Quest For The Key

Chapter 25: A Favour From A Phycic

Morning slipped upon the horizon but all slept on.  It wasn’t until all the drama was over and things started to go normally again that the three noticed Maia.

“Um have you always been here” pepper ask  confused when she awoke lying on Maia’s foot.

“ no” replied Maia sheepishly“ I just joined last night. I saved your brother”

“oh no he is not my brother”

“ then he is the girl’s?”

“ yes, her name is Maple”

Pepper nudged Maple and she sat up eyes open.

“ h-h-h-h-i” stuttered Maïa embarrassed and for the first time Maple remembered the night before

“ You!” she cried leaping up from the stone floor. “ you saved Jack. You saved him. You blew and you and you. Thank you. How ever can I repay you.”

“ Nonsense.  You have repaid me already. I needed some where to stay for the night and you let me come. I escaped the guards that were following me and now I must be on my way.” was what  Maia should have said but she wanted her dream boy, greedily, all to herself. “ I left my stuff a while back but I can double back and get it later” she replied instead. 

“You there you should stay” called Pepper not sure of the girl’s name.

“ Maïa” corrected Maïa.

 Hearing this Maple perked up. “Maïa? As in Maïa from her dream.” she thought. Maple knew she could not et Maïa get away. In her dream Maple herself died and she was determined to figure out what it meant. Maybe this girl could help her find out.

“ I agree” chimed in Maple chipper and itching to keep moving even though her legs groaned otherwise.

Jack who was now awake looked at Maïa as if he was seeing her for the first time. The words stung Maïa like a dagger to the heart.

“ Who is she” Jack said icily not even trying to whisper it. Maïa felt tears come but she wouldn’t let them see her cry instead she said trying to sound happy, “ well lets go. The days a wasting.”

Pepper and Maple left leaving Jack and Maïa with a minute to themselves.

“ Are you” started Jack but then he stopped.  Maïa’s heart rose only to drop even lower. “ Never mind. I thought you.....were someone else?”

He thought about it for a second staring at her face trying to recall it but gave up. The next hour dragged on while Maïa thought over and over again about his eyes and how he had looked at her, like he didn’t even know her.  He did, didn’t he?

The world seemed new to Jack as they passed on. As they walked in the forest all four came to some unusually tall mushrooms. When they looked closer they could see speckles on them but the closer and closer they got the larger the speckles grew. Until they were full size fairies and the four were standing right next to them.

“ Who, Who” said a fairies “ Who do we have here. I’ve seen women and man before but you all look oh so queer.”

“ Excuse me” exclaimed Jack who could not belive what he was hearing.

“ You boy, arrogant one, your body looks so pale. Although you walk and talk to me your body seems so frail.” Then a second fairy joined in and soon before long there were over a dozen speaking rhymes. Maple asked where they could find the magic element.

 The fairies replied:

“ My dear  enfant Maple if it is the magic element you seek, know you will not find here , up high it is on peeks, My sisters and i know many a things, we question questions that traveleers bring, and though we know not were your magic one will lie, we know of another one  our brothers have spyed. Twas the wind element my children if that is needed to, you’d better listen to what we say for we know what to do. The only way to Russle the wind king is through a graveyard deep, beware, beware in there in there a demon woman creeps, she feeds on human soul and will smell you by your hair, the only way to live is to resist he voice and  wear, a cloak that covers your head my dear, and don’t be scared or she’ll smell your fear.  a difficult and frightful task it may be, but tis the only way to destroy the key.”