The unknown. The unknowable. The madness. It’s called many things but one thing is always common. If you don't come from there then you do not step a single toe in there. 

It was a land of pure magic and outer plane cosmic energy. Anything could and did happen there. Much of which made no sense.

All elves know to stay clear of these lands but one, an elf from a nearby city. They had short blonde hair, three eyes and four arms, beautiful by human standards. Their name was Loc Vardinn. 

They should have listened to the warnings of their colleagues but they were cocky, confident, curious, and worst of all, optimistic.

They thought if anyone were to venture into and map this land, it would be them! While they were definitely foolish, many admired their bravery. Stupid as all get out but brave.  

It all began just outside the boundaries. Where a well meaning demi rabbit, a humanoid with the features of a rabbit, by the name of Barcite attempted to guide Loc to the edge of the unknowable.

“It’s not far now," Barcite called behind him.

“You said that an hour ago! Do you actually know where you are going?” Vardinn accused

“I told you when we left, the boundary moves, shifts with the energy within. I said I’d get you there not when that would be. So relax.”Aan annoyed Barcite called back.

They walked not much farther until they came upon a cliff side and the barrier wall.

“Ah, there it is! Just beyond that cliff there” Barcite says as he points ahead.

“Oh about time!” Vardinn exclaims as he runs ahead toward the cliff.

“Wait! Don’t run ahead!” Barcite futally yells to Vardinn but it is too late.

The ground gives way and both men plummet into the abyss below. Bouncing from rock to rock, Vardinn finally lands on a single floating rock the size of his torso. 

They frantically look for Barcite but it's too dark to see far enough. Vardinn sits up and winces in anticipation of pain but finds none. He sees scratches on his skin and his ribs feel wrong but no pain. He stands up and looks around. 

Trying his hardest to see. ‘I’ll need to use light magic it seems.’ he thinks to himself. He looks around and realizes his pack and all his supplies are gone. ‘No magic then.’

‘The rock I am on seems to be floating, perhaps that’s why it didn’t hurt. Each rock helped cushion my fall on the way down. What is keeping it afloat? Magic? Air pressure?' he ponders to himself as he waves his hand under the rock, hanging off the side. 

'Another time. I need to get some bearing on my surroundings.’ Vardinn thought to himself.

He searched and searched, but came up with nothing. Minutes passed.  Hours. Days? He’s lost track. He doesn’t get hungry or tired. ‘Maybe I'm actually asleep!’ he thought to himself.

Vardinn tried everything he could to wake himself up to no avail, then a thought came to him. 

‘What if I jumped? If I’m asleep, the shock should wake me up.’ Picking himself up off the ground, he steps to the edge. With one foot lifted he steels himself then…

“WAIT! Do Not Jump!” 

He reared back. “Who’s there!” he shouted to the darkness. Nothing. ‘Did I imagine it?’ he thought. Then, in the darkness, a single light. “HELLO?! ARE YOU STILL THERE?!” He shouted to the top of his lungs 

Yelled from the darkness he heard.“YES! I’M HERE!”

“Where are you!? I can’t see you!” he yelled back into the darkness, a glimmer of hope reignited. 

“I’m on a rock. Floating,” the stranger in the dark yelled back.

“Have you seen any firm ground at all?!” he yelled back into the darkness.

“No. none! But I know it’s here. Perhaps together we will find it!” The Stranger said with strong determination

“Tell me, what’s your name? my friend in the dark.” Vardinn said into the darkness

Before an answer can be heard, in the distance, a piercing and loud CRASH! ‘What was that?’ 

“Are you still there?! HELLO?! Please….” then silence.

Hours pass again. ‘so, this is the end of my story? Floating in my own madness.' Then, from the darkness, he hears his friend once more, too faint then clear as day. 

“HELLO?! ARE YOU STILL THERE?!” he heard from the darkness. Now behind him, he thought ‘when did he get there. How odd? Doesn’t matter now.

“YES! I’M HERE!” he shouted, relieved to not be alone again.

“Where are you!? I can’t see you!” His Friend from the darkness shouted in a desperate tone.

“I’m on a rock. Floating” Vardinn yelled back, chuckling to himself. ‘Why did I laugh? wha..’

“Have you seen any firm ground at all?!” His friend called to him. 

With a new determination he calls back in hopes of getting some answers finally.

“No. none! But I know it’s here. Together we will find it!” He  said in hopes of inspiring his friend.

Suddenly, he began to gain speed. Faster and faster until it comes to a dead stop, throwing him from the rock. Vardinn lands with a hard crash to the unforgiving stone floor. ‘Now that one hurt’ he thought to himself as he lay there on the cool ground. 

In a flash and a jolt, Vardinn launches up to his feet. “GROUND! SOLID GROUND!” he exclaimed in a frantic bout of extreme relief and happiness. ‘Wait, my friend in the dark. Where is he?’ he searched over the edge for a while in hopes of seeing him then in the distance, a small light.

He sees a vague outline of the man on the rock. He’s standing at the edge of the boulder.

‘Wait what’s he doing?’ he squinted to see the man. Vardinn sees the man lift his left foot, leaving the rock and swinging over the abyss.

“WAIT! Do Not Jump!” he shouts to his friend.

The stranger rears back onto his rock and for a moment Vardinn can see his face and it’s…’me.’

“Who’s there!” he shouted from the darkness.

Vardinn sits there, speechless, unable to move or respond to himself. As quick as he came, he was gone.

‘That’s not possible. It was me. But...when...how…’ 

"the whole time. how absolutely fantastic. I wonder how it works." Vardinn says aloud with a curious smile on his face. 

 ‘Later Vardinn, I should move forward.’ and with a renewed spirit, Vardinn turns and heads forward into the unknown.