The Rose Thief (Achievement Hunter)

5. Scene Setting

The Rose Thief did not steal a horse. No, he already had one that he had "borrowed" from a poor sap in the next city they were headed to. Well, he had every intent on returning the steed, anyway, and look - they were headed back now, weren't they? Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately given his lack of experience - the Rose Thief didn't have the time, means, or will to steal a second horse. Together they looked like a pair of twins riding double on a horse. The Rose Thief set the horse at a quick trot almost constantly, citing that it was a couple days travel down the river at a quick pace.

Ray did his best to explain his situation, and the Rose Thief in turn gave him a quick summary of the lands. Ray explained that where he was from, the six Achievement Hunters were all friends who worked together for the same company. Geoff was their boss, but they all treated each other more or less equally. The world he came from was very different from this one - instead of horses, people used wheeled contraptions (sometimes automatic) to get from point A to point B; instead of torches they used electricity; instead of swords, they used projectile fire shooters. But as a whole his and his friends' lives were pretty peaceful. Then he fell asleep and woke up in the middle of a clearing, to be found and arrested by Prince Gavin and his hunting party.

According to the Rose Thief, the kingdom they were in was Venator, led by King Geoff from Achievement City, which was near the northern central end of the territory. The city they were headed to now was the main seaport of the kingdom. It was called Astropolis and was the second largest city in Ventaor behind Achievement City. From there, they would be sailing to the Ruby Kingdom in the northwest, which was only accessible from the sea. King Monty was in charge of this kingdom, which is known for its fierce and skilled warriors and weapon smiths. Almost directly to the east was the massive Kingdom of Roosterteeth. It was the biggest kingdom in both land mass and population, though a lot of it was lush farmland. Its king used to be King Burnie, but Burnie had since abdicated and given the crown to the current King Matt.

Every time the Rose Thief said another name that Ray recognized, Ray laughed and reported what those people were in his world.

"I'm not very knowledgeable in the subject," said the Rose Thief at the end of their first day of travel. "But I'd say you're from a different sort of universe entirely."

"But then, how did I get here? Why am I here?"

The Rose Thief could only shrug.

After sleeping rather poorly out under the open stars with a tree root as a pillow, Ray woke up with the crack of dawn. Through the fog of sleep he saw his doppelgänger facing away from him take off his shirt, shake it out, wave a hand over it, and prepare to put it back on. Ray had mixed reactions to seeing himself from the back, which mostly amounted to a small gasp. For one, the Rose Thief was fitter than Ray - much fitter. He could see why the old outfit was a little tight on him despite his light weight. The Rose Thief was slim and had muscle, hard lithe muscle. But more shockingly, long thin scars crisscrossed in alarmingly large numbers across his back.

The Rose Thief heard the gasp and looked over his shoulder at Ray, his arms already halfway in the shirt. He smirked. "Like what you see?" he asked lightly, but he quickly donned his shirt.

"No, you're making me feel inadequate," Ray said dryly, making his doppelgänger laugh. If this was what meeting yourself was like, Ray thought, then maybe more people should do it. Well, without the attempted murder. The Rose Thief finished dressing and approached Ray before wrinkling his nose.

"Ugh, you smell awful," he said.

"I've kind of been in jail. I haven't fucking showered - um, bathed in like three days."

"Well, allow me." The Rose Thief raised his left hand and splayed his fingers. Ray could feel the dirt and dried perspiration lift off of his skin. The Rose Thief frowned and waved his hand a couple more times with a befuddled look on his face. By the time he was done, Ray actually felt clean and didn't smell all that bad. He felt like he had just showered and dried. "It usually works in one go," the Rose Thief admitted, studying the palm of his gloved hand.

After a quick breakfast of dry meat so salty it made Ray's tongue curl, they got back on the horse. Ray remembered something that the Rose Thief had skipped over. He brought up the topic of Endermen and he felt his doppelgänger stiffen in the saddle. The Rose Thief took a few minutes before replying.

There were a multitude of creatures that threatened the land. Woodland beasts, engorged spiders, explosive creepers, and occasionally a rogue necromancer will summon the undead. The area around Achievement City and Astropolis was generally pretty safe and protected. They had Ryan, the Court Mage, to thank for a lot of that. But there was one enemy that was unlike any other.

"There's a fourth kingdom," the Rose Thief was saying. Ray listened in rapt attention. Did this count as narcissism? Listening to himself talk a lot? "The Ender Kingdom, often called the End for short. I don't know much about the End's history, but I think it used to be fairly prosperous. But now it's a dangerous place overrun with Endermen. They're possibly the most terrifying creature you could ever face. Their gaze can paralyze a man with fear, and their blood is known to be poisonous. The easiest way to kill them is through their eyes, of course, but their skin is actually pretty durable. It's possible to cut, but it's tough. Best to go for the eyes and mouth - joints, if you have to, I know they're pretty tall." Ray shivered in the saddle, remembering the eyes back in the clearing. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," Ray said. "I should probably learn about these fucks if I'm going to be here a while. And I feel like I am gonna be here a while..."

"Fair enough. Plenty of people never see an Enderman in their lifetime. Not a whole lot is known about them, 'cause when you see one you basically are already in battle. No one has time to observe their habits. They rot quickly, and they don't seem to like water much, but that's about the extent of it. All I know for sure is that they're ruthless," he added bitterly. "Tell me again, how did you hear about the Endermen?"

"I didn't say," Ray reminded him. "When I first arrived, an Enderman walked out of the trees behind me. Before it could do anything, though, Gavin shot it in the eyes with his arrows."

The leather reigns creaked quietly as the Rose Thief's grip tightened on them. He was silent for a long time before saying, "They've never been so close to Achievement City. And you were only probably about two hours away from - by the Tower, Ryan's protective spell probably does nothing against the Endermen."

"Yeah, they seemed a bit worried at the sighting," Ray recalled. "Gavin thought it might be a scout."

The Rose Thief didn't reply. Ray was still burning with questions, but the Rose Thief didn't seem to want to talk anymore. Ray recognized his own habits and picked up the cues easily. Instead, he was forced to admire the passing landscape with increasing soreness from sitting in the saddle. He could understand why people don't regularly ride horses anymore. They were goddamn uncomfortable, especially for long travel. Still, the sun was warm, and the near-constant breeze was cool, and the lush scenery was aesthetically pleasing. He allowed himself to be lulled into dozing. It was better than worrying about the real world, worrying about his real friends, worrying about how he was going to get back - if he was going to get back.

The horse suddenly stopped as the Rose Thief pulled on the reigns. It whinnied and turned sideways. Ray jolted and shook the drowsiness out of his head. The breeze was stronger here, and carried the humid scent of salt water.

"We're here," said the Rose Thief.