Somewhere outside of New York City:
Vael tried to scream, her mouth opened but no sound came out. She writhed on the ground, clawing at the dirt and soil of a foreign realm. The Void Terror reduced to fits of panic of her own. She couldn't breath, she couldn't feel, she was a fish out of water. She struggled just to calm herself, to focus her razor sharp mind and understand what was going on or where she was. She focused on her breathing, closing her eyes and finally gained her first gasping breath as her body began to adapt to her new world. Power flowed through her veins, arcane might was all that sustained the Sorceress Queen and it flowed into her body from the world around her like never before. While her body had totally shut down for over a minute, it was supported by magic.
When she finally took her first breath it felt like fire burning through her throat and lungs, air with pollution and unfamiliar microbes filled lungs used to cleaner air. She struggled to deal with the air now that she finally had it, gasping again and again until, at last...she could breath normally. She opened her eyes and rolled onto her stomach. Every joint hurt, every nerve felt frayed and her eyes were bleeding. She could feel the warm blood dripping down her face and onto the grass. She dug her fingers into the sand and slowly raised her head to survey her surroundings.
Her body was still struggling to adapt, but it was occurring, at long last. Every ache, every pain, was her body's way of protesting its new environment but her arcane side would drag her biology kicking and screaming into this new world. When final calm reached her she looked around for the sword that had saved her life. It was gone, whatever it was, where ever it had come from, the weapon was now missing. She was alone in a new environment, temporarily weaponless with her arcane powers not yet responding to her will.
She set out to walk, searching for the nearest sign of civilization. When she found it she felt horribly out of place. Strange contraptions filled the streets, people walked with objects in their hands that seemed to consume all of their attention and needed a lit of finger tapping. Others stared at her in her unusual clothing while she too stared at them, in their unusual clothing. Her Arcane Sight allowed her to read the words on the signs that had been written in foreign languages. By luck or higher power she was in a town with a weapon smith. Her first aim was to arm herself until her arcane powers returned. The Void Terror was not untrained, in fact she was a master of the Bo Staff and was capable with a longsword.
What strange weapons will I find in this place? She mused, carefully crossing the street, deftly avoiding being run over by whatever it was people were riding around in. She reached for the door of the weapon smith only to find it sliding open on its own accord. Sorcery? Surely no one would waste such power on a door? Inside she found weapons as alien as the rest of the town. She carefully examined the selection of strange objects laid out with unusual names like Colt, Smith and Wesson and so on. Must be the names of the individual smiths. Whatever these weapons are, they are not for me. I cannot wield something I am not familiar with while stripped of my arcane abilities...aside from sight. That I have Arcane Sight is promising.
At long last she found what she was looking for in the corner of the shop. To the gun store's owner they were just interesting weapons to put on display...but not to Vael, to Vael, the collection of ancient weapons were quite familiar. These were modified though, made with modern materials. Vael found the one and only bo staff, a silver construct. She lifted it from the rack and felt its weight in her hands and launched into a series of exercises to the amazement of all in the store who eventually just stopped and watched. Most could barely hold the Bo Staff without breaking something in the store, thus why it's display was in the corner.
"Uh...Miss?" The store owner asked, gently interrupting. She turned to face him and spun the Bo Staff in her hands.
"What is this Staff constructed of? It feels durable, yet it is light and well balanced." Vael questioned.
"Oh, that's special...I got that from someone who was working on building weapons for Heroes and ended up using that one as a prototype." He said with a grin. "It's made of Cold Vibranium."
"It is of excellent design and construction. I will take it." She said.
"Um...it's not really for sale, it's just to display and have a piece to talk about." He said.
"I will grant you anything you wish." Vael said simply.
He couldn't help but look over the obviously fit woman but he didn't seriously believe that was an option. "Six hundred thousand dollars." He said instead.
Vael glanced around the store for a moment. I don't have...wait. She reached down and removed a bracelet from her wrist. She had worn it for years as a trapping of her royal position...but it had no meaning to her now save to remind her of painful memories. She held it up for him to inspect. "Pure gold with six pure cut diamonds and a platinum interweave."
The store owner paused and carefully analyzed the bracelet. "Can I bring someone I know here to look at it?"
Vael nodded simply and waited. Twenty minutes later she left the store with her staff and the store owner had a new four million dollar bracelet.
She walked out of town to a tall hill that seemed to overlook much of the area. There she stood, quietly examining her surroundings. This world has much to offer...I shall test its strength, if I find it lacking I will dominate its people and rule once more as queen. First though...first I must learn what is in this immediate area. What nation do I stand in?
Vael smiled slowly and headed down the hill towards the lights of New York City.
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