by Sarah Noffke
Ever smiled down at Monet. He’d covered the bill again, using his small green piece of plastic. Monet thought that there must be something magical about the card, since it had paid for a huge bar tab as well as all their food. Ever had tried to explain how credit cards worked, but Azure and Monet’s eyes had glazed over when he started talking about APRs.
“Okay, let’s get to work using the Fitbit to find our way,” Azure said, the device in one hand and the piece of parchment Gillian had given her in the other. “He said that the Mountain of Truth plays tricks, and that the only way, other than having Gillian himself, was to rely on distance measurements.”
“What do the first set of instructions say?” Ever asked.
“After six-point-three miles we are to take a sharp right,” Azure said, consulting the paper and then the device. “We have just a little bit more to go.” She started forward, but tripped, making her catch her balance.
“So…what? If Gillian was here, would he magically know how far six-point-three miles was?” Monet was joking, but the light expression dropped from his face when he turned to Ever. “Is that one of the abilities in the gnome’s arsenal?”
“Gnomes are excellent with navigation, especially in the mountains,” Ever informed him.
“Must be because they are so close to the ground,” Monet said with a chuckle.
“Speaking of the ground, does anyone else notice that it’s playing games with us?” Azure asked, taking another step and tripping for the third time. She kept misjudging how high to pick up her foot and how low the ground was.
“Dear Azure, that’s called being drunk. And yes, I’ve noticed that walking is bit more difficult.” Monet stumbled forward, his foot hitting the ground hard.
“I had half as much to drink as you, Monet, and I’m having the same trouble walking,” Ever said.
“Well, that just means that Light Elves can’t handle their liquor so well.” Monet lifted his foot high and then slowly brought it down, as if not sure where it would land. The three traversed the next several yards like careful drunks not wanting to draw attention to themselves.
“Things just got strange here.” Azure turned to the wall of dirt to her right. “This is where Gillian says we need to take a right.”
“So, gnomes have great navigational skills and can walk through walls?” Monet put his hands on his hips.
“Are you sure? Maybe you misread it and the turn is farther down or a left,” Ever said, peering over Azure’s shoulder as she reviewed the directions.
“Since a left would have us walking over the side of a hill, I’m going to guess that isn’t it unless the gnome sent us on a death mission,” Monet remarked.
“Which is totally possible,” Azure muttered, narrowing her eyes at the parchment.
“It says ‘take a right at six-point-three miles,’” Ever confirmed before glancing at the Fitbit. “And we are at exactly that mileage.”
“There was a reason that Gillian insisted we use the Fitbit. He said accuracy was key, and to follow the directions. So, what if…” Azure’s voice trailed off and she took a careful step forward, then held her hand out and touched the dirt wall. However, it wasn’t dirt and rock Azure felt against her fingers. It felt more like silk, and then the sensation was gone and her hand sank through the wall and disappeared.
“Whoa! Whatever they put in my martini was some good shit,” Monet exclaimed.
“Of course!” Ever rushed forward, sinking his own arm into the wall. It disappeared. “It’s a false wall. The Mountain of Truth is rumored to be full of lies, at least on one of the three levels. Must be on the first.”
Monet threw his hands up, exasperated. “All things you and Shorty could have shared before we set off on this fucking adventure… Three levels. Level of lies. Good to fucking know.”
Azure pulled her hand out of the false wall and turned to face Ever. “For once I agree with the sassy wizard. Sometimes Gillian’s and your secrecy goes a bit far.”
Ever smiled apologetically. “Sorry, it’s habit. I’m used to being on my own. And Gillian… Well, secrecy is in his blood.”
“Well, try and open up more or I’ll be spilling some Light Elf blood,” Azure warned. Her tone was light, but she had a look of intimidation on her face.
“You got it.” Ever winked and bowed to her. “Will you allow me to go first and ensure it is safe on the other side?”
“Yes, thank you,” Azure said with a smile.
Ever stood tall, eyeing the wall before marching forward. He disappeared through it, but only briefly. A moment later his head popped back out, appearing to float in the air. “Coast is clear, but the lies continue. Be warned.”
Azure threw a glance at Monet. “A place full of lies. Sounds like you’ll fit right in.”
“Ha-ha, Queen Bitch,” Monet strolled past her, pushing her slightly as he disappeared through the wall.
Azure gulped, glancing at the mountain around her before stepping through the wall.
“Oh, fuck! Are you sure I’m not high?” Monet yelled.
Azure sucked in a breath and backed up, not at all prepared for the world she’d stepped into. Below her feet and stretching up the mountain was a ground made of sky. Under her were blue skies and clouds, as if she were walking on air. The wall of the Mountain of Truth stood on her right and the valley on her left. Where the sky was supposed to be, there was only dirt and rock.
“It’s a reverse world. The ground is sky and the sky is ground,” Monet said, his voice full of astonishment.
“Actually, it’s a lie. What we are seeing is an illusion, like the false wall.” Ever knelt and scooped up a handful of sky. He lifted it a few inches, opened his fingers, and dirt poured from his hand. “See, it’s actually dirt. And the sky is full of the clouds above us.”
“What’s the point of this?” Azure asked.
He shrugged. “To disarm. Create confusion. I’m sure this isn’t the last lie we’ll see and have to assimilate into our minds.”
Monet snapped his fingers in front of the Light Elf’s face. “’Fess up. Three levels? Tell us all, secret keeper.”
Ever gave an easy grin and nodded. “I don’t know as much as Gillian, but I can tell you this much. The first level appears to be full of lies. The second, from what I’ve heard, is about truth, hence the name. And I don’t know anything about the third level, except that it’s where the purple mist lies.” Ever pointed to the peak, which was barely visible in the distance, purple mist swirling around it.
“And that’s where Mage Lenore lives,” Azure added.
Monet wove his arm into Azure’s and pulled her over to Ever. He wove his other arm through the Light Elf’s. “Okay, let’s get our happy asses up the yellow brick road.”
“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Azure asked, leaning forward and looking at Ever.
“I do,” he replied with a laugh, before looking at Monet. “I’m the Tin Man, and you’re definitely the Scarecrow.”
“Fuck off! I’ll show you brains!” Monet joked, not at all looking offended.
“Seriously, you two are ordered to stop using references I don’t get,” Azure growled.
“Not a chance,” Monet said, trying to skip but unable to, linked as he was to Azure and Ever. He untangled his arms from theirs and kicked up a bit of dirt from the sky-ground.
“Anyone else notice the golden tree in the distance?” Azure asked, looking at a shiny oak dripping with gems.
“I just did,” Monet informed her. “And it looks like we’re rich!”
“Level of lies,” Azure reminded him.
“Oh, come on—you’re so cynical! I’ll need a boost. I’ll pick enough to make Virgo a rich realm.” Monet broke off from the group.
As they neared the tree, the ground shifted back to dirt and the blue sky was flecked with puffy clouds.
“I was kind of getting used to walking on clouds,” Monet muttered, skipping toward the golden tree.
Ever gave A
zure a sideways look. “He won’t really pick anything from the tree, will he?”
“Probably not. He just enjoys giving me a heart attack.” Azure consulted the directions and then the Fitbit. “Actually, just past the tree it looks like we’re supposed to take a left.”
Monet spun around and halted. His eyes jerked to the side and then back to her. “You do see that a left takes us over the mountain to certain death?”
“Mountain of Truth trickery, don’t you remember?” Azure reminded him.
“Walking through a wall is a bit different than stepping off the edge of a mountain,” Monet said.
“Well, it sounds like you need a brave man for the job,” Ever said, stepping forward and puffing his chest out in an exaggerated manner.
Monet twisted his head in one direction and then the other, staring all around. “When is this man you speak of going to show up?”
“Oh, you two are impossible.” Azure marched forward, pausing on the edge of the cliff. She lifted her foot and mentally prepared herself to step over the side.
“I’ve got you,” Ever said behind her, his hand close to her arm in case she fell.
She nodded, taking a deep breath. She let her foot come down and was stunned when she was suspended in air. Instead of walking on endless sky, now she was looking at the ground a few thousand feet under her. “Don’t come out here unless you aren’t afraid of heights,” she warned, taking a few cautious steps.
A moment later Ever joined her, looking at the landscape under them. “My question is, how do we know where the path is or when we’re about to take a real plunge?”
Azure nodded. “I think the side of the mountain runs next to us. We are just moving along the edge of it as we wind our way to the top.” She took a few cautious steps, her hand out. A smile sprang to her mouth when her hand connected with the dirt wall. “It’s still here. We just can’t see it.”
“Before the wall wasn’t real when we could see it. Now it’s there, but invisible. This place is fucked up,” Monet said.
“I agree. And if we stay connected to the wall, we won’t walk off the edge of the mountain,” Ever said.
“Let’s keep going. I’ve had enough of the lies.” Azure set off in the lead.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Soon they were walking on actual ground again. The terrain turned rocky and the trees dotting the landscape thinned. Most of the year this part of the Mountain of Truth was covered in snow, but thankfully it wasn’t that time of year.
“I need to take a piss,” Monet whined behind Azure.
She whipped around and stuck her hands on her hips. “Thanks for the information. Go off and do it.”
Monet scanned the area where they stood. “Where?”
“Dude, I’m not your mother. Go freaking figure it out,” Azure said.
“Why don’t you hike around this bend? We’ll wait here,” Ever offered, pointing to the turn ahead.
Monet’s eyes ran over that area with a new hesitation in them. “Do you need to go?” he asked Ever.
The Light Elf raised a curious eyebrow, giving Azure a sideways look. “Uhhh…no. Why?”
Pulling his eyes away from the mountain peak, which was becoming more and more obscured by the purple mists, Monet shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought we could go together.”
Azure burst out laughing. “You want a piss buddy?”
“No,” Monet said, his pale face flushing red. “It’s just…well, I’m scared. I don’t want to go off on my own.”
Azure’s eyes widened as she tilted her head to the side. Not once in the almost hundred years she’d known Monet had he admitted to being scared. Even when he was, he would just make a nasty joke.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked.
He bit down on his lip, his eyes lowered. “No, not really. I’ve had to piss for an hour. My feet hurt. My buzz is wearing off. That cheese fondue isn’t sitting right in my stomach. There’s a cramp in my side. And my balls are sweaty.”
Drawing in a slow breath, Azure turned to face Ever. “I do believe we’ve hit the level of truth.”
He nodded, pressing his lips together. “Come on, Monet. Let’s go,” Ever said, striding forward and waving the wizard to follow.
“I’ll just stay here and think about what a big baby Monet is,” Azure said with no humor in her words. That was a truth. She really thought Monet was weak. He was though, wasn’t he? But he was strong in other ways. Loyal. Thoughtful. Intuitive. Monet was the perfect best friend for Azure. He always made her laugh, ripped her as much as she could tolerate, and silently believed in her. And although he gave the appearance of being worthless, she knew he had true genius lurking under the surface—something that could possibly save the kingdom of Virgo one day.
“Where did that come from?” Azure mumbled to herself, shaking her head to clear the strange thoughts that poured through it. Man, she was going to need to seal her mouth shut for the next few miles or she’d say nice things to people. The level of truth was possibly worse than the one before.
Ever’s head ducked out from around the bend. “Ready to keep going?”
“Not really,” Azure admitted, her eyes on the towering peak above them. It felt like it would take days to wind their way to the top. According to Gillian’s notes, they had roughly six more miles.
“Well, looky there. Miss Perfect doesn’t always have a good attitude,” Ever remarked when Azure met him on the path.
“I think we should ban talking,” Azure said, her eyes scanning the parchment and then eyeing the Fitbit. In a half-mile they needed to take a path to the right.
Monet scuffed his feet in the dirt as he hiked in front of Ever, his head hung low. “I wished I hadn’t come.”
“Well, no one forced you,” Ever said, his voice uncharacteristically sharp.
“I didn’t want to be the only one left behind,” Monet said, sounding like a sniveling little boy.
Azure’s mouth opened without her permission. “I wanted you to come. If I die, I want you to be there.” All of those words just fell out.
Monet spun to her, shock in his eyes. “You think you’re going to die on this mission?”
“Gillian was taken by goblins. Mage Lenore is more powerful than any other witch or wizard on Oriceran. We don’t know what lurks in the purple mists. I’m not afraid, but I think that death is a real possibility. If I get stabbed I want you by my side, holding my hand when I take my last breath,” Azure said, something sharp seeking to obstruct her airway. She grabbed her soul stone in her hand and pressed it until the familiar beating of the stone warmed her fingers.
Monet blinked at her. “You’re not going to die. I’ll throw myself in front of any danger to save you.”
“Ugh, will you two shut up? We get it. You’re best pals. Good for you,” Ever said, his words on fire with hostility. He charged past them and continued hiking up the path.
Azure gave Monet a cautious look. “What do you think is wrong with him?” she asked in a whisper.
“I can hear you! Elf hearing, remember?” Ever yelled.
Monet swung around and trotted after him, his robes billowing behind him. “Are you okay, Ever? I’m really worried about you.” Halting suddenly, Monet clapped his hand to his mouth. “No more talking,” he mumbled behind his fingers.
“This place is fucked up,” Azure said, noticing that the path was darkening. The peak had started to obstruct the sunlight.
“Yeah, it’s horrible,” Ever grumbled, lacing his hand into his black hair. His shoulders were pinned up high and his back was tense.
“Veer to the right,” Azure instructed them when they reached the fork.
“I don’t want to,” Monet admitted.
The three paused, eyeing the path. It was lined with dark trees whose branches hung low. Visibility was limited, making it look like they were entering a tunnel. Conversely, the path to the left was sprinkled with sunlight and yellow daisies ran as far as they could see.
&nb
sp; “Yeah, I kind of don’t want to either. Haunted trees dripping with wizard beards.” Azure pointed at the moss hanging from the nearest tree. “Or sweet flowers and golden rays of light? Yeah, I totally feel you, Monet, but we’re sticking with the directions.”
He nodded, inching nearer to Azure. “Okay, but stay close by. I’ve got your back if something leaps from a tree.”
A loud sigh of frustration left Ever’s mouth. “You two are fucking ridiculous,” he said, stomping forward on the path to the right.
“What’s your problem? You’re usually so good-natured—which is actually kind of annoying. Like, who is always in a good mood? No one. Faker!” Monet snapped, his voice growing tense as he spoke.
“You know what?” Ever spun back, his black eyebrows arching over his narrowed eyes. “It’s an act. I learned to put on a smile. People like those who are easy going. And because of who I am and what I’ve done, I made myself an outcast a long time ago, telling myself that I preferred it that way. But what you two have—this friendship—it’s what I’ve always wanted. A real friend. One who got me.”
Monet sputtered out a long breath. “Well, this is fairly uncomfortable. I wish you’d kept all that to yourself.”
Azure found herself laughing. Ever pulled his gaze up to look at her, offense written on his face.
“How dare you laugh at me?” he asked, his voice hoarse with anger.
“I’m not laughing at you. Well, maybe I am. I’m laughing at how absurd this all is. This damn mountain has us sharing and saying things we otherwise never would. It’s pretty fucked up, but also enlightening.”
Ever’s eyes softened and a smile broke out on his mouth. Monet let out a loud laugh, scattering a flock of birds overhead.
“Yeah, I guess it is pretty funny. The truth doesn’t really set us free as much as make us crazy.” Ever shook his head as the others joined him.