Blood and Fur
Before the accident…
Chris waved enthusiastically with a huge smile on his face as his small boat approached the shore. His childhood friend, Elandir, impatiently waited for him with a sour look, his arms crossed.
"Is that how you greet a friend you have not seen for a long time?" Chris squinted his eyes at his friend. Elandir is two hundred years older than Chris, but you couldn't tell it from his face. If anything, he looked younger.
Elandir rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Your Highness," he greeted Chris with a mocking bow. "What were you thinking huh? Have you lost your mind and wish to perish from this world?!"
"Good to see you too, my friend." Chris only grinned and pulled Elandir for a hug, but Elandir grimaced and pushed him back.
"Go back! You know that you are not allowed here. And where have you been? Your uncle is terrorizing Arcanis and you are here just to chase a woman whom you haven't met," Elandir exclaimed in exasperation.
"I did meet her, it's just that she was sleeping. She's a beauty, you know, and don't worry about Arcanis. Let my uncle enjoy the throne for a while and let the wolves suffer a bit. That way they will surely miss me." Chris smirked.
"How can you rule with that attitude? Are you sure you are not adopted? You don't resemble your father's characteristics and qualities, not even a bit." Elandir felt aggravated by Chris' words. How could he be so relaxed when his uncle is waging a war?
"I will be my father's son when I get back, Elandir. I will avenge his death, but I have to get my woman first. I will need her help if I want to kick the bitch away from the throne of Arcanis. So, shall we?"
Elandir nodded and firmly planted his staff into the earth. He pulled out his totem and drew elements from the ground and the sky, combining them in his hands. "Put your hand on my shoulder, my friend," Elandir said, before finally giving Chris a warm smile.
As soon as Chris placed his hand on Elandir's shoulder, he was enveloped by a strong force. It was as if his whole soul was being pushed out of his body, making him throw up everything he had eaten that morning.
Elandir only chuckled as he watched Chris vomit. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. I just started learning teleportation, so the magic is still a bit shaky." " Elandir said while continuing his laughter.
"Shaky? It's far from shaky! It's complete trash! It feels like someone kicked my guts hard!" Chris exclaimed before continuing to relieve the contents of his stomach.
"Come on, stop complaining, you've asked for this, we still have a long way to walk. This is the nearest I can teleport us without alarming the others," Elandir said before starting to walk leaving Chris behind.
"Wait! I don't feel good…" Chris uttered, still feeling his stomach churning upside down.
The two had to walk on foot because Chris could not shift to prevent other druids from detecting his presence at least before he entered the portal. Qiryn Kingdom is home to magical beings and elves are one of them. They were the ones tasked to guard the gateway to the other world. It is a portal that doesn't need to be summoned or cast for it has stayed there ever since the other world has existed.
"Did you bring something that could connect you to the princess?" Elandir asked as they drew nearer the portal.
"Yes, my fur and my blood," Chris answered so casually that Elandir halted and dropped his jaw in shock.
"That is disgusting, Christopher! Why would you give those to a princess– a human princess!" Elandir cannot believe how his friend is so clueless about how to properly interact with women.
"Well, it's not like I have a choice. She was poisoned so I gave her my blood, and I had to leave her so I gave her my ceremonial cloak made from my fur when I first shed. I really don't want to give her my cloak but I was in a hurry to get back here so I did what I had to do," Chris narrated.
"Okay," Elandir nodded, still a bit disgusted. "That makes sense, I guess."
"We are near the gateway," Elandir informed Chris after entering a dense forest.
"Since it's your blood and fur that connects you to her, you must draw your blood and show your fur before entering the gateway, do you understand?" Elandir asked in a serious tone.
"Understood. I will repay you once I get back. Thank you for helping me, Elandir," Chris said.
"You don't have to, think of this as my repayment to you for saving my life. You always get me in trouble. Plus, I want to see you alive for a long time, so don't show up in Qiryn again," Elandir handed Chris an amulet.
"Keep this. Inside it is a magical stone that could bring you back to Vectus Mundus once you find Princess Hera in Novus Mundus," Elandir said.
"Novus Mundus?" Chris asked, it was the first time that he heard the name.
"Yes, it is what the other world is called. It was created by the divine beings to safeguard the other humans from demons a long time ago. The magical beings like me were tasked to safeguard the doorway, so no demons or cursed beings could harm them in their new world.
Christopher and Elandir continued to head Northeast and soon reached the gateway to Novus Mundus. They crouched from afar as they observed the guards roaming around the doorway.
"I'm going to pretend demons had attacked me to distract the guards," Elandir ran through their plan again. "Once I do, run for your life and never look back as you aim for the gateway. Your connection to the princess will make the gateway transport you near her location. When it's time for you to go back, just break the stone inside that amulet. I already cast magic on it to open a portal that will teleport you back to Zemaria."
Elandir then stood up and said, "I will be expecting an invitation to your wedding my friend. Good luck!" he gave Chris one last look before going his separate way.