The sun shone more brightly than ever the next morning. Lauren exited her tent to see Amias talking to William and Kalzin. She quietly approached them to hear what they were saying.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Kalzin asked.
"Yes," Amias replied. "It was my father's dream and now I will accomplish it for him."
"You're going to do it?" Lauren asked, choosing to reveal her presence. "Will you let me watch?"
Amias smiled at her. "Lauren, you have been the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Of course I'll let you watch."
_____________________________
Amias, Odi, and Lauren gathered near the Obsidian Lake. The big pool of water gently swayed in the breeze, causing ripples to appear and then disappear. Lauren tried to see through the water, but all she saw was her reflection. "How deep do you think it is?" Lauren asked as she stuck her arm in the water.
Amias sighed. "I do not know. Many have tried to reach the bottom, but no one ever made out."
"Why?"
"Because they ran out of air." Amias said. "They have to hold their breath the whole time and if the legends are true, the lake is miles deep. I do not know how I will make it."
Odi gaped at Amias. "Your telling us that you're basically going on a suicide mission?"
Amias nodded. "I have to try." Odi shook his head and walked back to the lake.
"I might have an idea about that," Lauren said. She reached for her sword and pried the Starstone loose. It came out and fell into her hand. The sword's light immediately became dimmer. Lauren whispered something to it and then handed it to Amias. "Go ahead and go underwater and try to breathe." Amias gave her a quizzical look. "Just do it," Lauren said as she pushed him toward the lake. "For Fallon."
Amias looked back at her and nodded. He took a deep breath and disappeared into the depths of the lake.
____________________________________
Darkness. The world was black. There was no way to tell which way was up, or which way was down. Amias squeezed his hand over the Starstone. The stone gave off a faint humming noise before it began to glow and illuminate Amias's fist. Amias loosened his grip and the glow penetrated the darkness. Amias, forgetting that he could breathe, opened his mouth and took in a big breath of fresh air.
It was magic. Amias felt the area around his mouth and there was water, but when he stuck his finger inside his mouth, there was not one drop of water there.
Amias slowly floated downward. He had to slap himself a couple of times to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He was finally fulfilling his father's wish. A sudden burst of eagerness drove him to start swimming downwards with the Starstone as his guide.
After what seemed like hours, Amias's hand suddenly came into contact with a hard, smooth surface. Amias brought the Starstone down to the ground and saw that the floor was made entirely of obsidian. Shiny, back rock covered the entire bottom of the lake. There was a spot where part of the rock was chipped, leaving a fist-sized chunk of obsidian at the bottom, too heavy to float to the surface. I did it. Amias thought to himself. He smiled. I did it, father. Taking the chunk of obsidian with him, Amias began his journey back to Odi and Lauren.
_______________________________
At the surface, Lauren and Odi paced around each other nervously. It had been midday when Amias left and in a few minutes, the sun would start to set. "Something must have happened," Odi said.
"Let's just wait a little longer," Lauren said. "He's still alive, I just know it."
Suddenly, a huge splash showered Lauren and Odi with water. Amias appeared in the center of the lake and began to swim towards them. "I knew it!" Lauren shouted. Amias slowly crawled onto the bank and into the grass.
"I'm so tired," Amias said, turning onto his back and laying there. "That took longer than I expected."
"Did you reach the bottom?" Odi asked.
Amias smiled and nodded. He held out his hand with the Starstone in it and Lauren took it and placed it back in her sword. Amias reached into his pocket and pulled out the chunk of obsidian. "Wow, this is really it?" Lauren asked, turning it over in her hands. "So the legends are true." She handed the obsidian to Odi who looked it over. "We need to get you back to camp. You're tired and soaking wet. The sun will go down soon and tomorrow we begin our march to Cardell. You need to rest."
Amias nodded. He had done it.