Okay after this chapter I am putting up another one before I stop for a while. I don't know if anyone read the author not at the end of the last chapter, but I do highly suggest going back to do so. Anyway thanks NewSatan for letting me adopt and write this story, I hope you don't mind that I condensed two chapters at one point so this story might end up slightly shorter in chapter numbers than it originally was.
Chapter 10: A New Light
While back on Earth it had only been a full day since both Mr. Ganger and the Brawlers had started repairing the portal, however, with the amount of Brawlers in the group the teamwork made the job of the task much quicker and easier in some cases. Now as the sun sat on another day of hard work the team grew weary.
"Man am I pooped." Baron announced as he slumped onto a couch.
He could get away with doing so as the gang had called it quits for the day just a few moments ago and the majority of them had went from the basement to the upstairs kitchen for some refreshments.
"We've certainly come a long way with everyone pitching in their all." Ace said as he was the first to return to the downstairs couch and handed off a glass of water to Baron who took it graciously, "At this rate we should be in Roa a few days from now."
"I wonder what Roa is like?" Julie's voice filtered into the room as she was coming down the stairs with both Alice and Runo.
Mr. Granger jumped into Julie's conversation as he exited the work room, "My parents said it was a most beautiful and luscious place. I think even more beautiful than Earth from their descriptions, but then again my parents might have been exaggerating a bit."
"Can you tell us more about Roa, Mr. Granger?" Alice asked as everyone got themselves situated.
"Certainly." Mr. Granger replied with a smile and took a seat in an empty armchair before he began, "Well, to start off my parents told me that they used to live in a lovely little town called Fameriosa, which is supposedly the capital of all of Roa. They claimed it looked a lot like London only less crowded and polluted. Then on the west side of town they said there was a large castle similar to the ones of Earth's only more liveable. This castle is said to belong to the Serlins who keep all of Roa just and peaceful. Now as for the Roans themselves look similar to Earthlings only most have wings and tails with some exception of those with just wings and those without both tails and wings. Those like myself without both tails and wings are called Grienies."
Everyone jumped as the clock in the room struck the hour and let out a musical alarm to ring in the new hour.
"My goodness it's certainly late in the day." Mr. Granger remarked.
"We should all go home and rest up for tomorrow then." Marucho stated, "We'll continue our work at 8am, is everyone fine with that?"
They all nodded in unison before dispersing and then returning their glasses to the kitchen before bidding farewell to the old man and then to each other.
Meanwhile, back on Roa, while his friends on Earth were happily working for their answers, Dan was dealing with his own issues, but not with a certain blonde getting all touchy feely with him. Gevia had left both him and Ramere outside a door, while she ventured inward and Dan was wishing he had begged her to take either him or this pervert with her.
"Get off me!" Dan snarled as Ramere was making another attempt at ensaring him in his embracement.
"Why should I love? There's no reason to fear me as I only want to shower you with my affections." Ramere pouted mockingly his tail twitching happily as if it was enjoying the scene playing out before it.
Dan glared at the taller blonde menacingly, "I'm not scared of you and don't call me that, I'm not your anything as far as I am concerned. Now stay away from me or I'll give you more scratches."
Ramere laughed once more before he stopped to reply curtly, "So violent you are my little Reabun."
"I'm only violent because you won't stop harassing me and you don't seem to understand the concept of personal space." Dan grumbled.
"Personal space shouldn't matter between lovers." Ramere purred as he inched closer to the brunette.
Dan inched away as he spoke, "Well sorry you must have missed the memo that we aren't lovers."
"Oh, but we are-" Ramere started to say before Gevia opened the door to interrupt them.
"Honestly you two, now behave and come in." Gevia gently scolded as she held the door open.
Dan shot a scowl at Ramere as the blonde proceeded before him to line up with Gevia and then Dan followed them in. The room they entered was fairly large and round with all the windows having the drapes drawn in. It felt like a sort of office, but more like a throne room, then again Dan had to remember that he was in a castle. He soon saw another familiar face as Druvious greeted Gevia and Ramere. They had a sort of small talk conversation before a booming voice snapped everyone's attention to the back of the room where a older man stood with an air of authority about him.
"Ayemien Haven, welcome to Roa and welcome to the Serlins." Said the older man.
"Ayemien? My name is Dan, people." Dan corrected.
"Not anymore." Said an older woman who step out from behind the older man, "You were reborn here on Roa so your old Earthling attachments have been discarded so as you've started in a new body so you began with a new name. The boy you once were is dead and no longer needed on Earth. You need to accept that."
Dan became silent as he thought about it and then the old man took his chance to speak.
"Anyway allow us to properly introduce ourselves, I am the head Serlin here at the castle, known as Xivius and this is my wife, Vejes." Xivius said, "I was going to explain about the name change, but Vejes beat me to it so I'll continue onto the other orders of business. So any questions?"
"Yeah," Dan replied, "I've got a few, why am I here? Who are the Serlins exactly and what are Doriens and Reabuns?"
The questions he had been wanting answered could now finally be and his information complete, but newer questions were frothing forth for him. Why? Why him? Why now?
Everyone was surprised at the surge of questions, but Xivius shook off his shock and went on.
"Why you are here, we don't know exactly and I think that's more for you to figure out and decide on yourself. Fate sure is funny about that. Now as for what Serlins are exactly, we are or more like we act like sort of guardians to the people of Roa and if we ever go to war, we are the warriors that Roa should ever need." Xivius explained and then paused to catch his breath a bit.
"So like the police in a way?" Dan concluded.
"I suppose, but our government is operated by us Serlins. Could describe us to be the glue of our towns that we operate in." Xivius went on, "Now as for Doriens and Reabuns, those formal terms for relationship status here on Roa. A Dorien is a Roan born with a tattoo or a very unique birthmark somewhere on their body and a Reabun is one born without such. How this applies to relationship statuses is that in a relationship, the Dorien is the dominant one and has to in some way, mostly through biting, they transfer their mark to their claimed Reabun, who is the non dominant one of the relationship. I suppose we could refer to as a Partner-Property relationship of sorts. Now never does relationships with two Doriens or two Reabuns ever occur, it always has to be Dorien-Reabun."
"So that explains what Ramere meant when he called me a Reabun." Dan muttered and then Xivius cocked an eyebrow before suddenly moving to stand right in front of Dan, "What?"
"You are saying that Ramere has bitten you?" Xivius inquired, "Where?"
Dan showed him the spot he had been itching which now had a gold butterfly with a red outline sort of tattoo on his neck.
"It is true then, you are to be Ramere's Reabun now as his mark has fully appeared on you where he bit." Xivius explained, "You should probably stop itching it."
"Right, but wait! Can't you get rid of it?" Dan asked desperately as he didn't want it to be so for much longer.
"Nope, only Ramere can take it off as Doriens are the only ones who can place on the marks they also are the ones who can remove them, the exact Dorien who placed the mark has to remove it and no Reabun can bear two marks of two different Doriens." Xivius furthered his explaination, "Also I don't think Ramere has any intention to do so."
Dan frowned at the situation, it wasn't right that he was no longer free and belonged to this blonde creeper. It didn't seem right after he should have at least some say as to whom he might belong to let alone his rights as a person. Then again this was a different world and most definitely a different set of rules. Everyone paused allowing a bit of silence to fall about the room, while they paused though, Xivius began to fumble with something in the pocket of his coat, he sighed and began to speak once more.
"Another thing to note is that you can no longer return back to Earth for you see there is no point." Xivius said as he removed the item from his pocket and tossed it into Dan's hands, "However you didn't come alone."
Dan opened his palm to find a familiar look red marble size ball in his hands. A big smile spread across his face and he forgot almost completely about his predicament with Ramere as he giddily held the marble.
"Drago!" Dan exclaimed.
The red marble began to move and shift, then when it was done, there sat an oddly shaped dragon.
"Dan? Is that really you?" Drago asked a bit shocked, "You look so different."
"Yeah, I know, I've got wings and a tail now. Even claws, but I'm still me Drago." Dan replied still happy to have a familiar person amongst these somewhat strangers.
"I can see that, but anyway it's good to see you again partner." Drago said happily.
"Same here." Dan concurred.
"Well then, anymore questions?" Xivius asked earning a headshake from Dan, "Well then this ends our formal meeting. Gevia will see you back to your room to allow you to rest some more as tomorrow will be a busier day for you. Off you go, but Ramere I need you and Druvius to stay behind."
Gevia came along side of Dan and gave him a gentle nudge to move him along. Dan was glad to be reunited with Drago, but even more so at the fact that he didn't have to be escorted back to his room with Ramere tagging along.
Dan and Drago then spent the rest of the day catching up and just talking. Dinner was brought to him by Gevia and at which point Ramere tried to poke his head in, but Gevia towed him away for some sort of Serlin business. After dinner, Dan and Drago both settle down for the night and so would wake up to begin the next part of their adventure.