Chapter 11 Germaine pulled at the heavy metal chains binding her hands and stared balefully at her surroundings. She felt with her feet, the odd-shaped ridges jutting from the ground. Hot mist seeped out and heated the dark cell she was locked inside. It was a good thing because she had begun to get cold. She tried to stretch her legs fully but found out the cell she was in did not have enough space for that. Good thing she was not claustrophobic otherwise she would not have been able to stand it. Echoes of clangs of metal rang out from the walls all around, keying her into the possibility that there were other prisoners. At first she had not believed it was possible. It was crazy to conceive that other creatures and beasts inhabited the earth, apart from humans, animals and insects. After the appearance of Storm and Keratin in her bakery as well the vampires, her eyes had gradually opened to the truth. Something strange indeed was afoot. She still did not understand why she was ch

CHAPTER 13 Light flickered on and off as Germaine went in and out of consciousness. Whenever she came to, she heard voices echoing around her but she did not stay awake long enough to understand what was being said. Every time she fell into a state of unconsciousness, she found herself in a corn field. Tall stalks stood with fresh budding yellow corns waiting to be harvested. Some had already fallen onto the ground, already overripe. She walked forward, looking for any sign of another being apart from herself. No one seemed to be around and no one seemed to care she was walking into their corn field either. As she stood beside a long stalk admiring how the corns knitted together, the stalks were pulled back on both sides opposite her and a woman appeared. This had never happened before and Germaine shrunk back in fear. "Do not be troubled." The woman's voice sounded like soft drops of honey flowing into a river. She was fair complexioned with smooth skin that glistened underneath th

Chapter 15 "Curse An- heh for this stupid foolish gift, and curse the moon goddess for messing everything up instead of coming to the rescue of this wretched world." Lady Lucia pulled back the hood from her head and shook out her hair. She tired greatly of her role as head mage. She had been at it for more than a decade but what was worse was the need that kept eating at her. The only thing that kept it at bay was the the magic that thrummed through her veins overpowering it. It began slow, but within seconds, it grew, spreading from her feet and surging to her knees. She almost buckled, but held on to the wall as the feeling swept throughout the rest of her body. With great effort, she walked to one of the shelves that lined her inner chamber. A variety of colored bottles sat atop them. She picked out one whose liquid was jet black, and removed its cork. It released a tangy smell that carried a hint of aether. She took the first gulp and felt the liquid travel into her system. The

Chapter 17 The tavern became noisier as the dancing became more lively. Germaine wondered if they could get any more ridiculous looking. The men were practically hopping around and throwing their partners into the air. She was scared the women would fall, but as if practiced, they landed into the men's arms. She had been expecting Storm to bring up the discussion about their upcoming journey but all he did was order a thick-looking brew inside a large wooden tankard. Keratin ordered one as well and they both heartily began to drink and sing along to the music. She waited impatiently for the musicians to stop, but after a few minutes, that did not happen. Instead, they changed songs, and Germaine suppressed a groan. Keratin suddenly swung her up from her seat with a wide smile. "Don't even think of throwing me up." She warned him. He just smiled, and they danced normally for a few minutes. It happened suddenly. One minute, her feet were on the ground and the next, she was looking

Chapter 19 As she stomped through the woods, Germaine cursed her fate. How was it that amongst the trillions of population on earth, it was her bakery Storm and the others had appeared in. It was preposterous at best. Why did that have to happen to her? What kind of shoddy fate do I have? She thought. It is your destiny. A voice whispered inside her mind. "Shut up already." A deer which had been drinking from a nearby brook looked at her for a few seconds before running off. "Great! Now I've chased that harmless animal away." She kicked at some stones at her feet, but instead of hitting them, she missed and stumbled. She fell flat on her backside as pain lanced her behind. She could not help it. She began to bawl like a baby she was not. Ever since the mage had cast a mind sharing spell, she had not been able to rest from foolish remarks coming from inside her head. It was either Storm was chastising her on following a path she should not have taken, or Keratin was telling her