THE ENCHANTED GROVE

Pathfinder 2

It wasn't until a moment later, that I realized how dangerous the situation was. The boat was sinking fast, my clothes slowly getting wet.

Once again, the folded piece of paper miraculously unfolded. This time, there was a different riddle on it. I tried concentrating on reading the riddle, but was interrupted by the sudden transformation of the boat.

It had a cardboard-like texture and was tearing into many pieces. I was then, floating in the cold river trying my best to keep afloat. To prevent the items in my hand from getting wet, I held them up high above the water.

Regaining my composure, I uttered the words written on the sheet aloud.

Written on it were:
' I'm crafted from pieces apart,
Bound together to face the heart,
Of raging waters, wide and free,
I carry travelers safely.

The riddle was tougher than the first. I wrote the words ' boat ' on the paper, after reasoning the answer for a while. The words I put down turned red as soon as I wrote them, before fading off- making my heart sink in disappointment.

I thought more carefully about the riddle, breaking it down for better understanding.

" Crafted from pieces apart" I couldn't make anything from that sentence and decided to proceed.

" Bound together to face the heart of Raging waters, carrying travelers safely. " For a moment, the only thing I could think of was a boat. I wrote down canoe, but the result was the same as the last time.

There was a pressure pushing me deeper into the river, once I lifted my pen from the sheet. With my head just above water, the answer dawned on me.

' RAFT'

A huge raft appeared, and an invisible hand placed me on it. The whole experience was shocking, and kept me marvelling in wonder.  Without the need for a paddle, the raft sped up, bringing me to dry land.

I felt relieved once I set my foot on dry land. I lied on the shore looking up to the sky.  My moment of relaxation was cut short, with a reminder of my mission to find the pearl. I reluctantly stood up, lazily dragging my feet on the ground.

" That was just the first phase, a tip of the iceberg," the Queen's voice, for the first time in a while, resonated in my ears.

I took time to examine my surroundings. I was in a desert, which was really surprising because I just came out from a river. When I looked back at the river, it dried up before my eyes, turning to dry, brown sand. There was nothing else apart from the few cactuses that were around.

My throat dried, making me thirst and fall to the ground. I had never felt such heat, my skin turning as dry as rock and my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth. At that point, I'd really appreciate even a drop of water.

Just as I was considering my death, the desert sand directly at my front, started to form into a very huge, intimidating shape. It formed an arm, legs and even a face.

The figure stretched out it's hand to shake me. I mused about refusing the handshake, but eventually accepted the kind offer. It's hand was really dusty and dirty. The more I tightened my grip on it's hand, the hotter it got.

I cleaned my then dusty hands on my dress, not even caring if the weird creature got upset. We stared at each other for a long time, before I finally spoke.

" Who are you? " I asked it, breaking the silence.

" I should be asking you that question. " It replied with an answer which left me unsatisfied.

"I am Siroc. The one who instructs those who venture here, on what to do. " It continued, after I had assumed it wasn't interested in the conversation.