Surprise... yeah, it was one even for me. This is the start of a new project, the crossover between the original Tales of a Dragonpath and No Land Beyond, a series written by my beloved scrambled888... which started today! *yay* I will explain more at the end of the chapter. I hope you like it.

Chapter I

"The Stranger the Forest trusted"

I held the plant against the rays of sunlight that came through the branches, to examine the veining of its leaves properly. I mistook an askim flower for an assein flower only once in my life, and didn't want to do it ever again. I sighed in relief and put the medical herb into my pouch carefully. I stood up, made sure no more of them grew nearby and looked around.

The gentle breeze caressed my skin, bringing the scent of fallen leaves with it. Autumn was approaching, filling the forest with unique aroma. It was peaceful today, like usual... or rather, it finally returned to being peaceful. The forest seemed relieved to see me wandering around on my own for the first time since my return from Shinestone. I've spent the past few weeks being completely useless because of the wounds that I've come back with, worrying everyone around. I lifted my head a little, closed my eyes and whispered: "I'm sorry..."

The wind picked up a little, and I was expecting to feel something akin to 'Don't worry about it, we're glad you've recovered'. Instead, I heard something else...

I opened my eyes again, rising my eyebrows. "A stranger...?" I asked quietly.

It was one of those rare times, when the forest didn't give me an answer.

I sat down underneath an oak, sighing silently. It was unnerving... ever since the 'accident' with Sharish, the forest seemed agitated every time outsiders set foot in it. This time though, it remained calm, and I was curious what made it sure that no harm is to be expected from the newcomer. He was there, I could sense it as well, but no matter what I did, I couldn't find him. It was almost scary.

A tiny movement suddenly caught my eye. I turned my head slightly to see a cyarnetha butterfly hovering next to me. I smiled and extended my hand. I had no idea why these creatures always felt so drawn to me. "Hello little fellow," I muttered tiredly. "What brings you here?"

My answer was an unexpected rustle of brushes behind my back. At first, I didn't give it much thought, certain that it was some animal wanting to check on me, like the lynx that was following me the entire morning out of worry. But then it occurred to me that no animal would purposefully hack through greenery, causing unnecessary noise... could it be...?

I didn't finish the thought, because a human silhouette suddenly appeared in my field of vision. It was a young man, looking around my age... his ruffled hair reminded me of the color of matured chestnuts, his eyes a similar color, just a little brighter, shining with surprise. His clothing was tattered, skin pale, expression confused.

One glance was enough to understand why the forest didn't feel worried about his appearance. But even though I immediately knew that no harm could come from him, I had no idea why I knew...

"What brings you here, traveler?" I asked in a friendly tone.

He smiled back, although I detected a hint of uncertainty. "I don't even know where 'here' is," his voice was soft, deeper than that of an average youngster, but not too much. It was very pleasant. "But I guess as you're the first person I've come across since arriving here, I guess my path has something to do with you."

I looked up to the tree crowns, to the amber light that seeped underneath them like the glow of campfire shining through the skirt of a young girl dancing at the harvest festival. "It's the Silivren Forest, a place where no harm can befall those who are pure of heart," I looked at him again, at his bewildered face and defenseless appearance. "And I can tell you are. Otherwise, this butterfly would have fled by now, but see? It stays right here and isn't afraid. Just curious."

It was true, cyarnetha butterflies were very shy, but even if it wasn't there, I would have said those words without the tiniest tremble of doubt.

"I'm not sure I fully understand, but I guess it's not out of the ordinary for a game world..." he muttered. "Am I still in Infinity...?"

Infinity?

"Either way, I'm Light."

The sudden introduction didn't allow me to think much about the possible meaning of the foreign word, so I just let the questions out at him before I could stop myself: "What do you mean with 'game world'? I don't know a country called Infinity. This is Earlindon," I smiled reassuringly. "But don't worry, it's a wonderful place to be lost in, and I'll gladly help you find the answers you need. I'm Yasenka."

There were a few emotions that passed across his face in one brief moment. Amazement, confusion, and... fear? Why would he be afraid...?

"Well Yasenka, I'm glad you're the first person I met. I'd appreciate the help, but I wouldn't want to be a bother if you're busy with something else."

If only you knew... I came here just because your appearance made me curious enough to look for you.

I shook my head and stood up. He was taller than me, but not too much. I had to hold back a giggle when I noticed a withered leaf in his unruly hair, that I didn't see while sitting. "You could never be a bother. I'll gladly help in any way I can." The butterfly rose from my finger, but didn't leave us. It settled on Light's shoulder. "See? She wants to help too."

He smiled for the first time. "Well, I guess I can't refuse you now."

"Well, you can, but I would be worried and would probably follow you if you left..."

I knew I would have. Even if it meant falling into another trap.

"Well I wouldn't want to worry someone I just met..."

I clapped my hands together, relieved. "So can you tell me how you got here? Maybe you remember something that could be a clue?"

He got lost in thought for a brief moment. "I remember falling for a long time. I... I think my soul was slowly being ripped apart." Something withdrew deeper into his lively eyes. It was then that I understood, that the calmness he seemed to emit was caused by the forest only. It could make anyone feel more comfortable for a short time, but there were some pains that it could only stifle, never erase...

"But then..." his voice brought me back into the moment, "something drew me out of the void. A warmth unlike any I've ever felt before." He laughed shortly. "After going through that hellscape, I thought nothing could surprise me. Yet here I am."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" I asked quietly.

"I don't think so. I mean, I'm alive. That's more than I expected once I started falling." It didn't put my mind at ease, and he seemed to notice it, so he switched topics: "So... anything I should know about this world before we head off?"

I glanced to my right. "This forest here lies in the south-west of this country. It's a place where many magical beings reside, as it's the safest place for them to be, since humans began to rule Earlindon. Druids are one of these beings. I can lead you to our camp, you can rest there." I pointed towards the direction I came from.

"You're too kind... We only met thirty seconds ago."

I couldn't help but smile. "'Only a person who knows how to be kind is able to recognize the kindness in another person'," I recalled the words that gave me so much to think about not too long ago. "That's what elves managed to teach us before they vanished. The fact that you recognized kindness means you are kind yourself. And if you are kind and lost, that's reason enough for me to help."

He gave me another smile. I liked how heartwarming they were. "Well then Yasenka, I could not ask for a better guide than you. Thank you."

My heart jumped with relief and joy. "This way then!" I took his arm and pulled him onto the barely visible path first, then between the pines. "Oh, and if you have any questions, don't hold back."

"I won't," came the little overwhelmed sounding answer.

Maybe I should try being less chirpy.

I never would have thought of doing something this amazing... we were just being silly, doing a little roleplay with the characters from our books. And the next day I awoke to a completely new story. He took the few sentences we have exchanged and enveloped them with words so beautiful it puts Tales of a Dragonpath to shame...

And now in the words of a normal human, instead of the language of a schoolgirl in love:

Scrambled and I decided to write a story together... basically, it will be the same story, just written from two different points of view: Light's and Yasenka's. It starts before the events of Tales of a Dragonpath, with Light from No Land Beyond being there... we're still not entirely sure how XD Light's story written by scrambled is called Lost in Earlindon.

It's amazing though, that we just exchange the character's lines in the roleplay, and while writing we reveal all the feelings the two of us felt during the roleplay. It opened a whole new world... From my side, it probably won't be the best... I've put 10 years of work into Tales of a Dragonpath and this is done completely spontaneously. I'm kinda curious how big the difference will be if I don't think every sentence 7 times over and just go with my gut.

If you liked this even a little bit, please go and check out scrambled888's stories, it will help you understand what I'm rambling about here. And you will discover an amazing writer who is reaching entirely new heights recently.

Thank you all for reading, I hope I will see you soon ^^