Chapter 1: Welcome to Tazmily

This chapter will be told from Ness's point of view.

After hours of what seemed like endless falling, I had finally found myself in a strange place. It looked both familiar and completely alien. I was in a forest that was surrounded by large, craggy mountains and I'm guessing, the ocean, only based off of the faint sound of waves crashing against a cliff side. I could hear the sound of what I could only guess to be a dragon roaring in the distance, there was a sweet smell in the air, almost like cinnamon. Looking around I saw many creatures that looked rather recognisable, such as what we have affectionately come to call 'Mr. Batty', which was a collective name for a species of bat that roamed the forests of my home town. Wait? Where is my home town? I'm clearly not in it now, so, where am I?

This Forest I stood in was very dense and at the same time, very open. There were spots in the forest where the forest covered the ground and others in which the grass could be seen from. Some of the grassy patches were yellow and dry and some open areas of the forest had no grass at all. A few of the trees that I could see were blackened, almost as if they had either been struck by lightening or set on fire.

"Hello?" a voice cried out in the distance.

I turned my head in hopes of seeing where that distant voice had originated and to my surprise, I saw a young boy, no younger than 13, who was stood a little over two meters away from me. I could only wonder why he was so quiet despite being so close, but the only conclusion I could draw was that he was a very shy and mild-mannered person who would try to avoid confrontation at all costs.

This boy was about as tall as I am and yet, he seemed a lot smaller, he was dressed rather similarly to me, he was wearing a striped red and yellow t-shirt with blue shorts and red and beige shoes. He had adorable chubby cheeks and big blue eyes, but his hair was the real attention seeker, his hair was a bright blonde that could almost be mistaken for yellow and he had a big, pointy quiff, he kind of looked like he just woke up like that

"Hi." I returned.

He eyed me up and down as if he was trying to identify me, but the tense expression on his face seemed to tell me that he couldn't work out who I am. This alarmed me… knowing I was in a strange place where no-one knew me meant that no-one could help me… or so I thought.

"erm… Are you alright?" asked the strange boy.

"Yeah… I think so… you?" I asked, I tried to keep the awkward conversation moving, but it proved to be a challenge.

"Yes thank you… I'm good…" replied the boy. "If you don't mind me asking… I've never seen you around here before… are you new here or something…?"

"Well… I… Don't really… know…"

"What? You don't know if you live here?"

"Well… I can't remember…"

"do you remember your name?"

"No… I can't… I can't remember anything…" I stood still for a moment, letting this 'amnesia' wash over me… my memories were not completely gone… I could still remember some people's faces, although I had no earthly idea of who they were or how their voices sounded but I could easily picture their faces. I could even remember the way my hometown looked, many square buildings with colourful signs and bright colours everywhere one looked. There was a big building made of brown bricks that had a big sign on it that said 'Drug store' that had a big tarp on top of it. Whenever someone walked on the road, they ran the risk of being hit by a car because everyone in this town was a dangerous driver. See? I could remember all of these small details and yet, I couldn't even remember something simple like the town's name or the names of my friends… how frustrating!

"Um… Don't worry. I'm sure your memories will return soon!"

"Yeah… I hope so."

"and besides… A psychic like you should be able to remember in no time at all!" he said optimistically.

"A psychic?" I responded. "I'm a psychic?"

"Yeah you are… aren't you?" he asked curiously. "I mean you must be because I can sense it."

"Well I guess so…" I said hesitantly. "Wait! If you could sense me… then you must be a psychic!"

The boy paused for a moment and then smiled showing many teeth which were all a pristine white and were all in line with each other. This boy took care and pride in his dental hygiene.

"Yes, I am… I haven't had my powers very long though." The mysterious boy said whilst continuing to show his stunning smile. He then looked down at his feet as he locked away his radiant smile with his rosy lips. He looked saddened by what he was thinking about but then upon realising I was still watching him, he looked up and smiled again.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"What? me… Um… yes… I'm fine."

He may have said that he was fine, but his face told a different story. His eyes painted a picture of a very long past with many souls lost… perhaps the souls of people he loved.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked the boy.

"Yes, I do!" the boy replied. His face seemed to have perked up, almost as if he is relieved that the subject had been changed. "we're in Tazmily Village in the NoWhere Islands."

"NoWhere Islands?" I had never heard of such a place in all my life. I then began to wonder if this was the home town in the farthest reaches of my memory of which the name I can't recall. Maybe I was in the place that I knew as my home but there was no way I could be sure. No way to know for certain.

Me and the boy started to walk through the forest and into the cute little village which looked rather western like something that you would see in a cowboy movie, the buildings were very well maintained and looked like a few of them sold some merchandise of some kind… there was a little shop that sold trinkets and weapons and other kinds of things like balls and skittles for playing ball games that seemed to be a lovely pass time in this quaint little village. There was even a bakery that had the most delicious looking iced buns, sausage rolls, cupcakes, cookies, chewy biscuits and… cinnamon rolls? Is that why it smells like cinnamon?

"Hey! Can you tell me why it smells like cinnamon here?" I asked curiously.

"Oh! That's because of the bakery in the village, it's honestly like it doesn't stop. You can smell the fresh cakes and pastries all day long."

My stomach began to rumble and grumble as we eyed up the yummy treats, my mouth watered as I couldn't help but stare at the perfectly round cinnamon roll… next to steak, this was one of my favourite foods… if only I had some money with me… oh wait! I do… but I don't know this place, my money may not be any good here, what is a lot of money in my home may be worth less than a penny in the Nowhere islands.

"Hey! What's the currency here?" I asked curiously.

"Currency?"

The strange boy looked at me with a very puzzled expression on his face, I assumed that due to his young age, he may not have understood some of the complex words I was using.

"You know… the money you use here…"

"Oooooh!" he responded knowing that the ambiguity had been cleared up. "We use Dragon points here… do you?"

"No, I don't, I have about three dollars with me, I left most of my money at home… but it's no good here"

"I have a few dragon points!" he said excitedly. "Wanna get a bite to eat from this bakery?"

"You don't mind?" I responded.

"Oh course not! My mom taught me to treat everyone I meet with kindness and generosity and I feel like you may need it!"

"Oh… well… thank you very much!" I said as I began to grin at him, I couldn't comprehend such kindness, such unconditional generosity was unheard of where I come from, many people believed that what is yours is yours only, but clearly the Nowhere islands have a different way of life… a much more preferable way of life. The entirety of the village we stood in was wrapped in a warm and light energy, this village was so small, I wondered if everyone here knew one another and maybe, that's where this kindness extends from.

We both quickly stepped into the small bakery and eyed up so many different treats that stood before us, the strange boy that I had been walking around with scratched his bright blonde quiff as he was trying to decide what he wanted, he seemed very unsure of what looked appealing to him, of course it all looked delicious. I knew what I wanted but I decided to keep it to myself until he knew what he wanted because I didn't want to seem rude, after all, this was his treat and I didn't want to appear like I was using him.

The baker then appeared from the kitchen dressed in his white overalls and chef's hat.

"Hello Lucas! What can I get for you today?" asked the baker.

"Lucas?" I asked.

"Yeah…" a look of shock and realisation over came his face. "Oh my gosh! I never told you my name! that was so rude of me… I'm Lucas, nice to meet you… again."

I smiled at him as I reassured him that it was okay, after all, I didn't give him my name… not like I could remember it.

"Well hello Lucas… I'm… err!... Um… Nice to meet you!"

"Pffft…" Lucas sounded as he tried not to laugh. "still can't remember, eh?"

"Yeah…"

"Who's your little friend, Lucas?" asked the baker curiously.

"Well he can't really remember his name…" Lucas said.

"Oh well, I'm sure it will come back…" said the baker reassuringly.

"I hope so…" I said optimistically.

"Anyways, what'll it be fellas?"

"Oh, I'll have a cinnamon roll, what would you like?" Lucas said clearly, he was definitely trying to make sure he spoke clearly and didn't mumble.

"I'll have the same please." I answered.

"Coming right up…" said the baker.

"You like cinnamon rolls too?" I asked Lucas.

"Yeah, they're one of my favourite foods, other than steak."

"Oh! Same here except, Omelettes are my favourite food…"

Just as we finished our last sentences, the baker emerged once more with two paper bags in each of his hands.

"Here you go, boys. One cinnamon roll for each of you."

"Thank you very much" said Lucas politely.

"Yes, thank you." I mimicked.

"That'll be four dragon points please…" said the baker.

"Here you go, sir." Lucas said as he handed the baker two golden coins that were both worth two dragon points. The baker then opened his cash register and placed the two coins in carefully.

"Have a good day, you two!" said the baker politely.

"Yeah you too!" exclaimed Lucas.

"Thank you" I said politely.

We then sat at a bench and proceeded to sink our teeth in our delicious treats. Lucas handed me the paper bag and I opened it eagerly, Lucas did the same and we then began to tuck in. Nothing but the sound of us eating could be heard from the two of us as we both looked at each other and smiled with our full mouths.

We finished eating our soft, warm cinnamon rolls as we watched the world pass us by. Many of the people who walked past us said hello to Lucas which only verifies what I had previously concluded about the town, everyone at least knew of everyone, some more so than others.

Suddenly, the skies above us began to darken, a heavy downpour soon followed. This downpour was like something in a disaster movie, it was so heavy and so out of the blue, it was like someone caused it, but that's impossible. Before this, the brick pavement seemed very dry, almost charred. As the rain hit the bricks we walked on, they were gulped down deep into the arid dirt. The rain drops as quickly as they fell from the clouds above, the rain fell fast and formed puddles on the ground before they were absorbed into the parched earth.

"Come on!" said the blonde. "let's get out of this rain!"

I nodded in agreement and then dashed off with Lucas. We passed an allotment of cute little houses with flowers growing in pots that were underneath the windows. It appeared that many of the residents of the town had a similar idea to us and had decided to get out of the rain as quickly as they could. We soon approached a cliffside with a very scenic view and a well-kept log cabin atop it. We approached the entrance of this log cabin, the latter of which had a dog-house in front of it which read the name 'Boney'. This Log cabin had a beautiful garden with brightly coloured flowers that appeared to be singing and celebrating in the rain, I can only assume that they were parched, much like the dirt they grew in.

We stumbled up the stairs onto the porch where the rain couldn't reach us. Lucas turned the door knob and invited me in. The interior of this log cabin was tasteful. All the furnishings had an aesthetically pleasing theme and looked well-maintained. The cabin itself was very tidy and it was clear that everything had its own place. Atop the dining table, there sat a vase with a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers inside it. There were also many photo frames that had been sat there for so long that they had gathered so much dust that you couldn't see the photo inside it.

"Just make yourself comfortable." Lucas said. "if this rain doesn't let up, you may be here for a while."

"Okay" I replied.

I took off my rucksack and placed it gently on a peg near the door and then proceeded to sit down on the sofa. Looking around, I could see that this boy, or anyone else who lived here, had received a very large number of unopened letters and presents, a few of which were either addressed to someone named Flint or Claus, but judging by how untouched everything seemed, I'd guess that this mysterious boy was the only person who lived here.

"So, I've been meaning to ask…" I said as he looked back at me with a puzzled expression on his face. "Do you live alone?"

"Yeah… I live on my own…" replied Lucas, he seemed like he was withholding information of some kind, but I didn't want to pry. "it's helpful though, for situations like this one, someone needs my help, so I offer them a place to sleep without having to ask anyone beforehand. Say… do you remember your name yet?"

"No." I replied coldly. "I can't remember anything… Wait? You said I'm a psychic, right?"

"Um… yeah?" Lucas said.

"And you said you're a psychic… does that mean you can read minds?"

"I think so… truthfully, I've only been contacted telepathically, I've never opened a telepathic link myself." Lucas said as he began to fidget. "I'm not sure how it works, I don't know if I can do it."

"Sure, you can!" I said enthusiastically. "You were able to sense me from quite a while away so surely at this distance it should be easy, right?"

"I guess so." He reluctantly replied. "Wait? Why do you want me to read your mind?"

"I think you may be able to help me remember who I am." I said with a smile on my face.

"Well okay then, I guess I could give it a try."

Lucas closed his eyes and put his hands together. The air surrounding his hands began to glow and his face tensed. He opened his eyes and looked straight into mine. In a short time later, I began to hear a voice in my head.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Lucas? Is that you?" I replied.

"Yes! It worked! I can communicate telepathically! This is amazing!" Lucas replied.

"This is so cool!" I replied.

Lucas fell silent in my mind, I opened my eyes to see if he was alright and he appeared to be fine, he just looked like he was deep in focus.

A few minutes had passed, and I was beginning to worry that there may not even be a memory of my name, I began to think that my name and the names of all the people I knew were lost forever until Lucas opened his eyes again excitedly.

"Ness Wyatt." He said with a grin on his face. "Your name is Ness Wyatt."

"Ness Wyatt?" I questioned. "Hmm… It doesn't feel right. Although I'm not certain what my name is so I guess it works."

"well I'm glad I was able to help." Lucas responded.

In a matter of seconds later, hundreds, no, thousands of memories began to flash before my eyes. Miraculously, I could remember almost everything.

"I… I remember…" I mumbled.

"you remember what?" Lucas questioned.

"I can remember my friends… Paula, Poo and Jeff, I can also remember the town I come from… A place called Onett in Eagleland." I paused for a moment, as if a memory came back and then soon disappeared again. "Hmmm…"

"What is it?" Asked Lucas concernedly.

"I had something… But it's gone" I said disappointedly.

"Wait? You say you come from Onett in Eagleland… But I've never heard of it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Lucas pulled out a world map and began looking for somewhere named Eagleland. "See… I'm sorry but Eagleland doesn't exist."

"But that's impossible!" I protested.

"Here… see for yourself…" Lucas said as he handed me the map.

I began to panic as I searched the entire map for even a trace of where I come from… My search was in vein.

"I don't understand… How could Eagleland just vanish?" I asked.

"I don't know but I will do everything I possibly can to help you find it." Lucas said as he put his hand on my shoulder with a gentle and warm smile on his face. We both then turned our attention back to the map to make sure that we hadn't missed anything and yet… there was nothing to miss.