They put on their touch lights to be able to see clearly. As they walked down the secret passage, they both began to wonder how long they will have to go to get to the end of the passage. The passage was musty and cold and there was no sound except for their moving feet. And except for the touch light in their hands, there were no other sources of light. Jasmine clutched her hands together, clashing her teeth slightly. Not because she was afraid but because she gets so cold easily.
"Are you cold? Do you need an extra coat?" Ariana asked her looking worried and she smiled.
Jabal had told her to carry an extra coat for Jasmine because he knew she wouldn't have taken one.
"She gets so cold easily but she won't accept that. She won't take a coat either"
Surprisingly, Ryan had told her the same thing too. He also begged her to take a coat
"No, thanks" she replied and Ariana sighed.
The book was the reason they are out there. Ariana felt so bad they have to follow through a place like this. Seeing Jasmine like this she also worried she might catch a cold.
"Are you sure you don't need..."
"Ariana, I am fine, ok? You should stop getting worried over me"
Ariana sighed. Jabal had told her this will be Jasmine's reaction but she must press further. She brought out the coat and handed it over to her.
"Jabal and Ryan asked me to make sure you wear. If you don't want to get them worried and you don't want them to blame me for letting you catch a cold please wear this"
Jasmine groaned. "I should have known this" she muttered putting on the coat. "I am so hot right now," she said trying to pull off the coat. Ariana stared at her and she grinned. "I won't pull it off, ok? You shouldn't give me that look"
They continued their journey saying nothing to each other.
Their stomachs grumbled and they started at each other and busted into laughter. They are both so hungry but they do not dare to eat anything from their nags. They have been walking for a while now and their legs were beginning to feel heavy. Jasmine groaned slightly. despite having eaten some pears, it felt like she had eaten nothing.
"Do you feel the same way as I do?" she asked Ariana who nodded sincerely. "Should we have some snacks?"
Ariana looked around. The passage is too cold to sit down in. She also felt creeping walking through it. Though she was also getting tired and she could see that Jasmine looks tired too, though she tried to hide it, she could not imagine sitting here. Not even for a second.
"I guess you don't want us to sit here," Jasmine said after waiting for Ariana's reply but get none.
Ariana sighed. "I am so sorry about that"
"How long do you think we will have to go before we get to the other side?"
"I don't..."
Ariana suddenly got sight of light which looks like a ray of light ahead of them, and her eyes brightened up. Could this be the sun shining in through the entrance of the passage? She thought. Jasmine had the same thought too and she furrowed her brows, trying to see if it was really, a ray of light from the sunlight or their imagination.
Jasmine smiled when she notice it could be a ray of light from the sun. "I think we will get to the end of the passage soon" she announced and Ariana jumped in excitement.
Though she felt really tired and exhausted, she could not hide her happiness. Jasmine. smiled. Silently but quickly, they walked down to the end and were soon standing in front of some big trees. Jasmine sucked in the fresh air and smiled. It feels good to breathe in some fresh air once more.
"I feel better now," Ariana said. She had laid on the grasses that have drops of water on them and she feels really good about it.
"Does it feel good?" Jasmine asked, curious to know and Ariana nodded.
"It feels really good. You should try it out"
Jasmine joined her in lying on the grass and chuckled. Despite being cold in the secret passage, she felt better laying on the ground. She also enjoyed watching the sun through the leaves on the trees but after a while, she sat up.
They have a journey ahead of them. They must get the map as soon as they can and return to the rest. "Ariana, I think we should..."
Ariana's whined. "Jasmine, do we have to go now? My legs feel so tired, I don't think I can go on"
Jasmine nodded. "We have to"
She does not feel like leaving either but they can't take the risk of staying back. They can't let the location of the book be discovered. Not only will the book be taken away, but Ryan's life will also be in danger. She is not only trying to keep the book safe, but she is also trying to keep Ryan safe.
"I can't go on either but we can't stay here too, you know that. We don't know how long it took us to get to this place and how ling it will take us to find her. By my instinct, the book's location will be exposed soon. We need to hurry back with the map and begin the journey to the mysterious cave. They should be expecting us to be on our way back already"
Ariana sat up, furrowing her brows. "Do you really, think the book's location will be exposed soon?"
Jasmine nodded. "That is what my instinct tells me. Whosoever wants to betray us, will do that now that no one knows about the book"
Ariana groaned. "What are we going to do now? What do you want us to do?"
"We must start the journey as soon as we can before his desire for the book gets stronger"
"Do you know who this person is? You seem to know"
Jasmine sighed. "I don't know yet. But there is someone I can feel his burning desire for the book. I can't let him die just in case he is the one"
Ariana furrowed her brows. "Is it Kelvin? Or Jamal or Jabal?"
"I don't know whose heart is longing for the book yet"
Ariana sighed. "What are we going to do now? Should we keep going?"
Jasmine looked up and then at Ariana. She shook her head. "No, we are too tired to do that. And it is late already. We should just find a safer place to stay for the night. Then we can continue with our journey tomorrow". Ariana nodded in agreement and stood up. "But we won't be resting tomorrow. We must find the witch tomorrow"
Ariana shrugged. "We will". Jasmine stood up and looked from the right to the left and then at Ariana. "What direction are we supposed to take now?" Ariana asked.
"We take...". Jasmine remembered the glowing red stone with her and brought it out. Since they are in search of the map lady witch, it is better to start following the stone now so they don't get lost or go farther from her. Emerald had told them to use it after they find the passage. "We follow the direction of the stone" Jasmine replied.
"How will we know what direction it points to?" Ariana asked and Jasmine shrugged. It is already a glowing red stone. How are they going to know how it works? Is it supposed to glow in a different color when they are following the right path? she wondered. Or is there another way to find out?
"Why don't we give it a try?" Ariana suggested.
Jasmine decided to give it a try like Ariana said and see what will happen. She turned to the right, expecting it to glow maybe in a different color but it did not. She turned to the left and it remain the same
"I don't think we know how it works?" Ariana said. "Or are you doing it the wrong way? Did Emerald not say how it works?" Ariana asked furrowing her brows.
"She did not mention that" Jasmine replied.
She frowned. "You did not ask her how it works?"
Jasmine chuckled "There was no time to do that. And you never mention it either"
"I thought you knew how it works or you will ask if you do not know"
"I am sorry" Jasmine muttered and Ariana sighed.
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Jasmine shrugged. She doesn't know either. Maybe she should move forward a bit, she thought and walked to the front but when there was no difference, she turned and suddenly the stone began to glow in blue. Their eyes widened in shock. Why is the stone directing them back to the passage?
Ariana stared at Jasmine "Are we supposed to go back through the passage?" She asked.
"I think that is what the stone is saying"
"Do you think we are far from where she is?"
"I don't know. Let's see where the stone will lead us" Jasmine suggested and she groaned.
"Do we have to do that now?"
Jasmine nodded. "Yes. But we won't go too deep. It is just for us to know where the stone will lead us to"
Ariana sighed. Emerald had told them to use the stone when they find the secret passage but they had forgotten completely and had to find their way themselves. And now they will have to return to the place they had come from. Though they are so tired and hungry they must find a way of getting to the witch.
"If that is what we should do, why not?" she muttered.
They switched on their light and returned to the passage. After walking for a while, the stone stopped glowing blue but returned to its red natural color.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Ariana asked and Jasmine sighed. She is as confused as Ariana is. She is also very hungry and tired. She turned sluggishly to the right and then to the left. The stone began to glow in blue once more and she sighed. They walked towards the left direction and were met with a wall. They both groaned. What are they supposed to do with a wall? They are both so tired and needed rest as soon as they can but it seems the stone is playing a prank on them.
"There is no passage here to follow what are we going to do," Ariana asked.
She was too tired to think of anything aside from asking Jasmine what they are to do. Jasmine placed her hand on the wall and tried to press it. There was a sound and another passage came to view. She gasped. The stone was not playing pranks on them. They are the ones who had never thought there could be another secret passage there. They followed the passage and it did not take long before they got to an open space. Ariana pointed forward in excitement.
"Look, there is a cave over there" she shrieked happily. They might be getting the rest they desire soon.
Jasmine looked at the place Ariana had pointed at and smiled. Luckily for them, the stone was pointed in the same direction.
"Are we staying there for the night?" Ariana asked and she nodded.
"Yes" with a smile.
**
They set out on their journey the next day after resting. Following the stone, it took them less than a day to finally find the witch. They arrived just before sunset. She was different from what they had expected. She was younger and beautiful.
"Isn't she suppose to be old?" Ariana asked. "Following that she has been the one guiding the map?" she asked and Jasmine nodded.
She had thought that too. She had thought they will be meeting with a very old woman with no teeth on.
"She looks different from what I thought too" she whispered to Ariana
"Are you done talking about me?" The witch asked and they chuckled.
"I am so sorry for that. You are different from what we had expected" Ariana said and the witch shrugged.
"What does a red-haired witch and a white witch want from me to have visited me in a place like this"
"It's about the great book of the..."
"Follow me," she said quickly and they followed her into a cave. She sat down on a stool and gestured for them to sit down too. "Who sent you here?" She asked and I groaned slightly.
"We need the map to the ever-burning..."
"Leave" she ordered and they batted my lashes.
She won't even hear them out? That is so rude of the witch, Arians thought and scoffed.
"You want us to leave? You can't just send us out, can you? Do you know how long it took us to find you?" Ariana asked.
"Ariana" Jasmine whispered. "You shouldn't talk to her that way"
She scoffed. "Jasmine, do you know..."
Jasmine placed her hand over her mouth. "That's enough, Arians. I know you are angry and I am too but we can't let this little thing get in our way of getting the map" I whispered to her.
"Do you have a plan?" she whispered back to Jasmine.
"Not yet but let me do the speaking"
"Whatever" she muttered so low and Jasmine sighed
Jasmine turned to face the witch. "We will leave if you want us to leave, but can you please hear me out first? Please?"
The witch stared at Jasmine and then sighed. "You have to be quick about it"
"We were sent here by Amaya," Jasmine said.
"Amaya?" the witch asked and Jasmine nodded.
"Yes. The first pure witch who created the great book of the witches"
The witch laughed. "Where did you meet with Amaya? Isn't Amaya dead a long time ago?"
"I know it will be difficult for you to believe me but Amaya sent us. It's about the great book of the witches". She brought out the glowing stone. "Amaya gave us this to find you. We must get the map to the cave with the ever-burning fire and cross the seven rivers and mountains to destroy the book completely"
"Who are you? Why do you have the stone? "
"Because I am the descendant of Amaya"
The witch stared at Ariana. "And her?"
"She is joining in the quest to destroy the book"
The witch took the glowing red stone from them and stood up. She walked deep into the cave.
"Do you think she will come back?" Ariana asked.
"She can hear us" Jasmine whispered.
"Do you think she will give us the map?" Ariana whispered.
"I don't know if she will"
"What if she doesn't?" Ariana asked.
"We can't be negative, you know?"
"What are we going to do if she doesn't give us?"
"Ariana, can you stop having bad thoughts? If she doesn't give it to us, we will have to wait until she does"
The witch returned a few minutes after and when they saw her, they kept quiet. She handed a map to Jasmine.
"This is the map you seek for. I hope the book gets destroyed completely this time and I can return home. I have been waiting patiently for the day the pure descendant of Amaya will come to take the map. And you are finally here. Listen carefully. The descendant of the Lycans is the key. You must find the one whose mother was a Lycan. Only his blood can open the door to the ever-burning cave. You must sacrifice what is important to you for the book to be destroyed completely. A lot of lives depend on you and the rest. You must cross the seven rivers and seven mountains. You must succeed and return peace to the world. Only then can every one of you live a normal life". The witch gave them a blue glowing stone. "This, with the help of the map will lead you to the cave"
"How does it work?" Jasmine asked.
"The stone will teach you," the witch said and disappeared.
They stared at each other. "We should leave quickly," Jasmine said.
"We don't have to go through the land. Do we?" Ariana asked.
"No, we don't" Jasmine replied.
**
Everyone was waiting patiently for Ariana and Jasmine to return. It's been three days since they left to get the map. Since none of them knew where the witch stays or how far it was, they could only hope they get back as soon as possible. Ryan was a bit worried and Jabal was too. They know how much Jasmine catches a cold and how she doesn't like to wear her cost. Jabal has two people to worry about. His twin and his mate.
"Do you think they get there already" he had asked so many times. "Do you think they are on their way back already?"
Jamal was worried too. Worried about his sister and his brother's mate. Kelvin was worried too. Despite rejecting Jasmine, he still cares about her. The only ones who are not worried are Ella and Emerald.
"They will be back soon" they had assured the rest.
The rest trusted their words but when they did not show up at the end of the third day, there was fear.
"We had better go and look for them, ourselves" Jabal suggested.
"Isn't that too early? Why don't we trust Ella and Emerald? We should wait until tomorrow" Ryan said.
"And leave them out there? Huh?" Kelvin asked.
"I am not saying we should leave them. I am only saying we should wait until tomorrow before taking any steps. They might return today. You never can tell" Ryan said.
"I think Ryan is right. We should wait"
"Just for today, please, " Ryan said
"Do you know what the time says?" Kelvin asked.
He seem really, angry and had decided to direct his anger on Ryan. Ryan on the other hand, could not understand why Kelvin was angry with him.
"There is still..."
"There is still time? Huh?" Kelvin yelled and everyone had to stare af him. He sighed. "I am so sorry" he muttered and left the room.
Jabal moved closer to Ryan. "You did not take Kelvin's action to heart. Do you?"
Ryan smiled. "Of course not. I can understand how he feels"
Jabal patted his shoulder and returned to his seat. After some minutes Kelvin returned, this time looking less angry.
"Do you feel better now?" Jabal asked and he nodded.
Jamal stood up. "I make us some fresh juice. I don't like the awkward atmosphere" he left the room but came running back.
"What is the matter?" Jabal asked standing up.
The rest stood up too.
"T-they are back" Jamal announced. "Jasmine and Ariana are back" he, said and they all rushed out to welcome them.