IMPRESS. [Book 1]

Chapter Seventeen: Who is, Oberyn?

In the far away distance were some mountains and wait... A volcano?

"But then, how are we here if we are in your bedroom?" I asked with my hands on my head whilst turning on my heel in order to scan this landscape. I just wanted to paint this moment. But, all I could do was to capture it in my memory.

Alexander crossed his arms wearing his usual black tailcoat, boots, breeches and white shirt.

"This is just a figment of your imagination which I have played with to project this," Xander crouched down and cupped some water in his hand before letting it pour from his hand.

What kind of insane ability is this?

"Wow, it seems so real, I mean the water feels like water. Are you sure this is just an illusion you have created? I thought only the black witch could do this?" I ran my fingers down my face completely stunned.

Xander shrugged, "the black witch can do a lot of magic, she can do this too but so happens that I am able to do it too." I inaudibly mouthed 'wow' and shook my head in disbelief.

"So what is this, why have you created this illusion that is real in my eyes?" I questioned when I looked up at him.

"This is what stage two will look like and your mission is to get from here to over there..." Alexander pointed where the mountains and volcano were and my eyes widened.

Almost choking on my own saliva, I placed my hand on my heart. "What? How am I- How am I supposed to get over there? I can't even swim properly."

"In the last stage you swam fine, but in this stage, swimming isn't the only way to get over there," Xander answered, "there are many more ways."

"Like what? Tell me the easiest way of getting there." I challenged.

Xander raised his eyebrows at me like it wasn't obvious. "Do you really want me to say?"

My eyebrows knitted together as I nodded and waited for Xander to tell me.

"I am just kidding Natalya the aim of the stage isn't to swim over there," Xander laughed at me pointing at my dumbfounded face, "the aim of the stage is for you to stay on this circular podium we are stood on right now. If you touch the water the slightest you are out."

I pushed Xander back by the shoulder gently and smiled in embarrassment for having believed him, "okay okay I get it... I am gullible but, isn't this stage too easy then, what is difficult about it? All I have to do is stand here?"

Alexander crossed his arms and looked out in the distance as he spoke, "the hard bit about it, is that someone could think the aim of the stage is to get to more land and end up touching the water easily. And the other hard bit about it is that you won't be alone."

When I stopped copying Xander and quit staring out into the distance, I snapped my head at him when he said I wouldn't be alone. As I snapped my head to him, our location changed.

We were back in his bedroom and Xander was holding out two daggers similar to the one I had in the first stage.

I looked up at him unsurely. "Like the previous stage, you are going to have to fight a vampire and I am going to teach you how to fight one properly."

Oh okay, so the vampire will try to knock me off the podium and push me into the water. Okay, I like a little fight, I am totally ready for this.

Taking the daggers from Xander I looked down at what I was wearing with uncertainty. "Am I going to have to change?"

Xander waved his hand and shook his head, "don't bother, no blood will be drawn and that dress is loose enough for you to be flexible with the knives."