Andrew and his friends were walking back to their dorms after a hard day of studying for their college mid terms. His best friend Isaac was walking in the front of him with his girlfriend Lisbeth. His other friend, Cameron was riding a bike, lazily looping around whenever he got too far ahead. "Why is this town so boring?" Lisbeth said as she hugged his best friend Isaac's arm. Andrew rolled his eyes. He was long tired of Lisbeth's attitude. He wished Isaac would break up with the girl already. He would say that Isaac was probably only dating her because of her good looks, but he knew his friend better than that. He just wished Isaac wasn't so bad at judging character as she was only with him because he was good looking and charismatic. "We will once we graduate," Isaac said with a smile. "Only two more years until I get my business degree then I will apply to a graduate school in a better place." Andrew turned away from the couple and to the chubby young man riding the bike next to him just off from the sidewalk. "Hey, Cameron, want to study together this afternoon? I've been having trouble with my math homework." Cameron stopped the bike just ahead of Andrew. "Again? I had that level of math learned in high school." Cameron starting riding again before circling back so he wouldn't get too far ahead of the group. "You don't have to be so rude about it," Andrew said. He knew Cameron was a decent person, but the guy needed to be better with his words. Andrew shook his head and looked back to Lisbeth and Isaac. Isaac had been his friend since middle school and had been the only one that would talk to the kid stuck in the foster care system. This was the only reason he put up with Lisbeth because he had to make sure she didn't make him do stupid stuff. So far her long black hair, decently good looks, and blue eyes were winning. "Sorry, Andrew. You know how I am with people." Cameron said as he made pulled to the side to let a passing car by. "I get you." Andrew looked to Cameron. They hadn't been friends long. Isaac had met him in one of his classes and felt he would be someone worth getting to know. "I'm not perfect either." Cameron was rough around the edges but he and Isaac wanted to be his friend. "Ew, what is that?" Lisbeth said. The three men looked in the same direction as Lisbeth and saw a strangely dressed man standing on the sidewalk ahead of them. The man, who was wearing white robes similar to what he imagined Romans wore, was staring at them. He was holding a leather bag. When the man had received their attention, he smiled and quickly closed the distance between them. "Hello there!" He said. "Hello! What can I do for you?" Isaac said, showing no signs of suspicion. Lisbeth held onto Isaac's arm and put him between herself and the man. Andrew stopped next to Isaac and Cameron stopped just behind. "I have been looking for individuals to help me with a project and thought some of you might be interested." The man said. Andrew was naturally suspicious but was willing to at least hear what it was just for fun. "A project?" Isaac said. "What kind of project? Does it pay anything?" Andrew nodded his agreement to the questions. "A project not for the faint of heart but if you are successful could bring you wealth, renown, and ability few can match." The man replied. Andrew instantly became opposed to accepting any kind of deal from this man. As if sensing his thoughts the man turned to Andrew, "I understand your suspicion. If someone came to me with the same offer, I too would be suspicious and think only a fool would accept such an offer." "Then why make it?" Andrew said. "Because I can show you proof, right here and now, which will only be a taste of the things you will experience." The man bent over and touched a half-dead weed that was growing out a gap in the sidewalk. All four of them gasped as the plant returned to life and looked to be the healthiest weed in miles. "How did you do that?" Andrew and Lisbeth said at the same time. "Cooool," Cameron drooled. "My project seeks to make this power available to more people." The man said. "Sign me up!" Cameron said excitedly. "You can teach us how to do this too?" Isaac said as he inspected the weed. The man opened his bag and showed it to the group. Inside were bracelets. They were the most beautiful and well-crafted bracelets Andrew had ever seen. They were made of feathers, a jewel, and string, each bracelet having three colors, one for the feather, one for the jewel, and one for the string. Oddly, the bracelet seemed to call to him. "They're amazing!" Lisbeth said and practically grabbed the bag from the man. "If we put on one of these we will be able to do it too?" Isaac asked. "It is not so simple as that, but these bracelets are necessary. If this project is a success I am hoping to move on to refining the process and making the bracelets unnecessary." Andrew looked at the bracelets. All of this was too suspicious. "Spring Sunset," Lisbeth said and pulled a bracelet out of the bag. The bracelet had green feathers, an orange jewel, and red string. "Spring Sunset? Why did I say that?" "That is the name of the bracelet. You know the name because you have made a temporary bond with it." The man said. "A bond?" Andrew said. "How else do you expect the bracelet to work? By wearing the bracelet you create a bond that allows the bracelet to grant you access to the ability I just showed you and more." "Can we change our minds later?" Isaac asked. "The bond will eventually become permanent, but until we leave, I have no intention of forcing you to do anything." "Where will we be going?" "Once all four of you have chosen a bracelet, I will show you and I guarantee that what I show you next will make the weed look mundane." Isaac looked in the bag and Cameron got off his bike and stood next to him. "Summer Storm," Isaac said as he pulled out a bracelet with blue feathers, a pearl, and black string. He turned to Lisbeth and held it next to her head. "The colors remind me of you." Lisbeth smiled, though Andrew thought he detected a bit of disgust. "Oh Isaac, you're such a sweetheart." "Long Journey. Hey, is this thing making fun of my weight!?" Cameron said pulling out a bracelet with black feathers, dark purple jewel, and black string. "A long journey means long life and gaining much experience." The man said. "Quite a noble name if I say so myself." "I'm more worried about all the black. Are you turning goth on us Cameron?" Andrew said and nudged him in the side. "N-no..." Cameron said. He looked like he was debating on whether to put the bracelet back, but the man pulled the bag away from him and put it in front of Andrew. "I can change my mind even after I take one out?" Andrew said to the man. "I will let you know when the time comes." Andrew swallowed. Everything about this was suspicious. He didn't even know the man's name. "You haven't told us your name yet or who you work for." "My patron is Melche. As for me, I am just a humble Servant whose sole job is to find those willing to help with the project." Andrew looked to his friends and Lisbeth. None of them seemed to be as suspicious as he was. He tended to be a very suspicious person, mostly thanks to his time in the foster care system. "Come on, Andrew. At least pick out a bracelet." Cameron said. "Are you using peer pressure on me?" Andrew replied jokingly. "Yes. Now choose a bracelet." "Hurry up Andrew. I want to hear what he has to say next." Lisbeth said. Andrew looked to Isaac. Isaac looked eagerly Andrew to the bag. Andrew looked and the bag and noticed the servant guy looked amused by the situation. "Fine." Many emotions assaulted the moment Andrew stuck his hand in the bag. Had the others felt this too? They had shown no signs, but he knew them well enough to know he shouldn't expect them to. He almost pulled his hand out. It was as if the bracelets were tempting him. They each offered him different emotions. He felt one exude power, another ambition, another triumph, among many others. The offers only made him want less and less to do with these bracelets. Until he found the exception. It was a white feathered gold stringed bracelet with a sapphire jewel and, unlike the others, it was as if it didn't want to be chosen. He felt fear, sadness, grief, and loneliness. Feelings that were all too familiar to him. Memories of neglect from families that had only accepted foster children for the extra money and left him hungry and neglected. No one would choose this bracelet. Andrew looked to Isaac. Isaac had taken him, one that had shut himself off from the world, with no friends, no one who loved him. He knew it was silly to be feeling this way because of a fancy bracelet, but what he felt was real. Was there more to these bracelets than what the strange man was telling them? Yes, without a doubt. Andrew, despite all his doubts, grabbed the white, sapphire, and gold bracelet. As soon as he had it in his hands he felt as if the bracelet was telling him to put it back. He would do just that when the man pulled the bag away from him, closed it, and tucked it inside his robe. "Now that you have all chosen your bracelets I will show you something that almost no one from your world will ever get to see." "Wait, did you say 'Our world?'" Cameron said. The man turned around and soon a hole appeared in the air not far in front of him. "This portal will lead you to a world called Calorin." No one could speak. What was this man? Andrew had no explanation. "On Calorin I will take you to a land called Nael. Here Melche, I, and others have set up to test various projects. We will provide all of your needs for as long as you do your part. Once you arrive you will need to stay until the project is over." “How long is this ‘project?’” Andrew asked. "I cannot say, though the more effort you put into it the more quickly it will go by." "What about our lives here?" "Life here will seem dull. So far none of the other participants have asked about returning." Andrew furrowed his eyebrows. Not only were his suspicions and doubts urging him to reject this offer, but the bracelet in his hand had been exuding a sense of danger towards the man. "I'll go!" Cameron said. "There is nothing here for me. I was only going to school to get my parents off my back and this place sounds much better than this soulless society." "I'll go too," Lisbeth said. "If what you say is true, then I think it will be worthwhile." Isaac looked to Lisbeth. He looked concerned. "If Lisbeth is going, I will too." Everyone looked to Andrew. Andrew looked at the man, "Can I keep the bracelet if I don't go." "No. If you decide not to go, you will need to return the bracelet." Andrew looked at the bracelet. If he only believed one thing, the man had said it was that the bracelets created a bond. What amazed him was that he was almost certain it had a mind of its own. Had the others noticed this as well? "Come on, Andrew," Cameron said. "If what he is saying is true, then this will be an amazing experience." "Or we are selling ourselves into slavery," Andrew said as he looked to the ground. He was being overwhelmed by the emotions coming from the bracelet. If it were only him, that was deciding he would have rejected the man already, but these people were the only friends he had. If they were going to danger could he abandon them even if it meant he would be stuck in whatever bad situation they were heading to? At least he wouldn't be alone? Andrew felt sympathy from the bracelet. It was the first somewhat positive emotion he had felt from it. Did this mean it could feel his emotions as well? "Well?" The man said and held out his hand. The bracelet didn't want to go back to the man. He didn't want to give the bracelet back to the man. When Andrew didn't respond, he turned to the others. "Step through the portal and I will guide you. When you are throughout I will enter and close the portal. After that, there will be no returning to earth." "Can I take my bike?" Cameron asked. "I don't see why not, although I doubt you will find anyone that could fix it should it break." Cameron hopped on his bike and rode it through the portal. "Better than dumping it on the side of the road!" Lisbeth grinned. "Come on, Isaac!" Isaac smiled weakly as Lisbeth pulled him by his arm through the portal. "Fine..." Andrew said, looked at the bracelet, and followed the others. He felt relief from the bracelet but also an apology. "Where are we?" Isaac asked to no one. They were floating in a large black void. The only light was coming from a glowing ball of light in front of the man. "This is the Bridge. A place linking earth to Calorin created millennia ago. Without it, my people would have never found out earth existed." "How big is it?" Isaac asked. "About five of your miles radius." "That's small." "Just stay near me. If you touch the edge, you will leave this space and most places don't have ground nearby or even air. Also, stay away from the Iron Tomb. There are things in there that no one wants to experience." "Iron Tomb?" "The best way to describe it is a ship that sails through the stars and, considering it is in the exact center, it is most likely the thing that created the bridge." "A spaceship!?" Andrew, Isaac, and Cameron said in unison. Their eyes began to sparkle as they searched the black. "Don't touch anything," The man said and began drifting away from them. To their surprise, they felt themselves being pulled behind him. "Hey Andrew," Lisbeth said. "Hm?" "I've been wondering. Me, Isaac, and Cameron all said the names of our bracelets but you never said yours. Are you going to keep it a secret?" Lisbeth asked innocently. Andrew looked at the bracelet in his hand. Lisbeth was right. Why had he not gotten a name from this? He put it on his wrist to see if that would have any effect. Nothing. "I've gotten feelings from it, but nothing like a name." He said after a moment. The four turned to the man. "Each bracelet has its own personality. Yours is probably shy or suspicious. Give it time to trust you." He said without turning back to look at them. The three turned back to Andrew. Lisbeth looked like she wanted to say something but glanced at Isaac and stayed silent though Andrew noticed a slight smirk. Andrew wished Isaac would listen to him when he said Lisbeth wasn't as good as she appeared. "Sounds like you chose a bracelet just like you," Cameron said. Isaac chuckled. "I can see it." "What feelings are you getting from the bracelet?" Lisbeth asked. Andrew looked back to the bracelet. At the moment he felt distrust, fear, sorrow, worry. It directed the distrust and fear at the mysterious man. It directed the sorrow itself and him. It directed the worry solely at him. He wasn't sure how to take this. He understood the distrust and fear towards the man; he was feeling the same way, but why was it worried about him? What would happen to him, his friends, and Lisbeth? "It's worried." Andrew finally said. "Why is it worried?" Cameron asked. "That you are the one that chose it?" "Hey!" Andrew said, only somewhat offended. "I'm worried too," Isaac said. "We just left our families, for who knows how long, to a place we know nothing about for a reward we don't know if we will even get." "You should have worried about that before we left!" Andrew said and shook his head. Isaac looked to Lisbeth then back to Andrew. "I got caught up in the moment. Though now that we are on the way we should at least be optimistic about the whole thing." "Yeah!" Cameron said. "After I saw what he did to the plant, the bracelets, and the portal there is no way I am going back to that boring place." "I hope you guys are right," Andrew said. If the man was telling the whole truth, then they would be in for an awesome adventure. Even if he wasn't acting with good intentions, it would be at least eventful. There was nothing for him on earth so even if he had nothing in wherever they were going he would at least have different options and a blank slate. "Be quiet!" The man said. " We are passing by the Iron Tomb. The denizens inside rarely come out, but it isn't unheard of." The four of them looked around but only saw black. A minute passed, and the man said, "You can talk again now. We will be to the entry point to Calorin soon. Remember to enter the same spot or you will end up far apart and maybe even high enough to break some bones. The exit we will take will only be in the right spot for a few minutes, but I have some control over where the portal opens, and once it is open, we can take our time going through." The other three spent the next few minutes speculating what the new world would be like. Andrew didn't join in. He couldn't bring himself to be excited and the bracelet's feelings weren't helping. Something interesting happened. New emotions appeared in the bracelet. Determination and a desire to protect him. This confused him. Why the sudden appearance of these new emotions? Did it want to do something? Why would it want to protect him? "Here we are!" The man said and the four could feel their movement stop. "I will open a portal to a city called Everon. It is the capital city of a nation called Avan on the continent of Nael. I will leave you shortly after we arrive but a man named Eric will be there to tell you everything you need to know and answer questions. He is from the earth like you so he should be able to help you what to expect." The man opened a portal and on the other side was what he could only describe as an ancient city. There a man was waiting for them, though was looking in the wrong direction. "Come on now." Their guide said as he passed through the portal. The man on the other side turned and greeted him. "This is so awesome!" Cameron said and went through first. Lisbeth grabbed Isaac and said, "Come on Isaac, we can't let Cameron be the center of attention." Isaac looked back to Andrew as Lisbeth pulled him through the portal and shrugged. "Here goes nothing," Andrew said to himself. Instead of going through the portal, something jerked him to the side. It was his bracelet. At this moment he realized what was fueling the bracelet's new determination. It would not let him go through the portal and follow the man. Instead, he passed through the blackness to the side and a moment later found himself in the middle of a forest. *** Cameron looked at the surrounding city. They had appeared on a balcony of a large stone building that overlooked the city. The city looked like a mix of what he envisioned a Roman city and a medieval city would be like. Some buildings were made of stone and were well built, whereas others were made of wood or even mud. The main street near them was paved with cobblestones but the rest that he could see was dirt. The roads were filled with people and they were all strange. They looked taller and less robust than a normal person, almost as if all their features had been stretched out. There were also several large-sized animals pulling carriages or carts. He couldn't tell what they were, but they weren't horses or ox. "Welcome Terrans!" Eric said, turning to them after their guide vanished. "Terrans?" Isaac asked. "People from earth are called Terrans here. A long time ago many Romans came to Calorin and even though it wasn't just Romans that came from Earth that's the name that stuck." "That explains some buildings," Cameron said. "And a lot of their technology," Eric added. "We are on another planet," Lisbeth said as she peered over the edge of the balcony's railing. "Where's Andrew?" Isaac said and began searching the area. Eric looked concerned. "Yes, the Servant said he brought four of you but the portal is already closed." "Is he stuck on the other side?" Eric frowned. "I wouldn't think so. The Servant wouldn't have closed it. Either he ran away and hid after exiting or he didn't exit through the portal. Your friend would have had to get past me to get to the door to the palace and the stairs, which means he didn't exit with the portal." "Then where is he?" "Not here. He's probably halfway across the continent. The edge of the bridge doesn't stay at one point on Calorin and, so as the planet rotates, the exit point changes. He should be fine if he exited next to the portal." "We should go find him!" "I will put out a notice but odds are he appeared outside of Avan's borders." "Will he be okay?" "I'm afraid if one of the wild tribes find him, they will kill him. The tribes kill anyone from Avan." "Andrew isn't from here though," Cameron said. "So will that help?" "No..." Isaac and Cameron looked to the ground. "Listen. For now, focus on getting settled in. He most likely appeared in the forests to the west. The tribes are spread out and if your friend is lucky, he won't be found." "But he doesn't know how to get here," Isaac said. Eric looked to the side. "Next time I see Servant I will ask him to look. Although at this point it is up to your friend to survive." Eric turned towards the stairs that led from the balcony to a courtyard below. "For now, let's move forward. He is not dead yet and if you follow your training you might get to look for him yourselves." The group descended the stairs and arrived at a large courtyard that looked to be in front of the palace. "Before I forget you will probably want to put these on your neck," Eric said and pulled three purple chokers from inside his robes. "These are Lady Melche's invention and whoever wears one will understand any language, though it doesn't sync up the lips to what you hear so it can be pretty distracting at first." The three each took a choker. "Cool!" Cameron said, "but I'm not sure how I feel about wearing a choker." He put it around his neck excitedly. "And it's purple of all colors," Isaac added. Lisbeth laughed. "Purple isn't my favorite color either, but at least I won't look silly." Eric laughed. "Don't worry, those chokers are a sign of wealth and power. If anything, people will be jealous. Not to mention the people here have never seen a Terran that wasn't wearing one so it's normal." "Except Andrew," Isaac said. "Even if he does find someone friendly he won't be able to talk to them." "True." "We're being watched," Lisbeth said and was looking towards the courtyard. On the opposite side of the courtyard, a large crowd had gathered. They were blocked by a wall that surrounded the palace and were peering through a gate of metal bars towards a smaller group that was gathered not far from the gate. In the second group were eight men, all bound, kneeling, and heads covered with bags. They were surrounded by ten guards. "What's happening?" Lisbeth asked. "An execution," Eric said and began walking towards the small group. "And where you will get your first lesson on one of your bracelet's uses." "An execution?" The three said and looked at each other. Cameron was the first to follow Eric and Isaac and Lisbeth shared a look before following. "General Eric!" A man in light armor that looked like discount Roman reenactment armor said. "We are ready whenever you are." The three looked at the surrounding people. They all looked weird and stretched. They were all also just as tall or taller than any of the three. One even looked to be eight feet tall. Every other one of their features appeared normal so it could have been worse. "Thank you, Captain," Eric said and then turned to the three. "I know Servant didn't tell you much. He didn't tell me much and honestly. I never would have accepted his offer had I known. However, it is worth it." Eric turned towards the prisoner that was closest and touched his shoulder. A few seconds later the man went limp. "The bracelets take the life force of another and add it to your own. In return, your body becomes stronger in almost every way. Strength," Eric picked up the prisoner's body with one arm, tossed it into the air, caught it, and put it back down, "heals faster," Eric pulled out a dagger, cut his hand, and it began healing immediately, "running," Eric ran to the palace and back so quickly a cheetah would be jealous, "stamina, and more. The bracelets also allow the wearer to share some life force with others to help heal or cure diseases, though no raising the dead." "We... we need to kill to get these powers?" Isaac looked disgusted. "These men are bandits that have killed, raped, and raided villages and have been sentenced to death. They will be executed regardless of your decisions. Now, will you use their deaths to your advantage? There are many others of us with bracelets that will do it if you do not." Eric said. He looked at them with sympathy. "I understand your reluctance. I almost refused to do it myself." "It's painless?" Lisbeth asked. "Yes. Their bodies are uninjured and I have never felt that anyone has been in pain." Eric said and looked at the dead prisoner. Lisbeth approached the nearest living prisoner. "And I will get stronger?" "Yes." Lisbeth put her hand on the prisoner's shoulder and smiled. He fell over moments later. *** The forest was dark and Andrew couldn't see the sky through the thick trees that surrounded him. His heart was racing. He had no idea where he was and could see no signs of his friends or the man anywhere. He couldn't even see any signs of people. He knew that wherever he was, it was the bracelet's fault as he had seen the jewel on it glowing the same time it forced him out of the black void without using the portal. His only reassurance was that he hopefully had gotten out of whatever that man's plans with him were. Andrew couldn't convince himself completely that he was better off here than with the man. He had almost no survival experience. Sure he had seen a few TV shows and read a few articles about camping and survival but he was stuck here with no tools. He hadn't even been carrying his school supplies. All he had was his wallet and the clothes he was wearing. Andrew tried to remember what he should do in a survival situation. Shelter first? A fire would be good. Fresh food and water next. There was plenty of wood for shelter and a fire. The forest looked very green so there had to be water somewhere. Food was the problem. He had no idea how to set up traps or make weapons to kill an animal. He was also worried about poisonous plants and berries. Andrew felt something drawing his attention. It was the bracelet. He felt as if it was apologizing to him. "Why did you do that?" He asked it but received no reply, just apology. Did it not understand English? Maybe it only could communicate through emotion? That didn't explain how the others were "told" the names of their bracelets. He couldn't even be sure if it could feel his emotions. Andrew tried. Andrew was angry so directed that at the bracelet. The sense of apology got stronger and added a new emotion. Help. It wanted to help. How could it help? He directed confusion at it. It responded with what he felt was that it wanted him to trust it. He wasn't sure what to make of it, had no idea what it could do, or even how smart it was. For now, he felt he should do what he could himself and if the bracelet helped, then that would be something. Andrew looked more closely at the surrounding forest. He guessed it was still day as it would be dark here if it wasn't. He knew he had to hurry and began looking for a clearing. It would expose him but would give him more light to work with for longer. To his surprise, he found one in less than half an hour. It was mid-afternoon, so he still had a few hours to work in the light. He had no idea what the weather was like here, how cold it got at night, or what lived here so he decided a shelter would be his priority. While he was building his shelter Andrew became more and more certain of something. Everything here, including himself, felt lighter than it should have. He could even jump higher. It sort of made sense to him that being on a different planet would have effects like this. The higher jumping was cool but had to stop himself after he hit his head on a low tree branch. By nightfall, he had built a lean-to. It exposed him more than he would like but would at least keep the rain off of him thanks to the generous layer of leaves and branched he had piled on top and to the sides. He had also collected a large pile of dry wood. Andrew stared at the pile of wood and wondered how he could start it. He thought about rubbing sticks together but couldn't imagine how he could ever do it properly. If only he had a magnifying glass. The bracelet got his attention. It glowed briefly, and a flame appeared in the air above it before shooting into the pile of wood. The pile immediately started to burn and had soon engulfed the whole stack. "Whoa..." Andrew said. The bracelet was feeling proud. Andrew directed thanks towards it and from the bracelet he felt slight embarrassment but mostly pride. The change in the bracelet amazed Andrew. Ever since they had separated from the man its emotions had improved considerably. It still seemed depressed most of the time and there was always a sadness but it seemed to be trusting him more and felt its loneliness grow weaker. He wished he could talk to it. He felt lonely too. He had been so spoiled by Isaac's company and hadn't missed the feeling. The last two years of college had been the best of his life. For one, he had finally gotten out of the foster care system and even though he had struggled at first juggling work and college he had found the freedom to be more than worth it. He had also rented an apartment with Isaac and being so close to his friend had been great, even though Lisbeth had been spending time there too. Andrew felt the bracelet apologize to him. He also felt that it was feeling sorrowful, depressed, and lonely. It could only react to his feeling about home. It wasn't the bracelet's fault. He had come. The bracelet had even warned him and he was thankful to it. The whole time it had been concerned for him now that he thought about it. He expressed this emotion to the bracelet. Andrew looked to the sky. There was a small red moon passing by overhead. The sky was so beautiful here. "Thank you bracelet for taking care of me."