“Whoa.” Chance said as they arrived at their next destination. “Finally, some civilization.” Sage practically slid down the hill before them. From their perspective, the town looked pretty big.

Chance inhaled and turned to Sage, “We look around together, and when that’s done, we come up with a game plan.” Sage nodded in agreement. “We will also need money. If we can swing it, I would like to get a job or something.” Chance liked this idea and was glad they were on the same page. “Okay.” Chance will point to a large building with a red roof. “We are going there.” Sage put her hands on her bag and began sliding down the hill. Chance followed suit, but he wasn’t trying to be as careful as Sage. Chance will laugh loudly and let his body roll down the hill. “Be careful-” Sage will gasp as she loses her footing. The two will laugh hysterically as they slide down the hill together.

-

“Sage, we have to do that again sometime. It’s not an option.” Chance said as he dusted himself off, Sage was still laughing. I’m glad she decided to have a little fun. We won’t get through this if we don't smile a little. Chance shook his head as Sage stood tall. “Wow, okay, we totally have to do that again sometime.”

The two walked into the town, and Chance let out a soft gasp. He tried not to satire as he looked around, but the different people walking around shook him to his core. Judging by her face, Sage was amazed but confused.

Each one of the people walking by looked different. Some were tall and green, others short and red. Some had tusks, and others had scales. They passed humans that didn’t look quite human. Their eyes were much different. It was like going through culture shock for Chance and Sage.

The buildings themselves looked fairly typical. They're made from brick and wood, and some of the roofs have different colors. Sage was ready to run into the shops they passed. A magic shop containing enchanted armor was of particular interest. “Sage, we can come back. We have to make it to the big building.” Sage bit her bottom lip and nodded.

The whole walk was like this, Sage had to pull Chance away from stores. Chance had to drag Sage away from stores, and it went back and forth like this for about thirty minutes. Once they reached the building, Chance put his hands together. “Town Hall. Absolutely amazing. We can get some answers here.” Sage exhaled and marched up the large steps. It felt like the weight of the world was descending upon her.

-

“Hello and welcome to VanderVill. Please wait a moment while we get a resident specialist to assist you.” A woman inside the doorway spoke to the duo. Chance tried to take in her appearance without looking like a creep. Her pink skin and horns made him think she was a demon of some sort. Her tail only added to that theory, but she didn’t have hooves for feet. When their eyes met, Chance quickly looked away. “I apologize.”

“It is normal for newcomers to give me the same expression you both do. I would love to explain what I am to you, but please head back to counter seven for now.” The woman pointed backward. “Sorry, we didn’t get your name?” Chance asked. “Xandivalt.” She smiled.

-

The man behind the counter motioned for them to sit down. “I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Please note that I will not be able to walk you through everything. You will have to learn some things on your own.”

Sage could feel her stomach twisting. Chance watched her legs bounce for a second before looking up to speak. “What happened? How did we get here, and where is it exactly?”

The man tightened his jaw and shook his head. “This is never easy. You have both died, wherever you came from, something killed you, and you ended up here.” Chance scoffed, “You expect us to believe that?” Sage reached over and put a hand on his arm, “Chance….”

“You can believe whatever you want; I won’t stop you either. You're welcome to walk out that door and get answers for yourself.” Sage shook her head, “Okay, let’s say we died. How do we find out how we died? How do we remember things?”

Chance will tighten his jaw and slouch into the chair. “Your memory will start to come back to you as you spend time here. You can speed up the process by gathering Memory Stones. Though they're rare, using ten of them will let you know how you died.” The man crossed his arms and eyed the two.

In truth, Sage didn’t believe much of this, but she had to hear it anyway. Chance was getting mad. Something about this didn’t feel right. Like the universe was laughing at him. This isn’t fair. “So, do you have any tips for us?” He was eager to get away from this man.

“You will want to read this.” The man slides two brown books to Sage and Chance. Chance took it right away and stood up. Sage stood upright behind him. “When we are ready to hear it, we will be back.”

-

They walked in silence for quite some time. No longer excited by the stores are all the new sights. The weight of not knowing weighed on both of them. Eventually, Chance slid his hands through his hair and stopped walking. “Sage, I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to heat up like that.” If we died, how are we alive now? Sage was snapped out of her train of thought. “Don't worry about it, okay? When we are ready for answers, we will go back or find them ourselves.” Sage placed a hand on Chance and took a good look around. Her eyes would rest on a large wooden board near what looked like a bar.

Chance followed her gaze, and the two walked over. “Jobs.” Chance said softly as he looked at all the available options. Sage reached forward and plucked a quest from the board. “We should start with something simple, right? I don’t want to die or whatever.” She was trying to force herself into being in a good mood.

-

:Quest:

Kill the goblins at Woodhearst Mine

Reward: 500 gold. You can keep the loot you find.

Giver: Raymond Kinninham

-

“Chance, does this look like something we can handle?” Sage held the paper up for Chance to see. Chance read it and smiled, “Okay. We find the location and head off to complete this quest. Simple.” Chance decided. Sage wasn't so sure, but she was really feeling his enthusiasm. With a quest in mind, the two went off to find a Woodhearst Mine. Sage wanted to explore more anyway, and Chance would do anything to take his mind off of current events.