8.8 KiB
The old world
Alicia was a already lively as a kid. She ran, she shouted, she sang, she danced. She loved music just as much as showing the boys she was a force to be reckoned with. Yet, due to her lively nature she could never find the time or concentration to take up an instrument.
One day she was just walking somewhere, and then it happened. One moment she was on the street on a warm summer night, the other, she was in a dark cold forest. The moon shone bright and gave her just enough light to not run into any trees. While the fresh air in the forest was a huge relief from the moist heat of the city, she couldn't help but wonder how this could have happened. Did she sink away in thought so deep that she didn't even notice leaving the city and entering a forest? No, that couldn't be it, her feet didn't hurt. Did she stumble into a surprisingly well hidden park in the city? Well, if that was the case she should be able to walk out of there rather fast by going from whence she came. She turned around, and started walking.
Trough the looking glass
It became clear rather soon that this wasn't a park in the city. Nor was it a forest just outside the city limits. She walked, and walked, and kept walking. The night becoming ever darker and every step more heavy. After a few hours she found something resembling a road, and following that she found a nice little inn.
The inn was small but cosy. The innkeeper, an old bearded man, was very surprised to have a visitor this late in the night. But he recognised that Alicia needed help. And offered her a bed. Alicia's sleep was dreamless and long. Through a small hole in the roof a beam of sunlight crept over her body. While soothing and warm on her skin, it was unbearable when it beamed straight into her eyes. In sitting up the memories of last night came back to her. Clear to her now that it wasn't a dream, she got up and out of the room.
The dawn of a new day
The inn was calm. An older woman was serving the few guests who came to have lunch. Even though the place wasn't that big. It was clearly built to serve and house a lot more people. When the older woman noticed Alicia, she got up and walked up to Alicia. "So you are the girl my husband talked about." she said. Alicia could do nothing but nod. "well, girlie, take a seat and have a bite. you obviously need some help and a place to stay." Alicia sat down and looked at the plate, it was filled with a brown stew. It didn't look very apetizing but she was hungry, so she took a bite. The taste was incredible. She never tasted anything as tasty. It was rich in taste but not overwhelming, full but not heavy. "Damn," Alicia thought "This inn really needs some help marketing this awesome food." She filled her belly with the forever stew, surprising the other visitors with her appetite. By the time she had finished eating the man had also joined them in the dining hall. He was silently talking with his wife and looking up at her every now and then. After a while the man stood up and came to Alicia. "So, I guess you don't have money to pay for this. Do you even have a place to go back to?" "PAUL" his wife yelt across the room. "Ok, sorry. What I mean to say is; I you would like to stay here, and help us out. We would love for you to stay. We need someone young to do some work around the inn, and since we don't have any kids, and you clearly have no place to go-" "PAUL" But he was right. She didn't have any money, she didn't have a place to go, and, this place definetly could use a helping hand to fix things.
Traveler's rest
The days folowing Alicia started doing repairs and cleaning in and around the inn. Cleaning the pastures so horses could rest there again, repairing benches and tables, hauling wood from the forest so they could keep warm for the winter. This place started to feel more and more like home, and she would do everything to protect it. One evening the innkeeper, she started to call him pappy, and his wife, she called her mammy, were sitting by the fire. Alicia just had finished the last repairs on the roof, making all the rooms ready again for renting out. She sat down with them, enjoying the warmth and the crackling of the wood. "You know, " said pappy "I'm so happy to see this inn healthy again. This used to be a popular resting place for merchants after they spent time at the frontier haggling and shouting. We saw all kinds of people really, the merchants, and people ready to try their luck in the wildlands. undoubtedly many of them joined the bandits out there. But I like to believe we also supported people to start a new life, to find their happiness and wealth out there. - Just as much as I hope you're finding happiness here." Mammy cuddled up closer to pappy, clearly approving of the things he was saying, and helping him with the next few sentences. "We see how much you love this place. We see that you care for it, just as much as we do. - That's why I, well, we, that's why we would like to ask you if you would like to stay here on a more permanent basis. We - We would like you to take over the inn when -" he swallowed "When we aren't here anymore." The room went silent. The only sound was the roaring of the fire and the crackling of the wood in the fireplace. "We're not planning on doing that anytime soon, but, you know, we need to be prepared."
The E in Alicia
Alicia is dependent on modern medicine from her world, now she has to find a solution of this world for her issues.
In the first weeks after her arrival in Locations/Abselon, Mammy and Pappy saw Alicia's mood change from a happy energetic girl to being always tired and feeling low. Thinking they knew what was going on they hatched a plan. Next market day Pappy insisted he would go, even though this had been a task Alicia had picked up, since it was a heavy task for Pappy.
When Pappy came back he was acting very secretive around the cart he used to haul the products. He wouldn't even let Alicia help him empty the cart. This made her feel like they were planning to kick her out, like they were getting ready to run the Inn again without her help. That night, after most travellers had gone to bed, Mammy asked her to take a seat. Alicia had felt like something was coming all day, maybe even longer, and here it was, the moment where it all went to shit. Mammy and Pappy went to sit on the other side of the table and released a big sigh.
"Alicia" Mammy began "we noticed that you've not been your cheery self you were at the beginning of your stay here. We are worried that you're not feeling at home here... We don't want you to be unhappy here, but we also want you to be safe out there. So we bought you something." At that point Pappy got up and grabbed something from behind the counter. It was wrapped in fabric and looking at how much he struggled carrying it, it must be heavy. When he put it on the table it came down with a heavy CLUNK. "The world can be a dangerous place" he said "But we're sure you can keep yourself safe with this" Inside the cloth Alicia found an axe, a great axe. She picked it up and gave it a swing. It was perfect. Tears started filling her eyes and her throat seemed to close up. All she could do was run around the table and hug the people that gave her not just a house, but a home. "But" she snickered "But I don't want to go away, I love it here, I love living with you, and I love helping in the inn. I... do have a problem though. I.. wasn't .. born a girl." "Oooooooooh, that explains a lot." said Mammy, "So why is that a problem?" "I'm not able to get my medicine in this world. So, I'm not feeling like myself without it." "Why would you need medicine for that? Oh! I feel like the axe might still come in handy. Here we just go to a place that is very connected to our moons and if they deem you worthy, often trough a challenge of some sorts, you won't need medicine to help you!". So Alicia started preparing for her first adventure. She heard the place was only a few days traveling from here, but she wouldn't risk it. This is after all a strange new world she knew very little about. When she left Mammy and Pappy came up to her and bid her goodbye with a long hug. Mammy had tears in her eyes. "Please come back in one piece." she said. Pappy stroked her back, pretending to be a tough guy. But it was clear he was also having trouble keeping it dry. "I will!" said Allicia, "And I'll finally be truly me!" She started walking centrewards, she
The Sound of Music
A bard comes by the inn and teaches her the wonders of playing the hurdy gurdy.
The Horns of war
Alicia goes on a quest to make her perfect weapon/instrument she goes out into the The wildlands to get the perfect materials
An unexpected visitor
An odd visitor comes by the inn, they have an interesting tidbit of history in common Zafira Moonchild