We stood there for a good ten minutes, trying to figure out where in the world we had ended up. The atmosphere had an ancient feel to it despite the fresh snow that was still pouring on us. After a small discussion, we decided that the best thing to do was go into the Kingdom to find out where we were. We safely got to the bottom of the ledge and walked side-by-side, looking in interest and confusion. As we approached the Castle, the dark figures of the people also came upon us. They were quiet and traveled quickly through the snow.

"…Elves?" Peasley whispered.

"I think so." I responded looking around. "The architecture is magnificent."

He nodded, agreeing. He gave my coat back to me and I thanked him as I put it on. We continued in towards the city, and I squeezed Peasley's hand as I buttoned up my coat, concealing my pirate outfit. I walked ahead of him, took a deep breath, and approached a woman who was sitting on a bench, writing in a small book.

"Pardon me, miss." I started. She looked at me in bewilderment. "I am a traveler and seemed to have misplaced my map. Could you tell me where I am?"

The elderly woman smiled. "You are in the Behemoth Mountains."

I nodded. "I am not familiar with this location. Can you tell me a little bit about the Kingdom?"

"The Kingdom is also called Behemoth; it has been here for centuries."

"Do you also happen to know where I could find a map?"

She pointed to her right. "If you walk this-a-ways for a few, you will come across a small stone hut. A man called Sileas sells maps there; he is also the city's doctor. He will be pleased to hear that travelers outside of the mountains have come."

"Thank you very much."

She nodded, and went back to writing in her small book. I turned to Peasley and he followed me, pulling up the hood on his traveling cloak as we went along. He made a snide remark about how I was a traveler and I shrugged, causing both of us to laugh lightly. Seeing all the Elves as well as the buildings brought back the adventurous side of me; the side that always was hungry for adventure and treasure. It was awoken at the sights of the hand-crafted sculptures that lined the buildings. I felt my eyes wandering around in excitement and glee as I took everything in. I felt like a little boy again with all of the giddy happiness that was building within me. I felt Peasley hold my hand, and I saw a smile on his face. It was different from the other smiles I have seen before; this one was because he saw his true love happy and amazed at the sights. I wanted to take the time to explore everything, but I knew that Peasley was on a time restraint for his Trial, so I kept the adventurous spirit in me calm and just let it digest the sights and sounds that I could see right now.

We came upon the stone hut that the woman spoke about, and it was as intricately decorated as the rest of the buildings in the Kingdom. The rush I had from entering the Kingdom had died down a lot, but there was still a small flame in me. Peasley let my hand go and gestured to one of the walls of the hut. Knowing what he meant, I walked up to the wall and studied the carvings in them. I could tell that there was a lot of time and skill put into each picture as I gently traced my fingers on each design in front of me. There was a magnificent carving of a dragon breathing fire and it took up more than half the wall. Each scale was carved with dedication and a skilled hand. I could feel each scale under the palm of my hand as I gently traced its body and tail. I was completely awestruck; I had never seen anything like this. I have seen carvings and portraits throughout my travels, but nothing could compare to the detail and the skill of just this dragon that I was standing in front of.

"Wow…" I breathed watching my breath turn into a white fog. "Just…wow."

"It is amazing." Peasley agreed resting his hand on mine.

"I could stare at it for hours…What I would give to have this…in legal terms that is."

"I've been told that they also carve their jewels and diamonds."

"Syrup would want those; I want the wall." Peasley started laughing as I faced him. "What? I want a wall that has carvings in them like this; not necessarily a dragon, but something with this much skill. Well…maybe just a stone slab will do."

"Be easier to hold than an entire wall. I have never seen you like this; I like it."

"I have an adventurer's high; I'll calm down after a while."

He nodded and we hugged for a short moment before going into the small building. We were greeted with more designs and torches lining the walls, giving the entire room a glow of red and mystery. The path in front of us was at a downward slope, so we both walked slowly down it. Peasley took the candle out again and lit it off of one of the torches. The crackling of the torches was soothing to me as I wrapped my arms around Peasley, making sure he didn't fall with the candle in his hand. We reached the bottom, and there was a thin red curtain at the exit.

We could see more lights through the other side, and voices were speaking to one another softly. Peasley and I leaned against the wall to not interrupt the conversation; our plan was to wait until it was over. We weren't spying…just being polite for the people who were speaking. I couldn't really distinguish words; I could only hear the pitches of the voices. We watched the curtain cast shadows of two people talking to one another. One was walking past, carrying what looked like a scroll and the other was sitting in a chair. As we sat in silence, the voices grew louder, and at one point the person in the chair was screaming.

"We have spoken about this earlier, Owen." The man with the scrolls emphasized. "I can't leave Behemoth; the people need me."

"But…" the other man started crying. "You'll die."

"We all will; that is how life goes."

"But you'll die here! Alone! I can't think of that fate for you. Please, Sileas, come with me back to Glabella."

"I can't abandon the others."

"I love you! Please, for the love of Mirda, come with me! I can't allow myself to let you die like this. I would be alone…so alone…"

Peasley and I froze, holding our breaths. The man called Owen started bawling (he was the one sitting in the chair) as he stood. The familiar wave of losing the one you love filled me again, and Peasley held my hand in reassurance. The speaking had decreased in volume, and Peasley and I stood as slowly and quietly as we could, making sure to not make any sound. The speaking had stopped, and we froze again.

"…who's there?" the man Sileas asked.

He approached the curtain, and panic filled us both. Peasley blew out the candle and pulled down his hood.

"Travelers." He answered. "We mean no harm to you."

"We're closed." He retorted.

I rested my hand on Peasley's shoulder when he was about to argue, but he relaxed and took a deep calming breath. "…we're lost. When we asked where we could find a map, we were pointed to this direction. Could you help two weary travelers?"

"I don't take beggars."

"Oh, we're no beggars; we have money to pay you with. We're just lost; we came from a kingdom called Beanbean; it is west of the Behemoth Mountains. We found an entrance when we were trying to head back and stumbled across this Kingdom. We are only trying to get back. Please help us…"

The man sighed. "Very well; come on in."

Peasley held my hand for a brief second before I stepped closer to the curtain. I gently rested my hand on it and realized that it was actually made of strings of fabric decorated with knots and stitches. As I pulled back a small part, Peasley thanked me by nodding and entered.

"…Princess?" the elf asked perplexed.

Peasley shook his head. "I am Prince Peasley." He gave a formal introduction. "I am on the Trial of Kings; I'm not going to give you the entire song and dance, but the Trial requires me to go to other Kingdoms and propose alliances."

The elf smiled. "I am pleased to meet you, sire."

"Just Peasley; I hold no high title back at home. I only wish to be on friendly terms; nothing professional. This is Fiamo." He gestured to me. "He is my Guardian and a very good friend to me."

I tilted my head silently, showing respect and saying hello.

"I know you said you found an entrance into the mountains," Sileas pulled out a few scrolls. "and you are from Beanbean? Tell me, what is it like there?"

"I believe it is best if we leave that topic alone." I spoke softly. "I wish for the Prince not to get homesick."

He nodded. "I understand." His face read confusion. "I have never seen anyone with red hair like yours."

"I'm from the Waffle Kingdom."

Sileas nodded again and spoke with Peasley about his work and discussed prices on maps as well as equipment that we might need. I looked around at the carvings on the walls and ceiling and I could hear Peasley laugh lightly at my eyes as they wandered around, taking everything in. I eventually walked to one of the walls and gently traced a design of a Griffin flying over the mountains. I heard footfalls behind me, and I turned and faced Sileas.

"Do you like the carvings?" he asked.

I nodded. "I have never seen anything like it before; the one of the dragon outside is simply breathtaking."

"My mother carved that one; the one outside."

"…really?"

He nodded. "She was really into dragons so she decided to carve one for the outside of my home. She's still alive and continues to carve stone sculptures. She did the statues outside of the Castle as well. I did the Griffin."

"How long did it take you?" Peasley asked looking up from a map.

"A lot longer than it should; I only worked on it when I had free time. It took me about eight years. I could have gotten it done in three if I had dedicated every waking moment to it."

"I bet that they are pricey." I spoke as I let my hand fall.

"They are, but they are well worth the investment."

"I just want a slab that I can rest on my lap and lose myself in the details."

Sileas returned to Peasley and spoke with him about the safest route to go through to get back on track for Beanbean. I slowly unbuttoned my jacket to where I could feel the air on my chest but my outfit couldn't be seen; not the best idea to show off my pirate uniform. It could put me in a worse light than I am. I knew that Sileas wasn't too fond of me…I think he was rather intimidated by me.

What else is new?

I turned to walk back to Peasley, but a bright blue color caught my attention. I faced it and realized that it was hair; someone was staring at me from behind the corner. I put a soft smile on my face, and I watched his eyes grow in fear as he hid. I carefully made my way towards him and stood a few feet away, offering my hand to him. I told him that there was no reason to be afraid of me; that I was a nice guy and Prince Peasley's Guardian. I stood there and waited for him to appear.

"You're a pirate." He whispered. "I know one when I see one; you're after me."

I tilted my head. "Why would I be after you?"

"I'm treasure."

I smiled. "I have a treasure of my own." I saw his shadow come closer to me. "There is no need to fear; I am not after you. I only wish to know your name."

"Prince Owen." He spoke fear heavy in his tone. "of Glabella."

I bowed lightly. "Forgive me; I did not know."

"Don't mock me."

I blinked in surprise. "…Did I offend you?"

"You are now."

"Owen." Sileas called over his shoulder. "He is a friend; be nice."

"How can you trust him?" he exploded emerging from his shelter. "I know a pirate when I see one; he is after treasure….he is after me! He is going to destroy everything we hold dear and steal me away!"

"Whoa!" Sileas stopped him. "Hold up; how do you know this? He was just being kind."

Owen sneered, "Everyone is kind to a Prince…unless they mock them in front of their faces and family. They point out the flaws and make the threat of losing the Throne stronger and stronger every day, and they find wicked glee in hurting me."

Sileas's eyes softened. "…have they been saying more to you?"

"When are they not!?" Owen screamed. Sileas jumped up and embraced him. I stepped over to Peasley and we both watched in interest. "They always say things about me! They don't believe I am able to rule. I'm sorry that I am extremely sensitive and get frightened easily…"

He cried in Sileas's arms. I felt a wave of sympathy and understanding hit Peasley, and I held his hand in reassurance. I could tell that everything that Owen was saying was hitting Peasley hard; he was remembering the pain from his past and how he was ridiculed for his sexuality and how it was still there and how it would be there when he got home.

"My poor fledgling." Sileas spoke to him as he brushed hair out of his eyes. "Please don't cry. I know you're scared and hurt. I'm here for you; I always will be. That will never change. You have been through so much already. You are strong, Owen, I've seen it before. You just handle stress differently than others, and that is not a bad thing at all. Just think; you are only a fledgling now, but you will grow into a magnificent Phoenix bird." He softly kissed his brow, "And you will be my Phoenix just as you are my fledgling."

Owen smiled softly as he relaxed in his arms. The love between them was strong; it was the kind of love that made people realize that the world was filled with evil. A moment of silence passed through all of us, but it was broken when Peasley shuddered, trying not to break. Owen's face filled with concern, but Peasley smiled at him regardless of the battle he was fighting with himself. He dried the tears that just formed with his hands, and I handed him his handkerchief. He thanked me silently.

"Don't worry about me." Peasley spoke once he got his nerves under control. "I'll be alright. Just…hearing everything you said reminded me of what I had to go back to."

A shock of pain went through me.

"What do you mean?" Owen asked softly. "Are you…getting mocked as well? At least you are strong and courageous; at least you aren't made fun of for the person you love."

"They don't know about me." I countered. Both men's eyes widened in realization and Peasley nodded lightly. "We know the feeling; we are in the exact same boat."

Sileas smiled. "I don't think you two know how helpful this is for us."

I was about to answer, but the ground suddenly quaked under us. It was soft as first, but they soon grew to violent vibrations that shook the entire house. I lost my balance and hit the floor, and Peasley fell on top of me. He apologized briefly as I held him and rolled under the table, dodging a glass that had fallen off the shelf and watching it shatter. The quake ended as soon as it began, but neither party moved for a few minutes for fear that it wasn't over. The sound of wind deafened the silence, and over that a thunderous roar of a monster. We both froze in terror as the wind died down and the monster's call echoed off of the walls of the mountains and buildings. Sileas told us not to move, and we stayed completely still.

"What in the world…?" I asked out loud.

"Mirda is the goddess of the mountains," Owen explained. "For some reason, her fires have stopped and the dragon has made it its home in her Temple. Since the dragon is there, no volcanic eruptions have occurred; that's why the winter is harsh and longer than usual." He paused as the dragon screeched again, flying over the building and causing more of Sileas's wares to shatter on the floor. "The terrible thing is that the Elves are dying of the cold; the volcano provides them warmth to survive the winter season. But since the dragon came, there have been no eruptions."

We stayed still and silent for a few minutes before Sileas gave the all clear. I crawled out first and helped Peasley up and made sure he wasn't injured at all. He reassured me that he was fine and I helped clean up the wares. Sileas thanked me and I finally removed my coat, draping it on my arm. We continued to speak about the dragon and how many Elves have tried to drive it away… and that no one has ever returned from the travel. Rumors were spread about how they were either swallowed whole or were roasted alive by the fire that it could breathe.

I glanced over at Peasley and saw the determination in his eyes; there was no use trying to persuade him otherwise. I sighed, and asked him why. He explained that the people needed help, and that if he succeeded that the Kingdom might be interested in an alliance; one that he really needs to reestablish the faith in his own Kingdom. Sileas agreed with Peasley's statement, but warned us that this was nothing compared to what we have probably dealt with. He handed us another map and explained how we could get to the volcano entrance from here, and Peasley thanked him as he stood. I gathered a little bit of our equipment and asked Sileas if we could keep the rest at his place for now. He nodded, saying that he was more than happy to watch over our things. We thanked him again for his help and went out into the snow-covered afternoon towards the Behemoth Volcano.