The winter stars shine in the desolate blue sky, giving the snow on the ground a glistening effect. The wind stirred up an hour after Mizuki left the island earlier. She was a good tease for the afternoon, but has delayed my departure. "I am leaving."

Knuckles either does not hear me or he chooses to ignore me at the top of the altar steps. I look up at him again, wondering if he really did hear me or not, or is by perchance, sleeping. That is all he ever does-sleep, sleep, sleep, nap, and sleep and when he is not sleeping, he is "resting his eyes". "I am leaving for a while."

"How come?"

"I am bored and I have something to investigate."

"Hmm, sounds interesting."

He does not sound too disturbed about it. I thought I was going to receive a lot of crap for "abandoning my guardianship."

'

"You have more work to finish in that world?" asks Erick as he hands me the blue chip. "You don't have to answer that, you have every right to keep your secrets to yourself."

"Yes I do have work there," I reply, taking the chip and staring at its structure. "Thank you for understanding my secrecy."

"It's not a problem." Before I leave the winter-themed room, he adds, "I am suggesting you wear a coat. It's very cold outside."

"It is not a problem." I focus all my energy on the blue chip, allowing it to lead me through the blustery wind that wants to blind my face with snow. With one hand on my hood, I push through the nearly-knee high snow, determined with one goal: to find the Goddess' Temple.

By the time I reach the outskirts of town, I realize that I am not the only one making a voyage outside the city. I should know that my ears would not deceive me-there is another crunching sound far off from behind. I whip my head around to see someone following, but only a breeze hits me. "I know you are there so stop hiding." After not hearing a single sound, I bring forth my blade and proceed to walk backwards, darting my eyes back and forth until I reach the portal.

That portal's gonna close soon-come on hurry it up! This snow is really annoying; so this is what Risa does in her spare time? She's been holdin' out on me, how could I not notice? I shake the snow off my head and arms that make me feel like a snowman and make a break for the invisible portal. I feel all of gravity disappear as I travel through and then I'm tossed into more snow like a football.

"More snow?" I spit out the frozen water and rise to my feet. Did it work? I scrutinize the sky-a dark green sky with an empty meadow of dead trees. Must of worked I guess, this is cool-but no time for fooling around. Spotting Risa in the distance, I skulk behind trees, slowly making my way up to her. Move like silent killer-wait no, I'm not killing her, I'm just following her. When I see her abruptly stop and turn around, the snow rises from the ground like a wave and engulfs almost everything behind her. I bend down and cover myself while the piles of snow mount on top of me.

"T-t-too cold," I whisper as I see my breath weakly disperse when hitting the snow. Effortlessly, I heave the snow off. She has been getting pretty strong lately. All she does is train, train, and train-more than I do. I wonder how she got so good with her magic tricks. I continue following her until I hear a voice that's not hers.

"We've been fated to meet again traveler." Sounds like an old, tired voice of some hag. "Are you here for my grandsons again?"

"No, I am here for something else. The Goddess' Temple," says Risa bluntly.

"It's been hidden away since I was born. May I?" I'm too nervous to turn to see what she's doing but Risa's reluctant grunt is enough. "You did not find a cure?"

"No," replies Risa with a glint of sadness I've never heard before. "I searched the library you spoke of and found nothing. This curse is something I will die with."

"Have faith traveler." Risa doesn't respond, probably embarrassed or something. "Your hands have told me better things than last time. I will point you in the direction of Goddess' Temple but sadly, I can't tell where it is. Nobody has ever laid eyes on it and if someone did, they are long gone. Cross this bridge behind me and head east, and then north when you enter the Nymphs' Domain. The Temple isn't far from there supposedly."

"Thank you." I hear her crunches in the snow. "I will be on my way."

"Be careful."

I have to wait for her to cross that bridge, otherwise she'll know I'm following her. Just wait for her to cross and then I'll move-agh, damn this cold weather-I'm gonna be an icicle by the time I cross the bridge.

I should not have told that woman all that-it is not a big deal. She already knew the severity of the curse, I was not losing anything. I never trust strangers with knowledge about myself yet I trust this one. She will be the last one I tell about my curse…and Clancy, but he knows about it already.

In an unusual setting, Nymph's Domain covers a vast area of the passage between the mountains. I expected lush greenery and magical fairies fluttering fervently, but my eyes show me the truth-a decrepit and ghastly place that has only small spots of grass sprouting from under the greedy snow. I get the feeling that at one point in time it used to be like how I imagined it. A gust of wind blows snow on my clothes and gentle voices whisper in my ears.

"Hello…why do you come here…?" I realize they are echoing from the trees.

"To seek the Goddess' Temple," I reply. Glowing teal brings life to the dead trees like a fading candle getting its glow back.

"Risa…Willow-Greenhorn…what do you know…about our home?"

"That it used to be a beautiful place and now there is nothing but this snow."

"You…are correct…and wrong," they reply with a giggle. "We…only let those…with good hearts…see the beauty…of our home. Unfortunately…your curse…holds you back from…truly being…"

I wait for the rest of the statement. "Being…?" The trees stop glowing, the magic is gone. I clutch my arm furiously and curse my father for what he has done. This mark will always lead to my downfall and never to anything good-the sooner I find a way to eradicate it, the better my life will be. Maybe the Goddess' Temple will enlighten me, just keep going north, no matter how tired you are.

"Miriam."

"Yes Mistress?"

"Does Father hate me?"

She stopped sweeping to look at me somberly. "What would make you ask that?"

"He yells at me a lot."

"Young Mistress, he means-"

"Call me Mistress now. I am almost a big girl, seven branches and almost eight," I insisted. Miriam sighed and feigned a smile.

"Master loves you very much, he tells me this every day."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes. Please go back to training and stop this nonsense."

"It is not nonsense," I replied under my breath as I went back outside to practice my sword training.

"Are you ok?" the familiar male voice yanks me out of my flashback. When my eyes open, my face is covered with snow and my arm is being lifted above the ground. "You awake?"

In a blurry flash, I twist my arm out of his grasp and point my blade at the crescent that looks like a grin on his chest. "Who?"

"Me, me! Lower your weapon," excitedly insists Knuckles.

"What are you doing here?" I demand while my sword hand trembles, trying to bring the sword down the ground.

"Coming with you. You never told me you were doing all of this."

I exasperatedly exhale, making the blade disappear. "There was never a need to. This is my own errand, I would not feel comfortable with you coming along."

"Got something to hide?" His question stuns me for a second. No one else is learning anything else about me. Not another old woman and certainly not Knuckles.

"I will accept your aid then. Please do not become a burden because time is of the essence."

"Don't boss me around. Besides, I'm more of an experienced adventurer than you are so there's no way you're gonna end up lost with me." Something tells me not to trust his instincts, but I do not want to have another major conflict with him. I cannot let my secrets come out, especially with him around me.

'

I wonder what would have happened if I was not rejected by the nymphs. Would I have a safer and more relaxed passage? Perhaps that old woman knew I would not be accepted and that is why she told me to go north. Knuckles was the one following me all the way from the other world, did he hear my conversation with the old woman? He most likely did, otherwise he would not know to go north. I need to be careful not to reveal too much in his presence. "How much farther should we travel?" I ask.

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one who got the directions," he snapped, confirming my fear of him overhearing my conversation. "What does this temple look like anyway?" I open the book I tucked away in my inside pocket and go to the page I folded that has the description of the Goddess' Temple:

"Words cannot describe the grandeur of the Goddess' Temple. If anyone were to search for it, they will know it when they see it," I read from the page. "See anything giant in sight?"

"Of course not," grumbles Knuckles, slamming his fists on the only part of the ground that is not covered in snow.

"You followed me here, did you not?" I wait for his usual angry response but it does not seem he wants to give one. His eyes widen at the dry spot.

"Did you hear that?" he slams his fist into the ground again and this time I hear a hollow echoing from below. A hole? A ditch? "You think…"

"It is underground?" I finish his thought, which makes him smirk.

"Exactly. Stand back, I got this," he assures while cracking his knuckles. He fiercely begins pounding the dry ground, untouched by any moisture from the snow. As he requested, I watch him punch in vain, knowing it is probably going to go nowhere. He is determined to find this temple as much as I am, but he has nothing to lose. Only I do. I am not sure what I am hoping to find.

'

"Alright it's safe, check it out!" he says from the bottom of the hole. I slide down the hole, putting my hands and legs on the sides thus slowing my descent. When I reach the ground, blue light glistens through Knuckles' opening, faintly illuminating the marble stone. Both of us cautiously walk toward the entrance of the spectacular temple, wrapped in vines and embedded with uncut jewels. As I place my hand on the door, the occult words whisper into my ears, "The heart…Mother…key…the blessed…the cursed."

Yippee, finished right before my week of exams started! Give me reviews s'il vous plait.