Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight: Dria the Elf

Third POV:

Charlotte and Luna had spent the noon exploring the enchanting forest to find their way back at the spawing point of the team. The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy casting dancing shadows on the forest floor.

As they made their way through a clearing, it seemed that they were walking back in circles. They forgot where the route back is. Heading towards nothing.

"Lylan shouldn't have left us. And we shouldn't have split apart from our friends. And now we're lost. How can a guy be this complacent and resilient towards girls leaving us behind? Such not a gentleman!" Luna angrily exclaimed.

"I know this is where we are supposed to be but I can't see the cave, Lylan nor our friends." said Charlotte with confidence.

"Damn, I knew it! We should've stayed together as a team in the first place. Practicing our abilities watching each other backs."

"We wouldn't have our own training space and we might hurt each other, that's why we were divided into pairs right?" said Charlotte.

Luna clasped her hands and formed a curve creating a siren to make a space and partition to sound louder when she yells from a distance "Lylan! Zach! Everyone? Where are you? We're here, back at the spawing point! Come out, come out wherever you folks are!"

No one replied but only the bounces of echoes of Luna. It was the only eerie silent ambiance of forest summer though it wasn't still dark, a warm yet peaceful chrips of the crickets and humming of birds were to be heard.

"Let's not go futher deep into the forest. Maybe they'll come back. Let's just stay here and wait for them." suggested Charlotte.

Charlotte couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She glanced over her shoulder but the only thing she could see were the bushes rustling slightly in the gentle breeze.

Getting more curious, charlotte stopped in her tracks, shushed Luna and herself and turned towards the bushes. "Luna did you hear that too?" she asked in a whisper, her voice filled with a mix of apprehension and intrigue.

Luna furrowed his brow his brown eyes shining with curiosity. "Nope. I don't hear anything. Not a single buzz."

"Who's there?!" Luna and Charlotte made a stance, being keenly observatant at the surroundings.

Before Charlotte could respond, a rustling sound came from behind the bushes and to their surprise a small figure emerged. It was an elf no taller than Charlotte's knee with wild unruly hair and luminous blue eyes. He looked disheveled and desperate holding out Charlotte's dress begging for help.

"Excuse me kind travelers," the elf spoke with a voice tinged with urgency. "I beg for your assistance. My favorite hat I cherish was blown away by a sudden gust of wind. It now rests atop one of the tallest trees in this forest and I am unable to reach it."

Charlotte and Jheall exchanged astonished glances. It was not every day that they encountered elves or got asked to retrieve a hat from a tree. However the kindness in their hearts compelled them to lend a helping hand.

"Uhm. Sure. It must've been Ace's wind that blew off your hat. I presume." Charlotte politely answered.

"I am really sorry to bother you." whined the elf.

Luna took Charlotte's hand "How you so sure this elf can be trusted?"

"Come on Luna. It's like as if its going to hurt to help this poor little creature? Isn't that right ms. puffy mushy."

Charlotte carried and caressed the elf like as if some sort of a cute pet. The look in the elf's eyes were seemingly pissed and annoyed with what charlotte did to it.

"Get off me!" the little elf pushed Charlotte's face away from it.

"I have a name. It's Dria. And it's a 'He' thank you!" The elf sarcastically said.

"Sorry Dria, you're just so cute. I never encountered such a creature like you around!" charlotte happily adressed. Charlotte put Dria down back at the ground and the elf immediately regained back her composure.

He cleares his throat and said "Come, I'll show you where my hat was blown. It's not that far from here."

"I don't trust this punk. He may seem cute in the outside but who knows? maybe he's as dangerous as he might not seem to be. Looks can be decieving, Charlotte." reminded Luna.

"I trust my gut. My gut never betrays me. It never lies. Once I feel something, it's always accurate." Charlotte opposed.

Luna just sighed in disbelief and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if something happens to us, it's your fault. And I ain't helping."

Luna walked first and followed the elf, then was Charlotte who walked behind.

"We're here." the elf stopped and pointed his hat above the tall tree. It was on a tree branch. Charlotte was tall enough to reach the hat by her hand but not long enough to get the hat. Without hesitation Charlotte extended her hand towards the tall tree and focused her powers within her.

Focusing her energy, she gently coaxed the branch to lower making sure instead of her taking it, it reaches the elf's height. The tiny creature hesitated for a moment a mix of gratitude and hesitation swirling in his eyes. But soon determination overcame his fears and he carefully climbed onto the branch and made his way down.

Once safely on the ground the elf approached Charlotte with a bow. "I cannot express my gratitude enough noble lady" he said with a heartfelt smile. "You've saved my most prized possession and for that I am forever grateful."

"Not a big deal Dria." Charlotte smiled warmly at the elf. The corners of her eyes crinkling with genuine joy. 

"It was my pleasure to help. I'm glad I could reunite you with your precious hat."

"Thank you, noble Lady."

"Oh! Anyways. I forgot to mention my name. I'm Charlotte and this cranky lady over here is Luna." Introduced Charlotte.

"Hey!" Luna reacted dramatically.

"Thank you Charlotte and Luna. How could I ever repay you?"

"We are looking for our friends and we are lost. Maybe you could help us find our way back our spawing point? Then you won't owe us a debt anymore." Luna directly confronted.

"That's very rude and direct of you! voice a little bit will you? I'm sorry for my friend's attitude. She may be like that sometimes but she's kind. She's just frustrated how she can't cope with her powers." Charlotte explained.

"I hear you loud and clear charlotte." Luna crossed her arms and eyebrows.

"I see. By the way, was she with you? The one with red hair, blue eyes?"

"That's her, alright." Luna spoke.

"Did you see where she went?" Charlotte asked.

"Your FRIEND took something from me and went away!" Dria emphasized the word 'Friend'

"What? What did he took from you?" 

Luna and Charlotte glanced at each other with a surprising reaction.

"under my hat, there's this map I've been treasuring to keep. She took it from me. Her name was Ace right? You mentioned a while ago. She blew my hat away to steal my map!" Dria angrily expressed.

"Why would she do that?" Charlotte asked.

"What kind of map is it?"  Luna asked a following question.

"A map of this island."

"I think I have an educated guess why she stole your map on purpose. It's not that I support her viscous act towards you or anything. What she did was wrong but she's just desperate to find this ancient relic we- don't even know how it looks like to lift her curse. We're not actually from this world, we were brought here to aid help with our friend." Charlotte explained.

"Why didn't ya'll just tell me in the first place? I could've help you." said Dria.

"You would do that to a stranger?" Charlotte intriguely asked.

The elf handed Charlotte a small ancient-looking scrolled map. It was made of weathered parchment and had intricate markings and symbols inscribed on it.

"This map has been in my family for generations." the elf explained.

"Wait, if you have the map on your hand, what did ace had from you?"

"This one's magical and special. This is the scroll of Luminara. This is my other map. When you finally arrive at the site where the hidden relic is hidden, it will automatically reveal itself. What ace stole from me is the general map of the island." explained Dria.

"Is this the relic you've been wishing to find?" Dria showed the drawn picture. Looking by it seems really old an ancient.

"Seems like it. I can't tell for sure but I think this is the relic we've been meaning to find." said Charlotte.

The ancient totem relic is a weathered and aged artifact displaying the eight elements, the symbol each of the member carries. It stands and imposing a reaching height of about a size of a ruler. The totem is carved out of a single piece of rich reddish-brown wood likely cedar its surface smooth and polished from years of reverence and touch.

The totem has eight pieces and showcases intricate carvings that depict various symbols and figures. Every inch of its surface is adorned with deep grooves telling a story of traditions and legends. From top to bottom the totem represents a connected series of images each one flowing seamlessly into the next.

Starting at the top going down;

The first one is symbol of the sun and it's burning flames wrapping the circumference of the wood.

Going, down a graceful twin Pisces emerges from ocean waves capturing the essence of the water element. The fishes' glistening skin is carved in a smooth and seamless manner mirroring the graceful movement of this majestic ocean creature.

The third piece were a simple carved of Rocky mountains.

The fourth piece had an image of a blurry fog or a cloud of mist enveloping it whole.

The fifth piece were just snowflakes and a snowman at the center.

The sixth piece were adorned with flowers, vines, and leaves.

The seventh piece were literal squiggly zigzag flashes of the lightning when stricken.

The last piece was the moon and stars but there were figures of shadow humans that really caught the attention of Luna and Charlotte.

"It looks like a flute, only partitioned with eight individual piecies. And look, every piece has our symbol." Luna noticed.

"What symbol?" Dria curiously asked.

Charlotte revealed her symbol. She lifted her dress to let Dria see her symbol of a flower on her left waist.

Luna's then showed her mark behind on her right leg. Looked like a tatoo of a mountain top.

The elf just gasped from surprise as if Dria saw a ghost. He stuck his expression for while before reacting to his normal self.

"Are you okay?" asked Charlotte.

"You're the chosen ones who'll lift the curse of this island!"

"I don't understand. Isn't that Ace is the cursed one? How come the island is cursed as well?" Luna got confused.

"I guess this has something to do with Ace and the Island. I think they're maybe connected somehow. And that's what we're trying to figure out while collecting all the pieces of this totem."

"Legend has it that one particular fine day, eight beings not from this world will help and lift the curse of this island. We will be set free and we will finally see the world beyond ours!"

"Are you dead serious? I think the elf's talking about us?" Luna asked in disbelief.

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