Okay, before we begin let me warn you that Ev is SUPER HARD to explain. There isn't much of interest in Ozma Of Oz and I own nothing written by the royal historians of Oz (The people who continued the series after Baum's death) with that said, let's begin.
…...
Melissa woke in a cold sweat, muscles aching. Sitting up she looked around. Richard was still snoring away as was the tiger while everyone else stood watching.
"Melissa?" Hoodude looked at her, "What's the matter?"
"Nightmare," Melissa grumbled, "We need to start moving"
"Not yet," Robecca soothed, "It's only been a half-hour, go back to sleep, we'll keep watch"
There was to be no argument. Turning on her side, Melissa watched Richard's sleeping form, outlined by shadows. How he could sleep so well was a mystery to her. Then again, she had never slept well. So she listened instead. Tik-Tok's mechanical blinking, the steam that followed Robecca's movements, Jack's creaking limbs, and Hoodude's soft steps around the campground were a strange but soothing mess of sounds that reassured her she was among friends.
When sunlight finally crept into her vision, Melissa was numb from the chilled ground, rising with a stretch.
"Good Morning, Mom," Jack greeted, "I do hope you slept well"
"I slept fine, Jack, I suppose you'd like to be checked for spoiling?"
"If you would please?" the Pumpkin-head eagerly replied.
Richard woke not long after Melissa finished her inspection sitting up with a hiss of pain, careful to mind the still sleeping tiger.
"Morning," Melissa collected the bundle of remaining berries from the basket, offering a small handful to Richard.
"Good Morning, Melissa," Richard returned the greeting, devouring the fruit while Melissa woke the tiger.
"We need to get moving," she declared, hands on her hips, "Which way are we headed?"
"East, though there's no way we're getting over the deadly desert,"
"Sure there is," Melissa replied, looking pointedly at Hoodude, "We just have to find it"
"There's a long walk ahead of us," Robecca pointed out, "And Richard-"
"He may ride upon my back," The Tiger interjected, "I'm quite used to distance"
"Do you want to ride in the basket, Billina?" Melissa turned to where the hen was enjoying a breakfast of insects.
"No, I'm fine, dear, I'll walk beside you"
"Well, let's be on our way then"
…...
Melissa followed behind everyone else, furiously leafing through her journal for answers. Finally stopping suddenly on a hastily scribbled drawing of what had to be The Ruby Slippers. As it was a simple sketch she had mistaken them for the silver shoes.
But what had she written under them? Her handwriting was too badly smudged to read it. Melissa became so focused that she stumbled, her foot having caught on the broken bricks.
"Melissa!" Richard caught her before she could faceplant onto the ground only to fall backward.
"Maybe don't heroically jump from a tiger's back to save me from a scrape?" Melissa laughed, helping Richard back to his feet.
Richard's response was to attempt lifting her onto the tiger's back.
"I am more than capable of walking, you know"
"I'd feel better if you were to ride with me"
Melissa relented if only to keep Richard from further injuring himself.
"If I may ask," Richard spoke after a moment, "What had you so distracted?"
"My journal, I've been writing about Oz for years, dreaming about it, my journals were one of the few things I brought from the orphanage"
"May I see?"
"Not right now, it's in the basket"
"Later?"
"Maybe"
…...
"NOLAN!"
"Yes, Father? You called?"
"I need you to get up to the surface"
"Why?"
"We need a diversion to slow the Keeper down"
…...
"How long have we been walking?" Melissa questioned, "I don't feel like we've moved at all"
Robecca glanced at the sky, winding Tik-Tok's gears, "From the look of the sun it's been at least three hours if not four"
"If you three are tired we can stop for a rest," Hoodude offered.
"Maybe we can find lunch?" the tiger hopefully added.
"Of course," Melissa patted the beast.
They had made progress, she realized even if it didn't feel like it. The color of their surroundings was fading from vibrant emerald to blue, the color of munchkin country. But no matter how far they'd walked the war-torn derbies were the same, houses, fields destroyed, statues that were once living beings, frozen in their fear.
"Are you okay, Mom?" Jack asked Melissa when she jumped down beside him.
"Just a little queasy,"
"You need water," Billina declared, "Before you faint"
"If you make sure I'm wound up, I'll search for some water," Tik-Tok volunteered.
"Jack and I will go with you," Hoodude decided, "Three heads are better than one,"
"We'll search for food," Robecca joined the tiger,
"Hurry back," Richard said before helping Melissa to the nearest tree.
Once settled on the ground, Melissa pulled her journal from the basket, fingers brushing the slippers which sent an unexpected shock up her arm.
Were the shoes even brighter now?
Wear the shoes and find me!
"Melissa?" Richard placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Melissa shook off the confusion handing her journal to Richard, "Here you go"
"I-I don't believe it," Richard said, flipping through the pages in astonishment.
"What?"
"It's like you've been here before, the history and the war, the pictures they're all...breathtakingly accurate, magical"
"Now I wouldn't go that far"
"I respectfully disagree with you, it is magical, are you sure you've never been to Oz before now?"
"Not ever"
Richard continued to look through her journal while Melissa's gaze drifted back to the basket and the still glowing shoes.
Yes, they were brighter than before.
Melissa was all-too-happy to turn her attention to the lunch the others returned with.
"How do you suppose we'll get over the deadly desert?" Robecca inquired.
"Build a flying machine"
"That will carry all of us?"
"Of course"
"We don't have to worry about that just yet," Hoodude interjected, "It will take a few days before we reach the desert"
"He's right," Richard nodded, "Besides, the desert will be the least of our worries, Ev is filled with horrors, the forgotten armies of the wicked witches were banished there so they could never harm someone again,"
"I thought you said Ev was its own kingdom?" Melissa asked.
"It was, a hundred years ago but the royal family and all their subjects simply vanished, some say they were swallowed by the ground itself, inducted into the Nome's kingdom, it'll be a dangerous journey"
"But a necessary one," Melissa cut in.
"Yes"
"Please, let's speak of something else," Tiger pleaded, "This is a much too terrible topic"
"Agreed," said Jack.
But Melissa's mind was spinning with thoughts. They, a ragtag mismatched group were rushing headfirst into a blood-thirsty perilous country.
Would they even make it to the mountains?
…...
The Nome King sat atop his jewel-covered throne, marveling in all that he'd accomplished but he wanted more. There was always more. Seeing Oz's queen brought to her knees was delightful, something he reveled in but there was something more, some ancient magic had awakened, he could feel it stirring in the land itself.
The king craved this power and he would have it.
…...