Chapter 2

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The Orina Field was a sight to take in. The tall grassy field swayed beautifully with the wind. Deer grazed on it lushes greens and field mice made themselves at home. In the center of the field stood a big, tall oak tree. It was the only tree that ever grew in the field, and no one dared to chop it down.

Omar sat on one of the roots of the old oak tree. The horses stood in the field enjoying themselves a nice dinner. The sun was setting just behind the horizon and stars started to appear, they twinkled down at Omar, saying their hellos. Omar sat there with his bow on his lap and a carving knife in his hand. He carefully dug the knife in the bow making beautiful designs in it.

The sound of leaves moving above made Omar snap his attention above. He watched silently as something scurried among the branches. A branch snapped from above and a small brown critter fell from the tree. It landed just a few feet from where Omar sat. The critter got up and shook its small head. It was a ferret, but this ferret was quite different from ordinary ferrets. The ferret had long thin saber teeth sticking out of its mouth and had razor sharp claws.

The ferret looked up at Omar with its black eyes as Omar stared back at the small creature. Pushing a button on his carving knife, which made the blade slide into the handle, Omar reached in his satchel taking out a small piece of bread. The ferret hissed as Omar reached out to it with the piece of bread. "It's all right, little one. Je suis un amico*1," Omar said using his native tongue.

The ferret cocked its head, it took a hesitant step forward, then snatched the bread from Omar's hand, munching on it hungrily. Omar watched as the ferret ate the bread, it amused him that something so small could eat so fast. The ferret wiped its nozzle off with its paws, it stared at Omar once more. It slowly crept up to him and sniffed his boots. Then it scurried up the tree root stopping next to Omar, sitting back on its haunches. "You want more, eh?" Omar said as he lightly scratched the ferret under its chin. The ferret purred in response.

Boom!

The sound echoed throughout the field making the deer flee and the horses neigh nervously. The ferret ran up Omar's arm and hid in the hood of his cloak. A bright light suddenly burst forth and formed into an oval, floating inches from the ground. A lone figure stepped through. Laying his bow against the tree, Omar went to greet the figure. "And here I thought you'd never come!" Omar said as Karma met him halfway.

"Well it took some time to get out of my house. You know how it is," Karma replied, fixing her hood as she talked. "I'll tell you what though. The whole switching clothes thing has been getting on my nerves. The dumb magic can't seem to get my clothes on correctly." Karma straightens her tunic, her fur vest, then her tights, and pull up her leather boots. She tightened her belt, made sure that her dagger was tied on the belt correctly. When she was situated, they walked to the old oak tree and sat down on the roots.

"I'm guessing I should start making a fire and set up camp?" Omar said, motioning toward a pile of wood he collected earlier. Karma nodded. She slid down off the root and sat on the soft grass. She couldn't believe it had been five years since she's been to this old place, she truly missed it. Omar grabbed some of the wood from the pile and set them up in a specific way. He then took some of the grass, setting them gently in the fire pile, taking two rocks from his satchel, he hit them together until sparks flew and lit up the bundle of grass. Soon the fire was eating away the wood. Omar sat back, joining Karma by the tree. The fire's heat soon joined them, warming the area.

Karma watched as the flames danced. She always liked fire; it was beautiful. But also, very deadly, she reminded herself. Karma took in a deep breath, taking in the crisp spring air. Five years, she thought. Maybe things would have remained the same if I never left...

Karma went to say something to her companion when she got a glimpse of something moving in Omar's hood. When she saw the ferret's head poke out, she immediately took out her dagger. Omar quickly grabbed her wrist and placed it at her side. "It's all right, Karma. This is my new friend." Omar released Karma's wrist and brought it up to the ferret. The ferret sniffed his hand then climbed on top of it. "See?" He placed the ferret on his lap and began to stroke its back. The ferret arched its back in response and let out a purr. Karma stared at the thing, trying to remember what it was, though she didn't recall creating a ferret with saber teeth. A saber-wolf, yes, but not a ferret. She shook her head; she did create a lot of things. It was easy for her to overlook certain creatures.

Karma reached out to pet the small creature. The ferret hissed and snipped at her. "Hey! You little devil!" She said as she drew hand back making sure her hand wasn't bitten. Omar chuckled.

"I guess he doesn't like you, eh, Karma?" He laughed. Karma watched as the ferret ran up Omar's arm and rubbed the back of his neck with its body. It wrapped itself around Omar's neck, laid down, closed its eyes and slept.

"I didn't know I created those things, they're evil," Karma said, eyeing the ferret closely. Omar smiled and rubbed the top of the saber-tooth ferret's head.

"I think I'll call him Shari," Omar said. He smiled turned serious as he turned his attention back to Karma. "So, do you know what we should do?" His gaze turned to the fire as it danced in the night air. Karma sat there for a moment, in deep thought. What to do? She had no clue. Never once in her life had she run into this problem. She just couldn't believe that she put her world into the wrong hands. The world she loved and worked so hard on.

The only way for Karma to stop Termis was from the help the Clan members. She nor Omar can do this alone. We need an army, she thought. That's the only way.

"We head for Abaddon, "she decided. "There I believe your king might be able to help us. We'll gather an army and either Termis surrenders, or we take Shurli by force," Karma stared in the inferno, flames flickering in her eyes. Omar leaned back, considering her words. It was a big task that is for sure.

"You know you're always welcomed in Abaddon. But do you think that King Curlus would really help? We elves prefer not to go war if there were any other way," Omar said, casting a sideways glance at Karma.

"Yes, I'm positive. King Curlus is reasonable. And I'm sure that with everything that has happened toward his people, he'll be more than willing to help." Karma nodded to herself. Yes, she was positive. Hopefully nothing will go wrong. Omar leaned forward, tossing another piece of wood into the fire. A smile slowly crossed his face.

"I think I know someone who will love to help us fight," He said.

"Really? Who?" Karma's attention was fully on Omar now.

"Dagner." Dagner is a dwarf that had gone on many of their adventures in the past. He's quick with an axe and loves a good fight. Dagner never backs down from anything. He's strong, loyal, fierce, and always has the best fighting strategies in all Arula.

Karma laughed and nodded. She remembered when they first met the dwarf. He was feisty and was ready to defend himself from anyone who might hurt him. It took a lot to convince the dwarf the Karma was the Creator of Arula. She showed him her book to prove it. After that, Dagner was part of their group.

It was hard for Karma to trust a lot of the people here. A lot of them always tried to kill them, being the creator or not. Many of the Clans who lived in this world were not as friendly as Karma hoped.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Karma said. "We might just stop by some of the villages and see if we can get more to join our fight. Though I hope we can find the dwarf, last I heard he was in Nogorum," Karma laughed quietly. She could see the dwarf right now. Being happy to see an old friend and then drinking a big cup of ale. Then the whole clan would plan a feast for her arrival.

Omar smiled along and looked up at the stars, more seem to appear tonight. "Well I don't know about you, but we have a big journey ahead of us if we're heading to the Dwarf Clan and Abaddon. So, we'd better catch some sleep," Omar said, flipping up his hood until it covered his face. Karma stayed awake for a while watching the stars twinkle in the night sky. Soon her eyes became heavy, and sleep took over her before she knew it.


1 "Je suis un amico" ~ "I am a friend"


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