

Beauty And The Beast

The Classic Fantasy Fairy Tale With A Twist

Kristie Lynn Higgins

Text Copyright © 2018

Smashwords Ebook Edition

10172018

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

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

Love Fairy Tales & Fantasy? Check out my complimentary books

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& BOTB Mystic Rose

The first ebook or two are complimentary for each series.

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#0 Alba

Beauty of the Beast

The Mystic Rose

Teaser Prequel

Kristie Lynn Higgins

© 2014, 2018

"Girl, we shall be at the castle before the sun sets," Sister Nyrs said.

"Can you tell me again why I must leave you and the other sisters?"

Sister Nyrs replied, "Prince Edward of the Fletching Kingdom needs a playmate. You have been selected from all the children of the kingdom. You shall not be leaving all the sisters."

"You will be staying with me?" the girl questioned.

"Yes, child. I shall be your nurse while you are still young."

The six-seasons-old girl glanced out the window of the carriage at the countryside and peered a the blue-gray hills that surrounded them. Knee high blades swayed in a gentle breeze. She noticed a forest in the distance and thought of fairies and other mythical creatures.

"Sister, can you tell me a story?" the girl asked.

"What kind of story would you like me to tell you?"

"Tell me one with a prince in it."

Sister Nyrs thought about it as she muttered, "One with a prince... Let me see... Ah... I know of one."

"Once upon a time, there was a Prince of the land who was cursed by a witch, and he turned into a horrible beast. The Prince–"

The girl asked, "Did he look like a Necrom?"

"Heavens no!" Sister Nyrs exclaimed. "He wasn't turned into something so hideous. If he had, the Prince would have been stoned on sight!" She composed herself and then continued her tale, "The witch told the Prince the curse could only be broken by the kiss of his true love. The Prince was very sad for who could love a beast?"

"I would if he was kind," the girl stated.

"That is nice but not everyone is as tender-hearted as you," Sister Nyrs spoke then she continued the tale, "The Prince hid himself in an old abandoned castle. Seasons went by and the Prince grew lonely and miserable. One sun's cycle, a young woman and her father happened upon the castle after a terrible storm spooked their horse and it ran away. The father knocked at the door, seeking shelter from the rain and a cloaked figure let them in. The Prince provided dry clothes and food for the travelers. The Prince also gave the travelers food for the morning and a horse for their cart. On the way out, the father noticed roses growing in the garden."

"That's what my name means. Alba is a rose."

Sister Nyrs peered at the child, feeling sorry for her as she stated, "The name Alba has been taken away from you. You must remember that. You shall be called girl until someone in the court gives you a name. You must never utter the name Alba again for she does not exist anymore."

"I don't understand," the girl said. "But I will obey you."

The other sisters had grown fond of Alba but when they learned she had been selected as the prince's playmate, they all mourned for her as if she had died. Sister Nyrs had been selected to journey with Alba for she was new to their order and had no attachments to the child.

Sister Nyrs spoke, "As I was saying, the father picked one of the roses and gave it to his daughter on the way out. This angered the Prince who saw the father steal one of his precious flowers. The Prince rushed out of the castle, seized the man, and started to take him to his dungeon. The daughter cried after the Prince to have mercy on her father. The Prince refused. She begged him again and offered to take her father's place. Remembering the curse upon himself and noticing how lovely she was, the Prince accepted her offer and freed her father and made him leave right away. The Prince–"

The girl interrupted by asking, "So the daughter was like me?"

"No, child. I said she was beautiful," Sister Nyrs replied, and then she continued, "The Prince made the young woman eat dinner with him every night. At first, she would cry but as time passed, she accepted her life as it was." Sister Nyrs paused from the story, pointed her finger up so the girl would pay attention to her, and then she said, "This is a lesson for you. You should also accept your life as it is."

The girl tilted her head at the statement, not really understanding but she nodded her head anyway.

Sister Nyrs continued, "Half a season went by, and the Prince grew fond of the young woman. One sun's cycle, a note arrived, telling the young woman her father had fallen ill. She pleaded with the Prince to let her go to her father's side and she promised to return. The Prince refused her for six sun's cycles and then on the seventh, he gave into her weeping and she went to see her father. The Prince was miserable while she was gone for he had fallen in love with the beautiful woman. A few sun's cycles turned into twenty, and the young woman still hadn't returned. The Prince started to grow sick with grief. The young woman had returned to her father and stayed with him until he was better. The young woman returned to the Prince as she promised, but she found him close to death. She ran over to him as he lay on the floor and knelt beside him.

He looked up at her and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

She told him, "Because I have found you in this state. What can I do to help you?"

"Leave me," he told her. "I release you. You may return home. It was cruel of me to hold you as a prisoner here."

"No, I shall not leave you," she told him, and then she declared, "I love you."

She bent and kissed him on the lips, and he returned to his human form. The curse was broken, they were married, and they live happily ever after."

The girl asked, "Their love for each other is what broke the curse?"

"Yes."

"Do you think Prince Edward will love me like that?"

"Of course not, child," Sister Nyrs replied. "You are a commoner, and Edward shall be the next king of Fletching. You shall be his playmate. You shall belong to him. Do as he tells you."

"Yes, Sister," the girl replied.

The carriage continued on, and the castle appeared in the distance.

"Sister, is it okay if I love Edward," the girl questioned.

"Yes, of course, child. Remember your place though. You shall lose your name for who you were shall be no more. You shall belong to Prince Edward. You shall go to school together, and you shall play together. The purpose of your existence is to enhance his."

"So I am to love him," the girl stated, and then she asked, "What kind of boy is he?"

"I do not know but with his teacher's guidance, he shall become a great king, and you shall do your part to help him grow in all things. Edward has a great destiny before him."

"And I'll be a part of it?"

"Yes, child."

"I will love Edward and make sure he becomes a great king."

Sister Nyrs told her, "You shall need to do more than that. You must also make sure the prince stays safe."

"I will, I promise," the girl replied, and then she admitted, "I'm so excited to meet Edward."

The girl leaned back and stared out the window. She gazed at the forest that lay beyond the hills and seemed to be drawn to it.

"What place is that in the distance?" the girl questioned.

Sister Nyrs turned her head, looked out the window, saw the forest, and then she replied, "It has no name that I know of. Necroms probably live within. You should be wary and not venture into any woods alone."

The girl continued to stare at the forest as if drawn to it, and then she heard the distant roar of the mythical Fire Lion. Her heart shook as she heard the large cat cry out as if it was calling her to it. The girl wrapped her little arms around herself, trying to fend off the unsettling feelings as she looked again at the castle they headed towards. She wondered why the dark and scary forest in the distance seemed more of a home to her than the large building looming ahead of them. She didn't know it at the time but this moment of prophetic clarity was a harbinger of things to come. Her life would be turned upside down by one simple act of love and one devastating betrayal of love.

The End

Love Fairy Tales & Fantasy? Check out my complimentary books

Dragon Rite, AaBack's Grim, Monster of Monsters,

& BOTB Mystic Rose

The first ebook or two are complimentary for each series.

Love Science Fiction? Check out two complimentary books

SOG Series

www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

Beauty of the Beast #1

The Mystic Rose
Part A: The Flower, The Sword,

And The Kiss

Kristie Lynn Higgins

© 2005; 2018
Prologue

A Bit of History

On the planet Terra when recorded history began, Man coexisted with the Necroms. Necroms were intelligent cat-like humanoids. The dawn of this period was known as the First Age of Magic. In the Second Age of Magic, a war broke out between Man and the Necroms and by the middle of the Second Age, Man was nearly wiped from creation. Those who survived fled Wellspring and journeyed across the sea into the unknown, finding new homes and creating fortified domains. In the Third and final Age of Magic, Man established five island kingdoms: Commery, Fletching, Morgog, Swelldom, and Hort.

In the First Age of Metal, Man turned from the lost art of magic to the might of weapons as they discovered iron then steel. Large armies were created, and Man fought amongst themselves, forgetting the Necroms into myth. For generations, the wars continued until an arranged marriage between the two strongest kingdoms of Commery and Morgog ceased the bloodshed, and so Man established the first Emperor and Empress and the tradition of Amalgamation. When both the Emperor and Empress of the Five Kingdoms died, the two strongest kingdoms' heirs married and crowned a new dynasty and so began the Age of Amalgamation.
Chapter One

The Beast

"Stand your guard!" Han shouted as he held a wooden sword, taking an attack position against a boy. The commander's red cape draped his left shoulder, and he had short black hair and a trimmed beard. He told the boy, "I shall attack first."

Blue-gray hills surrounded them as a cool crisp breeze swept through the tall grass. The multitude of knee-high blades rippled like waves across an ocean. Edward drew his wooden sword, taking a defensive position. He stood by a large Cobalt Oak in the land of Naught. The silver-blue tree shaded them as a Crimson Jay chirped to the new sun's cycle.

Edward said, "I am ready, High Guard."

Five more High Guards surrounded a carriage, watching the fight, and they cheered on the boy prince as a carriage driver tended to four horses. The steeds needed water before the last stretch of their journey back to the Fletching Kingdom. The journey to anoint the Prince a potential Emperor was over. A little girl with an open book watched the practice duel.

"Quiz me," she pleaded to one of the guards.

Von took the book, asking, "What is a nal?"

She smiled, smoothed her hands down her plain brown dress, and then answered, "A nal is a measure of time. There are twenty in a day; it's what we call a sun's cycle."

"Good..." Von replied as he glanced up and noticed Han was ready to begin, so he hurried the next question by asking, "What is a mite?"

She giggled and then answered, "A nal consists of a hundred mites; it also measures time." She beamed with pride, knowing the next fact as she said, "There are two thousand mites in a sun's cycle."

"Well done," Von said. "What is a zoc?"

"It measures distance. A horse can run a zoc in six mites."

"Good, good..." he said as he handed the book back, turning his full attention to the Prince and commander. "Let us watch the duel."

Han thrust his small wooden sword, and Edward blocked.

"Excellent," the commander told Edward. "Now we need to work on countering."

Han repeated the attack, and Edward blocked and thrust toward the Guard's belly. Han blocked and stripped the Prince of his sword, and the weapon fell near the carriage.

"Never believe you have the upper hand," Han told him as his face hardened for the sake of the lesson. Edward was so much like his father the King. He was so arrogant and fallibly confident. He wasn't cruel but self-centered. The commander hoped his future King would be a good ruler and one with a heart for the people. Han stated, "If you let up your guard in the least, your enemy shall take advantage."

The Prince bowed his head in defeat. He hated losing.

Edward spoke, "I do not see why I have to practice the sword."

Han sighed and then said, "You must learn to defend yourself, my lord." He leveled his blade on the Prince as he added, "You must be able to protect yourself."

The little girl gasped, dropped her book, ran to Edward's sword, and picked it up. She ran behind Han, jumped on his back, and placed the wooden blade next to his neck, and then the girl declared, "Not as long as there are High Guards to protect him."

Han laughed, and then he questioned her, "So little one, are you a High Guard?"

"Yes," she answered.

He grabbed the sword and rolled her off his back into his arms.

Edward kicked the dirt jealous that Han's attention was on the girl, and then he said, "Girls cannot be High Guards. Girls are not allowed to handle weapons."

Han put the child down and looked her over, and then he told her, "You know the Prince is right, little one. What's your name?"

She admired the man towering over her as she answered him, "I've only been called girl. I'm–"

"The peasant was never given a name," Edward interrupted, looking down on the girl. "Her mother died when she was born, and she has no father and so has no name. My mother the Queen took pity on her and made her my playmate."

Han rubbed his black beard, examining her, and then he questioned, "You are what, eight?"

"Nine," she replied. "Two seasons younger than the Prince."

"Why haven't you picked yourself a name?" the commander questioned.

She batted her big brown eyes as she replied, "I don't know what to call myself. I was also told only someone from the court can name me."

Han glanced over those gathered, focused on one of his men who was an Archer, and grinned. He questioned her, "How about Pluck?"

"Pluck..?" she repeated.

"Pluck is not a girl's name," Edward stated as he sneered, wondering why the commander never picked a name for him. He was the Prince and was far more worthy to receive a name. Edward said, "Anyway, is that not the heart, liver, and lungs of a slaughtered animal? Why not call her Entrails?"

Han frowned, shaking his head as he spoke, "Never mind the Prince; he can be spiteful when he loses a duel." The commander turned his gaze back to the girl. A name was very important; it identified who you were, who you could be and once given, no one could take it away. Han told her, "Pluck also means resourceful courage and daring in the face of adversity."

She smiled as she said, "I like Pluck." She delighted in how the word rolled off her tongue and that it was something that belonged to her.

"But Pluck is not a girl's name," Edward insisted, stomping his foot. "It is not proper."

"True... True..." Han spoke as he looked at the girl. The Prince was right, the name wouldn't be accepted in the Fletching Court. Han suggested, "Perhaps I should pick another."

"No. I like it," she said as she pleaded with her small hands, fearing he would take it away before it was hers. "Really, I like Pluck. Please, let me keep it. Something that's mine."

Han's face softened. The poor child... to have nothing in this world, not even a name. He raised his wooden sword, tapped her on each shoulder as if knighting her, and said, "Pluck it is."

Edward rolled his blue eyes as he asked, "How much longer until we leave?"

Han looked at the carriage driver.

The driver replied, "If we're to ride nonstop to the castle, the horses should rest a few more nals."

"We shall wait a few more nals," Han stated, scanned the prairie, and then he questioned, "Why don't you play, my lord? It isn't every sun's cycle you're allowed beyond the walls of your castle."

Edward's pout vanished as he started, "Well..." He looked over the blue-gray hills and saw a forest in the distance as a mischievous grin crossed his face. "I could busy myself for a nal or two."

"Good then. Stay where we can see you and don't go into the forest," Han instructed him, then turned to his men, and ordered, "Bulwark and Von, keep an eye on the children. The rest of us shall ride ahead to the village and pick up our supper. We shall be back within the nal."

"Yes, sir," Bulwark and Von replied.

"This way," Edward commanded the girl as he scurried through the tall blue-gray grass as if chasing something. "I saw a Prairie Toad. Let us see if we can catch it."

"Where?" Pluck asked as she ran after him, carrying the Prince's wooden sword. "I don't see a toad."

"There!" Edward shouted as he pointed at the imaginary amphibian.

He needed to get them closer to the forest and then wait till the Guards were not looking. He glanced at the girl. All he had to do was convince her to follow him. He smirked. She was very devoted to him; it might not be as hard as he believed.

He told her, "The toad is heading into the forest."

She stopped and shook her head as she insisted, "We can't. Han said we're not to go in."

Edward also stopped and spoke, "He did, but who is the Prince?" He raised his chin to show his authority and said, "Anyway..." A sly grin crossed his face before he stated, "I shall need a Guard to accompany me."

Pluck's face brightened as she pointed to herself and questioned, "You mean me?" She motioned back the way they came and asked, "But what about Bulwark and Von?"

The children looked across the prairie to the warriors. The two High Guards were distracted by a traveler asking directions.

"We shall not be gone long. They shall not even know we are missing so come," Edward commanded her as he headed into the forest. "It shall be an adventure like those told in stories."

"I don't know," she said as she followed him, searching the trees. "What if Necroms live here?"

"Necroms..." He laughed and then explained to her, "They are only stories told to scare little children."

"I am a child..." Pluck stated as she apprehensively scanned the forest, gripping the sword tightly. "I am scared." She bit her lip, not wanting to go but did, desperate to protect the Prince no matter how frightened she was. Pluck said, "There are reasons children shouldn't go into dark woods."

Summer green shrouded the forest as Black Feathered Yaws sang to the new sun's cycle. Their high pitched shrills echoed across the forest as pine scented the air. Trunk Beetles buzzed about the children as Edward led them down an animal trail. The canopy thickened the further they ventured. The woods darkened as the sun found little passage into the forest domain, and the air grew cool.

"We better go back," Pluck suggested as she searched the shadows for monsters as misshapen trees frightened her.

"Are you afraid?" Edward questioned as his heart pounded for the excitement, knowing nothing would turn him back.

"Yes," she admitted. "Please, let's return."

"A little farther then we shall. Look..." He pointed to a structure hidden in the vegetation and asked, "What could it be?"

"A temple? Maybe..." Pluck replied as she saw statues of a Woolly Tiger, Fire Lion, Striped Cheetah, and Ghost Panther guarding the overgrown entrance. Their cold stone eyes glared at them, warning them not to enter as she stated, "I don't think we should go in."

"Nonsense. There is nothing to be afraid of. There is no one else out here."

"That's why I'm afraid," she admitted as her little hands trembled. Pluck readied the wooden sword as she said, "I'm the only one here to protect you."

In the distance, Bulwark and Von shouted, "My lord... Prince Edward..." Their cries were frantic as they questioned, "Where are you?"

Pluck started to shout.

"No," Edward commanded, staring at the temple that beckoned him. "I am not done with my adventure. They shall find us when they do. Come."

"I think we should let them know where we are."

Edward turned to her, and his piercing blue eyes stared at her as he asked her, "Do you love me?"

His question surprised her, so she didn't answer.

"Do you love me?" he repeated.

"Yes, I have always–"

"Then come with me," Edward interrupted, feeling nothing for her. She was an object; the girl was something to own and something to rule. He attacked her heart; it was the one muscle vulnerable to words... to lies... A simple gesture from him and then a smile, and she was his. His mother had taught him well. He told her, "If you love me, you shall do as I say."

Pluck didn't answer him only nodded.

Edward rushed into the structure, following a long pale-white hallway. Brass torches lit the stone passage that looked as if it hadn't been used in a very long time.

"Someone is here," she said. Everything within Pluck told her to run and flee from this place. She told him, "Someone had to light the fires."

"Let us see," Edward said as he steadied himself on a cold stone wall determined to continue. The temple had to protect something, and he had to know what it was. Edward told the girl, "This is my kingdom and anyone here is my subject."

Pluck bit her lip again, and then she said, "That doesn't mean they'll obey you."

The hall opened to a large room with a round blue pool. Steam hovered above the water like a ghostly mist. A bush grew from a platform in the middle of the water and on it, a single white flower budded.

Edward's eyes widened as he uttered, "A Mystic Rose!"

"A what?" Pluck inquired and when she saw it, the flower's beauty awed her.

"A Mystic Rose. It is written they possess great power," Edward spoke as he licked his lips greedily and deeply breathed, smelling the flower's sweet aroma. "It is said the Rose was the only magical thing brought to the Fletching Kingdom." He rubbed his palms as he stated, "I must have it."

"Maybe you shouldn't. It belongs to someone," Pluck insisted as she noticed more statues of large cats encircling the room. "Please, let's leave."

"I am the Prince. What I want I possess," Edward declared as he crossed stone steps to the bush. Glittering sparkles surrounded the Rose like fluttering pixies. He carefully grabbed the stem of the white Rose, broke it from the bush, then waited a couple of moments to see if anything would happen, and headed back. Edward said, "See... Nothing... Now let us return."

Pluck looked around as she held her breath, and then she sighed and studied the Rose as she asked, "May I touch the Rose?"

He thought on her request, and then he replied, "You may but only once."

She touched the white petals of the Rose with her left hand and slid her index finger down its stem.

"That is enough," Edward spoke as he pulled it away.

"Ouch..." Pluck said as she put her finger to her mouth. "The flower bit me."

"Huh?" He examined the stem, and then he told her, "It did not bite you. You caught your finger on a thorn. See..." Edward showed her as he said, "There is a little blood here."

The thorn absorbed the blood as she looked at it. The Rose's petals changed from white to blue. Pluck smiled and giggled, and the Rose's petals turned yellow.

"How pretty," she uttered as she looked at her index finger, and her eyes widened as magical sparkles materialized. The multicolor lights danced about like fairies, and a black dot appeared on her fingertip. Two black lines shot from the circle and split, curving around to the top. The lines joined and created four separate rings up to her knuckle, and then the sparkles faded.

Pluck questioned, "Is this magic?"

"No..." Edward answered her and then said, "It looks like a tattoo. Do you not know magic happens only for those with Royal Blood?" He examined the markings. No peasant would receive the power of his Rose. He told her, "The Queen shall not like that you have a tattoo."

Her faced reddened with embarrassment and fear, dreading the Queen's wrath, and then she said, "It's your fault I have it. You're the one who stuck me with the thorn."

"My fault?" he questioned, and then told her, "Do not blame this on me."

Pluck pouted as she said, "I am, and I'm going to tell the Queen."

"My mother!" Edward uttered as he cringed. "You cannot. I command you not to."

Her face grew stern as she spoke, "You'll have to do better than that."

Her disobedience outraged him as he questioned her, "What did you say?"

She folded her arms and then replied, "I want something for my silence."

"Give you something, hah!" He looked at the yellow Rose and told her, "I shall not give you the Mystic Rose."

Pluck laughed as she said, "I don't want it. I want something else."

"What could you want?" Edward questioned as he looked around the room as if it would be there.

She blushed, before whispering, "The Kiss."

The Rose's petals changed to pink.

Edward's face flushed as he uttered, "My first Kiss... but that is for my betrothed." He looked her over like she was rabble before he told her, "Anyway, you are not royalty."

"That's true, but the Kiss only pledges your heart to the one," Pluck said as she giggled. "Not that you'll marry me. I know you can't marry a peasant." She fiddled with the wooden sword as she stated, "This is all I want."

He thought on her proposal. The Kiss was meaningless to him. If it shall buy her silence... He answered, "Agreed. I shall give you my first Kiss and in exchange, you shall not tell my mother it is my fault you have the tattoo." He then added, "Or that I gave you the Kiss."

"I agree," she said as she blushed again coyly. "I'll ready myself." Pluck placed her hands behind her back and puckered her lips.

Edward took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and leaned toward her lips ready to meet them. Before they kissed, a howling wind whipped in, chilled the air, and flickered the fires lighting the room. The docile stone faces of the statues magically became angry, and the children heard large cats rage. The Rose's hue became purple as fear filled Pluck.

"Who dares?" a woman's voice demanded like the roar of a lioness. "Who dares steal the Mystic Rose?" A woman fair as an Angel Dove soared into the room like a white apparition. She pointed a slender finger at the Prince as she questioned him, "Is it ye?"

Both children paled.

"Speak up child!" the woman demanded. "Is it ye?"

Edward looked at Pluck, and then he stepped forward, replying, "Yes. I took the Mystic Rose." His fear turned to anger as he declared, "This is my kingdom, I shall take what I want."

"Curse ye, arrogant one!" she shrieked. "Ye shall regret the sun's cycle ye transgressed this temple." She floated above them as she questioned them, "Do ye not know I am Fairah, Protector of the Rose? Curse ye! If ye had only asked, the Rose would have been ye's." Fairah hovered to the ceiling as green currents of electricity surged across her body. Her long white hair stood on end as power flowed through her ghostly form as she yelled, "Ye do not deserve the Rose!"

"My Prince," a voice shouted from outside the structure.

"Han, here!" Edward replied, hoping his guards would save him. "I am in danger!"

Fairah raised her hands, forming a ball of electricity in her palms as her solid white eyes glowed green. She told him, "They shall not reach ye in time." She flung the energy, and the ball hurled toward him.

Pluck's heart skipped, seeing Edward in danger, and she shouted, "My lord!" She rushed toward him and pushed the Prince out of the way as she yelled, "Look out!"

Edward landed on the stone floor and rolled to face Pluck as the energy hit her, throwing her back, but she didn't fall. The power lifted her into the air like a great wind. She screamed as green electricity surged through her tiny body, whipping her brown hair about. Roars of Woolly Tigers, Fire Lions, Striped Cheetahs, and Ghost Panthers filled the room with unbearable noise. Edward covered his ears. A turquoise energy exploded from Pluck, blowing the Prince's black hair. The power shredded her dress, ripping it from her body, and she covered her nakedness with her arms and knees.

"I'm burning!" Pluck shrieked, reaching her hand toward the Prince. "Save me!"

Paralyzed by fear, Edward shook his head as he covered his eyes with his hands and screamed, "Make it stop! Han, save me!"

Short beige fur sprouted from Pluck's body as a long tail formed. Tiger like claws replaced her nails and her canine teeth lengthened. Pluck screamed again, but she sounded like a Ghost Panther. Her hair changed to fiery-crimson and grew longer into a full mane. Her eyes changed from brown to emerald green, and her legs grew, becoming more cheetah like. The power lowered Pluck's small frame to the floor. She wept, wrapping her furry arms around her ill-fated form and shivered as tears streamed down her face.

Edward scurried away from the ghastly sight, making Pluck cry all the more. Han, Bulwark, Von, and the rest of the Guards rushed in with their rapier swords readied. Bulwark and Von hurried to the Prince and carried him out of the temple as Han rushed toward Pluck, and then he halted.

"By Fletching! What beast is this?" He lifted his sword to strike her as he yelled, "Crell spawn!"

"Do not hurt the child," Fairah commanded. "She is only cursed."

"She?" Han lowered his sword, examining the beast more closely as he inquired, "Is that you, little one?"

Pluck turned to him, furry beige face wet with tears and quivered out an answer, "Yes."

Han pointed his slender sword at the apparition and asked, "Is it a fight you want, witch?"

"No," Fairah replied, and then she told him, "My duty 'tis over. Ye may leave in peace."

Han turned to the men who were still with him and ordered them, "All of you out." They did as commanded, and he removed his red cape, covering Pluck, and then ordered the woman, "Change her back."

His request surprised Fairah, and she told him, "I cannot as I said, there is a spell on her."

"Why did you do this?" he demanded. "Why this hideous form?"

"The punishment was meant for the boy, but she pushed him out of the way."

"But why?" Han repeated.

Fairah couldn't understand why this man didn't know. All of Fletching should know. Fairah answered him, "He stole the Mystic Rose which I am the protector of." She motioned to the bush in the center of the pool and said, "They should have known better."

"Known?" Han snapped, and then he questioned, "Who are you?"

Again he surprised her as she asked, "Ye do not know me? I am Fairah and this last place of magic has been protected by the king's decree since the foundation of the Kingdom."

"My dear lady, I am Han, Commander of the High Guards," he said as he swiped his sword, pointing to the room. "I have not heard that this land is protected. You must have been forgotten by the passing of time."

"I have been forgotten?" Fairah uttered as she contemplated the possibility. "Then the boy knew not to take the Rose or that in asking he could have had it."

Han nodded.

"So I punished him for only being an arrogant child." Fairah looked at Pluck with compassion as she restated, "Or should I say, I condemned her."

Han demanded, "Take back the hex."

She explained to him, "Even with my powers, I cannot but..." Fairah floated down next to the girl as she said, "There is a way." She waved her hand over the child and spoke, "If she can receive what was promised this sun's cycle before the Mystic Rose, the curse shall be broken." She lifted into the air as her ghostly form vanished slowly.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

She paused mid-air and told him, "There is nothing more for me to guard here till another Rose blooms."

"What about the child?" Han asked as he felt helpless to comfort Pluck yet alone help her through this tragedy. "I cannot take her back to the castle like this. Since our birth, we are told to fear Necroms. We are to despise and kill any we might come across. Look at her." He turned Pluck to face Fairah, and then he continued, "She's the very embodiment of what we hate. I understand, but the others shall not. They shall throw her into the dungeon or kill her."

Fairah shook her head with disdain as she said, "This is how they praise heroes now?" She looked around the Temple and then replied, "The child may live here. Few people venture into these woods, so she should be safe." Fairah looked once more to the girl as the tragedy of what she cursed her to became clearer in her mind, and then Fairah vanished without another word.

"No," Pluck pleaded, turning to the High Guard. "Don't leave me here, not alone."

Han felt for the girl. Her life had been hard enough but now with the curse... Han told her, "I am sorry, but you can't return with us. They shall not understand. Too many in the court still fear the myth of the Necroms." He left and returned, placing on the floor the supplies they purchased in town. "Here is some food," he stated, and then he started out.

"No! Don't leave me." Pluck grabbed his leg as she begged him, "I don't want to be alone."

Han's heart broke as he placed his hand on her furry head, and then he told her, "I vow as a High Guard I shall return tomorrow." He beckoned to her, so she would look to him, "Little one..."

She lifted her feline eyes.

"You sacrificed yourself to save the Prince, a duty that was ours. I shall not let you be forgotten like the protector of this temple," Han told her as he helped her onto her new legs, not knowing what to say to ease her pain, then noticed the wooden sword on the floor, and remembered his duel with the Prince. "You have proven yourself, so rules or not, I shall train you to become a High Guard. You have earned that right... now dry your eyes. Tears are not becoming of a warrior."
Chapter Two

Time Passes

Fourteen seasons later...

Edward woke, gasping in his bed. He sat up as sweat glistened his slim muscular chest, and then he looked around the dark room disoriented from his fierce dream. A woman lay beside him and rolled over at his cry, returning to her sleep. This wasn't the first time he'd screamed in the middle of the night.

A High Guard, who had a thick brown beard and an easy-going demeanor, opened the door to his chamber as firelight from oil lamps broke in, casting shadows, and then the High Guard asked, "My lord?"

Edward wiped his face and raked his hands through his shoulder-length raven-black hair and then told him, "Just another nightmare, Melee."

"They are becoming more frequent. Do you remember the dream this time?"

"Only images," Edward answered as he closed his blue eyes, remembering the violent sights. "I see a terrible Beast in the midst of a great battle. Its war cry stabs my soul like a knife. I want to flee, but I see the Mystic Rose above the conflict. Many die around me because of the Beast." He opened his eyes as he stated, "That is all I remember. That is all I ever remember."

He looked at a wooden pedestal in the middle of the room, and on it, the Rose magically suspended within a protective glass dome as a ghostly glow illuminated the pedestal. The illumination depended on the color the Rose's petals assumed and at the moment, they were yellow. Edward got up, poured water from a pitcher into a wash basin, splashed his face, and then stated, "I cannot remember a time when I did not have the dreams. Why do I have them?" He stared at the water lit by fire as he asked, "And why do I fear them?" He grabbed a towel, dried his face, and then spoke, "Court wise men say the Beast is me while others say it's a great enemy coming to devour our kingdom." He looked at the High Guard and inquired, "What do you think?"

"I don't know, my lord," Melee answered. "Maybe a dream is only a dream."

The High Guard's answer didn't help Edward. He didn't understand why he must bear the burden of the visions. Edward knew the dreams were telling him something. He just didn't know what. The Prince lay back in bed, finding no comfort with the stranger beside him as he ordered, "You may leave, Melee. I have an important sun's cycle tomorrow and need to get what sleep I can." He clinched his blankets as he continued, "Before the sun is high, we set sail to fetch my intended, Princess Virago of Morgog and head for the Isle of Kismet for the Amalgamation."

Edward pondered the nightmare some more and wondered if the Princess or the Morgog Kingdom could be the Beast. Their kingdoms had been rivals in the past, so this alliance would be an uneasy one. He thought about it some more, and then he considered that he should fear what was coming.

* * *

Pluck like a Ghost Panther leaped about the trees, not straying far from the Temple. She loved soaring from limb to limb as if gravity had no pull on her. Freedom and peace engulfed her, erasing her curse at least for a few nals as night spread its wings over the sky and only the moons, Auror the Greater and Array the Lesser, penetrated its dark hold. Pluck scurried to the top of the tallest tree, studying the heavenly bodies. Even in the vastness of the night, Auror and Array were magnificent and possessed a power of their own. One that affected the tides and her mood. She smiled, taking a deep breath of the pine-scented air, mesmerized by the pale blue spheres. Pluck felt a wildness take hold; it was a surge of emotion that ignited her senses. The feral sensations triggered a memory of Fairah hovering above the four cat statues within the temple.

"I was nine then..." Pluck muttered.

In the memory...

"Why do ye cry, child?" Fairah questioned the young girl.

Pluck wiped her little eyes while she sat next to the pool in the center of the temple as she replied, "I hate how I look." She peered at her reflection on the water as she added, "I'm ugly."

"That is not true," Fairah told her; she hated seeing Pluck upset. The Protector searched the room, noticed the large cats below her, and then asked, "Did I ever tell ye why these statues are here?" She swiped her ghostly hand through the head of one as she stated, "They guard this temple, and each was chosen for their virtues."

Pluck sniffed as she questioned, "Why tell me?"

"Each of them is within ye," Fairah explained to her as she floated down and sat next to Pluck. "The strength, heart, and loyalty of the Fire Lion; the speed, enthusiasm, and stability of the Striped Cheetah; the courage, stamina, and dedication of the Woolly Tiger; and the stealth, cunning, and dauntlessness of the Ghost Panther." She smiled and then added, "They not only make up what ye look like but what ye are inside. Ye's curse can be a blessing if ye can get past ye's appearance."

The present...

"Fairah is right about one thing," Pluck said to herself as she stared up at the night. "I feel them within me; they're my animal side." She stretched out on a branch, stared up at the multitude of stars, and breathed in the refreshing air as her black tip tail swayed. Pluck felt at home, at least some of her did. A small part yearned for human contact and to return to the Fletching Castle as sorrow enveloped her. She scolded herself, "I'm not going to focus on it. I've been sad long enough. I'm going to enjoy the rest of the night."

The moons set as dawn drew near and with the new sun's cycle arrival, birds sang to the fresh day. Pluck climbed down a vine and rushed into the Temple as her long tail twitched with excitement. She had slept little but felt as bright and chipper as the infant sun's cycle.

"Another beautiful night. You should have seen it, Fairah. The moons were blue and full and from the Lofty Pine, I could almost touch the smallest one," Pluck spoke as she twirled, dancing around the pool. "At sunset, the sky became amber and burned across the horizon."

Her white High Guard's sleeved shirt fluttered with her movements as her clawed feet pranced about to an imagined melody. The brown leather pants she wore were baggy from the knees down. Pluck finished her dance and knelt by the water, studying her reflection by torchlight. Since the birth of her beast form, there had been few changes. She had grown eight-hands tall, tall as an average man. Her fiery-crimson mane had thickened and flowed just below her shoulders. She had grown a set of breasts, and her ears were rounded and cupped. She looked at her hand, at least she still had fingers even if they had retractable claws. Emerald feline eyes stared back at her.

"The memory of my human form has faded," Pluck said as she frowned.

"Ye better not let Han see ye cry," Fairah told her as she appeared above her and floated down to her side.

"I'm not crying," Pluck said as she wiped her eyes. "Anyway, he won't be here till tomorrow. The letter sent by Courier Pigeon stated he had news for me." Pluck grabbed her long beige tail and stroked its black tip as she spoke, "I wonder what he wants to tell me. Could it be about the Prince or maybe he's found another way to end my curse?"

Fairah sighed as she threw up her metaphysical hands, and then she said, "The commander could assist ye much better if ye would only tell him the promise that was made between ye and the Prince, and then ye would have no need for any other cure."

Pluck frowned again as she said, "I fear he'll try to stop me from receiving the Kiss and that's why I haven't told Han all of these seasons." Pluck lay on the stones, gazing at the ceiling as she stated, "The Kiss isn't something the Prince gives away. It pledges his heart and soul." She paused and said with a hint of sadness, "Edward may have already given his first kiss to someone." She rolled over, looking at her reflection again and then continued, "If this is true, I'll remain in this accursed body."

Fairah's ghostly hand stroked her mane. The Protector wished she had a corporeal form to comfort the woman she'd come to consider her child. Fairah told her, "I know not what to say. There is beauty in ye's form if only ye would see it."

Pluck sat up and said, "Even if I did, people would consider me a Necrom. I would be shunned with only an apparition and an old High Guard to keep me company." She slunk to her blankets on a bed of hay and once she reached them, she requested, "Tell me again about the Creator."

Fairah grinned as she questioned, "Are ye not a little old for bedtime stories?"

"Are they just stories?" Pluck questioned as she pulled up her blanket, looking into Fairah's solid white eyes.

"No, child," Fairah replied as she floated to her. "In an explosion of life, the Creator brought Terra into existence. All was perfect. No wars, sickness, or sadness. One sun's cycle the Despiser, his real name lost in time, wished to be worshiped like the Creator, so he lied to those of Terra. He told them magic could be used for more than helping others, that it could be used to help one's self and with that, magic became corrupted. So now there is magic of the Creator and magic of the Despiser."

"Not everyone believes this?"

"No, like the Necroms the Creator has fallen into Myth. Many do not believe."

"I believe," Pluck stated as she turned on her side, and then she repeated, "I believe."

Fairah lifted into the air, and she slowly vanished as she said, "Good... Never forget. He shall protect ye."

"Peaceful night," Pluck spoke.

"Peaceful night," Fairah said in turn as her form completely disappeared.

* * *

The next sun's cycle twilight broke over the forest of Naught. Black Feathered Yaws greeted the morning with their high pitched shrills. Inside the Temple, Pluck's cat ears twitched, hearing two horses approach.

"It must be Han," she spoke to herself, grinning mischievously and scurried for a hiding place.

Han entered the large room, cautiously searching every shadow as she softly growled at him ready to pounce on him.

He told her, "There's no time for your game this morning, Pluck. We must leave. The Prince's ship shall not wait for us."

"Leave? Ship?" Pluck questioned as she emerged from behind the statue of the Woolly Tiger. "What do you mean?"

He didn't know she was hiding there. Her abilities had greatly improved since he started training her. Han would have had her joined the ranks of the High Guards long ago if not for her curse and if not for her gender.

Han answered her, "Empress Candiss has died. The time of the new Amalgamation has come. Edward sets sail to collect his betrothed. Together, they shall sail for the Isle of Kismet to claim the crowns of Emperor and Empress. All of the High Guards shall escort him. Great danger awaits all who attempt the crown."

"All High Guards?" Pluck uttered as she pointed to herself. "You mean even me? Go where I'll be seen?" His statement confused her, and she questioned, "But how?" She looked at her hands, examining her fingers and palms that were bare but the rest of her hands were covered in short beige fur like her body, and then she asked, "Will your men accept me?"

Han told her, "Pluck, I didn't train you so you could stay in this Temple forever. You are a High Guard, and one of the finest I've ever schooled. Here..." He lifted a long cloak, a pair of boots, and gloves he'd been carrying in one hand as he said, "These shall keep you disguised till the others and yourself become accustomed to your condition."

She took the brown leather cloak, boots, and gloves.

"Put them on," he ordered.

Pluck hooked the cloak's clasp around her neck, pulled on the gloves, and slipped into the knee-high boots, and then she asked, "When will we return?"

Han thought about it, and then he answered, "The journey shall take over a season." He showed her a pin as he said, "There are two other things."

"A Charging Black Elk, the Fletching insignia," Pluck exclaimed as she beamed with pride as he fastened the gold and black pin to her cloak just above her heart.

He lifted a long object wrapped in a red cloth. He unwrapped a rapier, a matching main gauche, and a belt with a sword frog, and then he handed them to her.

She took the sword and matching dagger as she uttered, "An Accolade Sword!"

"Yes, the weapon of honor. It's official, Pluck." Pride beamed from his face as he stated, "You're a High Guard."

She grabbed the hilt of the rapier, and its silvery brass hand guard twisted over her hand like a vine. Pluck unsheathed the sword, studying its long slender blade.

"The finest weapon in the land," he said, and then Han folded his arms before he uttered, "Now..." He noticed her tail twitching under her cloak, and he questioned, "What are we to do about that?"

Pluck looked back and said, "Watch." She parted her cloak, revealing her waist, wrapped her tail around herself like a belt, and tucked the tip inside the tail opposite her sword.

Her actions amused him as he commented, "Interesting trick. Your tail is like a third arm." The sun rose high enough to peer into the Temple's Eastern windows as he said, "Time we go, come."

"I will," she told him as she turned and looked at the room and pool which had been her home for fourteen seasons. "I only have to say farewell."

Han turned and looked around the room as if expecting to see something or someone he hadn't seen since Pluck had been cursed. He had always wondered if the protector of the Mystic Rose had kept in contact with her, and he finally had his answer.

He told her as he left the great room and headed through the hall, "I shall ready the horses."

Pluck waited till she heard him leave the Temple, and then she yelled, "Fairah! Fairah, I'm leaving."

"Yes, I heard, child," the protector spoke as she appeared above the pool and floated down to her. "The commander is correct. Many dangers await all who take this journey. The Prince shall many times depend on ye for his safety."

"I understand that, but did you hear him? I won't be back for more than a season."

"What is this face for?" Fairah questioned as she lifted her ghostly hand to Pluck's chin. "Shall ye miss this old witch?"

"You've been like a..." She couldn't finish with the word mother and said instead, "You've been here when no one else was." She sniffed, fighting back tears as she replied, "So yes, I'll miss you, witch or not."

Fairah told her, "Then let me give ye a parting gift. One I have been wishing to give ye these many seasons but had not the power." She lifted her hands and green energy swirled around herself, and then the power ceased as she landed on the ground. Fairah smiled again and placed her arms around Pluck, embracing her.

Her touch startled Pluck, but then she returned her hug. Pluck couldn't remember a time when she felt more happy or sad. It had been seasons since she felt the touch of another, to feel their love, and now she had to depart.

"I don't want to leave you, but I have my duty," Pluck told her as she sniffed again, rubbing her panther nose. "Hopefully, I'll return as I was when I first entered this Temple."

Fairah stroked her mane as she said, "There... there... child." Fairah leaned back to look into her face and told her, "I shall be here when ye return. Know that." She grabbed her furry chin, pulling Pluck's gaze to hers. "Whether woman or beast, I shall be waiting."

Pluck nodded, unable to say anything and started for the exit.

Fairah grabbed her left gloved hand, lifted it so Pluck could see, and then told her, "One last thing before ye leave. The marks on ye's finger, they are more than tattoos. They are ye's connection to the Mystic Rose. It chose ye, remember that. Now ye should be on ye's way. Han shall be waiting."

Pluck hugged her again and then ran out.

A tear streamed down Fairah's face as she spoke, "Look at me." She wiped the wetness away before losing her corporeal form. "I am the one who ended up crying."
Chapter Three

Breakneck and Waterswift

The blue-gray hills of the land of Naught gave way to the flat country of the Flush Plains. Han nudged his horse to pick up speed through the tall blue-gray grass. The steed gnawed at the bit but obeyed as Han glanced at Pluck and questioned her, "You haven't said a word since we started our journey. Is something bothering you?"

"Many things," she answered. "Will the High Guards accept me? Is it too late to end my curse?" She muttered under her breath so he couldn't hear, "If it's not, will Edward give me the Kiss or will he save it for his new wife?"

Han hated that she kept the cure to her curse a secret all of these seasons, and he said, "If you would only tell me what pact you and the Prince made, I might be able to help you."

She stared at the distant shore as she told him, "When I am ready, I promise Han, I'll tell you."

He nodded, not understanding but respected her decision, looked ahead, and said, "Time you pulled on your hood. We're nearing the port."

Pluck and Han slowed their horses to a trot upon entering the large fishing village. Heron was like any in the Fletching Kingdom. The village had three taverns, a market, many huts, and a baron's house sat on the hill. Many peasants walked the streets while a few nobles rode through in carriages. Voices filled the air along with the cries of Gray Gulls as a salty breeze and the smell of fish hit Han.

He pointed as he told her, "The ships are ahead."

"Han, does the Prince know I'm coming?"

The commander halted his steed as he told her, "Pluck, I never told you this, but Edward doesn't remember you or that sun's cycle in the Temple. It was too much for him."

She pulled on the reins as her heart sunk. Pluck stared at the horse's mane, not wanting Han to see her hurt expression. She had been able to endure the curse because she always hoped one sun's cycle it would be lifted, but she always assumed Edward appreciated her actions. Pluck put a gloved hand on her chest as her soul ached, knowing her sacrifice was forgotten. She turned to Han and questioned, "If an act is unremembered, did it ever happen? Does it mean anything?"

"Pluck, I remember what you did and what you lost," Han told her, and then he nudged his steed forward, and she followed as he said, "To answer your question, I believe an act good or evil is never forgotten."

They neared the docks and dismounted. Breakneck and Waterswift, two of the Fletching six masts Royal Navy ships, were loading supplies. Most of the High Guards and their horses were already aboard, awaiting their commander's arrival.

"We're to board the Breakneck, that is Prince Edward's ship," Han told her as he grabbed his horse's reins, leading the animal toward the plank.

Pluck started to follow when she heard an old woman's voice. Outside a supply store, three men harassed an elderly couple. Her emerald feline eyes flashed with anger within the shadow of her hood.

"Foul Dreggs," she muttered and shouted, "Wait, Han! Here..." Pluck handed him her reins, and then she told him, "I must deal with these fiendish brutes."

Han noticed the couple, and he argued, "There's no time for this."

She faced him, surprised by the commander's words and questioned, "No time?"

The cloak shadowed her outraged face. Surely this wasn't her teacher speaking. Maybe this was a test.

Pluck said, "I can't believe you said that." She calmed herself and then questioned him, "What's the High Guard vow?"

Han muttered to himself, "So the student has become the instructor." He then answered, "We do all things to glorify the Creator, we pledge loyalty to the crown, we swear to protect the Fletching people and property, and above all, we forfeit our lives for the Royal Family."

She nodded and told him, "Very good. I shouldn't be too long." Pluck approached the three men like a dauntless Ghost Panther stalking the jungles, and then she deepened her voice as she spoke, "Is there something I can do for you gentlemen?"

One of the thugs, who had a missing front tooth, barked, "No." He turned, facing the cloaked stranger who had a gruff voice, and then the thug said, "Now why don't ya mind yer own business and move on?"

Pluck parted her cloak, revealing her Accolade Sword as she told him, "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Matt, he's a High Guard," another thug voiced, assuming she was a he. "Crell... He'll have our fasses!" the thug exclaimed as he backed away from the cloaked figure.

"I think not," Matt said as he placed his hand on the hilt of his bastard sword.

"Crell! What do we do?" the other thug questioned as he and his companion readied their maces, glancing around skittishly like Plains Rabbits.

Matt saw the shipload of High Guards watching them. Even if they took down the smug one in front of them, the rest would surely kill them. Matt spat on the ground and backed up, relenting as he said, "Our business here's completed." He turned, cursing and stomped down the dirt street as he barked, "Come on!"

Pluck watched the three men walk off, then turned to the elderly couple, and asked, "Can I help you load your cart?"

"No thank you, kind sir. We're grateful you came to our aid. Please..." The man handed her a wheel of cheese as he said, "Take this with our gratitude."

Pluck nodded, took the yellow cheese, headed for the Breakneck, and boarded the ship. She found Han standing at the gangplank after he had loaded their horses into the stable of the lower deck.

"Didn't even draw your sword, quite the beast," Han told her as he glanced hungrily at the cheddar. "What are you going to do with the wheel?"

She grinned at his pun and at his apparent craving for cheese and told him, "You can have it."

Han waved over a cabin boy and had the lad take the cheddar to his quarters, and then Han told her, "My thanks."

He motioned for her to follow him to a group of men. Four High Guards stood at attention as their commander approached. Each wore a white long-sleeved shirt, brown leather pants, and a red cape with the Fletching insignia of a charging Black Elk pinned above their heart. Each was armed with a rapier and matching main gauche.

Han motioned to the tallest of the group and said, "This is Ardor, my Second. He's the finest swordsman in the land."

The long black-haired man with a muscular build was also beardless and had a small scar under his right eye, and he stepped forward as he said, "So this must be Pluck, the Guard you've been training in the North."

Ardor looked over their newest member, wondering what Han saw in him. Over the last few seasons, Han spent most of his time in the North. There was a possibility that this High Guard was better than him and if so, he felt this newcomer would be in the running to replace the commander when the time came. He rested his hand on his hilt, thinking he would watch him closely.

"Yes, this is Pluck," Han replied, and then he motioned to a red-headed man with a pointed beard. "This is Fracas, master of the bow and Head Archer."

"Ah..." Fracas spoke as he reached out, grabbed Pluck's gloved hand, and shook it as he said, "So... I've heard you've also split a few arrows." Fracas would have to test his arm, pit his skill against Pluck's, and see if Pluck was as good as Han boasted.

Pluck returned the thin man's shake as she said, "I'm nowhere near your skill."

"Modesty," a blond-headed man spoke as he slapped her back, nearly knocking her down, and then he spoke, "We shall have to keep an eye on you."

Han said, "This Forest Ox of a man is Parry and to his right is Sinew. He's the silent one and our finest tracker."

Pluck looked at the large muscular man with a blond goatee then to the last. Sinew was short, had a shaven head, and a long black mustache. She nodded to them.

Parry leaned down to Sinew's ear and questioned, "So which initiation should we use to induct this one? The bloody sheep's bag in the bed or the Night Prowlers Raid?"

"The latter," Sinew answered, stroking his long mustache. "Why hold back?"

Parry nodded as he replied, "Good. The first night he isn't on duty we strike."

Han turned to Ardor and asked him, "Are we ready to set sail?"

"Yes, all of our men and supplies are loaded," Ardor answered, and then he headed for the Breakneck's captain. "Let us see how long till her crew's ready."

The rest of the men headed for their stations as Pluck followed Han and Ardor up to the bridge.

"Waterswift has set sail for the mouth of the bay to scout for any of Commery, Swelldom, or Hort's ships," Ardor continued. "Two nights ago a Commery vessel was spotted. It isn't likely they shall attack so close to the mainland, but one never knows." He walked up the steps to the bridge as he said, "We await the Prince's arrival."

"Then you wait no longer," Edward declared as he stood at the top of the gangplank with Melee his personal guard behind him. The Prince's disdain of King Stark's orders was apparent on his face. His father forced him to leave his lovers behind. His father said it wouldn't be proper to have them along on his wedding voyage, not only would he have no companionship on the journey, but he was to marry a woman he'd never seen. He feared that she was ghastly.

Edward asked, "How long till we get this wretched voyage on its way?"

Ardor nodded to the skipper, and Captain Brine stepped forward and answered, "We shall set sail now, my lord."

Pluck studied her Prince and her childhood friend. Edward had changed; he was a man. She looked over his royal garb consisting of a blue silk shirt, white cotton pants, and a gold silk sash girded his waist. A large gold medallion with the charging Black Elk decorated his neck. He was a handsome man and this fact saddened her. What was she thinking? Why would he kiss one so monstrous as she? Even if it ended her curse, Edward doesn't know her or remember her. Why did she get her hopes up?

"Very good," Edward answered. "Have someone show me my quarters and bring along my things."

"At once, my lord," Brine said, and then he shouted orders to his crew, and soon they were on their way.

A great wind caught Breakneck's sails, pushing her over the blue-green waters. Seaspray moistened the cool air as Gray Gulls filled the cloudless sky. Pluck stood at a railing, looked at the ocean, and held on to her hood as the salty wind whipped at her face. She had never been out to sea before; it was a completely different world. Pluck felt a hand touch her shoulder, she turned, and she uttered, "Han."

"I have assigned you to be one of Edward's personal guards along with Melee. One of you must always be at his side."

"I'm afraid to approach the Prince, how can I be his bodyguard?" she questioned him as she glanced at the water. "I don't think–"

"Then don't," Han interrupted. "This assignment shall give you a chance to get to know Edward. Maybe then he shall come to remember you and the pledge and then once and for all, he shall shatter your curse." He looked across the horizon as he spoke, "Till that happens, do your job and let time deal with forgotten memories. I have confidence things shall work out."

"I don't know," Pluck said. "Maybe it's better I don't get my hopes up." She changed the subject by asking, "How many sun's cycles till we reach the Morgog Kingdom?"

"Four. A lot can happen in that time," he spoke to reassure her. "Seize the opportunities when they come."
Chapter Four

Port of Pass

Lookouts searched the seas for enemy ships from their lofty perch in the crows nests. The sun's cycle faded, and the air grew chilly as the cabin boy lit the ship's lanterns. Night came ever darkening the amber sky till there was no trace of the sun. The full moons crept over the ship, casting a ghostly glow on the dark ocean. In the distance and in the depths of the sea, Horned Whales sang their sad hypnotic song. Pluck had never heard such an enchanting melody. It made her homesick for Fairah, the Temple, and the night sounds of the forest. The sea was so different.

Pluck held her post outside the Prince's quarters as the first part of the night went by uneventful. She stood below deck, swaying with the ship with only her thoughts to keep her company. She muttered, "I don't think I'll ever get used to this. The floor's never still."

She nodded to Bulwark who passed her in the hall. Pluck remembered the old High Guard from her childhood and wished she could tell him who she was. He and Von had always been so kind to her. Pluck sighed, tapping her hilt as her mind drifted. Four sun's cycles till they reached Morgog. What would Princess Virago be like? Pretty, she assumed. Her mind returned to the ship and to the loneliness of her post. This was frustrating. Pluck didn't see how she and Edward would ever get to know each other if all she did was stand out while he slept. Han needed to... The Prince screamed and filled her thoughts with images of that fateful day in the Temple. She turned in a panic and went to his aid.

"Edward!" Pluck yelled as she opened the door and rushed in ready to draw her sword. She found him sitting up in bed breathing heavily, and so she asked, "Are you all right?"

"I am fine; it was a mere nightmare," he replied as he looked at Pluck and noticed who he thought was a man wasn't Melee. Edward said, "I do not know you."

His words cut at her heart as she stuttered, "I..." She composed herself and said, "I am Pluck. I took over for Melee."

Edward put a hand to his head and spoke, "That is right. Han spoke of this."

Silence followed, so she broke the awkward moment with a question and asked, "What was it about?"

"Hmm..." he voiced as he examined the shadowy figure in the hall's light. "What was what about and why are you wearing a hooded cloak instead of the High Guard cape?"

"I was asking about your dream," Pluck replied as she took a few steps into the room. "As for my hood, it's no disrespect to you. It hides my appearance; it's quite startling."

"When I was younger, one of the old soldiers wore a hood. His face had been maimed during the last Amalgamation. Is this the same with you?"

She replied, "I wasn't maimed during an Amalgamation but yes, you could say I'm the way I am because I was defending the Fletching family. Now–" She walked up to his bed and questioned, "–your dream?"

"Nightmare," Edward answered as he wiped his clammy face. "I have it every night. I see this horrible Beast that resembles a Necrom, and it is in the midst of a great battle."

Horrible Beast? Pluck's heart fluttered. Was he dreaming of her?

Edward continued, "The Beast slays hundreds but still it unwaivers. It screams like a Ghost Panther, then the Beast turns, and I can see its piercing green eyes. It charges after me. I am afraid and cry out, and that is when I wake. The dream is always the same." He turned to her as a glimmer of hope crossed his face, and he questioned, "What do you think? I have asked many but none can give me an answer."

Pluck began, "Maybe the Beast isn't horrible. Maybe she's trying to tell you something. Have you ever tried not to fear the Beast and let her approach you? You know it's a dream, so the Beast can't hurt you."

She? He never said the Beast was a he or a she.

Edward cleared his dry throat and said, "No, I have never tried to do anything in the nightmares. I do not know if I can. They are so terrible."

"Not if you know they are made by your mind," she said and then suggested, "Next time you have one, don't fear the Beast. Let her approach you; it may be the only way to end them."

"I shall try. Thank you. You may leave now, ah..."

"Pluck."

"Yes," Edward said as he lay back, grabbing his covers. "Close the door as you leave."

* * *

Edward emerged from below with Pluck following. The bright sun shone through the clouded sky, and he squinted, putting his hand up to shade his eyes. Sailors were busy about their work as he walked up to the bridge, and Captain Brine had the helm.

"How do we fare?" Edward asked.

"Very well, my lord. We should arrive at Pass Island by late sun's cycle," Brine replied as he gripped the wheel's spokes. "We shall add a few more supplies along with your presents for your bride and by tomorrow morning, we shall be sailing for the Morgog Kingdom."

"Have any enemy ships been spotted?"

"No," Brine answered as he pointed beyond the bow to a ship in the distance. "Wind Swift sails ahead of us. She signals every nal but has yet to spot a vessel. Most eerie, considering this is a trade route."

Melee approached them, motioning that he would take over for Pluck. She nodded and headed below. Pluck had never been so tired. All the standing around doing nothing. She headed for Han's quarters which he shared with her and Ardor. Pluck entered, finding both men gone and examined the bunks. They were so small and enclosed, she didn't know if she could sleep in them.

Pluck climbed into the top one and removed her boots and gloves. She unclasped her cloak, laying it to the side, and released her tail from around her waist as she exclaimed, "Ahh..." Pluck sighed and muttered, "More than a season of this. I don't know if I can do it." She lay on her stomach, allowing her tail to twitch about. She missed running freely through the forest, she missed the Temple, and she missed Fairah. Pluck tried to sleep but couldn't. There were so many new sounds and smells, and the ship swayed. Her eyelids gradually grew heavy, and soon she succumbed to exhaustion.

Later that sun's cycle, she heard footsteps approach her cabin and quickly pulled on her cloak.

Ardor opened the door, and he ordered, "Awake, Pluck. We dock in Pass."

Pass was smaller than Heron but just as busy. Edward disembarked along with Melee and Pluck. She went along for extra security. They rode to the middle of the small island where a trader named Purveyor had gathered gifts for Princess Virago from the Five Kingdoms.

An old white-haired beggar shaded himself under a Cobalt Oak near the trader's store. His dull blue eyes stared off into the distance, and they were vacant as the shell that sat there. The beggar who was dressed in rags tilted his head as the three dismounted and he smiled, revealing his rotten teeth. He came to life like a stringed puppet, holding out his wooden bowl for coin. He pointed a bony finger at Pluck and yelled, "You... I know yer kind. You are touched..." he blared. "You are touched!"

"Sounds like someone else is touched," Melee said as he tapped his head.

Edward chuckled and went into the store, leaving Melee to watch the horses.

Pluck paused, glancing at the beggar then at her tattooed finger hidden by her glove. He had pointed right at her and said her kind, but she was alone in her curse. Pluck followed the Prince into the store as she muttered, "Crazy beggar."

Many oddities and rare gifts filled the shelves of Purveyor's store. Weapons old and new were exhibited in display cases and hung on walls. Stuffed creatures, some of which neither of them had seen before, stood throughout the room, and other trinkets laid about.

"Ah... Prince Edward..." Purveyor said as he approached them with his arms wide. He was a well-rounded man and nearly as wide as he was tall. "Good to see you again." He grabbed the Prince's hand, kissed his royal ring, and then said, "Come, come, I have the items you ordered. This way..." Purveyor led them to the back as he spoke, "Twenty bolts of Sol Silk, four dozen Blood Pearls from the coast of Benin, Red Ivory, Black Diamonds, and the finest gems." He pointed to crate after crate as he told them, "Here's the Cobalt Silver, Fire-white Gold, and Ruby Glass."

Pluck watched the trader closely, searching for signs he might attack the Prince. She sensed he couldn't be trusted, and the store made her uneasy. The scents of many dead animals filled the room, and she felt as if the fleshy statues watched them. They shouldn't have done that to the animals. It wasn't right. Would they want their carcasses on display?

When they entered the back room, she felt a familiar presence, and it added to her unsettling sensations. She put her hand on her hilt as the low rumblings of a Woolly Tiger permeated the room. The Prince and Purveyor didn't hear the low roar. Her heart pounded. It was like that sun's cycle long ago when she and Edward first entered the Temple. Pluck searched the room but found no large cats, not that she thought she would. In a corner, a flash of metal caught her eye. It was odd since no sunlight broke into the room. The glint came from a sword. Pluck turned to Edward for guidance, but he was busy talking with the trader. She turned back to the weapon. Was she meant to see the sword?

Pluck walked to the hand-and-a-half sword, grabbed the black scabbard, and examined the strange markings adorning the leather. The steel of the handle was almost white like the hottest fire. She grabbed the hilt which had a large sphere pommel and a power throbbed through the grip like a pulse. The energy excited her, so she unsheathed the sword and felt a force flow through it almost like it was alive. She discovered that more markings engraved the blade and that it was exquisitely crafted. Pluck lifted the weapon, testing its weight, and it was well balanced. Delight swelled in her, and she had to have the sword. She smoothed her glove over the ancient lettering of the blade and spoke its name, "Lux the Lightning Sword."

Pluck was surprised she could read the archaic words. She sheathed the Lux and walked to Purveyor who was still trying to flatter the Prince with his business prowess.

"You wouldn't believe what I traded to acquire this Sol Silk. Cooking pots," Purveyor started as he put his hand on his round belly and laughed. "Yes, now that was a deal."

Edward said, "One I imagine you shall pass on to the consumer."

"Yes, of course, my lord," Purveyor stated as his face paled.

"How much for this sword?" Pluck questioned as she showed the weapon to the trader.

"That sword..." Purveyor started as he eyed the Prince, making sure he listened. "Now that is an interesting piece, though I am sad to say the blade must have rusted. No one has been able to remove it from its housing." He rubbed his hands together as he said, "It would still make a nice piece to display if you're interested."

She told him, "I removed the blade without difficulty."

"You must be mistaken. I should know. I've had that sword for many seasons," Purveyor said, then turned to the Prince, and stated, "See, I am an honest businessman."

"Is this so?" Edward asked as he glanced at the weapon, then faced the trader, and told him, "If the sword does not function, then it should be given away."

"Given?" Purveyor uttered as if someone stole a precious gem from him. He couldn't bear the thought of losing money on a trade. "Given, you say?" he questioned again as he reached out his hand and said, "May I see the sword?"

She handed him the scabbard.

Purveyor grabbed the hilt, trying to remove the hand-and-a-half sword, but it wouldn't budge. He shook his head, studied its finely crafted handle and scabbard, and then sighed. He lifted the sheath with both hands, returned the weapon, and gave in to pressure as he said, "You're right, my lord. I give this sword as a gift to your High Guard."

Pluck accepted the scabbard as she said, "Thank you." She strapped the sword over her shoulder so that the scabbard rested on her back at an angle. Pluck wondered if there was magic within the sword as there was magic within her. Why else could the trader not unsheathe the Lux?

Edward removed several bags of gold and told the trader, "Our business is then concluded. Have the gifts brought to my ship right away. Here are a thousand pieces. You shall receive the remaining ten thousand once the items are delivered."

"Yes, of course," Purveyor said as he greedily took the bags. "They shall be there within the nal."

"Pluck!" Melee shouted from outside. "To arms!"

She entered the front room, drawing her rapier and main gauche, and looked at the Prince as Edward drew his. They both rushed outside while the trader glanced out his windows. Melee had his weapons drawn on seven horsemen.

"You!" Pluck shouted as she pointed her sword at their leader. "You're the one who harassed that couple at Heron."

Matt bowed as he said, "I'm honored ya remembered me, it makes it easier. Ya know we have some business to satisfy."

"Maybe," Pluck spoke as she glanced at Edward and then to Melee. "Why don't we return things as they were? These two will leave then we'll discuss our business."

Matt laughed, revealing his missing front tooth as he replied, "No, they'll stay."

Pluck said as she stepped closer to the horsemen, "I don't think you followed us all this way because I prevented you from stealing a wheel of cheese." She demanded, "What's your true purpose here?"

"Yes!" Edward spoke up. "Who hired you? Which of the Kingdoms? Commery, Swelldom, or Hort?"

Matt smiled like a Black-faced Jackal finding a carcass as he told them, "That I can't tell ya." He commanded his men, "Kill the High Guards, but don't harm the Prince at least not yet." He slid off his horse as his men dismounted, and three men started for Pluck. Matt ordered, "No, stand down. That Phragg is mine." Matt drew his bastard sword and lunged for Pluck as he said, "Ya High Guards are so archaic."

She deflected his attack and then questioned him, "Why do you say that?" Pluck countered with a volley of cuts.

"Ya have fallen behind the times. Look at the weapons yer using," Matt stated after he leaped from the swipes. "Sure yer rapiers might be the finest in the land, but they're useless against weapons like these." He swung his bastard sword over his head and brought it down, breaking her rapier in half.

Shock seized her as the steel failed her, and she stared at the broken blade in the dirt. All those seasons she'd yearned to wield a weapon as fine as the Accolade Sword, and now she stood before seven Dreggs defeated in her first duel.

"See, I've proven my point," Matt said as he readied his sword for another attack. "Now, I'll thrust it into yer heart."

Her instincts took over, and she leaped back, landing on a boulder she had seen several feet away. She threw the hilt of the rapier to the ground and stared at her main gauche.

Matt yelled at her outraged, but then he grinned and said, "Yer very agile, High Guard, but yer still without a weapon." He lifted both hands and declared, "And outnumbered."

He charged the boulder, and Pluck ran for a Lofty Pine, scurried to its lowest branch, and crouched on all fours, studying the situation. She wanted to scream at the Dregg, but she had to control herself and keep the Beast within her reined.

"Come down here and die like a man," Matt ordered, cutting into the tree with his sword. The blade wedged into the wood, and he couldn't disengage it. "As soon as I get this free, I'm coming after ya."

She ignored Matt, looking at the three men watching them, then to the two fighting Melee, and finally to the one attacking the Prince. Pluck could remove her cloak, and her appearance might frighten the Dreggs into running, but it would kill her chances of ending her curse. Pluck reached up and grabbed her hood as she glanced at the Prince. She couldn't let her selfish reasoning jeopardize Edward's life, but maybe there was still another way.

Moments seemed like nals as Pluck pondered her next action. Edward and Melee fought courageously as she stood idle. Pluck decided she had to then as if the wind carried the sound from a distant land, she heard the Woolly Tiger's roar. Pine needles rustled as relief swept over her for there was hope. Pluck sheathed her dagger and moved her hand past the hood to the pommel of the hand-and-a-half sword. She'd almost forgotten about the Lux.

"What's wrong, High Guard?" Matt asked as he grunted to free his weapon. "Ya look lost. Are ya as fragile as yer sword?"

Pluck leaped over his head, flipped, and landed on her feet. She unsheathed her new weapon and thunder rumbled from a cloudless sky.

Matt's toothless smile faded as he exclaimed, "Crell! Yer not weaponless!"

Purveyor watched from a window and uttered, "By Fletching! How did you remove it?" He remembered himself and covered his mouth, hiding again in the shadow of his store.

The thug fighting Edward forced the sword from the Prince's hand, and then he said, "Matt, I have him." He placed the tip of his blade to Edward's throat and blood trickled down the Prince's neck.

Pluck held her breath. They couldn't kill him. She had to save him.

"Easy there," Matt commanded his man. "We aren't paid to spill royal blood." He turned his attention back to Pluck and ordered her, "Drop yer sword."

If she did, there was no chance for them. Pluck had to taunt him into a fight, so she shouted, "Are you afraid to meet me now that I've a weapon that matches yours?"

Matt's men looked at him. Even the ones fighting Melee glanced back to see how he would answer.

"Fass! I fear no man!" he declared. "Least of all yer petty attempts to sway me from my job. Men, let's go. We have what we came for."

"No!" Melee shouted, trying to get past the two he dueled to reach his Prince, but they prevented him. One broke through his defenses and cut him across the arm. Melee dropped his rapier as blood ran from his cut, spotting his white shirt, but the injury to his arm was slight.

Pluck watched horrified and her terror turned to rage as she felt a rumbling. At first, she thought the ground shook, and then she realized her sword quaked, shaking her with its intensity. She feared the Lux's might and yet relished in it. Pluck lifted the sword, and lightning crackled from the blade, ionizing the air around her. She felt the sword's energy surge through her arm and roared, enthralled by its vigor as she yelled, "It has so much power!" Pluck placed her other hand on the hilt to control its rampage.

"Ah... Matt, what the Crell is that sword doing?" one of his men asked.

"Fass! Don't know."

Pluck rushed Matt and then engaged him, and each time her blade met his steel, lightning flashed and sparks flew. She furiously attacked, not giving Matt a chance to counter. Her fierce onslaught forced the leader to the ground, and his men came to his aid even though they were afraid of the mystical sword. Pluck turned on them and when they lifted their swords and maces against her, she swiped across the weapons and cut them in half. The loyalty they had for their leader weakened for fear and the bandits fled, leaving him behind. Matt scurried back to a boulder like a frightened Borough Rat.

She leveled her sword on him, controlling the rage screaming to cut him down. Through labored breath and gritted teeth, she questioned, "Who sent you?"

"I... I can't tell," Matt quivered out as he put his hands up, shielding himself from the electricity crackling around the sword. "They'll kill me."

Her Ghost Panther growl made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as she asked him, "What do you think I'll do to you, Dregg?"

Matt uttered, "What are you?"

Pluck grew impatient and growled again as she demanded, "Answer my question!"

"I will!" he whined. "Don't hurt me." He glanced around, and then told her, "Yer right, one of the Kingdoms hired us."

"Which one?" Edward demanded as he neared them. "Tell us!" He put a handkerchief to the cut on his neck.

Matt started, "It was the–" His brownish eyes widened as he grabbed his chest, gripping a dart that struck him. "No," he gasped. "I wasn't going to tell," Matt screamed. "Crell!" He looked at them for help and realized they couldn't save him, so he shouted at them, "All of ya can go to Crell!" He balled up and muttered, "The pain... Dreggs! A curse on Fletching!" Blood ran from his nose, and then he twitched in agony and died.

Melee and Pluck quickly surrounded the Prince.

The old beggar under the Cobalt Oak chuckled, then made the sign of evil by lifting his pinky and pointer finger, and aimed the warning at them. He said, "I can't allow you to gain the answer to that yet." He stood, holding a small blowgun in his other hand.

Melee charged him as he yelled, "By Fletching! I'll wipe that smile from your grubby face."

The beggar laughed again as his demeanor transformed from a pitiful poor man to a venomous warlock as he spoke, "Fools..." His appearance changed along with his clothes as his gray hair grew and transformed into a wolf's head headdress. His dull blue eyes turned dark as midnight, his rotten teeth to gleaming fangs, a wolf's fur robe replaced his rags, and a long, pointed, inky-black goatee sprouted from his chin. He told them, "You cannot harm me." He turned before Melee reached him and disappeared into the oak like a ghost.

"Witchcraft!" Edward spat, enraged he wouldn't have his answer. "Which of the Kingdoms would use the forbidden arts?" He scratched his chin and then questioned, "Was he a Necrom?"

"I don't know, my lord," Melee replied as he returned to his side. "But we better venture back to the Breakneck. I am still concerned about your safety so far out here from the others."

He and the Prince headed for the horses as Pluck stared at the Cobalt Oak. She didn't think he was a Necrom. He didn't have the appearance of the cat-like creatures. No, he looked human. The warlock didn't look like her at all, but he did use magic. Being a wielder of the dark arts, could he know what she was? This assumption frightened her. What if he told the others before she had a chance to? Her lips quivered in the shadow of her hood. What if the others cast her out? She bit her lip, watching the Prince as she muttered, "What if Edward forsakes me?"
Chapter Five

The Initiation

Han paced the deck of the Breakneck as he shouted, "Fass! I should have sent more men with you." He glanced at the Prince and then to Melee and Pluck as the ocean lapped at the docked ship and a few Gray Gulls cried in the distance. "You should have my command for this."

"Nonsense," Edward replied. "Consider this, if we had taken more men the bandits might have waited for another opportunity, and then we would not know one of the Kingdoms is using a Necrom."

"Fairy tales!" Fracas declared, overhearing their conversation from the gangplank. "There's no such thing."

"Yes, but..." Han started as he grabbed the railing of the ship and looked at the port of Pass. "They did see the beggar vanish. Perhaps there's sorcery at work and since magic exists, then Necroms could also."

Fracas shook his head in disbelief and threw his Jewel Apple over the side before he said, "I still say they are merely stories; ones told to frighten children into staying out of the woods." He considered that magic may exist, but the Necroms couldn't. If they did, that would mean the old stories were true and that would mean there could be another Great War. His reasoning frightened him as he considered this time they might not escape with their lives if another war ensued.

Edward put his hand to his chin as he spoke, "Whoever is using the dark arts does not want us to know. They killed the bandits' leader to prevent him from revealing their identity, and what I saw was no beast but a man. We all have heard that Necroms are cat-like monsters."

"Still..." Han started as he couldn't get past his failure. "I shouldn't have let you go with only two guards."

Edward put his hand on the old High Guard's shoulder as he told him, "Han, I was in capable hands with Melee and Pluck."

"Actually," Melee spoke up. "Pluck's the one who saved us with that enchanted sword of his."

"Enchanted?" Han approached her and questioned, "What's he talking about?"

A salty breeze swept across the ship, blowing against Pluck's cloak as she shamefully thought more of the Accolade Sword. "My rapier broke during battle," she told him as she showed him the severed blade. "I've been dishonored."

"To have the blade break during a fight is no dishonor," Han said as he took the weapon. "Only if it's stripped." He turned to Ardor and ordered, "We shall give you another."

"He does not need it," Edward said, talking of Pluck. "The weapon he acquired from the trader is far more superior, therefore, a Sword of Honor."

"I saw it strike like lightning," Melee added. "It cut through the bandits' weapons like a sickle through grass."

"What weapon?" Han asked.

Pluck unstrapped the sword from her back and showed him. Han took the black scabbard, looked the weapon over, and tried to remove the sword as Ardor watched.

"Blasted!" Han yelled as his face reddened with the effort. "It won't budge."

"Allow me," Ardor said, and then he tried. "Crell! I also can't draw the blade." Frustrated, he handed it to Pluck and ordered, "You do it!"

She hesitated, but then took the Lux, and drew it. The unsheathing sounded like thunder, and the blade glowed lightning white.

"Witchcraft!" Ardor spat as he stepped back from the crackling blade. "We should toss him and the weapon overboard." He drew his rapier, wondering if the sword was a weapon of the Necroms.

Captain Brine and a few sailors murmured their agreement, and then Brine said, "Aye, evil shall befall this ship if we allow the sword to stay."

Their accusation appalled Pluck, and she readied herself for a fight.

Before Han could challenge Ardor, the Prince commanded, "No!" His face reddened with rage as he said, "I would be in the hands of my enemy if it was not for Pluck's sword." He stepped to the taller man and questioned him, "Are you saying we should throw over everyone who possesses an item of magic?"

"Yes!" Ardor answered without thinking.

Han cringed, not knowing how the Prince would react.

"Then I should be first to walk the plank," Edward spoke as he pointed toward the cabins. "Do not forget I possess the Mystic Rose."

Ardor's enraged face softened to shock and embarrassment as he started, "My lord, I did not mean–"

"Let us drop this matter then," the Prince interrupted.

Ardor tightened his jaw as he sheathed his rapier, and then he said, "The matter is dropped." He glanced at Pluck with a look that said he would only drop it for the moment.

Han walked to Pluck, leaned to her hood, and said, "Maybe it's best you leave and let Ardor manage his temper."

She nodded, placed her sword back in its scabbard, and headed below. Ardor disliked her since she came on board. She didn't understand why he hated her or what she had done to bring about such disdain.

Back on deck...

"What should our next move be?" Han asked, moved to Ardor, and patted the Second on the back, reassuring him.

Ardor remained silent, managing his temper and his tongue. What a fool he was? Him accusing the Prince could cost Ardor his command.

Edward walked to the railing and answered the commander, "The only thing we can do for now is–" He scanned the open sea and said, "–set sail for the Morgog Kingdom, retrieve my wife, and head for the Isle of Kismet."

* * *

Earlier that sun's cycle...

Fracas stood, grabbed his longbow from the tavern's table, and said, "Sinew... Parry... It's time we left," he insisted. "We must return to the Breakneck."

Parry grabbed a barmaid, whirled her around, sat her on his lap, and replied, "A few moments more, my friend." He twirled his finger in her long brown hair and whispered into her ear.

She giggled, stroked his blond goatee, and told him, "I can't till mi shift's over."

Sinew smoothed his hand over his shaven head and lifted his mug as he barked, "Another!"

"No! You're already drunk," Fracas told him as he swung his bow, knocking the mug from the smaller man's grasp. "Let's go while you can still walk."

"I'm not drunk," Sinew insisted, swaying on the bench, and then he stared at his throbbing knuckles. "Phraggs! That hurt!"

Fracas threw up his hands and uttered, "Fine!" He stomped to the exit, paused, and looked back to see if his two friends were watching. They weren't so he stepped outside. He would show them. Fracas cleared his throat and shouted, "High Guards! To arms!"

Parry stood, dumping the barmaid to the floor, drew his sword, searched the tavern, and asked, "Where's my blade needed?"

Sinew barely got to his feet and slurred, "I have your back." He twisted his thin black mustache, reached for his weapon, and fell drunk to the floor.

"Get up!" Parry shouted. "Our enemy is upon us!" He nudged the smaller man with his foot as he yelled, "Get up!"

Sinew moaned, rolled over, and started snoring.

Fracas walked back into the tavern, laughing and said, "You're the elite of the High Guards? It's a wonder the Fletching Kingdom hasn't fallen."

Parry's eyes flashed with rage as he exclaimed, "What the Crell?" He charged the bowman ready to strike and shouted, "Why you dirty Borough Rat!"

"Now old friend..." Fracas started and then fled, running around the tavern with an ox of a man pursuing him. "I was trying to prove my point."

Parry finally cornered him and then asked, "Do you think this was funny?"

Fracas took a moment, considering his answer and replied, "Yes."

Parry raised his sword as a grin appeared on his face, and then he said, "You're right." He lowered the rapier and told him, "Come, my friend, let's get Sinew and return to the Breakneck. There shall be time for women another sun's cycle."

* * *

At the docks, Parry dunked Sinew's head into a rain barrel several times.

"Enough!" Sinew yelled as he freed himself from the blond man's grip as water dripped from him. "I'm sober."

"Perhaps. Stand on one foot and touch your nose."

Sinew tried but couldn't, and then he questioned, "What does that prove? I couldn't do that even when I was sober."

Parry laughed, and then he said, "I wanted to see if you would try."

Sinew punched his arm as he grumbled, "Blond Ox, why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

He laughed some more, and then he replied, "If I did that, I'd have no one to pick on."

Fracas bought a Jewel Apple from a peddler, bit into the amber fruit, and stated, "Look the Prince has returned."

He continued up the docks, boarding the ship. Parry and Sinew bought Sun Oranges from the peddler.

"What do you think is going on?" Sinew asked as he motioned to the Breakneck with his orange. "The discussion seems heated."

Parry shaded his eyes from the high sun and then answered, "Perhaps something has happened." He finished peeling his fruit, took a bite of the juicy yellow flesh, and then said, "Look... Ardor and Pluck have drawn their weapons. Could Pluck have challenged his position?"

Sinew squinted and twisted his mustache as he spoke, "Perhaps... But then the Prince would not step in." He finished his orange and started peeling another. "Now Pluck is heading below. That was most odd."

"Is Pluck on duty tonight?" Parry asked with a hint of mischief in his blue eyes.

"No. Why?" Sinew questioned, and then he recognized the look on his friend's face. "What trouble are you planning?"

An expression of devilment appeared on the large man's face as he replied, "We have yet to initiate this High Guard from the North. Tonight we shall use the Night Prowlers Raid."

* * *

Parry, Sinew, and Fracas snuck below deck. Parry carried a large potato sack meant to throw over Pluck.

"This is Han's cabin," Parry whispered.

"Are you sure Han and Ardor aren't within?" Fracas asked as he scanned the corridor and stroked his pointed red beard.

"Yes, we don't want to be caught," Sinew spoke up.

"I am sure," Parry answered. "Do you two know what you must do?"

"I watch the hall," Fracas said, turned, and leaned against the wall.

"I grab Pluck's legs after you throw the sack over him," Sinew spoke as he put his hand on Parry's back ready to rush in.

Bulwark walked by, and they froze till he went up on deck. The older High Guard mumbled, "Up to no good again?"

They didn't answer, holding their breaths as if it would make them invisible. The door shut behind Bulwark, and they exhaled.

"Where were we?" Fracas asked, checking to make sure no one else approached.

"Ready to rush in, so go, Parry," Sinew said as he ribbed him.

"Hey watch it, little man," Parry threatened with a whisper. "Now once we have Pluck, we shall sneak him up on deck and tie him to a mast."

"And if he doesn't go quietly?" Fracas asked.

Parry made a fist and answered, "A little knock on the head shouldn't hurt him."

They rushed into Han's room.

A few mites earlier...

Pluck slept in the upper bunk till she heard three men talking in the hall. They whispered but with her keen senses, she heard their conversation.

"They want to snatch me, huh?" Pluck muttered to herself as she grabbed her cloak, threw it on, and quietly climbed down to the floor. The cabin was pitch dark but that didn't hinder her sight. Pluck found her boots and gloves and searched the locker at the foot of the bunk. What kind of game were they playing? She found rope underneath the bunks. Maybe one she could turn on them. Pluck scurried into the rafters ready to pounce as her tail twitched with excitement underneath her cloak.

Parry crept in along with Sinew who held a lantern. He motioned for the smaller man to go to the end of the upper bunk. On his signal, both men grabbed for Pluck, but she wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Sinew asked, searching the cabin with his light.

"I am here," Pluck answered.

Sinew lifted the lantern as she leaped upon them. Both men screamed.

The next morning...

Bulwark walked up on deck, starting his rounds when something caught his eye. Fracas, Sinew, and Parry were gagged and tied to a mast. He walked to them and stated, "I see the Initiation did not go to your liking."

The three men yelled at him through their gags.

"I am sorry, but I don't understand you," he told them and then looked around. "As much as I would like to stay and chat, I have rounds to walk." The three men yelled after him as Bulwark left, and he told them, "You should be thankful Pluck didn't strip you naked and hang you upside down." He added, "I would have."
Chapter Six

Memories

Breakneck left the Port of Pass, setting sail for the Morgog Kingdom. Everyone was uneasy with magic on the wind, and no one dared mention Necroms or the dark arts. It was well into the third sun's cycle as the ships pushed along at a good speed. Pluck followed the Prince to his cabin, noticed Bulwark posted outside, and wondered why the old High Guard was guarding the Prince's room. Edward went into his cabin, and Pluck stopped in the hall. A yellow glow caught her eye, and she noticed it wasn't from lamps for none lit the room. In the middle of the cabin hung a glass-domed case and within it, the Mystic Rose hovered as white sparkles swirled around it. It was the Rose. Two feelings wrestled with her heart. One was of hope that her curse would be ended, and the other was of dread that she would remain in her enchanted form.

The magic bloom called to her, so Pluck stepped into the Prince's room and hesitated, remembering her place. Bulwark glanced at her, wondering what the Northern High Guard was doing.

Edward noticed the High Guard's curiosity and told Pluck, "It is fine. Come in and see. Close the door behind you," Edward ordered as he flopped on his bed, unbuckled his sword frog, and let the belt and scabbard drop to the floor. Weariness covered his face as he loosened his gold silk sash.

Pluck, drawn by the Rose, walked to the glass dome. The container swayed with the motion of the ship, but the movement of the case didn't affect the Rose's levitation. The Rose stayed suspended in its housing as sparkles spiraled around the Rose. Her heart pounded like an infantry drum the closer she drew. All the emotions concerning her curse and the redemption she desired, overwhelmed Pluck and watered her eyes.

The Rose's yellow petals transformed to blue, casting an azure glow, and the Prince noticed the flower's hue change and said, "I do not know why the Mystic Rose alters colors." Edward stared at the Rose as he continued, "I had it brought here from the ship's hold. It was under guard there. I thought it might be safer hidden but..." He sighed again and added, "I have grown so accustomed to its presence, I cannot sleep unless the Rose is in the room. I think it has bewitched me."

The power tugging her toward the Rose grew stronger, enchanting her. She raised her gloved hand toward the case as if to clasp the flower. Her tattooed finger throbbed as the Rose pulsed with magical energy. This rhythmic vim hit the glass-domed case, shaking it with charged electrical force. She turned her back to the Prince and removed her glove, seeing her tattoo. The four black rings on her bare finger glowed silver as the Rose's blue petals transformed to platinum, increasing its throbbing tempo. A surge of energy shot from the Rose like a ball of lightning. The power cracked the glass and shattered it, releasing the energy into the room and filled the cabin with crackling electricity. Pluck covered her eyes as glass flew, and then she stepped back, frightened by the surge. The more she retreated the less the Rose pulsed and soon the electrical ball faded, returning the cabin to a dark room cast in an azure glow. Pluck looked at the silver rings, remembering the last thing Fairah told her.

"These marks on ye's finger, they are more than tattoos. They are ye's connection to the Mystic Rose. It chose ye, remember that."

Edward sat up as the container shattered and exclaimed, "By Fletching!" He neared the Rose and turned to Pluck as his brow wrinkled with bewilderment as he questioned, "What did you do?"

The glass that had scattered about the room, glowed and lifted and gathered around the Rose. Each shard found its place, piecing together the dome till it reformed. A bright light shot from the container, and the glow faded. The glass magically became whole again as if it had never been broken.

Edward couldn't believe his eyes as he looked back to Pluck. He saw the furry top of her hand and the glowing markings on her bare finger as they returned to black. He grabbed her hand and his touch startled her, so she pulled away.

"That tattoo..." he started as he pointed at her finger. "I remember those markings." Terrible memories flooded his mind as he grabbed his head and said, "I was a boy... I went into this Temple and found the Mystic Rose. I was not alone. A girl was with me and her name..." His blue eyes widened with realization as he uttered, "Her name was Pluck!" He stepped back, accusing, "You are a woman!"

She raised her hand, trying to quiet him as she spoke softly, "Please my lord, lower your voice."

"But how can you be a High Guard?" Edward yelled as he shook his head. "Women are not allowed!"

"My Prince, is everything all right?" Bulwark asked from the corridor.

"Yes! You are not needed!" Edward yelled, and then he scolded Pluck, "Women cannot possess weapons. It is forbidden. You shall go in front of the Inquiry." He paced the room and said, "I do not understand how Han could have allowed such a thing." A new memory interrupted his thoughts, so he glanced at her furry hand and spoke, "Something else happened that sun's cycle in the Temple." He noticed her fingers had no nails and grabbed her hand, examining her thumb; it and her other fingers had a slit down the middle like a cat. "A memory I had forgotten." He pushed the flap of skin aside and found a claw and then appalled by his findings, he released her and uttered, "Something horrible. A witch... She cast a spell intended for me but..." He couldn't finish the sentence so plagued by a past he had forgotten.

The more he berated her, the more Pluck grew angry, and she finally yelled at him, "You're still an ungrateful spoiled brat!" She tapped her chest as she said, "I pushed you out of the way. I protected you!"

He fell silent. Never had anyone yelled at him in such a way especially a woman and in a calmer tone, he said, "Yes, I remember." The incident he had buried long ago surfaced, and he spoke, "You saved me by taking my place." His face softened as he added, "You were turned into a hideous monster."

Pluck said nothing; she needed no reminder.

His shame turned to anger as he shouted, "You are not deformed! You are cursed!" It didn't matter to him that she took his place. He was the Prince and she was a peasant. "That is why you cannot show your face."

Pluck nodded. He knew her secret, and now her life depended on what he would do with it.

He had to see, so Edward commanded, "Show me your face."

She hesitated, fearing how he would react once he saw her again.

"Shall I order Bulwark in here to do it for you?"

He was nothing like she remembered; Edward was cruel.

"There's no need, my lord," Pluck told him as her fear turned to terror, and then she pulled back her hood.

Edward gasped, "By Fletching! You are a beast! A Necrom!" Another fact frightened him. The Prince had seen this creature with short beige fur before, so he pointed his finger and accused her, "Fass! You are the hideous monster from my dream. You... you are the one slaughtering the men." Terror paled his face as he shouted, "You are the reaper of my nightmares!" He stumbled back to his bed and exclaimed, "You have come to take me!"

Pluck just stood there; she didn't know what to say or do. The moment hadn't gone like she envisioned. Edward wasn't grateful for her sacrifice. Her fears had come true, he rejected her, and now there was no way she could ever ask him for the Kiss. Pluck pulled her hood up to cover her shame and wondered where she could hide. She didn't know; she just had to get out of his presence.

She said, "My lord, I will await my arrest at the bow." She left, trying not to run as she bit her lip to fight back tears.

Edward didn't know how to react as he rushed into the hall and then watched her leave. What he had seen in the cabin wasn't a vicious monster but a creature wounded by his words.

"Is there a problem, my lord?" Bulwark asked as Melee arrived.

Edward didn't answer him only stated, "I need to speak with Han."

* * *

"I still do not understand why you trained her to become a High Guard!" Edward yelled as he paced Han's cabin. "Fass! Do you know the fine even for a man of your status?"

"Yes, I do," Han replied as he picked up a small wooden chest, placed it on his bed, and opened the box. "Fifty pieces of gold. It took me ten seasons to collect these wages."

Edward looked at the payment and then to Han as he exclaimed, "You knew all along she would be caught?"

"Pluck being a woman isn't what we were hiding," Han told him as he searched the Prince's face. "What should I have done? Abandon her at the Temple? Never. Do you realize the curse she has endured for protecting you?" Han carefully considered his next words, and then he said, "You see, I thought the others would accept her as a High Guard even after finding out she is a beast. What other position could she have in this world as a Necrom?"

Edward's face flushed with anger as he questioned, "Why did you never tell me?"

"You had forgotten her and the witch," Han explained as he walked to a small cabinet and poured them a mug of wine. "I thought it best not to bring them up till you were ready."

Aggravated by the whole thing, Edward raked his hand through his shoulder-length raven-black hair and then asked, "Now what would you have me do?"

"You are the Prince and soon to be Emperor... What can you not do?"

Edward took the mug and downed the wine.

"I do not mean for you to feel guilty, but she's the way she is because of you," Han spoke as he offered the Prince more. "You at least owe Pluck her life and the freedom to live it."

Edward lifted his mug, and the High Guard poured him more, and then Edward said, "Perhaps, but I still feel she wants something from me." He shivered before he continued, "There is something about the way she looks at me."

Han nodded, took another drink, and stated, "She does. There's a way to end her curse, but she hasn't told me. All I know is that it involves you. She wants to end her misery." He set down the mug and asked, "What have you decided, my lord?"

Edward drank half of his bitter wine and replied, "She may remain free, but I do not want her as my personal guard."

Han knew that would resolve nothing, so he told him, "It might be best that she does remain. Her abilities are exceptional, she does possess the Lux and with an unknown enemy after you, she should remain by your side."

"Phraggs!" Edward uttered and reluctantly answered, "Fine!"

"What shall you tell the men, my lord?"

Edward answered, "Nothing for now. Pluck may keep her secret till she feels she can reveal it."
Chapter Seven

The Fourth Sun's Cycle At Sea

Nearly a zoc away from Breakneck and Waterswift, a storm approached and darkened the sky. Lightning streaked across the horizon like the silent claws of a Desert Eagle. The bolts lit up the distant sea as Pluck stood at the bow, watching the flashes. She stared at her bare fingers for a while before slipping on her glove as she wondered what they would do to her. The wind pushed her hood off, sweeping through her fiery-crimson mane as waves crashed against the bow, spraying mist. She shivered in the cool salty air as she muttered, "I could throw myself into the sea and save everyone the trouble. No... I'm not one to give up. If they want me..." She grabbed the strap that held the Lux's scabbard to her back and declared, "They'll have to take me."

Her cat ears twitched back as she heard them come, and she prepared herself for a fight. The Prince approached with Melee, so she pulled her hood on as her heart sank. Pluck reached for her hilt and saw Han behind them and knew with him there they wouldn't kill her, so she lowered her hand. The worse they would do was throw her in the brig.

Edward stopped just short of her, put his hands behind his back, looked down at her, and said, "I have considered your situation..."

Her heart sped. What about her situation? She glanced at the Prince's bodyguard.

Melee looked puzzled like he wasn't sure why they were there. Han remained silent, but his face reassured her everything would be fine.

"I... No, Han..." Edward spoke awkwardly. "Han has convinced me to keep you as my personal guard against my better judgment." He diverted his gaze, unsure if he was making the right decision as he continued, "We shall see how things go." He started to head back and added, "Thank you." Edward didn't face her, and his voice sounded strained like he had to force himself to speak as he said, "I thank you for your protection on Pass Island and in the Temple long ago. A debt I hope to repay one sun's cycle."

There was a moment of silence, and then he took a deep breath as if to continue, but he didn't. He walked off, setting for his cabin. Melee followed even more confused.

She looked at Han. Silence found her again, except for the waves hitting the ship and the wind whipping their garments. Relieved she still had her life and her freedom, Pluck sighed, feeling ashamed of what she was.

"Not what you hoped for I imagine, but it's a beginning," Han told her as he walked to Pluck, putting his hand on her shoulder. "There's so much for Edward to accept."

She muttered, "As you said, it's a beginning."

"Come," Han told her as he scanned the sea. "The storm shall be here soon."

* * *

The storm gave way to a clear morning as seagulls once again filled the sky, indicating they neared land. A sailor in the crow's nest scanned the ocean, spotting a vessel in the distance.

"A ship!" he yelled as he pointed off starboard.

Captain Brine asked for his telescope.

Fracas, Sinew, and Parry walked up on deck, hearing the alarm and squinted in the daylight.

"Is it a merchantman or a warship?" Fracas questioned as he stroked his pointed red beard.

"A warship by what I can tell," Brine answered the Archer. "She's flying one of the Kingdom's flags."

"Which one?" Sinew asked, feeling tension sweep over the crew as he wiped sweat from his shaven head.

"I can't make it out. Wait..." Brine said as he strained to see. "I see a Roaring Black Lion."

The three High Guards felt relieved as Han came on deck with a few of his men.

"I heard we spotted a ship."

"Yes," Sinew answered, twisting his long mustache. "She's flying Morgog's flag."

"So they've sent a ship to escort us to port," Han stated as he scratched his gray beard. "I wonder if there's been an attempt to abduct Princess Virago."

"If not, there's sure to be one," Fracas spoke as he adjusted the quiver on his shoulder. "We should warn them."

"Yes..." Ardor said as he joined them on deck. "We should meet with the Princess' advisor and commander of her guards as soon as possible."

The ship named Dark Monarch turned and followed the Fletchings toward port. The High Guards on Breakneck stood along the starboard, swapping glares with the Sentinels who were Morgog's royal army.

"This shall be an unstable alliance," Fracas stated as he leaned on his longbow. "Even with the marriage, there shall be strife. There's too much blood between us."

"Aye," an old sailor agreed. "They sank the Sea Wind in the battle of Coral Point, during the last rush to crown an Emperor. My brother went down with her." He spat on the deck as he cursed, "Foul scalawags, I'll never trust 'em."

Parry cracked his massive knuckles as he added, "I'm up to giving the scamps a good thrashing."

"There shall be no trouble from our side," Han warned, eyeing each of them especially the Blond Ox. "Am I understood?"

"Yes, commander," the High Guards replied.

As Han walked off, Parry whispered, "We shall not start it, but we shall end it."

* * *

Pluck carried a tray of cheese, bread, oranges, and wine to the Prince's cabin. Melee and Von stood without. She knocked and entered at Edward's command.

"Here's your meal, my lord," Pluck stated as she noticed the Mystic Rose still cast an azure glow. She thought it was best if she stayed far away from the flower. Pluck set the tray in front of the Prince.

"I am not hungry. Take the food away," Edward ordered as he dipped a quill in an inkwell and wrote on a parchment. The high sun shone in from an open window behind him.

"I'll leave it in case you get hungry, my lord," Pluck said as she stepped from his desk and folded her arms behind her back.

He looked up from his work and said in a stern tone, "I said take it away. Do not make me regret my decision to let you remain as my personal guard."

She nodded, picked up the tray, and wondered how she could ask him.

Edward continued writing, looked at her again, and questioned, "Why are you still here?"

Pluck stared at the Sun Oranges as she started, "I was wondering..."

He tightened his jaw, annoyed by the disruption to his writing. He had till they docked to finish his work, and he never would with her staring at him. Edward asked, "What were you wondering?"

She hesitated and then answered, "Do you remember the time when your cousins came to the castle for a visit?"

He stared at his work as he replied, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Remember how they treated me? How they teased me and pinched my arm till I cried?"

Edward's thoughts drifted back to that time. The girl, what Pluck was known as before Han named her, had just arrived at the castle. She was six and he eight. He didn't think much of the peasant with brown hair and brown eyes and wasn't sure why his mother the Queen sent for her.

"Why did you pick a girl to be my playmate and a toddler at that?" he demanded, turned from his mother, and pouted. "I am nearly a man, I should have men to play with not–"

"She shall be a loyal friend," Queen Jezebel informed him as she nudged the girl closer to him. "And she shall keep you out of trouble. A Prince should not get into trouble; it is not befitting your crown." She left the girl and walked to him, turning Edward to face her as she told him, "The girl is so desperate for love. She shall give you her heart, and you need do nothing for it."

He looked into his mother's blue eyes as he said, "But she is a peasant."

"Yes, and you must always remember that and remind her," Jezebel instructed. "She is well versed in games, and she shall attend lessons with you." The Queen lifted his chin and said to him, "My son, give her some time, if you still do not wish to have her, then I shall send her back."

He told his mother, "I shall give her a chance."

Sun's cycles then weeks went by, and Edward grew to like having the girl around to play games and go on adventures. One of his favorites was saving the damsel from the dragon, of course, the girl had to play both the maiden and the monster. As summer grew to an end, his cousins from his mother's side came to visit. The first sun's cycle was exciting. They played High Guards and the girl was a Necrom the feared monster of magic. All was fun and laughter till his cousins knocked the girl to the ground and started pinching her arms.

"We have the Necrom now," Philip the elder of the two declared.

"Yes, now the monster must pay for all its evil crimes," Andrew added.

"Stop it!" she pleaded. "Don't hurt me!" She looked at the Prince and called for him, "Edward, help me!"

"Silence your pleas, peasant. The Prince shall not come to your aid," Philip told her as he continued to pinch her as red marks appeared on her arms. "Royal blood does not flow through your veins."

"Yes, quiet your crying," Andrew added as he kicked dirt on her. "You should learn your life is worthless."

Tears ran down her face as she looked at the Prince.

Edward stood, clenching his wooden sword, not understanding the feelings affecting his body. Why didn't he join in with them? Why did his face burn? The Prince realized he felt outraged and clenched his teeth, remembering something he heard Han tell his men. Edward lifted his sword and charged the cousins, shouting, "Are we not honorable men?"

He caught them off guard and pushed them to the ground. The cousins looked up at him stunned.

Edward pointed his sword at them and told them, "High Guards do all things to glorify the Creator. We pledge loyalty to the crown. We swear to protect the Fletching people and property. And above all, we forfeit our lives for the Royal Family." He glared at them as he declared, "You shall not hurt any of my people!"

The cousins whimpered.

"We did not realize you liked her," they declared. "Please," they cowered. "Let us make our apologies."

Edward nodded, and the cousins helped the girl to her feet and brushed dirt from her plain dress.

That sun's cycle, Pluck saw Edward anew. She fell in love with him. He had saved her. Pluck continued to hold the tray of food as she wondered if he would save her now from her curse.

Edward thought of that time differently. It was a moment of weakness, a childish whim, and an action he didn't wish to remember. The Prince laid his quill down and started, "Yes, I remember that sun's cycle. What of it?"

"That was the first sun's cycle I realized I..." She couldn't say it, not love... not to him, so she told him, "I gained a new respect for you." Her ears twitched forward under her hood and her feline eyes narrowed. "I wanted you to know you'll always have my loyalty."

"As I should. You are a High Guard, my vassal," he told her as he picked up the quill and dipped it in the well. "Now please take the food away."

A shadow cast into the room as Edward set his quill to the parchment. He heard Pluck growl and saw her face wrinkle with rage in the darkness of her hood. She lifted the tray, throwing the food across the room.

"Insolent wench!" Edward uttered as he stood, slamming his hands on the desk. "What do you think–"

She rushed around the desk, pushing him aside as she yelled, "To arms!" She forced him to a side wall as she covered the Prince with her body.

Melee and Von rushed in swords drawn.

"What are you doing?" Edward demanded, feeling her warm body pressed against his. She smelled of the forest and of leather.

"Remain, my lord," Pluck ordered.

Melee rushed to the window as Von ran up to the deck.

"He's gone," Melee told them.

Pluck moved from the Prince as she told Melee, "We can't let him jump ship." She set the tray on the desk as she added, "But first, we must get the Prince to a secure room."

"Agreed," Melee said as he headed for the hall. "Han's has no windows."

Edward moved to the middle of the room as he questioned, "Who is gone? And why can we not let him escape?" He glanced at the table, saw the tray with an arrow embedded in it, and noticed a rope dangling outside the window, and then he questioned, "What happened?"

"There was an attempt on your life, my lord," Pluck told him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door. "We must get you into a secure room till the assassin's caught."

Her hand was also warm and held his firm and for some reason, he felt safe with her. She and Melee took Edward to Han's cabin and waited. Soon a knock came to the door.

"Who is it?" Melee demanded.

"Ardor, it is safe. We caught the attacker."

Melee looked at Pluck, she nodded, and he opened the door.

Ardor stepped in and said, "Come, my lord. He's on deck."

On deck, many High Guards surrounded the bound man.

Edward examined the man but didn't recognize him. Many soldiers served in his army. He asked, "Who is he?"

"One of Fracas' Archers," Ardor answered.

"One of our own?" Edward uttered, surprised.

"Perhaps a spy planted long ago," Han said as he shook his head, disgusted, and addressed the prisoner, "Are there more among us?"

The traitor didn't answer.

"Who do you work for?" Edward demanded.

The man replied, "The one you suspect the least and that's all you'll get out of me, Fletching mongrel."

Ardor raised his hand to strike the man.

"No, take him below," Edward ordered. "We shall get nothing from him. We shall have the Morgog's deal with him once we land."
Chapter Eight

Princess Virago

"Princess, please come out," a fair-haired Lady Flaxen beckoned. "Prince Edward shall be here soon. Please, we must dress you for the ceremony."

"No!" Virago screamed as she remained in her locked room, stroking her long ebony hair. She wore a flame-colored dress. "I do not wish to marry the Cretin of Fletching."

"You do not know if he is a clod," Flaxen said as she bit her lip in desperation. Her hair was pulled back in long braids. "I heard he is handsome."

The Princess' room lay in shambles from an earlier tantrum. Dresses, jewelry, combs, brushes, and other small objects laid scattered about. Virago said, "I have had enough of people telling me what I am to do." She sat in the middle of the floor, clinging to her bedpost, face wet with tears as she yelled, "You are my lady in waiting... so wait!"

The thin man, standing behind Flaxen, moved to the door and beckoned to her, "Dear Princess, please..." Lord Caliber leaned on his staff with an engraved wolf-head as he said, "Your kingdom is depending on you. Think of all the wealth and power you shall gain when you have the authority to make laws and judge the Five Kingdoms."

Virago didn't answer.

Lord Caliber massaged his temple and tried again, telling her, "Your father, King Elan arranged this marriage long ago. You shall dishonor him if you do not follow through." He glanced at Flaxen, straightened his red robe's gray-black fur trim, faced the door, and asked, "What about your mother?"

"Leave her out of this," Virago demanded. "Why can you not leave the dead alone?"

Flaxen put a hand on the thin man's shoulder, shook her head, and told him, "That is not the way. For the Princess' Advisor, you are wise in many things, but you do not know how to deal with matters of the heart." She smoothed her hand down her fiery yellow dress, bit her lip thinking, and said, "There is only one thing that may lure her out, but I do not know if it shall work."

"Try it," Lord Caliber urged as he stroked his long inky-black goatee. "The navy is escorting the Prince's ships into port. We do not have much time."

Flaxen cleared her throat, praying to the Creator that this would work and said, "Edward shall have presents."

"Presents?" Virago repeated as she perked up, moving to her door, leaned on its frame, and raked her ebony bangs from her blue eyes.

"Yes, many and costly."

Lord Caliber jumped at the opportunity and added, "Edward shall surely turn back if he hears you have called off the wedding. He shall take all his presents with him."

"No presents," Virago said, thought about it, then unlocked her door, and ordered, "Do not just stand there, dress me." She wiped her eyes and blew her nose on the handkerchief Flaxen offered as she said, "We do not want to keep my husband waiting."

* * *

Breakneck and Waterswift docked at Stalwart Port while the Dark Monarch anchored in the bay. The Prince with Han, Ardor, Melee, Pluck, Fracas, Sinew, and Parry unloaded their horses and rode to the castle with a Morgog escort while the rest of the High Guards stayed on the ships.

"I've never seen a Sentinel before today," Fracas admitted. "Look at the black leather armor they wear. It must be hot and heavy."

"They say their armor's hardened by the Fires of Morgog," Sinew said. "That the capitol's centered around these fire geysers and since the foundation of the Kingdom, the flames have yet to cease their blazing."

Parry laughed and then spoke, "They also say their armor is the strongest in the world." He tapped the top of his silver hilt as he said, "I have yet to see armor my blade couldn't penetrate."

They rode past a Sentinel sharpening his sword.

"Interesting piece of weaponry, isn't it?" Sinew asked as he pointed to the large sword with a wavy blade. "It's a Flamberge; it was first created to cut down cavalry and also boasted to be hardened by the Fires of Morgog."

Parry glanced at the large sword as he spoke, "Impressive yes, but heavy and slow in battle. What else do we know about them?"

"Their royal army the Sentinels consist of three groups; Bowman, Footsoldiers, and Cavalry," Fracas replied. "I would enjoy pitting my Archers against their Bowmen in a shooting contest."

Parry flexed his massive biceps as he said, "I wouldn't mind wrestling with a few of them."

Four Sentinels glared at them.

"Move along," Han commanded, and then he added, warning them, "Quietly."

* * *

The Princess stood along with her lady in the center of the Capital. Virago wore her red flare colored wedding dress as the Fires of Morgog erupted around them, illuminating the sandstone canyon. A distance behind them, the Morgog Castle stood and in front of the castle, the Great Cathedral stood. Virago stared at the flaming geysers in front of her.

The lady had been quiet a long time, letting her Princess deal with whatever matters needed to be dealt with, and Flaxen said finally, "It is time."

The Princess closed her eyes, opened them, and spoke, "I am ready. This was the last place I wanted to see before we left Morgog. I wanted to burn the images of my homeland into my mind. I do not ever want to forget them."

"Princess, you can return someday."

Virago questioned, "Why do I fear I shall not?"

Lord Caliber entered, walking down the cobblestone path as his wolf-head staff clinked across the hard surface. He looked at the flaming geysers as he stated, "I knew you would be here."

Irritated her remembering was interrupted, she asked, "Did my father send you?"

"No, King Elan did not. Actually, I wanted to talk to you before the ceremony," he replied as he shifted the staff to his other hand and placed his palm on the Princess' shoulder. "A great responsibility has been given to you. For so long, Morgog has fallen from grace; it has fallen from the power it should hold. We need to return it to its Golden Age."

"I understand my responsibilities; I also know what I am giving up," she said and then walked away from the lord. "What I do not know is what I am placing myself into? Our people have always been an enemy of the Fletchings and now we are forming an alliance. This was thrown together in such great haste. I believe there shall be power struggles from both sides. For one, who shall be in charge of the army? We have our Commander Avarice, and they have theirs."

"I understand how you feel about the Fletchings. They are not our equals, but your father has made up his mind and as for the rest of your questions, do not fret over them," he said as he winked at her. "They shall work themselves out." Lord Caliber turned and left where he came in as he spoke to her, "Come, your wedding is about to begin."

Flaxen walked up beside the Princess and told her, "I feel so uneasy around him. Do not get me wrong, he is a very good advisor."

Virago watched the lord as he left, and she said, "I think you worry too much."

* * *

Within a nal, Edward and his escort arrived at the Capital and were led to the Great Cathedral. There Princess Virago dressed in her red flare wedding gown waited before a priest. Flutes played a flowing melody as the Fletchings entered.

"I have never seen a wedding so hurried," Ardor commented as fiery yellow robes were given to each of them.

"Do you think any of the other Kingdoms are waiting for a courtship to bloom before their marriages?" Han asked.

Ardor shook his head.

Pluck watched the Prince as his face paled and heard with her keen ears his breathing and heartbeat increase.

Edward looked ahead, saw the priest and the veiled woman, and questioned, "Is that her?" He swallowed hard, but it didn't faze his dry mouth. "I could use some wine." The more he thought about his wedding, the sicker he got. Many things rampaged through his mind; he wondered what she looked like and why she was wearing a veil. He considered she was hideous, and then a more horrifying thought crossed his mind. What if she looked like Pluck? He repeated, "I could use some wine."

"Not now, my lord," Han said as the group moved forward in a wedding march in sync with the flute music. "There shall be plenty of time for wine later."

Edward rubbed his hands as he whispered, "I cannot see her." He asked, "What does the Princess look like?"

"Quiet," Han commanded. "Now is not the time."

"I feel ill," Edward said as he stopped and held his stomach.

A few people seated in the pews murmured.

Han nodded to Ardor, and then each of them grabbed the Prince's arm as Han said, "The ceremony shall be over soon, my lord."

They moved forward, and Edward's knees weakened the closer they walked to the priest.

Princess Virago glanced at Lady Flaxen, and then Virago whispered, "He is handsome, but he is so pale looking. Are you sure he shall have many presents?"

"Yes, my lady," Flaxen replied as she looked over the Prince and giggled. "I believe he is nervous."

"That or intoxicated," Virago commented. "That would be my lot to marry a lush."

"Maybe he is intoxicated by your beauty."

Virago glared at her, not that Lady Flaxen could see for the veil.

"Oh..." Flaxen uttered as she bit her lip. "Your wedding shroud. He cannot see you." She shrugged and said, "I know I am not the brightest. Please forgive this dim-witted servant."

Lord Caliber sat in the front pew next to King Elan and Princess Jasmine, Virago's younger sister. Lord Caliber glanced at the Prince's men as he sensed a supernatural force, then he leaned to the King, and whispered, "Last chance to change your mind. You could choose Commery over Fletching and return Morgog to its Golden Age."

"No, my mind is made up," King Elan answered.

Lord Caliber said, "As you wish, my lord."

"I cannot breathe," Edward said as he gripped Han's robe. "We must stop."

Ardor gave Han a worried look.

"A little longer, my lord," Han spoke as he hurried their pace.

Pluck thought Edward looked as if he'd spew his breakfast. She had her doubts he'd make it through the wedding.

The group stopped in front of the priest, and those assembled for the wedding quieted. Han and Ardor walked the Prince forward, released, stepped back, and prayed he would stand. The priest motioned for the Princess to move beside the Prince, and reluctantly she did. The priest cleared his throat, the flute players ceased their playing, and the priest opened his book.

"We gather here to witness a joining," the priest started and continued, "One that the Creator has ordained." He looked at the Prince and asked him, "Do you take Virago to be your wife?"

Edward swayed, putting his hand to his mouth, looking a little green. The priest took a step back. Han poked the Prince's back with his finger, and Edward straightened, answering, "Yes."

The priest shook his head, looked at the Princess, and asked her, "Do you take Edward to be your husband?"

She glanced at the pale man, pouted, and then whined, "Yes." Virago turned and cried on Flaxen's shoulder, "Why..? Why..?"

Her father stood, but Lord Caliber convinced the King to take his seat.

"There... There..." Flaxen spoke as she stroked the Princess' hair. "It shall be over soon."

The priest rubbed his temple, irritated by the high pitch shrill, and then he said, "Then in the sight of the Creator, you are now husband and wife." He slammed his book shut and said, "You may now kiss her."

Pluck gasped inwardly. The Princess couldn't have her kiss. Pluck feared moving as she felt herself pale. She hadn't thought kissing would be involved in this ceremony and after all this time, this blubbering woman was going to receive her redemption.

Edward hesitated, stunned and still ill.

"Lift her shroud," Han instructed.

Edward did and smiled, seeing Virago wasn't a hag like he envisioned. His green coloring faded as he looked over her milky skin, blue eyes, long ebony hair, and a face of an angel. The priest cleared his throat and motioned for the Prince to proceed. Edward leaned to her and then still afflicted by nerves, kissed her on the cheek.

Pluck sighed. There was still a chance for her to receive her redemption.

Virago and Edward stared at one another, neither sure what to say and then as quickly as they were married, the couple along with their escort were ushered out of the Cathedral. Virago to her carriage, and Edward to his horse. Both traveled to the port, and the Princess boarded the Dark Monarch and the Prince the Breakneck and soon with the Sea Sprite and Waterswift, the four vessels sailed toward the Isle of Kismet.
Chapter Nine

Coblet's Route

"My lord," Captain Brine uttered as he looked up from his desk and stood. "You and your men please enter." He motioned to chairs, noticing the Prince looked peaked. Edward, Han, Ardor, and Melee sat, and then Brine spoke, "As your spies have reported, Swelldom and Hort have a sun's cycle on us. There's only one course we can take to beat them." Brine paused, not sure to even mention it, then pointed to the map on his desk, and stated, "Coblet's Route."

"The way no man has ever returned from," Ardor exclaimed as he shuddered. "There must be another."

"None," Brine replied as he looked at the Prince. "My men are wary of going this route, but we shall sail it if it's your desire."

"As you said Captain, there is no other way. We shall take Coblet's Route. Signal the Waterswift, Dark Monarch, and Sea Sprite to follow," Edward ordered and then stood, swaying with the ship and held his stomach still a little queasy. "I shall be in my cabin."

"Aye," Brine said and then stared at the map as the others left. Drawings of sea monsters littered the area around Coblet's Route. He shook his head and mumbled, "Creator help us."

Clear skies abounded as they set on their journey, and the first two sun's cycles were uneventful. Edward took the opportunity to rest and get over the horrible wedding experience. Everyone aboard seemed to enjoy the serenity, but all feared it wouldn't last. The third sun's cycle during the latter part of the high sun, clouds scattered the blue sky. Below deck Pluck slept in her bunk soundly for the first time. She started to dream of a land where she would be accepted; it was a place that hadn't seen war for hundreds of seasons. Pluck was drawn to this new place, but the dream faded as her body tingled as if it was asleep. A sense of urgency woke her, and she sat up as an overwhelming panic set her on edge.

Something wasn't right, so Pluck jumped to the floor, wrapped her tail around her waist, grabbed her cloak, threw it on, and clasped it. The tingling persisted, warning of danger but didn't hinder her movement. Pluck pulled on her hood, put on her gloves and boots, grabbed the Lux, strapped it to her back, and rushed on deck. It was like magic electrified the air.

A seafoam green mist crept over the ships like a looming specter and thickened to fog. Pluck could barely see five steps past the bow as she pulled her cloak close in the cold air. Did the others feel this charge of energy? She walked up to the bridge and there, Captain Brine had the wheel as Han and Ardor stood next to him. The captain was talking.

"We've entered the barrier that surrounds Coblet's Route. From here, we sail uncharted seas," Brine said, then turned to his first mate, and ordered, "Have them trim the sails. Have two sailors stand at the bow to watch for rocks and shoals. Also if the lanterns will pierce this eerie mist, signal the other ships to do the same."

"Aye, captain."

The ships traveled on pressed by the current as an eerie stillness abounded. Neither wind nor waves broke the silence and without the sun or stars, no one knew how much time elapsed or what direction they sailed. All they knew was the fog.

"I don't like this," Brine spoke as he gripped the wheel. "We've journeyed through this demon vapor far too long. I fear we're off course."

"Ardor, go wake the Prince," Han commanded.

"There's no telling how long we'll have to travel before we break through. It could be endless," Brine said as he shivered in the nippy sea air. "If we can't tell what direction we're going, we'll venture the way all mariners have who dare trek this route."

"There must be some way through," Pluck spoke as she felt the captain's alarm. She heard sailors talk of those lost at sea and didn't wish to meet their fate, nor did she desire to encounter the monsters told in their tales and as she recounted those myths, the fur on the back of her neck rose. "By Fletching!" Pluck heard an eerie sound in the distance, and she said, "Listen..." She lifted her finger to her lips. All but her grim expression was shadowed by her hood. "I hear something."

Han and Brine strained to listen, and soon they also heard the roar of wind.

"What is it?" Han asked.

"I don't know," Brine replied. "It could be anything." He imagined the worst and then said, "It sounds like it's nearing us. Wake the ship," he ordered.

"There must be a way to pierce this fog so we can see what monstrosity approaches," Pluck stated and then a gush of heat warmed her back in the chill. It wasn't a tingling premonition like before, no this sensation was completely different; it was more physical than metaphysical.

"Your sword glows," Han uttered as he pointed at her weapon as it pulsed. Each time the Lux glowed, he saw the blade through the scabbard down to the ancient writings engraved in its steel.

She reached up, unsheathed the sword, and it rumbled as the lightning white blade lit up the ship, casting shadows across their faces.

"Witchcraft!" Brine uttered. "Why does the weapon burn?"

"I don't know," Pluck answered as she examined the blade, felt an urge to lift it, and did so. Azure lightning shot from the blade, igniting the seafoam green fog, and the vapor parted, forming a corridor as sunlight broke through.

A gust hit Brine's back, and he ordered, "Full sails!"

The sailors scurried to work, letting the canvases fall to harness the wind's power. The fog lessened to mist, revealing the other ships and together they traveled the corridor, clearing the barrier. As the last of the four ships cleared, the whole fog barrier disappeared like it never existed. Clear seas surrounded them, and ahead they saw land. The first mate came on the bridge.

"Take the wheel," Brine ordered, removing his telescope. "Does anyone hear that monstrous sound we heard earlier?"

Han shook his head as did Pluck.

"Perhaps it vanished with the barrier," Han suggested.

"Have we arrived at the Isle of Kismet?" Edward asked as he, Ardor, and Melee walked up the steps.

"Don't know. I wouldn't think we would be there yet." Brine handed the telescope to the commander.

Han took the instrument, peered into the eyepiece, and said, "I can't tell you any different, my lord. We should anchor in the bay and give the captain enough time to get our bearings with the sextant." He turned to Brine and questioned him, "What do you think? Is this agreeable?"

Brine started, "I think–"

"A spout!" a sailor in the crow's nest shouted.

Brine held up his hand, shading his eyes from the sun and looked at the sailor. The man pointed off their port.

"What does he mean a spout?" Edward asked.

"He means a waterspout," Brine told him as he searched the seas. "It's an ocean-bound tornado." He spotted the cyclone and exclaimed, "It's coming right for us!"

"Another one!" a sailor at the bow shouted.

"By Fletching!" Ardor uttered. "How can this be? There's no storm."

"Crell!" Brine yelled as he took the wheel. "More witchcraft!"

The sea churned as the spouts neared.

Brine looked at the Northern High Guard and asked, "Anything in your magic sword to combat these?"

Pluck stared at the Lux which had long since stopped glowing, and she replied, "I don't know."

"What good is the weapon if you can't harness its power?" Brine questioned as he turned the wheel sharply, trying desperately to avoid the spouts. "Sorcery!" He turned to Han and demanded, "Order him to wield his sword. We can't avoid these things; it's like they're tracking us."

Han didn't look at Pluck as he stated, "I have confidence she shall do what she can."

She? Ardor glanced over the Northern High Guard. Did Han speak of the sword? Ardor turned his attention back to the whirling menaces.

Pluck lifted the Lux, but the blade remained dormant, so she shook the sword as if to wake it. The closest spout slammed into the Waterswift. They heard sailors and High Guards shouting as they ran from the whirlwind. Even the horses who were trapped below screamed for the terror rocking the ship. Pieces of the vessel and men were sucked up into the vortex. The Waterswift tossed and turned as it wrestled with the funnel. The great wind beast prevailed, breaking the ship into large pieces, and the spout continued on unhindered by its fight with the Waterswift. The funnel headed for the Sea Sprite as the second spout hit Breakneck, their ship. The vortex stripped planks from the bow like they were paper, sending them flying. Men jumped into the sea to avoid the wind monster. The spout wrestled with the Breakneck, forcing it to ram into the Dark Monarch. The force cut a large gash down the side of the Breakneck.

In desperation, Pluck lifted her sword and shouted, "Stop!"

The spout tore through the middle of the ship, making its way toward them. Pluck's hood flew back, but no one saw her as they shielded their faces. She barely kept her eyes open in the torrent.

"STOP!" she screamed, but the sword remained lifeless. Pluck felt herself being pulled toward the vortex and grabbed the railing of the bridge as did the others. Her fiery-crimson mane whipped about as she covered her eyes with her sword arm before the spout swallowed them.
Chapter Ten

Wellspring

Waves rolled in, washing over a white sandy beach as the sun descended, nearing the western horizon and cast a tangerine glow over the blue-green waters. A jungle laid beyond the beach, bellowing with animals as a small creature emerged from the vegetation; it was a Trife. The rat-faced creature stood three-hands in height and short brown hair covered his head and continued down his back like an arrow. Long cream fur covered his monkey body, and his long hairless rat tail twitched with excitement. He wore a blue vest and had a burlap sack slung over his shoulder. His large dark brown eyes scanned the beach, noticing wreckage scattered along the shore. The Trife searched the jungle to see if he was followed, turned his attention back to the beach littered with possible treasure, sniffed the wind for any other danger, and slunk to a piece of wood. The Trife turned the broken plank over and found nothing of value when a glint in the distance from a large mass caught his eye. He ran to it ready to scurry into the jungle at the slightest hint of trouble. The Trife found a large creature faced down in the sand; it was large compared to his standards.

Quip, what the others of his kind called him, circled the stranger. She was furry like him but beige and cat-like. He had seen creatures similar to her on his journeys, that is those few which brought him close to the Great City Shangra. Quip stroked her fiery-crimson mane.

"Soft," he muttered and proceeded to search for the glint he'd seen. "What this?"

The stranger gripped a sword, and Quip rubbed his four clawed hands together as he mumbled to himself, "Weapon... Bring good price." He hurried to the sword and tried to pull it from her grasp, and he said, "Won't budge..." He noticed the ancient engravings on its blade and knew it was magic and very valuable. Ecstatic with the find, Quip tried prying her gloved fingers from the sword. He had to have it.

The stranger stirred and rolled over on her back, knocking Quip on his tail. She woke! He had to hide! Quip scurried for the jungle, forgetting his sack.

Pluck blinked in the light of the setting sun and sat up, coughing. The ocean stretched before her, and the smell of the salty beach filled her nostrils.

"Where..?" she started as she scanned the beach. "No one's here." She stood, grabbed her head, and moaned, "Oh..."

Pluck felt a bruise on her forehead. The last thing she remembered was the spout. Pluck searched the sea and spotted the tops of five masts sticking out of the water like bony fingers reaching for the sky. It was one of the ships, but she didn't know which. She wiped sand from the Lux and sheathed the sword. Pluck started down the beach when she kicked something soft and noticed it was a sack. She picked it up, feeling the small bag wasn't wet and wondered who it belonged to. She noticed tiny footprints that were smaller than a child's around her. Pluck took the sack, followed the tracks to the edge of the jungle, and searched the vegetation, but found no one. Many different scents filled the air. She decided she didn't have time to look and that she had to find Edward, Han, and the others. Pluck turned to leave when a creature pounced on the sack she carried.

"Mine!" Quip screeched. "Can't have. Mine!"

Startled by something leaping at her, Pluck threw the sack along with the rat-monkey toward the beach, drew her sword, and approached it. Pluck wasn't sure what frightened her more, the creature's strange appearance or that it talked? She pointed her blade at it and demanded, "Who... What are you?"

"Don't hurt. Me Quip," he said as he raised his hairy arms. "Don't mean harm."

Pluck didn't feel threatened by the small creature and lowered her sword. She didn't sheathe the Lux on the chance her instincts were wrong as she commented, "I've never seen anything like you."

"Quip, Trife. There many Trifes," he told her as he lowered his arms and pointed at her. "Where from?"

"I'm from the Fletching Kingdom," Pluck replied as she stared at the strange looking rat-monkey. She wondered if he was cursed like herself, and then she asked, "I need to find the others. Have you seen them?"

"Others?" Quip questioned as he didn't understand.

"Yes, beings like me," she said as she pointed to herself. Pluck considered that maybe he wasn't cursed. Maybe he was what he was.

"Oh... like you. Me seen thousands," he told her as he pointed inland. "Live in Shangra."

She ran her hand through her damp sandy mane, remembered her face wasn't hidden and not only that, but the tip of her tail dangled below the cloak. Quip had seen her and said there were others like her. Pluck restated, "The ones I'm looking for are different than I." She pulled her hood on ashamed of her appearance and hid her tail. "They have no fur on their faces or bodies."

"Oh..." Quip said as he stroked his long chin hair. "Me not seen."

"I have to find them. Maybe..." she started as she looked over the Trife, trying to read his character. "Can you help me find them?"

"Help?" Quip exclaimed and then laughed at the notion. "What me get?"

She checked her belt, found her wet money pouch, and opened it, finding fifty crunes; it was a small silver coin with a turtle engraved on it. She knelt, held up a crune, and told him, "I'll give you this if you help me."

"Three..." Quip said as he held up his claws, signifying the number. "Me help sun's cycle."

"Two crunes," Pluck countered. "And the sun's cycle will be from sunset to sunset. There are many to find."

Quip scratched his chin and then told her, "Feed me, it deal."

Food? She didn't even have a Jewel Apple, so Pluck answered, "You can eat half of what I have."

"Agreed," the Trife said as he spat on his paw and offered it to her.

She made a face, then took his paw, and shook it.

"Pay," he insisted.

She told him, "When the job is over or the sun's cycle, not till then."

"Capah!" Quip cursed. "Fine..."

"We need a plan of action. You're native..." Pluck interrupted herself as she wondered where she was. What kind of land would have a talking creature? Was there magic there? She sheathed the Lux and asked, "What's the name of this place?"

"MayPah of West Region," Quip replied as he stared at the sword, disappointed he wouldn't have the wealth it would have brought him.

"West Region? West Region of what?"

Quip tilted his head curiously as he questioned, "Not know? Wellspring."

"Wellspring? We're not on the Isle of Kismet," she uttered as she looked over the sea which seemed vast now. "Then we are lost." She paused, considered their situation, and then told herself, "There'll be time to worry about that later, I must find the others." She pointed along the white sandy beach lapped by blue-green water and ordered, "Quip you go south, and I'll go north. If you find someone or when the sun rises, come back to this point." Pluck piled planks from the wreckage in an X the size of a man and placed them up beyond the tide line.

Quip nodded and scurried along the beach as Pluck hurried north and along the way she noticed hoof prints. The horses... Some must have survived. Pluck started up the beach, fearful she would find neither man nor animal alive. She had better find the steeds, so she tracked them into the jungle, found three near a small stream, checked them over, and found minor injuries. Pluck grabbed their reins, leading them to the beach. It was standard procedure to leave halters and saddles on horses when traveling by ship.

The sun set, darkening the area with twilight as more strange animal sounds blared from the jungle, making the horses nervous. She traveled for more than a nal and found no one but another horse. The steed was dead, drowned. The sky ever darkened as her feline eyes quickly adjusted to the night. The others weren't as fortunate to have her sight but... She glanced up, seeing both new moons rising in the black sky. Auror the Greater and Array the Lesser would give them light. Pluck hoped they searched the beach and didn't go into the jungle. She stopped as her keen senses picked up a familiar scent on the breeze. Fire. Someone could be near. She ran along the shore with the horses trotting behind. A roaring flame appeared ahead, and many men stood around it. Pluck stopped abruptly, shocked by what she saw. All the men had removed their outer clothing and were standing in their surads, underwear cut above the knee. They wore their sword frogs over their surads, while their wet clothing laid on rocks around the fire. Embarrassed by the sight of their nakedness, she turned, shading her eyes.

"Halt!" one of them shouted as most of the men went for their swords, and the Archers nocked their arrows. "Identify yourself!"

It was too late to leave, so she declared, "I am Pluck, the Northern High Guard."

"Pluck?" Han shouted, glanced down at himself, went, and stood behind the others. "Come."

She entered the ring of light and there she diverted her eyes from their near nakedness. Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced around at their faces and saw Han, Edward, Ardor, Fracas, Melee, Captain Brine, a few sailors, and more than five dozen High Guards stared at her. Bulwark was there also holding the glass container with the Mystic Rose whose petals were pink. The commander pulled on his pants and motioned for one of the soldiers to step forward. A High Guard came, took the three horses from her, tied them to a tree near other horses they'd found, and removed their saddles and blankets.

"You survived," Han uttered as he hugged her and stepped back. "Have you seen any of the others?"

That was most odd, Ardor considered. The commander greeted Pluck like a son. Did the Northern High Guard find favor with Han? Ardor sneered as he feared his right to succeed the commander might be challenged and with Han's support, Pluck might succeed.

"No one," she answered Han and turned her gaze to the fire. "Did all the ships sink?"

"We know three did," Ardor answered, stepping closer to them as the flickering fire cast a shadow beside the scar under his right eye. "We have found no signs of the Dark Monarch."

Pluck glanced at Han's Second, noticing Ardor had a large scar across his chest and a small one on his calf. Pluck turned her gaze, realizing he noticed her stare.

Ardor sneered again. Did the Northern High Guard suspect his fears? Did Pluck plot as he did to ensure the commander position? The Northern High Guard hid something. What could it be? Ardor had to know; it could be the one thing that secured his advance. He made a fist and swore to himself he would find out no matter the price.

"The Dark Monarch is Princess Virago's ship," Edward said as he paced. "We must find her. If we do not, it shall be meaningless that we made it to Kismet."

Pluck turned at hearing the Prince's voice and blushed, seeing him in his surad. His gold medallion reflected the fire's light as she looked at the ground ashamed she saw her Prince like this. Pluck spoke, "I don't think we're on Kismet."

"What do you mean?" Edward questioned.

"I ran into one of the natives," Pluck replied as she stared at the fire, though her curiosity of the male physique tempted her. "He said this place is called Wellspring."

"Where's this native now?" Ardor asked.

"I had him go south along the beach looking for any survivors. He's to return to a place I marked at sunrise or if he finds anyone," Pluck answered, and then she heard movement and told everyone, "Many approach us." She reached up, drew the Lux, and moved to the front of those gathered as she shouted, "Identify yourselves."

"It is I, Vim, second in command of the Sentinels. I have with me twenty-four of my men," he answered as his voice sounded labored like he was carrying something. "Three are injured."

Pluck saw that they were Morgog royal army but knew the others couldn't, so she told them, "Come into the light."

Vim and his men did.

"What ship are you from?" Han asked.

"Sea Sprite," Vim answered. "We believe we are all who survived."

"Then no one knows if Virago is well?" Edward asked as he couldn't stand not knowing. The Emperor's crown depended on both he and the Princess arriving at Kismet. If Virago was dead, then this whole trip was for nothing... It was a complete waste of his time.

Vim replied, "I don't know."

"I cannot wait any longer. I must see if she is alive," Edward said as he grabbed his white cotton pants and blue silk shirt that were still a little wet and put them on. "We shall take torches and go look for her."

Han put on his white shirt and red cape and then ordered, "Ardor, you, Melee, Pluck, and Fracas come with us."

"Yes, commander," the men replied and started dressing.

Han turned to the others and commanded them, "The rest of you stay here and wait for those who might find this fire."

"I shall go with you," Vim insisted.

"Of course," Han said, knowing he would demand the same if he was the Morgog Second.

Vim, who was tall as Fracas the Archer, turned to his men and ordered them, "Stay here, tend to the wounded, and dry by the fire." He removed his waterlogged black leather armor and undershirt, setting them on the rocks, but left on his wet pants and boots. Vim's long black hair was pulled back in a single braid as was customary for Sentinels. He added, "Group here. I shall go with these men to look for our Princess, Lord Caliber, and Avarice our commander."

"Yes, sir," they replied, setting down their wounded.

After dressing, Ardor went and stood by the Northern High Guard and noticed a sweet musky scent surrounded Pluck. The Northern High Guard smelled like a wet cat. He cleared his throat and said, "Commander, perhaps Pluck should stay and dry himself. We do not want him to catch a cold."

She told him, "I'm fine." Pluck looked at Han. Surely he knew she couldn't stay here for she couldn't undress in front of the men.

"Pluck shall come," Han commanded.

"Then let us leave," Edward insisted. "Can we take a few of the horses?"

"I would not, my lord," Han said as he went over and patted one on the neck. "What few survived need their rest after their ordeal."

"Then let us set out on foot," Edward ordered as he grabbed a torch from a supply crate that washed ashore and held it over the fire till it dried enough to catch flame. Ardor, Han, Vim, and Melee also lit torches.

The Prince led the group into the night along the shore as he said, "Quickly now, keep with me."

They ran matching his frantic pace as the moons gave plenty of light to the beach. The group heard the sea lap at the sand and felt it rush under their feet and splash their legs. Along the way, they found four dead sailors and two High Guards.

Ardor couldn't believe they dishonored their dead by abandoning their bodies. They should have done more than drag their bodies up the beach so the sea didn't reclaim them. He clasped the Black Elk insignia on his red cape. Did this symbol mean nothing to them? Should they not honor their brothers?

Han sensed his concerns and told his Second, "We'll be back for them. They'll receive a burial befitting a High Guard." The commander stopped so he could face his Second and told him, "First, we must make sure our future Queen is safe."

Ardor glanced at his Prince who was now a great distance ahead of them and stated, "I understand."

"Good, let us make haste and catch up to our lord," Han said, and then he jogged ahead.

Ardor followed. The commander had great wisdom. If only he could lead with such when it was his turn. He glanced at Pluck, knowing there was something not right with the Northern High Guard. What was his secret?

Within a nal, they arrived at Pluck's marker and found several men. A few were crouched, trying to start a fire with their flint from their High Guard belt and then two men approached them. Edward and Han lifted their torches, seeing Sinew and Parry stood, shivering before them.

"My lord... Commander... Are... are both of you well?" Parry stuttered.

Melee walked over with his torch and ignited the lightwood, and slowly the men added more wood till a fire roared.

"Yes, we are searching for Princess Virago. Have you seen her?" Edward asked.

"No, my lord," Sinew replied. "We have seen no one else except the odd little creature who told us to meet here. He said Pluck instructed him to do so."

"I did," she said as she stepped forward. "Where's Quip now?"

"Me here," the Trife replied as he scurried in from the darkness, warming his paws by the fire.

"By Fletching!" Ardor uttered. "What the Phraggs?"

Vim drew his sword and spat, "The Fires of Morgog! We should kill this vile thing."

"No!" Pluck yelled as she stepped between them. "He's helping us. He's a friend."

"Me, friend," Quip insisted as he hid behind her cloak like a frightened child.

"There can be only sorcery involved," Vim exclaimed, and then he insisted, "It must be destroyed!"

"Stow your weapon, Morgog," Han demanded. "If Pluck says the creature is a friend, then it is."

"Crell!" Vim cursed as he sneered, sheathing his sword. "Morgogs are not quick to make such judgments of loyalty. A word is nothing only action. I shall keep my eye on this creature."

Quip gulped and muttered, "Me afraid."

"I would stay out of Vim's way if I were you," Pluck spoke as she knelt to the Trife. "Were you able to find anyone else?"

"Ship," Quip answered as he pointed into the darkness.

"Where is it?" Edward demanded.

"Cove," Quip replied. "Far."

"Take us there," Edward commanded.

"Yes," Vim agreed. "We must go now."

"Me take," Quip said as he headed into the darkness. "Follow."

The group headed off.

Han turned to Sinew and Parry and commanded them, "Stay here. Warm yourselves. We shall return."

The group followed the Trife along the shore. Several nals went by before they reached the cove, and there they saw a ship anchored. The first rays of the new sun's cycle peered over the jungle, revealing a rocky shore around the cove, and the jungle lay beyond the rocks. The water in the cove was indigo unlike the blue-green water surrounding the island. The hilt of the Lux flashed twice.

"What is this?" Vim demanded, looking at the sword strapped to the Northern High Guard's back. "Does he carry a weapon of magic?"

"There's nothing to fear, Sentinel," Han insisted. "Are you suspicious of everything?"

"I am Morgog," he answered, tightening his jaw. "Have all of you gone mad? Crell! Only evil can come from dealing with such things."

For once, Ardor agreed with a Morgog. No favorable end would come from Pluck's weapon.

Han looked at the approaching rays as he said, "We can move faster in the light, let's hurry."

Pluck frowned as she considered too many feared magic. What would happen when they discovered she was cursed by it?

"Let us move to the other side of the cove," Edward ordered as he started walking over the large rocks surrounding the area. "The shore this way is closest to the ship."

Quip scurried after the Prince. The Trife darted forward, stopped, scanned the area, and sniffed the wind. He did this several times and within a quarter of a nal, they were nearly to the point closest to the Dark Monarch.

Pluck scanned the indigo waters surrounding the ship, seeing tiny sparkles shimmer in the light of the sun and dance in its yellow radiance. She smiled, delighted by the beautiful sight, but her delight turned to bewilderment. Movement in the water splashed away the reflections, and she noticed many shadows swimming beneath the indigo surface. Hundreds of these dark shapes neared the Princess' ship.

"There's something in the water!" Pluck warned and hurried ahead.

Quip looked at the cove and exclaimed, "Not good. Ship disturbed Breed." He darted into the jungle. "Hide!"

"What are they talking about?" Ardor asked as he squinted but couldn't see anything at their distance.

"Quickly!" Han ordered. "If Pluck says there's something, then there is."

How could Pluck see from this distance? Ardor thought only animals had that ability.

The group rushed for the Dark Monarch and in the distance, they heard men cry out in alarm and shouts of battle replaced the panic as the Sentinels and sailors engaged an enemy. Many Morgog Bowmen lined the sides of the ship, firing at objects in the air and in the sea while those with swords and knives struck at things on deck.

"Who do they fire upon?" Vim questioned as he squinted. "I see nothing."

"I don't know," Han replied as he drew his sword. "But we shall give them a hand."

"They're fighting creatures that fly out of the water," Pluck answered. "Maybe Quip is right. Maybe the Dark Monarch disturbed these creatures' brood."

Hundreds of Breed darted out of the dark blue murk like arrows. Their heavily armored bodies were scaled and colored like beryl, and their long eel forms whipped through the air as they spread their spiked fins. The armor-fish sliced by the sailors and Sentinels. Men cried out, cut by the knife like spikes and after their attacks, the Breed glided over top of the ship, darted down for a second wave, and returned to the water. The Morgog Bowmen fired, striking many of the water fiends, but their arrows couldn't penetrate the creatures' scaled armor. The Breed's relentless attacks continued like an angry swarm of Swamp Wasp.

Princess Virago stayed safely below, listening to her people battle the horrendous creatures. "Why do these fiends attack us?" she questioned Lord Caliber. "I want them to stop. Make them stop!"

"I do not know, my lady," he answered, gripping his wolf-head staff. "Perhaps a wielder of magic raised this unholy army to prevent us from completing the Amalgamation."

"How can we fight such sorcery?" Virago asked as she clinched Lady Flaxen's dress.

"I do not know," Lord Caliber replied as he paced her cabin.

"Can we not leave this cove?" Flaxen asked.

"I heard the Dark Monarch's captain tell Avarice the ship takes on water. The continuous bailing is all that keeps her afloat," Lord Caliber answered as he glanced out the window as a Breed slammed into the wall, sending the advisor scrambling for safety. The translucent aqua armor-fish looked through the window with its large white oval eye. Lord Caliber ran over to the glass, muttered a few words at the creature, it flew off, and he closed the shutters. "Something must be done about these fiends."

"Where is the commander of my Sentinels?" Virago questioned now safely behind Flaxen.

"Avarice is where he should be, my lady," Lord Caliber replied as he crept back to the door, listening to the commotion above. "He is on deck commanding his men. Only he can save us."
Chapter Eleven

The Breed

On the Dark Monarch's deck...

"Bowmen!" Avarice shouted as he raised his two-handed Flamberge sword, shouting over the turmoil. His long gray-black hair was tied back in a braid and his sideburns came to a point at his jaw. "Use flaming arrows. Surely the Fires of Morgog shall vanquish these beasts!"

Sentinel Footsoldiers retrieved small barrels of oil from the hold. Monks collected the fuel from the pools feeding the Capital's most sacred place. The Footsoldiers set them beside the Bowmen and opened the containers, and then torches were lit and handed out. The Bowmen dipped their special arrows in the oil, lit them, and fired upon the Breed. The armor-fish squealed in agony when hit by the flames as oil and fire spread over their scaled bodies. A few dove into the cove, and steam hissed as they hit, but many of the Breed burst into ash and the wind scattered their remains.

"Nock arrows," Avarice ordered as his pale blue eyes searched the water. "Fire!"

The second wave caused the Breed to retreat to their liquid home. Over fifty of them had been destroyed. Vim, Han, and the others arrived on the beach opposite the Dark Monarch.

"The beasts have retreated," Vim said as he searched the indigo waters. "At least for now."

"Perhaps it would be better if the Dark Monarch anchored elsewhere," Han stated as he looked at the Prince.

"Agreed," Edward said as he scanned the ship, but he didn't see the Princess. "I shall speak with Virago."

Aboard the Dark Monarch...

"Is it over?" Lord Caliber questioned as he crept on deck. "Are the creatures gone?"

"Yes, my lord," Avarice replied as he looked over his scratched and tattered men. "For the most part, the beasts were no more than a painful nuisance. We lost no one. The cuts shall heal with time."

"Cuts?" Lord Caliber questioned as he glanced around the ship. "Ah yes, the men... so then we are safe?"

Virago stepped on deck with Lady Flaxen.

"My Princess, you shouldn't be on deck. The fiends could attack again," Avarice spoke as his war-hardened face wrinkled with concern. "If something should happen to you, our hope for the Amalgamation–"

"Thank you for your concern, commander, but the ship is filling with water, and I wish to depart. Have your men follow us to shore. The Captain and sailors can deal with the Dark Monarch. There are many supplies and my presents that need to be unloaded."

"At once," Avarice said and started preparations.

Sailors lowered several longboats to the water and rowed them to shore and after many trips, Dark Monarch's Sentinels were on the beach along with half the ship's sailors.

"Princess..." Avarice spoke as he bowed with Vim and four Footsoldiers. "All my men aboard the Dark Monarch are accounted for. The captain and a few sailors remain on the ship to salvage what they can before she sinks." He motioned to Vim and then said, "My Second informs me that the Sea Sprite sank. He does not know how many survived save the men he left with the High Guards."

Edward approached with Han, Ardor, and Melee and told them, "We lost both of our ships to the spouts."

Avarice glared at the High Guards and exclaimed, "Arrogant mongrels! Bow before your Princess when you enter her presence."

Han looked at the Prince, and Edward nodded. The three High Guards bowed to her.

"My apologies Princess, my men are not used to having such a beautiful woman in their presence," Han said.

Virago smiled.

"What do we do now?" Lord Caliber asked as he walked to the group, stomping his staff across the sand.

"We should set up camp," Han suggested.

Avarice sneered and hid his dislike for the Fletching Commander as he said, "I concur." He looked around the cove and the jungle, and then he added, "We should find a place that is defendable."

Pluck approached and stated, "Han we found a cave, but it isn't very large."

"A cave," Virago said as she made a face. "I do not think I would want to stay in a dark dank place."

Pluck continued, "We also came across a large clearing with two hills. I recommend this spot."

"It sounds like an ideal place to defend," Avarice commented.

"Then let us set up camp before night is upon us," the Prince ordered.

Morgog and Fletching worked together to set up camp. Most of the supplies used were salvaged from the Dark Monarch, but a few crates and items from the others ships were found along the shore. Virago and Lord Caliber's rectangular tents were set up one on each hilltop. The Princess made Lord Caliber give his tent to Edward so the lord bunked with Avarice. The large rectangular tents had three sections. The first had a parlor with chairs, couches, and tables, the second housed clothing chests and was used for changing, and the third held the bed. A flap divided each section. Avarice set up his round tent at the bottom of the hill on the east side as Sentinels and Morgog sailors made camp around him. Han, borrowing a Morgog round tent, set his up on the west side as High Guards and Fletching sailors set up around him. Many shared housing to compensate for the supplies lost at sea.

Out of the 200 High Guards and 38 Fletching sailors, 32 High Guards and 11 sailors were missing or found dead. The Morgogs fared better. Out of 200 Sentinels and 40 sailors, 21 Sentinels and 9 sailors were missing or found dead. Most of the horses were found alive, and only three had to be put down for their injuries. The group had little food and most of their water was contaminated by the sea except that on the Dark Monarch. Night came and torches were lit as sentries walked the perimeter of the hills.

A new sun's cycle came as Avarice, Vim, and Lord Caliber made their way to the Prince's tent. Outside Melee and Bulwark stood guard. The three Morgogs entered and found Han, Ardor, and Edward looking over a map.

"The map does us no good," Ardor said. "It does not tell us where we are or how to reach Kismet. We have wasted enough time."

"I agree," Avarice spoke up. "We sailed Coblet's Route to catch up on the other Kingdoms. We have only lost time."

Lord Caliber walked to the table the map laid on and spoke, "That is apparent to all of us commander, but how do we leave Wellspring? The Dark Monarch is not seaworthy nor do we have the supplies to repair her."

"Perhaps we should find a city or a port and get what supplies we need or even buy a ship," Han suggested as he glanced around. "Has anyone seen the Trife? He could assist us."

"The Trife?" Avarice questioned.

Vim leaned to his commander and told him, "It's a creature that assisted us in finding you. It is a talking beast."

"A Necrom?" Lord Caliber asked.

"No," Vim replied as he shook his head, and the black braid lying over his right shoulder moved. He leveled his hand near his leg. "Smaller like a dog but walks upright."

"Pluck and Quip went to the beach to search for survivors," Ardor answered. "They said they would return this morning."

Han's brow wrinkled with thought, and then he said, "Perhaps we should busy our men with finding water and food and then when the Trife returns, we can have him make a map of this area. He may even know of a city."

"Can we trust this creature?" Avarice asked. "Necrom or not, a beast that talks can only mean magic."

Han answered, "Vim told me a word is nothing to Morgogs only actions. The Trife has proven he can help and has done nothing to revoke my trust."

"Your trust, perhaps," Avarice stated. "Fine, but I am leery of any beast that talks."

"As the Necroms proved to our forefathers," Lord Caliber added. "Talking beasts cannot be trusted."

Avarice looked at Vim and the lord and told them, "Come, there is much to do."

Ardor went to the entrance, waiting for the Morgogs to enter their camp. "Commander..." He turned walking to Han, and then he spoke, "I've never heard you talk so... so..."

"Without command," Edward said.

Han nodded as he stated, "There is a lesson here, my Second. Our alliance is a delicate one, so there shall be many power struggles. It is best to walk lightly."

"You believe Avarice might challenge Edward or you?"

He answered, "The Morgog Commander would never challenge Edward, but me..." Han paused and then said, "Avarice might be thinking ahead. How many commanders can there be? What shall become of our armies? It is best for now not to let him think I'm threatening him."
Chapter Twelve

Dreadgons

Pluck and Quip returned, having found several more men. Soldiers, Fletching and Morgog alike, set about their daily chores. Some stoked the fires while others gathered wood. Large cast iron pots were placed over flames to boil water for Sable Coffee, a very black liquid served straight, and Chip Tea. It was made from a brownish-red bitter root sweetened with Forest Bee's honey. Supplies were divided as Fletching Archers and Morgog Bowmen checked their equipment, made new arrows, and repaired old. Many High Guards and Sentinel Calvary sat, sharpening their swords. Trackers set out, scouting the area and led parties to hunt game. Sailors searched for springs and gathered fruits and nuts while the Princess and Lady Flaxen slept through the morning. Before midday, the Fletching circle and Quip met with the Morgog command.

"I say we send a party to this Great City the Trif..."

"Me Trife," Quip interrupted Vim.

The Morgog Second growled, and the rat-monkey said no more, returning to his drawing.

"As I was saying, we should send a party to this Great City the Trife speaks of," Vim said as he leaned on the table, looking at the map Quip drew of MayPah. He didn't like dealing with the small creature. It reminded him too much of what Necroms supposedly looked like. "Surely they shall have ships we can hire to sail us to Kismet."

"We are too few. We shouldn't send a group," Ardor insisted. "Let us move as a whole and send scouts ahead of us and that should save time."

"There... Me done," Quip stated as he stood on the sketch, examining his creation. "Good map." He pointed with the quill which was nearly half his size and told them, "Shangra beyond Echo Marsh. Take riding animals three sun's cycles but travel through Land of Mud People. If me, travel long way around. Mud People no like visitors."

"What other options are there than going to this city?" Edward questioned as he scanned the map. The gold medallion of a charging Black Elk dangled from his neck.

Lord Caliber scanned the Prince's hands, looking for markings then turned to the Morgog Commander and shook his head.

Avarice frowned and turned his attention to Edward's question and stated, "Other options?"

The Morgog Commander and Han glanced at each other and shrugged.

"None that we can come up with, my lord," Han spoke as he studied the Callow Jungle. "Quip, what dangers might we face if we trek this land beside these Mud People you spoke of?"

"Dangers?" he questioned as he scratched his rat nose.

"Yes, are there other creatures like the Breed that we might face? Even though we are running out of time, I would prefer a safe route."

"Many..." the Trife replied as he shuttered. "Me avoid. Me not like conflict."

"Avoidance is best," Han said. "Can you draw us the best course to the Great City Shangra?"

Quip nodded and went to work.

Sinew rushed in as sweat ran down the tracker's bald head, and then he uttered as his pale face shone of terror, "Commander, quickly outside."

Everyone hurried out.

"What is it?" Ardor demanded.

"There!" Sinew shouted as he pointed.

The camp was up in arms, looking down at the jungle where the tracker motioned. In the distance, trees swayed and cracked, toppling to the ground as a tidal wave of leaves and branches headed for the camp. The ground trembled as a great weight stomped across the land, and the wave of trees continued their way.

Han turned to Sinew and uttered, "By Fletching! What manner of creature is approaching us?"

The tracker told him, "I don't know. A man from my hunting party came, screaming to us about monsters. When the ground shook, I told the men to run." He pleaded with his hands as he said, "Please forgive me, I wasn't thinking. I led the creatures here."

"Creatures?" Han spoke as he turned to Avarice. "Let us ready the Archers and Bowmen, so they may attack whatever emerges from the jungle if these things are hostile." He faced his men and ordered them, "Melee and Pluck take Edward, go retrieve the Princess, and take them to a more protective area." He looked down for the Trife and spoke, "Quip."

"Me know place," he said as he turned to Pluck. "Hurry, me don't like what comes." Quip muttered, "Very big. Very bad."

"I shall join you," Lord Caliber spoke as he followed Edward.

Pluck stared at the unknown menace as part of her wished to stay and face this enemy. She reluctantly obeyed Han, following Edward and Melee, but she paused once more as the ground shook. She was apprehensive and felt like she needed to stay. Something was going to happen that would shape the future. Dread gripped her heart as she feared it wouldn't be for the good. Pluck watched as Archers and Bowmen readied themselves, and she felt their terror and those in the camp. Whatever came, even the trees couldn't stop them. Pluck obeyed Han through her mounting fears and followed the Prince.

Han and his men mounted their horses and unsheathed their silver handled rapiers. The Sentinel Cavalry mounted their horses, drawing their Flamberges as their Footsoldiers readied their spears. The last tree fell just short of the clearing and shot leaves up in a whirlwind. The undergrowth settled and there was silence. No one dared move as a few restless horses neighed and stomped the dirt.

A deep voice roared from the jungle, "Violators!" Trees shook, and the voice like a Mountain Bear shouted, "We are Dreadgons, and we are infuriated. You violated our swamp and stole our food." The ground shook as the Dreadgon yelled, "We demand retribution!"

"Swamp?" Han looked at the Morgog Commander and asked him, "Did any of your men report coming upon a swamp?"

"Yes," Avarice replied as he kept his gaze to the jungle. "Some of my men found several birds nesting in the area and took their eggs." He steadied his anxious horse.

Han said, "We should give them back."

"It is too late." For the first time, Avarice looked at the Fletching Commander like he was something he'd wiped from his boot, and then he said, "My men already boiled and ate them."

Ardor murmured to the commander, "Eggs? They didn't mention this before." He spoke, "They were hoarding them. Now we are about to pay for food we had no taste off."

"Quiet," Han ordered, stifling his own rage. "Now is not the time." He yelled, "We didn't know the eggs were yours. We are strangers here and had no knowledge anyone claimed the swamp. We wouldn't have taken them if we had known." Han looked over their combined forces and knew they couldn't afford a battle, so he asked, "What can we give you to compensate for what we took?"

Quip returned, climbed a nearby tree for a better view, tilted his head, and listened to the Dreadgons discuss the matter. Only his sensitive rat ears could hear the conversation.

"Gar, these violators stole what would have fed us this sun's cycle and the next two. What do they possess that could compensate?"

"I don't know, Tusk. They possess work animals, but we don't eat flesh, and they are too small for us to ride." Gar reasoned, "If they stole the eggs, they probably don't have enough food to replace what they ate." The Dreadgon paused, and then he spoke, "They did say they are strangers here, and I don't recognize their kind. I see one option that will settle this..."

"I agree," Tusk interrupted before Gar finished.

The other Dreadgons murmured their agreement.

Gar cleared his throat and shouted, "You are wise, outlander, but you possess nothing we want. Only blood will satisfy our dispute."

Han glared at the Morgog Commander as he yelled, "They are going to kill us for the eggs your men stole!"

Avarice snarled, nudging his steed forward, and then he spoke, "We shall see about that."

Vim and the Morgog Cavalry followed.

Quip climbed down the tree and jumped on Han's horse, tugging on the High Guard's red cape and then told him, "Dreadgons no fight. Ask Blood Pledge, promise you'll remain off land. Customary among jungle dwellers."

"An oath?" Han repeated, and then his eyes widened as he shouted, "Commander wait!" He kicked his horse and rode toward the other commander. "Hold your men."

"Fass! You Fletching are mongrels!" Avarice yelled as he whirled his steed around to face the Fletching Commander. "How can you cower at a time like this?" he asked as he made a fist. "One sun's cycle you Fletching shall taste..." He stopped himself from finishing his sentence.

"Commander," Vim spoke up. "Perhaps we should hear what–"

"Nonsense," Avarice scolded his Second. "These things call for blood." He reined his horse to face the jungle as he shouted, "Blood they shall have!" Avarice pointed his sword at the jungle and yelled, "BOWMEN! FIRE!"

"No!" Han shouted. "They don't want a fight!"

The Morgog Bowmen released their steel pointed fury into the vegetation. The Dreadgons roared, and five of them rushed out, removing arrows like they were nothing more than thorns. The large beasts who were the size of huts swung huge spiked clubs above their heads and charged up the slope. They were stout and wide as they were tall. Thick gray skin covered them, and dense black hair blanketed their huge forearms, bare feet, and hunched backs. Their large ridged heads were a third of their size, and they had no necks. Three sallow eyes set in a triangle and glared at the men as two yellow tusks curved out from their large square lips. Their noses were pig-like, and brown pants that were held up by a wide buckled belt covered their stout legs.

The Bowmen scattered as the lead Dreadgon slammed his spiked club on the ground, and dirt burst into the air. The Dreadgon leveled his weapon, pointing it across the camp as he declared, "Small foolish ones, now blood won't settle this dispute only your deaths." He lifted his spiked weapon and stated, "I, Gar, proclaim this."

He swung his club, clipping three Bowmen in his path, and the men screamed as they were hurled across the camp. Another Dreadgon grabbed two Fletchings by their capes, whipped them in the air, and slammed them on the ground. The gray beast did this several times and left the men to choke on their own blood. Avarice quickly called his Cavalry to retreat as a Dreadgon swung his club, missing a few Archers but smashed a supply tent. His attack took out several crates and barrels spilling their contents to the dirt.

"I, Tusk, will smash you," a Dreadgon shouted whose tusks were much larger than the others. He stomped after the Morgog Cavalry, grunting angrily.

Han shouted to his men, "Distract the beasts so our Archers may flee." He scanned the camp, spotting Gar as he added, "But do not attack." Han shouted to his Archers, "Cease fire!" He headed his horse for the leader as he yelled, "Gar!" Han galloped to the Dreadgon and told him, "I am their leader. This matter should be between you and me."

A few of the Fletching Archers who hadn't heard the orders fired on the Dreadgons. Most of their arrows bounced off their armor-like hides, and the few that penetrated barely nicked them. The mounted High Guards ran their horses around the great beasts, allowing their Archers to flee.

Gar grabbed a Fletching sailor and raised his club to smash the head of the helpless man. He caught the sailor's scent and paused, sniffing over him with his slimy hognose. He glanced around the camp, sniffing the wind as a righteous anger overcame him. Gar dropped the sailor, and the terrified man scurried away.

Han neared Gar when another Dreadgon stomped in front of the commander and spooked his horse. His steed reared as Han tried to steady it, but the horse lost its balance. The steed fell back on top of Han.

"Stop!" Gar ordered, and the Dreadgons did.

"Why stop?" Tusk asked.

"We blamed all these creatures because they look alike. Bigotry..." Gar tucked his club into his wide belt as he said, "It is now clear to me there are two different groups." He hurried to the fallen commander as he spoke, "This one claims responsibility, yet he doesn't have the scent of our eggs on him only the ones in black do and yet, they are the ones fleeing." He grabbed the horse with both his large hands, lifted it off the commander, put it down, and the steed walked away only winded. "This matter demands justice but not at the cost of the innocent."

"Then it's a matter of fairness," Tusk spoke, and then he nodded his approval and snorted for the others to join them.

They watched Gar help the commander who had fallen.

Blood ran from Han's mouth as Ardor dismounted, rushing to his side. "Stay back," he warned the Dreadgon. "Commander..." Ardor dared not move him for blood stained his side. "Your ribs..."

"I know. There's nothing you can do," Han told him as he gritted his teeth for the pain. "We must settle this." He reached out his arm and told Ardor, "Help me sit up."

"I think it best if you–"

He interrupted Ardor, "I think it best you do as I command." Han squeezed his Second's hand as he sat up. "Gar..." He coughed up blood, and then he spoke, "We must satisfy this."

"I now understand your people were not at fault here," Gar said as he glanced around the battered camp, noticing Avarice. "Are both of you the true leaders?"

Han winced, and then he replied, "No, but we are the protectors." He struggled to breathe.

"Send for your leaders," Gar demanded.

Han looked at Parry and ordered him, "Have Quip show you where the Prince and Princess are. Tell Edward they have been summoned."

The Blond Ox choked back tears, seeing his commander near death and said, "At once."

He and Quip returned shortly with the Prince and Princess.

Edward stepped forward and declared, "I am Prince Edward."

Those with Gar were awed by the Princess and Lady Flaxen.

"Look, fair ones," one of the Dreadgons uttered as he pointed his club. "They would satisfy us."

"Them?" Gar looked the females over and questioned the other Dreadgon, "What do you want them for? They are too small to be our mates."

"They could cook and clean for us," another Dreadgon answered. "That would make up for the eggs we lost, and they are pretty."

"No," Edward declared, putting himself between the women and the gray beasts. "You shall not have them."

"Yes, they would satisfy the debt," Tusk agreed.

Gar looked at Han and then to Edward and told him, "The Dreadgons have spoken. They are what we want, but we can be fair since they're your only females." He glanced at Pluck and added, "At least ones like yourself." He looked over Virago and Flaxen and said, "We'll take her." He pointed to the Princess as he spoke, "And we'll put it to a match. One of you versus me. If I, Gar win, we take her. You win we leave in peace."

"What?" Virago screamed. "NO... No! No! You cannot do that." She looked at Lord Caliber and Avarice for protection.

"That is an outrage," Lord Caliber declared, stomping his wolf-head staff.

Gar glared at the tall man with the long inky-black goatee and told him, "That or we take her now." He looked at the sky and said, "I, Gar, give you one nal to find your champion and tend to your wounded then the match will begin."

He motioned to the Dreadgons, they headed into the jungle, and the ground shook as they left.

"Quickly," Ardor shouted to Sinew and Fracas. "Help me with the commander."
Chapter Thirteen

The Beast Revealed

Sinew, Fracas, and Parry helped carry Han to his tent and laid him on his cot. Edward, Melee, and Pluck followed behind. Many High Guards gathered to see their fallen commander. Virago stomped in with Flaxen in pursuit.

"Now may not be the best time, my lady," Flaxen warned.

Virago ignored her and questioned, "How can you allow them to take me?" She grabbed the Prince's arm and told him, "You cannot permit this."

Edward looked into her blue eyes, seeing her fear. At first, she had been an object, a possession for him to obtain to gain the Emperor's crown but now that she was his, Edward felt a sense of responsibility and a sense that he must protect her. Could this be love?

"I shall not let them," Edward told her as he squeezed her hand. "I would die first."

Virago saw compassion in the Prince's face and this surprised her, so she quieted her tantrum. "I believe you," she said as she smiled and remembered what awaited her. "But how can we stop the Dreadgons? They are so strong."

"Please..." Ardor snapped as he couldn't handle her whining while Han lay near death. He motioned for the High Guards to leave as he said, "There are too many in here." All but Melee and Pluck left as Ardor looked at the Princess but said nothing.

"Maybe it best if we also..." Virago started as she glanced at the Fletching Commander. "He needs to be near those he loves."

She and Flaxen left.

Pluck couldn't hold back, knelt by the commander's side, and started, "Han..."

He looked into her face shadowed by the hood. A candle on a stand near his head gave enough light that he saw a tear stream down her furry face. Han told her, "Quiet child, I shall be fine."

She looked over his battered body and spoke, "I'm afraid..."

Ardor never heard the commander speak with such affection. What was the Northern High Guard doing? This wasn't how a soldier acted.

Han interrupted Pluck and told her, "There is nothing to fear, child." He touched her wet cheek with the back of his hand, feeling her soft face. Before his eyes, she had grown into this amazing woman. She was like his daughter, and he feared for her. Han rested his arms at his sides, looked up at the tent, and closed his eyes, knowing his end was near. He couldn't leave things as they were, so he told her, "I believe it is time."

Avarice, Vim, and Lord Caliber entered, disrupting Han's explanation.

Lord Caliber walked with his staff across the dirt floor as he questioned, "Who among us can face these monsters and triumph?" He stopped in the middle of the tent as the Morgog Commander and Vim joined him. "We must save the Princess. All shall be lost if she is taken."

Ardor turned to them and his face was red with rage as he asked, "What about you Avarice? It was your men who stole the eggs, and it is your Princess who is in peril."

Vim tensed, stepping forward to verbally come to his commander's defense, but Avarice stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. The Morgog Commander laughed at the Fletching's notion. Avarice's cowardice shocked Vim. Vim knew the Fletching spoke the truth; a Morgog should be the champion.

Outraged by his laughter, Ardor leaped for the Morgog Commander, but Melee held him back. Ardor yelled, "Fass! Let go of me!" He calmed down and ordered, "I am fine. Release me." Ardor straightened his red cape and his rapier's frog, and then he proclaimed, "I shall face Gar."

"No," Han said as he moved and cringed, forcing himself to speak, "Pluck shall be our champion."

"Commander?" Ardor spat, stunned by Han's decision. "But I–"

"Why me?" Pluck asked also surprised.

"It is time, time you showed the others," Han told her as he squeezed her glove. "You are the only one among us with the strength, speed, and–" He motioned to the Lux strapped to her back and added, "–weapon to defeat the Dreadgons."

"We all saw what the brutes are capable of," Melee told her as he stepped forward. "If Pluck is to face the Dreadgons, he must rid himself of all loose clothing."

Her eyes widened at the thought.

Han squeezed her glove again and told her, "It is time. No more hiding."

Hiding? Ardor stared at Pluck. He had been right, but what did the Northern High Guard hide?

Avarice laughed, and then he said, "If he's our champion, we best prepare to flee with the Princess when your High Guard is defeated."

Melee glared at the Morgog Commander and told him, "If Han says Pluck can defeat Gar, then he can." He snarled as he questioned, "Now who is the coward? Ready to flee?"

Avarice didn't respond only scowled.

Why didn't the commander take up the sword against the Dreadgon? Vim was willing... but he knew that, so there had to be something the commander wasn't telling him.

Han looked at the Morgog Commander and told him, "Avarice, if you and Lord Caliber could give us some privacy, we need to prepare for the match."

Avarice nodded and added with a smirk, "I need to prepare for our escape."

He, Vim, and Lord Caliber walked out.

Lord Caliber leaned to the Morgog Commander, whispering, "A pity their most experienced soldier has fallen. I do not think he shall survive the night."

"Yes," Avarice replied as he added, "A pity." He waited till they were outside, excused Vim to see to their men and once his Second was out of earshot, he asked, "What of our plans? If Edward isn't the one, then who? And what of the Dreadgons?"

"The Dreadgons may be a surprise, but they shall fit in very nicely."

"What do you mean?" Avarice asked.

"I believe these large beasts shall uncover the one we seek," Lord Caliber stated. "The one I have been telling you about since we left the Morgog Kingdom."

"I remember, someone with the scent of magic."

"Yes, and just you wait..." Lord Caliber stroked his thin goatee as he said, "It shall soon be revealed."

Inside the tent...

"Pluck," Edward started and she turned, rising to face him.

The Prince witnessed her skills when they fought Matt and his thugs. She was savage yet talented; he doubted anyone else could stand up to the Dreadgons. He had to make her understand that without Virago there would be no Amalgamation. He examined his heart and believed he had grown to... Edward stumbled over his thoughts since love wasn't a verb used in his family. He liked the Princess and she must be saved. He put his hands on Pluck's shoulders.

She tensed as he touched her. Very few people had touched her since her birth, though Pluck yearned for affection. She relaxed under his firm grip.

He caught a glimpse of her emerald feline eyes and then spoke to her, "I know you are afraid, but I need you to fight."

"I understand, but do you know what you are asking?" Pluck inquired as she pulled her hood closer to her face.

"Yes, I understand. I–"

"No," she interrupted. "I don't think you do. If I am to fight, I must remove my cloak." She whispered, "Everyone will know what I am. You know their reactions. Are you prepared to stand up for me?"

Edward thought about it. She was right. The Fletching people would be outraged and the Morgog's... He straightened and told her, "I am prepared to stand up for you if you save my wife."

Wife... The word cut at her heart. How could Pluck fight to save the Princess when she feared Virago would receive the Kiss. Pluck inhaled and exhaled slowly, and then she said, "I'll do this if you will honor what you promised me in the Mystic Rose's Temple. Do you remember your pledge?"

Edward's brow wrinkled with wonder.

"The Kiss," Pluck told him as she scrutinized his face, looking for the slightest hint of deception. She would fall apart if he lied to her. She told him, "That day you promised me the Kiss."

Han couldn't believe it; she'd never told him what it was that would end her curse and all along it was the Kiss. Would Edward give it to her? Had he already given it away? It wasn't a light request. No wonder Pluck never told him.

"The Kiss?" Edward uttered as his mouth gaped. "The Kiss!" He couldn't see her face within the shadow of her hood, but he remembered the horror of it. Edward shuddered at the thought of touching his lips to hers as he said, "But I..."

Was the Northern High Guard mad? Ardor couldn't understand what was going on. Pluck couldn't...

"Would you deny me this?" she questioned as the Prince's disgust and refusal outraged her. "It's the only thing that will end my curse." She shouted, "For all I have done for you..." Pluck calmed herself, and then she told Edward, "This is all I ask. Is it too high a price to save your wife or is it something you have already given away?"

Outside...

"My Lady," Flaxen whispered as she and Virago stood behind Han's tent, listening to the conversation within. "We should leave before we are caught."

"Nonsense. I am the Princess. Even if we are caught, what are they going to do?" Virago questioned as they hid among stacked crates, and then she ordered, "Quiet, Edward is talking. He is urging one of his men to fight for me." Virago said with disappointment, "Now I cannot hear them."

Flaxen leaned in to hear better and told her, "The Northern High Guard is requesting a reward for his bravery."

"What reward?" Virago asked.

Flaxen strained to hear, and then she replied, "A kriss."

"A kriss," the Princess repeated, and then she questioned as the unusual word rolled off her lips again, "What is a kriss?"

"No, that is not it. The Prince is repeating it," Flaxen said, and then her eyes widened as she uttered, "Surely not."

Virago asked as she squeezed Flaxen's hand, "What is it?"

She turned to the Princess and told her, "I believe the High Guard has requested a kiss."

"A kiss?" Puzzled that a man would request such a thing from another man, Virago made a face and then questioned, "Edward has denied him, yes?"

Flaxen leaned closer to the tent and then replied, "Not yet; they are still discussing this."

Inside the tent...

"No," Edward told Pluck as he straightened. "I would do anything to save my wife, so I shall bestow upon you the Kiss and to answer your other question, no I have never given it away."

She was relieved there was still a chance, but Pluck feared he would betray her, so she told him, "Swear it as Prince of Fletching and soon to be Emperor of the Five Kingdoms."

Edward paused, and then he said, "I swear. Now please, be our champion."

Pluck couldn't bring herself to trust him, so she asked him, "Will you protect me when the others find out what I am?"

"Yes, yes," he insisted. "Now please be our champion?"

Outside...

"I am afraid, my lady, that the Prince has sworn to give the Northern High Guard the Kiss if he wins," Flaxen stated and then she bit her lip, knowing the Princess wouldn't respond kindly.

"That is not right," Virago exclaimed in a quiet tone. "I thought I had married..." She rubbed her temples as she said, "Wait till my father hears about this."

"Come, my lady," Flaxen told her as she peeked over the crates. "Several High Guards are moving this way."

Virago sighed and then stated, "My kingdom for a straight man."

Inside the tent...

Pluck hesitated, trusting Edward. Han squeezed her hand, and she looked down at him.

Han strained to talk as he asked her, "Who raised you and trained you like you were my son?"

"You did Han," Pluck answered as she knelt beside him.

Jealousy rose in Ardor. He was Han's Second, so he should be the one at his side.

Han continued, "Then do this for me." He looked into her face and said, "Swear to me you shall be our champion." He squeezed her arm as Pluck wavered out of fear, and he told her, "Swear it, child."

"I swear it, Han. I swear," she said as tears streamed down her face. Pluck was unable to bear seeing him in pain and without a healer, there was nothing anyone could do, not even to ease his suffering. She pleaded, "Don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot promise," Han told her and then heaved a great sigh. "Already my body is growing cold."

"No!" Pluck screamed as she couldn't hold back her emotions, and then she cried, "No, don't die. Don't leave me alone." She gently laid her head on his shoulder as she told him, "You are all I have left."

"Stand up, soldier!" Ardor commanded as he couldn't watch this ridiculous scene play out any longer. "This is no way for you to act."

Ardor grabbed Pluck and she turned as her eyes flashed green with anger in the darkness of her hood. Filled with rage, Pluck hissed at him like a cat.

Frightened by what he saw and heard, Ardor stepped back as he uttered, "Crell! What are you?"

"Pluck... Ardor..." Han yelled as he chastised them, and then he shivered and continued, "This is no way for either of you to behave. Now Pluck, it is time. Let me once more see you as you are." He smiled as he told her, "For soon you shall be whole again."

She stood, glanced at Ardor and Melee, and then she requested, "Please, send the others away."

"No, they shall soon know," Han told her and smiled again to reassure her. "Let them see."

Pluck shrunk, nervous and apprehensive of how they would react. No one besides Han, Fairah, and Edward had seen her beastly form.

"Go on, child. You are among friends," Han said to coax her.

For Han, she did and Pluck lowered her hood, unclasped her cloak, and threw it on a nearby chair. She turned to Ardor and Melee, waiting for their reactions.

Ardor stumbled back and shouted, "By Fletching!" His face tightened in terror, and he instinctively went for his rapier.

"Stow that sword!" Han commanded.

Ardor reluctantly sheathed his blade, realizing this was Pluck's horrible secret. The Northern High Guard... his rival... was a beast and a frightful one at that with emerald eyes that pierced his soul, long white canines, a flowing fiery-crimson mane like a Fire Lion, and beige fur. Fur... He hated what he saw. This was no man but a beast and an abomination that must be destroyed.
Chapter Fourteen

The Match

Pluck dared not breathe as Ardor drew his sword on her, and he started to attack her till Han stopped him. The tent closed in on her, trapping Pluck and she wanted to flee, but where could she go?

Melee tilted his head. His reaction to Pluck was calmer than Han's Second as he exclaimed, "He's a woman."

"What do you mean woman?" Ardor yelled. "Don't you see he's... it's a beast!" He paced the tent, gesturing angrily with his hands as he questioned, "How could you have kept this from me... your men? This..." He pointed to Pluck and said, "This abomination should never have been allowed to walk among us and yet it wears the High Guard insignia." He punched one of the large wooden poles holding up the tent, and his knuckles reddened from the impact as he cursed, "Fass! For all we know Pluck's a Necrom."

She bowed her head ashamed. Ardor reacted as she imagined. He hated her with a passion.

"He's a woman," Melee repeated still stunned.

"That's enough!" Han shouted as his face paled as he grew weaker, but he mustered the strength to glare at his Second and told him, "You know nothing."

"He is right," Edward added in a gentler tone. "When we were children, I angered a witch. She would have vexed me if Pluck had not pushed me out of the way and taken the curse. Could you imagine me ruling as the thing you see?"

Edward's words shocked Pluck. He also saw her as a monster; Edward must think her a horrible and ghastly thing to behold. No wonder he reacted as he did when she asked for the Kiss.

The Prince continued, "You must understand, she saved the Fletching Kingdom, and I owe her a great debt."

"And so do I," Han added. "We the High Guards were not there to protect the Prince, but Pluck a nine seasons old child was." He shivered as he held his side, he glanced at the dark blood on his palm, and then he commanded, "I don't want you to disrespect her again, am I clear?"

Ardor's rage faded. Perhaps he was wrong... He remembered the stories his grandfather told him of the time before the Five Kingdoms and how the Necroms nearly destroyed man. Ardor searched Pluck's face and its beastly guise, seeing only what he had been taught to despise; it was a Necrom. How could he forget? Ardor exploded with loathing as he yelled, "I'm not wrong! It's an abomination. Nothing you say or it does shall ever change my mind!" Desperate for Han to see what he already knew, Ardor knelt beside Han and told him, "You are my commander, and I would die for you, but you have done us all a great dishonor. It's a mistake to have it here." He stood and warned him, "Wait till the Morgogs find out, then you shall know hatred." Ardor turned from Han and said, "I am ashamed; I am greatly ashamed you took this Beast and taught it the High Guard way. I cannot be in here any longer."

He stormed out, fearing he would spill blood if he stayed.

Pluck turned to Edward, fighting back tears as she asked him, "Are you sure you can protect me? Your own men are against me."

"Not all of us," Melee spoke up as he stepped forward. "It does not matter who or what you are. You are a High Guard, one trained by Han, and that makes you my brother... er... sister." He grabbed his hilt and swore to her, "You shall have my steel if you need it."

She told him, "Thank you, the others won't be as kind."

The ground shook, and Melee went to the tent entrance and told them, "The Dreadgons are back."

Pluck turned to the Prince and said to him, "I'll be out soon. Could you give me a moment with Han?"

Edward nodded and exited with Melee.

She knelt at the commander's side and started, "There's so much I want to tell you and yet I don't know where to begin." She wiped her runny panther nose and then continued, "You've been more than a mentor to me. You've been my father. I don't want to fail you, and I don't want to lose you. You're all I have."

"Pluck, you must be strong. My life is near its end. Watch over Edward. Much danger lies ahead of him and please forgive Ardor. He feels betrayed but once he sees who you really are, he shall come around." He gripped her arm as he warned her, "Watch out for the Morgogs. They can be treacherous."

Two High Guards walked in and waited by the entrance. They were shocked to see a Beast within, but they said nothing, seeing that Han spoke with it.

"It is time," Han said. "Save our Princess."

Pluck kissed him on the cheek, stood, grabbed her cloak from the chair, unclasped her High Guard pin from it, and attached the charging Black Elk to her shirt. Pluck smoothed her hand over it as she said out loud to give herself courage, "If nothing else, I am a High Guard."

She headed out, and the two soldiers gasped again but didn't say a word as she passed them. Her heart pounded as if it would burst through her chest. They knew a beast walked among them, and she could never take that back.

* * *

Edward walked from the tent to where the High Guards gathered. Parry, Sinew, Fracas, Bulwark, and Von were among them. Ardor stood off by himself; his face was red with anger and shame. Quip climbed a grouping of rocks to get a better view as Gar, Tusk, and the Dreadgons waited at the edge of the camp. Edward approached them with Melee.

"Do you have a champion?" Gar asked.

"Yes," Edward answered. The whole ordeal troubled him since so much depended on Pluck. Could she save his wife? Could he manage to give her the Kiss once she won? She was a horrible sight to behold and he didn't know if... He couldn't worry about that now, first Pluck had to win. What would they do if she didn't? Avarice said he would make plans for their escape if Pluck failed, but Edward saw no such plans as he glanced around the camp. For Virago's sake, he hoped the plans were well hidden.

"I, Gar, have selected a spot for our duel," he stated, then motioned for the Prince to follow, and Edward did as the Dreadgon walked to a grassy area not far from the camp. "This is where the match will take place."

Virago and Flaxen watched from a distance. They and their escort walked to Han's tent as the group moved off to the grass. The Princess had to watch the fight that would determine her future.

"Has it begun?" Virago asked as dread filled her heart.

"I do not believe so," Flaxen answered. "I do not see the High Guard champion."

Pluck walked out, glanced at them, bowed, and spoke a greeting, "Princess Virago... Lady Flaxen..."

She continued past them and stopped, watching those gathered in the circle. She grabbed her freed tail, stroking it apprehensively, fearing what would happen next. Pluck felt the stares of the Princess and her escort, knew the stress would only get worse, and dreaded making her appearance more than she feared facing the Dreadgon. She took a deep breath and headed for Gar.

Her quick appearance out of the tent startled Virago and Flaxen. The Princess' guards drew their swords, surrounding the Princess.

"Fires of Morgog!" one of the Sentinels shouted.

"Did you see that?" Virago uttered as she grabbed Flaxen's arm. "A beast! And it spoke my name. What is it after?"

Flaxen watched the creature with the mane of fiery-crimson as it walked through those gathered to face the Dreadgons. "Oh, my..." she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Virago demanded.

"I believe that creature... that hairy beast is our champion. See it wears the High Guard uniform," Flaxen told her as she noticed it had breasts. "And I do believe it is a female." Flaxen paused and then said, "If this is true, it is the one who requested the Kiss."

"How dare it?" Virago declared as she made a disgusted face. "I believe I prefer Edward kissed a man; I believe I prefer he kissed a hundred men."

In the grassy area...

Gar glanced around those gathered, demanding, "Where is your warrior?"

"I'm here," Pluck proclaimed.

Morgogs and High Guards parted as they realized what was among them. The soldiers and sailors murmured, surprised and confused.

"Phraggs! What is it?" a Fletching sailor asked.

"Crell! It's a Necrom," a Morgog Footsoldier proclaimed. "We must destroy it!"

"That thing has Pluck's sword," Parry said as he pointed out the weapon. "But where is he? Has it devoured him?"

"I am here, Parry," she answered. "I have always been here." Pluck continued to the Dreadgons and then questioned Gar, "What are the rules of this match?"

"Simple, the first one to yield loses."

"What do you mean? It is not to the death?" Avarice spoke, and then he commented to his men, "It should be and then at least one filthy beast would die."

The soldiers murmured their agreement. Avarice looked at Lord Caliber then back to Pluck and the Dreadgon.

The Morgog Commander whispered, "It seems you were right about the Dreadgons. They have revealed the magic one."

Lord Caliber replied, "I knew I smelled sorcery; it is the enchantment of the Mystic Rose. Perhaps Pluck is the one the Rose bonded with and if so, we are one step closer to achieving our goals." He looked worried as he glanced at the Dreadgons, and then Lord Caliber said, "That is if she wins this match. We cannot allow the Dreadgons to take the Princess. Are your men in position if the Beast Woman should fail?"

"Yes, everything is ready."

Edward stepped toward the Dreadgons and asked them, "How do we know you shall keep your word and leave peacefully if we win?"

"I, Gar, have given my word," he replied as he turned to his comrades. "If I should go against it, they will harshly deal with me." Gar faced Pluck and told her, "I have never faced a female of your kind in battle. This should make an interesting match." He smacked his spiked club on his palm and asked, "Are you ready?"

Of her kind? Pluck looked over his monstrous gray form. His three sallow eyes peered at her, expressing his determination as drool frothed around his square lips and yellow tusks. He was a presence to fear.

"Yes," Pluck answered, unstrapping her scabbard. She unsheathed the Lux and thunder rumbled from the blade, warning those who would oppose it. She drew strength from its power, threw the scabbard aside, and then said, "Begin."

Tusk and the other Dreadgons backed away as Gar twirled his club as he loosened up. His hog nose twitched with his zest to fight as his wide bare chest bulged with muscles. He struck suddenly and with great force, slamming his spiked weapon upon her. Pluck lifted her sword and blocked his attack as his weight and strength bore down on her. Her arms shook under his pressure. Gar lifted his weapon, swinging to bat her away, but Pluck ducked, rolling to the Dreadgon's feet. She struck at his unprotected ankles. He quickly lifted his leg, evading her attack, and then Gar smacked her with his free hand, sending her across the grass. She landed hard and slid. Pluck coughed on sand and dust, sat up, wiped her bloody lip, and stood.

Gar laughed as he spoke, "Thought we were slow because of our size. You should never underestimate your opponent."

He charged, slamming into her like a Desert Bull, and the force hurled her into the crowd of men, knocking several of them to the ground. Pluck rose to one knee, dazed, and looked around at those gathered. Many of them glared at her like they wished they were the ones trying to kill her. She dragged herself to her feet.

"Do you yield?" Gar asked. "Surely you know you're outmatched. Give up now before you're hurt any further." He pointed his club at the men and told her, "I see how they stare at you. Why do you fight for their kind?"

"Do not give up!" Edward pleaded.

Pluck glanced at Princess Virago who had moved to the circle. The Princess and Flaxen cringed from her. What was she fighting for? Pluck had to remember or she would give up right there. She fought to end her curse and keep a promise to Han. She glanced around the circle and knew they would kill her if she lost, and Edward wouldn't be able to stop them. If she focused on that motive, then Pluck would be driven by fear. She focused on Han and the love she had for him and with new resolve, Pluck stuck her sword in the ground, removed her gloves, and kicked off her boots. She no longer needed them, and she may need her claws.

Pluck drew the Lux from the sand and declared to the Dreadgon, "I will not yield!"

She rushed upon him, leapt into the air, and came down on him with her sword. Gar lifted his club to block as the Lux flashed like lightning and then sliced through the wood. The spike-covered end of the weapon fell to the sand, and the Dreadgon stared at his club astonished. Pluck landed, slapping a palm down to absorb the force, and then she stood, tail twitching her eagerness to attack again. Gar threw what remained of his club at her. She quickly dodged it, rolled to her feet, and rushed upon him as he barreled his hand down on her. She evaded, slicing her sword across his ankle. Gar howled, then brought his other hand down, and smashed her, and the force nearly knocked her out. She laid there motionless as Gar stumbled back from his injury. Tusk stepped up and supported his comrade.

Gar snorted and then questioned, "Do you yield?" He gritted his teeth as green blood trickled down his ankle.

She didn't reply.

"Do you yield?" he asked again as he hobbled on one foot.

Pluck moved her left hand from underneath her belly, swiped it across the sand, and felt how warm the granules were under the sun. She sucked in needed air which made her side hurt and with intense pain, Pluck pushed off the ground, used her sword as a crutch, and rose to one knee. Red blood ran from her eyes and mouth. Her vision blurred as she scanned the crowd. Most of their faces hadn't changed except for Virago and Lady Flaxen. They realized if she lost the duel then the Princess would be taken.

"Do not give up," Flaxen pleaded for her Princess.

Pluck turned to Edward and saw his eyes were filled with concern, but it wasn't for her. It hurt Pluck to see his regard was only for his wife; it hurt her worse than the pain stabbing at her body. She was ready to give up and yield when she heard a voice.

"Pluck..."

She turned and saw two High Guards carry Han out on his cot. Her self-pity melted away as she saw the man she considered her father come out to her. The two High Guards gently set him down as Han urged her, "Pluck... Fight... You cannot give up."

Her self-pity turned to love intermixed with bitter sorrow. Tears streamed down her face as she cried for her pain and the pain that Han endured to come out to her. She knew he loved her and that love gave her strength to stand. Pluck rose unsteadily to her feet as she yelled, "I will not yield! Never!"

"Can you go on?" Tusk asked Gar as he looked at his injured foot.

"Yes, just remind me what I'm fighting for."

"Look," Tusk told him as he motioned to the Princess. "You're fighting for that fair one. She'll be our cook and clean for us. No more eating raw or boiled eggs for surely she knows many recipes."

Gar licked his lips as he said, "Let me see if I can stand on my own. I can." Tusk handed him a new club, but he refused it as Gar reminded him, "No, only what we bring to the match." He hobbled toward the Beast Woman as he mopped sweat from his massive hairy forearms and hunched back with his hand. He flexed his muscles and made fists as he warned her, "These are like hammers. I may not have a club, but I can still kill you."

Pluck didn't reply as she wiped the blood from her mouth. She stared at the Dreadgon with her emerald feline eyes and bolted for him. Gar didn't expect such speed. He swung his fist and the other and missed her as Pluck climbed up his leg and around on his back. She grabbed his ear and placed her sword under his chin. The blade cut into his thick gray skin and green blood trickled down.

"Do you yield?" she asked, affirming her hold on him.

"Crell!" Gar shouted and then he answered, "Yes. You have won. We'll leave."

She released him and slid to the ground and nearly collapsed to her feet. She took a few moments to rest, and Pluck felt a little stronger and wasn't as wobbly on her legs.

Gar hobbled off with Tusk's assistance and the other Dreadgons followed.

Tusk told Gar, "This means we'll have no cook."

"Yes, I know," Gar answered.

"This means we'll only have boiled eggs."

"Actually," Gar corrected him. "We'll have nothing. You've forgotten these creatures ate our eggs."

Virago rushed to Edward and questioned him, "Is it over?"

He embraced her as he told her, "Yes, my love. You are safe."

Once the Dreadgons vanished into the jungle, Avarice looked at Lord Caliber and stormed into the circle as if on cue and began his performance. He inquired, "What is the meaning of this? Has a Beast walked among us this whole time?"

"It is a Necrom," Lord Caliber declared, pointing his wolf-head staff accusingly. "We all know the story of the Second Age of Magic and how the Necroms nearly destroyed Man. Our forefathers told us if the Necroms ever found our new home they must be destroyed or they would destroy us."

Many from both sides murmured, agreeing with Avarice and Lord Caliber.

Pluck said nothing in her defense as she looked at Edward and saw his face hardened with contemplation. She feared he would leave her to the wolves of mistrust and hatred, and Pluck feared he would betray her. A voice rose above the others when it seemed no one would come to her aid.

"Would you murder our hero?" Han asked. "Would you slay the one who just saved our Princess from untold horrors?"

The men grew silent as they all considered the Fletching Commander's words.

"Pluck is not a Necrom. She is like us only cursed," Han informed them, and then he coughed up more blood in his hand. He wouldn't let that stop him, and he ordered, "All of you back to your work. There is still much to do."

The Fletching people moved off as Avarice nodded and the Morgogs departed. Edward and Virago left the circle, making their way to his tent. Flaxen followed them and Melee paused from following his Prince as Pluck walked to the Fletching Commander.

Han praised her as he said, "Well done. Come, let someone tend to your wounds."

No one volunteered so Melee stepped forward and said, "I will tend to Pluck if someone will man my station."

Han nodded and ordered a High Guard to take Melee's place.

Lord Caliber and Avarice moved toward their tent, and he drew close and whispered to Avarice, "I saw her fingers. Pluck bears the marks of the Mystic Rose."

Avarice stated, "Then that part of our mission is completed." He stopped, studied the crowd, and headed into his tent along with Lord Caliber as he added, "Soon we begin the next phase and after Han is dead, I see no one who shall hinder us."

Back near the grassy area, Quip climbed down from the rocks as he muttered to himself, "Me not like people's stares and since Pluck not wear cloak, people hate." He scampered over into an empty hole he'd made his nest and grabbed his sack. "Me think time me left. Bad mood here." He scurried into the jungle as he muttered, "No good come."
Chapter Fifteen

The Kiss

Han called many into his tent for his final hour. Pluck stayed to the back as Melee cleaned and applied ointment to her cuts and scrapes. The Lux which had proven itself an invaluable weapon leaned on a crate beside her. The High Guards stayed clear of her and only Ardor and Fracas glanced at her. Ardor with a hate-filled stare, and Fracas with a bewildered look. The Second turned from her disgusted and knelt by his commander.

Han tried to clear his dry throat, then one of his men gave him water, and he began, "I have asked all of you here to bear witness." All color had gone from his face, and his voice was weak as he continued, "My time's short so I must appoint another to take my place." He struggled to breathe but pressed on. "One worthy of your leadership." He searched the faces of those standing around him and then ordered, "Pluck, come forward."

Ardor glanced at the Beast Woman. Han couldn't; he couldn't place it in charge!

Pluck knelt by Han's side next to his Second, sensing Ardor's glare. The sand was dry and cool beneath her, but not cold enough to quench the hate bearing down on her. Pluck scratched her cat ear. She couldn't see herself taking command; it would be too much.

"Pluck," Han started, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I place you second in command to Ardor who shall lead my men. This is my wish and one I beg all of you to honor."

No one dared grumble their disdain.

Pluck sighed, relieved for she couldn't endure any more pressure. She looked into Han's face as life slipped from his shaky grasp. Pluck turned her gaze to the floor. He couldn't leave her, not alone and not at this time when so many hated her. It was too much for her to bear.

Ardor noticed the Beast's relief but that didn't change his opinion of it.

Han continued, "My Second." He waited for Ardor to look at him and in great pain, Han continued, "There is no one else I would have take charge of my High Guards. I know you shall be a great leader." He gasped for air, struggling to finish. "Heed Pluck's advice as I heeded yours. This is my wish that you put aside superstition and hatred and judge the actions and the heart of this woman before you." Han raised his voice and told them, "This is my wish for all the High Guards."

Ardor yelled at him, "You can't... you cannot appoint this beast as my Second!"

Han didn't answer for a long time. Why couldn't Ardor get past the bigotry of his fathers? Han told him, "I can and I have. There are witnesses, and the Creator has heard my voice." He closed his eyes and opened them and his face was full of anguish. "These are my wishes. Abide by them."

Han stared at Ardor and Pluck. They were now the hope of Fletching. He let out a great sigh and his chest rose no more.

"No! Change your wishes. Make another my Second," Ardor shouted as he shook Han, but his commander didn't move as his eyes glazed over. "NO!" Ardor yelled. "Don't die! Don't leave things like this."

Pluck lifted her head as tears streamed down her furry face. She couldn't believe he'd passed on. Han lived life to its fullest and now he was an empty shell. "Goodbye my friend... my father," she whispered as her lip quivered and then she wiped her eyes.

A great rift formed long ago between her and the world; it was one Han had bridged, but with him gone... Who would keep her connected to humanity? She looked at Ardor as he wept on the commander's chest. Pluck knew it didn't matter what she said to him. Ardor would always hate her. Why did Han put her in second command? Why did he leave her alone to face the people's hatred? She kissed her mentor's hand, stood, and walked out of the tent as the High Guards paid their respects.

Everything around her felt unreal like none of it was happening. The background blurred in her mind as did the glares of the men. She looked at her fur covered hands. Pluck was tired of her beast form, and it was time Edward honored his pledge and gave her the Kiss. She glanced at Han's tent as she couldn't stand knowing animosity surrounded her and no place was safe. Pluck grabbed her tail and stroked it. The only one who loved her as she was was dead, and she feared she would die too if she didn't return to normal.

Pluck walked up to Edward's tent and two men stood guard without. One was a High Guard and the other a Morgog. She passed them and went into the tent, finding no one within the first section. Many emotions swirled around in her as she made her way to where Edward would be. He would give her the Kiss and release her from this accursed form and once that happened, there would be no more stares and no more glares of hatred. She would be a woman and everyone would accept her and one day someone would love her. Pluck went into the next section and as she stepped through the next tent flap she started, "Edward, I..."

She gasped as a horribly unfathomable sight knocked her back as if a dozen arrows struck her chest. In the third section and on the Prince's bed, Edward and Virago passionately kissed in the thralls of lovemaking. The jolt to Pluck's psyche knocked her back, and she couldn't utter a word. Edward had... her redemption... It couldn't be! The one thing Edward promised to her twice now and what would have freed her from her curse he carelessly gave to his wife as if Pluck meant nothing to him. It felt as though Edward thrust a sword through her heart and twisted it further in with each new embrace of his wife's lips. Virago had stolen her one and only hope, and Pluck would remain the Beast forever. She felt sick to the point of dying, and Pluck wanted to shriek at them.

Edward finally noticed her once he surfaced from his wife's warm and seductive embrace, and he uttered, "Pluck!" He sat up, realizing what he had done and stammered, "I... I..."

Pluck stood there as if chains bound her to that hellacious place and that horrid moment. Her life was over and there was nothing that would save her from her accursed fate. Why did Edward do it? Why did he give her redemption to another? She had to act. She had to take her revenge. Pluck had to do something because of the injustice inflicted upon her. What should she do? What should she do to them?

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Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale #1

Tale Of Two Worlds

The Wizard, The Battlemage, And The Werewolf

Kristie Lynn Higgins

© 2015, 2018
Chapter One

The Dream

For the few moments the dream lingered within her mind like starlight near day's twilight, Jane didn't know if her mind fancy had been a long-forgotten memory that recently returned to her when she entered her teens or if the dream was only a wishful hope and yet a horrible reminder of the life she existed in. Through the first part of her adult life and into her early thirties, the dream remained the same and never differed and each time she dreamed the occurrence, she experienced each moment as if it was for the first time, and she never remembered what was coming until she was swept into it.

It always began with herself as a young child walking through a scary forest she didn't recognize. She wore blue shorts and a black t-shirt with a pretty white swan on it. Jane never remembered how she happened to be in the forest or why she was alone at such a young age. The dense forest was frighteningly dark with only glimmers of light here and there along with large fireflies the size of her fists that seemed to crackle with blue lightning. She felt so lost as creatures angrily squawked or roared around her. She slowly made her way through the thick underbrush for what seemed like a long time, and then she began to feel isolated and deeply alone. Despair seized her and wrapped her up in its cold embrace, and it would have dragged her even deeper into hopelessness and made her give up on ever finding her way out if a bright light hadn't of broken through the dark canopy. The sunbeam beckoned her to it, so Jane climbed her way over roots, pushed her way through shrubs and bushes until she broke free of the forest, and came upon a bright sunny clearing. There in the clearing was a small pond, and she saw herself in its reflection. Dirt and leaves covered her and made her appear like a little mud elf with pointed ears, but she didn't care. She was free of the creepy trees.

Voices drew her over a hill and into a small meadow valley where a boy and a girl played. Jane was a little younger than the two children who looked to be about five and for some reason, Jane got the impression the two weren't siblings. The boy and the girl turned to Jane as she stood on the hill above them near tears. They peered at her for a long time, and Jane was afraid they might run away or even worse, pretend she wasn't even there. The blond boy seemed like some sort of prince from a fairy tale with the purple garb and the gold crown he wore. Jane noticed a medallion around his neck of some sort of beastly creature. The girl with long black hair was beautiful like a princess, she had on a flurry white dress with red roses vining all over it, and she had a blue birthmark under her left eye in the shape of a double lightning bolt. Jane stared back at them as curiously as they peered up at her. She looked down at herself, remembered how dirty she had gotten in the forest, and wondered what she must look like to them. Jane wanted to run to them and grab hold of them as if they had been friends for years, but she was afraid to move because, for some reason, she feared if she did, they would disappear.

The boy and the girl looked at each other, and then they both held out their hand for her to come and join them. A tear of extreme joy trickled down her cheek as she ran to them and grabbed their hands. The next part of the dream was a little fuzzy. Jane did get a sense that the boy and the girl accepted her and that they played for a long time together in the meadow. She wished with all her heart she could stay in those joyous and yet unclear moments forever. Jane experienced feelings she lacked in her normal life, and she didn't want to let go, not of the family she always longed for. She wasn't sure what the feelings she experienced were, but she wanted more of them.

Later that day, the dream became clearer as the children found a patch of wildflowers, and they were unlike any plants Jane had seen. The wildflowers pranced under the sun like little river dancers and if one of the children tapped the head of the bloom, a bloom smaller than the host plant fell into their palm. Each smaller bloom had a stem. The girls giggled and played with the plants as the boy mostly chase the girls around. After some time, the three of them sat for a while to rest from their play, and the girl gathered some of the tiny blooms from a rainbow of different colored flowers and began twisting the stems together. When she finished, the girl whispered something to the item in her hand and blue sparks shot up from her palm, then she gently took Jane's hand and put a tiny flower loop on her finger. Jane peered at the friendship ring as the circlet made from nature went from one of green and rainbow to one of hardened silver. The magical silver ring sealed the bond between the two girls deep within Jane's heart, and then she hugged the girl in return. The boy felt left out and came over and stole a kiss from Jane's lips, expressing his own feelings towards her. Jane blushed and her heart fluttered, and then she looked at her new friends and knew the bond they had could never be broken by time or distance. Their love and affection poured into her so much, Jane thought her chest would explode.

Storm clouds moved in and forced the children to seek shelter in an old temple-like structure a short distance from the meadow in a not so scary woods. Torches lit up the all-white structure. Statues of different monsters decorated the vast room within, and Jane and the other children walked around looking at each. In the center of the temple, one statue was set apart. The statue was of a man in armor wielding a shield and sword. Awed and mesmerized by the hero, Jane read the inscription below the statue, Monster Slayer.

There was a wall behind the statue of the hero with words on it that Jane didn't recognize. The boy and girl seemed to be able to read it, and then the boy and the girl shrunk from the statue of the hero, and Jane wasn't sure why. They moved to a different part of the temple, exploring as they went but there was nothing else to find.

The storm outside increased its furiousness as its winds kicked up, and lightning blazed across the sky. Jane wasn't scared because the other two were with her, but the girl was and when one of the bolts struck the ground outside, the girl backed up into one of the smaller monster statues and teetered it. The statue rocked back and forth, and then it fell forward. Jane, the girl, and the boy ran as the statue crashed to the ground, and Jane tripped and fell. She looked back and saw no one else was hurt, so she stood and brushed the dirt off of herself. Her knee stung, so Jane glanced down to see she scuffed it up, and it slightly bled. A trickle of red plasma ran down her leg.

The air around the temple seemed to change as if the structure itself gasped. The love and affection she genuinely and profoundly experienced from the other children vanished as Jane lifted her gaze. She saw the boy and the girl's terrified faces. She thought maybe the statue crashing or the storm raging outside was what made them afraid, but when she took a step toward them, they both backed up from her as if she was a snarling ravenous beast who wanted to devour them. Jane thought they were playing some sort of trick on her, and she laughed as they pretended to be afraid of her. The girl grabbed the boy's hand and squeezed it as she took another step away from Jane. The boy moved forward as if to defend the girl and at that point, Jane realized their fear was real and it was directed at her. Their love and friendship had been violently and fearfully torn away from her in one confused agonizing heartbeat, and a little part of Jane died in that devastating instant.

Tears rolled from her eyes, spawned from a deeply seeded ache like the pain of abandonment, and they were also spawned from the painful act of betrayal as the bond they shared broke apart. This world was just like the world she had come from. The boy turned and dragged the girl after him as they fled the temple. Jane ran after them as far as the exit, and then she watched heart-sick as they disappeared into the storm. She put a hand to her little chest as the muscle that had been ready to explode with childlike delight broke and shattered into tiny pieces as the world she had grown accustomed to invaded the realm of her dreams. Jane went into a corner of the temple and sat down as she bawled. She cried for a long time and as the storm settled outside, she realized what the feelings she experienced before had been, the ones she never wanted to let go, the ones that had been stolen from her. They were a sense of belonging. The kind of belonging where people knew and remembered you and where they would never turn their backs on you.

The dream faded, and Jane woke to her life as an adult. There were heartache and pain within the dream but there were also joy and friendship, and Jane longed to return to that world even with its suffering as long as she was allowed to relive the fun and happy moments with her friends.

As the mind fancy faded from her memory once again, she was left with a sense that something had been taken away from her. Jane laid back in bed and stared up at the ceiling of her small cottage. She knew she had a dream but no matter how hard she tried to remember even just fragments of it, it was no good.

The only consolation Jane had was that she thought that day was the first day she dreamed the dream. It might have been maddening to repeat the mind fancy each night and remember every part of it only to have it taken away again.

Jane gazed at her ceiling, relinquishing her attempt to drag the memories from her mind. She thought about her real life, and it seemed at times optimism was the only thing that belonged to her. She knew she could change her life. Jane just needed to press forward and not give up.
Chapter Two

A Day In The Life Of Jane

Jane hummed to herself as she entered the publishing house she worked for, carrying a box she had purchased from the local bakery. She had her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore blue jeans, a gray Superman t-shirt, and sneakers. She would do it today. Jane would have at least one person remember her name, and a sweet bribe would do the trick. She passed several people as she headed for the receptionist area as she greeted each of them by name. They didn't return her greeting, seemingly busy about their own work. Jane reached the receptionist desk, placed the box of goodies on a table to the right of the receptionist desk where a coffee machine was set up, and opened the box. A dozen donuts laid inside. The receptionist was on the phone, so Jane waited until she hung up. There was another woman there, and she was fixing herself a cup of coffee.

"I've brought donuts today, and I got your favorite, Debbie. You better grab the Bavarian Cream before someone else does," Jane told the receptionist, and then she spoke to the woman putting sugar in her coffee, "I even got your favorite, Karen. Cinnamon Twist is also one of my favorites. Eat them while they're still fresh."

With a big smile on her face, Jane looked from one woman to the other, waiting for some sort of reply from them but when none came, she said, "My name's Jane. I work on this floor."

The two women continued to look at her blankly, so Jane reached into the box, grabbed a chocolate donut she had purchased for herself, and headed for her office. She yelled over her shoulder, "Don't forget... Eat them while they're fresh."

After she left, Karen turned to Debbie and questioned her, "Who was that?"

"I'm not sure," Debbie replied as she turned and glanced in Jane's direction as she headed through a hallway. A fog seemed to cover Debbie's memory of the woman who had brought donuts and as time went on, more and more of the phantom-like woman faded from her mind. Debbie added, "She acted like she knew us. I wonder who she could be."

Karen questioned her, "Don't you think you should call security? You just can't have anybody walking around the building."

Debbie reached for the phone, then paused as the fog magically lifted a bit, and Debbie said, "I think that woman works here. I just can't remember her name."

"She must not have worked here very long," Karen said. "I don't remember seeing her before. The odd thing was that she knew both of our names. She should really introduce herself or no one will know who she is."

A man walked up to the desk and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?" Debbie uttered, looked at the other woman who also didn't have a clue what the man was talking about, and then she honestly answered, "We weren't talking about anyone."

Jane continued on to her office where she worked as an illustrator. She took a bite of her donut and found it hard to swallow as she got a little choked up over her failed attempt to break what seemed like a curse. She put a lot of effort in selecting the donuts and spent weeks figuring out what the people on the floor favored. Jane remembered the look they gave her, the familiar gaze that bore no recognition in it, and she knew to them she was nothing but a stranger. She was lucky this time they didn't call security on her. The loneliness of never connecting with anyone plagued her life, but she wouldn't let it win. Jane would find a way to break the wall that surrounded her that hid her from everyone and once she broke free of it, someone would remember her. Jane felt she should have friends and was determined to make them.

It had been five years since she started the job as an illustrator, and she loved the work she did for the company. She mostly worked on art for children's fairy tales, and her artwork hung all over her office. She currently worked on a version of Beauty And The Beast for one of the company's popular authors. She finished eating her chocolate donut, then walked over to the sink, and washed her hands. Her office was equipped with a small kitchenette. One of the perks of being one of the top illustrators for the company. She had the perfect job and loved what she did, but she couldn't seem to connect with anyone. Jane's affliction, as she sometimes referred to it, tormented her since she was a child. The world around her seemed to disconnect from her or was it that she was disconnected from them? She didn't know but tried not to let it bother her too much. Jane hoped one day her life would change.

She went and sat at her desk and started again on a drawing of a stained-glass window with an old woman in it holding a rose. It was one of the opening illustrations for the book. Jane went about her work day and greeted everyone she came across. She knew everyone's name, but they mostly looked at her as if they had no clue who she was. Jane always wondered if they were just being rude or truly didn't recognize her. Sometimes Jane wondered if she was cursed like one of the characters in the fairy tales.

Jane put the final touches on the drawing of the old woman, then peered at the character's face, and felt something was missing. She twirled a small silver ring around her left pinkie as she thought about it a little more. Jane knew something was missing, but she couldn't put a pin on it. She decided she would come back to the character tomorrow after she had a good night's rest and see if the MIA item would come to her then. Jane leaned back in her chair and stared at the ring of intertwined tiny flowers she fidgeted with, sensing there was something she couldn't remember. It always seemed like there was something she couldn't remember.

Standing and stretching, Jane decided she would take a short break and walk around her office. Hundreds of drawings from dozens of fairy tales filled her walls, but her most precious drawings she kept in a scrapbook, and she went and flipped through it. Two characters dominated the book. One was of a red rose, though Jane couldn't figure out why she insisted what usually was an item or prop in the children's stories was a character. The other character was... well... he... Jane flipped through the pages of his drawings and many of them focused on his feral blue-green eyes and much more of the drawings focused on his lips. She slammed the book shut as she blushed. Jane found if she wasn't careful, she would be drawn into the make-believe world. She smoothed her hand over the cover. Sometimes she felt these fictitious people were the only friends she had. Jane sighed, then went back over to her desk, and started on a new drawing of a man wielding an ax.

Hours went by as she sketched, and then an alarm went off on her phone. The alarm told her it was time to stop. If she forgot to set the alarm, Jane found she would work through the night, drawn into the world she sketched. Jane hit snooze, put some finishing touches on the drawing, then stood as her alarm went off again. She tidied up her workstation and headed out as she always did and just as she was leaving, Karen and Debbie were also heading out the door.

"Hello," Karen said. "Are you new here?"

"Not really. My name's Jane. I'm one of the illustrators."

"Oh..." Karen replied back.

"Hey, new girl," Debbie began. "We're going out to dinner. Do you want to come along?"

Jane was about to tell her again that she wasn't new at all but when Debbie actually invited her somewhere, she quickly forgot about the correction and replied, "I'm in." She searched her person and found that she had forgotten her wallet that she usually kept in her pocket; it was on her desk back in her office. "I just need to go get my credit card."

She ran off, quickly collected the wallet, placed it in her jean's back pocket, and rushed back to the exit of the building. Karen and Debbie were waiting there along with two other guys and another woman.

"I'm ready to go," Jane told them.

Debbie looked at her as if she had no clue what she was talking about, and then Debbie said, "Ready to go where?"

"To whatever restaurant we're going to. I think this is the first time you've invited me anywhere," Jane told them.

"Who invited you to come?" Debbie asked her as she looked at the other four people.

A few of them shrugged as a few more glanced around as if they had no clue.

"You did," Jane answered her. "You invited me to go out to eat with you. Karen was standing right there." Jane turned to Karen and asked her, "You heard her invite me, right?"

Debbie and Karen were notably getting upset as the conversation progressed.

Karen replied, "I don't know when Debbie was supposed to invite you, but I didn't hear a thing." She turned to Debbie and questioned her, "Maybe you invited her before. Did you invite her earlier in the day and forgot about it?"

"I think I would remember inviting someone," Debbie told her. "I don't even know your name but that doesn't matter. I wouldn't care if you came, but my car is full now with the five of us. Maybe next time you can come."

The five of them started out the door as Jane watched them leave. She had flashbacks of when she was a child. She clearly remembered children on the playground who would invite her to join in on their game and when she would start playing with them, they would look at her like they had no clue why she was joining in. Even the different foster parents Jane had over the years would sometimes look at her like she had broken into their house, and she was either there to vandalize their stuff or steal their food. Most of the time that unperceiving look went away before it became a serious problem but one time, Jane had to convince one couple to call the child welfare place to prove to them that they were her foster parents instead of the police. Because people were always forgetting her, Jane never made any connections over the years, and it troubled her deeply, but she tried to keep an optimistic outlook on her future. She knew one day she would find someone who would connect with her and remember her and that one day, she would find the perfect man who would love her and marry her.

Jane rushed out the door after her co-workers and yelled at them, "I have my bike with me. I can ride it to whatever restaurant you're going to. Did you hear me? I can..."

She watched as the group of five made their way to the parking lot and either they didn't hear her or they pretended not to. Jane gave up, knowing trouble only followed if she persisted, so she headed for her bike and rode home. Jane gave herself a pep talk as she rode along. There was always tomorrow... She could try and connect with someone tomorrow.

The town, the publishing house was located in, was small and on a mountain. Jane rented when she first moved to the town but after about a year, she made enough from her illustrations to put a down payment on a small cottage in the woods and live there by herself. Many times she thought about getting a dog to help with the loneliness, but her long hours away from her home prevented her from ever going through with it.

Jane stopped by the grocery store before heading home and carried a small bag in her backpack as she pedaled her mountain bike. When she reached home, she parked her bike just inside the door, grabbed the bag from the backpack, entered her kitchen, and made herself some homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese. She ate her supper, watched a little TV, and then headed to bed.

Tomorrow was Saturday, and she would have the day off to... to... She would find something to do with her time off. She put her pajamas on as she heard a rainstorm move in outside. She also noticed that the temperature inside the cottage had dropped a little. Jane was about to get into bed when she heard a knock at her door, so she cautiously went and answered it without opening the door.

"Who is it?"

"You do not know me. I am an old woman," the voice on the other side replied. "I have lost my way, and it is cold and rainy out here. Could I come in and dry myself?"

Jane had heard many stories over the years about strangers showing up and killing everyone in the house and because of those stories, she was reluctant to let the person in. Jane moved to the window beside the door, pulled the curtains to the side, and saw the old woman who was dressed in a long, hooded purple robe with a gray shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Her clothes were soaked, and she was shivering. She hated to turn the old woman away, but she was also afraid to let her in.

"Did your car break down?" Jane asked, and then she said, "I can call a tow truck for you?"

"I was walking. Would you please let me in?"

"I'll call the police for you, and they can come pick you up and take you wherever you need to go."

The old woman said, "I would prefer to come in and dry myself just a little while. I will be no trouble, and I can offer you a rose as payment for your troubles."

Jane heard how cold the woman was and the desperation in her voice, and then the old woman started to cough, and it sounded bad. Jane decided she couldn't turn her away so against her better judgment, she opened the door and let her in. The woman came in and seemed to float across the floor, and Jane also noticed she wore a half mask that covered the left side of her face and all of her forehead. The white mask looked like it was made of porcelain. Jane tried not to stare as she showed her to the kitchen table, then she got the old woman several towels to dry off with, and she even plugged in a hair dryer to help dry her clothes and long gray hair. The woman gratefully gave her a long stem red rose that had yet to open, and Jane filled a glass vase with water and placed the bud in it. Jane warmed up the tomato soup and toasted a couple of pieces of bread for the old woman. The old woman gobbled the hot meal down gracefully, and then Jane decided she couldn't send her off into the rainstorm to get soaked again, so she offered her the living room couch, and the old woman gladly accepted.

The two of them sat at the table, and Jane noticed over the course of the night the old woman peered at her unlike anyone had peered at her before. The old woman looked at her as if she recognized her and this made Jane feel accepted and not so isolated from the world.

The evening progressed, and it came time to go to bed, so she tucked the old woman in on the couch, then Jane went to bed and for the first time, slept through the night without dreaming the dream. The next morning, she awoke to find that the old woman had left and there was a note on the table written on some old parchment, and Jane read it.

You do have a kind heart, but your kindness only makes your world that much sadder. Take care to keep the light in your heart for it is the only thing that will save you. It is the only thing that will save us all.

Jane thought it was a little odd as a thank you note but didn't linger on it too long. She found the rose sitting on the counter in its vase, and the bud had still to open.

The cottage was quiet in a lonely way, so Jane decided that she would go for a bike ride. She ate breakfast, put on brown cargo shorts and a red t-shirt with the Flash logo on it, then prepared a small picnic for herself. She grabbed an extra t-shirt, placed it and the lunch in her backpack, and grabbed her bike. Jane opened the door and noticed that it was very foggy outside and that she couldn't see more than an arm span in front of her. She rolled her bike out across her gravel driveway and decided just to wait there a few minutes to see if the fog would start to break, but it didn't, so she turned around and headed back for her cottage. Jane would have to wait until the sun rose higher in the sky and burned away the fog. She rolled her bike in the cottage's direction for a long time, and then she stepped off the gravel road a few feet and decided to pause as she never came to the structure or the wooden fence that surrounded her cottage. Now that Jane thought about it, she didn't remember ever passing her fence as she left the cottage. Jane decided that she shouldn't keep going and get herself lost or fall off the mountain, so she waited a while for the fog to let up. It seemed like a whole hour went by as she waited. Jane removed a sandwich from her picnic and took a couple of bites, and then the fog finally started to lift. She no longer stood near the gravel road, actually, it and the cottage were nowhere in sight, and trees she didn't recognize surrounded her. Jane wondered where in the world she could be.

She wrapped up the partially eaten sandwich, put it back in her backpack, and then thought about what she should do next. Jane removed her cell phone, but she had no signal. She was on her own, nothing new. Jane couldn't believe how lost she had gotten in so little time, and she decided she couldn't stay there, so she would climb higher up the mountain that way she could figure out where the town was and then go from there. Jane turned her bike and pushed it up the mountain.
Chapter Three

Once Upon A time

A large oak door with ancient script inscribed within it led out to a large elongated cliff that overlooked most of the mountain and the valley below. Near the edge of the cliff, a pedestal the size of a large boulder and made of jagged green crystals held the coveted prize. An eagle's claw made of black steel rose from the crystals' center with its claw reaching for the sky and in its talons, it held a blue gem the size of a grapefruit. For centuries, the coveted prize known as the Tear of Poer had led adventurers, thieves, power mongers, and the like into its dungeons below to seek fame, riches, and/or power. The gem had led thousands to their deaths as they fell prey to traps and monsters. Few survived the first five levels of the dungeon and even fewer had made it past level seven, but three brave souls urged on by greed, power, and heart made it to the thirteenth floor and the final level.

A commotion could be heard on the other side of the large oak door. It was the sounds of battle, one of steel, claws, teeth, and muscle but also one of conjuration and magic. The commotion grew louder as the three brave souls fought the most powerful and final monster. A loud explosion shook the large thick door, and then all fell to silence. A metal bolt could be heard unlocking from within, then the door creaked open, and the three brave souls stepped out to claim their prize. The dungeon had taken its toll on them, marking them with scars from monsters and steel, and they were physically and mentally tired. They heaved for their exertion but pressed on to claim the coveted prize.

A female crimson battlemage from the desert elf tribe was clothed in a hooded red cape, and she held a sword in her right hand and wielded a magic sphere the size of a baseball in her left; the magic sphere still zapped and discharged from her last attack in currents of red energy that swirled around its crystal mass. She took up the middle position of the three brave souls as they moved as one beast towards the Tear of Poer. A woodlands elf wizard with a black beard and a hooded robe to match stood to her left and carried a staff with an ax blade attached. The top of his thick black hair smoldered after receiving a parting gift from the last monster. A werewolf in his semi-form (half man and half wolf) stomped across the cliff on his two hind legs as his claws and teeth dripped with blood. The werewolf stood to the woman's right, and he reverted to his giant wolf form which was the easiest of the three forms to possess.

They stopped before the mound of green crystals and peered at the Tear of Poer. The three of them hated each other but over the countless years, they were unable to go the dungeon alone, so they made a pact. They banded together to clear the dungeon and when they cleared the final monster, they would fight each other for the prize until there was only one victor. Without a word, they separated from each other and prepared to defeat the other two.

The female crimson battlemage known as Red Northlands Fury charged her magical sphere, and red energy crackled around it, then moved through her body, and also charged her sword. The woodlands elf wizard known as Woodsman Of The Sacred Oak lifted his staff, and the ax blade glowed purple. The werewolf, Lykos Of Steel Teeth, faced them as his eyes glowed yellow, and then he bared his large teeth and growled at the two. Each one waited for the other to attack first.

Far below the cliff, Jane emerged from the forest and found the entrance to the dungeon. She peered through the two open doors into its dark foreboding opening and decided she wouldn't dare enter. Jane did need to find a high place to see where she was. The fog completely lifted, and she had walked for about two hours. She was about to continue on when she heard a loud howl and an explosive sound like thunder. A different type of detonating thunders followed, and the ground beneath her trembled. Angry shouts came from above, so Jane lifted her head, drawn to the sounds of the fight. She couldn't see on top of the cliff, but she did glimpse an object glinting in the sunlight right before it hit her in the eye. She cried out in shock and covered her right eye with her hand as a great pain shot throughout her body. The sting was so bad Jane thought she lost her eye. She searched the area around her eye with her fingers and discovered no blood, so her panic lessened. Jane didn't know how long she reeled in pain but as suddenly as the object had hit her, the pain completely disappeared.

When the assault from the sky first occurred, she let go of her bike, and it fell to the ground. Jane bent down, grabbed its handlebars, and straightened the bike back on its wheels. She thought it best to leave the area before anything else fell on her, and she still needed to find something she could examine her eye in. She thought about her cell phone and that it had a mirror app, so she started to pull it out of her pocket when she felt as if she wasn't alone. Jane turned around and saw a man, a woman, and a huge dog quickly running toward her. They all looked like they had been in a fight that none of them were winning, and their unusual clothes caused her to take a double-take.

"There is a female here," Red said when they were still some distance away from her.

"The female appears to be a lowlands elf," Woodsman stated, and then he pointed out, "Look how rounded her ears are. Though, I do not recognize her garb."

Red told him, "Get her attention before she leaves. We need to speak with her."

"You, there, female," Woodsman called out. "We are looking for the Tear of–"

"Do not tell her that," Red snapped at him. "She does not need to know what we are looking for."

"How are we to ask her if she has seen it if we do not tell her what we are looking for?" Woodsman questioned.

"Like this," Red replied, and then she said, "You, there, female. Have you seen a shiny rock that may or may not have fallen off the cliff?"

Lykos sniffed the air while the other two of them talked, then moved, and circled Jane. He smelled something familiar about her. Actually, he smelled two things that were very familiar to him. He started to warn the others when the woman reached down and petted his head.

"You're such a huge dog," Jane told him, and then she said to the others, "I don't know what it was, but something did hit me in the head. Oh... I didn't introduce myself. I'm Jane, and I seem to be lost."

"I am Woodsman Of The Sacred Oak," the woodlands elf wizard said as he puffed out his chest. He motioned to the female crimson battlemage and stated, "The ill-tempered creature beside me is called Red Northlands Fury, and that fleabag wolf over there is Lykos Of Steel Teeth.

Jane looked over their costumes and questioned them, "Are all of you going to a fantasy convention or something?"

"Convention..?" Red repeated. "The crimson battlemage convention is not until the end of the year. I am surprised you have heard of it."

"I actually haven't," Jane replied. "Oh... Since you're here, can you look into my eye? I got something in it earlier."

Red paid no attention to her, waved away the female's inquiry, and said, "You seem fine."

"Thanks," Jane told her. "Maybe you can help me with something else. I can't get a signal out here," she said, and then she questioned them, "Do any of you have cell phone reception? I can't call out or text."

Woodsman leaned to the female crimson battlemage and whispered, "She must be talking about the Great Warlock CellFone Ception. Maybe she is an apprentice of his. Look at the bolt she boasts on her garb. She may be a very powerful magic user, apprentice of the Great Warlock CellFone Ception or not."

"If this is so, we should talk no more of the Tear of Poer in front of her," Red whispered back to him, and then she told her, "We are unable to assist you, and we should be on our way."

"Wait!" Jane uttered. "At least, direct me towards the nearest town."

"AaBack is on the other side of the mountain," Woodsman told her. "There is a path over there," he said as he motioned with his staff. "Just follow it down."

Woodsman and Red started in the opposite direction, searching the ground around the dungeon, looking for the large gem that eluded them.

"Thanks," Jane said, and then she pushed her bike towards the path. She walked about ten feet when she heard the most marvelous and amazing thing.

"Jane," someone called after her.

Her heart thundered in her chest. Someone remembered her name. She couldn't recall a time when someone remembered her name beyond a few seconds. Had the miracle she always prayed for finally happen?

She turned, overcome by joy and exclaimed, "Yes?"

The woman and the man searched the ground a great distance from her, and they had their backs to her, so they couldn't have been the ones to speak unless they were playing some sort of joke. Jane wondered if she imagined that someone called to her. She may be a bit dehydrated and tired from pushing her bike up a rugged mountain. She shrugged, then turned, and headed for the path again.

"Jane, wait. There is something I need to tell you."

She turned again, completely sure she heard her name. The large dog moved toward her and spoke again and this time, she saw his lips move.

"Jane, heed my words. I don't know how you happened into this world. Maybe you came here as I did. It does not matter. You must listen to me very carefully. You're in danger here. It would be better if you didn't go down to the village, at least not the village of AaBack. The others don't know what you truly are, but I can smell you. I know what you are, and you must not let anyone else know."

She peered at the large dog and the only thing she could think of to say after his warning was, "You spoke. You actually talked. Is this some sort of trick?"

"It's no trick," Lykos told her, and then he whispered, "I was once what you are, luckily a werewolf bit me and changed me or they would have killed me. I could bite you and change you too but only on a night when the moon's full. We're weeks away from that. It would be better if you went into hiding until then. You could go into the dungeon and hide. We have cleared it of the monsters, but you would still need to be wary of the traps."

"I see your lips moving like on a movie or video, but how are they doing it out here?" she questioned. "Are you some sort of 3D projection? No, you can't be. I touched you. How are you talking?"

"Jane, you must listen. Your life depends on it. Don't go down to–"

"What is going on here, female?" Red interrupted as she and the woodlands elf wizard walked over to them. "I thought you were going to go down to AaBack and look for your master, Great Warlock CellFone Ception."

"I think you misunderstood me," Jane stated, and then she changed the subject by asking, "Did you find the item you were looking for?"

"No, we did not," Woodsman replied. "We believe someone may have run off with it. Did you see anyone else down here?"

Jane replied, "I didn't."

Lykos sniffed the air again, and he realized the other thing he had caught scent of earlier was the Tear of Poer. He remembered the woman said that she had gotten something in her eye, so he took a step forward and peered into her brown orbs. At first, he saw nothing but as he gazed closer with his enhanced werewolf vision, he saw the Tear of Poer embedded deep within her pupil. He wanted the gem as badly as the other two and as he glanced in their direction, he realized the woman was in greater jeopardy in her current situation.

Lykos scanned the area, and then he asked, "Are those troll tracks?"

"Where?" Red uttered. "I see them now. They are. I am going to follow them."

She took off into the forest as Woodsman shouted, "I am coming with you."

Lykos waited a few moments, and then he told Jane, "If you are to make AaBack before dark, maybe you should be on your way."

"Oh... You're right."

"I'll walk with you a bit," he said. "Just until you can see the village."

"Thank you."

The two of them headed for the path and followed it down.

Jane waited a few minutes, then turned to Lykos, and questioned him, "Do you know who I am?"

"I know what you are," he answered. "I tried to explained to you earlier that you're in mortal danger."

"No, I don't mean that. I'm not sure what you were talking about earlier, but I want to know if you know my name."

"I do. It's Jane. Why do you ask?"

"I can't remember a time when someone did remember me. It's like I've been cursed, but I would have to say that all of this is weird. I'm talking to a large dog... or I guess you said you were a werewolf. Talking to you in itself is very unusual. I think I'm dreaming. I'm having a weird and yet amazing dream."

Lykos considered what she had told him, and then he said, "You were cursed before you came here. Our arrival here is very rare and among the stories I've come across, I've never heard of one who's been cursed before coming here. I need to look into this anomaly a little more before we go through with making you as I am now. There is time. The full moon happens once a month, and it will appear again in about three weeks."

"Umm... You keep talking about making me a werewolf, but you never asked me if I wanted to become one. What am I saying? This is all a dream and if I'm dreaming, does it mean I secretly want to be turned into a werewolf? I don't think so. I think I would want to be turned into a unicorn before that," she said, giggled, and then added, "Isn't that childish?" She thought about it some more, laughed again, then returned to the subject by repeating, "I don't want to become a werewolf."

"You'll change your mind when you understand everything," Lykos told her, peered ahead, then turned back to her, and said, "I must leave you now. You can see AaBack in the distance. Go to the bakery and speak with the Muffin Man. Make him give you a job. His shop is located on..."

"Let me guess," she interrupted. "Drury Lane.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"It's my dream," Jane told him. "And my world was full of fairy tales before I came here."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm an illustrator, so I have to do extensive research before I start a drawing."

"I didn't mean that," Lykos said. "Why did you mention fairy tales?"

She answered, "I guessed your story after I heard each of your names, and so I know which character each of you really are."

"Who are we?"

Jane replied, "Everything's different, way different, but I'm sure. The woman's Little Red Riding Hood. The man and you were easy. He's the woodsman, and you're the wolf."

"You can see. I've never met anyone who picks up on curses."

"You mean there's more to it?" Jane questioned.

"There is. Try to figure it out," Lykos told her. "I have a feeling you may be more than you appear to be."

"It's my dream," she said. "I'm supposed to be the hero."

"A hero, huh? Maybe you will be," Lykos stated, and then he said, "The Muffin Man will work you hard, but he's fair. Remember don't leave his shop until he gives you a job."

"Okay. Anything else I should know?" Jane questioned.

"You aren't dreaming. I thought the same thing when I came here. The sooner you believe that the sooner you can come to terms with your new reality. Remember it isn't safe here in the World of Grimm. I would tell you more but as you will find out, curses place certain limitations on the bearer." He caught another glimpse of the Tear of Poer in her right eye and knew her destiny had been written much different than his.

"Before you go, do me one favor," she said.

"What's that?"

"Say my name once more. Say my name every time we meet."

"I will, Jane. I will," Lykos spoke, then turned, going after the other two he sent on a wild troll hunt.

She watched him leave and wondered about everything he told her. Jane didn't feel like she was in a dream but this world couldn't be real; it was all too crazy.

She started down the path again, heading for the village. Jane thought about dream versus reality. It was crazy enough if it was a dream but reality... Guess she would find out once she arrived at AaBack.
Chapter Four

The Muffin Man

A sign lost to time and equally lost to a few weeds announced to Jane that she had reached her destination with the faded word AaBack on one posted sign and on the posted sign below it was written Village of the Yeahmun Slayer. Jane noticed that the name AaBack had large spaces between the upper case A, the lower case a, and the word Back like a child had written them who didn't know how to space properly. She also considered that maybe there had been other letters or words there at some time. She rubbed her hand over the area and felt there had been something there before, but she just shrugged it off and continued on.

She wondered what a yeahmun was and then mounted her bike now that there was level ground she could ride on, and she pedaled to the village. Jane quickly found Drury Lane and the bakery, parked her bike, and then entered the shop that delightfully smelled of fresh bread and pastries.

"Hello," she called out. "Muffin Man?"

"What do you want?" a deep voice asked from behind her.

She turned, looked down, and found a red-bearded dwarf with blue-gray eyes wearing a white apron and chef's hat with Tasty Dwarf Bakery written on them. Jane realized her dream was only going to get weirder, so she might as well get used to it. She remembered her first mission and told him, "I've come for a job."

"If that is what you seek, you have come to the wrong place," the dwarf told her as he passed her. "I have all the employees I can stand."

"Really, I was told I should get a job here and to take no for an answer. I mean not to take no for an answer."

He stroked his red braided beard as he gave her a once over, and then he said, "My latest delivery guy never showed. Can you travel great distances in a short period of time?"

"I can."

Muffin Man peered at her again, and then he said, "I'll hire you on a trial basis."

"You have a deal. Will I be delivering your wares?"

"You will," Muffin Man told her.

"You mentioned he was your latest delivery guy. Do you have a problem finding loyal workers?"

"No, they are usually the ones who have a problem. They have a problem keeping their lives. The last two were eaten, and the one before them disappeared on his way to a delivery. He was one to mess with female magic users, so Bob probably got turned into something."

"Oh," Jane exclaimed as she made a face, and then she asked, "Is anyone else hiring in town?"

"Yeah, the witch in the forest is looking for someone to help lure children into her gingerbread house."

She quickly put her hand out and said, "Good to work for you, boss."

"Boss, huh?" the dwarf remarked as he scratched his pudgy nose. "I like the sound of that."

She dropped her hand after he didn't shake it, and then she asked, "What kind of pay do I get?"

"A couple of muffins from the bakery and one halfpenny coin a day plus tips."

"A halfpenny. Will that get me a room?"

He laughed before he answered, "Maybe five hundred of them if you don't mind living down in a smelly sewer with even more smellier giant rats."

"That does put a pickle in things," Jane spoke. "All I have is a credit card, and I'll need a place to stay with a warm bed and a bath."

"You can stay in the loft of the old barn out back," he told her as he threw his thumb over his shoulder. "As for a bath, there's a bathing house next door. Cost you two pennies."

"A bath every four days?" Jane muttered to herself. "I hope tips are good or that this dream ends before I start to stink."

Muffin Man said, "Well, let's get you started."

"Right now? I was hoping to begin tomorrow. Isn't it a bit late for deliveries?"

"No, you still have a few hours before it starts to get dark. Do you think because you work for a bakery all your hours will be in the wee morning?" he questioned her and then went to the back of his shop.

"I thought it was much later than that, but I guess with dreams..."

He returned with a brown paper bag and a clipboard, and then he told her, "There's a castle on the hill above this village. Make the delivery and get the owner's signature. This is very important. Get his signature. Without it, I can't bill him, and you need to be back before dark if you want this job."

"Got it," she said as she took the paper bag which contained a wooden box. Jane placed them in her backpack and grabbed the clipboard and quill, and then she asked, "The address."

"You don't need one. It's the only thing up Tall Hill Road except for maybe a dragon or a troll."

She noticed the writing utensil and inquired, "Don't I need ink for this quill?"

"It's enchanted with infinite ink so don't lose it and to answer your next question, yes. The cost would come out of your paycheck, and it would take you ten thousand years, working seven days a week to repay me if you do lose it so don't." He looked over her unusual garb and questioned her, "You do have a weapon, right?"

"Ah... nooo... Do you think I'll need one?"

He exhaled loudly as he shook his head and mumbled, "The younger generation. Never prepared." He went in the back room, then returned, held out the weapon, and said, "Here."

She took the wooden club with a leather strap at its end and examined the teeth and claw marks all over the wood.

"The last two delivery boys carried that," Muffin Man told her as he folded his small arms and nodded as if approving of the choice. "Should make you a fine weapon."

Jane laughed at how her dream was turning out, and then she remarked, "Great weapon... It worked wonders for my predecessors."

"Better hurry," he told her, and then he warned her, "Don't want to be on Tall Hill Road after dark."

"Maybe you should show me where I'll be living before I go," she suggested.

"No, I'll wait. I don't want to go through the hassle if you're only going to end up dead."

"Great pep talk, boss," Jane replied with a smile, attached the club to her backpack with its leather strap, then ran outside, and glanced at the sun that was well on its way to end its day trek.

She mounted the bike and within minutes, started pedaling up Tall Hill Road. The road went through a dark forest teaming with life, but it didn't bother her with the assurance all of it was a dream. Jane passed an old woman who looked just like the one who had come to her cottage, but she wasn't wearing a half mask. Jane braked and glanced back, but whoever she had seen had disappeared. She wondered if her eyes played tricks on her, and then she pedaled off. Once Jane was out of sight, the old woman emerged again on the road and looked in the direction Jane had pedaled off into.

The old woman mumbled to herself, "And so it begins..."

Large iron gates opened out as Jane rode up to them, and she braked again as she got a sense she wasn't alone. Jane peered through the opening and noticed a path but saw no one there. She thought she was just imagining things just as she imagined she saw the old woman on the road. Jane guessed this was the place she needed to make the delivery to, rode through the gates across a stone path, passed a large walled section of the estate she couldn't see into with the sign Hedge Labyrinth, and stopped at the entrance of a castle. Jane dismounted, put her kickstand down, readied the clipboard, walked up to the large wooden doors, grabbed the eagle head knocker, and struck three times. The booms rang throughout the castle and then as she waited for someone to answer the door, she glanced down at the clipboard to see who the delivery was for. Her heart skipped a beat as a torrent of emotions rushed through her when she read the name, the Beast. Whenever she worked on an illustration for one of the versions of the fairy tale, she always got choked up. The tale told of Beauty who won over the heart of a cursed prince and in the end, he won over her heart. No wonder her dream brought her there. Of all the places, this was where her heart belonged.

Earlier that day...

The Beast walked by a hallway mirror in his castle and reluctantly gazed at his appearance. The grotesqueness of it made him reel from the reflection and quickly head to a different part of the castle. He had to lay his eyes on something else to rid his mind of the horrible image burning within it. The Beast entered a large room void of furniture where paintings of different females hung all about. Each of the portraits was of a beauty and had been painted when they at some point over the years had been a guest of his castle. He gazed at them, partaking of their loveliness until the ugly image of himself was swept from his mind. The Beast walked around the many portraits, basking in their exquisite appeal. Each of them had been worthy to be his Belle and even though they were afraid of him when they saw his face, once he hid his appearance from them, his charm gradually won them over. He remembered the last night he spent with each as the offering of their kiss was placed on his desperate lips. Hope had caused his heart to pound rapidly in his chest as he embraced them, but the reality that he had once again been foiled by an unattainable solution brought with it a devastating disappointment and then an unreasonable disgust. He couldn't bear to look upon them in the flesh again. With his enchantment sadly unbroken, a heavy heart quickly dissolved the charming spell he had over them, and they left his presence forever. The Beast couldn't understand what went wrong. Each of these females could have easily been his Beauty, and they were all eventually willing, so why couldn't any of these exquisite females break his curse?

His stroll turned into a pace as he sought the brush strokes of oil and color, searching for a reason behind the numerous failures. Belle after Belle looked back at him with their lovely faces and portrait sitting smiles. For the first time, he noticed something about each. They were missing something, something he should have noticed before. He scrutinized the canvasses, looking for that trait he missed countless times before on his endless quest to find release from his accursed form. A madness set in as his pace turned into running, and he dashed about the Gallery frantic to find the one thing that might free him. He paused at one of the female paintings as the answer finally struck him. It was their lips. He walked from painting to painting as the answer calmed him back to his normal self. It wasn't that their lips were somehow flawed or there was some sort of imperfection in them; it was just... they were all missing an allure. A strong pull that had drawn him in a lifetime ago and caused him to steal something precious. Each of these would-be Belles was missing it. If only he had discovered this sooner, he wouldn't have wasted his time with the counterfeit Belles and focused on finding his real Beauty.

The Beast paused in the center of the Gallery and gazed upon all of them which was a mixture of princesses, countesses, and other royal maidens. It saddened him that each one had come so close to being his Beauty, but a small thing like fleshy brims corrupted the exact elements needed. He was determined not to give up. She had to be out there.

He headed out of the Gallery and pondered his earlier trip to the mirror. It had been ages since he gazed into it, but a force compelled him to peer into it again as that same force compelled him to visit the Gallery. Some sort of magic was at work here, one that gave him a sense that hope had arrived that day. It was hard for him to understand just what kind of sensation possessed him. The best that he could describe it as was that someone precious in his life had been taken away from him a long time ago, and they had mysteriously returned. The Beast knew of no such person, so he let those joyous sediments trickle from his mind as he headed out back. He needed to attend to his daily practice.

The present...

Back at the front of the castle...

When no one answered her first attempt, Jane raised her hand to grab the knocker again when a loud commotion from another part of the estate whisked her from her thoughts, and she moved around the castle to find the source. She walked across a grassy lawn and nearly stepped on a small flower. Jane pulled her foot back and then knelt to look at the tiny yellow rose that was no bigger than her pinkie. She thought how cute the flower was, and she was tempted to pick it, but then Jane remembered the trouble it caused in the fairy tale. Jane straightened and walked a little further, and then she started to hear frantic clanging, went around a corner, and found an open air circular structure supported by columns. The structure surrounded a grassy area where a man stood with his back to her, and he wielded a rapier, fighting another rapier. She saw no one else there, so either the man fought a magical sword or an invisible enemy. The duel continued, and then Jane realized the fight was only a practice one for the man with the rapier would pause, retake his stance, and start again with his cuts and lunges.

Jane moved to one of the columns drawn forward by an urge to get a glimpse of the man. He had to be him; he had to be the one character that always won her affection no matter what version of his story was told. Jane continued moving until she saw his face and as she thought, he was the Beast, a magnificent gorgeous Beast. He had blond shoulder-length hair like a lion's mane, blonde fur with patches of brown, cupped lion-like ears, and a lion-like nose. He wore no shirt as he fenced, and a medallion of a beastly creature hung around his neck. The round gold medallion glinted in the sunlight, and she froze as her heart fluttered and a sense of nostalgia hit her. Jane put a hand on the left side of her chest as the muscle pleaded with her to remember something, but her mind refused to give up its locked away secrets.

She wanted to move closer but resisted his allure. She saw how noble and princely his appearance was and how graceful he moved. Jane remembered in his story, Beauty was afraid at first of his cursed appearance maybe even appalled. She, though, Jane couldn't get past how gorgeous he was. She loved the way his mane glimmered in the sun and his ears... She wanted to touch them and rub them like a cat's. Was that wrong of her? Was it wrong of her to think of him like some pet? She decided she wasn't thinking of him in that way. Jane blushed. Far from it... She thought to herself, look at his mouth... Those lips... She rubbed her finger over her own lips. If a kiss was all it took... She hugged the nearby column as she spoke, "I'd break his curse any day."

Jane put a hand to her mouth. Had she really said that out loud? She looked around, hoping she hadn't said it too loud. Another thought crossed her mind. She just put herself in the role of Beauty. Jane laughed at the notion but then she thought since it was her dream anything was possible.

"He shall be angry," she heard a male voice speak in a whisper.

Jane looked in the direction she had just come from and saw no one. Many stories of the Beast included invisible servants, so she thought nothing of it.

"Why will he be angry?" she questioned.

"Because you have seen him," the invisible servant replied. "I am amazed you are not screaming or running away in terror. Could it be that you have poor vision?"

"I can see fine," she told him. "And he's the most handsome man I've ever seen, but I can understand not wanting to be spied on. I'll go back to the front of the castle and use the door knocker again. I have a delivery for the Beast."

The servant said no more to her, so Jane wasn't sure if the servant had left or not, so she headed back to the front of the castle without another word, hoping if she did head right for the servant, he would at least get out of her way. When she reached the corner that would take her away from her magnificent view of the Beast, she turned and looked at him once more. He finished his sparring and headed into one of the buildings with what sounded like a few men who must be other invisible servants.

When she was nearly back to the front of the castle, Jane saw two people standing just outside the front door. From her distance, she thought they were a woman and a child but as she walked closer, Jane realized the shorter one was a goblin wearing black armor. The woman with him was tall and very thin with red hair, and she wore a tight-fitting green dress. The woman lifted her hand which held an emerald cube the size of a Rubik's Cube, then spoke some words of enchantment, a wave of magic shot out from the cube, and it covered the castle and all of the estate. The wave of emerald magic washed over Jane and rustled her hair a bit, and then Jane heard several thuds as if a few of the servants, who had been following her, had collapsed to the ground. She didn't feel any different and wondered if it was magic, why didn't it affect her. The goblin rammed into the front door and forced it open, and then he and the woman went in. Jane rushed to the front door to find it had been shut again and that it was locked or blocked by something, and she couldn't get in. It would appear the Beast had some unwelcome guests.
Chapter Five

And So It Begins

Frantic to help the character who filled her scrapbook, Jane found a side door that wasn't locked, and the door creaked open as she entered a kitchen area. What was left of a fire burned in a hearth where a pot of soup hung cooking. Bowls, utensils, and half rolled out dough laid on top of a table. She heard angry voices in the distance, moved toward them, bumped the table, and knocked a spoon to the floor. Jane froze, wondering if anyone else heard the clang, but the angry voices never skipped their tempo, so she followed them until she came upon an open door.

"Did you tie him up good and tight?" a female voice questioned.

"Yes, Mistress Ceress. He won't break those bonds," a male voice replied.

Jane crept forward until she could peek around the door and there she saw the female and the goblin. They had the Beast tied up in a chair at the head of a long table. The chair had been pulled out a great distance from the table. Jane glanced around the dining room but didn't see anyone else there. The table was fully set as if more than a dozen guests were expected for a party.

"Tell us!" Ceress shrieked. "Tell us where you've hidden it."

The Beast growled back at her, "I will not tell you!"

The goblin removed a short sword, and then he yelled, "Tell us or I'll gut you!"

The Beast snarled, "I will not tell you where the rose is!"

"Cut off a claw," Ceress commanded her minion. "Maybe a little pain will change his mind."

Jane knew she had to do something. This was her dream, so she stepped back from the door, unslung her backpack, removed the club, and stood there wondering exactly what she would do with the weapon. She guessed she would figure that out as she went, so she tiptoed to the door. Jane mustered her courage and then rushed in with the club held high and yelled with all her might. The screaming female startled the enchantress and the goblin, and they shuffled back from the Beast, then they glanced at each other bewildered by the strange female, and they readied for combat. Jane swung, hitting the goblin on the head, and he hissed at her and swiped his sword. Jane jumped back, evading the blade.

The goblin complained to the enchantress, "I thought you said your magic would take care of all the servants."

"I did," Ceress replied. "I also told you all the servants are invisible. This female is no servant. No matter who she is, I'll get rid of her."

The enchantress lifted her hands as she chanted an incantation. The goblin removed a bow he had strung around his chest, then he pulled a special arrow from the quiver on his back, which looked like to Jane had a small pencil on its end as an arrowhead, and he knocked the arrow.

The Beast peered at the female who had her back to him and that same sensation that drew him to the mirror and later the Gallery came over him again. He tried to see her face, but it eluded him and then for some reason, he felt that he should save her, so he pressed against his bonds. A franticness overcame him with dread as a sensation that she could be the one leapt into his mind. He roared his frustrations as his arm muscles bulged, and the bonds tensed from his attempt at freedom. He yelled, "Get out of here! This is none of your affair!"

For the first time, Jane turned and stared into the Beast's gaze. His eyes... They were exactly like the ones in her drawings. They were a feral blue-green and full of anger. His anger... She wondered if it was a concern for her or was it something else that brought out his rage. Jane nearly dove head over heels into his gaze if the goblin hadn't of screamed at her. She turned her attention back to the intruders.

The Beast's heart skipped a beat as the female turned to him. He focused on her lips, and they enthralled him as his thoughts grasped at a memory he'd long forgotten. A sense that he should know her struck him, and he knew without a doubt she was the one. His Belle was standing right in front of him. The Beast lifted his eyes to gaze into her face, but she turned from him. He continued his struggle to free himself from his bonds and once he was free, he would save his Beauty from the two intruders.

Jane lifted the club to attack again just as the goblin pulled back his string and Ceress cast her spell. The emerald magic hit her club and turned the weapon into a viper. The angry reptile snapped at Jane's face, and she threw the poisonous snake at the goblin, and the viper bit his warty nose.

The goblin let up on the string and didn't shoot the arrow as he squealed in pain. He dropped the bow and arrow, lifted his arms, and ran about the room with the snake still attached as he yelled, "I'm melting! I'm melting!"

"You aren't melting!" Ceress shouted at him as she readied another spell.

The goblin stopped and said in relief, "I'm not?"

"No," Ceress answered him. "The burning sensation you're feeling is the poison surging through your body. The viper is known as the Eight Step." She grinned before she added, "I believe you have taken seven."

The goblin's eyes bugged out like pitted olives, his face paled, and he fell dead.

Ceress stared at him a few seconds, and then she said, "Maybe it was called the Seven Step." She shrugged, turned to Jane, and said, "I planned on double-crossing him anyway after we got the rose. You saved me the hassle." Ceress looked her over and then questioned her, "You seem like a worthy adversary. What is your name?"

"I'm Jane."

"I am the Enchantress Ceress," she replied and then glanced out the window at the setting sun. "It looks like I did not get the information I needed before the change."

"Before what change? Are you a werewolf?" Jane questioned her.

"You do not need to worry about that," Ceress told her as she glanced at the emerald cube she held.

"I do if you're going to turn into something that's going to bite my head off."

"I am no werewolf but do not let your mind be placed at ease. I still intend harm to you." Ceress gave the female a once over, and then she said, "I do have a feeling you are more than you appear if my magic has no effect on you." She bent, picked up the goblin's bow and arrow, knocked it, drew back the string, and aimed at her as she said, "If I am right, this should kill you. I would have liked to have chatted with you some more, but I have a rose I need to pluck."

Jane grabbed a plate from the table to hurl at the lady, but Ceress released the arrow before she threw it. The arrow struck Jane, piercing flesh and bursting her grasp on the reality she believed surrounded her. The wound caused her to drop the plate, and the white china shattered into pieces when it hit the floor as Jane's perception of her dream fragmented into distorted pieces like a funhouse mirror. She looked down at the arrow embedded deep into her flesh. Pain rushed through her body, more pain than she thought possible from a mere pencil. Blood flowed and as the crimson liquid dripped to the floor, Jane came to a horrible conclusion. She wasn't dreaming. The world she stumbled into was as true and real as the one she came from. Jane collapsed to her knees as she looked at the enchantress who laughed at her, gloating over her victory. Jane turned and glanced at the Beast. She saw pity in his eyes, the kind of pity one would give to a stray dog who had been killed by a car, and his pity frightened her. She was going to die. She was going to die, and no one would care.

Moments earlier...

The sunset, taking with it the day, and then the Beast beheld the most beautiful thing. He saw what was not always visible, and it laid not that far from those lips that beguiled him with their captivating seduction. He and not the other saw the symbol of what could only be their redemption. The thing he beheld broke the curse of despair and placed hope back in his heart. The female who was trying to save him from the enchantress was also the one who could save him from his affliction. The Beast's enthusiasm didn't last long. He witnessed the arrow hit his Belle, and then the freedom that was within his grasp faded with each labored breath his would-be savior took. He had to do something. He had to free himself. He had to save this female named Jane.

The End

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AaBack's Grimm

A Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale #2

Friends Reunited

The Janus Beast, The Rose Beauty, And The Cursed Duckling

Kristie Lynn Higgins

© 2015, 2018
Chapter One

Reality Is Not A Happy Ending

ONCE UPON A TIME, there lived a woman named Jane who existed in the real world and who felt set apart from those around her as if a curse loomed over her. One day, she had a dream where she was swept away to a fairy tale world of werewolves and dwarves. Jane's goal was simple, deliver some bakery goods, get a signature, and return to her make-believe job at the Tasty Dwarf Bakery with enough tips to take a bath.

Jane arrived to make the delivery only to meet the man... er... the Beast of her dreams. She tried to make her delivery, but an elf enchantress named Ceress had other plans for the Beast. Jane attacked the enchantress to save the Beast, but an arrow ended her attempt and cut short her belief that she was merely dreaming.

The present...

Blood trickled to the ground as Jane held her wound and stared at the hardwood floor where she knelt. She had been content in her belief none of the places or people she encountered were real for many of them were weird and/or frightening and yet, it also made her sad, knowing at any moment she would wake and reality would whisk her away from the fantastic and yet scary World of Grimm. All of those carefree thoughts and emotions invoked by her misguided belief in that she was only going about a whimsical trek vanished as terror set in.

Her intense panic increased its thunderous pounding as if to beat apart her chest the more she thought about her plight. The seriousness of her situation sunk in and abducted her courage. Everything she experienced up to that point was real including the arrow in her flesh. Jane had gone about her day as if everything was some silly mindscape. If she had known everything was real, she wouldn't have charged in like it was a zombie video game that she could pause or reset if things got too hairy. The werewolf had warned her. He told her she wasn't dreaming and the sooner she started believing that, the sooner she could come to terms with her new reality. Her new reality was that she had an arrow in her arm and a woman, who could cast magic, stared down at her with a glee-filled murderous intent.

The arrow thankfully had missed its mark by a few inches and hit her left arm. She glanced back at the Beast who appeared shocked by her unwavering gaze. He couldn't see her wound from his position in the room, but he could see her eyes. Jane also put his life in danger. The one who had given her hope that she would find love one day, and she played up this situation like a giddy school girl with a crush. Her crush wasn't of a man on a poster but a living, breathing, and in danger Beast.

"Foolish woman!" he yelled at her. "Run while you still can!"

He didn't even know her, and he already cared about her safety. Jane had been stupid and if she didn't put her fear to the side, she would get them both killed. With what strength she could muster, Jane stood to her wobbly feet and glanced back at the door to the kitchen. The enchantress seemed to be in no hurry to end her as Ceress, who still held the bow, moved over to the dead goblin. He had been her minion, and she searched through the arrows in the quiver on his back as if looking for the right accessory.

Once she finished looking through the quiver, Ceress said, "I guess that was the only special arrow."

She moved over to Jane who backed up until she ran into the dining room table, not knowing what the enchantress wanted to do to her next and still too afraid to do anything about it. Ceress saw the fear in her eyes and relished in it as she reached over and pulled the arrow out. Jane cried out for the pain. The absence of the shaft caused the blood to increase its flow down her arm. Jane grabbed a cloth napkin from the table as the enchantress walked away from her a few paces. Jane tied the napkin around her arm as Ceress turned and faced her again. The Beast could be heard struggling against his restraints.

"It would seem my aim was quite a bit off–" Ceress stated. "–but don't worry. I won't miss this time, not from this distance."

Thoughts about escaping rushed through Jane's mind like a log caught on a swift river as the enchantress drew back the string and like that log which rushed over a huge waterfall to be dashed on the rocks below, her thoughts went no further than the aspiration to flee and the panic-filled conclusion, I'm going to die! Her body wouldn't obey, and her mind refused to give aid or another recourse other than a frenzied, And there's nothing I can do to change that!

Ceress aimed again. She was usually an enchantress for hire but this particular job was personal, and she allowed herself to enjoy it more than usual. Ceress considered every possible scenario that could arise, but the one scenario of a woman showing up never entered her mind. It would be an added bonus to take the head of one such as she, but first she needed to complete her first objective, and the simplest way to do that was to make the woman dead. The sun dipped below the horizon outside as twilight shown across the land and just before Ceress released the string, a black tattoo of a swan magically appeared on the woman's right cheek. Time slowed as the marking shimmered in a dazzling display of hope before the one who was tied to the chair. The fairy had given this gift to Jane long ago as a defense mechanism to help safeguard her, and it kicked in seemingly for the first time as it sensed the death of the one who the mark branded. Some would call it a curse, and it would be the second curse Jane bore but at the moment, it was a blessing. A puff of smoke surrounded Jane and caused the enchantress to pause as the last rays of light vanished from the land and night began to rule. When the white smoke dissipated, a small yellow duckling stood in her place with a wounded wing. The baby bird squawked and ran around in a circle twice before she ran into the kitchen, dragging her wounded wing as she left the tied napkin behind where it fell from her arm.

"This is better than I thought," Ceress spoke as she started for the kitchen. "It looks like I'll be having duck tonight." She turned to the Beast, paused, and said, "That is as soon as you tell me where the rose is!"

Jane ran to the back of the kitchen, flapping her wings a little delirious because of what had happened to her and when she was about to scream, she saw her reflection in the spoon that had fallen to the floor and poof! She was a woman again, bleeding, confused, in pain, and incensed. She put her right hand to the wound and fisted her left. Jane noticed the fireplace where the pot of soup hung, so she grabbed a poker and stomped back into the dining room. Jane charged the enchantress with her weapon held high.

Ceress turned just as she struck, and Jane hit her on the collarbone. The enchantress stumbled back as she lifted her hands to protect herself.

"You reverted!" Ceress uttered and then winced in pain before she screamed, "How did you turn back?"

Blind with rage, Jane ran at her and swung. The enchantress' arms received the brunt of the attack, and she fell to the floor as Jane raised the poker to inflict the death blow. Ceress realized her grave mistake. She should have killed the woman when she had the chance but instead, her inaction allowed the woman to quickly recover from her affliction. Ceress would die before she took her revenge.

Jane looked into the fear-filled eyes of the enchantress, and her anger vanished. She lowered the poker as she felt a little queasy, and then she shouted, "Run!" Jane motioned to the other door with the poker and yelled, "Get out of here or I'll kill you!"

The elf enchantress crawled away, then lifted to her feet, and fled from the castle. Jane walked over to the dead goblin, dropped the poker, grabbed the short sword from his cold grasp, and moved toward the tied up Beast. She felt dizzy and saw stars as she walked, but Jane pushed forward, knowing she had to release him or they both might be in trouble if the enchantress returned.

Jane didn't know what she should say as she approached him, so she muttered, "I have a delivery for you... from the Tasty Dwarf Bakery."

The Beast watched her, unable to turn away from her and hide his face. His ghastly appearance didn't seem to bother her in the least as she continued toward him in a slow determined trudge. The Beast noticed her wound and saw the blood seeping from it, and then the fear he had of her seeing his cursed form turned to the terror of what he beheld as he realized who... no, what she was. He glanced at the blade she held and froze as an animal would, hoping a predator would pass them by. Her face paled as she lifted the short sword, and he tensed waiting for the blow. This woman's presence wasn't like Ceress' presence. The Beast could tell this woman had intentions for him, but he also sensed that they weren't malicious. She stabbed the blade into the chair's arm, cutting the bonds of his right side and then with focused determination, she pulled the blade out and stabbed the other chair's arm, cutting the ropes that bound him. She stared deep into his eyes when she finished. No one had gazed at him like that since he took on his accursed form. A warmth seemed to come from her smile and that warmth was aimed at him.

Jane couldn't believe it as she clung to consciousness. There they were... Those eyes from her drawings... How could they belong to this magnificent man who lived in a realm that shouldn't exist? She smiled at him again but this time, she felt as if they had known each other for a lifetime. She reached out her hand to touch the side of his face as she found herself saying, "I need your signature for the delivery."

Before she touched what must have been soft fur, she collapsed, and he caught her as she landed on his lap, and then she remembered no more.
Chapter Two

The Recurring Dream While In Grimm

For the first time ever, Jane's recurring dream changed. The colors, sounds, and sensations of touch in the world of her mind fancy became more vivid and alive than they ever were before. She experienced the dream the same way as before, seeing each scene as if seeing them for the first time.

Even the start of her dream differed. Jane held the hand of her foster mother as she took her to the neighborhood playground. It was a Saturday and many children played there. A little girl and a little boy, who were four like her, made fast friends with her, and they played for a good while, longer than young Jane could ever remember playing. Her little heart filled with joy at making new friends who lived very close to her foster parents' house. The little girl even complimented that she liked the white swan on her black t-shirt. The little girl and little boy ran over to a sandbox to make castles, and Jane joined them but in the middle of making a huge castle, the children forced Jane to leave the sandbox. They told her they didn't play with children they didn't know. Jane ran to her foster mother to be comforted, but the woman forgot she was under her care and kept insisting Jane find her own mother, so young Jane fled to the nearby woods heartbroken. Adult Jane remembered that this event had occurred in her past.

Young Jane ran through the woods for a long time, and then she came upon a bronze door that was opened but just a crack. Jane walked around the door but there was nothing on the other side but the woods, and the same door that opened in. She went back to the other side and opened the door the rest of the way out and as soon as she did that, the bronze door and her woods disappeared. Young Jane stood in a dense scary forest she didn't recognize with loud and boisterous animals squawking and roaring all around her. Everywhere she turned, the direction seemed to take her toward a darker and more dangerous path. Jane didn't know which way to go and decided on the path that was the least scary. She slowly made her way through the thick underbrush for hours and began to believe she'd never find her way home. Jane came upon a large root and sat on it, giving up. She was tired, thirsty, and hungry and just wanted to go home. She was near tears when about three dozen little fireflies appeared. She realized they weren't little but a great distance off and flying her way through the darkness like tiny candlelights of blue.

The fist-size fireflies flew around her as they sang to her, taking away her fear, loneliness, and despair with their enchanting song. The wordless chorus they sang was filled with deep meaning as if their souls somehow touched her own soul. The song was called Saah'Mee which meant Soul Heart in their language. If Jane could remember the time when her life began as a baby, she would have said the song reminded her of being held in her mother's arms. She watched the fireflies as they danced about in the air, then their song changed, and an amazing thing happened. They started playing lightning tag. Blue currents surged around one of them several times, then they shot the charge to another firefly, and the charge circled the new firefly and then shot to another. Six to eight charges in different shades of blue surged about at the same time. It was a wonder to behold. Jane wanted to play too, but she was afraid the currents would hurt her, so she tried to stay out of their way. One of the currents struck her hand, and it tingled a bit, but it didn't hurt. Jane giggled as the neon-blue swirled around her fist, then she pointed at a firefly, and the current leapt to the next participant of the game. The lightning tag went on for about ten minutes, then one of the fireflies came really close to Jane, so she stretched out her hand, and the firefly landed on her palm. Jane gasped in awe once the creature was close enough for her to get a really good view of it. She peered at the tiny female creature which wasn't a bug but a fairy. The fairy flew up to her face and peered into one of her eyes, and Jane held very still as she did this. Jane didn't even blink. The female fairy pulled away and flew up into the air a short distance, and then she and the other fairies flew ahead of Jane, heading toward a small bright light that broke through the dark canopy. The fairies beckoned her to follow them to the light, so Jane climbed her way over roots and pushed her way through shrubs and bushes until she broke free of the forest.

She shielded her eyes from the bright sun as her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and then once her eyes adjusted, she turned back to the forest but only one fairy remained, hovering just between the trees and the clearing. Jane walked back over to the female fairy.

"Thank you," Jane said. "I couldn't find my way out. Do you know what direction I should go in now?"

The fairy pointed behind Jane, and she glanced in the direction and then turned and faced the fairy.

"I wish I could play some more with all of you. Maybe I can come back tomorrow, and we can play. I would like it if we could play again. It's hard for me to make friends."

The fairy flew over to Jane, kissed her on her right cheek, and then flew back into the forest. Jane felt a tingling sensation on her face as she stared at the forest, wondering if the fairy would return. The fairy never came back, so Jane turned and walked in the direction the fairy had motioned to. She came upon a small pond and gazed at her reflection. Dirt and leaves covered her from head to toe, and the way the forest debris covered her made her look like a little mud elf with pointed ears. Another thing caught her eye. On her cheek where the fairy kissed her was a black tattoo of a swan like the one on her t-shirt. The tattoo sparkled blue and then faded away. Jane rubbed her cheek, but the tattoo never reappeared.

The sound of laughter caught her attention, and Jane followed the voices through the clearing, past a large oak, and beyond a small stone fence. The air smelled clean like mountain air, and the song, the fairies sang to her, played in her mind's ear as she hummed the tune aloud. She walked over a hill and into a small meadow valley. A little boy and a little girl played there on grass so green it seemed fake. The memory of being shunned by the previous girl and boy still lingered, so Jane started down the hill near tears. She stopped and stood still as the boy and girl turned to her. They stared at her for a long time as if trying to figure out what she could be, and Jane feared they would run away or even worse, pretend she didn't exist. Their appearance gave her a sense that she peered into the world of a picture book as the boy and girl stared at her equally as curious. Jane looked down at her dirty self and wondered if they could even tell she was a girl. Jane wanted to run to them but feared repeated rejection, so the endless game began again. Would they let her play with them? Would they forget her in the end?

Adult Jane took notice of the blond boy who had the air of a prince and also something familiar about him. She spotted a medallion around his neck of some sort of beastly creature. Jane looked closer and saw that the beast was chimera-like, consisting of a lion's head and body with three sets of eagle's wings and four talons. The creature gripped a crown in its teeth. Adult Jane wondered if this boy could be the Beast and if it was him, could she have met him when she was younger?

Fearing the worse would happen, young Jane nearly turned around and started back up the hill, but the girl with long black hair and a flurry white dress with red roses vining all over it, called to her as she held out her hand.

"Come here, little elf. Come here and play with us. There is nothing to fear."

The boy also held out his hand as he said, "Yes, come and play with us. Come and play with us and teach us a bit of your magic."

The tears wrought with dejection that had been ready to flow trickled down her cheek as one single droplet of immense joy as young Jane ran down to them and grabbed hold of their hands. She was so happy she couldn't speak. Jane turned to the girl and noticed a mark under her left eye similar to the one she had seen on herself when she looked in the pond. Jane's mark had been a black swan, and the girl's blue mark was in the shape of a double lightning bolt. Jane pointed to the mark, and it made the girl shrink back a bit as she covered it with her hand.

"It is awful, is it not?" the girl questioned.

Jane shook her head as she found her voice and replied, "Pretty."

The girl turned to the boy and told him, "She is so cute. We must keep her. Speak to your father."

"I will think about it," the boy told her. "First, let us see what this elf can teach us."

He moved to a different part of the meadow and bade them to follow him. Jane gladly did as she held onto the little girl's hand, and they ran after him. A small throne was set up there along with what looked like a tiny royal court. The boy sat on the throne, and the girl with Jane in tow went and stood before him. The little girl released Jane's hand and curtsied to him.

"Now you do it," the little girl told Jane. "Bow like the males do."

"But I'm a girl," Jane told her.

The little girl took a step back from her, examining her unusual clothing.

"I guess you cannot be the knight then," the girl told her.

"I can still be a knight," Jane replied. "I'll be a girl knight."

"It will be up to the prince," the girl said, then turned, and faced the boy, waiting on his decision.

The little boy leaned on his elbow which rested on his tiny throne as he mimicked what he had seen his father do. He eyed the little elf carefully, and then he declared, "I have never heard of a girl knight before, so I will be the first to have one!"

The little girl cheered and so did Jane, and soon the boy joined in.

"What does a knight do?" Jane questioned them once they all stopped celebrating.

"A knight of the realm is a protector of the kingdom," the boy told her.

"Can a knight have friends? Before I completely agree, I want to make sure I can still be friends with both of you?"

"You wish to be friends with us?" the boy questioned. "I have never had a friend before."

"Isn't she your friend?" Jane questioned him as she motioned to the little girl.

"Her?" the boy uttered as he turned to the girl. "She is my court sorceress. My father has a wizard and his father before him had a battlemage. I chose a sorceress. She is to amuse me and protect me."

"I am only a sorceress in training," the girl added. "I have many years of training before I can take the title sorceress."

"Oh..." Jane spoke, thought about it, and then said, "What you are isn't important. What's important is that you're friends. I saw how well you play together. You're friends."

"I guess I have always had a friend," the boy said. "Are you asking me if I want to have two?"

Jane grinned at him as she spoke, "Maybe I'm asking you to be my friend." She went over and grabbed the girl's hand, "I believe us girls are already friends." She turned to the girl and asked, "Am I right?"

"You are so cute," the girl said, and then she answered her, "Yes, little elf. We are friends."

"So..?" Jane inquired as she faced the boy. "Do you also want to be my friend and in return, I'll be your friend?"

"I understand now," the boy stated. "A friend is not something I possess but something I share. My mother told me I should try to share more. Yes, is my answer. I will be your friend and you will be mine."

"Come here," Jane told him. "We need you if we're going to do a group hug?"

"Group hug? All right, I will come and try this group hug," the boy told her.

He came down from his throne, and Jane grabbed both of them in a loving bear hug as she instructed them to do the same. They stood there for a few seconds, and Jane got a sense of the family she always longed for. She had a big brother and a big sister who would always look out for her.

The children continued to play and when the girl sorceress and Jane were hiding from the princely boy as they sat among the tall flowers, the girl sorceress examined the little elf more closely.

"You are very ordinary. Your appearance has nothing that stands out for good or for ill."

"Why did you say such a mean thing to me?" Jane asked as unintended cruelty tainted the joy she experienced that day.

The girl sorceress said, "My mother once told me to speak the truth always."

Jane stated in return, "You're right. We should always speak the truth, but sometimes it shouldn't be uttered."

"What do you mean?"

"What you said to me was very mean and hurtful," Jane replied.

"I only spoke the truth," the girl sorceress insisted.

"Did you mean to make me feel bad? Did you mean to say you don't like the way I look? Did you mean to say we're not friends anymore because of how I look?" Jane asked as she turned and peered at her with her big brown eyes. Her lower lip curled up in a pout and near tears, Jane added, "It's how it sounded to me."

The girl sorceress peered at the little elf as she considered what Jane told her, and then the girl sorceress replied, "I did not mean to hurt you. We are friends." She thought about it some more, and then she said, "My mother and you are correct. The truth is always to be spoken, but sometimes it does not need to be uttered. I am sorry."

The girl sorceress reached over and gave the little elf a hug. Jane in returned hugged her back. They continued playing as Jane forgave the girl sorceress for making her feel bad. Joy again overshadowed everything within Jane's heart as she played with the princely boy and the girl sorceress. The part of her recurring dream that had always been fuzzy was now clear. The boy and girl accepted her, and young Jane wished with all her heart that she could stay in those joyous moments forever. The neighborhood she stumbled into wasn't that far away from her own. A forest separated them but maybe if she convinced her foster parents, they would drive her over here to play with her new friends. The boy and the girl were her friends and in a sense, they were also her family. Jane believed they would never forget her as the others had. Jane believed she would never fade from their memories as she had countless times before with everyone she encountered. She was also the knight of the realm and that gave her a sense of purpose. Jane would always protect her friends.

They played a mock version of the kingdom's court for a long time. The boy called in actual servants and had them pretend to be evil warlocks or trolls, and he even made one pretend he was a fire-breathing dragon. The girl acted like she used her magic against their adversaries, and Jane and the boy attacked with invisible swords. Later, a few servants came out and set up a small table, and they served the children sandwiches and tea. The girl sorceress commented on how much she enjoyed the tea, so Jane asked if they could have more and the prince granted her wish. Once they finished, the prince decided he wanted to be adventurous, so he led the two girls beyond the meadow valley and found a patch of dancing wildflowers. The dream moved on and the girl gave Jane the flower ring which turned into a silver ring, and the boy stole a kiss from her lips, making her heart flutter. Their love and affection flowed into her so much, Jane thought her chest would burst open, and it made her believe wholeheartedly that their bond couldn't be broken by time or distance.

A storm forced the children to seek shelter, and the dream moved rapidly from that point on. They walked around the temple-like structure and saw all the statues within, then Jane scuffed her knee, and it slightly bled. A trickle of red plasma ran down her leg and with it, the love and affection she felt from the boy and the girl vanished. The girl grabbed the boy's hand, and the boy turned and dragged the girl after him as they fled from Jane into the storm. The image of their terrified faces haunted her as Jane woke, screaming.

"Don't leave me!"

The dream didn't fade but stayed with her this time. Jane also remembered that she had the earlier version of the dream every night since that day she met the princely boy and the girl sorceress. She felt like crying for the child version of herself who lost so much when her friends turned their backs on her. Adult Jane couldn't understand why they were so afraid of her. She hadn't done or said anything that she could remember. The more she thought about the dream, the more Jane realized she hadn't been in another neighborhood but another world. Jane still couldn't get her head around the fact she was somehow transported to the World of Grimm. She glanced around the large soft canopy bed she lay in as an invisible servant moved away from her carrying a wooden box with bandages hanging out of it. The servant left the bedroom. Jane turned to the window and saw tiny birds sitting on the ledge singing to the morning sun as if she was in the Snow White fairytale, and somehow she accepted her situation as if this was the norm.

She went back to her thoughts. Jane couldn't believe how many times she had the dream over the years. She experienced a lifetime of heartache and pain but there was also joy and affection within the never-ending cycle. For the few moments she was able to hold on to the dreams in the past, she had longed to return to the world she had visited even with its suffering as long as she was allowed to relive the fun and happy moments with her friends. Adult Jane now believed she had returned to that world and that the Beast was the boy in the dream. The Beast was the prince who made her knight of the realm. The medallion was the proof. She only had to compare the boy's with the Beast's, and she would have her answer, but she didn't know what she would do if the Beast was him.

Jane glanced around her room again and wondered how she had gotten there. Last she remembered she... She must have fainted. Jane did have a vague recollection of being picked up in strong arms that were soft, and she also remembered the smell of the forest. The Beast must have carried her to the bedroom, but who bandaged her arm?

The door to her bedroom opened, and a female invisible servant spoke to her, "Good morning." A tray seemingly floated in and landed on a nightstand beside Jane, and then the female servant stated, "I was told to tell you that the master who roams the night knows what you are." The female servant sounded a little nervous as she continued, "He and I will keep your secret as long as you leave after you have had some breakfast. Do not return to this castle and the occurrence that happened last night will not be spoken of. The master is grateful that you rescued the Beast from Enchantress Ceress but being the thing that you are, the master wishes for you not to associate with the master who monopolizes the light. The master who roams the night grants you your life and believes he has repaid you for the bravery he witnessed when you rescued the Beast."

"I'm not sure I understand," Jane told her. "Is the Beast the master who roams the night or the master who monopolizes the light or is he neither of them? What secret do you refer to? And did you call me a thing?" she questioned, and then the door to her room opened and it shut as Jane finished with, "I have... no... secrets..."

She waited for a reply and when none came, Jane questioned, "Is anyone there?"

No one answered, so she picked up the tray and ate the breakfast of eggs, toast, and tea. Jane got out of bed when she finished, found a water basin and towel, and freshened up. She examined the bandage on her left arm and there wasn't as much as a blot of blood on the outside and as she moved the appendage about, she found that the arm didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. Jane found her backpack, the clipboard and quill, and the club which was no longer a snake, sitting on a chair. She grabbed her things, left the bedroom, followed the hallway to a set of stairs, and then went back to the dining room she had been in the night before. She saw no one within, and she didn't hear anyone within. Jane followed the hallway and peeked in several rooms until she came upon a study with a book shelf full of books and the Beast lounging in a chair beside a fireplace. He wore a princely garb of purple, red, and gold, and the book he read was entitled Narcissus, Love Of Self. She stayed at the entrance and knocked on the open door. The Beast looked up from the book he was reading, and Jane noticed something she hadn't noticed before. His mane seemed shorter and not as full as it did last night. Small patches of white feathers stuck out of it, and smaller versions of the white feathers speckled his fur here and there. His eyes also seemed different. They were blue and eagle-like.

"You caught me reading one of my favorite books but more importantly, you are awake and not only that, you are not trembling before me in terror. Are you blind or perhaps nearsighted?" he questioned her.

"Someone asked me a similar question, and I'd have to say that's an unusual question to ask me," Jane stated, and then she replied, "I'm neither."

"Are you perhaps cursed with rose-colored perception? I did come across a fair maiden once who was and let me just say that relationship did not work out in the end. Curses are funny things."

"My view of the world's not distorted in any way," she answered.

"The other nice thing about curses is the one who is cursed cannot speak of their affliction, so I can at least believe what you say since you are able to say it."

"Huh?" Jane uttered, and then she spoke, "I'm not sure I understand. It kinda sounded like you were talking about Fight Club."

The Beast inquired, "Is that some sort of gladiator tournament? I do not allow such barbaric rituals in my kingdom."

"I was referring to the first and second rule of Fight Club but never mind that," she answered, and then she asked, "Did you tell one of your servants to pass along a message to me from you?"

"What makes you believe I have servants?" the Beast questioned as he lifted both hands, gesturing around himself. "Do you see any?"

"No, I don't see them," Jane replied. "I saw you dueling with one yesterday or is it I didn't see you dueling with one yesterday?"

"You were quick to pick up on that fact." He noticed she had her things, and he questioned her, "Are you leaving?"

"I am," she replied. "I hate to ask this of you..."

"Ask me anything, up to half my kingdom, and I will grant it to you," he told her with a grin which made her think he was lying.

She took a few steps into the study, lifted the clipboard and quill, and asked him, "Could I get your signature? I know technically I didn't make the delivery and now that I think of it, I'm not sure where the pastries ended up."

She amused the Beast as he held out his clawed hand, and Jane placed the clipboard in it. She peered at his medallion as he reached up, and she saw the beastly creature was an eagle with three sets of wings holding the sun in its beak. The image was different, and a surge of disillusion flooded her soul. Maybe he wasn't the princely boy of her reoccurring dreams.

The Beast signed the clipboard with the enchanted quill, returned it to her, and said, "Up to half my kingdom and this is what you asked for."

"I'm easy," Jane said and blushed, realizing the other meaning associated with the phrase. She hoped such phrases weren't used in his world and tried to think of something else to say to move away from her self-embarrassment. Jane spoke with a smile, "If you're in the giving mood, maybe you could give me a good tip."

"Somewhat bold. I like that," the Beast spoke, then raised his voice, and ordered, "Get her a good tip."

A pouch soon materialized, and Jane took it from the air.

The Beast stood, set his book on the chair, and bowed to her as he said, "I also give you my gratitude. I wish there was more I could do."

"Maybe you could answer one of my questions."

"Ask," he commanded.

"Who is the master of this castle?"

"I am, of course," he replied with a hint of mischief, and then he inquired, "Did you think otherwise?"

"I wasn't sure," she told him and then gazed at him again with the fondness she always had for the drawings in her scrapbook. He may not be the prince from her dreams, but he was bits and pieces of the one she had drawn. Jane wondered if she somehow created a Frankenstein Beast, and then she chuckled to herself over the silly idea.

The Beast felt a bit uncomfortable under her searching gaze. Most people wouldn't dare look him in the eyes, and he could no longer see the faces of his servants, so her gaze was terrifying and yet tantalizing.

"Well, I better be off," Jane said. "My boss probably thinks I've been turned into something or I've been eaten. If I don't hurry back, he may give my job and home away."

"I would like one thing from you," the Beast told her as he moved closer to her, took her chin tenderly into his clawed hands, and leaned in close. He wasn't about to let her leave with such a hold on him.

"Umm..." she uttered as she melted into his touch. Jane thought surely he wasn't going to kiss her but that's exactly what he appeared to be doing. She questioned him as her heart pounded in her chest, "What's that?"

"Tell me your name."

"It's Jane."

"Jane," he said with a smirk. "The name suits you well."

He released her chin, went back to his chair, picked up his book, and sat, going back to his reading. The enchantment she seemed to have over him was broken as he put upon her a spell of his own.

Jane stood there a few seconds still caught in his spellbinding touch, then turned, and strolled out as if walking on pink cotton candy. She was giddy all the way to her bike. Jane placed the clipboard and quill in her backpack, mounted the bike, and headed toward AaBack. Maybe it didn't matter that he wasn't the prince from her dreams. Maybe he only had to be the prince from her imagination.

The Beast lifted his gaze once she left, wondering if he should have questioned her while she was there. The swan tattoo he saw last night was no longer visible, but he was sure he saw it; he was sure he witnessed the sign of hope. He needed to find a way to have her return again without exposing his desperation.

* * *

After leaving the princely Beast in his study, Jane felt like she was floating over the terrain as she rode her bike just like those kids did in the movie E.T. when the alien used his ability to make their bikes fly. In reality, both her tires were on the ground but her heart soared, thinking she had found the princely boy now grown into a handsome man. She pedaled back towards the Tasty Dwarf Bakery and had yet to leave the Beast's estate when she heard a song. It was Saah'Mee, the song the fairies sang to her to comfort her when young Jane became lost and afraid in the dark forest. Adult Jane braked and then dismounted from her bike and followed the enchanting Saah'Mee, hoping to come upon the fairies she had met so long ago. She came upon the wall she passed when she first rode into the estate and noticed an old rusted gate with an equally rusted large padlock. Jane pulled on the padlock, and it held firmly in place by design and by the corrosion of time and unless she wanted to break in, she wasn't getting in. She turned to head back to her bike when she nearly stepped on a tiny yellow rose. Jane didn't remember it being there when she walked up to the gate. She knelt down to it and could have sworn it was the exact same tiny rose she had nearly stepped on outside the castle.

"Hello there. You're so cute, I could pick you but don't worry, I won't," Jane said and then thought it would be funny to ask it, "Aren't you the little rose from before? You look just like–"

The tiny yellow rose nodded its head or one would say unopened bud as if answering her.

"I am in the World of Grimm, so I guess anything's possible," Jane spoke in a carefree tone which was spawned from her lovestruck heart. She had never felt so high on life and had never been so enthralled by the possibility of love. It was such a great feeling.

The rose lowered its head and stalk, and then it inched toward her like a worm. The roots of the plant were still underground, so the rose inched forward and then dragged the rest of its body forward, leaving a trail in the dirt. Jane straightened as the tiny yellow rose inched its way past her to the gate and then vined its way up to the padlock. The tiny rose didn't lift its entire body out of the dirt and climbed up with its roots and all. No, it magically grew up the rusted gate bars as dozens of tiny yellow open buds sprung up from the vine as it went. The main bud was twice as big as the other buds and when the main bud reached the padlock, it maneuvered several of its thorns within the keyhole and picked it open with a bit of added magic. The padlock fell to the ground, and the gate opened in as the fairy song grew louder and more welcoming. Jane turned her attention to the padlock as the yellow rose crawled unharmed from it as its elongated thorny vine shrunk until the rose returned to its previous stature of a flower on a tiny stalk.

Kneeling again to it, Jane told the pinkie-rose, "You're so cute." She put a finger out toward it to pet it, then paused, and asked, "You don't bite, do you?"

The pinkie-rose inched over to her finger and rubbed up against it like a cat rubs up against someone's leg. Jane scratched the back of the bud gently with her nail as if scratching the back of a cat's ear. Jane would have knelt there all day, petting the delightful creature, but the pinkie-rose perked up as if it heard something, and then it disappeared into the ground like a mole down its hole. Jane straightened and stared at the tiny tunnel, missing what would have been an interesting pet but maybe it was more than just a plant-cat, plant-mole, plant..? She didn't know what she should call it and decided to go back to the gate the tiny yellow rose had unlocked for her.

The gate opened to an overgrown path and led to what looked like the start of a maze made out of rows of hedges that were ten feet tall. Jane went no farther than the open gate. It had been locked for a reason, and she didn't have permission to be wandering the estate. Her actions could upset the Beast, and she didn't want to upset him, she wanted... she wanted him to... Her mind drifted, and she allowed herself to venture through her imagination for a few moments before she brought herself back to reality or at least the reality of the World of Grimm.

The fairy song increased its hold on her. Jane twirled the silver flower ring on her little finger as she stared at the enticing maze ahead of her, drawn in by the song and the feelings it induced. She took a step to go in but then drew the foot back out. Jane wasn't sure if she should enter as a tug-of-war began in her mind. She considered how the Beast would react if she traipsed around his property like some thief breaking into things she shouldn't, and she also considered how hard the tiny yellow rose worked to open the padlock for her. Jane could discover a horrible secret about the Beast or maybe she could discover something that would lead her to break his curse. Jane felt like she stood there with her arms stretched out as uncertainty pulled her in one direction and then the other. She might have stood there all day being stretched out by her indecision if the call to her soul hadn't bade her forward.

The fairy song grew louder, inviting her to hurry as if some urgent matter needed her immediate attention. Jane took a step forward and glanced back as if expecting some sort of alarm to go off. None did, so she took a few more steps forward, then walked to the first fork, and stood there, trying to decide which way to go. If the size of the front wall was any indication, the maze was very large. Maybe a quarter of a mile by a quarter of a mile. Jane thought she needed a way to keep track of which paths she tried so she wouldn't get lost, and she started to go back to the bike to grab the clipboard and quill when she saw the light of one of the fairies in the distance and immediately with excited joy, she followed that path. The fairy flew faster, and Jane chased after the tiny winged person. Jane laughed as if she was young Jane again playing lightning tag as she raced after the fairy.

"Don't go too fast or I'll lose you," she yelled after the fairy and then laughed again. "Wait up!"

The path ended in the middle of the maze and into a square section with only the entrance she came in. This area of the maze was different from the rest of the maze. Vibrant green hedges and grass paths made up the maze she transversed through to get there, but this square section appeared to have been neglected for years. A closer inspection also told Jane this place had once been a beautiful garden. The remains of flowering plants in brittle-brown and death-black filled the entire area and dampened her joyous mood. Jane looked all around for the fairy, wondering why the tiny winged person brought her there, but she didn't see her or him anywhere. She still heard the fairy song but couldn't tell which direction it came from. Jane decided she shouldn't be there and started to head back when a sensation she couldn't describe swept over her. The sensation became stronger as bits of it came to light; its warmth and its familiarity she understood, but the core essence of it eluded her. Jane turned around and faced the dead garden, twirling the silver ring on her left pinkie again as the sensation drew her back to the dead garden. The song the fairies sung faded until there was only one voice singing the enchanting melody and once the song fell to this one voice, the happy feelings the melody invoked in Jane's soul became ones of sadness and abandonment. Jane wanted to reach out to this person or creature, wrap her arms around them, and let them know they weren't alone. Her heart cried for them and she knew at that moment, she had to help them. No matter the cost she had to help them.

Jane continued to search with her eyes, and she couldn't see anything within the garden but carcasses of dead flowers and vines. She knew something had to be there and once her heart joined in on the search, Jane caught a glimpse of something. In the midst of the garden, a large clear curtain with shimmers of rainbow draped over something large. Jane wasn't sure how she knew it was a magical curtain that hid something from the rest of the world, but she did know that whatever was under it was the creature or person she wanted to help.

The enchanting sad melody lifted from the curtain and floated around the garden with a voice so sweet it nearly brought tears to her eyes. The single voice sang of a past she... yes, the voice was definitely a she, and she sang of a past she longed to return to.
Chapter Three

The Rose Beauty

Long before Jane entered the Hedge Labyrinth...

The one beneath the magical curtain heard all that went on around her. A few years back, one she had been very close to put the finishing touches on her proverbial coffin by taking away the last thing she had, the ability to see the world around her. The curse that was linked to her allowed her to know the positions of the moon and sun but nothing else about her world. She was permitted to know the days that went by and the years that went by, and so she longed for death, caught in a curse she had no way of breaking, not when she was so isolated. She decided today would be the day but in her current form, she had no way of taking her own life, so as the moon hung in the sky above, she removed her roots from the ground, determined to slowly starve herself to death.

The fairies came, those pesky creatures, as the moon neared the horizon, and she heard them flying around her garden tomb and whispering to one another. She thought they came to mock her powerlessness. She thought they came to cheer on her demise, but then something very unexpected happened as the sun came up over the garden. The fairies began to sing. The song wasn't one of victory like she once heard when the first Wicked Witch of the West died, freeing the realm of her tyranny. The song was one of hope. She recognized the melody; it was Saah'Mee, and it slowly took away her fear, loneliness, and despair as the fairies continued their enchanting chorus. The fairies sang out the song with no words, and their souls touched her own soul, telling her forgiveness was possible, she only had to seek it. She remembered a time when her life was still good and filled with joy and happiness. The fairies beseeched her to join in with them, and she relented and lifted her beautiful voice, and they all sang together.

The chorus swept her up in its entrancing wordless meanings, and she realized her life turned out nothing like she envisioned it. The wishes and expectations of her childhood were eventually trampled on and crushed to dust by those she trusted most. She wished with all her heart she could change the person she had become, and the song that came from her heart was no longer one of hope but of despair. After a while, she also realized she sang alone, but she continued with the chorus as something she could hold onto until death came and took her from this world.

Movement in her garden distracted her, and she stopped the song. Someone stood in front of her, then they walked around her, and ended up in front of her again. Had the betrayer, who she betrayed, come to put her out of her misery or only add to it? The magical curtain lifted off of her, and she saw the most beautiful thing, the morning light. There was also a female from one of the elf races standing before her, but she couldn't take in enough of the sunlight. She basked in it and reveled in it, and then she decided today wouldn't be the day, and she placed her roots back into the ground, drawing nutrients from the dirt again. The person she envisioned herself becoming when she was a child fled her mind as the person she had become took front and center again. She would teach this servant a lesson for meddling in things that didn't pertain to her.

The curious looking female elf folded up the clear magical curtain and set it on the ground. She wondered when such a creature came to work for the master of the castle. She also wondered if some new punishment was coming that could be crueler than the magical curtain. She sensed something about the female elf. Some magical power emanated from her as if the female elf possessed a great power but had no control over it.

Jane stood in front of the giant red rose that was a head taller than herself, but she was still some distance from the plant, not knowing if it was dangerous or not. The plant was beautiful, and Jane saw a lady's face within the open red petals. The solo had ended, but she was sure the rose was the one who sang it and if that was true, the rose was the one who she vowed to help. She needed to find out, so she introduced herself.

"Hello, my name's Jane. I heard the fairies singing and followed their song into the maze. I actually wanted to meet them again, but I guess they're gone." Jane paused to see if the giant rose would respond and when she didn't, Jane asked, "Can you talk? Can you tell me your name?"

The giant rose peered at the strange female elf a little more curious about her than before. She spoke of the fairies and those pesky creatures rarely made themselves known to those not of their race. What was different about this female elf? Could it be the power she sensed emanating from her? She would wait to see before she decided what to do with Jane.

"I cannot tell you my name," the giant rose told her. "The curse that binds me here prevents me from uttering it."

"Oh... I'm sorry," Jane spoke as she took a step closer to the giant rose. If she stretched out her hand, she was still about five feet from her. "I'm finding out many are cursed in your world," Jane told her as she looked closer to the faint hint of a face within the red petals, and Jane noticed a mark of a double lightning bolt on what seemed like a cheek. Now she understood why she was there as she twirled the silver flower ring, but that would mean somehow the Beast was the prince from her dream and this giant rose was the girl. Jane needed more information, so she asked, "Why were you covered with that curtain, Erosa?"

"Why do you call me Erosa?"

"I hope I didn't offend you, but it seemed like the proper thing to do. Do you want me to call you by a different name?"

"No, it is fine and to answer your question, the master of the castle was punishing me," Erosa replied. "I can be a very naughty rose."

"The master of the castle... I keep hearing about him. One of the Beast's servants spoke of him and warned me to stay away from the castle from now on."

"Are you not one of the Beast's servants?"

"I'm not. I'm the new delivery girl for the Tasty Dwarf Bakery, and I need to get back before I'm fired. Before I go..." She wasn't sure how to pose her next question as she asked, "I heard your song, and I was wondering... Could it be..? Is there anything you need?"

"Why would you believe I need anything from you?"

"Didn't you call me here?" Jane inquired. "Or maybe the fairies called me here, but I still get this feeling you need my help. Are you sure you don't want me to do something for you?"

"No, I do not need anything from you," Erosa replied, then she thought about it, and she stated, "If you could take that magical curtain with you, I would appreciate it. I hate that thing and looking at it... well... it is not pleasant."

"I can do that," Jane replied as she went over to the clear cloth, folded it up, and then placed it in her backpack. She knew there was so much more she could do for the giant rose, so Jane repeated, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Erosa thought about her query as she glanced around the dead garden, and then she answered, "I need nothing else, but do come back and visit me. It does get lonely here."

"You do need something," Jane replied with a smile. "You need a friend, and I will come back," she promised. "I'll come back today if I can. I want to talk to you some more, but I have to get back to my job."

The female elf ran out, and Erosa watched as she went. Jane was a very curious creature. The master warned her to stay away from the castle, and the fairies led Jane to the dead garden. Erosa also wondered why a smidgen of hope crept up in the back of her mind when she spoke to the female elf. A lovely butterfly landed on her petals, one of orange with black stripes, and it also had a mark of an ax imprinted on each wing as Erosa chuckled to herself. It would seem that life around the estate was about to get interesting. The butterfly crawled toward the center of her petals, and Erosa whipped one of her thorny vines up and sliced the butterfly in half. Its lifeless carcass fell to the dirt, and she gathered it up with her roots and dragged it underground. She believed life around the estate was about to get very interesting.

* * *

Jane left the Hedge Labyrinth with a new sense of purpose. She believed she rediscovered the princely boy and the girl sorceress from her dream. She didn't come right out and tell them because she wasn't a hundred percent sure they were them. Jane also wasn't sure if they would remember her and if they did remember her, would they only remember being afraid of her? Jane headed for AaBack on her bike, turned on Tall Hill Road, and left the estate behind. She rode for a few minutes, and then she started to hear something in the woods following her very close to the road. Jane thought about what the Muffin Man had told her about trolls, dragons, and orcs, and her imagination took it from there. She pedaled harder, increasing her speed and whatever hunted her also increased speed. She neared the downward slope of Tall Hill Road and knew if she could just make it to there, she could outrun whatever chased her. She was ten feet away from the start of the slope when a large dark shadow jumped out from the woods, landed in front of her, and blocked her escape. Jane braked hard and dropped the club in the process.

A large wolf stood there, and it took Jane a few seconds to realize this wolf was the werewolf she met earlier who told her to insist on a job from the Muffin Man.

"You scared the living daylights out of me!" she yelled at him. "Why didn't you say something while you were running through the woods?"

"I wanted to make sure we were alone before we spoke and now that I know we are I'd like to talk to you," Lykos answered.

"About what?" she asked as she got off, then picked up her club, and pushed her bike over to him.

"Do you believe now? Do you believe this world is real?"

"Yes, I do. I can't believe I'm saying it, but yes, I do."

Lykos told her, "After we spoke yesterday and once I was able to rid myself of the other two, I went and did some research."

"Okay... What did you research and what did you find out?"

"It's both good and bad," he told her. "I believe the gem we were after called the Tear of Poer has embedded itself in your right eye. It will protect you and keep you safe, but it will also put you in danger if Red and the Woodsman or any others seeking its power figure out that you have it. They have already started to suspect." Lykos glanced around the area as if searching for any who might be spying on them, and then he continued, "My research into the Tear of Poer has told me that the only way to take the gem out of you is to make you cry, and it has to be tears of extreme sadness to flush it out of your system. Do you understand?"

"I think I experienced its protection earlier. I turned into a baby duck right before Sorceress Ceress had a chance to kill me."

"It may have been the Tear of Poer, but it doesn't sound like the protection it offers, so it may have been something else that protected you then."

"Something else? Like what?"

Lykos answered her, "I should also tell you a few rules that govern the World of Grimm that I slightly went into the last time we spoke. You might have noticed already that many are inflicted by a curse or two. The one who's cursed is unable to speak about the curse and the cure."

"It's kind of like Fight Club."

"Exactly," Lykos replied. "The first and second rules of Curse Club is that you can't talk about Curse Club."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" she asked him. "I thought you wanted the Tear of Poer, but you sound like you want me to keep it."

"I do for now. My werewolf form protects me and if you are to survive here, you'll also need something."

"I still don't understand. Why do you care so much about what happens to me?" she questioned him.

"There is a horrible curse that covers this realm within the World of Grimm. I can't tell you what it is... Remember the first two rules of Curse Club?"

"I do," Jane replied.

"It's important since I can't tell you about this horrible curse that you be very observant of the world around you. I have searched for a way back to our world and haven't found one. I was hoping the Tear of Poer would be the key, and it still may be, but it is only part of the key. I don't care if you have the Tear of Poer until I need it so keep it safe for me, Jane."

"I can't tell you how great it is to hear my name spoken by another person," she told him. "I feel like I'm no longer cursed."

"I would also suggest that you don't tell anyone else about the curse you believe is on you. Knowing someone's curse can give a person power over them."

"I'll remember that," she told him. "And now I'm not sure it was really a curse. I was able to tell you about it."

"Curses are funny things," he told her. "Even the one who is cursed sometimes doesn't know all the rules to the curse that's upon them." Lykos moved out of her way and took a few steps into the woods as he said, "I'll leave you for now. Tell no one you spoke with me. Most people hate werewolves. Also be aware of what's going on in this realm. You must discover the curse I can't tell you about so that you can keep yourself safe. Even if you do have the Tear of Poer, I don't know if it can keep you safe from what plagues this realm."

"I understand. My second mission is to figure out this mega-curse."

Lykos nodded, then without another word, he disappeared into the woods, and Jane pedaled down to AaBack.

* * *

Jane dismounted her bike, leaned it on the corner of the shop, and then rushed into the Tasty Dwarf Bakery to find Muffin Man talking with a faun. Muffin Man looked up when the bell to his shop rang and had a surprised yet pleased expression on his face. He finished his business with the faun and then waved her forward.

"By the Mines of Moria! You are alive," he stated. "And I don't see any missing limbs or other appendages."

"I am alive and in one piece," she said. "Nothing ate me, so I can keep delivering for you."

Muffin Man spoke, "I am glad to hear that nothing ate you, but you were supposed to be back last night. I do not think I can hire you."

"I do have a good excuse for being late," she stated, then handed him the clipboard and quill, and told him, "And I did get the Beast's signature."

"His signature and not one of his servants?" Muffin Man questioned as he took the items and looked over the top paper. "It is his signature. Did you receive it from him in person? Did you faint or scream? Customers frown upon such reactions."

"I did faint but only because I had been..."

The bell on the front door rang as an old witch a little taller than the dwarf came in. She wore all black with what looked like pieces of candy all over her outfit, she had a pointed hat, and she carried an old fashion broomcorn broomstick.

"One moment," he told Jane, walked over to the witch, and questioned her, "What can I do for you, you old bitty?"

Jane's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as she heard him disrespect a customer. The old witch didn't seem to notice as if it was the norm.

"I need to make some repairs to my house. Could I purchase some gingerbread dough off of you?"

"I do not have any made right now, you old hag," he answered her. "I will have some sent over to your place once I make a new batch."

"Thank you," the witch said as she handed him a half cent.

Muffin Man inquired, "Are you adding an addition to your house?"

"No," the witch replied. "I believe a yeahmun was at my house and destroyed part of it."

"Are you sure you did not actually lure some children to your house, you ugly harpy, and they ate it?"

"Yes, I am sure," the witch told him, and then she informed him, "A weapon forged by the yeahmuns struck my house."

"Yeahmun weapons are very powerful and rare, but anyone can wield them," Muffin Man told her. "Was there any other evidence of a yeahmun at your house?"

"No, only the weapon."

"I would not worry," he told her. "It has been years since a yeahmun invaded AaBack." Muffin Man glanced at a photo on the wall of himself and two other males, and then he told her, "Remember, yeahmuns are very rare."

"And very scary and extremely dangerous," the witch added. "You should not belittle my fears."

"I do not, you depraved, dog breath, child-eater," the dwarf told her as he went behind the counter and placed the half cent in a cash box. "I will start on the dough once I finish speaking with this female."

"I will be expecting the delivery before the day is over and make sure whoever you send is careful when they come," the witch said, turned, opened the door, hopped on her broomstick, and took to the air, zooming out of the shops' area of AaBack.

"I need to check on my muffins," the dwarf told Jane as he headed into the back. "I will return shortly."

"Was it necessary to call that elderly lady names? She seemed to be a nice customer."

"I never called her any names," Muffin Man shouted from the back. "I am nearly always polite to my customers."

"I'd hate to see if you were rude," Jane muttered to herself as he walked to the back.

She stood there for a while and then curiosity got the better of her. She had to know what the dwarf had been looking at on the wall, so Jane went over, spotted a photo which was a Polaroid, and she saw that one of the persons in the photo was the dwarf, there was also a tall elf with long pointed ears, and a man with a t-shirt of a gray tundra wolf howling at the moon. She wondered if the man wearing the t-shirt was Lykos.

Muffin Man came back to Jane and inquired, "Where were we? Ah, yes... We were talking about the Beast's signature." He lifted the clipboard he'd been carrying and examined the autograph again. "I am impressed that you got it even if you did faint, but the stipulation of our agreement was that you would come back last night. I am sorry, but I cannot hire you."

"I did agree to that, so I guess I can't argue," Jane told him, greatly disappointed she wouldn't have a place to stay or any sort of income. She removed the weapon from her backpack as she said, "Here's the club you let me borrow."

He took it from her, examined it, and saw what looked like scales all over the wood as if the marks had been burned into the club. The teeth and claw marks that riddled the club were gone. Muffin Man was about to ask her what happened to the club when she interrupted him.

"I do have a question. Do I have to share my tips?"

"No, the tips are yours to keep. Wait one moment. You fainted at the sight of the Beast, and he still gave you a tip." He rubbed his red beard as he thought, and then the Muffin Man stated, "You were there all night. Just what did you do at the castle that you had to stay through the night?"

"What do you mean? What do you think I was doing?" she questioned, then thought about it, and insisted a little embarrassed, "Oh... No... Like I told you, I fainted and I didn't wake till this morning. Nothing happened."

"Good. I do not want the Beast to conjure up any ideas about the services we do not actually provide," Muffin Man stated, and then a pigeon landed on the side window sill outside and tapped on the glass. The dwarf said, "Hold on a second, someone is placing an order."

He went, opened the window, and took a small piece of paper from the bird's mouth. The paper magically tripled in size as it left the bird's beak, and then the pigeon flew off as the dwarf read over the note.

"Looks like the Beast has sent in a late order for bear claws. Elf-shot! And he insists that someone named Jane be the one to deliver it. Who in the realm is this Jane! Pompous rich prince! Always making ridiculous demands!"

"I'm Jane," she told him. "Didn't I tell you my name yesterday?"

"You did not, and I did not ask," he told her. "In this line of business, I have discovered it is best not to befriend the delivery people. They tend not to last too long or they turn out to be someone or something they don't appear to be." He crossed his arms as he thought about his predicament. "Now what do I do? I have already fired you."

"Hire me as an independent delivery girl," she suggested. "I'll work as you need me, and you don't have to commit to keeping me on." She added, hoping to entice him into the deal, "It'll also give you time to look for another delivery person."

Muffin Man didn't answer her right away but turned his attention back to the letter. "The Beast goes on to say he would greatly like to thank the Tasty Dwarf Bakery for having such a brave delivery girl. If it had not been for Jane, the Beast may have lost his life." Muffin Man peered up from the paper and questioned, "Exactly what happened last night?"

Jane began her tale, and she went into great detail but left out the part of watching the Beast duel with no shirt on, turning into a duckling, and discovering the tiny yellow rose and the giant red rose in the maze. The dwarf intently listened and didn't interrupt her once and then when she finished, he seemed astounded by the occurrence.

"I see," he said. "You do have a good excuse for not coming back last night and to think I never even noticed your bandages."

"Do we have a deal?" she questioned. "Can I work for you as an independent delivery girl?"

"I believe you can," Muffin Man replied. "We will try it out for a week and see how it goes at the same pay rate of course."

"Of course," Jane replied. "As long as I can still live in the barn loft for free."

"Yes, of course. I will box up the bear claws. Why not grab a muffin or two? There is also milk in the glass bottle over there. It comes in fresh every morning."

She went over, grabbed two muffins, ate one, drank some milk, then put the other muffin in a bag, and placed the bag in her backpack. The dwarf returned, handed her a box of bear claws, and gave her back the clipboard and quill with a new invoice paper on top.

"Your first delivery will be to the hideous witch who lives in the gingerbread house," Muffin Man said as he handed Jane a paper bag. "She is to receive this dough. Her invoice–"

Jane interrupted him, "I thought you still needed to make the dough."

"I do have a bit of magic," he told her. "I can bend time on inanimate objects so making things in the bakery takes no time at all."

"Oh..."

"As I was saying," he began again. "The old bitty is to receive this dough. Her invoice is the top invoice, and it also has directions to her house and then after that, return to the Beast's castle and deliver his bear claws."

"Yes, boss," Jane told him. "Do I need to hurry back?"

"No, those are the only deliveries for today. I will have our messenger pigeon find you if any delivery comes in later."

"Okay. I'm off then."

"One other thing before you go," Muffin Man stated as he handed her the club. "Take this weapon with you. It is yours now. Somehow it has been imbued with some sort of magic."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked him.

"See the markings on the club? They look like snake scales to me. Did something unusual happen to the club when you used it?"

"An enchantress turned it into a viper before I threw it at the goblin," she told him. "I don't think she intended to enchant it, but I think she intended to take me out with my own weapon."

"Whatever the enchantress' intentions were, the weapon is imbued and as its owner, you will need to name it."

"How do I do that?"

"Lift it over your head, think about the weapon, and call out the name that first comes to your mind," he told her.

Taking the club, Jane lifted it above her head, and then she thought about the club and what happened at the castle. The image of the viper with its mouth wide open repeated in her mind, so she declared, "Your name is Snake Bite."

The name of the club appeared in the scaled wood as if it had been engraved there.

Muffin Man warned her, "Be careful with the club until you have discovered by what it has been imbued with."

"I will, thanks."

She attached the club to her backpack with the leather strap at its end, then went outside, mounted her bike, and easily found the gingerbread house that was just outside of AaBack in the nearby woods. Jane went and knocked on the front door, and the old witch opened the door enough to stick her hand out, and Jane handed her the bag of dough.

"Did you see anything your ride over?" the old woman questioned her.

"No, not a thing," Jane told her as she gave her the clipboard and quill next.

She took them, signed the clipboard, and handed them back. "Wait there, I have something for you," the old witch told her, left, then returned, and gave Jane a coin.

"Thank you," Jane said. "Umm... I'm not familiar with this coin. What is it worth?"

The old witch glanced back at the coin and said, "The farthing? Takes four to make a penny."

"Oh... thank you," Jane told her. The tip was generous, considering the old witch paid a halfpenny for the dough. Jane started to walk toward her bike when she turned back and asked, "Isn't it a little scary living out here in the woods alone?"

"It is," the old witch told Jane. "Many things more terrifying than myself prowl about."

"You're not that terrifying," Jane told her. "You seem kind of sweet to me."

"Are you saying sweet enough to eat?"

"No, silly. I'm talking about sweet and considerate. Do you have any family?"

"I cannot speak to that."

"Oh, that's okay." Jane tried to think of something else to say and when she couldn't, Jane stated, "I guess I'll be off now."

"Wait, I want to show you something so that you can report it back to the Muffin Man."

Jane wasn't sure she wanted to go inside, but the old witch came out and led her to the back of the gingerbread house. Jane walked over to a scooter that had been rammed into the back of the house with its front wheel and handlebars, and she discovered that some sort of green gelatin covered the scooter.

"I incapacitated the weapon that attacked my home," the old witch boasted.

"Is that what this green gelatin is?"

The witch nodded.

"Was there a rider?"

"I did not see one only the ghastly weapon. Yeahmuns have to be responsible."

"Can you describe what a yeahmun is?" Jane inquired.

"I can. One came to AaBack a long time ago. Yeahmuns are hideous creatures who..." The old witch paused as if she fell asleep, then she appeared to wake, and she stated, "They are hideous creatures."

Jane questioned after the vague answer, "What do they look like and exactly what do they do?"

"Yeahmuns look like... Yeahmuns are hideous creatures and they like to..." The old witch paused again and drifted into what appeared to be sleep, but Jane thought maybe it was some sort of enchantment. The old witch pulled out again and repeated, "Yeahmuns are hideous creatures."

"You said that before. Do you know you keep repeating yourself?"

"I did? You must be mistaken. I went into great detail about yeahmuns and never repeated myself once," the old witch told her with a bit of irritation. "It is not my fault you did not pay attention."

Jane muttered to herself, "Maybe I'll ask the Muffin Man later." She then told the old witch, "I better get going. I have another delivery."

"Wait, there is something else," the old witch stated. "Yeahmuns are not always hideous to look at. They can disguise themselves and blend in with normal people."

"Normal people like you?" Jane inquired.

The old witch nodded.

"That tidbit of information could come in handy, thank you," Jane spoke as she started to head back to her bike. She got a sense she should help the old woman with something, but she wasn't sure what it was, and her excitement about returning to the Beast got the better of her. "Have a nice day," Jane yelled over her shoulder as she rushed back to her bike.

"Have a nice day?" the old witch repeated her words. "The deary actually bade me good-will. Could this mean something? I also do not remember her belittling me in the least. I believe this moment should go into my diary."
Chapter Four

A New Calling

After arriving at the front door of the castle, Jane grabbed the eagle head knocker and struck three times. The door opened, and she heard a male servant bid her to enter. She walked in and found the Beast waiting for her in the entry. Jane lost herself in his large blue eagle-like eyes and didn't say anything as she came in and stood before him. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn't help but get a sense of the princely boy from her dreams and the character from her drawings. She would have stood there forever, gazing at the Beast if the servant hadn't of cleared his throat.

"I have your bear claws," she told the Beast, after remembering her job. Jane walked to him and held out the box.

The Beast felt the intensity of her stare again, and it once more made him uncomfortable and drawn to her at the same time. His gaze moved to her lips which possessed the same aura as they did earlier that morning. He wondered if an additional hex had been placed upon him and would he be able to accept the conditions of this new addition. The beautiful image of the black tattoo swan came to his mind again, and he decided he could endure.

The Beast told her, "I actually do not have a sweet tooth. They are for another who has an insatiable craving for pastries."

"Oh... It's nice of you to order for him," Jane told him as she lowered her arms and held the box to herself.

"Nice has nothing to do with it," the Beast told her. "If I do not cater to his every whim, life in the few moments we share is intolerable. It is merely easier to order him pastries." He motioned to his left and stated, "My servant will take the bear claws."

The box of pastries was whisked from her hands, and Jane followed the box with her eyes as it floated away. It soon disappeared down the hall. She turned her attention back to the Beast as the fluttering of her heart quieted a bit. Lykos told her many were cursed in the realm, and she knew of the Beast's curse, so where was the Belle of his story? He didn't seem like the one to hide himself away in his castle, and he did mention a lady with rose-colored perception. The Beast had to be looking for the one to free him. Those thoughts filled her mind along with the reason why she was in the World of Grimm. She wondered what sort of purpose she could have here, then realized she had been staring again, and snapped out of her I can't believe he's standing right in front of me gaze.

"Could I have your signature?" Jane questioned as she held out the clipboard and quill and tried not to be all stalkerish with her eyes.

"You are in a demanding mood today," the Beast told her as he stepped closer to her. "What other things will you demand of me?" He took the clipboard, then signed with the quill, and handed them back as he questioned, "Will you also demand a very good tip?"

"Ah..." she started, not used to anyone flirting with her if that was what the Beast was doing. Jane replied, "Tip as you see fit."

He stepped forward again, took her empty hand, and clasped it in his furry one. The Beast held on to it for a good while as he gazed deeply into her brown eyes. Of all the creatures who could look upon him with no fear, it had to be her or at least this version on her, this ordinary version of her. He took his other hand, placed it on top of her hand he held, and then he gently slid his fingers over her palm, leaving a silver coin behind. She never once took her eyes off of him. Her gaze never wavered and didn't show the slightest hint of revulsion.

The Beast took a step back from her, and it troubled her that he was leaving her even if it was only the distance of a foot. Feelings welled up within her. She wanted so much, so much from him and so much for herself, and it was so overwhelming that she had to push the majority of her desires from her mind and focus on just a few of them. She wanted to help him in his predicament, not that there was anything wrong with his gorgeous form, but she could only help him if she was the Beauty of his story. The joy that filled her essence trickled out of her soul as she remembered the fairy tale. Beauty was a very attractive woman with a heart to match who could see past the prince's altered form and still love him. Beauty... Jane didn't see herself as an alluring creature, so how could she be the Belle of his story? He would have to look past her surface self and see her as she was within. Jane pulled herself from her thoughts. She was getting ahead of things. Maybe she was only there to help him find his Beauty. Maybe she was only meant to be a minor character in his tale.

"Thank you," Jane said as she pocketed the coin and never looked at it. "Umm..." The maze on the estate came to mind as she decided she needed to focus on other things, and Jane thought she would try to get some information if she could without giving away that she entered the maze only because a tiny yellow pinkie-rose opened the padlock for her. Jane began, "Do you have roses on your estate? I thought I smelled some earlier today."

"Roses..?" he uttered as his flirtatious demeanor changed to one of agitation, and then he added, "No, I detest roses so there are none on my estate or anywhere in the castle. You must have smelled some other flower."

"I must have," she stated, then thought she couldn't let go of the maze just yet, and said, "Maybe you can at some time take me on a stroll through your gardens. I bet with an estate this big you must have a hedge labyrinth or two."

"I am afraid I will have to disappoint you again. There are no labyrinths on the estate. I do have a grand butterfly garden I would like to show off to you at some time. There are over a dozen different species that visit the gardens."

Either the Beast was lying to her or... or she didn't know what else it could be. The mention of roses really upset him so maybe there was something to it. A rose was always very important to the character's fairy tale and now that she thought about it, didn't the old woman who came to her cottage offer her a rose to thank her for taking her in out of the storm?

He interrupted her thoughts when he questioned, "Why do you not join me for brunch? You must be hungry traveling all this way twice in such a short amount of time."

"I am starving, and I finished my deliveries for the morning, so I see no reason why I can't," she replied and then considered it would also give her more time to question him. Jane needed to find out if the Beast and the giant rose were the princely boy and girl sorceress from her dream.

The hustle and bustle of daily castle life went on around her, and Jane also saw evidence of servants at work as she walked through the hallways of the castle... of the estate... of the castle-estate. She saw feather dusters flapping about like wings, cloths sliding up and down banisters like slides, and trays full of an array of things hovering about like silver magic carpets flying at different heights. She wondered how the Beast managed to go about his daily life without running into one of his servants or how the servants knew where the other invisible servants were.

Clouds speckled the light blue sky, and a few sparrows flew overhead, greeting the late morning with their chirping as the Beast took her out to one of the balconies. The balcony overlooked a fountain of an eagle with its wings spread, shooting water out of its beak.

"This is the Butterfly Balcony," he told her. "And as promised, the garden is below."

She saw dozens of butterflies fluttering about hundreds of different flowers. After a few minutes, he took her down to a patio below the balcony. The two of them sat at a round table that could easily seat six people. Juices, breakfast breads, fruits, and cheeses were piled on large silver platters. A silver pot of tea and china cups and saucers were on the table. The table had another great view of the garden.

"Help yourself," the Beast told her, then he waited until she put a few things on her plate, and then he put cheese and bread on his.

An invisible servant poured them some black tea and held up a cup of sugar cubes to Jane.

"Three please," she told the servant, and three cubes, one by one, plopped into her tea. Jane cut into some cantaloupe, took a few bites, and then said, "This is very good."

The Beast watched her and as they neared the end of the meal, he commented, "You have been kind of rude to me."

Jane looked up wide-eyed, then wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin, and asked, "How's that?"

"I asked you your name, but you never asked me mine."

"I didn't? I'm sorry. I assumed your name was the Beast. I have been very rude."

He looked hurt at the mention of the title as if the name was fouler than one of the three pigs wallowing in slop.

She saw how it affected him, and she apologized again, "I'm sorry. It was the name on the delivery sheet, but I guess to you it might only be a cruel reminder of..." Jane stopped herself and then apologized for the third time, "I'm sorry. I did it again. I don't know when to shut up. I can get–"

"You are right."

"Huh?" she uttered.

"You are right about me," he told her as he stood and walked over to the edge of the patio. He gazed at the garden and said, "Of all the curses that could have befallen me, this one that transformed my handsome appearance into this... this–" he spoke as he turned and faced her, motioned to himself, and continued, "–grotesque form is second only to one other."

Jane placed her napkin back on her lap, and then she said, "I don't know what to say. I know how it feels to have people see you but not really see the real you, though, I don't know if mine comes anywhere near the level of yours. I can say I understand how it feels not to be able to talk to anyone about it. I can say I understand how it is to be surrounded by people but still feel absolutely alone."

"Can you really understand what I am going through?" the Beast questioned her as he walked over to the table and stood beside her. "Can you understand how much this form disgusts me? How I wish more than anything to be rid of it and have my old body back?"

The Beast peered at her but this time, he wasn't drawn to her lips but drawn to a question. He considered that she may have a curse similar to his. Was Jane his Beauty in an unremarkable-guise?

A multitude of answers came to her thoughts that she could tell him, but only one of them was true to her heart, so she spoke it, "I don't see you as grotesque."

She peered at him with those adoring eyes of hers again, and the Beast shrunk back from the affection they proclaimed unsure if what he beheld was real, and he was also unsure how to respond to something so sincere. The affection that made him shrink back also compelled him to seize the uncorrupted adoration he felt from her and never let go. The conflicting emotions raging within him only stoked the fires of determination within his heart that no one would ever deceive him again. He wouldn't be enchanted by her; he would put his own spell upon her.

The Beast knelt beside her as he started his performance, and then he graciously stretched out his arm and took her hand in his as he questioned her, "How do you see me?"

Jane peered down at him as her heart fluttered in her chest like a butterfly desperate to break free. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but was it true? Did her heart only listen to her imagination or did she truly love him? What did she know about him? He may be the princely boy from her dream but even when she considered the boy, she realized that she knew very little about him. Jane couldn't lie to the Beast, so she had to come up with something to tell him.

"I'll say that I don't see you as hideous or something to be afraid of, but how I do see you, I'll keep to myself a little longer," she stated and then added, "I'm bashful by nature."

His performance depended on an answer from her, not a delay for another day. He held in his annoyance, released her hand, and went back to his seat. His charm didn't work on her this time. The female elf he couldn't quite figure out won the hour but not the war. He would have to rethink his approach if he couldn't put his own spell upon her. Maybe he didn't have to win her over, maybe he only had to drive her away. The Beast couldn't allow himself to be taken in by someone like Jane. Should he ruin his reputation for being charming? No, he knew of something better; he knew of someone better suited for the job. The Beast would make sure to snuff out the care she had for him if that was what he saw and not be entrapped by this peculiar female elf. He only needed a way to set up the trap, so he waited. He reconsidered the swan tattoo and the possibility that she may be an extraordinary person. If she really was the one to set him free, the one he had in mind would see through the shroud that cursed her, and he would have his answer.

Jane finished her breakfast as she thought about how his curse deeply plagued the Beast. It hurt her to see that he couldn't see his own handsomeness. After some time went by and they were both drinking tea, Jane questioned him, "If you're upset about your curse, why don't you get someone to help you end it? You know like a Hex Breaker or someone like that."

"What do you mean? Why would someone help me?" he asked.

Jane thought about it, and then she answered, "Umm, I don't know... Because they want to be helpful, they're your friend, or maybe for money."

"A friend..." the word seemed to slither from his mouth. The Beast diverted his gaze to his teacup as he stated with animosity, "I had a friend once... actually two... and both of those relationships ended poorly." He considered his past a little longer, then decided he needed to focus on the present, lifted his eyes, and told her, "I can understand someone doing it for money or favors from powerful people." He paused, and then he asked, "Is that what you are offering? Are you offering your services as a Hex Breaker?"

"Me..?" she uttered, then pointed to herself, and uttered again, "Me? I don't know... I probably do know every fairy tale that's ever been written. I might be able to figure out how to break the curses but then again, what if the stories are different? Like with your story, where are the roses?"

"I am not sure I understand what you are saying when you talk of fairy tales and stories, but I am willing to hire you."

"Really?" Jane spoke, thought it over some more, and then said, "You do understand I have no experience? Are you sure you want to hire me?"

"Yes, on one condition," the Beast interrupted. "I want you to complete a test for me."

"What kind of test?"

"I want you to return tonight once it is dark and at that time, I want you to talk with me. I want you to figure out my real name."

She asked, "Why do you want me to wait until tonight?"

"You will understand once you have returned," he answered her. "If you can claim my real name from my own tongue, I will hire you... that is of course if, after tonight, you still want to work for me."

Jane had been contemplating how to help her friends or at least the two people she believed were her friends. If she became a Hex Breaker, her title would allow her to ask unusual and difficult questions without drumming up suspicion as to why she was doing it. If it ended up the giant rose and the Beast weren't the girl sorceress and the princely boy, then she would be the only one disappointed. She would keep her beliefs to herself until she was a hundred percent sure but even if they were the two children, would they remember her? Should she also figure out why they ran away from young Jane in fear before she told them? So many things to figure out, but she did have an answer for the Beast.

"Okay, I'll do it," Jane told him. "Starting today I'm an amateur Hex Breaker along with an independent delivery girl. I'll take you on as my first client, and I'll come back tonight to take your test." She paused and then questioned, "What would a job like this pay?"

"What would you want?" he asked.

She had no real idea of what money was worth in the land, so Jane went by what the Muffin Man was paying and questioned, "What about four pennies for expenses for each full day I work and two if I only put in half a day? And once I break the curse, you can give me some sort of bonus. Does that sound fair?"

"I believe that is fair as long as you pass the test and still wish to work for me."

"It's a deal then. I'll see you tonight," Jane said as she stood, started to leave, then paused, thinking of the girl sorceress, and asked, "Could I trouble one of your servants for something?"

"Yes, go ahead and ask," the Beast replied.

She questioned, "Is there any way I could get some tea to go?"

"To go where?" an invisible servant asked.

"To go with me of course, silly," Jane said as she chuckled.

The servant told her, "I believe I can put some in a glass jar."

"That would work, thank you."

Jane waited and a few minutes later, a glass jar with a metal lid floated out to her, she took it, placed it in her backpack, and stated, "I'm off then, and I'll be back tonight."

"One moment," the Beast spoke as he clapped his hands, and a chest floated into the area. He told her, "These belong to you."

She looked at the chest and didn't recognize it, so she asked, "What does?"

"These are the armor and weapons of the goblin that you slew in the robbery attempt last night. They may be of some use to you or you can sell them. My servants rigorously cleaned all the items."

The chest landed on the floor, and Jane went over, opened it, and looked into the chest. She removed the goblin's sword and sheath, and then she questioned, "Are you sure this is okay to take?"

An invisible servant told her, "Yes, it is the law of the land. Once a foe has been utterly defeated, what belongs to them belongs to the victor."

Jane drew the short sword and examined the three-foot long double-edged blade. The steel had a blue tinge to the metal and something was written on it. Jane examined the goblin engraved name PapyrKut, and then she chuckled.

The Beast told her, "I believe the sword is magical, but you will not be able to unlock its potential until you can read its goblin name."

"It's like my club then," Jane said, and then she blurted, "I believe the name of the sword is paper cut."

"You can read the goblin language?" he uttered and then said, "I am shocked that you admitted to knowing one of the wicked languages?"

"Goblin language?" Jane exclaimed as she pointed to the blade. "It's written right here in English."

He examined the script she pointed to, and then he said, "I am not sure what English is but that is written in the goblin language."

"What do you mean you don't know what English is? We're speaking it right now."

"Jane, we are speaking my tongue. We are speaking Elvish. In my kingdom, Elvish is the common language," he said.

"I always thought it would be nifty to learn Elvish, but I never had the time, and I always wanted to learn Klingonese too, so I don't know which of the two I would pick." Jane paused, and then she said, "As for knowing one of the wicked languages, maybe knowing other languages is part of my curse."

"No curse comes with gifts," the Beast explained to her. "You should know that and since you spoke about it, I doubt it is part of some sort of curse."

Jane examined PapyrKut's sheath which was made from a dark brown skin with scales which were much much larger than a snake's scale. She told the weapon, "For a goblin sword, you're very lovely." The blade twinkled with her comment as if it was pleased, then she smoothed her hand over the blade and said to the Beast, "I'll just take the sword and sheath for now. I won't be able to carry the rest of the stuff on my bike."

"I will have the rest of it delivered, and I will give you the chest as a gift."

"Thanks," she said as she sheathed PapyrKut. "I'll be on my way. Thank you for brunch, and I'll see you tonight."

The servant who waited on them waited until she left, and then he questioned the Beast, "Are you sure it was wise to invite the female elf back here tonight. What about the master?"

"I did say it was a test," the Beast replied as if his statement was answer enough. "A test cannot be easy. It has to be difficult and trying if it is to be a true test."

* * *

Rushing through the maze without the help of a fairy guide to show her the way, Jane followed the hedge walls, remembering every turn as if she had done it a hundred times before. Saah'Mee serenaded through her heart as Jane hummed the tune, and she hurried to meet her friend again. She somehow stumbled into helping the Beast, the princely boy, now she needed to convince the giant rose, the girl sorceress, to allow her to try and break her hex also. She had no idea where to start with a plant enchantment. The Beast's curse could be connected with a kiss or maybe a rose. Jane considered maybe the giant red rose was somehow linked to the Beast, and maybe their curses had something in common. She found the hidden garden where the giant rose resided, and her thoughts went to the item she carried thoughtfully in her backpack.

"Erosa... Erosa... I've come back like I promised, and I brought you something!"

"You do not need to yell. I can hear you," Erosa told her with a hint of welcome hidden under her irritated tone. She perceived Jane entered the maze the moment she crossed the boundary line where the gate stood, and a sense of joy filled her. Erosa wondered why she didn't perceive this peculiar female elf before when she entered the maze the first time. Could it be she had been so obsessed with her own death that she ignored her ability to rule and govern the Hedge Labyrinth?

The female elf rushed through the entrance into the dead garden with a big smile on her face, and it brightened the gloom and misery of the dead garden. Erosa's own heart smiled back; it had been so long since she felt like smiling, but she kept all of this to herself.

"What did you bring me?" Erosa inquired, trying not to sound too excited or overly curious to see what it was.

"I brought tea," Jane replied as she removed her backpack. She unzipped it and pulled out the glass jar filled with the brown liquid as she said, "It's black, and it's unsweetened. I'm not sure if you even want it or not, but I thought if you would like to try to see if you can drink it, it might be something nice to have besides the rainwater. You might even consider it a treat."

The thought of tea filled Erosa's mind with jubilant delight, but she wasn't about to let this female elf know just how much she was looking forward to tasting the brewed water again. Erosa decided she would toy with Jane a bit first and questioned, "How do you propose that I drink this murky water? Are you to pour it on the ground? You did call it a treat. Do you think me a pet? Do you expect me to lap it up from the ground like some dog?"

"I'm sorry," Jane replied as her demeanor saddened. She didn't think her gift through, she only thought her friend would enjoy it. She admitted, "I hadn't thought that far ahead. Do you want it? If you don't, I can take it back with me to the barn loft and have it later."

"I did not say that I did not want it," Erosa quickly replied, fearing she might lose her special treat. "I merely asked how you suggest that I partake of it and not look like some lowly animal doing so."

Jane asked her, "Are you able to grab things? You can drink right from the glass jar if you're able to grab hold of it. If that's not possible, I'll try to think of something else."

"I believe I can grasp the jar," Erosa replied and couldn't help but toy with her again as she asked, "Now tell me how should I drink it. Will I simply pour it on my roots and cause myself to lap it up like a mongrel?"

"No, silly," Jane answered. "Use your mouth. You can, can't you?"

Her suggestion flustered Erosa, and she snapped, "You can see my face? You never said you could see my face!"

"What does it matter if I can see your face?" Jane questioned her.

"It matters because–" Erosa started, and then she decided that she needed to keep that detail a secret, so she stated, "It matters because you know that I am more than a plant."

"I know who you are," Jane replied. "I have known the moment I saw your lovely face again."

Erosa wondered what she meant by again as she said, "I would thank you for the compliment, but my mother once told me to speak the truth always."

She thought now would be a good time to leave a hint of who she was, so Jane said, "I told someone once we should always speak the truth, but sometimes it shouldn't be uttered." Jane waited, hoping to see some sort of recognition within the giant rose's face or to hear her say something that would tell her that maybe the giant rose did recognize her. Neither came, and Jane felt a smidgen of defeat.

"I am not sure what you are trying to say to me, but I will uphold what my mother taught me," Erosa spoke. "Now let us return to the matter of my tea."

"Of course," Jane told her. "We were talking about you drinking the tea with your mouth and since we are talking about always speaking the truth, I think now is also a good time to bring up something. It sounds like you're trying to pick a fight with me. I thought we were starting to become good friends, but you seem to only want to argue."

"You caught on to my game very quickly," Erosa said. "I guess I will have to find another game to play."

"After we have tea," Jane insisted.

"Are you going to partake tea with me?" Erosa questioned, noticing she was a little excited at the notion herself.

"I forgot to bring myself a cup," Jane said as she turned to the exit. "I could run back and ask for one, but I believe the servants or the Beast might ask too many questions, and I haven't exactly told them I've been in here."

"Are you lying to the Beast?"

"No, not really. I just didn't tell him. I guess that does mean I've been sort of lying to him. Now I feel terrible. I should tell him I've been in here and that I've met you."

Erosa told her, "If you do that, he will become upset."

"I guess I'll have to figure out a way to tell him so he won't be upset, and I just thought of something. I'll be right back." Jane rushed out and shortly returned with her bike's water bottle. "I can put a little tea in here and sit down and have tea with you or stand if you're not able to sit."

"Why would I want to have tea with you?" Erosa questioned her.

"Because any food or beverage is better with friends sharing, and I thought you decided to play a different game with me than the one where you try to pick a fight."

"I did say I would figure out a different game, but I have to say you do throw out that word friends a lot. I know that I never said we were friends."

"You're right. I consider you a friend, but friendship only works when both people have the same feelings," Jane said with a bit of glumness to her tone, but it was soon replaced with optimism as she spoke, "I'll restate my answer then. Food or beverage is better when you share it with friends or people you just met."

"I can accept that we are acquaintances," Erosa told her. "Now please serve me my tea."

Jane poured a little into her empty water bottle, then went over, and set the glass jar close enough for Erosa to grab it, but she didn't get too close. Jane stepped back when she was done, and Erosa picked up the jar with one of her thorny tentacle-vines. It was almost like the vine was a single finger wrapped around the glass. Erosa lifted the jar to her mouth within the red petals and took of the brown liquid, and it was as good as she remembered.

The two of them sipped on their tea as Jane remained standing. Erosa closed her eyes and remembered tea parties gone by, but the memories were bitter-sweet, so she didn't linger on them very long.

Jane waited until the giant rose finished half her jar, and then she spoke, "I did want to tell you that I have a second job that might interest you."

"Why would such a thing interest me?" Erosa questioned her.

"I'm a Hex Breaker," Jane stated. "I might have my first client, but first I have to pass the Beast's test tonight."

"If it is tonight, it will be an interesting test then," Erosa told her.

"If you're ever in need of a Hex Breaker, I can offer you my services," Jane said.

"Ask me again once you have completed the Beast's test."

"Okay. I've actually already started on his case, so I was wondering if you might answer a few questions for me."

"I might," Erosa told her, and then she noticed the distance the female elf kept between the two of them. Somehow the female elf must know or subconsciously know how dangerous it was to be near her. It must be fear she sensed from her now. Erosa continued, "But first I have a question of my own. Why do you not come a little closer? Are you afraid that I will hurt you?"

"No, I was afraid of stepping on your feet or I mean your roots," Jane replied as she peered at the ground around the giant rose. "I'm not sure how far out they go and how close to the ground they are." Jane lifted her gaze and questioned, "Is it okay for me to come closer?"

What Erosa had seen earlier wasn't fear but concern. Erosa wasn't sure that she liked the concern this female elf seemed to have for her and yet in a way, it was also somewhat comforting.

"My roots are well in the ground, so it is fine for you to come closer," Erosa told her and then urged her, "Come and stand before me while we talk."

"Thank you," Jane said. "I did feel a little awkward standing so far back." Jane moved forward and stood before the giant rose, and then she said, "The questions I have for you are concerning the Beast. I haven't been hired yet, but I'd like to go ahead and start the investigation. I know that his curse most likely concerns his appearance and that it might have something to do with something he did in his past if it's anything like the other fairy tales." She paused and then continued, "I believe he has to be kissed by one who loves him and that maybe a rose is also involved. Since you are a rose, I was wondering if your curse has anything to do with his curse."

The delight Erosa had over the tea evaporated as a sense of outrage rushed over her. She couldn't believe what she heard. The female elf spoke a lot of nonsense and things that Erosa didn't understand, but the female elf had already figured out how to break the Beast's curse, and she had only been there a day. It infuriated Erosa to think that the Beast's curse may be lifted while she was stuck in this horrendous dead garden with only this irritating female elf as company. She wasn't about to let this would-be Hex Breaker take away the only gratification she had left in this world. The only satisfaction she had was in knowing that the Beast was equally cursed as she. Erosa may be a prisoner of the dead garden, but he was a prisoner of his own vanity. She would make sure the female elf didn't break his curse, and she needed to act quickly while the female elf was distracted by her investigation.

When Erosa was hexed, she wasn't completely helpless to the world around her. Her curse came with a few things she could defend herself with. Twelve thorny vines covered in green leaves sprung out of her stem in curls, and she could move them about like tentacles. The thorns on the twelve tentacle-vines were two inches long and could slice and pierce like daggers. A thirteenth vine she kept hidden, wrapped around her large stem was thornless except for one large thorn at the vine's tip. The thorn was huge, a foot long but narrow, and it was very poisonous like a stinger of a deadly scorpion. The poison contained in the stinger thorn melted her victims from the inside out in a slow agonizing death. While the female elf talked to her, Erosa snaked the noxious vined down from her large stem and toward the ground, intending to eliminate the female elf and her ability to break the Beast's curse. Erosa thought the female elf would also provide fertilizer for herself and the lifeless garden.

"I cannot tell you if our curses are related," Erosa replied to her question.

"You're unable to tell me like in the case that the curse prevents you or you're unwilling to tell me?" Jane questioned.

"You will have to figure that out for yourself," Erosa told her as the huge stinger thorn reached the ground and started to slither toward the female elf like a viper on the hunt.

Jane realized she wouldn't get anywhere if she didn't convince the giant rose to help her. Jane thought about detective shows she'd watched and decided she needed something to give her in return for her help, so she asked, "What's the price?"

"What do you mean?" Erosa inquired as the serpent vine gradually slithered through the dead grass toward the female elf's exposed legs. Erosa had the vine approach it slowly so that the stinger thorn wasn't detected, and it could strike with no warning. Erosa questioned, "What is the price of what?"

"What must I give you in return for helping me?" Jane answered. "I could offer you my services for free in exchange for your help."

The stinger throne paused as Erosa thought of a world where she was rid of her curse. She would be whole again and free to do as she willed. She could walk... no run about on her legs and have use of her arms and hands. Her dark black hair would flow down her shoulders, and she could eat. She could consume all the delightful foods and drinks she enjoyed and most of all, she could have someone embrace her again in his loving arms. Erosa fell deep into her wishful thinking, but then she realized the female elf trapped her and used her own desires against her as if she weaved some sort of spell. Erosa couldn't let the claims of this female elf sway her from her murderous intent, and so the serpent vine continued on its deadly trek.

"I decline your offer," Erosa told her.

"Oh..." Jane replied, and then she said, "I guess if you don't want to help him, I can't make you." Jane thought about the way she had gone about questioning her friend, realized how it sounded, and then she said, "I'm sorry. I intended to offer my services for free anyway. I shouldn't have used the offer to pry information from you. Please forgive me."

The way the female elf spoke and her bizarre actions baffled Erosa. The apology seemed genuine and the offer to help her with her enchantment also seemed genuine, but Erosa had been fooled before by someone who confessed his love and his undying devotion to her. Sentiment couldn't be trusted, so anyone professing to care couldn't be trusted. The only things that could be relied upon were actions and words brought on by lust, greed, and the desire for power. Erosa saw none of those attributes in the female elf, so she had to be hiding something from her, something sinister or dangerous. She felt more certain of her decision to take the life of this pretender as the serpent vine edged closer. Erosa would be isolated again in her barren garden, but she could handle loneliness as long as the Beast suffered alongside her in his castle.

"I did not take offense in your offer so there is nothing to forgive," Erosa told her as the serpent vine reached its destination, and she prepared to strike. "I can understand wanting something for something," she said as the stinger thorn rose up behind the female elf like a deadly cobra and pulled its long and slender dagger-like head back.

Jane couldn't let herself off the hook that easily, and she stepped to the side away from Erosa and out of the stinger thorn's striking zone as she stated, "It was still wrong of me to do so. I would still like to offer my services as a Hex Breaker to you for free. You're like one of the first true friends that I ever made." She realized how it sounded, so she restated, "I mean to say you're like one of the first friends I've made since I arrived here."

"You consider us friends," Erosa uttered as if repeating a joke.

"Yes, silly, but maybe in your eyes we're not there yet," Jane replied as she moved back over to Erosa.

"I do not care what you claim. I am unwilling to help the Beast," Erosa said, knowing the female elf would take back her offer to help once she knew that fact. "He does not deserve redemption and therefore, he does not deserve to be released from his curse."

Hearing the anger and the passion of one who had been betrayed in her voice, Jane knew there was so much more to the giant rose and the Beast than she could possibly understand. She took the opportunity to find out a little about her, so Jane stated, "You sound like you know him very well." She started her investigation into Erosa's enchantment without her consent and asked, "Is he the reason why you are in this dead garden?"

Erosa made a face as if she wanted to scream something at her, but her mouth within the red petals seemed to be prevented from opening and stopped her from uttering her vexation.

"Finding out the truth may be easier than I thought," Jane told her. "All I have to do is pick my questions carefully, have someone who's willing to speak with me about the subject, and then all I have to do is pay attention." She clapped twice in victory, and then Jane spoke, "I'm right about the Beast somehow being connected to your curse, but what is your connection to him?" She thought about her recurring dream and said, "I think I know your connection to him, but why would you be transformed into a beautiful rose, and why would he be transformed into a gorgeous and handsome beast?"

The stinger thorn lowered itself back to the ground before it was spotted, and the serpent vine started to snake its way up behind the female elf's new position as Erosa listened to her ramblings. She was surprised to hear the female elf call her beautiful and the princely oaf gorgeous and handsome. Was the female elf cursed with rose-colored perception? No matter the answer... The toxin her stinger thorn would inflict upon the foolhardy female elf would melt away any desires she had of helping anyone. Erosa may even hear her swear at her and finally hear how this peculiar creature really considered her.

Jane put a hand to her chin as she thought out loud, "So much must have happened over the years, and I'll need to find out what did happen or I won't be able to help either of you." She turned to the giant rose and asked, "Can you give me some background on yourself?" Jane thought of her recurring dream again and asked a question she believed she already knew the answer to, "Did you work for the Beast at one time? Did you worked for him as some sort of magic wielder?"

"How do you know I worked for the Beast and that I am one who can cast magic?" Erosa questioned, and then she demanded as the serpent vine paused in its hunt, "Who have you been talking to?"

Jane spoke of herself as she said, "The person who told me about you knew you only for a short time, and it was a very long time ago. My connection actually knows very little about you and the Beast, so what they know is of little help."

"Your answer is not an answer," Erosa stated.

"Sorry about that. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't right now," Jane said as she sighed, getting nowhere in her investigation and feeling a little guilty for not being completely honest. "If you won't help me with the Beast, could you maybe help me? Can you tell me about the test the Beast wants me to complete? If I understood it, I might–"

The serpent vine reached its destination behind Jane once more, and it rose up behind her again like a cobra ready to strike. The poison that the stinger thorn secreted dripped from its tip, landed on the ground in little droplets, and melted patches of the dirt. Erosa aimed for the back of her neck and decided on the spot to strike; it was just below her ponytail near the base of her skull. She prepared to strike, thinking about how much agony the female elf would go through before death, then a split-second before Erosa struck, a puff of smoke consumed the female elf. A duckling emerged once the smoke dissipated, and it flapped its tiny wings and squawked as if startled by a vicious dog. The duckling started to look all around for danger, and Erosa dropped the serpent vine back into the dead grass before it was spotted. The duckling continued to search for danger but didn't see any. The duckling calmed down a bit, and the stinger thorn rose up slightly in her blind spot and prepared to strike again. The duckling was so tiny, Erosa had difficulty targeting her. A small puff of smoke consumed the little duckling, and then the smoke exploded out until it was the size of a person and once it dissipated, the female elf stood there stunned.

"It happened again," Jane uttered. "I'm still not quite sure what triggers it." Her face flushed red, realizing the giant rose saw her change, and she stated, "Sorry about that. I seem to turn into a...." She didn't utter duck, knowing her hex would prevent her from talking about it. "Sorry again. I forget I can't explain my curse. It looks like I need to hire myself."

Erosa let out a loud laugh as she spoke, "You who is cursed is trying to free others of what afflicts them!"

"Maybe," Jane replied after the ridicule. "But who better than one who knows what it feels like to be cursed."

"Fair enough," Erosa stated as she stopped laughing, and then she asked, "Where were we?"

Erosa needed to keep the female elf talking while she thought about the events that led up to the female elf escaping her murder attempt. The enchantment seemed simple enough, and Erosa had hexed a few with this particular curse. The female elf must turn into a duckling whenever the enchantment senses danger or maybe just the intent of harm. Erosa thought she would test this theory by trying to kill Jane a second time, but she needed to do so without such murderous intentions. She slithered her serpent vine towards the female elf again as they continued their conversation.

"We were talking about many things," Jane answered. "We were talking about the Beast's curse and about me helping you with your own curse."

"Yes, we were," Erosa stated.

The serpent vine rose up behind the female elf just as it did the two times before. Erosa carefully moved the stinger thorn towards the base of her skull, and she was within striking distance again, but then she paused. Erosa knew she wouldn't be successful; she couldn't eliminate her deadly intentions from her mind. If the female elf turned into a duckling again, she may realize what Erosa was up to and never return to the maze. Erosa would lose her chance to destroy the one who might free the Beast, and she would be alone again. Erosa's last thought shocked her. The thought was the opposite of her wishes. If the female elf discovered what she was up to or Erosa was successful either way, she would end up alone. She also realized she had come to enjoy the time she spent with the foolhardy female elf and if Erosa was to be honest with herself, she actually hoped she would return after their first encounter. The dead garden was a miserable prison. Erosa decided she couldn't go through with her murder plot until she could eliminate the murderous thoughts from her mind, so she lowered the serpent vine. The giant rose would wait until she could set those bloodthirsty thoughts aside and those thoughts of hope the female elf stirred within her.

Erosa replied, "I have given you my answer as to helping the Beast, but as for my own predicament, let me say this. If you can pass his test tonight, come and speak to me again. I will tell you at that time if I wish for your services as a Hex Breaker. More likely than not, you will fail the test."

"Way to boost my confidence," Jane told her.

"We are acquaintances," Erosa said. "I only spoke the truth to you."

"I do hope to upgrade our relationship to pals soon," Jane replied, and then she said, "I'm off to AaBack. I need to check in with my boss and get a little rest before tonight. I have a feeling I'll need it."
Chapter Five

Mirror... Mirror...

The Muffin Man told her there were no deliveries for the evening, so Jane when out back to the barn and went up in its loft. The place was dirty and dusty, so she spent most of her time cleaning it. She removed most of the old hay and by the time she finished dusting and sweeping, it was nearly time to head out. She noticed the chest the Beast gave her with the goblin armor inside had been delivered and brought up to the loft, so Jane went over to her backpack and removed the short sword and club she stowed inside the bag. Snake Bite wouldn't stay hooked on the outside of her backpack, so she thought it better to put it inside. Jane noticed something strange about her backpack as she removed the weapons; it should be overstuffed with all the things in it and weigh much more than it did. Actually, she believed it had gotten lighter since she arrived in the World of Grimm. Jane thought about one of her favorite shows Doctor Who and the main character's time machine.

She decided to test her theory on her backpack, went over to the back wall, picked up the slightly heavy chest, walked it back, and tried to place it inside her backpack. Normally, the chest would be too big to even go in, but as it touched the outside of her backpack's rim, it seemed to shrink. The entire chest went in, then Jane picked up her backpack, and it was as light as before. Jane removed the chest, opened it, and placed the club inside along with a few other things from her backpack, but she did hold onto the short sword. She put the chest back in her backpack, fixed the short sword to her back, strapped her backpack on over top of it, went down to her bike, and headed out for the Beast's castle.

The moon started its ascent as Jane reached the estate's main gate, and the last rays of sunlight stretched across the sky. The cool air blew across her as she braked and dismounted. She walked up to the front door which was lit up by two torches. Jane reached for the knocker and noticed it was different than before. The knocker was no longer of an eagle's head but a lion's head. Jane decided to make a mental note of this. It might be important to the test or maybe in figuring out how to break the Beast's curse. She rapped the metal knocker on the door, and soon it opened as if on its own. She thanked whoever opened the door, stepped into the entry, and then told them the Beast requested her presence. A matchbox lifted into the air, a match removed itself, struck its head across the box's strip, and a small flame came to life. The match moved over to a small table where it lit three candles on a candlestick. The candlestick lifted, and then Jane heard the voice of the head maid who had bandaged her arm, and she still sounded nervous.

"Come this way, but do remember, I warned you earlier," the head maid told her.

Still confused about her meaning, Jane followed the candlestick through several halls back to the study with the single bookshelf and two chairs, one on each side of the fireplace and there was also a desk with another chair and a couch Jane hadn't noticed the last time she was there. The Beast wasn't sitting in the chair beside the fireplace like he was before but lounging on a couch along the wall reading a different book. The book he read was entitled, Coping With The Monster Within. He stared at the text with a distant sad look on his Leo-like face. His appearance was different. The feathers she noticed during the day were gone, his mane and fur were longer, and his eyes were green and more feline than bird. His appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed. The medallion he wore around his neck had a lion on it with a moon in its mouth. She stared at him a little longer, getting a sense she was seeing the princely boy again. The fondness she had for the princely boy came back to her and made her determined to pass the test.

She cleared her throat and said, "I'm back like you asked. How is this test supposed to start?"

The Beast was so engrossed in his reading he didn't hear the woman enter, not that she was sneaking in. With his keen sense of hearing, he should have heard her when she first entered his castle. He sat up and turned, so he could peer at her and didn't respond to her questions as he spoke, "You have returned. You should have listened to what I told you."

"I believe I listened very carefully. You told me to come back tonight. Was I supposed to come back at a different time or has the test already started?" she asked and when he didn't answer, she said, "You didn't say this test would be easy." Jane paused to see if he would respond and when he didn't, she decided the test had started, and she needed to figure out his name so to break the ice, she asked, "How are things going?"

The Beast remained silent.

Jane stated with concern, "You're very quiet. Is everything okay?" Jane moved closer as she thought about what happened the night before, then glanced around, and whispered, "You're not being held hostage again, are you?"

He watched her as she went on and never moved his gaze from her, and then he stated, "I do not perceive what he sees in you. I do know your secret, so it has clouded my judgment. You should have heeded my warning and taken the opportunity to flee." The Beast took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of the woman and smelled something familiar on her. "You have been in the Hedge Labyrinth."

"I have," she admitted. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that and get–"

He interrupted, "You would be wise to never tell him of this. His fury will not be withheld from you. You would also be wise to never return to the Hedge Labyrinth."

For the first time, Jane felt uncomfortable under the Beast's stare, and she wasn't sure what she should say to him at that point. Before, he had looked at her with eyes that seemed surprised by her gaze, but they also had an allure about them. The Beast before her had no allure about him, and he never looked away from her with his piercing eyes as if he needed to remain on his guard. Maybe the test hadn't started. Maybe there was some sort of danger he couldn't tell her.

"I can't tell by your expression," she whispered. "Is someone here?" Jane cautiously glanced around as she asked, "Maybe someone who might have an arrow pointed at you or me?"

The Beast was amused by the woman's thoughts, and he stood and took a few steps toward her as he said, "You are persistent. Maybe that is what he likes about you. I am not sure, he did send you to me. Maybe he does not like you at all." He walked around her as if inspecting a filly he was considering he might purchase. "Do you know he never even told me you were coming? The head maid was all hush-hush around me, and she only becomes that way when she is threatened. I should have been wary of her secretiveness."

"He said?" Jane stated. "I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about the master of the castle who roams the night that the head maid told me about this morning?"

The Beast ignored her question as he spoke, "I cannot tell. Is he excited you are here and that you might be her?" He grabbed her chin and examined her face, and his touch wasn't gentle as it had been. "Knowing him, he does not think that you are the Beauty to his Beast." His touch wasn't rough either but firm and unrelenting as he stated, "I still cannot tell. Does he wish for your death or does he merely want to toy with you? You spoke of a test... What is it?"

"Please let go of me," she demanded in a soft-spoken voice.

When he first touched her, Jane blushed, but it wasn't from his affectionate attention, no, it was created by a rising fear sounding a warning within her. The Beast was completely different than he was before.

"Tell me about the test," he insisted.

She stated, "You should know the test. You gave it to me."

"All I want you to do is simply tell me what I told you," the Beast demanded.

"I'm to discover your name."

"What were my exact words?" the Beast questioned.

"Is a forgetful spell on you?" she asked, and then she answered, "You said, 'I want you to return tonight once it is dark and at that time, I want you to talk with me. I want you to figure out my real name.' " She paused and then asked, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"You do know that he sees you as nothing special. If he only knew the secret that I do, then he would know you are more than special. He would know what you are and run screaming to the village below and tell everyone. You should have heeded my warning. It might not be too late to do so."

"What secret are you talking about?" Jane asked.

He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "The one you revealed to me after you saved me." The Beast straightened and told her, "Wait until he finds out. If you think I am cruel, wait until he finds out your secret. You will see a side of me I have always tried to keep hidden."

"What secret?" she demanded, and then she asked, "Who's this he you keep referring to? Is he the master who roams the night? I don't understand your test at all." Frustrated and a little frightened, she snapped, "What do you want me to do?"

"I do not want you to do anything. I wanted you to leave. I wanted to show you my gratitude for saving me by allowing you to leave. I cannot help it if you did not heed my warning."

Jane pointed a finger at him and declared, "You are the master who roams the night!"

"It would seem you can see some things, but what is important to you eludes your reasoning."

She thought she already had the answer to the test and questioned, "Is your name the master who roams the night or the master?"

"It is not; it is merely what he calls me."

"The master who monopolizes the light," she thought out loud.

"Are you catching on to something right underneath my nose?" the Beast inquired of her a bit impressed, and then he stated, "I am curious... You mention passing a test. What is your reward if you pass it?"

"You should know. You will hire me to break your curse."

"You want to relieve me of my hex?" The Beast's voice rose over her agitated one as he demanded, "What fairness do you possess? What radiant presence do you emit? What is it about you that makes him think you are the one? What makes him think that you are the one to break this wretched curse?"

"Why are you so angry?" she questioned him.

"I am angry because you are not her! You are not even close to being her and yet you dare declare your intentions of taking this wicked enchantment from me! How dare you boast of your beauty! How dare you declare that there is some sort of connection or love between us! You are far from being the one! You are closer to being a murderous monster than the one I will cherish forever!"

The fluttering his presence induced in her heart became a roaring animal bent on shredding the muscle to pieces. Jane felt like he ripped her insides out and trampled them underfoot. The test wasn't anything like she envisioned; she wasn't even sure if it was a test anymore or only a way to lure her back, so he could belittle her and trounce the affection she thought she kept hidden from him. She began to doubt he was the princely boy. The Beast who lived in her fairy tale fantasy was only a figment of her imagination. Jane wanted to weep for what she lost but knew she couldn't, so she shouted back at him.

"You misunderstood what I said, but why am I telling you this? You should already know you hired me as a Hex Breaker. I never said I was your Belle! I never said that I'd personally be the one to lift your curse only that I would help break it!" Jane yelled at him and then when what he told her sunk in more, she yelled all the more, "I never said that you would fall in love with me and my kiss would release you from... I only said I would help you end your curse. If you don't want my help, why didn't you just tell me in the beginning? Why did you want me to come here and be cruel to me? All I wanted to do was help you. Was that wrong of me?"

He considered her own outrage and confusion, but as far as he knew, they were only for show. The Beast told her, "It was wrong of you to want to help me. I should remain in this cursed form for an eternity. I do not deserve redemption."

"It sounds like to me your heart does want it," she stated as she took a step toward him. "Why give me this test? What did you want me to see?"

"Did you consider that I wanted you to see the real me?" he questioned as he moved for the door, peered into the hallway, then turned, faced her, and asked, "Did you consider that I wanted you to see I do not deserve your help? I am a wretched soul and should be left to my fate."

"Why didn't you tell me all this earlier? Why did you ask me here tonight?" She started to leave, wounded by his atrocious teasing as she stated, "I think you only wanted to waste my time. I think you really don't want my help."

The Beast slammed his palm on the doorframe and blocked her escape as he emphasized, "I never asked you here. Have you not been listening? He did. The one you should really be afraid of. As I said–" The Beast moved closer and backed her into one of the chairs by the fireplace, and she fell into it with a plop as he stated, "–I believe he thinks you may be the one." He placed both of his furry hands on the chair's arms and caged her like a frightened bird. "Do you really believe you can end this curse?" He leaned in as if he would gorge on her neck with his sharp fangs and questioned her, "Do you really believe I do not know what you are?"

For the first time since this woman arrived, she looked afraid and terrified of him. He paused from his aggressive interrogation, wondering why he didn't notice it before. Why didn't he notice she had no fear of him? Everyone was afraid of him even his servants. Why not this woman? Could she be the one? His curse was more twisted than he imagined if she was the one.

Jane moved back from his face, not that she was disgusted at the thought of the beastly prince being so close. It was just that she couldn't bear playing into his cruel game. The Beast mistook her fright and outrage for disgust, and he snarled like a lion and as his anger crested, he forgot about the earlier thought that she hadn't been afraid of him. He growled at her, and Jane put out her hand to grab the armrest and inadvertently put her fingers on top of his. The Beast's demeanor completely changed from savage animal to a male elf who had forgotten the touch of another. He looked at her hand and wanted to grab hold of it but instead, he wrenched his hand from her fingers. The Beast grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it to the floor, causing her to jump and be frightened all the more.

He remembered the glimpse of a black swan tattoo on her cheek from the night before, and he told her, "Do you want to know why you are really here? He does want you to pass his test but that is because of what he saw. He saw a glimpse of it as twilight broke, but it was enough to bestow upon him hope."

Jane was afraid to ask as her heart pounded in her chest, but she went ahead anyway and questioned, "What did he see?"

"He saw what he thought was your curse mark during the few seconds left before the day was swept away." The Beast pointed at the spot where the tattoo resided as if it was a festering wound. It was now hidden from the world, but he remembered how beautiful it had been, how deceitfully beautiful. The Beast continued, "He believes you must be a beauty beyond compare and enchanted with this common form that stands before me, but I know the truth. Your curse turns you into a representation of your true self. I have seen your ugliness. You transform into an ugly duckling when harm is intended against you. You are no Belle. You are no goddess sent to save me. You are a pale shadow of loveliness. You are a wretched creature cursed beyond all others. You are a–"

"Why are you toying with this ugly duckling then?" she snapped as she fought back tears with all her might. Jane remembered the warning Lykos gave her, and she couldn't lose the one thing that protected her, so she wouldn't allow herself to cry. The monster in beast clothing wouldn't make her cry. Jane demanded, "Why did you have me come here?" She stood from the chair and looked at him directly in his feline eyes as she questioned, "If this is what you thought of me, why show me any kindness? If this is how you truly feel, why–"

"Because a part of me can. Because it is the truth and because a part of me bores easily." He fisted his hands as he admitted, "I know how dangerous you are and yet something about you amuses me. As for why I summoned you here..." The Beast stepped back as anger ignited from his inflamed expression, and he shouted, "I told you, I did not! Are you deaf besides atrocious? He did!"

She whispered, "You mean the master who monopolizes the light?"

Jane had no more words for him and pushed past him, trying so hard not to cry. She ran into the hall and then through several more as she fled toward the front door as fast as she could. The door opened for her before Jane reached it, and she quickened her pace to escape the castle. Before she reached the door, a mirror caught her attention, and she halted several feet away from the exit. Jane turned and gazed at her reflection and knew if she left, she couldn't ask him his name. If she didn't know his name, she couldn't get the job as a Hex Breaker. Jane turned and faced the direction she had run from as her heart still pounded in her chest. If she ran away from the castle and the estate, how would she help the giant rose? If Jane gave in to fear and cruelty now, wouldn't she be leaving the giant rose to the loneliness of the dead garden?

She bowed her head, knowing she had only one option, so she swallowed her pride and fear and slowly headed back, not that her pride wounded her the most. She trudged back and gathered her courage so that her voice wouldn't shake and so that she wouldn't cry. Jane paused at the entrance to the study and saw the Beast with his back to her gazing at the fire. She couldn't see his face; she didn't want to see his angry face. Jane stared at his back a few minutes, searching for the strength to raise her voice to him, and then she said, "I... I have a few questions for you."

Surprise filled his tumultuous mind when he heard her voice, and he turned and questioned, "What would someone like you want to ask me? Leave me and never come back to this castle."

Jane wanted to run for the front door again as he barked at her, but she stood her ground. She fisted her hand as she replied, "The first question I have is, what is my name? I told you what it was this morning. Tell me, and I'll leave this castle and never return to it."

He remained quiet, and she wasn't sure if he didn't know her name or merely forgot about her like the others had done in her world. The Beast did seem to know her just not her name, and Jane believed things were starting to fall into place concerning the test she needed to pass.

"I'll continue with my questioning then."

"Proceed, but I do not have to answer you," the Beast told her.

"After everything you have said to me, after all the cruel..." She let the rest of the sentence drop and asked, "Why should I break your curse? Tell me why I should help you? What about you makes you worthy of my efforts or what about you is worth saving? I haven't seen one thing. I thought I did earlier, but I must have been mistaken."

He stood there dumbstruck by her inquiry. A part of him would say that the curse had been unjustly placed upon him but that was a lie. A part of him would claim his status as royalty put him above others and by his birthright, he should be free of the enchantment, but things like that didn't make him better than others only worthy of his hex. He couldn't see a reason why he deserved redemption.

"Why would Grimm be better with the old you in it?" she asked and then when he didn't answer her, she told him out of anger, "I think if you would have changed from the person you were before, your curse would have been lifted by now." Her anger seemed to be the only thing keeping her from crying, so she held on to it with all her might. "I have a feeling what stands before me is the real you. I'm not talking about your outward appearance. The physical you I see is majestic and grand but that is just on the outside. Your character and your soul must be very beastly and dark. From what I've heard and seen, there seem to be many reasons why I shouldn't help you, but I can't think of one reason why I should." She paused, and then she demanded, "Tell me one just one or don't you even have a reason?"

"I..." For the first time, the woman unbalanced him and set him off his game. The Beast couldn't understand what she had done to him. It was as if she hexed his tongue.

"You're silence tells me you have no reason. Just as I thought," Jane spoke as she glared at the Beast. She took a step into his study, forgetting the animalistic power he must possess and what he could do to her if he so wished it. Jane looked him up and down, and then she asked, "Are you some cruel animal?"

He was shot down by her accusation, so he roared at her and lifted up his clawed fingers as if to strike her down. "You do see me as hideous!"

"I'm not talking about your appearance!" she screamed back, and then Jane calmed herself and told him, "I'm talking about your heart. Who would want to help someone like..?" She decided to be kinder with her words and said, "...like the person I met tonight?" She thought about the mirror she peered into earlier, and Jane questioned, "Is this what he wanted me to see? He wanted me to see you?"

"He..?" the Beast uttered. "Do you understand?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "At first, I thought you were only messing with me, then I thought maybe you were his evil twin brother, but after standing in the hall... after looking at my own reflection," she said. "I believe you are his mirror reflection, a mirror-mirror version of him. You're the same person split into two, and I believe this is part of the curse that inflicts you."

He considered everything she said. The woman may not be a Belle, but her ability to see things was uncanny if she could figure out so much in such a short period of time.

"I'll take your non-answer to mean that I'm right," Jane spoke as she felt deeply scarred by the words this Beast had told her. Were his angry outbursts and brutal accusations really a part of the Beast who swept away her heart?

"If I am correct about everything I've said, answer my one question," she said and then asked, "What is your name?"

"Do you still want to know my name after everything I have put you through?" he questioned her. "Why would you want the position? Why would I let you take the position?"

"You have no right to ask me any more questions. Tell me your name," Jane repeated, and then she demanded with more force, "What is your name?"

He didn't reply.

"You don't want to tell me? Fine by me!" she yelled, turned, and started out. "I've done my part by just trying. I can't say I didn't do my best. You're the one who in the end decided to reject my offer to help you!"

"Faris'Lunar," he shouted after her. "As I am now, my name is Faris'Lunar."

She paused at the door of the study and spoke over her shoulder, somehow knowing things she shouldn't, "Faris'Lunar... It means knight of the moon." Jane chuckled and then added as she headed for the front door, "Some chivalrous warrior you are. I believe Moon Beast fits you better."

As the name was spoken from her lips, a burning sensation hit his hand, and he turned it over. A pale blue half moon tattoo appeared on his right palm, and where the tattoo appeared, his fur disappeared so that the tattoo could be clearly seen. The Beast had been named again since his cursed form, and he took part in the first step towards his redemption whether he wanted to or not. The first step would only be complete if his other half also received his new name and the one they both despised. Moon Beast quickly moved into the hall and watched the woman leave. He finally understood what his other half thought he saw in her, but he was wrong. She wasn't a Beauty bewitched. She was a wolf in duckling's clothing.

Jane marched toward the front door again as a Kansas-sized tornado of emotions whirled within her. The mirror she glimpsed before wasn't the one the queen peered into asking who was the fairest one of all or the one Alice jumped into and found herself in Wonderland. The mirror she found herself peering into was the one from Star Trek where one version of a person stood in one universe and another version of that same person stood in another. Jane believed somehow those two halves would have to come together to make the Beast whole again, but all the things she saw in Moon Beast made her hate him. She wasn't sure she wanted to see the two halves come together, not if Moon Beast was a part of him. She thought the master who monopolized the light would be better off without him, but could she help him while this other darker part of him existed?
Chapter Six

Decisions And Discoveries

Red Northlands Fury and Woodsman Of The Sacred Oak stopped just outside of the village as darkness dominated the night, and they peered at the sign lost to time and equally lost to a few weeds. AaBack was posted on the top sign, and on the posted sign below it was written, Village of the Yeahmun Slayer. Woodsman held a magical lantern they acquired with great difficulty and at great expense.

"We can test the Lantern of Illumination here and once we do, we will know if it is the genuine article," Red told him.

Woodsman took a step forward and lifted the lantern, and the green light that emanated from it lit up the posted signs. Letters appeared on the top sign and soon words were created within the sprawled out name of the village. The upper case A became All and the lower case a became are. AaBack wasn't the name of the village but a warning for all to heed.

Woodsman read it aloud, "All who enter are doomed! Turn Back! Village of the Yeahmun Slayer."

"It works," Red said. "Now the Lantern of Illumination will illuminate all that is hidden, and we will find the Tear of Poer and take back what is ours–" Red stated as the magic sphere she held crackled in red furious energy as she vowed, "–and if I ever see that werewolf again, I will murder him for betraying us!"

* * *

Jane made it to the bathing house before it closed and was able to rid herself of the dirt and grime of the day. She removed her bandage and found her arm completely healed. Whatever the head maid put on it must have done the trick. Jane put her well used Flash t-shirt and cargo shorts along with her undergarments back on. She needed to go shopping and purchase pajamas and at least two more sets of clothes to allow for laundering, but for now, she would have to deal with living the grunge life. Jane returned to the barn loft and slept little, tossing and turning on the bed of hay with a single blanket as her mattress and cover. It was her dilemma over what to do about the two Beasts that kept her up and when morning's light broke through the loft's window, she got up, freshen up a bit at the water basin, and then headed to the bakery. She had three deliveries to make before she took up the bear claws the Beast ordered. The trip seemed longer than usual, and her legs were starting to feel the burn of back-to-back mountain rides.

At the castle-estate...

As soon as morning broke, the Beast went out to the balcony where he could see the castle-estate's main gate in the distance, and he waited for the female elf to return. For hours, he waited for her to appear, but she never did and as 10 A.M. came, he thought she would never come. The master who roams the night wouldn't tell him what occurred the night before, nor would he tell him if she decided to take them on as clients or not. The Beast wondered if it had been an ill-conceived idea to allow her to see his other half. Maybe he should have warned her before she took his test to expect trouble, and his decision to let her go in blind may have cost him dearly. The more the Beast thought about it, the more anxious he became, thinking the female elf may never return and that he may remain as he was forever.

He turned and started to head inside and go to his study when he heard a guard shout who had been posted at the main gate. The Beast turned, and his heart lifted with hope when he saw the female elf ride in on her two-wheeled contraption. He wanted to run down to the front door and rush out to her to discover her answer, but he contained his excitement and waited for her to be brought to him. The Beast headed for his study, realizing just because she was there didn't mean she successfully acquired the other's name or that she would accept the position. He still needed to hear it from her lips, so he paced his study as agonizing minutes went by.

One of his servants brought the female elf to him, and she wouldn't look at him as she normally did. The female elf seemed to take great care in making sure that she didn't look at him. The Beast wanted to jump right into the conversation, but he maintained his manners and questioned her, "Would you like something to eat or perhaps you would like something to drink?"

"I would prefer to talk about the matter that we spoke of last night."

He didn't like the way she sounded and feared she would reject the position.

Jane told him, "I met with you last night, and I discovered something." She lifted her eyes and stared right at him as she accused, "You have lied to me. When I questioned you who the master of the castle was, you told me that you were the master which is true, but it's also not true. I can't have such tiny lies between us if I'm to help you."

"Does that mean you will–"

"Please don't interrupt me until I finish," she said, turning away from his excited and pleased expression, and then she admitted, "I'm having a hard time telling you this and can't answer any of your questions just yet." Jane paused and then continued, "I did as you wanted me to. You wanted me to take a test, but what you really wanted... You wanted me to see the other part of you that I'll also be helping." Jane put a hand on her own shoulder as she went on speaking to him with her back still to him, "He was so angry and annoyed with me, and I still don't understand the reason for it." Jane realized she'd gotten off track a bit, so she got back on the subject by saying, "You wanted me to discover your name, and I did find out the name of the one who roams the night, but that's not your name. Your name must be Faris'Solar which means knight of the day, and you must be the master who monopolizes the light."

Hearing her utter his name was the sweetest thing he had heard in years. The Beast didn't think she could pass his test, but he hoped. He hoped more than he realized as he stood there in stunned reveille.

The Beast said nothing to her, so she turned to him and inquired, "Have I passed your test? Do you wish for me to take on your curse and see if I can break it?"

"You have, and I do, and might I say, I am amazed he told you his name."

Jane didn't want to speak about Moon Beast, so she went ahead with the rest and told him, "I have conditions if I'm to take the job. I want complete access to every part of your castle and every inch of your estate. If I ask a question, you're never to lie to me. You're never to hide anything from me. I really hate it when people lie to me even if it is just a little."

"I agree to your terms. Are there any other conditions?"

"I never want to speak to your other half again," she replied, and then she asked, "Is there a way for me to ask him questions without actually being in his presence?"

"There is some time after the sun sets and the moon starts to rise and there is also some time right before the sun rises and the moon nears the horizon that the two of us can communicate with each other. I can ask him questions at that time but there is no guarantee that he will answer them. The two of us do not get along."

"I also want you to promise that you'll never hinder my investigation into your own or someone else's curse."

"I can agree to that," the Beast told her.

"If you accept all of my terms, we'll begin now," Jane told him.

She started to ask him a question when he stepped forward and took her into her arms. Jane didn't expect this and wondered what he was doing. She was tired and mentally drained, and it felt good to be held, so she stood there a few moments in his embrace.

"I am sorry," he finally spoke. "I am sorry I put you through what must have been a horrible ordeal." The Beast needed to give her a reason for his actions so that he didn't sound like a monster, and so he told her, "I needed to be sure that you were capable of seeing through the spell on us. I never wanted him to hurt you, but I see now by how you reacted to me he must have been very cruel to you."

"He was," she admitted. "I also thought he was going to hurt me. I've never seen someone so angry before."

The Beast stroked her head as he stated, "There is nothing to fear from me. The one you are afraid of is trapped in the darkness. Please, do not see him in me. I am nothing like him."

Jane knew it to be true. Moon Beast was nothing like his caring side who had her in his arms, and she wanted to stay in his arms forever.

"Thank you for the apology," she told him as she gently pulled away from him, and then she bashfully stated, "I better get to my questions."

"Of course," the Beast told her, wondering if he lost his alluring charm.

"How long ago were you cursed?"

"I have not kept track of the years since I was hexed, but I was cursed when I was a young man."

"Is Moon Beast part of you or an evil manifestation of yourself?"

The Beast couldn't answer her.

"I'll have to think of another way to ask that question, so for now I'll begin my investigation of the castle and grounds. I'm going to begin by walking your estate. Please allow me to do this by myself. I can't be distracted by you. I need to concentrate."

"Of course, but before you return to AaBack, do report your findings even if there is nothing to report."

"I will, oh, I just thought of another question that might seem weird to you, but can you tell me what my name is?"

"It is Jane."

She smiled as she closed her eyes. The World of Grimm was scary and confusing at times, but people remembered her. They saw her. They knew she existed. "Thank you. You don't know how good it is to hear someone speak my name."

"Since you brought up the subject of names, I heard you call the master who roams the night Moon Beast."

"I did. The name suits him better." She noticed how he reacted, and she asked him jokingly, "Are you jealous that I gave him a name and not you?"

"What if I say that I am?"

"I'll call you Sun Beast if that'll make you happy. You're the light, and he's the darkness. I would have to say Faris'Solar does suit you, knight of the sun." Jane thought it would be a good time to refer to their short time together as children, and she questioned, "Are you sure you aren't a knight and protector of the realm?"

"My position should be clear to you," he told her.

"Maybe I'll be the knight then. I can be a girl knight."

Jane waited for a reaction, but none seemed to come, so she turned and headed for the Hedge Labyrinth a little disappointed. It was so long ago that they met as children, she couldn't expect either one of them to remember her. It distressed her to think they may never remember her, and then she decided to put those thoughts to the side for now because she had an investigation to conduct.

Sun Beast moved to the door of his study and watched her disappear around the corner. He went back to his room and opened his left hand that had tingled the moment she had given him his new name. A tattoo of a bright sun was on his palm, and he knew at that moment he was right in trusting the ugly duckling. She had to be a swan under all those layers of ordinary and soon Jane would break his curse.

* * *

Jane felt a little better since speaking with Sun Beast and soon found herself nearing the gate of the Hedge Labyrinth. She started in when she bumped into one of the servants.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you," Jane said, then thought her comment rude, and added, "I didn't mean to make fun of your curse."

The servant said nothing to her and when she heard them walk on, she entered through the gate and soon found herself standing in front of the giant rose.

Jane didn't wait for any sort of greeting from the giant rose, not that she ever offered one, and Jane blurted, "Erosa, I passed Sun Beast's test and have taken on the job as a Hex Breaker. You and I talked about me taking you on as a client also, and I would really like to take on both of your jobs at the same time. I have a feeling that the two of you or is it the three of you are somehow linked?" She paused and when the giant rose said nothing, Jane asked, "Have you decided whether or not you want to hire me?"

Erosa realized the foolhardy female elf was more cheerful than she expected her to be after encountering the master who roams the night, and she couldn't let that delicious encounter go unspoken, so she demanded, "Before I answer your questions, answer a few of mine."

"Fair enough."

"What do you think of the master who roams the night?"

"I don't like him. I don't like him one bit."

"What are your impressions of him? Is he worth saving?"

Jane hesitated. She didn't want to answer such personal questions, but then she considered if she wanted personal answers from the giant rose, she'd also have to confess all. She replied, "My first answer would be that he's not worth saving, but he is part of Sun Beast, so can I abandoned that side of him just because I don't like that part of him?"

"Sun Beast? Did you name the master who monopolizes the light?"

"I did, and I gave the other side of him the name Moon Beast," Jane replied, peered at the giant rose for a second or two, and then stated, "I guess I also gave you a name until you tell me your real one."

"You did give me a name. You gave all three of us a name," Erosa spoke somewhat concerned, and then she demanded, "Tell me more about what happened last night."

Jane started to catch on to what the giant rose really wanted to hear. She didn't want to hear about how Jane succeeded or that she might be able to break her curse, all the giant rose wanted to hear was how horrible the experience with Moon Beast had been. Jane's belief that they were friends couldn't be farther from the truth, and she realized that they may never be friends. If Jane was going to help both Beasts and the giant rose, it had to be because it was the right thing to do and not because they may be her friends from the recurring dream.

"Do I have to tell you?" Jane asked, embarrassed by what had happened to her.

"Yes," Erosa answered. "Tell me all the details or we have no deal."

"You'll answer all my questions if I do?"

"I will," Erosa replied. "Now tell me before I change my mind."

Jane reluctantly gave in and told the giant rose all that transpired the night before and how cruel Moon Beast had been to her.

"What secret does he know about you?" Erosa questioned her once Jane finished.

"I don't know. He would never tell me, and he acted like I should know," Jane replied, and then she asked, "Have I met your terms? Can I proceed with my own questions."

"After I have teased you a bit, you may," Erosa stated. "Now come closer, so I can witness your humiliation as I toy with you."

"You are very honest about your teasing, and I don't think I like this kind of teasing. Is this what makes you happy?" Jane questioned her as she moved forward and stood in front of the giant rose. She glanced around the dead garden and stated, "You're surrounded by misery. Are you sure you want to fill it with my shame and embarrassment or wouldn't you rather fill it with my optimism?"

"Do you believe you understand me, female elf?"

"It's Jane, and I probably don't. I can't understand what it's been like to be trapped here, but I do understand giving in to despair. You can't be happy here, and you seem to enjoy sharing your gloom or enjoy seeing other people miserable. Can't we just talk about things that–"

"If you mention friends again, I may vomit," Erosa told her.

"I wasn't going to," Jane told her. "I was only going to suggest we talk about both your curses."

"You do not know anything about me."

"You're right, so tell me one thing you'd like to do once you're free of your hex," Jane told her, trying to get her to focus on the possible life ahead of her.

"One thing... I can manage that. I would like to sit in a chair and eat cheesecake and drink coffee."

"How do you like your coffee?"

"Cream and sugar unless I am having something sweet to eat, and then I like it black."

"I also like cream and sugar in my coffee. Now we know one thing about the other. Our status as acquaintances is growing stronger."

Erosa laughed as she said, "I believe you tricked me into wanting to have my old body back more than I want to tease you. You win this round. Go ahead and ask your questions, would-be Hex Breaker."

Jane was pleased to hear the giant rose laugh, and so she went ahead with her investigation. "From our earlier discussion, I can guess that you're a sorceress. You seem very bitter towards both Beasts. I hope it didn't offend you to hear that. I would like to know if you're the one who cursed him."

Erosa considered how close the female elf had gotten in the short time she had been there. Erosa decided that she couldn't wait anymore and that she needed to eliminate the female elf, but how did she know that she was a sorceress? There were many types of magical users, but the female elf spoke her class by name. There was also the curse the female elf had upon her that protected Jane. Erosa would have to strike without thinking about how much she wanted her dead.

"The question you just posed is worth quite a bit," Erosa stated, and then she questioned, "What sort of reward would I get for answering it?"

"Reward..? Oh, I get it... A different type of game. I can play. What sort of reward would you want?"

"You will have to tell me something," Erosa replied. "What sort of..." Jane's face lit up in horror and distracted Erosa as she continued, "...reward is worth..." The giant rose continued to watch as the female elf's jaw dropped in astonishment. Erosa finished with, "...the answer to such an important question?"

"Worm," Jane replied.

"Worm..? Not exactly the reward I was thinking of," Erosa told her.

Jane lifted her arm and pointed at her in terror as she repeated, "Worm! There's a worm crawling on one of your tentacle-vines."

"Pest do occasionally crawl on me, so there is nothing–"

"It's huge!" Jane uttered and then spread her hands apart showing her as she told her, "It's two feet long!"

"You jest!" Erosa shouted, then turned, and saw the giant orange black-striped budworm making its way up one of her tentacle-vines towards her face. This particular budworm had teeth like a tiger and chomped them up and down as it inched its way towards her. "Get it off! Get it off!" she shrieked. "It is going to eat me!"

Jane removed her backpack, dropped it on the ground, then drew PapyrKut, and charged in to save her friend. Erosa whipped her twelve tentacle-vines about as she frenzied in terror. She tried to whip the worm off of her, but it held on like a hungry tiger holding on to its kill. Erosa tried to grab the budworm with her other tentacle-vines, but she couldn't pry it off. Jane shielded her face in fear of getting hit herself by one of the thorn-covered vines.

"Erosa, hold still! I'll get the bug, but you have to hold still!"

"Get it off! Get it off before it eats me!"

Jane realized her friend was too terrified to hold still, so she proceeded into the tunnel of angry vines with her short sword at the ready. She reached the tentacle-vine with the budworm, and she prepared to stab the bug, but the tentacle-vine thrashed about too much for her to hit her target, so Jane grabbed the thorny appendage with her left hand and felt something stab her finger. She attacked the budworm with PapyrKut, piercing it through its side. The bug wriggled about on the end of her blade, and Jane shrilled like a B-movie scream queen, turned, and swiped the sword down, flinging the budworm far away.

"Is it dead? Is it dead?" Erosa questioned.

Jane crept over to the budworm and when it wriggled again on the ground, she stabbed it several times with her short sword as she shouted, "Die! Die! Die!"

"Is it dead?" Erosa asked.

Jane stared at the creature in a hundred pieces and replied, "I think so." She stabbed it once more and answered, "Yes, it's dead." She walked back over to the giant rose and said, "I was so freaked out! That bug was huge!"

"I was more terrified. It was crawling toward my face to chomp it off," Erosa told her.

"No, I was more scared. I had to navigate through your thorny tentacle-vines and hit the bug with my sword while you wiggled about like some crazed octopus."

"I was more scared. Did you see the teeth on that thing?"

"No," Jane told her. "I only noticed an ax mark on its back, but the thing did keep squishing as I repeatedly stabbed it with my sword. I thought I was going to be sick."

The two of them stared at one another for a few seconds, and then they both started laughing.

"You should have seen you," Erosa started. "You were screaming like a deranged banshee and stabbing the dirt so hard I thought you had killed the ground, a ground that was already dead."

"Me..? What about you? You were all like get it off me! Get it off me!"

They laughed about it some more.

Jane looked at her finger as she said, "You even got me good with one of your thorns."

"Come here. I will heal it for you."

"Thank you," Jane spoke as she approached. "I don't think I've ever screamed so hard or laughed so hard."

"I also can not remember a time when I was so terrified and then filled with such delightful cheer and laughter. You are a peculiar female elf, and one I would gladly call an acquaintance."

"You're going to make me blush going on like that," Jane told her as she saw a few of the fairies fly into the dead garden from their hiding places among the maze. She smiled at seeing them, and then told Erosa, "If you're not careful, someone might accuse you of liking me just a little." She lifted her left hand to the giant rose just as the fairies began to sing. Jane thought they would sing Saah'Mee, but their song was different and one she didn't recognize.

"I will be careful. I have a reputation to keep," Erosa spoke as she tenderly took her hand with one of her tentacle-vines and then raised another tentacle-vine to cast a healing spell. The female elf... Jane... She decided Jane didn't need to die. Erosa would simply mislead her on her investigation, and then they could remain as acquaintances and have more of these enjoyable times together. It had been too long since she felt so happy or full of joy. Erosa paused before casting the healing spell as she stared at the cut on Jane's finger. Red blood ran from the cut her thorn unintentional inflicted, and the crimson liquid triggered a reaction within Erosa, a reaction that all those cursed by the monstrous curse were forced to react.

Within the castle...

"Master," one of the servants shouted out of breath.

"Yes, what is it?" Sun Beast inquired.

"I ran into Mistress Jane near the Hedge Labyrinth."

"Why bring this to my attention?" Sun Beast questioned him. "I told all of you she may go wherever she wills."

"She went into the Hedge Labyrinth."

Panic set in as Sun Beast uttered, "It is locked! How did she get in?"

"I do not know. Only that she entered the cursed place."

"I have to save Jane! Guards! Guards!" Sun Beast yelled as he rushed for the Hedge Labyrinth.

The Hedge Labyrinth...

Within the dead garden...

Erosa continued to stare at Jane's finger as an enchanted terror weaved it spell upon her and struck Erosa with fear that unsteadied her entire being. The one who created happiness and joy in her only brought deception. She wanted to lift her roots out of the ground and flee from the creature before her. Erosa froze like a rabbit before a giant troll as she moved her gaze to Jane's face. Did this monster realize she knew what it was? Jane still held her short sword in her other hand. Did she plan on hacking her into pieces just as she had done the budworm? Erosa needed to act quickly, so she uncoiled the serpent vine from around her stem, and it snaked its way towards the ground.

"What's wrong?" Jane asked. "You look pale. Are you feeling sick?"

"I am fine," Erosa told her in a nervous tone.

Jane realized the giant rose had started acting the same way the head maid had acted around her.

"Something's wrong," Jane insisted. "Did the worm frighten you more than you let on? I didn't mean to make fun of you if it did."

Erosa had to think of something to keep Jane in place while she prepared to strike her with her stinger thorn. She also needed to gauge the intention of this monster, so she told her, "I am very frightened but not of the budworm."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Have you ever heard of a yeahmun?"

Erosa watched her, but Jane never flinched or gave any indication Erosa had discovered her secret. Jane went on as if they were having a simple conversation.

"I saw the name on the sign as I entered AaBack, and the old witch who lives in the gingerbread house claimed one attacked her home," Jane told her, and then she questioned, "What is a yeahmun? Everyone seems to be afraid of them, but no one can tell me what they look like. Are they really that frightening?"

"They are more frightening than you can imagine," Erosa told her as the serpent vine rose up behind Jane.

"I'll protect you," Jane told her. "I am a knight of the realm after all and a very good acquaintance of yours. Call my name, and I promise I'll come save you." Jane glanced around the tunnel of vines she stood in as Erosa had yet to pull them back to herself, and Jane felt very close to the giant rose like friends should be. Memories of her time with the girl sorceress flashed through her mind and at that moment, she was so sure the giant rose was the girl sorceress. "Erosa..."

"Yes."

"I have a secret I want to tell you, but I don't know if you're ready to hear it or that you'll believe me."

Erosa was so sure Jane would blurt out her horrible secret right before she swung her sword and chopped her in half. She raised up her stinger thorn, aiming for the base of her skull and prepared to strike before Jane did.

"What sort of secret?" Erosa questioned.

"I don't have a contact who told me about you and the Beast. I know that you're a sorceress and that he's a prince because–"

"Jane!" the voice of Sun Beast called out in the distance.

Erosa realized he might try to stop her from killing the terrible creature if he didn't know what she was yet, so Erosa lifted a magical barrier that surrounded the entire maze. Sun Beast couldn't enter, and she could finish what needed to be done.

Jane said, "I think Sun Beast may have found out I came in here. Why don't you go ahead and heal me, and I'll go out to him? If you two don't get along, maybe the discussion would go better if I just talk to him."

"I better heal you fast," Erosa told her as she stared at the creature of her nightmares.

The giant rose saw everything so clearly now. Jane was no female elf nor was she any of the other races that dwelled within the World of Grimm. She was a monstrous creature who only claimed friendship to get close to her so that the creature could murder her and then devour her. Erosa needed to act quickly, so she pulled back her stinger thorn to leverage her strike with more force. She felt her entire being quiver from fright as she stood before the hideous creature of old. Never in a thousand years did she ever think she would come across another dreaded yeahmun. The fears Erosa remembered from her childhood raged back, and all she wanted to do was scream and run away, but she couldn't. The creature stood in striking distance and even if she managed to flee, Erosa heard that the creature was terribly fast and immensely powerful. She didn't stand a chance against it. Erosa had to act, and she had to act now so with all the fear and strength she could muster, she flung the stinger thorn forward, and it hit its mark.

The End- CLICK HERE & read AaBack #3

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