MetroidMaster1
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- Posted: Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:35:33 +0000
Please note that this fiction is a planned 15 or possibly more chapter work, I will be posting eight of these chapters for viewing as I complete them, to view the rest you will need to follow the links provided or go to www.fanfiction.com or www.fictionpress.com and search for usernames avatarmaniac(fiction press username) and NaruZeldaMaster(fanfiction.net username)
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This story is very similar to the Neverending Story, if you ever wanted to check that out but soon found it was too kidie for you then this story may perk your interest a bit more. When reviewing please mind your manners and no flaming!
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Chapter One: The Journey Begins
Alan sighed as he looked at the swath of careless excessive force he used in taming the large dragon now laying behind him in a large energy net. Though these were truly the streets of the worst state to live in ever, New York, none but Alan and the few people trying to grab hold of the net could see the massive beast, snarling and thrashing in an attmpt to escape it.
“Look I don’t want to here it okay, if it’s the same song as before I am not in the mood!” Alan put his hands up defensively as he spoke with slight sense of fear and a hint of sarcasm.
A hooded figure in an incredibly ornate cloak that looked like something you’d expect to see in a Harry Potter movie appeared in front of Alan from a beam of light shot down from the sky. The artisan symbol lied both on her necklace and on the cloak, which she soon threw off to reveal her field clothes.
“Thorn?? What the heck are you doing here…and I thought you were plant elemental…” Alan’s tone was as shocked as his face as he eyed the essentially curvy woman about his age over.
“Haha, you’re Roku…hmph…more like nature boy; it’s no wonder you’re still in the lower thirties! And duh, it’s a teleporter spell…besides…you know the masters never show up in person.” She responded with a chuckle as she walked around him rather erm…teasingly.
Alan blinked as he tried to calculate what the famous lady Thorn was talking about. Was she mocking him, or simply trying to intimidate him sexually. Whatever it was, he didn’t know what to think of this Ally of his.
“Wait…what state are you? I mean…aren’t you stationed somewhere else; New York’s my domain sweetheart. Or is this…heh…a personal visit, and would you know anyone by the name of Rose by any chance?” Alan chuckled as he spoke and used his body language to show her he wasn’t intimidated.
Thorn froze; this boy sure had a good poker face if he caught on to her this quickly. And why did he suddenly ask her about a normal name? Business was business, and as nervous as she was. She couldn’t ruin her secret, especially with him seemingly reminding her of someone she’d met recently.
“R-rose…oh uhm…hmph…I know what you’re doing big boy! Well it’s not going to work! I don’t know who the hell this Rose girl is or why you’re so interested in her.” She responded bitterly as she quickly casted another teleportation spell and vanished.
Alan stood there in shock, what the heck was that all about? Was this Lady Thorn Bi-polar or something, whatever the case he didn’t have time for that now.
“Oh crap, I’m gonna be late again!” He thought aloud as he quickly realized the morning sun rising and shining its orange light on the now slightly misty streets of his run down, hell pit of a hometown.
Alan rushed as quickly as he could on foot, but the school was downtown and several blocks away from him. At this rate, he would never make it in time. So he created hills of mud around his feet and used them to thrust himself forward at a much faster pace, making sure to stay out of sight. This was perfectly doable when all he had to do was take slow, deep breaths and raise his arms. Turning the low mist into a now thick fog as he passed places where many people were at. When he came up to the run down, slightly destroyed school Alan wondered why this place still had the highest rank of students in the county. Honestly, the creaky wooden gymnasium floors…the dorm doors that nearly fell off their hinges? Well even if he didn’t get it, maybe his parents did, and were paying the nice two thousand a year price to prove it.
“Alan Johnson…hmph…tardy or rather, very fashionably late again! What was it this time…a Harpy asked you out on a date?” The voice of his skinny, lab coat-wearing teacher was annoyed and disgusted as always.
As he looked at his nervous classmates, he realized that this woman was the famous professor. The stone cold giant standing at around five two who’s skill in depriving a student of ‘stalling’ was world known. Alan himself being a professional in this skill, and the clock being just a few ticks away from the bell. He figured he’d put his own slightly super quarterback build against the grind.
“Oh… verrrry funny coming from a teacher who knows that this particular student hates ‘fiction’. I just got caught up in traffic is all…so…what did I miss Teach?” He asked with a big grin on his face walking up to the desk and resting his hand on the table.
The already steamed professor glared at the coy young man staring her down with a big grin on his face, she raised an eyebrow at his disheveled hair and devious eyes. So what if the child could easily bench two hundred and forty pounds, a student was a student. And she intended to make that point clear, here and now. She did so by pulling a book out of her desk and slamming it on the top in front of him.
“Well, well…so you’re the infamous trickster, hmph…oh yes the inner circles of the teaching conventions and meetings have told me plenty of information about you young man! Just to let you know, I just assigned the rest of the class a five-page essay on this book. I’m sure you’ll find it quite enjoyable.” She shoved the large paperback book in the boys face and handed him the details of the assignment.
Alan was a bit surprised; this woman wasn’t gonna back down any time soon. Noticing the clock again, he smiled and flicked his wrist a few times.
“So you expect me to do five page report on thi--hey, what’s the idea teach??” Alan played dumb as he tried to swipe the book from his teacher.
“Hmph! Not so fast “hot shot”! This’s my personal copy of The Fairy’s emblem…you can look at the charming bookstore that just got a copy in this week. Everyone else has been reading it over spring break.” The professor’s voice was happy, yet still assertive as she spoke.
The other students hushed and started chatting quietly as the two went back and fourth, Alan continued to give them the ditching signal that stalers often used to let the class know what they were up to. The clock kept ticking away, and the argument grew tenser as it went on, until finally the teacher was caught off guard by something she never expected to hear at a time like this.
“Well I nerve--… very clever Alan, I admit defeat this time…and I’m letting you off with a warning. But if you ever try and stall me again…” She paused and put her hand on a detention slip as the bell rang and the many students bolted to the cafeteria.
“Ha, we’ll see miss Agatha…we’ll see!” Alan laughed as he took his assignment and punishment happily and left the room with a big grin on his face.
“Oh dear…what AM I going to do with that boy…perhaps you could help him more than I. Then again…even I don’t believe you’re real…” Agatha responded with a chuckle while looking at the book’s inside cover art. A picture of a so-called goddess was painted extremely ornately on a mural.
Alan groaned after hours of searching several bookstores, one book is all he needed. But no…the world famous book just had to be sold out at every store, well perhaps not every store in town. He’d avoided the one place his teacher suggested. So he spent a few minutes asking people about the place his teacher had written down.
After a few hours of walking, he came up to a quaint little store shoved in-between two other stores. The place was like those old Chinese buildings, with slanted roof, red tiling, bamboo walls, and of course excessively detailed dragon sculptures. A sign that was above the door red the name of the store, and it just had to be a dragon shaped sign…corny.
“The Golden Dragon…ugh…I think I’m gonna lose my lunch…” Alan groaned sarcastically as he entered the shop holding his breath.
The inside of the place was even freakier than the outside, and definitely overdone. Its furniture had the dragon theme, and the shelves and walls were decorated with of course dragons. Top that off with the enormous mural rug on the floor, the bead curtains on the inside of the doors to the other areas of the store. This place was definitely cornball central; it was like he was in a bad horror movie, or at least one of those freaky bookstores. As in, one of the kind where something weird or crazy happens to the person that bought a book from there.
Odd…why the heck is my artisan charm glowing? Hmph must be bugging out cause of all the cliché in the area. Alan thought with a chuckle as he walked up to the counter.
A woman in a surprisingly underdone Kimono came shuffling out of the back room with a smile on her face. If not for the fact that she worked in the freaky bookstore, Alan could’ve considered asking about her daughters if any.
“Ah…another bold adventurer ready to challenge the works of Hara…what can I do for you young man?” The woman asked with a warm and surprisingly calm tone as she started writing things down.
Alan wasn’t sure what this woman meant, Hara…that sounded like some Roman or Greek god or something. Whatever the case, and despite the freakiness of the voices coming from the shelves of the store, he decided to ask.
“Uh….Riiigggghhhht…I’m a student at a local school, and my teacher sent me here to-” The woman put her hand over his mouth and laughed.
“Ah-ah I know exactly what you’re here for…just give me a moment.” She disappeared behind the back rooms taking one of those rolling ladders with her.
Oookayy…creepy, hmm…nice place. Alan thought with a laugh as he wandered around the main room a little bit.
As he wandered the shelves of the front room, Alan noticed something weird about the store. The woman disappeared behind a room where he saw there was no store on the other end on the outside; she also knew what he was here for somehow. The oddest thing being that his artisan charm had started to speak to him. His charm was something he’d always found important, made of gold, silver, bronze, and sapphire that glowed whenever danger was near. Sometimes the charm even served as a warning of danger, but where was the danger at…good question!
“Okay…this place is getting creepy enough…huh…no way…you have it?!” Alan turned around when she returned to the front counter with a big smile on her face and a rather large book in her hands.
“Yes…I must caution you…this is a very dangerous copy. It’s one of the original printings, a rare artifact indeed. See for yourself the wonders it contains…” She responded handing the unsurprisingly overdone book to him carefully, like it was about to explode or something.
Alan cautiously took the large, leather book in his hands. Its front cover covered in gold symbols of an unrecognizable language and one very large seal. A pair of long bodied dragons dueled each other while wrapping themselves around four seals, earth, water, fire, and wind. Oddly enough, a small keyhole shaped design was embedded in the center. In English just above the seal it red The Fairy’s Emblem.
“Whoa…the pictures look…alive…” Alan flipped through the pages and smiled in awe of the detail. Even a friend of his couldn’t draw this well.
“Yes…they are alive, that world is brought to life by the imaginations of every living child. Their sorrows, their happiness, their dreams and nightmares are all floating around the words of those pages. Do you here that…the book is calling to you…” She explained with a smile as the book’s voices began to speak.
Alan raised an eyebrow, there was definitely something weird about this book. As he flipped through some of the latter pages of the book, he started to hear cries of help. Oddly enough, he felt compelled to answer them, if he could. He chuckled and shook the idea out of his head, like he would want to do that.
“Um…Riiigggghhhht…so…how much to rent--ouch…what the heck is wrong with you lady??” Alan responded in a panic as she slammed the book closed onto his hands.
“No rent, only buy! This journey is one that must be finished in one reading…” She snapped sternly and a little fearfully as one of the dragon’s glowed purple, the other glowed white.
“Alright, alright…Jeeze…here then…is this enough?” Alan reluctantly gave half of his billfold to the strange woman.
“Yes…be sure to let me know how your…haha book report goes…” She chimed with a chuckle as he walked out of the store in a hurry.
Man…what is up with that lady? What did she mean all that bull crap about the pages being alive anyway…oh well. I guess there’s only one way to find out. Alan chuckled a little and headed back to his dorm in as quick a rush as he left the store.
Alan laughed at the thought of it, books coming alive with people’s imagination. Yeah right, he had no imagination; it wouldn’t faze him if he saw a God or something. With all due curiosity, he began to flip through the book some more.
“Hara the goddess of fiction…yeah right…there’s only one God. Hmm…I wonder how much this piece of junk would go for on EBay.” Alan thought aloud with a chuckle as he dusted off the emblem on the front.
“Piece of junk?! How dare you criticize that which you have not read nor written and imagined?” A booming and angry female voice erupted from the book as Alan tossed it to the floor.
Oh…it looks as if I’ve angered a god, tsk this aught to be interesting. Alan thought with a smirk as he watched the book open and flip through its own pages rapidly.
“I see you are quite disbelieving Alan Johnson! Hmph well…perhaps a little make believe in my world will change that.” A large and transparent woman appeared from the pages of the book as the room began to generate wind.
“Your world…ha, if you’re a god lady…then prove it! Do something so all mighty that’ll scare the crap outta me just by looking at you!” Alan figured he’d taunt this image of a woman who’d shown herself.
“You dare disrespect me…the guardian god of all fiction which you have so callously criticized?! Very well…it seems that your desperate teen years and the loss of your family have robbed you of your imagination. If you wish to be re-sparked in that manor…I’ll be happy to oblige!” The woman roared angrily as she raised an arm into the air.
While she did this, the door locked, the wind got even more violent and pages started flowing out of the book. They all had the same text on them, which of course was glowing with a weird energy. Slowly a vacuum formed from the winds and started pulling Alan toward the book.
“Let us see how the oh so brave hero fares against the villains of my world! I hope you learn something from this Alan, this is something I do not do lightly!” The woman vanished into the book as a bolt of lightning and the vacuum got even stronger.
“What the heck…god…she wasn’t kidding…oh crap! This can’t happen now…my book report!” Alan shouted in surprise as the pull continued to strengthen.
Alan tried and tried, but the more he resisted the more tenacious the winds and elements around him became. There was soon thunder and even lightning floating about inside his dorm, and a large black cloud had formed. At one point Alan tried to use his powers, when he did he was struck by lightning and was sucked into the book as if it were a black hole.
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Chapter Two: A Warm Welcome
Alan groaned miserably as he began to feel himself conscious once more. He knew he was somewhere, but where; the blistering heat, the smell of camels and the sounds of bazaar marketers peddling their wears, the course and gritty feeling of sand in his clothes? The humidity was killing him, and being struck by a bolt of lightning left him dazed. In a way, he suspected where he was, but he disregarded the thought.
Yeah…as if that could even happen…huh…I must be dreaming! Alan thought with concern as he finally opened his eyes and found himself lying in a soft bed with no springs. It felt more like he was in one of those cheep hotel cots than anything else.
Alan’s sense that he was dreaming wasn’t that it seemed he’d been transported to some make believe world, but the prospect of a young woman’s breast hanging over him. He looked upward, and saw a grinning, youthful face; her skin was lightly tanned as if she’d been in a tanning bed for a few hours. Her clothes were matted cloth and a white scarf, very old looking but still interesting, his face went beat red as she put her hand on his forehead.
“Greetings traveler, I am quite relieved to see you have come to your senses. Tell me…how do you feel…” She stated warmly helping Alan lean up as he shook off his dizziness from however the heck he got here.
“Ugh…like I just got my a** kicked by King Kong…where the hell am I? And who are you anyway…” Alan responded curiously looking around as he spoke, his vision was still quite blurred, but he could see some.
“Haha, well aren’t you a happy camper! That is a rather silly statement; King Kong is just a fairy tale…though considering where we are that’s slightly believable. My name is Annatto-an han-anan, and you must be Alan Johnson correct?” The young girl responded playfully, laughing kindly as she spoke.
Alan groaned and rolled his eyes, what the hell kinda name was that? Hold on a moment…she knew his name, how the heck was that possible? His situation was already uncomfortable; but the fact that this strange girl with black, shiny hair and brown eyes with enough lean muscle to take down a middleweight champ knew who he was made it worse.
“Where we are…what are you talking about…I’m probably just dreamin--Ouch! What the hell was that for?!” Alan spat out in shock as he received a healthy cut across the arm with a blade, which the girl quickly healed afterward.
“Why…to prove you weren’t dreaming of course! Now Alan…I’m quite certain you have many questions. But please…relax and enjoy your visit here for now…there are many things we must discuss…” She chimed sarcastically as she finished up healing his wound that she inflicted herself.
“Hehe, well it’s obvious I’m not dreaming now…and…if you don’t mind I’m just gonna call you Anna for short alright hot legs?” Alan responded with a chuckle, as he looked her over.
Standing up he recognized she was remarkably tall for such an apparently young girl, perhaps in her late teens judging her…developed parts. The only thing more interesting than her height was the legs that gave it to her, thus Alan’s perfectly good reason for her other nickname.
“Hot legs? What meaning is this term you speak…my legs are feeling quite fine Thankyou. And yes…haha, I do like the sound of it…Anna…such cleverness you outworlders have! Come…let us share the sights before we begin our quest…” Anna responded with crossed arms, she seemed a bit frustrated with the comment.
“Ha, it’s a compliment Anna; it means you got an attractive set of legs…and heh…a few other things…” He explained grinning as he felt himself flush a little, Anna responded a bit like someone he knew…but who?
“Odd…what is this strange charm you bear around your neck?” She asked curiously picking the charm up to inspect it.
“T--that’s just something I’m keeping to myself! It’s nothing against you, it’s just…I took an oath of silence about its true meaning…that’s all.” He snapped defensively swiping his Artisan charm out of her hand and hiding it behind his shirt
Anna was a bit confused with this boy, as they explored her home, he began to realize the sights and sounds, and the smells were all real. He seemed to be more and more disbelieving rather than being convinced, this one would take more than a quick tour to be fully realized apparently. However Anna wasn’t quite sure what to do, she had a secret of her own to protect.
Once the exploring was through, Alan had taken in all the sights and smells along with the local music. The Afghan clothing, the red clay constructed buildings with mostly square designs, the unpaved and sandy roads populated by camel driven buggies? The blistering heat was one thing dually noted, and there was something different here that was also a bit tricky. Most of the people seemed in great poverty, and yet they still acted happy as ever; the water tasted like dirt and still they drank thankfully. All the wares of the marketers were hand crafted from clay, to gemstones and the food was by no means processed professionally.
“Okay Anna, it’s been six hours and I still have no clue where the hell I am! Is it Egypt or something, maybe Afghanistan even…the people certainly look it.” Alan groaned sarcastically as they rested for the moment, he was unknowingly being led somewhere…but where exactly?
“Haha, can you not see traveler…see inside your heart, use your imagination! You are not simply in your realm young Alan, you…are in Arabia…” Anna responded with a laugh as she turned his attention to the two suns now setting into the night sky.
Alan looked behind him, and there it was, an Arabian palace! Its huge columns and massive archways, the ornate towers and building design much richer than that of the homes underneath it. On the eastern side, a massive wooden cage the size of a skyscraper and in the shape of a cylinder contained the cries of many birds that he didn’t recognize.
“Tsk…Arabia…what…you think I’m a two-year-old Anna, honestly this is obviously just some Hollywood set or I‘m just dreaming an insanely real dream. I mean come on, if this’s Arabia, where’s Aladdin…or Jaffar for that matter?” Alan responded with a chuckle, his tone full of sarcasm and disbelief.
Anna’s face went red, the fate of the entire fictional world in the hands of this stubborn boy? Impossible, she was beginning to think it so at least…but she had to try; and try she would. Because weather he believed it or not, he was the hero of this story.
As Anna furiously tries to convince Alan of his misjudgment of her home. A vile goddess watches from the great heavens above, deep in a layer full of shadows and nightmares. Her many evil creatures await orders, as she watches the events unfolding with a witty and devilish muse.
“Ah…lookie what we have here! A hero…oh my…and he’s so adorable too, he’s such a dolt! Definitely my kind of adversary…” The god sized woman chimed as she swirls her fingers playfully in a viewing pool.
“M--madam…that human isn’t an ordinary human, he’s a gah--” A half lizard man choked as he was cut off by his master.
“You dare to interrupt me…and yes, I do know he’s one of those…oh…what’s the word artichoke or something? Hahaha, do not worry Vencian I shall give young Alan plenty of reason to believe he’s truly in the realm of fiction. As for those pesky powers of his…I’ll take care of that myself…but first…a little test.” She responded with a bone-chilling laugh as she entered the viewing pool in the form of a black mist.
Anna sighed as she rested this night, what would it take to make this stubborn child believe his own eyes? She pondered this and many other things, including the ominous clouds now forming over her precious city.
Alan was in quite a discomfort as well, his arrogance and reasoning had him tossing and turning through the night. His mind haunted with dreams of his childhood, and his beloved father and mother who vanished without trace. As the two heroes rest, a new chapter in this supposedly already written tale is unfolding. The sake of the world is trusted with these two by the oddly absent guardian god, leaving the peaceful land at the devilish whims of the vile goddess. Who seeks nothing but nightmares and destruction for all who dream of fiction, what would happen next in this wild adventure? Only time would truly tell.
The next morning, Alan felt stupid as usual…getting lectured on things he had clearly stated he didn’t believe existed. Fiction, there was no interest in this, or at least these days. If he was going to believe that he truly was in Arabia, something incredibly fictional needed to happen.
“Look for the tenth time, I don’t believe in fairy tales! When I was little, probably I’d believe this…but I’ve lost too much in my own world to give a crap about some make-believe one!” Alan countered bitterly as he turned his back on Anna and stormed off on his own, this was not his day to be sure.
“Alan…w-wait…it’s dangerous to go out on your own, please…listen…you must understand…” Anna pleaded desperately as she watched him from the windows of her little hideaway, even more ratty than the buildings in other parts of town.
“I said NO, if I’m in this so called Arabia then prove it…I’m sick of playing games and I’m sick of being here. So back off Anna, I don’t want to hear it anymore!” Alan shouted back before finally getting out of earshot from Anna’s cries.
As he wandered around the town, he noticed something odd. All of the people here seemed to look at him now, not just look…but speak. They were speaking with their faces, and they all said the same thing, danger.
Man this’s starting to freak me out…what’s gotten into these people? Hmm…those clouds…I wonder… Alan looked to the sky as he thought of the change in their moods, as he suspected, ominous black and green clouds were forming.
Alan couldn’t help but feel concerned; it just wasn’t in him to ignore something like this. But what could he do, it was just weather and he couldn’t control that. He could however manipulate his environment, to an extent. Just one problem, he had no target, no source…and as the deadly clouds created even more dangerous lightning around the town, he felt the need to ask.
“Okay…there’s more than just danger here…god…show me then…if you want me to help.” Alan focused his thoughts into his charm and on his heart, when he did he felt something shaking the earth.
At that point, the ground began to quake, and the lightning started striking in one area of the town, soon enough a massive thunder dragon rose from the ground. It’s size comparable to not one, but two trains put together. It’s energy obviously came from the clouds, or rather…maybe the clouds were giving it life.
“Who the hell are you…what do you want with these people here…answer me!” Alan ordered shouting as loud as he could; he used his power over the wind to make his voice even louder.
“Hahaha…oh dear…such a bold mortal…silly child…” The dragon wrapped itself around and the area around Alan went pitch black.
Inside his mind, a massive woman appeared before him, standing at least ten buildings tall. She was wearing dark clothes and her skin was a purple color.
“You think you’re all that…but you’re just a child…a sad, lonely, confused child. You don’t even want to be in this world…Alan Johnson.” She grinned evilly, shrank down to a ‘mortal’ size, and approached him.
“Hmph, you must be….Eris…ha, so what dragged you out of your godly bed just to see me?” Alan asked with curiosity as he forced a smile, chatting with a god, let alone this one was the last thing he needed.
Eris raised an eyebrow; this boy already knew who she was? Interesting, apparently there was some childish wit left in him after all.
“I just wanted to give you a warning…this is my world boy, and you play by my rules understand? Hmph! Of course you don’t, so please dear…don’t waste your life challenging me…you’ll regret it..” Eris laughed as she spoke, walking around Alan in a sexual way just to mess with him.
“Your world…please, you’re just an egotistic god with nothing but time and power on her hands. Why the hell should I be afraid of you…diva…” Alan kept his cold face as he watched her every move.
Alright, so now Alan believed he may possibly be in Arabia, but why would that other goddess bring him here? Was it some sick, fictional god joke, or did it have another purpose? Whatever the case, an evil god wouldn’t just drop by to chat with a random person.
“Oh…so brave…you remind me of Sinbad…haha, but that’s another story! I don’t know why Hara brought you into our world, and put simply darling I really don’t care. My plans are much too far ahead for her to fathom, in fact…here take it!” Eris formed a plate in her hand that looked exactly like the ornament on the front of the book.
“The Fairy’s Emblem I’m guessing…you must be pretty cocky if you’re just giving this to me. What’s the catch lady…” Alan’s tone was somewhat interested; he always wondered what this story was about.
Eris raised her other eyebrow this time, this boy really was a quick one. Either that or he was just plain lucky, probably someone giving him hints somewhere or something. But whatever, he was after all just a human…and a human he would become soon enough.
“Ah you are clever! Hahaha oh what a truly interesting man you are, in that case I’ll let you in on a secret. Get the four seals back from the guardians, and bring the Fairy’s Emblem back to me. Then…I’ll reward you with the one thing you want most…you do want to get home don’t you?” Eris explained as she shook her head at the boy.
“I get it, you think your sis thinks I’m a hero right? Yeah right…I’m no hero, but I’m no villain either…I’ll get those seals back and I bet I’ll kick your a** and find my own way out of this crazy book!” Alan chimed with pride sticking the Fairy’s Emblem into his back pocket as he spoke.
“Ahahaha…oh just what I was hoping you’d say. I applaud and approve your challenge Alan…there’s just one little…catch!” Eris reached and grabbed Alan’s artisan charm.
Alan felt a strange feeling at first, then a painful one, he tried to break his charm free from the goddesses grip but it was impossible.
“What are…you…doing…” He could hardly talk as the pain struck him even harder, he watched in shock as the energy from his Artisan charm vaporized into the goddess.
“I’m just making sure you don’t cheat darling! Real heroes don’t need powers, they’ve got the heart to defeat the enemy…and friends to help them along the way. Unfortunately for you Alan Johnson…in this world, you have no allies!” Eris laughed the usual bone-chilling laugh as she vanished from Alan’s mind.
Alan groaned as he stood up, the dragon was gone and the weather had returned to normal. Eris had apparently left this world’s mortal realm for now, but what did she mean? Heroes don’t need powers, yeah right,…Aladdin had his genie, Sinbad had his pirate crew, and Luke Skywalker had his force powers. Wait…why now of all times was he thinking of those things? He was half-dead on the ground, out in the middle of a strange world with no help at all. The last thing he needed to have on his mind was a fairy tale, considering he was in one right now!
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More chapters to come after some feedback biggrin
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This story is very similar to the Neverending Story, if you ever wanted to check that out but soon found it was too kidie for you then this story may perk your interest a bit more. When reviewing please mind your manners and no flaming!
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Chapter One: The Journey Begins
Alan sighed as he looked at the swath of careless excessive force he used in taming the large dragon now laying behind him in a large energy net. Though these were truly the streets of the worst state to live in ever, New York, none but Alan and the few people trying to grab hold of the net could see the massive beast, snarling and thrashing in an attmpt to escape it.
“Look I don’t want to here it okay, if it’s the same song as before I am not in the mood!” Alan put his hands up defensively as he spoke with slight sense of fear and a hint of sarcasm.
A hooded figure in an incredibly ornate cloak that looked like something you’d expect to see in a Harry Potter movie appeared in front of Alan from a beam of light shot down from the sky. The artisan symbol lied both on her necklace and on the cloak, which she soon threw off to reveal her field clothes.
“Thorn?? What the heck are you doing here…and I thought you were plant elemental…” Alan’s tone was as shocked as his face as he eyed the essentially curvy woman about his age over.
“Haha, you’re Roku…hmph…more like nature boy; it’s no wonder you’re still in the lower thirties! And duh, it’s a teleporter spell…besides…you know the masters never show up in person.” She responded with a chuckle as she walked around him rather erm…teasingly.
Alan blinked as he tried to calculate what the famous lady Thorn was talking about. Was she mocking him, or simply trying to intimidate him sexually. Whatever it was, he didn’t know what to think of this Ally of his.
“Wait…what state are you? I mean…aren’t you stationed somewhere else; New York’s my domain sweetheart. Or is this…heh…a personal visit, and would you know anyone by the name of Rose by any chance?” Alan chuckled as he spoke and used his body language to show her he wasn’t intimidated.
Thorn froze; this boy sure had a good poker face if he caught on to her this quickly. And why did he suddenly ask her about a normal name? Business was business, and as nervous as she was. She couldn’t ruin her secret, especially with him seemingly reminding her of someone she’d met recently.
“R-rose…oh uhm…hmph…I know what you’re doing big boy! Well it’s not going to work! I don’t know who the hell this Rose girl is or why you’re so interested in her.” She responded bitterly as she quickly casted another teleportation spell and vanished.
Alan stood there in shock, what the heck was that all about? Was this Lady Thorn Bi-polar or something, whatever the case he didn’t have time for that now.
“Oh crap, I’m gonna be late again!” He thought aloud as he quickly realized the morning sun rising and shining its orange light on the now slightly misty streets of his run down, hell pit of a hometown.
Alan rushed as quickly as he could on foot, but the school was downtown and several blocks away from him. At this rate, he would never make it in time. So he created hills of mud around his feet and used them to thrust himself forward at a much faster pace, making sure to stay out of sight. This was perfectly doable when all he had to do was take slow, deep breaths and raise his arms. Turning the low mist into a now thick fog as he passed places where many people were at. When he came up to the run down, slightly destroyed school Alan wondered why this place still had the highest rank of students in the county. Honestly, the creaky wooden gymnasium floors…the dorm doors that nearly fell off their hinges? Well even if he didn’t get it, maybe his parents did, and were paying the nice two thousand a year price to prove it.
“Alan Johnson…hmph…tardy or rather, very fashionably late again! What was it this time…a Harpy asked you out on a date?” The voice of his skinny, lab coat-wearing teacher was annoyed and disgusted as always.
As he looked at his nervous classmates, he realized that this woman was the famous professor. The stone cold giant standing at around five two who’s skill in depriving a student of ‘stalling’ was world known. Alan himself being a professional in this skill, and the clock being just a few ticks away from the bell. He figured he’d put his own slightly super quarterback build against the grind.
“Oh… verrrry funny coming from a teacher who knows that this particular student hates ‘fiction’. I just got caught up in traffic is all…so…what did I miss Teach?” He asked with a big grin on his face walking up to the desk and resting his hand on the table.
The already steamed professor glared at the coy young man staring her down with a big grin on his face, she raised an eyebrow at his disheveled hair and devious eyes. So what if the child could easily bench two hundred and forty pounds, a student was a student. And she intended to make that point clear, here and now. She did so by pulling a book out of her desk and slamming it on the top in front of him.
“Well, well…so you’re the infamous trickster, hmph…oh yes the inner circles of the teaching conventions and meetings have told me plenty of information about you young man! Just to let you know, I just assigned the rest of the class a five-page essay on this book. I’m sure you’ll find it quite enjoyable.” She shoved the large paperback book in the boys face and handed him the details of the assignment.
Alan was a bit surprised; this woman wasn’t gonna back down any time soon. Noticing the clock again, he smiled and flicked his wrist a few times.
“So you expect me to do five page report on thi--hey, what’s the idea teach??” Alan played dumb as he tried to swipe the book from his teacher.
“Hmph! Not so fast “hot shot”! This’s my personal copy of The Fairy’s emblem…you can look at the charming bookstore that just got a copy in this week. Everyone else has been reading it over spring break.” The professor’s voice was happy, yet still assertive as she spoke.
The other students hushed and started chatting quietly as the two went back and fourth, Alan continued to give them the ditching signal that stalers often used to let the class know what they were up to. The clock kept ticking away, and the argument grew tenser as it went on, until finally the teacher was caught off guard by something she never expected to hear at a time like this.
“Well I nerve--… very clever Alan, I admit defeat this time…and I’m letting you off with a warning. But if you ever try and stall me again…” She paused and put her hand on a detention slip as the bell rang and the many students bolted to the cafeteria.
“Ha, we’ll see miss Agatha…we’ll see!” Alan laughed as he took his assignment and punishment happily and left the room with a big grin on his face.
“Oh dear…what AM I going to do with that boy…perhaps you could help him more than I. Then again…even I don’t believe you’re real…” Agatha responded with a chuckle while looking at the book’s inside cover art. A picture of a so-called goddess was painted extremely ornately on a mural.
Alan groaned after hours of searching several bookstores, one book is all he needed. But no…the world famous book just had to be sold out at every store, well perhaps not every store in town. He’d avoided the one place his teacher suggested. So he spent a few minutes asking people about the place his teacher had written down.
After a few hours of walking, he came up to a quaint little store shoved in-between two other stores. The place was like those old Chinese buildings, with slanted roof, red tiling, bamboo walls, and of course excessively detailed dragon sculptures. A sign that was above the door red the name of the store, and it just had to be a dragon shaped sign…corny.
“The Golden Dragon…ugh…I think I’m gonna lose my lunch…” Alan groaned sarcastically as he entered the shop holding his breath.
The inside of the place was even freakier than the outside, and definitely overdone. Its furniture had the dragon theme, and the shelves and walls were decorated with of course dragons. Top that off with the enormous mural rug on the floor, the bead curtains on the inside of the doors to the other areas of the store. This place was definitely cornball central; it was like he was in a bad horror movie, or at least one of those freaky bookstores. As in, one of the kind where something weird or crazy happens to the person that bought a book from there.
Odd…why the heck is my artisan charm glowing? Hmph must be bugging out cause of all the cliché in the area. Alan thought with a chuckle as he walked up to the counter.
A woman in a surprisingly underdone Kimono came shuffling out of the back room with a smile on her face. If not for the fact that she worked in the freaky bookstore, Alan could’ve considered asking about her daughters if any.
“Ah…another bold adventurer ready to challenge the works of Hara…what can I do for you young man?” The woman asked with a warm and surprisingly calm tone as she started writing things down.
Alan wasn’t sure what this woman meant, Hara…that sounded like some Roman or Greek god or something. Whatever the case, and despite the freakiness of the voices coming from the shelves of the store, he decided to ask.
“Uh….Riiigggghhhht…I’m a student at a local school, and my teacher sent me here to-” The woman put her hand over his mouth and laughed.
“Ah-ah I know exactly what you’re here for…just give me a moment.” She disappeared behind the back rooms taking one of those rolling ladders with her.
Oookayy…creepy, hmm…nice place. Alan thought with a laugh as he wandered around the main room a little bit.
As he wandered the shelves of the front room, Alan noticed something weird about the store. The woman disappeared behind a room where he saw there was no store on the other end on the outside; she also knew what he was here for somehow. The oddest thing being that his artisan charm had started to speak to him. His charm was something he’d always found important, made of gold, silver, bronze, and sapphire that glowed whenever danger was near. Sometimes the charm even served as a warning of danger, but where was the danger at…good question!
“Okay…this place is getting creepy enough…huh…no way…you have it?!” Alan turned around when she returned to the front counter with a big smile on her face and a rather large book in her hands.
“Yes…I must caution you…this is a very dangerous copy. It’s one of the original printings, a rare artifact indeed. See for yourself the wonders it contains…” She responded handing the unsurprisingly overdone book to him carefully, like it was about to explode or something.
Alan cautiously took the large, leather book in his hands. Its front cover covered in gold symbols of an unrecognizable language and one very large seal. A pair of long bodied dragons dueled each other while wrapping themselves around four seals, earth, water, fire, and wind. Oddly enough, a small keyhole shaped design was embedded in the center. In English just above the seal it red The Fairy’s Emblem.
“Whoa…the pictures look…alive…” Alan flipped through the pages and smiled in awe of the detail. Even a friend of his couldn’t draw this well.
“Yes…they are alive, that world is brought to life by the imaginations of every living child. Their sorrows, their happiness, their dreams and nightmares are all floating around the words of those pages. Do you here that…the book is calling to you…” She explained with a smile as the book’s voices began to speak.
Alan raised an eyebrow, there was definitely something weird about this book. As he flipped through some of the latter pages of the book, he started to hear cries of help. Oddly enough, he felt compelled to answer them, if he could. He chuckled and shook the idea out of his head, like he would want to do that.
“Um…Riiigggghhhht…so…how much to rent--ouch…what the heck is wrong with you lady??” Alan responded in a panic as she slammed the book closed onto his hands.
“No rent, only buy! This journey is one that must be finished in one reading…” She snapped sternly and a little fearfully as one of the dragon’s glowed purple, the other glowed white.
“Alright, alright…Jeeze…here then…is this enough?” Alan reluctantly gave half of his billfold to the strange woman.
“Yes…be sure to let me know how your…haha book report goes…” She chimed with a chuckle as he walked out of the store in a hurry.
Man…what is up with that lady? What did she mean all that bull crap about the pages being alive anyway…oh well. I guess there’s only one way to find out. Alan chuckled a little and headed back to his dorm in as quick a rush as he left the store.
Alan laughed at the thought of it, books coming alive with people’s imagination. Yeah right, he had no imagination; it wouldn’t faze him if he saw a God or something. With all due curiosity, he began to flip through the book some more.
“Hara the goddess of fiction…yeah right…there’s only one God. Hmm…I wonder how much this piece of junk would go for on EBay.” Alan thought aloud with a chuckle as he dusted off the emblem on the front.
“Piece of junk?! How dare you criticize that which you have not read nor written and imagined?” A booming and angry female voice erupted from the book as Alan tossed it to the floor.
Oh…it looks as if I’ve angered a god, tsk this aught to be interesting. Alan thought with a smirk as he watched the book open and flip through its own pages rapidly.
“I see you are quite disbelieving Alan Johnson! Hmph well…perhaps a little make believe in my world will change that.” A large and transparent woman appeared from the pages of the book as the room began to generate wind.
“Your world…ha, if you’re a god lady…then prove it! Do something so all mighty that’ll scare the crap outta me just by looking at you!” Alan figured he’d taunt this image of a woman who’d shown herself.
“You dare disrespect me…the guardian god of all fiction which you have so callously criticized?! Very well…it seems that your desperate teen years and the loss of your family have robbed you of your imagination. If you wish to be re-sparked in that manor…I’ll be happy to oblige!” The woman roared angrily as she raised an arm into the air.
While she did this, the door locked, the wind got even more violent and pages started flowing out of the book. They all had the same text on them, which of course was glowing with a weird energy. Slowly a vacuum formed from the winds and started pulling Alan toward the book.
“Let us see how the oh so brave hero fares against the villains of my world! I hope you learn something from this Alan, this is something I do not do lightly!” The woman vanished into the book as a bolt of lightning and the vacuum got even stronger.
“What the heck…god…she wasn’t kidding…oh crap! This can’t happen now…my book report!” Alan shouted in surprise as the pull continued to strengthen.
Alan tried and tried, but the more he resisted the more tenacious the winds and elements around him became. There was soon thunder and even lightning floating about inside his dorm, and a large black cloud had formed. At one point Alan tried to use his powers, when he did he was struck by lightning and was sucked into the book as if it were a black hole.
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Chapter Two: A Warm Welcome
Alan groaned miserably as he began to feel himself conscious once more. He knew he was somewhere, but where; the blistering heat, the smell of camels and the sounds of bazaar marketers peddling their wears, the course and gritty feeling of sand in his clothes? The humidity was killing him, and being struck by a bolt of lightning left him dazed. In a way, he suspected where he was, but he disregarded the thought.
Yeah…as if that could even happen…huh…I must be dreaming! Alan thought with concern as he finally opened his eyes and found himself lying in a soft bed with no springs. It felt more like he was in one of those cheep hotel cots than anything else.
Alan’s sense that he was dreaming wasn’t that it seemed he’d been transported to some make believe world, but the prospect of a young woman’s breast hanging over him. He looked upward, and saw a grinning, youthful face; her skin was lightly tanned as if she’d been in a tanning bed for a few hours. Her clothes were matted cloth and a white scarf, very old looking but still interesting, his face went beat red as she put her hand on his forehead.
“Greetings traveler, I am quite relieved to see you have come to your senses. Tell me…how do you feel…” She stated warmly helping Alan lean up as he shook off his dizziness from however the heck he got here.
“Ugh…like I just got my a** kicked by King Kong…where the hell am I? And who are you anyway…” Alan responded curiously looking around as he spoke, his vision was still quite blurred, but he could see some.
“Haha, well aren’t you a happy camper! That is a rather silly statement; King Kong is just a fairy tale…though considering where we are that’s slightly believable. My name is Annatto-an han-anan, and you must be Alan Johnson correct?” The young girl responded playfully, laughing kindly as she spoke.
Alan groaned and rolled his eyes, what the hell kinda name was that? Hold on a moment…she knew his name, how the heck was that possible? His situation was already uncomfortable; but the fact that this strange girl with black, shiny hair and brown eyes with enough lean muscle to take down a middleweight champ knew who he was made it worse.
“Where we are…what are you talking about…I’m probably just dreamin--Ouch! What the hell was that for?!” Alan spat out in shock as he received a healthy cut across the arm with a blade, which the girl quickly healed afterward.
“Why…to prove you weren’t dreaming of course! Now Alan…I’m quite certain you have many questions. But please…relax and enjoy your visit here for now…there are many things we must discuss…” She chimed sarcastically as she finished up healing his wound that she inflicted herself.
“Hehe, well it’s obvious I’m not dreaming now…and…if you don’t mind I’m just gonna call you Anna for short alright hot legs?” Alan responded with a chuckle, as he looked her over.
Standing up he recognized she was remarkably tall for such an apparently young girl, perhaps in her late teens judging her…developed parts. The only thing more interesting than her height was the legs that gave it to her, thus Alan’s perfectly good reason for her other nickname.
“Hot legs? What meaning is this term you speak…my legs are feeling quite fine Thankyou. And yes…haha, I do like the sound of it…Anna…such cleverness you outworlders have! Come…let us share the sights before we begin our quest…” Anna responded with crossed arms, she seemed a bit frustrated with the comment.
“Ha, it’s a compliment Anna; it means you got an attractive set of legs…and heh…a few other things…” He explained grinning as he felt himself flush a little, Anna responded a bit like someone he knew…but who?
“Odd…what is this strange charm you bear around your neck?” She asked curiously picking the charm up to inspect it.
“T--that’s just something I’m keeping to myself! It’s nothing against you, it’s just…I took an oath of silence about its true meaning…that’s all.” He snapped defensively swiping his Artisan charm out of her hand and hiding it behind his shirt
Anna was a bit confused with this boy, as they explored her home, he began to realize the sights and sounds, and the smells were all real. He seemed to be more and more disbelieving rather than being convinced, this one would take more than a quick tour to be fully realized apparently. However Anna wasn’t quite sure what to do, she had a secret of her own to protect.
Once the exploring was through, Alan had taken in all the sights and smells along with the local music. The Afghan clothing, the red clay constructed buildings with mostly square designs, the unpaved and sandy roads populated by camel driven buggies? The blistering heat was one thing dually noted, and there was something different here that was also a bit tricky. Most of the people seemed in great poverty, and yet they still acted happy as ever; the water tasted like dirt and still they drank thankfully. All the wares of the marketers were hand crafted from clay, to gemstones and the food was by no means processed professionally.
“Okay Anna, it’s been six hours and I still have no clue where the hell I am! Is it Egypt or something, maybe Afghanistan even…the people certainly look it.” Alan groaned sarcastically as they rested for the moment, he was unknowingly being led somewhere…but where exactly?
“Haha, can you not see traveler…see inside your heart, use your imagination! You are not simply in your realm young Alan, you…are in Arabia…” Anna responded with a laugh as she turned his attention to the two suns now setting into the night sky.
Alan looked behind him, and there it was, an Arabian palace! Its huge columns and massive archways, the ornate towers and building design much richer than that of the homes underneath it. On the eastern side, a massive wooden cage the size of a skyscraper and in the shape of a cylinder contained the cries of many birds that he didn’t recognize.
“Tsk…Arabia…what…you think I’m a two-year-old Anna, honestly this is obviously just some Hollywood set or I‘m just dreaming an insanely real dream. I mean come on, if this’s Arabia, where’s Aladdin…or Jaffar for that matter?” Alan responded with a chuckle, his tone full of sarcasm and disbelief.
Anna’s face went red, the fate of the entire fictional world in the hands of this stubborn boy? Impossible, she was beginning to think it so at least…but she had to try; and try she would. Because weather he believed it or not, he was the hero of this story.
As Anna furiously tries to convince Alan of his misjudgment of her home. A vile goddess watches from the great heavens above, deep in a layer full of shadows and nightmares. Her many evil creatures await orders, as she watches the events unfolding with a witty and devilish muse.
“Ah…lookie what we have here! A hero…oh my…and he’s so adorable too, he’s such a dolt! Definitely my kind of adversary…” The god sized woman chimed as she swirls her fingers playfully in a viewing pool.
“M--madam…that human isn’t an ordinary human, he’s a gah--” A half lizard man choked as he was cut off by his master.
“You dare to interrupt me…and yes, I do know he’s one of those…oh…what’s the word artichoke or something? Hahaha, do not worry Vencian I shall give young Alan plenty of reason to believe he’s truly in the realm of fiction. As for those pesky powers of his…I’ll take care of that myself…but first…a little test.” She responded with a bone-chilling laugh as she entered the viewing pool in the form of a black mist.
Anna sighed as she rested this night, what would it take to make this stubborn child believe his own eyes? She pondered this and many other things, including the ominous clouds now forming over her precious city.
Alan was in quite a discomfort as well, his arrogance and reasoning had him tossing and turning through the night. His mind haunted with dreams of his childhood, and his beloved father and mother who vanished without trace. As the two heroes rest, a new chapter in this supposedly already written tale is unfolding. The sake of the world is trusted with these two by the oddly absent guardian god, leaving the peaceful land at the devilish whims of the vile goddess. Who seeks nothing but nightmares and destruction for all who dream of fiction, what would happen next in this wild adventure? Only time would truly tell.
The next morning, Alan felt stupid as usual…getting lectured on things he had clearly stated he didn’t believe existed. Fiction, there was no interest in this, or at least these days. If he was going to believe that he truly was in Arabia, something incredibly fictional needed to happen.
“Look for the tenth time, I don’t believe in fairy tales! When I was little, probably I’d believe this…but I’ve lost too much in my own world to give a crap about some make-believe one!” Alan countered bitterly as he turned his back on Anna and stormed off on his own, this was not his day to be sure.
“Alan…w-wait…it’s dangerous to go out on your own, please…listen…you must understand…” Anna pleaded desperately as she watched him from the windows of her little hideaway, even more ratty than the buildings in other parts of town.
“I said NO, if I’m in this so called Arabia then prove it…I’m sick of playing games and I’m sick of being here. So back off Anna, I don’t want to hear it anymore!” Alan shouted back before finally getting out of earshot from Anna’s cries.
As he wandered around the town, he noticed something odd. All of the people here seemed to look at him now, not just look…but speak. They were speaking with their faces, and they all said the same thing, danger.
Man this’s starting to freak me out…what’s gotten into these people? Hmm…those clouds…I wonder… Alan looked to the sky as he thought of the change in their moods, as he suspected, ominous black and green clouds were forming.
Alan couldn’t help but feel concerned; it just wasn’t in him to ignore something like this. But what could he do, it was just weather and he couldn’t control that. He could however manipulate his environment, to an extent. Just one problem, he had no target, no source…and as the deadly clouds created even more dangerous lightning around the town, he felt the need to ask.
“Okay…there’s more than just danger here…god…show me then…if you want me to help.” Alan focused his thoughts into his charm and on his heart, when he did he felt something shaking the earth.
At that point, the ground began to quake, and the lightning started striking in one area of the town, soon enough a massive thunder dragon rose from the ground. It’s size comparable to not one, but two trains put together. It’s energy obviously came from the clouds, or rather…maybe the clouds were giving it life.
“Who the hell are you…what do you want with these people here…answer me!” Alan ordered shouting as loud as he could; he used his power over the wind to make his voice even louder.
“Hahaha…oh dear…such a bold mortal…silly child…” The dragon wrapped itself around and the area around Alan went pitch black.
Inside his mind, a massive woman appeared before him, standing at least ten buildings tall. She was wearing dark clothes and her skin was a purple color.
“You think you’re all that…but you’re just a child…a sad, lonely, confused child. You don’t even want to be in this world…Alan Johnson.” She grinned evilly, shrank down to a ‘mortal’ size, and approached him.
“Hmph, you must be….Eris…ha, so what dragged you out of your godly bed just to see me?” Alan asked with curiosity as he forced a smile, chatting with a god, let alone this one was the last thing he needed.
Eris raised an eyebrow; this boy already knew who she was? Interesting, apparently there was some childish wit left in him after all.
“I just wanted to give you a warning…this is my world boy, and you play by my rules understand? Hmph! Of course you don’t, so please dear…don’t waste your life challenging me…you’ll regret it..” Eris laughed as she spoke, walking around Alan in a sexual way just to mess with him.
“Your world…please, you’re just an egotistic god with nothing but time and power on her hands. Why the hell should I be afraid of you…diva…” Alan kept his cold face as he watched her every move.
Alright, so now Alan believed he may possibly be in Arabia, but why would that other goddess bring him here? Was it some sick, fictional god joke, or did it have another purpose? Whatever the case, an evil god wouldn’t just drop by to chat with a random person.
“Oh…so brave…you remind me of Sinbad…haha, but that’s another story! I don’t know why Hara brought you into our world, and put simply darling I really don’t care. My plans are much too far ahead for her to fathom, in fact…here take it!” Eris formed a plate in her hand that looked exactly like the ornament on the front of the book.
“The Fairy’s Emblem I’m guessing…you must be pretty cocky if you’re just giving this to me. What’s the catch lady…” Alan’s tone was somewhat interested; he always wondered what this story was about.
Eris raised her other eyebrow this time, this boy really was a quick one. Either that or he was just plain lucky, probably someone giving him hints somewhere or something. But whatever, he was after all just a human…and a human he would become soon enough.
“Ah you are clever! Hahaha oh what a truly interesting man you are, in that case I’ll let you in on a secret. Get the four seals back from the guardians, and bring the Fairy’s Emblem back to me. Then…I’ll reward you with the one thing you want most…you do want to get home don’t you?” Eris explained as she shook her head at the boy.
“I get it, you think your sis thinks I’m a hero right? Yeah right…I’m no hero, but I’m no villain either…I’ll get those seals back and I bet I’ll kick your a** and find my own way out of this crazy book!” Alan chimed with pride sticking the Fairy’s Emblem into his back pocket as he spoke.
“Ahahaha…oh just what I was hoping you’d say. I applaud and approve your challenge Alan…there’s just one little…catch!” Eris reached and grabbed Alan’s artisan charm.
Alan felt a strange feeling at first, then a painful one, he tried to break his charm free from the goddesses grip but it was impossible.
“What are…you…doing…” He could hardly talk as the pain struck him even harder, he watched in shock as the energy from his Artisan charm vaporized into the goddess.
“I’m just making sure you don’t cheat darling! Real heroes don’t need powers, they’ve got the heart to defeat the enemy…and friends to help them along the way. Unfortunately for you Alan Johnson…in this world, you have no allies!” Eris laughed the usual bone-chilling laugh as she vanished from Alan’s mind.
Alan groaned as he stood up, the dragon was gone and the weather had returned to normal. Eris had apparently left this world’s mortal realm for now, but what did she mean? Heroes don’t need powers, yeah right,…Aladdin had his genie, Sinbad had his pirate crew, and Luke Skywalker had his force powers. Wait…why now of all times was he thinking of those things? He was half-dead on the ground, out in the middle of a strange world with no help at all. The last thing he needed to have on his mind was a fairy tale, considering he was in one right now!
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More chapters to come after some feedback biggrin