12. Hidden By The Wind

On a hill they were able to soak up the atmosphere of the village. At the right, was a cozy village with small houses, some animals and some colorful flowers. On the left, however there was a breathtaking ocean of flowers colored red, yellow, blue and purple, swirling in the wind. This ocean intertwined by paths and a few fences was towered by the two white windmills with brown structure and vanes.

- "Beware of the giants!" - Mazanlold shouted. More than joking he wanted to show how he was correct in not trusting Richard. Caoilainn held her laugh and Isabella thought better to ignore this. Richard blushed again and they descended the hill.

Isabella was visibly worried. The opposition of the tense team and the need to work together was something that has always made her suffer. And it seemed that in her life it was always her who needed to take action make sure everyone was able to work together and focus on the task ahead. So, yet again she started:
- "Comrades, it's time to start working on the riddle." - they stopped and reunited. Isabella looked at each of them - "does anyone have any idea on how to go on from here?"
- "We have swirling flowers" - said Caoilainn - "the next step should be to ride the wind and then find bowers, whatever that might mean." - she shook her head. Richard waited to see if someone would speak before taking the word:
- "Maybe we can" - he hesitated - "enter in the windmill and see things from above. Maybe that's what riding the wind means."
- "Ha, that's a good one" - Mazanlold said with a smile - "Maybe we can find giants there!" - Caoilainn covered her mouths with her hand, but Richard remained quiet, tensing his shoulders and neck. - "Why don't we tear down the windmills and this village, just for safety?"
- "That's enough" - said Isabella. - "We must work together here and think about every solution and risk, regardless of who brings them up."
- "As you wish, lady Isabella" - Mazanlold replied.
- "Isabella" - she then looked at the rest of them - "Looking things from a vantage point should be useful regardless of whether this is the answer or not." - they followed her.

In the entrance of the windmill there was a single worker who saluted Isabella. It was the first day of the week, so almost no one was working. Inside, they climbed the winding stairs and observed the spinning contraptions of the windmill. At the top of the stairs was a quite wide window in which they were able to observe the field of flowers.

Again, the view was dazzling and now they could clearly see how the wind bent the flowers and made spirals on the field. Caoilainn said:
- "Wait a minute, doesn't it look like a castle?" - she pointed at the parts of it - "can't you see it, one tower, the straight structure, another and even the scarlet banner of Kitatik! These flowers are gorgeous!" - they followed her and just shook their heads, there was no doubt that it was a castle. Caoilainn was ecstatic - "now it's easy, we just have to found the bowers!" - quickly she scanned the field and said - "there it is!" - she pointed at a small elevation of flowers close to the right tower.
- "Hmmmm" - said Isabella - "that's it I believe. It is very similar to Kitatik's castle." - she ran her hand through her hair - "and there is a bowers close to one of the towers. I wonder if my family commissioned this garden years ago."
- "YAY! We found it! Let's go!" - Caoilainn ran excitedly, leaving no option for the others but to follow her.

Isabella took a little time as the others continued. She relieved the worker of his duty, saying they were taking care of important matters and they would call him at the village if needed. Isabella reached the bowers after them and Caoilainn was already kneeling on the ground in a small patch without flowers, the window of the bowers. Yet again, Mazanlold accepted his duty of digging. This time, Richard noticed he turned his weapon into a shovel.
- "It's neat isn't it?" - Caoilainn said to Richard - "I gave him a rune to allow him to shape-shift his weapon into other weapons and tools." - she blinked - "just another of my tricks!" - Richard replied to her:
- "You never cease to surprise" - she smiled. Soon, Mazanlold called them as he finished digging. They all could see a chest in the ground, but it was covered in brown structures, which seemed like tree roots. Mazanlold tried to pull it out, but it didn't budge:
- "Strength won't solve this" - he said, drying the sweat from his forehead. Isabella approached and tried to cut the root-like things with her sword, but to no avail.
- "Not a single scratch" - she said. Richard came a little closer but did not dare try to do anything. Finally Caoilainn came closer, observed, ran her hand through the structures and stopped to think. She also knocked at it. She sighed. And she said:
- "Okay, I know what to do here. I am not completely sure what this is or how it is made, but I know how to destroy these root things." she touched her nose - "It is done with an alchemic process called nigredo, a process of dissolution, putrefaction." - Richard simply asked:
- "Can you do it?"
- "Yes sure" - she paused - "but not now" - she looked up - "this process will need moonlight. It is really tough without it. Fortunately, this is a full moon night, so I only have to wait."
- "So, I guess that's what you do" - said Isabella. Caoilainn stopped and looked down before asking:
- "Just one thing, please" - she paused - "please wait with me" - Isabella promptly said:
- "Of course! We always stick together!" - Mazanlold and Richard consented with their heads, but they did not look at each other.
- "Thank you" - Caoilainn answered with a rich smile and a small bow.

So, despite their differences, the four spent the day in the village and waited until night to return to the sea of flowers and to uncover the secrets of the chest.