This is… This is… GODAMMIT! MY PHONE!
He screamed internally as he beheld a jaw-dropping sight. The trees towered as if piercing the sky, thick wooden planks jutted from the trees, spiraling around it, many rope bridges at different heights interconnected each tree around him, everything lit by interconnected and wrapped rope with lanterns strung in it.
EEEEK!
His sightseeing was interrupted by a child's squeal. The group's heads shot upward. His eyes scanned the elves swiftly on each rope bridge at different heights. There were different colored clothing and hats, men and women, old and young, but his eyes couldn't find the source of the squeal.
WAIT!
His eyes locked on a blue-haired boy, running through the crowd on the rope bridge—making it bounce up and down, yet the villagers remained unfazed.
"Who's… that…?"
He pointed at the boy, his index finger followed him as he descended the spiraling stairs on the tree. Aelindor followed his finger, his eyes widened.
Huh? Why?
The boy stopped descending the planks and peered at the group from above—some three stories high.
"BIG BROTHER!"
Big brother? What? WHAT?!
The boy leapt from the plank toward Aelindor.
Oswald's body moved on his own. He jumped onto a step five feet off the ground, then dove at the falling boy. His friends' and the villagers' eyes widened while the maid, flabbergasted, painted her face for a millisecond.
Mid-air, the weight of the boy caused an unintentional front flip, making him land on his feet.
"W-W-Whoa!"
THUD!
He fell forward from the momentum of the flip, his forearms raised to protect the boy. The boy giggled from adrenaline, the group running to Oswald's aid.
"B-Boy, are you— T-That heigh—"
Aelindor grabbed his little brother from the stuttering Oswald and hugged him tightly.
"Lego, long hath it been since mine eyes gazed upon thee; and lo, the very first of thy doings is to rend the wits of mine own companion asunder."
Lego giggled as Oswald was helped to his feet by the maid and Percival. She took out her handkerchief from her other wrist and cleaned his armor.
Lego looked at Aelindor with a wide grin.
"Hehe, dey don't know, big bro Aeli. Youse jumped from way higher."
Youse? Huh?!
Oswald looked at the boy closely. He wore a blue bowler hat, blue Y-back elastic trouser braces, blue bow tie and white buttoned-up shirt with sleeves folded above the bicep—a textbook mafia attire.
WHAT!? What in the Tommy Angelo ass kid is this?!
"Now hold on a damn minute!" Oswald's gaze shifted at the maid, bent on one knee cleaning the final speck of dirt. "Thank you." Then back at Aelindor. "Big bro Aeli? That's your brother!"
"Yes! I would present unto you all my little brother, Legolas Thalorian—whom we do call Lego."
Lego… Heh. He scoffed, extending his hand. "Well, nice to meet you Lego, despite doing…" He pointed above himself. "…that."
Lego released himself from his brother's hands.
"Eh, dat right dere, my friend, it's nuttin' special. If youse heard what I heard from Ma an' Pop, you'd be lookin' twice at da guy standin' in front'a ya."
"Hahaha." Oswald laughed at the Boston vernacular. "Well, I bet. It's the same with everybody."
Lego's gaze shifted to his brother. "Youse gotta come home quick, eh? Ma's gonna be ova da moon seein' ya. Pop done a real good job keepin' da arrival hush-hush."
"Then tarry we not. Come, let us away."
Oswald and the others began their ascent on the spiraling tree stairs.
The more I stay in this world, the weirder it gets. A Mafia elf, the fuck. Is his father the Don?
* * *
Oswald stood on a wooden platform before the rope bridge leading to Aelindor's home. The villagers walked to and from the bridge, those to his left ascending and those to his right descending.
He stepped forward, peering down below—the step from which he'd leapt to save Lego was the size of a nail.
His gaze shifted to the rope bridge.
Well, this thing wouldn't pass any safety regulation, but hey! I'm in a world where a boy can jump from heights that would make a mother scream.
"My friend is of a most uncommon kind, a dweller of the city, even as our good mother before us," he said, gesturing at Oswald.
Uncommon, huh. I guess it is.
"Heh. Oh yeah, he is, huh?" He walked around Aelindor and tapped Oswald's back.
"A'right, big bro's pal, lemme lay it out fa ya. Us village folks, we got dis… safety kinda ting, see, for kingdom folks like yaself. Funny t'ing is, it all started when Ma showed up here wit' Pop. An' guess what? You're only da second guy we ever hadta use it on."
I'm the second?! His mom's from the kingdom?
"Ah, okay. So, how do we do this 'safety thing'."
"Heh, it's betta I show ya." He glanced at Aelindor behind him. "Let's get dis show on da road."
Both began clapping in a rhythm, three swift claps then a single clap. Every villager around them shot wide-eyed gazes at the elf brothers, then at Oswald, the maid, and Percival—the reason for the protocol.
Those on the bridge began swiftly clearing it.
Before he knew it, the bridge was empty. Those who had crossed now stared at him and the two other non-elves in the group.
"Wow," he pointed at the bridge, "that was quick. I guess I uh, shouldn't keep them waiting."
He placed his feet on the first plank, the wood groaned under his weight. The second foot refrained from stepping off the platform, then the trembling began, vibrating the entire bridge.
Oh boy, it has begun, and I didn't even take the first step.
He let out a silent whistle, looking below him, then ahead.
Come on, I-I need to move. I shouldn't hold the line.
Aelindor and Lego cheered on, but their voices were distant.
"C'mon, ya can do it! Trust da bridge, or just go wit' how ya see 'em."
Despite being distant, he heard Lego's advice.
How do I… Ah. How I see them, huh.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose.
I see… I see… wyverns!
His eyes shot open as the trees, rope bridge, and villagers were replaced by a vision of himself high in the sky on a wyvern. They lined up like planks on a bridge, with a parasite-controlled one waiting at the end. Gritting his teeth, his hand met his hilt, and he began skipping over them.
One after another, he crossed them with ease—until.
"AH—"
A misstep, placing his feet between the planks—the gap big enough to fall through.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
I'M FALLING! I'm falling! I'm… falling?
Instead of falling, he felt a horizontal rush of wind, prompting his eyes to open.
Huh, I see.
The maid carried him across the bridge, leaping from plank to plank with precision, pigtails jerking backward from the speed.
Seeing her focused, the world slowed as he lowered his gaze, cheeks reddening.
She's… so beautiful.
Haaah. It's a shame I have to return to my world and not fall… for her. My friends will have theirs, all planned and ready. Yet… Haaah.
He sighed again, shaking his head.
Perish the thought, man. I don't belong here, and that's the truth. I have to live with it for my duration here.
She successfully crossed to the other side, the villagers' cheers and claps sounded around him. His feet met the ground and he bowed to the clapping villagers, scratching his head.
"Heheh, thank you."
His gaze shifted to the maid, bowing. "Thank you for saving me… again."
She bowed slightly. "You are welcome."
Yeah…
Lego, Aelindor, and Percival crossed the bridge behind him. Percival's crossing showed far less turbulence than his own.
Less turbulence? Seriously?! How does he have more experience with rickety bridges than I do?
* * *
ns216.73.216.247da2
and then Add to home screen.