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The first thing Mae tasted was dirt between her teeth and tongue. Then she realized she couldn't move. Then she realized that her entire body was in the type pain she could only writhe in. She couldn't make any noise, as it was overriding her entire system.
Her eyes flashed to someone running over to her in the leaves, bending over and holding her head between their hands. They had tan skin, deep blue hair, bright emerald green eyes, and... man she must be hallucinating.
"Mae! Hey hey look at me stay awake for me, we are going to get you patched up you hear me? Don't you dare fall asleep," the person spoke worriedly, but softly. She was leaned up into a cradle, being thrown over with a jacket, hanging loosely over the top of her body as it curled onto his knees. "The blood stopped. We just need to disinfect the biggest cuts that are still fresh and the ones that reopened and haven't healed. You know it's weird, while you were... I can only guess trapped, whenever you got hurt, your wounds healed super fast. Weird right? I wonder what you did down there that cut your hands so bad, and your mouth! Luckily only a few scarred-"
He's rambling. He's giving me something to focus on for staying awake. She realized as her vision was becoming clearer. Mae wriggled an arm up to her eyes and wiped them, almost overwhelmed with being able to see once again. As soon as she made eye contact with who was holding her, her insides turned outside. "...Ein?"
He nodded and let out a quiet laugh as he set her down, hearing yelling close by. "In the flesh. I don't look too bad, no? Anyways, keep your eyes open and stay awake. I had most of the group go run to the local shop across the way. It's called... a CVS?"
She was suddenly overcome with so much joy just hearing the name CVS and almost broke down in tears again, needing to be pat on the back to calm her down. "That means.. we're home. Ein I'm home we're.. it's been... What's the date? How long has it been?"
"It's November 16th. When did you guys leave?"
"October 28th."
"Oh Irene that's 21 days," he put a hand to his head, looking up at the trees again as shadows began coming closer, "look, you're safe for now alright?"
Her eyes went to the top of his head at the ears on it, flicking to detect close-by movement and anyone that could be coming. Any animals, people, vehicles... anything. They look really... fluff... NO! Stay awake! I have to get everyone to our apartment. They can't be stranded. I can't let Ghost have an upper hand. No matter the pain I am in, I cannot let myself falter. I don't care about how bad it hurt to be stranded down there in the Villa, how everything was dark and desolate, I just... have to stay strong. Ignore the pain. It'll die down soon.
"Ein I need a phone. Quick," she whispered as if there was a crowd around her. Their heads snapped up at the sound of footsteps being right next to them and she was weakly lifted onto her feet, strength regaining as the new magic in her body was beginning to repair herself.
Perri looked into her friend's eyes and held her tight. "Mae by god we thought you were gone," she smiled and ran a hand along her face. "What is this?"
"What's what?"
"These markings. The ones on your face and all over your arms and legs?"
Her eyes went to her arms and shoulders, seeing cuff-like markings on her wrists and shoulders, teal-green ones. They were thickly lined on the outside, then the line on the inside being thinner. Small scale-like markings decorated the interior encased in the full lines on her wrists, and on her shoulders were ones shaped like diamonds. They were shorter in the front of her body, but in the back they ran down to her shoulder blades end. On her right leg was a marking like the ones on her wrists, but it ran from the top of her shin to the middle of her thigh, trailing up in a spiral as it thinned out on both ends. Above the lines were triangles that were angled, made to look like the spines you would see on a dragon.
"Hand me the phone," She demanded and Perri handed her the one she was holding. Mae logged into it and quickly turned on the camera mode, switching it to face her. Her face was covered in markings. Teal strands ran under her eyes down to the corners of her chin and the side of her face partially too. Above each of her eyebrows were four light green dots, going from biggest to smallest as they traveled outward. On either side of the teal lines were one set of teal triangle-like shapes on the inside of the lines closest to her nose, and a singular green shape on the outside towards her ears.
"What on God's great green Earth happened to me.."
"What happened to all of us, you mean."
Danter and Elvadoer walked out behind Perri with Aaron, Aph, Julian, Xolo, and someone else behind them. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she was seeing. On Dante, there was a whole intricate design across the right side of his face of purple markings that looked like they could've been designed in an ancient society. Elvadoer had markings on the side of her neck made to look like red wings, and small dots on her knuckles. Then she noticed that Perri had also changed with flowers on her forehead that wasn't covered by her wild hair, banded together by one shade of yellow.
Elvadoer sighed, avoiding any eye contact, "You're lucky that we are friends, or I'd end up beating you senseless into these leaves."
"Control yourself. You know that we are all as equally upset over this," Xolo spoke calmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off just as fast. "Mae, tell me, do you know what happened as we were trying to rescue you and evacuate our world?"
"I... I don't know anything. As soon as I had gotten the bug and gave Portal a chance to escape, she took me with her and threw me here."
Dante ducked his head, "I don't know who this person was, but I can only assume they were very important to you," he spoke softly and pulled a backpack off of his shoulders, unzipping it and pulling out a mask.
Mae went stiff as it was placed in her hands and she looked into the deadness of it. How it once had been a barrier and a holder of energy, and how it was now just a lifeless object.
"And... I am afraid that there were two other confirmed deaths."
"Asra's dead," Julian muttered and her head snapped up at him, eyes widening more than what should've been humanly possible. "He dove to protect Elvadoer."
"And if it wasn't for you and your stupid plan to get captured by that thing he wouldn't have been killed!" She yelled in Mae's face, her eyes contorted in anger. "You and this little misadventure is the entire reason he is dead!"
"Elva! What did I say?" Xolo yelled back, making her flinch and shrink down, as well as make Mae flinch and take a few steps back as well. "It is not her fault. He died protecting you. Do you think he would want you to be acting this way and blaming someone else for it? It happened the way it was supposed to. It happened the way he didn't mind it to happen. If it happened protecting you, it wouldn't matter to him how he died knowing you are alive and safe." He narrowed his eyes and his wings spread out, making himself look even larger.
She took a few steps back and looked up at the trees towering above them. "I never got to tell him the things I-I wanted..."
"This whole journey was never my idea you senseless being," Mae muttered out and got her attention, "if my memory can recall, you were the one who was all 'oh but what if we find secrets! We don't need to worry about a thing'."
That quieted her down considerably, and now it was Xolo's turn to give Mae a sour look. Aaron looked behind him and let out his hand, someone behind him taking it. Aph moved away from the creature coming out of the snowy forest and it let it stand in front of Mae, meeting her eyes. He was massive, much taller than anyone else in the group. It was as if they stacked two Xolo's on one another and combined into a huge dragon.
"Greetings," the dragon spoke deeply and bowed, wings folding in and head down to the ground, legs extended where they needed to be. "I am to understand that you are Mae, correct?"
"The answer is yes, that's Mae," Dante nodded and motioned towards himself, "I know you know Ramille, but I'm Dante, that's Perri, we have Aph and Aaron, Julian, and Xolo," he watched as the dragon went back to full height, towering considerably over everyone, but not like he was a giant. If Julian was 6'2, then this dragon was probably 10-11 feet, maybe more. He had eyes that sparkled like diamonds and rubies, scales that occasionally were glittered with a shiny coat of color, and wings with white sparkles in them.
"I am... aware that you know my name as well?"
"You're Pea-"
"DarkStalker," Mae, in turn, bowed to him as well, "I am to believe you are... DarkStalker? Right?"
"Or are you actually PeaceMaker cause if so then Ramille was definitely wrong," Elvadoer remarked.
The dragon nodded his head in affirmation to Mae's calling, "yes, I am DarkStalker, though I do not know why my name would be PeaceMaker...? Nor do I know why I look like this when I am, truly, my own self."
"I think it has to do with going from your world to ours so suddenly. Maybe it changed your appearance for... a safety reason. Like a fallback?" Julian suggested, "I know very little about realms and worlds and how this all works. Trust me, the past two to three weeks have been very hectic. But my only suspicion is that the goddess... uh the purple and pink dragon with the multiple eyes?"
"Portal," Perri nodded.
"Yes, Portal. My assumption is that she could've changed your appearance coming here to disguise you so Ghost wouldn't know you were missing from your world."
DarkStalker thought for a moment, but shook his head, extending a hand and shrugging, "I don't know much more than you. I know I talked to Ramille in some... cave thing. I don't know how I got there, nor why I got there. The only thing I know is that your multiple eyed dragon friend called upon me and brought me through a portal to here by necessary force. She told me I was to fight for you," he paused, leaning down to Mae's height and examining her in the eyes. "Now, I normally wouldn't agree to fight alongside scavengers, but if I am to prove myself as redeemable, then why not."
It was quiet as another cold wind passed by and everyone stood still, not bothering to speak or continue a conversation. Perri's phone buzzed, suddenly interrupting the silence of the group and she picked it up. "Y-yes? Oh thank god. Where do you want us to meet you two? By the CVS... gotcha. Around the back? Alrighty! Yeah Mae's doing well, just get the bandages ready. Mae do you need any water?"
Mae nodded, "that'd be nice."
"She said yeah. No, you are not beating her up for going with us, it was my idea! Oh. Yeah you can hit her for that. Maybe she knows."
"So... why are they talking about beating you up?" Ein asked quietly, which in turn got Elva's and Aph's attention.
"No clue. Actually scratch that, I'm 99% sure that Anh is on the phone. She either wants to beat me up for leaving and going missing or for the fact that somehow I'm my true self. Either work."
"I'd beat you up if I was in her spot," Elvadoer said sourly and made Mae glare back at her. Does she think I'm NOT on the verge of a mental breakdown right now? I'm at least a micrometer away from sobbing and giving up right now. I've let three people DIE. THREE. I have their blood all over my nails and in my hands and in my mouth and nose and system. I get it, it's MY fault.
"Alright! Let's get behind that CVS before any of us get spotted, especially you DarkStalker. I'm not sure if the world is ready for a giant dragon to be seen yet. But then again so much has happened in our lives to where I'm sure mostly everyone of our age is completely desensitized to a mystical being well, being here. Trust me."
"Isn't that name super long to yell out? Like... What if we are in danger? Dark-Stalk-Er! Three syllables! Two words!" Julian commented as everyone began to follow Perri out of the forest, the road being not far away. Though it was rarely driven on, there could still be people at CVS. Like, the people who work there. Why couldn't they pull over and then they all quickly greet and make a game plan? Mae had one, but first she'd have to be nominated as leader, then she'd have to be given the phrase "so great leader, what's your genius plan" and that would only happen if the planets aligned.
"Well, if you think that my name is too long, why don't we make a nickname? Something short just in case," he spoke as they were approaching the edge of the forest, the CVS right across the street. From what Mae could see, no one was in the parking lot. Was it abandoned? Maybe... or it was closed?
Aaron looked up at the beast, "If your name was Darkstalker, why don't we call you DK?"
DK.... Donkey Kong... Mae thought of the old tune in her head and almost laughed, which would've been the first time she had in a long while thanks to this journey. She had laughed at her own joke when in the Villa once, but that was it. She was limping, a hand on her side as her leg shook with every step she took, but it was getting more bearable. If this was going to stop her, she might as well accept the fate of this world. It couldn't stop her, not yet. "No, not DK. It sounds like we are calling him Donkey Kong. What about PM?"
"PM..." He thought as they all stepped out of the grass, the leftover mud and leaves on their boots crunching under their feet. There was no sound of cars coming up the road. The only vehicle visible was a large truck behind the CVS; the kind that had the large front and attached to the rectangle storage on the back. The one's used to carry coca-cola boxes and supplies to grocery stores from the factories. "PM like nighttime? I think that is a fitting nickname."
"I was thinking... more like Peacemaker but shortened into PM, but nighttime works too."
"Ah, my apologies..."
They all went behind the large building and low and behold, two people were waiting there; Ramille... and definitely not Anh. The woman standing there had blue hair, not like Mae's teal hair, but more like the color of the ocean. It was in a high bun out of her face, which then made her yellow eyes a lot more visible. She was wearing a normal jacket and long pants, a box near her feet. Whoever this was, they weren't from here. This person must be from a different world..
"Mae! What the hell; where have you been!?"
Nope. NOPE. WHAT HAPPENED TO ANH!
You know her name. A voice in Mae's head spoke softly. A familiar process you and your three companions went through has occurred here.
"A...Annika?" Mae stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around her friend, leaning on her for support as she felt tears hit her eyes. "I thought.. I'd never see you again. I'm so..so sorry I never should've left."
"Hey it's alright... well it isn't alright but I'll get over it soon. What I'd like to know is what the hell happened to you," she pushed her off of her and signalled to her entire outfit, "and what the hell happened to me. Why did I finally become who I am? I literally was in the grocery store when it happened and had to BOOK IT thanks to whatever you did to me."
Julian stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. He met eyes with Annika and took a deep breath, "when Mae and her friends entered our world and entered through the portal, they came in contact with high powers of magic. It changed them into who they are. You know her as... a different look than what she looks like now." He looked around and then leaned down to Mae, "I don't know what I'm saying am I somewhat right so far?"
"Ok so basically we were in the old highschool building, saw a light in the girls bathroom-"
"You somehow tore a metal cover off the wall, climbed through into a room no one knew about and found a magic portal to travel worlds. The news said everything except the portal part, I doubt they know about that." She rolled her eyes and walked over to the truck door, pulling out bottles of water and handing them to each person. PM refused one due to the fact he was not thirsty (and was also cautious about accidentally eating the bottle since it was so small compared to him), and Elvadoer simply didn't want one. Everyone else took one and either chugged it or sipped it regularly. "They've been asking everyone they can about any suspicions of where you all could have gone and what was in the school anyways. They have interviewed me for christ's sake! They asked me if I ever did any illegal activities, which I said no to since the most 'illegal' thing I've done was jaywalk across to Starbucks. I've been worried sick about all of you."
The door stayed open as the second person in the truck looked out, waving. He had messy blond hair, an open flannel shirt on and some jeans. "Heya gang!"
PM stood on his two hind legs and pointed at the man in the truck, "why isn't that man scared? How is he not the least bit worried about our existence and how we are here."
Annika laughed, as did the man in the car, "That's my friend Aiden! He's the one that was even able to get this huge truck over here so we could transport most of you back home. He's into all things mystical and strange."
"I'm basically an incarnation of the Mystery Gang, all about adventures and stuff. Trust me, I have been waiting for this moment my entire life. Thought I'd never be able to break the law and transport a whole dozen of otherworlders and magical people in the back of a transport truck!"
Aaron and Xolo were waved over by Annika to the back of the truck, having the harpy fly up and undo the top latches of the back door. Aaron undid the bottom two, and with careful precision as to not get crushed, the huge door landed on the ground with a thud. The group all walked to the back of the truck, looking in. There were lights built into the back, and small holes to see out of. It looked comfy enough. Of course, the humans (and humanoids) would probably end up leaning on PM since he was currently curling to be against the walls to take up less room.
"I also was smart enough to borrow a whole bunch of pillows from the supermarket thanks to Lily. She thought I was insane, but she was also the first one I called about now looking and becoming my true self, so it wasn't all that weird. So, there should be comfy places to rest your head and lean on others," Annika commented and took the empty bottles from the majority of people, walking to the trashcan and throwing them in. "This truck will definitely be able to fit everyone, and I have walkie-talkies to communicate with you in worst case scenarios."
Mae stepped forward, looking at her, "we will need to drive carefully. Portal informed me she will try to ally more people with our cause and spawn them near us and to me in general, since apparently 'I will eventually possess the portal's power'. I don't know who she plans to send, but they will be good allies to have,"
"Did she say how long we have until Ghost gets here and attacks us?"
"Not counting today, she said about a day and a third."
"So about Wednesday afternoon."
"The people have to be warned about this attack. They must stay indoors and get as far away from... well, wherever the assault begins," Ramille interrupted, looking at the group too. "If we don't warn them, there will be more blood on our hands."
"That's Aiden's job. He works for a mechanics company and a coding company, and these trucks are just in storage, rarely used honestly. He will be able to get the message out."
"How so? Everyone will believe it to be fake."
"Hacking. This man trained in tons of cybersecurity classes during his school years, he knows the ins and outs of a ton of websites and vpns. We can hack the tv's, the radio's, everything we need. This will give him a chance to test his strongest connector yet, which he is trying to get to reach the entire state. It's used for coding, but with the right inputs, we can send whatever voice message and video we want."
"What is hacking?" Julian asked, curiously looking at everyone. "I'm asking for PM and me."
"It's complicated. I'll explain it when this is all over if I remember to by then. Now let's get in the truck and begin driving. We are going to go to Mae's house."
"I'm sorry, you have a house? I thought you had an apartment you shared with Annika?"
"She was supposed to move out last week, but of course this all happened and she was gone last week... and the week before that... ok it's been a lot of weeks. I'll ask for all the spicy details later, and you can just tell me most of them over the walkie-talkie as we drive. It'll be about two and a half hours."
Everyone nodded as Aiden stuck his head out the driver's side, looking back, "Get in guys! The longer we take, the more we risk some random cars pulling in and seeing the band of misfits!"
"We are! We are!" Elvadoer yelled back to the man in the truck and walked inside of the huge box, sitting down on one of the few bean bag chairs that were conveniently in the corner. Everyone else slowly filed in, Xolo being the last as he laid down against the wall after moving the pillows out from under his belly and onto the side of him. Julian decided to have two pillows by him, one in his hands as he leaned on the one against PM's side. Mae stood for a moment before sitting down in one of the corners, not taking the bean bag that was there and saving it for whoever wanted it more than her. As soon as everyone was settled, Annika handed Perri a walkie talkie and clicked buttons on the side of the truck, red lights flashing as the tailgate began to close.
"Stay tight guys! We will drive there as fast as possible-" her voice cut off as the group were now trapped in the box attached to the truck, silence suddenly filled the air as the truck started and they began to move. It felt unreal, suddenly being back in a vehicle that was in the world she was from. Being back home.
Mae leaned her head back and closed her eyes, reliving the conversation that she and Portal had earlier before she was sent back home urgently.
"You need to get home now Mae. The world is in danger, and if yours goes down, the others will have no defenses to their utter destruction and conversion to his rule."
"Ok off topic, but why do you speak in old english, using thy and whom, but also speak regular english?"
"Alright that is completely off topic but it's because it just slips sometimes. Old english sounds so cool when said threateningly- but back on track. He will get to your world in around two days time. When he does, the sky will split and he will emerge. He is set on destroying you and your friends, and then your world, so if you lose here, there is no way your world will ever be spared from his attacks."
"How do we defeat him? He's an all powerful demon."
"You've seen his multitude of forms. He has four of them, going from his most powerful to mortal level of weakness. His dragonic form is the most deadly, his 'World Destroyer' form as us Watchers call it. It can split the skies and make the heavens cry themselves. When that is knocked down, then you get to his smaller dragonoid beast form. It is about as tall as an average male, but has sharp teeth and claws. Then comes the african wild dog form it used to trick you into saving and trusting him. I believe it has no special powers except for being agile. It can easily be killed. And then once you finally get down to his last form, he shows his true self. He shows the G he showed you. And that is when he can be killed for good."
"All of that sounds amazing except for the huge dragonic beast part. Do you know his weaknesses by any chance at all?"
"They are the opposite of some of your traits, and some are the same. For example, heat and too hot of weather harms you greatly, but too cold of weather and potentially magic attacks make him even weaker and harm him more. You are able to defend yourself in close combat without striking back, but all he is capable of is striking, he cannot block attacks so easily. The same one is the color red. It calms you down whenever you see it in a shape that is comforting, and it does to him... But I never tested that."
"So if we just get Lucinda and I to fire ice at him during his attack, that's one form down?"
"I would say yes, but Lucinda will unfortunately be unable to help you there. She was zapped by his yellow flames along with Travis, Zane and Garroth back to their world with various injuries on all of them."
Mae suddenly snapped out of her dozing stage and looked at Aph, Aaron and Ein, "they didn't die. Portal told me they didn't die."
"Who didn't die?" Elvadoer's head snapped up suddenly, intently waiting to see what she would have to say. I'm sorry Elva, she didn't tell me anything about Katelyn, Asra or Sif. I think he is gone for good.
Mae took a deep breath and looked at the ground and then realized Sif's mask was missing until she remembered handing it over for Annika to place in her backpack before getting into the truck. As soon as that mini crisis within this larger, much more life threatening crisis was averted, she opened her mouth, "Lucinda isn't dead, nor are Travis, Garroth or Zane. They were teleported back home with various injuries from his flames."
"Like how you were teleported to Ein's world?"
"No, he purposefully brought me there. If those flames had hit me, I assume I would've ended up with a strange and deadly injury, but I would've woken up back in the shop with all of you guys. It's like a positive and two negatives. I get to go back to where everyone is waiting for me, but then I am missing a limb and am hurt or something."
"Do you know their exact conditions? Is Travis alright?" Xolo asked worriedly, the truck going over a patch of rough road as they continued along their path to victory. "Is he missing a limb?"
"What about Katelyn? Is she alive?" Aph desperately pleaded.
"I'm..." she felt her life flash before her eyes. She was sitting in bed with her dog, chips in hand, watching the final episodes of When Angels Fall and yelling at her screen. She was cheering as the battles were happening, and then stricken with sorrow as it was revealed who had died. And then it was sadness as the epilogue began with the island and memories all lost. But she remembered watching Katelyn on that screen. First, just a set of pixels, but she was real and breathing, even if Mae never got to see her. She was alive. She had been alive. "No. I... I don't think anyone that was killed before our eyes survived. Katelyn, Asra, Vetomo and Sif are all dead."
Xolo looked down at the ground as the truck continued to drive, turning a corner as the back tire went over a small bump.
"What about Zane and Lucinda? And Garroth and Travis?" Aaron seemed to have whispered, not making eye contact with anyone. "You never told us what their injuries were."
"Mostly minor or already caused, meaning they experience no pain. Lucinda endured little to none since Garroth had shielded her. However, he is covered with scars and lighter patches of burnt skin on the right side of his face and right arm. Travis has a broken bone, but I don't know which one. Zane... he got the worst of it."
"Is he dead, or near death?" Ein asked, somehow being closer to Aph and Aaron now. They didn't seem to find anything wrong with that.
"No, but he is missing an arm."
"An arm?" PM gasped and threw his head back, laughing a little bit, "you can't mean an entire arm... can you?"
"I do. His whole left arm was gone when he woke up, but he felt no pain. It's cut off smoothly right about here," Mae made a chopping motion at her arm, ending it around her mid upper arm. "The four are desperately trying to make him a new arm with magic and materials as they gather the rest of the gang in the cave to hide from the fire. The people still can't see it like we can, but they will be able to soon."
Everyone was quiet as they continued to drive, but began to slow down. Julian stood up and put his hand against the side of the truck and peered out of one of the cut holes in the back. He didn't move for a minute, swaying in place, and Mae leaned back. Elvadoer and Ramille both hadn't said any words as they were contemplating the losses they had already endured, and Dante was almost asleep.
"I hear it," Perri jumped up and walked next to Julian, peering out of the hole. No one had even said anything, yet she just jumped up. "We have a problem guys."
"What? The fire is already here?" Ramille scoffed and leaned up.
Perri shook her head and turned around as the noise began to hit everyone's ears. It was a red hot scream as it vibrated the entire truck and began to get closer as they began to slow down. "What the hell is happening up there, over," She whisper-yelled into the walk-in talkie."
"It's the police."
"Well why the hell are the police pulling us over!"
It was quiet for a moment as the cars got closer. PM stood up and watched from behind everyone. Suddenly, the voice broke over the phone. "One of Aiden's co-workers, the new one apparently, called it in as stolen even though he told the company he was going to borrow it for a gas refill."
"And...?"
"And now I have a feeling you guys need to make a new plan, fast."
The truck stopped and all through the peepholes were blurs of red and blue.
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Danger awaits, though not as deadly as the force coming soon, but they must create a plan of action, or all will be doomed. Voices speak from the worlds that are no longer, powering the ones destined to save each other. A man in red and black waits for his chance to speak with the one destined to die, yet there are even more voices and people who will help in present times.
YOU ARE READING
Portals & Realms
Adventure"Save the world, and join the fight, or else the entire world will die tonight. Take up arms, protect your neck, or else it'll be you who is another body in the wreck." - - All that the five friends wanted to do was explore their old school in the d...
