Memories: My Kingdom

Chapter 20: Water Sprites

Mhir turned to Tinum, her face tear-stained. “What do you mean by ‘stop’?!” she shrieked as she clawed away the shrubs, sending some leaves to fall to the ground. However, the shrubs seemed endless. “LEUI!” she cried. She turned to Tinum. “Don’t you care for Leui?!” she asked, crying.

Tinum’s words were swallowed in his throat. He doesn’t know what to answer to Mhir’s question. Instead, he said. “Behind that is the Mirror Lake.” He told her.

Mhir’s clawing to the shrubs paused. She turned to Tinum. “Mirror Lake?” she muttered.

Tinum nodded and continued when he saw her calm down. “The Mirror Lake exists to trap the travelers.” He said, then pointed to the tree with the dewdrops. “The temperature in this part of the forest is very hot. Thus, the travelers would feel thirsty and would drink anything they would see first. The Mirror Lake behind these plants feeds the plants of its water, making the travelers think that there is a source of water, thus prompting them to search for the source of water so that they would have more water to quench their thirst.” He explained, then paused. “Greed is the key to open the mirror lake.” He said.

Mhir’s jaw dropped to the ground. “That can’t be… the Mirror Lake that I am thinking about?” she asked.

Tinum looked at her. “If we bear the same thoughts, then it is.” He said. “Falling to the Mirror Lake is just the first part. The suffering comes to the next part.” He waved his hand and the shrubs parted. Then, the Mirror Lake came into view. There were mountains on both sides of the lake, and there was an opening where the two mountains meet. In front of the opening is another mountain which forks the way.

Beneath their feet are water sprites scrambling on the edge, baring their fangs and claws to those who were above the water. They cannot come out of the water, since they were trapped inside the Mirror Lake.

Mhir shivered when she saw the water sprites on the water, then they disappeared when the sun shone. “Water sprites…” she muttered under her breath.

“They are those travelers who fell on the Mirror Lake and never returned.” Tinum said and looked at the wide lake that mirrors the sky and the mountains as the sunlight hits the water. However, when there was no sunlight and the water became dark, what was beneath the dark water could be seen. Especially during the night, when the moonlight strikes the water. Contrary to the sunlight’s effect, wherever the moonlight strikes the water, the beings underneath the water can come out of the water and bask in the moonlight.

Of course, if this is just what it is, then the water sprites can do whatever they want. Thus, the lake fairies were born to keep them on the check. During the day, the lake fairies borrow the light of the sun to cover the surface of the lake and make it mirror the sky and the mountains so that underneath the water, the Mirror Lake’s real nature cannot be seen. This is the reason the lake is called the Mirror Lake.

There is another reason why the Mirror Lake is called as it is. It is during one night, when a traveler felt thirsty passed by the lake and scooped out some water. However, this traveler is actually a sheltered person and had never gone out before, and he wasn’t allowed to go out. This time, he managed to go out and he ran away to see the world.

However, when the traveler bent down and saw his reflection in the water, he screamed to see an ugly face. Startled, he fell on the water and never came out of it. The traveler could have never thought that the reason he wasn’t allowed to leave their house is the reason why he would die after he went outside.

“An ugly face.” Mhir frowned.

Tinum nodded. “Yes.” He said. “Because of his resentment, he became an uglier being which we now called the water sprites.” He explained.

Mhir stared at the water which mirror hers and Tinum’s appearance along with the plants beside them after the sunlight hit the water. “Leui…” she cried as she fell on her knees. She reached her hand to the water to touch it when a vine caught her hand and pulled it back.

“Don’t.” Tinum said as the vine placed her hand on the ground beside her. “Don’t touch the water. You’ll give the water sprites the chance to pull you to the water so that you could replace them.” He told her.

Mhir felt goosebumps on her skin and her finger that touched the water felt like it was throbbing. Her face became dark as she looked at the water that now showed the water sprites again.

Tinum continued his story. “During the night, the water fairies catch the moonlight to prevent them from touching the water.” He said.

“What happened to the moonlight they caught?” Mhir asked. She only has a little knowledge of the fairies.

“They eat them.” Tinum answered.

Mhir was shocked. “What?!” she said. “’eat’, you say…” she muttered and looked at the lake as if she could see the transparent fairies.

Tinum looked at her. “The moonlight came from nature. It serves as their food to make their body more visible.” He explained.

“Why do they want to make their body visible?” Mhir asked.

“To strengthen themselves and use more powers.” Tinum answered.

“How do we get Leui back?” she asked.

Tinum looked at the water. “Those who fell on the lake cannot be saved.” He answered.

“What?!” Mhir rose from the ground and looked at Tinum. “You really don’t care about Leui?!” she asked and looked at Tinum’s neck.

Tinum touched his nape and felt the bump on his nape burned. “That is if he is alone.” He continued.

Mhir stared at him. Tinum looked away and looked at the water where the water sprites were fighting. “Do you know the other name of the Mirror Lake?” he asked as he put his bow and arrow on the ground.

“What?” Mhir asked.

Tinum reached the button of his cloak. He turned to Mhir. “Dream Lake.” He answered as his cloak slipped off his body and fell on the ground, revealing his silvery-white hair and fair skin.

Before Mhir could react, Tinum already plunged into the lake and disappeared. “TINUM!” Mhir called. This was the first time she called Tinum’s name – the supposed-to-be nameless elf. But Leui named him, giving Tinum an identity which the elf never expected… and not needed? later in the future, it will be known if the elf needed the identity of not.