they sometimes face challenges that go beyond the simple use of Manna Arts, they face a situation that changes them on the inside, their soul. That marks them, in a way that forever impacts their use of the Manna Arts.”
Markus sat with that explanation for a few strides. “I do feel different.”
Ko’Akh turned to Markus, stopped walking, and grabbed him by both shoulders to look him in the eye for a moment, searchingly. “With a soul mark… you cannot have been unchanged.”
After a pause, still searching Markus’ eyes in a way that made him feel both naked and yet seen, laid bear but accepted, Dino-man finally nodded, more to himself than Markus. “Hm,” he said. Then began walking again.
“So, Manna Cakes, a bit on the nose for a name, must be some form of recharge fuel? Is that why I feel so much stronger after eating one?”
“Indeed,” Nodding affirmative. Ko’Akh continued, “Energy is matter is energy is matter. If you learn nothing else about Manna from me, learn that. So many Manna Artists forget that basic, and then fail to grasp why something isn’t working as intended. You cannot release manna without fundamentally changing the thing that releases it. The soul marks-“ Ko’Akh cut off abruptly, still walking, but more cautiously.
Motioning with his palm down to the ground, he warned Markus, “Stay down, stay back.”
Markus watched the giant glide silently forward, out of the Maplewood into a clearing, peeking over a hill.
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Markus whispered to himself, but couldn’t resist peaking over the hill as well.
Smoke rose in the distance from buildings clustered together in what must have been a village. Shouting was barely audible from this distance. People were running either from or toward a group of black robed people holding weapons and torches of red glowing flames.
Ko’Akh gave Markus a stern look, motioned for him to stay down, and stood to his full stature atop the hill. As he threw his robe to the air and it disappeared, then he flexed his massive muscles and stretched his arms, making a motion that reminded Markus of Thai Chi or Qigong.
Then he opened his mouth and let out a roar that shook the ground around them. Sigils embedded in each of his scales began to glow and pulse in various colors. Markus hadn’t noticed them before, against the previously dark grey scales.
In the distance, the marauders turned their attention toward the hulking giant, and a group of them broke off, heading his way. As they got closer, Markus could make out swords, axes, maces, staves, and other weapons of various kinds, all showing signs of magical enhancement.
Ko’Akh let them come his way for a moment, then with blinding speed ran toward them, with an agility and speed Markus did not think possible for any living being. As the giant closed the gap halfway to them, he turned completely invisible.
Markus gasped, but put his hand over his mouth to stop the sound.
The attackers paused at this development, and created a defensive grouping. The scene was still for a few moments. Then figures from the group began flying away from the formation as if they had been struck by a giant…. Hammer.
Markus had wondered, “I guess that’s what that hammer is for...”
Just then, his own arm began to feel warm, and his tattoo started to glow and pulse.
Behind him, wrestling in the bushes.
Standing, looking around him, he found no free sticks this time.
Three wolves, the same three from yesterday came out, with two more behind. Without Ko’Akh or Janie, he felt defenseless.
He started to reach to his belt for the knife, but it was far too small to be helpful here. Having nothing else to go on, he picked up a nearby stone. He spoke to it, as before, “Defend me.”
The stone began to glow and pulse in his hand. Hoping it would do the trick again. He tossed the rock and it landed near one of the wolves, exploding on impact. “That’s something,” Markus said to himself.
The white wolves, undeterred, spread apart to avoid a cluster.
Markus quickly stuffed the front of his shirt with more rocks, like an uncoordinated Kangaroo. From his new makeshift pouch, he picked a rock and held it up. It glowed, he threw, he missed, it exploded on hitting the ground, a wolf laughed and brushed the dust off.
He threw another at the closest wolf, and it struck the wolf in the face, exploding on impact, killing it instantly.
He threw another rock, it missed.
He threw another rock and it bounced off the ground, exploding, but throwing shards of rock into the wolf’s chest, and it fell. It tried to stand again, but one leg hung useless. It limped on three legs back behind the others.
The remaining three wolves circled him.
One lunged, jaws open. Markus, holding onto the last three rocks, hit the beast with one of them and it made an impact that was beyond anything he expected. The animal went flying off as though struck by something much bigger, and landed a distance from them.
This left two wolves with all their limbs, and one severely injured. They lost their confidence without the pack.
They took off running.
He hadn’t noticed, but during the fight, as he kept spinning to see all his potential attackers, he had been wandering closer to the village.
Ko’Akh was nowhere in sight, but a trail of bodies in lay in awkward positions leading all the way to town.
A young human girl, no older than 10 by Markus’ guess, came running and screaming from the village, chased by a white wolf. This one was twice the size of any that Markus had faced yet.
Armed with his last two rocks and adrenaline energy, Markus went running toward the girl.
Before he could get there, the wolf caught up to her and grabbed her leg, knocking her down.
Mid-stride, Markus threw one of the rocks and it made impact on the side of the creature’s shoulder, knocking it down and away from her.
Markus arrived moments later, and kicked the creature in the belly. It rolled, got up, and growled; a gaping hole where one shoulder should be. It limped on three legs, but unafraid, unlike the one from earlier. The wolf growled, showing its teeth, and lunged at Markus.
He raised his hands to block the attack but dropped the rock, and they both went down.
After some struggle, one arm out against the wolf’s jaws, keeping them from biting his face, his other hand felt the rock and he grabbed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rock glowed brightly and he shoved it into the creatures’ mouth, then punched its jaw closed. The head exploded on impact spraying him, the girl, the ground with blood. Luckily, this time, he and the girl missed most of it.
He got up, a bit dazed, but less grossed out than his first fight yesterday, probably because of the adrenaline pumping through him on overdrive. The blood fell off his clothes, rather than staining them this time.
Markus felt a surge of energy flowing through him, like an adrenaline rush but on a level he had never experienced. Then his arm got hot, and the tattoo glowed even brighter, swirls of decorative script wrapped the phrase, “Wolf Killer.”
Breathing heavily, he checked on the girl. She had a bite mark, but it seemed superficial. Still, she couldn’t put weight on the leg, so he picked her up.
At this point, in the distance, Ko’Akh stood surrounded by a group of people he assumed to be villagers, by the way they were crowding and shaking his hand, no sign of further struggle.
As Markus made his way to them, he told the girl to close her eyes as they walked through a trail of dead bodies left in Ko’Akh’s wake.
Now more intrigued than grossed out, Markus observed the dead people were a rag tag mix of reptilians, somewhat reminiscent of the bearded dragon his friend Jeff had growing up, and humans with pale skin and no hair, all with a The White Wolf branded on their foreheads.
The young girl’s parents came running to her, and the father grabbed her. The mother worried over her looking at her daughter’s injuries. “It’s superficial,” she said. Waving her hands and lips silently moving, a wash of yellow light emanated from the woman’s chest to an amulet around her neck, then into her hands, then thorough her hands to her daughter’s leg.
The young girl looked down, wiggled her leg, and smiled. She hopped down from her father’s arms and ran to Markus to give him a hug around his leg. “Thank you!” She said, before jumping back into her father’s arms and hugging him around the neck.
The woman then noticed Markus’ shoulder. “That on the other hand,” She said. “Will take some doing. Come, let’s get that fixed.”
Markus looked to Ko’Akh, who was still too busy to notice, and headed away with the magic mom-nurse-lady.
***
Ten minutes later, Markus found himself in a local inn dining room, turned triage center, having a gash on his shoulder attended to, which he hadn’t originally noticed until the little girl’s mother had pointed it out. He was feeling it now that the adrenaline started wearing off.
The young girl’s mother was sewing a deep gash in his shoulder back together with hand waving and yellow light, which was apparently her specialty. But it was a deep wound and if he didn’t hold still he’d have a scar. While it wasn’t painful, because, magic, he guessed, it still tugged and pulled and it was an odd sensation. Much like the time he had a tooth removed.
By some miracle nobody could account for, not one member of the village died. The White Wolf Clan claimed to be looking for something, or someone. The reports were mixed. They searched as they stole, broke, and burned down the buildings, but other than a few injuries, some serious in the case of the town guards, not one death.
Despite this, there were no survivors of the attacking White Wolf Clan. They had been overpowering the village until Ko’Akh arrived plowing through them like a wheat field.
After the injured were healed, and the dining room set back up for a meal, the town pitched in together to host a celebration. That felt odd, given that they had just had their homes destroyed, so he asked about the reaction.
“Homes we can rebuild,” the mom told him. “Lives are what’s important. We celebrate life today. Life won.”
Markus did not receive as much attention from the village as a whole, as Ko’Akh did all the saving and other matters had their attention. However, he found himself the sole focus of the girl and her parents. Their gratitude in saving their daughter from the wolf chasing her down was unmatched. They turned out to be the owners of the inn, and offered Markus a free room for as long as he would like, no charge.
***
Markus offered to help the town in any way possible, now that his wound was stitched, but when he admitted no specific magical abilities other than to make sticks and rocks glow, which he himself still didn’t understand, the inn keepers gave each other a worried glance and then gave Markus a pitiful one.
“We’ve got it from here,” she assured him. “You rest.”
Markus walked outside to see the fires were out as various forms of wind, ice, and water were employed by magical hands.
The bodies of the dead attackers had been gathered into a single location, and burned away from the city.
Various craftsmen were working on making repairs to the less damaged buildings.
Back in his room, laying on a bed that was significantly more comfortable than his back back home, Markus watched the sky and forests through his large double window.
On the horizon, the second of three suns were cresting the forest canopy, and the moon was a purple-blue hue as its pink rings became visible over the other horizon. Markus was still so unaccustomed to this realm, he had no bearing of which direction they were rising from and setting to, and his cell phone, battery dead, still wouldn’t have helped on another planet. He was pretty sure they didn’t have Google Maps here.
While his day hadn’t gone according to anything resembling any expectation of normal, and he was faced with more danger, he was grateful, at least, to have a 1% better understanding of his surroundings than he had yesterday, and two wolf wins gave him just a hair’s breadth more confidence that he might not die, and now he had room and board for the moment.
Still… given that there is no US-Dollar, and magic was a thing, he imagined currency worked differently here.
So he decided to get some help understanding the lay of the land so he could fend for himself in the days to come.
He wondered what Ko’Akh might be doing, and where Janie the Cat had run off to. He wondered what Janie the Human would say if she could see this with him. He wondered what substance makes pink rings on a moon. He wondered if he would wake up from this hallucination tonight. As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered if the inn keeper knew how to make a breakfast burrito.
***
Shalom: Live Long and Prosper!
Darrell Wolfe (DG Wolfe)
![[ { ENDER'S GAME } ] by Card, Orson Scott (AUTHOR) Oct-31-2006 [ Hardcover ]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1697162486l/199597832._SX98_.jpg)
