CURSED: The Last of Five Kingdoms.

Episode38-The Lake of Fear

The night is coming t an end. This a going to be a strong day morning in mid-October, They wake to find themselves covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the fog now covering everywhere.

Lucas has his men spread out while the six join them closely. They follow them around, making sure not to touch anything. By this morning, owls had circled the SKU making it look cloudy. No one of them could endure the suspense of not knowing what would happen the next moment. Every corner has roaring fires as the March deeper and deeper. A loud wind rattles outside, and, worst of all the lake has taken another form from what it looked like.

“Do you think that this is an actual lake? I am tasty as ever and needs to drink water,” says Duke, to the five, “it can't harm us. Maybe we are just the ones too scared of it. I heard that it was given the name Lake of Fear to scared tourists who couldn't get enough of the water due to its healing powers. It is not because it has a hidden curse or serves any evil.” He is looking over at Lucas as he speaks, to make sure he couldn't hear his conversation. Evelyn and Harry protest.

Mael, who is concentrated on getting through the day and providing a reasonable solution, ignores them. Duke woke up with a lot of complaints. Every little thing got him badmouthing the presence of day itself. It is so unlike him but no one could blame him. Say it is the adrenaline rush mixed with fear that has made him a bit edgy. But his topic has been stuck on getting water out of the lake.

"Duke, it is called the Lake of Fear for a reason. Don't think that its presence there is for mere decoration. It is for a purpose," Mael finally said. He could no longer hold in the endless nagging from Duke about every little thing. It was starting to get to him too.

Then he’d realized that nobody else found this funny and easy, because they were all so tasty and tired, but, no one else is complaining but him. The most shocking realisation is the way Mael responded. He has never been one to sound good or pick offence at things like that. The didn't bother him in general. It is either he ignores the talk or laughs. He never counters such conversations. So doing so earned him a lot of staring from the rest.

So this journey better be progressive and over real soon. It wasn't looking like an adventure that would go well. Besides, no one wanted to continue because one moment it looks as if a ghost had just passed them, causing everyone to be frightened and, the next moment, they are getting into a fight. Lucas is way ahead of them so he could not get involved in most of the conversations happening behind. He would have been able to explain what was happening.

To Mael, he felt relaxed about the whole journey. He didn’t feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best adventure he’d ever had. Harry and the rest were there with him, too, because they needed to do this for the school and somehow for themselves. When they left the school, they felt that they would have not gotten this far, talk more of getting even close to the lake. But look at them. They were in the Lake of Fear. Maybe it was the environment that was affecting them. As they had fought their way to that extent, they needed to fight even harder. They find a large fit tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous birds sticking out at the bottom and a loud chirping sound told them that they just started their journey. The stories told about the lake was going to be proved either wrong or right

“Hi, we are looking for something called the sword of Peace. Do you know where that is?” Harry asks, sticking his head through the branches.

“Who dares disturb the sacred temple?.”

“Would you mind moving out of the way?” comes Grenada cold voice from behind them. “I suppose since your feathers keep you warm, you won't understand what it feels like to be nearly frozen to death, due to the sudden snow here. We don't mean to be blasphemous to your sacred place or whatever but we need to get that stupid sword. See, I was dragged here against my will I don't know about others. I would prefer to get out of this awful place before nightfall." She ended her rant.

The birds dive at them just as Lucas is approaching them.

“HUMANS. FOOLISH HUMANS!” They set their beaks to strike.

The six of them race to Lucas back.

“Way to go, Princess,” says Melody, sticking her face out just enough for Grenada to see the disgust written all over it. “You just had to open your big mouth and land us in trouble.”

“What did you say to the guardians, Grenada,” asks Lucas silkily. “I thought you all to say and touch nothing. Walk closely to us. You had to go against my orders and land in trouble. Can't I trust you all for just a minute without having to deal with a mess you have created?”

The birds keep chirping and crying, trying to free themselves from the tree. Lucas drops his gun and goes down on one knee. "Great Guardians of the Lake, we come in peace. Forgive our carelessness. We seek nothing but a passage to the other side."

Wailing, "you have angered the guardians and that will lead you to offer a sacrifice of blood, purity and innocence before you can be allowed access to the other side. Without those, you will not get through."

"We are sorry. But, that can't happen. We are not here for war but Peace."

"Meet our terms or be gone."

Turning to the rest of the members, "we can't come here and not do what they want. We have come far and this is to help us. Let us just do what they want." He says in whispers to the rest of the team.

"Grenada, remind me to slap your face when we leave here. You just had to mess this whole thing up for us. Since she is the problem, let us give her for the sacrifice or whatever the need."

Screaming, "it is not done that way! All of you will enter but only a few will survive. Those we find unworthy will not make it out."

Melody, Harry, and Mael push roughly past the team and head to the tree. "We will go first. If you want you can follow or stay behind." Mael says.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lucas asks.

"Yes. This is what we came here for. Let the journey begin."

"Strip yourselves of everything except your clothing," the guardians say.

Scattering whatever they have on them. Smirking, “we come out alive. Don't worry,” says Mael, grinding his teeth at the rest, “joins us if you can —”

“I didn't mean to put us in trouble,” says Grenada, “I hope we don't get punished because of me.”

“Come on, cheer up, we all make mistakes,” says Lucas. “We will get through it. Just make sure that you don't have anything up your sleeves. Let us finish with this. Just don't touch or say anything without my evaluation.”

So the three of them follows the guardians into the tree without saying anything more. Lucas and the rest stay behind, waiting for the guardians to call them in.

*********************

Back at the school, the Hall of greatness is lit in candles and incense. The Hall has been beautifully decorated. Rabbi and Professor Mackenzie are busily supervising the process.

“We need to finish this quickly and mobe everyone to this site”

The hall looks spectacular. There are oak branches and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than six of all the house symbols stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny stones, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

“Do you think this will do?” Professor Mackenzie asks.

“The ground of peace was created this way,” says Rabbi. “And that reminds me, we need to put the flaming goblet in the middle. Our eyes need to keep watch of those we've sent out. All we can do is make sure that they are okay and assist them in whatever way we can.”

“Oh yeah, you’re right,” says Professor Mackenzie, tearing her eyes away from Rabbi Humbledore, who has a thousand worries written on his face.

Golden bubbles were blossoming out of Professor Mackenzie wand and she is trailing them over the symbols of the different Houses.

“This will only protect us temporarily But, even at that, it is still weak,” says Mackenzie, putting the last spell on the House of Omiri's symbol. “I hope they are okay for our sake. We need them to be back sooner than hoped”

“Oh, my House looks like the luckiest,” Rabbi Humbledore says to her brightly. “With the help of the rest of the spells, we will be able to stay safe until the sword is returned. It has to.”

“The Guardians?” Mackenzie looks shocked. “Listen here — get all the witches — finish this. It’s beyond what they know. I have to find a way to talk to them."

”We can send a messenger or a Raven," says Mackenzie.

“Don't forget that once you get to the outskirt of the Lake, an immortal cannot enter,” Rabbi says. "You must be one with flesh and blood or the Lake consumes you," he adds. “We must find a way to get through hi them or else, they might not make it out. This is not a matter that we should take lightly. The symbols will do their part and we need to do ours for us to get through.”

The symbols of the six houses are all glowing with each having thousands of candles around it. The house of the Moon has a moon-like symbol. House of Omiri has a fang-like symbol. House of Dark has a void globe. House of Blue has a bow and arrow symbol. And, House of Oak has an Oak tree symbol.

"The spells, are they ready?"

“Just have to find out for ourselves, then,” says Humbledore, and they leave looking dissatisfied and hurries off to somewhere outside the Hall.

They had indeed been searching spells for guarding the people they sent to the Lake of Flame ever since they left. Edward had let it slip that there was a guiding sleep. Because how else were they going to find out when Rimalon didn't tell them. Unless they wanted to use black magic. The trouble is, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what they are getting into. Mackenzie and Rabbi might have gone to prepare the spell by themselves. The spell that they were trying to get is one they've not tried in ages; it is an olden spell that they were supposed to prepare to guide everyone, it was their last hope.

Despite everything that has happened, Rabbi and Mackenzie tried to keep the school running without panic. They make sure to put everything in order as if it has been happening without hiccups. Their idea is to move everyone and make all the activities happening to be within the Hall. Just like the Ground of Peace, they have fortified this area but only that it is not as strong as the Ground of Peace. They know that it is not perfect but at least they have a safe place until there is positive news. They have been wondering for a while if they will be successful. It was just putting their hopes on what they have done.

“What are you looking for, Mackenzie?”

“Nothing,” says Professor Mackenzie.

Professor Mackenzie looks like, “I need to unleash havoc on those dealing with us. Go on — out!”

Wishing she’d been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Mackenzie leaves Rabbi. She has been having the feeling that all wasn't well with Mael and his group. The burning sensation has been indicating that. She didn't want to get Rabbi involved because as it is, he is already so worried about them. Everyone's power is wearing off. No longer as strong as it used to be. She could only hope that what she felt was wrong.