After a half a day's journey, they arrived in Zere. Zere was a village even smaller than Angel Falls. All the houses surrounded a large hill. Atop the hill was a beautiful tree. When the group entered the village, Adelle gasped. She pointed in horror at the deteriorating guardian statue.
"Wow, someone didn't like that artist's work…" Matt muttered.
"That's horrible! How could they let it get into such disrepair?" Adelle exclaimed
"What are you freaking out about? It's just some crummy stone carving." Matt said.
Adelle's jaw dropped as her eyes then welled with tears. She started trying to put some of the rubble back onto the statue.
"What's her problem?" Matt asked, turning to Caitlin.
Caitlin pulled Matt off to the side. "She's a Celestrian, remember? I thought we explained this on the way over here. Those statues honor the Celestrians who protect these towns. The upkeep of the statues shows the amount of respect to the guardian. They need to have the gratitude of those they protect. It's a big deal to them."
"Oh…" Matt said with a sudden understanding.
A citizen went up to Adelle and chuckled. "Don't bother. That old thing is beyond repair. Let it be."
"Wh… why haven't you been taking care of it? It represents your guardian!" Adelle exclaimed.
"What? That tree there guards over us." The man said, pointing toward the tree on the hill.
Adelle shrunk into the background. "How can they worship a tree over their guardian…?"
"…Don't you Celestrians pray and give offerings to a tree?" Caitlin asked.
"… Yggdrasil is better than that stupid tree." Adelle pouted.
Matt approached the man. "Do you happen to know where we can find an elderly woman named Alonna?"
"I believe that she is visiting her friend Petra…" The man answered before giving directions.
"Thank you for your help." Matt said.
Matt dragged the still pouting Adelle through the village to Petra's house. They knocked on the door and a kindly old woman invited them in. She introduced them to another old lady sitting at the table.
"This is my dear friend Alonna. You said you were looking for her?" Petra said.
Alonna stared at Matt for a long time, then smiled and laughed. "I remember you. You were that wee lad who was always hanging around the castle, trying to become a knight of Stornway. My, you've grown into quite the young man."
"Um… thank you…?" Matt stammered. He then cleared his throat. "We needed to hear the nursery rhyme you would sing to the princess when she was a child."
"Ah… Well, since you travelled all the way out here, I can't rightly refuse your request. Petra, care to join me?" Alonna said with a smile.
"Certainly! I could sing that in my sleep!" Petra replied.
"Giddy up, giddy up and away he goes! The Wight Knight sets off on his steed, in search of evil he rides. If he can defeat the terrible beast, he'll be home to wed his bride. The town is full of laughter, preparing a feast fit for a queen. Och! But then disaster! The Wight Knight's nowhere to be seen! Bird, North, Brigadoom-ward on, tell her that her knight is gone. Bird, North, Brigadoom-ward on, tell her that her knight is gooooone…" The old women sang.
"Thank you for singing that to us. We'll be on our way now." Matt said after memorizing the song.
The three set out and were about to leave Zere when a man ran into the village screaming for help. The Wight Knight pursued him into the village and cornered the man by the guardian statue.
"Please, I do not wish you harm. I merely desire to know how to get to Brigadoom." The Wight Knight said.
"Yeah right! I saw you hanging out with that witch in the forest! You're probably her slave!" The man shouted, hiding behind the decrepit statue.
"Do I look like a witch's slave? I want to know how to return home!" The Wight Knight responded. He then noticed Adelle, Matt, and Caitlin. "Ah, my friends! What are you doing out here?"
"Hi! We just got a clue as to where Brigadoom is!" Adelle answered.
"You didn't have to do that for me, but thank you very much. How did you discover this clue?" The night asked.
The trio explained the nursery rhyme to the Wight Knight.
"But… A nursery rhyme? Surely I am not a figment of a storyteller's imagination… " The knight shook his head. "I need to focus. I shall do as the bird and head north. Thank you again for your help." With that, he rode north.
"Let's go too! I want to make sure he finds his way home!" Adelle said, wandering off.
"Hey! Don't wander off!" Matt and Caitlin shouted after her.
After the three made their way through the toxic swamps north of Zere, they spotted the Wight Knight standing before vast ruins.
"How… How can this be? I surely couldn't have been away long enough for Brigadoom to fall into such disrepair!" The Wight Knight exclaimed before rushing into the depths of the ruins.
"This… Can't be Brigadoom can it?" Caitlin asked.
Adelle shrugged. "Only one way to find out…"
She wandered off into a section of what was once the grand castle of Brigadoom. Matt and Caitlin followed her down a decaying flight of stone stairs and wound their way through the ancient catacombs. In one of the rooms they found an ancient book lying open on a table. Searching for clues as to what befell Brigadoom, Adelle picked up the book and began reading.
"Traditional Brigadoom nuptials… The most important part of a wedding ceremony is the bride and groom's first dance as man and wife-" She read aloud.
Stella snatched the book from her. "We don't have time for this! Move your tail feathers!"
"But I don't have tail feathers…" Adelle muttered.
"Shut up and move!" Stella ordered.
"You are an aggressive faerie." Matt said.
Caitlin was standing in front of a large portrait of a knight. Carved into the frame are the words "The Wight Knight".
"So… He was human once apparently…" Caitlin murmured.
"Yeah… Wonder what happened… " Matt said. "HEY! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT WANDERING OFF?"
Adelle had gone off to another room.
"I found Mona's room!" Adelle called.
Matt and Caitlin ran into the room. There was another portrait in this room, but this time it was of a young woman who looked very much like Princess Simona. Traces of the once elegant decorations and furniture remained. Matt carefully examined papers on the desk.
"Hey, listen to this." Matt said. He then read one of the papers aloud. "My beloved Wight Knight has left to defeat the evil hag as he had sworn to do… Even though today was supposed to be our wedding… I have not heard from him since he left, so I fear for his safety. I hope he comes back soon, for I shall always wait for his return."
"That's awful sappy." Stella commented.
"Hey, it sure is lucky that all the relevant stuff survived and was super easy to find." Adelle said.
"Focus! We need to find that hunk of scrap metal!" Stella exclaimed as she ushered them out of the room.
They left the room and made their way to what was the throne room. There, a tall blue skinned woman with glowing red eyes and large, purple wings sat on the throne. The Wight Knight stood before her.
"Ah, ma beloved Wight Knight has returned… You shouldn't have run off like that…" The woman said with raspy voice.
"I- I remember you… Morag! You cast a spell on me! You imprisoned me!" The Wight Knight shouted.
"Yes… And now we can go back to the way things were… I cast an imprisonment spell on you and got to hold you in ma arms for two centuries… That cursed earthquake broke ma spell, but now you're back." Morag croaked.
Morag cast a spell that hit the Wight Knight. A dark aura surrounded and paralyzed him.
"Hey! What did you do to him?" Caitlin shouted.
Morag turned her attention to the trio.
"Are you here to separate me from ma beloved? I'll have to dispose of you as well." Morag said as she readied her spell.
Adelle quickly took a defensive stance. "Matt, Caitlin! Get behind me! NOW!"
Matt and Caitlin obeyed just before Morag casts her spell. The dark aura shot forth at Adelle who was shielding herself with her arms. A golden glow came from Adelle followed by a crack and bright light as the dark aura struck her. When the light dispersed, Adelle was still standing and took a step toward Morag.
"How could you survive that? No mortal can withstand my spells!" Morag shouted before a sudden realization dawned on her. "Unless you are one of… Them… Bah! Whatever you are, I shall destroy you!"
Adelle stepped out of the way of Morag's second spell, but Matt noticed that Adelle's left side remained rigid while she moved.
"So she wasn't able to block the whole attack…" Matt thought.
Matt drew his sword and charged at Morag. She used her own blade to block the attack. Caitlin used her staff to attack Morag's knees tripping her. Matt sent his sword toward Morag's throat. Morag rolled out of the way and grabbed Caitlin's ankle, sending her crashing to the ground. Caitlin took her staff and started bashing Morag with it. Morag flapped her wings and retreated into the air. Adelle sent forth a burst of flames from Hot Lick. Morag gave a shrill shriek as she was engulfed by the flames. She hurtled to the floor. Matt seizing the opportunity drove his sword into her, causing Morag to scream.
As she lay dying, she weakly cackled staring at the Wight Knight. "Ah, ma love, it seems that I shall no longer hold you in ma arms… But you can nay turn back the centuries. You shall be doomed to walk the earth, ne'er to see your beloved nor your homeland again."
When Morag closed her eyes for the final time, the Wight Knight regained his ability to move. He stared at Morag and fell to his knees. "Never… see Mona again?"
"My love… I've been waiting so long to see you again…" A voice said from the entrance to the room.
They all turned to see a young woman who looks like Princess Simona wearing a large, beautiful necklace enter the room.
"That necklace… Mona! But how can this be?" The Wight Knight exclaimed.
Mona smiled at him and extended her hand. "I promised to wait for you. And now you have returned… Come, let us have our wedding dance…"
Mona and the Wight Knight danced to an unheard tune while our dumbstruck heroes stared at them.
"What… the hell?" Caitlin exclaimed.
"Isn't she supposed to be dead?" Matt asked.
"Y'know, this would be really romantic if they didn't have to dance around the decaying witch corpse on the floor…." Adelle said.
As Mona and the Wight Knight finished their dance, the Wight Knight began to glow and rose into the air. He looked down at Mona.
"Thank you… I now realize that you are not my Mona. But thanks to you, Princess Simona, I am finally able to move on to the afterlife." He said.
Princess Simona smiled at him as he disappeared. Matt, Caitlin, and Stella stood there with their mouths agape in a stunned silence. Adelle, on the other hand, walked up to Simona.
"That was real nice of you to come out her. You really made that guy happy." Adelle grinned.
"HOW ARE YOU NOT SHOCKED?" Matt and Caitlin shouted.
Adelle tilted her head. "Didn't you guys see her tail us when we left Zere?"
"NO!" They shouted in unison.
"I'm sorry… But I wanted to be of help. And you know, when I was dancing with him, I thought I heard a woman's voice say 'thank you'… Perhaps it was my ancestor, Princess Mona…" Simona said with a smile.
"What do you mean 'your ancestor'?" Caitlin exclaimed.
"Didn't you know? Princess Mona was forced to marry a former king of Stornway when the Wight Knight never returned… I think it was by her doing that I came across this necklace…" Simona responded.
"So… guess the old broad didn't wait for him after all." Stella said.
"Now, let us return to Stornway." Simona suggested.
After chiding his daughter for running off, King Schott thanked the trio for their work in aiding the Wight Knight.
"I feel a bit bad for doubting his story now… But we are forever in your debt for your heroic deeds. Each of you may go to the treasure room and take whatever you desire. Oh, and Matthew…" The king said.
"Yes, Your Highness?" Matt asked.
"How would you like to become a Knight of Stornway?" King Schott offered.
A large grin appeared on Matt's face. "I would be honored."
Matt kneeled before the King and was knighted. Adelle and Caitlin cheered for him. After taking what they desired from the treasure room, the trio exited the castle.
"Would you look at that! Benevolescence as far as the eye can see!" Stella said, beaming. "Oh wait… I forgot. You can't see it any more…"
"It's alright! As long as we got a lot and helped the people of Stornway, that's all that matters." Adelle grinned.
"So… now that you got what you needed, you'll be going home?" Matt asked.
"Yep! I'm dying to know if everyone's okay!" Adelle answered.
"What about you, Caitlin? Are you going to stay in Stornway?" Matt asked, turning to her.
"Nah, I'm going to see the Observatory with Adelle. Not sure where I'll go after that though. It'll depend on my mood. It almost sounds like you're going to miss us." Caitlin laughed.
Matt scoffed. "Yeah right! I finally don't have to deal with your guys' lunacy."
"We'll miss you too Matt! I promise to come visit sometime, 'kay?" Adelle said smiling.
Matt rolled his eyes. "Sure. Try not to get yourselves in any trouble while you're traveling."
"Okay! And take care on your knightly quests." Adelle said.
"I will. Farewell!" Matt replied.
And with that, Caitlin, Adelle, and Stella left Stornway for the Starflight Express.