I woke up in the base of a mountain, my chest throbbing. From what I could see through the pain, I was in a smoking crater. Did I actually fall from the sky? I could see a golden field, with the forms of mountains on the horizon. I knew this much, I...
I had a fitful sleep because of the stress and anxiety of the last twenty-four hours. I prayed that I could preserve my innocence. While I had an idea of the creatures of this place I sincerely hoped that not all of them would fit the mold of how lewd they were supposed to be. But I was also curious about the cultures and habitats they lived in. I thought it was relatively safe to assume that not all of these monsters were feral. Back home I had always wanted to go to Japan or Europe. I love learning about different cultures and this didn't seem that different.
I got out of bed and found some clothes that actually looked like they were from my dresser. One of my favorite outfits was a plain green V-neck T-shirt and grey jeans. Even the boxers looked 21st century. My socks and navy PUMAs were right next to the nightstand where the clothes lay. I don't think that the chief put this together.
After getting dressed, I headed into the dining room where the chief was seated with a young woman who looked to be about my age. She was wiry, with almost white hair and sapphire eyes. She blushed slightly and turned away when she saw me.
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"Ah, Mr. Ethan. Please have a seat. I don't believe you have met my daughter, Sun."
Sun bashfully looked at me out of the corner of her eye, her head still lowered. "H-hullo."
"Uh, h-hi," I responded. Her beauty, combined with her attitude, was really making me feel out of place.
Nobody acknowledged the elephant in the room of my clothes, the chief instead moving on to a different subject. Breakfast passed in a relaxed silence, Sun occasionally asking honest questions about me and where I'm from. 'Huh, maybe I'll make a friend here,' I thought.
After breakfast, Chief Fafnir decided to give me a tour of the village. We walked to the wall surrounding the village, climbing until we could see the landscape. There were two gates, on opposite sides. The one I had stumbled into was on the Northside facing the tall grasses and the mountains in the distance. The other was on the South and had a wide road leading across tamer lands, meaning it was safer to travel over. The village was pretty standard, with a wide assortment of public buildings dedicated to various jobs.
"The orcs you encountered tend to keep to their territory, but lately they have become more aggressive over the past few weeks. I'm afraid that your arrival may only aggravate them further," The Chief explained
"Oh, boy. Is there any way to fight them?"
"We do have a small armory. However, as more and more of our good fighting men are carried off, the weaker we become."
'Well, guess it's time I try to help these people. It's the least I can do after taking me in.'
"Is there anything I can do to help repel these orcs?" I asked.
"Hmm, you have said that that core may augment your natural abilities. If you head over to the blacksmith, he can probably outfit you with equipment that fits your criteria."
