Jack the Overlander

Two

Jack woke with a stiff neck and a bad headache. The memory of speeding through the darkness shot into him and his eyes jumped open in a panic. Relief washed over him as he saw light. His arms patted the bed beneath him, finding it reassuringly solid. He let out a long, loud breath that had probably been in his chest since he'd first stuck his head in the grate.

"You are awake."

Jack looked up. He was in a stone room, maybe twelve by sixteen feet. Torches on brackets lit the walls. The room had no door, but there was a human-sized opening in the wall facing the foot of his bed. In this opening stood the owner of the voice, who also happened to be the strangest looking person Jack had ever seen. He seemed like he was in his early thirties, maybe. He was built rather like Jack was, perhaps a little taller, with mildly ripped muscles and an athletic air. He was dressed all in white cloth, and held a little vial in one hand. But that wasn't the strange part. The guy's hair was silver, his eyes violet, and his skin translucent. His veins looked like colored pencil on plastic.

Due to these abnormalities, Jack did not respond to the guy. He hadn't taken in the words yet.

"Can you understand me, Overlander? You received quite a knock to the head. Fortunately, there is no cut, and thus, there will be no scar."

Okay. The dude was talking to him. He was supposed to talk back.

"Yes. I can understand you."

"I am glad." said Veins with a smile. He felt friendly enough. Jack stayed silent, assessing the situation. Nothing made sense, but he was just going to have roll with it. It was pretty clear Veins was tending to him, and Jack wasn't sure of the extent of his injury, yet, anyway.

"Here, drink this. It will help with your head."

Jack took the vial Veins handed him and swallowed. It didn't taste very good, but the pain receded a little. Jack handed the vial back.

"I am called Howard," said the guy. He walked out of the room and returned a moment later, empty vial disposed of. "You are the second Overlander I have had the pleasure to meet."

Overlander? Jack had to admit that if there was such a thing as an Underlander, it might not look too different from the guy in front of him.

"That's great. So, where am I?" Jack asked shortly.

Howard did not appear to mind his lack of courtesy.

"You are currently in the hospital wing of the royal palace of the city of Regalia," Howard said. "But I assume that you refer to a more general 'where'?" He raised his eyebrows, his face imploring an answer. For a second, Jack thought Howard might be playing with him, but he seemed totally empty of mal-intent. Jack decided to take his question as legitimate.

"Yeah, I don't know where any of the places you just mentioned are."

"In that case, I will tell you that you are in the Underland —" Jack's insides laughed at him. "— which is located directly beneath the world that you know, miles beneath the surface of the Earth."

"Right," said Jack.

"You dropped here through an opening in an apartment laundry room."

Suddenly suspicious that Howard wasn't pulling his leg, Jack hesitated to respond. Howard continued.

"The currents were absent at the time of your fall, so you may thank Persephone for catching you before you hit the ground." Howard didn't sound snarky, just frank.

"This will be a shock," Howard said.

And then a giant bat shuffled into the room. There was no other accurate description for it — long, leathery wings folded at its sides, clawed feet clicking on the stone floor. Its body was rounded, sleek and black. Its face featured a piggy nose and triangular ears. Jack made eye contact with it.