Quantum Rip: Welcome to Ethos

Vespes Prince (Part 1)

"What the fuck? Where the hell am I?" Edvard asked as he finished emptying his stomach. No longer caring for being silent after the horror he just witnessed.

Looking up he couldn't help but feel like some divine being was torturing him. First the endless timelessness and now a monster-invested forest.

'Is this some kind of sick joke? Was atomizing the mercy?' He wondered, certain that he would soon end up like the orc. It certainly had a much better chance than him at putting up a fight yet, it had died so easily.

While the orc had not had any weapons, it was well over 2 meters with muscles that would send most athletes crying about the unfairness of life.

Adding onto that, the orc was a native of this world. Of this forest. Edvard had no idea where to even find food or water, and he dared not try and find them.

Moving back to his hiding spot, Edvard took out all the items he had on him. His last bit of hope vanishing as he found everything no longer worked. He had a few emergencies medical kits from when he had healed Ghakarhi and Maxwell. That and his pen were the only things that still worked.

Like Ven, he failed to find why his watch and the other things on him no longer worked. It appeared like their batteries were dead but, they had emergency charge methods for just such a case. His body heat and moving should have at least allowed the most basic programs to work.

Edvard did not leave his patch of plants, staying there as he thought of his family and his coming death. Often wishing he had a gun so he could end his life quickly. However, each time such a thought appeared he would fight back. Saying that he had to survive for his family, pushing himself up.

This burst of energy did not last though. When he saw the carnage where the orc was killed again. Every time he attempted to stand, he would climb back into his hiding spot, going through the same thoughts again and again.

Finally, he found a thought that caused him to be brave enough to actually stay on his feet and fight through his fear. "I can't give up. What if Yawen is also here? I need to find her!" Edvard said this aloud to try and motivate himself, it worked. Hearing those words made them more real.

"Calm down..." He mumbled as he wanted to rush out and search for her immediately. Knowing that doing so would be of no help, yet it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

"Try to think about my best steps. First..." Edvard looked around for something to mask his smell. Grabbing a handful of the plants he had been lying in and rubbing his hands and face. Even going so far as to stuff his pockets full with them.

"That should keep me hidden, somewhat." Edvard thought, his skin quickly becoming irritated by the drying sap of the plants he had rubbed on him.

Fighting the urge to scratch and hoping they are not poisonous. The worry and irritant allowing his mind to focus on something outside of his family and his immediate situation. This, strangely enough, enabled him to think clearer, Edvard finally moved on from the area he had arrived in.

He moved slowly. Partly because he wanted to be as quiet as possible, but also because the moist dirt covered in roots made it hard to walk. Especially to someone who had always lived in the safety of human society.

Edvard did not make it far before he heard the rustle of some leaves along with some other sounds. His mind did not even register that the sounds were voices, his instincts simply took over and he dived into another patch of plants. Less dense than the first, but large enough to cover him at least.

Doing his best to again breathe as softly as possible, Edvard prayed that what was coming would not find him. His mind was in such a panic he still did not realize it was a language being spoken.

His reactions might seem weak, maybe even terribly cowardly. But this was normal, especially for someone coming from Earth in the current age.

Martial arts had become a lost art. Science was so advanced that a murderer would be found in hours, if not minutes. There was nearly no crime, at most, if there was it would be petty crimes done by someone out of boredom, not need. With the few exceptions, naturally.

Few dared to try anything more, as it was simply impossible to get away with it. Sticking to petty crimes allowed them to at least not serve too harsh a sentence when they were caught.

As such, Edvard was extremely used to peace, to a loving world. Ethos... Ethos was not such a world.

It was a world thriving in death and blood. Edvard naturally knew nothing of this world, he was simply lost in his worries, his immediate death being constantly on his mind and eating at his sanity.

Hearing the sounds becoming louder and louder, Edvard wondered if it was his turn to die like the orc. He dared not move, even as he felt the critters of the forest climbing over him and into his clothes. Sending shivers down his spine, making staying still all the harder. Especially when Edvard had no idea if the critters were venomous or not.

'Seems like your welcome has been bloody.' A voice echoed in Edvard's head.

It was a great shock, something Edvard had not expected to encounter. He knew a little of telepathy, some extremists had volunteered for trials, and it was steadily spreading on Earth. However, the dangers and controversy kept it from truly growing.

Having a voice in his head when he had never volunteered for the trails was extremely worrying. It made no sense and just added to all the things he did not understand.

'Are you not going to talk, I came here because of you.' The voice said, causing Edvard to shiver as he felt he would be taken in for experimentation.

It was certainly what would happen if a strange being suddenly appeared on Earth. While ethics and morals might keep it from going too far, no person would be allowed to move freely if they just randomly appeared on Earth.

'Do not worry, I only wish to talk. I want to know what could have caused such a massive dimensional disruption.' The voice continued, trying and succeeding to get Edvard to converse.

'I don't really have a choice. Do I?' Edvard thought aloud in his mind as those in the trails said was required. One had to form the words in one's head for it to be shared, emotions or pictures could not be shared.

'You do. If you truly do not wish to talk. Only to die here… Then I will leave now.' Replied the voice, its reply both shaking and comforting Edvard.

It was his choice.

Edvard had no idea from where the voice came, but he had gotten some courage after the last reply. Standing up he turned around and searched for the person. Finding that there was a group of four behind him.

"Elves?" Edvard questioned, seeing the silver hair and pointed ears of the front-most person. A fit but thin physique hidden by extremely advanced silk. The others instead wore what looked like leather armor with dark green silk underneath.

'I guess you can say that. We call ourselves Vespes, but the elves you think of seem to be a similar concept. Fae would be the technical term.'

'So... Is this a fantasy world?' Edvard thought to himself, finding that this was not kept to himself.