Enter the Frey

Chapter 3

Ziel led the group, closely followed by the women, leaving Adam to trail along behind. Walking with such long, slender limbs felt strange, and a couple of times he almost lost his balance.

‘This body will take some getting used to,’ Adam realised.

They walked through hours of colourful foliage and rolling fields, lush with plants and wildlife. Aside from the purple sky and pinkish red-tinted leaves, the world wasn’t so dissimilar from the more scenic parts of his own world. When they reached the town however, Adam began to see how foreign this place really was.

The buildings at the centre of the town were crafted from a material somewhere between marble and glass—glistering white and slightly translucent. Parts of buildings seemed to float, detached from the main towers with no stairs of any description to bridge the gaps.

‘I hope we don’t need to go inside,’ Adam panicked, imagining himself plummeting to the grassland below. There was no concrete paving in this world, just grass, dirt, or loose stones.

The buildings on the outskirts were markedly less extravagant but still beautiful, boasting thatched roofs, wooden doors, and exposed stonework.

“We can sign up over there,” Ziel said, pointing to a booth with a red and gold sign in a language Adam couldn’t understand. Everyone appeared to be speaking English, and it hadn’t occurred to Adam until now that there was probably some kind of translation spell in effect. He made a note to ask Ziel when they were a safe distance from prying ears.

The townsfolk had begun to gather, and as Aim had warned, they were staring at him, and more openly than he would have expected.

‘It’s not just me,’ Adam noticed. ‘The entire group is receiving a fair bit of attention.’

People glared daggers at the newest member of the group—the blue-skinned assassin. She shifted from foot to foot and pulled at her hair. When caught Adam watching her, she made a weary face and let out a sigh. Adam smiled encouragingly at her, offering sympathy. The girl hadn’t been informed of his background, and probably assumed he was some powerful and regal creature… not an interloper from another world.

‘Trust me… I feel more out of place than you do,’ Adam thought. He noticed a couple of attractive women holding pails of fruit. They whispered to each other and giggled before making eyes.

“Don’t even think about it,” Ziel whispered. “There will be plenty of time for that once we get into the Frey.”

“Frey?” Adam asked.

“Hmm,” Ziel said, speaking quietly to not be overheard. “The Frey exists between this world and the next. Hopefully, our group will qualify, and the magic council will open up the portal.”

‘Another new world!’ Adam panicked. ‘I’m not even accustomed to this one yet.’

“Oh, don’t look so worried,” Ziel assured. “Everything is going to be fine.”

The way Aim smiled and nodded, with a little too much enthusiasm, and how the assassin sucked in her breath and looked away gave Adam cause to doubt Ziel’s confidence. He tried not to let it show on his face—something he’d always struggled with back home. His lack of ability to hide his emotions was probably the reason he had so often found himself the target of bullying. Being a male and having emotions were not meant to go together, according to society at least.

“We are here to sign up for the Ight of War Challenge,” Ziel told the man sitting at the booth.

“Gaery,” Ziel read the name from the guy’s nametag, leaning in to give him a wide and intimidating smile.

Gaery coughed and shuffled his papers, pulling out a scroll and handing it to Ziel.

“Please fill this in,” Gaery said, casting short glances over the rest of the team. As the magic council assistant surveyed the team, making disapproving sounds, Ziel became visibly annoyed.

“Is there some kind of problem, Geeeary?” Ziel asked, staring down the now terrified looking young man.

“W… well, erm, it’s just that… your team seems a little underqualified,” Gaery stuttered.

“Oh, is that so?” Ziel asked, pressing his face right up against Gaery’s.

“Well, your Healer’s spirit was swapped out only moments ago, your assassin is under a very dubious-looking binding spell and your mage… well, she’s just an ordinary girl in a costume,” Gaery reported.

Aim pushed past Ziel and planted her palms heavily on the wooden table, leaning over an already frightened Gaery.

“If I want to hear about how much of a disappointing loser I am, I’ll call my parents,” she told him. “All I need from you is the darn portal.”

“Are you sure?” Gaery addressed the entire group.

‘Am I sure?’ Adam wondered. ‘And do I even have a choice at this point?’

“They have me,” Ziel assured. “We can do this. I have been researching and planning my entire life.”

“Okay, just please make sure you find an experienced guide on the other side” Gaery conceded. “Follow me.”

He led them behind away from the town, back toward the wooded area. Approaching the trees, the air became thick, as though charged with electricity. Adam ran his fingers through the leaves, feeling the crackle of static on his fingertips.

Gaery stopped between two trees where light seemed to concentrate, illuminating their branches and casting dramatic shadows across the ground.

Gaery placed his hands firmly together and stood for a moment, as though in prayer. When he pried his hands apart the space between them shifted and glowed, almost like he’d created a giant soap bubble. When he threw up his arms the shimmering light between them grew and popped, becoming concave and then convex before stabilising and falling flat.

Ziel grabbed Adam in one arm, the assassin in the other and jumped through. Half expecting to be dematerialised and pulled through a wormhole, Adam winced. Nothing sensational happened, to his relief and disappointment. He’d hoped that travelling via portal would be something to write home about, not just a shift from one spot to another.

The world on the other side looked fairly similar, with a darker purple sky dotted with stars – odd for daytime.

Aim jumped in after them, stumbling forward and steadying herself by grabbing Ziel’s arm. She looked around in wonder.

“This place is really beautiful,” she gasped.

“No time for sightseeing, we need to get on with the mission,” Ziel barked.

“Are we going to find a guide first?” Adam asked. “The guy said—”

“Oh, no,” Ziel shook his head. “I’ve been researching this for years. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

The others exchanged worried glances before falling in line behind him.