“What’s the holdup?” the Gold Wizard called.
“Wait a second,” Reina replied and searched around the sides of the path until she found a stick about Austyn’s height. “Here, this staff will help you.”
Austyn gave her a weak smile. Yet the staff seemed to help. Although still slow, he continued onward. Reina sighed in relief. She started telling a story about what a wonderful house the Green Wizard had and how nice and powerful a wizard he was. Gradually, Austyn’s dull expression faded into a smile, and he picked up his pace a little.
Something rustled in the bushes off to Reina’s left, and icy apprehension ran down her spine. She heard a low hiss. She laid a hand on Austyn’s shoulder to stop him.
“Listen,” she whispered.
They heard another hiss, and Austyn’s eyes widened. He clutched his stick tighter. Reina scanned the path and found a stick of her own. It was too long, so she stepped on it, breaking off a piece about as long as her arm. The Gold Wizard, now several yards ahead, glanced over his shoulder at them.
“What’s wrong?”
A snakewolf burst from the underbrush and leapt straight at Austyn’s throat. He hit at it with his stick, and it broke against the sharp fangs. Austyn thrust the sharp, broken end at the snakewolf’s nose. At the same time, Reina brought her stick down on its head, knocking it out. Then she smashed her stick into its eye to kill it. Austyn turned a bit green and looked away, and the blood oozing out of the eye socket made Reina feel sick as well.
She didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because several more snakewolves leapt onto the path, separating them from the Gold Wizard. He lifted his staff, and fire poured from the end of it, setting the tree above him on fire, but missing the snakewolves entirely. He angled his staff, searing several of them with the flames, but more snakewolves appeared to take their place.
“Use magic,” Reina ordered Austyn, waving her stick to keep them back.
Austyn clutched his broken stick and shook his head. “I c—can’t.”
“Then run!” Reina pushed him into the side of the woods away from the snakewolves. She hit one of them on the head, but another jumped at her side, its claws raking down her left arm. She wasn’t going to last long. Kicking another snakewolf in the jaw, she turned and ran.
“I’ll catch you up!” the Gold Wizard yelled.
A loud bang echoed behind her, and she hoped the Gold Wizard could prevent the snakewolves from following.
A snakewolf leapt on her from behind, sending her falling forward. She expected to feel its fangs sink into the back of her neck, but they didn’t. Instead, she heard Austyn yell, then the noise of a rock hitting the snakewolf. It turned to face him, and she rolled to her back, seized another rock, and swung it at the snakewolf’s eyes. Together they knocked it out. Reina struggled to her feet, and Austyn grabbed her hand, pulling her farther into the woods. They ran into a little stream. Remembering how water had helped them earlier, Reina started scrambling upstream.
Ahead rose a steep hill. Too tired to speak, she pointed it out to Austyn. They left the stream and headed towards the rocky outcrop. Boulders covered the entire slope. She boosted Austyn up to the top of the first huge rock and clambered up behind him. Halfway up the hill, they found a small dip in the rock, making a little grotto. If they sat at the back, it offered shelter as well as hiding them from sight. Back the way they’d come Reina couldn’t see any snakewolves, and they were too tired to run any farther. She leaned against the back of the alcove, and Austyn collapsed next to her.
They waited for several hours. Reina’s stomach started to ache with hunger, and the sun sank lower in the sky. Where was the Gold Wizard? She hid her worry until Austyn fell asleep. Then she climbed a rock that stuck out from the side of the hill to get a good view. Endless trees spread out before her—no sign of either the snakewolves or the Gold Wizard anywhere. He’s just a bit slow. He’ll be along any moment.
Austyn woke fretful and worried. There was still no sign of the Gold Wizard, even though evening had come. Reina decided they should climb down and find something to eat. They didn’t have much luck, just some berries, and they were both hungry and cold. Reina had no steel and flint to start a fire—she seemed to have dropped it during their flight. She decided they’d be better off up in the grotto for the night.
“The Gold Wizard will come back by the morning,” she consoled Austyn.
But the Gold Wizard didn’t show in the morning either. By noon, both of them had grown nearly frantic.
“What are we going to do?” Austyn asked, a tear running down his face. “What if he’s dead?”
“He’s not dead,” Reina said with more conviction than she felt. “He’s got magic, remember. Maybe they’re still chasing him and he doesn’t dare go after us.” Or he could have gotten lost again. It seemed the most likely theory.
“Then what do we do?” Austyn asked. “What if he never finds us?”
Apparently, Austyn had come to the same conclusion. Reina gave him a hug.
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep going west and north, like he said, and we’ll meet him at the Green Wizard’s house. If we keep going, we’ll be sure to run into it.” Or at least find somewhere else safe. “Then when we get there, we can do some magic, and the Gold Wizard can use that to track us down. Remember, that’s how he found you in the first place—by the magic you used when we killed the harpy.”
Austyn shook his head. “I didn’t use any magic.”
“Yes, you did. I felt it when our hands met, right before I threw the rock.” Reina squinted at the sun. “I think northwest is this way.” She started off through the woods. Turning back to smile at Austyn, Reina stuffed her fears down deep, trying to ignore the fact that it seemed highly unlikely they’d find either the Green Wizard or the Gold one. She didn’t know what they’d do if they didn’t, but she didn’t want to think about it. Doing anything was better than just sitting there. “Come on—the sooner we get going, the sooner we get there.”
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Chapter Nine: A Castle
The dense canopy made it difficult to follow the sun northwest. Reina had to keep finding open spots to get her bearings. After three hours of walking, they ended up at a trail. It didn’t run northwest, but rather north and south, so she picked what looked like north and tried to stay cheerful.
“If we just keep following this, we’ll end up somewhere for sure,” she told Austyn.
As they continued on, the forest got denser. Huge trees blocked out almost all the sunlight, and the bushes grew thick on either side of the path. They rounded the next bend, and Reina gasped. In front of them stood an enormous stone castle surrounded by massive trees.
Moss and lichen-covered stones rose dark and formidable at the end of the path, which stopped at the drawbridge lowered over a moat of green, slimy mush. A dark opening on the other side yawned at them, more threatening than inviting. Tall spikes of metal lined the walls—not that Reina could imagine anyone climbing them, as slippery and smooth as they looked. Green streaks of ick stained the bottom of the castle, right where it met the moat.
“Well, I bet this is the Green Wizard’s home,” Reina said, trying to sound confident. It did look like an enchantment-ridden place where a wizard might live.
“It doesn’t look very friendly,” Austyn said. “Maybe he doesn’t want visitors.”
“We’ll just tell him we’re friends of the Gold Wizard, and he ought to welcome us.” Truthfully, Reina felt inclined to agree with Austyn, but they didn’t have much choice. The path didn’t seem to lead anywhere else. “Maybe the Gold Wizard is already there, waiting for us.”
“I guess.” Austyn still sounded worried, and Reina had to admit she didn’t feel too comfortable with this castle herself.
Still, she squared her shoulders and marched up to the end of the drawbridge. It looked solid enough, so she walked onto it. Her feet made a dull thud on the wood. She peered into the black passageway at the
end.
“What’s that?”
She turned as Austyn raced across the drawbridge to her side, pointing down in the moat. Black scales slid along the surface, then disappeared.
“Nothing we want to meet,” she muttered. “Let’s get in there.”
She grabbed Austyn and pulled him towards the darkness of the castle. Austyn screamed, and she turned around. A huge, black reptilian head rose out of the moat.
“Come on.” She yanked him forward.
Hearing the scrape of the creature’s claws on the drawbridge behind them, she broke into a run. In the distance, she glimpsed gray light, and she put on an extra burst of speed. They broke out of the darkness and into a courtyard. Now the gray walls completely surrounded them. Ahead lay the inner part of the castle, where another gateway beckoned to them, but they’d only made it halfway across the courtyard when a dark shape blotted out the sky. A huge black dragon sailed over their heads from behind and landed directly in front of them.
Reina whirled around just in time to watch a metal portcullis smash down over the doorway they had just come through. They were trapped! Austyn made a little squawk of a noise, his face paled, and he collapsed in a faint at her feet. Reina’s hands felt terribly empty as she turned around to face the dragon.
Its huge black body still dripped with green slime from the moat. Its silver eyes sparkled, fixing on her, and it opened its mouth into a large, toothy grin. It smelled as bad as the moat.
“What, child, are you doing trespassing in my castle?” Its hot breath washed over her, convincing her that it could breathe fire if it wished.
Don’t show any fear, she told herself. She straightened up and glared defiantly at it. “We’re here to see the Green Wizard. This is hardly the way to greet a couple of exhausted travelers.” She shook her finger at the dragon. “We’ve had enough without you too. Let us through!”
The dragon cocked its head, regarding her for a long moment. She wanted to check Austyn, make sure that he was all right, but she didn’t dare.
“You are not afraid of me?” the dragon asked. “I could eat you in one bite.”
I’m sure you could. “Of course I am,” she snapped at it. “But I’m not just going to scream and run. Besides, I’m trying to get in, not out.” She took a step towards it, even though everything in her wanted to run away. “Once I get ahold of that Green Wizard, I’m going to tell him exactly what I think of his way of welcoming visitors. Now step aside and let us through!”
“I will let you through on one condition.” The dragon bared its teeth at her and stood up.
Reina bent her legs, ready to jump aside if it should attack her, but instead it stood on its four feet, wings spread, and looked down at her.
“Walk beneath my body to the door.”
Reina gulped. “I thought dragons’ bellies were their weak spot.”
“You don’t have a weapon.”
That was only too true. And with Austyn unconscious, they didn’t even have a chance to use magic.
“Fine. If you promise to let me through without attacking.”
“I promise nothing, only that if you don’t do it, you will have no chance at all of getting through.”
She hadn’t expected it to agree. “Okay, we’ll do it.” She bent to wake Austyn.
“Stop. Leave him. You must go yourself.”
Anger replaced all her fear, and she whirled around to face the dragon. “Never!” I should have known it would trick me. “I won’t leave Austyn. Eat me, then, and let him go.”
The dragon blinked in surprise. “I won’t harm him.”
“And I won’t leave him!”
The dragon snorted. “Very well. I see you have courage, child. Take your brother if you must, but I won’t be responsible for what happens afterward.”
Reina bent and shook him. “Austyn! Wake up.” He didn’t even grumble in his sleep. “What did you do to him?” she demanded. “Let him wake up!”
“He won’t in my presence,” the dragon said, and the hint of a chuckle in his voice irritated her further. “He’s too afraid, and that fear binds him while I stand here.”
Reina gave him a scathing look and picked Austyn up in her arms. He was horribly heavy. “He’s only six. It’s normal for him to be afraid. You did it to him on purpose, scaring us like that.” With each step, her arms ached, but she continued towards the dragon, her anger supporting her. “If he doesn’t wake up, I’ll find a way to make you pay, I promise.”
“He’ll wake, but he’ll not have passed this test,” the dragon said softly. “I said I wouldn’t be responsible for his welfare afterwards, and I won’t. It’s you who insists on bringing him where he shouldn’t go.”
“Hrmf.” He probably just wants to eat him when I’m gone. She marched right under the dragon, determined to make it without dropping Austyn. Ahead stood the door, and as she approached, it opened.
“Good luck, little morsel,” the dragon said.
She turned her head. The dragon had turned around and sat on the ground facing her. It winked, and then flew away. Austyn groaned, and she gently set him on his feet as he came to.
“Reina.” He sobbed and clung to her. “I was so scared. I thought we were going to die.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” She rocked him for a moment. “It was just a jerk that liked scaring people. It’s gone now. Let’s go in and find the wizards.”
Austyn wiped his tears away with his sleeve and nodded. She took his hand and entered the castle. Windows near the ceiling let dim gray light filter down. The arched hall led to a large dining hall. Tables with flowing white tablecloths filled the hall, and all the places were set, yet she saw no one.
“Hello?” Her voice echoed across the room. She walked up to one of the tables for a closer look; a fine layer of dust covered the plates. Looking up, she saw cobwebs hanging from the windows.
“I don’t think anyone’s lived here for a long time,” she said in a low voice. “But we’d better keep going, just to check.”
She crossed the room, glancing at several doorways, trying to decide which one to pick. Something glittered in the doorway on the far side, so she went in that direction. When she reached the passageway, she noticed light sparkling down at the far end. Figuring it was as good a choice as any, she headed down the passageway. White lace tapestries hung on the walls, but they too looked dusty. At the end of the passage, a wooden door stood half-open. She peeked in.
A small, square hall stretched out in front of her, with a very tall ceiling with a skylight. Red tapestries depicting a unicorn hunt adorned the walls. At the far end of the room stood an archway. While it had no door, rippling blue light filled the arch. Magic, Reina thought. She stepped into the room and, sure enough, a cool vibration came from the light-filled arch.
Hand in hand with Austyn, Reina approached the arch. She didn’t dare touch the sparkling blue energy. Next to it hung a smaller red tapestry, with the picture of a unicorn sitting in a little fenced garden. The unicorn wore a gold collar encrusted with jewels, and birds and flowers were stitched into the background.
“Only if you are pure and innocent of body and heart may you pass through here,” the unicorn said.
“What?” Reina blinked and rubbed her eyes. She turned to Austyn. “Did you hear that?”
He wrinkled his nose at her. “Yeah, the picture talked! Weird.”
Reina looked back up at the unicorn. It distinctly turned its head and fixed an embroidered eye on her. Her stomach turned over. In a way, it unsettled her more than the dragon.
“If you are, you may walk forward without fear.”
After speaking, the picture returned to its previous position and didn’t move. Reina glanced back at Austyn, who shrugged.
“Well, here goes.” Reina extended her hand into the blue light. It felt cold. Purple, yellow, and pink stripes now flashed in the barrier, but it didn’t hurt her. She took a deep breath and walked through. Icy energy enveloped her for a moment �
� and then she was on the other side.
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Chapter Ten: The Unicorn Sword
Reina stood in a magnificent hall, but unlike the one before, this one was decorated in rainbow colors, with tapestries and jewels encasing the wall. At the far end a fireplace suddenly lit up, and a table with two chairs began setting themselves up in front of it. Her eyes almost bugged out as food appeared on it. Her stomach grumbled, and she wanted to run over and start eating but realized that Austyn wasn’t next to her. She turned around and saw Austyn through the blue wall. Apparently he couldn’t see her, because he started yelling.
“Reina? Reina, where are you?”
“Here!” she yelled back, but he didn’t respond, perhaps he couldn’t hear her. She put her hand to the barrier, but it only seemed to work one way. It was solid now, and cold like ice. For a moment she panicked. What if they were stuck apart? Why hadn’t she pulled Austyn through with her?
And then Austyn stepped through the barrier. Again it turned purple, rose, and yellow as he went through. He blinked for a moment, and she wrapped her arms around him.
“That scared me!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would happen.” She kissed him on the forehead. “Look, food!”
They hurried over to the table. The fire warmed her after the cold of the barrier. Reina sat down and breathed in the wonderful smells. It was exotic food, stuff she’d hardly ever seen. Grapes, oranges, strawberries, as well as spiced turkey, stuffing, and apple pie. A teapot poured out two cups of tea as she watched.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Austyn asked, poking a finger at some grapes.
Reina didn’t want to think about it—she wanted to eat. “Well, I think we ought to try it.” Wasn’t Austyn starving as well? “It looks perfectly good. Perhaps it appeared here just for us.”
Austyn frowned. “I dunno.”
“Okay, I’ll try it first, just a little, to find out.” She picked a grape and popped it in her mouth. Its sweetness made her close her eyes in contentment. “Tastes just fine to me.” She let hunger take over and served herself a full plate.
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