You are sitting at the edge of a lake, on a patch of grass, with your boot in the water, just deep enough to cool you off, but not enough to soak your feet.

In your hands, you are holding the two items you have acquired in your short stay in this place; a blank white card, and a peculiar octagonal box.

Absent mindedly, you start to play with the two items, spinning them around with your fingers, examining them, knocking them with your nails and shaking them around, expecting something to happen. When nothing happens, you carefully put the two items back inside one of the many pockets attached to your belt.

"-bah."

You sighed. Relaxing your muscle, you start leaning backwards, directing your face towards the moon.

Behind you is the edge of the forest. The darkness provided by its canopy makes for an ideal ambush site. Inside the forest, you know that you can find the thieving witch that had nearly put a hole in you on top of this very same lake.

But the witch is not in your concern right now, nor are the two strange items inside your pocket, not even the red castle at the other side of the lake and the unreasonably angry-yet-somehow-kind gate guard living inside it. No, right now, at this moment, your attention is fully directed at the moon.

A single white moon lonely watching the ground below like a concerned mother, bathing the scenery with dim, saddening gloom, making it as if the entire world is a masterpiece last work of a dying painter. Calm, no movement, no sound, just you as the single spectator.

it's a beautiful full moon, that's for certain, stunning, even.

But it's not your moon.

"Welp."

You release all control over your body, and you fall onto the grass like a rag doll, face up towards the sky.

"Guess chartering a boat is no longer an option."

You lay still for who knows how long, your brain cranked up to maximum, trying to devise a way to somehow get back to Nirn.

Maybe you could hitchhike with Durnehviir and take a detour through the Soul Cairn? Nah, you are pretty sure that you wouldn't want to meet the Ideal Masters anytime soon. Not after they took half of your soul. Getting your soul back from hell was hard, you know.

Or you could try to replicate the Mananauts?nah, that'll take too long.

Or maybe you could look for a time wound and?no, that wouldn't work.

Try to invent a Shout for interdimensional travel? Do it wrong and you might end up fusing Sovngarde with Shivering Isles.

Or maybe you could?

"Are you lost, mister?"

Your chain of though got swiftly interrupted by a voice of a little girl.

You move your neck slightly, and you see that your ears did not deceive you. Indeed, there's a little girl standing quite a pace away from you, on a dirt pathway that circles the entire lake along the edge of the forest. She's carrying a cute little basket on her arm, weaved from what you guess to be some sort of pine straws. Inside the basket, there are a few stalks of white flowers peeking out like group of shy children. Roses. Weird, you did not see any roses around. Is she a rose seller? Well, at least her one piece white dress do gives the image of a flower girl. She's a bit too clean to be a mere commoner, though. Her eyes are hidden under a big, round hat, but you cannot help but to believe that she is currently staring directly at you. Poking out from her hat, you can see that she has straight black hair about the length of her neck, all shiny and well-groomed.

"To be honest, young lady, I don't really know. I think I'm more ?stranded? than ?lost?.?

Your calm voice betrays the uneasiness in your heart. Unease, because you are probably stranded in an entire different reality, and also because this little girl here gives off the vibe of the unnatural. She is clearly not human. You would know, you have met a lot of inhumane beings in your life. You are only concerned whether or not this one would try to kill you.

"Do you know of a way home?"

"No." you answered simply and truthfully. But was the girl this close before? You swear you only blink for half a second?

"Then you are lost."

You blinked again, and the next time you opened your eyes, the little girl is already sitting next to you, facing the lake.

"Hmph." You scoffed. it's really hard for you to actually get lost, what with your Clairvoyant spell and magnificent sense of direction. "If there's a way home, I'll find it." You said with utmost confidence. "I just need some time."

"Oh, really?" the girl turns her head to look at you. Brown eyes. Everything that you can see from this girl suggests the presence of an ordinary human girl, but something just?off. Maybe it's her crisp and unnaturally sweet voice, maybe it's her calm and adult like demeanor, maybe it's her intonation that suggest that she knows more than what she let on, but something about this girl is definitely hinting at something more than just a mere human girl.

"Would you like some help?"

"Hm?" You blinked again, and suddenly you have the little girl sitting on her knees right next to your head, her face looming above yours, smiling softly, as soft as a demon's temptation.

"Whoa."

Letting out a subdued yelp, you jumped away from the girl.

You are now sitting face to face with her, with the moon-lit lake as your background.

"Am I that scary?" the girl puts one finger on her lips and tilts her head, her big brown eyes are looking at you in an overly cute manner.

Honestly? Yes. This girl scares you, or at least mildly creeping you out, at best.

When you do not answer her question, the girl starts to pout, again in an overly childish manner.

"Are you ignoring me? it's not polite to ignore a lady, you know?"

Even when you have the feeling that this particular lady could suddenly grows a jaw the size of a mead hall and swallows you whole?

But still, it's impolite to ignore a woman, you guess.

"Err?right, what was that again?"

?Are you deaf? I'm offering you help to find your way home!"

If this girl is as what she seems to be, then you doubt she could help you. But then again, you also doubt that she is what she seems to be.

?

Eh, no harm in asking?right?

"What kind of help?" You asked while at the same time correcting your sitting position to a more formal manner. Well, as formal you can be with no chair in sight.

"My friend is a magician." Oh? This is encouraging. "I'm pretty sure she could simply teleport you home, just puff!" the girl makes a gesture depicting a massive explosion. Well, that's certainly encouraging indeed. Like you haven't been exploded enough for five life times.

But if you want to do something like, opening a portal back to Nirn, it would most likely be beneficial to have the aid of a local magician, especially if that magician is experienced in either summoning or teleportation. Interdimensional travel is actually kind of like a regular travel, if you don't know where you are, then you can't reliably go anywhere. So at least you would need to know which reality you are currently standing on.

It also wouldn't hurt to meet a fellow mage. Maybe at least you could exchange some useful notes.

"Okay, young lady, where I can meet this magician?" you decided to ask.

"Hmm?not so fast though."

"Excuse me?"

"My friend is special. She would only want to meet with a special kind of people."

Sounds like one of those insane people that dwell on top of a mountain or living inside a cave.

"Alright, what kind of people?"

"Hmm?"

The girl's expression turns into that of someone in deep though.

Finally, she claps her hands, as if coming into a sudden conclusion.

"Say, mister, would you like to answer some questions?"

"Questions?"

"Nothing too hard, of course. Just so I know what kind of person you are."

If it's only answering some questions, then?

"As long as it's nothing too personal, eh, sure, why not."

"Great! Okay, first question; How do you handle criticism?

"Excuse me?"

"Just answer the question, please."

What a strange question, but nothing too intrusive, you guess.

[ ] Critics are always welcome. I'm the kind of person that makes a lot of mistake without even realizing, so it's nice if people would want to correct me.

[ ] Depends on the critic. You usually don't want to follow the advice of an idiot.

[ ] I don't care what people say. I just do whatever I think is right, with my own judgment.

"Hmm?"

The girl seems conflicted, but otherwise satisfied.

"Good enough I suppose. Alright, second question; Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Again, a very strange question. But if the girl wants to know what kind of person you are, you guess this is a rather reasonable question.

[ ] I would open a business, maybe. I'm a pretty skilled merchant.

[ ] I'm going to open my own restaurant. They used to call me ?The Gourmet?, you know.

[ ] I like to think of myself as a rather competent mage, but I'm still learning, so?studying?

[ ] I'm a very skilled black smith, so I would like to believe that I would spend my days crafting weapons and armors for nobles and paupers alike.

[ ] if I could get home, then I won't even need to work. I'm rich.

"Hm. A very unexpected answer. But whatever. Third question; What do you look for in a leader?

[ ] Someone who I could look up to. Someone who whenever I see him or her, I know that everything is going to be alright.

[ ] Someone that would listen to his subordinate.

[ ] someone that could control his subordinate.

"Okay, next question?"

"Is this going to take long?"

"Oh, no, not at all, just a few more minutes. Now, Would you rather follow, or lead?

[ ] Follow.

[ ] Lead.

[ } I'm rather adaptable.

"Very good." The girl, you just now noticed, is currently holding a small book and some kind of writing instrument. She probably pulled it out from her basket. "Do you prefer to work alone, or in a team?"

[ ] I rather work alone. People tend to die when they follow me.

[ ] A large team makes everything easier. They tell you where all the traps are.

[ ] I usually work in a small team, often with only a single helper to carry my stuff.

"Rather straight forward, aren't you?" the girl said while she wrote something on her little book.

"I am, madame. Is there anymore question?"

"Nope. That's enough." she put her book and her writing instrument back inside her basket.

"So?where can I find this magician you mentioned?"

"Oh, my friend? She lives just over there." The girl pointed across the lake, back to the red castle.

"Ah."

"Is there a problem?" the girls stands up, followed closely by you.

"Nah, I just had some problem with the gate guard of that place. Somehow."

"Ah. I see. But if my vision is correct, she probably wouldn't even recognize you the next time you come."

"Vision? What vision?"

And does this girl always have blue hair? You don't remember.

And those lavish clothes?

And those gigantic pair of bat wings attached to her back? Each bigger than herself?

?

Wait.

Oh.

Oooh.

Ooooohh.

You quickly shake your head as fast as possible, shaking off the rest of the vampire's glamour that clouds your mind.

Now that your mind is clear, you can see the girl in all her glory. Bat wings that are darker than the night above, an expensive looking white dress, clearly different from the one piece she was wearing before, and pale blue hair, almost white, giving the girl an added aura of mysticism. Even her round hat is changed. Though you do not know what kind of hat it is now. Also, red eyes. A pair of red eyes that shines unnaturally bright, as if they are emitting light of their own and not merely reflecting.

"Heh, nice one." You said, praising her.

[ ] I like you better with black hair, though.

"Hm. Thank you."

The girl flaps her wings once, and suddenly she's already hovering over the lake, high above your head. Her silhouette is blocking the moon, making her seems a lot bigger to you. it's rather intimidating, really.

"So what now?" you half shouted to the girl.

"I presume you still have some business that needs to be done inside that forest? Maybe something that involves a certain thieving witch?" she asked, but not really. it's one of that question you ask even when you already know the answer.

So you answer with a simple ?yes?

"Then, go and do whatever you need to be done. Then go back to my mansion. I believe that I have something that you could do for me?"

"And then you're going to send me home?"

The girl let out a wide smirk. Even with the dim lighting, you can see her long fangs shining under the moon light.

"We'll see."

Well, at least now you know that this particular vampire brushes often, so you don't need to worry as much when she decide to bite you.

"CATCH!"

She throws something at you. Something small, yet she threw it hard enough to make your palm hurt when you caught it.

It was a small pendant made of red amber, seemingly designed to be worn by little girl.

"What's this?"

"A translation gem. Leave it under a full moon for a whole night, and it'll grant you the ability to speak any form of language for one hour. Take it as a token of my good will."

You examine the pendant closer and discover a hidden button, somewhere near the chain.

"Well, thank you. But ?A token of good will?" I don't even know your name." you said as you put the pendant in your pocket.

A flap of black wings, and suddenly she's right in front of you.

"it's Remilia. Remilia Scarlet." She said softly, almost a whisper.

Another flap, and she's back on top of the lake. Those wings must be magic, since you can't feel any sort of air displacement from her movement, while naturally a flight of such quickness would generate nothing less than a minor maelstrom.

"AND DOn't YOU FORGET IT!"

She screamed, and then, with one, powerful flap, she's gone. No sound, no visual cue, nothing. As if the sky itself swallows her.

You are now alone, standing at the edge of a lake, your brain cranked to the maximum trying to comprehend what the sod just happened. It appears that you just got offered a job.

Standing there, watching the lake and the sky, and noting the lack of neither sound nor movement, you reminiscent the day when your head nearly got chopped off. The day that started it all.

It seems like you are in for yet another set of bizarre adventure.


?

?

?

"Yeah, with a name like that, she's bound to go ?Mwahahaha? at some point." you whispered to yourself as you start walking inside the forest.

________

Item Acquired; The Babel Necklace.