Mike\'s POV

"Victoria, I found something" I called out way too loud earning judgemental glances from the silent readers of the library. Nevertheless, they came running to me. "Here it is. Can you read it out loud"? I asked as I handed the book over to her"

She took it, and started reading, "Ancient Goblins believed that there was a time when there was nothing but peace, a time coined as the golden era of magic. The Emperor Versillion, also known as the harbinger of concordance, was the pioneer of a new kingdom, the one which united every single being.

He devoted his life to this one and only mission, and in doing so spent all his life in the servitude of others. Many deemed his mission to be childish and hopeless but nothing could wither his determination. Alas, his devotion pleased the deity Feindora, the Goddess of life, and granted him the Cantata Silvam, colloquially termed as the enchanted forest.

The forest was the final destination of the tough path chosen by the king Versillion. He dissapeared in the forest which eventually brought peace, a legacy that lasted for a long long time.

However, soon greed crept upon the people who desired power. Who desired control over the others to the point they attempted to exploit the Cantala Silvam for their devious purposes.

The forest was soon turned into a curse for whomever seeked it for selfish purposes, to the point where people stopped looking for them. Pretty soon, people forgot its location, its existence was deemed to be lost."

Victoria went quiet for a really long time, Ultimately urging me to break the ice, "Vicky"?

"This still doesn\'t say where it is". Victoria sighed.

"No, but it does give us a brief idea of what we\'re looking for, maybe that\'ll come in handy". I suggested.

"How?" She sighed.

"I dunno," I mumbled. "Maybe there is something in the later paragraphs"? I asked.

"This is it, Mike. That\'s all there is". Vicky declared with disappointment.

"That story, it says that it was meant to bring peace. I can understand how it\'ll solve the crisis of inter- Goblin war, but what about your mother\'s health?" Jake prompted.

"This story only focuses on the peace aspect, doesn\'t mean the forest doesn\'t possess other qualities. Are you forgetting that it was made by the Goddess of Life\'\'? Victoria raised her eyebrows. "Something that is made from life itself, how can it not cure my mother"? Victoria sighed.

"I dunno" Jake mumbled. "I am not exactly the expert on Goblins." He paused. "But you know, who is? Sofosys. Just go and talk to him, maybe he\'ll give you something that none of our research can".

"After what he did, after his blind devotion to my mother, I don\'t find him trustworthy". Victoria scoffed.

"I think that is the reason you should find him trustworthy" Jake scoffed, earning a glare and a head tilt from Victoria. "What I mean is that he will do anything for the queen right. Maybe, he will do anything to save her life, ergo give you the information you need. I know you are stressed, but you gotta admit...we can use Sofosys\' help on this one"! Jake insisted.

Victoria went quiet for a moment before she nodded. "Well, I gotta go now. I\'ll be back and maybe we can discuss this further". She suggested.

"Go where"? I frowned.

"I have some urgent business to take care of, don\'t worry... I\'ll be back before you know it". She patted my arm and exited the library. After a moment of consideration all of us followed her out, but she was already gone for good, thereby leaving us stranded, once more.

"What do we do now". I mumbled to no one in particular.

"Shall we look for other clues until she comes back?" Jake proposed. "You know, look for more clues."

"I thought you hated this" I raised my eyes skeptically. A moment ago he was complaining like anything, and suddenly he was interested.

"Yeah, I mean...I thought it would be useless. That story...it was pretty good. It changed my mind".

"You guys don\'t actually believe that story do you"? Scoffed Maland, gaining our attention.

"Why not"? Jake frowned.

"In case you haven\'t noticed, the subheading of her stanza was urban legends. There is a reason it\'s called a legend. Not everything in it is trustworthy" Maland shook his head contemptuously.

"How am I supposed to know what was the subheading. No one read that one out loud and in case you didn\'t notice I am not exactly a Goblin Language major" Jake remarked sarcastically, earning a glare from Maland.

"Okay okay… calm down. Both of you" I prompted before their petty rift could escalate. "Honestly, I miss those cheesy interactions." I sighed.

"Ewww"!

"Disgusting"!

Both Jake and Maland declared at the same time, making my eyes widen. They took a quick glance at each other before rolling their eyes and looking away. Their way of behaving was similar to two kindergarten kids. Shaking my head, I looked away as well to spot any signs of Victoria. I didn\'t know where she would be, or where she was supposed to be but I knew she asked us to wait. So we had no option but to wait.

With nothing to do, I decided to spend my time practicing some spells. If there was a chance I could come in handy by any means, I had to try. This time I didn\'t go into my room, not wanting to accidentally set fire to the whole thing as I practiced some fire spells. The way it came naturally to me scared me.

It made me curious as to who my father is. If I have the power of fire, does it mean that my father possessed the same. Does it mean that he was evil since the power of fire was associated with evil. I tried my best not to ponder upon such thoughts, but no matter what I couldn\'t let go of it.

"Mike" I heard Jake call me, bringing me back to reality. "You busy?\'\' he asked.

"A little bit." I nodded. "What\'s up"?

"I was thinking about this enchanted forest. If it can cure the queen, maybe it can end illness altogether." He asked, being all bright and excited.

"Okay...so"? I asked skeptically.

"So, maybe, it can cure everything. Dude, like… all the things we consider hopeless for, like Caner"! He exclaimed. "We need to find that forest".

"Since when do you care about Cancer"? I frowned

"Since when do you not"? Jake asked me back rhetorically. "I thought you wanted to be a doctor, doesn\'t that mean wanting to cure people"?

"No, that means wanting to care for others while offering the best possible cure for them" I corrected him.

"Uh-huh! The forest can do that"! Jake exclaimed.

"And what do you want me to tell the people, that I have a magical cure for you"! I rolled my eyes. "Besides, if I keep saving everybody, there will be no death. Can you possibly imagine the chaos that it would create"? I tried my best to reason with him.

"If so then why didn\'t you say the same to Victoria"? Jake challenged. "Her mother is on the deathbed, and she is trying to find a permanent cure for her mother. Isn\'t that the same thing"?

"It\'s different. The Queen is a Goblin, she can\'t comprehend magic. But-" I tried to argue back.

"Even the goblins believe that the forest is a myth." Jake prompted. "You are just agreeing to it because she is your sister". He scoffed with me, clearly accusing me of favoritism.

"And you are getting so worked up because…"? I trailed off. "Which human are you trying to save? Don\'t tell me you plan to bring back Linda"?

"What"? He scoffed. "NO"! Straightening himself up, he mumbled, "I am just speaking for the common interest.

"No, this is personal" I shook my head. "Look, you can be honest with me, you know that right"? I asked.

"I am being honest with you"! He insisted, but I simply titled my head, raised my brows to convey, \'are you really\'? "Okay, fine, I want to cure Maland," he admitted.

I blinked, Maland? He wasn\'t human, so why was he obsessed with humans, unless…"Wait, what cure"?

"Have you ever noticed his right hand"? Jake asked me.

"The one he keeps covered"? I asked.

He nodded before proceeding, "I saw that hand, Mike. It\'s dead..complete;y dead and yet attached to him like a constant reminder of what had happened to him. He keeps it covered, but he misses its use" Jake mumbled. "If his hand gets cured, maybe he can return to the world of Goblins. He is a warrior, and I know he does not enjoy being stuck here."

"Jake that\'s…." I smiled. "That\'s beautiful"

"I know," He shrugged.

"You totally got a thing for him" I teased. He shot me a glare but didn\'t say anything. "Look, if we find the forest, maybe we will find a way to cure his hand. I can promise you that" I assured him, earning a smile from him.