Sofia woke up on her back staring into the fiery sun. Her back was covered in wet sand and the waves lapped at her feet. Her clothes were not in the best condition but her body still singed with strength. Sitting up was agony, she layed back down and felt the ground. Why couldn’t she feel one of her hands? She took in the remnants of strength and sat up. She looked around her and wished she hadn’t. After hurling up whatever was left in her stomach from her last meal, she crawled towards the tree line. The sand was littered with bodies and seagulls were already descending, she couldn’t remember what had happened. Her left arm below the elbow was gone, lost to whatever had killed all of her friends.
Sofia had told her brother that sailing after fools’ gold and myths would only lead to their doom. How she wished she had been wrong. Her brother’s body was nowhere to be seen. “Damn it all!” Sofia yelled her fury to the sky. She finally crawled up to the forest line and laid her back against a palm tree. Watching the seagulls pick at her friends and hop amongst the wooden planks also washed ashore. Further out she could see the bow of their ship impaled upon a rock. Sofia whispered to herself, “Jack, why couldn’t you have listened to me? Most siblings would listen to their elders,” exhausted, tired, and in increasing agony, Sofia fell asleep on her palm tree.
“Hey you alive?” Sofia heard a familiar voice and felt pushing on her side. Cracking open an eye she viewed her friend Alex. He had also survived it seemed. Sofia began crying at seeing a familiar face, His orange eyes and brown hair made him stand out. “Hey, don’t cry Sofia, it doesn’t make you look pretty, “ Alex also began sobbing and fell next to Sofia, where the two friends cried together. Alex had managed to keep all his limbs thankfully.
Once they both recovered, the two friends got up and began looking for resources. Sofia used her fire magic to boil water for easy fresh water so the two could drink. On the first night the two were sitting next to a fire when they heard a frightening roar out at sea. The next morning the remains of their ship were gone. Looking around in the blazing sun they found Jack who had managed to get to shore before either of them had recovered.There was much rejoicing at this. His clothes were in tatters but his black wizard robes had survived. Sofia was glad to see her brother’s sea-green eyes again. That day the three friends headed into the forest to see if they could find anything. Jack used his light magic to light the way as the forest got darker, while Alex used his metal magic to clear the path. Cresting a hill they viewed a great hill. They had only crested a part of it.
“Hey guys,” Alex spoke, “Where are we?”
Sofia turned around and gasped. Far away was the dark sea, the clouds curved around and surrounded the island leaving only this spot of bright sunlight. “What? How are there more safe zones, I thought the seven seas was the only one.”
“I guess it isn’t, but why is the safe zone only this small island?” inquired Jack looking around.
“Well maybe it’s ----” Alex began.
“No, the myths can’t be real, let’s explore further,” Sofia interrupted while clenching her arm. She had been using her fire magic to cauterize it.
The three continued into the woods with Jack brushing aside the foliage. Cresting another hill they slowly got closer to the top. But the three friends heard the noise before seeing it. A huge crevice split the island into two and water was running through it at an alarming pace. Between the two islands a small whirlpool was spinning, inside was scattered pieces of wood and rope. A bridge had been here but collapsed at some point. Sofia began looking for another way across when she spotted the glint of sun off sea-green stone, it was quickly gone.
“Let’s camp here tonight, we can find a way across tomorrow,” Jack ordered. So the three slept on the grass, during the night they heard strange sounds running around in the woods. The sky was beautiful here, they could see many constellations. The top of the island looked like it was glowing during the night.
The next day Alex had a great idea to make a meal bridge from his magic. So during the early morning light Alex made a large bridge big enough to land on the other side when dropped. Jack crossed first, then Sofia. Finally Alex, the magic was starting to fade, Sofia and Jack hurried him along, The bridge vanished but Alex jumped in time for Sofia and Jack to grab his hands with an “Umph” from both.
“Oh my that was scary, Let’s never do that again,” Alex said panting after being hauled up.
“We are almost there, to the top we go!” Jack shouted to them before running up the hill.
The sun continued to beat down as the three ran up another hill. Cresting it, they stopped. Standing at the very top of the hill was a stag carved out of blue-green stone, it was living though. It took one look at them and then bounded away down the opposite hill.
Alex stammered but Jack spoke first, “We made it guys. It isn’t just a myth.”
Sofia turned around and saw the crab pause and then begin heading back the way it came. Then she landed on her knees and began crying. “It’s real!” Sofia laughed to herself rolling on the dew covered grass hugging herself with her one good arm.
Jack then went up to the top of the hill. He placed his foot where the stag had been standing before yelling to the sky, “MIMHERE ISLAND IS REAL!”
