GALLEY'S HORRIBLE

The place looked like it was from the olden days-like something from medieval times. Everything around Elsie felt strange and unfamiliar. She had no idea where she was, and nothing looked like any place she had seen before. She couldn't even tell how time worked in that world.

It was daytime when she woke up. She had been unconscious since midnight and opened her eyes by the side of a river. When she became fully awake, she was shocked and confused. She looked around in disbelief, trying to understand what had happened.

Elsie got up and began walking, hoping to find a way out or someone who could help. Then, she heard the sound of horses coming closer-fast. The loud galloping made her turn toward the sound.

She stepped forward, thinking maybe the riders could help her. On one of the horses was a young maiden-very beautiful and full of grace. Her long dark hair flowed behind her in the breeze, and her clear eyes shone with quiet strength.

She wore a simple, well-fitted outfit made for travel. It was slightly dusty from the road, but she still looked neat and calm. Tied around her waist was a small leather pouch, swinging lightly with each step of the horse. It was empty-she had gone on a quest to find magical gems, but the journey had not yet brought her success.

Her name was Yamin.

"Please, can you get me out of this place?" she asked desperately. As they approached, Galley drew her sword, dismounted her horse, and pointed the blade directly at the girl.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I'm Elsie, from Oxford. I want to-"

Galley cut her off. "What do you want?"

"A way out of here," Elsie replied softly.

The group fell silent, their gazes shifting to take in her strange clothing and unfamiliar aura. Her presence was unlike anything they had ever seen-foreign, refined, and entirely out of place in their world.

Galley had already dismounted, her boots hitting the ground with a solid thud. She gave the girl a once-over, sizing her up with an expression that was half skeptical, half annoyed. Yamin ordered her to bring the girl along, and without much care, Galley grabbed the girl's wrists and wrapped them in the rusty chain-tight enough to show she wasn't here to play.

They walked out of the town, the girl trailing behind with Galley's firm grip guiding her. When they reached the outskirts, Galley let the chains fall without a word, though her eyes never left the girl.

Yamin handed over her saddle, and Galley slung it over her shoulder with a shrug, like it was nothing. Yamin was off to see the Counselor, but Galley stayed behind, clearly unamused by the girl's presence.

Galley finally spoke, voice low but sharp. "Who are you? Where're you from? And what do you want with us?" Her tone wasn't exactly friendly-more like she was trying to see if the girl would crack under pressure.

The girl hesitated, unsure. "I... I was just reading this strange, ancient book-and then I found myself here."

Galley snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, sure you were," she muttered, eyeing her with suspicion. Without waiting for a response, she poked the girl's thigh with the butt of her spear, not enough to hurt, but enough to be uncomfortable. "Move. Don't waste my time."

The girl stumbled forward, eyes drifting over the hillside as if trying to make sense of the strange place.

The town felt wrong-old and forgotten, with a sense of shame hanging in the air. The girl had never been anywhere like it. Fortune seemed distant here, and it all felt like a strange dream-one that neither she nor the people here could fully understand.

All the members of the town watched in disbelief as they saw the new figure. She had lice-free hair and wore denim jeans, with a watch that fit her hand perfectly. Her feet were bare, and she carried clothes that seemed out of place-foreign to the people around her. Despite the poking and whispered remarks, she walked forward with quiet obedience, enduring the discomfort of the attention.

When she finally reached the council, she stood infront, her every movement scrutinized by those present. She was there to explain how she got there, what she wanted, and most importantly, who she was. But when she spoke, the answers seemed meaningless, empty even.

Yamin was present, too. She stood up and explained how they'd seen the girl near the Kohuri River, how every answer she gave had been strange and inconclusive. The girl-who they called Galley-fabricated a story to make herself seem more important than she was. It was there, by the river, that Elsie had compared Galley to a book, one that was constantly turned to for the same reasons, lacking anything new or unexpected. "The book was just as ancient as you are," she added, with a sharp edge to her words.

Captain Verde, tired of the nonsense, ordered that Elsie be put in a cell until further notice. She was taken away, the weight of her own words and action catching up to her. In the dim cell, she was served roasted grain and roebucks in the evenings