Venland: A Dominion Beyond Worlds

Chapter 1: The Blue Moonfall Festival - Adventurer's Guild

I descended the hill.

The kingdom was vast and mighty. It was surrounded with tall, ancient walls that spoke how it survived from calamities and destruction. The peak of the city wall could be barely seen. I could guess no one would dare climb its might, otherwise they would fall out of breath. Surrounding the kingdom was a lake, it was azure and deep and biodiverse. You would catch a fish flying out of water as if it bore wings and a brethren of a bird, but it was only its nature akin to Exocoetidae. Exocoetidae are a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes class Actinopterygii, known colloquially as flying fish. Well, that was only a species in our world, this world was nowhere similar. Their flying fish were minty green, like grass but a little pale. Its eyes were also emerald and huge; you would say they were judging you from their looks. Yet, I paid it no mind and carried on with my journey.

I languidly walked past the rock bridge that connects the curve of the kingdom gate to the land. Two guards in a wooden armour stood steady on both sides. One hand held a sphere, while the other was folded behind their back. Their armour speaks that this world had not yet discovered a quick way to carved metals, saving valuable ores and irons for greater good, hence their looks. I could assume positions varied depending on their armour, and ones in wooden armour were the lowest. I ran a look over their physiques. Deducing from their build and muscle forms, they were slacking from training. Their spear was silver and smooth, not a scratch could be seen telling me they were incompatible in real combat, incompetent in brawling, and losers from a war. They were no scars from a battle, their skin was glass and white, as if of a noble's but clothes inside the armour spoke otherwise.

Their eyes met mine when my foot landed on the threshold of the kingdom. It was a beat of nervousness that rushed through me when they began to tilt their neck.

"Welcome to Blue Moonfall Festival of the Kingdom of Argus!" In unison, they yelled.

English? I thought.

The problem about coming from another world was communication. Language grew differently in our tongue depending on what land it had been cultivated. This land was new to me, and completely different from Western countries I had known, yet they spoke English. How could this be? They sounded English, yet nothing English came out of their mouth. My brain processed their mother tongue as if it were mine, and unfathomably, I could understand them. The only reason I could think was: my brain processed the soundwaves they produced, but I was no superhuman. How could a weakling like me be able to practise such a complicated brain activity?

I swayed away my thoughts.

A festival, huh?

"Thank you." I bowed to exit.

I roamed my eyes around, and the kingdom was lively. In a far great distance surrounded with heavy green and tall trees, atop the gigantic rock a lot bigger and higher than malls back on the Earth, stood a palace with blue roofs and flags. It screamed wealth and nobility. While everything around me was a casual wooden residence adorned with flowers and paper stripes of different colours I guess because it was a festival, Blue Moonfall Festival as the guards called it.

The place was loud and heavily crowded. But with my nature good at sneaking, I easily went past the swarm of people gathering around for something. When I reached the front, it was a floral stage designed with blue fabrics in different shapes hanging loose over the background.

"I cannot wait for Princess Aldeni and Our Majesty!"

"No, Princess Dewinz is more beautiful!"

"No, The Queen is!"

"Geez! The Queen is old. What the fuck man?"

"Old in face, young in heart. What else could you wish?"