Game Master in Another World

We quickly established a small campsite, ensuring we did not light a fire to avoid detection. Instead, we sat around stones that Juliana had heated.

The warmth was comforting, but I missed the now-familiar glow of open flames. We cooked our meal using additional heated stones buried with wild vegetables—a traditional cooking method I remembered from my previous life on Earth.

"I’ll go check on the villagers," Juliana offered once the food was safely covered in the earth.

"Yes, please do," Igasnov responded.

We silently headed to the main encampment; Juliana certainly knew how to move without a sound when required.

Through the trees, we could see the villagers settling in for dinner around their campfire, conversing in hushed tones. Vera, however, sat off to the side, slowly eating her meal. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground—a stark contrast to the communal atmosphere around her.

Even from this distance, I could spot the brutal scar on her neck. She was fortunate to be alive, but she might never regain her voice.

After observing them finish their meal, we returned to our darkened campsite. Igasnov had already unearthed the food and was serving it.

We took a seat next to Toby; he instinctively leaned into us, his small, warm body pressing against ours.

"Here you go, Juliana." Igasnov handed us a plate.

"I take it the villagers are doing okay, then?" Igasnov asked.

"Yes, no problems to report so far. Vera seems rather despondent, however," Juliana replied.

Igasnov sighed. "That girl is going to have an even harder life now."

The dinner tasted okay. Much like the hāngī from my memory, it carried a rich, earthy flavour. However, the vegetables were not quite cooked through; the process normally required several hours, but it seemed we had been a little too impatient.

"I can’t say I enjoy this cooking method," Igasnov remarked.

I took control of Juliana and nodded. "It suited our purpose. I think we just needed more cooking time, though."

"I liked it," Toby said politely.

"Come now, it doesn’t hold a candle to your cooking," I replied.

Toby smiled softly.

"How about you take first watch, then, Igasnov?" I suggested.

Igasnov nodded. "Sounds good. I’ll periodically check on the villagers, too."

We curled up beside Toby, resting next to a massive tōtara tree that provided a comforting sense of shelter.

In what felt like only an instant, Igasnov was gently shaking us awake.

"It’s your turn, Juliana. Nothing to report," Igasnov whispered.

Juliana carefully slipped away from Toby, standing up to stretch. Igasnov lay down next to the boy, claiming the spot where we had just been sleeping.

We surveyed our surroundings through the gloom. The forest seemed incredibly still, entirely devoid of movement. A faint mist hung in the chilly air, but the sky remained clear above the canopy, both moons fully visible and casting a silver glow over the land.

As we began to walk slowly towards the villager camp, Juliana took the opportunity to speak with me.

"Are you doing better, my lord?" she whispered.

I took control of her vocal cords. "Yes, I think so. I just really need to find out what happened; I’m hoping we can uncover some records in this city we are headed to."

"Well, my lord, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please let me know," Juliana offered.

"You are too kind. I suspect I will take you up on that soon."

We made our way to the villager camp swiftly. I could see Barry and Trudy sitting across from each other in front of the dying fire, talking quietly. Several tents had been pitched nearby where the others were presumably asleep.

Juliana crept silently into the camp, sticking to the shadows along the perimeter. Drawing on my past memories as Drisnil, I could tell her stealth skills weren’t flawless, but they were certainly adequate to slip past unaware villagers.

We located Vera’s tent, finding her sleeping alone. Her face was slightly flushed, likely from crying.

Juliana knelt beside her and gently laid a hand over Vera’s throat, murmuring a druidic incantation. A faint, verdant glow illuminated her neck.

Vera’s eyes shot open. Pure terror flashed across her features as she stared up into our eyes, but miraculously, she remained silent.

After a few seconds, the spell ended. Vera’s horrific scar had faded; it was now barely a thin, silver line.

We stood up quietly and turned to leave, but Vera desperately grabbed our leg. We looked back; she was trying to mouth something to us, her eyes pleading.

Knowing immediately what she wanted, I seized control. "I’m sorry, Vera, but it is simply too dangerous for you to come with us," I whispered.

Vera refused to let go. She mouthed the words, I’ll scream if you don’t let me.

I sighed. "Fine, then. Come along, but not right now. Wait back at the camp after everyone else has departed, and we will pick you up."

Vera smiled weakly before releasing her grip and lying back down.

I rescinded control to Juliana as we crept out of the camp once more. I realised this promise was highly likely to become a massive hindrance, but I figured one extra person to guard wouldn't completely derail us.

As we patrolled the perimeter, Juliana asked, "Do you have a specific plan for Vera? I fail to see any benefit to her joining us."

"I took pity on her. Regardless, I suspect Igasnov is still worried about her well-being."

"You are incredibly merciful, my lord, for even I would have asked her to remain with her fellow villagers. We are liable to face extreme danger while protecting this caravan."

I smiled using Juliana’s face. "Don’t worry. I know you can handle it. Just turn into a platinum dragon again, and we can burn all our enemies to ash."

Juliana smirked in response. "If it is your will, I shall obey."

The remainder of the night was spent patrolling the space between the two campsites. There was no movement whatsoever; the area proved perfectly secure.

When morning broke, Toby and Igasnov rose around the same time. Juliana conjured some magical berries for a quick breakfast before we ventured up the road to scout ahead of the caravan.

"I’m pleased you can manifest these magical berries, Juliana; they are exceptionally helpful," Igasnov remarked.

Juliana shifted into her griffin form. Toby and Igasnov mounted our feathered back, and we took off, flying low and slow along the dirt track.

Apart from the trees and native birdlife, there was nothing out of the ordinary; if anything, the flight was monotonous. I quickly forced my thoughts back to the present, anxious to prevent my mind from wandering and accidentally spawning new threats into existence.

We circled back toward the villager campsite, keeping low over the canopy until we spotted the clearing. Down below, Vera was aggressively arguing with Frances and Myrra. From our vantage point, we couldn’t discern what was being said.

Juliana decided to descend. The villagers looked up one by one, shock plastering their faces before they broke into a panicked run. Frances grabbed Vera’s arm, trying to drag her away with him, but she stubbornly refused to budge, physically fighting him off.

Within seconds, we landed heavily beside them. Frances stood with his arms spread wide, attempting to shield Vera.

"Please, spare this girl!" he shouted. "She’s young and has plenty of life left to live!"

Igasnov hopped down from the saddle. "Don’t worry, Frances, we are not here to harm the girl. She wishes to travel with us."

Frances glanced back at Vera. "Is that true? Do you genuinely want to travel with this mass murderer?"

Vera shoved past Frances before hoarsely replying, "Yes. I love Igasnov, and I refuse to believe he would ally himself with an evil person."

Frances, his face still conveying sheer terror at our massive griffin form, replied, "Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you; these people may murder you in your sleep!"

Vera ran up to Igasnov and wrapped her arms around him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his chin.

Igasnov helped Vera onto our back before climbing up behind her. I could immediately feel the strain of carrying three passengers. We beat our wings forcefully, barely generating enough lift to lumber up into the air.

We slowly gained altitude, following the winding road toward our distant destination.

"This is terrifying!" Vera rasped hoarsely.

"It’s okay, Vera, I won’t let you fall," Igasnov replied.

I could feel Vera shift her weight, pressing herself even closer against Igasnov.

After an hour of flight, Juliana was thoroughly exhausted. She descended, touching down in what was likely the next designated rest stop. It was currently abandoned, but the faint scent of woodsmoke still lingered in the air.

Igasnov, Vera, and Toby dismounted carefully while we shifted back into our Nhalyri form. Juliana immediately collapsed onto the grass, desperately trying to recover some stamina.

"Sorry, Juliana, I didn’t mean to tire you out that much," Vera apologised.

Juliana simply waved a dismissive hand, exhaling heavily. "It was a pleasure carrying you."

Igasnov and Toby immediately began inspecting the perimeter.

"It looks as though some travellers departed from here just this morning," Toby noted, pointing at the tracks.

"I believe you are right," Igasnov agreed.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Vera taking a seat on one of the logs surrounding the firepit.

"Do you think they will return?" Toby asked.

"I highly doubt it," Igasnov replied.

"Well, with Juliana out of action, how about we gather some food, start looking for a suitable campsite nearby, and perhaps even get a hāngī started?"

"Sounds like a plan," Toby agreed.

"I’ll stay here with Juliana," Vera rasped.

Once the two males had departed, Vera walked over and lay down in the grass beside us.

"Will you ever be able to fix my voice?" Vera asked.

"In time, perhaps, but it won’t be a simple task," Juliana replied.

"Why did you let that man slit my throat, then?" Vera asked softly.

"He was preparing to do far worse things to you if I hadn't stopped him. I’m deeply sorry I cannot return you to how you were before, but I promise I will do everything in my power to fix it."

Vera rolled over, wrapped her arms around us, and pressed a gentle kiss to our cheek.

"Thank you for saving my life," Vera whispered.

She then pushed herself up. "I’ll search for some firewood nearby. Please, rest for now."

After half an hour of lying perfectly still, we heard Toby, Vera, and Igasnov returning.

"We found an excellent spot, Juliana, and have already started heating up some stones. You should join us," Igasnov suggested.

Juliana dragged herself up off the damp ground, her fatigued limbs protesting the movement.

"I didn’t realise that exerting yourself in one form would carry the physical exhaustion over into the next," Igasnov mused.

"Unfortunately, it does. I might have to choose a larger beast next time I attempt to fly you all," Juliana replied.

Once we got moving, the walking became bearable. We stepped over fallen logs, navigated tangles of blackberry vines, and pushed through prickly gorse bushes. Finally, the vegetation opened up to reveal a picturesque clearing situated right next to a stony, babbling creek.

Several tūī were singing in the canopy of a towering kahikatea tree nearby. A fallen kahikatea trunk had formed a natural makeshift dam, creating a deep, inviting swimming hole.

"While the food is cooking, we figured you could do with a swim," Igasnov offered.

Juliana smiled and immediately began stripping off her clothing.

Igasnov quickly pulled Toby away, averting his eyes. "Uh, let's just start on dinner now, then."

"But it is still morning," Toby complained.

Ignoring them, Juliana jumped into the cool, refreshing water and lay back. We could physically feel the exhaustion washing out of our muscles.

A moment later, we heard Vera wading into the pool to join us.

"This is freezing," Vera hissed as she gingerly stepped deeper.

"Immerse yourself fully, and your body will quickly adapt," Juliana suggested.

We heard a splash as Vera quickly submerged herself, floating backward to rest beside us.

"Oh, you are right. This is quite lovely," Vera whispered.

For the next hour, we floated together in the refreshing swimming hole, relaxing and listening to the sounds of nature without uttering a single word.

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