I floated through a great nothingness—

Weightless.

Voiceless.

Powerless.

I reached out for Dragon in my mind—in my soul, but heard nothing in response. Drifting… I just drifted aimless through the blackness with no recollection of time. It was pure agony…

And yet, oddly, peaceful.

I remember thinking that if this were my end, that I would be ok.

It was fucked up.

I’m not sure if that was my minds way of coming to terms with my stupid fucking decision to jump headfirst into a portal to another world at the behest of a so called Dragon that lived in my mind or…

No, it definitely had to be that.

But that peace in the everlasting black was not to be my fate—not yet anyway. Again, as if the dark was being drawn from all around me, the world shaping and forming all around. And light! Blinding, glorious light; it forced me to close my eyes as a world materialized around me.

I dared open my eyes, and for a brief moment, I felt myself falling. At that moment, I saw a world of color—of green forests, illuminated by the largest of moons, and mushrooms, some the size of hills, sprawled out neverending.

And then I struck the ground, and my mind went black.

***

I awoke to the feeling of someone or something shaking me. I turned, resting my head against something soft.

“Go away Grant,” I said, shooing him away with the back of my hand.

Again, I felt rough and calloused fingers dig into my arms, shaking me. There was a voice at the edge of my consciousness; a voice I didn’t recognize.

I opened my eyes.

Above me, a man, early twenties, with red robes that reminded me of an old librarian from a fantasy world. He was standing over me with a look of concern on his face.

“Are you alright?” the man asked in a very proper tone that spoke to someone who’d had schooling, and prided himself on just how smart he was.

I scratched the back of my head, and tried not to think of the migraine that was yet to come. “Yeah… I think so. Fuck…”

My vision fully cleared and as I was about to stand, I noticed something off about the man. He appeared human, but with an angular face, with an angular nose to go with it… and two large ears at the top of his head that poked through his cap.

Reflexively, I shied back, and felt the soft sponginess of whatever I sat on beneath me bouncing me back. Looking down, I was met with something that glowed, matching the cool brightness of the moon high above. Tree’s were all around me, as if I were dropped into a dense forest.

“I caution you to avoid using such language when you’re in my presence,” the man said, one of his ears twitching, showing his disregard for my improprieties. “But, considering the shock you must be in, I’ll allow it; this time. Tell me, what is your name?”

“Isaac,” I replied, utterly stunned at the man’s enormous round ears. “I mean Ike—nobody calls me Isaac anymore.”

“Ike…” he repeated, as if tasting the word. “Not a common name for sure. My name is Vekrem. Vekrem Twobough”

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“And… what are you exactly?” I pointed up to his ears.

Vekrem’s face took on an astonished look. He regarded me curiously as he said, “That fall must have rattled your brain. I am a Rodrent, descendants of the first Hybrids—true rulers of Selea.”

I held my temples with a gentle hand. “Slow down,” I replied. “Rodrent? Selea… Aren’t we on Earth?”

“Earth?” Vekrem held his hand to his chin, considering. “I’ve never heard that word before.”

“And English… aren’t we speaking English?”

“You’re a strange one,” Vekrem replied, reaching out a hand. “Come, how about we have some tea and talk more about it. You seem to be confused, and I would rather not send you back into town until you remember more. At least a family member's name.”

I reached out, grasping his hand, and felt thick fur on the back. I wanted to let go, but I held on instead, pulling myself up with his help.

“There you are,” Sekrem said. “Seems like you’re intact; physically at least. That’s good—humans serve very little use if they are injured or sick.”

That last line sparked my interest, but I let it slide at the time, instead, taking in my surroundings. We stood on top of a luminescent and spongy surface. I looked around, and we were surrounded on all sides by giant mushrooms. I jumped up and down, and the mushroom easily held my weight, bouncing me back as if I stood on a giant sponge. I smiled, jumping a bit more before hoping down, Vekrem following me.

Vekrem was less interested in our surroundings, and more interested in how I reacted to them. He seemed to be studying me, his prying eyes running me up and down, not unlike a specimen in a lab. Knowing that, I felt uneasy as he stepped ahead, beaconing me to follow. But, considering I knew nothing of where or when I was, I did so, despite that unease.

We walked in relative silence, the only sounds in the forest were of various animals that I didn’t seem to recognize or understand. At one point, I saw a snake, but instead of a long, scally body, it was covered with feathers that trailed down the long body in a rainbow of colors, with what appeared to be a flipper at the very tip of its tail. It slithered on land, for a time, before gliding elegantly into a nearby pond, disappearing under the water, and leaving naught but ripples of its passing to see.

Despite it clearly being night, the world was still so bright and colorful. There was very little dark in the denseness of the forest, the mushrooms acting as pseudo street lamps.

“Dragon...” I said, reaching out with my mind. He didn’t respond, but, unlike before, I did hear something there, like a soft snoring; the cackling of a dwindling fire. The Dragon warned that opening the portal would take a lot out of him—perhaps he rested. “Fine,” I added, “Guess I’ll take point until you wake.”

“Who are you speaking to?” Vekrem asked, stopping to get a proper look at me.

Not realizing I'd begun to speak out loud, I replied, “Nobody—I just do that sometimes. Talking out loud; to myself.”

Vekrem held his hand to his chin, nodding in approval. “Ah, I’ve been known to do this as well. When you’re as secluded as I am, sometimes the only person you have to talk through an issue is yourself. Anyway, come, come. We aren’t far.”

We continued walking, and, during the trip, I’d reached out to rip a piece from one of the luminescent mushrooms. At a glance from my would-be guide, I refrained. He nodded appreciatively at that and quickly moved on.

We arrived in a small clearing that had an equally small stream that dripped down a rocky conclave. In the middle of said clearing was a hut, tiny in size, but suitable for a single individual who lived alone.

“Ah, here we are,” Vekrem said, holding both his hands out with a flourish, one ear twitching at the touch of a delicate wind. “Come inside, and we’ll sort this whole thing out.”

Reluctantly, I did, walking to the door that appeared to be made from broken down wood. The pieces themselves were held together by some type of luminescent paste. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside, expecting a small dark hut—but I was wrong.

The inside of the hut was bright and colorful, matching the forest it was built in. In the corner of the room was a working table with glass jars and various mushrooms grows in pots. On the other, on the floor, another type of mushroom. This one didn’t glow as the rest. Looking at how the mushrooms were aligned, I assumed, correctly, that it ws Vekrem’s bed.

Vekrem entered beside me, closing the door behind him. “Take a seat, and I’ll heat us up some tea. Or, perhaps, would you prefer something stronger?”

Taking a seat at the one of the only non-mushroom pieces of furniture, I nodded my head in agreement. “Tea would be fine.” Why did I say that? I fucking hate tea.

Vekrem’s eyes lit up as he turned to, what I assumed, was a place to cook. Once again, the man took out a mushroom, this one hollowed out. Laughing to myself, I realized it was a tea-kettle. He turned to me, “Excuse me, let me get some water.”

I nodded as he left, looking around the room which utterly baffled me by how different it was from Earth. I felt the Dragon there in my mind, his sleep restless, and knew he would wake soon. Then I heard a sound outside, like rustling footsteps. Hurried. Panicked.

“Help!” Vekrem called, his voice choked out by the sound of his attackers.

[https://mj-gallery.com/cbb45074-5d96-46c4-9ff0-ffb1a8bcf0ae/grid_0.png]