A Tamia's Tale

Chapter 2: Arrival

A few hours earlier...

It was an important day for Morgann. While she appeared calm and regal as usual, some more astute people could see her lower lips twitching from nervosity. They had prepared for months and only had one shot but she trusted Uther, an eminent professor of the magical academy of the capital.

"Everything is ready, professor."

Several guards were drawing a circle made with brown sand mixed with elm wood chips. Turning to a man wearing a long black coat and a burgundy colored shirt below it. Even though he was in his forties, his long and detached hair and his lack of wrinkles made him look like he was still in the beginning of his thirties.

"Thanks. You can move back for now. We will proceed with the ritual," he said in a gentlemanly tone.

"Are you sure this will work, professor?" asked the princess. She was doing her best to not show her restlessness to her faithful guards.

"Magic isn't science, your majesty. I'm not sure this ritual will really summon the man we are looking for."

He passed his hand through his long hair before opening the book that he had kept under his arm. Nothing was written on it, or at least, it appeared so to those who didn't possess his eyes. The pages started to twirl rapidly as if the wind itself was looking for the good page, before stopping abruptly. He had only one try, Uther knew it very well. If they were to fail now, there would be almost no other hope to find the man who killed his friends two years ago.

The circle started to glow and a forceful wind appeared, twirling around it, forcing Morgann to hold on to a table in the corner.

"Open."

The professor started his chant. A blinding light illuminated the room, forcing Uther to cover his eyes as he kept reading his book. The ground started shaking, and then, a deafening whistle filled the room.

"Gate to the world beyond!" Uther shouted.

He couldn't even hear his own voice. But as he finished shouting, everything stopped. Instead, a single bed had appeared on top of the middle of the circle. Inside, a young man who was unknown to him.

"Did... Did it work?" asked the princess.

"It seems that is the case but..."

Uther examined the young man which seems to have been awakened from his sleep quite brutally. They looked at each other for a while, even the guards looked at him, aghast.

"Who are you?" the professor asked without approaching.

He held his book firmly, ready to fire a spell in case the man was a threat. Seeing this, the guards all pointed their weapons at the stranger, locking their eyes on him. They could hear an audible gulp as the man answered with a trembling voice.

"L-Luka... Sir," he said as he avoided their gazes as best as he could.

"Do you bear any ill will towards us?" Uther asked another question while he readied a specific page from his book.

"N-No... Why?" Luka answered, curling himself up in fear.

Uther sighed loudly as well as Morgann.

"We failed..."

"What are we going to do professor? Can you send him back?"

"No, we can't," Uther shook his head. "Hey you, do you know how to get back to your world?"

Luka's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean my world!? What's going on? Where am I? Who are you?" he started panicking.