"How can I know if I am ready if I don't know what I should be ready for?" Charlie was looking tired, this had been a very odd day for him. He honestly was doubting if he was even awake, this all seemed like an odd dream.
Hermes looked as if he was trying to read something written on his face. He took Suri and placed her back in Charlie's shoulder. "How about we have some breakfast?"
"Ohhh YES! I would love some pancakes and eggs, and fruits... many fruits, and chocolate, and honey, and..." Suri continued giving a long list of things while looking at space with dreamy eyes.
"I am actually quite hungry." Charlie just realized he was starving, he would have normally eaten his second meal by this time of the day; Or at least the time he estimated it was, He tough that it must be a little over noon at this time.
Hermes walked them to the other side of the large room, as they where walking by the large tree Charlie noticed that large fruits where hanging from the tree. Mangoes of various kinds, avocados, peach, oranges, plums, tangerines, the tree had a wide variety of fruits growing from it, this was very surprising for Charlie as someone that had grown around nature.
"Excuse me sir, how what type of tree is that? How can it grow so many kinds of fruits?" Charlie couldn't help but asking his current host.
"Oh, yes. That is and old avocado tree. Do you see how big the avocados are?" They where indeed huge, each one seemed to be the size of a large chicken, the large branches where bending under the weight.
Hermes approached a low branch and picked a ripped avocado and passed it to Charlie "Here, this one is ready."
Charlie was surprised, the fruit was almost as big as his head.
"And why does it grow other types of fruit?" Charlie was still looking at the different varieties growing from the main tree. His mouth was watering, he remembered once agin how hungry he was.
"What for, is a better question." Said Hermes, he continued walking while leading Charlie by the shoulder "It grows different varieties so each kind benefits from the other, it is not complicated to do. It just requires patience and practice. I can teach you how to do it if you are willing to learn."
"Yes, that would be good" Charlie was feeling good, it was as if this space was giving him rest from the events of the day. He suddenly summoned his sword to open up the avocado he had in his hands.
"Wow, hold on there. You don't want to hurt yourself with that. That is not a fruit peeling tool, come, be patient. We will eat soon enough follow me.
"Ahem.. right I am sorry."
Swosh
Charlie put the sword back into the ruby chamber. It was surprising how natural it all was for him. Hermes looked at him from the corner of his eye and nodded.
"Oh look, there are a few guest here." Suri suddenly flew from Charlie's shoulder and into one of the top branches. Charlie followed her and noticed a few squirrels jumping from branch to branch. One of the squirrels stopped to look at the little fairy, then reached a hand towards its chest and gave a small nod.
"It is nice to meet you too." Said Suri mimicking the squirrels body language.
The squirrel then looked down and performed a similar gesture towards Hermes and them towards Charlie.
"Great to see you Greta, you are looking a beautiful as always. I see that little Jack is still getting a hold of himself" Said Hermes while reaching a hand towards is chest and nodding with his head.
The squirrel looked at Charlie expectantly and twisted her head to the side.
"Oh" Charlie quickly saluted. "A pleasure to meet you."
Hmf
Greta quickly turned around and went in the direction of the other squirrel.
"He squirrels have quite a character let me tell you, you can hardly find better farmers nonetheless" Said Hermes while looking up and continuing his walk.
"Right.." Charlie continued walking while assimilating what just happened.
They soon reached the other side of the chamber, on the stone wall a small opening was visible.
"Follow me." Said Hermes "Watch your head, and please don't mind the spiders they help me keep unwanted guest outside" he them entered the small stone gate.
Suri was once again sitting on Charlie's shoulder "I don't think master will mind the spiders. You are very brave. Isn't that true master?" she was looking at Charlie with dreamy eyes.
"Well, I depends on the spider" said Charlie with an awkward smile.
Charlie looked ahead and noticed that Hermes had already disappeared behind the threshold. Suddenly the old mans face appeared behind the door.
"Are you coming, I though you said you where hungry." Said Hermes before disappearing once again into the darkness behind the gate.
"Forward..." Charlie took a deep breath and entered the opening on the wall.
The hallway was very narrow, and dark. Very. Dark. Charlie couldn't see his own hands in front of his face. He could hear Hermes walking in front of him at a rushed pace. On the corner of his eye he could see the small halo that surrounded Suri emanating a faint light. "Hey Suri, do you think you could shine your light a little brighter, I can't see where I'm stepping into" he didn't know if she was able to control the light in such manner but it was worth the try. He had already slightly stumbled over some pebbles in a few occasions.
"Oh, sure" she suddenly lit one of her fingers, a bright light encompased both of them and the walls around them. The walls continued upward for what seemed and endless expanse, countless webs where tangled right over their heads, suddenly Charlie saw what seemed to be a sky full of stars. Many small dots of light where right over them and more started to appear.
Shriek!
Right over their heads a spider the size of a plate had turned around to look towards the source of light and had been blinded by the light.
"Turn it off!" Charlie realized that the small spots of light where not stars, they where the reflection of the light on the eyes of the spiders that inhabited the narrow passage.
Thumb
The large spider that had been blinded by Suri's light fell from the wall while trying to scape the ligh and landed right by Charlie's feed. Before he could react it started climbing his leg.
"Aaaahhh" Charlie started running in the direction of Hermes, the shiny eyes of countless spiders flashed by him as he rushed. "Get off me!" in a desperate attempt Charlie took the large spider in his hand and showed it up and out of his body.
Swish
He quickly summoned the planes walker sword and started rushing forward. He was set to cut in half any spider that would jump on him. The walls where looking rougher and less polished as he progressed forward. Now the passage was winding with a series of bends.
"Hermes!" Charlie was running with all his might, he could hear spiders crawling the walls in large numbers.
Thumb
After a bend Charlie suddenly was blinded by a bright light, he had smashed into Hermes and fallen to the ground. Hermes, had quickly disarmed him and was now looking at him with the planeswalker sword on his hand.
"Didn't I tell you to be careful with this." He said while examining the sword on his hand "First lesson of swordsmanship: Keep the pointy end AWAY from your allies" he them flipped the sword and hand it back to Charlie. "We are here." Hermes then stepped to the side to allow Charlie to see the scenery.
They where within a large cavern, in the distance Charlie could hear the constant and loud sound of running water. The cavern was filled with stalactites and stalagmites the of various sizes, some of them had med in the center and looked like large columns holding the ceiling. The air was filled with the smell of humidity.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Hermes was taking in the view like he was admiring a work of art.
Charlie could help but gasp at the immensity of the cavern in front of him, he had never seen something like this "It is amazing" said Charlie getting up from the ground and cleaning himself from the cavern's mud that was now over his armor.
"It is indeed" Said Hermes looking at Charlie directly at the eyes, once again it seemed like he was reading something on his face. "Let's go, my cabin is right outside this cave."
Hermes continued walking forward, he was slowly making his way thru the labyrinth of naturally formed pillars, the sound of running water was getting louder and louder, it now filled the whole space. "We are right under a large river, it runs from the mountains and is constantly fed by the perennial clouds on the top" Hermes was now screaming to make himself audible over the sound of the waterfall.