Nathaly opened her mouth but nothing came out, the words pasted to the roof of her mouth. Bitter, pungent acid filled her mouth and she swallowed it down. The expression of the old woman hinted that what she was saying was true. But the look in her eyes, so devoid, depraved of life and joy, was a dead giveaway.

Panic shot through her gut.

If the two managed to get there and drink the water, what would happen to them?

"If you mind, can you explain?" Kodiak asked in a hushed tone, careful to keep his tone warm.

"I was young. Foolish. Unknowing. The tale of Fontana Oblove was my favorite and I used to beg my mother to read it every night to me when I was a child. But I didn't know the horrors the water would cause on my life." The woman shuddered. "I made a mistake. A large one. A boy, barely a man, killed my older brother in cold blood. The murderer had an unhealthy infatuation with my brother's fiance, and he killed him and captured the woman. She was terrified when I found them, the poor thing. So thin, it looked like she wouldn't be able to hold on any longer. So I killed the man." The old woman gulped, struggling to breathe evenly. Nathaly could tell that she was approaching the harder part of the tale. "The villagers despised me. They threw rocks, refused to give me food, and avoided me like the plague. I was desperate to bring my life back to what it was. As you most likely know, the Fontana Oblove is based on what you wish. I wish for the town to forget that memory of me, and just remember the woman I was before I became a murderer. I stepped in the pool and drank the water. When I came out, I thought that everything would go back to normal. How wrong I was."

A fat tear slid down her wrinkled face, looking like a diamond.

"What happened?" Nathaly asked softly.

"They forgot I even existed. My parents looked at me like I was a stranger and threw me out of the house. The whole village forgot who I was and nothing I could do could make them accept me. Every time I go into town, they avoid me. The world has forgotten me." Her voice cracked on the last sentence and guilt swept through her for this poor woman, who's had to live this life of desolation and isolation for years. 

"What's going to happen to Yasmin and Orion?" Kodiak says, anxiety thick in his voice.

"I don't know. We need to stop them before they get there." 

The old woman ducked her head. "I'll pray for the young ones."

"Thank you, ma'm. You've helped us greatly." Eithan smiled, the simple action transforming his face.

"I wouldn't want to subject anyone to what I've been through. Go, swift ones. Save them."

Nathaly slipped off her mount, patting the beast on it's flank fondly. It served her well. She handed the reins off to a twig of a boy.

"Make sure he gets good food," she said firmly. He nodded and scurried off. Nathaly watched him, bemused, before meeting Kodiak and Eithan at the mouth of the caverns. The gaping maw opened to the darkness and Nathaly took a large step forward. It was cool inside, dew drops coating her skin. The group moved further, searching for any sign of life. But all they found was darkness, darkness, and more darkness.

"Where did they go? This goes on forever!" Eithan exclaimed as he wove around a particularly jagged rock in the middle of their path.

"It cannot. Pamukkale is here. I'm sure of it." Nathaly said, lifting her chin up. Kodiak sidled up besides her, his heat comforting. He smiled down at her, flashing his pearly teeth.

"Lead the way, my lady."

"I'm not your lady, or anyone's lady." She replied crossly, her pout melting into a smile at the sound of Kodiak's booming laughter. She had come to love the rumbling sound lately. A flash of light drew Nathaly's attention and she whipped around to see the exit of the long, rocky tunnel. Nathaly broke into a sprint, slipping a few times on the moist rocks as she went. The mens' thudding steps followed her as she burst into the chamber. It was beautiful, a large outcropping with shining stalactites gleaming at them from the ceiling. It's sharp points were like teeth, poised above her head. 

But the pools made her breath catch.

They shimmered, tranquil, like liquid crystal. They were shallow pools, only coming up to her ankles, but impossibly clear. Nathaly ducked to skim her fingers over the nearest one when Kodiak yanked her back.

"We don't know where Fontana Oblove is. Don't risk it, love." He said in her ear. She regained control of herself and walked around the pool, observing each other them.

They were completely identical.

Even Kodiak's sharp eyes couldn't pick out any differences. He growled in annoyance.

"This is good," Eithan mused. The two turned to face him. "Orion and Yasmin will have an equally hard time finding it." 

Nathaly raked her hand through her hair, which was tangled and matted from days of grime and buildup. 

"But so will we." She huffed right before a thud sounded farther in the cavern. She swiveled and crept down towards the sound, gesturing for the two men to follow her. They moved swiftly, and Nathaly used all her senses to try and find where the sound had come from. She knew for a fact that the sound had come from the two that they had been chasing for the past weeks and she had to tread carefully. Yasmin and Orion were skilled at running and Nathaly couldn't give them the chance. She pressed her body flush against the rocky outcropping, craning her neck as far as she dared to go. She almost gasped but suppressed it.

It was them.

And from the look on Yasmin's face, they had found the pool.