My eyes flutter open as warm spreads throughout my limbs. My youngest feels like sandpaper rubbing against the roof of my mouth. I roll around onto my stomach, licking my lips. I let my eyes adjust to the bright scenery, and the empty feeling comes back but not as bad as the first time. This one was more fear than nothing. It felt like panic. It was indeed panic because before I adjusted, I was on knees crying from fear and pulling on my hair. I didn't know what happened, I was in the library and all of the books were gone and all of a sudden, I was too. I don't know where I am, but it was not somewhere I am fond of. I look around sobbing softly, gathering any information I can. I'm in a small clearing of a forest, but it's not a big one. The forest is very thin, and I see right through to a large sand colored building that has columns reaching all the way to the roof and floor. I pick myself up and cautiously walk over to the building, noting I no longer have my phone. Clinking noises grow as I reach closer to the building. They sound like a workshop. A workshop will surely have people in it. I dash toward the noise, hope rising in my chest and bubbling to my throat. I reach the small workshop and see no one. The hope that arose in me falls down to the bottom of my stomach.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" I ask, a question more to myself but still for others to answer.
There is no response, so I peek around the building walking inside, noting where the exit is. The workshop turns out to be a blacksmith, but there is no one running the shop, despite the clinking noises I heard. Fear and panic are doing somersaults in my stomach, fighting over which one will bubble to the surface and take over. Fight or flight no longer being an option I close my eyes and think of home, hoping it'll be just like 'The Wizard of Oz' and I'll just go home. It doesn't work, so I make my way to the next only to be stopped in my tracks, seeing something shiny in the ashes. It's a silver dagger, still warm from the embers of the fire it was forged from. Without thinking, I grabbed the dagger, placing it in my pocket. With certainty that no one was there, I walk to the giant building with columns running in and down the entire side.
I get to the building and see how large-scale it is to me, like it was built for giants. Looking to the side of the building, there is a perfect set of stairs for me. I take them without hesitation, thinking maybe God is up here and I can go back home. When I climb to the top, there is a set of giant doors accompanied by a smaller set that's been built in. I knock on the door, hoping for an answer. Nothing happens, so I know again. This time, the door creaks open, without a trace of anyone. I slip my hand in my pocket, laying it on the dagger, and walk through the door. The door closes behind me with a loud bang, and I see how big the room is inside. There is large stone furniture and tables, holding large glasses full of what looks like wine. For the flooring, it's an older style of tiles with shapes that match each corner. I swallow hard, embracing the cold chill of the room. I'm overwhelmed with the room and turn to the door, only it's not there, just the same decorative wall as the other side. Overwhelmed turns into fear and the fear into panic. Just as I'm about to drop to the floor, a booming voice erupts from the room, with no specific point of where it's coming from. Immediately, I pull out the dagger and turn all around me, seeing no one. The loud voice, still unintelligible sounds again only with black smoke arising from thin air. Blocking my vision for a short amount of time, I scurry to a corner dagger ready to slash. The misty smoke ascends into the roof and disappears, leaving behind a large figure.
"Where did you go, little human?" The voice questions. Appearing clear to be a large, well in shape man.
He looks around the room, under the chairs and tables, before he turns and finds me in the corner. Fear takes over, and I slash the dagger at him, trying to scare him. It was no good, the man laughs and smirks. The smoke forms beneath him, and he shrinks down to my size only taller. He looks at me questionably, opening and closing his mouth, trying to make out a sentence.
"You're quite small," the man says.
"What...?" I question, the fear slowly falling away.
"M'yes, you are quite small. What is your name, human girl?" He asks, like this is totally normal.
"My name is Mariah, Mariah Selts," I answer without a second to waste.
"Well miss, Selts, we need to put you in training right away. Your fight is in a week," the casually adds.
"I'm sorry, what? What even is your name? How did I get here? And what is even happening?" I question with authority, pointing the dagger toward the large man.
The man answers with a tsk and shake of his head. He reaches for my hand, but I jerk away, and a scowl grows on his face. I slowly reach for his hand, dropping the dagger in my pocket. Black misty smoke arises and overtakes the room, panic rushes in, and I look at the man who has a reassuring look planted on his face. I embrace the smoke and close my eyes.
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