Promise of the World [Canaan, Book 1]

Chapter Six || Resolution

"Yeah, my body feels light, but not as if I'm floating. I've always been athletic; however, I'm pretty sure I gave any Olympic sprinter a run for the gold." Darren grinned sunnily. It was the first time that he had smiled for real after setting foot into this world. Essairyn really did seem to calm him down with her relaxed yet enthusiastic outlook.

The two laughed and ran carefree on the road for some time. Darren experimented with his robust body and reveled in his superhuman strength. He could certainly get used to this extraordinary feeling of airiness.

As they talked, Akari listened with feigned indifference. Darren shared that he played basketball recreationally, but he used to be in his high school team. He enjoyed video games, alternative music, and action movies. He had a younger brother and sister, and a golden retriever. Their family lived in the suburbs, and he attended college to study business a few hours away in the city.

Essairyn enjoyed many of the same recreations and also had a family dog, a little terrier mutt from the rescue. However, she was an only child and commuted to a college close from home. She also majored in business, but she loved the arts and dreamed of a job that could satisfy her restless imagination.

Before long, they reached a little farmhouse with fenced animals in the back. It was now the evening. They decided to stop here and ask the owners if they could stay for the night. The farm owners were the Welforts, a hospitable, somewhat elderly couple. They had been repairing a section of the fence where a pack of wolves had broken it the night before.

Thankfully, all the animals had been safe inside the shed. However, it was unheard of for wolves to leave the forest much less run into human habitation. The travelers offered to help fix the fence in return for letting them sleep overnight. The Welforts gratefully agreed as they still had their daily chores to do.

While they were fixing, Darren asked Essairyn, "By the way, did you know there would be a farm here?"

She shrugged and honestly replied, "No, I just guessed we'll hit something along the way."

Darren gave her a look of mock exasperation. "Seriously?" He had really read this girl wrong. She really hadn't planned anything at all!

"Yeah, but camping out is not so bad either." She grinned with a wink.

He could only shake his head in amusement. "You're really taking this adventure thing to a whole other level, aren't you? Remind me why I followed you?"

Essairyn tilted her head up in a thoughtful pose. "Because I'm awesome?" Darren snorted. "You didn't have to come with me, but I'm glad you did." Essairyn chuckled. "You were the first person also from Earth that I met, and so soon after I arrived too. I couldn't just let you go."

Sheepish, Darren scratched his chin. "Hah, it's not like I had any other place to go. And I agree it's comforting having someone in the same boat. Although.." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm surprised that you're so calm about this whole situation. You just told me about your time in the forest. I can't imagine that I'd be able to survive one night in that forest if I didn't have your powers. You're not scared at all?"

"Hmm," Essairyn hummed. "I suppose it would seem that way. I think I'm just much more excited than upset about the prospects of living in a magical world than a mundane one. Especially with my magic, I feel a surge of confidence like never before. Of course, I'll miss my family and friends, and I'll probably get homesick later, but for now... I'm okay." She nodded to herself and looked over at Darren with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

He looked back with mixed emotions. Her blasé attitude was visibly apparent, but he noticed a trace of sadness in her voice at the end. Even if her magical abilities warranted her some security in a strange world, they had both lost everything and everyone they had ever known and loved. Surely, she was suffering on the inside. But even right now, he wasn't as miserable as he ought to be. Perhaps it was a delayed or prolonged reaction that would bite back at random times, or maybe she was simply rubbing off on him.