“Grace, You’re going to kill me for real if you don’t put me down.” I was currently being crushed by a lamia. Her arms were wrapped tightly around my chest and her tail was coiled around my legs. I struggled to breath as she continued strangling me while sobbing quietly. “I thought you were gonna die” She cried out through tears. “I was so worried about you.” 

“You should probably put him down, unless you want to re break that arm of his.” Olivia said. “Ahhh. I’m sorry. Did I hurt you” Grace said as she lowered me back into the hospital bed. The doctors had managed to fix my arm and detoxify me last night using modern medical techniques and healing magic. I had awoken this morning in a hospital bed to find a puffy eyed Grace and Olivia standing over me. 

The doctor had excused himself to prepare the paperwork for my release. I looked at my arm and traced the white scar that ran along my upper bicep. My left arm where I was cut still felt quite numb but the doctor assured me that it would dissipate after a few days. A sudden knock at the door drew our attention and a man dressed in a black suit stepped through. 

“Ahem, pardon the intrusion Mr. Whitehall but I’m officer Graybury, I wanted to ask you a few questions about the incident last night.” The man sat down in a chair in the corner of the room and began asking various questions. “I’m from the Otherworlders Protection Commission. We’ve been following a case for several months now and we believe the perpetrators of the incident last night may be connected. Did either of the men that attacked you last night mention the word Severance?” “No, neither of the men spoke a word.” I responded truthfully. 

“And their magic?” He asked. “A fire mage and some sort of teleporter.” I answered. “I managed to take down the teleporter but the fire mage escaped after taking some sort of purple pill.” His brow furrowed as he listened. “We have men scouring the forest but we still haven't found him. As an extra precaution though, we’ve arranged for you to have a bodyguard. We’re aware of your status as both a dungeon master and student so the bodyguard will attend school with you.”

“No offense but I don’t think I need a bodyguard. I was just caught off guard last night” I said. He shook his head. “That’s exactly why you need a bodyguard. Also, your manager has already signed off on the idea.” I shot a glance at Grace who was still standing in the corner of the room next to Olivia. My expression softened as I saw the worry in her puffy eyes. “Alright” I muttered. “I’m fine with a bodyguard.”

The man continued questioning me about the incident for a while before finally leaving. Grace and Olivia wanted to delay our trip to Fantasia but I assured them I was fine. In truth though, I was just excited to go to a fantasy world. I had seen plenty of other races and creatures on earth but to visit the world they came from, that was something I had only dreamed of. 

They agreed and after shedding a tear over the hospital bill, the three of us left. Medical Magic was impressive, and apparently also expensive.

___

Our drive through the city was brief as the hospital I had been taken to was located fairly close to the city’s center and the portal. I still marveled at the mix of architecture and culture that surrounded the city center. There were all manner of otherworlders and humans walking the streets around us. 

We turned down a street near the portal and I finally got a good look at the large, two story building that seemed to have been built around the portal. I believe Olivia mentioned that it was called the Otherworlders Immigration and Assimilation Administration Building which was quite the mouthful. The red sign above the door bearing the letters OIAA seemed to confirm what Olivia had told me.

After finding parking, the three of us began walking towards the massive entrance of the building. There were surprisingly few people around the building though that was mostly in part to the security guards surrounding it. Apparently, there had been an attempted hostile takeover of the portal a few years ago which led to the increase in security.

We entered the building and met with a receptionist who sifted through the documents given to her by Grace and Olivia before making a call. Several minutes later, A man dressed in khakis and a button up Hawaiian shirt waved enthusiastically as he approached us. He appeared to be some sort of demon sporting a velvety thin tail, a pair of curved horns, and two small black wings . “I missed you so much!” he said as he opened his arms and threw himself at Olivia.

Before he could hug her, she threw a quick jab that nailed him in the stomach. He crumpled immediately, and began holding his stomach. “Why do you reject my love dear sister?” he asked as he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. “Your darling little brother has missed you so much!”

“He’s your brother?” I asked as I looked at the man kneeling on the floor. He jumped up and quickly grabbed my hand. “Bail Estill, It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Judas” After greeting me, he immediately turned back to Olivia and began looking her over. “What happened to your wings. You didn’t lose them did you?” He asked as he pulled on the back of her dress, exposing her nape and upper back. “I just keep them tucked away because they're a nuisance, just like you!” she said as she slapped his hand away.

I noticed that Grace was stifling a laugh as she watched the two siblings banter. I smiled as I watched her trying to cover her mouth and look away. “I’m sorry for my brother’s behavior?” Olivia said as she bowed her head. Bail who finally had his fill of embarrassing his sister turned back towards us. “I guess I should lead you guys to the portal” He said as he began walking and motioned for us to follow him.

He led us through the halls of the building and through several security checkpoints before we arrived at a single door at the end of the hall. He pulled a security badge from his pocket and held it up to a scanner next to the door. After a few seconds, the light above the scanner flashed green and the door swung open.

. “Good luck you guys,” He said as he flashed a cheeky grin. “You’re not coming with us?” I asked. Bail shook his head and responded. “Sadly I can’t join you and my wonderful sister. After all, I’m the acting director of the building. I can’t really abandon my post ya know.” I then noticed that the badge he held had the words Regional Director plastered above his name.

Wait, this wackjob is the director I thought as I passed through the portal alongside Grace and Olivia. The last thing I saw was his frantic waving as my body became numb and a strange feeling washed over me.

BlackObelisk

Apologies for the lack of updates. Fret not all four of you who are still reading this story, It's not dead. I will aim to post more consistently from now on (School and Work dependent)