¤●¤
"Will I be able to make it into that waterfall?" I said pacing in the room, I was dressed in another clothing, not the wet ones I had on previously. The skies were already dark and the cricket sounds could be heard in the entire area.
At the prolonged pacing I finally settled down on the chair, images of what happened in the waterfall and Diablo’s words playing out in my head, I bit my lip. This was far harder than I thought.
"Diablo did say you can’t right now, and he proved it... you could have drowned if it wasn’t for him," Puma said.
"I know but I don’t have time, I need to remember", I was becoming less and less impatient by the second, I couldn’t reach what I wanted easily and it was foolish of me to think such.
"Diablo could be playing some trick. I don’t trust him," Gideon said sternly.
"Well he may be a traitorous snake but he’s one of the oldest animals here" Ava intoned.
"Oldest?" I asked.
She strokes a nod. "Yeah the oldest but that doesn’t give him the right to keep the waterfall all to himself"
"I see," I said with narrowed eyes.
"Diablo did make it clear that you must embrace yourself before the Waterfall Of Truth can accept you," Puma said. "It implies the whole thing... The Waterfall Of Truth can only accept those true to themselves"
I nod in understanding at his words, it seems like I had to embrace this new side of me, I wasn’t exactly welcoming to it.
"Yes, like being one with the forest again," Gideon said.
"That is what I said already dumb fox"
"What? Who are you calling a dumb fox huh huh huh!"
"Enough you two!" I snapped, not ready to let these two fight again.
"I said I really need to remember, you all must know how important this is to me, so help me," I said in a serious tone. "Help me become one with the forest again... let me be your Guardian"
They smiled. "We got your back," Ava said, smirking.
¤●¤
Vampire Realm
Olivia stirred awake, holding her head as she groaned.
"Ollie"
She flashed her eyes open in panic and sat up. "The snow was about to bury me!" she yelled panicking and Mint held her still.
"It okay Ollie you’re alright"
"Mint?"
He nods and she hugs him tightly. "I thought I was dead," she sobbed.
"I knew something was off with you so I followed, thank god I got there in time," he said, wrapping his arms around her... he couldn’t imagine losing her AGAIN, he didn’t want to go through that pain again.
He placed his hands on her shoulder yanking her backward, it was time to talk some sense into her, for she just did something that cost her own life, he couldn’t have it!
"What the hell were you thinking Ollie... you could have died out there... Why did you lie to me? I clearly told you this weather is dangerous even for a vampire, do you have any idea how scared I was?"
"I’m sorry okay" she admitted guilt. "But I couldn’t just sit still"
"gods Ollie," Mint said, shaking his head as he rose to his feet to steady the flames he built at the center; they were hidden in a cave away from the storm. Olivia could clearly make out their environment, he must have reached for the possible shelter he could reach when he found her.
"We’re doing everything we can to find her, guards are dispatched in every Realm, there’s no need for you to risk your life like that, I get it you want her back-"
"You don’t get it... she’s our Empress, WE need her!"
"I know that okay?! And she’s my Mistress, she should have called for me but she didn’t... do you know how painful it is that I can’t serve her right?"
Olivia’s gaze lowered. Mint gave a heavy sigh before striding towards her and squatting before her, taking her hands in his and giving them a soft gentle squeeze.
"How would she feel when she finds out you risk an aimless search for her, without having a clue of where she is? It is by her grace you were reincarnated, do not waste that life"
"What do we do then?" Olivia began tearily. "This Realm is nothing without her, our Emperor will be lost forever without her"
"I don’t know what we can do Ollie... but I have a feeling" his stern eyes are on her teary ones. "That she doesn’t want to be found"
The tears fell freely on Olivia’s cheek, and Mint wiped them off.
"We will keep trying as best as we can but the truth still remains..."
Olivia sobbed, trying to force the tears back.
"Mint!"
At the sudden booming sound they turned to it, Beowulf was before them. "There you are... I have been looking everywhere for you" the black wolf said, his crimson eyes on them. "The weather is becoming more dangerous... we must return to the castle, no one will go out in the meantime"
"I see, it’s getting worse," Mint said under his breath before facing Olivia back. "We should go, Ollie, it will be wild here soon"
"I do not want to feel helpless in this Mint" she faces him, she wants to do everything in her power to find the Empress... to find her friend!
"You aren’t helpless Ollie.." he began in an assuring tone, staring deep into her chocolate brown eye with certainty, he understood how she felt and he felt the exact same way too, feeling helpless unable to do anything when their Empress was missing, the Mother of the Vampire Realm, the Realm was in a serious mess without her.
"You just risked your life because of how desperate you’re to find her... It shows how much you care"
"Caring will not bring her back Mint" she intoned and Mint’s eyes turned sad at her words as his gaze lowered to the ground.
"I know"