TOA Book 1: Rose Gold's Adventure

Never Again

Jim was climbing a stone wall in the Hero's Forge and we were waiting for him at the top.

He was telling us something that he and Toby saw; a goblin with a baby, which is never a good thing.

"Let me get this straight." He said. He dodged the fire I made shoot out of the wall.

Hey, I'm not gonna scorch him.

"They steal babies, so they can replace them with changelings?" Jim asked.

"Precisely, Master Jim." Blinky called out.

"Uh, allegedly steal. I just saw a bird." Toby said.

"Bird, changeling, the point is it had a freaking baby." I said.

"And, in order for a changeling to maintain its appearance in our world, no harm must come to the human child in theirs." Blinky said, "I assure you, there is no safer place for a baby to be than the bowels of the Darklands nursery."

Jim dodged another fire blast, "That's good to know. Hey, take it easy with the fire, Rose Gold."

"Sorry!" I called out.

"Woah! Hold on, there. Okay, suppose they did take the baby to the Darklands. Isn't that where Gunmar is trying to escape from?" Toby asked, feeding Aaarrrggghhh!!! cassette tapes.

"The doorway to his realm is sealed for now, but it doesn't exonerate the cracks that inevitably form over time." Blinky explained. "Cracks that allow small things to pass.

"Small, like babies and goblins." Aaarrrggghhh!!! said.

"So, if we can find out whose baby was stolen, we'll find a changeling in its place, right?" Jim asked.

A blast of fire emerged from the wall, making Jim jump and grab on to a spike.

Ok, maybe I went a bit too far with that one.

"And once we have the changeling, we'll have the proof to finally convince Vendel--" Jim slipped and fell.

"Jim!" Toby and I screamed.

I ran up to the ledge, as Aaarrrggghhh!!! grabbed onto Toby, who grabbed onto me, grabbing onto the rope just in time to catch Jim.

"Got him!" Aaarrrggghhh!!! said, pulling up Jim.

"I told you I'd fall." Jim said.

"You fell because you knew you could." Blinky said. "What if you're endangered and we aren't there? Next time, we'll climb sans the safety line."

"We'll?"

"The only lesson learned here today is that, with this many changelings, Arcadia is far more dangerous than previously thought, for the both of you. As Jim has Draal now to protect his home, Tobias, you will now have Aaarrrggghhh!!! to protect yours."

What?!

"Really? For real? We're gonna be roomies? Yeah! High-five, big guy!" Toby said excitedly.

Aaarrrggghhh!!! let go of Jim, making him fall in the trench. I used my wand to levitate Jim up to the platform.

"Blinky, are you sure about this?" I asked.

"Most certainly." Blinky said, "In fact, I believe it would benefit us all if you'd occasionally go up to the surface as well during Master Jim's studies."

I never told Blinky about how I felt going up there. I wasn't planning on going back anytime ever.

"I-I just want to be sure that Aaarrrggghhh!!! will be alright."

"I'll be fine." Aaarrrggghhh said, "Been up there before."

Why is everyone so quick to jump on the "Let's go to the surface" train? But, like always, it's clear that everyone was so set on the idea that I just let it be.

I hugged Aaarrrggghhh!!! and said, "Just be safe up there, ok?"

"Promise."

------------------------

After my lesson with Blinky, which resulted in me turning my hair tips blond for an hour, I was reading a book in my room when I got a phone call from Toby.

"Hey, Toby."

"Hey, Rose Gold. You busy?" He asked.

"Nah, what's up?"

"Jim lost the gaggletack babysitting."

Oh, yeah. I forgot that Jim had to babysit for someone tonight. Apparently it was the baby that got switched.

"We'll be right over to get another gaggletack." He said.

"Yeah, sure."

"We gotta be quick. Claire could be home any second."

I felt my heart stop hearing that name, "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I thought Jim told you. The kid he's babysitting, the kid that allegedly got switched. It's apparently Claire's baby brother."

"Oh. I'll see you later, then."

I hung up and screamed into a pillow.

Jim is wrapped around this stupid girl's finger, isn't he? Is she gonna be involved in everything we do now?

Blinky, Aaarrrggghhh!!!, Toby and I were back at RotGut's for another gaggletack.

"Uh, excuse me, uh, Mr. RotGut. It is with great respect that we return to you to ask for another gaggletack." Blinky said.

"Go away. We're closed." Gut said.

"Yeah, that's a great excuse if I've ever heard one." I said.

"You haven't closed your apothecary since the wart outbreak of 1982! I urge you, if we do not acquire one at this very moment, we may be dealing with an exigency that could shut you down indefinitely."

Rot opened his window and said, "What's an exigency? Should I be scared?"

"Indeed."

"It doesn't matter. We already gave them a gaggletack." Gut said, opening a few windows, "I told you never to give out free merchandise."

"Can't you make at least one exception for me?" I asked, "I'm one of your favorites."

"Besides, you said you had a bag of... them." Blinky tried to say as both windows closed.

"Stand back. I think I know how to deal with this." Toby said. He gestured to Aaarrrggghhh!!! to take out a back of socks, "How about a bag of sweaty, tasty, slightly moldy argyle socks?"

Bribery. I love it.

Gut's window opened, "Argyle?"

"Argyle, Gut! That's argyle! Mm..." Rot said, opening his window.

The bribe worked, cause the next thing we knew, we got another gaggletack.

I walked Toby, Blinky and Aaarrrggghhh!!! back up to the steps.

"You sure you don't want to come help, R.G.?" Toby asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. The surface isn't really my jam, anyway." I said.

"Rose Gold, I know how you feel about the surface, but I strongly advise you to come up to assist us or to explore for yourself." Blinky said.

I nodded in reply.

When they left, I opened the locket I wore around my neck. A redheaded man and woman, smiling, holding a bright indigo-eyed baby with a red fuzzy head.

My parents.

Jonathan and Emily Waters.

Blinky said I had this when he found me. I don't know why, but it just felt right for me to wear it.

I never knew them, anyway. So, why am I holding on to this? All I know is that it would kill me if this was ever lost.