Dragons, Dystopians, and Denial

"Good choice," Jayk muttered, turning and walking further away from the camp so they could be alone. He sank down on a rock once they were out of earshot, gesturing at the log across from him.

He looked at Elias for a long moment, taking a deep breath, then he let it out slowly. "Earth?"

Elias followed Jayk, trying to not feel so nervous that he was separating from Jerica. She said that they could trust him and the others, but being in another world without knowing any of these people, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Wordlessly, he followed Jayk's gesture to site on the log, and he did exactly that, sitting on one end that would provide the most distance between them.

Elias let out an amused huff of air though his nose at his one-word question. "Is it that obvious?" he said with a heavy voice.

"Yes." Jayk considered for a moment, then decided to soften it. "Your accent doesn't sound like any from Beirania."

Elias couldn't stop the next words coming out of his mouth. "I don't have an accent," he said thoughtlessly.

"Everyone has an accent," Jayk snorted. "The only way you wouldn't have one is if you didn't speak... and I assume that would be difficult for you."

Elias narrowed his eyes at him then scoffed, but then it turned into an airy laugh. "I'm just glad you have a sense of humor," he said.

"Someone's gotta make jokes." Jayk smirked at him, thinking through what the most pressing matters were. He figured he'd get information out of Elias easier than he would Jerica -- but, also, he wanted to give Jerica a few minutes to breathe without having to answer questions. "Did she bring you here, or did you come to Beirania on your own?"

It was a reasonable question; Elias just wasn't sure why he was here. He had his suspicions with Aerik's help, sure, but otherwise, he randomly found himself in this realm. He didn't even know other world existed until now. He was as clueless about all this than about... well... all of Beirania, really. Jerica was his guide and he was happy for her to answer questions.

He couldn't exactly call on her to help him now, though. He let out a small sigh.

"I came here on my own," he said. "Kind of an accident, really. I opened a door, but I guess it was a portal... or something."

Jayk squinted at him. "I see... and I'm assuming you ran into Jerica and..." He glanced around to ensure no one else was near them, then continued softly. "Aerik?"

Elias nodded, but also looked around, mimicking Jayk's careful looks. "Yes?" he said. "Is that supposed to be a secret?"

"Aerik doesn't exist," Jayk said firmly, giving him a pointed look. "You understand? You haven't heard that name. At all."

Elias stared at Jayk for a few seconds, letting his words fully seep in. When it did, he squinted and nodded slowly in understanding. He knew that Jerica stayed with Aerik as a "prisoner," but that was the extent of his knowledge. Maybe he wasn't even supposed to know that at all.

"Riiight," he said slowly. "Who are you even talking about? Never heard of the guy."

Jayk snorted but nodded at him with a smirk. "Good. None of it. Portal. Alternate universe. Dragon. Dragon Keeper.... I... don't know how you got here, but you know a lot more of the secrets of this realm than most people ever will. And you need to make sure you guard them well."

Elias lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck, a habit he ended up developing whenever he was trying to think things through. There was a lot of things he didn't know about Beirania, but what Jayk said completely caught him off guard.

"I didn't know that," he said, deciding to be completely honest. "And, to be honest, I don't really have a reference point on what's normal around here. Is any of this--" he gestured around him-- "normal? Or is it also a secret?"

Jayk sucked in a deep breath then blew it out. "Yes. And, yes... we are in Swaltou. Non-criminals tend to avoid these woods like the plague... which is why I'm here. To gather information... Secretly."