An hour’s run from Noah’s camp sat a lone elf high in the trees. He fiddled with a wooden contraption while he mumbled under his breath. He heard a rattle from a nearby tree and started at the intrusion.


    “Nubbins, where are you?” He shouted from his perch in the tree. On the forest floor below, a peculiar bear hobbled into sight.


    “Ah Nubbins, there you are! I am coming down.” The elf announced, stepping onto a nearby platform. He pulled a lever and the platform began to lower toward the ground. Nubbins snorted in assent as the elf stepped off the elevator, and rubbed his head against his outstretched hand. The elf scratched behind the bear''s large, floppy ears and it began to kick its uninjured leg in delight.


    “Alright, Nubbins. That’s enough. It appears that we will soon have company, and by my estimate, they are the aggressive sort.” He said. Nubbins growled at the mentioned threat and lifted to his hind feet in a threatening pose.


    “Don’t be concerned, my friend. It only means that we have to prepare for their arrival.” He smiled his razor-sharp teeth and the two cackled as they set about their work.


    ~


    Noah woke to the crackle of the fire which continued to burn nearby. He scanned the forest around him but found only Jergin resting with his back to an adjacent tree. The light was finally filtering through the canopy, which meant it was time to find Kyle. He got up, intentionally making noise as he collected his things and stowed the knives from the night before. Jergin stirred and his eyelids fluttered as he hissed out a groan.


    “Well, that was a terrible night!” He exclaimed, dramatically getting to his feet.


    “You too?” Noah asked, curious.


    “Strange dreams had me waking all night, and then there’s the cold damp ground,” Jergin explained. Noah chuckled.


    “Perhaps the stress is getting to us, I also had dreams that disturbed my rest,” he responded. “Either way, are you ready to continue?” Jergin nodded.


    “Yes. Let me leave a marker though.” He answered before carving an arrow into the ground. They kicked dirt over the fire and left in the direction that the arrow pointed. As they ran they fanned out, looking for any signs of Kyle’s passage. There was very little to see in the disturbingly uniform forest, and Noah found himself missing the mountain. The unnatural quiet and lack of beasts only added to the eerie air that pervaded the purple-streaked trees. They maintained their pace for an hour not finding any trace or clue. They doubled back, altering their course a bit to search new territory. After several minutes in the new direction, they caught a faint scent permeating the air. They slowed, each of them aware of the oddity. It was sweet and spicy, reminding Noah of the holiday cakes his sister adored. I want it.


    They moved in the direction of the scent, their stomachs growling in anticipation as they pictured the feast the smell represented. They began to run as the hunger grew and Noah watched as the trees faded away, revealing the bustling street of Pike Place Market. He turned down the familiar path, knowing exactly where the scent was coming from. There was a Russian bakery just down the road, he had gone there for their pirozhkis as a child, and he would recognize that smell anywhere. He pushed through the crowd, knocking shoulders with several rather sturdy men as he went. He shook it off as he ran. The road was strangely long, much longer than he remembered. He kept going, they were going to close soon; he had to hurry. He sprinted, no longer bothering to avoid the crowd. He was knocked down by a large man but got back up and pressed forward. Finally, he arrived at the entrance to the bakery. He stepped through the door, a broad smile plastered on his face. Then he fell. Noah landed hard, his head colliding with a solid surface. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Sometime later he woke. He groaned as he felt around, his head was fuzzy like he had been drinking. Where am I? He remembered running through the woods and turning back, but then his memory went blank. He could feel a wall of dirt all beside him, and he was in total darkness. He reached for his pack, only to find it missing from his back. Huh. He stood and reached his hands above his head, and found only air. Did I fall into a hole? A memory flashed through his mind and a wave of vertigo overtook him as he relived falling through the bakery entrance. Bakery? His mind was muddled and he began to feel around the room he was in. It was a rough circle, maybe six feet in diameter, and it all felt like the same dirt of the forest floor. Feeling inspired, he moved to one of the walls and jumped straight up with his arms above his head. He reached for some kind of ledge but found nothing. He sighed and sat down against the wall unsure of what to do. Wow.


    He got back up and faced the wall, this time fully aware that he was the strongest person on the planet, and plunged his fingers into the dirt. Like tent pegs, they stuck into the wall and he began to climb, a silly grin adorning his face. Feeling like a certain spandex-wearing arachnid he scaled the wall in top form. The hole was deeper than he would have guessed but it was no matter. Soon he felt a shift in the air and a gentle breeze coming from above.


    “No! No! No! Get back down in the hole you gremlin!” Came a shout from above. Noah jolted in surprise and scrambled to regain his purchase.


    “I am not a gremlin! I am a human! Who are you?” He shouted back. He heard shuffling and muted words being shared.


    “I am Ivor Falkand. I am not despised by the lovely westrin like yourself, so it is most unpleasant to meet you, Human.” He shouted back. Noah frowned at the strange man’s words. What are westrin? He continued to climb toward the voice nonetheless.


    “Stop at once you toad! I told you to stop climbing!” Ivor screamed. Noah ignored him and continued. Ivor struck him as the kind of person that used to yell at him on the streets for sharing his message, or that mother who had likely reported him to the police. He felt a certain kind of justice as he reached the top, unmoved by the man’s screeching. He stood to his feet and looked around them. He was in some kind of pseudo-building made of wooden planks but with dirt floors. The room was dimly lit with smokeless yellow torches and there was a large round opening leading outside. He turned to the man and looked him over, still tuning out his complaints. He appeared to be an elf, though he looked much different than Balkendar had. His grey eyes were unnaturally large with a deep inward slant to them, and his mouth was filled with shark-like teeth. Stranger yet, he wore only a pair of leather shorts that stopped mid-thigh. Noah grimaced.


    “Look Ivor, my memory is fuzzy. Did something happen?” He asked, holding his hand up in a placating manner. Ivor shut his mouth and glared at him. Ivor harrumphed and opened his mouth to speak.


    “Human, you have invaded my territory! And you scared Nubbins!” He snapped, his olive face turning red. Then he quickly regained composure and spoke in a quieter, more controlled tone. “You also survived a rather long fall. I can respect that.” Where am I? Noah felt more disoriented with every word the elf spoke, and he was getting the itch to leave.


    “Why did you want me to stay in the hole?” Noah asked, unsure if he really wanted the answer.


    “So you wouldn’t kill me! Only gremlins can survive that kind of fall and climb out!” Ivor yelled. Noah nodded.


    “I see. I am not going to kill you though, I would rather not kill people if I can avoid it.” He responded.


    “Oh, is that so?” Ivor asked, looking relieved.


    “I am not going to kill you, Ivor.” He assured. Ivor sighed in relief.


    “That’s good to hear. I really wasn’t looking forward to playing the hostage game.” Ivor explained. Noah tilted his head and closed his eyes.


    “Hostage game?” he breathed out each syllable. Ivor nodded emphatically.


    “Oh yes. I was going to let the lizardman go, he is liked by the Westrin, but then you survived!” Ivor explained.


    “Ah. And is the lizardman safe?” Noah asked.


    “Oh yes, very safe. He is with Nubbins.” He paused. “Nubbins! Come!” He yelled. Noah braced himself as the ground began to shake, and readied himself for whatever beast was approaching. Then at once the rumbling stopped and a large head pushed its way through the entrance. Noah dropped into a fighting stance as the beast roared its challenge. It opened its mouth and bore its teeth. Noah blinked. It had no teeth, only gums.


    “Nubbins!”