The Enchantments: Book 2 - The Key of Gandar

Chapter 10: The Journey

Day 13

Simeneon couldn't get off the dirt, her stomach in knots from all the laughing she was doing. Clarissa had fallen off the rocks she was sitting on, landing in the water and sinking to the bottom as the bubbles from her giggles rose to the surface. Simeneon laughed even harder as Grant was joined immediately by Fin, both of them adorned in the most ludicrous loin clothes either of them had ever seen.

"What's so funny?" Fin asked.

"You two look like rejects from a Tarzan novel!" Clarissa said as she poked her head out of the water. This brought on another fresh batch laughter from the girls.

Fin snubbed his nose at that comment and pulled on Grant's arm. "Come on, we don't need to take this."

"Good luck you two," Simeneon said as the boys walked away. She watched as they turned to wave. She wanted to be serious for a second, but the ridiculous look of the two boys was too much and before she knew it, she was at it again. "Tell Jane we said hi!" The boys stormed away leaving the girls rolling on the ground in laughter all over again.

Fin was nervous as he stared across the small hut at the chief. Mr. Negra sat between him and Grant relaying everything the chief was saying to them. The small fire situated in the center of the group burnt bright and hot bathing the two boys in sweat.

Chief Paku said something harshly to Mr. Negra he immediately got up from the circle then departed from the hut. The chief began to talk to the boys as if they could understand. They sat dumbstruck at him as he rattled on for what seemed at least ten minutes. As he finished he threw a small amount of purple powder on the fire blanketing the area in soft purplish smoke.

Fin looked around noticing the smoke had an intoxicating effect on them. He swayed back and forth finally succumbing to the sleepiness that hit him like a soft pillow. The world began to spin, his head became light and he knew consciousness was slipping away. With a shake, he fell to the side allowing his body to fall easily. The second his head hit the soft earth everything changed.

It was like going from one place to another in the bat of an eye. His vision was clear, his head was alert and the warm feeling he felt just seconds earlier was replaced by a bitter cold. He pulled himself to a sitting position and was shocked to see everything had changed. Yes, Grant was still beside him but the time was different and even worse the location was as well. They were no longer in the hut but in a forest surrounded on all sides by thick lush trees. No food, no water, and no idea where to find them. The two boys looked at each other and sighed in unison. They were alone, but worse of all... they were lost.

"Did you hear that?" Fin asked Grant as he went through the motions.

"I heard something!" He looked around quizzically.

"Where did it come from?" Fin asked.

"Sounds like it's all around us..." He didn't finish for as he looked at Grant he watched in horror, as the blood seemed to drain from his friend's face, and turned an ugly color of gray. The worst part about it was the rigid look of his body. Grant was in a trance and nothing Fin could do would get him out of it.

Fin looked around frantically for anything or anyone that could help. But the whole situation was fruitless, he was miles from civilization and the nearest outpost could be hundreds of miles away.

The nausea was the first to wash over him and the coldness followed like a million cold knives shooting up his body. He gasped as he watched the same ugly gray color Grant had looked like began to flow up his hands towards his shoulders. By the time it reached his head he couldn't control his body anymore, it was the most helpless feeling he had ever felt. Then without warning, he lost unconsciousness falling to the ground and drifting off to a place he never wanted to visit again.