Dexter

The light from the midday sun came streaming in from the slightly open sunroof, causing me to clench my eyes shut. tap tap tap I shifted in my seat, disturbed by the noise, but not enough to open my eyes. I was soo comfortable. BAM BAM BAM That noise got my attention. I sat bolt upright, disoriented and partially blind, I’d removed my glasses and placed them on the dashboard to sleep.

I reached for them as a new voice came booming in from the crack in the sunroof. “STEP OUT OF THE CARRIAGE AND SURRENDER YOURSELF!!” My eyes tried to adjust to my conscious state, and I turned to the source of the voice. My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Standing two feet to my left, and two feet above my head, just beyond the window was a person, but he was… different. His skin was bright leafy green, the sides of his head were shaved, exposing pointed ears that twitched in the morning air. The rest of his dark hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. Most startling though, were his teeth. They were relatively straight, but his lower canines were massive and rough, more like tusks than anything else. They were about as big as a chimpanzee’s, jutting an inch from his mouth. My half-conscious mind produced the line “Shrek must have massive under-bite.” The rest of his face was thick and brutish, giving him an evolved neanderthal look. His upper body was covered in a shawl made of some large furry animal, what little of his body that wasn’t covered by the fur was built like a weightlifter. He wore bracers made of thick hide and carried a large battle-axe in his right hand. His legs were donned in a fur loincloth that dropped down to his knees. His voice boom again “SURRENDER YOURSELF TO THE TRIBE STATE OF GASHUR!” I looked around the car, it was surrounded. There were about a hundred of them, standing ten feet away, holding various weapons and clad in varying amounts of armors and furs. “I’m either having a nightmare or ... what if.” I turned to the small figure sleeping in the seat to my right, she was still wearing my jacket.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. “Amelia,” I said in a frantic whisper “We have guests.”

Amelia grunted in her seat and shifted slightly. “Honey, I'm not dressed to receive,” She said sleepily. I sighed angrily. “I don't have time for this.” I thought.

I shook her firmly. “Amelia!” I said through gritted teeth. She jolted awake. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes before looking up at the surrounding forces. Her eyes widened in shock. “We have guests,” I repeated. She looked at me in confusion. I kept a calm face, more for myself than for her. “They want us to step out and surrender.” There was a tap at my window as if to illustrate my point. Amelia looked at the person standing outside my window and slowly nodded. I reached up and closed the sunroof. We opened our respective doors and slowly stepped out, holding our hands up as we did. The thing at my window backed up to join the others in the circle around my car, keeping his eyes trained on me as he walked. We stepped back from the doors. “Okay, We Surrender!” I said in a raised voice, hoping the circle was just some weird LARP thing.

The crowd in front of us slowly parted to allow a rider through. He sat atop another one of the creatures we’d escaped last night, though about a foot shorter, its mouth seemed to stretch back about a quarter of the way up its face. Strangely, I saw no visible reins. The rider wore a green-scaled leather helmet that covered his face, and a matching scale leather armor. He carried a shield in his left hand and a battle-axe in his right. His voice boomed as he spoke. “STATE YOUR INTENTIONS ON ORC LANDS.”

My eyes widened at the statement, but Amelia reacted quickly, keeping a calm and warming tone. “We Have No Intentions On Orc Lands, We Are Merely Lost,” Amelia shouted. I was still trying to comprehend the statement. “Orcs? Now there are Orcs?”

The rider approached, guiding the creature without reins. “Then you are trespassing and shall be sent to the mines.” The rider said as he reached Amelia. “and your carriage shall be confiscated so that it can be fitted with new horses.” “No one is touching my car.” “Your possessions are also forfeit and will be dismantled and examined for their discernible function.”

I felt a twinge of anger as I stepped forward. “Hold on,” I interrupted. The rider turned, revealing the violet eyes gazing through his helmet. They seemed to pierce my soul. I took a small step back, my hands still raised. “Firstly, no one is touching my car. Secondly, this thing doesn't need horses to run. Lastly, you will not touch my stuff.”

The rider stared at me, he redirected his horse towards me. “And who shall stop me?” He asked mockingly. “You?” He leveled his axe at my neck. I felt my heart pound in my chest as I somehow sensed the edge of the blade. I looked over at Amelia. She looked at me angrily, “Not Earth” she mouthed. I resigned to trusting her. “If she's wrong you'll be a laughingstock amongst them.” “If I'M wrong I'll probably be EXECUTED.” I berated myself.

I let out a sigh as I tried to calm my pounding heart. “I simply mean,” I began, choosing my words carefully. “That you may have a better chance at understanding my ... carriage if you have someone that already knows how it works.”

The rider stared at me, then at my car, seeming to contemplate what I had said. “You mentioned your carriage does not require horses.” The rider said, turning back to me and lowering his axe. “What do you mean by this? What provides motion to your carriage? Is it some form of magic?”

I bit my tongue as I heard him mention magic. “Keep your mouth shut, if you speak out for his belief in magic he’ll behead you.” “I mean that the carriage provides its own motion,” I replied. “The device that does this is in the engine compartment,” I stated, pointing at the hood. “And the device uses no form of magic, just pure science.”

The rider pondered for a moment then leaned down slightly. “Show me.” He commanded. I nodded as I stepped back to my door and pulled the latch for the hood again. The rider guided his horse behind me as I walked over and lifted the hood. His eyes betrayed no emotion as we gazed into the engine bay. The sun glinted off the various tubes and pipes that crisscrossed my engine. “Show me the carriage moving.” He finally demanded. I nodded, closing the hood and moving to the door. I gave Amelia a knowing look and she started moving back over to the car. The rider quickly moved to block her. “You shall stay here to ensure your companion does not attempt to flee.” He said, bringing the flat of the axe in front of her. He pushed close the passenger side door with his foot. “Oh, NOW he’s clever.” Amelia watched as I paused in front of my door.

I considered my predicament thoroughly. I glanced around at the confined space the army of orcs was making. “I’ll need a bigger space than this to demonstrate my carriage,” I said gesturing at the surrounding crowd. The rider paused for a second, pondering my words. He then turned and gestured at the crowd. They parted, giving me clear access to the clearing we were stopped in. I glanced at Amelia as I considered my options again. I stepped in, closed the door, and took another second to gather my thoughts. “You’ve got two options right now. Run now and hope that there’s a town nearby. Or you bide your time and wait for another opportunity.” I looked over at Amelia. She was staring intently from behind the rider’s axe. “We both know what you’re going to do.”

I started the engine and shifted into first gear. The crowd stepped father back as the engine roared and I shot forward. I watched as the crowd behind me faded in my rear-view mirror.

Amelia

I watched as Dexter’s car left the circle of orcs. He turned towards a hill…. and kept going. “Fucking bastard.” I began trembling with rage as I clenched my fist The orc on the horse noticed as he turned to me smugly. “It would appear your companion is not as compassionate about you as you thought.” I gritted my teeth as I watched the car starting to climb the hill. Halfway up the car turned sharply, bringing the rear of the car uphill from the front. In the process the car started to drift along the side of the hill, kicking dirt upwards as it went, and began barrelling back towards us.

A wave of relief washed over me I watched the car return. “Looks like you spoke too soon,” I said, smirking. Dexter got increasingly close to us. His car was kicking up more dirt as he got closer, engine roaring angrily as the wheel spun. The circle around me was starting to get antsy. Suddenly the crowd bolted and revealed Dexter’s car barrelling right at me and the rider. He flinched as he saw the hatchback barreling towards us, but he didn’t move from my side. Twenty yards away Dexter slammed on the brakes, causing the grass underneath him to uproot. The car skidded to a stop five feet in front of us. The noise of the engine died as the door was shoved open and Dexter stepped from the car. He looked pissed.

Dexter

I was Fucking pissed. I’m not good at being patient, especially when I don’t know when another opportunity will come, but the rider forced my hand when he stopped Amelia from getting in my car. I couldn’t just leave her in the hands of them, not when there was an even a glimmer of a chance that she was right. I tried to not let my emotions betray me. I closed the driver's side door sharply as I trodded towards the rider. “So, do we have a deal?” I asked in a challenging tone.

The rider stared at me. “You traveled quite far for your demonstration.” The rider retorted challengingly. “Many of us thought you abandoned your little friend here.” He said gesturing at Amelia.

I scoffed at the notion. “I felt that was the only way for you to fully comprehend what I’m offering.” I countered. “How long would have taken to ride a horse out there?” I asked pointing towards the hill I’d just traveled from. “And tear up the soil that I did? Imagine if my carriage was actually designed to transport that soil.”

The rider seemed to consider what I said for a moment. “You offer your knowledge of the carriage in exchange for avoiding the mines?” The rider asked.

I nodded in affirmation. “Yes,” I stated quickly. “As long as I have my car I can get me and Amelia out of here. I just need to find an opportunity.”

The rider seemed to consider for a moment, then holstered his axe and extended his hand. “You have a deal.” He said. I took his hand and shook fervently, there was a brief gripping match, my muscles straining against the firm grip of the rider. I finally let go with a groan and the rider appeared to beam in triumph. He then turned to the crowd of orcs. “Take this one to the mines,” he said gesturing to Amelia. “This one and his carriage go with us to Snakhagr.” Amelia’s eyes shot open wide. I felt my heart jump in confusion. “THAT WASN’T THE FUCKING DEAL!” The rider began to turn away. The orcs around us began to close in and grab me and Amelia. Their palms were rough and calloused.

I ripped my arm free and ran to the rider, grabbing his leg angrily. “HEY, WE HAD A DEAL!” I shouted. The orcs grabbed me again and pulled me away. The rider turned back and looked at me.

“Yes, we had a deal.” He countered. “And the deal was you offering your knowledge on this carriage in exchange for avoiding the mine.” He gestured at Amelia. “The maiden was not part of the deal.”

I felt my anger rise as I realized the verbal trick he was playing. “I REFUSE TO OFFER MY INTEL IF SHE IS NOT WITH ME!” I shouted pointedly, directing my finger at Amelia. The orcs holding me were strong, making it difficult to do so.

The rider scoffed. “Typical,” The rider said in disgust “You hear that men?” He said, directing his attention to the surrounding orcs. “Not a day into an agreement and the outsider already wants to go back on his word.” The rest of the orcs began jeering at me and Amelia. I looked up at the rider, he seemed to leer at me smugly. “Fuck, he’s playing THAT game. Fine, but I'll show him how to play.”

I quelled my anger and straightened, trying to put on a visage of authority. “VERY WELL,” I shouted, getting the attention of the orcs around me. “Then I’ll stick with the deal, but you should know that I offer a new deal.”

The rider looked at me through his helmet with an air of caution. “What could you offer me that we do not already have?” The rider asked. “Unless your friend here has more knowledge of this carriage that you lack.” I looked over at Amelia, she looked at me with a panicked expression. I felt my brain kick in as I thought of the possibilities. “Background unknown: Knowledge: unknown. The panicked expression indicates worry. Lying might not go over well. Prior night indicates possibly rudimentary knowledge, but considering uncertainty . . . No. Besides, I have a guarantee.”

I shook my head as I looked back up at the rider. “The maiden joins me,” I said, pointing at Amelia. The orcs holding my arms were still making moving them difficult. “And I help you build another carriage” The rider looked at me, confused.

“How is this different from the deal we already have?” He asked. “Does an outsider expect us to offer something in exchange for nothing?”

I looked at the rider and smiled. “No,” I replied loudly, making. “but if you don’t accept then you’ll be stuck with the deal we already have.” I paused “For dramatic effect.” “Which only offers my knowledge on the carriage.” I finished smugly.

The rider’s eyes seemed to bore into me with anger. She seemed to realize what I was doing. “EXPLAIN YOUR WORDS OUTSIDER!” The rider barked at me.

I stifled my growing grin as I stared at him in defiance. “I’m merely obligated to give you what I know about my carriage,” I replied sharply. “Nothing in our deal says I have to assist you in your use of that knowledge.”

The rider seemed to fume at my words. “IF THAT IS ALL WE HAVE AGREED ON, THEN WE HAVE NO DEAL!” The rider shouted down at me.

I smirked. “Go for the kill.” “Then You Would Be Backing Out Of A Deal Not A Day After It’s Been Agreed Upon. Which Would Make You More Hypocritical Than An Outsider.” I shouted back. The whole clearing fell silent, in the distance a bird could be heard chirping. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as I was betting my life on an honor system they might not have. If the rider didn’t look angry before, he sure looked furious now. I forced my face into a smirk, knowing I’d backed him into a corner. “He has two options now.” I thought to myself. “He can either take the deal we have now, knowing full well that I’ll exploit that loophole and not giving a damn about what happens to myself inside the city so long as my end of the deal is met. OR, He can take this new deal, knowing that I’ll be very specific about its wording so that he can’t exploit it or me. So, what’s it going to be?”

The rider bore into me for another minute before angrily dismounting his horse and breaking the silence. “You join the maiden.” He said as he stomped over. He stopped just short of touching me. We were eye to eye with each other. We seemed pretty matched physically. The width of my shoulders was the only thing I was beating him at. “And you help the tribe state of Gashur build another one of your carriages.” He finished, pointing to my car. I let out a breath as I considered the full statement he had used. No location was mentioned, just that I would join the maiden. “Still playing that game, are we?”

I slowly let out an angered breath as I continued to hold the rider’s gaze. “Since you enjoy bending words in your favor,” I stated pointedly. “I’ll make the deal very clear.” I pointed at Amelia, the orcs finally letting go and allowing me to move it freely. “The maiden joins me in ... Snakhagr… was it?.... Where I will get to keep the carriage and all the possessions inside. And you will, in no way, provoke or otherwise cause a violent outburst that would lead to the harm of either of us. In fact, you will guarantee us that we will not be unjustly harmed while in your city. And in exchange, I will offer my knowledge and services in building another motorized carriage.” The rider stared angrily at me. I met his gaze. “Does that sound fair?” The rider let out an angered sigh of his own as I finished laying out our terms.

The rider finally took a step back, seeming to ponder for another moment. He finally extended his hand slowly. “Deal.” He said through gritted teeth. I grinned inwardly and took his hand, shaking firmly. There was another gripping match. I did my best to maintain force this time. It was the rider that relented first this time. Once we let go the rider seemed to consider what he was about to say next. “Load The Carriage Onto The Hunting Cart.” He shouted, turning to the crowd. “And Take The Maiden To The Prisoner’s Carriage.” The rider turned back to me, still visibly angry. “This One Will Join Her Shortly.” He said grabbing my arm. and dragging me away. The orcs then shouted in unison “YES LADY BULAK.” “Wait, Lady?” I glanced behind me as ‘Bulak’ led me away. I felt a twinge of paranoia run through me as I watched the orcs approach my car. I reached into the pocket of my jeans with my free hand and used the key fob to lock my car. I had an agreement with Bulak, but I didn’t trust the other orcs not trying to go through my stuff. She led me into the forest. I felt a wave of unease wash over me as the trees slowly obscured us from the group.

As soon as we were out of sight, she turned and choke slammed me into a tree. A jolt of pain ran through my pain and I briefly saw stars. She kept her hand pressed on my throat, pinning me to the tree. My mind raced again as I futilely grabbed her forearm. It hurt, she was cutting off my breath, but she wasn’t restricting it enough to kill me. I smirk as I realized what she was doing. “Getting your punches in while you still can I see.” I choked out mockingly. Bulak removed her helmet. A cascade of dark red hair came out of the helmet and fell onto Bulak’s shoulders and down her back. I stared at her in shock as I saw the waterfall of graceful red hair. She glared at me. Her face was noticeably different from the other orcs, her canines were about half the size and slightly thinner, and her face wasn’t so brutish, more feminine. Now that I had a good look, her body was slightly thinner than the others, but her muscles were more defined.

Bulak’s nails dug into my throat as she squeezed, making sure she had my attention. “I want you to know something outsider,” Bulak spat. Without the helmet, her voice was a bit higher. It still had the power it had with the helmet, but the voice no longer had the reverberation it had before.

I felt myself grin as I realized some moral code stopped her from killing me. “You might as well call me Dexter.” I interrupted. She immediately applied more pressure. My head was starting to feel swollen. “Dumbass, shut up. Pain is still pain.”

Her teeth were bared now and I saw her upper canines were also sharper than my own. “Silence.” She hissed, pushing me up higher. My toes now barely touched the forest floor. She let me suffer for a bit, then relaxed and continued. “You may think you have gotten away with insulting me, but if you so much as think about betraying my tribe,” She leaned in close. “There isn’t single rock you can hide under that I won’t find you and inflict a most painful death. Understand?” I nodded weakly as I started feeling dizzy. My lungs were starting to scream for air. She held me there for a bit longer, eyes still boring into me. She finally let go and let me fall to the ground. I coughed as I fell to my knees and my lungs finally received the air it has been restricted from getting. The pressure in my head dissipated as she grabbed me and roughly led me back to the clearing. I felt the grass scraping along my ankles as I was dragged behind Bulak.

When we got back to the group, some horse-drawn carts had joined my car in the clearing. The horses were the strange breed that I’d seen last night and today. There was a group of twenty or so orcs lifting my car and carrying it to the massive cart. I took a second to stare, shocked at their strength. “At least they had enough sense to keep it upright.” My eyes grew wide as I saw what was already on the cart. There was a massive furry animal on the front, about twice the size of my car, but there seemed to still be enough space on the back to fit two cars side by side. I looked over as I saw Amelia. Her wrists were bound in front of her with medieval iron shackles. She was sitting in a cage-style carriage, wooden rods bound together using some kind of leather. Bulak led me over to the carriage, gesturing at the orc beside it. He stepped forward and bound my wrists in front of me, shoving me in with Amelia once the locks were secured around my wrists. I glanced at her as I sat down. She seemed relieved to see me again and I gave her a reassuring nod. We sat in silence as they finished loading up my car. They then walked over to more carts and piled themselves in. Once the last orc climbed in we headed out, hooves trotting along as our caravan went.

We traveled for hours, heading in a south-eastern direction. I saw the mountains I couldn’t see last night, massive and gleaming in the afternoon sun. Snow topped their peaks as they slowly receded to the north. The cart rocked slightly as we traveled. I glanced around as I took stock of the situation I found myself in. “What in the actual fuck has happened? Orcs? That shit is only possible in fantasy stories. How The Fuck Are They Here?” I let out a sigh as I calmed my nerves and tried to rationalize. “Time to face the facts. This isn’t Florida. Hell, this might not be Earth. I definitely would have heard about something like this if Earth had it. Hell, just the presence of those mountains means I’m far from home. Where I am exactly is another dilemma. Forget planets, am I even in the same universe? Was that green lightning involved somehow? Just where in the hell am I and what am I going to do?” Amelia suddenly broke the silence, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up at her as she spoke. “What did she say to you when she pulled you away from the other orcs?” She asked, fiddling with her shackles.

I let out a sigh as I looked at my own shackles and pulled at them slightly. “She threatened me with death if I ever betrayed the orcs,” I replied flatly. Amelia nodded as her eyes grew unfocused for a moment. “They seem to heavily distrust outsiders. Must be some hyper-isolationist society.” I continued.

Amelia shook her head. “That’s what everyone calls those that arrive here in Banestorms.” She said. “People like you and me that come here from other worlds.”

I furrowed my brow as I recalled the ‘blink’ I experienced. “I’m guessing the ‘Banestorm’ is the moment I went from on the road in Florida to screaming down a mountain?” Amelia nodded. I considered two possible meanings to her words as I sat back, bars pressing against my back. “Multiverse other worlds, or the other side of the galaxy other worlds? And what causes the Banestorms?” I asked in rapid-fire succession. “If this wasn’t earth I wanted to know how fucked I am when it comes to getting back. I'm lucky that they happen to speak english.”

Amelia shrugged as she glanced down. “I haven’t figured that stuff out yet. I haven’t been here that long.” Amelia replied. She was still fiddling with her shackles. “But their tone seems different from the elves. Their animosity towards outsiders might stem from a single traumatic or influential experience with one.” I looked at her with a sense of confusion. She noticed and clarified. “I was studying for my Ph.D. in psychology. Their behavior suggests an availability heuristic that resulted in a cascade among the tribe and from there a bandwagon effect among the younger generations.”

I took a minute to take in what she said. “I understood half those words,” I began. “but I get the idea. A while ago an ‘outsider’ did something very bad to the tribe and it meant a lot of them remembered what happened and have handed their hatred down to their children.” I finished.

Amelia nodded. “Anyway,” Amelia continued. “That’s why it got so quiet when you said their leader had more of a negative quality than an outsider.” Her short chains were making a sharp clicking noise. “Besides that, how’d you know how to deal with her underhanded word manipulation.”

I smirked. “I’m the middle child of seven children,” I replied. Amelia’s eyes went wide. I chuckled at her expression. “Yeah. Not very many families that have that. Anyway, I’ve had enough experience with my siblings to know when someone is playing word games, and how to give them a taste of their own medicine.”

Amelia smirked as she glanced at the carriage driver. She seemed to consider something for a moment. “Are you sure you’ll be able to build another car?” She asked.

I took a minute to consider the question. My mind began meticulously deconstructing and identifying each part of the car I’d need to build. “In theory, yes, it’s just going to take a long while, maybe even years. The limiting factor will be my ability to reinvent the subsequent components and materials used in the car. The oil in particular.” I rubbed my temples in annoyance. Just thinking about all the research, effort, and reverse engineering was giving me a headache. I shook my head as I distracted myself from the effort that would take. “But enough about me, what about you? If you came here in a Banestorm, what were you doing when it happened?”

Amelia was silent for a minute. Her hands shifted and tensed slightly. “I was in the middle of my morning workout, out riding my bike to get some cardio in before school. As I said, that happened about a month ago. I was dropped off somewhere south of where you popped out. And like I said before, I fell into the hands of that disgusting elf.” She seemed to be concentrating hard on something.

I furrowed my brow as I noticed her hand movements. “What are you doing?” I whispered softly. Amelia moved her hands to reveal the ends of her shackles. There was a pair of bobby pins sticking out of the lock. I glanced over at the driver, wondering if he had noticed. “Are you sure you’re able to?” I asked softly.

Amelia shrugged in response. “That’s why I’m trying.” She replied in a hushed tone, then in her normal voice she said. “So, yea. My dad was a mechanic. He taught me the basic maintenance of a car, but not much else. Hell, I’d probably fuck up replacing a sparkplug.”

I looked over at the driver “Okay, making idle noise to disguise an escape attempt.” I stifled a smirk as I turned back to Amelia. “I thought you hadn’t heard of sleeper cars,” I said. “Isn’t one of the things every mechanic knows about are sleeper cars?”

Amelia shook her head. “You misunderstood that, I said I never saw one, doesn’t mean I haven’t heard of them. Not to mention the peculiarity of your combination. A V8 motor that’s that clean is rare, let alone one in a body usually designed for V6 engines.”

I laughed. “Yea, cousin Reggie really had to squeeze that one in there. He had to weld several bracers onto the chassis so that it could hold the engine.” I replied loudly. Then in a hushed tone, I said. “Where’d you even get those anyway?”

Amelia’s head tilted in response. “They’re the ones I was wearing when I came through the Banestorm.” She replied softly “They’re about the only things I have left, the rest was taken by that bastard elf.”

I let out an understanding nod as I glanced at the driver again. He didn’t seem to be paying us the slightest attention. “What’s your plan when you get that off? We can’t just walk out of here.” I whispered.

Amelia shook her head. “I don’t plan on doing anything.” She replied softly. “I just was to make sure I can do it.”

I furrowed my brow, annoyance flaring up slightly. My stomach let out a soft growl. “Do you realize how stupid that sounds?” I hissed back. “If you can do something. Why not do something with it?”

Amelia paused. “So, what were you going to study in college?” She said, trying to delay an answer.

I let out an annoyed sigh as I stared at her. “I was going to major in mechanical engineering, with a minor in computer engineering. I was on a road trip up to Atlanta, Georgia for the spring semester when I guess the Banestorm caught me.” I replied. I then leaned forward and whispered heatedly. “If you’re able to release the cuffs we might as well get some use out of it.”

Amelia let out an annoyed sigh of her own as she looked up at me. “Well, what do you suggest, smartypants?” She hissed angrily. I took pause as I considered for a moment, glancing at the surrounding orc caravan, Bulak in particular.

A devious and admittedly childish plot hatched in my mind. “Okay, here’s my idea,” I said with a smirk.

It took us the rest of the day to reach their city. The sun was touching the tops of the trees in the west when we finally arrived at the gate. I checked my watch, 3:30 pm, January 7th, it definitely wasn’t synced with their day-night cycle. I reset my watch. I kept the day the same but changed the time to 6:30, around the time the sun typically sets. I looked at the city again as my watch let out an audible beep. The city itself was surrounded by massive walls, centered around a particularly massive hill. From my seat in the carriage, I could see over the walls and spot what appeared to be a massive Viking longhouse on top of the hill. Various other smaller houses on plateaus running down the side of the hill. The rest of the city was blocked by the wall. The caravan crawled to a stop as we approached what seemed to be a gate. “Who goes there?” A voice boomed from somewhere behind the wall. The gate was massive, twice as wide as the cart my car was resting on, and about 4 stories tall, it was made entirely of upright logs bound together by various horizontal planks and sharpened to a point at the top. The surrounding wall was just as tall and seemed to be made entirely of vertical logs buried into the dirt, again sharpened to a point at the top. The base of the wall appeared to be reinforced with stone and what passes for cement around here.

My assessment of the wall was interrupted by Bulak coming forward and shouting. “The Chief’s daughter, Bulak, returning from a great hunting trip with seventy-five charges and two prisoners.” My eyes grew wide. “Chief’s daughter?” I looked at Amelia, she seemed shocked. I bit my tongue again as I let out a sigh. “Their chief will probably kill me if he found out I insulted his daughter.” There was paused and then a loud clank from behind the gate. The massive wooden posts swung inwards. The caravan picked up the pace again and started moving into the city. The gates and walls were thicker than they looked. From the outside, it looked to be a regular log wall, but when the gate swung open I saw that they were two logs thick instead of just one. I turned and looked at the inside of the wall. Scaffolding scaled the inside of the walls and stopped near the top to form ramparts for the soldiers. They were just high enough for anyone to look out and not been seen by those outside looking in.

The city itself seemed to be a mishmash of medieval and roman architecture. A musky odor appeared to radiate from all around. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they kept animals in the city. The road itself seemed to be a primitive cobblestone that rocked our cart as we went. The foundations and lower half of the walls made of smooth white stone with the upper half of the walls and the roofs made of wood. As we traveled we saw more orcs, men, women, and even a few children. They seemed to stare at me and Amelia, some with curiosity, most with slight hatred. I turned to Amelia. “Bandwagon” She mouthed. I let out a sigh as I nodded and continued to watch the building slowly pass by. When we got a short way into the city our cart turned off the main road, following Bulak on her horse, and headed towards the main hill. The cart carrying my car followed us as well as one of the carts carrying orcs. The ground rose slightly as we went, turning into a small incline as we approached the hill. Finally, Bulak raised her hand sharply and commanded our driver to stop. The driver obliged and pulled at the reins until we jolted to a halt. She then went to the cart with my car and barked some orders at the other. The orcs hopped out and surrounded my car again. She there came back to me and Amelia. My childish plan made a grin creep across my face. “Are we there yet?” I asked mockingly. Amelia cringed softly.

Bulak looked at me, confused. “Yes, we have arrived,” Bulak said as she stepped down from her horse. She stepped forward, unlocked, and opened the carriage door.

I smirked as an addendum to my plan suddenly hatched. “Excellent.” In one swift motion, my hands went from trapped inside the shackles to tossing the same shackles towards Bulak. She caught them, startled. She had a look of confusion on her face. I grinned at her slight discomfort. “What?” I asked, stepping down from the caged carriage. I was glad to stretch my legs. “Did you think some medieval shackles would be able to hold people like us?” I stretched my arms, glad to finally be able to flex them. I popped my knuckles and various joints as Amelia stepped gingerly from the carriage. She gently handing her shackles to Bulak, giving a look for scorn. I ignored her expression as I suddenly clapped my hands together. “So,” I said, turning to Bulak. “Which building has the pleasure of being my workshop?” I rubbed my hand together, making sure to look enthusiastic to Bulak. She quickly regained her composure and pointed to an old barn. It sat on the edge of a small plateau jutting from the side of the hill. From where I stood there was a small incline that led up to it. The orcs were already carrying my car towards the barn. The incline led to its broadside. There, a large sliding door was being opened by one of the orcs.

Bulak lovered her arm as she explained. “The building is an abandoned stable house that was vacated a year ago.” She handed the shackles to the driver and dismissed him. “You shall be allowed limited access to the city of Snakhagr but are forbidden from leaving.”

I stretched a bit, trying to seem nonchalant and hide my annoyance. “As expected,” I replied. “Act like you know what you’re doing” I began listing off potential requirements on my fingers as I rubbed my head. “I’ll need some help with building this thing. I’m going to need to know where to find your blacksmith, your alchemist, and…” An odorous smell made itself known and I raised my arm and took a sniff. Yep, definitely B.O. “Where ever your bathhouse is.” It had been a full day since I’d washed, and I wanted to wash off as soon as I could. My stomach let out another loud groan and I placed a hand over it. “Lastly, I think I speak for both of us when I say we need something to eat,” I said gesturing at me and Amelia.

Bulak scowled at my numerous requests. “This is not an inn,” Bulak barked at me. “I am not obligated to give you any special treatment.”

I stared at her, annoyed, but finally let out an apparently defeated sigh. “Have it your way,” I replied. “I’ll just wander aimlessly around the city until I find food and everyone that I’ll need to help me build the carriage.” Bulak seemed to falter at my words. I scratched my chin and stifled a grin as I continued. “It may take me weeks to find them. Unless of course, you send for some food and someone to show me around. Trust me, it’ll be better for both of us this way.”

Bulak paused and considered my words for a moment, eyes still showing disdain for my demands. “I shall send someone to show you around the city in the morning,” Bulak said reluctantly. “And I shall have someone bring you food shortly.”

I grinned as I felt a sense of victory swell within me. “Great. Now, where will we sleep?” I asked, pointing at myself and Amelia.

Bulak smiled and gestured again at the old barn again. Amelia and I looked at it in confusion. Amelia quickly voiced her objections. “We can’t sleep in a barn.” She said with disgust. “Is there even a proper bed in there?” She asked. Bulak seemed to take immense pleasure in her discomfort.

I stepped forward as I gestured towards Amelia. “We at least need a bed to sleep on,” I protested. “Progress will be slowed if I have to put the car back together every night so that we can sleep in it.”

Bulak didn’t seem to like that idea. “How slowed would your progress be?” She asked angrily.

I took a second to consider a potential timeline for reinventing a car. “Exaggerate, set the bar low for now.” “Well, it would cause my years of work that I already know it’ll take to extend into decades. I doubt you have that kind of time to wait.”

Bulak let out an angered sigh as she considered what I said for a moment. She finally relented again and gesture towards the barn. “I shall send for a bed. But know that that is the extent to which I give comforts. Tomorrow you begin the task of building another one of your carriages.” She then gestured for us to follow and escorted me and Amelia to the barn. The other orcs had finished placing my car and were just leaving. They shot me and Amelia looks of contempt as we passed. I ignored them and instead focused on the space within. The inside of the barn was fairly spacious. My car sat in the central area as easily as it sat on the cart. There was a ladder that led to a loft. There were empty stables all along the opposing broadside wall. The building was lit by a few lanterns hanging from hooks in the walls. Besides the door the orcs had carried my car though, there were two other smaller doors on either side of the building, one leading towards the large hill, and one leading towards the precipice. There was a random assortment of chairs and tables scattered throughout the barn. “At least the evidence of horses is minimal,” I thought, taking a sniff of the old air. “Don't bother attempting to escape.” Bulak suddenly said. “You may have outwitted simple shackles, but this city has far more defenses than mere metals.” She stepped closer to me, giving me a threatening look. “And I will consider any escape attempt an end to our agreement.” She growled. She then turned and left the barn, closing the sliding door with a resounding Boom.

Amelia turned to me as soon as the door closed, visibly angry. “Exactly how much of a show-off are you?” She asked snappily. “You knew she would beef up security if she saw that we could escape those cuffs, so why did we go along with your plan? And why did you throw your cuffs at her? Do you realize how aggressive that looks?”

I stepped close to her, cautious about any orcs that might have stayed around to listen. “Look,” I whispered defensively “The only way we’re going to divide her attention enough to get out of here is if we behave like rogue variables. Pull stunts like that, escaping part way but not enough to warrant a real escape. She'll be scratching her head wondering how we undid the lock. She's probably heading to their wizard right now to see if he can glean anything from the shackles.”

Amelia didn't seem convinced and let out an angry huff. “You do realize that medieval magical practices have some basis in science.” She whispered aggressively. “Even if the whole lightning bolt from the hand is complete bullshit he might have enough knowledge to create a lock that I can't pick.”

I gestured dismissively as I glanced at the car. A few of the arrows that were sticking from it had fallen during the ride, leaving only a handful remaining. “Then I'll just cut the lock,” I replied. “They have iron, but I doubt any lock they make can stand up to my steel cutters.”

Amelia held up her still red wrists angrily. “What if the lock is made out of whatever material was used in my bracelets?” She hissed sharply.

I paused, I hadn’t considered the possibility. “The elves are probably more technologically advanced than the orcs,” I said, trying to rationalize the events of last night. “They seem to have enough tech to make a shock collar system. I felt it, and you sure as hell did too”

Amelia grabbed her wrist; the skin was still slightly raw. “They're not that Advanced,” Amelia said, putting emphasis on each word. “They're barely better than the orcs.”

I let out an angry growl as my chest burned with rage. “Then how’d they make the bracelet?” I practically shouted. Amelia brought her lips together seemingly about to say something “And don't say magic cause if there's one constant in this entire world, it's that magic does not exist.” I finished.

Amelia’s mouth went agape at my preemptive interjection. “I wasn't going to say magic,” Amelia said defensively. “I was going to say, maybe it's some metal alloy that humans haven't found yet.”

I let out an exasperated scoff. “A polished silvery alloy that's able to withstand the pressure of cutters, designed specifically to cut one of the strongest materials known to man,” I said mockingly. “A metal that’s common enough that they'll use it to shackle slaves whose only purpose is aesthetics and stress relief.”

Amelia looked at me, open-mouthed. I immediately realized the implications of my words. “How DARE You!” Amelia shouted.

I gestured calmingly as I felt myself go on the defensive. “That's not what I…” I began.

Amelia ignored my attempts. “I'm not just some piece of meat that people can just walk over. I was the one that opened the locks.”

I tried to interject. “I didn't mean it like…” I tried to say.

Amelia quickly talked over me. “Of course you didn't mean it.” She interjected, “No one on this whole damned continent means anything they say.” She was starting to walk away.

I started following her. “Amelia would you just listen for one…” I began.

She turned to me angrily, causing me to falter to a stop. “For once, today, I will not listen. I nearly had a heart attack when you started to drive away. When you were telling me of your way to stick it to Bulak, inside me every fiber of my being was telling me your idea was a bad one. I'm almost better off trying to escape the orcs myself. The only problem is I never learned to drive a stick shift.” She began walking away again.

I started following again. “Amelia!” I practically shouted. There was suddenly a loud knock at the sliding door. Amelia and I turned, frozen, our argument interrupted. I paused for a second before moving to open the door. The wood groaned slightly as I grabbed the iron handle and pulled it open. The world had turned dark as Amelia and I argued. The light through the door flowed out instead of in. As soon as the door was open wide enough, something massive seemed to loom out of the darkness. Out of instinct, I sidestepped. A massive frame clipped me in the shoulder and clattered into the barn. What passed for a mattress followed shortly after, just a sack filled with hay.

“SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM LADY BULAK.” a voice boomed somewhere in the darkness. I turned back to look through the door, there were four orcs standing outside. Three of them were laughing their asses off while the fourth was holding a tray of two bowls. He was chuckling softly.

I gritted my teeth, holding back a wave of anger. No point antagonizing more orcs, Amelia was right about that one. I gestured at the bowls as I weathered the pain running through my shoulder. “I assume that that's the food that Bulak has been so gracious as to provide.” The fourth orc nodded and handed the tray to me. I bowed slightly as I took the tray of bowls. “Tell Bulak I said thank you and have a lovely evening,” I said, closing the sliding door with my foot. The sounds of orc laughter faded as I walked back to Amelia. She had her arms crossed but didn't appear as angry as she was a minute ago. I sighed as I set the tray on the hood of my car. “Look,” I began. “You're right about me not handling the unlocked shackles the best way possible. I’m genuinely sorry about that. I’m also sorry for how I spoke to you. But we can't afford to waste time arguing with each other. Let's just agree that neither of us truly knows what's going on right now and eat.” With that, I turned and pulled up two of the abandoned chairs, setting them beside my car. I picked up one of the bowls and took a whiff. What greeted me was a soft gray paste that could be mistaken for shredded cardboard. It looked and smelled as bland as you could get. Then again, I was so hungry I didn't care. I sat down with a sigh and took a bite. Yep bland as fuck.

Amelia walked over slowly and took her bowl. “It looks like bad oatmeal.” She remarked as she sat down and had a spoonful. She scrunched up her face as she scooped some of the food into her mouth and tasted the concoction. “Did they use any flavoring in this?” she asked.

I shrugged as I scooped more of the food into my mouth, stomach finally growing quiet as it was finally fed. “I doubt it,” I replied. “If they hate us as much as you say they do, they might have gone out of their way to make this as tasteless as possible.” I took another bite. “But right now, I’m too hungry to care about the taste.” Amelia considered for a minute, then nodded as she continued eating from her bowl. We sat in silence for a few minutes. I finally cleaned off the last of my bowl and let out a sigh, placing it back onto the tray. Amelia followed suit about ten minutes later, placing her bowl next to mine. We sat in silence for a while as our hunger was finally satiated with the most tasteless food we ever had.

Amelia let out a sigh as she seemed to consider what to say. “I’m sorry I snapped like that.” She said. “It’s just… I spent an entire month planning and plotting and waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape. Then to sweeten the deal a getaway car appears out of thin air.” I smirked at the idea. She began to smile as she spoke. “We even got away from his warhorses using a train horn. I mean, what kind of insanity did we get ourselves into?” I let out a laugh as I nodded in agreement. Amelia’s face was suddenly crestfallen, and I felt my own face grow slack. “Only we ended up being captured the next day by orcs. sigh I just want one day for something to go right.”

I let out a breath as I considered what she said for a moment. “I don’t blame you.” I finally began. “You were ripped from your home, everything you love.” I felt a twinge of fear run through my stomach. “My parents, my siblings, my family” The panic was spreading through my chest. “Everything you cared about just taken away in the blink of an eye.” My heart was starting to beat. “To be thrown into a new world, a world you knew nothing about.” I felt my breaths come out heavy and ragged. “To never know if you’d ever get back, to never see your family again, to be constantly wondering if they’re alright in your absence.” My heart was starting to pound now. The dread was infecting my head, causing darkness to cloud my vision. “To go around every corner of this new world and be confronted with the harsh reality your friends and family might as well be dead for all the chance you have of seeing them again.” I was starting to sound desperate, the pounding was overwhelming, deafening. I felt myself slip from the chair and onto the ground. I shut my eyes, placing my hands on my head, almost in the fetal position, desperately trying to fend off my feeling of helplessness and isolation. I’d always been able to count on my family if I was ever in a situation I couldn’t handle myself. Now that was all GONE. This was the first time I felt truly alone, outmatched, outsmarted, and out of options. I felt myself breathing rapidly as I felt my hands tremble in fear.

Suddenly a sensation on my shoulder started to pull me from my blinded state. I looked up. Amelia stood over me, a comforting expression on her face. Her voice was muffled behind my heartbeat. “Just breathe, in…. and out, in… and out.” I followed her instructions, desperate to bring order to a life that was just thrown into chaos. I controlled my breath and forced myself to swallow. Slowly my heart stopped pounding in my ears. I was no longer breathing heavy, just breathing, controlled breathing. In and out. In. and out. In . . and out. I dropped my head into my hands, feeling a wave washing over me. I don’t cry often, but I couldn’t hold back my emotions. I sat like that for what must have been a good ten maybe fifteen minutes. I felt my body wrack itself from pain and sorrow. The only relief I could find was the tears as they streamed from my face. I finally let out a sigh as I felt my emotions subside. When I looked up Amelia was still there, giving a concerned expression. Her hand felt warm on my shoulder.

I sniffed and wiped what was left of my outburst from my face. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to break like that.”

Amelia shook her head as she gave an optimistic smile. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She replied. She moved her hand from my shoulder to offering me a lift up. I took it. “An emotional breakdown like that was bound to happen. I honestly had one too when I first got here.” I stood and stretched, feeling relieved as I got to moving again. Amelia glanced at the bedframe still in the middle of the room. “We should rest, there’s no point in figuring out our plan when we’re too tired to think.” I sighed and nodded. Sleep sounded good. Amelia helped me move the frame and bed into one of the stalls. I grabbed the bedding I’d brought for my dorm, doing my best to drape it around the sack of hay into something suitable. The bed was tall enough, probably made to fit a standard orc, but it was too small to fit both of us. The fittings didn’t look much better either. Hell, the comforter might have made for a better mattress. “It’s probably not a good idea for us to try and share it,” Amelia said.

I nodded as I glanced at the car, resigning myself to what I was about to do. “You take the bed,” I said. “I’ll figure something out.” Amelia paused as she looked at me. Her eyes gave me a questioning gaze. I stared insistently back. She finally nodded as she looked back at the bed. She stepped towards the bed for a moment but stopped and seemed to consider something. She then turned and wrapped her arms gently around me, hugging me. It was unexpected. I hesitated before wrapping my arms around her, overlapping my hands just under her shoulder blades. I found comfort in the contact. “We’ll get out of this, eventually,” I assured her.

I felt her head nod weakly against my chest. “I know we will.” She replied. “I’m just glad I’m not doing it alone this time.” I smiled gently as we stood there for a few minutes. I could smell the lavender in her hair. We eventually let go. She gave me assured nod and turned to climb into bed. I wished her goodnight and left to figure out my own sleeping arrangement.

“What do I have that can be used as a bed?” I looked at the front seat. “Legs still cramped from last night.” I looked at the back seat. “Too much shit, and too tired to move it.” I looked in the back of the hatchback. “can't make anything rudimentary, unless….” I dug into the back, opening the box marked “MISC”. “There you are.” I grabbed the cloth hammock that was sitting on top. I immediately remembered why I’d put it there. A leather featureless hood greeted me as I pulled the hammock out, along with various accessories. I felt my face grow flush as I reached into the still open box that had held the bedding and grabbed a blanket, placing it over the top of the MISC box. I let out a relieved sigh before closing it and shoving it back into the car. “Gotta hide that tomorrow. I definitely don’t want to have a conversation like that with her.”

I turned climbed the ladder into the loft and found a suitable location to hang the hammock. I strung it across the barn to two supporting beams. I situated it so that I could look out the loft door to the city and the wall beyond. I packed some blankets into the hammock and climbed in, clothes still on. I gently rocked myself as I gently mused over the day. I drifted to sleep gazing at the city illuminated by moonlight. I was comforted with one final thought “Tomorrow is a new day.”