Chapter 13

Marshes and Cloaks

"Alright, Barrel, which way are the trees? I'm sick of this place."

"Can't you just, I dunno, poof us there or something?"

"No, stupid. There are boundaries to magic, you know. You can't make stuff appear out of thin air. If you want something, you either have to transfigure something else into it, or summon it."

"But you just said you can!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Well, summoning is the same thing! If you can summon, you can transport things other places, too!"

"That's gotta be the smartest thing you've ever said."

"Shut up. So, can't you just poof us there?"

"I'm not 'poofing' anyone anywhere. My magic isn't strong enough. Even if I tried, it's possible only your arm or something would go there, and the rest of you would disintegrate."

"Sounds pleasant. Well, I came from that direction... which is where the trees are... I think..."

That argument had been going for hours, Lock was sure. He wasn't up to joining; when you had more than two people arguing, nothing ever made sense.

Two weeks had passed since the poison oak incident. The rashes had long gone, but that was only one problem solved. They had been walking for two days straight, minus stopping once in a while for a five-minute rest. All three were tired, cranky, and sore. Once in a while, somebody would hope out loud that they got home soon, as they agreed that they would not sleep until they got back to their tree house. Bad mistake. They had recently wandered into a swampy part of the woods, and had come to an abrupt halt. The trio was taking turns in trying to figure out their way back, which was difficult, as the swamp had stunned them, and no longer could they remember where they had come from. Every direction they turned looked the same.

"Do you have a compass?" The devil asked to no one in particular, squinting up into the emerald canopy, where the bright rays of sun insisted on shining through.

"None of us even know how to use a compass!" Shock rolled her eyes. Her hair had gone completely haywire, sticking up in every possible direction, but it was clear that she couldn't have cared less. He shrugged.

A silence passed over the three sitting among the rocks, the dirty swamp water leaking into their shoes and clothes.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Barrel exclaimed suddenly, standing up so fast that his sudden movement alone caught the other two's attention.

"What is it?" The witch asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I got an idea. I'll climb up one of these trees and look around. We're not too far in, I'll be able to see the rest of the forest."

"Knock yourself out. But if a snake bites you and you fall, I ain't catching you."

"I'll be fine," He said, pulling a leaf out of his hair, before heading to the nearest tree. He could feel the watchful gaze of his cohorts boring into his back, but he ignored them confidently. He climbed trees a lot as a kid, so they didn't intimidate him. Looking around, Barrel grabbed a thick branch and started up. Before long, he reached the top of the tree. Or, more accurately, as close to the top as he could possibly get. The sun blinded him, and when he looked away, white and pale yellow speckles that appeared again when he blinked obscured his vision. Shaking his head, the speckles slowly went away and he was able to see properly again. Narrowing his golden eyes, he scanned the treetops. Nothing.

Except...

He squinted against the sun to make out what had caught his attention. After a minute, his eyes focused on the forms of a circle of trees. Each tree in the circle was the same height, and towered over the rest. Barrel smiled. He'd know those trees anywhere. Quickly, he slid down the tree somewhat painfully, and landed. His friends looked up.

"Well?" Lock asked.

"I found the Hinterlands," Barrel said in a singsong tone. Lock and Shock immediately stood up.

"Where?" Shock breathed, her eyes gleaming.

"That way," Barrel said, drawing an arrow in the mud that pointed southeast of where they were standing. Lock was deeply impressed, and Shock looked like she could hug her green-haired friend.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Shock said, an excited tone in her voice that did not suit her, "Let's get the hell outta here!" The boys nodded in agreement, and the trio set off at a run where the arrow was pointing.

The scene was empty, and very quiet for quite some time, before the squelching of rubber shoes in mud broke the silence. A long cowl swept over a log and its wearer knelt down at the arrow, sweeping the hood off of her head with a short, swift movement. The roots of her orchid hair faded to an unpleasant green-brown in thought. For an on-looker, it would take a second to realize that she was, in fact, slowly turning invisible, like a chameleon blending into the world around her. She stood abruptly, returning immediately to her previous form.

"One more day," She spoke to no one, "just to be sure." And with a swish of her cowl, she vanished, leaving no footprints behind. Even the arrow and the trio's footprints vanished when she had.

A/N: As you can probably tell, my style and format of writing has changed since I last updated. I took away the disclaimer because it was redundant, and I kind of like the chapter title at the top. As always, I welcome any constructive criticism. I'm sorry that this chapter was short. The next, rest assured, will be longer. And, look at that, no scene changes! When did that happen?

~Inferno Shock