Chapter 4

For those not accustomed to travelling between worlds, the entire idea of merging consciousnesses with -- for all intents and purposes -- yourself can be rather hard to  get used to. This is why it took the entire trek back to the village Madian, the Maddy from the pond, comes from to explain.

"You're telling me that you can just go anywhere you could possibly imagine just by going there? As simple as that?"

Madian huffs. 'It's not as simple as you make it out to be. Not-- Not everyone can actually do it, you know. It has nothing to do with skill either, it's genetics. Pure lu--"

"So you can't? I wonder why I can, then. If we're really, you  know, the same person?"

'That's why I'm taking you to see Paetir. He is the best anyone knows at these kinds of things.'

"So he can, uh, Travel too?" Maddy lowered her voice as she steped into the village, people's eyes floating to her rather angrily. "Why do all  these people look like they hate me?"

'Well...' 

"Should I just tell--"

'No!' Madian's thoughts cut in sharply. 'You need to pretend to be me until we find Paetir. He's the only one who can know.'

At this point, Maddy wished she could send a look back to Madian but she wasn't sure how to even go about that. The map that Madian had imprinted in her memories -- another process difficult to comprehend for those not accustomed to it -- told her that they were getting close. After a few more minutes of walking in a heated silence, they came upon a house that seemed older than it's neighbors. It's wooden walls were stained a multitude of colors from  age and the weather.