Chapter Twenty Eight - Into A Slumber

When Noah opened his eyes he was back somewhere he hadn't seen in months. Surrounded by blue flowers in the middle of a garden that went to nearly as far as the eye could see, it was dark the only light from a full moon in the sky.

Confused at how it went from early morning to what looked like close to midnight he stared in wonder, his mind racing at what kind of place that this garden could be. He took a proper look at himself for the first time he could.

The shirt that he had worn out to go hunting was torn into so many pieces he may as well not have been wearing anything. His trousers had been made into shorts, both his legs and body had so many cuts and bruises from just fighting that hog he had would have thought he had gone to war.

His back ached and felt like it was bleeding but when he took off what was left of his shirt there was no blood to be seen. Feeling along his body he checked for any broken bones just like Quin had instructed him to do after a fight.

No matter where he was, he wanted his body to be in top fighting ability in case something strange went down like the hog he had just fought against.

Thinking of what he had just witnessed Noah couldn't even imagine how powerful that the old man could be to take out such a powerful beast without the assistance of magic. It would have been like facing fifteen different opponents at the same time and walking away without being injured.

Knowing he was fine other than the bruising on his body he looked around, already knowing where the only place he could go was. Sighing at the sight of the two gates opposite each other he started to trek his way over to the gate in the red zone, knowing what he waking into he squeezed the horn in his hand.

Noah already understood that he wouldn't be able to stand a chance against the old man and especially the dragon that hadn't moved last time he was there but there was nowhere else to go to other that into that area.

The time passed slowly as Noah walked but he felt like that the distance between himself and the red area of flowers barely shortened. Taking a knee and letting himself catch the breath that he lost from the hike he had started, a little confused at how he was winded so easily from something he had already walked before.

Feeling his chest he felt the ring was letting out a cool heat and keeping him warm somehow from the night, but he still knew that he had to carry on even if he just needed sleep. Looking up at the gate at the end of his vision it started to blur, all the energy he had just disappeared.

Within seconds he went from kneeling to on the floor sprawled out on the ground.

Even though he had just collapsed, he was still wide awake. Like a paralysis effect had somehow affected him while he walked through the fields, only his eyes had closed when he collapsed and all he could do was listen to crickets in the distance and the wind gently blow over the flowers.

Out of thin air, the sounds of steps crunching against gravel started coming close. Noah tried to let out a scream for help but couldn't utter a word. His body acting against his attempted actions and just laying sprawled.

The steps slowly got closer and closer until finally, they had reached where Noah was collapsed.

Standing over him the old man's white beard gently blew in the breeze. The skin around his forehead wrinkled while he stared down at Noah, slowly bending down and pulling him up with his hands on his shoulders.

Noah would be around a head shorter compared to the man who had come and picked him up, he wrapped around Noah's arm over his shoulder and started to walk to the red area where Noah was aiming to go.

His body not listening to him, all Noah could do was wait. Slowly being lifted and walked to an unknown place, the ring against his chest stopped giving off heat and steadily he could feel the cold creep into his body again, just like when he was first covered in the magic aura.

Only able to let himself drift off into sleep as he couldn't do anything else...

Noah dreamed of the grey dragon. Instead of the usual dream where he would be standing by the dragon and staring into its eyes, trying to figure out what it was thinking.

This time he was already on its back, they were flying over a sea. The deep blue ocean looked as it would never end. For the first time in a long time, he heard the dragon's voice. "When we get to the other side we will be free. There will not be anyone able to stop us. We can do whatever we want and live life like it is meant to be."

Instead of hearing it in his head like last time the dragon's voice was deep and gruffy coming from its own mouth. Vibrating his chest even though he was sitting between its shoulder blades holding onto a horn along its neck.

When he opened his mouth to reply it wasn't his voice that came out, it was a high pitched feminine voice, "What do you want to do when we get to the new land, Zeus?" Finally noticing that his hands wrapped around the horn was not his own, it was a pale small hand the size of a child.

"I want to make the biggest family the world has ever seen and stand by your side, my lady. My family will follow yours until it can no longer..." The deep reply came.

"Don't say such silly things!" His small hand slapped the side of the dragon's neck before rubbing it gently.

Noah's whole body shook as the grey dragon laughed under him, "My Lady, your family will be wise beyond its years. When the time comes we can't follow you we will find a suitable leader to teach your family right again, do not worry." The white dragon raised its wings higher and pushed down harder, making them rush forward faster.

On the edge of the horizon, a green land crept its way closer and closer. "I see it, Zeus! It is the new land! Mythos!" His hand reached towards it like it couldn't wait to touch and feel the grass under its small palm.

"A new start!" Roaring into the sky and cackling, before letting out a stream of white and black fire into the air below it. Preparing to mark its new empire...