LONE TRAVELER

It was a calm mild twilight in Pytra's realm, and I had just finished packing up everything I needed for my journey.

Pytra was sitting quietly on a wooden bench under one of the largest trees in her realm. I walked to her and said:

"I am ready to leave."

She cased her gaze on me and sighed. She had wanted to go with me but I strongly refused. I knew deep inside, that the journey wouldn't be fun.

She was angry, not only because I wouldn't let her go with me, but apparently, she was going to miss me being around.

The time we had spent together, had an effect on us both. Our feelings for each other sprouted and became stronger with time. We both knew, but we both couldn't gather the courage to express ourselves to each other.

Ignoring my words, she closed her eyes, savoring the sweet mild wind brushing her face and caressing her skin.

After few more seconds of silence, she finally broke the ice and spoke, she said:

"I might not see you again you know. This journey of yours, is not only important to you but to all of us. But, I might never see you again and this is making me sad." Tears rolled down from her eyes, all the way to her chin.

I felt her words deeply. I moved and sat beside her. I held her left hand, fixed my fingers between hers and kissed the back of the hand.

"Nothing is going to stop me from coming back Pytra. I will be back for you." I assured her.

She sobbed. "Maybe you will be back, but this version of you might not."

I got a little confused. "what do you mean by 'this version of me'?"

She took a deep breath and replied:

"I have heard stories about the bracelets… the stories has it that, the bracelets has the power to alter ones mind and even ones physiology.

That they could vaporize one not strong enough to wield them. You see Sol, even if you are strong enough to wield them, you may never be the same person."

Her words pricked my heart. I stood up from the bench, walk two step forward and said:

"I have already gone through a lot, I am more conscious than I have ever been. I don't care if I found myself in the body of a bloody green hulk, I will never loose myself, and it will always be me for you."

She chuckled. "What do you mean by 'me for you'?"

"I love you Pytra!" I said, without a second thought.

"Hah!" She gasped.

When I heard her gasped, I turned to look at her. I locked my eyes with hers and asked; "Do you love me too?"

Pytra smirked. "Me? Love a coconut head, not so handsome man like you?… Yes I do."

I sighed in relief. Her answer sounded better than the sweetest song ever. I walked over to her, she also stoop up from the bench and within the tinkle of an eye, we were locked into each other's embrace.

It been seven days since I left Pytra for my quest. I passed through valleys, hills, mountains and weird crazy nightmare creatures. My body was inflicted with painful wounds trying to fight off those creatures.

What was more painful than all the obstacles I came across though, was… the loneliness.

I missed Pytra, and I had wished countless times that she was with me. I would cuddle alone in a cave at night, I would walk alone under the scorching sun in the lucid realm.

After walking , running and fighting through my path for a few more days, I came across a large pool of water.

The water was completely black in color, stagnant and thick. It was oozing with the smell of dead itself. I gently approached it and halted at it brink.

I took some seconds to thoroughly examine the area, there was not a single living soul within. Only a plain field full of rocks, gravels and burned trees. Even the sky there was completely devoid of color.

If there was a way I could run around that black pool, I would have done so without question, but, it was what stood between me and any hope of moving forward.

I stayed calm and began to think of a solution. Suddenly an idea came to me, perhaps the idea that should have come the moment I came across the black pool.

I thought: [ if I could just use my purple energy and enhance my speed. I could run across this pool in a second.]

I decided to do as I thought. I took a deep breath and focused. My body immediately glowed with purple energy. I focused all the energy into my feet and…BOOM! I zoomed off.

I could feel my feet running on the black water, but I couldn't understand how it was that I couldn't reach the end of the pool.

I focused even more, gathered more strength, ran as fast as I could, and that worked fine. I gladly halted when I saw that I had successfully crossed the pool, but my joy ran back to my belly when I realized that I didn't cross the pool, I in fact , I came back to the beginning, the same spot I started.

After trying again several times without any positive result, I had to find a stone to sit and rest. I got so exhousted and sad.

"Hah!" I sighed.

I knew I was on the right path, but why couldn't I get across the black pool? Casilia the living castle told me to go east, which I did.

"What kind of Juju is this?" I asked out loud. I continued: "She said go east, she said east is where I can find the weapon I am looking for, and that ridiculous black book with it witchcra- wait! Wait a minute… black book, black pool. This is coming to light now, the black book said, 'what you find is not far fetched, it is within. Oh my God! I am here, the black pool is where I am suppose to be. And what I am seeking for, is right inside."

I couldn't hold my excitement after figuring out and fixing the puzzle together. I ran closer to the black pool, being sure that it was the right thing to do. If what I was looking for was within, then it lies under the pool.

I sighed, whispered a little prayer and as ordinary as I could be, without using any form of powers apart from normal human muscles, I jumped into the black pool.

The pool sucked me in like it was a vortex. It pulled me down in a speed unfathomable. I couldn't stand against the current even though I tried.

When I realized it was useless to fight it, I had to give in, closed my eyes, and let the waters draw me in.

I couldn't tell if I had fainted or not, or how long I travelled down the black pool, but when I opened my eyes only few seconds after closing them, I gasped at the sight of what I saw.

I found myself floating in the deep waters, hanging alone in a world beneath the ocean. There was no way in or out. I was surrounded by water at all directions.

The first thought that came to my mind, was to find a way to forge ahead downward or forge upward. For all I know… I was under the ocean and I needed to breath or die.