Chapter 16- Yaven Mountain
It’s been two days since Elise wet to the Peru guild. Rj said that he will sent her a message because he needed to do something important before they depart to Yaven mountain.
Alicia never got home after the tour at the capital. Elise assume that Alicia is back in the investigation regarding to the missing children. There’s a lot of work to do but Elise is relax doing nothing in the estate. Luckily enough no one knows that she left the estate. Rio help her to be back using the teleportation magic.
Elise mostly read books about spells and mana since nothing major is happening in the moment. She gathers information by reading books. To Elise surprise, a message from Peru guild arrive at the afternoon using a letter. Erika handed a blue envelop to Elise.
“Lady Elise, please prepare for tomorrow departure. –Peru guild”
A single line note. After she read it, the letter automatically perishes. It became ashes and vanishes in the air. Elise sigh after blinking. She wanted to tell Alicia personally about her plan but she’s nowhere to be seen. Letter is not an option.
--
That night Elise can’t find any sleep. She is nervous because she can’t predict the happenings. In the book “The Lazy Lucky Princess” The cave full of mana stones in the yaven mountain was originally found by Duke Molten. He discovered it after searching for the spirit power in the mountain and that became the turning point for the book. He became more powerful but that timeline was from the late chapters of the book. He is not interested in yaven mountain for now, that’s why Elise plan to take advantage the time.
The mine for mana stones is located at the deeper part in the south. The book said that there is a mountain spirit that protect the mountain but that is just a rumor because the author in the book did not describe about the spirit.
--
Elise wake up earlier in the morning. It’s time for her to prepare for later journey, she wears a black pants and dark long sleeves. Elise is incredibly nervous. The letter from Peru guild never mentioned a place for meet up. But after waiting for twenty minutes, a shadow appeared in Elise room and Rio showed up smiling.
“Good morning Elise!”
Elise has shown no emotion in her face, ignoring Rio’s greeting. A vague sudden appearance of this person in a girl room make Elise shake her head. Elise never forget to write a letter for Alicia before departing. She doesn’t know when she will be coming back but Elise made sure to Alicia that she’s safe.
Rio and Elise transported in the capital near a ready wagon. The blue smoke from transportation spell covered the air and Elise shortly feel dizziness. She recovers quickly and Rio show her a way and open the wagon. Elise found a red hair guy sitting comfortably in the couch. Elise frown after checking the stranger.
“Who?”
“Come in Elise.”
Elise is obviously stunned after realizing that the man inside of the wagon is Rj. His hair is bright red and have a white skin. His eyes are color are blue. Elise never thought of him as a beautiful person. She thought of Rj face before, is this magic or his real face? Elise frown after examining his face.
“Is this your face for real?”
Elise bluntly asked.
“of course! Why would I change my appearances when I’m escorting you?”
Rj rolled his blue eyes to Elise.
“pfffft”
Rio suppressed laugh heard in the wagon.
“No. I-I mean you look an old man when we first met.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Elise frown deeper.
“pffft… hahahahaha”
Rio burst into laughing after Elise remarks.
“Just so you know lady, my face can’t be seen by an ordinary people.”
Rj is pissed talking to Elise and glance to Rio who’s still laughing and glare at him.
“Hmm, it’s just that I never thought of you as a beautiful person.”
Elise said unconsciously made Rj flushed and his face redden. Now, in Elise eyes, Rj looks more like a child after receiving a compliment.
Rio laugh echo in a wagon.
--
It’s been half a day since they departed. Rj explain why Rio participate coming in. He said it looks fun to joined them. Elise doesn’t mind it but she is happy enough that she has them as her guard though she didn’t know if Rio will protect her. The carriage they will using is magical. It will hide them from people or wild animals and give them a comfortable journey. Elise taut muscles relax after falling hours of sleep. She soundly asleep in a carriage because of lacking it in two days waiting for Peru guild.
After more hours, Elise wake up and check the view outside of the carriage, she can now see the peak of yaven mountain. It was covered with fog and lots of tall trees surrounded them. Elise was comfortable using the carriage but they can't use it inside the forest of yaven mountain. It will angry the spirits and Elise doesn't want any distractions.
As they reaching the boundary Elise speak.
"We need to walk from here now. Carriage was not allowed inside the forest."
"Okay."
Surprisingly, Rj and Rio didn't question Elise and just agree to her.
The wagon stops and the three of them go out of the wagon. They are quiet then enter the forest.
The three of them enter the forest with their guard up. Elise see the tallest trees and lots of different flowers. She can recognize some of them and delighted because some of the flowers were for treatment of wounds and poison. It will help them but there are dangerous flowers too.
"Elise, where are we going from now on?"
Rio asked Elise and Rj's face is frowning stare at her with a poker face.
"I originally said that we need to reach the summit of yaven mountain but I lied. We need to find the cave."
Rj flinch after hearing Elise. He wanted to scold her for lying but he controls himself. His priority now is her safety so he can save scolding for later but he is so annoyed.
"Don't worry, I remember the way."
Elise recalled the story and remember the way to the cave. Molten found the cave accidentally and the author write it in detail. There was a tallest and biggest tree near the cave that's protecting the cave from invaders. The book said that there's a spirit protecting it because of the natural resources and riches stored there. Molten only found the mana stones but when Alicia and Rj went to the cave to find the peony flowers they discovered treasures and talk to a spirit living the cave. Elise wanted to asked the spirit regarding peony flower.
It was sunset when they reach the near the falls. The river water is flowing rapidly and Elise got a hard time crossing it. Thanks to Rio for supporting her, Elise can manage to cross it without any accidents. Elise thought of to continue their journey by tomorrow morning and suggest to camp here.
"We can start a fire here and continue to go tomorrow."
"I’m so tired!"
Elise massage her thin arms and legs. It was her first time climbing a mountain because even in her past life, she was never climb a mountain. She's more of a beach person because gets tired easily.
Rj and Rio skillfully created a camp and cook food for the three of them. Elise just sit in the corner watching them to work. They eat dinner afterwards.
--
Elise wake up early, she can't remember how she fall asleep last night but thankfully she feels energetic after sleeping soundly.
After more minutes the three of them continue their journey. Elise remember the falls to be magical. she didn't mention it to Rj and Rio but she thinks that they already noticed it. The falls is glowing with mana.
Elise double check it in her eyes. She definitely can see something like colored aura. The falls is light yellow, while Rj aura was red and blue for Rio. The whole forest has different color of auras, Elise eyes got bigger and her brown eyes become yellow gold. She wasn't dreaming! why she can see this? It's distracting and she feels hazy.
Elise made a deep thinking. They never encounter any wild beast or any spirit which is unusual. The author described Yaven mountain to be dangerous and have lots of beast or wild animals. Even Molten killed a lot because they keep attacking them. This is definitely weird that it’s quiet.
The three of them started to climb. There’s a lot of plant vines growing on their way that made the ground uneven and hard to walk in. Elise endured the complicated pathway to reach the peak. After few hours, they reach a sacred tree rumor to describe as tree of life. It’s like an oak tree with massive branches almost reaching the summit. The atmosphere surrounding the tree is warmer than the forest.
Elise walk near it to touch its body. In the book, Alicia touch it’s body to open a portal. She didn’t know if they will find it but she just touches it out of her intuition.
The weird sensation run in her body and a sudden bubble light appeared then the light spreads wider made Elise close her eyes because its blinding. She heard Rj and Rio voices calling for her.
After a great magical light Elise open her eyes and look for the oak tree. The big tree disappeared in the air and a black look like a pig animal appear in front of them.
“Hi Elise”