The Ballad of Jimmy Pt 1

Jimmy's vision began to clear. Shaking his head the blurry world around him slowly came in to focus, "What the hell was that...." he wondered to himself, trying to make sense of his situation.

The last thing Jimmy remembered was that he was standing in Pug's library on Sorceror's Isle. He had been inspecting a small sliver of a curious gemstone. He was always careful to not touch strange magical artifacts, but... had he gotten too close? "Bah!" Jimmy's memory was returning, he had touched it. A student entering the library had distracted him and Jimmy's hand drifted ever so slightly as he turned his head to see who had entered. A sharp humming noise followed by a bright flash and a great bang was what came next, now, he was in a new world, unlike any he had seen or heard of before.

Jimmy felt first for his dagger, it was there, then his pouch. Puzzled for a moment he weighed his pouch in hand, "What the...", peering inside he saw that his gold coins appeared to have multiplied! Looking around himself quickly, he tucked the pouch inside his tunic and ducked in to the shadows.

"That's... near on 1,000 gold pieces! I'm rich!" he thought, grinning to himself. As he strolled down the street with a bounce in his step Jimmy saw person after person covered from head to toe in fine silks, colourful armours and many shiny trinkets. With his new found wealth Jimmy decided that he should immediately acquire new clothes, the old tunic and pants he had on didn't seem like they would suffice in this new world. He quickly found a tailors shop, though late in the evening with the sun almost set the shopkeeper inside was more than happy to assist him.

"My good tailor, show me your finest goods, for I come with coin enough to dress a king!"

The tailor looked at him quizzically, before leading Jimmy first to his fine selection of fancy shirts. Jimmy picked out this and that, tried a sash and a few different hats before making his final selection, a fine white shirt, grey cloak and grey hat. These, paired with his grey long pants and trusty soft leather boots would be fantastic. He grinned at himself in the mirror provided and grabbed a second set of the same.

"That will be 347 gold pieces, m'lord." The shopkeep spoke the last with an obvious sarcasm.

Jimmy almost choked. "That much!? For..." Jimmy posed in the mirror, "Well, I suppose... they are quite nice clothes!".

The tailor smiled broadly as Jimmy carefully counted out the gold pieces, "They are indeed Sir."

"Maybe I'm not as rich as I thought" Jimmy sighed, walking back in to the streets. "But I bet he is!" Jimmy spied a particularly well off looking citizen who was seemingly in some type of trance. Jimmy ducked around a nearby corner and watched his mark further. The man, dressed in a bright red robe and covered in some type of pink jewelry was chanting to himself over and over. The only other person around seemed to be a town crier who was clearly distracted by his job.

Jimmy concluded this was a man who could afford to lose a few things, "He probably won't even notice!" he grinned to himself and threw the spare set of clothes in to a nearby barrel and prepared to approach his mark. Carefully, Jimmy flicked open the man's pack. He hadn't been noticed, quickly Jimmy took stock of its contents. Gold, gems, herbs and spices of varieties Jimmy had never seen before. "Coins it is." Jimmy deftly reached in to the pack and grabbed at the pile of loose coins.

"Was that lightning?" Jimmy awoke in the gutter, naked but for his undergarments. Bruised, bloody and even more confused Jimmy crawled in to an alley and took stock of himself. "Bloody hell." He looked around noticed what appeared to be a healers not too far off and made a break for it.

"Thou art a criminal!" Was the greeting as he entered. "How do you... so... you can't help me?" Jimmy limped over to a stool and slumped in to it. The healer ignoring his question returned to his own chair and stared blankly at the door. Minutes passed, with Jimmy bleeding all over the floor, what could he do? This new world seemed insane.

Suddenly sparkling magics swirled around Jimmy, he felt invigorated! Jimmy looked over himself, the bruises, the blood, all of it was gone. "I thought you said..."
"Thoust deserve another chance!" Announced the healer. "Riiiight...." Jimmy much preferred the priests and healers of Krondor, less all knowing and far friendlier.

Jimmy picked himself up and immediately noticed that his pouch, with all the gold he hadn't spent was right there, looped on to his belt. "What the... Ban'ath!? Are you playing tricks on me!?" He cried out. Jimmy ducked and dodged his way back through the city to the barrel where he had left his spare clothes and soon enough was well dressed and standing on a street corner near to what he deduced was a bank.

"Careful, careful" Jimmy talked himself through his approach, "No one can see you, you'll be fine."

"Whoa!" He pulled his head back in to the alley just in time as two great dragons came crashing through the street past him. "Dragons! Draaaagooonns!" He cried, and broke for the nearest building to hide. Heaving, he wondered "Why is no one screaming... running...", just outside the window he saw another Dragon, this one clearly led by its master! "Dragon Lords! Is this the bloody realm of the Dragon Lords? Have I been sucked in to the Lifestone!?" Jimmy hunkered down and settled in to rest and to think about what he had gotten himself in to.

* * *​

"I wonder if Pug has been here?" Jimmy pondered as he watched the guards wander around the bank. This new world, unlike his native Midkemia was filled with a magic of ancient power. It seemed every second person was a master magician, or a warrior with arms and armour the likes he had never dreamed of.

He had learned many things in the weeks after his incident at the bank. The land he was in was known as Sosaria, Governing Seats in both Britain and a place far to the south named Trinsic. Town guards, he knew now could be summoned with a word, appearing instantaneously as though well versed in the Tsurani Great One's magic. Zero tolerance, he knew this phrase well and the magical sense of most of the population - everyone knew when was up to no good! Lastly, The Valheru, or Dragon Lords; they rode and flew all over - never contested or questioned, they were true masters of this realm.

Despite this, Jimmy was slowly becoming aware that whilst his beloved life of a thief was a much more difficult undertaking here than back home, it wasn't an impossible position he was in. He had learned tricks. He had seen other thieves. He had remembered some tricks Pug once taught him about magic.

"Everything has a weakness, even magic." He remembered this lesson well as he grew accustomed to this new land and finally, Jimmy began to build a life for himself.

Weeks went by and Jimmy became more skilled and more aware. He learned of popular markets and shady alleyways, where to sell goods and where to stash them.
Magical items, gold pieces, platinum, strange green coins and gems of all colours. He had stolen them all.

Slowly Jimmy built a stockpile of resources and eventually had enough wealth to purchase and maintain a small building that he could rest safely in. He mingled with citizens and learned of others like himself, thieves of great renown and thieves with none. "The Mockers would do well here..." he reflected on the guild from back in Krondor, they owned that city.

Alas, with numerous contacts and allies, both thieves and honest citizens, Jimmy could find no hint of how he might return to Krondor, if it was possible at all.
Jimmy resigned to the fact that he may be stuck here indefinitely, but that certainly didn't mean his life of thieving was over.

Jimmy returned from his reverie, his gaze still following the pacing guard. "Now!" He confirmed to himself as he grabbed the spear of the warrior leaning against the wall and dashed around the corner and out in to the woods. "GUARDS!" He heard the cry in the distance behind him, "Too slow my friend." Jimmy grinned to himself and took a peek at the spear. It was exceptionally well crafted, and made of gold!

Taking his time, he moved stealthily to a nearby moongate and stepped through, musing to himself "It certainly isn't Krondor... but it's starting to feel a lot more like home."