Dimension Travelers

Chapter 7

Part Two:

Finding Chloe and other things

I wake up and the scent of soot fills my nose. I get up and remember that we are deep in the Dimensional Vortex. (That's what you call the dimensional universe.) I look all around and see Rick sleeping a few feet away from me. All my past anger has slowly subsided by now. But I still don't trust him. I find some water and a blueberry muffin in my backpack. I wonder how much time has passed since we've been gone...

I don't see any houses here. Do people even live here? I see a big building in the distance, but it's really far away. I remember what the room looked like that Chloe was in. The walls were black--they looked like they were some kind of stone. There were skulls on the walls too. I remember fires there, but I don't know why they are there. I finish eating my muffin and drink all the water.

Now I have to wait for Rick to wake up. I don't mind though. I try to get a hold of Chloe. No luck. Hopefully she is asleep. That's what I hope the case is anyways. I check out my bow. It's a midnight blue; so beautiful and deadly. The ends of it are capable of either killing someone or severely injuring them.

Then I look at my arrows. They are midnight blue as well. Damn, they look so cool. I put the bow over my shoulder. I find a case for my arrows and I put that on as well. I find a black cloak with a hood and I put it on. I take off my jacket and put it up in my backpack. I get sheathes for my daggers and put them on my belt. Now I'm prepared. I could either get out my bow or unsheathe my daggers at a moment's notice. Rick finally wakes up.

"It's about time." I say.

"Sorry, I was tired. So, where do you think Chloe is?" He asks.

"I think she's up there. In that castle looking thing." I point to it.

"That's a start."

Then, I notice a note that's on the ceiling of the cave.

"Hey, look at this." I say.

He looks up. "What is it?"

"It's a note." I tear it off the ceiling and read it. This is a note to help us find Chloe.

"What does it say?" Rick asks.

"Read for yourself." I say.

It says:

For you to find whom you seek, you must climb hills of ashes, swim in the river of fire, and then come to the dark dwelling that all can see. If you fail to do these things, you will never find her. But don't haste. The clock is ticking fast.

I look at Rick. Whoever wrote this had to be crazy, evil, or both. I'm rooting for both, frankly. When was this put here? While we were sleeping? I would have heard someone walking by. I put the note a secret pocket in my cloak, along with Chloe's. I have a feeling that we will need them.

"We better get started. Like the note says, 'Time is ticking.' We need to go now." I say.

"But we don't have any water." Rick says.

I pull out two water jugs that were full of water. "Now we do."

"What about food?"

"I'll provide it as we go along. We can't lug it around in this place. It'll slow us down."

"Good thinking, Thomas. I underestimated you."

"I'm not a newbie to all this, you know."

"I never thought you were. Come on, let's go."