Bum-bump. Bum-bump. Doran’s heart raced in his chest as he looked around. The dimly lit streets were packed full of people wandering through the small, dark market. A light rain stretched the few colorful lights above and soaked the world below. The thin, gray cloak he had stolen off a vendor stuck to his arms. He hoped that it and the crowd would hide his human shape. That hope was the only thing that stopped him from bolting when he saw them.
They were the Ceremonial Realm Hoppers. They were dedicated to finding new realms and “sharing them to the people.” But most knew that the original people of the realm were shoved aside and eventually forced out to make room for others. So, they forced those people, and the few that can travel freely between realms to lowly worlds, like this one. It was a small port realm. A city floating above a vast sea whose people were tall, gray and lifeless. A place that he thought was safe in. A place with little presence of the Realm Hoppers. Usually.
He should have taken the extra guards planted around the city as a sign to leave. To find another realm to get supplies in. Instead, he ran into a group of guards while heading to the market, and of course, he was wearing clothes that clearly showed he was not from this realm. Of course, when they asked him how he got here, he revealed that he traveled realms. Of course, he had forgotten that you needed a permit to legally travel them, and when they asked him for it, he said he forgot it at home. What happened next was still a blur, they turned around, and he ran. He was stupid enough to run, then stupid enough to steal something.
Now, that vendor was talking to the Realm Hoppers that were looking for him. He hoped that he was far enough away that they did not see him. He just had to make it out of the market and then he could find a realm to hide in. The crowds made it too hard to find the nooks and crannies that realms were found in, and it would be too obvious if he did it out in the open like this. So, he pushed through the crowd.
Doran was thankful for the tall people of this world that easily hid himself and for the vendors’ loud calls and negotiations. He saw many of the supplies, like food, rope and tools, he came here for as he rushed past. It was such a waste of time coming here. That was all he could think as he broke from the crowd and found a dark corner he could take a breath in. He looked back at the crowd and found that the Hoppers were still looking for him, but in the market. They searched everywhere and questioned other vendors. That gave him time; he just needed to find a realm.
He first stretched his mind to the shadows. He could feel two realms. One was too small for him; the other, he knew, was too dangerous. He then looked at the cracks in the walls. There were more realms here than the shadows. Most were hubs for the Hoppers. There was one he had never been to. It was too much of a risk, without the supplies he should have gotten. That was all the realms that were here. He had to keep moving.
Doran looked around and found an alley that was across from him, over the open street. He heard no sound coming from it. Good. He looked back at the Hoppers and found them only a few stalls from the end of the market. They were distracted talking to a vendor. He could make it with them distracted. With one last look at the searching Hoppers, he ran across.
Once he made it, Doran hid himself behind a wall and looked back to see if he was spotted. Instead of talking to the vendor, they were now talking amongst themselves. They would have to search the alley next. A small panic set in before Doran shoved it away. He could still have time to find a realm and travel to it. He just had to focus.
He followed his process again. There were five in the shadows. Three of which were swarming with Hoppers. When did they get so big? The next one he could feel that he was unwelcome. The last one, well, he didn’t know what it was. I seemed unreachable, covered. He couldn’t see where it led, he only felt its shape. He moved on. The cracks and voids in the wall held nothing. His heart raced as adrenaline ran through his blood. There had to be something. He searched through everything he could see. There! In a puddle next to him a realm of fields rested. He had to go now.
Doran calmed his mind and blocked out the sounds around him. He focused on the bright green hills of the realm. There were small blue, pink, and yellow flowers that popped up. He heard the calls of strange creatures and felt the breeze that brushed against them. He was almost there. He tried to feel the grass as it would sway against his legs.
What Doran did not hear as he focused on the realm, was the footsteps that approached him. He did not feel the hands that pulled him away from the puddle. He did not see the alley moving away from him, until he was already half-way into the street. What he did see was the girl that came out of nowhere. He saw a flash of light that blinded him and felt as other hands pulled him to his feet. He heard a voice say, “Follow me.” He scrambled to follow the person’s lead through his shock and daze.
Once his vision returned, he could see that they were running toward the shadows in the alley. He had no time to think about where they were going before they ran into the wall. Instead of feeling hard stone like Doran was expecting, he stumbled into an open forest.
Green and brown was all around him. The air was fresh, humid and filled with quiet sounds of the creatures that lived here. He was so shocked by the sudden change that he nearly forgot there was a change. This must have been the realm he felt earlier. Suddenly, his wet, gray cloak felt out of place.
“What was that about?” The voice scared him out of his thoughts. In his shock he must have forgotten how he got here too. He turned around and saw the girl that saved him.
“What do you mean?” He questioned.
“The Realm Hoppers. How’d you get in trouble with them?”
“I guess I traveled to that realm illegally. And stole this cloak.”
“You travel the realms?” She seemed curious now.
“Yeah.” He took a moment to look around again. “How did we get here?”
“I also travel.” If she got them here, that would mean she could travel to other realms faster than most. He questioned about that next and got the answer, “I’ve gone through that one a lot.”
“What about the light?”
“A trick I can do.” She paused, then asked, “You’re not with the Realm Hoppers, right?”
“No. Why?”
“Follow me.” She then walked toward a cliff that Doran had not noticed before.
They walked in silence for a half hour. The girl only stopped when she came up to an opening in the stone. It was only big enough for someone to walk through and led to a cool darkness. The girl looked back at Doran before heading in. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to follow her, but he was curious. He stepped in and felt the moss-covered wall to find his way. It was a singular path that led up into a light.
That light opened into a small cave with a high ceiling. A small hole at the top produced the light. The girl didn’t stop here; she followed another, tighter path that was on their right. It was dark again. Doran tripped a few times on the loose rocks that lined this tunnel. After some time, they emerged into another cave.
This one was huge, with many openings above. Light revealed a bright orange pigment in the rocks that led to a deep red the further it went down. It shone with even deeper colors in the setting sun. But at the bottom there was a camp. It was full of people from all sorts of realms.
“Welcome to the Other Realm Hoppers.”
Biography:
My writing is how I express my love for storytelling and how I sort through my jumbled thoughts. I was drawn to storytelling for as long as I can remember. I always loved to read books before bed, and every game I played always had a plot. I am a writer who loves to explore characters’ emotions and create new worlds. I am inspired by many of the authors I read, but Tui T. Sutherland is one of my oldest and biggest inspirations.