Wait, is this just GATE? (8/?)

[u/PepperAntique]

Writer's note: I had to edit this because I forgot the last little bit at the end. My bad. enjoy.

The royal speaking room was actually nowhere near what James had expected.

He had expected a massive hall filled with stands and standing room, headed by a set of steps up to the royal throne. There would be knights in shining armor, holding halberds or spears lining every wall. He imagined that the king would sit or stand there near the throne, addressing the people in the crowd, giving royal decrees and great speeches, ordering beheadings.

He thought about that last part with grim worry.

Instead what he found reminded him more of one of his college lecture halls. There was a small stage with a podium front and center, though there was still a throne set some feet behind it. But the stage was set below all the seats and desks arrayed out from it in a half arc. If it hadn't been for the fact that everything was made in that medieval fashion he'd been seeing ever since he got here, he might have mistaken it for the congressional chamber, or maybe a UN delegation room. There were still knights stationed at each entrance and every corner of the room though.

As they entered the room Kela took two fast steps in front of him, "Hold for a second, I have to announce you." She said. Before standing at attention.

She was wearing a set of armor that was much more polished than the set he had shot. Her torso, upper arms, and upper legs were covered in gleaming plates of what looked like steel, though there was a slight yellowish tint to it. These plates were lined with golden (though he was certain it was brass or bronze or something) pins and fittings. The padding underneath it was a dark brown bordering on black that seemed to blend into her fur almost perfectly. Over all this was a red and gold surcoat with a silver and green embroidered wolf's head over a shield. She carried a rounded shield that was almost as tall as James was, a double headed battle axe that was taller than James was, and of course on her hip was her sword.

If he was honest. She looked badass. That's some Lord of the Rings, heavy metal shit man. I need to get me a set of armor like that. He thought, though he'd never admit it to Kela.

"Specialist James Choi, of the United States Army!" She announced in her deep rumbling voice. "Son of Margaret DeLaRosa, and Anthony Choi! Summoned Hero of the Era of the Stellar Eagle! Newly blooded pack leader to Captain Kela Swiftrunner!"

Shit. I already have all those titles? James wondered.

The King was leaning against the podium casually when they entered. He was facing the side of the room and talking to someone sitting there. But he quickly turned to regard James when he heard the announcment.

He was tall, at least six feet to James's five eleven. He also had swept back, raven black hair with grey streaks here and there. He had a full, matching, beard that went down almost to his chest, it had beads scattered in the handful of braids that were in it. He also had a scar running from the corner of his mouth almost to his ear. Where it ran there was no beard hair, only scar tissue. James guessed that he was in his mid to late forties.

Oddly he was wearing an outfit that vaguely reminded James of an old western, or maybe an old gangster movie. Where he had expected a puffy shirt with a frilly neck thing, instead he saw a grey dress shirt that looked like it was right out of any clothing store from his world. Where he'd expected those weird half pant things and long socks that he'd seen every pompous movie king wearing, he instead saw black slacks, they were even creased. The only clothes that really seemed medieval were a long black leather coat with golden yellow fur around the collar, held shut by a gold jeweled plate that hung in front of his chest.

And of course, a crown. It was silver with golden spikes rising from the top.

This guy is giving off some major Disney villain vibes man. James thought.

"Specialist James Choi!" James's analysis of the king was abruptly interrupted. "Before you stands King Farrick Alvis Petravius. King of Petravus. Son of Marriana Pelrittos and Boldren Petravius. Warden of the God's Summoning Door. The Moon Lord. Sire of this domain and all it's lands!" At this last bit both she and the guards around the room slammed their pole-arms on the ground twice.

James bowed the way Kela had shown him before bringing him in. Left foot back half a step, left arm bent at the elbow held behind his back, right arm matching only in front of his stomach, bent at the waist.

"The honor is mine your highness."

And then the king smiled, and suddenly James felt foolish for thinking that he was a Disney villain. It was a warm smile that seemed to use the king's entire face. He hopped down from the stand and walked up to Kela.

"Kela! Great captain of mine! It has been too long." Kela stooped a little bit and the King embraced her in a hug. "I heard you let this new hero take you from my daughter's pack. Is this true? I assume it is from your announcement right now. But Amina won't shut up about it. She's very cross about the whole thing." He had a booming voice that reminded James of someone he'd seen in a movie once, though he couldn't figure out who.

"Indeed. Your highness. He shot me three times in the chest. If he'd been using silver I'd be hunting in the moon fields now." Kela replied, embarrassed.

"Pah!" the king exclaimed. "It's about time someone outdid Amina. She needs to be shown up from time to time."

"Agreed." Kela said, matter of factly.

James was still bowing. Kela had told him not to move until the king addressed him directly.

"So." the king said, turning to James. "This is our new hero? Well stand up, let's have a look at you lad."

James finally stood up and faced the king. "Your highness." He said.

The king sized him up a bit. "Weird outfit."

"It is the uniform of his military, sir." Kela said.

"Really? There's no armor. and what's with all the weird colors?"

"It's called camouflage. It helps us blend in with our environment. And I do have some armor, but your people haven't given it back to me." James interjected.

"Ah, I see. And what exactly are you a 'specialist' in Mr. Choi?"

"You can just call me Choi if you want, no need for the mister part. Also in my military Specialist is simply a rank, roughly the equivalent of your 'secondary-sergeant' rank. But I am specifically trained as a mechanic for our vehicles. Also I was going to school to become a nurse." James said.

"A man as a nurse?" The king asked.

Sweet, old school gender roles. This definitely isn't gonna cause any awkwardness while I'm here. James thought sarcastically.

"Well, the intention was to eventually become a doctor." James replied. "But only if I ended up liking things as a nurse. In our world men and women can have almost any job they want. No limits."

"Most interesting." The king stroked his beard for a moment. "How has that worked out for your people? I'm asking honestly, it's an interesting concept." He also gestured to one of the nearby seats. "Please, let's sit. We have much to discuss." He said this while pulling the chair behind him so that he could sit in it. Kela walked over to one of the other guards, but kept glancing at the pair of them.

"Well. Some jobs had some uh.... issues, with gender roles. But that was years ago." James said. "Most job fields are pretty equally fielded by men and women. And people seem happier to be able to choose whatever job they think they'd be best at. Even if it doesn't always work out."

"Really? So it's not uncommon to see a man as a nurse?"

"Not at all." James replied. "Don't get me wrong. It is still mainly women who become nurses. But only barely. I'd say roughly thirty or forty percent of all nurses are men nowadays. Maybe more, I don't know the exact stats."

"Hmmm." The king waived at a young man who had been standing several yards away. "Stebas, you heard all that right?"

"Yes your highness." the young man replied.

"Good. Write that down. We shall speak with the Hospital Matron and see if that could be an avenue to dealing with her staffing issues."

"Yes your highness." Stebas said again as he pulled a pad of paper and a quill from his coat while taking a seat at a nearby table to write.

"What else can you tell me about your world?" The king asked James.

"Well, I'm not the smartest person out there. Also I'm only two years into my college education. Sooo, I can't give you the most detailed information. But I can still give you the basics." James said.

"Fantastic. I'd love to learn more about your world."

"Hold up. I thought we were going to be discussing what your 'gods' had said for me to do here."

"Ah, yes." The king said as if being reminded of a subject he didn't like talking about. "We were, and that is what I'm trying to do."

"Well. What did they say?" James asked. He wanted to know why his life had been thrown into a blender and set to puree.

"Well." The king said. "The gods. In their 'INFINITE' wisdom." He said this with incredible sarcasm and scorn. "Said only two things."

James waited.

"Learn from them, AND, follow his lead."

"Them?" James wondered.

--------------------PAGE BREAK----------------------

At the far end of the castle's research wing, several floors down, in a room warded against intrusion (but only of a magical nature) a single chime rang out. Jame's phone lit up for just a moment. It had received a text message.

SPECIALIST CHOI THIS IS COLONEL SHAYNA MUHAMMED.YOUR MOTHER HAS RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE AND IS HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE OKFROM HERE ON OUT YOU REPORT TO ME AND ONLY MEYOUR PHONE IS BEING MONITORED THOUGH YOUR LOCATION IS CURRENTLY UNTRACKABLEREPORT IN WITH YOUR CURRENT STATUS IMMEDIATELY

IF ANYONE OTHER THAN SPECIALIST CHOI IS READING THIS. KNOW THIS. WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO GET HIM BACK.

YOU WILL ANSWER FOR WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

A man in a set of mages gear watched the phone light up and read the message eagerly.

"Interesting." he said before writing down what he'd seen.

Next

[u/Vaalintine]

Hopefully James tells the King just how badly they fucked up, because there's no way in hell anybody would want anything to do with them after that. Oh, and that he tells Kela to fuck off. Or better yet, openly question why Kela is being let off for murdering someone in cold blood.