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[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Huh,”[/color] Steph noted, as the last of the strange beasts simply turned and left, following what looked like a bear. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Well, okay then,”[/color] she added, while giving voice to a relived sigh.

She was a little shocked by how easily she had managed to dispatch the creatures, as well as how natural and effortless it had felt. It was almost like she was some character in a video game, and for a moment she thought that perhaps she was dreaming, or stuck in some kind of VR world, but no. Now that she had a moment to catch her breath and refocus, she quickly became convinced that the world around her was all too real…

It was about then that she heard a voice coming from the building behind her. Turning around, she was greeted with the sight of a small, elderly man. He had a long grey beard and a pair of orange goggles over his eyes.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Oh, uh, hi,”[/color] Steph said somewhat shakily. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I-It’s okay,”[/color] she added, trying her best to sound reassuring. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I’m not gonna hurt you. My name’s Stephanie. I’m kinda… [i]new[/i] around here…”[/color]

[hr]

A few minutes later, and Steph found herself in a cozy home. It belonged to Minoc, as the elderly man was called. He offered her some food and a drink, which Steph graciously accepted. She listened in silence as he went on to somewhat awkwardly explain her current situation. The fact that Minoc’s [i]grandfather[/i] had watched over her pod confirmed that she had been asleep for a [i]very[/i] long time indeed… Minoc then went on to ask if she was familiar with the creature she had killed. She shook her head. After telling her that the harpy was named Jub Jub, Minoc explained that he was a member of a society of wizards, alchemists, and archeologists who discovered the various cryostasis pods scattered across the world. It sounded as though the world had experienced a drastic technological decline, as if what her own eyes told her wasn’t proof enough, and she couldn’t help but allow a sullen sigh to escape her lips. Minoc then asked about her own pod, which was now nowhere to be found.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Oh, yeah…”[/color] Steph replied hesitantly. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I needed a weapon to fight those things, so I had my nanites reassemble it,”[/color] she explained, holding out her sword. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Just basic nanotech, really.”[/color] 

Minoc was quite impressed. As an archeologist, he had spent many long years unearthing the technology of the past, but he had never encountered anything like what Steph possessed. He had, however, found information on biogenic technology, which caused Steph to noticeably perk up. Her uncle had been a pioneer in that field, and while Steph was far from an expert herself, she was well aware of the amazing possibilities such technology presented. She was glad that at least [i]this[/i] remnant of her world’s knowledge had survived to be of use to this vastly more primitive age. Minoc was getting more excited too, as apparently, some of his fellow wizards/researchers/or whatever had unlocked some of the technology’s incredible potential. His comment about “the enemy”, however, made Steph a bit uneasy. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Enemy?”[/color] Steph asked.

Minoc then proceeded to tell her of Lord Draygon, a being who was apparently some kind of monstrous dark lord, like the kind found in old stories. It sounded a bit ridiculous to Steph, but if the harpy she had killed was anything to go by, the situation was no laughing matter. Draygon had many powerful creatures in his service, Minoc went on to explain, but the forces opposing him had access to the works of the “ancients”, and that included [i]her…[/i]

If they could trust her.

The village she had just saved was a pretty pacifistic place, Minoc informed her, and he was wary of her incredible potential for violence.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Hey, I completely agree!”[/color] Steph protested. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“I’m a scientist, not a fighter. I-It’s just… I saw those things attacking your village, so I wanted to try and help in whatever way I could. I-In fact,”[/color] she added after a moment’s thought. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Didn’t you kill one of those creatures yourself?”[/color]

Conceding her point, Minoc said that he wanted to trust her, but that the decision was not his to make. For that, she would need to travel to someplace called the “Castle of Solace”. Minoc then asked if she could turn her sword into a backpack.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Uh, yeah, sure,”[/color] Steph replied, before instructing her nanites to reassemble her sword into the item in question.

Minoc handed her a tightly woven bundle of cloth, which she placed in the backpack, before sealing it up. The wizard instructed her to present the bundle to someone named Tornell once she had arrived at the castle. Apparently, he was the leader of Minoc’s order of wizards/scientists/archeologists/or whatever, being the “wisest and strongest” of them all.

As for how she’d get there, Minoc actually had a pleasant surprise in store. Somehow, he had access to a functioning segment of the global subsurface transit network, which led directly to the castle. This meant that no matter where in the world the castle was located, they would be able to reach it in a relatively short time, and in relative safety as well. But that wasn’t the only surprise. Insisting that she shouldn’t make the trip alone, Minoc told Steph that his young apprentice, Peter, would be accompanying her.

[color=DarkGray]“Oh, wow… The Oracle…”[/color] Peter said in hushed awe upon entering the room. [color=DarkGray]“I-It’s very nice to meet you!”[/color] he added with a great deal more enthusiasm. [color=DarkGray]“And it will be my great honor to accompany you on your journey!”[/color]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“L-Likewise,”[/color] Steph replied with a smile, a little taken aback by the young apprentice’s reverence.

Before they departed, Minoc inquired if Steph had any questions.

Well, yes. She had a [i]LOT[/i] of questions… Still, she figured that most of them would hopefully be answered upon meeting Tornell. Therefore, she decided to stick to the ones weighing most heavily upon her mind.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]“Uh, you wouldn’t happen to know how long I’ve been asleep, would you?”[/color] Steph asked. [color=DeepSkyBlue]“Or what happened to my parents? They were in the same complex as me. That’s to say, the same place you found my pod,”[/color] she clarified.