It's been about two months since cassius has found himself and Fae in Kraw and both of them have been adjusting to life on this new world pretty well for a couple of homesick young adults. Fae has resigned herself to the menagerie, taken a liking to the natural wonders of Kraw, while Cassius himself have been keeping himself busy inside the university and selling potions to get by, studying up on the local history of Kraw and the magic that flows through the planet. Considering everything, life has not been too bad.
As of now, Cassius and Fae have been sharing a bunk bed in a spare room in the university, not exactly the most luxurious accommodations and has resulted in some sleepless nights. During one of those nights, Cassius sneaked out and careful not to wake up Fae, who was snuggling with her pet slime.
This was not the first time he sneaked out in the middle of the night to the library and by how that night was going, it's not going to be the last. He promised Fae that they will find a way to go back home but so far he was no where closer to finding a way to go back home. The university library is vast and large though the surprisingly the section about Kraw is quite small in contrast to the entire library. He was nowhere near to reading every single book in it but a lot of the books are more about the other worlds within the crossroads, so through these books Cassius now knows a little bit about the worlds of Inverxe, Mesa Roja, and, one of the weirder ones, Nos'Talgia.
But then while he was perusing through the books, he found something or more accurately some place that's interesting, The Beyond. The space beyond the worlds, the edge of space and time within the Crossroads. This may be it, this might be a way for them to go home, there must be a way to get there, someone must've been there before, there has got to be a way!
As soon as he found hope, the trail quickly runs cold. Documented attempts to get there have ended in either death or failure and there's not much known other than it exists and it's dangerous, "This is it?!" Cassius screamed in frustration, "Ugh!" Books flew off the table and a head slammed against it, "I thought I had it, I thought I found a way to get back home..." He breathed in deeply, "I'm sorry Fae."
"Well, looks like I'm not the only one that's having a rough night." doctor Jones said as he walked in with a lantern in one hand and a bottle of whiskey and a glass in the other, "You know, I find research is much more enlightening with a bit of liquid gold." He approached Cassius' table and set the bottle down, "You okay there, champ?"
Cassius sighed, "Yeah, mind if I get a glass of that?" doctor Jones poured out a bit and gave it to him, "Thanks." He chugged it down, "What brings you here at this hour, doctor Jones?"
"Well, I think I should be the one asking you that but judging by your screaming earlier, it's probably not the best time to ask." He poured about a shot worth and slowly drank it down but pulling out a folded piece of paper, "Some the men exploring out recently found a new dungeon like structure." He opened it up, showing a map and a set of symbols, "It's located far east from New Abraxis and the men who found it said that these symbols are scribbled along the walls. I've been working at this all night trying to figure out what they mean but so far no luck."
Thinking that it's probably not the best to obsess on the beyond for too long, he might as well take a crack at it, "Can I take a look?" doctor Jones handed him the map, "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before." He took one of the books that was dropped on the floor, titled 'Exploration and Colonization of New Abraxis', "Here we go," He opened up the book and showed a set of images of the ruins before it was renovated and repurposed, "These symbols were here at some point and judging from these picture it could be a writing system but there are too few samples here to make a complete translation, are there any more untouched buildings in New Abraxis?"
"Unfortunately no," doctor Jones stood, "Looks like it's time for an expedition. You should get some rest, Cassius. You're going to be leading us tomorrow."
"Wait, what? me?"
"Yes, you. You have proven yourself quite scholar and fighter this past few weeks, I think it would do you some good to have some first hand experience in the tombs and with leading our men, I see potential in you. Besides this was your discovery and I am not one who'll take credit for other people's work." He started walking out of the library, "See you in the morning, Cassius." And with that Cassius went back to bed, trying to focus on the mission ahead and set the problem of going home aside for the time being.
As of now, Cassius and Fae have been sharing a bunk bed in a spare room in the university, not exactly the most luxurious accommodations and has resulted in some sleepless nights. During one of those nights, Cassius sneaked out and careful not to wake up Fae, who was snuggling with her pet slime.
This was not the first time he sneaked out in the middle of the night to the library and by how that night was going, it's not going to be the last. He promised Fae that they will find a way to go back home but so far he was no where closer to finding a way to go back home. The university library is vast and large though the surprisingly the section about Kraw is quite small in contrast to the entire library. He was nowhere near to reading every single book in it but a lot of the books are more about the other worlds within the crossroads, so through these books Cassius now knows a little bit about the worlds of Inverxe, Mesa Roja, and, one of the weirder ones, Nos'Talgia.
But then while he was perusing through the books, he found something or more accurately some place that's interesting, The Beyond. The space beyond the worlds, the edge of space and time within the Crossroads. This may be it, this might be a way for them to go home, there must be a way to get there, someone must've been there before, there has got to be a way!
As soon as he found hope, the trail quickly runs cold. Documented attempts to get there have ended in either death or failure and there's not much known other than it exists and it's dangerous, "This is it?!" Cassius screamed in frustration, "Ugh!" Books flew off the table and a head slammed against it, "I thought I had it, I thought I found a way to get back home..." He breathed in deeply, "I'm sorry Fae."
"Well, looks like I'm not the only one that's having a rough night." doctor Jones said as he walked in with a lantern in one hand and a bottle of whiskey and a glass in the other, "You know, I find research is much more enlightening with a bit of liquid gold." He approached Cassius' table and set the bottle down, "You okay there, champ?"
Cassius sighed, "Yeah, mind if I get a glass of that?" doctor Jones poured out a bit and gave it to him, "Thanks." He chugged it down, "What brings you here at this hour, doctor Jones?"
"Well, I think I should be the one asking you that but judging by your screaming earlier, it's probably not the best time to ask." He poured about a shot worth and slowly drank it down but pulling out a folded piece of paper, "Some the men exploring out recently found a new dungeon like structure." He opened it up, showing a map and a set of symbols, "It's located far east from New Abraxis and the men who found it said that these symbols are scribbled along the walls. I've been working at this all night trying to figure out what they mean but so far no luck."
Thinking that it's probably not the best to obsess on the beyond for too long, he might as well take a crack at it, "Can I take a look?" doctor Jones handed him the map, "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before." He took one of the books that was dropped on the floor, titled 'Exploration and Colonization of New Abraxis', "Here we go," He opened up the book and showed a set of images of the ruins before it was renovated and repurposed, "These symbols were here at some point and judging from these picture it could be a writing system but there are too few samples here to make a complete translation, are there any more untouched buildings in New Abraxis?"
"Unfortunately no," doctor Jones stood, "Looks like it's time for an expedition. You should get some rest, Cassius. You're going to be leading us tomorrow."
"Wait, what? me?"
"Yes, you. You have proven yourself quite scholar and fighter this past few weeks, I think it would do you some good to have some first hand experience in the tombs and with leading our men, I see potential in you. Besides this was your discovery and I am not one who'll take credit for other people's work." He started walking out of the library, "See you in the morning, Cassius." And with that Cassius went back to bed, trying to focus on the mission ahead and set the problem of going home aside for the time being.