Darkness into Light - Espresseleine

Chapter Forty Three ~ The Gate of Lost Dreams

Latte leaned over the mage's shoulder, watching as he scribbled on the map. With his pen he circled an entrance surrounded by thick swamp forest, blowing a few stray strands of hair that tried to shield one of his eyes. Espresso chewed on the end of the pen, brows furrowed as he did some equations in his head to calculate the exact distance, and when they'd arrive.

Latte tilted her head, squinting at the map then to the scrolls Espresso had brought that contained information and descriptions of the relic they were after. Boy was he prepared.

"This gate," Espresso spoke up, tapping the circled area with the end of his pen, "It's supposed to be the safest way in."

"Ugh, it looks like a pain in the ass to get through," Latte commented, brushing her fingers through her hair like a make-do hairbrush.

Espresso stared at her, "It'll be fine. Just don't do anything stupid that might end in having to use that," he pointed to the guide on healing wounds that was written very ominously by Dark Cacao.

"Got it." She nodded, swiping the map from him and leading the way, "Onwards!"

Espresso couldn't fight back a small smile at his friend's enthusiasm as Raspberry, Madeleine and Custard followed behind her. At this pace, it wouldn't take them any longer than a few hours to reach their destination, luckily for Custard. The little healer had proven not durable enough for excruciatingly long walks, but had no intention of admitting regret. Today though, he somehow decided to behave himself as he walked by Raspberry and didn't run off to chase any critters he'd spot in the bushes.

Instead he took to holding on to the end of Raspberry's cape jacket to not fall behind. Some small talk stirred between the team, but the rest of the journey was relatively quiet. Whether that be due to the fact that they were all tired, or they just didn't know  what to talk about.

The mage took the opportunity of silence to do some thinking. Wondering what Dark Enchantress was doing. Since he cut off his communications with Pomegranate, practically her personal messenger bird, she probably had no idea where he was or what he was doing. But he had a deep rooted feeling that this wasn't the case.

The dreams he was having, the voices in his head. It must've been Dark Enchantress' doing. After all, she was connected to her three children, even if they weren't hers by blood. With her level of power, she could do anything. She would do anything. Especially to get her way. And that includes casting nightmares in order to manipulate, and create voices to trick him into thinking it was his own conscious talking.

Yet again, the Enchantress underestimated him. It was only a matter of time until he would figure it out.

Betray them Espresso. Betray them all. You don't need them.

And speak of the devil, she'd decided to conveniently get into his head right when he'd been thinking about the fact.

The mage shook his head to himself, trying to ignore it.

They're holding you back. They are the source of your weakness.

He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his hands to his ears tightly and praying it would go away.

"Espresso? Are you okay?" Raspberry turned to him, every feature on her face dripping with concern. "Do you need to sit down for a minute?"

Espresso's eyes shot open and he held his arms up in a defensive position apologetically.

"No, no. My apologies, I'm alright." He replied, adjusting his glasses.

Raspberry looked unsure, but they continued on their path.