Part 5 Of Ch9.
The four pale blue lights soared through the purple cloud-covered sky and soon descended down into the jungle where a really tall tree was, a tree that was way taller than all the others, where they turned back into Ezra, Sayaka, Raya and Tuk-Tuk upon landing on the ground.
Ezra, Sayaka and Raya stood, followed by Raya scooping up Tuk-Tuk in her arms.
"Okay. So, Princess...now you know where i was leading us." Ezra said.
"So where are we now?" Raya asked, looking around.
"Yeah. I mean...what is this place?" Sayaka added, confused.
"I call it "The Tree-base"." Said the black cloak-hooded figure in a female voice as she was approaching Raya and the others.
Sayaka and Raya began fearfully backing up with Ezra, who didn't appear frightened at all.
"Hurry! Inside!" Ezra said as he, Sayaka and Raya backed up into the mouth of a large Asian Dragon head statue that was connected to the tall tree, followed by it's eyes glowing blue as it's mouth closed.
Inside, Ezra opened some double-doors as he, Sayaka and Raya entered inside a dark room, followed by the place lighting up, revealing it to be a wooden jungle-house with wooden rails, two sets of steps and a podium made out of sticks on the floor the steps led to, and five lit torches on the walls that were the source of light.
"Now where are we?" Raya asked.
"I thought it best that you were brought here." Said the cloaked figure, now standing in the room, getting the gang's attention.
"Uh, hi. I'm Raya. Really nice place you got here, it's really...jungley." Raya said.
"Alright, enough with the small talk, stranger. Who are you and why are we here?" Sayaka demanded.
"I am Utayo of The Secret Kumandra Council." Said the figure as she removed her cloak, revealing herself to be a middle-aged Asian woman. She had long light brown hair that went past her shoulders and stopped at her upper-back, blue eyes, she wore white lipstick, a long white hanfu dress, white stockings and white high heel shoes. "Welcome to my secret base."
"Long time no see." Ezra greeted.
"Huh?" Sayaka and Raya said.
"Hello, Ezra. It's been a while." The woman known as Utayo said.
"You two know each other?" Sayaka asked.
"Now i'm really lost. Will someone please explain to me what's goin' on?" Raya said.
"When the Dragon gem broke into four pieces, it caused a severe quake that unleashed the Druuns upon the world once again." Utayo explained.
"Well, we know that, we were there when it happened." Sayaka said.
"What does all of that have to do with why we're here?" Raya asked.
"As you all know, 500 years ago, our world was one land called Kumandra. A place where our people lived alongside Asian Dragons. The Dragons brought peace to the land to help it prosper and flourish. And our people lived in harmony, caring for one another. Life in Kumandra was paradise. But then...the Druun came...spreading like wildfire to consume all walks of life. Whoever they touched turned to stone. Being the mindless virus that it was...the Druun cared for nothing. Their only goal was to spread and multiply. The Dragons valiantarly fought the Druun, battling to save our people...but it wasn't enough. One by one, the Dragons were turned to stone...until there was only one left. When all seemed lost, Sisudatu-the last Dragon, summoned every bit of her power and placed it in a gem. Then she climbed to the highest point in Kumandra and brought forth a great explosion. When the dust cleared, the Druuns were gone...and so was Sisudatu. The people who had been turned to stone came back to life...but the Dragon's did not. And all that remained of Sisu was the glowing blue Dragon gem, the last remnant of Dragon power. Without the Dragons, peace and harmony disappeared. Kumandra then split into live enemy lands--Heart, Tail, Talon, Spine and Fang--that fought to possess the Dragon gem. So it had to be hidden away someplace. A temple was then built on the mountain on Heart where the Dragon gem was placed in a secret chamber to keep it hidden...and to keep the Druuns sealed away. No one had ever gotten near the gem...until now. After the gem broke into five pieces and during the recent quake...the mountain cracked open and the Druuns escaped and darkness has returned." Utayo said.
"Remember me? Raya? Well, i'm just wondering. What does all of THAT have to do with us and why we're here?" Raya said.
"It could mean the end of our world." Utayo said.
"But i thought the story of Kumandra was just an urben legend." Raya said.
"This is not an urben legend. What i tell you is what really happened." Utayo said before she started making her way over to left steps.
"Hear her out first." Ezra said to Raya, looking at her. "You can always leave after that." Ezra said to Raya, looking at her.
"Behold." Utayo said, now standing behind the podium. "Kumandra: The book of our world. In it is everything we do not know." She said as Raya and the others made their way over to the left steps and ascended them, going over to Utayo to view the book on the podium, only to see that there wasn't one.
"There's nothing on that podium." Sayaka said.
"It is not here in our world." Utayo said, looking at Raya. "You will soon learn why it isn't. Somewhere in the book, it says that when the Druuns return again, five female warriors will awaken. You are one of those warriors, Raya. You...are one of the Legendary Princesses."
"What? There must be some mistake. How am i and four other people gonna defeat the Druuns? I'm only 10 and we don't even know how old the other four members are." Raya said.
"I didn't mean right now. You're far too young to awaken as one of the Legendary Princesses. When the time comes, you'll know." Utayo said.
"That's a relief, i suppose. But that still doesn't explain how you and Priest Ezra know each other." Raya said.
"Brace yourself, Princess. I'm not really a priest. I'm a guardian. Guardian of the Dragon gem, to be exact. Just like my father was before me and his father before him and so on and so on. The males in my family have been guarding the gem for the last 500 years. We just made up that priest title as an alias so people wouldn't be suspicious. Utayo and i have been in touch with one another ever since i took on the job." Ezra explained.
"Whoa." Raya said, eyes wide. She did not expect that...or anything else she had learned while here.
"That's some secret. I mean, 500 years without anyone knowing or being suspicious? That's a well kept secret, if you ask me." Sayaka said.
"Thanks, it wasn't easy." Ezra said.
"I'll bet." Sayaka said.
"But what about the book called Kumandra? Where is it?" Raya asked curiously.
"The time for that question to be answered has not yet come, i'm afraid. But you will know some day soon." Utayo said. "Now then...let me show you where you'll be staying for the time being. Follow me, please." She said before she walked off, followed by Ezra, Sayaka and Raya following after her.
Please review.