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Brande was awoken by the sunlight that peeked its way through the front of his tent. Groaning he sat up, trying to remember where he was. Then he remembered letting out a long sigh as it all came back to him slowly. 'Did I get drunk last night?' The ground swayed beneath him as he got up to his hooves, his knees trembling slightly. His head was pounding vigorously inside his skull. He picked up on of the strange fruits that were still sitting inside the bowl on the table and sniffed of it curiously. Finding the scent pleasant, he brought it to his mouth and crunched down on it, tasting the succulent juices that came with the bite. 'This is the best thing I've ever tasted!'_ _He thought to himself as he rolled his eyes back in delight. He sat back down on the pile of furs and finished eating the rest of the juicy fruit.

He was about to reach over for another, but was interrupted as the flap of the tent opened and revealed Tairn as he stepped inside. "Ah, I see you're awake. I see you found the fruit," he grinned as he noticed the juices on Brande's snout. "Did you like them?"

"It was delicious!" Brande exclaimed, chuckling softly. "There was nothing like these on Earth." Tairn shared his laugh.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked, motioning towards next to where Brande was seated. Brande nodded and scooted over to make room for the bull as he walked over and plopped down next to him. "So, about last night; what did Tireseus say to you after I left? I am rather curious."

Brande looked down at his feet, wondering what Tairn would think of him if he told him what he was shared with before. "She... She said that I had a strong aura," he replied, telling only part of the truth. Tairn nodded.

"I can sort-of sense it too," Tairn looked over at him. "Is that all she said?"

"Yeah... That's all." Brande noticed what looked like disappointment on Tairn's face before the bull looked away. Brande frowned, trying to find a way to change the subject. "Last night, after you brought me here to the tent, I went out and..." he trailed off, slightly embarrassed at the situation of what had happened. "I was attacked by some... wolf creatures."

"Wait, you mean Wervens?" he asked, his eyes widening with shock. "Did they try to...?" Brande looked down, his cheeks blushing dark red. Tairn turned Brande to where he could see his torso and examined both sides of his neck. "Well, I assume you got away safely, seeing as you're still here and there's no bite on your neck."

"Bite? What do you mean?" Brande asked, his eyes widening as he thought of a horror movie that he had seen back on Earth.

"Well, Wervens will tend to bite the neck or shoulder their victims after having mated them, binding the poor fellow to them and causing them to practically become enslaved. You are very fortunate to have escaped." Brande's eyes widened even more, shivering slightly. "Speaking of which, how did you escape?"

"Well, that's the interesting part..." Tairn looked at him curiously as he spoke. "The two Wervens had me pinned and I was panicking. But then, I felt this rush of energy. It was like nothing I had ever felt," he looked up at the bull seated beside him and explained how he had killed the two beasts with a bursts of flame.

"You used... magic?" Tairn's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he tried to tell if he was telling the truth or not. "I've never heard of a Taurhe using the Arcane Arts before..."

"What about Tireseus? She healed my arm."

"That is completely different from what you have explained to me. Shamans can only call upon the earth. Fire is an element only the sorcerers of the Elves and Orcs can call upon. I don't know much about the subject however; that is something I will leave Erasmus to. He's the one who studies those magics," he finished with a smile. Brande was stunned. All the things he had thought a fairytale before were coming to life right before his very eyes.

Tairn and Brande left the tent to find a meal to eat. They walked for a few minutes until Tairn had spotted a tent that was much larger than the others that surrounded the area. He led Brande inside and they were greeted by the aroma of various foods. Several of the Taurhe that were sitting on the ground looked up at them as they entered, taking a long look at the new-comer. Brande blushed slightly at the sudden attention and tried not to catch any of the eyes of the others. He took the time to look around the tent. There was a large fire thrown up in the middle of the tent where a large pot sat cooking with contents unknown to Brande which several bulls were seated around, making idle conversation with one another.

A hulking minotaur approached them and spoke in a bellowing voice, "Ah, Tairn! It's good to see you again. I take it your trip was successful?" Tairn smiled warmly and clasped the shoulder of the bull.

"Not necessarily, but I did find this lad wandering around deep in the forest, fortunately," he said looking over at Brande and letting out a small chuckle. "He would probably be resting with the Ancestors if I hadn't."

"I see. Well, it's good to meet you, friend. My name is Cassius," said he, turning to Brande and extending a hand out.

"It's good to meet you, too. My name is Brande," Brande replied, his hand being nearly disappearing as he shook the giant hand of the minotaur. Brande felt so small being beside the two bulls, them seemingly passing for eight feet tall. He smiled politely, trying not to stare at Cassius as he shook hands with him. The bovine wore a simple harness across his chest and wore a leather loincloth that fell beneath his knees. His torso was well defined, his arms and chest being well-built with light-brown fur covering his strapping body. As Cassius let go of the embrace, Brande felt a slight stirring in his pants, being lucky that the smoky fire seemed to mask he scent of his arousal. He blushed and turned his head away from the bull.

"So I assume you two are here for something to fill your stomachs?" Cassius asked, stepping back and placing his hands on his hips.

"Your assumption is correct," Tairn replied, smiling.

"Good! We have a stew cooked up and ready." He led the two over to the fire and pulled out a couple of carved wooden bowls and spoons. Taking a ladle full of the soup, he filled their bowls and brought them back over to one side of the tent, taking a seat on the ground. They followed his actions and sat side by side in front of Cassius. He looked at both of them and grinned. "What are you waiting for? Dig in!" They both chuckled in amusement and Brande picked up his spoon and brought a spoonful of the steaming stew to his muzzle, blowing on it to cool it off slightly before taking the bite into his mouth. His taste buds were in bliss once more as the delicious taste of the broth and vegetables, mixed with some kind of meat took over his mouth.

Cassius noticed the expression on Brande's face as he chewed blissfully and said, smirking, "I take it you enjoy it?" He nodded with a smile as he took in another spoonful of the stew. Cassius chuckled softly and scratched his chin idly. "So, I've never seen you around in these parts before; care to tell me where it is you come from?"

"Well, I -"

"He bears from one of the nomadic tribes in the East," Tairn interrupted quickly with a slightly worried expression. "He lost his way and that's how I ended up finding him, right Brande?"

"Uh... Yeah, we were on a hunting trip and... I guess I got separated," said Brande, confused. Tairn smiled nervously as silence overtook the three while they finished up their meal. Staring down into his bowl, Brande could feel Cassius's eyes bearing into him. As soon as they had both emptied their bowls, Tairn stood, the rest following in suit.

"I guess we should be going now. Got a long day ahead of us," said Tairn.

"Alright, it was good to see you again, Tairn," the bull said with a smile, clasping his shoulder warmly. Tairn pulled the bigger friend into a hug, both smiling as they embraced shortly before pulling away. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, Brande. I hope we meet again soon," he said, turning towards him extending a hand once more.

Brande shook it with a smile and said, "Yes, that would be nice. You can never have too many friends." They both let out a small chuckle before stepping back. They all waved goodbye to one another before Tairn and Brande walked out of the tent, Brande ignoring the glances that received as they exited. Tairn began to walk off, but Brande pulled him back by the shoulder.

"What exactly was that all about? Why did we have to lie to him?" he asked, furrowing his brows slightly as he looked up at the bull. Tairn merely shook his head and looked away from his stern expression.

"Sorry, I just don't think it's the smartest idea to be telling everyone that you're from a different planet, 'know what I mean?" Brande sighed, understanding what could happen. "I just don't want to attract unwanted attention."

Brande snorted. "Well it's a little late for that, don't you think?" he retorted.

"You'll be getting a lot more stares if you aren't careful, though. Just think of the way they'd react." With a sigh of defeat, Brande looked away.

"Fine. But I still don't feel right about it."

"I'm sorry, okay? But try to keep it to yourself." Brande grunted and looked back at the bull. Tairn gave him a reassuring pat on the arm and gestured for him to follow. "Come on, we need to find Erasmus." Brande shrugged and trailed behind him as he wound his way through the tents, passing by multiple groups of working Taurhe, already having started their days of washing, tanning, and other activities. As they walked, some called out their greetings to Tairn, looking up from their tasks and giving them a small wave before going back to work. Soon they reached a small, secluded tent, it being a bit away from the others.

As soon as they approached, a slightly aged bull dressed in a simple robe exited from the inside of the tent and looked to see their arrival. He raised his arm in greeting and moved to meet them as they waved back and continued walking up to the bull.

"Hello Erasmus, good to see you're still doing well," said Tairn as they stood face to face with one another, Brande standing slightly off to the left of the two as they exchanged their greetings.

"Ah, yes and the same to you, Tairn," replied Erasmus in a cheerful voice. "And to what do I owe this honor to? I assume you didn't simply come here to visit."

"Well, do you think we could speak in private?" Tairn said in a hushed tone, glancing over to Brande and back to Erasmus. "I don't think it would be towards our best interests if someone caught us speaking of this out in the open like this." The elder nodded and waved them to follow as he walked back to the tent. They followed him back to his isolated tent and entered behind him. The place was scattered with ancient tomes and scrolls and an unlit lamp lay on a wooden piece of furniture that he took as a desk.

"Please, make yourselves at home," said Erasmus, motioning towards the several cushions that lay about the mess. Brande looked up at Tairn, who simply shrugged and seated himself. The smaller minotaur sat next to Tairn and focused his attention to the elder who seemingly had no interest in him. "So, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"You may not believe me, but I think I have found the first Taurhe able to cast spells," Tairn said, looking up at Erasmus who simply chuckled and shook his head.

"Impossible; no one with our blood has the ability to call upon arcane. It's been proven. Several times, in fact,"

"Several things I had once thought impossible have happened in less than a day. Just hear me out, please." Tairn's voice became pleading. "It'll be worth your time, I promise." Erasmus sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Very well, but know that I don't have all day here," he said, annoyed.

"Thank you; you see, I found Brande here," Tairn motioned towards the smaller bull, "deep within the forest, nearly dead if it weren't for me. I brought him back to the camp immediately and brought him to Tireseus. Apparently, he was brought here by a relic from a distant realm by the name of 'Earth'." The elder's ears perked up slightly and he drew himself closer.

"Earth? Is this true?" Erasmus turned to Brande with an astonished look on his face.

"Yeah... I found a strange stone that was etched with strange writings on it. When I read them, I woke up here," recounted Brande with a small sigh as he finished. Erasmus let out a small chuckle.

"Well, that would explain why you're wearing such peculiar attire then." Brande noticed Tairn smirk out of the corner of his eye. "So, Earth you say? What did Tireseus have to say about that?"

Brande looked down away from Tairn, pondering on what he was going to say. "She told me that... uh, that I was part of a prophecy. And that I was to play a very important role in it." He stared at the ground, already regretting having lied to his companion.

"What? You told me that she only noticed your aura," said Tairn. Brande raised his head and looked over to the bull with a slightly sad expression across his muzzle.

"I'm sorry, I just felt that... I thought you would treat me differently if I had told you the truth. I feel alone enough as it is, I don't want to lose the only friend I have here," Brande said, looking into his eyes.

Tairn's eyebrows furrowed; a look of anger in his eyes. "You lied to me."

"Yes, and I'm sor -,"

"You're sorry? How do I know if you aren't lying right now? What else have you lied to me about?" questioned Tairn furiously, staring back at Brande angrily. Brande opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted, "Friends don't lie to each other." The bull quickly stood and rushed out the tent with a look of disgust on his face.