Warbaden

Approaching the animals that illuminated the area, I could see more of their characteristics.

Unlike the fireflies, these animals looked more like small lizards no more than ten centimeters long with the body of a horse but with the head of a snake and a tail similar to that of a cat, their feathered body along with their wings helped them to move freely among the long vines with speed and agility while they were illuminating the area with their whole body full of light.

But I could not distinguish them because I had exceptional eyesight, no, the reason I could see them clearly up close was because they seemed to be curious about us, we, they did not seem to be afraid and when I approached many of them stopped and stood still on the vines.

Well, they don't seem to be hostile, have you ever seen them before?

Said my companion, surprising me from behind and making me jump forward a little.

No, I have no idea what they are.

 Maybe they've never seen a potential predator before or any animal that can harm them, you know like dodos.

Maybe, but there's something about their gaze, the way they look at us is kind of strange isn't it?

My gaze fixed on the black eyes of the small animal that watched me with intrigue moving its head from one side to the other.

Well it's a relief that they do not seem to be aggressive, with so many of them here we could easily be their dinner, well, changing the subject, do you know if this sand is a material that could be useful for us?

No, I haven't checked it yet, I was so engrossed in looking at the animals that I forgot to do it.

Well, let's see then.

The cube of my partner activating to check if this sand could help us in our journey to find materials, although the branching of the cube never touched the sand, and as if it were intangible for the cube.

The branching returned inside the cube after finding no material, none that it was able to touch.

I stared at the pearly sand again, it was like that time when it had ignored me but this time on a much higher level, as if no such material existed.

Our attention returned to the small figures when we heard sounds similar to laughter coming from them.

When we turned our eyes there they were uttering sounds that I assumed were words coming from some unknown language.

They seem to be communicating, it looks like they are much smarter than we thought, maybe it's time to move on.

Yes, I said as impressed as my companion. Let's walk slowly and then run away while we can.

Turning around we took a step but before we could take the next one we were stopped when two of the strange animals landed on our backs.

The animal that had landed on my back soon moved toward my head and ducked its head so I could see it.

Seeing my eyes it opened its small snout making a sound resembling a young feline and as it did so it seemed to smile.

Doing so he moved forward flying quickly along with his partner who had been on my new companion's back.

It was such a quick movement that if it wasn't for his bright light emanating from him, I would have lost sight of him.

And then I realized where they had landed, they were on top of the machete I had pulled out of the bucket a while ago and whose existence I no longer remembered.

The little creature tapped its paw on the handle of the machete, looking at me with a smile.

Maybe it wants you to lift it up.

My companion urging me to pick up the machete made me decide to go and pick up the weapon I had left lying around a while ago.

Slowly approaching with my companion following close behind, I arrived at where the two creatures were waiting looking impatient but not leaving their smile-like expression.

Picking up the machete the creatures got off of it, I slowly picked it up being careful not to make any sudden movements that might appear hostile.

When I finished lifting it up, the creature that had been on my back rose on two of its four legs briefly, indicating with its head a path that emerged from the ground with a marble-like material.

After showing that path it flapped its wings rising from the ground and went away illuminating the path we had been shown and followed by all those who were in this place.

Passing among us like a swarm of thousands of creatures we saw the small beings leaving their previous position to illuminate the path leaving in darkness the rest of the place where we were except for the hole through which we had fallen that still looked like a roof made of water.

Should we continue? I asked turning to my companion.

I don't think we have many options, for now let's continue, we will manage if something happens… or so I hope.

We walked along the marble path for a while in silence until the little creature that had positioned itself in front of us as a guide stopped.

It opened its small snout reciting a sort of chant and then exhaled through its nostrils a small smoke that quickly dissipated to the surroundings.

The animal turned its gaze towards us again, but this time the indications were much clearer than before.

Follow me and don't get separated.

I stared at the small animal, the voice I had heard in my head was clearly mine but that thought did not belong to me, and by the quizzical look of my companion I guessed that she had experienced the same or something similar to that strange thought that I assumed came from the creature standing in front of me.

But how was it possible…

The ground beneath our feet began to tremble causing all the sand to begin to shake making a metallic sound as the small grains collided with each other.

They started out as tiny grams of quartz appearing in the middle of nowhere until they created blocks of more than two meters long and wide that floated through the air and quickly took the shape of a gigantic arch-shaped door.

When all of the quartz thinkers finished settling one after the other, a stream of water began to rush down like a waterfall that originated inside at the top of the arch, although the water seemed to fall in immense quantities no liquid ever came out of the door.

The sudden stream of water continued to flow strongly for a couple more minutes until it stopped and spread around the entire doorway until the ripples of water stopped moving standing still completely, looking more like a mirror now, one that reflected everything around us as accurately or more accurately with a normal mirror.

And when I thought I could not be surprised again, I changed my mind immediately when I saw how that mirror fragmented into pieces, the whole mirror disappeared as fast as the fragments became too small leaving again an empty door.

But that did not seem to surprise our guide in the least, as if he was already used to this waiting for the effect to pass, he continued walking after the fragments disappeared passing through the big door and disappearing on the spot once he went through it.

I crossed eyes with my companion for a moment but she beat me to it and went through the door first.

Taking a last glance back I saw the little creatures looking anxious and somewhat happy to see me go through the door.

Finally I took a step forward and walked the short distance to the door.

Taking another step forward I went through the door and with my next step I was out of the door but I had lost sight of the little creatures and the structure that had formed earlier was gone.

It was dark and I couldn't see anything but I managed to hear a familiar sound.

It was as if I was stepping in a puddle of water, bending down I tried to touch what was under my feet but I couldn't feel anything, as with my companion's bucket it seemed that the ground was ignoring me.

Getting up again I extended my arms to the sides in an attempt to know a little of the space around me, although it did not take as long as I expected, when I touched I realized that the space in which I was was quite small, it seemed that I was in a narrow place.

But that was not all, apparently the texture of what seemed to be walls that limited my space was somewhat similar to that of a partition wall but more porous and rough, no, rather it seemed to be made of hundreds of them, remembering the castles I quickly decided to take a new plan to follow.

Trying to pull out my machete I noticed again that it also seemed to ignore my presence as if my body was intangible. And yet when I touched it with my arm accidentally hitting it it seemed to be aware of my presence unlike when I had tried to grab it with my hand.

Having another sudden idea because of this, I pulled out my cube but when I tried to activate it it seemed to be of no use, with no fruitful results I paused for a moment to think of something but nothing came to mind.

Letting out a frustrated sigh I continued walking forward, mind blank and quite worried about what might happen if I couldn't defend myself in a hostile environment.

This time I extended both arms in opposite directions, the left one forward and the right one would go behind.

I kept walking for what seemed like an eternity until my left arm touched another wall, stopping me for a brief moment I turned and when I had given up hope thinking I would go backwards back to my original position, I felt an empty space when I turned around one of my arms had passed to the side but unlike before this one had not been stopped by any wall.

Noticing the new change I hurried to go in that new direction that seemed to be the corner of this hallway, doing the same as I did a while ago I walked until I reached another wall that seemed to be another corner.

However there was something in this corner that distinguished it from the last one I was in, it was light, there was a small flame in a kind of lighthouse, excited to see light after what seemed to me almost an hour of walking, I ran towards it.

But I stopped short almost stumbling on the spot, I had heard some kind of breathing near me for the first time since I appreciated here.

Although I could see almost nothing besides the small flame I turned around to try to see something, I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, I just hoped to be alert in case something or someone appeared behind me.

Cloc, cloc, cloc.

Hearing the sound coming from behind me I lost all the courage I had miraculously gathered and I ran off, shooting towards where the small flame was, before I reached it I saw a blurry image in front, I wasn't sure what it was, some kind of antique hall that reminded me of the Victorian era but I wasn't sure.

Taking one more step I slipped and fell, I felt a sensation I was already thinking about getting used to being ignored by the floor.

Boy you have an obsession with falling don't you?

Opening my eyes I saw the redhead looking at me with a look on her face of surprise and uncertainty but at the same time of mockery.

Or maybe you're just an exaggerator, falling several times in the same day is not very normal, you're not unlucky, are you?

Looking around I saw with astonishment the pearly sand from before, surprised that I wasn't even in that place and even more surprised to see my companion and my little guide next to me.

You look surprised enough not to have seen it yet, something happened to you before entering or you are a clumsy person who stumbled before entering and who's only natural talent is to fall.

…

What, you're not going to say anything, it was a joke, did something really happen, you're fine, he said while offering to help me up.

Extending his hand to me I leaned back and stood up only to see that my little guide's expression had changed slightly to one of intrigue but with his smile still present.

As I looked up I realized why my companion had mentioned not having seen him yet, in distinction to the cave-like thing earlier this was an ocean.