"This is crazy, lass, you know that, right?" Dagner said sometime later. The companions rode out of the Gnome Clan into the Elf Clan and heading for the Umber Forest. It would take at least a day and half travel to the Umber Forest and at least a few days, even more, to find a nymph and convince it to give them some of its water from the pool they habit in. Karma estimated a weeks' time, maybe more if they don't find the nymph. And Karma knew they didn't have weeks to find a nymph, they had only days.

Nymphs were secreted beings, who keep to themselves. They only allow very few people to come and see them for their advice. Legend goes that a nymph can give you a life changing advice that can help you on the long road, but that's if you were lucky enough to find it. The first time Karma brought the nymph into Arula, it didn't stay long for even a hello. It looked around its surroundings, at Karma, then left. Gone. Simply just vanished. And Karma could never find her creation since then and she never put another one into Arula for the same fear that it would simply vanish without a trace.

Karma told Jason this as he asked about them for umpteenth time. "I know it's crazy," Karma said, answering her dwarf friend. "But what other options do we have?" Karma kicked her horse, Pepper, in the side and they rode in silence. A day and a half passed by, slowly, and they made it to the Umber Forest. It stood in mystical proudness. The wind blowing through its mysterious woods. A place where anything can happen. Karma looked at her companions, and they her. "You guys ready to find something that may not want to be found?"

"No." Jason.

"Ready as my ale." Dagner said holding up his canteen of ale.

"I'm ready to save my husband." Mika said and rode in the forest first.

"Alrighty then," Karma said urging Pepper to go forward. "Let's go."

----

They search high and low for the nymph with no luck. Nothing to show that a mythical being is living any area they passed. As they day grew on, the more tried the travelers became. Karma called it night and they made camp. She made it clear to keep all belongings close by because trolls might wonder by and try to steal their supplies. Eon was nice enough to allow them to take some food from his garden. It surprised them to know that gnomes grew actual size vegetables and fruits. Keeping all this in mind, they went on a restless sleep.

That night as they slept, Jason had a strange feeling that he was being watched. He slowing opened his eyes he stared into a pair of white glowing ones. Jason screamed and scrambled backwards in the snow. The others woke with a start, drawing out weapons. There was a squeal, as the creature watching Jason quickly floated up to the nearby tree. "What was that?!" Jason asked staring up at the creature. When he got his senses back, he finally got a good look at this creature. The creature was a floating light blue ball with white glowing eyes. To Jason, it looked like a ghost. It had a translucent look that made it seem spirit-like.

It hid behind a group of leaves, staring down at the travelers. Jason heard Karma sigh and sheathed her sword. She softly chuckled to herself. "I wouldn't worry about that little guy." Karma told Jason. Mika and Dagner also put away their weapons no longer sensing the danger.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"A shapeshifter." Karma replied. "It's in it original form." Jason watched as the shapeshifter slowly floated out of the bunches of leaves and float down to them, cautiously. "You scared it."

"I scared it?" Jason voiced. "It scared me!" The shapeshifter dodged behind a tree truck as Jason raised his voice. Karma gave Jason a hard look. Crouching down, Karma held out her hand to the creature. The shapeshifter poked its round head from around the tree truck and slowly floated its way to Karma. It shifted into a saber-tooth wolf and sniffed Karma outstretched hand. Then shifting into a cat, it rubbed up against her purring. Jason watched this with great curiosity. "So it won't hurt us?" Karma flicked her eyes at Jason.

"No." She said. "Shapeshifters are for the most part harmless. They're more nosy than harmful." The shapeshifter shifted back into its ball form and floated around the camp. It went up to Mika and curiously floated around her head. Mika laughed and petted the shifter as it floated pass. It floated to Dagner who swatted it away. The shifter squeaked and went up to Jason.

"Darn pest." The dwarf said. "They may be harmless, but their annoying." It floated in front of Jason's face and flipped upside down, getting a better angle. Shaking his head, Jason reached out to pet the floating ball. When he did, Jason thought he was petting air. The creature didn't feel like it had a physical body.

"Weird." Jason muttered and watched as the little shapeshifter floated over to Shari who was sleeping on their traveling bags. The shapeshifter cooed at Shari waking the ferret from his slumber. Not happy have been woken up, Shari hissed at the shapeshifter causing the creature to squeal and float back up to a tree branch. Shari gave chase as the ferret climbed up the tree and chased away the shapeshifter. The shapeshifter squeaked and vanished into thin air. Snorting in satisfaction, Shari climbed down the tree and made himself comfortable once more on the bags.

"Well," Karma said, looking in spot where the shapeshifter was. "That was the least of our problems."

----

Three days wore on with little to no luck, and Karma was growing restless. She herself had tried to find the nymph for several years with no luck at all. Now history was repeating itself. As they traveled on, Jason could have sworn he kept seeing a blue ball of the shapeshifter following them. But every time he went to get a closer look, there was nothing to see.

The day grew colder as the sun moved throughout the day. Even Mika, who was used to the cold, shivered slightly. But she tried not to let it show. She wanted, no needed to keep pushing forward. Her husband's and her people's lives were on the line. There was no time to show weakness, or even slow down. She looked ahead of her and saw Karma and Jason riding side by side. Mika smiled. She still remembered that day when she met Omar and Karma for the first time, the memory was clear as day....

----

"Well, aren't you going to say hi?" Karma had asked, startling Omar. They were sitting on a bench craved from a tree log, watching as the other elves trained in the courtyard outside of Abaddon's grand tree palace. Karma being fourteen at the time, stared at her elven friend, grinning.

"Say hi?" Omar blinked at Karma. "To whom?" Karma had rolled her eyes. She nodded her head to Mika, who was skillfully wielding her double bladed sword, dueling with a fellow elf. The elf had lost miserably to Mika. She shook hands with her opponent and with as much dignity as the elf could mustered, sauntered away. Mika walked over to a nearby bench and started to polish her weapon.

"That elf over there." Karma told Omar. "You've been watching her for a hot minute now. Go over and say hi." Omar's hazel eyes went wide.

"I-" he began. "I don't-" Karma scoffed.

"If you can talk to me, then there shouldn't be any reason why you can't talk to her. Here watch." Karma stood and started to make her way to Mika.

"Karma, no wait!" Omar tried to stop her, but he was too late. Karma was already talking to Mika.

"Hi!" Karma said, startling Mika. She looked up from her work and started at Karma.

"Ciao."*1 Mika said friendly. She had no idea why this little human was talking to her. During this time, Mika had no clue that Karma was the Creator of Arula. The only thing she had knew was that Karma was always around the Elven Clan traveling with Omar and a drunken dwarf whom she came to know as Dagner later on.

"I'm Karma." She introduced herself, then waved a hand in the general direction of Omar. "That's my friend Omar." Mika had peeked around Karma to see a tall white haired elf sitting on a bench burying his head in hands, most likely embarrassed about the situation going on. "He's shy." Karma continued to say.

"I can see that." Mika had said, switching her tongue to human.

"Apparently, he thinks its hard to talk to someone as pretty as you." Mika laughed at that.

"Is that so?" Mika said, amused. Karma nodded.

"Oh, yes." Karma had said. "And I'm here to prove him wrong. He thinks you're pretty but is too chicken to come over here and tell you." Mika had laughed again, and this time Omar came over. He quickly stepped in front of Karma to prevent her from saying anything else that would embarrass him.

"Mie scuse."*2 Omar had said. "My friend here loves to make up stories." He shot Karma a look. She grinned up at him. Mika sheathed her double bladed sword and stood.

"Well I like a good story." Mika told him. She held her hand out to him. "I am called Mika, by that way." Omar nervously picked up her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles.

"I am call Omar." His voice cracked a little and his cleared his throat to quickly hide it. Mika smiled sweetly at him and Karma had bounced from foot to foot anxiously.

"Weeellll," she said. "I'm going to find Dagner. No doubt the dwarf found himself stuck in a cellar somewhere drinking himself silly...again." She grinned once more leaving Omar and Mika alone. Later that night, Omar walked Mika down the Abaddon's garden. Her arm hooked around his. The garden was one of the largest gardens in Arula. Filled with ponds with koi fish and other brightly colored fish. Frogs hopped from their lily pads and dove into the clear waters and hummingbirds flittered about, drinking nectar from nearby flowers. Other birds played their songs on top of tree branches.

"Your friend," Mika had started. "She's very.... Interesting, to say the least." Omar laughed nervously.

"Aye, Karma is a very interesting human... she means well." He had told her. Omar led Mika around the gravel path, stopping every so often to watch as the swans and ducks floated across the ponds.

"Yes. Why is it that a human girl in Abaddon? Is she important somehow?"

"You... can say that." Omar said. Mika had thought this very odd. Humans were a rare sighting in the Elf Clan. They only venture here for trading purposes. If that little human was here, then King Curlus must need her something. A lady of a house, Mika had thought. Maybe she was trouble? They had rounded a bend passing two squirrels chasing each other up a tree. Now that Mika had thought about it, she hadn't seen the girl since she ran off to find a... Dagner? Whoever that was.

"Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen her since earlier." Omar tripped and quickly recovered.

"Where-where is she? Oh! She'll be back. You'll see her around some time soon." Mika raised an eyebrow at him. He was sure a nervous elf. It was quality that Mika had found charming in Omar. When he didn't know how to assess a situation, he got nervous. They had suddenly heard the sound of rustling bushes and honking swans and ducks.

A dwarf had stumbled out from the bushes, holding a flask. He wobbled on his two stubby legs looking daze. Drunk. Mika had gone for her dagger at her waist, but Omar stopped her. The drunken dwarf looked a the two of them, he hiccupped and shouted, "THERE YOU ARE! HICC-UP!" He stumbled over to them. "I'VE BEEN LOOKIN EV-RY-HAIR FUR YE!"

"Dagner," Omar had told the dwarf. "You're drunk. Keep your voice down. You'll wake up the whole village." So this was Dagner, Mika had thought. A dwarf. Another oddity. Dagner hiccupped and fell on his bottom. He sat on the grass, drunk and merry.

"There was something I was going to tell ye..." Dagner said thinking, he mush mind working. "OH! YES! Karma, our good friend, and Crea-hiccup!-tor has gone back-hiccup!-to the Other-hiccup-world." Mika had never seen an elf move so fast. Omar had gone over Dagner and placed a hand over his month.

"You drunk!" Omar hissed at him. Dagner just blinked slowly at him and hiccupped in Omar's hand. It was then that Mika found out about who Karma was. Luckily, Karma didn't mind that Mika knew, in fact, she was delighted. To have finally have a female to talk to. It was from there that Mika had gone all their adventures, befriended the Creator and dwarf, and becoming lovers with Omar......

----

Mika sighed as that pleasant memory faded her mind. It was one of her most treasured memories. She loved Omar and all his quirks. As serious as he looked on the outside, he was big softy on the inside and had his moments of awkwardness, especially when it came to impressing Mika. Which made him even more lovable. It wasn't long before they got married and had their adorable little elven daughter, Hope.

Mika's pleasant smiled sudden vanished as the memory being torn away from Omar passed by. A couple of years after Karma had left Arula to live out the rest of her high school career before coming back, Termis had declared that all Clan members and mythical creature would be outlawed from entering the Human Territory. It was a sad and angry day for all Clan members. All trading had come to horrible stop and it was hard for most of the Clans to get what they needed from the Human Territory. And things got worse when Termis allowed his human subjects to enter the Clan Territory and take the Clan members as slaves.

Mika and Omar worried about their own safety and their child's during this time. They had to get into contact with Karma, and quickly. In their small cottage that they lived in just on the outskirts of Abaddon, Omar had begun to rummage through the cabinets until he took out a portal orb. The orb was given to Mika and Omar by Karma before she left to go back the Otherworld. Both Mika and Omar knew they shouldn't go through the portal, they didn't belong in that world, they would stick out like a sore thumb. But they had to give Karma message. Grabbing a parchment and ink, Omar wrote Karma a letter.

He had sent the letter through the portal, putting in the one spot he knew Karma would notice it. Her treehouse. As luck would have had it, that's when they came. Humans came bursting through their doors the very moment that letter went through the portal and the portal closed. Omar went to defend his family but was quickly outnumbered and was hit in the back of the head. Omar had gone down, unconscious. And Mika and Hope were taken away, not knowing what had happened to him. There were taken to Portside where the lord there took them in as his servants. Hope, being as young as she was, ended up being a playmate for his daughter and Mika ended up being a seamstress.

That's how it was for many months until finally Mika had received word that the Creator had dethroned King Termis and the law he declared about the Clans to be lifted and that all enslaved Clan members and mythical creatures were to be set free. Mika was relieved beyond words. Karma had gotten their message. And to further surprise the she-elf, a young royal guard from Shurli came by to deliver Mika and Hope to Shurli, safely. After a weary week of traveling, Mika and Hope had arrived at Shurli and was brought to tears when she found that Omar was there, alive.

Mika was grateful for that day, and for her dear friend Karma. Though, strangely enough, Karma never asked about that portal that she had given them. The she-elf's guess was that Karma had most likely forgotten that she had gave them an orb, in which didn't partially bother Mika. Though, she felt bad for the young lad, Jason, who was now stuck here. But there was no telling what the future could have hold. They would have never guessed that another Otherworld civilian would get himself stuck here as well.

Mika shook her head and sighed. Clicking her tongue, she urged her horse to ride on.

----

When sunset fell once more on the fourth day of their travels, they made camp. Dagner started the fire, Mika prepared the dinner and Karma was in her book, skimming through their pages. Jason made himself comfortable next to her and watched as Karma flipped through her book. "Tell me," Jason said. "Everything little thing that we've seen and walked through, all came from those pages?"

Karma jumped, not really realizing that Jason was there, but composed herself and said, "basically... it's hard to actually explain how it works, because I'm not even sure I truly understand it myself." She told him a brief story of how she ended up with her book in the first place. She then flipped to the paged that was labeled "Umber Forest". The page was greatly detailed, from the luminous mushrooms, to different colored flowers, to even the tallest trees with luminous vines dangling from it. It was all amazing. "I just keep on sketching in this until whatever I am creating is perfect, then- "she flipped to the very first page where ancient words were written on the page "-I recite these words and it just appears, just like that." Jason thought this was all too amazing to believe.

"May I?" He asked extending a hand for the book. Karma hesitated. She never really gave her book to anybody before. But she had no reason not to trust Jason, so she gently gave him the book. She kept in arms reach in case she needed to snatch it back. Even Dagner and Mika seemed surprised that Karma handed over her book. Jason flipped through the pages carefully. He examined each drawing with wonder. "You're a wonderful drawer, you know that?" Karma smiled softly but said nothing. As Jason looked through the pages, he couldn't help the feeling of finally having the book in his hands, and how tempting is was just to run off with it and give it to the cloaked man. Jason longed to be home, back at Earth, or the Otherworld is what the people of Arula called it.

The more that Jason flipped through this pages, the heavier his heart became. He wasn't if he had it in him to deliver the book that mysterious man. Someone who promised a way back home. It made his throat tighten at the thought of going back to Earth. After having gone through the beautifully drawn pictures, Jason handed the book back to Karma. "You're a great artist, it's no wonder why this world is so beautiful." Karma blushed at that and locked her book before putting it away.

"Thanks," she said and settled back against her saddle bags. The night wore on and soon enough everyone, but Jason drifted off to sleep. He needed to clear his head. Standing up, Jason decided to take a walk. The cold weather helped clear his mind. He left the camp but made sure that he didn't wander too far.

He was, of course, still new to this world. Being here for only a couple months. Has it really been that long? Had Jason only been in Arula for a couple months? It seemed like longer. Being in this strange, new world. It was a mystery to Jason on how it all came to be. Karma had done her best to explain, but he could tell that not even her, the Creator of this world, knew how came to be.

Then there was that man. The mysterious cloaked man who appeared in Jason's motel room. Why did he want Karma's book so badly? Could someone besides Karma use the thing? Jason had no idea. He heard flapping of wings in the distance, but ignored it thinking it was just a bird. The flapping became louder, and something swoop over Jason's head. He ducked. Looking up, he what was definitely not a bird, but a creature that had a body, tail, feet, and paws like a rat, and a face, ears, nose, and wings like bat.

This creature did a flip in the air an flew back at Jason. It squawked and flew back in the direction where it was going. Jason recognized this weird creature and realized it wanted him to follow it. He hesitated, then proceeded to follow it. Jason wondered briefly if Karma had created this strangle little beast, then he remember what the cloak man had call it when Jason first encountered him. He created this, but how? The creature led Jason to a small clearing in the forest where it landed on its master's shoulders. The cloaked man stood in this clearing, waiting patiently. He reached out to stroke his pet on the chest.

"Very good, my precious." He told the creature who squawked in response. The man's cloaked face turned toward Jason. "Have you gotten it yet?"

"I-no, I-I haven't." Jason said. He was a little stunned to see this man. Has he been following them this entire time? This idea frighten him. Jason could sense the man's patience wanning.

"I need that book, Jason, or you don't get to go home." Jason shivered as a cold wind blew past. He needed to get out of here. But first, a question itched in his mind.

"Why?" He asked. "Why do you need that book so badly? Karma created such a beautiful world. What can you possibly gain from taking it?" the cloaked man tsk and shook his cloaked head.

"This isn't your fight, boy." He said sternly and Jason could tell his was holding back his anger. The man cleared his throat, as if to push the feeling away. "I don't see why you care." His demeanor changing greatly. "After all, it was Karma's fault that you're stuck here. Her carelessness. You should let sleeping dogs lay." Jason didn't know how to respond to that. The cloaked man's voice deepened, making him more authoritative. "Give me the book, or let your fate be sealed." The cold winter wind began to pick up, carrying a blast of snow. It surrounded the cloaked man and when the wind died down, he and his pet were gone.

----

Jason managed to find his back to camp. The fire they lit was slowly dying, the flames begging to be fed. Reaching down, Jason threw in a couple of more sticks. The fire blazed gratefully and started to eat away the new wood. "And where did ye wonder off to, eh lad?" Jason jumped as he saw Dagner leaning against a large log, nursing his flask. The dwarves half drunken eyes watching Jason.

"I just went for a walk." Jason told him. "I couldn't sleep." The dwarf hiccupped before taking a sip from his flask.

"A few sips from this will knock right out!" He whispered loudly, a big grin displaying across his face. Jason chuckled and shook his head.

"I'll pass, thank you." Dagner shrugged and stored away his drink. He looked at Jason.

"What's eaten ya, lad?" He said with a hiccup. "You look like ye seen a ghos-hiccup!" Jason settled back in spot and looked across the came site at the dwarf. Jason saw that his cheeks were rosy from the alcoholic beverage he must had consume recently.

"Nothing's eaten me," Jason told him. "I'll be fine. I just... got a lot on my mind." It was then that Dagner could tell that the lad wasn't going say much after that. Deciding it was best to leave well enough along, the dwarf folded his hands across his chest and closed his eyes. His loud snored soon followed. Jason sighed and shook his head. He too leaned back against his saddle bags and looked up at the canopy of trees. Sleep did not come so easily to Jason.

----

She was standing the Umber Forest, alone. The wind blew all around her, pushing her, urging her to move forward. Not knowing what else to think or do, Karma allowed the wind to guide. As it did, Karma had this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was this another nightmare? To torture her? To make her feel useless and afraid? Her heart hammered at the thought, but the more the wind guided her, the less afraid she felt then, "remember the path." The wind said to her. "Remember." And she did, at least her very best.

The wind took her to an area that Karma has yet not been to. In front of her was a cave, covered with luminous vines to hide its entrance. "This is what you seek," the wind continued. "To find your answers, you must journey here..."

Karma's eyes flew open as the last of her dream faded away. She knew where they had to go. As quickly as she could, she took out her book and began to describe her dream as much as she could remember. She then drew the mysterious looking cave with the vines. Satisfied, she fell back asleep, waiting for sun's first light.

*1 "Ciao" ~ "Hello"

*2 "mie scuse" ~ "my apologies"