Eric woke up slowly the next morning but didn’t open his eyes at once. He’d had the strangest dream he’d had in a long while, about a strange new world that he’d been stuck in. It had started out pleasant, to be sure, but that fight with the bandit and the dangerous mission to rescue that kidnapped girl had been a little bit too much. He loved danger and adventure as much as the next man, which is to say very little, and in controlled bursts.

The places, people, and emotions he’d experienced had been a little too real, he thought. It was like those stories he used to read all the time, about a normal guy who got sucked into a new world and forced to become some kind of hero. It even had game-like aspects to it, including levels and stats. He shook himself and stretched. What a weird dream. Well, time to get some breakfast and work on his book.

He rolled off the bed and onto his feet before he realized that something was wrong. There had been many hints for it, but he’d ignored them all, half-convincing himself that they weren’t real, just lingering images from his dream. The bright daylight coming through the open window when he preferred a dark room, the comfortable softness of the sheets and bed when his own was stiff and firm, these were all inconsequential. But now they were painfully obvious, and with them came the harsh realization.

“This isn’t a dream,” he muttered to himself. “Is it?”

“I’m afraid not.”

He gave a shout of surprise at the sudden voice and whirled round. Standing in the corner by the door was a tall man in dark blue robes. The clothing was intricate in design, but it was worn in places, and simple in a way. Eric recognized the robe and the shaggy black hair that ran into his eyes. The white streak and glowing violet eyes were particularly easy to remember. Belatedly, Eric remembered to draw his sword.

“You’re that lord,” he said. It wasn’t a question. “The one I saw leaving the city today.”

“Samuel Bragg,” the stranger said, bobbing his head slightly in greeting. “Champion of Arcana, Archmage of Knowledge, Maelstrom lord of Milagre, Eternally Hungry. Yes, I am the same man you met yesterday. But you can just call me Samuel.”

“What do you know about me?” Eric asked his eyes narrowed. He suspected that Samuel knew he wasn’t from here, though how he could know such a thing was hard to imagine.

“I don’t know much,” Bragg admitted. “I didn’t have much time to look around when I searched your world, and you seemed like the best choice from what was available.”

“You-” Eric’s voice faltered, and he tried again. “You brought me here?”

Bragg nodded. “Yes. Before you ask, I don’t know why you’re here. Arcana told me about your world, and that I needed to pull someone here. Beyond that, it is a mystery, even to me.”

Eric frowned as he thought that reply over. Truth be told, anything was possible with a new world. He tried to remember what Emma had said the previous day about this strange mage. He was a lord, archmage, and older than anyone knew. But apart from that, the young-looking mage was a complete stranger, a veritable nonentity. Now here he was, claiming to be the one that brought Eric over from his own world and into this one.

“What do you even call this world?” He asked distractedly, starting to pace, which was never a good sign for his sanity. “I’m assuming you don’t call it ‘earth’?”

“No,” Samuel replied with the ghost of a smile. “We call it Ahya.”

“Ahya….” Eric said expansively. “Nope, never heard of it.”

“Well, that is only to be expected, of course. In your world, you believe yourselves to be alone in the wide universe.”

“Not everybody,” Eric countered at once. “But the people that believe in aliens are labeled weirdos or fringe. Are you saying that everyone in this world is aware of other worlds?”

“Not all,” Bragg inclined his head toward Eric. “Several of the higer-learned mages and priests of the world know of a few others, much closer to Ahya. Some have even traveled back and forth. But as a general rule, Ahya is alone, and it’s best they believe that.”

“You don’t want knowledge of other worlds getting out to the commoners?”

“Not at all,” Samuel corrected him. “But it would prove inconsequential, and only stir confusion. It may even engender spite. I am not sure, but it is Arcana’s advice.”

“Your god really speaks to you that often?” Eric asked, fascinated for a moment. “On Earth, you only hear about one god, and I don’t believe he exists.”

“The gods of this world are very involved,” Samuel said. “They may not walk among us in their divine forms due to an ancient law, but they do communicate often. Arcana doesn’t speak as much as most, but his goals for me and the world are clear.”

“Must be nice,” Eric muttered distractedly. “So, let me just confirm this. Your god told you to search another world for me, and to bring me here?”

Samuel slowly shook his head. “Not you specifically.”

“But you were definitely told to find someone on Earth and bring them here. And you told me that I was the best choice you could find with a quick search. Is there some epic battle about to take place? Is the world in danger of some great destruction?”

Samuel held his hands up to stem the flow of questions. “I already told you I don’t know. You ask a lot of questions, many of which I have no answer for.”

“I’m not even close to done!” Eric spat out. “What am I supposed to do now that I’m here? Are you able to send me back? What purpose do I serve? And if this world is locked in medieval times, how and why did you create a video game system for me to use in such a short time? Why-”

“STOP!” Samuel shouted, his voice rising to drown Eric out. The change in tone and volume shocked Eric, who never could have expected it from the smiling, good-natured wizard. Once Eric had fallen into a stunned silence, he lowered his hands and spoke quickly, in a much quieter voice.

“I do not know what your purpose is here. No, I cannot send you back. I have the skill and mana necessary to do so, but Arcana has told me that it is necessary to have you here, so I will not send you back. You are free to do anything while you are here. I have given you a powerful body, so you need not fear much.”

“And the system?” Eric prompted, much quieter now. “How did you come up with it?”

“I confess that’s new to me,” Bragg said slowly, rubbing his chin. “I only brought your mind and soul here. For the body, I created one, but that must just be your mind’s attempt to reconcile the difference in laws.”

“Laws?” Eric asked. “You mean the laws of the world between Earth and Ahya?”

Samuel nodded again. “I’d love to hear more about it in future, but I’m due elsewhere soon. I just came to explain, and check up on your living situation. Also, take this, as a way to start you out.”

He held out a large pouch that clinked slightly as it moved. Eric blinked as he regarded it. The pouch had appeared out of thin air, just clutched in his hand, not existing beforehand. That looked like cool and useful magic to know, he thought. Accepting the pouch, he noticed the weight of it, as well as what felt like several dozen coins inside.

“Err, thanks,” he said awkwardly. “Not sure how it will help me, but I’m sure I’ll figure that out.”

Samuel only nodded in reply, holding something else in his hands. It looked like a battered notebook, but the pages were covered completely in scrawling notes. As he watched, the mage flipped through it to the middle. More pages sprang into existence behind the page he was on, while those in the front disappeared completely. No matter how far he flicked through it, he was always in the middle.

A few seconds of silence stretched between them, until Eric cleared his throat to remind Samuel that he was there. The mage looked startled, as if he’d been totally absorbed in his reading. Making a brief gesture of apology, he snapped the book closed and dropped it. Instead of hitting the ground, it simply vanished from view.

“Right,” he said. “Good luck Eric Breeden, and I hope, for both of us, that we learn why you’re needed soon, so that you may return home.”

Eric opened his mouth to question the strange statement, but Samuel was already gone. His mildly surprised face settling into a frown of annoyance, Eric plopped back down on the soft bed, silently stewing. This wasn’t even close to fair, he thought. He had things to do in his own world, and couldn’t spare time to help out with anything on Ahya, let alone fulfill any hidden, epic destinies that this Arcana god had for him.

Gods, he thought. They were no help, no matter what world you were in. Then he hesitated, not sure if that thought would get him in trouble. If the gods were really as active as Samuel had hinted, then they might not take kindly to a mere mortal, especially a foreign one, insulting them. He forced the thought away with a laugh. Whatever he did here, he wasn’t likely to run into any of them. He set the large bag Samuel had given on the bed beside him and opened it.