Chapter 24 Enter a New Character!

The horse, as you could have guessed it, had run right by everyone else. And after he had caught up to the others, Sama-san-dono had slowed to a walk, embarrassed to be running frantically when everyone else was going at a leisurely pace.

I'm getting lost again. Role call: Princess Tranquility/Blaydelot was leading them, of course, followed closely by Somberon and Mugguba and therefore Put'oh. Kiaba was walking somewhere nearby, but not close enough to make it look like he was actually following anyone. Well, his proud stride never made it look like he was following anyone. Most likely, he never thought he was. Everyone else was just abnormally, immaturely excited and going ahead of him at the risk of their own lives.

Eyes narrowed, Egomaniac, who never was letting Barleyo out for his own exercise, was following after the sorcerer and keeping watch on the princess. Iheezu was admonishing him repeatedly, but he was used to ignoring Barleyo and found it no struggle to ignore the fortune teller.

Then were both de Vlin and Tanner, looking at the djinni who had just gone by them like he was nuts, which he was.

Taking up the rear was Kun still digging around in his hat and nearby, the lady-in-waiting.

No…wait…there were two people even further back. Axel and the witch. Not good. Axel was growing increasingly frightened and telling the witch to hurry as she loaded her tub again and again…

"Now wait just a moment, beloved knight! I can't leave it like this! My lipstick will be mushed."

"Come on, come on. They're getting ahead of us! And from what you just told me, the princess commonly gets into adventures. She can't help it! We have to catch up. Maybe I still have the adventuring ability in me somewhere."

Oh, yes, clap a little for The Sir Prince Axel putting together Yor Love's words on the princess to his own desire to adventure.

"You don't like that little underdressed princess better than me, do you, Axel?"

As men commonly mistake, Axel did not realize the dangerous ground he was treading, even if Yor's voice sounded like it was teasing and only pouting.

DANGER: soon-to-be-temper-tantrum-ing witch! And a witch's temper tantrum is even worse than a princess's because a witch has some sort of magical power.

"Eh, better?" Poor Axel and his attempt to figure out her words' meanings. "Better? Well, she's a princess. I guess she is your better."

Reddening, blushing, raging, pinkening, clenching, warming, envying, angering, stalking, and slapping. Those were what the witch was doing all at once.

"Owowowowowow." Axel put a hand to his face, which was swiftly reddening, but not as much as Yor Love's was. He watched her march smartly away with a toss of her hair and finger. The reason for the finger became obvious as the tub rose and followed her.

"I don't get it." But, as the witch was going in the right direction, he started off after her.


Finally, insert Kiaba's grimace when he became aware of Axel catching up to them. But the approaching scenery stopped him from doing any lethal damage. This time.

A huge forest with a foggy cloud hanging over it was just ahead of everyone. No birds chirped within it, and the closeness of the trees was suffocating.

Immediately before the forest was a fast-flowing river that emptied into the sea, where they had come from. De Vlin looked at the water and shuddered, running a hand nervously over his hair. No bridge was in sight. But the water plunged into the forest itself, so crossing it was unnecessary.

Blaydelot had ceased to move, and she drew her sword. Then, the princess turned back to the others.

"I know this forest. Now, everyone needs to be careful. If you don't keep close to the person directly ahead of you, something dreadful may happen. This forest is known for losing travelers…" She grinned at the final words, probably anticipating that happening to her and what fun it would be. The others were not quite so thrilled to hear that.

Somberon cast a glance into the gloomy depths and shuddered. "Don't we have anywhere else we can go? Why can't we go back to the palace?"

"You can. I've told you that before. And I want to go this way. It's shorter to get to the dragon's mound and it's more amusing."

The fairy godmother groaned. At the least, he had a bandanna that would enable him to fly to escape any predators…or so he thought.

Egomaniac, sensing that when the princess was surrounded by so many people was not the best time to threaten her, retreated. Barleyo was finally back, but the young man had no memory of what had been happening.

"Where's the money you owe me? I foresee the future for a price!"

The white-haired, chained young man blinked, dark eyes wide and innocent. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked. Feeling all over his person, Barleyo knew he had no money on him.

"You don't remember?"

"No?"

Iheezu looked closely at Barleyo, her mind racing to figure out this young man's game…or truths. As a fortune teller, of course she knew how to read people. And that was what was causing problems. This young man was telling the truth! Impossible!

Muggy was anxious to get going into the damp woods where, conveniently, his name would take on a different meaning. And, as usual, Put'oh was unpleased by the present predicament.

"We're not going through there. The princess isn't exaggerating when she says it loses travelers. Four-hundred seventy-three to be exact."

"Four seventy-seven," Kiaba added lowly, eyes on the woods.

"Oh?" Put'oh whirled on the one calling his memory to question. "And who would those extra four be?"

"None of your business." The sorcerer smirked and crossed his arms.

"It is my business if you are telling me I'm wrong and won't tell me why."

The twins looked at each other uncaring, cold look for stubborn, angering look. Finally, Muggy jumped between them, but his minor height deficiency aided him not a bit. So he dragged over Somberon, shoved the large fairy to the ground, and climbed atop his back. Only once he jumped into the air did he manage to make both twins stop the staring contest, and they each grabbed one of Muggy's arms. Not the same arm, either! They must have practiced.

But, of course, as usual, so predictably, the boy slipped from their grasp and plopped to the ground, rubbing his bum. At least Somberon had rolled out of the way as soon as the boy's feet had propelled him into the air and off the fairy's back. It was the first time the old man had moved so quickly.

"That's it! I've had it! Boys attacking fairies? We've lost all our respect. I'm going home where I'm appreciated!"

Being appreciated seemed like a great adjective, so, spur of the moment, as the fairy godmother was floating away from his bandanna, Iheezu grabbed his legs and held on like a monkey or a vine. And if he were the godmother to the royal family…well, they had plenty of money to spare to have their fortunes told…

"Good, those idiots are gone."

Tranquility turned back to the forest and began marching again, oblivious to any distractions or protests. While the departure of the two party members made an alternative (namely, turn tail and run—or fly), none of the others left. There were just too many reasons to stay.


"Remember to be careful," Put'oh was reminding Muggy who had refused to use his head and go back home.

"I know!" The boy raced closer after Tranquility, who was picking a path through the trees shrouded in mist and snaky branches.

The words of warning fell on two sets of dead ears (just two?). Tanner and de Vlin were staring off into the distant gloom of the trees where something seemed to glimmer and glisten.

"Could it be? Something far more beauteous than Serenity?"

"Look at that tree…noble and tall, striking and free."

Yes, both of them had sunk into verse, even Mr. Free-versifier. And they stumbled off down the path to the tree they had caught sight of, not even noticing the others fading behind them.

"What bark, what skin, what glorious honor to win."

"This tree is thus inscribed: to honor me, I can be bribed. Give me a perfect name, and then free will I be yours to tame."

"A perfect name?"

"Why, 'Serenity' would be lame."

"Something much more moving and stirring."

"A single word that would be alluring."

"What say you to this?"

"Pick well, for I'll want a kiss."

They looked at each other and suddenly grinned. Together they shouted, "Serenity, Tranquility, Equanimity will be outdone! This one shall be Calmity with a glowing beauty of the sun!"

When those kinds of things happen, it is obvious someone rehearsed it. How can people come up with the exact same verses at the exact same time? Well, don't worry; these two read the script and practiced a lot before this scene.

The question you've all probably been waiting for: what kind of tree was this? Well, a mahogany one, of course. Or rather, it used to be. Now, the wood trembled and vibrated as something seemed to crawl under the bark like a shiver.

The two young men stared enraptured as the tree changed its form to something more humanoid…


A soft whickering came from nearby, and the princess stopped moving with a perturbed frown.

Sama-san-dono thought it sounded familiar, but he did not want to be reminded of what amounted to his failure to catch a stallion. He glanced back at Kun, who had just dropped his shoulders and let out a terrible sigh.

"I can't find it." Then, the short young man put his hat back on his head.

"What were you looking for?" Muggy asked.

Blushing, Kun thought for a long time. "I…don't remember."

Glaring at them anew, Blaydelot restrained herself from stomping a foot once more. "Excuse me," she said in a cold voice, "but I believe I just noticed something nearby and I want answers. Now."

The witch was busy examining her nails that were so much better manicured than the princess's own. In fact, everything about Yor Love was better than Tranquility and Lemonade if you simply asked the witch. I mean, someone like Blaydelot wasn't even allowed in a fairy tale, with her hewn/hacked hair to her manly breeches to her adventuresome spirit and lack of need for damsel-aid to her unshaven legs and well-muscled body. Nope, not allowed in a fairy tale. So if that idiot Axel was going to be madly in love with such an annoying anti-feminine character, well….he wasn't worth her time. But Yor was up for a competition. She refused to lose.

Thus far, traveling in the forest was not something she preferred, and she only walked because her tub was too large to float along next to everyone with all the trees. Instead, it was above the woods at the moment.

The tub was probably the only thing that could have a chance to see what was happening with the nicker and whinnies nearby. Well, until people began to stealthily sneak toward it.

As the steps came nearer to the horse sounds, the usual dry twigs and leaves seemed to multiply in an attempt to make them startle whatever was taking place nearby. But, for the most part, people were semi-quiet.

When the white coat came into view, Tranquility slowed down just enough to make the others stop, and then she leaned a little farther to see into the small clearing.

Her mouth fell open, for there, before her, was another extraordinary beast she had forgotten in her desire to make a name for herself. But her mind was already plotting for a way to use this one…

Flapping its immense, feathered, silvery white wings, the winged horse was sniffing the stallion that Kun had freed. And so, the princess knew this was her chance. She lunged.

Like any bird or wild beast, the horses threw up their heads and rolled their eyes. Or in the case of the winged horse, just one eye. The stallion was merely going to charge away, but the winged horse's instinct was to take to the air. And gaining altitude took time. So Tranquility managed to mount its back and grasp resolutely to its silken silvery mane, legs clamped tightly behind the wings.

The others gasped and stared as the princess rode the now-bucking "Pegasus," and some were immediately jealous. The stallion, however, was enraged and prancing around the clearing and the Pegasus, trying to bite a huge wad of flesh out of Tranquility. He wasn't about to leave his new friend, after all.

Axel took the opportunity to race over to the stallion and attempt to mount it. But he promptly slid off and nearly was trampled except for the witch's instant magical protective shield. All thoughts of competition gone, she ran over to check up on her beloved ex-knight.

"That horse has silver hair! And a gold eye! I need it!" Egomaniac muttered to himself before dashing into the tiny clearing himself, ignoring Barleyo's mental screams that the spirit was going to kill their body.

Of course, Muggy wanted to catch a ride on the Pegasus and ran over to the clearing, making both brothers adamant to put a halt to events. Thinking all he could do was try shouting what he had before ("CEASE!"), Put'oh opened his mouth to begin, but Kiaba snatched away any victory he was going to have. Instead, the sorcerer cast a quick spell that made everyone, including the horses, in the clearing move slower.

A passing wolf stopped and gaped. And of course, right near it, was Fabecca Falconins, skipping down the path to the gingersnap house. She quickly dug out a camera and snapped a few shots of the bizarre images and hurried away. The little, annoying, teddy bear-holding, no-role-but-for-an-understudy brat now had blackmail material…

Put'oh, unaffected by the spell, as he had not been in the clearing, waded within and grabbed Muggy who for once was unable to slither away. Well, he could, but he was so slow that the environmentalist was able to snatch him again.

In the meantime, Tranquility determinedly grasped the mane tighter and waited as the horse rose slowly into the air to attempt its bucks that way. Or, once free of the trees, it would turn upside down.

"The…golden…eye!" Egomaniac got out, grabbing the winged horse's tail and refusing to let go. Dangling in the air as the beast rose, he struggled to climb up its backside and mount it better, but the horse was having none of it.

With a mighty back kick, the Pegasus landed a hoof into Barleyo's (for Egomaniac had retreated before the blow could land, of course) belly, sending the young man plummeting back into the trees with another of his award-winning damsel screams.

"I've had it with the woods. Look, a grass stain!" Yor Love gave a sharp whistle, and her tub hovered over the forest awaiting her ascent. "Come on!" She hauled Axel along with her as they levitated to the tub, finding no room to sit. Still, a perch on luggage was better than being down below where a mad, albeit slow, stallion was still rampaging.

Sighing, the witch asked, "I bet you still want to follow the princess, huh, hon?"

At the moment, The Sir Prince Axel was just mutely nodding to everything, so the tub took off after the angry Pegasus where Tranquility still was perched tightly.

And down below, havoc still reigned as the Gruff brothers tried to leave the area and certain others were harassing them, finally having realized that Earl and Tanner were missing.

"We can't go on without them!"

"We aren't going on at all," Put'oh said.

But his twin smirked once more. "I am. And I'm using teleportation."

Kun stared at him. "Why didn't you just do that before?" When the sorcerer failed to answer, the short young man continued to look at him oddly. "Well, then why don't you go to the other two, find them, and then teleport them to us?"

Lemonade was staring up at the sky, twisting her hands. "I can't leave the princess!" She was about to go dashing off into the brush, but Sama-san-dono, forgetting his slap from before, grabbed her arm to halt her. When he recalled the pain, he winced in anticipation, but apparently, such an action was allowed by the rules of propriety. It gave the lady-in-waiting an excuse to just stand there and weep, after all, without having to go rush after her charge.

While Put'oh moaned on having such a stubborn brother, Kun was getting ready to look for the missing two on his own, but Sama-san-dono did have two hands, and he grabbed his other self with his second one. Seeing the djinni standing there, arms wide as he gripped two people tightly, made all the Gruffs look amused.

"The other two will make it out fine, I'm sure," Kiaba commented. Then, he added, "I have enough power to teleport us all to the dragon's mound. And we'll beat the princess."

"No! We don't want to go—" Put'oh started.

"Yes, we do!" Muggy shouted even louder.

The others just gaped a bit as a light suffused them and made them see only pure whiteness.


And Barleyo?

You guessed it.

Glug glug.

Again.