Lightrise 01 – 5785 A.A.
6 miles north of The Kingsdawn Portal,
Lemuria
I’m still shaking from all that happened today. It’s hard to explain just how vulnerable I am feeling right now. At least I am no longer alone.
Today began with me waking up in my hollow to the sound of trumpeting warhorns. I thought for sure I had been discovered. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. The portal was still open. Another cavalry of the chameleon looking scouts came riding up and this time they rode straight through the portal and into the real world. I waited an hour and they hadn’t returned yet and so I thought it best to venture forth.
Hiding in the hollow felt like a time sensitive offer. Who knew when something that could smell me would come along. And besides, when you wake up in the morning nature does call. Before making my way down the ziggurat I wanted to make use of its height advantage. I took a quick note of the landmarks that lay before me. Given that the child eating lizard people seemed to be coming and going from the south I decided to head north. I thought it best to stay off the roads. Who knew what I would find travelling thoroughfares in this wilderness. Best not to risk such things.
It took me many hours to travel through the dense wilderness of the jungle. It seems so much of the land here has been claimed by nature. There were no signs of civilisation north of the portal. I found a clearing after some time and took a rest.
Unfurling my backpack and reaching into my magic bags of holding I brought forth some supplies to have some food and fresh water. Before I left I had stored about a month’s supplies assuming by then I would have found somewhere I could scrounge food rations from. Some dry hard cheese and flat bread and salted meats filled my empty stomach. I stored some of the meats in a pouch to eat as the journey went on. A good thing I did too as you will soon see.
As I continued on I began to see all kinds of exotic wildlife. Birds and lizards, bugs and butterflies; too many to document. I had travelled for several more hours and thought I must have been quite far now. I climbed a huge willow tree to try and see above the canopy. Looking back I saw the sun was already on its descent down to the tree line. But worse, the density of the forest had meant I was still only about 4 miles from the ziggurat. Hardly any distance at all. Somewhat defeated I made my way back down. And as I got to the ground level, something deep inside me triggered. I was being stalked.
It had been a long time since I had been in the wilderness and I had grown clumsy. Looking around I saw nothing in the dense forest scrub. My heart pounded fearing some chameleons or worse, crocodiles, had traced my clumsy fumbling route. My heart stopped when I saw what did come leaping out of the bushes at me though. A massive Lion pounced. He would have gotten me too if I weren’t already on my guard. I lept as fast as I could backwards doing a little flip as I did so. Us Litorians are known for our flourishes like that haha.
The Lion roared and I felt my body freeze at its loudness. For sure I was about to die. But then, something changed. I looked into the lion’s eyes and an infinity skipped by in a moment. This lion and I had a connection. I couldn’t explain it to anyone else in any terms I have vocabulary for. Even now I don’t quite understand what happened. I think the Lion may have been from the real world. I sensed that he didn’t belong in Lemuria, and he too sensed the same of me. Like a stubborn cat, the lion snuffed its huge snout in my direction before beginning to circle me. If he wanted to he could have easily lept and tore me limb from limb as a snack, but instead he seemed to be sizing me up. His thick mane stopped bristling and began to relax as he made his way around me for the third time.
Slowly, I reached into my pouch and brought out some of the meats. I hurled a fistful into the bushes to encourage him to chase it. He sniffed in that direction and slowly walked over to eat it. I made a break for it as swiftly as my little frog legs could carry me, hopping over logs, clambering up trees, I even used my tongue to pull me through some dense vines. After putting what I thought was a good hundred yards between us I slowed down to catch my breath. Silence surrounded me.
My heartbeat returned to normal.
And just as I was about to get up again, another snuff. The Lion had followed me. Once again he easily could have devoured me whole. I was out of breath and had no more fight in my soul. But instead it just slowly walked in front of me, zigging and zagging like some domestic tomcat. He wanted to lead me somewhere it seemed. Something inside me told my soul to follow him.
An hour later as the sun went down he showed me to a small rocky outcropping. Not big enough to be a cave but deep enough to provide shelter on all sides. The lion lay down in some well scuffed dirt on the floor otherwise covered in dead leaf litter.
I came into the grotto slowly. The Lion closed his eyes as if pretending to be asleep. I made myself a little space on the floor. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I could see a little ways outside the grotto several dozen bones piled up. Some elf skulls amongst them, some crocodile maws. Luckily no frog heads. I think I will call the lion “Bones” until I know better.
When I was first learning to become an explorer, my mentor Jebasteen told me that some of us learn to form bonds with beasts of the land, sea and sky. I think the Lion and I might just be doing that.
As I write this I have just returned from climbing another mammoth tree. The portal is no longer emitting light. It is shut as predicted by the old witch’s diaries. Going forward I am trapped here now for a year at the latest. Hopefully I can find another portal before then. In the meantime I will continue to map where I venture. Tomorrow I will continue to head north in search of what else can be found in the jungle. I think I’d like to head over to see if I can’t find who lives in the small town or castle to the north west. Hopefully it’s somewhere I can get supplies. I don’t know how long my salted meats will last.
Good night reader.
And good night lion friend.
Revenby Longcroak
Archaeological Society Cartographer.
((Arjade))
