Discover L (Book 2) | Editing |

~~~ Cold Hard Truth ~~~

"And if we are?"

"Well, he'd like to meet ye now, find out why you've been looking for him."

"How do we know this isn't a trick?"

Sully grinned and shrugged, "You don't, but if I'm lying then I'm pretty sure you two could reap a heap of trouble on me. I don't know anyone, Leprechaun or no, who'd risk that for a prank. So, what's it gonna be?" 

L's parents exchanged a glance, what did they have to lose at this point? L assumed that was their train of thought because they rushed to grab their things and follow Sully out into the cold. The scene sped up from there, they watched L's parents follow Sully into the mountains. He took them inside a cave and they ended up in the same caverns L, Robbie and Bryce had entered through. There were no Wyvern around this time, but they did encounter the Jötnar's alter ego.

He let them hear the conversation in the vision. The Jötnar told L's parents to go home and forget their quest. That Frost Giants weren't around for their amusement or as a trophy kill. L's parents took offence to that, refusing to leave until they got the answers they were looking for. The Jötnar threatened to end them if they didn't leave, and still they refused. L could see a pattern emerging but she kept it to herself, watching her parents pass the Jötnar's test and his subsequent transformation.

They settled their outrage fairly quickly and wound up in the very same living room. L's mum and dad told the Jötnar and Sully everything, about L and Frallica, and their struggle to find a solution. They asked for the Jötnar's help, in much the same way they'd asked the Jinn, the Menehune and the many others. They were fair begging by the end, and L was staring between them and the Jötnar.

His expression was unreadable, there was no way of knowing what he was thinking. The seconds ticked by in silence, L's parents looked between themselves, Sully and the Jötnar, they didn't seem to know which way this was going anymore than L did.

When the Jötnar finally spoke, it was slow and deliberate.

"I cannot tell you who instigated this prophecy, nor can I help you with your Demon problem. I've been dozing recently, my powers aren't what they used to be and it is not my battle."

L watched her parents faces fall, it was heartbreaking to see. L was ready to start punching the Jötnar for putting her through this vision for nothing, when his face began to light up, it was almost glowing with excitement.

"But!" He began and L's parents' despair faltered. "I may have a way you can receive the help you seek. It's going to be extremely dangerous and I cannot guarantee your survival. But if you do survive, you will find the aid you need."

"What? What is it?"

"Are you certain you want to know? You could still return from this quest, retrieve your daughter and live out the remainder of your lives together."

L's parents stared, they looked momentarily reluctant and glanced at each other. They'd weighed it up many times, L knew that now and they struggled constantly but, they had made up their minds.  

"No, we have to do whatever we can, no matter how dangerous. We know it's the best thing for our baby to live her life freely."

"Tell us what we have to do."

The scene slowly faded on the image of L's parents hopeful faces, they were back in the present, in the Jötnar's living room. The vision had ended and L was staring wide eyed at the Jötnar, who was looking at her with sympathy and intrigue.

"What happened? Where's the rest?"

The Jötnar sat up straighter, "The end of the vision contains the details needed to follow your parents. I will tell you that part myself, but you must comprehend how dangerous this will be. Are you certain you want to continue? Your parents may have sent the journal for you to find them, but this was before whatever befell them. They may not think the same way now."

L pondered that for a moment, not that it really mattered, she'd come too far and they still needed her. They were trapped, or worse, and she had to know their fates.

"I'm still going, tell me what comes next."

The Jötnar nodded, he gestured a hand and a small picture appeared out of nowhere, almost like a tv screen. It showed L's parents sitting in this very room, talking with the Jötnar and Sully. L could see them and their reactions but she couldn't hear what was being said.

"The answer I had for them, involves travel to a terrible place, fraught with danger. If you follow, I can't guarantee you'll return either, I cannot even be sure you will find your parents there... not after all this time."

L knew what he was trying to say, but she was determined, nothing would change that. "It's no different to the rest of my life, please just tell me."

The Jötnar sighed, "As you wish. There is a land not of this world, it is cruel and dangerous, home to creatures that make Demons look like kittens. It is a place of unique magic and also death, Paguea is its name. I hoped never to speak it again... be that as it may, there is a creature there who may have been able to help your parents. It is called the Jadavah, it holds the power to grant a single wish, with no strings attached, should the recipient be worthy.

"However, I warned your parents it would be far from easy, the terrain of the land would be harsh enough. Not to mention, the only way to reach the other land is with a potion, one that will transport the drinker... and only one species possesses the recipe, it is a closely guarded secret. The request would not be taken lightly, the Elves will not give it without a lot of blustering and smoke blowing."

L rolled her eyes, glancing to Bryce who looked stunned.

"Of course they would have it," L commented, imagining her parents having to go back and ask the Elves for a favour after their last encounter. "Have you heard of any of this?" L asked Bryce.

He shook his head, "No, I don't know anything about a different land or this Jadavah, but my kind have the potion that will take us to L's parents?"

The Jötnar nodded, "Yes, and you will have to discuss the criteria for getting it from them, with them. It is as I told your parents, L. I know your journey has been troublesome thus far but it's about to get exponentially worse, should you take this path."

L stared at the screen, her parents were alone, apparently they'd finished talking and were leaning over something. L sat forward to see what they were doing after such an intense conversation, and was suddenly hit with a startling revelation.

"My parents organised a vision for me here, didn't they? The one they put in the journal, now I know why I recognise this room."

The Jötnar smiled, "Yes, they did. Once I told them everything, they wanted to install a contingency plan should they fail. They asked that I make sure the journal find its way to you, but not before you were ready."

L blinked back her surprise, feeling a few pieces of her life-puzzle fit into place in the back of her mind.

"So, are you really going to venture off to the dangerous land?" Sully asked, speaking for the first time in what felt like ages.

L's brow furled, she watched her parents casual behaviour for a moment and eventually nodded. "I am, they would do the same for me and I have to know what happened to them."

She turned her head to Bryce and Robbie, who were standing either side of her. "But I will go alone, I don't expect you two to come with me now we know what we're dealing with. It's too dangerous."

They both shared an incredulous look, before turning back to L.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Of course we're still coming with you, if anything you need us with you now more than ever." Robbie retorted, looking at L as though she'd lost her mind.

"But you heard what he said, we might not come back." L stated as though it was almost certain.

"And we'll have more chance to prove that wrong if we're together. We're coming, end of story." Bryce said it all with an air of finality, and Robbie nodded along.

L could have argued, made them see it was a bad idea but she knew it was a waste of time. Instead, she turned back to the Jötnar.

"Tell me exactly what I need to do."