3 Rocky Start
[Outskirts of Rome, August 1st, 79 A.D.][Third Person POV]
On a lone dirt trail covered in mud from the previous night's rain and surrounded by a vast grass plain, space began to ripple above the trail as the very air started to displace. Suddenly, Adam popped into existence in a flash of light as if he had just respawned in a game. Although, whether due to the blue orb's influence or his own luck, something has gone awry…
[Adam POV]
'Why did it show me a Wikipedia Article about Pompeii?' I thought as suddenly my surroundings changed, showing me a bright blue sky. While trying to get my bearings on the scene change, I realized something…
"Huh?? Hahhh?!" I was falling, and I was falling fast! "DAMN YOU! YOU FUCKING BALL!" I screamed as I plummeted into the muddy trail below.
*THUMP*
"ARGGG Fuck!" My body hit the dirt as I faceplanted into the earth, caking my entire front in mud and whatever else was in that filth. I lifted my face from its muddy mold, spitting out whatever gunk got into my mouth. "PTFFF Bleh! What the hell kind of entrance is this?" My journey already seemed rocky, as the moment the mission began, I was already eating dirt.
'Damn, I had a bad feeling when that thing called me dirt… I must have fallen like three meters; this already sucks. I should have stayed in that landscape.'
'You are an idiot if you think this will be easy.'
Suddenly, I heard a voice beam into my head, causing my body to jolt. 'Maybe that fall really did rattle me…'
'I am beginning to regret even reaching out to you.' A monotone choir of voices said, ringing my skull.
'Ah it's that damn Bakugan'
I thought as I tried to climb out of my mud prison and pulled myself onto the non-muddy grass next to me. Breathing heavily with my arms propping me up as I sat leaning back on the grass. "So why are you in my head anyway?" I ask out loud to empty the air. "Are you perhaps worried I would screw up the mission immediately?…Or perhaps are you worried about…me?"
'...'
'No, I just wanted to watch you fall,' the voice said. 'Also, I wanted to inform you about the time limit for your mission.'
"Time limit?" I questioned. "You never mentioned anything about having a time limit? But then again, you didn't mention anything about this mission except for a Wikipedia article…" I stared accusingly into the air in the hopes of glaring at the orb. "What do I need to do anyway?
'I have transported you to the year 79 A.D. near the remains of one of the Roman cities after their civil war's aftermath. Using the knowledge given to you, I need you to identify the anomaly regarding Mt. Vesuvius and its nearest city of Pompeii. This mountain is a vital part of the mission, and something related to the area results in a diverged timeline. I need you to reach the anomaly's location and resolve it before its planned eruption in 23 days. You-'
"Wait, you are sending me to a volcanic eruption?!" I scream, cutting off the orb. "Did you want me to die again that badly?"
'...no, like I was saying… you will have access to the throne of heroes to help you, basic language skills, and the modifications I made to your eyes.' The orb stated, clearly done with me.
"Wait, my eyes? You mean when you assaulted me earlier, you were actually helping me?" I questioned, 'Maybe this orb actually does care..'
'Stop calling me orb, Bakugan, ball, whatever else you have come up with in that hollow skull. I am referred to as Alaya by humans, so use that name instead.'
"Alaya, huh? Nice name, so this whole time you were a girl?" I inquired while raising my eyebrows.
'No' the or- I mean Alaya said. 'I have no gender, and knowing such information is irrelevant to the mission.'
I glance at the ancient-looking town in front of me, taking in a deep breath of fresh air, before looking back towards where I think Alaya is.
"Ok, ok. So what did you do to my eyes anyway?" I asked.
'You have been given a set of eyes that will help you in your mission,' Alaya stated, monotone like always.
"That doesn't tell me anything!" I yell into the air like a crazy person, "I can see perfectly fine, and I don't see how new eyes can help me?"
'...'
'The eyes are magical.'
I started to poke my eyes as if trying to find any issue with it. "Ah, cool, thanks, but seriously, what's the deal?!" Now, hyper-aware that the eyes in my skull are some fantasy thing.
'These eyes would be classified under the name "Mystic Eyes of Flaw Detection," and they will allow you to see traces of what is wrong with the timeline. However, due to the anomaly and your lacking magical ability, all they will give you is a headache the closer you get to the source of the main anomaly.'
My eyes glaze as I realize all she gave me was a persistent magical migraine disguised as a radar. "Wow…thank you for the very helpful assistance Alaya…" I say in a tone dripping with sarcasm.
'You are very welcome.' Alaya states as if it believed me. 'Now go on your mission. You will not hear from me until the mission is completed.'
"Wait! Where is Pompeii anyway?" I ask the air.
'...'
'...'
"Did it just leave me?" Sighing, I got up from the cool grass, tried to pat myself down to salvage my hospital gown from all the mud caking my body, and started to inspect my surroundings. I appeared to be next to a dirt trail leading up to a "city," as I saw a pile of ruins.
Walking up wearing a muddy hospital gown, I noticed signs of conflict as buildings were burning, but the city was deserted. Making sure to step carefully as I was still barefoot, I tried to look for something I could scavenge from this wreckage. Coming up to an overturned cart, I began to look around.
'There's got to be something I can use here…' Eventually, I found a burst-open chest filled with cloth. Digging through it, I realized that none of these clothes would really fit me as they were all very baggy. 'Now, I'm not a history expert, but did these people actually just wear blankets everywhere?'
After fiddling with the blanket-like cloth, I eventually got it wrapped around me in a somewhat presentable manner. "There we go, now I'm not covered in mud. Although I'm not really a fan of this drip…" It was some kind of greenish-whitish fabric that covered me up to my knees. 'This feels like a dress…'
'Ah well, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.'
'Now I need shoes.'
Making my way through the ruined city's roads, I eventually managed to come up to a charred body, and I immediately…started heaving chunks all over the floor.
The "body" looked charred to the point that it was hard to tell that it was even a body in the first place, with all the ashes covering it. Its body had been bisected across the waist, with its guts lying all across the floor. I felt my stomach revolt once again as the smell of the burnt flesh that reached my nose made my body want to turn my insides into outsides. 'Oh god, wtf did I get myself into…'
After emptying whatever nutrition my body had, I began to take notice of the broader surroundings. There were more bodies along the city's roads, all in about the same level of disfigurement.
"..."
'I hate this place already, damn you, you shitty orb.'
Eventually, I managed to find a body with some reasonable damage as it was only filled with arrows like some kind of pincushion. It appeared to be a guy in his 20s who matched my age closely. It stood out because this body still had its feet basically untouched with its sandals still on. Gingerly, I reached down toward the clasp on the back of the foot and tried to shimmy the shoes off the feet without disturbing the body. 'Man, this sucks. I go from organ farm to dogmeat to a fucking vulture. How the hell am I supposed to stop this big ol' anomaly that some super godly orb couldn't.'
Eventually, freeing the shoes from their former owner, I tried them on. "How do people wear these? They suck, it just feels like two plates tied to my feet." Reflecting on my words regarding beggars, I sighed as I continued trudging to find anything worthwhile in this city.
'Wait, but what if I come across other people? Or even…the ones who did this massacre…'
I realized I needed protection, so I went to one of the burning buildings and tried to scavenge around for some charcoal. Finding some was easy, considering my surroundings…As soon as I finished finding enough, I went to a relatively open area far out of the way of that burning city to start the cool magic I "learned" earlier.
-
-
-
"Ok," I say as I clap my hands to dust the charcoal off; now that looks like a magic circle if I have ever seen one. Standing before a pentagram-looking summoning circle, I immediately got jittery as it was time to perform some magic. Forgetting my surroundings, I got really hyped at the idea of being a cool wizard.
"Now it's time to magic the shit outta this place," I say as I reach my right arm out with my palm open.
Closing my eyes, I began to recite the incantation that got brain-beamed into my head like an hour ago.
"Let silver and steel be the essence."
"Let stone and the will of Alaya be the foundation."
"Let these red ruins be the color I pay tribute to."
The Circle started to glow a crimson red as particles of magic started to fill the air.
"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall."
"Let the four cardinal gates close."
"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."
"I hereby declare. "
"Your body shall serve under me. "
"My fate shall be your sword. "
"Submit to the beckoning of Humanity's Champion."
"If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!"
"An oath shall be sworn here! "
The skies started to darken as if the sun's light was being stolen.
"I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. "
"I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!"
"From the Seventh Heaven,
attended to by three great words of power,
Come forth from the ring of restraints, Protector of the Holy Balance!"
As I finished the chant, the glowing magic circle started to hum with power before being engulfed with light that blew the dust into a cloud of dust. The light from the sun started to return to normal.
"Hack Hack." I started coughing as the cloud of ashes got blown into my face.
From the dust, a silhouette formed…
"UMU!"
"Wait, what was that?" That sound brought up repressed memories of a forgone age.
"Servant Saber." A high-pitched, distinctly female voice rang out.
"Nero Claudius, I have arrived in response to your call!"
'Huh, wait…Nero…Claudius?!' I was still so shocked that the magic worked. "Wait, that name…'
"UMU!"
"You have made an excellent choice choosing me, master!"
Standing at a whopping 4'9, a strange-looking blonde girl stood before me on the summoning circle. She was wearing what looked like a red dress with many gold accents and some kind of golden armor around her legs.
"..."
"Did u just uwu me?..."
I immediately turned away as I began to think. 'What the hell am I looking at here? Did I fuck up the summoning ritual? I swear I did it right, so why did I summon a child who calls themselves Nero fucking Claudius? I thought he was a scruffy old guy, not a kid who reaches my stomach?!'
"UMU Master! I do not know what this uwu is, but it is I! Nero Claudius! Emperor of Rome!" The girl stated as her hands rested on her hips while puffing her chest out. "Victory shall be ours, my master! UMU!"
"..."
"..."
"Oi Alaya! Can I get a refund?!…"
