The Merchant Who Became a Hero

"Once upon a time, in a place nobody remembers, a humble villager went looking for mushrooms. He looked high and low, under every rock and in every trunk. But the poor villager simply could not find a single mushroom. So he went deeper than he ever went before, and stumbled upon a beautiful vortex. The villager was astonished to find it needed no frame or foundation, floating in the air. He dared to go closer and reach out his hand. Yet when his fingertips grazed its misty surface a sudden and brilliant surge of energy shot through his body. The villager stumbled back and held onto a tree for support. To his amazement, he crushed the trunk of the tree with no effort. Filled with newfound strength, the villager ran all the way to his village. Once there he told all the lords men of a brilliant mist in the forest that could bestow amazing gifts onto those that touched it. The lords men eagerly told their lord of this news and the next day they rode into the forest. The lord, impatient to receive a gift, marched towards the vortex and thrust his hands against it. To everyone's astonishment, he fell right through! And there, laying beyond the strange portal, he found-"

The book slammed shut, prompting a dismayed whine to come from the only audience member.
"What did he find on the other side?"
He eagerly asked, a chuckle coming from his father.
"That you will have to find out when your older, when you can go through one yourself."
He was not satisfied with this answer, crossing his arms as his father tucked him in.
"I bet it was fun, whatever he found."
His father paused, before giving him a bright smile.
"You'll find out soon enough, Louis."