Shards of Felwyn

The Other Side

When Cosmo awoke, he was on the shore somewhere in the wilderness, chilling waves lapping across his body rhythmically. But everything was wrong. The grass, the ground, the water, the sand, even the sparse trees in the distance, were all grey. The entirety of his surroundings was a muddled, dingey shade of slate.

"Cosmo!" At the sound of his name, he looked up to find Lysander running towards him from a distance. Both his cousin and himself were in color, contrasted from their surroundings.

"Lysander? You're awake?" He struggled to his feet, his legs weak as though he hadn't moved in a week.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, cousin." Lysander responded, upon getting close to him. Helping Cosmo to his feet, he sighed. "I can't remember much. My head is pounding, but I can recall our battle with Varren. Everything went well, correct?" A worried look covered Lysander's face. Cosmo chuckled.

"Do not fret, brother." Cosmo gave him a smile. "You are not dead, if that is your concern. You must be so confused." Lysander nodded, sighing. Gently, he explained everything that had happened in the clearing after he fell unconscious, eventually leading to how Elias had carried him through the Gateway.

"Where are the others?" Lysander asked, after Cosmo had finished speaking. He looked around at the dull environment, an unsure look in his eyes. "Why is everything grey?"

"I can't say." Cosmo grimaced. "Let's look around. Maybe we'll run into them like I ran into you." Lysander only nodded in response as they began to walk along the shoreline, gazing at the bleak horizon for any sign of their friends.

"Cosmo?" Lysander asked, after they had walked in silence for several moments.

"What is it?" Cosmo responded, turning his head towards his cousin.

"I understand we're on the other side of whatever was inside of Reathogg, but doesn't it look familiar?" Lysander looked out over the sea. "At first I thought my mind had conjured an image of Wyrfel, and that I had died."

"Even so, you think it looks more like the Hinterland Wastes, don't you?" Cosmo asked, thinking the same thing.

"Exactly." He responded, turning to Cosmo, confusion on his face. "This shoreline gives me the most unsettling feeling... like I've been here before."

"Yet it's different. The trees, they're full of life. And the ground, it's covered in thick, tall grass." Cosmo smiled, in spite of everything. He hadn't missed the muddy ground of the Hinterland Wastes, which threatened to remove his boot with every step that he took.

"But that feeling, when I awoke and believed myself to be on Wyrfel; that feeling was incredible." Lysander wistfully gazed into the grey sky. "Do you ever miss home, Cosmo?"

"You seem to have forgotten. I've got no home to return to, cousin." He responded with a grimace and took a deep breath, continuing along the peaceful shoreline.

"What do you mean?" Lysander asked, grabbing his attention. "Your home is on Wyrfel, with my father, my mother and I. Do you expect me to forget about you completely once this is all over?"

"If this is all over, Lysander." Cosmo responded, dreadfully. "I'd like to remind you that we haven't the faintest idea where our friends are, nor what kind of mess we've involved ourselves in in the first place. Gods, even the Prism eludes us now."

"Do not be so pessimistic, cousin." Lysander stopped him, resting a hand on his cousin's shoulder. Cosmo's eyes looked tired. "We're going to find our friends. And then we'll find the Prism. And after that, we're going to find a way to get out of here. Do you know how I know that?"