Destiny Island

Chapter 45

They went through the enchanting little valley that offered them comfort and a good night's sleep and into what seemed to be an ordinary forest.

As they walked down the forest path, all of them were quieter than usual as they were lost each in their own thoughts.

Many things had changed since the last time they had walked together and Amber couldn't help but wonder if their journey would ever end.
The bigger question was whether she wanted it to end.
Although they had been in danger, had fought and bled, she still felt that being on the island helped them become not only more powerful but better people.

They all reached the island with their own special set of problems and right at that moment, their burden seemed to have been lightened.
She couldn't help but wonder what wonders the stay on the island would do to their well-being, the more time they spend on the magical mystery that was the island.

The sounds of the forest didn't frighten her as they usually did in her own world, they actually fascinated her, made her more curious about the vast network of plants and animals that inhabited the island.

It was like nothing she was used to, those sounds were the ones she couldn't identify, and she was sure that was because they didn't belong to any living being she was familiar with.
That made her giddy with excitement.
It was shocking to her how quickly her moods changed.

She was thoroughly annoyed with the magical beings for leaving them on their own, but the forest seemed to have had a calming effect on her since there were no traces of that anger, that annoyance, left anywhere in her body.

Lost as she was in her thoughts, Amber almost ran into Ignacio who suddenly stopped in the middle of the path.
Both him and Royce seemed to be staring at something intently as if they were intent on moving it with their minds, which Ignacio probably could.

"What is it?" She said trying to look between the two.
The only thing she could see in front of them was a strange looking tree.
"It's just a tree. Why did you stop?" Amber asked.

As she said that Jade, and she moved in front of the guys to be able to have a better look at what had them stumped.
That was when she realized that the tree wasn't on either side of the path they followed. It was in the middle of the path.
Actually, the path ended where it met the tree as if it was never there, to begin with.

Compelled by the unusual sight in front of them, Amber and Jade approached the tree to take a closer look.
Amber reached out her hand towards the tree, but instead of feeling the rough bark or even the sticky sap on the surface of the tree it felt as if her hand fell through the tree.
There was cold air going through her fingers as if the wind was blowing somewhere inside the tree that was anything but a regular tree.

"Wait!" Ignacio said.
"Let me go first." He went on to say.
A flash of annoyance sparked to life in her eyes, but he spoke up before she had the chance to voice her protest.
"My powers can be more useful for whatever might wait on the other side." He said matter-of-factly.

Seeing the reason behind his words and not sensing any chauvinism, Amber relented.
However, she didn't expect him to just go on towards the tree and go through it.
Panic striking her once more about Ignacio's well-being, she hurried on after him.

"That idiot will get himself killed sooner or later." She thought moments before disappearing through the tree as well.

Once on the other side, she stumbled feeling unbalanced as a strange sensation of pins and needles going through her skin was quite unsettling.
Luckily for her, Ignacio was there to steady her as they both started assessing their surroundings, scanning for any signs of danger.
That was when their mouths fell open in awe.

Right in front of them stood a huge gate made of pure gold shimmering brightly on the mid-day sun.
On the other side of the gate, they could see a huge crystal-golden castle.
It was made mostly out of pure white crystal with a lot of golden curves and lines all over the enormous castle.

With one small part of her mind that wasn't preoccupied with the beauty that her eyes beheld, Amber could hear Royce and Jade stumbling into the wondrous place together.
There was a hushed conversation between the two, but as soon as they recovered from the strange travel through a tree and lifted their eyes they were stunned into silence.

The only sounds that could be heard were birds chirping and four human hearts beating fast from the excitement and anticipation with a dash of fear thrown in there.

The castle stood sturdy and proud like a beacon of joy and positivism, it's external beauty only rivaled by the beauty of the amazing energy that surrounded it.
Its curtain walls were made out of the purest crystal and into it were beautifully woven strands of gold, streaming down it as water streaming down the waterfall.
The walls were connected by a series of oval towers with three golden strands moving downwards interweaving with each other.

The gatehouse that was visible from where they stood was beautifully carved with small specks of gold shining through it like small stars scattered all over the gatehouse.

Besides the material side of it, its majesty, Amber could feel that there was something about the castle, some almost visible veil of positive energy that surrounded it.
It made her feel happiness, love, and joy, all of those wonderful feelings that were so rare in the world they came from.

Once their eyes were released from the magical hold the indescribable beauty of the castle held over them, they were finally able to notice the figures meandering around the castle and into the colorful gardens filled with the most beautiful butterflies.

The moment Amber took a closer look at the pair which was exiting through the gate, it became obvious to her that they were no ordinary humans, that they were actually elves.
To the untrained eye, they looked like regular humans except for the pointy ears that many people might not have noticed, but Amber was different.

She had already seen many magical creatures, so she was on the lookout for any sign of them being members of the magical community that seemed to represent the vast majority of the island's population.

Soon enough they were greeted by a tall looking elf who seemed very friendly and as if he was just waiting for them, which he probably was.

"Welcome, my dear friends." The elf said in a melodic voice that reminded Amber of the most beautiful music that ever graced human ears.
"Let me guess. You've been expecting us." Ignacio asked.
This time, however, his voice didn't hold the usual anger but resignation.

To Amber, he seemed resigned to his fate of always being so predictable to the magical beings and it was quite interesting to see how much he had changed during the time she had known him.

"While, of course. It has been written in our most sacred Elfin Scrolls that four travelers from afar would arrive at our doorstep on this day and hour to seek enlightenment of our court of light." The elf said.
"Vulluin Miramys," the elf introduced himself.

While doing that he bowed before them, his long night-black hair fluttering in the wind as he lifted his head and his huge brown eyes locked themselves with each pair of eyes in front of him, one by one.

After the introductions were made, they headed off to the castle to get acquainted with Elfin court and try to make sense of what Vulluin was saying to them.