《The Adventure Of A Lifetime》 Prologue For years the story of a cave filled with gold and treasures has circulated the world. The path leading to it is filled with dangers. Raging seas, monster-filled forests, and freezing arctic regions are just a few of the obstacles you will encounter along the way. If you get past all that unscathed you¡¯re lucky. The last section of the journey will kill you no matter how strong or fast you are. The final obstacle is a cursed forest spanning thousands of feet. Everyone who has tried to find the cave has died along the way. A group of five will embark on the perilous journey to the cave.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Will they be the first to survive and claim its treasures? Chapter 1: The Start Of An Adventure The guards chase me through the coastal city of OceanShore. I hold my bag close to my chest. I really shouldn''t have robbed the king''s palace. I knew it was a bad idea. I push past the villagers as I continue through the city. They yell at me as I pass by. I can''t stop now. The guards are right behind me. At the worst possible moment, I trip. My bag flies out of my hands and slides off the dock into the water. You have to be kidding me! I leap up to my feet and continue forward. I turn left. A tavern ahead wouldn''t be such a bad place to hide. There will be plenty of people to hide amongst. I pull my hood over my head and enter. I take a seat next to another elf and her troll friend. The elf has white hair and silver eyes. Fifteen minutes earlier Luna''s POV My friend leans against the wall while I inspect a map. The map shows the path to a cave filled with gold. The yelling in the tavern won''t stop. Why are people such obnoxious drunks? As much as I don''t want to be here this is the only place for travelers like us to stop and rest. "Come on, Luna. Don''t bother with that! Everyone who has tried to walk that path has either died or given up. It''s a waste of time," my friend, Valor, says. He''s twice my height with pale grey skin. Short horns and tusks grow slowly as he ages. I hate the way people silently judge him because he''s a troll. Everyone thinks of trolls as hideous, violent beasts. Valor is the exact opposite. He''s been my friend for years. He''s been my only friend. I''m not very social and I''m fine with that. "Maybe we could be the first to claim this wealth," I say to him. "Thousands have died trying. I don''t want to be a part of that number," Valor replies.Stolen story; please report. An elf walks in the door and sits down with us. She has brown hair half down and half up in a messy bun. Her eyes are dark green. "Who are you and why are you sitting here?"I ask. Three guards walk in. The elf turns away from them and pulls her hood up. "So, you''re a criminal? What did you do? Robbery, murder, assault?" I ask. "Will you shut up?!" She snaps at me. She rolls up her sleeve. A black fox tattoo is on her wrist. The first time you''re arrested here you''re given a tattoo that lets others know what you did. The fox means thievery. "Are you here to rob me? If you are then you''re looking at the wrong person. You see...I have nothing, but I''m going to gain quite a hefty sum pretty soon," I say before getting up and walking away. The elven woman follows after me. "Wait! What do you mean by that?" She asks. "Well, you know that story about a cave of gold? My friend and I are going to try to make it there," I say. "Can I...can I come with you?" She asks. "If you promise to split whatever we find amongst the three of us evenly," I reply. She sticks her hand out. "Deal. My name is Hazel by the way," the elf replies. "I''m Luna," I say. The bartender walks over and joins the conversation. She''s a half-human half-mermaid. Her nose and cheeks have patches of blue, green, and black scales. Her hair is a bright blue. Human and mermaid hybrids are typically born without tails. "I wouldn''t mind getting in on this deal," she says. Valor lets out a low grumble. I don''t like having strangers help us, but Valor and I won''t make it all the way by ourselves. "You are?" I ask. "Marina," "And I''m Flynn," A voice from behind us says. Come on! I turn around to see a tall elven man with light blond hair and blue eyes. He''s got a smug grin on his face. "Fine, anyone else wanna come along?" I loudly say. No responses...good. The five of us exit the tavern. It''s a relief that we left that loud space. I couldn''t stand it. Hazel pulls her hood up and keeps her head down. "What''s up with her?" Flynn asks loud enough for her to hear. Oh boy, I knew you were going to cause trouble. Rain droplets start falling. Up ahead two guards are standing watch at the docks. One stares at Hazel trying to figure out who she is. "Stop!" The guard calls out. Hazel takes off. The guards look at us next. We better get moving before they arrest us too. I sprint forward with Valor and Flynn keeping the same pace. Marina outruns all of us. Hazel turns towards the stone wall. A small tunnel is carved out at the bottom. "Screw it!" She says as she jumps down. Valor isn''t going to fit. "Go! I''ll meet up with you outside the wall," Valor says. "No, I''m not leaving you," I say. "Will you people move it?" Flynn yells as he pushes me out of the way and crawls into the tunnel. You didn''t have to be a jerk about it. I crawl into the tunnel. I emerge on the other side of the wall. This is it. We''re really doing this. We will survive this journey. Chapter 2: The First Step Forward "We never should have trusted Hazel," Flynn says. "Luna, maybe it was a bad idea," Valor says. "You know I can hear you, right?" Hazel says as she stands. "Why don''t you go back to the bridge you crawled out from under, Valor?" "Listen here, thief, I could crush you in one second. Think real carefully before you talk to me again," Valor replies. I step in between them and put my hands up. "Stop! We''re never going to make it if we don''t start getting along. Can we not insult each other? I''ll ask all of you this once. The next time someone fights another I will end this trip...and your lives. Got it?" "Hazel started it!" Flynn says as he points to her. "I''m going to end you!" Hazel yells at him before jumping towards him. Valor keeps her back. This dissolved faster than I expected. "Put me down, you ogre!" Hazel yells. "I''m not an ogre...or a bridge troll," Valor replies. I lead the others. Everyone is silent which I''m thankful for. I don''t know how much more yelling I could take. Night is coming soon. We should stop and rest soon. "So, anyone know of a good place to stay tonight?" I ask. "We shouldn''t stay in this area. It''s troll territory...if they see us here they will attack," Valor says. Valor leads the way. He knows more about this area than anyone else in the group. He grew up out here with his troll clan. After that, he decided to head into the city and live there. Night slowly descends upon the forest. I keep my guard up the entire time. Just because we''re still in a relatively safe area doesn''t mean that we won''t be attacked at any moment. Valor stops for a moment. Flynn walks ahead of him. "Hold up there," Valor says as he takes a few steps forward. I look ahead. Ropes with beads and animal bones are tied to the trees. They mark a troll clan''s territory.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Let''s go a different way," Valor says. A spear flies past my face barely missing me. It lands on the ground next to me. I freeze in place. "Valor, what do we do?" I whisper to him. "Come on, we''re scared of a few trolls? They''re dumber than rocks," Flynn says. I glare at him. Do you ever shut up? "Flynn!" Marina snaps at him. A troll leaps out of a tree swinging an axe. He''s going right for Flynn. I can''t say I blame him though. The jerk won''t shut up. Valor charges at the troll and slams into him. Flynn walks backward before completely taking off. Great, our first real threat emerges and he just runs away like a little girl. More trolls rise up from the depths of the forest. We''re surrounded. Everyone is still and silent. All of us are waiting for the first move to be made. It''s like time is frozen, but the feeling only lasts a moment. One of the trolls charging at Valor breaks both the stillness and silence. I draw my sword. I feel like an ant compared to the trolls who are two sometimes three times my height. "Go! I got this!" Valor cries out as he throws one of the trolls back. I don''t like the thought of leaving him...I hate it, but I have to. I can''t bring down one of these guys without getting myself hurt or killed. I move as swiftly as I can. One of them is coming after me. A hollowed-out tree lays on the ground. I crawl into the tree in an effort to escape. I get out on the other side. The troll from earlier is still pursuing me. I turn around drawing my sword as I do. Now you''ve really angered me. I push forward before climbing onto a boulder. I leap from the boulder slashing my sword downward. The sword slices the troll''s face across the eye. He stumbles back. Blood drips down his face. You don''t mess with me. He retaliates by swinging a tree branch in my direction. I back up until I back into a tree. I take one final step backward. I start sliding down a tunnel. Cuts and scrapes appear on my arm from the rocks. I finally stop sliding. Ugh, I''m covered in dirt. I pull myself to my feet before brushing some of the dirt off. "You found it too," A familiar voice says. The sound echoes through the dark cavern. "Flynn?" I ask. "Yeah, it''s me," he replies. "Oh, I was hoping the trolls got you, but I guess not all wishes come true." A small spark flickers to a roaring flame. Flynn sits by the fire. I hear screams at the top of the entrance. Seconds later Marina slides into the cavern. She stands up. "We could''ve used you back there, you know? We needed help and you just ran," Marina says to Flynn. "What did you expect me to do? I''m no match against those things," he says back to her. I''m not going to bother breaking up the fight. I was going to say the same thing Marina said. "Let''s move. Hazel and Valor are still out there," I say before crawling up the tunnel. I reach the forest after minutes of exhausting climbing. Valor is covered in blood. Hazel stands next to him. She doesn''t look much better. "Are you guys okay?" Marina asks. "No, those trolls put up a damn good fight," Hazel says as she wipes her face with her sleeve. "It would have been nice to have another fighter with us," Hazel says as she shoots a glare at Flynn. "Hey, I-" "Enough!" I yell. "We''re never going to make it all the way if we keep fighting like this. We are a team...let''s start acting like one," The five of us continue down the dirt road. A small tavern is on the right. "Come on. We''ll sleep there for tonight," I say to the others. I open the door. The place is dead. Only two people sit at the bar. Good, we can have peace and quiet. Hazel and Valor head straight for the bar. They order more food than they could possibly eat. I sit down at a table. I just want to relax for a minute. Hazel walks over with a plate piled high with crab legs. She sits down next to me and begins cracking away. So much for peace and quiet. "What? Is something wrong?" She asks me. "No, I''m just tired from today," I reply before standing up. I sit at the bar. The bartender is a half-human half-mermaid like Marina. Black and gold scales are in patches on his arms and face. His eyes are bright gold. "I don''t get too many customers. Where is your group headed?" He asks as he wipes the counter down. "Well...we''re going to make it to the cave of gold," I say. "Do you know how many people have come in here and told me that? All of them never came back. Don''t risk your life over this," he says. "Did I ask for your advice? Anything you say won''t change our minds. This is what we''re doing," I say. "Fine, don''t listen then. Don''t say I didn''t warn you," Chapter 3: Drifting Through The Sea The sun shines through the window. It''s blinding. I don''t want to get up! I just need five more minutes. Hazel comes bursting through the door. "Luna, let''s go. Everyone else is ready." I''m surprised she''s not passed out from all the food and drink she had last night. I groan as I get out of bed. I get dressed and then meet the others outside. "Finally, I thought you were going to sleep all day," Flynn complains. I ignore his rude remarks and start walking down the road. Hazel unfolds a map. "There''s a city not too far from here. Looks like that''s our next stop...after that, we need to set out on the sea," she says. "Leave that to me. I''ve got a ship docked there," Marina replies. "For once things are going in the right direction," Flynn adds. "Please don''t jinx this," Valor says to Flynn. After around twenty minutes of walking, we arrive at the city''s walls. On the stone walls are dark green flags. In the middle of the flag is a crown. I now remember the name of the city, EmeraldVeil. It is a city fit for the more wealthy members of society. We are probably not going to find anything within our budget. "Please keep your hands to yourself here, Hazel. We don''t need the guards chasing us like in OceanShore," Flynn says. "At least I can control myself. Unlike you...you can''t keep your mouth closed for more than thirty seconds," Hazel snaps back. It''s like I''m traveling with a pair of toddlers. "I hope you don''t mind me heading off. I''ll go get the ship ready," Marina says. "Go on," Valor replies. We walk inside the city. Small cottages and cabins line the streets. Further into the city are taller buildings. On the main road are carts with all kinds of goods. Hazel looks at one cart that sells jewelry. "Don''t even think about it," Flynn says to her as he walks by. His back is turned to her. Hazel starts balling her hand into a fist to hit him, but she drops her hand. Wow, he was oblivious to that.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I make my way through the city towards the docks. Marina shouldn''t take much longer. I see Marina standing on her ship. It''s decent-sized. Coral-like decorations are in all different colors on each side of the ship. Paintings of fish adorn the front and back. The ship''s sail is dark blue with golden corners. In the middle is a golden mermaid. "So, do you like it?" Marina asks. "It''s beautiful," Hazel says as she climbs onboard. I climb onto the ship. The boat sways with the sea''s movements. "I feel sick already," Flynn complains as he steps on it. Marina rolls her eyes at what he said. "I''ve got news for you...we''re still docked. It''s going to get much worse. Please don''t throw up on the ship," Marina tells him. "I can''t wait to see how this will play out," Hazel sarcastically whispers to me. After a little while we begin our voyage. Flynn is curled up in the back corner of the ship. Every so often he complains about how fast the ship is going. It has become really easy to tune him out. Dark storm clouds loom over us. It was sunny not too long ago. Flynn pulls himself up. "Let''s go back! Do you see those clouds?" He says. "No, I have sailed out this way plenty of times. It''s always stormy in this area. We just have to ride it out," Marina reassures him. Everyone sits in a circle at the back of the ship. I decide to join them. "So...we have been together for almost two days and know nothing about each other. While we have time let''s get to know each other," Hazel says. "Alright, I have a question for everyone. What made you decide to risk your life like this?" Valor says. "Well, I come from a rather wealthy family-" Flynn begins to say before Hazel interrupts. "We never would have guessed," she says in a sarcastic tone. "Very funny, thief. Anyway, my parents decided that I had taken too much money and wasn''t worthy of it so they cut me off. I had to sleep on the streets for a few nights. When I overheard you guys talking I thought that maybe I could claim the treasure and that maybe my parents would be proud of me," Flynn says. Hazel bursts out laughing. "You think that''s funny?" He asks. "Oh, you...you were being serious." The ship becomes silent. No one says a single word. Marina breaks the silence. "I''m going to head below deck. I want to check on a few things," Marina says as she gets up. I get up too. I stand at the edge of the ship and look into the water. Raindrops start falling from the clouds above. I turn to see Marina. "Wow, that was quick," I say to her. "I didn''t have to do much," she replies. I start walking to the hatch that leads below deck. I lift it up. Marina stands down there. I slowly turn around to see her standing with her back turned to me. "Why are there two of you?" I whisper to the one downstairs. "What?!" She asks. I point to the one behind me. The one behind me turns around. Her face changes into a monster''s. "It is a siren," Marina whispers. Valor approaches the creature from behind. In one swift motion, he throws the siren overboard. "There is probably more," Marina says. "Get over here!" Hazel yells. The three of us dash towards her. In the water are dozens of other sirens. They start climbing up. I unsheathe my sword readying myself for a battle. All of us stand in the center of the ship with our backs to each other. They come at us from all angles. Valor is the best fighter of all of us. With his club, he takes out at least three sirens each time he swings. I''m glad Valor decided to come with us. I don''t know what we would do without him. I leap into battle slicing one of the creatures in half. "Luna!" I hear. One of the sirens turned into Marina and is fighting her. "Help me!" One of them yells. How? How do I know which one of you is real? I just have to choose. I go back and forth between the two. I then notice a difference. One of them has a strand of silver hair. Marina doesn''t have any silver hair. Valor runs towards them. "The one on the right is the siren," I yell to him. He takes out the siren. "Thank you," Marina says. I don''t see anymore sirens. Flynn climbs up from below the deck. "There is a leak!" He announces. Hazel goes down there with him. I watch them as they patch it as best as they possibly can. Some water is still getting through. "You guys owe me a new ship," Marina says. "When we collect our gold I''ll get you a new one," I reply.