Chapter 114: General Graten Approaches Charles

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General Graten sat down next to Charles.  “I understand you’re a fighting man,” he said in a low voice.

“I was the captain of the guard,” Charles answered.

“So you know how to fight?”

“I do.”

“And you have a taste for it?”

“I don’t like unnecessary violence,” said Charles, wary about where this conversation was going.

General Graten pretended to be appalled.  “Unnecessary violence? I abhor it myself.  But,” added the General, slipping back to his normal voice, “you wouldn’t shrink away from a fight if one arrived.”

“I would not.”

“So, I’ve been doing some calculations,” said General Graten.  “With Carlyle and Midor and the rest on that quest, it means that Catherine has lost her vampire.”

“Aefar has gone with them, yes.”

“Okay, so that’s one less on Catherine’s side.  If it was to come to a fight.”

“And three less on our side,” Charles pointed out.  

“Yes, well Midor’s no good in a fight.  I’ve seen him before. And as for Henry, Henry’s  worse than no good.  Henry’s a liability.  If Henry’s trying to fight with us, then I’m going to be distracted trying to stop him from killing himself.  As for King Carlyle…” General Graten shrugged, “...I guess as a Winged Lion he could potentially be useful to us.  If he’s figured out how to use his new body, that is.  I’m told it takes some adjustment to get used to a new transformed body like that.”

“Okay, I’ll grant those points,” said Charles. 

“So what fighting men do we have?” asked Graten.

“Well, all the princes and princesses of Tauna are trained in fighting,” said Charles.  “It’s all they do really is just train themselves.  So Vivian, George, Rufus, Penelope, Helen--they’re all trained warriors.  The same is not true about their wives and husbands though.  Sarah and Charlotte are simply housewives.  They’ve never held a sword in their lives.  As for Jason, he  can fight, if he has to, but he’s not a true warrior.  He’s more bookish really.”

“He is more bookish than he is a fighter, I agree,” said General Graten.  “But I’ve seen him in action.  He can fight well enough.  What about your children?  They’re also princesses of Castle Tauna.  They’ve been trained as well.”

“If there is a fight, I don’t want to involve the children,” said Charles.  “They handled themselves well enough before, but before was unplanned and spontaneous.  If you’re talking about planning something, I’d like to get all the children out of the castle and to a safe place.”

“If that’s what you want,” said General Graten. 

“It’s what I want,” said Charles.  “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here, General.  We still have the same obstacle we’ve always had.  We can’t fight against Catherine.  She’s too powerful.”

“The next time the monsters emerge,” said General Graten.  “She’ll be distracted.”

“The next time the monsters emerge, she and Vivian will cut the monsters down right outside the castle walls,” said Charles.  “The monsters don’t pose the same threat to them that they used to.”

“Very well,” said General Graten.  “What if we were to surprise Catherine?”

“Good luck with those creatures guarding her all the time,” said Charles.

“Yes, I see what you mean,” said General Graten.  “It is quite difficult.”

“If you can come up with a plan to attack, General, then we may have something to talk about,” said Charles.  “Equally, we could just as easily wait until Carlyle and Midor and Henry come back.  I’m in no hurry to start a battle we can’t win.”

Chapter 113: Entering the Realm of the Monsters

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They descended again down the stairs beneath the hollow tree. The floor was covered with dirt, but it was easy enough to walk through.  

Once they got into the chamber, it was fully lit by the light from the grove.  “Once we go into this thing, how do we get back?” asked Midor.  “I was stuck in there for 2 years once.”  [This is actually a big plot point.  I should have set it up before.]

“We’ll pull you out the same way we did before,” said Vivian.  “I’ll make sure someone is always standing  guard.”

“We have people standing guard around this spot to watch out for the monsters anyway,” said Charles.

“Alright, then,” said Midor.  “I suppose I should lead the way.  I’ve been here before.”  So Midor walked forward and disappeared into the grove.

Henry followed Midor.  And then Carlyle and the pixies walked through next.  Aefar came last of all.  (Jacob the frog was still in Midor’s pocket.)

******************************************************

When they entered the grove, the chamber disappeared, and all they could see was the horizon.  It was a bright light.

Aefar instinctively pulled his cloak up over his face to shield himself from the light, but then slowly lowered it once he noticed that the light did not harm him.  “Catherine was right,” he muttered to himself.  “It’s not sunlight.”

“What is the light source?” asked Carlyle.

“Obviously some sort of magic,” Midor answered.  “That’s all I can tell you.”

“I thought this place was supposed to be dark,” said Carlyle.

“It is,” said Midor.  “We need to walk towards that light on the horizon.  It’s actually not the same as the sun--it’s a fixed point that it’s possible to walk up to, and then past.  Once we walk past the light on that horizon.  As long as we stay in the light, there are very few monsters.  But when we go into the darkness, we have to be much more careful.”

“How long will it take us to walk into the darkness,” said Henry.

“About a day,” said Midor.

“Well, I suppose we should start walking,” said Carlyle.

“Possibly,” said Midor.  “An important thing to remember is that there is no day or night in this land.  It’s light all the time here, and then when we reach the end of the horizon, then it will be dark.  So we’re going to have to decide when we want to sleep.  I know it looks like daytime to us now, but remember it was dusk when we left.  We’ll be sleepy in a few hours.”

“Not I,” said Aefar.

“Yes, apologies,” said Midor.  “Everyone else I mean.

“Well, shall we walk for a few hours and see how we feel?” suggested Henry.

“Yes, let’s do that,” Midor agreed.

Chapter 112: Catherine and Vivian Open Up the Underground Chamber

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They assembled at dusk.  

“I did a lot of work filling up this chamber with dirt,” General Graten said.  “Me and my soldiers.  The dirt in this forest is tough, you know.  It’s been well trodden by everyone.  It’s got lots of plants and roots in it.  It was difficult work to dig it all up.  But we did it.  And now you’re going to undo that work?”

“Ah, General, my apologies,” said Catherine.  “It’s a pity you didn’t have someone with magic abilities to help you.”

“It’s a pity Talon never told me half the things he could do with his magic,” Carlyle muttered.

“Yes, strange that you didn’t inspire more confidence,” said Catherine sarcastically.  She turned back to General Graten.  “I’m sorry you feel your efforts have been wasted, General, but you can hardly blame me for that.”  Then Catherine turned to Vivian.  “This will be good practice for you,” Catherine said.  “You haven’t had to transport dirt like this before, have you?”

“I don’t think so,” said Vivian.

“Okay, good, this will be a challenge, but I think you’re ready for it.  Underneath all of this dirt is a stone chamber underground.”

“Yes, I remember,” said Vivian.  “I was there when we pulled my son and Midor out from it.  And I was there when they filled it up with dirt.”

“Okay, so you know what you have to do now.  You have to remove the dirt, but leave the stone chamber standing.  So it will be a simple transportation spell, but dirt can be a difficult thing to focus on.  There are so many dirt particles, so it’ll never do any good to focus on the individual items.”

“I’ll want to use a spell for moving a whole mass of things,” said Vivian.

“Yes, but, remember, you don’t want to move the stone walls, just the dirt, so be careful how you focus the spell.”

“But the stones are all underground.  How can I focus the spell when I can’t even see the stones?

“Yes,” said Catherine with a smile.  “That is the problem, isn’t it?  What are your options?”

“I could move the dirt little by little,” said Catherine.  “As if I’m taking small shovel-fulls of dirt out each time.”

“We’ll be here all night,” growled General Graten.  “It might be easier just to shovel it out ourselves.”

“Careful what you volunteer for, General,” said Catherine.  “If Vivian can’t figure this out, it may come to that.”  Catherine turned back to Vivian.  “But come now, Vivian dear.  You’ve solved harder puzzles than this before.  Moving the dirt bit by bit is one option.  What are your other options?” Vivian appeared stumped, so Catherine helped her.  “Think about what your problem is,” Catherine said gently.  “And then think about what spell would solve that problem.”

“The problem is that I can’t see the stones.”

“Yes, good.”

“So I’d need a spell that would show them to me.  But I can’t use a finder spell if I don’t have a sample of the stones.”

“You don’t need a finder spell,” said Catherine.  “A finder spell would be for if the stone was lost somewhere in the forest, and you hadn’t a clue about where in the forest it was.  But here you know the stones are directly under us.  You just need to separate what are stones and what is dirt.”

“I can’t get a sample of the stones, but I can get a sample of the dirt,” said Vivian.  “I could use the spell to tell me what the outline of the dirt is.”

“Yes, that would work,” said Catherine.  “But you could also just use a revealing spell to see through the dirt.”

“I don’t think I’ve learned that yet.”

“Oh, sure you have.  It’s the same spell we used to practice seeing through walls.”

“Oh, of course,” Vivian said.  “How silly of me.”

“It’s okay,” said Catherine.  “It’s quite normal for beginning witches.  You have all these thousands of spells, it’s easy to only think of the spell in the context in which you learned it, and forget that they can be used in diverse situations.”

“This is taking forever,” General Graten said.  “Enough with the magic lesson.  Can we just get started please?”

“However long you think this may take, General,” said Catherine, “I assure you it is still quicker than digging through the dirt.  Which is what you would have to do if Vivian and I weren’t here.  So you’ll allow me some time to train her.”  Catherine turned back to Vivian.  “Use the revealing spell to see exactly where the stones are.  Then, while you’re focused on the stones, use the removing spell to remove the mass of dirt between those stones.  Do you think you can do it?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, give it a try.  If in doubt, estimate conservatively on the dirt.  If you don’t remove all the dirt the first time, we can always use other spells.  But you don’t want to collapse the whole building.”

Vivian started chanting and pointing her hands, and pretty soon dirt was flying up everywhere.  Catherine used her own spell to protect her from the dirt, but the rest of the people assembled just had to run for cover.

It was most of the royal family that was assembled to see Carlyle, Midor and Henry off.  Plus the castle guests like General Graten, Grace, John, and Kolet and Aurora.  (By now, most people in the castle had heard some version of the story behind Kolet and Aurora, even though not everyone wanted to ask John about it directly.)

Eventually, Vivian cleared the chamber of dirt.

While Vivian was performing her magic, Aefar came up behind Catherine.  “They have increased their number,” he said.  “They have the boy Henry with them, as well as the pixies.”

“Your instructions remain unchanged,” Catherine whispered back.  “I don’t know what you’re so upset about.  The addition of more food should make you happy.  Henry is not kin to me, so he’s not under my protection any more than Midor is.”

“I didn’t agree to fight pixies,” Aefar said.

Catherine actually turned around to look at Aefar at this point.  She had a very quizical look on her face.   “What a peculiar vampire you are, Aefar.  Imagine a vampire being afraid of a 6 inch pixie.”

“They have magic.”

“They have barely anything,” said Catherine.  “Nobody in the magic community ever worries about a pixie.”

“It’s said that they have mysterious powers that no one knows about.  Even the witches couldn’t tell you exactly what a pixies powers are,” said Aefar.

“Aefar, you are journeying into the land of monsters, where you are going to encounter several creatures who have mysterious powers that no one clearly knows about.  And then, if Carlyle succeeds in his mission, you’ll help him fight yet another creature with mysterious powers, Ambrosia.  I fail to see how the addition of the pixies changes anything.  Now step back.  Vivian’s almost done with her spell, and I don’t want anyone to overhear us.”

Vivian had indeed finished with the spell.  Most of the dirt had been removed from the underground cavern.  It had been piled up all around the forest floor, and most of those who were gathered around had been covered with dust.

Catherine walked over.  “Well done, Vivian,” she said.  

“I’ve made quite a mess of things, haven’t I?” said Vivian, looking around at the dirt everywhere.

“It’s the forest.  Once it rains, the dirt will get cleaned up,” said Catherine.  “There are more sophisticated spells you could have used which would have placed the dirt neatly somewhere else, but, we’ll worry about those for another day.  So, you’ve definitely got the majority of the dirt out.  But the chamber is not as clean as it could be, is it?”

“I followed your advice and was conservative with the spell,” said Vivian.  

“Yes, and that was smart.  But we can go in now and clean up the remaining dirt.”

“I think this little magic lesson has gone on long enough,” said General Graten.  “The chamber doesn’t need to be spotless.”

“For once, I agree with General Graten,” said Midor.

Catherine smiled at them, but it was not altogether a friendly smile.  “Very well,” said Catherine.  “If that’s how you gentleman feel about it.  Let the expedition begin, then.”

Midor and Carlyle stepped forward.  Jacob the frog was in Midor’s shirt pocket.  The pixies hopped along the floor.

Henry stepped forward as well.  General Graten grabbed him briefly by the arm.  “You know you’re making a mistake,” said General Graten.  “You don’t need to go with them.  And you’re not ready to go with them.  I have so much more to teach you first.”

“I knew you would say that to me, General” said Henry.

“And I knew you wouldn’t listen to me.  Why I ever wasted my time trying to train you is a mystery for the ages.  You never listen to me, and you’re determined to get yourself killed.  Well, I won’t waste any more time trying to talk you out of it.”

General Graten released Henry’s arm.

Henry paused before continuing.  “General,” he said, “Your sword fighting skills are far superior than mine.  As are your skills in hand to hand combat.  I have much still to learn from you.  When I come back, I hope you will take me under your tutelage once again.”

“Did you just admit your inferiority?” asked General Graten.

“I did,” said Henry.

“Well, maybe there’s hope for you yet,” said General Graten.  “If you value my skills at fighting, perhaps you will value my judgment.”

“I value very much your judgment, and your skills at prediction,” said Henry.  “If you were to tell me that I had very little chance of returning alive from this expedition, I would take your prediction as superior to my own.”

General Graten sighed.  “Okay, go on.  What’s the next part?”

“The only thing I do not value is your sense of honor.  You have none.”

“A sense of honor serves no purpose to a man other than to get him killed,” General Graten said.

“So I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” continued Henry.  “But it is my sense of honor that compels me to share the danger with my comrades.”

“Fine,” said General Graten.  “Fine, go ahead and get yourself killed. I make it a point never to argue with stupid people.”

And so, Henry, Carlyle, Midor, Jacob the Frog, and the six pixies entered the realm of the Monsters.

Chapter 111: Carlyle Asks for Midor’s Help… Again

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Catherine was sitting on the throne.  If ever someone could be described as gloating, it would have been her.  She was smiling from ear to ear.

“So, Midor, I’ve asked you here because Carlyle has something he wants to ask of you.  I’m not sure you will recognize Carlyle in his present form.  I believe the last time you saw him he was a frog.”

Midor bowed his head.  “Indeed, I did not recognize him at first,” he acknowledged.  “This was not the form I was expecting the fairies to change you to,” Midor said, looking at Carlyle.

“Ah, yes, Midor, for all your knowledge about the forest, you know precious little about magic,” said Catherine.  “I could have predicted this result, if anyone would have but asked me.  I knew the fairies would never risk trying to undo a spell whose origins they do not know.  And as I warned Carlyle, and as I’ll warn you all, my spells are always obscure.  I often add little twists in them myself to prevent them from being reversed.”

“The Winged Lion suits you, my king,” said Midor to Carlyle.

“Silence!” yelled Catherine.  “You are not to address him by that name.  He is not the king, nor was he ever the rightful king.  He is a usurper.”

“I acknowledge that by the ancient laws of primogeniture, you have the most claim to the throne,” said Midor to Catherine.  “But by every other metric that is used to measure kingship, Carlyle has fulfilled his duty as a King, and you have not.”

“Careful Midor,” said Catherine.  “You’re going to make me angry.  Firstly, I have protected this forest far better than Carlyle has ever done or ever could do.  As you well know, Midor, the crisis of the ancient monsters returning was not a crisis of my making.  That crisis began during Carlyle’s so-called reign.  But I defy you, Midor, to tell me that the ancient monsters are not now contained, and currently being contained far better than Carlyle could ever do.”

“There are more powerful monsters who are coming,” said Midor.  “Monsters who themselves can do magic.”

Catherine smiled.  “When they come, I will deal with them as well.  We shall see whether their magic is strong enough to stand up to mine.  But enough of this.  This is not why I have called you here.  I have called you here because Carlyle has something he wishes to ask you.”

Midor turned and faced Carlyle again.  Carlyle spoke, “First of all, I know the only reason we are meeting in the throne room is because Catherine wishes me to humiliate myself in front of her.  So I see no reason not to give her what I want.  The last time we met, Midor, I attacked you in anger, and drove you away from my presence.  I wish to apologize now for that action.  I wish to tell you that I was in the wrong in that encounter, and regret my actions.  Furthermore, Midor, I need to tell you that I am now planning on embarking on a campaign in which your aid will be essential to me, and that I can not accomplish this task without you.  So I now humbly supplicate myself before you, and beg you to forgive my past actions, and agree to accompany me.”

“All is forgiven, my King,” said Midor.  “All was forgiven a long time ago.”

“Do not use that title again in my presence,” Catherine called out.

“You are very kind,” said Carlyle.  “But I had to ask your forgiveness nonetheless.  This is a quest of great danger that I am going to ask you to join me on, and it is essential that there be no lingering ill will between us.”

“I can assure you, my King, there is none on my side.”

“Midor, I am warning you, there are certain things I will not tolerate,” said Catherine.  “Test me one more time, and you will end up with your form altered like Carlyle here.”

“For goodness sake’s man, do as she says,” said Carlyle, suddenly breaking from a supplicating tone to an exasperated tone.  “Just call me Carlyle.  The last thing I need is for you to be crippled by her magic before we even begin.”

Midor nodded.  “As you wish, Carlyle.”

King Carlyle switched back into his supplicating tone.  “I need you to accompany me back into the monster dimension,” he said.  “Ambrosia is there.”

“Ambrosia.  But how?”

“I don’t know how she got there.  But she’s in that dimension.  And she’s the one who’s been sending the monsters out.”

“But why are you going to fight Ambrosia.  Surely Catherine--”

“Catherine refuses to do it,” said Carlyle.  “So it’s up to me to save the forest.  It’s up to us.”

“What’s the matter, Midor?” said Catherine tauntingly.  “Have you found a use for my magic after all?”

“Catherine, I’ve already conceded this point to you,” said Midor patiently.  “I’ve already conceded that magic is necessary to fight the monsters.”

“My presence is needed here in Castle Tauna,” said Catherine.  “Vivian and I are needed to guard the castle against monsters.”

“I’ll go with you!” said Vivian, stepping forward.

“Vivian, no, it’s too dangerous,” said Carlyle.

“I’ve acquired new powers since you were last in this castle, father,” said Vivian.  “I can take care of myself.”

“She’s right,” said Midor, smiling affectionately at Vivian, and then turning back to Carlyle.  “You should see her with her new superspeed and her magic sword.  She’s defeated all the monsters who have emerged so far.”

“I forbid Vivian to go,” said Catherine.  “She is needed here to guard Castle Tauna.”

“I hate to say it,” said Midor, “But Catherine’s probably right on this one.  Vivian is now the forest’s defense against any new monsters that emerge.  But I will go with you, my K--, I mean Carlyle.  I spent two years in that realm.  I know how to find my way around in it.”

“Excellent,” said King Carlyle.  “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“Now, Carlyle,” said Catherine, “as we discussed, there is one other who is to accompany you.”

“Yes, Catherine, who is the man you have chosen?”

Aefar stepped forward.  “Hello, Carlyle,” he said.  “Remember me?”

“Aefar?  Of course.  I remember you from the mountains.”  Carlyle turned to Catherine.  “You’ve brought vampires into Castle Tauna now, have you?”

“Not anymore.  Aefar will be going with you.”

“I didn’t think I’d ever be able to trust your man,” said Carlyle, “but I never imagined that it would be a vampire that you would set on me.”

“Carlyle, don’t be silly,” said Catherine.  “You have nothing to fear from a vampire.   They don’t like lion blood.  You know that.  Why, the only one who has any reason to be worried would be Midor.”  Catherine smiled viciously at this last part.

Carlyle nodded slowly.  “Yes, I suppose you have a point.”  Carlyle turned to Midor.  “Don’t worry Midor, I’m the one Catherine wants dead, not you.  I’m sure the vampire has been instructed to leave you alone.”

“I’m supplying Aefar with two weeks worth of blood potion,” said Catherine, holding up the sacks.  “It’s a little concoction of my own design.  He’ll not harm you, Midor, while there’s blood potion left.  But I wouldn’t linger on your little journey any more than two weeks, if I were you.”  Catherine’s smile grew even bigger. 

“Fine,” snapped Carlyle.  “The deal was that your man would accompany us in exchange for you opening up the entranceway again.”

“It’s getting late,” said Catherine.  “I’ll open up the entrance way tomorrow.  In order for Aefar to accompany you, we’ll have to do it at sundown tomorrow.  He dislikes the daylight so.  You both have one day to say your goodbyes.  But Carlyle, I’ll not have you sleeping in this castle.  I want you out in the forest floor in one hour.”

“It’s okay,” said Midor.  “I know a family of wolves nearby who will let you sleep in their den.  I’ll go out with you.”

As Midor and Carlyle walked out, they encountered all of Carlyle’s friends in the hallway.  “How did it go?” asked Jacob the frog.  “Is that Midor with you?”

“It is indeed,” said Midor.  “Hello Jacob.  I hope you are well.”

“Midor, do you remember me?” asked Benjamin.  “You helped my family escape the Bear King’s Kingdom years ago.”

“Benjamin!” cried Midor, scooping up the little mouse in his hands.  “Do you know I carried both your parents across the forest in my pockets?”

“Yes they’ve told me the story many times,” said Benjamin.

“And how are they now?” asked Midor.

“Still as healthy as ever,” answered Benjamin.  [This section needs to be double checked and possibly deleted.  I think Midor already met Benjamin and Jacob when he was travelling with Carlyle, right?]

“Is that Leo?” said Midor, spying the hedgehog.  “Carlyle, I see you have gone on quite a journey, haven’t you?”

“And don’t forget us,” said Aiden, bouncing forward.  

Midor saw the pixies jumping forward, and was temporarily speechless.  So Brenna spoke.  “Hello Midor,” she said.

Midor turned to Carlyle.  “Pixies?  You’re friends with pixies now?”

“I admit it’s a bit unusual,” said Carlyle.  “But it’s a long story.”

“But pixies never help anyone else,” said Midor.

“Like I said, it’s a long story,” replied Carlyle.

“So how did it go?” asked Brenna.  “Did Midor agree?”

“He did,” said Carlyle.  “We set off at sunset tomorrow.”

“Do you remember us, Midor?” asked Conn.

Midor groaned.  “How could I forget?  The last time I ran into you lot was when you stole a baby from one of the forest folk.”

“Ah, he remembers well,” said Adair.  “You drove a hard bargain that day, Midor.  We don’t usually like giving babies up once we’ve got them, but you bargained hard.”

Midor turned to Carlyle.  “I’m happy you’ve done well for yourself in your travels,” Midor said.  “Really, I’m pleased with how much you’ve learned.  But you need to be careful about associating with pixies.  You can’t trust them.”

There was a general groaning and a lot of shouting from the six assembled pixies.

“It’s okay,” said King Carlyle gently. “They’re not just pixies.  They’re friends.”

“And we’ll be coming with you tomorrow,” shouted Alrene.

Carlyle shook his head.  “I can’t ask that of you.”

“You didn’t ask that of us, you big lug,” yelled Aiden.  “We just volunteered.

“Do you think,” said Arlina, “that after all we’ve been through together that we have any intention of letting you go without us?  We have to hear the end of this story.”

“It’s a dark and terrible place, the land of the monsters,” Carlyle said.  “Midor can tell you.”

“It is,” said Midor.  “Very dangerous, even for magical pixies like yourself.”

“You’re not the king of the forest, Midor,” shouted Brenna.  “When we make our mind up about something, then you can’t stop us from coming.”

Midor bit his lip in thought, and turned to Carlyle.  “I’ve never travelled with pixies as companions before,” he said.  “They don’t have a reputation as being trustworthy.”

“You can trust these six,” said Carlyle.  “I will vouch for them.”

Midor shrugged.  “Very well,” he said.  “You can come if you wish.”

“And don’t forget about me,” said Jacob the frog.  “I’ve been travelling with you all through the forest.  I’m not going to stop now.”

“Jacob, you have proven yourself one of my most trusted friends,” said King Carlyle.  “But where we are going is no place for frogs.  You would be no help in the battle against monsters.”

Midor coughed softly.  “Well, if it comes to that, my king, I would be no help in a fight against monsters either.  Surely our goal is to avoid the monsters at all costs, I presume, and to only seek out Ambrosia.”

“Your point is well taken, Midor, but surely…”

“The land is not unsuitable for a frog,” said Midor.  “Much of it is wet and swampy.  Jacob could travel in it just as well as we could.  I don’t think he would slow us down any.”

“Perhaps not,” said King Carlyle.  “But why ask him to risk his life unnecessarily?  The pixies at least could be useful.  They have their magic.”

“Surely that is my decision to make, though,” insisted Jacob.  “I’ve accompanied you so far, let me help you see your journey to the end.”

“I suppose it is your decision,” said King Carlyle.  “Very well.  You can travel with us.”

“Well, if Jacob is going with you, then one of us needs to stay behind to keep an eye on John,” said Benjamin the Mouse.  “I will stay behind in the castle.”

“As will I,” said Leo.  “A hedgehog is of very little use in these matters.”

“Alright then,” said Midor.  “It looks like we have our crew for this expedition.  One man, one Winged Lion, 6 pixies, and a frog.”

“I would be very much obliged if you could make that 2 men,” said a voice, and they turned to see Henry walking towards them.  “John told me what is happening,” Henry said as he approached them.  “And I want to join you.”

“Henry, you have recently caused much distress to Alicia and her parents,” said Midor.  “Think what distress you would cause them by running off with us so soon after we’ve freed you from your enchantment.”

“What is all this?” asked King Carlyle.

“I’ll explain later,” said Midor.

“You speak, Midor, as if you were not also leaving behind many who love you,” said Henry.  “I could not live with myself if I allowed you to face danger alone, and did not offer to help you.  You will need a warrior with you.  You, Midor, by your own admission, are not a fighter.  But I can travel with you and offer my sword.”

Midor was secretly thinking to himself that he would much rather have General Graten accompanying him than Henry.  Not because he valued General Graten’s company, but he had learned to value General Graten’s skill with a sword.  And he had also learned from General Graten that Henry wasn’t nearly as good with a sword as he thought he was.  But it seemed impolite to say all that, so Midor simply nodded.  “We could always use a good man like yourself.”

“Well then,” said King Carlyle.  “It is agreed.  Now, let us all try and get some sleep.  Midor, if you can show me to the wolf den that you know of.”

“I’m afraid it hardly compares to what you’re used to at the palace,” Midor said.

“Don’t forget,” said King Carlyle.  “I haven’t slept at the palace in many weeks now.”

Chapter 110: Catherine Instructs Aefar

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Aefar stood before Catherine in the throne room.  

“So now that I’ve explained everything,” said Catherine, “I want you to accompany Midor and Carlyle on their little journey.”

“From what I have heard,” said Aefar, “it is not the best place for a vampire to go.  For one thing, the grove is covered in sunlight.  And sunlight is deadly to a vampire.”

“There’s only one thing that’s sunlight,” said Catherine, “and that is light from the sun.  Whatever is illuminating the grove is not real sunlight.  It may look like sunlight, but whatever it is, artificial lights do not harm vampires.”

“And how am I to feed?” said the Aefar.

“How do you feed now?” asked Catherine.

“You know very well,” said Aefar.  “You have forbidden me from hunting those in the castle.  The forest people shut their doors tight at night.  The animal blood does not sustain me in the same way that human blood does.  So you have supplied me with a magic liquid which has all the same properties of human blood.”

“I’ve been very generous to you when it comes to sustenance,” said Catherine.   “Although, let’s be honest, we both know that vampires do not need to feed every single night.  A vampire can go a whole week without feeding, if circumstances require it.”

“We can,” said Aefar.  “Although not without some cost to us.  The longer we go without feeding, the more we must drink when sustenance is available.”

“Well, how about this,” said Catherine.  “I’ll give you as much of the magic potion as you can fit in a wine sack.  I’ll give you enough for two wine sacks.  It should be enough for two weeks if you drink it every day.  If you ration it out, I think you can make it last for three.  But you can ration it as you see fit.  Possibly you can even feed on the monsters.  If you get really desperate, you can feed on Midor and Carlyle.  Although of those two, Midor is the only one that has human blood at the moment, so I’d feed on Midor first.  But…,” Catherine leaned forward in her seat, “Ambrosia is to be defeated first, before you feed on Midor.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, my Queen,” answered Aefar.

“This is important,” said Catherine.  “I want Carlyle dead, but I also want Ambrosia defeated.  So don’t kill Carlyle until after Ambrosia has been defeated.  In fact, on the journey there, do your best to keep them alive.  Help Carlyle and Midor in any way you can.  You may even need to help them in the battle against Ambrosia.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“But on no account is Carlyle to return a hero.  Once the three of you have defeated Ambrosia, you are to kill him.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Midor I don’t care about.  Kill him if you need the sustenance.  You can let him live if you don’t need the food.”

“Midor and I have already had encounters,” said Aefar.  “I dislike him.  I will enjoy feeding on him.”

“Fine, fine.  But don’t forget, Midor is the guide.  Don’t kill him when you’re lost deep in the monster’s land.”

“It occurs to me,” said Aefar.  “If I am to kill Carlyle, can I drink his blood as well?”

“You can if you want,” said Catherine.  “But it will be lion’s blood.  I thought animal blood wasn’t as sustaining for you.”

“It is my understanding,” said Aefar, “that Carlyle wishes to return to his human form.  If you were to return him to his human form, then I could feed on him.”

“Ah, yes, good thinking,” said Catherine.  “It would make you both happy.  It would make Carlyle happy now, and it would make you happy later.”  Catherine thought about it for a second, and then answered, “It’s no good, though.  Carlyle’s not that stupid.  I’ve already sworn never to return him to his human form.  So if I were to suddenly reverse my promise, he would get very suspicious and wonder why.  And as soon as he realizes a vampire is accompanying him on his journey, he would put two and two together very quickly.  No, I’m sorry, Aefar.  I know it’s a bit of a waste as far as you're concerned, but you can’t feed on Carlyle in human form.  You shouldn’t need to anyways.  Midor should be able to sustain you for several weeks if you rationed his blood out.  Don’t kill him on the first feeding.  Take some blood, and leave him alive.  You people know how to do that.”

“If I kept him alive, then he would turn him into a vampire eventually,” said Aefar.  

Catherine shrugged.  “So what?  Then let him become a vampire.  I don’t care what happens to him.”

Aefar nodded.  “So be it.”

“Oh, Aefar,” Catherine said, leaning forward again.  “One more thing.  Both Midor and Carlyle are extremely cunning, and extremely treacherous.”

“Vampire’s have superhuman strength,” said Aefar.  “They could not defeat me in a fight.”

“I know.  That’s why I’m sending you.  But they won’t try to fight you.  They’ll bind you up when you’re sleeping.  So on no account are you to sleep near them.  First of all, you’ll have to adjust your sleeping patterns so that you sleep when they do.  You’re used to sleeping during the day now, but there’s no sunlight in the underground portal, so it won’t matter when you sleep down there. Just make sure that you sleep at the same time Midor and Carlyle do.  And when they go to sleep, you transform yourself into a bat, and fly into some tree far enough away that they can’t see which tree you have flown into.  Have I made myself clear on everything?”

“Yes, perfectly, my Queen.  There’s only one remaining thing.”

“What is it?”

“After I perform this last duty to you, I wish to be released.”

Catherine became angry. “Oh, so now you’re dictating terms to me?” She started to hum, and sparks were flickering from her fingers.

Aefar didn’t panic, however.  “Catherine, stop the dramatics,” he said.  “We both know it is not in your interest to kill me right now.”

“Kill you?” said Catherine in a menacing tone.  “What on earth makes you think I would be so unimaginative as to want to kill you?  Don’t you think I have a million other spells I would much rather use than a simple kill spell?”  Catherine leaned back in her chair.  “If the time ever comes that you invoke my displeasure, Aefar, I promise you that I will not kill you.  But you will beg me for death.”  Catherine then changed her tone to make it less menacing.  “Although service to me is not without its benefits.  Serve me well, and you shall be rewarded.  I’ve already said that you can have Midor.  And we may well find other humans in this castle that I am willing to let you feed on.  None of my family, of course, but this castle now has several residents who are outsiders--from the lands of Mora.  I’m sure you’ve seen them around.”

“I have,” Aefar answered.

“Do any of them look particularly tasty to you?”

“Yes, the boy Henry and the girl Grace.  They are young and full of healthy blood.  And the boy Robert--.”

“Robert’s off limits,” said Catherine suddenly.  “He’s my grand-nephew.  Vivian would never forgive me.  But you can have the General as well.”

Aefar grimaced.

“Okay, the General is older and past his prime.  And, let’s be honest, he looks a bit grizzled.  But he’s tough as nails.  There’s plenty of strength in his veins.”

“I suppose,” said Aefar with distaste, “if I got desperate enough, I might…”

“Fine.  Suit yourself.  But fresh blood is not the only thing I can offer you.  I know Vampires are concerned with style.  Think of all the wonderful clothes I could provide you with?  As well as good old fashioned silver and gold.  Which I know is still highly prized in the mountain caves.”

Aefar bowed low.  He smiled, and his fangs showed.  “My Lord and my Queen,” he said.  He seemed very happy, although Catherine thought she detected perhaps a bit of sarcasm in his voice.  She chose to ignore it.

“So, understand each other then, you and I?”

“We do,” said Aefar.

“Let’s make sure we understand the most important parts then, shall we?  When is Carlyle to be killed?”

“After Ambrosia is defeated, and not before,” said Aefar, still smiling.

“Excellent.  The same goes for Midor.  But as for Midor, I don’t care.  You can let him live or die as you like.  But as for Carlyle…”

“He is not to come out of the portal alive,” said Aefar.

“Very good Aefar.  I think you and I understand each other just fine,” said Catherine.

Chapter 109: John Meets Henry and Grace Again

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John wanted to run down the stairs and fly into Henry and Grace’s room.  Only his good manners and his consideration for Aurora and Kolet prevented this.  They needed him to guide them down the stairs carefully.  

They were used to the concept of stairs.  (The castle in the mushroom kingdom also had stairs.)  But John was worried that in their new enlarged bodies they might not yet have their balance.  Plus, the stairs down from the tower at Castle Tauna were longer than any stairs that had existed in the Mushroom Palace.

As it turned out, John needn’t have worried.  Although they were now enlarged, they found their new bodies to have exactly the same proportions as the old, and they had no difficulty controlling their limbs or managing the stairs.  Once John saw how easily they were handling the stairs, they went slightly faster.

When they got to the end of the staircase, John started walking very quickly.  He was so excited to be back that he started calling out.  “Grace! Henry! Robert!  Are you there?”

Grace was the first to poke her head out of her room.  “John?  John is that you?”

Robert, who had been spending time with Grace, followed closely behind.  And then Henry and Alicia came running.  They all embraced each other in the hallway.

John noticed that Alicia was now part of their group, but this didn’t surprise him at all. He knew his brother Henry quickly attached himself to girls.  

The others, however, were much more surprised by the giant walking mushrooms that accompanied John.  “Everyone,” John announced, “this is Princess Kolet from the Mushroom Kingdom.  We are in love.”

There was a momentary stunned silence that hit the rest of the group.  Undoubtedly the reaction to this announcement would have met with more skepticism or hostility under normal circumstances, but as it was they were so overjoyed to see John again that they were determined that nothing would get in the way of this happy reunion.  Henry was the first to speak.  “Welcome.  Welcome all,” he said.  “Any friend of John is welcome here.”

“And this is her handmaiden Aurora,” John announced next.

 “Welcome Aurora,” Grace said. 

“So tell me all about your trip,” said Henry.

“Tell me everything I’ve missed while I’ve been gone,” said John.  

“Tell us about your new friends,” said Robert.  

“Is there anything to eat?” asked John.  “I’m starving.”

“Yes, come with me,” said Alicia.  “There’s plenty of food in the castle kitchen.”

They all went to the kitchen.  And they talked and ate into the evening and into the night.  It was a joyous time for Henry, Grace and John to be re-united.  Although, late in the evening, when John finally did describe the journey into the land of monsters that Carlyle wanted to take with Midor, this did get Henry’s attention.  “I must join them,” he said.  “I’ve stayed safely inside these castle walls too long.”

The rest of them all tried to talk Henry out of it, especially Alicia.  But in the end, there was no dissuading Henry.

Chapter 108: Meeting New Friends and Old Friends

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John turned to Vivian.  “Are Grace and Henry okay?  What about Robert?”

“This castle has had many adventures since you were last here, John,” said Vivian.  “Grace and Henry especially.  But they’ve been very worried about you the past few weeks.  I’m sure they will be overjoyed when they find out you have returned to them.  And Robert is well also.  He will also want to see you.  They are still in the same chambers as before.”

Kolet recognized the names from John’s stories.  “Can I finally meet your brother and sister at last?” she said.  “I’ve dreamt of meeting them since you first told me about them.”

“Yes, come on,” said John.  “I’ll introduce you both to them.”  He took Kolet by the hand, and led her down the castle stair.  Aurora followed them.

“So now we have to wait for Catherine to arrange the meeting with Midor,” sighed Carlyle.  “Well, while we wait, is there any way that my friends can be made comfortable?”

“That’s quite a group of travelers you have with you,” observed Vivian.  “I think I recognize at least some of them.  Is that Starrof and Klangor?  I see your quest to return to your dragon bodies was not successful.”

The rabbits seemed momentarily upset by this comment, but then they abruptly turned to expressions of affection.  “Ah, Vivian, how fond I am of you,” exclaimed Starrof.  “I wish there was something I could do to make you happy.”

“As do I?” Klangor quickly added.

Vivian looked confused.

Carlyle looked angrily at the rabbits.  “It means that they wished to do you harm, Vivian.  That’s why they are now saying they love you.”

Vivian was so confused that she had to laugh.  “Father, whatever are you talking about?” she asked.

“Yes, I know it doesn’t make much sense,” said Carlyle, chuckling himself.  “I’ll explain everything in a minute.  And Alfred, old friend, I badly want to reconnect with you again.  But first, I have many traveling companions who have to be taken care of.”

“Yes, of course,” said Vivian.  “Klangor and Starrof, you were once guests of this castle before.  You are welcome to return to your old beds and your old rooms.”

“We demand to be carried down the stairs,” said Starrof.

“We are not going to descend from this tower by ourselves,” said Klangor.

“Yes, yes, of course,” said Vivian, stooping down to pick the rabbits up.

“It might be easier to grab the whole basket,” said King Carlyle.  “Some of the other small creatures might benefit from being carried down the stairs as well.  I’d carry it down myself, except I have no thumbs.”

“Are you going to introduce me to everyone?” asked Vivian.

“Jacob, Leo, Benjamin, Aiden, Adair, Conn, Brenna, Arlene, Arlina, and I believe Alfred is still carrying the Water Sprite Queen in the pitcher of water.  Alfred, if Catherine hasn’t destroyed the pond in the castle garden, perhaps the Water Sprite Queen would be more comfortable there.”

“We can bring everyone down by the pond,” said Vivian.  “It might be nice to sit and talk there.  And what about John and the two mushroom girls?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to ask John about that yourself,” said Carlyle.  “I got separated from him on our journey.  Or Benjamin here might be able to tell you more.  But apparently John spent some time in the mushroom kingdom, and fell in love.”

“I wonder if I did the right thing by helping them,” said Vivian.  “I can’t imagine that relationship is going to work out.”

“Well, that’s what I said about you and Midor years ago,” said Carlyle. “I guess if there’s one thing I’ve learned…” he paused and thought carefully before continuing.  “I’m not sure what I’ve learned. Maybe I’ve learned that you have to let people make their own mistakes.  Or maybe I haven’t learned anything at all yet.”

When they got down to the pond, King Carlyle turned to Alfred.   “Tell me, Alfred,” said King Carlyle.  “Where have you been all these years?  How come you have not aged?”

So Alfred told King Carlyle his story.  Vivian, who had heard the story a couple times now, listened to it all again with the same fascination as when she had first heard it.

“I’m greatly disturbed by what I see in Catherine,” Alfred confessed.  “She is no longer the same woman I once loved.”

“No,” said Carlyle sadly.  “I’m afraid we lost that woman 20 years ago.  After you disappeared, there was even more of a change over her.   

“Do you still have feelings for her?” Vivian asked.

Alfred laughed. “What do you mean still?  I’ve only just come back.  I haven’t yet adjusted to your time.  To me, everything is as it was 20 years ago.  And she is the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

“Fair enough,” said King Carlyle.

“I’ve been shocked watching her the past few days though,” said Alfred.  “It’s like she has no heart.”

“It is like that, isn’t it?” said Carlyle.  “It’s the magic that has done it.  All that black magic has rotted her away from the inside.”

“But there’s still good in her,” said Alfred determinedly.

“Is there?” asked Carlyle.  “I’m not sure I’ve seen it.”

“I’ve seen it,” said Alfred.  In moments of weakness, she reveals her tender side.

“Very well, if you say so.”

“There is good in her father,” Vivian implored.  “She’s taught me so much the past few weeks.”

“I’m not sure I approve of that,” said King Carlyle.  “You’ve seen what that magic has done to your aunt.  And I’m not sure she’s teaching you out of kindness.  She might well be trying to corrupt you just out of spite.  Because she can’t bear you being young and pure while she is old and evil.”

“Father! How young do you think I am?” asked Vivian.  “I’m not a child anymore.  My own son is practically grown.”

“Oh, yes.  Sometimes I forget these things,” said Carlyle.  “Sometimes I forget how old we all are.”