Chapter 4 Magic cascade

It was raining heavily, loud thunder detonating and lightning illuminating the cloudy sky.

Emily looked skyward

"Oh.. no it's raining. Lets go inside that cave and wait there until the rain subsides" Emily said by beckoning at a cave nearby.

All of them walked into the cave, stone cave had patches of algae on it's surface, Evan noticed some images of animals engraved inside the cave. A Dragon, nine tailed fox, a horse with horn and griffin.

"If you don't mind. What is this creature?" Evan said by pointing at image of the horse with horn.

"Don't you know? These animals are not in your island?"

"No, we are seeing these animals for the first time."

"Oh..."she said "that's an unicorn. these all are the animals which dwells in the mysterious forest."

"What is this mysterious forest?"

"Yes. See that wall?" she pointed at the tall wall afar which had the carvings of different animals.

"Yes, we walked nearby that wall as we came here. There were images of several animals incised on that wall."

"Yes, Behind that wall is a dense forest all these animals lives there. no one can go inside that forest these animals are vicious and will kill anyone who goes inside the forest. Elves who went into the forest never returned." she paused then said "Except Bellators."

" They are the only ones who went to the mysterious forest and returned from there alive"

"How? "

"I don't know how. They didn't had any powers before going to the forests but when they returned from the forest they had the ability to create ice and fire with their bare hands."

"So they got these powers somewhere from the forest?" asked Evan intriguingly.

" Yes. Apparently they escaped from the animals of the forest using these powers." she said and she extended her hands outside the cave and checked whether the rain have subsided, few drops of water trickling down the edge of the cave fell on her palm. She looked skyward downpour was over.

"Rain is over. Lets go" she turned to them. They stepped out of the cave and began to walk to the home.

"You came to research on these animals and bellators or to escape from this island? You forgot about our plan?" Aaron chided at Evan.

"Let's run! This is our only opportunity if we get locked in the room again we won't be able to go out ever." Aaron whispered to Evan "Run to the shore and get inside the yacht and go back to home, simple"

"Right" he said to Aaron then he turned to helmsman "Let's run? What you think?" Evan inquired helmsman

"No, they will catch us before we reach near the yacht, we will have to run among these elves sir." helmsman said. "We won't be able to escape but we will probably get punished for trying to escape"

"Hm.. you are right" Evan said thoughtfully "We will wait for another apt opportunity" whispered Evan to Aaron.

"Are these bellators going to kill us?" Aaron said worriedly to Evan.

Evan shrugged.

"Ask her." Aaron said by nodding towards Emily. "Ask her now..." he nudged Evan.

Evan nodded "May I ask you something squarely? Are these Bellators going to kill us?" Evan asked Emily

"No.." she chuckled. "They don't kill innocent people. They will either ask you to leave from the island or let you stay. that's all"

Evan felt relieved.

"But they killed our servant" asked Aaron skeptically.

"Who killed? Bellators?"

"No.. not Bellators, a burly man called..." he mulled to recall the man's name "...er...called.. Alfred"

"Oh Alfred, he is like that, quite vile like those dark elves."

"Who are these dark elves?"

"Bad elves who does black magic and even murder, who do not obey the rules of this island. There are both dark elves and white elves in the island. White elves are virtuous."

"Oh.." Evan nodded.

"Your brother saved our lives" Aaron interrupted.

"Not everyone in this island is bad. For example there are leprechauns who don't even tell lies. They will take food from others house but they will leave gold coins in the plate instead. You saw them right? Leprechauns?" Emily asked while walking

"Yes we did. We saw them quarrelling with your brother." Aaron nodded.

They came across a lake on the way while walking, there were lot of lotus flowers afloat on the water, clear water was shimmering in the sunlight. Helmsman spotted Oliver swimming in the water, he was surrounded by some other elves. They were saying jokes and laughing aloud.

"Isn't it your brother?" helmsman beckoned towards the lake.

Emily gazed towards the lake and her eyes halted on Oliver "That idiot he haven't finished bathing yet. It's been hours." Her eyes darted to other elves around him "...ah..his friends are with him. That's why."

"Oliver" she called out " Get out of the water and come home."

Oliver turned averted his gaze hearing Emily's voice, he saw her and waved at her "huh? What?" he couldn't hear her from the distance.

"I said get out of the water" she said aloud by beckoning.

"Yes, I am coming" Oliver called out.

She turned towards Evan who was standing beside her "If you want to take a bath you may go to that lake."

Evan's all fears were gone since he heard that Bellators are either going to let them stay or chuck them out of the island, he was happy with both. Either he could return home or he could stay in the island for few more days. Evan was now considering the island as a tourist spot, rather than a trap. "Yes...yes..I would like to take a bath now. I haven't bathed since we left the yacht." said Evan

"Aaron, don't you want to fresh up?" he said by turning to Aaron.

"Yes. I do." he said.

It was almost dusk, they could see the red sun among the fluffy clouds, thunder was still rumbling with slight drizzle.

They strolled to the lake, they left their shoes on the bank and stepped into the lake. Aaron dabbled his feet in the cold water.

Water was crystal clear, free from all the pollutions unlike their town. rays of the setting sun made the lake water shimmer in a crimson hue.

Evan waded through the cold water, pink and white water lillies were awash in the lake. He plucked one pink lilly and whiffed it. Its pleasant aroma revived him.

Aaron was swimming along the shore of the lake.

Emily noticed oliver still swimming in the water with his friends she gritted her teeth "Oliver get out, it's almost night." Emily shouted by going towards the lake.

"No." he retorted to Emily by splashing a handful of water at her.

She picked up a stone and threw at Oliver "Come out right now"

She said furiously. Stone whooshed past him and fell in the water beside him missing him by inches.

"Or else." he challenged her, standing akimbo.

She rummaged on the ground and picked up a bigger stone and threw at him, it again missed him and fell on the lake splashing the water.

"Alright stop...stop, I am coming" he said sulking "Bye wayne" he waved goodbye to his friend and wade to the bank and strolled out of the lake.

Aaron, Evan and helmsman came out of the water after a while, they wrung their sodden clothes and squeezed out some water but had to wear the same drenched cloth as they didn't had anything else to wear.

"So, let's go?" Emily asked to Aaron.

Aaron nodded running his hands through his damp hair.

As they began to walk, they heard someone shouting furiously.

"LEAVE IT...." Evan averted his gaze and he saw a huge crowd standing around a cascade faraway, several leprechauns, dwarves and elves were gathered around the cascade.

Evan's gaze darted to two dwarves who were fighting, rolling on the ground and by grabbing each others neck. "I said leave it" One of them punched the other one on the face, he stumbled backward due to the sudden punch, other dwarf got up quickly and grabbed a cloth bag lying on the ground. He began to ran away with it.

"Give it back" other dwarf got up and dashed behind him and he yanked the bag.

Bag ripped off and gold coins cascaded down from it.

Some elves were watching the dwarves fighting, some leprechauns were picking up something hastily from the water

" Why are they fighting?"

"Oh it's a usual sight on the cascade, they are fighting for the gold coins."

"Gold coins?"

" Gold coins pours down through the cascade at times. You see that crowd of elves and dwarfs? They are standing around the cascade to collect it."

"How does gold pour down through the cascade?" Evan asked incredulously.

"I don't know. actually none of us know, it's a mystery for decades gold just comes along with the water at times and we will collect it. Some elves wait beside the cascade day and night to collect the gold. Fight for the gold is a usual scene beside the cascade."

"Oliver also had a fight with a leprechaun for the gold coins this morning."

"Yes, we heard the leprechauns and Carter arguing, so that's why leprechaun came to your house?" asked Aaron

"Yes, Oliver snatched the gold which leprechauns collected from the cascade."

"Where does these gold coins came from?" helmsman asked gazing at the gold coins falling through the cascade.

"None of us know the source, cascade emanates from the mysterious forest, we can't enter into the forest due to the wild animals. So we don't know, however years back some elves did went to the mysterious forest to find out the source of the gold "

"And?" Evan asked curiously.

"They never returned, apparently they were killed by dragons or some other wild animals of the forest"

"They were trying to find out the source of the gold coins so they could take all the gold at once. After their demise no one else dared to go to the forest " she said.

"May we go and take a look at the cascade? " asked Aaron curiously by gazing at the cascade.

"er...ok...but don't tell anyone that I told you about the cascade. Bellators have prohibited outsiders to go to the cascade and the mysterious forest."

Helmsman was wading through the crowd towards the cascade. One or two gold coins were falling occasionally along with the water . Dwarves and leprechauns were jumping over the gold coin as soon as they fell down. Competition sometimes end up in fight and punching each other.

Aaron and Evan went to the cascade after helmsman.

"Whoa..." Evan muttered by seeing the gold coins falling down along with the cascade water. He was awe struck

One leprechaun was holding a bag brimming with gold coins, he jumped upon the gold coins as soon as it fell down.

Another leprechaun elbowed him furiously "You have been collecting the gold coins for a long time, Didn't you had enough? Move... let others take some."

"If you want you should take it promptly. Why are you pleading me to move?" he retorted by thrusting back the other one.

Aaron looked up to the top of the cascade, it was leading to the dense forest, he craned his neck to see where the gold coins are coming from, the cascade was extending in to the mysterious forest. He couldn't see."

"May we leave?" Emily asked to Aaron

"Yes.. yes" he said eyes still fixed at the cascade.