by Sarah Noffke
“Thanks, I feel so much better now.” Azure pulled Manx to a halt next to Monet, staring down at Blisters, who was rolling around. Gillian dumped his loafers out, shaking the sand out of them.
“That will do you no good,” Monet called to him. “That shit is going to be everywhere, if you know what I mean.”
“Well, there’s obviously an easy and a hard way to do this, if we’ve learned from history,” Manx said, and disappeared. Azure dropped to her bottom and slid down the giant sand dune. She leaned back, trying to keep her balance as gravity carried her to where Gillian and Blisters were standing. The sand crept into her clothes, but the ride was actually fun as well as swift. She laughed when she arrived at their feet, staring up at them with a look of glee.
“You made that ride look like much more fun than it felt for us,” Gillian said bitterly.
Azure peered up at the sky, where Manx was beating his wings. “I guess the pooka knows more than he lets on,” she said, and then called up to Monet, “Hey, it’s your turn. I suggest you dismount.”
“Fuck that. I’m not a commoner,” Monet said, digging his heels into his horse. They started forward, the horse cautiously taking a step down the steep slope and then back up. He reared onto his back legs, tossing Monet off. Then he turned and sped in the opposite direction. Monet sputtered out a mouthful of sand.
“Damn it,” he spat, slamming a hand into the sand below him.
“Okay, now you’re on your own. Get down here, Monet,” Azure encouraged.
“Fine, but I’m going for top marks,” Monet called, standing and taking off at a sprint. He then dived face-forward and rode the slide all the way to the bottom. When he arrived his face was covered in sand, but his grin was wide and eyes full of excitement. “That was fucking awesome.”
“And just so you know, sand will be everywhere, if you know what I mean,” Gillian said, his tone teasing.
The rumbling sound again echoed across the desert.
“Was that my stomach?” Blisters asked. “I haven’t eaten all morning.”
“I know, buddy. I’m sorry,” Azure said. “But I don’t think even your stomach can complain that loudly.”
The group turned to the giant cave opening, which was visibly shaking. Manx flew down and landed on Azure’s shoulder, clicking his bird tongue. “I sense you all know that danger is approaching. However, as the only one of us who has actually seen it, I just wanted to inform you all that you’re screwed.”
“What are we facing?” Azure asked, her back tense.
“Besides certain death?” Manx asked, sounding honestly curious to hear her answer.
“Yes, besides that.” She gripped her wand in her hand, as did Monet.
“I could tell you, but it’s better if you see it with your own eyes,” Manx said, and took off into the air.
“He said the same damn thing about the kitsune,” Azure complained.
“Oh, look, it’s nothing. It’s just a giant floating eye,” Monet said, pointing at the cave in the distance. In the blackness of the cave a large eye hovered toward the top of the opening. “How much trouble could a stupid eye be?”
The eye moved forward out of the shadows, making the rest of it visible.
“Oh, fuck!” Azure said, backing up.
“Cyclops. What you meant to say was ‘Oh, cyclops,’” Gillian said, his voice vibrating with fear.
Chapter Eight
At the mouth of the cave, a giant had materialized. He was easily double the height of a normal-sized man, but that wasn’t the only thing unique about the brute wearing a dirty loincloth. His two regular eyes were sealed shut, but the large one in the middle of his forehead blinked at the group.
“Does anyone here get the impression that the one-eyed geek is hungry?” Monet asked.
“Azure, whatever you do, don’t try and negotiate with him,” Gillian implored. “Cyclopes don’t negotiate. Furthermore, they hate any form of language, period.”
The cyclops opened his mouth and screamed, making the ground under their feet vibrate.
“Which is why they resort to other forms of communication,” Monet said, judging the hill at their back. “Well, it looks like we either try and pass the giant or we bet our luck on climbing the steep-ass sand dune.”
“Gillian, what else do you know about cyclopes?” Azure asked, backing up a step with the group.
“They are easily confused, have no peripheral vision, and also are extremely violent and therefore live alone and are dying out to the point of extinction.” Gillian listed the information matter-of-factly.
“Is that your way of telling us to try not to harm the monster?” she asked, a hint of a laugh in her tone.
“If it can be avoided, but if we kill the last cyclops I promise to not tell on us,” Gillian said, his voice full of fear. On his bowler, the red flower had peeled back its petals and was baring its teeth in the direction of the giant.
“I think this qualifies as a ‘fuck my life’ moment,” Azure whispered in Monet’s direction.
“I second that,” he said, and shoved her forward. “Looks like a diplomatic time where you should take the lead, Your Majesty.”
Azure resisted, pushing back into his hand. “I really think this is a chance for my Chief of Staff to shine.”
“I’ve had too much of the spotlight, so after you,” Monet said, now using Azure as a shield of sorts
The cyclops stomped his giant foot, his eye angrily narrowed on the group. He reached for a mallet the size of a small horse and lifted it to his shoulder, bounding in the direction of the group.
Manx swooped down, landing next to them. “Queen Azure, I can probably get close enough to peck out his eye.”
“I feel like that’s been done. And although a smart approach, I think we can do something a little less messy,” she said, as the monster stomped across the desert.
“How about we enchant ropes to wrap around his ankles and tie him up?” Monet offer.
“We don’t have ropes,” Azure reminded him.
“Minor detail,” Monet said, waving her off.
“Giant who lives in the desert,” Azure muttered to herself, thinking.
“Uhhh… Can you speed up the thinking process a bit? Said giant is closing in on us,” Monet said, fear vibrating in his voice.
“You said that they’re not smart, right, Gillian?” Azure asked.
“Dumb as rocks,” Gillian confirmed matter-of-factly.
“Okay, well, then let’s hope this works.” Azure reached out her hand to Monet. “I need to share your magical energy. Will you loan it to me?”
“Of course.” He laid his hand in hers just as the beast halted, bending forward and screaming. His hot breath blasted the group. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to create something desert dwellers might fear.” Azure siphoned energy from Monet, combining his magic with her own. She thrust her wand into the air and muttered an incantation as old as Virgo. “Tempestas tonitrua.”
Lightning cracked overhead and gray clouds swirled over the once-clear sky, obscuring the sun. Fat droplets of rain started to fall, landing on the dry desert ground.
“You created a gentle rainstorm? Are you fucking kidding me?” Monet yanked his hand from Azure’s.
No sooner had he finished his sentence than the rain turned into a torrential downpour. Lightning slashed across the sky, a green and yellow display of color. The cyclops clapped his hands to his head and sank down, eyeing the sky with sudden fear. He began to brush off the water, but soon realized it was a useless attempt. The monster rolled into a giant ball, shaking.
Lightning was followed by a clap of thunder. The giant started upward, his eye darting to the sky. Aware he was the tallest structure around, he fell to hands and knees and scurried in the direction of his cave. When he had disappeared, Azure swirled her wand in the air, turning the rainstorm to a gentle mist.
“That was quite impressive,” Gillian said, hands on his hips and th
e brim of his hat pulled low to cover his face from the rain.
“Well, I couldn’t have made such a big storm without Monet’s help,” Azure said. She patted the wizard on the back. “Even if you thought I was losing my mind with the solution.”
“I must be losing my mind, because look!” Monet pointed in the direction of the cave the cyclops had disappeared into. Standing on the top of the cave, feet apart and dripping with rain, was none other than Ever, the Light-Elf.
“Oh, good thing I didn’t deplete our reserves with that spell,” Azure said, and swiped her wand across the sky. A sharp bolt of lightning cracked high in the air, threatening but not actually anywhere close to Ever. The thunder that followed was deafening, though.
“Damn.” Monet clapped his hands to his ears. “You’re supposed to kill him, not make the rest of us go deaf.”
“It’s called ‘intimidation,’” Azure said, her eyes locked on the Light Elf.
“Well, it’s not working,” Monet observed. Ever hadn’t budged, only continued to stare down at the group, his gaze full of heat.
Azure started forward, the group on her heels.
Chapter Nine
“I wonder if Ever has any food,” Blisters mused as they trotted across the desert, which was damp from the storm.
“Shut up, pony,” Monet spat.
“I must insist that you show proper respect to the unicorn race,” Gillian sputtered, his tone punishing.
“Your ways don’t work on me, Shorty.” Monet ground his fist into the palm of his other hand, his eyes intently on Ever at the top of the cave.
“Why do you think that he came out in plain view?” Azure asked.
Manx flew down to the group, landing on Azure’s shoulder. He shook his wet wings and shifted into the form of the black cat, then slid down her front, taking up residence in her open arms. “Rain and a thunderstorm? Really? You think you could warn me next time you’re going to pull such antics?”
“We were defending ourselves from an unfriendly cyclops, and you had wings that could carry you away,” Azure explained.
“I offered to peck out his eyeball,” Manx said heatedly.
“And points were awarded for being a good team player. Next time, depending on timing, I’ll totally let you know,” Azure said, halting when the cave was only several yards away.
The cyclops was hiding in the cave; he’d run back to safety at the sound of thunder. That was the only saving grace.
Azure regarded Ever, who stood on top of the cave entrance above them, only a few feet away. His eyes were focused on her, his hands balled up in front of him. “You betrayed me. You betrayed Virgo.”
“And from my note, you should realize that I had no choice,” Ever called down to them.
“You had every choice! From the beginning you had an ulterior motive. You could have just told me! We would have found a way to free your father, but now…” Azure’s voice trailed off as frustration welled up in her. Why had he done this when it could have been so much easier?
“You don’t get it. The rogue dryads don’t negotiate, much like cyclopes. A sentence was set, and the only way to free my father is by—”
“By destroying them.” Azure cut in, finishing his sentence. “So you will save your father, even if that means that the humans of Terran are allowed to hurt the forest and go unchecked. The Duke gets to poison my people, all because of you.”
“Wouldn’t you do the same thing for your mother?” Ever challenged.
“No,” Azure said clearly. “I’ve traveled all over and risked my life to find a cure for the virus, and I will continue to do so. But if it came down to my mother’s life or the preservation of Virgo, I would always choose the latter. That is what she’d want me to do. But also, that is the unbreakable oath I’ve taken to protect.”
“Then your crown makes you stronger than me, because I can’t live with myself knowing that my father suffers.” Ever stared down at them and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now, though. You have ruined it.”
“Oh, that’s cute manipulative behavior. We showed up to take back the Book of Branches that belongs to the Queen of Virgo, and we ruined your selfish exploitation?” Monet released a cold laugh.
“The cyclops,” Ever bit off the words, “is the protector of the rogue dryads. I was about to get in there, but now they are on guard. They know I’m here. They know you’re here. They fucking know just about everything that I didn’t want them to know.”
Monet swiveled to face Azure and then Gillian. “Did one of you bring the baby’s bottle? He sounds like he’s getting cranky.”
“Ever, you have the Book of Branches. You obviously know how the rogue dryads work, so tell us now,” Azure said, using an authoritative voice she had never pictured directing at one of her supposed friends.
He sighed loudly. Instead of answering, he waved them forward. “Join me up here.”
Azure and Gillian exchanged nervous glances, but when the gnome nodded she started forward, taking the lead. Climbing to the top of the cave wasn’t hard, but it required using both hands and feet. Blisters gave the group a play-by-play of his progress as he ascended.
“That rock nearly took me out, but I’m okay. All right, just another step, and another. This isn’t really hard, except that my stomach is eating itself. And I kind of need to fart, but don’t think I should since Monet is behind me. And, whoa! That bit was kind of hairy. I don’t mean hair in the literal sense. I mean it—”
“Shut up.” Manx had gotten tired of listening to the unicorn. The pooka had taken the form of a goat and was making the climb look easy. He was the first up the side of the cave wall.
“Is this the piece of trash who betrayed you, Queen Azure?” he asked, turning around and aiming his back legs at Ever. “Just give me the go-ahead and I’ll kick him to shreds.”
“Yes, that’s him, Manx. But no, we’re not killing him just yet,” Azure said, breathlessly taking the final step onto even ground.
“Wait, you’re Manx? What are you doing here?” Ever asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Hold on, you know Manx?” Azure asked. What a small world!
“No, I know of him. He’s pretty much one of the most wanted criminals on Oriceran.” Ever waved his hands in front of him at the look of horror that sprang to Azure’s face. “I mean, he’s not a murderer or anything, but…” Ever turned to Manx. “You’re one crafty fairy, responsible for a lot of mischief.”
Manx lifted one of his goat eyes to the Light Elf. “That I am. The council and the Silver Griffins, they’re all so uptight with their laws.”
“Manx, what have you done?” Azure asked, her voice cautious.
“All sorts of things. And I have many more planned. But for now, I’m a crusader working for the Queen of Virgo. More important matters await your attention than my misconduct,” the pooka said, clearing his throat.
Azure lifted her hand to her head. “Yeah, right.”
“Queen Azure, the rogue dryads know that we’re here now. Thank you very much.” Ever waved his hand at the dry desert on the other side of the cave that they stood on top of. From up high, the desert they’d traveled across could be seen at their back. In front of the group was a crater, as if a huge meteor had struck the desert long ago and hollowed out a ten-mile radius.
Azure stared at the bowl. “Okay… Well, that’s fine. I never wanted to sneak up on them. My plan was to find them in a thoughtful manner, then earn their trust and gain their help. Whereas you were going to sneak up and murder this ancient species. So sorry for ruining your plans.”
Monet wrapped his arm affectionately around Azure’s neck and tugged her into his side. “She doesn’t mean that. We’re not sorry.”
“Ever, we can work together. What if I offer to help the rogue dryads get into the Land of Terran? They get something they’ve wanted—the chance to punish the humans who have hurt the Dark Forest. And in return, they free your father. It was a misunderstanding, right?”
Azure said, her voice placating.
Ever grunted with frustration. “That’s what you don’t get. They won’t just release him. They have a zero-tolerance policy. He admitted to the crime of burning down the forest. And if they let him go, they’d punish me for the crime.”
Azure thought for a moment; there had to be a solution—one that helped everyone. She remembered her father just then. He had campaigned for his people. Stated that they hadn’t done anything out of malice, but rather had abused the forest because the Consumer Party had encouraged it. Phillip, in his position behind the Party, had exploited their resources, telling the people how to live their lives. Richard believed that his people were good, but had been misdirected.
“What if…” Azure started slowly. “What if the only person who will suffer is Phillip? What if I negotiate for the release of everyone in the statue garden? They committed crimes, but if those crimes were erased, then the dryads would have no reason to hold them. However, the Duke of Terran is operating out of pure malice. He can’t be changed. Or maybe he can. He will be given that chance, but if he declines…”
“Dear Azure, what are you rambling on about?” Monet asked.
“It makes sense,” Gillian said in a hushed voice.
“Oh, of course the gnome gets it. Right, well, that just means that my confusion is founded in sanity,” Monet said in disgust.
“If the Dark Forest around the Land of Terran were healed, that would undo many of the crimes. We could offer that to the rogue dryads in order to get them to release the people in the statue garden,” Gillian said, and looked at Azure for confirmation. She nodded.
“And then we bring down the wards around the Land of Terran. Those who continue to commit crimes are on their own. However, if we re-educate the people—”
“Or better yet, allow Emperor Frederick to do so,” Azure cut in.
“Yes—we allow the new emperor to create change. Those who learn are safe, and those who don’t will be given to the rogue dryads,” Gillian finished with a victorious smile. “I think it could work!”
