There was nothing as terrifying as being preyed on by a ginormous monster. To be swallowed by one was on a whole new level. The snapping of jaws was a signal that no sliver of freedom would be left and the darkness that came with the absence of light was no consolation. The huge creature had tossed them into its black mouth before they fell on its thick and slimy tongue.

Clara had lost her grip on her rescuer and landed on her hands and knees on top of the creature's tongue. Water rushed past them before cascading to the back of the monster's throat. Bile flooded her throat as a wave of nausea lapped at the back of her mouth. A pungent smell assaulted her nose and though she could breathe again, it did nothing to tame her queasiness.

She gagged and coughed, her fingers clawing at the slimy tongue. Nothing came out of her lips. Her stomach was empty and it was only then that she realized she had not eaten anything for several hours. She couldn't even remember her last meal. Heaving, she pushed herself up. Strong hands curled around her waist, helping her stand. She assumed it was the rescuer's doing. It was a wonder they were still alive. The monster had not chewed them or gulped them down. They were still on its tongue and it was utterly dark as if they had been trapped inside a cave.

"When you said you'd help me, this was not how I imagined my escape would be," she said.

One of the shadowy figures snorted and then she heard footsteps squelching against the slime on the tongue as the being walked to them.

"You're insane, man. I told you this was a bad idea," the figure spoke.

"You wanted the quickest and cheapest means of transportation and I offered you that, Rai. We'll reach the port in fifteen minutes so enjoy the ride." Her rescuer moved away from her. "Besides, old Jaz won't eat us. Once we reach the shores, he will let us go. Is that not right, Jaz?" 

A deep whistling sound came from the back of the creature's throat, bouncing off the walls of its mouth as the beast responded in agreement. Pressing her hands on her ears to drown out the noise, Clara hissed. What had she gotten herself into? Getting killed by a pirate would have been a better end to her life than drowning in a well of madness. She did not understand what the men were talking about and the fact that she could not see them made it worse. Hadn't the monster swallowed them so that it could eat them? Why then was it responding to her rescuer as if he was its friend? Another realization smacked her in the head as she remembered the conversation between the shadowy beings.

"Your voices...they don't sound strange anymore!" she said.

The man called Rai chuckled while her savior remained silent.

"The magic must be wearing off," said the third one amongst them who had been quiet the entire time.

"Magic? What are you talking about?" asked Clara.

An uncomfortable silence settled in the cave-like mouth. She could visualize the men staring at her as her question remained unanswered. She wanted answers to all her questions, answers that would clear away all the doubt she had regarding her sanity. This could not be heaven.

Paradise was a place of sacred bliss, happiness and tranquility. Here, in the madness of this bizarre world, she had felt wonder, confusion and pain. She was left with two conclusions. Either she had been shipwrecked to a strange land with pirates sailing underwater and shadowy men talking of magic or she was still dreaming in the comfort of her chamber inside the Esperanza ship. The latter sounded ludicrous. She had felt death claiming her when she was drowning.

"I will show you," the man said.

"Try not to scare the lovely lady, Eryx," muttered Rai.

She turned her gaze to where Eryx's voice came from. There, in the midst of the others, she saw a tiny speck of light igniting. It evolved to a pale blue orb which was the size of a yarn ball. The orb cast light upon them, illuminating the man's open palm. Wisps of darkness retreated to the shadows as the magician let the ball of light float high above them. She stared at it, marveling its ghostly beauty.

Witchcraft was a rather obscure subject and from what she knew of the Victorian ideals, many believed that it was not but a delusion. Magic did not exist. That was what she believed too. The few superstitious people who believed in its existence deemed it as a forbidden practice, an act which was considered blasphemous and demonic.

After witnessing magic for the third time with her own eyes, she was convinced that it did exist. The self-paddling oars, the mysterious ship that was capable of sailing beneath the water surface and now the ball of light were enough to assure her that it was the work of magic although naming it "demonic" was a questionable matter. The magician had only used it to provide them with a source of light. His intentions could not be more harmless if not innocent. Truth be told, she was fascinated by the blue orb.

Now that she could see the others, she took that moment to observe them. No longer unrecognizable and horribly disfigured, they wore charcoal cloaks with hoods which effectively concealed their identities. Eryx was the tallest among them, towering at a height of roughly six and a half feet tall. Rai was the shortest among them but he had a larger build compared to the others. The other one was a mystery. She could sense his gaze was on her but she couldn't see his eyes behind the hood. Curiosity prodded at her thoughts.

Who were they? Why did they steal the mask from Captain Saberlot? They had not harmed her and as much as she wanted to believe that she was truly safe with them, she could not willingly bestow her trust in them until they let her go free once they reach the shores. It was better to be cautious.

As the minutes passed, the pungent smell became more tolerable and the nausea receded. Clara took the time to observe the creature's mouth. Given its size, she was inclined to believe the monster was a whale. Sharp teeth roughly eight inches long lined sockets of its jaws. She could feel the creature was moving and was thankful that she did not suffer from motion sickness. The beast gave a high-pitched squeak, making her cringe. One of the men walked to the edge of the tongue, where a fleshy part of the creature's mouth was exposed before he patted it. It was him, the man who had saved her.

"We're almost there," he declared.

"Is the whale your pet?" she asked.

 "You could say that although Jaz is not a whale. He is a cetus, a creature that resembles a whale," he said.

She noted that he had a slight foreign accent that was oddly soothing to the ears. Having never heard of a cetus, she would have to wait until they reach the shores to get a good look at it. Once more, a series of clicking sounds resonated and Clara was certain that they had reached their destination when the creature stopped swimming. It opened its mouth to let them out. The magician flicked his fingers and the blue orb was extinguished. The three men walked out. Tentatively, Clara passed through a gap between two conical-shaped teeth, stepping on to shallow water with a splash.

"Jaz, cannot take us any further because we're close to the shore."

She wadded towards the shore then looked over her shoulder as the man bid his pet farewell. Before it sunk into the waters, Clara caught a good glimpse at it. The cetus was about sixty seven feet long, its front fins resembling limbs. Its smooth skin was midnight blue in color and its dark eyes watched them as they headed for the beach. It gave a final squeaking sound and disappeared into the water. They reached the coast within a few minutes.

Soft sand particles tickled her exposed ankles as a waft of wind blew across the coastline and water lapped at her slippers as she stopped to survey the scenery. Exotic palm trees lined the seaside, stretching to the horizon. There was a small cliff a few feet from where they stood. It was on the left side and it blocked the view of what lay behind it. It felt good to breathe in fresh air. She stretched out her hands.

Examining herself, she was glad to know that she wasn't hurt anywhere. In that moment, she also realized that she was wearing a white chemise, something she had taken no notice of because of the events that had transpired prior to reaching the beach.

Her face flushed and she averted her gaze from the cloaked men. She was grateful they had not chastised her for her improper attire. It was embarrassing to think of it. Facing away from them, she turned her attention to the sea. White fluffs of froth struck against the coral reefs and the sun shone brilliantly from the western side. She wrung out her cloth as much as she could, hoping that the warm rays of sunlight would dry her chemise.

"Come on, let's go," urged Rai, beckoning her to follow them.

They walked in amiable silence until they passed the cliff. In the distance, she could see a port bustling with activity. Several small ships were docked at the harbor. The men came to a halt and turned to her.

"Ahead is the Port of Veletia. When we arrive there, you're free to leave. Go home, milady," said the man who had rescued her.

She still did not know their names and their identities. At the mention of "home", a somber mood darkened her features before she asked, "Are we in the island of San Cielo?"

"San Cielo? I've never heard of such a place. I don't think there's an island by that name," replied Rai.

Clara had been afraid to hear such words. What had the necklace done to her? It was true that it had saved her life but where had it taken her, if not San Cielo? Slowly, she asked, "Where exactly are we?"

Eryx replied, "We're in the town of Veletia, near its port. Where is your home?"

She did not know what to say. Clara had left England in search of adventure, freedom and a place where she could belong. She'd thought San Cielo would be her new home but by some twisted fate, the necklace had taken her to a world that only existed in fairy tales. Afraid to tell them the truth in case they think she was insane, she chose to remain vague on that matter.

"I...I..." she stammered. "I...don't have a home."

The men glanced at one another, pondering over her statement. She had lost her money, clothes and diary among other things. She was hungry and tired and yet she had no place to go to. She couldn't stay with them any longer. Clara did not wish to burden them with her problems..

"Thank you for saving my life. I wish to repay my debt but I have nothing valuable with me," she said to them. "Please, let me see the faces of the men who saved my life."

They did not lower their hoods. It was a clear message that they were not willing to reveal themselves. Giving them a kind smile, she trudged past them and headed for the port. She was aware that she was being irrational and her pride would be her downfall but the thought of troubling others with her presence was not something she wanted. Sand scrunched beneath her slippers, engraving her footprints on the ground while she walked onwards.

"Wait!" someone called behind her.

Clara stopped walking and heard their footfalls as they came after her.

"You said you don't have a home. How are you going to survive in a town you know nothing of?" her rescuer asked.

He was right. How would she find a job and a place to sleep? The thought of living the life of a beggar did not sound endearing. It made her miss her old home. Unable to give an answer that did not sound ridiculous, she remained silent.

"Let us help you. We'll take you to a guild where you can find food and shelter. The Guild Master is a kind lady. In return, we only ask of one thing," he said. "Tell us what happened to you and how you wound up on Saberlot's ship. Answer truthfully then you can consider your debt paid in full."

She let out a sigh. "The truth is hardly sufficient payment for saving my life."

Clara's stomach twisted into knots and an inaudible grumble reminded her that she was famished. As much as she did not want to drop her problems on others, they had willingly agreed to help her. If honesty would be enough to clear her debt and give her food and shelter then she would be foolish to waste such an opportunity. The secret of the necklace however, would be kept to herself.

"Seeing as we ask of the truth, we might as well as reveal our identities lest you think of us as hypocrites. We have no use of the cloaks anymore," Eryx said.

He was the first one to remove his cloak as he let the fabric slide down his body. Then the others did the same. She held her breath and gawked at them in bewilderment. Eryx was a lithe male, with pale blond locks streaming down from a lose ponytail, reaching his back. His skin was obsidian in color and a white tribal tattoo curled around the right side of his face. A pair of fins was perched on either side of his head, in place of ears. So strange was his appearance that it took her several seconds to take in his looks and let her brain accept the revelation.

Like the dark-skinned sorcerer, Rai was another humanoid. Spiky sandy colored hair lay messy on his head and the well-defined muscles behind his olive-toned skin spoke of hours spent lifting heavy objects. He could pass off for a human if no one paid attention to his hands. From a distance, it might have looked like he was wearing gauntlets made of fur but up close, she could see his hands were covered in a thick layer of hair and sharp talons sprang out from his fingers. 

Their attires were tailored to their build. They wore tunics with khaki trousers and ankle boots, a fashion style that had been popular centuries ago. Finally, she turned to the man who had helped her escape from the pirate ship; the one whose name she was yet to learn, the one who was no doubt, a human.

He was clad in a similar outfit except his looked faded and creased as if the garments had seen better days. He was lean and nearly as tall as Eryx. Angular cheekbones curved towards a fine jaw. His hair fell in black ribbons over his forehead. Handsome as he was, his eyes were a peculiar feature. They were gold with traces of brown and his black pupils were concave, almost slit-like. His stare met hers. Clara was reminded of a wild cat's eyes. A lion's eyes.

A shudder travelled through her spine to her feet. "Who are you?"

He tipped his head low while he bowed, strands of black locks stroking his nose. "Forgive me for not making a proper introduction, milady. I'm Tamer, a humble wanderer."

He offered no surname and he pronounced his name as ta-miir. In the midst of these strange yet beguiling men, a miasma of uneasiness seized her. Never had she imagined that her search for freedom would lead her to a world that brought imagination to reality, a world which questioned her beliefs and defied the practicalities of science. Clara didn't know whether to laugh or cry at how her situation was turning out. In the end, her lips transformed into a half-smile, half-grimace.

"Are you alright?" Eryx asked her, having noticed her discomfiture.

She choked then laughter broke free from her mouth. Nodding, Clara waved her hand disparagingly before she retorted, "Of course, I am! I'd make a bloody fine tale if I wrote an autobiography! Perhaps I should do that and make a living out of it. By Jove, when am I going to wake up from this absurd dream?"

"You're not dreaming," Tamer said.

"Then I must be mad!"

They watched her with worried looks. Eryx approached her but she took a step back and held out her hand to stop him from getting close to her. Clara took deep breaths to pacify the maelstrom of feelings that spun in her mind. She needed to take control of her emotions and not let them rule over her body and soul.

Once calm, she eyed them with caution. "Where are we? Europe? Asia? Where are we?"

Rai fumbled for something from the side pocket of his trousers before he took out a plain-looking scroll. He opened it and held it so that all could see. She noted that the parchment was a map of some sort. 

"This is where we are." He pointed at something on the map.

A translucent projection materialized above the chart just as the ink on the parchment vanished. The projection showed a large map. Set away from the other regions, was a continent surrounded by oceans. It was feather-shaped with mountains and grasslands situated on the green parts and deserts and valleys located on the brown parts. Streams and rivers coursed through the continent and a tiny red spot blinked from the eastern side, at the coast. It had the name "Veletia" written on it. In the very centre of the map, displayed in bold letters, was the name of the continent. It said: Aurion.

 "My God," was all Clara could say as she realized how terribly far she was from her motherland.