Chapter 4

Laura experiences the process of entering Otellus, while Lolly is left panicking. Ethaniel deals with the impatient Queen, before Josh awakens.

Chapter 4

 

“L...Laura!”

 

The dark-haired girl frowned at the distressed voice of her boyfriend, turning on her heels to look back at him.  She didn’t know why she bothered, she wanted to go home, and she was still somewhat annoyed.  Even if they had ‘made up’, that didn’t mean she’d forgiven him or was okay about things.  But hey, maybe he was going to apologise and make things okay again.  The sight she saw was confusing, and rather scary, for a start... Josh was stood there, a trembling arm extended towards her, eyes wide and skin pale.  It looked as if he was about to faint.  Laura approached him uncertainly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.  Something seemed... wrong.  Josh stumbled back in shock as she got closer, and Laura stopped in her advance.

 

“...Josh?”  His whole body was shaking, sweat poured freely down his face.  He seemed to not notice her as the state of panic filled him.  “Okay, Josh... you’re scaring me now.  S-Snap out of it...”  And then, in dramatic fashion, the boy collapsed to the ground.

 

‘Succumb to your imagination.’

 

Laura looked around with a frown, trying to find the source of the voice.  But there was no-one around... Josh must have mumbled it.  She crouched down beside him, gently shaking him, but to no response.  “Oh come on, please, Josh. Wake up!” Her voice grew more panicked as she continued shaking the unconscious boy, before she scrabbled in her pocket for her mobile phone, pulling it out and dialling. 

 

‘Awaken...’

 

Laura looked up from the boy to a glimpse of purple.  She blinked repeatedly, and there was nothing.  She was so shocked, she almost didn’t hear someone answering her call. “Yes... hello?  Um... my... friend’s fallen unconscious.  He started... shaking and mumbling stuff, as if he was hallucinating....  Yeah... I dunno.  He’s been acting funny all day... Maybe... He just randomly called my name and began shaking, I dunno what caused it. Yeah.  Well, what do I do until you get here?  Right... O-Okay... um... thank you.”

 

Laura hung up the phone, and looked to the still boy on the grass in front of him, and then up to the sky.  Thick clouds had formed, and it seemed a completely different day than earlier in the morning.

 

*             *             *

 

“I don’t know!”

 

“What do you mean you don’t know, Ethaniel?!  Tell me!”

 

Ethaniel gave a loud sigh of frustration as he glared at the woman on the electronic screen in front of him.  Electricity was difficult to come by in Otellus, and it relied purely on the generators of Indistructus.  Only the master Praedux and a few others had any kind of technology, and that was limited to computers, televisions and radios.  Though, right now, Ethaniel was wishing it had never been invented.  As much as he respected her, and would follow her orders to the death... Queen Estellia drove him nuts, to put it simply. 

 

“I’m telling you I don’t know! Some powerful hooded kid appeared with the three legendary birds, and kidnapped a teenager.” The old man grumbled, and the queen looked unimpressed, “My assistant and I fought against them, but they won... killing Nelphen...” His expression turned sorrowful, and he cast a glance to the purple amulet on his desk, the jewel Nelphen used to summon his Praestia.

 

“Snap out of it, Ethaniel.” Estellia commanded harshly, and Ethaniel closed his eyes, fists clenched, “Your news goes far beyond the fate of a young assistant.”

 

Ethaniel re-opened his grey eyes, sending another glare at the monitor, “He was more than an assistant.” He growled menacingly, “He was a bright, young boy, and a gifted Praedux also.”

 

Estellia’s lips thinned, and she continued as if she hadn’t heard what the leader of Pacaris had said, “This teenager... what did he call himself?” She then continued to ask, “How was he dressed? Did he have any other Praestia? What did he use to summon and control them?  Which direction did he go?  Whe-“ Ethaniel switched off the monitor before the irritating queen could speak any further, climbing up from his seat.  The body of his assistant was in the infirmary, currently covered in a white sheet.  And that was where the old man was headed, though not to see Nelphen.  There, were also the teenagers he had rescued from the Aralache Mountains.

 

Ethaniel stepped outside of his home, into the streets of Puteulus, the capital city of Pacaris. Pacaris was very... country. Thus, there were no tall buildings, no cluttered squares, only small country homes dotted around rather randomly. Although the regions of Otellus were large, cities and towns were few and far apart.  A large factor of the reasoning is to disturb as little nature as possible, for the beautiful landforms and animals of Otellus were something they were proud of.  It was put to a vote between the Praedux masters, and it was decided to preserve as much wilderness as possible without majorly disrupting the civilians’ lives.  Pacaris was a very ‘undeveloped’ county in comparison to the likes of Industrictus, Frugastus and Capulus.

 

Ethaniel’s home was one of the largest buildings of Puteulus, which wasn’t surprising considering he was their lord.  Though made of wood, like many of the other buildings, it towered up into the air and was a true landmark of the region.  It consisted of his assembly room, where he dealt with day to day problems like any ruler, and his own home.  Being a Praedux master came with a lot of responsibility, for the people of your region looked to you as if a king, and therefore asked for advice... for protection... for decisions.  Should a murder happen, he was held responsible for allowing his kingdom to lack in security.  If two people were fighting over a woman, he was often called to nominate the best candidate for the poor girl.

 

Hell, that was a medieval method.

 

The thing about Otellus is that although it had technology... it had guns, electricity and knowledge... It wasn’t used. Perhaps it was tradition, perhaps it was again to preserve nature... but the real reason was because technology is what brought the Praestia.  And although many see it as a gift, some of the rulers see it as a threat... and thus do not want technology to evolve further.

 

The walk to the infirmary was rather long, as it was the opposite side of town to Ethaniel’s home.  The lone guard pulled open the door, allowing the old man to enter.  The middle-aged woman at the desk looked up as he entered, “Oh... Master Ethaniel.  Are you here to check on the teenagers you found?” Ethaniel gave a simple nod, too tired to bother replying with words, and the lady nodded.  She climbed up to her feet, before leading the man down a few corridors, before pushing open a door and allowing him to enter.

 

Six beds were prepared, and the teenagers were all unconscious just like the previous time he’d visited.  Ethaniel gave a frustrated sigh, sitting down next to the bed that carried the girl who had worn sunglasses up in that mountain.  She had been wearing rather mismatching clothes back then.  A bright yellow t-shirt, a dark purple jacket, and red jeans.  Not to mention the pink-rimmed sunglasses.  Though now she was dressed in a white gown, much like the other five.  The doctors had examined the group thoroughly for any sign of injury, but there were no conclusive results.  Not that Ethaniel had expected such...

 

Awaken...

 

There was a sudden gasp from one of the middle beds, and Ethaniel got to his feet as the older boy of the group woke.  He hurried over as the boy stared around in bewilderment.  “Settle down... Slowly.”

 

The teenager stared at the man, almost with recognition, “You... what?  Where am I?” His eyes swivelled to the other beds in the room, now narrowing, “...What happened to us?”

 

“Relax.” Ethaniel growled, giving him a gentle push back down, “You are in Puteulus of Pacaris.  Are you familiar with this place?”  The boy stared at him, wide-eyed, “No...?  Otellus?”

 

“...Otellus?”

 

“...Right.  You must’ve lost your memo-“

 

“No... I know Otellus...” The boy looked away, seeming very confused, “...Ethaniel... You...” The boy put a hand to his pained head, frowning with the effort to get his mind straight, “You’re the master Praedux... Industrictus, Capulus, Silvatrum... Glacird... what... what’s going on?” Well, if the boy in front of him was confused, Ethaniel was probably twice as so.  The boy was making no sense, to say the least.  “...I don’t remember writing this part... where in Pacaris am I?” 

 

Ethaniel hesitated, before replying uncertainly, “...The infirmary.  What’s your name?”

 

“Josh.” The boy replied instantly, seeming less confused now as he sat up, before looking to his friends, “Hm... No-one else is awake now.  So... when can I get my first Praestia and explore?  I never mentioned there being an infirmary before, and I’ve not even touched on the other regions yet...” 

 

“I... don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ethaniel quickly stopped Josh getting up, thoroughly perplexed now, “And... what?  Not everyone can get Praestia you know... only those with the potential to bond-“

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Josh cut the man off, sighing slightly, “Where can I get changed?” 

 

*             *             *

 

Meanwhile, in a hospital back on Earth, a short, bare-footed girl hurried over to the waiting area.  There, Laura was already sat, looking concerned.  The latter looked up to Lolly as she sat down next to her, legs swinging slightly.  “...Isn’t the floor cold?” Laura asked with a blank expression, casting her eyes down to the girl’s bare feet.  Lolly simply shrugged, before leaning back on the chair comfortably, glancing up at the clock.  The ambulance had arrived not long after Laura had made the call, and Josh was now in being tested.  It had been deduced that it was most likely some kind of mental disorder rather than... a tumour or something.  That was good news, Laura supposed.  But still, Laura would rather be home playing Kingdom Hearts or something.

 

Anywhere but here.

 

“Aye, tis.” Lolly replied briefly, “And so was the floor of the bus.  That boy owes me a bus ticket.”

 

Laura gave a dull laugh, looking away and staring straight ahead, “I think he owes us more than that.  He was mumbling some crap about imagination and... awakening.  I was honestly terrified.  I mean, I know he’s been acting different lately, but... I don’t even know why I’m angry about it.  I mean, it’s not his fault, right?  I dunno... I guess I’m just unhappy lately.”

 

Lolly made a ‘pop’ noise with her lips as she continued how to respond, before replying, “Mm... I see.” She pouted.  “Well... Things have been odd lately, but that’s probably just because of... whatever this is.  It’ll be fine after.”

 

“Will it?” Laura questioned, looking back to her friend, “He spends most of his time writing that stupid book, he just makes me so frustrated all the ti-“

 

Destiny...

 

A purple flash.  Laura blinked repeatedly until her vision came back, swaying slightly.

 

“...Er... you alright, there?” Lolly asked with a hint of concern, putting a hand on Laura’s shoulder to steady her. The dark-haired girl shook her head vigorously, still blinking, before giving a quick nod.  “...Right.  Well, anyway, I’m not getting involved in this. And it’s kinda a bad idea to bring this up when he wakes up, so... yeah.  No romantic drama advice from me, m’afraid.” 

 

Eight humans from another world... Mortalitas...  Otellus... Down to you to save it... enter your mind... allow it to become reality...  Awaken...

 

“Anyway, how long is this going to take?”

 

“W-What?” Laura stuttered, staring at her, wide-eyed, “...Did you hear that?”

 

Lolly looked at her with confusion, “Hear what?”

 

He made this world... His mind, it is his creation... Along with those closest to his mind, you can save it... You can stop it from consuming you...

 

“Th-That voice...” Laura climbed to her feet, almost falling right over until Lolly steadied her, “...Talking about...” She broke off into a mumble, “...Otellus...”

 

“Okay, Laura, you’re scaring me now.” Lolly’s voice was close to a snap as she stepped in front of her friend to prevent her moving off, “Just... sit down, okay?  You’re... stressed out or something. Maybe I should get a doctor...”

 

Forgive me for putting you through this process... the changing of worlds can lead to confusion... We have worked on the portal for years... and it can lead anyone to insanity, even the strongest of minds... but you will be fine...

 

Lolly’s voices barely registered in Laura’s head as she stepped forward, past the girl, ignoring her attempts to stop her.  Amongst the frequent flashes of purple, the disintegrating world around her, she seemed focussed on reaching the door to Josh’s room.  She could just about hear Lolly calling for a doctor behind her, but that was irrelevant.  She clumsily opened the door, and the hallucinations continued.  The voices came from Josh’s still body... though it wasn’t him talking.

 

He made this world... His mind, it is his creation... The process will be finished soon... you may experience strange symptoms... hallucinations, nausea, déjà vu... but for now... Awaken.

 

And Josh stood before her, staring straight into her eyes.  His hand was outstretched for her to take.  And this time, the words came from his own mouth.  “Awaken.” And she took his hand.  There was an instant sensation in her mind, and as the room was ripped apart by some kind of purple tornado, she felt herself falling away...  And while Lolly was left beside both her friends’ unconscious bodies, Laura joined Josh in the world of Otellus. 

 

*             *             *

 

“What the hell is going on?!” A terrified Lolly questioned in an un-naturally squeaky voice as Laura was lifted onto a stretcher, “Will she be okay?!” The two doctors carrying the stretcher ignored her for now, carrying Laura out of the room.  Lolly took one last glance to the sleeping Josh, before hurrying after them, “Come on!  She collapsed right in front of me, tell me what’s wrong!”

 

A rather professional looking man quickly approached, gently pulling Lolly aside, “Miss, please... they’re just going to look at her, and see what happened.  The chances are, she’s fine.”

 

“The chances?!” Lolly snapped back, glaring at the doctor, “That’s two of my friends that suddenly just... die on me!  They’ve probably got some contagious disease that puts them into some kind of hell sleep after turning into lunatics! And I bet I’ll get it too.  You said that Josh was just over-tired, but he’s not. This is much more, so you’d better-“

 

“Miss, please!” The doctor interrupted the onslaught of Lolly’s ranting, before looking at her irritably, “He had no disease, and neither does your other friend.  Do you know of any stressful events in their lives?  Maybe they’re both overly stressed and worn out.  The mind can do very weird things in that kind of scenario.  Are they related?  Together?  Fighting?  Anything you tell me could be useful.”  The doctor hesitated, before gesturing for her to follow him.  Before she could, however, a voice called from behind her.

 

“Lolly!”  The two turned to see Ryan, Tom and Molly approaching, the caller being Tom.  “What’s going on?”

 

Lolly ignored them for a moment, looking back to the doctor, “Well, yeah, they’ve had a few arguments... but nothing big.  I mean, Josh has been acting strange lately anyway... but there’s been nothing until.. five minutes ago to suggest anything wrong with Laura.”

 

“Wait, what happened to Laura?” Molly questioned, immediately sounding worried.

 

The doctor gave a sigh, “Look, I can’t give you anything yet.  There is nothing physically wrong with... Josh, so until he wakes up, we’re unable to find out anything.  We’ll run the same tests for Laura, to make sure there’s nothing serious going on... But I’m telling you, it’s most likely some kind of anxiety or stress disorder.  But physically, they’re fine, which is the main thing. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” The doctor then turned on his heels and strolled away, heels clicking against the tiled floor.

 

“...So, what’s happening again?” Ryan asked bluntly.

 

“The world’s going freaking insane, that’s what.” Lolly replied, trembling slightly as Ryan gave her a hug.