The Moonlings: The Ancient Fortress

Chapter 8

"It is time to get up sleepy heads," said Ava. "We have to get as close as we can today because if I stay out much longer they will notice I am gone". After Ava told Misty they should go she got Ember, Aqua, Crater, Sunny, and Titania together. They had been walking most of the night. "But Ava, it is still dark," said Crater. "And, you're a Night Moonling--shouldn't you like the dark? "It doesn't work like that". "If your not coming with us we will just leave you behind." "OK, OK, I am getting up". They had been walking for several hours. It was around lunchtime when they stopped. They ate some of the food Ava had packed for them. Ava said, "I have to go back to the camp now. Just keeping walking east and you should end up in Idaho. It is about a two days walk from here and faster if you fly." After they ate, Ava started back in the direction of the camp and they started flying, taking turns holding Maple, in the direction of Idaho. They stopped one more time before dark. When they stopped for the night, Misty felt something tugging on her. "I think we might be in the area of the map," she said. "I think I can feel the magical pull the note talked about" "Me, too," said Sunny shyly. "I don't think I feel it yet" added Crater. Aqua and Ember agreed. "That's weird," said Titania, "I thought we would all feel it at once." As they flew the next morning, Titania was acting strangely. She insisted on walking instead of being carried by them. Eventually, they made her form a cloud beneath herself so she could float up by them. She kept drifting away from the rest of the group. "I think I see something down there" shouted Crater. They flew down to a small human road. There was a sign by the road. "I think it says, Welcome to Idaho," said Misty. "I think we are here." "I feel the magic pull thingy," said Aqua excitedly. "I think we all do now" added Crater. "So, which way do you think it is pulling you?" asked Titania, finally catching up with them. They all closed their eyes for a second and then each pointed in a different direction. "Ava said to go east so maybe we should keep going east," said Maple. They reached the cave around mid-morning. "That is the place" exclaimed Maple. "Yep" agreed Crater. They quickly clamored up the rocks and entered the cave. "It is kind of dark in here" whispered Aqua. Sunny quickly created some light orbs and Ember made some torches. "Come on, the map must be deeper in," said Titania. They walked until they reached what must have been the end of the cave. "It is pretty in here," said Misty. Beautiful crystals were jetting from the ceiling and ancient carvings decorated the walls. "The map must be in here somewhere" suggested Crater. They looked and looked until they had searched every nook and cranny in the cave. "I don't think it is in here" sighed Aqua."What is this?" asked Sunny. She pulled on one of the cave carvings that was popping out from the wall. It came out and she fell over with a thud." What is this?" she said holding up the weird-shaped thing she had pulled out of the wall. As she held it dust and dirt crumbled off from it. As they examined it, they realized it was a black crystal with six weapons anchored to it. "This is not a map," said Aqua, "though it is pretty cool." They passed the odd weapon thing around. When it was Misty's turn to hold it she noticed there were words engraved on the crystal. "Look! It says the names of the elements on it. And the weapons are colored like the elements. But they are all out of order," she exclaimed. "Maybe we can fix it" suggested Crater. "I don't know the weapons are stuck on there pretty good". They each tried to pull the weapons off but they couldn't. "Maybe if we all pulled at once" whispered Sunny but nobody heard her. As they continued pulling she said it louder. They turned to look at her. "That is actually a good idea Sunny," said Ember. "Are you saying most of my ideas are not good?" she said slightly annoyed. "No, I am not saying that. Come on, let's try it". They each grabbed their weapon for their element and pulled. It finally broke apart. They put the weapons back into the correct places and it started floating. The crystal projected a map on the ground. The map showed an X on the cave they were in and another X in the middle of something labeled Amazon rainforest!