In The Shadows of Our Pale Companion

To the Edge of the Known

The wind bit at his skin as he stepped outside, the breeze carrying a strange, polluted scent, though it wasn't the same crisp air of his homeland. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the city below—his mind reeling to make sense of it. From this height, the buildings rose like colossal columns of crystal, touching the very heavens, and reflecting light in every direction like the gods themselves had built them. Thousands of tiny lights dotted the roads below, creating rivers of brightness that twisted and snaked through the city in patterns that made his head spin. The city buzzed with life, a distant hum that filled the air like the constant rush of the ocean. And his heart pounded harder, the enormity of it all sinking in. He had never felt so small in his life.

This is your world... Asgeir stared down at his own hands. The feeling of foreignness gnawed at him as his fingers flexed, trying to grasp something familiar, something solid. The enormity of it all weighed heavy on him, making him feel small, fragile—a mere speck in a world too large to understand. His eyes narrowed, and he took another long look at the cityscape. "We're... not meant for this," His voice barely audible over the city's hum as he muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, no shit," Hani replied, her eyes never leaving the skyline. "So, you're gonna tell me what this is all about now? Or are you still gonna keep playing the confused Viking act?" She sighed, pushing off the railing. "Look, I've patched you up, and I'm risking a lot by not calling the cops. The least you can do is tell me who you are."

The man studied her, noting the defiance in her posture, the fire in her eyes. This girl was no shieldmaiden, but she had a warrior's spirit.

"My name is Asgeir," he said finally. "The man in there is Thorkell, my captain." He paused, glancing back at the city. "And we... we don't belong here."

"No kidding," Hani said dryly.

Asgeir frowned. "This... 'future,' as you call it... it's not our world. We were fighting a battle, and then..." He trailed off, his expression darkening. "Something happened. I don't know what."

Hani raised an eyebrow. "Time travel? Really?"

His jaw tightened as he gathered his thoughts. She won't believe me, he thought. But he had no choice. He owed her that, the one who sent them here. "You mock what you don't understand."

"I understand enough," she said. "Like the fact that you've just made my life a thousand times more complicated."

Asgeir's lips twitched into a faint smile. "That makes two of us."

"We know you," Asgeir began after a moment of silence, his voice rough and hesitant. "Not this version of you... but the you from the future. You're going to come back with us."

Hani's eyes narrowed. "Back with you? Where? To a cosplay convention?"

He shook his head, frustrated already with her sarcastic tone. "No. Back to the past. To the Viking Age. You... you become one of us. A hersir—a leader. You're... different. Stronger. Fiercer."

Hani snorted. "Yeah, right. So what, I'm some Viking badass in the future? Sounds like fanfic."

Asgeir exhaled sharply. "It's not a story. It's real. You're not just anyone, Hani. You're a warrior. You... you will be."

"Okay, okay," Hani rolled her eyes, but there was a glint of curiosity behind her skepticism. "If I'm such a big deal in your little Viking fantasy, then why don't I remember any of this? And why would I want to leave this behind and go back to... whatever it is you're talking about?"

But despite the sarcasm, Asgeir could tell she was listening. She wants to know more, he thought. And though he felt like a stranger in a world he couldn't comprehend, he could see the threads of fate weaving between them.