Wander couldn't explain it. Couldn't understand it. One moment, he'd been riding Agro, strafing the blasted titan before him like all the others. He'd slain quite a few already, as Dormin commanded, but he was nowhere near killing them all. It was all gonna be worth it in the end, however. All this death, chaos, and pain, would come to fruition soon enough. Because Wander would get Mono back, and that was all that mattered.
The beast was coming on strong. Slowly, as they all did, but with a lumbering power unlike any natural animal the world had ever created. Agro was faster than it, of course, easily outpacing the stone behemoth, but one wrong turn would spell doom for the horse and its rider. The stone valley in which they were riding was perfect for combatting the creature; spacious, with lots of breathing room. The only obstacle for miles was a smooth stone mesa, towering over the flat landscape, a few hundred meters from Wander and his horse.
Alright. Down to business. This thing was going down, that was a guarantee Wander could wager for. His bow slid from off his back, as it had a hundred times before. His hands were steady on the weapon, his left sneaking back around to pull an arrow from his old quiver. Two smooth motions Wander had practiced his whole life, and without a doubt his second and third favorite motions of all time. His personal favorite came next, as he nocked the arrow on his bowstring, Agro dexterously strafing around the colossus once again. Wander's eyes were those of a hawk, pinpointing the glowing spot beneath one hoof of the monster. A telltale weak point.
The shot was never finished. Wander's head couldn't recollect what had happened next, but before he knew it, Agro was sprawled out on the ground, and Wander was arcing over his fallen steed, somersaulting through the air. He expected a heavy impact, one he'd only felt a few times before; his body slamming into the ground, his head jarring and making his vision blur, and probably giving the beast enough time to finish him off. But Wander didn't feel; no, instead, he saw. Saw a flash of vaguely blue light, in the corner of his eyes as he catapulted through the air.
****
Before he knew it, he was awake again. Wait.....awake? Had he fallen asleep? What was going on? Daring to open his eyes, Wander found himself splayed out on an unfamiliar black surface, surrounded by unfamiliar things. They looked like buildings, yes, but something was a bit.....off. Not the kind of buildings he was used to, at any rate.
Obviously, the work of magic, though of what sort, he knew not. Was this a trick of Dormin's? Of the beast? It mattered not, as of this moment. Wander always made an effort to take a look at the basics before jumping to conclusions. Having a clear head would help stay alive, at least....
Wander's eyes looked to the landscape before him. It was blackened, scarred, full of rubble and fire. Shapes flitted about within the ruins, most of humanoid shape. He dropped his hand to his side, feeling for the handle of his blade, holding it like a security blanket. A slight pang of fear rose up in Wander's chest.
That's about when he heard a voice. That of a woman, a little faint, a little far. Too faint for him to hear the exact words, at any rate, but near enough for him to hear it at all. He tried to remain calm. Steeled himself a bit. He'd been in situations worse than this, of course. Wander didn't want to come across as a sniveling child. Turning and scanning the area, he caught sight of what he had heard.
Two women and a man, in strange clothing, unlike any Wander had seen before, conversing. They seemed friendly towards each other, which was promising for him. He took a step back, leaning behind some rubble, and took a second to straighten out his hair, dust his cloak off a bit, and clear his throat, before leaning back over the rubble.
"Uh....greetings?" He manages to stammer out. His voice cracks with the second word, and Wander silently curses at himself as he stares at the three others.
@Hospes @Mighty Roman