//------------------------------// // EP 1: Where Destiny Lies|CH 8 // Story: 8 Realms of Magic // by AzuraKeres //------------------------------// Star’s group came upon a low river before their path. The water shimmered off from glowing stones settled underneath and shiny fishes leaping from its surfaces. The river appeared to stretch far into the dense forest. There were no bridges or natural paths to cross over it. They would have to trudge through the water and be careful of fishes leaping around them. “Why won’t they stop!?” Yuki complained. “Ugh, they feel so icky.” “Those are glow fishes, Yuki,” Star said. “All they like to do is flaunt scales. Not much different from Sollotheans back home.” “I think they’re pretty cute,” Yori commented. “Pretty annoying, if you ask me,” Star remarked. As they continued through the river, Yuki let out a yelp when a glow fish slapped upon her flank. She searched frantically for her assailant, ready to unleash her azure magic. “Cool your jets, Yuki,” Ratty said. “It’s just a bunch of dumb fishes.” Yuki gave a glare at him and then glanced at Chip, who stood spaces from her side. “Chip, won’t you be kind enough to help me out of here? You could lift me with your terra magic.” “Nuh-uh,” Ratty retorted. “Chip is busy making sure none of these buzzards make a meal out of me.” “Will the two of you calm down,” Chip said. “Yuki, we’re already halfway there. I know you can make it.” “Geez Yuki,” Yori said. “If little fishes are all it takes to scare you, I’m worried how you'll act when we visit Eklaria one day.” Star beamed her sight upon Yori. “Wait, you two are also planning to go to Eklaria behind my back?” “Of course not!” Yuki denied. “I will not stand anywhere near a sea infested with krakens that can swallow me up.” “You shouldn’t concern yourself about that,” Chip said. “Krakens are known to lie deep within the sea. The odds of meeting one near the surface level is rare.” “And I have no intention of playing against those odds!” “Say,” Ratty said, pulling Star’s mane to catch her attention. “Didn’t Gilfred happen upon that cube in Eklaria?” “Of course,” Star said. “Weren’t you paying attention to his tale?” “Oh, I love to see it at work,” Yori said. “With a hole stretching down into the sea, I could look around all its depths.” “And probably run straight into a kraken in the process!” Yuki remarked. “Hey Star,” Ratty called. “Why not try it here?” Star raised her eyebrow. “What? You do realize the runes are messed up, right?” Ratty leaned upon Star’s side to rummage through her purse. “Oh c’mon. If it’s able to punch a hole through an entire sea, then a little puddle like this river shouldn’t be too hard.” “Hmm,” Yori tapped her chin. “You make a fair point there. I vote we try this.” “Are you serious?” Star frowned at her pushy friends. But her brother’s theory did intrigue her. Just a bit… “Alright, fine. Give it to me.” “Uh, no!” Yuki shouted. “You guys should be helping me out”–a glow fish suddenly leaped before Yuki, flinching her back with a yelp–“Eep!” “Don’t be a party-pooper, Yuki,” Yori said. Star looked upon the cube’s blemished sap. She couldn’t imagine this working as she would like. Not when she couldn’t read a single rune letter off from it. And she would be right. When she laid the cube in the river, the cube did not react, nor did the flow of the river alter in any shape. “I knew this wouldn’t work,” Star said. Ratty shrugged. “Hm, guess it really is sham.” ​ “That’s a baseless assumption and you know it! There are countless reasons why it wouldn’t work. Firstly, Gilfred had probably deactivated the runes a long time ago when he found them. Also, there’s a pressing issue of the runes being smothered unclear!” “Eh, all I’m hearing are excuses. You should just admit you’ve been swindled.” “Or I should make you walk on your own feet. Maybe a good chase from some owls will teach you to humble yourself.” “Don’t worry Star,” Yori said. “Maybe the spirit can tell you all about it.” “Why do you think I brought it in the first place?” Star said. She hoisted the cube back into her purse and gave her brother a mean look before continuing through the river. “Uh, Star,” Ratty said with a sheepish smile. “You were joking about the owls, right?… Right?” They pressed onward through the river until they reached the other side. All were accounted for, except for Yuki who remained idle in the center of the river. “Yuki, what’re you doing?” Yori called. “Did you find something neat?” “I’ve found nothing of the sort!” Yuki retorted. “Please Chip, help just this once.” Star nodded at Chip. “Just do it. We don’t have a lot of time to waste.” Chip sighed and cast a spell as they levitated the glow stones beneath Yuki, lifting atop a stone clustered platform. Yuki sighed relief and stuck her tongue upon the leaping glow fishes. As Chip reeled her to their side, Star noticed an odd flow within the river. The water ridged a wavy line as if something were slithering beneath its surface. And that line extended across the river, encroaching Yuki from behind. Star shone her horn in a red light that surprised her friends. “Star, what’re you doing?” Yuki asked, taking a step back. “This better not be another one of your antics.” Star shot a red beam near Yuki. Her shot stunned Yuki, who ducked in response. However, the beam zoomed beneath Yuki and struck an auric root that slithered underneath the low water. Star’s spell charred the tip of the root as it recoiled back, retreating. Chip and the twins gaped at the event that transpired. “Did that plant move just now?” Yori asked, sweeping her sights between Chip and Star. Yuki peeked from her hooves and noted the retreating root. “Huh?” Yuki said. “I don’t recall there ever being any animated plants in this forest.” “Yuki, look out!” Ratty alerted. Tendrils of roots emerged from the low river surrounding Yuki’s bright platform. Before Yuki could summon her magic to defend herself, the roots had already rounded her hooves and body and pulled her back into the low river. Yuki screamed as the tendrils worked to drag her back to their side. However, Chip thwarted its effort when large sharp stones suddenly emerged beneath it, cutting the roots apart. Chip charged back into the river and hoisted Yuki behind him. Chip’s magic glistened gold around his horn. The roots rounded the large stone and crept upon Chip and Yuki. Star and Yori rushed to their side, readying their magic to retaliate. They stood at a standstill with idle roots, but eventually, the roots retracted away from them and disappeared into the forest. When the sound of its shuffling in the forest subsided, Yori rocked her hoof at the forest. “That’s right!” she shouted. “You better run!” Yuki groaned, noting her coat and mane drenched with freshwater. “I’m all wet now,” Yuki complained. She harnessed her magic to remove the torn roots wrapped around. “By the cosmos, my body must stink of putrid fishes.” “You can worry about your hygiene later!” Ratty said. “Let’s get out of here already!” A sudden pair of yellow roots emerged around Chip and constricted his hooves. He attempted to tear them off with his hooves, but its body proved too sturdy. Star shot where the root sprouted from and tore it asunder. Chip immediately rushed away from his position and removed the remaining roots from his hooves. “What’re you just standing for!” Ratty shouted. “Get moving!” Everyone rushed out of the river and grouped back with Yori, who shot upon more roots that chased them. When Star looked back, she could now see dozens of them coming upon her group. “Just how many are there?” Star asked. “Stand back everyone,” Yuki said. “I think I have a solution for this.” Yuki harnessed her magic of white upon her horn. Star could feel the air grow cold around as Yuki’s horn emitted a small orb of light as she shot upon the roots. And when it eventually touched upon the encroaching roots, they instantaneously became encased in ice, stretching fast upon its lengths. Yori clapped upon Yuki’s performance. “That was so cool, Yori!” Yuki bowed at her sister. “Oh, I know. I didn’t learn ice magic for nothing.” Chip cast a spell upon the ground that lifted a wall of land before a wide stretch of the river. “That might have bought a few a minute,” Chip said. “We need to go, now!” They heeded Chip’s order, and the group fled further inside the forest. However, more of the auric roots ascended from the path they crossed, slowly trailing behind them.