Tales Of Good And Evil Volume 2: The Valiant Quest: Tales of Good and Evil, #2

By Laura Lysander

 

Inducted and Knighted within a high, sovereign secreted ceremony due to the hastened fates forthcoming the brothers and sisters of Honah Lee province and incredibly now all matured to young adulthood and all betrothed, the Triad of Dubbed dryads, Ryu, Tatsu, Cobbe, Penn, Lisah and Mawu, and the Chosen, bonded Cryptid Royal fated lovers Bismuth-Caliburn and Lumonyx-Nimue are forewarned by the Divine Codex Manuscript, the Tales oft Good and Evil, the most coveted Magical Grimoire the Dream Realm has known; they are instructed to and must sally forth to sojourn, begin the quest of the troubled Eastern Magical Realm's most dire mission yet; to gain clandestine, private entrance to the North Realm's Castle incognito and win over the King of the North before he weds the arch-nemesis of all, the Empress Kwystal Shar; for only then in truth and brotherhood will the Realms of the Dream World be safe from the somehow insurmountable Ivy's demented older sibling, who has returned to ravage her, raged wrath upon everyone and ruin to every Magic Realm with her Sorceress-trained magic and succubus activity, coveting Ivy's love, Knight Supreme Order Shraden in obsessive infamy and will not stop at anything to attain his ardor; Shraden and Knight Hayden's twin brother in covert secrecy Knight Nedyah also hatch a co-plan to create a disturbance and ploy to trick and dupe the Sorceress while the young Alpha Knights Biz and Lumo, masquerading as dimwitted savant singing tumbling Jesters Knick and Knack gain access beforehand inside the North Castle and set things rolling for their traveling Mime mummer troupe (Cobbe Penn Lisah Mawu) to the upcoming North King's double wedding celebrations with his adopted Prince Gunther; Gunther, who is everything a Prince should not be, and in vehement cahoots with the Dark Empress is no slouch and capering his own rendezvous and rebellion; everything spills into chaos and horrid loss as the Nuptials begin, only to be thwarted for what mission Biz and Lumo need to attain seems beyond their scope, out of their World. It all takes a wayward esoteric turn into our dimension in order to set things back in motion, to vanquish the viperous vixen Kwystal Shar, the Divine Codex's arcane stanzas being relayed in magic scroll by a youthful hideaway all would have no idea or forethought to have access to it, revealing almost an impossible task for Biz to seal the fates to right; Will the Fated Cryptids surmount the evil thwarting them, will love, faith, hope and charity aid the two worlds together from vanishing? Let the enchantment begin; just turn the page…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lysander's Literaries
• Release date: Feb 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393573685

Book preview

By Laura Jean Lysander

Dedicated to all those

Who believe in true love;

For dreams do come true

If you only believe

In yourself~

Prologue

We left off upon this fabled tale right after the newly Knighted and paired, betrothed Inductees of Honah Lee Academy in the Eastern Realm of the Dream World were to sally forth upon an utmost dire Quest; to save all of the Dream Realms’ fates and from each other from dark despair, from the heinous, twisted, evil oppression of the Dark Queen Kwystal Shar and the Northern Realm’s Royals...

We now immerse ourselves presently right after that Induction Ceremony, right as Alpha Knight Bismuth had left the Academy grounds upon Supreme Order’s Shraden and Ivy’s urgent instructions, to journey alone to the Northern Realm beforehand, as the others would meet up with him on this Quest later on, to try his faithful luck there on this most imperative of sojourns; without any delay or deviance, I herewith give the linked  Tale Of Good & Evil to you...

THE VALIANT QUEST:

But- don’t forget to read the Epilogue~

Minstrels, Majesties,

Mummers & Maniacs

1

Bismuth was quietly , cautiously cutting through and within the magic forest of the Eastern realm, late at night. Comet his steed was meandering along, not very fast at all, on that certain path which he, Bismuth found a bit disconcerting, given the heeded, occult message presented upon their double-handled sword in aid and swift action. Biz and Comet were traveling upon that known hoofbeat trail in the dark. Bismuth was staring above him, marveling at the twinkling heavens through the thickened tree canopy, for the night was so calm, so peaceful, and serenely perfect. He honestly didn’t know what to feel inside. He just felt everything, all his swirling emotions of the night, pushing and shoving, blared onto him at once, just like everything that had just happened, all in one big, epic, convoluted rush, and it still was happening ... yet he kept his head with it, solidly true, on the ready, and he kept that courage, that bright spark, that endless grit and rock hard fortuity, resilience he had mastered and clung to that, for right now. There was just this small, sweet lull of total quiet and floating peace within the forest. He heard the night creatures and saw their glowing eyes curiously poking out to take a look at him, but they were not in any way approaching him nor bothering him, nor Comet. Comet was plodding along, even somewhat lolly-gagging; Bismuth even swore he heard the equine snort ahem as he, Comet, kind of stopped, bending down to much some juicy clover in between the moonlit ferns and moss. Munching clover, on a most imminent, harrowing ventured quest?

"Ahm, Comet? Ah-sir, Noble equine partner of mine?  Esteemed colleague Comet? Hey, I think we may need to speed it up a bit, have to-

"Neigh... nay...no."

Excuse me? Bismuth shortly whispered, in that curt way he would use when-"Did you just-

Comet just snorted and sniffed, pivoting, shaking his aristocratic head upward, pointing his nose high, sniffing towards a tree, The Tree....that tree...

"Comet...no; please, sir, oh please, don’t make it any worse for me tonight than it already is," he quickly whispered, anxiously shot back to him, hotly.

Comet coughed and started digging the mossy ground with his mighty hoof, about to buck.

"Ok-I’m not getting thrown off of you on the first night we’ve just met, Bismuth huffed, dismounting. What’s the mossy midnight matter? Am I fidgeting too much? The saddle is the wrong size? Is it too tight? Is it digging somewhere it shouldn’t? Should I adjust it? Am I too heavy? I barely ate anything before we-I don’t know what I’ve done here to provoke a bronco ride! Or what is the problem? If you’re having second thoughts about me, I don’t blame you! Hocus pocus work like this is a lot to ask of you or any magic steed!"

Comet made this big, deep sigh and rolled his eyes, pointing one of his front legs and hoofs straight, way, out, towards the tree...

"What? That one? What about it, what’s the big deal about that old, big, gnarled willow..."

He stopped himself, transfixed at what he saw. Walking up to the tree, and staring intensely down, upon the heart Lumonyx had carved into it, with their names inside of it a few days ago, reaching out and tracing his fingers over the letters, wanting to feel every bit of whittle, carved notch she had created, biting his lip shut. He felt this pain once again in his chest start to throb. He slid down to a sitting position under the heart upon the bark of the tree and hit his the back of his head on the trunk a few times in frustration. "Comet, don’t torture me; We need to move on. I need to concentrate on what needs to be done, it can’t wait. I shan’t think about it all right now, even if I just..." He couldn’t say it out loud. Even if he did just become betrothed and hadn’t even been able to-to-he’d barely been able to honestly speak, let alone physically spend time with his true beloved. Years of hoping, pining someone would just love and revere him as he did them, just as an equal in redamancy devotion and fervent desire and unconditionally, romantically, with that fervent zeal of all-encompassing evermore...someone did, and she was the most mesmerizing, powerful person, one he never thought he’d be considered equal to; who had been promised and set to motion by a Royal betrothal just for barter, a cementing of Kingdoms as a mercy-laden tit for tat tradition, that never in the history of the Realms had ever wound up to be true love, yet had; she, who had spent whatever time she possibly could have found within all these years as a ghostly phantom to tend him, love him, breach his self-imposed exile in the only way she could, and loved him.

And he could...maybe, actually have that relationship, intimately, and it indeed by a miracle does happen for him, and her; his heart’s dearest wish, and it turns out to be a sacred, divine, chosen bond; just as Shraden and Ivy had, and then he has to be sent, just hastily dispatched, thrown off the Academy grounds to get to it, start that most important of all pursuits and venture, to whatever was honestly imminently needed to be put to action...he just shook his head at the irony of it all, just like the rest of his incredible checkered life so far; is this how Shraden felt, with Ivy, with his hallowed, most special, Chosen Bond? The alienated, as if ripped and torn-apart feeling for that one divine soul whom they only wish to see and spend time with but guardingly allowed in given tiny snapshots, little fleeting moments? He had spent so many seasons, years making sure he could suppress the obsessive pull he had to her and succeeded in moderating his reactions...but it did nothing for the yearnings still erupting from his heated-heartened conscience every time she did appear near to him. It was like nothing he had or could describe. It was as if he would drop everything...and he meant everything just to spend that one minute he found with her...if he even could. If it even was safe to do so for her. He knew their sacred energies would meld if they became very intimate. It was the law of the universe. He didn’t know if he even if it was the most wished event of his life, to share...how could he think of possibly giving that beloved other his curse as well? It would most likely happen. The most horrible curse of them all. How?

How could Ivy’s blood sister wish to hate, attack with so much vehemence everyone in all the Realms to ruin so many lives just to spite her to kingdom come? She had almost all succeeded, even almost with the not even born yet young Sir Galahad, who attempted that womb curse, just as she had done to him. Bismuth wouldn’t refuse to let it happen; to have Ivy’s sister, his half-aunt continue her savagery. She had to be stopped, regardless of the outcome. He wasn’t directly blood-related to her. Being that he could end it.   Provincial Knights are vowed as well especially not to physically harm, or dispose of those begotten of their blood. It was also a code; even if your family was now the Knighted Circle Order, the creed was to honor thyne family roots as well, just not to be attached to them. Rarely as of recently or in the many years that have passed at the  Academy and the Eastern Realm, had any of the Knights had to dispose of anyone, let alone one of their ancestries, except that one time with the Dragon Knight Cuthbert who had abducted Ivy, and...Shraden. That action was usually done with Royal against Royal to usurp the throne; murder, even if it be for defense.

"I need to move on, equine sir, and sally forth to that place I’ve never been, sir Comet; well, you know where; I’ve been there, was born there but I hardly would remember the North Realm Castle, except for its dungeons and the surrounded Forbidden forest, Skull’s Revenge. After a whole ten seasons of being in that location, I know that area of Forest rather well, yet nothing else; and I need to- I have to be a-a hero, to prove to everyone I can get this done, it’s all riding on me to have this um, this huge, you know, the once in a life-changing moment...right? I need to be full of bravery and gumption and happiness and positivity and pretend to be someone... I’m not... some simpleton mental head who sings balladry soothsaying songs, so... what am I? I’m still not sure. I’m a...um, a magic Knight of the Providence, who’s pretending to be a mummer actor, a minstrel itinerant who’s a dumbbell who sings and dances, and all those other things. I need to truly portray someone who is genuinely like that, who is in a new place he knows nothing of, with all this excitement and thinks they can save the world, a bit loopy thinking working for the North King would be his dream job, to serve him humbly, to be his personal chamber valet Jester when asked, anything for him, and be his pet; that’s what Jesters are, right? Give him advice on things when he doesn’t ask for it, but in an off-hand bluntly rude way, sarcastic or comic, as if he was thinking or would have said it himself. He could order my head chopped off If I say a bad joke,  or sing off-key, doesn’t like my songs, or I clean his lavatory too sloppily. Did we stop to practice? Do you want me to sing a song or something? I got one...I’ll practice it now if you want. It’s the one I’ll do with my tumbling juggling act to get in there, in the Castle Palace for the  guarded Knights to let me in, for the North King to judge."

He glared over at Comet, who nodded, swishing his tail, and continued to just munch on the clover, with a low neighing laugh.

Bismuth scoffed at his partner’s lazy munching confusedly, cleared his throat and sighed greatly and still sat there, concentrating, closing his eyes, and began to sing; it was a tune called Once In A Lifetime, from Stop The World, I Want To Get Off...a London Musical Show of the Other Tyme...

"HOW’D I DO, COMET? Did I pass your audition?" Bismuth whispered, sighing. He heard...clapping;...Clapping? He straightened up, opened his eyes, and glared about him. It was broad daylight, not the middle of the night, and he was sitting under a big, fat tree...in Saint James Park, in the Other Tyme....

A curious ring of park-going people had gathered about him as he was singing, some on benches and were clapping at him, pointing to him, mothers with children, couples, men, and women with dogs, he felt a touch on his shoulder and shuddered, jumped, looking up, panicked. But it was Lumonyx, right behind him near the tree, grasping his shoulder firmly to quell his shock, dressed and ornate in her harlequin-clowned outfit as well.

Mummy! Mummy! Look! A Panto Couple performing! A little boy shouted, pointing at Bismuth and Lumonyx.

Lovely! Lovely! An old lady crooned at them, throwing coins at their feet.

A Joey and his Pantomine gag girl! A man exclaimed, laughing.

She was dancing and singing as well, I saw her, with background vocals behind him! It was great! A young girl blurted...

"They are allowing Panto in the Park now?  Blimey Brilliant!" Another remarked.

"Oi! Panto in the Park? I don’t recall it being scheduled. Oh...you! Oi...it’s you two again! I caught them once rehearsing at night a while off, over a year ago; it’s not the season for Panto here! It’s bloody summer! Who said you could Panto?" A Bobby, the very same ornery one, started yelling, about twenty-odd feet off and away.

Both of them quickly, nervously snapped their fingers.

And they were back within the Magic forest, still under that tree, in the stillness, the midnight of peace, and swirling foggy mists, with Comet and Andromeda over on the hoofbeat path, just serenely staring at them, nuzzling each other.

Bismuth pulled Lumonyx away from the tree forcibly, grabbing at her two hands, glaring wildly at her.

"Oh my God... he barely got out, using an Other Tyme phrase, one he would hear Ivy and young sir Galahad say to each other. What...are you doing here? What did we just do over there? Why can’t we control it? No...no, did you ...follow me? Why did you follow me? Why? You needed to...Dear Providence, look what could’ve..." he was so stupefied at seeing her in front of him that he stumbled backward, under the tree, into the ferns and she dropped, actually accidentally fell, he pulled her and she tripped right on top of him because of it, hugging him, just silently hugging him, as their two mummer outfits melted magically off, turned, enchanted into what they were both wearing at that Greet-Meeting dance...the formal wear, and they lay there in the misty ferns, just staring at and upon each other closely, and embracing, arms wrapped about each other, elegantly and beautifully dressed.

"Just hold me,"  She breathlessly whispered to him, warmly.

"Lumonyx...why...why did you follow me?" He despairingly whispered to her, just melting into her, embracing her softly.

She said nothing; just quietly lay there, in the ferns with him, gazing down upon him, into his smokey diamond eyes, finally after so many years, in close, touchable proximity and not...as a wraith ghost, feeling his heart strongly thudding, racing in his chest...then it slowly started to calm down as he just stared hopelessly, aching, up into her Heterochromia iridium, two-opposite colored hypnotic eyes. He knew there was no way out of where he was now,  not unless she moved away to let him get up, for he’d never even think to attempt to try to push, remove a High Druid sorceress Priestess Alpha Knightess off of him, one who had fallen deeply in love with him and would do anything for him, one who was Chosen in the Circle of Life evermore for him, and him alone...

The royal, protection talismans hanging upon their necks started crackling and buzzing like stinging, attacking hornets. The wax busted open and a swirling vortex of raging, alternate brilliant gold and blue energy engulfed both of them, as the two amulets, both shaped and toned like half a yin-yang, flew and bonded, stuck together like magnets. Red sparks like burnt fireworks and flames shooting way up and out of it; Hers was iridescent black, his a pearlescent blue-white and faceted; they were enormous, rare gemstones, each with a swirling dot of black and white opposite upon each; the magic energy that blew out of them, radiated was so bright it almost lighted up the entire forest for ten seconds as if it was broad daylight; both of them clung together and closed their eyes as it happened. Those who were honestly still out on the Castle Academy lawn, all the Ceremony inductees and the Knights and Squires transferring the belongings of the Castle oddly turned towards the magic forest to glare at the spectacle of magic, starlike enchanted light pulsing out of the area in awe, for it indeed looked like a bomb going off...or a Meteor, but Shraden and Ivy knew what it was, so did all the rest of the now paired and betrothed twins, and they all watched it in covert giddy happiness, and right then and there during it, Lumonyx kissed him. It was a beautiful, longing, deep, yet most gentle kiss, and he kissed back...in the same way; very carefully, for their talismans were still stuck together as much as they were, and he sure didn’t want to stop, but she knew they had to, and she with careful fragility moved back, opening her eyes and seeing him still lying there, as he did the same. They both looked as they did before, as in the Other Tyme; without a curse...the talismans unhooked from each other and lay back upon their necks, pulsing eerily with a reddish, golden hue. Both of them shoved the talismans into another velvet pouch they both had upon their necks, the one that had been holding the token rings now given to each other on their fingers, to cover up the glow of their pulsing light. It wouldn’t be easy to hide it in plain sight but those pouches would do it; Whoever saw them would know right off what they were with them on, and who and what they were if they did...

They told you to follow me, he fervently said to her, blowing out some steam, understanding now. She nodded slowly as he straightened up, just gazing at her wonderingly, and she to him, as the curse was still drained off...they were still in sight without their outward curse, as if nothing had ever happened to them like a prince and princess secretly meeting in the woods. They didn’t know how long it would hold out. "I understand why...they did it, but my mirrored soul, my melodious moonbeam...you... were to be the Ace heart of the deck, not the Joker; I’m the joke, we all know it; the fool of fools. You were to be the one to get it done if I, the droll, the wallydraigle would or could not come through and failed; I am the spare, don’t you realize that?! You must; you out of them all would. How I’ve even lasted this long is beyond me. I’ve only done so...due to you; Going together with this...amended plan, like this... would place you right in the snake pit of hell first, the worst place to be; I couldn’t bear to ask you, ask them to then-

"Wherever you go I go now, my beloved," she softly, whispered, in that sultry way, giving him shivers.

"I understand that too- but this...is the North Kingdom we are heading into, not the Eastern Realm, not a Coven-stead, or Priestess Temple, or the Enchanted Academy; it’s treacherous, dark, twisted, demented, ego-ruled, you name it ...It’s my... Father...how I can still say that titled word about him, to even describe him after...I’ve never even seen nor met him, so it will be easier to approach him...he’s my blood. I can’t harm him, no matter what he’s done to all of us. I’m his banished sired Cryptid, the one person he’d never wish to ever see again, or alive. I’m also... a Provincial Knight; I took a vow. I’m a Sorcerer, a Druid Warlock-Wizard, apprenticed by one of the wisest of all holy men Warlock Wizards known and I didn’t even realize what he was doing to me, for me; I didn’t know it! I am a brainless ignorant blissed fool! I’m all of these overly titled, coveted laurels that mean nothing... without the true message and training behind them. I don’t feel I deserve them or even attained them; Master Wolfrom, he... was the only father I ever had until Knight Kren, so noble came to be and honored, Supreme Order Shraden, treated me as his very own, just like he would brother Cobbe; even Knight Hayden and Knight Nedyah would drown me with compliments, and should not have I never deserved it. They all together taught me to respect all life, not to end it; And Blessed Ivy, all my bunkmates, male, and female, so understanding all these seasons...and you. I can’t even explain what you did, what I owe you;  What if my Father the King, provokes me to violence, challenges me to a death duel? What If I do have to...end it? What if he, my Father... forces me to do that to him? What then? What happens to my honor and all others? Any type of honor vow broken will surely diminish your magical abilities, and that which you cherish most; if you take away from others that which is dear to them, then it also gets taken from you. And the last thing I’d want to be taken from me...is YOU. The only thing I can honestly try to do for the King is reason with him, warn him, and give him some kind of clues as to what that Dark Queen is honestly going to do after she is betrothed to him, most likely, as soon as she can. She’ll do it in the nastiest way just to spite him and everyone. I need to reveal who... I am to him, his borne son without threats, intimidation, or thought of de-throning him. That’s why we picked this plan, to engage him in that special, anonymous, heartened way. Being a simple fool, one who’s defenseless to a fault and who cares not if his head is chopped off for a bad joke, as well as truthful to a fault might work. I...I need to find a way to appeal to his heart if he even still has one if he has any type of sentiment whatsoever left there in his soul. Do you think...he even does?" Bismuth so desperately confided to her, truthfully, of how he felt, of the entire predicament, so conflicted.

"When they first founded you, saved you in the North dungeon, beloved, I was there; do you remember that kiss upon your forehead? That dream? You did not see me; they, the Knights didn’t even see me; they thought the same of you, as you do, to your Father; Look what you have become; believe in that as I do. We all have that eternal flame; just in some others, it needs a kickstart, some fuel to ignite it bright. It will not be known until we try and attempt the quest and fly to the Forbidden Forest. We can spend the night at Skull’s Revenge. I have thought of an alternative plan, too. Some other performing songs, actions...which might help with what and how you wish to divulge, present to show him, the King, who he truly needs to know; But tonite...we stay the night, together, and make it ours alone," Lumonyx murmured intensely to him.

Lumonyx pulled him up from the dewy blanket of the fern bed, and they silently walked over to their Steeds hand in hand and mounted them, as they both saw their curses come flooding back to their faces and the appearance of the body. Bismuth reached over Comet and gallantly, ardently, so devotedly with care kissed her again, as their steeds jumped up, climbed into the sky, creating their winged, double Pegasus pegacorn forms, breaking the canopy top of the forest and starting to sail over the Beach Cove and Bay. The bright full moon and starry constellations lit the way, as their attire magically changed once again to their clowned, jester jongleur costumes, one of a half-wit sister to her savant mental deficient brother, and he would reach over and squeeze her delicate yet strong hand, kiss her every half of an hour until they arrived there, to the dark, mysterious, lurking, sinister Forbidden Forest of the Northern Realm.

2

Bismuth and Lumonyx had been riding for a few hours, and in the starry sky with their fearless Steeds on the warmth of that night; yet it then turned windy, colder, as they approached the Northern Realm and finally, silently landed, right in front of Skull’s Revenge; it was the end of the night now, or very early morn about 3 am, and it was darkly forbidding all about; the stars and moon were still stationed, but lower in the horizon. No one was hiding about, for not many did decide to attempt riding, traveling over, or even visiting anywhere near Skull’s Revenge especially at this time, unless down and out. For as it had been said for ages, No one in their right mind or body would. But they did, and had to; Comet and Andromeda quickly changed their appearances once more, folding their magic wings and Horns away, back to the funky circus steeds they were dressed as to blend in. The yawning, hideous Skull-carved Cave still seemed deserted.

Bismuth warily paused in front of the entrance, peering closer, checking if there was anything or anyone in the crannies about, but he didn’t feel it. He would have felt it. He also didn’t want to go back in there. It had been almost nine and a half years since he had even been back or about; he was ten years old when taken, abducted, and the last memory he had regarding it was...needless to say horrifying and murderous. He didn’t want to dwell upon it; he shut it all down, whatever inklings of foreboding memories might seep in, and led Comet by the reigns in, Lumonyx and Andromeda right behind him. He still didn’t say anything to her after that encounter in the Magic forest, not even as they were advancing because he didn’t know what to say; all those years he had continually engaged her just as some wraith ghost in the corner, told her everything... blabbed his heart out, and all she did was listen, once in a while utter something arcane, but she knew him out and out as if he was orating his diary, everything he did, all his feelings of his life, to her twice weekly. How do you approach someone who’s done that to you and for you? Been there selflessly, watched you dress, sleep, only to find out it’s... that she’s the one he’d been discussing with the specter, herself and pining for, all his doubts about his past, his future if he would even had one for he thought he was just walking into a death wish with this quest...it was just too much; he just held her hand during the ride, gently, and would lean over to kiss her every half hour, both in those funny Jester outfits. She would blush when he did. It was a move he didn’t think she would do, and she didn’t say a word either, just as quiet as her wraith identity. So now, now that they were at the destination and arrived, they had one day. They had tonight, and the day after to formulate and hone the arrival setting and performances before heading over to the North Palace Castle. And he didn’t plan on having anyone along, especially...her, which made it even more discombobulated for him.

Bismuth sighed and took ahold of Andromeda’s reigns from her as well, pointing over to an alcove of the cave that split off from the main tunnel entrance, where he knew the underground attached stables used to be and seemingly still were there, just unoccupied. He waved his hand over two old lanterns still on the cave wall and it magically lit up as he took one with him. He then pointed over to the other entranced tunnel and the old, thick, stone stairwell leading downward to the main homestead area and ancient, carved half-moon double wooden doors in front of it. He did this odd twist of his wrist and fingers, as if turning an invisible key, and the door opened, creepily. The old spell still worked to open it, then gestured for Lumonyx to enter with her travel bundle, handing it to her, while he tended to their mounts, and going back outside to fetch possibly something for the Steeds to eat and water for them from the well while he was out there; He knew where to find it nearby. He remembered everything about the area, and wouldn’t be gone for very long. He just didn’t wish to remember how he had left; it was a trauma, and he was just a child, even though a learned one and more than wise. He pushed the dark memories out of his head as she, Lumonyx mutely nodded back to him, grabbing her bundle and picking up another lantern hanging on the wall and waving it to glow up, walking down the stone stairwell, and slipping inside, holding the lantern up in the darkness of the homestead area for her to see.

Not much... had changed. She saw the magical apothecary lab and spell chamber in the back, unused for ages. She saw the large, carved-out fireplace with intricate drawings, carvings, magical motifs, and a cooking area in one, and the two separate bedding spaces still with their mattresses cornered off from each other. Bismuth’s old, smaller gauntlets and clothes were still pegged up on the wall. Many Other Tyme items in cubbies and piles were placed about and into shelves notched out of the rock wall, as other shelves full of scrolls and books also were stacked, like a mini-Academy Library in the Castle or her Coven-stead, so many of them; the Academy Knights had brought them back over after they had made copies of them all.

She walked over and placed the lantern on a rounded wooden eating table and moved over to quietly examine...the crank record player with stacks of dusty records and tapes, and mounds of music, undisturbed and rather well preserved, all from the Other Tyme; a small piano, lute, guitar, lyre, and other instruments in a clump towards the corner. She started sorting through the music, looking for something, in deep thought. She then waved her free hand up and over the hearth space, casting a decorative enchantment; she made the entire place resemble the interior of a bedroom of a lush gypsy palace...silken, draped curtains everywhere, the two singular beds slid together creating a larger one, fluffy and topped with satin and silky soft damasked gypsy linens and pillows. She made it look rich, sumptuous, and inviting, as a... beautiful, exotic honeymoon suite would and should be; she placed kaleidoscope-colored lanterns about, the magic inside glowing their warm, rich, prism colors all around, and created a cleaning enchantment as well to spiff it all up. She didn’t want Bismuth to remember his past but concentrate on the here and now, for that was all they had. She didn’t know if they would be successful with this quest. She as well...had seen snippets, premonitions, glimpses, visions of the future; in some of it she saw Bismuth without her...for quite a while... as if lost, guilty, thinking he was insane and confused, and he wasn’t here, in this World... and neither was she, and she wasn’t even...human, where