Chapter 5: Meet and Greet

Noble:

The trio entered my sight and I had to stop my jaw from dropping. I know the gods had said that many of the races missing in the larger galaxy had presence here but it was a shock to them in the flesh. The group moved cautiously towards me, with the Demon and the Elf staying back and to the sides of the armoured human.

They stopped several meters from me with hands resting comfortably on their weapons. We all stood there in palpable silence; everyone stared at each other. It was only now that they were closer that I realised that the young man in half-plate before me was an absolute monster. I’ve always been average height at around 180cm but the armoured knight towered over me unlike any normal human should. He stood head and shoulders and then some above me he must have been two meters and change at least; with broad shoulders and a narrow waist; with handsome face and square jaw he looked the gallant knight in shining armour but his dark brown almost black had a savagery in them like barely restrained violence the eyes of a warrior.

He flashed a smile probably trying to break the tension. He ran a hand over his shaved skull his short black hair showing several weeks since he cut it. After a moment he held out his hand which dew a sudden inhale from the demon, “Hello stranger” he had a deep rumbly voice,” how the devil did you managed to get here and what the hell you are doing?”

‘Wow this guy doesn’t beat around the bush eh?’ I reach out and shake his while answering “As to how I got here…” I nod at the charred crater in the centre the clearing,” and for what I’m doing I haven’t the faintest idea”. At my words the group released a collective sigh moved in closer for easier conversation.

Night was nearing so I lead them over to the campfire and offered them some of my wolf jerky a sign of good faith. No sooner had we sat down question time began. The trio spoke shouted and interrogated me over the top of each other.

“You mean to say you fell out of the sky?” questioned the High Elf who had introduced herself as Holly D’Arvit. Her amber skin glowing gold in the firelight and a worn leather bound notebook in her hand ready for note taking. “Have you ever hear of Angel Fall?” Two shook their heads but the Elf heartily nodded and began explaining what she knew to her companions with me filling in any gaps or misinformation in her frankly impressive knowledge. She only got a few things wrong and the only thing worth mentioning was the belief that only Angels could travel via Angel Fall, it took a while to explain that it’s a method of instant transportation most commonly used by messenger Angels and the like.

Gellar Stone-Stepper the Demon spoke up next” How are you still alive the local villages have been suffering raids from oversized wolves these past few months? In fact we’ve been contracted to hunt them down but we found you instead!” At his I nearly fell over laughing. Barely restraining myself to a quiet chuckle I indicated to my furs and the meat they were eating “not sure how to say this… but I think I solved your wolf problem.” The demon looks at me with a stupid expression half way between a smile and shocked jaw drop.

I recount the events of my first night on the Old World. Night had fallen in full and the only light in the clearing was the small fire we were circled around. After I finished talking the knight who I now knew as Allen Hardgrove made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, “I’d like you join our party” he said after the moments silence from when I finished my recount. I stand up and hold my hand out from across the fire Allen mirrors my action and clasps my hand firmly “it would be a pleasure”.

The rest of the night was spent trying to get acquainted with each other Gellar I learnt was a ranger in a mercenary army for close to fifty years and now was an adventurer in this party as an excuse to travel one last time before settling down. Whilst on the other hand Holly joined up for some field work and practical experiments in conjunction with the research into different magical arts she had dedicated the last 300 years of her life to.

Allen on the other hand had recently completed his training had been knighted and given his freelancers colours. A white tabard which for the life of me couldn’t figure out how he kept it so white, with a blue fist clenching a spear. The freelancers crest was worn on the tabard over his torso and painted on his shield. As his first foray in hired sword business he had signed up with the adventures guild and ended up working alongside his two companions for over a year now. The group had fought in dozens of skirmishes and battles throughout the continent as well as taking contracts for monster hunting, subjection and extermination. Which was what they were doing when they ran into me.

It occurred to me before I fell asleep beside the fire that I hadn’t given them a name ‘this the Old World… James Noble died on Terra lightyears away… so who am I now?