The Secret Land of Otrâlmondé [1 | The Other Realms Series]

Chapter Eight

Gobhastan trekked through a forest, his body growing fatigued from the lack of sustenance. He clenched his stomach. The last time he had a proper meal was three days ago, shortly before he and his fellow inmates broke out of prison. Since then, he had not eaten nor drunk anything but his own saliva. Trickle, trickle. Water was flowing nearby. He increased his speed and searched for the source of the sound. He soon found a small and shallow stream that meandered through the woodland. "Finally," he muttered. He kneeled at the riverbank, dipped his hands, and drank. Water had never tasted that good to him. Once he had quenched his thirst, he stripped himself and refreshed the rest of his body.

Gobhastan massaged the area around his neck as he bathed. All the prisoners were fitted with anti-magic neck braces, which had trackers installed. He removed it as soon as he escaped. It was difficult to detach—he resorted to using sharp stones to remove it—but he did not mind the pain. He could not afford to be recaptured. No, he must complete his journey to Mondéum, the largest city of Otrâlmondé.

The corners of his lips quirked as he imagined Mondéum. It was the city where he was born and raised. It was where his family stayed. It was where most of the realm's portals were located. And, most importantly, it was where he last faced the Realm Seekers.

The Realm Seekers. He gritted his teeth at the thought of them. The Realm Seekers were a trio of humans who owned magical jewelry. Jewelry that Gobhastan's father, Aurestan, crafted and sold. He knew not how exactly they ended up in human hands, but what he did know was that his father was punished heavily for it. He remembered the authorities cursing him with heavy fines before dragging him to prison. Even after serving his decades-long jail sentence, the suffering did not end. The family's jewelry business was not able to recover.

And what punishment did the humans receive? Nothing. The most the Gatekeepers did was confiscate the jewelry from the humans, but for some reason, they gave it back to them because the jewelry had "bonded to their bloodlines." The Gatekeepers even had the audacity to train those humans to use their abilities. Even worse, those humans ended up prancing around the other realms, doing "heroic deeds" and receiving praise from the peoples. His fists clenched tighter as he pictured their faces. "Those humans," he seethed. He despised no other species so passionately.

A fish swam near him. He caught it with both hands, refusing to let it slip away. He breathed deeply. A black cloud arose from his hands and enveloped the helpless creature. It initially squirmed under his grip, but it weakened as he fed off its life force. It soon became inanimate. He dropped it back into the river, leering as he watched the river current carry away the carcass. He felt the sides of his neck. The wounds that once lined it had healed.

Gobhastan waded towards the riverbank and stepped back onto land. After donning his underwear and pants, he held his shirt up and uttered an incantation. Dark mist shrouded it for a few seconds before dissipating. What was once a prison uniform had transformed into a cloak made of rags. Images occupied his mind as he put it on. He could picture the faces of the humans, their faces frozen by fear, and their jewelry—no, his family's jewelry—in his hands once he had torn them from their lifeless bodies. He was so close to vengeance last time, but the Gatekeepers managed to interfere just in time. His revenge would have been complete had they arrived a couple of minutes later.

He resumed his journey and came across a village. Luckily for him, the sun was still shining; the villagers must be asleep. He sneaked through the village entrance and searched for the nearest jewelry store. He spotted one a few blocks away. Instead of strolling through the open space, he crept close to the walls as he neared the shop. When he had reached the entrance, he halted and read the sign that hung on the door. The shop was closed.

He did not intend to go shopping. Gobhastan stepped on the shop's windowsill, reached for the drainpipe, and climbed upwards. He barely made a sound as he scaled up the wall and climbed onto the roof. He scanned the area for an entrance. There was a hatch positioned right next to the edge. He bent over to grip the handle and heaved the hatch open. To his surprise, it opened easily. It was not even locked. Perhaps there was a lack of crime in the village that caused the residents to be complacent. Gobhastan lowered himself into the shaft, using his feet to feel for the rungs, and climbed down the ladder. He found himself in what looked like a jeweler's workshop.