Parker opened his eyes. The sound of the waves rolling in the background sent shivers up his spine. His eyes adjusted to the semi-dark surroundings with its granite walls and stone-cold floor. He sat up, his muscles aching. Not the best spot to sleep!

Memories flooded through his thoughts. It had been five days since he left the healer's ward with Falkor, and already they ran into some trouble with bandits, who nearly took the dragonoid's pack, filled with his jackets and supplies. Luckily, his packs weren't stolen, but he very nearly lost his food pack during one of Falkor's afternoon flights.

For three days and nights, Parker and Falkor found an assortment of caves, spread out between the realms. By the fourth night, Falkor found a cave that was too small for him but worked fine with Parker.

The dragonoid stretched his muscles, unsure how he ended up sleeping in the wrong spot. He took a good look at the cave, before grabbing his packs. There were a few blocks of cheese, bread, and cooked beef inside one pack, and in another pack was his waterskin, filled with water that he and Falkor collected from a spring, not long before they found this cave to sleep and reenergize.

As he downed some of the water and ate his breakfast, Parker wondered how much home had changed. Did the villagers miss him? Did they know he was alive? What news did they discover while he was gone on his missions?

He finished eating what he wanted, before storing the food inside his pack. He slung one of the packs on, before taking the other two out of the cave. After finding a bush, Parker set the packs down and did his business behind it. That finished, Parker grabbed his packs and set out in search of Falkor.

The beach they had landed on was filled with logs, rocks in all shapes and sizes, a few bushes and trees, and the bay's roaring waves, which settled down as Parker scouted the area. He had to know what Falkor was doing… there he was! The giant doglike dragon was asleep, inches from the cave Parker had just slept in.

"Wake up!" Parker whispered in the Luckdragon's ear. "We've got a busy day."

"Huh?" Falkor yawned. "Oh right! That! Well, it's good that we found this spot. We should be five kilometers or more from your realm."

"Where are we?" Parker asked, confused.

"Oh, we're in the In-Between World. If we flew past the ocean again, we'd enter the Realm of Nothingness," Falkor explained, "but there's nothing but darkness and sorrow in that place! We don't want to go there! It's too depressing!"

"Right." Parker looked on at the ocean now. There was a stream of pure darkness past the bay. No clouds roamed there. Just darkness, swirling like a storm. Parker sighed. Nope! He didn't want to go that way. He looked at Falkor, telling him, calmly, "We'd better get moving."

"Right. I'll get us to the Land of Dragons in no time." Falkor said, waiting for the red dragonoid to secure his packs on his back before the dragonoid mounted him. Once they were ready, Falkor soared into the air, not looking back at the bay, the cave, or the Realm of Nothingness.

.

Parker watched the landscape roll on, miles below him and Falkor. The thought of him having wings scared Parker. He hated to admit that, but it was true. He was a ground dragonoid that lacked wings. Still, Falkor didn't have wings either and yet he flew with grace and vigor.

Parker sighed, wondering if that was a dream that wouldn't come true. If it came at all.

He looked up again, reveling at the sight ahead of them. Was that a large door with a stone arch? There was no wooden door, but rather a silvery portal in-between the arch, reflecting the sunlight for a few moments. He didn't count on Falkor actually soaring through that portal!

"Falkor wait! Falkor stop! FALKOR!" Parker cried, wincing in pain the second they crossed through the portal. His head swam. He wanted this nightmare to stop! "Oh, I don't feel so good."

"Hold on!" Falkor said, dipping down to the ground.

"What? Whoa!" Parker was thrown off the Luckdragon's back. He tumbled, just as Falkor did. The dragonoid's vision faded until he remembered no more.