The Other side

The portal beckoned Lavernius to enter. Lavernius turned to face it, it glowed brighter and brighter. Whispers murmured from within the mysterious gate. He reached out and placed his hand in the golden fluid. It was warm and cold. Soft and hard. Smooth and rough. He entered the portal and darkness consumed him. Then light blinded him, and he found himself standing on an empty plain, surrounded by tall grasses. Strange creatures flew in the sky. Deer-like creatures pranced in the grass. The air felt cleaner and warmer. There were two suns in the sky, but the climate was moderate. He looked ahead of him and could see a large city in the distance. It was a beautiful place. Lavernius smiled and began walking forward, when suddenly something crashed into him. He fell backwards onto his rear, looking up at the source of the attack. A dragon! Its scales were silver, and its wings were gold. It breathed fire in Lavernius' direction and it engulfed him in flames. His body regenerated faster than the flames could destroy.

"Sorry about him!" a man shouted from the distance

"It's alright. I guess." Lavernius said

"Oh, you aren't even hurt. You're tougher than you look, huh?" the man said.

The man was short and had pointed ears. He had a long beard and long hair. He wore a metal bucket as a helmet and carried a staff with an emerald lodged in the top.

"Hello. I am Lavernius Bear." Lavernius said

"Hi. I'm Derrald Darnald. I'm guessing you are new." Derrald said

"Yeah, I just arrived." Lavernius said

"Why have you come here?" Derrald asked

"I came to see the gods. Where are they and how many are there?" Lavernius said

"Let me think... There's Father Time, god of time, he lives in the lighthouse at Silver Lake. There's Graadithane, god of the forest, he lives in the Dark Forest. There's Heriphitio, god of blacksmithing, he lives near the volcano. There's Triton, god of oceans, he lives in a temple near the ocean. There's Hulion, god of mountains, he lives on the peak of the mountain known as Mount Klytio. And then there's Valtor, god of the stars, he lives in an open plane far from any city in a temple. Then there is Kayotic, the god of creation and life. He lives in the great temple at the center of the world. Finally there is Kryptonick, the god of death and destruction, he lives in the floating temple that sits above the area of Kayotic's temple." Derrald rattled off the names of the gods and where they lived without taking a breath. "They don't all live together, though. Some of them like to stay apart."

"So, you know all that because you've met some of these gods?" Lavernius said

"Not really, but I have seen their statues and heard stories passed down from our ancestors. But, I never thought I would actually meet one." Derrald replied.

"Why not?" Lavernius asked

"Some of them aren't friendly." Derrald said, getting on his dragon, "I wish you luck in your adventure."

"Thank you." Lavernius said, watching him fly away.

Lavernius walked toward the city. The city was far more advanced than cities on earth. They had lights without candles and automatic machines. Lavernius asked around and gathered lots of information about this world. The people in the city were all hybrids of animals. Humans mixed with lions or bears or tigers. Others mixed with other races such as elves and dwarves. There was no slavery or oppression. Everyone got along well enough.

Lavernius eventually made his way to the central area of the city, where there was a huge statue of Kayotic standing next to Kryptonick. The people were wary of Lavernius, since he was an outsider.

The city was named Loipolin, after the first king. He was a giant who led the people to the land. The people worshiped him for his strength and bravery. As time went on, the people built temples dedicated to the gods and prayed to them for protection. A man named Kalapah Kratittic, who was a genius. He sent Loipolin into a new era. An era of inventions and discovery. They called this the Inventional Era. Their technology was much more advanced.

"I haven't seen you here before. My name is Miano Plerro. I am a knight." he said

"I am Lavernius Bear. I am an... adventurer." Lavernius said

"Adventurer? I thought we were done with those." Miano said

"Done with?" Lavernius asked

"The need for adventurers went down, those who couldn't change with the times got stuck within their minds, jobless, useless, a nuisance. Are you a nuisance, Mr. Bear?" Miano said

"No, just stuck. I'm on my last adventure, sir. I won't cause any problems within your fine city." Lavernius said

"Sorry, but I have to put this bluntly... why are your veins glowing different colors like that?" Miano asked

"Long story... Hopefully I can put it to an end." Lavernius said

"I see... not everyone's past isn't nice. Where are you from?" MIano asked

"If you give me a map, then I'll point it out." Lavernius said

"Sure." Miano said, grabbing a map from his jacket.

"Here. Ottio Valley." Lavernius said, pointing to a random place, "Can I have this map?"

"Sure. It's easy to get lost." Miano said

"Thank you." Lavernius said

"Where are you headed?" Miano asked

"Silver Lake." Lavernius said

"That's quite the journey." Miano said

"Not for me." Lavernius said

"Are you a Titan? Or a Demi-god?" Miano said

"No, don't worry. Just a man." Lavernius said

"Man? What species are you? You don't look like someone from Ottio Valley." Miano said, unsheathing his sword.

"Sorry. Thanks for the map." Lavernius said, before vanishing.

Lavernius looked around and the sky was different in this area. It was darker, but beautiful. The whole area was covered in sand. The lake reflected a silver color on the sand, giving the illusion the entire beach is made of silver. In the distance stood a tall lighthouse with a clock instead of a light. The wind was cold and the air was tense. Lavernius walked towards the lighthouse.