Under the Oak Tree Book 2 "Conquering hearts" ( Fan fiction)

Chapter 13

The door shut behind me, causing a brief gush of wind to pelt my back. The sudden breeze caught me off guard and I could feel the goose bumps forming on my arms. I was shrouded in darkness. I raised my hand and held it out into the open space in front of me. It was so dark; I could barely make out the outline of my hand, which was only inches from my face. There was an eerie calm that I could feel seeping from the far corners of the room. It felt like a blanket of fog, rolling across the floor and swirling around my feet. 

A sudden popping noise erupted in front of me, which then turned into a brief buzzing sound. The buzzing was subtle, but loud enough to make you think that there was a small swarm of honeybees circling your head. Has the buzzing continued I could feel the fog getting thicker and slowly creeping up my legs. It was like the air was slowly being sucked from the room, and in its place was this strange foggy mist that enveloped everything. 

Panicked, I pulled my hand back to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut. Alec and Matthew never mentioned the thick fog or that it would be pitch black. My mind was reeling, and I was fighting the urge to run back to the door. I was trembling at this point, frightened of what I was to face in this room and frightened of what I would become if my nerves got the best of me. It was like the fog was eating away at my determination, piece by piece. The longer I was in the room, the idea of running became more appealing. Right has I was about to turn and fumble my way back to the door, Anatol and Riftan flashed across my mind. 

It was like the moment Riftan pulled me from the river when the beast tried to drown me. He always appeared in person or in thought when I needed him most. The moment Riftan flashed behind my closed eyelids, the clearer my mind became. It was like he was cutting a path through the fog and beaconing me to follow him. Frustrated, I questioned myself. Why did I want to run in the first place?  I wasn't doing this just for myself, I was doing this for him! Gritting my teeth and balling my fists at my side, I took a step forward.  The fog made it hard to gauge the space before me and determine if I had solid footing, but with each step it became easier. 

Willing myself to do this I muttered one step at a time internally to myself over and over again. I paused for a moment taking a deep breath, both feet planted firmly on the ground. The room itself had a very earthy scent, which reminded me of the forests we would make camp in during the war. It was so strong, that if I put my hand back out in front of me, I was almost certain I would feel a tangle of leaves or the soft tenderness of freshly disturbed soil.  There was another gush of wind causing a shudder to run up my spine. I paused, trying to gauge if one of the higher mages had entered the room. I strained for a few more moments but did not hear the soft thud of the door, or even the slight echo of a footstep. 

All was still for a moment, and then another gush of wind rushed pass me. This time it was riddled with little water droplets, that coated my face. Surprised, I opened my eyes involuntarily. The room was no longer pitch black, but instead was lightly lit by white orbs floating at the top of the room. There were four corners, reflecting the color of the four main elements. The fire elemental side was darker, but contained lighter shades of red, orange, and yellow orbs that lined a stone pathway. At the end of the pathway sat a bowl of dark stones that were on fire. The flames flowed freely and brilliantly danced against the dark contrast of the stones.

To the left of the fire element was the water element. This also had a stone pathway that was lined with light shades of blue and white orbs. The pathway led to a section of carved stone. There was a little crack in the wall and water rushed down the side, similar to a waterfall. The crystal-clear water pooled at the bottom and rippled with each new droplet. 

To the left of the waterfall was the earth elemental side. This side was lit with varying shades of green orbs lining the stone pathway. The pathway led up to a large but petite tree. The leaves were every shade of green that you could imagine, and around the trunk of the tree were vines of differing sizes. Each vine curled into a different pattern outlining the curves in the tree trunk. Scattered around the tree were a few stones that were big enough to sit on and a light covering of moss aligning with the stone pathway.