Chapter 91, The Frozen Lake

"We're nearly there, hang on a little longer!" I called out to the others as we scaled the steep incline of the mountain that shields the Frozen Lake.

We're close, I can feel the Essence of Winter resonating with the Essence of Fall in my Storage. Sweating, cold and covered in icicles, we finally arrive at the peek of the mountain and before our eyes was a lake completely frozen over. Around it, a forest coated in white stood. We all nodded and descended and as we did I realized that the trees weren't covered in frost they were made from ice itself.

"So beautiful!" Alexis said as he gazed at the trees made of ice.

"The Frozen Forest, made from trees that were turned into ice when the Black Turtle entered slumber here." A voice said and at the distance we saw a young man with snow white hair and white skin with white eyes and dressed in a white shirt with a white jacket with blue trimmings and white pants with white boots. He wore a white cloak and he seemed to vlend in perfectly with his surroundings. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Le Fleur." He smiled at me.

"You are... the Magician of Deep Freeze." I exclaimed.

"Welcome." He smiled. "Braves of the Sacred Flower. I'm Snow White."

"Nice to meet you, Snow." I smiled.

"Follow me, you can get warmed up here." He lead us through the Forest to a cave.

Inside the cave were colors other than white which seemed to be all you could see outside. Green, blue and yellow, pink, red and roange and more. They come from the plants that seem to grow within the cave but overhead I can see the icicles that must've formed for a long time.

"How did things become like this here?" Adele asked in amazement.

"It started a long time ago. When the Black Turtle came to the North. The north was small and was made from pieces of lands that drifted from each other." Snow stated as he lead us into a wood cabin inside the cave. "The Black Turtle used ice and snow to connect the small fragments of land and create the Northern Continent we know today."

"What about the lake?" Alexis asked.

"The Lake and the area around it is wrapped in a amgic of ice so strong it froze all that was near it. We in the north have decided to call it Eternal Ice, because it cannot be melted." He said. "But inside it, microscopic life thrives creating beautiful crystals which are the pride and joy of the northern people."

"Ice Gems!" Zhen exclaimed.

"Precisely. The Ice Gems are ice crystals that have microscopic life inside of them. They become gemlike due to this and are highly valued depending on their coloring." He stated. "The older a gem the deeper it color, and here in this lake, the oldest of those gemstones can be found."

"So that's why they'd want it." Liam stated and I realized what he meant.

"Where is the Black Turtle?" I asked him.

"Sleeping. At the very bottom of the lake." He answered as we were all drying up near the fire. "I can show it to you."

"Yes, please." I answered.

We walked towards thw outsude of the cave towards the otherisde of the lake and there was a small cave, hidden behind the frozen trees. We enter the opening and arrive at a staircase that goes down. We follow Snow as he leads us into the depths of the cave and slowly, the roof of the cave begins to look like hardpacked ice. We walk deeper and deeper and eventually reach a large opening in the ice. We were standing on stones while above head the roof was pure ice.

"Are we at the bottom of the lake?!" Lia exclaimed.

"Yes. And over there is the Black Turtle." Snow pointed out to a great block of ice.

I see inside the ice, the Black Turtle, with a white snake wrapped around its shell black shell. So beautiful, so this is the ancient being that represents ice and snow.

"Why is it trapped in the ice?" Angie asked.

"It was done to apparently keep the Black Turtle dormant." Snow answered. "My family has served as the Magicians of Deep Freeze since my great grandfather's generation. The story that was passed down, would you like to hear it?"

"Yes, please." I answered.

"The Black Turtle brought ice and snow wherever it went, wherever it would pass, eternal frost would be left. The Black Turtle was a kind creature, who valued life above all." He began. "So, to keep the people safe from the power of ice and snow, the Black Turtle came deeper into the north. There, it found an isolated lake and within the lake, it slept, covering itself in ice and snow."

"So, that's the reason it's in ice?" Lucas asked a bit skeptical.

"It makes sense. In mythology the Black Turtle had the power over life and death. It guides souls past the ocean between life and death. As such, it is believed that theBlack Turtle now also holds the power of life and death." I stated. "The Black Turtle values life, but it takes life as it leaves behind ice. So, to protect life, it sealed itself away. But how did you family come to learn of this?"

"My great grandfather was killed by the Black Turtle, but before he could pass on, the Black Turtle entrusted him with the Essence of Winter saving his life." He answered. "And so, for the past century or so, our family has served as the Magicians of Deep Freeze."

"I see. The Black Turtle has indeed chosen a good person to bear the Essence of Winter."

He smiled and we went back up to the surface to feel tremendous power and pressure as we approached the entrance of the cave. It feels ominous and dark, murky and muddy, a disgusting sensation that wraps around the itself. Greed. This is... no doubt, the Obsidian Jade! The Phantom Troupe is here.