The Place Before the Core (Reprise)

Chapter 2: Abberant Encounters

I woke up back in my house, just like before. I casually walked into my bathroom and got ready, again. I am not controlling myself, it's like I'm a soul in the wrong body. But I'm pretty sure this is me. My body walked outside wearing what I wore before. I can here myself think. I pulled out my phone and texted. My body and I progressed on, through the day. When we came to the part where I look at the hooded figure, time had stopped and everything stood still. No birds were flying, no movement of the earth. My soul, on the other hand, slipped right from my body and I was free to move.

My soul, the form I believe I'm in, was able to float. The time had stopped for a reason so I floated towards the bus carrying the cloaked figure. I phased in the bus and flew through people and came up to the man. I looked under the hooded man's hood. Well he is a she, actually she is me. She looks exactly like me except for the hair. Her hair was bright red instead of blonde.

I immediately woke up in a comfortable bed, what looks like a house. An old fashion room. I looked around to see nothing, and then someone walked in. He was a built, African American. He was near my age, he wore two straps crossing his chest, and he had on a roman skirt. But I could tell he wasn't roman.

Behind the guy came a girl, same age as me and a lot prettier. She was tan but not brown, and she had long black hair. She and the guy began to speak between each other. I caught only names but they spoke English. The girl was Jepidity and the guy was the guy I was looking for, Galactus. This was odd, though, from what I've learned in ancient times that men were only warriors, and that they were light skin. And their names were very out of place.

By the looks of it, they think I'm still asleep. They looked to me but my eyes were barely open. After a couple of seconds they left, starting a new conversation. When those two were far away, I slid out of the bed and walked towards a mirror. I looked the same as before. I now wore a varahi breastplate, and a scale skirt, with scales made of individual pieces of durable leather, with layering design, separated by joints that lace it together. My breastplate was very inappropriate cause it has perfectly fits my breast and has nipples.

I saw my sword lying on top of a wooden table. It was clean, fresh, but it looked as if it was untouched. I picked up the blade, and silently walked outside my room. I walked out and down one set of stairs. No one was around, as I ventured through the house. After a little searching, I found out this was an inn. And on the floor below me, men and women were drinking and talking. I walked down one more stairway, and came into a tavern.

To my surprise many of the tavern's guests were fourteen through twenty. I waddled over to the counter, silently and abruptly. I sat down and looked inside my pouch to see over 50£. Well isn't that lucky, must be from that giver guy. From the fifty, I removed twenty shilling to pay for a cup of wine. The cups were big and wooden, with metal holding it together. They were the ones I always see in movies.

I took only a few gulps when I was fiercely jerked out of the seat through the doors out into the streets. A man looking to be in his thirties was dragging and threw me again the ground.

"How dare thou set thy arse upon my chair!" The old guy yelled.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Hold up thy sword, by my troth thy has disgraced me. Thou shall pay." He uncapped his blade and lunged towards me.

I quickly unsheathed my blade and crossed blades with him. I was so shocked but I could think because he was relentless. He tried for a vertical slash but I parry his blow. He stumbled backwards as I automatically went into a stance I've never done before. My left hand went behind my back and my right had holding my sword. I bounced on my toes, back and forward.

The guy came at me again swinging towards me. We clashed blades and they crossed, sliding downward creating sparks. A lot of people had shown up to spectate the fight. I pushed the guy's blade downwards, elbowed him across his face, and slammed the butt of my blade into his gut. He bent down, holding his stomach in pain, and I uppercut him up in the jaw. He jerked backwards and fell harshly on the ground. I placed my foot on his chest and held my blade against his face.

He grumbled but didn't fight to get up. Men, women, and children were gathered around. They all clapped and they were all talking about how I defeated this guy. From what I heard his name is Maverick the Unstoppable, and he seemed to be very popular. Still he was easy to beat. After a while I let him up.

Maverick put his blade away and said "Thou fight well. Thou full of luck me shan't use my own blade, perchance we shall meet anon."

I just stood there befuddle, on how did I just beat him and how he and everyone else here talks? I had so many questions but no answers. I was thinking too much but I still want answers. Answers, answers, answers.

I was hauled, again, back into the tavern. I'm not going to fight, its pointless right now. I just went with it as I was dragged upstairs in a hurry, back in the room I was before. I was schlepped by was a burly man who was in a hurry for something. He lunged me across the room, not hard enough to hurt me. He left and blocked the door.

Again more questions, who was that guy and why'd he do that? After a while of waiting I heard Galactus and Jepidity talk to each other outside my door. After a while of movement, they entered in.

"I see you have had an interesting day." Galactus said casually.

"Wait why are you speaking regularly, not like that other guy?"

"Because we have had many of your people wander into our kingdom. So we have adapted to your form of speaking. We also know about the earthquakes, and we know something down here is causing it. Wait, I am getting ahead of myself. My name is Galactus, the wizard of paramountcy."

"And I am Jepidity, the expounder of women. Saying that, it means I am one of the best female fighters out their." Jepidity introduced herself politely.

"My name is Jessica." I said all awkwardly.

"Do you know where you are?" Jepidity asked.

"It is familiar but I have no clue." I answered.

"Well, welcome to our unique empire. This is a unique empire due to the empire containing several kingdoms. The kingdoms are accessed by merchants or any other nomads by roads, which cut through each different terrain the kingdom is surrounded by. As you witness ours is a desert, and is full with monsters. Lucky for you, you encountered one of the babies so that blade of yours was enough.

"I know I speak a lot but you have so much to learn. Speaking of your blade, you are gonna need a new weapon. Weapons in this empire are far away from being primitive. Lets show you, Jepidity." Galactus spoke as he walked to the back of the room.

Jepidity had two swords sheathed on her hips. She took one out and she trusted it forward. The blade turned into a razor sharp whip, and then she trusted her hand back. Her weapon quickly switches back into a sword then shaped into a spear. I was amazed and speechless.

"I actually have more forms for the weapon, I only showed two. Galactus just has a staff with snow globe on top. But for now we got to get you a new weapon." Jepidity stated, pacing across the room for some sort of reason.

"There is a tournament for a genuinely rare weapon. I heard it was made by the three famous whitesmith, bladesmith, and gunsmith; Lock, Mackor, and Jeace. Which is also rare, cause a gun usually don't work well with blades. I wonder what it will do and what it looks like." As he finished his statement a thin guy ran in.

"It is ready, Sir!" He said eagerly to Galactus.