Does This Place Have Running Water?

One by one, the dragons began to land on the ridge of a cliff. Sitting down, they allowed the riders to step down, except for Hiro. His dragon gracefully dropped Hiro on the ground seconds before he landed.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Hiro said, running to the nearest bush as the dragon smiled behind him.

"Wow, I still can't get over it. Did you see all the colors and scenery? This place is beautiful." Ito said.

"Yeah, I could see myself getting comfortable here." Chung said.

Lemir patted the dragons and wished them safe travels as they took off instantly, sending all of them to fall back as they flapped their gigantic wings to create a windstorm around them.

"Follow me, and don't get separated. I can't guarantee I'll find you." Lemir said.

"Why is it that whenever he gives instruction, it makes me more scared." Ito said.

Entering the forest, the mood changed. The dark, foreboding forest differed from the one they departed from. Everyone walked close behind Lemir, not wanting to get lost here. Hiro and Ito stayed inches away from Panko, wanting any protection they could get. Everywhere they looked they saw movement throughout the darkened forest, above in the trees and ripples in the water nearby. Everyone saw it, but they all tried to concentrate on not getting lost. They continued not to say a word, walking in unison like soldiers in a military drill.

"Almost there." Lemir shouted to the group, making Kenji jump.

"Why do I feel like he's scaring us on purpose?" Kenji said to Mei Lee.

"Maybe because he is." Mei Lee said.

"Situations like this make me question my life choices." Kenji said while trying not to touch any plants that surrounded their path, not wanting to risk touching a poisonous plant to add to his woes.

"This is what I've been dreaming of." Sungwoo said, appearing between them out of nowhere, startling both of them. "I knew there had to be more out there. It's exciting that my life could be taken at any moment." Sungwoo said, continuing to look eagerly throughout the forest. Kenji and Mei Lee stared at each other, silently agreeing not to continue this conversation.

"Hey guys, check out this cave. It's so mysterious." Chung shouted from at least twenty yards away, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Chung!" Mei Lee said as she was terrified how far Chung strayed away. "Get over here now. It's not safe." Mei Lee whispered but in a yelling tone.

THUMP!

THUMP!

The ground began to shake, sending creatures around to scatter away. Lemir sprinted to Chung, grabbing her and distancing her from the cave. Lemir stared into the cave. A smell filled his nose, similar to burnt charcoal. As he pulled out his wand, the thumping continued to get louder and closer. A thick fog filled the entrance of the cave, spewing out to the forest and all around them. The fog made it hard to breathe as everyone pulled their clothing to their mouths and nose, trying to prevent all of it from entering into their lungs. Slowly the beast revealed itself, showing a minotaur tenedraug, measuring at least eleven feet in height. It began to slowly rise from the cave. The black cloud fell from his body, exactly like it did from the hawks before. The hand of the figure rose and slammed down on the ground, creating shock waves throughout the forest. Lemir pushed Chung further behind, shielding her from the monster, as an aura of blue light surrounded Lemir. As Lemir stood there glowing, an axe formed in his right hand. The wand acted as the handle as Lemir sent more and more energy to the axe, now two times the size of his body. He tightened his grip right as he leapt through the air. Everyone watched below in pure astonishment.

He winds up and strikes down, aiming for the head. The tenedraug raised his arm and formed a blade, blocking it with little effort. Lemir landed and jumped back immediately to compose himself. The tenedraug inhaled and quickly released a purple haze surrounding Lemir and the others. Everyone tried to escape the fog, as it became almost impossible to breathe. They rushed with their arms in front, carefully not to run into anything. Sungwoo, from the corner of his eye, saw a flame headed straight for him. Lemir landed before him, blocking the flame with a circle of light, sending it straight back. The monster stepped back and wobbled to the ground as the flame passed inches from his head. Before Lemir could finish him off, the tenedraug turned and ran to the pitch black cave, where it appeared from. Lemir started to run, but he looked to the others and stayed to protect them in case more were to come.

What are they doing all the way out here? We're nowhere near Teneborg. Lemir thought as he stared down at the black fog dissipating throughout the forest.

Lemir turned to Chung, face turning red from anger. "What were you thinking? That thing could have killed you. I told you to follow me closely. If you can't do that right, I should've fed you to him myself."

Mei Lee walked forward with her fist clenched. Kenji, knowing that look, held her back. Mei knew that Chung was wrong, but the way he talked to her was a little out of line and she couldn't help but become angry. Chung slowly made her way to the group. Lemir was still glaring at her, while Mei Lee was sending the same glare back.

"It's okay. We'll make it through this." Mei Lee said as she put her arm around Chung, trying to stop her from shaking.

"Hurry and stay close. We don't know if it'll return." Lemir said, glaring at them like a stern father would do to his kids.

"Things just keep getting better." Hiro said.

They walked for only a few more minutes when Lemir stopped. He took one last look around and waved his wand, building momentum with each rotation. Slowly, a door appeared before them. He walked through and held it open for the rest to follow.

Walking inside, they didn't know what to expect, but imagined it being more glamorous in their minds. With two large huts, crops, and farm animals filling most of the area, it reminded Hiro of his home back in the countryside.

"Well, it isn't much, but you'll just have to deal with it for now. I'm not sure what you folks need, but we have water, food, and warm blankets. We have little space, so unfortunately, you'll have to share rooms."

"You have got to be kidding me. I don't want to sound rude" Not something Hiro was particularly good at. "But can't you conjure some rooms or something? Or at least make the space bigger? I need my space."

"That would require more magic energy than we could produce. If we did, it would only be temporary. You wouldn't want to be woken up in the middle of the night outside, next to some cow poop, now would you?"

"That might happen anyway." A tall female elf said as she walked towards them.

"That's true." Lemir chuckling.

"Seeing him chuckle makes this situation a lot worse for some reason." Kenji whispered to Ito.

The Elf seemed to float towards them instead of walking as she approached them, giving a warm smile that only a grandma could give. A large necklace that continuously glowed, even in the sunlight the light within sparkled like a diamond in the light. She wore clothes that were at least a few decades old, covered in dirt and grass from the surrounding forest, but still seemed oddly elegant on her.

"Folks, this is Valier. She runs this place, so treat her with respect."

"You're one of the most powerful elves, and the most powerful elf in this Kingdom, I thought your lair would be a bit more magical." Ito said.

"It has its charms. Here, let me show you all around."

Time passed slowly as Valier showed them their temporary home. Instead of running water in the shower and toilet, they had a barrel and a hole. Girls and boys had their own, of course. Once those words left her mouth, Hiro passed out, falling straight onto the ground.

"I'm only kidding. We have running water here. We're not barbarians. Let him know once he wakes." Valier said.

"Help yourself to food in the kitchen. We have plenty for everyone. Unless you have an appetite like Kalindil over here, then maybe try to ration yourself." Valier pointed to a young male elf, wiping his mouth after barreling down five pounds of food.

"This is Kalindil, my grandson. If you need any help, he'll be happy to oblige. I've also washed and laid some extra clothes on the beds. Feel free to use them." They all looked at one another, noticing the filth and sweat that layered their costumes, thankful that fresh clothes awaited them all.

Kalindil didn't seem as graceful and angelic as his grandmother. In all the fantasy books and movies Kenji had seen, he had never seen an elf as ungroomed as him. Kalindil had hair pointing in all different directions, and was wearing one sock with a hole in it on one foot, and no sock at all on the other. Kenji noticed a piece of bread with jam on it poking out of his pocket. He could only assume that was a snack for later.

"Nice to meet you guys. I'll show you to your rooms."

The men and women separated as Kalindil directed them to their rooms. Hiro ran and pushed Ito and Kenji out of his way, laying down on the only bed next to a window. As they made themselves as comfortable as possible, they all laid down and immediately fell asleep.

Valier, Kalindil, and Lemir prepared lunch, filling the table with enough food to feed at least two dozen people. Slowly, most of them made their way to the dining table, wearing the clothes Valier washed for them. The shirts were very soft and smooth, pairing nicely with the shorts that were breezy and light, perfect for the warm weather they were in. They started to sit down, most not knowing what food they would be eating here. To their pleasant surprise, they saw similar food to what they would eat back home. Grilled fish, chicken and steak, tomato soup freshly made from the garden outside and lastly, Lemir's Famous Troll Stew. Hiro smelled the food and rushed to the table, pushing everyone, making himself comfortable at the head of the table. Lemir, with no hesitation, put down his stew and pushed Hiro off the seat and onto the ground. "That's Valier's seat."

Hiro dusted himself off, trying not to make any eye contact with anyone, as they all slightly smirked. As all of them didn't eat for almost a full day, they were starving and ready to eat. The room filled with the sound of utensils gliding and hitting the glass plates and bowls, munching of food, and moving of chairs as no one only ate one serving. To everyone's surprise, the troll stew was the meal's best dish. There wasn't even a spoonful left of it in the pot.

As the food rush slowed down, and pants expanded to their limit, Mei Lee couldn't wait any longer.

"So, when are we going to figure out a plan to save the rest?"

Lemir turned from the stove to face Mei Lee, his face showing that he was confused by the question.

"This is the plan."

Mei Lee shook her head, perplexed by the answer. "What do you mean?"

"We stay here and wait for the vortex to reopen. Hopefully, by then, Jasmin should be here."

"What if Jasmin was captured like the rest of them? She must've come at the same time."

Lemir turns back around to the stove not giving it a second thought. "Jasmin is very cunning. They wouldn't capture her so easily. It's only been a day. Let's wait and give her some time."

"How can you be so calm about this? They all could be dead by now." Mei Lee said, standing up, raising her voice.

Lemir slammed his fist down on the counter, his back still facing them. "What do you want to do? Storm into that castle and free your friends? All of you couldn't even handle a troll without one of you getting hurt." Lemir yelled while Kenji slowly hid his arm.

Lemir turns once again but with fury in his eyes. "Once we enter that castle, we're as good as dead!"

"Okay, so we'll sit here and talk about the weather for the next four years."

"Mei Lee, calm down. We don't know how dangerous they are." Chung said, holding Mei Lee's arm.

"She's right. You are not from here. No one trained any of you in any of the major arts. Those soldiers would kill you without a second thought and they are but mere pawns in there. What would you do if you faced someone with genuine power? I sit here every night wanting to storm that place and kill whoever is in there. I desire nothing more than to make them pay for every cruel thing they have done, but their power is too great."

Kalindil, not wanting things to escalate, put down the food and stood between the two. "But Lemir, they separated their Kingdom and branched out, taking over the fallen ones they destroyed. This would be the best time for a rescue." Kalindil said with a calm voice.

"But what about Rathmal?"

"He went off. Rumor has it he's visiting Callimor at the Dark Kingdom."

"The Dark Kingdom? Why would he go there?" Lemir asked, shocked by the news.

"I don't know. But right now, I think we should go. It might be our best chance."

"No, it's still too dangerous."

"Lemir, we should at least think about this." Valier said.

"Think about what? We don't even know those people in there. Why would we risk our lives for them?"

Mei Lee slammed the table and stormed outside. The rest struggled to stand up and soon followed after.

"Well, you could've handled that better." Valier said.

Lemir sits down and looks up at Valier, overwhelmed. "You know as much as anybody how dangerous that army is. How much more must we lose?"

Valier puts both hands on his shoulder and crouches down, looking at him. With uncertainty in her voice she says, "Jasmin entered that vortex a day ago. She would never have taken this long unless she went to rescue them. If we wait and do nothing, there's no one to save her."

"Jasmin would risk her life for any of us. Are you really going to abandon her?" Kalindil said.

"Of course not. But there has to be another way."

"Train them. Who knows, we could always use more allies." Kalindil said.

"Absolutely not. If we're doing this, it'll only be us and Aureim. This has to go as quietly as possible."

Mei Lee and the others sit on a bench outside the cottage, feeling helpless and lost.

"What should we do?" Mei Lee said.

"What can we do? We don't have dragons or magic." Ito said.

"Mei, I'm with you all the way. If we die, we die together." Chung said, while leaning her head on her shoulder.

Sungwoo nodded in agreement.

"I'm out." Hiro said, confused why everyone decided to risk their lives to save the others. "Why are you guys so confident? They are going to kill you."

"He's right." Lemir said, opening the door. "They would kill all of you, so that's why it'll only be us three and one more. The rest of you stay here."

"What? What if you train us? With you three to teach us, we could help."

"I believe that if you're willing to risk your lives for us, we have to help in any way we can." Kenji said.

"It's way too dangerous, and no offense, you would only get in the way."

"I know we could be of some help." Kenji said.

"No, end of discussion. Don't cause any trouble. We have a lot of preparation to do." Lemir said, shutting the door.

"Why is it that every time someone says no offense, it's always very offensive?" Kenji asked.

"Well, that's good news. I guess we should see the others soon." Ito said.

"I don't know. I still want to learn. What if they don't return? Then, who's going to protect us?" Mei Lee asked.

"Hey." Kalindil said, trying to get their attention, motioning his hand to follow him. Mei Lee and the others looked at each other and hesitantly followed Kalindil to the back of the barn.

"Are you all serious about training?"

Hiro immediately rolled his eyes and walked toward the cottage.

"Yes, we want to help and maybe we can be a backup plan if things go bad." Mei Lee said.

"Meet me here tomorrow at sunrise. That's when your training will start."