EMRYSA

Chapter Four (I)

Ciara, still reeling from the shocking revelations, made her way toward the spot where Azaar had disappeared. Lost in her thoughts, she stumbled over a protruding crystal and nearly fell face-first into a larger, sharp-edged crystal. Thankfully, Arc was quick to react and caught her just in time. Ciara looked up at Arc, her confusion evident. "Arc?" she said, taking deep breaths. "How did you end up here?"

Arc shuffled uncomfortably, his eyes avoiding hers. "Um, well, I followed you," he admitted. "I was concerned when I saw you wandering off alone into this dangerous valley."

Ciara nodded, appreciating his concern. "How much did you see or hear?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. "Not much. Mostly everything," Arc replied, his tone cautious. "Are you okay?"

Ciara sighed, her emotions still in turmoil. "No, not really. It's a lot to take in, you know. What about your thigh? Will it leave a scar?"

Arc winced slightly, acknowledging the injury. "My injuries heal faster than normal, but yes, there might be a scar."

Together, Ciara and Arc made their way back to the others, who were still fast asleep. Ciara woke up Prudy, making sure not to disturb the rest. She and Prudy discussed Ciara's encounter in hushed tones, trying to make sense of the revelations.

The next day, they gathered to decide their course of action. Morgana and Mordecai disagreed on the path they should follow. Morgana suggested taking a shortcut through the Wilddeoren Cave. "This is the Wilddeoren Cave, right?" Ciara asked. "Yes, and it would be much faster. Besides, there's a slim chance of escaping this valley anyway," Morgana persuaded.

"I agree with Morgana," Ciara chimed in, supporting the idea."Me too," Arc added. Prudy, unfamiliar with the term, asked, "What is a Wilddeoren?"

Ciara explained, "A Wilddeoren is a giant rat with rotten and overgrown teeth. It's blind but has a keen sense of smell and feeds on flesh. I read about them in one of Ricky's books."

Mordecai handed them small magenta-colored berries. “Ew, what are these disgusting things? They smell like, like—” Sage complained. “You. These stinkberries will cancel out the smell of our flesh. So, unless you want to be eaten alive, rub them on your skin,” Ciara interjected.

They smeared the stinkberries on their exposed body parts and ventured into the cave. Mordecai led the way, followed by Prudy, Ciara, Sage, Buttercup, Morgana, Warwick, and Arc. They proceeded cautiously, walking in a single file until they reached the center, where Mordecai signaled them to stop.

Squeaking noises echoed through the cave. "Wilddeorens," Mordecai whispered. "Everyone, hide and stay still," he directed.

"Buttercup dances when she's scared," Sage blurted out, causing Prudy to roll her eyes.

A wilddeoren appeared, sniffing the air and investigating its surroundings. It sniffed each member of the group, growing increasingly agitated. It started sniffing Buttercup, she tried to remain still but couldn’t hold it. She started dancing. The wilddeoren squealed, went berserk and attacked Buttercup. Acting quickly, Sage grabbed Warwick's sword and stabbed the wilddeoren in the head. "I-I killed it. I killed the Wilddeoren," Sage exclaimed, shocked by the outcome.

"No, you’ve killed us," Arc said. "Run! To the exit! Run if you don't want to die!" Morgana directed. They sprinted toward the end of the cave as more frenzied Wilddeorens emerged from the tunnels, giving chase. Warwick spotted a glimmer of light ahead. "I see the exit! We're almost there," he gasped.

At the end of the cave, there was a sinkhole that prevented the Wilddeorens from pursuing them further. Sage pushed Ciara and ran ahead, Ciara slipped on a stalagmite, injuring her foot. Arc, hearing her cry of pain, quickly turned back and scooped her up in his arms. The Wilddeorens were closing in, and Ciara whispered to Arc, "We're not going to make it."

Arc's determination shone through as he replied firmly, "We're going to make it." With a burst of strength, he leaped over the sinkhole, carrying Ciara with him. As they landed on the other side, they teetered dangerously close to falling back into the sinkhole. Prudy reached out and grabbed Arc's arm, pulling them to safety. The pursuing Wilddeorens plummeted into the sinkhole. Breathing heavily, Sage sighed with relief. "That was close."

They glared at her with disapproval, shooting her a dirty look. Sage stood her ground and defended herself, "What? I will not apologize for saving my best friend. Not that I will ever apologize."

"You pushed her back purposefully. Let me warn you, Princess Sage," Prudy, still staring at Sage intently, picked up a rock, “If you pull off something like that ever again,” she crushed it into sand with a menacing expression. Feeling fearful, Sage instinctively moved back. Trying to diffuse the tension, Arc spoke up, "How far is the sea?" His question aimed at redirecting their attention.

"Not far. We should reach there by nightfall," Morgana answered.

Ciara, still being carried by Arc, spoke up. "You can drop me now, I can walk." Her request was met with skepticism as Arc gently put her down. She attempted to stand but immediately realized she couldn't bear weight on her injured foot. "I thought as much," Arc said with a hint of understanding. He bent down and offered, "Get on my back."

However, Ciara resisted. "No, no, no, Prudy will carry me," she glanced to her right, only to realize that the others had left them behind, including Prudy. Feeling abandoned, Ciara muttered to herself, "First she stood up for me, then she abandoned me."

A few hours later, Sage complained, "I absolutely cannot go any farther." Buttercup added, "No, I cannot either. We are not going any further."

Ciara, seizing the opportunity, decided to frighten them, saying, "Sure, we'll be happy to leave you here. But wait, did I tell you two about flesh-eating serkets the size of your ego that will keep you company?"

Prudy groaned in frustration, "Ugh, it's like everything here is out to get us." Morgana chimed in, stating matter-of-factly, "That's because they are."

As Ciara and the others prepared to leave Sage and Buttercup behind, Sage and Buttercup finally realized they were being abandoned. Panicking, Sage shouted, "Wait! We've decided, on our own, to keep going! Come, Buttercup, hurry. I command you all to wait for us!" They sprinted to catch up with the rest of the group.

The journey continued for hours, with Sage and Buttercup causing frequent delays. When night fell, they took turns keeping watch while the others slept. With the sunrise, Ciara decided to test her foot injury by taking a short walk. Arc offered his support, helping her along the way. They stumbled upon what appeared to be an orchard, with trees arranged in a peculiar yet deliberate pattern.

However, the trees bore no fruits. Ciara found a spot to rest under one of the trees.

Taking in the scenery, Ciara asked, "Beautiful, isn't it?" Arc smiled and nodded, settling down beside her. Arc began to share a story, "This reminds me of Azaar, well probably not your grandfather. This Azaar was a powerful wizard who hasn't been seen for centuries. People say he created an orchard in this valley when he passed through."

Curious, Ciara inquired, "What was special about his orchard?"

Arc responded, "If you sing to it, the trees will bear fruits instantly."

Contemplating the possibility, Ciara suggested, "What if this is it?"

Arc proposed, "Let's ask the trees."

Ciara hesitated, "Trees don't speak," she stated. Arc countered, "Maybe not, but these are probably magic trees."

Realizing Arc's point, Ciara decided to give it a try. Addressing the trees, she spoke, "Show me a sign that you understand me."

To her surprise, the branches and leaves of the trees began to shake and form words. Arc read aloud the words formed by the trees, "Rydyn ni'n deall chi, emrysa."

Ciara explained, "It's Welsh. It translates to 'we understand you, immortal one'." Arc stared at her, clearly surprised. She further explained, "Ricky and I learn old languages together. You would be more surprised when you find out the languages I can speak."

Intrigued, Ciara continued in Welsh, "A allwch chi ddarparu ffrwythau i'm ffrindiau a minnau os gwelwch yn dda?" She asked the trees for fruits. Words began to form again, "I gael ein ffrwythau, rhaid i chi ganu."