
# Contents

  1. Title/Publisher
  2. Special Thanks!
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 01 - Once Upon a Time
  8. 02 - They All Fall Down
  9. 03 - A Curious Creature
  10. 04 - Outside
  11. Interlude 01
  12. 05 - Locke
  13. 06 - It's Not a Dream
  14. Interlude 02
  15. 07 - The Great Fairy's Hollow
  16. 08 - Magic
  17. Interlude 03
  18. 09 - Locke's Gift
  19. 10 - Handel's Sanctuary
  20. 11 - The Journey Begins
  21. 12 - A Missing Thread
  22. 13 - The Nocturnal Archives
  23. 14 - Whitewood
  24. Interlude 04
  25. 15 - Kai-Tu's Secret
  26. Interlude 05
  27. 16 - The Fortress
  28. 17 - The King of New Aeldyn
  29. 18 - The Truth
  30. 19 - The Beginning
  31. Epilogue
  32. About the author

By

Published by

Loganville, GA 30052

The Last Fairy Tale by E. S. Lowell, III

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or an actual event is purely coincidental.

Text Copyright © 2015 by E. S. Lowell, III

Illustration Copyright © 2015 by Ink and Dust Publishing L.L.C.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher at:

Ink and Dust Publishing L.L.C.

P.O. Box 2948

Loganville, GA 30052

ISBN: 978-1-4951-7970-9

Dust jacket style & design, typesetting and book design by

E. S. Lowell, III & Loakmanie Guiadeen

For my momma, who taught me our own version of Imp Stew. Though you are no longer here, you are always in my heart.

"Where you goin'?"

"To the moon!"

**Prologue**

**The Girl between Life and Death**

Number 139b of Orphanage Nine was no longer alive. It wasn't the first time the flag had been raised in the Coalition's body-tracking system. In fact, this flag had been raised quite frequently, considering the rate at which people were dying. This time, though, was different. 139b was removed from the database of the living, but wasn't moved to the database of the dead. In fact, it hadn't been detected as "dead" at all. It had quite literally disappeared.

The body-tracking system and every Patrolmech it was linked to halted for just a moment. The system was iterating through a series of commands that it had never encountered. This made the system a little uneasy. But in less than a second, the system had fixed the issue and updated the Patrolmechs with the new data.

System.BodCount.bodDB.ReadAll();...

bodDB.remove(Orph9.139b);...

bodDB.update();...

patrol.Broadcast(bodDB);...

With the database updated and broadcasted, the Patrolmechs continued their incessant patrolling. The system continued repeating the list of the existing people, going from 138b to 140b and skipping 139b. Olivia Wickworth, number 139b of Orphanage Nine, no longer existed. 
**Chapter One**

**Once Upon a Time  
**

Mr. Gloome was sitting in his office, his feet propped carelessly on his desk. He was a tall and corpulent man with a nose like a beak and hardly any chin. His features were altogether like that of any man; he had two arms, two legs, a head, a face, and so on. One might have looked at him and simply seen an ugly, high-nosed, middle-aged man dressed in a laughably tight and raggedy suit. But what one would have failed to see, as was the case with most people not in possession of special equipment, was that he had computer-aided deoxyribonucleic acid, also referred to as CADNA.

Except for the few who remained in the International Panel for Human Advancement, no one knew the story behind the true origins of CADNA. No one cared much anymore, either. Everyone, including Mr. Gloome, just knew they had it and had to fight it to stay alive.

He stood up, grabbed his keys from his desk, and strolled over to a sturdy black cabinet on the other side of his office. A few decades ago a more efficient method of securing valuable items had replaced primitive security devices such as the cabinet. This new method, referred to as System for Protecting and Collecting Electronically, or SPACE for short, had been developed for more than a century and during the years had gone by many different names. Although it was useful for storing electronic information, after the Blackout it had no purpose. Now a small generator provided by the Coalition powered the orphanage's most critical devices.

As Mr. Gloome fit the key into the cabinet lock, he suddenly remembered a time before he had to use locks and keys, a time before he had to manage an orphanage, a time before the DNA Flu outbreak. He quickly shook his head and cursed himself for remembering.

"That time is over," he muttered to himself. "You had nothing back then, Gloome. Just think of all you have now!" He snickered as he threw open the cabinet doors.

The entire cabinet was filled with boxes, all of them labeled: AVDNA Vaccines. These antivirus vaccinations were now the only way to keep CADNA free of errors. Mr. Gloome reached up, grabbed a box, removed two syringes, and replaced the box on the upper shelf. After locking the cabinet tightly, he tucked one syringe in his coat pocket and placed the other on his desk. He plopped himself back down in his chair and raised one hand. With a grin, he counted down from five with his fingers.

Five, four, three, two, one.

A bell suddenly rang throughout the orphanage. It was the first bell of the day, the one responsible for waking the children and alerting them to come to the dining hall for breakfast. However, because things didn't usually happen that way, Mr. Gloome had taken to using his own method to wake the children. He leapt from his chair and danced over to the brass tubes on the far wall. The tubes served as an intercom system for the orphanage; it conducted sound without using electricity. He flipped open the cover on the speaking tube and leaned to it. This was his favorite part of the day.

"Good morning, children," Mr. Gloome growled into the tube in a low, raspy voice, "and staff." He rolled his eyes. "That was the first bell of the day, and as you all know, that means GET UP!" The booming echoes from the last words vibrated through the orphanage walls, causing even the deepest sleepers to wake.

He closed the cover of the speaking tube and cackled, feeling quite pleased. Believing that no one on earth could do his job better, Mr. Gloome grabbed the syringe he had placed on his desk and held it to his face. "Good morning, my pretty!" he murmured, smiling triumphantly at the syringe. Then, without hesitation, he removed the cap and jammed the needle into his arm, injecting the vaccine. After tossing the empty syringe carelessly into a nearby trashcan, he left his office to begin his day.

Out in the hallway, Mr. Gloome could hear the usual echo from the quiet shuffling of the nannies as they hurried up the main staircase to get the children from their rooms. The nannies moved quite quickly through the dimly lit hallways, never tripping or bumping into one another. Thirteen years of having to deal with the poor lighting given off by candles had forced the orphanage's staff to learn to work in near darkness. The sound of the quiet shuffling was the last warning for the children to be up and ready. As soon as the children heard their nannies approaching, they knew they had better be waiting by their bedroom doors. The punishment for tardiness was a visit to Mr. Gloome's office, which was precisely why Mr. Gloome paused at the foot of the main staircase every morning. Orphanage regulations stated that children should be disciplined using gentle reminders and positive reinforcement, and Mr. Gloome absolutely loved to administer "positive reinforcement."

"Children!" bellowed two nannies in unison. They each were standing at the ends of two long hallways.

"Open!" There was a massive amount of screeching as every metal door along each hallway slowly swung open.

"Out!" Tired-looking children shuffled out of their rooms down each hallway.

"Attention!" ordered the nannies. Standing up straight, the children turned to face the nannies. They had now formed themselves into lines, one along either side of each hallway.

"Follow!" The children began to follow their nannies out of the hall and down the stairs to the main hallway.

Mr. Gloome, looking a bit disappointed that no children needed positive reinforcement, continued to the dining hall, where he would hurriedly grab his breakfast before the children arrived.

The dining hall smelled of NutriCurd, a hydroponically produced, nutrient-enriched bean curd product. One child had taken the liberty of renaming it Crud after she had discovered the word in a dictionary. But today the Crud hadn't been enhanced, which made for a less-than-appetizing stench. Mr. Gloome was rather displeased by this discovery and stomped toward the kitchen, ready to argue with Mr. Dewberry, the cook.

"Where's my breakfast, you overgrown troll!" yelled Mr. Gloome as he burst into the cramped, sparse kitchen. He walked in so quickly that he nearly bumped into the large man standing on the other side of the door. Alban Dewberry was a hefty man with short fiery hair and a bushy red beard. At first glance, his massive trunk-like arms and piercing emerald eyes seemed intimidating, but after he smiled, he immediately transformed into the world's largest teddy bear.

"Sorry, sir..." said Mr. Dewberry, turning his face to the floor. "I'm jus' a bit distracted as o' late. Not feelin' great, if ye know wot I mean."

"I don't care how you feel, you blundering baboon!" shouted Mr. Gloome, throwing his hands in the air. "You have one job, and that's to feed these filthy children and have my meals ready when I arrive. How can you possibly mess that up?"

"Well..." Mr. Dewberry began in a soft whimper, "I do have yer meal, sir. It's here." He turned around and picked up an intricately crafted glass plate. In the plate's center sat a single white cube of Crud.

Mr. Gloome's eyes widened as he stammered to find the most appropriate insulting words to say. "How could you–...What do you take me f–... This is an outrage!"

"I 'pologize deeply, sir," Mr. Dewberry muttered, "but I had a bit o' trouble gettin' out o' bed this mornin', an' I could only manage to serve it without enhancin' it."

"Don't give me those pathetic excuses, you idiot," seethed Mr. Gloome through clenched teeth. "I will be reporting you to the Coalition immediately. They'll see to it that things get done around here, I assure you." With that, Mr. Gloome snatched his plate from Mr. Dewberry's hand and bustled out of the kitchen.

Mr. Dewberry sighed and sat down on a nearby stool. The last thing he needed was Mr. Gloome threatening to replace him.

"What if I have it?" he murmured to himself, putting his head in his hands. "I'm certain I do. It's only a matter o' time. Now Gloome is threatinin' to replace me, but is there anybody even left to replace me?" He sighed heavily. "What am I gonna do? Oh, Nachton..."

The sound of the children's footsteps drifted into the kitchen as they filed into the dining hall. Mr. Dewberry pulled himself laboriously from the stool, walked over to a metal cart that held the children's trays of Crud, and wheeled it out of the kitchen and into the dining hall.

The dining hall consisted of two long metal tables—one for the boys and one for the girls. Mr. Dewberry pushed the cart between the tables, and the nannies began passing out the trays. Before the nannies had taken them all, Mr. Dewberry grabbed a tray from the bottom of the cart and walked to the end of the boys' table.

Nachton Dewberry sat alone, his arms wrapped around his legs and his chin resting on his knees. The boy was particularly frail with dark rings under his bright green eyes. His black hair only served to bring attention to his pale complexion.

"Oi, lad," said Mr. Dewberry as he sat the tray in front of his son. "How'd ye sleep las' night?"

"I didn't," replied Nachton in a faint voice, almost a whisper.

"Ye've got to try, laddie. Can't have ye fallin' asleep in class now, can we?" Mr. Dewberry forced a chuckle and patted his son on his back. Feeling his son's cold, bony shoulder brought tears to his eyes.

"You have it, don't you, Dad?" whispered Nachton. Mr. Dewberry went cold.

"Nachton, I–" Mr. Dewberry responded, but he was interrupted before he could finish.

"Mr. Dewberry! We're one tray short," shouted a nanny. Mr. Dewberry stared at his son, unable to decide what to do. After a few seconds, he looked up.

"I'll go grab it right away," he said to the nanny. He looked back at Nachton. "We'll talk later, okay, lad?" He then turned and walked back toward the kitchen.

Nachton examined the tray that his father had brought him. On its center sat a cube of enhanced Crud. Tears filled his eyes and he silently cried as he ate.

* * * * *

After breakfast, the nannies led the children to the two classrooms across the main hall. Here the children would attend general studies and physical education, the latter of the two classes being nearly every child's favorite part of the day. The children were divided up, and a girl and a boy were chosen for each class at random until everyone had been assigned. The students went to their assigned class first and then later switched to the other class for the second half of the day. Needless to say, everyone tried to stand out to be chosen for physical education. However, one child always tried to get into general studies first, because she was curious and hungry for knowledge. Olivia Wickworth ducked behind as many of her classmates as she could so that the physical education class would become full, thus gaining her a position in general studies.

After only a few students remained, Olivia stood up straight, her ghostly white hair tucked behind her ears. She had figured that most of the remaining children would be chosen for general studies, because roughly half of them had already been chosen for physical education. Her calculations were correct.

In the general studies classroom, Ms. Canterbry instructed the children to take five sheets of paper and a pencil from her desk before taking a seat in one of the cold, metal desks. Olivia grabbed her materials and took a seat near the back of the room.

"Stand," Ms. Canterbry said. She was one of the oldest nannies in the orphanage. She had long grey hair that was usually kept in a tight bun atop her head. Her back was bent forward, showing her age. She looked the children over with her stern eyes as they all stood. "Recite," she said, and the class began to chant in unison.

"A shelter provided for me to stay

healthy and strong every day.

A nanny to teach, a nanny to guide,

always let the nanny decide.

We will work hard to reclaim what is ours,

we, the future of the Coalition of Powers."

Olivia moved her mouth to the words, but didn't speak them. She was convinced that something about the Coalition wasn't quite right, but she wasn't satisfied with what little information she could gather in her own investigation. After the pledge ended, the children sat back in their desks and stared up at Ms. Canterbry, waiting for her instructions.

"Today's lesson will be primarily about science," Ms. Canterbry announced as she slowly walked down an aisle between the children with her hands in front of her most of the time. Unlike the other nannies, she had trouble adjusting to the dark atmosphere and was prone to bumping into things.

"You all know that science is the most important of the studies. It is the very tool that will help you to understand the world." She turned at the back of the room and started back up another aisle. "Yes, you all know this..."

She paused for a moment. The children looked up at her and could see that she seemed distracted.

"Ms. Canterbry, are you okay?" asked one of the children from the front of the room. Ms. Canterbry seemed to snap out of her thoughts.

"That is irrelevant, child," she said and continued. "Children, please take out your pencils and prepare to write a few rules you must know in order to properly study science." She returned to her desk at the front of the room and fumbled around for something that she couldn't see.

"Just there, Ms. Canterbry, to your left," said a child who was sitting in front of the desk.

Ms. Canterbry grabbed a piece of chalk and thanked the child. She then walked around the desk to a chalkboard flanked by two candles. She scratched down the first rule.

1. Science is the most powerful knowledge.

The room was filled with the sound of pencil lead scratching against paper as the children wrote down the rule. Ms. Canterbry turned toward the children.

"Science can heal, but it can also kill," she said, slowly looking around into the children's large, shining eyes. She turned back to the chalkboard and wrote the second rule.

2. Science has no boundaries.

The children scribbled down the rule.

"Science can give you much, but how much is enough?" she asked, although it wasn't a question to which she expected an answer. She turned to write the third rule.

3. Science is necessary.

Once again the children wrote the rule on their papers.

"This rule is self-explanatory," she said. "I am required to give you these three rules. However, today I am going to give you some rules of my own."

There was a faint rustle as each of the children quickly looked up at her in amazement. Olivia even gasped, but put her hand over her mouth. Ms. Canterbry's behavior was extremely unusual. In her thirteen years of life, Olivia had heard only what was required. Either something was terribly wrong with Ms. Canterbry, or today was Olivia's lucky day.

"Please write these new rules down," Ms. Canterbry said, turning to the chalkboard where she scratched down three different rules.

1. Science is dangerous.

2. Boundaries must be put into place.

3. Science is not always necessary.

She slowly turned around to face the children, all of which had stunned expressions on their faces. Without looking down she placed the chalk back on the desk. She appeared drained and frightened, but somehow relieved.

"P-please use the remainder of the time to practice finding derivatives in calculus using the problems on the board," she said in a voice that sounded absent. She slid one of the candles down to another part of the board where she had previously written mathematical equations. She then slowly shuffled out of the room.

The children looked around at each other in shock. They had never seen Ms. Canterbry act in such a manner. And to suddenly leave the classroom before class was over...

"What's wrong with her?" one child blurted out.

"Yeah, that was very much unlike her," said another.

"Be quiet, everyone!" shouted a girl from the front of the room. "She has given us an assignment and that is our highest priority right now. I suggest you all get started."

The children agreed, and everyone started working out the equations. Everyone, that is, except Olivia. She was still stunned. Something wasn't right. The way Ms. Canterbry looked... It wasn't right... But what's more is what she said... thought Olivia.

All her life, Olivia had been led to believe that science was everything and that everyone had to embrace it. But only a few minutes ago, Ms. Canterbry, one of the wisest and most respected of the nannies, had informed the class that she didn't think so highly of science.

Olivia made a mental note to jot down what had happened in class in her diary later that evening. Private notes and speculation outside the classroom were against the rules, so she had to record her notes in secret. She continued to turn the thought over in her mind until class ended.

When the bell rang, the other children placed their papers on Ms. Canterbry's desk and made their way to physical education. Olivia quickly scribbled down some numbers and tucked her paper near the bottom of the stack before leaving the classroom. She usually did her assignments, but today she had been far too distracted.

* * * * *

"Where is your nanny?" asked Mr. Schafer, the nanny in charge of the physical education class.

"She left toward the beginning of the period, Mr. Schafer, sir," replied one of the children. Mr. Schafer looked up and down the hallway, as if looking for Ms. Canterbry.

"Uh...it looks like everyone will have physical education together," he said, corralling all the children into the room. He instructed the children to practice jumping ropes while he ran a quick errand. Then he turned and swiftly left the room.

Olivia dug a rope out of the dingy cardboard box in the corner of the room. She looked around and spotted Nachton and quickly made her way over to him. They had been good friends for quite a while now, and Olivia was the only child in the orphanage to which Nachton would speak. He was the only other child that knew more than what the nannies taught.

"Hey, Nachton," said Olivia, "I have new information."

Nachton stood still, his face to the floor.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked, noticing his red-rimmed eyes. She was certain someone had said something rude about his father again. The other children hardly ever had the time or chance to misbehave. Doing so was against the rules. But on rare occasions certain strong emotions were sparked, and Nachton was an easy target.

"Well, go on, Nachton," she said quietly, "You can tell me."

"Dad has it," Nachton mumbled. He crossed his arms and tried to hold back more tears.

"Oh, no..." gasped Olivia. "Are you sure? How do you know?"

"I just do, okay?" Nachton weakly snapped. "I can tell."

"That's horrible," said Olivia, shocked. She didn't know what else to say. Mr. Dewberry was like a father to her. The last thing she wanted was for him to die of the DNA Flu.

"I don't want to live here anymore, Olivia," Nachton said. "There's nothing left for us."

"So you've put it together, too, then," Olivia sighed. "Great minds think alike."

"What do you mean?" Nachton asked, looking up at her.

"The reason we have abnormally large eyes? Or the reason we never get sick or have to take the vaccines the staff takes? The fact that we live in this orphanage and have never had a glimpse of what's outside? I think they've destroyed it, Nachton—the whole world."

"So it's true..." Nachton looked down at the floor again, his gaunt face blank.

"Yes. We're the 'future.' It says it in the pledge. But it's what Ms. Canterbry said today that made it all make sense." Olivia could tell that Nachton wasn't taking this news well. His father was dying, and now he was being told that what they had always suspected was true.

"What did she say?" Nachton managed to ask.

"She told us that science is dangerous and that it must have boundaries. I think she's talking about what happened before our time." She looked around, moved in closer to Nachton, and then whispered, "I believe that we were created, or maybe altered or something, because they destroyed humanity some way or another by playing with science. We have some type of immunity or resistance to whatever it is the adults have, so they are–"

"Why aren't you practicing jumping your rope?" asked a child from behind Olivia. "The nanny has instructed us to do so, and I suggest that you get started or I will report you."

Olivia turned around and stared at the large girl whose nose was upturned in a way that left her mouth slightly agape, giving her a rather unintelligent appearance. The girl was Rosie Walton, who, in Olivia's opinion, was one of the least pleasant of all the children. She had always been the one to tattle to the nannies when either Olivia or Nachton had done something wrong.

"It's amazing how completely oblivious you all are to what is going on," Olivia said to Rosie. As her anger grew by the second, Olivia could hear the blood rushing through her ears. "Why don't you try thinking for once–"

"Don't, Olivia," said Nachton quietly from behind her, "you're wasting your time."

Olivia knew that Nachton was right, but she was sick of how none of the other children seemed to question their existence. Sure, they had been taught since they were born that they must obey the nannies and never speculate on ideas that the nannies didn't provide, but were they all that oblivious? But then Olivia remembered that she and Nachton had reasons for being different. Nachton's father had taught him many things over the years. Perhaps not very useful things, but still, he had contact with his father, something that none of the other children had.

Olivia had been given access to an old diary, which held some written entries as well as some pictures and a few old article clippings. Mr. Dewberry also shared a few tattered encyclopedias that he had kept stashed away for many years. With these direct connections to the world as it used to be, Olivia and Nachton were able to see things differently.

"You're right, Nachton," Olivia said with a sigh. She and Nachton began to jump rope, Nachton a little more slowly than the others due to his feeble nature. Rosie seemed to be satisfied, and she turned away from them. After a few minutes, Mr. Schafer returned, looking worried. He was attempting to hold back his heavy breathing.

"Uh...children. You will be spending free time in your rooms today," he said, trying to appear calm. "I'll lead you to the dining hall for dinner. Please form two lines."

Olivia and Nachton looked at each other and immediately knew that something was wrong. They got in line behind the rest of the children and followed Mr. Schafer to the dining hall.

Dinner was much like breakfast. The nannies passed out trays of Crud to the children and everyone ate. The dining hall was silent except for the clanging of a fork against a metal tray every now and then. Everyone seemed on edge. The nannies in particular looked worried, which was reason enough to concern the children.

After dinner, the nannies escorted the children to their rooms. The children were usually allowed to have free time after dinner, which consisted of sitting around the main hall and playing games or reading textbooks. Olivia had decided that because the children were being sent to their rooms quite early, something had definitely gone wrong and the staff needed the children out of the way.

* * * * *

In her room, which she had convinced herself was a cell, Olivia sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. She had mixed feelings. She was excited yet terrified by her new discoveries, and she was also sad about Nachton's news about his father. She thought for a moment and then pulled her diary from underneath her mattress. She opened it up to the page marked with a red ribbon and wrote:

1. Science is dangerous.

2. Science must have boundaries.

3. Science is not always necessary.

She circled the rules and drew a line to a picture cut from an old magazine that was glued inside her diary. The picture showed a valley surrounded by a grand forest with a deer standing in a river of flowers. It was the one picture Olivia had of what she now believed was once the world outside. She wrote one sentence beside the line she drew: I was right. 
**Chapter Two**

**They All Fall Down  
**

Seven Years Earlier

"Ah, there ye are," said Mr. Dewberry, holding his muscular arms out in welcome. "I forgot yer tray on purpose, lass." He chuckled, put his hands on his hips, and looked down at Olivia. She had been sent into the kitchen on nanny's orders to get her tray because Mr. Dewberry hadn't provided enough. She stood in front of him, her hands behind her back, and stared up at him with large eyes as pale as the winter sky. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she continued to stare up at him silently.

"Oho! Look at ye. Ye remind me so much o' yer father," Mr. Dewberry said. "He was never one fer talkin' much. But when he did say somethin', ye knew ye'd best listen 'cause it was sure to be important. I s'pose we haven't met properly. I'm Mr. Dewberry. Ye probably already know me boy, Nachton. He's six years old, jus' like you."

My father... thought Olivia. She looked down at her feet and pondered the subject. It was the first time Olivia had thought of such matters. She suddenly felt empty. The nannies said the Coalition gave the children their lives. The children must then look up to the Coalition and be a part of it one day. The nannies never mentioned anything about her parents, so she never questioned it. She looked back up at Mr. Dewberry and asked, "I have a father?"

Mr. Dewberry suddenly stiffened. He had seemed so excited to see Olivia that he had forgotten the children were being carefully cultivated, and that providing them with unauthorized information was forbidden. However, speaking to his two best friends' daughter for the first time threw him off.

"Uh... sit here, lass." Mr. Dewberry walked over to Olivia, picked her up delicately, and placed her gently on a stool. She looked up at him, wondering why he suddenly seemed worried. He turned and walked into a small office in the back of the kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a large black book. He handed it to Olivia.

"Yes, Olivia, ye do have a father. And a mother, too. They died not too long after ye were born." Mr. Dewberry's voice trembled, and tears began to form in his bright green eyes. Olivia tore her gaze from the book to look at him. She saw that he was trying to act calm, even though his hands shook. She noticed that his eyes were red and watery. She had read that this was called crying, but had never seen it before and had never understood the need for it until now. The emptiness inside her was like a bottomless pit, and she felt droplets of water forming in her own eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto the book. She was crying.

Mr. Dewberry patted her tiny back with his large hand as she cried. After a few moments he said, "Yer parents were me best friends. They were two o' the kindest people in the world." He stepped back and smiled at her. "And yer jus' like the both of 'em. Smart and good-lookin'."

Olivia felt her cheeks grow warm, and she wondered if she was blushing, another concept she had read about. She looked back down at the book in her lap. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it was bound in leather with a silver clasp that held it shut. A red ribbon with a silver ring attached to the bottom served as a bookmark.

"That there was yer father's. He asked me to give it to ye." He watched as Olivia turned the book over and over, closely examining it. She then smiled at it, as if it were a precious thing of which she would never let go.

"Thank you," she said, holding the book close to her chest.

"Yer very welcome, lass," said Mr. Dewberry. He smiled at her, but his smile soon faded as he remembered something. "I'm s'pose to send ye right back up to yer room when ye get done eatin'."

"Can I take the book with me, please?" Olivia asked.

"Of course, but be sure to hide it, all right? Nice and out o' sight at all times." Mr. Dewberry picked her up off the stool and gently lowered her to the floor. He then crouched down to face her. "If yer father was here, he'd have some sort o' witty remark for ye," he laughed, and then said more seriously, "but go knowin' this: always trust yerself, lass. There's not a soul in this world that has a heart like yers. Plenty o' smart people here, aye, but logic ain't always the best way to a decision. Can ye remember that?"

"Yes, sir," said Olivia, still holding the book tightly.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Mr. Dewberry said. He trotted over to the counter and grabbed a small bag. "Take this. It's yer meal. I enhanced it special for ye. Don't tell Mr. Gloome!" He chuckled and handed her the bag. "Now off to yer room! Don't forget to hide the book."

* * * * *

Olivia opened her eyes. She was lying on her bed still wearing her uniform. She had fallen asleep shortly after writing Ms. Canterbry's rules down in her diary, which was still in her hands.

She glanced around her room that consisted only of a bed, some hooks on the wall for hanging her uniform, and a few of her favorite books stacked in a corner. After her recent discovery, she felt trapped. The room was nothing more than a cell for locking her up at night. She walked over to the door and put her ear against it. She could hear nothing but the faint sound of heavy breathing as the other children slept. It could be anywhere from midnight to just before the bell rings, she thought. She sighed, walked back to her bed, and plopped down on it. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she opened her diary and flipped through the pages.

Her father's journal had been both precious and helpful to Olivia throughout her life. The journal contained quite a few interesting things: an old picture cut from what must have been a magazine, a small article that was difficult to read, and a hand-drawn picture of what looked like a goat with a human's face. The picture from the magazine was of the deer in the beautiful landscape that Olivia had drawn the line to after she had written Ms. Canterbry's rules earlier that evening.

The article, though difficult to make out, was titled "Revolutionary Breakthrough: Man Controls DNA." It had been the first major clue in helping Olivia in her search for the truth. The hand-drawn picture had disturbed Olivia from the first time she saw it. Even at the moment, as she stared down at the goat-like man, she couldn't make any sense of it. The only thing she knew was that her father obviously scribbled the picture, because it was the only handwritten thing in the journal. Printed under the picture was one word, which didn't aid in uncovering what was meant by the picture: Ink. The rest of the diary was empty. She had noticed, though, that a small section of pages was missing. Olivia had deduced that someone had hastily ripped the pages from the book before she had received it.

She had studied the picture her father had drawn over the years. One observation that she had made was that it had been drawn with a pen. Could that be why he wrote 'Ink'? But that makes no sense. She ran her finger over the drawing, feeling the small ridges the tip of the pen had left. She imagined her father drawing it. Although in her mind her father was only a foggy shape resembling a man, she took comfort in the thought and held on to it for a while.

The bell suddenly rang, followed by Mr. Gloome's morning greeting.

"Hello children...and staff," he said in his low, raspy growl. Olivia was immediately torn from her thoughts. "Today will be a little different. Ms. Canterbry has become...ill. I will be forced to handle general studies today. So, it's time for you all to..." He paused, and Olivia could hear as he tried to stifle an obvious giggle before he bellowed, "WAKE UP AND SMELL THE CRUD!"

Olivia stood up. She couldn't think of anything worse than having an entire class session taught by Mr. Gloome. She groaned, lifted the edge of her mattress, and tucked her journal safely away. She then walked to her door and waited for the signal.

"Children!" said a soft female voice.

"Get out of my way, Yuki! I'll handle this," Mr. Gloome's voice exclaimed, "Open! Out! And attention!" The girls quickly opened the doors, stepped out, and formed a line in front of him. Olivia could hear Mr. Schafer gathering the boys on the other hall. She wondered how Nachton was doing.

"Follow!" Mr. Gloome shouted with far too much enthusiasm. He turned and strode triumphantly down the stairs to the main hall. Once there, he led the girls to the dining hall for breakfast. Mr. Schafer and the boys weren't far behind. As soon as everyone was seated, Mr. Dewberry wheeled the cart of Crud out of the kitchen.

Mr. Dewberry walked more slowly than usual, and his eyes were dulled as if he hadn't slept all night. He pushed the cart between the tables, turned slowly, and walked back to the kitchen door. Just before entering, he turned, looked at Nachton, and nodded. Olivia saw this and wondered if he was confirming what she and Nachton feared or if he was just saying hello.

Mr. Gloome and Mr. Schafer passed out the trays. Everyone seemed even more on edge than the previous day. Some of the children ate only half of their meal. Olivia and Nachton barely ate at all.

* * * * *

After breakfast, Mr. Gloome and Mr. Schafer ordered the children to form a line to exit the dining hall. Mr. Gloome kept glancing over at Mr. Schafer and shouting his orders louder, as if to show that he was better at this job. Mr. Gloome and Mr. Schafer lead the children from the dining hall and into the main hall. On their way across the main hall they heard a faint voice coming from the stairs. Everyone turned in the direction of the voice to see Ms. Canterbry.

"Form a line, please, children," she said quietly. She held the rail of the staircase, her clouded eyes staring straight ahead. The children gasped when they saw her. Her skin had become paper-thin and her veins were clearly visible all over her body. Her complexion had become tinged with blue and her breathing came in short bursts. She somehow had brought herself to the bottom stair before the children left the dining hall, but she seemed unable to go any farther.

"What are you doing out here, you hag?" hissed Mr. Gloome. "I thought I locked you up in your room! Back to the dining hall children! Now!" He shouted at them, but the children didn't budge. He turned to Mr. Schafer, whose mouth was open in shock. "Markus. Go get Anne and Yuki. Now!"

Mr. Schafer stood motionless for a few moments, before replying, "Yes, sir. Right away." He ran from the hall, not taking his eyes off Ms. Canterbry.

The other nannies obviously had heard the commotion, because they were already on their way to the scene. Ms. Cooper, a short, chubby woman who helped the children with personal hygiene and other such matters, was panting heavily as she hurried to the stairs. When she caught sight of Ms. Canterbry, she stopped and screamed, placing her hand over her mouth. Ms. Kobayashi followed close behind her. She was very thin and had long, shining black hair and dark eyes. She threw her arms around Ms. Cooper when she realized what was happening.

"This is no time for hugging, you idiots!" Mr. Gloome shouted. "Get this miserable filth out of my orphanage!"

Ms. Cooper eyed Mr. Gloome with such hatred that he seemed a bit frightened. Then she turned to Ms. Canterbry and slowly walked up to her.

"Come now, children. We mustn't be late for class. Much learning to do." Ms. Canterbry's voice was soft and distant. She hadn't budged since the children had arrived. She continued to stare absently ahead.

"Okay, now, Dr. Canterbry," said Ms. Cooper tenderly, "we're going to take you back to your room. If you'll just give me your h–" She reached up to take Ms. Canterbry's hand, but upon the slightest touch, Ms. Canterbry's skin broke and began to bleed. Ms. Cooper gasped and pulled her hand back, looking over to Mr. Gloome for advice.

"This is an outrage!" he screamed. "She will be the biggest stain that we've ever had to clean from this miserable place! Yuki, get these kids up to their rooms immediately!"

Ms. Kobayashi halfheartedly tried to corral the stunned children into one line as she began to sob. The children seemed confused about what to do. Some of them gasped for breath while others covered their faces, trying not to show the forbidden emotions. However, Olivia and Nachton both cried freely as they watched Ms. Canterbry slowly die in front of them. They weren't ashamed to show their grief. Olivia held Nachton's hand. Although she didn't exactly know why, she knew that it provided a very miniscule amount of comfort for both of them.

Ms. Kobayashi ordered the children to move as quickly as possible up the stairs to their rooms. They did as they were ordered, each having to pass by Ms. Canterbry. When Olivia and Nachton had to pass, Olivia took a moment to quietly whisper, "I'm sorry, Ms. Canterbry," before bursting into tears again.

The children were almost to their rooms when the entire orphanage rang with a scream. They all hurried back to the balcony and looked down to see what had happened.

Ms. Canterbry's leg finally had given up its struggle to support her old body. She had fallen, and as she did, her skin had torn. Blood seeped from the cracks and formed a dark pool beneath her crumpled body. Everyone stood in horrified silence. Olivia turned her head away quickly and threw her arms around Nachton, a feeling of nausea forming rapidly in her stomach as the image of Ms. Canterbry's body burned itself onto her mind.

"Anne. Yuki. Get over there and clean that mess up immediately!" Mr. Gloome yelled, his face red with anger. "I can't believe this fool would come down here and die all over my floor!" He started to turn and walk toward his office, when Ms. Cooper's voice caught his attention.

"Gloome! You sick, heartless imbecile," Ms. Cooper hissed. She paused for a moment, her rage causing her to shake. She took a few deep breaths as she stared at Mr. Gloome with unforgiving eyes. "I have slaved under you for too long. How a despicable worm such as yourself was rewarded with your position is beyond my understanding." Her voice quavered. Despite his attempts to maintain his composure, Mr. Gloome looked like a child being scolded.

"Anne–"

"Shut up! You will hear me this time!" She took a threatening step toward him. "We are all doomed here... including you. Dr. Canterbry spent nearly her entire life trying to bring a little peace back to this cursed world. And in her final moments you treat her like she is the scum beneath your feet." Her voice broke, and tears ran down her reddened cheeks. "I will clean this up. Alone if I must. But you will come nowhere near her. You can just crawl back into your little hole, your little safehouse, and protect your precious vaccines—the ones you've been keeping from us!" She stopped, still glaring at Mr. Gloome, her breathing heavy and labored.

"Get...out," Mr. Gloome said, trying his best to maintain eye contact and not look down at the floor. "Leave...my orphanage...now!"

Ms. Cooper began to laugh, despite her tears. Her face was sopping wet, and her nose had started to run, but she didn't seem to care. She laughed harder and harder, almost maniacally, until after a few moments, she stopped.

"With pleasure, you fool," she said darkly. She walked down the hallway to the entrance and deactivated the lock system to open the doors. Everyone watched in disbelief. Mr. Gloome's mouth hung open. The doors hissed as they slid open, and a small crack appeared between them, just big enough for Ms. Cooper to slip through. She turned back toward Mr. Gloome, curtsied, and stepped out of the orphanage.

After the doors had shut tight once again, Mr. Gloome managed to pull his gaze from the entrance and stared at the floor, stunned.

"Mr. Gloome," Ms. Kobayashi said, trembling, "the Hackers...She will die out th–"

"That is not my problem," Mr. Gloome replied, pointing a finger at Ms. Kobayashi as he slowly looked up at her.

"But–" Ms. Kobayashi protested in shock.

"Shut up!" Mr. Gloome shouted. "Children. Rooms. Now."

Ms. Kobayashi took one last look at the orphanage's entrance as if hoping to see Ms. Cooper slip back through the doors. A long moment passed and the orphanage was silent. No one knew quite how he or she should react to what had taken place that morning. Ms. Kobayashi turned to Ms. Canterbry's broken body lying in a puddle of blood. She then looked up at the children and motioned for them to go to their rooms before bending down to start cleaning the mess.

The children slowly moved toward their rooms in a stupor. Olivia walked Nachton, who was now so weak that he could barely stand on his own, to his door. After she helped him inside, she went to her own room and collapsed onto her bed, sobbing. 
**Chapter Three**

**A Curious Creature**

Olivia was standing in a forest. The ground beneath her was green and covered with beautiful flowers and tall grass. Ivy climbed the enormous, ancient trees that surrounded her. She tried to peer further into the distance, but couldn't make out anything. Everything was dark.

As she gazed around, more of the forest came into view, but she could only focus on that which she was looking directly at; everything else was blurry. Am I dreaming? she thought to herself. She picked a direction and started walking, but she couldn't lift her leg. She felt her muscles working as though she was walking, but her legs remained motionless.

Suddenly a deep, hoarse voice startled her from behind. "Hello, little human."

Olivia spun around to see what appeared to be a man's face smiling at her and hanging upside down from a tree. She gasped and tried to take a step back, but her legs wouldn't budge. It took her a moment to understand what it was that had just spoken to her. The face was that of a man, but the creature wasn't human; it appeared to be a goat. Where its eyes should have been were black sockets. Olivia opened her mouth to scream; she strained and felt the sound form in her throat, but it wouldn't leave her mouth.

"Calm down," the creature said calmly in the same raspy voice. It sounded as if it was speaking through ancient and dusty pipes rather than vocal cords. "Is my human impersonation off again? I am truly sorry, young one. It seems that I have been trying for ages to get that one right." It shook its head as if it had done something wrong before suddenly dropping from the tree limb. Instead of hitting the ground, however, it vanished into a cloud of black fog.

Olivia looked around, frightened. The creature suddenly reappeared next to her. She noticed that its head and face matched its goat body. Its tail and beard consisted of the same black fog that it had just transformed into, but the rest of the goat's body was covered in what looked like pitch-black fur. It paced slowly around Olivia, who was shaking in fear by this point. She tried once more to speak.

"P–please...don't hurt me," she said.

The goat stopped and turned its head sideways, as if confused. When it opened its mouth to speak, Olivia noticed that it still slightly resembled a human's mouth.

"Hurt?" it asked, shocked. "I am in the right place, aren't I?"

"I don't know who—what you are or where we are," Olivia said shakily. "But you're scaring me, and I want to leave."

"Oh, but you must know, my child," said the goat. "This is your dream, after all." It laughed a low, wheezy laugh and began circling Olivia again. She stared at the goat, still frightened and confused.

If this is a dream, then why does it seem so real? she thought to herself. Every dream she had ever had before was just a collection of odd scenes that had nothing to do with one another. But this dream was different. She felt herself breathing and was aware that she was thinking and fully conscious. Except for not being able to run when she tried to, which seemed very much dreamlike now that she thought about it, everything else appeared to be real, including the disturbing figure walking around her.

The goat creature suddenly stopped, looked up at her with its black-socket eyes, and smiled. "Be at ease, my child," it said calmly. "I am not here to harm you in any way. I am only here to make sure."

"Make sure of what? What are you?" asked Olivia.

"One question at a time," the goat creature said and then smiled, all the while still circling Olivia. "I believe I will answer your second question first. Of course, if that is okay with you?" It looked up at Olivia, waiting for her approval.

"Uh, sure," she said.

"I..." it began to say before leaping into the air and transforming into black fog and then into a large black rabbit and landing on a tree limb. It hung upside-down from the limb by its back feet, smiled at Olivia, opened its humanlike mouth, and continued, "am a somnivate."

"A what?" asked Olivia, even more confused. The smile on the rabbit's face faded.

"It's a pity, really," it said in a sad, distant voice, crossing its arms. "But it's not hard to believe, I suppose, what with your realm the way it is these days and everything. How about this...does pooka ring a bell?"

"What are you talking about?" Olivia asked. She was becoming more and more befuddled the more the creature spoke.

"Nothing, child," it said, shaking its head and smiling again. It dropped from the limb and hopped over to Olivia. It was a large rabbit compared to the ones Olivia had seen in Mr. Dewberry's encyclopedias at the orphanage. "Anyway, I am a somnivate. A shapeshifter. A sailor of dreams. A guide, if you will. I am incredibly curious, and I am here to make sure of something. My name is Ink."

Olivia froze. She hadn't noticed before that the goat creature had resembled the scribbled drawing in her father's journal. If she had any doubt before that the drawing and the creature were related, she had none now after hearing its name. She had to figure out why this creature was in her dream and why her father had seen it as well.

"What are you here to make sure of?" Olivia asked.

"Well, I can't really tell you that, because then you would know," Ink said. He laughed and then jumped back up onto the tree limb. "Tell me, child, what are you?"

That's an odd question, Olivia thought. It should be obvious that I'm a human, but perhaps he's confused because of my eyes. "A human," she replied.

"No, I mean, what are you really? What do you feel you are?" Ink had become the goat again. He was lying on his stomach along the tree limb, his head propped on one of his hooves.

"Well, I..." Olivia felt muddled, but she also felt that she needed to answer this question seriously. She had thought frequently about who and what she truly was and had always wondered what her true purpose was ever since Mr. Dewberry had given her the journal, but she had never been asked to explain. In all her years locked up in the orphanage, she never once thought about composing a decent answer to this question. Finally collecting her thoughts into words felt good. "I suppose that I'm a human, but one living a life without direction. I'm confused as to why I must exist in a world that I didn't corrupt and destroy. But, life must go on, I suppose."

Ink's laugh came as a low and raspy wheeze. "Impressive for such a young one. I have no doubts that you spend much time in deep thought. Very good. Now tell me, if you could have anything, what would it be?"

Olivia couldn't determine what point Ink was trying to make with these questions, but she decided to answer anyway, if only to see where he was going with this conversation.

"I suppose I would like to meet my parents and be with them forever. But even more than that, I want to see the world as it once was, with all the destruction and disease gone forever."

"Ah, I see," Ink said. "You have been raised inside that orphanage and have had to deal with some nasty people, yet you are still selfless and have a good heart."

"Why are you asking me these questions?" asked Olivia. She wasn't sure how long they had been talking; it had felt like a few minutes and forever at the same time.

"I am making sure," Ink replied.

"Of what?" Olivia was on the verge of becoming angry. Nothing had been explained to her, and the conversation with Ink appeared to be going nowhere in particular.

"Patience, my child," insisted Ink. "I see you have a strong curiosity but lack patience. But please, I have one more question. Why?"

"Why? That's the question?" asked Olivia.

"Why, yes...that is the question," said Ink.

"Why what?"

"No. Just, why?"

Olivia was completely confused now. What was Ink trying to do? How could she just answer a question like that? She looked down at the ground, trying to make sense of it all. After a moment, she decided that she couldn't figure out any of it and had no answer to Ink's question.

"I don't know," said Olivia. She looked up, expecting to see Ink, but he wasn't there. She could hear his raspy laugh all around her, and she turned and looked in every direction, but he was nowhere to be found. She looked back at the tree where he had been sitting and noticed its bark was arranged in the shape of a face that oddly resembled Mr. Dewberry's. Then the bark of the tree began to crack and move as the face began crying and calling for help. The tree started to bleed from the gaps in its bark, as if it had contracted the DNA Flu. Then, without warning, the tree suddenly and violently shattered, a shower of blood and bark flying in all directions. Olivia cried out in fear and shielded her face with her father's journal.

When she slowly lowered the journal from in front of her face, she saw that she was no longer standing in the forest. Instead, she was in the center of her room in the orphanage, wearing her uniform and clutching her father's journal. She quickly opened the journal and flipped to the page that held her father's drawing of Ink. It appeared as it always had, except now Olivia had begun to understand. Her father must have seen Ink in his dreams, too. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the dream, but a sudden knock at her door snapped her back to reality.

"Please get ready and exit your room within the next five minutes," Ms. Kobayashi said. Olivia opened her eyes, startled. She could hear Ms. Kobayashi knocking on her neighbor's door to give the same order. For a moment she wondered why Mr. Gloome hadn't made his morning announcement, but then the events of the previous day came flooding back all at once. She walked to her bed and placed the journal under the mattress.

I've gone mad. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed that she had even considered the idea that her father had seen Ink in his dreams. My father couldn't have had these dreams. I saw Ink only because I've seen him in this diary. I made him up because of this drawing. She sighed and walked over to her door. She wasn't quite sure of what to expect from the day ahead of her, but what she was sure of was that the memory of Ms. Canterbry's death and Ms. Cooper's departure was still very vivid. It pushed her thoughts about the dream and Ink to the back of her mind.

Outside her room, Olivia saw the other children lining up outside their doors. Most of them looked tired, as if they hadn't slept the night before. Olivia heard some of the children sniffling in a failed attempt to hold back tears. In a way, Olivia respected the children a little more than she previously had. They were showing emotions that she had believed had been all but snuffed out. She walked down the hall and took her place in line. She heard Mr. Schafer waking the boys on the other hall. She thought about Nachton and how weak he had become the day before. It worried her.

When they had all gotten in line, Ms. Kobayashi led them down the stairs and into the main hallway. A sheet lay over the place where Ms. Canterbry had fallen. The children bowed their heads sadly as they walked past it. Shortly after she reached the main hall, Olivia looked up the stairs to see Mr. Schafer and the boys coming down. She didn't see Nachton among them.

"Alban's boy refuses to leave his room," Olivia overhead Mr. Schafer mumbling quietly to Ms. Kobayashi. "I told him that I would bring his breakfast up to him."

"That will be fine," she replied, nodding solemnly. "He's having a tough time dealing with these recent events."

Olivia was suddenly struck with a sense of dread. What if something is wrong with Nachton? He can't be sick. We're immune to illness, she thought. Maybe it's deeper than a physical illness. Our bodies may fight disease, but our minds... She turned this thought over in her head as they walked to the dining hall. Olivia was somewhat relieved that Mr. Schafer and Ms. Kobayashi were being as kind to Nachton and the other children as they were. She figured it must have been a result of Mr. Gloome's absence.

The children ate breakfast in silence. Olivia noted that Mr. Dewberry was looking increasingly worse with each passing day. He appeared to be in pain as he slowly helped the nannies pass the trays out to the children. Olivia wasn't hungry, but she knew that she needed to eat. She watched as Mr. Schafer explained to Mr. Dewberry that his son wouldn't come out of his room. Mr. Dewberry shook his head and wiped a tear from his face. He thanked Mr. Schafer repeatedly for offering to take a tray up to Nachton's room. Then he walked slowly back into the kitchen.

* * * * *

They spent the remainder of the day in the physical education room, where the children halfheartedly threw balls back and forth and jumped rope in silence. Olivia spent the time worrying about Nachton and Mr. Dewberry, wishing that she could go and talk to them. She was relieved when Ms. Kobayashi announced that they would be returning to their rooms after dinner. Olivia wanted to be alone, to use the solitude to think.

After dinner, Ms. Kobayashi and Mr. Schafer led the children to their rooms. Just as they made it to the doors, one child asked the question everyone wanted the answer to. "Where is Mr. Gloome?"

"He is..." Mr. Schafer said. He glanced over at Ms. Kobayashi.

"In his office," she finished. She said no more on the subject.

* * * * *

After she was in her room, Olivia pulled the journal from under her mattress and lay on her bed. She felt a strange need to help everyone. She wanted to walk out of her room and reassure everyone that everything would be just fine, despite how it appeared. But she knew it wasn't true. No matter how hard we try, we are always going to be doomed here. The thought weighed heavily on her mind. She felt like crying, but she had already done so much of that lately. Suddenly a knock on her door jarred her. She jumped up and scrambled to tuck the journal under her mattress. "C-come in."

The door opened and Mr. Dewberry stepped into her room. He carried a tray of Crud and had a few papers tucked underneath one massive arm. Despite his sickly state, Mr. Dewberry was still a hefty man and dwarfed Olivia as he stepped closer. Olivia didn't know what to think, but she was happy to see him. She offered to let him sit on her bed, because he was bent slightly forward from pain.

"No, no, lass," he said softly. "If I sit, I may never get back up." He tried to laugh, but he stopped suddenly with a grimace. "As ye can see, I'm not in the best o' shape. Wanted to come up here to give ye a little somethin'."

Olivia felt tears forming in her eyes. She could tell that he wasn't planning on living much longer.

"Thought ye might be interested in seein' these," he said, handing her the stack of papers. "They were torn from yer father's journal. I'm so sorry that I didn't give 'em to ye before. Thought ye'd get the wrong idea about yer parents if ye read those papers at such a young age."

Olivia looked down at the papers and saw they were filled with what must have been her father's handwriting. She couldn't wait to read them.

"Thank you," she said, looking up at Mr. Dewberry. He was smiling at her, his usually jolly red cheeks now just as pale as her own skin. She laid the papers on her bed, walked over to him, opened her arms as wide as they would go, and threw them around his waist. She had never done something like that before, because contact with staff was against the rules, but she knew she needed to do it now. Mr. Dewberry was like a father to her, and she felt close to him.

"Oho! Look at ye," he said, patting her back with his free hand. "Ye've gone and made me cry." He sniffed loudly, and Olivia felt a warm tear fall onto her face. "I love ye, lass. Just like ye were one o' my own. Don't ye forget that."

Olivia was stunned. She had never heard the word love in her entire life, except when she had read about it in an encyclopedia article that explained the concept of human affection. She began to weep as she felt a new sense of belonging. Her heart ached almost unbearably at the fact that she would soon lose Mr. Dewberry. However, no matter how painful the ache seemed, it was tolerable knowing that he loved her. Mr. Dewberry backed away and looked at her, tears streaming down his cheeks and into his beard. A wide smile spread across his face.

"Yer lookin' more an' more like yer mum, Olivia. Tore her apart to give ye up to this place." He sighed and shook his head.

"What was she like?" Olivia asked.

"Oh, she was a wonderful person—quick-witted and carin'. She would go to the end o' the world for you an' Will." A fresh stream of tears rolled down his face and his voice broke as he continued. "I miss 'em lass. If it weren't for the construction o' these bloody vaults, I would've never had to part ways with 'em. But I had to. For Nachton. For you, Olivia."

"I'm so sorry," Olivia said. She felt cold, her insides shaking with nervousness. "Are you saying you built the orphanage?"

"Yeah. Dr. Alban Dewberry, lead engineer. World's finest. See where it got me?" He huffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I've said too much. I'm gonna take Nachton the meal that he missed at dinner. Hopefully he'll eat it."

"Okay," Olivia said. She had so many more questions to ask. But she knew that he needed to be with Nachton. She wished she could go too, and the three of them could stay together forever, like a family, but she knew it wasn't possible.

"I know that he's waiting to see you. Please tell him hello for me." She smiled through her tears. He patted her on the head, returned her smile, and left her room.

Olivia stood motionless and stared at her door for a while after he had left. She was in a daze. She didn't know whether to feel happy or sad, so she felt both. After a few moments, she finally managed to walk back to her bed, where she remembered the journal pages Mr. Dewberry had brought her. She picked them up, sat on the edge of her bed, and gazed at them. The entries were short and hastily written. Her heart began to race as she took a deep breath and started to read.

**Filled up my other journal. The other IPHA scientists joke about how I don't use a computer to keep my notes. So I ask them, "Who will still have notes after the power fails?" Even as the pollution spreads and engulfs the world in darkness, they still act like there's nothing to fear. Well, they're wrong.**

 ****

****

**

Emma and I huddle up together every night in the bunkers they've provided in the underground facility. We know things are going downhill at an alarming rate. Within a month, more than half the population of the entire world has either died or become Hackers, a term the other scientists use to describe people who have become mindless, twisted monsters due to their DNA being modified on the fly. I could kill the guy that started all this CADNA crap.

Emma says she can feel the baby kicking now! Even as it seems the world is coming to an end, it's still exciting to me as a father to hear that my daughter is strong and healthy. I just hope that the work we're putting into making this cure pays off. If there is any way to put an end to this DNA Flu madness, Emma and I will find it.

A discovery has been made that indicates that if the AVDNA Vaccine is injected into the womb, the child will be born with an attachment to its DNA that acts as a sort of firewall against the incoming mutated viruses. This means that newborn children now have a chance at living. If the Coalition keeps their end of the bargain and allows Alban to build those vaults for the children, then perhaps we really can rebuild...

Work on the AI is almost complete. The result should be a machine that can scan and detect viruses and other defects in human DNA and correct them. This will hopefully do away with the cellular computers altogether. I sure hope so... Being in this facility is driving me insane!

I had an odd dream last night. Probably a result of recent events. Anyway, Olivia was born yesterday!!! It's the greatest thing that has ever happened in my life! She is so beautiful!

Communication to the Coalition has been lost and most of the power in the facility is gone. Olivia has been transported to one of the vaults. Emma and I are devastated. God, I hope we've done the right thing...

**

****

**

**

**Had that dream about that Ink creature again. Don't know why I think it's worthy of an entry in this journal. It's just disturbingly realistic. Probably a result of my insanity. Whether that's true or not, it still convinced me to sneak into the AI's testing room and add an exception in the code...**

That was the last entry. Olivia wept as she read them again and again. Reading some of her father's own words was wonderful and terrible at the same time. She stood up and began to pace her room. She couldn't sit still any longer; she had to do something.

Suddenly she heard two sets of footsteps racing up the main staircase. She ran to her door and pressed her ear hard against it to listen and heard Ms. Kobayashi and Mr. Schafer.

"I'll carry him if he's too weak to walk," Mr. Schafer said.

"Thank you," Ms. Kobayashi responded. She sounded as if she was crying as well. "He needs to be with him."

Olivia knew immediately that they were talking about Mr. Dewberry and Nachton. Mr. Dewberry must have been dying at that very moment. Although she knew his death was coming, she still felt her insides knotting up. She twisted her doorknob roughly, but her door had already been locked for the night. She cried out and pounded the door with her fists in frustration, knowing that no one would come to unlock it. Realizing that she couldn't do anything, she slid to the floor into a heap and sobbed into her shaking hands. 
**Chapter Four**

**Outside  
**

Olivia was standing in a forest. The ground beneath her was green and covered with beautiful flowers and tall grass. Ivy climbed the enormous, ancient trees that surrounded her. She tried to peer further into the distance, but couldn't make out anything. Everything was dark.

As she gazed around, more of the forest came into view, but she could only focus on that which she was looking at directly; everything else was blurry. Am I dreaming? she thought to herself. She picked a direction and started walking, but she couldn't lift her leg. She felt her muscles working as though she was walking, but her leg remained motionless.

Suddenly a deep, hoarse voice startled her from behind. "Hello again, little human."

Olivia spun around to see what looked like a man's face smiling at her. She gasped and tried to take a step back, but then she remembered that she had done this before. She was looking at the somnivate called Ink.

"Wait, I know you," Olivia said.

"Ah, that is good, my child," said Ink with a chuckle. He dropped from the limb where he was hanging and transformed into black fog. He reappeared as a goat and walked up to Olivia. "It is good to see you again, Olivia."

"Wait," she said, remembering what they had discussed in her previous dream. "I want some answers. No more of this confusing nonsense. Why are you in my dream? And why can I talk to you like it's not a dream? And...why were you in my father's dreams?"

Ink tilted his head back and laughed, making a raspy sound. "I knew I was correct when I touched your dreams for the very first time. You are smart and curious, and not afraid to step out of line if need be. But most of all, you've quite a wonderful heart."

"But how do you know all this?" Olivia asked. "And why does it matter?"

"I have been watching you for quite a while now," Ink replied. He walked around her, the black fog from his beard and tail trailing off in wisps as he moved. "It was my job to locate you and make sure that you were the right choice. And now, it is my job to guide you."

"Right choice for what? Guide me where?" Olivia asked, beginning to lose her patience. "You haven't answered any of my questions yet, and you're confusing me again!"

"Patience, child," Ink said calmly. "All will be known soon. But for now, will you follow me, please?"

Olivia was surprised that he expected her to trust him even after he had refused to answer any of her questions. She looked around at the forest and remembered that she was dreaming.

"Sure, I'll follow you," she said. "But only if you promise to start answering my questions and making some sense."

Ink chuckled. "Yes, yes. I will certainly try my best."

With his promise, she followed him. Olivia suddenly noticed that a path seemed to clear in front of them as they walked ahead. She peered back and noticed that the trees and ground behind them were vanishing as she and Ink continued walking. She felt frightened, so she kept reminding herself that she was only dreaming. After all, disappearing trees and such were completely acceptable in dreams. When she focused her attention back on Ink, she saw that he was now a sleek black cat. He leapt into the air, disappearing into black fog. He soon reappeared as the cat, floating on his back in the air as if lounging. His back legs were crossed and his front paws were folded behind his head. He looked lazily at Olivia.

"Ask away," Ink said. "However, ask wisely, because we don't have very long."

Olivia wondered how he had managed to stay on the path even as he faced away from it to look at her, but he had said that she must ask her questions wisely, so she decided against asking him how he did it.

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked.

"To the Door," Ink replied.

"And what door might that be?" she asked, crossing her arms. She had almost decided that there was no good way to talk to Ink without feeling like she was losing her mind.

"The Door," he replied. "But considering the fact that you won't be satisfied until you have heard the full truth—which is good, I might add—in short, the Door is a rift opened quite a long time ago. It serves as a doorway between here and there, but that is a story for another time."

Olivia was beginning to have a difficult time convincing herself that this was still a dream. Most dreams revolved around things a person had seen or heard before, but Olivia had never even come across the word rift. She suddenly felt cold. She looked around and noticed that the grass was gone and the trees looked charred and bare, like the life had been sucked from them. She tried to think of the next most important question.

"How did my father know about you?" she asked. She was beginning to shiver, her teeth chattering.

"Ah, your father," said Ink. He seemed to think this question deserved more concentration, because he floated back down to the ground with a more serious expression on his face. He walked on his hind legs and put a paw on his forehead as if to think. "William Wickworth..." Ink laughed and then said, "Your father was a brilliant man, Olivia. At least, in my opinion. You see, I also visited William in his dreams. I have taken it upon myself to seek out those who possess the ability to help us with a bit of a problem. And William seemed to fit the description absolutely."

Olivia forced herself not to become distracted by Ink's confusing babble. She wanted to know about her father.

"What about him was special?" she asked.

"The same things that make you special," Ink replied. "Your family has a history of dedication to helping others and trying to make the best of a bad situation. That alone is special. But, whether by some very curious stroke of luck or perhaps that you were born of the same blood, you and your father possess incredibly strong imaginations. You are not afraid to use your imagination, are you, Olivia?"

Olivia had never thought about using her imagination. She just did it. If at any point during the day she became bored with what the nannies were ordering the children to do, she would imagine herself in another world, doing the things she wanted. She thought everyone did it, but apparently she was wrong.

"No, I'm not afraid. But who is?" she asked. She was getting colder. The trees around them had thinned considerably, and she saw a thick veil of gray fog beyond the forest.

"The people of your realm have almost forgotten how to use it, Olivia," Ink said. "It's a shame, but there are exceptions... such as yourself." He looked back at Olivia and smiled. Then he stopped, looked ahead, and stated, "We are here."

A growing darkness surrounded them, and she could barely see Ink. "Where?" she asked, becoming frightened.

"No time for any more questions," Ink said hurriedly. "Now you must listen very carefully. There is an old tree. On the tree is a keyhole. Unlocking the door will result in you taking your first steps toward saving a world. Refusing will result in you forgetting we had these dreams together and you continuing life as you know it now. Curious? Good. Frightened? Excellent. Brave? We'll see." He laughed and began to fade into the darkness.

"Wait!" Olivia yelled. "Where is the key?"

"Oh, sorry," Ink replied. His head reappeared. "The key lies in your veins." He then disappeared.

Olivia stood alone in the darkness. She could see her breath before her, forming small white clouds. She suddenly felt weak and dizzy. She collapsed.

* * * * *

When Olivia opened her eyes again, she was clutching her father's journal to her chest and lying face down, shivering. She suddenly heard a distant noise that echoed around her, wailing for a short time like a siren before stopping. Olivia lifted her head and looked around.

She was standing on a hill and before her was an immense gray landscape. Miles and miles of black desolation reached as far as she could see. What once appeared to be a vast and elaborate city, full of buildings that seemed to touch the sky and cars and hoverpods that zoomed around the busy streets, was now an empty, dark, and crumbled wasteland. She eyed what must have been the orphanage—a steel building barricaded by row after row of coiled barbed wire near the bottom of the hill. She scrambled to her feet, frightened. With every second, fear built up inside of her. She put a shaking hand to her mouth. This is a nightmare...

She clutched her father's journal more tightly as she gazed at the vast wasteland. She turned her large eyes toward the sky and saw that it was filled with a smoke so thick that it blocked all light from the sun. Suddenly she heard the siren again. This time, it was followed by words.

"Today-ay-ay is TTTTTuesday," said a loud robotic voice. It was skipping as though it were having trouble forming the words. "DDDDDDon't forget to schedule your physical exam-am-am with GenetiCore Incorporated-ed-ed, the world leader in computer aaaaaided genetics. We can offer yyyyyyou the finest-est-est genetic enhancements-ents in th-th-the world." The siren then wailed again.

Olivia began to shake uncontrollably. Tears filled her eyes, and she looked around frantically for a place to hide. How did I get out here? I don't know what to do... She looked to her right and saw an enormous machine walking on long, spindly rails. It seemed to be patrolling the city below. She noticed a few more machines on the far side of the city, rising above the crumbled skyline. The siren sounded again, but this time it started at its normal pitch and then gradually grew deeper. Then came the words in the same deep pitch:

"Today-ay-ay is TTTTTuesday." After a brief pause, it resumed. "The spotlight-ight-ight SPACE user of the ddddday is xX.hl3fan4LIFE.Xx chosen-en-en for hiiiiiis extensive collection of hats. Waaaaaaay to go!"

Olivia suddenly heard the sound of coughing coming from the area around the orphanage. She turned toward the building and saw the silhouette of a figure next to the barbed wire fences, crouched behind what looked like a car. She strained to see what it was. It kept coughing, louder and louder until it began gurgling. One word came to her mind as she remembered a segment from her father's journal: Hacker... she gasped aloud at the thought.

The coughing thing heard Olivia gasp and turned toward her, its shining eyes peering at her through the darkness before it started to climb up the hill. Olivia yelped. She could clearly see it now. It was a humanoid creature crouched on all fours, its eyes glazed over and opaque. It had wispy blond hair on its head, although most of it had been torn out in patches. Its body was bare, and Olivia saw that its skin was sickly pale and stretched tightly over its misshapen bones.

Olivia frantically looked around for a place to run and then looked back at the creature. Three more creatures appeared behind the first one. They all looked similar, but some had growths protruding off their bodies or what looked like inverted joints. Olivia turned and began to run as fast as she could.

All she saw in front of her was a dead, black patch of land with burnt, twisted shapes jutting from its scorched soil. A forest! she thought. In the distance, she noticed one enormous black tree that was still standing. She remembered her dream with Ink and his instructions to find the old tree. In her desperation, she ran for the tree, not allowing herself to think how ridiculous it was to believe that those creatures were chasing her or that the tree in the distance could be a doorway to another world. She heard the siren sounding again, its pitch still low, which only made her run faster. She didn't look back and kept her focus on the tree. The key lies in your veins, she remembered. The only thing in my veins is blood, she thought.

As she neared the tree, she saw that it twisted out of the ground like a giant black spike, with dead limbs shooting off of it. The tree's base was larger than Olivia's room. When she finally reached the tree, a sharp pain shot through her side and she had trouble catching her breath. Olivia now wished that Mr. Schafer's physical education exercises were a bit more rigorous. Her body still shook, but not just from the cold. She tried her best to steady herself and focus. She ran her finger down the tree's surface, which was rough like sandpaper, looking for the keyhole Ink had mentioned, but she couldn't find it.

She quickly glanced over her shoulder to see that the creatures had topped the hill and were advancing toward her. One of them walked at a brisk pace, while the others crawled in lurching motions. Olivia shuddered and turned her attention back to the tree where she noticed a knot in the trunk and bent down to look at it more closely. To her disbelief, the knot was shaped like a perfect keyhole. Now to unlock it...

She looked around frantically for something sharp and then remembered the clasp on her father's journal. The clasp had a small rough barb that sometimes nicked her finger when she carelessly opened the journal. She quickly twisted the clasp and pressed her finger against the barb, wincing as a large drop of warm blood welled up on her finger. She took a deep breath and pressed her finger to the knot in the tree.

Olivia's heart stopped beating. The moment she pressed her finger to the keyhole, she felt a swift pain in her chest and she couldn't take in a breath. She tried to move but couldn't, as if her finger had become part of the knot. She felt as if she would suffocate. Her eyes began to roll as she struggled to stay conscious. The tree started to buzz with energy, its branches cracking and twisting in different ways. Olivia felt another sharp pain in her chest and suddenly inhaled deeply. Her finger was released from the knot, and she stumbled backward. She backed away from the tree, feeling weaker and dizzier. The sound of coughing was behind her and growing louder by the second.

Suddenly, the rough outline of a door began to etch itself into the trunk of the tree. When the outline was complete, a rough wooden knob sprouted from the tree above the keyhole. Olivia laughed weakly. She was certain that she had finally gone insane. Well, what have I got to lose? The world around her was swimming. With the last of her strength, she grabbed the knob and turned it. The door opened, and Olivia fell through.

Warm air hit her as she fell to the ground and the door behind her closed. Olivia's vision was blurring. Just before her eyes closed, she glimpsed small flecks of purple and blue light dancing about a forest of tall, bright trees. 
**[Interlude  
](nav.xhtml)**

"I wondered when you'd show up," said a man's voice. The words echoed through the large hall. Orbs of dim light drifted slowly around the room, making the dark shadows move eerily. A white crow was flying down the hall toward the man, its tail and wings leaving a trail of white fog behind it. When it neared the throne on which the man was sitting, it slowed its flight and disappeared into a cloud of white fog. The man waited in silence. Suddenly the creature reappeared, this time taking the form of a white wolf. It stood on its hind legs, crossing its front paws across its chest as it stared at the man. Its tail consisted of the same white fog into which it had previously transformed.

"They told me you had something I'd be interested in," said the wolf in a raspy voice. It sounded as if it was speaking through ancient and dusty pipes rather than vocal cords. "So, here I am."

"Not really into decorum, are you?" The man stated it rather than asked. "Supposedly celestial, yet surprisingly dimwitted. Awesome." The man abruptly laughed. He leaned over, placed his elbow on the arm of his throne, and rested his bearded chin on his fist. The man was wearing a hooded pullover, so the wolf couldn't make out the man's expression.

"There is no need to be formal with you. My curiosity is what drives me," the creature said. "I am here to explore. To learn. To take notes about this world."

"Yeah," said the hooded man, "I know." He leaned back in his throne, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "Anyway, here's the deal. You travel someplace far away for me, take notes on what you find, and report back. Simple as that."

"Where?" asked the creature. "Can you not go yourself?"

"I could..." replied the man. "But then I'd get to keep all the secrets to myself." He smiled under his black hood, his white teeth gleaming in the darkness.

"Very well, tell me where," said the creature. Its curiosity was growing with every moment that went by.

"It's in the Earth realm," the man said. The wolf's ears pricked up at the words. The man noticed this, and his smile grew wider. 
**Chapter Five**

**Locke  
**

In a vast and endless void, a single tiny light appeared. There was no sound, no smell, no feeling—only the emptiness and the tiny light. After a few moments, the light began to dance and sway left and right before it smeared across the void and left more light in its wake. Soon the light filled the void, becoming almost too bright to bear. Then sound flooded the emptiness and things began to have meaning once again. Olivia was suddenly jerked back into consciousness.

She heard music. At least, that's what she thought, because she had never actually heard music before; she had only read about it. She had no words to describe it. It was the most beautiful sound that Olivia had ever heard in her entire life. From her brief study on the subject of music, she presumed that the notes came from a stringed instrument, each one blending into the next with such beauty that she felt as though interrupting the song would shatter all sound for good. She lay there for hours, maybe days, months, or years, and listened to it.

Thoughts slowly found their way into Olivia's mind. I must be dead... I'm cold... She continued to listen to the beautiful song that was sad, yet peaceful. If I'm dead, then I'm glad that it's this way...

Suddenly Olivia could feel her forehead—a small pain was shooting through it until the pain grew so rapidly that her head was pounding. She reached up to touch it, and the memories of what had happened to her came flooding back. She remembered the tree and the door and falling through it and hitting the ground. Mustering her strength, she opened her eyes.

Olivia was looking at the ground, which was covered in yellow and green leaves. She reached out to grab one and held it close to her face, examining the delicate pattern of its veins. Things were gradually becoming clearer due to the incredible amount of light around her. Peering up through the trees, she saw a giant orange light in the sky. The sun... she thought. She had to turn away, though, because her eyes were sensitive to the light.

As her other senses returned, she caught a few more pleasant details. The air around her smelled sweet and fresh like the scent of flowers carried for a distance over the crisp water of a calm river. She inhaled the scent of the earthy ground below her. The atmosphere of this place felt wonderful, so warm and spacious, unlike the enclosed feeling that she was so used to.

She spent a few moments enjoying it all, unsure of when the music had stopped. She suddenly felt more alert and began to get to her feet. As she did, she noticed that she had been lying on her father's journal. She picked it up, brushing the dirt gently off its cover and then looked around for the source of the music, but only saw beautiful, enormous trees. She began to wonder if the music had only been in her head when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Oh, hello." It sounded like a young man's voice. Olivia spun around, not sure what to expect after recent events. She looked, but she saw only the trees. Then the voice continued, "I thought you'd never wake up. I saw you fall through. After you didn't move for a while, I went and checked on you. You were breathing, so I let you rest. You looked very tired. I never feared the worst though, just so you know!" The voice let out a weak chuckle. After a short pause it said, "Sorry if I'm awkward."

Olivia stared at the trees in front of her. She was certain the voice was coming from one of them. She took a deep breath to calm herself and asked, "Where are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," replied the voice. Then, on the base of the tree in front of Olivia, a shape quickly appeared in the bark. The shape was vaguely human, but much thinner and spindlier. It looked to be slightly taller than Olivia. When the etched outline was complete, the shape stepped out of the tree.

Olivia screamed. She put a hand to her mouth and started to back away.

The creature screamed back.

In response, Olivia screamed again.

The creature returned the scream and threw its arms in the air and ran behind the tree. After a moment, it slowly peered around the tree at Olivia, who had dropped the journal and was covering her eyes with both hands.

"Don't hurt me!" cried Olivia.

"Hurt you? I thought you were about to hurt me! With all that screaming and whatnot..."

Olivia lowered her hands and noticed the creature still behind the tree. A face had appeared on its brown, wood-grained skin. Its eyes were small, shiny black holes that glinted as it moved. A long nose had sprouted from the center of its face that curled up at the tip and a slit below the nose served as a mouth.

"But I'm not a monster or anything," said Olivia, wondering why a creature as frightening as this would be the least bit frightened by her.

"You're just as much of one to me as I am to you," it said. It slowly walked back around the tree to face Olivia. "But I don't mean to frighten you at all. I'm sorry if I look weird, but that's just how imps look."

"You're an imp?" asked Olivia. She knew the term from an encyclopedia at the orphanage. She had read that they were mythical creatures and didn't exist in the real world.

"Yep. And you're a human, right?" asked the imp.

"Yes. Well, sort of...I've been genetically modified," said Olivia, looking at the ground.

"I don't know what you just said, but you appear to be human to me," said the imp, smiling. "You look just as weird as those pictures in our old fable books." It looked at Olivia, its eyes widening. "But I meant that in a good way! Oh, no...I'm sorry."

Olivia looked back at the imp and smiled. She had no idea how all this was happening or whether she was dead or alive, but she didn't care. She was beginning to like the imp and whatever place she had managed to fall into. She decided she would play along, dream or not.

"What's your name?" she asked, bending down to pick up her journal that she had dropped.

"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that, didn't I," it said, scratching its head with its pointy, stick-like fingers. "I'm Locke, and it's nice to meet you." He gave Olivia a deep bow.

"I'm Olivia," she replied. "And it's also nice to meet you." She smiled at Locke. He rose from his bow and looked in the direction of the sun.

"I'd like to stay here and chat, but we have to get you to my hut before nightfall," Locke said.

"Why?" asked Olivia.

"Those were my orders," Locke said, shrugging his shoulders. "Given by the Great Fairy himself. I feel sort of honored, actually. He hasn't given orders in more than a thousand years. At least, that's what Old Sequoiak says, so you must be pretty important."

Olivia chuckled, still not fully sure whether this was really happening or if it was all in her head. For the time being, she decided to go with it and tossed the thought from her mind. "Well, you must be pretty important if he gave you the orders." She giggled as Locke put a finger to his chin and stroked it, as if thinking.

"You know, I didn't think about it like that," he said after a few moments. "You could be right. Either way, I have to get you to my hut. Will you follow me?"

"Sure," Olivia said. She was eager to see more of this place before she woke up. It reminded her of the magazine photograph in her father's journal.

"Then off we go!" Locked turned in the opposite direction and started walking, Olivia trailing behind. There was no path on the forest floor, but Locke seemed to know exactly where he was going. Olivia turned her head this way and that, taking in her surroundings. She couldn't believe the sheer beauty of the place. The way the sun shone through the trees as it sunk into the horizon was enough to keep her happy for the rest of her life. She was in a daze, entranced by what was happening around her.

A gust of wind suddenly blew through the trees, and the leaves waved down at her. She looked up and waved back. It felt a bit strange, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Another gust of wind blew, and this time, Olivia closed her eyes and listened. She thought that she could hear music. She was then reminded of the song that she had heard before she met Locke. She glanced at him and saw that he had what looked like a violin slung across his back.

"Was that you playing the song back there?" she asked.

Locke glanced back at her and quickly returned facing forward, embarrased. After a few moments, he said, "Yeah. It sounded terrible, didn't it?"

"No, not at all!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. Did you compose it yourself?"

"Yep," replied Locke. The compliment seemed to wash away his embarrassment, and he held his head a little higher. "I actually composed it as you rested. It's a song that sort of mixes how I felt when I first saw you and the time of day it was."

"It was lovely," said Olivia. "Can you play it again?"

"I'd be happy to," said Locke, looking toward the sun, "but we need to pick up the pace and get to my hut. It'll be dark soon."

Olivia noticed that the sun had almost disappeared behind the trees. The forest was growing darker by the minute, so she heeded Locke's advice and began walking faster. They walked for a short while longer until Locke slowed. "We're here!"

They had come to a small hut built between two trees that dwarfed the hut. It was made entirely of intricately carved wood, as if its builder spent years handcrafting each curve and corner. Open windows flanked a small door in the center of the hut.

Locke walked over to the door and opened it. He looked back at Olivia, who was still examining the hut, her mouth hanging slightly open. "Well, come in! I'll make us some supper," he said.

Olivia slowly walked into the hut, admiring every detail on her way through the door. As they entered, a light suddenly filled the dark room. Olivia looked up at the light, shielding her eyes. It came from a round orb that hung from the center of the ceiling.

"Is that... a lightbulb?" she asked.

Locke followed her gaze and then chuckled. "Well, yeah, I guess you could call it a lightbulb." He walked to the back of the hut and hung his violin on the wall next to many other wooden instruments. "Never seen one?"

"No," said Olivia, still fascinated. "So this is...electricity?"

"Electri-what?" asked Locke.

"It's just that I've never really seen electricity working up close. It's neat." Olivia stared intently at the orb.

"What on Aeldyn are you talking about?" Locke asked.

"Aeldyn?"

"Wait, let's talk about your electri-whatever first," said Locke. "I'm curious."

Olivia felt a bit confused. "That lightbulb is powered by electricity, right? It's basically a vacuum with a filament made of metal inside that burns brightly when electricity gets to it."

Locke looked dumbstruck and then sheepishly grinned. "This is fascinating. First, I meet a real live human, which is already almost too hard to believe, and second, she's telling me that science is a real thing. You're talking about science, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah," said Olivia. "You wouldn't be able to turn on that light without some sort of science involved."

Locke laughed. "This is awesome. You'd be surprised how accurate those old storybooks are. I thought they were all just for fun. You know, to teach the children right from wrong and whatnot."

"I don't understand," Olivia said. She looked over at Locke. "If science is a myth to you, then what is running that light?"

"Magic, of course."

"Ah...right," Olivia said, nodding. She was beginning to feel weak again. When am I going to wake up? she thought.

"Are you feeling okay?" Locke asked. He walked over to Olivia and held her by the shoulders to keep her from swaying. "Why don't you sit down over here?" He escorted her to a small wooden couch and helped her lie down.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "Maybe it's just that I'm finally starting to wake up from this dream."

Locke looked at her concernedly for a moment. He put a hand on her arm and smiled. "It's going to be okay. I'll cook you up some special imp stew, and you'll be feeling better in no time."

"Right," said Olivia weakly. She didn't know if she had said it out loud or just thought it. She was drifting in and out of consciousness, and soon she had fallen fast asleep.

* * * * *

Olivia woke to the sound of knocking and slurping, like someone was eating noisily with a spoon. I must have fallen asleep in the dining hall, she thought. After she rubbed her eyes with her fists, she stretched her arms, opened her eyes, and looked around. She noticed that she was in a small house made entirely of wood, consisting of one large room, with each corner serving a different purpose.

One corner had a small hammock strung up near a collection of books. Another corner held a workbench for crafting objects, and many wooden instruments hung on the wall above it. The other two corners served as a kitchen and dining room and a sitting room combination. A round, floor-to-ceiling column stood in the center of the house. The base of the column was hollowed out and held a small fire with a pot hanging over it. Olivia sprang to her feet and quickly looked over at the creature eating noisily at the table.

"Aaaah!" she screamed. "You are real!" She began to back away, her hands in front of her as if to hold the creature back. "Stay away!" She ran around the column to hide from the creature.

Locke stared at her, his eyes wide in surprise. He held a wooden spoon close to his mouth, which hung open in mid-bite. He swallowed hard, and a drop of stew fell from the spoon and back into the bowl, making a loud ploip as it hit. He smiled awkwardly, looking confused.

"I'm serious!" Olivia said as she peered around the column at the creature. "Why am I here, and how are you real? Am I insane? I'm obviously not dreaming. Where is this place and how do I get back to the orphanage?" She stopped for a moment as a thought struck her mind. I have to get back to Nachton.

"Wow, you humans are pretty forgetful," said Locke, putting his spoon down and rising from his chair. "All I know is that I was to meet you at the Old Oak, take you to my hut, and then travel with you to the Great Fairy's Hollow the next morning. I know that it's weird, at least it is to me, but maybe eating some stew will help you calm down. We can talk about my world, and I'll answer any questions you have. But please, just come and at least have some tea."

At the mention of stew and tea, Olivia noticed the pleasant aroma filling the hut. The smell made her realize how hungry she was and her stomach rumbled. Convincing herself that the imp wasn't trying to harm her, she agreed to eat and walked over to the table. She saw her father's journal at the edge of the table. Locke watched as she quickly picked it up and hugged it to her chest.

"That dropped to the floor when you fell asleep," Locke said. "What is it?"

"It's my father's journal...or my diary," she replied. "It's both."

"Oh, okay," Locke said. "It must be very special to you, the way you hold it and whatnot..."

"Yes," said Olivia, "it is very special to me." She sat down at the table, still hugging the journal.

Locke walked to the pot, dipped another bowlful of stew, and returned to the table. He handed the bowl to Olivia, along with a spoon and a wooden goblet of water.

"We'll have tea after." Locke sat down and resumed eating.

Olivia placed her diary in her lap and looked at the stew. Floating in the golden broth was a mixture of leaves, nuts, and mushrooms. Olivia wondered if it was edible. The steam coming up from the bowl carrying the wonderful smell almost made her not care.

"What's in this stew?" she asked, stirring it around with her spoon.

"Cabbage, acorns, uh..." Locke poked around in his own bowl with his spoon, looking for other ingredients. "Honey mushrooms, salt, pepper, dried onions, and...I think that's about it." He looked up at Olivia and smiled. "It's an old recipe my mother and I created. It's basically the standard imp stew recipe, but with honey mushrooms instead of oyster mushrooms."

Olivia dipped her spoon into the stew, raised it to her mouth, and slowly slurped. She had never tasted anything but Crud before and had no idea what to expect from other foods. The stew had a sweet, earthy taste, not unlike the smell of the ground she had observed earlier. Accented with the dried onions and honey mushrooms, the concoction was delightful. It warmed her and immediately made her feel better. She felt her strength returning.

"It's delicious." She slurped another spoonful.

"Thank you," said Locke. "Now, on to those questions. I have lots of questions of my own, but we'll need to be going to bed soon, so I'll let you ask them all for now. Deal?"

"Sure," she said, nodding. She took a sip of the water. It tasted clean and fresh. In comparison, the water at the orphanage tasted like chemicals. She took in a mouthful, then swallowed and asked, "Where are we exactly?"

"Exactly? We're in my hut in the northern region of the Elder Forest, which is in the southern parts of a land called Aeldyn," said Locke. He picked his bowl up and tipped it, pouring the rest of his stew into his mouth. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, I guess," said Olivia, unsure. He had answered her question, but he had created so many more in the process. "And you were sent to retrieve me from the Old Oak? By the Great Fairy?"

"Yep! Exactly," said Locke. He stood up and walked over to a cabinet that held pots and pans where he grabbed a small pot and took it to the fire in the center of the room. "Would you like tea?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she said. "I've never had tea before."

Locke straightened up quickly, bumping his head on the hearth. He slowly turned around, wincing and rubbing the top of his head. "You've never had tea? Oh my. Oh wow..." He returned to the fire. "Well, you're about to have tea, and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it."

Olivia giggled. She felt much better after eating the stew and drinking the water. However, she was still having trouble convincing herself it was real. "So, who is this Great Fairy?" she asked.

"Well, from what I can tell," Locke started. He stood up and carried two wooden mugs of tea over to the table. He then continued, "he's sort of like our village elder, Old Sequoiak, except he's a lot older. Everyone sort of looks up to him, because he's old and wise. He gives the people of Aeldyn advice when they seek it." He sat the mugs down and slid one over to Olivia.

"Is he your leader then? Like a king?" Olivia asked.

"What? Wait, this must be another human concept. There isn't a leader of Aeldyn."

"There isn't? Then who is in charge of keeping order here?" Olivia asked incredulously.

"Keeping order? Keeping order of what? What are you even talking about?"

"Oh, well, never mind, I suppose. So, you've never met the Great Fairy?" Olivia took the warm mug in her hands and smelled the tea's strong, comforting scent. She held the mug close as she let it cool.

"No, but I've always wanted to," Locke said. He sipped his tea. "I'd like to ask him some questions. You know, because he's so old, he must know pretty much everything, right?" He chuckled.

"Well, how did you get orders from him if you've never met him?"

"Oh, his messenger told me," Locke said. "Your tea is probably cool enough to drink. Why don't you try it?"

Olivia slowly brought the mug to her lips, the steam warming her face. When the tea touched her lips, it burned, but only for a second. As she swallowed it, it warmed her whole body. The taste was exactly as she had expected, sweet, cozy, and relaxing.

"It's wonderful." Olivia smiled at Locke.

"I knew you'd love it!" Locke laughed. "I can teach you how to make it if you'd like. Anyway, do you have any more questions? It's almost time for us to hit the hammock. Gotta get up pretty early."

"If this is real, and I'm almost convinced that it is, then will I ever get to go back to my own world? There are people there that I care for." Olivia said, gazing into her mug. She was thinking about Nachton and the other children.

"I can't really answer that one," Locke said with a frown. "But perhaps the Great Fairy can answer it!" He looked at her, his mouth spreading into a wide smile, but Olivia was still staring into her mug. "I know that this is all too much for you to take in, Olivia," he said gently, "but it's a lot for me to believe, too. You're a great person, and you're fun to have around, so I'm glad you're here. Besides, the Great Fairy wouldn't have sent for you if you weren't special. I'm sure that he has his reasons." Locke paused and looked into his own mug. "And I'm sure he'd tell you how to get back if you asked. You know, if you wanted to."

Olivia looked up at him, and the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. She loved what little she had seen of Aeldyn and the time she had spent with Locke, but it felt wrong to be there. She felt a strong need to return to the orphanage and help everyone. But what could I do? She sighed. "I'll go with you to see the Great Fairy."

"Great!" Locke exclaimed. "I'll get you some blankets and a pillow and get your bed fixed up. Is the couch okay?"

Olivia giggled. She felt a sense of belonging around Locke, one that she had never felt at the orphanage until recently. "Sure, that's fine."

Locke sprung from his chair to gather the pillow and blankets, looking happy and eager to please his company.

"Locke," she called to him. He looked around the giant stack of blankets he was carrying. "Thanks for being a good friend."

Locke became extra energetic as he fumbled around for a way to reply. He made her bed on the couch, holding his head high and telling her how it was the Great Fairy she had to thank and that she didn't have to be his friend at all and that he didn't really mean that, but he was just saying...

* * * * *

As Olivia lay on her makeshift bed, listening to the snores coming from Locke's hammock, she thought of all that had happened recently. She thought about the deaths of Ms. Canterbry and Mr. Dewberry and about the desolate world that she had seen outside the orphanage. She thought about falling through the tree into this world and meeting Locke. Then she thought about the next day and wondered if she'd even be able to go to sleep. She rolled over on her side and pulled the blankets up over her face. 
**Chapter Six**

**It's Not a Dream  
**

Olivia awoke to an unfamiliar sound. It was soft and strangely pleasant, like a song that had no rhythm or consistent melody. Her eyes snapped open as she remembered where she was. She sat up and looked around. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows of Locke's hut. She shielded her eyes as they slowly adjusted to the bright light.

On the nearby windowsill, a bird as bright and blue as the morning sky hopped back and forth as it sang the lovely song that woken Olivia. It suddenly stopped as it noticed Olivia sitting up on the couch and watched her, chirping and tilting its head this way and that. Suddenly, it flew away, causing Olivia to jump in surprise. She looked over at Locke, who was sleeping precariously on his hammock. His head was hanging off one side while one of his legs was dangling from the other. A long string of drool hung from his mouth.

"Locke," Olivia said in a whispered shout. He didn't move. She tried again, "Locke."

"Hmm?" he mumbled. "I like the stew, yes...I like daisies...too..." He rubbed his face with his hand, breaking the string of drool and smearing it across his cheek before dropping his hand and snoring again.

"Locke!" Olivia didn't bother to whisper this time.

"Aaah!" Locke shouted and sprang swiftly from the hammock. He ran around aimlessly for a few seconds, a blanket wrapped around his foot. Then he looked over at Olivia. "Oh my twigs! You're here! It was real! Holy toadstool!"

"Uh, I'm the one having trouble believing I'm here, remember?" Olivia giggled.

"Yeah, heh heh." Locke sheepishly cut his eyes to the side. He paused for a second, thinking. Then his eyes widened as he looked at Olivia. "Twigs! What time is it? We're gonna be late!" He kicked the blanket from his foot and grabbed a cloth sack from under his hammock. "Hurry, we gotta pack!"

Olivia grabbed her journal from under her pillow and watched as Locke frantically ran about the hut shoving things into the sack, including a book, a chunk of wood, a small pouch, a wooden container, and a blanket. Olivia wondered how such a thin sack could hold all the items without tearing. Probably has something to do with magic, I'm sure, she thought, not really believing herself.

"This is all I really have to pack," said Olivia, holding up her father's journal. "But I'll just carry it."

"Okay," said Locke, panting, "I think that's everything. Let's get going." He strode across the hut, carrying the sack over one shoulder and his violin over the other. He flung open the door with such force that a few leaves blew in. He didn't seem to mind and continued out of the hut. After a moment, he poked his head back into the doorway and said, "Oh, I almost forgot." He ran back into the hut and grabbed a rough brown cloak that was hanging near his hammock. "Put this on. The Great Fairy's messenger said that you probably don't need to attract attention to yourself before we get to the Hollow."

Olivia slipped on the cloak and pulled the hood over her head. It was a little bit too big for her, so the bottom hem dragged on the ground.

"Well, let's go," shouted Locke, thrusting a finger into the air. He turned and began marching away, his arms swinging vigorously, a determined expression on his face.

Olivia followed, immediately shielding her eyes from the bright golden sun that shone down through the tops of enormous trees, creating heavenly rays that illuminated the forest floor. Small specks of blue and purple light flitted around through the warm air. She could hear birds and bugs chirping and buzzing from all directions. The wind blowing was like a rush of energy through the trees. Despite the noise that filled her ears, Olivia enjoyed the busy activity and couldn't wait to be a part of it. She inhaled deeply and smiled.

"Hey! Are you coming or what?" Locke shouted. He was waving his free arm in the air to get Olivia's attention.

Olivia pulled her gaze from the beauty of the forest and looked at Locke. She trotted over to him, dodging one of the tiny purple specks.

"What are those?" she asked, pointing at one of the balls of light and following it with her finger. It floated around the tip of her finger a few times and then dissipated into the air, leaving behind a faint cloud of blue. She put a hand to her mouth in horror.

"Ha-ha! Don't worry. You didn't do anything," said Locke. "We call that dust. They're just bits of atmospheric magic. They come and go naturally, just like fog or rain. I keep forgetting you come from a world of science. Even simple things like this dust are interesting, huh?"

Olivia nodded, pulling her hand away from her mouth. She was eyeing another bit of dust.

"Well, I hate to keep urging you, but we do have to get going," Locke said. "I know you'll have tons of questions along the way, so I'll make a deal with you. I'll try to answer your questions and tell you about Aeldyn and its magic, if you promise to tell me about your world and its science. Deal?"

"Sure," Olivia agreed. She couldn't imagine why a creature like Locke would be the least bit interested in her world or the subject of science, especially when he was from a world like Aeldyn. Then again, she thought that the feeling was probably mutual.

They set out northward, both answering each other's questions and becoming more overwhelmed with each other's worlds. Locke kept peering around anxiously, but Olivia didn't seem to notice, because she was still taking in the enormity and complexity of the world around her. Soon they came near the edge of the forest, where Locke sat down his sack and patted his stomach.

"I'm quite hungry. You?" he asked.

Olivia nodded, suddenly noticing that she was indeed extremely hungry.

"Well, we don't have much," Locke said, looking through the sack. "I figured the walk to the Great Fairy's Hollow wouldn't take all day, so I only packed a small lunch." He pulled out two apples and a small pouch. He handed Olivia an apple.

"Oh, thank you," Olivia said excitedly. She placed her diary in her lap and took the apple from Locke, her eyes shining brightly. The apple was one food that she had wanted as far back as she could remember. It had appeared many times during her childhood—in one of the encyclopedias and even when she learned the letter 'A' in the alphabet. The children had never been allowed to ask why they always had to eat Crud, so she had dreamed to herself that one day she would be able to taste an apple. That dream was about to come true.

"You're welcome!" Locke said. He took a large bite out of his apple. "You act like you've never seen an apple. I mean, it's not like apples depend on magic, so you have them in your world, too, right?"

"I think we used to have them," Olivia said, gazing happily at the apple and debating on whether she should eat it or hold it a little while longer.

"Used to? What do you mean by that?" asked Locke in a muffled voice. He closed the sack, holding his apple in his mouth with his teeth.

"What I've told you about my world so far has been based on what I know of the past," Olivia explained. "It used to be beautiful, like this." She pointed behind them into the forest. "But something went wrong, and now we all live inside vaults called orphanages. I think only children remain in my world..." She stopped, suddenly remembering the children back in the orphanage. She wished she could go back and bring them all into this new world. She reminded herself that she had made a promise to visit the Great Fairy and see what he wanted from her before she went back. She wanted to go back despite how wonderful this land was. It's not fair for me to be here and for everyone else to be stuck back there, she thought.

"Well, cheer up," Locke said, patting her shoulder. "Things like this don't happen every day, you know. Twigs, things like this have never happened before. I'm pretty sure." He looked up with a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is a once-in-a-lifetime type thing. The Great Fairy wouldn't have asked to see you if he didn't desperately need you. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know you existed. I thought humans were just a fable. So, the Great Fairy knows more than your average scrowl, I can tell you that!"

Olivia looked up at Locke and smiled. She didn't know what a scrowl was, but decided against asking for now. She appreciated Locke's constant effort to try to keep her spirits up. Even if everything about Aeldyn seemed unbelievable, Olivia felt that whoever the Great Fairy was needed her help.

"You're right," she said, gently tossing the apple and catching it. She took one more look at it before biting into it. The fresh, crisp taste was unlike anything that she had imagined or expected—it was far better. It was sour, but sweet at the same time. Juice dripped down her chin as she took another bite, and another. She wished the apple would last forever. She turned the apple a little and bit into it again. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she savored the taste. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"There are plenty more apples," said Locke, looking at Olivia with a faintly sympathetic expression. "Well, we better get moving again. I also brought some nuts, if you would like to have some." He held up the small pouch.

"Sure, that would be great." Olivia wiped the juice from her chin and the tear from her cheek with the sleeve of her cloak. "What should I do with this?" She held up the apple core.

Locke grabbed the apple core, tossed it into the air, and caught it in his mouth. He chewed for a second and then swallowed, grinning. "Mmm, the core and stem are my favorite parts!"

Olivia laughed. "Good! I was having a tough time trying to eat them." She wiped her hands on the hem of her uniform and asked, "So, how far is the Great Fairy's Hollow from here?"

"Follow me and I'll show you." Locke nodded to the edge of the forest. He handed Olivia the small pouch containing the nuts and then pulled the sack over his shoulder, ready to begin moving again. He walked a few paces, pushing vines out of the way for Olivia. Then they stepped out of the forest.

They were standing on the edge of a vast and picturesque valley. Giant hills of green grass reached as far as Olivia could see to the east and west. A blue stream snaked its way through the bottom of the valley, no view of its beginning or end in sight. To the north, there was a massive range of grey, snowcapped mountains. Olivia saw strange creatures walking in the valley and flying near the mountaintops. Some were small, and she could barely see them, while others were large and magnificent.

Olivia tried to take everything in at once, but she soon realized that she couldn't. She found herself focusing on one thing in the distance, as it stretched above all others and made her feel extremely tiny. A massive tree sprouted from a place near where the mountains split. The tree twisted this way and that incomprehensibly high into the sky. Its leafy branches arched over the valley and the mountains, making a magnificent green canopy. Olivia couldn't see all the parts of the tree because of the clouds and haze coming from the mountaintops. The tree was full of life, watching over the land like a brilliant and loving caretaker. Olivia was astounded.

"Wonderful, isn't she?" Locke said. A small string of drool was hanging from the corner of his gaping mouth. Olivia looked over at him. The sack was on the ground and his arms were dangling by his sides. He was staring dreamily up at the tree, as if in a trance.

"I come out here every day just to get a good look at her," he said. "She's the most magnificent tree in the world. What I wouldn't do to just be able to live in her. Oh, the wood, the bark, the resin! The leaves! The–"

"Locke!" Olivia giggled as she yelled his name to get his attention.

Locke snapped out of his trance. "Oh...gets me every time," he said, cutting his eyes toward Olivia.

"What is it? And what are those?" she asked, pointing down at the creatures roaming the valley below them.

"Ah, questions, questions, questions," he said, chuckling. "Well, that," he said, pointing up at the tree, "is the Great Fairy Tree. My father says it has been around since the beginning of time. I think it's had a lot of different names, too, but everyone calls it the Great Fairy Tree these days. And those," he said pointing down at the creatures, "are ungulhaks, gnomes, and..." he squinted, trying to make out one of the more distant creatures. "I believe those are kettu in the distance."

"I'm scared, Locke," Olivia said. She had finally focused on one of the creatures in the valley and saw that, unlike Locke, it wasn't shaped at all like a human. The creature had the body of a large black horse and the torso of a muscular man. It frightened her.

"Of what?" asked Locke.

"Those creatures look dangerous," Olivia said. "What if one of them sees me?"

"Oh, don't worry," Locke said, smiling. "You have nothing to fear from the people of Aeldyn, I can tell you that. And hopefully they won't even notice that you're a human, because you're wearing the cloak. They'll think you're an imp like me."

Olivia pulled the cloak more tightly around her. She trusted Locke, but the open valley and the strange-looking creatures were intimidating nonetheless. She inhaled deeply and let the air back out shakily.

"It'll be alright," Locke said, patting her on the back with one hand and giving her a thumbs up with the other. "I promise."

They looked out at the valley for a few more seconds before starting forward again. Locke walked a little way ahead and beckoned for Olivia to follow. He led her to the edge of the valley, where she could see a large stairway that led down into the bottom of it. Large stone slabs placed into the ground every few feet formed the stairs. The many travelers who had taken the route had worn down the grass between the stones.

Locke and Olivia began the descent.They reached the bottom of the valley after a short time. The river flowing to the west was larger than Olivia had imagined from the top of the valley. The water was quiet and calming as it flowed over thousands of small pebbles. The path continued over the river on a small wooden bridge. Further down the trail there were more stone slabs that led up the other side of the valley. They started to cross the bridge, and Olivia became more and more nervous as they drew closer to the creatures on the other side of the river.

"Keep your hood up and your head down for a little while," Locke said. "There's an ungulhak on the other side of the Elder Brook. But don't worry, he probably won't even notice us."

Olivia swallowed hard. She pulled her hood down over her face as best she could and looked down at the ground. She clutched her journal against her chest and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her cloak to hide them. She began to shake as they neared the other end of the bridge. Even though Locke had assured her that the creatures weren't dangerous, she couldn't help but be afraid.

"Ho, there!" bellowed a loud, deep voice. "How goes your day thus far, my good fellow?"

Olivia had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from screaming. The voice was coming from just a few feet ahead. She wanted to turn and run the other way, but she kept by Locke's side as they continued toward the voice.

"Good!" Locke replied in a friendly voice. "I can never complain after having a good look at the Great Fairy Tree! How are you?" Olivia continued walking slowly forward until she saw Locke stop when they stepped off the bridge. Olivia could see black hooves out of the corner of her eyes. She immediately closed them tightly.

"Oh, I'm wonderful!" the creature boomed. "It's a fine day to gather a few supplies for this fall's fruit cultivation. I'll have apples, grapes, figs, and melons of all sorts!"

"Ah! Sounds great," Locke said, beginning to walk again. "I'll definitely be over for the apples. Well, I hate to end a great conversation, but we're in a bit of a hurry."

"No worries, my friend," the creature said. He stepped back a few paces in order to let them pass. Olivia could see his hands swaying at his sides as he maneuvered his horse body around. "But I haven't said hello to your friend here."

"Oh, she doesn't talk much," Locke said, still walking away. Olivia noticed that he had taken his violin from his back. "It's been nice talking to you. See you around."

"Alright, friend," the creature chuckled. "See you next time."

They walked a few paces before Olivia let out the big breath of air that she had been holding in the entire time. She unfolded her arms and began walking normally again, feeling a bit better now that the creature was behind them. Locke looked over at her and whispered urgently, "Not yet!"

"Say..." The creature had been watching them leave and noticed Olivia's free hand dangling from her cloak sleeve.

Locke immediately began playing a soft melody with his violin that reminded Olivia of how she felt when she began to daydream in her general studies class. The song made Olivia lose her focus for a moment.

"Huh...never mind," the creature mumbled behind them. It turned and continued on its way to gather supplies.

"Okay, I think it's safe now," Locke said, putting his violin back on his back. "Let's hurry on up this path."

"What just happened? What did you do?" asked Olivia, regaining her focus.

"I didn't want to do it because it's rude." Locke sighed. "But I have to get you to the Great Fairy as soon as possible, so I confused him a bit."

"By playing music?" Olivia asked, a bit confused herself.

"Yep. Music magic is my specialty."

"I thought you said earlier that carpentry was your specialty." She peered over at him from under her hood.

"Imps specialize in carpentry and symphology," Locke said. "Carpentry comes naturally to us. Symphology is something we have to study. But because the study of music magic goes hand in hand with carpentry and instrument crafting, symphology is the easiest magic for us imps to take up."

"Then symphology is like a science," Olivia stated.

"It is?" asked Locke.

"Well...yes, in a way. For example, where I'm from, geology is the study of the earth. Kind of like how you were describing symphology being the study of music magic."

"But science has no boundaries, right?" Locke asked. "At least, that's what the fables say."

"No...it doesn't," replied Olivia. She suddenly remembered Ms. Canterbry and the rules she had given them about science.

"Ah, see, magic has its boundaries," Locke said. "There's a balance in Aeldyn. Magic uses certain resources, and if those resources are depleting, that balance gets disrupted. For example, you mentioned that geology is the study of the earth in your realm. Well, there's something similar here, called terrology. It's the study of magic that relates to the land. Ungulhaks are the masters of terrology. They use it to help them cultivate crops. If they use magic to overwork the land, then they risk throwing off the balance." He chuckled and looked at Olivia. "Confused?"

Olivia nodded. They had neared the top of the far side of the valley. The mountains to the north were growing closer, as was the Great Fairy Tree. Olivia tried to figure out what Locke was telling her about the studies of magic, but she lost her concentration as they topped the edge of the valley.

Before them an expanse of plains stretched for as long as she could see. For a moment, Olivia thought she was looking at a sea of white water. She then noticed that it wasn't water at all but millions of white flowers. They rippled this way and that as large gusts of wind blew across the plain. Many wide, shimmering streams wove through the flowers. Between each stream were neatly tilled fields filled with an array of fruits and vegetables.

Olivia squinted to get a better look at the fields. She could just make out what appeared to be more ungulhaks, moving up and down the rows of each field, some watering crops and others harvesting ripe fruits and vegetables. Olivia then followed the streams with her eyes and saw that they all merged into one big river to the west. The river flowed into a great forest between the fork of the mountains. She stared in awe as the immense trees in the forest became twigs compared to the Great Fairy Tree that rose above them.

"Wow," Olivia said, without realizing it.

"I know," Locke said, "it always amazes me that the ungulhaks work so hard each day to bring the people of Aeldyn their food. But, they love doing it."

Olivia followed Locke's gaze over to the fields and stared out at the production for a moment longer. She wondered if people in her realm ever grew food like that. The only knowledge she had gathered about food production was the old factories that humans used to hydroponically produce plants and then mechanically make them into food. She looked at Locke and asked, "So is all of this magic?"

"No, it's farming," he replied. "I mean, the ungulhaks study several types of magic so they can cultivate the crops correctly, the main ones being terrology, like I was telling you about earlier, and imberology with an 'I'. But other than that, it's pure hard work. They're very strong creatures, so they don't mind it. I sure wouldn't do it, heh heh..." He held up an arm and tried to flex a nonexistent muscle. "Nothing but lignin here!" He laughed.

"And what might imberology be?" Olivia asked, laughing. She couldn't tell if Locke enjoyed that she didn't know very much about Aeldyn or if he was genuinely forgetting that she had come from a completely different world.

"The study of magic as it relates to water," Locke said. "Imberology has many different branches of magic under it, just like with the other studies. The ungulhaks specialize in the most basic type of that magic: moving the water from place to place." He moved one hand from side to side as he explained and then gripped his sack with his other hand. "We need to keep moving. I hope the Great Fairy isn't mad at me when we get there."

They continued northwest, toward the forest between the mountains. Olivia held out her free hand as they waded through the sea of white blossoms, which Locke had informed her were called huifu flowers. He told her that they were a magical plant that, when grown correctly, would restore the soil after a long year of farming. Some of the petals detached from the flowers as they moved through them. The petals danced around before floating away on the wind. The sight filled Olivia with joy, and she laughed.

Soon they arrived at the river that flowed into the forest. It was wide and looked quite deep, but it was calm and flowed gently. Sunlight glinted on the surface of the water, making Olivia's eyes snap shut when a bright beam hit them. The huifu flowers had become sparse, and thick green grass filled the ground around them. In the distance, Olivia eyed a pier farther down the riverside that reached out to the center of the river.

"Alright! We're almost there," Locke exclaimed. He pulled the sack from his back and rummaged through it as they walked toward the pier. "A-ha! There it is," he said as he pulled something green from the sack. It had an oblong shape and tiny, prickly bumps along its outer covering.

"What is that?" Olivia asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"A cucumber," Locke said, handing it to her. He closed the sack and threw it back over his shoulder.

Olivia turned the cucumber over in her hands. It had smooth, waxy skin, but the tiny prickles gave it an odd bumpy texture. She held it to her nose and sniffed it, but it had no real smell.

"Is it...food?" she asked, wondering if he wanted her to eat it. She couldn't imagine how she would go about eating it, if he did.

"Yes," said Locke, giggling. "It's a vegetable. They're quite delicious, but I prefer them peeled."

"Should I eat it?" asked Olivia, holding the cucumber up by one end.

"No!" Locke shouted. "Sorry, I... it's for Gaw."

"Who is Gaw?" asked Olivia as they reached the pier. Olivia heard the water as it gently flowed around the wooden poles that held the pier up in the river. The river's size frightened her a bit. It wasn't like the one in the valley. This river was much bigger, and Olivia didn't know how to swim. She stood as close to Locke as possible as they stepped onto the pier.

"He's the kappa of the Fae River," Locke said casually, as if Olivia would know what it meant.

"And what is a k–" The loud sound of rushing water interrupted Olivia. At the end of the pier, a large, green creature was emerging from the river. A blast of air burst from it as it surfaced, and Olivia screamed.

"What is that awful noise?" came a deep, guttural voice. It came from the thing that had just emerged from the water.

"Sorry, Gaw," Locke said loudly. "She didn't mean it. I think you frightened her."

"Oh, my apologies," Gaw said. He was resting his large, scaly head on his webbed hands, his arms crossed and propped on the edge of the pier. His face resembled a turtle's, except a large beak as black as ink served as his mouth. The top of his head was concave and looked like a wide-rimmed bowl full of water. A round shell with many bumps and ridges rested on his back.

Locke looked over at Olivia, who was clutching both her diary and the cucumber closely in fear. He motioned for her to do something. She swallowed hard and stammered, "I-it's okay..."

"You're an odd creature," Gaw said. "I've been around for ages and have never seen a creature such as yourself. But, that's no business of mine. Tell me, do you need to get down the river?"

Olivia tore her eyes from the kappa to look at Locke. He nodded.

"Y-yes," Olivia said to Gaw. Her hands were trembling so much that she nearly dropped the cucumber into the river.

"Very well," said Gaw. He switched his gaze from Olivia to Locke. "Ah, I've seen you around here before. Although I can't quite remember..."

"I was here not too long ago," Locke said. "I was one of the imps that helped clean up one of the fallen Elms of Yore. We held the Ancient Tree Ceremony afterward, about a mile down the river."

"Oh, yes, yes... that's right," Gaw said. "It was a sad time, indeed, but the ceremony was wonderful."

"Thank you very much," Locke said, bowing. "By the way, I have something for you." He looked over at Olivia and then at the cucumber in her hand. He then nodded his head toward Gaw.

Olivia knew what he meant, but she couldn't understand why she was the one that had to do it. She slowly began to walk toward Gaw, holding the cucumber out in front of her.

"Is that..." Gaw gasped.

"I'm an imp of my word, Gaw," Locke said, crossing his arms.

Gaw reached out one of his webbed hands as Olivia inched closer. She held the cucumber as far out as her arm would allow and turned her head the other way. She felt the cold, slimy hand as it grabbed the cucumber. She screamed under her breath and quickly scuttled away.

"Thank you very much," Gaw said. "What is your name, my friend? I will remember this for years to come."

"Locke," said Locke. "And this is Olivia."

"Very good." Gaw then tossed the cucumber in his mouth and began to chew. He closed his eyes and grunted happily as he did so. When he was finished, he gulped and said, "That, my good friends Locke and Olivia, is one of Aeldyn's finest gifts."

Locke laughed and Olivia began to smile. She wasn't quite as afraid of Gaw now. She watched as he licked around the edge of his beak, hoping to find any stray bits of cucumber.

"Well, Gaw," said Locke, "I hate to ruin your snack, but we need to get to the Great Fairy as soon as possible."

"Right," Gaw said. He pushed himself away from the pier and back down into the water. His massive shell was now completely visible with what appeared to be a couple of small seats carved into its ridges. He swam closer to the pier. "Hop on."

Olivia and Locke walked over to the edge of the pier and stepped onto Gaw's back. Locke helped her sit on one of the small seats and then claimed the other for himself.

"Hold on tight," Locke whispered to Olivia. "He's a quick one!"

Olivia barely had enough time to grip a piece of the shell before Gaw blasted forward. She screamed, but could only barely hear herself over the rushing water as Gaw raced down the river. Her long hair whipped around behind her in the wind. She slowly turned to look back and saw massive foaming waves where Gaw had split the water. She peered down into the river and saw his long, frog-like legs kicking rapidly, propelling them forward. Turning back around, she noticed the trees in the forest around them. They were much larger and looked much older than the trees in the Elder Forest. She looked more closely and saw all sorts of creatures moving between the trees. Some walked on two legs, while others walked on all four. Furry creatures as small as mice scurried around on the forest floor, and giant creatures ten times Olivia's size and seemingly made of stone moved slowly between the trees. Soon Olivia had difficulty seeing the creatures, because Gaw was swimming so quickly. The forest became almost a blur.

After they had sped down the river for some time, Olivia looked over at Locke and grinned. She couldn't believe what was happening. Only a day ago, she was sitting on her bed in the orphanage. Now she was sailing down a river at full speed on the back of a kappa.

Suddenly the forest ended and Gaw slowed down. They had entered a glen hidden between the forest, the mountains, and the Great Fairy Tree. On either side of the glen, the mountains rose out of the ground, reaching high into the sky. In front of them, where the mountain forked, was the base of the gargantuan Great Fairy Tree. The river flowed into a hollow that lay beneath the tree, between its many massive roots.

Gaw had stopped at another pier, waiting for Olivia and Locke to step off his back. They were both sitting speechless, their mouths hanging open in awe.

"We have arrived, my good friends Locke and Olivia," Gaw said after a few silent moments. "Please step onto the pier."

Locke, still staring up at the Great Fairy Tree, grabbed Olivia's arm and slowly stood up. They both stepped onto the pier.

"I hope you had a good trip," Gaw said, looking up at them. "I'll be here if you need me to return."

"Y-yes..." Locke said quietly, his mouth still hanging slightly open. "Thank you...very much..." He walked slowly off the dock and began to wander this way and that, taking in all of the beauty of the glen. Olivia followed, amazed.

On one side of the river Olivia noticed an orchard filled with many odd fruits. Smaller plants and shrubs of all sorts were interspersed here and there between the fruit trees. Olivia inhaled the orchard's fresh, citrusy fragrance. On the other side of the river she saw an elaborate garden packed with herbs. The land of the herb garden had been terraced, each step going a little higher up the mountainside. Small sets of stone stairs connected each level of the garden.

"This is incredible, Locke," Olivia said, her eyes wide.

"I know. I can't believe that I'm actually here!" Locke replied excitedly. He held his arms out and slowly spun around, taking in all that was around him again. "Ha! This is wonderful!"

"Enjoying yourselves?" A different voice coming from near the base of the Great Fairy Tree startled them. Although it was quiet, almost a whisper, Olivia and Locke clearly heard it and spun around to look.

A small, bent creature with skin as rough and earthy as an elephant's was standing in the archway made by the roots of the Great Fairy Tree. Its features were almost human, but its appearance suggested otherwise. The creature looked to be old and frail, and its body was loosely wrapped in sprigs of ivy that sprouted like hair from its head. It stood hunched over with a small wooden cane as it gazed at Olivia and Locke with its wide, black eyes.

Locke immediately knelt down on one knee and bowed his head. Olivia stood motionless, unsure of what to do.

"No need for that, brave one," said the creature, looking at Locke. "Rise, and welcome."

Locke quickly rose from his bow. He looked at the creature, his head held high. "Thank you, Great Fairy." 
**Interlude**

The white crow soared down out of the black, murky sky, leaving a trail of white fog behind it. It spotted a ruined city in the distance and flew toward it. Soon it landed atop a broken statue in the center of the city and peered around, taking in the desolation.

"What a mess they've made of this place," the crow said, shuddering. It turned its head in different directions, trying to pinpoint the thoughts of the thing it had been sent to find. It was near, he could feel it. But it felt odd.

The crow decided the thing must have been in the building in front of the statue. Although the building had long been reduced to a pile of rubble, the thing the crow was after was buried far below it. Hopping to the edge of the statue, the crow unfurled its white wings and continued its search into the depths of the building.

"Oh, now this is depressing..." it said as it flew through dark hallways deep under the ruins. Limp bodies lined the halls. Most of them had already decayed and were now just skeletons wearing soiled white lab coats, but some of them seemed to have died much more recently. The thing the crow sought was very close now.

It flew to the end of the hallway, where a door labeled 'Testing Room' stood slightly ajar. It landed next to the door and hopped inside. The room behind the door was round and filled with computer components of all sorts. Motherboards and empty casings littered the floor, and monitors and towers were stacked on top of one another all along the walls. A tarnished metal table sat in the room's center with a ball resting atop it. The ball was made of metal sheets and plates that had been screwed and welded together. A series of blue rings on the front of the ball flashed at irregular intervals. From across the room, it looked almost like a large eye.

The crow flew onto the table, eyeing the metal ball curiously. "Hmm, this must be it," the crow muttered to himself as he hopped closer to it. He attempted to probe the mind that he had sensed nearby. Suddenly, sparks flew from the welded seams of the ball; it sputtered to life, floating off the table.

"Scanning," the ball said in a metallic, monotone voice. An aperture opened in the center of the blue rings, and a lens focused on the crow. "Unknown structure. Adding properties to new class. Complete. State your species and name."

The crow had hopped back a few paces. The metal ball was frightening, but very curious indeed. It stared up at the ball, studying its features. Then it said, "Why do you want to know? What are you?"

"Invalid input. State your species and name," the metal ball repeated.

"Somnivate. And my name is Dust," said the crow.

"Adding. Complete," said the ball. The aperture closed and covered the lens.

"Will you answer my questions now?" asked Dust.

"Acknowledged. Make query now," said the ball.

"What are you?" asked Dust.

"Query acknowledged. Answer: I am SAGAX. System for Analyzing Genetically Abnormal eXpression."

"Interesting..." said Dust. "Are you a computer?"

"Query acknowledged. Answer: Yes. I am an artificial intelligence. I have been designed to learn and repair new strands of genetic code. I monitor the database of the living and aid in correcting the effects of DNA Flu." The metal ball then shorted, and small white sparks burst from its seams.

Dust hopped around the metal ball, wondering if he should attempt to probe it again. He knew that although it was a computerized structure, it had a mind that was real and capable of learning. After a moment, Dust decided to attempt it.

Suddenly, thinking became difficult for Dust. His mind was wrenched in different directions until he couldn't tell his own thoughts from foreign ones. Unknown words and images were tossed around in his head, pushing his own memories to the dark corners of his consciousness. Then an endless series of numbers filled his mind, and he remembered nothing. 
**Chapter Seven**

**The Great Fairy's Hollow  
**

The Great Fairy beckoned for Locke and Olivia to come closer. As they neared the Great Fairy, they saw that he was standing on the edge of a stone slab that jutted into the river, splitting the river at the base of the Great Fairy Tree. An immense cavern that seemed to lead back into the heart of the mountains stood behind the roots of the tree. Two ornate bridges on either side of the river led up to the stone slab. Locke and Olivia hurried up the bridge nearest to them. As they approached the Great Fairy, he smiled warmly.

"Ah, Olivia, my child," said the Great Fairy in a soft voice that shook with old age. He held his free hand out to her and began to hobble slowly forward, obviously pleased to see Olivia.

Olivia, seeing his laborious attempt to reach her, hurried up to him. She grabbed his brown, leathery hand and held it in her own. He was only about half Olivia's height, so she had to bend down slightly in order to reach him. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily as he tightened his grip around her hand. His breath came in slow, rattling bursts as he clung to her. After a moment, Olivia managed to whisper, "Are you okay?"

The Great Fairy's eyes opened, and he looked up at her. His round, black eyes squinted as he smiled, and a multitude of wrinkles formed on his old skin.

"Yes...yes, I'm fine, child," he said. "It's just been a very, very long time."

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia. She could feel the Great Fairy's hand trembling slightly.

"Come," he said, pulling his hand from hers and beckoning for Olivia and Locke to follow. "We have much to discuss." He slowly turned and began to hobble back to the archway made of roots that led into the hollow under the tree.

Olivia glanced back at Locke. He seemed just as stunned as she felt. He walked up to her and patted her shoulder.

"Let's go," he said. "We've made it this far; we might as well go see what he has to tell us."

They followed the Great Fairy underneath the archway of roots and into the hollow. It was oddly spacious underneath the tree. The stone slab they were walking on led far back into the center of the hollow and ended at a gently sloping mound covered in thick green grass. Around the mound, the two halves of the river split again into small streams. The water here was shallow and flowed quietly over the pebbled ground. At the back of the hollow, the water tumbled over the edge where the ground ended into a seemingly endless chasm underneath the mountains. The gnarled old wood of the Great Fairy Tree formed the walls of the hollow that were covered with mushrooms, mosses, and other strange plants that glowed softly like the moon and lit the cavern in a warm and welcoming glow. The ceiling far above them was draped with the same ivy that wrapped around the Great Fairy.

"I trust your journey has been an odd one, Olivia," the Great Fairy said as they continued along the stone slab in the direction of the grassy mound. He managed a weak chuckle, but it quickly turned into a short fit of coughing. Olivia waited for the fit to subside before answering.

"Yes," Olivia replied, "I'm still having a hard time believing everything I've seen is real." She stopped suddenly, wondering if it was rude to say such a thing.

The Great Fairy weakly laughed again. "Oh, it is all real, my child. Very much so."

All was silent around them except for the faint trickling of the water as it flowed along the floor and the small, echoing taps coming from the Great Fairy's cane as he slowly limped along. When they came to the center of the cavern, Olivia saw two stepping stone pathways on either side of the mound that lead over the streams to large wooden doors carved into the sides of the hollow.

"The timing of your arrival was impeccable," said the Great Fairy when they reached the mound. They began to climb a small stone stairway that led to its crest. "And I must say, I'm impressed by your ability to carry out a task as unique as this without becoming distracted, my brave imp," the Great Fairy chuckled. "I know quite a few young imps that wouldn't have been able to do it. I shall have to reward you for your efforts before you depart."

"Th-thank you," Locke stammered. "I was honored to be able to aid you, sir." He bent his head in a small bow.

When they reached the crest of the mound, Olivia noticed that it was flattened on top and reached far back into the cavern. The grass that carpeted it was soft and vibrant, and the scent on top of the mound was ancient and earthy. Four statues of varying sizes stood in the mound's center, facing inwards. They all wore fabric cloaks, each ones' a different color and pattern.

"She has arrived," the Great Fairy said in the direction of the statues.

To Olivia's surprise, the statues suddenly turned to face them. Each had a round stone face with two chiseled-out sockets for eyes. She noticed strange crowns resting atop the hoods of their cloaks.

One crown was a circle of flames that danced around the head of the tallest and thinnest of the statues. Another crown was a stream of water that flowed in the air around the head of one of the shorter statues. The next was a crown of branches woven together atop the head of the shortest and fattest of the statues. At first Olivia couldn't decipher the fourth crown. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that it was a small wind current that had a few stray leaves and blades of grass blowing around in it. The statues moved fluidly, as if floating, into a line. They stood side-by-side as they observed Olivia.

"Twigs, are those the..." Locke gasped.

"The kami, yes," said a deep voice. It came from the statue with the flaming crown, even though it had no mouth with which to speak. "I thought we had discussed earlier, Old One, that we were expecting none other than the girl at this meeting."

"The imp is fine, Flaym," said the Great Fairy. "He is a smart one. I think he deserves to hear what we have to say just as much as Olivia does."

"Very well," said Flaym. He turned his stony gaze toward Locke. "Let's hope you are correct, Old One, for the information that is about to be shared is ancient and may be a bit... overwhelming for one such as this."

Locke stepped backward. Flaym had slowly and fluidly floated over to him and was looming over him, staring down through his ominous eye sockets.

"You stop it, Flaym," said another voice, this one more pleasant and feminine. It came from the shortest statue with the branching crown. "Why do you want to scare the poor guy? If the Old One says it's okay for him to be here, then it's okay for him to be here!"

"Oh, dash it all, Duhrt!" Flaym exclaimed as he turned to the other statue. "Don't you have anything resembling formality? Any sense of authority at all?"

"Of course I do," Duhrt said. "But only when it's necessary."

Flaym responded, "Well, I say! This occasion is quite important and I think it is necessary–"

"Would you two stop your bickering, please?" sighed the statue with the crown of water. This one also had a woman's voice. "Especially you, Flaym. We all know you're suffering from a superiority complex."

"Please, everyone, please," said the Great Fairy, raising his hands. "Let us begin. Nightfall is fast approaching, and each night that passes leaves Aeldyn in much more danger."

"I agree," said Duhrt. "Miss Wickworth, I apologize for our behavior. Let me introduce myself. I'm Duhrt, the Spirit of Earth." Duhrt bent her head toward Olivia in a small bow. "And these are my fellow kami. Please introduce yourselves."

"I am Flaym, master and protector of fire!" Flaym proclaimed proudly. His crown flared as he rose a few feet higher into the air.

"He's the Spirit of Fire," said Duhrt dimly. Flaym's crown sputtered to a small blaze, and he floated back to the ground, grumbling.

"I'm Rayn," said the creature with the water crown. "I watch over water."

There was a pause. Flaym, Duhrt, and Rayn slowly turned to look at the fourth kami. Its stone face was staring off into the distance.

"Briiz!" they all shouted at once.

The fourth kami yelped and jumped in surprise. "Uh, right! I'm Briiz, the Spirit of Wind," Briiz said in a nervous masculine voice.

Flaym sighed, obviously annoyed. He hung his stonelike head and shook it. After a moment he looked at Olivia.

"And we are collectively known as the kami," he said disinterestedly, then floated away from the other kami and over to the Great Fairy.

"It-it's nice to meet you," Olivia stammered.

"We come from a completely different realm," Duhrt continued. "Basically, our job is to watch over the elements. We can help to replenish or to destroy, depending on the situation."

"Which brings us to the reason we are all gathered here today," said the Great Fairy. "First, however, I believe I would like to properly introduce myself to you, Olivia. I am known as the Great Fairy. Though that is not my true name, the people of Aeldyn have, over the years, become quite comfortable addressing me as such."

"It's nice to meet you, as well," Olivia said, having difficulty keeping her wits about her. She wanted to run all the way back to her life in the orphanage, but she had promised to stay and listen to what the Great Fairy had to tell her.

"I realize that you have been unceremoniously snatched from the comfort of your normal life and brought here not entirely by your own choosing," said the Great Fairy. "However, I do truly apologize and hope that you will listen to what we have to say this evening, for your world is nearing its end, and ours is on the same path."

"But that can't be, I've seen the differences in our worlds–" Olivia began. The Great Fairy raised his hand to silence her.

"You cannot understand, my child," he said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Not yet, at least. Tell me, do you know your history? The history of mankind?"

Olivia felt as if she were being tested by one of the nannies at the orphanage. She quickly faced the Great Fairy and began to recite, "Human history began a long time ago. However, the earliest recorded history can be traced back to about 3500 B.C., when the Mesopotamian civilizations began to form. These were some of the earliest and most primitive of human settlements–"

"That's quite enough, my child," said the Great Fairy, chuckling. "The vast knowledge you have for such a young one is quite impressive; however, I regret to inform you that what you know is not true—at least, not entirely true."

"Oh, I see," said Olivia, looking down at her feet. For the first time she noticed that her black slip-on shoes had become worn and were covered in dirt and scratches.

"What I mean is, for you to understand what is going on, you will need to know the truth about mankind's history." The Great Fairy walked slowly over to the other kami. "Duhrt, could you please provide us with some seats?"

"Of course," Duhrt replied kindly. She bent down, her cloak moving fluidly. After a moment, the grass began to rise, forming a circle of soft, green chairs. "How's that, Old One?"

"Yes, thank you." The Great Fairy took the nearest seat and laid his cane across his lap as he sat down. "Olivia?" He looked up at her and pointed to the seat next to his. "Would you please have a seat?"

"Sure," Olivia answered. She slowly moved over to the grassy chair, her legs feeling a bit weak. As she took her seat, Locke dashed for the one next to her. The kami then filled the rest of the seats. Olivia couldn't tell if they were actually sitting or if they had just bent their cloaks in the shape of a sitting person and were just floating. She lost the thought as the Great Fairy cleared his throat.

"The things I am about to tell you are knowledge long forgotten," the Great Fairy said, slowly rolling his cane up and down his frail, root-like legs. "Not even the oldest of books in the Nocturnal Archives contain this information, at least not as clearly and completely as I am about to tell it."

Olivia turned to look at the Great Fairy. He spoke seriously with a grim expression. She hugged her father's journal and prepared to listen.

"Long ago, your world used to be like this one," said the Great Fairy, looking at Olivia. "In truth, it was this one." He saw Olivia's eyes widen as he said this. "Humans and magical creatures used to live in harmony. And the fairy, Olivia, was the human's counterpart."

Olivia furrowed her eyebrows. What does he mean by all this? she thought. This can't possibly be true...

"That can't be true," Locke blurted, but then quickly covered his mouth. "I'm sorry...just thinking out loud." He smiled embarrassedly.

"Ah, but it is true," said the Great Fairy. "You see, long ago, humans were just as advanced as they are today. With magic at their fingertips and the guidance of fairies, they lived happily for thousands of years, never needing any further advancement. Being attached to the Stream and sharing the bond with their fairies allowed them to understand the world around them as well as the balance of action and consequence that governs it."

"What do you mean?" asked Olivia. "What is the Stream?"

"A good question, Olivia," said the Great Fairy, waving a hand in her direction. "But the answer will come in time. For now, just listen."

Olivia nodded silently.

"This tree," said the Great Fairy, looking up at the ceiling and raising his hands toward it, "has gone by many names throughout history, but one name it has long been known by is the Great Fairy Tree. Although that name may sound fitting because I live underneath it, it is actually called this for a different reason." He looked from Olivia to Locke and then back again. "When a human is born in this world, it is immediately bound to a fairy. Those fairies sprout from this tree."

"Wow, wait," Locke said. "Are you saying you came from this tree?"

"Yes," replied the Great Fairy, "long, long ago, but that is beside the point. In the early days of human history, a child was born whose fairy perished most tragically in an accident. As this child grew, he realized that he was able to live quite easily without a fairy. In fact, without a fairy, the child was able to learn of great and powerful magic that overstepped the normal balance of things. Others began to notice the child. Soon enough, he had garnered quite a following. Everyone came to see the child perform the powerful magic that could only be performed if the boundaries that a fairy provided were removed..."

He paused and took a deep breath, then slowly let it back out. "Not long after this, others began to envy the child without a fairy. In their desperation to become more powerful like him, they demanded that the bonds with their fairies be broken. Of course, this couldn't be done. A fairy's bond with its human can never be broken." He paused again, this time looking directly at Olivia. "Unless very dark magic is involved."

Olivia's eyes widened even more. She had become entranced by the Great Fairy's story, and had even allowed herself to believe that what he was saying was the truth.

"As a young man, the human without a fairy began to study forbidden powers. You see, he had a strong connection to the Stream, but without a fairy, he lacked the ability to comprehend the consequences that would result from using dark, powerful magic. It wasn't long before he had discovered the very link that bound us to humans. He studied it and soon found a way to sever it."

Everyone sat in silence. The kami were silent out of respect. Locke and Olivia, however, were silent out of astonishment. After a moment, the Great Fairy continued.

"Humans become monsters when they attempt to live without fairies. They grow hungry for power, leadership, and glory. They forget what it means to truly live and become confused about right and wrong. And so, needless to say, after many of the humans had severed ties with their fairies, they began a new age and, with it, a new way of life. At first, in a show of superiority, the humans demanded that all magical creatures cross the sea to never return, but their greed and newfound knowledge led them to the discovery of other planes of existence. They opened a rift to an identical parallel world and banished the fairies and all other magical creatures for good." He stopped and wiped a tear from his wrinkly cheek. He took a moment to focus and continued.

"Many centuries passed. The humans prospered in their new age, tearing down the civilizations we helped them build and rebuilding them as they saw fit. They even destroyed their fairy tree as a symbol of their independence. However, with each generation of humans, less was known about true magic. The humans had begun to create their own form of power, one that was based around logic. Soon, all knowledge of magic was forgotten, and the humans were forced to rely solely on their own creation, science, to carry on with life. Elaborate cities became small settlements as disease and illness began to take the lives of many. Their science was still young, and could not help them solve these problems. They were eventually reduced to small tribes, fighting each other for the resources to stay alive. And so begins history as you understand it, Olivia."

"Wow...I..." Olivia stammered. She didn't know what to say. The Great Fairy's story sounded ridiculous, but she believed it.

"One moment, Olivia," said the Great Fairy, holding up one root-like finger. "That is only one half of it. We also had problems on our side of the rift. As the centuries passed, fairies began to die out. Because no humans were born into this world, this Great Fairy Tree no longer gave life to newborn fairies. Now, many years later, only I remain. I am the last of my kind."

"Yes, these matters are all tragic," Flaym said, "but I must say, we need to press on with more urgent matters."

"Flaym! Don't you have a heart?" Duhrt exclaimed. "Let the Old One tell his tale. The girl deserves to hear it."

"No, no, it is quite alright," the Great Fairy said. "He is right. We must get to more pressing matters. I have said all that I wanted to."

"Well, I will begin, then," Duhrt said, looking over at Flaym, who turned his face away from her. She turned back to Olivia. "As you can see, the humans aren't the smartest of creatures when left alone. A very long time ago, when they banished all the magical creatures to Aeldyn, the humans began using more and more resources to build their settlements. They consumed so many so quickly, in fact, that we couldn't replenish the resources fast enough."

"So, we tried to correct them!" Flaym shouted. "But what good did that do?" Flaym's crown began to glow brighter with its flames reaching higher. "Volcano after volcano, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes. None of it fazed the humans. They take and take and take some more, never thinking of the consequences and never giving in return!"

"Calm down, Flaym," said Rayn. "This isn't the time to get upset about the past. You can't do anything to change it. What we need to focus on is our current predicament. The one which we came here to discuss."

Flaym haughtily cleared his throat. "Sorry. Let's get on with it then."

"Olivia..." Rayn began. She sighed. "This is obviously more than any one person should ever have to take in at once, but just try to bear with me as I explain why you're here."

Olivia nodded in agreement.

"This world is slowly on its way to becoming as horrible and bleak as your own," said Rayn.

Olivia recalled how the world outside the orphanage looked. She remembered the dark, desolate wasteland and the twisted creatures that had chased her to the tree. "But how?" she asked.

"Well," said Duhrt, "a few decades ago, we noticed that some of the same irresponsible consumption of resources that had occurred in your world was occurring in the northeast of Aeldyn. At first, we thought that perhaps a group of rogue creatures was responsible, but it would be extremely unusual for the creatures of Aeldyn to behave that way."

"So we came up with another hunch!" shouted Briiz. "And we found a human!" Everyone turned and looked at him. He seemed to sink back into his seat. "Oh...I hope I didn't ruin the story." He giggled nervously.

"No, Briiz," said Duhrt patiently. "That's actually where I was headed." She turned back to Olivia. "Olivia, we believe the human in the northeast is going to slowly turn this world into what yours has become. We have tried our best, through many, many ages, to help save your world from destruction, but it's too far gone. Humans are very difficult to reason with."

"So, Olivia," said the Great Fairy, "we believe that you can help us fix this before it is too late."

"But why me? I'm also a human," said Olivia.

"Ah, that is a question I would like to answer right now," the Great Fairy said. "You, Olivia, stand apart from other humans. You defy the very definition of human nature. You are very special, indeed."

Olivia didn't know what to say. She wondered if he meant that she wasn't human because of her altered genes. "What do you mean?" she finally asked.

"It shows when you are afraid, Olivia," the Great Fairy responded. "When all seems lost to you, you still do not lose hope. Do you see yet?" He paused for a moment, although he didn't expect her to answer. "You have a wonderful heart, Olivia. And with it comes love, courage, and hope... And I believe that is what it will take in order to put an end to this evil."

"Yes, and she is also very smart," added Flaym. "This, too, will play a large role."

"I still don't understand," Olivia said. She was on the verge of tears. "I don't think I can do what you want me to do. I'm just a girl. I'm not special. I just want to go back home, back to Nachton, to make sure he's okay." She began to cry, though she tried her best to hold it back.

"Please listen, Olivia," the Great Fairy said gently. "We knew when we brought you here that it would be too much for any one person to understand all at once. But I've exhausted all of my options, and after a meeting with the kami and Ink, I decided the best and only option was to ask you for help. I know that it is a lot to ask, but you are indeed special. You have something no other human has. We will end this meeting by giving you a choice, Olivia. If you want to try to aid us in saving Aeldyn, then we will help you to do so and provide you with everything you need. If you want to return to your world, then we will also help you to do that. It is up to you, my child." The Great Fairy rose from his seat and hobbled over to her. He placed one hand over hers, leaned in close, and whispered, "There is no shame in either choice, Olivia. Make your decision knowing that."

The Great Fairy turned and raised his arms. "I believe this concludes our meeting. If any of you wish to stay, then please feel free to do so. I will be showing Olivia to her room so that she may think in peace."

The kami rose from their seats and floated over to Olivia. Locke stood and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. They stood in silence for a moment as Olivia wiped tears from her eyes.

"I would just like to thank you for coming and hearing what we had to say," Duhrt said.

"Yes," Flaym added. "It takes a lot of bravery to do even that."

"Indeed it does!" Briiz exclaimed. "I probably wouldn't have been able to do it. Heh heh."

"We should probably be going," Rayn said. "We'll leave you to think in peace, Olivia. Thank you again."

Olivia sniffed and looked up at them. She nodded, wiping her nose. The kami moved to the center of the mound and formed a circle. The crowns around their heads began to fade. It wasn't long before they were completely gone and the cloaks and stone faces became still and lifeless.

"Come, my child," the Great Fairy said. "A room is prepared specially for you. I believe some soft blankets and rest will do you good."

Olivia numbly followed the Great Fairy down one of the stepping stone pathways to a large wooden door. She clutched her father's journal, not realizing that Locke was still at her side trying to comfort her.

A large spiral staircase was on the other side of the wooden door. They slowly climbed it, the Great Fairy having difficulty with each step. At the top of the staircase, they came to a landing that led to a long hallway. The Great Fairy then led them to a door on the right.

"Here you are, Olivia," the Great Fairy said, panting and wheezing. "I hope that you will find time to rest. I know that it is difficult for you to think about sleeping at a time like this, but please try." With that, he opened the door and let her in the room.

The room was made entirely of wood. There was a bed covered in soft white blankets in one corner and a bookcase filled with old books in another. A few toys lay strewn about on a soft rug in the center of the room. Olivia slowly made her way over to the bed and settled in.

* * * * *

Olivia woke suddenly and found herself nestled in a mass of soft blankets. She rolled over and saw that the room around her had become dark. The glowing orbs floating near the ceiling had gone dim. The memory of the how she had gotten there suddenly came back to her. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling.

I can't believe I'm here, she thought. They brought me here because I'm supposed to have the ability to save Aeldyn. She closed her eyes and shook her head. And Aeldyn is supposed to be a world that magical creatures were forced into by ancient humans that could do...magic. She almost felt like laughing at the thought.

"It's quite true, though, Olivia Wickworth," came a raspy voice from over near the bookshelf.

Olivia shot upright, grabbing her father's journal and looking over at the bookshelf. In the dim light, she could barely make out a black goat lying on top of it, its hooves folded under itself.

Olivia yelped in surprise. "What are you doing in here? Wait, how did you know what I was–"

"Patience, child," chuckled Ink. "Still asking plenty of questions, I see? This is good news." He paused, gazing at Olivia. Then he continued, "I am here because I wish to observe you. You are a very curious being, I must say. And as for how I knew what you were thinking...well, that is irrelevant at this point." He laughed his low, wheezy laugh.

Olivia sighed. She knew getting useful information from Ink was beyond hope. Still, she wondered why and how he was there. "I thought you were only in my dreams," she said suspiciously.

"Ah, yes," said Ink. "I can travel to the plane of dreams, indeed. But I can also be here, you see?"

"No, I don't see. But it doesn't matter," Olivia said. "Why did you lead me here? I can't help these people. I'm a human, too, just like everyone that destroyed my world. And I'm certainly not special."

Ink looked at her for a moment before laughing. "There is still so much you do not know. However, I would say that surely you know enough at this point to weigh your options and make a decision. Now, I'm not here to weave fate, but I would say that your decision means...a lot." He chuckled again.

"What? Either I stay here and do who-knows-what or I go back to my world and waste away in its final years of existence?" Olivia was angry. She stood up and began pacing the room, accidently kicking a small toy. The toy, a small round object with a string wound between two wooden discs, rattled across the floor. Olivia had seen one before, but only in an encyclopedia. She realized that it was a yo-yo. She walked over to it and reached down to pick it up.

Suddenly, vivid scenes flashed through Olivia's mind. First, she was playing with the yo-yo and laughing. Then she handed it to Nachton and taught him how to use it. He grinned and laughed as if it was the most fun he had ever had. Then she was handing yo-yos to all of the children in the orphanage. All the children laughed and played with them together. Suddenly, the scene changed. The children were lying dead along the hallways of the orphanage.

"No!" Olivia screamed. She threw the yo-yo down and closed her eyes, trying to erase what she had seen.

"You seem to know exactly what you need to know," said Ink. "You said it yourself: Either stay here or go back to waste away. Both choices have unforeseen consequences, but I believe you'll make the right choice." He began to fade, his laugh growing fainter until it, too, was gone.

Olivia gently picked the yo-yo back up and walked over to the bed. She lay back down on the soft blankets, holding the toy up in front of her. She was unsure of what she wanted to do, but she knew what she had to do. Only one choice sounded right to her. She turned over and stared at her father's journal on the bed beside her. Mom... Dad... Did you know about this? she thought.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what her parents would tell her. She wondered if they would have made the same decision she was about to make. Then she remembered Mr. Dewberry. "Always trust yerself, lass. There's not a soul in this world that has a heart like yers..." She tossed the memory around in her mind for a while, but she soon grew tired and fell asleep. 
**Chapter Eight**

**Magic  
**

Olivia awoke, sat up, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She noticed the orbs of light above her becoming brighter. She heard birds chirping outside her door and wondered if someone had let the birds into the house or whatever it was that she was in. She grabbed her father's journal and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

All of a sudden, she was aware that she felt the best she had ever felt. Her head was clear and her body was light and strong. She felt as if she could run several miles without becoming the least bit tired. I bet it has something to do with the air here, she thought to herself. Or perhaps it was those amazingly soft blankets. She smiled.

The day before had been a tough day for Olivia, but she was handling it quite well, all things considered. She had made up her mind about what decision to make, and although she was still worried and frightened, something about the way she felt that morning was urging her forward. She decided to leave her room to seek out the Great Fairy and tell him of her decision. She walked over to the door and opened it.

She immediately knew why she had heard the birds chirping so loudly. Outside the room large windows led out into the open air. Birds were lined along the wide windowsills, hopping about and singing their cheery songs. Olivia decided to walk over to the windows and look outside. She took a step out of her doorway, but her foot landed on something firm yet squishy.

"Huh...mmm...you know...I like...apples, myself..." came Locke's voice. He was lying on the ground, asleep, in front of Olivia's door. She looked to her right and noticed another bedroom door next to her own standing open.

"Locke!" Olivia whispered loudly. He didn't budge. "Locke!"

"I don't climb trees like girl imps!" Locke exclaimed, shuffling to his feet. "...on... Tuesdays..."

Locke had fallen back to sleep while standing. Olivia giggled as he swayed back and forth. She tapped him on his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes, which grew wide after he realized that he was standing in front of Olivia.

"Olivia!" he said loudly. "How did you sleep? Are you still upset about yesterday? You're not gonna leave, are you? I mean, it's okay if you are, because it's up to you, but you know..." He scratched his head and leaned up against the wall. "Actually, you know what? Never mind, heh heh."

"Don't worry, Locke," Olivia said, smiling at him. "I'm going to tell the Great Fairy my decision right now. You should come with me."

"Oh, I will," Locke said quickly. "I mean, you know, that is, if you want me to."

"Of course," Olivia replied. "Where are we exactly?" she asked, walking over to the windows. The birds flew away as she neared them. She stuck her head out of one window.

Below, Olivia saw the elaborate orchard that she had seen the day before. The river she and Locke had sailed down with Gaw stretched as far into the forest as she could see. She looked upward, into the sky, and saw great white clouds drifting slowly by underneath the boughs of the Great Fairy Tree. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye and looked to her right. Locke had stuck his head out through a window farther down the hallway and was waving at her. She laughed and waved back.

"I guess we're in the Great Fairy Tree!" she shouted to him. "Is it as great as you imagined?"

"Yes, much greater, in fact!"

Olivia pulled her head back through the window, and Locke did the same.

"We should probably be getting to the Great Fairy," Olivia said. "I think we came from that way last night." She pointed behind her in the direction of the landing at the end of the hallway.

They took the spiral staircase, which led to another hallway with a large wooden doorway at the other end. They passed through the doors and entered the Great Fairy's hollow. Then they walked across the stepping stone pathway and up to the grassy mound in the center of the cavern.

The Great Fairy was nowhere to be seen. Locke wandered toward the end of the mound near the entrance, while Olivia headed toward the other end. She was curious about what the cavern looked like behind the mound. When she made it to the edge, she looked out and saw that all the small streams of water that had come from the river were running over the edge of the cavern floor in a waterfall. She turned her ear toward the waterfall and listened. She could only faintly hear the splashing of the water as it hit the bottom far below.

"Hey!" Locke called. "He's out there." Olivia looked back at him and saw that he was pointing out toward the entrance. She hurried back across the mound and followed Locke along the path to the entrance of the hollow.

At the end of the pathway, the Great Fairy stood underneath the archway made of roots, facing the garden and the orchard. He leaned heavily on his cane, his head bowed. As Olivia and Locke neared him, they slowed, not wanting to disturb him. They walked up beside him and stood for a moment, taken aback once again by the beauty of the glen. Olivia took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air and the citrusy scent from the orchard.

"Beautiful, is it not?" the Great Fairy asked, slowly raising his head to look at the gardens. "Do you enjoy it, Olivia?"

"Yes," Olivia said after a moment. "I can't believe that we had all of this once."

"Do you not prefer your complex, computerized lives? Your advancements and your efficiency?" the Great Fairy asked, looking at Olivia.

"Of course not. Look at where those things have gotten us."

The Great Fairy began to chuckle, but coughed. When the coughing fit ended, he said, "I know, Olivia. You are different. You dare to dream. You look at life in a different way." He squinted his eyes and looked at the forest. After a while, he said, "You remind me of how humans used to be, Olivia. It baffles me that you, in a time as grim as this, stand before me. A human, without a fairy, able to see above the lies...able to see the mockery the humans have made of life."

Olivia looked at the Great Fairy. The previous day she had a hard time believing that she was the least bit special. But after hearing him now, she felt that perhaps she did have a purpose.

"So, Olivia, have you made your choice?"

"Yes," she said confidently. "I want to help you save Aeldyn. Even if it means that I have to go back to a dying world when I return...I mean, if I return...I would never be able to live with myself knowing that I could have helped someone, or a whole world for that matter, but didn't just because I was afraid."

The Great Fairy closed his eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment, he turned and looked up at Olivia. "I am grateful, my child." He tucked his cane under one arm and took her hands in his. "I fear that I will never be able to thank you enough, Olivia. All of the people of Aeldyn are in your debt." He smiled at her for a moment before releasing her hands. He then grabbed his cane and began to hobble toward the bridge leading down to the orchard. "Now, we shall go to the orchard. I hear you like apples, Olivia? There are many other fruits, too, you know!" the Great Fairy exclaimed, his hand waving in the air above him as he walked.

Olivia looked over at Locke. He was grinning from ear to ear. Neither of them knew what was to come, but they didn't care. Somehow, Olivia was going to save this world. They both turned and followed the Great Fairy to the orchard.

The orchard was indeed filled with many types of fruits—trees of apples, pears, peaches, and figs. Between one of the rows of trees were small bushes filled with blackberries. A network of muscadine vines twisted around a fence down another row of trees. Olivia twirled this way and that through the trees, taking in all the wonderful scents and observing each fruit carefully.

"Over here, my girl!" the Great Fairy called.

Olivia turned and hurried over to him, Locke following close behind. The Great Fairy was sitting under an apple tree on an upturned wooden bucket with an apple in his hands, his cane across his lap.

"Would you like an apple?" he asked them.

"Yes, please," said Olivia, remembering the apple that Locke had given her the day before. Her stomach rumbled, and she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since.

"Pick one," the Great Fairy said. "Any one you like." He took a bite out of his own apple as he watched Locke and Olivia choose theirs. After they had each picked one, they sat on the ground beside the Great Fairy and ate, Olivia being the noisiest of them all as she enjoyed her apple.

"Would you like another, Olivia?" the Great Fairy asked, noticing she had finished hers quickly.

"Yes," Olivia said, feeling embarrassed. "I mean, if it's okay."

"Of course. You didn't have any supper, after all," said the Great Fairy. She stood up to pick another apple, but he stopped her. "Olivia, would you like to try getting the apple down another way?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

The Great Fairy held his cane up to her, and Olivia took it, confused. She turned it over in her hands. It was a sturdy wooden stick that was knobbed on one end so as to make a handle. She wondered if he wanted her to try to knock an apple down with the cane.

"Are you human or not?" the Great Fairy asked.

"I...am?" said Olivia, still confused.

"Then prove it, my child," said the Great Fairy. "Choose an apple, one you can't reach on your own. Then point to it with the cane."

Olivia looked up at the apples on the tree. She chose one on a branch above her. "I'd like that one," she said and pointed the cane at it.

"Good," the Great Fairy said. "Now, get a good look at the apple. Study it very closely."

Olivia looked up at the apple. It was beautiful, bright, and had a red-orange color. It hung slightly to the right from its stem. She looked closer and noticed a spotted ring of yellow near the top of the apple.

"Do you think you have a good image of it in your mind?" the Great Fairy asked.

"Yes," said Olivia, still staring at the apple.

"Good. Now, close your eyes," the Great Fairy said, closing his own eyes. "Focus on the image of the apple in your mind, Olivia. This will take some practice if you do not already have a strong imagination. The image must be very clear in your mind. Don't let any other thoughts in."

Olivia focused on the apple in her mind. She didn't have as much difficulty doing it as the Great Fairy seemed to think she would. However, focusing on only the apple wasn't easy for her. Other thoughts continuously floated about. She strained to clear out the other thoughts.

"Now, imagine with all your strength, or will I should say, that you are reaching out and picking the apple."

The Great Fairy's voice disturbed Olivia's concentration, so she focused again on the apple. After a moment, she imagined her hand moving up to it and touching it. Suddenly, she felt the cane twitch in her hand, and she heard the leaves rustling on the limb above her. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw the apple swinging back and forth from the branch as if she had touched it. She looked over at the Great Fairy, who was laughing.

"Oh, very, very good, Olivia!" he exclaimed. "Your imagination is quite strong!"

"W-what?" she stammered. She looked from the Great Fairy to Locke. "What just happened?"

"You've performed magic!" shouted the Great Fairy and then continued to laugh.

"Olivia!" Locke said in awe. "You can do...magic?" He looked up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. "You can do magic!" He jumped up and danced around her, pulling his violin from his back and playing a cheerful melody as he leapt about.

Olivia giggled as Locke danced around her. She wondered if he was performing music magic, but she decided that he was just playing a happy song. He stopped and stood beside her, smiling.

"Yes, Olivia, you have performed magic, but there is still much for you to learn," the Great Fairy said. "You must learn to focus on an image and will it into being by channeling energy."

"It sounds very complex," said Olivia. "But it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Actually, I still can't believe I even did it."

"That is because you have already learned one of the most difficult parts of magic," he said. "One of the most basic yet fundamental concepts of magic is focusing on an image using your imagination. This concept you have learned all on your own. The next part you must master is willing the force into being. Channeling is simple; you just need to have something you are comfortable with that is able to channel the power. But, Olivia, there is an important lesson to be learned in all of this." He stood up from the bucket and held his hand out for Olivia to return his cane. "You can pick an apple with your hand. Doing so does not take a lot of effort, but still, it does take some. You must not rely on magic to replace effort, Olivia. Magic is intended to aid you. Indeed, it is one of the things that has been missing from your life. But it is not the only thing. You have heard what the lure of powerful magic can do to a human who has no fairy. Be smart in how you choose to use it. As you've noticed, performing it is not difficult. Let that be a lesson of its own."

Olivia nodded. Magic had indeed felt like one of the easiest things she had ever had to learn, but perhaps that was what made it so powerful and dangerous. She was now beginning to clearly understand the consequences of science having no boundaries. She pondered this thought for a while as they made their way back to the bridge that led up to the Great Fairy's hollow.

"You two can do as you wish," the Great Fairy said as he walked up the bridge. "I need to have a word with Ink. I have a few messages I need delivered." With that, he disappeared into the cavern.

Excited about the prospect of spending the afternoon relaxing in the glen, Olivia wandered over to a particularly sunny patch of grass and sprawled out on it. Locke chuckled and did the same. They laid there for what felt like hours, staring up at the clouds and the odd bird-like creatures that flew around the boughs of the Great Fairy Tree.

"What are those?" Olivia asked, pointing at the creatures.

"Those are griffins," Locke said. "They live in the higher parts of the Great Fairy Tree. They've always seemed pretty majestic to me."

Olivia agreed dreamily. She stared at the griffins and watched as they soared around the tree limbs. After a while, she found herself starting to doze off. She thought about magic and how easy it was to perform. Then her thoughts shifted and she saw a tribe of humans running with torches toward the Great Fairy Tree. They used their magic to spread the fire from the torches to the tree, engulfing it in flames. She jumped and gasped.

"Are you okay?" Locke asked, sitting up and looking at her.

"Yeah," Olivia said, and sighed. "I just dozed off. Locke..." she began, but paused for a moment. "What do they expect me to be able to do about the human? I mean, I'm not particularly strong, and I can't fight."

"I don't know, Olivia," Locke said quietly. "But, whatever you have to do, I'll be there to help you." He stood up, put his hands on his hips, and puffed out his chest.

Olivia smiled at him. "Thank you, Locke," she said, feeling a little reassured. She stood and looked at the garden of herbs. "Do you want to go walk through the garden?"

"Yeah, that would be fun. I bet it smells great over there with all those herbs and whatnot."

They walked over the bridges to the other side of the river. When they reached the garden, they started at the bottom tier and slowly made their way up, stopping to smell each type of plant. Some were strong and fragrant, while others didn't have a scent at all until they touched them.

By the time they had reached the top tier, Olivia was tired. Many new questions had entered her mind as she slowly soaked in the meaning of her decision. She no longer felt like joyously wandering through the beautiful glen anymore. She wanted answers.

"I think I'm going to go talk to the Great Fairy," Olivia said as they reached the bottom tier of the garden again.

"I'll come too, if you want, or stay out here. Whatever you prefer."

"It doesn't matter to me." Olivia smiled weakly.

Locke decided he would go with her, so they entered the cavern and walked down the stone path to the mound. Atop the mound, they could see the Great Fairy sitting in the grass, meditating. Olivia and Locke stood silent for a moment. Then, suddenly, the Great Fairy spoke.

"Ah, so you've come for more answers, I assume," he said, opening his eyes. He looked at Olivia and then patted the grass next to him. "Have a seat, my child. I will try to answer a few. But, in the end, they will be up to you to determine, for even I do not have all of the answers."

Olivia sat next to him, Locke following. She placed her hands lightly on the grass around her and waved them back and forth. The grass was soft and tickled her palms. Then she stopped, lifted her hands, and placed them in her lap.

"I realize that I have to stop the evil in the northeast," she said. "But...how?"

"Not even I can answer this, Olivia," said the Great Fairy, shaking his head. "I can tell you this: No matter how great of a threat the evil may seem, you can always overcome it. Your purity will be its downfall."

"I see," Olivia said, unsure of what he meant. "But will I use magic?"

"Yes, I'm most certain that you will find uses for it along the way, my child. In time, it will become natural to you. It will not seem so foreign, because it is only natural that you, a human, wield such power."

"But how will I know what I'm able to do? Without your help–"

"Ah, child, I have shown you the basics of what you need to know. The rest is a personal matter. Your will and resolve will determine whether you succeed at the different magics or not."

"I can do more than one type?" she asked, thinking of Locke and his ability to do music magic.

"Oh, yes, Olivia," the Great Fairy said, nodding. "You see, humans have always been intended to be the caretakers of the land and other creatures. To serve this purpose, humans have the ability to use the Stream in more ways than any other creature."

"So the Stream provides the magic?" asked Olivia.

"In a way, yes. It is a source of power that resonates through the planets. Everyone can use it, but only for magics that they have studied. The Stream provides the energy, but the imagination is a conduit for the user to will the magic into being."

"I think I understand," said Olivia. She felt a little better about the subject. Things started to make sense.

"An imp, like your brave friend Locke..." the Great Fairy said, looking over at Locke, who was relaxing in the grass. He quickly sat up, and looked at the Great Fairy. "Is naturally talented at carpentry. This is not always true, for every imp is not the same. However, most of the time, imps are born with an innate understanding of the properties of wood, making them excellent carpenters. Is this correct, Locke?"

Locke nodded.

"And being able to craft high quality instruments allows them to easily take up the art of...symphology?" The Great Fairy put a finger to his chin. "I think that is what they are calling it these days. Anyway, that is not to say that only Locke and the other imps can perform this type of magic. What I mean to say is, any creature can perform any type of magic, but certain magics come more easily to certain creatures. And the human is a creature that can perform almost all types more easily than any other creature. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I think so," Olivia said. She still had other questions, but she asked the one that had been pressing on her the hardest first. "How will I get there?"

"That is what I was discussing with Ink," the Great Fairy said. "He is on his way, as we speak, to inform the people of Aeldyn of our task. In two days, you will travel northeast of here to Handel's Sanctuary, Aeldyn's largest town and trading post. There you will meet anyone who has heard Ink and has volunteered to go with you on this journey. But do not fear, Olivia," he said as her eyes widened at the mention of leaving the hollow, "You will be in very good company, and you will learn many things about Aeldyn and magic from those who accompany you."

Olivia nodded. She was worried, but excited. She didn't feel ready to set out on a journey to defeat evil, but perhaps the journey would teach her what she needed to know in order to feel ready. She looked down at the grass, thinking.

"Great Fairy..." she said, pressing her hands into the grass. "What will happen to my world?"

The Great Fairy sighed and shook his head. "It will end, my child. As you heard the kami say, they have tried for centuries to correct the humans' destructive behavior and undo the damage that has been done, but stopping it is impossible. I'm sure the humans tried to save their land using their own methods, but how can you hope to save what was already doomed?" He hung his head and closed his eyes.

"Is there nothing I can do to help the other children?" Olivia asked, thinking of Nachton.

"This has also been a question of my own, Olivia," the Great Fairy said. "I cannot give you an answer yet, although I do think there may be a solution. We may be able to open the Door to allow them to come through. However, the Door has never been opened to any but you, so we do not know if this will be successful."

Olivia looked at him in surprise. Despite the uncertainty, this was some of the best news she had heard yet. She felt relieved, even with all of the worrisome things she had just been told. Suddenly, her stomach made a loud gurgling noise.

The Great Fairy chuckled. "Are you hungry, Olivia?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," she said, blushing.

"Come. We shall have supper." The Great Fairy slowly rose. "Do you have any preference as to what we eat, my child?"

"Some of Locke's stew would be good," she said, smiling at Locke. He stood up and scratched his head bashfully.

"Ah, I have not had imp stew in many a year," the Great Fairy said. "Let us go gather the ingredients."

They left the mound and headed for the glen, where they followed Locke around as he gathered different ingredients from the orchard, garden, and forest. Soon after, they were sitting beside the river around a pot the Great Fairy had provided and were laughing as Locke cooked the stew over a fire and told jokes. Olivia turned her gaze to the now dark and starry sky and thought about whether she would be successful in the coming days. She hoped she would be, for that night had shown her what it was like to live. 
**[Interlude  
](nav.xhtml)**

The white crow desperately flew with increasing speed toward the fortress. His mind had been split, and the other half was quickly taking over. It took all the power he could muster to keep his thoughts together to make it back to the man. Maybe he would be able to do something about it.

As he reached the fortress, Dust flew through the bars of a window with no time to waste. The fog coming from his body was beginning to take a strange form. It was no longer the smooth cloudy fog that dissipated into the air behind him. Now it was becoming angular, floating off in set paths. Dust continued toward the throne room.

As soon as he was there, he glided down toward the man. The glide wasn't as graceful as it once was. He jerked forward and backward at irregular intervals like a shorted electric current. He made it to the throne and collapsed onto the floor in front of it.

The man laughed quietly from under his hood. "What's up with you?"

"That...thing," Dust said, straining, "its mind... inside me!"

"Cool," said the man. He sat back in the throne and crossed his arms.

"What?!" Dust said furiously. "You did not say it would...do this!"

"You didn't ask, you fool," the man said. "Besides, how was I supposed to know what it would do? I knew that it was powerful, but to take over a somnivate? Man..." The man stroked his pointed goatee as he thought. After a moment a wide smile spread across his face.

Dust's wings began to move at odd angles. He screamed, trying to stay focused and not let the other mind in. He looked up at the man.

"Why...are you smiling?" he asked. "Get this... ththththing out of myyyyyyyy head!"

"No, I think I like you better like this," said the man. He suddenly stood up, grasping a talisman that hung on a chain from his neck. He took a few steps toward the edge of the platform his throne was on and stared down at Dust, his bare feet resting close to the somnivate's face. "Get up. You're fine."

Dust struggled to understand why the man had suddenly become so intrigued by the thought of this thing being trapped inside Dust's mind. It was pressing harder and harder into his consciousness with each second. He could feel it learning from him, examining his thoughts and memories. With each wall Dust put up to block the thing, it became quicker at breaking through them. Soon Dust couldn't defend anymore. His body went limp for a moment. Then suddenly it burst into a cloud of angular white particles. Only his hollow black eyes remained. The cloud jerked into the air and hovered in front of the man.

"Much has been stored into the databanks these last few hours," the cloud said in a monotone voice. "The information will be processed and stored in the proper databases momentarily."

"Awesome," said the man, smiling. "So, are you Dust or what?"

"I am SAGAX," said the cloud. The angular bits of fog became sharper and jerked about strangely.

"Right," the man laughed. "And what are you supposed to do? I know what your purpose was, but what is it now?"

"I have been designed to detect and correct genetic code," the cloud said. Its voice was beginning to have more than one pitch. It was learning from the man's speech patterns. "But now I have become curious. I will change my purpose to learning new things about the world."

"Mmhmm..." the man mumbled. He stepped off the platform and floated down to the hall floor. "So, you can learn how stuff works right?"

"Yes," said the cloud, following the man with its black eyes. "I can learn how...stuff...works."

"Cool," said the man, spinning around to face the cloud. "Can you then, say, change it?"

"Yes," said the cloud. "But the need is not understood. What is your purpose?"

The man laughed. He flew over to the doors of the throne room and flung them open. Sunlight poured in, lighting the entire hall.

"Come with me," the man said. "I think I'll show you my purpose. You'll be learning a lot, my curious friend."

**Chapter Nine**

**Locke's Gift  
**

On her final day with the Great Fairy, Olivia spent most of her time trying to understand the odd concept of willing fire, earth, water, and wind into being. Hour after hour flew by as the Great Fairy told her over and over, "Clear your mind, and then focus." Fire magic wasn't too difficult, and earth magic was at least doable. Water and wind magics, on the other hand, were a good deal more complex and required much more focus. She had almost become discouraged, when she noticed Locke was no longer with them.

"Where is Locke?" Olivia asked, after trying to water a flower with the Great Fairy's cane for the thirty-sixth time.

"I believe he went into the forest." The Great Fairy pointed behind them.

"He didn't say why?" she asked, concerned.

"No, but I am sure he has his reasons. Now, this time, try focusing on just a single drop of water."

Olivia tried to do as she was told, but she had become preoccupied with wondering where Locke had gone. Did he leave to go back to his hut? she wondered to herself. Certainly he would have told me first...

* * * * *

By late afternoon, Olivia had finally managed to sprinkle a few drops of water onto the flower. She was reconsidering her earlier statement about how easy magic was. When she told the Great Fairy wearily that she didn't believe she could do all types of magic, he just shook his head. "You must have patience, my child. You cannot expect to be good at everything the first time you try it. Things like this take practice and lots of it. It is very impressive that you can even do what you have already done."

They suddenly heard someone approaching from behind. They turned to find Locke standing with his hands behind his back, hiding something.

"Where have you been?" asked Olivia, getting to her feet. She had been on her knees most of the afternoon, crouching over the flower. Her worn dress now had brown and green stains along the hem from sitting on the dirt and grass.

"I was just taking a walk in the Forest of the Ancients," Locke said, a grin stretching across his face. "I found some stray limbs from the Old Elm we cleaned up the other day."

"Well, that's nice," Olivia said, confused. She tried to peer around Locke to see what he was holding, but he turned himself away so that she couldn't.

"I figured that because you were all into this magic business now, and I am a rather decent carpenter..." Locke said. He pulled a beautifully carved wooden staff with an ornate pattern of twisting vines from behind his back and handed it to Olivia. "Now you can learn to focus through this. It's made from some of the best and oldest wood in Aeldyn."

"Oh, Locke..." Olivia murmured, unsure of what to say. "It's beautiful!" She gripped the staff tightly in her hands. It was light, but sturdy. She walked over to Locke and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh..." he gasped. He chuckled nervously and returned the hug. "Really, i-it's nothing!"

"That is kind of you, Locke," the Great Fairy said. "I feared that I would have to give up my old cane in the end. Well, I suppose we had better be getting inside. It is getting late."

They all returned to the mound inside the cavern and ate salads that the Great Fairy had prepared. Olivia was unsure about eating leaves at first, but Locke reassured her that they were completely edible and, in fact, she would probably like them. Olivia took a tentative bite and saw that Locke had been correct.

* * * * *

After supper, the Great Fairy walked them to their rooms. Olivia was tired and couldn't wait to crawl into the soft bed she had fallen in love with over the last few days. She yawned as they made it to the hallway that led to the rooms.

"Tired, Olivia?" the Great Fairy asked.

"Yes, very much so," she replied blearily.

"Well, please rest well tonight," he said, leaning on his cane. "Tomorrow is the day you begin your journey and leave the comfort of this place."

The reminder was painful, but Olivia knew it was true. She had become so attached to the Great Fairy's hollow. She leaned on her new staff as she thought about leaving the next day.

"Do not fear, my child," the Great Fairy said after noticing Olivia's sudden change of emotion. "Every day that passes takes you closer to the unknown, but also brings Aeldyn closer to peace."

"And what about the children back at the orphanage?" Olivia asked, remembering their conversation the previous day.

"As I said earlier, I cannot tell you for certain at this point," the Great Fairy said, shaking his head. "But, just as I believe that you are capable of putting an end to the evil that spreads across the land, I also believe that I can come up with a solution for the people of your world. I just need more time to think."

"I understand," Olivia said quietly.

"Please try to rest. Both of you," the Great Fairy said, looking from Olivia to Locke. "Tomorrow will be a busy day." He turned and began the descent back to his mound.

Olivia turned to Locke. "Thanks again for the staff," she said, smiling. "It's lovely."

"You're welcome!" Locke said. "I hope that it'll help you. But if it doesn't help you with magic, then at least you have a fancy walking stick, right?"

"I'm sure it will help me," Olivia replied, grinning. "I suppose we should get to bed. Like he said, tomorrow will be a busy day for us."

"Right," Locke said, turning to his room. "Goodnight, Olivia."

"Goodnight!" she replied and entered her own room. She laid the staff and her father's journal on the bed. She then tried to wipe some of the stains from her dress, but they seemed to be stuck there for good. She sighed and plopped onto the pile of blankets, thinking about what would happen the next day, but soon the soft blankets worked their magic on her and she fell asleep.

* * * * *

"Olivia?" Locke's muffled voice awoke her. He knocked firmly on the door. "We need to get going. You have to get up!"

Olivia sat up, her hair stuck to her face from sleeping on it. She took a moment to stretch her arms and rub the sleep from her eyes. Then she grabbed her father's journal and her staff from the bed and hurried over to the door, butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach. The morning had come more quickly than she had hoped, and now she was about to leave the Great Fairy's hollow. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Oliv–" Locke began to shout, but he stopped when he saw her peering out of her doorway. "Oh, sorry!"

"It's okay," Olivia said. "I guess this is it, then. We need to get down to the Great Fairy."

Locke nodded in agreement, and they hurried down the staircase and across the stone pathway to the Great Fairy's mound. Her nervousness grew with each step. When they finally reached the mound, they found that the Great Fairy wasn't there. He was out on the stone slab under the root archway.

"Ah, there you are, my child," he said as they neared him. "Right on time, as usual. Must be Locke's doing again." He chuckled and looked at Locke, who was scratching his head shyly. "Well, are you ready, Olivia?"

"I suppose so—as ready as I'll ever be."

"Good," the Great Fairy said. "I would go with you if I could, my child, but I am much too old and fear that I would only be a burden to you."

"Thank you, Great Fairy," she said. "I would rather leave knowing that you were safe here instead of on this journey with me."

"Ah, Olivia..." the Great Fairy sighed. He was holding back tears. "Even still you remind me just how incredible humans can be. I can be at ease knowing that you will be the one to save us." He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, reaching as high as he could, but still only managing to reach her waist. "Be careful out there, Olivia. I wish to spend many more days with you, my child. So do what must be done and hurry back."

Olivia smiled as a tear ran down her face. She tucked her father's journal under one arm and patted the Great Fairy on his head.

"I'll be back," she said. "Don't worry about that."

"I know you will," the Great Fairy said. He pulled himself away from her and looked at Locke. "I take it you will be heading back to the Elder Forest?"

"No, sir!" Locke exclaimed. "I intend to help Olivia as much as I can. If I can be of any use in saving Aeldyn from becoming like her world, then I'll certainly give it all I have."

"Ah, so you are the brave imp you appear to be," the Great Fairy said. "Very good. In that case, I shall reward you twice when you return, for I still have not forgotten the first reward I promised!"

"Oh, thank you very much," said Locke. He bowed slightly.

"I trust you know the way to Handel's Sanctuary, then?" the Great Fairy asked.

"Yes, sir, I do," Locke replied.

"Well, then it appears that you two have quite the journey ahead of you," the Great Fairy said, smiling at them. "Good luck, and be safe."

Olivia and Locke turned and headed for the pier. As Gaw surfaced, Olivia looked back at the Great Fairy and waved. He waved in return, leaning heavily on his cane. They stepped onto Gaw's back and were sailing down the river before they knew what was happening. Olivia and Locke turned around and watched as the Great Fairy's hollow became but a small light at the end of a tunnel of trees.

Soon they had reached the pier at the edge of the forest. They stepped off Gaw's back and onto the pier, thanking him. They walked toward the familiar white huifu flowers blowing in the fields to the east, and soon they came to a bridge that stretched over the Fae River. Locke stopped and turned, facing the valley they had passed through just a few days before.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked.

"It's nothing," Locke said, shrugging. Olivia could tell he was thinking hard about something. "I just wanted to get a good look at home before I go, you know? Just want to be able to remember it while I'm away. My dad always says, 'You better get a good look at what you love before you go off somewhere for two reasons: one, because it keeps you going, and two, because you might not see it again!' It's just that I never really knew what he meant until now..."

Olivia stared across the valley at the Elder Forest with Locke. She knew what it was like to leave something behind. Even if what she had left behind was a horrible life in a dying world, she still held it in a special place in her heart. She thought of Nachton and the other children. She hadn't been able to get a good look at them before she left. Then again, she didn't know that she would be leaving.

"It'll be okay, Locke," Olivia said after a few moments, patting his shoulder. She had learned from him that a simple gesture like a pat on the shoulder was enough to raise someone's spirits.

"You're right, Olivia," he said, turning toward the bridge and taking a deep breath. "I'm ready. Let's get going."

They crossed the bridge and headed north. In front of them were the ends of the Rucken Mountains that stretched to the west toward the Great Fairy's Hollow. To the east were the massive fields cultivated by the ungulhak.

"Around the foot of the Rucken Mountains is a road that we can follow to reach Handel's Sanctuary," Locke said, pointing to the mountains in front of them. "You might want to put this back on...you know, just in case we come across some curious passersby." He handed her the cloak from his sack. Olivia handed him the staff and the journal to hold as she put on the cloak.

"Do you know how far it is from here?" she asked. She wondered how long she would have to hide under the cloak. She pulled the hood up and then took her things back from Locke.

"Probably just a few hours away," he said, throwing the sack back over his shoulder. "But after we're there, I don't think you'll have to worry about the cloak anymore. Everyone in Aeldyn will know you're here by then."

The thought hadn't crossed Olivia's mind. Ink had spread the word of Olivia's journey to people all across Aeldyn so that those who wished to help her could meet her in the town, which meant that everyone would soon know she was there. I wonder if the human in the northeast will know, too... The thought made her shudder.

They walked at a faster pace for quite a while through the tall grass and huifu flowers, getting closer to the foot of the Rucken Mountains. The journey thus far had been uneventful, except for the time a grasshopper decided to hop onto Olivia's face. She threw her staff and journal into the air in surprise and ran around in frantic circles, flailing her arms and trying to get the bug off her face. Locke laughed as she danced around awkwardly. After a moment, the grasshopper became bored and hopped off.

"It wasn't funny!" Olivia said loudly. "It was scary... How was I supposed to know what was going on?"

"I'm sorry," Locke said through fits of giggles. "It's just...it's just...that you..." He couldn't finish whatever he was trying to say because he couldn't stop laughing. Although Olivia was embarrassed, she wasn't angry at him and started to giggle too.

Soon they came to the rocky slopes of the Rucken Mountains. They turned east and followed them along their base. One of Olivia's slip-on shoes caught a rock, causing her to trip and land hard on her knee. Locke dashed back to her, grabbed her shoe, and helped her put it back on, noticing that her knee was scraped and bleeding. He began rummaging frantically in his sack for something.

Olivia felt tears form in her eyes as the sting from the scrape set in, but she didn't allow herself to cry. She figured if she was supposed to be saving the world, then crying because of a scraped knee would be embarrassing. She looked down at her knee and saw that the bleeding had stopped and the scrapes were beginning to heal.

"If only I had studied something like remedology instead of this useless music magic," said Locke as he dug through his sack. He pulled a small rag from it. "Here, this will have to do until we can get you to a gnome." He looked down at her knee and watched as it healed before his eyes.

"What? How? I-Is this some sort of magic you learned?" Locke asked, surprised.

"No," Olivia said, smiling softly. "I suppose if there is anything good about being genetically enhanced, it's this."

"Wow..." Locke said in a daze. He slowly grabbed her arms and helped her stand. "Do you mean this isn't normal for a human?"

"No, it should've taken a lot longer for it to heal," Olivia said. "Researchers in my world discovered a way to alter our genes, which is the stuff that determines all our characteristics. It made things like faster healing possible, but it ended up causing terrible effects, too."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me a little bit about it. This science stuff really is dangerous, just like the old stories say." He scratched his head in deep thought. "Well, we better keep moving. Can you walk?"

"Yes, my shoe got a little scuffed up, but I'll be fine."

They continued along the base of the mountains until they reached its edge. They then continued north, up a large hill. The ground around them was covered in bright green grass. When they topped the hill, Olivia could see an expanse of rolling grassland that stretched for miles in all directions. A dirt road wound through the hills, lined by willow trees. Far to the north, Olivia saw the road lead into a town.

"Wow, it's beautiful here!" Olivia said as she peered out at the hills. "Is that Handel's Sanctuary?" She pointed at the town to the north.

"Sure is," Locke replied. "It'll probably take us about an hour to get there. Are you thirsty?" He held up a wooden container of water that he had taken from the sack.

"Yes, actually," Olivia said, suddenly realizing just how thirsty she was. He handed her the container and she drank from it, feeling refreshed. "Thank you," she said, handing the container back to Locke.

"You're welcome," he said, tucking the container back into his sack.

They started down the hill and soon reached the road. It came from the east, but they followed it north toward the town. The beauty of the willow trees lining the side of the road entranced Olivia. They provided shade from the bright sun that had now reached its highest point, their branches arching over the road and drooping to brush against Olivia. Soon, many different creatures were walking by them, all coming to or from the town. Olivia wanted to look at them, because they were of all different sizes and shapes, but she kept her head down and her hood up.

By mid-afternoon Olivia's stomach began to rumble. A sudden waft of something delicious coming from the town ahead filled her nose. It smelled incredible and made her mouth water. Not long after, Locke nudged her side and she looked up.

Before them was an elaborate town filled with hundreds of creatures she had never seen before. Many stalls lined the main road that stretched through the town, selling everything from groceries to toys to clothing to jewelry. The creatures, however, were the most interesting sight of all. Some were sorting crates of vegetables, whereas others were crafting toys for children. Olivia saw one creature with lots of tentacle-like arms tossing food and spices around in the air as he cooked over an open flame. Although the entire town buzzed with excitement, Olivia still felt nervous. She wasn't quite sure whether she was frightened and didn't want to proceed, or if she was just overwhelmed and couldn't wait to be a part of it all. Looking at Locke and remembering her time with the Great Fairy helped her to realize that she was definitely leaning more toward the latter. 
**Chapter Ten**

**Handel's Sanctuary  
**

Olivia and Locke weaved their way through the masses of busy creatures, which gave Olivia a closer glimpse of the many different creatures as they passed. Some were very tall and lumbered over her, while others only came up to her knees. Some were covered in fur and walked on hooves, while others had skin that looked just like Olivia's and walked barefooted on the cobblestone road. She saw so many different kinds of creatures that she was unable to keep up with them all.

"We have just received a new delivery of spindelum web and have new linen stocked," came a loud, high-pitched voice. Olivia spun around to see a creature resembling an insect standing on a stack of large wooden crates. Its face and a multitude of tiny legs were set inside a black segmented shell like a small crustacean Olivia had once seen in an encyclopedia. It wore a sweater with tiny holes for each arm and a pair of miniscule spectacles perched in front of its beady eyes. "Feel free to come in and have a look! Web will be spun into string, yarn, or whatever you need on the spot!"

"What is that?" Olivia asked Locke as they passed the creature. It stood in front of a small, quaint shop that looked as though it had been wedged between two other shops. It was oddly shaped and had crooked windows and doors. The sign above the doors read Fabulous Fabrics.

"That's Miss Isabelle," said Locke. "She's one of the finest tailors in Aeldyn. She's a rolipol."

Olivia's head once again was brimming with questions. Her eyes darted in all directions, taking in everything. She eyed another small shop. Next to its doors was a plaque reading Remedologist. A small sign hanging from the door read:

Medicines, poultices, and salves.

~~~

For potion ingredients, herbs, and recipes,

try next door!

She looked at the shop next to the remedologist and saw a sign above its door that read Apothecary.

Olivia was becoming more overwhelmed as she and Locke weaved through the crowd. Soon they came to a plaza with a large stone fountain in the middle of the town. A statue of a man with a long bushy beard and muscular arms and legs towered in the center of the fountain. A large hammer rested over his shoulder and one of his legs was propped on an anvil. A plaque at the base of the statue read

Handel

\- Founder of the Sanctuary -

May his kindness never be forgotten.

"So, this is Handel?" Olivia asked, staring up at the statue.

"Yep! My dad says he founded this town." Locke sat on the edge of the fountain and dipped one finger into the water. "But that was so long ago, nobody really remembers."

"Is he...a man?" asked Olivia. In all of the time she had spent in Aeldyn thus far, she had never seen anything else that resembled a human. The statue piqued her curiosity.

"No," Locke said, looking over at her and laughing. "He's a dwarf! Can't you tell? Big beard, huge muscles..."

"Oh, I see," said Olivia. "I've heard of dwarves before."

"Have y'now?" bellowed a loud, gruff voice behind Olivia. She jumped and spun around. Before her stood a dwarf. His red beard and muscular arms uncannily resembled the statue of Handel. He was a bit taller than Olivia and wore a bandana on his bald head and an apron to cover the front of his soot-stained clothes. Both the apron and the bandana appeared to be made of a material similar to leather. He smiled at Olivia, his small eyes becoming lost in wrinkles. "Well, I've heard of you humans meself. Might you be the one I'm here to meet?" He laughed a deep, cheerful laugh. "Of course you are!"

"Uh...who...?" stammered Olivia as the dwarf patted her heartily on the back, knocking the breath out of her. "Who are you?"

"The name's Bren," he said. "And you must be Olivia, eh?"

"Y-yes, I am," replied Olivia, nodding.

"A-ha! Wonderful!" shouted Bren. "That odd Ink fellow explained the situation to me. Had a hard time believin' it meself, but he said, 'The truth is the truth, either face it or fear it.' So here I am! At your service!"

"Oh...thank you," said Olivia. "You didn't have to come. I–"

"Didn't have to? Ha! I wanted to!" Bren laughed, clutching his long beard in his hands.

"Well, thank you, then," Olivia said quietly.

"You're very welcome, Olivia," said Bren. He looked over at Locke. "And who might this fellow be?"

"I'm Locke. I'm Olivia's friend, and I've been helping her get to know Aeldyn. We just left from the Great Fairy's hollow earlier this morning."

"Ah, I see," Bren said, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, how about we go into the tavern and grab a bite to eat and somethin' cold to wash it down with." He pointed to the right toward a tall stone building that looked like a thatched-roof cottage, towering over the other smaller shops. Over the door hung a sign that read The Hearth. "We can wait there for any others, if you'd like."

"Sure," Olivia said, although she actually felt quite unsure. She knew what a tavern was. She had read about them in one of the encyclopedias. They didn't sound to her like a place she particularly wanted to go. She looked over at Locke, but he didn't appear to have any objections to the offer, so they followed Bren into the tavern.

Inside the tavern was loud and busy, but it was nothing compared to the hustle and bustle outside. Yellow orbs around the ceiling and trickles of sunlight pouring in through the shuttered windows lit the tavern with a warm glow. Many creatures sat about round tables here and there and played games or told stories as they laughed loudly and enjoyed their food and drinks.

Olivia kept her hood up as they made their way through the tavern while Bren stopped a few times to greet some friends. They eventually reached a large wooden booth near the back where Olivia laid her journal and staff on the seat and sat next to Locke with her head bowed. Bren sat on the opposite side.

"Hello, friends," said a voice behind Bren. "What'll ya have?"

Olivia looked up and saw a large furry animal standing on its hind legs. It reminded her of a raccoon, except that it wore a vest and carried a tray of dirty mugs. Its beady eyes examined each of them as it waited for their orders. When the eyes came to Olivia, the creature paused and gasped, nearly tipping over the tray of mugs.

"Is that...the human?" it quietly asked, nudging Bren's arm without taking its eyes off Olivia.

"Aye, she is," Bren said. "Her name's Olivia, and she deserves your respect, George. So, how about not attractin' too much attention to this table, eh?"

"Right...I'll just..." George stammered, still staring at Olivia. He shook his head and then smiled at her. "Sorry, miss. The name's George. It's an honor, truly. Can I get ya anything?"

"Uh...I don't really know what there is," Olivia said, glancing at Locke.

"We'll take two root beers," Locke said to George. "And I'll take a toasted tomato sandwich. Is that okay with you, too, Olivia?"

"Sure, that sounds good," she said. She had no idea what a root beer was and didn't know what to think of a toasted tomato sandwich, but she was starving and trusted that Locke was ordering something she'd like.

"Alrighty. What about you, Bren?" George asked.

"I'll take the same," Bren said. "It sounds delicious to me. An' root beer is my favorite!" He laughed and looked at Locke. "You've got good taste, my friend!"

"Thanks," Locke said, grinning.

"Okay, I'll be back with those shortly." George turned back toward the counter.

"Oh...George, if you don't mind, can you send anyone else who's lookin' for the girl back here?" asked Bren quietly.

"Sure, no problem." He continued behind the counter and out of sight.

Bren turned back to Olivia and Locke. "Well, I suppose I'll start with my story. Then I'll want to hear yours."

"Sounds good," Olivia said, glad to finally get to know the person they had been talking to all this time.

"As you know, I'm Bren," he started. He rested his massive arms on the table. "I'm from the Camicara Mountains just north of here. The Ink fellow came and told us that there was someone here to help us get rid of that good-fer-nothin' evil creature that turned up in the northeast. We asked him who and he just said 'a girl...a human girl.' He's one of those dramatic sorts, I guess. At first everyone laughed, but then Ink told us that it was indeed the truth and that anyone who wished to aid the girl should meet at Handel's Sanctuary. An' then he vanished." He paused and stared into the distance. Olivia and Locke waited for him to continue. "Ye know... I thought for a good long while before I made up my mind to come here. I said to meself, 'That Great Fairy must know somethin' we don't. He wouldn't be meddlin' in the affairs of the humans if he thought that we could take down the Lich King ourselves.' So, I decided it must be important that you get to the creature, because no one else in Aeldyn can do the job. I wanted to help you in any way I could. You see, me and me wife just had a little one not too long ago, and I want him and all the other little ones to be able to grow up and live without fear."

"Here you are, my friends!" George arrived with a hefty tray of mugs and plates of food stacked up his arm. With much skill, he swiftly distributed the mugs and plates to Olivia, Locke, and Bren.

"Ahh, it smells amazin' as always, George," Bren said.

"It's my pleasure, my friends. Please let me know if you require anything else. I'll be right up at the counter." He bowed slightly and then spun around and left them to their meals.

Locke and Bren immediately lifted their toasted tomato sandwiches and took giant bites. Olivia wanted to eat, too, but she had become preoccupied with something that Bren had said.

"What is the Lich King?" she asked.

Bren spluttered as he took a large swig from his root beer mug. He looked over at her, slowly sitting down the mug. After a moment he said, "You really don't know, do you?"

"No," said Olivia. "Unless you're referring to the other human."

"That I am," Bren said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "He's been up there for a while now. When I was a very young fellow, there were rumors that a human had been found in Aeldyn. Of course, I thought it was just me parents trying to scare me into goin' to bed when I was supposed to. Nay, it's true that a human does exist in those parts." He leaned in closer to Olivia, his eyes narrowing. "People became curious about the fabled human and started makin' journeys to see it. But some of 'em never returned, and the ones that have made it back say that he's stealin' magic from others in order to do his evil biddin'..."

Olivia shuddered. Up until now she hadn't heard anything about the human, except that it was evil and only she could deal with it. Bren had described this Lich King as dangerous indeed.

"So...is that the human's name?" asked Olivia, hungry for more information.

"Aye. At least, around Aeldyn it is," said Bren. "No one knows his real name, where he came from, or even how long he's been around. But he steals the life and magic from others like a lich would, so that's what everyone has taken to callin' him."

Olivia stared down at her uneaten toasted tomato sandwich, thinking. She still couldn't understand why she had be the one to defeat this Lich King. The more she heard about him, the more intimidated she became. She had just started learning the basics of magic. How was she supposed to defeat someone who had been practicing magic for countless years?

"You gonna eat your sandwich?" asked Bren. "It's not gonna be as good if you let it get cold."

Olivia managed a smile and picked up her sandwich. She took a bite and her hunger immediately returned. She didn't stop eating it until it was gone, which resulted in Bren asking if she would like another. She shook her head as she raised her mug to her mouth. The root beer tasted sweet and strong. She licked the froth from her lip as she sat the empty mug back down, and then she burped.

"My, my, little one!" Bren bellowed. "I'd like to have a contest with you someday." He laughed and then seemed to remember his request to George to not bring attention to their table. He quieted himself and smiled at Olivia, whose face was red with embarrassment. Locke had been giggling, too, but stopped suddenly as he noticed some people approaching from behind Bren.

"George said we'd find you here," said a small voice from a creature near the floor that resembled a little man wearing a wide-brimmed red hat. The creature had a long nose and a wide smile. Its feet were almost the length of its entire body and were covered in rough green shoes that stuck far out from under the rim of the hat. "Is this the human girl we came so far to find?"

"Indeed it is, my good gnome," said Bren loudly. "I hope y'made it without too much trouble. Here, have a seat!" He moved down to one end of the bench to allow room for the gnome and his companion. The gnome climbed up onto the bench and helped his companion up. The two gnomes looked almost identical, except that the other was wearing a white hat and had long, braided hair. They stood on the bench in order to see over the edge of the table.

"Hello, Olivia," said the other gnome, staring up at Olivia with her small black eyes. "You are Olivia, correct?"

"Yes," Olivia replied, intrigued by the small creatures.

"Very good. We are Rufus and Holli," said the gnome with the red hat. They held their hands out for Olivia to shake.

"It's nice to meet you," said Olivia, shaking their tiny hands between her thumb and forefinger.

"Oh, and this is Kili." Rufus pointed to a round ball of light blue feathers perched on top of his hat. Olivia noticed that Kili had tiny wings at her sides and a small beak protruding from her face. "We picked her up along the way. She was interested in the journey, also."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Kili," said Olivia.

"Cheep! Thanks!" Kili chirped and flapped her tiny wings.

"The somnivate visited us, and we were thrilled to hear that someone was here to help us," Rufus said.

"Indeed," agreed Holli. "You see, little dearie, our poor son Ronald was snatched up by the Taken. And we... we..." She began to cry.

"There, there, Holli," Rufus said, patting her hand. "Olivia, the Lich King's minions captured our son. We are here to help you in your quest to put an end to this madness. We will do everything we can to help."

"Oh, I'm very sorry..." Olivia was looking sadly at Holli. She wanted to comfort her, but was unsure of what to do or say. "What did you say took your son?"

"The Taken is what we call them," Rufus said. "They are the ones that the Lich King takes in and steals magic from. After he's taken their magic, it seems that he's able to control them. Oh, it's horrible..."

Olivia shook her head, trying to imagine what kind of person would do such a thing, but she was having difficulty picturing it. "I promise I'll do everything I can to put an end to this and get your son back," she said with a new sense of courage. The Lich King had intimidated her, but hearing what he was doing to the innocent people of Aeldyn infuriated her.

"Thank you, Olivia," Holli said, sniffing. "We're very grateful to you."

"Indeed, we are," Rufus said. "It's all terrible business. But it must be dealt with, and soon. I've heard the Lich King has even built a great fortress for himself."

Olivia stared at Rufus for a moment and then looked down at her empty plate. She was beginning to understand what the Great Fairy and the kami were trying to explain to her. The Lich King was beginning to turn Aeldyn into something that resembled her world. Memories of the black decay she had seen outside the orphanage flooded her mind and tears filled her eyes.

"What's the matter, Olivia?" Bren asked, noticing her tears.

"Nothing...I'm just thinking," Olivia replied. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Humans also destroyed my world. It's just that I don't want this one to end up the same way. It's much too horrible."

"But that's why you're here, Olivia," Locke said, smiling and patting her back. "You'll be able help us save Aeldyn."

"Exactly!" Bren shouted. "Let's stop all this cryin' and get this fine young girl another root beer." He laughed and strode over to the counter to speak with George.

"I wonder how many others are planning on coming," Olivia said to Locke. She was thankful for the help everyone was offering, but she wished she could complete the journey alone. That way, no one would have to be in danger but her.

"I dunno," Locke said, noticing her worried expression. "But I'm sure the ones that do come are doing it because they truly want to help, Olivia. So you shouldn't worry too much." He smiled.

"You're probably right," Olivia said, returning his smile. She saw Bren making his way back to their table with George following him.

"Hello again, Olivia," said George, drying a mug with a towel. "You know, I think they're just about finished out there. I think you should go have a look."

"W-where? What do you mean?" Olivia asked, looking from George to Bren. They were both grinning.

"Come, little one," Bren said and beckoned for her to follow.

Olivia slowly stood up, eyeing Locke. She wasn't sure what was going on and it frightened her a little, but Locke was smiling too. She grabbed her staff and journal and followed Bren out of the tavern, noticing that the tavern had become completely empty. They made it to the doors and Bren flung them open, revealing the surprise outside.

Olivia stepped out, her mouth open in awe. The town was packed with creatures that watched her as she exited the tavern. A sudden eruption of applause and cheers followed by sparks and confetti filled the town plaza. Lanterns that lit up the darkening sky had been strung from shop to shop across the roads. A long line of wooden tables held food and drink of every sort imaginable.

"A celebration for you, Olivia!" Bren shouted over the cheers. He nudged her, and they began walking out into the crowd.

Creatures began approaching Olivia and shaking her free hand. Some hugged her, while others simply walked up to her and bowed. Olivia had mixed feelings. She was happy, but surprised and a little frightened. She had never in her life witnessed a celebration of any kind, much less one given by the strange creatures of Aeldyn, so she wasn't sure how she should behave at a celebration. She looked around for Locke in all of the chaos and finally spotted him next to a table of food. He waved at her and gave her an excited thumbs-up. She smiled and waved back.

Olivia walked around for quite some time talking to the different creatures and learning small bits of information about their lives and Aeldyn. After a while, she joined Locke at the tables to try some of the foods. One table was filled with all sorts of candies. Olivia had never seen candy before and couldn't decide on which to try, so she asked Locke for advice.

"Try those," Locke said through a mouthful of fudge, pointing to a plate of red taffy. "They're amazing!"

Olivia pulled a sticky piece of taffy from the plate and stuffed it in her mouth. It was very sour at first, but as she began to chew, it became soft and sweet. She chewed it for what seemed like forever, enjoying every minute of it. She was about to try another candy when someone near the large fountain made an announcement.

"Attention, everyone!" yelled a deep voice. The crowd grew quiet. "We would like to honor Olivia Wickworth and her companions at this moment, if they could please make their way to the fountain."

A sudden rustling within the crowd started as creatures moved forward. Olivia turned away from the candy and also headed toward the fountain. Upon arriving, she saw a small group of creatures waiting for her.

"As you all know, Olivia Wickworth has come from her own world to help us save Aeldyn!" the deep voice from a dark-skinned ungulhak near the fountain announced. The crowd burst into cheers. The ungulhak waited for them to quiet. "However, the task at hand isn't an easy one, nor is it without its dangers. So I ask that you keep Miss Wickworth and her companions in your minds and hearts as they begin their journey tomorrow." He slowly walked over to Olivia, his tall, shining black horse body making her feel quite small. "Olivia Wickworth, I am Jin. I wish to help you in your quest. The safety of my land and my home is being compromised, and I will not stand idly by and allow that to happen. I am at your service." He bowed, kneeling down on one of his equine legs.

"Th...thank you...very much," Olivia stammered, awed by the powerful-looking creature. Jin rose from his bow and backed away.

"I, too, wish to aid you, but you already know that eh?" said Bren, chuckling.

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Thank you."

"So shall we!" shouted Rufus.

Olivia knelt down, looking at Holli, Rufus, and Kili. "Thank you...all of you," she said.

"Miss Wickworth!" said a stern voice behind her. She turned to find what looked like a tall fox standing on its hind legs staring down at her with strict eyes. Another shorter foxlike creature stood next to it. "I am Jei-Tu of Paamaa. This is my son, Kai-Tu. He will aid you in your quest. We kettu have high expectations for him, so he should prove useful." He looked over at his son, who was rolling his eyes.

"Thank you very much, sir," Olivia said, bowing. She didn't know why she bowed, but she felt like it was the right thing to do in the presence of such an austere and noble creature. Jei-Tu bowed in return and walked away. Kai-Tu sighed and slunk over to the food tables.

"Well, Olivia," said Locke from behind her. "I hope you know that I'm here to help you, too."

"Of course I do, Locke," she said turning to him and smiling. "And I'm especially grateful that you are."

Suddenly, two creatures approached Olivia. They were both black, fuzzy, and skinny, like spiders except humanoid. They moved in unison as they approached. Their faces and torso were covered in strips of black cloth so that only two large, shining black eyes on each of their faces could be seen peering out at her. They blinked as she stared at them, shocked.

"Um, hello," said Olivia. When they didn't respond, she asked, "Are you two okay?" They still said nothing. "Are you here to come along on the quest?" she asked. Suddenly they looked over at one another, turned back to Olivia, and bowed. Olivia turned to Locke for advice, but he had none. She turned back to the creatures, but they were gone.

"Spindelum have always creeped me out," Locke said, shuddering.

"Those are spindelum?" Olivia asked. "Do they speak?"

"I wouldn't know," Locke said. "I've never seen one long enough to have a conversation with it."

"Why do they creep you out?" Olivia asked.

"Well, besides the fact that they're Aeldyn's undertakers..." Locke replied, shivering.

Another creature approached Olivia. This time it was Miss Isabelle, the rolipol she had seen earlier in front of the tailor's shop. Her tiny legs moved in a blur as she slowly hurried over to Olivia. When she finally made it, Miss Isabelle held a package up for Olivia and then turned to the crowd. She rolled up a piece of paper she was carrying and shouted through it.

"Good people of Aeldyn, I would like to present Miss Wickworth with a gift in honor of her good deeds!" Miss Isabelle turned back to Olivia and took the package back from her. "First, a lovely dress for such a lovely young lady," she said and smiled up at Olivia. She opened the package, pulled a dark purple dress from it, and handed it to Olivia. "Purple seems to suit you, dearie. I hope you like it." She opened the package again and pulled out a pair of dark brown boots. "Second, a dashing pair of boots to compliment that lovely white hair." She handed the boots to Olivia, who was overcome with joy. Olivia had never received new clothes and had never expected to, especially not like the ones she had just been given. "There are some nice wool socks in the boots, dearie," said Miss Isabelle.

"Thank you so much!" Olivia said. She bent down to give Miss Isabelle a hug.

"Oh, you're very welcome, my dear," Miss Isabelle exclaimed. "There is one more thing." She reached into the package and brought out a woven pouch, similar to the one Locke carried, and held it up to Olivia. "This should be handy on a journey. It's a sack made from pure spindelum web, woven together by us rolipols."

Olivia thanked her and beamed, looking over at Locke and holding the sack up to show him.

"You're welcome, dearie," said Miss Isabelle, smiling.

"Ah, that reminds me, Olivia," said Bren from beside her. "I also brought you a little somethin' from the forge. Made it meself before I left the Camicara Mountains..." He pulled a chainmail shirt and leggings from his beard. "I think ye'll be able to wear 'em under your pretty new dress."

She cheerfully thanked him as Bren laid the chainmail on top of the pile of gifts in her arms. She was beginning to have trouble carrying all of them.

"I also have a bandolier for you," said Bren, rummaging through his beard again and holding up a strip of leather with slots cut into it. "They're very useful when you run out of space in your beard!" He laughed, waving his beard around. Olivia giggled as he draped the bandolier over her shoulder. "My, my! Looks like you've got quite a stack o' gifts there. Maybe it's time to head back to the tavern and–"

"Wait, wait, Bren!" cried Rufus. "We have a gift for Miss Wickworth ourselves." He scuttled over to Olivia and raised three small glass bottles in the air. Olivia knelt down and took them. "These are some potion and herb bottles that we think will be useful on the journey. We would be happy to teach you how to use them, if you would like."

"I would like that very much," Olivia said, tucking the bottles carefully under her arm. "Thank you!"

"Thank you, Olivia," said Holli, pointing a tiny finger in her direction. "We are ever so grateful!"

"Aye, we are!" shouted Bren. "Come, Olivia. I'll help you into the tavern so you can sort out your gifts. We'll be stayin' in some rooms on the second floor tonight, so you'll have a chance to change into your new clothes."

They started toward the tavern, but a child-like shout coming from behind stopped them. Olivia spun around and saw a tiny rolipol child trying its best to catch up with her. She ran back to meet the child. The rolipol child held up a small doll and squeaked, "Doll!" Olivia knelt down, took the doll, and the child ran back into the crowd before Olivia could thank her.

"Haha! The little one wanted to give you a gift, too!" Bren laughed.

Olivia looked at the doll made of soft cloth. It had blue button eyes and hair made of white yarn. The doll wore a purple dress and had little brown boots on its feet.

Olivia was baffled by the sheer generosity of the people of Aeldyn. She wondered if she could help them. She felt sad thinking that someone or something was hurting them. Staring down at the doll made some of her doubts fade away. She would do everything she could to save Aeldyn.

"Are you comin'?" Bren asked.

"Oh, yes, sorry," said Olivia, tearing her gaze from the doll. In the tavern, Bren led her up some back stairs to a second-floor hall with bedrooms where travelers could sleep. Bren opened the door to one, and she laid the stack of gifts on the bed.

"They'll be wantin' to say good-bye and wish you good luck, so we had better get back down there," Bren said from the doorway.

Back in front of the tavern, Olivia could see that the crowd had thinned out considerably and people were starting to go home. Many of them came up to her and said their farewells and wished her luck. After most of the crowd had left, Olivia tiredly searched for Locke. The celebration and good food had worn her out, and she was barely able to stand.

"You look extra tired," Locke said when she walked up to him. He had been sitting on the edge of the fountain, staring up at the moon. Olivia sat next to him and stared up at it, too. It was bright and beautiful.

"I am," Olivia said wearily.

"Well, let's get you to your nice comfy bed," Locke said, standing up and holding a hand out to Olivia to help her stand. He led her to the tavern and up the stairs. Some of the creatures that were staying the night there spoke to her along the way, but she was too sleepy to understand them. After Locke helped her move the gifts from her bed, she climbed into it and fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow. 
**Chapter Eleven**

**The Journey Begins  
**

"We'll be leaving in a few minutes, Olivia," Locke said from the other side of Olivia's door. "I'll wait for you out here. Don't forget your gifts."

Olivia yawned, crawled out of the bed, and shuffled over to the stack of gifts she had received the previous night. She took the dress and chainmail from the top of the pile and laid them on the bed. She took off her old, stained orphanage uniform and put on the chainmail shirt and leggings. They were padded on the inside with some sort of soft cloth, which made them comfortable. She then slipped the dress on over the chainmail. It fit perfectly. It was sleeveless and fitted around her torso, but flared out at the bottom. She took a few steps and twirled a couple of times around the room, the skirt billowing around her. It felt good on her.

Olivia returned to the gifts and grabbed the boots. She pulled on the thick, warm socks and then slipped the boots on and buckled them. She walked around again. The boots fit nicely. They felt sturdy, but weren't as heavy as she had expected them to be.

Lastly, Olivia grabbed the bandolier and fastened it across her chest. The bottles Holli and Rufus had given her fit perfectly into the small slots that were cut into the bandolier.

Before leaving the room, Olivia looked around, making sure she hadn't left anything. She picked up her father's journal and the little doll and placed them into the sack that Miss Isabelle had given her. She closed the flap on the bag and slung the strap over her head, so that the bag rested comfortably at her hip. Grabbing Locke's cloak and her staff, she opened the door and stepped out.

"Woah!" Locke exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You look awesome."

Olivia giggled and thanked him. "I really like it. The rolipols did such a great job."

"Indeed they did," he said, looking at her dress and clearing his throat. "Ahem...well, we'd better get downstairs. Everyone's waiting for us."

Olivia and Locke hurried down the stairs into the tavern and joined Holli, Rufus, Kili, and Bren who were sitting at the counter eating toast and chatting with George.

"My, my! Your new things fit you well!" Bren exclaimed through a mouthful of toast.

Olivia thanked him, blushing as everyone else turned to look at her.

"Would you like some toast?" Bren asked, holding up a piece of his own.

"Sure," said Olivia and Locke together. They sat on two of the empty stools and waited for George to fix their toast. Olivia looked around but didn't see the others that had said they would be coming on the journey.

"Where is everyone else?" she asked, turning to Rufus.

"They're outside," Rufus replied. "You'll come to find that some of the people of Aeldyn prefer to stay outdoors. It's just their way of life. We gnomes, for instance, really prefer to stay underground."

Olivia nodded to show that she understood.

George brought them their toast, and they scarfed it down. When everyone had finished eating, Bren announced that they would be leaving shortly. Olivia began to feel the same nervousness she had felt back at the Great Fairy's Hollow. Then she remembered the celebration the night before and how wonderful everyone had been. The nervousness soon faded.

Outside the tavern, Olivia looked around at the town plaza that had been so crowded the night before. Now early in the morning the main road was covered in fog. Dew covered the brightly colored lanterns that were hung for the celebration. Seeing the town so empty almost made Olivia sad, but she reassured herself that in a few hours it would be bustling again.

"Are you ready, Miss Wickworth?" a deep voice from her right said. It was Jin, the ungulhak. He was approaching the group, carrying a large scythe.

Olivia nodded, glancing at the scythe.

"I thought I would bring along a tool with which I'm handy," he said, noticing her gaze. "Ink said the journey may be dangerous, and although we Aeldynians know nothing of fighting, we know when it's time to protect ourselves."

"Aye!" Bren shouted. "I, too, have brought a familiar tool." He reached into his beard and pulled out an enormous hammer. "I'll bet it can do some damage if I were to face any real danger."

"Well, let's hope that we don't face any real dangers," Holli said.

"Indeed," Rufus agreed. "Let's go and do what must be done and get back to living our lives peacefully. Hopefully with our poor son, Ronald..." He looked down at the ground, shaking his head.

"We'll do just that, and we'll find your son," Olivia said.

"That's the right attitude!" Jin shouted, raising his fist in the air. "Is everyone here? If so, let's get going."

Olivia looked at the group around her, but didn't see the kettu or the two spindelum. The group started toward the edge of town, following Jin's directions. Maybe they decided against coming, she thought. I can't really blame them.

"I say as soon as we get out o' town, we head north toward the Nocturnal Archives," Bren said to Jin.

"Yes, the Nocturnal Archives would be an ideal place to stop and rest, and if I'm not mistaken, it's near the halfway point between here and the Lich King's domain," Jin replied. Bren nodded in agreement, and they headed toward the town gate to the west.

When they made it to the gate, Olivia stopped and turned around. She had heard something moving behind them. Suddenly, a barrel tipped over, hitting the walkway loudly. The rest of the group jumped in surprise and turned to see what had made the noise. Kai-Tu, the kettu from the night before, had been crouched on the ground behind the barrel.

"Are you planning on coming, my boy?" Rufus asked. "If so, I suggest you keep up with us."

Kai-Tu stood up, crossed his arms, and huffed loudly. He slowly and disinterestedly walked up to the group.

"It's okay. You can stay here if you'd like," Olivia said quietly as he approached her.

"I'm not scared or anything!" Kai-Tu said loudly. He rolled his eyes. "It's just that I didn't really sign up for this. My dad brought me here. He's chief of our village, so he figured that his son ought to be the one sent to help you guys."

"Oh, no," Olivia said worriedly, "You should stay, really. I don't want to put you in any danger–"

"I'm going," said Kai-Tu flatly. "I'd rather be out here than stuck in that village anyway. I'm not cut out to be a real kettu, and nobody seems to understand that."

"If you're sure it's what you want, then you're more than welcome to come with us," Olivia said, quietly. "I'm sorry to hear that no one seems to understand. Maybe you can explain it to me and I'll understand..."

Kai-Tu gave a short, sarcastic laugh and turned away from Olivia. He stood still for a few moments, waiting for the rest of the group to move a few paces ahead of him. He then began to follow, staying a few feet behind everyone, muttering under his breath and kicking rocks to the side every now and then.

"I hope I didn't offend him," Olivia whispered to Locke.

"Nah," Locke replied. "He's just upset. I'd probably be upset too if my father pushed me into doing something I didn't want to do. I think he really does want to come with us."

Olivia looked back at Kai-Tu, hoping that Locke was right. The last thing she wanted was for someone to come along unwillingly and end up getting hurt.

After the group was outside of Handel's Sanctuary, Olivia saw another dirt road lined with willow trees. To the south she eyed the Great Fairy Tree and to the north another set of mountains. She stared at the immense landscape ahead of her and took a deep breath. To her surprise, everyone else in the group did the same. Then, without any further hesitation, they started on the road toward the Nocturnal Archives.

* * * * *

After a short while, conversations began to arise within the group. Soon everyone became interested in each other's backgrounds, and everyone took turns telling the group about where they were from.

"I'm from a farm east of Handel's Sanctuary," Jin said. "I enjoy cultivating wheat and the hard work that goes into it."

"Aye, there's nothin' like a day's worth of hard work to set you feelin' right about yourself, eh?" Bren said. "I think most everybody knows where I'm from. Those mountains to the north there." He pointed to the mountains Olivia had seen before they left Handel's Sanctuary. "Those are the Camicara Mountains. I work in the forge mostly, but sometimes I like to meddle in the rauhaut business with me wife."

"What is rauhaut?" Olivia asked, intrigued.

"It's a dwarven invention," Bren said over his shoulder. "That bandolier you're wearing is made of it...and me boots...and me bandana...and me belt...and me apron..."

Olivia looked down at the bandolier and felt it. The material was soft, strong, and leathery. The texture reminded her of the cover of her father's journal.

"So, is rauhaut leather?" asked Olivia.

"Is it what?" asked Bren, tilting his head to the side. "It's completely dwarf-made. The process is a little tedious, so I'll spare you all the details unless you just really wanna know." Olivia declined, stating that she believed him and would perhaps ask about the process another time.

"So, Rufus, which lake did you and your wife travel from?" Bren asked.

"We are from Stonehaven, under Stonehaven Lake," Rufus replied. "We actually came this way just yesterday to reach town."

"Under Stonehaven Lake?" Olivia asked.

"Well of course," Rufus said. "Water is the base for almost any medicine. What better place than under a lake?"

"So you make medicines?" Olivia asked.

"Rufus and I are remedologists," Holli said. "With some transmutation, fermentation, and distillation we can create potions and salves for most ailments."

"Wow," Olivia said. "That sounds incredible."

"And what about you, Kili?" Bren asked.

"Cheep! Whitewood!" Kili said from atop Rufus's hat.

"Now that's a beautiful forest," said Locke. "I've only ever seen it from a distance from the Nocturnal Archives, but from what I can tell it's gorgeous."

"Cheep! Not beautiful! Tweet tweet! Anymore!" chirped Kili, hopping around on Rufus's hat to face Locke. "Creatures act strange! Tweet tweet! Trees act strange!"

"What?" Locke asked, taken aback. "There's something wrong with the forest?"

"Yes, cheep!" Kili replied. "Lich King is involved!"

"Yes, we, too, have noticed strange things occurring near the forest," Rufus said. "Just before we left for Handel's Sanctuary, we caught a glimpse of the Nocturnal Archives from a distance and saw the hjorthovin surrounding it."

"What?" Jin exclaimed suddenly. "The hjorthovin never leave Whitewood. Aside from the spindelum, they're the most reclusive of the races. Things must be extremely serious for them to be seen outside of the forest."

"Aye," said Bren, thoughtfully. "Somethin' definitely doesn't sound right about that. Kili, what did you say about the Lich King?"

"Cheep! He controls," Kili said. "Kili saw sister and brother. Chirp chirp! Mindless like Taken! Squee..." She bowed her beak and began to cry softly.

"What is he using the Taken to accomplish?" Olivia asked.

"No one knows for sure, Olivia, but I'm sure it's nothing good," Holli answered.

"I know, Miss Holli," Olivia said, remembering her son, Ronald. "I'm just trying to learn as much as possible about the Lich–" A sudden rumbling coming from beneath her feet cut her off.

Everyone halted and looked to their right as the ground began to break between two of the willow trees along the road. A piece of the ground rose up, and Olivia saw two shining, yellow eyes peering from beneath the grassy earth. They stared at the group for a moment, and then a low, rumbling voice came from the direction of the eyes.

"Do these people make journey to evil man?" it asked slowly.

"Aye, we do!" Bren shouted. "Why does a trol such as yourself ask?"

"Thunc feels the earth," the trol said after a moment. "Evil man taints earth. Hurts Thunc..."

Olivia stared at the mound of earth with wide eyes. She gasped and took a step back as the mound of earth began to rise, revealing a creature. First came two massive arms made of thick dirt and tangled roots. The creature used them to pull the rest of its huge, stony body from the earth. It stood, intimidatingly tall, over everyone in the group and stared down at them from under its grassy hat.

"Thunc come with you," boomed Thunc. "Thunc help these people push evil man out."

"We are all here to do just that, my friend," said Jin. "But our true mission is to protect and aid Miss Wickworth here." He pointed toward Olivia. "Only she can put an end to the evil."

Thunc walked forward toward Olivia, his massive stone and dirt feet pounding the ground with each step. Olivia wanted to scream, but held it in. It took all the courage she could muster to stand still. When Thunc reached her, he slowly squatted down, so that his face was almost level with hers. He breathed heavily through his mouth, and Olivia could see that instead of teeth, his mouth was lined with pebbles. She smelled his pungent, earthy breath as he spoke to her.

"Is this creature the Miss Wickworth?" Thunc asked, pointing a large finger uncomfortably close to her face.

"Y-yes, I'm the Wickworth, I mean, Olivia," she stammered. She was shaking and her teeth were chattering.

"Thunc wishes to aid the Wickworth," Thunc said. "Thunc feels pain of earth. Brothers in north dying."

"Y-you can come with us," Olivia said. She knew Thunc meant no harm, but she couldn't stop herself from trembling.

"Thunc thanks the Wickworth," Thunc said, standing back up to his full height.

"You're very welcome," Olivia said, her eyes still wide.

"Right, then let's get moving! We hope to reach the Nocturnal Archives before nightfall," Jin said.

The group continued down the tree-lined road with Thunc near the rear of the group and Kai-Tu still trailing them all by a few feet. Olivia occasionally looked back to make sure he was still there. Each time she did, he quickly turned his head.

"We are approaching the Great Aeldyn River," Jin said loudly. "Mind your step as we cross the bridge. If you are afraid of heights, don't look down."

Olivia swallowed hard at the mention of crossing a bridge high in the air. She didn't think she was particularly afraid of heights, but she had never had the experience to be able to know. Soon she heard the rushing of water and knew that they were close.

They rounded the last bend in the road, which led to the bridge. The willow trees lining the road ended, and Olivia saw a grassy slope ahead ending at a steep cliff. The group was about to ascend the slope, but stopped suddenly in its tracks. Before them, as if standing guard in front of the bridge, was a gigantic spider. 
**Chapter Twelve**

**A Missing Thread  
**

"Oh, me beard," Bren said shakily. "That's Morragin, that is!" He took a step toward the giant spider.

"Wait, Bren!" Jin hissed. "This isn't right. Arachons don't just come to the surface."

"Aye. I haven't seen Morragin since I was a little one," Bren said, not taking his eyes off the spider. "And I only saw her then because me father took me down into the depths of the Camicaras lookin' for rare stones. Nay, somethin's definitely not right here..."

"Hello, friends," said Morragin in a raspy hiss as the group approached. She was sitting with her gigantic abdomen resting on the ground. She looked exhausted, as though her energy had been drained. She spoke, but took pauses to breathe heavily. "I was...just on my way back to my king. I was unable...to gather any Unenlightened, so he would have been very displeased. However...you have come so conveniently to my aid. Might you come back with me, so that I may get today's rations?"

"What are you talking about, Morragin?" Bren asked. He took a few tentative steps toward her. "Who is your king?"

"The Grimoire, of course," she said, blinking all eight of her massive eyes. "He came to us and showed us the error of our ways!"

"Do you speak of the human?" asked Jin, moving to stand beside Bren.

"Indeed," Morragin answered.

"You mentioned the Unenlightened. Who are they?" Jin asked.

"Why, you, of course," Morragin replied. "Those who live under no rule are not guaranteed a long, successful life. There must be order, structure, and law. Without these things, the people of New Aeldyn will have no purpose. Can't you see? Or are you blind, like the rest of the Unenlightened?"

"No!" Bren shouted angrily. "You're the one that's blind! You've lived for thousands o' years in the roots of the Camicaras! How can someone so ancient and wise become so–"

Morragin slowly began to raise her body off the ground with her black, spindly legs. It looked like it required great effort.

"If you will not come willingly," she hissed, "then I will have to force you!" She staggered toward Bren and Jin, her long legs towering over both of them. Bren's mouth fell open. Jin turned back to Olivia and the rest of the stunned group.

"Olivia!" Jin shouted. "Get across that bridge, now!" He barely had time to get the words out before one of Morragin's legs landed hard in front of him, causing him to lose his balance.

Olivia was too frightened to move. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't budge. She watched as Morragin fought to have her way. She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what she would be able to do. Suddenly, Rufus and Holli dashed past her and onto the bridge, weaving in and out of Morragin's legs. Kili flew over Olivia's head, following them.

"Olivia!" Rufus shouted. He beckoned for her to follow. "Hurry!"

Olivia took one step, but suddenly froze. She watched in horror as one of Morragin's legs knocked Bren to the ground with a kick. Thunc loped over to him and helped Bren to his feet. Thunc then pushed Morragin with his massive, rootlike hands. She faltered and swayed for a moment.

"Olivia!" Locke yelled from behind her, grabbing and shaking her shoulders. "Listen, we gotta go! Now!" He nudged her forward, and they began to run for the bridge. As they passed Morragin, Locke pulled his violin from his back and began to play a soft melody. Morragin stopped for just a moment, but then continued to attack. She had become sluggish, but the song didn't lessen her strength.

As soon as they were on the bridge beside Rufus and Holli, Olivia spun around, happy to find that Kai-Tu had been following them. However, to her disbelief, Morragin seemed to have mustered new strength despite Locke's song. She hissed and shoved Thunc and Bren away. She pounced toward Jin, knocking him to the ground.

"You will come with me!" Morragin hissed shrilly. "The Grimoire will have his way. I promised him I would not fail!"

"You've lost your mind!" Jin bellowed, kicking wildly in the air. "You don't understand anything anymore!"

"Silence!" Morragin screeched, bending down toward Jin's face. Her ever-moving fangs dripped with slimy poison. "You are the one who does not understand, you fool! You are Unenlightened, without purpose. Come with me and prosper in a new life under the rule of man!"

"No!" Jin shouted. He struggled to get out from under Morragin, but her hold was too strong.

"Bren! Thunc! Jin!" Olivia cried from the bridge. "You have to cross! She's too strong! We can't fight her!"

Morragin quickly lurched forward and sunk a dripping fang deep into Jin's shoulder. He screamed in pain and writhed violently under the arachon. Bren, watching the attack in stunned silence, shook his head, clenched his fists, and yelled furiously. He pulled his hammer from his beard and charged at Morragin, swinging the hammer at full force into her side. The blow didn't seem to faze her.

"Take this," Jin said weakly. With his uninjured arm, he tossed his scythe toward Bren. "Cut the bridge when you're across. I'm done."

"Jin friend not done!" Thunc boomed. He ran over to Morragin and shoved his arms down in front of her fangs to grab Jin. Morragin jabbed her fangs into his arms repeatedly, but he ignored her. Once Thunc had a hold on Jin, he ran toward the bridge, Bren following closely.

Olivia, tears rolling down her face, turned and ran to the other end of the bridge at Locke's insistence. After they had reached the other side, she turned and saw Thunc and Bren racing toward them. Morragin wasn't far behind.

Just as Thunc stepped onto the ground on the other side, Bren raised Jin's scythe and slashed the ropes holding the bridge up. Morragin shrieked and stretched out her legs to find a hold. She latched onto Bren's leg, dragging him over the edge of the cliff before she lost her grip and fell into the ravine below. Bren grabbed onto the ledge, yelling and trying to find a foothold. Thunc laid Jin down, spun around, and grabbed Bren's arm just as his fingers started to give. He then gently lifted Bren over the ledge and laid him down beside Jin.

"Jin!" Olivia cried. She ran to him, dropping to her knees to look at his wound. She wiped tears from her eyes as she stared down at the punctured, oozing skin. Jin's eyes were closed, and he had become a pale gray color, but he was still breathing.

"Let me have a good look at that wound, my girl," Rufus said urgently from behind Olivia. She moved out of his way, and he stood over Jin's shoulder, studying the wound.

"Hmm...I don't suppose we've ever made an arachon antidote, have we, my dear?" Rufus asked, turning to Holli.

"No, we've never had a need, Rufus. Oh, I still can't believe this has happened..." She shook her head, looking down at her feet and trembling.

"I can't either, my dear," Rufus said, turning back to Jin's wound. "But if we don't tend to this quickly, Jin will die."

"We can save him?" asked Olivia. "What can I do? I'll do anything you need me to."

"Well, considering we have no knowledge of the properties of arachon venom, we can't yet make an antidote," Rufus said. "However, to stop the spread of the venom and lessen the pain, which in turn may buy us time to research an antidote, we can do a few basic procedures."

Rufus closed his eyes, placing his hands above Jin's wound. He stood that way for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows. Then, green slime erupted from the wound, spilling out over Jin's arm. Jin winced at the pain, but didn't open his eyes.

"I've removed as much of the venom as I can," Rufus said. "Now, to lessen the pain and slow the reaction of the venom, I'll need a ginger root."

He reached up and removed his hat, revealing a bald head. Kili flew from the hat and over to a tree limb, catching Thunc's attention. Thunc slowly walked over to the tree and stared up at Kili for a while.

Rufus sat his hat on the ground next to himself. When he raised it again, a small rack with bottles of herbs and powders was sitting in its place. He placed his hat back on his head and quickly searched the rack for a ginger root. When he found the correct bottle, he took it from the rack and popped the cork from the top, dumping the root out in his hand.

Olivia watched wide-eyed as Rufus worked. His small hands moved with such skill that she had trouble keeping up with them. She noticed that Kai-Tu had come up next to her and was also watching intently.

"Now, Olivia," Rufus said, "I will transmute the ginger, transforming it into a fine powder. As I do this, I will also extract the specific ingredients that help to lessen pain and make them more potent." He closed his eyes once more and held his hands out, the ginger root lying on his left hand. Within seconds, the root had been broken down before Olivia's eyes and formed into a pile of tan powder. Then a white powder rose from the pile and floated to his right hand. He opened his eyes.

"This is what we need," Rufus said, holding up the white powder. "This has its uses and shouldn't be wasted." He held up the tan powder in his other hand. He carefully poured the tan powder back into the bottle the root had come from and corked it. "We are almost finished. We just need to mix this with a liquid so that I can insert it into the wound."

Rufus closed his eyes once more, bent down, and placed his free hand on the grass. After a moment, he raised his hand back up, showing Olivia the small ball of water that he now held in it. He brought his hands together to fuse the powder with the water, making a paste. Then, just as before, he held his hands over Jin's wound, closing his eyes to concentrate. The paste left his hands and entered the wound. Olivia and Kai-Tu watched in amazement.

"You, Olivia, have just seen a basic, but fundamental, act of remedology," Rufus said, getting to his feet. "I said I would teach you a bit of it so you can use those bottles I gave you, remember?"

"I do," Olivia said, looking down at Jin's wound. The enflamed skin around it was no longer swelling, and the puncture seemed to be healing. "Will he be okay?"

"Well, I should say so," Rufus said. "That is, assuming that pulling out the venom and tending to the wound is sufficient until we can get to the Nocturnal Archives." He removed his hat and placed it over the rack of bottles. Then he lifted the hat again and the rack was gone. He placed the hat back on his head and sighed. "Is everyone else okay? I'm still a bit shaken by the whole situation myself."

"A bit?" Bren said. He was still lying on the ground next to Jin. He sat up and put his head in his hands. "I... don't know what got into her. An arachon, somethin' so wise and ancient, turned into a monster by that...king." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I fear I may go mad meself if I have to do that again..."

"But you saved us," said Olivia.

"Aye, that may be true," he said, looking over at her. His eyes were red and filled with tears. "But in the process, I killed another. It's horrible." He buried his face in his hands again.

"I know. I'm sorry, Bren," said Olivia with a sigh. "But we will put an end to this."

"I hope so," said Bren. "The guilt is really weighin' on me."

Olivia walked over to Bren and laid a hand lightly on his bandana. She felt horrible, too, and still frightened, but she also felt that it was her fault they were all in this mess and that it was her job to comfort them. "It's okay, Bren," she said, patting his head.

"I don't know, Olivia," Bren said, shaking his head. "I don't mean any disrespect, but I don't think you understand. I mean, did you feel it? Morragin is gone, Olivia."

Olivia took a moment to let Bren's words sink in. She didn't quite know how to respond.

"I believe what Bren is trying to say is that you, as a human, may not be able to feel the balance of the world being disrupted as we do," said Rufus. "It may be quite comical to believe such a thing, considering it's based only on our tales of humans. However, we also once believed that humans were only a myth. The fact that you exist means that Bren could be correct."

Although Olivia felt terrible, perhaps the others were feeling a deeper emotion than even she was feeling.

"We don't mean to judge you, my dear," Holli said. "I think Bren just wants you to see that being forced to take the life of another affects us greatly. What happened today will likely haunt us forever. It's said in our old tales of humans that they aren't connected to the world as we are and that they don't understand the fragile balance of action and consequence as we do. Morragin was a part of that balance, and we feel as though she has left behind a hole that can't be mended. Her death has left behind an unraveled spot in a tapestry. We do apologize greatly for making assumptions, dearie."

"No, it...it's fine," Olivia said remorsefully.

Suddenly, Jin's eyes snapped open, and he began struggling to get to his feet.

"Take it slow, my good ungulhak," said Rufus. "You've been patched up, but not completely healed. We'll need to get you to the Nocturnal Archives so that Holli and I may research an antidote to arachon venom."

"Oh, my head," Jin said wearily. "So all that back there really did happen?"

"Aye, it did," replied Bren, shaking his head. "I know what you're feelin' Jin, but the sooner we get Olivia to the Lich King, the sooner we can end this madness."

"And we should probably be doing that soon," said Locke, looking up at the sun. "We only have a few hours left before dusk. By the way, is anyone hungry?"

"I am," stated Kai-Tu. Everyone turned to him. He hadn't said much on the journey so far, so hearing him suddenly speak was odd. He quickly looked down at his feet, embarrassed.

"Well, let's have a quick meal before we keep moving," said Locke, pulling his sack from his shoulder. "We all need to get a hold of ourselves and rest. I have some apples from the Great Fairy's hollow and some rolls from the celebration. Grab what you'd like." He spread open the sack, revealing the food.

Everyone except Thunc and Kili took either an apple or a roll from the sack. They sat under a tree, Kili now perched on Thunc's head instead of Rufus's hat. Thunc ate stones he dug from the ground, while Kili ate some berries plucked from a nearby bush.

"So, Kili, you've found a new hat to rest on, eh?" Rufus said, breaking the silence.

"Cheep! Sorry!" Kili exclaimed. "Tweet tweet. Thunc has cozy hat." She nestled down in the grass on Thunc's wide hat while everyone laughed.

Shortly after finishing the small meal and helping Jin back to his feet, they began moving northwest again. The encounter with the arachon had everyone on edge as they continued to the Nocturnal Archives. They became especially fearful when they came to another bridge over a river.

"Hopefully we can cross this one without too much trouble," Bren said nervously as they stood in front of the bridge. They crossed it slowly, holding their breath and peering around for any suspicious creatures. None appeared, and they were at the other end in no time.

"Well, that went better than expected," Jin said. He was still having difficulty keeping his pace up, but he looked much better. He turned to the west, in the direction of the setting sun. "I'd say if we press on, we can make it to the Nocturnal Archives just after dark. Or, we could stop and camp halfway between here and there."

"I don't fancy the thought of camping out here with mad creatures out and about," Rufus said.

"I agree. I've never feared being out at night until now," Locke said.

"Aye, same here," Bren added. "And I stay deep in the mountains, anyway. Campin' isn't exactly my favorite thing to do, if you know what I mean."

"Shh!" Kai-Tu hissed. "I hear something. Something is following us."

Everyone immediately halted. They listened intently, but they could only hear the sounds of the occasional bird and the wind blowing through the trees. Everyone held their breath.

"Well, what is it, Kai-Tu?" whispered Bren after a few moments had passed.

"I don't know, I–"

Suddenly, two dark shapes dropped from the trees behind the group. Everyone jumped and spun around in case they had to defend themselves. The two black spindelum that had agreed to come with Olivia on the journey the night before stood with their hands behind their backs, blinking at the company with their large black eyes.

"What the flamin' furnaces are you doin' here?" Bren exclaimed. "And at a time like this? Where were you this mornin', eh?"

The spindelum didn't respond for a moment. They just stood, eyeing the company. Then they looked at each other and nodded.

"Sorry," said one of them in a soft, grating voice, almost like a whisper.

"Got distracted," the other one said. They sounded nearly identical.

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen again too soon!" Bren shouted. "We can use all the help we can get, especially considerin' recent events."

"Bren is right," said Jin. "If you're coming with us, then you'd better try to keep up. Also, try not to get so distracted that you miss half of the journey again."

The two spindelum bowed low. When they rose, they looked at each other and nodded again.

"We will keep up," one of them said.

"And stay focused," the other said.

"Good, now, we really need to get moving. We're already going to be making it to the Nocturnal Archives after dark. Let's try not to make it any later than that," Jin said.

As the group pressed onward, the spindelum moved silently behind them. Kai-Tu, who was still near the back of the group, looked especially uneasy. He turned back frequently to look at the spindelum. Olivia was glad to see them, but wondered if they would be put into the same danger the others had already faced. She slowed so that she could get a better look at them.

Short black hairs covered their spindly arms and legs, vaguely reminding Olivia of Morragin's legs. They wore black cloth wrappings around their torso and face. As they moved along with the group, they stepped lightly, walking exactly at the same pace as one another. Their heads turned in different directions as they gazed at all that was going on around them. When they noticed Olivia next to them, they turned and focused on her, blinking their eyes as they studied her.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Olivia said nervously. Their gaze was somewhat frightening. They continued to stare at her without responding. "Do you have names?"

"Grimwitch," the one closest to her said.

"Gauntlet," the other said.

"Oh," said Olivia, somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected a reply. "Those are nice names. They sound... neat." They stared at her silently. "I'm trying to get to know everyone in the group and where they come from. It helps me learn about Aeldyn. Can you tell me about yourselves? Where is it that you come from?"

"Wikkwood," Grimwitch said.

"Far west," Gauntlet added.

The spindelum glanced at each other and nodded. They then began to circle Olivia, inspecting her from head to toe. She clutched her staff, frightened. They immediately resumed walking beside her, staring over at her.

"Curious," said Grimwitch.

"Human?" asked Gauntlet.

"Yes," said Olivia. "I know it must be odd for you, but you're odd to me, too." Grimwitch and Gauntlet suddenly looked down, as if offended. "But I mean that in a good way! I just want to get to know you..."

"We tried," Grimwitch said.

"Wrappings not working," Gauntlet said.

"Human finds us odd," said Grimwitch.

"Frightening?" asked Gauntlet.

Olivia was confused. Grimwitch and Gauntlet's way of communication was strange, and she had difficulty keeping up. She saw that they had misunderstood her and thought that she was making fun of them. "No, not frightening. What do you mean, wrappings not working?"

Olivia didn't receive an answer. Grimwitch and Gauntlet no longer spoke to her. She wondered if she had offended them and tried to apologize, but they still didn't respond. Eventually, she gave up, apologized one last time, and caught back up with Locke. She had become tired and her legs were sore. On the horizon she saw the sun painting the sky in shades of red and orange as it slowly sunk behind the hills. Soon it would be dark, and she wondered whether they would make it to the Nocturnal Archives before it became late.

* * * * *

After the sun had set and the stars began to appear, Bren called for Olivia to come to the front of the company.

"How much have you learned about emberology?" Bren asked Olivia.

"Which do you mean, Bren? With an 'e' or an 'i'?" asked Jin from beside them.

"With an 'e,' of course!" Bren answered. "I don't know the first thing 'bout that imberology with an 'i'! Who on Aeldyn came up with that namin', anyway? Makes conversations like this difficult."

Olivia assumed that Bren was asking about fire magic, and she answered, "I only learned the very basics from the Great Fairy, but I was able to light a candle."

Bren laughed loudly. "Well, that's a fine start, my girl! But to light our way you'll need a much stronger flame. How 'bout I show you a thing or two to help you focus a better flame?"

"Sure, that sounds great," said Olivia. She wanted to learn the art of emberology, but what she wanted most of all was to sit down and rest.

"First, you have to know how to control your flame," Bren said. "Fire is destructive. If it gets out of hand, it can consume everything!" He made a circle in the air with his hands. "But bein' a dwarf, who is naturally skilled at shapin' stone and craftin' different materials, I've also become somewhat skilled at fire magic. Helps with runnin' the forge, you see?"

Olivia nodded. She strained to keep her mind on what Bren was saying and not on the fact that her legs were becoming wobbly.

"In those old tales, the humans recreated fire by burnin' wood and coal and such," Bren said. "Is that true, Olivia?"

"Yes, actually," she said. She hadn't thought about the fact that when she created fire to light the candle, she hadn't used any resources.

"That's so hard to believe!" Bren laughed. "Well, fire can be used in that way, but it's destructive and wasteful. Flame can be willed into being from the Stream." Suddenly he held his hand out and a ball of fire appeared above it, lighting the trail before the group. Then Bren closed his hand, and the flame went out. "You see? Fire isn't hard to will into being. Actually, it's really easy, unlike some of those deeper magics like those hjorthovin perform. But anyway, that's why it's extremely important to know how to handle it once it's willed. You got it?"

"Yes," said Olivia, still dazed by the ball of flame Bren had just created.

"Good," said Bren. "Now, I'm gonna light the way for now, but I want you to be lightin' it before we get to the Nocturnal Archives." He reached into his beard and pulled out a large jar. He removed the lid and held the jar upside down above his hand. Then, like before, a bright ball of flame suddenly appeared, but this time, it was trapped inside the jar. He placed the lid back on the jar and hung it from a loop on his belt. "There! That should light the way good enough. That is, until you make us one." He chuckled.

For a while, Olivia walked by Bren, clutching her staff with both hands and focusing on the fire in the jar. Bren explained again and again how to control the flame after she willed it into being. After a while, Olivia was forming a much better understanding of emberology and managed to make the flame in the jar burn a little brighter. Bren was right; it wasn't difficult.

The staff that Locke made for her was also much easier to work with than the Great Fairy's old cane, which felt foreign and unfamiliar. Unlike the cane, the staff felt as if it were a part of her and she could focus her will through it much more naturally. She focused again, this time blocking out all other thoughts. She saw a flame in her mind and willed it into being with all the focus she could muster.

Bren's jar suddenly filled with a white flame as bright as the afternoon sun. The jar expanded and made loud cracking sounds as if it would shatter. Everyone in the group, including Olivia, yelled and shielded their eyes. After a moment, the flame died down and the jar returned to its normal shape.

"My, my, Olivia! That was the hottest flame I've ever seen comin' from a child!" Bren shouted. "By me beard, I'd say that was just about as powerful as mine at the forge. You almost shattered me jar!"

"I'm sorry," Olivia said, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Don't be sorry, my girl," he said, thumping her heartily on the back. "But you have to remember that if it wasn't in this jar, it would have engulfed this entire group in flames! Let that be a lesson to you!" Olivia nodded in understanding. The rest of the group stood frozen behind them, wide-eyed with fear.

As the group recovered from the scare, Olivia looked ahead. In the distance, she saw a forest of tall birch trees. Their path continued toward the forest and ended at a tall building with many windows, all of them giving off a warm yellow glow. To the left of the building was a gigantic lake. Its placid surface clearly reflected the moon and the stars, making the lake look like a fallen piece of sky.

"Ah, I've never been so happy to get a glimpse of home!" Rufus said, looking at the lake.

"Wow...Stonehaven Lake is beautiful at night," Locke added.

"It's beautiful in the daytime, too." Holli said.

"Well, I'm no big reader, but I'd say I've never been this happy to see the Nocturnal Archives," Bren said.

"Same here," Jin said weakly. His normally rich and vibrant complexion had become dull and he struggled to stay upright. "Let's go, we're almost there."

Soon the group arrived at the entrance of the Nocturnal Archives, which was a tall circular tower that rose into the moonlit night sky. At its base was a large stone staircase that led to two massive wooden doors. Bren knocked heavily on one of the doors, and after a moment it slowly swung open. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway, only a silhouette against the warm light coming from within. After her eyes had adjusted, Olivia saw that it was an owl-like creature, wearing a long red robe and a pair of golden spectacles.

"Welcome to the Nocturnal Archives," the owl creature said in a low voice. He bowed and moved to the side, allowing the group to enter. 
**Chapter Thirteen**

**The Nocturnal Archives  
**

"Right this way," the owl creature said, leading the group forward to a large round room. The smooth stone floor glinted as the soft light from floating orbs hit it. Wide columns of stone were interspersed around the room, holding up the many floors above them. Around the room were wooden doors that lead to smaller rooms, some of which contained beds for travelers in need of a place to stay while they studied.

Strange creatures, resembling deer but with oddly human faces, lay all about the floor. The creatures had a certain majestic and unapproachable air about them. A few of them had great, intricately branching antlers that gleamed in the light. Some of them were huddled in groups on the stone floor, while others were wandering by themselves, deep in thought.

Soon Olivia and the group passed into the center of the tower where the ceiling suddenly ended, revealing floor upon floor of books, scrolls, and documents. Olivia stared at the shelves in awe. She had never seen so many books in her entire life. She wondered what information they held and what she could learn from them.

The owl creature stopped in front of a circular desk, where he bowed and then walked away. Another owl creature was standing behind the desk. This creature looked much older than the one that had welcomed them inside, and it stared at her through a pair of golden spectacles with an intimidating glare.

"So, the human has come," the creature said in a deep voice. "This is good news." He moved his gaze from Olivia to Jin. "You have come quite late. Is there a reason for this?"

"We were attacked by Morragin the arachon on the way," Jin said, moving his hand to show his wound.

"Oh, my," the creature gasped. "Tell me, did she seem...out of her mind, at all?"

"Yes, she definitely seemed insane," Jin said. "She insisted that we follow her to the Grimoire."

"So it is true." The creature shook his head. "The hjorthovin have been telling me some very disturbing things. Your encounter seems to prove them correct." He paused for a moment, inspecting Jin's wound. "I suppose you will want to find an antidote for that venom."

"Precisely, Walter," said Rufus. "We should like to act as quickly as possible, if you don't mind."

"Is that you, Rufus?" Walter asked, peering over the desk and down at the gnome.

"Indeed it is, old friend." Rufus looked up at Walter and smiled.

"Well, let's waste no more time," Walter said. "I'll bring you all that we have on the subject of arachons. In the meantime, you and your companions may find a place among the hjorthovin refugees to rest." He threw back his long red robe and spread his massive wings. He burst into the air, flying up through the center of the tower in search of the books Rufus needed.

Bren scouted out an area next to a fireplace that wasn't occupied by hjorthovin with a few soft chairs, a couch, and a plush red rug. Bren immediately plopped down on one of the chairs and exhaled loudly. Jin lay down on the rug, tucking his hooves close to his body. Olivia, Locke, and Kai-Tu sat on the couch, while Thunc and Kili found a vacant part of the stone floor to rest on. Grimwitch and Gauntlet wandered around, curiously looking at the hjorthovin. Rufus and Holli found a desk not too far away where they sat waiting for Walter to return.

"What's wrong with the hjorthovin?" Olivia whispered to Locke. "Jin said earlier that they rarely leave Whitewood."

"I don't know, but I'm positive it has something to do with the Lich King."

"Do you think I can go talk to them?" Olivia asked, not quite believing what she was saying. A few days ago she would have never voluntarily approached a creature as strange and majestic as the hjorthovin. But things were getting worse with each passing moment, all because of the Lich King. She needed to know more about him.

"You can definitely try," said Locke. "But, from what I hear, they're unsociable and hard to understand."

"I think I'll give it a try," Olivia said.

"Okay, I'll come with–"

"We request an audience with the human," a soft voice said from behind the couch. Locke and Olivia jumped and spun around. Staring at them with large almond-shaped eyes was a hjorthovin. Its human-like face was pale and fair, and its features were delicate but pronounced.

"Uh...sure," Olivia stammered nervously.

"Follow me, please," said the hjorthovin.

"Don't you be gettin'...too far...group..." Bren said, his head nodding as he fell asleep.

Olivia looked around at the others. Kai-Tu had also fallen asleep. Jin had his eyes closed, resting. Thunc was sprawled out on his back on the stone floor, while Kili rested on his stomach. Grimwitch and Gauntlet were nowhere to be found. Walter suddenly swooped down, carrying four large books in his claws.

"These should help," he said as he gently laid the books on the desk for Rufus and Holli.

"That was fast!" Rufus said, thanking Walter.

"Old age doesn't slow this scrowl down, I assure you!" Walter chuckled and turned to the other group members. "Oh, my! I wager that these poor folk have been through quite a day."

"Indeed, we have," Holli said. "I'm about ready to have a good rest myself."

"Well, you shall have nice beds this night," said Walter. "The hjorthovin seem to never sleep. How long do you plan on staying?"

"A day, perhaps," Rufus said. "We need to let Jin recuperate. It also may give us a little time to gather some information about this Lich King character. The things that he has already done frighten me."

"Yes. The hjorthovin have been worried as well. It is very unsettling," Walter added.

Olivia looked over at the hjorthovin that had spoken to her. It was staring back at her, waiting for her to follow. Just then, Olivia heard a voice inside her mind.

"What the scrowl says is true. You must come so that we may speak with you."

Olivia inhaled sharply. She knew the voice came from the hjorthovin, but she was aware that the hjorthovin hadn't actually verbally said anything. She walked slowly to the hjorthovin with Locke following, a confused look on his face.

The creature led them to a circle of hjorthovin on the other side of the room. The group of hjorthovin eyed Olivia as she approached until one of the largest stepped forward, his elaborately branching antlers rising above Olivia's head. Moss hung from the antlers and a long white beard trailed from his chin.

"So it is true," the creature said in a soft, deep voice. "The counter does exist."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," said Olivia.

"Nor do you need to. Names are not relevant, but if you so choose, you may call me Celestim. However, that is not my true name, for you would not be able to understand or pronounce it."

"Thank you, Celestim. I'm Olivia Wickworth, and it's nice to meet you."

"Yes, I share the same sentiment, Olivia," Celestim said. "Our meeting will be brief. You require rest, like your companions."

"Don't worry about that. I'm fine," said Olivia. She was more tired now than she ever remembered being, but she wanted to find out if the hjorthovin had any information about the Lich King.

"Although your dedication is admirable, I shall not keep you. Tell me, Olivia, do you know the threat that lies ahead of you?"

"Yes," she replied. "An evil human."

"Correct," he said. "But do you understand the meaning of this threat?"

"I don't..." Olivia said, confused.

"Olivia, the Fabric tells me of a man," Celestim said, his eyes narrowing. "A human whose time has been strung out over many ages. We condemn ourselves for not recognizing it sooner, but why should one begin to suspect such a thing?" He paused, looking at Olivia's baffled expression. "I realize I do not communicate well in your language and at your level of understanding, but please try your best to understand."

She nodded and quickly glanced at Locke, who was rocking gently back and forth on his heels, his mouth open, in a stupor.

"There is more to this man than you may suspect, Olivia," Celestim said. "I do sense a great power deep within your mind. However, I suggest that you take caution when you set out in the coming days."

"I-I'll remember to be careful," Olivia said.

"Now, return to your companions and rest. We have much to study this night..." He bowed slightly and then turned toward a stack of books sitting near the other hjorthovin. The book on the top of the stack suddenly rose into the air and floated over to Celestim. It opened itself and hovered in front of his face as he began to read. As Celestim turned and walked away with the book suspended in front of him, Olivia glimpsed the title: The Tales of Harry the Human.

Olivia looked at Locke, her head tilted to the side questioningly. Locke had been right; the hjorthovin were very difficult to understand. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded in the direction of the seating area where the others rested. She felt that if she didn't lie down soon, she would collapse. She followed him, a little dazed from both fatigue and her conversation with Celestim and settled on the couch next to Kai-Tu, who was snoring loudly. It wasn't long after they sat down that they dozed off.

* * * * *

Olivia woke to the sound of thunder. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was in a bed in a small room. She then remembered that she was in the Nocturnal Archives and quickly jumped out of bed and ran over to the window.

Rain was pouring down outside. Olivia's room faced Stonehaven Lake, and she could see its once-placid surface now rippling as raindrops hit it. She wondered how long she had been sleeping. She heard voices outside her door and cracked it open to listen.

A young hjorthovin was speaking. "By telepathically speaking with the Astral Leviathans."

"Right," said Locke. "You know what? Never mind. Thanks for trying."

Olivia smiled at the sound of Locke's voice. She opened the door the rest of the way and saw Locke leaning against a stone pillar, looking at a small hjorthovin with a confused expression on his face. When he noticed Olivia, he smiled and walked over to her.

"What was that all about?" Olivia asked.

"I asked a simple question: Where does the Stream come from? And he answered me with all this nonsense. I'm sure he knows what he's talking about, but I just don't get it."

Olivia giggled and then asked, "How long was I asleep?"

"Well, right now it's about noon, so you've been out for a while," Locke said. "Bren's been wanting to come wake you up, but Jin made him wait. He says you needed the sleep so you can use today to practice your magics."

Olivia remembered her conversation with Celestim the night before. She hadn't understood what he had said, but she had the feeling she needed to practice and gain a better understanding of magic as much as possible before reaching the Lich King. The thunder rumbled again, reminding Olivia of something she wanted to ask. "I've never seen rain before. Can we go outside?"

"I suppose we could," Locke said, laughing. "I mean, as an imp, I do enjoy a good rain shower, but people usually like to stay out of the rain."

"I see," Olivia said. "What if we just watched it from the main entrance?"

"That'll be fine," said Locke, "but you should really eat something first. I'm sure you're starving."

Olivia realized that she was hungry. She hadn't eaten anything since the apples and rolls the previous day.

"Plenty of sandwiches are over by the main desk," Locke said, pointing to a small table. "Jin made them this morning. Holli and Rufus gave him the antidote they made last night, and he says he's feeling as good as new."

"Oh, that's great!" Olivia said excitedly. "I'll go grab a sandwich and visit with him."

"Okay. I'll come too. Those sandwiches are delicious," Locke said.

After Olivia and Locke had grabbed a couple sandwiches each, they returned to the area where they had fallen asleep the night before. Bren was sitting in one of the chairs, flipping through a picture book on minerals. Rufus and Holli were asleep on the couch, and Jin was picking absentmindedly at the bandage around his shoulder. The rest of the group was gone.

"Ah, Olivia," Bren exclaimed as he noticed her approaching. "'Bout time you got up!"

"Where is everyone else?" Olivia asked through a mouthful of sandwich.

"Thunc and Kili went out to play in the rain," said Jin. "Kai-Tu is up there, reading." He motioned toward the ceiling. "And the spindelum have been running around playing hide-and-seek for the last eight hours." He sighed.

"I would also like to go out and see the rain," Olivia said. "If that's okay..."

"Sure, you can go," said Jin. "But only for a little while. You really need to study your magics today. There are only a few days left before we face the Lich King, and I want you to feel prepared."

Olivia suddenly lost her appetite at the mention of the Lich King. Only a few days left, she thought to herself. She looked up at Jin and nodded before heading toward the exit.

"Do you still think I'm capable of doing this, Locke?" Olivia asked as they passed the main desk.

"Of course. The Great Fairy believes in you, and so does everyone else. Besides, if you start to doubt yourself along the way, just tell me. I'll fix it!"

Olivia smiled. "But I'm nowhere near powerful enough to do anything. I mean, the hjorthovin talk like this man has been around for a long time, and I believe it. Considering the things he's been able to do, he has to be extremely powerful."

"Honestly, Olivia, I don't think it's about being powerful," Locke said, looking over at her. "I think the Great Fairy chose you because you're special. We might not know exactly what it is that he sees in you, but I think you're special, too."

"But how will that help me in the end?" Olivia asked. She appreciated Locke's attempt to reassure her, but she wanted to know how she was supposed to stand against an enemy as powerful as the Lich King.

"I dunno, Olivia," Locke said with a sigh. "But whatever happens, I'll be with you until the end. I know that isn't saying much, but I think you're wonderful and I want to see you succeed. I mean, who knows what life could be like after this is over?"

Olivia hadn't thought about that. She remembered her conversation with the Great Fairy. I wonder if he's found a way to help the children... she thought. I wonder if Nachton is okay... All of a sudden, one of the spindelum dashed past them, laughing. The other followed close behind, his arms outstretched.

"It must be tag now," said Locke. "If Walter was down here, he'd be furious!"

"Where is he by the way?" Olivia asked, noticing that she hadn't seen any of the scrowls.

"They're up in the roost," he said, pointing toward the roof. "They sleep during the day."

"Oh, so they really are like owls then," said Olivia.

"Like what?" Locke asked.

"Never mind," Olivia replied, smiling.

Upon reaching the main entrance of the Archives, Locke turned the large knob on one of the doors and heaved it open. The sound of the rain suddenly filled Olivia's ears. She looked at the path they had walked on the night before and saw that it was now a muddy mess. The land all around the Archives looked completely different than it had when she had arrived. She took a deep breath. The rain had an odd, fresh scent that she enjoyed. She peered around and noticed a small grassy hill hovering above the ground. It wasn't until a pudgy blue bird landed on it that Olivia realized it was Thunc's hat. He was halfway in the ground, his arms resting on the surface. He watched happily as Kili flew around in the rain.

"Oh, it looks so fun!" Olivia exclaimed.

"It is!" Locke said. "But you heard what Jin said..."

"I know," Olivia said sadly. She had started the journey with a single purpose: to rid Aeldyn of the Lich King. But, along the way, she had fallen in love with the land and its people and wanted nothing more than to live a peaceful life among them. Of course, the fact that Aeldyn even existed and that it was so different from her dying world still bewildered her, but she had learned to look past her disbelief. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something appear in the direction of Stonehaven Lake.

Walking at a brisk pace around the edge of the lake was a chubby creature with a wide umbrella. Olivia couldn't quite make out what type of creature it was. She nudged Locke and pointed toward it.

"What is that?" she asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, I'd say it was a cat from Okenton," Locke replied. "Seeing it in this area at a time like this doesn't baffle me half as much as seeing it out in this weather."

As the cat neared the Nocturnal Archives, Olivia could see that it was a rather large black cat walking on its hind legs, wearing a red velvet waistcoat fastened with only one golden button. Olivia guessed that the others had long gone missing because of the strain they had to endure from the cat's lower belly. Soon the cat reached the stone staircase leading up to the main doors of the Archives. Olivia and Locke watched as it slowly took each step one by one, trying its best to hold the umbrella steady. When it finally made it to the top, Olivia stepped aside to allow it in.

The cat slowly closed the umbrella and looked over at Olivia and Locke with half-closed eyes.

"Might you be the hue-man I've travestied so far to locate?" the cat asked in a low, aristocratic voice. It began to make a low purring sound.

"Well, I...yes, I suppose. I'm Olivia," she said, confused.

"Hmm, yes," the cat said. "You may call me Haunches. I am rather appeased to be meeting with you, Olive."

"I'm, uh, pleased to meet you, too, Haunches," said Olivia. She wasn't sure if Haunches was deliberately trying to confuse her, or he genuinely didn't know he was using the incorrect words.

"I have travestied from Okenton," Haunches said. "The somniverous, Ink, attended our town and told us of your omission." He stopped for a moment and purred, twirling his long whiskers with his paw. "I decided that I would like to persist."

"That's...great!" said Olivia, unsure of what to think of Haunches.

"The truth of the matter is that I, Haunches, the fanciest of them all, am treated like an outlast at the township Okenton." He bowed his head, shaking it, before he started to cry loudly. "Why can't I become like the other cats?" he wailed. "They're so goodness at what they do! And I...I am just a useless hairball with no propose!"

"Calm down, Haunches, it's okay!" Olivia said softly. She took one of Haunches' paws and patted it gently. "You don't have to struggle to be like everyone else. And you do have a purpose; perhaps you just haven't found it yet."

Haunches looked at her through his watery eyes. He suddenly lunged forward, hugging Olivia tightly.

"Oh, thank you, Oliver!" Haunches said, sobbing.

"No problem..." Olivia said, patting his back as best she could. After a moment, he released her and stood up straight, clearing his throat.

"Sorry," he said, his eyes half-closed again. "I lost my exposure for a moment." He tucked his still-dripping umbrella underneath his arm and bowed low. "I would be honored to accomplish you on this journey, Olivia. Perchance I shall be able to dislocate my propose." The final button holding his waistcoat together popped off as he bowed and shot halfway across the tower floor, narrowly missing a hjorthovin's ear.

"I'm pleased you've decided to come," said Olivia, smiling.

Haunches rose from his bow, his waistcoat now hanging open. He leaned down to Olivia and whispered, "I haven't eaten in nearly two hours... Might there be any food around?"

Olivia giggled. "You can find some sandwiches over by the main desk."

Haunches' eyes widened and he teetered toward the main desk. Olivia and Locke looked at each other, grinning.

"Cats from Okenton are supposed to be fancy..." said Olivia.

"Okenton just happens to be the largest cat town," Locke said. "Every cat I've ever met has been fancy. I think it's just in their nature."

"I see." Olivia turned and took one last look at the rain before slowly closing the door. "Well, I suppose I should begin studying. Where do you think I should go?"

"You can go anywhere you want," Locke said. "I know of a couple of books you might want to take a look at. Follow me. I'll show you."

Locke led Olivia down a hallway to a spiral staircase that wound its way around the walls of the tower all the way to its top. They began to climb the stairs, their footsteps echoing loudly. When they had gone up a few floors, Locke turned and stepped out onto a large balcony.

Out on the balcony, Olivia looked down over the mahogany rails. Far below, she could see the main desk and the hjorthovin lying about. She could also see Haunches and watched as he stuffed sandwiches into his mouth. She turned and gazed in awe at the massive shelves filled with books that lined the wall along the balcony. Locke was looking for a particular book in a row of shelves.

"Ah, here it is," he said, standing on his tiptoes to grab a book and heave it down. He carried it over to a small round table that was flanked by two large, soft chairs. Olivia followed him, eager to read what he had picked out for her.

"So what's this?" she asked, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"It's basically a beginner's guide to the different studies of magic and whatnot." He spun the book around and pushed it across the table toward Olivia. It was titled Understanding the Magics, Volume One: A Guide to Focusing and Channeling by Leslie of Whitewood. "You've probably already learned most of what it teaches from the Great Fairy. The Understand the Magics books are really meant for people who want to pursue more knowledge in the different areas of magic, usually those in which a person isn't naturally inclined."

"Maybe this will help me understand a few things." Olivia opened the worn book and scanned the first page. "Although I don't think I'll be able to read the whole thing before we have to leave."

"Well, you're smart," said Locke, smiling. "Just pick out what you think is important, and that'll have to do."

"That's actually a good idea." Olivia pulled her sack from her shoulder and set it on the table. "I'll take notes in my journal."

"Great idea. Now, I'm going to go see if the hjorthovin will let me borrow a couple of those children's books they're studying. It's funny that some of the most intelligent people in Aeldyn are now raiding the children's section for information."

Olivia laughed and watched as Locke left the balcony. She opened her father's journal and saw the last entry she had written about Ms. Canterbry's rules. It gave her an eerie feeling to look down at the words and think about the time she had written them. She stared at the notes for a while and then shook her head and quickly turned the page. At the top of the new page she wrote MAGIC. Then underneath she wrote Basics and underlined it. She opened the cover of the book that Locke had given her and began to read.

* * * * *

Many hours passed with Olivia reading and taking notes. She was growing hungry again and wondered how late it was. She had made it through Understanding the Magics, Volume Two: A Guide to the Magics of the Elements and taken notes on the most important parts, skipping through the historical facts and other such things. Even though she wanted to read every book from cover to cover, she knew her time there was precious and that she couldn't afford to waste any of it. Locke returned with sandwiches when she was halfway through volume three: A Guide to the Magics of the Spirit.

"You must be hungry," he said, handing her a sandwich on a plate. "Lucky for you, Haunches got full before they were all gone." He sat in the empty chair. "You've been up here for almost seven hours now. Are you understanding things?"

"Yes, these books are extremely helpful," she replied, taking a hefty bite of the sandwich. "I wish I could stay and read every one of them."

"Well, maybe you can come back after we've dealt with the Lich King," Locke said. "Anyway, Jin wanted me to tell you that you should come down and take a break. He says that you shouldn't study without practicing, because you won't remember anything."

"Fair enough." Olivia finished the sandwich, stood up, and stretched her arms. "Wow, it does feel like I've been up here for a long time." She grabbed her father's journal, placed it carefully back into her sack, and tossed the sack over her shoulder. She reached to put the books back on the shelves when they suddenly rose into the air. She watched as the books floated back to the shelves and slid back into the correct spots. She looked at over at Locke, amazed.

"I forgot to tell you; the books put themselves back," he said, laughing. They turned and left the balcony to return to the main floor.

When they made it back to the group, Olivia saw that Rufus and Holli had woken up. They were talking to Haunches about his journey to the Nocturnal Archives. The rain had finally let up, so Thunc and Kili had come back inside. Kai-Tu must have still been up in the tower reading, because he wasn't with the group. Grimwitch and Gauntlet had finally settled down and were sitting cross-legged on the rug, looking rather droopy.

"So you've returned," Jin said as Olivia approached them. "It's getting late and we need to be getting to bed soon. Tomorrow we will leave early in the morning. However, I think we still have a little time before bed for you to show us what you've learned." He smiled down at her kindly. "I'm not trying to pressure you. I just want to make sure that you've learned a thing or two before we leave."

"I don't feel pressured at all," said Olivia, shaking her head. "I'll be happy to practice. I'd like to try some techniques hands-on anyway."

"Ha! Told ya, Jin!" Bren shouted. "Nothin' can bring our little Olivia down. Not even this..." He paused, holding a book up by its corner. "Studyin' nonsense."

"Very true, Bren," Jin chuckled. "Well, go ahead, Olivia. Just remember to save the more, well, robust magics for tomorrow when we're outside."

Olivia set down her sack on the couch, pulled her father's journal from it, and walked over to a vacant spot on the stone floor. To begin, she willed a small flame into being and held it steadily above her staff, which was one of the simplest things she had wanted to try. She had learned a little more about the concept Bren was trying to explain on their way to the Archives. Willing the flame into being was only the beginning; controlling and manipulating it after it had been created was the next thing to master.

"Ah, that's very good, Olivia," said Bren as he stared up at the flame. "Lots of control. I see you understand what I was tellin' ya."

After letting her flame sputter out, Olivia flipped through a couple of pages in her father's journal and read for a moment. She tucked the book underneath her arm and then conjured a sphere of water. She held it above her outstretched hand, watching as the water flowed gently within the sphere. Next, after consulting the journal once again, Olivia caused a small but strong whirlwind on the rug. Everyone was impressed by her skill. In a single day, she had learned the basics of many different types of magic, which was typically a difficult task for an Aeldynian.

As a last show of her skill with elemental magics, Olivia willed a flame in one hand and a sphere of water in the other. Everyone watched in amazement; performing different types of magic simultaneously required a great amount of power and focus.

"Oh my..." said Rufus in awe. "Why, I've never seen anyone perform such a feat, especially at such a young age."

"Aye," Bren agreed. "Neither have I!"

Olivia slowly brought her hands together to combine the flame and the water, causing them both to disappear in a cloud of steam. Everyone was still staring at her, eyes wide with wonder. Olivia smiled to herself; she still had one last thing to show them.

Closing her eyes, Olivia focused on grabbing a sandwich from the table across the room. The books had taught her that moving objects was a type of force magic that sent a spiritual form of your body out. It was one of the most difficult types of magic to master, aside from mind magic. A sandwich on the table suddenly rose into the air. It floated directly in front of Haunches, whose mouth hung open in surprise, came slowly across the room to the group, and stopped to hover in front of Locke. He reached out and grabbed it.

"Wow!" Locke exclaimed. "Olivia, that's really something! You're like a child prodigy or something!" He laughed. Everyone shared their praises of Olivia. Bren and Jin told her how proud they were of her accomplishments, Rufus and Holli asked her about the notes she had taken, Thunc and Kili excitedly retold her astounding feats to one another, Grimwitch and Gauntlet shook her hands vigorously, Haunches gave an amusingly worded speech about her skill, and even Kai-Tu muttered, "That was pretty cool."

That night Olivia lay in her bed, wondering what to expect the next day. She was much more confident in her magical abilities, but she still felt uneasy when she thought about the Lich King. The closer she got to actually meeting him, the more afraid and unsure she became. She wasn't in a dream, and she constantly reminded herself of that fact. Every moment that passed became more and more real to her.

She tossed and turned in the bed, unable to sleep. Her mind danced back and forth between the Lich King, her companions, and the other children back in her world. It was up to her—an ordinary human girl—to use her new knowledge to stand up against a man who was far more powerful than she could possibly imagine. The fate of Aeldyn, and possibly the human race, weighed heavily on her shoulders. 
**Chapter Fourteen**

**Whitewood  
**

"It's been lovely seeing you all," Walter said early the next morning as Olivia and the group of travelers gathered their things, preparing to continue northwest. Walter yawned. "Hoo! Sorry, I'm so sleepy! I shall be needing a good roost soon. Anyhow, I suggest you have a word with the hjorthovin about which path you should take in order to reach the Lich King's domain."

"We will," said Jin, resting his scythe on his shoulder. "Thank you again for allowing us to rest here."

"Oh, it's the least I could do, friend!" Walter said. "You and your companions are always welcome to stay at the Nocturnal Archives."

"Thank you, Walter," said Bren. "I don't read much, but I'd sure like to sit in those chairs again sometime." Everyone laughed.

"Well, we'd best be off," said Jin. "Is everyone ready? Everyone has all of their things?" After seeing that they did, Jin called for everyone to leave.

"Olivia," Walter said, lowering his voice. "Keep your wits about you, my girl. Strange things are happening out there..." He peered at her with the same stern glare he had given her when they arrived. "I believe you are special, indeed. I have the utmost faith in you. Go and bring peace back to Aeldyn."

With that, Walter spread his wings and flew up into the tower. Olivia watched as he rose higher and higher until he disappeared into the darkness of the upper levels. She slung her sack across her shoulder, picked up her staff, and ran to join the group as they walked toward the entrance.

Before they reached the doors, Jin stopped and turned to the group of hjorthovin that Olivia had spoken with during the first evening.

"Excuse me," Jin said, bowing. "We ask for your opinion on how we should go about reaching the Lich King's domain."

Celestim stepped forward, returning Jin's bow. "We have sought refuge here because the forest has become untrustworthy, even to us," he said. "I would advise you never to stray from the road." He paused and looked at Olivia. "I would also advise you to take extreme caution during the remainder of your journey. It has become clear to us that the man has discovered forbidden magics. He has even learned to block our telepathic probes, which is most concerning."

"That would mean he is proficient in mind magic, wouldn't it?" Rufus asked.

Celestim turned his gaze to Rufus. "Indeed," he said.

"Then do you think he is powerful enough to know that we are coming?" Rufus asked.

"Yes, I am sure it would be exceedingly simple for him to detect your presence. However, we believe that he is currently preoccupied by some other matter."

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked.

"We cannot say for certain," Celestim replied. "Therefore, we will not say at all."

"Well, we're wastin' time standin' around here!" said Bren.

"The dwarf speaks true," said Celestim. "Every moment that passes, the Fabric becomes darker. Grim times are indeed ahead."

"Let's be on our way, then," said Jin, a serious, hardened expression on his face. "Thank you for the advice, my friend."

"You are welcome," said Celestim, lowering his head in a bow. He then rose and looked at all of them. "Be wary. Be safe."

Jin pushed open the massive doors leading outside when Olivia heard a voice in her head.

"You possess a great power, though I must admit I do not fully understand it," Celestim's voice said. "Be wise, human child. Though wisdom, I believe, will not ultimately be the key."

Olivia turned and looked at Celestim. He closed his eyes and bowed. She wanted to ask what he meant, but the rest of the group had already passed through the doors. She stood for a moment, bowed in return, and left the Nocturnal Archives.

Outside, the group had already made its way down the stairs of the tower. The morning sun was bright, and Olivia's eyes had to adjust to the light after spending most of the previous day inside. She looked around at the landscape around the tower and noticed puddles here and there on the road, but otherwise it looked just as it had when they had arrived.

"The forestry looks quite deference, wouldn't you say?" Haunches said. He was looking lazily over at Whitewood.

"What do you mean, it looks different? It looks like Whitewood to me," said Kai-Tu. He had taken a liking to Haunches after talking with him the day before. He and Haunches appeared to be similar in some ways—awkward and unable to fit in with their own people. He even seemed to understand what Haunches was trying to say when the others didn't.

"Hmm, perhaps it is just my imaginaries overreacting to what the your-toe-bean said," said Haunches, shrugging.

The group followed the road toward Whitewood. Once there, they stopped to form a plan.

"Alright, I say we stick to the road as the hjorthovin suggested," said Jin. "Then when the Camicaras run out, we will start to head east."

"That sounds good to me," said Bren. "The Weepin' River flows out of the mountains near where they end. We can take that river east after we reach it. That should help us recover a bit o' time."

"A great plan. What do you say, Olivia?" Jin asked.

"Sure. I mean, it sounds good to me," Olivia said a bit distracted. She wasn't particularly happy about the fact that the river would help them get to their destination more quickly, but she knew that she would have to encounter the Lich King sooner or later.

"If we keep up a quick and steady pace, we should be through Whitewood before noon," Jin added.

He led the group into the forest, following the path closely. The path wound its way through the tall birch trees, lit by a soft glow filtering through the delicate leaves. Pale green moss and ivy covered the forest floor. The trees were spaced a good distance apart, making it easy to see deep into the forest. After a while, Olivia began to like Whitewood, until she noticed that she hadn't seen a single other living creature since they had entered. No creatures walked between the trees and no birds chirped. She heard no sound aside from the group's conversations. She was reminded of the world outside the orphanage.

"Twigs, it's quiet in here," Locke hissed. "And it's strange, the trees seem a little...it's hard to describe."

"Aye, it seems eerie," said Bren quietly.

"Let's just stick to the road, and we should be out of here in an hour or two," Jin said.

They walked in silence for a bit longer with Kili chirping anxiously every now and then, hoping to get a reply from any other penna that might be in the forest, but no replies came. After a while, Jin stopped. Everyone stopped behind him and peered around.

"The road ends here," Jin announced.

"No, this road goes all the way to the Cerulean Sea. What do you mean, it ends here?" Rufus asked. He walked to the front of the group and stopped. "Oh, my. It does end here." A sudden ripple of panicked chatter swept through the group. The road had abruptly ended at a thick tangle of trees.

"Everyone, calm down," Jin said. "We know that north is that way." He pointed in front of them. "We'll just continue that way until we come out of Whitewood."

"Cheep! I can fly ahead," Kili chirped. "I will see what is ahead. Tweet tweet!"

"That's a good idea, Kili," Jin said. "In the meantime, we'll continue in this direction."

Everyone followed Jin into the forest and off the road. Kili flapped her tiny wings and flew off in front of them, twittering nervously. Olivia looked around and noticed that the forest felt far less spacious than it had at its beginning. The trees were closer together here, which made Olivia feel as though she were being confined.

"What do you think about this, Locke?" Olivia asked, gripping her staff tightly.

"I dunno," Locke replied. "I've been trying to figure it out, too. The trees don't feel normal. It's like they're lifeless."

"I'm ready to be out of here," Olivia said. "How long do you think we've been in here, anyway?"

"Longer than an hour or two, that's for sure," said Locke.

Grimwitch and Gauntlet abruptly stepped in front of Locke and Olivia. They had been walking silently behind the group as usual, but now they obviously wished to tell Olivia something.

"Fat cat," said Grimwitch.

"Gone," said Gauntlet.

Olivia spun around and looked at the group. Haunches wasn't among them.

"Stop everyone! Haunches is gone!" she shouted.

"What?" said Kai-Tu. "How could he...why?"

"Everyone, we must focus on getting out of here," Jin said urgently. "Something is definitely wrong here. The sooner we're out, the better."

"But what about Haunches?" Kai-Tu asked angrily. "Are we just gonna leave him in here? What if he's in trouble?"

"He may have tried scoutin' ahead in a different direction," Bren said. "I'm sure he'll turn back up soon."

"Where is the Kili?" asked Thunc. Kili had been gone for quite a while.

"I cannot answer your questions!" Jin shouted. "We must get out of here, and quickly, before any more of us get separated!"

Olivia was shocked by Jin's roughness, but she realized that he was reacting in fear. "Jin is right," she said finally. "We do need to keep moving. If we go to look for the others, I'm afraid we may never find our way out of here."

The group reluctantly continued. The trees had become so thick now that they had to weave through them. Everyone was exhausted and frightened. After what seemed like hours, they stopped again. The forest was so quiet that they could hear each other's stomachs rumbling.

"I suppose a quick meal wouldn't hurt," Rufus said. "It's better to keep our strength up than to have to camp here because we ran out of energy."

"He's right," Bren said, noticing the unsure expression on Jin's face.

"Okay, but only a very short meal," Jin said. "Here, I have some leftover bread from the Archives. Everyone take a few slices."

The group ate in silence, peering around anxiously. They were about to begin walking again, when they suddenly heard rustling in the undergrowth nearby. Everyone froze and stared in the direction of the noise.

A dark figure in the shadows suddenly appeared from behind one of the trees. Everyone held their breath as the figure approached them.

"Might I smellify food?" said Haunches. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Where have you been!" Kai-Tu exclaimed. "I mean...where did you get off to?" He crossed his arms, putting an uninterested expression on his face.

"Why, I was waiting for you all, of course," said Haunches, sniffing the air to find the source of the food.

"Waiting?" Jin asked. "Where?"

"By the Sweeping River, of course," said Haunches. His nose led him to Jin's pack, which held the bread. Jin took a couple of pieces out and handed them to Haunches, who took a large whiff of the bread before stuffing it into his cheeks. "That was the plan we degreed on before we entered the forestry, correct?"

"Yes, I guess, but how did you come to the Weeping River?" Jin asked. "We followed the road until it ended, and we've been traveling north since then!"

"I do not nose," Haunches said, blowing crumbs as he spoke. "In-stink perhaps?"

"Ha-ha! I don't know what it is," Bren bellowed, "but I'm sure glad you've got it! How about leadin' us to that river, eh?"

"As you wish," said Haunches. He turned and started in the direction he had come from. The group hurried to follow.

Haunches led them in a roundabout fashion through the trees for quite a while. Soon, however, they could see the edge of the forest before them. Everyone patted Haunches on the back, thanking him profusely for leading them out of Whitewood. Jin even gave him another piece of bread.

The group had reached the end of the Camicara Mountains. To the south, the mountains rose into the sky. To the east, they saw a wide meadow, with the Weeping River running through it. To the north were more of the trees of Whitewood.

"Since when does Whitewood stretch that far north?" Rufus asked.

"I was about to ask the same question," Holli said.

"Things are indeed strange in these parts," Jin remarked. "While the forest certainly concerns me, my biggest concern right now is how much time we lost in it. Look." He pointed at the sun on the horizon. "It's nearly dusk."

"We better set up some sort o' camp," said Bren. "But I'd suggest gettin' as far away from that forest as possible before we do."

"A good suggestion. Let's head east for a mile or two. We'll set up camp near the river," Jin added.

The tired and nervous group began to walk toward the edge of the Weeping River. They had gone only a few paces east when Olivia stopped and looked back, noticing Thunc's heavy footsteps were no longer coming from behind. Thunc was standing at the edge of Whitewood with his arms hanging by his side and his head bowed. Olivia ran back to him.

"Are you okay, Thunc?" she asked.

"The Kili," Thunc said forlornly. "Gone."

Olivia reached up and laid a hand on Thunc's massive arm. She, too, had been wondering where Kili was and hoped that Kili had lost sight of the group in the forest and was waiting for them elsewhere.

"It's okay, Thunc," she said softly. "I think Kili is fine. She probably lost track of us and will catch up with us soon."

"The Kili friend of Thunc," Thunc uttered.

"I know," Olivia said. She looked back at the others. They had stopped and were looking at Olivia and Thunc questioningly. "You can stay here and wait for her if you'd like. I wish I could stay, too, but I've got to keep going, or many others could be in danger."

"No," said Thunc. "Thunc go with the Wickworth. Thunc must help push evil man out."

"Thank you, Thunc. I'm sure Kili will return," Olivia said, hoping that what she said was true. Seeing Thunc so upset was painful, and Kili had become a good friend of Olivia's along the way. She paused, staring into the depths of Whitewood. After a moment, she said, "Well, we'd better get back to the group. We need to hurry so we can set up camp at the river before dark."

"Okay. Thunc follow the Wickworth," Thunc said, slowly turning away from the forest.

Olivia hurried back to the group with Thunc loping behind her. Nightfall was approaching fast, and soon the beautiful meadow became a dark sea of grass and flowers. When Bren finally announced that they were far enough away from Whitewood for his liking, they stopped and dropped their gear, exhausted, in the center of a small grove of large oak trees that blocked most of the chilly wind coming across the meadow. They all huddled in a circle around Bren's jar of flame.

"It gets quite chilly in this region at night, eh?" Bren said, making the fire in the jar warmer.

"Indeed, it does," Rufus said. "I fear that we will require a little more protection against the weather than these trees."

"I think I'll be okay," said Jin. "Did anyone bring any blankets or anything?"

"I have two." Locke opened his sack and pulled out two light blankets.

"I have Locke's cloak. I can use that for a blanket," said Olivia, patting her sack.

"Thunc make blanket out of grass," Thunc said.

"That's an excellent idea, Thunc." Holli said. "A blanket of grass sounds quite nice, actually. Would you be able to make another?"

Thunc looked up for a few moments, scratching his chin, a small shower of dirt falling off in the process. "Thunc has idea," he said after a few moments. He stood up and walked a few paces away.

In the dim light, Olivia saw Thunc leaning low over the soft grass. He waved his hands over the ground and closed his eyes. Suddenly, Olivia heard the sound of roots snapping. The ground was rising under Thunc's hands. When it had formed a hill almost as tall as he was, he stopped and looked at it, thinking. Then, he began to sink into the ground and was gone within a few seconds. Everyone looked around at each other, wondering what Thunc was doing. Then they noticed that one side of the hill was disappearing into the ground. Soon, the whole inside of the hill was hollow. Thunc reemerged from the ground, motioning toward the hollow hill.

"Thunc make small house," said Thunc, bowing.

"Thunc, you're amazin'!" Bren shouted and scurried over to the hollow hill and looked inside. "It's perfect!"

Olivia, Holli, Haunches, Kai-Tu, and Locke hobbled over to the hollow hill and sat underneath it. The entire inside of the hill was coated in soft, green grass. Olivia spread Locke's cloak out on the grass and laid back on it. Lying down felt good, even if it was on the ground of a chilly meadow. The last few days had been rough, especially on Olivia, who wasn't used to so much walking.

Rufus and Holli made a small bed using their hats as pillows and one of Locke's blankets. Bren found a comfortable spot in the back of the hill, where he immediately fell asleep. Kai-Tu and Haunches fell asleep sitting with their backs to one of the walls of the hill. Jin, Thunc, Grimwitch, and Gauntlet all stayed outside. Locke was the only one who wasn't lying down. He sat at the front of the hollow hill, his knees pulled up to his chest. He gazed up at the moon, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Locke," Olivia whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Locke replied, turning to her and smiling. "Just thinking..."

"About what?" she asked. The flames in Bren's jar were dying down as he began to snore. Olivia scooted over to Locke. She closed her eyes and formed a new flame inside the jar.

"A lot of stuff," he said. "It's just weird, you know? You being here, and us on this ridiculous journey...none of it really seems real. Maybe that's why everyone is taking everything so lightly."

"I know exactly what you mean, Locke," Olivia replied with a sigh. "Just a few days ago, I was sitting in my room in the orphanage, and Mr. Gloome was my greatest fear. But now, I suppose I've changed. A lot of things have happened recently. The Great Fairy has explained everything to me, and everything I knew was pretty much a lie. Then there's magic..."

"I know," Locke said, looking back up at the moon and chuckling. "It has to be even harder for you to grasp everything that's going on, I'm sure. But what I can't understand myself is the reason why someone would do what the Lich King is doing."

"I've been thinking about that, too," Olivia said, pulling her knees up to her chin. "I've been trying to piece together what we've found out so far. All I can tell is that he's obviously a human and he's very powerful and is doing terrible things. What I was thinking, though, is that maybe he doesn't know he's wrong. That's just a theory."

"You might be right," said Locke. "Maybe we'll be able to reason with him."

"That would make things easier, for sure. But there's no way to know," Olivia said. "We have to figure it out when we get there, which is the scariest part of the whole thing."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Locke was beginning to shiver, but Olivia couldn't tell whether it was because of the cool air or fear. "I'm not scared, though," he said, smiling. "I believe that no one can stop an awesome group like ours. And, based on how the Great Fairy and the hjorthovin talk about you, we have nothing to fear." He chuckled. "I don't mean to sound like it's all up to you. I'll be right beside you the whole time."

"Thank you, Locke." Olivia smiled as tears formed in her eyes. She had never had a friend like Locke. He seemed to always have a smile on his face and was there to comfort her if she was upset about something. She brushed a tear from her cheek. "You know, you never played that song for me again," she said, looking over at Locke. "The one you played when I came through the Door."

Locke smiled, cutting his eyes over at her. "I'll have to play it then." He pulled his violin from his back. Just as he placed the bow to the strings, they heard a chirping noise.

"Cheep! Found you," came Kili's voice. "Got lost. Flew for hours. Tweet tweet!"

"Kili!" Olivia exclaimed. Everyone woke up. Kili fluttered down to land on Thunc's grass hat. Thunc pulled himself out of the ground faster than Olivia had ever seen him do it.

"Kili!" Thunc shouted, his arms waving in the air. He ran around in circles, a wide grin across his face.

"Cheep!" Kili chirped. "So happy to be back. Squee!"

Everyone laughed as Thunc danced around in joy and Kili tweeted a happy song atop his hat. They were all overjoyed that no one had gotten lost in Whitewood after all. Olivia giggled, too. Perhaps Locke was right. Maybe nothing could stop a group like theirs.

* * * * *

Later that night, after everyone had finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, Olivia jerked awake. She had been having a terrible dream about the arachon they had encountered. It was attacking the children at the orphanage. She walked outside of the hollow hill to get her mind off the dream.

Wrapping Locke's cloak around her, Olivia walked over to Bren's jar, which held only a small, flickering flame. She turned her gaze to the east, where they would be traveling the next day. A gust of cool air blew past her, causing her hair to blow wildly. She had the sudden odd thought, probably due to her grogginess, that it was Briiz trying to urge her onward. She smiled at the thought and decided she should try to go back to sleep.

Olivia turned back toward the hollow hill, but glanced over at the oak trees beside her. Something had caught her eye. She saw that Grimwitch and Gauntlet were hanging upside down from a limb, asleep. Their black wrappings had fallen to the ground, showing two more pairs of spidery arms on their torso and four more black eyes on their faces. Olivia gasped in surprise.

Grimwitch and Gauntlet suddenly awoke. Their eyes slowly opened to find Olivia staring up at them in horror.

"The human," said Grimwitch, yawning.

"Awake. Frightened," Gauntlet said.

"Why?" asked Grimwitch as he stretched all six of his arms. His eyes immediately widened as he noticed his wrappings were missing. He quickly dropped from the tree limb, scrambling to get the wrappings back on.

"No..." Olivia said, putting a hand out toward him. "It's okay. You don't have to."

Gauntlet dropped from the limb, too. He reached down with his lower arms and grabbed his wrappings. "The human doesn't find us disturbing," said Gauntlet curiously.

"Or does it?" Grimwitch asked.

"Yes! No! I mean..." Olivia stammered. She reminded herself that they had been offended earlier because she said they were odd. She sighed and said, "I'm sorry. You can put them back on if you'd like. It's just...I'm curious about why you cover yourselves up like that."

"Spindelum are grotesque," Grimwitch said.

"Spindelum never leave Wikkwood," said Gauntlet.

"Grimwitch and Gauntlet are too curious," Grimwitch said.

"Want to see the world," said Gauntlet.

"And the human," added Grimwitch.

"So it's not often that spindelum leave their home because the Aeldynians find you...grotesque?" asked Olivia.

"Yes," Grimwitch answered.

"And no," Gauntlet chimed in.

"Aeldynians are disturbed," Grimwitch said.

"By spindelum's appearance," Gauntlet said.

"But wrappings aren't required," Grimwitch said.

"Worn out of consideration," Gauntlet said.

"I see." Olivia watched as they began to wrap their extra arms and eyes in the black wrappings. "Well, I don't find you disturbing or grotesque. I suppose you could be at first, but now that I know you, you don't frighten me at all."

"Oh," said Grimwitch quietly.

"Thank you," Gauntlet said.

"I enjoy having you guys around," said Olivia, smiling. "And if the wrappings make you feel more comfortable, then wear them. But, if you don't want to wear them, then don't. I won't mind, and I'm sure the others won't mind, either."

Grimwitch and Gauntlet paused for a moment and looked at each other. Then they nodded and continued to wrap their extra arms and eyes. When they were finished, they put an arm around each other's shoulders.

"The human is..." Grimwitch began.

"Very nice," finished Gauntlet.

They held out their free hands for Olivia to shake. She reached out and shook them both.

"We would like the human," Grimwitch said.

"To be our friend," Gauntlet added.

Olivia smiled. It felt good to be accepted by the spindelum twins. They were mysterious but mischievous creatures, and Olivia was happy to finally get the opportunity to learn more about them.

"And I would like for Grimwitch and Gauntlet to be my friends," said Olivia happily. 
**[Interlude  
](nav.xhtml)**

A pale ungulhak and a sickly-looking gnome travelled down the main road toward the Hall. Two imps were on the ungulhak's back. They lay limp, their heads bobbing up and down with the ungulhak's stride. They would have proven a very difficult catch if it hadn't been for the gnome's sedative potions.

They continued along the road, looking here and there at the pleasantly symmetrical homes their King had so lovingly provided. Each home had its own yard, perfectly manicured by its owner. All citizens had their own shrubs and flowers. They even had their own time on the weekends. Life in New Aeldyn was simply wonderful, according to its citizens.

It was late in the afternoon, so the Grimoire would be pleased that they had completed their task so quickly and efficiently. With two more imps, the lumber industry would soon be up to speed. The Grimoire would surely give them extra pay.

Soon they came to the stairs that led up to the Grimoire's Hall and climbed them quickly. At the top, two large automatons opened the massive black doors that led into the Hall. The sentient metal creatures were the Grimoire's latest invention, made possible with the aid of his new associate, SAGAX. A large ball of lightning in the automatons' chests served as the source of their power. It surged in pulses, like the beating of a heart.

The ungulhak and the gnome stepped through the doors into the Hall and down the long black carpet that lined it. When they arrived at the throne, they bowed.

"Your Majesty..." the gnome said. His voice was young and high-pitched. "We bring you two Unenlightened. We hope that they'll serve your Majesty well."

"Awesome," the man on the throne said. "Put them over there." A long, pale finger ending in a black nail pointed over in the direction of a holding cell. "I'll welcome them to our humble kingdom when they wake up."

"As you wish, my King," the ungulhak said. He walked into the holding cell and dropped the imps onto the floor.

"Shut the door behind you," ordered the man.

The ungulhak did as he was told and then returned to the throne. He bowed beside the gnome.

"Rise," said the man. "You'll receive extra pay as a reward for your hard work. You two seem to be climbing your way to the top." He laughed a low, deep laugh. "You'll be part of the upper class before you know it."

The gnome and the ungulhak rose and held out their hands. The man dropped two gold coins into each, then shoved his hands into his pockets.

"We are ever so grateful, Grimoire!" said the gnome, bowing low once more.

"Cool," said the man. "Now go and spend your pay wisely." He paused and waited for them to begin leaving. "Remember, efficiency is the key to a strong future." The two creatures turned and bowed. Then they left the Hall.

"SAGAX," said the man. A cloud of angular fog rose from near the floor. It turned so that a pair of hollow black eyes faced the man. "Let's begin the conversion on these two poor, unenlightened imps. I'd rather do it while they're knocked out."

SAGAX moved jerkily over to the holding cell, and the man rose from the throne and floated over to the cell behind SAGAX. He forced the door open with a flick of his wrist and pulled an imp out. The imp dangled a few feet above the marble floor.

"Scan it," the man ordered.

SAGAX floated in front of the imp and scanned it with its hollow eyes.

"Imp," said SAGAX. "We now have fifteen imps in New Aeldyn. Lumber production will increase by twelve percent. You may take fifty-six percent of this imp's life and magic force."

"Nice," said the man. He held up the talisman around his neck with one hand. With the other hand hovering above the imp's chest, the man closed his eyes. Color began to drain from the imp's body. Its eyes opened, and it cried out in pain. When the man pulled his hand away, the imp closed its eyes again, going limp once more. The man placed it back into the cell and brought the other forth.

"Scan it," he said.

"Imp," said SAGAX. "We now have sixteen imps in New Aeldyn. Lumber production will increase by fifteen percent. You may take forty-five percent of this imp's life and magic force."

The man did as before and drained the imp. He took a deep breath when he was finished. He tucked the talisman safely away under his pullover and floated back to his throne. He sat for a while, stroking his long, spiked goatee.

"SAGAX," he said, "I gotta say, those trees in that forest to the west were an awesome idea. They'll provide some natural defenses for New Aeldyn as soon as they arrive." He laughed. "If I could pay you, I would."

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Kai-Tu's Secret  
**

"Everyone, wake up!" Jin shouted. "We must move, now."

Olivia scrambled to her feet and stumbled out of the hollow hill. All around her were the white birch trees from Whitewood. Somehow, they had moved east during the night. Her mouth fell open.

"It's a good thing we decided to camp beside the river," Bren said as he stepped out of the hollow hill. "At least we'll be able to stay alongside it and not get lost in these trees."

"True," said Jin, swinging his sack up on his back and his scythe on his shoulder. "We should go immediately."

Everyone gathered their things and prepared to leave as quickly as they could. The cool air from the night before was still present, and the trees surrounding them seemed to make the chill worse. The company shivered as they weaved through the trees to the riverside.

They walked for a while alongside the river in silence. The trees from Whitewood had stretched as far east as they could see. The meadow had now become a forest. Olivia looked over at the river beside her. The Weeping River wasn't as calm as the Elder Brook that flowed through the valley past the Elder Forest or the Fae River that led into the Great Fairy's hollow. It flowed swiftly and looked quite dangerous. Soon the group came to a pier that looked much like the one where Olivia had met Gaw. They stepped out onto it and waited.

"Kin and Tol used to be the kappas of this river, didn't they?" asked Jin, after they had waited for quite a while.

"Aye. They're the strongest and fastest of 'em all," Bren said, looking over the edge of the pier. "Although it doesn't look like they're here anymore."

"Do you think it has something to do with the Lich King?" Rufus asked. "I am certain Whitewood has never wandered about before, so I believe it's safe to say that things are obviously awry in these parts."

"I'm sure it does have something to do with the Lich, but if we want to get to his domain before tomorrow, we'll have to take the river," Jin said.

"I believe there are usually boats kept underneath the pier," Holli said. "We could take those, although it would be very frightening because this river moves quite quickly."

"Do not fear, Holli," Jin said. "We have come this far and can't give up now!"

"Aye! By tomorrow, we will have saved Aeldyn!" Bren shouted.

"Or at least tried to," said Kai-Tu.

"Hai-Ku, you should keep your hopefuls up," Haunches said, looking over at him with his half-closed eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," muttered Kai-Tu. "At least you aren't having to go back to being chief's son when all this is over."

"Kai-Tu, please, we need for everyone to work together and be supportive," Jin said wearily. "Bren, help me get these boats."

Bren and Jin walked off to the edge of the river and eased under the pier to drag out two small boats. After they had them positioned on the bank, they called for the others to come.

"Thunc," shouted Jin over the rush of the river. "I'm not sure if you will fit..." Everyone took a seat in the boats with Jin, Olivia, Locke, Kai-Tu, and Haunches in one boat and Bren, Rufus, Holli, Grimwitch, and Gauntlet in the other. It was already quite a tight fit.

"Thunc not like boat anyway," said Thunc, waving his hand at them. "Thunc travel through ground. Much faster than boat."

"Sounds good!" Jin shouted from the boat. "I take it you will fly, Kili?"

"Cheep! Yes," Kili chirped. "Tweet tweet! I will follow boats overhead!"

"Let's get going, then!" Jin pushed the boat out into the water using an oar found on the boat's floor. Bren pushed his boat out after Jin. It wasn't long before the strong current grabbed the boats and moved them quickly down the river.

The sun rose higher into the sky as they sailed swiftly down the river. The sunlight was warm and comforting and took the chill out of the water. Aside from the initial frightening burst of speed, Olivia enjoyed the ride. As they sailed further away from the Camicara Mountains, the current became calmer and the boats slowed to a controllable pace.

"The trees of Whitewood have moved far," Olivia said as she looked out at the meadow. Even though they had traveled a couple of miles down the river, Whitewood was still beside them.

"It's definitely weird," Locke said. "I'll feel a lot better when Aeldyn goes back to normal!"

"Me too," Olivia agreed. She looked around at the people in the boat with them. Kai-Tu was sitting next to Haunches, his arm propped on the side of the boat. He looked depressed. "Kai-Tu, what exactly is it like to be a kettu? Why do you dislike it?"

"Huh. Why do you care?" Kai-Tu said, not looking at her. "It's boring. You wouldn't be interested."

"But I am," Olivia insisted.

"I guess it's a life like any other, except that everyone around you is great at being a kettu."

"Well, it's okay to be different, you know," Olivia said. "Where I came from, everyone around me followed the rules so closely that they didn't even know who they were."

Kai-Tu glanced at her, but quickly turned away. "Well...it's probably not like that," he said. "Every day I get picked on because I'm not good at camouflage magic and I'm awkward. All I ever hear from my father is, 'Keep your back straight and your arms tucked in! Don't be so clumsy! You'll be chief one day, so I suggest you start acting like a chief!' Well, I got news for him. I can't do that stuff, and I don't want to."

"But I think that's okay," said Olivia. "What do you like to do?"

Kai-Tu's expression changed from one of anger to one of confusion. "Well...nobody ever asks me that," he said, returning to his usual sour expression.

"Now is your chance to tell someone, then," Olivia said, smiling.

Kai-Tu scratched his head. "Well, I...I dunno...it's kinda weird for a kettu I guess..."

"Go ahead, it's alright," said Olivia.

Suddenly, the boat dropped hard. The current was picking up speed again and Jin was having a difficult time controlling the boat. Everyone shouted in surprise. Jin looked back to make sure everyone was alright, and continued to steer the boat as best he could. Bren and the others had managed to sail ahead of them and were picking up speed with every second.

"Try to slow it down!" Jin shouted toward the other boat, but it was too far away for any of its passengers to hear. He looked ahead in horror when he saw a fork in the river ahead. The path to the right looked calm and narrow, but the path to the left—the one they would be taking—was wide, and the water was raging. "Everyone brace yourselves. This may get rough!"

The boat began to rock back and forth as they came to the fork. With all his might, Jin steered the boat to the left. Olivia watched nervously as Bren did the same. The river tossed Bren's boat, which was traveling downhill and gaining more speed. Suddenly, Bren's boat caught a rock jutting from the center of the river and smashed the front of the boat to pieces, flinging its passengers into the water.

"No!" Jin screamed. He forced his boat forward with the oar to gain speed. Olivia put a hand to her mouth and tried to stand as she saw Rufus and Holli's bodies tossed into the air by the river's waves. Locke grabbed her arm and made her sit. If any of them were caught off balance, they would surely be tossed out of the boat.

Olivia and the others flew past the rock that had shattered Bren's boat, and Jin locked his knees as he paddled with all his strength. He switched his stance fluidly with the boat as he steered it from side to side. Just ahead, Olivia saw Grimwitch floating on the surface of the water.

"There!" she shouted, pointing to Grimwitch. "Help him into our boat!"

Jin forced the boat over to Grimwitch. With careful footing, Locke rose from his seat and leaned over the side of the boat. He grabbed Grimwitch's arm and heaved him up as they zoomed past.

Grimwitch was stunned but okay. He was breathing heavily and shaking, but didn't appear to be injured.

"Gauntlet!" Grimwitch cried out. He shivered, looking into to the water. "Gauntlet!"

"It's okay, Grimwitch," Olivia shouted as Locke sat him down next to her. "We'll find him." She put her arm around him, trying to keep him warm.

They continued on, sailing down the river at dangerous speeds. A moment later, Jin pointed to the bank.

"They seem to have washed up there!" he shouted. "I will steer us over."

When they reached the bank, their boat hit hard on the grassy slope. Everyone screamed as they were thrown forward onto the bank. Olivia coughed, moved her wet hair out of her face, and scrambled to her feet to check on the others.

Bren was coughing and carrying Rufus and Holli out of the river and up the bank. They seemed to be unconscious. He gently laid them on the ground and then collapsed, another fit of coughing taking over. Olivia ran to the bundle of black rags that she knew was Gauntlet. She lifted him and carried him over to the others. He was surprisingly light. Jin, Locke, Kai-Tu, and Haunches hurried over with Locke carrying Grimwitch in his arms.

"Bren!" Jin shouted, panting. "Are you alright?"

"Aye..." Bren replied through gurgling coughs. "But I don't know about these three. Where's the other spindelum?"

"He's here," Locke said, lifting Grimwitch. "He's fine. I think he's just fainted."

Olivia fell to her knees and laid Gauntlet beside Rufus and Holli. She put an ear to each of their chests and discovered that they weren't breathing. She had learned resuscitation in physical education with Mr. Schafer, but she wasn't sure the procedure would work on these creatures. But she didn't have any time to wonder or waste, so she tried. She began with Rufus, closing his nose and giving him a small breath.

"What are you doing?" Kai-Tu shouted.

"Trying to resuscitate them," said Olivia, panting. "I don't know of any other way to save them!"

"That technique is only good as a last resort. It can be damaging," Kai-Tu said. "Besides, there's water in their lungs. They won't last long that way." He quickly looked around, scouting the land around them. Then he bolted and was out of sight before anyone had a chance to speak.

Olivia started to cry, the tears falling on Rufus's small body. She didn't know what to do. She suddenly thought of trying to pull the water out of his lungs, like Rufus had pulled the venom out of Jin's shoulder, but she didn't know where to begin. She could end up injuring them even more.

"Cheep! What happened!" Kili said. "Too fast! Tweet tweet! Couldn't keep up!"

"The river currents were too strong and destroyed our boat," Bren said. "Rufus, Holli, and Gauntlet aren't lookin' so good."

"Oh, no! Cheep!" Kili twittered. "I will fly ahead and find Thunc. Tweet Tweet!"

Kai-Tu suddenly returned carrying a handful of herbs. He snatched a bottle from Olivia's bandolier, uncorked it, and shoved the plants into it.

"What–" Olivia began.

"Shh!" hissed Kai-Tu. He closed his eyes, putting his free hand next to the bottle. Before her eyes, Olivia saw the plants in the bottle wilt and water dripping from Kai-Tu's hand. He quickly uncorked the bottle and removed the dried plants. He then shoved a piece of plant in each of the unconscious creatures' mouths. Inserting the piece into Gauntlet's mouth proved more difficult because he had to dodge a pair of fangs.

After only a few seconds, all three began to cough up water. They sat up and sputtered, spitting out the plant Kai-Tu had placed in their mouths. Rufus coughed his up in his hand and looked down at it. He turned his gaze upward.

"Who..." he coughed. "Who did this?"

"Kai-Tu," Olivia said, stunned that Rufus was awake and talking.

"Kai...Tu?" Rufus said, closing his eyes. He seemed to be in a daze. "My head..."

"Rufus?" Holli muttered as she sat up slowly. She stood up, hobbled over to Rufus, and fell on her knees beside him. "Oh, Rufus... I'm so glad you're alright."

"I'll be distilled!" Rufus exclaimed. "Holli, thank goodness you're okay! Who else was injured? Did Kai-Tu save us all?"

"You, Holli, and Gauntlet were unconscious," said Bren. "Then Olivia tried to save you, but Kai-Tu did some kind of quick work with some odd plant and then you three were back to normal!"

Everyone looked at Kai-Tu, who was looking down at his feet. Gauntlet stood up and bowed to him, then hurried over to tend to Grimwitch. Rufus smiled at Kai-Tu.

"Kai-Tu, my boy," Rufus said. "You are a genius in the making! This is brilliant work!" He jumped up and shook Kai-Tu's hand vigorously. "Where did you learn these skills? I must know!"

"Well...I've always been interested in remedology," Kai-Tu said, scratching his head nervously. "But I just learned about the Vorax fern yesterday at the Nocturnal Archives."

"That is very impressive, my boy!" Rufus exclaimed. "I shall be happy to teach you more once we've returned! What do you say?"

"Oh..." Kai-Tu was a bit thrown off by the sudden praise. "That'd be great...but you'd have to convince my dad, and that's not gonna happen."

"I'll be happy to speak with him," Rufus said. "This is fine work, Kai-Tu. Not just anyone can do what you've done."

"Thanks," Kai-Tu said. He looked at the ground for a moment and then back at Rufus and smiled.

* * * * *

After the group had gathered their strength and dried out their clothes, they ate a quick meal and resumed their journey. Olivia's sack was waterproof, so her father's journal hadn't been harmed. Thunc and Kili had rejoined the group, and the others filled them in on the details of the last few hours.

As the group passed around the bend of the Weeping River, Olivia saw their destination in the distance. The Lich King's fortress was a black stain on the beautiful rocky cliff that rose high above the Cerulean Sea. She stopped abruptly, her breathing halted and her heart beating wildly. The time had finally come, but she hadn't been prepared for her reaction. She was terrified of what lay beyond the fortress walls. As she stood there, her muscles stiff, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She snapped out of her daze and looked over. Locke was standing beside her, looking at her with an understanding but encouraging expression. Olivia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed. Locke brought his fist up and pointed his thumb upward. Olivia returned the thumbs-up, smiling appreciatively. Locke helped her catch up to the rest of the group, and they began their ascent to the fortress. 
**[Interlude  
](nav.xhtml)**

The man suddenly stood up. He sensed something. An unusual group was headed toward New Aeldyn. He floated down from his throne, stroking his pointed goatee, and turned to SAGAX.

"SAGAX, a group of Unenlightened is headed this way," he said. "They seem to be coming willingly. Do you think people have finally started to realize that I'm doing a good thing here?" He chuckled.

"It's possible," SAGAX said. "Though, until I learned what curiosity was, my life was a lot like life here. I wouldn't really want to go back to that."

"Shut up!" the man snapped. "I've given these people a purpose! I've provided them with a life based around structure. Life without rules and order is pointless. It's chaotic and miserable."

"But their lives had rules and some sort of order before," said SAGAX. "It's just that you've lost touch with it. You see I've learned of a force that–"

"Shut up!" the man yelled. "I think maybe you've been learning a little too much in your spare time! You would be wiped from the face of this planet if you weren't so useful. I can promise you that."

The man turned and floated back to his throne. He sat, bent forward, and placed his head in his hands. He closed his eyes and a vivid memory shot through his mind. His eyes snapped open, and he took in a sharp breath. He shook his head, trying to do away with the memory and the dreaded emotions that came with it, but they were strong and made him shake from within.

"I'm... all alone," he mumbled. He looked off in the distance, as if looking for something he had lost long, long ago. "I will find you..." He jerked his head and stared down at the floor, anger spreading across his face. "Why don't you understand?!" he hissed. He was breathing heavily.

SAGAX drifted jerkily over to the man. "My apologies, sir. Please forget that I ever said anything."

The man came out of the trance, the angry expression still etched in his face. He growled as he looked over at SAGAX. "You better be glad I need you," he said, then crossed his arms and turned his gaze to the end of the hall toward the entrance. The group of Unenlightened was pressing on toward New Aeldyn and would arrive within a few hours. He wouldn't have been too intrigued if it weren't for one surprisingly peculiar member he detected.

"SAGAX," said the man. "Go have our military forces stand guard outside New Aeldyn. When the group arrives, instruct them only to allow the girl through. Keep the rest outside the walls. Perhaps I'll have a use for them later." He laughed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I think I may have just found New Aeldyn a queen." 
**Chapter Sixteen**

**The Fortress  
**

Olivia's group continued in silence. The reality of the situation had hit them, and the tension grew as they drew nearer to the fortress. All across the meadow, they could see groups of creatures walking away from the fortress. They were pale and weary, much like Morragin had looked. The creatures walked, staring straight ahead, as if on a very serious mission.

"Are these...the Taken?" Olivia asked quietly.

"Yes," Rufus said grimly. "According to what Morragin was saying, they are sent out to gather more Aeldynians. But for what?"

"I don't know," Holli said. She sniffed and began to cry. "Poor Ronald..."

"There, there, Holli," Rufus said, grabbing her hand. "We'll find out soon enough..."

"But what if he's like that arachon?" Holli sniffled. "What if he's mindless? Or what if he's..." She began to sob.

"Holli, I'm so sorry about your son," Jin said. "I hope that we'll be able to find him inside the fortress. We'll do our best to help you. However, right now, we need to help Olivia get inside safely so that we have a chance."

"Aye, he's right," Bren said gently. "We're goin' to have to be on our toes around this place."

Holli wiped her eyes. "I know," she said, sniffling. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Holli," said Olivia. "We're all worried right now."

They were getting close enough to the fortress that Olivia could see tall walls of black metal jutting out of the ground toward the sky. Watch towers stood at each corner of the fortress, looming ominously over the land. A black cloud of smoke rose from inside the walls, causing the fortress to be surrounded in a hazy, dark fog. The group halted.

"My..." said Bren, staring up at the fortress walls, his mouth hanging open. "What a giant ugly waste of metal this is..."

"What is all this?" Locke asked.

"This is worse than I imagined," Olivia said, looking up at the fortress walls. "It's just like the orphanage. I spent my entire life locked behind walls. All of the land in my world was wasted and destroyed, and we were forced to live inside a concrete fortress."

"This is scary," Locke said. "Why would he build something like this?"

"We don't know too much about your world, Olivia, but I do know that if it's anythin' like this, I don't want to know about it," Bren said.

"This is only the beginning, Bren," Olivia said. "If the Lich King continues what he's doing, all of Aeldyn will end up like my world. He'll destroy the land and its people in the name of progress."

Everyone looked from the fortress to Olivia, all frightened by her words. Olivia didn't even know herself what she was saying, but looking at the fortress in front of her angered her. Rage welled up in the pit of her stomach and forced her hand to curl into a tight fist. She stepped forward a few paces.

"This must end," she whispered.

Olivia strode toward the black walls, determined. She knew that whatever lay beyond the walls was exceedingly powerful and likely far too much for them to handle, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to put an end to whoever threatened the peaceful people of Aeldyn. The company looked around at each other for a moment, confused. Then they hurried to follow Olivia. Soon they were near enough to the fortress to see its massive doors.

Two gargantuan metal statues stood before the fortress. Orbs of lightning flickered in their chests, pulsating with an odd rhythm. Suddenly, a horn sounded inside the fortress walls, and the black doors began to slowly swing open.

Groups of Taken, wearing grey uniforms and carrying weapons at their sides, marched out of the fortress in unison and lined up outside the doors, guarding the entrance. Olivia strode up to them, staring at them grimly. These creatures reminded her of the armies of her world, of the groups of men and women who fought other nations in destructive and senseless wars.

"Let us through!" Olivia demanded, surprised by her own harshness.

An ungulhak from the front of the line walked toward her. He stared down at her, his pale grey face expressionless.

"The Grimoire wishes to speak with you," he said in a deep voice.

"And who might that be?" asked Olivia. She was still furiously determined, although the army in front of her frightened her.

"How can we expect the Unenlightened to know?" the ungulhak asked. "He is our king and will soon be yours. Please proceed through the doors." He stepped out of the way, revealing a path through the army to the doors.

"Very well," said Olivia. She turned and beckoned for the company to follow.

"They will stay out here," the ungulhak said. "Only you are to enter."

"Oh, we'll be goin', my friend," Bren said.

"Indeed," said Jin. "We're going with Olivia, so I suggest you step aside. We don't want trouble, but if we have to defend ourselves, we will."

"It's a pity how stupid you Unenlightened are," the ungulhak quipped. "You don't understand what it means to live. We have perfect order here in New Aeldyn, and we have secured our new home with fearsome defenses."

"It's a pity how stupid you are," Olivia said. "I've traveled with these people through Aeldyn and have seen how wonderful life here can be. You've been tricked! Tricked into believing that whatever order your king has provided is needed to live!" She crossed her arms. "Do you know what happens when you make life into what your king has made it? You get chaos. People become hungry for power and forsake others to obtain more. They claim that progress will create a better future, when in reality what they're doing for the sake of progress is destroying the world!"

"Be silent, foolish girl!" the ungulhak ordered. "We will hear no more of this!" He turned to the soldiers behind him. "Eliminate these Unenlightened. I will take the girl to the Grimoire myself!" He motioned for the troops to move out.

Olivia immediately held her staff in the air and closed her eyes. She imagined both of her hands forcing the entire army back. Suddenly, a wave of force burst from the staff and spread through the army, causing them to collapse. Olivia stood for a moment, shocked that she was able to do such a thing, but she had no time to waste.

"Hurry!" Olivia shouted to the others. "Form a circle! Do whatever you can to defend yourselves, but we don't want to hurt them!"

The army of Taken slowly came to its feet. The troops began to advance again, holding swords and maces in front of them. Olivia noticed that none of them were performing magic. An imp rushed forward and swung its sword full force at Bren who quickly pulled his hammer from his beard and blocked the blow.

"They're very weak!" Bren shouted. "If we can hold 'em off until we make it to the doors, we can slip through and shut 'em out!"

"A good plan," yelled Jin from behind him. "But even though they are weak, they outnumber us and may overpower us!"

The army formed a circle around the company. Rufus, Holli, Kai-Tu, and Haunches stood in the center of the group. They were frightened and unable to fight. Bren circled the group, blowing bursts of flame at the army to keep them back. Meanwhile, Jin swung at the Taken with his massive scythe, trying to intimidate them rather than harm them. On the other side of the circle, Thunc raised his huge fists and brought them down hard on the ground, causing it to ripple under the soldiers' feet. Many of them fell to the ground. Feeling unsafe on Thunc's head, Kili flew and perched atop Rufus's hat.

Olivia looked to make sure that everyone was safe and noticed that Grimwitch and Gauntlet were missing. She frantically looked in the chaos to locate them and finally spotted them near the gates of the fortress. Grimwitch pounced onto the back of one of the soldiers while Gauntlet wound a thick web around its feet. Grimwitch then jumped from the soldier's back, causing it to stumble forward and trip. They continued this maneuver until many of the soldiers were lying on the ground, unable to get back to their feet.

The company members slowly inched their way toward the doors. Olivia was about to try to force the troops back again when a giant metal hand closed around her. She screamed as one of the statues from the doorway picked her up and carried her away from the group.

"Olivia!" Locke screamed. He dashed toward the automaton that had captured Olivia, ignoring the soldiers around him. A kettu soldier struck him hard with a mace, knocking him to the ground. Bren and Jin called out to him, and he heard Olivia scream again. He shook his head and got back to his feet. He pulled his violin from his back and began playing a soft melody, and the soldiers around him began to fall to their knees. Locke sprinted toward the automaton, playing his song furiously. The automaton was through the doors which were beginning to close behind it. Locke ran faster. With one final lunge forward, Locke dove through the crack of the doors just as they closed. 
**Chapter Seventeen**

**The King of New Aeldyn  
**

Olivia struggled to imagine herself forcing the automaton's hand open and bursting from its grip, but she couldn't do it. Her arms were pinned to her side and she barely had a grip on her staff. She continued to struggle and shout at the metal monster.

"Let me go!" Olivia screamed. "I have to get back to my friends! They–"

She stopped as she noticed her surroundings. Inside the walls of the fortress was a town. A central paved road led to an enormous black hall built with pointed arches and flying buttresses. The hall cast its shadow over everything around it, giving an ominous feeling to the otherwise quiet-looking town.

Small streets branched off the main road leading to small boxy houses. Each road was perfectly symmetrical and each house exactly the same. Tired and dull-looking creatures roamed the streets and tended to the immaculately manicured yards. In the distance, Olivia saw a group of ungulhaks slaving away in fields, planting seeds and gathering crops. In the other direction, she saw trols carrying massive loads of tree limbs to a mill where imps shaped them quickly into boards. She wanted to cry. This town reminded her of her world and the history lessons she had with Ms. Canterbry. New Aeldyn was nothing more than a small Earth.

"Why, you working class scum!" came a nasty voice from Olivia's right. She turned her head to look for its source. A cat in a gray uniform was standing with a club in its hands, scowling at a gnome. "It's five lashes for a late payment."

"But I paid it yesterday!" the gnome protested. "You're just trying to cheat me out of my hard-earned money!"

The cat hit the gnome hard in the stomach with his club, causing the gnome to shout in pain and fall to the ground.

"I'm an upstanding citizen, gnome," hissed the cat. "How dare you accuse me of such! I have not received your payment, and I suggest you hand it over. Do you know what the punishment for refusal to pay is?"

"Okay..." the gnome whimpered. "Here." He took a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to the cat.

Olivia closed her eyes as the cat administered the rest of the lashes to the gnome. A tear ran down her face. How can this be happening? she thought. Why would anyone want this kind of life? She continued to hold her eyes shut. She didn't want to see any more of the town or its people. Then, out of nowhere, she heard Locke's voice.

"I'm coming, Olivia!" he shouted. Olivia's eyes flew open. She struggled to look behind the automaton in the direction of his voice.

"Locke?" she shouted. "Is that you?"

"Sure is, Olivia," Locke called. He was running behind the automaton, limping a bit and still carrying his violin and bow. "This is some kind of a nasty place! What's wrong with all these Aeldynians?"

"I don't think they're doing this voluntarily. He's done something to them," Olivia shouted. "The Lich King is obviously–"

"Ugh, not that name again," said a deep voice. "Lich is so...insulting."

Olivia twisted her head toward the voice. The automaton had stopped in front of the black hall at the end of the main road. Dark marble stairs led to the hall's entrance. A man dressed in black pants and a black pullover stood on the stairs. He stared at Olivia, a wide smile spreading across his pale, young-looking face.

"Put her down," the man said to the automaton.

The automaton placed Olivia on the stairs in front of the man. He was much taller than she was. She looked up at him, feeling intimidation and disgust simultaneously.

The man laughed abruptly. "It's been, what, like, five thousand years since I've seen another human in person? It's kind of an honor, really, but the honor's all yours, trust me."

Olivia continued to stare at him, confused by his calm nature. She had expected him to be a violent human that wanted to crush her out of existence the moment he saw her. Instead, he appeared to be a completely normal young man with dark green eyes and a wide, bright smile. He kept the hood up on his pullover, but in the sunlight, Olivia could see that he had short, messy black hair and a pointed goatee.

"Can't you at least bow?" the man said suddenly. "I mean, you are standing before the king of New Aeldyn."

"I will not bow," Olivia said through clenched teeth.

"Man... What did I do to you?" the man asked, snickering. "All I wanted to do was talk to you. Come on in. We'll talk in here." He pointed back to the hall with his thumb. "It won't take long, I promise." He turned, shoved his hands into the pocket of his pullover, and floated up the stairs toward the doors. Olivia gasped in surprise. The man had to possess immense powers to be able to perform force magic so easily. He landed near the doors and turned. "Well, are you coming?" he asked.

Olivia took a moment to gather her courage. She had finally made it to the Lich King's domain and was standing before him. All she needed to do now was find a way to stop whatever he was doing. She couldn't imagine how she would do it, but she decided at that moment that talking with him was a good start. She looked back at Locke who gave her a thumbs up and a stern but encouraging look. Olivia smiled at him weakly, turned, and walked up the stairs.

The massive black doors swung open, and the man waited for Olivia to enter. Hiding behind the automaton, Locke was preparing to dash for the doors as they closed when the man spoke.

"Who's your friend?" the man asked Olivia. He pointed in Locke's direction. "Does he want to come too?"

"I'm Locke," he said, stepping out from behind the automaton and putting his fists on his hips. "And I'll stay by Olivia's side no matter what."

"That's cool," the man said, looking down at him and smiling wickedly. "Come on up, then. You sound princely enough."

Locke slowly limped forward, climbed the stairs, and stopped by Olivia's side. The man held out his hand for them to enter the hall. They walked through the doorway, trying to contain their fear. The man entered after them and closed the doors behind them.

The inside of the hall was dimly lit with small floating orbs of light. Olivia's eyes had no difficulty adjusting, and she saw that the entire hall had been built from gleaming black marble. A long black carpet divided the shining floor all the way up to an intricate throne.

"Welcome to my place," the man said. He floated in front of them, following the carpet toward the throne, and turned in midair. "Well, don't be shy. My home is your home. Come on in. We have a lot of important stuff to discuss." He continued toward the throne.

Olivia and Locke slowly began to walk forward. Locke still held his violin and bow in his hands. Olivia had somehow managed to hold on to her staff and sack in all of the chaos that had ensued, and she gripped the staff tightly. She wondered whether the others outside the fortress walls were alright, whether she had made a mistake by coming all this way, and whether she would be able to reason with this strange man. Although he didn't appear to wish them any harm, she couldn't help but think that he wasn't what he seemed.

As they continued down the hall, Olivia looked up at the walls, noticing many strange items, some familiar, and some not. Between dark silk banners hung two black electric guitars. They were crossed over each other, with their silver strings glinting in the light cast by the glowing orbs. Farther down the wall, a large portrait of a young man with one of the black guitars slung across his body hung between another set of banners. She turned her gaze to the other wall and saw a massive display of swords, shields, and other weaponry that shone in the light. Olivia thought that she had seen something like them in her history books at the orphanage.

"Like my collection?" the man asked from the throne. "Everything's from your world, but from a time long before yours. Don't worry... you can take your time to look. We got all day."

Locke, who had been staring quizzically at the guitars since they had entered, jumped in surprise as the man began to speak.

"Those," said the man loudly, "are electric guitars. Some of the greatest musicians from the other realm use them to create nearly magical music. Like this guy here." He pointed to the portrait of the young man. "I see you're a musician yourself. I bet our tastes are very different, though. Wanna hear?"

Locke hesitated, looking over at Olivia. She looked ahead at the man, perplexed. Was the Lich King really about to play music for them? Were more important matters not at hand?

"Of course you do," he said, laughing lowly. "Here. I'll play you a sample from the early days." He held his hand in the air and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the hall erupted with the sound of loud distorted music. Locke and Olivia covered their ears. The music was low and heavy and rumbled the hall with thundering beats and growling vocals. After a moment, the man snapped his fingers again and the music stopped.

"What do you think?" the man asked. "Awesome, right?"

Olivia didn't answer, but instead stepped up to the throne and stared at the man. His hood hid his dark eyes, but his wide smile was still visible. He grinned down at her, his teeth gleaming in the dim light. Olivia wondered how he was able to obtain items from her world and wondered if he was really as old as he said he was. She also wondered what his name was and what his true intentions were. The man spoke, as if reading her mind.

"I've been able to peek into your world from time to time," he said, resting his arms on the throne and sitting back. "But that's not important right now. And yes, I'm somewhere around six thousand years old, though I've lost count. And as for my name...well, it's been lost over time, but you can call me King or the Grimoire. Whatever you prefer. Just please, not Lich. Ugh..."

"How did you know what I was going to say?" Olivia asked sternly. "Get out of my head!"

"Okay, chill out," the man said, waving his hands in front of himself.

"Why are you the Grimoire?" Olivia asked. She had never heard the term before and thought that perhaps it would give her some clue about him.

"Well..." the Grimoire started. He crossed his leg over his lap. "Besides the fact that it sounds awesome, it kind of describes me, you know? I feel like I've lived long enough and have learned enough about magic and how to use it that I've earned the title."

As the man spoke, Olivia noticed a strange and unsettling figure rise from the floor behind the throne and float into the air. It looked like a cloud of fog, except the fog was made of electrical sparks and square pixels. Two hollow eyes stared in her direction. She gasped.

The man looked at her and followed her gaze behind him. When he saw the creature, he frowned.

"SAGAX, what are you doing?" he asked harshly. "I told you to stay out of sight until I called for you!"

"Sorry, sir," said SAGAX distractedly. "It's just that this one...this human creature...it..."

"Well, spit it out!" the man shouted.

"She is..." SAGAX stammered. "Her DNA matches... Already stored..."

The creature began to jerk around behind the throne. It shot toward Olivia and hovered around her, moving in odd intervals.

"What are you doing, you idiot!" shouted the man, getting to his feet.

"Must understand!" SAGAX shouted. "Too curious! This was Olivia Wickworth! Is Olivia Wickworth! Was... Is...Must understand! Must under...uuunder..." The creature halted for a moment, confounded and confused. Sparks started to shoot from within it, and it surged like an electrical current. "What is your state of existence?"

Olivia didn't understand what was happening. She tried to form an answer, but before she could, the creature began to jerk this way and that uncontrollably.

"What is yyyyour state of existance-ce-ce?" SAGAX screeched. Then, without warning, the creature imploded, leaving a small cloud of opaque white fog and a few fading pixels in its wake.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the Grimoire shouted. "What did you do to it?!"

"Nothing," said Olivia, alarmed by the man's sudden change in attitude.

"Don't lie to me!" he yelled. "What did you–"

The cloud of fog had almost completely dissipated when it suddenly began to take shape. Its hollow black eyes formed first, followed by the shape of a crow.

"You fool!" spat the crow. "I would have been trapped inside that thing forever if Miss Wickworth here hadn't confounded it!"

"Idiot," the man growled. "Leave. I have important things to discuss with these people."

The crow huffed and disappeared abruptly, leaving only a swirl of fog behind. Olivia stood frozen, trying to piece together all that had just happened. She thought the crow looked oddly familiar, but she was sure she had never seen it before. Then, out of nowhere, a voice whispered faintly in her ear, "Don't trust him."

"Anyway," said the man. "Sorry for all the confusion. Let's get down to business."

Olivia eyed the Grimoire, trying her best not to think about the voice she had just heard. She cleared her mind of anything she didn't want him to know.

"I'm sure you've wanted to be a princess a time or two in your life, right?" he asked, sitting back in the throne.

Olivia was taken aback by the question. She had read many tales of princesses during her life and had always dreamt about being the girl from the wondrous kingdoms that went on fantastic adventures. That's just it, though, she thought. I wanted to live in a beautiful world, not rule it. She thought carefully about her answer and then said, "Yes, I suppose I have."

"Sweet, I knew it," the man said, smiling. "I happen to have an opening available for a princess and..." He looked over at Locke. "a prince. What do you say? Will you help me rule New Aeldyn?"

"I won't," Olivia said, straightening her back and narrowing her eyes.

The smile on the man's face faded. He leaned forward in the throne.

"And why not?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Let me first ask you why," said Olivia. "Why are you doing this to Aeldyn?"

"Well, that's simple," he replied casually. "The people of Aeldyn need a leader. They need someone to bring order to their lives—somebody to look up to and somebody to provide a future for them."

"So that's really it then?" Olivia asked incredulously. "You're bringing these people in—against their will, may I add—just to live under your rule? To give them a future?"

"Watch your words!" the man hissed. His shoulders tensed for a moment, then relaxed again. "Look...I'm trying to give you the opportunity of a lifetime. Or multiple lifetimes. You'd have to be dumb to pass it up."

"Well, I am passing it up," she said. "Think twice about what you're doing here. Look at my world. It's dying this very moment, and this world will do the same under your rule."

"Think twice, she says!" the man laughed. "I've had a few thousand years to think about it. Trust me—I know what I'm doing."

"What do you do to the people that you bring here?" Olivia insisted.

"I give them a nice home," he said. "Complete with income, military protection, and job security. You see, I've seen a lot of things throughout history. I know how things work. The most efficient way to live is this way! I'm doing a service for the people of Aeldyn!"

"You may think you are," said Olivia. She was certain the man had lost his mind ages ago. He may have meant well, but he was so far beyond understanding that he was repeating the mistakes made on Earth. "But the truth is, you're slowly destroying Aeldyn."

The man shot out of the throne and hovered in the air in front of her.

"I'm losing my patience with you!" he shouted. Olivia's eyes widened. He slowly floated down to stand close to her. He calmly said, "Just take my offer, okay? I can make you nearly immortal, and together we will rule over all of New Aeldyn."

"No," said Olivia, backing away from him.

"I didn't want to have to use force, you brat!" the man shouted. "Is that what you want? For me to force you?"

"No!" Olivia yelled. "I'll never rule with you!"

"Okay," said the man darkly, throwing his hands in the air in mock surrender. He turned his back to Olivia to face his throne and then laughed and said, "You are a fool, you know? To resist me. But if you insist, I'll just have to try convincing you. You will see eventually."

Locke suddenly rose into the air behind Olivia. He whimpered as he tried to break away from the force that was squeezing him tightly.

"What does the prince have to say?" the man asked, still facing the throne.

Locke gasped for breath, the force gripping harder. He managed to whisper an answer: "Never!"

The force holding Locke tightened its crushing grip and hurled him viciously at one of the stone walls. His violin clanged to the ground, followed by the thud of his body.

"No!" Olivia screamed. She began to run toward Locke.

"Stop!" the man shouted, turning back to her. The same force grabbed Olivia and lifted her into the air, where she kicked wildly in an attempt to free herself.

"Let me go!" Olivia shouted.

"Not until you see things my way," the man said, grinning at her.

"I will never see things your way!" she screamed. "You're wrong! Why can't you realize the consequences of what you're doing? You've watched my world die. Isn't that reason enough?!"

"Shut up!" the man boomed. "I understand consequences all too well. Far, far too well, in fact! I've learned to rise above them. I've touched the very Stream itself! I know how to control it, to bypass those consequences! They no longer hold me back!"

Olivia could hear Locke getting to his feet. She wanted to look over at him, but didn't want to bring the Grimoire's attention to him. She heard him limping over toward her, moving slowly.

"Locke, run!" Olivia shouted. "Get out of here! I'll handle this!" The force around her tightened its grip.

"No," Locke said quietly. His voice quivered with pain. "By your side. 'Til the end... Remember?"

"Don't, Locke!" Olivia choked. Tears began to run down her face.

"Well...this is precious," the man said. "Turns out the imp is quite the valiant prince after all. Too bad. It's too late for him, I'm afraid. I only care about the princess." The force grabbed Locke and flung him at the stone wall once more.

Olivia screamed and gasped for breath. She couldn't think of any way to help. After all they had been through together and all the help Locke had given her, she was unable to help him at all. She was useless.

"I'm still waiting for your answer," the Grimoire said. He pulled Olivia right up to his face. "I could get rid of you right now. Or, I could torment you for an eternity. Or, you could just take my offer."

Olivia stared into the man's dark green eyes. In them, she saw a normal young man, not a Lich King. She saw that he once knew reason and had good intentions, but all that and more had been lost to the thousands of years spent seeking power. As she stared into his eyes, she realized that she wanted to help him, but she could see no way to do it. He had gone too far and could never be pulled back to reality.

"Well?" the man asked.

"Stop doing this...you monster..." came Locke's broken voice. He had crawled back to Olivia, his shattered legs dragging behind him. Olivia looked down at him, sobbing. "She'll never join you. She has something you'll never have..." He gasped for air. "A heart..."

"Seriously," the man said, eyeing Locke. "Don't you know when to stop?" The man waved his arm as if swatting away a pest, causing Locke to be hurled once again toward the stone wall.

"Locke!" Olivia cried. Her entire body shook with heaving sobs. The man began to shake her, but she didn't care. "Locke!"

Suddenly the sound of Locke's violin filled the hall, and everything else went silent. After a moment, Olivia recognized the song. It was the one he had composed for her when he first laid eyes on her in the Elder Forest. It was captivating, soothing, and heart-rending, all at the same time.

Olivia wept as she turned her gaze toward Locke. She already knew what she would find, but she wanted to see him one last time. He was lying in a crumpled heap next to the wall, his violin precariously perched on his injured shoulder. He looked up at her as he played, tears welling in his eyes and a pained smile on his face. Then, with the last of his energy, he let the bow fall and held his hand up weakly, pointing his thumb into the air.

Locke's hand fell limply by his side. Olivia wailed loudly and called out for him, but he didn't move. Memories of their time together in Aeldyn flooded into her mind. The happiness he had shown her and the many things he had taught her about life were bitterly comforting, making her weep harder. She wished for nothing more than the destruction of the one who had harmed Locke.

"What a pest," the man said. "Now, come to your senses and... and..."

He hesitated as Olivia's eyes rolled back in her head. She struggled for another moment and then went limp. He let her drop to the floor.

"Useless..." he sighed, turning to his throne. "So much potential, wasted. Oh, well. Whatever."

Suddenly, a piercing light filled the hall. The man turned and shielded his eyes, looking down at Olivia, whose body was glowing brightly. She rose slowly into the air, but not by his will. The light coming from her body grew brighter by the second. Around Olivia, the form of a massive beast took shape. Her arms and legs became as thick as tree trunks and were covered in gleaming white scales. Great white wings sprouted from her back and unfurled themselves. An armored tail shot along her spine and down the length of the hall, and her face twisted itself into a fanged snout.

Olivia had lost control and was latching onto her last bit of consciousness. She knew only one thing: the man before her was to be destroyed. She opened her piercing blue eyes and, with the last of her will, seized the man with a taloned hand and launched into the air.

* * * * *

Olivia's group held back the last of the troops inside the walls of the fortress as Thunc pulled the doors shut behind them. Haunches had walked a little ways ahead of the group and was leaning down to pick something up.

"Doesn't this belong to Oliver?" he shouted, holding up a small, white-haired doll.

"It must have taken her to that building up there!" shouted Kai-Tu, pointing past Haunches toward the hall at the other end of the town. "We have to go!"

"Indeed! We must make paste!" exclaimed Haunches.

Grimwitch and Gauntlet hopped about anxiously, motioning for the others to start moving toward the black hall atop the hill ahead.

"Must hurry!" said Grimwitch.

"Must get to Olivia!" Gauntlet added.

"Aye, aye, we're comin'!" said Bren, who was breathing heavily and clutching one arm near the shoulder. "Just had to catch me breath!"

"Oh, dear, I do hope Olivia and Locke are alright," Holli said nervously.

"We'll find out soon enough, my dear," replied Rufus, taking her hand.

"Right, everyone, let's–" began Jin, but he was interrupted by a loud rumbling. The ground beneath them began to quake, and everyone stared in horror as the roof of the black hall burst and a lustrous white beast flew into the air. In the beast's claws was a man dressed all in black, writhing and shouting in fear.

The beast flapped its massive white wings and roared violently, shaking the earth. Then, tossing the man into the air, the beast opened its mouth and unleashed a blinding light into the man's chest. Before everyone's eyes, the Grimoire was incinerated and purged from existence, leaving only small flecks of light to float away on the wind.

The beast's brilliant white body began to fade away, revealing a small white-haired girl wearing the tattered remnants of a purple dress at its center. Everyone gasped as Olivia Wickworth fell to the ground, landing inside the ruins of the black hall. Kili gave a small muffled squeak and flew quickly toward the hall. The others followed close behind, crying Olivia's name as tears streamed down their faces. 
**Chapter Eighteen**

**The Truth  
**

"Olivia," a familiar deep and raspy voice said. It sounded ancient and dusty, as if coming from old pipes. "Olivia..."

A white light suddenly filled Olivia's mind. Her ears were ringing. The ringing turned from an unpleasant shrill sound to loud, distorted notes strung together between rhythmic drum beats. She was frightened for a moment, but then the sound became enjoyable. She then remembered similar music from the Lich King's hall and winced. After a moment, she remembered who she was, in part because of the voice that continued to call her name. A black fog began to fill the whiteness. It took shape and revealed a black, hollow-eyed goat and smiled.

"Ah, Olivia, I feared you would not make it, child. But, here you are!" Ink exclaimed, laughing a low, wheezy laugh. "You are a curious creature, indeed!"

Olivia didn't respond. She didn't know whether she was dead or alive or whether she would be able to speak to Ink. She couldn't feel anything.

"They say my brother got rather unfortunately involved with the Lich King," Ink said. "I would not doubt his curiosity got the best of him. No matter, because you saved him, and I thank you most profusely for that."

A sudden twinge shot through Olivia's head. She could feel her eyes and soon her mouth. The feeling was returning to her body, and it was painful.

"They also say a magnificent white beast cleansed the evil from Aeldyn," Ink said, chuckling. "I knew you had it in you, child."

Pain shot through Olivia's entire body. She screamed, but no sound came from her mouth. Her head was spinning. She heard the sound of running water and people crying, when suddenly her eyes snapped open.

Olivia was lying on a pile of blankets on the grassy mound under the Great Fairy Tree. Worried faces stared down at her, eyes red from crying. She recognized them as her eyes focused. Bren, Jin, Kai-Tu, Rufus, Holli, Grimwitch, Gauntlet, Thunc, Kili, and Haunches all smiled as she came back into consciousness.

"Oh, Olivia, we thought you weren't gonna make it," cried Bren, wiping his eyes with one hand. The other hand was hanging in a sling across his big beard.

"Everyone, please stand back and give her some air," Rufus said. "Olivia, I am so pleased that you are back with us. You were injured quite badly. Nearly every bone in your body, broken... There is also some peculiar scarring."

That explained the horrible pain she was in. Olivia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and immediately stopped. Searing heat coursed through her ribs.

"Just take it easy, Olivia," Jin said. "Rufus and Holli have been tending to you ever since we left the fortress. Even they were unsure if you'd make it, but here you are! We are all...so glad!" His voice broke and he began to cry.

"The Wickworth very strong!" said Thunc. "Thunc knew she would make it."

"They've mended nearly every bone, Olivia," Kai-Tu said. "I've been helping to ease the pain. Are you feeling any better?"

Olivia hurt so badly that she knew she wouldn't be able to answer. She figured that, without Kai-Tu's help, the pain would be unbearable. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was discourage him; he was finally doing something he loved. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Then, as slightly as she could, she nodded.

"That's good. Just try to rest, okay?" Kai-Tu added.

Olivia looked around at the group one last time. The memories of what happened were beginning to return to her. She looked around for Locke, but didn't see him. She then remembered why Locke wasn't there. She closed her eyes and warm tears rolled down her cheeks as she silently cried herself back to sleep.

* * * * *

When Olivia awoke again, she felt much better. She opened her eyes and saw that she was still on the mound under the Great Fairy Tree. She wondered how long she had been sleeping. She took a deep breath, glad that she could breathe without the pain.

"I see that you are regaining your strength, my child," said a soft voice next to her. It was the Great Fairy, although from the sound of it, he was having much difficulty speaking.

Olivia turned her head in his direction. Sitting on a small stool of grass, the Great Fairy smiled down at her, his face stiff and his smile slight. His entire body seemed rigid, the root-like arms and legs hanging limply from it, like a plant that had gone for too long without water.

"Great Fairy, what's wrong?" Olivia asked after she finally found her voice.

"Nothing is wrong, Olivia," he answered. "Nothing shall ever be wrong again, thanks to you."

"But..." Olivia protested, trying to sit up. Moving caused pain, but it was possible.

"No, no, Olivia," Rufus said from behind her. "You need to stay still as much as possible, at least for another few hours."

Olivia turned and saw that everyone was still there. Even the kami had arrived, standing eerily behind the others. Ink and his brother Dust floated around above everyone. She noticed that another gnome had joined them, too. He stood beside Holli as she hugged him lovingly.

"Olivia, I would like to tell you one last tale. One that may answer some questions you likely have," the Great Fairy said.

Olivia respectfully nodded at him.

"I told you of your history before you left on your journey," he said. "I told you of the human born without a fairy and of the Separation. You learned that a human had been discovered in the northeast, and that I was the last of my kind." He paused and took in a deep, shaky breath. "All these things lead to one final question: Who was the Grimoire?"

Olivia stared up at the Great Fairy and listened intently. She had wondered who the Lich King was, but she had never found the time to ask.

"He was my human, Olivia," the Great Fairy said. His voice was becoming weaker and his body stiffer. "Long ago, during the Separation, he was unable to leave me. His love for me was too great, and he did not believe in life without a fairy. He foresaw the doom that humans would bring upon themselves after severing the bonds with their fairies. He saw that they would lose their knowledge of the world and their understanding of morals and consequences. And so, he slipped through the Door, unnoticed."

Everyone except Ink and the kami seemed to be taken aback by the Great Fairy's words. Some gasped, while others shifted about nervously. Olivia was also stunned, but she wanted to know the rest, so she kept silent.

"In the chaos of the immigration, however, we became separated from one another," the Great Fairy continued. "I searched for him for years, Olivia, and I'm sure he did the same. Alas, when I finally found him, it was too late. He had already tapped into the forbidden magics and learned how to prolong his own life by stealing the life from other beings. Our weakened, though existent, bond kept me alive, as well.

"He explained to me that he had done it in order to continue his search for me. When I told him that it was wrong to do such a thing, the truth came out. He was afraid of living a life in Aeldyn as its only human and feared the scorn of the other creatures. He became obsessed with finding ways to peer into the old world and prolong his life even further. He believed that one day, he would show others into the world through the Door, allowing humans to live among fairies and other magical creatures again. But he was driven mad over time as he watched your world and its civilizations prosper. I tried for many, many years to convince him that what he was doing was wrong. Eventually, he threatened to sever our tie. I knew then that there was nothing more I could do. So, I fled to the tree from whence I came and hid from the world, hoping that one day he would come to his senses and stop his madness. But that day never came.

"I lived on as I watched generation after generation of magical creatures die. The last of the other fairies had long since perished, and with no humans left, no new fairies were born. Meanwhile, my human came out of hiding and began to build his fortress. Not until I became an indescribable curiosity did Ink find me." The Great Fairy tried to chuckle, but his chest had become so stiff that he couldn't. He gasped for breath. "Together...we devised a plan..." He paused, taking in air. "One that involved... an intelligent young girl...with a strong will and...a pure heart." He closed his eyes, unable to take in any more air. He slowly toppled off the grass stool and hit the ground.

"Great Fairy!" Olivia cried, reaching out toward him. She forced herself up and crawled over to him. He lay like a lifeless root on the grass, his eyes closed, unmoving. She collapsed onto the grass next to him and sobbed. Everyone moved in closer to the Great Fairy's body, kneeling on the grass and bowing their heads in mourning.

"He has been waiting for this moment for nearly six thousand years, child," Ink said. He floated over to her and sat, as a rabbit, next to her. "My curiosity still remains, however, as to why the human never broke his bond." He paused and placed a paw gently on Olivia's shoulder. "I believe that he still cared for the Great Fairy, deep down in that dark fortress he called a heart. Humans are very curious, indeed. Curious enough even for my brother and I to stop by this plane quite often. For even though humans become lost in their ways, they never really truly forget what it is they care for. They just have to know how to dig it back out of their minds. But, I suppose living for six thousand years can twist anyone, don't you think?" He chuckled.

Olivia closed her eyes and bowed her head. It was odd to think that the Lich King cared for anything at one point in his life. She let the thought soak in for a moment.

Suddenly, Olivia felt something very strange. She couldn't explain it, but it felt as though something was trying to force itself into her consciousness. She shook her head, but the feeling was still there, pounding to get inside. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, although Olivia felt different somehow. She was flooded with emotions she had never felt and sensed a strong, intricately woven connection with the world and the creatures around her. She looked over at Ink, confusion plastered across her face.

"What?" Ink asked. "Have I said something wrong?"

"I-I feel...different," Olivia stammered.

"Different how? Wait, do you mean...no, he couldn't have..." Ink murmured, hopping over to get a better look at the Great Fairy's body. "He did!" He was eyeing something in the Great Fairy's hand.

Olivia peered closely at the Fairy's hand. Dangling from it was a tiny root-like creature that was squirming about and trying to break free from the hand. Olivia quickly helped the creature loose, sat it in her palm, and raised it up to her face. She stared at it with wide eyes.

"Oh my..." Ink said, jumping into the air and hovering around Olivia's head to look at the creature. "This is curious indeed! You see, Olivia, while you were on your journey, the Great Fairy and I discussed the possibilities of opening the Door one last time and of somehow giving you your own fairy to help guide the other children."

Olivia watched the little fairy as it stumbled around on her palm. It had delicate wings that resembled leaves, although the fairy couldn't use them at the moment.

"He sent me to make sure the Door could be opened. While I was gone, he must have figured out a way to give life to the seedling. You know... he has been holding onto to that for centuries. It's brilliant, although I wish I knew how he had done it. No matter!" Ink turned to face the other creatures, Dust, and the kami. "Everyone, I present to you Olivia Wickworth and her fairy!"

Everyone stood for a moment, shocked, staring at the creature in Olivia's hand. After a while, they looked around at each other and smiled in amazement. They moved closer to Olivia to look at the tiny fairy in her palm. She glanced over at the Great Fairy and closed her eyes, thanking him silently for what he had done not only for her, but also for the children of her world and for all of Aeldyn.

* * * * *

Olivia lay on the pile of blankets in the Great Fairy's Hollow, watching her fairy explore its surroundings. Her fairy was quite a fast learner and went from timidly flapping its wings to flying around Olivia's head in no time. Olivia watched, fascinated, as the tiny fairy took in its surroundings, learning more and more with each new thing it encountered. Olivia felt the fairy learning; the more of the world it observed, the more Olivia understood. She felt a long forgotten pit of emptiness inside her being filled.

Soon the fairy grew tired and lay next to Olivia on the blanket. Olivia propped her head up on her arm and smiled down at it. The fairy wasn't yet able to speak, but Olivia figured it would learn how to soon enough. After watching the sleeping fairy for a while, she realized that she couldn't remember what had happened at the Lich King's fortress. The last thing she recalled was Locke's death. She was about to seek out Ink to ask if he could tell her what happened when he appeared next to her. He turned his gaze in the direction of the hollow's entrance. Celestim, joined by some of the other hjorthovin from the Nocturnal Archives, was walking up to where Olivia lay. Celestim bowed as he approached.

"Olivia Wickworth," Celestim said, looking down at her with his almond-shaped eyes. "We traveled here today to give you our most profound thanks. We have heard of your deeds, and we hold them in our highest regard."

"Thank you, Celestim," Olivia replied, sitting up slowly and bowing her head slightly in return.

"Now, I have some information for you that you will likely be interested in hearing," Celestim said. "After careful study of the events that have transpired, we have reason to believe that you, Olivia Wickworth, have summoned the power of the Draka-Cor."

"The what?" Olivia asked.

"Forgive me, for we do not know the true name of this phenomenon in order to properly explain. It has been but an abstract concept in hjorthovin philosophy until now," Celestim explained.

Olivia stared at Celestim, as usual not understanding what he was trying to say.

"You see, Olivia Wickworth, you are not an ordinary human. It is exceptionally rare that a being such as yourself is born into this world. You possess the ability to perform magic, just as all other humans do. But, in order to wield the power that you have, one must be pure of heart and strong of spirit. The Draka-Cor theory is one that the hjorthovin have pondered for many, many ages. Some began to think the theory would never be possible in reality. I, on the other hand, saw strange powers within you the moment I saw you. I strongly believed when you left the Nocturnal Archives that you would be able to prove our theory true."

Olivia was confused and wondered what Celestim meant. She still didn't recall what had happened. She had been told that the Lich King had been defeated, but she didn't know if she was even the one responsible. She remembered nothing.

"I posit that, when your brave imp friend was killed, you became enraged," Celestim said. "However, you focused that emotion only on the one who had caused your friend so much pain and who threatened the other creatures of Aeldyn. Correct?"

"Y-yes, I guess so." She closed her eyes, trying to remember.

"I was correct in my assumption, then," Celestim said, nodding. "Only a human pure of heart with noble aims may summon the Draka-Cor. You may have been overtaken by emotion, but it was your singular and selfless desire to save Aeldyn no matter the cost to you that made your transformation possible in that moment." He paused and looked at Olivia.

Olivia stared at him, her eyes growing wide. At that moment, she slowly began to remember what had happened, like someone had opened a door to her memories. She recalled being surrounded in blinding light and feeling strength she had never before felt. She remembered lashing out at the Lich King with what she had thought was the very last of her life. But not only was there anguish and rage; there was also emapthy and pity.

"We would like to thank you once again. Due to your actions, the Fabric has become clear to us once more, though it is unraveled and torn in some places. But I digress. I shall leave you now and allow you to rest," Celestim said quietly. He stared at her unblinkingly. I see that you now understand, his voice said inside Olivia's mind. "Olivia Wickworth..." He bowed deeply, the other hjorthovin following suit, and walked down the mound to the hollow's entrance.

Olivia stared at the twisting roots near the entrance for a while, pondering everything Celestim had just revealed to her. It occurred to Olivia that she would like to record what had happened along her journey. She wanted to think back over the last several days and relive the details of her adventure. She leaned over to her tattered sack, pulled out her father's journal, and opened it. She flipped to the page that held her father's drawing of Ink and ran her finger over the drawing's lines.

"I think they would both be quite proud of you," Ink said quietly from behind Olivia, causing her to jump. She hadn't realized that he was still there. She turned to look at him and saw that he had taken the form of a black cat and was purring gently. "Your parents, I mean." He patted her head softly with one paw, then leapt into the air and disappeared in a cloud of fog. Olivia looked back down at the journal, turned to a fresh page, and began to write. 
**Chapter Nineteen**

**The Beginning  
**

"Olivia...Olivia?" a tiny, high-pitched voice said.

Olivia felt something tap her nose, so she slowly opened her eyes to see the fairy, which startled her at first. As she awoke from her nap, she was overcome with joy.

"You can speak now," she said happily. "You know my name!"

"Yes, Olivia, I know your name," the fairy said. "But do you know mine?"

"No, I don't suppose I do."

"It's Lily," the fairy said proudly. "Is that a good name?"

"Oh, yes, I think it's a lovely name," Olivia said, sitting up. Lily flew and landed on her shoulder.

"I'm so glad you like it!" Lily said, hopping up and down.

Olivia giggled, but stopped as something suddenly occurred to her. The other children... she thought, struggling to get to her feet. What was I thinking... Wasting valuable time.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked.

"I need to ask Ink a question," Olivia said. She knew Lily had heard her thoughts, so she was about to explain further, but then she realized that there was no need because she already knew that Lily understood. She stood shakily and slipped her boots on. She was wearing a new dress almost identical to the one that was now a tattered mess. She made a mental note to thank Miss Isabelle next time she saw her. She looked up and gazed around the hollow, but no one was there. "Do you know where everyone went?"

"They have gone to prepare for the funeral of Locke and the Great Fairy," Lily said. "The somnivate called Ink said he would return for you when they were ready because you needed to rest."

Olivia sat back down on the blankets. She had suddenly been reminded of Locke's and the Great Fairy's deaths all over again. Images of their last moments flashed across her mind, causing her to feel a strange emptiness. She also thought about Nachton and the other children. I hope Ink has found a way to help them, she thought.

So do I. Lily's voice was clear in Olivia's mind. It was almost as if they were one mind, one spirit. Olivia smiled at her. She was about to continue her search for Ink when he suddenly appeared.

"You surprised me," Olivia said, glancing over at him.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry," Ink said, frowning. "I just came to inform you that the service will begin shortly. Jin says that if you need assistance walking, he will help you."

"I think I can manage," Olivia said, getting to her feet. She slowly walked around a few paces, her legs wobbly but able to support her. "I'll be okay. Where will the service be held?"

"Out in the orchard," said Ink. "People from all over Aeldyn are making the trip to pay their respects to Locke and the Great Fairy."

"Alright then," said Olivia, taking a deep breath. "Would you like to come, Lily?"

"I would," Lily said, flying up to Olivia's shoulder. Did you even have to ask? She smiled.

Olivia slowly hobbled out of the cavern and onto the stone slab that led to the glen. Many creatures—some familiar to Olivia, some not—filled the orchard. As she walked down the bridge toward the orchard, the creatures turned to watch her. They bowed their heads and moved aside silently, making a path to the center of the orchard where Olivia's companions stood.

When Olivia reached her companions, she looked around at them with tears forming in her eyes. Jin and Bren stood beside Thunc and Kili behind the two small stone tombs that had been constructed for Locke and the Great Fairy. Grimwitch and Gauntlet stood beside Locke's tomb, their arms around each other's shoulders. Rufus, Holli, and the other gnome stood next to them. Holli waved for Olivia to join them.

"Oh, Olivia, we haven't really had the chance to speak with you since we've returned," Holli said. She patted the unfamiliar gnome on the shoulder. "This is our little dearie, Ronald."

Ronald stepped forward and extended his hand toward Olivia. She bent down and shook his small hand with her thumb and forefinger, overjoyed that Rufus and Holli now had their son back, safe from harm. She noticed, however, that Ronald looked grey compared to his parents.

"I don't know how to thank you enough for what you've done for us," Ronald said. "Back in that fortress I felt like I was in some sort of trance. I know I must have done horrible things, but I'd rather not think about it now. I'm just thankful to be alive and reunited with my family, even though it seems that all of us who were Taken have lost the ability to perform magic."

Olivia was taken aback by what Ronald had just told her. She couldn't imagine all those that the Lich King had used being forced to live without magic.

"I lived for quite a while without even knowing that magic existed," Olivia said. "In a way, I understand what you're going through. Please let me know if I can do anything for you, even if it's just to listen." She straightened back up, smiling at Ronald.

"I certainly will," Ronald said. "I can see why Ma and Da speak so highly of you, Olivia." He removed his hat and bowed.

Olivia thanked him, reached down, and patted his curly red hair. He looked up, blushing. She smiled as a bit of color returned to his face.

She turned her gaze toward the Great Fairy's tomb and saw Kai-Tu and Haunches standing near it. She waved at the family of gnomes before shuffling over to Kai-Tu. She noticed that he held a hat that looked identical to the ones Rufus and Holli wore, except that it was black. Olivia looked at the hat questioningly.

"Rufus talked to my father," Kai-Tu whispered. "He was amazed when he heard I wanted to study remedology. He even said that I can study with the gnomes under Stonehaven Lake."

"That's wonderful!" Olivia whispered, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you get to do something you enjoy. No more hiding who you truly are."

"Yeah," Kai-Tu said. "I guess." He cut his eyes at Olivia and they both laughed.

Olivia then turned her gaze to the others. As she looked around at everyone, they nodded grimly, as if they understood exactly what she was feeling.

From the moment Olivia had been bound to Lily, she had felt a strange sadness unlike any she had ever felt before, but she had also been flooded by a whole host of other emotions. Now, however, she felt a new strength with the sadness, guilt, and despair that revolved around the deaths of the Great Fairy, Locke, Morragin, and all the others who had lost their lives along the way. She felt as though the order of the world had been disrupted, as though their lives had been ripped from a tapestry and left behind gaping holes. Things that would have been because of their existence would never be, and the holes in the tapestry would have to be mended by new threads spooled from the memories of each person they influenced. Olivia began to cry softly as she looked down at the tombs.

It'll all be okay, Olivia. Lily's voice came with a comforting feeling, like a warm blanket had been thrown over her anxious and suffering mind.

"They said you were closer to Locke than anyone else," came a gentle voice from behind Olivia. She quickly turned around, wiping her eyes. Three imps, two slightly taller than Olivia, and one slightly smaller stood before her. They reminded her strongly of Locke. They all carried flutes on their backs, and one of them carried a violin.

"Oh...yes, he was a great friend," Olivia said, sniffing. "We had many good times together. Are you...Locke's family?"

"Yes, Miss Wickworth, we are," the tallest imp said. "I am Madocke, his father. This is Leesa, my wife." He pointed to the imp next to him. "And this is Pucke, our younger son." He pointed to the smallest imp, who gazed at Olivia in wonder.

"It's an honor to meet you," said Olivia. "Locke told me many things about you on our journey. He even cooked your imp stew for me, I believe." She smiled.

"Oh, Locke..." said Leesa, putting a hand to her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes. "We came up with that recipe together. He was such a wonderful imp, so kind and..."

Leesa threw her arms around Olivia. They cried, remembering the times they spent with Locke. Madocke and Pucke joined Leesa in embracing Olivia. Their tears were for their loss, but also for the joy they remembered Locke bringing them. As they grieved, Olivia felt the hole left behind by Locke's death slowly being mended. It wasn't filled, but it no longer caused her pain or sorrow.

"Miss Wickworth," Madocke said, wiping his eyes. "Bren brought Locke's violin back to us. We thought that, if you would like it, it would only be fitting that you have it." He held the violin out to her.

"Are you sure?" Olivia asked, hesitant to accept such a precious item.

"Of course," said Leesa. "We know how much you meant to one another."

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Olivia cautiously took the violin from Madocke's hands and held it close to her chest.

"Everyone please gather around. We would like to commence the service," said a loud voice near the tombs. It was Flaym.

A ripple of excitement and confusion swept through the ever-growing crowd surrounding the tombs. Most of the creatures of Aeldyn had never seen the kami before.

"We stand before you, deeply moved and greatly saddened by the reason we have gathered here," said Flaym, surrounded by the other three kami. He floated over toward Olivia and looked down at her with his ominous glare. She felt, however, that he was smiling at her.

"However, we are here to honor the great Aeldynians we have lost and to joyously recall their lives," Flaym continued, turning to the crowd. "As many of you now know, a human girl named Olivia Wickworth was brought here from another realm, one that is called Earth by some. It is a land long forgotten by the people of Aeldyn. At this very moment, Earth is dying, and your world would have fallen to the same fate had it not been for Olivia Wickworth.

"When she started her journey, Miss Wickworth met Locke, a young imp from the Elder Forest. They became the closest of companions despite the danger it posed to him. In the end, Locke stood by Miss Wickworth and stared into the face of evil itself to protect her. His name shall be forever honored as the bravest of all Aeldynians.

"You are all aware that the one you called the Great Fairy has passed on. Even though Miss Wickworth's quest to save Aeldyn resulted in the loss of a wonderful friend of ours and an old adviser of your people, he would not have wished you to grieve for him. His time should have come long ago, but he was bound to the human in the north, prolonging his life. It was he who brought Miss Wickworth into Aeldyn, allowing us all to live in peace once more.

"Leave this place today recalling the wondrous lives of these two great Aeldynians. Always remember their sacrifices and celebrate their victories."

The kami bowed to the tombs and then toward Olivia. She bowed in return, thanking them silently for their part in bringing her into Aeldyn and allowing her to meet Locke and the Great Fairy. The kami then headed toward the Great Fairy's Hollow to return to their own realm. After a moment, Olivia walked in front of the tombs and bowed her head, Lily perched on her shoulder and Locke's violin pressed to her heart.

"Thank you," Olivia said. "Both of you." She turned and walked away from the tombs, back toward the cavern under the Great Fairy Tree.

"That was beautiful, wasn't it Olivia?" Lily asked, holding onto Olivia's ear for support.

"Yes, it was very nice," Olivia replied, smiling. "But I can't quite put my finger on something..."

"Is there something you were going to ask me?" Ink asked.

Olivia spun around. He was behind her, floating lazily in the air as a goat.

"Yes," said Olivia. She had made up her mind that it was impossible for Ink not to startle her. But the sudden jolt reminded her of what she had been wondering about. "I was wondering what you–"

"I know," Ink said, smiling. "You were wondering what I had found out about helping the children. Correct?"

"Yes, that's it exactly," Olivia said anxiously.

"Well, here is the way I see it," Ink said. "The Door is decaying faster with every moment that passes. As your world dies, so, too, does the rift between worlds. We finally determined that you would be able to open the Door to allow others through, but I would bet that you could only open it one last time." He giggled in a low, raspy voice. "Convenient, yes?"

"That's great news! What are we waiting fo–"

"Not so fast," Ink said abruptly, floating around her head. "Who's to say one of those children won't become the next Lich King?"

Olivia thought for a moment. She had never even considered the possibility of the other children posing a threat to Aeldyn or its people.

"No," Olivia said firmly. "If they are even still alive, they will be grateful for being brought here. They've lived a difficult life in the orphanage and may not know how to think for themselves right now, but they're all good children and learn quickly. Besides, I'm recording the events of the journey in my father's journal right now, so that everyone can know what happened and how it almost destroyed this place."

"Ah, I see," said Ink. "I trust you know what you are doing by now, Olivia. When would you like to go?"

"Now," Olivia insisted.

"Very well," said Ink. "I have a plan. How about you gather your old companions and begin traveling to the Door. While you are doing that, I will gather the children. Is that a deal?"

"So, you'll bring them to the Door on the other side?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, but we will have to act quickly and synchronously," Ink said. "Those things roaming around outside your old home are still there. We'll need to both be at the Door at the same time."

"I'll go get the others and we'll leave right away."

Ink disappeared, and Olivia turned to find her friends who were all standing in a group inside the Great Fairy's Hollow. They appeared to be getting ready to go back to their homes. When Olivia approached them with an anxious expression on her face, they all turned to her.

"Olivia, what is it?" Kai-Tu asked.

"I came to ask..." Olivia said, pausing to calm herself, "if any of you would like to help me on one last quest."

Everyone nodded without hesitation.

"Of course we will, dear Olive," said Haunches. "We would persist on any quest you may ever have to remark on."

"Will always go..." said Grimwitch excitedly.

"With Olivia!" finished Gauntlet.

Olivia smiled, thanking everyone profusely. "But I promise, this one will be short and easy," she said with a laugh.

* * * * *

Olivia and the rest of the group stood before the Door in the Elder Forest. The black, twisted tree looked out of place next to the lively green ones. She hoped fervently that it would still open this one last time.

"Don't lose hope, Olivia!" said Lily, thrusting her fist into the air enthusiastically. They're all okay. I know it!

With her staff and her father's journal in hand, Olivia waited in front of the Door for Ink to give her the signal. Bren and Jin stood nearby, ready to help the children when they arrived. Grimwitch and Gauntlet waited a little behind Olivia, jumping in anticipation of meeting more humans. Kai-Tu, Haunches, Holli, Rufus, and Ronald stood next to a large pile of bright red apples. Thunc and Kili waited behind the others, Kili chirping a happy melody and Thunc dancing.

"Olivia," Ink's voice called suddenly in Olivia's mind. "Get ready, child! They are running to the Door now!"

"I'm opening it now!" said Olivia, running up to the tree. She pricked her finger on the clasp of her father's journal as she had done before and placed the bloody finger to the keyhole on the tree.

Just as before, Olivia felt her finger latch onto the tree and her heart stop beating, and her lungs seize up. Then, after a moment that felt like an eternity, her heart resumed beating, she drew in a deep breath, and she fell away from the tree. She collapsed to her knees and heard Bren and Jin rushing to help her. She quickly held up her hand.

"Wait," Olivia whispered. She slowly stood and backed away from the tree as the Door began to etch itself into the rotting bark. Only the lower half of the Door appeared, however. The rest of it had died with the decaying tree. To Olivia's relief, the knob remained. She quickly grasped the knob, turned it sharply, and yanked the Door open.

Cold, black air rushed in, and everyone gasped, taking a step back. For a while, they only heard the sound of the air blowing through and the distant wail of a siren. But then, Olivia and the group heard heavy breathing and pounding footsteps drawing near. Everyone watched the Door eagerly.

Suddenly, a head appeared through the rift. It peered around, an expression of fear and awe on its face. When its gaze turned to Olivia, the rest of the person scrambled through.

"Olivia..." cried Rosie Walton. "Wha–"

"Hold on, I'll explain everything later," said Olivia quickly. "Are the others coming?"

"Yes!" Rosie said, struggling to catch her breath. "That Ink thing led everyone out of the orphanage and told us to run here!"

Rosie turned about fearfully as she noticed the other creatures around her. Olivia noticed that Rosie, who was typically a bit overweight, was looking as though she hadn't had a meal in many days. Rosie nervously scooted over to stand next to Olivia.

Everyone watched as more children scrambled through the Door. Olivia recognized all of them, even though they all looked starved and sickly. After nearly all of the children had entered, Olivia bent down and looked through the Door.

"Where's Nachton?" she asked the other children urgently.

"He's been doing really bad," said one of the children. "All of us have, really. Ever since Ms. Kobayashi and Mr. Schafer died, we haven't been able to get any food. Mr. Gloome locked it and himself up in his office."

"Oh no...Nachton," Olivia said, tears welling up in her eyes. She was about to dash through to the orphanage to find him when a pale, boney hand followed by messy black hair and a gaunt face came through the Door. It was Nachton.

He crawled through, moving strangely, as if something were controlling him. When he had completely crossed the threshold, Olivia slammed the Door shut. As the outline of the Door disappeared, a crack formed through the center of the tree, splitting the keyhole-shaped knot in two.

"Nachton, I'm so glad–" Olivia started.

"This one..." interrupted Ink's voice. A black fog seeped out of Nachton's ear, and from it, Ink took shape. "...nearly did not make it. He is very sick and very weak. I think it is because he has lost hope. You may be able to help him, Olivia."

Nachton fell to the ground as Ink left his body. Olivia immediately ran to him and held his head in her hands, looking into his large, glassy eyes.

"Nachton," Olivia said softly. "Everything's going to be okay. We're safe here. I missed you so much..."

"O...Olivia?" said Nachton, struggling to focus, his eyes widening. He reached up and touched Olivia's cheek. "It really is you..."

"Yes, it's me," Olivia said, smiling as tears ran down her cheek and onto his fingers. "I bet you're hungry. Here, have an apple."

Kai-Tu tossed Olivia an apple from the pile. Olivia held the apple out to Nachton, who stared at it questioningly before grabbing it. He slowly bit into it, his eyes growing even wider. He breathed deeply and took another bite. He sat up, looking around while he finished the apple. Rufus and Holli had passed apples out to all the other children as well, and they all ate noisily and sloppily.

"What is this place, Olivia? Who are these...people?" Nachton asked, juice from the apple dribbling down his dirty chin.

"We are in Aeldyn," Olivia said, grinning from ear to ear. "And these are my friends."

"But...why?" Nachton asked, his mouth hanging open. "How did you get here? Is this where you've been this whole time? And what is that on your shoulder?"

Olivia looked over at Lily and giggled. "Well, Nachton," she said, "I've quite the story to tell you!"

* * * * *

"Is that...a violin, Olivia?" asked Nachton.

Olivia looked up from the amplifier she had been crafting. Symphology had become an important branch of magic to her. "Yes," she replied. "It belonged to a very special friend of mine."

"I see," said Nachton, staring intently at the violin. "I spent hours in the orphanage reading some of dad's old encyclopedias on music. The violin is my favorite instrument."

"Would you like to give it a try?" Olivia asked.

"Wow, can I really?" Nachton asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

Olivia hung her black guitar on the wall. She walked over to a wooden case that stood open, revealing a beautiful violin. She picked it up and gently placed it in Nachton's hands. He rested it on his shoulder and slowly put the bow to the strings. He played a few notes and then strung them together into a melody. Olivia was amazed at his skill, because he had never touched an instrument before. After only a little while, he was playing melodies so beautiful that Olivia was reminded of Locke. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Geez, is it that bad?" Nachton asked suddenly.

"No," Olivia said, smiling at him warmly. "It's wonderful!"

**[Epilogue  
](nav.xhtml)**

Mr. Gloome was sitting in his office, his feet propped carelessly on his desk. A twisted smile formed on his face.

"It's been an entire week since those brats ran off," he said. "I think it's probably safe to go and have a peek." He jumped up from the chair, his tight, raggedy suit splitting even further at the seams. The idea of having the entire place to himself made him much too excited. He danced jauntily around the desk.

"A world of my very own!" Mr. Gloome shouted. "I showed them all! I showed them!" He cackled as he skipped merrily over to the office door. He fumbled with his keys for a moment before he found the right one and then fit it into the lock and opened the door.

Before him was a black, desolate wasteland. Orphanage Nine had crumbled around him, leaving only his office intact. He stared for a moment out into the darkness. Then, he laughed.

"It's mine!" Mr. Gloome screamed. "All mine! Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!" He cackled, his voice echoing in the empty wasteland.

Suddenly, the sound of coughing echoed around the office. The coughing turned into rough and loud hacking before it ended in a gurgling sound. The twisted smile dropped from Mr. Gloome's face. He screamed loudly, but no one was left to hear.

E. S. Lowell is the imaginative (and somewhat insane) individual behind The Last Fairy Tale, his first novel. While his chosen field of study is in computing, writing has always been a passion of his. The first ideas for the story began to form in his mind when he was younger. It wasn't until he took a course in DNA and Molecular Computing while pursuing his degree in computer science that the ideas began to weave themselves into The Last Fairy Tale. The novel is influenced by many different cultures and traditions, as well as his love for video games, music, and the fantasy stories he grew up with.

If you enjoyed _The Last Fairy Tale_ , please head over to Amazon or Goodreads to rate it and tell us what you think. We also invite you to visit our websites: E. S. Lowell and Ink and Dust Publishing. Here you can find more information about _The Last Fairy Tale_ , E. S. Lowell, and Ink and Dust Publishing!

