Journey Called Life

Chapter 6

"How. Long. More?" Ashley asked, straining and struggling. Jason sniggers, while Claire gives up and starts laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ashley asks, confused. She didn't dare to open her eyes. She was afraid of heights-

"You haven't moved a muscle!" Shrieks Claire, followed by Jason, who finally gives up too, and laughs hard. Ashley opened her eyes and turned to her side, only to realize that Claire was indeed right.

She hadn't moved an inch! She looks bewildered, huffy and gets down on the ground muttering 'Oh, sure! Keep laughing.' 

"It's entirely your fault we're stuck here! You could've directly said Orindoth!"

Right now, they're in Orindoth, trying to get to Ashley's sister's place with Jason's help. How did they reach here, you ask?

Flashback~

"Okay, how do we get to Orindoth?" Claire asks, completely geared up. 

"Um... Underground." Jason says, shrugging with a blank face."

"Wait, what?" The girls shriek, "How in the world are you supposed to go underground? Are you mad?"

   Jason first looks at them, and then bursts out of laughter. "Y-you both shoul-d've seen your f-faces. It was priceless! Am I m-mad? Of course I'm not mad! I just made that up." He says, in between his laughter. 

    After realizing that the girls were glaring at him, he put his hands- I'm sorry, paws- up in the air, as if he were surrendering. "Alright, alright. All we've got to do is just stand under the chimney right here, and spell the place we're bound to go to." The girls nod, and stand under the chimney. Ashley was just about to speak when Jason said, "O-R-L-I-N-D-O-T-H".

"No!!!" Claire shrieked. Ashley gasped, terrified of what would happen. Jason closed his eyes, and stood very stiff, muttering 'Idiot' repeatedly. For a moment, all was still. They sighed in relief, but that's when they understood the silence in the wrong way. They had been transported to a place with tall high mountains, covered with snow. They had reached Orindoth! Just not exactly.

"I'm sorry, you spelt the name of the place wrong, so why are we still here?" Claire asked.

"Um... Yes, I did spell it wrong. But, these are the tall high mountains that protect the border of Orindoth- Orlindoth." Ashley held back a laugh. She found the logic behind the slight difference in the names quite funny. Claire looked just as confused as ever. 

"Don't look at me like that! It's His Majesty who came up with such a name, and it's brilliant!" He said, raising his head high to indicate that he was proud. "Well, we are here, alright. But, is my sister in Orlindoth too?" Ashley asked. 

"Yep! It's just that she's not living with your parents." Jason said, with a clear look of disappointment forming on his face. The Girl exchanged a look of confusion, but Ashley decided to ask more of it later. After all, she would meet her sister after thirteen years of staying apart. She set up to climb the mountain, with a big smile.

"Hold up, lady. You think you can just climb this mountain?" Jason asked, in disbelief.

"Of course I can! Now, I've just got to figure out where the other-Oops! The other rock..... Aha! Gotcha!" Claire and Jason couldn't believe their eyes. Sure, Ashley was always up for an adventure, but that didn't include her climbing rocky and tall mountains without anyone's help. 

Present~

"Hey, don't blame me! I'm abiding by the kingdom's rules. It says 'You HAVE to pass through Orlindoth. If you do, it means that you're a part of our kingdom. If not SHOO! SCRAM! Lucky for you, I have a way of getting in." With that, he whistles. The ground starts shaking, and up arises a huge, snowy giant.

"Hey bud! It's me, Jason, remember? I've come here with the girl from the prophecy." Jason says, stressing on the word 'prophecy'. The giant nodded, lifted them and placed them in Orindoth. "Thanks buddy! See ya later!" The giant smiles, And goes back to sleep. The girls look at him, flabbergasted.

"How did you do that?" Ashley asks.

"Me and him have been buddies ever since we were small. We both play an important role in this kingdom- He protects the outside, and me inside. So, the queen has trusted us both, and has given me a small signal to cross Orlindoth. I whistle, he helps us cross the mountain. Well, there is no mountain, of course. It's him all along!" Jason says, describing his friend proudly. "Now, let's get going."

They went through a cave, and then crossed a bridge, and came face-to-face with a house, appearing to be lookalike of a tree-house. 

"This is where she lives?" Ashley asks, with excitement growing in her, rapidly! She would see her sister. Her beloved sister. Jason nodded, as he proceeded to knock on the door. But as he went forward, he tripped on a rope tied below, and arrows came pointing at the three. The door opened, and out came a girl. They couldn't see her, but only her shadows.

"What a WaRm Welcome!" Claire stated, sarcastically.