The Pearls Of Magic

Chapter 5-Enchanted Woodlands

They arrived at a big port, only to see Ethan and Aurelius standing over there along another unidentified guy. A ship was already given to them.

'meet your captain, harry correl...he would take you wherever you articulate', Aurelius introduced the guy. and went back to the palace, after wishing them luck.

Four of them got into the huge boat with captain as he politely asked, 'where should I take the boat?'

Chloe informed, 'Orion is visible in the southern part of sky...the easiest way to find it is to find its belt first which consists three bright stars : Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak star'

Grace looked around and said pointing the starlit sky, 'look, there it is!'

Max said to the captain, 'just follow this constellation until the sun rises completely in the sky.'

Harry nodded and pulled the anchor up...

The boat was on its way and Aurelius was looking at them from the huge balcony of the palace. deep in his mind, wishing that they could find the pearls. There was an envelope in his left hand. He smiled mysteriously and just stared at it.

After an hour, Ethan fell asleep while Chloe, Max and Grace were talking with each other. About the creatures and pearls. And in a brink of time-went to sleep after telling the captain to wake them up at 6am.

morning, 7:30 am....

The sun was almost rising up in the sky.

Four of them were standing near the railings and in a little while, the sun rose completely.

Max told harry to put the anchors down. The ship was congested between a huge ocean, where no land was visible...rather than a huge water mass. The sun's reflection was clearly seen in the ocean. While the blue sky was shimmering in the water. sea waves were moving the boat slightly. There was a deep silence in which the sound of waves and tides was crystal clear.

'So now?' Ethan asked to Max.

'Where we find Asterias...' Chloe murmured silently.

Max moved closer to the railing, 'I think we need to go beneath the ocean since it is the only place where we can find starfish.'

'But, I don't know swimming' Ethan said to Max.

'Then I and Max will go' Chloe said.

Grace came there and said, 'Are you talking about swimming? I don't know it either.' Max concluded, 'ok, hence you two stay on the boat. I and Chloe will go first and check.' Ethan asked in a tensed tone, 'are you sure? It looks very deep.'

'do you doubt me?'

Max and Chloe jumped in the water and swam deep and deep in the ocean holding their breathe. Soon they went deeper as the rays of sunlight started disappearing and groups of fishes were swimming around them. Chloe saw a wheel on the seabed, tied to a pole. She indicated Max by pointing towards it. They swam closer, and examined the crackly wheel. Max signaled her to spin it.

Both of them tried to spin it and as it was there for years, it was stiff, they applied full force and spun it four times round. As the fourth spin was terminated, the surface on which the wheel was present, rose up along both of them. While on the boat, Ethan was tensed as they were in water for more than 7 minutes. Suddenly the water waves raised more high. Harry took the boat a bit backwards.

A huge island protruded from water on which, four pillars along Max and Chloe were standing.

'my dear science will commit suicide after seeing this!', Ethan whined.

The ship was moved closer to the island and the anchors were down. Ethan and Grace got off, and stepped on the island.

Capitan harry handed Grace a ring, 'Mr Manford asked me to hand you this over. when you are done, just press the sapphire on this ring and I will come to take you back'. Grace took the ring and wore it in her slight finger. Then, harry left from there with his boat.

Four of them gazed the ship slowly disappearing farther away. And looked around the island, there was nothing but four pillars standing on a big rocky surface. On which, different shapes of moon were carved. Max looked every pillar and saw different symbols on each pillar and he realized that they were the symbols of four elements-fire, water, wind and earth.

Ethan asked, 'Where are the creatures?'.

Chloe sat down on her knees and looked at the shapes of moon carefully. Grace accompanied her and said, 'these are phases of moon'. Max and Ethan stood still and watched them as they knew that both of the girls were clever. Chloe said, 'but...they are not in order. Lets arrange them'

she asked Max for help and pushed a tile of new moon forward. Chloe said further, 'now, Waxing crescent.' Ethan and Grace moved the tile. Chloe continued, 'now, the first quarter.' Max pushed the tile.

Slowly... they arranged all the 8 tiles In order as per Chloe instructed.

As they moved wanning crescent-the last tile, a light emitted among those 4 pillars, whose streaks met at middle of the area formed by them. It opened a portal.

Grace said,' hurry up, get in'

Four of them stepped in the portal and it teleported them to an unknown place.

It was a vast old growth forest where the trees reach into the clouds. Their canopies cover the sky, leaving only shafts of sunlight streaming between the branches. Squirrels chattering, leaves rustling, birds chirping, branches creaking and wind whistling all around.

'what is this place' Ethan asked.

Grace looked around and said, 'we are in the enchanted woodlands.'

'enchanted woodlands?', Chloe moved around...examining the woods

'my dad created this forest. He used to keep all the animals here on which, he used to do research. And now, uncle Aurelius kept the magical creatures over here, to keep them safe.' Grace said and continued, 'please don't touch any weird thing or plant, it may make a problem.' Three of them nodded and moved along the woods.

Ethan asked impatiently, 'where are the magical creatures? From past 30 minutes we are just milling around.'

Chloe said, 'we need to find them, but how?'

Grace answered, 'lets start wandering. This forest is pretty huge and it'll take us a lot of days to search out the whole of it.'