Legends of Cubarlos

Chapter Four

“Now that is an impressive door,” Daichi said with awe as he stared at the giant stone slab that covered the entrance to the temple. The temple itself was shrouded with nature, making it hard to spot. They almost passed it if Yuuna hadn’t said something. Yuuna walked up to the door and gently ran her hand over the smooth slab, sensing the magic that was dwelling within it.

“How are we going to move this thing?” Katsu said as he stared up at it.

“It should respond to the Sylph’s signature,” Megumi said as she walked up towards the door. She put her hand to her chin, contemplating about something. She walked over to the side and smiled. “Here. There’s an inscription written here in the Old Language.” Yuuna walked over and read them.

“Oh! The opening is over here,” she said ecstatically as she walked over to a small pedestal located to the right of the slab, hidden from vines and overgrown bushes. Yuuna observed her hand before placing it carefully on top of the pedestal. The pedestal glowed and the door slowly opened, sending small rocks falling to the ground as it did so.

“Wow Yuuna, I didn’t know you could do that!” Daichi said impressed.

“It wasn’t her,” Yamato said. “Like Megumi said, it responded to the Sylph’s signature. Yuuna herself didn’t do anything. Don’t get excited over nothing.”

“I really hate you,” Daichi growled as he followed Yuuna in, who was already walking forward excitedly. However, not as excited as Megumi was; she briskly walked in and her eyes widened with obsession as she took in the beautifully decorated emerald walls with gold trimming running along the crevices.

“Absolutely FANTASTIC!” Megumi breathed as she skimmed her hand over the walls. “Even after centuries these walls have yet to be scarred by time. Look at the hieroglyphs on the walls; magnificent!”

Yamato glanced over at Katsu. “Is she always like this?”

“She does have an unhealthy obsession with ruins,” Katsu admitted as he hung his head. Daichi took a step back with an uneasy look.

“She’s scaring me more than usual now,” he said carefully as he continued down the pathway, careful to avoid Megumi. Yuuna smiled over her shoulder as she saw Megumi running from wall to wall, completely infatuated with them. Yuuna looked ahead at the path in front of her. To open the altar in this temple, a trial was in order and she was nervous about it. Eventually, the group came to a gigantic door with small hieroglyphic markings running down it. Yuuna extended her hand and the Incarther’s Stone on her neck emitted a fiery glow and the markings on the door responded, lighting up. The door slowly parted, shaking the very temple. Yuuna proceeded in with her friends and jumped when the door slammed shut behind them. The room was completely dark except for the green altar in the middle of the room.

“It’s very eerie in here,” Daichi muttered as he looked around.

“There’s a lot of energy coming from the altar itself,” Katsu said was he walked forward, standing next to Yuuna.

“I’m guessing it has to do with the seal,” Yamato said. “The Sylph undergoes a trial on the journey to prepare her. This is one of those trials.”

“How do you know so much?” Daichi asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

“I paid attention when I was in school,” Yamato said blankly and Daichi narrowed his eyes. Yuuna couldn’t take her eyes off of the altar. She was shaking from nerves and she let out a yelp when her stone responded, sending out green waves of energy in all directions before swirling up towards the altar, creating a small orb.

“Careful,” Megumi warned. “I sense incredible energy coming from that.” Megumi maneuvered in front of Yuuna, her staff at the ready. Daichi and Yamato drew their blades and Katsu cracked his knuckles. The orb exploded into leaves and they drifted slowly to the ground. A massive paw struck the ground and Yuuna’s eyes widened. Before her was a creature she had heard about only in fairy tales. Its body was made out of a tree in the shape of a beast, tree limbs extending all over it, acting as its arms. Holes covered the body where air flowed through it, giving the creature life. Its feet were that of a bear covered with moss and a small canopy hung over its head. The monster didn’t have a face which frightened Yuuna.