The Great Magical Mixup

Chapter 5: The Great Magician

Rux was leading Solar and Peredur through the junkyard when he led them to a giant sewer pipe. Solar looked at it with disgust, while Peredur wasn't sure what to think of it. 

"Ok. I know what you're thinking: Why here? Why did Rux the ole Gnome lead us, two plants to a sewer pipe? Well, this is where I usually go off to when I pack up for the time being." Rux stepped into the pipe. "Coming?" 

Solar was hesitant, along with Peredur, but they both followed Rux soon after. The channel passage stretched for what seemed to be miles. It was after they walked for 15 minutes in the tubular structure that the plants noticed that the width of the pipe and the height were getting smaller. 

"Uh, Rux? Why is the sewer getting smaller?" Peredur questioned apprehensively. 

"We're getting closer to the destination. The outlet should not be too far off. Let's keep pressing onwards." Rux clarified. 

It was not long until Rux and the plants had made it to the end of the tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel was an even smaller passageway, big enough for Rux and the plants. Peredur and Solar nervously glanced at one another. Rux managed to get his stuff through and he continued. Solar and Peredur exchange a look at each other one more time before they accept that they must proceed further. 

They both went through the passageway when all of a sudden, Rux seemingly disappeared, horrifying the plants. Solar tried to call out to Rux, which she got no answer. Peredur assured her that Rux is far ahead. Peredur looks ahead and sees that Rux had dropped down, so they must do the same. Peredur held Solar's leaf petal and asked if she was ready. Solar took a deep breath and after the count of 3, jumped down with Peredur.

The plants were falling down towards a black, endless void. Solar fearfully grabbed onto Peredur who did the same. They started to scream when... 

... 

A portal had suddenly appeared and had taken them to another place. With a magic poof, both plants found themselves in a strange magical realm. There were floating pillars of rock, magic orbs hovering about, and a lengthy wooden bridge that seemed to stretch beyond the horizon, which slithered through most of the unusual landscape. At the front of the bridge stood Rux. 

"Welcome to the magical realm!" Rux announced to the plants. 

"This place... it's so..." Peredur had observed the surroundings, awestruck and at a loss of words. 

"Uh, where is the Great Magician, Rux? We're kind of in a time crunch here..." Solar interrupted. 

"Don't worry, I'll get y'all to him in a jiffy!" Rux assured as he grabbed both of the plants, put them on top of his bag and proceeded to carry them across the bridge to one stop, which was some sort of shed that Rux made to be his own storage room. After putting his bag in there, he took some potion out of his pocket and threw it on the ground. 

There was a big pink puff of air that made Solar and Peredur have a rather harsh coughing fit. Rux told them, "You'll get used to it after a few more puffs." Soon, the plants had found themselves in front of a castle that reminded Solar of Roseus' own. At the entrance, there was a  moat, with the only available way across being a drawbridge that had to be rolled down from the other side. Rux called out for someone to let the bridge down, but he got no answer. 

"That's odd. Usually, there would be someone to let down the bridge." 

"Uh, so Rux, that puff potion thing, is that your way of transport here?" Peredur questioned, still short of breath from the coughing fit. 

"Yeah, it's much faster than walking. Trust me, if I were to walk, it would take an equivalent of 3 days out there!" 

"Wait! 3 days, out there? How much time here is worth 1 hour outside this place?!" exclaimed Solar, who was shocked by the time difference.