Revek sat at his desk in the back of the bookshop, glaring at a newspaper. There on the front page was a photograph of the last surviving member of the Edelweiss family, Princess Dawn. She had been adopted by the queen of Summerfaire, Lady Plum, and was to be married in six months. Princess Dawn was offering a hefty reward to anyone who could find her older sister, Princess Marianne. Revek grasped the sides of the newspaper tight, crumpling it beneath his fingers. He heard the door to the shop open. He stood up, and saw a tall man with slicked black hair, and a prominent nose walk in. Scruff trailed down the man's sharp jaw and wrapped around his chin. His thick eyebrows were low over his startling blue eyes. The man had a nasty scowl on his face.
"Bog," Revek said, putting the newspaper down. "You're late,"
"My mother's funeral was today," Bog said, scratching one of the scars that ran down his cheeks.
"Ah, yes, I had forgotten about that. How was it?"
"Long. But, she was buried in the graveyard atop the hill, so I hope she's at least happy about that," he grumbled.
"You don't seem very upset," Revek noticed.
"Yes, well, let's just say Mother is still with me…"
"BOG!" A shrill voice rang out. Bog flinched, and let out a groan. A figure phased through the wall, glowing blue. It was a curvy woman with long, frizzy hair and a round nose. She was scowling, her hands on her hips. "I cannot believe you just ran off like that after the funeral! You didn't even stay to talk to the guests!" the woman yelled.
"Mother, I didn't know anyone!" Bog replied.
"Do you know how bad that makes me look? Now they're all going to think that poor, dead Griselda sired a son who doesn't love her!" Bog rubbed his temples.
"Mother, please! Master Kaiser and I have work to do!" Bog said, taking his coat off.
"Oh, yes, fiddle around with your magic doohickeys. Just leave the spirit of your dead mother heartbroken!"
"MUM!" Bog stomped away, Griselda floating behind him. Revek stepped forward.
"Griselda, lovely to see you again," Revek said between gritted teeth. Griselda scoffed.
"Kaiser. Still as ugly as ever," she said as she crossed her arms.
"And you blunt as ever. Tell me something, Griselda, why are you haunting your son?"
"Because the boy's twenty five years old and still hasn't found himself a wife! I would've preferred to see my son happily married before I kicked the can, but that clearly didn't happen! So I figured I'd stick around until he does get hitched,"
"Well, Mother, you might be waiting a while," Bog called out, carrying down a stack of books. He placed them on the counter with a thud, and began thumbing through them. A small horned toad hopped onto Bog's shoulder as he went through the books.
"Master Bog! You've returned!" the toad said.
"Hello, Thang," Bog replied to the toad. He looked around. "Is Stuff here as well?"
"I'm here, I'm here," a gruff voice rang out. A small brown bat came flying down from the ceiling, taking her place on Bog's other shoulder. Bog enchanted Stuff and Thang with the ability to speak when he was younger. They had become his closest friends since. Griselda let out a groan.
"I will be waiting a while if you keep yourself locked away in this shop! You just need to get out more, meet some nice young ladies! Maybe take them out dancing?" Bog let out an exasperated sigh.
"Mother, the last girl you tried to pair me with was so horrified about going out with me that she faked pneumonia for a month! Let's face it, I'm better off here, working with Master Kaiser and keeping myself out of people's sight…" Revek clapped his hands together.
"Well! As entertaining as this has been, Bog and I do have a lot of work to do, so if you excuse us," Revek reached his arm around Bog's shoulder, leading him upstairs.
"Anything in particular you wanted to work on today, Master Kaiser?" Bog asked.
"Actually, Bog, I think it's time for a change of pace. I've taught you most of what I know, and you've taken to it like a fish to water,"
"Well, thank you, Master Kaiser," Bog replied, surprised by the compliment.
"That's why I've made something for you," Revek walked over to the other side of the room and picked up a small wooden box. He carefully handed the box to Bog, who took it with wide eyes. He opened the box, and his face lit up. Inside was a thick, silver ring adorned with a three emeralds. The middle emerald fit along the width of the ring.
"My own sorcery talisman? Master Kaiser, does this mean…?"
"Yes, Bog, you are ready to test your magic out in the real world," Revek said, folding his thin hands behind his back. Bog excitedly took the ring out of the box and slipped it over his left ring finger. It fit perfectly. "Go ahead," Revek encouraged, "try it out," Bog summoned a small, green flame beneath his hands, the emeralds glowing as he did so. Bog could feel how much easier the ring made casting magic.
"Thank you! Thank you, Master Kaiser!" Bog exclaimed.
"Oh, this is so exciting, Master Bog!" Thang said. "Your very own talisman!"
"It's about time if you ask me!" Stuff remarked.
"Now, there is one more thing I wanted to discuss," Revek said. "As you know, I am cursed. It's why I'm still stuck in this dreadful state. I would've done something about it by now, but my own talisman was stolen from me years ago. It leaves my magic seriously hindered. Thus, I must look to you, Bog, to help me break the curse,"
"Me?"
"Yes," Revek took a book from one of the shelves. It was thick and bound in black leather. "There is a ritual that needs to be done to let my soul pass into the next world, but I am unable to do it myself. That's where you come in," Revek flipped through the pages. He showed Bog a page with a summoning circle on it. "We need to summon the creature that cursed me, bind it, and force it to break the curse. Then I may finally find peace. But it is by no means a simple task. There is a vital ingredient we need to perform the ritual," Revek closed the book with a slam and headed back downstairs. He picked up the newspaper he was reading earlier and handed it to Bog. Bog cocked an eyebrow.
"Who's this?" Bog asked.
"The last surviving member of the Winterblood family. It was the Winterblood's royal enchanter, the fearsome sorcerer, Revek, who cursed me,"
"Revek…I've heard of him. Didn't he die the same night most of the Winterblood family was killed?" Bog asked.
"That he did, but since one Winterblood still remains, his magic never truly faded,"
"Wait, we're not going to kill her, are we?" Bog asked, concern across his face.
"No, dear boy, no! Nothing like that!" Revek reassured, putting his hands on Bog's shoulders. Not yet, anyway, Revek thought to himself. "We just need a lock of her hair," Revek continued, "That should be enough to summon the soul of Revek," Bog looked down at the newspaper, skimming the article.
"She's the princess of Summerfaire?!" Bog exclaimed, "Master Kaiser, how am I supposed to get near this girl, never mind get a lock of her hair?" Revek went behind the counter of the shop, and handed Bog a hefty bag of gold. Bog looked at the bag in shock. Clearly Master Kaiser had been saving up for a while.
"There's a man in Winterblood by the name of Roland. He'll get you everything you need to get to Summerfaire," Revek said.
"That still doesn't help me with the princess," Bog replied.
"I don't know, Bog, that's why I gave you the talisman! To give you the advantage of having your magic while you're out there! And you're a bright lad, you'll figure something out. Just make sure you get back here in, at most, two weeks,"
"Two weeks? Why so soon?"
"The ritual needs to be done under the light of a lunar eclipse, and the closest one is in two weeks,"
"Master Kaiser, you're asking a lot of me,"
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think you could do it, lad," Bog was quiet for a moment.
"I want something in return," Bog said.
"My undying gratitude isn't enough?" Revek replied.
"Like you always say, 'a favor for a favor'," If Revek had lips they would be curled into a scowl right now.
"Fine. What do you want?" Revek asked.
"I'm tired of looking like this, Master Kaiser! I'm tired of the judgements, the stares, and the fear. I just want to look normal,"
"Hrmm…That face of yours would not be an easy task to tackle, Bog. It would require a lot of magic. And that's coming from a living corpse,"
"Please, Master Kaiser. Do this, and I'll gladly perform the ritual," Revek let out a sigh.
"Very well, I'll see what I can do," Bog grinned.
"Thank you. Now, where do I find this Roland fellow?"
"He's squatting at the old palace. And if he doesn't help at first…" Revek pointed to the bag in Bog's hand, "Money's always a good way to make friends," Bog nodded, pocketing the bag. He slipped on his coat, beckoning Stuff and Thang to come along. The two critters jumped into Bog's coat pockets, and Bog headed out the door.
Marianne slipped her arms into the sleeves of a large, brown overcoat. Her boots, one size too large, managed to fit over her feet thanks to a thick pair of blue socks. Her newspaper boy hat barely contained the short, tangled locks of her brown hair. As Marianne picked up her carpet bag and suitcase, she let out a whistle. A frantic series of clacks rang out as a small, white bull terrier came running toward Marianne. The dog had small, dark eyes and tall, pointed ears. It wagged its tail happily as it stood at Marianne's feet, waiting to head out.
"Marianne!" a phlegmy voice called out, "You takin' that stupid mutt out?" Marianne let out a groan. It was the owner of the house, Mr. Thorn. Marianne had been Mr. Thorn's apprentice for the past six years, learning the seamstress trade. However, after living with the grumpy old man for so long, Marianne felt more than ready to strike out on her own. She was grateful he took her from the orphanage when she was fifteen, but Marianne was a grown woman now, and she needed to find her own path in life. Marianne lightly grasped the tiny key around her neck. It was made of Summerfaire gold and the top was carved out of pink stone in the shape of a rose. Her only clue to her past. Marianne let out a breath. Summerfaire. That's where she needed to go.
"Marianne!" Mr. Thorn called out. Marianne rolled her eyes.
"Mr. Thorn, I told you I'm leaving today!" she yelled back.
"Fine, fine, whatever. Just take that dumb dog with you!" Marianne doubted the old man had a clue what was going on.
"Come on, Imp," Marianne said to the dog, "Let's get out of here," She opened the door and Imp leapt out the doorway.
"I don't like this," Griselda grumbled, floating behind her son.
"I'm hardly surprised," Bog replied, snow crunching beneath his shoes.
"That sorcerer's trouble, Bog," Griselda continued, "I've always thought so. Something about him doesn't settle right with me…"
"Master Kaiser's done a lot for me, Mum. True, he's a tough teacher and his methods can be a little extreme, but he's shown me more kindness than anyone in all of Winterblood. Plus, he's going to fix me. Maybe then I'll have a shot at meeting someone and you can finally move on,"
"Dearie, you don't need to be fixed! You don't need a magic spell or potion, or whatever! You just haven't met the right person yet,"
"Well, I'll have a much better chance after all this. Now, quiet down. I don't want people thinking I'm talking to myself again," Griselda frowned but stayed quiet.
Bog made his way through the center square of Winterblood. Chatter and gossip filled the air; the possibility of another Edelweiss surviving that dreadful night twelve years ago was all that was on anyone's lips. Merchants were busy trying to sell off paintings, clothing, anything they could slap the Edelweiss family name on. Bog kept the collar of his coat up, trying to hide his face as he quickly pushed through the crowd. However, he easily towered over most, making him the subject of many turned heads regardless. Bog could feel Stuff and Thang doing their best not to get squished in his pockets as he moved past people.
Thankfully, the crowd began to dissipate as Bog got closer to the old palace. It was an enormous building, despite being burned down in several places, towering high above the skyline. Most of the doorways and windows were boarded up, though some of the more decorated and larger windows were miraculously still intact. Griselda let out a whistle, admiring the sheer scale of the palace. Bog looked around, making sure he was alone, and he lightly tapped his hips, signaling Stuff and Thang that it was okay to come out. Stuff practically leaped out of Bog's pocket, taking in a deep gulp of air before perching on Bog's shoulder.
"We need a new method of transportation," Stuff groused, stretching her wings, "I could barely breathe in there!" Thang climbed his way up Bog's coat, taking his place on Bog's other shoulder.
"I don't know, I was okay in there," Thang replied.
"Not all of us can breathe through our skin!" Stuff remarked.
"I'm sorry, you two, but you know how strange it would look if you were out in the open," Bog said, giving the two animals a small pat on their heads.
"Hmph. You're lucky you're cute, Bog. I would normally never tolerate this kind of treatment," Stuff said in a huff as she took flight. Bog chuckled.
"So, Master Bog, what's the plan?" Thang asked excitedly.
"We need to find this Roland guy," Bog replied, "Stuff, you take the bird's eye view. Thang and I will scan the grounds,"
"Do we even know what this guy looks like?" Stuff asked.
"We look for the only living person in this place, how hard can that be?" Griselda replied. "I'll go ahead and search the inside of the palace,"
"Thanks, Mum,"
"Just be careful, my dear. A lot of people died here. Keep your wits about you, okay?"
"I will, don't worry," Griselda gave her son a nod and she and Stuff flew off. Bog adjusted his coat. "Let's go, Thang,"
"Yes sir, Master Bog!"
It didn't take long before Bog saw the first of several ghosts. It was a man with a beard holding a pair of garden shears. He stood over the dead branches of what Bog assumed used to be several shrubs, trimming them as if they were still green and lush. Bog felt bad for these types of ghosts-the ones who didn't know they were dead and continued their routines as if they were still alive. Still, Bog made sure to keep his eyes forward, pretending to not notice the ghost as he quietly walked past him. Most of the other ghosts that walked the grounds were the same; silently performing their former earthly duties. However, one ghost in a patched dress looked at Bog, and her eyes went wide. Bog did his best to act like she wasn't there, but she followed him nonetheless. Her cold hands brushed through Bog's arm as he walked, hissing whispers about fire and a curse. When Bog didn't react, she eventually left, but the chill from her hands remained. Bog gave his arm a firm rub.
For the next two hours, Bog walked through the bones of the palace courtyard. It was a hollow husk of what it once was: dried up fountains, mildew-covered statues, weed-filled gardens, and eerie silence. It was the silence, not the occasional ghost, that sent chills down Bog's spine. The air was heavy, thick with the weight of the events of that dreadful night. Bog didn't like being here; he felt like he was disturbing an untouched grave. And some things shouldn't be disturbed.
Bog returned back to the palace gates, leaning against the heavy doors and rubbing is sore ankles. Thang was curled under Bog's collar, trying to fight off the cold. Their search didn't turn up anything. Griselda phased through the gate doors.
"Nothing! Not a soul! Well, not a living soul. You sure Kaiser said this Roland fellow was staying here?" Griselda asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," Bog replied, "He's obviously not here right now,"
"Well I'm not letting you stay out in this cold for much longer. Why don't you head home and I'll keep a look out," Bog had to admit he was getting chilly.
"What about Stuff, Master Bog?" Thang asked from under Bog's collar. That's right, Bog thought to himself, Stuff hadn't returned yet. Maybe she had better luck than they did.
"There!" Griselda pointed out. Bog looked up and saw the tiny bat flying towards him. He held his arm out for Stuff to land on. She was a little out of breath.
"Someone's headed this way!" she exclaimed, "Thang and I need to hide!" Bog quickly put the two animals in his coat pockets and tried to hide his lanky figure in the shadows. He could hear a man and a woman talking, the woman occasionally letting out a flirty giggle. Their voices grew louder as they got closer.
"You know, Abigail, you should accompany me to the theater downtown," the man said.
"Oh? Getting into showbiz, Roland?" Abigail replied.
"In a manner of speaking. Let's just say I'm looking for someone with 'royal' talent," Abigail let out a laugh.
"After the reward money too, are you? I'm flattered you think I'm pretty enough to pass off as a princess,"
"You know you're prettier than any princess, darlin'," Bog took a good look at the man. He was wearing a forest green suit and a tall top hat. Blonde locks curled out from under the hat. He had a square jaw, a sculpted chin, and a sly look in his bright green eyes. Bog hated him already.
As they got closer to the gates, Bog took the chance to step out of the shadows. The two jumped back at the sight of Bog, and Abigail let out a shriek. She quickly ran off, leaving the man with Bog.
"You Roland?" Bog asked in a low voice. Roland put his hands in front of him, taking a defensive stance.
"Look, mister, I don't know who sent you, but my intentions were pure," Roland said with a gulp.
"Don't worry, I'm not here about that," Bog replied. Roland's face quickly changed from worry to confusion.
"Then...um...why are you here?" Roland asked.
"I was told you're the one to come see about getting to Summerfaire?" Bog asked. Roland suddenly stood straight, a frown on his face.
"You and every other nameless joe in Winterblood. Look, I'll tell you what I told the rest, I can't help you. I only have a limited amount of tickets and they're reserved. So, sorry, you're out of luck," Roland started to leave, but Bog stepped in front of him, cutting him off.
"I'm not leaving until I get to Summerfaire!" Bog exclaimed.
"And I already told you, tough luck!" Roland tried to pass Bog, but Bog simply stepped in front of him again.
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Abigail. You're holding auditions?"
"For young ladies only, I'm afraid. And I don't see how that's any of your business!" Roland snapped.
"Perhaps we can help each other?" Bog suggested. Roland let out a laugh.
"You? What could you possibly offer me that could in anyway help my cause?" Bog silently pulled out the bag of gold and gave it a tempting shake. Roland's eyes widened. "Okay, I'm listening," Roland said slowly.
"Look, I just need to get to Summerfaire. I don't care a lick about any of this princess stuff. You, however, care a great deal. It's a good plan: find a girl to play the part, teach her what to say. But how convincing is the word of one man?"
"What are you getting at?"
"I'm saying your story will sound more believable coming from two people. Let me come with you to Summerfaire and be your second voice," Roland stroked his chin in thought.
"You know, this could work," Roland said, "We find someone who looks like the princess, I teach her what she needs to know and you get her everything she needs! That way not only will she look and act like a princess-"
"She'll be outfitted like one too!" Bog replied.
"Exactly! There's no way they'll be able to refuse her!"
"So? Do we have a deal?" Bog asked, holding his hand out. Roland grinned and took it, giving it a firm shake.
"We have a deal. What's your name, partner?"
"It's Bog,"
"Bog?" Roland looked over Bog, "Huh. Fitting. Now! Shall we go meet our potential princesses?"
