Year 21

"Oh come on Saldinius you can't do better than that?" you say.
"Sorry, but times are hard right now, that's the best I can offer!" Saldinius replies making a shrugging motion.
"Bah, fine. You're lucky I got more important shit to do."

You take your coin from Saldinius and make your way back to your humble room back at an inn. (Some things never change)

The Galpatis Empire might be going through a "Golden Age" but from what you can tell life is pretty much the same here as it was in your time. The poor bastards are struggling to survive, the rich bastards are sitting on their fat asses reaping all the benefits and everyone in between is just trying to make their own way to be a rich bastard and avoid becoming one of the poor bastards.

Still, you suppose you could have wound up in a worse city when you got stuck here. Galapolis is the shining jewel and seat of the Empire and it's easily five times the size of Holgard ever was. There is no shortage of opportunity for a rogue like yourself here. Crime doesn't change too much after all and if anything you're probably a little more skilled at it than most.

That first year was really hard though. You sometimes didn't know if you were going to make it or not. It wasn't really the survival aspect, but more the mental aspect. True you didn't exactly have a "good life" in your own time, but you still had ties.

Many nights you thought about your family and how you'd possibly never see them again. You even cried on more than one occasion. Maybe you left on bad terms, but probably in the back of you mind somewhere you thought that maybe you'd reconcile somehow with your mom and dad.

Of course there was your sister as well, though you probably thought about her more since you used some of the knowledge from her stories to help you through this.

You found the inner strength to carry on by learning the language, the surroundings and everything else you could. It's quite the accomplishment really. Unfortunately the only thing you haven't learned is how to get back home.

You haven't lost hope on that dream though. Magic seems to be more common, or rather more impressive from what you've seen of it. The city of Galpatolis is protected by a giant invisible shield for example and when a dragon attacked (You nearly shit your pants when you saw one of those for the first time especially since it was much larger than the stories you heard) the beast couldn't even penetrate the defenses and its breath attack was reflected back. Eventually it was brought down by more magical defenses that disintegrated it completely.

If the magic here has that power, then surely there might be a way back home with it. The main problem is magic seems to be highly restricted to the upper class. Like nobles and such. It isn't even like you've ever found any practicing hedge wizards or witches. Those types apparently get rounded up fairly quickly or they probably live far away from the Empire, which is pretty damn large. (As far as you can tell you're currently located where the Delantium Kingdom would be located and Galpatis Empire stretches much more than that.)

There doesn't even seem to be any "divine magic" either or religion as you know it anyway. The citizens of the Empire all seem to worship the current Emperor as a "living god." (The body just being a vessel for him until he discards it for a new one)

Deities in any other sense seem to be fringe beliefs at best or considered to be reserved for uncivilized barbarians that live outside the empire.

In any case, you've asked around and done as much research as you can on the matter and there is one place in the Empire which has slightly more relaxed rules on magic and that's the town of Arcanius. Though it's not so much of a town as it is a giant magic testing area. There is where all the less disciplined, unwanted bastard children of nobles who have minor abilities or just downright anti-social wizards go to practice their skills without as much supervision though apparently there is still a powerful warden that oversees everything.

The funny thing is, it isn't restricted to go there, but there is little reason for the average non-magical person to do so. For one thing it's a very long journey and not in the most hospitable place of the Empire (Close to the Cloudpeake Mountains) Second, it isn't like the average Empire citizen wants to hang around a bunch of unhinged miscreant magic types. Though for you, it's probably your only possible chance at getting back home.

In any event, you've raised enough coin and made the right shady connections to gain rare passage there. The use of carriages is a lot more exclusive during this time, let alone using them to travel to another city. However seeing as you're heading to a town not many want to go to anyway, your obvious lack of nobility isn't as much of an issue. Indeed you'll probably be assumed to be another bastard.

The ride leaves tomorrow and you need to be on it so you need to get your rest. You spend the rest of the day and night packing everything you plan on taking, because if all goes to plan, you won't be coming back.

You head to where the carriages are getting ready to leave and with a few extra bribes, bullshit explanations, and general apathy of the soldiers, you're waved into one of the carriages heading to Arcanius.

It's going to be a several day journey from what you know so you're glad when you find that you have a carriage all to yourself. You'll be able to stretch out.

Eventually there is some shouting heard outside, along with the crack of several whips. Before you know it you're on your way.

You never were much of a reader before, but seeing how long this trip is going to be, you figured it would be a good idea to take some literature with you along the way. If you do manage to get back, you might even be able to sell this stuff for a hefty profit. Galpatis items would no doubt go for a lot. (And you've collected a few other small items with this in mind)

As you spend a few days reading some books (and improve your basic understanding of the Empire's language in general) your thoughts start to wander a bit.

What if you've changed the future just by being here?

You've never pondered this before, but maybe it's due to reading too much philosophy during the trip, but what if you've changed things?

You can't imagine that you've changed that much since you've surprisingly haven't even killed anyone since being here. You've stolen a lot of things, but is any of that really going to make a difference in the long run?

You don't know.

What if you go back and there is nothing to go back to? Or more specifically what if you made changes here to the point that you don't exist?

"Oh shit." You mutter as you ponder this new possibility.

At first you were concerned that you might not be able to get back home. Now you're concerned that maybe you shouldn't go back home!

You go back and forth on this many times.

Staying here has always been something you thought might be inevitable anyway so would it really matter?

You get the impression that if you stayed here, you could probably carve out a future for yourself. You think with time and effort you could rise to be greater than your current status in the criminal world. Hell, you probably could get your own organization started.

For all you know you're the founder of the Ebony Claw Syndicate.

Now you start to wonder if you were MEANT to be here.

"What the hell am I thinking? I need to go back! I can't fucking stay here…can I?" you say to yourself.

In any case your struggles with metaphysical matters soon turn into very real struggles because your carriage (along with the rest) are suddenly attacked!

You hear shouting and the galloping of several horses. A look outside your window and you see a bunch of figures on horseback armed with spear type weapons and bows. At this range you think they might be green skinned. Probably orcs given the noises they're making.

So much for Empire territory being safe everywhere. Granted you are currently closer to one of its borders, but you'd think that would just mean they'd protect it a hell of a lot better.

The carriage you're currently on goes faster, but it's obvious that the orc raiders are going to attempt to cut everyone off assuming they don't kill everyone with arrows first.

Several of said arrows go into your carriage and you try to get as flat as possible. You really wish you still had your pistol. You'd at least be able to fire back.

"THEY'RE GOING TO CATCH UP TO US! EVERYONE TO ARMS!" you hear someone shout and the carriage comes to a halt.

Last time you looked, there was a hell of a lot of orcs. Granted you have some of the Empire's soldiers with you and hopefully a few of the bastard passengers in the other carriages are above average with their lack of formal magic training, but it's not going to be an easy fight.

You almost wonder if you should just run for your life. As strange as it is, you haven't been in a real life or death fight in years since you've been here. You're probably a little rusty. There's also the fact that most of the people you ever fought with were other humans. Orcs are a whole different story. Especially this blood thirsty looking lot.

You run

Remembering when your other carriage ride was attacked by bandits, you didn't stick around and fight them, you took off and ran and it worked out (more or less). Seems like the same strategy should apply here.

You get out of the carriage and start unhooking one of the horses tied to your carriage. The driver who is still nearby sees what you're doing.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? You need to start slinging spells at those orcs!" the driver shouts.
"Yeah, well that won't be happening." You say.

The driver at this point grabs your arm.

"And why the fuck not?"
"Because I'm not a fucking wizard asshole!" you reply and then slug the driver in face.

He falls to the ground and you successfully get the horse free. You're about to mount it when the driver once again attempts to stop you.

"Cowardly sonof…"

That's all he gets out before you shove a dagger in his throat and kick him to the ground again. You don't bother to retrieve the dagger as you see orcs quickly swaming the area, you just get on the horse and gallop away.

Your next plan is to follow the road and hopefully you'll eventually reach your destination. It's not ideal and you're still not exactly sure of the directions, but you're hoping you can figure it out as you go or hope that the Empire at least has signs on their more isolated roads even if they apparently don't have proper security on them.

You haven't gotten far when a javelin whizzes past you. You look behind and see two orcs in pursuit. You can't really do much except duck as low as you can and try to outpace them.

You see a bridge in the distance and head towards it. You feel something hit your back, or rather your backpack. Fortunate that you were wearing it to block the arrow.

One of the orcs has dispensed with ranged attacks and is concentrating on closing the gap. When you get to the bridge, he's almost on you and swinging a morning star.

You draw your sword and try to swing it at the orc. Unfortunately the orc's morning star partially wraps around it. Between riding and awkwardly trying to fight, you don't have enough grip to pull the sword back, especially since the orc is much stronger and pulling his own weapon back as well.

So you do the only logical thing and let go of the sword causing the orc to pull too much on his end, lose his balance; fall off his horse and over the side of bridge.

You don't have too much time to celebrate however since the other orc hasn't given up on ranged attacks and throws his last javelin at you. On the plus side it doesn't hit you. The bad news is it hits the horse causing it to flail and causing you to also lose balance and go over the side of the bridge!

The water isn't excessively deep, but the current in the river is strong that it instantly starts carrying your away. You no idea where the hell it's taking you, but your main concern is trying not to drown.

You tread water for a while in your attempt to get to shore despite the strong current. Eventually you manage to grab on to a fallen tree trunk and drag yourself to shore.

You're soaked, you're cold, and you're exhausted. You lost your pack during your time in the river and you have no idea where you are now, but you're too tired to care. You lie motionless on the muddy bank you're on for a moment just trying to gather yourself, but as they say, no rest for the wicked.

"Shit!" you shout just barely rolling out of the way of the large branch wielded by the orc who also fell off the bridge. You don't know where he came from and you didn't even hear him, but none of that matters right now. What matters is how you're going to survive his assault.

Miraculously, despite losing nearly all your other possessions in the river, you still have one extra dagger on your person. You draw it, but you don't have a positive feeling about your chances.

As tired as you are, the orc is fairly clumsy about swinging his branch at you so you manage to dodge. Obviously more used to fighting on horseback.

Still, the orc has a lot more endurance than you do and eventually he catches you with a glancing blow upside your head. You fall to the ground, dazed. Expecting the next hit to crush your skull, you hear the orc make a more anguished cry.

You look and see a woman dressed in fur clothing with a bow and she's currently getting another arrow ready now that the orc's attention is directed towards her and didn't go down from the first shot.

She hits it again, but it keeps coming. Now she begins to panic, but still attempts to get off another shot. She misses though.

Meanwhile, you've managed to recover a bit, and once again you can take the opportunity to run while the orc's attention is divided.

You run

Having no pride and a strong sense of self-preservation, you muster up all your remaining energy and run in the opposite direction of the orc and woman.

You run a good distance through some trees, but you soon find yourself very winded and you have to stop. You don't hear anything following you, so you take that as a good sign.

The problem now however is you are completely lost. You're not even by the river anymore and you're reluctant to retrace your steps lest you run into your greenskin friend again.


You rest a moment and figure afterwards you'll get your bearings though you're now so drained that the moment you lay up against a tree and close your eyes, you fall asleep.

When you wake up, it's dark and you're still in pain, along with being cold, the only good thing is you think you must have lost the orc since you doubt if you have reawakened at all

Since attempting to travel in this darkness would be foolish in your condition, you don't try. You just continue to try to get some more rest and hope you can find your way back to some sort of civilization at this point because you still really hate the wilderness.

You close your eyes again and manage to get back to sleep.

At some point you wake up again. This time you couldn't have been asleep too long since it's still dark. However that's not the important part. The important part is the fact that two red eyes are staring at you in the darkness.

And it certainly isn't an orc.

You grab your dagger and rise to your feet, and that's about all you manage to do before whatever the creature is rushes forward and completely overwhelms you.

Your screams are brief before its claws tear through your soft skin and its teeth rip out your tasty organs.