Forgotten Legacies Collection

Chapter 8

Zo had woken with a start, but she didn"t recall having slept. For as long as she remembered she had always taken a few moments upon waking to reflect on her dreams. She would attempt to piece together what they tried to tell her, if she could recall them. Last night, however, there had been none, and that for her was most unusual. For the first time, since her arrival in Crowley, her nightmares had not caused her to stir.

The fire"s hot embers shone a dull yet piercing shade of red as they fought the losing battle to live. The world around her seemed darker, colours which should have been bright seemed somehow dull, yet at the same time there was an odd intensity to them. The sun hung fairly high in the sky but despite its position, which indicated it to be early afternoon, the light seemed to suggest it was about to set.

Glancing around the camp it soon became apparent she was alone. Her friends" belongings still littered the ground causing her to wonder where they had ventured. She lay in her blanket a moment longer as she tried to decide if it was warm or cold outside its protection, unusually it seemed neither. With little else to do, she started to collect their things, storing them carefully away in their backpacks. She busied herself, attempting to ignore the denseness to the surrounding air. It confused her senses, made the environment seem unnatural, but she forced herself to dismiss it as a result from last night"s strange events.

Given the late hour, she had to wonder why they hadn"t woken her, why they had allowed her to sleep so late despite the need for them to leave the island. Glancing around the now cleared camp, she realised how much time had passed since she had first awoken. The longer she remained alone, the more she felt as if something was wrong. The words she had spoken to Elly just yesterday played on her mind.

"They could just as easily go after them than come for me directly. If they took my friends…"

They could just as easily go after them than come for me directly. If they took my friends…What if they had been taken? Something had disturbed the natural spirit of the environment, and the more she thought on it the less convinced she was that it was a result of their branding. Something else had to have happened, why else would she have been left here alone? A disruption like this stifled the senses of people with abilities such as hers. It was a guaranteed means to stop her tracking or pursuing any assailants. She recalled the events of the night, wondering if it were possible something had been added to their food or they had fallen prey to an enchantment. It would certainly explain her prolonged and dreamless sleep.

Her mind filled with panic as she glanced around in the hope of seeing movement, or something that would give some indication of what had happened, but everything was too confused for her to make any sense of it. There was no way they had simply gone to collect supplies, they had more than enough to last until they reached Albeth, which from here was the only place the boat would travel.

The more rational part of her mind tried to suggest that maybe they had wanted to discuss last night"s events away from her, where they didn"t have to worry about hurting her feelings, and voice their honest opinions about what transpired. Despite this logic she knew they would never leave her like this, let alone disrupt things so badly that she couldn"t even tell north from south.

As the fear of what may have happened grew, she decided she had no choice but to venture into the forest, maybe if she walked far enough, the air would clear and she would get some idea of what had transpired.

“Ah, so you have awoken at last.” A familiar voice sounded from the shadow of a nearby tree. “I"m glad you came.” As Zo looked to Seiken all urgency seemed to drain away as she found herself captivated by his image. Feelings of familiarity washed over her, reinforcing the certainty that their paths had indeed crossed before. Standing with him once more, she knew these feelings were no illusion, they were broken fragments of memories which told tales of their meetings, but the accompanying images were all so distorted, so unreal. The brief glimpses into their past revealed nothing, as was often the case when a memory was formed by magic instead of the mind. Something hidden deep within her remembered him, a part of her which was unwilling to forget him completely.

The memories formed by magic were strange, like prophecies they often appeared jumbled and made little sense. If she were to take the vision literally, he hadn"t aged a day since she had first seen him. The harder she tried to grasp the memory, and make sense of the images and words which accompanied it, the more absurd it became. Finally, she surrendered, focusing her attention back on their conversation.

“What do you mean came, came where?” Despite her internal struggle to catch the familiarity, only seconds had passed since he had spoken. She glanced around as if to ensure she still remained within the camp, satisfied she had not moved she returned her gaze to him.

“I have this for you, you would find one sooner or later.” He emerged from the tree"s shadow, as he did she wondered how many more times she would be rendered breathless by him. He passed her a piece of tattered parchment, without thinking she tucked it deep within the pocket of her trousers. “I just thought I"d try to give you an advantage. The others are already here. I think you should hurry, you are already late.” With that, he faded back into the shadows and vanished, as if they themselves had taken him.

"Of course the others are here," she thought to herself shrugging, unaware she had failed to realise the importance of his words. She decided it was time to locate her friends so they could depart. At least Seiken had confirmed they were still in the area, she could only hope no harm had come to them.

Of course the others are here,She had only travelled a short distance into the trees when an enormous chasm brought her to an abrupt halt, everything that had been in the area it possessed had been sucked into its immeasurable depths. Small vines and moss clung desperately to the side in an attempt to escape the mighty snare. It stretched easily ten feet in diameter, yet, as she watched she was certain that, little by little, it expanded. Some of the vines tumbled down into its stomach doing little to disprove her concerns. Carefully approaching the edge, she peered inside, fearful of what she may find lying broken on the chasm floor, but as she gazed within her vision met with nothing but the dark void which seemed to stretch to the centre of the earth itself. Her panic rose, threatening to consume her as even the devoured foliage seemed to have faded from existence. How could something this large have been created without disturbing their camp, could it be this was the reason her friends had not been there on waking? She called out their names, but silence was her only response.

She walked cautiously around its edge using the nearby trees as support. She had to keep looking, and this could be only the first of a number of carefully concealed traps which surrounded them. Given the structure of this one, it would be foolish to place another one so close, but something more sinister could be just steps away.

Treading carefully, her vision scanned the area for any signs of disturbance which could indicate a further threat. Just before her the trees seemed to thin, her instincts warned of the danger her senses could not perceive. This was the forest they had walked just last night, and she knew for certain there was no clearing ahead. She proceeded with caution.

She rubbed her eyes in disbelief as she stepped from the trees. They had finished abruptly giving way to another unexpected surprise, the inhospitable wasteland of a desert stretched before her puzzled gaze. There was no desert in Crowley. Her head began to ache as she tried to make sense of what lay before her. She had no recollection of having seen a desert before, but it was every bit as derelict as she had imagined. Its pale sands stretched far into the distance, the heat causing the air to shimmer, yet where she stood, it seemed to share the comfortable temperatures of Crowley.

No life could be seen across its desolate waste, with the exception of the occasional cactus. There was something almost strange in the manner they grew, almost as if the area had been created by someone who, like herself, only had an idea of what it should look like. Although she couldn"t place why, there was something almost artificial about the landscape and the placing of its scarce landmarks. She felt herself touch the back of her head to check her old injury. The pain along with the wound had vanished so, clearly, this was no hallucination, which left only one option. The reason she found herself near a desert with the slow curve of the trees to her back, was also the reason the air was filled with such heavy magic. Somehow, defying all logic, while she slept, their camp had been moved. Unsure what else to do, she followed the outline of the trees in the hope that along the way she would locate her friends, all the time she called their names at intervals, hoping to hear a response.

She soon discovered the desert wasteland was not the only unexpected terrain to meet her bewildered gaze. The surrounding area was even more bizarre than she had first imagined. As she met with what would be the junction of each major directional change, a major change in climate followed. Between the two completely different climates there was a simple divide. The desert sands ended abruptly almost as if a barrier had been placed between the landscapes which the elements couldn"t cross. On the other side of that barrier which, she assumed from the sun"s position, was west, luscious green lands stretched far into the distance. Plants thrived and blossomed as heavy rain and thunder echoed through the plains. She blinked a few times, unable to believe a single line could divide the desert from the rain, it was such a dramatic, impossible change. She wondered then, for the first time, if she could be dreaming.

As she continued, she found the same occurrence repeated. To the north the grassy steppes littered with the occasional tree gave way to broken rocky ground, in the distance giant ravines and chasms engulfed the landscape leading to the mountains which towered on the horizon. It was the very depiction of the element of earth, then finally, before she had walked a full circle to return to the desert in the south, came the east. The silhouettes of trees through the heavy fog twisted as their bases sunk in the sodden marshes, their drooping foliage warning of the poison within. Again, when the direction changed, so stopped the fog and mists, never to cross the invisible barrier, it was almost as if some force had taken equal measures of each terrain and merged them to form this new and bizarre landscape.

The layout of the land reminded her of something, but she was too concerned about the disappearance of her friends to think on it further. She only hoped they had not taken it upon themselves to investigate the strange lands. Four friends, four terrains. If that were the case, she feared she would never find them.

With no other option available, unless she wanted to leave the area and risk becoming lost herself, she returned to the camp. She could only hope that if her friends had decided to explore without her, they would soon return.

Arriving at the deserted camp, her mind was now occupied by what she had seen, the desert, the rain, the mountains, and the mist, and suddenly realised why it seemed familiar. It was the depiction of basic magic, each direction was represented by an element, and what she had beheld was simply exaggerated images of the elemental directions.

“Zo!” Acha"s voice called from the trees. Acha and Eiji seemed to appear from nowhere to stand just outside the camp. She swore just seconds ago she had been looking in that very place and had seen no movement that would have indicated the presence of anyone, until now she never realised how much she had relied on her senses.

“Something is very wrong here,” she stated as they approached. Despite the seriousness of her tones she was unable to hide the relief of seeing at least two of her friends alive and well. She glanced around looking for Daniel and Elly, but they were still nowhere to be seen.

“I know, that pit is…” Acha motioned in its direction as she failed to find the words to complete her sentence.

“Have you seen Daniel?” Elly questioned emerging from the woods behind them. She had been drawn back to the camp by the sound of their conversation, if not for this she too may have continued to walk the forest. “Oh and this, the answer is power.” She tossed a small stone tablet, no bigger than the palm of her hand, at Zo, who caught it and read its inscription aloud.

“I am dangerous in the wrong hands, once you taste me you crave more. I can aid or destroy you dependent upon your strength and motivation.” Retrieving it back from her, Elly joined them in the centre of the camp.

“It is a riddle. The answer is power,” she stated again as if to clarify. “It was by the camp when I awoke, no one was here so I decided I would locate you.” For a moment when she had woken, she had been convinced they had tried to leave her behind, her tones were still tainted with the annoyance she had felt.

“That"s odd,” Eiji stated immediately before Zo could voice the same surprise. “That can"t be right, no one was here when I woke either,” he muttered. His head began to hurt as he wondered how it could be he had not seen Elly"s sleeping figure when he woke at the seemingly empty camp.

“We should get moving. Daniel is still out there somewhere. I have to assume he is the type who will venture off alone.” Growing pale at Elly"s words, Zo gave a nod. She wouldn"t be surprised if he had decided to explore one of the outside areas and in his excitement found himself lost. “Their game, their rules. He could be in danger,” she added. She wasn"t really concerned about their missing group member, there was only one person in the group she was concerned about, and another she was now responsible for. The other two were inconvenient. It would only aid her should they disappear.

will“Hey, did I hear my name?” Hearing his voice, they turned to see Daniel descending a nearby tree, until now he had been ignoring the conversation between his friends below, his attention stolen by the vision from the treetops. “Something is not right here. I"ve just been looking around, you won"t believe what I saw.” His voice was mingled with anxiety and awe as he moved to join them Zo pushed him softly.

“Don"t do that, you had me worried,” she warned. For a moment the air around her seemed to become a little lighter, almost by instinct she glanced past him only to see the chasm that she had encountered. It was a few moments before she realised it should not have been visible from their camp. “We need to get moving.” Zo pointed towards it, concern etched deeply in her tone. It seemed to expand towards them devouring all within its path, but with each movement it made the magic in the air thinner, less stifling.

“It would appear we have outstayed our welcome,” Elly observed, something in her tone gave the impression she knew something they didn"t but, with the fissure quickly approaching, now did not seem like a good time to question her.

“But which way do we go? How do we know there"s not another one right in front of us?” Acha cringed as they broke into a run, charging through the forest in a desperate attempt to escape its ever quickening advance. They paused as they broke free from the cover of the trees, relieved when it too stopped its pursuit. The last of the trees tumbled down into its depths as it appeared to rest, pulsing slightly as if in laboured breath.

Their focus altered as they saw the landscapes that stretched around them. It was only now they realised that Acha"s question had four very different answers. The air around them grew lighter as the heaviness dissipated returning things to normal. Although there was still something about the area which Zo"s senses found unsettling.

“I don"t really care for the desert.” Zo was the first to answer. She had thought about this since she had first laid eyes upon the choices they would face. The last thing they needed was to wander this strange land aimlessly and with their limited supply of water, and lack of landmarks, she could only imagine what fate would await them if they were to choose that path. They all wanted to question how they got to be here and where exactly this surreal landscape was, but there were more important things at that moment, such as choosing a path before the chasm decided it was ready for dessert.

“We would do well to avoid the storms and marshland also,” added Elly. She too had her own reasoning behind her suggestion. Her last experience with water had not been a pleasant one, and it had delayed her ambitions for months while she had to wait for her body to repair. During that time, she had scared Marise, who had understandably thought she had been claimed by Hades. Although the trauma she suffered hadn"t killed her as such, it had been a very painful ordeal and one she was not willing to experience again. Even if there had been precautions taken to prevent such reactions occurring, her mind was unwilling to take the chance.

“That leaves north.” Daniel stated firmly. “Perhaps we"ll come across a town.” He had given the only remaining option, an answer they all agreed on. Their best chance to gain information was to find a traveller, or a town, to help them to understand their situation a little better, this place was like nothing they had seen before.

“I guess it would help if we knew what we were after.” Zo sighed as she remembered the only hint they had received, the stone tablet which Elly had deciphered, yet they were still no closer to understanding what exactly power, or the riddle, had to do with them being here.

“Either way, let"s not wait round t"see if that thing"s still hungry.” Eiji nodded in the direction of the pulsing pit. Standing for a moment with their bags, they realised how lucky they had been, if Zo hadn"t packed the camp, they would have lost everything. Deep in the recess of their minds, there was a part of them that wondered if perhaps that had been the intention.

The group trekked across the steppes, with each step the grass, which once fought for life, became healthier. Once they had taken their first intentional step towards their destination, the divide between the landscapes had vanished. Now nothing before or behind them represented the images they had seen. The harsh stony landscape, filled with ravines and chasm had distorted and now before them stretched an open plain. Far on the horizon still lay the mountains, yet the lands leading to them had changed drastically to hold forests and greenery. Along the path they walked stood a few strange looking trees, although if asked, they would have been unable to define how they were strange, except for suggesting they didn"t quite look real.

“So where"d you think we are?” Daniel"s voice was filled with wonder as he eagerly took in the scenery.

They had been walking for a long time. The sun hung low in the sky indicating they had just a few hours until sunset. Daniel only hoped that by then they had experienced more luck finding shelter than they had so far. He found himself oddly concerned about what terrors may lie in wait when darkness came to this strange land. Being well-read, there was no doubt in his mind that they should be afraid of what resides within the dark. Instinctively, as if a primal part of himself reacted to the strange surroundings, he knew nightfall here, unprotected, would be worse than he could even imagine.

should“You know,” a soft voice called to them, it was one Zo recognised instantly from its elemental rhythm. It was so hypnotic it had stopped her in her tracks. Seiken for the second time made his appearance by a tree. The group, having never seen him before, turned to face him in alarm. The figure moved his hand as if to give a single wave in greeting. He glanced over them as he leaned back casually on the rough bark. The tree, although breath-taking in its magnificent bloom, seemed to pale in comparison to his flawless beauty. “When the sun sets here it rises where you are, it"s beautiful.” He motioned to the already sinking sun as it hung low in the sky, although he gestured towards it, his eyes never left Zo"s gaze. She felt the heat rise to her face as she looked coyly to the ground to avoid his brown eyes. “When your people wake, Darrienia becomes dangerous. When night falls the real danger arrives, during this time you are protected from his hunters, but only if you find somewhere safe before the last ray of light vanishes from the horizon. Stay longer and well, no one ever survives the night.”

"What are these people doing here with her?" Zo looked up at Seiken in surprise, although he continued talking, she knew it was his voice she had heard just moments ago within her own mind. It was almost as if he spoke to someone else at the same time, someone very far away, and for some reason she could hear him.

What are these people doing here with her?“Creatures and monsters born from the imagination of the sleeping are released from the dreamer to this plane as they cross back into your world. These creatures roam the lands as they wait for their next kill.”

"I don"t understand, she should have been with those already marked, and yet these four all bear Algiz. Is this part of their trickery?" He walked closer to Zo, the smell of soft summer rain surrounded his presence, he smiled his captivating smile and all fell silent.

I don"t understand, she should have been with those already marked, and yet these four all bear Algiz. Is this part of their trickery?“What do you mean safe?” Acha broke the silence which had seemed to stretch for eternity, yet for Zo it was over in a heartbeat. He took Zo"s hand gently. His touch was like fire on ice, burning and freezing where his fingers caressed, while his eyes remained staring deep into hers as if they looked right into her soul. Captured in his gaze she was certain she knew him, and in that moment, along with the recognition, her magic told her what their meeting here meant. From the first time she had laid eyes upon him she had understood how this would end, but despite this knowledge she still couldn"t place a single real memory of the figure who stood before her. The almost complete words of a prophecy, only understood by instinct before, echoed clearly through her mind, as if she once again bore witness to its recital.

“I mean, just because you can"t walk at night doesn"t mean everything else isn"t on the prowl while you cross over. Once night arrives, his minions, the Epiales, can"t capture you, it"s against the rules, but there are other dangers to be cautious of.”

you"They manipulated the selection. The others were lost to us the very moment she was called upon." This voice seemed unfamiliar, like someone gave a reply to his earlier thoughts.

They manipulated the selection. The others were lost to us the very moment she was called upon.“Between twilight and sunrise you"re safe from his minions, but otherwise you"re fair game. Being of your upbringings”—he tore his gaze from Zo to glance briefly towards the rest of the small group—“I"m sure you can find somewhere, after all you"ve read enough books to know the rules.”

Daniel, for that brief moment, wondered if they had met somewhere before, he had looked directly to him as if informing him he was the one with the answer. Seiken knew he could have looked at Elly instead, but he had already decided who would be most beneficial by her side. He wanted her to have as little to do with her former friends as possible. He knew all of them, at one point or another their paths had crossed before. That was what made their combined presence here alarming. Other heroes of fate had been selected, and yet it was these five who stood before him. Four of them had somehow lifted the mantle from those once chosen, and each person before him was remarkable in their own way.

"But was it fate"s decision or something forced? It"s strange they would select her, but then to involve these people as well, it"s almost as if they want us to win. There is something more to this, I can"t see what it is." His distant voice seemed concerned at the prospect. Zo couldn"t help but feel guilty for eavesdropping on his private conversation, but despite this, she still listened intently, barely catching a word of what he said to the others.

But was it fate"s decision or something forced? It"s strange they would select her, but then to involve these people as well, it"s almost as if they want us to win. There is something more to this, I can"t see what it is.“Evil can"t cross running water, but water is out for tonight. There"s about an hour remaining until—”

“Can"t you help us?” Acha begged. Seiken stared at her heavily as she interrupted, she covered her mouth in embarrassment. She was the only one of the group he had not crossed paths with before. He could make assumptions regarding the rest of them, but he wasn"t sure what part she would play in this at all. From their brief encounter in Darrienia previously he knew there was no cause for concern about Eiji, and Seiken himself ensured Daniel"s survival, not once but twice, knowing there was a task of great importance before him. He would have felt much better about the situation had Elly not accompanied them. It was her presence that made the situation seem just a little too convenient.

“You need something which both keeps evil in and out, that"s all I can say. I can tell you this, although I assume there are a few along the way, not everything here will be an attempt to entrap you.”

"They don"t even seem to realise Darrienia is the realm of dreamers. The others at least were prepared, they knew the rules." The stranger"s voice answered again as Seiken also wondered how they could not know even the basic premise of the game, after all, there was no way they would understand the rules before nightfall. There were too many questions. This was the first time anyone had appeared without knowing something of their quest. There was a pause as he pondered what this could mean, but he soon spoke again as he realised time was growing short.

They don"t even seem to realise Darrienia is the realm of dreamers. The others at least were prepared, they knew the rules.“There are those we call non-conscious dreamers, people who are simply sleeping, and I am certain you may come across the occasional lucid dreamer, use them to your advantage. Anything their mind can create could be at your disposal.” He produced a small violet flower from the air and passed it to Zo. Her face flushed an even deeper shade of red than when she believed she was somehow eavesdropping on his private conversation.

She looked to the flower holding it tightly to her chest, breathing in its sweet aroma. There was something familiar about its scent, it reminded her of a garden she had visited long ago. Holding it to her nose she breathed deeply, trying to seize the memory, but as always it eluded her. She was so focused on this she failed to notice she had become the centre of everyone"s attention. Realising the memory was, as always, just beyond her grasp, she looked up to Seiken, only to discover he had vanished. Aware of the watchful stares, she turned to look at her friends.

“What?”

“She talks! By the Gods she actually talks!” Zo turned to Daniel giving him a playful shove. “Now you"ve joined us, I wonder if you could make sense of a few things.” He knew her expression well, she had almost remembered something, something about that flower had stirred a memory in the back of her mind. It made him wonder if this stranger had somehow known it would. He had, after all, seemed very familiar with her. They started to walk as they continued the conversation.

“What exactly is this place?” Eiji questioned. “That guy gave us the basic idea but…” It seemed they had realised she had not been listening to the same conversation as they had.

she“Seiken,” Zo smiled as she spoke his name, she paused for a second to appreciate the sound of it. “From what I understand, we"re in a place called Darrienia, it"s the realm of dreamers.” She gave an embarrassed smile remembering how she got that snippet of information. “I guess it is kind of like a land of shadows, nightmares, dreams, and imagination. Most things here, I think, were created by belief, collective consciousness, or have come from the minds of other life-forms. Yet at the same time, some of what we see is native to this world, and does not come from within the depths of our world"s imagination. I think it"s like our world in many respects, but here the sun follows the dreamer, this world is in light as ours is in darkness.

“Also, I think for the last few hours, what we"ve been seeing has come from our thoughts, or memories, as well as from other people. Darrienia is the world of the mind, wishes, and dreams, all of which is protected by the Oneirois,” she explained. She found herself surprised she had knowledge of this place beyond what she had heard, and judging by her friends" expressions it appeared they too shared in this amazement.

“Like that village,” whispered Acha gesturing towards a small village just a mile or so away from them. “We can"t go there, no matter what, we can"t. I-I once lived there, it"s bound to be dangerous considering…” she trailed off into an inaudible mumble.

“Considering?” Elly prompted. She was all too aware that during the time they had spent together there was only Zo and Acha who had not spoken at least some details about their past. Zo"s silence was understandable, she didn"t remember hers, but Acha always seemed to change the subject. It was something she had done so well that until this point no one had really noticed.

“It"s not important.” She lowered her head slightly to avoid eye contact with anyone. “I have bad memories of that place. I doubt if we went there we would find help or shelter. Speaking of which”—she continued without taking a breath—“don"t we need to find somewhere safe before nightfall?” It was not only true, but yet another way to change the topic without being questioned further.

“Well, I"ve been thinking about that.” Daniel ruffled his hair slightly as he spoke. “I vaguely recall reading something along the lines of what Seiken said.” Daniel pronounced his name carefully, he looked to Zo relieved to see she nodded at him. “Keeps evil in, keeps evil out, it"s called a fairy ring, but I wouldn"t know where to look. Although, aside from this poorly located village, this place looks a little like the area in Crowley where my dad found Acha.”

“What"s a fairy ring exactly?” Eiji asked, seeming rather embarrassed at having to do so.

“It"s a circle of mushrooms, on rare occasions flowers. They occur because forest mushrooms grow in circles. The older growths, those in the middle, are the first to die off, as they die a toxin is left behind which inhibits the growth of other plants, therefore it creates a circle in the middle of the mushrooms,” Daniel explained.

“In legends, it is said fairies would dance in them, thus creating the circle, which is why they are called Fairy rings,” Elly added with no real interest.

“I know what you mean.” Acha"s voice chimed with excitement. “I used to play in one in the forest by the village when I was little. The local shaman, always used to chase me off and it"s near where…” her voice dropped as her mind clouded with thoughts of her father"s betrayal. It wasn"t that she hated him for what he had done, after all, it was because of him she had come to be in this time, but she still failed to understand how someone could sacrifice their own flesh and blood, to further some unknown desire. “Since the village is here I don"t see why it shouldn"t be in the forest there.” She pointed to the small stretch of woods which ran alongside the village, as she did so, Elly began to wonder if it had actually been there before it had been mentioned.

The fairy ring, to their astonishment, had been exactly where Acha had described. The furthest growth extended to almost touch the bark of nearby trees, and covered an area large enough to more than comfortably protect them all. The walk had been a tiresome one, and by the time they had entered the forest, and located the mushrooms, the sky had already grown dark in the pre-dusk light.

“Be careful not to step on any of them. I am certain it will not work if the circle is broken,” Elly warned, looking towards Eiji. In response he immediately made the extra effort to widen his step over them. He smiled at her once safely inside, still grinning childishly as he stumbled over a backpack which someone had placed behind him. Elly shook her head with an expression of mild amusement.

“So what happens now?” Daniel questioned as the last specks of the light fought for life on the horizon. It grew darker with each passing second as the sun"s rays made their final attempt to fend off the encroaching darkness.

“I"m not sure how it works, I guess we have to go to sleep?” Zo volunteered. It seemed a silly thing to say, but it was the only solution she could give. Since they had to sleep to get here it only made sense they had to sleep to return. It was the same thought that had occurred to her earlier at the camp when she thought she may have been dreaming, to her, it made perfect sense.

“That being the case, might I suggest we consume one of these.” Elly presented a bag filled with small red berries. She didn"t question Zo"s knowledge, she simply accepted it as being correct. Reflecting on this, Zo understood a little more of the forgotten relationship she must have shared with this person. It made her more curious about her past, about other relationships she could have forged. She knew she would give almost anything to remember, and wondered how those eyes planned to fulfil their promise. “They induce sleep, rapidly,” Elly explained, although none had been needed. The effects were almost instant, and only she and Zo had not yet taken them. “I guess the thought of what they may see after dark is worse than whatever this berry may have done.” As she watched them for a moment it seemed as if their bodies slowly faded into the air. She smiled slightly before swallowing her own.

Zo sat mesmerised by the diminishing light beyond the circle. She watched as the last glimmer of the light"s rays began to fade from within the safety of her sanctuary. The howls of predators filled the air as the native inhabitants to the land emerged to hunt. Something moved in her field of vision, something so hideous it caused her to close her eyes tightly, like a child trying to imagine away a monster. She turned desperately to Elly who now lay fading. It seemed only she had seen the face of the darkness which had surrounded them.

Screams echoed through the darkness; tormented, agonised, and distorted cries. A dark red aura consumed Zoella"s observing figure, while flames and sparks licked the air around her, casting their light upon the figure of a girl. She held something clutched tightly to her chest as she left the blazing town without so much as a backward glance. Zo didn"t want her to look back. She was afraid of this figure, afraid it would realise she was there watching from within the boundaries of that which she had just destroyed. The girl stopped sharply. Zo was no longer in the town but upon the path, just behind the darkened figure. Although she had yet to turn, Zo knew her presence had been noticed. She felt hysteria begin to rise within her as the figure slowly turned. The town"s embers illuminated them both through the darkness. Zo tried to scream, but the sound froze in her throat.

“Hey.” Zo jumped as Elly"s hand touched her shoulder. She sat up quickly, nearly knocking Elly from her feet. “Are you all right?” she asked as Zo gasped for breath. Elly had started to get concerned when, unlike the rest of them, Zo had not awoken straight away after she had reappeared.

“Just a nightmare,” she managed to state through her breathless gasps, aware her friends exchanged curious looks. She had wanted to explain but, like always, for the life of her she couldn"t think what had scared her so much about the already faded dream. Only vague and disjointed fragments lingered, but the fear still tore at her soul. Suddenly, she found herself looking around in order to avoid the intensity of their stares. The dream was nothing more than a faded memory but a new mystery rose from the darkness. She had absolutely no idea where they were. “Where are we?” Her eyes fell on the vaguely familiar territory, the last remnants of a gentle forest littered the surroundings, grassland fanned out at every angle. Not too far in the distance she could see the rise of the nearby mountains.

“We have backtracked considerably,” Elly replied, not even attempting to answer the question, after all, she was meant to be unfamiliar with this island and the landscape they found themselves in. Daniel paced around a broken mushroom circle, muttering to himself, until he finally chose to share his thoughts with the group.

“This is near where…” his voice trailed off as he glanced around once more to confirm his assessment. “This is where my dad found you Acha,” he stated, but couldn"t imagine how they had come to be here.

“I know.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she spoke. “This is the fairy ring I told you about. My home used to be over there.” She pointed to an area of dusty paths and barren sands which seemed void of all life. Despite this, it did not seem to stand out until it had been mentioned. Only Daniel had heard her last sentence, he knew her stating it freely would invite too many questions, after all, how could she explain to them she was actually born in year 150 of Zeus" Era, or as it was more commonly referenced, 150 Z.E?

“That"d mean, somehow, when we slept there we woke somewhere on the boundaries of, here.” Eiji deduced, his words expressed the same confusion the others felt. He made a deliberate attempt not to mention what he had overheard Acha say about her home being here. Since Crowley only had one town it was impossible. “So, did we just pack up camp and sleepwalk here or somethin"?”

“Doesn"t anyone find it odd? Seiken said our sun rose when theirs set, yet I make it at least two hours after sunrise.” As it seemed none of them could respond, Daniel had asked another question. “I wonder if we"re safe to—” Before he could finish Eiji interrupted.

“Does that mean we hafta stay here all day!” he exclaimed, his tone once again reminding Elly of how young he was, he had sounded just like a spoilt child.

“I shouldn"t think so. Maybe it"s just while we pass between worlds that we need to be safe, remember how none of us could see each other when we woke?” Zo paused as she took the time to consider what she had just said. “When I woke Seiken said you"d already arrived, yet none of you saw me at the camp, so if I was the last to wake, or sleep…” Zo paused glad for Elly"s interruption as she couldn"t quite find the words she needed to explain.

“This circle is broken.” Elly pointed to the clear break where the outer section of the mushrooms had died off. “It would offer little protection, even if we were to stay within it, and we need to get moving.”

“Is there any point going anywhere if we"re just gonna be moved around anyway?” Eiji sighed. He was still not convinced about leaving this circle, broken as it may be, anywhere they would travel would surely be pointless as they would just find themselves in the same place as they had slept in Darrienia.

“Yes, besides…” Elly watched Zo as she stared into the shrubs which grew near the boundaries of the circle. She was surprised she had noticed them so quickly. Little creatures like these weren"t of any danger to them, they favoured hunting other animals, besides, eventually as the energy from Darrienia dissipated, so too would their existence on this side fade.

“Who knows what we brought back with us.” Zo finished, as she spoke, she became the recipient of their questioning stares. “Keeps evil in, keeps evil out,” she reminded them. As they followed her gaze to the bushes, they thought they saw a set of small, nightmarish teeth grin back at them through the shadows.

“Okay, but where we headin"?” Eiji questioned. Surely it made more sense for them to stay right here, that way when night fell, they wouldn"t lose any of the distance they had gained.

“From here I know a shortcut, a few hours will see us to our destination.” Elly hesitated for a second before taking the first step out of the circle, by her lead they began to follow. The direction of her determined strides seemed to indicate what they sought was near the small cluster of mountains. Daniel was surprised by her actions, it was common knowledge there was just one way to leave Crowley and that was the port. Unlike the larger islands, this one only consisted of a single, unmanned docking area.

“So where are we heading?” Daniel finally questioned as the mountain range grew ever closer. If this was truly their destination, it would have been a far quicker journey than the one they made just yesterday, of course, had they come here instead they never would have had the opportunity to reunite with Zo. If their destination hadn"t been the port, it made him question what exactly could be found in two places on this small island. He had taken many trips to the mountains when he was younger. They always had a strange air about them, a mystery, or a forgotten secret seemed to be hidden within them, perhaps he was finally going to discover what it was. Or maybe Elly simply didn"t know the area quite as well as she would have liked them to believe.

“You will know when we get there,” Elly answered firmly.