Dragon Island - Chapter 2

    "Why is it so dark in here? It feels like it's getting late already!" Emma was beginning to get a bit creeped out, the mist swirling off the looming pine trees sent a shiver down her spine.
    "It's just the forest roof making it seem so dark, it'll probably open up soon, we just gotta keep following the path." Allie replied, her voice wavering a bit as she tried to remain confident.
    "Ugh! Bugs!" Emma spat one out onto the forest floor, grimacing at Allie.
    "Ew. I really hope this path goes somewhere eventually..." Allie peered into the darkened forest, looking down the path in the hopes of glimpsing something other than pine.
    The two girls walked on in silence for a minute or two, when Emma noticed something strange.
    "Where are all the birds? I haven't seen or heard any wildlife but those bugs since we got here..."
    "I was just wondering that! It's too quiet in here." Just as Allie replied, the path took a sharp turn through two tall trees, and sunlight appeared ahead.
    "Aha! I knew it couldn't be foresty forever," Allie exclaimed, setting off at a quick trot, anxious to get out of the woods. Emma quickly caught up, and the two ran towards the growing patch of light.
    Bursting out into the sun, they quickly gasped, in front of them stretched a huge grassy plain, complete with wild horses, rabbits and deer roaming around, grazing the tall grass.
    "I didn't think there were any wild horses left!" Exclaimed Emma, who was an extreme animal lover.
    "Me either... This is weird. Why aren't there any houses or buildings? We haven't seen another human being since we crossed that bridge!" Allie was growing more and more suspicious, but Emma lost sight of her fear and ran out into the field, anxious to befriend the horses. As she neared, Allie watched to gauge the horses reactions, and was surprised when they seemed unperturbed by her friend's endeavor. Emma marched right up to a group of them and began talking in her low, melodic voice, calming the horses with her gentle words.
     Allie approached the fields more cautiously, looking away from the group of horses on her left, and walked a bit past where Emma was standing, petting one of them. and looking off into the distance, noticed something strange. Beige masses rose up along one side of the field, she looked down and noticed an old worn trail just barely visible within the grassy clumps, winding off towards the strange lumps in the distance.
     "Emma, are those towers?" She gasped, pointing off to the right hand side of the field.
     "Let's go find out!" Allie turned towards her friend's voice and couldn't help but laugh, Emma was already seated bareback on a chestnut mare she had befriended just moments before. "Hop on!" Emma grinned down at her friend, whose blue eyes were wide open in astonishment, and reached out a hand, pulling Allie onto the horse behind her. They set off at a gallop for the strange landmass peeking over the plains in the distance.