Crack Of Dawn

Chapter 18

Welcome to the Lost Lands!!!

Wait! Did we already reach? What did we miss... we will see, leap in.

***

The land stretched in front of them was not lit and seemed like it had forgotten to breathe for a very long while. Srishti knelt on the cold soil as she took a fistful of sand and smiled at Adya, "This is real." She poured the sand into a little glass bottle and locked it with her necklace as she examined the surrounding that was lifeless and silent than the newborn who had not yet learned to utter a word.

"Why does this place horrifyingly give me goosebumps?" Adya stepped in closer, "Did anyone live in here actually?"

"Of course!" Srishti demanded and Ishaan smiled, "It takes one to know one."

Adya wiggled her eyebrows in confusion.

***

They stepped in the red soil fearing the tribe. Ishaan chuckled, "they are my people."

Adya laughed at him, "Do you think the people today know their neighbor in the next flats, they would least know you."

"Lost lands!" Ishaan told the tree flowering right in front of them; the one near the mines, still young and mighty yet old, the mother scarlet.

"Is she the door?" Adya enquired while Srishti was keen to know what will happen.

There was a sudden rise of swirling dust around her and as it settled, a gust of wind blew only to let a few strangers to appear in front of them. Srishti and Adya was startled so they introduced themselves, "The wild miracles."

They bowed immediately and the girls copied, still puzzled. Adya whispered, "Do they always appear out of nowhere?"

Ishaan denied. "They aren't the wild miracle."

"How do you know?" Srishti doubted him.

"See for yourself." He walked up to them and they took up a formation as if they were forming a wall, obviously guarding their Goddess. He formed a globe of glowing light that left his hand only to let a leaf of the scarlet tree fall and the group of arrivers disappeared.

"No way! What was that?" Adya sat on her heels.

"You see they couldn't survive, they are just dummies put in to trouble intruders with the help of a little power from the Mother Scarlet. Never believe anything in this forest crafted with illusions, unless it has the effect of a human, it has the ability to express its true emotions."

Adya clapped her hands. "I knew this... I knew they were just fooling us but I never knew such bookish-dramas were real."

"How did we reach the lost lands?" Srishti wanted to know.

Adya cried and she immediately looked back. In a swift response, Ishaan picked her up and Srishti was clueless until Adya explained, still holding on to him. "My legs are burning and it is starting to feel numb."

"That's the scarlet soil." Ishaan confirmed and Srishti retold the lines she had memorized, "The soil glitters scarlet, yet it is not the favourite."

Adya slowly dropped herself to the ground as at that point, she felt herself fine. Ishaan stopped her, "That isn't the way."

Ishya retold the lines, "Don't be fooled by ways that takes afar, because there brews a magical war."

"A magical war?" Adya asked with fear in her voice.

Ishaan explained, "Adrima still is need of that land so obviously he battling with all those who come in his way." He went closer to Srishti and put forward his hand for her to take and Adya began to blush.

He rose his eyebrow at her to put her hand forward. "This will help you run down your old lane and reach where you dare."

"Sorry?" Srishti took his hand and he smirked, "You will have the memory of the lost land only in there. This whole journey will be forgotten when you both step out of that land."

Srishti rushed to pull her hand out of his hold, "Why?"

"The universe demands so," he slowly let go of her hand, "so it is a sure process and it is done."

He took hold of Adya's hand followingly and then led them to the mines after seeking the blessings of mother scarlet.

The mine was were the obsidian rocks were being obtained from and it was so deep and the workers immediately bowed on seeing them. "The Wild Miracles," Ishaan introduced.

The girls also bowed at them as they set the table for them to have a hearty meal. Srishti was still not over the fact that all of this vanish once she gets back leaving not even a trace. Adya knocked her elbow, "Finish your food." She nodded as she realized everyone was about to finish their plates.

***

After a little rest, Ishaan led them down the mine to were there was a little scarlet plant growing. He simply plucked a leaf for each of the girls and twice the plucked leaves grew on the plant as he gifted them this souvenir. Ishya put the tiny leaf into her glass bottle attached to her necklace and the next moment, they took a step forward; they were in the land of the tales.

"How?" Srishti demanded and Ishaan grinned, "No theory or law explains it so I can tell the way of entry is not discovered at least to you all."

Adya was still amused, "Stop arguing you two and focus so we can go back to our normal lives. What should we do boss?"

Ishaan gestured at himself in doubt and Adya nodded. "Find our last warrior who is now being treated in some undisclosed location. We need to find him so that he can train the next warrior."

"Since the stars have formed the constellation of the Scarlet's child, when will be the Wizardry Saga in this dark land." Adya asked, "Will we have enough time?"

"I am afraid no." He looks at Srishti who had been silently observing the surroundings. "Well, we can get help from the wild miracles. The whole of them will be back by the following day."

"Where are we staying?" Adya questioned as the road before them was endless.

Ishaan pointed to their right where there was shield of clouds guarding something sturdy and tall as they could identify from its shadow. The clouds slowly paved way for them as they approached closer to a castle that seem lost in the pages of a historical book and they were welcomed by lots of young people and Ishaan whispered to Srishti who had been looking at the young man who was showing them their chambers, "The Wild Miracles who stood back here hadn't aged since the Sun stopped shining over us so..."

She looked it him, "So that's why you are still young."

A little giggle escaped Adya, "I am shipping you both."

Srishti glared at her, "From where did that come?"

"Rest early and get ready because the Sun won't be here to let you know it is time and no wandering to restricted areas or unwanted businesses." Ishaan informed as he left them in the chambered and headed left.

***

Srishti had been staring out of the window for the past two hours not knowing if it was the day time. She hadn't been able to sleep but beside her Adya had been resting very well. She grabbed a shawl and wrapped herself as she headed outside for a stroll. The lights coming from a room in the end of the hallway led her way. She stopped just outside the door that had not been closed completely. Before gathering courage to peep in she doubted whether it was one of the restricted areas Ishaan had mentioned.

The girl ever curious could not stopped by mere words and so she slowly stepped closer and peeped in through the little gap only to stumble at the awfully beautiful sight in front of her.

Surya_SK