19: The REALM OF THE UNKNOWN

Azarian stared at the sealed envelope for hours on end in the comfort of his not so comfortable abode . He had been searching for answers from the very day he got to the Capital. All his answers could be in the envelope. He finally mustered up the courage to open it.

He tore it open and there was a note. He read the note aloud for Humphrey to hear.

"I have been watching you from the moment you stepped foot here. I've seen you've been searching for answers about your child friend's disappearance. I'm able to guide you find the correct answers. If you want the answers you seek burn my message and you choose to remain in the dark consider this a memory of your anonymous friend. From the dark rabbit."

Azarian put the note down and was left baffled. "Seems risky huh.", he said, "We have no other option do we now?"

Humphrey nodded his head in sheer doubt. He then hopped away.

Azarian got up and started searching for a flame. He searched in the kitchen, his washroom and even under his bed, there was absolutely nothing. Humphrey returned with a lamp with a burn flame right in its core.

Azarian picked up the note. He placed the corner of the note into the burning red flame and the note caught fire. The note was quickly engulfed in the flame and he dropped it onto the ground. But to the suprise of Azarian and Humphrey, the note wasn't burning.

The flame engulfing the note turned green. The flames began to spread beneath the feet of Azarian and Humphrey. They panicked and tried to put out the flames but they didn't feel a thing. It was cold as earth given water and as painless as a stroke of a feather. Then suddenly, the flames sucked them into the ground.

They were drifting in an abyss with no any sign of light. Azarian tried screaming but his words couldn't leave his lips.

They drifted and drifted with no sign of existence until suddenly, there was a sound of a thunderous waterfall in the very far distance. They kept on drawing closer to sound of this magnificent waterfall. A shimmering white light appeared on the horizon of the abyss. Within a blink of an eye there were no longer in the dark abyss.

Azarian and Humphrey fell flat on their faces. When they got up, there was the magnificent waterfall. It was like nothing they had ever seen. It nearly touched the blue sky and it stretched all the way to the unknown. They turned around and there was nothing but green grass and beautiful trees of all sorts of colours in sight.

"Where are we?", Azarian asked.

"I see you chose truth.", said an ominous voice.

The waterfall stopped and everything just stood still in time. A man emerged from the waterfall in a dark robe and had a set of golden arm bracelets wrapped around his entire left arm.

"I am Eraius.", the man said, "The watcher of the realm. Azarian I need to speak to you because the fate of your realm and the realms unknown, it is as stake."

"You have my attention."

"Great.", Eraius said, "Follow me."

Eraius walked into the waterfall. Azarian and Humphrey were right behind him. The walked past the waterfall and suddenly there were in a wonderous library with books in endless sight. At the heart of the library was a fireplace and two chairs.

Eraius sat on one chair and Azarian sat in the other chair. Humphrey sat by Azarian's foot.

"I'm going to go straight to the point here.", Azarian said, "You said you know where Malak is. So where is he? All I see is a whole lot of crap."

"Firstly, I did not say such a thing. I said I would guide you in the right direction.", he stood up and walked over to the fire place. He stared into the unforgiving flames. "You finding your friend has a lot of implications for your world. "

"What are you talking about?"

"My solemn duty is to watch over your realm to make sure all the right rules are followed. There is a balance that is supposed to be maintained and the people who have taken Malak will upset the balance of things."

"Who has taken him?", Azarian was losing his patience. He stood up in a rage and held Eraius by the neck.

"I- I - wou-ld wouldn't do tha-t."

Azarian let go of Eraius. "Speak.", Azarian said.

"I'm not at a liberty to say but what I can tell you is this. You are about to be at war on a scale you can't imagine. The war doesn't happen if you save Malak, it's as simple as that?"

"For the sake of the gods, what does that even mean?", Azarian said, "And why I'm I supposed to trust you?"

"Because I've seen it. It isn't a pretty sight and if you think what the other nations did to your people was bad. This will be worse on a scale unimaginable."

"Then tell me where the hell he is then."

"It will go against my solemn oath. The best I could do is when the girl finds you follow her she will lead you to the boy."

"Which girl?", Azarian was confused.

"You will know when you meet here. This is all I can say for now. I will keep in touch with you from time to time but you must save him."

Azarian stood up and carried Humphrey in his arm. Eraius walked them out of the waterfall. He had noticed the metal plate strapped to Humphrey's mouth.

"Azarian.", he said, "What happened to your little friend?"

"Malak conjured it and now I can't get it off."

Eraius flicked his finger and the plate came off his mouth. Humphrey was finally free.

"It took someone this long to free me from that cursed prison.", Humphrey said, "The fact I had to wait this long is absurd and an injustice beyond forgiveness."

"A talking rabbit.", Eraius said, "Now I've seen it all."

"I'm not a rabbit.", he said, "I'm royalty where I come from. You on the other hand look homeless."

"I forgot how much of a loud mouth he was .", Azarian said.

They all stood outside. Eraius lit a circle of fire around Azarian and Humphrey. The ground sucked them in and before they knew it they were back in the capital. Azarian turned his head to Humphrey and he was no longer a rabbit. He was a full grown man with short blue hair and bright blue eyes.

"What the hell?", he looked at his hands and get a good feel of them. He looked at his entire body in disbelief. He rushed to the washroom. "I hated that rabbit body!", he shouted, "At least now I have thumbs! Azarian you have to teach me how to use these things!"

Azarian went to his bed and found a note on his pillow. He opened the note and it read, "I thought having him atleast look like a human would be easier. Remember, the girl will help you find the boy From Eraius."