[Chapter 1: The New World]

>My 2 best friends and I became tired of the day to day life
>we had good jobs but there was something missing
>after the konvergance there was a whole new world to chart and explore 
>some people jumped at the call to go over to the other side on day 1
>we didn’t decide to leave until about 3 months after the first portal appeared 
>we heard rumors of some wizard in the city you can pay and he’ll create his own portal to the other side
>all of us at the ripe age of 26, we decided to pitch on a trip and find adventure
>It was Tim, Mac and myself along with some some other /k/ommandos
>theres 10 of us total, the wizards takes people in groups
>saves his mana or some shit idk
>the way the wizards ad explained it is the portal he creates plops us in a frontier town that some of the first to cross over settled and is some sort of homebase for the newcomers to the land
>We arrive at the wizards office
>yeah he has an office
>Tim is taller lanky guy
>he carries an HK g3 and a beretta 92
>Mac is built like a fucking refridgerator
>he carries a classic desert storm style ar15 and an fnx45
>I’m average height and weight
>t. Manlet of the group
>My weapon of choice is a carry handle ar15 and Ruger black hawk in .357
>smalliron.jpeg
>3 of the others in the group are some kitted out Russians and have some clean akms 
>between the 3 of them they’ve drank 2 bottles of vodka already
>one autist only has fucking longbow
>something about ‘muh ammo’ and ‘I’ll get a hot elf gf to teach me how to shoot’
>fucking neckbeard
>another guy dressed like crocodile Dundee wields a 45-70 lever gun and a single action revolver in .475 Linebaugh
>massiveiron.jpeg
>2 tall muscle girls with Gustaf M45’s
>we’re making some small talk about what we plan on doing on the other side
>the ruskis want to be soldiers of fortune
>the autist wants to find a waifu 
>safari guy wants to hunt
>the girls want to build a farm
>pretty lame but fuck it
>the portal wizard quiets us down and explains the spell
>”it takes a great deal of concentration to perform this and you all must remain still or you’ll be ripped apart by the fabric of space while crossing over”
>we all nod and prepare ourselves 
>”ready Mac? Tim?” I say
“Fucking born ready” Mac says
“Hell yeah” replies Tim 
>the whole room begins to emote a faint blue/purple glow the gets brighter by the second
>just as the portal seems to climax one of the drunk Russian fags falls out of his chair
>”BLYAT”
>a round from his ak hits the wizard in the gut
>ah fuck here we go
>the wizard falls over and yells out between coughing blood “you fool! We’re all doomed!”
>the room begins to shake and parts of the walls crumble away to reveal a purple space like void 
>”well chaps it’s been a pleasure” the crocodile Dundee larper says as his lights a cigar
>fucking dumbass Russians got us killed before we even got over


>grass
>I feel grass
>and a hot breeze
>slowly my eyes open
>holy fuck I’m alive 
>I feel like I was on fire and got put out with a 2x4 
>but I’m alive
>I slowly pull myself to my knees and take a glance around 
>clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight, sun shining
>a clearing of tall dark grass about a meter high surrounded by a thick forest 
>as I bring myself to my feet I double over and puke
>must’ve been the portal
>fuck those Russian fucks
>but did the portal even work? 
>How do I know I didn’t end up in the middle of Asia?
>or hell?
>or worse, Sweden?
>god I hope not
>well that can wait I need to make sure my friends are safe
>using all my willpower I catch my breath and regain my feet
>”Mac! Tim! You alive out there?”
>I’m about to yell out again when a hand cups over my mouth and pulls me back down 
>”anon keep quiet we’re not alone out here” 
>it’s Tim
>oh thank god he’s alive
>he points over to the nearby forest where we hear the faint sound of bark breaking and loud stomping 
>”Where's Mac?” I whisper
>”over here he’s still knocked out from the warp”
>”So we made it over?”
>”I’m not sure honestly anon but that noise is getting closer”
>”right let’s go”
>we low crawl through the grass as Tim leads me to Mac
>he’s a tough bastard so I know he’ll make it
>when we reach him Mac is face down in the grass
>somethings never change lol
>we dig in, ready our rifles, and prepare for whatever is thrashing towards us through the woods
>really wishing I had something bigger than a 5.56 right now
>finally we see a tree on the edge of the forest bend
>it’s a massive….pile of rocks?
>A stone golem of sorts begins to slowly trod through the field perpendicular to our location
>it’s about 30 feet tall, covered in miscellaneous foliage and walks like a gorilla, with its larger front arms and smaller rear legs
>it also has a massive wooden box strapped on its back 
>weaintinkansasanymore.gif
>”holy shit look at that!” 
>”shhhh keep quiet” Tim says
>fuck he’s right I got too excited 
>I’m not sure we can take it on in this shape
>best to keep low and pray it doesn’t see us
>the golem keeps walking in a straight line and fucks off into the other side of the forest
>Tim and I sigh in relief
>”okay what now? We’re definitely through the portal but I don’t think we ended up where we were supposed to” I say to Tim
>”yeah no shit Sherlock, let’s take Mac and see where that golem came from”
>”Are you insane?! What if there’s more of them?”
>”we’re fucked if we sit here and we’re fucked if we leave, might as well roll the dice”
>like ol Jack Burton always says, aw what the hell
>I pick up Mac
>Well Tim and I pick up Mac and he helps situate him over my shoulders
>fucker is heavy
>we descend down the path through the woods the golem come from
>it looks like it’s been used before
>Dirt on the ground instead of grass and minimal debris  
>30 min of hiking later and Mac wakes up
>”ahhhhh FUCK my head hurts”
>I set him on his feet and Tim let’s lets a chuckle
>”you missed all the action”
>”for once I think I’m glad, fill me in after I get a drink”
>Mac reaches for his bottle of tequila he uses in place of a canteen
>damn drunk lol
>” little too early to be drinking, don't ya think?” Tim remarks
>” you're not an alcoholic if you're never sober ha-ha!”
>me and Tim both shake our heads and chuckle
>we all make small talk about our old lives
>see we all met growing up in the same town and have been friends since day 1
>best friends I ever had 
>completely loyal to each and always have been
>4 shots later, and some retelling of some classic drinking stories, Mac swears he feels better
>we fill Mac in with everything we know and our current plan
>he agrees
>a couple hours of marching down the forest trail (with zero encounters) we see a city in the distance 
>mission accomplished
>”hold up boys” Mac says
>”I'm glad we found a town as much as you guys are but who’s to say they're even friendly?”
>honestly the thought had crossed my mind but I figured we would take our chances 
>”it beats the running back into the golem right?” I say
>”all I’m saying is let’s keep on our toes in there”
>Tim nods in agreement 
“Alright let’s go”

>we reach an ornate looking archway that leads into the city
>chiseled marble with wooden braces with golden accents
>there’s a name plate but it’s in a foreign language
>I hope they speak English 
>two guards are on the top of it
they don't seem to react to us
>we holster our guns for good measure anyway
>on the other side of the archway is an astounding city of marble and wood
>no skyscrapers but lots of 2-3 story buildings
>lots of complex stone and wood carving
>lustrous trees and plants burst out of nearly every window
>and elves
>lots of elves
>I mean I don't even see anybody else in this place
>” place looks like shit,” Mac says as he takes another sip “let’s go find a bar”
>”the patrician as always” Tim replies
>”fuck you”
>Mac never did appreciate the finer things in life
>probably why he lived in a trailer court
>but it’s not a bad idea
>hopefully we can use a map or something and find out where the fuck we are
>while we stroll around we get a lot of strange looks and many elves are muttering amongst themselves
>we must be the first otherworlders to set foot here 
>I can make out some English with an accent so we have that going for us 
>after about hour of fucking about we reach a building with a sign that says inn
>we walk through the doors and the room falls silent
>we glance around the room and it's all elves
>we sit down awkwardly as the inn goes back to chatter
>” the fuck is their problem,” Mac says out loud
>fucks sake we’re gonna get jumped
>” calm down man we’re outnumbered and outsiders we don’t shit about this place,” I say
>” I’m with anon on this one Mac we should take it slow”
>he just grumbles to himself and we roll our eyes
>” I’ll go get us the first round Tim make sure Mac doesn’t start a fight”
>fucking Mac, always starting shit
>I walk up to the bar and wait for the bartender to make her way over to me
>the bartender, a thin but muscular elf woman, seems agitated as she struts over to me 
>solid 7/10
>keep your spaghetti in your pockets anon you got this
>I’m not a total sperg but I have my moments
>even if she is ugly
>” I-I’ll take 3 beers please,”
>okay solid
>” We don’t serve your kind here”
>okay not solid
>she spits at me and it lands on my chest rig
>the whole bar seems to notice and it quiets up again
>fucking cunt
>I want to deck her but there are 3 of us and 7 of them plus her
>as I take a breath to speak I hear a glass shatter 
>” it’s time to rumble Anon!” Mac shouts
>soitbegins.gif
>instinct kicks in and I sucker punch the bartender
>sorry bitch these hands believe in equality
>Mac quickly jams the shattered glass into the shoulder of the nearest elf and kicks out his chair as Tim flips the table
>I catch a wild elbow to the face and stumble bar only for an elf to grab me from behind
>I throw out a front kick and knock the first elf on his ass
>Tim already has one elf unconscious and has got another one in a guillotine
>my first elf picks up a stool and smashes it over the back of my head

>I wake up to Mac dumping a beer on my face
>pfffffft
>” anon you all good?” Tim asks
>”could be worse, “ I say as he helps me to my feet
>my head is pounding like i got hit by a train
>probably a minor concussion
>Tim is bloody and he has a healthy boxer cut on his face
>all the patrons of the bar are unconscious and bloody
>”what happened?”
>”Well you got knocked out by a faggot with a barstool so me and Tim had to fight by ourselves” Mac says
>his right arm drenched in blood
>”fuck sake what happened to you” I ask
>”cunt bartender got me with a steak knife when I wasn't looking. Next time go for the knockout would ya anon” he laughs
>” the fuck was that all about guys? So much for staying calm huh Tim?” I say 
>” the cunt spit on you man, we weren’t gonna let them get off that easy”
“Goddamn right” Mac chimes in as he steals a random liquor bottle from the bar
>best friends I ever had
>Tim bandages Mac’s arm as best he can
>it’s not too deep so he should be fine
>“Fuck it let’s bail outta this place,” Mac says
>” fucking ay” Tim and I say in agreement
>we walk out of the place as innocent as possible and in the alley we hear a gruff voice call out to us
>” really gave it to them good huh laddies?”
>it’s a dwarf
>guess it’s not just elf world around here
>” we’ll they fucking asked for it,” Mac says
>the dwarf lets out a hearty laugh
>” you’ve got some spirit I’ll give ya that”
>” what do you want anyways,” I ask
>” come with me lads you're new here I can tell, no human here would ever walk into a bar in the elven quarter and ask for a drink”
>elven quarter? The fuck is he talking about
>I look to my friends for their opinions
>Tim is leery but agrees
>Mac is confident he can kick his ass so he’s on board too
>” alright let’s go,” I say
>the dwarf, whose name is Fellik, explains to us all about the city of Withervale
>it’s the largest city in the farthest place of nowhere
>a major trade hub between a lot of the smaller towns and villages
>that golem we saw earlier is how they transport large amounts of goods
>This city is split into residential districts with mostly each race having their own district
>all with their own laws, architecture, and culture
>it’s not illegal to be in a district that isn’t yours but don’t expect to have to red carpet welcome
>similar in a way to New York City’s Chinatown and Little Italy
>there’s a large central trading district that’s treated as a common ground
>lots of businesses and traders set up shop in this area for obvious reasons
>Fellik leads us to the trade quarter
>not nearly as ornate as the elf district, most wooden and stone structures
>along with small tents and stalls
>all sorts of races are walking by going about their daily lives
>dwarves, elves, tieflings, lizardfolk, harpies, orcs, etc
>I think I even saw a Dragonborn
>fusrodah.wav 
>guess reading all those fantasy novels paid off cause Tim and Mac are pretty clueless 
>inns and shops galore
>Mac spots the first whorehouse and we could barely hold him back
>can’t say I blame him but we have to get our feet planted first before we can run
>we thank Fellik for showing us the way
>”anytime lads, anyone who gives a knife ear a good whoopin is alright with me ” the dwarf says with a smile
>”guess things worked out half decent” I say
>”well anon that’s how it’s always been with us”
>he’s right we always been on the razors edge with every fuck up scenario
>but was always make it out
>like that one time with the Albanian hookers
>or that other time we caught that fast food place on fire
>”Okay boys huddle up, what's our next move?”
>Mac thinks we should mug someone
>”it’s the perfect plan, nobody even knows us here!”
>hard pass
>Tim thinks we should shop around and buy some swords
>ok retard
>my one friend wants to rob a stranger in a strange land and my other friends wants to shop for medieval shit likes it’s a damn renaissance fair
>I sided with Tim solely because I couldn’t think of any better to do
>and I’m not about to try and mug a guy and have him turn me into a toad or some shit
>we wander aimlessly late evening approaches until we find a blacksmith
>there’s really no order to the trade district 
>all the shops just kinda are where they are
>the shop is run by an old (somewhat senile) gnome
>not to reveal our power level we say hide our guns as best we can
>”never see you folk ‘round these parts before”
>before Mac and Tim can say something retarded I jump in with a quick lie I brainstormed
>”haha oh yeah we just drifted into town…a uhh sorcerer teleported us here as a joke”
>”yea yea, a rogue sorcerer didn’t like that I was hitting on his girl so he transported us far away” Mac says 
>perfect save
>”ohhh I see what part of the human kingdoms are ya from? We don’t see to many of your kind around here” The gnome asks rubbing his chin
>fuck he’s calling our bluff
>shit shit shit
>”uhhh..it’s the um, the northern…one?”
>we’re so fucked
>”ah so you're from Atrila, good people then folk are. Perhaps you’d be interested in an axe, that is what you're known for.”
>”Yeah yeah let’s go with that” Tim blurts out
>”you read my mind haha let me see what you’ve got”
>Tim broads the axes and settles on a nice bearded axe
>”that’ll be 2 gold there youngster” the gnome says
>what
>2 ‘gold’?
>all of our minds blue screen for 15 seconds before they reboot
>why the fuck would they accept the US dollar in fantasyland 
>were fucking broke
>”oh prices here are higher than back home right anon?” Tim says as he elbows me for support 
>”hm oh yes right we’ll have to come back another day we have a…we didn’t exactly bring all our gold you know”
>”being transported by that dickhead sorcerer and all” Mac says
>”ohh yes I understand well I guess I’ll see you back soon take care now.”
>we hurry out of the shop to have a huddle
>”guys hate to address the elephant in the room but we’re kinda fucking broke” Tim says
>”NO SHIT!?!” I say
>”least I got booze” Mac says and he takes yet another sip from his alcohol canteen
>”FUCK. We need to find work ASAP. Where are we gonna sleep tonight?”
>I’m boiling over in frustration, how could we all be this retarded to forget the most important thing we came here to do
>”ehh we can manage on the streets we did fine in the bar.” Mac says
>this motherfucker
>”YOU GOT FUCKING STABBED REMEMBER!?”
>”Yeah I know, I got a sweet scar from it, and YOU got knocked out REMEMBER?! Me and Tim did the heavy lifting. So calm the fuck down. We’ll take shifts or something.”
>he’s right I got too worked up
>deep breaths
>”okay okay you're right sorry. Not like we’ll be the only homeless people out here” 
>we work our way to the edge of the district and set up camp along the outskirts.
>we found and old abandoned shop of some sort
>broken windows, dilapidated structure, no door
>beats being out in the open for sure
>Tim volunteers to keep watch first
>Tim busts out his small Bluetooth speaker out of his pack
>figured we could use the morale boost of some classic tunes
>He connects his phone and starts playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORnvO1VyYMk 
>That reminds me to check my phone
>no service
>good thing Tim downloads all his songs
>we all check out weapons before me and Mac fall asleep

>Tim shakes me awake
>it’s just before 10am, least that’s what my well worn Timex watch says
>surprised it survived the portal over
>looks to be accurate enough based of the sun
>if that’s how the solar system works in this world
>I wonder if we’re on another planet entirely
>Or on some different plane of existence
>Or maybe some other dimension
>my trailing thoughts are interrupted by Mac
>”Earth to Anon, come in Anon, do you read me?”
“Yeah I’m here, nobody woke me for watch last night.”
>”yeah me and Mac split it we weren’t tired” Tim says
>best friends I ever had 
>”also Mac says he found a job for us”
>”hell yeah what’s the story?”
>”I ran that dwarf Fellik early in the morning so I asked him if he knew where we could find a job and he said he’s preparing to send out a shipment of explosives to his cousin's mine and could use some extra muscle.”
>”fuck it works for me” I say
>Fellik is the guy in the whole city we know and we kinda owe him for helping us out
>”he showed me to the adventurer’s guilds and said he’d find us when he was ready.”
>”also I might’ve cut a deal that we’d take a pay cut if I get to keep some of the bombs”
>”Wow thanks dick we didn’t want any” Tim says in a snarky tone
>”Look I’ll share but as long as I get the most”
>greedy bastard
>but he was the one who took the job from Fellik 
>Me and Tim say fuck it, some money is better than no money
>”let me eat real quick and then I’ll be ready” I say
>”I’ll join you” Tim says
>”I’ll pass not hungry” Mac says
>me and Tim snack on some of packed food
>trail mix and a protein bar for Tim
>beef jerky and a block of ramen for me
>Mac rolls his eyes in disgust as I crunch through the uncooked noodles
>I swear I like them better that way lol
>plus any opportunity I can make Mac cringe I take it
>after we finish Mac leads us to the guild
>it’s a large rectangular shaped building, the inside resembling a Roman forum with plenty of space
>lots of tables seated with all sorts of warriors, mages, rouges, etc
>you know the typical adventuring type of crowd
>job flyers lined designated sections of the walls
>there was also a large administrative desk
>We have no idea when Fellik would be ready
>Dumbfuck Mac didn’t even think to ask
>we grab a table to relax and blend in more
>we’re still the outsiders after all 
>surprisingly nobody seems to question our clothing or guns
>”Hey are you guys newcomers?”
>fucks sake I spoke too soon
>A group at the next table over strikes up a conversation
>Tim engages happily
>Mac was more focused on his canteen
>A trio of wood elves Salryn, Slynelius, and Sylgerious
>Who I will call Sal, Sly, and Greg
>3 brothers who are local monster hunters
>Sly and Sal both use high quality bows
>not that I would know but they look cool
>Both are made of a dark black wood with carvings and inlays in silver
>Greg is a mage
>fucking nerd lol
>They’re much friendlier than the elves of our previous encounter
>They correctly deduce we are otherworlder despite our best efforts
>They told us we were the first otherworlders they’ve seen and asked us all sorts of questions
>what are our weapons are, how we got here, you know the basic stuff
>We respond by asking questions about magic as in our world it didn't exist to our knowledge
>magic is just like any other skill, everyone can learn but some are better than others
>everyone is born with a different affinity for different types of magic
>they offer to do some weird palm reading to gauge our abilities
>Tim has a light affinity and I have fire
>Mac refuses because ‘magic is for fags who can’t take a punch’
>to cast a spell a catalyst; a staff, wand or even a runestone, is required
>then you simply recite a phrase as you try and channel your inner mana
>sounds like bullshit to me but Tim seems interested
>Greg pulls out a basic spell book and has Tim try and cast an entry level healing spell while holding his staff
>Nothing happens
>Tim looks bummed
>”don’t worry about it friend, it just takes practice” Greg says trying to console him
>Before we realize it, Fellik finds our table and is ready to head out
>We bid farewell and Tim promises to repay the trio
>We follow Fellik to another main gate of Withervale
>the convoy consists of 14 carriages, 10 cargo and 4 passenger
>Fellik seems to have hired some other people besides us
>all of them seem to be run of the mill adventurers of different species
>in total the guard detail is 13 of us plus the carriage riders
>We load up in one of the passenger carts with Fellik and our first adventure begins
>”How long is the trip Fellik?” I ask
>”ooooh bout 10 day trip there and back.”
>”GODDAMMIT! I’ll run out of tequila before then!” Mac exclams
>”Ah don’t worry lad we dwarves always keep extra drink” Fellik says while pointing at carriage behind us
>Me and Tim shake our heads and laugh while Mac grumbles to himself about it not being the same
>it finally felt like we had our footing in the world
>on a job and met some decent people
>emphasis on some
>all we have yet to do is kill something

>the rest of the first 3 days to the mine was fairly uneventful
>we stopped occasionally to eat, stretch our legs and talked to some of the other adventurers
>seems like it really is a mixed bag of people
>2 elves, 2 lizardfolk, and 6 dwarves
>the elves, a guy and girl, both wielding swords similar to a cutlass 
>they had too much flair to just be called a cutlass
>the lizardfolk kept to themselves
>something about old traditions when traveling with others
>one looked like a shaman and the other had a large spear along with multiple javelins on his pack
>the dwarves are old friends of Fellik so naturally he hired them for the job
>on the 4th day we finally got to see some action
 
>early morning on the 4th day we stop to take lunch in a large clearing along the narrow dirt road we’re traveling on
>”great more fucking potatoes and salty meat” Mac says as walks toward our wagon with a bowl from the cook
>he’s is extra pissy since he hasn’t drank yet
>fucking drunk
>Tim finally got the lizardfolk to open up and is training under the shaman to teach him magic
>He’s going over some of his notes
>I’m writing some of the recent events down in a journal
>good habit to keep
>when we’re all retired it’ll be nice to read all of our retardation 
>suddenly a war cry is heard from the nearby forest
>nani.gif
>a pack of goblins and a few orcs charge at us from the woods armed with a mixture of bows, spears, and blunt weapons
>a combination of survival instinct and fear takes over
>everything seems to be in super slow yet super fast at the same time
>I raise my rifle and fire 6 rounds into the nearest gobbos
>blam blam blam blam blam blam
>5 hit their mark and 2 goblins are down
>Tim is laying suppressing fire his 7.62 NATO barking against the commotion of battle
>Mac supports Tim by placing more accurate shots on the archers with his acog
>”GET SOME YEAH GET SOME” Mac yells as the goblins drop
>welcometothericefieldsmotherfucker.jpeg
>”Tim put that g3 to work on those orcs!” I say
>”on it!” he says slapping the gun into battery
>Glorious m80 ball makes short work of the orcs before they could close the gap
>The sounds of battle are coming from all parts of the convoy
>Fellik and the dwarves are toward the front
>While the lizardfolk and the elves were toward the rear
>we frantically scan our surroundings
>”Let’s go get Fellik!” Mac shouts
>”what about the others?” Tim says
>”fuck the others Fellik is paying us”
>can’t argue with that
>we advance toward the front of the convoy >covering each other as we move up
>the next group we see is looting one of the carts
>Mac wastes no time spraying the rest of his mag into them
>they bled a dark red, almost maroon color
>we had no time to focus on morality 
>More screams and yells are heard
>we ditch the tactical advance and begin to sprint toward the front
>we quickly unalive 2 more squads of goblins and we see the source
>the massive orc chief squaring off against a small shield wall of the remaining dwarves 
>he’s easily 8 feet tall, shredded with muscle that would make Bane jealous
>he wields a flail with the head the size of a car tire and a shield the size of a bank vault door
>he swings the flail at one dwarf on the end of the line
>the sheer force of the impact took off 2 of his limbs in a bloody explosion
>not the time to hesitate Anon
>time to show them how we do things in the modern world 
>”Open fire!” I shout to my friends
>we dump the rest of our mags into him
>brass flying wildly and the sweet smell of gunpowder and smoke fill the air
>the chief recoils from the initial blows
>but before he can raise his shield we’ve already loaded our next mags and keep the stream of lead flying
>the chief falls flat on his back
>literally looks like a block of Swiss cheese 
>”Fuck yeah” Mac shouts in a war cry of victory 
>the rest of the party joins him
>a small feast was earned after the battle
>Fellik and company mourned the loss of 3 of the friends
>the elves and lizards made it out unscathed
>lots of questions got sprung on us about our guns
>apparently cannons and dynamite were all they farther they got with gunpowder
>we did our best to give them a basic rundown
>Tim promised to explain is detail once we get back to Withervale
>it finally set in on me that we were now officially killers
>Mac and Tim seem unbothered
>honestly it didn’t bother me as much as a I thought it would
>even though it was us or them an orc is still a sentient being with a semi functional brain
>I wonder how I’d feel killing a human or elf?
>eh fuck it
>if there’s one thing I learned today it’s that you can’t think to slow in battle
>quick wits and reactions are what separates the victorious and defeated 

>we are riding pretty high after our win over the bandit attack so the rest of the trip flew by like nothing
>we reach the mining complex
>from the outside it doesn’t seem very big
>just looks like a standard mine with a guard shack outside
>We helped carry the crates of explosives into the foyer of the main entrance
>”fuck me im starving” Mac says as he stretches his back
>”yer in luck laddie! My cousin said it’s almost meal time.” Fellik responds
>kinda worked up an appetite myself
>Fellik leads up through a couple winding corridors down into a great dining room
>masterfully crafted stone architecture, chairs, and table
>fitting for a dwarf really
>The entire convoy crew all sits down at the giant table
>big enough to sit 50 men
>A servant brings out chalices of wine
>Everyone takes a sip
>cheers to a well done
>we’ll halfway done
>7/10 cause I’m not much of a wine drinker
>Mac swirles his in his glass like those wine snobs do laughing to himself
>It’s some good ass wine
>”What is this? It’s delicious” Tim asks as his finishes his glass
>”glad you like it….” Fellik says as a devilish grin appears on his face
>wtf
>the lizard shaman starts gurgling and immediately vomits
>the other tries to stand but is tackled by one of the dwarves
>”YOU BASTARD YOU SET US UP!” Mac yells
>he draws his fnx but a dwarf axe thrown by Fellik cements in his shoulder
>“AGHHH” Mac screams in agony
>I’m starting to feel woozy
>I can’t react in time
>We’re fucked
>Tim is already unconscious in his chair 
>Slowly I’m fading out
>I try to stand but I can’t 
>my vision goes dark

>I slowly start to wake up
>”Anon wake the fuck up get me outta here”
>I open my eyes and try and shake myself up
>I’m sitting in a chair, hands bound to the arms
>cloth rag stuffed in my mouth
>I’m weak and it’s hard to breathe
>Mac is tied up in a similar fashion across from me 
>along with the shaman, a dwarf, one of the elves
>Tim is next to me tied up as well
>still unconscious
>”anon wake up!” Mac says with a cough
>his wound still open
>we’re royally fucked
>”that bastard Fellik drugged us!”
>im so weak I can’t even speak 
>I lightly nod my head in agreement 
>Fellik will pay for this
>”glad your awake laddie, your not gonna want to miss this” 
>it’s Fellik
>that rotten fuck
>struggling with all my strength I’m trying to break free
>”ya see I needed you boys alive”
>fuck you Fellik
>”go to hell” Mac says
>”oh don’t worry we’ll all be going there once I’m finished”
>the fuck is he talking about
>”my lord Tulgramoch will rise again and reclaim his rightful throne!”
>”and I could do it without you three”
>”fuck you shortstack your a fucking deadman” Mac says
>Fellik walks over to Mac and punches him across the face
>”you three are quite the commodity around these parts…Otherworlders. 
>”to bring back my lord a certain mixture of blood is needed, and Otherworlder blood is by far the hardest to come by”
>he punches Mac again
>”but when the guard tipped me off some strange man appeared in Withervale I new I couldn’t miss the opportunity”
>”hahahaha” Mac starts laughing uncontrollably
>”hey anon get a load of this guy, feels like I’m in a James Bond movie”
>he gets hit again
>”now then I think I’ll save you for last”
>he draws a large gut from his belt
>he walks over to the unconscious lizard and stabs him in the chest
>I’m frantic at this point but my restraints won’t budge
>Tim is still isn’t awake
>Fellik slowly carves out the lizards heart and places it in a bowl
>he never moved guess he was already dead
>I gotta get tim up
>I try and bounce my chair over to him
>it’s made of stone so it’s not moving
>the elf was next
>as soon as the knife hit him he screamed out in pain
>yelling to his gods as Fellik tore out chucks of rib and muscle
>then he fell silent
>Fellik removes the dwarf’s heart next
>he was also dead
>Mac lets out a long breath 
>”anon, I’m glad we were friends, get this bastard for me”
>tears are streaming down my face and I cry through my gag
>the elf’s heart was placed in a separate bowl
>it can’t end like this
>Mac is my best friend he can’t die
>no no no no
>Fellik grabs Mac’s face and raises it, both of them looking at me
>”I'm gonna enjoy this one the most” Fellik says with a wicked grin
>No no no you fuck
>Mac uses all his courage and spits on him
>”I always thought you were an asshat Fellik, but now I know your just a cunt”
>the knife plunged into Mac 
>he let out a hallowed scream and did he best to break free
>it was no good 
>his screams faded echoing in my head
>my body went limp
>tears still ran down my face but my struggling was for nothing
>my friend was dead
>my friend that I have know for more than half my life is dead
>dead because we were too naive 
>dead because of Fellik
>he’ll pay
>they’ll all pay, Fellik and everyone in this fucked up cult 
>Fellik walks over to me
>”the fun is just beginning for you lad”
>he drags the blade of the knife across my cheek lightly cutting it
>”Send the rest of em to Sheira she needs some new faces”
>a cultist dwarf walks over to me and rips the cloth out of my mouth
>”YOUR A DEA-“ I scream out before another drugged glass is shoved down my throat
>as I fade out of reality again I can barely hear Fellik
>”The ritual draws ever closer now….”

[Chapter 2: The Prison]

>I’m shaken awake
>yourfinallyawake.gif
>”hey you okay buddy?”
>I scramble to my feet
>a man is standing with me in a stone cell
>he has light brown almost red hair and a chinstrap beard
>”WHERE AM I!? WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?!!”
>”woah easy, now you’ve been out for a bit”
>”I DONT FUCKING CARE! ANSWER ME!” I say as I grab him by his shirt
>”..umm the other guy you came with got taken somewhere else, he wasn’t moving”
>I let go off him and sit down again the wall
>Tim is all I have left
>He can’t be dead
>he can’t be
>I’ve GOT to find him, that’s my only goal right now
>”my name is Dixie by the way, Dix for short. Right now we’re both in Blackport Prison, largest on this edge of the continent”
>I’m still processing the past events
>Mac is dead, Tim somewhere in this prison with me, stripped of all my gear
>this ain’t gonna be easy 
>and I remember Fellik mentioning a Shira or Shrirava or something, the prison warden maybe?
>But why let us live?
>He already got the otherworlder blood from Mac
>Maybe in case he fucks up? He did say we were rare in those parts
>wait a minute ‘Dixie’?
>”with a name like that are you some sort of confederate rebel or something?” I ask
>”Confederate?! You're from the States! Which one?”
>”Pennsylvania”
>”no shit? I’m from Maine. Yes, yes I know my name is ironic I’ve heard it a zillion times.”
>I can’t help but smile a bit
>I’m relieved to find someone like myself here
>”Are there a lot of otherworlders around here?”
>”Some but not many”
>”You ever heard of a city called Withervale?”
>”Withervale..nope I can’t say I have”
>fuck
>Fellik dropped me and Tim farthest from Withervale as possible
>”So what’s your story stranger?” Dix asks
>”Call me Anon, and my story isn’t one I want to tell. All that matters is I find my friend and get the fuck out.”
>”oh come on, you tell me and I’ll let you in on the escape plan”
>I pause for a minute
>We’re both prisoners and I want to trust him
>but I can’t be sure this isn’t another setup
>I refuse to make the same mistake twice
>not with Tim’s life on the line
>but the deals too good, don’t worry Tim I’ll keep my wits about me
>he claims to be from my world but he could be lying
>only one way to be sure
>”Alright I’ll tell you, but on one condition.”
>”name it.”
>”Who is the greatest of all time?”
>Dix smiles
>”Tom fucking Brady”
>I shake my head and laugh “alright you really are from Maine”
>I catch Dixie up on the events that lead us to meet
>”damn.. I see why you didn’t want to talk about it”
>”lucky for you, in the coming weeks we should be ready to put our plan in action” Dixie says
>”Goddamn right I do”
>”good, let’s get some rest I’ll introduce you to the others tomorrow”
>”but first let me explain how this shithole operates.”
>Basically, 2 people per cell since only 2 bowls of food and 1 pitcher of water were given in each cell per day
>nobody likes to split things three ways
>Violence between prisoners didn’t matter as long as the guards didnt get touched
>he stressed that point, dont even breathe on them or they’ll cut you down
>theres exactly 2 minutes from the time the food appears until the doors open
>any stragglers from the cells get whacked, so don’t fuck around
>everyone goes to the mines to work for 16 hours
>afterwards we move all the rocks and go back to our cells
>rinse and repeat everyday
>”you’ll get it more once you see it” Dix says
>”yeah i’ll manage”
>”rest up the peaceful nights go fast”
>there are no beds in the cell
>Dixie slept on a cloth in the floor
>I didn’t sleep at all
>there are no windows in the cell so I’m not sure of the time
>it didn’t matter I needed a plan of my own
>how are me and Tim supposed to get back to Withervale?
>how were we gonna get money to buy new gear?
>could we even stop the cult ritual in time?
>Did the ritual already happen?
>what does the ‘ritual’ even do?
>so many questions and no way to find answers
>FUCK 
>ok Anon relax, deep breaths
>one step at a time
>First things first, me and Tim have to get outta here alive
>we’ll cross the other bridges when we get to them
>my mind twisted around our past choices
>If we have approached the town different would Mac still be alive?
>What if we never even went to the town at all? 
>One thing is certain, if we’d have never came to this shithole world Mac would 100% be alive
>And Tim wouldn’t be locked in this jail with me
>FUCK ME
>No, we all wanted this, we knew the risks
>Fellik will face my wrath
>revenge is a dish best served cold
>I sat in silence for the rest of the night

>I hear the clanging of cell doors
>I guesstimate about 4 hours have went by
>I shake Dixie awake
>”guards are coming look alive”
>he stirs for a moment and jumps up
>”okay Anon just follow me and don't cause any trouble the guards have no mercy”
>I nod back
>the cell door opens and we step out into the corridor 
>there’s a long line of other open doors with other prisoners stepping out of them
>dotting the hallway are the guards
>large in stature, clad in jet black armor with each with a sword and a mace
>their square horned helmets only have 2 small eye holes
>reminiscent of that bitch Horus from dark souls 3
>I can’t even tell if they’re human
>we’re herded down the hall out into yard
>it seems to lie in the center of the prison
>groups of prisoners entering from other cell blocks along the sides of the yard
>above the one side there’s more rooms that overlook the yard
>mixed bag of all races
>about 500 total by my estimate 
>in the yard there is a mining lifting descending into the ground
>with and accompanying guard post
>we step onto the lift and it lowers us down into the mine
>there is another guard post at the bottom
>we grab pickaxes and burlap bags that are laid out 
>the bottom of the mine is setup in a grid layout with linear mining paths and occasional support trusses
>mining lights and power line trace paths along the ceiling 
>”stick close Anon”
>he leads me to a section farthest away from the lift
>”okay we’ll work here until Craig comes and gets us, then we can talk”
>working in the mines fucking sucks
>it’s hot as balls and we don’t get any food or water
>we chipped away at the rock slowly filling our bags
>once filled we take them to a designated spot by the lift then grab another empty bag
>after the first hour my hands already covered in blisters
>Remember Anon you have to find Tim a couple blisters and sore arms is a small price to pay
>A man throws a rock towards Dix
>”okay that’s the signal Anon let’s go”
>I quickly follow dix to a dead end passage way
>”what the fuck there’s nobody here!”
>”shhh” he says
>he knocks on the rock wall and it slowly begins to roll out of the way
>oh 
>”welcome to the hideout Anon” he says with a grin
>it’s a medium sized cavern with piles of mining bags and a crude chemist table
>a group of men sit huddled around a lamp
>”This is Anon our newest recruit, he’s from my world too”
>there was 7 of us including me and Dix
>Craig was the only otherworlder besides me and Dix
>he ran interference between the rest of the group
>standing at 6’1”, built like an average soldier, he is an AWOL US Navy officer and got arrested for getting into a bar fight with some elf noble
>I feel that pain bro
>Vanlis, the last elf of his tribe, has been here the longest
>he’s muscular(for an elf), is 45 in human years, stands 6’2” and has long light brown hair, with a matching pair of brown eyes
>after waging a 1 man guerilla war on the nobles who wiped out his clan, Vanlis slipped up and got captured
>he is also the ‘leader’ of our section, the south block
>Harlan, a human jewel thief, got caught robbing the royal treasury in Cadworth(no clue where that is) and murdering 12 guards in the process
>He is 5’9”, slightly on the thin side, middle aged, and has dark brown hair down to his jaw
>Harlan is the leader of the west block
>Dodzam, a half-orc bandit leader, got ambushed and captured by a group of mercs
>He’s 6’7” of sheer muscle, only 27 years old, and has a black hair tied back in a ponytail
>He rules the north block
>Erskin a human, is completely mute, he was arrested for arson
>a small guy at 5’9, very thin build, 28 years old, wears a cloth wrap around his face, and is bald.
>He commands the east block
>not really sure how he commands anything since he doesn’t talk but whatever lol
>”What exactly does he bring to the table? Why bring him to us?” Harlan asks
>”Because I think I found the person in this prison who hates Sheira more than Erskin”
>Erskin tenses up and stares me dead with a pair of soulless eyes
>”hmmph, I find that hard to believe and I’ve been here the longest. I don’t blame you Erskin even if you were a lunatic arsonist, what she did to you is unforgivable.” Vanlis says
>”spit it out kid, I want to know what Sheira did to you.”
>”She’s working with a dwarf who cut my friend's heart out in front of me, then took my other friend when we got sent here. That's the short version”
>”Your friend is probably gonna die.” Harlan says
>”Bullshit I have time to save him, I only got here yesterday!”
>”Erskin show Anon what she did to you”
>Erskin stand up and takes off his shirt
>he has long scars running top to bottom on each of his limbs
>”she split all his limbs in half inches at a time, kept him alive with magic, stitched him back together, then tore out his vocal cords” 
>Erskin pulls his face wrap down
>his cheeks have vertical slashes so deep I can see his teeth through them
>”I’ve killed dozens of innocent men, but even that surpasses my cruelty” Dodzam says
>”The kicker is all because she thought Erskin was good looking” Harlan says
>”So if Sheira took my friend that’s gonna happen to him?”
>”It’s possible…” Vanlis says
>”Speed the plan up! There’s still time!”
>”Absolutely not, I’ve rotted here long enough” Harlan says
>”I'm not willing to throw away my chance at freedom again either.” Vanlis says
>Erskin makes some gestures in some crude sign language
>”I’ve waiting this long for revenge I wait no longer” Craig said translating for him
>FUCK
>Calm down Anon it’s not your fault
>I can’t blame them 
>They don’t know me nor I them
>”Okay I understand…I’ll save Tim when you act your plan what do I have to do?”
>”what can you do Anon? What’s your skill set?”
>”Jack of all trades, and I adapt to most situations quickly”
>least that’s what I believe I’m good at
>”And he’s fluent with firearms” Dix adds
>”they haven’t had the luxury to handle them yet but I’m sure there’s some here somewhere” Dix says to me
>That’s right other than Craig and Dix these prisoners haven’t seen anything more advanced than a blackpowder pistol or cannon
>”what about the guards? Do any of them have guns?” I ask
>”not that I’ve seen” says Dix
>”how much of a chance do we have of taking any of them down? They're heavily armored” I ask 
>”We’ll have to use our numbers, the only weapons we’ll have are the picks. They never speak and show no emotions.” Dodzam says
>”their golems I’m almost certain, Sheira must be conjuring them up” Vanlis says
>”goddamn wench” Harlan says as he spits on the ground
>”Final question, what do you know about Sheira?”
>”Our best guess is she operates from the rooms above the north block”
>”Erskin is the only one that I know that’s seen her and came back” Vanlis says
>Erskin does his sign language thing again
>”He can’t remember” Craig says
>”Shame really wish we knew what we’re up against” Harlan says
>”if she can create this many golems and control them all we know she’s more than adept with magic” Vanlis says
>”enough talk, tell him the plan Harlan. He seems good enough” Dodzam remarks
>”right, in these bags we’ve been stockpiling sulfur and coal. Over time we’ve gathered saltpeter from the mass graves whenever we have body dumping duty.”
>”Craig has been synthesizing some crude black powder but it should work well enough to still ignite.”
>”We’ll strip the entire mine of its lamps along with the bags to complete the bombs”
>”We ambush the guard post in the mine and immediately send a group up to take control of the top post.”
>”they have to survive until we can keep sending more men up on the lift, then it’s just a matter of forcing our way out”
>”The total amount of support we have is about 150 prisoners but the rest will follow our lead, we plan on starting a massive riot.”
>Vorkuta in real
>”How long have you been planning this” I ask
>”almost 5 years, we only have one chance. If we fail we’re all dead men” Vanlis says
>”Rather die escaping than rot here any longer” Dodzam says
>”I’ve been here 1 day and I couldn't agree more”
>”right let’s get back to the mines before, we should be ready in a few days”
>I suppose luck is still on my side
>2 weeks later and I’d have missed my chance to get out
>hang in there a few more days Tim, I’m coming to save you

>we all spread out in the mine from the hideout
>we spent total of 16 hours is spent in the mines today
>as we approach the lift one prisoner trips and falls into a guard
>”I-I’M SORRY PLEASE NO!” He screams out
>swiftly the guards mace collided with his skull in a bloody explosion
>Fuck sake that was brutal
>Dix was right, they show no mercy and ask no questions
>none of the other prisoners seem phased
>we load all the bags onto the lift and take them up in waves
>the dead body was thrown on as well
>from there we dump all the bags into a hopper
>I’m not sure how it work since it’s essentially a hole in the wall
>probably magic of some sort to pull apart all the minerals from the rock
>All the prisoner funnel back into the cells 
>shit I don’t remember which cell I was in
>I think it was toward the center
>Dix is nowhere to be found
>taking a guess but I assume it’s 2 people per cell
>fuck it just have to roll the dice
>I speed walk down the hall looking into the cells
>full, full, full, fuck sake there all full
>the last cell at the end of the hall
>only 1 guy in it sitting with his face in his lap
>I dive in just as the doors shut simultaneously in the block
>too close for comfort anon
>next time I’ll find Dix beforehand
>but now I have a new issue
>i’ll be trapped with some rando austist for the night
>least he seems to be asleep already
>the last thing I want is a brawl
>I’m confident I can take him but I really dont want the hassle
>I sit at the other edge of cell, best to just leave him be
>My cellmate has medium length black hair and looks average build, but thats all I can tell
>Fuck it I might as well get as much rest as I can
>As I drift off to sleep I keep a conscious thought to wake if I hear any strange noises
>A trick I learned being a heavy sleeper

>I hear stirring at the other end of the cell
>I crack open my right eye just barely enough to see
>my cellmate is standing now and I can see him feature more clearly
>An asian man, covered from his neck down in tattoos, practicing karate
>Probably not even karate but i cant tell the difference between martial arts
>Gun beats kung fu everytime
>I watched him for about 30 minutes before he sat down to meditate
>I’m not sure how long I slept but I felt pretty fresh
>sure enough the 2 way door opened and the food bowls were sitting there