Out of all the corridors she had traversed, this was perhaps the most beautiful. Waterfalls drummed at the palace walls, giant and beautiful as they spilled their never ending contents into rivers throughout the palace. Plants weaved up from the once pristine marbled walls. Stone floors were cracked from the impact of water and age.
A broken palace, but not forgotten. Maids occasionally stumbled by her carrying dishes and beautifully decorated glasses. She wondered where they were heading, perhaps to prepare for whatever dance Ruelle had mentioned in his note.
Another maid was just shuffling by her, she had a horribly and unusually large nose, along with pointed ears just like Terra's. The maid looked quite concerned, allowing no eye contact or even a smile towards Terra as she ushered to who knows where.
"Excuse me miss." Terra stepped in front of the worried maid's path. Her plates clattered as she stumbled to a stop before crashing into Terra.
"S-sorry mam, in a rush." The maid tried to step around her but Terra would not allow it. Her father would be worried sick if she didn't leave home in time.
"I'm in search of a cure for my ears, can you help me?" Terra stated, moving her hair back to show the maid. The maid looked confused. As if she was the strange one.
Terra stuck a hand on her head in frustration. "I'm human, I've been poisoned or something, I'm not meant to have these."
The maid simply shook her head, "S-sorry I can't help you." The maid tried to weave around Terra but was blocked yet again.
"Surely you know someone who could though?"
After a moment of silence the maid said, "Ah, yes you know what I do!" The maid pointed to somewhere behind Terra. Terra turned to look, seeing nothing but a waterfall and stone hallway. After trying to see what the maid saw, Terra turned back around to find the maid completely gone.
That fool tricked her!
Flustered, annoyed, and growing a horrible first impression of the folk in the sunken city, Terra stormed onward down the corridor.
After traversing the many halls of chipped stained glass and crumbling stone walls, Terra heard a distant waft of music. The rhythms drew her forth until she was following the sounds of drums and flutes and chimes. A corridor of rumbling water later, and she found herself at a large wooden door. Two guards stationed on either side, Terra approached the one on the left.
"Excuse me," she paused when she was given no reaction. The guards wore long metal helmets to cover their faces. A strange glow of white light coming from the eye holes. "Would you happen to know if there is a potions master in the area, a doctor perhaps?"
After a minute of waiting for a response, nothing but muffled delightful music filling the silence, Terra growled and waved a hand before the guard's face. "Hello? Anyone in there?"
"Donno. Ask Don."
"Whose Don?"
The soldier robotically lifted an arm and pointed to the other guard on the other side of the door.
Terra huffed and walked to the other guard. "Do you know then?"
"Know what."
"If there's a doctor or a potions master in the area that can cure my ridiculous pointed ears!" She threw up her hands in frustration.
"Donno. Ask Nod."
"Whose Nod."
"My brother."
Don lifted their arm to point at the guard she had already asked.
"For crying out loud." She muttered and stormed over to Nod.
"Your brother thinks you may have the answers I need. Now do you or don't you know of a doctor or potions master. Otherwise I must bid you farewell."
After a moment of distant music coming from inside the doors and not a word from either guard she made to turn and leave.
"Wait. He's inside."
"Who is?"
"The doctor."
Nod told her and pressed a gilded sword against the door. The massive door creaked loudly as it opened but the music that erupted from inside was quite louder. Instruments and dancers and feasts lay sprawled across a rock and lantern ballroom of vines and moss. Water and mist rained down beautifully as a few pools were formed filled with strange beasts with four eyes and long limbs soaking within them.
Beasts were everywhere. Fae demons.
Winged humans with gorgeous faces flew to the rafters laughing and pouring wine wherever they pleased.
Terra stood at the door frozen in awe. So this was the party Ruelle had mentioned.
Secretly Terra was curious to know if he was in fact there at all. He had wanted her to show but she hadn't had time to put on a dress. She was still in her half muddy raincoat jeans and rainboots. Her mission was to fix her ears and return home, nothing more, nothing less. And yet the music whispered to her.
She shook away her thoughts.
"How do I know which one is him."
"You will know." Nod told her,
"Today is his field day." Don added from the other side of the door.
"If you say so." She crossed her arms skeptically watching the people move throughout the ballroom. Music echoed against the walls. Some party goers decked with fine jewelry filtered past her and the guards and into the grand chamber.
"What's this party for anyways."
"The prince's birthdays of course." Don answered.
"More than one?"
"Twins," Don answered.
"But be weary." Nod added.
"For they bear a curse of bear masks."
"To conceal a terrible secret."
"For it is said that,"
"The one with black eyes brings misfortune."
"The one with brown brings luck."
She looked between them in annoyance. "Well, I don't really believe in riddles and prophecies actually."
She flashed a smile, "Thank you for your help anyways." And slipped into the grand ballroom wearing her raincoat rain boots and muddy jeans. There was no time for a dress.
She had to get out of here.
YOU ARE READING
Forever Forest
FantasiA small house in the middle of the woods. A daughter and her father. A normal life Terra expected to live. Though the second she stepped into the forest, she found her world had turned upside down. Afraid of a fantasy, though her story would be just...
