Dominic felt himself slowly awaken from what felt like a year long nap, reaching for his phone and finding… leaves? The fuck?

His eyes shot open, and he saw Manon’s smiling face about two feet away from his, and he backed away, panicking and attempting to shriek like a schoolgirl, failing to make any sound. His brain finished waking up as he remembered his vocal troubles, and he felt the panic die down. He was on some random planet, with a group of Adventurers who’d saved his ass from being sacrificed to some odd shadowy thing, and then been fed and taken a nap.

“Ah! You’re awake!” Hob shouted from next to him, causing Dominic to jump in surprise. Hob reached down, helping him stand, and walked him back to the fire. “Just in time! Father heard from the Great Goddess, and she was very cryptic, just saying that all would be revealed as soon as her emissary gets here.”

Dominic couldn’t help but follow along with Hob as he was led back to the fire, glad to see that there was another pot of something on the fire as he realized he was hungry.

“Come, we were just about to eat supper when you woke.” Father Abraham motioned for him to sit as Hob got him a bowl of stew. “Hob is correct. The Great Goddess Gaia is a loving Goddess, but she was not forthcoming with much beyond ‘Wait for my emissary’. She did not provide a time limit, but I am confident that they should arrive by tomorrow”

Dominic had just taken the bowl of stew when all of a sudden, an Owl shot down from above, landing right next to him and transforming into an oddly dressed young woman with caramel skin and luscious brown hair.

“She has just landed my little chickadee!” the young woman said, hooting with laughter as Dominic jumped, spilling soup all over and falling backwards off his seat.

The others had reached for their weapons, only to wait to attack as Father Abraham stood, reaching his hand towards the newcomer and saying, “We may not know the reasons for the changing season,”

The newcomer stood, holding her hands towards Father Abraham, responding “But you have to change to grow.”

They grasped hands, forming a circle and repeating “You have to change to grow. Amen”

The two dropped hands, and Father Abraham gestured towards the stew pot. “Welcome, emissary of the Great Goddess Gaia. Please help yourself to some stew and sit. You must be exhausted from your flight.”

“The names Ducky, and you must be Father Abraham, Tadeo, Svelt, Hob, Manon, and my little chickadee here is Dominic.” She pointed to each in turn with the ladle in her hand before scooping some of the stew into her own bowl, saying “And Boris is probably off in the woods jerking his pine cone to the changing of the leaves or something similarly asinine with the stupid reason that “He needs to stay vigilant” or some other shit.” She said, in a perfect imitation of Boris’ voice, sitting next to Dominic, taking Manon’s previous spot.

Manon grumpily sat between Tadeo and Hob, and before she could even complain to either, Ducky said “And don’t grumble little half Dryad. Your bark may be better than your bite, but this one, “ she pointed to Dominic, “He’s not for you, trust me. Leave the poor boy be until you get your feelings sorted out right and can treat him as a friend.”

Manon gasped, and the others looked sharply at Ducky. “Miss Ducky, how did you know that?” Hob asked, his voice more polite than Dominic had heard thus far. He was curious too.

Ducky had polished off her food and was cleaning the bowl on one of her skirt layers when she responded, “Well, seems like Mr. Ilgrall has some sense left in him after all! I shall answer because you were so polite in asking.” She smiled crazily at Hob, causing him to blanche, as she said, “I’m a seer, devoted to Gaia and all of her children. That’s why she sent me to fetch that one.” She thrust her thumb at Dominic, and he looked at Father Abraham, squinting and shaking his head as if to say “Please don’t send me with this crazy Owl/Woman!”

“Ah, perhaps it would be a good idea for Dominic to stay with us.” Father Abraham started, but Ducky steam rolled right over him.

“He will be coming back to my village with me, this is not a request.” Ducky’s eyes took on a Golden glow as she glared at Father Abraham. “You may accompany him as well if you so desire, but Gaia has plans for him. All that require he travel with me as to Tyethe soon as possible.”

“My vote is to let him go with the emissary. I need to get back to the Collegium soon.” Boris chimed in from the trees behind Dominic, causing him to jump again. “ My students are expecting me.”

“Let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of going with Mistress Ducky and Dominic to Tyethe.” Father Abraham put forth to the group, raising his hand. Manon and Tadeo raised their hands as well, while Hob and Svelt sat there. Manon glowered at the two before they shared a long suffering look and raised their hands as well.

“Majority votes to go to Tyethe.” Father Abraham said as he turned back to Dominic and Ducky. “Give us a few minutes to pack up and put out the fire and we can depart.”

“No can do Father. As soon as Dominic drinks this potion, we are on our way.” She said, pulling a potion bottle from a hidden pocket in one of her many skirt layers.

Dominic looked askance at the fourth potion he’d been offered that day, and was about to refuse when Ducky leaned in close, telling him “This will bring your voice back. Albeit this is only a temporary fix, but it will last until we get to Tyethe and can get some answers to what’s causing your lack of speech. So, bottom’s up!”

Dominic took the potion, pulled out the stopper and tipped his head back, drinking the potion faster than a frat boy doing a keg stand. After the last swallow, he started to cough profusely, falling to his hands and knees. His vision started to darken and he was seeing stars when he hacked up a massive black ball of phlegm and spat it onto the forest floor.

“Jesus fucking Christ on a bicycle. What the hell is that!?!” He whispered, delighted at having his voice back, but also terrified of the mass on the ground that was wriggling and smoking.

“Hmmm… that’s a good question my little chickadee. I believe that’s either a cause or symptom of what’s been stealing your voice.” Ducky leaned over, looking at the smoking mass on the floor as its movements slowed. “Gaia gave me that potion without much explanation beyond ‘make him drink it’, so I’m not too sure what’s the matter. Maybe it’s a good idea to spill some Holy Water on it Father. “

At that, she straightened, took Dominic by the arm and forced him to his feet. “Alright my little chickadee, daylight is a wasting! Let’s get a move on it! The walk to Tyethe is much longer than the flight, especially with your vision problems.”

The group of Adventurers looked dumbly at Ducky and the helpless Dominic as they walked towards the left of the clearing before jumping up to tear down the campsite as fast as they could.

Dominic could not see most of the details of what he was passing, but Ducky just patted his arm in what he assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner, talking to him like he was an invalid.

“It’ll be okay my little chickadee. Just trust in your Ducky and she will get you safely to Tyethe, or my names not Ducky LeKuaq!”

Dominic almost stopped in his shock at her last name, but he was physically unable. Instead, he started giggling. Ducky looked at him with a bemused look on his face, and he figured he looked a right fool, being a 32 year old man in a brown scratchy robe in the middle of foreign forest being guided and drug along by a bizarre Owl woman. This image served to intensify his giggles to the point where tears were streaming down his face.

“Bahahaha… your *gasp* name hahahahahah is ahhhhhh hahahahah Ducky le QUACK!?!? Baahahahahhaha”

Ducky was surprisingly gentle at this point, guiding him through any obstacles in the way and making sure he knew about any objects sticking up from the forest floor.

“Of course it isn’t, silly little goose. But, it does make a most wonderful joke that can de-fuse most tense situations.” She smiled at him, with a silvery twinkle shining in her eyes. “Also, I believe you needed a good laugh after the day you’ve been having.”

Dominic was able to get his giggles under control by this point, taking stock of what Ducky had said. He realized that his shoulders were no longer taught with anxiety, and he was able to think clearly. He hadn’t felt this good since he woke up on the altar, even with Father Abraham’s spell from earlier in the day.

He and Ducky walked at a moderate pace, and he was able to squint and take in a little of the passing greenery, though lacking much of the finer details. They had lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Dominic began to think through everything that had happened since he woke up.

“Alright, so I’ve been transported to a new world that has different types of people. I would call those that I’ve seen Elves, Dwarves, Half-Orcs, Gnomes, and more. Also, there is magic, both Divine and elemental, as well as things like potions but also machinery, if that’s what Svelt was working on. The majority of the population has been Anointed and Awakened the blessings of the Great Goddess Gaia, which gives them access to a status screen or display that shows them their natural strengths, weaknesses, and more.”

“Now, I’m headed to a random village with this koo koo for coco puffs woman who I oddly trust to see if I can be Anointed and Awaken some sort of Blessing, even though I’m not from here. It may or may not work, and who knows what will happen if it fails. We haven’t even discussed how I will get home from here.”

At that thought, he stopped, this time succeeding in resisting Ducky’s pull forward.

“What is it my little chickadee? Why have you stopped? Are we moving too fast for you?” She looked over him with a concerned eye. When she didn’t see anything wrong with him on the outside, she muttered to herself and her eyes glowed silver as she looked him over again.

“Well, I can’t see anything wrong with you inside, aside from things you probably already know. You are a chunker aren’t you!?! Nothing wrong with meat, but it’s always hard to tell with robe wearers like you.” She snickered and then said, “Hey, nice tats…”before Dominic interrupted her, covering himself.

“Hey, do you mind? I am right here and you can ask me without violating me!”

“Oh hush! You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before, and we both know I’m not your type.” Ducky said, glaring at him with her hands on her lips, just like his mother did when he was growing up. “I only wanted to make sure that you were okay. And since I don’t see anything wrong, why did you stop?”

“Because I was thinking and realized that no one has mentioned how to get me home! Why is there all this crazy Anointment and Awakening talk when the real topic should be getting my happy ass home! I WANT TO GO HOME!” As he finished talking, he realized he’d started yelling and tears were coursing down his face, blurring his vision even more.

At that moment, Boris stepped out from behind a tree to the left of them, shushing Dominic. “Do you want to bring enemies down on our heads you stupid human? Lower your voice!”

“Oh shut the help up you stupid fucking pretty boy dwarf. So you’re gorgeous, who the fuck gives a shit?!??! NO ONE!” Dominic wheeled to face Boris faster than he meant to, Ducky sticking out her hand to steady him as he almost fell over. “Get over it and stop taking that shit out on me because on a scale of 1 to getting sacrificed on an altar, you don’t even make a list of what’s bothering me today! BUZZ OFF!”

“I found them!” yelled Svelt as he popped out of the bushes behind Ducky and Dominic, the others not far behind. “Dominic is showing some brass balls by bellowing at Boris. Probably well deserved bellowing if I had to place my bets.”

“Shut yer gob, yah orc dingleberry.” Tadeo said, making Hob and Manon laugh, even getting Father Abraham to hide a chuckle though behind his hand. “Why are we stopped? Let’s get a move on folks!”

Dominic wheeled to face the rest of the group, again steadied by Ducky as he shouted “We are stopped because in all this talk of Anointing and Awakening and going to this rando village with a dive bomb scaring the crap out of people Owl Lady, not ONCE has anyone mentioned how the FUCK I can go home!” He squint-scanned the whole group, continuing his rant. “Has NO one thought about that?! If you were suddenly not just miles from home, but in a whole other WORLD, wouldn’t going home be on your mind?!?!?”

Father Abraham reached his hand out to touch Dominic, with a glow forming on his hand, and Dominic backed away quickly, falling to the forest floor.

“Nuh uh! No more mojo on my feelings! Years of therapy and medicine has taught me not to bottle things up, and your magic is def bottling things up inside me!” Father Abraham took his hand back as Ducky hauled Dominic back to his feet. “At least ask someone before you just mess with them.”

He brushed himself off as the group of Adventurers stood in complete silence. Even Ducky had the decency to act normal for a bit while Dominic got his robes back in order.

Svelt was the first to break the silence. “I mean, the human does have a point, Father. It is polite to ask first before non-emergency magics.”

Father Abraham harrumphed, but he walked towards Dominic with reddening cheeks. “I’m sorry Dominic. I didn't mean to cause you any more emotional distress. I just thought to help you keep from being overwhelmed with all that has happened today.”

Dominic nodded. “I understand you were coming from a good place. But, if what little I can see is true, it’s barely past noon or midday or whatever you all have here. A lot has been going on, and while I want to run screaming and crying, I won’t melt into a puddle of tears just yet.”

Dominic motioned to Ducky that he was ready to move forward, and the group, sans Boris, took to walking through the forest again.

“Dominic, it’s not that we don’t want ye to go home. It’s just that… well, none of us here have any experience with people like ye.” Tadeo said. “Manon is our Arcane expert, and I guarantee that she would have said something if she had any knowledge of how to get ye home.”

“Tadeo is right. While I have heard of Rovers, usually they come here of their own volition, and they know how to move on.” Manon spoke from just behind. “Often, they are beings with great power who come here on quests of minor importance, but it is very rare to have a Rover here on accident.”

Dominic took their words in, mulling them over in his head as the group moved forward. “So, if I understand correctly, people from other worlds aren’t unheard of, just not common. And they generally choose to come here.”

“That’s correct, very good Pinky!” Svelt said sarcastically, popping up in front of Dominic, causing him to yelp and fall backwards into Hob. “Who’s a smart boy? You are Pinky!” Svelt continued, switching to a condescending tone, before laughing as Tadeo reached out to swat him on the head.

Unfortunately, his dodge from Tadeo put him directly into Ducky’s path, and she pulled back her right leg and punted him into the nearest tree. Hob’s laughter rang through the forest as Svelt picked himself up and rejoined the group.

“I was just having a little fun.” He grumbled, brushing bark off his clothes and fingering a rip in his jerkin.

“That’s all fine and dandy, little Silvertongue. But no one messes with my little chickadee until he can defend himself.”

Ducky’s tone and the look in her eyes made an uncharacteristically serious look cross Svelt’s face.

“Yes ma’am” he said, nodding his head and avoiding her eyes.

Tadeo and the rest just looked at Ducky with their mouths open, shocked at the change in Svelt’s attitude.

“Hey, maybe if you kick him across the room next time, he’ll change for the better!” Hob loudly whispered to Tadeo, earning him a fierce glare from the little Gnome.

“Try it and you’ll see what happens” he whispered to the two, pulling twin daggers from his belt pouch.

The group ignored his threat, continuing their trip through the forest. Dominic could tell by the group’s lack of heavy breathing, unlike him, that he was slowing everyone down.

“I’m sorry that I’m so slow Ducky. I’m not used to walking through the forest like this, especially without shoes.”

She patted his arm. “It’s okay my little chickadee. I may have oversold how far away Tyethe is to us. I just didn’t want to wait around while they got their shit together. Mama Ducky has things to do and people to see.” She leaned her head in “Also, I hate sleeping in the forest when I have a bed within a day’s walk”

Dominic found himself grinning at Ducky, realizing he liked the woman a lot. She had a twisted sense of humor to match her sharp wit. And, she gave no shits and took none either.

“Watch out for that root” she said abruptly.

“Huh?” he said, before he stumbled after his left foot caught a raised root. “Ssssst… ah!” he said, hopping a little, trying to get his stinging foot back to normal.

“Sorry my little chickadee. I didn’t see that one coming in time.” She looked at him, chagrined. “Usually small events don’t come with a lot of warning, just a feeling in my tum.” She patted her stomach.

“So, you’re a Seer?” Dominic queried.

“You got it my little chickadee. I am blessed with the ability to part the veil of time and see events that may be.” Her voice took on a mystical tone as her eyes glowed a bronze light “Svelt Silvertongue, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll put that back in your belt pouch or I’ll make you into Svelt Browntongue!”

Dominic heard a small ‘yip’ of terror, and decided that he did not want to know.

“You see, usually I have to connect to the Goddess to get more than a flash of what’s going to happen. The deeper and longer I go, the more I find out”

At that moment, Ducky, Hob, and Svelt chorused “That’s what she said!”

Hob and Svelt cracked up in laughter as Ducky smiled at Dominic. “And sometimes, a flash is all I need to know where things are going. A lot of my job is observation as well. Looking at people can tell me a lot.”

“So, you just woke up from this Anointment ceremony to find you had the power to see the future?

Ducky shook her head. “Not quite like that. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always had little flashes of insight, ever since I was born. So, when I was Anointed, it was assumed that I would have some gift of foresight, we just didn’t know which blessing I would Awaken.” She giggled. “It was a surprise to my parents when I hatched and had settled into my Owl form. Adding my Seer blessing to that was just the icing on the most delicious cake”

At that, she started to cackle.

Dominic was very confused and full of questions, but he just rolled his eyes and tried to focus on the walk as Ducky picked up her pace a little bit.

————————————————*------------------------------------------------------

Hours passed when Ducky started to slow, motioning to the group to slow down.

“Just a moment my little chickadees. While the village knows that I am coming, they are not expecting to have this many visitors. Wait here just a minute while I let them know.”

She peeled off from the group and walked forward, quickly disappearing into the trees.

Dominic took that moment to sit down on the floor to catch his breath and massage his aching feet. He hadn’t had this much exercise in a hot minute, and the continuous walking for hours made him wish for a comfy couch to rest on.

Tadeo walked over and sat next to him. “Aye, my feet are barkin’ as well Dominic. That Ducky sure knows how to set a mean pace.” He stretched his legs out, groaning as he popped his back. “Luckily we all have a high constitution, being Adventurers it’s a must. Otherwise, we’d be huffin and puffin and aching like ye.”

Dominic finally felt like he was catching his breath, but when he tried to respond, his voice croaked out instead of words. He worriedly grabbed his throat, feeling a heavy weight settle there, and began to panic.

“Father Abraham! Something is wrong with Dominic’s voice!” Tadeo called out, trying his best to calm the man down. “His voice seems to have gone out again!”

Father Abraham walked over to check him out, and the others got closer, worried looks on their faces. He lay his hands on Dominic as he chanted “Goddess Gaia, Divine the nature of this ailment and help us cure this lost child of Earth.” His hands and eyes glowed a bright white light, and then blinked out.

“I’m sorry Dominic, but Gaia is still not giving answers to what is ailing you. Just the impression that we are close to answers and a solution here with Ducky.” Father Abraham patted Dominic on the back. “Would you like me to calm your emotions, or leave you be my child?”

Dominic shook his head side to side, and began to practice his Mindfulness breathing from therapy. After a few minutes, his heart rate began to settle, and he was able to open his eyes and stand up. He gave the group a thumbs up with a smile, and kept his breathing calm.

The rest of the group stood nearby, giving Dominic the space that he needed, taking time to look over their hastily packed items for the first time since they’d left their campsite. Boris appeared next to Tadeo, spoke a few quite words, then took back off into the forest.

Not too long after, Ducky walked back through the trees. “Alright guys, here’s the situation. The town is not known for having visitors, and some of the folk are a little skittish. I need to know you have no intention of harming anyone, nor of telling anyone about Tyethe.”

The group nodded their assent, but Ducky continued on. “I need your vow to the Goddess on this folks. I know it may seem silly, but you will understand as we get into town. So, it’s swear to Gaia, or this is where we part ways.”

Svelt started to ask questions, but Tadeo put a hand around his mouth while Father Abraham said, “We swear to the Goddess Gaia that we mean no harm to the citizens of Tyethe as long as none there harm us, and that we shall not reveal the location of the village unless given permission by the Elders of Tyethe.”, to which the rest of the team called out “We so swear!”.

A bright light haloed around the members of the Adventuring party, and Ducky shouted out “And you too Boris!” Dominic heard a muttered “I so swear” from above and behind him, and he looked back and squinted, trying to see the man who was now apparently in a tree.

Something small hit his forehead and then fell to the forest floor. Dominic bent over to pick it up, and saw it was a small acorn, and heard Boris whisper “stupid weak human”, but stood up and walked towards the blur that was Ducky.

Ducky grabbed Dominic by the arm, putting hers through his, and said “Onward, Ho!” and began the walk the rest of the way to town, followed by the Adventurers.