A bright light spelled the end of Finn's life in the Old World. That's what it was now the Old World. Not Earth, not Terra, Gaia or any other name people had called it for millennia. It was old and this world he found himself in was new. He would not learn what the name of this world was until much later.

What began as a party for the end of the school year for all of the seniors at Graham Bell High School. The school bused all of the graduating class out to a venue full of everything needed to keep a bunch of 18 year-olds entertained for an entire night.

Finn hung out with all of his friends, sipping a drink spiked with alcohol, someone managed to smuggle some in. They sat on a set of bleachers on the side of an indoor football field talking about surviving a zombie apocalypse. "Finn is surviving till the end," Gabe said on the highest seat. "Naw man," Finn said, "I'm going to do something stupid like trying to dance with one."

"What if they are fast zombies?" asked Hope, a dark haired girl. Lesley laughed, "Then we are all screwed. Finn pointed to Gabe, "Gabe knows parkour, he'll make it just fine."

"Dude," Gabe said, "I have a broken leg. Even the Walkers'll get me. Finn you have the best chance out of all of us."

"Just because I go hunting and fishing every season doesn't mean I can survive the apocalypse," Finn said, "There is disease, the environment and other people to worry about. I'm too nice and trusting of people. Some asshole is going to trick me into a trap or something and I'm going to get killed." Evan, a large kid who is built like a truck, slapped Finn on the back, "But, you have the best chance of making it further than any of us." Finn thought for a moment before agreeing, "Perhaps, if I survive the initial outbreak, I could move to an area where there are less people and therefore, less zombies. But, I would run the risk of going to an area where it is hard to survive to begin with."

"HEADS UP!" came a call from the field below. Evan's hand shot out and caught the soccer ball sent flying towards Finn's head. It was a clean catch as the ball stopped dead in Evan's hand. Evan tossed the ball back to the seniors down on the pitch. "Okay," Finn said, "Evan may have a better chance than me."

"Those reflexes would put other people at a disadvantage," Lesley said while leaning against his arm. Gabe downed his drink, "Probably, but someone might off him because of his size. People will see him as a threat."

"But others would keep him around because of it as well," Finn pointed out, "Guys like him would be invaluable when moving a lot of materials and supplies."

"Also true," Hope said, swaying from her drink, "I also believe that people would find it difficult to trust him due to it, and he is not done growing."

"That is true," Gabe said, "Plus, he has a bottomless pit where his stomach should be."

"C'mon Gabe," Lesley said, "You eat more that Evan does."

"At least I don't get taller, any more food and Evan here will be as tall as skyscrapers."

"You're just jealous of his height, Smurf," Finn said.

"Oi, I'm five foot six and a half!"

Hope laughed, "You are short when you add fractions to your height."

"Fuck you too!" Gabe said, "And who are you to say anything shrimp. You're shorter than I am!"

"At least I am cute," Hope said batting her eyelashes. Finn laughed, "I keep forgetting you and Evan are twins. It is like having a hobbit and a giant try to convince people they're blood related. The math does not add up."

"Fuck you Finn!" Hope said and tried to hit him. She stumbled and Finn caught her. It was clear the alcohol was affecting her more now. She looked up into his eyes with a dazed look and gave a tired smile, "My hero. Give me a kiss." She reached up and tried to wrap her arms around Finn's head.

"Um, no thanks," Finn said and handed her off to her brother, "She is your problem now."

"What an I suppose to do with this?" Evan asked. Finn shrugged, "She's your twin, you know her better than I do. I need to take a leak." Finn jumped up and began hopping down the bleachers. He found that he was a little unsteady, but had enough of his balance to make the trip safely. His walk to the restrooms was unsteady and slightly uncoordinated. Seniors walked passed him, all inebriated in some way, all payed him no mind.

He made his trip into the restroom rather quick. He walked in, did his business and washed his hands. He splashed cold water over his face, looking into the mirror that reflected his visage. There was little to note in his appearance. By all tense and purposes, he looked normal. Black hair, the faint traces of a beard beginning to show, black rings under his ice, blue eyes. It took him a moment to collect himself. By the time he returned to the bleachers, all of his friends were making their way over to the arcade.

When they arrived, they found they had the whole room to themselves. Both Finn and Gabe played shooters and tried to beat each other's high scores. Evan worked the party games to earn prizes and was making good progress. When the dancing game was turned on, Lesley and Hope tried their hands at it, but were too drunk to make any progress. After almost an hour, Finn excused himself to get some air.

The whole complex the school rented out for the party was large. Large enough for two soccer fields and an ice rink. There was one outside location they were allowed to go to, that being the balcony. I was open and large enough to have multiple tables. Finn just walked to the edge to get away from all of the people making out.

The night was very quiet, few insects made noise. the cool air was sobering. The full moon casted it bright glow onto the world below. The stars danced along side it. The fresh air was what Finn needed. His head was getting stuffy and there was almost too much noise for him to comprehend. The alcohol didn't help matters. And, he soon found he was not alone.

Long red hair that reminded Finn of autumn leaves. She had smooth skin that lacked any blemish, it was more akin to porcelain with how pale it was. Finn met her gaze for but a moment, and saw a mischievous flame within them. He would often avoid her, his casual demeanor often clashed with her energetic flare.

Like him, she was leaning against the railing and enjoying the night air. She swayed some, drunk from the night's festivities, and approached him. He had to catch and steady her, because she was so uneasy. "You alright," he asked. "I am having a great time," she said with some difficulty, "Just needed some air."

"I don't think Garret will like that you are talking to another guy," Finn said.

"Garret can go fuck himself," Claire said, tears welling up in her eyes. He just stood there next to her, looking out into the night sky. It was quiet, even with the noise of the party. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Finn said. Claire didn't say anything. She was tense, but was slowly relaxing her shoulders. Then the ground began to rumble.

At first Finn thought it was an earthquake. Their region of the world tended to have them, but what followed did not make sense. The sky got lighter, as if the sun was rising. It was slow and gradual, the trees and the buildings in the distance had their silhouettes shown in the growing light. Other students came out to see what was going on. Then everyone saw it.

It was a dome of light that was growing larger and larger. There was an energy in the air that caused the hairs on Finn's arms to stand on end. He turned to Claire whose hair was starting to float. the dome was approaching fast, too fast to do anything relevant, but Finn's body moved on it's own.

As the other students were trying screaming and trying to run, Finn grabbed Claire by the arm and pulled her into a hug. She had frozen in fear, but moved with what Finn wanted her to do. He turned his body so that it was facing the light and sheltering Claire. In his mind, Finn knew it would do nothing to shelter the girl, but his instincts were in charge at the moment. Then the light hit him.

Burning pain shot through every inch of his body. He felt it in his blood, his bones, every nerve in his body was on fire. Screaming was heard, he did not know if it came from him or Claire and he could not feel anything else other than that pain. Then, as soon as it came, it left. Birds chirped. Insects buzzed. And Finn smelled the fresh scent of pine.

He lifted his head slowly and looked around. The building was gone. It was replaced by a forest, full of life. The time was different now as well. When before it was easily midnight, now it looked to be midday. Claire shuddered at the sudden chill the blew through the trees before she too looked around. She hugged herself, more out of staying calm than warm. Finn gave her his jacket anyways.

"Where are we?" she asked. Finn did not know and answered as such, "I don't know. We need to get our bearing first. The sun looks to be about noon, so we have a few hours, how are you feeling? Anything hurting?"

Claire shook her head, "The pain stopped when we arrived. Could the other students be here?"

"Possibly," Finn said, "But we have more pressing concerns right now. We have no idea where civilization is and we don't have any food or water."

"You mean..."

"There is a good chance we got sent to some random place in the world with no way to get back home," Finn said and turned to his right and pointed, "But, lets start by going that way and see what we find."

"Wait," Claire interjected, "You're just going to wander off?"

"No," Finn said, "I am picking a direction and going to see what I can find. There are no streams here and we need water first before anything else."

"What about the teachers and the adults who volunteered to look after us. What about our classmates? At the very least we need to let them know we were here."

"Good point," Finn said and pulled out his knife. "You have a knife?" Claire asked. Finn nodded, "Comes in handy when you least expect it." Finn carried a short blade, no more than three inches long with a curved edge. He carved his and Claire's names into a nearby spruce and an arrow indicating the direction they went.

Finn had little problem navigating the thick foliage. His shoes were worn and covered in dirt marks from the many hunting trips he had taken, but Claire struggled. She wore a pair of heels that did not offer the best footing at the best of times. At one point, she stumbled and fell onto a downed log. Finn stopped and helped her into a seated position and checked her arms and hands. They were scraped, but not bad. He removed his shoes and handed them to her. "These'll work for you better," he said, "They'll be a bit big, but they'll work."

"What about you?" Claire asked. Finn just shrugged, "I'll manage." As Claire put on Finn's shoes, Finn stripped off his socks and stuffed them into his pockets, he might need them later. They continued their walk. Finn felt the ground beneath his feet. At times sticks or sharp stones would dick into them. It hurt, but he had to pack the pain away for now. He stopped every so often to carve a mark into a nearby tree to let anyone who might be looking for them where they were going. As their walk continued, it became clear that wherever they were, it was not on Earth.

It was their first encounter with something magical. Claire was the first to see it. "Finn, look," she hissed in a sharp whisper. Finn looked to where she was pointing and was rendered speechless. What they saw was an elk, but different. It was larger than any elk that Finn had ever seen. His antlers curled in a circular shape. Lines of power ran from the base of each antler, down the flank of the mighty beast. In the center of the antlers was a prism of water, dancing in the light of the day. Wherever the elk walked, new growth sprouted from his hooves. The sight left the two humans awestruck as he came closer. He stopped ten feet away from them and made eye contact.

Tears sprouted from Claire's eyes and she covered her mouth. Finn knew what she was feeling as he felt it too. They both felt safe, secure, that there was something that cared about them. This elk created a wave of calm that washed over them both. It was going to be alright. "Do not be alarmed," a voice said in their minds, "I am known as Cernunnos, caretaker of these lands."

"What?" Finn said, "How?"

"I am speaking directly into your minds," Cernunnos said, "I sense recognition in your postures, do you know of me, Outworlders?"

"Outworlder?" Claire asked.

"Someone who is not originally from this world," Cernunnos explained.

"In our world, you are a nature deity," Finn said, "Ancient humans worshiped you, made sacrifices to you."

"Ah, not to to be unexpected."

"Unexpected?" Claire asked.

"Many worlds have similarities, gods amongst them," Cernunnos explained.

"Are you one?" asked Claire.

"Not in the traditional sense," the large elk explained, "I am more of an avatar than anything else. A physical form of nature itself. There are many like me. There is a fox, one you might know as Renard and a bear who would be named Artio."

Finn rubbed his chin, "I see. Well, we can ask all of the questions we have later. Right now we need water and food. Then we need to know where the nearest town would be."

"I can help you with the first, but not the second," Cernunnos said. Claire spoke up, "Why not?"

"My duties lie elsewhere," Cernunnos said, "And the nearest civilization is many moons away. Your best course of action would be to find a good home here and try and survive. I can help whenever I can, but nature is a cruel thing and only the strong will survive." The two humans looked at each other. It was a very difficult situation, but at least they'll have some help at least. "Take us to water then," Finn said. Cernunnos bowed his head and walked past the two.

They walked for many hours, long enough for the orange glow of dusk to paint the world around them. Cernunnos took his time plotting his path, forging trails that were easier for the pair to follow. By the time twilight was setting, the only light being the divine elk's antlers, they arrived at a small grove.

It was hard to see it in the dim light, but Cernunnos lit the area up with motes of light. The grove was circular in shape with a small pool in the center. It was fed by an under ground water source. A small cave with just enough for the two of them and possibly a small fire. "Thank you," Finn said to the deer god. Cernunnos just bowed his head again and left. The motes of light stayed behind, but began to dim. The chill of the knight air was beginning to bite into Finn's skin. "It'll be a cold night," he said to Claire, "So we should do our best to stay warm."

"What about a fire," She asked. Finn looked around and contemplated the question, "We have no tools to start one, so we'll have to basically rub two sticks together and that takes time so if we are going to build one, we need to start now."

Finn directed Claire to gather what sticks she could find. He gathered rocks and moss from the branches of the pine trees. He then found some fungus that were growing on the sides and stripped one off. He found horseweed and the remains of a cedar tree and used his knife to get a chunk of wood out of it. He piled the stones together in a ring just inside the cave. Claire returned with a bundle of sticks in her arms and dumped them next to the stone ring.

Finn took the bracket fungus he pulled off of the tree and began to use his knife to collect some of its fibers. He then carved a notch into his piece of cedar and had Claire use a rock to smooth out the horseweed. After everything was prepared, it then came time to make a fire.

The motes were dim now, but the two could still see. They took turns working their spindle rod and trying to get smoke. It was hard work and the two were already exhausted from the long walk and not sleeping for almost two days. They worked and worked, trying to create a single coal from the dust they were producing to ignite their tinder. Then, as it was Claire's turn to work at it, it happened. They smelled smoke and a small flame was produced.

With great care, Finn transferred the burning bundle into the ring. Then he added sticks to it, letting them burn and grow. In a few short minutes, the two had a fire to keep them warm through the night.

Finn lay back onto the hard stone ground, exhausted. Sleep was on the horizon. He felt Claire press against him, the size of the cave made it hard to sleep separately, but he could not complain. Their body heat came together and helped with keeping them warm. With a fire and the two doing their best to stay comfortable, they both drifted off to sleep, with only a large elk with glowing antlers watching them from a distance.