7. Sammy

7

Sammy

I stood frozen on the entrance steps of the town hall. Meeting the council filled me with the same dread as facing my thesis panel had in grad school. Having to explain a project I had worked on for years versus a situation I had no clue how I'd gotten into, however, were two entirely separate things. Still, if I could handle Professor Edmer and her bizarre ramblings and rants, then I'd be able to take on anyone—even fantastical creatures.

"Since let's be real, humans are the true monsters anyway," I muttered under my breath.

Guruk squeezed my hand gently, a solid figure of support in an enticing package. "You all right?"

"Yes." When I looked up at him, the emotions I'd been trying to fight rose to the surface. I wasn't the love at first sight type, but the second this orc had relieved my pain and stared at me with those mint-green eyes of his, everything had changed. "As long as you're here."

Our gazes locked, caught in a storm of hidden feelings. Guruk swallowed, and my eyes tracked the movement of his throat. "Sammy, I?—"

The door opened with a flourish. "Greetings!" A cheerful man dressed in a neon green suit welcomed us. His bright orange hair stuck up like a bees' nest, creating the illusion of additional height, but I suspected he'd only reach about my shoulder without it. His face held a warm, wide smile, perhaps a little too wide. He had eyes the shade of indigo and skin the color of moorland heather. When he waved us inside, I detected a hint of cologne that smelled of dried plants. "Please, come in."

"Thank you, Councilor," Guruk replied for us as my manners abandoned me, my shock over our host's appearance taking the lead.

I kept a firm hold on my orc's hand as we followed the councilor through the town hall. The main room boasted high ceilings supported by wooden columns, with walls lined in rich tapestries telling the village's history in its art. Soft, ambient light filtered through stained glass windows, creating rainbow patterns on the interior stone floor. At the back, a raised dais presided with four chairs assembled in a row.

My apprehension grew. Guruk must have sensed it as he pulled me to his side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I shot him a grateful smile, then turned my attention to the beings on the dais.

Each one appeared so different than the other. On the far left sat a male whose bottom half had dark green scales and a shape like a snake. His upper half was humanoid with a cut torso and chest covered by a plain brown vest, a broad face with cunning yellow eyes, and a hood like a cobra instead of hair. Next to him was a beautiful woman that could have passed for human, except her skin had a sparkling pearlescent sheen and her eyes shone like starlight. She wore a dress that seemed to be constructed of gossamer and gemstones. Perched on the chair next to hers was a being with black oval eyes, silver skin, and diaphanous wings like a dragonfly. They appeared childlike in stature in a simple black tunic, but they possessed a seriousness to their facial features and wisdom in their gaze that hinted at a far older age. Our guide took the empty chair on the far right, settling into it before signaling us to begin.

"Good day to the council." Guruk clapped a hand over his heart and bowed at a slight angle. "Allow me to introduce, Samantha Riley."

"A human!" The dragonfly one cried. "My it's been sometime since we've seen their kind."

"Not since the outer realms fractured and bled into ours," the snake-man replied.

"Indeed," our original guide said, a hint of a smile curving his wide mouth, "we look forward to hearing your story."

The woman nodded, her violet hair falling forward.

I sucked in a breath. "Well, you see, it's like this," I began. My gamer professionalism aided me in relaying my weird tale to the council. I pretended I was talking to my chat about the latest RPG instead of hashing out my own misadventure. By the time I finished explaining the little I knew of how I'd gotten to Havenlore, the council had asked me a few clarifying questions, then Guruk and I had an empty dais as they left to speak amongst themselves in a side room.

"Do you think that went okay?" I asked Guruk, struggling not to chew on my lower lip. The last time I'd been this nervous had been the ninth hour of a marathon stream, when the power had blipped in and out.

"Yes, my anxious little human," he swept me up into a hug, holding my head against his neck, "you did great."

I inhaled, allowing his woodsy campfire scent to calm my nerves. Wrapping my arms around his waist and taking comfort in our embrace was like coming home, a feeling I'd never had in my world. Even being with those closest to me, on our best gaming days, hadn't felt as right as this. A part of me rebelled at the idea of going back and feared what the council might say.

I have to go. What about my friends? The thought echoed through my mind as we waited, but my traitorous heart beat triple time when I imagined leaving my orc. Your orc? I was silently berating the voice in my head to shut it , when the council emerged and claimed their spots on the dais once more. Guruk and I moved to stand before them, my shoulder touching his elbow as we stood side-by-side.

"Sweet Samantha," our guide began with a flourish of his jacket's neon orange coattails as he sat, "we've discussed your situation at length. While your story is most strange, we agree that you are not lying."

I exhaled sharply, not realizing how shallow my breathing had been until that moment. I said sincerely, "Thank you."

"Yes," the snake-man chimed in, "we have limited experiences with humans, but we detected no deception from you."

"It's good that you didn't lie," the elegant woman replied, her voice like a song winding me into her spell. "We would not have tolerated it."

Guruk put an arm around my waist, tugging me closer into his side at this. "Sammy is a true soul."

"We can see that, Guardian," the dragonfly person said. "You need not fear any trouble from us."

"I'd hope not," he said quieter than his former words, but enough for the council to hear.

Our guide rose from his chair and stepped down from the dais. "Be that as it may," he inclined his head toward Guruk, then he extended his longer fingers palm up, "I'm afraid the news we have to share may not be what you wish to hear."

I wasn't quite sure what to do. Guruk came to my rescue by placing my hand atop our guide's, so that our palms touched. I tried not to squirm at the contact and asked, "What do you mean?"

He lifted our extended hands toward each of the council members in turn. "Ozarhax of the naga, Saraeda of the sirens, Petalor of the fae, and I, Fizzle, of the ghouls, who with the power given to us as council of the central village, do hereby declare you, Samantha Riley of the Earth world to be an honorary citizen of Havenlore, with all the rights and privileges therein."

"Wait," I yanked my hand from his delicate grip, "what are you talking about?"

He sighed, the noise as chilling as a scream in a graveyard. "We suspect you've come through the veil, dear Samantha, but we do not know how to send you home."

"I…" A knot formed in my stomach, the reality of my situation hitting me like a surprise final boss. "You can't send me home?" The word was foreign on my tongue. Seattle, nor anywhere else on Earth, had ever been my home, but to think I'd never see my world again? My friends?

Guruk held me, my only anchor in my maelstrom of emotions. "Is there nothing you can do, Councilors?"

"We have granted citizenship to our village." Fizzle gave my shoulder a reassuring pat, glancing back and forth between Guruk and me, until his kind eyes held mine. "You are welcome here."

My vision blurred as tears welled up, but I refused to let them spill over. I sucked in a shuddering breath. "I appreciate that," I said, and I meant it. These people were strangers to me, but still they offered me a chance to belong.

Petalor, the dragonfly fae flapped their wings, hovering above their chair. "We may be able to offer you further solace."

"How so?" Guruk led me closer to the dais to better hear their answer. Fizzle stepped back too, giving the floor to his colleague.

"Perhaps, it would be easiest to show you." The naga, Ozarhax, slithered toward us on his snake-like tail. Then, he darted a look over his shoulder to the siren and said, "Would you be so kind, Saraeda?"

The beautiful siren stepped forward, all of us now standing in a circle. With a warbling voice, she let free a melody unlike any I'd heard before. The delicate, lilting notes rose and fell like an ebbing tide. The summoning intensified, introducing deeper, resonant tones that pulsed as solid as a heartbeat, creating a sense of urgency. With a sharp snap, it cut off, and a creature appeared in the center of our circle.

"Whoa!" I gasped, jumping back and landing with a thud against Guruk's hard chest.

"Steady, little one," he held me steady by the hips, his breath tickling my ear, "it's just a florin."

"The one Thad talked about," I recalled the brief mention of the sacred creature from the bookstore. But nothing prepared me for its undeniable and absolute cuteness.

The florin stood a bit more than waist high on me. Three tails almost as long as that patted the ground while they hopped back and forth on their tiny feet. Pastel pink fur covered most of their body except the tips of the tails and the perimeter of their belly, which was covered in a darker pink shade. A stripe of white fur ran down the center of their face and covered their mouth, chin, and cheeks. Finally, their little paws and their adorable round belly also had the same fluffy white fur. They looked at me with button black eyes and a friendly grin in the shape of a bow.

I glanced up at Guruk with puppy dog eyes and whispered, "I think I'm in love."

His rumbling laugh warmed my soul. "The florins have that effect."

"Oh honored one," Fizzle bowed to the pink fluffball of adorableness, "thank you for coming."

Twitters and tweaks, not that different from a hamster's noises, came form the florin's mouth.

"Yes, we understand." Saraeda held out her delicate hand, long fingers brushing the florin's paw. "We're sure it was quite the trip. Please, take what you need."

Guruk bent to my ear. "They live off the energy of others, taking a small sip from us larger folk to sustain them."

I watched in awe as the florin patted the siren's hand after a moment and twittered something that could only be interpreted as a thank you.

"Excellent, now allow me to tell you of this human's plight." Fizzle motioned toward me and began to launch into the details of my account.

The florin nodded along, humming in spots as our guide spoke.

The rest of the council filled in with their knowledge and thoughts about my situation, adding in that they had given me citizenship in Havenlore. I had mixed feelings as I listened, glancing ever so often at my orc as I did. Yet, in the end, I found myself hoping that this sweet florin would be able to help me—one way or another.