[Joel]

  Date: 3 Solith, 1416 AoL

  The moment I staggered out of the expanding portal, gasping, I found myself surrounded by silence.

  The burned house I'd seen earlier, and the portal shaped like fractured crystal—gone. Nothing but the gentle rustling of wind, the whisper of leaves. The torched ruins had vanished like they were never there. I turned in all directions. Nothing looked familiar.

  I was standing in the middle of a vast forested valley. Trees loomed tall—far taller than any I had ever seen, their canopies swallowing the sky. Their trunks twisted like ancient spires, and their leaves shimmered faintly, as if touched by a permanent dusklight. Moss the color of old gold clung to bark and rocks, and even the air tasted strange—fresh, earthy, and slightly sweet, like dew mixed with forgotten herbs. Somewhere distant, a waterfall sang.

  The terrain sloped gently downward into the valley, where distant pools mirrored the sky. Strange creatures roamed:

  Enormous rabbits with long velvet ears and luminous eyes flitted between the branches. They flew away with their ears and landed on taller branches.

  Cool. Rabbit Dumbos.

  Chirp.

  Chirp.

  A flock of glowing birds as tiny as bees. They threw a glance at me, paused, then flew in unison to my sight. Then suddenly—croak. A toad as big as a toy poodle extended its tongue and swallowed a dozen of them into its transparent belly. I steeled myself a bit, preparing to bolt. Maybe I wasn't tasty enough—it croaked and hopped off to the other direction.

  Phew. Crisis averted.

  I slammed my face hard and said, "What the hell is this isekai bullshit?"

  Rustle.

  Rustle.

  A deer—if they could be called that—roamed in graceful herds opposite me, their antlers glowing like molten metal, exhaling trails of smoke from their nostrils as they grazed on oversized fungi. They scattered away when they saw me.

  "Ouch."

  I was too mesmerized by the sight of wondrous creatures and tripped over a tree root, falling on my face. I stood up and dusted off my hoodie and covered up my scrubs underneath.

  All the contents in my satchel spilled out. I winced and picked up all the items scattered over the ground.

  What had I brought with me?

  My phone. Battery was at 14%. No signal either.

  My wallet. I held up a few fifty ringgit notes. Assuming that I came to another world, all of it was now worthless. My identity card was in there.

  My stethoscope.

  A penlight. Could be useful.

  A black pen.

  A notebook I just bought recently.

  A contact lens case and a small bottle of contact lens solution. Great. I should have brought my spectacles. The lenses I'd been wearing could last for one month only.

  "I'm gonna get conjunctivitis and turn blind one day," I pinched my nose bridge and winced.

  My stomach grumbled.

  When was the last time I ate? Yeah, this morning!

  I had the worst shift in the whole year and admissions kept rolling in during my shift.

  I rummaged through my satchel frantically.

  Nothing. Not even a protein bar.

  I hadn't packed any food or water.

  I hadn't even brought anything essential for survival in the wilderness.

  I was screwed.

  I scanned my surroundings, desperately searching for wild berries. Anything edible.

  "Or I can hold it in until I find my way to a settlement," I muttered to myself. "now, where am I?"

  As I tried to find my bearing, I stumbled—foot caught in a bramble—and landed awkwardly on something soft. The ground growled.

  It was not ground.

  Grrr...

  I had stepped on the tail of a bear-like creature, but with a simian face and grotesquely long arms. Its fur was grey and shaggy, and its crimson-rimmed eyes now snapped open in fury. Its teeth bared—a mix of tusks and jagged fangs—and it let out a shriek that echoed through the valley. Drool streamed from its mouth as it slammed its fists into the ground, rising to full height. Easily three meters tall. Muscles bulging. Very rabid. Very angry.

  "Oh, hell no."

  I turned and bolted, lungs already burning, stumbling through tangled underbrush. The monster's roar shook the leaves behind me. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline giving me wings. My satchel kept hitting against my thigh. While it wasn't heavy, it was restricting my movement.

  I didn't know where I was running towards.

  Would hiding in a cavern trap me with it together.

  Should I climb up the tree? But isn't it a monkey? I might as well go hug it now.

  I turned my head back. It was closing on me. He wasn't even panting.

  Then—a shout.

  "Oi, furless!"

  I turned my head mid-run and saw the silhouette of someone standing near a wooden perimeter fence maybe two hundred meters away. A humanoid figure. Could this be help?

  But as I got closer, the figure became clearer: a bipedal hyena in a patchwork hunter's coat, gripping a glimmering compound bow strung with an arrow that crackled faintly. My feet stuttered.

  He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "You run like a pregnant duck waddling! Run faster!"

  The bear-ape roared again.

  I screamed. Obeyed. Ran harder.

  The hyena hunter—licked his canines, eyes sharp and focused—let the arrow fly. It hit the beast's chest. Sparks exploded. The creature convulsed violently, but then roared louder and yanked the arrow free. Its rage intensified. It slammed its chest, shrieked, and charged.

  "MAERRA!" the hyena barked.

  From the underbrush, a horse-woman in a lithe assassin's garb leapt high. Her twin daggers glowed with a soft, electric blue. With a practiced fluidity, she landed on the monster's back, driving the daggers into its eyes. Smoke hissed.

  The beast screamed, thrashed, and tried to grab the horse-woman riding on its back. She clung to it relentlessly, then she pulled out one dagger and stabbed at its carotid. Ruthless. Effective.

  The monster shrieked in a pitch that could have ruptured anyone's eardrum around its vicinity. Then, it fell with a thud that trembled the ground.

  "Dammit, Raze, always making me finish the job," the horse-woman said, brushing her fringe back. Her voice was warm, amused.

  I was breathless. Shellshocked. Staring.

  "You're... you're animals." I stammered.

  They looked at each other.

  Then back at me.

  The horse-woman looked me up and down and flicked her tail as if she was annoyed.

  The hyena just scratched behind his left ear.

  Damn, did I say anything wrong?

  I rubbed my neck and asked. "Sorry, was it offensive?"

  "Yeah, kinda," the horse-woman replied. "Where we are from? People preferred to be called beastkins."

  "And, technically, so are you, " the hyena muttered while digging his right ear, "and you're welcome."

  The horse-woman slapped his shoulder lightly and rebuked him, "Be nice."

  She then flicked the monster blood off her daggers and looked into my eyes.

  "We're hunters," the horse grinned. "I'm Maerra Vantress. This is Razek Grinth."

  "I'm... I'm Joel."

  "We're partners," Razek added and winked at me, "and yes - in that way too."

  A hyena... and a horse? Carnivore versus herbivore?

  Color me impressed.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "You're... married?"

  "Yeah," Maerra said, offering a hand. "He's a mouthful, but he's mine."

  My eyes widened. My mind still struggled with what they said.

  "Look," Maerra crossed her arms and replied, her long black tail flicking again. "I know it's unconventional. You're not the first person making that face when I—"

  "Wo—woah," I raised both of my hands and responded, "I was just disoriented from the hide and seek just now. I didn't mean what I said."

  Razek pulled out a jerky from his pocket, chewed it, and smirked. "So you just wandered into the outer hunting grounds of Raiyen Heights without a weapon? That's suicidal."

  I didn't know I was gonna spawn in the middle of a monster map.

  "I... I was chasing a cat," I blurted. "Long story."

  He gave a lopsided smile and squinted. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."

  "Alright," Maerra declared, "let's load our game onto the cart before another monster picks up its scent."

  Razek replied. "On it."

  "Can I count on your help too?" Maerra looked at me.

  "Yeah sure," I casually shrugged and meekly questioned. "And er... what's that... abomination?"

  "That's what we called an Ajarakan." She shrugged, "Rarely seen beyond the Heartwood. Probably a hybrid offspring of a monkey and a bear. Maybe."

  "...and that's edible?" I backed off a little and pointed at that monster.

  "Hell yeah! Its thigh meat?" Razek did a chef's kiss, "Delicacy!"

  Maerra grinned widely while trying to grab Ajarakan's left arm. "Big haul today! Big haul!"

  Razek hummed and dragged the other arm.

  I helped with loading by pushing its rear. And it farted. On me.

  "The stench! Holy—!" I gagged.

  I forgot the body sometimes... let go after death.

  Razek let go of the monster and guffawed.

  "Where are you from anyway?"Maerra looked up and grinned at me while pulling the monster.

  "I... I don't remember."

  Razek paused and narrowed his eyes. "Suspicious much?"

  And then he shrugged his shoulders and resumed his job.

  After loading the monster—Ajarakan onto the horse cart, they offered to take me to their town—Darnathi Hollow—bordering the forest.

  I agreed immediately. I was famished and parched. I didn't have any other option.

  Can I trust them?

  What was the worst they were gonna do? Eat me alive?

  Yeah, either way, I'm screwed.

  My mind spun with ways of how I could convert items around me into defensive weapons shall the need arise.

  However, the irony of riding in a horse-drawn cart, pulled by an actual horse when one of them was a horse, wasn't lost on me.

  I mumbled, "Kinda funny though, isn't it?"

  Maerra, the horse-woman side-eyed me while holding onto the rein. "What is?"

  "...that you're a horse and—never mind."

  She rolled her eyes.

  "That's it. You're sleeping in the stable tonight." Razek licked his canines, half-jokingly announced.

  I whimpered, "Please don't..."

  Why am I messing up every conversation today?

  Must be the lack of sleep getting to me.

  I swear I would keep my lips sealed starting now.

  By the time it was late evening, a settlement emerged ahead. A few houses were scattered across the paddy fields, shining in golden luster. They looked like paddy fields back at my country. A few rabbit-beastkins, in farmer's attire, ploughed the fields.

  At the side of the main road, there's a stone tablet that said... something. The letters looked like a combination of curves, fluid strokes, and glyphs.

  I pointed at that sign and raised a question. "What does it say?"

  "What?" Maerra looked over it and answered. "Oh, it says 'Darnathi Hollow'."

  Razek questioned. "Humans don't learn glyphweaves these days?"

  She shrugged while pulling the rein of the horse. "At least he can speak Sylvaran."

  "But he has this weird accent I can't quite place," Razek tossed another jerky into his mouth, chewed and commented. "and his grammar is all over the place."

  "Raze, that's rude."

  "I'm saying the truth!"

  What?

  Had we not been speaking in English all this time?

  This dimension had been translating everything they said to me into English automatically?

  How does it work? Or had I been speaking in their tongue all this time?

  I scratched my head and struggled to understand it.

  I waved to the air and mumbled. "Too much of everything for today!"

  Razek gave me a fish-eye.

  "You're weird."

  I pretended I didn't hear that.

  A short while later.

  "We have arrived!"

  We passed through a wooden gate built in between two huge boulders. Two oil-lamps were hung at the side of the gate. A few guards, who looked like bulls, stood next to the wooden gate. A few leaned against the ramparts on the rocks.

  The bull-beastkin standing guard by the gate saluted at Maerra, "Salutations, Senior Hunter Maerra!"

  Others nodded at her.

  Maerra raised her chin at them and smiled.

  None of them cared to address Razek, however.

  Razek grunted and bared his teeth at them.

  They stared at me warily, as if I was the oddity.

  I was.

  He stood in front of our cart and held up one of his hoof.

  "Furless?" the bull-beastkin guard flared his nostrils and pointed at me. "What is he doing here?"

  "Why do you care?" Razek barked at him. His arms crossed. His expression implied that he might snap at any time.

  "Barat," Maerra patted his shoulder and replied, "he is our ward. Harmless."

  The guard's attitude softened after hearing that. Then he gestured at his mate and let us through.

  Razek spat out the jerky he had been chewing for the past hour, and maintained his hostile stares at them as we passed.

  Behind the gate, what I saw mesmerized me.

  This place was built from natural wood and shaped to fit the contours of the forest, nestled among massive trees. It reminded me of the game 'Monster Hunter' I used to play feverishly. And the smell? Somebody was cooking. The sweet aromatic scent lingered in the air and curled at my nostrils.

  Gurgle, gurgle.

  By now my stomach grumbled so loud that people within a meter of me could have heard it.

  "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," I whispered.

  Maerra flicked her ears and narrowed her eyes, seemingly offended. "What did you say?"

  I blushed. "I said I could eat a house. Like... a snack house."

  Razek snorted.

  What's wrong with me?

  I screamed internally a few hundred times.

  I scanned my surroundings—people in Darnathi Hollow were all animals. Sentient, bipedal, clothed, and diverse. A frog-blacksmith. A falcon sweeping her doorstep. A rhino selling scrolls at a stall in front of its house. Children giggling and chasing a squirrel merchant.

  Not a human in sight.

  "...wow." I brought up my question meekly. "Are there... other humans?"

  "Not in the Hollow," Razek said. "Y'all are mostly in the west. Big cities. Folks don't see many humans around these parts."

  "Aren't you from the west?" Maerra asked.

  "Y.. yeah!"

  She stared at me and gave a dry chuckle, but didn't press.

  A rhino-beastkin walked by and paused when he took a glance at me. Then, he pointed at me and whispered something to its mate. I could swear I heard something about "furless" and "human dirtbag". Another raven-beastkin winced at the sight of me and flew away.

  What's with the animosity?

  Is it because of what I wear?

  They were smudged with dirt and sweat.

  Do I smell?

  Did I offend them somehow?

  I checked my hoodie and wondered if I had offended their customs.

  "Don't mind them," Maerra reassured me. "Half of them don't even like their own folks." Then she pulled the horse rein and—

  —we halted in front of a grove.

  The home of Razek and Maerra stood at the edge of Darnathi Hollow, half-hidden by a grove of silvery-barked trees with leaves like bronze coins that chimed softly in the breeze. Their house wasn't grand, but it carried a kind of rugged charm—two stories tall with a thatched roof, crooked chimney, and thick wooden beams that looked like they had once been part of a shipwreck. Ivy clung to the walls, and tiny lanterns hung from tree branches, softly pulsing like fireflies. The scent of pine, dried herbs, and something faintly metallic hung in the air.

  "Alright," Maerra raised her right shoulder and massaged it. "We will load the cart and our hauling to the stable and call it a day. Let's bring it to the butcher tomorrow."

  Razek hopped down from the cart.

  Maerra yelled at his back, "Raze, it's your turn to cook today!"

  "What—?" he had already bolted into the house.

  "YOU HEARD ME!" Maerra snorted, then cupped her muzzle and shouted.

  "FINE!" Razek's voice muffled behind the door.

  After settling down the cart at a stable next to their house, Maerra guided me into their cabin.

  Inside, the home was a peculiar fusion of both their personalities. Razek's side of the shared space was chaotic—quivers full of arrows of assorted colors, wall-mounted fangs, scraps of pelts, and sketches of creatures pinned to a cracked corkboard. Maerra's side was tidy and curated with care. Her shelves were filled with books, dried plants, small vials of glowing liquid, and curious trinkets. A single crystal suspended by thread gently spun near the window, scattering soft blue light around the room.

  Maerra and I waited at the dining table while Razek was conjuring up the dinner.

  Buzz.

  Buzz.

  "Damn flies!" he jerked his head up and bared his canines at the flying nuisance, while stirring the pot of stew. Then he threw himself up and started playing tag with the housefly.

  "Should I help?" I scratched my temple and stood up, feeling uneasy resting when my host was busy cooking for me.

  "Nonsense! That lazy hyena would ease his way out if you offer help. Sit. I insist."

  After what felt like a century, the dinner was served.

  Dinner was a hot stew, thick with spices and floating chunks of tender root meat. The meat was rich, faintly spiced with something floral. It melted the chill in my bones. I inhaled the whole bowl within seconds. I was famished. Maerra chuckled and gave me another serving.

  "So... where are you really from?" she asked.

  Rule 101 of being spirited away to another dimension? Don't disclose your personal information.

  Maybe I would say—

  "I don't remember. I had a concussion, maybe."

  "What's a concussion?" Razek asked, mouth half full.

  I gave a brief explanation—something about the brain shaking inside the skull, symptoms like confusion or memory loss.

  "So... like when you drop a fruit and it bruises inside?" Maerra brushed her mane and asked.

  "Exactly."

  They exchanged glances.

  "You a healer or something?"

  I hesitated.

  "...yes?"

  Razek looked at me suspiciously, then leaned back.

  I chuckled, then, hesitating slightly, asked, "So, uh... if you don't mind me asking, why are you two hunting animals when... you're animals too?"

  Razek pointed his fork at me. "We're not animals. We're sapients, beastkins."

  I flinched. "Sorry—I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you're people—clearly—but..."

  Maerra placed a calming hand on Razek's shoulder and interrupted with a chuckle, "It's a fair question, really. Think of it this way: some of us talk, walk, and vote. Others still chew rocks and try to mate with trees."

  Razek grumbled, "If I see one more buck trying to skewer our smokehouse..."

  She winked. "The Wildborne—those without sentience—aren't like us. We don't hunt for sport. It's survival, and in this world, things hunt back."

  "Besides," Razek added, slightly mollified, "you didn't see that beast earlier. The thing had six stomachs and an appetite for furless twinks."

  "Rude," I muttered, hiding a smirk. "but thank you, for helping me out."

  Razek shrugged his shoulders and buried his muzzle into food. Maerra looked at me with a hint of blue. But why?

  As we finished our meal, Maerra began sharing a tale—one of the old lores of Wildora. We sat at the couches next to the hearth. The fireplace crackled. I sipped on a cup of spiced tea. It was strong, earthy, and had a hint of cardamom—reminding me of chai tea I enjoyed back home.

  "In the age before speech," she began, "the world was ruled by silence. The First Flame came from the stars and birthed speech into beasts and men alike. It burned into the heart of a mountain and became the Flame Stone. Whoever holds it can command not just words—but truth."

  "Sounds like a Terravon myth," Razek waved his paw and muttered. "Old tortoise tales."

  "Excuse you," Maerra narrowed her nostrils and retorted. "respect my roots, Hyena. Not all of us worship and whisper to the Old Voices like you do."

  My mind raced with a thousand thoughts. First of all—

  "What is Wildora?" I asked.

  Razek choked on his drink.

  "It's the country you're standing in," Maerra said, smiling gently. "Wildora. Part of the continent of Ilythar."

  "You really did hit your head," Razek wiped his muzzle and muttered.

  I blushed. Hard.

  I really gotta pull my concussion card. Hard.

  While sipping my tea at the corner table, my eyes wandered toward a polished bone sculpture on a shelf by the kitchen—a white spiraled artifact with fine carvings. It had the shape of a horn and the eerie beauty of something that shouldn't exist.

  "Hey, what's this?" I asked, pointing at the artifact.

  Maerra looked over from the hearth.

  "That? It's a fragment of a Skrythic Oracle. Said to whisper when Wildora's moon is blood-red." She smiled faintly. "It doesn't. But it's pretty, and it gives Razek the creeps."

  "Hey!" Razek muttered, slapping his slightly bloated belly. "I heard it humming once,"

  "One day I'll tell you where I found it. But not tonight. Too much story for one belly of stew."

  I looked around their home once more—the stone hearth crackling, Razek humming off-key, Maerra refilling my cup—and for a moment, I forgot I was a stranger in another world.

  My hoodie. My scrubs. They were filthy.

  I probably smell as pleasant as a pig after rolling around in the mud.

  "Do you have a washroom? Somewhere to wash up?"

  "We ain't made of Rina," Razek retorted. "And the bathhouse isn't open until the morning."

  Later that night, they brought me to a spare room next to the pantry. Razek retreated to his room next to the hearth. Maerra slept in another room on the second floor.

  Thankfully, they provided me with a pail of water and a presumably clean rag to freshen up. A freshly pressed hunter's garment—probably Razek's—was already placed over the bed.

  I'm gonna visit the bathhouse ASAP.

  Do they have soap in this world?

  What's it called again? Ilythar. Right.

  Weird. Why are they sleeping separately?

  Aren't they married?

  Maybe they just prefer separate rooms?

  I tilted my head and wondered, while wiping myself clean.

  I went through my satchel again. Stethoscope. Pen. Notebook. Phone. Wallet. Contact lens case and solution.

  My phone battery was draining. And no signal.

  My eyes got weary and blurred. I took my contacts out and put them away in the case.

  How long would these last?

  Once my contacts pass their expiry date, and without my glasses—I'd be blind.

  I sighed.

  I should have thought twice before stepping through the portal.

  Will I even reach Momo?

  They mentioned Wildborne earlier. Is it another name for non-sapient animals in this world?

  Could Momo be mistaken for a Wildborne?

  The cult. Was any of it real?

  It could be just a nightmare. But it felt so vivid.

  Spiral. Unravel. Gate. Soul.

  Does it mean anything?

  What do they want with Momo?

  Is he still alive?

  Or am I chasing a pipe dream?

  I took off my clothes and lay on their guest bed, the covers made from thick fur and stuffed with straw. It was unlike any bedding I had ever known, but not uncomfortable.

  I was totally beat. Every part of my muscle fibers was creaking after a long ED shift and intense treadmill workout here.

  The window shutters let in moonlight that striped the room in silver. I stared into the silvery light and moved to the window.

  The moons are beautiful here.

  I paused.

  And I rubbed my eyes.

  Two moons came into my view—one pale blue, another soft rose.

  I couldn't believe my eyes.

  I extended my hand, basking under the moonlight. It cast two shadows with a purple hue.

  Had I been dreaming?

  Will I wake up tomorrow and find Momo sleeping next to me?

  I went back to lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling until sleep claimed me.

  No more dreams this time.

  Just silence.