A Hidden Gem of the Forest

We dropped what felt like twenty feet into a deep pool. Lily kicked with me as we arose. I gasped for air as she giggled.
“Are you alright?” She asked teasing me yet again.
“Yeah, fantastic,” I said gasping.
“Well, we can start training now,” She said.
She took her bag off and swam to the shore.
I had to take in what I saw for a moment. The ambient wind whistled above the green canyon, overgrown with short grasses and healthy trees. They were all bedded in a cool, grey rock.
“Are you coming Andrew?” She asked.
“Yeah,” I answered, swimming to the edge of the shore. Lily’s tows hung over the clean, rock shore.
“Are you ok?” she asked, with a warm smile. It wasn’t a question of concern.
“Yeah,” I answered, looking up at her. She giggled. “I just feel drained from that little ride down, but I have to say, this is beautiful Lily.
“I always think of this place as one of my hidden gems here,” She responded.
“I’m going to want to regret saying that when we begin training by the way,” I joked. “Does anything else even know about this place?”
“Of course. The more travel-worthy elementals cross through. There are also few large elementals here that make a home close to this water source, like the one bellow you, not to give you a scare,” She said with a wink.
I looked down and panicked at the obscured green giant as it swam up and surfaced its large mouth. Hope wraiths flew out in a burst, joyously gliding.
“Calm down, he won’t bite,” She said as it slithered back to the bottom. Lily knelt to help me out. I wasn't hesitant to accept her hand after seeing that monster, friendly or not. “We don’t have much more time to waste though, so let’s get started.”
-The Agris Terra, Andrew Schlageter