A chill soaks through my boots and spreads up my legs.
The fog teases me like a caress. Stars swirl in an enticing whirlpool. It lures me closer, more potent than a siren's song.
I shuffle forward. Starlight licks at my calves. Metal coats my tongue and burns my nose.
Well, at least I wasn't swindled by the man I consider my father. Small miracles in that discovery, but the rest is still uncertain. Revealing the portal was the easy part. The matter of entering it remains.
It's very likely I'll be ripped to shreds the moment I step through.
The flesh will tear from my bones, and my bloody husk will land in some hidden realm. No one will ever learn what became of the daring and ridiculously handsome treasure hunter Finn.
Merigold and all the other lovelies of the Silk Pillow will mourn the loss of my cock and tongue. My crew will disband, and the treasures of this world will be found by less worthy individuals. A tragedy.
One there's no time to dwell on. I have a curse to blight.
Reaching the center of the whirlpool, I stick my foot into it. It slips from this world. A breeze licks at my ankles. There’s no discernible bottom.
Inhaling deeply, I summon all the courage I possess. Everything will be fine.
There’s the chance I could find myself in a realm of curvaceous fairy females who want to admire me naked in exchange for a wish. Or perhaps I'll earn one by reaching things for them on tall branches. The depiction of them in Gree's books shows them as no larger than my palm.
Maybe they have some beast they need me to slay. I'm not one for spilling blood, but I'll do what I must to earn my wish.
Most likely I'll be jumping feet first into endless darkness and die. Only one way to find out.
Without giving myself a chance to hesitate, I launch forward. My stomach lurches as the portal swallows me. Starlight encases me like a coffin.
The black void swallows me whole. Air rushes around me, ripping at my hair and snagging at my clothes. It burns my chapped cheeks. I grip my weapons so as not to lose them to the roaring wind.
I fall and fall and fall.
My screams are swallowed up the faster I plummet. The scent of fresh grass and honey swirls around me. I twist and roll through the unending darkness. My feet flip over my head as I go around and around.
It feels like it takes years for my back to finally land with a harsh thud against something solid. Wetness soaks through my thin shirt and splatters along my pants. Blinking open my eyes, my breath catches.
Fresh grass and rose petals invade my lungs. Above me is glittering sunlight that filters between glossy tree leaves and shimmering branches.
I take stock of myself, wiggling my toes and fingers. The portal must've had the good sense to slow my descent, or I would’ve turned to mush instead of the grass I landed on.
Birds flutter through the trees above. Their white bodies glow as do the lightning bugs weaving between the undergrowth. Wildflowers in colors I've never seen before rest on either side of me. Their bulbs pulse with light. There are more colors in this one place than I've seen in all my travels.
The rich scent of soil rises to rival the sweet florals perfuming the air. The temperature is mild. A soft breeze tickles my cheeks.
Well, I'm not dead, and nothing has tried to kill me. I'd say this is shaping up better than I thought?—
Something cold bites into my throat. Glancing down, I can make out the sharp edge of a silver blade. Without moving my neck, my eyes drift to the owner of the weapon. His long black hair is scraped back from his severe face.
Proud wings match the green scales of his armor. His eyes burn with intensity. Red colors the tips of his pointed ears.
He is much larger than my palm. I knew Gree's book couldn't be trusted.
The fairy spits something at me. The harsh consonants and high-pitched vowels are unlike any human language I’ve comeacross. He tries his command again. When I don't answer, his anger only rises.
"I have no idea what you’re saying, but the knife at my throat is loud and clear," I mumble
The blade digs deeper into my flesh as the fairy barks another harsh order. Seems I spoke too soon. Maybe I'll have better luck with the females.
If I live long enough to meet one, that is.
