"Wasn't there a book similar to this on that novel reading website?"
"I think it had an ogre in it. But it wasn't a book that transported her. It was a portal in the middle of nowhere, I think."
"Okay, but are we certain this is the book's fault and that we didn't trip into a portal? We were drunk! Who's to say, honestly?"
Thanks to an obsession with reading, Brynn, Jaslyn, and Hazel digested the revelation of this being a different world rather easily. As they pieced together the insane state of affairs they were currently in, the book Hazel picked up the night before proved rather useful.
They treated it as a guidebook, looking for clues in direction and locations. It took several times skimming the book, but finally they found a small map drawn onto one of the pages. The details were sketchy and smudged, but they were able to use the map to figure out which way would be the best to travel.
Which led to the current topic: which smutty book could this turn into?
"Now, the interesting bit is according to the book, there's a broody fae prince traipsing around somewhere," Brynn pointed out. "Is he the main love interest or is it his demon friend?"
"Why not both?" Hazel asked distractedly, eyes focusing on the mountains. Sounds of affirmation and agreement came from behind her and she would have smiled if not for the pure exhaustion in her very bones.
They were walking towards the mountains now. The knowledge of, if the book was to be believed, an outpost waiting on the slopes made the decision easy. Surely, there would be some sort of civilization nearby, even a small village.
Hazel hoped something would pop up in the distance, some sort of structure indicating life. So far, though, nothing. All she could see for miles in any direction were trees and grass.
On occasion, birds would fly overhead or a herd of deer-like creatures would trot into view. But for the most part, it was very quiet. Where were the predators? The man eating creatures?
"This is weird," Hazel said suddenly, stopping in her tracks and just staring into the distance.
Jaslyn pulled up on one side and Brynn on the other. "Well, yeah," Jaslyn replied, widening her eyes in the universal sign of duh. She propped one arm on Hazel's shoulder and leaned in. "We are in a parallel universe based on a book."
Hazel shoved her arm off with a huff. "I'm not talking about the glaringly obvious! Look around." Jaslyn and Brynn did as they were told, looking at the landscape with scrutiny. "There is nothing here. Absolutely nothing. Not even on the horizon. I just don't know what to make of it. This can't be an empty world!"
"Maybe you're just missing it?" Brynn asked, squinting to look in the distance. They started walking again; despite the progress they'd made that morning, it still felt like the mountains were years away.
Hazel pulled the book back out of her bag and studied it. She opened the pages and flipped through them again, eyes stuttering over the drawings of mighty swords, cracked geodes, and flames licking the pages. This stupid book. This ridiculous piece of parchment. Frustration and anger swelled in her chest, her fingers squeezing the book. For a brief moment, concern over ripping the pages rippled through her.
"This is bullshit!" she finally screamed, throwing the book as hard as she could to the ground. Sounds of protest came from her friends. But Hazel couldn't find it in her to care. Tears of frustration and helplessness pooled at the corners of her eyes. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes. She hated how easily she cried. Emotions in general had unintentional tears gathering and she always thought it undercut what she felt in the moment.
"This damn book is the problem! What the hell? You can take us here but you can't take us home?" Done. Absolutely done. "What the hell are three human women supposed to do here?"
Of course, no answers came. The book didn't hover, it didn't speak, and it certainly didn't take her back to the moments before their ride arrived. The moments before a magical bookshop caught her eyes. It was just Hazel, standing in waist high grass with tears on her cheeks and her hand clenched into fists.
Jaslyn passed her by, not saying a word. Brynn took up a spot next to Hazel and they watched as Jaslyn rooted around the grass for a few moments before producing the book once more.
Hazel could feel a twinge in her chest when she saw the dirt and scratched cover. Feeling as though she failed some test, some ritual, she tugged the book from Jaslyn, clutched it to her chest and crouched down.
"Look, I get how pissed you are," Jaslyn told her, the constant calm in Hazel's storm. "Honestly, this morning, I was pissed at you for even picking up that thing." Hazel squeezed her eyes shut. "But what else are we going to do? We can't go home. We can't hitch a ride. All we've seen are animals. We just have to keep moving. That's all we can do right now, alright?"
Hazel reluctantly nodded, weakly pushing herself back up. Inhaling deep, she opened her mouth and said, "I'm sor -"
"Nope!" Brynn said cheerily, slapping a hand over her mouth. "Not today. You can apologize when we have found somewhere with food and a bed. Onward!" Hazel nodded and tucked the book back into her bag silently.
And then, just as she did earlier in the day, Brynn took off - leaving Jaslyn and Hazel no choice but to follow her.
*
"I think I hear a river," Brynn called out. They'd gotten closer to the forest, a fact making Hazel increasingly nervous. Who knew what could be lurking in those woods? What sort of dark and bloodthirsty creatures called this world their home? And how many of them lived in those trees?
Brynn didn't seem to have the same train of thought and if so, she didn't give a damn. She veered off to the left, ducking under the shade of the trees in search of water.
Jaslyn and Hazel hurried after her, not wanting to lose her. "Maybe you should put a leash on her, instead," Hazel suggested with a small grin.
Jaslyn swung herself over a log and laughed. "Nah, I think you both need leashes at this point. Free roaming friends are bad for my health."
Hazel couldn't help but agree. Cheering could be heard from ahead of them and as they walked through a thicket, Brynn was already sitting next to the river, shoes off and feet in the water.
"I was right!"
Gravel crunched under Hazel's feet as she hurried to the river. Between the breeze, the river and the shade overhead, Hazel could feel her body temperature dip ever so slightly. She wiped sweat away from her forehead and off the back of her neck, slumping against a rock and following the example of Brynn and now Jaslyn. She yanked off her shoes and socks, grimacing at the dirt caked inside and plunged her feet into the water.
Relief swept over her and instantly, she felt cooled. Hazel leaned forward, cupping the water in her hands and taking a long drink.
Everything hurt. Her feet, her legs, her back. Her skin felt grimy and sticky. Dirt was officially stuck in places dirt ought not. Hazel grimaced, closing her eyes. "I'm seriously considering just flinging myself into the water."
Jaslyn nodded, groaning as she settled onto the ground. "I need to be clean and I need a nap." She closed her eyes and sighed. A breeze slid over Hazel's skin as she contemplated following suit. "I think nap first, though," Jaslyn added. "I don't think I can move another inch."
"Same." Brynn frowned, rubbing the tension in her shoulder. Settling her bag between her legs, she rummaged for a moment before producing her phone.
Guilt throbbed in Hazel's chest once more. She didn't have anyone back home that would miss her. Between family tensions and cheating ex boyfriends, there wasn't much to reminisce over.
But the same could not be said for Brynn. Hazel cast her eyes to the ground, hands clasped together in her lap.
Brynn had a husband and a daughter. What must they be thinking? Brynn informed them she would be staying over at Hazel's place last night. But this morning? This afternoon? Brynn should have been home already, asking her daughter how her day went and snuggling up to her husband.
But instead, she was here. In some fairytale land with no noticeable way home.
Hazel glanced at her friends. Jaslyn still had her eyes closed and legitimately looked like she would fall asleep any moment. Brynn was looking at her phone with a small smile; Hazel could only guess she was looking at pictures.
As for Hazel, her hand fell to the bag at her side, finding the outline of the book that started it all. "You have to have answers…" she whispered, heart heavy in her chest. "You just have to…"
Leaves rustled as the three rested, gaining a small measure of peace. Hazel could have sworn she heard something crunching leaves, but brushed it off. Most likely one of those deer again. Instead, she contemplated pulling the book out and giving it another read. After all, maybe there were -
"Who are you and why are you on my property?"
Jaslyn shot up and Brynn nearly lost her phone in the river as they faced whoever asked the question.
The voice was gruff, deep, and nothing like Hazel had ever heard before. Shivers raced down her spine, her skin prickled uncomfortably and judging from the looks on Jaslyn and Brynn, whatever stood behind her was...scary, to say the least. Before she could stop herself, Hazel slowly turned around to face the voices' owner.
Logically, Hazel knew she would see things and creatures she never encountered before. But she didn't expect her first run in with a fantasy creature to be with . . . whatever was standing in front of her.
The creature towered over her, easily ten feet tall. The top of it's head was clean shaved with the rest of the hair coming into two tied off tails off it's shoulders. Tusks curved from it's bottom lip and it's skin was a burnt red, like a permanent sunburn,
It frowned, leaning closer. "I'm sorry. It appears I startled you. Would you mind telling me where you're from? Perhaps I can help you return." Hazel had no idea what to do. The creature had no weapons. In fact, it looked a little sleepy, like it had just woken up from a nap after hearing the noise they caused and wanted to investigate. Scared as she was, she didn't fear for her safety . . . not at that moment, at least.
Hazel swallowed, her throat dry and her words were hoarse. "Uhm, we, uh . . . we aren't from here," she choked out, trying not to stare. Staring was rude, even to something (someone?) who wasn't human.
The creature hummed out an affirmative noise. "I can see that. No one wears clothes similar to the ones you wear." It (he? The voice was deep enough.) stood back to full height and frowned.
"I'm sorry for trespassing," Hazel said, fingers wringing together as she tried to keep her voice level. "We're just…very lost."
Looking them over once more, the creature gave a nod. "You look harmless enough. Come. My mate will help feed and clothe you. Once you're cared for, perhaps we can find your way home."
Hazel looked at Jaslyn and Brynn, who mouthed, WE look harmless enough??
Hazel shrugged helplessly and asked with intense staring what they thought of what was going on. They held out their hands and shrugged in return. "What other options do we have?" Jaslyn asked tiredly. She waved the front of her shirt, getting the air moving. "I want a bath. And clean clothes sound great. So does food. If they're willing to help us then I don't see a reason to say no."
Brynn nodded. "Weirder things have happened today. I vote we go." The male snorted, sounding suspiciously like a laugh.
With nerves on edge, Hazel turned back to the male and nodded. "Thank you. We would love to come back and meet your…mate."
He nodded and gestured for them to follow. "It's odd no one else has come to you yet," he commented, pushing aside saplings and cutting through the grass with ease. "My mate could smell you from our home."
"Do…do we smell that bad?" Brynn asked, a little horrified. She tried to discreetly lift her arm and sniff. "I mean…"
The male roared a laugh. "No. An ogress can smell anything within their claimed territory. You just happened to enter ours. There are many races who can smell even the slightest change in their region."
Hazel was quiet for a moment, before asking, "So…you're an ogre?" Ogres were a thing here. And apparently . . . quite charitable, if what this one offered was to be believed.
He nodded. "I am called Noxus. Do you not have ogres in your homeland?"
She shook her head, letting out a nervous laugh. "No. No, we don't. Honestly, we didn't even know ogres were real. All we have are humans."
Noxus frowned, grunting as he stepped over a fallen tree. Brynn, Jaslyn, and Hazel scrambled over the trunk themselves, dropping to the other side. Hazel waited for him to say something more, but he remained silent.
As for Hazel, she couldn't help but think of how well they seemed to be handling the current situation. Although she nearly lost her mind at the beginning of the day, she got over it rather quickly. She blamed the fantasy books lining her shelves at home.
Home, she thought, an ache settling into her chest. What would happen to her home now that she was gone? What would happen to her cat? Her books? Her entire life? There weren't many people she would miss, in all honesty. Her family, like many, was incredibly dysfunctional. Divorced parents who used her as the go between and tried to manipulate her. Extended family who only checked in when it suited themselves.
The only people Hazel really cared about were walking beside her. And even thought she knew it was selfish, Hazel couldn't help but be happy they were with her. If she had to face this by herself, there's no way she wouldn't have just stayed beneath the willow tree earlier and cried for hours.
"Here we are."
Hazel was pulled from her thoughts as Noxus led them into a large clearing. Two cows were standing inside a pen, connected to a shelter. They stared at the three humans, almost judging while they chewed on the grass.
Chickens freely roamed the property, clucking and pecking at the ground occasionally. None of the animals seemed to be concerned about the ten foot ogre walking in their midst. The home was cozy and comfortable looking, nothing like she would have imagined an ogre lived.
A river flowed through the property and a small bridge connected to where the house and a vegetable patch lived. A watermill slowly turned with the river current. The home itself looked more like a home for three good fairies than ogres.
Built with mossy stone, large windows took up most of the wall space. A thatched roof with gemstone flowers growing in it protected the home. Vines dropped down, most likely from the flower growth, and created a green veil around the home.
It was charming, cozy, and Hazel could imagine drinking tea here on more than one occasion.
They followed Noxus across the bridge, hurrying along as the it shook with every step he took.
The closer they got to the house, the bigger Hazel realized it was. It was definitely built for something larger than than humans. The door swung open and what Hazel could only assume was Noxus' mate stepped outside.
Like her mate, she had two tusks coming from her lower jaw. Except, these were much smaller. They almost looked like jewelry rather than a feature. Dark brown hair was pulled into several braids and tails, sectioned off and hanging over her shoulders.
While clearly feminine, she too carried a sense of danger and looked like she could pull Hazel's arms right out of their sockets with little difficulty.
"Oh, good. You found them. Thank you, Noxus," she said by way of greeting. She came to stand next to Noxus and slightly inclined her head in greeting. "I am Kerga. I hope you do not mind being brought here. It is not often humans come through our lands and if I am to be honest, I felt concern for your wellbeing."
"No, thank you so much for helping us," Brynn replied, taking a step forward and nodding her head as well. "We actually didn't get to introduce ourselves earlier. I'm Brynn. And this is Jaslyn and Hazel." She gestured to each woman in turn. "We're just really confused. And freaked out. We don't know the first thing about this place."
Kerga was already herding them into the home, fussing over their clothes and whether or not they had eaten. "We will get to that. For now, let's get cleaned up and eat, shall we?"
*
Hazel sat on the edge of a huge bed, her feet dangling over the side. Her hair hung over her shoulders, wet and clean. Notes of lavender tickled her nose from the soap she used during her bath. Brynn and Jaslyn were stretched out behind her, the chair big enough for the three of them to comfortably use. She felt clean, but unfortunately, she had to wear her relatively gross clothes. Ogres didn't exactly have human sized clothing, after all. Speaking of . . .
Ogres, it seemed, were not just swamp dwelling creatures bent on savaging your innerds and eyeballs as movies suggested. In fact, Kerga and Noxus were more kind than most humans.
"So, you called Noxus your mate," Jaslyn asked, sitting criss cross on the chair as Kerga placed a small cup in front of her. They must have human sized guests occasionally. "Is that some sort of predestined thing or just a title?"
Kerga placed a cup in front of Brynn and then Hazel, taking a seat at the table once she had them sorted. "Neither," she stated simply. "For ogres, scent plays a large part in finding a partner, for finding the perfect mate. It's not predestined, but our mate is most precious to us. It's not a title, it's a promise."
Hazel looked down at her cup, frowning. "That sounds amazing," she said softly, pinky rubbing the delicate material of her drinkware.
Kerga tilted her head, a quizzical look on her face. "I will admit, I'm not familiar with human mating rituals. Do you not choose mates based on scent?"
Brynn grinned into her cup. "Not exactly. We don't really have the nose for that," she tapped the tip of her nose.
"How are you able to select your mate then?"
Jaslyn shook her head and leaned back. "You shoot your shot and hope something sticks."
Kerga frowned. "Shoot…your…shot?"
"Basically, we just take a chance," Hazel explained. "There's never any guarantee the person we are interested in will reciprocate. Even if they do, there's still a probability of them just…growing tired of us."
Grunting in disbelief, Kerga crossed her arms and stared at the three humans in her presence. "How could you grow tired of your chosen mate?"
Hazel just smiled, humorless and bitter as she thought of her own love life. She thought of the days and nights spent with Sean and the way those memories were just ashes now.
"Well. Humans are just that ridiculous and fickle."
And sipping on her tea, Hazel knew she spoke the truth.