It was so much more than that for the others. This was their chance to prove their worth. This was an opportunity to cross their own thresholds and find a story that would last forever. Indira looked each one of her crew in the eye. “From what I’ve seen so far, all of you have a story waiting out there. Let’s keep practicing. Let’s finish this quest. Let’s score the highest marks any tutorial has ever seen. Who’s with me?”
The crew responded with a cheer. Phoenix flashed her a smile as they walked back over to the carriage. Indira saw Beginning skipping back down the road toward Ordinary. Middle knelt on a nearby hill, ready to witness the very moment they entered her territory in the land of Plot.
Nothing happened when they crossed the glowing line in the road. There was no special flash of light. None of them grew wings or discovered special superpowers. But Indira could tell that each one of them was sitting up straighter, holding their head higher, their eyes searching the dark horizon for whatever came next.
Their crew made good time—taking shifts driving or sleeping—and Indira found herself enjoying the adventure. Phoenix was right. The company of her crew made all the difference in the world. She liked some of them even more than she’d liked the characters in her own story.
Dawn arrived, and it brought a glimpse of looming mountains with it. The group gathered around the front of the carriage to watch as sunrise painted the horizon with bright colors. Phoenix and Squalls were sitting up front, talking quietly as Phoenix drove. Indira decided it was a good chance to learn a little more about Gadget. The girl was in the middle of polishing a set of wrenches when Indira plunked down in the seat beside her.
“So, how’s it going so far, Gadget?”
She shrugged. “My score isn’t great. I missed a scene yesterday morning because I got distracted working on the bees. But I did get a lot of positive points for the driving scene. I’m having a hard time understanding the point system. In both cases, I was doing what I love to do—I was playing with tech. I’m not sure why one gained me points and the other lost me points….”
Indira nodded. “Well, you drove that piece of tech into the middle of our scene, provided our escape route, and saved us from an angry mob. It seems like you got more points when you focused on using the tech to help people. Does that make sense?”
Gadget shrugged again. “I guess so. I’m just not…like you.”
“Like me?”
She nodded. “You and that hammer…you’re all instinct. You just jump right in and start swinging. It’s pretty cool. That’s not how my brain works, though. I like having a plan. I do a lot of research. But it seems like by the time I’ve figured out the answer, the scene has already passed me by.”
Indira thought she understood now. “Well, my way of doing things doesn’t always work either. That’s kind of why I’m here. I’m supposed to learn how to work with a team. I’ve always done things on instinct, but Brainstorm Underglass wants me to learn a new way. Maybe that’s why she paired us together. I can teach you instincts. You can teach me how to look at the bigger picture. Sound like a plan?”
Gadget smiled. “Affirmative. Pretty cool that you’re still learning, even after getting in a story. Didn’t expect that. My hypothesis was that you were joining us on this mission to confirm your affections for Phoenix.”
Indira nearly choked in surprise. Her voice caught and she hacked an awkward cough. Her eyes darted up front, but thankfully Phoenix was laughing loudly at something Squalls had just said and hadn’t heard them. She shook her head at Gadget’s curious inspection.
“I’m not…what…are you…”
Gadget raised an eyebrow. “Was that assumption incorrect?”
Indira shrugged. “It’s…no…we’re just friends.”
Gadget surprised her with a laugh. “Right. I’m no expert on crushes. I’ve never enjoyed subjects that ignore scientific theory. But every time he looks at you, his eyes literally light up with flames. You know what happens when he looks at me? No flames. I don’t have any scientific degrees, but I’m pretty sure the flames mean something more than ‘we’re just good friends.’ ”
Indira could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Gadget noticed.
“Didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said. “Sorry about that. I’m not the best at this whole talking thing. Machines are easier for me. More predictable. Don’t worry. I won’t tell him how much you like him….”
Indira was grateful when the girl returned to polishing her tools. Her eyes roamed back to the front of the carriage, where Phoenix was sitting. She wasn’t sure how to make her Author choose Phoenix, but she knew Gadget was right. There was more between them than she wanted to admit. For a long time, she sat there, watching the road go past, trying to come up with a solution. But there were no answers written in the morning sky.
During the night, all their tutor devices had rotated. The words of King Arthur’s speech echoed, and their newest step in the Hero’s Journey was highlighted with dark warning:
THE ROAD OF TRIALS
Indira didn’t need anyone to explain this step to her. Her first year at Protagonist Preparatory had basically been one long road of trials. It was the step she felt most ready for.
And the first trial came early that morning.
Their motorized carriage started to fade. The engine shorted out a few times before kicking back to life. Indira heard Gadget messing around with levers, muttering under her breath, but about five minutes later the car died completely. Their crew sputtered to a stop on the side of the road.
“Road of Trials.” Indira rolled her eyes. “Guess it’s a literal road here.”
Allen Squalls climbed out, glancing up and down the road. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I can already see how it’s going to happen. Our car breaks down. Another car passes us. It loses control. I leap forward and save Phoenix, but in the process I slip down the hill. There’s quicksand at the bottom of the hill….I start to sink….”
Phoenix frowned. “Why would there be quicksand? There’s never actually quicksand.”
Gadget waved them both off. “It’s just a little car trouble. Let me take a look at the engine real quick. Just give me a few seconds to see if it’s something I can fix.”
Indira didn’t point out that the last time the girl had inspected the parts of a vehicle, she’d nearly sent them spinning off into some other dimension. The rest of the crew carefully removed their knapsacks from the back of the carriage as Gadget slid underneath. They heard her banging around for a few minutes. All the noise hid the approaching sound of wheels until someone was right on top of them.
“We have company,” Squalls said, clearly reading lines again. “Everyone act natural. Let’s pretend we’re taking a…sunny delivery to a town nearby.”
“What’s a sunny delivery?” Gadget asked.
“Supply delivery,” Allen muttered. “Sorry. It’s hard to read the text!”
Indira eyed the approaching carriage. The man riding up front looked like the most average farmer she’d ever seen. He had a fine mustache and was whistling a little tune. When he caught sight of their carriage, he made a quick adjustment, slowing the speed of his own vehicle until he came to a stop just to their left.
“Ho there, neighbors!” he called. “What seems to be the trouble?”
“Engine gave out,” Indira replied, settling into her character. “We’re escorting some goods down into the valley. You wouldn’t happen to have an extra charge, would you?”
Her tutor rewarded her fifty points for the response.
The man frowned. “Afraid not. And my cargo hold is mostly full.”
Gadget slid out from under the carriage. “We’ll just have to buy a new one.”
Something about her appearance drew a distinct reaction from the stranger. Indira noted the slight rise in his throat as he swallowed. The way
his hands tightened slightly on the forward levers of his carriage. She wasn’t sure why Gadget of all people would bring out that kind of reaction.
“Well, I could take one of you into town,” the man offered, his voice a little shaky. “No room in the hold, but I could have one of you ride with me….” He scanned their group, swallowed again, and pointed. “How about you, young lad?”
A little chill ran down Indira’s spine. The man was pointing directly at Phoenix. Indira remembered he was the one people were after. A thunderous desire to protect him roared to life in her chest. It took effort to keep her voice calm as she answered the man.
“We’d rather not split up. This is the first time our parents have trusted us to take a delivery this far. The only rule they gave was that none of us were to go off alone. Surely you understand.”
The man’s eyes darted to Phoenix before fixing back on Indira.
“Sure, yes, of course. That’s more than sensible,” he said. “Why don’t you wait here? I’ll head into town and let the engineers know that you’re in need of a recharge. Someone should be up in the next hour or so. Just make sure you stay right here!”
Indira watched the man hastily restart his carriage. She couldn’t help noticing the layer of sweat that had gathered above his mustache, even though it was quite chilly out still, the sun barely risen. She put on her best smile, thanked the man, and kept waving until he rounded the bend.
“Time to move,” she whispered. “Get your things.”
Gadget frowned. “But he’s coming back—”
“He’s going to report us,” Phoenix cut in. “He was awfully nervous for a farmer helping out a few stranded kids. You heard the kingswolves howling. Word can spread quickly that way. I’d guess there’s a search warrant out for us.”
Indira nodded. The reason for the man’s reaction to Gadget clicked into place.
“He saw three of us and stopped,” she said. “But when Gadget appeared, that made us a group of four. I’d bet anything that the description was of four runaways. And that’s why he wanted you to go with him, Phoenix. You’re probably worth the biggest reward.”
The others all nodded now. It was a shame to abandon the carriage, but Indira saw no other option. They started through the hills, skirting farmland and favoring the sparse forests that curtained everything. Squalls kept muttering about hiding places for wolves as they went.
It hadn’t taken long for the Road of Trials to start proving its name.
And it was far from finished.
First the carriage had broken down. Then the man had arrived to report them. Other issues began rearing up like ugly, coiling snakes. They realized around lunchtime that they had far too little food to survive the long journey. Gadget calculated all the distances and confirmed it would be at least four days of travel to the mysterious destination Allen’s directions were leading them to. At some point, they’d have to steal food or risk making purchases from a smaller outpost.
Allen was the first to complain about his footwear. “Can you die from blisters?”
Indira was trying to set a good example by not voicing her own complaints, but even she could feel the skin on the back of her heels being rubbed raw.
The general attitude of the group slowly shifted. At the memorial, they’d been locked into the quest, ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Now there was mostly silence as they pressed on through one forest after another. And the distant howls sounded closer than ever. Indira guessed the farmer had reported them. It wouldn’t be long before the kingswolves found their abandoned carriage. Even if they were making plenty of progress, all of it was on foot at this point. The kingswolves would eventually start gaining on them.
Squalls stopped walking, very nearly tripping the rest of them. “This forest has a sign?”
Indira saw he was right. The curtain of trees ahead of them was thicker than some of the scraggly woodland they’d passed through so far. And there was a signpost in front of it.
“The Foreshadow Forest.”
The voice nearly made Indira jump out of her skin. Middle was standing behind their group. Indira hadn’t even heard her approach. She marched around them to stand at the edge of the waiting forest. “It’s a rather common tool here in the land of Plot,” Middle explained. “Authors like to give little hints about what is to come. Perhaps the Author will mention two moons. Over and over they’ll mention them, until at the very end, the two moons collide! Every mention and hint was a foreshadowing.”
Indira thought she saw shadows moving deeper in the forest.
“Do we have to go through it?” she asked.
“Yes,” Middle replied. “It is required.”
Squalls spoke in a quiet voice. “Are there wolves?”
Middle shook her head. “Wolves? No, only the future. And its teeth are sharper.”
Their group bunched together, shoulders touching. Indira kept her chin high, but she didn’t like the sound of this forest. Even magical hammers were powerless against the future.
“A final warning,” Middle said. “These glimpses are important, but they’re also easy to forget when you’re surrounded by whispers and voices and more….Do your best to remember.”
The emissary retreated. Indira exchanged glances with the others before steeling herself. She walked forward as confidently as she could. “Everyone stay close.”
Leaves crunched underfoot. As soon as they passed the first layer of trees, Indira felt a chill. The sunlight was having trouble fighting through the thick branches above. Indira noted there were hundreds of paths to take. The trails ran off in all directions, twisting and turning and overlapping. Indira picked one and led the crew forward.
At first, the forest did not seem different from any other forest. There were shadows, certainly. And the wind sounded full of whispers. But other than that, it was just a bunch of trees that had decided to make themselves into a neighborhood. It felt normal.
Until the first foreshadowing.
Indira set a hand against a trunk to keep her balance as they turned a corner in the path. She nearly shouted when the bark of that tree shifted under her hand. It twisted and reshaped itself like a living thing. Indira’s eyes widened as she watched the bark form into the shape of a face. Not just any face, either. It was her face.
Indira held in a scream as she stumbled back into Phoenix. The engraved image of her own face grinned at her before speaking. “Sometimes you have to lose if you want to win.” The voice laughed. “Isn’t that right?”
The question echoed until the bark re-formed into the ordinary surface of a tree. Indira had to shake herself before she could start walking again. The group continued along the path, but a shiver ran down her spine and her arms. What did that mean? That she would lose? And then win? Or that she couldn’t win unless she lost? Indira frowned at all the possibilities.
That first foreshadowing spooked the others. They did their best to avoid making contact with the surrounding trees, but as the path twisted and tightened, it became unavoidable.
Phoenix accidentally rustled against a stray branch. All its leaves burst suddenly to life, separating from the wood. Invisible hands folded them into new shapes. Squinting, Indira saw they were little green dragons. One by one, the leaves launched from the branch and dove toward the ground. Their voices all whispered the same warning.
“The danger with any powerful thing is that it might fall into the wrong hands.”
Indira did not like the sound of that. She did her best to keep the crew moving. Gadget’s glimpse came next. She tripped over a hollowed log, which immediately sprouted arms. It pushed up to its feet and glared at her with tiny, ringed eyes.
“You can’t tell me what to do!”
The log stuck out a wooden tongue before marching off into the forest.
Gadget stared. “This is the least scie
ntific place I’ve ever been. I do not like it here.”
Indira saw the end of the forest ahead. “We’re almost through.”
There was more light ahead. Indira pressed on, but a little squeak from Squalls stopped them. He had walked right into a spiderweb the others had ducked below. He struggled awkwardly, trying to remove the little threads, and the web re-formed behind him.
It spelled out a single word: PIRATE.
Squalls looked terrified. “I’ve been mentally preparing for wolves and bears, and now I have to deal with pirates, too? There’s no way I’m going to survive….”
Indira was thankful when Phoenix threw an arm around Allen’s shoulders and whispered for him to keep walking. Sunlight fought through the branches ahead. She stumbled through the largest gap she could find and burst out into the light, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Turning back, Indira saw the Foreshadow Forest looming behind, its branches pointing them onward. She stared in confusion, though, because her mind had gone strangely blank.
“What just happened?”
Phoenix shrugged. “Did one of you say something? It’s the weirdest thing.”
But the others shook their heads, clearly confused as well. Indira felt like there was something floating at the very edges of her memory. Have you ever felt the same, dear reader? That feeling that there is something you’re supposed to know. The name of a movie. The lyrics to a song. Our brains can only hold so much, however, and the whispers of the Foreshadow Forest are particularly slippery. Gadget was the first to break the silence.
“There’s an abandoned outpost over the next hill. Let’s keep moving.”
Indira couldn’t help feeling they were forgetting something very important, but there was nothing they could do about that now. Her mind chased forgotten whispers as they followed directions and marched on to face their next trial.
The group had paused at the edge of a raised hillside.
Escaping Ordinary Page 9
