The morning was dark and cloudy, with the cold wind blowing. The rain was heavy, with strawberry-sized raindrops falling from the sky. The thunder sounded across five miles. The flashes of lightning were seen over the horizon. Ryan was getting accustomed to daily life in the book. Though his clothing was having a hard time keeping the bitter cold at bay, Rachel was having the time of her life. She was dancing and laughing. Her demonic skin was tough enough to handle the coldest of colds.
“This feels so good, Ryan. I can’t believe you don’t like this.” Rachel said, laughing.
“Yea-a-a says the demon, running around half naked.” Ryan said almost everything has frozen.
“Oh shit, sorry, I forgot I have tougher skin than you.” Rachel said, laughing, "Here, let’s go inside.”
The two walked across the stone path from the garden inside the castle walls. They turned the brass door knob on the black door. Rachel entered first, followed by Ryan, who had sneezed and now had a runny nose. The warm air hit him in the face, and his body was now warming from the outside in. He felt like he was being microwaved like a TV dinner. The room was filled with plants—a big variety of plants. The glass wall panels were stacked on top of each other twenty feet tall, and the roof was tilted at a forty-degree angle. The humid room was filled with the sweet scent of freshly watered flowers. The two walked to the rose-panel door and entered. The hallway was long and stretched about fifteen feet. Each side of the walls had paintings and expensive vases. Small water droplets fell on the green carpet that had just been cleaned. Several cleaning products came out of small holes that had been hidden. Ryan and Rachel both looked at the broom sweeping the carpet. Then a rag was used to dab the rug and dry the once-wet spots. They laughed and went to their room. They took their clothes off and hopped in the shower.
The shower was the size of DuckDon’s burger place on Time Square. On the corner of Fifty-Fifth Avenue and Broadway, just across the Mountain Group Building, is the same company that has the flying stars circling Mount Rainier. Just before it circles the mountain, some stars skip across the river. Tile was patterned throughout the room. Showers had been installed throughout the room as well, and in the corner, a toilet was tucked in a water-tight glass box. A switch was wired to frost the glass when needed. Ryan turned the shower on, and the room began to shoot water out. From all ten shower heads. The room started to fill with warm air coming from the hot water. Ryan walked to Rachel and began to kiss her neck. She leaned her neck to the left, exposing her bare skin. Her black lace dress was unzipped by Ryan. It fell to the tile floor. Her black silk thong was accentuating her posterior. Her curved back was pressed against his flat chest. He spun Rachel around while he brought her arms above her head with his left. He’s right hand tore the thin, soaked top. Exposing her C-cup chest to the warm, cool air. Water droplets began to form around her chest. Ryan soaked her figure and began to kiss her. She just tore all his clothes off his human-fit frame. The scars from his first real fight can be seen in the pale, light skin scar tissue. She took her right index finger, started to trace them, and looked up at him.
“I can’t believe I almost lost you that day.” Rachel said, “You pushed yourself too hard.”
“After what happened that day, I promise to try and think about not pushing myself.” Ryan grabbed her hands, brought them to his lips, and kissed them as he said, “But I will try to use my knowledge of what I read in John’s books. John always said that knowledge is key.”
From deep inside Ryan’s mind, he thought he heard a faint echo. The small voice inside his head was ringing over and over. He dropped Rachel’s hands and, with his pinky finger, placed the small digit into his ear and tried to pop his ear. Still, the voice in his head rang out the same name. Rachel noticed him and tried to sit him on the ground.
"Ryan, what’s happening?” Rachel asked, worried.
“I think I might be going crazy, or someone or something is trying to use a psychic trick on me.” Ryan said, trying to chant a spell, “Nrmw wvuvmhv zxgrezgv.”
“How do you feel?” Rachel asked.
“Nope, I still hear the same name.” Ryan said, “Although the voice is sounding familiar, it’s weak.”
“Who do you think it is?”Rachel said, “Is someone trying to attack your mind? ”
“No, I don’t think it was the voice that kept repeating a name.” Ryan explained, “It kept saying my name, Ryan. But the voice had an accent.”
Ryan stood up with the help of Rachel. He and she kissed, and Ryan walked into the shower to try and clear his head. The hot steam warmed his half-frozen skin. Rachel joined him, and the two passionately kissed each other. They stayed in the shower for over two hours.
Once they had finished with the shower, they got dressed in their fresh clothes. They wore simple sweats and slippers and went to the dining area to join Dagron and Orisorin. Dagron was the size of a miniature horse. He was curled up like a giant cat with lizard-like features. His horns had started to grow in more and were now twelve and a half feet long. His back had grown more horned spikes, and his tail was now growing several small bone spikes. It was made to be a deadly weapon. Orisorin was smoking a long, 12-inch pipe full of tobacco. He was wearing dark purple robes with what looked like animated depictions of the heavens. He stood next to the fireplace, puffing away at his pipe. The smoke danced around his face, hiding it before it dissolved into thin air. The room was bright, with candles placed in chandeliers. The chandeliers hung twelve feet above their heads and eighteen feet from the ceiling. The dining room table was set, and two silver candle holders had gold candles with the wicks burning. The table was set, and the food was just being set. A clock was ticking away the time until everyone was finished with their meals.
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"Well, I presume that dinner is finally being served.” Orisorin said this while tapping the pipe stem on his left palm. The tobacco flew from the mouth and burned in the fireplace. He placed the pipe on the mantel and closed the wooden box.
The three of them walked to the cherry walnut table that had been carved with a miniature replica of Atlantis. The resin-like substance was just crystalized honey. The honey was enchanted with magic to sustain its crystalline structure. This is what was covering the city to help protect it against damage. Rachel sat next to Ryan on the right side of the table, and Orisorin sat at the head of the table. Rachel always seemed amazed at how good the masterpiece was. Ryan just saw something he could use for gaming.
"Finally, I’m hungry.” Ryan said it with a smile.
"Ryan, watch your manners; we are guests of Orisorin.” Rachel reminded him.
"Hahahaha, you found a good one there, Ryan; make sure you keep her close by.”
Orisorin said as he started to eat his food.”
The two started to laugh, followed Orisorin, and ate. The table was being filled with wild game. They had venison with raspberry sauce. A puréed potato with venison gravy, which was poured over them, and a cup filled with some gravy next to them. The carrots had been charred on fire, and a hint of mesquite was present with each bite. A bowl of potato soup was served as well. The servants bowed and went back to the kitchen, and the three of them started to eat. Dagron was fed raw meat and fresh water. He used his mouth to hold some meat, tossed it into the air, and gobbled it up. His saliva broke down the proteins and was half digested by the time it hit his stomach.
“Wow Dag. You sure have gotten an appetite.” Said Ryan, “I’ll make sure I go and hunt tomorrow to have enough meat.”
"Oh, in that case, I need you to train some more.” Orisorin said, “There is a temple that I placed inside the book. I placed several spell books like this around not just on this earth, but other earth. Many have long since gone, and many are still out there.”
“It looks like another free day for me.” Rachel said, laughing, “Or is there something you need me to do?”
"Yes, in fact, I have some gifts for you. To be honest, it’s more or less magic artifacts that can improve your physical stamina and strength.” Orisorin said, “And if you are up to it, I remember hiding a pendent that once belonged to Lucifer. If I remember correctly, it’s supposed to improve your demonic abilities.”
“Yeah, I don't think I’m ready to use those powers.” Rachel said with deep conviction, “Not after losing faith. I just can’t.”
Rachel threw her napkin on her food and stood up. She turned to the door and ran to her room. Ryan began to get up, but Orisorin stood and held up a hand.
“No, let her be for now. Finish your soup; the servants have already sent her food to her room.” Orisorin said it with an apologetic tone.
“Thanks Orisorin, we still haven’t talked about what happened that night.” Ryan admitted, “In fact, just before coming to dinner, I started to hear a voice in my head.”
“Really?” Orisorin said, “Tell me this voice. Was there anything that may have told you that it wasn’t malevolent?”
“No.” Ryan said, “But the voice sounded really familiar; I just can’t place a name.”
“I have a technique that could help.” Orisorin said.
“And what spell is it?” Asked Ryan, “Because I’m up for anything.”
“It’s not magic; it’s just hypnotism.” Orisorin replied, “It’s safe and effective.”
Once they had finished eating, the servants came to clear the table. He pushed the chair back and stood up. He took a small plate that had been handed to him by one of the servants. He took the plate and went up the stairs. When he arrived at their room, he knocked on the door. The eight-foot, dark oak door had a deep knock that echoed through the hallway. The door opened, and Rachel poked her head out, grabbed Ryan by the wrist, and pulled him in. The door swung closed with a gentle push. The click of the door latch catching echoed down the hallway.
“I’m not hungry; you can place the plate on the dresser.” Rachel said with a weak smile, "Sorry, I just can’t get over that my sister is gone.”
“I don’t know how you must be feeling, but I do know that I will do everything in my power to try and defeat whoever this person is.” Ryan said, “Let’s just lay here for a few moments.”
The pair crawled into the king-sized mattress, which had been layered with the softest fabric known in the multiverse. Unfortunately for anyone who wanted to buy a new set, The company that once made such fine fabric had been destroyed when an evil entity decided to wake up from its sleep and cause havoc on over two hundred earths. Ninety-eight planets had been destroyed when he corrupted the branch libraries. Once those places had been compromised, the main library staff executed the Omega Protocol. What the Omega Protocol does is break its connection to the satellite branches. When the satellite branches are broken from their host, they become ordinary buildings. The artwork and artifacts that they had went to the main branch and was stored in the archive section. Rachel curled up to Ryan as he held her in his arms. She rested her puffy red face on his left shoulder and slept. He thought of the voice that had tried to reach him, then he thought about his last memory with John. He noticed that the tone and inflection of the tones were similar. He then thought about what he actually heard. That when he all the pieces had fallen into place. He felt his mind open back up to the same voice frantically trying to reach him.
"Ryan, can you hear me? It’s John.” The familiar voice echoed in his head: “I am alive; I was taken captive by Alya.”
“John, how the hell are you still alive?” Ryan shouted as he woke up Rachel, who was groggy, "John, please tell me, where are you?”
“I’m located somewhere in the Amazon rainforest.” John echoed back, “We are headed to an ancient landmark; I don’t know where, but I will let you know.”
“Ok.” Ryan began to say it until he was interrupted.
“I have to go now. I’ll contact you when I’m free and able.” John said this when his head was finally free of what felt to him like static.
“Who were you just taking, hun?” Rachel said she was almost half asleep.
"Well, I was actually taking John.” Ryan confessed.
"Oh, really, that.” She began to say, "Wait, did you just say John?”
“Yeah, he’s still alive.” Ryan said, “Je said he was out in the rainforest.”
“Now I’m up.” Rachel said as she sat up in the bed, "Well, did he say anything else?”
“He said that the person who took him is named Alya. She is trying to find an ancient city or temple.” Ryan explained more. “He also said that he would try and contact me when he could, and that’s it.”
"Well, at least we know where they are and that John is still alive.” Rachel said, "Well, at least you still have John.”
She rolled over to her side and began to cry. Ryan took her into his arms, and he held her there until she was finally asleep. He waited for three hours and decided that he too was tired and needed to go to bed. He is still there, holding Rachel, and thinking about what could be so important to his city in the jungle. He just let his mind think and wonder until he felt the sandman weighting down his eyes, so he surrounded himself and let his unconscious thoughts take over.