The Chronicles of Another World: Elsamira

Chapter 2: Magic and Dragons

I don't remember going to bed after dinner last night. It was the first time I had ever tried mead, and I found that I liked it a little too much. I sat up and realized that I was asleep outside, by the fire. I was stiff and sore. I had a heavy blanket around me that fell when I sat up. People were walking around getting ready for breakfast. I got up and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and made my way to Winters tent. I noticed that my knuckles were scraped up and a few people refused to make eye contact when the passed. I finally found Winter's tent and went inside. I found Winter passed out in her bed still, and threw my blanket on to of her.

To say that was a mistake would be an understatement. She launched herself at me and started to attack me. I frantically fought her off, until she realized that I wasn't trying to hurt her, " What the FUCK Axton? Don't you know that you don't wake up someone like that?" She was pissed, "Furthermore, what made you think that you could just walk in here la de frickin' da? Didn't your mother ever teach you not to walk into a girls room without knocking?"

"B-b-but I thought you said that I could share your tent with you, and no my mother died before she could teach me that one." I got slightly heated over her dissing my mom.

"When did I tell you you could share my tent?"

"Last night, on our way to dinner."

We heard a knock on the frame of the tent, and Winter huffed slightly before saying "Come in."

A woman around 25 or so came inside. She had long blue hair, that had a large blue rose in it. The dress she wore was very finely made, deep blue with gold embroidery. her skirt cane down to her knees revealing blue tights. Her shoes were blue slippers. In her right hand she held staff that ended in a thorny heart. The thing I found weird was that she carried around a large stuffed bunny doll.

"Ah, hello Nymph, nice to see you." Winter said, starting to get dressed, even though I was still in the tent.

"Hello Winter, will you and your pretty be ready to go after this?" she said sitting on the bed, turning to me she said, "My name is Nymphadora, I am this group's battle mage and healer. Please hold out your hand"

I held out my right hand and Nymph dropped a clear translucent stone into my hand, which was heavier than it looked. I sat there for a few seconds before it started to fill with a black smoke. I heard Nymph and Winter both gasp, before Nymph put the stone back in a small bag.

"Looks like you're one of those rumored users of Dark Affinities, love" Winter said leaning over my shoulder. When I was brushing her hair out of my face, she said to Nymph," I explained what Affinities are to him last night."

"Very well, we have what we need, now are we going to leave? My stuff is ready."

"Yes, we are ready, but its just going to be Axton, you, and I." Winter said, "We are going to House of Whitewolfe, instead of Lowenthal."

"Why the change in destination?" Nymph asked.

"You'll find out here in a few weeks. Now go get your horse and get ready. We leave in five minutes," with that Nymph left the tent, and Winter asked me, " Have you ever rode a horse before?"

"I rode a few times at my grandparents, but not super hard riding," I saw my axe and got up to get it.

"Well, looks like you are going to be getting a lot more practice." Winter said, walking to the tent entrance.

I followed her out of the tent and to the make shift pasture where the horses were kept. I saw that there was already three horses that were already tacked up and ready to go. One of them was a deep black that already had Nymph on its back. The second had Winter walking up to it, and was an astonishing white. The last I understood was for me to ride. I walked over and his back came up to my chest. He was a nice and supple chestnut color, and seemed easy mannered. I let him smell my hand, and then I walked up on his left side. I grabbed the saddle horn on it and pulled myself up.

"You good to go there?" Winter asked me.

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are."

And with that the three of us rode out of the camp, out to a world I was barely knew, a world that help surprises that I could never dream of.