THE FOREST OF DRIMOS

Clara went into the temple and acted usually, stayed for a while in the temple done some decorative works and then went to her chamber. Took a bath and dressed up, and came out of the chamber. Nicholas is guarding the princess in the chamber.

"Nicholas comes in", Clara said.

Nicholas went in, "close the door", Clara said.

Nicholas closed the door; Clara moved to the window and, looking at the sunset in the mountains, Nicholas went near and stood beside the princess.

"princess Clara", Nicholas called.

"Nicholas, do you think I'm capable of finding the secrets of dark power," Clara asked.

"Yes, your highness, you are so brave", Nicholas said.

"I'm a princess Nicholas I can't leave my people to suffer from anyone is it a person or an evil, I must go to that library and I need to find the way to stop the evil," Clara said.

"I will take care of your highness my life is to serve you," Nicholas said.

"What will be there in that library," Clara asked.

"I don't know exactly your highness, but I listen to someone murmuring that the library had the hidden secrets of this land and the dark ages in the past and the books return about the acrozian empire", Nicholas replied.

"May the mother Athena guide us towards the light", Clara said.

"At what time we are leaving princess," Nicholas asked.

"In the Moring at the same place," Clara said.

"Ok, your highness", Nicolas replied.

"Go to your home and take rest, pray to the mother Athena," Clara said.

"As you ordered your highness", Nicholas replied.

Nicholas left the room and closed the door. Princess stood at the window and stared at the mountains thinking about tomorrow journey. After a while, she prayed to the goddess Athena.

" Mother I'm going to fight against the dark powers, I need to find the person behind these crimes and I need to help the cursed girls to free them from the evil, give them the power to fight, to bring light and to break the curse", Clara prayed.

After praying, Clara went to sleep as she was tired because of the journey; Clara suddenly worked up and started to think about the monk words. Clara holds the locket of mother Athena and praying by rotating it.

"Mother please make the situation for me to leave to the library tomorrow", Clara prayed.

Clara is watching the half-moon far away in the mountains, the cool breeze running through her ears making a sound. Her eyes are filled with anxiety, and the wolf howls come from the forests. After a while, Clara went to sleep. Clara worked up and got dressed in a white gown, and the robe's robed around her waist in the morning. Clara came out and started to walk towards the temple, everyone wherein hurries packing things, and the king's royal chariot was ready at the entrance. A large gathering of soldiers and horses are getting ready at the entrance. Clara went to the commander.

"Commander Darius, what happened? What all are these for?" Clara asked.

"Your highness there is an aggression in the northern border near the five figures our guards are killed in night and there is a revolution in the villages between the borders of livevant, so king's visiting along with his minister's and commander already the king's hand is at the border", the commander replied.

"Ok commander, you can leave," Clara said.

The commander went to his horse and sat on the saddle and monitoring the work's; Clara felt happy and kissed the mother Athena locket. She is so happy that everyone is busy on king's tour to the north so that she will have more time to spend in the library and one will monitor her. Clara went to the temple, finished her works quickly, and waited for the peasant boy to come, she waited, but the boy didn't arrive. Clara went nervous so that what happened will he come today or not Clara thinking. The army and the king started to move, and the vast army and the king's golden chariots left the entrance; they moved with an army ready for war. After a while, the peasant boy cart arrived. Clara went to the cart by looking around.

"Why it's too late," Clara asked.

"Sorry your highness, the route is blocked for king's movement," the peasant boy replied.

"Ok make it fast we need to move," Clara said.

"Ok your highness," the peasant boy replied.

The peasant boy unloaded the supplies quickly, Clara went to the temple. After a while, she came out and boarded the cart and hidden in a wooden box. the peasant boy unloaded the supplies in-store yard, acted usually and started to ride the cart at the entrance no one was there, so the peasant boy moved the cart freely, after a few minutes.

"Your highness where should we go," the peasant boy asked.

"To the forest of Malinda," Clara replied.

"Ok your highness", the peasant boy replied.

The boy increased the cart's pace and reached the forest of Malinda, and there Nicholas Is waiting at the forest stood beside the two horses. The boy stopped the cart, and princess Clara came outside. Nicholas bowed.

"Your highness", Nicholas said.

"Is everything ready?" Clara asked.

"Yes, your highness", Nicholas replied.

"Ok argus you can leave wait here for me in the evening," Clara said.

"Your highness, with your permission I would like to join in your journey," the peasant boy said.

"They kid this not a vacation, just leave," Nicholas said.

"I want to serve you, your highness, whether it is safe or unsafe," the peasant boy replied.

"But you need to fill the cart with supplies and you need to take me in," Clara said.

"I have only unloaded the half good's your highness, other half will be enough for us to get in", the peasant boy replied.

"Ok come, leave the cart here and bring your horse", Clara said.

The peasant boy went to the cart and unplugged the cart; he took his horse.

"Your highness it is not a good idea to take him to that place", Nicholas said.

"Let it be the will be useful if we need any help there," Clara said.

The peasant boy came along with his horse and stood near Clara.

"I'm ready our highness," the boy said.

"With this horse, we can't move with full pace", Nicholas said by looking at the boy horse.

"don't worry sir we will be ahead", the peasant boy replied.

Clara went on the saddle, and the peasant boy went on the saddle; the three started to ride Clara followed Nicholas and the boy followed the queen. They have passed through the thick forest and the river banks, the peasant boy looking at the sceneries with a blushed face. After a while, the boy increased the pace, crossed Nicholas's horse, and looked at him; Clara smiled at Nicholas. After a while, they have scored a river fowling with low flow. Then they have reached a forest with tall trees which covered the forest like a roof so that the light could not enter the ground; the forest is cold, and the ground is clear no plantation. After a few miles, the forest became darker with some rotten smell coming from somewhere, suddenly the horses stopped and frightened so that Clara, Nicholas and the boy jumped from the horse and made the horses calm.

"What happened to them why are they are frightened," Clara asked.

"I think they sensed something dark power presence," Nicholas said.

"What do you mean by dark powers, where are we going," the peasant boy asked.

"Stay calm kid," Nicholas said.

"Did you hear some noise," Clara asked?

Nicholas signalled to stay calm, and they heard some husky voices

"What are these voices," the boy asked.

"They were voices of the Deadman who were cursed", Nicholas replied.

"Deadman where are we," the peasant boy asked in terror.

"In the forests of drimos", Clara replied.

"drimos, this is a forbidden place come let's go," the peasant boy replied.

"Kid if you want to come to stay calm or else go back don't make me hurt you", Nicholas said.

The peasant boy stayed calm.

"What do you know about this place," Clara asked.

"it's getting late come on, we need to go by walk from here," Nicholas said.

Nicholas started to move, Clara and the boy started to follow Nicholas while they were walking.

"My grandma used to tell the tales about the temple of drimos", the boy replied.

"Temple? We are going to the library of acrozean", Clara asked in shock.

"No there is a hidden temple inside the library", the peasant boy said.

"Next? complete the tale", Clara asked.

"as long ago there is a hidden temple in drimos were the prayers were done at the dark time after the library is closed, the library caretaker and his family owned the dark spellbook of acrozean and done rituals using that spells which gave them an immense power, with that they had ruled the darkness and one day after falling of acrozean empire the king apian closed the temple and library and beheaded the heads of all the family members of the caretaker family, from that day the dark souls of the caretaker and his family poisoned this place", the peasant boy replied.