I could hear people whispering. They all seemed to be trying to be as quiet as possible so as either not to wake me or to make sure I don't over hear what they are saying. I slowly began opening my eyes my head feeling heavy. Looking around I was lying in a small twin sized bed with a hand knit quilt tucked snugly around me. There was a small window with some sheer curtains hanging over them muting the light that shined in to the room. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a three draw dresser with brass knobs. The walls and floors were made of solid wood that had been smoothed out so that it didn't have any splinters in them. The ceiling had massive beams going across it to hold the roof up. It seemed to me that it could probably withstand a hurricane.
I threw the quilt aside wondering if I even had my leg still after what the creature did to it. Looking down at myself I saw that I was wearing a simple tan shirt and pants. I was relieved when I saw that I still had both of my legs. I was even more relieved when I was able to wiggle my toes even though it was quite painful. My leg was tightly bandaged even though I could still see some dark spots were the wound had bled a little. It was very good that I had managed to survive but at the same time I was very sure that I wasn't going to be making any long journeys. Now comes finding Will so that I could punch him as hard as I could in the gut.
I tried putting a little pressure on my injured leg but the moment I did a stabbing pain shot through my leg up to my hip. I gasped in pain and fell back on to my butt on the bed. I took a few deep breaths before trying to put my full weight on my good leg. I noticed some soft shoes set down beside that bed that I took a little time getting my foot in to. I kept one of my hands on the bed for balance trying to think about how I was going to have to hop to get to the door. Just as I was going to start my first of many one footed hops towards the door it swung open. In walked the man that had saved me from the creature. He must have brought me here while I was out cold and properly bandaged my leg. A smile spread across his face when he saw me standing up even though I was a little wobbly at the moment.
"Didn't expect you to be trying to move around so soon but I have been wrong about people before." he commented.
"Was curious about where I was." I shrugged.
"I'm assuming that you're pretty hungry. Wrap an arm around my shoulder and I'll help you get to the kitchen." he said walking over to beside me.
"You never told me your name by the way." I pointed out as I placed my arm over his shoulders.
"It's Liam Carther. Will told me that you're name is Riley. Did you really swing from a tree branch and kick Marcus in the face?" He wondered as we began slowly making our way out of the room.
"Yes. Unfortunately he's not really the grateful type." I sighed.
"Sadly he's never been very good when it comes to admitting that he needs help. Even as a child he would pout for hours when I would help him do anything because he couldn't do it himself. Don't worry he'll eventually admit that you were in the right for helping him. It may take years but he'll get there eventually." he laughed.
"When that happens I'll be throwing a massive party hopefully with my parents because by then I would have made it home." I smiled.
I could see Liam grin out of the corner of my eyes. I was trying very hard to just keep looking ahead of me as he led me down the hallway in to the kitchen. Underneath my hand on his shoulder I could feel all of his muscles tensed up as he helped keep my weight up. He definitely seemed quite different than Will. Even though after what Liam had said about knowing each other since they were kids it was hard to see them as friends. Liam seemed like he was a genuinely sweet person without any weight on his shoulders while Will seemed ready to punch the wall with all the anger he was holding in. Liam on the other hand was very much seemed at peace. It's pretty strange when you see two so very different people that are friends.
In the kitchen there was a simple rectangle table with four chairs around it. The counters and cabinets were a deep cherry wood with brass nobs like the dresser in the room I had woken up in. There was what looked like an iron stove with a small fire burning directly underneath it. I could smell something sweet cooking inside the oven while on top of the stove was a pan with bacon sizzling. My stomach growled loudly as my mouth began to water. It's been a couple of days since I've had a decent meal and just the smell alone was making my stomach growl loud enough that it seemed to echo around the room. Liam helped me sit down in a chair at the table before walking over to the stove. I felt my stomach growl even louder when I saw him put together a plate of bacon and eggs. From the oven he even pulled out some fresh sweet buns. He placed the plate down in front of me along with a mug of water. I couldn't help but feel excited over the fresh food.
"I guess I was right about you being hungry." Liam commented as I dove in to the food.
"You can blame Will for that one. He wasn't too keen on making sure I was fed during the journey over here. He was more worried about getting me here as soon as possible. Felt like I was a thorn in his side he couldn't wait to get rid of." I shrugged.
"I would gladly have just traveled through the night but I didn't feel like carrying you when you passed out." Will said from the front door.
"Well I see you managed to survive. You're right Liam he is like a cockroach." I said turning back to my food. "Unfortunately for the cockroach Will isn't as good looking."
Will glared at me while Liam fought to hid his laughter. Will made sure to shoot Liam a dirty look as well before turning on his heels storming away. I was relieved to see that he was all right but at the same time I wasn't going to be nice to him. Will doesn't deserve my kindness when he doesn't really show me any. The very few glimmering moments of Will's kindness doesn't trump all of the other times he's been mean.
"I think he might actually like you." Liam grinned.
"You can't tell by the wonderful way he treats me." I said rolling my eyes.
"Will just don't let people in easily but I could tell that he was impressed with the way you jumped in to help him with Marcus even though it was very reckless." Liam said.
"So Will wouldn't tell so maybe you will. Why were they fighting?" I wondered.
"Short version of that story is Marcus Ducress works for someone that Will has made pretty angry and now that person is very keen on making sure Will is dead." Liam explained.
"Why couldn't Will just tell me that?" I asked.
"Because Will is one of those people that doesn't like to pull any one in to his problems. By helping Will you placed a target on your back. The person Will angered has made it clear that any one that helps him is to be punished in the harshest manor possible. The fact that Will is trying hard to get you somewhere safe means that he's worried about your life. He's mean to you only cause he doesn't want to become attached to you only to suffer pain if you got killed." Liam said.
"You seem to know him very well." I stated.
"I would hope so since we've known each other since we were five." Liam said.
"Will said that his friends would be able to get me home. How soon could we leave?" I wondered.
"Great he didn't explain everything to you." Liam sighed.
"Explained what?" I asked.
"There is a very slim chance that you'll ever be able to get home. Will told me you passed out during the time you two were passing through a portal. The only way you're going to get home is if a portal opens up again and that's no something that happens very often." Liam explained.
"Okay not this again. I very much doubt we're in another world where magic is real." I groaned.
"Really? Then how do you explain the Cruet that attacked you nearly ripping your leg off?" He pointed out.
"So there are still things out in the world that can't be explained. I every much doubt that scientists of discovered every animal that walks the Earth." I countered.
"Have you eaten enough?" Liam asked.
"Of course I cleared the plate. Why?" I wondered.
"Come on I'll show you the rest of town." he answered standing up.
I didn't say anything about his convenient change of topic as he walked around the table to help me get to my feet. Together we walked out the front door on to a green yard with a small garden off to the right. In front of the house was a wide dirt road with more homes on either side. This town looked smaller than my home town was. As we walked around he showed me where there was actually a butcher that I could see through the open door chopping up meat with a bloody apron on. A little ways past the butcher shop was what looked like a tailor shop where people were going in and out carrying straw baskets with fresh clothing in them. In the center of town was an open area with a large stone fountain in the center. The fountain had multiple mermaid statues with their hands held out and water shooting out of them. Around the fountain were several people with stands selling a variety of fruits, vegetables and baked breads. This place looked like it had done a massive rewind. Maybe Will and Liam were part of an Amish community.
"This place looks nice but what where you hoping to show me?" I asked.
"Nothing yet. I need to get you over to the town doctor as you would probably call it. She told me to bring you down when you woke up." he explained.
"All right. I'm assuming I need to have the bandages changed." I said.
"Something like that."
We walked past the fountain were some small children were playing in the water. I even saw some women dipping large jugs in to the water filling them up. I wasn't sure what a doctor in a town like this could do for my injured leg but at least I knew that I wasn't going to lose my leg. There were even some young women selling flowers out of baskets. A few people watched me curiously as I passed by. In a town this small I'm sure a new person was probably big news. It probably was also the fact that I was wearing what I woke up in still. I could see a couple people whisper a little behind their hands as I walked by. The most entertainment a small town like this got was probably gossip and there was probably a lot of that going around when I arrived.
We walked to a house that was actually painted white. All around the porch there were large blue flowers blooming leaving a floral fragrance in the air. The front door was wide open to a room that had several cushioned couches in it. Liam led me to one of the couches easing me down before wondering off through a door. I was left alone in a room with three couches that had wooden frames on them and each one had a different floral pattern on them. Only moments later Liam returned with an elderly woman following closely behind. The woman had powder white hair that flowed to her waist. Her skin was worn with age yet her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle with plenty of life in them still. She walked a little hunched I'm assuming from a bad back.
"So you're the young woman foolish enough to try to take on a Cruet. You're very lucky Liam got there when he did otherwise there wouldn't have been anything to find. Cruet are known for eating the bones of their victims." the woman said sitting down beside me.
"From my point of view the only thing foolish I've done so far is try to help Will." I sighed.
"I like her Liam. She's got some fire in her." the woman chuckled.
"You should see her give Will a run for his money." Liam smirked.
"I'm Elizabetha the town healer. Go ahead and lift that leg right up on to my lap." she instructed.
"So how does this work? Are you going to be using some herbal remedies to make sure the wound doesn't get infected?" I wondered.
"You aren't from around here correct?" she asked.
"No."
"You tried explaining how things work around here?" she asked directing her question at Liam.
"Of course but like Will she is quite stubborn. I figured it would be better to show her than trying to convince her of something she doesn't truly believe in." Liam shrugged.
"Show me what?" I inquired.
"Magic." Liam said.
I watched Elizabetha unwrap the bandages around my leg. I flinched when I saw how torn up my leg still looked. It was no longer bleeding thankfully but you could still see some of the muscle from my calf. I was very much expecting her to pull out some kind of herbal remedy that she had put together from the long coat she wore. I had to blink a couple of times before I realized that her hands had turned a very light shade of green glowing ever so softly. The light spread up her arms running along the veins in her arms. What the hell was going on? Was I not as well as I felt that I was? Could I be hallucinating?
Elizabetha then placed her hands over the wounded part of my leg allowing them to hover just an inch or so above the wound. I gasped as I saw the damaged muscle began to regrow sewing back together. Even veins that had been severed reattached themselves the blood all ready beginning to flow once again through them. Even the skin seemed to pull its self together till I could no longer see my muscles any more. When the skin had finished regrowing there wasn't even a trace of a scar left. It appeared as if I had never been attacked by the Cruet to begin with. It took me a moment to realize that my mouth was hanging wide open but I couldn't seem to register that I should close my mouth.
"Take it for a spin. Got to test out that I did my job properly." Elizabetha said snapping my attention back to her face.
I stood up tentatively thinking that I would feel the same sharp pain I had felt earlier when I tried standing. I was quite surprised when I didn't feel any pain. In fact my leg felt better than ever. I didn't feel any soreness from walking for two days straight. How had she healed my leg?
"How did you do that?" I wondered.
"Sweetheart I'm a healer. It's what I do. It's what my mother taught me to do and her mother before her. I come from a long line of healers so I would hope that I have the skill and power to heal a wound like yours." she explained.
"But it seemed like it was-"
"Magic?" Liam finished for me.
I guess what they say is true after all. Seeing really is believing. Even worse though is that I was now very much screwed on how I was going to get home.
"Didn't expect you to be trying to move around so soon but I have been wrong about people before." he commented.
"Was curious about where I was." I shrugged.
"I'm assuming that you're pretty hungry. Wrap an arm around my shoulder and I'll help you get to the kitchen." he said walking over to beside me.
"You never told me your name by the way." I pointed out as I placed my arm over his shoulders.
"It's Liam Carther. Will told me that you're name is Riley. Did you really swing from a tree branch and kick Marcus in the face?" He wondered as we began slowly making our way out of the room.
"Yes. Unfortunately he's not really the grateful type." I sighed.
"Sadly he's never been very good when it comes to admitting that he needs help. Even as a child he would pout for hours when I would help him do anything because he couldn't do it himself. Don't worry he'll eventually admit that you were in the right for helping him. It may take years but he'll get there eventually." he laughed.
"When that happens I'll be throwing a massive party hopefully with my parents because by then I would have made it home." I smiled.
I could see Liam grin out of the corner of my eyes. I was trying very hard to just keep looking ahead of me as he led me down the hallway in to the kitchen. Underneath my hand on his shoulder I could feel all of his muscles tensed up as he helped keep my weight up. He definitely seemed quite different than Will. Even though after what Liam had said about knowing each other since they were kids it was hard to see them as friends. Liam seemed like he was a genuinely sweet person without any weight on his shoulders while Will seemed ready to punch the wall with all the anger he was holding in. Liam on the other hand was very much seemed at peace. It's pretty strange when you see two so very different people that are friends.
In the kitchen there was a simple rectangle table with four chairs around it. The counters and cabinets were a deep cherry wood with brass nobs like the dresser in the room I had woken up in. There was what looked like an iron stove with a small fire burning directly underneath it. I could smell something sweet cooking inside the oven while on top of the stove was a pan with bacon sizzling. My stomach growled loudly as my mouth began to water. It's been a couple of days since I've had a decent meal and just the smell alone was making my stomach growl loud enough that it seemed to echo around the room. Liam helped me sit down in a chair at the table before walking over to the stove. I felt my stomach growl even louder when I saw him put together a plate of bacon and eggs. From the oven he even pulled out some fresh sweet buns. He placed the plate down in front of me along with a mug of water. I couldn't help but feel excited over the fresh food.
"I guess I was right about you being hungry." Liam commented as I dove in to the food.
"You can blame Will for that one. He wasn't too keen on making sure I was fed during the journey over here. He was more worried about getting me here as soon as possible. Felt like I was a thorn in his side he couldn't wait to get rid of." I shrugged.
"I would gladly have just traveled through the night but I didn't feel like carrying you when you passed out." Will said from the front door.
"Well I see you managed to survive. You're right Liam he is like a cockroach." I said turning back to my food. "Unfortunately for the cockroach Will isn't as good looking."
Will glared at me while Liam fought to hid his laughter. Will made sure to shoot Liam a dirty look as well before turning on his heels storming away. I was relieved to see that he was all right but at the same time I wasn't going to be nice to him. Will doesn't deserve my kindness when he doesn't really show me any. The very few glimmering moments of Will's kindness doesn't trump all of the other times he's been mean.
"I think he might actually like you." Liam grinned.
"You can't tell by the wonderful way he treats me." I said rolling my eyes.
"Will just don't let people in easily but I could tell that he was impressed with the way you jumped in to help him with Marcus even though it was very reckless." Liam said.
"So Will wouldn't tell so maybe you will. Why were they fighting?" I wondered.
"Short version of that story is Marcus Ducress works for someone that Will has made pretty angry and now that person is very keen on making sure Will is dead." Liam explained.
"Why couldn't Will just tell me that?" I asked.
"Because Will is one of those people that doesn't like to pull any one in to his problems. By helping Will you placed a target on your back. The person Will angered has made it clear that any one that helps him is to be punished in the harshest manor possible. The fact that Will is trying hard to get you somewhere safe means that he's worried about your life. He's mean to you only cause he doesn't want to become attached to you only to suffer pain if you got killed." Liam said.
"You seem to know him very well." I stated.
"I would hope so since we've known each other since we were five." Liam said.
"Will said that his friends would be able to get me home. How soon could we leave?" I wondered.
"Great he didn't explain everything to you." Liam sighed.
"Explained what?" I asked.
"There is a very slim chance that you'll ever be able to get home. Will told me you passed out during the time you two were passing through a portal. The only way you're going to get home is if a portal opens up again and that's no something that happens very often." Liam explained.
"Okay not this again. I very much doubt we're in another world where magic is real." I groaned.
"Really? Then how do you explain the Cruet that attacked you nearly ripping your leg off?" He pointed out.
"So there are still things out in the world that can't be explained. I every much doubt that scientists of discovered every animal that walks the Earth." I countered.
"Have you eaten enough?" Liam asked.
"Of course I cleared the plate. Why?" I wondered.
"Come on I'll show you the rest of town." he answered standing up.
I didn't say anything about his convenient change of topic as he walked around the table to help me get to my feet. Together we walked out the front door on to a green yard with a small garden off to the right. In front of the house was a wide dirt road with more homes on either side. This town looked smaller than my home town was. As we walked around he showed me where there was actually a butcher that I could see through the open door chopping up meat with a bloody apron on. A little ways past the butcher shop was what looked like a tailor shop where people were going in and out carrying straw baskets with fresh clothing in them. In the center of town was an open area with a large stone fountain in the center. The fountain had multiple mermaid statues with their hands held out and water shooting out of them. Around the fountain were several people with stands selling a variety of fruits, vegetables and baked breads. This place looked like it had done a massive rewind. Maybe Will and Liam were part of an Amish community.
"This place looks nice but what where you hoping to show me?" I asked.
"Nothing yet. I need to get you over to the town doctor as you would probably call it. She told me to bring you down when you woke up." he explained.
"All right. I'm assuming I need to have the bandages changed." I said.
"Something like that."
We walked past the fountain were some small children were playing in the water. I even saw some women dipping large jugs in to the water filling them up. I wasn't sure what a doctor in a town like this could do for my injured leg but at least I knew that I wasn't going to lose my leg. There were even some young women selling flowers out of baskets. A few people watched me curiously as I passed by. In a town this small I'm sure a new person was probably big news. It probably was also the fact that I was wearing what I woke up in still. I could see a couple people whisper a little behind their hands as I walked by. The most entertainment a small town like this got was probably gossip and there was probably a lot of that going around when I arrived.
We walked to a house that was actually painted white. All around the porch there were large blue flowers blooming leaving a floral fragrance in the air. The front door was wide open to a room that had several cushioned couches in it. Liam led me to one of the couches easing me down before wondering off through a door. I was left alone in a room with three couches that had wooden frames on them and each one had a different floral pattern on them. Only moments later Liam returned with an elderly woman following closely behind. The woman had powder white hair that flowed to her waist. Her skin was worn with age yet her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle with plenty of life in them still. She walked a little hunched I'm assuming from a bad back.
"So you're the young woman foolish enough to try to take on a Cruet. You're very lucky Liam got there when he did otherwise there wouldn't have been anything to find. Cruet are known for eating the bones of their victims." the woman said sitting down beside me.
"From my point of view the only thing foolish I've done so far is try to help Will." I sighed.
"I like her Liam. She's got some fire in her." the woman chuckled.
"You should see her give Will a run for his money." Liam smirked.
"I'm Elizabetha the town healer. Go ahead and lift that leg right up on to my lap." she instructed.
"So how does this work? Are you going to be using some herbal remedies to make sure the wound doesn't get infected?" I wondered.
"You aren't from around here correct?" she asked.
"No."
"You tried explaining how things work around here?" she asked directing her question at Liam.
"Of course but like Will she is quite stubborn. I figured it would be better to show her than trying to convince her of something she doesn't truly believe in." Liam shrugged.
"Show me what?" I inquired.
"Magic." Liam said.
I watched Elizabetha unwrap the bandages around my leg. I flinched when I saw how torn up my leg still looked. It was no longer bleeding thankfully but you could still see some of the muscle from my calf. I was very much expecting her to pull out some kind of herbal remedy that she had put together from the long coat she wore. I had to blink a couple of times before I realized that her hands had turned a very light shade of green glowing ever so softly. The light spread up her arms running along the veins in her arms. What the hell was going on? Was I not as well as I felt that I was? Could I be hallucinating?
Elizabetha then placed her hands over the wounded part of my leg allowing them to hover just an inch or so above the wound. I gasped as I saw the damaged muscle began to regrow sewing back together. Even veins that had been severed reattached themselves the blood all ready beginning to flow once again through them. Even the skin seemed to pull its self together till I could no longer see my muscles any more. When the skin had finished regrowing there wasn't even a trace of a scar left. It appeared as if I had never been attacked by the Cruet to begin with. It took me a moment to realize that my mouth was hanging wide open but I couldn't seem to register that I should close my mouth.
"Take it for a spin. Got to test out that I did my job properly." Elizabetha said snapping my attention back to her face.
I stood up tentatively thinking that I would feel the same sharp pain I had felt earlier when I tried standing. I was quite surprised when I didn't feel any pain. In fact my leg felt better than ever. I didn't feel any soreness from walking for two days straight. How had she healed my leg?
"How did you do that?" I wondered.
"Sweetheart I'm a healer. It's what I do. It's what my mother taught me to do and her mother before her. I come from a long line of healers so I would hope that I have the skill and power to heal a wound like yours." she explained.
"But it seemed like it was-"
"Magic?" Liam finished for me.
I guess what they say is true after all. Seeing really is believing. Even worse though is that I was now very much screwed on how I was going to get home.
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