Cat Dragon Story～～～Join ②～～～
～～～Wishes are woven～～～
After exchanging various opinions and information, the three became interested in the legend surrounding an old well near the school.
This well was said to be the place where a gathering of cat dragons and cats was once held, and the water of the well was rumored to have mysterious powers.
Elliot thought that by examining the water of this well, he might be able to find a clue about the cat dragon's magic crystals.
One night, they drew water from the well and performed a magic ritual according to the instructions written in the Book of Elemental Decomposition Ritual. Then, during the ritual, a mysterious light appeared from the well and an illusion appeared.
The illusion showed them a specific place deep in the forest and urged them to follow.
As Elliot and his friends followed the illusion deeper into the forest, they were soon enveloped in a thick mist.
The mist was different from normal mist, it had a strangely material feel, and the three noticed the strange feeling.
The one who spoke was Alex, who was good at magic. "Do you two notice? This is a barrier."
"Yeah, but it doesn't feel unpleasant. Rather, it seems to welcome us. I don't sense any hostility," Michael said.
As they went further, the mist cleared before they knew it, and the strange feeling disappeared.
Then they saw a human-sized stone mass that looked like a stone monument or a grave marker.
The phantom that had been guiding the three of them went to the stone and changed into a human-like shape. Elliot recognized the face.
Then he muttered, "Oswald... san?"
Michael asked Elliot suspiciously, "Who is it?"
Elliot: "He's the author of the ancient documents we looked at before. I'll tell you later why I know your face."
The phantom pointed to the stone. Elliot approached the stone and brushed the moss off it.
The stone was engraved with the following words:
"Ancient song played by the stars,
On the night illuminated by the light of the new moon,
In the sacred place where truth sleeps,
Recite,
To awaken the Cat Dragon's magic crystal."
The ghost looked into Elliot's eyes and whispered in a voice that still contained regret. "Listen...Ancient...Words are the key...To awaken...The only way. Sing...Recite. The Cat Dragon will awaken."
Hearing these words, Elliot felt a deep emotion and a weight of responsibility. He answered in a trembling voice. "I understand, I will fulfill my mission. I swear to recite the spell for the Cat Dragon, and for our world."
As Elliot said this, the illusion disappeared. At the same time, he returned to the familiar old well. He thought he had been walking for about two hours, but in fact he had not moved from the old well.
Alex asked, "Hey, wasn't that old man laughing just before he disappeared?"
Michael continued, "It seemed like it. Maybe he's at peace."
Then Elliot said, "Maybe we did something good." in a playful manner.
Alex and Michael looked surprised for a moment, but then they burst out laughing and the three of them headed home.
~~~~Decision~~~
A few days later
Elliot was lying face down on his desk, surrounded by countless ancient documents and maps. His heart was filled with impatience and anxiety. "Why can't we find anything..." he muttered to himself.
His eyes were red and he was exhausted, but the only thing that kept him there was his sense of mission to find the Cat Dragon's magic crystal.
At that moment, Michael came into the room. He was holding an old map in his hand and said to Elliot.
"Elliot, take a look at this. I found this in the archives at home. It's a map from before the tectonic shift. Maybe this will give us some clues."
Michael said, spreading the map out in front of Elliot. Elliot looked up, half-believing, and looked over the map Michael had brought.
Then, with his tired eyes shining, he answered, "Michael, that... could be a big clue. Thank you, this gives me new hope." There was a faint ray of hope in his voice.
They tried to overlay the map with the current map. Then, they noticed that part of the overlaid map looked like a dragon's tail.
Elliot stared at the map, frowning, and said to Michael, "This shape... looks like a dragon's tail."
Michael nodded in response. "Indeed, this shape is interesting, but it may be a coincidence. We should look for more clues and compare them with this map."
Elliot sighed deeply and renewed his resolve. "Yes, it's wise to gather more information first, rather than acting in a hurry. Let's continue our investigation."
Michael patted Elliot on the shoulder and encouraged him. "It's okay, Elliot. I'm sure we'll find a clue to solve this mystery. Let's stop here for today and try again tomorrow."
The two finished their work for the day and returned to their respective homes to prepare for the next day. Their common goal of finding the Cat Dragon's magic crystal was firmly rooted in their hearts.
At dusk, Elliot was walking along the cobblestone road of the Magic School. His heart was sinking with fatigue and the burden of his studies, but he saw an old woman and her grandson sitting on a park bench.
The old woman's voice was gentle, and she was singing a lullaby. It was a common lullaby that everyone knew, the lyrics of which had appeared and scrolled with the vision of Oswald when he had been diligently examining the ancient documents before.
The melody sounded pleasant to Elliot's ears, and lightened his heart. The lyrics seemed to awaken a distant memory, and Elliot stopped and listened carefully.
The old woman's voice, like a traveler through time, led Elliot's soul to an ancient world. He stood there, pondering the meaning of the lyrics.
"Deep in the sleeping forest, by the quiet lake, where the stars point, rest in peace, dreamer.
Under the moonlight,
at the roots of the old trees whispering,
dreamer, sleep.
A hidden path opens in the song carried by the wind,
and in the shadow of the distant mountain,
dreamer, time to wake up.
A colorful circle of flowers wet with morning dew,
and hidden in the center,
dreamer, a mysterious door.
A dragon flies through the night sky,
and the light of hope points to a new journey,
dreamer."
At that moment, he realized an important clue about the place the lyrics were referring to.
"No way," Elliot muttered, and he put the old map over the current map, comparing it with the lyrics of the lullaby. And then, "There it is. There it is," he found. The place indicated in the lyrics certainly existed on the map.
It was not just a lullaby, but a signpost leading to the cat dragon's magical crystal that he was searching for. His heart was filled with new hope, and his tired steps became lighter. This song became the light that guided him to the next step of his journey.
The next day,
Elliot decided to tell Alex and Michael about his discovery.
Elliot said to them with an expression that made it hard to believe he was the same person who had been lost until yesterday. "Look, both of you, at this map and the lyrics of the lullaby! The place indicated here really exists!"
The two looked a little surprised, but their curiosity soon won out.
Alex: "What? Is it true? Let's see... this is... No, but," Alex thought for a moment and said, "I wonder if it really means that... it could just be a coincidence."
Elliot's words became even more passionate. "No, this is not a coincidence. I'm sure it's a clue to the Cat Dragon's magic crystal."
Michael still looks skeptical. "Why sure? It could just be a lullaby."
Elliot doesn't back down. "But we can't ignore this coincidence. If there really is something there..."
Alex: "Indeed... if there is something there, it would be a major discovery. But where's the evidence?"
Elliot doesn't stop. "The evidence is in this map and the lyrics. And we have no choice but to see it with our own eyes."
Alex and Michael are lost in thought, and there is silence for a while. Then, as if he has gathered his thoughts, Michael speaks up.
Michael: "You're right, there's no point in arguing about this. Summer vacation is coming up and there's nothing else to do anyway. I don't think we'll find out anything by staring at the map any more. If we don't go, we'll know it wasn't there, so let's go."
Alex: "Yeah, Michael's right. If we don't go, the mystery will remain a mystery forever."
Elliot: "Decided. Let's go then. Let's see where this song takes us!"
It was the moment that Elliot's passion overcame Alex and Michael's skepticism.
Continued in Episode 5
