8 Chapter 8

Jason was still submerged in mud. He couldn't figure out how or why he was still alive. His lungs felt as if they might explode. His heart was pounding out of his chest, and he weakly struggled against the bindings, but neither Fenris nor Daphis came to his aid. Jason had a feeling they wouldn't let him die, but he didn't want to just give up. There had to be a reason they chose this. There must be something to those words. Jason thought back to the mysterious book, the symbols he couldn't decipher, and attempted to channel some kind of otherworldly focus to decipher them and find what Fenris was saying. It took him a minute, but he found a similarity in one symbol.

With every bit of his consciousness he had left, he focused on this symbol, the words, and found himself emitting a powerful heat. No, it wasn't heat, it was just a mass amount of energy radiating. This energy manifested itself in an aura of concentrated flame and burned its way through the bindings. Seeing, now, the opportunity to get some air, Jason stood, lifting his head out of the mud and coughing up a mass amount of it. Now he just had to climb his way out of the hole before he became submerged again. He tried to class at the wall of dirt, but couldn't get a firm handle.

Jason clawed his way at the dirt wall and eventually found the right grip in the dirt, climbing his way out of the hole slowly, but with great determination. He seemed to fall onto the ground when he finished scaling the wall to safety. He was exhausted. Just in front of his eyes, Daphis stood. He could tell it was her because of the root looking appendages that made her feet. There was little resemblance of anything human in her legs and feet, Jason hardly noticed this fact before.

"You made it, Jason." Fenris said, excitement in his voice. "I thought it might take you a couple tries and more hints."

"I didn't feel like dying today." Jason said, out of breath.

Fenris laughed, "That's happened a couple times already, Jason."

Daphis helped Jason to his feet, transferring some of her healing abilities to alleviate Jason's new injuries and help him catch his breath.

"There's got to be an easier way to learn this." Jason felt fully recovered, but still felt the weight of his stress.

"Years of practice, but we don't have that kind of time, Jason." Fenris responded. "I'm afraid that the only way to get you to master these abilities in a short time is through the stress we've been putting you through."

Jason shrugged, "I guess that makes sense, but it would help if I knew what the problem is."

Daphis stepped in and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, speaking in a voice that might have lulled Jason to sleep. "In due time, Jason. It'll all make sense soon enough."

Jason couldn't argue this. She had him under a spell, and he didn't even want to fight it.

"Jason, our world is a complicated one." Fenris started.

Jason almost chuckled a bit, "Yes, you can say that."

Fenris ignored this, "Fairy tales, in your world, myths and such, they all came from somewhere, or some time rather." Fenris explained. "Humans back in the times that myths like these came about, they didn't view them as myths, but recollections. Our world is very closely connected to that of yours."

Jason gave Fenris his full attention.

"What humans now call imagination, humans then called reality." Fenris said. "But, the greed and violence of man saw a lot of blood shed on both sides, and the world's were separated almost entirely. Dreams, myths, and imagination remain the one constant link between this world and the one you grew to know."

Jason spoke up, "So, what you're saying is that things like the loch ness monster are real?"

Fenris laughed, "Some degree of the human imagination is not rooted in this place, as you'll come to know, but a lot of it is. The loch ness monster is not a thing around here, but many things you've seen are."

Jason looked around at the beautiful forest, remembering the flying unicorn and noticing how Daphis resembled what his world would call a nymph.

"There are many things you have yet to see, and many things you have yet to learn." Fenris said. "We won't overload your senses now though. You should get some rest."

Jason thought about sleep, and it brought up a question. "Will I wake up in my world?"

Fenris looked at Jason, "It's not likely, Jason. This place has a great deal of power, but your body in the other will need a little more time to recover and prepare."

"Prepare?"

"You'll find out when the time is right, Jason." Fenris said.

Jason hated not knowing, but what could he do? He thought about his sister. Jason thought, also, about what Fenris said. Fenris was right, Jason could use some rest. He was exhausted. Jason followed Daphis back to the hut he woke up in. The bed in there was so comfortable, he was excited to lay in it again. It was just as comfortable as he remembered it.

It must have been a good eight or so hours since he laid down. He felt so rejuvenated as he woke. His eyes wouldn't open at first, he just wanted to lay there and take in the scent. All of a sudden, he felt a blunt pain in his side. It shocked him, but not enough to open his eyes. When he felt it again, harder this time, he felt like he'd been kicked. A muffled voice came with it. Jason was confused. He felt it one more time, and heard his name yelled loud. Jason opened his eyes to find himself laying in the cottage at night, Alex standing over him looking furious. Jason almost panicked, but Alex kicked him again, hard. Something had Alex pissed, but Fenris told Jason he wouldn't wake up in this world. Something wasn't right.