The Other Side: A Second Chance

City life isn't what I expected in this world. Dying and being reborn in another world—a fantasy one at that I hadn't expected things to feel so normal. I've been in this world for seven years now, and to think I still mentally refer to it as "fantasy" is probably something I'll never stop doing. Aside from the Harry Potter moving pictures and the large zeppelins floating around, it feels normal. In the context of this world, I guess it is, but... it feels like the time I walked around Columbus or the brief visit to Detroit, just with a different coat of paint.

It's been over a day since we began our stay with Aunt Saria. My little schooling session with Varis after his little breakdown went well. I'm still somewhat concerned with him, though. As much as I relate to how he feels, I know what he said is truly something he doesn't want. Nobody wants this. I don't want this. Whatever the Master wants me to do or why he wants me to come to this city, I want none of this. I only listened to him during those weeks of running because he knew how to keep me and my family alive.

Last night, I tried to reach out to him. I spoke to him in my mind after Aunt Saria showed Varis and me our new room. Yet nothing. He's gone silent again, and I don't know when he'll return. I remember him saying he wanted to speak when we arrived in the city, that he'd tell me more, and the anxiety is fucking killing me.

I've been telling myself not to think about it and to focus on current events. Yet it's so hard, and that's not the only thing eating away at my consciousness. The war. I had taken a glance at the newspaper my father bought the day before. The Rusivites are tied up along the river we spent so long trying to cross, and it seems the rest of the world is going to shit as well.

I have no idea what an Empire of Napon or a Divine Empire of Xing is, but apparently, those two began to clash, and the so-called Yankys are getting involved. Two nations I did recognize while reading the paper were the nation of Saxosonia, which was to our west or south. It's a little weird, but the nation sort of wraps around Heinmarr on the map, connecting to the northern ocean and southern sea where a landbridge connects our continent Eurion to Aekroth, which is mostly made up of a desert known as the "Dune Sea." Well, it seems the Empire of the Burning Sun, Kossastan, declared war against Saxsonia when it launched an unprovoked attack against the border wall.

The paper talked of the "Sand Crawler Fleet" and how it began to bombard the checkpoints; however, the northern army had anticipated such a move and, after the invasion of Heinmarr reinforced its borders. All in all, as I read the paper, all I could think of was that this world was devolving into total conflict. A great war.

Minor nations left and right were taking sides as the major players reconvened to denounce one another. I read that the Global Allied Nations declared total mobilization, and that man I asked my mother about, Robert Dower, was the one who pushed them all to do so.

"My esteemed colleagues,

We find ourselves at a critical juncture in the history of our world. Conflict rages across Enora, threatening the fragile peace that we have fought so hard to maintain these past two thousand years. The Divine Empire of Xing has launched an invasion of our ally, Napon, while the Empire of the Burning Sun, Kossastan, maneuvers its Sand Crawler Fleet towards the Saxonian Border Wall. Concurrently, the Rusivite invasion of Heinmarr escalates with each passing day, causing more death and destruction in its wake.

Yet, amidst these regional conflicts, a greater threat looms. These so-called Warriors of Light, as they refer to themselves, seek to dismantle the quarantine wall around Garlay, unleashing a darkness that could engulf us all. They believe they act in the name of righteousness, but they fail to grasp the catastrophic consequences of their actions.

We cannot afford to stand idly by as our world teeters on the brink of destruction. In taking the first steps, Yankston has already mobilized the fifth task force fleet to Napon to assist our allies against this unprovoked assault and has also sent an expeditionary force to Eurion to aid our allies in Heinmarr. So I call upon the rest of the allied nations to do the same; we must mobilize our armies, unite our forces, and stand resolute against this existential threat. Our collective future hangs in the balance, and we must act decisively to preserve the peace and stability of Enora.

Once again, I call upon each of you to set aside political differences and join together in a unified front against these so-called saviors of Enora. Together, we can confront these delusional aggressors head-on and ensure that light triumphs overshadow.

Time is of the essence, and thus the time for action is now. Let's stand together once more and show the world why the Global Allied Nations was formed. Let us show the world the strength of our resolve.

Thank you."

Everything was going to shit. At least, that's what it felt like. Would anywhere be safe? I thought to myself. Are we just going to keep running and running for years on end? My mind began to wander. This war didn't appear as if it was going to end any time soon, and I couldn't help but think about how long it was going to be till the Rusivite's eventually broke through, gods forbid, and arrived here at Johanneson. My parents can't think that this city alone is safe. Are we going to be leaving here soon? I asked myself.

"Is everything okay, Luna?" Isa asked, jolting me back to reality.

My head swiveled around the dining room before eventually landing on Isa, who stood behind me. For the first time in ages, I saw she was wearing a comfy bathrobe and looked cleaned up. Her red hair was washed and brushed, and her skin almost seemed to shine with how clean it was. In her hand, she held a cup of coffee, which she sipped gently as she took a seat at the table beside me. When did she get that? I thought I heard no one behind me in the kitchen.

It was early morning—very early morning—and I could hardly sleep the night before due to my anxieties. Even Aunt Saria wasn't awake. I turned to look at the paper on the table and said, "I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep."

My mentor nodded. "I can understand that." She took another sip of her drink. "What's on your mind? You look concerned."

I took a deep breath. "Everything, really." I gripped the table. "The world is going to hell; everyone is acting weird around me; Varis and I had a little fight yesterday; the Master is still silent; and the Rusivites are only a stone's throw away."

Isa nodded slowly as she took one last sip, set her cup down, and pushed it away. "I feel the same way," she said. "Mostly. Why did you and Varis fight?"

I bit my lower lip and sighed. "Well, it wasn't really a fight… Do you remember what he said back on the farm when I woke up?" Isa slowly nodded. "Well, he kind of went off again when we went outside yesterday. I was able to calm him down, but I'm concerned he's afraid in that he thinks he isn't good enough."

Isa nodded slowly. "I understand that children your age tend to not grasp such topics." I glanced at her, and she smiled. "With you being an exception, Luna, for your age, you show tremendous maturity. Varis, though, is young and growing. Boys like him always tend to see themselves as the main characters in their stories—"

"I don't know about that," I said, cutting her off. "I think he's more lonely. Not that his ego is bruised. Or well, maybe both, but… He thinks you, our parents, everyone focuses on me more than him."

Isa blinked, and her fuzzy ears twitched as she pursed her lips in thought before nodding. "I see now. So he's jealous about the attention." I nodded. "Do you think what he says is true?" She asked.

I hesitated but nodded after a few moments. "Yes, but I also understand why Momma and Papa focus on me. They see me as really smart; I'm a natural with magic, and now I have this voice in my head."

"They're also concerned about you," Isa said softly as she looked me deep in the eyes. "When I said you are mature for your age, I was not exaggerating. Even before this tragedy, your parents were afraid that you were growing up too fast, and they had no idea how to take care of you. It is one of the reasons your mother reached out to me all those years ago." She chuckled. "While I never had any kittens myself, I cared for many after my adventures. Now that this Master figure has shown himself, they are deeply terrified."

"They don't seem scared," I whispered.

"That is because they are good at hiding it," Isa said. "However, do not take this as me making excuses." She reached for her cup again. "We have been so caught up in your education and the coming storm, we have been blind to what was happening with Varis." She took a sip. "I will speak to him and your parents to see if we can set something up now that things are settling."

"Are they, though?" I asked, and Isa's eyebrow perked up. "Settling, I mean. I feel like this is just another calm before the storm, like in Oren." I bit my lower lip. "We should keep moving, get farther away from here."

Isa nodded. "That is the plan; however, we have no money, Luna. Aside from my spare coins, your parents lost much of everything when they were captured. Even then, the roads outside of Johanneson are treacherous as well."

"So what's the plan?" I asked her.

"Your folks are still discussing, but the current idea is for your mother, father, and I to work up some light funds to afford a ticket on one of the continental rails," Isa explained.

"Continental what?" I asked.

"A continental rail. Eurion hosts a vast network of rail lines. Many of which only connect to major metropolises like this one." She tapped her finger on the table. "Once we can afford tickets for all of us, they plan on taking us through Saxsonia to Frangor. A trip that could take months to a year if we traveled on foot or even by cart."

"How fast are these railways?" I asked curiously.

Isa smirked. "You saw how fast the mag-trains are, right?" She hummed. "What could be months is cut down to only a few days."

That's like bullet train speed! I gawked. "That is fast!"

Isa smiled, nodded, and hummed as she traced her finger around the rim of her cup. "Try not to worry your little head, Luna." She reached over and patted my head. "Your parents are planning on getting you and Varis out safely. For now, try to relax and enjoy the time of respite we have now." I nodded, and Isa perked up as if an idea had come to her. "Speaking of which," she purred. "Why don't you, Varis, and I go out for a little sight seeing today?" She asked. "If we need money, I need to look for a job anyway, so this makes for a perfect excuse to go out." She winked.

I smiled a bit. "That could be fun! I wouldn't mind exploring around a bit." I giggled, and Isa chuckled.

"Excellent, then." She hummed as we heard a door open down the hall. Shortly after, Aunt Saria entered the kitchen from the hallway, and I nearly fell out of my chair.

Put some clothes on! That was what I wanted to scream when I saw she was wearing a very revealing white nightgown that left very little to the imagination.

As if confused, the elven woman's ears twitched as her head cocked to one side. "Oh, that's right." She smiled and yawned. "I had almost forgotten you all had stopped by."

Isa, who, like me, seemed stunned by the outfit, shook her head, regained her composure, and said, "I take it; like Cailynn, you are not a morning person?"

"Not at all…" The elf grumbled as she glanced down at herself. "I'm used to only having my husband in the house; forgive me." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly her body began to shimmer like a mirage before suddenly she was dressed elegantly. Now standing before us in a nice black and purple suit and slacks, she walked over to the range, where she glanced over the kettle Isa had quietly used to make her coffee.

"Just so you're aware," Saria grumbled tiredly. "I do have this device here." She pointed to a large cylindrical device with various tubes and nozzles. "It's a coffee brewer." She smiled dopily.

"A what?" Isa asked.

"It's a machine that makes coffee quickly too." she chuckled. "I made it a few months ago; it works like a charm."

"Shouldn't you go get dressed, Saria?" Isa sighed. "As nice as the illusion is, Luna is right here."

Saria giggled a little and said, "I will. I will. I just need my brew first."

She began to turn a few of the nozzles and eye the gauge on the machine before reaching up towards a funnel that extended off it and lifting the cap. She then grabbed an aluminum container nearby and opened it, scooped out some beans, and poured them into the funnel. Below that, she grabbed the crank and turned it a few times, and I could hear the beans being mulched within. Finally, she turned a few other handles, and the machine shook and hissed as jets of steam shot out and out from a tiny little nozzle in the front. After a few moments, some fresh coffee began to drizzle into her cup.

"That seems overly complicated," Isa said, and Saria chuckled.

"At first, but once you learn the steps, it's very quick." She hummed as she grabbed her cup and said, "I'll be back in a moment." She took a drink and walked to her room.

I blinked. "That was pretty cool, honestly."

Isa sighed. "Perhaps artificers always make things more complicated."

I glanced up at her. "Isn't father an artificer?" I asked.

Isa glanced at me. "Not really. He dabbles in it, but only when it comes to his firearms." I nodded.

"What about Momma?" I asked.

Isa shrugged. "I don't believe so. I don't know what Cailynn was up to during her time in her tower."

I nodded. "Last time I was in there, she had a ton of little gizmos."

Isa chuckled. "Gizmo. I like that word." She patted me on the head again. "How about you go wake your brother and let's eat some breakfast before we go out and explore?"

I smiled and nodded as I hopped and ran to my room to get Varis.