Chapter 2

Samuel was at the door, hand still on it. “What just happened?” Jackson asked from behind Samuel, 

“I think our only way home was just taken away from us.”

Jackson made a confused face, “What do you mean?” he said. 

“I mean that our only known way home was just closed and we can't get back.” Samuel said, 

“How are we going to get back?” Jackson said. 

“I dont know.” Samuel said “But we have to figure out how, but first we have to figure out where we are.” Samuel walked toward the bridge, and closer to the forest. 

“We didn’t bring our phones, we can't call home, we have no adults to help, we can’t do anything.” Jackson was worrying so much. 

“Hold on Jackson, We’re ok we just need to find somebody to help us.” Samuel said, “Should we just go into the forest?” 

“What good has that ever done us?” 

“Probably lots, now come on.” Walking through the forest we kept hearing strange sounds coming from all around. 

“Let’s just go back.” Jackson said. 

“We need to find something, if not we’re just going to be stranded here forever.” Samuel said.

An hour later, Samuel and Jackson had not found anything. Samuels walking stick was feeling very slow. 

“Do you smell that?” Jackson asked from behind Samuel, 

Samuel sniffed in the air. He smelled something either burning or cooking. Samuel motioned for Jackson to follow him, and Jackson did as told. There was a bond fire with some kind of animal above it, whatever it was it smelled amazing. Jackson walked forward, 

“Hello!” No response. 

“Hello” Samuel looked behind him to find a dark, looming, figure. 

“Jackson run!” Samuel screamed. 

Samuel grabbed his walking stick from his back and swung it at the hooded figure. The figure fell backward onto the small hill. Samuel put his walking stick on the man's chest, hurting the man. 

“Who are you?” Samuel asked.

“Are you human?” 

“What kind of question is that?” Samuel said.

“Samuel there’s food!” 

“get your hands of my food!” The man looked at Samuel. “Who are you?” The man asked.

“Nun of your business, that's who. Now, where are we? Who are you?” 

“Alright human, my name is Sylvan Modork. How did you get here?” 

Samuel didn’t fully trust this person, but he was the best shot at getting back home. Reluctantly Samuel responded, “Samuel Knight, and that's Jackson Liberta.” 

“Hi!” Jackson said from the fire.

“Good to meet you. So can you get your staff off me please.” 

“right sorry.” Samuel released Sylvan. 

Sylvan got off the ground, and walked toward the fire,

“Come, sit. We have much to discuss.” Samuel and Jackson looked at each other and nodded. 

“Alright, just don't attack us.” Samuel said, trying to defend him and Jackson.

“Like I'm the one attacking people.” Sylvan said with a sarcastic tone.

“Ah, a good rest and you're all healed up.” Sylvan said, Samuel and Jackson were offered what he called cooked spike which they took and ate gladly.

“Looks like the fire is going out.” Sylvan Snapped his fingers over the fire and it looked like the fire had been reborn. Samuel was astonished by what the man just did, Sylvan looked up at his surprised face.

“What? Don't you guys have magic?” 

“NO! But I want it!” Jackson said. 

Samuel asked “No we don't, but we would like to learn it.” 

“Interesting, not all realms have magic. Ok magic is simple, at lower levels at least. All you have to say is ‘Flark Nork Matoa’ then you snap your fingers and it's a defiant yes that any flammable object will burst into flames." The man made it sound so easy. “Sadly I only know one spell, but I can still teach it to you.”

Sylvan repeated the words to the spell then made us repeat it over and over until he stopped us from doing it, Samuel suddenly noticed he could do it without saying the words. “There you go, you can do it without saying the words, that means you memorized it.” We basically spent the entire night doing the spell over and over again until we finally went to sleep.

“It wasn’t a dream, I actually made fire with my hands!” Sylvan made a weird face at Samuel and nodded his head. 

“Ya what else would we spend all night on.” Samuel was very excited that he actually knew a magic spell, and was eager to learn more. 

“So I guess I should explain some things to you first of all, welcome to Marshlake. This place has magic and wonder beyond comprehension” Said Sylvan, “Now, here’s the plan. We are going to go to Elflem, and find an orphanage for you guys. Then…” 

“Wait, that's it that's all you're going to do, you find us then ship us off to some orphanage?” 

“That’s the idea, yes.” 

“No, listen we have to get back home. Does this ‘Elflem’ have anywhere we can get information on the human realm?”

Sylvan looked at Samuel for a long period of time, then he started stroking his chin.

“Hmm, I think I might know a guy who could.” Sylvan said, “I could bring you to him, I need to go to his place anyway.”

“Good, and thank you.” 

“your welcome. Now we best get a move on." After they packed up the camp, they started their long walk. “By the way there are going to be many beasts along our path, you are going to need these.” He passed Samuel and Jackson a dagger and a shortsword, and 25 coins each.

“What are these for?” Jackson asked.

“Without them you won't be able to get anything in this world, you need those for everything, food, water, tools, weapons.”

“Thanks.” said Samuel 

“you wouldn’t survive without them kid, you're welcome.” Sylvan just started walking.

They walked for about two hours until they reached a town. The town was medieval-like and had many people doing many different chores. The roofs were curved as they went, and the windows were a star as big as the windows themselves. 

“What is this place?” Jackson asked.

“Woreborn, one of the many forgotten villages of marshlake. The plan is to get some transportation, and you too can buy something for yourselves. The guy we need to get to might know something about how you two got here, and how you two can get back.” 

“Ok, so where's this friend of yours?” 

“Elflem, now go buy yourselves something so you two don’t die.” Sylvan pointed to a small house with a sign on it saying ‘Woreborn Wares and More’ on it. 

“And how do we know you're not just gonna to leave?” Samuel asked Sylvan. 

“I gave you my money, I'm going to keep you up to our deal.” He walked away, and Samuel and Jackson went into the store. The storekeeper was the same guy they saw outside, and he had a long mustache and a sweater on. 

Jackson went up to the store owner, “Why are you wearing a sweater?”

“It's getting cold outside and I just can't stand it.” The storekeeper said to Jackson

“Jackson, we're just here for weapons.” Samuel turned to the shopkeeper “But is there anything good for magic use?” The storekeeper seemed curious about what I had just said. 

“Of course, I suggest starting with the regular wand. 10 Copper.” Samuel paid the man behind the desk and he went to the back of the store and got what looked to be some kind of baton. He gave it to Samuel and went over to Jackson.

“What about you?” He asked Jackson,

“Do you have anything that I can fight with?”

“Hmm, tough question.” He went in the back again. And came out with a small sword, a knife, and a blade with three blades.

“Short Sword, Combat Knife, or a Sai.”

“I think I’ll choose the big knife please.” 

“7 copper please.” The man in the sweater said.

Jackson paid the man and we exited the shop to find Sylvan, right outside of the store with a wagon connected with a raptor-like creature. Jackson jumped back in surprise. 

“What is that?!” Jackson asked 

“It's a Lalooma, don't worry if you don't bother it it won't hurt you.” 

“Ok.” Jackson slowly got into the wagon and then Samuel. 

“So where do we go now?” Samuel asked, Sylvan was securing the wagon, 

“Well we’re going to go straight to Elflem, but we’re going to stop at a town I know of to grab some supplies and say hi to a few friends of mine.” Sylvan got on the wagon and grabbed the reins.

“What do you mean you dont know any wand spells!” Samuel asked Sylvan. 

“I mean I don’t know any wand spells, I never paid any attention in magic school.” 

“Magic School! Is there anything in this world that isn’t amazing!” Then the entire wagon jumped up, and the Lalooma fell, and whimpered lightly.

“What was that?!” Samuel asked 

“I don't know," Sylvan said. Sylvan jumped off of the wagon and Samuel got out from the back, but when Jackson tried to follow but fell, he caught himself and at that exact moment the wagon flipped over making Jackson fall away from it. A giant rat looking creature emerged from the ground, and longed toward the wagon.

“Borrow Rat!” Sylvan jumps back from the wagon. 

“Rooooaaaaaaar!!!!” 

The creature threw over the wagon. Sylvan immediately got up and ran to the rat, Sylvan jumped onto some old tree roots and stabbed his daggers into the back of the beast clinging onto it. The rat tried to shake Sylvan off, Sylvan pulled himself up and stabbed his other dagger into the rat's back. Jackson ran toward the Rat and jumped next to the rat and cut its leg with his combat knife. The beast roared in anger. Samuel saw the small cut in the leg of the creature. Samuel begins to run toward the beast, and leaps under the Rat. Samuel pierces the foot of the beast, but now Samuel was stuck where he was. Jackson jumps on top of the tree roots that Sylvan had been on and prepares his slingshot. Jackson shoots the rat right in the back. The Rat turns toward Jackson, enraged by what he’d done. As the Rat was distracted Sylvan tries to attack the beast by cutting the beast's stomach. The beast roars and swings around its tail, making Samuel fly back hitting the wagon. Jackson tries to hit the beast again with his slingshot but the creature dodges the rock, now aware of Jackson. The creature rears its head toward Jackson once more. For an instant Samuel sees its face, and its eyes are bloodshot. Then Sylvan jumps onto the beast's back once more. The beast rears its head up to try and see who is on his back. While the beast is distracted, Samuel notices a strange collar hidden under the beast's thick coat of fur. Sylvan jumps off the back of the beast, pulling a dagger down its back as he does so. Samuel leaps out of the way of the incoming danger of the beast, as it falls to the floor.

“Sylvan!” Samuel shouts out. Sylvan looks to the side, “His collar!” Sylvan’s eyes widened.

The beast roars in pain as it tries to get up, Jackson runs to the wagon and jumps off onto the back of the beast. He raises his dagger to the neck of the beast for the final blow, but the beast burrows underground before the dagger can pierce it. The ground rumbles for a second, but stops. Everyone went silent.

“Why were we just attacked by the biggest rat I've ever seen!” Jackson exclaimed, Sylvan narrowed his eyes at the surrounding vegetation. 

“I don't know, but I think I know why.” Sylvan moved his eyes from the vegetation to Samuel’s necklace. 

“What’s wrong with my necklace?” I asked. 

“I think I'm missing something here,” Jackson exclaimed. 

“I’ll explain on the way.” Sylvan said.

            After they had gotten out of the forest and now were in a small valley of sorts, Sylvan stopped the wagon. The Lalooma dropped right to the ground when he did. 

Sylvan turned toward Samuel, “What the heck were you thinking bringing that Necklace here!” Sylvan exclaimed, he’d been staring at the necklace almost the whole ride to the small valley. 

“What are you talking about? It’s just a necklace.” 

“That is no ordinary necklace. That is the Tome Key, one of the most wanted items in all of Marshlake!” Sylvan yelled. Samuels eyes widened, then he looked at Jackson who was already looking at him. “That thing has been missing for centuries and you just have it on hand right when you arrive. Uhh.” Sylvan was shaking his head and mumbling to himself at this point. 

“Do you even know what that is?” He finally asked. 

“No, all I know is that it’s the last thing in my mothers family to exist other than me.” Samuel said sadly. 

“Well, as I said, it's the most wanted thing in Marshlake and we thought it had finally been lost to time, but obviously not.” Sylvan was pacing back and forth, shaking his head. “Ok, I think it's time for a history lesson.” 

Sylvan started a fire and gathered them all around it.

“Ooo, is this a ghost story!” Jackson said excitedly.

Sylvan grimaced, “No, it’s something much worse.” He looked at both of them just before explaining what was ‘Much Worse’.

‘Long ago there was the Great Knight. He had been the savior of Marshlake for many years, but one day he just vanished. Nobody knew where he went, so the next thousand years were torn into chaos. This formed the Marshlake Controllers, they weren't called that at the time, they were called the knight’s Coven. But then a new person took power, HIM. Nobody knew where he came from either, they say he wasn’t even of this realm. He spoke through a mystical item, and secretly controlled the Knight’s Coven for years. When it was revealed what was happening, the Knight’s Coven resented their ways in helping Marshlake. Some time later another person named The Mind Mover found HIM, and then continued to free him. This backfired and HIM got stuck in a body, the leader of the Knight’s Coven in fact. He had full control over everything, and turned the Knight’s Coven into The Marshlake Controllers. He soon killed the leader knowing the Marshlake Controllers would continue what he started, and they have been doing exactly what he wanted them to do for years to come. They have been looking for that key for years, so that they could unlock the secrets of Marshlake to free HIM from his prison.’ 

“Wow, so evil overlord who wants to kill everyone is waiting to be freed and needs that key to do it.” Jackson said, 

“Exactly,” Sylvan said. 

“Well we’re all doomed.” Jackson exclaimed. 

“Wait, what happened to The Mind Mover? What happened to him?” Samuel asked, 

“Nobody knows, last I heard of him he made somebody go insane.” 

“So what do we do now that we’re basically fugitives?” Jackson asked,

“We get allies and we fight back.” Sylvan said, 

“You sound like you’ve done this before.” Samuel said. 

“Of course I have, I’ve gotten run out of over 18 towns.” Sylvan said with a smile “Cool huh. We’ll get up in the morning and make it to the next town just in time for you to meet some friends that could help.”