World Of Worlds (Arula: One)

Chapter 7

Karma and Omar took shifts that night, letting Agla take the rest she desperately needed. They both knew going into the Sprite Clan was going to take days, even weeks, out of their regular schedule. Going to Abaddon was only supposed to take at least a month or a month and a half, depending on the stops they decide to make. And this stop took five maybe seven weeks out of their time. But Karma didn't care. The poor sprite that slept beside her needed terrible help. If she could at least save one magical creature before defeating Termis, then heck, she would.

The fire before her danced with the warm night air. Her eyes averted to where Omar was leaning up against his horse's saddle, fast asleep. She never felt so sorry for her friend until only hours ago when he told her that Mika and their child Hope have been taken away. Karma breathed in deeply. If only she knew what Termis was doing to her world, she would have put a stop to this years ago. But knew she was powerless against him. She needed an army to stop him, no magic would ever stop a monster like him. Her eyes went to her satchel, where she kept her book.

That book was the cause of all of this. It helped her create this world, and now she had to be responsible for it. She groaned in agony and buried her face in her arms. "Burying your grief won't help you," she heard Omar say softly. "Tu dois être fort, mon ami." You must be strong, my friend. Karma peered up to see Omar's hazel eyes on her. Shifting her eyes down, she could see Shari sleeping peacefully on his lap.

"Well what am I supposed to do?" She whispered harshly. "I failed to see that I had put Arula in the wrong hands. And you, along with every other Clan member in this world, must suffer. Omar, your wife, and child were taken from you. I can't afford to mess this up. If I do... all of Arula will fall before we know it." Omar seemed to consider this for a moment. He closed his eyes then reopened them.

"The decisions we make in life will forever determine on how we see the world and transform our thinking. The only question is, how will this transform you?" Omar let his words sink in before he continued. "Rest, you need it. I'll watch for the rest of the night." Karma obeyed, but sleep came harder than she thought. Her mind kept drifting from what Omar had said. That night she dreamt of her world on fire, every Clan member being enslaved and the sound of Termis laughing echoing through her head.

----

The spring morning air was warm, the travelers now with a change of plans, heading for the Sprite Clan. The horses trotted across the valley as their riders guided them in the right direction. "How many days do you think until we reach my village?" Agla asked from behind Karma. Omar was the one who answered.

"To get to your clan would take about... at least a week. To get to your village across the clan would take another week or so," He said staring straight ahead. "So, about a few weeks, I would like to say." Agla nodded. Karma could feel the sprite's frail arms wrap around her waist. She felt Agla's pain. Missing her home and her family, it must be hard to keep a brave face.

"Don't worry," Karma said to her. "We'll get you home." The sprite nodded, a small smile spreading on her face.

"Didn't you say you were heading Abaddon?" Agla asked after some time. Karma nodded.

"Yes, that's where our business takes us," Karma said.

"But that's a whole two months journey from where I live!" Agla squealed in Karma's ears.

"Trust me, it's no problem." That didn't seem to convince Agla.

The days wore on as the travelers finally made it out of the valley. Soon the hot sun that was beating down on them disappeared behind the clouds and the hot muggy air greeted them. The Umber Forest laid just a few feet in front of them. Sounds of crickets and chirping birds could be heard from where they rode. Karma had not been in the Umber Forest for five years. She remembered the forest well. The Umber Forest was the home of a nymph and other little creatures. The one creature, she had learned, you had watched out for were the trolls. Those little creatures stole from any human, elf, dwarf, or anyone who dared to spend the night in those woods.

Luckily, Karma has yet to meet one. She knew those were one creature that you didn't want to mess with. Despite their size, they were fierce little things. The horses stop near the base of the forest, whining in protest. Karma looked at Omar, who gave her a nod. She kicked Pepper in her flank and together they rode in the forest. Unaware of dangers that will be coming their way.