Misplaced in Dimensions (closed)

[JadeKnight]

If a civilization ever faced a true extinction by it's own hand, it was the Earthlings who had became ruled by their own greed. By the year 3000, they had used up most of their natural resources on the planet. Some science advancements were made into space exploration, but lack of foresight kept them chained to their planet. Water and food were strictly regulated by the rich corporations. The air was polluted to the point of needing respirators to even breathe. Bio-domes were built, but only the very rich could afford to live in them. A ray of hope was brought for when a group of scientists uncovered a rip in the fabric of time near New York, the largest of the cities in 3020. After a few months a facility was built which would allow them to travel back in time to start anew for humanity. Two probes were successful at finding a stable point in the past to establish a link. The only problem was the travel was one way only for any physical travel, but two way communication was possible.

Darek Rhinehart was born in the year 3001. Strict population controls had been in place to where families could only have one child. However his parents broke the law by having two children and both was taken away, placed in an orphanage. Despite the dire conditions, Derek remained happy and always had an eagerness to learn all he could. Feeling the need to get away from the static situation of the orphanage, he enrolled into the military at the age of 17, the earliest they allowed. Hoping that he would be able to explore beyond the boundaries of the domes, he chose to become a scout. He spent most of his time learning everything he could about the job, improving his skills as much as he could. His dream of exploring finally came true when the Rift was discovered, becoming the first to volunteer for the maiden voyage through the Rift.

-----------------------------------------
March 5, 3020

Derek took a deep breathe as he looked at the glowing green pool of energy ringed by a metal circle at the end of a very long walkway. Though he was only a short distance from it, the pool looked very large to him. He was going to be the first human to go through the portal and he only had a vague clue of what to expect. The air was supposed to be clear of pollutants, and a much cleaner world overall. He shook his head for a moment and turned to go through the supplies that had been packed for him to take.

A battery-powered quad was the standard for exploration missions like his. The quad was built light, able to carry two passengers if needed. Attached to the quad was small trailer with enough supplies for a week. MREs, a two man tent, hammock, three uniforms, two flashlights with multi-colored lenses, spare battery for the quad, a solar-powered battery charger, various tools, and a portable radio were stashed away neatly inside. Painted on the side of the small trailer and front left bumper was the Earth Alliance's symbol, a red sword within a light brown circular gear.

With everything was in order, he double-checked his personal equipment. His uniform was a digitized pattern of multiple shades of green on the top and pants. A small palm-size computer was in his right breast pocket while the rest of his other pockets were empty. He wore brown-colored body armor which was woven with materials which could turn aside any bladed implements and stop any caliber bullet up to a 7.62 round. His standard issue side-arm was a sonic pulse pistol, housed on his right hip in a jet black holster. An electronic pulse rifle was slung across his back, equipped with a black vinyl sling. Hanging from his waist was a sheathed ten-inch combat knife with a titanium-carbon steel mixture blade, and two pulse grenades. A full camelbak of water was slung over his back, the drinking tube clipped to the front of his vest.

"Everything is set for you to move out Sgt. Rhinehart."
"Roger, moving out."

He took a sip of water as he tapped the comm-piece in his ear to turn it off. He took another deep breathe as he climbed onto the quad, feeling a mixture of dread and excitement at what he would find beyond the portal. It would be interesting to feel what actual wind would feel like blowing his short brown hair. He gunned the engine and moved forward towards the portal slowly, it's surface barely rippling. The quad had just made it into the portal when the entire system surged with an energy spike. Physically, nothing happened that John noticed, but the surge had caused the rip to shift into a completely different dimension for several seconds. The passage was successful for John and his equipment, but he was cut off as the rip resettled itself to the right dimension.

The first thing Derek noticed was the smell and taste of clean air. The sound and feel of the wind was soft as it blew past him. He stopped the quad where he was, sitting somewhere in a forest. Sunlight shone down through the canopy, feeling warm on his face. He pulled his Kevlar off of his head as he looked around carefully with his brown eyes. He was silent as he listened to the various sounds of the forest, trying to take it all in. He turned his comm-piece on, but only heard dead silence. He frowned as he spoke softly.

"Where is the probe?"
Derek

 

[slut_in_white]

"So tell me, which side do you attack me from?"

Lady Veresanna Dragonsbane was standing in the middle of a village square, surrounded by a group of children and several teenagers, all bearing either wooden or metal swords. She herself was standing with her arms outstretched, sword in her right hand and her empty left hand outstretched in the opposite direction.

One of the teenagers responded, "Your sword side."

Veresanna pointed her sword at the boy who spoke. "Why?"

"Because a fireball is scarier than a hunk of sharpened metal," the teen answered to the laughter of several of the other trainees.

Veresanna grinned. "Good guess." An arc of electricity shot out of the tip of her sword and shocked the young man, enough to hurt a little but not enough to injure him. "But wrong." She swung her sword and hand in a wide arc. "If you can manage it, always attack your enemy from behind. Keep him spinning and off balance. Which brings me to my next point." She chuckled, sheathing her sword. "Never let an enemy get behind you. That's enough for today, I think."

Her little audience gave a chorus of "Awww"s but scattered. Veresanna herself returned to the inn in the center of town, where she was preparing to make a line expedition into the uncharted wilds just west of the town.

Veresanna had earned her name, Dragonsbane, about a year ago when she hunted and killed the dragon that was terrorizing the royal city. It earned her wealth and recognition and she had, for a time, remained in the city to enjoy her new title. It hadn't taken long for her to grow bored and to decide to go out exploring again, which brought her here, to the edge of the wilderness.

She was young, for an elf, which was why she was still so disinclined to stay in one place for so long. She had martial prowess and magical prowess in equal measure, earning her a reputation as a spellsword. She usually wore light mail and kept her long, white hair tied back out of her face while she fought.

With a sigh, she returned to her room in the inn and went back to poring over ancient maps, anxious to find the lost temple she was looking for.

(Veresanna Dragonsbane)

 

[JadeKnight]

Though Derek should have been searching for the probe, there was something about the beauty around him that caught and held his attention for nearly an hour. He didn't move from where he sat on the quad, looking around in rapt wonder. It had always been a dream to explore someplace new, and his time had come. He was filled with fear and excitement at the same time, his fear at the thought of the unknown surroundings.
The last forest that had existed on earth was wiped out nearly 500 years before his time, at least a fully formed, free-reign forest like this one. Parks and trees had existed in the biodomes, but this was on a whole new level for him. He inhaled the fresh air, very different from the recycled air they used in the domes. The forest was alive with sights and sounds that were new to him. He saw familiar creatures, like deer, squirrels, rabbits, and various type of birds.
His attention to the forest was broken by a growling of his stomach. He chuckled softly for a moment, looking around for a good place to park the quad and trailer. So far he had only seen wildlife animals, but he didn't know what else what else lurked in the area to threaten him. A few trees had fallen a few feet away from him, forming a half dome just over four feet high. The dome was big enough to house the quad and trailer, so it was there he parked the equipment there. Searching inside the trailer, Derek pulled out a large camouflage net and a MRE. After covering up the quad and trailer with the netting, he had a quick lunch.
After finishing his lunch, he pulled out his computer, taping through the various programs that were loaded on it. Anything with GPS was not going to help him, since no satellites had been launched into orbit yet. He did have a mapping program, but without any point of references yet, it was useless. The best he could use it for was rough mapping, using his current position as the basis. The electronic compass would have to be calibrated manually, and he had a regular compass in the trailer. Pulling out the regular compass, it took him half an hour to get the electronic and normal compass calibrated to each other.
His first priority was to find a source of water, which he hoped would be nearby. He didn't want to wander very far from his equipment, so he decided to do a two square mile grid. Using his knife to make a slice on trees to mark his way, Derek carefully explored a two mile grid around his starting point. He quickly found a small waterfall and pond within half a mile of his starting point. By the time he finished exploring, the sun had almost set.
Despite his fear, Derek's exploration went without incident. He did the best to record everything he saw, but he didn't think it was enough. He hoped that he would be able to get more detailed instructions when the Rift was re-opened in a few days. He did not want to be stranded by himself, so he figured his best plan was going to be stay within a couple days travel of the Rift site. The probe had registered the time line as twelve million years in the past, a very dangerous time.
He went to sleep in his uniform and body armor, his weapons within easy reach. He had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right, but that didn't keep him from sleeping. He slept on top of his sleeping bag, keeping the trailer between him and the open forest, beneath the camo netting.

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna woke at dawn the next morning. She rolled blearily out of bed and looked across the room toward the small desk piled with books in the corner. She had been staying in this inn for almost 3 weeks now, preparing for her expedition. She had gone over the books concerning the western wilds at least a half dozen times each. She wasn't going to get any further information out of those dusty tomes now. It was time to begin her journey.

A month previous, one of the border patrols had reported odd fluctuations in magical energy coming from beyond the western border. Veresanna had been looking into rumors of a lost temple in the same approximate location at the time so, when the news reached her, she volunteered to investigate. She couldn't have known that it had nothing to do with the temple, that it was the result of a new rift in the world interacting with the rift on Earth.

She got out her armor, a priceless full-body suit of mirthril so light and fine that it could be compared to heavy cloth in texture and weight, despite being as protective as its steel equivalent. It was adorned with blue and gold cloth, bearing runes of protection. It fit her body like a glove - it was made for her as a reward for aiding a dwarven kingdom to the north.

Veresanna was a consummate adventurer - she looked about the human equivalent of 19, but she was, in fact, nearly 60 years old, a result of her elven heritage. She had wandered the world for most of her life, seeking thrills and danger. At first, she had simply traded her skill in combat for food and shelter, driving off bandits in exchange for a place to sleep and a warm meal. In time, her skill and repute grew and she began working for lords and even kings.

This time, it was a combination of curiosity and boredom that brought her to the edge of the wilds, not some contract from a nobleman. She was here because she craved the chance to return to the outdoors, to danger and excitement. And because the aforementioned temple was supposedly of ancient elven make. She had a keen interest in the history of her people.

She pulled her long silver-white hair back into a ponytail and walked outside, shading her amber coloured eyes against the glare of the rising sun as she looked back one last time at civilization. Then she began her trek into the uncharted lands of the west.

 

[JadeKnight]

Despite the excitement of exploring, Derek slept well. He was a light sleeper, but he was tired enough the forest noises weren't enough to wake him. It was a couple of hours before dawn when the sounds of an animal rooting nearby that woke him. He yawned as he set up slowly, peering out through the netting. The creature was a few feet away, closely resembling a picture of a Earth boar. The only difference he could see was that this boar had two sets of tusks instead of one. It made him wonder if a mistake had been made in the calculations by the science division, but he dismissed the notion quickly.

His MRE breakfast wasn't very tasteful, but he was used to eating the stuff so it didn't bother him. He watched the boar in the darkness, it's eyes glowing a little in the dying moonlight. Living off the land had been one set of skills he had been taught during his training, but he didn't see the need for them yet. He didn't want to upset the balance of this world just yet. He finished his meal just as the boar finished it's rooting and wandered off into the woods.

Needing a high place to observe the land from, Derek remembered a very tall tree near the waterfall. He had estimated the tree to be nearly sixty feet high, towering above the surrounding trees. The waterfall itself fell down the side of a twenty foot high cliff, which extended half a mile in either direction. The higher ground along either side of the cliff tampered into a slope with the different elevations of the foot.

Derek drove the quad and trailer to the waterfall, parking it as close to the moss-covered cliff as possible. Making sure he had all his weapons on him, he stuffed an MRE into a cargo pocket on his pants and covered the quad and trailer with the netting. The rocks of the cliff were a little slippery, but he was able to find the niches to climb to the top. It was just before dawn when Derek was able to climb to the top of the tree.

Top of the tree looked like it had been recently struck by lightning, leaving a cradle of the branches. Carefully maneuvering himself at the top, Derek got himself into a bit of a lounging position. The coming of dawn was a beautiful sight, the sky filled with a bit of a purple haze. After watching the sun come up for a few minutes, he turned his attention to the surroundings that he could see.

Dividing his time between the computer-mapping and viewing through a pair of high magnification binoculars, the position of the sun told high it was noon. Checking the time, it was two hours after noon Earth-time. The survey also give him some interesting results.

The eastern edge of the forest was estimated to be ten miles away. A large grassland picked up from the forest edge and continued till it came to, something which he didn't expect, signs of actual humanoid style habitation. He couldn't really make out many details from the distance, mostly tiny blocks and smoke. The southern portion of the forest continued as far as he could see, as did in the western direction. The northern edge of the forest ran into a mountain range an estimated twenty miles away. Satisfied he had done enough for the day, he shut down the computer and put it into his pocket before opening his MRE. The scent of warm beef and mashed potatoes whiffed away around him in the air.

 

[slut_in_white]

Weaving her way into the trees along the edge of the forest, Veresanna blew out a nervous breath. The woods were glowing green as sunlight filtered through the canopy, birds were singing, and she could hear the scuffling of several different small forest animals hiding in the underbrush around her. The day was beautiful and the forest seemed peaceful, but she could not rid herself of the nagging feeling that there was danger lurking in the woods around her.

Before she left, the hunters in the village had been careful to warn her of a notoriously xenophobic tribe of demi-human creatures living in the woods in this area. They were apparently some kind of clawed, furred humanoids. Honestly, the description given to her by the hunters made her wonder if there was an entire tribe of cat-people living in these woods. They claimed a certain area of the woods as their own and rarely left their tribal lands. Of course, what they considered to be their tribal lands changed all the time, but Veresanna had a relatively recent map of the borders and hoped that, if she stayed far enough from those borders, she wouldn't run into any of them.

Luck, as it would have it, was not on her side. She was maybe 2 hours into her journey - walking slowly to avoid drawing attention to herself, not that it apparently helped much - when she felt and heard a dart of some kind whiz by her ear. She spun toward the source and caught sight of a humanoid man, covered in bright orange and black-striped fur, hanging upside down from a branch, holding what she was sure had to be a blow-dart launcher. She cursed and, at the same moment, her attacker gave a guttural scream of rage. He was answered in an instant by at least a half-dozen other such screams from the forest around them. The noise sent birds cawing and scattering away from them, probably drawing the attention of even more members of the tribe.

Veresanna had several thoughts in the next split second. First, she recognized that she was badly outnumbered. Second, these creatures, while undoubtedly talented hunters and trackers, did not have the battlefield experience that she did - she gave herself the better chance at winning if it came to a fight with them. But that didn't guarantee she would go without injury, and an injury this early in her expedition was going to set her back days, perhaps even weeks. She knew she was miles from the last-marked border of the tribal lands, so she was willing to bet that the new border wasn't much further away. It seemed likely that they wouldn't pursue her after she crossed their border...

She made up her mind and set off at a sprint through the woods, in the direction she thought was most likely to take her to the border quickly. She could hear the tribal hunters following her, so she muttered a few words under the breath and twisted her left hand. A wind whipped up in something like a cyclone around her, fast enough that it would push any arrows or darts aimed at her off their course and send them scattering away. Then she drew her sword, just in case, and kept her sprint. She hoped the border wasn't far - she didn't relish the idea of having to fight all of them herself.

 

[JadeKnight]

He figured the sounds were just outside the grid he had searched. His hunch was correct when a large cluster of birds rose into the air, squawking and cawing as they fled the commotion just beyond his search area. Believing some bad stuff was coming his way, he made his way down the tree to the ground. He took a deep breath as he leaned back against the tree on the opposite side of the waterfall.

Whatever was causing the commotion was heading his way, making things a little more scary for the scout. The rifle would have been overkill for his current situation, the ammunition most likely causing more damage than he wanted. His fingers ran along the handle of his sonic pistol for a moment before he gripped it tightly. Derek's lip curled for a moment as three pins punctured his palm, collecting his DNA to unlock the safety mechanism. A button was pressed on the side of the holster, releasing the pistol.

The gauge on the left side of the weapon showed the battery pack was completely full. The setting was at the lowest frequency, a non-lethal setting designed to stun a human being for several moments. A laser sight was attached to the underside of the pistol, set just forward of the trigger guard. The sonic pulses were only effective up to one hundred yards at the lowest setting, fifty yards at the highest setting. Since the pulses were invisible, he had to rely on the laser sight to hit his target. Satisfied everything was ready, Derek shifted so that most of his body was behind the tree as he looked out over the waterfall.

He knelt down behind the tree, keeping the pistol pointed out towards the forest. He wasn't sure what to expect, his surprise pushed even higher as what looked to be a blonde human came running through the forest in the distance. Though she was an exquisite creature, he wasn't quite sure yet what to make of her. The dot danced over her for a moment before he began scanning the trees to see if anything was chasing her. Though he was quite surprised to find other humans, the thought of possible danger was more immediate. He used his free hand, left hand, to make sure the chin strap of his kevlar was buckled.

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna burst out of the woods into a clearing with a waterfall and several tall, lone trees. She hissed out a string of curses under her breath - she would make too easy a target out here. She was in the middle of considering her options in a split second of thought when a flash of red light caught her eye. Her eyes flickered toward one of the trees and she saw crouched there a man. Human, probably, if his build was any indication, but she couldn't be sure with whatever helmet he was wearing. Definitely foreign, by his clothes. And probably about to become next on the menu of the tribal hunters after they finished with her.

Some people might have considered leaving the mysterious stranger to their fate, hoping that it might distract their pursuers - one doesn't need to be faster than one's enemies, just faster than one's slowest ally. Veresanna, however, was not one of those people. Her mind jumped instantly to determining the best way of getting them both out of danger.

She glanced over her shoulder at her pursuers, still running across the clearing. She would pass close by the man in a moment. The hunters still hadn't broken the tree line. They probably couldn't see her - or him - through the foliage yet. She made her decision and veered suddenly toward the man. She practically threw herself at him, knocking him over backwards and landing on top of him. She shifted quickly so she was straddling his hips and lying forward against his chest. She dropped her sword beside them and pressed her right hand over his mouth, anxious to keep him quiet and still until she could explain what was going on. She made a quick motion with her left hand and mumbled a few words in High Arcane. Then she felt the odd tingling sensation of an illusion settling over them.

She looked over her shoulder as the hunters burst forth from the woods and ran clear past them, not even glancing in their direction. Veresanna was not the most talented caster when it came to subtle magic like illusions - her arsenal was limited to spells intended for one. It was only the fact that they were so close together that kept both of them hidden. They could see out into the clearing perfectly, but the hunters looking at them would see only more knee-high grass and undergrowth.

Once the sounds of the cat-people calling to each other had faded to a safe distance, Veresanna finally removed her hand from the man's mouth and turned her head towards him to get her first good look at him. Her heart jumped into her throat when she realized how close they were; their noses were almost touching. She blushed. This close, she could tell he was definitely human, around the same maturity as her, and very attractive. She cleared her throat, and, with a shy smile, greeted him with a quiet "Hi."

 

[JadeKnight]

From the moment the stranger female had noticed him, time seemed to flow by in a flash for Derek. He didn't get a chance to see what was chasing the newcomer from the woods, as she suddenly threw herself at him. He yelled for a moment as he found himself on his back, this lithe young female on top of him, straddling his waist.

A brief thought of being lucky his rifle wasn't on his back, as that would have hurt just a bit when he landed on his back. As it was, his fall was cushioned a little by the strong, but flexible material of his camelbak. The next few moments are compacted into one moment of shock for Derek as he stares at the female. Though she is very beautiful, somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that beauty can be dangerous as well. Even the females in his unit had their dangerous side. He barely noticed the spell cast by the elf. A multitude of questions on how to handle this new situation rushed through his mind, his eyes unfocused.

The soft sound of her voice broke his reverie, snapping him back to reality. Though he didn't really hear what she said, he began to operate on an adrenaline rush, excitement, and a bit of fear. His left hand reached up and grabbed her right shoulder tightly. In the same motion Derek raised his hips off of the ground and twisted his body so that he was rolling over with her. As she landed on her back, he pushed himself up from her on his knees. He pointed his pistol at the top of her sternum as he spoke quickly.

“Who are you? What did you do?”

His blue eyes took in her pointed ears for a moment, but the excitement and fear in him dismissed them for the moment.

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna squeaked in surprise as he flipped them. There was a stone pressed into her back and she arched her back to prevent the stone from digging into her spine. Other than that, she tried not to move, her bright amber eyes studying the oddly shaped, dark object he was holding against her chest. She had no idea what it was, but it was entirely clear that it was a weapon of some type.

She dropped her hands open and up beside her head in a position that would make it difficult for her to make any sudden moves. She hoped he would recognize it for what it was.

Her gaze, after a moment, flickered up to his and she stared into his eyes, trying to read him. He seemed unwilling to... do whatever that weapon did to her without cause. That was a start, at least.

"Who are you? What did you do?" he demanded.

She blinked at him, confused by the question. It wasn't so odd that he didn't know who she was, but it was very strange that he didn't recognize a spell for what it was, even if he didn't know which spell it was.

Keeping her tone quiet and relaxed, afraid of startling him with his weapon pressed into her chest, she said, "I'm Veresanna. Veresanna Dragonsbane. And that was an illusion. I was trying to protect both of us from the hunters. They would have killed you for being on their land."

 

[JadeKnight]

Derek listened to her answers, taking them in. He was also a little confused as things were piling up. How did she know english? Exactly what did he get himself into? He hoped he would find the answers soon.

He slowly took a few deep breathes to calm himself, keeping the pistol in her sternum for a few moments longer. Seeing that she wasn't going to be a threat at the moment, he slowly stood up from her. He kept the pistol on her for a few moments longer as he stepped back from her. Things were just so confusing at the moment.

“Illusion? As in magic of some sort? Slight of hand?”

He re-holstered the weapon as he took a moment to study her closer. She looked very human, but he noticed her ears were pointed. Not human..what did that make her? He frowned from a moment before pulling out his palm computer, typing on it for a few moments. He looked from her to the computer before asking.

“Elf? Hunter?”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna pushed herself into a sitting position once he removed his weapon. As she listened to his questions, understanding slowly dawned on her. He was from somewhere remote, probably very small, somewhere where magic and non-humans were uncommon. There were still places like that in the world.

"My illusion was magic, yes." She held up her left hand, mumbling a few words. A small, flickering blue flame appeared, floating several inches above her palm. She smiled at the expression on his face. "I'm not the most talented illusionist in the world," she says, smiling self-deprecatingly, "but I get by. Honestly, I'm not that great at anything but varying kinds of explosions..."

She couldn't help but notice the odd way he kept looking at her, but it took her a few moments to realize that it was her ears his gaze kept shifting to. She smiles knowingly. "You haven't seen an elf before, have you?" Despite wording it as a question, she speaks it more as a statement.

 

[JadeKnight]

He tilted his head a little, an eyebrow raised at the display of blue flame hover above the elf's palm. He didn't move closer, but his eyes darted around to see if there was some sort of trick to the display. Seeing none, he turned his attention to her.

“Well, you should be a myth.”

He lifted up the computer to show her for a moment. The page displayed showed an elf and continued to explain the elf was typically found in stories, video games, and other types of fiction. He closed the page out before putting the computer away.

“You shouldn't exist. I mean...Yet here you are.”

He shook his head for a moment, one hand over his forehead. He just wasn't sure about this exploration mission at this point. He lowered his hand before moving around her, picking up his rifle from next to the tree and slinging it over his back.

“I take it take magic is as real as you are then?”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna blinked at him, utterly confused. A man who believed elves and magic to be myths? Certainly there were still isolated and remote villages in the world, but none so remote that they would believe magic to be mythical.

She pushed herself up to her feet and grabbed her sword from the grass next to her, sheathing it. Then she took a moment to look at the man. He was tall, for a human, which made him more than a full head taller than she. His clothes were covered in strange green and brown squares, and there were odd ridges in it that made her think there was some kind of protective material underneath. His weapons were unlike anything she had ever seen - in fact, she wasn't even certain which of the objects he carried were weapons and which were other forms of foreign gear because she couldn't recognize any of it.

After nearly half a minute of inspecting him, Veresanna finally returned her gaze to his face. "Where did you come from, human? I've never seen anyone quite like you."

 

[JadeKnight]

Derek took a step back when Veresanna picked up her sword. His hand went towards his pistol until she sheathed it in it's scabbard. Even though she had put her weapon away, he was still on alert for anything out of the ordinary.

He was quiet for several seconds when she asked where he had come from. He mulled over exactly what he should tell her about Earth. Well, he had become the first contact for his world, so there was going to be no harm in telling her something.

“Well, Veresanna, was it?..”

He soon launched into telling a brief history of Earth, describing the overpopulation, lack of resources, and the bleak outlook Earth currently had as far as humanity was concerned. He did leave out any information pertaining to military information, including his weapons.

“I'm a lonely and cut-off Earthling.”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna listened with rapt attention as the human told his tale. Her heart broke for him - to be cut off from everything and everyone you've ever known could not be easy. It was shocking for her to hear that a world populated by one one race and with no magic had managed to do so much, even if it resulted in such destruction. There was little in her world capable of that kind of power.

Once he finished, she smiled shyly. "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to my world, and to the Kingdom of Azridas." The sound of the hunters calling to each other echoes out over the canopy and drew her attention. Her expression suddenly set into one of determination. "We can talk more later. The hunters have realized they lost my trail. They're probably going to circle back here to try to pick it up again. We should be gone when they do."

 

[JadeKnight]

He gave a smile and a nod at her words of welcome. He looked back towards the direction the hunters had disappeared into earlier, hearing the savage calls.

“Do you happen to have a map of the area? I've only managed to make a general overlay of about ten square miles.”

He moved to the edge of the cliff above the waterfall before stopping for a moment. He turned back towards her for a moment.

“Come on, I have a faster way to go than walking.”

Going down the slick rocks was a little harder for Derek, but he managed to get down with only a couple of close calls. At the bottom of the cliff, he went to work quickly. He pulled the camo netting from the trailer and quad, folding it up before throwing it into the trailer. He looked up as Verasanna made her way down to him.

“Come on, we can travel faster on the quad.”

He sat down on the electric quad, turning on the power. The vehicle was quiet as a whisper, the slight vibration from the motor the only sign it was even on. He reached back and patted the seat behind him for a moment.

“Come on, it won't bite.”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna approached the quad hesitantly, mystified by the machine. She would never have imagined what it was or what it could be used for, except that Derek was straddling it like a horse or something like it. It was making a odd purring noise, but it had no mouth that she could see.

She looked up from her inspection of the machine when he patted the seat, inviting her to join him. His obvious comfort with the thing made her feel a little more comfortable and she climbed on behind him. She was clearly still confused and a bit apprehensive about the thing - her thighs closed tightly about his hips and her arms closed around his waist tightly enough to squeeze the breath from him. She seemed to realize what she was doing a moment later, however, and she loosened her grip quite suddenly, blushing and murmuring an apology.

 

[JadeKnight]

He had turned his attention backed to the quad's gauges when the elf decided to climb on behind him. Though her weight didn't add much, the quad shifted just a little beneath them. Derek did gasp for breathe when Veresanna's slender arms and thighs squeezed him tightly for a few seconds. When she did release their tight grip, he chuckled lightly. He smiled for a moment back at her.

“You don't have to be so scared. Just hold on and you won't fall.”

He turned his attention back to the front, not really sure of which way to go. Even if the hunters came after them, they could outdistance them quickly if they didn't run into any major obstacles. Turning the throttle, they moved forward slowly along the cliff slowly gaining speed. The quad vibrated beneath them, like a subtle massage.

As they moved along, they got up to a decent ten miles an hours. He was able to guide them through the trees and clearings, their passage whisper quiet except for the occasional breaking of branches and other stuff beneath the wheels. After half an hour of driving, he tilted his head back towards her for a moment.

“Any idea which we should go?”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna was certain that they were well away from the tribal borders by the time he asked where they should go. She shrugged, still clutching at his waist. Then she realized they were close to the temple ruins, or at least close to where she thought they would be.

"Here, stop here." She stepped off the quad, looking around. There was evidence of ancient life here - trees wrapped around columns, and grasses growing up between was was left of cobblestone streets. "There is an ancient temple near here. Would you mind terribly if I took a look around." She smiled at him. "I promise to take you wherever you wish to go afterward."

 

[JadeKnight]

Derek slowed the quad down as the first of the strange tree-entwined formations into view. Though Veresanna had asked for him to stop there, his own curiosity had been piqued. It was an opportunity for him to get more information about the world he had landed in.

He smiled to her for a moment.

“Here is a good place to stop. I'll come and look with you, if you don't mind. Part of my job here is to explore and document all I can. Go ahead and I'll park the quad.”

He looked around foe a few moments before catching sight of some over-grown bushes a few feet away. It wasn't the best place, but it would have to do for now. After carefully maneuvering the vehicle into position next to the bushes, he shut the motor off. He took a few moments to stretch his legs after getting off of the quad. Making sure that everything was carefully covered by the camo netting, he looked around for Veresanna. Upon catching sight of her near the columns, he made his way over towards her as he pulled his small computer out.

“So what do you know about this ancient temple?”

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna started when Derek spoke behind her,. She was not yet accustomed to traveling with another person. She looked down what had to have once been a road toward the hulking husk of a building that she suspected was the temple. It was made entirely of white stone, though it was dirty and stained from years of unuse. The ceiling had fallen in, pulling several sections of the walls in with it. The result was a ragged stone wall enclosing a darkened area, out of which a massive, tall spire rose. There was magic in it still - she could feel it even from this distance. She wondered what was inside that the spire would still have an aura after this long.

"It's thousands of years old," she said slowly, "from back when this whole area belonged to the elves, before the humans came to this world. It was abandoned during the cataclysm, so there may still be old relics of value to my people left inside." She turned to look at him and her eyes snapped immediately to his computer. She watched him using it for several seconds. "What's that?" she asked, stepping closer to him so she could look at the screen.

 

[JadeKnight]

Derek was typing up everything she said, carefully makes notes. He was also taking notes of his own, looking around for a moment when she had stopped speaking. He wasn't a great note taker, so he hoped everything he was putting in would be useful for his superiors to understand.

He blinked for a moment when Veresanna asked what he was doing, looking up as she stepped closer. He was quiet for a moment as he looked from the tablet to her and back again, trying to think of the best way to explain the technology.

“This? It's called a computer. It's a machine that can do lots of things. Right now I'm just using a writing program to take notes to pass on when I get back in touch with my captain.”

He tilted the tablet so she could see the screen. Most of what she had told him was there, plus his notes. A blinking cursor was at the end of the passage, waiting for input. Taping a couple of icons, he saved the document before closing it down to the main desktop. A multitude of icons covered the screen, and he tapped one labeled 'mapping'. A large map filled the screen, outlining the area he had mapped. A dotted line led up from the waterfall he had marked to a dot further north, sitting in the middle of whiteness. A small compass was in the upper right corner of the screen, pointing to the north west.

“This is just a map of where we at at. It's kinda incomplete since I don't have access to GPS.”

He looked up from the screen, finding the female elf standing right next to him, her face only inches from his.

 

[slut_in_white]

Veresanna had inches closer and closer to Derek as he explained his machine to her, utterly fascinated by it. She looked up at him from the screen the same moment he did, and drew in a sharp breath when she realized how close they were, a blush spreading across her cheeks. She bit her lip, feeling a sudden and (in her opinion) insane urge to kiss him. She turned away, averting her eyes and clearing her throat.

"T-that's the temple, over there. I think." She pointed, her hand moving toward her sword. "We should be careful going in. The gods only know what has taken up residence since it was abandoned." She checked her armor and murmured a few words in High Arcane, granting herself a small measure of luck, something that had save her life more than once. Then she paused, turned to Derek and reached out toward him, hesitating before her hand actually touched his shoulder. "I can grant you a small measure of extra protection, if you'd like. Are you alright with that?" People she often worked with cast spells upon each other often - it was simply a part of life here. But he was unaccustomed to it, and she wondered if he would prefer she asked permission. It seemed the better idea to play it safe, at least at first, when it came to finding out what he was and wasn't comfortable with.

 

[JadeKnight]

Derek swallowed for a moment at the closeness between them, seeing her so close. The blush had served to make her more beautiful, more desirable. He flexed his free hand for a moment, urging himself to stay calm. When she did turn away, he could feel himself relax more fully. Things were becoming more interesting, things which he doubted that he should wrote back about.

His eyes looked towards the temple as she spoke of their new destination being the temple. Derek was coming to like this world, despite the new dangers it seem to speak of bringing to meet him. This was way beyond his wildest dreams of being able to explore new areas and places.

His attention was focused on the temple, so he barely noticed Veresanna casting her spell on herself. His attention was brought back to bearing when she placed her hand on his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow for a moment at her asking to perform magic on him.

“More protection? I don't see any problem with it. After all, we can never be protected enough.”

He gave a little grin for a moment before an idea came to him. Looking back at the computer, he tapped a few buttons. An image came up of a half circle with three spaced half circles split into four equal sections. A white wave passed from the center of the smallest circle to flow out to the top of the screen, the pattern repeating every two seconds with a soft humming sound. Strapping the computer to his forearm, he made sure it was secure so it wouldn't move or budge.

He pulled out his pistol, turning on the laser sight.

“Well, I'm ready.”