Magnificent

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The stream's pushed Daryn's partially conscious body aside hanging loosely by the rocky side of the stream. His shoulder exposed, revealing nasty bite marks though no trace of the animal nearby. The rest of his body all covered in bruises. He was in a sorry state.

Daryn groaned. He could not move and every part of his body hurt majorly his broken knee and mangled right shoulder. He wondered if he would walk properly again.

He opened his eyes to see more of the tree canopies. He cursed. A part of him wanting to believe the whole ordeal since he awoke in the jungle was just a bad dream he would wake up from. Well, he got the opposite.

'My luck is just bad'

He tried moving his leg to at least know if he was gonna use it again. The result was a numbing pain that immediately sent him unconscious. His body could not take that much pain and he shut down. Though, he was aware of his surroundings for sometime but after a few seconds, he did not know where he was anymore and he fell into darkness.

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Once Daryn gained conscious but only barely. He felt himself moving...carried actually not dragged like a load. That was a relief.

He tried speaking but was only able to make a squeak. The pains kicked in again and he lost consciousness.

He was sure he heard a voice though...female. Still he thought his mind was processing things wrongly. He must have been hit pretty badly. He did not know if he was to laugh at himself looking at his current situation.

"I'm already going crazy" he said on a last attempt.

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Daryn awoke to sounds of two hard surfaces colliding. More like pounding that only made his headache worsen.

"Urgh" he grunted

"You are awake?" A voice asked

It took time for Daryn to realise the question was asked to him before he could answer. The question not only sounded rhethorical but also sounded jumbled.

"Yes, I'm awake where am i?"

There was no response.

Confused that he might be hearing things, he searched the room for the source of the voice and was surprised to see a girl standing next to what seemed to be a side table. She was looking at him with total attention and curiosity.

But what actually got Daryns attention was her eyes. A striking mix of green and yellow that seemed to look through his soul. The eyes had a touch of mystry and curiosity but also peaceful and natural just like the forest.

"Magnificent"

That was the only word Daryn said and he continued staring _foolishly at her.

He noticed she was beginning to feel uneasy. So to avoid making the situation more awkward than it already was, he asked her;

"What is your name"

She did not reply.

"I said what is your name?" This time a little louder but there was still no response.

Then the girl made for the entrance of the room and left.

"Huh"

Daryn then took the house he was in with full detail. By the modern standards he grew up with, the house was most likely a shed or close to it. The place had a structure of a shed but wider and more defined. A bed at the corner and wardrobe opposite. The wardrobe had double doors and a side cut his host used to store her furs. Towards the edge of the room, he saw bowls and carved spoons which he took as the kitchen area. The small table next to the bed had herbs, roots and a small sized pestle and mortar that she used to wake him up with her pounding. Lastly, a back door leading to what he taught was the bathroom.

Above all, the house was really comfortable.

He still couldn't get to his feet though but the information he gathered was enough for him to know he was safe_for now anyway.

Since he arrived, this jungle has been pitting him with life threatening ordeals so he felt it ok to be prepared for another.... and maybe die this time.

A minute later the hostess returned. She was surprised to see him still awake well, the surprised expression only lasted just for a second because next her brows pinched in anger. She walked straight to the side table to continue what she was pounding.

"You should be sleeping" she said firmly

"Oh she talks" Daryn murmured.

"Yes i talk and I'm telling you to go back to sleep"

"I can't sleep when you keep pounding at my ear" Daryn groaned

"I'm busy. Shut your eyes and believe that I'm not here" she spat

"I AM DEFINITELY SURE THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE" Daryn replied raisng his voice.

'Hmph'

She still continued pounding anyway.

Daryn cursed his luck under his breadth.

He traced his right shoulder where the wolf had bitten him and felt it healed. Just light scars remained.

"How long was i unconscious" Daryn asked

"Three days" the hostess said simply.

Daryn was speechless at how quick the injury healed. He expected a bite like that to take at least two weeks before it even got close to healing. He was grateful for the quick healing anyway.

"Thank you" Daryn finally said

"No problem" she replied

By now she was already done grounding whatever it was she was pounding and took some to apply on his bad knee.

"You still need sleep. The rest of your wounds haven't healed completely yet"

Daryn tried stretching himself out to better relax. The pain still stabbed at various places in his body.

"Argh" he cried feeling a jabbing pain at the waist.

"I wouldn't move myself if i were you" the hostess said

Daryn cursed again and tried finding comfort without moving his lower torso. Once he had managed that he sighed

"I'm Daryn" he said

The hostess looked at him carefully and took her time before replying.

"Darla" she said

Daryn snorted

"Is that even your real name or are you saying that just so you can give me a reply"

A little smile crept on her lips but it vanished before Daryn could notice it.

"No. it is my name. Darla is my name" she said facing him.

"It's nice to be of aquintance with you Darla"

"Same"

"How did you find me?"

"I was hunting along the waterfall when i caug_ saw you bloodied and messed up. I had to help...Could not let you die at my watch the gods wouldn't forgive me if i did".

That last part had Daryn thinking. Seeing his surprised face, Darla asked.

" Don't you have gods where you come from?"

Startled by the question and not knowing how to properly answer, He sighed

"We....do have gods where i come from but they are more of myths and no actual uh....certainty they do exist or_ existed.....they are more like legends"

"Hmm... well i can assure you the once here exist and prove themselves elaborately so no one ever forgets they exist"

Daryn wanted to laugh at that. He was seeing her as though she was one obsessed devotee who never lost a chance to try to prove that their god existed. They where many of those where he came from.

Though, hey who was he to judge. You believe what you believe. He too had what he believed in.

"Are the gods here that elaborate?" He asked

"Oh they don't miss. As far as I'm concerned they are the judges and keepers of balance....they do pick favourites but try not to interupt the balance" she said

Daryn whistled

"Is that so? So you are telling me i am definitely going to see the sun god's burning persona walk amongst men....that's gonna be a lot of heat" he chuckled

Darla's smile broadened at the joke

"Yes we see Ra but at a minimal level because his presence alone sets jungles ablaze.....we do see Helios and Apollo and the other sun deities though. They are the lenient once....at a degree. Even they don't stay long once the temperature has passed normal because of their presence"

Daryns face fell. He started to wonder where he was. Which dimension has he crossed. What worldly plane had he reached.

She sensed his tension and pushed him back so he could sleep.

"Don't think too much about it. You just got here. All you need to do now is sleep and heal we'll talk more on this later"

Daryn sank back to the bed with her reassuring him a better explanation. Though the fear was still there, he pushed them back and tried to sleep.

"Next time you wake you will eat something but for now let the herbs soak in your body system. I'll go get a few things to use to make food. Would you like to drink a little water for the dry throat?" Darla said

"Yes thank you" he replied

"Its no problem. Just don't die on me" she replied and smiled at him.

"I'll try not to" he smiled back.

She fed him a cup of water. Just enough but, not too much to avoid him vomiting the medicinal herbs she had given him earlier.

"Ok then try to sleep. I'll head out to go get more herbs and natural spices for the food"

"Okay" he replied

"Mhmm" she left smiling.