Call of Fate

Forest by the Mountains

For the second time in a row, Cynthe had awoken in a cave shared with a mysterious man with more knives than fingers to him. Somehow the thought of that didn't bother her. Well, not that much at least. The smile she awoke with soon disappeared after opening her eyes though. Andres was no longer cuddled up against her. Yellow light sifted through the thin patch of snow covering the entrance. It gave enough light for her to see the silhouette of Andres curled up into a ball again, his back against the wall.

What the heck was it with him for sleeping like that? How did his back cope with being stuck in that position? He seemed to be sleeping though at least. He was completely still and Cynthe couldn't hear any sound coming from him.

She remembered waking up in the middle of the night, still tucked up beside Andres. It was super cozy. She couldn't help herself but wish that that was how she would have woken up this time again, still snuggled in that position. She stretched, yawning. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty" said Andres without looking up. "Good morning" she answered. "Could you pass me the bag?" he gestured towards it as he asked Cynthe.

He opened the backpack and to Cynthe's horror she saw him opening a container with ingredients. They seemed to be for a certain sandwich in particular. "Are we seriously having dingleberry sandwiches for breakfast again?". He gave an frustrated sigh. "They are NOT dingleberries! It's dewberries and, besides they're called Lycaethian sandwiches. You said you liked them!" "I liked them the first time I tried them. I want something else now, after having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!".

Andres had said they should have something else for her to eat from the backpack. They didn't. Fast forwards, and Cynthe found herself chewing miserably on yet another dingleberry sandwich. At least she had put some extra cheese in it. She was eager to get going to wherever it was exactly they were going. Whatever food she was having next, it was not definitely not going to be another of these now forsaken sandwiches.

They cleared the entrance and stepped out into the morning light. The scenery ahead was stunning. Unlike the harsh, sharp mountains behind her, rounded hills and flat lands lay beneath them. And trees! She could see the snow beneath coming to abrupt stop, the border drawn by a clear wall of altitude. On the other side there were beautiful, green trees!

Tributaries turned into rushing streams, flowing down the valleys and spilling into glistening lakes. Taller trees could be seen reaching above the surrounding canopy, aiming for the sky. A large bird of prey cried out as it circled ahead. Before long, as we made our way through to the the forest, the first line of pine trees gradually gave way to reveal a new environment.

It was a forest consisting of large ancient trees, whose hardened trunks twisted about and around themselves, growing in an agonizing upwards spiral. Parts of these spirals slanted off to the sides, creating drooping branches. The forest floor was riddled with their roots, stretching across the woodlands like veins. Water droplets covered the surfaces of trees and leaves, a gift from the humid mist which swirled across the woods.

Little, feisty streamlets gushed past the undergrowth, dodging roots, it's mountain water burbling defiantly along as it crashed against pebbles littered across it's path. Between the waterways and trying to cling on to roots, were layers of moss, their colours beautifully transitioning between green, red and yellow.

There were also the occasional different specie of tree claiming it's patch of land. In particular there were those whose trunks were white and smooth, reaching up high. Their branches swooped out from the trunk and then went upwards. The connecting twigs doing the same from the branches, the tree looking like an intricate chandelier.

Compact, teardrop-shaped leaves stemmed densely from these proud branches, hanging down the tree as instruments of beauty, rustling with the wind. Attached to the white branches of the tree were also leaf-like light green strings, seamlessly woven together and hanging splendidly down from the branches. They were adorned by white, sweet-scenting flowers.

Cynthe saw the occasional rabbit scooting to and from the bushes of the forest vegetation. Frogs could be seen besides the rushing water that plunged deeper into the forest. Mushrooms poked out from every nook and crevice and birds cooed from above.

Animals which look liked dears jumped in and out of sight. They were adorable little things with horns, their bodies reaching to about only knee-height. It was through this undisturbed forestry that the pair journeyed. Andres was not being particularly talkative as usual, and Cynthe too much in awe of her surroundings to dare speak and disturb the forest serenade.

They followed along a stream of water. It occasionally formed miniature lakes when blocked by a wall of roots, only to climb and spill over them, relentlessly carrying on it's descent across the ground. Eventually it flowed into a rocky pool.

To her surprise, Andres waded out into it's water, clearly looking for something. The water reached his ankles. Then his knees. Soon he waded out where the pool reached his waist. He rolled up his sleeves and plunged his arm into the water, getting a feel for the swirling current of the water.

He walked then over towards a bank and studied the water a littler further. It was a bit shallower but still well above knee height. He grabbed hold of a root protruding out with both hands and glanced over at Cynthe. She might have mistaken it, but she thought she could see a mischievous grin coming from him. "Follow me". Using the branch, he launched himself forwards, slid beneath the water surface and disappeared.

What the-? Where did he-? Why-? Wide-eyed, Cynthe stared at where Andre had been seconds earlier. He must've gone underground. Into some kind of underwater cave. Why on earth did he have to do that? Would he come back? He had told her to follow him. She looked at the cold water ahead of her. The thought of wading in didn't seem very appealing. She knew no magic to  cast that would keep her clothes from getting all cold and wet. Why did she have to follow him in the first place?

She looked around hoping for a miracle to appear that could prevent this horror scene from unfolding. Alas, nothing happened. Unwillingly she plunged her feet into the cold. How would she dry her shoes after this? She forced herself to go deeper still. Mighty cold, it was.

She waded across the pool and grasped hold of the same root. From here she could see the underwater hole that Andres disappeared through. A dark, cold invitation of a challenge. Who knew where it lead to? Screw it. With all her strength, Cynthe propelled her feet forwards, through the hole, her head following, plunging down and along, after them. The water came to an abrupt end as she swung out into a chasm from the other side. Then screamed. She was free falling through darkness.