I guess she likes it, no?
Lilith: (smiles) Yes� I guess she does.
Crytos: I say we�re done here then. Lilith, since you are the only female present at the moment, you are to be her caretaker temporarily. The day after tomorrow, we�ll assemble here to start her teaching. Till then, au revoir!
Nar.: Unfortunately, when everyone got in their transporters, something went horribly wrong�
The next day�
The next day, Calia awoke in a vast field. A dark figure was standing over her. She almost screamed, but the figure covered her mouth.
Figure: Hush, child. I will not hurt you. Do you promise not to scream?
Calia: (nods)
Figure: Good. (uncovers her mouth) My name is John. What�s yours?
Calia: Calia.
John: That�s a pretty name. Where are you from?
Nar.: Calia didn�t know how to answer. She knew nothing but her name. Luckily Lilith happened to be behind her.
Lilith: She�s from the village of Clana.
John: Who are you?
Lilith: Her mother.
John: Oh� Well, I suppose I should be on my way then� Nice meeting you. Good-bye. (heads down a path to their right)
Calia: Mother?
Lilith: Yes, that�s right. Come with me.
Nar.: Lilith didn�t know how to explain to Calia that they couldn�t go back. She only knew that she had to find Crytos or Patrick.
Years pass�
Years pass, and Calia didn�t age at all. During the fifth year in Clana, Lilith fell ill and was close to death when she called Calia into her room.
Lilith: (hardly above a whisper) Calia� I am dying� There is something I must tell you�
Calia: (tears in her eyes) Yes, mother?
Lilith: You must find these two people� Tell them that I am gone and one of them must take care of you. They are both trapped here on this plane� but I don�t know where� They�re somewhere� Their names are Patrick and Crytos� Good-bye for the last time my dear Calia� (she dies)
Calia: Mother�? No! (starts crying) Don�t leave me here! (hugs the stiff body)
Nar.: Meanwhile�
Meanwhile, one hundred leagues from Clana, in the Black Forest, the gnome Crytos awoke for the first time in five years. He got up and examined his surroundings. All around him tall pine, elms, and maples obscure his vision.
Crytos: (to himself) Why do I have the feeling that is not the Ether�?
Nar.: He turned to face what he thought was north and started walking.
Nar.: Later that week, Crytos came across a little town named Semyr. Semyr was a town inhabited mainly by faeries, but with a small population of gnomes, shapeshifters, and pixies. He walked up to the first person he came across and asked them where he was.
Pixie: Why this is Semyr� northwest of the city Clana�
Crytos: Is there anyway I could find a house around here?
Pixie: Well, unless you feel like building one� there�s a house just outside of town that�s been vacant for years�
Crytos: I�ll take it.
Pixie: Well, um, to get ownership� you should go see Jessa�
Crytos: Where can I find her?
Pixie: She�s in that house over there.
Crytos: Thank you.
Nar.: Crytos took leave of the pixie and headed over to a large white house. He approached the door and knocked loudly. To his surprise, the door was opened by a pretty gnome. She had long curly brown hair and shining brown eyes.
Gnome: May I help you?
Crytos: Uh� yeah� I�m looking for Jessa�
Gnome: That�s me.
Crytos: I�m looking to get ownership of that house just outside of town�
Jessa: Really?
Crytos: Yes.
Jessa: Oh, please� Come in. (moves from doorway) Right this way�
Nar.: Crytos entered Jessa�s house. It was not very modern, and was mainly furnished by dark wood furniture. The most modern thing in the house was a pretty new computer. Jessa closed the door behind him.
Jessa: What brings you to Semyr?
Crytos: It�s a rather long story actually�. Maybe I�ll tell you it some other time�
Jessa: Is that a promise?
Nar.: Crytos looked at Jessa, smiling.
Crytos: If you would like.
Jessa: Yes, I would. Anyway, I suppose you�d like to see the cottage? I think you�d like it.
Nar.: Jessa lead Crytos out the backdoor of her house. The walked a short way down an unused path. After a short time, they arrived at their destination. There amongst the trees of the forest was a little cottage. It was made of wood and cement with a thatched roof. The windows were stained glass diamonds fitted together by iron frames above window boxes of flowers. The flowers were red geraniums. They were in full bloom. Crytos turned toward Jessa.
Crytos: Is this it?
Jessa: Yes.
Nar.: Crytos looked back at the cottage.
Jessa: The inside is already furnished. Feel free to change anything you like.
Nar.: She handed Crytos a deed and two keys. The keys were not the same. Crytos studied the ornate gold key.
Crytos: What is this for?
Jessa: I don�t know. It was found on the body of the previous owner. Maybe you�ll figure it out.
Nar.: Crytos nodded absently, still looking at the key.
Crytos: Thank you.
Nar.: Crytos walked up to the door. Behind him, Jessa walked away. Crytos opened the door and entered. The room was dark and everything was covered in dust. Sunlight came through the windows staining the floor different colors. The walls were almost completely covered with bookshelves. The bookshelves contained books on almost every topic imaginable.
Crytos: I�m starting to like this place already.
Nar.: He walked throughout the house, but could not find a place for the key. He figured he�d look again later. For now, he just got to work cleaning.
Meanwhile�
Meanwhile, in Clana, Calia was tending her garden as usual. The garden was all she had left. She was planting a mini rose plant, when a shadow covered the ground. Calia looked up. The cause of the shadow was John.
John: Hola.
Calia: Hey.
Nar.: John was tall with brown hair and eyes. He was dressed in forest green and blue. He smiled down at her and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up.
John: Take a walk with me.
Calia: Why?
John: Because� I want your company.
Calia: But� there�s so much I need to do yet�
John: Walk with me, and I�ll help you when we get back.
Calia: Alright� but only if you promise.
John: Of course� Right this way�
Meanwhile�
Meanwhile, in Semyr, Crytos was working at his outside desk. He was toying with a little silver machine. As he was trying to pry open the top of the box, the shadow of a rather large bird passed over the machine.
Figure: Hello. Long time no see.
Nar.: Crytos looked up. The bird landed in the ground in front of his desk. It quickly shapeshifted into a human form, so that it could speak with Crytos more comfortably.
Crytos: Patrick! Old friend! I feel as if I have not seen you in ages!
Patrick: Years my friend� years� I see you haven�t discovered a way off this plane yet� I�ve been trying for years� but I think it�s of no use�
Crytos: I�ve been up and about for about a month Patrick. What about�
Patrick: A month only? I�ve been awake for about three years.. I never knew our transporters could put you in a temporal freeze like that�
Crytos: What about Lilith and the girl? Any sign of them?
Patrick: Yes� They never had a problem� she�s quite a fascinating girl� I�ve been monitoring her since I have discovered her whereabouts a month ago.
Crytos: So all is well now, save for the fact we cannot return home?
Patrick: Um� actually� Lilith has passed on�
Crytos: What?! When was this?
Patrick: Approximately when you awakened�
Crytos: So� our Calia is alone right now?!
Patrick: She�s getting along well, as I�ve said. She has friends among the locals�
Crytos: Where is she?
Patrick: �and she�s out with a rather interesting young faerie� He seems to like our little Calia quite a�
Crytos: Where is she?! You left her with a stranger?!
Patrick: Clana. And he�s not a stranger to her� He was the first person she met here in the Otherworld�
Crytos: I�m going to see her� She shouldn�t be alone�
Patrick: Consider the fact that she doesn�t know you anymore. She hasn�t met me yet either. The repercussions could be horrible�
Crytos: Well� I suppose a different approach will has to be taken� yes�
Patrick: Oh no�
Nar.: Preparations were made by Crytos to Patrick�s dismay. A month later, Crytos had added the finishing touches to his plan. Patrick, on the other hand, had made great advances in how to return to their planes. Nevertheless, when Crytos packed up and decided to make a pilgrimage to Clana, Patrick did not stop him. Instead he helped him� and this is where we begin our story�