Rift of Realms - Skep6Halo

An Adventure Awaits

A cool summer breeze graced over the tall grass painting the forest floor, brushing gently against the man's face. As he stood - brushing off his vantablack robe - he glazed his eyes across this new environment.

"Where am I?" asked Bad. No answer. He walked deeper into the maze of trees around him, praying to Ala that he wouldn't get even more lost than he already was. Time passed by. The sun kissed the earth before hiding away, only to come out later to grace Bad once more.

Just as he was starting to give up, admit defeat and wait until he began to decompose, he saw someone through the corner of his eye. Within walking distance was a person with dirty-blond hair and a sea-green tailcoat.

Bad approached the figure, and it soon turned back to look at him. A white mask with a cartoonish face scribbled on. "Excuse me, do you know how to get to town?" asked Bad. "Why do you want to leave?" he asked. His voice was almost etherial, in all the time Bad had walked this world, through all the powers and attributes that he'd seen, he'd never known someone to be able to talk like this.

"I've been lost for over a day now. I want to go home. I want to eat and sleep and never walk into another forest for the rest of my life."

The figure laughed. "Soon enough. I'll make a deal with you. You want to get out of this place... I can take you." the man held out his palm, standing like a statue as he stared down at Bad. "Just take my hand. I can take you away. I can take you far away from this." Bad was moments from reaching out, but he hesitated. "Do you not trust me?"

Snap

Behind him, a twig broke. Bad turned back and saw another person. "Oh hey, I don't recognize you," he said. "Are you new to town?"

"What?" asked Bad. "I was just talking-" he turned back to the first figure, only to find it was gone. Not a trace was left that it even existed.

"Come on! Let's head to town."

*   *   *   *   *

Bad walked with the stranger until they arrived at a village in an open field. "Not many people like walking around in the forest as I do," said the stranger. "I find it relaxing though. What's your name, by the way?" Bad froze. "Right, sorry. I'm Halo, but my family would always call me 'Bad'"

"Oh? Were you a rebellious teen or something?"

"No, it was more in irony."

"Well my name is Spifey," said the stranger. He held out his hand and Bad shook it. "Nice to meet you. I actually just woke up in the forest, to be honest. I have no idea where I am. I thought I was gonna be lost forever."

"Oh, well it's lucky I found you then. Are you not from here?"

Bad shook his head. "Well then. Why don't you stay with me for a bit until we can figure out how to get you home."

*   *   *   *   *

Once they got inside, Spifey sat Bad on his couch and jogged over to another room. Soon he appeared again with a map in his fingers. "So," he said, stretching the map over his table. "I live here." Spifey pointed to a small town out on the edge of Avera, a continent in the far east of the world. "How far is your house?" Bad took the map and pointed to a continent to the west. "Almost the opposite side of the world by the looks of it."

"How do you fall asleep and just wake up on the other side of the globe?" asked Spifey. "Either the reaper is after you or you've been kidnapped."

That pale face flashed in Bad's eyes once more. 'Kidnapped.' Could that man have cast a sleeping spell of some sort and sailed him so far?

"I just need to get home. How the heck am I gonna do this..."

Spifey threw the map closed and jolted up. "Why don't I come with you?"

"Wait, wha-"

"I live alone, and the only things I really do all day are wander the forest and relax. An expedition like this is just want I need!"

"Are... you serious?"

"Of course! You need to get back to your family, and I want to have fun."

A burst of flames shot from the ground and drenched the map, leaving no trace of its existence. Instead, a sachel was left in Spifey's hands that he wrapped around his hip.

"Oh right, I don't think we mentioned this yet. I'm a pyromancer. I don't believe you told me about your ability. Do you have one?"

Bad shook himself off, still startled by the miniature explosion. "Yeah, I'm..." he took a deep breath. "That was a little sudden... I'm a summoner."

Bad heald out his hand as a small box manifested and hovered in the air above it. "That's so cool! Summoners are so rare, I never thought I'd get the chance to meet one!"

"Yeah, well... that's me... the summoner."

Spifey stood by the door, waiting for Bad to come. "Well, let's go!"

They began walking out of town and towards the setting sun. "Something tells me this is going to be the most fun I've had in years."