My body swayed with the world rocking, the sensation growing harsher as time went by. I was covered by some kind of fabric. My entire body was in slight dull pain. I twisted around to find a comfortable pose, eventually sitting down with only the blanket to wear, as I inspected my surroundings.

"You are alive, thank the Sun." a rough voice behind me said, "when we found you, we were very concerned. Your body was still warm, and I couldn't hear any breathing, so..."

My thoughts interrupted, then anxiety flooded. I flinched, before turning around to look at the man. His gaze was warm, but I couldn't trust him regardless. Trying to hold down my panic, I reflexively pulled away toward the wall of what was apparently an enclosed carriage, without taking my eyes off of him. I felt like I had to say something, but I could not. He introduced himself:

"I'm named Frank," he said. His face seemed old, but his casually dressed body was toned. The tunic he wore covered up to his upper arms, the arms bulging with muscle and veins. His skin was unevenly coloured, the majority of tan on his dry face.

"..."

"I didn't do anything to you, don't worry," he continued. I remained silent.

"Are you mute? Nod if you are." It might have been easy to just do so, but I clenched my free hand instead. My mind was growing colder, I thought of what to say.

"I will pry no further, then. You are awfully rude," he kept on talking.

"My apologies," I said with a slight rasp, I realized I needed "Something to drink if you may..."

"Here you go," he sounded tired, but it felt like an act. It would appear he was undisturbed by the situation. I wondered if I was out of that hell, now. I drank from a vial, discovering the previous water had a strange aftertaste. As the fluid washed it off, I regained clarity, and gazed outside. I was in a vast grassy plain, distant hills covering the horizon. The sky above was a clear blue, sun blazing on my skin, wind cooling it back down. It felt like late spring, wherever this now was.

"This place used to be a forest, before the war. An archmage burned it down. It's nice to see it recovered over the years," he said out of nowhere.

I acted interested in the tale, deciding to wait for whatever may come.

"So you do not know where you are either, huh. Can you throw me a bone and tell me where you come from anyway?" He asked.

I paused to think, his gaze grew mistrustful. I sighed to dispel his worries, and decided to be vague:

"I am from another place altogether. I have no idea how I came here, last place I was at was hardly normal."

His eyes flashed for a second.

"I know you've been in the dungeon, it's where we found you. I doubt you'd refer to someplace else, this wilderness only has a few settlements far inbetween. I could also sense something from you. Since you refuse to explain yourself, I'll just take you to your kin to deal with, as needed."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"A witch is dealt with by witches," he said.

At least I wouldn't burn. Absurdities chained upon one another, but at least this was normal for another world. I felt a slight hope, that the narrative would take me somewhere more pleasant, and relaxed. I figured I would not give my true name, but instead I told him:

"My name is Iris, just that."

"Pleased to make acquaintance, finally," Frank complained.

His handshake was strong, but not comforting. The ride ahead was long and dull right until noon the day after the next. I was probably going insane, worrying if I could have a normal isekai adventure. I was right to assume I would not.