Kismet (Book One - Completed)

Chapter 6: The Obstacles

Chapter 6: The Obstacles

Lanet and Ehiara walked down the stairway. They were apprehensive about exploring the tunnel that lay before them. But they had no choice. There was a chance that this tunnel could lead them to the other side of the chasm. The smell of incense lingered in the air, bringing discomfort to our heroes.

"What's that dreadful smell?"

"Shh...Ehiara, do you hear something?"

"Hear what?"

"Footsteps. Someone might be close, look out and watch your steps."

"There must be someone in this tunnel." He thought, "Perhaps they can tell us how to get out of this mountain." A gust of wind fumbled over Lanet's hair, strewing his hair over his face. They heard footsteps coming towards them. Lanet and Ehiara wondered who was walking towards them. The outline of the figures drew closer. As they ambled on, Lanet prayed quietly while Ehiara clasped onto her diamond necklace.

Overhead, water seeped through the tunnel, hurling water droplets against our travellers. Lanet listened intently to the howling winds, wondering why there were air drafts flowing through the 'tunnel'. He noticed that the makeshift 'tunnel' was built to withstand heavy load, which confirmed Kayla's theory that these tunnels were made for military use. A passageway led them to the other side of the mountain and acted as a conduit for the wind. As the footsteps grew louder, Lanet wondered whether they ought to retreat. Finally, they heard someone whisper.

"Yvonne." Yolanda whispered, "Are they getting closer?"

"Yes, they are." Yeva replied as she observed the prism, "In order to ensure that they are worthy of challenging D. Sareus, we shall test them. If Lanet and Ehiara are the saviours of the prophesy, they will pass our trial."

"Look, here they come." Yvonne said.

The three guardian spirits met Ehiara and Lanet face-to-face. Yeva, the oldest guardian spirit, was the wisest of the three sisters. Yolanda, the middle sister of the two guardian spirits, was known for her dutifulness and diligence. Yvonne, the youngest of the three spirit guardians, was temperamental and inexperienced, but she was the most hardy of the trio. All of them wore robes embroidered with mysterious symbols.

"Hi there." Yeva announced, "We have found you, our Chosen Ones."

"Who are you three?!" Lanet stuttered.

"I am Yeva, the eldest sister and these are my younger siblings: Yolanda and Yvonne. My sisters and I are the guardian spirits of the earth prism. We have been summoned by the Great Spirit to test your abilities. If you fail our test, we will take away your diamond and your emerald orb." Yeva said.

"The Great Spirit?" Lanet asked.

"Yes, even though I understand that you have been picked by your respective guardian spirits, we have to test your abilities." Yeva replied, "If the wind guardian and the light guardian fail to choose suitable heroes for defeating D. Sareus, they will be penalised and we will disperse the relics again in hopes of finding better candidates to defeat the Deviant Lord. Of course, if you cannot pass our test, you'll have to face some consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" Ehiara asked them.

Yeva smiled eerily, "Let me explain. Some people stumble onto these magical relics from time to time, but not all of them get to keep them. Some of them fail our tests and disappear forever. These people get wiped out from the memories of those who know them. This is done in the name of protecting our secret and finding the right people."

"Lanet." Ehiara said shakily, "These people are suspicious, I think we should run away. They might be charlatans."

"There is no running away." Yeva said as she teleported towards them and blocked their path. "Of course, there is a reward for defeating us." Yeva added, holding out a prism which contained the earth symbol on it. "If we lose, we will give you this prism. But if you lose, you will hand over your emerald orb and diamond pendant to us."