(
@Nahashsan )
Deep in the jungle, a mysterious pool sat, undisturbed by person or beast. It glowed softly, casting an eerie green light on the lush vegetation surrounding it. Occasionally, a bubble broke the surface of the viscous fluid.
Suddenly, the lone, screaming figure of Connor Evans plummeted out of the sky. He splashed into the pool with a thick schlurp. Panicking, he fought his way to the surface and spilled out onto the shore. Rising to his hands and knees, he proceeded to wretch and spit up a sizeable amount of both the mysterious substance and his dinner.
"Oh God, what is this shit..." he moaned queasily.
When he finally looked up and saw
jungle, he muttered, "The fu... How-where?"
Besach was foraging for lunch when they heard a loud splash and what might have been talking. Curious the lumbering demon sat down their collection of greens and mushrooms and made their way toward the sound. Ducking to fit under some low hanging branches their crimson form emerged from the undergrowth. The strange pool of green goo stood between them.
Hearing the heavy footfalls and crackling branches, Connor awkwardly whirled around, falling on his butt in the process. What he saw made him scream and shuffle back, even though the pool was between them.
His mind raced. What even was that thing?! It looked like a-was he in Hell? Did he seriously die and go to Hell? What did he do to deserve that?! Was not going to church really enough to earn eternal torment?
He tried to get up and run, but the shock of the crash and his current situation kept him locked to the ground. And he couldn't tell if the warmth he felt was from the goo or if he had peed himself in fear.
Here we go again, Besach thought as the strangely dressed human began to scream. Everyone always overreacted when they met the demon. It was a curse they desperately wanted to break.
They crouched down to be at the same level as the human. "There is no need for screaming, I mean you no harm." they held up their hands, each of which was topped with lond black claws and gave smile.
Connor didn't understand a word the demon said. And in the human's current state of mind, the demon's smile looked like a beast baring its teeth.
"<Please don't eat me>," he pleaded shakily, equally undecipherable to the demon.
Besach didn't know what language the human was speaking but it wasn't on that they knew. Standing back up to their full 7'4" height they started to make their way around the pool.
They pondered the slimy pool. Besach had lived in the area for years but didn't remember ever seeing it before. "Where did you come from" they ask.
Connor continued to stare in frozen horror at the thing coming towards him, doubtlessly to tear him apart. For a moment, he wished he could understand what it was saying but, on second thought, he wasn't so sure he wanted to know whatever vile things it was saying.
Maybe... maybe dying to it was preferably to whatever swallowing that vile gunk was going to do to him. Yeah, that was probably right; anything that glowed like that was probably radioactive, and radiation sickness was a terrible way to go. At least, that's what he learned in... where did he learn that again? He couldn't quite recall why he knew that.
That... had to be shock... right?
They came within ten feet or so of the human and sat down and waited. Why was the human freaking out so much and why did he not speak normal. Demons weren't that uncommon and besides they was a runt. Their wings never even grew in all the way.
Besach waited and watched, mindlessly play with grass as they did.
Connor absolutely did not expect the demon to just sit there, innocently playing with the grass. Had he misread the situation? He now truly did wish he could understand what it had been saying.
Suddenly, he felt a bizarre tingle all over, though it only lasted an instant. An unspoken message passed through his mind: his wish would be granted if he willed, but he would have to surrender a bit of his body to... whatever was inside him. The thought confused him. It was as if something had spoken inside his mind. Some instinct told him to accept the terms.
His head blossomed into pain. Cradling it in his hands, he let out a cry of agony. Then, the pain vanished.
They watch as the humans expression went from fear to pain. Without thinking they moved forward closing the last of the distance between them. "Are you okay" they ask forgetting that the human didn't seem to speak any language they knew.
"I think so," the human answered, the meaning of his words entering Besach's mind as they were spoken.
Realizing that he had understood the demon in the same way, he jerked his head towards the concerned being. "I... understood you..."
He thought back to the strange flash of understanding that told him he could will himself to understand. "Was that you in my head?"
"And I you" they replied with a smile.
They gave a confused look tilting their head to one side. "I don't think so, no it wasn't me." They said in response to the question. "What was said?" They asked tilting their head the other direction.
Connor couldn't believe he was talking to a huge demon like he was some good Samaritan, but maybe that's all he was. He certainly seemed genuine.
He screwed up his face as he fought to put his experience into words. "I just suddenly knew I could decide to be able to communicate..." he answered, leaving out the part where he had to surrender something of himself. If not the demon's offer, then it could only...
No, that's ridiculous. It was just sludge.
"You might want to wash that slime off, it reeks of magic" they said gesturing at the pool of magic goo. "No telling what it could do"
Connor looked down at the slime drenching his body and clothes. He took on a fresh, disgusted expression. "Yeah..." he said with a nervous chuckle. "This shit's nasty."
He looked at the oddly friendly demon and finally got past the ridiculousness of the situation enough to become suspicious. "You swear this isn't a trick and you aren't going to eat me the second I'm clean?"
Idiot. Of course it's going to say what I want to hear. The idea that demons can't lie is stupid.
They turned to study the pool of goo. Something about its magic felt familiar in a nostalgic kind of way but they couldn't place the memory. It was curious.
Besach laughed softly to themself. "No I won't eat you, I don't eat meat so you are perfectly safe with me." The talk of food reminded them that the had been in the middle of foraging for lunch.
A vegetarian demon? Now he'd heard everything. He couldn't help but laugh.
"Sorry. I didn't expect that. So... where can I get clean? And I don't suppose you have anything I can wear while I figure out how to get these clean?"
"If you want to follow me I can show you where a nice stream is. As for the clothes that I can't help you with since I don't really own any." They gestured at themself. The demon was dress in only a loincloth. Here in the hot jungle they didn't really have a need for anything more.
It finally hit them, were they had felt this magic before. Back at the spawning pool were they came from. The color was different and the magic not identical but it was similar. It was theorized that Demons were actually born on a different plain and the spawning pools were just gateways into this world but since no demons had memories of this, it was just a theory.
Connor let out a slow, annoyed sigh. Great. Stuck wherever this was without pants. Fantastic.
With no better choice than to go along with the demon, he nodded. "Lead on."
"Please follow me" they said and started walking. Even sticking to the well beaten path Besach had to duck regularly to avoid branches.
"I am Besach, by what name do you go by" they ask as they lead the way. While not a hard walk the heat of the steaming jungle meant they had worked up a good sweat.
Before long the sound of running water could be heard. As they rounded the last corner of the trail the stream came into view. The stream was about six feet wide and foot and a half deep. Large rocks jutted up causing little ripples on the surface. The stream plunged over a small waterfall and emptied into a deep pool in a large clearing were the sun could reach the jungle floor.
"Connor," the young man answered as they walked. For the rest of the short journey he was lost in thought, pondering where he was and what he was going to do about it.
Upon reaching the stream, he finally asked the obvious question: "Where am I, anyway? I have no idea how I even got here... assuming this isn't, like, purgatory or something."
"Nice to meet you Connor" they repied as they stop at the edge of the pool which looked cool and inviting. "I do not know this purgatory you speak of but this is the Kishahn jungle."
"So... I'm not dead, and you're... well, are you a demon? You don't act like one. Of course, I've never actually met one. Didn't think they even existed, actually," Connor rambled as he began the task of peeling off his ruined shirt. The otherness of his demon in shining loincloth actually made the prospect of revealing his flabby body less embarrassing than it would be if Besach were another human being.
"I'm pretty sure you are alive, and yes I'm a demon, just one with a complicated past." They answered matter of factly. They didn't even seem to notice the human stripping down near them. A body was nothing to be shy about.
They walked into the pool up to their waist and sat down so that only their head was exposed. "Come on in, the water feels great."
While he was a bit nervous about being in a vulnerable position around the demon, he wouldn't feel any safer alone. He was in a strange jungle with God-knows-what lurking in it. So, he waded in.
Besach was right; the relatively cool water was a great relief from the heat of the sweltering jungle. He wasted no time before beginning to wash the green slime off of himself.
Huh. Maybe that new diet is working. Funny I didn't notice before.
"So... this Kishahn place... is there, like, a city somewhere around here, or anywhere with other humans? If I'm ever going to find a way home, I figure I'd start there."
"The nearest town of any size is Preivuhn and it's almost a weeks walk north of here." They said turning to face Connor. "I can take you most of the way but demons don't have the best reputation around humans, I doubt I would get a friendly welcome."
Besach had fled from his demon kin where he was abused to only be chased off by humans time and again. That was why he lived so far into the jungle. It was the only place he could find peace.
Wherever he was, humans knew demons as a physical reality and not simply a concept. Shit, was this an Oz situation?
For that matter, what's Oz? Why couldn't he remember things clearly?
"I'm... sorry to hear that. You don't seem bad to me," he said after dunking his head in the water to try and get the ooze out of his hair.
They were quiet for a long while before replying "I am a outcast among my kind, you are lucky that we meet and not 9ne of my kin."
"Noted," Connor acknowledged before dunking his head a second time. Satisfied his hair was as clean as it was going to get without shampoo, he moved on to getting the rest of the substance off of his skin. Whatever toll he had paid for his ability to communicate had yet to make itself known to him.
He couldn't see the odd green patches on his back.
A loud growl emanated from Besach's stomach. For the second time reminding them that they still needed to eat. "I'm going to go find some food. You coming along" they ask as they stood up to leave the pool.
From their taller vantage point they notice something odd on Connors shoulders. It was green but didn't look like slime. "Also you have a green mark on you shoulders" he said.
Connor felt a sense of dread at the statement. It meant that the sense that there was a physical price for his newfound ability wasn't his imagination. And it surely wouldn't stop at a green rash.
"Wh-what does it look like?" he asked nervously, imagining all sorts of body horror scenarios.
If Besach looked closer, he would be able to see that the human's skin had simply turned green there. If he happened to touch it, it would feel tougher than human skin.
Besach moved closer to get a better look. "It looks like normal skin, just green. Probably just a side effect of the slime. I would give it a few days and see if it clears up." They spoke reassuringly.
Connor let out a slow breath as he tried to settle his nerves. "I sure hope I'm that lucky."
As he began to wade out of the pool, he suddenly remembered he had no good clothes now. Flushing with embarrassment, he asked, "So... where do I, well, get one of those loincloths?"
"You have two options, one wash out your clothes and make do, or two I can forage some large leaves" they replied. Looking around there was some banana trees on the edge of the clearing. Those would work and they would have food on they as a bonus.
"I can try to clean them, I guess," Connor answered. He was pathetically unaccustomed to doing laundry but would give it his best effort. "Maybe you should forage anyway while I work? I'll need something while they dry, which will take a while in this humidity."
Regardless of Besach's response, the human crawled out just enough to grab his discarded clothing and return to the water. To his surprise, the slime washed out relatively easily, although the contents of his pockets were ruined with the exception of his keys and a lone quarter. If he wasn't even in his own world, those contents were useless anyway, so he tossed them.
It only took a few moments for Besach to cross the small meadow and get to banana trees. Their sharp claws easily cut through the thick stims. When they returned they had a pile of fresh leaves and a bunch of ripe bananas
Connor emerged from the pool and gratefully accepted the large leaves. He frowned at them for a moment before beginning to fashion a loincloth. After ruining a few, he managed to create one that should at least preserve his dignity long enough for his clothes to dry. "That should do," he said with a nod.
He laid out his clothing on a sun-drenched rock and returned to Besach. "Can't say swaddling my junk in leaves is comfortable, but thanks. I'm really glad you came along and not some jungle beast."
Besach was just happy to have some interactions that didn't involve torches and pitchforks. He had been alone for over a year now since his last meeting with a sentient race.
As if on que there was a loud beast call from deep in the jungle. They turned towards the sound but judged it not to be a threat. "Sounds like a panther, nothing to fear as long as you stay close to me." They said reassuringly.
The sound made him jump. "A-are you s-sure?" he asked fearfully. Sure, the demon was huge, but could he really make such a promise? "I mean, you look tough, but so does a panther."
It would be just his luck to travel to a strange new land and immediately get eaten. He wasn't a main character; he was a redshirt. That was, unless this was his chance to escape the cycle of unhappiness he was trapped in and become someone worth writing about.
"Panthers are small as far as big cats go." They said leaving out the fact that there were worse things then cats in this jungle. They also failed to mention that they were a pacifist and didn't know how to fight.
"Here eat up while we wait." They said handing a couple of bananas to Connor.
Now that he thought about it, he was surprisingly hungry. He had just eaten before driving home and that wasn't that long ago, by his recollection. Nodding, he took a banana and peeled it.
The wild banana was nothing like the ones sold at the store. It was chewy and full of hard seeds. But it tasted fantastic, so it felt worth the trouble. "Mmm... I don't know if it's because it's wild or because I'm not from around here, but these aren't anything like the bananas where I'm from."
Still, it was heartening that the strange world he found himself in wasn't completely alien, for it had panthers and bananas. Perhaps it wasn't so different here.
Besach munched on their own bananas, pausing every now and then to spit out a seed. "There are several types of bananas that grow wild around there. These are one of the better varieties" they commented as they peeled another one.
That was one down side to being so large, you had to eat a lot. That was even more true since they weren't eating any calorie dense meat.
Connor was abnormally hungry for his size, somehow keeping pace with the large demon. He noted that this was strange, but chalked it up to the stress he was under.
His mind was currently more concerned with learning what kind of place he had arrived in. "What kind of place is this Preivuhn? I know you can't tell me much if you aren't welcome there, but anything you can tell me will help me figure out just how far from home I am."
Besach had only been through the town twice. Both times were unpleasant. "Preivuhn is a small trading outpost. The smaller villages bring goods from the jungle to trade in town. From there the goods move to Essyrn in the desert. Hmm let me think what else, it is mainly home to humans but also home to elves and others."
The mention of elves nearly caused Connor to spit out a mouthful of banana. Elves! That was all the proof he needed that he was in some fantasy land. The thought... the thought was equal parts terrifying and exciting.
"Holy shit... I really did it... I really am in a different world," he said, wonderstruck, throwing caution to the wind by telling the demon that. He had no way of knowing how he would react to a being who didn't belong.
Besach was confused by Connors excitement. Why would elves be so exciting and what did he mean by fantasy world.
"Where exactly are you from?" They asked the excitable human.
"A place called Colorado. We don't have elves and demons walking around anywhere outside of our imaginations," he answered excitedly, growing enamored with the idea. "No magic of any kind really."
His eyes went wide and twinkling. "Oh! Do you have dragons?! And, if so, are any of them friendly or do they just eat people?"
They chuckled at Connors excitement. "We do have dragons but I have never met one. I hear that they ride them in Adela." He replied.
"Ooo... so they aren't just monsters? Sweet," Connor grinned.
He made a worried face. "Shit. Do you have monsters? That... would be decidedly less exciting. I don't want to get eaten. Surely I didn't get brought here just to get eaten. Assuming there even was a purpose, anyway."
'Monsters' Besach had to think about this one. Sure there there were dangerous animals, but they wouldn't go so far as to call them monsters. Then again, when you are a 7'4" demon you have a different idea of what constitutes a monster.
"I don't think any animals are going to eat you if that is what you are worried about." They said reassuringly. "How did you wind up in that pool of goo if you don't mind me asking" They added.
"I was riding home on my-" God, how do I explain a motorcycle... "Let's just call it a mechanical horse, sort of. Anyway, it was raining, and I couldn't see the edge of the cliff until it was too late, so I went over. Next thing I know, I'm falling into a glowing pool in the middle of a jungle."
"There are these stories where I'm from about people being transported to other worlds and finding their destiny there. Imagine my surprise to find myself in one." He chuckled awkwardly, not quite ready to truly find the humor in it. "I doubt there's some grand destiny for me, though. That only exists in stories."
Besach didn't know what this mechanical horse was but they were curious.
" I believe we make our own destinies. Every decision big or small effects the future. If you want a grand destiny seize the rains of you life and make it happen."
Connor gave a rueful chuckle. He had squandered his first opportunity to do just that, caving beneath the weight of it, and it ruined his life. Seizing this chance was something he was unsure he could do.
"I don't know if I know how to do that. I'm..." He looked down at his bare feet. "I'm a weak person, Besach. I've never had the resolve to see things through."
"Thats ok, not everyone get to rescue the princess and save the kingdom. I choose to live in the middle of the jungle knowing there won't be epics written about me. You don't have to do grand things to live a full life." They said, speaking from experience. They had learned that doing nothing was doing something.
"I don't want to be a hero. I just..." he answered, sighing. "I just want to matter. I'm sick and tired of feeling worthless and invisible. And maybe a fresh start in a place where nobody knows me will give me that chance."
With a rueful chuckle, he added, "Could've done without the pool of disgusting ooze, though. And I'm not a fan of this muggy jungle either."
"Hey now, this muggy jungle is my home." They said with a chuckle. "But it is about time we start moving. Your clothes should be dry by now. Lets go get you your fresh start!"
"Yeah. Let's." Connor smiled.
A few hours later...
The young man trailed after the kind demon as he led the way through the jungle. His clothes were already wet with sweat; his body was unaccustomed to such heat. At least, that's what he assumed. In actuality, his system was reacting to the foreign substance that had entered his body when he swallowed some of the mysterious slime, attempting to fight what it was doing to him.
Suddenly, he stumbled. Looking down, he saw why; he was standing in a large, deep footprint. "Uh... Besach?" he inquired nervously. "Wh-what left this?"
They had to walk slow for Connor to keep up since they were so much taller. Even so they were still a good ways ahead when Connor called out. Turning around they stopped to look at the tracks.
The tracks had three toes in the front and one in the back like a large bird. Looking around there was only two tracks. Whatever made it was to big to move in the dense undergrowth. Looking up there was a hole in the canopy over were Connor stood. A bright beam of sunlight piercing the jungle.
"I think what we have here is a giant condor. I doubt it would go after you but I suggest we keep moving incase it comes back."
"Y-yes... let's not be here," Connor said, hating the tremble in his voice as he hastened to the demon's side. He felt like such a coward and wished he didn't have to be so weak.
"I hate relying on you so much. I don't even have anything to offer in return."
"You offer companionship and to me that means a lot" they replied. Being in the jungle alone gets lonesome. Besach was enjoying having someone to talk to.
"Yeah, but... once we reach Preivuhn, we might not ever run into each other again. That's not a very lasting friendship." Connor sighed. "I'd feel a lot better if I could at least contribute something. I'm done feeling useless."
Things had to change if he was going to survive. He had a strong feeling that people who couldn't carry their own weight in this world and weren't nobility didn't last long. Perhaps his meager understanding of modern science could give him an edge, assuming his memory cleared up. He remembered all the important parts of his life; it was just the fine details that were hazy. Basically, he wouldn't be upending the status quo of his new home with his advanced knowledge any time soon, if ever.
Something watched them from the undergrowth with hunger in its slitted eyes. The demon would doubtless have scared it off... if it were alone. As predators do, they silently stalked around the pair, preparing to attack the weaker target.
"Don't worry about it to much, the universe has a way of working things out."
Besach didn't hear the beast approaching. They were making to much noise crash through the undergrowth.
The universe is, unfortunately, a real jerk when it wants to be. Suddenly, a scaled beast burst from the underbrush between the pair, separating them in an instant. Connor found himself too frozen in fear to even cry out as three more surrounded him.
They were like leopards, but with distinctive reptilian features mixed in with their spotted fur and a pair of tendrils extending from the backs of their heads. The ends of these tendrils lit up with crackling electricity as they paced around the defenseless human.
Connor, desperately trying to be brave, finally found his voice. "Back! Get back!" he shouted, grabbing a fallen branch, which he waved about in an effort to defend himself. It was large enough that he was surprised at how easy it was to handle but he chalked that up to adrenaline. He wasn't aware of the patches of green on his shoulders expanding.
Besach spun around to find a beast between them and Connor. They watched as Connor grabbed up a branch and started waving it around. He's going to get himself killed, was the first thought that came to mind.
They moved forward cautiously, watching out for the tendrils whipping around. Once in reach they grabbed the creatures tail and pull as hard as they could hoping to draw its attention. With it distracted Connor might be able to get a hit in.
Besach's superior strength was enough to whip the animal into a tree with a loud thud. It wasn't gravely injured but, for the moment, it was stunned. One of the others broke off from menacing Connor and charged the demon.
Meanwhile, Connor recklessly swung his poor excuse for a weapon at the nearest creature but became unbalanced and missed wildly. Seizing the opportunity to attack, the beast snapped its tendrils forward to give the human a powerful shock that dropped him twitching to the ground.
Besach spun around and smacked the charging creature in the face with their boney club tail. They turned back around just in time see Connor hit the ground. Grabbing a large rock they threw it and hit the menacing creature in the ribs with a wet thud.
The single, unharmed creature let out a strange call and several other voices responded; the rest of the pack was coming. Any advantage the pair had would disappear if they didn't get moving before the reinforcements arrived.
Connor screamed as the same beast took hold of his leg with plans to drag him away. He furiously—and awkwardly—kicked at it with his free leg and, miraculously, kicked it square in the face with surprising force. The startled beast released him and backed away, its nose bleeding badly.
"Take that, you stupid cat-lizard!" the human said, still slightly dazed by the earlier shock. He tried to get back to his feet but couldn't quite manage it.
Hearing the call for reinforcements go out Besach rushed forward and grabbed up Connor. They were no fighter and was afraid of being overwhelmed. It was only luck and their immense size and strength that had held them off so far.
Could they out run the creatures? If not could they be chased off? So many questions and no real answers. Only time would tell.
Connor panicked for a second before realizing it wasn't another creature dragging him. There was no time for him to recover enough to run, so he didn't protest the indignity of being carried like a house pet. "Go! Go! Go!" he urged, feeling utterly useless.
The creatures gave chase, scrambling through the underbrush in a mad dash to secure their meal. Besach's long stride kept them just ahead of the pack but they weren't getting any further away. The sound of rushing water grew in the near distance—a river! That could be their salvation!
As they ran the sound of water grew loader and loader until it was a dull roar. As they broke through the undergrowth Besach came to a sliding stop. They were at the top of a cliff 25 or 30 feet high. Below was churning rapids full of rocks. Down stream from them was a waterfall of unknown height.
They were trapped. Besach sat Connor down. They need both hand to defend themselves.
The creatures came through the bush one at a time and fanned out in a half circle. Having learned from the first attack they didn't rush instead they stood watch and waited for a opening.
Connor managed to stand on his own, having recovered from the alpha creature's shocking touch. He felt oddly invigorated, as if his muscles were supercharged by the electrical discharge. Should Besach look, he would see more of that green skin creeping up the human's neck.
"Any bright ideas?" the human asked as he gave a silent prayer for a way to fight the creatures off.
Besach just shook their head no. They were now out numbered four to one. To jump was suicide but did you fight something with that long of a reach much less eight of them.
They really wish they had learned how to do use their magic. They knew their species of demon inherently had blood magic but they had no idea how to use it.
Connor was at wit's end, trying to think up a way to get through this alive but to no avail. He wasn't equipped for handling one of the beasts, let alone eight. Things weren't looking good.
Suddenly, a strange idea entered his mind, as if once more he were being given a choice: did he want to accept sharing his body in exchange for the ability to survive? His death would take his mysterious passenger with him. He could trust that much. Besides, what choice did he really have?
Yes.
His eyes took on a glow as he gained another gift. Casting his right arm forward in a pushing motion, a wave of force flew out and flung the alpha against a tree with enough force to crack the trunk. The other creatures were instantly at a loss for what to do without their leader and began fighting each other for dominance.
Besach hadn't expected magic from Connor.
With the alpha out the pack disintegrated. A couple of the weaker ones ran off while the rest turned on each other. The problem was they still had the pair backed up to a cliff.
Besach wait for an opening then lashed out with their claws when to closest creature turned its back. Their razor sharp claws cut deep, drawing blood. As soon as they touched the blood they changed. Their long black hair started to glow like hot embers.
Connor wasn't entirely sure how he did that or if he could even do it again. But he could no longer deny that the mystery goo had infected—joined with?—him and together he and his passenger(s) were becoming something else. How was he not freaking out about the idea of becoming something other than human? That question had to wait until they were safe.
The young man sidestepped a charging beast and threw another magical psionic wave. It was much weaker than the attack that birthed this strange ability but it still sent his target ass over tea kettle and over the cliff with a surprised yowl.
"Hah! This is awesome!" He couldn't resist the grin that crept over his face.
Besach watched as Connor pust another one off the cliff and thought, good one less to deal with. They had taken out one, Connor had taken out two, and two had ran away. That left only three to go, easy right.
Acting on instinct they reached out with their right hand and fire flew from their fingertips. The next nearest one was bathed in flames. In a panic it jumped into the river below. Only two left to go.
The final two hesitated for a long moment before deciding their prey wasn't worth the trouble and running away.
Connor started laughing, somewhat hysterically. The strangeness of his day was finally getting to him. Using the Force had put him over the edge. "Well, that apparently happened."
They watched as the last two ran away. With the immediate threat over they found themselves exhausted. The fire faded and they returned back to normal. The magic gone once again.
Besach turned to Connor who was over the moon with excitement. "That certainly did happen" they replied. "Now not to alarm you but the green on you back is growing" they added.
Connor sighed. "Yeah... I figured as much. I don't really like it but I think I know what's going on with me. I think... I think that goo was alive. Some of it is part of me now."
He looked at Besach. He wasn't scared, but he was worried about what the end result would be and what that meant for finding a way home. "And I think I'm already not entirely human anymore."
They hated to admit it but the fight had been exhilarating. They could see why other demons lived to fight. The magic was something else. There was a power there that would be easy the lose oneself in.
"I wish I knew what to say but this is all new to me." They replied
Connor, too, could understand how magical power, like he had just harnessed, could lead a magician—mage?—astray. He hoped he never let himself become drunk with it.
"I just hope accepting its help doesn't turn me into something that gets attacked on sight like you do. Being green will be a big enough problem if I ever get home." His desire to get home seemed not to be entirely genuine, like it was just what he was supposed to want.
"There are a lot of diversity here, I think you can find a place to fit in." They said with a reassuringsmile. "Do you want to rest or are you go to keep going, I would like to make it to a cave I know before night fall." They asked.
Big as they were it was still dangerous to be caught out in the open at night.
"I'm surprisingly good to go," he answered after a few seconds spent gauging his energy level. It seemed to him that whatever magical organism—which needed a name—had taken up residence in his cells was keeping its end of the bargain. What was that called again? Right, symbiosis. He had a symbiote. Sweet.
"I'm already more fit than I was. Which, admittedly, wasn't very." He flashed a self-deprecating smirk and motioned for Besach to lead the way. "While we walk, you can tell me what there are other than humans, elves, and demons."
Besach took them back to the trail they had been following before the attack. At a brisk walk, they led them down the trail.
"Besides humans, elves, and demons, there are dwarves, kobolds, and many types of shifters, people that can turn into animals." They thought for a moment "We might run into some kobolds actually. They have many small villages in the jungle."
"Wait... kobolds? Are we talking friendly sprites or little dragon-worshipping lizard people?" he asked, vaguely remembering stories from his world. He wasn't sure he wanted to run across the latter. Though maybe they weren't monsters here. He couldn't logically assume they'd be the same.
Besach only knew of one type of kobold. "The dragon worshipping lizard ones" they replied. "They worship a pair of dragons known as the emerald twins but I've never seen them" they added
"Let's hope we don't change that. I'm not yet mentally prepared to meet one dragon, let alone two," Connor answered. "My world doesn't have anything that size that might also try to eat you. Not for millions of years, anyway."
He glanced up at the sky through the jungle canopy and idly wondered what time of day it was there. If he were still home, then it would be dark by now. Were the days longer or were the hours simply not aligned? Or had his transport to this new world taken more time than the instant he had perceived?
Right. Like I didn't flunk basic college physics. It doesn't matter anyway.
They picked their way through the jungle navigating the overgrown trail. What little sun light that did reach the jungle floor was starting to turn orange then red.
"Suns setting, we need to pick up the pace if we don't want to sleep out in the open." They remarked as they started to walk faster.
Connor hurried to catch up, not wanting to get caught outside at night with creatures like those electric cat-lizards around. The nocturnal predators would only be even more dangerous.
By the time Besach's cave came into view, it was as close to night as it could be without actually being night. Any later, the hapless human would have overlooked the dark opening entirely. "Considering my total lack of survival skills, you probably won't be surprised to learn that I've never slept in a cave before. It's becoming crystal clear just how sheltered my life has been."
Besach lead the way up to the cave's mouth which was on the face of a outcropping. A small stream trickled out and down the slope.
"You'll be fine, now make yourself comfortable while I get a fire started" they said as they climbed the slope to the cave. Inside was a stash of firewood and a flint and steel. Soon a inviting fire graced the entrance to the cave.
Connor took a seat on the ground by the ring of stones serving as a fire pit. Reaching out to warm his hands, he wondered again if he would ever get back to his world—or if he truly wanted to. He hadn't exactly been happy with his life there.
"What's this world called, anyway?" he asked upon realizing that he had overlooked such an obvious question.
Besach sat across from Connor "the world as a whole is called Earth, we are on the southern tip of the continent of Le'naara. What about your world?" They ask now curious.
Connor blinked in surprise and barked a laugh. "Oddly enough, we also call our world Earth. And I lived on the continent of North America, in a country rather uncreatively called the United States of America."
"What kind of society will I have to adapt to? Like, are there nobles and stuff I should try to avoid or what? My homeland has no nobility, just really rich people who act like they are."
Besach thought about the question for a moment.
"Most of the countries are monarchies but there are a few free cities which are rough places or so I've heard. Beyond that I'm not much help. I've spent a lifetime avoiding society." The replied with a small shrug
"Well, it's more than I would know if you didn't find me." He shrugged back.
"I hope the people I meet in town are half as kind and understanding as you are." He paused, feeling self-conscious. "You seem like a nice guy—err, being—is what I'm trying to say."