Elementalists
Chapter 51 - Winter Hollow

"Fwah! Uhuk! Uhuk!"

Arya woke up and spewed out a cold object in her mouth, she did not think how the snow could be there. Then he got up from a sitting position and watched the surroundings.

There were only piles of snow and spruce trees as long as the eye could see, they grew very tall. To the extent that when he pitched up, the tops of the trees were nowhere to be seen.

"Where is this?" arya muttered in confusion.

The last thing he remembered was when the white fox hit him and Lexa, their teleportation device was active and made both appear at an altitude of 20 meters from the ground level.

The landing that Arya did was not too smooth that it caused her to be unconscious for a while. But he was convinced that Lexa was also in this place, all he needed to do now was find the girl before she made the situation worse.

Just before making the first move, Arya caught a movement from the corner of her eye. Between the crevices of the fir tree was a white fox that crashed into her and Lexa stood still while looking at her deeply.

"You're this...actually what?" arya asked doubtfully.

To be honest he felt foolish to ask that, knowing it was impossible to get an answer from a fox. If Rena sees this she will definitely look at Arya with wonder as when talking to Stella first.

The fox immediately turned around and left Arya, seeing that she just shrugged no matter what. But he felt something strange here, out of curiosity. Arya finally approached the place where the fox was standing before.

Apparently there are no footprints of the mysterious creature, like struck by lightning he just ran to catch up with the fox while shouting.

"Guide Vision?!!"

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With all his strength, Arya ran and tracked down the whereabouts of her Guide Vision in the form of a white furry fox. The movement of the fox was very fast, probably because he did not have a real physique Arya thought.

The movement of the fox is very flexible like the wind that blows in winter, without a second thought Arya immediately jumped from one tree to another so as not to lose the creature.

Moments later when it met a crossroads the fox disappeared, completely disappearing as if its body was yawning in the air. Feeling confused, Arya finally landed and looked at the intersection.

From a distance there is a figure of a person standing there staring at something, while trying to approach the person with a sneak. Arya accidentally stepped on a tree branch and damaged the silence there.

Just as the person turned his head, Arya could not see her face clearly because she instantly disappeared right then and there. Arya scratched her head in annoyance.

"Why does anything in this forest like to just disappear?!" gerrutu.

Then when it approached finally Arya knew what was previously looked at by the person, a signboard that had been covered in snow. He cleaned the signboard using his sleeves, Arya's eyes widened while reading the writing there.

He rubbed his eyes once more to make sure he didn't see wrong.

"This place, right?! Just be right! Why would I show up in a place like this anyway? This is bad, I have to find Le— immediately"

"Not necessary"

"WAAA....!?"

Arya felt her heart almost dislodged when suddenly Lexa was standing next to her, the girl looked tired due to the sound of her hunting breath.

"Can you just once not do something that makes me dizzy? Huh uh?" arya asked as she pinched Lexa's cheek.

"Aww.aww....Aryan..sick"

"What are you supposed to say?"

"What?"

"You still asking?!"

"M.ma.ma.sorry" he said weakly.

Arya finally let go, Lexa rubbed both of her reddened cheeks while pouting. He then began to tell how to find Arya, just like Arya. It turns out Lexa was also unconscious after landing.

Lexa wakes up after Rake tries to make her realize, but she can't find Arya around there. When she decides to go look for Arya, Lexa sees Arya darting through the trees quickly and immediately tries to catch up with her.

"But I didn't expect your movement to be so fast, I was overwhelmed to follow you" Lexa said, flapping her hands to her face.

Hearing that explanation from Lexa, Arya just kept quiet while nodding a few times. Seeing Arya's usual response made Lexa a little upset.

"Why did you just shut up from that!"

"I was thinking, did you see anyone standing here before?" Arya asked back.

"mmm? The guy? No, we're too far away. So maybe when I arrived he was gone"

"Can you feel the presence of others around us?"

Lexa then touched the ground with her hands, then moments later got back up while shaking her head.

"It doesn't seem like anything, but I can't be sure because the ground here is covered with snow"

"Well..I have good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" Arya looked at Lexa while sitting in the snow.

"Of course good news" said Lexa who began collecting snow.

"The good news is that we're already in the right place, I've seen my Guide Vision and I'm sure Ice Temple is around here"

"Well, then, aren't we just looking for it?" reply Lexa while making a snowman assisted by Rake.

"Yes very true, but the bad news is that we have no clue where the temple is and do not know the terrain around si—"

"Yey! So then! Whoa!"

"Hey! Did you hear me?" arya asked in annoyance.

"Yes.iya..iya.I heard, take it easy. We just need to browse through this place" Lexa replied unconcernedly.

"Huh.had it, by the way Lexa. Do you know anything about Winter Hollow?"

"Wouldn't it be one of the Four Season Zones in the Witch's territory?

"Right, you know that too?" arya said in a tone of disbelief.

"If it's such a big thing I know, why are you asking?"

"Because we're there"

The snowman head that Lexa had made instantly fell to the ground, she turned her head towards Arya with her mouth wide open.

"HUH?!"

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"Aryans..hunter....!" whine Lexa while rubbing her stomach.

"Whisper, at least if you're hungry. Go find something to eat" Arya replied.

Arya is trying to make shelter for the two overnight by using her ice strength. While Lexa just sits quietly playing snow with Rake.

"Eh...?! You really say that mean thing to a girl?" lexa said in disbelief.

"If you were a normal girl I would probably consider being gentle with you"

"Huh! You suck!"

"It's up to you to tell me what, can you get us some clean water?" pinta Arya who had already collected some firewood.

"Where? All I see here is a pile of snow"

"There is a river that does not freeze 7 meters to the South of this place"

"Well, what does he think I am? A gofer? Aren't Rake?" muttered Lexa while taking a few bottles to fill the water.

"No sir sucks" he said with an outstretched tongue.

"Be careful" Arya recalled with a serious look on her face.

"Come on Arya, what could happen? I'll just take some water"

"Don't be rash, you remember where we are, right?"

"Yes-yes, chatty"

When Lexa is finally out of sight, Arya continues her work. This preparation had to be done properly and correctly, not a single person knew for sure what they had encountered in the Four Season Zone.

The Four Season Zone was one of the some of the most famous Sacred Palaces in the world, these places were filled with many mysteries and gaffes that caused many people to be interested in entering it.

It is said that the Four Season Zone contains ancient magic that causes the four regions to have only one season throughout the year. Four Season Zone consists of Spring Straight, Summer Twisted, Autumn Sunken, and Winter Hollow.

The news of ancient magic is also what causes the Witches are very ambitious to control this region, many rumors circulating that the ingredients of making magic sticks are collected from the Four Season Zone.

The fruit of Aryan mind is only one, if this place has something as great as ancient magic. Doesn't that mean it's not just creatures like the two of them who are here. Just now Arya rubbed her forehead in relief because the work was done, there was the sound of Lexa screaming.

"Y...!"

"Jeez...., this time what else? Didn't I warn you to be careful?" said Arya tired then reach Mandalika to immediately follow Lexa to the river.

After arriving at the destination, Arya saw Lexa was trying to hold the mouth of a giant fish so as not to close with both hands. Arya approached while sighing.

"What are you doing?"

"M...me.....according to you?!" Lexa asked back with a bluffing tooth.

"Feeding a giant river fish?"

"Ha.ha.ha is so funny, now quickly help me or I will soon lose my Elemental Beast even before 24 hours have it!!!"

"What's this stupid mole rat doing with its owner up until now?" arya thought astonished.

He pulled out the Mandalika and in an instant made the river fish cut into pieces. Arya catches Rake and returns him to Lexa.

"At least we get dinner next time I need bait to fish. I'll call you soon. Okay?"

Lexa immediately hugged Rake tightly while shaking her head with all her might, seeing that Arya was just laughing then returned to their overnight location with large pieces of fish meat.

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KRTAKK!!!

Arya instantly opened her eyes warily, she watched the surroundings from a sitting position. Lexa and Rake are still fast asleep near the former campfire. Arya sure heard the sound of a broken branch a moment ago.

He got up to look for where the sound was coming from, before leaving he put a blanket for Lexa and Rake so the two wouldn't shiver. The moonlight illuminated the pepohan in Winter Hollow that night.

The dim lighting adds to the horror impression there, Arya walked carefully while putting her ears well. But his right hand was already holding the handle of Mandalika tightly.

Suddenly there was a sound of laughter that made Arya's entire body goosebumps, her legs instantly squeezed and could not be moved. He closed his eyes as he continued to pray, one of the reasons why he disliked ghosts so much was because they could not be beaten.

"Kuntilanak? But wait a minute, what's a mbak kunti doing in this cold place!?" arya muttered to herself.

That's when he only realized that ghosts could not make a sound when stepping on tree branches. He carefully followed the faint sound of laughter until he arrived at a field.

There was a little girl dancing alone with an orange umbrella. His age may be about 10-12 years, so engrossed in dancing the girl was not aware of the arrival of Arya.

A few minutes later she stopped dancing abruptly while looking at Arya with a surprised face. Before he had time to escape, Arya had made a wall of snow around the field so that the girl could not run.

With a frightened look on the child's face immediately curled up while opening his umbrella, Arya approached and spoke softly.

"Hey it's okay, I just want to talk"

"Go there stranger! Don't bother me! I have nothing to steal!" screams loudly.

"I'm not a thief, I just want to know what you're doing here at night? Are you lost? Need help?"

"Eh?!" the girl stopped revolting and peeked at Arya from behind her umbrella with a suspicious look.

Arya returned the gaze with a warm smile, seeing that the girl was back hiding behind her umbrella while hissing.

"Aura how is this? Can we trust him? What do you mean by asking for my opinion?! From what I see, he seems like a good guy"

Arya could only raise her eyebrows next to hearing the girl speak for herself, but suddenly a very strange voice appeared that made Arya unable to hold back her laughter anymore. The girl immediately closed back her umbrella while pouting with a reddened face in embarrassment.

"Are you hungry?" arya asked while taking out the rest of her dinner.

The girl's eyes immediately sparkled with saliva that also started to drip, she ate the grilled fish voraciously. While he was eating, they began to talk, from the conversation Arya found out that the girl's name was M.

"So M? What are you doing in this place?"

"Hehehe about that, actually I was looking for something" replied M enthusiastically, his attitude immediately changed 180 degrees after being fed. Like a typical child in general.

"Searching for something? By yourself?" arya was confused.

"Hemm? I'm not alone, I'm with Aura" he said as he shook his head.

"aura?" reset Arya.

"Yes, Aura!" m said while thrusting his umbrella.

Arya stared at the girl's beaming face and the umbrella took turns. Then nod slowly.

"I understand the bottom"

"Mmm you look in disbelief" M puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"I believe it! I used to have imaginary friends" too"

"Aura's not my imaginary friend! Mmm what? You want to greet him? You certain? Mmm okay! Hey sis? Aura said she wanted to say hello to sister" exclaimed M with an umbrella that had been pointed towards Arya.

Arya looks doubtful, then tries to resist gently so as not to hurt the innocent girl.

"I don't think per—"

Not yet had he finished his words, M had already knocked the umbrella onto Arya's forehead. His mind was thrown into a different dimension, the sensation was the same as when he made a contract with Mandalika.

A girl with long orange hair stood there smiling at him. He touched both of Aryan's cheeks and whispered.

"I didn't expect to finally meet you, it's really you, was it?"

"meaning?" arya's reply was confused.

"Hmm, you'll understand one day. I am Aurantiaco will be the first for you" he replied as he pressed his forehead against Arya's forehead.

Arya's mind immediately returned to her body. But he felt very weak, and then he lay there on the snowy ground.

"Eh?! What did you do to her Aura?! Say hello?! Why would he limp so?!" there was a panic attack from M.

Those were the last words that Arya heard before her consciousness started to slowly but surely disappear.