Alyssa's Journey

Chapter 7

"There. I transported us to the nearest body of water I could," Jezelle said after they had discreetly stepped into the portal she had created. "Let me show you to the path." Alyssa nodded nervously and continued after Jezelle, whose feet left a puddle of water on the ground every time she took a step. After the step, the puddle would evaporate. Alyssa's eyes widened at the magic.

As Alyssa and Jezelle went farther and farther into the woods, the more dark and ominous it became. No crickets chirped, no birds sang, and the trees curved and stretched, looking like they wanted to reach out and grab anything—anyone—in their way.

Suddenly, after they had been walking for some time, Jezelle stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked her.

"This is the path. You must go on without me. And, always, prevail against all hardships," Jezelle replied, looking her straight in the eyes.

"You're not coming?" Alyssa asked.

"No. I have other...matters to attend to," she replied.

"Okay. How will I know if I'm at the site if it's underground?" Alyssa asked her.

"If you have my permission, which you do, the magic force field will part for you and the entrance will appear," Jezelle replied.

"Got it," Alyssa said, feeling more and more determined as time passed.

"Here is a map with the site marked, food, water, a flashlight, a magical tent, and a sleeping bag," Jezelle said, handing Alyssa a stuffed backpack. "Oh, and a dagger, just in case....I hope you don't need it, but you can never be too careful."

"A magical tent?" Alyssa asked, adjusting the backpack on her back.

"The magical tent puts up a force field around it as soon as you zip it up, so that way no monster can get in. As soon as you unzip it to get out, the force field will flicker away," Jezelle explained.

"Cool! Wait, monsters? And how does it fit in this backpack?" Alyssa asked her, questions bubbling up inside of her.

"You'll most likely encounter monsters on this trip. But you're faster than most of them, and can outrun them if need be or fight them off. Some of them are cowards, but some are not and will try to fight you. Just be careful," Jezelle told her. "And the backpack is magical. It shrinks anything you put in, and will go back to normal size when you take it out."

"Whoa," Alyssa replied. "So if I encounter a monster or something on this trip, you're saying I'll be able to outrun it or at least fight it off?"

"Yes. You are brave and strong. You'll be able to do it," Jezelle said with no doubt in her eyes.

"Okay," Alyssa said, adjusting the backpack on her shoulders. "Time to go get some gold."