Looking for her.

Exploring the new world

I left close to the portal a pile of rocks, to use as a landmark on our way back and I walked on the countryside. Every now and then I was finding small arrows, assuring me that I was on the right track. "She knew that I would find her." The thought filled my heart with warmth and joy. It was a strange and forgotten feeling. It flooded my senses. Tears were rushing to my eyes and for the first time in years, I didn't hold them back. I let them run down my face and onto the ground, taking with them months worth of desperation.

She walked where I walked. Another arrow. I was running now. I got tired very quickly. Two months of living on croissants didn't do much good at my stamina. I panted for a little bit and then started running again. The thought that soon I was gonna see her again made me anxious with anticipation and exhilaration. The next arrow pointed to a village.

I approached it carefully, cursing myself for all the pointless running I had done earlier. It was hurting when I was breathing, and I had to be ready to run at the first sign of trouble. I wouldn't do much good to her if I was dead. I didn't like this. People are always an unknown factor. The first people I saw were an old couple. They looked at me with mistrust on their face. The old woman was dressed in a plain black dress with an apron and a headkerchief that covered her hair. The old man wore black wool clothes. Soon I saw more people, all dressed in this similar, old fashioned way. I wondered what my clothes looked like to them.

A million questions raced through my mind. How strange was it that this world had humans too. Was I in another world or was I just visiting the past. I knew I wasn't in the area where I left, as I saw no sea or mountains in the horizon. Humans... Did they speak my language, or english, or any other language from my earth? I was also curious about this worlds similar atmosphere. What were the odds of that? Unless.. Earth existed because it had a cosmic neighbor that was similar to her. If our neighbor, was a planet without an atmosphere for example, it would siphon ours out of the portals and I wouldn't be here pondering all these questions. People started gathering around me. My paranoia kicked in and I looked around for objects that could be used as weapons and for escape paths.

"I'm looking for Zefi." They reacted to her name and started talking to each other. I saw a broken chair leg. Not that good of a weapon, but I had to manage or die, if it came to it. A strapping young lad spit very close to me. I should be scared. Everyone was leering at me. But I wasn't. At that moment I had every reason to believe that they have done something to her or they knew where she was and weren't sharing the information. I was looking at that young man who spit near me, nearly double my size and I was ready to stuck the chair leg through his eyes and into his brain and slam his dead face on the street.

"Zefi. Where is she." I said to them leering back. Some of the more cowardly individuals backed away from me. Funny... I thought I was just like them, in the old days, before she disappeared.

"No need fight. I help you. I tongue interested guy. Zefi taught me. I taught her. I can talk where she go," said a man on his 40s. Grey short haired. Weak looking. He was limping slightly on one leg. If I had to I could take him down with a low kick. Those lessons I had a while ago, proved not to be a waste of time after all.

He said something in their language and most people returned to their jobs. The language sounded like nothing I ever heard. Zefi must have been super excited with this. In fact, I was excited myself. There was a small part of me, that wanted to learn everything about this world. But I had to prioritize. We would be able to explore this world together, when I would find her. He signaled me to walk with him. His house was small and wooden. The back wall was the trunk of a huge ancient tree. Light came from a window on the roof.

"You be the man she talk about" I wanted to correct him so badly, but I just nodded. "Yes, long hair, care enough to find window. She missed..." I stopped him.
"Yes, me too. Now where is she?" The middle aged man looked sad.
"Zefi teach me English. I taught her Zimreshir. Was good student." Was.. My heart almost stopped. My chest felt like it was replaced with ice.
"She learned our way doing things. She didn't like. Tried to change things."

"Oh for the love of Tolkien," said one voice in my brain.
"That's my girl," said another.
"It's not normal to have three different voices in your head," said a third.

"Convinced some take arms against despot. Stopped tribute girls for a while."
"This is a fucked up world. We have a lot to change when I get her back... If I get her back.." I thought and chills came over my body.
"She taught us technology. Used things to equal battle. Molotovs were good. Sarissas did ok. Sad they lost." I thought that I should have taught her some military tactics. She would need them on the streets against the cops anyway. But I always thought that we had more time. How could I be so wrong...
"She captured alive. Word is she ok. Not happened her what happen to tribute girls. They just learn stuff from her. Maybe small pain."

I got up. "Where is she captured."
"You must no go there. You very weak. Would be just killed or captured yourself. Must stay here. Must grow stronger. Fight another day."

He was right of course. I was on the brink of collapsing. I was dizzy as hell and I was malnourished. Oh, what would she say if she saw how much weight I lost. I laughed a bit with that thought and the middle aged man looked at me worryingly. I had to stay and at least get a good nights sleep. Eat a meal or two. Form an attack plan.
"Maybe small pain," those words burned in my brain. No. Not one second wasted. I would not stand aside and let them torture her even a single moment more than I could help it.

"I'll go now." I took out of my bag a large empty bottle. "Fill it with water please and point me to the direction of the castle." We argued. He pointed out how pale I was and I told him I didn't care. He told me that even a child could do me in. I told him I didn't care. He told me that Zefi wouldn't want me to risk my life like that. I stopped and thought about it for a second and the answer came naturally with a smile.
"I will do what I want."

"You stubborn like mule. And stupid. Can't see what saw in you."

"That makes only one of us," I told him and after that he pointed me to the was of the castle, wished me to die but then gave me some food for the road and a short sword. He tried to give me a normal sized one, but I was weak, too weak to lift it and fell down.