Holes & Strings

It was a rainy morning—cloudy and overcast. A mild wind blew and the waves were becoming violent.

“We’re almost there, everyone,” Lafiet informed them.

Brandon, Idalene, and Malica were at the front of the ship, looking at land as it drew near.

Xylo climbed the steps to Lafiet.

“Xylo,” Lafiet said, “there’s something I want to speak to you about.”

“Go on,” Xylo replied.

“I have some questions that I need to ask you,” Lafiet continued. “It’s about the prisoner I met. His name was Aniraco. He was a musición with no instrument.”

“What do you mean by that?” Xylo said.

“I mean just that,” Lafiet replied. “He had no instrument. He just whistled.”

“Whistled?”

“Yeah. Whistled. He whistled the melodies.”

“I’ve never heard of that before. I don’t know how that’s even possible.”

“He played a melody that made our chains weak. And they felt rubbery but were easy to break.”

“I see. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

The ship arrived to a dock. The sea thrashed back and forth. A light rain fell from the sky and the smell of the sea was in the air.

They all disembarked, and gathered on the dock. Green plains were before them. In the far distance were huge bluish mountains.

“Where are we?” Brandon asked.

“This is the closest I could get the ship to Lutef,” Lafiet said. “I don’t know where to go from here without a map.”

“I guess that’s where I come in,” Idalene smiled.

“Okay,” Xylo said. “Let’s hurry.”

The wind grew stronger.

Idalene led the way to Lutef. They kept a steady pace on a dusty path. Creatures that Brandon had never seen before lurked beside the path. The creatures had four legs and a long neck. Its fur was black with dark purple patches. It had hooved feet and a small tail. There was a full grown one and its offspring.

“Whoa,” Brandon mumbled as he kept walking.

Some time had passed. Thunder frequently roared through the cloudy sky.

“I see it,” Brandon said.

A strong gust of wind blew. The rain began to pour.

“This storm is getting worse!” Xylo exclaimed. “We should run!”

They ran to Lutef. Lightning flashed. The winds persisted.

Xylo and the others finally entered the city. No one was outside. The group continued running behind Idalene.

Idalene stopped abruptly at a house near the center of the village, slipping in the mud and losing her balance. Brandon caught her before she fell.

“Thank you, Brandon,” Idalene said.

“Are you okay?” Brandon asked.

“Yes,” Idalene replied.

“Is this the place?” Brandon said.

“I’m sure it is,” Lafiet interjected. He walked to the door and started banging loudly. The strong winds were louder than his banging.

“Who is it?” a man asked politely from the other side of the door.

“It’s me,” Idalene said. “It’s Idalene.”

The door opened. An elderly black man with a short white beard revealed himself. He opened the door wider to let them all in. “Welcome, welcome,” he said. “It’s good to see you, Idalene. It’s been a while.” He closed the door behind them. “You all are drenched. I’ll go get some towels to dry you off.”

The man walked away.

“Who is that, Idalene?” Brandon asked.

“He is one of my father’s good friends,” Idalene answered. “He traveled with my parents and me from time to time.”

“Sit down wherever you can,” the man called from another room. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

The room was dim. There was a coffee table stand surrounded by furniture in the center of the living room. Light came in from a window beside the front door. Xylo took a seat on a couch. Malica and Lafiet sat next to him. Idalene sat in a chair facing them and Brandon sat in a rocking chair next to her.

The man walked back into the room. “It’s nice to meet you all,” he said. “I take it you are friends of Idalene. My name is Nolan.”

They introduced themselves to Nolan as he gave them towels.

“Nolan,” Idalene said, “we have a big favor to ask of you.”

“Go ahead,” Nolan replied as he sat down in a chair.

“We need to go to the Southeast Temple,” Idalene continued. “And we need direction for the inside of that forest.”

Nolan leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.

“We need your help, Nolan,” Idalene pleaded.

“Might I ask why must you go there?” Noland responded.

“Xylo is a victim of a man who played a melody of death on him,” Idalene said. “The person who played the melody is heading to the Southeast Temple.”

Nolan looked at Xylo. Then he glanced at his arm.

“So, his life is in danger,” Nolan said.

“You’ll help us?” Brandon asked.

“I feel it would be very irresponsible on my part to not stop you from going into that forest,” Nolan replied. “Don’t you all know about that forest?”

“Well,” Idalene started, “we came here so you could inform us all about the forest.”

“The forest is the least of your worries, Idalene,” Nolan sighed.

“Tell us, Nolan,” Idalene said.

“Twenty years before I was born,” Nolan began, “that forest was inhabited by many different kinds of creatures. The name of that forest was lost to history. The forest was home to a very vicious predator. The population of that predator grew significantly. Those beasts began leaving the forest and wreaking havoc on villages miles away. A band of men from different villages gathered together and hunted the predators. They were successful and killed off the creatures.”

“That sounds like a happy ending to me,” Lafiet said.

“I suppose you could say it was,” Nolan said. “After that, people began going to the forest. Then, I was born. I spent a lot of my youth roaming through that forest.”

“And that’s why you’ll be able to help us,” Idalene added.

“The forest didn’t stay safe,” Nolan said. “Perhaps you could say that it actually never was. Years had passed. Stories of people being attacked in the forest began surfacing.”

“Attacked by what?” Brandon asked.

“The predators weren’t completely annihilated,” Nolan replied. “One remained. With time, folks gave the creature a name as it increasingly became infamous. Fragera.”

“Fragera?” Brandon repeated.

“Fragera is the vicious creature that lurks in the forest,” Nolan said.

“How can we avoid Fragera?” Xylo asked.

“I won’t be of much help there,” Nolan said. “I haven’t a clue.”

“What more can you tell us about Fragera?” Xylo questioned.

“Many people encountered him before his presence was widely known,” Nolan started. “Every story shared one thing in common. Fragera’s heartbeat echoes through the forest when he is actively stalking prey. It sounds like a deep bass drum, beating with a slow tempo every five seconds.”

The room grew silent. The rain could be heard pounding on the roof of the house.

“They say Fragera fantasizes ripping his prey to shreds as he slowly creeps near,” Nolan added.

“Doesn’t sound like it’ll be too much of a problem to me,” Lafiet said.

Idalene glanced at Lafiet, and then turned her attention back to Nolan.

“What do we do from here, Nolan?” Idalene asked.

“I shall help you,” Nolan answered. “It will take some time, but I will draw a map of the forest for you all.”

Lafiet got up and walked to a window. He peaked out the curtains and said, “How much time are we talking?”

“A little less than a day,” Nolan replied.

“How inconvenient,” Lafiet mumbled.

“It’s worth it,” Xylo said.

“Tomorrow morning,” Nolan said, “I should have the map ready for you.”

“Excellent,” Xylo replied.

“But I’ll let you know something,” Nolan said. “I am going to enchant the map. It will only open once you all enter the forest. I don’t want anyone other than you all seeing this map.”

“We understand,” Xylo said.

“Until then, you are free to relax as you please,” Nolan said. “I have only one guest room. You all may use it however you please. And of course you are welcome to sleep in this room if you want.”

Nolan stood up and yawned. “I’m going to fix you all some soup,” he said. “I’m sure that storm wasn’t kind to you.”

“Thank you,” they said as Nolan left the room.

Night fell. The storm persisted.

Xylo found himself walking through a hall in the dark house. The soothing light of a candle shined out of an entrance of a room that he approached. He wandered into a room with small shelves of books. At the center of the room, he saw Nolan at a wooden desk. On the desk was a candle with a black handle and a half drawn map with markings on it.

Xylo leaned his shoulder up against the room’s entrance and watched as Nolan read from a book.

Nolan noticed that he was not alone and put the book down.

“You’ve caught me reading,” Nolan said. “It’s a good book about a young man tasked with bringing love to the world.”

Brandon poked his head up from behind Xylo.

Brandon walked into the room. “So, you’re going to enchant the map?” Brandon asked. “How does that work?”

“Well,” Nolan began, “enchantment is actually a melody. Melodies come in all sorts of different forms. Enchantment is no exception. It is a very peculiar thing. It, like lullabies, stands out from a lot of other melodies. Most people don’t even known the two are melodies. What makes enchantment distinct is that for every melody type, there is an enchantment song, a song of enchantment.”

“Let’s see,” Brandon thought aloud. “Since there are seven melody types, you’re saying there are seven forms of enchantment. How are they different?”

“Tomorrow, I intend to perform the song of enchantment in the melody of mineral category,” Nolan said. “The map is made of material found in the ground. Because of that, it can be affected by that type of melody.”

Brandon nodded his head in understanding.

“I’ll give you another example,” Nolan said. “An enchantment that affects the hand or feet for example would be a melody of body. You get my drift.”

“What are the names of the seven melody types, again?” Brandon asked.

“The melodies types include: Body, Rift, Death, Beast, Mineral, Healing, and Vibration,” Nolan answered.

“Oh, yeah,” Brandon replied. “That sounds familiar to me.”

“Yes, yes,” Nolan said. “Melodies are such a mysterious thing. There are even some that have requirements in order to work. The requirements come in different varieties. A skilled musición who knows the melody he plays is well familiar with the requirements linked to that specific melody. Requirements could be anything from being near dirt, perhaps to form a plant, to even saying the name of the melody aloud. For example, a melody of death subtitled Song of Devastation. That melody must be played and its name must be said aloud afterwards in order for it to activate. But you’ll never see anyone playing that.”

“You can do just about anything through enchantment I’m guessing,” Brandon said.

“Not necessarily,” Nolan said. “As you play the song of enchantment, it’s like making a wish. You simply think about what you want to happen. Enchantment doesn’t make all things possible. So, some things just won’t happen, even after you’ve played the melody.”

The rain became lighter outside.

Xylo walked over to Nolan’s desk.

“I see you’ve put some work into this map,” Xylo complimented.

“Yes,” Nolan replied. “I remember the forest very well. It shouldn’t have sustained much change since mankind hasn’t touched it in years.”

“We really appreciate your help, Nolan,” Xylo said.

“It’s the least I can do, Xylo,” Nolan replied. “You guys get some rest. You have a long journey ahead of you.”

“Goodnight,” Xylo and Brandon said in unison.

“Goodnight,” Nolan said as they left him to continue on the map.

The morning had come. The sky was clear and people ventured outdoors.

Xylo was sitting in the living room. Brandon was there, too, sitting in a chair beside Xylo. Lafiet was sleeping on the couch.

“I’ll be with you shortly,” Nolan called out from a different room.

There was a knock at the door. Brandon walked to the window to see who it was. He then walked to the door and opened it.

Idalene walked in. She was holding a brown bag.

“I don’t know why you two went out so early,” Brandon said.

“I wanted to get it out of the way,” Idalene said. “The food we got should last us for the rest of our trip.”

Idalene grinned and looked at the front door.

“And now,” Idalene started, “enter the beautiful Malica!”

Malica walked into the house. She was wearing a charming white hooded-poncho. She had on a new light-pink dress and comfy hand-crafted sandals.

“You look nice, Malica,” Brandon complimented.

Malica’s eyes wandered to the corner and a bashful smile appeared on her face.

Lafiet opened his eyes. He saw Malica and slowly sat up straight.

“You are looking very pretty today, Malica,” Lafiet said.

“Thank you,” Malica smiled.

Lafiet flinched.

Nolan walked into the room, map and instrument in hand. He slowly walked over to a seat across from Xylo.

“This’ll be quick,” Nolan said as he sat down.

Idalene and Malica sat down.

Nolan put the map down on the table in front of him. He then put his green instrument on his lap and prepared to play. In his lap was plunked string instrument called a “sitar.”

Starting with a “E” note, Nolan began playing a melody. He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head to the calm sound. The whole melody consisted of twenty notes.

Once Nolan completed the melody, the map rolled up.

“Whoa,” Brandon said.

Nolan picked up the map. He tried to unroll it but it was sealed tightly. Then, he handed the map to Xylo.

Xylo picked at the maps edges, but they were stuck together.

“You guys should get going,” Nolan said. “The day is still young.”

“Thank you,” Xylo said.

Xylo walked outdoors while the others said goodbye to Nolan.

Birds were singing on top of buildings. Kids ran by Xylo.

Xylo turned around and saw Brandon exit the house. The others followed soon after.

Xylo found himself leading as they all exited the village. They were now on a path that led out into an open green field.

“Where to now, Idalene?” Brandon asked.

“We’ll keep on this path for quite some time,” Idalene answer. “Eventually, the path will split into three roads.”

“You’re just as good as a map, huh?” Lafiet said as they began walking down the path.

“That’s right,” Idalene cheered.

Some time had passed. The village faded into the distance.

Wild creature could be seen racing from afar. They were too far away to make out what they were. The only detail that could be confirmed was that the creatures were black and ran on four legs.

“Are those dogs?” Brandon asked.

“I’m not sure,” Idalene answered. “From the looks of it, they have long tails. I think they’re this other kind of creature. They go by a name that escapes me.”

Brandon watched with widened eyes as the creatures disappeared into the distance.

Moments later, Xylo and the others were coming close to another kind of creature eating grass. It was large and stood on four legs. A sail protruded from its back and its dark skin was rough with a tint of green. It had a long sturdy tail with a ball at the tip. Its whole head was completely covered in what looked like black fur.

“That thing is as big as a rhino,” Brandon said. “But it looks wider.”

The creature noticed them as they walked by.

“Why is its head covered like that?” Brandon asked.

“You mean the fur?” Idalene responded. “That fur and the creature’s head is extremely sensitive. It uses it to feel movement on the ground. Mates will often temporarily wander away from each other to find food. When one of them finds food, it’ll stomp on the ground as if it is running in motion. That’s how it lets its mate know it found food.”

The creature put its head down and went back to eating.

The road broke into three paths.

“We’re taking the right path,” Idalene annouced.

“Does this mean we’re close?” Brandon asked.

“Far from it,” Idalene replied.

Brandon sighed.

Is there any chance we’d get there tonight?” Lafiet asked.

“Not a chance,” Idalene replied.

Lafiet sighed.

“I’m sure we’re making good time,” Xylo said.

“We are actually,” Idalene said. “This is the perfect time of day to travel.”

The day went on. The sky was still bright blue. A scent of grass was in the area. Not a cloud was in sight.

As they walked, the path they were on vanished in a lush green field.

Xylo noticed the wind began to pick up slightly.

“It’s probably four o’clock now,” Lafiet said.

“Possibly,” Xylo agreed.

Lafiet began stretching. “Did anyone else hear Malica?” he said. “Did anyone else hear her talk before we left the village? Or was that just a me thing.”

“We heard her,” Xylo said. “Surprised?”

“I had never heard her myself until then,” Brandon said.

“You should speak more,” Lafiet said. “You have a pretty voice.”

“I agree,” Brandon added.

Malica looked off the side.

“Stop it, guys,” Idalene smile. “You’re making her blush.”

Brandon and Lafiet start laughing.

Malica smiled and continued looking off to the side.

They approached a cliff with a bridge that connected it to another cliff about twenty meters away. The bridge had a solid platform made from a tough kind of wood. There were strong roped guardrails on the side to hold on to.

“Does anyone hear that?” Brandon asked.

“We’re coming up on a bridge,” Idalene informed.

Xylo looked ahead as they got closer to the bridge. On the other cliff was a waterfall, roaring majestically.

“What did you say, Brandon?” Idalene asked.

“I hear something,” Brandon said. “I was asking if you guys heard it, too.”

“The waterfall?” Idalene responded. “Do you hear that?”

“I hear the waterfall,” Brandon said. “But I’m hearing something else.”

“Brandon has been walking too much,” Lafiet smiled as he walked onto the bridge.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Brandon responded.

Xylo and Malica took steps on the bridge after Lafiet.

“Is this bridge safe?” Brandon asked.

“Of course,” Idalene replied. “Just see how sturdy it is.”

Idalene walked onto the bridge. Brandon was still hesitant, so she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him onto the bridge.

“I guess you’re right,” Brandon said.

Brandon held on to the guardrails as he progressed behind Idalene.

Xylo, Malica, and Lafiet were almost at the other side of the bridge. By this time, Brandon and Idalene were just reaching the middle of the bridge.

Brandon began looking down. He saw a river and a few trees. Some birds flew out of a tree and into another. He estimated that the bridge was around fifty meters into the air.

“Brandon,” Idalene said.

Brandon was still looking below the bridge.

“Brandon!” Idalene shouted.

“Huh?” Brandon responded as he took his focus off what was below the bridge. “Yes. What is it?”

“Shh,” Idalene quickly hissed.

She paused, stopping in front of Brandon.

“What is it?” Brandon asked.

“I hear it,” Idalene said. “I hear the noise you must have been talking about.”

“It’s gotten louder,” Brandon added.

Idalene looked back at Brandon.

“Yes?” Brandon asked. “What’s wrong?”

Idalene remained paralyzed.

Brandon realized Idalene was looking past him and turned around.

There it was, a figure in the distance standing at the beginning of the bridge watching them.

“It’s . . . a jux,” Idalene trembled.

The jux stayed motionless with its long lifeless like arms reaching the ground. The corrupt music that played terribly came from the misty haze that shrouded the disfigured face of the creature. This one had ridged black skin and pointy raised bumps on its head.

Brandon slowly backed up. Idalene began slowly moving away from the creature as well.

The jux took a step onto the bridge.

Brandon and Idalene continued slowly backing up.

The jaw of the jux opened wide and a terrifying shriek sounded throughout the area.

Xylo looked back with haste. He had just got off the bridge at the other side with Malica and Lafiet.

The hairs on Brandon and Idalene stood up.

The jux changed speeds and began erratically rushing through the bridge. The bridge rocked violently as the jux proceeded.

“Come on!” Xylo called out. “Brandon! Idalene! Run!”

Brandon and Idalene started running as fast as they could on the bridge.

Xylo unhooked his flute from his waist. “Get back!” he instructed Malica and Lafiet.

The jux was gaining on Brandon and Idalene. The two of them were breathing deeply.

Brandon and Idalene both made it off of the bridge.

“Get behind and far from me!” Xylo instructed.

The jux jetted of the bridge.

The others were still gaining distance away from Xylo

Xylo stood his ground. He began playing Melody of Vibration: Song of Brief Tempest.

The jux came near and a gust of wind pushed it back. It kept its balance as it struggled to remain on its feet.

Xylo kept his eyes on the jux.

Without regaining its composure, the jux bolted at Xylo.

“Looks like that won’t be enough,” Xylo said to himself. He then started playing something different. It was a quick tune that was comprised of nine notes.

A fierce sound wave was summoned. A blurry force stole the balance of the jux and sent it violently off the cliff.

Xylo’s heart was racing. He bent over and took a deep breath.

“Xylo!” Idalene called out. “Is it gone?”

Idalene walked up to Xylo.

“Yes,” Xylo answered as he turned around. “The jux was blown too far to grab on to anything.”

Xylo and Idalene walked to where the others were.

“Let’s keep moving,” Xylo said.

“Have you ever heard of taking a break, Xylo?” Lafiet blurted.

“I understand, Lafiet,” Xylo smiled. “First, let’s make some distance from this place.”

They continued to walk. The sun began to set.

Eventually, Xylo and the others came across a rock that was twenty feet high. There were several smaller rocks that surrounded it.

Brandon and Lafiet sped up to the rocks. They put their belongings down and took a seat.

Everyone was soon sitting and resting their feet. They ate apples, pears, and grapes.

“You handled that jux quite well back there, Xylo,” Lafiet said. “It’s not often I see someone actually stand up to one.”

“You’ve seen one before, Lafiet?” Brandon asked.

“Yes,” Lafiet replied. “Jux. Vicious creatures that roam the lands. They’re usually at places people don’t go.”

Brandon stood up and stretched.

“Seems like someone is ready to go,” Idalene said.

Xylo looked into the distance. He could see the sun above grassy plains.

“I’d say it’s time we get moving, again,” Xylo said.

Xylo and the others began to walk.

The sun’s light shined beautifully in the distance. A charming hue of red covered the sky.

Before long, they came upon a garden. There were vegetables growing from the ground. Further ahead, they saw a large and wide building.

The building seemed to have many rooms. There was a chimney on each end of the building. There was a dark-blue door at the front of the building. Above the door was a sign that read “Travels Inn.”

They arrived to the front of the building.

“What is that place?” Brandon asked.

“I don’t know,” Idalene replied. “It must be fairly new.”

“We could use an inn nonetheless,” Xylo added.

Xylo ventured inside of the building. Inside was a small room. It had some chairs against a wall beside the opening to a long hallway. A young lady with short ash-brown hair sat behind a counter with a bell and unlit lamp on it.

“Good evening!” she cheered. “Looking for a place to stay?”

“Yes, we are,” Xylo replied.

“It’s been a while since anyone came by with a party this big,” the young lady said. “Fortunately for you all, we only have one room available.”

“We’ll take it,” Xylo said.

“Fantastic,” the young lady said. “My name is Madison. Come to me if you all need anything at all.”

Xylo took out his pouch of gold pieces.

“That’ll be forty pieces for the room,” Madison said.

Xylo handed Madison the payment and she handed him a key to the room.

“Don’t worry,” Madison said. “The room is big enough for all of you. Also, there are several water jars for you all to use. If you need anymore, there is a well at the back of the building for your convenience. A changing room is across the way from your room. Your room has the number twenty on the door.”

Xylo walked down a long hallway. At the end was their room. Xylo unlocked the door and they all entered.

The room was larger that Xylo expected. It had enough beds for all of them, including one extra bed. There were two window with the sun’s fading light coming through. A counter on the wall held several light-brown bucket-sized water jars. The floor was wooden and dark-red carpet rested at the center of the room. On it was a circular table and some chairs.

They all began to put their belongings away.

“Finally, I’ll get some decent sleep,” Lafiet said.

Xylo sat on a bed and sighed. He looked at the others as they got settled in.

Some time had passed. The sky was dark and cloudy. The moon was visible and its light barely shined through the clouds.

Xylo was sitting on his bed, watching Brandon, Idalene, and Lafiet playing a card game at the table.

“From the way you sounded earlier, Lafiet,” Xylo said, “you would have thought you’d be trying to get some sleep.”

“I am ready to get some rest,” Lafiet replied. “I just need to teach these two a lesson really quick.”

“If you say so,” Xylo said.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“I wonder who that could be,” Idalene said as she got up to go open the door.

Idalene opened the door and it was Madison.

“Hello, everyone,” Madison said. “I’m about to lock up the building. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be in room one if you need me.”

“Gotcha,” Idalene said. “Say, Madison, how long has this inn been around?”

“Travels Inn in has been around for five years,” Madison said. “It’s a family owned inn. It is way out here for travelers just like yourselves. My father would often travel in this area back in the day. He noticed that many travelers commonly travelled upon these very grounds. He saw that it would be a great convenience to have a place to stay in this area and invested in the idea.”

“Makes sense,” Idalene said.

“I actually came back here for another reason, too,” Madison admitted.

Idalene stood back and welcome Madison inside.

“Is everything okay?” Brandon asked.

“Yes, everything is quite fine,” Madison said.

Madison glanced at Xylo’s left arm.

“I see that you guys are not merchants,” Madison said. “I apologize for my nosiness but, I wanted to know where you all were heading. I couldn’t come up with a reason myself for why non-merchants would be in this area at this time of the year.”

“We’re heading to the forest,” Xylo answered.

Madison paused. “What forest are you talking about?” she asked.

“The forest with the forgotten name,” Xylo replied.

“Why would you want to go there?” Madison responded. “That is where—“

“Where Fragera is?” Lafiet interrupted.

“Yes,” Madison said. “Don’t you know?”

“We do,” Xylo said. “But we need to go to a temple that is located in that forest.”

“I never would have guessed,” Madison said. “Okay. I’ll be nosy no more then. Since you all are heading there, I have something that should help you out. Tomorrow morning, meet me at the back of the inn. Wait in front of the shed by the well.”

They agreed and said goodnight as Madison exited the room.

After the card game was finished, they blew out the lamp light and went to bed.

The following morning, Xylo and the others prepared for the day, gathered their belongings, and left their room. They walked to the back of the building and saw a gated garden. Also in view was a well and a big shed.

They walked closer to the shed. It was dusty looking and made of wood. It’s door was open.

Brandon and Lafiet noticed Madison inside, struggling to move something.

After rushing in, Brandon and Lafiet came back out holding a long sturdy canoe. Madison followed behind them.

“Good morning, everyone,” Madison said. “This is what I was referring to last night. My father used to lend it out to people to help them cover more distance in less time, using the currents of a large stream not far from here. After you are done using it, just anchor it at the end of the stream, which will be a small river. I’ll retrieve it at a later date.”

Xylo took the side of the canoe that Brandon was holding.

“Keep on the path into the plains and you’ll come across a stream,” Madison said. “Be careful getting into the stream. It has fast currents. The stream will lead you very close to the forest. It’ll save you a lot of time. Trust me, your feet will be thanking me. After you get to the end of the stream, walk in the direction where the grass starts to decrease. Before you know it, you’ll be at the beginning of the forest.”

“Thank you, Madison,” Xylo said.

“It’s no problem at all,” Madison said.

They all thanked Madison as they got onto the path.

“You are welcome here anytime!” Madison cheered as she waved them goodbye.

Xylo found himself leading the group while holding one end of the canoe. Lafiet was holding the other end.

“This is getting tiresome, Xylo,” Lafiet said.

“We’re almost there,” Xylo said. “I can see the stream.”

Xylo came to a complete stop. In front of them was a stream with fast, powerful currents. It led in-between some small rocky mountains.

“This is looking fun,” Brandon said.

Xylo place his end of the canoe into the current. The water pulled in the canoe. Lafiet held on tight.

“Okay,” Xylo said. “You guys can start getting in.”

Brandon carefully stepped in and sat what he was carrying between his feet. Malica got in behind him.

The weight of Brandon and Malica held the canoe on land.

“Are we sure about this?” Idalene hesitated.

“Sure we are sure,” Lafiet said. “Now get in.”

“Don’t rush me,” Idalene said.

Xylo got into the boat.

“I’ll tell you what,” Lafiet said as he got into the boat. “You get in behind Xylo. That way, you’ll be in the middle of everyone.”

“I’m really nervous,” Idalene said as she put one foot into the boat.

Xylo grabbed her by the hand. Idalene still had one foot on land.

The current started bugging the canoe.

“If you get scared,” Lafiet said, “just grab Xylo’s shoulder as tight as you can.”

“There’s still time for us to switch spots, Lafiet,” Xylo responded.

The current dragged off the canoe. Idalene gasped as Xylo helped her onto the boat.

“See,” Lafiet said. “That wasn’t too difficult.”

The boat was off and gaining speed.

Lafiet sat at the front. Behind him sat, Xylo Idalene, Brandon, and then Malica.

Wind blew in their faces. Water splashed about.

Xylo held on to the sides of the boat. He wiped off water that splashed on his forehead. “Is everyone okay so far?” he asked. He looked back and they nodded.

The canoe approached the rocky mountains and entered between them.

“I’m enjoying this so far,” Brandon said.

Idalene saw something from the corner of her eyes. She turned her head and looked out into the current. She could see a shadow dashing through the water.

Xylo turned his head to Idalene to see if she was still doing well.

Idalene watched as something in the water swam quickly by them. “What is that?” she mumbled.

The currents got faster.

The shadow slithered fiercely around.

“Xylo!” Idalene shouted. “What is that?!”

Everybody’s attention turned to what was in the water.

Something burst from the water at a distance.

“Oh, great,” Lafiet said.

Out from the water came a creature. It had no arms or legs. Bright-blue scales cover its body. It had countless dangerous clear sharp teeth. Its eyes were intimidatingly slit. Its finned head and neck had all the colors in a rainbow sparkling in the sunlight. Its tail had two shiny blue spheres attached to the its side. The serpent as a whole was about 20 feet long.

“It’s a rainbow serpent,” Lafiet continued.

The rainbow serpent glided in the air, facing them. It let out a loud hiss as its fins vibrated.

The serpent dived back into the water.

“Everyone,” Lafiet said, “hold on. Rainbow serpents attack from a distance.”

The serpent jumped out of the water as it did before. It glided in the air with eyes darting at them. It opened its mouth wide and a torrent of water shot out.

Xylo held on. The serpent’s blast hit the water beside the boat. The boat rocked unsteadily. A bag fell into the water.

“What did we just lose?!” Idalene shouted.

“We lost some of our camping equipment,” Lafiet responded. “Looks like we won’t be making fires.”

Xylo unhooked his flute and stood up. He put one foot on the edge of the boat.

“What are you doing?!” Lafiet questioned.

Xylo glared at the serpent.

He played a quick melody of seven notes. The tune echoed through the rocky mountains. A rock the size of barrel shot out from the water. It almost hit the snake, but missed.

The serpent fell back into the water.

“Next time for sure,” Xylo said.

The current caused the canoe to shake.

The serpent came from out the water. It hissed in a roar-like fashion.

Xylo played the melody once more. A rock shot out from the water and to the place Xylo was looking.

The rock brutally struck the serpent in the head. The force of the rock sent the serpent to the edge of the current.

They could see it resting on the rock as its tongue silently hissed.

“Looks like it’s done,” Brandon said.

The currents sped up. Xylo carefully sat back down.

Before long, the current slowed down significantly.

The waters were calmer and the boat continued down the current.

Much time had passed.

The boat came out from between the rocky mountains.

The sun was in the cloudless sky. In front of them where small hills. The boat went down a few small dips. Trees surrounded them.

The presence of trees grew fewer and fewer. The currents soon took the boat on one last dip and led them into a clear river.

The canoe slowly floated to an edge of the river.

“Looks like we finally made it,” Brandon said.

“The sun should be setting in a few hours,” Xylo said. “We’re doing good on time.”

Xylo and Lafiet got out of the boat. They held the boat steady. Idalene hopped out and Brandon and Malica followed.

Lafiet pulled the canoe unto land.

The trail they had come from could be seen from their location. The trees and rocky mountains were clearly visible.

Ahead of them were green plains.

“Is everyone ready to keep going?” Xylo asked. “I can see where the grass stops.”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

They moved on from their location.

Eventually, Xylo stepped onto solid rocky ground. In the distance, they could see trees.

“Looks like that’s it,” Brandon said.

They continued walking and the tree became closer and closer. The trees seemed to be all over the horizon.

Xylo slowly stopped walking.

“Whoa,” Brandon said.

Before them were ginormous trees that stretched into the sky. Some were normal sized and others reached to about as high as ninety meters into the air. The bark was a dark-orange and the leave were dark-green.

Trees could be seen endlessly into the forest. It seemed light couldn’t reach in some places deep within. The wind blew and leaves shivered, sounding throughout the area.