A Guild of Moonlit Shadows (A KOTLC FanFic)

~30~ Kynareth's Wrath

Keefe was babbling to Nour, who was actually enjoying his conversation. Sophie never would've guessed that they would get along so well. Nour was giving short, clipped answers but kept giving a small smile whenever Keefe asked anything.

"This is more than Nour has spoke in his entire life." Alvar whispered to his Mentore.

"Tell me about it."

They approached the base, the roaring of the waterfall drowning them out.

Maha interwove her hand into Sophie's, "What's the plan, boss?"

Tying her hair back, she went over her plan.

They weren't exactly fans of it, but eventually, everyone agreed. They all were to split up, different parties made for their entrances. The first group was Nour, Dex, Maha, and Keefe. Nour would disguise each of them and walk through the soldier's gate. Alexios, Alvar, and Linh would sneak through the thick dark jungle with her brother's light powers and use Linh's hydrokineses to get through the moat surrounding the lower part of the base. Wylie, Marrella, and Sophie would attempt the waterfall entrance they used years ago. Biana and Linh would play scouts on the outer perimeter.

Heavy rain thundered down on their heads, the thick and muggy African forest not making it easier on them.

Sophie, Marella, and Wylie approached the waterfall, nostalgia washing over the former moonlark.

"You okay?" Wylie asked.

"Y-Yeah." Sophie took a deep breath, reaching down into the pool of the waterfall.

"Shit, it is all the way at the bottom again."

"What is?''

"The key."

Sophie tied up her hair, swinging her arms as she readied for the cool water. She remembered this vividly.

"Wait, Sophie, what are you doing?!" Sophie broke the foaming water of the waterfall's pool, pulling herself deeper. The pressure pressed on her head, bubbles escaping her nose. The moss covering the rocks Sophie used to vault herself lower, getting stuck beneath her fingernails. Gritting her teeth, as she reached out for the key. The glowing was brighter and brighter, beginning to blind her.

This didn't happen last time.

The key flashed her with a searing blast of light, her hands scrambling for the rocks as she began to swim back for the surface.

Sophie broke the surface, gasping for air.

"What happened?!" Marrella insisted, watching as Sophie pulled herself back on land without the key.

"I wasn't allowed to get it. It blinded me before I could grab it." She gasped, wringing out her wet hair.

Wylie and Marrella turned to the waterfall, trying to figure out how it worked from what they were told.

"The door unlocks from a code written in Inalian glyphs. I think Le- I mean, Mr. Forkle, made it as a test for me. To see if I could subconsiously remember Inalia in anyway. It was an old Spartan saying before you would cross a threshold of water, thanking the water bearer." Sophie gestured to the glowing beneath the water, "But you need the key to do all of that. The bridge won't drop from behind the waterfall without it. Our part of the plan is reliant on entering through the front entrance, we won't be able to help the others if we aren't inside on time-"

"What's that?" Wylie was the first to feel it. The shaking and crackling beneath them.

"An earthquake?" Marrella proposed.