A Trio of Anomalies - The Quest for Paradise

CHAPTER 13 - CURING A BOLT OF LIGHTNING

Swish-swoosh went the red portal, swishing and swooshing for three seconds before they stepped onto the landing, glancing at the lifeless chequered wall bearing the queen's name.

"That was ... weird," Steve's voice echoed through the cylindrical staircase, "She doesn't want to tell us about what she's doing ... yet she just- tells it? Sure ... sure ..."

"More socially inept than psychopathic. I can live with that," Nicholas replied, "What happens if we say her name now? We're technically not giving out information to anyone else."

 "I'd not risk it," Steve tried ruffling his tangled hair, "She's an edgy witch, but she's still a witch."

"Yeah ..."

Steve sighed, "Just our luck. The moment Erwin leaves is the moment we got dunked. In lemonade too for goodness sake!"

"Yeah."

"Where are we going next?"

"Land of Toys."

"I do hope there's a water park there."

"Yeah."

They found Smallrant crying.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked hastily.

"I-I don't know what happened!" he cried, "All of a sudden The Cocoa Volcano erupted! It destroyed the entirety of Marzipan Village!"

"Oh ..." Steve found himself replying, " ... goodness ..."

"Hey," Nicholas responded, "Keep your hopes up. Queen Chocolatina would restore the village, I'm sure."

"Of course, of course," Smallrant "wiped tears" from his currant eyes, "I must have faith in the great Queen Chocolatina. Thank you, but I have to go now, butler duties you see."

"Alright ... goodbye." Amused, Nicholas blurted out Steve's thoughts, who was still quite stunned.

***

The two went out of Chocolate Castle, feeling very subdued. Using his fire and his bottled water Steve cooked his cup of instant noodles to share it with Nicholas, and they devoured it hungrily out of sight of the others. When they finished he stored the empty cup in a plastic bag, and after meeting up with the rest of the HF Club they sat themselves on the Dragon's back. He took off into the air before heading east towards the Land of Toys.

***

The first thing the three adolescents noticed was the giant Roller Coaster of Shivers, and it indeed gave thrilling shivers down their spine. It led up to the seemingly transparent Castle of Mysteries, and they turned their heads to look at its winding turrets as the Dragon flew past it. They were soon met by a Forest of Swings, trees overgrown with not only just swings, but every kind of domino-effect contraption ever made, from catapults to sling falling fruit into the sky, to levers and pulleys and wheels constantly moving here and there as acorns rolled down the chutes and slides, disappearing into tunnels and shooting out of canons. Chuckling at how mesmerised they were at the forest the Dragon decided to land beside it.