The Hybrid's Tale

Chapter 4: Meladus

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

The glow of the portal, the smell of the alley, the caress of the slight breeze upon my skin. Gone. They're all gone. Not even the slightest of sounds was to be heard in the distance.

Where the hell am I?

I'm surrounded on all sides by unyielding white, the absolute absence of all things weighing down on me as I remain afloat in the midst of the void.

I try to move my arms and legs, which proves fruitless after several attempts. Almost as if I didn't have them anymore. My thoughts eventually drift to Orlan, and I do my best to call out to him. Yet still, the silence remains unbroken.

All of a sudden, the chirping of birds and the whisper of wind through leaves filters into the silence. Followed by the feeling of dirt beneath my fingers and grass on my face not long after.

The solid white background dulls to grey, and eventually fades to the uniform black of the back of my eyelids. The sensation of having four limbs returns to me and I flex my fingers and twitch my toes. Once the initial surge of relief at being alive fades away, I work on getting my eyes open.

When I finally do, I'm met with a sideways world, and I realize I'm laying flat on the ground. After getting into a sitting position and righting my view of things, I take a good look at my surroundings.

I'm in the middle of a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by the same towering trees I had seen earlier through the portal. The rich green canopy of the forest sings with the rustle of leaves, the flutter of small wings and the melody of birdsong. Filling the air with a relaxing sort of energy.

Looking up at the bluest sky I have ever seen, I spot a flock of birds travelling past, their bright plumage adding to the already lively appearance of this strange place.

"If you're done gawking, we need to get moving."

The sudden sound of another person's voice startles me out of my sightseeing, and I whip my head around to find Orlan gazing down at me with a disapproving stare.

I wonder who took a piss in his cheerios.

"Where are we?" I ask while getting off the ground, dusting my self off once on my feet.

"The Living Forrest."

"The Living Forrest?"

What kind of name is that?

"Are you hard of hearing boy? Or did I stutter?" Orlan snaps back impatiently, the gleam of disapproval never leaving his eyes.

"Whoa! No offense. It just sounded weird is all."

Without another word, Orlan turns on his heel and strides out of the clearing and into the forest without a backwards glance. Left with no other options, I follow him into the shade of the forest's canopy.

"Uhm, Orlan. Where exactly is the Living Forrest?"

Orlan remains quiet for several minutes, and just when I think he's not going to answer, he does in a voice so quiet, I almost miss it.

"Meladus, your new home."