"Wait!" Jordan shot upwards.

"Woah there, buddy!"

Jordan looked for the source of the voice, his breath coming in frantic gasps. As his eyes settled on the figure next to him, he was surprised to find Tucker standing next to him, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Tucker?" Jordan furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes, you knucklehead!" He frowned indignantly. "Now can you let go?"

Jordan looked down in surprise to find that his hand was gripped in Tucker's shirt.

Jordan smiled sheepishly at Tucker as he let go. Now that he was fully awake, he looked around to find himself once again waking up in an unfamiliar room.

The room was simple, the walls and floor made of nearly the same pale, yellowish wood. The ceiling a smooth white, marble-like material. The walls and floor were bare, the only thing in the room being the very bed he was laying on.

"Where am I?" Jordan groaned, rubbing his aching forehead.

"Well," Tucker plopped down on the bed, ...right onto Jordan's feet. "You see this is-."

Suddenly the door burst open, revealing Sonja with her vibrant orange hoodie carrying a large cardboard box.

"Hey! I heard a noise and- oh! He's awake!" She spoke rushedly, dropping the box with a horrible clatter and rushing over to the side of the bed. "Morning Mr. Sleepybutt! How's the head? You hit it pretty hard on your way down. Honestly, your luck kinda sucks. You were standing in grass, yet your head hit the one rock there."

Jordan blinked, staring at her strangely for a minute before realizing she had asked a question in that jumble of words.

"My head?" She nodded. "Well it hurts like heck but I'll live." Jordan reassured grimly.

Jordan inadvertently looked out the doorway behind Sonja. Tucker, noticing his focus of attention sighed.

"He isn't coming."

"What?" Jordan feigned as if he didn't know what Tucker was talking about, though, fact is, Jordan can't act to save his life.

"Jordan, it's fine. Tom's always been a little stubborn sh*t-head, he'll get over it eventually."

"I-I guess." Jordan wasn't so sure, but he nodded anyways, not wanting to discuss it further.

Sonja nudged his shoulder, grinning. "Besides, you've got us now!" She said happily.

Tucker nodded grudgingly.

Jordan looked back and forth betweem the two, his confusion probably obvious.

"Something wrong?" Tucker tilted his head.

"It's just that...why are you guys so nice to me now? You kind of ignored me when I was..." Jordan faltered.

"When you were a threat." Tucker finished for him, nodding solemnly.

"But now we're sorta on the same side! Lady Ianite is on everyone's side, right?" Sonja smiled.

Jordan frowned, propping his pillow so he could sit up better.

"Since when did you guys become believers?"

Just earlier, they had spoken as if Ianite was a myth, or at least a failure at her job.

Sonja flushed, looking down slightly ashamed. Jordan looked over at Tucker whose face was full of a similar emotion.

"You see...things happened after you passed out..." Tucker shuffled his feet.

Jordan's eyes widened as he looked between the two.

"What kind of things? What happened?" Jordan demanded.

I showed up.

Jordan's eyes widened as Mianite's voice echoed in his head. However, what truly surprised him was that Sonja and Tucker both knealt.

"My lord." Tuckered murmered reverently.

Oh right, they were Mianitees.

But wait...

"You guys can hear him too now?" Jordan asked, surprised.

I can allow whomever I wish to hear my voice.

"Oh, well that's nifty." Jordan muttered.

"Wait, you've been talking to Mianite?" Sonja looked up in surprise.

I am the one who brought him here.

The sounds of fire flickering, and an image of the...creature stalking rowards him smugly flashed through Jordan's head.

"Yeah you kind of need to work on your methods." Jordan muttered darkly.

It was not my intention for-

"Yeah yeah, I've heard your excuses." Jordan snapped.

Sonja and Tucker looked at him in surprise. Even Jordan was surprised by his actions, though the bitterness bubbling in his chest wasn't.

"Jordan!" Sonja hissed urgently as Tucker lept up and stepped towards Jordan angrily.

"How dare you speak to-"

You saw her. Mianite interrupted.

Sonja and Tucker froze.

Jordan nodded, leaning back wearily, his anger draining from him.

Tucker's face went from angry, to confused, then to one of amazement.

"Wait, by her... do you mean-"

"Ianite?" Sonja finished in hushed excitement.

"What was she like?"

"Is she as beautiful as the legends say?"

"That and more." Jordan smiled at their curiousity, though the smile was thin as he thought of her true appearance.

You have questions.

"Where is she?" Jordan's voice was a whisper.

That's not something-

"WHERE IS SHE?" His eyes were livid. Sonja and Tucker looked at Jordan in horror.

"Jordan..." Sonja approached Jordan cautiously.

Jordan slowed his breathing, trying to calm his emotions.

"I'm sorry, I-"

You have nothing to apologize for. Mianite interrupted him gently. However, I can not tell you where she is.

Jordan's head shot up.

"Why not?"

Because I do not know myself.

Jordan gripped the sheets beneath him, feeling all of his anger leak from his body to be replaced by grief.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jordan looked up in surprise to see Sonja smiling over him.

"We'll find her." She reassured gently.

"We? You guys-"

"Do you seriously think we'd leave you on your own?" Tucker grinned.

"But I barely know you guys." Jordan shook his head.

"Puh-lease! There are only a few of us here, so we've got to to stick together." Sonja grinned. "Plus, I do believe that our god here would smite us if we didn't."

I never said that. Mianite's voice was sickeningly innocent, causing Jordan to snort in amusement.

Jordan looked around at his odd little group. Sonja with her bright orange tail swinging excitedly, and Tucker with his strange apparel and impish laugh.

Maybe things weren't so bad after all.

~~~

A/N

I told you guys the next chapter would be soon! ...for me anyways

Welp, I've got a lot going on right now so I don't know when I'll be able to update next. I've got a bunch of AP work over the summer, visitors, and a job to find, but I'll work on this as much as possible in my free time.

Well, stay whelmed, my friends!

~Turtle