The Great Mystery. Travis Ph.D. Slone
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of encouragement.
“I assure you that the treasure will be found. With it, you will find answers to the most fundamental questions of human existence.”
A low-lying layer of fog began to form around the woman’s feet, and slowly began to fill the surrounding jungle. The children observed, certain that she would vanish at any moment.
Fearing for the safety of the old woman who now held his hopes and dreams in her hands, Amir called out as she departed.
“Where will you be if we need you?” he asked. “How will you survive alone in the wilderness?”
The mysterious woman turned only her head as she continued to walk away.
“Do not worry about me,” she said. “I know a thing or two about nature. If you need me, just look around.”
Just then, a strong breeze blew in from both the east and the west, creating a whirlwind around the woman. Having revealed her message to the chosen ones, she began to disappear as the children looked on in awe. Her ghostly figure transformed before their eyes, accelerating into a spiral like a tornado on the path. In a matter of seconds, she had faded into thin air.
The Great Mystery had vanished.
Chapter 9
When the wind stopped blowing and the falling leaves had settled on the ground, Eva and Amir could not help but notice the arrow shaped symbol that remained on the path. It pointed clearly to the north, the only direction they had not considered going. It was away from their homes, and against the flow of the small creek.
In awe of what had just transpired, in fear of returning home, and in faith that the treasure was real, Eva and Amir headed north in search of their reward. They had made it this far together, and it had been the experience of a lifetime so far. Perhaps one day they would unite the world as promised. They could not imagine how or why it would be, but they had hope.
They moved north together side by side. As they walked, Eva noticed that her ankle was suddenly free of pain and swelling, and her stride was smooth and easy. For whatever reason, she had been cured just in time for the journey.
As Eva and Amir walked briskly up the path, the oncoming stream slowly disappeared. The thinning air grew colder by the minute, and the branches all around became increasingly bare as their leaves fell softly to the ground. The growingly rocky landscape gave the strange sensation that they had traveled much further than a few minutes walk.
The life-giving sun hovered overhead in the clear blue sky, and small rocky peaks appeared on the horizon, growing larger as they approached the crest.
Then, after climbing for nearly an hour, they finally reached the hilltop. Eva and Amir marveled at the spectacular panoramic vista before them. The path went on for miles.
As far as the eye could see, a towering range of snow-capped mountains dominated the distant landscape. Waterfalls plunged from the rock, dropping hundreds of feet into large bodies of glistening blue green water below. The two great rivers were nowhere to be seen, but this somehow slipped Eva’s mind as she admired nature’s fascinating beauty.
From where they stood atop the lofty foothills, all four seasons could be witnessed in a single view. They watched as strange new birds soared, apparently scanning the forest floors for food. Wild animals roamed freely in scattered fields far below, some stopping to sip from the edges of crystal clear streams.
Soft white clouds were strewn across the midday sky, not quite reaching the summits of the enormous rocky peaks. It was there, at the distant edge of the newfound paradise, that a single mountain towered over all the others. Amir and Eva were mesmerized by the beauty, and instantly humbled at the sight of their world’s tallest peak.
Chapter 10
Amir and Eva admired the fascinating landscape for several minutes before deciding to continue along the path. As they began, they were startled by a powerful series of winds blowing up from the valley below. It chilled the two young travelers to the bone, and caused them to crouch next to a nearby tree for shelter. They shielded their faces from the wind so as not to get dust in their eyes.
After a few minutes, the blustery winds died down, becoming a gentle breeze once again. When the children stood and uncovered their eyes, they noticed a beautiful box sitting on the path, just a few meters ahead.
Upon hurrying to the chest, they observed its unique features. It was made of mahogany, and its sides were adorned with symbolic inscriptions. A solid gold lock appeared to secure its contents from uninvited looters. However, when Eva gave it a gentle pull…it opened with ease. They turned to look at one another; both equally anxious to discover what it contained.
Together, they opened the ancient box, and took accountability of the contents. To their surprise, the items inside were not old at all, but instead appeared postmodern. Inside the chest were two pairs of well-made leather hiking boots, two warm downy jackets, and two fleece winter hats. Trusting that the items were gifts from the mysterious old woman who had promised them “tools for the journey”, they donned the gear and prepared to march on.
However, as Eva tested the pockets of her newfound coat, something else caught her attention. She paused, out of mere surprise, looking at Amir before removing the item from her jacket. He stared back in anticipation, having heard the rustling of the supplementary item. As Eva removed the item from her pocket, their eyes opened wide at the sight of the ancient rolled parchment. The scroll was sealed, and tied with durable red string.
Excited, they quickly unraveled the string that held the scroll in place. An eagle, with its wings spread wide, was embroidered on the golden seal. Amir took only a brief second to observe the seal before tearing it open and revealing the scroll’s message. Unable to read, Eva was pleased to see that the scroll contained pictures, and not a written message.
While the image on the scroll appeared to be a large circular map, it did not show any obvious sign of treasure. Instead, there was a beautifully painted landscape with an uncanny resemblance to the view from where they now stood.
From the bottom edge of the circle, a path wandered into the distance. It weaved through the foothills, went east up the alpine slopes, and disappeared just below the summit. The trail then re-emerged on the western face, and climaxed at the peak of the great mountain. A painted sun overhead illuminated the entire scene.
Along the path were three small, but identical symbols, each in the form of a featureless human being.
In a grid of miniature rectangles below the map, there was an assortment of colorful flags. While they did not count each of the flags, there appeared to be at least one hundred. All were unfamiliar to Eva, though Amir did recognize a few.
Unsure of what to make of the scroll, Amir rolled it up and handed it to Eva. She thanked him for his trust, and placed the scroll safely in her jacket pocket. After careful consideration, they decided not to abandon the fine chest. It was possibly a gift from the old woman, and therefore might be an integral part of their search for the treasure.
The ambitious young travelers took hold of the handles at opposite ends of the chest, lifted carefully with their legs, and started north for the soaring mountains up ahead.
It was the path to the secret treasure, which they would locate very soon. For The Great Mystery had assured them that the treasure was nearby, but difficult to find. Having considered her cryptic riddle, and studied the guidance of their scroll, they agreed that they were en route to the greatest mountain’s summit. Certainly, there was nowhere more difficult to reach than there.
Chapter 11
It soon became clear that the cobblestone path would not lead them on an easy journey, but Amir and Eva were determined to find the secret treasure. Moving forward with great motivation, they made the gradual descent into the evergreen valley below. In the distance, the great mountain loomed.
Oddly, their muscles seemed to gain strength as they hiked,