Two Worlds: Clash of the Guardians (Completed)

XXVI - The Air Bridge

October 11, in the year of 8845, Reminis Calendar (RC) 

Daylight had come.

The sunrays, which were supposed to be warm and promising, pierced Elli's heart like hot scythes. The sword in her hand weighed heavier; it was this sword that she would use to kill... him.

The sun had begun to burn the seats on the speedboats when the group of ten approached the Blue Lagoon. Vortex sprang up, trying to shoo away the smoke spiralling out of his pants. The boat Maxim, Darrell, Freda and he rode in joggled riotously as he jumped like a circus clown. Freda became impatient and pushed him into the water. The bubbles pssst and steam fizzed out of Vortex’s suit. The group laughed, except Elli and Roxy. Vortex didn't notice that. He stood up, the water reaching his waist. Shore was only a hundred metres away and he veered their boats forward.

Black sand on the shore terrified Elli. There was no coconut trees, no sand crabs, no signs of life at all. The entire place looked like it had just been thunderstruck. The fingers of the Fire Demons were strangling the rocks nearby. They stepped on the sand watchfully. The sand tweaked beneath their boots, as if it was made of a solid substance. Grey haze floated along the shore, like poltergeists searching for human as their food. One of the poltergeists caught Elli’s heel and she fell.

She squatted to rub her painful shinbone and her fingers brushed against something cold. As if playing a prank on her, the fog dissipated and Elli saw what had caused her fall. It was a grinning skull. She cursed aloud as she saw skulls and bones littering every nook and cranny of the shore. There were bones of canines, skulls of birds, and an assortment of husks that she knew not the name of. It looked almost like a museum for skeletons.

“Welcome to the Blue Lagoon,” Maxim introduced like a tour guide. “Walk another fifty feet ahead and you'll reach the spectacular Man-Eater Swamp. Oh listen, I can hear the swamp calling for brunch. Quick, follow me.”

Elli gawked at him. The men slapped her shoulders jokingly and ran forward. She glanced up at the sky, as if waiting for some help from the celestials. Answering her call, a streak of lightning snaked out of the clouds and the sky turned black. The sun was somehow playing hide and seek with them. Elli yelped again, but this time not because of shock or fear.

The burning sensation on her chest returned, so painful that she squatted on the skull-filled floor. The men discussed about the new phenomenon they were bound to see and nobody noticed her wincing, except Roxy. She stretched out a hand to help Elli up but electricity current swirled on Elli's skin before she touched Elli. Horror spread across Roxy's face and she hurriedly trotted behind her comrades.

The voice of the caramel-haired man kept ringing in Elli's ears. It's time, Elli, it's time. Scared and angry, she swatted the voice away. Her pain subsided later and she dashed after her friends. She couldn't be lamenting over her own fantasy. When she had finally caught up with her friends, she felt like they had gone through an invisible portal to another dimension. 

To her left, a pale mountain glared at her. To her right, was a void of whiteness. At least, that was what her eyes could see. In front of her, veiled by the grey clouds, was another mountain. Could that be the Mount of Bi-Zantine? She didn't manage to ask as Maxim halted them before a fortress of boulders. The rocks piled up as tall as a kid and ringed the mountains. Stuck on the sand was a sign board, showing, Death Admission. The mountains looked like a white bun, which the front part had been sliced. 

A blue swamp surrounded the mountain. Black swirling smoke rose from the swamp, like tendrils snapping at anything that flew towards them. The wind blew a hurricane of yellow leaves to the centre of the swamp. The black smoke sensed the motion and hurled towards the leaves. Within seconds, the leaves were burned to ashes. The air smelt like rotten eggs. Accompanying the death of the leaves were a flock of flies the size of pebbles. Blue tongues shot out of the swamp and swallowed the flies. Uhh, that's creepy. Are there other creatures down there? Elli shuddered at the thoughts.