Just beneath the surface

Into the heart of the River

Jahmil walked along the banks of the river mouth to the greatest river tributary in the whole world; the sss. Already, he could feel the illustrious wonder of the new world he was about to venture in. It wouldn't be like the previous trip, as they would have to conquer new terrain; land. The mighty ship wouldn't be so mighty enough to forge its way through the river, so the crew has to dock the invasor at a Portuguese harbor in Brazil. It was tough, but the glowing flowers, for free, were enough to appease the naval commander stationed there. It was a small price to pay, as per Fernando. To navigate, they brought seven lighter boats, larger than dinghies, but small enough to cut through the narrow streams, and light enough to be pushed through dry land. It would be an expedition like none before, but of course, the crew had to have enough rest before making the push. Jahmil felt something odd, like something was wrong. The air chilled with anger and hatred, and it felt like the forest began to reject them. The Portuguese warned them about the dangers of the untamed forest. Tribesmen wandered about, picking off straggling soldiers to be sacrificed later on. The Aztecs That remained still held a long-standing hatred for the foreigners, and Jahmil understood where they came from. But, not only that. Wild animals whose strength and weaponry were unparalleled even by man, still roamed wild and free in the jungle. The Portuguese commander said

"Those beasts know the forest like it's their playground, and you are their toys. Be careful, even the most beautiful of the bunch can pack a punch". But Jahmil knew it wasn't what he was feeling odd about. There was something else at play. He was sure that there would be no way the Chorus flower poison would be easy to obtain.

"Well, it depends on what Andres finds in that book of his", Jahmil thought. They discussed the plan, but further changes could be done if Andres found something new. He slowly walked back to the campsite for dinner. The sun was beginning to set, but even though it hadn't yet completely hidden behind the horizon, the forest concealed it in its darkness.

"So we make way through the river down to its heart as said in the map. All men must be in full vigilance, keep an eye out for any tribesmen or beasts in the woods. It will be too far out in the wild for any help if we need it, so we better avoid any confrontations", Fernando said.

"Did you talk to the village chief already, Jahmil?" Fernando asked.

"Yes, and as superstitious as he is, I think we should take his reminders to heart. First of all, travellers that tried to head into the river also talked to him, and as they told him, they say that the river itself will stop you from progressing. There's a force that repels foreign creatures, he says. Second, the river cuts off from the heart, for you will have to pass dry land to enter the spring that is called 'the heart'. The catch is, when you return, the boats disappear, and you will have to walk on foot back to the coast, where the forces of nature will reclaim whatever you stole", Jahmil answered.

"What forces of nature?" Fernando asked.

"He says the trees move, and have a will of their own", Jahmil replied.

"Well that's something to deal with, the other is this weird code", Andres said. He had been poring over a certain page for hours, as they seemed so relevant for their current quest. It seemed like letters encircled what seemed to be a pool of water with a rock at its center.

"Perhaps this could be the spring you told of?" Andres asked.

"I guess, we'll have to find out", Jahmil replied.

"All right, listen up, lights out in an hour, we leave when the light breaks from the horizon." Fernando said. Though the sun had not yet completely set, it was already dark in the forest.

"I never knew this was going to be this handy", Andres said, holding one of the glowing flowers.

"We could put them in a jar and use it underwater", Jahmil replied. He went to his hammock and lay down. He began to wonder, what was his real goal? Now that he thought of it, all this trouble just to hear a few words from his parents? It seemed rather pointless. Perhaps he was needed because he was part of the trinity, but it wasn't his desire. If he had the power to do what he desired, he would have just stayed and lived a normal life with Alyaha and her father. How were they? Could Alyaha have found someone else in her life? The thoughts daunted him. He decided to sleep. I've gone too far to back out, he thought. Just as he closed his eyes, a chill suddenly wrapped around his body. He looked around, but he saw nothing. He thought it off, and went to sleep. The forest rustled harder, like it was no longer the wind shaking the leaves. Andres couldn't sleep with the noise, so he decided to get up and walk for a bit. He too couldn't help but feel as if the journey was getting too risky. They nearly got a direct confrontation with pirates and nearly got killed by weird sea creatures. Looking back, he realised how lucky he was not to the one aimed by the Mherekast archer back then. Was it still worth going on? But then he realised, he had pride to consider, what would he have left if he returned to his mother empty handed. The rustling stopped so Andres decided to go back to sleep. As he walked back to his tent, he looked to the darkness of the woods. There, in the pitch black gloom, he saw a single, gleary eye.

"Andres!" Fernando shouted. Dawn brought light upon the campsite, yet Andres was nowhere to be found. Jahmil tried to remember if he noticed something the night before. He knew he saw Andres enter his tent before he himself went to sleep. He pondered over it beside Andres' tent.

"You all had one job! Losing him in this stretch of forest is like looking for a grain of rice in the haystack!" Fernando exclaimed. The rest of the crew looked around the campsite for clues or footprints.

"I bet these were his footprints", Randall suggested.

"Yeah but, the only problem is that it cuts off from here", Pedro said, pointing at the last set of footprints in the direction of the forest.

"Do you think he was kidn*pped?" Victor asked. He came upon a piece of garment which could have come from Andres.

"Hey all of you! Look what we found!" Miguel called out. The sailors who were with him pointed at what they found with fear.

"Around three feet wide, with three toes. And they're broad. Footprints like these don't come from any beast we know", Miguel said. They followed the footprints, but it seemed to have disappeared into the river.

"It must have eased into the water. We have to move!" Fernando instructed.

"Are we going to leave Andres behind?" Jahmil asked.

"He's probably been taken somewhere upstream, so if we're going to find him, it's upstream", Fernando replied. Slowly, the crew moved into the boats, loaded the supplies, then began to row. Fernando checked Andres' bag, and the eiverngoule was still intact.

"Whatever took Andres left the book behind, so all it intended to do was to probably stop us from fully deciphering the map", Fernando said.

"Come to think of it, remember when we hypothesised that the gem's colour matches the location of the material it's meant to find? Eiverngoule is green, so it must mean that it's supposed to decode something here", Jahmil said.

"You're right, but why not just take the book? Why the person?" Fernando asked.

Tensions were high amongst the crew. Not only were they worried about what could possibly happen to Andres, they were also worried about what could have taken Andres. None of them knew what they were up against, and they were barely even inside the river itself. As they rowed, their eyes looked in all directions, because they were scared. Without the protection of their ship and its mighty cannons, they were sitting ducks. And any moment arrows could come flying at them from any direction, and they would never know who shot them. As they moved further into more remote territory, a faint scent began to fill the air. It was fragrant, as it smelled like honey and nectar, dipped into a stream of a thousand flowers. Jahmil, as superstitious as he was, began to associate it with an incantation for bewitching the minds of travellers, and he himself began to notice something in his head. They rowed until dusk, where they set camp on the side of the river. Now that they were deep in the wild, they knew that they would have to get serious in terms of the camp defences. They built stakes all around the camp, and a single gate that went in and out. They blocked off part to the river with wood, and tied their boats. Jahmil helped with building the perimeter, alongside Pedro and some other sailors.

"Since you're in the same boat as the captain, you better be careful", Pedro told Jahmil

"For what?" Jahmil asked.

"Well, you better not ask unnecessary questions or make him mad. You haven't seen his bad side haven't you?" Pedro asked.

"No, not yet", Jahmil replied.

"Well, the captain is usually calm and composed, but when frustrated, he's more dangerous than a 48 pounder cannon", Pedro said.

"If he bursts, it's a never ending row of explosions. Andres' disappearance made him quite irritable today, so you better be extra careful", Pablo, Pedro's son said.

"I see", Jahmil replied.

"Sir, some of the sailors want to take a dip", Miguel said.

"Tell them it's prohibited, it's too dangerous to swim in these waters. Keep them all inside, only one person goes out at a time. Remind them about the captain's highly explosive anger, that ought to discourage them", Pedro replied. Other sailors wanted to swim? Jahmil thought.

"To be completely honest, I am nervous about that water. I too have been feeling this strange urge to swim, but I've been trying to hold it back. I'm afraid of what we dwell in that murk", Pedro said. Even Pedro? Jahmil thought. Ever since the scent from earlier climbed up his nostrils, he felt the strange urge to swim. This made him think more about witches living in the forest. Jahmil volunteered to take lookout duty. He was the first shift, so he wasn't that exhausted. It was a pain, as he still felt the extreme urge to swim. His head began to grow hazy, and he couldn't think of anything else other than to swim. The long treacherous hours came to an end, and Jahmil finally got the chance to sleep. They all had very little of it that night though, and with their heavy heads, the tried their best to push the boats and disassemble the camp.

"Do a headcount", Fernando instructed. What he feared came to be. Four sailors, missing. Human tracks led to the river, but there was no other sign other than that.

"Wasn't there a lookout!?" Fernando shouted.

"No one exited on the first shift", Jahmil replied, his eyes steady.

"How about the second shift?" Fernando asked. The sailor who did the second shift put his head down, and kept quiet.

"I knew it", Fernando said. "Those lives are at your expense now, remember that", he continued. They then continued to forge up the river. They were heading to a fort that would soon be known as Manaus. There they would restock urgently needed supplies. If they wouldn't reach there in three days, they would run out of provisions and would be forced to either harvest from the river, or turn back.

"Remember these orders, and remember them well", Fernando said. "No one is allowed to enter the river, not even a dip of your hand", he continued. Some of the sailors couldn't hold back their urge, and though they knew the wrath of their captain once someone disobeyed, they greatly resented his orders. As they rowed down the river, most tried to distract themselves by thinking about other things, but still, they couldn't get the urge out of their heads. They kept on calling out to Andres, much to Jahmil's fear. Their screams could attract unwanted attention, but his head was too hazy to try and tell them. Perhaps it was the same for Fernando, he thought. What would most people do to snap out of a trance? He asked himself. He took a knife, and slit a cut in his finger, hoping the pain would keep him focused, and would nullify the effects on his head. Suddenly, he felt a rush of energy into the wound, like the very air condensed and forced itself into it. The wound was small, but it burned from the inside. It was agonising, andhe soon regretted cutting himself. The excruciating pain gave him something new however. He saw things differently, literally. He could see visible dregs of air, flowing about in the forest. They swirled around trees, hovered over the water, and deeper into the soil. Perhaps, this could be it; mana.

"Mana is the flow of energy throughout the world. The world gives off mana, and once circumstances brings you to an understanding with nature, the mana will always find its way to you", the words Mard Geerus said when he discussed to Jahmil about mana. He could see the flow of air into the wound, and it brought with it particles that seemed to be filled with energy. He was right all along. Something in the air made them feel the weird sensations. The wound immediately closed up, like nothing ever scarred him.

"Are you feeling it too Jahmil?" Fernando asked.

"Feel what?" Jahmil asked.

"This, haziness, it's like there's a veil of poison around the river", Fernando replied.

"Yeah I feel it too", Jahmil replied.

He looked around, and saw how whatever was in the air vacuumed into the nostrils of the crew, and there he confirmed his hypothesis. The dizziness completely disappeared, and he no longer felt the urge to swim. Suddenly, he sensed a massive concentration of the energy, somewhere in the distance. It appeared to him that the substance that flooded the crew's nostrils came from the massive energy concentration. He also felt a rather large concentration of energy trailing behind them. This one was different, it felt more sinister, and it swirled around a certain tree, oddly positioned on a rock. He kept his eyes fixed on the tree for a while, until he saw something strange. One large eye opened up for about five seconds before closing back.

"Something is trailing us, it could be the creature that took Andres", Jahmil said. Fernando looked back, but he saw nothing aside from the trees.

"It's the air isn't it, it's really messing with our heads", Fernando replied.

"No I'm telling you it's right... there", Jahmil said as he looked back to where the tree was, but there was no tree on the rock.

"See, give your head a little rest. You'll be rowing later anyways", Fernando said.

He was certain. There was something ambling about. He could still sense the creature, but it was already far away. Suddenly there was a commotion in one of the boats. One man tried to leap off the boat to get in the water, but the other sailors held him back.

"Stay in the boat!" Pedro shouted.

"You don't want to anger the captain!" Randall shouted. Fernando wanted to do something, but his head was too heavy to even speak.

"Let me go in the water now!" The sailor shouted, squirming and swinging around. It looked like the devil possessed him. Jahmil noticed something. There was a growth inside the person's head, like a fungus. It had a concentration of energy.

"Captain's orders! Get back!" Other sailors shouted. The struggle intensified that the boat began to wobble about. With so many people on one side, the boat could tip over at any second. Other sailors stopped holding him to keep the boat balanced, and taking the opportunity, the rebellious sailor punched one of the men holding him off the boat, and jumped into the river. The rebellious sailor swam around and laughed.

"See! There's nothing wrong with swimming!" The sailor shouted. Jahmil noticed that the concentration in his head began to disperse, as if it was satisfied with touching the water.

"Get, out of that damned... water!" Fernando muttered with all his strength.

There was a moment of silence, and nearly everyone heard what he said. Suddenly the rebellious sailor began to struggle.

"H-help me!" He shouted.

Other sailors that wanted to take the plunge immediately discarded their idea after what they saw. Blood began to blotch the murk around the sailor, as he screamed in agony. The sailor that got punched off swam in haste towards the boat, and he was safe. The rebellious sailor however became the main attraction for a swarm of hungry caiman. They grabbed him by his arms and legs, twisting and gnawing him bit by bit. They tore his limbs and flesh apart, rolling and biting in an erratic motion. It looked like all hell broke loose in a feeding frenzy. The other sailors tried to stab the caiman with their spears, but it was to no avail; the sailor had died, and there was nothing they could do. After a few minutes, he was dragged to the depths, where the caiman feasted.

"May that be a lesson to you all!" Jahmil shouted. "Those who aren't dizzy, keep your companions in check!" He continued.

"Thank you", Fernando said.

Once again, they had to set camp by dusk. Jahmil decided to try something out. With the fungus growth in the sailor's brain reaching an alarming point, he knew he had to do something.

"A dam?" Pedro asked, sweating as he could hardly resist the urge to swim.

"Leave it to me. you guys hold on for a bit longer", Jahmil said. He could sense the presence of caiman and piranhas in the middle of the river, so he would have to be careful. The creatures, expecting the gloom to conceal them, waited. Using branches, Jahmil made a barrier on a section of the river that was encompassed by land, much like a small gulf. The caiman slowly moved in, and Jahmil noticed. He brought a spear with him. While putting the branches, he thrusted the spear out into the water, right at the unsuspecting caiman. To the other sailors, he looked like he was playing with the water.

"How is he allowed to head into the water?" A sailor asked.

When Jahmil finished he called the sailors over to take a dip.

"I said no one must take a dip in the water", Fernando said.

"Captain, listen to me, this is the only way to cure you guys from your condition. Don't worry, the barrier will block any creatures from going in", Jahmil reasoned. He began to to continue thrusting at the water, trying to stab the caiman waiting on the other side. The sailors looked at Fernando, waiting for his response.

"Be careful", he said.

In that instant, the sailors went running towards the pool. They splashed around and rinsed their faces. Jahmil handed over spears to the sailors who were done.

"That weird feeling, it's gone!" Victor shouted.

Fernando walked over to the pool to take a dip. It was a refreshing one, and it took out both the dizziness and the urge they felt earlier.

"Those who are done get back to work!" Fernando shouted.

Jahmil and the others kept striking at the caiman with their spears, and soon, the caiman decided to back off. With the haziness gone, the crew set the perimeter of the camp, and rested.

"How did you know that?" Fernando asked.

"Know what?" Jahmil asked.

"That the water could nullify the condition we felt earlier", Fernando replied.

Jahmil decided to remain quiet about the mana for now, so he made up an answer.

"I noticed that when I touched the water on the side of the boat earlier, I was relieved of the burden. It seems as if it was trying to force us into the water to be eaten by the creatures", Jahmil said.

"Good. That's why you blocked off the river. Well you better get some rest. Are you sure you want to take lookout duty again?" Fernando asked.

"Yeah", Jahmil replied.

"Well then, I'll leave you at that", Fernando said, as he walked back to the tent. It had been two days already, yet, still no sign of Andres. Could their quarry be all for naught? He asked himself. He then decided to keep heading forward, for at least there would be a chance at success, compared to moving back. Jahmil took his time exploring his newfound prowess. It had been four hours since his shift began, yet he didn't feel tired at all. The other four lookouts fell asleep before their shift ended, but he decided to let them be. Their struggle earlier could have drained them. Perhaps being unable to be sleepy be of the effects of having mana. Come to think of it, Mard Geerus never slept, as all he did was circle the island every night, he thought. Jahmil also tried cutting himself again, but just a few seconds after being cut, the wound closed up.In those hours, Jahmil became more acquainted with his surroundings. He could sense the animals, the wind, and the trees. He found out that he could even picture out his surroundings with his eyes closed. A Jaguar prowled about, but Jahmil instantly sensed it. To his surprise, the Jaguar, though far away, seemed to look at him straight in the eyes. He also tried using the mana flow to see what lies beyond his line of sight. It worked, and he could see the river stretch on for miles. In the distance, the massive energy concentration seemed closer. Whatever was surrounding it however, was distorted by some force, making it impossible for him to pinpoint its exact location. It felt good, to be one with nature. It was peaceful and calm. Until the wind stopped blowing and created a deafening silence. Suddenly, multiple considerably large energy concentrations appeared out of nowhere, probably more than a dozen.

"Everyone be alert!" He shouted.

"Everyone wake up!" He shouted again.

"So you were the one who sensed me earlier hm?" A voice said. Jahmil looked back, and behind him were several tree like beings.

"It's futile boy, you are now trapped in a dimension where the real world can't affect", one of the trees said.

"So it was you fiends that took Andres,'' Jahmil said.

"He saw us, and we cannot allow those who see us to live. Their eyes must be shut, for eternity!" Another replied.

"Too bad for you", Jahmil said as he slowly moved backwards to grab a spear from the spear rack.

"I can see you, and you guys are going down", he continued.

"And what are you going to do about it?" One of them asked.

"This-" Jahmil said as he attempted to grab the spear, however his hand slipped through the handle.

"Like I said, it's futile. Your world can't interfere with the affairs of this one. You are trapped, and you can't do a thing", the tree said. By surprise, one of them knocked Jahmil out from behind, rendering him unconscious.

"Don't take anyone else, if we get out of the dimension, we might make Footprints in the sand", one of them said.

"I agree", another replied.