Between Two Worlds

Chapter Three

At first it was dark.

I couldn’t see anything.

I struggled to find a grip on familiar ground, but I felt light and very weightless.

It was black.

I couldn’t scent or see anything for a few seconds.

Until I bumped into Ryker’s wings.

With a screech, he flung his body downwards, where I felt the presence of Micah and Thorn. They were oddly separated from us, and I couldn’t help but flail around.

Suddenly, I took a huge gulp of air as a massive blue sky appeared out of nowhere. I immediately felt a rush of wind in my face.

We were falling.

I tried to transform into my falcon, but the force of gravity was too strong for my body to handle.

With sudden realization I let out a cry of sheer terror as I smacked into a hard wooden surface. I heard Micah let out a grunt, and Thorn was softly cursing under his breath.

Ryker was slightly dazed, as his wings had caught the breeze. He perched on the stone-bricked pillar on the wooden slab.

“What was that? A crash-landing test?”

Thorn yelped in pain as he struggled to stand on his paws. I walked slowly towards him to help keep his balance, for the slab was uneven and oddly slippery.

It recently snowed here, I thought miserably. My joints will start to instantly stiffen in this cold weather.

Micah had already recovered, for he has used several temporary healing potions before accompanying us on the way out of the Oasis.

“Is everyone alright?” He asked cautiously. Micah remained sitting down, as he knew his gigantic hooves wouldn’t grip onto the slippery wood.

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah,” I answered, motioning towards Thorn. “I think Thorn got a sprain.”

The stag nodded, and in a quick spurt of light he transformed into his raven avatar. “It’ll be safer if I heal him on the ground. How about we move down there?”

Ryker nodded. “Wise decision,” he grumbled as he swiftly glided off the slab to investigate our surroundings.

Ryker has visited Earth several times already. He knew most of the information we will be needing on this journey, and some of it could determine whether we live or die.

Humans were a big concern. Tall, but came in many colors and sizes, were extremely intelligent. They created most of the odd structures, including the “roof” that we landed on the way here.

Some carried weapons. Small, sharp ice-like objects called knives are an example. They also carried sticks that shot out pellets, called “guns” that could kill any of us. Ryker claims he’s been shot at after taking a rabbit from a “breeding farm,” which seem to be very valuable to human pupalled children.

The rabbit didn’t have abilities like us, so it “proved to be edible”.

Fortunately, we have the ability to summon force fields and other protective barriers. However, Father has warned me that humans are unfamiliar with our kind and may gather in groups of thousands to hunt and take us down.

I’d like to see them try.

“All clear,” Ryker called down from below.

We slowly made our way down the roof. I was still struggling

to use my shape shifting ability (I think the mechanical force between the Oasis and Earth messed it up). With a sigh, I prowled my way down the roof. The others had flown down to the grass and started investigating the unfamiliar landscape. I was preparing to leap off onto a nearby tree when I slipped and fell, hitting my head on a glass panel I believe is called a window.

“You guys hear that?” Asked a muffled voice.

I froze as I hit the ground with a thud. Immediately, Thorn pricked his ears and stared in silence at the brick walls of the house. Micah had retreated into a bush, transforming into a rabbit and taking shelter unseen, with a protective Ryker not far behind.

“Guys, I think there’s something or someone up there..”

I glanced at Thorn, who had narrowed his eyes at the window. “Someone's in there.”

Rubbing my head with a small paw, I raised my head and fanned out my tail curiously. I sensed the presence of there humans in the top room inside the house. All three were male.

Ryker had quickly recovered and swiftly flew out of the bush to peer into the room.

As Thorn dashed to check on the cowering Micha, I had crept to the side of the massive structure.

My claws can only retreat halfway, for cheetahs were built for speed and grip while running, not climbing. With a grunt, I leaped on the side of the house and changed into my squirrel avatar.

The room was huge.

As I peered through the window, I spotted the the three boys.

They're screeching and laughing, but the one who spoke was slightly edgy. He was fidgeting and seemed to appear uncomfortable. The other two were holding black controllers and were rapidly clicking buttons, who activated certain things on the colorful panel.

The room was filled with color and strange trinkets, not like the dens at home. They were stuffed with soft looking cloths and rectangular wooden objects.

As I silently watched from the other side of the window, the smaller boy stopped playing. The other two seemed older, but the one wearing the gray sweatshirt was at least a year younger than the one next to him, who was slightly more muscular than both of the young men.

“Nick, man, why’re you so uneasy? Something wrong?”

Nick, as he was called, gave the window one last concerning glaces before he turned back to the younger one.

“I swear something is outside. I heard it hit my window!”

Both boys exchanged worried gazes, then they burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Cade, he thinks someone hit our window!” The younger one shrieked, slapping Cade on the shoulder, who pointed a finger at me.

“It was the squirrel, Nick,” Cade soothed as he made his way towards me.

With a shriek of alarm, I transformed into my falcon at the perfect timing and flew down to Thorn, who had been searching for me. Cade had gasped when he saw my transformation, and I knew I'd been spotted.

“Duma, where were you? We were watching them look out the other window and I told everyone it was you, but they didn't believe me!”

I glared at him, but quickly recovered my anger. I don't need anyone looking out for me!

“They spotted me. The one with the brown hair, he-”

Thorn threw his head back and let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Duma, we told you not to let anything see you!” He grabbed his head in his forepaws.

“Micha, Ryker, don't get comfortable. We've been spotted. Let's find a safer pla-”

Micah was already on the move, hopping around on his rabbit feet while Ryker flew south. I waited for Thorn to transform into his sparrow before we swiftly made our way out of the yard.

Suddenly, my wings got a tingling feeling and I stopped traveling mid-flight. Micah had turned back to catch my fall, for he had the ability to slightly sense stress and distraught.

“Aah, something's wrong!” I shrieked.

Thorn and Ryker flew back into the backyard once again to check on the boys. For a sparrow avatar, Thorn was surprising strong, as he was able to keep up with a peregrine like Ryker.

Micah had quickly transformed into a deer and picked me up with his mouth as he carried me back into the same bush we took refuge in. It was dusk, and the sun was close to coming down.

“You were affected by the magnetic fields on our way down here,” Micah explained.“Since your crystal is more powerful than ours, it takes greater risks when you change between dimensions. You need more time to recover. Just rest for a while.”

I shook my beige feathers roughly, wincing at the pain searing from my chest.

“We have to keep moving! What if we get killed? What if we get spotted again? What if Kifu figures out we’re here and try to send an Outsider to-”

“Duma!” Micha huffed impatiently. “Stop worrying! Your father wouldn't want this. You have to deal with it. We’ll stay here for the night unless something happens. Then we’ll just carry you around.”

Instantly, I snapped my beak at the startled stag, who immediately glared at me with his earth colored eyes. “Watch it,” he huffed dangerously. “I may be a healer, but I have attitude, too.”

I rolled my eyes at Micah as I made myself comfortable on the cold ground. I could hear Thorn and Ryker discussing the multiple issues we were facing, and I felt a pang of loneliness.

Micha wasn't helping. He simply lay beside me, making sure I wasn't spotted by the boys, who were becoming restless.

I sensed them moving around anxiously, and the Cade boy was extremely stressed as he explained what he saw to Nick and the other male.

Turning into my bat avatar, I strained my ears to listen to their conversation.

“...I saw it! I really did; it was so weird! I didn't know they existed!”

I froze. Did they already know about our presence?

“Cade! You read too much mythology novels. Shapeshifting animals exist in the Oasis thingy in that child’s book,” the younger boy protested.

“Shut up, Brayden!”

They know about us!

I noticed Nick never objected to Brayden's statement.

As Cade and Brayden argued about my presence, I heard an echoed closing of a door. Nick must've left the room.

I think he's coming outside!

“Micah! We gotta move. Help me!”

The stag nudged me closer into the bush, where tiny thorns and twigs sent pricks up my neck and wings. To remain hidden, Micha transformed into his rabbit and remained still. We had a clear view of the backyard facing the house, and I tensed, waiting for Nick to show up.

Nothing happened.

Ryker and Thorn had perched on the roof, both in their falcon forms. They were preparing an ambush just in case the human boy was carrying any weapons.

Brayden and Cade were oddly silent as well. I figured their argument was over and that Nick was inside the house after all.

I was wrong.

The door to the front of the house opened with a loud bang. Brayden and Nick sounded impatient by the sound of their feet. They were dragging them as they made their way to the yard.

I noticed a light coming from the trees.

He brought a flashlight.

I peered over at Ryker and Thorn, who were stiff with anxiety. Thorn kept tapping the roof nervously, and Ryker snapped his beak at him to make him shut up.

I started to shake. What if we’re spotted?

“Cade, nothing’s out here! Just give it a rest before I neck you,” Brayden groaned as he pointed at the bushes. “Trust me. We’re fine. We have running practice soon anyway.”

They practice running? How do you practice for running?

Nick was swinging the flashlight in the trees, and then it landed on the bush.

Our bush.