Revelations
The search party had entered Mirabilia. It took them some time to convince themselves that the boys were no longer there. Footprints, crumbs, even some leftover eggs, showed that they had visited the forest. The men were briefly disturbed by the paw prints they saw, but also slightly consoled by the fact that there weren't any signs of the boys being taken by the wolves. No drag marks, blood, bones or any other human parts in sight.
"We have to be quick if we want to gain on them," their leader says and they depart swiftly. "It's very important to get to them before the fork in the river." "Why?" One of the men asks ignorantly. "Because, if they have chosen the wrong path, we might not be able to save them. I, for one, do not want to visit that place. Those willing to go should decide so at their own peril." "You cannot abandon the search if there is still hope of their survival," Talieshin's father sounds concerned. "Like I said, it will be for each one of us to decide." His tone suggests that the argument is closed.
The magic man feels revived. That water was extremely invigorating. His strength has returned and so has his hope. Perhaps he will be accepted by the Oracle. "What do I have to do? Will their be a task?" He ventures to know. The voice answers: "State your trouble before me and I will judge its worth." And so he tells all that has happened. The several attacks of a mysterious beast, the river gods who would not answer, his visions of a dark power harboured in their village.
The boys are happy with their choice of the left river branch. The water had been quite calm, so far, but the river did widen again. This causes some concern. They quarrel over the different possibilities they have. Go to shore and just travel on foot or follow the river as long as possible. They do not fancy heading out into the sea, but a calm lake might just be the place to find the monster they are looking for.
The search party has finally reached the fork in the river. They decide to split in two groups and try to figure out in which direction the boys went. When they seem reasonably sure that the boys took the left turn, all hell breaks loose. This waterway leads to a hazardous place and their leader instils fear into the men. He gives up his position as leader and dares others to take it upon themselves. Talieshin's father is shocked at this turn of events. He tries to make a case for pursuing them, but he is the only one with a personal connection to the lost boys. Two of his friends join him, but the others are not prepared to put their lives on the line. They will follow the right river branch, in case they are mistaken about the boy's location. The three men are left behind. Soon, however, they notice Talieshin's grandfather in the distance. Father and son have never been so relieved to see each other.
"You can enter!" A girl suddenly materializes in front of him. An extremely pale girl. She shines like crystal, has pearly skin, and her long flowing hair resembles the fur of a snow fox. Her eyes are the lightest baby blue he has ever seen. The magical practitioner is very surprised. This is unbelievable. A child…
A feeling of disappointment enters his mind. A mere child cannot save his village, can it? "How DARE you question my power?!" she shrieks. The shrill sound makes his ears ring. "I invited you to enter, now, I COMMAND you!" Petrified the man stumbles out of the cave into the valley beneath him.
Sooner then they had expected the boys had to make a decision. The river had widened and widened until they had found themselves at its mouth. It led into a lovely lake. The beauty of the lake and the calm, almost serene, water had touched their senses and they couldn't find any reason to stop sailing. If they had entered the lake from the other side, they might have noticed the shrine dedicated to the beast of the lake…