DUOPIA

Chapter 6 - Still Lake

James awoke slowly and squinted at the sunlight creeping through the window of the wooden floored cabin. His vision was a bit blurry but he remembered he was in that Sharman woman's cabin. 
I must have passed out, he thought.
He went to get up, but before he did he noticed a small creature next to the bed he was resting on.
He remained still, as to not spook or frighten the creature in case it could be dangerous. His blurry vision was clearing up and a familiar hairy animal came into view.
It looked like a dog! A little dog sniffing around the tree that protruded the cabins centre, as if it was looking for a snack.

James relaxed, knowing dogs to be pets and quite fun to be around and moved his head around to see out the cabin window. The sun in the deep blue sky, resting over the aqua ocean bay surrounded by towering rocks. A tropical paradise.
James moved his leg a little, remembering it was bandaged up. It felt almost back to normal.
The dog turned to look at James, and James squealed with fright! 
The dog had three eyes! It leaped up at James with his tongue out and eyes wide with happiness.
It landed on the dark blue blanket and began to lick his face as if it had peanut butter all over it.
"Oh no, please, no more! Stop!" James muttered as he tried to get the creature off of him.
As the dog leaped down off of the bed, the front door of the cabin opened quickly and the Older lady was standing in the entrance. Her smile was radiant and beaming.
"JAMES FROM EARTH! YOU HAVE AWOKEN!!" She screamed with delight.
James was taken back as she danced on her tip toes towards him, with the tiniest of steps.
She quickly made her way to the bed and sat at the end of it, staring at the young boy. Totally infatuated with curiosity and wonder. A child of Woman in her cabin! The questions she has for him! She was bursting at the seams.
"Tell me, did you sleep well? Did you have nice dreams? Hm?" She asked quickly with delight.
James was a little scared of how happy she was to see him, but regardless answered honestly.
"I slept ok i guess, I dreamed about... I don't know I forgot. Something strange." James said as his eyes fixated on the three eyed puppy who was looking dumfounded and overtly happy with his wet tongue hanging out the side of his childish grin.
"OH! How rude of me! I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Older Raidrou, AND this loving little critter here is Mutt! Cute little thing isn't he?" She remarked with a sweet voice.
Mutt looked at her with the sound of his name spoken and stared at her for a bit. Then sniffed a few times and bolted out the door barking.
"Must have smelt a Borga." She remarked.
"A... Borga?" James asked.
"YES! Little creatures that run very quickly! Mutt never seems to catch them but finds endless fun chasing them." She said with a chuckle. 

James sat up and swivelled around to face the side of the bed. He looked at his leg and saw a fresh bandage on it.
"I changed your dressing yesterday before the sun left, you have been asleep all day and all night! The medicine I gave you really knocked you out!" She exclaimed.
"Medicine?" James asked, not recalling taking anything.
"Yes, the incense you were breathing in yesterday was a very potent remedy I made myself. That's why your leg doesn't hurt anymore!" She remarked.
James went to stand up and sure enough, the pain in his leg is gone! As if he never even hurt it in the first place.
"Wow, thank you so much. It feels normal!" James said
"I wouldn't be a very good Sharman if I couldn't fix up a silly leg cut now would I?" She stated.
James sat back down and went to undo the bandage. The Sharman's hand landed on his. James jumped, remembering their hands  are wet and a little slimy, like a frog.
"I wouldn't do that just yet, give it another day." She said with a smile.
James looked at her and nodded. Understanding that she probably knew more about such things.
The Sharman woman stared at him for sometime, James stared back not knowing exactly why she was staring.
His thoughts were collecting themselves when he realised that before he passed out she had a clue as to where his brother was! 
"The hat! The blood! My brother must be with the kidnappers! We must go and save him!" James blurted out in a hurry.
The Sharman smiled and grabbed James's shoulder.
"The warriors haven't returned yet, but I'm sure they will bring everyone back, safe and sound." She said with a soft soothing voice.
James broke her gaze, he could only feel hopeless and afraid for his brothers life. Not knowing the dangers in a world that he didn't yet understand.
"Now, James of Earth. Are you ready to try something for me?" The Sharman asked.
James looked at her.
"I suppose, what is it?" James said.
Before James could ponder what she wanted, a goop of goo hit his eyes and blinded him. He gasped and fell off the bed and on the floor landing on his bum.
"Well, that." She giggled out loud.
James began rubbing his eyes as they burned from the shock. Why would she do that to him?
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" James yelled with one eye closed.
The Sharman burst out laughing, seeing James with a mess of goo on his face. She handed him a cloth and chuckled as he rubbed it off himself.
"So you can do this." She said, turning around to grab something.
She turned back, holding the book that James had found in his closet opened up to a page.
James took a seat back on the bed and looked at the page she had opened, the title read "The Tale of Unda and The Still Lake"
Wait.
James can read it's words again! But how?
"I... I can read it!" James cried.
"REALLY!? What does it say!?" She looked at the page mystified by it's contents. 
"It says, The tale of Unda and The Still Lake." James read aloud.
She looked shocked as she stared at the page, as if all she saw was paper. Then she looked back up, and smiled at him.
"How incredible, and tell me James, do you know what the tale of Unda and The Still Lake is?" She asked.
"No idea." James said.
The Sharman laughed out loud, as if she was told a hilarious joke.
She looked at the book with wonder, holding magic unattainable to her no matter how much knowledge about the book she has collected over the years, she can't understand its contents at all.
She looked back up at the boy, some what jealous of his ability. To wield such a power and not even realise it.
"Tell me James, Are there stories from where you are from, that everybody knows?" The Sharman asked.
James thought for a moment, thinking what kind of story that would be. Goldilocks maybe? Or maybe Lord Of The Rings? That story most people know about.
"I'm not sure, I know some that a lot of people know." James replied.
The Older stood and walked to her wooden bench across the room, she grabbed two wooden cups and a jug, and sat down on the mat next to the tree, facing the window.
"Come and sit with me James, I want you to read 'The Tale of Unda and The Still Lake' to me." She asked, as she poured a green liquid into each cup.
James grabbed the book, got up and walked timidly to test out his leg a little, still unsure about how quickly it had healed.
He walked over to the mat and sat next to the Sharman, cross legged, with the book in his lap. He picked up the cup with the green liquid in it. He gave it a sniff and winced at the smell. 
"I don't want any thank you." he politely said.
"Alright, please begin." The Older said as she closed her eyes.
James put the cup down and picked up the book open to the page with the title 'The tale of Unda and The Still Lake'.
James began to read out loud.