I used to look up to the stars on clear summer nights. Out in the countryside, you could look up and see those beautiful stars without the lights of the city ruining the view. I had always wondered if there were other worlds out there, worlds filled with their own people, nations, beasts, land, and needs.

Tonight was really the first time the skies had been clear since I started my journey. Perhaps it was this night that really made this all real. The stars were nothing like the stars of Earth. No constellations I could recognize, no planets that I could remember, and two moons with an amber hue reinforced the otherworldly feel of this place.

“Cecilia!” A masculine voice called out to me. I didn’t answer. “Cecilia! Where are you at?” A glimmer of fire rose from the man’s fingers to light up the area. He didn’t seem too concerned, so I offered a little wave of my hand in response.

“Just over here. Looking up at the sky.” He wandered over to me and extinguished the light in his hand.

“Oh yeah? Is the sky on your home world different from ours?” Rilec took a seat beside me and joined me for a few moments. “I have heard that every world is a little different. The stars aren’t in the same places, and the moons are always unique too.” In the dark, the man looked unremarkable. But in proper lighting, his elven appearance was a shock, to say the least. Reminded me of playing too many video games as a kid.

“Yeah. Those moons? On my world, we’ve got only one. And it’s usually a pure white color.” What was his deal, anyway? You’d think my little handler from the Republic’s government would be a bit more…educated on the ways of my world? I know I’m far from the only person they’ve summoned across space and time. So…how much do they really know about me?

“Oh, by the way. Were you hungry?” Rilec smiled and gestured over to the campfire. A couple other members of my adventuring team were already gathered around it. “I think the stew’s just about ready.” My stomach growled. It did smell pretty good…

“Yeah, I’ll have some…” A piercing howl filled the air. I froze on my little patch of dirt.

Rilec’s eyes went wide. “That’s…that’s not good at all. Dire wolves, by the sound of things.”

I gulped. Great. We’ll be dead within a week of starting our journey. I didn’t even have a weapon to defend myself. “Can you fend them off? None of us are armed yet!”

He looked at me for a moment, then looked over to the campfire. “Amelia, Ricardo,” He paused to look at me. “Cecilia. What weapons would you like to use?” My fellow outlanders looked bewildered. No doubt they had barely even thought about acquiring a weapon. After all, what are we going to do with weapons? We’ve never even used them before!

I choked out the first response. “Give me a sword.”

Amelia answered next. “Some sort of spear or lance?”

Ricardo shrugged. “A bow and a quiver full of arrows, I guess. What are you even getting at here?”

Rilec nodded. “I had hoped to not deploy such a valuable tool so early, but I’m afraid we won’t make it out of here if I don’t use it.” He pulled out a little satchel filled with small, glowing orbs. He held them out to us with concern filling his eyes. Another howl filled the quiet air, but this one was much closer. “I can’t explain everything in detail, but here’s the deal: There are powerful tools that we call Wishes. They allow you to manifest your heart’s desire and protect the ones you care about. And if the gods find your wish acceptable, they will grant you a boon. Think about the weapons you wish to own. Then crush these Wishes in your hands and they will be replaced by the weapons you need. Weapons far more powerful than anything our blacksmiths can forge. They won’t last long, but they might give us the strength we need to survive.”

His instructions were quite simple, in truth. Easy, really. I followed them to the letter and felt a surge of wind in my hand where the Wish once sat. A sword filled my hands. The blade gleamed with the beauty of a blade that had never been swung. My comrades’ weapons manifested as well through this strange system. Perfect. Now we’d…

I heard a snarl behind me. Oh no. I turned around to see a massive wolf, perhaps twice my size, staring me down with murderous intent. In the dim moonlight night, I could see little save for its glowing red eyes. I held my sword steady (it was shockingly light) and pointed at the wolf with a threatening gesture. “Stay away from us!” I shouted, and somehow a gust of air shot forth from the blade towards the direwolf!

“The Antlia Pneumatica!” Rilec gasped. “Incredible. I’ve never seen someone summon that sword before!” Despite Rilec’s surprise, the dire wolf seemed to only be angrier now that I had broken its approach. More snarls surrounded us on all sides. Perhaps eight beasts in total. Crap. I held the sword firm. I would need more than gusts of wind to fend them off.

“First one to four kills wins twenty bucks?” Ricardo spoke up with a grin. His bow was glowing with a fiery light. He took aim and began to shoot. I really don’t think that’s such a good…

“You’re on!” Amelia chimed in with an amused laugh. Her lance had some sort of ice crystals growing on the surface, and she launched a few icicles towards the beasts.

I couldn’t pay attention much longer though. A dire wolf leaped at me, hoping to rip out my neck while I was distracted. Rilec stood back, apparently unable to fight, and somehow I managed to hold the beast back with my sword. I swung at the beast with a rapid, unsteady twirl, and somehow the beast was beaten back with every swing. “This is incredible!” I couldn’t help but exclaim.

These massive wolves were no match for our team with these weapons. I managed to slay another one of the wolves and took out a third for good measure. A lunge, a slash, and a thrust were all it took to take them down. I knew no sword techniques, but somehow, the blade guided my hands right where they needed to go.

The brief battle was soon over, and I looked down at the blade to gaze at it further. If I had a blade like this…I could…I paused right in my tracks. The blade had a little inscription on the surface. I couldn’t make it out until the weapon began to glow. Rilec offered some helpful commentary. “It looks like they’re being reclaimed by the gods now that you’ve won. But there’s no doubt in my mind. The gods have chosen you all to do great things.”

As the sword began to disintegrate, I was able to make out the inscription. “Made in China”.

At first, my brain didn’t register what that was supposed to mean. “Made in China?” I asked out loud, prompting my fellow outlanders to stare at me in confusion.

“What?” Ricardo asked out loud first.

“The sword, it said it was ‘Made in China’.”

“No way.”

Rilec offered an impassive shrug. “All Wishes are Made in China. I don’t know what it means, but it’s always been that way.”