by Sarah Noffke
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Is it me, or did the temperature just drop ten degrees?” Azure asked, stopping to take off her bag and retrieve her crumpled robe from it. She pulled it from the bottom of the bag, shoving the crystal ball Gran had given her to the side to get to it.
“I don’t get cold,” Monet said, pursing his lips. “I’m a real man.”
“Okay, so we are apparently out of the second level. You’ve gone back to fibbing.” Azure slid her arms into the sleeves, tying the robe tightly around her neck and pulling up the hood. Cold wind whipped against her ears with a swooshing sound.
“I’ll ignore that jab, since I’m an incredibly forgiving person,” Monet said, feigning a look of nobility.
“Yes, we must be out of the level of truth,” Ever said with an easy laugh. The light had returned to his blue eyes, making him appear approachable once more.
“What’s on the third level?” Azure asked.
“That I don’t know. Gillian would have, but the best we can do is to keep our wits about us. Whatever is up ahead will probably try and mess with our minds. That’s the way the Mountain of Truth prevents travelers from finding Mage Lenore,” Ever said.
“Okay, onward and upward.” Azure lifted her chin to the canopy overhead, from which small beady eyes blinked back at her. Not at all creepy, she thought, shaking her head.
Thankfully the trees thinned as they hiked higher, but soon they were walking in the purple mist. The clouds that sat on the top of the mountain instantly dampened their clothes and styled Azure’s hair into frizzy locks.
“I wonder what’s up ahead?” Monet mused casually after they’d walked in silence for a long while.
“Are you being serious?” Azure asked. She consulted Gillian’s notes. They had another mile before they’d need to take a left.
“I’m always serious,” he answered with a laugh.
“The peak is up ahead.”
“I know that, but I wonder what’s on it,” Monet said.
“Oh, he has gone mad.” Azure turned to look at Ever, who was on the other side of her. “Did you see him sipping any liquor recently?”
Ever’s forehead wrinkled with confusion. “He has a good point, actually. What is on the top of this mountain?”
Azure halted. “Okay, you’ve lost your mind as well. What’s at the top of this mountain? I can’t believe you’re even asking such a dumbass question.”
Monet leaned over, obstructing Azure’s view of the Light Elf. “Great, you remember! What’s at the top of this mountain?”
“It’s the very reason that we’ve hiked up here. That’s what it is,” Azure said, pure conviction in her voice.
“And that would be?” Monet asked, sincere curiosity in his tone.
“Well, it’s… That… I mean… Hold on,” Azure said, breaking away from the group and facing a stand of trees. She pressed her eyes shut, trying to think. The more she tried, though, the worse it got. For some reason she couldn’t remember why she was on this mountain. Why had her friends and she come out this way? It was like a dream, and the harder she tried to remember their quest, the faster it seemed to slip through her fingers.
“You don’t remember either, do you?” Ever’s voice said at her back.
Azure spun around. “How could that be? We’ve been hiking for…well, I can’t remember for how long. Maybe a day?”
“Or maybe a week,” Monet added.
“Yeah, I can’t remember much from before. I’m queen. You two advise me. But why are we here?” Azure shook her head, trying to understand why her brain suddenly didn’t work.
“Maybe we should return to Virgo. Once we are there, we can figure out what we missed and return if necessary,” Ever supplied.
“Yes, that’s an excellent idea,” Monet said at once.
“No, we came out here for a reason. And it’s strange that suddenly we can’t remember why.” Azure pulled the piece of folded parchment from her pocket. “This has directions on it. Maybe we should follow them.”
“Follow them to what?” Monet asked, exasperated.
“I don’t know, but we can’t give up.” Azure set down her bag, digging in it for her water bottle.
“This purple mist is getting thicker. Soon we aren’t going to have much visibility. And trying to find something when we don’t know what we’re looking for is dangerous.” Ever spoke with caution, which was unlike him.
Azure yanked her water bottle from her bag, then threw back her head and took a long drink. Something was obviously wrong here. She kicked the bag at her feet, her frustration letting loose. From her bag rolled an amethyst crystal ball.
“Wait…” Monet said, his attention dropping down to the ball as it rolled over dirt and rock. “Why did you get that ball again? Wasn’t it for this mission?”
Azure’s mind was suddenly filled with details. “Yes, Gran gave it to me. It’s supposed to help us find something.”
“Something on this mountain,” Ever said, his voice growing in intensity.
“Yes, that’s right.” Azure knelt and retrieved the crystal ball. When she lifted it in her hand, it glowed for a moment. The lavender smoke inside the ball swirled one way and then the other, and a black spot appeared in the center of the ball. Azure leaned in close, trying to make out the small image emerging from the smoke. A woman appeared, her face both young and old. Her features were foreign, and yet familiar. Her eyes were both sweet and full of venom. Azure lifted her gaze and stared at Monet and Ever, who had been watching her.
“I remember why we are here,” she said, the information flowing from the crystal ball into her consciousness.
“Why?” Monet asked, hope filling his eyes.
“I can’t tell you,” Azure said, hearing the warning from the crystal ball in her head.
“Well, that’s a load of bullshit,” Monet complained.
“I agree. But I’m not allowed. You either must follow me blindly or turn back,” Azure said, lowering the crystal ball and staring at the path ahead. She knew from the ball that bones lined the trail. Most who turned back never made it because they forgot the way or their reasons for leaving or their reasons for living. The Mountain of Truth was a deceitful place because it protected someone and something of great importance.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Azure took a step forward and the purple mists parted. She paused and held the hand with the crystal ball up, and the swirling mist shrank away as if repelled. When she pulled her hand back to her chest, the mist filled the space again.
“That’s sort of fucked up,” Monet remarked beside her.
“I think it means we better follow her,” Ever said with a nod.
Azure turned to appraise Monet. “You coming?”
He turned back to the path they’d come from, but it was now obscured by the mist. “Yeah, I guess so. But as soon as you can, tell me where we are going.”
“I can’t tell you that until after we arrive,” Azure said, astonished that the crystal ball had shared so much with her with only a few random images.
“What will happen to you if you tell me?” Monet asked, a challenging look on his face.
“I will once more forget where we are going. Only one can be reminded of the destination, and only one time,” Azure said.
“That’s not so bad. We would just turn back and go home,” Monet scoffed.
“You’d never find it,” someone said behind them. The three whirled, but purple mist covered everything. “You’d be lost forever, as are all who have come this far and turned around.” The voice was distorted, but still it sounded familiar.
Azure squinted into the mist, kneeling as she did.
From the purple darkness a figure stepped forward, like he’d been there all along. Their shadow.
“Gillian?” Azure asked, blinking the moist air from her eyes.
The gnome smiled, his eyes on the crystal ball in her hand. “You made it this far,” he said proudly.
Azure looked
at him. “Are you hurt? What happened to you? How did you get away?” She rushed over to him, about to hug him but then thinking better of it. She stood to her full height instead.
“I’m fine. It took me longer than I would have guessed to escape the goblins, but in the end I was successful,” he said, brushing off the sleeves of his suit jacket.
“But how?” Monet asked, his face full of amazement. “There were hundreds of those buggers.”
The gnome pulled his bowler hat down over his eyes, staring at something on the other side of the path.
“Oh, right, the mystery of the gnome continues. How fucking cute is he?” Monet said, not sounding at all impressed.
“Well, I’m glad you got away. How did you find us up here?” Azure asked.
“Traveling up the Mountain of Truth is actually easier alone. Gnomes can see through the lies, but that’s why I gave you directions. And the honesty that comes on the second level isn’t a problem if one is by himself,” Gillian informed her.
“But we’re on the third level. Do you know where we’re going?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. The mists don’t work on gnomes. As the keepers of knowledge, it isn’t allowed to steal information from us.”
“How fucking convenient. So you two know where we are going, and Ever and I just have to follow along blindly?” Monet crossed his arms in front of his chest, completely put out.
“Yes, it would appear so. But my directions run out at the next turn. After that we’ll be relying on the crystal ball to guide the way.” Gillian pointed to the purple ball, which had gone dark.
“And let me guess, only Azure can use the crystal ball, is that right?” Monet asked the gnome.
Gillian turned to Azure and said, “You know, he isn’t as dumb as he looks.”
“Ha ha. I would have loved for you to be with us back there, little dude. I would have had you spouting all of your thoughts,” Monet said, indicating the level of truth.
“Then I should thank the goblins for detaining me,” the gnome said sincerely.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I wanted to go back—”
“But I told you not to,” Gillian said, cutting Azure off.
“Yes.” She hung her head with shame. “It still didn’t feel right to leave you behind.”
“I realize that. However, you were only posing more problems for me the longer you were close to the goblins. I knew that I could escape them if I was alone. However, if you three had been captured as well, my job would have been nearly impossible. Freeing you would have been complex, to say the least.”
“How did you free yourself from those pointy-teethed monsters again?” Monet asked casually, as if he wanted to be reminded of something Gillian had just told them.
Gillian paid him no mind, but instead strolled past the group to take the lead. “If my navigation is correct, we’ll take a left soon.”
As the gnome disappeared into the thick mist, the other three turned and exchanged looks of worry. A moment later Gillian’s head popped back through the mist. “Are you all coming? We have someplace to be.”
“Gillian, you disappeared into the mist,” Ever pointed out.
Gillian turned and regarded the area behind him and then spun back. “So I did. I don’t actually see the purple mists. As I mentioned, it doesn’t work on me. Sounds like you two had better stick with Queen Azure.” He lifted his gaze and looked at her. “If you hold the crystal ball out it will repel the mist. Once we take our next turn, you should lead the way. You’ll be the only one who knows where we are going.”
“Where is that again?” Monet asked, again fishing.
“Straight into my fist if you don’t stop asking,” Azure said, striding forward to follow the gnome. “Keep up, boys. Those lost in the mists will be left behind.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The group took a left at the next fork and Gillian urged Azure to take the lead. She studied the amethyst orb in the palm of her hand. Smoke swirled inside of it, but there was nothing she recognized. Over her shoulder, she felt Monet spying.
“It won’t work for you. Only Queen Azure can see what’s in the crystal ball now,” Gillian warned, his voice edgy. He was probably more forthcoming with Monet just because he enjoyed disappointing the wizard.
“Well, I had to try because that’s the kind of guy I am. In our next life, when I’m king, I’m going to do all the cool things and leave you, Azure, in the dark,” Monet said, his voice terse. “What’s more, I’m going to assign a gnome to follow you around and hint at knowing important details but refuse to tell them to you.”
“I think you could do better than that,” Ever said, sounding amused.
“Okay, fine. Next life, I’m king. Azure is in charge of picking up fairy poop. I’ll give her the tiniest broom and dustpan. And she’ll wear an apron that says, ‘Official Pooper Scooper of Virgo.’” Monet spread his hands wide, as if picturing the words running across the apron.
“Your next life might start soon if you don’t shut up. I’m considering murdering you,” Azure said, squinting into the ball. There was something there—an image she could barely make out. It was a tree, maybe, but a strangely shaped tree. Its trunk was a perfect wave, stretching high into the air. It resembled the weeping willows they had in Virgo with long sweeping branches draped from the trunk, hanging low enough to touch the ground. But the branches weren’t just covered in thick leaves, like the weeping willows. Long white crystals hung from the tree in places, making it shimmer.
“Wow,” Azure murmured to herself.
“What have you seen?” Gillian asked, his chin held up and his eyes on her.
“The Howling Willow, I think,” Azure said, still studying the crystal ball.
“The tree all our wands come from?” Monet asked, sounding intrigued.
“Yes,” Azure breathed. She held the ball up to clear the mist and it backed away, giving her a glimpse of what lay ahead. The vegetation was thicker here, but still she saw no tree. She turned, holding the ball out and watching as the mist retreated, which granted her a view of her surroundings. She was just about to make a full rotation when something at the corner of her vision caught her eye. A shimmer.
Azure spun back around, catching many shiny objects in the distance. The wind swayed through the trees and the sound of a chime rang through the air. She followed the music, allowing her ball to light her way as she walked toward the shimmering lights ahead.
“Queen Azure, you’re off the path,” Gillian said at her back.
Azure turned back and noticed that she’d walked several feet into dense brush. She couldn’t see her feet since the grass grew to knee-height. “Well, it looks like we blaze a new trail here,” she said with a shrug.
The guys exchanged looks of hesitation, but one by one they stepped forward to follow her. Azure continued following the music and the light. A moment later she found herself humming to the gentle rhythm of the chimes. The combination of the lights and music seemed to be trying to put her in a trance. She shook away the enchantment and trudged forward, only stopping when they’d come to a clearing.
“Holy Mother of Merlin!” Monet stepped forward, seeing what had been in Azure’s head all this time. The purple mist was absent from this space, making everything in the clearing visible. “Is that…”
“It’s the Howling Willow,” Azure said, staring at the tree. It waved in the wind, the crystals hanging from it making a soft, melodic sound. There was nothing about the noise that resembled a howl, but Azure was certain that this was the tree she’d heard about all her life. She knew that because her wand, which was in a pocket in her robes, warmed and glowed, which caught her attention.
Next to the tree was a three-story house. The bottom level was round, the middle one square and the third was a long rectangle. A short fat triangular roof sat on the very top.
“I do believe we’ve arrived,” Azure said, her breath skipping in her throat.
“Arrived where?” Mo
net asked, sounding impatient.
“Why don’t you knock and find out?” Gillian said, a bit of mischief in his voice.
Azure turned and gave the gnome a mischievous look. However, she turned back to Monet and agreed with a nod. “Go on then. Knock at the door. Hold out your hands and say, ‘Trick or treat.’”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Monet walked importantly across the grassy lawn in front of the strange house. The round bottom story of the cottage was orange stucco. The middle square was red brick. And on the top sat a blue-paneled rectangle. Candlelight burned behind white curtains in every window on every level of the house. Azure noticed then that the sun was going down, casting the house in darkness.
Monet nearly stepped on a bed of wildflowers but paused, holding his foot in the air.
“Moonflowers,” Azure said from just behind him, describing the flowers he’d nearly trampled.
Monet backed up a step and eyed the strange white flowers. Azure turned to find the two moons hanging full and high in the Oriceran sky. Well, if this wasn’t an ominous time to knock at an ancient witch’s door and demand answers, then she didn’t know when was.
“Go on,” Azure urged, pushing Monet forward.
“Right.” He seemed to gather himself. “And how do I address the person who answers this door?”
“Sir or madam, depending,” Azure said, a laugh in her voice. She stared down at Gillian, who was hiding a rare grin. It was an evil trick to play on the unsuspecting wizard, but it had been coming to him for quite some time.
“Thanks a trillion, Queen Jerkface,” Monet said, turning to the door in front of him.
Gillian was trying so hard to suppress his laughter that he didn’t even reprimand Monet for the show of disrespect.
Monet’s sleeve fell to his elbow when he lifted his hand. His fist paused a few inches from the old redwood door, and then he rapped twice.
Azure took a step back, wondering what Mage Lenore would do to the person who had interrupted her after hundreds of years of solitude. After she took out her anger on Monet, Azure would sweep in and ask her questions.