In a dense forest full of tall, wide trees and birds calling, a group of animals that could be called green-and-white moose were calmly eating grass. But the unaware animals were unaware that they were being watched from afar by a pair of green eyes.
Henryk Zielczyk, until recently a 17-year-old teenager living on the third planet of the solar system, simply called Earth, now, hidden in a bush, observed the enormous antlers of moose from another world, wondering how these creatures moved through the dense forest.
He never got to see these majestic creatures move because the downpour enveloped the entire forest and beyond. The boy cursed under his breath as a billion small raindrops struck simultaneously, creating a gray and gloomy atmosphere.
These shoots began to run through the forest. The treetops did protect him from getting noticeably wet, but not enough to keep him in one place.
"Fuck!" He heard Philip cry out in despair, as if he were sending his displeasure to the gods themselves. "Fuck, you're not lighting a fire," he declared in frustration, throwing down the twins he was trying to light. He glumly saw Henryk emerging from the forest. "Oh, you're here, young man. Be good and bring a blanket from the carriage. And you, Irin, take the horses and shelter them under the trees so they don't sleep outside in this rain."
They found a relatively dry spot and set up camp. The rain was pouring down relentlessly and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Irin was playfully feeding Raven, who had come flying over with raw beans for lack of other options.
"Can I ask you a question, kid?" Philip said, interrupting the sound of the rain.
"And isn't what you just said a question in itself?" the boy replied, watching the rain spoil the landscape.
"You're such a joker." Philip forced a laugh, sitting down on the grass and checking if it was dry. "Anyway... Are you from the Tsuyonokuni Empire?" he asked uncertainly.
"No. I'm not," Zielczyk replied stoically. "Oh, what empire is that? I'm from the slums in a small village." He lied. "And I just got outside, so I'm not up to date on politics or anything."
"Come on, kid, are you serious?" the Merchant asked, surprised. "How isolated have you been up until now?"
"So much so that I can't read," he declared.
During the journey, Henryk took a thick book from one of Philip's chests. When he opened it, he understood so much that he couldn't read a single word. It felt strange to him that he understood the language of another world, as if he were still on Earth, in Poland. However, he couldn't understand writing at all, so he wanted to solve this problem as quickly as possible.
[He also needed to understand the currency of this world.] He decided mentally, doubting whether a banknote bearing Mieszko I's name was worth anything.
While Henryk pondered the future, Irin wrapped her arms tightly around her uncle's neck. Philip squeezed her arm tightly, pulling her closer so they could keep warm together during the night.
"You're welcome to join us, kid," the merchant suggested.
"No thanks," he said with a poker face, gazing calmly at two lonely hills, wondering if the rain, which had already drenched him to the skin despite the trees overhead, reached there.
....
They were three day away from Wojtyn. Nothing unusual happened during that time. The only thing worth mentioning was a conversation between Henryk and Pilip during one of their stops. The boy then asked him where he got his old clothes. The man recounted the events at Count Korin's.
"Why the hell are you doing business with that pig?!" the indignant boy asked, having never forgotten what the count had done to him the moment he came into this world.
Philip calmly explained that he only wanted the rooster back without paying and that he had no intention of keeping his promise to the count.
"So you sold him the rooster and then got it back using a psychological tactic, that with a small loan, he would get everything back and more?" Henryk confirmed.
"I must admit, you caught on pretty quickly," the man praised him. "Usually, such complicated plans need to be explained clearly and slowly."
For the boy, this plan wasn't as complicated as Philip had thought. After all, he came from a world where you had to work hard to get rich.
For the next few days of their journey, they only ate some of Philip's amateurish soups. In short, these soups were just water, potatoes, and salt. Whether he wanted to or not, Henryk had to get used to this kind of food.
[It's still better than starving in captivity, anyway.] He thought, trying to find some positives.
That's basically what the last two weeks had been like for the boy and his colleagues.
....
Wojtyn was larger than Henryk had expected.
It would be a city on a well-fed lake, accessible via a wooden drawbridge. The entire city was a large island surrounded by a high, thick sea. It looked quite familiar.
"Halt! First identification," said the guard on duty, dressed in armor, signaling to the gate guard.
"Let me handle this," Philip said. He ordered Irin to take the reins. He approaches and is sent with the gate guard, who indicates the place for your carriage, which is not available for transfer to external transport. An ordinary merchant's carriage.
The guard acknowledged Philip with understanding, and Philip received the guard a small pouch with silver plaques.
"You may pass," said the guard, and their carriage moved on. The other guards also said nothing and did not stop them as they entered the city.
As they entered the gate, a stone street unfolded before them, with houses like rocks and red-tiled roofs. Philip was so crowded on the street that it was hard for him to avoid them.
"There are so many of them here, aren't there?" said the merchant, who was vaccinating the horses. "There's no way things will settle down here for now until the crowds calm down. Henry, Irin, get a room at the inn."
The device handed his niece three flat, silver rectangles. The boy immediately understood that these were the currency of this world. Philip was only meant for children on the street, and he had already hurried.
Henryk and Irin jumped out of the cart and stepped onto the gray brick sidewalk.
They entered the wooden inn. Inside, at the end, stood a permanent bar, and on the other side stood an aged man with a mustache, wiping a glass with a cloth.
When they approached the bar, Irin placed three silver rectangles on it.
"We'd like a single room for a week," she said.
The man was removed and released to her companion, then sighed.
"But when the sun sets, for silence. No noise."
It took a moment for Zielczyk to realize what he was saying. He covered his eyes with his hand and almost burst out laughing. Irin did so until the last moment.
"And what are you so happy about?"
The boy placed his other hand on the girl and slapped her with a smile.
"It's nothing important."
During this conversation, the man with the mustache placed the key to their room on his shoulder.
"Yes, to be fair, why a single room?" he asked the boy as the red-eyed girl took the keys.
"What don't you like?" The girl asked sarcastically, heading for the stairs leading to the west side of the building.
"That's not the point, what suits me, just won't a single room be too small for the three of us?"
The girl revealed a look of surprise that didn't concern what she was saying.
"Well, Uncle Philip and I will sleep in one bed, and you will be obliged to drive the carriage by anyone who isn't in charge."
"Oh. Explanation," Henryk said, glaring at Irin. "So I have to be a guard dog, right?"
Irin just shrugged. The boy was clearly thinking evil of her, but nothing was done about it.
The upstairs room wasn't very advanced. It would have had an extra bed, a wardrobe, and a table. At the end of the room was a window, which signaled Philip in the carriage. He sat there, his face falling, one at the horses' asses and the crowds approaching from the street.
"Okay, fine." Irin continued. "Now go help my uncle get his luggage."
The solution would be to use a few words that could be eliminated in the event of a twelfth-year-old losing.
Following the instructions, he went downstairs to the inn and went outside, where the conversations of people reacting to each other were, to put it briefly, a real commotion. Philip hadn't appeared earlier, having seen him through the window when the man was first introduced.
"So what?"
"Nothing," the boy replied. "We have a room, but I think you forgot to tell me I'd have to stay here overnight and freeze like a dog."
"Oh, fuck." He cursed quietly. "And for once, I wanted to be diplomatic."
Henryk entered the carriage and sat next to Philip. He saw in his face that he hadn't anticipated his niece would forestall his action.
"Listen, kid," the man continued. "I really need some sleep, and I can't leave all this overnight, so pro..."
"Fine, I'll stay here," the boy interrupted. "But remember to warn me beforehand."
"Thanks, kid. You're saving my ass."
...
Night fell. Philip lay on the bed in his room, and Irin stood by the window, watching Henryk, who was sitting in the carriage, guarding the horses and cargo. Irin sighed loudly.
"Are you sure we should leave him there?"
Her uncle just burst out laughing.
"You were the one who told him to guard him first," Filip reminded the girl.
"I know... But can we trust him?"
"Oh, and I almost forgot you're your father's daughter. Listen, have a little more faith."
"But..."
"Enough of this story," the man interrupted. "Tomorrow you'll go around town with him, because I see you need to become friends with him, otherwise nothing will change between you. And I don't want a stiff atmosphere in the carriage."
"But why?"
"Because I fucking say so. Go to sleep. I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I don't want you hanging around my place."
The girl did as he told her and obediently lay down next to him to fall asleep.