ROYAL SORCERER FOR DAYS...

CHAPTER 12

After we ate the berries Arnold had found for breakfast, we packed our stuff and headed towards the lake. I decided to leave pearl behind as I am not sure if I will return or not. Arnold told me to tie Pearl to a nearby tree so, that she won't run away, but I was against that decision because I felt like it's not right to tie her to a tree just because we did not want her to come with us. That would be selfish! What if we take days to return? Then, she won't be able to find any food for herself and she might die of starvation! No, I can't do that!

"okay then, let's go" said Arnold, he didn't look that scared! But then again, he is going to meet his own father! I don't think a father would harm his own son on purpose!

I took a deep breath, the air tasted nice against my lungs.

"oky doky, let's go!" I said to Arnold signalling towards the lake.

I was feeling determined yet, kind of weak at the same time. I wanted to go defeat this Alfred but at the same time I really wanted to go back to the castle. No, I can't do that! Hundreds of lives depend on me, especially Alex's, the king's life is in my hands. I will not take back the step I already took! Everyone's counting on me!

I dragged my feet towards the lake, it was as if my body was stuck to the ground! I wanted to go, but my body did not!

"hurry up Kate, you are taking your time!" Arnold called out from where he was standing, the lake.

A second ago the lake had returned from being red to its normal colour, but as soon as Arnold stepped towards the lake, it turned from being crystal clear to blood red! a spell that Alfred had cast on the lake to scare Arnold off when he gets near it, but now that Arnold had gotten over the phobia for the colour red he had, that spell cannot stop him from getting to his so called father.

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Arnold pointed his wand at the bottom of the lake.

"boatappero" he cried bringing a boat to the surface of the lake which looked like it has never seen daylight. It was brown, and was made of wood. Most of its surface area was covered in algae.

"come on, in you get" cried Arnold pointing his hand towards the boat which was now floating peacefully on top of blood red water!

"right" I said hesitating to even take a step inside the boat.

"not very pleasant, is it? I'm afraid you are going to have to do it if you want to sail across! Anyways, how are you going to save a kingdom if you can't even get on to this boat? Huh?" he asked in a jockey voice winking at me.

"did you take me as a joke, huh? I am a very brave person! Certainly, not a coward!" I jabbed my middle finger in to his shoulder making him jump out of my way.

I stepped in to the boat which creaked beneath my feet. I tried to be as careful as I can but the boat was rocking against the water as if trying to scare me out of this shaggy, old boat! I took seat on the small wooden bench that was screwed to the front of boat and held on to the side of the boat as tight as I could, leaving small red marks around my pale knuckles.

Arnold stepped inside the boat making it shake even more than it is already!

"alright then, time to sail away!" Arnold said looking at me as if he was looking at a cute little baby. He thinks I am scared! But I am certainly NOT SCARED!

"sailofurwardo" roared Arnold pointing the tip of his wand towards the other side of the lake that we couldn't see.

"aren't we supposed to be sailing downwards?" I asked him because I remembered him saying that his father lived at the bottom of the lake.

"yeah but we can't go straight down We need to sail forward a bit first and then we sail down" he replied in one go without even taking a breath.

"okay then"

"sailoduwardo" I felt the boat sink in to the lake as Arnold finished saying the spell. We were going down in to the lake. I am starting to have a feeling that we are going to drown in this lake!

As we headed down I noticed a bubble around the lower part of my face, the boat took us down wards ant then it stopped. The bubble around my face started to disappear as the water from the lake stopped above us.

I looked up and saw that the lake water was just floating in mid-air above my head. I am guessing that we have arrived!

"how... how did we not..."

"not drown? Used the bubble head charm!" Arnold interrupted me.

"Arnold, you are a genius!" I said to him smiling as I opened my arms wide to hug him.