A Tale of Could-be Heroes Book 1: Hero, Dragon, Elf

A Strange Start: part 2

         It almost felt as if Blaire had fallen asleep. It was like she was waking up from a dream, her thoughts distant as she struggled to recollect what had happened before she passed out. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself floating in midair. The place she was in wasn't pitch black. Instead, it was more like being in outer space. All around her were twinkling stars and constellations, each clearly connected by streams of light passing from one star to another and surrounded by clouds in a rainbow of beautiful colors. They ranged from a brilliant shade of violet on her left to a vibrant shade of red on her right.

As Blaire turned from side to side, examining her surroundings, she was greeted by a familiar and welcome sight. Her twin brother Blaine was floating some distance away on her right. His lanky, tall frame was completely limp, his untidy dark brown hair sticking up at odd angles, and his eyes were closed. Blaire had to admit he looked very peaceful. It was almost too bad she had to ruin it. Almost.

"Blaine! Wake up!" Blaire shouted as loud as she could.

Blaine's body jolted, his eyes shot open, and his arms and legs flailed in the open air as he screamed, "AHHHH! What the fuck?!"

He was so loud that Blaire covered her ears. "Jeez, Blaine, chill!" Blaire yelled back.

Blaine's head turned abruptly toward her. Considering all his flailing had landed him upside down, it was a funny sight. "What the hell, Blaire?! Wasn't there a nicer way you could have woken me up?" he asked, looking up at her in distress.

Blaire couldn't hold back any longer and had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Blaine opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, someone else spoke.

      "Welcome, Blaire and Blaine Lament," said a voice that echoed all around them. Blaire turned from side to side, looking for a sign of anyone else, but there wasn't anyone there. One thing Blaire noticed about the voice was that it sounded oddly computer-like. Before she could think of what to say, she heard Blaine ask a question directed at the voice.

"Who said that?" They paused, waiting for a response until the space around them became silent once more.

"This is all getting way too weird," Blaire said, looking at her brother.

"Agreed," Blaine said. "Are we on a shared drug trip or something?"

Blaire shrugged. "Blaine, for all I know, we could be dead."

Just as Blaire finished speaking, the voice spoke again. "That is an astute observation."

Blaire looked around once more, searching for the owner of the voice. "Who's there?!" she called, failing to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Show yourself already!" Blaine demanded in agreement.

"My apologies, I will show myself at once."

       There was a flash of light in front of them that left both brother and sister blind for a few moments. Blaire's vision was full of spots as she blinked, trying to clear her sight. "The light is starting to give me a headache," Blaire thought in annoyance. Then, in an instant, the light dimmed considerably. Blaire managed to open her eyes and look at what had caused this sudden change.

The light was flooding in through a giant door, the top of which had to be at least ten feet high. At the foot of the door stood a very small and strange person. The individual in question didn't float like Blaire and Blaine but instead stood on what seemed to be a floor made of a limitless night sky. This was not at all what Blaire had expected; she was so surprised that she asked a very stupid question.