(Amaia)

We leave the hut just before sunrise, trying to get a headstart. A few hours of sleep have done us good. We are less tired than before. The boys have let us sleep longer than them. It’s their way of caring for us.

We even relieve ourselves in the back where a small wash area is located.

We resume our journey towards the rising sun. Today, it’s red and we see the first rays fall on the trees in front bathing them in their glow. They appear to burn with a vermilion fire.

"That’s it, that’s where the next door is." I point towards the cluster of trees behind which the sun is rising, remembering what the old woman had said.

"That’s brilliant," Kacir praises me.

We head over to where the trees are grouped together. The ground is covered with red fallen leaves.

In between these trees, we find the prettiest door so far.

"There it is," I murmur in satisfaction and my companions sigh in relief.

Completely draped with green flowering vines, it’s speckled with red flowers. The butterflies the size of a small goat dance all around it. Their colourful gigantic wings wave behind them.

"Wow! Are they harmless?" Rahria whispers.

"Only one way to find out," Alnitak murmurs back, taking a step forward.

Their wings must have detected the movement. They turn their big heads and suddenly the door is thrown wide open, although none of us touches it. The scent of spring escapes through. The butterflies rush inside as if waiting and have been trapped in the autumn season.

"Did they just escape into the spring season?" Rahria asks, bewildered.

"Yes, let’s go." Kacir takes her hand.

Without wasting any more time we walk through the door and into the spring season.

Entering, I glance around the place which gives the feeling of an eternal, warm spring. The first thing I notice is the caterpillars, thick as a large snake and patterned in startling stripes of emerald and sapphire. They are leisurely feasting upon the foliage, their bodies tufted with silken hairs that catch the soft light that this place offers.

"Ewww! Just look at their sizes," Rahria whispers to me, taking my arm. "I hate these crawlers."

"This explains the humongous butterflies we just saw," Mintaka comments, closely observing a caterpillar the length of a forearm slowly traversing on the thick branch of a tree.

"Be careful, they seem poisonous, don’t touch them or anything," Kacir warns, glancing around.

The air is filled with the slow, deliberate wingbeats of huge butterflies. Their wings, some spanning the width of a human arm, are painted with iridescent eyespots that seem to watch as they glide above in a silent, colourful parade. They appear like gentle giants showing no fear and remaining oblivious to our presence.

They don’t attack, just continue to flutter overhead. Some land on bright flowers, the size of dinner plates, sucking the sweet nectar from them.

The fragrance of these flowers is heavy in the air to the point of suffocation. The ground under our feet is mossy green and grassy, not a patch of brown earth can be detected.

This is a land of endless bloom, even the hum of butterfly wings is deeper, a resonant thrum it creates.

"If it hadn’t been in Istrale I would think this place is heaven," I comment.

"Yes, we can’t trust anything. Stay sharp," Alnitak warns. We resume our journey.

A gushing sound makes our ears alert.

Glancing in the distance, I can see a stream of clear blue water.

"Water." I point and a wave of joy washes over us. Finally, we can drink water to our heart’s content and maybe catch some fish too.

We hurry towards the flowing stream. Crystal clear water flows over smooth stones. The banks are drowned in hedges and flowering bushes.

Mintaka bends down on one knee, cupping both his hands. He takes a handful of water and takes a sip with a slurping sound.

He raises his gaze at us. "It’s actually sweet. Come Amaia."

While others bend down to drink on their own, Mintaka helps me drink with his hands. He is not wrong, water is indeed very refreshing and sweet. And we just hope it won’t kill us and is not poisonous.

After quenching our thirst we move along the stream. To our disappointment, there are no fish in it.

"Maybe we can find some fruit trees," Alnitak says, craning his neck.

The trees, the insects, the flowers all look the same and there is no sun, just a source of warmth and light which we can’t see. Therefore, we have no sense of direction apart from following the stream.

"Guys, should we establish a direction or just follow the stream?" Kacir asks, thinking deeply.

His eye glances from the stream towards the trees on the sides.

"I think we should follow the stream, let it be our guide," I suggest.

A strange heaviness I feel, like drowsiness. Maybe it’s the water or just the fragrance of this place.

Then we see green tentacles, flying towards us. They grab our ankles and waist.

Rahria screams, I let out a startled cry.

The weapons fly, cutting at them.

"What in the hell are these?" Rahria grumbles, setting herself free from their grips.

"Some kind of vines," Kacir answers, cutting through them and helping Rahria. But more of them crawl through the forest and gather around their bodies.

My sword swings rapidly, but the more I cut, the more they regenerate and grip us.

Mintaka tries to freeze them but they triple in strength, gathering around his waist and wrists. Alnitak’s battle-axe moves at a blinding speed and yet he is unable to kill them and escape their hold.

Three crawl around my ankles, two against my arms and plenty against my waist. But they don’t try to choke or hurt me. This place is different and gentler than the others. What if we have to go through different rules?

"Something is not right. Wait, stop cutting them," I shout and they all halt staring at me in befuddlement.

"Are they crushing you?" I question and everyone just pauses and feels.

The surprise crawls on their faces. The vines are only holding us, not trying to kill or suffocate us.

"I still want to chop them off," Alnitak says in irritation.

"No, wait. Maybe, try to pat them." Moving my hand, I gently rub the thick green vines, with my palm and fingers. It works like magic.

They slither away, unwinding from around me and slowly retreat.

"See," I proudly say.

While my mates have a difficult time accepting that the wriggling green bodies will let them be if they just pat them with love—Rahria and Kacir take my advice.

They are also set free, and the vines retreat.

"That was different," Rahria laughs, turning her attention towards my mates who are both entangled in the long green stems.

"Are you going to stay like this?" We line up in front of them, unable to hide our amusement.

"Fine, I will pet them." Alnitak rolls his eyes. "There, there."

Mintaka follows his brother’s advice and the vines retreat.

They stagger forward, adjusting their uniforms. "Now that was something I had not expected," Mintaka says with a raised brow.

I proceed forward to thump their chests. "Sometimes all you gotta give is love."

They nod at my words, lips stretch into smiles.

"Let’s keep moving."

We resume our journey to finding the final door. The Winter Door and something tells me that one is going to be the most difficult door.

We are breezing through the spring season, and nothing has posed much threat to us so far. We find bushes of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and eat to our heart’s content.

With our bellies full and hydrated, we are ready for the final stage of these Guild Wars.

Strangely we haven’t encountered any other teams in this area.

As the stream takes us forward we feel the chill creeping into the air. The plants thin out and the ground begins to get barren and frosty.

"It feels like we are nearing the winter door," Kacir announces, "Stay sharp."

We walk half a mile more and then we see it looming in the distance. Created from frost and a clear crystal, it almost appears to be frozen in place and yet there is this cold beauty about it.

"Here we are, the last door, before the final charge. Let’s hope we can conquer it faster and Team Istrale has already not crossed over," Alnitak says, rubbing his fingertips over the cold door.

"Something tells me we are going to meet them in the Winter Season," I say, bunching up my lips.

Mintaka cracks his knuckles. "Let them come, we are going to be ready."

With that Alnitak turns the crystal doorknob and throws open the door.

A cold, freezing wind welcomes us as we enter one by one into a frozen tundra of a land. The scents and warmth of spring are left behind.