"What manner of witchcraft is this?!"
The man stood and looked, the blinding light that shrouded him receding as his vision slowly restored. Buildings of stone and steel surrounded him. The streets paved of stone, but not of any form he had previously tread. The sounds baffled him, an un-earthly wail somewhere in the distance. A woman's scream, quickly covered by the sound of explosion. Silence was nowhere to be found. Some mechanical beast moved towards him, propelled by an etheral smoke.
Speaking the singular phrase, 'Searswathe', his broadsword appeared suddenly in his hand as he prepared for battle.
The contraption bore down on him, as he instinctively rolled to his left, swinging the fat side of his blade against the attacker. The sound of shattered glass, a deafening shriek, which reminded him briefly of The Banshee, which he had fought as a much younger man, assaulted his ears. Shouting in the common tongue came from within the mechanical wagon, angry words of a context and phrasing that was unknown to him, as he stared dumbfounded at the old woman who climbed from inside the wagon's hidden compartment.
"Heroes?!!" she exclaimed.
"Look what you have done to my car! The Hero Corps will hear about this! What is your ID number? Who will pay for this?!" The woman stood with her hands on her hips and stared at the man expectantly.
Payment was not a word unfamiliar to him. Reaching into the small drawstring bag he wore attached to hisbelt, the man quickly produced a small round clear stone and pressed it into the womans outstretched hand.
Turning around to notice the crowd of people whom had gathered to watch the spectacle, Gowain suddenly felt very vunerable. Calling upon years of training, he sprang towards the smallest of the circling crowd and just as it seemed he would crash into them, he lept up and forward, tucking his knees tight against his chest and unrolling his lean body as he touched the ground behind them. His momentum carrying him forward to his feet, he began to run. Finding the nearest alleyway, Gowain ducked into the shadows and quickly blended himself into the shadows, finding finally his first sense of security since he had awakened in this strange world.....
"What manner of witchcraft is this?!"
The man stood and looked, the blinding light that shrouded him receding as his vision slowly restored. Buildings of stone and steel surrounded him. The streets paved of stone, but not of any form he had previously tread. The sounds baffled him, an un-earthly wail somewhere in the distance. A woman's scream, quickly covered by the sound of explosion. Silence was nowhere to be found. Some mechanical beast moved towards him, propelled by an etheral smoke.
Speaking the singular phrase, 'Searswathe', his broadsword appeared suddenly in his hand as he prepared for battle.
The contraption bore down on him, as he instinctively rolled to his left, swinging the fat side of his blade against the attacker. The sound of shattered glass, a deafening shriek, which reminded him briefly of The Banshee, which he had fought as a much younger man, assaulted his ears. Shouting in the common tongue came from within the mechanical wagon, angry words of a context and phrasing that was unknown to him, as he stared dumbfounded at the old woman who climbed from inside the wagon's hidden compartment.
"Heroes?!!" she exclaimed.
"Look what you have done to my car! The Hero Corps will hear about this! What is your ID number? Who will pay for this?!" The woman stood with her hands on her hips and stared at the man expectantly.
Payment was not a word unfamiliar to him. Reaching into the small drawstring bag he wore attached to hisbelt, the man quickly produced a small round clear stone and pressed it into the womans outstretched hand.
Turning around to notice the crowd of people whom had gathered to watch the spectacle, Gowain suddenly felt very vunerable. Calling upon years of training, he sprang towards the smallest of the circling crowd and just as it seemed he would crash into them, he lept up and forward, tucking his knees tight against his chest and unrolling his lean body as he touched the ground behind them. His momentum carrying him forward to his feet, he began to run. Finding the nearest alleyway, Gowain ducked into the shadows and quickly blended himself into the shadows, finding finally his first sense of security since he had awakened in this strange world.....
.. more to follow...