"Maven." Lord Rupert's voice shattered my thoughts as we sat in the meeting hall at his home.
I looked up, confused. Had he forgotten my name? "Uh. Are you OK?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes. I've given it a lot of thought, and I think we should send you to Maven."
"Me?" Why was everybody relying on me all of a sudden?
"We need to keep this quiet for now. Let's not start up more panic. All agreed?" There were three other elderly men and an elderly woman in the room, the village elders. They all nodded their heads solemnly.
"No!" I said slightly louder than I had intended.
They all turned to look at me. The expressions on their faces were disapproving, and I don't know how I felt before they looked at me, but now I felt like a very naughty little boy. It didn't help that the youngest of the group was at least three times my age.
"Surely you don't expect one of us to ... " Lord Rupert gestured around at the ancient group, leaving the sentence hanging.
My shoulders hung with resignation. "You don't have anyone else you can send, do you?" I asked the question already knowing the answer.
"This is primarily a sanctuary, Walter. You don't usually find adventurers here."
I wanted to remind him that I was the furthest thing from being a adventurer.
I wanted to, until I remembered what I'd been through to get here. Of course I was the most obvious person to ask, these people had never encountered anything dangerous in their lives. Of course that didn't mean that they were making the right choice.
But I sighed in a vague indication of acquiescence.
"Good. That's settled then. You know Maven?"
I shook my head. Why would I know where all of the Faerie towns were in Sessquipedallia?
"OK. I'll give you a compass."
My face went a little red as I remembered what had happened with the last compass. "No, no. A map, please."
They looked at each other and I got the same vibe from that expression as I had from Paul and his friend back in Quentas.
No one was sure their last remaining option, - aka me - was a very wise choice.
But whatever they were thinking, the problem was that I wasn't just their last choice. I was their only choice. And they knew it.
So they had the luxury of one look of unease between themselves before they had to move forward with planning my new journey for me.
I'd lost my rowboat, it must have drifted miles away by now on the ocean current, along with my hat, boots and coat.
Now I was decked out in soft new cloth faerie boots and a plain, soft hooded cloak of the same fabric. No hat though. But I wouldn't miss that egg splattered excuse for a hat that I used to wear anyway.
I was ready to go. Well, as ready as I was ever going to be, which meant that I was shaking slightly, nervously eying the water outside for jorumis or other possible threats, and breathing so heavily that I was starting to get light headed.
I was pleased for the distraction of watching the villagers maneuvering my new watercraft into the little exit room that they were calling an 'airlock'.
It wasn't big, but the bubble it was encased in almost filled the whole airlock.
I was amazed when they opened the outer door and it shot quickly up to the surface as I watched from inside, the bubble around it bursting when it hit the surface, leaving it calmly floating above, waiting for its passenger.
Then my nerves were gone, and I was on the surface climbing into the streamlined little vessel, feeling very wet, but a lot more secure than I had in the flimsy little wooden rowboat from yesterday. This one was metal, and shiny, and I don't know what it is about metal shiny things, but they always seem to raise my confidence level.
Behind me, bobbing gently up to the surface, Lord Rupert removed the helmet of his clunky diving suit and smiled tensely. It wasn't a reassuring smile. It was a smile that spoke volumes about just how much responsibility rested on my head. And I didn't like it.
But I smiled back anyway, pumping as much reassurance as I didn't feel into the gesture as I possibly could.
"You can do this, Walter. If you can find Talinast with only a compass and rowboat, you can do anything."
If only that were true, I thought, but I just smiled on like an idiot.
Until I saw the spines of an enormous jorumi slide past and around over the surface of the water, and I could actually feel the blood draining from my face.
There was no room in the faeriecraft for Lord Rupert, but why was he just staying beside me treading water like nothing was going on? If it was me, I'd be diving straight back to the safety of Talinast.
Instead he just stayed there with the same uneasy smile on his face, as I saw the thing dive into the unseen depths.
I heard the rushing sound that would precede its leap and held my breath.
Again I was struck by the sheer majesty and size of the creature, but this time I managed to retain my consciousness. I might need it to get Lord Rupert to safety. Although goodness only knows how I was going to do that.
As it sunk back under the surface, a metre-high wave swept underneath my inconsequential vessel, lifting us up and reminding me how powerless I was.
And then Lord Rupert sniffed a little. Not a normal reaction to a giant sea monster in my book.
"Show off." He muttered under his breath.
What??
He brought his hands up to his mouth clenching them together, and blew at the space between his thumbs. Out came a long, loud trumpet sound. He made the sound twice and looked around.
What was he doing. But then I understood. The jorumi had come quietly back to the surface and was twisting around just in front of my faeriecraft.
"Alright. You'll be fine, just follow the instructions and you'll find Maven easy. The bag there," he indicated a lumpy sack in my craft, "is for you. You'll find whatever you need in there." He threw a loop over a spine on the jorumi's back. "Thank you." He said sincerely, and then rose one eyebrow as he said, "Magnus will take care of you, but be sure to hold on."
Magnus??
Then Lord Rupert was blowing that weird trumpet noise through his fists, and I was thrown onto my back as the boat started moving, from zero to about far-too-fast-to-care in less-time-than-I-want-to-think-about.
When I overcame the nausea of that strange motion and became used to the idea that I was being towed by a sea monster named Magnus, it was kind've fun. I found myself leaning forward in the front of the vessel. My clothes dried off quickly in the wind, and I was almost disappointed when Magnus slowed up. We were nearing the shallower parts of the channel, rowing distance from Pandora.
And then he dived down out of sight, allowing the rope to slip off his back.
As I pulled in the rope he sidled up to the side of the faeriecraft, his huge dinner table eye tilting up to look at me.
"Thanks Magnus." I said, still intimidated by the sheer size of him.
He tilted his head up and down. Had he just acknowledged my gratitude? That was unexpected. My mouth dropped open in surprise.
But he was leaving, and I watched his spines, the only part of him breaking the surface, as he swished leisurely back in the direction we had just come from.
He must have known I was still watching him, too. Because when he was a decent distance away, I saw him disappear for a minute, only to come rushing out of the water in his signature leap. And I heard the call he made, a slightly higher pitch than Lord Rupert's trumpet noise. And then he was gone.
"Show off." I shared Lord Rupert's sentiment as I paddled the faerie craft into shore, leaving it exactly where the wooden rowboat had been the previous morning.
The old gardener was working nearby, and greeted me with a huge grin. It was nice to be meeting in better circumstances. And changing up from a pitiful wooden dinghy to a shiny metal faeriecraft was definitely his idea of better circumstances, especially compared to a night time scuffle against a hollow.
It also meant that we parted knowing each other's names this time. I quite liked that old guy, and not just because of the camaraderie we had from facing a hollow together. He really was a good guy. As I left on the train, I found myself hoping I'd see Gene again sonetime, when this mess of a job was over and done with.
I took the train to Bedallion Deep, a town that neighboured Sasquatch. I wished I could stay in that train and continue on home and just forget everything. But people were relying on me now and I couldn't let them down. Especially Lord Rupert, the memory of his huge grief at the burned library would be burned into my brain forever, I thought.
As I stood on the platform overlooking the town below, I couldn't help envying the orderly manner in which they appeared to be seeing out the day. The afternoon was getting on, and I wished that I too could be close to a warm house and a comfortable bed when evening came. I had no idea what evening would look like for me.
I reluctantly boarded the next train, my nerves jumping my stomach up and down unnaturally.
I wasn't going to take this train all the way to its destination, Reacher's Rest.
I saw the snow covered tip of the mountain looming in the distance, and my stomach jumped again as I made my way to one of the doors. Swallowing nervously, I waited for the right timing, and when we reached the foot of the mountain and there was a perfect slope running down from the tracks, I took in a deep breath, held it, and leapt. And rolled.
It hurt even more than I thought it would.
But I picked myself up and began the trek up the mountain. I wasn't scared, by the time it got dark I had made it to an altitude that was far too cold for hollows. Oh, I know they've been found that far up, but they just move so much slower, I think the temperatures affect their brains or something.
Maven was exactly what Lord Rupert had described to me. Dwellings made out of packed snow, a small ice covered lake and ice sculptures placed all around like a strange frozen garden. It was exactly the way Lord Rupert had described it, except for one thing. It was deserted.
Where could everyone be?
I strolled around in the darkness for a while knocking on doors, before I realized I was alone and it was too cold for me to be out of doors.
I pushed my way into a tiny ice cottage that nestled in under the mountain and found my way to the bed. I was too tired to figure it all out. It would wait until morning.
But I should have known I wasn't permitted to have a normal night sleep. At some point in the night I sat bolt upright, convinced that I'd heard a mob of hollows at the door.
My head hit hard onto something just above the bed, a switch of some kind.
It hurt. A lot.
But I didn't have time to think about it as a rumbling sound roared through the tiny room, and then everything became very bright. The back wall of the cottage had just opened up, exposing a hidden stone passage leading straight into the mountain itself. And the lights were on.
Oh, man. I was not in the mood for this. Couldn't I just have one normal night?
I took great care in the tight passages to be quiet. Someone was here, I knew that already, or the lights wouldn't all be on.
I carried with me my sack of things that Lord Rupert had given me. Heaven knew what was in there, not a sword, for sure, but it always paid to be somewhat prepared.
The passage led me to a big open room, beautifully decorated, the walls covered in what I guessed to be ancient tapestries. I stood at the archway to get a good look in.
Why wasn't I surprised to find him in a creepy deserted village? That's right, it was the wizard, sitting in a corner poring over some massive books spread out on the floor.
I gulped and stepped hastily back out of sight. Did I have anything that would help me in this bag?
I rummaged through it and I must've made some noise because next thing I knew, I heard him getting up and his footsteps as he came to check if anyone was there.
Oh no. Oh no. My brain scrambled a little and next thing I dropped something from the bag. Something that smashed. Loudly. Just as the imposing figure of the Wizard appeared in that ancient archway. He looked up to see what made the noise and looked straight through me.
How did he not see me? I was right in front of him. And then I realized what had happened. Faerie magic, that's what. Or was it science?
Whatever it was, I could see that the air in front of me looked strangely fractured and seemed to move in a strange way around me. I felt a little dizzy, but then I saw that the wizard was on the move again, and I knew I had a chance to follow him and see what he was up to. Maybe he was holding King Mervyn and his daughter here in this dungeon, and I had found them at last. Inwardly I breathed a sigh of relief at the idea and started after the mad old man, desperately hoping the strange effect of this faerie science didn't wear off any time soon.
He led me deep into the mountain, into a strange room that looked like it was used for alchemy or something. In this room he seemed to know exactly where he was going, as if he'd been there many times before.
I knew it. He was going to lead me straight to where he was keeping the King.
He flicked a switch in the corner and a passageway opened in the wall with the same rumbling sound I had heard when the wall had opened up in the cottage.
It closed directly behind him, but I relaxed. I knew exactly where to go.
It was all silent as I stood there debating whether to follow him directly or not.
But I was glad I hadn't made a move, soon a sound came from above me. The sound of crumbling stone, and shuffling, and suddenly someone leapt down from above me, straight out of a crack in the wall, landing softly on the ground in the centre of the room.
The man in black.
He went directly over to the switch and used it. The wall opened and he walked into the gap.
And he was flung straight back out again onto his backside on the ground.
He was angry, if kicking the wall repeatedly is any indication. He stayed a while doing that and I couldn't help but feel increasingly more worried that the science, or whatever made me invisible, would wear off and let him see me. I backed into a shadowy corner and hoped for the best.
He calmed down and stood looking at the wall for a while, before kicking it one last time and turning to race nimbly back up the stairs and out of sight.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
But I was confused. If the man in black was working for the wizard, why was he trying to follow him? To betray him? He had successfully infiltrated an underwater faerie sanctuary and destroyed a sacred library for the man. Why would he betray him after willingly doing something like that? It confused me.
Whatever he was doing, I didn't like it. I didn't want to get caught up in it.
I wandered over and looked at the wall. Inscribed directly onto the stone were the words, "Only a true hero may pass."
I knew what that meant. If anyone wanted to get through there, they would need to be fully trained at the Academy.
I filed the information away in my mind to think about later. Lord Rupert had sent me here with a job to do.
Time to find the original faerie library.