The Travellers - Chronicles of Eris

New York

Annabelle gathered strength and fought against the numbness in her limbs. She heard a loud gasp for air followed by heavy breathing.

»Belle?« Shouted the voice that completely brought her consciousness back. She sat jerkingly and her head was pounding while her temples throbbed. As she turned to her best friend she noticed a long wound above his eyebrow.

»You won't believe what I dreamed. I –« he began to tell excitedly but frowned because of pain. Confused he touched his face.

»What –«

Annabelle took over the conversation.

»Jason, this wasn't a dream. Please give me the ring.«

»No, I was in this world full of technology and eagles. People rode them and –no they called them aviators. They flew so high and one of them cut me ... right here!« He recounted and his eyes widened as his finger touched the open wound.

»What? Did I bump into something? This can't be true« he whispered.

Annabelle looked at him insightful and hoped he finally understood. This, what he had thought was a dream, was pure reality.

»Wow, what a coincidence« he laughed nervously and looked down on his hand. A few drops of blood welled from his wound and he wiped his hand on his jeans.

She shook her head.

«Please hand me the ring« she requested and took off her necklace and the bracelet. She shivered as the cool metal glided over her skin and Jason took off the ring, still a bit overwhelmed.

»It's not a dream« she repeated and took the casket out of her bag to place the portal bearers in it.

»You are talking nonsense« he laughed.

»You were in Belion« she remembered Rafaels words as she had excluded the possibility that Jason had been in Balia because of the aviator he spoke about.

»What ... How do you know?« He stuttered baffled and sat straight.

»We were both on Eris. The necklace, the ring and the bracelet brought us there« she explained patiently.

»That's exactly what they told me. I thought ... I was dreaming. That is crazy« he replied and leaned back. Stretched out he relaxed on the grass and closed his eyes to take a moment and take a few breaths.

»Where were you?« He asked after some time.

»I landed in an enormous forest full of animals and turned ones. Later I was in Alyntos« she answered.

»They told you about the turned? Even about the black rain?« He interrupted her and widened his eyes.

She nodded.

»Did you get ...« he began and pointed at his ear.

Annabelles eyes widened and she nodded.

»A language mediator. I was so scared. I thought I was gonna die« she laughed followed by a yawn.

She still felt dizzy and tired. It was strange to wake up from a long sleep and feel more exhausted than before. Theoretically she didn't sleep at all but rather explored a completely new world which made her doubt her sense of reality.

»Do you have a headache too?« Jason asked.

»Yes and I'm hungry« she laughed.

****

»You know that I thought was crazy? Maverick knew Anna« Annabelle said as she ate a piece of her croissant. They had sneaked down from the roof and thrown Pablos keys into his locker and now sat in a busy cafe right around the corner.