"I figured we might still need the padlock to bind the box if we ever have to cart it away and it seemed to me that the sword might ruin it so, I was going to pull it.""That does not sound cool in any way. Get your sword out and take care of that."I insisted. He stepped back and pulled out his sword. I watched him as he struck the padlock once. We both looked at it. It had not broken."That was a huge blow. Why did it not give, anyway?"I asked. The padlock looked like it had not been struck at all and that was a cause for worry."I told you this is not some ordinary box, did I not? It appears to me as a chest that is going to be both dangerous and benefitting and I suppose it can't be that easy to pry such box open. Right?"I asked him. Of course he knew I was right but again, he did not reply me. I stood there and he also stood watching the chest. Soon, there was another bout of wings flapping and we both turned to look at the direction where the flapping had been coming from. It

"What are we going to do there, by the way?" I heard Katara ask again."To go see if it is inhabited and if we can have a seat and look through the book we have. Maybe it will see us to our destination."I told her. She nodded. It made sense to her.We began to head to the house. It was tall and had a staircase in front of it. When we reached the house, we were surprised at what we saw."The windows are all bad and the door is slightly ajar." Katara said. True. I had seen it too but I had not said anything first."Yes. I guess it is not inhabited then. It is probably another lone house in a lone place.""That could be housing a whole lot of magical creatures and wild beast.""Wild beasts do not live in houses, snap out of it.""What if they do in this instance?""We will have to find out then... and by the way, there are only dry bushes, I doubt there are any wild beasts around since we never stumbled on any. Don't you think so?"She rolled her eyes and continued to follow me as I mo

"What gives you such galls? You are not apologetic for trespassing and you are not sorry for saying stupid things to me but you are ready to slit my throat? You are both bounded by my command!" She yelled and then suddenly, ropes from nowhere held me down while I was yet to even be on my feet. It was infuriating. The speed at which it all happened did not give me time to try to evade it. Katara was soon bounded too and the book, for the first time dropped from her hand and was lying on the floor. The wand was still in my hand. I held on to it as the strong ropes binded me. I could not get myself free even when I tried. My arms had begun to be sore and so I stopped the effort momentarily. I was not going to be bounded for long and I knew that. But I had to sit still and pretend that it did not infuriate me that she had had me bounded. I also had to erase every thought of escaping off my mind since she could read my mind. It was hell for me and as I looked at Katara. I felt bad. I d

"Open the doors. We have to pass." I said… Chloe walked to the door stubbornly. "I have seen wands and I have seen books, all magical, this is not the first neither shall it be the last. I am not intimidated by the magic you possess because the magic I possess surpasses yours and I shall prove it to you!" She said. We now looked from her to her mother who gave a smile and began to rub her hands together. "Well, I see Chloe is afraid you might let the book enter into the hands of our enemies who will in turn terminate her magic because the book holds powers that can do that. Do not for once think that I will watch you do that, my dear young people." The Lady said. It was funny to me… we had no idea who their enemies were and we were definitely not going to give the book to anyone else. We were now very much interested in learning magic and we were going to have the book as a guide. Besides, had we not discovered the book in the midst of ruins? We had come that far and had discover

It was a bit baffling that she was interested In magic suddenly and as we mounted the horse, I decided to ask her. She was still clutching the book and I had slipped the wand into the small bag I was carrying lest it comes alive and enchant the things around me that did not need to be enchanted."Why are you suddenly so concerned and Interested in magic?"I asked her. I hoped she heard since the horse was in motion and was whipping past trees and the wind will not let my words reach her as well as it should have. She heard me anyway. She had twisted her neck awkwardly to look back at me and speak as loud as she could. I kicked the horse and it slowed down. We are not being pursued. It was enough reason to drive calmly back to Valmore. The wind rushing past our ears were now calm and i could make out the words she spoke."I feel a certain sense of rightness with these... I value these things we found and I do not wish to lose any of them. I sincerely value them–“"I do not know why bu