[The Dark Forest Of Aethercrest]
It's been a while since the trio ventured into the forest, there were many reasons for the residents of this remote town to develop fear for this forest. The first and most common reason was, all those who went into this geographic region never returned hence it was declared the Shinigami forest.
The death god's forest, it was safe to assume all those who were trapped in here were killed by something. A burial ground was a more preferable alias.
[Helena's POV]
As we walked through the trees of the forest I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched, hardly any light penetrated the forest majorly because the trees were too huge and sprouted long branches filled with leaves. I wondered if it was because of this particular set up it got the name the dark forest.
The rumors behind this forest were after all just rumors, since there were no survivors confirming this theory was impossible unless a valid proof came to light.
"Hey hey what's with this place? I can't see where I'm going!"
Cedric's sudden exclamation put the fear of god in me, what if his ruckus actually attracted the Shinigami of this forest??
"Shhhh keep it down.."
"Huh..don't tell me your actually scared of the rumors?"
I take it back he's a bigger moron than Xavier, of course I was scared I'm a powerless mage. With the way he approached thing's I'm starting to think my safety lies only in the hands of Rachel.
Speaking of Rachel she just walked right behind us laughing softly. As annoying as the situation I found myself in was, I felt at ease.
Considering the two mages that accompanied me on this quest had no fear in them why should I be worried?
At long last, we had reached the end of the forest after walking for a while.
What we saw was glorious, a huge and beautiful waterfall which had a rainbow hovering over it. The illuminating light from the sun reflected on the waters as they poured all the way down 50 feet into the lake below.
"Well this is a bust."
I didn't understand, according to the legends the temple should be right here but it wasn't.
"I-I don't understand, it should be here. Why isn't it here?..."
I was in distress, my family's sacred treasure was the most important thing to me and I had to retrieve it no matter what. Cedric sat on the ground, his arms crossed in frustration, he glanced at me before taking out all of his frustrations on me at once.
"Are you telling me, you dragged us all the way out here and even through that dark forest for nothing!?"
I felt a bit sorry, but also confused.
"Heh." I muttered in my thoughts.
He used this advantage to complain about the dangers of the forest even though he acted as if he wasn't scared? Men sure had weird ways of expressing their fears.
Rachel walked passed us as we got engaged in a argumentative brawl, she glanced downwards towards the lake below. For a moment she squinted her eyes as she glanced harder at the lake, she raised her head and looked towards the waterfall. After a repeated motion of looking down at the lake and then looking back up at the waterfall she called for our attention.
"There's something down there."
I stopped arguing, Cedric got to his feet and both of us approached her before looking downwards at the lake.
"What are you talking about? there's nothing down there except of course a lake."
She took a step backwards, neither me nor Cedric expected what happened next.
"Yes there is."
She jumped off the cliff and down towards the lake.
"Shii! You crazy woman?!"
Cedric yelled at Rachel who fell all the way into the lake succumbed by gravity's humble embrace.
SPLASH!
She sliced through the water, when she emerged from it something strange occured. The waterfall which should have been pouring down on her like a shower wasn't, it looked like there was a barrier between the lake and the waterfall.
"Huh."
She noticed something strange as she looked into the water, out of curiosity she submerged and swam all the way to the depths of the lake. The closer she got to the depths the more the image of what she saw grew larger. Out of realization she swam all the way back up.
"Come on! there's something down here, I was right!"
Cedric chuckled softly as we heard Rachel's voice from up the cliff.
"Leave it to a water mage to see past the tricks of the water."
He was right, the waterfall was merely used to cast a mirage. Actually I just thought of it right now, given the size of that waterfall it was able to produce only a lake after gushing downwards like a stream for centuries? This could only be the work of a god, that meant we were getting close.
"After you."
My thinking was interrupted by the words of Cedric.
"Pardon?"
"You know the saying, ladies first."
My most favorite statement became the most deadly thing I've ever heard, sure I've used that saying for my own selfish interest but I never thought it'd be used against me.
"Um...I'm a bit afraid of heigh-"
Cedric didn't waste anytime pushing me off the cliff, he had a smug look on his face as he watched me fall towards the lake.
"AHHHH!!!"
SPLASH!
As I emerged from underwater I took my wet hair away from my face and looked upwards towards Cedric before laying curses upon him.
"You bastard! you'll regret this!"
Adrenaline literally gushed through every part of my body, fear is a man's most dangerous ally but also the world's greatest motivator, imagine knowing you can't run that fast and one day you end up face to face with a lion. You'd be shocked at the aftermath, well you'll probably end up getting eaten but at least you know you went down the fastest man alive.
"Oh shut up."
Cedric placed his hands into his pockets and threw himself downwards towards the lake beneath him.
SPLASH!
As he submerged we all followed behind him swimming towards the depths of the lake, as we got to the depth and swam into it, our heads emerged as if we were getting out of the lake although we were at the depths of the lake.
A reverse lake? heh the gods really are cunning.
It was revealed to us as we swam towards the hard ground, there it was before our very eyes. The structure all of humanity had been seeking for centuries, right in our presence was the pyramid which housed the hidden temple of Solarius.