Before me, a large furry creature resembling a giant gerbil walks on all fours as a burly man hands crates to people from its saddle.

Large cloths with a variety of colours form a canopy over the densely packed wooden stalls displaying a myriad of strange fruits, vegetables, and meats. Their vendors hawk and advertise their goods to numerous passers-by in the vicinity.

People are constantly giving me curious looks or confused glares. Children playfully point at me as their parents promptly tell them off afterwards.

Many of them are wearing what appear to be wool tunics, as well as pants made of cloth and leather shoes.

Then, two conversing figures in cloaks walk past me. A girl with the ears of a cat and the other a man with the ears of a dog.

Their ears are lifelike, twitching and reflecting emotions as they talk. The man even scratches one of them, complaining that it's been itching for days.

What caught my eyes the most was a group of four individuals who stood out. One was wearing armour with a sword stuck to his hip, another was what appeared to be a blonde ranger girl with a bow strapped to her back, a short, slim boy with a beard smugly walks beside them with two daggers on his hips, and lastly, an old man with a large pointy hat, a large staff, and a white bushy beard follows closely behind them.

Is this some sort of super nerdy convention?

No. There's no way it can be…

Then, a man in a strange hat shaped like a bowl, mouth side up, with a feather attached to it sits on a rug while a small crowd of mostly children gathers.

He takes a wooden cup filled with water, grasps it with both of his hands and closes his eyes.

It then starts to glow.

A couple of moments later, the water bursts out of the cup. The droplets that spew out resemble aquamarine, galloping and spreading around the audience.

Instantaneously, fluorescent beams of rainbow light dance, leaping from droplet to droplet.

The smaller children attempt to grab the beams in their palms, only to be left confused when nothing is to be seen on their palms.

Without touching, the water droplets then quickly form a circle and start to revolve around a small number of droplets in the middle.

A mosaic image of a woman then appears within the circle.

Her hair and skin are as white and fair as snow. Long eyelashes droop down from her closed eyes, complementing the rest of her fine features. Her ears, as long as her face itself are pushed down by the tiara resting on her head. The elegant white dress enhances her image, making her appearance whole.

A mediaeval princess.

Watching this gives a feeling you can't experience by just simply watching a movie or from special effects. Describing how it feels is like trying to describe love. It's something that feels tangible but unreal.

The older audience members then proceed to throw coins into the man's hat, with him skillfully catching any that miss with his hands as the image of the elven princes fades.

This is it. I've been transported into a fantasy world.

A huge smile forms on my face. Slight tears start forming in my eyes.

Ever since I was a child, I've always heard and dreamed about the wonders and beauty of mediaeval fantasy.

Every night before I got home, I always stood on the side of the road, wishing for a truck to come and run me over.

Of course, I didn't actually want to get run over, but just the thought, just the chance of being transported made me stand there and long for it.

I pinch myself in the cheek, then take a deep whiff of the air.

This is real. It only took seventeen years, but my worthless self is here. I don't even know how to begin to thank you Raquia.

I want to kiss the ground so badly, but I know how horrible of an idea that is.

My glasses have luckily arrived with me. I look down and see myself in my hoodie and sweatpants as well. These might be the cause of all the stares.

I quickly feel myself and check my pockets. Empty.

This is a major setback, but getting settled here shouldn't be impossible. It is a world I'm unfamiliar with, however, so figuring out how to make a living here will be difficult.

Thinking things through and figuring out the steps to ensure my survival here is a good idea. The last thing I want is to starve to death.

There's the possibility that the goddess from earlier gave me powers or something which could be of use.

I felt new and rejuvenated after what she gave me after all. Though the possibility she gave me nothing at all is present.

I'll figure out what she gave me as I go along.

Looking around is a must. Gathering information about my surroundings is my number one priority now.

This place could either be a magical version of mediaeval Europe or something new in its entirety.

If only… Uh... If only… 

There's something or someone that feels like they're missing. It feels like they're in the back of my mind. I think it's someone from Earth.

I have a feeling of longing. I want them to be here. But why has it slipped my mind?

Now that I think about it, I can't remember much of my old life.

I still remember things such as my time-consuming media, faint details of what I did, who I was… But all my relationships, including my friends and family, as well as how I died have slipped my mind.

The strangest thing however is that I cannot remember my name.

Has Raquia done something with my memories or is this a side effect of my transfer?

"G'day, sir! Would you be interested in the freshest blacks around these parts? It was dropped off by the Berand just this moment!"

A shrewd jumpy voice catches my attention.

I turn to my left, a strange short boy with brown curly hair with a sharp smile holding a dark lumpy fruit behind a stand. For some reason, he appears to have signs of age. He appears to have been refilling his displayed fruit but has momentarily stopped.

Is this a halfling?

To my ears, he's speaking a language unfamiliar to earth. I can, however, understand every word. This must be the work of that mysterious goddess' blessing.

What's strange though is that his words have a Spanish tang to them.

"What? You never seen Dwen before? Looking at you, you don't seem to be from around these parts, so that's reasonable. Ever had a black before? Why don't you try one? Here."

He tosses me the fruit in his hand.

"That one's free, just take a bite, you'll love it. It's sixty Vira per sack of four, not a bad deal eh?"

Vira… That must be the currency of this land.

I look at this fruit in my hand. Its skin feels hard, yet it feels as if I could easily press through it if I wished. What a familiar fruit. I could picture its taste easily.

I take a bite and my suspicions are correct, it tastes like an apple with a slight hint of pear.

As I eat, the 'Dwen' carries on with refilling his stand.

"So boy, just curious, where you from?"

I clear my throat. I attempt to do the most fantasy speak I can. Depending on his reaction I can maybe tell how people here speak.

"Well sir, I hail from a land far in the east."

Hehe, I nailed that.

He raises his brow, dropping his shrewd smile slightly.

"What? Can't you speak Cordia? How'd you even get into this city?"

Interesting. I think I just made a bad move there. And this is most strange. How can I understand him without me understanding him?

He shrugs.

"Well, it's none of my business, you should be able to understand me anyways."

Perhaps it's not that big of a deal that I can't speak their language. He doesn't seem phased at all.

"So, you buying any or nah?"

I reach my hands into my pocket, and pull them out, shaking my head from side to side.

His smile quickly fades. He clicks his tongue, then he brings his palm to his forehead and releases a deep sigh. He then proceeds to go back to sorting his wares as if I were never there in the first place.

A bit of a rude reaction there. Wouldn't it be better for business to say something nice there for the possibility that I might come back with money?

Moving on.

It appears that I for some strange reason can understand his language... Cordia was it?

Meanwhile, he can't understand me. It could be that he has a racial trait that allows him to convey messages without having to share a common language.

Anyway, there should be more to this place than just this marketplace. Time to explore a bit more.