Why was his vision black?
A surge of panic and adrenaline shot through him. He could hear. He could smell. But he couldn’t see, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move. He focused on wiggling his toes—nothing.
Then, suddenly, the world turned white. A sack had been yanked from his head, and it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Directly above him stood a man he didn’t recognize. But off to the side, he saw Grayne—the leader of the caravan.
“Easy now, Colin. We don’t want any trouble,” Grayne said, his voice calm but distant. “You’re new to the guild, yeah?”
Colin nodded slowly. Grayne made a noise in his throat, one Colin couldn’t quite place.
“We thought as much. This is my sworn man, Crel.” Grayne gestured toward the man looming over him. “Crel is here to make sure you’re not lying to me. If you do, he’ll make sure you don’t do it again. Understand?”
Colin swallowed hard and nodded again, his face draining of color. Crel smiled down at him, wickedly.
“Good.” Grayne spoke as if this kind of thing happened every day. “I’m going to ask you three questions. You will answer them honestly, and if I’m satisfied, you’ll be free to rejoin your group.”
Colin’s mind was still foggy from being abruptly woken, struggling to process what was happening.
“First question. What’s your name?”
“Colin,” he answered immediately.
Crel gave a slight nod, and Grayne made that noise again.
“Good. Starting off with honesty—I like that in a man. Next question. Where are you from?”
Colin froze. He couldn’t say he was from Elderglen—that would be a lie. And if Bram was right, lying was a bad idea. But telling them the truth—that he was from an entirely different world—seemed even worse.
“Uh… Originally, I was born in a land called Colorado, far from here. More recently, I hailed from Elderglen. At least, that was the nearest city when Bram and his guildmates found me.”
He hoped that answer would be enough, but the way Grayne and Crel exchanged glances made his stomach twist.
“Okay then… never heard of Colorado,” Grayne muttered. “But the rest lines up with what Bram told me.” He exhaled, crossing his arms. “Last question. Are you a spy or a traitor to this caravan, Colin?”
“What? No! I barely knew anything about this caravan until we left! Bram and his crew found me after I nearly got killed by a goblin—I’m just tagging along with them.”
Crel nodded again, and Grayne let out a breath Colin only now realized he’d been holding.
“Good. Let him up, Crel.”
The pressure on Colin’s chest vanished, and he pushed himself up. Grayne extended a hand, and after a brief hesitation, Colin took it, allowing the caravan leader to pull him to his feet.
“Sorry about the theatrics,” Grayne said, brushing off his tunic. “Bram already vouched for you, but in situations like this, we can’t be too careful. You were the most suspicious member of your party, but you’re cleared—though I do have some questions about your homeland.”
Colin forced a smirk. “Maybe over a drink at a tavern? As recompense for waking me up so… roughly?”
Grayne let out a short, sharp chuckle. “Maybe, Colin. Maybe.” He clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “You’re free to go, but keep an eye out. If you see anything suspicious, report it immediately.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Colin left the makeshift command tent and made his way back to camp. As he arrived, Bram handed him a plate of food with a knowing grin.
“I see ye passed the test. Congrats, boy. Hope it wasn’t too bad.”
Colin took the plate and nodded his thanks. “Nothing terrible, just unexpected. I had to stretch the truth a bit, but I never lied.”
Bram chuckled. “Don’t go worryin’ about it, lad. I spoke to Grayne before he took ya, and he knows you’re still new ‘round these parts. He’s a trustworthy enough man.” He clapped Colin on the back and handed him his pack.
“Thanks, Bram. For packing my things… and for everything else.” Colin hesitated before adding, “It’s been nice not having to constantly wonder who’s got my back while I adjust.”
Bram simply nodded. “Not a problem.”
He turned and started heading back toward the caravan, and the others naturally fell into place behind him. Before Colin knew it, they had returned to their positions around the wagon they were tasked with protecting.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Lyra stood in front of him, looking hesitant, as if she had something to say but couldn’t quite bring herself to say it. She opened her mouth a few times, only to close it again—reminding Colin of a fish.
“You don’t have to thank me, Lyra,” he said, smiling as he patted her shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Did you at least get some rest?”
Lyra looked away, her cheeks tinged pink. “Y-Yeah. It was alright. A couple of nightmares… but thankfully, Nectar was there.” She nodded over her shoulder toward the woman.
“I’m glad she’s okay too. I was worried for both of you.” Colin exhaled, rolling his shoulders. “Hopefully, today is a little less exciting. I’d kill for a day of easy traveling.”
Lyra let out a sharp laugh. “If only we could be so lucky. We’ve got to cover three wagons today. Some people died in the attack, and others decided it wasn’t worth the risk and left during the night.”
“Well… that’s not good.” Colin frowned. “I guess I should at least check my stats, huh? Pretty sure I leveled up…”
[Ding]
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 4.]
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 5!]
[Free points allotted: 14]
[Points assigned. Please review:]
- STR: 13
- DEX: 17
- VIT: 13
- INT: 5
- WIS: 4
- WIL: 11
- LUC: 15
- CHA: 10
- FRE: 14
[SKILLS]
- Deception: Level 3
- Calm Mind: Level 5
- Unarmed Combat: Level 3
- Taunt: Level 1
- Combat Time: Level 1
- Identify: Level 4
- Perception: Level 5
- Stealth: Level 1
- Swordsmanship: Level 6
- Sense Danger: Level 2
- Cold Rage: Level 2
Colin paused as his eyes landed on a particular skill.
Cold Rage.
Was that what had happened to him? He had assumed it was just his fight-or-flight instincts kicking in, but this… this made more sense. He had been enraged during that fight. His mind had fixated on only one thing—killing the next enemy.
A chill ran through him.
He was pulled from his thoughts by Lyra’s voice.
“Get anything good?” Her curiosity was infectious, and before he knew it, Colin was rattling off his new skills.
“Woah. Cold Rage has got to be rare. I’ve never heard of it before.” She crossed her arms, thinking. “Combat Time sounds neat too, but how do you even train that?”
“I’m assuming through real fights,” Colin mused. “I doubt it’ll activate in training. The only time it ever kicked in was when I was about to die fighting that goblin.”
His gaze shifted back to his stats. His physical attributes were solid, but his intelligence stats were sorely lacking. Maybe it was time to fix that.
[Free points assigned:]
7 points → Intelligence
7 points → Wisdom
Confirm? Y/N
Yes.
[Points Assigned. Please review:]
- STR: 13
- DEX: 17
- VIT: 13
- INT: 12
- WIS: 11
- WIL: 11
- LUC: 15
- CHA: 10
- FRE: 0
As the changes took effect, Colin felt like a fog had lifted from his mind. Thoughts that had once seemed hazy or confusing now felt obvious.
A shudder ran through him as he processed his newfound clarity.
He had never been stupid, but he had never been particularly sharp either. Now, everything felt different. Smoother. More logical.
The battle. The killing. Before, the emotions surrounding it had been a tangled mess. Now, he saw it for what it was—there had only ever been two choices. Kill or be killed.
It still unsettled him, but his newfound logic didn’t erase his moral compass. If anything, it reinforced the idea that killing was wrong—except when it was necessary.
He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
Lyra studied him curiously. “You just did something. What was it?”
“Oh, I leveled up my intelligence and wisdom,” he said. “Felt like they were lagging behind my physical stats. Things feel… better now.”
Lyra squinted at him. “Your eyes are different. Clearer. Sharper. More intelligent-looking.” She smirked. “Before, you kind of just looked like a lost puppy.”
Colin chuckled. “I was a lost puppy. To some extent, anyway. If it weren’t for you guys, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far.”
The words came easily—and they were true. He had been lost. But not anymore.
He would find a way through this world.
And somehow, he would find a way home.