After our tour, we decided to head for the famous pink lake, a mythical body of water said to change color with the emotions of the land. We hadn't gotten far when Athena's aunt, the imposing "Beast Lady," and her colossal pet eagle appeared as if from thin air. The ground seemed to tremble beneath the eagle immense claw and wings, and the air grew still and heavy with their presence.
"ALL OF YOU! Come with me!" she bellowed. And so, for the second time, the eagle, flew down. We climbed onto its broad, muscled back, and it carried us, but this time, it took us not to a peaceful, beautiful lake, but to the opposite side of a terrifying, dark forest. A thick, impenetrable wall of gnarled trees, their branches twisted into grotesque shapes, stood before us. The air here was heavy and humid, smelling of decay and ancient secrets.
We scrambled down its back, each of us taking in the sights of the strange forest we had entered.
