The Emerald Legend (Book 1)

Chapter Seven: Promise of Treasure

After an hour of splashing and playing in the waterfall, Amalia got out to dry off and relax on the rocks next to the pond, while Seian attempted to clean his dirtied fur by licking the dense white hair along his body.

Calhūn sat adjacent to her on a flat rock and leaned back, holding himself up with his hands while looking at how the light came through the leaves of the ridiculously tall pine trees.

As he watched the light dance in between them, an idea sprung forth. "Hey, Ama," he said grabbing both Amalia and Seian's attention. "We should go exploring, like we used to as children."

Amalia sat up, propping her body up with her forearms. Her eyebrow arched as if she needed further convincing.

"There's still so much of this forest we have yet to discover," he said smiling brightly. "Imagine if we found some hidden treasure trove with an entire chest full of gold coins," he said excitedly.

"I think your mother is telling you too many sea stories, Cal." Amalia smirked at her own joke.

"I'm serious," he said with brows straightening in obvious annoyance.

"There's something mystical about this forest, I know you can feel it too." He kept a straight-faced expression. Amalia's smug look fell as she sighed.

"Fine, but whatever treasure we find, I demand half," she said jokingly.

Calhūn smiled and sat up, pulling his cloth tunic off the branch it hung on. He slipped it over his chest and walked over to his horse.

"I know there is something worth our searching out there." He turned back to Amalia while slipping one foot into the stirrup and pulling himself up and onto the saddle.

Amalia pulled her tunic off of its resting branch and slipped it over her head and arms.

"Who really knows?" she replied. "I don't think anyone's explored this forest—us being the exception." She grinned.

"They're all afraid of the legends that are told about Gaza," he said following her joking tone. Amalia giggled as she adjusted the saddle back onto Seian who had been resting without it.

Amalia turned back to Calhūn with an evil grin across her face. "The legends of lurking creatures waiting in the darkness beyond. Lurking and watching you as you fumble about on its land. They go unseen by men and just when you least expect it," she said in a low menacing tone, "they pounce and slay you with their daggered teeth and razor claws!"

Calhūn tried to contain his laughter as she spoke and threw a hand up over his mouth. Amalia snickered as he did and couldn't contain her own giggles as she tightened the straps on Seian's saddle.

"Aye, and let us not forget the tales of Night Shade lurking these lands," he said with a shudder.

Calhūn spoke of a race that lived in the lands of Gai before Gai became a nation. They stood tall, around eight to nine feet, with long silver hair and elongated ears. Their skin was said to be a dark bluish grey in color, with eyes as yellow as a lurking tiger. No human has spotted these creatures for over a hundred years in Gai, but in secluded places in Amir and the southernmost nation Korozan, they have been prone to attack.

"They may have many years ago, but everyone knows they've migrated south. Besides, with the amount of time we've spend here and we've yet to come across one..."

"Indeed," Cal replied. "Perhaps it is a good thing they do not live in Gai. I hear facing one is imminent death."

"Let us hope that we never have to find out," Amalia replied with a smirk.