It was now night and we were huddled up in one of the caves. Cyrena had started a fire and we sat around it eating cornbread that Cyrena had in her bag. As I ate, I looked around at all of us. We all looked like crap as we had cuts and bruises on our faces and arms. We were all silent for a while as we ate. We were all thinking about what had transpired at Wandermere Village.
“Did you have family in Wandermere?” Faye asked Marian out of the blue. She said it in such a soft and solemn way.
Marian shook her head. “No. I was stationed there about a year ago. My family is back in Gyler Falls. At least my mother and my older sister.”
“Gyler Falls?” Cyrena asked her. She seemed to perk up at the name. “Is Banya the Brown still there?”
A smile came to Marian’s lips. It was the first smile that I had seen on her face since I had met her. “Yes. The last time I saw her she gave me a small bag of Jellum Cakes.”
“Jellum Cakes!” Cyrena said with a laugh. “Gods, I haven’t had that in years! It must be over 25 years now!”
“I could sure go for one of those right now, myself. No offense,” Marian said as she looked at the half-eaten cornbread in her hand.
“None taken, my dear. Nothing compares to a Jellum Cake,” Cyrena said with a smile.
“What’s a Jellum Cake?” I asked them.
“What’s a Jellum Cake?! Only the best cake ever created!” Cyrena said with a big grin. “Marian, please enlighten the boy.”
“It’s a cake that is filled with the sweetest cream you have ever tasted. The cake literally melts in your mouth as you eat it,” Marian said with a smile as her eyes seemed to glaze over from the memory or taste of this cake. “It is impossible to just have one especially when it is warm. I remember eating four of them in one day when I was a little girl.”
“Four? That is nothing! I ate 12 of them in one sitting!” Cyrena said with a chuckle. Marian looked at her in surprise and then she started to laugh. It was a sweet laugh that made me smile.
“Faye, have you ever had any of these cakes?” I asked Faye who had been watching the two of them with a smile on her face.
She shook her head. “No, I’ve never had it. I would love to try it.”
“You haven’t had it either?!” Cyrena said in surprise. “You two need to get out more!”
Both Faye and I laughed. We all finished our cornbread meals and drank from the river near the cave.
“How long have you been a knight?” I asked Marian once we all sat back down around the fire.
“About a year and two months now,” Marian said with pride.
“Was it hard to become a knight?” I asked her curiously.
Marian smiled. “It was trying at times. I thought for sure that I would never obtain knighthood many times during training, especially during sword practice. I had never wielded a sword before training and my arms were so sore for many nights. Eventually, I was able to get good at it.”
“What made you want to be a knight?” I asked her.
“There was a knight named Seliar that protected my home for as long as I could remember. She always did her duty and settled all disputes in a calm manner. You probably don’t know this but every village has several knights protecting it. Usually five in total. We are sworn to protect the village that we are stationed in against all foes.” Marian’s face fell and she looked downtrodden. I could tell that she was thinking about the carnage at Wandermere Village.
“You did just that, Marian! You slayed the Demon Queen’s knight! You saved us all!” Faye said in a chipper voice. We all looked at her as it was such a positive and happy statement that a smile came to all of our faces.
“Yeah…but I failed. Everyone is dead,” Marian said.
“No, not everyone! You saved us! That Red Knight was going to kill you all and kidnap me! You prevented that!” I said. “You did what you swore to do!”
I could see Marian was trying to digest this. I knew that it was going to be hard for her to accept what we were saying but I meant it. I knew that Faye did as well. We wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for her killing the Demon Queen’s knight.
“They are right, Marian. You did the very best that you could in a chaotic event. You definitely bought me enough time to get up from the rubble that buried me in the inn and to stop that dragon,” Cyrena said with a warm smile.
Marian looked at her and a smile came back to her lips. Faye placed a hand on her shoulder and I followed suit and did the same. Cyrena leaned over and gave her hand a squeeze. I could see tears in Marian’s eyes.
“Thank you for those words. I don’t know what to say. Just thank you,” Marian said. We stayed like that for a moment then we all sat back.
“James, Cyrena said that you are not from this world? Where did you come from?” Marian asked me after a while.
I told Marian where I was from and how I had woken up here. She stared at me with wide eyes in surprise. It felt surreal to tell her that I had just awakened in a strange new world.
“And you are a virgin?” Marian asked me.
I blushed slightly and nodded. I saw Marian stare at me in disbelief. It was like it was literally impossible for her to believe it.
“How? Why? Are there no girls that you wanted to bed back on this Earth?” She asked me. “You are handsome and brave!”
I blushed harder. This pretty elven knight had just called me handsome and brave! “I just…didn’t find the right moment.”
Marian frowned as she looked at me. “Right moment? Hm, ok.” I could tell that Marian couldn’t comprehend what I was saying. I just couldn't tell her that I was a loser who couldn’t get pussy back on Earth. I couldn't lose the esteem that I saw in her eyes.
“What are we going to do in the morning?” I asked Cyrena in order to change the subject.
“That is a good question. Now, that the Demon Queen knows about you, she won’t stop until she has you. We need to go somewhere where you can be protected and we need to find an army that is capable of fighting against her dark mages and knights,” Cyrena said. She seemed to be thinking about this intently. The others were also silent as they thought about this.
“What about we head to Alavie?” Marian said after a moment. “It’s a long journey but Princess Neia has an army. But, I don’t know how welcome we all will be. She hates witches and despises men of all races.”
“Sounds like the perfect place to go to!” Cyrena said with a grin. “We set out for Alavie in the morning!”
It was now night and we were huddled up in one of the caves. Cyrena had started a fire and we sat around it eating cornbread that Cyrena had in her bag. As I ate, I looked around at all of us. We all looked like crap as we had cuts and bruises on our faces and arms. We were all silent for a while as we ate. We were all thinking about what had transpired at Wandermere Village.
“Did you have family in Wandermere?” Faye asked Marian out of the blue. She said it in such a soft and solemn way.
Marian shook her head. “No. I was stationed there about a year ago. My family is back in Gyler Falls. At least my mother and my older sister.”
“Gyler Falls?” Cyrena asked her. She seemed to perk up at the name. “Is Banya the Brown still there?”
A smile came to Marian’s lips. It was the first smile that I had seen on her face since I had met her. “Yes. The last time I saw her she gave me a small bag of Jellum Cakes.”
“Jellum Cakes!” Cyrena said with a laugh. “Gods, I haven’t had that in years! It must be over 25 years now!”
“I could sure go for one of those right now, myself. No offense,” Marian said as she looked at the half-eaten cornbread in her hand.
“None taken, my dear. Nothing compares to a Jellum Cake,” Cyrena said with a smile.
“What’s a Jellum Cake?” I asked them.
“What’s a Jellum Cake?! Only the best cake ever created!” Cyrena said with a big grin. “Marian, please enlighten the boy.”
“It’s a cake that is filled with the sweetest cream you have ever tasted. The cake literally melts in your mouth as you eat it,” Marian said with a smile as her eyes seemed to glaze over from the memory or taste of this cake. “It is impossible to just have one especially when it is warm. I remember eating four of them in one day when I was a little girl.”
“Four? That is nothing! I ate 12 of them in one sitting!” Cyrena said with a chuckle. Marian looked at her in surprise and then she started to laugh. It was a sweet laugh that made me smile.
“Faye, have you ever had any of these cakes?” I asked Faye who had been watching the two of them with a smile on her face.
She shook her head. “No, I’ve never had it. I would love to try it.”
“You haven’t had it either?!” Cyrena said in surprise. “You two need to get out more!”
Both Faye and I laughed. We all finished our cornbread meals and drank from the river near the cave.
“How long have you been a knight?” I asked Marian once we all sat back down around the fire.
“About a year and two months now,” Marian said with pride.
“Was it hard to become a knight?” I asked her curiously.
Marian smiled. “It was trying at times. I thought for sure that I would never obtain knighthood many times during training, especially during sword practice. I had never wielded a sword before training and my arms were so sore for many nights. Eventually, I was able to get good at it.”
“What made you want to be a knight?” I asked her.
“There was a knight named Seliar that protected my home for as long as I could remember. She always did her duty and settled all disputes in a calm manner. You probably don’t know this but every village has several knights protecting it. Usually five in total. We are sworn to protect the village that we are stationed in against all foes.” Marian’s face fell and she looked downtrodden. I could tell that she was thinking about the carnage at Wandermere Village.
“You did just that, Marian! You slayed the Demon Queen’s knight! You saved us all!” Faye said in a chipper voice. We all looked at her as it was such a positive and happy statement that a smile came to all of our faces.
“Yeah…but I failed. Everyone is dead,” Marian said.
“No, not everyone! You saved us! That Red Knight was going to kill you all and kidnap me! You prevented that!” I said. “You did what you swore to do!”
I could see Marian was trying to digest this. I knew that it was going to be hard for her to accept what we were saying but I meant it. I knew that Faye did as well. We wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for her killing the Demon Queen’s knight.
“They are right, Marian. You did the very best that you could in a chaotic event. You definitely bought me enough time to get up from the rubble that buried me in the inn and to stop that dragon,” Cyrena said with a warm smile.
Marian looked at her and a smile came back to her lips. Faye placed a hand on her shoulder and I followed suit and did the same. Cyrena leaned over and gave her hand a squeeze. I could see tears in Marian’s eyes.
“Thank you for those words. I don’t know what to say. Just thank you,” Marian said. We stayed like that for a moment then we all sat back.
“James, Cyrena said that you are not from this world? Where did you come from?” Marian asked me after a while.
I told Marian where I was from and how I had woken up here. She stared at me with wide eyes in surprise. It felt surreal to tell her that I had just awakened in a strange new world.
“And you are a virgin?” Marian asked me.
I blushed slightly and nodded. I saw Marian stare at me in disbelief. It was like it was literally impossible for her to believe it.
“How? Why? Are there no girls that you wanted to bed back on this Earth?” She asked me. “You are handsome and brave!”
I blushed harder. This pretty elven knight had just called me handsome and brave! “I just…didn’t find the right moment.”
Marian frowned as she looked at me. “Right moment? Hm, ok.” I could tell that Marian couldn’t comprehend what I was saying. I just couldn't tell her that I was a loser who couldn’t get pussy back on Earth. I couldn't lose the esteem that I saw in her eyes.
“What are we going to do in the morning?” I asked Cyrena in order to change the subject.
“That is a good question. Now, that the Demon Queen knows about you, she won’t stop until she has you. We need to go somewhere where you can be protected and we need to find an army that is capable of fighting against her dark mages and knights,” Cyrena said. She seemed to be thinking about this intently. The others were also silent as they thought about this.
“What about we head to Alavie?” Marian said after a moment. “It’s a long journey but Princess Neia has an army. But, I don’t know how welcome we all will be. She hates witches and despises men of all races.”
“Sounds like the perfect place to go to!” Cyrena said with a grin. “We set out for Alavie in the morning!”
