Dimensions

Chapter Five /// Where New and Old Meet

"Say what? Are you sick? did you take your mask off in toxic air?" Aenon must have been pretty confused. He had an eyebrow raised and, had it not been for the mask, probably had his lip curled in a way that had 'confused' written all over it.

"Have I not told you stories of the overworld?" Marius asked, still very excited.

"Well yeah, but I thought it was just a story you made up so I'd be quiet."

"That too, but I didn't make it up, I've been there and it's beautiful! All the greens, blues, purples, and reds!"

"We have all those colors here. What's so exciting about this place that practically puts glowstones in your eyes?"

"Because it's so much more different. There's trees and stars and a sun and animals of all sorts, Aenon, I could go on for hours." Marius was practically jumping up and down. He had lived there once before when he was very young.

"We have trees and animals." Aenon's arms were crossed and he had an annoyed expression, as far as one could tell from his eyes and eyebrows.

"No, we have Nether trees and we don't have animals we have monsters that constantly try to kill us."

"Actually striders don't try to kill us and zo-"

"Oh just shut up and come with me." He grabbed the back of Aenon's shirt and dragged him with him across the bridge.

"Where are we going? Let go of me!" He tried reaching behind him to pry Marius' hands free from his collar, failing miserably.

"A few places." Marius marched off to the South Bridge dragging Aenon behind him, who became instantly heavy after deciding that walking was something he didn't want to do after fighting for the freedom to walk on his own.

After walking for a few minutes the boys stopped at two large crimson doors. Marius let go of Aenon.

"Oof! ahh..." Aenon reached to rub his head from hitting the brick floor, sitting up.

"Stay here."

Marius took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was a pause of silence, then a gentle yet hoarse voice, "Come in."

He opened the door slowly, making it creak. The room was fairly big with glowstone orbs floating strewed across the room with markings of some sort engraved in them. The room smelled like fresh air from having a bigger version of the filtering for the masks in the room. It was cool but not freezing which made Marius feel relived. The walls were painted white and the bed was made of gold. His mother waited for him in her bed. She obviously couldn't sleep but she was too ill to be up and about. Her hair was a light blonde like Aenon's and eyes a beautiful copper similar to Marius' but they held little light in them.

"Hey mom." He shut the door, walked over to kneel by her bedside, and took off his mask.

"Hello love," She reached to hold his face. "How have you been?" She might not have had the light in her eyes or a strong body anymore but she loved her boys with all of her heart.

"I've been doing okay."

"Where's your brother? Is he okay?"

"He's okay mom, he's outside."

"Okay." She tried to sit up.

"Here, let me help you." Marius helped his mom sit up, moving the pillows for her.

"Thank you. Now I know you didn't come in here just to talk to me about how our family is doing, what news do you have dear?"

"Oh, right- this is gonna the most crazy, best news you've heard ever!"

"Well spit it out!" She giggled but quickly started coughing, grabbing a handkerchief. She tried to hide it but he could clearly see she had coughed up blood. He tried to pretend he hadn't seen it.

"I found an opened portal to the overworld! Isn't that great mom!"

She sat there staring at him almost breathlessly. She was so happy she was at a loss for words.

"Get your brother in here."

Marius got up and did as his mother asked. He found Aenon laying sprawled across the floor. He sighed what an idiot, he thought. "Get up, mom wants to see you." He got up and walked to his mother's bedside with Marius.

"Listen boys," She said seriously, looking between the two of them. "You need to get everyone, and I mean everyone, in the kingdom and get to the portal as fast as possible. Do you understand me? You need to get going now."

"I'll get your maids to get everything ready for you."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled. "Okay. I love you boys."

"I love you too." They both said unanimously.

After talking to their mom for a while to update her on the other things happening in the kingdom and their personal lives they went to their own rooms. Marius dragged Aenon back too but he actually got his lazy butt up this time and walked (only halfway but it was better than nothing). Marius' room was down the hall a short ways from Aenon's room on the opposite side.

Marius' room was black with glowstone orbs held in place by twisted vines going up his dark oak bed posts. His chair by his desk was also covered in them, his desk included too. He had papers scattered on his desk with an ink and quill. He went over to his walk-in closet and grabbed a pair of clothes to wear that were identical to the ones he currently wore. He then grabbed all the essentials like food and some water.

He knocked on Aenon's door once he had everything. "Hey! You ready?"

"Yeah." Aenon said sadly as he opened the door.

Marius stood silent for a second thinking of what to say and ended up saying "I would ask what's wrong but I don't really care."

"Oh... Well I'm just kind of taken aback by all of this. I didn't think I'd ever leave this place."

There it was, he knew he'd tell him anyway. "Well, we have to leave, this place is bad for us, you just gotta soldier on man. You'll like the overworld, trust me."

The boys set out to get the whole village together and ready to go. They were about to see a whole new world that would be completely different than when humankind left it. This new world had people in it that would change their lives completely.