A Soldier's Life - 372 - My Name is Eryk (minor edit on 4-7-25)

Chapter 272: My Name Is Eryk

Even with the steady rain, I kept my distance from the group. The women switched watches roughly halfway through the night, with the sword woman standing but using the tree for support as she appeared weak and fatigued from a distance. One of the young girls was roused and appeared to cast a spell or spell form on the swordswoman. She looked too young to have imprinted a spell form or learned actual spells.

The auburn-haired girl quickly fell back asleep with the other girl. After being treated, the swordswoman appeared more alert as sheathed her blade. If that was magic, then it was some form of rejuvenation spell. It was dangerous if they consumed little food, as most such spells drew on the body’s energy reserves to replenish energy. It was probably how they had maintained their intense pace, though. 

Eventually, the swordswoman slowly circled the tree and the perimeter of their camp, going just far enough to avoid losing the umbrella she had gained from the tree's dense canopy. She began stirring the others when the sky grayed slightly, announcing the coming morning. I couldn’t wait any longer and circled to move toward their likely path.

The rain was still falling as I approached their camp openly. I only wore a dagger on my belt to appear unthreatening. They didn’t notice me before I heard them speaking English in what sounded like a British—or maybe Australian—accent.

I had planned several things to say to break the ice, but everything was ruined when one of the girls, the blonde one, screamed in warning and pointed at me. This caused the small group to take on a defensive posture, with the dark-haired woman and the dusty-blonde woman with the only weapon in the group opposing me. The girls behind them were very young, one with straw blonde hair and the other with golden auburn hair. They didn’t quite cower behind the adults, but they were definitely afraid. “You are a long way from home,” I shouted over the rain in English. I was still over fifty feet from them.

The women were sufficiently shocked by my appearance but conversed with each other before the dark-haired woman yelled back, “Stay where you are. We don’t want to hurt you. Let us go on our way.”

Even under the tree, the rain had soaked their clothes and now clung to their frames. All four were thin—very thin. My best guess is that the red-haired girl had been keeping them invigorated with her spell. By their condition, it was definitely how they pushed themselves without horses. An apple appeared in my hand, and I bit into it. While chewing, I spoke, “You know I came a very long way to find you and help you. But if you don’t want my help, I can leave.”

Another bite of the apple had them gazing at it longingly. Another apple appeared in my hand, and I tossed it to stop about ten feet in front of them. None of them moved to collect the apple, as trust had clearly not yet been established. “I promise I am not the evil stepmother from Snow White.”

The blonde girl yelled back, “That is just what the Evil Queen would say!” 

I couldn’t help but laugh aloud at her comment. “Smart girl. I have not introduced myself. My name is Eryk. I am from Raleigh, North Carolina. And you are?”

The group convened to talk privately while the swordswoman kept an eye on me. The black-haired woman eventually turned to me. “We don’t remember you from the group. Are you one of the ones who stayed behind?”

My face squinted in confusion. “Group? I didn’t arrive with you. I have been here for over two years.” I yelled and took two steps in the mud forward, but their tense reaction made me stop.

“Two years?” The swordswoman exclaimed. “Do you know how to get back?” Hope laced her words.

“No,” I replied. I had clues but was not sure of a way to get back to Earth. “The world is called Desia, and people from Earth had been pulled here over the millennia. Not just humans, but elves, orcs, and other races as well.” That seemed to stun them, so I let them process the information and remained silent. Maybe they had not seen any of the other races yet.

Finally, the black-haired woman introduced herself, “I am Karina from Liverpool, originally from Poland.” She gestured to the swordswoman, “This is Anika Strauss, a lawyer from London.” The woman nodded slightly but did not change her ready-grip on her sword, a thin-bladed weapon that reminded me of a horse cavalry saber from the Civil War. 

“The girls?” I asked with a friendly smile.

“Evie and Lexi,” Karina replied, keeping them behind her defensively. 

“Now that we are introduced, we can all be friends,” I said cheerfully. Their looks told me my words lacked charm. Maybe I should have shaved before confronting them. The group looked uncertain about what to do, but Karina was clearly their leader. I wished Selene or even Lesna was here. Both those women were far more personable than me. Their sunken, tired eyes and distrusting visages told me I was not making ground.

“Why were you headed to the Territory of the Shiunyuet?” I tested another step forward. Evie dashed out and grabbed the apple on the ground, surprising everyone. When she returned, she shoved it into Lexi’s hand. Thankfully, I hadn’t done anything when the girl dashed forward, and the tension normalized. Maybe the girl thought I was trying to take the apple back, or her hunger overwhelmed her.

They were busy discussing the risks of letting Lexi eat the apple, so I interrupted. “I have more food if you are hungry?”

Even through the rain, I think their stomachs rumbled at my offer. They must not have gotten much food from the group that attacked them two days ago. Karina was still suspicious of me, saying, “How did you find us?”

Believing honesty was best at this point, I said, “Magic.” I pulled the blood compass from my belt. “I tracked you by some dried blood you left in Yuetsen.” They seemed a little stunned at the revelation, and maybe I made them more worried. “Do you mind if I step out of the rain?” I indicated I wanted to get closer.

“There is a tree over there,” Karina motioned. I sighed and went to stand under another tree, keeping the same distance of about forty feet from them.

I was running out of avenues to make them trust me, so I tried to remind them of the dangers of this world and, hopefully, that they needed allies. “I am sorry you lost so many companions. How many died in Yuetsen? Who was the woman you buried a day ago?”

Karina laughed darkly, “Kyle and his arseholes are not dead. That explosion was planned. He was working closely with one of the senators in the city.” Karina gestured to Anika, “They tried to recruit Anika.” Anika nodded in agreement.

That sent me for a spin, “Why? Where are they now?” Lexi was munching on the apple, apparently not worried I had poisoned it, and savoring every bite.

“Power, of course. Who bloody cares where they are!” Karina spat. “Maybe the buggers got caught in their own explosion. That would be a blessing. It was only supposed to kill the prince and his family, but it shook the entire city to its foundations. Now, we are just someone who can take the blame while they take the mantle of power. Teresa, that woman in the grave, was just the first victim. She was a friend and a good woman. She didn’t deserve to be here and just wanted to get back to her fiancé.”

I nodded apologetically and decided to make an offer. “I can help you get to Shiunyuet. My friends are not far behind me with horses. But you can also decide to come back to Gramney with us.”

That caused a harshly whispered conversation among the group. Karina once again spoke for the group, “More people from Earth?” 

“No,” I sighed. “Friends and allies I have made since I arrived. Good people—if you wait a few hours, they will join us here.” My words got them a little antsy. I put a large spread of food on the ground to calm them. Plates of fish and chips, meat buns, apples, waterskins, and a bottle of Esenhem wine I had been saving appeared like magic. Their jaws were unhinged as the buffet appeared. I moved away from the food into the rain and under a different tree. “It is going to get wet and spoil if it is not eaten soon.” A meat bun appeared in my hand to show it was not poisoned, I lowered myself to sit cross-legged and took a bit. The flaky, buttery crust was still warm.

Even with Karina’s skepticism of my intent, their immense hunger could not resist the temptation before them. It really was amusing to watch them cautious, at first, before devouring the offering I left. Evie and Lexi’s faces were covered in gravy from the meat buns, reminding me of Lesna. Karina’s mouth was stuffed with batter-fried fish. Anika was sampling everything and turned to ask, “How did you make it all appear?” That got all eyes on me but didn’t stop them from continuing to eat.

“Magic, of course. I can store items in a dimensional space. When I want them, I pull them out.” I said.

“An inventory system? How do I get it to work?” Karina asked pleadingly.

I laughed good-naturedly. “This is not a video game, Karina. Everything is very real. It is not an inventory system but a spell form for the space affinity.” Disappointment was evident on her face, but I believe the food finally melted her icy distrust. After giving them a few minutes of gorging, I commented, “My mother always said the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.”

Anika retorted back at me, “That is the way to a man’s heart.”

“Man. Woman. We both have stomachs and like to eat,” I said logically. Anika rolled her eyes at me.

“Why are you helping us?” Karina asked as she paused eating. The others had slowed but not stopped, and she was probably waiting for the food to settle.

I had lots of questions for them. “A friend of mine told me I couldn’t save everyone, but I am still endeavor to try. What was the date when you were taken?”

“Friday, July 2nd, 2021,” Anika said before the others.

I nodded as it confirmed that time was linear between Earth and Desia. My car had likely been found abandoned, and my family probably thought I had been kidnapped. By now, they most likely thought I was dead. “Are you okay?” Karina asked as I must have appeared distracted. 

I realized I had drifted off into my thoughts and focused back on the group. “Yeah. It looks like you have had a hard time of it. My time was also pretty rough when I arrived. I was framed for a crime I didn’t commit and forced into the Legion. I was forced to fight all kinds of monsters and survived political treachery. You don’t need to do that. You can come back to Gramney with my companions. It is safe there.”

“We are going to Shiunyuet,” Karina said forcibly. “Unless you know a way we can return home?” All four women looked at me hopefully.

I tried to make them see some reason. “The people of the Shiunyuet territory are somewhat barbaric. I have read a bit about them. Their customs are—harsh. You could live comfortably in Gramney, and the Yuetsen people would not bother you there,” I expounded. I was beginning to think they were going to Shiunyuet to seek refuge from Kyle and the others pursuing them from Yuetsen.

“We are going to Shiunyuet,” Karina said again. She added with a more conciliatory attitude, “You can accompany us if we find no fault with your companions.”

I studied them and knew there had to be another reason they were not telling me, but it was progress. “Agreed. We will wait here for my friends.”

“Do you have any more apples?” Lexi asked, her blue eyes wide with hope.

I smiled at the girl, “Let me check.” A large platter of cheeses, fruit, and meats appeared in my hands. “How about these instead? A race called goliaths prepared this.” I had taken these from Maveith’s room in Eternis. I had already drunk all the mango juice but hadn’t touched the platter.

Lexi started to step toward me, but Karina held her back and cautiously retrieved the charcuterie board from my outstretched hands. She smelled terrible, and her clothes were in a sorry state. She retreated like a shy wild animal. The entire platter was gone in minutes.

The rain slowed and then stopped by mid-morning. The group had eaten so much that they were having trouble moving, and Evie and Lexi looked like they might throw up everything they had consumed. The sucking wet sound of hoofs on muddy ground sounded, and I was relieved to see Benito and Helena leading the group toward us. I stood and waved, drawing their attention. Hopefully, my companions would put these women at ease. 

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