Lost in Another Realm by Sfx Fantasy

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Chapter 1'ad
The leaves rustled as the wind brushed past them. Sarah caught her breath as she chased robins through the trees, gliding between branches with the exuberance of a child at a playground.Birds chirping, leaves falling, the sounds of the forest – and a man's terrified scream.
Back to work..
A warrior on patrol, it was her duty to see to the safety of the people in these woods.
Her keen eyes pierced through the dense forest. A man trapped in a cocoon cowered beneath a spreading oak tree. Only his face and neck were exposed.
A female Spidr'ac bared its fangs. With its eight spindly legs, it rapidly made its way to the man. Its eyes were fixated on his neck.
“Please, no,” said the man. His face was white as a sheet.Sarah hovered over the man. Her hands went ablaze. In an exhilarating burst of power, she discharged a stream of fire, leaving a pile of ashes in place of the Spidr'ac.Landing in front of the man, Sarah tore open the cocoon as if it were strands of crepe paper.
“Thanks,” he said.
“You're welcome,” she smiled warmly.
His legs melted into a thick jelly and his entire body collapsed into a black mound. Several tentacles lashed out from the mound and twined themselves around Sarah. A multitude of glowing eyes opened around her, scrutinizing its victim.
Sarah's felt her strength drain away. The tentacles' icy touch had a paralyzing effect on her. She could barely draw a breath.
Too weak... can't fight back...
A black hole burst open beneath them and the creature with Sarah fell in through it – into another world.
**
Leaning forward with his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand, Jake was engrossed in the discussion.
Clayton dumped a glowing bundle on Torin's desk. “We found parcels of raw energy in a dragon's nest. Helen analyzed them and found they were directly from Jake.”
“What are samples of Jake's energy doing there?” asked Torin.
“I salvaged some documents from the nest. Apparently, they are testing something that is supposed to neutralize Jake's power,” said Duncan.
“How did they get those parcels?” asked Jake.
Before anyone could answer, a scream rang right through his head.
Sarah!
Their shared mind link told him everything.
His pulse raced as he appeared beneath the oak tree. Sarah was gone. The portal had shrunk to the size of a pin hole.With his glowing hand, he tore open the portal and plunged in.Falling through the portal into another world, Jake realized that like Sarah, his power was gone. A black gelatinous mound slithered through the woods, carrying Sarah with it.The creature's icy embrace penetrated her skin, chilling her bones. The acrid stench of dung mixed with petroleum made breathing an unpleasant endeavor. Though the paralyzing weakness had faded, the creature's steely grip was unyielding. Without her powers, she could not break free.
If I can just slip out..
Relaxing her body, exhaling every ounce of air from her lungs, she tried to wriggle her way out.
Like beads of mercury, the creature oozed itself into the gaps she made so she had no space to escape.
What is this thing?! It's got to feel some pain...She dug her nails into the creature, but her nails sank in harmlessly as if it were some sort of viscous liquid.Jake's fire was gone. He needed a weapon. Bending over, he picked a sharp rock that lay beside him.
His heart pounded with fury as he sprinted after the creature. Pouncing onto it like a lion upon its prey, he plunged the rock into the dark beast.
The rock sank harmlessly into the living gelatin.
Jake felt trapped in a block of ice. A paralyzing numbness spread throughout his body. He sank helplessly into the black mound, as if it were quicksand.
Sarah watched her world collapse as the creature swallowed her Jake like a snake ingesting a rat. “Jake!”
Apparently, the beast did not find Jake palatable. It spit him out like someone would spit out rotten meat.
A Bara'ad! Should've known.
Covered in a nauseating jelly that smelled like vomit and dung, Jake sprawled out on the grass, his green-flecked eyes darted around searching for something else he could use.
I need fire, or at least something that gives out heat and light.His gaze fell on the golden vines laden with glowing fruit.Fire melons. Bara'ads hate these.
Jake picked up a sharp stone and plunged it into the glowing fruit. The juice-covered stone was like the glowing embers of a fire. It was almost too hot to touch, and it glowed brilliantly.Like a dart throwing champion, he hurled the stone into the Bara'ads eye.
With a piercing shriek, the beast faded into a wisp of black smoke.
Sarah shook uncontrollably as she stood in its place. Her skin was like that of a plucked chicken – goosebumps everywhere. Her grime-coated body stank of petroleum and fresh dung.
“Are you alright?” asked Jake, his voice brimming with tenderness.
“I’ll live,” she replied. The smell of vomit and dung drifted towards her. “Boy, do you stink!” she said with a smile of relief.“So do you,” he laughed. “Now, eat this,” he said as he offered her fire melon.
“Ow!” She dropped the burning fruit, splattering it all over the ground.
“Forgot to warn you about the heat,” laughed Jake as he handed her another fruit.
Gingerly, she bit through its thin skin right into the juicy pulp. The sweet, tangy taste filled her mouth.
The pleasantly hot juice trickled down her throat, into her stomach, warming her from within. She stopped shivering.
“Oh wow. These are better than apples,” she said as she took another bite.
Sarah noticed that her arms were glowing. She realized her skin was fiery as if she were in her warrior form. Excited, she leaped in an attempt to fly, but fell forward instead.
“You won't get your powers back by eating a fruit,” chuckled Jake as he helped her to her feet.
His touch made her skin tingle and turned her heart into a fluttering butterfly.
“Have some more. They'll strengthen you and repel the Bara'ads,” he said as he offered her another fire melon.“Where are we?” she asked.
“In another realm,” he answered as he took her hand.
Her cheeks turned into a pair of ripe tomatoes. Lowering her gaze, she asked, “How do we get back?”
“Normally, I'd tear open a portal and fly home. I usually retain my powers when I go realm hopping. This is the first time I've lost them,” he replied as he munched.
The ground was bronze, littered with marble stones and shimmery emerald clusters that resembled grass. Golden vines laden with fire melons draped over the ground. Shrubs with tiny fruit that glowed like tiny icicles in winter peppered the land.
“This place is beautiful, so unreal,” said Sarah as they explored the land.
“I've been here before. There is something new in this realm that neutralizes our powers," said Jake with a distant look in his eyes.They strolled past a cluster of trees. The tree trunks and branches were like copper. There were no leaves, only huge pear shaped fruit that glowed with red and yellow swirls.
Bronze vines crept up these trees. These were laden with amethyst gourds that shone in the sunlight.
“This world is a lot like home. Most of these fruits are edible. Humans can settle here permanently, living off these fruits, the wild fowl and water from the streams,” said Jake.
The emerald clusters beneath their feet were as soft as the thick piled carpets back home. The air was pleasantly cool. Sweet voices of unseen animals and hidden birds added to the songs of that alien world.
“Look,” said Sarah. Her eyes brightened with excitement as she pointed to a herd of winged horses that flew over the trees. “Wonder what it's like to ride one of those.”