Regret etched itself quickly into the minds of the falling group. The stone streets below that had looked almost dreamlike through the waving of the water were much more solid now; and getting even more so by the second.

Jadon whipped his head around to try and pin point anything of use from their current, yet rapidly diminishing height. A few larger buildings clustered towards the center. Almost gateway-like holes towards the sides of the bubble. Nothing of use. He saw the ground approach. Too fast for him to try and roll off the worst of it, even if he didn’t have a bad leg. He had swum deeper than he thought possible to die mashed on a street, instead of living his final days on the sunny island beach. Idiot, he thought as he closed his eyes.

And bounced.

His eyes snapped open. The screams from Iarkspur had stopped although Ephin was still giving it his all.

The group was lying on some sort of translucent net. Fading in and out of Jadon’s sight; when he did see it, it was a purplish tint. There was no upper portion of the net however the group was now hovering a good twenty feet off the ground in between two taller buildings, with what Jadon had to guess were people trying to rake them in with handheld fishing nets.

From one window, the person holding the net attempted to bounce the group off of it towards the window opposite, so that they were easier to ensnare. Jadon didn’t understand why there would even be a net like that there, until a fish dropped out of the sky and hit him in the face. A couple more landed on the net and were more readily bounced to waiting nets.

Jadon pushed on the shoulders of Ephin and Guy to get them to move along the net before they were simply tossed the final twenty feet. Beth and Iarkspur crawled after them as Jadon took up the rear. He unsteadily clambered in through the open window and got a better look at the people that had been trying to drag them in.

There were only two in the room with the group. Both were twice Jadon’s height and more reptilian than mammal. Their lower halves were the same as a snake’s and gradually blended into an upper half with closer to human arms and heads, if humans ever got that buff, or scaly. One of the beings had been trying to corral the group whilst the other held the net, so Jadon already knew they were strong, the additional muscles only confirmed it. They were well-dressed over their torsos with sleeveless vests of vibrant greens and blues.

One of them was busy shouting at the group, getting louder and more irate. From the looks on the other people’s faces, Jadon figured they didn’t understand them either. The being behind the shouting one facepalmed themselves and pushed their companion out of the way.

“I’m assuming that meant absolutely nothing to any of you?” The large being said, looking down at the shell-shocked group.

“You would be right,” Beth said, “I’m sorry I don’t speak your native tongue.”

“It would certainly make things easier, however most of the people of Kahndru also speak Rinterrian.” The being pointed to her quietened companion. “My friend of choice words, is Marsden. And I am Yeiva.”

The group hesitantly introduced themselves one by one before Yeiva continued.

“This is rather irregular; I’m going to have to report you to the town council. We don’t usually have people drop out of the seas unannounced,” she said, starting to place various work tools back into their rightful places in the room. She snapped a few, Jadon assumed words, to Marsden and then slithered out of the room, waving for the group to follow.

Jadon was expecting steps to get to the ground level, but felt silly once he saw what was essentially a slide. Following Yeiva, the group slid down the spiraling slide, trying to avoid the gaps where each floor had an exit, until it plateaued on the ground floor. Everyone dusted themselves off and walked out of the building.

Everything was made out of the exact same grey stone. The cobbled street, the tall buildings, the slides instead of staircases. There was no wood in sight, however Jadon did spot a few windows that had everflames burning away within the buildings’ interiors.

The group followed Yeiva through the winding streets, passing a lot more snake-like beings like her, as well as other people more similar to their size and proportions, even if they clearly weren’t human or elvish or anything remotely similar.

As the group approached the area that Jadon had seen, that housed the largest buildings, he did catch a glimpse of a handful of humans dotted within the other people, as well as an elf or two.

Yeiva brought the group right up to the incline of a huge stone structure, more ornately decorated with carvings than other buildings, but also showing its age more than the others. She asked them to wait outside and then slid up the incline and indoors whilst Jadon and the others stood awkwardly, being hammered by stares from passers-by.

Enough time passed for Jadon to go from feeling embarrassed by the stares, to irritated. Just as he was considering going up to fetch her, Yeiva appeared out of the building and called the group over and in.

Inside the building was, unsurprisingly, more stone. Anything that looked like it didn’t need to be moved from its place, was carved into the very structure of the building. Along both sides of the long main chamber were rows of bookcases, filled with large hardback tomes. An older looking snake person plucked a book off a shelf and, in his hands, it looked like an ordinary-sized book.

“I wonder if they read at double speed to finish the books in the same amount of time,” Jadon whispered to Ephin.

“What?” Ephin said. He was worrying away at his already tattered sleeves.

“Oh, uh, nothing.”

In between the rows of bookshelves, in the center of the room, was a raised platform, with a large stone oval standing out of it. Within the oval, the air shimmered as if looking through water once more, or heated air. Jadon had the sudden urge to try and put his hand through it. This platform was flanked by three snake people somehow beefier than Yeiva.

Yeiva took the group around the right side of the chamber, past the bookshelves at into a side room, or closer to a side office.

Inside the office was another elderly snake person, larger than Yeiva but she also moved with less fluidity.

I’ll bet all her joints feel like my leg, Jadon thought, putting more weight onto his healthy side as the group filed into the room and stood before the elderly snake lady.

“I have been informed that this language suits you well?” She said, her head bowed over her desk. Jadon had been thinking that she was asleep until she spoke. The group nodded and she continued. “Good, it’s ever so annoying to find out the language has changed yet again. You people are so fleeting.”

“Not all of us,” Ephin mumbled to himself, however the older lady’s head twitched in his direction momentarily.

“Even those of elvish origin hold no candle to the Kurtira. Sure, to humans, some of you may appear near immortal for all they know. However, to us? You may as well be human. It makes no difference. Take these walls for example. They were built shortly after the Rupture War, to house the rupture you saw as you walked in. I helped build this building. I do not know a single elf that was alive then and is still alive to this day.”

“Okay, your point is made, you’re old,” Jadon said, “a few questions on my end and then we can get out of your hair. Or, scales. Whatever. What’s a rupture? Where are we and how do we get back to Rinterria, as you seem to know what that is.”

Beth went to swat Jadon for his rudeness but he leaned over to avoid the incoming swipe.

“Easy enough answers, young human,” the Kurtira said, “We are in Kahndru, one of many such settlements of the Kurtira, the Breathing Bastions of Currettla. A rupture is a tear in the walls of reality that divide realms such as ours and Rinterria and is likely both the way you arrived and the easiest method of returning home.”

“Great,” Beth said, before Jadon got a chance to say something else sarcastic. “So, we can just hop through that stone hole next door and be home?”

“If this rupture is close to your home, yes. I know for sure it goes back to Rinterria, however close to where you live? I am not certain. Oh, and there is the travel fee.”

“The travel fee?” Iarkspur asked.

“Of course,” the elderly lady said, “how do you expect us to maintain the upkeep of our previous Rupture Reservatorium? Or pay the guards?”

“You wouldn’t need guards if there wasn’t a fee,” Jadon said.

“I can assure you there will be guards on the opposite side also. It is the way for any official rupture. How did you reach Currettla without realizing this?”

“We sort of, fell?” Iarkspur said.

“Well, in any case, are you saying you cannot pay?” Jadon did not like the look in the lady’s eyes as she said that. He was suddenly reminded of how large these people were and how snakey. He opened his mouth to lie when-

“Of course, we can,” Beth said, “we would just like to experience Kandu before we leave.”

“Kahndru. And whilst you’re at it,” the lady said, “my name is Reservator Abynnfie.”

“Nice one Reservator Abynnfie,” Jadon said, “do you know anywhere we could stay the night? It was a long swim.”

“Of course, I am sure Yeiva can point you in the right direction.”

Yeiva did exactly that. After the group made their hasty goodbyes to the Reservator, they followed Yeiva down a couple side streets till she stopped outside a building that closely resembled an inn, although the ‘wooden’ beams were simply stone, carved to look like wood. Yeiva showed the group into the significantly smaller building before excusing herself due to her height.

Inside were people better resembling those Jadon would expect to see around a place like High Morr. There were a couple Night-Touched in the corner, beings of pitch-black flame with bright yellow eyes and curling horns. A trio of older dwarves sat around a table, two drinking from tankards whilst the other was lost in a book. Jadon also saw a human sitting by herself who kept making side-eyes at the louder dwarves.

The interior of the inn was similar to a normal inn in many senses of the style, if everything had been replicated in stone. The tables, chairs, bar and stairs to the upper floors were all made of stone. Jadon was getting a bit sick of seeing all the grey everywhere.

“Hello there!”

A loud voice from the bar shook Jadon out of his daydreaming and he followed the others to the elven individual standing, smiling, behind the bar. He looked younger than Jadon, possibly around Beth’s age, which likely meant he was older than anyone in the group. He had straight brown hair, cut off unevenly below the ears and a smart blue apron on, over a green waistcoat. Similar fashion sense to the others in the town.

“What can I get for you all?” The man said his eyes flitting between everyone as if trying to maintain eye contact with everyone at once.

“I don’t think anyone other than myself and Jadon here are of drinking age,” Guy said, “so five of whatever you have that is non-alcoholic.”

“Don’t say my name, guard,” Jadon said, “and don’t order for me.”

“I have a house special?” The bartender said, “however as you’re new, it’s a toss-up as to whether you’ll enjoy it.”

“You’re a bad salesman,” Jadon said, “but I’m dying of thirst so please hurry.”

“Can we also get some beds for the night?” Beth said.

“Of course, how would you like to pay for it all?”

“Do you take High Morrian silver?” Guy said, fishing into his pockets to pluck out some shining coins. He waved away non-existent objections from the others as he placed the coins into the man’s hand.

“Silver is silver my friend.”

The group sat down at another table that hugged a corner. One that wasn’t taken up by a bar, stairs or glowering fire people. Jadon picked the chair deepest into the corner so that he could keep an eye on everyone else in the inn, in case anybody was trying to listen in on their conversation.

“I have a confession,” Guy said as he sat down.

“That was the last of your money?” Beth asked, sipping her drink and wincing.

“Well, yes. I only bring a small emergency fund on duty, and that was it.”

“Well, that sucks, considering we have to pay a toll to get out of this place,” Jadon said.

“If I had known these people take our money I would have checked,” Guy said.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t check,” Beth said, “I have a feeling the payment required is a little bit more than some silver.”

“Hey,” Iarkspur said, “some silver is quite a bit to some people.”

“Chill out, I know. I meant that only extremely rich people would be allowed to travel across realms, so the price would be so that only they could do it.” Beth tried sipping again and winced again. Everyone else was allowing her to taste test the drink before they tried it.

“So, either way, we can’t pay,” Ephin said.

“Which means it’s a simple fix for us. We either get the money to pay, which we don’t know the cost of, or we try to slip in unnoticed,” Jadon said.

“Not everyone here is a criminal,” Ephin said dryly.

“Exactly,” Guy cut in, “only I am not, however I am okay bending this one rule as it is not Morrian Law to my knowledge and we don’t really have any other choice. I don’t want to be eaten by snakes.”

“I was thinking the exact same thing,” Beth said. Jadon gave them both a look before nodding his agreement.

“So, we’re breaking out. Which means, in a roundabout way, we are a crew,” Jadon said, “crew must trust one another in all details of the mission. Are there any details any of you are keeping to yourselves regarding ruptures and getting home?”

“Maybe,” Iarkspur said slowly.

“That isn’t good enough. What does that maybe include?” Jadon said.

“We saw you leave that staircase before all of you emerged earlier,” Guy said, “you had a sword and were quite violent.”

“I don’t know how to use a sword. Why would I have one. Wait, who cares about that. What do you mean you saw me leave?”

“Exactly that. Someone who looked exactly like you ran out first, looking quite badly hurt and used a sword to create what looked like a small rupture and escaped,” Guy continued.

“And you didn’t tell me until now because?”

“We were busy?” Iarkspur said.

“On the beach? Outside the Reserving place?”

“Calm down, we’re telling you now, isn’t that good enough?” Iarkspur said.

“I guess so. Anyone else?” Jadon said.

The rest of the group kept quiet, all watching Beth attempt and fail again to sip her drink.

“In that case,” Jadon said, “I’m going to bed. I’m barely standing as it is.”

He braced himself and then downed the drink in one go before nodding to the others and walking off up the stairs near the bar and to one of the rooms that was paid for. As he was settling in to get some rest on a bed that was thankfully not made of stone, he watched Ephin open the door, letting in the light from the hallway’s everflames.

Jadon rolled over to tell Ephin to hurry up and close the door. As Jadon opened his mouth to make a joke at Ephin’s expense, his humor died in his throat.

Ephin was standing there, however his head was unnaturally tilted over his neck, his face pointing directly up with his chin pointing behind him. Jadon blinked to make sure the shadows weren’t messing with him and Ephin was right again.

And then Ephin screamed.