Sam rarely asked questions in class. He had few friends to study with, and wasn’t one to make new friends either. He was pretty sure the internet didn’t exist here. And so, Sam’s life had to change. Immediately.

  Sam made a friend. Or, rather, an acquaintance, although he didn’t quite know what the difference was between the two. Sure, he knew what the words meant, but he wasn’t sure when an acquaintance became a friend, so he often called everyone a friend, so as to not offend.

  This didn’t mean he treated all of his “friends” the same way. Some he trusted more than others. For example, few of his friends knew exactly how much he overthought, although he suspected some of the others could guess why he seemed so awkward. The only time he rarely had to think, of course, was when he was talking about math, or physics. Something about mathematical certainty allowed him utter confidence in what he knew that clearly showed in how he spoke.

  He had been spending way too long thinking about himself, as always. Perrin was looking at him as if he was waiting for Sam to say something, but Sam could tune out anything while he was in his own head. A useful tool when studying, but not while attempting to hold a conversation. He quickly refocused on the world around him, the wind gently blowing his ears out as he paid attention. “Can you repeat that?”

  “I asked you where you were from. Your clothes are... expensive. Are you a noble? I wasn’t sure if I should call you m’lord, but you didn’t announce yourself so I assumed you wouldn’t care,” said Perrin, his eyes darting between Sam’s face, his bag, his clothes, the hole in front of them, and finally resting back at Sam’s eyes. “Although if I offended you by assuming, m’lord, I apol—”

  “No, no, I’m not a... noble. Just call me Sam, or Samuel, whichever you prefer. And... I feel as though you wouldn’t know where I am from, even if I told you. I don’t recognize anything here.” Nobles? That was definitely not something he remembered ever existing on Earth, except as a vestigial remnant of empires long past, other than a few exceptions. The ruling party in Saudi Arabia was still a pri— he was doing the thing, again.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “—on’t know where you’re from, you must be from really far away. I’ve only ever been to Stark, before, and the city isn’t even close to some of the other cities I’ve heard of. Supposedly, there’s a port city with 40,000 people! I don’t believe it, but maybe it’s true. Stark holds over a thousa—” Perrin paused, confused. “...If you’re not from nearby, how exactly did you end up here?”

  How exactly, indeed. Sam had been avoiding that line of thought, as he often did. “I-I...” he sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “Well that’s definitely an issue, but for another time. Let’s get out of this field! I’m hungry. Are you?” asked Perrin, walking toward the hill.

  “S-sure. I’ll be right behind you,” said Sam.

  “This is the road to Stark. You’ll probably want to take a wagon there, unless you feel like walking for a few hours,” said Perrin. He set a quick pace to the left, leaving Sam to scramble over the hill after him.

  “About how far is it to Fairsend, exactly? I, uh, don’t really exercise much,” asked Sam.

  “It’s only about a five minute walk, I’d say, but we can take a break if m’lo—you’d like. It’s not like there’s much to do except chores there.”

  “I think I can walk that far, at least.” Sam remembered it raining when he entered the physics department, but he couldn’t see a single cloud.

  “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto,” he muttered, the thought of adventure crossing his mind.

  “What’s that?” Perrin furrowed his brow and looked back at Sam.

  “It’s nothing. I'm just talking to myself.”

  “All right then,” said Perrin. The two finished the walk in silence, while Sam somehow found, and subsequently tripped on, every rock and hole on the way to Fairsend.

  When Sam and Perrin finally reached the town, Sam looked up as he walked through the gate. He was greeted with a carved wooden sign that simply said:

  ????????

  “Well, fuck,” replied Sam.

  adios?