The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 5: The Last Pendant

Chapter 4: Awkward Silence and Raindrops

Chapter 4

     Shade stood in the midst of the garden of Morgan le Fay, in awe of the beauty of the lush and bountiful vegetation there. He was also in awe of the sorceress; she moved with the grace of an angel and smelled of roses and honey. She did not appear to be the fierce, frightening, wild-haired witch that the history books painted her to be. She was very calm and spoke eloquently. Shade felt he could listen to her speak for weeks on end and never grow tired of hearing what she would say.

     His companions, the Prewett Brothers and the pastor, were shown to a small lodge on the other side of the garden. Within the lodge they found a grand feast set upon a table, served by small fairies. The fairies flew around carrying plates and goblets and served the three men to their fulfillment. The Prewett Brothers played a few pranks on the pastor, who laughed off their jokes and, in grand fashion, played a prank on them by having the fairies remove their chairs suddenly from underneath them.

     “Well what do you know?!” Gideon laughed as his goblet had spilt on his lap, “The Padre got us good!”

     “Indeed, brother,” Fabian laughed as well, “Bravo, Padre!”

     Vinnie the Pastor bowed and laughed. They continued their feasting with frivolity and in good humor.

     Meanwhile, Shade followed Morgan le Fay to one of the towers of the fortress. She led him to a staircase that spiraled up the tower. She spoke to him about the Pendants and why they had been made.

     “I created them to teach and to instruct the folk of the world so they may understand where magic originated,” Morgan explained. “I wanted to encourage the folk of the world to appreciate where magic came from and to never take it for granted. I never intended for any person to wear a Pendant continuously. They were there as instructional tools for those who were worthy of them; to use to delve further into the elements. There were the lesser Elemental Pendants already, but they were merely relics of a time long past when wands were not the only instruments used to cast spells and magic. When I saw that there were people who coveted them for their power and not for their resources, I removed them from the coils of the world and placed them in a magical place that was only accessible once a year. Then, many years later, a chance meeting between four individuals circumvented my reasoning and led me to believe that, in the right hands, the Pendants would do great things outside of the hidden realm.”

     “What changed your reasoning?” Shade asked Morgan.

     “Have you ever read The Tales of Beedle the Bard?” she asked him.

     “Yes,” Shade replied. “Why do you ask?”

     “Do you recall the Fountain of Fair Fortune? It was one of Beedle’s tales.”

     “I remember it,” Shade answered. “Four people go into a place and find this fountain that was supposed to grant them a wish, any wish they desired.”

     “Essentially, that is the story,” Morgan continued, “But that is only the tale that Beedle spoke. You see, that tale is older than Beedle could have recollected. By the time he thought to write it down, it was very old, older than Easter. The tale Beedle told was romanticized for a much younger audience: Three witches agree to go together into the place where the Fountain is hidden. When they are selected, one of the witches becomes entangled with a Muggle knight. The four find themselves in a magically hidden realm and agree to venture towards the Fountain of Fair Fortune. They endure three tasks before they reach the Fountain, overcoming each one. Finally, after each witch realized that they do not need the Fountain’s wish-fulfilling properties, they allow the Muggle knight to bathe in its magical waters. He marries one of the witches and they all leave there forever changed and happily ever after.”