CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
"What about this artifact is so important for you to get?" Isla asked Leia as the Gaunt girl led them to a catacomb.
"History," She shrugged, stopping at the boulder that covered the entrance – runes etched into the stone. "We need your magic to get in."
"Does it have to do with other people who could wield ancient magic?" Sebastian asked curiously, causing Leia to shrug as she watched Isla place her hands on the stone.
"All I know is that it has to do with getting into a secret magical world," Leia mentioned.
"So you're chasing a fairytale?" Ominis questioned, raising an eyebrow at her words.
Leia simply rolled her eyes, watching the stone turn into a mirror like surface – Isla simply gesturing for them to walk towards it as she disappeared into it.
"Woah," Sebastian breathed out, grinning slightly.
He was always amazed by Isla's powers – ever since he first met her he always found her to be the most badass woman to ever walk the earth.
He watched Leia follow swiftly behind Isla, so he grabbed onto Ominis's arm gently – but the boy pulled away abruptly.
"We're walking into a mirror essentially, Ominis," He chuckled softly. "I'll guide you and make sure you get to the other side safely. Then I'll let go, okay?"
Ominis sighed at his words, contemplating them for a moment before nodding and grabbing hold of Sebastians bicep.
The brunet guided him into the mirror and a big cavern appeared in front of his eyes.
"This is freaky," Isla chuckled softly, looking around the cave before settling her eyes on Ominis – who pulled away from Sebastian and just stayed in the back, leaning against a wall.
She's never seen Ominis so... unsociable before – so she did what she normally would, and grabbed onto his hand gently and gave it a squeeze.
"From what I know, the people of the hidden world don't want just anyone inside," Leia explained, stepping towards the edge and looking down – simply seeing a bottomless pit of darkness. "It'll be challenging."
Sebastian puffed up his chest confidently with a grin. "Nothing we haven't encountered before. Shall we?" He grinned, gesturing for Leia to go on.
The girl simply rolled her eyes and hit their shoulders as she walked past him – causing the boy to swear under his breath and hold his shoulder.
"Fuck she's stronger than she looks—" He grumbled, Isla laughing and ruffling his hair as she passed him – pulling Ominis along.
"What kind of challenges do you expect?" Ominis asked his sister.
"One's that test your intelligence, reflexes, integrity, ability to work together, all the cheesy bullshit like that."
In no time Sebastians adventurous grin was plastered back on his face. "So all the fun challenges?"
Isla laughed softly under her breath. "I missed going on adventures with you," She teased the boy lightly, hooking her arm with his.
Sebastian grinned and held her close. "I did too, blue," He laughed, looking around the caverns curiously – each wall had a foreign language etched into the stone, one he hadn't seen before.
"Think we could use your braille spell and see if you can read it?" Isla suggested to Ominis.
The blond shrugged and nodded. "I suppose," He told her, letting go of her hand and walking over to the wall.
He pointed his wand at it and whispered "altiorem sensum" under his breath, then lifting his hand to feel the braille.
"Fear not of death, but of life. As life will challenge and break and torture, yet death will be kind and grant relief." Ominis read out to the group, stepping to the side to read more of it.
"You must create a murder so high and proud, as a single corvus will live and weep."
"What the fuck?" Sebastian laughed at the words, looking at Isla with a raised eyebrow. "It's saying we should die? And kill someone?"
Leia rolled her eyes. "A corvus is a crow, and a group of crows is a murder. It's saying we should stick together – as for the death part, it beats me."
Sebastian formed an 'o' with his mouth in realization. "I knew that." He cleared his throat.
"Sure," Isla chuckled, rolling her eyes slightly.
"Do you think as in death they mean like... below? Like the potential hidden city is below the ground like a grave?" Ominis suggested, walking back to the group.
"I guess we'll see," Leia shrugged, looking once more over the edge. "Maybe we jump?" She suggested.
Isla looked at the girl warily. "Uhhh... and if we die?"
"They said not to fear death," She shrugged. "Ominis could be right about what they said about being below. Why else would this never ending hole be there?"
"Because it's a cave?" Ominis deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.
"Throw a rock down there or something, to be sure," Sebastian suggested, grabbing hold of a big rock that was beside his feet and holding it over the gaping hole – before letting it drop from his hands.
The group heard nothing.
"Yeah, no," Ominis deadpanned, turning around and following the path they were taking.
Isla rolled her eyes fondly at him with a slight smile, grabbing hold of his hand. "Maybe we can fly down or something?"
Leia held her hand outwards, calling out 'accio broom' and nothing came.
Isla sighed at Leia's actions. "Okay, whatever, smartass. We should... just keep following the path then, like Ominis."
Leia rolled her eyes in annoyance.
She would just... jump down on her own – but the words on the walls went against going alone so she opted not to.
Which she began to regret the more she spent time with the trio.
"How come every time we reach a crossroads you take us down the path with a dead end?" Leia deadpanned, looking at the group unimpressed.
Ominis opened his mouth, but Leia cut him off.
"I know you're blind, Ominis, don't you fucking dare," she glared, pointing a finger at him.
Sebastian smirked at the girl, holding his hand up to Ominis for a high five – and then held it there.
Without a high five in return.
Leia groaned in annoyance at their antics – Isla sparing Sebastian the embarrassment and high fiving him with a grin.
"I really think the only way down is to jump," Leia encouraged, gesturing at the hole with a raised eyebrow at them.
"No." Isla and Ominis said firmly.
"I've always wanted to go sky diving," Sebastian mentioned slowly, a slight grin on his face – which fell when Leia gave him a look, clearing his throat. "Anyways—"
"What if everywhere we go is just more dead ends, hm? How long until you consider that as a serious option?" Leia groaned.
"Never," Ominis said simply, shrugging his shoulders.
"Dying isn't really on our to do list, Leia, so..." Isla chuckled, looking at her apologetically. "You can though feel free to check that right off—"
Leia groaned in annoyance, grabbing hold of Ominis and Isla's collars, pulling them swiftly before either could protest and, well... chucking them down the ravine.
Their screams and, admittedly swears, slowly faded while Sebastian stared at the girl in utter shock.
"You want to get pushed too or what big guy?" She deadpanned, gesturing to the hole while he cleared his throat.
"Nope, nope, I'm good—" He chuckled, looking down hesitantly at the hole, readying himself to jump before getting pushed off by Leia.
And soon Leia followed suit, pretty much the only one willing enough to do it.
Isla and Ominis both landed on a soft surface with groans, Isla on top of the boy – unintentionally using him as a cushion.
"Did she really just fucking push us?" Ominis groaned, his arm wrapping around Isla's waist – not really caring for his own safety and just wanting to make sure she was okay. "Are you alright?" He groaned out.
Isla huffed and nodded, rolling off of her boyfriend. "I'm so sorry," She groaned, rolling onto her side to check him over. "Are you okay? I used you as a bloody pillow—"
A loud thud sounded out beside them, and Isla snapped her neck over to see Sebastian on the ground.
"That was horrifying but so much fun and I'm in pain," He groaned, flopping over onto his back.
Isla helped Ominis up, checking him over – he was seemingly fine, aside from just getting the air knocked out of his lungs.
"I'm great thanks for asking," Sebastian muttered, standing up and dusting himself off.
Right then, Leia landed directly on Sebastian – the brunet getting tackled down to the ground with a loud groan of pain.
Leia, however, got up without a care and dusted herself off.
"Thanks," she told him, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow – silently asking if he was just gonna sit there and wallow.
Sebastian rolled his eyes with a slight wince, holding his side as he pulled himself up – sending her a look.
"Yeah, you're welcome," he huffed, the girl smirking at him before looking back at the group.
"Who was right? Me." She bragged, pointing two thumbs at herself.
Ominis rolled his eyes, sighing as he knelt down, moving his hand around the floor for his wand.
Sebastian quickly knelt down as well to grab it, grabbing onto his hand and placing his wand in his hand.
The blond cleared his throat, "Thanks," He told him, standing – Sebastian helping him up.
"Where are we?" Isla questioned, looking around her.
They were at the entrance of a huge hedge maze that towered over them, fog circling around them.
"I hate mazes," Sebastian grumbled, looking back at Isla.
"Why am I not surprised?" Leia sighed, starting to walk towards the entrance of the maze – though stopping when she heard a loud shriek come from the maze.
"What the fuck was that?" Isla asked, looking over at Sebastian with a concerned look.
"Something that probably wants us for dinner," Sebastian deadpanned.