Cursed Caldera Part 2

As Caldor packed his items including some magical stones, he saw a bird flying through the door. His pet hawk, Skyros. "Seen anything boy? Where are Viren's children?"

The bird squawked. He flew to a piece of paper on the table and poked his claw into a pot of ink and drew a mountain. "Then we start there," Skyros squawked again. "What is it?"

His eagle drew black figures. He turned pale. "Oh no. Where did you see them?"

The bird looked at the map and pointed to a village near the Cursed Caldera mountain. "We must hurry,"

"Why do you say that about yourselves?" asked Ellis as she lay alongside Carol, whose chest Felix laid on as she stroked him.

"Because that's how my home sees me," she lamented. "All my life people have been making fun of me, saying I was a disgrace to the royal family because I was my dad: the king's step-daughter. I never fitted in no matter hard I tried. Even the guards outside my dad's room didn't hesitate to let me die when elven assassins came to kill him,"

"Don't say that," Ellis sat up. "You're stronger than you know. The only reason that a magic ball is useful is because of how you use it. And I'd think you'd be amazing, even without it,"

Carol blinked and twisted her head. "You really think so?"

"I do," she said.

"That means a lot coming from you," Carol sat up and pulled the egg onto her lap. She opened the egg. It wasn't flashing as much as before. Her lips shrivelled and she stroked them. She tried to hear the voice again but she heard nothing.

"You seem to have grown attached to that egg," said Ellis.

"Ever since I found it, my life changed forever. But now it's dying. I just hope it can hang on for a little longer," she packed the bag up again. "I can't tell you how grateful we are for your help Ellis. You're a really lovely girl. And your wolf is so amazing too,"

Ava leapt on her and started licking her face. She burst out laughing. Felix growled but softened to the touch of Ellis's hand. "Aww you're so cute," she cooed.

"Hey, guys!" It was Raylan. "I think the thing's gone," The girls looked over the edge and they didn't see the leech creature anywhere. They climbed down to the ground and the others joined them. "We haven't seen it or heard it in a while. Seems like it's moved on,"

"We should get going," Willow said. "Before it could come back,"

"See ya sucker!" Ezran cried out.

Willow slammed her palm over his lips. "Don't do that," she hissed. "You want it to suck our blood?"

"She's right," Raylan agreed. "Let's not taunt it. There's a little thing called irony, where just as you say one thing like you're sure about it, that's when the opposite happens,"

"Can we please just get going?" Carol begged. "I'm feeling creeped out enough as it is,"

Suddenly Ellis screamed. "Guys! Behind you!"

The four turned and to their shock, the giant leech was towering over them; it had waited for them to come out. They screamed and dashed off in different directions. The leech gained on Ava and Ellis. It followed them around a tree. Then it started chasing after Raylan who ran up a stone mound and then flipped backwards causing it to crash into a stone. It suddenly chased after Ezran carrying Bait.

"Ez!" cried his sisters.

Ellis grabbed Ezran's hand and hoisted him onto Ava.

"The plan!" shouted Willow. "Let's do the plan! Now's our chance!"

"Ez! Bait! You're up!" cried out Carol.

Ezran raised Bait to the leech that chased them. "Close your eyes!" Everyone did!" Bait emitted a powerful flash that blinded the monster, causing it to cry out in pain and shrivel around trying to make sense of its surroundings. "

"Ellis! Ava! You're up!"

After Ezran and Bait dismounted, Ava and Ellis ran around in circles, woofing and barking to confuse the monster.

Raylan looked closely to make sure it was confusing enough. "Now! Carol!"

Carol drew Fulminus in the air and she sent a spark of lightning right at the monster stunning it. It screamed again and it fell to the ground. It didn't move.

"Is it dead?" asked Willow.

"I'll check," Raylan tiptoed close. And a little more closely.

Felix heard something that made his ears stand. He barked.

Ezran gasped. "Raylan! Stop! It's alive!"

"What?" he turned his head and right behind the leech raised its head.

"Raylan!" Carol prepared another spell but just as the creature was about to strike them, Raylan pulled out his blade and sliced its neck. It fell to the ground. Dead and done for. He stammered back in shock. He hyperventilated. It was his first time killing something.

"Are you okay?" asked Willow reaching for his hand.

"Can we please just go?" Raylan begged as he turned around. "I can't stand it here anymore,"

"Uh you might wanna look at your feet," Ellis unexpectantly warned.

Raylan looked down and saw little leeches crawling up his legs. He screamed and fell to the ground. "Get them off me!"

"Aspiro!" Carol blew the leeches off. "That is the most disgusting monster I've ever seen," she helped him up. "Let's go,"

Caldor had elegantly waited a long while on the bannisters above the cells waiting for Lord Viren to leave. Just then, he saw him. Black-eyed and looking unhuman. He was tossing a gold coin in his hand. He watched him leave the cell, then waited a while. He leapt down to the floor and walked through the door, down a spiral staircase and to his surprise, he saw Gren chained to the wall.

"Caldor!" he cried out. "Man is it so glad to see you,"

"What happened?" he approached him.

"After Amaya returned to the fort, I was told by Viren, I wouldn't be leading the mission to find the king's children anymore. I stupidly went to the courtyard to discuss with him and Soren about matters…they weren't there. And then the next thing I know, I whacked on the head and I wake up here,"

"Don't you worry. I'm going to get you out," pulling out a pick-lock from his pocket, Caldor unlocked the chains and Gren was free.

"Thank you," he rubbed his wrists.

"We must find the children before Soren and Claudia do. I fear they are in grave danger," Caldor walked through the door of the prison cell nearby but he saw no one there. Just empty manacles. "Was there another prisoner here?" he asked Gren after coming out.

"There was. Don't know who it was. Must have been an elf captured the night the king was killed. Viren was interrogating him about an object I saw him pushing into the cell. Next thing I know I hear screams and Viren comes out looking dark and…not human, tossing a coin.

Caldor was shocked. "He has gone too far with dark magic. Where is the object he took in? If it's more dark magic, it cannot be in his hands,"

"I don't know. I saw him take it away. I don't know where,"

"There's no time to search for it. We must make haste now. Come on,"

"Viren will know what we're up to once he finds out I'm not here," he said.

"I've got that covered," Caldor reached into his bag and pulled out a stone that glowed as bright as moonlight. "When I perform this, you must promise not to tell anyone. Especially Harrow's children,"

"I won't," Gren swore.

"Once we leave Katolis, we must search for the children,"

"Shouldn't we send word to Amaya of what Viren did to me?"

"No. Viren must think you're still chained up and no one knows of his actions. That way he won't send anyone to stop us. And even if we do tell Amaya and she believes us, we have no evidence that will charge him with treason. If we want to stop him, we need to find out what his children intend to do to the royals once we find them. Only then will he end up in a cell where he belongs,"

"Then let's go. Hopefully, we can find Corvus too," Gren hoped. "He can track them down,"

"It's not just Corvus we need to be on the lookout for," warned Caldor grimly.

"What do you mean?" asked Gren.

"There are bad people out. People… whom I thought had disappeared for years,"

"Why do we need to worry about them?"

Caldor scrunched his eyebrows. "Because Caroline is in grave danger,"

The children walked on through the forest. Carol noticed that Raylan looked pale like he was going to be sick. Killing that monster had taken a toll on him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he rubbed his forearms.

"Please talk to me," she implored. "You can tell me anything,"

He sighed. "I didn't want to kill that creature,"

"You had to. You did it to defend yourself. And to save us," Carol noticed there was something else in Raylan's eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

He was silent for a second. "I need to ask something about those guys who tried to kidnap you,"

Carol leaned in to listen but before Raylan could ask, they heard Ellis crying out, "There it is!" they all looked up and they saw a tall tree standing under the rim of the Caldera. Willow cheered for joy. "Yippee! We're nearly there!"

Felix barked for joy around his person and Raylan, who affectionately stroked him. Carol opened the egg bag. "Let's get you healed,"

Their spark of enjoyment was interrupted when Ezran was looking at Ava. She was whimpering. "Oh no," he breathed.

"What is it, Ez?" asked Raylan.

Ezran, unexpectantly despondent, looked at them all. "There's no easy way to say this...but there's no miracle healer,"

The group were shocked. Carol felt a tear leave her eye and rain onto the egg. Had they climbed up all this way for nothing?

That's episode 8 done. Just one more and then that's the end of Season 1. I hope you all have enjoyed it. Please send reviews and let me know what you think of all the new changes I've added in.