Entertain food sumptuously? Does he mean to enjoy a meal with us or something? I rid that weird phrase of my thoughts and followed Rhea closely as she enters the room cautiously. We looked around the room to see no one and obviously, we didn't know who to look for.
A voice cleared their throat, "Excuse me, if you both may, I'm down here," a deep and rusty fellow spoke pulling our attention down to his height. "I am the guardian of this forest and yes, I am an elf indeed, a rather short one as you can see."
I blinked a few times to try to process the almost three feet, old man. 'He loves giving rhymed riddles, you must try to please him to get him on your side as he isn't who we can afford to mess with,' my guardian angel stated, warning me of what's ahead.
"Standing we shall be, but I don't wish to repeat, you're most welcome to see but shall we take a seat?" he rhymed. I don't know if that's a riddle as he is just inviting us. Rhea giggled at his rhyme and took a seat beside his head chair. He bowed slightly, welcoming me as I hesitantly took a sear beside Rhea. He got up on his seat at the head of the table.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ronan Rosario, I would much prefer if you address me as Rio. I've been in the forest for quite some time, my powers increasing each year and I'm waiting for the chosen one to come across my path," the man who insists to be called Rio storied. "Say, how did you both end up here?" he asked.
Rhea looked at me and back to him. She was rather quiet this whole time. I'm sure she's containing her excitement to be here. "Well, this guy said he randomly said a number and the direction and I decided to follow it and it got us here!" Rhea explained. The huge exciting grin never once left her lips. It's as if it was carved into her face.
Rio raised an eyebrow as the information given was hard for him to believe but didn't say a word. He looked at me in the eye, "How about you, young sir?" he asked.
Did he know something? Did the forest tell him something? I blinked a few times and nervously chocked out, "yeah, I was just with Rhea."
He squinted his eyes but left it be, or so I thought. "His eyes were raging, his lips were bursting. Upon his back, a razor was found. It was a fearsome battle you fought, your life – or his, one would be bought. And when you were through, and death chilled the air, there was only blood sitting in your hair," he said slowly and menacingly, "What.. was he?" Chills ran down my spine as memories of the terror I just got out of flooded my vision.
'Arran, calm down, think, think, what replaced the tree when you hit it?' she tried calming me down. Beads of sweat started to form. What was it? That growl. It sounded like a monster. A bear or a boar perhaps? A monster-breed beast behind me. What was it? Think! Think! Think! Arran think! What was it, what was it?!
Rhea's eyes on me and Rio's stare intensified. I swallowed what feels like a lump in my throat. "A-A boar?" I asked slowly and cautiously. His facial expression quickly changed and carved a satisfied smile onto his own face. "Bingo!" He laughed happily. Why was he so happy about it? It was just a question.
"That sounds fun, I want a riddle too!" Rhea requested and waited like a lost puppy. His laugh died down with a huge grin on his face, "A precious stone, as clear as diamond.
Seek it out while the sun's near the horizon.
Though you can walk on water with its power,
try to keep it, and it'll vanish in an hour," he riddled.
Rhea put herself into a thinking state. "Take your time, take your time. I'll call the servants to serve dinner for you both. I'm pretty sure you're equally as tired due to the journey," he said kindly, glancing at me while saying the word equally. I turned away from him as the food was served. A plate of what looks like a chicken with vegetables cooked in barbeque sauce.
The smell of the sauce pulls me in, I took a deep sniff. I cut a piece of the chicken and put it in my mouth without thinking twice. Rhea didn't give in to the smell at all. She looks as if she was in deep thoughts, probably still thinking of the answer.
I didn't hesitate to munch on the vegetables. I don't usually like vegetables but this little combination of baby carrots and baby corn with cauliflower and a little bit of mashed potatoes to make the sauce thicker and all that with salad leaves. Yum. If you put a piece of chicken to top it off, it's just perfect.
Rhea gobbled the food down in one go as she couldn't think anymore. She just kept munching and feeding herself. I looked at Rio who wears a satisfied smile. There's something off about this Rio person. Plot twist, he's secretly evil. I honestly doubt it, he doesn't have the aura but I guess I shouldn't be judging a book by its cover.
"Is it ice? Is it ice?" Rhea asked excitedly as soon as she finishes her food. Rio once again laughed happily, indicating that she got the right answer. "Now you both are tired, I'll as the guard to bring you to the guest rooms," he said and ordered the guards to come over and whispered something into their ears.
One guard went to Rhea and another guard came to me. They lead us outside but Rhea was lead to the right side and I was lead deeper into this left side. I looked at the guard, confused. "That wing is for girls and this wing is for boys," he said simply, continue leading me. He stopped abruptly right in front of a huge door and opened it. "We are here, please enjoy the night," he said and left.
'I feel like this Rio guy already knows what you went through to get here,' my guardian angel stated. I nodded in response and went into the room, shutting the door behind me. The door was heavy and I had to push it with my body. I looked around the huge room. It was so natural. Vines, wood, cotton, branches, and leaves. I plopped myself onto the bed, expecting it to be hard but it's so soft. Is the whole bed made out of just cotton?
'Not bad for a guest room, you know,' she commented approvingly. I took off my shoes and laid down on the huge king sides bed. It was so soft and comfortable. Slowly, darkness crept towards me and consumed me whole.