Between Worlds

Chapter 2

"Wow." Mark stares in awe at the trees around him. Never had he seen a forest so beautiful in his entire life. While he hated to admit it, this place really was calming him down. "We're about to reach the end of the trail." Marzia mentioned. Mark looked ahead of them and indeed found the mist to be thickening. "Aw man." Mark muttered. "We should head back." Felix announced as they came to a stop. "Mark?" Said man ignored them staring out into the forest. Once again he had that feeling like it was calling for him. "You guys go ahead and head back." Felix scoffed, "like hell we are. Mark you can't go in there." Mark clicked his tongue turning back towards the couple. "I'm not going to go in there. I was just want to stay over here it's-" he turned back towards the mist.

"Calming." Felix signed before patting him on the back. "Alright, just make sure to head back before it gets dark." Mark nodded waving to the couple. "Nice to meet you Mark!" Marzia called. "You too." He smiled before turning back. The call was stronger now that the two were gone and he sighed before sitting cross legged. "Of course the danger is calling to me." He huffed smirking. "I laugh in the face of danger, ha ha ha." Mark sighed laughing slightly. "Yeah that didn't end to well." 

The trees swayed slightly in the wind, though the most stayed still as if it was frozen. Then that small trail of mist that had been wrapped around his legs the whole time unraveled once more. Mark hummed watching it trail towards the forest before coming back to him. Mark's eyebrows arched as he stood once more. With a deep breath he stepped off of the trail and towards the forest. "This is dumb, this is so dumb." He mumbled with each step he took until he was standing at the edge of the mist. "Why do I do this to myself?" He mumbled before pushing in. To his surprise the most cleared up as soon as he stepped through.

Though looking behind him he could see the thick wall of mist still there. "Odd." He hummed. Mark jumped slightly when out of the thick fog that small trail of mist returned wrapping around him once more but coming up to his hand. "Uh hi?" He felt stupid saying that until the mist wrapped even high up till it was right in his face. Mark hesitantly reached up and gasp when he was able to touch the mist which felt almost like silky fur. "The hell." As crazy as this situation was, he found himself smiling as he softly pet the mist.

That is until he heard a twig snap. He whipped his head around to find a wolf snarling at him. "Oh shit." Mark back away slowly, the angry wolf only approaching him faster. He was prepared to die when the wolf jumped at him. However the most unraveled from his shoulders and shot straight at the wolf which back down immediately. Mark was in confusion as the wolf began to whimper as if being scolded before running away with a whine. 

As if Mark wasn't already confused the most turned back towards him and cuddled up in his chest again. "Uh, thank you?"

"He must like you."

Mark screamed jumping six feet before turning around. 'Hey, that's the person from the market.' after taking a much needed breath, mark straightened up. "He?"

"Ale."

"Ale?"

"Ale."

"Like the drink?"

The person, whom mark now confirmed to be a man, shrugged. This ale, thing uncurled from Mark once more and wrapped around the other. "He doesn't usually protect the ones who come in here. You must be special." Mark narrowed his eyes. "And who are you?" The person shrugged. "I don't believe you need to know that." Mark huffed, "well, we're both in a prohibited area of the forest." The hooded person tilted their head. "Prohibited?" Now Mark was just getting annoyed. "You know what I don't even know why I'm trying, there's no point." Turning on his heel Mark exited the forest not looking back at the strange person. 

As he made his way back toward the trail though he couldn't help but look back at the forest. It was still calling to him and that mist, ale, had protected him from that wolf. So with a sigh, Mark turned and walked right back in.

"Oh, so you returned?" Mark nodded with a sigh. "Yeah I'm kind of an ass sometimes." 

"A what?"

Mark looked up at the man and arched an eyebrow. "You don't..." he trailed off looking at the mist that the man was softly petting. "Can you, communicate with that- with Ale?" The man nodded looking on his shoulder at the mist. "How?" The man hummed staying silent. "What are you?" Mark asked and the man sighed. "I'm...how do you put it into words?" Mark waited patiently for the man to figure it out. "The best translation I can give to you is Intemerata." 

"Inte...merata?"

The man nodded as Mark thought. "I assume you don't speak that language." Mark bit his lip. "Actually, it's in Latin." 

"Eh?"

Mark slightly smiled at the noise from the man. "It's Latin, I took Latin for a few years when I was younger." The man hummed. "So you understand?" Mark shook his head. "Not necessarily. I speak English but I understand some Latin words." The man nodded slowly. "So, in your language it would be...?" Mark thought again before answering. "It would mean untouchable."

"How appropriate." The man mumbled.

"What does that mean?" The man sighed, "maybe another day." Mark huffed crossing his arms. "So, do you not understand english?" The man shook his head. "Not necessarily. I have a basic understanding of human vocabulary, but as I have a different first language it's difficult to understand." 

"So like are you an alien of sort?"

"I already told you I'm an intemerata."

"No like...ugh this is confusing."

"It's complicated, not confusing."

Mark scoffed getting annoyed again. "Then explain."

"That's difficult."

Mark groaned slapping his hands over his eyes.

"I can't understand if you don't explain." As if sensing his anger, Ale, trailed over to Mark and wrapped around his hand. Mark hummed looking at the thing before lightly petting it. "I still don't understand this thing." The man shrugged, "if I'm being honest neither do I. He's a strange thing." Mark smiles slightly. 

"I-I can try to explain as much as I can. Though I can't guarantee you'll understand any of it." Mark nodded but raised a hand. "Can ask why, you're telling me this though?" The man shrugged. "You're different."