Chapter 3

The day went by without much happening. She searched around for a guild or shop. Food buildings, clothing, even things she had no idea what they were. Many places she visited, but nothing helped. Most people laughed at her when she asked for a map shop or a guild. Saying 'Roleplaying? Is there a convention going on?' or 'I don't have time to play games kid. Get out of here before I call the cops.'

It frustrated her to no end that no one was helpful. Those that did show a 'map' were using their phones… She might need to get one. Anyway the maps were amazingly detailed, but none of it was known to her. No landmarks. The continents and oceans were all wrong. She didn't want to believe Jekki just yet. This was her world. She…

Running down the street she made her way back to her base. Everything was moved around, so she moved it back. Building a nice fort against those that would harm her. To protect her from the reality that she was facing. Unfamiliarity mixed with mundane things.

A city. Large and expansive. She knew many, been to a great number, but this one had buildings taller than a castle. The roads were not made of dirt, gravel or brick. No, they were made of something called tar or concrete. Sure she heard of tar pits, but they were nothing like these roads. Not in the slightest. Now take the food. These burgers she was eating tasted like the meat she used to hunt, but it was different. Either spices or a different animal. The vegetables too! The same, but different.

It overwhelmed her again. Everything was just wrong.

---

The third day she woke up again to another person bringing out trash. At night, it was easier to avoid people throwing the trash as they were tired and wanted to go home. Exploiting that, she could just wait off to the side or even go down the street and wait until this place closed down. But due to her stress and everything that has happened she has needed more sleep than she has had in a long time. Not being in a fight has put her out of sorts.

She smiled at that thought and at the person who was taking out the trash.

"Jekki?"

"You're real!"

Saranie didn't expect her to be like that or even work here.

"I am…" There was no more of that fake bravado she had before. That was just for fun. Attempting to brave a new environment with a mask she had created. Now her words were somber at last night's realization.

"Do you… Have you been living out here?" Jekki had dropped the trash she was holding on too and moved closer towards Saranie. It was a little sudden and while she did have a small bit of trust in Jekki, this change from their last encounter was strange. She backed away, reaching for her dagger behind her back.

"I have. You?" Even though she answered truthfully, her eyes darted at the exits she had in her fort. Jekki was the only one who knew she had magic. Even if magic didn't exist here, maybe they have weapons that could replace the adaptability magic allows in one's arsenal.

"I have a home… I don't live on the streets. Look I won't do anything to you, but… Screw it. I need your help."

"My help?" What could she need help with? Their last encounter should have only made one thing clear. Saranie was a fighter. If she needed a mercenary, then she could… Did they even have mercenaries in a peaceful city? Either way she was essentially asking her to fight. At least that was her guess. "With what?" Though in her heart she needed a friend right now. Even one that she scared, threatened and broke. Someone who knew this city… this world.

"I… There are people who I owe money to." Jekki looked ashamed.

"What did you gamble away your money on cards or dice? You doing Spice?" Saranie was jumping to conclusions. Part of her needed help and the other hated the person who told her that this world wasn't her own. She was just venting her frustration behind the dumpsters.

"Do I look like that? No and you know why? I take care of my brother. He needs care all of the time, but I need to work and pay money so he can get the care he needs. I will protect my family, even if that means getting money from bad people. I will do whatever I need to keep him safe. So don't go around…" She sighed. "I'm sorry. They said they will hurt Tendorn. I won't let them, but I can't be around him all of the time. I still need money to pay…"

"What do you want me to do? You want me to find these people and kill them all?" She very much wanted to accept this job. It would at least be something she was used to.

"No, not really. There are too many of them. I mean I don't know what a person who has magic can do and all, but they're not all in one place. They're not all even in this city. I made a mistake. I know it. But I didn't have a choice back then." She turned around, looking around where they were, then back towards Saranie. "Look… Uh, Sara?"

"Saranie."

"I don't have time right now to explain it all, but I need to finish my shift. Once I do, I will get my check and then I can leave. Can you stay here and meet me back here at three o' clock?"

"I… Fine, I will be here."

"Thank you."

---

Saranie stayed out there the whole time. She didn't know when 'three o' clock'. She guessed it was the third bell, but that would be before midday and that time had already passed.

Anyway, she also thought about Jekki. 'Checks' sounded like their form of money. If Jekki had the amount of 'checks' to pay off those people, she wouldn't need her help. Taking into consideration she didn't want her to fight, at least not directly, then it was what she needed to be with her magic. If it was as foreign to her as one of those 'phones' was to Saranie, then what was she imagining? That was only if she didn't need her to fight. Perhaps she just needs to escort her or guard her brother.

Yea, her brother? As a medic, she could heal injuries. Did she need her for that? To heal him? What was wrong with him? Honestly, she did feel bad about venting her emotions towards Jekki. If she was taking care of her family, then Saranie would gladly help. Family was everything to her.

Either way, she guessed that Jekki probably knew her situation better than her.

'How did she know I was from another world?'

That line of thinking got her to believe that there might be others like her. If she wasn't alone and if this truly was another world, then perhaps there was a way back. Even if she didn't know how she got here, she assumed there was something about the portal or why her lifeforce was different. But if they didn't have magic, then how did others get here?

Shaking her head in confusion, she focused on her surroundings. If she was going to be involved with Jekki and there were people after her, then she needed to keep up her training. Keeping a watch out for those that might want to cause her harm.

---

"I'm done. Follow me please."

"Alright."

Saranie kept watch as she followed Jekki. No longer a complete stranger to these streets, she was able to focus on her surroundings. On those that might want to cause Jekki or herself harm.

"You can ask me any questions you want. I'm guessing you have a lot. Wait, before we go further can you do one thing for me? Can you show me magic? Nothing grand or crazy, just a small thing. I want to make sure I'm not crazy myself."

Could this be a trick? Did Jekki want to get her to show her magic? Was this all a trap?

She was paranoid. It kept her alive on the battlefield. So what was this?

"Why?"

"Why? Because it is magic! Right, you can do it?" Jekki was getting nervous. Something didn't feel right about it.

"I can't use it right now." This was a lie. Her first lie here. "I'm still tired, when I get moving more I can do it." She was actually very awake. Even exercising her body while Jekki was in work.

"Oh… I guess… Well whatever, my gut tells me I'm right anyway."

After a few moments of silence, Saranie starts asking away.

"Before you said I was from another world. Why did you think that? Are there others like me?"

"No… There are no others. I mean, if you really are from another world then there could be, but stuff like that doesn't exist. I read stories to my brother at night. I enjoy some fictional fantasy stories. Swords and magic. It is just fake, but there are stories where people die and get reborn in another world or some portal opens up and they get sucked in. They are great stories, but still stories. They're not real. At least until you showed up in front of me and… well we met, so there is some truth to it all. Anyway I just took a wild guess, but you think I'm right don't you."

"I can't deny that."

"You have a sword and magic. Of course I would jump to conclusions after you… saved me."

If that was enough to get Jekki on her side, then it made a bit of sense. Saranie embodied a fiction, a story. Perhaps if one of those stories she read as a kid were real too, she might freak out. Though some of them did come true with the end of the world and all.

"Then is there no way to get back?"

That question was rhetorical, but a part of her really wanted a positive answer.

"I wish I had an answer for you. A way to give you hope, but this is surreal for me. I'm just going with it right now, because I'm all out of options."

"If you are that desperate, then what can you offer me?" Saranie wanted someone who could help her here, so bringing it up now would be best. She was going to help her brother regardless, as she knew how important family was.

"There isn't much I can offer… But if you need a guide I can help you learn. Saranie, have you had anything to eat?"

"I have."

"Where did you get the money?"

"Your work has a wonderful selection out back." She put on her mask again.

"You ate food from the trash?!"

"You should try it sometime."

"Saranie, are you some street bum trying to pull a fast one on me?"

"What?"

"I mean, are you some kind of con artist?"

"No." She was not an artist of any kind.

---

They stopped at a stall selling sausages in buns. Jekki bought some warm food for Saranie.

"This is good!"

"Never had this before?"

"Well, it was rare to get the food butcherer, seasoned, and take time to soak it all in before cooking. This sausage is amazing! The relish goes perfectly with it."

"I'm happy you like it."

They shared a good smile. Just two people who met, enjoying some food as they walked to their destination.

"What do you really want me to do?"

"I want to see if you can do anything to my brother. If you can heal him." Jekki leaned in and whispered that. They were surrounded by others who were sharing a similar meal. Saranie expected something like this, but what was the problem.

"Do you know what is wrong with him?"

"Nothing is wrong with him, but he was just born with a certain condition. It affected his spine and he is unable to walk or control his arms with precision."

Something like that would be difficult. Considering the cut on her spine, that would be astronomically more painful and take a much longer time to heal. Though the lifeforce cost might not be as bad. As before it didn't consume any of the bodies' nutrients as it should have. So there is something special to it, but she would need to explore it more.

---

They stopped by a bank, before arriving at a tall building, Saranie was led inside following Jekki. Both of them noticed right away the two men standing off to the right inside the lobby area. She recognized them both as enemy combatants.

"What do you two want now?" Jekki yelled and stomped over towards them.

Considering the outside and the architecture of the city, the inside lobby area here was in terrible condition. Better than the slums that Saranie had been to before, but by far an outlier in this city.

Some plants that looked fake… 'Did these people make fake plants?' They cluttered in the four corners of the lobby. The ceiling seemed a little too low, but seemed fine. The floor had dirt, grime, dust, some spillage of liquid and even a random sock. That sock reminded her that she really needed some new clothes under her armor.

"Just coming to remind you… Who's your friend?"

The two men standing there both looked the same. Although the one on the left, who had talked, was about as tan as her. The other didn't look like he had been outside in a month or two. Both of them didn't skip on any training it seemed. By the way Saranie sized them up, she might not be able to kill them both before they are able to act. They both seemed itching for a fight.

"If you want my money, just wait one more day. My boss didn't give me my check today. I'll get it tomorrow. Now why don't you go back to Meegane and tell him I'll get him his money tomorrow." Jekki lied. Was she not planning on paying them back?

She took Saranie's hand and walked away. The two behind them cursed, kicked a sign, and left. They entered a really small space, then Jekki pressed something on the wall.

"Why are we in here?"

"It's an elevator. So we can go up."

She didn't even want to think how it worked.

---

"Whoa!" After the doors opened Saranie was presented with a view of the city. While the building was off to the side and there wasn't much of a view, it was so high up. She never imagined that she would ever be up this high. The highest she ever was was a bell tower to ring it for reinforcements. This was much higher. 'Double the height?'

Then she was led down the hallway towards another door.

"Welcome to my home." Jekki said as she opened up the door.

Before Saranie could get too far, she heard someone calling from inside.

"… and there she is. Good afternoon Jekki!"

"How's everything going Ledram?"

"All good. We played some games today. He's really progressing well lately. I think he is excited about that trip." Once Saranie was in view, Ledram introduced himself. "I see you brought a friend. I'm Ledram. I help Tendorn while Jekki is at work." After looking over Saranie for a moment, he asks, "Is that some cosplay?"

"This is Saranie. She's going on that trip with me." Jekki interrupted her before she could even speak.

Ledram seemed confused by that. He was a taller man. He had much darker skin than Saranie, but his hair was braided in a strange fashion. She had never seen anything like that. Actually his dark brown hair reached his mid back. Longer than her own. Also he seemed to work out a lot and the shirt he was wearing wasn't too big on him either. She would love to spar with him.

Next to him sitting at a small round table in a wheelchair, was a little kid. Although the kid seemed like he had never left his chair, there was a smile on his face as he looked towards Saranie. From context, this was Tendorn. His body looked contorted in a strange way, but she had already guessed something like this. She was prepared. While she couldn't say she didn't pity the kid, he was obviously a fighter. Even if Jekki, her parents or Ledram, helped him do everything, he has had to survive. It has to be tough not just on his body, but his mind as well. She sent him a small wave.

"I thought you two were going alone?" He said looking back towards the kid in the chair. "Well, I'm sure you have a reason for that. So you're leaving in two days?"

"Yeah we are. I will be staying with Tendorn tomorrow, so this will be your last day."

"Oh, I see." He turned and kneeled in front of Tendorn. "I guess this is the last time I'm gonna see you for a while. Have fun Tendorn. Remember to keep drawing and next time you can show me all the amazing things you've made." He leaned in for a hug, never touching the boy, and backed away.

"Thank you for everything Ledram." Jekki walked forward giving him a hug.

"You don't need to make it sound like we'll never see each other again." He said as they released their hug. "You're only going to be gone for a week."

"I don't know. We have been gone a long time actually. I found a job out there. I'll need to see where things go."

"Alright, then take care of yourselves. If you ever come back here, give me a call. I'd love to see Tendorn again."

"Thank you so much. You have no idea what that means to me, Ledram. I'll be back shortly, just need to use the ladies room." Jekki was starting to get emotional. Saranie could easily see her eyes starting to tear up as she passed by.

"Saranie, so how did you two meet?"

"I just arrived here in the city. We met suddenly, but she offered to bring me on this 'trip'." She was just going with the flow not really understanding it all.

Obviously Ledram had done a lot taking care of Tendorn. He is an important person in Jekki's life. Though since they are going separate ways, not more than a friend. He knows about the trip, but Jekki had never mentioned it. So was that a lie or is there more to it.

'Of course there is more to it.' She felt a little silly just thinking about that.

"I see. That's why we never met before. Though you must be a good person. Jekki never brings over guests." He sighed. "She really needs this vacation. If you can for me, please help her relax. She needs to spend some family time with her brother. I know we just met and all, but she really needs it. Could you try and get her to rest?"

"I'll see what I can do."

---

As a medic, she has had to take care of many patients. She took care of the ones recently injured on the battlefield. A large gash on one's back, a missing arm, massive blood loss, being deaf in one ear from an explosion, someone's body wrapped in barbed wire, systemic infections and many others. She has seen a lot. Her experience is just on the battlefield. That is where she learned to be a medic and has spent all her time.

Now she has been to villages or cities where she needed to help civilians while they occupied the rest occupied or set up defenses. As a medic, being a healer was all she did when they weren't in a fight. So being around kids, adults, and the elderly, she had seen some of their injuries. Dealing with a simple cough, a bad knee, a broken finger, burnt leg, and other mundane stuff. Not life threatening. It provided her much relief, but at times she found herself wanting to be out there fighting again as their questions bored her.

So she ended up in a new world with people. All human from what she has seen in this city, possibly this world. A part of her still couldn't believe that, but she had to for right now. As it made sense and as contradictory as it sounds, it eased her mind. It was a strange land, a battlefield.

Looking at Tendorn, while Jekki was saying goodbye to Ledram, she found herself back on the battlefield, looking for what would keep this boy alive. Then she had to remind herself, that he was very much alive and not currently on the verge of death.

His bones were not as they should be. Saranie could easily see that without using a diagnostic spell. Though she could also tell that wasn't the only thing different about Tendorn.

"Can you help him?"

"I can, but he doesn't want to talk to me."

"Tendorn is on the spectrum."

"The what?"

"He doesn't talk all that much. While he can easily show his emotions, talking to new people is tough for him. When we talk, he doesn't say all that much to me either. Not like I am talking to, but simple and smaller words."

"He's touched?"

"If that is what you call it, then yes he is."

Saranie had dealt with some kids like him before. Although because of how 'touched' they were, some didn't make it far in life. One of her sisters was touched too, although she never saw her after the war started. A wonderful girl… her name escapes her for the moment.

Back to Tendorn and focusing on his condition, it is doable.

"I can, but he might feel pain." As she said pain, Tendon's turned into one of fear. He started shaking and rocking back and forth in his chair. She quickly amended her last statement. "Of course I would put you asleep so you don't feel as bad." It would be hard to tell. Her lifeforce could be used to keep healing his body, while she focuses on keeping him asleep. Though with the change to her lifeforce anything was possible.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Jekki was getting nervous and would probably back out if Saranie didn't at least attempt to show her magic. Now that they were alone and away from prying eyes, she could do it.

Taking her dagger once again, she cast a simple temperature control spell using her lifeforce. Since it didn't feel depleted at all when she used it before and because she wanted to test it more, she decided that was the best idea.

A rainbow of magical energy flowed through the gaps in her armor covering her body. From the stunned expression of Jekki to Tendorn wrapped up in a bright smile, Seranie looked back at them. From her perspective this was still new too and now that she could fully examine it, she realized that all of the limitations of using lifeforce were no longer there.

She could freely form it after the spell was cast. Even noting the power in her body didn't feel diminished at all. She quickly cast an advanced diagnostic using her mana and found that the blood used to cast the spell was created back in her body. Sure it wasn't all that much, but she knows the total and what it feels like and this was just the same. No change. Also the power of her spell was at least a magnitude higher. The air around her felt comfortable. Like other times she has used this spell, but compared to the one where she used mana instead it was clearly at a higher purity. No leaks or colder air getting in. It was secure and if she had to say…

"Perfect…"

She wondered what it would be like if she used a mana dart now. She fired it at the wall and it did exactly as she wanted. Using her lifeforce it hit the wall and dispersed on impact. Leaving behind a trail of those wonderful rainbow lights. Quickly she sent a similar dart using her mana and a small hole appeared in the wall.

"Stop! Don't do that."

"Sorry."

"What are you doing?"

"That's a bit hard to explain." Saranie felt bad for letting it get out of hand. "But my magic is even better than before."

Jekki was at a loss for words, but settled on, "Can you heal Tendorn?"

"I can."

---

Even with proof of magic, Jekki was still worried about Tendorn. Saranie could respect that, but…

"You need to just stay back. Everything will be fine, but I need to concentrate on making him sleep."

"Have you ever done this before?"

"I fought in a war and saved many lives as a healer. I've dealt with worse and still saved their life. He will be fine, but you want him to be 'happy' right?" Instead of saying 'not in pain', she opted for a different approach. Tendorn wasn't asleep yet as she had to deal with the family of the patient first. She plans to make him sleep, cast the healing spell, then focus on making sure he stays asleep afterwards. They had waited until her mana reserves were full before starting. Since she had casted a small mana dart.

"I do, but like this is so different. Magic… Tendorn, she's going to heal you so you won't need to be in the wheelchair." He was laughing and smiling.

"What Jekki meant to say was that you will need to use it for a while still, but you can train your body so you won't be in there forever." Tendorn was still smiling.

Saranie could recognize how smart he was. Tendorn was clearly aware of what they were saying. She smiled towards him and cast a spell to put him to sleep.

Then as he was laying in his bed, a bed fit for royalty, she let the blood flow from her hand and cast the healing spell. It wrapped around his body. She spent more lifeforce than normal for three reasons. One she didn't need to worry about side effects so more would be just fine; two this was going to be a full body heal and she was going to need a lot; and third was that she had another objective for the lifeforce, by lowering the nerves reception to pain. That way it would be less taxing on her mana pool and could even make its use pointless. She could probably use more lifeforce to keep him asleep without using mana. She found no limitations, so what was there to lose?

'Going overboard and making the situation worse.'

---

A few hours later and Tendorn's body was making the necessary adjustments to it's new normality. Sure his bones moved and set into a position Saranie had set out for the spell to follow, but his internal organs, tissues, and veins needed to be moved as well. His muscles were already atrophied so if she experimented more with her lifeforce, she might be able to speed up his healing too.

"Thank you so much Saranie. He's been like that all his life. Every movement was always tough for him. He was always in pain, but he lived so long with it that he became numb to it all. Me and Ledram were the only light for him. Others would tell me to just leave him or look at him in disgust. You're different and I can't believe this is real. Just… Thank you. Thank you for everything."

"It's no problem. I'm happy to see that even if this is another world, people still care for their family."

"I know there is nothing I can give or do to really help you. I know I said it before to Ledram, but I would really like for you to come with us. We are leaving tonight. I don't have the money to pay off Meegane. The only thing I can do is run. My family has a cabin in the woods three cities over. I know it won't be much-"

"Jekki, please let me tell you something. I came here not knowing how I got here. I'm alone and I have a lot of research to do. Things I need to find out for myself. But in the meantime I do need a guide. Everything is strange, different from what I know. I'm sure you already understand this, but I need you. If this world doesn't have magic, then I can guess I will be hunted for my abilities. For being different. I've seen it happen before, so having someone I can trust helps me a lot. And if you have people after you, my skill set will come in handy."