RRR, v. 2007.4 (Fractured Fairy Tale) – Part Two
The story of the prince who wanted to be a frog. Continued from Part One.
Date: July 25, 2007
Categories: Fiction, poetry, and fanfiction
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Alice
in July 25th, 2007 @ 01:09You’re sweet, Rebecca. Thanks!
So this is what’s going on (if you want a summary, ask):
Later that day, Araminta was dozing in the morning sunlight, with her sore feet in a small creek, when, perhaps through some strange dream or perhaps through some other means, it hit her. She sat up and desperately searched her cloak pockets, and then again. But finally she was forced to face the truth. Emma was gone.
Swearing in a very unladylike manner (she had learned it from the captain of the guards, after bulling him into teaching her self-defense — she had wanted to learn to wield a sword, but he wouldn’t hear of it, and so she had made up some excuse about needing to protect her virtue and so on, until he turned red enough with blushing and let in), Araminta picked up a small stone and chucked it violently into the water near her feet, soaking the bottom portion of her skirt in the process. The brook bubbled away, laughter rippling across it’s surface.
“Oh, shut up!” She snarled.
“That’s not very polite, you know.” Said a gurgly voice.
Araminta gaped at the stream, a good-sized fish had surfaced and was staring at her reproachfully with large, soppy eyes.
“You could have hit me.”
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Anyone was there.” Araminta had recovered enough of her wits to remember her lessons on manners back at the castle, and she would not be caught being disrespectful to anything that showed vague signs of magic.
“Are you… a fairy?”
“Heavens, no.” Said the fish. “I’m a fish.” He chuckled a bit, the brook echoing his laughter as he started to sink below the surface.
“Wait! But… you’re talking!” Minty was flabbergasted. Normal fish didn’t talk, but it wasn’t a fairy? What else could it be?
The fish looked slightly surprised. “Of course I am! You obviously haven’t gotten out much.” With that last remark, he flicked his blue-green tail and vanished.
“No,” sighed Araminta, sitting down on the bank again. “Obviously I haven’t.”By the way, Agrrrfishi, Donaldo, or anyone that missed Lucias’ betrayal and the subsequent events would be advised to check up on the old thread.
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Alice
in July 25th, 2007 @ 01:29Okay, I might as well give a summary to maximize posts by newcomers.
Well, once upon a time there was a prince who was utterly fed up with being a prince. All sorts of boring duties were expected of him, and so he decided he wanted to be a frog. (At the same time, there was a young noblewoman who wanted to become a scholar and a boy who could grant the wishes of both these people, but neither of them have come into the story yet, and probably never will, I’m afraid.) So the prince summoned a very interesting character, Julian Perjorius, and asked him how to become a frog. The old man made up a ridiculous story about a waterfall at the end of the world, and Frank (the prince) believed him. He set out, and on his journey met a rock fairy (Jade) and her uncle, a gargoyle named Chartres. Then, due to immense confusion on the part of the RRRiters, our lovely GAPA Robert created Araminta, Frank’s younger sister, who hates tatting, and longs for adventure. Her parents were naturally scandalized at the prince’s behavior, and sent guards out to search for him. Araminta, meanwhile, consulted her librarian, Robert, for help on her quest to find her brother. Robert gave her a magic talking staff/wand, Emma, and Araminta went on her way. She had a nasty encounter with a spider, and was rescued by a boy, Lucias, who was also a wizard-type person. Araminta told him that she was, “Minty, a dairymaid from the village,” and Lucias resolved to help her look for the prince. And then we went back to Frank. He was swallowed by the earth, rescued by Jade, and witnessed the hatching of a dragon. After the last, he left very quickly, accompanied by Jade and Chartres. Araminta and Lucias met the dragon and also the dragon’s trainer, Annie. Annie told them that dragons have very good tracking skills, and Araminta worried about her crumbling disguise. Frank and Co. found an old ferryman, one of the Grimm Brothers, and they were sent off in a rickety boat down–you guessed it, a waterfall. They came to Grimm’s Isle, and then we switched to Araminta again. Araminta realized that Lucias had been working for her father the whole time, and he called for an escort to take her back to the castle. Araminta, who is not prone to passivity, escaped, and you can read the rest from the top of this thread.
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Jadestone
in July 25th, 2007 @ 10:54Wait- when Frank went down the waterfall, he saw the island as he was falling, yes? And passed it? I think so, but I’ll go check.
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Jadestone
in July 25th, 2007 @ 11:05Oops, nope, he didn’t see it was the thing I remembered. he turned back to look and it wasn’t there.
Okay…
Frank, Jade, and Chartress drifted down the river, ripples fanning out from the small boat”s bow disturbing the icy black water. Every now and then Frank thought he saw something white flash below the surface, but only ever at the corners of his vision and the water was too dark to truely tell. Jade shuddered, rubbing a small hand along her arm.
“This place reeks of magic.” She said in a hished voice.“What kind of magic? Good? Bad?” Frank asked nervous.
“No… undisturbed. Waiting. Impasive. I don’t know, but it feels…” She trailed off, and Frank felt goosebumps prickle up his arm.
The boat was slowing now, away from the turbulent waters near the base of the falls. Silently, Frank picked up the oars and began to row once more.
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Alice
in July 25th, 2007 @ 15:44Hang on… I’m cutting-and-pasting from the old threads, some old posts in new order.
The three rowed along, silent and swift, for what seemed like ages. They rowed until they were too sore to row, until the darkness faded and gave in reluctantly to the first shafts of light. And in the light, Frank saw something looming, out of the darkness…
“It’s the Island!” he shouted joyfully. “The Grimm Island! We’ve reached it at last!”
They beached the boat and abandoned their paddles as they rushed up the shore. Even in the early morning light, shadows clustered in improbably places, reluctant to give up their hold on the Isle. The bedraggled, wet trio didn’t even care. Frank lay spread-eagled on the sand, Jade held a conversation with a pebble, and Chartres sat silent as usual in the first rays of sun.There.
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Shadowkat
in July 26th, 2007 @ 15:255-Nice writing, Alice.
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Alice
in July 26th, 2007 @ 15:346- Ha.
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Alice
in July 26th, 2007 @ 20:23Anyhow, on to
save the scientistthe actually writing.
~~~~~~~~
Despite their joy at finding land, there was something a little uneasy about the Isle. It shimmered oddly in the rising sun, and sometimes Frank or Jade or Chartres would see something out of the corner of their eye, but when they looked, there was nothing but a quivering leaf or a displaced pebble. Or even worse, not even that, just air, the same as before.
At noon, the trio held a council.
“We ought to go on,” said Frank.
“Why?” asked Jade.
Chartres rumbled, and Jade translated as, “Isn’t this the Isle that you wanted?”
“No,” said Frank unhappily. “The one I want is in a waterfall.”
“What do you mean, ‘In a waterfall’?” asked Jade, sounding slightly suspicious.
“‘At the end of the world, the seas pour off in a great waterfall. In that waterfall is a rocky outcrop that forms an island. On that island there is a forest. In that forest there is a ruined castle. In that castle is a well. Drink from that well, and you will turn into whatever you wish’,” quoted Frank.
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Alice
in July 26th, 2007 @ 20:24Oops. It was supposed to stop after, “save the scientist,” because that’s a quote from Terraformed.
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Alice
in July 26th, 2007 @ 20:34Thanks. I love you guys.
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11
the man for aeiou
in July 26th, 2007 @ 21:12“ah” said jade.”you need the waterfall at the end of the isle wich go into anouther fall wich goes into a isle wich goes to the end of the worlds lake. at the end of the lake is a waterfall. in the water fall is a nook. the nook takes you to the bottom the the fall as soon as you enter it.”
“and that will take how long ?”asked frank
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Alice
in July 26th, 2007 @ 21:40What do you mean by a nook?
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Alice
in July 27th, 2007 @ 00:38I’m going to be gone for the weekend, and I will have no access to a computer while I am gone. I may get on tomorrow morning, but if I do it won’t be for long.
‘Bye!
~Alice
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14
the man for aeiou
in July 27th, 2007 @ 12:3112-a small hole.
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Supergeek and the Deathly Hallows
in July 27th, 2007 @ 14:59YES! A new thread! OK, let me apologize, Alice, for not posting at all in those last few posts. I got caught up on Lucias’s betrayal and stuff. That is so exciting!
Can’t think of anything to write just now. Sorry.
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Alice
in July 30th, 2007 @ 13:1715- You’re Donaldo? Wow, it feels weird to type.
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Alice
in July 30th, 2007 @ 19:25“Not very long at all,” said Jade, “if you don’t mind getting killed. A few days if you want to do it safely.”
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Alice
in July 30th, 2007 @ 19:30Chartres rumbled something, and Jade translated. “He says you shouldn’t do it. Frankly, I agree with him.”
“Why shouldn’t I do it?”
“Well . . . there’s the fact that the spring on the island is guarded by dragons; there’s a whirlpool at the bottom of every waterfall; and the water is poison to every living creature. That’s all.”
Frank spluttered. “Poison!?! But–”
“Poison,” confirmed Jade.
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19
Alice
in July 30th, 2007 @ 19:33Hmm. Make that, “The water in the well is poison to all living creatures,” just to avoid confusion.
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cilroxmysox
in August 2nd, 2007 @ 16:41“How strong of a poison?” asked Fred worriedly
“Don’t tell me you drank that,” Jade yelled, “That poision kills within the hour unless you eat blue m&ms or kiss a girl and since we are in the middle of nowhere with no candy let alone blue m&ms then that means i have to kiss you”.
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Alice
in August 2nd, 2007 @ 16:5120- They aren’t there yet.
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Alice
in August 3rd, 2007 @ 21:36Sorry, Cil, but we can’t use that post. You really need to read the summary at least, and get the prince’s name right.
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23
TNÖ
in August 5th, 2007 @ 01:02Oh, sorry I haven’s been posting… I have the most terrible writers block.
20- Maybe we could rewrite it, to fit into context with the rest of the story and change blue m&ms to, I dunno, blue toadstools (since we don’t want a modern story)? Like,
~~~
“How strong of a poison?” asked Frank worriedly. Was this the end to his quest to become a frog?
“Oh, quite strong,” said Jade, airily, not noticing Frank’s distress. “Kills within the hour unless you eat a blue toadstool, which is also poisonous, and then a pound of toad eggs to counteract the toadstool’s poison… What’s the matter?” she added, as Frank groaned and buried his face in his hands.
“I’ll never become a frog!” he cried in dismay. “Blue toadstools are far to rare, and a whole pound of toad eggs! Eurgh!”
~~~I think I’ve cured my writer’s block now.
:idea:TNÖ:idea:
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Alice
in August 5th, 2007 @ 01:0923-
~~~~~~
“I’m sure we can get a hold of some,” Jade reassured him. “The only thing we really have to worry about is whether or not you’ll be able to eat them in frog form.”
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25
TNÖ
in August 5th, 2007 @ 12:23Frank remained unconsoled. “A pound of toad eggs though! How will I eat a pound of anything as a frog!”
“Well yes, that may be a problem,” Jade admitted. “Don’t worry, though, we’ll find a way.” She kept up a steady stream of encouragement, and soon Frank was looking marginally more cheerful. Which is to say, he had stopped moaning in despair, and had stopped rocking back and forth in a fetal position.
~~~~~~~
:idea:TNÖ:idea:
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Alice
in August 5th, 2007 @ 16:21He was still far from happy though, and as Jade continued to talk, he stared mournfully at the ground. It all seemed so hopeless. He would never become a frog, and would be forced to remain a Prince for the rest of his life – if the poison didn’t kill him first.
It was at that moment that he spied the little green head of a frog watching him from under a blackberry bush.
~~~~~~~~
That’s got to happen sometime, and now seems the best time.
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27
the man for aeiou
in August 11th, 2007 @ 13:09the frog spoke to fred “if you want to become a frog i will take your mind into my body and my mind into your body”
jade said “so it is true! this is a mind swaper on this isle.”
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Alice
in August 11th, 2007 @ 14:2227- FRANK! FRANK! Not Fred! Gah.
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the man for aeiou
in August 12th, 2007 @ 13:2528-opp!
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Alice
in August 14th, 2007 @ 15:33“A mind swapper?” asked Frank suspiciously. “What’s that?”
“Mind swappers are evil spirits who steal the minds of others,” explained Jade. “They pretend that they will switch minds with you, but really they take your mind into their own and leave your body a empty brain-dead shell. It’s quite unpleasant,” she added matter-of-factly.
Frank scrambled away from the innocent-looking green frog as quickly as he could.
~~~~~~~~~
Sorry, but it would be too easy to let him switch right then and there.
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31
the man for aeiou
in August 14th, 2007 @ 17:4630- the mindswapers are the villains. thats what I wanted. but I had no idea of how to do it. thanks!
*****
“stop right there” said the mind swapper ” I will get your mind!”
a ray of light came out from the frog amid at frank.
“no!” yelled jade but it was to late.
***
araminta was so sad as she walk she did not look at the ground. she tripped on a rock and fell into the brook. as she fell she know that this was not a brook. then she became uncurious.
*****
“are you awake?” said a voice when she woke up.
“yes I am. who are you?
“my name is jade” said the voice
“have you’ve seen my brother?”
“who’s your brother?”
” a price named frank”
” yes. his mind was just stolen by a mindswaper.his body is over there” jade said as she pointed to a rock that araminta had not noted
“is there any why of geting it back?”
“find a green toadstone. there evan rarer then the blue ones. one grows some were on this island. but this is a huge island. it will take a will to find it.”
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Alice
in August 14th, 2007 @ 18:4031- Most of that won’t work, because Araminta is not on the Isle. She’s somewhere between the castle and the boathouse.
Also, I don’t really like the thought of a designated “villain” like that. This isn’t that kind of story. They overcome obstacles to get to the prize, which in Araminta’s case is her brother and in Frank’s case is the magic well, but there isn’t a consistent villain. The “villain” is anything that happens to be in the way. I’ll redo your post so that it works, if I may.
~~~~~
“Stop it,” said the mind swapper. “I thought you wanted to be a frog!”
“Yes but you aren’t going to make me a frog!” cried Frank. “You’re going to steal my mind!”
“So that’s the way it is,” said the mind swapper. “Well then.” A ray of light shot out of the frog and hit Frank in the forehead.
“No!” yelled Jade but it was too late.~~~~~
And we can take out the bit about Araminta entirely.
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Alice
in August 14th, 2007 @ 18:41Actually, that didn’t do anything but elaborate on what he’s already said. Geez, I can be rude sometimes. I’m sorry. We’ll use the fist bit of TMFA’s post, and forget about Araminta.
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the man for aeiou
in August 14th, 2007 @ 21:46o.k. thats good. but we need to get frank un-mindswaped. and I though that it should be araminta.
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the man for aeiou
in August 14th, 2007 @ 22:29oh good idea! brain blast! or something like that.
*********
as she walked along the brook she saw the fish again. the fish ask ” I was snappy at you early. I talk because this is magic lake. when you go in you get what in life. I wanted to talk and now I can. what do you want?”
” to find my brother.” said araminta
“jump in” said the fish “and you will find your self there.
and without amoments thought she jump in
as she jumped she know that this was not a brook. then she became uncurious.
*****
“are you awake?” said a voice when she woke up.
“yes I am. who are you?
“my name is jade” said the voice
“have you’ve seen my brother?”
“who’s your brother?”
” a price named frank”
” yes. his mind was just stolen by a mindswaper.his body is over there” jade said as she pointed to a rock that araminta had not noted
“is there any why of geting it back?”
“find a green toadstoll. there evan rarer then the blue ones. one grows some were on this island. but this is a huge island. it will take a will to find it.”
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the man for aeiou
in August 15th, 2007 @ 21:39“I will do anything to get him back.”
” o.k.” said jade. ” it is said to be hide at the end of the waterfall. it has seven keyholes. there are seven keys around the isle. I have no idea were they are.”
as they began to walk they saw a castle. araminta ran ahead. they entered the castle to find a woman crying.
“hello”said jade “what are yu sad about?”
” tat vil ‘oman. stole a key that was a ‘eir ‘lome from my ‘ather.could you get it ‘ack?”
“who is this woman? and who are you?” asked aramintia.
“my ‘tepmother. and my ‘ame is ‘inderella”
” could we keep the key for a few days?” asked aramintia
‘ ‘ine. but ‘lease ‘ell me ‘efore you go.”
‘why,o.k. good lady.” said jade.
****
“were are we going to find a ‘evil stepmother’?” said aramintia
“how about that broken down shack?” said jade
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the man for aeiou
in August 16th, 2007 @ 20:19****
“she escape? who did she escape?” said lucias.
quiet
” talk to me, you idiot!”
“sorry sir. I thought it was a rhetorical question. she was asleep and then I feel asleep and then she was gone!”
“fine. I’ll find her. come on (name of dragon[do we have on?])”
*****
“hey cinderella, can you throw a ball tonight? we when to her house we saw no lock but we need to get her out of the house.” said jade
” of ‘oure i ‘an ‘ave a ‘all ‘onight. ‘eres a ‘nvitation.” she said as invitation coming up from her shoulder.
” ‘top ‘t ‘odmother. ‘lease ‘how ‘uor ‘elf.”
“oh fine.” said a woman who just materialized “hello. I am her fairy godmother. but I can’t do anything big.”
‘thanks and we’re off” said araminita
***
“hello. the princess is throwing a ball tonight. here is an invitation.” said araminita
“oh a ball. tell her i’ll be there.” said the stepmother.
****
” I think she has something up her sleeve. Chartres, can you
watch her?” said jade
Chartres grumbled
“o.k. and araminita,can you stay with the princess. the key might be with her. I’ll go and see if the key is at the witches house.we need that key!”
***
later that night
“chartes,what did you see?”
“grumble grumble grumble.”
“so she might or might not have the key.”
“grumble”
” o.k. it just a small one room so I’ll look.’
*
“hello. may I take your coat?” said aramintia.
“sure.”
“and can I just check you for any swords with this magnet?”
“sure.”
“thank you.” you may go in now.”
aramintia checked the coat for the key and did not find it.
*
“found it”
“grumble”
“thanks for the complement.”
***
“o.k! onward!” said aramintia after the ball was over
as they left the castle the saw a beanstalk
” hello chaps. jacks the name. the giant at the top of this beanstalk is nice! he just sold me this harp and this golden hen.” said jack
as jack left jade said “hmm. maybe he might have a key”
“Fe fi fo fum. come to my yard sale everyone!” they heard as the went up.
“how much for that key?” said jade
“that thing? one cent. I don’t know what its for ,though.”
“thats fine. here you go.” said jade
“thanks.” said the gaint.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so whats going to happen is there going to go around mighting fairy tale people and then they will be at the box and that will be gaurded by the third brother. and he will have the last key and give the story of the quest to the brothers who will warp it in to the ones we know.
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38
TNÖ
in August 16th, 2007 @ 22:37PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TYPE SO THAT IT”S HALFWAY LEGIBLE!!!!!!!
I understood roughly half of the past few posts…
So basically, Araminta talks to the talking fish again, and he leads her to a magical lake that allows her to get to the Grimm Island. There she meets Jade and Chartres and goes off with them to find a green toadstool so they can restore Frank’s mind to his body. They meet Cinderella in a castle crying because her evil stepmother stole a key that was a family heirloom and Jade, Araminta and Chartres agree to try and get it back.
Lucius is furious about Araminta’s escape and takes the dragon to go look for her.
Araminta, Jade and Chartres scope out the Evil Stepmother’s house and ask Cinderella to host a ball so they can get the ES out of the house and steal back the key. The group goes to deliver ES’s invitation, which she accepts. Jade gets Chartres to spy on ES in case she tries some trickery.
Later they find the key and meet Jack with his beanstalk. They buy another key from the giant at the top.
~~~
Can I rewrite the actual story to make more sense? Please?
No offense or anything.
:idea:TNÖ:idea:
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39
the man for aeiou
in August 17th, 2007 @ 18:0938-fine but please do not change the wording. just the spelling and such.
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40
the man for aeiou
in August 17th, 2007 @ 19:03As they walk around the isle not finding any keys the stumbled upon a little girl with blonde hair.
“hello.” said jade “who are you?”
” my name is golden sunshine-locks but everybody calls me goldy locks.”
“and why are you here in the woods?”
“I don’t know. I was walking and then I tripped on a door mat. the door key when in the lock and I ended up inside. it locked behind me. I was hungry so I ate some of the porridge and then sat in a chair but it broke and then i slept in a bed. then the owner came and they were bears! and now I’m running away from them! ah! there they are know!”
after she left jade said “lets check the house for a key.”
*
” here’s a key” said aramintia
“that’s It!” said jade
*
” o.k. so what now? we have three keys here and for the last two days we have not seen one key.” said aramintia
after she said this a scream from a hut near by came up.
“grandma!!!!!!!!!!!!”
” hmm. lets see what is up.” said jade
*
” aramintia,do you have a knife?’ said red riding hood after they told her there story and she told them hers.
” yes.”
“give me it.”
“o.k.”
and with a swish of the knife the wolf’s head and chest were opened.
” wow! that was fast” said jade “who taught you that!”
” I picked it up” said rrh
“and heres a key! and or grandma!”
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41
Alice
in August 18th, 2007 @ 01:45At first this seemed really weird and kind of wrong, but then I realized they’re on Grimm’s Isle! I get it now.
39- We won’t yet, but believe me, EVERYTHING will get changed in the edit. What you wrote along with what everyone else wrote. And you do go awfully fast when you write. No offense, but it just whizzes by.
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42
TNO
in August 18th, 2007 @ 15:5639- but you wrote in present tense, so we’ll have to change it eventually.
sorry i was so rude. i was kind of in a bad mood.
~~~~~~~
As she walked along the brook she saw the fish again. The fish said “i was snappy at you earlier. i talk because this is a magic lake. When you go in you get what you want in life and i wanted talk. What do you want?”
“To find my brother.” said Araminta.
“Jump in.” said the fish, “and you will find yourself there.”
So, without a moment’s thought she jumped in.
As she jumped she realized that this was not a brook. Then she became unconcious.
*****
“Are you awake?” said a voice when she woke up.
“Yes i am. Who are you?”
“My name is Jade.” said the voice.
“Have you seen my brother?”
“Who’s your brother?”
“A prince named Frank.”
“Ah yes. His mind was just stolen by a mindswapper. His body’s over there.” Jade said as she pointed to a rock that Araminta hadn’t noticed before.
“is there a way to get his mind back?”
“Find a green toadstool. They’re even rarer than the blue ones. One grows somewhere on this island. But this is a huge island. it’ll take weeks to find .”
“I will do anything to get him back.”
“Ok,” said Jade. “it is said to be hidden at the end of the waterfall. it has seven keyholes. There are seven keys around the isle. I have no idea where they are.”
As they began to walk they saw a castle. Araminta ran ahead. They entered the castle to find a woman crying.
“Hello.” said Jade. “What are you sad about.”
“That ‘vil ‘oman. Stole a key that was an ‘eir ‘loom from my father. could you get it ‘ack?”
“Who is this woman? And who are you?” asked Araminta.
“My stepmother. And my name is ‘inderella.”
“Could we keep this key for a few days?” asked Araminta.
“‘ine. But ‘lease ‘ell me ‘efore you go.”
“Ok, good lady.” said Jade.
****
“Where are we going to finda an evil stepmother?” asked Aramintia
“How about that broken down shack?” said Jade.
~~~~~~~Ok i’ll finish the rest later.
:idea:TNO:idea:
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43
Alice
in August 18th, 2007 @ 19:35Here’s some more with spelling corrections and notes from me.
~~~
“She escaped? How did she escape?” said Lucias.
Quiet.
“Talk to me, you idiot!” ((I don’t really think Lucias is the type to call someone an idiot. He’s only about fourteen, so he hasn’t THAT much authority, and he’s polite.))
“Sorry, sir. I thought it was a rhetorical question. She was asleep and then I feel asleep and then she was gone!”
“Fine. I’ll find her. Come on (name of dragon[do we have one?] [No, we don’t. It isn’t his dragon.])”
*****
“Hey Cinderella, can you throw a ball tonight? We went to her house we saw no lock but we need to get her out of the house,” said Jade
“Of ‘ourse I ‘an ‘ave a ‘all ‘onight. ‘eres a ‘nvitation,” she said, an invitation coming up from her shoulder.
“‘top ‘t ‘odmother. ‘lease show ((Sorry, had to change that bit. It didn’t make any sense.)) ‘our ‘elf.”
“Oh fine,” said a woman who just materialized. “Hello. I am her fairy godmother. But I can’t do anything big.”
“Thanks and we’re off,” said Araminta
***
“Hello. The princess is throwing a ball tonight. Here is an invitation,” said Araminita.
“Oh a ball. Tell her I’ll be there,” said the stepmother.
****
“I think she has something up her sleeve. Chartres, can you
watch her?” said Jade.
Chartres grumbled.
“O.k. and Araminta, can you stay with the princess. The key might be with her. I’ll go and see if the key is at the witch’s house. We need that key!”
***
later that night
“Chartres, what did you see?”
“Grumble grumble grumble.”
“So she might or might not have the key.”
“Grumble.”
“O.k. it just a small one room so I’ll look.’
*
“Hello. May I take your coat?” said Araminta.
“Sure.”
“And can I just check you for any swords with this magnet?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you. You may go in now.”
Araminta checked the coat for the key and did not find it.
*
“Found it.”
“Grumble.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”This really doesn’t seem like the direction we want to go with this story. Oh well. But we do need to get back on our original tangent eventually.
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44
the man for aeiou
in August 18th, 2007 @ 20:3543-well my plan is to get frank unmindswapped and then have lucais take then back up to the castle and then roberts going to turn frank into a frog but then he gets exiled and then they have to find him and then frank will get to be a frog. it might take a few weeks to finsh but it will be woth it!and rember that aramintia thought “He was younger even than Frank, and yet so in charge of things!”
I’m changing my copie of it for the changes.
I’ll post more sorty later.
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45
the man for aeiou
in August 18th, 2007 @ 20:40and just so you know I have a copie because the keeper might not be able to keep and so this helps.
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46
TNO
in August 18th, 2007 @ 20:48We will, after we restore Frank to his mind.
~~~~~~~
“Ok, onward!”said Araminta after the ball was over. As they left the castlee they saw a beanstalk.
“‘Ello, chaps. Jack’s the name.” said a scrawny boy at the foot of the beanstalk. “The giant at the top of this beanstalk is nice. “E just sold me this harp and this golden ‘en.” said Jack.
As Jack left, Jade said “Hmm… maybe he has a key.”
“Fe fi fo fum. Come to my yard sale everyone!” they heard as they went up.
“How much for that key?” asked Jade.
“That thing? One cent. I don’t know what it”s for, though.”
“That’s fine. Here ya go.” said Jade.
“Thanks.” said the giant.
As they walk around the isle, they found no keys but they stumbled upon a little girl with blonde hair.
“Hullo.” said Jade. “Who’re you?”
“My name’s Golden Sunshine-locks. But everyone calls me Goldy Locks.”
“And why are you here in the woods?”
“I dunno. I was walking and then I tripped on a door mat. The door key was in the lock and I ended up inside. it locked behind me, and i was hungry so i ate some porridge and then sat in a chair but it broke and then i slept in a bed. Then the family came and they were bears, so now i’m running away from them. And- oh!- there they are now. Nice talking to you.”
After she left Jade said “Let’s check the house for a key.”
“Here’s a key.” said Araminta.
“That’s it!” said Jade.
*
“Ok, what now? We have three keys here and for the last two days we haven’t seen any.”said Araminta. Moments after she said this a scream from a hut nearby came up: “Grandma!!!”
“Huh. Let’s see what is up.” said Jade.
*
“Araminta,do you have a knife?” said red riding hood after they told her their story and she told them hers.
“Yeah…”
“Give me it.”
“Ok.”
And with a swish of the knife the wolf’s head and chest were opened ((poor Greg! LOL)).
“Wow, that was fast.” said Jade “Who taught you that?”
“I, uh, picked it up.” said red riding hood.
“And here’s a key! And Grandma.”
~~~~~~i ♥ that Fe Fi Fo Fum thingy.
:idea:TNO:idea:
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47
Alice
in August 18th, 2007 @ 20:52I’m the Keeper.
44- I suppose it’s alright, but be warned, I might wander off that track.
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48
the man for aeiou
in August 18th, 2007 @ 20:56lol indeed!
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49
the man for aeiou
in August 18th, 2007 @ 21:13as they walk along they saw tree pigs. they were looking at a pile of straw, wood, and bricks.
“hello. what are you doing” asked aramintia
“we need to now what type of material we should build are homes out of. we need to guard against wolfs.” said the big pig
” I think they should be brick.” said jade
” o.k.” said they littlest pig.
” if this works will give go a key we have thats useless to use.” said the medium pig.
” o.k. ” said jade ” will stick around.”
*
a wolf came up to the first house and said ” little pig little pig let me come in”
no response.
” then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and blow myself in”
but it was not use
*
the wolf came up to the second house and said ” medium pig, medium pig let me come in!”
” not by the hair on my head!”
” than i’ll huff and puff and blow in.”
but it was no use
* at the third house the wolf said “i’ll never come in by huffing and puffing! I’ll go though the chimney”
as jade heard this she ran inside and told the big pig
” i’ll put this think of boiling water in the chimney and he will drown.!”
and so they go the key.
~~~~~
and somebody think of a sixth fairy tale? the only one I can think of is billy goats gruff but thats to much like the three little pigs.
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50
Alice
in August 18th, 2007 @ 21:20“Great!” said Araminta. “How many keys do we have now?”
“How should I know?” asked Jade. “You’ve got them in your cloak pocket.”
“Oh.” Araminta looked sheepish. “Right. Yes. Well…” She reached into her pocket, and her expression changed. “Oh no,” she muttered. “Please tell me it’s not true…”
“What?” asked Jade sharply. “You didn’t lose them, did you?”
Araminta’s cheeks went scarlet. “I did have them!” she cried frantically.
Red Riding Hood watched with a puzzled expression, her eyes going from Araminta, to Jade, and back to Araminta. After a moment she spoke.
“What did you lose?”
Normally Araminta would have shut up then and there, but she was so distraught and the thought of losing her brother that she replied without think about it. “The keys!” she wailed. “The keys that open the cupboard at the end of the Isle! And the cupboard has the toadstools ((can we think of something else for this particular use? I think that since we already have the blue toadstools as the antidote to the poison well, then green toadstools just seems silly (not to be rude or anything, it just doesn’t seem right))) that will cure my brother!”
“Cure him from what?” asked Little Red Riding Hood curiously.
“His mind was stolen by a mind swapper,” said Araminta, sullen after her outburst.
“Well, said Red Riding Hood, “Grandma knows all sorts of things. Let’s ask her.”
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51
Alice
in August 18th, 2007 @ 21:39Okay, I’ll do the sixth one. I have been able to get much writing in lately. Let me see . . . Got it! I have a feeling these aren’t all Grimm, though . . .
~~~~
“Six keys,” said Araminta wearily. “We just need one more, and then we can restore Frank’s mind.”
~~~~
I’ll finish this later, it’s kind of hard since I haven’t any inspiration. But I will do it.
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52
the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 07:19what I have it!repuzel!
****
“o good fish, have you’ve seen a girl about my age?â€
“ sir I am a talking fish, an age-guessing fish. but I did see a girl a few days ago. you see this lake is a magic lake that will give you your wish.â€
“fine. I wish that I was with aramintia.â€
“ now jump in.â€
lucias and the dragon jumped into the lake.
****
they were moving quickly now because they had only two keys to find. they came along a tower. a 100 feet it when up. and on the side there was 100 feet of hair.
“ who are you?†asked jade
“ my name is repunzel! please save me! my in my cell are to keys! the witch that locked my in here put the real key and another key in my cell and the lock is on the outside! if you safe me you can get what every you what! for I am the queen of the souther part of the isle!â€
“ jade, fly up and get the two keys then fly back and give me the keys and then I’ll up and get her free.†said aramintia
“o.k.†said jade.
in about five minutes they had the queen free.
“ oh thank you! please what would you like?â€
“ that key ,miss†said jade “I think I know what it goes to.â€
“might as well!â€
*
and then they reached the end of the isle. they only had six keys.
“ and we are missing a key.†said jade when they got there.
“don’t worry miss.†said a man with a German accent. “ If you will just tell me you story I’ll let you have the last key. I’m Alfred Grimm. my brothers run a ferry company and write. of course I write all of them.†
and then they told him they story, and the story of the people the met.
“ this is a good story. mind if I tell my brothers about it. I’ll start writing to night. you shuld sleep.then in the morning I’ll let you unlock the green toadstool. is that a body?â€
“ so you noticed him? yes. his mind was stolen. thats why we need the toadstool.â€said jade
“ well see you in the morning. oh,and do you think that a fairytale would be a good tittle?â€
they all thought so and whet to sleep.
***
aramintia woke up first. she when over to Alfred and asked “how is the fairytale going?â€
“it’s done.â€
“can I see?â€
“sure.â€
“once upon a time there were tree pigs. the first pig made his house out of straw. the second pig …â€
“what is this!â€
“ the fairytale.â€
“ it all changed!†yell aramintia “ you’ve fractured the fairytale!â€
“it’s better this way!â€
“no it not! we are leaving after we get the toadstool!â€
they put there keys in the slots and got the toadstool.
outside the mindswapper was waiting for them
“hello miss I-will-not-let-you-take-this guys-mind!I will now get your mind!â€
a ray of light when out of the mindswappers forehead.
quick! clap to save jade!
nah, aramintia is did it.
sticking the green toadstool into the light path,aramintia freed all the minds that the swapper stole.
and then lucias came on the dragon,which wished to be larger.
“ha! now I will take you back to the king and get promoted!â€
~~~~~~
o.k. if you don’t like that last line cut it.
so we need it desided what thing to use. hmm.
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53
Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 11:55We could use an Emerald.
And what do you man by, “And then Lucias came on the dragon, which wished to be larger”? We’re not doing the wishing yet. But we can fix that in the edit. Oh wait, I get it. Never mind.
Let’s snip the last line, and I will continue.
~~~~~~~
Araminta gasped when the dragon materialized in front of her, with Lucias on its back.
“What are you doing here?” she yelled. “Go away!”
Lucias jumped nimbly down from the dragon’s back. “Hello, Princess,” he said, smiling charmingly. Araminta stared stonily back.
At that moment, Frank came tottering up the path from where they had left his body, and stopped when he saw his sister and the boy. “Araminta?” he asked, surprised. “Who’s that? Why are you here? Where is this?”
“That is Lucias. I am here because I wanted to be. We’re on Grimm’s Isle,” returned Araminta hurriedly.
Frank did not appear enlightened, but Lucias looked absolutely stunned. “Grimm’s Isle!” he sputtered. “Grimm’s Isle! What in the world possessed you to go there?”
“Here,” Araminta corrected him. “I am rescuing my brother. Now, if you would kindly go home, we can get back quite safely by ourselves.”
Here Frank, who had been trying to get his mind around what was going on, butted in. “We’re not going home,” he informed his sister. “We’re going to the well, so that I can become a frog.”
Araminta looked at him. “That’s what you think,” she said.
Frank sighed. He knew exactly how to get at his sister, though he didn’t like to bribe her. “Minch,” he said, “do you really want to spend your whole life tatting lace until you’re old enough to be wed? And then having suitors bowing all over you until you are wed? And then tatting more lace after you’re wed? Royalty is all a big bother, Minty. This is your chance for adventure.”
Despite the use of her most annoying nickname, Araminta hesitated. Her brother really did have a point. Before she could reply, Jade settled the matter.
“We’re going to the well,” she said firmly in her gravelly voice.
~~~~~~~
More later.
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54
Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 12:16Word count is 16,152. Without the expansion that this story so desperately needs. And we’re not even done.
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55
the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 13:47wait. the intro said that there was a noble woman who wanted to be a writer!look!
ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land far away, there lived a prince who — much to the consternation of his court and his subjects — wished with all his heart that he had been born a frog.
Once upon that same time, but in a land even farther away, there lived a young noblewoman who wanted nothing more than to become a scholar.
And again upon that time, because these things are always in threes, was a boy who could grant the wishes of the prince and the noblewoman, if only he knew he had the power.
will we be ‘riting about this or will we edit it out?
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in August 19th, 2007 @ 13:54You could save the other characters for sequels. “The Araminta Trilogy” — I like the sound of that.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 13:5455- I don’t know. It seems like we could just leave it in, and put a brief epilogue in the end mentioning what happened to them. That would be kind of amusing. Technically, we could write about it now, but it sems slightly irrelevant to the plot by this point. Do what you like.
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:03An epilogue would be fun. You could also mention the woodcutter and his daughter and quickly tie up a few other loose ends. I can see it now, starting in big embellished letters: BY THE WAY…
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:0556- Oh yeah. Good idea! Let’s do that.
Robert, will you pretty please write some more?
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60
the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:08hers what might happen:
****
of course alot of other things were happening in the world around that time. like the story of anna. pricsess rosanna. she was a smart girl. of corse, most girl are smart. but this one did not need to be taght. she was smart by nature. but she wanted to teach. of corse, she could not. so she decided to run away to an area that would let her teach. so she ran into the forest. she ment a boy who named —- who thaght her about dragons. then she set up a dragon vet.ecta…
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61
the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:14fogcet that post.I did not see posts 56-59
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:18Epilogue or sequels?
EPILOGUE
Pros:
Very fun to write
You can stick in various characters that never did much
Fits well with the mood of the story
Less writingCons:
Only one person can write it (or so we think. I think I have an idea if we end up using this…)
Less writingSEQUELS
Pros:
Potentially quite fun to write
We can use the extra characters that never did much
More writingCons:
Enormous possibility of burnout
Not every story needs a sequel
Do we have enough material?
Never ending story
More writingI don’t know. Epilogue seems better to me, I guess, despite my initial enthusiasm for the sequel, but sequels would be fun too. I just don’t relish the thought of drawing out yet another RRR until I feel like I never want to see the book again.
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the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:20oh,do you know what? lets get to that later. we could do it like this:
frank, the prince who wnted to be a frog: book one in the ? tirgey
it will finish up just as they start to meet a girl name:(girls name)
(name is blank): the princess who wanted to be a soclier
finshishs up with meeting a boy with frank
(boys name): the person who can bring the people draems come true.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:21I think that if we do the Epilogue, there will be a few characters, say, Snagglejaw, the dragon who lives on the glass hill, the woodcutter and his daughter, the noblewoman who wanted to be a scholar, and the boy who could grant the wishes of the noblewoman and Frank. Then each of the dedicated writers would pick a character or set of characters (th woodcutter and his daughter, namely), and write a short piece about what happened to them. These would b compiled to make an epilogue.
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the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:33i’ll go on with the first book and mybe finsh up.
~~~~~~
” no. listen to me.” said lucias. it was funney. it was a little kid yelling at a big prince ” you are coming with me. back to the castle.”
nobady heard him. for as he was talking there was a load bang . and a woman came out with a small fireball on one of her sholders and the handle of a wagon with about about a ton of books.
” hello” said the woman “my name is amy. do you know where I can find a boy who can make wishes.?”
if that does not work,oh shucks
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66
the man for aeiou
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:36I just read the new posts. o.k. an epilogue. a few more qustens:
will frank be a frog?
how long will this be?
how is frank not going to die with the posen at the end of the world?
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in August 19th, 2007 @ 14:51(59) Alice — I’m a little busy right now, and the story seems to be moving along all right without me. I usually just drop in when things get stuck.
(66) There’s only one way to find out. You’ll just have to keep reading and writing, won’t you?
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 19th, 2007 @ 16:5065- There’s only about three or four years difference, but whatever. I’ll continue off that, I guess. But I kind of wanted to put in the epilogue. Hey! I have an idea!
~~~~~~
Araminta was quite used to odd things happening by now, so she replied civilly, “No, I haven’t the slightest idea.”
The woman sighed. “Very well. I’ll have to keep looking, I suppose.” Then she disappeared again.
Frank and Lucias stopped gaping and returned to their argument. But they had lost momentum and after a few half-hearted, “No, you’re coming with me,” and, “No, I’m not”s, they gave up yelling and tried to negotiate.
“I’ll go with you once I’ve become a frog,” Frank said.
Lucias sighed. “If I let you become a frog, I don’t know what will happen to me. The best thing that could happen is that I’ll lose my job.”
“But he’s a Prince,” put in Araminta, “and since he’s a Prince, you can’t tell him what to do.” This was an argument she had used for herself many a time.
Lucias gazed at Araminta. “Technically, no,” he said. “But in this case, I have orders from your father, who can tell me what to do.”
~~~~~~~~
66-
1) Maybe. I hope so.
2) As long as it is when we’ve finished writing and editing. That is, very long indeed.
3) I honestly don’t know. We’ll come up with something.67- Alright.
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the man for aeiou
in August 20th, 2007 @ 17:50alice, please wrtie more! if you write something I’ll think of something to write.
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Jadestone
in August 21st, 2007 @ 14:45AHH WRITING. SOrry for abandoning you all, but, man, where did all this come from?!? The last time I stared woefully at this page there were 26 comments! Eep. Reading now.
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the man for aeiou
in August 21st, 2007 @ 22:5570- we’re out of the slup!
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 22nd, 2007 @ 11:56Yes. Sort of. Now if I can write more, despite my precarious keyboard position and my need to go do something else, everything will be nice and good.
~~~~~~~~~
How long this would have gone on is a mystery, but suddenly something happened–or didn’t happen. The Isle went deathly quiet. Not a bird sang, not a cricket chirped, not a leaf rustled. And beyond this ominous quiet was something more ominous by far.
“What’s happened?” Araminta asked nervously. The back of her neck prickled.
“I don’t know,” said Frank. “Something’s wrong. But what?”
It was Lucias who defined the source of the sudden unnatural quiet. He frowned slightly and tightened his grip on something beneath his cloak. Then he asked, “Wasn’t there a waterfall?”
Araminta sucked in her breath. Frank looked puzzled and worried. Jade let out a wail of despair.
“I knew it!” she cried. “I knew it, I knew it! I was so STUPID! Grimm’s Isle isn’t a cheery, happy, peaceful place and I’ve known it for six hundred years! How could I be so stupid!”
The three humans watched this outburst, their own quarrels forgotten, and finally Lucias built up the courage to say, “What’s the matter, what’s happened?”
“Yes,” Araminta chimed in. “What is it?”
Jade fluttered in agitation around her uncle’s head. “The Grimm’s Isle is a place of dangerous magic, even if it doesn’t look that way. We need to get off, now.”
~~~~~~~
I’m sorry to leave you all in suspense, but I have no idea what’s going on.
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Agrrrfishi
in August 23rd, 2007 @ 15:04Urmmm… I haven’t been on in a long time, and I’m not really filled in on the details, so I’ll try to write, but can Someone tell me what’s happened so far?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone kept deathly silent for a second, listening for any sound. When there was none, Araminta spoke. “How exactly do you plan to get us off? We’re at the end of the island(right?)and we left our boat on the OTHER side of the island. Plus, we have to find some way to get over the next water fal if we can’t get to the other side of the island before the magic here COMPLETELY implodes or some thing and we are blown to smithereens. So what do you suggest we do???!!!” Jade flitted her wings in an agitated manner.”I expect, La Princessa, that we will be able to build a raft out of something here, most likely tree trunks, and the thick vines on this tree should be enough to hold it together.
“But there’s just one problem” said Lucias. “How do we chop the trees and vines?” Jade smiled at him, and as she smiled, a horible wave came over Lucias.”Oh no, uh uh, no way. I will not use it.” Jade kept on smiling like a miniature devil with wings, and Lucias quailed under her stare.”Agh, pixies.” He pulled the thin stick of wood from under his belt, and with a firm slash of dark green sparks, ress fell neatly into a line, as vines coiled them into a raft. The thing itself was a sight to behold. Like the side of some huge log house, it cold have held more than fifteen of them. With a flick of his wand, Lucias set the raft onto the glistening shore, calling them all to ride.
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Alice
in August 23rd, 2007 @ 15:4573- Now now, Agrrrfishi, don’t you want to read the 5,000 words we’ve added since your departure?
(Back? Am I back? No, I’m procrastinating. And I don’t want to pack the perishables when we won’t be leaving for five hours and the day is boiling hot.)
Okay, so basically – wait, when did you leave? Found it. Okay. Deep breaths…
After you left, Lucias and Araminta flew off on the dragon. Lucias then revealed that he was actually working for Araminta’s father and he knew that Araminta was the princess. He sent her back to the castle with a bunch of guards. But they never reached the castle. Araminta escaped, and then realized that she had lost Emma. Oops. She met a talking fish who said that he could send her wherever she wanted to go (actually, it could give her anything she wished, but I want to change that because if that’s true then nothing is a problem anymore), and she went to be with Frank. Meanwhile, Frank had learned that to get to the well he had to go over three more waterfalls to get to the end of the world, and even when he got there the water was poisonous to all living creatures unless you ate a blue toadstool (also poisonous), and then a pound of toad eggs to counteract that. Frank was feeling miserable when a small green frog offered to switch bodies. It was a mind swapper and it stole Frank’s mind. Araminta arrived on the Isle and Jade informed her that her brother’s mind had been stolen. In order to get it back they needed to get something – I suggested an Emerald – which was locked in a box with seven keyholes. Or something like that. They went around the Isle collecting keys from fairy tale characters, and restored Frank’s mind. Lucias found the fish and came to the Isle. They quarreled, and then the Isle fell silent.
And that’s that! Whew!
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in August 23rd, 2007 @ 16:40(73) Hm, I’m starting to suspect that Jade has a sister named Feiht.
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76
the man for aeiou
in August 23rd, 2007 @ 16:55are we keeping post 73?I fine with it but it up to alice, the keeper.
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Alice
in August 23rd, 2007 @ 17:2375- What?
76- Yes.
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Agrrrfishi
in August 24th, 2007 @ 18:5974- WTC! You wrote THAT MUCH! I can hardly beleive it! But are they at the shore yet cuz i REALLY wawna write.
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the man for aeiou
in August 24th, 2007 @ 23:1478- and I joined!
~~~~
as they boarded the raft Fank knew were they were going: down a water fall. and then they fell. but they fell lightly, like they were been carried down. as they landed some one who the knew came forward.
“cindrella’s godmother?”
“and this?” said the person turning in to a cat.
“that woman!”
” and this?” turning in to a young woman
” anna!”
” and this?”
“jack.”
“and this?”
but this was not needed. jade decied to ask a question.
” who are you?”
goldy locks hair turned brown, her is brown, became more boy like and said “I am john. I am the son of the witch at the end of goose lane.I can do anything.” seeing franks face he added ” but not thing like humans in to frogs. sorry.”
and then that girl flash into the area agian.
” hello, john. can you turn me into a scholer?”
” nope. thing like that can be done at the end of the world’s fountain.”
” take me there.”
” now?”
“now.”
“I ‘m taking you with me.” he said,turning to the group.
“o… ” said jade but nobody heard her for they had started to go. they spun around and end up in a court yard.
” o.k. now were here,but how are we going to get are wishes?” asked frank” we’d die if we drink the water.”
“gumble.”
“chartres said his not a livingthing. he can wish that the water was not poison.” said jade
“o.k.”
then the girl wished that she was a scholar and as frank stepped up to the fountain he said “wait. If I wish I was a frog my father will hate me.”
“you could wish you could change betwwen the two.” said john
“o.k.!”
and then he became a frog.
“and I’ll wish we were back home.” said aramintia.
~~~~
so how do you like it? It need to be made bigger, tho.
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Agrrrfishi
in August 25th, 2007 @ 08:42Umm I want to make the waterfall just a little grander, and a little more dramatic, dontcha think? Oh, and leave Anna as she is, I’m prety proud of her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The menagerie of creatures took tentative steps toward the makeshift raft. It wasn’t like last time. Last time there had been a boat, a full-sides, float on the water boat. But now there was a couple trees. Araminta was last to step toward the raft. She shivered in the frigid spray, and was slow to get on.
“What’s the matter, Araminta?” Lucias asked.”I…I dont like rafts much…” she shuddered.”Come on, Princess. It’ll be all right, I promise. Here.” He held out a smooth hand and helped her onto the raft. She had to admit, she wasn’t as scared now, except when she thought that Chartres might break through the raft. Then she was afraid of what might happen to the pile of wood that they had begun to ride slowly up the river.
She could hear the edge coming, she knew it was there, and now there were no walls to hold them in. She felt Jade clinging tightly to the sleeve of her dress. Even Lucias and Frank seemed a little bit frightened. Lucias’ eyes were panicking around in his head, while Frank sat stock-still, not daring to look at what was happening. And then, Araminta felt the tip in her stomach that meant only one thing: They were going down.
It became apparent to Araminta as they fell, ears enclosed with the horribly loud sound of the falls and the others screaming, that this fall was terribly longer than the last one. But she had no more time to think as they neared the bottom. She found someone’s hand in the rush of water and grasped it. And then, they were submerged in the icy waters of the New Lake, and Araminta could not move, for the force of the waterfall upon her was too great. She sank lower and lower, still cluthing that hand, whose hand she did not know.She sank deeper and deeper, but using a trick Frank had once taught her, she squinted to see.
Everything under the lake was dark, and she could see only a circle of faraway light from the surface. She kicked hard with her legs, but her arm still clung to the hand. hse turned to see whose it was. It was Lucias, still by her side. He had promised they would be all right, but now… Now it seemed too late for him to be all right. His face was calm, the mouth closed, but she did not care. She was taking Lucias with her back to the shore.
She reached into his belt, and found that thin stick of wood still there. She pointed it at the surface and thought,rise, rise, rise,until she could actually feel herself and Lucias floating fast up to the surface. The freezing water rushed past them, as they gathered speed. Faster, faster, faster they went. And then suddenly, without warning except for the sudden sunburst, they broke the surface.
They were flying through the air so high and fast that Araminta could see the whole of the island that they were facing, and it was so magnificent that she could hardly beleive it. She looked down over thelush green tretops and sparkling pons, seeing birds soar above their forest homes. Then, still holding tight to Lucias’ hand, she pointed the wand downward. This, evidently, was a mistake. The two began hurtling towards the shore so fast Araminta could hardly see anything, let alone move the wand up again. But to her surprise they hit the shore as if it were a feather matress. Then, everything went black as she smiled.
When Araminta opened her eyes, she saw Lucias and the others standing there in front of her, all alive and looking at the peak of their health. She turned to Lucias.”I thought you were…” She couldn’t finish. He laughed. “So did I but luckily, anger can help you control my magic stick here.” He twirled the piece of wood and secured it back into his belt. “I guess we both saved each other’s lives, then. I got you out of the lake, and you made the round soft, even though I got knocked out.” She hugged him, then flung herself upon everyone else, even Jade, who squaled as she went down, as if she had been tackled.
But Lucias, although pleased that Araminta was all right, frowned. “Araminta, I… I didn’t make the ground soft.” Her face fell too. “Then… who?” At once, there was a rustling from the bushes near the crash site.” Who’s there?” Araminta called. “Show yourself!” said Frank.
“As the prince of the Far Realm commands” a voice said. And a yound man stepped out of the trees. His hair was bleached white-blond on his head, as it waved over a square-jawed face. His eyes were bright grey, and his skin was fair, despite the sunlight. He wore a green tunic and green hunting chaps, perfect for camoflauge with the woods. His cloak billowed behind him in a flow of brown, although there was certainly not enough wind to keep it where it was.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” Lucias demanded. The man laughed. “do you recognise me… now?” he said, and as he said this, he changed into a lady they knew very well by sight.”Cinderella’s godmother?” Araminta cried, but the person had already shaped into someone new.”That woman from the vault of paths!” Frank cried. As the figure nodded, it changed again into another form.”Jack!” Jade yelled. “Who are you REALLY, sir?” Lucias said. And the figure changed back into the boy.
“if you insist. I am John, son of the powerful witch in the crooked house, at the end of goose lane. I have the most powers than anyone else in the world, even you, Wizard of the Oaks.” He pointed at Lucias. “How did you…” he began to say, but the boy talked over him. ” I know everything about everyone” he said. He turned to Frank.”You are the prince of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to be a frog. However, my great powers can not grant you your one wish, or I would have done so and sent you home.” He turned to Araminta.”You are the Fair Princess of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to have an adventure, and get married perhaps someday.” Then he faced Jade.” You are an annoying sprite with a soft side, and that is your uncle who speaks few words, but knows more than he has told you all. Any questions?”
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the man for aeiou
in August 25th, 2007 @ 14:02“why have you been following us?” asked aramintia
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Agrrrfishi, Holder of the Diamond Keyboard
in August 26th, 2007 @ 08:55‘ll have to back that question up” said Lucias,and he took a tentative step toward the man.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in August 29th, 2007 @ 11:5178- Not quite that much. More like 3000.
80- There’s one thing wrong. Only one. Araminta wasn’t in the boat the last time. But we can just take out the parts that make it seem like she was, and we’ll all live happily ever after.
It was only later that Araminta realized exactly what the young man had said to her, and when she did she was shocked and reluctant to believe it. But at the moment, there was nothing in her but curiosity and a little bit of fear, that she pushed back, away, into the depths of her mind, and forgot about.
Now, John said, “And that is the one thing that I can’t tell you, not until the quest is done and by then, you will have found out for yourself.”
Araminta frowned, struggling against a tide of questions that threatened to burst out of her like a dam breaking. “I don’t get it,” she said finally. “Why is this so important? It’s just a half-mad search for a magic well. Why are you being so . . . SECRETIVE?!”
John looked unhappy. “I . . . You’ve got to succeed. It’s of the utmost importance.”
“Why?” Araminta demanded, stamping her slippered foot and really looking like the princess she was. Frank cast her an amused glance, but there was nothing amused about John’s expression.
“Because there’s a spell,” he explained, “on all the frog princes of the world. Princess kisses just don’t seem to work anymore, and at the same time, turning princes into frogs has become extremely fashionable among witches. So there are more and more frog princes, and less and less ways of rescuing them. But my tutor worked out that if a prince turned himself into a frog, and stayed that way, then the spells would break, and the princes would turn back into themselves, except the one that had turned himself into a frog.
“My tutor intended to find a prince and force him to turn himself into a frog, but then he got the flu, and sent me to do it. And by a miraculous stroke of luck, found a prince that actually wanted to be a frog! And I’m doing everything in my power to help him succeed.”
By the time John had finished his tale, Jade was doubled over in midair, silently snickering into the hem of her grey dress. No one else was laughing, though, despite the ridiculous nature of the story. Somehow no one dared to laugh.
“That girl!” Frank shouted suddenly, and everyone jumped. Jade stopped laughing. “That girl who was kissing the frogs,” Frank continued, more quietly. “Was she trying to break the spell?”
“Most likely,” said John. “But there’s always the possibility that she was just completely mad. There’s an oddball in every kingdom, and in one as big as yours, it makes perfect sense that there should be several. Back to your quest. Do you have any plans?”There. Do you like it?
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in August 29th, 2007 @ 13:22Love it.
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Ecila of the Blackberries
in August 29th, 2007 @ 13:2684- Thank you.
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TNÖ
in August 31st, 2007 @ 12:17I’m back!
Wow you guys added a lot.
~~~~~~~
“Um, no, not really.” said Frank. “Do you have any suggestions? I mean, seeing as how you’re, uh, doing everything in your power to help us succeed?”
John looked uncomfortable. “Well, about that. See, there’s this rule, of sorts, about helping with quests. We’re not… you know… allowed to help with the plans. Just protect the Questers.”
“Ok…”
“Now wait,” said Araminta. “Hold up just a minute. My brother has to drink from a poisonous well, then wish to become a frog, then eat a blue toadstool, followed by a pound of toad eggs! That’s impossible- even a large frog can’t eat a pound of anything!” She glared at John. “We need a plan to protect him from that, so to heck with your stupid rule and HELP!”
“On the contrary, Princess” John’s voice was scathing. “The prince in question needs only to become a frog for the spell to lift. Once he’s a frog, it doesn’t matter if he dies.”
Araminta was so stunned by his cold words and so furious with him already that she stepped up to John and slapped him across the face.~~~~~~~
So what happens now?
:idea:TNÖ:idea:
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the man for aeiou
in August 31st, 2007 @ 16:28I thought that charles could wish that the water was not posnian and he was not living so he would not die.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in September 1st, 2007 @ 02:1187- Who’s Charles?
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the man for aeiou
in September 1st, 2007 @ 12:1788-chartres. I keep spelling his name wrong.
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TNÖ
in September 1st, 2007 @ 12:1787- You mean Chartres?
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the man for aeiou
in September 1st, 2007 @ 12:2590- yes.
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TNÖ
in September 1st, 2007 @ 13:38So, Chartres would drink the wishing well water, and wish for it not to be poisonous… Then Frank could drink safely and become a frog… Huh. It has potential.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in September 3rd, 2007 @ 12:48Yeah, it does.
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the man for aeiou
in September 15th, 2007 @ 12:29“ow!”
” so you care if you get hurt, but not if frank if killed!?”
” well, he would only be a frog… ”
araminta slaped him again.
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Alice of the Blackberries
in September 16th, 2007 @ 18:16John staggered back, tears of pain rolling down his stinging cheek. Araminta put her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing fury and hatred. “You will NOT let my brother die,” she told him imperiously. “You will keep him from dying if you have to drink the water yourself. I mean it! And your stupid rule can go jump in the lake!”
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TNÖ
in September 20th, 2007 @ 16:40“You don’t understand!” he cried. “If I help, one of the Elder Witches will smite me with there wrath and curse me to float forever in spirit form upon this earth!”
“You’ll be turned into a ghost?” asked Frank skeptically.
“Yeah. I can tell you though that someone could theoretically wish the water not to be poisonous. That way Frank could safely drink. I’m not sure that really works, though.”
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Alice
in September 20th, 2007 @ 18:58There was a pause while this sunk in and while Araminta waited for John to be smitten down by an Elder Witch.
“It’s actually a very good idea,” said Frank.
“Except that someone else would have to drink the water first,” said Lucias.
“There is that,” agreed John.
“There’s GOT to be a way,” cried Jade, punching the palm of her hand with a tiny fist.
“See?” said Araminta crossly. “You haven’t been smitten down yet.”
Considerable confusion ensued.
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TNÖ
in September 24th, 2007 @ 08:33“So,” said Frank after the confusion died down somewhat. “The person who would drink the water would still be dying… but if they’re big enough to eat a pound of toad eggs, and we need to find said toad eggs along with the blue toadstool. So we should find the antidotes first, then head to the well. After which- who’s willing to drink?”
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the man for aeiou
in September 24th, 2007 @ 16:35“grumble”
” chartres says that he could. he can’t die, by the way. he just is petrifed, for a litle bit.” said jade.
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Alice
in September 24th, 2007 @ 17:03ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOOOOO! I have lost my draft of this story. Completely vanished. Poof. Gone. I asked Jade if she would send me the copy I sent her a while ago, but – just GRR.
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the man for aeiou
in September 24th, 2007 @ 21:27100- ha! I know this would come in handy! I’ll post the story so you can get it.
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the man for aeiou
in September 24th, 2007 @ 21:32ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land far away, there lived a prince who — much to the consternation of his court and his subjects — wished with all his heart that he had been born a frog.
Once upon that same time, but in a land even farther away, there lived a young noblewoman who wanted nothing more than to become a scholar.
And again upon that time, because these things are always in threes, was a boy who could grant the wishes of the prince and the noblewoman, if only he knew he had the power.
The reason the prince wanted to be a frog was this: one day, as he was wandering along the river bank, he saw a beautiful and quite mad girl, catching frogs and kissing them, then letting them go again. When he asked her why, she replied that she was hoping one would turn into a prince.
”Why,” said the prince, “I’m a prince! Look no further!” For he knew that his father’s best physicians could certainly cure her of her madness, and then they could be wed.
The girl looked him up and down, all the while being careful not to look behind him (he had said look no further, you know) but she shook her head and went back to catching frogs.
The experience made the Prince reflect that being a prince had a fair number of drawbacks. He had to spend his days eating food that wasn’t good for him, holding endless meetings and audiences with nobles who had nothing interesting to say for themselves, and governing people who didn’t much want to be governed. He also had to spend an inordinate amount of time grooming himself. Princes are required to be impeccably groomed. When he totaled up the number of hours a week he spent having his hair styled, his nails trimmed, and his clothes tailored and laundered and brushed and buffed, it made him want to scream. “Oh, for the life of a frog!” he exclaimed to no one in particular.
Actually, as he thought more and more on the subject, he began to realize just how much he didn’t want to be married, even. To think of all the planning and preparations that would be have to made for a wedding… and then spending so much time socializing and having those tedious, polite conversations with people he did not care about and did not care about him. As a frog, why, he would only come out when he wanted. And he wouldn’t have to bother with washing and making himself presentable and untouchable. An end to those horrid social gatherings… Granted, eating bugs would take some time to get used to, but small children did it all the time and didn’t seem any worse for wear.
Of course, there was the inevitable anguish over what sort of frog. He didn’t fancy being a tree frog, for instance. Never could stand heights. And he himself employed foresters, whose job it was to keep the trees trimmed and tidy, and keep the rides open so that he and his cronies could go on jolly trips into the woods. What if they inadvertently trimmed him? The awful possibility suddenly dawned that among the forest’s log piles and compost heaps – effectively HIS log piles and compost heaps, although he’d never paid them any attention – there could lurk the sad remains of trimmed frogs. He’d have to have a word with the foresters. But what would he tell them? Watch out for small, green, highly camouflaged frogs and make sure they don’t get trimmed? Just how long would it take to do a comprehensive frog check? Were there actually any tree frogs in his dominions anyway? He seemed to remember they were sort of tropical. So that was all right, then. Maybe he should just cancel his regular order for bananas.
So, a pond-based frog, then. Living a life of sloth and decadence in one of the castle’s ornamental aquatic extravagances. Yes, but – ponds are wet. He wasn’t really very keen on wet. He was rather used to being carted round in a big carriage. The coachman got wet, but he didn’t. He’d never been really wet, apart from bath night, but that was all warm and regulated, and hot milk and biscuits were available. He thought of a blustery, wintry night, when the howling wind rattled the shutters and the rain made sloshing noises on the portico because he’d STILL forgotten to tell old Albert to fix the gutters. Then he thought of all the frogs in that chilly pond, plopping their heads underwater to avoid the rain, which seemed pretty futile. No, maybe he’d remain a prince a while longer, until he’d identified a less hostile froggy environment. Besides, he’d pinned his transmogrification hopes on the witch at the end of Crab Lane. Everyone always thought she was a witch, but last month she started claiming she was the reincarnation of an ancient Sumerian astrologer, and standing on her head for no apparent reason. They’d put her in an institution, and she hadn’t escaped yet, so if she really was a witch, she couldn’t be very powerful. It didn’t bode well for the frog thing. On balance, thought the Prince, more consideration should be given to the matter. Further detailed planning was needed. He went off to find old Albert. At least the gutters were straightforward.
Over the next few days he took to splashing in the ponds, confusing the under-gardeners, frightening his parents, and disturbing the real frogs, until he thought that he could make it as a frog.
Now that he had made up his mind about it, all that remained was for him to figure out how to do it. So, he summoned the wisest man in all the land to help him.
The man’s name was Julian Perjorius. He was ninety-one and had traveled to every place worth mentioning, several places not worth mentioning, and at least one place that shouldn’t be mentioned even if one wanted to.
”How can I become a frog?” the prince asked.
Julian Perjorius was flabbergasted. “Why would you want to?”
”Never mind that. Do you know how I can turn into a frog?”
Julian thought he could bluff his way out of this, which was a serious mistake. “Of course! There are several methods. But a prince’s life is infinitely better than that of a frog. You shouldn’t even want to be a frog.”
”Well, I do. How do I do it?”
Julian Perjorius’s bald pate turned bright red, and he fumbled with the many amulets hanging around his neck. “Er… er…”
”Well?”
Julian Perjorius, of course, had no idea. He seized one last hope: to send the prince so far away that Julian Perjorius himself would be gone when the royal heir found out that he was a fraud.
”At the end of the world, the seas pour off in a great waterfall. In that waterfall is a rocky outcrop that forms an island. On that island there is a forest. In that forest there is a ruined castle. In that castle is a well. Drink from that well, and you will turn into whatever you wish.”
Julian Perjorius knew that the world was round, but he also knew that princes’ tutors weren’t paid enough to be accurate.
”Thank you!” the prince exclaimed, and he promptly ran off to grab his satchel.
”My dear son,” his deep-voiced father said solemnly. “Where are you running in such a grand hurry?”
”I’m off on a quest,” the prince laughed. “I’m going to become a frog!”
Before his parents could answer he had strode out onto the drawbridge and away he went.
The prince had gone to school since the age of five and knew that the world was not round, like the old man had said. He had studied arithmetic, literature and geography. His father always told him he would be a brilliant king, absolutely brilliant, and he believed it. His tutors would often give remarks such as ‘Wonderful job, Ferdinand!’ or ‘Absolutely remarkable, Frank!’ Frank was his nickname, and he did not like anyone calling him anything but. Still, the wise man was pretty wise, so Frank decided he might as well believe him. The prince was not one to miss out on opportunities, so he went off into the woods, not exactly knowing where he was going, but he would get to the end of the world one way or another. And with that, the prince set off into the wilderness.
Frank had never walked very deep into the woods before. He’d gone to the unicorn pasture with his sister many times but that was in a clearing just a five minute walk from the edge of the croquet grounds. And there was a well-maintained path.
But now he was in what felt like the wilderness proper. He’d passed the unicorns about an hour ago. He was trying hard to make progress but he wasn’t getting very far. The brush was thick and tree roots kept tripping him up.
Frank impatiently pulled aside a stubborn branch. He was beginning to wish that he’d brought along the sword his father was always after him to practice with. It might not have been much use, since he hated the thing and could barely hit anything with it, but it didn’t take much skill to whack blindly ahead.
Yank. Rip. Yank. Rip. Yank. Frank forged ahead, until suddenly there was nothing in front of him but a small green pool. Unprepared for this sudden freedom, he very nearly fell in and managed to save himself by grabbing onto a rock.
Which promptly unfolded under his fingers and bit him in one of the scratches he’d already gotten.
”You are grabbing a lady!” it screeched, in a rusty gravelly voice. “Where were you brought up, to have learned such manners?”
Frank was so surprised that he did fall into the water. It was cold and clear, and Frank swallowed a good deal of it before he surfaced. The lady who had spoken wasn’t, in fact, much of a lady. She had dark skin, riddled with pockmarks, a tattered dress, and messy grey hair. And she was about seven inches tall.
”You’re a rock fairy!” he said in surprise. Of all the thousands of rocks he could have grabbed in this horrible forest, it had to be a rock fairy.
”And you’re very rude and very lost, though I should hope that wasn’t your answer to my question,” said the fairy, crossing her spindly legs and sitting at the bank of the pool.
”What question?” asked Frank, sucking his bitten finger.
”Where did you learn your manners?”
Frank shrugged. “My tutors, mostly. They didn’t have very good manners themselves.” He stood up, and the water only reached to his knees. Luckily for him, he was very used to being wet by now, or he might have to decided to go home right then and there. Remembering that frogs didn’t stand up, he sat down again. The rock fairy watched him with interest.
”You humans are quite unfathomable,” she observed. “A few minutes ago, you seemed eager to be somewhere else, though you weren’t getting there very efficiently. Now you’re not going much of anywhere at all. If you had more sense than most mortals, it might occur to you to ask directions from someone who has lived in these woods since pebbles were boulders and mounds were mountains. But I don’t suppose it will.”
”Well, you see,” said Frank rather thoughtfully, “I don’t really know where I’m going myself.” He paused and thought for a bit about whether or not he should go about telling rock fairies, albeit slightly annoying ones, about his desires to become a frog. Sighing, he began to think that she might, after all, know how one goes about becoming a frog and it might be within his interest to tell her when she spoke up again.
”It’s not my habit,” the rock fairy said, “to offer advice to those who almost certainly won’t benefit from it. I probably ought to wrap myself back up into a cobble and let you fend for yourself.” She frowned and rested a cheek on one of her blocky fists. “On the other hand, things have been dull around here for the past eon or so, and they say a good deed is never wasted. So.
”Off some ways in that direction,” she continued, gesturing with her chin, “stands a castle hewn of very high-quality red granite. Lovely stone; I watched it cool. A king and queen live there, doing whatever mortal kings and queens do.
”In that direction”–she gestured again–”the woods soon give way to low hill of pure glass, a geological anomaly, on top of which a dragon makes his home. I don’t know how he would react if you went there, but he’d probably eat you.
”Should you choose to remain in the woods, the only mortals you are likely to meet are a woodcutter and his daughter. At first I mistook you for one of them. Humans all look more or less alike to me.
”And apart from staying in that pond, which, of course, you’ve managed to find for yourself, I’d say that just about exhausts your options.”
”What about that direction and that direction?” asked Frank, pointing to the only places that the rock fairy hadn’t gestured to.
”Well, both of those ways keep you in the woods for too long to actually constitute going out of it, but that way leads to a nice stone wall, been there for years, and the other way leads to the end of the world, or so I’ve been told. Of course,” she answered with a sniff, “everyone knows the world is round, so-” but whatever she said next was wasted on Frank, who was no longer there.
Frank began walking in the direction of the rock fairy’s gesture, and was beginning to wonder if she was right. So far he’d not seen anything, but then he decided not to complain, as the end of the world must be very far away. He walked and walked and found some interesting looking berries, which he promptly ate, not caring much as to whether they were poisonous or not. His tutors had never taught him much useful stuff, only Latin and math, which he knew very well, and how to answer questions of moral and to rule justly. It was all very boring in his mind. He occupied his time walking by thinking of everything that he could that began with either a, m, or q. He eventually came up with a very long list, until he was stopped by a very tall, and very ugly, monstrous beast.
Well, it appeared to be a hideous monster. So much so that he fell to the ground with a cry, shielding his face with his arms so that when it leapt out at him, well, no use thinking about that. If only he had had his sword…well, it probably wouldn’t be much use actually, but it would give whoever found his body the impression that he had put up a fight. Much more noble a way to die. Instead of ripped to shreds or eaten, as he was surely about to be…
But this was taking a rather long time, wasn’t it? He peeked through his fingers. The monster stood there, impassively. He put his arm down. The monster still made no move. He got up, brushed some dirt off his trousers, and examined it. It was, in actuality, a gargoyle. A rather lifelike one, admittedly, but nothing more than stone.
Was it? He warily eyed it, and kneeling he pulled a stick off the ground. He wasn’t going to risk touching it himself, no, he’d heard enough of the old bed time stories. He crept, advancing towards the beast. Or not-beast, or whatever the proper term was. He narrowed his eyes, quickly prodded the thing, and leapt back with a gasp.
The gargoyle stood there. Still. He frowned. This is beginning to become a slight waste of time… he thought to himself. Now what?
Frank was interrupted from his contemplations of just what one should do in order to figure out if what appears to be a gargoyle actually is a gargoyle rather abruptly by two almost simultaneous events. The first was the rock fairy who, having seemingly recovered from her bad mood after being left, hurtled into him at a rather fast speed shouting in a somewhat annoying high pitched voice. The second was that the seemingly still gargoyle yawned. Both of these things startled Frank to the degree that he jumped quite a bit in the air, much to the annoyance of the rock fairy.
”Must you jump so? It’s rather bothersome… Where did you say you learned your manners from, again?”
”But, that gargoyle he… yawned!”
”Well, gargoyles get tired too, you know. Sitting in the same spot all day must be boring,” the rock fairy said while sticking her tongue out at the gargoyle who promptly stuck his out at her, “He’s my uncle, you know.”
”You’re UNCLE?!”
”Why yes, it’s not that unusual…”
”They really don’t teach you much, Your Royal Wosserface, do they?” asked the fairy, settling herself on the shoulder of the gargoyle. “What are you doing here? Uncle, I’m old enough to take care of my own woods.”
The gargoyle made a sort of guttural hum. The fairy responded with a higher-pitched noise that sounded like a rock hitting a wall.
”My name is Frank,” said His Royal Wosserface, though he suspected this was rather irrelevant.
”And mine’s Jade. And his is Chartres. What’s your point?” Jade grumbled.
”Er…nothing.”
”You mortals are so confused,” said Jade, exasperated. “Not to mention rude.”
Frank considered answering as a frog would, but thought better of it and remained silent. So did Jade. So did Chartres.
After several very quiet minutes, Frank said, “I really must be continuing on my quest now. Thank you for the directions.” For he was determined to be polite after the Jade’s last comment on his manners.
”Oh, you’re on a quest,” said Jade. “Why didn’t you say so?”
”Why, I’d love to come on a quest with you!” Jade exclaimed. “And so would Chartres.”
”Well, I wasn’t really asking you,” said the prince.
After an hour of arguing and debating, Chartres and Jade won out and so the prince was stuck with them till he became a frog.
Jade talked and talked for hours on end. Chartres remained silent, and took such tiny steps; Frank could barely see him move his feet, yet he still kept up with them.
”You want to be a frog?” asked Jade after a few hours.
”Did you just now realize that?” Frank asked, laughing.
As the unconventional group headed deeper into the woods, the Prince had the mounting feeling that there was a sinister mood among the local flora and fauna. All the trees were gnarled, and there was not a bird in sight.
A long time passed before the group came along anything else especially exciting. Jade was still talking when they came to a huge green wall. No, it was not huge. It was gigantic! Enormous! Ginormous!
”I guess we have to walk around,” said Frank. And so they started walking, and walking, and walking, and walking. What is this place? the Prince thought. He could hear quiet music playing on the other side of the wall, but as far as he could tell, there was no way in.
But after a few days of rounding the green wall, Frank realized they must have been going in circles, and he was all worn out.
”What are we going to do, guys? I can still hear people on the inside, but this wall is solid.â€
Meanwhile, back at the castle, the Queen was quite out of sorts.
”It’s OUTRAGEOUS,” she boomed. “A quest? At his age? Anything could happen to him. Why, at this very moment he could be lying by the roadside with his throat cut by brigands.”
”Now, Hortense,” the King replied mildly. “I’m sure nothing like that has happened.”
They were in their after-dinner throne room. The jesters and minstrels, sensing that their presence was not needed, had tiptoed off to bed about half an hour earlier. Nearby, in a low chair, Frank’s younger sister, the Princess Araminta (“Minty” to her parents when she was in their good graces, which at the moment she was not, and “Minch” to Frank when they were trying to annoy each other, which was most of the time), sat frowning into her tatting. “Oh, no,” she said half to herself. “I’m sure he’ll come hopping back home just in time for breakfast.”
”This is not a matter for jokes,” the Queen snapped. “Your brother is the heir to the throne. Who will rule the kingdom if anything should happen to him?”
Araminta tatted another stitch. She hated tatting. “I’ll rule,” she said quietly.
”And of all things, a FROG,” the Queen continued. “It’s unheard of. Why couldn’t he do something conventional–swap places with a commoner, or run away to sea, or turn Turk, or something? Why this fixation on becoming a cold, slimy amphibian?”
”No comment,” Araminta muttered.
”There’s nothing at all to worry about,” the King replied, forcing a smile. “This sort of thing happens all the time. Why, most young men at some point go through a fascination with herpetology. At his age I myself–” The sentence withered under the Queen’s glare. “Well, no, I never did. But it will pass, I’m sure of it.”
The Queen clapped her hands together. “I’ll not have it,” she said. “Such irresponsible behavior must not be tolerated. Tomorrow at first light we shall send out as many horsemen as we can muster to fetch the prince back to the castle and teach him to do his duty.”
In the dead of night, Araminta slid out of bed and dressed in the dark, afraid to light a candle lest she wake someone. She tiptoed out of her bedchamber and through the cold and stony halls. The proper way to go about it would have been to tear up her sheets and make a rope out of them, but then it would have taken far too long to leave, and likely she would have been discovered and given new sheets, and have to start all over again.
When Araminta came to a thick wooden door, she opened it carefully and silently. Normally doors like this would creak as they were opened, alerting everyone to her presence, but the old librarian, Robert, kept it in good shape. He was her favorite out of the castle staff, and she often came to the library when she couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t tell her parents, and maybe he could help her find a way out and to her brother.
As Araminta expected, the library was lit with dozens of candles. Robert often got so absorbed in his scholarly projects that he worked all night and slept during the day. The aroma of melting beeswax mingled with the familiar smells of oaken bookcases and worn leather bindings. As Araminta entered the room, the old librarian looked up from a desk at which he had been inspecting a pile of dusty parchments. “Ah, your Royal Highness,” he said with a smile. “Such a pleasure to see you at any hour. I’ve been expecting you. How can I be of service?”
Araminta hesitated. Expecting her? How? But there was no time for puzzles. “I need your help,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “There’s something I need to do. It’s very important, and it has to be done right away. It concerns–”
”His royal highness, your brother the prince,” Robert finished for her, nodding slightly. “A search party has been ordered to set out just after daybreak. The grooms will be saddling the horses soon. I take it, however, that you have plans of your own.”
Araminta nodded enthusiastically. “I’m going after him.”
”So I surmised,” the librarian replied. “Might I ask why, when their majesties your royal parents have already ordered their most accomplished men of arms to find him?”
Araminta snorted. “Because I want to have an adventure too. It isn’t fair that he gets to go on a quest, and I have to tat lace.”
”But he doesn’t ‘get’ to go on a quest. Why do you think the men of arms have gone after him?”
”Well, he still went on one. So I will too. Just because he’s a boy and older than me doesn’t mean he can have adventures and I can’t. Anyway, he wants to be a frog? I would do better than that with my quest.”
Robert seemed annoyed with her, any reaches, and he began to twiddle his fingers in an anxious way.
”But.. Does it not seem… dangerous for a small girl to go on such a tall order of a quest? Why not start smaller, like pulling a golden ball out of a stream, or helping to match a maiden to her lost glassy high-heel?”
Araminta frowned in a manner that made Robert feel pressed to put an abrupt end to the conversation, but of course with him being right, and the princess being quite wrong.
”I have barely ever left the castle, and I want an adventure too. Besides, do you know how humiliating it could be to have a frog as a BROTHER? Having him eat off of a plate and be sitting on your pillow because he helped you with some sort of petty task? And then, the girl who wanted to marry him would have to kiss him on slimy pondswaterry lips! That would be disgusting! I believe that he could do something better with his time than go looking for someone who could amphibitize him.”
Robert sighed. “All right, all right,” he said, “what is it that you want from me, exactly?”
Araminta turned her most confident smile upon the librarian. She knew that when he sounded most crotchety, he was ready to provide her the assistance he’d intended all along.
”I’m sure you’ve studied enough books to know that as my Magical Helper you’re supposed to present me with a talisman of some sort to help me succeed in impossible tasks no one could possibly have predicted. Then you give me a strict warning of something I absolutely must not do or face dire consequences, so that, of course, I can be sure to do it at the earliest opportunity.”
Robert was already removing a leather-clad box from a drawer Araminta didn’t remember noticing before. The box was tooled all over with arabesques of thorny vines and curling leaves she didn’t recognize. Nor could she make out the letters of what she presumed to be the title. The box smelled of age and travel and deep promises. Feeling a little awed in spite of herself, Araminta quickly recovered her poise.
”But if you dare give me a magical tatting shuttle, I will never speak to you again.â€â€¨Robert smiled, now somewhat amused. “No, I didn’t intend to do so, my lady,” he said with a slight edge to his voice, and with an amazing flourishing gesture of his smooth hand, he removed the adorned lid of the glimmering box.
”EEEEEEEEK!”
An ear-piercingly loud voice came out of the box. It sounded like someone scratching their fingernails on a chalkboard.
”EGADS! WHAT IS THIS PLACE? WHERE’S ROBERT? AAAAAH! HEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEE! I’VE BEEN STOLEN!” the voice from the box screamed. Araminta was so surprised and scared she dropped the box, but caught it right before it hit the ground.
”AAAAAAAAAH! MURDER! MURDER! I WAS ALMOST MURDERED! ARREST THIS GIRL! SHE TRIED TO MURDER ME! WHERE’S ROBERT?” screeched the voice, getting more irritating by the second. Araminta tried to close the box, but she couldn’t- it was as if the box was pushing itself open. The old librarian calmly walked over and said in a quiet and kind voice, “Shh. Calm down.” The box, upon hearing this, quieted immediately. “Araminta,” Robert said, “I would like to introduce you to your magical talisman, Emma.”
For a brief moment, Araminta could only stare. Then she said, “What? What do you mean? Talisman? How will it…er, she help me on my quest?”
Robert smiled, and reached a hand gently into the adorned box. Instantly, an ear-piercing scream lit the air. “OW! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? ROBERT? EEEEEE!”
”Relax, Emma, everything is fine”, said Robert, and he pulled from the box a long silver staff. It was crisscrossed with golden leaves, like the box, and at the top, held in by tight brass vines, was a crystal ball about the size of a very large tennis ball. And in the ball, swirling amidst white smokes was a face. It was a pretty face, that of a woman. She had flowing raven-black hair, emerald oval eyes that glinted sharply, a straight nose, and a full mouth. “WHO IS THAT?” cried the woman. “ROBERT! Who is she?”
Araminta looked at the face in the ball in surprise, and even a little fear. But just as she settled down for a moment, the ball screamed, rattling the candelabras, tremoring the books in their shelves, and nearly bowling Araminta over.
”WHY. IS. SHE. IN. HERE! MAKE HER LEEEAVE ROBERT!”
Robert gave Araminta an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry,” he said,” but I didn’t know she would be this cranky. She is normally very sweet, you know.” Araminta highly doubted this. Her eardrums were still ringing with the sounds that had just filled the room as Robert spoke softly to the lady in the orb. “Now, now, Emma, I know it’s been almost a hundred year nap, but this is Araminta, the princess, and she needs your help on a … mission of sorts.” The lady, upon hearing this, smiled broadly, which was the very last thing Araminta had expected her to do. “Well, well! This certainly is a special turn of events, now isn’t it? I would be honored to help you, but first I need a little something in return.” “And.. What is that, Madame?” asked Araminta as politely as she could.
Emma, the lady in the ball, grinned even wider. “I just need a favor… Do you know where the Warden of the West is?”
Araminta shook her head no. “I’m afraid I haven’t been acquainted, madam. You see, I haven’t ever been far from the castle, and…”
The lady cut her off. “I am sure that IF we are REALLY going on a REAL quest, she’ll pop up sooner or later, and when she does, I will need to speak with her about certain matters.” Emma peered around to make sure there was nobody else lurking in the shadows of the shelves, and then said, “What… exactly are we doing?”
Araminta smiled happily, because this meant that surely she would get to go on her quest now. “We are going to rescue my brother the prince. He wants to be a frog, but my father won’t let him. He’s run away to be one, and my father is ending his best knights after him, but we are going to beat them to him.”
”Well, then,” said Emma, “what on earth are we waiting for? Dawn, when the knights will be leaving?”
Robert nodded. “She’s right, you know. You’d better leave right away if you’re going at all, which I don’t encourage. But I suppose I can’t stop you, can I?”
”No, you can’t,” said Araminta.
So began a rather long journey, though the talisman – Emma – was usually very hard to conceal, as she was rather grouchy.
All too soon Araminta found herself in the true wilderness, the forests which knew no paths, civilization, and certainly no royalty. And she was stuck with what had t o be the most obnoxious talisman the world had ever had the great misfortune to know. Or not know, as the case may be.
Araminta had always thought of herself as more mature and practical than Frank – didn’t the whole I-want-to-be-a-frog thing prove it? However, when she walked headlong into an enormous spider web, she totally lost it. Screaming, kicking – the whole nine yards. A full blown tantrum, really.
”Oh, come on!” cried Emma. “You’ll wake up the spider, or whatever nasty creature made this web. And then where will we be? It’ll eat you, and I’ll be stuck here forever!” While Araminta wasn’t sure Emma would be lost forever, she had to admit that she had a point. Giant nasties weren’t something to be messed with.
But Emma’s warning had come too late, for the spider was creeping down the web towards the rather unfortunate duo.
Araminta screamed again, and unsurprisingly, so did Emma. They didn’t have to worry about waking the spider, as it was already awake. After several seconds, Araminta had to pause for breath, and suddenly realized that the spider was coming very, very slowly. If she ran quite fast, perhaps Araminta could get away before she was captured and sucked dry. However, she didn’t think about why the spider was moving so slowly . . .
The spider, evidently thinking only to itself, was moving quite quickly toward the two at first, when only suddenly, he noticed a slight movement and then a sharp jolt to his legs. This jolt had no color or sound, but it slowed down the hampered spider so much that it could barely move, much les reach its’ prey.
Araminta pulled herself hard backwards, and almost at one, she and Emma were free. Araminta ran, as hard and fast as her legs could carry her, off into the farther deep of the woods. Soon she was so tired that she collapsed heavily on the dirt of the forest floor. The earth felt soft and cool under her sweating cheeks. But just as she was about to get back up, something made a slight noise behind her, as if a stick had cracked. Araminta’s head spun around. “Who’s THERE?” she asked slowly and cautiously. And all at once, a shape stepped gingerly out of the dark black foliage.
A figure, tall and semi-muscular looking, had crept out of the trees. It was a man, not older than Araminta herself. He had thick, wavy raven black hair. His eyes were dark, but full of light and played with a smile on them. He had a thin face with a small pointed nose and a strong chin. He wore a dark green tunic and trousers, and was shrouded in a thick black cloak with a hood, and on his belt was a thin strip of wood. It was embroidered carefully with carved rope-like designs, and at one Araminta knew what it was. It was a wand.
”Hello”, said the man, who smiled at her like a long lost friend. “I am Lucias. What is your name?” Araminta stuttered for a moment, not sure what to say. “I…I… I am, er… Minty, a dairy maid in the village.” She felt so bad to lie to this boy, but he was an outsider. She owed him nothing so far, and if he knew she was the princess, he might send her back to the castle. “I… traveled into the woods looking for my pet… frog. He escaped you see, and I love him dearly, almost like a brother.” She paused, now not sure what to say. What if her brother wasn’t even a frog yet? The man grinned even more broadly. “Ah, a quest. I too am on a quest. I am looking for the prince. He has evidently run away to become a frog, and the king has sent me and other knights and … never mind… to come after him. Maybe… I could help you search for your frog, and you could help me search for mine?” She liked this man already! Why, they even thought alike! But… why did he carry such a precious wand? As if he could read her mind, Lucias pulled his cloak over his belt, offering her his arm. “So, my lady,” he said, “what will it be?” His smile… It was like a sunbeam on her face.
She answered, “I would be delighted, sir.” He grinned happily.
”Then… lead the way, miss.” She took his strong hand and they began their way into the deep foliage, like two old friends, rejoined on the same path.
Meanwhile, the Prince and his stony companions were sitting in front of the green wall. It was not green in the truest sense, but it was covered with moss and ivy, which, combined with the dim light, made it look rather as though it were carved out of an opaque green stone.
On an impulse, Frank stood up and went over to it. Jade took the opportunity when he wasn’t looking to snatch some of his bread, and found that it wasn’t quite as good as it looked, being quite stale.
Frank was scratching away at the moss, in the hopes of finding a door or something, but so far he had had no luck.
Jade said, “Yuck,” and Frank turned around.
”Hey!” he cried. “You’re eating my lunch!”
”It’s stale any-” began Jade, but suddenly the ground opened up and swallowed Frank whole.
People often wish that this would happen when they are embarrassed or bored. Frank was no exception, and indeed, he had probably wished it more than anyone, what with being a Prince and all. But this was something entirely different.
For one thing, he wasn’t being humiliated. For another, this was not at all what he’d imagined the ground swallowing him up would feel like. It was more like falling down a long vertical tunnel, without the tunnel sides around him. So more like falling into a very high-ceilinged cavern.
Very, very, high-ceilinged, since he hadn’t hit the ground yet. Maybe even bottomless.
It suddenly occurred to Frank that he was analyzing what it felt like to be swallowed by the earth. That was so utterly strange that he began to laugh. His laughter echoed around, confirming his suspicions that he was in a cavern. But it was odd how long he’d been fa-
BLAM! The large blast echoed like an earthquake around the round tunnel. It shook the dirt crusted around Frank, who shook and vibrated horribly like a piece of spaghetti when you hold it loosely between your fingers and give it a gentle, firm tug. To Frank, there seemed to be no place from which the horrible rumble had come from, but as he pondered, he suddenly realized that he was nearing the…
THUD. Frank hit the musty-smelling floor of the pit with a sickening crunch. This dreadful drop might have killed him, but, as luck might have it, there was something under him that had broken his fall. He picked up one of the long thin objects to inspect it, but he threw it down immediately with a shuddery gasp. It was a long, thin mouse bone covered with caked blood and thick moss. As Frank peered haphazardly around the pit, he saw that there was a layer of these bones about three feet thick, covering the dirt of the ground. Disregarding this unpleasant sight, Frank peered around at the walls of the pit and gasped.
The walls were not so much walls as they were entrances to tunnels. There were about eight large, gaping holes around the circular chamber, each leading into a thick blackness. He could not see beyond their depths too far, but did observe that there was a torch on a plinth near the entrance of each large tunnel opening. Frank knew that somehow, one of these tunnels must lead out of the hole. He had no idea how, though. The opening through which he had fallen was so far up, it looked no bigger than the head of a bobby pin from his point of view. He was determined to get back to Jade, though, so he took a deep breath and stepped to the entrance of the first tunnel.
”I should mark my place, so I know I’ve been here,” he said to himself. “That way, I won’t choose this tunnel again.” He took two small mouse bones and placed them in an X at the start of the tunnel. Then, picking up the torch from the plinth, he struck it sharply against the stone wall of the first tunnel. The flame lit almost instantly, providing a narrow beam of light into the cavernous passage. He took another calming breath, gathered his last remaining pints of courage and stepped bravely into the tunnel.
It seemed to him that he walked for a very short time before he reached a wall at the end of the tunnel. There seemed to be no other way out, so he turned around and went the other way. He found himself once again in the cavernous room. He decided to choose another tunnel at random. He walked over to the black entrance to the fifth tunnel. He made an X with two bones once more, and placed it at the tunnel’s mouth. He then proceeded into the tunnel.
This tunnel was different. He walked for a long, long time, as the tunnel twisted and turned this way and that, this way and that. Suddenly, the tunnel stopped, and there was another opening immediately to Frank’s right. It suddenly occurred to Frank that the only way anyone could go through the cavern by abrupt turns was into the next tunnel. Now he must be in the sixth tunnel. He turned left at the moment he entered the next tunnel, and continued walking on his sore feet, walking, walking, until…
His torch blew out as a snuff of hot air flew unceremoniously past him. The air was moldy and smelled of snot, and…wait a minute! He was in a tunnel, how could there be a wind?
Then he saw a small yellow light far into the tunnel. He began to run, fast and furious, toward the light. He ran and he ran, and then, suddenly, the light shone bright, so he could see around him.
Sitting on a stump of a small log was a dark gray cat. Beside its’ flicking tail was a shuddering lamp flame in a small lantern. Now he knew what had eaten all of those would be mice whose remains had broken his fall. And floating by the cat, her wings fluttering, was…
”Jade!” Frank yelled with excitement. He ran over to her and the cat, whose beady eyes now flickered onto the pair of them. “How did you find me?”
”Easy,” said Jade happily. “I flew after you, and chose this tunnel while you were probably in a different one. Then I met…” Her face paled. “Oh, no! I forgot! Frank, we… we have to get out of here right now!”
”I’ll say you do,” said a voice, and as the pair turned to face the sound, the cat on the stump began to change. The eyes grew to become large and green in sockets surrounded by a wrinkled old face. It was surrounded by lank grey hair, the exact color of the cat fur. The woman’s dress was also grey, the color of the old stone walls, and was torn and ripped in several places. She spoke once more, saying, “The pet will be after you two. You have trespassed upon my land, and so he will devour you, as he has many of your fellows. It’s a shame, but I fear that it must be done. Nobody can know where I am.”
”Why’s that?”, Jade asked. “Never you mind,” the old lady groaned. “He will find you. He will, he will…” And with that, the woman fell to the floor. Her limp form became a gray cat once more, and the cat began to snore, letting out gusts of wind so large they were like small hurricanes.
”WE better get out of here,” Frank said hurriedly, and the two began to run down the tunnel. But as they reached the atrium point, they realized there was something wrong…
Something large and black was on all fours in the middle of the atrium. It was a beast that was so great and hairy, you could barely tell what it was. It was encased in coarse hair that when they collided with Jade as the paw of it swept toward them, it was as though made of strips if nail.
The giant padded paw swept then both off of their feet and into a corner against a wall. But they were swift. Fast as lightning, they ran down the last tunnel. The beast’s paw flew in after them, swatting after their retreating backs, but it couldn’t go too far. Jade and Frank sat huddled against the wall, watching the great hairy appendage swipe against the bricks only feet away from them.
”We have to get out of here,” Jade said softly. “I have an idea.” She and Frank crept along the passage just as the paw pulled back out of the tunnel. Jade reached into her pocket suddenly, and pulled out a small bottle full of a shining blue liquid. She popped the top and handed it to Frank. “Here, drink this,” she told him. “It’s a one-hour shrink potion. Just drink a drop. We only need ten minutes.” Frank carefully put a tiny drop onto his tongue. He felt himself growing smaller… smaller, and then he saw Jade fluttering above him. “Now climb into my hand,” she instructed. Frank did, and then they had reached the tunnel’s mouth. Then, without warning, Jade flew out of the opening. The dog let out a rattling howl, and spiped at her with all his might. But Jade was faster. She flew fast and furious up the tunnel. But the dog took a leap and stuck his caws deep into the wall. The bricks and dirt caused a rumbling avalanche under the dog. He kept climbing up the wall, jaws snapping at Jade. She screamed as one tip of a sharp incisor scraped he leg, but then they had flown swiftly out of the tunnel and into the light. Jade’s wings finally gave out, and the two, with Frank grown to his normal size, fell hopelessly to the ground.
Now that Frank had really been swallowed up by the earth, he wasn’t keen to do it again, and so, like so many silly humans, wrapped his arms around a tree trunk and refused to budge, no matter what Jade threatened to do to him. So now Jade and Chartres were examining the wall with some interest.
It didn’t really look like a wall, and it didn’t sound hollow. It was more reminiscent of a glass hill Jade’s cousin’s friend’s uncle’s mother had supposedly stumbled on once than a natural formation or man made object.
Presently Frank decided that he could venture from his tree and rose to join his companions. He was some distance away and, now that he focused on the wall, he realized that he somehow recognized the shape… Though he couldn’t think where. Rounded, oblong, and smaller at one end… Yes, that was it. The wall looked like an egg.
If it was an egg, then it must have been sitting there a good while, for all that moss to grow on it, he thought. Therefore, it is in no danger of hatching, breaking, etc. and we are perfectly safe.
Naturally he didn’t feel perfectly safe, because if he had, he wouldn’t have bothered to go through the likelihood of its safety in his head. He edged over to Jade and Chartres, carefully keeping a firm hold on one tree or another all the while. “I think we should go,” he said nervously.
”Why on earth do you think that?” asked Jade, who was fascinated by wall/hill/egg and not at all afraid of being swallowed by the earth.
”Because that thing is an egg. And even though I’m certain it won’t hatch or break while we’re here, because of all the moss, I still think we should leave, because if it did hatch or break-” he suddenly realized he was babbling, and shut up.
”Oh,” said Jade, even more fascinated. “So it’s an egg. And it’s been here long enough to grow moss. Hmm.”
”Hmm?” quavered Frank. He didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”
”I mean that the only egg that takes that long to hatch is a dragon egg.”
Frank, having been swallowed by the Earth and rescued with a very close call on getting out alive, did not much like the idea of hanging around and aging dragon egg, which could hatch at any moment. So, he took a hesitant breath, and said, “I’m really quite annoyed after being swallowed alive. Besides, my father has no doubt already organized a search party, looking for me. I believe that the best decision right now would be to move on. I REALLY don’t want to come face to face with a real drag-“
BOOM. BOOOM. BOOM. There was a loud, ear splitting, ground rattling booming noise coming from behind them. At once, Frank had an idea where it was coming from…
And then, a throttling CRAA-A-A-ACK came from the egg’s side. The giant oval was splitting right down the middle. Frank tried to yell, “RUN!”, but it was much too late. A green, leathery thing covered in green goop the color of the moss that had embossed the egg was a large, scaly wing, with a talon perched on the end in a claw. Then, there came a shriek so loud it was like a setup of a billion modern day stereo karaoke sets with a billion microphones set near the speaker, each turned up to their full extent of volume.
The trio turned on their speed at full energy and began to run, but not before they saw the face, the horrid face, poking more sinister than anything on earth out of the cracked shell. It was green, like that of a glistening snake. It had teeth longer than tree stumps, roots and all, and they were yellowed and shining. And the eyes, a vivid purple, full of malice and larger than a computer screen. They stared menacingly at the three frightened people, and had in them a horrid promise . . .
When Frank saw the dragon’s eyes, the first (and only) thing he wished was to be swallowed up by the earth again. Then the world went black.
Jade and her uncle stood still as stone, which in fact they were. They were much to hard to be of any interest to the dragon, but Frank, lying insensible right in front of it, was of a whole lot of interest.
Meanwhile, and not too far away, Araminta and Lucias were continuing a prolonged and much thought out search for the frog-beguiled prince. Araminta was wishing with all her heart that he wasn’t a frog just yet. If only they could stop him, before it was too late…
The pair came into a small clearing in the forest. There were two forks on the other side of it. One pointed to their right, and one pointed to their left. “How are we supposed to get out of this one?” she asked.
”Don’t worry, I can think of something…” Lucias’ voice trailed off as both of them heard a noise in the far distance. It was like a loud cacophony of yells, followed by a large screeching noise, horrible to the ear. The ground actually rumbled a little bit. What if…
”Lucias! We have to follow that screech. Quick! Which way did it come from?” A puzzled look crossed his handsome features as he considered her question. Then, slowly and reluctantly, he pulled his wand from his belt. Araminta gasped.
”You’re going to do magic?” she asked incredulously. “But magic is against the law! The royal family outlawed it long ago!” He stared at her long and hard. “You really don’t get out much, do you?” he asked quizzically. Araminta blushed.
”No, I suppose I don’t. Well, if you must, I guess you must. Have at it.” She held her breath, waiting for it…
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lucias looking at her in amazement. “It won’t hurt anyone,” he said, “but it will make a little pop. Is that all right?”
”Yes, of course!” She was slightly embarrassed. Of course he wouldn’t hurt anybody! Lucias took a deep breath and concentrated hard. He then opened his mouth and recited,
”Upon the earth from cores within
I summon the pow’r of the witches’ sin,
Let there be on the ground this day
A sign for us that points the way!”
The shot something dazzlingly purple from the tip of the wand, and it hit the ground with the pop like a firecracker. Immediately, a glimmering purple arrow pointed down the left fork of the path.
Lucias slipped the wand back into his belt, and grabbed her hand, pulling her down the path. She didn’t need pulling. She dashed pell-mell after him down the dirt lane. And to her surprise, there was already something there…
Sitting there in a large space clear of trees was a cracked open egg. What had once been white had long since been covered in green mosses. But what sat in the middle was what prompted Araminta’s shriek of unadulterated terror.
In the very middle of the gigantic eggshell sat something so massive, it made both the adventurers feel like the heads of pins. It was a large thing, its’ many scales a deep jade green. It had narrow purplish magenta eyes that seemed to pierce you straight through when they glowed. But although it was the smallest of its kind, the teeth.. They were like small swords, glinting fiercely in the morning sun. “It’s …a d-dragon,” Araminta stuttered, and she collapsed in a heap on the forest floor.
Araminta had never been the hysterical type. She despised her mother’s idea of a princess, a girl that sat in her palace waiting for a prince to come to rescue her, or fainted at the least sign of danger. But for once, she thought she might actually understand.
Of course, all this reasoning came later, after Lucias had revived her with cold water and she had stopped moaning terrified gibberish.
”What on earth is the matter, Minty?” asked Lucias, looking exceedingly consternated and placing himself between her and the dragon.
Araminta, embarrassed at having lost her cool, was attempting to regain her composure. At this question, however, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What do you mean, ‘what’s the matter’? It’s only a dragon, that’s all!”
Lucias turned around to look at the dragon and studied it for some time. “It’s a baby. It can’t breathe fire yet.”‘
”It doesn’t need to breathe fire,” replied Araminta, doing a rather good job of controlling herself. “Look at its teeth.”
“Well,” said Lucias, “we don’t need to worry about that. It’s about to fall asleep.”
”What- how do you know?” asked Araminta, but almost before she could finish her sentence, the dragon gave a rumble, and then a snort, and swayed on its huge taloned feet. Then, for all the world like a falling tree, it fell to the ground with an impact that made the earth shake.
”Dragons always fall asleep after eating,” said Lucias, a tad smugly.
Araminta’s eyes opened wide. “What- what did it eat?”
”Nothing,” broke in a voice. It was Emma, whom Araminta had almost forgotten about. “That boy put a spell on it. Though I imagine if he hadn’t, it would have fallen asleep soon anyways. Look.” She couldn’t point, due to her lack of arms, but somehow she managed to indicate a small figure lying right in front of the dragon.
The figure, which the pair had not noticed before, was lying limply on the ground by the cracked and hopelessly shattered remains of the eggshell. It was a she, and the figure was almost invisible. Her dress was the exact same shade of deep green as the scales of the dragon, but torn and strangely thin, unlike the sturdy scales of the beast. Her hair was a straggly dirty blond, flung hopelessly over her delicate white arms and face, which was hidden from view.
Minty and Lucias, frightened of the dragon but grateful that it was asleep, crept over to the figure. “Miss?” Minty whispered. “Miss, are you all right?” Lucias strode over to the figure and flipped the hair gently away from her face. The blond layers revealed a pale face, with ruby lips shaped just right, and thick eyelashes. Lucias bent over her and spoke firmly. “Madam, are you well? Can… Can you hear me?”
As if by a sudden force, the young woman snapped up from the ground, sitting straight upright. “Well, of course I’m all right!” she said sharply. “You wouldn’t expect me to be sitting on the ground and actually be all right?” She looked around, mildly confused. Her voice had an English twinge to it, and was bouncy and soft, like raindrops pattering a rooftop. Her mouth was a full ruby red, and her eyes were blue. She looked young, yet very beautiful. In an instant, she seemed to snap back to reality. “Oh! Yes, I forgot! I just put this dragon to sleep. I thought you two might be frightened of her.” Araminta nodded, but the woman went on without noticing. “I guess I got a blast of it too, and dozed off a bit. Excuse me, I haven’t introduced myself!” She stood up. “I am Annabel Sarclopohagus, but you may call me Annie. I’m a dragon keeper. This little beauty is a newly hatched Scotts Westley dragon. As of now, the abandoned dear is under my care.”
Lucias interrupted. “How did you put it…her to sleep?” Annie looked very worried. “I’m not sure I’m able to divulge that information, but I guess that, considering our position, I can make an exception. ” She sighed. “I am a divinist, meaning I can divine the future. I am also fluent in the art of hypnosis, very common where I come from. You must keep it a secret, though. The king ordered a law a few days ago, issuing that anyone found doing magic would be put under immediate arrest.”
Araminta gasped. Why would her father do something like that? It seemed that he and her mother had always gotten along peacefully with the magically gifted. Lucias was looking at Annie. “What exactly are the magical properties of the dragon?” He looked intrigued by the beast. Minty shuddered. “This dragon can fly at a very long distance, protect its’ charges, or handlers, and she has an amazing sense of tracking and direction…” As Annie went on, Lucias and Araminta shared a glance. Amazing sense of direction…
”Excuse me, madam,” Lucias cut in, “but can she breathe fire yet? I am trying to protect my colleague here. I would really hate to see her hurt…”He blushed, and his voice trailed off. At this point, it is necessary to say that at that point, Araminta felt something large and flowing spring up inside her. Lucias… cared, about her…
”No, she won’t breathe fire until she’s at least three weeks old, but if you are here when she wakes, she will become attached to you, and not harm you. If you are kind to her, she will do much for you. Maybe she’ll give you a ride later. Would you like that?” Annie smiled.
Minty and Lucias shared a glance. They both knew they wanted to. After all, a ride on a dragon didn’t come around too often… They both replied at the same time. “Yes!” Annie grinned. “Okay then! Let’s give this baby a try!”
Araminta sipped her tea, trying not to seem to eager, but buzzing inside. She could hardly wait to try to find Frank – not to mention to ride a dragon – but there were several problems she could see, the first being that although Annie would let them ride the dragon, it was unlikely that they would allow them to take her on a quest for an indefinite amount of time. Another problem was that if Frank saw Araminta, her dairymaid guise would crumble. And if these people – Lucias and Annie – knew that she was the daughter of the very king who had outlawed magic – which both of them were nonetheless proficient at – it could ruin two promising friendships.
Annie put down her teacup with a clatter, startling Araminta out of her reverie. “Ready?” she asked.
Araminta swallowed. “I’m ready,” she said, as calmly as she could.
Lucias saw her unease. “Don’t worry, Minty,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”
Annie turned around. “It will be fun – provided you’re not scared of heights.
”I’m not,” said Araminta, but she couldn’t tell them that that wasn’t what she was worried about, not at all.
Annie grinned. “I don’t know about today, but this little one should be all ready to fly, come morning.”
”We really should be getting some rest…” Lucias said. “We should bunk here for the night.” Annie leapt to her feet, clattering her teacup on its’ tray. “Yes, I believe I have some extra blankets in my kit!” She ran around to the farthest side of the clearing, returning moments later with three soft-looking blankets.
Araminta frowned. She had never been used to sleeping on the ground, and wasn’t very much interested. But she would do a lot fore her brother, and lying on the ground was the least of her problems… She and Lucias both took blankets from Annie, and finished their tea after they had laid them on the softest patches of dirt they could find.
As the sky deepened to a black navy, and stars began to twinkle like diamonds over their heads, Araminta wondered what it would feel like to fly on a dragon. Would it be frightening? Would it be… fun? And then, what was Frank doing at that very moment…?
Staring, so very shaken and frightened from the varying events of the day, at the same stars as Araminta were Frank, Jade, and Chartres. Chartres was sitting, motionless because he was stone, on a large stump. Jade was perched on his head, in a position as if she were meditating. But Frank was lying spread on his back in the moss and leaves of the forest floor, wondering if his quest was a flop. It was so silent that he could hear himself think. Will I ever reach that well?
And then, in the silence, he heard a noise. It was a deep rushing rumble, almost like…water. Frank jolted bolt upright. “Jade! Chartres!” He yelled it aloud, at such volume that both stone figures nearly toppled over in shock. “Come quickly! QUICKLY!”
”What is it, Frank?” Jade asked quizzically. “It’s the middle of the night, for Pete’s sake!” Frank was ecstatic. “It’s over the side of this hill! The waterfall at the end of the earth!”
And he began to run, as fast as he possibly could. One step closer… one step closer…Jade was worried. She flitted as fast as she could, as Chartres thudded after her. “Frank! WAIT!” the two yelled. But it was too late. There was no stopping him now.
Frank raced over the winding, swirling grasses that were leading him quickly out of the forest. He looked behind him. His two friends were pinpricks. Not looking where he was going, he failed to notice that he was running on a path of sand, then…
SMACK! He collided hard with the side of a hard stone lodge building. His head was spinning, and he could hear Jade. “Frank, Frank! Are you all right?”
”Yes, I’m all right!” he called dizzily. When his vision cleared, he noticed that there was a large sign in the side of the building. On the sign was a picture of a black boat. Underneath it were the words: GRIMM RIDERS’ PASSAGER TO ANOTHER WORLD…
As Jade and Chartres caught up with him at last, they both gasped as they read the sign. “It is true then” said Chartres. “This is the way to the Grimms’ Isle. I didn’t think the place existed, but…”
The trio walked carefully around the side of the hut. Around it was a small wooden door. It looked like it was made for a child. On it was the same picture of a black boat, made with dark black paint. “I’ll knock, then” said Frank. He carefully placed a fist to the wood… and rapped three times.
The door swung open, but no one stood in front of them. Inside, there was utter darkness. “Frank,” said Jade worriedly, “we should probably stay out here…” But the Prince ignored her, and ducked through the door. Chartres and Jade exchanged glances, but followed him nonetheless.
The trio stood in the blackness, staring around them but seeing nothing. However small the door had been, the building itself was large enough – or the ceiling high enough – for Frank and Chartres to stand upright. Jade fluttered nervously beside them.
”Is this really the way to the end of the world?” asked Frank, half expecting his voice to echo. Instead it sounded muffled and distant, even to him.
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the man for aeiou
in September 24th, 2007 @ 21:34“I’m not sure,” said Jade. “It’s the way to Grimms’ Isle. Are you sure it’s really worth it to become a frog, Frank? We can still leave – I think.”
Frank did not like the sound of that, but he remembered the old man’s words about the waterfall at the end of the world and shrugged, before remembering that no one would see it in the darkness. “It’s worth it,” he said, but his voice cracked with fear in the middle of the sentence.
Then suddenly, without warning, a light flared up and a figure leapt out from behind an old wooden service desk. It was a man, old and hunched, and wrinkled beyond repair. His wispy white hair fell in clumps over his dead-looking black eyes. When he saw Frank, he grinned. It was an evil grin, with not many teeth.
”So. I have customers now, do I? How can I be of…assistance?” He laughed, hoarsely and like gravel. But Frank wasn’t afraid. “I would like a boat to the Grimms’ Isle.” Instantly, he knew he had said the wrong thing.
”Why?” The man asked as a dark look shadowed his face. “Why would you want to go there?” Then, he smiled again. Ah. I should have known it was you… Prince FRANK!”
Then the man laughed. “No, I’m only joking. You look nothing like the prince, all dirty and ragged. It’s really none of my business why you need to go there. It is, after all, my duty to ferry you there after…” The man’s voice trailed off.
”Hey, doesn’t that sign say Grimm Riders’? Like, with an ‘s’?” asked Jade. At this the old man began to tremble. “Yes, it does. But my twin, my former partner… is no longer one of my worldly colleagues.”
Jade looked downcast. “I…I am sorry for asking.” she said timidly. “Can you get us a boat?” Frank asked impatiently. “Yes, I’m sure I can find something.” The man laughed again. “Follow me.”
The trio followed the old man out of the building around to the other side. They gasped. In front of them were rows and rows of long black boats, stretching to the edge of the property. “Come,” the old man said. They followed him up the long rows of boats until they found one closest to the river. They all began to push it to the edge of the river. “From here, you must navigate to the waterfalls. Go very straight, and secure yourselves tight in.”
”Why do we need to secure ourselves?” asked Chartres. But the man didn’t answer. “Godspeed to you all, and I will see you on the other side.” Then, with a push, then man set the boat and oars onto the san, and the three climbed in. As the man pushed them away with surprising strength, they wondered if this was a good idea. But now, there was no going back.
The skiff sailed through the darkening night, as it traveled down the river. All three friends were rowing it, the paddles scraping against the bottom of the river. But then… “Do you hear something?” asked Jade.
“I can’t see anything from here…” Chartres said. but he was wrong. For as the three friends rowed along, they had no idea how close they were to death, which was at that time rowing by their sides, and awaiting the 2,000 foot drop that was the waterfall. Indeed, as the three soon found out, the man was right to have told them to secure themselves.
”Hey”, said Jade, “isn’t the front of the boat… tipping?” And suddenly, Frank knew. “HOLD ON!” he yelled. “We’re going over the falls!”
The water rushed around them, icy cold and hard as hailstones above and below them. Frank screamed, and his mouth filled with water. Suddenly the nose of the boat hit comparably flat water and bobbed up, and the rest of the boat followed. They floated in the crashing bubbles at the foot of the waterfall for a moment, deafened and drenched, while their fear subsided. Then Frank picked up the paddles and started to propel them away from the deadly drop. Chartres followed suit, and Jade resumed whatever she did to make it look like she was paddling, as she was far too small to actually be very helpful.
They floated along in silence for a very long time. The black water was now smooth as a mirror, in sharp contrast to the bubbling cauldron by the waterfall, but oddly enough, it mirrored nothing. The stars were out above them, but the water showed only blackness. Frank shuddered, and wondered, not for the first time, if the whole quest was really worth his trouble. He had once been so sure that nothing was better than being a frog, and he would go through any trials to get to the waterfall at the end of the world – the waterfall! He whirled around, and the boat would have capsized if the gargoyle had not shifted his weight with a speed miraculous for something as stony as he. To be on the safe side, Jade seized the back of Frank’s tunic to keep him from falling out.
Frank stared mournfully back at the waterfall. Technically, he ought to have been glad that he could see no jutting piece of rock, as there would have been no way up to it
Frank stared mournfully back at the waterfall. Technically, he ought to have been glad that he could see no jutting piece of rock, as there would have been no way up to it, but instead he felt only desolation and despair as he realized that his quest was not yet over.
The three rowed along, silent and swift, for what seemed like ages. They rowed until they were too sore to row, until the darkness faded and gave in reluctantly to the first shafts of light. And in the light, Frank saw something looming, out of the darkness…
”It’s the Island!” he shouted joyfully. “The Grimm Island! we’ve reached it at last!”
They beached the boat and abandoned their paddles as they rushed up the shore. Even in the early morning light, shadows clustered in improbably places, reluctant to give up their hold on the Isle. The bedraggled, wet trio didn’t even care. Frank lay spread-eagled on the sand, Jade held a conversation with a pebble, and Chartres sat silent as usual in the first rays of sun.
Later they held a conference. Frank was hungry, though Chartres and Jade, being stone, didn’t need to eat. Jade was curious about the rest of the Isle, as was the Prince, though he was too hungry to really care. In the end it was decided that they would explore the island, all the while looking around for anything edible (what little food they had had had been lost in the waterfall.)
Araminta soared over the countryside, laughing at the the tiny things below her, at the feeling of wind in her hair, and at the sheer giddiness of such of a beautiful world. The rough dragon scales beneath her hands felt just right, as did the steady beat with which the dragon flapped his wings. Araminta wanted to fly forever.
But she couldn’t, much to her dismay. The dragon was still young, and despite its size, it had to let her down. Suddenly, she had an idea.
”Lucias, I have an idea.”
“Yes, your Highness.”
Araminta was too enveloped in her plan to notice that he called her by Highness.
“See,” she explained, “the dragon is little and can’t carry us forever.”
”No, Highness,” Lucias agreed.
Araminta, bubbling with excitement and guilt, didn’t even hear. “Y’see,” she said again. It was so hard to say it! “Well, Lucias, can you make wings? With your magic? And then the dragon could track Fra–the Prince, and we could fly after him! Do you see?” She grinned at him eagerly, expecting him to agree, but instead he looked gravely back.
”Highness,” he said, “I think you should go home.”
Araminta’s smile vanished. “What do you mean?” she cried. “I’m not a ‘Highness’!”
”Don’t pretend, Princess. I know exactly who you are.”
”Lucias! I’m not the Princess!”
”This is too dangerous a task for you, your Highness. Your Majesty your father would kill me if something were to happen to you. I will call an escort.” He whistled sharply, and a trio of men stepped out from the brush.
”Take her Highness the Princess Araminta home,” Lucias ordered. “And return to meet me.”
Araminta looked helplessly from the trio of men to Lucias, who was now sitting on the dragon’s back. He was younger even than Frank, and yet so in charge of things! What was happening? She didn’t want to be sent home! Her mind already concocting a plan, she turned away, and, ignoring her escort, walked into the forest.
The three men meant well enough. They alternately viewed her as a delicate and valuable artifact that must be treated with utmost care and as a child that had gone astray and must be taken home to its worried parents. Araminta wasn’t sure which was worse. She settled for a disdainful and aloof manner that was most unlike her, and did not bother to talk to the escort.
When they camped that night, Araminta refused to eat. This was partly because of excitement at her plan, and partly because of the anger still simmering inside her from Lucias’ betrayal. The escort shrugged and ate their own meals, rather more loudly than usual, as though they could convince their charge to eat by showing her how much they enjoyed eating. Araminta thought it disgusting.
Finally two of them rolled themselves in their cloaks and went to sleep, with a few mutters of “I’ll take next watch” and “Fine by me.” Araminta continued to stare moodily into the fire.
”So,” said Brian, the remaining guard.
Araminta looked briefly at him.
”Well–hmm–I–”
”What?” said Araminta with as much scorn and bitterness as she could muster. “Out with it.”
”I–er–” Brian was clearly terrified. “Never mind.”
”Oh.”
They were silent. After a while Araminta stood up, brushing dirt off her pink brocade dress. Pink brocade! No wonder Lucias knew who I really was! Oh, what an idiotic thing to wear! she thought. “I shall go to sleep now,” she said aloud, in an icy tone.
”Very well, Highness.” Brian sounded relieved, and Araminta glared down at the middle-aged man cowering from the young girl. It was utterly ridiculous. She could almost see why Frank wanted to be a frog, except that frogs never had adventures. She wished she really was a dairymaid. Perhaps she ought to join her brother in his quest.
”I would like a bit of privacy,” she commanded, still not moving from where she stood.
”Yes, Highness,” said Brian, and scuttled off into the trees.
”Turn your back,” said Araminta. “It isn’t proper to see a lady asleep.” This was an entirely made-up rule, and Araminta’s heart thudded louder for fear Brian should realize this, but he did not. Araminta waited a moment until she could no longer see the glint of his eyes in the firelight, and then bolted off into the bushes.
It was not an elegant plan, and Araminta did not execute it elegantly. She heard Brian give a shout behind her, and ran harder, kicking off her pink and white satin shoes as she did so. When she was far enough from the camp, she climbed a tree and sat there in its branches till dawn, listening to the rustles and thumps below her in the forest. Only when light came and the forest quieted did she dare to climb down from her high perch.Later that day, Araminta was dozing in the morning sunlight, with her sore feet in a small creek, when, perhaps through some strange dream or perhaps through some other means, it hit her. She sat up and desperately searched her cloak pockets, and then again. But finally she was forced to face the truth. Emma was gone.
Swearing in a very unladylike mannor (she had learned it from the captan of the guards, after bulling him into teaching her self-defence — she had wanted to learn to weild a soard, but he wouldn’t hear of it, and so she had made up some excuse about needing to protect her virture and so on, untill he turned red enough with blushing and let in), Arminta picked up a small stone and chucked it violntly into the water neer her feet, soaking the bottom portion of her skirt in the process. The brook bubbled away, laughter rippling across it’s surface.
”Oh, shut up!” She snarled.
“That’s not very polite, you know.” Said a gurgly voice.
Arminta gaped at the streem, a good-sized fish had surfaced and was staring at her reproachfully with large, soppy eyes.
“You could have hit me.”
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Anyone was there.” Armint had recovere enough of her wits to remember her lessons on manners back at the castle, and she would not be caught being disrespectfull to anything that showed vauge signs of magic.
”Are you… a faery?”
“Heavens, no.” Said the fish. “I’m a fish.” He chuckled a bit, the brook echoing his laughter as he started to sink below the surface.
“Wait! But… you’re talking!” Minty was flabergasted. Normal fish didn’t talk, but it wasn’t a faery? What else could it be?
The fish looked slightly suprized. “Of cource I am! You aboviously haven’t gotten out much.” With that last remark, he flicked his blue-green tail and vanished.
“No,” sighed Araminta, sitting down on the bank again. “Obviously I haven’tâ€
Despite their joy at finding land, there was something a little uneasy about the Isle. It shimmered oddly in the rising sun, and sometimes Frank or Jade or Chartres would see something out of the corner of their eye, but when they looked, there was nothing but a quivering leaf or a displaced pebble. Or even worse, not even that, just air, the same as before.
At noon, the trio held a council.
”We ought to go on,” said Frank.
”Why?” asked Jade.
Chartres rumbled, and Jade translated as, “Isn’t this the Isle that you wanted?”
”No,” said Frank unhappily. “The one I want is in a waterfall.”
”What do you mean, ‘In a waterfall’?” asked Jade, sounding slightly suspicious.
”‘At the end of the world, the seas pour off in a great waterfall. In that waterfall is a rocky outcrop that forms an island. On that island there is a forest. In that forest there is a ruined castle. In that castle is a well. Drink from that well, and you will turn into whatever you wish’,” quoted Frank.
“ah” said jade.”you need the waterfall at the end of the isle wich go into anouther fall wich goes into a isle wich goes to the end of the worlds lake. at the end of the lake is a waterfall. in the water fall is a nook. the nook takes you to the bottom the the fall as soon as you enter it.”
”and that will take how long ?”asked frank
“Not very long at all,” said Jade, “if you don’t mind getting killed. A few days if you want to do it safely.”
Chartres rumbled something, and Jade translated. “He says you shouldn’t do it. Frankly, I agree with him.”
”Why shouldn’t I do it?”
”Well . . . there’s the fact that the spring on the island is guarded by dragons; there’s a whirlpool at the bottom of every waterfall; and the water is poison to all living creature. That’s all.”
Frank spluttered. “Poison!?! But–”
”Poison,” confirmed Jade.
“How strong of a poison?” asked Frank worriedly. Was this the end to his quest to become a frog?
”Oh, quite strong,” said Jade, airily, not noticing Frank’s distress. “Kills within the hour unless you eat a blue toadstool, which is also poisonous, and then a pound of toad eggs to counteract the toadstool’s poison… What’s the matter?” she added, as Frank groaned and buried his face in his hands.
”I’ll never become a frog!” he cried in dismay. “Blue toadstools are far to rare, and a whole pound of toad eggs! Eurgh!”
“I’m sure we can get a hold of some,” Jade reassured him. “The only thing we really have to worry about is whether or not you’ll be able to eat them in frog form.”
Frank remained unconsoled. “A pound of toad eggs though! How will I eat a pound of anything as a frog!”
”Well yes, that may be a problem,” Jade admitted. “Don’t worry, though, we’ll find a way.” She kept up a steady stream of encouragement, and soon Frank was looking marginally more cheerful. Which is to say, he had stopped moaning in despair, and had stopped rocking back and forth in a fetal position.
He was still far from happy though, and as Jade continued to talk, he stared mournfully at the ground. It all seemed so hopeless. He would never become a frog, and would be forced to remain a Prince for the rest of his life – if the poison didn’t kill him first.
It was at that moment that he spied the little green head of a frog watching him from under a blackberry bush.
the frog spoke to frank “if you want to become a frog i will take your mind into my body and my mind into your body”
jade said “so it is true! this is a mind swapper on this isle.”
“A mind swapper?” asked Frank suspiciously. “What’s that?”
”Mind swappers are evil spirits who steal the minds of others,” explained Jade. “They pretend that they will switch minds with you, but really they take your mind into their own and leave your body a empty brain-dead shell. It’s quite unpleasant,” she added matter-of-factly.
Frank scrambled away from the innocent-looking green frog as quickly as he could.
“stop right there” said the mind swapper ” I will get your mind!”
a ray of light came out from the frog amid at frank.
”no!” yelled jade but it was to late.
***
As she walked along the brook she saw the fish again. The fish said “i was snappy at you earlier. i talk because this is a magic lake. When you go in you get what you want in life and i wanted talk. What do you want?”
”To find my brother.” said Araminta.
”Jump in.” said the fish, “and you will find yourself there.”
So, without a moment’s thought she jumped in.
As she jumped she realized that this was not a brook. Then she became unconcious.
*****
”Are you awake?” said a voice when she woke up.
”Yes i am. Who are you?”
”My name is Jade.” said the voice.
”Have you seen my brother?”
”Who’s your brother?”
”A prince named Frank.”
”Ah yes. His mind was just stolen by a mindswapper. His body’s over there.” Jade said as she pointed to a rock that Araminta hadn’t noticed before.
”is there a way to get his mind back?”
”Find a green toadstool. They’re even rarer than the blue ones. One grows somewhere on this island. But this is a huge island. it’ll take weeks to find .”
”I will do anything to get him back.”
”Ok,” said Jade. “it is said to be hidden at the end of the waterfall. it has seven keyholes. There are seven keys around the isle. I have no idea where they are.”
As they began to walk they saw a castle. Araminta ran ahead. They entered the castle to find a woman crying.
”Hello.” said Jade. “What are you sad about.”
”That ‘vil ‘oman. Stole a key that was an ‘eir ‘loom from my father. could you get it ‘ack?”
”Who is this woman? And who are you?” asked Araminta.
”My stepmother. And my name is ‘inderella.”
”Could we keep this key for a few days?” asked Araminta.
”‘ine. But ‘lease ‘ell me ‘efore you go.”
”Ok, good lady.” said Jade.
****
”Where are we going to finda an evil stepmother?” asked Aramintia
”How about that broken down shack?” said Jade.
*****
“She escaped? How did she escape?” said Lucias.
Quiet.
”Talk to me, you idiot!” 
”Sorry, sir. I thought it was a rhetorical question. She was asleep and then I feel asleep and then she was gone!”
”Fine. I’ll find her. Come on dragon
*****
”Hey Cinderella, can you throw a ball tonight? We went to her house we saw no lock but we need to get her out of the house,” said Jade
”Of ‘ourse I ‘an ‘ave a ‘all ‘onight. ‘eres a ‘nvitation,” she said, an invitation coming up from her shoulder.
”‘top ‘t ‘odmother. ‘lease show ‘our ‘elf.”
”Oh fine,” said a woman who just materialized. “Hello. I am her fairy godmother. But I can’t do anything big.”
”Thanks and we’re off,” said Araminta
***
”Hello. The princess is throwing a ball tonight. Here is an invitation,” said Araminita.
”Oh a ball. Tell her I’ll be there,” said the stepmother.
****
”I think she has something up her sleeve. Chartres, can you
watch her?” said Jade.
Chartres grumbled.
”O.k. and Araminta, can you stay with the princess. The key might be with her. I’ll go and see if the key is at the witch’s house. We need that key!”
***
later that night
”Chartres, what did you see?”
”Grumble grumble grumble.”
”So she might or might not have the key.”
”Grumble.”
”O.k. it just a small one room so I’ll look.’
*
”Hello. May I take your coat?” said Araminta.
”Sure.”
”And can I just check you for any swords with this magnet?”
”Sure.”
”Thank you. You may go in now.”
Araminta checked the coat for the key and did not find it.
*
”Found it.”
”Grumble.”
”Thanks for the compliment.”
“Ok, onward!”said Araminta after the ball was over. As they left the castlee they saw a beanstalk.
”‘Ello, chaps. Jack’s the name.” said a scrawny boy at the foot of the beanstalk. “The giant at the top of this beanstalk is nice. “E just sold me this harp and this golden ‘en.” said Jack.
As Jack left, Jade said “Hmm… maybe he has a key.”
”Fe fi fo fum. Come to my yard sale everyone!” they heard as they went up.
”How much for that key?” asked Jade.
”That thing? One cent. I don’t know what it”s for, though.”
”That’s fine. Here ya go.” said Jade.
”Thanks.” said the giant.
As they walk around the isle, they found no keys but they stumbled upon a little girl with blonde hair.
”Hullo.” said Jade. “Who’re you?”
”My name’s Golden Sunshine-locks. But everyone calls me Goldy Locks.”
”And why are you here in the woods?”
”I dunno. I was walking and then I tripped on a door mat. The door key was in the lock and I ended up inside. it locked behind me, and i was hungry so i ate some porridge and then sat in a chair but it broke and then i slept in a bed. Then the family came and they were bears, so now i’m running away from them. And- oh!- there they are now. Nice talking to you.”
After she left Jade said “Let’s check the house for a key.”
”Here’s a key.” said Araminta.
”That’s it!” said Jade.
*
”Ok, what now? We have three keys here and for the last two days we haven’t seen any.”said Araminta. Moments after she said this a scream from a hut nearby came up: “Grandma!!!”
”Huh. Let’s see what is up.” said Jade.
*
”Araminta,do you have a knife?” said red riding hood after they told her their story and she told them hers.
”Yeah…”
”Give me it.”
”Ok.”
And with a swish of the knife the wolf’s head and chest were opened 
”Wow, that was fast.” said Jade “Who taught you that?”
”I, uh, picked it up.” said red riding hood.
”And here’s a key! And Grandma.”
as they walk along they saw tree pigs. they were looking at a pile of straw, wood, and bricks.
”hello. what are you doing” asked aramintia
”we need to now what type of material we should build are homes out of. we need to guard against wolfs.” said the big pig
” I think they should be brick.” said jade
” o.k.” said they littlest pig.
” if this works will give go a key we have thats useless to use.” said the medium pig.
” o.k. ” said jade ” will stick around.”
*
a wolf came up to the first house and said ” little pig little pig let me come in”
no response.
” then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and blow myself in”
but it was not use
*
the wolf came up to the second house and said ” medium pig, medium pig let me come in!”
” not by the hair on my head!”
” than i’ll huff and puff and blow in.”
but it was no use
* at the third house the wolf said “i’ll never come in by huffing and puffing! I’ll go though the chimney”
as jade heard this she ran inside and told the big pig
” i’ll put this think of boiling water in the chimney and he will drown.!”
and so they got the key.
****
“o good fish, have you’ve seen a girl about my age?â€â€¨â€œ sir I am a talking fish, an age-guessing fish. but I did see a girl a few days ago. you see this lake is a magic lake that will give you your wish.â€â€¨â€œfine. I wish that I was with aramintia.â€â€¨â€œ now jump in.â€â€¨lucias and the dragon jumped into the lake.
****
they were moving quickly now because they had only two keys to find. they came along a tower. a 100 feet it when up. and on the side there was 100 feet of hair.
“ who are you?†asked jade
“ my name is repunzel! please save me! my in my cell are to keys! the witch that locked my in here put the real key and another key in my cell and the lock is on the outside! if you safe me you can get what every you what! for I am the queen of the souther part of the isle!â€â€¨â€œ jade, fly up and get the two keys then fly back and give me the keys and then I’ll up and get her free.†said aramintia
“o.k.†said jade.
in about five minutes they had the queen free.
“ oh thank you! please what would you like?â€â€¨â€œ that key ,miss†said jade “I think I know what it goes to.â€â€¨â€œmight as well!â€â€¨*
and then they reached the end of the isle. they only had six keys.
“ and we are missing a key.†said jade when they got there.
“don’t worry miss.†said a man with a German accent. “ If you will just tell me you story I’ll let you have the last key. I’m Alfred Grimm. my brothers run a ferry company and write. of course I write all of them.†
and then they told him they story, and the story of the people the met.
“ this is a good story. mind if I tell my brothers about it. I’ll start writing to night. you shuld sleep.then in the morning I’ll let you unlock the green toadstool. is that a body?â€â€¨â€œ so you noticed him? yes. his mind was stolen. thats why we need the toadstool.â€said jade
“ well see you in the morning. oh,and do you think that a fairytale would be a good tittle?â€â€¨they all thought so and whet to sleep.
***
aramintia woke up first. she when over to Alfred and asked “how is the fairytale going?â€â€¨â€œit’s done.â€â€¨â€œcan I see?â€â€¨â€œsure.â€â€¨â€œonce upon a time there were tree pigs. the first pig made his house out of straw. the second pig …â€â€¨â€œwhat is this!â€â€¨â€œ the fairytale.â€â€¨â€œ it all changed!†yell aramintia “ you’ve fractured the fairytale!â€â€¨â€œit’s better this way!â€â€¨â€œno it not! we are leaving after we get the toadstool!â€â€¨they put there keys in the slots and got the toadstool.
outside the mindswapper was waiting for them
“hello miss I-will-not-let-you-take-this guys-mind!I will now get your mind!â€â€¨a ray of light when out of the mindswappers forehead.
quick! clap to save jade!
nah, aramintia is did it.
sticking the green toadstool into the light path,aramintia freed all the minds that the swapper stole.
and then lucias came on the dragon,which wished to be larger.
Araminta gasped when the dragon materialized in front of her, with Lucias on its back.
”What are you doing here?” she yelled. “Go away!”
Lucias jumped nimbly down from the dragon’s back. “Hello, Princess,” he said, smiling charmingly. Araminta stared stonily back.
At that moment, Frank came tottering up the path from where they had left his body, and stopped when he saw his sister and the boy. “Araminta?” he asked, surprised. “Who’s that? Why are you here? Where is this?”
”That is Lucias. I am here because I wanted to be. We’re on Grimm’s Isle,” returned Araminta hurriedly.
Frank did not appear enlightened, but Lucias looked absolutely stunned. “Grimm’s Isle!” he sputtered. “Grimm’s Isle! What in the world possessed you to go there?”
”Here,” Araminta corrected him. “I am rescuing my brother. Now, if you would kindly go home, we can get back quite safely by ourselves.”
Here Frank, who had been trying to get his mind around what was going on, butted in. “We’re not going home,” he informed his sister. “We’re going to the well, so that I can become a frog.”
Araminta looked at him. “That’s what you think,” she said.
Frank sighed. He knew exactly how to get at his sister, though he didn’t like to bribe her. “Minch,” he said, “do you really want to spend your whole life tatting lace until you’re old enough to be wed? And then having suitors bowing all over you until you are wed? And then tatting more lace after you’re wed? Royalty is all a big bother, Minty. This is your chance for adventure.”
Despite the use of her most annoying nickname, Araminta hesitated. Her brother really did have a point. Before she could reply, Jade settled the matter.
”We’re going to the well,” she said firmly in her gravelly voice.
” no. listen to me.” said lucias. it was funny. it was a little kid yelling at a big prince ” you are coming with me. back to the castle.”
nobody heard him. for as he was talking there was a load bang . and a woman came out with a small fireball on one of her shoulders and the handle of a wagon with about about a ton of books.
” hello” said the woman “my name is amy. do you know where I can find a boy who can make wishes.?”
Araminta was quite used to odd things happening by now, so she replied civilly, “No, I haven’t the slightest idea.”
The woman sighed. “Very well. I’ll have to keep looking, I suppose.” Then she disappeared again.
Frank and Lucias stopped gaping and returned to their argument. But they had lost momentum and after a few half-hearted, “No, you’re coming with me,” and, “No, I’m not”s, they gave up yelling and tried to negotiate.
”I’ll go with you once I’ve become a frog,” Frank said.
Lucias sighed. “If I let you become a frog, I don’t know what will happen to me. The best thing that could happen is that I’ll lose my job.”
”But he’s a Prince,” put in Araminta, “and since he’s a Prince, you can’t tell him what to do.” This was an argument she had used for herself many a time.
Lucias gazed at Araminta. “Technically, no,” he said. “But in this case, I have orders from your father, who can tell me what to do.”How long this would have gone on is a mystery, but suddenly something happened–or didn’t happen. The Isle went deathly quiet. Not a bird sang, not a cricket chirped, not a leaf rustled. And beyond this ominous quiet was something more ominous by far.
“What’s happened?” Araminta asked nervously. The back of her neck prickled.
“I don’t know,” said Frank. “Something’s wrong. But what?”
It was Lucias who defined the source of the sudden unnatural quiet. He frowned slightly and tightened his grip on something beneath his cloak. Then he asked, “Wasn’t there a waterfall?”
Araminta sucked in her breath. Frank looked puzzled and worried. Jade let out a wail of despair.
“I knew it!” she cried. “I knew it, I knew it! I was so STUPID! Grimm’s Isle isn’t a cheery, happy, peaceful place and I’ve known it for six hundred years! How could I be so stupid!”
The three humans watched this outburst, their own quarrels forgotten, and finally Lucias built up the courage to say, “What’s the matter, what’s happened?”
“Yes,” Araminta chimed in. “What is it?”
Jade fluttered in agitation around her uncle’s head. “The Grimm’s Isle is a place of dangerous magic, even if it doesn’t look that way. We need to get off, now.”
Everyone kept deathly silent for a second, listening for any sound. When there was none, Araminta spoke. “How exactly do you plan to get us off? We’re at the end of the island(right?)and we left our boat on the OTHER side of the island. Plus, we have to find some way to get over the next water fal if we can’t get to the other side of the island before the magic here COMPLETELY implodes or some thing and we are blown to smithereens. So what do you suggest we do???!!!” Jade flitted her wings in an agitated manner.”I expect, La Princessa, that we will be able to build a raft out of something here, most likely tree trunks, and the thick vines on this tree should be enough to hold it together.
”But there’s just one problem” said Lucias. “How do we chop the trees and vines?” Jade smiled at him, and as she smiled, a horible wave came over Lucias.”Oh no, uh uh, no way. I will not use it.” Jade kept on smiling like a miniature devil with wings, and Lucias quailed under her stare.”Agh, pixies.” He pulled the thin stick of wood from under his belt, and with a firm slash of dark green sparks, ress fell neatly into a line, as vines coiled them into a raft. The thing itself was a sight to behold. Like the side of some huge log house, it cold have held more than fifteen of them. With a flick of his wand, Lucias set the raft onto the glistening shore, calling them all to ride.
The menagerie of creatures took tentative steps toward the makeshift raft. It wasn’t like last time. Last time there had been a boat, a full-sides, float on the water boat. But now there was a couple trees. Araminta was last to step toward the raft. She shivered in the frigid spray, and was slow to get on.
”What’s the matter, Araminta?” Lucias asked.”I…I dont like rafts much…” she shuddered.”Come on, Princess. It’ll be all right, I promise. Here.” He held out a smooth hand and helped her onto the raft. She had to admit, she wasn’t as scared now, except when she thought that Chartres might break through the raft. Then she was afraid of what might happen to the pile of wood that they had begun to ride slowly up the river.
She could hear the edge coming, she knew it was there, and now there were no walls to hold them in. She felt Jade clinging tightly to the sleeve of her dress. Even Lucias and Frank seemed a little bit frightened. Lucias’ eyes were panicking around in his head, while Frank sat stock-still, not daring to look at what was happening. And then, Araminta felt the tip in her stomach that meant only one thing: They were going down.
It became apparent to Araminta as they fell, ears enclosed with the horribly loud sound of the falls and the others screaming, that this fall was terribly longer than the last one. But she had no more time to think as they neared the bottom. She found someone’s hand in the rush of water and grasped it. And then, they were submerged in the icy waters of the New Lake, and Araminta could not move, for the force of the waterfall upon her was too great. She sank lower and lower, still cluthing that hand, whose hand she did not know.She sank deeper and deeper, but using a trick Frank had once taught her, she squinted to see.
Everything under the lake was dark, and she could see only a circle of faraway light from the surface. She kicked hard with her legs, but her arm still clung to the hand. hse turned to see whose it was. It was Lucias, still by her side. He had promised they would be all right, but now… Now it seemed too late for him to be all right. His face was calm, the mouth closed, but she did not care. She was taking Lucias with her back to the shore.
She reached into his belt, and found that thin stick of wood still there. She pointed it at the surface and thought,rise, rise, rise,until she could actually feel herself and Lucias floating fast up to the surface. The freezing water rushed past them, as they gathered speed. Faster, faster, faster they went. And then suddenly, without warning except for the sudden sunburst, they broke the surface.
They were flying through the air so high and fast that Araminta could see the whole of the island that they were facing, and it was so magnificent that she could hardly beleive it. She looked down over thelush green tretops and sparkling pons, seeing birds soar above their forest homes. Then, still holding tight to Lucias’ hand, she pointed the wand downward. This, evidently, was a mistake. The two began hurtling towards the shore so fast Araminta could hardly see anything, let alone move the wand up again. But to her surprise they hit the shore as if it were a feather matress. Then, everything went black as she smiled.
When Araminta opened her eyes, she saw Lucias and the others standing there in front of her, all alive and looking at the peak of their health. She turned to Lucias.”I thought you were…” She couldn’t finish. He laughed. “So did I but luckily, anger can help you control my magic stick here.” He twirled the piece of wood and secured it back into his belt. “I guess we both saved each other’s lives, then. I got you out of the lake, and you made the round soft, even though I got knocked out.” She hugged him, then flung herself upon everyone else, even Jade, who squaled as she went down, as if she had been tackled.
But Lucias, although pleased that Araminta was all right, frowned. “Araminta, I… I didn’t make the ground soft.” Her face fell too. “Then… who?” At once, there was a rustling from the bushes near the crash site.” Who’s there?” Araminta called. “Show yourself!” said Frank.
”As the prince of the Far Realm commands” a voice said. And a yound man stepped out of the trees. His hair was bleached white-blond on his head, as it waved over a square-jawed face. His eyes were bright grey, and his skin was fair, despite the sunlight. He wore a green tunic and green hunting chaps, perfect for camoflauge with the woods. His cloak billowed behind him in a flow of brown, although there was certainly not enough wind to keep it where it was.
”Who are you? Why are you here?” Lucias demanded. The man laughed. “do you recognise me… now?” he said, and as he said this, he changed into a lady they knew very well by sight.”Cinderella’s godmother?” Araminta cried, but the person had already shaped into someone new.”That woman from the vault of paths!” Frank cried. As the figure nodded, it changed again into another form.”Jack!” Jade yelled. “Who are you REALLY, sir?” Lucias said. And the figure changed back into the boy.
”if you insist. I am John, son of the powerful witch in the crooked house, at the end of goose lane. I have the most powers than anyone else in the world, even you, Wizard of the Oaks.” He pointed at Lucias. “How did you…” he began to say, but the boy talked over him. ” I know everything about everyone” he said. He turned to Frank.”You are the prince of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to be a frog. However, my great powers can not grant you your one wish, or I would have done so and sent you home.” He turned to Araminta.”You are the Fair Princess of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to have an adventure, and get married perhaps someday.” Then he faced Jade.” You are an annoying sprite with a soft side, and that is your uncle who speaks few words, but knows more than he has told you all. Any questions?”
“why have you been following us?” asked aramintia
‘ll have to back that question up” said Lucias,and he took a tentative step toward the man.
It was only later that Araminta realized exactly what the young man had said to her, and when she did she was shocked and reluctant to believe it. But at the moment, there was nothing in her but curiosity and a little bit of fear, that she pushed back, away, into the depths of her mind, and forgot about.
Now, John said, “And that is the one thing that I can’t tell you, not until the quest is done and by then, you will have found out for yourself.”
Araminta frowned, struggling against a tide of questions that threatened to burst out of her like a dam breaking. “I don’t get it,” she said finally. “Why is this so important? It’s just a half-mad search for a magic well. Why are you being so . . . SECRETIVE?!”
John looked unhappy. “I . . . You’ve got to succeed. It’s of the utmost importance.”
”Why?” Araminta demanded, stamping her slippered foot and really looking like the princess she was. Frank cast her an amused glance, but there was nothing amused about John’s expression.
”Because there’s a spell,” he explained, “on all the frog princes of the world. Princess kisses just don’t seem to work anymore, and at the same time, turning princes into frogs has become extremely fashionable among witches. So there are more and more frog princes, and less and less ways of rescuing them. But my tutor worked out that if a prince turned himself into a frog, and stayed that way, then the spells would break, and the princes would turn back into themselves, except the one that had turned himself into a frog.
”My tutor intended to find a prince and force him to turn himself into a frog, but then he got the flu, and sent me to do it. And by a miraculous stroke of luck, found a prince that actually wanted to be a frog! And I’m doing everything in my power to help him succeed.”
By the time John had finished his tale, Jade was doubled over in midair, silently snickering into the hem of her grey dress. No one else was laughing, though, despite the ridiculous nature of the story. Somehow no one dared to laugh.
”That girl!” Frank shouted suddenly, and everyone jumped. Jade stopped laughing. “That girl who was kissing the frogs,” Frank continued, more quietly. “Was she trying to break the spell?”
”Most likely,” said John. “But there’s always the possibility that she was just completely mad. There’s an oddball in every kingdom, and in one as big as yours, it makes perfect sense that there should be several. Back to your quest. Do you have any plans?”
“Um, no, not really.” said Frank. “Do you have any suggestions? I mean, seeing as how you’re, uh, doing everything in your power to help us succeed?”
John looked uncomfortable. “Well, about that. See, there’s this rule, of sorts, about helping with quests. We’re not… you know… allowed to help with the plans. Just protect the Questers.”
”Ok…”
”Now wait,” said Araminta. “Hold up just a minute. My brother has to drink from a poisonous well, then wish to become a frog, then eat a blue toadstool, followed by a pound of toad eggs! That’s impossible- even a large frog can’t eat a pound of anything!” She glared at John. “We need a plan to protect him from that, so to heck with your stupid rule and HELP!”
”On the contrary, Princess” John’s voice was scathing. “The prince in question needs only to become a frog for the spell to lift. Once he’s a frog, it doesn’t matter if he dies.”
Araminta was so stunned by his cold words and so furious with him already that she stepped up to John and slapped him across the face.
“ow!”
” so you care if you get hurt, but not if frank if killed!?”
” well, he would only be a frog… “
araminta slaped him again.
John staggered back, tears of pain rolling down his stinging cheek. Araminta put her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing fury and hatred. “You will NOT let my brother die,” she told him imperiously. “You will keep him from dying if you have to drink the water yourself. I mean it! And your stupid rule can go jump in the lake!”
“You don’t understand!” he cried. “If I help, one of the Elder Witches will smite me with there wrath and curse me to float forever in spirit form upon this earth!”
”You’ll be turned into a ghost?” asked Frank skeptically.
”Yeah. I can tell you though that someone could theoretically wish the water not to be poisonous. That way Frank could safely drink. I’m not sure that really works, though.”
There was a pause while this sunk in and while Araminta waited for John to be smitten down by an Elder Witch.
”It’s actually a very good idea,” said Frank.
”Except that someone else would have to drink the water first,” said Lucias.
”There is that,” agreed John.
”There’s GOT to be a way,” cried Jade, punching the palm of her hand with a tiny fist.
”See?” said Araminta crossly. “You haven’t been smitten down yet.”
Considerable confusion ensued.
“So,” said Frank after the confusion died down somewhat. “The person who would drink the water would still be dying… but if they’re big enough to eat a pound of toad eggs, and we need to find said toad eggs along with the blue toadstool. So we should find the antidotes first, then head to the well. After which- who’s willing to drink?”
“grumble”
” chartres says that he could. he can’t die, by the way. he just is petrifed, for a litle bit.” said jade.
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the man for aeiou
in September 24th, 2007 @ 21:36I hope that works…
It might have some breaks removed by accident. stupid computers.
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Alice
in September 25th, 2007 @ 09:14Thanks, TMFA! You’re priceless. Have a slice of pie.
The missing breaks could be a bit of a problem, but I’ll just take an hour or so to fix ’em. I have up till Frank learns the water is poison in an old draft in TextEdit, so I’ll just c&p from there in this posted story.
Think how long it would be if it had all the paragraph breaks . . .
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the man for aeiou
in September 25th, 2007 @ 17:10105- It is about 44 pages (with breaks) in pages (the apple word prosser that comes with Iwork.).
I would rather have a whole pie.
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TNO
in September 27th, 2007 @ 15:57106- *pies TMfA*
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the man for aeiou
in September 27th, 2007 @ 18:11107- thank you!
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TNÖ
in September 28th, 2007 @ 08:33de nada.
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Alice
in September 28th, 2007 @ 18:10109-
I’m taking Spanish.
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TNÖ
in October 8th, 2007 @ 23:47Sweet. I’m in Spanish 2.
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Alice
in October 9th, 2007 @ 08:47111- I’m only in Spanish 1. It’s mostly vocab and therefore ridiculously easy.
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the man for aeiou
in October 9th, 2007 @ 16:06umm.. if people COULD Write, not post random stuff, we could finsh by Cristmas!
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Alice
in October 9th, 2007 @ 18:02113- *glares*
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the man for aeiou
in October 10th, 2007 @ 17:18114- *glares back*
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Alice
in October 10th, 2007 @ 18:11115- *glaring match*
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gimanator
in October 10th, 2007 @ 18:40116-wow. their eyes are watering…and the winner is…
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TNÖ
in October 11th, 2007 @ 16:52the winner is…
Oh forget it.
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the man for aeiou
in October 11th, 2007 @ 18:19and on with the story:
“well, if thats true,” said aramintia “No-one has to die! John, Can you transport people?”
“well, yes and no…”
“well, tri your best!”
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the man for aeiou
in October 20th, 2007 @ 10:49I am so happy that I just send the story in a few weeks ago. now alice can get it.
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Alice
in October 20th, 2007 @ 14:57120- Yeah, that was one of my thoughts. Thank god for TMFA…
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the man for aeiou
in October 20th, 2007 @ 15:32this is so good!
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the man for aeiou
in November 28th, 2007 @ 18:06john flicked his wrist.
sorry for being sort, but this will get us back on track.
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Alice
in November 29th, 2007 @ 22:29I’m not sure what’s going on anymore…
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Agrrrfishi, Holder of the Diamond Keyboard
in December 4th, 2007 @ 19:12can sumone tell me what’s going on please? I really wanna help out!
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the man for aeiou
in December 5th, 2007 @ 12:38125- the story is just a bit up, just read it!
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Agrrrfishi, Holder of the Diamond Keyboard
in December 5th, 2007 @ 16:22112-I am in spanish three. I hate it, it’s SO HARD!
Okay, I’m going to do the best that i can with what I have. please tell me if I’ve made any mistakes.
” To be honest, I don’t know if it’s worth the risk, Chartres” Lucias said gallantly. Evidently, this was a big releif to Chartres, because a subtle look of calm and releif passed fleetingly over the hard stone face.
“I mean, what if Chartres never came back? That would be awful!” Araminta cried, obviously on Lucias’ side. “I agree!” Jade cried, flinging her hand into the air and then quickly putting it back down as everyone looked at her. “Awkward turtle?” she offered, making the sign with her hand. Then, everyone burst into paroxysms of laughter. It was such a good feeling, to laugh and to feel so happy again.
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Agrrrfishi, Holder of the Diamond Keyboard
in December 5th, 2007 @ 16:31Ops, sorry! I got cut off. Here lemme try again.
It was such a good feeling, to laugh and to feel so happy again.
Now that they had it, they never wanted to let it slip away. Then,, Lucias cried out, “I’ve got it!”
Everyone turned to him. “What is it, Lucias?” Araminta asked. “Well…” Lucias faltered, looking at Frank. ” I think that we should go on a little quest inside a quest here.” John grunted. Lucias seemed not to notice. “I think we should go look for a genie. I mean, they can grant wishes, right?”
Jade stopped stock-still. “I’ve heard about them. They cheat around everything”
“Well not for me. I will cheat him away!”
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The Man For Aeiou
in December 17th, 2007 @ 22:51john sighed. he only had three more days. genies were not just rare, they were only found in the kingdom of dawn, at the other edge of the world. he decied to speak up.
“I can not get you a genie, for they are more magical that me. I can take you only as far as just past the castle of frank and araminta’s family in the kingdom of farie. past that, we are on foot.”
“what do you mean ‘the kingdom of farie’?” asked frank. he had been trainded by the wisest of the wise men, the smartest of the smart, and they had only ever told him that he was prince of the realm, the world.
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in December 18th, 2007 @ 19:41“sigh. I should not tell you this but,” said john as he looked at there faces ” this might be helpful to the quest.” he sat down on a rock, and gestured to have the rest do the same.
“long, long ago, back before the grimms took over that isle, and the castle at the end of the world was built, there was magic. it flowed like water flows now, in steams and in brooks, in lakes and in sea, with the water crossing the silver liquid of the magic. the world was perfect back then, no war, no conflict, no problems. slowly, tho, the world divided into four groups. the groups began to create countrys. but still, the magic kept the world in blance. but then, from the kingodm of faries, the land nearist to the sea. they started to create wells for the magic.
~~~
more soon!
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The Man For Aeiou
in December 19th, 2007 @ 19:15The wells spread into the kingdom of dawn, the kingdom of vapre, and the kingdom of night. the wells drained the brooks, the streams, intill they were gone. magic needs to be free to recreate it self. the lakes were next. then the sea. there were only two magic…
~~~
more latter!
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Alice
in December 19th, 2007 @ 22:40Oooh. Thou’rt good, TMFA. Your writing has improved considerably. Keep it up!
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The Man For Aeiou
in December 21st, 2007 @ 23:22132- NaNo.
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TNÖ
in December 28th, 2007 @ 22:42133- Indeed.
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Jadestone
in December 31st, 2007 @ 20:34*sigh* I miss this RRR… I really liked it… but then there was that week I was hardly on the computer, when everything seemed to happen here… and now I am completely lost
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The Man For Aeiou
in December 31st, 2007 @ 20:41jadestone! good to see you! read post 103.
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Jadestone
in December 31st, 2007 @ 21:30136- Eep! So long! When I have time, I will though. I need something to do.
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Jadestone
in December 31st, 2007 @ 21:30136- Eep! So long! When I have time, I will though. I need something to do.
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The Man For Aeiou
in February 10th, 2008 @ 21:30From 131:
~~~
sources. the well at the end of the world, and the lake near the castle. the lake, of course is mixed with water, making the power weaker. as for the well, it has be stuck there for centuries, and it has start to become bad. this causes the poison.”
“But many people and species have been able to capture the magic, save it, pass it on. it’s not ‘pure’ magic, but close. Witches and Wizards are some of these. Fairies also. but in the other realms, more happened. ”
“in the land of Night, the Demons took most of the magic. the Stars did too. the Land of Vapre became the most magical realm, until the wizards attack in 470. that was a awful conflict. Wizards died as did most of the Vapre’s. now all of Vapre is made up of one person. Merlin. That’s his name.”
“The kingdom of Dawn, well, not much is know of the kingdom of Dawn. there is a gate around it. It is guarded by a piper. the Piper at the gates of dawn. past the Gates, We know nothing other then the fact that genies live there.”
“the witches have tried to find out about the Kingdom of Dawn since the Beginning. If I can get in, they…
~~~
More soon!
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The Man For Aeiou
in February 12th, 2008 @ 18:48I’m BACK!
~~~~
will be so happy. they might not mind that I’ll be a few weeks late.”
~~~
I have an idea. but not right now!
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Alice
in February 12th, 2008 @ 20:16“Late for what?” asked Frank.
John shuddered. “You don’t want to know.”
Frank nodded, but Araminta, still upset with him, objected. “We DO want to know,” she insisted.
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The Man For Aeiou
in February 13th, 2008 @ 10:33” I have to get the frog in three days.”
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Agrrrfishi the Advocate
in February 27th, 2008 @ 18:51I’m lost. I loves this thread but im lost. Could someone fill me in please?
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The Man For Aeiou
in March 30th, 2008 @ 14:36Word Count: 19,718
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 14:15PLEASE COME TO THIS THREAD!
I’m going to write more. If no one comes, I’ll finish it my self.
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 18:57“Well, Let’s Get going.†Said Araminta
“Just like that?†said Frank, Stunned. His sister was know for making her decision slowly. Of course, he was know for being very quick with his decisions.
“Yeah. I mean, You want to be a frog. This is the only why to get there.â€
“true.â€
“Well, Let’s go!†Said John, “Now, hold everyone’s hand and get into a circle.â€
The group moved into a circle and john snaps his finger. A wind rushed thru the trees. The group disappeared.
~~~
The group reappeared at a stream. Frank started to step into it, but john stopped him.
“ You can’t…
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Hypatia (3 menagerie points, 1 compass, 5 creativity ceylons, 1 perception pikelet)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 19:54I read some of this. I you post a full keeper version, I would happily join.
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The Man For Aeiou
in April 15th, 2008 @ 20:48147- Um, Sure. I’ll get it tomorrow.
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Hypatia (3 menagerie points, 1 compass, 5 creativity ceylons, 1 perception pikelet)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:00148-Thanks! I am really excited now. *is excited*
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Alice (4 platypus points, 4 wung points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:14*sighs* Curse my computer ineptitude. I had a nice compilation with all the spelling and capitalization fixed and everything.
Anyway, since it looks like there might be a spark of life in this thing, I’ll write.
Argh. I can’t. TMFA, why do you always stop in the middle of sentences? *waits*
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:26ONCE UPON A TIME, in a land far away, there lived a prince who — much to the consternation of his court and his subjects — wished with all his heart that he had been born a frog.
Once upon that same time, but in a land even farther away, there lived a young noblewoman who wanted nothing more than to become a scholar.
And again upon that time, because these things are always in threes, was a boy who could grant the wishes of the prince and the noblewoman, if only he knew he had the power.

The reason the prince wanted to be a frog was this: one day, as he was wandering along the river bank, he saw a beautiful and quite mad girl, catching frogs and kissing them, then letting them go again. When he asked her why, she replied that she was hoping one would turn into a prince.
”Why,” said the prince, “I’m a prince! Look no further!” For he knew that his father’s best physicians could certainly cure her of her madness, and then they could be wed.
The girl looked him up and down, all the while being careful not to look behind him (he had said look no further, you know) but she shook her head and went back to catching frogs.

The experience made the Prince reflect that being a prince had a fair number of drawbacks. He had to spend his days eating food that wasn’t good for him, holding endless meetings and audiences with nobles who had nothing interesting to say for themselves, and governing people who didn’t much want to be governed. He also had to spend an inordinate amount of time grooming himself. Princes are required to be impeccably groomed. When he totaled up the number of hours a week he spent having his hair styled, his nails trimmed, and his clothes tailored and laundered and brushed and buffed, it made him want to scream. “Oh, for the life of a frog!” he exclaimed to no one in particular.

Actually, as he thought more and more on the subject, he began to realize just how much he didn’t want to be married, even. To think of all the planning and preparations that would be have to made for a wedding… and then spending so much time socializing and having those tedious, polite conversations with people he did not care about and did not care about him. As a frog, why, he would only come out when he wanted. And he wouldn’t have to bother with washing and making himself presentable and untouchable. An end to those horrid social gatherings… Granted, eating bugs would take some time to get used to, but small children did it all the time and didn’t seem any worse for wear.

Of course, there was the inevitable anguish over what sort of frog. He didn’t fancy being a tree frog, for instance. Never could stand heights. And he himself employed foresters, whose job it was to keep the trees trimmed and tidy, and keep the rides open so that he and his cronies could go on jolly trips into the woods. What if they inadvertently trimmed him? The awful possibility suddenly dawned that among the forest’s log piles and compost heaps – effectively HIS log piles and compost heaps, although he’d never paid them any attention – there could lurk the sad remains of trimmed frogs. He’d have to have a word with the foresters. But what would he tell them? Watch out for small, green, highly camouflaged frogs and make sure they don’t get trimmed? Just how long would it take to do a comprehensive frog check? Were there actually any tree frogs in his dominions anyway? He seemed to remember they were sort of tropical. So that was all right, then. Maybe he should just cancel his regular order for bananas.

So, a pond-based frog, then. Living a life of sloth and decadence in one of the castle’s ornamental aquatic extravagances. Yes, but – ponds are wet. He wasn’t really very keen on wet. He was rather used to being carted round in a big carriage. The coachman got wet, but he didn’t. He’d never been really wet, apart from bath night, but that was all warm and regulated, and hot milk and biscuits were available. He thought of a blustery, wintry night, when the howling wind rattled the shutters and the rain made sloshing noises on the portico because he’d STILL forgotten to tell old Albert to fix the gutters. Then he thought of all the frogs in that chilly pond, plopping their heads underwater to avoid the rain, which seemed pretty futile. No, maybe he’d remain a prince a while longer, until he’d identified a less hostile froggy environment.
Besides, he’d pinned his transmogrification hopes on the witch at the end of Crab Lane. Everyone always thought she was a witch, but last month she started claiming she was the reincarnation of an ancient Sumerian astrologer, and standing on her head for no apparent reason. They’d put her in an institution, and she hadn’t escaped yet, so if she really was a witch, she couldn’t be very powerful. It didn’t bode well for the frog thing. On balance, thought the Prince, more consideration should be given to the matter. Further detailed planning was needed. He went off to find old Albert. At least the gutters were straightforward.

Over the next few days he took to splashing in the ponds, confusing the under-gardeners, frightening his parents, and disturbing the real frogs, until he thought that he could make it as a frog.
Now that he had made up his mind about it, all that remained was for him to figure out how to do it. So, he summoned the wisest man in all the land to help him.
The man’s name was Julian Perjorius. He was ninety-one and had traveled to every place worth mentioning, several places not worth mentioning, and at least one place that shouldn’t be mentioned even if one wanted to.
”How can I become a frog?” the prince asked.

Julian Perjorius was flabbergasted. “Why would you want to?”
”Never mind that. Do you know how I can turn into a frog?”
Julian thought he could bluff his way out of this, which was a serious mistake. “Of course! There are several methods. But a prince’s life is infinitely better than that of a frog. You shouldn’t even want to be a frog.”
”Well, I do. How do I do it?”
Julian Perjorius’s bald pate turned bright red, and he fumbled with the many amulets hanging around his neck. “Er… er…”
”Well?”

Julian Perjorius, of course, had no idea. He seized one last hope: to send the prince so far away that Julian Perjorius himself would be gone when the royal heir found out that he was a fraud.
”At the end of the world, the seas pour off in a great waterfall. In that waterfall is a rocky outcrop that forms an island. On that island there is a forest. In that forest there is a ruined castle. In that castle is a well. Drink from that well, and you will turn into whatever you wish.”
Julian Perjorius knew that the world was round, but he also knew that princes’ tutors weren’t paid enough to be accurate.
”Thank you!” the prince exclaimed, and he promptly ran off to grab his satchel.

“My dear son,” his deep-voiced father said solemnly. “Where are you running in such a grand hurry?”
”I’m off on a quest,” the prince laughed. “I’m going to become a frog!”
Before his parents could answer he had strode out onto the drawbridge and away he went.
The prince had gone to school since the age of five and knew that the world was not round, like the old man had said. He had studied arithmetic, literature and geography. His father always told him he would be a brilliant king, absolutely brilliant, and he believed it. His tutors would often give remarks such as ‘Wonderful job, Ferdinand!’ or ‘Absolutely remarkable, Frank!’ Frank was his nickname, and he did not like anyone calling him anything but. Still, the wise man was pretty wise, so Frank decided he might as well believe him.
The prince was not one to miss out on opportunities, so he went off into the woods, not exactly knowing where he was going, but he would get to the end of the world one way or another. And with that, the prince set off into the wilderness.

Frank had never walked very deep into the woods before. He’d gone to the unicorn pasture with his sister many times but that was in a clearing just a five minute walk from the edge of the croquet grounds. And there was a well-maintained path.
But now he was in what felt like the wilderness proper. He’d passed the unicorns about an hour ago. He was trying hard to make progress but he wasn’t getting very far. The brush was thick and tree roots kept tripping him up.
Frank impatiently pulled aside a stubborn branch. He was beginning to wish that he’d brought along the sword his father was always after him to practice with. It might not have been much use, since he hated the thing and could barely hit anything with it, but it didn’t take much skill to whack blindly ahead.
Yank. Rip. Yank. Rip. Yank. Frank forged ahead, until suddenly there was nothing in front of him but a small green pool. Unprepared for this sudden freedom, he very nearly fell in and managed to save himself by grabbing onto a rock.
Which promptly unfolded under his fingers and bit him in one of the scratches he’d already gotten.
”You are grabbing a lady!” it screeched, in a rusty gravelly voice. “Where were you brought up, to have learned such manners?”

Frank was so surprised that he did fall into the water. It was cold and clear, and Frank swallowed a good deal of it before he surfaced. The lady who had spoken wasn’t, in fact, much of a lady. She had dark skin, riddled with pockmarks, a tattered dress, and messy grey hair. And she was about seven inches tall.
”You’re a rock fairy!” he said in surprise. Of all the thousands of rocks he could have grabbed in this horrible forest, it had to be a rock fairy.
”And you’re very rude and very lost, though I should hope that wasn’t your answer to my question,” said the fairy, crossing her spindly legs and sitting at the bank of the pool.
”What question?” asked Frank, sucking his bitten finger.
”Where did you learn your manners?”
Frank shrugged. “My tutors, mostly. They didn’t have very good manners themselves.” He stood up, and the water only reached to his knees. Luckily for him, he was very used to being wet by now, or he might have to decided to go home right then and there. Remembering that frogs didn’t stand up, he sat down again.
The rock fairy watched him with interest.
”You humans are quite unfathomable,” she observed. “A few minutes ago, you seemed eager to be somewhere else, though you weren’t getting there very efficiently. Now you’re not going much of anywhere at all. If you had more sense than most mortals, it might occur to you to ask directions from someone who has lived in these woods since pebbles were boulders and mounds were mountains. But I don’t suppose it will.”

“Well, you see,” said Frank rather thoughtfully, “I don’t really know where I’m going myself.” He paused and thought for a bit about whether or not he should go about telling rock fairies, albeit slightly annoying ones, about his desires to become a frog. Sighing, he began to think that she might, after all, know how one goes about becoming a frog and it might be within his interest to tell her when she spoke up again.

“It’s not my habit,” the rock fairy said, “to offer advice to those who almost certainly won’t benefit from it. I probably ought to wrap myself back up into a cobble and let you fend for yourself.” She frowned and rested a cheek on one of her blocky fists. “On the other hand, things have been dull around here for the past eon or so, and they say a good deed is never wasted. So.

“Off some ways in that direction,” she continued, gesturing with her chin, “stands a castle hewn of very high-quality red granite. Lovely stone; I watched it cool. A king and queen live there, doing whatever mortal kings and queens do.

“In that direction”–she gestured again–”the woods soon give way to low hill of pure glass, a geological anomaly, on top of which a dragon makes his home. I don’t know how he would react if you went there, but he’d probably eat you.
”Should you choose to remain in the woods, the only mortals you are likely to meet are a woodcutter and his daughter. At first I mistook you for one of them. Humans all look more or less alike to me.

“And apart from staying in that pond, which, of course, you’ve managed to find for yourself, I’d say that just about exhausts your options.”

“What about that direction and that direction?” asked Frank, pointing to the only places that the rock fairy hadn’t gestured to.
”Well, both of those ways keep you in the woods for too long to actually constitute going out of it, but that way leads to a nice stone wall, been there for years, and the other way leads to the end of the world, or so I’ve been told. Of course,” she answered with a sniff, “everyone knows the world is round, so-” but whatever she said next was wasted on Frank, who was no longer there.

Frank began walking in the direction of the rock fairy’s gesture, and was beginning to wonder if she was right. So far he’d not seen anything, but then he decided not to complain, as the end of the world must be very far away. He walked and walked and found some interesting looking berries, which he promptly ate, not caring much as to whether they were poisonous or not. His tutors had never taught him much useful stuff, only Latin and math, which he knew very well, and how to answer questions of moral and to rule justly. It was all very boring in his mind. He occupied his time walking by thinking of everything that he could that began with either a, m, or q. He eventually came up with a very long list, until he was stopped by a very tall, and very ugly, monstrous beast.
Well, it appeared to be a hideous monster. So much so that he fell to the ground with a cry, shielding his face with his arms so that when it leapt out at him, well, no use thinking about that. If only he had had his sword…well, it probably wouldn’t be much use actually, but it would give whoever found his body the impression that he had put up a fight. Much more noble a way to die. Instead of ripped to shreds or eaten, as he was surely about to be…
But this was taking a rather long time, wasn’t it? He peeked through his fingers. The monster stood there, impassively. He put his arm down. The monster still made no move. He got up, brushed some dirt off his trousers, and examined it. It was, in actuality, a gargoyle. A rather lifelike one, admittedly, but nothing more than stone.
Was it? He warily eyed it, and kneeling he pulled a stick off the ground. He wasn’t going to risk touching it himself, no, he’d heard enough of the old bed time stories. He crept, advancing towards the beast. Or not-beast, or whatever the proper term was. He narrowed his eyes, quickly prodded the thing, and leapt back with a gasp.
The gargoyle stood there. Still. He frowned. This is beginning to become a slight waste of time… he thought to himself. Now what?

Frank was interrupted from his contemplations of just what one should do in order to figure out if what appears to be a gargoyle actually is a gargoyle rather abruptly by two almost simultaneous events. The first was the rock fairy who, having seemingly recovered from her bad mood after being left, hurtled into him at a rather fast speed shouting in a somewhat annoying high pitched voice. The second was that the seemingly still gargoyle yawned. Both of these things startled Frank to the degree that he jumped quite a bit in the air, much to the annoyance of the rock fairy.
”Must you jump so? It’s rather bothersome… Where did you say you learned your manners from, again?”
”But, that gargoyle he… yawned!”
”Well, gargoyles get tired too, you know. Sitting in the same spot all day must be boring,” the rock fairy said while sticking her tongue out at the gargoyle who promptly stuck his out at her, “He’s my uncle, you know.”
”You’re UNCLE?!”
”Why yes, it’s not that unusual…”
”They really don’t teach you much, Your Royal Wosserface, do they?” asked the fairy, settling herself on the shoulder of the gargoyle. “What are you doing here? Uncle, I’m old enough to take care of my own woods.”
The gargoyle made a sort of guttural hum. The fairy responded with a higher-pitched noise that sounded like a rock hitting a wall.
”My name is Frank,” said His Royal Wosserface, though he suspected this was rather irrelevant.
”And mine’s Jade. And his is Chartres. What’s your point?” Jade grumbled.
”Er…nothing.”
”You mortals are so confused,” said Jade, exasperated. “Not to mention rude.”
Frank considered answering as a frog would, but thought better of it and remained silent. So did Jade. So did Chartres.
After several very quiet minutes, Frank said, “I really must be continuing on my quest now. Thank you for the directions.” For he was determined to be polite after the Jade’s last comment on his manners.
”Oh, you’re on a quest,” said Jade. “Why didn’t you say so?”
”Why, I’d love to come on a quest with you!” Jade exclaimed. “And so would Chartres.”
”Well, I wasn’t really asking you,” said the prince.
After an hour of arguing and debating, Chartres and Jade won out and so the prince was stuck with them till he became a frog.
Jade talked and talked for hours on end. Chartres remained silent, and took such tiny steps; Frank could barely see him move his feet, yet he still kept up with them.
”You want to be a frog?” asked Jade after a few hours.
”Did you just now realize that?” Frank asked, laughing.
As the unconventional group headed deeper into the woods, the Prince had the mounting feeling that there was a sinister mood among the local flora and fauna. All the trees were gnarled, and there was not a bird in sight.
A long time passed before the group came along anything else especially exciting. Jade was still talking when they came to a huge green wall. No, it was not huge. It was gigantic! Enormous! Ginormous!

“I guess we have to walk around,” said Frank. And so they started walking, and walking, and walking, and walking. What is this place? the Prince thought. He could hear quiet music playing on the other side of the wall, but as far as he could tell, there was no way in.
But after a few days of rounding the green wall, Frank realized they must have been going in circles, and he was all worn out.
”What are we going to do, guys? I can still hear people on the inside, but this wall is solid.â€
Meanwhile, back at the castle, the Queen was quite out of sorts.
”It’s OUTRAGEOUS,” she boomed. “A quest? At his age? Anything could happen to him. Why, at this very moment he could be lying by the roadside with his throat cut by brigands.”

“Now, Hortense,” the King replied mildly. “I’m sure nothing like that has happened.”
They were in their after-dinner throne room. The jesters and minstrels, sensing that their presence was not needed, had tiptoed off to bed about half an hour earlier. Nearby, in a low chair, Frank’s younger sister, the Princess Araminta (“Minty” to her parents when she was in their good graces, which at the moment she was not, and “Minch” to Frank when they were trying to annoy each other, which was most of the time), sat frowning into her tatting. “Oh, no,” she said half to herself. “I’m sure he’ll come hopping back home just in time for breakfast.”

“This is not a matter for jokes,” the Queen snapped. “Your brother is the heir to the throne. Who will rule the kingdom if anything should happen to him?”
Araminta tatted another stitch. She hated tatting. “I’ll rule,” she said quietly.

“And of all things, a FROG,” the Queen continued. “It’s unheard of. Why couldn’t he do something conventional–swap places with a commoner, or run away to sea, or turn Turk, or something? Why this fixation on becoming a cold, slimy amphibian?”

“No comment,” Araminta muttered.

“There’s nothing at all to worry about,” the King replied, forcing a smile. “This sort of thing happens all the time. Why, most young men at some point go through a fascination with herpetology. At his age I myself–” The sentence withered under the Queen’s glare. “Well, no, I never did. But it will pass, I’m sure of it.”

The Queen clapped her hands together. “I’ll not have it,” she said. “Such irresponsible behavior must not be tolerated. Tomorrow at first light we shall send out as many horsemen as we can muster to fetch the prince back to the castle and teach him to do his duty.”

In the dead of night, Araminta slid out of bed and dressed in the dark, afraid to light a candle lest she wake someone. She tiptoed out of her bedchamber and through the cold and stony halls. The proper way to go about it would have been to tear up her sheets and make a rope out of them, but then it would have taken far too long to leave, and likely she would have been discovered and given new sheets, and have to start all over again.
When Araminta came to a thick wooden door, she opened it carefully and silently. Normally doors like this would creak as they were opened, alerting everyone to her presence, but the old librarian, Robert, kept it in good shape. He was her favorite out of the castle staff, and she often came to the library when she couldn’t sleep. He wouldn’t tell her parents, and maybe he could help her find a way out and to her brother.
As Araminta expected, the library was lit with dozens of candles. Robert often got so absorbed in his scholarly projects that he worked all night and slept during the day. The aroma of melting beeswax mingled with the familiar smells of oaken bookcases and worn leather bindings. As Araminta entered the room, the old librarian looked up from a desk at which he had been inspecting a pile of dusty parchments.
“Ah, your Royal Highness,” he said with a smile. “Such a pleasure to see you at any hour. I’ve been expecting you. How can I be of service?”
Araminta hesitated. Expecting her? How? But there was no time for puzzles. “I need your help,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “There’s something I need to do. It’s very important, and it has to be done right away. It concerns–”

“His royal highness, your brother the prince,” Robert finished for her, nodding slightly. “A search party has been ordered to set out just after daybreak. The grooms will be saddling the horses soon. I take it, however, that you have plans of your own.”

Araminta nodded enthusiastically. “I’m going after him.”

“So I surmised,” the librarian replied. “Might I ask why, when their majesties your royal parents have already ordered their most accomplished men of arms to find him?”

Araminta snorted. “Because I want to have an adventure too. It isn’t fair that he gets to go on a quest, and I have to tat lace.”
”But he doesn’t ‘get’ to go on a quest. Why do you think the men of arms have gone after him?”
”Well, he still went on one. So I will too. Just because he’s a boy and older than me doesn’t mean he can have adventures and I can’t. Anyway, he wants to be a frog? I would do better than that with my quest.”
Robert seemed annoyed with her, any reaches, and he began to twiddle his fingers in an anxious way.
”But.. Does it not seem… dangerous for a small girl to go on such a tall order of a quest? Why not start smaller, like pulling a golden ball out of a stream, or helping to match a maiden to her lost glassy high-heel?”
Araminta frowned in a manner that made Robert feel pressed to put an abrupt end to the conversation, but of course with him being right, and the princess being quite wrong.
”I have barely ever left the castle, and I want an adventure too. Besides, do you know how humiliating it could be to have a frog as a BROTHER? Having him eat off of a plate and be sitting on your pillow because he helped you with some sort of petty task? And then, the girl who wanted to marry him would have to kiss him on slimy pondswaterry lips! That would be disgusting! I believe that he could do something better with his time than go looking for someone who could amphibitize him.”

Robert sighed. “All right, all right,” he said, “what is it that you want from me, exactly?”
Araminta turned her most confident smile upon the librarian. She knew that when he sounded most crotchety, he was ready to provide her the assistance he’d intended all along.
”I’m sure you’ve studied enough books to know that as my Magical Helper you’re supposed to present me with a talisman of some sort to help me succeed in impossible tasks no one could possibly have predicted. Then you give me a strict warning of something I absolutely must not do or face dire consequences, so that, of course, I can be sure to do it at the earliest opportunity.”
Robert was already removing a leather-clad box from a drawer Araminta didn’t remember noticing before. The box was tooled all over with arabesques of thorny vines and curling leaves she didn’t recognize. Nor could she make out the letters of what she presumed to be the title. The box smelled of age and travel and deep promises. Feeling a little awed in spite of herself, Araminta quickly recovered her poise.
”But if you dare give me a magical tatting shuttle, I will never speak to you again.â€â€¨
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:30GRR! It’ won’t go thru! O.k., it’s in 102 and 103.
!!!
EDIT: 102 is missing! HELP! I can’t get it posted, and it’s missing.
Sorry. most of that’s on the first thread.
150- My mother keeps making me get of! I’ll continue:
~~~
Step in it. or over it. your blood lines is royal, and the border is enchanted.”
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Hypatia (3 menagerie points, 1 compass, 5 creativity ceylons, 1 perception pikelet)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:33So..In my lurking days, I read the beginning and just recently I read most of post 104. Once I have finished with that and filled in the gaps with bits of the keeper version, I am ready to RRRite!!!! Huzzah!
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:38Um, Why is 151 in the RC, but not on this thread?
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Alice (4 platypus points, 4 wung points)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 21:39Araminta cursed. Jade groaned. Frank sighed and sat down on a convenient rock, which suddenly proved itself not to be a rock at all, as it started to slowly waddle across the border. Frank nearly jumped off, but John clapped his hands and cried, “Excellent! Don’t get off!”
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 22:25(152) It’s because it’s too long. Here’s the rest of what you tried to post in 151:
Robert smiled, now somewhat amused. “No, I didn’t intend to do so, my lady,” he said with a slight edge to his voice, and with an amazing flourishing gesture of his smooth hand, he removed the adorned lid of the glimmering box.
”EEEEEEEEK!”
An ear-piercingly loud voice came out of the box. It sounded like someone scratching their fingernails on a chalkboard.
”EGADS! WHAT IS THIS PLACE? WHERE’S ROBERT? AAAAAH! HEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEE! I’VE BEEN STOLEN!” the voice from the box screamed. Araminta was so surprised and scared she dropped the box, but caught it right before it hit the ground.
”AAAAAAAAAH! MURDER! MURDER! I WAS ALMOST MURDERED! ARREST THIS GIRL! SHE TRIED TO MURDER ME! WHERE’S ROBERT?” screeched the voice, getting more irritating by the second. Araminta tried to close the box, but she couldn’t- it was as if the box was pushing itself open. The old librarian calmly walked over and said in a quiet and kind voice, “Shh. Calm down.” The box, upon hearing this, quieted immediately. “Araminta,” Robert said, “I would like to introduce you to your magical talisman, Emma.”
For a brief moment, Araminta could only stare. Then she said, “What? What do you mean? Talisman? How will it…er, she help me on my quest?”
Robert smiled, and reached a hand gently into the adorned box. Instantly, an ear-piercing scream lit the air. “OW! WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? ROBERT? EEEEEE!”
”Relax, Emma, everything is fine”, said Robert, and he pulled from the box a long silver staff. It was crisscrossed with golden leaves, like the box, and at the top, held in by tight brass vines, was a crystal ball about the size of a very large tennis ball. And in the ball, swirling amidst white smokes was a face. It was a pretty face, that of a woman. She had flowing raven-black hair, emerald oval eyes that glinted sharply, a straight nose, and a full mouth. “WHO IS THAT?” cried the woman. “ROBERT! Who is she?”
Araminta looked at the face in the ball in surprise, and even a little fear. But just as she settled down for a moment, the ball screamed, rattling the candelabras, tremoring the books in their shelves, and nearly bowling Araminta over.
”WHY. IS. SHE. IN. HERE! MAKE HER LEEEAVE ROBERT!”
Robert gave Araminta an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry,” he said,” but I didn’t know she would be this cranky. She is normally very sweet, you know.” Araminta highly doubted this. Her eardrums were still ringing with the sounds that had just filled the room as Robert spoke softly to the lady in the orb. “Now, now, Emma, I know it’s been almost a hundred year nap, but this is Araminta, the princess, and she needs your help on a … mission of sorts.” The lady, upon hearing this, smiled broadly, which was the very last thing Araminta had expected her to do. “Well, well! This certainly is a special turn of events, now isn’t it? I would be honored to help you, but first I need a little something in return.” “And.. What is that, Madame?” asked Araminta as politely as she could.
Emma, the lady in the ball, grinned even wider. “I just need a favor… Do you know where the Warden of the West is?”
Araminta shook her head no. “I’m afraid I haven’t been acquainted, madam. You see, I haven’t ever been far from the castle, and…”
The lady cut her off. “I am sure that IF we are REALLY going on a REAL quest, she’ll pop up sooner or later, and when she does, I will need to speak with her about certain matters.” Emma peered around to make sure there was nobody else lurking in the shadows of the shelves, and then said, “What… exactly are we doing?”
Araminta smiled happily, because this meant that surely she would get to go on her quest now. “We are going to rescue my brother the prince. He wants to be a frog, but my father won’t let him. He’s run away to be one, and my father is ending his best knights after him, but we are going to beat them to him.”
”Well, then,” said Emma, “what on earth are we waiting for? Dawn, when the knights will be leaving?”
Robert nodded. “She’s right, you know. You’d better leave right away if you’re going at all, which I don’t encourage. But I suppose I can’t stop you, can I?”
”No, you can’t,” said Araminta.
So began a rather long journey, though the talisman – Emma – was usually very hard to conceal, as she was rather grouchy.
All too soon Araminta found herself in the true wilderness, the forests which knew no paths, civilization, and certainly no royalty. And she was stuck with what had t o be the most obnoxious talisman the world had ever had the great misfortune to know. Or not know, as the case may be.
Araminta had always thought of herself as more mature and practical than Frank – didn’t the whole I-want-to-be-a-frog thing prove it? However, when she walked headlong into an enormous spider web, she totally lost it. Screaming, kicking – the whole nine yards. A full blown tantrum, really.
”Oh, come on!” cried Emma. “You’ll wake up the spider, or whatever nasty creature made this web. And then where will we be? It’ll eat you, and I’ll be stuck here forever!” While Araminta wasn’t sure Emma would be lost forever, she had to admit that she had a point. Giant nasties weren’t something to be messed with.
But Emma’s warning had come too late, for the spider was creeping down the web towards the rather unfortunate duo.
Araminta screamed again, and unsurprisingly, so did Emma. They didn’t have to worry about waking the spider, as it was already awake. After several seconds, Araminta had to pause for breath, and suddenly realized that the spider was coming very, very slowly. If she ran quite fast, perhaps Araminta could get away before she was captured and sucked dry. However, she didn’t think about why the spider was moving so slowly . . .
The spider, evidently thinking only to itself, was moving quite quickly toward the two at first, when only suddenly, he noticed a slight movement and then a sharp jolt to his legs. This jolt had no color or sound, but it slowed down the hampered spider so much that it could barely move, much les reach its’ prey.
Araminta pulled herself hard backwards, and almost at one, she and Emma were free. Araminta ran, as hard and fast as her legs could carry her, off into the farther deep of the woods. Soon she was so tired that she collapsed heavily on the dirt of the forest floor. The earth felt soft and cool under her sweating cheeks. But just as she was about to get back up, something made a slight noise behind her, as if a stick had cracked. Araminta’s head spun around. “Who’s THERE?” she asked slowly and cautiously. And all at once, a shape stepped gingerly out of the dark black foliage.
A figure, tall and semi-muscular looking, had crept out of the trees. It was a man, not older than Araminta herself. He had thick, wavy raven black hair. His eyes were dark, but full of light and played with a smile on them. He had a thin face with a small pointed nose and a strong chin. He wore a dark green tunic and trousers, and was shrouded in a thick black cloak with a hood, and on his belt was a thin strip of wood. It was embroidered carefully with carved rope-like designs, and at one Araminta knew what it was. It was a wand.
”Hello”, said the man, who smiled at her like a long lost friend. “I am Lucias. What is your name?” Araminta stuttered for a moment, not sure what to say. “I…I… I am, er… Minty, a dairy maid in the village.” She felt so bad to lie to this boy, but he was an outsider. She owed him nothing so far, and if he knew she was the princess, he might send her back to the castle. “I… traveled into the woods looking for my pet… frog. He escaped you see, and I love him dearly, almost like a brother.” She paused, now not sure what to say. What if her brother wasn’t even a frog yet? The man grinned even more broadly. “Ah, a quest. I too am on a quest. I am looking for the prince. He has evidently run away to become a frog, and the king has sent me and other knights and … never mind… to come after him. Maybe… I could help you search for your frog, and you could help me search for mine?” She liked this man already! Why, they even thought alike! But… why did he carry such a precious wand? As if he could read her mind, Lucias pulled his cloak over his belt, offering her his arm. “So, my lady,” he said, “what will it be?” His smile… It was like a sunbeam on her face.
She answered, “I would be delighted, sir.” He grinned happily.
”Then… lead the way, miss.” She took his strong hand and they began their way into the deep foliage, like two old friends, rejoined on the same path.
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in April 15th, 2008 @ 22:28And more:
Meanwhile, the Prince and his stony companions were sitting in front of the green wall. It was not green in the truest sense, but it was covered with moss and ivy, which, combined with the dim light, made it look rather as though it were carved out of an opaque green stone.
On an impulse, Frank stood up and went over to it. Jade took the opportunity when he wasn’t looking to snatch some of his bread, and found that it wasn’t quite as good as it looked, being quite stale.
Frank was scratching away at the moss, in the hopes of finding a door or something, but so far he had had no luck.
Jade said, “Yuck,” and Frank turned around.
”Hey!” he cried. “You’re eating my lunch!”
”It’s stale any-” began Jade, but suddenly the ground opened up and swallowed Frank whole.
People often wish that this would happen when they are embarrassed or bored. Frank was no exception, and indeed, he had probably wished it more than anyone, what with being a Prince and all. But this was something entirely different.
For one thing, he wasn’t being humiliated. For another, this was not at all what he’d imagined the ground swallowing him up would feel like. It was more like falling down a long vertical tunnel, without the tunnel sides around him. So more like falling into a very high-ceilinged cavern.
Very, very, high-ceilinged, since he hadn’t hit the ground yet. Maybe even bottomless.
It suddenly occurred to Frank that he was analyzing what it felt like to be swallowed by the earth. That was so utterly strange that he began to laugh. His laughter echoed around, confirming his suspicions that he was in a cavern. But it was odd how long he’d been fa-
BLAM! The large blast echoed like an earthquake around the round tunnel. It shook the dirt crusted around Frank, who shook and vibrated horribly like a piece of spaghetti when you hold it loosely between your fingers and give it a gentle, firm tug. To Frank, there seemed to be no place from which the horrible rumble had come from, but as he pondered, he suddenly realized that he was nearing the…
THUD. Frank hit the musty-smelling floor of the pit with a sickening crunch. This dreadful drop might have killed him, but, as luck might have it, there was something under him that had broken his fall. He picked up one of the long thin objects to inspect it, but he threw it down immediately with a shuddery gasp. It was a long, thin mouse bone covered with caked blood and thick moss. As Frank peered haphazardly around the pit, he saw that there was a layer of these bones about three feet thick, covering the dirt of the ground. Disregarding this unpleasant sight, Frank peered around at the walls of the pit and gasped.
The walls were not so much walls as they were entrances to tunnels. There were about eight large, gaping holes around the circular chamber, each leading into a thick blackness. He could not see beyond their depths too far, but did observe that there was a torch on a plinth near the entrance of each large tunnel opening. Frank knew that somehow, one of these tunnels must lead out of the hole. He had no idea how, though. The opening through which he had fallen was so far up, it looked no bigger than the head of a bobby pin from his point of view. He was determined to get back to Jade, though, so he took a deep breath and stepped to the entrance of the first tunnel.
”I should mark my place, so I know I’ve been here,” he said to himself. “That way, I won’t choose this tunnel again.” He took two small mouse bones and placed them in an X at the start of the tunnel. Then, picking up the torch from the plinth, he struck it sharply against the stone wall of the first tunnel. The flame lit almost instantly, providing a narrow beam of light into the cavernous passage. He took another calming breath, gathered his last remaining pints of courage and stepped bravely into the tunnel.
It seemed to him that he walked for a very short time before he reached a wall at the end of the tunnel. There seemed to be no other way out, so he turned around and went the other way. He found himself once again in the cavernous room. He decided to choose another tunnel at random. He walked over to the black entrance to the fifth tunnel. He made an X with two bones once more, and placed it at the tunnel’s mouth. He then proceeded into the tunnel.
This tunnel was different. He walked for a long, long time, as the tunnel twisted and turned this way and that, this way and that. Suddenly, the tunnel stopped, and there was another opening immediately to Frank’s right. It suddenly occurred to Frank that the only way anyone could go through the cavern by abrupt turns was into the next tunnel. Now he must be in the sixth tunnel. He turned left at the moment he entered the next tunnel, and continued walking on his sore feet, walking, walking, until…
His torch blew out as a snuff of hot air flew unceremoniously past him. The air was moldy and smelled of snot, and…wait a minute! He was in a tunnel, how could there be a wind?
Then he saw a small yellow light far into the tunnel. He began to run, fast and furious, toward the light. He ran and he ran, and then, suddenly, the light shone bright, so he could see around him.
Sitting on a stump of a small log was a dark gray cat. Beside its’ flicking tail was a shuddering lamp flame in a small lantern. Now he knew what had eaten all of those would be mice whose remains had broken his fall. And floating by the cat, her wings fluttering, was…
”Jade!” Frank yelled with excitement. He ran over to her and the cat, whose beady eyes now flickered onto the pair of them. “How did you find me?”
”Easy,” said Jade happily. “I flew after you, and chose this tunnel while you were probably in a different one. Then I met…” Her face paled. “Oh, no! I forgot! Frank, we… we have to get out of here right now!”
”I’ll say you do,” said a voice, and as the pair turned to face the sound, the cat on the stump began to change. The eyes grew to become large and green in sockets surrounded by a wrinkled old face. It was surrounded by lank grey hair, the exact color of the cat fur. The woman’s dress was also grey, the color of the old stone walls, and was torn and ripped in several places. She spoke once more, saying, “The pet will be after you two. You have trespassed upon my land, and so he will devour you, as he has many of your fellows. It’s a shame, but I fear that it must be done. Nobody can know where I am.”
”Why’s that?”, Jade asked. “Never you mind,” the old lady groaned. “He will find you. He will, he will…” And with that, the woman fell to the floor. Her limp form became a gray cat once more, and the cat began to snore, letting out gusts of wind so large they were like small hurricanes.
”WE better get out of here,” Frank said hurriedly, and the two began to run down the tunnel. But as they reached the atrium point, they realized there was something wrong…
Something large and black was on all fours in the middle of the atrium. It was a beast that was so great and hairy, you could barely tell what it was. It was encased in coarse hair that when they collided with Jade as the paw of it swept toward them, it was as though made of strips if nail.
The giant padded paw swept then both off of their feet and into a corner against a wall. But they were swift. Fast as lightning, they ran down the last tunnel. The beast’s paw flew in after them, swatting after their retreating backs, but it couldn’t go too far. Jade and Frank sat huddled against the wall, watching the great hairy appendage swipe against the bricks only feet away from them.
”We have to get out of here,” Jade said softly. “I have an idea.” She and Frank crept along the passage just as the paw pulled back out of the tunnel. Jade reached into her pocket suddenly, and pulled out a small bottle full of a shining blue liquid. She popped the top and handed it to Frank. “Here, drink this,” she told him. “It’s a one-hour shrink potion. Just drink a drop. We only need ten minutes.” Frank carefully put a tiny drop onto his tongue. He felt himself growing smaller… smaller, and then he saw Jade fluttering above him. “Now climb into my hand,” she instructed. Frank did, and then they had reached the tunnel’s mouth. Then, without warning, Jade flew out of the opening. The dog let out a rattling howl, and spiped at her with all his might. But Jade was faster. She flew fast and furious up the tunnel. But the dog took a leap and stuck his caws deep into the wall. The bricks and dirt caused a rumbling avalanche under the dog. He kept climbing up the wall, jaws snapping at Jade. She screamed as one tip of a sharp incisor scraped he leg, but then they had flown swiftly out of the tunnel and into the light. Jade’s wings finally gave out, and the two, with Frank grown to his normal size, fell hopelessly to the ground.
Now that Frank had really been swallowed up by the earth, he wasn’t keen to do it again, and so, like so many silly humans, wrapped his arms around a tree trunk and refused to budge, no matter what Jade threatened to do to him. So now Jade and Chartres were examining the wall with some interest.
It didn’t really look like a wall, and it didn’t sound hollow. It was more reminiscent of a glass hill Jade’s cousin’s friend’s uncle’s mother had supposedly stumbled on once than a natural formation or man made object.
Presently Frank decided that he could venture from his tree and rose to join his companions. He was some distance away and, now that he focused on the wall, he realized that he somehow recognized the shape… Though he couldn’t think where. Rounded, oblong, and smaller at one end… Yes, that was it. The wall looked like an egg.
If it was an egg, then it must have been sitting there a good while, for all that moss to grow on it, he thought. Therefore, it is in no danger of hatching, breaking, etc. and we are perfectly safe.
Naturally he didn’t feel perfectly safe, because if he had, he wouldn’t have bothered to go through the likelihood of its safety in his head. He edged over to Jade and Chartres, carefully keeping a firm hold on one tree or another all the while. “I think we should go,” he said nervously.
”Why on earth do you think that?” asked Jade, who was fascinated by wall/hill/egg and not at all afraid of being swallowed by the earth.
”Because that thing is an egg. And even though I’m certain it won’t hatch or break while we’re here, because of all the moss, I still think we should leave, because if it did hatch or break-” he suddenly realized he was babbling, and shut up.
”Oh,” said Jade, even more fascinated. “So it’s an egg. And it’s been here long enough to grow moss. Hmm.”
”Hmm?” quavered Frank. He didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean?”
”I mean that the only egg that takes that long to hatch is a dragon egg.”
Frank, having been swallowed by the Earth and rescued with a very close call on getting out alive, did not much like the idea of hanging around and aging dragon egg, which could hatch at any moment. So, he took a hesitant breath, and said, “I’m really quite annoyed after being swallowed alive. Besides, my father has no doubt already organized a search party, looking for me. I believe that the best decision right now would be to move on. I REALLY don’t want to come face to face with a real drag-“
BOOM. BOOOM. BOOM. There was a loud, ear splitting, ground rattling booming noise coming from behind them. At once, Frank had an idea where it was coming from…
And then, a throttling CRAA-A-A-ACK came from the egg’s side. The giant oval was splitting right down the middle. Frank tried to yell, “RUN!”, but it was much too late. A green, leathery thing covered in green goop the color of the moss that had embossed the egg was a large, scaly wing, with a talon perched on the end in a claw. Then, there came a shriek so loud it was like a setup of a billion modern day stereo karaoke sets with a billion microphones set near the speaker, each turned up to their full extent of volume.
The trio turned on their speed at full energy and began to run, but not before they saw the face, the horrid face, poking more sinister than anything on earth out of the cracked shell. It was green, like that of a glistening snake. It had teeth longer than tree stumps, roots and all, and they were yellowed and shining. And the eyes, a vivid purple, full of malice and larger than a computer screen. They stared menacingly at the three frightened people, and had in them a horrid promise . . .
When Frank saw the dragon’s eyes, the first (and only) thing he wished was to be swallowed up by the earth again. Then the world went black.
Jade and her uncle stood still as stone, which in fact they were. They were much to hard to be of any interest to the dragon, but Frank, lying insensible right in front of it, was of a whole lot of interest.
Meanwhile, and not too far away, Araminta and Lucias were continuing a prolonged and much thought out search for the frog-beguiled prince. Araminta was wishing with all her heart that he wasn’t a frog just yet. If only they could stop him, before it was too late…
The pair came into a small clearing in the forest. There were two forks on the other side of it. One pointed to their right, and one pointed to their left. “How are we supposed to get out of this one?” she asked.
”Don’t worry, I can think of something…” Lucias’ voice trailed off as both of them heard a noise in the far distance. It was like a loud cacophony of yells, followed by a large screeching noise, horrible to the ear. The ground actually rumbled a little bit. What if…
”Lucias! We have to follow that screech. Quick! Which way did it come from?” A puzzled look crossed his handsome features as he considered her question. Then, slowly and reluctantly, he pulled his wand from his belt. Araminta gasped.
”You’re going to do magic?” she asked incredulously. “But magic is against the law! The royal family outlawed it long ago!” He stared at her long and hard. “You really don’t get out much, do you?” he asked quizzically. Araminta blushed.
”No, I suppose I don’t. Well, if you must, I guess you must. Have at it.” She held her breath, waiting for it…
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lucias looking at her in amazement. “It won’t hurt anyone,” he said, “but it will make a little pop. Is that all right?”
”Yes, of course!” She was slightly embarrassed. Of course he wouldn’t hurt anybody! Lucias took a deep breath and concentrated hard. He then opened his mouth and recited,
”Upon the earth from cores within
I summon the pow’r of the witches’ sin,
Let there be on the ground this day
A sign for us that points the way!”
The shot something dazzlingly purple from the tip of the wand, and it hit the ground with the pop like a firecracker. Immediately, a glimmering purple arrow pointed down the left fork of the path.
Lucias slipped the wand back into his belt, and grabbed her hand, pulling her down the path. She didn’t need pulling. She dashed pell-mell after him down the dirt lane. And to her surprise, there was already something there…
Sitting there in a large space clear of trees was a cracked open egg. What had once been white had long since been covered in green mosses. But what sat in the middle was what prompted Araminta’s shriek of unadulterated terror.
In the very middle of the gigantic eggshell sat something so massive, it made both the adventurers feel like the heads of pins. It was a large thing, its’ many scales a deep jade green. It had narrow purplish magenta eyes that seemed to pierce you straight through when they glowed. But although it was the smallest of its kind, the teeth.. They were like small swords, glinting fiercely in the morning sun. “It’s …a d-dragon,” Araminta stuttered, and she collapsed in a heap on the forest floor.
Araminta had never been the hysterical type. She despised her mother’s idea of a princess, a girl that sat in her palace waiting for a prince to come to rescue her, or fainted at the least sign of danger. But for once, she thought she might actually understand.
Of course, all this reasoning came later, after Lucias had revived her with cold water and she had stopped moaning terrified gibberish.
”What on earth is the matter, Minty?” asked Lucias, looking exceedingly consternated and placing himself between her and the dragon.
Araminta, embarrassed at having lost her cool, was attempting to regain her composure. At this question, however, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What do you mean, ‘what’s the matter’? It’s only a dragon, that’s all!”
Lucias turned around to look at the dragon and studied it for some time. “It’s a baby. It can’t breathe fire yet.”‘
”It doesn’t need to breathe fire,” replied Araminta, doing a rather good job of controlling herself. “Look at its teeth.”
“Well,” said Lucias, “we don’t need to worry about that. It’s about to fall asleep.”
”What- how do you know?” asked Araminta, but almost before she could finish her sentence, the dragon gave a rumble, and then a snort, and swayed on its huge taloned feet. Then, for all the world like a falling tree, it fell to the ground with an impact that made the earth shake.
”Dragons always fall asleep after eating,” said Lucias, a tad smugly.
Araminta’s eyes opened wide. “What- what did it eat?”
”Nothing,” broke in a voice. It was Emma, whom Araminta had almost forgotten about. “That boy put a spell on it. Though I imagine if he hadn’t, it would have fallen asleep soon anyways. Look.” She couldn’t point, due to her lack of arms, but somehow she managed to indicate a small figure lying right in front of the dragon.
The figure, which the pair had not noticed before, was lying limply on the ground by the cracked and hopelessly shattered remains of the eggshell. It was a she, and the figure was almost invisible. Her dress was the exact same shade of deep green as the scales of the dragon, but torn and strangely thin, unlike the sturdy scales of the beast. Her hair was a straggly dirty blond, flung hopelessly over her delicate white arms and face, which was hidden from view.
Minty and Lucias, frightened of the dragon but grateful that it was asleep, crept over to the figure. “Miss?” Minty whispered. “Miss, are you all right?” Lucias strode over to the figure and flipped the hair gently away from her face. The blond layers revealed a pale face, with ruby lips shaped just right, and thick eyelashes. Lucias bent over her and spoke firmly. “Madam, are you well? Can… Can you hear me?”
As if by a sudden force, the young woman snapped up from the ground, sitting straight upright. “Well, of course I’m all right!” she said sharply. “You wouldn’t expect me to be sitting on the ground and actually be all right?” She looked around, mildly confused. Her voice had an English twinge to it, and was bouncy and soft, like raindrops pattering a rooftop. Her mouth was a full ruby red, and her eyes were blue. She looked young, yet very beautiful. In an instant, she seemed to snap back to reality. “Oh! Yes, I forgot! I just put this dragon to sleep. I thought you two might be frightened of her.” Araminta nodded, but the woman went on without noticing. “I guess I got a blast of it too, and dozed off a bit. Excuse me, I haven’t introduced myself!” She stood up. “I am Annabel Sarclopohagus, but you may call me Annie. I’m a dragon keeper. This little beauty is a newly hatched Scotts Westley dragon. As of now, the abandoned dear is under my care.”
Lucias interrupted. “How did you put it…her to sleep?” Annie looked very worried. “I’m not sure I’m able to divulge that information, but I guess that, considering our position, I can make an exception. ” She sighed. “I am a divinist, meaning I can divine the future. I am also fluent in the art of hypnosis, very common where I come from. You must keep it a secret, though. The king ordered a law a few days ago, issuing that anyone found doing magic would be put under immediate arrest.”
Araminta gasped. Why would her father do something like that? It seemed that he and her mother had always gotten along peacefully with the magically gifted. Lucias was looking at Annie. “What exactly are the magical properties of the dragon?” He looked intrigued by the beast. Minty shuddered. “This dragon can fly at a very long distance, protect its’ charges, or handlers, and she has an amazing sense of tracking and direction…” As Annie went on, Lucias and Araminta shared a glance. Amazing sense of direction…
”Excuse me, madam,” Lucias cut in, “but can she breathe fire yet? I am trying to protect my colleague here. I would really hate to see her hurt…”He blushed, and his voice trailed off. At this point, it is necessary to say that at that point, Araminta felt something large and flowing spring up inside her. Lucias… cared, about her…
”No, she won’t breathe fire until she’s at least three weeks old, but if you are here when she wakes, she will become attached to you, and not harm you. If you are kind to her, she will do much for you. Maybe she’ll give you a ride later. Would you like that?” Annie smiled.
Minty and Lucias shared a glance. They both knew they wanted to. After all, a ride on a dragon didn’t come around too often… They both replied at the same time. “Yes!” Annie grinned. “Okay then! Let’s give this baby a try!”
Araminta sipped her tea, trying not to seem to eager, but buzzing inside. She could hardly wait to try to find Frank – not to mention to ride a dragon – but there were several problems she could see, the first being that although Annie would let them ride the dragon, it was unlikely that they would allow them to take her on a quest for an indefinite amount of time. Another problem was that if Frank saw Araminta, her dairymaid guise would crumble. And if these people – Lucias and Annie – knew that she was the daughter of the very king who had outlawed magic – which both of them were nonetheless proficient at – it could ruin two promising friendships.
Annie put down her teacup with a clatter, startling Araminta out of her reverie. “Ready?” she asked.
Araminta swallowed. “I’m ready,” she said, as calmly as she could.
Lucias saw her unease. “Don’t worry, Minty,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”
Annie turned around. “It will be fun – provided you’re not scared of heights.
”I’m not,” said Araminta, but she couldn’t tell them that that wasn’t what she was worried about, not at all.
Annie grinned. “I don’t know about today, but this little one should be all ready to fly, come morning.”
”We really should be getting some rest…” Lucias said. “We should bunk here for the night.” Annie leapt to her feet, clattering her teacup on its’ tray. “Yes, I believe I have some extra blankets in my kit!” She ran around to the farthest side of the clearing, returning moments later with three soft-looking blankets.
Araminta frowned. She had never been used to sleeping on the ground, and wasn’t very much interested. But she would do a lot fore her brother, and lying on the ground was the least of her problems… She and Lucias both took blankets from Annie, and finished their tea after they had laid them on the softest patches of dirt they could find.
As the sky deepened to a black navy, and stars began to twinkle like diamonds over their heads, Araminta wondered what it would feel like to fly on a dragon. Would it be frightening? Would it be… fun? And then, what was Frank doing at that very moment…?Staring, so very shaken and frightened from the varying events of the day, at the same stars as Araminta were Frank, Jade, and Chartres. Chartres was sitting, motionless because he was stone, on a large stump. Jade was perched on his head, in a position as if she were meditating. But Frank was lying spread on his back in the moss and leaves of the forest floor, wondering if his quest was a flop. It was so silent that he could hear himself think. Will I ever reach that well?
And then, in the silence, he heard a noise. It was a deep rushing rumble, almost like…water. Frank jolted bolt upright. “Jade! Chartres!” He yelled it aloud, at such volume that both stone figures nearly toppled over in shock. “Come quickly! QUICKLY!”
”What is it, Frank?” Jade asked quizzically. “It’s the middle of the night, for Pete’s sake!” Frank was ecstatic. “It’s over the side of this hill! The waterfall at the end of the earth!”
And he began to run, as fast as he possibly could. One step closer… one step closer…Jade was worried. She flitted as fast as she could, as Chartres thudded after her. “Frank! WAIT!” the two yelled. But it was too late. There was no stopping him now.
Frank raced over the winding, swirling grasses that were leading him quickly out of the forest. He looked behind him. His two friends were pinpricks. Not looking where he was going, he failed to notice that he was running on a path of sand, then…
SMACK! He collided hard with the side of a hard stone lodge building. His head was spinning, and he could hear Jade. “Frank, Frank! Are you all right?”
”Yes, I’m all right!” he called dizzily. When his vision cleared, he noticed that there was a large sign in the side of the building. On the sign was a picture of a black boat. Underneath it were the words: GRIMM RIDERS’ PASSAGER TO ANOTHER WORLD…
As Jade and Chartres caught up with him at last, they both gasped as they read the sign. “It is true then” said Chartres. “This is the way to the Grimms’ Isle. I didn’t think the place existed, but…”
The trio walked carefully around the side of the hut. Around it was a small wooden door. It looked like it was made for a child. On it was the same picture of a black boat, made with dark black paint. “I’ll knock, then” said Frank. He carefully placed a fist to the wood… and rapped three times.
The door swung open, but no one stood in front of them. Inside, there was utter darkness. “Frank,” said Jade worriedly, “we should probably stay out here…” But the Prince ignored her, and ducked through the door. Chartres and Jade exchanged glances, but followed him nonetheless.
The trio stood in the blackness, staring around them but seeing nothing. However small the door had been, the building itself was large enough – or the ceiling high enough – for Frank and Chartres to stand upright. Jade fluttered nervously beside them.
”Is this really the way to the end of the world?” asked Frank, half expecting his voice to echo. Instead it sounded muffled and distant, even to him.
”I’m not sure,” said Jade. “It’s the way to Grimms’ Isle. Are you sure it’s really worth it to become a frog, Frank? We can still leave – I think.”
Frank did not like the sound of that, but he remembered the old man’s words about the waterfall at the end of the world and shrugged, before remembering that no one would see it in the darkness. “It’s worth it,” he said, but his voice cracked with fear in the middle of the sentence.
Then suddenly, without warning, a light flared up and a figure leapt out from behind an old wooden service desk. It was a man, old and hunched, and wrinkled beyond repair. His wispy white hair fell in clumps over his dead-looking black eyes. When he saw Frank, he grinned. It was an evil grin, with not many teeth.
”So. I have customers now, do I? How can I be of…assistance?” He laughed, hoarsely and like gravel. But Frank wasn’t afraid. “I would like a boat to the Grimms’ Isle.” Instantly, he knew he had said the wrong thing.
”Why?” The man asked as a dark look shadowed his face. “Why would you want to go there?” Then, he smiled again. Ah. I should have known it was you… Prince FRANK!”
Then the man laughed. “No, I’m only joking. You look nothing like the prince, all dirty and ragged. It’s really none of my business why you need to go there. It is, after all, my duty to ferry you there after…” The man’s voice trailed off.
”Hey, doesn’t that sign say Grimm Riders’? Like, with an ‘s’?” asked Jade. At this the old man began to tremble. “Yes, it does. But my twin, my former partner… is no longer one of my worldly colleagues.”
Jade looked downcast. “I…I am sorry for asking.” she said timidly. “Can you get us a boat?” Frank asked impatiently. “Yes, I’m sure I can find something.” The man laughed again. “Follow me.”
The trio followed the old man out of the building around to the other side. They gasped. In front of them were rows and rows of long black boats, stretching to the edge of the property. “Come,” the old man said. They followed him up the long rows of boats until they found one closest to the river. They all began to push it to the edge of the river. “From here, you must navigate to the waterfalls. Go very straight, and secure yourselves tight in.”
”Why do we need to secure ourselves?” asked Chartres. But the man didn’t answer. “Godspeed to you all, and I will see you on the other side.” Then, with a push, then man set the boat and oars onto the san, and the three climbed in. As the man pushed them away with surprising strength, they wondered if this was a good idea. But now, there was no going back.
The skiff sailed through the darkening night, as it traveled down the river. All three friends were rowing it, the paddles scraping against the bottom of the river. But then… “Do you hear something?” asked Jade.
“I can’t see anything from here…” Chartres said. but he was wrong. For as the three friends rowed along, they had no idea how close they were to death, which was at that time rowing by their sides, and awaiting the 2,000 foot drop that was the waterfall. Indeed, as the three soon found out, the man was right to have told them to secure themselves.
”Hey”, said Jade, “isn’t the front of the boat… tipping?” And suddenly, Frank knew. “HOLD ON!” he yelled. “We’re going over the falls!”
The water rushed around them, icy cold and hard as hailstones above and below them. Frank screamed, and his mouth filled with water. Suddenly the nose of the boat hit comparably flat water and bobbed up, and the rest of the boat followed. They floated in the crashing bubbles at the foot of the waterfall for a moment, deafened and drenched, while their fear subsided. Then Frank picked up the paddles and started to propel them away from the deadly drop. Chartres followed suit, and Jade resumed whatever she did to make it look like she was paddling, as she was far too small to actually be very helpful.
They floated along in silence for a very long time. The black water was now smooth as a mirror, in sharp contrast to the bubbling cauldron by the waterfall, but oddly enough, it mirrored nothing. The stars were out above them, but the water showed only blackness. Frank shuddered, and wondered, not for the first time, if the whole quest was really worth his trouble. He had once been so sure that nothing was better than being a frog, and he would go through any trials to get to the waterfall at the end of the world – the waterfall! He whirled around, and the boat would have capsized if the gargoyle had not shifted his weight with a speed miraculous for something as stony as he. To be on the safe side, Jade seized the back of Frank’s tunic to keep him from falling out.
Frank stared mournfully back at the waterfall. Technically, he ought to have been glad that he could see no jutting piece of rock, as there would have been no way up to it.
Frank stared mournfully back at the waterfall. Technically, he ought to have been glad that he could see no jutting piece of rock, as there would hav
That’s all I found. It would be easier to read if you had left it divided into paragraphs and put two spaces between them.
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The Man For Aeiou (10 Wung Points, Creativity Ceylon 31)(2 Temp Bday points)
in April 16th, 2008 @ 16:50It’s not ym falut! My program does that when I C&P.
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Agrrrfishi
in July 15th, 2008 @ 15:40((is anyone sitll here?This place is deserted!))
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The Man For Aeiou
in July 15th, 2008 @ 15:47I am!
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Alice
in July 17th, 2008 @ 20:13Hi?
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The Man For Aeiou
in July 17th, 2008 @ 20:46Yes?
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Alice
in July 17th, 2008 @ 22:14Frank stared mournfully back at the waterfall. Technically, he ought to have been glad that he could see no jutting piece of rock, as there would have been no way up to it now, but he felt only a desolation and despair as he saw that his quest was still not yet completed.
Araminta soared over the countryside, laughing at the the tiny things below her, at the feeling of wind in her hair, and at the sheer giddiness of such of a beautiful world. The rough dragon scales beneath her hands felt just right, as did the steady beat with which the dragon flapped his wings. Araminta wanted to fly forever.
But she couldn’t, much to her dismay. The dragon was still young, and despite its size, it had to let her down. Suddenly, she had an idea.
“Lucias, I have an idea.â€
“Yes, your Highness.â€
Araminta was too enveloped in her plan to notice that he called her by Highness.
“See,†she explained, “the dragon is little and can’t carry us forever.â€
“No, Highness,†Lucias agreed.
Araminta, bubbling with excitement and guilt, didn’t even hear. “Y’see,†she said again. It was so hard to say it! “Well, Lucias, can you make wings? With your magic? And then the dragon could track Fra–the Prince, and we could fly after him! Do you see?†She grinned at him eagerly, expecting him to agree, but instead he looked gravely back.
“Highness,†he said, “I think you should go home.â€
Araminta’s smile vanished. “What do you mean?†she cried. “I’m not a ‘Highness’!â€
“Don’t pretend, Princess. I know exactly who you are.â€
“Lucias! I’m not the Princess!â€
“This is too dangerous a task for you, your Highness. Your Majesty your father would kill me if something were to happen to you. I will call an escort.†He whistled sharply, and a trio of men stepped out from the brush.
“Take her Highness the Princess Araminta home,†Lucias ordered. “And return to meet me.â€
Araminta looked helplessly from the trio of men to Lucias, who was now sitting on the dragon’s back. He was younger even than Frank, and yet so in charge of things! What was happening? She didn’t want to be sent home! Her mind already concocting a plan, she turned away, and, ignoring her escort, walked into the forest.
The three men meant well enough. They alternately viewed her as a delicate and valuable artifact that must be treated with utmost care and as a child that had gone astray and must be taken home to its worried parents. Araminta wasn’t sure which was worse. She settled for a disdainful and aloof manner that was most unlike her, and did not bother to talk to the escort.
When they camped that night, Araminta refused to eat. This was partly because of excitement at her plan, and partly because of the anger still simmering inside her from Lucias’ betrayal. The escort shrugged and ate their own meals, rather more loudly than usual, as though they could convince their charge to eat by showing her how much they enjoyed eating. Araminta thought it disgusting.
Finally two of them rolled themselves in their cloaks and went to sleep, with a few mutters of “I’ll take next watch†and “Fine by me.†Araminta continued to stare moodily into the fire.
“So,†said Brian, the remaining guard.
Araminta looked briefly at him.
“Well–hmm–I–â€
“What?†said Araminta with as much scorn and bitterness as she could muster. “Out with it.â€
“I–er–†Brian was clearly terrified. “Never mind.â€
“Oh.â€
They were silent. After a while Araminta stood up, brushing dirt off her pink brocade dress. Pink brocade! No wonder Lucias knew who I really was! Oh, what an idiotic thing to wear! she thought. “I shall go to sleep now,†she said aloud, in an icy tone.
“Very well, Highness.†Brian sounded relieved, and Araminta glared down at the middle-aged man cowering from the young girl. It was utterly ridiculous. She could almost see why Frank wanted to be a frog, except that frogs never had adventures. She wished she really was a dairymaid. Perhaps she ought to join her brother in his quest.
“I would like a bit of privacy,†she commanded, still not moving from where she stood.
“Yes, Highness,†said Brian, and scuttled off into the trees.
“Turn your back,†said Araminta. “It isn’t proper to see a lady asleep.†This was an entirely made-up rule, and Araminta’s heart thudded louder for fear Brian should realize this, but he did not. Araminta waited a moment until she could no longer see the glint of his eyes in the firelight, and then bolted off into the bushes.It was not an elegant plan, and Araminta did not execute it elegantly. She heard Brian give a shout behind her, and ran harder, kicking off her pink and white satin shoes as she did so. When she was far enough from the camp, she climbed a tree and sat there in its branches till dawn, listening to the rustles and thumps below her in the forest. Only when light came and the forest quieted did she dare to climb down from her high perch.
Later that day, Araminta was dozing in the morning sunlight, with her sore feet in a small creek, when, perhaps through some strange dream or perhaps through some other means, it hit her. She sat up and desperately searched her cloak pockets, and then again. But finally she was forced to face the truth. Emma was gone.
Swearing in a very unladylike manner (she had learned it from the captain of the guards, after bulling him into teaching her self-defense — she had wanted to learn to wield a sword, but he wouldn’t hear of it, and so she had made up some excuse about needing to protect her virtue and so on, until he turned red enough with blushing and let in), Araminta picked up a small stone and chucked it violently into the water near her feet, soaking the bottom portion of her skirt in the process. The brook bubbled away, laughter rippling across it’s surface.
“Oh, shut up!†She snarled.
“That’s not very polite, you know.†Said a gurgly voice.
Araminta gaped at the stream, a good-sized fish had surfaced and was staring at her reproachfully with large, soppy eyes.
“You could have hit me.â€
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Anyone was there.†Araminta had recovered enough of her wits to remember her lessons on manners back at the castle, and she would not be caught being disrespectful to anything that showed vague signs of magic.
“Are you… a fairy?â€
“Heavens, no.†Said the fish. “I’m a fish.†He chuckled a bit, the brook echoing his laughter as he started to sink below the surface.
“Wait! But… you’re talking!†Minty was flabbergasted. Normal fish didn’t talk, but it wasn’t a fairy? What else could it be?
The fish looked slightly surprised. “Of course I am! You obviously haven’t gotten out much.†With that last remark, he flicked his blue-green tail and vanished.
“No,†sighed Araminta, sitting down on the bank again. “Obviously I haven’t.â€Frank, Jade, and Chartress drifted down the river, ripples fanning out from the small boat’’s bow disturbing the icy black water. Every now and then Frank thought he saw something white flash below the surface, but only ever at the corners of his vision and the water was too dark to truely tell. Jade shuddered, rubbing a small hand along her arm.
“This place reeks of magic.†She said in a hished voice.
“What kind of magic? Good? Bad?†Frank asked nervous.
“No… undisturbed. Waiting. Impasive. I don’t know, but it feels…†She trailed off, and Frank felt goosebumps prickle up his arm.
The boat was slowing now, away from the turbulent waters near the base of the falls. Silently, Frank picked up the oars and began to row once more.
The three rowed along, silent and swift, for what seemed like ages. They rowed until they were too sore to row, until the darkness faded and gave in reluctantly to the first shafts of light. And in the light, Frank saw something looming, out of the darkness…
“It’s the Island!†he shouted joyfully. “The Grimm Island! We’ve reached it at last!â€
They beached the boat and abandoned their paddles as they rushed up the shore. Even in the early morning light, shadows clustered in improbably places, reluctant to give up their hold on the Isle. The bedraggled, wet trio didn’t even care. Frank lay spread-eagled on the sand, Jade held a conversation with a pebble, and Chartres sat silent as usual in the first rays of sun.
Despite their joy at finding land, there was something a little uneasy about the Isle. It shimmered oddly in the rising sun, and sometimes Frank or Jade or Chartres would see something out of the corner of their eye, but when they looked, there was nothing but a quivering leaf or a displaced pebble. Or even worse, not even that, just air, the same as before.
At noon, the trio held a council.
“We ought to go on,†said Frank.
“Why?†asked Jade.
Chartres rumbled, and Jade translated as, “Isn’t this the Isle that you wanted?â€
“No,†said Frank unhappily. “The one I want is in a waterfall.â€
“What do you mean, ‘In a waterfall’?†asked Jade, sounding slightly suspicious.
“‘At the end of the world, the seas pour off in a great waterfall. In that waterfall is a rocky outcrop that forms an island. On that island there is a forest. In that forest there is a ruined castle. In that castle is a well. Drink from that well, and you will turn into whatever you wish’,†quoted Frank.
“Ah†said Jade. â€You need the waterfall at the end of the Isle which goes into another fall which goes into a Isle which goes to the end of the world’s lake. At the end of the lake is a waterfall. In the water fall is a nook. The nook takes you to the bottom the the fall as soon as you enter it.â€
“And that will take how long?†asked Frank.
“Not very long at all,†said Jade, “if you don’t mind getting killed. A few days if you want to do it safely.â€
Chartres rumbled something, and Jade translated. “He says you shouldn’t do it. Frankly, I agree with him.â€
“Why shouldn’t I do it?â€
“Well . . . there’s the fact that the spring on the island is guarded by dragons; there’s a whirlpool at the bottom of every waterfall; and the water is poison to all living creatures. That’s all.â€
Frank spluttered. “Poison!?! But–â€
“Poison,†confirmed Jade.
“How strong of a poison?†asked Frank worriedly. Was this the end to his quest to become a frog?
“Oh, quite strong,†said Jade, airily, not noticing Frank’s distress. “Kills within the hour unless you eat a blue toadstool, which is also poisonous, and then a pound of toad eggs to counteract the toadstool’s poison… What’s the matter?†she added, as Frank groaned and buried his face in his hands.
“I’ll never become a frog!†he cried in dismay. “Blue toadstools are far to rare, and a whole pound of toad eggs! Eurgh!â€
“I’m sure we can get a hold of some,†Jade reassured him. “The only thing we really have to worry about is whether or not you’ll be able to eat them in frog form.â€
Frank remained unconsoled. “A pound of toad eggs though! How will I eat a pound of anything as a frog!â€
“Well yes, that may be a problem,†Jade admitted. “Don’t worry, though, we’ll find a way.†She kept up a steady stream of encouragement, and soon Frank was looking marginally more cheerful. Which is to say, he had stopped moaning in despair, and had stopped rocking back and forth in a fetal position.
He was still far from happy though, and as Jade continued to talk, he stared mournfully at the ground. It all seemed so hopeless. He would never become a frog, and would be forced to remain a Prince for the rest of his life – if the poison didn’t kill him first.
It was at that moment that he spied the little green head of a frog watching him from under a blackberry bush.
The frog spoke to Frank. “If you want to become a frog I will take your mind into my body and my mind into your body.â€
Jade said, “So it is true! There is a mind swapper on this Isle.â€
“A mind swapper?†asked Frank suspiciously. “What’s that?â€
“Mind swappers are evil spirits who steal the minds of others,†explained Jade. “They pretend that they will switch minds with you, but really they take your mind into their own and leave your body a empty brain-dead shell. It’s quite unpleasant,†she added matter-of-factly.
Frank scrambled away from the innocent-looking green frog as quickly as he could.
“Stop it,†said the mind swapper. “I thought you wanted to be a frog!â€
“Yes but you aren’t going to make me a frog!†cried Frank. “You’re going to steal my mind!â€
“So that’s the way it is,†said the mind swapper. “Well then.†A ray of light shot out of the frog and hit Frank in the forehead.
“No!†yelled Jade but it was too late.As Araminta walked along the brook she saw the fish again. The fish said, â€I was snappy at you earlier. I talk because this is magic lake. When you go in you get what in life. I wanted to talk and now I can. What do you want?â€
â€To find my brother,†said Araminta.
“Jump in,†said the fish. “And you will find yourself there.”
And without a moments thought she jumped in.
As she jumped she knew that this was not a brook. Then she became unconscious.
“Are you awake?†said a voice when she woke up.
“Yes I am. Who are you?
“My name is Jade,†said the voice.
“Have you seen my brother?â€
“Who’s your brother?â€
â€A prince named Frank.â€
â€Yes. His mind was just stolen by a mind swapper. His body is over there,†Jade said as she pointed to a rock that Araminta had not noted.
“Is there any way of getting it back?â€
“Find an emerald. There is one somewhere around here, legend has it. But this is a huge island. It will take a will to find it.â€
“I will do anything to get him back.â€
“Ok,†said Jade. “it is said to be hidden at the end of the waterfall. it has seven keyholes. There are seven keys around the isle. I have no idea where they are.â€
As they began to walk they saw a castle. Araminta ran ahead. They entered the castle to find a woman crying.
“Hello.†said Jade. “What are you sad about.â€
“That ‘vil ‘oman. Stole a key that was an ‘eir ‘loom from my father. could you get it ‘ack?â€
“Who is this woman? And who are you?†asked Araminta.
“My stepmother. And my name is ‘inderella.â€
“Could we keep this key for a few days?†asked Araminta.
“‘ine. But ‘lease ‘ell me ‘efore you go.â€
“Ok, good lady.†said Jade.“She escaped? How did she escape?†said Lucias.
Quiet.
“Talk to me, you idiot!â€
“Sorry, sir. I thought it was a rhetorical question. She was asleep and then I feel asleep and then she was gone!â€
“Fine. I’ll find her. Come on (name of dragon[do we have one?] [No, we don’t. It isn’t his dragon.])â€â€œHey Cinderella, can you throw a ball tonight? We went to her house we saw no lock but we need to get her out of the house,†said Jade
“Of ‘ourse I ‘an ‘ave a ‘all ‘onight. ‘eres a ‘nvitation,†she said, an invitation coming up from her shoulder.
“‘top ‘t ‘odmother. ‘lease show ‘our ‘elf.â€
“Oh fine,†said a woman who just materialized. “Hello. I am her fairy godmother. But I can’t do anything big.â€
“Thanks and we’re off,†said Araminta“Hello. The princess is throwing a ball tonight. Here is an invitation,†said Araminita.
“Oh a ball. Tell her I’ll be there,†said the stepmother.
****
“I think she has something up her sleeve. Chartres, can you
watch her?†said Jade.
Chartres grumbled.
“O.k. and Araminta, can you stay with the princess. The key might be with her. I’ll go and see if the key is at the witch’s house. We need that key!â€
***
later that night
“Chartres, what did you see?â€
“Grumble grumble grumble.â€
“So she might or might not have the key.â€
“Grumble.â€
“O.k. it just a small one room so I’ll look.’
*
“Hello. May I take your coat?†said Araminta.
“Sure.â€
“And can I just check you for any swords with this magnet?â€
“Sure.â€
“Thank you. You may go in now.â€
Araminta checked the coat for the key and did not find it.
*
“Found it.â€
“Grumble.â€
“Thanks for the compliment.â€
“Ok, onward!â€said Araminta after the ball was over. As they left the castlee they saw a beanstalk.
“‘Ello, chaps. Jack’s the name.†said a scrawny boy at the foot of the beanstalk. “The giant at the top of this beanstalk is nice. “E just sold me this harp and this golden ‘en.†said Jack.
As Jack left, Jade said “Hmm… maybe he has a key.â€
“Fe fi fo fum. Come to my yard sale everyone!†they heard as they went up.
“How much for that key?†asked Jade.
“That thing? One cent. I don’t know what it’’s for, though.â€
“That’s fine. Here ya go.†said Jade.
“Thanks.†said the giant.
As they walk around the isle, they found no keys but they stumbled upon a little girl with blonde hair.
“Hullo.†said Jade. “Who’re you?â€
“My name’s Golden Sunshine-locks. But everyone calls me Goldy Locks.â€
“And why are you here in the woods?â€
“I dunno. I was walking and then I tripped on a door mat. The door key was in the lock and I ended up inside. it locked behind me, and i was hungry so i ate some porridge and then sat in a chair but it broke and then i slept in a bed. Then the family came and they were bears, so now i’m running away from them. And- oh!- there they are now. Nice talking to you.â€
After she left Jade said “Let’s check the house for a key.â€
“Here’s a key.†said Araminta.
“That’s it!†said Jade.
*
“Ok, what now? We have three keys here and for the last two days we haven’t seen any.â€said Araminta. Moments after she said this a scream from a hut nearby came up: “Grandma!!!â€
“Huh. Let’s see what is up.†said Jade.
*
“Araminta,do you have a knife?†said red riding hood after they told her their story and she told them hers.
“Yeah…â€
“Give me it.â€
“Ok.â€
And with a swish of the knife the wolf’s head and chest were opened.
“Wow, that was fast.†said Jade “Who taught you that?â€
“I, uh, picked it up.†said red riding hood.
“And here’s a key! And Grandma.â€
As they walked along they saw three pigs. They were looking at a pile of straw, wood, and bricks.
“Hello. What are you doing?†asked Araminta.
“We need to now what type of material we should build are homes out of. We need to guard against wolves,†said the big pig.
â€I think they should be brick,†said Jade.
â€O.k.†said the littlest pig.
â€If this works will give go a key we have thats useless to us,” said the medium pig.
â€o.k.†said Jade â€we’ll stick around.â€
*
A wolf came up to the first house and said, â€Little pig, little pig, let me come in!â€
No response.
â€Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and blow myself in!â€
But it was no use.
*
The wolf came up to the second house and said, â€medium pig, medium pig let me come in!â€
â€Not by the hair on my head!â€
â€Then I’ll huff and puff and blow the house in.â€
But it was no use.
*
At the third house the wolf said, “I’ll never come in by huffing and puffing! I’ll go though the chimney!â€
As jade heard this she ran inside and told the big pig.
â€I’ll put this cauldron of boiling water in the chimney and he will drown!â€
And so they got the key.
“Great!†said Araminta. “How many keys do we have now?â€
“Five,” said Jade.
“Five keys,†said Araminta wearily. “We just need two more, and then we can restore Frank’s mind.â€â€œO good fish, have you seen a girl about my age?â€
“Sir, I am a talking fish, not an age-guessing fish, but I did see a girl a few days ago. You see, this lake is a magic lake that will give you your wish.â€
“Fine. I wish that I was with Araminta.â€
“Now jump in.â€
Lucias and the dragon jumped into the lake.
****
They were moving quickly now because they had only two keys to find. They came along a tower. One hundred feet it went up, and on the side there was a hundred feet of hair.
“Who are you?†asked Jade
“My name is Rapunzel! Please save me! In my cell are two keys! The witch that locked me in here put the real key and another key in my cell and the lock is on the outside! If you save me you can get what every you want, for I am the queen of the southern part of the isle!â€
“Jade, fly up and get the two keys, then fly back and give me the keys and then I’ll up and get her free,” said Araminta.
“O.k.†said Jade.
In about five minutes they had the queen free.
“Oh thank you! Please what would you like?â€
“That key, miss†said Jade “I think I know what it goes to.â€
“Might as well!â€
*
And then they reached the end of the isle. They only had six keys.
“And we are missing a key,†said Jade when they got there.
“Don’t worry, miss,†said a man with a German accent. “ If you will just tell me you story I’ll let you have the last key. I’m Alfred Grimm. My brothers run a ferry company and write fairy tales. Of course I write all of them.â€
And then they told him their story, and the story of the people they met.
“This is a good story. Mind if I tell my brothers about it? I’ll start writing tonight. You shuld sleep, then in the morning I’ll let you unlock the emerald. Is that a body?â€
“So you noticed him? Yes. His mind was stolen. That’s why we need the emerald,†said Jade.
“We’ll see you in the morning. Oh,and do you think that A Fairytale would be a good title?â€
They all thought so and went to sleep.
***
Araminta woke up first. She when over to Alfred and asked “How is the fairytale going?â€
“It’s done.â€
“Can I see?â€
“Sure.â€
“Once upon a time there were three pigs. The first pig made his house out of straw. The second pig …â€
“What is this!â€
“The fairytale.â€
“It all changed!†yelled Araminta. “You’ve fractured the fairytale!â€
“It’s better this way!â€
“No it’s not! We are leaving after we get the emerald!â€
They put their keys in the slots and got the emerald.
Outside the mindswapper was waiting for them.
“Hello Miss I-will-not-let-you-take-this guy’s-mind! I will now get your mind!â€
A ray of light when out of the mindswapper’s forehead.
Quick! Clap to save Jade!
Nah, Araminta is did it.
Sticking the emerald into the light path, Araminta freed all the minds that the swapper stole.
And then Lucias came on the dragon, which wished to be larger.
Araminta gasped when the dragon materialized in front of her, with Lucias on its back.
“What are you doing here?†she yelled. “Go away!â€
Lucias jumped nimbly down from the dragon’s back. “Hello, Princess,†he said, smiling charmingly. Araminta stared stonily back.
At that moment, Frank came tottering up the path from where they had left his body, and stopped when he saw his sister and the boy. “Araminta?†he asked, surprised. “Who’s that? Why are you here? Where is this?â€
“That is Lucias. I am here because I wanted to be. We’re on Grimm’s Isle,†returned Araminta hurriedly.
Frank did not appear enlightened, but Lucias looked absolutely stunned. “Grimm’s Isle!†he sputtered. “Grimm’s Isle! What in the world possessed you to go there?â€
“Here,†Araminta corrected him. “I am rescuing my brother. Now, if you would kindly go home, we can get back quite safely by ourselves.â€
Here Frank, who had been trying to get his mind around what was going on, butted in. “We’re not going home,†he informed his sister. “We’re going to the well, so that I can become a frog.â€
Araminta looked at him. “That’s what you think,†she said.
Frank sighed. He knew exactly how to get at his sister, though he didn’t like to bribe her. “Minch,†he said, “do you really want to spend your whole life tatting lace until you’re old enough to be wed? And then having suitors bowing all over you until you are wed? And then tatting more lace after you’re wed? Royalty is all a big bother, Minty. This is your chance for adventure.â€
Despite the use of her most annoying nickname, Araminta hesitated. Her brother really did have a point. Before she could reply, Jade settled the matter.
“We’re going to the well,†she said firmly in her gravelly voice.
â€No. Listen to me!†said Lucias. It was funny. It was a little kid yelling at a big prince â€You are coming with me. Back to the castle.â€
Nobody heard him, for as he was talking there was a load bang! and a woman came out with a small fireball on one of her sholders and the handle of a wagon with about about a ton of books.
â€Hello†said the woman “My name is Amy. Do you know where I can find a boy who can make wishes?â€
Araminta was quite used to odd things happening by now, so she replied civilly, “No, I haven’t the slightest idea.â€
The woman sighed. “Very well. I’ll have to keep looking, I suppose.†Then she disappeared again.
Frank and Lucias stopped gaping and returned to their argument. But they had lost momentum and after a few half-hearted, “No, you’re coming with me,†and, “No, I’m notâ€s, they gave up yelling and tried to negotiate.
“I’ll go with you once I’ve become a frog,†Frank said.
Lucias sighed. “If I let you become a frog, I don’t know what will happen to me. The best thing that could happen is that I’ll lose my job.â€
“But he’s a Prince,†put in Araminta, “and since he’s a Prince, you can’t tell him what to do.†This was an argument she had used for herself many a time.
Lucias gazed at Araminta. “Technically, no,†he said. “But in this case, I have orders from your father, who can tell me what to do.â€
How long this would have gone on is a mystery, but suddenly something happened–or didn’t happen. The Isle went deathly quiet. Not a bird sang, not a cricket chirped, not a leaf rustled. And beyond this ominous quiet was something more ominous by far.
“What’s happened?†Araminta asked nervously. The back of her neck prickled.
“I don’t know,†said Frank. “Something’s wrong. But what?â€
It was Lucias who defined the source of the sudden unnatural quiet. He frowned slightly and tightened his grip on something beneath his cloak. Then he asked, “Wasn’t there a waterfall?â€
Araminta sucked in her breath. Frank looked puzzled and worried. Jade let out a wail of despair.
“I knew it!†she cried. “I knew it, I knew it! I was so STUPID! Grimm’s Isle isn’t a cheery, happy, peaceful place and I’ve known it for six hundred years! How could I be so stupid!â€
The three humans watched this outburst, their own quarrels forgotten, and finally Lucias built up the courage to say, “What’s the matter, what’s happened?â€
“Yes,†Araminta chimed in. “What is it?â€
Jade fluttered in agitation around her uncle’s head. “The Grimm’s Isle is a place of dangerous magic, even if it doesn’t look that way. We need to get off, now.â€
Everyone kept deathly silent for a second, listening for any sound. When there was none, Araminta spoke. “How exactly do you plan to get us off? We’re at the end of the island and we left our boat on the OTHER side of the island. Plus, we have to find some way to get over the next water fal if we can’t get to the other side of the island before the magic here COMPLETELY implodes or some thing and we are blown to smithereens. So what do you suggest we do???!!!†Jade flitted her wings in an agitated manner.â€I expect, La Princessa, that we will be able to build a raft out of something here, most likely tree trunks, and the thick vines on this tree should be enough to hold it together.
“But there’s just one problem†said Lucias. “How do we chop the trees and vines?†Jade smiled at him, and as she smiled, a horible wave came over Lucias.â€Oh no, uh uh, no way. I will not use it.†Jade kept on smiling like a miniature devil with wings, and Lucias quailed under her stare.â€Agh, pixies.†He pulled the thin stick of wood from under his belt, and with a firm slash of dark green sparks, ress fell neatly into a line, as vines coiled them into a raft. The thing itself was a sight to behold. Like the side of some huge log house, it cold have held more than fifteen of them. With a flick of his wand, Lucias set the raft onto the glistening shore, calling them all to ride.
The menagerie of creatures took tentative steps toward the makeshift raft. It wasn’t like last time. Last time there had been a boat, a full-sides, float on the water boat. But now there was a couple trees. Araminta was last to step toward the raft. She shivered in the frigid spray, and was slow to get on.
“What’s the matter, Araminta?†Lucias asked.â€I…I dont like rafts much…†she shuddered.â€Come on, Princess. It’ll be all right, I promise. Here.†He held out a smooth hand and helped her onto the raft. She had to admit, she wasn’t as scared now, except when she thought that Chartres might break through the raft. Then she was afraid of what might happen to the pile of wood that they had begun to ride slowly up the river.
She could hear the edge coming, she knew it was there, and now there were no walls to hold them in. She felt Jade clinging tightly to the sleeve of her dress. Even Lucias and Frank seemed a little bit frightened. Lucias’ eyes were panicking around in his head, while Frank sat stock-still, not daring to look at what was happening. And then, Araminta felt the tip in her stomach that meant only one thing: They were going down.
It became apparent to Araminta as they fell, ears enclosed with the horribly loud sound of the falls and the others screaming, that this fall was terribly longer than the last one. But she had no more time to think as they neared the bottom. She found someone’s hand in the rush of water and grasped it. And then, they were submerged in the icy waters of the New Lake, and Araminta could not move, for the force of the waterfall upon her was too great. She sank lower and lower, still cluthing that hand, whose hand she did not know.She sank deeper and deeper, but using a trick Frank had once taught her, she squinted to see.
Everything under the lake was dark, and she could see only a circle of faraway light from the surface. She kicked hard with her legs, but her arm still clung to the hand. hse turned to see whose it was. It was Lucias, still by her side. He had promised they would be all right, but now… Now it seemed too late for him to be all right. His face was calm, the mouth closed, but she did not care. She was taking Lucias with her back to the shore.
She reached into his belt, and found that thin stick of wood still there. She pointed it at the surface and thought,rise, rise, rise,until she could actually feel herself and Lucias floating fast up to the surface. The freezing water rushed past them, as they gathered speed. Faster, faster, faster they went. And then suddenly, without warning except for the sudden sunburst, they broke the surface.
They were flying through the air so high and fast that Araminta could see the whole of the island that they were facing, and it was so magnificent that she could hardly beleive it. She looked down over thelush green tretops and sparkling pons, seeing birds soar above their forest homes. Then, still holding tight to Lucias’ hand, she pointed the wand downward. This, evidently, was a mistake. The two began hurtling towards the shore so fast Araminta could hardly see anything, let alone move the wand up again. But to her surprise they hit the shore as if it were a feather matress. Then, everything went black as she smiled.
When Araminta opened her eyes, she saw Lucias and the others standing there in front of her, all alive and looking at the peak of their health. She turned to Lucias.â€I thought you were…†She couldn’t finish. He laughed. “So did I but luckily, anger can help you control my magic stick here.†He twirled the piece of wood and secured it back into his belt. “I guess we both saved each other’s lives, then. I got you out of the lake, and you made the round soft, even though I got knocked out.†She hugged him, then flung herself upon everyone else, even Jade, who squaled as she went down, as if she had been tackled.
But Lucias, although pleased that Araminta was all right, frowned. “Araminta, I… I didn’t make the ground soft.†Her face fell too. “Then… who?†At once, there was a rustling from the bushes near the crash site.†Who’s there?†Araminta called. “Show yourself!†said Frank.
“As the prince of the Far Realm commands†a voice said. And a yound man stepped out of the trees. His hair was bleached white-blond on his head, as it waved over a square-jawed face. His eyes were bright grey, and his skin was fair, despite the sunlight. He wore a green tunic and green hunting chaps, perfect for camoflauge with the woods. His cloak billowed behind him in a flow of brown, although there was certainly not enough wind to keep it where it was.
“Who are you? Why are you here?†Lucias demanded. The man laughed. “do you recognise me… now?†he said, and as he said this, he changed into a lady they knew very well by sight.â€Cinderella’s godmother?†Araminta cried, but the person had already shaped into someone new.â€That woman from the vault of paths!†Frank cried. As the figure nodded, it changed again into another form.â€Jack!†Jade yelled. “Who are you REALLY, sir?†Lucias said. And the figure changed back into the boy.
“if you insist. I am John, son of the powerful witch in the crooked house, at the end of goose lane. I have the most powers than anyone else in the world, even you, Wizard of the Oaks.†He pointed at Lucias. “How did you…†he began to say, but the boy talked over him. †I know everything about everyone†he said. He turned to Frank.â€You are the prince of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to be a frog. However, my great powers can not grant you your one wish, or I would have done so and sent you home.†He turned to Araminta.â€You are the Fair Princess of the Fra Realm, and want nothing more than to have an adventure, and get married perhaps someday.†Then he faced Jade.†You are an annoying sprite with a soft side, and that is your uncle who speaks few words, but knows more than he has told you all. Any questions?â€
“Why have you been following us?” asked Araminta.
“I‘ll have to back that question up†said Lucias, and he took a tentative step toward the man.
It was only later that Araminta realized exactly what the young man had said to her, and when she did she was shocked and reluctant to believe it. But at the moment, there was nothing in her but curiosity and a little bit of fear, that she pushed back, away, into the depths of her mind, and forgot about.
Now, John said, “And that is the one thing that I can’t tell you, not until the quest is done and by then, you will have found out for yourself.â€
Araminta frowned, struggling against a tide of questions that threatened to burst out of her like a dam breaking. “I don’t get it,†she said finally. “Why is this so important? It’s just a half-mad search for a magic well. Why are you being so . . . SECRETIVE?!â€
John looked unhappy. “I . . . You’ve got to succeed. It’s of the utmost importance.â€
“Why?†Araminta demanded, stamping her slippered foot and really looking like the princess she was. Frank cast her an amused glance, but there was nothing amused about John’s expression.
“Because there’s a spell,†he explained, “on all the frog princes of the world. Princess kisses just don’t seem to work anymore, and at the same time, turning princes into frogs has become extremely fashionable among witches. So there are more and more frog princes, and less and less ways of rescuing them. But my tutor worked out that if a prince turned himself into a frog, and stayed that way, then the spells would break, and the princes would turn back into themselves, except the one that had turned himself into a frog.
“My tutor intended to find a prince and force him to turn himself into a frog, but then he got the flu, and sent me to do it. And by a miraculous stroke of luck, found a prince that actually wanted to be a frog! And I’m doing everything in my power to help him succeed.â€
By the time John had finished his tale, Jade was doubled over in midair, silently snickering into the hem of her grey dress. No one else was laughing, though, despite the ridiculous nature of the story. Somehow no one dared to laugh.
“That girl!†Frank shouted suddenly, and everyone jumped. Jade stopped laughing. “That girl who was kissing the frogs,†Frank continued, more quietly. “Was she trying to break the spell?â€
“Most likely,†said John. “But there’s always the possibility that she was just completely mad. There’s an oddball in every kingdom, and in one as big as yours, it makes perfect sense that there should be several. Back to your quest. Do you have any plans?â€
“Um, no, not really.†said Frank. “Do you have any suggestions? I mean, seeing as how you’re, uh, doing everything in your power to help us succeed?â€
John looked uncomfortable. “Well, about that. See, there’s this rule, of sorts, about helping with quests. We’re not… you know… allowed to help with the plans. Just protect the Questers.â€
“Ok…â€
“Now wait,†said Araminta. “Hold up just a minute. My brother has to drink from a poisonous well, then wish to become a frog, then eat a blue toadstool, followed by a pound of toad eggs! That’s impossible- even a large frog can’t eat a pound of anything!†She glared at John. “We need a plan to protect him from that, so to heck with your stupid rule and HELP!â€
“On the contrary, Princess†John’s voice was scathing. “The prince in question needs only to become a frog for the spell to lift. Once he’s a frog, it doesn’t matter if he dies.â€
Araminta was so stunned by his cold words and so furious with him already that she stepped up to John and slapped him across the face.
“Ow!â€
â€So you care if you get hurt, but not if Frank is killed!?â€
â€Well, he would only be a frog… â€
Araminta slapped him again.
John staggered back, tears of pain rolling down his stinging cheek. Araminta put her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing fury and hatred. “You will NOT let my brother die,†she told him imperiously. “You will keep him from dying if you have to drink the water yourself. I mean it! And your stupid rule can go jump in the lake!â€
“You don’t understand!†he cried. “If I help, one of the Elder Witches will smite me with there wrath and curse me to float forever in spirit form upon this earth!â€
“You’ll be turned into a ghost?†asked Frank skeptically.
“Yeah. I can tell you though that someone could theoretically wish the water not to be poisonous. That way Frank could safely drink. I’m not sure that really works, though.â€
There was a pause while this sunk in and while Araminta waited for John to be smitten down by an Elder Witch.
“It’s actually a very good idea,†said Frank.
“Except that someone else would have to drink the water first,†said Lucias.
“There is that,†agreed John.
“There’s GOT to be a way,†cried Jade, punching the palm of her hand with a tiny fist.
“See?†said Araminta crossly. “You haven’t been smitten down yet.â€
Considerable confusion ensued.
“So,†said Frank after the confusion died down somewhat. “The person who would drink the water would still be dying… but if they’re big enough to eat a pound of toad eggs, and we need to find said toad eggs along with the blue toadstool. So we should find the antidotes first, then head to the well. After which- who’s willing to drink?â€
“Grumble.â€
â€Chartres says that he could. He can’t die, by the way. He just is petrifed, for a little bit,†said Jade.
“Well, if that’s true,†said Araminta “No-one has to die! John, can you transport people?â€
“Well, yes and no…â€
“Well, try your best!â€
â€To be honest, I don’t know if it’s worth the risk, Chartres,†Lucias said gallantly. Evidently, this was a big relief to Chartres, because a subtle look of calm and releif passed fleetingly over the hard stone face.
“I mean, what if Chartres never came back? That would be awful!†Araminta cried, obviously on Lucias’ side.
“I agree!†Jade cried, flinging her hand into the air and then quickly putting it back down as everyone looked at her. “Awkward turtle?†she offered, making the sign with her hand. Then, everyone burst into paroxysms of laughter. It was such a good feeling, to laugh and to feel so happy again.
Now that they had it, they never wanted to let it slip away. Then, Lucias cried out, “I’ve got it!â€
Everyone turned to him. “What is it, Lucias?†Araminta asked. “Well…†Lucias faltered, looking at Frank. †I think that we should go on a little quest inside a quest here.†John grunted. Lucias seemed not to notice. “I think we should go look for a genie. I mean, they can grant wishes, right?â€
Jade stopped stock-still. “I’ve heard about them. They cheat around everythingâ€
“Well not for me. I will cheat him away!â€
John sighed. He only had three more days. Genies were not just rare, they were only found in the kingdom of dawn, at the other edge of the world. He decided to speak up.
“I cannot get you a genie, for they are more magical than me. I can take you only as far as just past the castle of Frank and Araminta’s family in the kingdom of Fairy. Past that, we are on foot.â€
“What do you mean ‘the kingdom of Fairy’?†asked Frank. He had been trained by the wisest of the wise men, the smartest of the smart, and they had only ever told him that he was prince of the Realm, the world.
“Sigh. I should not tell you this but,†said John as he looked at their faces. â€This might be helpful to the quest.†He sat down on a rock, and gestured to have the rest do the same.
“Long, long ago, back before the Grimms took over that Isle, and the castle at the end of the world was built, there was magic. It flowed like water flows now, in steams and in brooks, in lakes and in sea, with the water crossing the silver liquid of the magic. The world was perfect back then, no war, no conflict, no problems. Slowly, tho, the world divided into four groups. The groups began to create countries. But still, the magic kept the world in blance. But then, from the kingdom of fairies, the land nearest to the sea. They started to create wells for the magic.
The wells spread into the kingdom of dawn, the kingdom of vapre, and the kingdom of night. the wells drained the brooks, the streams, until they were gone. Magic needs to be free to recreate itself. The lakes were next. Then the sea. There were only two magic sources: the well at the end of the world, and the lake near the castle. The lake, of course is mixed with water, making the power weaker. As for the well, it has be stuck there for centuries, and it has start to become bad. This causes the poison.
“But many people and species have been able to capture the magic, save it, pass it on. It’s not ‘pure’ magic, but close. Witches and Wizards are some of these. Fairies also. But in the other realms, more happened. â€
“In the land of Night, the Demons took most of the magic. The Stars did too. The Land of Vapre became the most magical realm, until the wizards attack in 470. that was a awful conflict. Wizards died as did most of the Vapre’s. now all of Vapre is made up of one person. Merlin. That’s his name.â€
“The kingdom of Dawn, well, not much is known of the kingdom of Dawn. There is a gate around it. It is guarded by a piper. The Piper at the gates of dawn. Past the Gates, we know nothing other then the fact that genies live there.â€
“The witches have tried to find out about the Kingdom of Dawn since the Beginning. If I can get in, they will be so happy, they might not mind that I’ll be a few weeks late.â€
“Late for what?†asked Frank.
John shuddered. “You don’t want to know.â€
Frank nodded, but Araminta, still upset with him, objected. “We DO want to know,†she insisted.
â€I have to get the frog in three days.â€
“Well, let’s get going.†Said Araminta
“Just like that?†said Frank, stunned. His sister was know for making her decision slowly. Of course, he was know for being very quick with his decisions.
“Yeah. I mean, You want to be a frog. This is the only why to get there.â€
“True.â€
“Well, let’s go!†said John, “Now, hold everyone’s hand and get into a circle.â€
The group moved into a circle and john snaps his finger. A wind rushed thru the trees. The group disappeared.The group reappeared at a stream. Frank started to step into it, but John stopped him.
“You can’t step in it. Or over it. Your blood line is royal, and the border is enchanted.â€
Araminta cursed. Jade groaned. Frank sighed and sat down on a convenient rock, which suddenly proved itself not to be a rock at all, as it started to slowly waddle across the border. Frank nearly jumped off, but John clapped his hands and cried, “Excellent! Don’t get off!â€
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in July 17th, 2008 @ 22:17It’s good to see this again!
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Alice
in July 18th, 2008 @ 00:22164- I know. This was a fun one.
I only wish TMFA would explain the four kingdoms. They confuse me.
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The Man For Aeiou
in July 18th, 2008 @ 09:43165- well, there are four kingdoms, and the kingdom of dawn has the Genies in it. Merlin Lives in Vapre, and Demons and Stars live in Night. There on the border with night, now.
~~~
John Waded arcross, take the giant turtle from Frank on the other side. riding it back, he took Araminta and Lucias across.
Jade looked oddly at the stream.
“I can fly, of course, by what about Chartres?”
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Alice
in July 18th, 2008 @ 12:47166- But you mentioned the kingdom of Fairy as well.
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The Man For Aeiou
in July 18th, 2008 @ 18:05yes, that’s Frank’s Kingdom.
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Alice
in July 18th, 2008 @ 23:01Oh, I get it.
John looked worried. “I’d say give it a try, but after what happened last time…” He shuddered.
“What happened last time?” asked Araminta, wringing out the hem of her skirt that had dragged in the stream.
John shuddered again. “Let’s just say…I think it would effect rock just as badly as flesh.”
Jade nodded grimly, but Araminta looked nonplussed and put out. She stared crossly at Lucias as a vent for her anger. Lucias looked awkward for a moment, and then horrified.
“Where’s the dragon?” he cried.
“I don’t know,” said Frank. He didn’t seem terribly unhappy about it. “It was scary. I’m glad it’s gone.”
Lucias looked green. “It wasn’t mine,” he said.
Araminta shrugged. “And Emma wasn’t mine. They’re probably in the same place.”
The wizard was not reassured.
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Agrrrfishi
in July 19th, 2008 @ 07:38((YAY! The thread’s still alive!))
“Well, where could that possibly be?” Lucias still wore an expression of unmistakeable worry on his face.
“We’re going to find them both, I can feel it. Don’t get your knickers in a knot.” Jade sounded both annoyed and worried. “But right NOW, we need to find a way to get Chartres across this river. Lucias, thinking on his feet, puled his wand swiftly from his belt. “I think I can help with that.”
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Agrrrfishi
in July 21st, 2008 @ 21:16Lucias waved his wand with a flourish so that blue sparks flew out and surrounded Chartres in a cocoon of light. Then, with a small motion, the heavy gargyle lifted off the ground and over the rushing river onto the other bank. The spell released him back onto the opposite bank with a monotonous THUD.
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Alice
in July 22nd, 2008 @ 00:15Araminta frowned. “And you couldn’t have done that for us, I don’t suppose?” she said bitterly.
“Sorry,” remarked Lucias, unrepentant. “I didn’t think of it.”
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♫ Agrrrfishi {Aggie}♫
in December 29th, 2008 @ 10:00((This thread needs a serious revival! DON’T DIE, FFT!))
Jade flitted quickly above the river once she had seen that the stone gargoyle was safely across.
Chartres smiled lazily up at Jade. “It’s a good thing we have that magic boy traveling with us. I hate the water.”
She nodded. “I’m beginning to see what you mean, Uncle.”
Lucias nodded curtly, bowing to the gargoyle. “At your service, my leige.”
Araminta, incensed, smacked him hard on the back. He yelped and stood up to attention, rubbing his shoulder. “What was THAT for?” he cried.
“Quit messing around,” she said. “We’ve got to find Emma, Annie and the dragon.
“Well, first we have to find out where in blazes we are,” said John. Araminta looked around.
Everything on this side of the riverbank was dark. The sky above was a black layer of silk, enclosing them, covering them. There were no stars in the sky, and the only light was a half-crescent moon like a hanging sentinel over their heads.
“Ah, yes, of course,” said Frank. “We’ve crossed the border into Night.”
“The only way to get to the gates of Dawn is through Night, then?” asked Minty. She looked quizzicaly at John. “Can’t you teleport us there?”
“Alas, I cannot,” replied the wizard. ” The Demons and the Stars control all traces of magical power in this kingdom. They can take away my power the minute I cross into the trees, and unless they were to give some of it to me, I could not cross over their realm any way but on foot. However, I sense that the dragon and talisman you seek are somewhere within Night. If we were to find the Dragon, we might be able to fly out.”
“Good idea,” said Frank. “We don’t have much time to waste, though. We have to go.”
“Not so true, young Prince,” said Lucias. “This night is everlasting. From the minute we crossed into this kindgom, all time stopped. We have an infinite amount of time until we reach Dawn, because here, no time can move because night hasn’t moved. This kingdom hasn’t seen a new day in over a thousand years, ever since the Stars took over the sky. They were too selfish to allow the dawn to come through every day. That’s why there are two kingdoms now, one for dawn and one for night.”
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Alice
in July 26th, 2010 @ 17:11Ahaha. I remember this thread (the random button led me here). This whole thing was such a mess…
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The Man For Aeiou
in July 26th, 2010 @ 17:42Yeah, It really was.
I miss it…
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agrrrfishi
in April 13th, 2011 @ 09:39Oh my goodness, I literally just re-read this entire thread. I miss it so much.
My grammar was really atrocious, too.
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Robert Coontz (Administrator)
in April 13th, 2011 @ 10:25It was one of my favorites, too, even though it did get about as complicated as “Chasing the Sunset.”
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