Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Gateway to Chaos
The morning sun crept over the horizon, casting an amber glow across the wasteland. Ethan stirred, stretching out on the makeshift bed of tattered blankets they'd scavenged. Gregory, on the other hand, sat up abruptly, groaning like a man twice his age.
"You know," Gregory grumbled, "sleeping on dirt does wonders for your back pain—if your goal is to make it worse."
Ethan rolled his eyes, already used to the man's perpetual complaining. "Good morning to you too."
They gathered their gear and headed to a nearby stream—a rare find in the barren landscape. How Ethan was able to find the oasis was a mystery even to Ethan himself. The water was cold, but it did the job. Ethan splashed his face, reveling in the brief moment of refreshment. Gregory, on the other hand, grimaced as he examined his tattered clothes.
"I don't have any spare clothes, If I knew I was going to be stuck in a wasteland I would've packed better clothes." Gregory complained, holding up his shirt, now crusted with worm guts. "This is disgusting."
Ethan smirked. "But you didn't have a problem with the worm guts when you were eating them last night."
Gregory shot him a glare but said nothing, which was a small victory in Ethan's book. They finished cleaning up, hopped on the motorcycle, and sped off across the wasteland.
The wasteland was as desolate as ever, the cracked earth stretching endlessly in all directions. Gregory clung to Ethan's waist, mumbling complaints about the bumps in the road, the dust in his face, and the motorcycle's lack of comfort. Ethan tuned him out, focusing on the coordinates Gregory had provided.
After an hour, they arrived at what used to be a small house. It was now a pile of rubble, charred and broken, with no sign of life. Ethan dismounted, his chest tightening as he surveyed the devastation.
"This is it?" he asked, his voice hollow.
Gregory nodded. "It didn't look like this when I left but this is where I last saw her."
Ethan's shoulders tensed. He stalked toward the ruins, kicking at the debris in frustration.
"Hey, hey, calm down," Gregory said, watching him warily.
"Calm down?" Ethan shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "The only way for us to get to Eldoria is to get to Seraphina or maybe a cottage with supplies that can help, that's not here and you want me to calm down? I might never see my father and sister again, and you want me to be calm?"
Gregory held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, what happened to hope?"
Ethan's laugh was bitter. "I had hope that I'd find something here. Something that could lead us to her or maybe something that we could follow to get to her. But that hope's been shattered. There's nothing here!"
In a fit of rage, Ethan raised his hand and released a blast of magic into the air. The surge of energy crackled like lightning, sending a shockwave through the area.
Gregory's eyes widened as he noticed something unusual. "Ethan. Look."
"What?" Ethan snapped, still seething.
Gregory pointed to the spot where Ethan's magic had struck. The air shimmered with a faint blue light, like a crack in the fabric of reality.
"I don't know what you blasted there, but it opened a rift," Gregory said, his tone tinged with awe. "Portals are basically rifts between dimensions. If you can create a rift, you might be able to create a portal to Eldoria. We might not need to get to Seraphina after all."
Ethan's anger dissipated as he stared at the sparkling light. Hope flickered in his chest again, but as he stepped closer, the rift disappeared.
His face fell, but Gregory grinned. "You saw it, didn't you? That means it's possible."
"What am you, really?" Gregory asked, staring at Ethan with curiosity. "You can do magic like a warlock but you don't have their aura. You have the fighting skills of a mage but you lack their ruthlessness. A mage would have left me to be eaten by the worm and say it's for the best. You're definitely not an elf because I'm pretty sure I would've noticed pointy ears. What are you?"
Ethan hesitated. "What I am isn't important." He was taught not to reveal anything about being the guardian of the heartstone to anyone because if that information got to the wrong hands, they could kill him and snatch the heartstone off him. It's just like Seraphina said, 'Guardians are strong but not invincible.'
Gregory didn't push further. Instead, he urged Ethan to try creating a portal. That was more important. If there was a chance of seeing his wife again, he would take it. "Let's try creating a real portal this time, not just a rift. Try concentrating on where you want to go and see what you can do."
Ethan tried four times, each attempt yielding only blue sparks. Gregory's commentary didn't help.
"Are you even trying?"
"Yes, Gregory, I'm trying," Ethan snapped.
On the fifth attempt, a shimmering portal finally formed. Gregory whooped and ran into it without hesitation.
For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, Gregory burst back out, his face pale. "Close the portal, close the portal!"
"What happened in there?" Ethan asked, alarmed.
"If you ever want to get chased and eaten by dinosaurs, that's the right portal to open!" Gregory shouted, panting.
Ethan blinked. "So that wasn't Eldoria?"
"Unless the elves adopted dinosaurs, it's definitely not the place."
Ethan stifled a laugh and opened another portal. "Would you do the honours?"
Gregory sighed, "If that dimension is filled with bunnies, I'm actually going to lose it."
"What do you have against bunnies?"
"Don't ask." Gregory said as he walked through the portal.
He returned moments later, looking unimpressed.
"Well?" Ethan asked.
"At least there weren't any bunnies there." Gregory said.
"Where did I send you?"
"You're not going to believe it."
"Tell me."
"It was Atlantis. Mer people and all. It was beautiful."
Ethan's jaw dropped. "Atlantis exists?"
Gregory snorted. "Of course not. Why would you even believe that? What are you, six?"
Ethan glared at him.
"Okay, listen," Gregory said, sobering. "Try to visualize where you want to go. Don't just open the portal blindly. Picture where exactly in Eldoria you want to go. You've been to Eldoria before right?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Then do that. Picture the last place you've been to in Eldoria and try to take us there."
Ethan closed his eyes, focusing on his last memory of Eldoria. He channeled his magic, and a new portal shimmered to life.
"I'm more confident about this one. I'm sure I got it this time. Let's enter together this time," Ethan said, his voice steady.
Gregory nodded. They took a deep breath, exchanged a glance, and stepped through the portal.
For a moment, there was only light.
Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Forest of Fools
The shimmering light of the portal faded, and Ethan and Gregory found themselves standing in a dense forest. Towering trees with glowing emerald leaves blocked out most of the sky, and the air was thick with the scent of moss and damp earth. A faint mist curled around their feet, giving the place an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere.
Gregory scanned their surroundings, his expression flat. "Seriously?" He gestured at the endless trees. "You took us to a forest? Should we wait for the magical tigers to come and devour us, or should we go look for them ourselves?"
Ethan sighed, already feeling the tension creeping up his neck. "This was the last place in Eldoria that I visited. I didn't visit it on purpose, but it's the only place I've been to."
Gregory crossed his arms. "So, do you know how to get out of this forest and into civilization?"
"I said this forest was the only place in Eldoria I've been to. How exactly am I supposed to know the way out?"
Gregory groaned, rubbing his temples. "Well, if you can fly, you could go above the trees and look for the right direction for us to go in."
"I can't fly," Ethan said flatly.
Gregory raised an eyebrow. "How are you sure you can't fly? Have you ever tried before?"
"I'm sure I can't fly," Ethan repeated, his patience fraying.
"Just try," Gregory urged. "I'm pretty sure you didn't know you could open portals until you tried."
Without warning, Ethan grabbed Gregory by the collar and, with a grunt, threw him into the air. Gregory let out a strangled yell as he soared above the treetops before gravity dragged him back down. He landed with a thud, groaning in pain.
"What the hell was that for?" Gregory sputtered, brushing dirt and leaves off his tattered clothes.
"I wanted to see if you could fly," Ethan said, his voice dripping with mock innocence. "You can't know until you try, right?"
Gregory glared at him. "Next time, maybe give me a heads-up."
Ethan smirked. "Hey… heads-up."
"You're unbelievable."
"You can't die, so what's the fuss about?" Ethan shrugged.
"I can't die, but I can definitely feel pain," Gregory shot back, wincing as he stretched his back.
"So, which way are we going?"
"I don't know." Gregory hesitated as Ethan stepped closer, eyeing him suspiciously. "Hey, hey, alright… it's that way," he said, pointing toward a break in the trees. "I saw buildings in that direction."
"Nice. Alright, let's move." Ethan started walking.
Gregory muttered under his breath, "One of these days, I'm going to send him into space."
"You coming?" Ethan called over his shoulder.
"In a minute," Gregory grumbled, jogging to catch up.
---
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the stranger the surroundings became. Glowing mushrooms dotted the ground, their light casting eerie shadows on the trees. Strange sounds echoed through the air—whispers, clicks, and the occasional distant roar.
"Doesn't this place just scream 'welcome'?" Gregory said, stepping over a fallen branch.
Ethan's focus snapped to movement in the distance. Something large and quadrupedal was weaving between the trees. Its eyes glowed like lanterns, and its sleek, iridescent fur shimmered with every step.
"Stay behind me," Ethan said, raising his hand as a ball of blue magic began to form in his palm.
Gregory grabbed his wrist. "Don't. Just don't."
"What? It's a magical creature. Better to take it out before it takes us out."
Gregory shook his head. "Most of the creatures here don't have magic of their own. They're like mirrors. They collect whatever magic is thrown at them and redirect it back. You blast that thing, and we're the ones who'll be toast."
Ethan hesitated, lowering his hand. "Seriously?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Gregory gestured toward the creature, which was now staring at them, its glowing eyes unblinking.
The creature took a cautious step closer.
"Run!" Gregory shouted, bolting in the opposite direction.
Ethan followed, muttering under his breath, "You're supposed to be immortal, and I'm the one running?"
They sprinted until the glowing eyes disappeared behind the thick foliage.
---
The forest wasn't done with them yet. Hours later, as they trudged through the seemingly endless maze of trees, they encountered a small pond. Its surface was perfectly still, reflecting the canopy above like a mirror.
Gregory leaned down to inspect it. "This water looks... weird."
Ethan stopped him. "Don't drink it."
"Why not?"
"Because the last time someone drank magical water, they turned into a frog. Or was it a toad?"
Gregory straightened, crossing his arms. "Fine. No water. Just dehydration. That's totally fine."
"Let's keep moving," Ethan said, stepping around the pond.
Gregory followed, muttering, "No flying, no water, no fun. This adventure is a disaster."
---
When they finally emerged from the forest, the sight before them made Ethan stop in his tracks. A sprawling city stretched across the horizon, its elegant towers and domed buildings glowing faintly in the twilight. The streets were lined with shimmering lights, and the faint hum of activity reached their ears.
"Civilization," Gregory said, his tone a mix of relief and awe. "Finally."
The moment they took a single step out of the forest, a dozen elven guards appeared, their bows drawn and arrows aimed. Their armor gleamed with a silver sheen, and their faces were set in cold, unreadable expressions.
Ethan froze.
"Shit."
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