8/9/??
The basement was filled with water, forcing Echo to hold his breath and stow his time machine in his pocket.Bram's strike came fast, but he managed to dodged and swam out of the basement, reaching the door just in time to slam and lock it shut.
Echo swam out of the house, the water clinging to him as he struggled to move. Every movement felt like swimming through quicksand, as if gravity itself had grown stronger. He flapped his arms, trying to move through the water, but each stroke seemed to make little progress. The pressure was making him worn out.
"It was litrally easy to swim in the house, but the outside is impossible!"
In the blink of an eye, the citizens of Aresella transformed into the dreaded fish-human hybrids, their once-human features morphing into a bizarre mix of flesh and scales. Echo suddenly found himself surrounded by the grotesque creatures. In a desperate bid to escape, he flapped his arms like a fish, trying to swim away. But no matter how much he flapped, it seemed like all he was doing was making a big splash.Even with all the extra evertion, he black out from exhaustion.
Soon after, He gasped for air, as well as he found himself tied to a rough pole, the crowd of fish-human creatures gathering around him. They began preparing a makeshift cauldron.It was clear that they were preparing some sort of meal, and Echo was the main course.
"... I'm in big trouble!"
Slowly but surely, Echo realized — his pocket knife remained unnoticed, tucked away in his pocket. As the fish-human creatures were momentarily distraсted by the commotion of the soup, he quickly sliced through the ropes that bound him. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion.By the time they noticed his absence, Echo had already ducked into a nearby alleyway.Troups began searching around the castle.
Echo sprinted as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest as the sound of the pursuing troups grew increasingly loud behind him. As he reached the exit, he came to a sudden halt, his heart sinking as he realized that the water was on the other side of the door.
He knew he was trapped with nowhere left to go.He fumbled for the time machine in his pocket as the troups closed in.
"Oh my machine!"
"Please work this time!"
However, just as he was about to activate it, one of their arrow press through his shoulder, he shouted in pain.He managed to press the button.
The world blurring into a whirlwind of colors and shapes.Suddenly, he found himself in a different time and place - floating land.
As he pulled the arrow out with a sharp pain, he pressed his hand down on the laceration, trying to stop the bleeding. Despite the pain, he held back his screams, gasping for air. Just as he was on the verge of tears, a young boy appeared, walking up to him. The child's appearance was unlike anything Echo had seen before. His features were almost human, but he sported tiny dragon horns on his head, and scales lined his arms and legs.
The young boy, much stronger than he seemed, effortlessly lifted Echo from behind and carried him across the vast bamboo forest. After an hour of hiking, they arrived at a small dwelling, nestled amongst the tall bamboo stalks. An old woman, with long grey hair and a cane to support her, stood in the doorway. The house looked ancient, with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes on the wooden beams.
The young boy carried Echo into the room and laid him down. The old woman followed, her movements slow and steady. She rummaged in her satchel, pulled out some jars of herbs and medicine, and began to prepare them.
The smell of the medicine was strong, and Echo felt a wave of discomfort of the sting of a laceration. She place a sleeve in his mouth to try to dull the pain, and slowly began to apply various ointments to his wound.
"Who are these people?"
"They look very dragon-like..."
Echo took a nap.
After a few hours of rest, Echo gradually woke up, his body still weary but his mind clearer. He looked around the room, finding himself alone. He rose from the bed, his movements slow but steady. He padded out into the main hall and saw the young boy and old lady seated at the table together, chopsticks in hand, enjoying a bowl of noodles.
As soon as he approached, the young boy quickly finished his bowl, setting it down with a clatter. He rushed over to Echo, guiding him back to the room.
"You... no good." The child spoked.
The young boy returned to his seat, resuming his meal.
"They can't speak english properly.... I should probably take a rest again..."
Echo felt his strength slowly returning, and by the following day, he was able to pull himself up. He took a seat at the table and began to eat the fried rice and chow mein laid out before him. To his great surprise, the food tasted incredibly delicious, and before he knew it, he had finished every last bit of it.
As he set the plate down, the old woman walked into the room, gently taking the plate from his hands.
Echo slowly got up from his bed, his legs still a little shaky. He explored the small house, taking in the details. The furniture was simple but comfortable, and the walls were adorned with paintings and calligraphy. Finally, he made his way to the front of the house, taking a seat on a small stone bench.
The kid returned from his errands in the forest, carrying a few fresh herbs. He approached Echo with a curious look.
"I don't know their names.Let me ask him real quick."
"Hello, what's your name?
Echo looked at the young boy, who seemed to have a deep understanding behind his gaze. After a moment.The young boy stared up at him, his shy smile spread across his face.
"Shenlong...."
Shenlong turned and made his way into the house, holding herbs that he collected.As he stepped inside, Shenlong started speaking local dialect, Mandarin.A series of sounds and works that Echo doesn't understand.
"They're speaking Chinese.... wait no, It's Mandarin."
The young boy, Shenlong, returned from the house, placing two small cups of green tea on a nearby table. He sat down next to Echo, the tips of his scales and the small horns on his head gleaming in the sunlight.
He took a cup and sipped from it delicately, handing the other one to Echo.Echo took a sip, he felt warmness inside him."
"Thank you,Shenlong.Can you tell me... where am i?"
"You in... Drag-gon tales.It called also Longwei.I lived... with grandma, Ying Yue.She's candy.I will go... pick woods and.. herbs!"
The young boy replied with no hesitation.
"Candy? Oh... he meant sweet."
"Okay, that's good to hear.Can i come with you?"
Shenlong nodded, gesturing for Echo to follow him. He carefully made his way through the dense bamboo stalks, each step taking care not to disturb the surrounding growth. Echo followed suit, the towering bamboo creating a tunnel around them as they ventured deeper into the forest.Shenlong turned back to Echo with cheerful grin.
"I take you to kingdom.It nice!"
Shenlong said, his english still a bit broken but his excitement is clear.The child's accent was thick, and clear.