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Story co-authored by @strangegrounds

CHAPTER 3

“Whoa! Hold up! As much as I want to, I can’t run anymore!” Astrid hissed. For what felt like hours, they ran through the dense forest. Her breathing was labored and she felt as though there was a stitch in her side. She looked at Quil and he didn’t even appear out of breath. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair as he surveyed their surroundings.

It seemed as though Quil knew the forest by heart. It was dark and Astrid couldn’t see a damned thing except for when it was about to hit her in the face. Quil, on the other hand, ducked through branches and ran as silent as the night while she had multiple scratches and bruises from the numerous times that she wasn’t able to avoid low-hanging branches and tripped on vines.

Quil stopped and he threw her an impatient glare. “Just a bit more. We can rest when we find a secure place,” he whispered. Then, he took her hand once more and dragged her through the dark forest. This time, Astrid took care to mimic his movements. She ducked when he did and lifted her foot when he did. She watched only him instead of trying to see around the darkness that encompassed them both. It worked for she didn’t trip or get face-planted by a branch this time.

They ran for another couple of minutes. Astrid heard the sound of running water and that was when Quil stopped. “We’ll rest here. You can wash up on the stream,” he told her. He reached inside his bag and rummaged around it. Astrid dropped her bag beside him and cautiously walked over to the stream.

There were only a few trees beside the stream and it was easier to see here. She looked at her bloodied hands and the horror of what she did finally dawned on her. She just killed that creature—whatever that was! Her hands shook and her knees threatened to buckle. To calm herself, Astrid took in several deep breaths and listened to the sound of water running over the rocks. She knelt by the stream and surveyed the water. At first she was afraid of dipping her hand in the water in fear of yet another unknown creature biting her fingers off. She peered around the clear waters for a few more minutes and when she deemed it safe, washed her hands.

Where the fuck is she?

What kind of place is this? Was she in another planet? Another dimension, perhaps? With each second that passed, Astrid’s belief of this being all a dream diminished. Deep in her heart she knew all of this was real especially when she killed that wolf-like thing to save her life. At first she believed it was all a dream and that was what gave her courage to leap and stab that horrible creature. Everyone is a hero in their own dreams, right? But when she felt the spurt of blood beneath her fingers and the moment that the creature’s heart stopped, realization dawned on her.

This was all real and she was stuck here. Now, she needed fucking answers.

Astrid wiped her hands on her cashmere coat and returned to where Quil sat. “We can’t build a fire because it will attract more creatures. Besides, all the branches are wet from the rain,” he pointed out. Astrid knelt beside him and looked at him from head to toe.

Quil had hair as dark as night. He also had strong, aristocratic features. He had sharp cheekbones and a stubborn jaw. But what she found mesmerizing was his strikingly beautiful blue eyes. Even though it was dark, she could still see their color. Quil stared back at her and she forced herself to turn away. But when he was busy digging through his bag, she chanced another look at him.

He wore a dark jacket which was zipped up to his neck. He also wore denim pants and what looked like leather boots. Over all of those, he wore a long, drab, gray traveller’s cloak that was fastened beneath his chin with a golden brooch. She wanted to examine it further but Quil’s gloved hands covered it.

He coughed. “Anyone ever told you it’s rude to stare?” he asked. Astrid turned away and blushed to the roots of her brown hair. “Sorry, I... I—“ Astrid stopped and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I guess you owe me some answers. Where the hell are we?” she asked with a note of incredulity and hysteria in her voice.

“Shh!” Quil hissed. “Keep it down or the other predators of the jungle will find us. Today’s the blood moon and it affects them,” he explained.  Astrid frowned. “Blood moon?” Quil tilted his head upwards and pointed to the sky. “Yes. It’s the time of the year when the portals to other dimensions are at its thinnest. During that time, the sky turns red and so does the moon. For some reason, the animals here go insane during the blood moon. They become more ferocious,” Quil told her. “Pity we can’t see the moon tonight because of the clouds,” he added as an afterthought.

“Whoah! Hold up there! Dimensions? Are you saying we’re in another dimension?” she screeched. Suddenly, it became harder to breathe and Astrid felt as though she was drowning. She already thought about being in another planet or dimension but Quil confirming it was her undoing. All the fear she felt came rolling back and her heart started beating faster.

Quil nodded and Astrid resisted the urge to scream. She clamped a hand over her mouth and dug the heels of her expensive boots in the dirt so she could stand up as fast as she could. Then, she paced while she wrung the hem of her coat between her nervous fingers. All the time, Quil watched her with those striking blue eyes.

“We’re in another dimension. Fucking perfect! Now how do we get back?” she asked him. She stopped pacing as she waited for his answer and placed her hands on her hips. Quil only continued glaring at her for a few more seconds before he leaned forward. “Sit down, Astrid,” he commanded in a deep baritone. Astrid sat down reluctantly. She didn’t like obeying orders from anyone but for the sake of getting the answers she sought, she followed what Quil told her.

“We can’t go back... for now,” Quil whispered. Astrid reeled as if she’s been slapped. She didn’t think she heard him right so she leaned closer. “S-say that again?” she pleaded. Quil closed his eyes for a few seconds and his expression was one that looked like he was praying for patience. “The blood moon comes only once a year. We are here until it comes again. We cannot travel to other dimensions without the blood moon making the way for us,” he explained slowly.

Astrid’s eyes widened in horror after hearing Quil’s words. Her heart skipped a few beats and then came back with a furious rhythm. “No!” she shouted. It was so loud that Astrid heard the flapping of wings signalling several birds’ flight. In a flash, Quil stood. He gripped her Astrid’s arm and hauled her upright. He took her bag and threw it towards her. Then, he dragged her to the nearest tree.

“Climb, now!” he hissed. “What?” Astrid asked, confused. “I told you to keep quiet but you didn’t listen. Now go up or you’ll be dinner for the predators in this forest!” Astrid didn’t need to be told twice this time. She clung to the lowest branch and hoisted herself upwards. Her boots tried to find some foothold on the trunk of the tree but they slipped. She strained and try harder. Her arms burned with her continuous effort. Still, nothing happened.

“For the love of all that’s holy!” Quil cursed. He bent his knees and twined his hands together in front of him. “I’ll boost you up. Faster!” he hissed as they heard a distant howl. Astrid placed one foot in his hands and he gave her a boost effortlessly. He didn’t even grunt or strain at her weight and she marvelled at his strength. Astrid swung one leg over the low branch and straddled it. “Don’t stop. Go higher,” Quil instructed. He jumped and held on the branch she was currently straddling. Then, in a move she saw only gymnasts make, he rocked back and let the momentum take him forward. Then, he rolled and landed agilely on the branch.

Astrid’s knees wobbled as she tried to stand up on the very thin branch. She wrapped her hands around the thick trunk for balance. It was a good thing that the next branch was lower and she was able to hold onto it and pull herself up. She didn’t want to look down for her fear of heights might paralyze her again. So she looked up and her jaw dropped when she saw that Quil was already several branches ahead of her. Astrid closed her mouth and gritted her teeth. If he could do this, so could she. And so she continued to climb without looking down. For the first time in her life, she cursed herself for wearing these expensive boots. They were no good at all. She found herself wishing that she wore her favourite sneakers to class today. Thank God she didn’t wear her high-heeled pumps, though.

Finally,  there was only one more branch to go. Quil already sat on it as he waited for her. It was the thickest branch in the middle of the tree. It was several feet high and no predator could reach them there. The last branch was tricky. It was so high and Astrid didn’t find anything she could grab or step on to be able to reach it. Quil smiled before he positioned himself parallel to the branch and offered her his hand.

“Come on, take it. I won’t drop you, I swear,” he whispered. “As if I have a choice,” she retorted before she took his hand and held on tight. As effortlessly as before, Quil pulled her up until she can use her other hand to grasp the branch. Then, he grabbed her clothes and also used it to aid in hauling her beside him.

Finally, she was done! She climbed the fucking tree!

Astrid sat on the edge of the branch beside the trunk itself. She kept her hands wrapped around it and refused to let go as she waited for the burning in her muscles to disappear and for her breathing to become even once more. Beneath them, she saw more of the Kaditha that attacked them earlier. They sniffed and pawed on the ground where she and Quil were seconds ago. After a few more minutes, the pack disappeared off to the forest.

When she was able to breathe well again, she turned towards Quil. He sat silently, staring out into the night. His legs dangled from the branch and he swung them absent-mindedly. “Look,” he whispered. Astrid raised her head and followed the direction he was pointing. It was just in time to see the clouds part and reveal the blood moon that Quil was talking about earlier.

Her jaw opened and her eyes widened at the sight. It was so beautiful yet so eerie at the same time. She’s never seen anything like it before. For a few minutes, both Astrid and Quil just stared silently at the moon. Astrid looked at it with a mixture of curiosity, awe and fear. Quil looked at it with a pained and nostalgic expression. Astrid saw him close his eyes and sigh heavily.

“Quil...” she began. He opened his eyes and looked at her. “We’re not done talking. I have a million questions for you,” Astrid told him. One corner of Quil’s lips turned up in a smile as his blue eyes bore into her. For the first time, she found herself noticing that he was one of those ruggedly handsome men. The one often labelled as bad boys who girls wanted to tame for themselves.

“We don’t have time for a million questions so choose what to ask wisely,” he said. Astrid rolled her eyes at his tone. “Isn’t there any other way that we can go? You said it would take one year before the blood moon comes back. I can’t be stuck here that long! People are going to look for me!” she hissed. Quil sighed and turned to the moon once more.

Astrid raised both her hands and used them to rub her face. Then, she massaged her temples as she felt the stirrings of a massive headache starting. “So you’re basically telling me that I’m stuck here, wherever this is, for a year and that there’s no other way around it but to wait for this blood moon.” “Correct,” Quil answered. “We will go to the Elders to ask them if there is any other way. But don’t get your hopes up for I have Travelled several times already and this is the only way I know,” Quil said. In two sentences, he gave her hope and also dashed it after a few seconds. Astrid closed her eyes and groaned.

“What is this place anyway?” she asked. “This dimension is known as Cerilia. The forest we are in is called Thornhearts. This place is much like your Earth for we have the same skies, same forests and same people. The difference is in the animals. The wildlife here is much more dangerous,” Quil answered. Astrid laughed. “I know that. I just came face-to-face with one of them. What about the people? Are they more advanced than Earth?” Astrid followed-up.

Quil shook his head. “The people here live in tribes. I believe primitive is what you call them. Most of them are like that but there are other places where the people are more advanced. They have built stone walls and recognize Kings as their leaders. You may compare their living to your medieval period. The only difference of this world is that magic truly exists here,” he told her.

Astrid let herself digest this overload of information for a few seconds. How was she going to live her for one year? No internet, no electricity, no luxuries, no friends to keep her company and all other things that made her life comfortable! How was she going to live in a primitive world where something as insane as magic existed? She covered her face with her hands and groaned. She was so fucked.

“Where are you from? Err... I mean are you from Earth like me or one of the dimensions?” she asked Quil. He sighed again. “My people are from another dimension. We call it Ayre. But hundreds of years ago, we scattered to all the different dimensions because of the constant wars that tore our world apart. I was born in Ayre but since I was young, I’ve been travelling.”

“By ‘travelling’ you mean flitting through the dimensions? Why?” Before, Astrid just wanted to know more about this crazy world she’s in. Now, she’s truly curious about Quil. What could make someone travel through dangerous dimensions and spend year after year of his life there? Quil looked away from the moon and faced her. “I’m searching for a way to end the war on Ayre. I want peace for my people. If not, I search for another dimension where all of us could regroup and live in peace,” he answered in a flat tone. From his tone, Astrid sensed that there was something he wasn’t telling her.

She opened her mouth to ask him more questions but he held up his hand to stop her. “Now, I ask my questions,” he said and she nodded. “Why did you follow me?” Quil asked. “After you left the elevator, it stopped working and all I could see was darkness. I called out to you but you didn’t respond so I followed you. Then I saw this light and I ran towards it and ended up almost plunging to my death on that cliff where you found me,” she answered. Quil frowned.

“Only a Traveller like me can go to another dimension like this. Only one of my people who is both blessed and cursed with this burden could cross the boundary between two dimensions. Even during the blood moon when the rift is thinnest, only a Traveller could go,” he spoke with a frown marring those stubborn features. Astrid snorted, “Are you saying I’m like you? No way. I’m a girl from New York City, born and raised. My parents are businessmen and they’ve been that was for as long as I can remember. I am sure I am not like you.”

“This is most unusual and this is why we will consult the elder of my people. He will know what to do,” Quil said. And in a move that surprised her, Quil removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders. He fastened it with the golden brooch and now Astrid saw what it was. It looked like some sort of insignia. In the middle was a hawk and surrounding it were words Astrid couldn’t understand. She lifted her head to ask Quil about it but he leapt to the other branch beside hers. He rested his back on the thick tree trunk, pulled up the hood of his jacket and closed his eyes.

“Fine, then,” Astrid whispered. She tried to make herself as comfortable as she could while balancing herself. She doubted she’d fall asleep on such a precarious situation; she was hanging on a branch and one wrong move could make her fall! But the moment she closed her eyes, she was sound asleep. Her last thought before falling asleep was that she wished the elders Quil talked about truly knew of a way wherein she could return home without waiting for another blood moon.

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