The Last Wolfson

Chapter 3: The Cursed Cove

It was blue. Deep, deep blue. Green seaweed twisted and curled on the bottom giving the lake some of its beauty. Phang looked down, Altima was pointing at something. Phang swam deeper until he was floating in the water next to Altima. She was pointing at a hole in the rocks. Then she swam straight up. He followed her up beating her to the top.
Once they had both gotten to the top and were sitting on the rock she said; "I've been here before but never been able to hold my breath long enough to find out what's in there." She sighed. "Wish I could."
Phang's heart thumped against his chest. Should he help this strange creature or not? He sighed.
"Lemme check it out again," he said.
She snorted. "Go ahead."
Little did he know that by doing this, he was starting the adventure of his life. He dove in again immersing himself in blue. He swam deep down to where he remembered it was and held his breath until he could not any longer. Then a brief second he thought; what if it didn't work? What if he drowned? What would she think? She would probably just laugh. But it was too late now he took a deep breath. Nothing happened. Cool air rushed into his lungs. He felt pumped. He had to do something!
He grabbed one of the rocks and pulled it away exposing more of the light behind. He pulled rocks away quickly spurred on by the light behind. He finally had made a hole big enough to get through. He rushed through and burst toward the light. He surfaced breathing in air. He was excited! He swam back under and through the hole and up up up up! Altima was waiting for him wide eyes wide mouth.
"How did you do that?!"
"The cave is full of oxygen" Phang explained.  She blinked. "I'll just show you." He shoved her in and dived in after her. They swam down and came to the part where light shone out of the cave. He knew they had to be quick because she couldn't breath underwater. He motioned for her to follow and went through the hole.
He came up into the air and a second later, so did Altima. She gulped in air like it was her last breath and Phang just sat and stared amusingly. If she thought this was funny, she didn't say. After she was done, they both looked around. What they saw was not comforting. Various skeletons and crushed bones lay on the floor. Engraved onto the cave wall was; "Beware those who cross my warning. Death shall come to all who dare pass."
"Hmmmmm." Said Altima skeptically. "Whoever wrote this message is probably long gone by now." A deep growl issued from somewhere farther into the cave. "Let's find out what it is!" Altima dragged Phang farther into the cave. She pulled him behind a rock. "Look!" He did.
A small lake was in the cave. And in it, a huge green blue beast was sniffing around the cave all the while swimming in the lake. It had fishlike fins but an ogre-like head full of horrible, yellow, crushing milers for its teeth and three rows of small razor sharp teeth. It was easily twice the size of Phang and as wide as an ox.
Phang looked closer. A small piece of land was in the very middle of the pond and there was something in the middle of it.
"It's a Mrodge! They are said to be extinct!" said Altima loudly.
"Well it's obviously guarding something on the island." Phang said. "And will you keep your voice down!?"
"What island? I can't see anything out there," Altima whispered loudly.
"You can't?" asked Phang.
"Nope." Answered Altima.
Maybe my eyesight was enhanced too, under those roots, Phang wondered to himself.
"Let's check it out!" Altima said, her volume increasing another level.
"So, what are you suggesting. To ride on the magical mer-odge-podger thing that would probably eat us?"
"Mrodge. And yes, I might have gotten a little ambitious there." Altima paused. "Oh I know! We could tunnel to it!" Altima exclaimed.
"No. That's out of the question. If you got all the way to the jailburrow from... yeah, no," Phang said definitively.
Altima looked around, "Maybe somebody left a boat or something to help us get across?"
"Yeah, like a boat would help. The me-roger-ma-thing would tear us apart before we got three inches out there!" Phang said.
"Again. It's 'Mrodge.'" Altima said irritably. "Maybe we could talk to it?"
"Oh sure. That would be a nice talk. 'Hey, Mr. Muh-rotch, please don't eat us. And I was wondering if we could take the treasure you're guarding. Gee, thanks!' Honestly, what else will you come up... Altima!" But it was too late. Altima had run up to the bank, and worse than that, the Mrodge had seen her.
Its rattling breaths echoed through every nook and cranny of the underwater cavern, and shook the ground beneath Altima and Phang's feet. It was too late now. Phang ran out from behind the rock and stumbled down the bank, joining Altima in the gaze of the Mrodge.
"Who are you?" rumbled the Mrodge. It's deep melodic voice filled the cave, vibrating their bones, so that they didn't so much hear the voice as much as felt it.
"I am Phang, the Wolfson," said Phang. His voice was strong without wavering.
"I am Altima, the Oakelf." Her voice timidly left her mouth and shook in the breaths of the Mrodge. "And who are you?" she finished more confidently.
"I am Souki the Mrodge," boomed the voice.
"I have guarded the Rainbow Jewel for a millennia. What makes you, a feeble oakelf and a Wolfson, think you can steal it?"
"Wait, you're guarding a rainbow Jewel?" asked Altima incredulously.
Phang froze. "A rainbow jewel," he whispered. A rainbow jewel, said to have mystic powers that strengthens the mind and body and empowers those who touch it. It's different shades of color shined in Phangs eyes. Phang remembered his father telling him stories of the Rainbow Jewels when he was just a pup. Each of the ten clans had their own Rainbow Jewel, and each Jewel had a different magical property.
The Oakelf jewel provided the power of plants - namely to control them. The Mrodge jewel had the power to control water. The Wolfson jewel had the power to speak with the great spirits and strength in the transformation between man and wolf. Phang knew the power of any Rainbow Jewel would be immensely helpful on his quest.
A rainbow gem transfers its power into a creature and awakens that creatures inner aura. The aura was like a power source. Once drained it could not be used until replenished with nutrients. Phang heard that the power was controlled inside a persons mind. The power unlocked a part of the brain that cannot be unlocked otherwise. When that person died the power goes back to the rainbow gem waiting for the next person. He also heard that the person had an expanded lifespan as well as many other helpful traits while housing the power of a rainbow jewel.
"Because I must save the Wolfsons," Phang said with absolute certainty.
The Mrodge laughed, "So you are here to steal it! What makes you think I would want the Wolfsons to go free?"
"Because the Wolfsons are innocent and being held against their will in the Slave Lands."
"Innocent?!" the Mrodge scoffed. "Not hardly." 
"Who are you to judge them?" Phang growled back.
The Mrodge narrowed his slitted eyes and spoke between his gritted teeth, "One of them killed my father."
Phang stared at the Mrodge, sensing not only that the creature spoke the truth, or at least he believed he did, but he also sensed his hurt and anger.
"I'm sorry for that but if you don't help us get to that thing they all might die! Is that amusing? A whole race might die." Phang yelled, irritated now.
"Maybe I could amuse myself by ripping you to pieces."
"Or maybe you could just shut up." Altima who had been silent for most of the time broke in.
Souki growled menacingly. "You tread on thin ice youngling."
"Humph. Not young." She dove into the earth for a few seconds just to immerse herself in the comforting smell and feeling. She then came out looking more composed.
Souki was staring at her with wide eyes. "What... Did you just do?"
"What, this?" She dove under and came up right between his paws. "Oops. Sorry!"
You... The prophecy... The Oakelf of dirt...
"What are you talking about?" Phang who had been silent most of the time spoke up."What prophecy?"
"The prophecy of five."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat are you talking about?"
"You have not heard?"
"No." Said Phang.
"No sir." Said Altima
"Well. In that case. You can see it. But you must be strong mentally and physically. And you just can't." He said, talking to Phang. "It's an Oakelf treasure. Not a Wolfson treasure. Come." He motioned for Altima to get on his back. She did so eagerly.
Souki started to swim toward the island getting farther and farther away until Phang could only see a pinprick of what used to be the Mrodge and Altima. Suddenly a burst of light filled the cave. Rainbow colors set the walls awash with color. Suddenly it all stopped. It was as if a torch had been blown out. He had to blink to realize it was dark again.
Slowly Souki came back. Altima sat upon his back cradling something in her arms. Souki set her down by the bank and Phang stared at her. She was a new person. Her hair flowed like the wind and she leaped off of Souki and landed on the banks still holding the object. She looked different. She looked more solemn. And yet still more energetic. She showed him the object, still holding it close.
It was...beautiful. A marble stone. Rainbow colors being bleached out of it by the second.
"I have been trusted with the power of the Oakelf rainbow stone. Power comes to me from plants." Said Altima almost like she was in a trance.
"But... How?"
Ten different clans... ten different rainbow stones. Each give the powers of their clans. He reached out to touch it but she held out her hand and pushed his away.
Just then Phang realized that maybe that colored stone next to the roots was more than a little stone. But was it his clans?
"Are you ready to go back now?" He asked impatiently.
"Yes. Let's go."
They walked back contemplating what they had seen. "How do you use the... Power?" Phang asked. He knew that he had powers of a rainbow stone in him but, he didn't yet know how to use it.
"No idea. I'm hungry."
"Aaaaaaand she's back. He thought.
"How did you get in there?" She asked thoughtfully.
"I told you, I pulled the rocks away." He answered.
"No, I mean how did you get into the cell?"
"It's a long story."
"Ok! I can listen."
He sighed exasperatedly but realized she wouldn't give up. "Ok here goes." He told the story from in the forest fighting the unknown to finding her in the cell.
"So you fought the Unknowns?"
"Yes, and thought my people had won."
"Hmmmmm. Altima thought for a while. I'm coming with you!" She decided.
"No. No you're not." Said Phang
"Am too!" She yelled back.
"Not!"
"Am too!
"Not!"
"Am too!
"Not!"
"Am too!"
"Come on! Is there any way I can not drag you with me? It'll be dangerous after all!"
"Nope. I'm coming. Besides, who could stand against me with the power of the plants? Hiyaaa!" She did a playful karate chop into the air before her.
"A lot. That's who. And there is also it. The Unknown doesn't deserve to be a who."
"But before we go I need to grab a few things. Like a map, some supplies and weapons."
Phang did a double take. Maybe this was a good idea after all. Altima, still talking to herself dived back through the hole. Taking a deep breath he did so to. He swam out of it and blocked it back up with rocks. Then he went back up into the world.
As soon as they were on the banks Altima dived into the hole. A second later she was back bringing a tiny sack out of the hole.
"Here we go!" She said. She started walking off and Phang said,
"Whoa, wait. You're not just running off without a plan are you?"
"Yup. Why?"
"Because we need a plan! You can't just go nuts!"
"Sure you can."
"Listen." Phang said wearily. "I need some sleep".
"Hmmm. Let's set up camp then!"
He was too dreary and tired to argue. So that's what they did. He didn't understand how she did it. It was like she pulled the tent out of thin air. One second it wasn't there the next, BOOM. Insta-tent. He blinked.
"Okay. Now that's settled." She said, satisfied.
He wormed his way into the tent and found that everything was leafy and green.
"Go figure." He muttered
He gingerly stepped over her sleeping bag and noticed several others pinned to the wall by thin, green, leafless, vines woven together like a pocket. The tent was pretty big and surprisingly cozy. He got into his bag and breathed in the warm earthy smell of the leaves. He was asleep before the next breath.