The Seven Keys of Areid **COMPLETE**

Chapter III: The Second Guardian

(Sorry for the wait, but I think you'll be pleased by this chapter :D)

The tunnel walls dipped and rippled and came to sharp ends as Adalira crept along the thin vein of obsidian. Having not any light, the only way she had any semblance of navigation was by holding onto the walls. The sharp rock had drawn many a drop of blood from Adalira's hands, but she pushed on. In time the tunnel grew wider, and a faint glowing light began to fill the tunnel, similar to a trickle of water filling an underground cave. As the light steadily became more dependable, Adalira found herself able to remove her hand from the blood stealing walls. A giggling voice sounded up ahead, where the light grew bright and cheerful.

With a whisper of a smile, Adalira lifted her slimy skirts off the ground and ran just a bit faster to reach the voice. This voice did not shred her heart like the liquid gold voice of Satoju, the first Guardian, but cheered her. The voice filled her ears with pleasant bubbly sounds, and the sound brought a healthy looking glow to the face of the elfin maiden; most elves possessed a pallid lackluster disliked by all. The voice got louder; Adalira ran faster. Finally she was full out sprinting, eager to hear more of the voice. To her dismay, it was abruptly cut off to give way to dank silence.

The light faded to practically nothing, and Adalira felt the pressing gloom clamp its vice like grip upon her slumped shoulders. A sharp exhale of breath, and then she was on the ground, arms clutched around her ribs in a frantic fervor to regain air. But it would not enter her lungs. It seemed as if the air was rancid, poisonous to an extent. The shadows pressed in on her like hungry wolves as Adalira struggled for air. One can only take so much pain, and so little air; after a few moments more Adalira's body gave up and she sank to the ground, unconscious. The last thing she heard was the subtle sound of ringing bells.

~O~

The forms were blurred and moved too fast to be truly real. From this judgement Adalira gathered that she was either in the sky of her ancestors, or dreaming. After a quick internal check, she determined that she was sitting on the ground. A form about six feet high zipped its way over to Adalira, giving off the faint scent of oranges and cinnamon. 

"An elf! Oh, I love elves! So noble and refined! What are you doing on the ground?" The form inquired, tilting its head to one side. The voice bubbled with curiosity, and Adalira thought she heard an undertone of crystal bells. A slight tremor ran through her, and with a pop air rushed into her lungs. All at once her vision cleared, and she found she was once again able to move. Standing, Adalira lurched as the world teetered a few times, then righted itself. When all was in place as it should be, Adalira took in the form in front of her.

The figure was female, emphasizedly so, and stood about six feet tall, placing her a good six inches above Adalira. Waterfalls of orange cream soda hair tumbled down to this girl's waist, and her heavily lashed eyes shone a merry clementine. She was garbed in a fluttering cantaloupe belly shirt and thick pumpkin colored pants. No shoes covered her dainty feet, and the girl's light skin radiated a sunset glow. The woman was ethereal, and beside her Adalira felt as plain as a potato next to a watermelon.

"What were you doing on the ground?" The woman repeated, placing a hand on her hip and tossing her locks back. An amber key was made evident as the necklace grew entangled with the noticeably lighter hair. Adalira's eyes locked onto it, and the luminous girl became aware. Pursing her full lips, she whined,

"Why is nobody ever here to talk to me? They're always here for my key. Nobody ever wants to talk to me."

The voice brimmed with sadness, and the crystal bells grew ever more clangorous as the girl continued to mope.

"I wish just one person would try and talk to me before asking for a riddle. I'm the first guardian for some people, and THEY talk to me. But never any of Satoju's people or stupid Melanche's. They're always dead set on taking my treasure. Hmmph! THEY never pass!"