Chapter 1: A long trip

Chapter 1: A long trip

Nathan twisted the key to his apartments front door and felt the heavy bolt clunk back. He took three steps into the darkened single-room studio, swinging the door closed and shucking his backpack into the center of the bright carpet that took up most of the open floor space. Then he flopped into the overstuffed armchair that was the largest piece of furniture in the place, aside from the bed.

It had been a nightmare to get the chair up the stairs and into the apartment, but Nathans friends had earned their pizza for helping him move out of the graduate student dorms a few years ago. Besides, hed found the comfortable chair marked up for grabs on the street when somebody had moved out. On a graduate students stipend it was hard to turn down comfortable furniture for the low price of free.

Sighing, Nathan twisted in the chair to fish his phone from underneath his wallet and keys, pulling up the meditation app. Hed started doing mindfulness meditation almost a year ago to help deal with the anxiety of graduate school. To his surprise, it had helped.

Im definitely better about not just sitting in this chair and feeling bad about everything I should be doing. I can meditate and feel productive about not doing anything instead!

Nathan started the session, listening to the soothing voice through his earbuds as he relaxed deeper into the cushions. He let his mind relax, stilling his inner voice and focusing on the sensations of breathing, of gravity pulling his body into the chair.

Time passed, and Nathan didnt focus on anything. He didnt plan, and he especially didnt worry about the fellowship application due soon or tomorrows experiment that would cap off the last two months of work. If that experiment worked, it would be a big step forward towards his doctorate. If it didnt well. It depended on how it didnt work. Nathan realized he was spiraling, and with a moment of attention the worries dissipated like smoke.

Some more time passed, and another thought intruded on Nathans mind. [A kinnar avi, nukol ad kayikxrokko, dlan avail-xalark da dhak!]

He was confused.

The words had emerged clearly in his consciousness in a deep, booming voice, but he didnt understand where theyd come from or what language it was. He was pretty sure they hadnt come from the earbuds - the words had seemed injected directly into his brain.

He was about to stop meditating early and start making dinner when it happened again, the words more forceful this time. They pressed against the inside of his head, grinding and overwhelming. [A KINNAR AVI. DANO DA NO JAILROAV UDLAKK DHO XAAK. A KINNAR AVI]

Nathans eyes snapped open and he tore off his earbuds, exhaling with frustration.

I dont need this now! Cant it wait until after the cytometry experiment? Just gimme a 24-hour rain check.

He started to stand, but the voice crashed into his skull for a third time. It wiped out thought.

[DANO DA NO]

Nathan didnt feel the chair under him anymore, or the clothes on his skin. His eyes were open and saw nothing but black. Air tore itself from his open mouth and his ears spiked in pain.

This must be what being in vacuum feels like. Why arent there any stars?

Nathan flailed, accomplishing nothing but feeling the vacuum pulling on his lungs and eyes and the spit in his mouth boiling away. He tumbled in absolute darkness, with no reference point and no sense of anything other than himself.

Welcome to Davrar

Davrar will help you survive

Adapting you to the local biosystem

Calibrating to your understanding and determining your capabilities

Please, be patient, this will not take long

What.

Nathan desperately wanted to figure out what any of that meant, but the box vanished as soon as he parsed what it said. The man in orange was hovering next to him and when he saw Nathan open his eyes he heaved a relieved sigh and started to talk quickly. Hail the Giant, you must be so confused. Be patient just a moment and all will be explained. Each word caused another pulse of pain, but they were just faint wisps of the paired migraine of a moment before.

Hang on, that wasnt English or Spanish. And neither was the text in the box. How did I understand that? Was that magic? Im being carried by a statue?

The man had distinctly spoken in the same language as before, but Nathan understood all the words and the grammar. His head was sore, his breathing uncertain and too many questions and observations swirled in his mind, so he let the statue carry him down another flight of stairs and to a metal door.

Beyond the door was a small stone room in the same seamless pale marble, complete with bed, table and two chairs in light wood. In one corner of the room a trough of water smoothly ran underneath a hollowed-out seat. The statue (or golem? Animated object?) gently set Nathan down in one of the chairs, on one side of the table. The orange-robed man smoothly slid into the seat across the table and his orange eyes focused on Nathans face like two searchlights. Given that they were faintly glowing, it wasnt too bad of a comparison.

I will explain. I am Grand Dimension Archmage Taeol dho Droxol, seventh finger and third researcher of the Ascendant Academy of Giantsrest. I have summoned you here in a grand quest for Insights and power. I scried across dimensions to find he was interrupted by Nathan loudly coughing into his elbow, his lungs feeling scraped raw. Taeols eyes widened briefly, and he took in Nathans teary eyes and naked body. Oh, a gauntlet of apologies. You have had a long journey. His lips curved into a self-satisfied smile. A very long journey.

Taeol sized up Nathan, then gestured to the statue/golem. Fetch an extra-large apprentice robe, a bowl of porridge and one spoon. The golem immediately turned and left the room, closing the door behind it. Taeol leaned across the table, catching Nathans left hand in his right even as Nathan flinched away. He spoke again in that resonant voice that Nathan was starting to associate with spellcasting.

[Moderate Curing]

Nathans residual headache lessened dramatically, his breathing evened out and the ringing in his ears reduced to background noise.

He called himself an archmage! He used magic on me! Theres magic here and I can probably learn it!

Excitement quickly replaced the pain. Nathan knew he should probably be scared, he should probably ask what the hell had just happened to bring him here. But instead his mouth spoke the words at the front of his mind. Can I learn magic?

Taeol smiled again, broad and genuine. Yes my boy. You will give me the secrets of your world, and I will teach you magic. Together we will grasp Davrar and bring it to our breast!