This place reminded Gellio of small pools in Sorhin, ones in he would splash in with Kathlyn...and Kyle. Even thinking about Kyle, he could not be mad. He ignored thoughts of regret from the battle, and kept on staring at the beauty of the lake. The feelings inside him grew happier, more positive. 

Eventually, without Gellio noticing, he reached the edge. The lake now fell into a rough dirt ramp that led back into the opposite bank. Gellio climbed through it, but his gaze was always at his back. That was, until he emerged from the surface and the beautiful sight beneath the lake was no more.

  Outside the lake, and in the now rough bank, Gellio atood now. He saw in the distance a mountain, with a thick rainforest down below it. The ashes of civilization that Shorin was were behind him. The large trees of the rainforest and the size of the mountain did not allow him to see beyond these, yet Gellio knew he had to go there now. A new adventure, a new beginning…

But before he could think about the upcoming trip he saw a form. A form Gellio had never seen before. For it was like a black dark feline body, its rough dark texture like him, yet with the head of a catfish. And its body was hollow, and with the same blue fire Gellio had in his own demonic form. 

  The creature instantly grew aggressive, rounding up for a rageful stomping attack on Gellio. But he simply stood still, waiting for the creature to make its move first. And it did, coming up quickly and with its heavy body it could easily crush and gore Gellio’s body.

  Yet when it was inches close to his body, he immediately drew his arm into a longsword and slashed up into it, swerving to the right at the same time. The abomination instantly ran away, a sizable tear along its body.

  Gellio now melted into a mindless state, not thinking about anything. For the lake was gone, and he needed to go through the rainforest and see if he could find more like him. See if he could find something else. No more combat or violence. Now it would just be simple travel, where the Wasteland was behind him.

  His walk was long, yet Gellio would not notice. At times he felt the need to hide with his tent, but nothing bothered him. So at day he kept appreciating the natural beauty of the rainforest and mountain, hearing the birds chirp, and the insects rattle through the ground. He was again innocent and full of wonders, his head now just full with curiosity.

  Gellio did not know how much he walked, but his travel seemed substantial. No sight of the lake could be seen behind him. The process of walking and going into his tent at night was a mindless repetitive one, that simply made time flow by. His march was slow but he did not care. Nothing would bother him, and his mind was somewhere else. It was a dream-like state walking without worrying about anything. 

  Gellio walked for a long time, but eventually he saw something that gave him a better hope. For he saw a city, buildings going up, with the mountain to their side and the rainforest cleared ahead of it. A spot of civilization, a chance to meet others. This made Gellio feel the need to go there, especially remembering the dead in him. The city seemed complete and modern, the architecture looking like what Shorin was before the bomb. Gellio glanced up at it, remembering his days on the way here. 

  He said, “Ah, guess I have no choice now, do I?”