Chapter 5: The search for the hidden flower

In the lonely night, with the forest trees and the mountains creeping behind them. There stood a boy staring at the moon.

His eyes were cold yet filled with sorrow.

"I will definitely find you...my precious..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he turned around.

There stood Estacia staring blankly at this sorrowful boy named Delmion.

"Delmion, what are you doing out here in the night? It is quite cold outside you know."

Estacia said with a serious look.

It was not rude. She knew she should not worry because this boy must want to be alone.

She had been through the same pain but even so she was aware that she should still worry a little.

"I was just thinking about something. It isn't that important so you don't have to worry."

Delmion smiled to reassure her that he was alright but Estacia knew that he certainly was not.

While looking at his face, Estacia was strangely reminded of herself.

"I came out to get some fresh air but why are you awake? I am sorry if I woke you up."

Delmion said by looking down but he still had that smile on his face.

"I just had a weird dream that woke me up and then I just saw you so don't worry."

They both looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

They were being formal to each other so as to not hurt either ones' feelings.

An awkward silence arose between them.

They both were thinking of a topic that would be suitable in this atmosphere.

Soon Estacia's mind travelled back to time they talked in the afternoon.

"I was thinking. What was this hidden flower you wanted to find. There is still time for my mother and brother to return from their errand so I believe we can find it in that span of time."

"The hidden flower?"

Delmion glanced at Estacia and said,

"I don't really think we will be able to find it so soon because it takes more than three years to find the place it's hidden in. people are not even aware whether this 'flower' is found in this island."

"Do you have any hint regarding where it's hidden?" (Estacia)

"No, all that's written in the ancient inscriptions is a small poem on it. I by hearted it."(Delmion)

"Can you recite the poem?" (Estacia)

Delmion nodded.

"Hidden in an illusion,

A flower you can't seek.

Holds power that is rarely unmatched,

But perhaps it may not really be what you see.

Where does it lie you ask?

It is in a vast landmass

Which may make you question

It looks like the twin stars that are formed in the night's depression."

After listening attentively to the poem Estacia pondered in a deep thought.

"Looks like the twin stars...wait...do they mean the constellation?"

(Estacia)

"I don't really know, I came to this island after searching many different islands. I thought that by twin stars, they meant the island that lies under the stars named as twin stars..." ( Delmion)

"No... it is not two separate stars. They must be talking about the real twins." Estacia's eyes widened as if she had realized something.

"What?"

"What the poem is talking about are constellations! The famous constellation of the twins! Gemini!" (Estacia)

Delmion smiled

"Of course the twin stars...but what about landmass?"

"Maybe they mean...wait." Estacia gasped.

"What is it?"

"Our island. It resembles the Gemini constellation when seen from above! That means the flower lies in this island itself!"

"Wow. You sure are smart, you must be excellent in all your studies."

Estacia flinched then avoided Delmion's gaze.

"Of course, I'm perfect in a-all the subjects. Hahaha."

Delmion Stared intensely at Estacia as if observing her then silently nodded.

"Oh I see- "But I particularly prefer astrology!"

Estacia interrupted. She looked guilty.

Delmion blinked then answered with an ok.

"Then what about the rest of the poem?"

Delmion asked attentively.

"About that..."

Estacia continued with a serious look.

"I didn't figure it out yet."

She smiled.

Delmion stared at Estacia with a weird look and blinked while she continued to smile.

"Just why the hell do you always have that smile when you're saying something disappointing!"

Delmion screamed with a mad look.

"Hey it's not my fault that I'm so optimistic!"

Estacia and Delmion had an infinite argument till dawn.

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

Sherwind woke up with a yawn and flew out of the room with a lot of energy.

"Good-

She looked around to see two teens.

Morning?"

They both were sitting on each other's opposite direction with their backs facing each other with pouts on their faces.

Sherwind sighed.

"Kids these days."

"We are not kids!"

They both shouted then looked at each other and looked away.

"Anyways"

They both said together.

"Hey!"

Again

"Stop copying me!"

They said together yet again.

"Alright I'll speak! You keep quiet!"

Both of them said again.

The stopped talking and looked at each other with a cold look and stuck their tongues out on each other and turned around with a 'hmph'.

"Whatever. You guys should get ready. We should go search for the hidden flower that Delmion talked about."

The young teens looked in the direction of the tiny fairy, they knew that this was not the time to fight but...

They did not know just where this hidden flower can be found and even if they decide to search the whole island, it will take them more than two weeks just visiting those places.

Delmion was the first to break the silence,

"Why don't we start off from the dense forest?"

Estacia nodded in agreement,

"It seems like the best idea considering how it is actually an inhabited place."

They decided to start by searching the forest and changed their nightgowns.

Estacia wore an attire that clearly seemed to belong to her brother.

It was a brown adventurer's shirt with a red skirt that belonged to her, the shirt was her brother's.

Since she was in her house, her hair had turned chocolate brown with light brown eyes. However she did not look like the inhabitants of the island because she had a beautiful pale skin that came in contrast with her glossy pink lips and her plump cheeks that looked like a child's.

On the other hand. Delmion wore his usual attire.

He wore a black shirt that highlighted his well build abdominal muscles and long dark blue jeans on his tall legs.

He wore a belt that was presently a bag filled with appliances that they will need during their visit.

He also took his bow and arrow.

"Are you really going to carry that?"

Estacia asked. Troubled that it may be quite disturbing to carry it around.

"Yes"

Delmion replied.

Then he held his bow and suddenly it turned to the size of his palm.

He did the same for the arrows.

Estacia looked at the action done right in front of her eyes and gawked.

She started to stammer while asking how he did so.

As for Delmion who was not really surprised by her reaction replied with a nonchalant look.

"That's just magic."

Estacia still gawking looked at the tiny bow and arrow.

'So magic really did exist."

She thought.

Estacia, ever since she was little, believed that the things happening to her must be because she was a monster.

However, there was a tiny hope, a small light. That shone through the darkness of her thought of being a monster.

It was magic.

She knew this thought was only out of some story books but still. What if her appearance changes because of magic?

What if she's a sorceress?

Everyone in the island would respect her, just how a wizard is respected.

Although, there was one difference.

No one had ever heard of a wizard who can change their looks unintentionally.

It was not even present in the story books for kids.

Estacia waved these thoughts away and packed a bag full of the appliances that they may need for the journey.

Her mother has warned her to never go to the dense forest.

It was after all a forest where no soul that entered it returned.

After they were ready, they headed for the forest.

They decided to take the secret way that Estacia had discovered when she was just a kid.

After all, if the way they took the other way, the villagers will surely suspect them.

Estacia led the other two to a cave right above the shore. (a/n : You can go to wattpad to see the picture of the cave)

"What are we doing here in a cave?" (Sherwind)

"Hold on" (Estacia)

Estacia walked steadily and pushed a huge rock lying on the deep end of the cave.

Little by little when the rock was moving, the boy and the fairy noticed a bit of light then soon, long thick vines came in view.

Estacia pushed the vines and gestured for the two to come along.

Then through the vines lay a beautiful forest. Long trees covering the sunlight but there was still some light peeking through them.

Wild flowers grew here and there.

This beautiful forest certainly did not fit the definition of dense.

(picture of the forest in wattpad)

"I am surprised that they call this place dense."

Delmion said looking around.

"You'll see."

Estacia answered smiling bitterly.

On the other hand. Sherwind flew around and spotted a beautiful flower, mezmerised by its beauty, she tried to touch it.

"Sherwind no!"

Estacia grab a hold of Sherwind and threw some grass at the flower only to see that the grass had turned purple.

"W-what?"

Sherwind shivered.

"This forest is beautiful, yes. However you shouldn't just judge it by its looks. Just like a rose with thorns. This forest is poisonous. Every single flower here must not be touched unless you have a death wish."

Estacia warned with a scary look on her face.

"You should have said that before we entered this forest! I almost died!"

Sherwind screamed.

"Well actually, I wanted to check if this poison works on fairies since there are no fairies here but it definitely looked like you would die because you were caught by its beauty."

Estacia shrugged smiling.

"Well. Here you people were calling me cruel."

Delmion said indifferently.

"Y-you! You are so! How could you!"

Sherwind screamed with her tiny voice again.

She was throwing a temper tantrum while they were walking but inside their minds, both Estacia and Delmion loved the cute tantrum she was throwing.

They searched through the forest.

Checking if there was any place where this flower was hidden.

Estacia had a thought that perhaps the flower must be among the wild ones but Delmion replied that there was no way such a precious flower will be found so easily.

After roaming the woods for hours. They realized that this forest was way bigger than expected.

It was already noon when they realized that perhaps this place where the flower is hidden was very sacred.

Furthermore into the forest, lay a dark path.

The trio glanced at each other and slowly went in.

Small shimmering light moved here and there like an essence of a flower.

The foggy path was cleared when they entered and suddenly the parted fog regained its original place.

These dense woods were silent as if time had stopped. While walking down the rocky path, the adventurers discovered a bright dim light.

They definitely thought that was the hidden flower. However...

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