by Sarah Noffke
“You sure know how to waste precious time,” a voice at her back said. Azure spun to find Monet leaning against a tombstone roughly ten yards away. She caught her breath, which had suddenly fled.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. The mist had cloaked him, and still hid the tombs around him.
He flashed a grin and shook his head. “Naturally I’m here to ensure that you don’t end up in there any time soon.” Monet strode forward and pointed at her family’s mausoleum.
“You want to go with me to the Land of Terran?” How did Monet know she was going? Then she reminded herself that this was Monet. He would have pieced it together somehow. Most thought he was lazy, but in actuality he was critical in his approach, working smart in his thinking but not hard in his actions.
“Did you think I was going to let you have all the fun in the Dark Forest? Fuck that,” he declared, strolling past her. The fog veiled him as he moved farther away, his robed figure becoming less distinct. Azure ran in his direction, catching up with him at once.
“Monet, this is going to be dangerous. I could die,” she stated.
“Figured as much,” he replied, speaking plainly.
“And who knows what will happen when I reach the Land of Terran? I’m not allowed in there. I could be imprisoned,” she continued.
“Which means you’ll need someone close by to rescue you.”
“You gain no benefit from accompanying me. Monet, this is my mission, to save my mother and possibly my crown.”
At this he whirled and faced her directly, his actions abrupt and sharp. “Azure, have you forgotten who I am?”
“My best friend,” she responded at once.
He shook his head of short light-green hair. “No. I mean, yes, that, of course and always. However, before I was your friend, I was a Virgoan. I’m as invested as everyone in Virgo in being led by the best queen available. I might be a bit biased, but I think that is you—after your mother, of course—so I’m as intent on keeping the crown in the Vladar family as you are.” At the conclusion of that sentence, Monet turned and strolled toward a line of trees that were almost black, with fog spiraling at their bases. He turned around when he was a few feet away and flashed an impatient look at Azure. “Are you coming, or do I have to drag your ass into this treacherous place?”
She pulled her black hood over her head to cover the smile on her face. “Okay, you can come, but don’t slow me down.”
Chapter Twelve
“Something about all that doesn’t add up,” Monet said, eying the trees ahead. The area around the dark forest had turned out to be a marsh with low-hanging trees and tall grass. Still, the green light that filtered through the leaves made the area glow with hope. Azure was sure the feeling would evaporate when they actually traipsed over the border of the Dark Forest.
“Well, it’s all I know. My mother gave away her soul stone to keep me, according to Gran,” she said, pulling her foot from a clump of mud with a sucking sound.
“Finding out the rest is going to be fun,” Monet said, his eyes focused on the inside of his robe as he searched his inside pockets.
“Fun? Hmmm, not sure I’d call any of this section of my life fun, but I’m glad you find it entertaining.”
“Azure, I find your life to be highly entertaining. I mostly keep you around because one day all this will make for a great tale. I’m banking on becoming the official storyteller for Virgo, spouting the fables of witches’ and wizards’ lives like yours,” he said, pulling a bright orange bag from his pocket.
“I thought you were going into potion-work.”
With a pop the bag opened in Monet’s hands, causing a smile to spring to his face. He brought his eyes up to hers. “Gotta find Charmsgood for that to become a reality, and he’s still MIA. I’m going with the backup option.”
“The bum-wizard who takes leftovers and magical junk that doesn’t work properly in exchange for stories that are only half-true. Sounds like a great life for you,” Azure said, pausing at a curtain of black. There wasn’t actually anything beside her, but the place where the Dark Forest started was cast in shadows. One more step and she’d be in the land that few had dared to enter and fewer had returned from in one piece.
“Yes, and I’m going to tell your stories,” Monet said, popping a Cheeto into his mouth.
Realizing she was stalling, Azure pointed at the bag of chips. “So I see it’s a bona fide addiction at this point.”
“So much so that I’ve tried replicating the recipe, but it can’t be done with magic. Seriously, they must have their own kind of magic on Earth, because when I tried to make these, they tasted stale and not so cheesy,” he said, cramming a palm-full of Cheetos into his mouth, which left orange dust clinging to the corners of his lips.
“I’m surprised you can’t replicate it, since you’re so damn cheesy,” Azure said.
“I know, right? I went through a whole bag trying to figure out the recipe, but to no avail.”
“And let me guess, you bought those off the black market when the spells failed?” she asked.
“Yep. But I’m certain you’ll be able to find me more in the Land of Terran,” Monet stated confidently.
“And now the real reason for your involvement on this journey comes out.” Azure turned to look at the Dark Forest.
“I assure you that my reasons for helping you will always be purely selfish,” he said, facing the darkness at her side.
“Are you ready?” Azure asked, her wand held above her head. She lit it and the bright blue glow illuminated her and Monet.
“I’ve been dying to enter this place,” Monet declared, bolting forward.
Azure rolled her eyes, and reluctantly paced behind him. “I would have chosen my words more carefully.”
Instantly the temperature around them dropped, making Azure’s teeth chatter. She could warm herself with a spell, or maybe her gran had even packed her a warming potion. However, conservation was the best protocol at this point. She had to reserve her magic for when she really needed it.
Light streamed from above in places, but for the most part the forest was like the inside of a closed wardrobe. She had only taken a few steps when she sensed they were approaching a wall. Azure held the wand up to find a reddish surface stretching from the ground all the way to the sky, which was black. She placed her hand on it, noticing it was as moist and soft as if it were the underbelly of an animal. The idea bothered her and she stepped back, sucking in a breath, ready for the beast to roll over and attack her.
Monet laughed, wiping his cheesy hands on his mint-green robes and leaving behind Cheeto dust.
“I think I’ve got this one figured out,” he told her, gesturing to her to join him as he walked to the wall.
Curious, Azure followed, keeping close so that she didn’t lose him. They might not find each other again if that happened. It was as if they were locked in a pitch-black room, for the most part. Even the forest’s silence was deafening here. It made Azure’s heart clench with anxiety, but she pretended it was the fuel she needed to keep moving forward behind Monet. He extended a hand and laid it on the furry reddish wall, which went on for several yards. It was more brownish in places and full of notches in some areas. It also extended into the ground like…
“It’s a tree,” Azure whispered, gasping from the realization.
Monet turned, his lips pursed. “You ruin everything,” he said and waved her forward to his location, his hand still on the trunk.
Azure held the wand up, realizing the tree stretched up farther than any tree she’d ever seen, taller than any building in Virgo. She approached Monet, her wand close to the trunk, noticing it curved slightly. A light met her own up ahead where the wall curved around, creating a space. Another tree stood next to this one. Only a two-foot space separated the gigantic plants, but there was a gap. It was their way into the Dark Forest, and once they crossed the giant roots of these ancient trees they’d actually be in the forbidden place.
Monet was already sliding through the space when Azure brought her wand down, extinguishing it. “Stop,” she called, only able to see him because of the ambient light behind him.
He froze, and she could barely make out the whites of his eyes and pale hair. “What?” he hissed.
“This is my crusade, and therefore it falls to me to go first,” she announced, and pushed around him through the tight space. Monet sucked in, which allowed just enough space for her to negotiate around him. They were between the two trunks, but the trees seemed to make room for the both of them as if they were inhaling just a bit to allow their entry.
“Witches before beauty,” Monet agreed, waving her forward.
She gave him a curt nod and set off, beginning to negotiate the forest proper by sliding through each succeeding gap. The trees nestled closely, each trunk at least the width of a house. Azure kept her eyes on her feet as they pinched between the trunks. Not until the light from the area ahead met her eyes did she look up. They were approaching the last of the trunks, and she spied a clearing in the distance. She noticed the pine needles and ferns that littered the forest floor first. The light she had seen filtered from overhead, but the area was still in shadow.
Azure took a final step through the trees, her foot meeting stable ground. She looked around and gulped at the sight that met her eyes. A field speckled with forget-me-nots stretched in front of them, giving the appearance of an iridescent blue carpet. A single angel oak punctuated the center of the area, its gnarly limbs rising to the sky and also stretching along the ground like they couldn’t make up their mind which way they wanted to grow.
“Wow, what a terrifying place,” Monet said at Azure’s shoulder, his voice filled with sarcasm.
Azure tightened her hand on her wand, hearing her gran’s voice in her head. “That which appears too good to be true most likely is.”
Chapter Thirteen
A breeze laced with floral scents brushed Azure’s hair back, but there was something else in the air—a reeking undercurrent of something sinister. Azure bent down and ran her hand over the petals of a flower. It felt soft and real against her fingertips; it wasn’t an illusion. Its brethren stretched as far as Azure could see, which admittedly wasn’t far due to the bright light that blurred her vision the farther she tried to stare.
“You thinking of lacing a bunch of those blue flowers into your hair?” Monet asked, strolling forward and placing his hand on one of the oak’s branches.
“I don’t think it’s wise to pick the flowers here,” Azure replied, her eyes focusing on the little plants like she wasn’t quite seeing them properly.
“Don’t go into the Dark Forest,” Monet said in an ominous voice. “How many times did we hear that growing up? And just look at this place. So fucking dangerous I think I might sneeze from all the delightful foliage everywhere.”
Not fully paying attention to Monet, who had both his hands on the limb of the tree and was swinging slighting, Azure stretched to her full height. “Forget-me-nots,” she mused, mostly to herself.
“What’s that now?” Monet asked, still swinging.
“The flowers. That’s what they’re called. And that tree, it’s an angel oak,” Azure replied.
“Well, look who read her botany textbooks! And here I thought you were all beauty and no brains, just riding the coattails of the crown.”
“I may not have a crown, remember?” she muttered, still lost in thought.
“Well, we can’t have you losing the crown. I’d be utterly screwed then. There’s no hope for me if I can’t mooch off you,” Monet told her, swinging off the branch and landing on his feet. He brushed off his robes as he stared at the tree, which was covered in bright green moss.
“I forgot that this was all about you,” Azure responded, holding her wand in the air. She whispered a revealing spell, but the blue flowers and green tree remained. Appearances could be deceiving, but Azure knew how to break through illusions—an important skill on a planet where everyone had magic. “It appears this is all real.”
“Of course it is, you damn pessimist,” Monet muttered as he started to walk ahead. His back and shoulders lurched, but he stayed in place. Again he tried to move forward, confusion furrowing his brow when he remained in the same spot.
“What’s going on over there?” Azure asked.
“I’m trying to walk.” He gathered his robes and pulled them away from his feet. His boots were surrounded by the tiny blue flowers, but there didn’t appear to be any obstacles to movement.
Azure shook her head. “Very funny, Monet,” she grumped, just before she tried to pick up her own foot and failed. Her feet felt as if they were cemented to the ground.
“Now you can see that I’m not trying to be funny,” he said, angling his head over his shoulder to look at her. “We are stuck.”
“Not such an idyllic place anymore,” Azure remarked, scanning the area. A tree and flowers. What did that mean? How did they get out? She pulled at her foot, not able to make it budge.
“Pusti,” Monet said, his wand pointing at his boots. He tried to move again, but only swayed forward and then back.
“So a release spell doesn’t work, eh?”
“No, and I’m guessing it won’t be as easy as unlacing my boots,” Monet said.
“Then your feet would get stuck to the ground,” Azure said, continuing the assumption.
“Well, it’s a good thing I like this place so much, because it appears I’m sticking around,” Monet said with a chuckle.
“Oh, hell no! I won’t be stuck here with you and your bad jokes. I’d kill myself,” Azure protested, trying to sound light as fear crept over her chest. She really couldn’t move, and her legs were starting to cramp from her current position.
“These pretty blue flowers can’t keep us here forever. I’m sure they’ll let us go soon.” Monet flicked his wand at the ground as he tried another spell.
“The Dark Forest can do whatever it likes, and usually does,” a voice chirped from the tree.
Azure and Monet twisted their heads to see a gnome sitting on a tree branch. The orange-haired creature wore a brown suit and a bowler hat, and didn’t look at all amused from his place in the tree.
“How’d you get there?” Monet asked with a startled laugh.
“The better question is, how are you going to get out?” the gnome replied, his voice unusually deep for his small size. Most Gnomes were around two feet tall, and they were known as the librarians of the prized Light Elves’ Library. It was curious that one would be here right now, but then the creatures were mysterious and not easily understood.
“Well, why don’t you tell us how to get out since I’m guessing you know, little guy?” Monet just couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut.
A sneer crossed the gnome’s face and the flower pinned to his hat seemed to move. He flickered like he was about to disappear. “Wait, wait, wait!” Azure called in a rush. “Forgive my friend. He suffers from a whole host of problems, one of them being that he was born with eggshells for a brain. My name is Azure and I—”
“You mean ‘Princess Azure,’ don’t you?” The gnome rose to a standing position, balancing easily on the tree branch.
“Yes, but that’s not really important,” she said.
“Not important?” The gnome sounded offended. “If we stopped using titles, what would be the point in high positions? Why not erase all methods for discriminating between different ranks? Or maybe we should forgo names all together.”
“I only meant that my main concern right now is how to get us unstuck,” Azure shot back, trying to control her temper.
The gnome regarded her feet and then her, a strange look on his face. “What is the soon-to-be queen of the Virgoans doing in the Dark Forest anyway?” He didn’t sound curious, but rather he asked straightforwardly like he was on a fact-finding mission.
Azure sighed softly. Couldn’t they wait to discuss missions and other things until she wasn’t
glued to the forest floor? Judging by the expression on the serious gnome’s face, that would be a no. “I’m traveling to the Land of Terran because—”
“You’re not allowed in there.” The gnome cut her off.
“I realize that. I’ll figure that part out later, maybe once I can move my feet,” she said.
“And why would you, the Princess of Virgo, want to travel to a place where you might possibly be imprisoned for trespassing?” the gnome asked, his stumpy hands on his hips.
Azure looked at Monet, who had an irritated expression on his face. He rolled his hand forward in the air, encouraging her to disclose the information.
She shook her head. “First, can you tell us how to get out of here? Then I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” Gnomes, Azure knew, were rule followers, but they also were information gatherers and this one would want to know why she was traveling to a forbidden land. And unfortunately she knew he might try and stop her, the damn whistle-blower.
“I could tell you,” the gnome said simply.
Azure did allow a loud growl to fall out of her mouth now. “Will you tell us?”
“I’m not sure why I should do that,” he demurred.
“Because otherwise the next monarch of Virgo will die here,” Monet said loudly.
“Along with her companion,” the gnome agreed, pulling a pad from his breast pocket. He began scribbling notes, like he might forget something if it wasn’t recorded right then.
“Fine, don’t tell us. But would you answer a question?” Azure asked.
“It depends on the question,” the gnome replied, pulling the pad away from his face.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“That’s your damn question? Have you lost your mind?” Monet yelled from his place several yards away.
The gnome regarded Azure for a moment, blinking a few times. Then he opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Finally he shook his head. “That’s irrelevant information, not necessary for me to supply.”