The strange world I had fallen into was still present. I had mixed feelings about the matter. The sun hadn't risen yet, so I was inclined to stay in bed a little longer. Being dropped into this place with a body that wasn't mine, though it was a rather neat body, had made me feel so powerless. What unknown force had done this to me, and why? I couldn't pretend that it wasn't reality at this point. My brain was not that gifted, nor that dedicated. It hadn't helped me finish a single thing in my life, and it made no sense for it to begin with this. These thoughts weren't helping. I was making myself feel worse, not better. I had a job, I had a roof, I had money, and soon I would have breakfast. My one exposed eye, the other nestled into the pillow, opened to assess the state of my clothing that had been hung over the chair. They were dry! I breathed a sigh of relief; smelling of mildew wasn't my ideal state for the coming day of work. A slow breakfast matched the mood of a sky that was cloudy with leftovers from the rain last night. As I ate, a stranger attempted to make conversation with me, but all I could do was explain in vain that I couldn't understand her. She was unwilling to engage in charades to help me understand, but she offered an apologetic look before she moved on. I didn't blame her. I felt guilty. My food was finished in silence amid the odd looks from other patrons, and I decided it was time to get to work.
Keff was already working by the time I arrived. He cocked an eyebrow at me and passed a comment, but gave me no more trouble over my apparent lateness. It must not have been too big a deal. I knew the drill by now: if there were unshaped items on the counter, I was to shape them. The makeshift earplugs I had been provided were an immediate relief as I set upon a sword with my hammer. Clang. Clang. My face felt slack as my work continued. Keff's lesson from last night was ammunition I used to chase existential dread from my dour consciousness. It was easier work than pounding the hell out of hot metal, but the thoughts did not go quietly. The day passed slowly until I stopped thinking about how little time was passing. Before I knew it, I had given the sword a rough shape with surprisingly few ripples in its form. Keff nodded his head a few times as he examined the blade, but his eyes lingered on mine afterward. He asked me a question I couldn't understand. My only option was to look back at him, nonplussed, unsure of how to react. Ever gruff, he grumbled something under his breath, gave my forearm a clap, and returned to his work. Was he encouraging me? I decided to believe that was the case.
Our breaks became an unspoken agreement. They didn't arrive at the same time every day. I saw people that had obviously come from other locales. One of them was a bird person, one that tapped the tip of their beak with a smile. I returned the gesture without understanding its meaning. It seemed to be the expected response, and business continued as usual. Some of the visitors came with merchant carts and spent plenty of time annoying Keff with extended conversation. They must have been questioning his expertise, because he turned one of them away after they had only asked a single question. Keff didn't seem like the sort of person to speak for the quality of his work. I respected that, and held the same philosophy of myself. It was a shame that I was so terrible at smithing. Keff closed the store with a huff at the end of the work day. He handed me the same pay as he had yesterday, but paused to rub two silvers together while pointing at the work I had done and nodding his head. This told me he may pay me more if I continued to improve. I had no conflicting plans.
Something was different about tonight, though. The shop had been locked up, but Keff stood outside. He looked as if he had something to say, but didn't know how to say it. The words found their way to the air eventually. I couldn’t understand him, of course, but his tone was softer than usual. He huffed and pointed at the window, his eyes, then to the town square. I had an idea of what he was getting at, so I retrieved three silver pieces from my coin purse. Keff nodded his head and looked me over as I put the coins away. He closed his eyes, sighed heavily, and moved his hand close to my forearm. This was met with cautious acceptance. My forearm was taken in an instant, and I was marched down one of the streets without explanation. I reeled with the possibilities of where I was being led. Was I in trouble? Was Keff going to find the beggar and demand the money back? Had I been fired like that other person had been? Two gentle pats against my forearm told me that my anxieties must have shown through, and I looked down to see my boss wearing a calm, almost resolute expression. I hoped I could trust that face.
Our destination was not at all what I'd expected. One look at the building told me that it could only be a wizard's abode. It was a tower that featured what I assumed was avant-garde or plainly magically assisted construction. Overhanging bugles in the sides of the tower near the top, made of impeccably curved stone, appeared ready to fall at any second. I found it plainly and absolutely nuts. Keff, however, knocked on the featureless wall before us. A voice emanated from somewhere above us, causing me to start in surprise. Keff brusquely announced himself. A wooden door faded into existence in front of us; it was a wizard tower! I was ushered into the tower only to labor up a seemingly endless staircase. My legs were burning by the time we reached the top, and I leaned over to catch a breath while I took in the sights around me. The amount of storage in here was amazing; entire rooms, fully open to each other with carved circular doorways, were lined with all sorts of curiosities. Stacks upon stacks of books shuffling themselves into shelves, bubbling vials atop a very scientific-looking chemistry table, magical lanterns suspended in the air that cast blue firelight all around the rooms... I couldn't help but chuckle. Wizard towers had always struck me as a bit phallic, and the multiple spherical rooms situated atop the structure, illuminated by blue light; it all culminated in a humorous thought.
Keff inhaled as if to prepare a shouted word, but was cut off by a robed, green-skinned individual that I could only assume was the owner of this tower. They opened their arms wide in welcome as they approached. The wizard possessed pointed ears similar to an elf, but their features were softly handsome. To be specific, they had tusks, which I found noteworthy and nearly as cool as my horns. A set of wizardly robes, shimmering blue and white, trailed behind them. They addressed me in a friendly tone first, gesturing to their magical sanctum. I offered a small, uncertain bow in return, which seemed to amuse the wizard. Keff interjected to refocus the conversation, though it was very clear they were talking about me. I waited like a deer in the headlights for some clue of why I was the topic of discussion. This line of conversation led the wizard to approach me while gesturing to themself. They were Sekvi... something. I made an attempt to pronounce the rest of Sekvi's name, but this only elicited a grimace. "Madison," I replied in hushed acknowledgement of my failure. Sekvi tapped their chin and stepped around me, giving me a keen look of appraisal. My thoughts were beginning to race with fearful hypothetical scenarios when the wizard offered me their hand. With Keff giving me an impatient nod of his head, I met Sekvi in anticipation of a handshake.
What happened instead startled me a second time. A flare of blue energy enveloped our clasped hands, accompanied by an odd whirring sound that shimmered the air for a few seconds. I withdrew my hand out of reflex, eyes darting between Sekvi and Keff. "What was that? What did you do? Was that, am I okay?"
Keff folded his arms. "I told you she was weird."
"Yes, I believe... so. Madison? Hello, yes, right here, can you understand what I'm saying to you now?"
I froze with a look of awe on my face. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at my two acquaintances. "Yeah! Oh, thank-, I don't even know who; I have felt so stupid for days. Thank you. Okay, I-"
Sekvi laughed and raised a hand to slow my roll. "Questions! Of course. Our grumpy friend over here was concerned for your wellbeing; here, let's, ah, to my study. This way."
We were led into one of the adjacent rooms without hesitation. Now that I could finally converse in earnest with Keff, I couldn't help but start the conversation right away. "You've done so much for me. I hope I haven't been making your job harder."
A weary look trailed over to me before being refocused forward. "Only a little," Keff assured me. "You're the first person I've met all year that wanted to work." The sentiment seemed to be pointed at our host.
"I work; you simply don't understand the intricacies of my brand of work, my friend. Here we are, please, let's sit. This spell, Tongues, will last one hour. I advise effective use of our time allotted." Sekvi took a seat and reclined, crossing their legs with an air of pomp. Keff did the same with a dissatisfied huff. "Now, Madison, as you please."
I only had an hour; I didn't have time to be picky over the duration of my ability to speak intelligibly. My tail curled up over my lap as I took a seat in a comfortable, cushioned chair. These chairs were a stark red against the blue surrounding us all. "This is all going to sound, well, weird," I began, unsure of how to follow through with my disclaimer. I fidgeted anxiously with my tail while I awaited the others' responses.
"Keff has known you for three days, and I am a weaver of the arcane. Weird is nothing new to us."
A deep breath prepared me for whatever was to come next. "Where am I, and what year is it?"
Keff answered my question first. "Karthos Bend, 3179 P.E."
"Okay." I took a moment to memorize this information. Karthos Bend... there was a river nearby that ran through part of the town. I had seen it from the hotel window; perhaps that was the Karthos River? "What is... this world called?"
Sekvi exchanged a look of concern with Keff. "Did she just ask...?"
"Hmff. I think she's serious."
"It depends on what you mean by world, I suppose. This is the Physical Plane, and we informally call our planet the Cradle. That name originated from a druidic philosophy of the world being our metaphorical lifelong cradle some time ago."
"I thought we weren't wasting time," Keff grunted.
I was on a different planet. I was in a different reality. I was in a different time. A hollow feeling settled into my stomach, displacing everything else but the remains of my breakfast. "I, oh, it's bad," was all I could manage.
"Is something wrong?" Sekvi's focus was pointedly pinned on me.
Dared I tell them? "Everything, I think," I breathed.
"Look. Madison. I brought you here so I could find out what's wrong with you. Something clearly happened; just say it already."
"I don't know what any of this is!" I stood from my chair to vent the surge of panic that trembled my very existence. "I thought it was a dream, but it's not. I don't know what a Karthos is, what galaxy this planet is in, why so many people are so short here or why I'm a lizard all of a sudden. So everything's wrong! I'm not upset at you I'm just having a lot of feelings and it's not your fault, I'm sorry."
Keff's face, for the first time, exhibited nothing but stunned uncertainty. "I don't think I can help here," he whispered to Sekvi. "Not yet, anyway."
Sekvi stood and took a deep breath, illustrating this action with their hands. "Breathe, like this, alright? Just like this. In and out. Right, just like that. Keep going. This is unusual, to be sure, but life is full of possibilities, isn't it? Maybe this is simply another."
I focused on my breathing and attempted to reason my unreasonable brain into calming down. It wasn't the cure I was hoping for, but it helped. "It's so fucked up. I'm from Lancaster. I work at Taco Bell. I don't..." I covered my face with my hands. That was a better idea; I couldn't let myself slip. I made a quick gesture to my body. "What is this? What has scales like this?"
"You seem to be a dragonborn, though one of an odd coloration. There is gold in your scales, see here? The grain? However, magenta is, well, odd. Was one of your ancestors perhaps a red dragon?"
"My parents are human and so am I.”
A knowing look came over Sekvi as they approached to my side and placed a comforting hand on my upper back. They made eye contact once more with Keff. “I’ve seen this before. Her memories may have been modified.”
Keff glanced at me. “Her? Why?”
“She could have run afoul of a mage, or she could be in some kind of protective social program.”
“Doubt it. She doesn’t exactly lay low here; you don’t see a dragonborn in the valley every day.”
“Or every month, yes...”
“Nobody modified my memories,” I interjected, having no memory of such an event.
“If they had been, then you wouldn’t remember them being modified. The spell can easily go back up to 24 hours prior to the casting, with higher echelons able to modify your entire-”
“Sekvi? Okay? I’m 22 years old. I can account for all of it. The night before I got here, I was depressed and crying in bed and fell asleep wishing I was... a... dragon.” I stopped, my emotions coming to a standstill as I wondered if there was a connection between my longing and my present situation. “And I had this dream. It was an endless starry space and there were lines or strings or something, all different colors, kind of wrapping around behind them, and I found one, it was, pink and gold.”
Sekvi returned to face me from the front, their hands on my shoulders. They looked me square in the eye with the utmost seriousness. “You saw strings? Did you touch one of them?”
“Y-... yes? It, felt...” I was at a loss for words. How could I explain that feeling? Had I done something spectacularly stupid that was somehow of consequence within a dream? My stomach started to sink.
I had expected color to drain from Sekvi’s face from the tone they were using. Instead, they seemed to be intellectually engaged. They were deep in thought, perhaps even excited. “Wait. Right. Here,” they instructed with forceful insistence, and disappeared into their library.
“Now you’ve done it,” Keff remarked with a chuckle. “You tapped into their interest.”
Why was he laughing? “Interest?”
“They’re a Divination Wizard.”
“I’m a day shift manager. And an apprentice smith, apparently.”
“They go to that starry place to get their futures and ‘Borrowed Knowledge’ and all that.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if that meant that my dream was real, as well. How could that be possible? Had I experienced a lucid dream that had probed some other plane of existence? Anxiety overcame me once again while I was battered by the possibilities of how badly I had messed up by touching that string. “You believe me, right?”
“You don’t seem like a very good liar to me.”
The wind vanished from my sails. “What does that mean?” I felt a book being thrust into my hands. It was open to a page that featured a painting of exactly what I had seen in my dreams, with Sekvi’s green hand pointing directly at it. “That’s it, that’s what I saw. It was just like that. What is that?” The spell that was cast on me didn’t seem to affect writing; I wasn’t able to find out for myself.
“The Weave: the source of all magic. Those strings comprise the weave, the very instrument of possibility in the universe!” They were almost giddy to tell me this information.
“Are you telling me I used magic? Me? But I’m worthless, I’m not special.”
Keff cast a look of discontent, and Sekvi began to scoff. They scoffed repeatedly. It would have been funny if not for the circumstance at hand. “Worthless, she says. Unbelievable. Alright, I concede, I believe you without all shadow of a doubt now. You have no idea, Madison! Even I have no idea!”
“I’m calling in the favor.”
“Now?”
“She clearly needs help, and you owe me. Do it.”
The wizard’s face faded into a joyous smile unlike any I had seen before. They leaned forward to whisper to me. “He’s a fool; I would have done it for free. Wait here, I have something for you.” Another disappearing act left Keff and I alone together again. I used my claws to lightly scratch against the back of my other hand. There was no one in this world that could discourage me from fidgeting in this moment.
“What was that about?”
“They owe me,” the smith calmly asserted. “But you’re officially on my payroll now. Someone has to keep you out of trouble if you’re really from some other world. You don’t know your ass from your elbow yet.”
As gruff as his manner was, no one could ever discount Keff’s kindness. This was a huge favor done for me, a potential risk, one made out of concern. The Cradle, or at least Karthos Bend, felt like a kinder place than Earth had been to me. “I learn quickly.” Another surprise reached me in the form of a smile. The smith was smiling. He wanted my company and was indeed interested in my wellbeing. I felt a spark of hope alight in my chest. Much as they had before, Sekvi had suddenly returned and put a necklace over my neck without waiting for me to receive it.
“This necklace is enchanted with the same spell I cast on you earlier. It will last indefinitely. Please, don’t lose it; you’ll need it for your nightly magic lessons!”
I did not understand why any of this goodness was being offered to me. “Ma-, magic lessons?”
“Yes,” Sekvi affirmed with giddy insistence. “Any night you wish, come to my tower after your day is done and we will study. Before you try to tell me that you couldn’t, it’s too much, you could never use magic, you can and you already have. Aaaammm I understood? Yes, teacher?”
It was as if Sekvi knew what I was going to say. They were indeed a Divination wizard. My gut told me I should acclimate to that feeling, for it would be happening further. “Yes, teacher? But, what’s -- I hope this isn’t rude -- but what’s in it for you?”
The wizard puffed out their chest and placed their hands upon their hips for their announcement. They passed Keff an obvious look of self-satisfaction. “While you study magic, I will study you. Now go, get some rest, tomorrow is a big day!”
I watched the door disappear behind me after the long walk down the tower’s staircase. More time had passed than I thought; I tucked the necklace into the top of my dress for good measure. Being a dragonborn meant that I didn’t have breasts anymore, but a sort of shapely, keratinous chest plate that suggested a passably feminine figure. I had no explanation for my lack of offense at this alteration to my body. “How can I make this up to you? Both of you?”
A grunt was Keff’s prelude to his response. He looked out over the street, pausing for a moment over the flickering light of the street lamps. “You stop worrying about it and keep working hard. You’re a decent person; I can tell you appreciate it.” The dwarf, as he had awkwardly explained to me on the walk down, then met my eyes. “Sekvi the Seer doesn’t take interest in people like this often. My advice, whether you want it or not, is don’t be afraid to disagree with them, and... for the gods’ sakes, don’t catch feelings for them. They were too much for me and they’re too much for you, too.”
“I’ll, keep that in mind. I... think I agree with you,” I chuckled.
“Good. I’ll walk you to the inn.”
Wishes of a good night were the only verbal exchanges passed afterward. I took a meal to my room and sat upon my bed to rest my aching back. The food was warm, the inn was quiet, and the stars were out again. My tail curled over my stomach as I considered everything that had happened today. The emotion it inspired was so much more than I could contain within me. I cried into my pie... literally. I cried into my sweet, soothing fruit pie made without any animal suffering whatsoever. The crust was crumbly, the fruit was tart and the sauce was delightfully tangy. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted, like a cross between lemon and apple. I really had arrived in a different world, far from where I was before. There were troubles here, but they were different than the ones I had before. People were kind to me here. They were genuinely and truly kind, so far.
Being recognized as an outsider didn’t even earn outward revocation. I felt so shaken, so uncertain, but I felt that I’d found support in Keff and Sekvi. My supper didn’t last forever. If only it could... what if there was magic that could make that happen? No, then no one would have to pay for food, for it would be infinite. It was a fun thought to muse upon. I turned the oil lamp off, set my bowl aside, and put my pajamas on. I noticed as I lay down that my pajamas were starting to smell like the new me. My scent had changed. Experiencing this through hormone replacement therapy mercifully prepared me for this development. My transition was one thing, but this... this was entirely another. I liked this body; I was sure of it now. Even without wings, I felt as if I could still fly in metaphor. That warm thought was the one that carried me off to sleep.