The Four Lands
San Francisco, Two Months Ago
Eretria picked up her brown jacket, with its dark brown leather straps, off the cement floor. She missed this jacket. It was a small need compared to what she experienced with the Bloodfire. Literally.
Eretria was a fair young woman with black hair, braided on one side, and brown eyes. She wore a one-strap dark grey shirt with blue floral patterns sewn into the fabric and brown pants with a belt that reached her thighs. This belt was useful for carrying her two daggers, which she kept on her at all times. Now that she had her brown jacket back, her outfit was complete.
It hadn't been that long ago since she told Wil and Amberle to leave Safehold. It was their burden to save the world now. She was a liability, someone without a say in all of this, whose only real importance was opening the door to the Bloodfire.
Now things were different. She looked back at Cogline, a man going bald, with black hair, and who disguised him to look like a real Troll. The Troll's armor included a gas mask serving as a helmet. He promised he would protect her, thanks to her mother. Now, she was just glad to have company.
"Where are we going?" Eretria asked for the second time since leaving Safehold.
"To a secret realm not far from here," Cogline answered as best he could. He stopped at one of the nearby campsites, telling his men and Eretria, "We camp here for the night. Although I must admit, we're being followed by a strange boy who leaves breadcrumbs and hunts wild boars at night. I think he's after something or someone."
"What's he after?" Eretria asked, concerned.
"That's difficult to say," Cogline answered, pointing to her. "Let's hope that you don't meet up with him. It's bad enough to see the timelines screwed up."
"What?" Eretria asked, confused. "The timelines are screwed up? What's this? I only know one timeline."
"There are many worlds, Eretria. Worlds that I hope you don't encounter anytime soon," Cogline warned her.
She concluded. "It doesn't matter. Wil and Amberle will find me. Wait and see."
"Well, you might stay here for the night until they come," Cogline said.
"Thank you," she said, gladly.
"Don't thank me yet," he said, walking towards his men, while they set up camp.
~o~
Night fell on San Francisco. Eretria slept on her bedroll, wearing her jacket for warmth and comfort, while doing her best to keep out the demons out of her thoughts. Even though the literal demons were taken care of, or so she thought, she couldn't help but wonder if these dark thoughts pursued her for the rest of her life.
Soon the dreams turned into visions. One vision showed her a jungle and a boy wearing green clothes, sitting on a rock, playing a panpipe. The vision shifted to the panpipe lost in a cave. Where was this panpipe? How could she get her hands on it? It was one thing to dream up a vision. It was another to actually have a panpipe as a keepsake.
Eretria wanted that panpipe! She would see to it that she got one, before the night was out!
She awoke. No way. There was no one with her. All she could see was Cogline looking out from his post. Was she still asleep? She turned to the men but discovered they were sleeping. She got up and walked past them, hoping she could find Wil and get him to explain what was going on.
She snuck past the sleeping figures, who were breathing evenly, lost in their own dreams. No, she wasn't dreaming. She pinched herself and found she was awake. At last, she reached the druid and sat down beside him.
"When will Wil show up?" Eretria asked, concerned.
"He'll be here," Cogline said, handing a pouch over to a boy wearing the same forest green clothes, like the ones in Eretria's vision. Eretria looked at him in concern, realizing she was being sold. Again.
"What are you doing?" Eretria asked, pulling her dagger out. "What's going on? You promised my mother that you would protect me!"
"I am!" Cogline said, encouraging her.
"This doesn't look like you're protecting me. What's going on?" Eretria asked, jumpy.
"Put that weapon down! No one's selling you tonight!" Cogline said, serious. He moved the boy out of the shadows, revealing to her that this boy had short blonde hair and a mischievous look on his face. "This is Peter Pan. He's going to take you to Neverland. Here." He passed to Eretria Wil's leaf-shaped pendant. "This belongs to Wil. Give it to him when you see him. You'll be reunited with him and Allanon soon."
"But… I don't understand," Eretria said, confused.
"The moment Wil left the Four Lands, our timeline collided with the other timelines," Cogline answered. "That isn't the only part of the riddle. The timelines have met before, back when the First World was created. When it fell, the worlds were born." He said, out of urgency, "Now go. Let Peter Pan bring you to Neverland."
"Wait." Eretria stopped the druid before he left her for good. "One thing doesn't add up. Why am I being sent to another realm? Are the Four Lands in danger? Is that why you're sending me away?"
"Oh child, there's more to this riddle than you know," Cogline said, walking away from her at last.
Eretria looked at Cogline in confusion. What was he asking her to do again? Follow a boy to Neverland, expecting to go on another adventure? The last time she wound up on an adventure, she almost got killed! In fact, she was dead once on her last quest. She did not want the same thing to happen to her again.
No way, no how was she letting anyone take her life this time. She would ensure that.
"Are you ready?" Peter Pan asked, curios.
"For what?" Eretria asked, looking at him in concern.
"This," Peter blew gold dust at her, forcing her to spit and cough, attempting to keep the dust out of her eyes. She didn't know what was going on, just that her body lifted off the ground on its own. This was the strangest feeling she ever felt!
"What is this?" Eretria asked, bewildered. "I feel… free." And she liked it!
"Come with me to Neverland," Peter said, taking her hand and leading her through a gold-framed portal to an island surrounded by water. Why did this look so familiar? Surely, she wasn't here before, right?