World Of Beauty (Arula: Four)

Chapter 4

They left Arkum that following morning. Karma not wasting any time. The faster they got to Abaddon, the better, was her thoughts. They rode in silence throughout that morning. Which was fine by Jason. He didn't want to talk, for one, being his thoughts were not on the current situation, but on his own situation. The cloaked man's visit. Jason's first thoughts were to tell Karma and Dagner about this mysterious man, but then, his thoughts turned elsewhere. What if he could actually get home? To see his mother again? His brother and his family? That's all Jason wanted. But was going home be putting this world at risk? If not this world, then what about his own world? Would giving this cloaked man Karma's book worth going home if this world and his was going crumble before he knew it? 

What if the cloaked man didn't bring him home? What if it was all just a lie? A trick? All of this battled around in Jason's mind as he thought about it. As Jason's thoughts pulled away, his horse reared up, neighed, and snorted like crazy. "Whoa!" Jason said as he tried to gain a better grip on the horse's reins. Karma and Dagner jumped into action as they pulled up their horse, and pony, up to Jason's horse and calmed down the beast. Karma grabbed the other part of the reins and pulled the horse's head down along with its body. The horse stopped rearing, but still neighed nervously, snorting, and puffing. Jason had long ago fallen off the horse, his dazed mind staring at the blue midafternoon sky.

Dagner hopped off his pony and pulled Jason to feet, chuckling. "Having fun, lad?" The dwarf chuckled still. Jason shook his head viciously.

"Yeah," he said. "I'll be fine." Dagner laughed and slapped Jason on the shoulder. "What made him go all nuts-o?" Jason asked taking the reins back from Karma who handed them to him.

"Well," she said pulling herself on Pepper's back. "I'll give you one wild guess. Your horsy here is scared of the Umber Forest, which meaning it's his first time riding this far out in Arula." Jason looked past Karma to realize that she was right. A borderline of trees grew in the distance, its shadows stretching over the travelers. Jason gulped. The last time he was in these woods was when he first arrived here. And that was no more than two of months ago. Climbing on his horse, Jason followed his companions into the dark forest. Jason heard a small squawk and looked up to find the rat-bat creature from last night. The cloaked man's "creation" as he called it. And Jason knew that the cloaked man was near, watching, and waiting. 

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By midevening, Karma told her companions to break for camp. They made a fire and ate their dried meat, which tasted awful. They had to drink their water just to help with the taste. When the sun set, Dagner drank a whole bottle of ale and fell right to sleep. Karma chuckled at that. "Does he always do that?" Jason asked watching the sleeping dwarf. Karma nodded.

"Most times." She said. "But that's what we love about him." There was long silence then. Jason broke it when he could no longer hold in his main question.

"How do you do it?" He asked.

"Do what?" Karma answered, tilting her head at Jason.

"This." Jason replied separating his arms out. "This. This... everything." Karma looked at him for a long moment, in deep thought. She blinked slowly at Jason then nodded, more to herself than Jason. Reaching next to her, Karma brought her satchel next to her. Opening it, she took out her book.

"With this." Karma said showing Jason the cover. Jason scooted over closer to Karma to get a closer look. The book shined brightly against the fire light, as if the book itself it was alive. Karma then took her necklace key out from under her shirt and unlocked the book. She flipped through the pages allowing Jason to see every drawing she ever drew since she was ten years old. "I just draw whatever comes to mind in this. Then I say these words-" Karma showed Jason the page with the weird language "-and whatever page I'm on, the creature, or thing, comes to life."

"Do you know what the words mean?" Jason asked scanning the odd words. Karma shook her head.

"No idea." She said closing the book and locking it back up. "But all I know is that whoever has this book can create anything they want to this world." Karma quickly summarize the day she got it and what the old woman who sold it to her said. "And that was the last time I ever saw that old lady. So it's not like I can back to those shopping tents and ask her." Jason nodded, somewhat understanding. "Well, we better get some sleep." Karma said locking and putting her book back in its bag. "Good night, Jason. I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"Night, Karma." Jason replied, but didn't say anything else. As Jason got settled into his spot leaning against his horse's saddle, he watched as Karma put the satchel behind her back as she, herself, got settled against her own horse's saddle. Within the half hour, the whole camp was quiet. Jason, half asleep, half awake, wondered what would happen if he just took that satchel with the book inside it and gave it to the cloaked man. Then he wondered, what would happen if he didn't?