Silverwood

Way to The Apah Abyssal.

I get out to help her. Slowly turn back to a human. They are staring at me with terror in their eyes. Someone screamed "She is a human, she is the root of our miserable life. Hand her to those witches." 

"No"

"No"

I shout "Noo"

"It's okay. He will handle it." The snake lady next to me says.

Oh, the bad stuff was my imaginations. While imagining getting busted, I missed how Arun got out to help that poor child.

When he safely brought her back, all attention shifted to them. And I got time to drink the potion. 

"You are a daredevil."

"It was nothing. I am used to it." This is Arun's reaction to my compliment. 

"I guess they will come again."

What is she saying? Not again.

"It's better to stay inside." 

I don't have enough time. Not a second to waste. I can't stay here. I need to keep going. I am really bad at convincing others. I had to spend the night there.

***

"Morning!"

After a yawn, I replied to him. "Morning"

 "So pay me up and set me free."

Oh, I... Wait! I had paid him already.

"What? I have paid you already."

"You paid for leading you to that mountain. But what about risking my life to save yours?"

Creep!

"That was your own choice. I haven't told you to do so. And there was no deal about that too."

"So!.. We are good then." He looks different. 

Is he upset? No, he must be worried. I guess he needs money. I mean the crystals. 

"Can you help me?" What a stupid question I am asking.

"What kind of help?"

"Can you take me to a place?"

His eyebrows are up, making his forehead wrinkled, eyes are wide like they will pop out. I know what he is doing. Asking me about the place I want to go to. But, I don't have an answer. So we both are paused in an awkward pose. 

"What are you doing?" Thanks for distracting us. Oh, cute girl.

"Hi, Anu!" I greet her.

"What were you two doing?"

"Nothing sweety. Just having a small chat."

"Where did he go?" I mutter.

"He said you two were going somewhere. Where?" 

What is she asking?

"Ah! I should.....ask him first. Ok.Bye."

She is overly loaded with cuteness. How can a snake be so cute? I am walking to the hut where Vidya is. She knows where to go. She was the one who identified the place.

"Vidya!"

 Arun? What is he doing here? 

"What are you doing?"

"Packing."

"For?"

"Our trip."

He agreed. But at what cost?

"We didn't have a deal yet."

"Then let's do it."

What?

"One crystal for each huddle. And three after reaching there."

"Do you know where we are supposed to go?"

"The Apah Abyssal," Vidya says.

She is super fine now. Still having difficulties flying high but not in that serious condition. 

"So we have to...." I take out my map. "West!"

"West?" He is shocked. Walk near and snatched my map from me. 

"You held it wrong. We need to move east." 

What is he saying? 

"I held it right. We have to go west."

"No"

Why is he arguing?

"Look we are here right?" I point on the map.

"Hold on!"

"What?"

"You are pointing to another continent. We are in Pariland. Here."

Confusing.

"Show me."

I clearly remember I was on a different continent when I started. The wizard colony, cyclops plateau, the giant valley. All are there. How did I end up here? 

"Are you okay?"

"Yah, I am. You were packing, right? We have to move faster.... to the east. So, need to hurry."

"It is far so, I'll go get some food for the way."

"Cool."

He left. 

"Vidya help"

"What happened?"

"Where are we?"

She saw the map and said.

"That is the continent where all the poor villagers live. It is called Jaduland. This is the continent where mines are located and major cities are there. This is called Pariland. Before it was captured by witches but after their betrayal fairies took over."

"Fairies live in the cloud, no?"

"They do. But as they are the protectors, they need some space."

"Okay, but how did I get to another continent? I didn't cross any sea or ocean."

"You did."

"When?"

"The giant valley is near the cost. The bridge you took is a magical bridge that connects two continents. It is the faster way to travel. But only a giant's permission can let you use that bridge."

"So, I crossed an entire ocean in half of a day because of the bridge?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

"There is more cool stuff waiting for you."

It's time to get going. According to the map we were at the hills of the pine forest of something lookalike of pine tree forest. We will be heading to the southwest to obtain our goal. 

Thanks to our sorcerer snake friend we can get there faster. We get a car. Not so much in good condition, but at least it could fly. Enough for us. 

Lots of food for our journey. Even if they are in scarcity they gave us plenty.

"Abut that village. They have so little as compared to the population."

"This is the situation of the whole world."

"Why?"

"Where are you from? Don't you know that after the war we are like slaves to these fairies?"

"But they are the protectors."

"Yes. They are. I am not saying bad to fairies, but the lord. Because of him, we are suffering. All our resources are not enough for us. Because lord takes them from us. And others are given to fairies so that they will protect us. Those snake people are the slaves. They came here in search of a better future but they had got the job of serving fairies. The crystals they get as the payment gets used to going to the job only. The power they get they use it for flying spells."

"They go up to the clouds for work?"

"Yes, they do."

"Poor guys. What about the bike?"

"After a lot of saving and my help, they got this car. This car is in this rough condition because more than eight passenger rides it at a time. It is like a bus to them. In a day it takes many trips."

"They gave it to us. What will they do now?"

"They will manage."

"With the bike you brought?"

He didn't reply. But changed the topic. 

"Same problem as for yetis."

"What about them?"

"They live in Iceland. But they have to work in the mines so they use the magic to protect themselves from the heat only."

"Oh"

"I guess it is your first time that you are out of the elf village. You don't know the world in here. It is not that easy as it in the village."

His words are so sad. He is so sad. It makes me sad. 

Plum and Vidya are taking a nap in the backseat. I and Arun are chattering. Now that he assumed it is the first time I am out of the village to this world. I am free to express my joy at witnessing this word for the first time. I can ask about the amazing new thing I see.

Like the different birds I saw, the life of fairies above the clouds. And much more. We crossed the plains, ponds, a city. Then we rested near the city for some personal business. This car is fast. Like an airplane. We continue and in half of the day, we covered almost one-third of the journey. If we won't stop and continue in the night too, then we will reach sooner. 

At night we stopped at a mesa landform. We parked the car over the tabletop of the elevation. Spend the night there.

"Two moons appear at a time?"

Oh s**t, another stupid question. I should stop it.

"Yes, the two small ones are the twin moons. And the other three appears at different times."

"Wind is warm."

"Because it is a kind of desert area."

"Who lives here?"

What a question. Soon after I asked so there comes an earthquake. 

"What is it?" I panicked.

"Centaurs."

I looked down. A herd of horsemen was passing by. Oh, they are half horse half man. A Greek mythological creature. I have seen this figure in animated movies. Wow!

Amazing. When I'll get back I will never forget the experience I am having here.

***

A strange feeling woke me up. I feel like someone is grabbing my limbs and taking me with them.

"What going on? Arun!.... Help!"

My scream works. Arun is up. I mean he is at the top and I am down on the plane. Arun is shocked. 

"Do something."

An invisible force is lifting me and taking me somewhere. He starts the car to get down. Witches stopped him. I am floating in the air but feeling that someone is carrying me. I can not see anything but I feel they are more than one person.

Witches are shooting over Arun's car with their brooms. The broom's tip shoots green beams and Arun trying his best to avoid it. Left, right, up, down, round every possible move to avoid the beam. 

He throws a pack of food like a dumpling towards me. Why? My hand. It feels like the one holding it is not there anymore. The glimpse that my eyes caught was of a scene where the dumpling was in the air and disappeared as someone ate it. 

Another dumpling and my legs are hitting the ground. 

"Try to fight it." He screams.

How can I fight something I can't even see? I grab a rock and hit with a guess. It worked. I squirm and soon got free of them. 

"Run!"

"Bam!" The beam nearly hit me.

I can not see anyone on the ground and the sky turns into a battle zone. I began to run. I get some scratches from that invisible force.

"What are you doing? You are running towards them."

I am? I changed the direction. I am running like a fool.

"Can't you see?"

"Bam!" The beam hit the car. The one and only car the snake persons had was all in the fire. Arun safely escorts Vidya and Plum out, and we ran to hide in a safe place. The noise of the car blast drove them away. We are safe now.

After taking a look and a deep breath of relief, Arun started to scald me.

"Are you blind? Can't you see them?"

Sorry, I can't tell you. But I can't.

"I told you to run and what you did? You ran towards them. Great!. Thank goodness that we are safe now. Do you know what might have happened if you would have been taken by them?"

Actually, I want to know that.

"Now stick to me. You are such a troublemaker."

I didn't do anything. 

"Sorry for the car." I apologize.

"Car....car... you. You are impossible."

He continues to yell the whole way. Fortunately, we were close enough. But we are out of food. It burned with the car. We walked on a hot, sunny day. While walking, I felt dizzy. But I keep walking. Soon Arun stopped me.

I was too into walking that I didn't see the dead end. 

"Wow!"

"Careful. Do you even know that word?" Why is he so mad? What's wrong with him?

Fine. It was a dangerous situation, but I escaped death so many times in these couple of days. I am used to it now. What wrong can happen, I will die, that's it right. 

"We are here." He says.

"The ocean. The Apah abyssal." Vidya says.

It is really amazing. 

"Your crystals."

He looks at me strangely. What? 

"Drink it." He is giving me a potion to drink. Why?

"What is it?" 

"The town is under the ocean. We can not go there by swimming. But we can go there swimming if we drink it and get transformed. So drink it."

I can not. I have drunk the potion given to me when Arun was sleeping. If I have it and it reacts to the previous one then? The Wizard said not to drink the same potion till the previous one wears off. 

"What are you thinking? This is not poison, I am not going to kill you and run away with your crystals."

"Aren't there any other way?" 

"There is something fishy about you, Dev."

I gulp.