World Of Beauty (Arula: Four)

Chapter 10

"This is crazy, lass, you know that, right?" Dagner said sometime later. The companions rode out of the Gnome Clan into the Elf Clan and heading for the Umber Forest. It would take at least a day and half travel to the Umber Forest and at least a few days, even more, to find a nymph and convince it to give them some of its water from the pool they habit in. Karma estimated a weeks' time, maybe more if they don't find the nymph. And Karma knew they didn't have weeks to find a nymph, they had only days.

Nymphs were secreted beings, who keep to themselves. They only allow very few people to come and see them for their advice. Legend goes that a nymph can give you a life changing advice that can help you on the long road, but that's if you were lucky enough to find it. The first time Karma brought the nymph into Arula, it didn't stay long for even a hello. It looked around its surroundings, at Karma, then left. Gone. Simply just vanished. And Karma could never find her creation since then and she never put another one into Arula for the same fear that it would simply vanish without a trace.

Karma told Jason this as he asked about them for umpteenth time. "I know it's crazy," Karma said, answering her dwarf friend. "But what other options do we have?" Karma kicked her horse, Pepper, in the side and they rode in silence. A day and a half passed by, slowly, and they made it to the Umber Forest. It stood in mystical proudness. The wind blowing through its mysterious woods. A place where anything can happen. Karma looked at her companions, and they her. "You guys ready to find something that may not want to be found?"

"No." Jason.

"Ready as my ale." Dagner said holding up his canteen of ale.

"I'm ready to save my husband." Mika said and rode in the forest first.

"Alrighty then," Karma said urging Pepper to go forward. "Let's go."

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They search high and low for the nymph with no luck. Nothing to show that a mythical being is living any area they passed. As they day grew on, the more tried the travelers became. Karma called it night and they made camp. She made it clear to keep all belongings close by because trolls might wonder by and try to steal their supplies. Eon was nice enough to allow them to take some food from his garden. It surprised them to know that gnomes grew actual size vegetables and fruits. Keeping all this in mind, they went on a restless sleep.

That night as they slept, Jason had a strange feeling that he was being watched. He slowing opened his eyes he stared into a pair of white glowing ones. Jason screamed and scrambled backwards in the snow. The others woke with a start, drawing out weapons. There was a squeal, as the creature watching Jason quickly floated up to the nearby tree. "What was that?!" Jason asked staring up at the creature. When he got his senses back, he finally got a good look at this creature. The creature was a floating light blue ball with white glowing eyes. To Jason, it looked like a ghost. It had a translucent look that made it seem spirit-like.

It hid behind a group of leaves, staring down at the travelers. Jason heard Karma sigh and sheathed her sword. She softly chuckled to herself. "I wouldn't worry about that little guy." Karma told Jason. Mika and Dagner also put away their weapons no longer sensing the danger.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"A shapeshifter." Karma replied. "It's in it original form." Jason watched as the shapeshifter slowly floated out of the bunches of leaves and float down to them, cautiously. "You scared it."

"I scared it?" Jason voiced. "It scared me!" The shapeshifter dodged behind a tree truck as Jason raised his voice. Karma gave Jason a hard look. Crouching down, Karma held out her hand to the creature. The shapeshifter poked its round head from around the tree truck and slowly floated its way to Karma. It shifted into a saber-tooth wolf and sniffed Karma outstretched hand. Then shifting into a cat, it rubbed up against her purring. Jason watched this with great curiosity. "So it won't hurt us?" Karma flicked her eyes at Jason.