A sequel to the fan-made King's Quest IX: It Takes Two to Tangle and King's Quest X: Age Before Duty
(inspired by Sierra On-Line's King's Quest series)

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Prologue:

"'...And the lad opened the magic door, and there, just the old man had said, was the entrance to the Realm of the Fairies! Many fairies wearing gossamer, colorful garments and glittering jewelry greeted him and invited him to celebrate with them, and the young lad did so. He danced to the enchanting music that they played all night, but he was careful to remember the old man's warning and refuse any food that the fairies offered him, otherwise he would be trapped in the realm forever.'"

"Cassima," Alexander smiled, "Don't you think that story is a bit too intense for a boy Devin's age?"

Cassima smiled back at her husband, then turned her emerald eyes to the book she held in her arms and the infant curled in her lap. She and her son Devin, who was barely eleven months old, were lying in the bed where she and Alexander, the Queen and King of the Land of the Green Isles, spent their nights. Alexander himself stood at the head of the bed, watching Cassima read their child a tale from a tattered old storybook. They were within their private chambers, which were within the walls of the Castle of the Crown, which stood on the kingdom's central island. Outside, the sun was sinking into the glittering sea, and a calm had descended over the land.

"He doesn't seem frightened by it," Cassima replied.

"Then how can you be certain that he even understands what you're reading him?" Alexander chuckled. "Isn't he a bit too young for storybooks?"

"Too young?" Cassima laughed. "No child is ever too young for stories!"

Devin made a soft babbling noise, then smiled and reached out towards one of the book's colorfully illustrated pages.

"See?" Cassima said smugly. "He wants me to keep reading. I think this one is his favorite."

"In that case, don't let me interrupt you again," Alexander said, gently placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Cassima nodded and began again:

"'But as the night moved on, the lad became hungrier and hungrier, and it was all he could do to refuse the food that the fairies offered to him. They offered him wine, and he shook his head. Then they offered him meat, and he shook his head. Then they offered him cakes, and as famished as he was, he still turned them down. By this time, the night was ending, and the lad slowly made his way back to the door that lead to the mortal realm...'"

Hours after Cassima had finished the story, she and Alexander slept peacefully in their bed while Devin slumbered in his cradle. The stars burned brightly, and the waning moon illuminated the island kingdom with a pallid light.

Suddenly, with a soft, thrumming sound, a figure appeared within the room. It paused for a moment, then slowly approached the baby's cradle. As the figure's shadow descended over Devin, he stirred and whimpered slightly in his sleep.

Chapter 1:

"'"I know you, and I know of your mission," the old man said to the lad. "I know how you can succeed in it, but you must do exactly as I say. At the next full moon, go to the small hill that grows at the edge of the forest. At midnight, a door will appear in this hill and it will open, revealing the entrance to the Realm of the Fairies."'"

Cassima paused, lowered the book and looked at Devin, who lay listlessly in his cradle, gazing at neither the book nor his mother, who sat in a low chair beside him. Sing Sing, Cassima's pet nightingale, perched on the edge of Devin's cradle and occasionally trilled softly, but even she failed to gain Devin's attention.

"I just don't understand it, Alexander," Cassima said. "It seems as if every day he's become more disinterested in this story."

"Perhaps he's just grown tired of it?" Alexander suggested, walking towards the cradle and looking down at his child. He lowered his hand into the cradle and wiggled his fingers, inviting Devin to grab one, but Devin barely even glanced at his father's hand. Sing Sing let out an almost melancholy warble.

"Do you suppose he's growing ill?" Cassima said worriedly. "Or perhaps we haven't been feeding him right..."

"Has he been eating well?" Alexander asked.

"Very," Cassima said. "In fact, he seems as healthy as can be in every way...I just don't know what's the matter with him."

Alexander sighed and stared at Devin. What sparse hair the boy had wasn't black like his parents' or his maternal grandparents', but auburn -- the same color hair that Alexander's mother Queen Valanice had. Devin's eyes, however, were the same bright green as Cassima's as well as her father's.

Still, his small, plump features now seemed ominously different than they had been a week ago. His arms seemed thinner, and his fingers seemed longer and almost bony. His eyes looked as if he were lost in a waking dream, his skin was pallid, and even his face seemed altered somehow.

Alexander couldn't comprehend what was happening to Devin, and neither could the physician that examined him, who confessed that except for Devin's appearance and behavior, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the boy at all.

Cassima looked up at Alexander, her piercing eyes interrupting his thoughts.

"But there has to be a way to help him," she said determinedly, placing the book on the floor and rising to her feet. "There must be someone on these Isles who knows."

She glanced down at Devin again.

"There has to be a way," she repeated in a much quieter voice. "I...I just hope that this isn't...this isn't..."

Her voice cracked. Alexander embraced her tightly, mumbled a few words of reassurance, then left the room, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. He stood outside the door for a few moments, then started walking down the hall, with no destination in mind. He knew what Cassima had been about to say, and he had as little desire to hear her say it as she had to speak the words:

I just hope that this isn't my fault.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Cassima had every right to harbor such a frightening thought. More than a year ago, before she realized that she was with child, she had crossed mountains, oceans and deserts; faced fierce creatures and hostile individuals; barely escaped death a number of times; dabbled with several powerful forms of magic and numerous other activities an expectant mother would be advised against doing.

Though at first she had been immensely relieved to find that she had given birth to a child and not a wolf cub, she still worried about Devin from time to time. Now her worries were increasing tenfold, as were Alexander's. He wanted to tell her that what was happening to Devin wasn't her fault, but what if it were? What if something had happened to Cassima in her journey to find Shadrack, something that was only now manifesting itself in her child?

Not knowing what was happening to Devin or the reason behind his condition frustrated Alexander to tears. Helplessness and misery welled up within him, and try as he did to be hopeful that Devin would get better, his feelings were obscured by the horrible fear that he wouldn't, or that Cassima's quest to save Alexander's life somehow ended up destroying their son's.

As Alexander walked along the hallway with his head down, so many troubling thoughts were seething in his mind that he barely heard the deep, gruff voice calling his name or the heavy boots clumping in his direction.

"King Alexander? Your Highness?"

Alexander looked up to see an armored figure approaching him. Though the figure walked like a man and had hands and a voice like one, in every other aspect it was a large dog. There was nothing unusual about any of this, however. The Castle of the Crown was guarded by several individuals from a race of intelligent creatures that were half dog, half man. In fact, Alexander had recently learned that the Guard Dogs (the name given to the creatures who served the castle, while the colloquial name for species as a whole was "dogmen") were originally from a small island northwest of the main archipelago, where numerous other species of animals with humanlike traits still lived -- the "half-breeds".

The Guard Dog that happened to be walking Alexander's way at that moment was Saladin, the captain of the guard. His long muzzle and thick mane of brown and white fur gave him a noble, dignified appearance.

"Pardon me, Sire," Saladin said in his deep, rumbling voice. "But one of the guards discovered this just outside the main doors this morning."

He held out a folded piece of paper in his gloved hand. Alexander stared mutely at it, then at Saladin, still ensnared in the dark web of his worries about Devin.

"It's a letter addressed to you," Saladin explained.

"It concerns your son," he added in a much lower voice.

Alexander's breath caught in his throat. He slowly took the letter from Saladin and unfolded it even more slowly, unsure whether to feel hopeful or fearful about what it might say.

The letter was written in a large, sloppy hand, looking almost as if a child had written it, and the paper was dirty, torn and stained. Alexander held it tensely in both hands and read it:

King Alex-

I know what has happened to your son and wish to help him. Meet me in the town square tonight at midnight. Bring your son and no one else if you wish me to aid you. Tell no one of your plans, not even your queen. Just meet me at midnight, and be sure to bring your son with you.

Alexander read the letter again, then looked up at Saladin.

"Have you read this?" the king asked.

"Yes," Saladin replied.

"What do you make of it?"

Saladin sniffed thoughtfully.

"I'm not quite sure, Your Highness. At first thought, I feared that the letter might be a scheme to assassinate you and your son, but the guards and I have examined it carefully, and none of us can smell the scent of one who attempts to harm you on it."

"Attempt to harm me?" Alexander echoed, puzzled.

"Whoever wrote this letter left a trace of his odor on it," Saladin said. "And if he had murder or other malicious motives in mind, we would have detected it."

Saladin tapped the side of his nose with a finger.

"Our noses don't lie. This letter was written by someone whose intentions are good, and for your son's sake as well as the queen's and your own, you should probably heed his words."

"So you think I should go to the town square tonight with Devin?" Alexander asked.

Saladin's brow furrowed in contemplation.

"In any other situation, I would say 'yes', but there are a few other pieces to this puzzle which make me think that you should arm yourself if you are going to do what this letter asks."

"What other pieces are those?" Alexander asked.

"None of the guards could pick up a trail leading from the spot where the letter had been deposited. It was as if whoever left it there simply materialized on that spot, then disappeared. Stranger still, we couldn't determine exactly who wrote the letter...but whoever it was, it wasn't one of our kind...and it wasn't human, either."

Chapter 2:

With a black cloak draped over his shoulders and a hood hiding his face, Alexander strode cautiously through the silent streets of the large town that surrounded the Castle of the Crown. He carried Devin in his arms, wrapped in a thick blanket. Devin seemed surprisingly light, which worried Alexander even more. He prayed that whoever wrote that perplexing letter was true to his or her or its word. This was the first real help that had been offered to him, and he would be a fool to refuse it.

Nonetheless, he was filled with trepidation as he approached the square, and hoped that he wasn't walking into a carefully concocted trap. He had a sword at his side, and though his dueling skills were mediocre at best, he was prepared to fight should the need arise.

As he reached the end of the street he was walking down, he could see the town square in the light of the moon. It was lined with numerous small shops and houses, their bright colors smothered by the darkness. A fountain in the middle of the square burbled merrily away, shattering the otherwise silent scene.

Alexander scanned the square from the shelter of the shadows cast by the buildings. He could see no one, but strongly suspected that whoever might be waiting for him was hiding in the same manner that he was. After a healthy moment of hesitation, Alexander stepped out of the shadows, and approached the center of the square, all the time furtively glancing right and left from under his hood.

When he was less than seven paces from the fountain, a small noise made him turn and clutch Devin tightly. The noise had come from the west side of the square. Alexander peered into the darkness and soon perceived something moving his way. At first it resembled a living pile of cloth, but closer examination revealed it to be an individual that, like him, was wearing a cloak. However, it stood scarcely higher than Alexander's waist, and the cloak it was garbed in was much too large for it. It dragged on the ground behind the individual and hung off of it in baggy folds.

The cloaked stranger shuffled towards Alexander, coming to a halt at his feet and peering up in an attempt to see his face. Since Alexander was still wearing his hood, he doubted that the stranger had any success.

"King Alexander?" the stranger said in a quavering voice that sounded like that of a nervous old man.

"Yes?" Alexander whispered.

"So you did come," the stranger said eagerly. "I was afraid you wouldn't...but I shouldn't waste time blabbering about such things out here. Please come with me, Your Highness."

Before Alexander could reply, the stranger had turned and started waddling back the way it had come. When the stranger realized that Alexander wasn't following him, he glanced back over his shoulder and beckoned fiercely. Still unsure whether he was acting wisely or not, Alexander began walking alongside the short stranger, who led him out of the square and up a small side street. They stopped before a tiny, ramshackle house that looked more like a large shed than a place where anyone would live. A faint light from within illuminated the windows and shone through the cracks in the walls.

The stranger surreptitiously glanced up and down the street, then opened the door, scampered inside the house and once again beckoned to Alexander, who obediently stepped through the doorway and into a squalid, sparsely furnished room. It had a dirt floor, there was a pile of books and various odds and ends against one wall, and the only furniture (if it could truly be called that) was a barrel sitting on its end in the middle of the floor with a small crate on either side of it. The light Alexander had seen came from a lamp that hung from the ceiling. The place looked even more like a shed from the inside.

The stranger quickly shut and bolted the door, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please sit, Sire," the stranger said, gesturing to one of the crates. After examining the crate and not noticing anything suspicious about it, Alexander once again did what the stranger asked. The stranger shuffled across the dusty floor, hopped up on the second crate and started to pull back his hood. As he did, Alexander felt a tremor of fear race through his body, for the stranger didn't have fingers, but huge, broad, thick claws.

Before the king could even gasp, the stranger had removed the hood completely, revealing the head of one of the oddest creatures Alexander had ever seen. Its skin was almost completely devoid of hair, it had a long snout reminiscent of a pig's, and its ears were like that of a rabbit's, only much larger and wider.

"Um..." Alexander faltered, his head swimming. "I...you..."

"I know, I know," the creature sighed exasperatedly, "But if you could kindly refrain from voicing your surprise, Your Highness, I would much appreciate it."

"But...you're..."

"What I am currently is of no consequence," the creature said. "It is what I was -- and to some extent, still am -- that is."

"And...what is that?" Alexander asked, the shock of discovering who the letter's author was now somewhat diminished.

"Someone who can help you," the creature replied. "As soon as I heard the news, I knew it would be traitorous to remain in hiding. After all you've done for the Isles, I feel that I owe you a debt of some sort...after all, it was a human that convinced our leader to end our period of isolation from the rest of the land...at least, I think it was. Anyway, I still possess some skill in the art of teleportation, so I..."

"'Heard the news?'" Alexander repeated, beginning to feel completely confused again. "How on earth could you have known? I made it clear to every occupant of the castle that no word of my son's condition escape its walls!"

"No human word escaped, My Liege," the creature said quietly. "One of the upsides of being like this -- " here he gestured to himself " -- is that you are fluent in all the languages of fauna. Your wife's nightingale passed the news onto another bird, and it wasn't long before both the bird and the news reached me.

"Now, enough talk. I have two important things I must tell you before I get into the heavier items: The first is that your son is not dying. He isn't the slightest bit ill. In fact, he probably couldn't be any healthier."

A great weight seemed to disappear from Alexander's heart, yet something in the tone of the creature's voice still left a cold feeling in his chest.

"And the second?" he asked.

The creature hesitated and breathed deeply before speaking again in a much more somber tone.

"The second, sire...is that that being that you hold in your arms is not your son."

Chapter 3:

For a few moments, Alexander sat on the crate staring straight ahead, frozen in horrified silence. Then he slowly drew back the fold of blanket hiding the head of the child resting on his lap and looked at the baby's reddish hair and pale skin. He then quickly hid its head again and stared at the odd creature sitting across from him.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, unable to stifle the tremor in his voice.

"As I said," the creature replied gently, "Your son is alive and well, but he has been taken from you by an ancient race of fairies. There are very few of these fairies left in this world, which is just as well, for they are not as benevolent as the fairies most people are familiar with. They still engage in many practices that were abandoned or forgotten by most of their people, among which are ensnaring any unprotected human that strays near their domain, causing inconvenience or harm to humans and their property, and perhaps most disturbingly, stealing human infants.

"On rare occasions, they steal babies from their human parents and raise them as their own, leaving a fairy child in the baby's place. The human child is never harmed, but if it is not found and recovered soon, the false fairy baby -- the changeling -- will begin to assume its original fairy form, then slowly wither and die, and then there is no way for the true child to be returned to his rightful parents."

Alexander was so overwhelmed with this flood of new knowledge that he almost slumped backward, momentarily forgetting that he was sitting not in a chair, but on a crate. Fortunately, he was able to regain his balance as the creature continued:

"When I heard what was happening to your child, I knew that he had been swapped with a changeling. It has already started to revert back to its true shape, and within a matter of weeks, it will perish. You must find the fairies that have stolen your son and find a way to bring him home...and soon."

"But...but how do I find the fairies?" Alexander asked. "Where are they? What should I do?"

The creature raised a claw.

"First things first, Your Majesty. Before we do anything else, we must determine exactly which race of these ancient fairies has made off with your child. This shouldn't be difficult, since, as I said, there are very few of these races left. I will require your assistance, however."

"With what?"

The creature hopped off his crate, walked over to the pile of books, rifled through it and eventually found and picked up a large, leather-bound tome. He returned to his crate and laid the heavy book on top of the barrel with a thud. Alexander noticed that the book was held shut by a thick metal strip, though there didn't seem to be any way to remove it. However, there was a rectangular hollow in the strip on top of the book, and a small drawstring pouch hung from a cord attached to the top of the book's spine. Alexander wondered what purpose these odd features served.

"This." the creature said, finally replying to Alexander's question. "Most of the information on the ancient fairies can be found in this book. The knowledge contained between these covers is dangerous for some, so consequently, it is protected by two locks, both of them somewhat magical in nature. The second lock can be broken merely by saying a certain phrase, but I need you to take care of the first."

"Why me?" Alexander asked. "I'm hardly a qualified sorcerer."

The creature poked a claw into the pouch attached to the book and pulled it open. Then he emptied the contents of the pouch onto the top of the barrel, which appeared to be about twenty-five flat, irregularly shaped pieces of pottery, dyed a light blue.

"It's as easy as counting to ten, sire. All you need to do is arrange these shards in the hollow spot on the book's cover. Once upon a time, I could have done this myself, but...even though a person can conquer this first lock without knowing a scrap of magic..."

The creature paused, held out his forepaws and glanced down at them with a shake of his head.

"...They need thumbs to do it. I simply can't manipulate those little pieces with these great clumsy claws. So...if you would?"

Still feeling a little lightheaded, Alexander pulled the book and the blue shards towards him with his right hand, still holding the being that so closely resembled his son close to him with his left. For several minutes he attempted to fit the shards into the space in the book's metal strip, with the creature quietly encouraging him. He found the small, fragile pieces difficult to handle, and he could only imagine how much more problematic it would be if he had digits like the creature's. However, he had to admit that it was easy, though perhaps not as easy as the creature claimed it was.

After much trial and error, Alexander finally fit the last shard into place. As soon as he had done so, the blue rectangle he had created started to glow brightly. The creature grinned and eagerly pulled the book towards him, then bent over the cover and said something that was incomprehensible to Alexander. Immediately, the room felt slightly warmer and there was momentarily a strange taste in Alexander's mouth. The rectangle on the book's cover then promptly stopped glowing, and the section of metal protecting the book's pages vanished.

"There! It's open now," the creature said, carefully easing the book open and starting to leaf through it. Oddly, the blue pieces didn't spill out when he opened the tome. He ran the tip of his claw down one of the pages, then glanced up at Alexander.

"Er, if it's not too much trouble, could I please see the changeling, Sire?"

Alexander nodded solemnly and partially unwrapped Devin's sickly-looking double, exposing his head and one of his arms. The creature squinted at the changeling, then squinted at his book, made some clicking noises with his tongue, turned a few pages, then looked at the changeling again. He repeated these gestures in no particular order several times over, and finally looked up with an accomplished expression on his oblong face.

"Just as I suspected," he said. "This changeling is part of is a race of fairies that is very different from most other ancient races."

"How so?"

"They dwell beneath the ocean," the creature said. "Look at the changeling's hands."

Alexander said, and with a shocked fascination, saw that there was translucent webbing between each of the changeling's fingers. Even though the webbing didn't even reach the first knuckle, it was still obvious from a close distance.

"He is one of the Sea Fairies," said the creature. "His kind do not fly through the air, but swim in the sea. Not surprisingly, their realm has remained quite untouched throughout the ages."

"But why have they taken Devin?" Alexander asked.

"That I cannot say. The ancient fairies seldom interact with humans, though they watch them constantly from afar. Though their more harmless acts of malice are fairly common, something as extreme as stealing an infant is something that could only be an act of revenge."

"Revenge for what?"

"Again, I cannot say, Sire," the creature said. "These fairies are an odd sort, and they easily take offense at the oddest things. When you find these people and your child, you must also find out exactly what made them take him from you. Once you do, you will have to find a way to put yourself as well as whoever has driven them to rob you of your son in their good graces."

Alexander sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. Devin taken by an ancient race of ocean-dwelling fairies for no reason that Alexander could think of. What had he or Cassima done to the Sea Fairies to make them angry enough to steal their son? Would the fairies even return Devin if Alexander managed to placate them? How was he going to find the fairies? Where could he go? Who could he ask for help?

The creature reached across the barrel with its paw and gently patted Alexander on the arm.

"I know it all seems a bit much," he said, "But don't lose hope just yet, Your Highness. We've got a plan worked out that should help your journey start off on the right foot."

"'We've?'" Alexander repeated, puzzled.

"I'll explain later," the creature said. "Now, here's what you need to do..."

Chapter 4:

For more than an hour, Alexander sat in the filthy little shack, listening to the creature as he described in exacting detail what the king was to do over the next twenty-four hours. He was to return to the Castle of the Crown and have a servant order enough food and water for a crew of six men on a three-day voyage and have it delivered to the docks. Alexander himself was to pack whatever personal items he required for himself, and though he didn't need to keep his impending departure a secret, he could not, under any circumstances, reveal the true purpose of his journey to anyone, not even to Cassima.

When Alexander asked the creature why he couldn't do this, the creature explained that if Cassima knew about the changeling, out of sheer revulsion she would probably stop caring for it and even let it starve, and the changeling had to be treated with as much care and devotion as a human child, otherwise it would sicken and die very quickly, leaving the human child trapped in the fairy realm.

With this in mind, hours after telling one of the servants to have the required supplies delivered to the docks and making a few minor preparations of his own the next day, Alexander told Cassima that he was leaving the kingdom in search of a cure for Devin. Even though it wasn't a complete lie, his heart still ached for having to keep the truth from the woman that he loved more than anyone else in his life, save for his family and his son. He also told her that she could rest assured that her harrowing escapades before Devin's birth were in no way responsible for the child's condition. Though she was noticeably relieved to hear this, anxiety still quivered in her eyes.

"Where are you going?" she demanded. "How long will you be gone?"

"I can't say," said Alexander sadly, which was certainly true, since the creature had declined to reveal either detail to him the previous night. "But I promise you that I will return. You must stay here and help Saladin keep the kingdom in order while I'm away...Devin needs you too."

He glanced at the pale creature lying in his son's cradle and felt a shiver of disgust rise within him. Cassima almost laughed.

"Stay here while you are off risking your neck in a place that you won't even tell me the name of?" she cried. "I'd probably die of worry before you return!"

Alexander tried to put his arms around Cassima and reassure her that he would return safely, but she backed away and stood oblique to him, looking at the floor with her arms crossed. Alexander stared at her, afraid to say anything more.

"I suppose I deserve this," she muttered after a long, heavy pause.

"Why?" Alexander asked. "What do you mean?"

There was another pause, then she slowly looked up at him, all the anger gone from her face.

"When I left you that night to find Shadrack," she said softly, "I said good-bye to you...but I never let you say good-bye to me."

Alexander said nothing. He only looked into Cassima's eyes and sighed, wondering how she could ever forgive him for putting her through this, when and if his journey was successful. As Cassima slowly wrapped her arms around him and let her head rest on his shoulder, the king found himself wishing that he didn't have to say good-bye to her.

That night, Alexander got little sleep. However, it was probably just as well that he didn't, for the second phase of the long-nosed creature's plan involved him coming to the docks at midnight, where the rest of the details of the king's mission would be revealed to him. When midnight drew near, Alexander rose from his bed, then bent down, reached beneath the bed and pulled out a small bundle of clothing: a red vest embroidered with gold thread, a long-sleeved white tunic, a belt with a small gold buckle, a pair of blue trousers and two brown leather boots. The garments were plain and simple, just the sort Alexander felt he would need to wear on his journey.

Alexander quietly changed into the outfit, then reached beneath the bed again and withdrew something long, flat and narrow: his sword, sheathed within its scabbard. It was a lightweight blade with scarcely any designs, save for the crest of the Land of the Green Isles on the hilt. The only other decoration the weapon had was a large emerald in the pommel. Alexander hoped he would only have to carry the sword to deter any villains from attacking him, since he truly had had very little practice wielding the thing. He was also taking this particular sword because the color and luster of the emerald reminded him of Cassima's eyes...Devin's too.

Alexander rose to his feet and fastened the sword's scabbard onto his belt. The weapon and the clothes he wore were all he was leaving the castle with. Though he was hardly the picture of preparedness, over the years Alexander had found that during the travels of both himself and his family, the items necessary to succeed in their missions often turned up along the way, and it was just a matter of knowing when and where to look for them. He had confidence that this was the way things would turn out for him during this new adventure.

Before leaving the room, he walked over to the writing desk that stood against the wall opposite the bed and penned a brief note telling Cassima that he had left and that he promised to return soon. He left the note on Cassima's bedside table and kissed her good-bye as gently as he could, hoping that she wouldn't awaken. Then he turned and left the room, tiptoeing down the carpeted hallway, down the stairs that led to the entrance hall and out through the main gates of the palace. The lone Guard Dog on duty outside the gates had been informed of Alexander's departure, and he nodded respectfully as the king walked passed him.

"Good luck, M'lud," he growled quietly. "May you return to us soon and in triumph."

Alexander nodded his thanks and continued down the long dirt path that led through a small village on the west side of the island and the docks.

Chapter 5:

The night felt colder than it usually did in the Land of Green Isles. The weather in the archipelago was typically pleasantly warm nearly all year round, quite a change from the blazing summers and frigid winters of Daventry, Alexander's homeland. The weather in Llewdor, the land where Alexander had spent a good seventeen years of his life, had been like that as well. Perhaps that was what made him appreciate the climate of the Isles so much -- since the seasons here were so different than they were in Llewdor, it made the unpleasant recollections of his time there faint in his mind. Even though that period of his life was well behind him, he still carried the memory of it with him, tucked in the back of his mind.

As Alexander continued down the path through the village, he noticed something ahead of him that made him quicken his pace. He had almost reached a run by the time he had arrived at the docks. When he felt the familiar hollowness of the wooden planks beneath his feet, he halted abruptly and gaped up at the sight that had drawn him to the spot so quickly.

It was a ship, middling in size with only two masts, lacking any astounding colors or designs carved into it. It would have been a completely ordinary ship if it hadn't been for the fact that it wasn't constructed in the conventional way: The curved sides of the craft, the broad keel, both masts, every visible part of the ship...

...was made up of trees.

Long, bare trees lined the ship from stem to stern, their branches linking together, making the body of the vessel look like a gigantic basket. A larger tree seemed to start at the stern, grow along the bottom of the boat and curve upward at the bow, branching out in a display of delicate leaves where the ship's prow would be. The masts -- which were strangely devoid of sails -- looked more like conventional trees, only much taller, with very few leaves or branches, save at the very top.

Alexander stared at the craft in astonishment. A living ship. He had never seen, let alone dreamed of such a bizarre wonder. It had to have been constructed magically...but by whom?

"Lovely, isn't she?"

Alexander turned abruptly. In his astonishment, he had failed to notice that standing beside the ship upon the adjacent pier was not only the cloaked creature he had encountered the night before, but also a much taller creature that had to be a dogman...but not one that Alexander recognized. Even though the face had seemed faintly familiar to him, he didn't know any dogmen that dressed so sparingly in...what was that beast wearing? Some sort of skin?

"I'd say I did a pretty good job with her," said the cloaked creature, the one who had spoken first. "She should serve you well in your journey."

Alexander stared at the creature, then back at the fantastic ship moored at the pier.

"You mean...I'm going to be traveling in this ship?" he gasped, thunderstruck.

"Of course," the creature said. "As you might be able to tell, this ship was created using magic. I started getting ahead of myself, since I started work on it before I started working on my teleportation skills -- haven't dabbled in teleportation since that map I made all those years ago -- but it looks like everything worked out in the end. All you need to do is tell the ship where you want to go and it will sail there right away, provided you know the approximate location of your goal. No need to navigate, and it can take care of itself should the seas get rough. It'll even steer itself around anything that can damage it ..."

"Excuse me," said the taller beast that stood next to the cloaked creature in a cold, slightly irritated voice. "Might I get a word in edgewise, Vark?"

The creature twitched his large ears nervously, then nodded rapidly, shuffling back several paces as his companion stepped closer to Alexander. It was not a dogman as Alexander had thought at first, but a dogwoman. She was wearing an odd, pale, wrinkled skin like a cloak, and nothing else. She was covered in long dark fur, a white-tipped plume of a tail trailed behind her, and her elongated, white-striped face was surrounded by a thick ruff of fur. Her eyes resembled two orbs of obsidian in the blackness of the night.

"I'm afraid that old Vark tends to let his tongue run away at times, especially when he's talking about one of his favorite subjects," the dogwoman said in a voice that was kind, yet at the same time like cold iron. "Before he starts talking your ear off again, I would like to introduce myself and explain why we are here."

"Well, thank you," said Alexander uncertainly.

"My name," said the dogwoman, placing one hand to her chest, "Is Suhad. I am the ruler of the Isle of Wisdom. I presume you've heard of it as well as myself?"

Alexander nodded slowly. Yes, he had heard of Suhad and the Isle of Wisdom, but for some time, he had difficulty believing that either of them were real. Months ago, when his brother-in-law Edgar had been telling him about the places and individuals he had encountered on his recent journey, he had mentioned visiting an uncharted island in the Land of the Green Isles inhabited entirely by animals, some with humanlike features. Edgar also told Alexander that their leader -- who had turned out to be the estranged sister of Saladin -- had told Edgar that the inhabitants of the Isle would reveal themselves to the rest of the Isles after Cassima had a child.

Alexander forgot about this strange tale for some time, but shortly after Devin was born, something quite unexpected happened one day: an eagle had entered the castle through an open window and soared into the throne room, carrying a large squirrel on its back. The eagle had landed before the thrones, then the squirrel dismounted it and informed Alexander and Cassima that it was a messenger from the remote island from which the half-breeds originated: the Isle of Wisdom.

The squirrel then explained that he had been sent by their ruler Suhad to inform the rulers of every other island that the Isle of Wisdom's time of isolation, which had started more than twenty years ago, had finally ended. He then requested that Isle's inhabitants could visit the Isle of the Crown without fear of being attacked, just as the Isle of Wisdom was allowing the people of the other islands permission visit it, provided that they respected all those who resided there.

Alexander, mute with surprise for a moment or two, politely informed the squirrel that he would do whatever he could to ensure that any visitors from the Isle of Wisdom were treated fairly. The squirrel had then thanked him, bowed, and mounted the eagle, which took wing and departed the same way it had arrived. Most of the people who had been in the throne room when this happened thought that the whole spectacle was merely been a magically induced vision, and others simply denied having seen it. Alexander, however, remembered Edgar's story and realized that Saladin's sister had been true to her word.

As for being true to his own word, Alexander had a proclamation posted in the town informing the public of the potential newcomers from the recently revealed sixth Isle and its inhabitants, which were unusual in appearance but harmless, and not to be harmed either. However, there had been virtually no mention of the Isle of Wisdom from anyone since then, and Alexander had never seen even one of the humanlike animals Edgar described.

"You have probably noticed that we have had little contact with your people these past few months," Suhad continued, "Despite the announcement that we have ended our self-imposed isolation."

"I have," Alexander confirmed.

"This is because we have had no reason to interact with you until recently, when we heard of your misfortune. The relationship between the Isle of Wisdom and the rest of the Isles is rather uneasy at the moment, and we decided it would benefit everyone if we helped you locate your son. Not only that, but we have heard of how you overthrew the tyrant that was attempting to break the kingdom apart, and we felt that we should repay you in any way we can."

Alexander nodded, interested by this sudden turn of events. Suhad turned and indicated the cloaked creature standing beside her, who was staring nonchalantly at the boards of the pier.

"Luckily for us, Vark had not only the desire, but the wisdom and skills necessary to aid you. His years of experience as a wizard certainly haven't failed him."

Alexander stared at Vark. Something about that creature's name as well as a few other things that he and Suhad had said made something stir faintly in the king's memory.

"Your name is 'Vark?'" Alexander asked.

Vark sighed.

"Well...not exactly," he muttered.

"Then why does Suhad call you 'Vark?'"

Vark sighed again.

"Er...the story behind my name is not one that I delight in retelling, but...well, you are the king of the Green Isles. If anyone deserves to know the truth about me, it's you. I used to be human, you see, but had a little...accident some time ago, and it not only transformed me but caused me to forget my real name as well. Suhad and her subjects started calling me 'Vark', since it's short for 'Aardvark'...which is what I am."

Alexander gaped.

"Do you mean to tell me that you are the last wizard these islands have known?" he exclaimed. "I found your spell book and your magic map! I was told that you changed yourself into an aardvark and either died or vanished completely."

"All of that is true, except for the part about me dying," Vark grumbled. "To make a long story short, I was too ashamed to remain on the Isle of the Crown after what happened to me, and I eventually found my way to the Isle of Wisdom, which I found to be the perfect refuge for me. I would have stayed there for the rest of my days if it weren't for what happened to your child. As I told you last night, I couldn't remain in hiding knowing that I could help you."

"Well, you have my deepest gratitude, Vark," Alexander said, still amazed to have discovered the individual who had played a small, but crucial role in his quest to save both the kingdom and Cassima several years prior. It looked as if history was going to repeat itself.

Chapter 6:

"Now, as I was saying," the sorcerer-turned-aardvark continued, "I created this ship so it could function without the need of a crew. You just need to instruct the ship what to do, and it will obey you and only you."

"Without the need of a crew?" Alexander repeated in surprise, for the first time noticing a pile of sacks, crates and barrels further down the pier -- the supplies for a six-person, three-day journey that he had had asked to be delivered.

"I'm afraid that was a bit of deception on my part," Vark confessed. "You see, what this voyage truly requires is enough food and water to sustain two individuals over the course of a week. I deduced that such an atypical request might arouse suspicion, since I doubt that any normal ship could survive on the open seas with crew of only two men."

"So who is this other man?"

"My mistake," Vark said sheepishly. "He isn't a man, at least by your definition, but one of the inhabitants of the Isle of Wisdom."

"One of your people? But why not yourself, Vark? This is your creation, so wouldn't you be the most ideal one to be with it on its maiden voyage?"

Vark snorted amusedly.

"Sire, I may not look old, but believe me, I am. I haven't been at sea for decades, and I fear that these ancient bones wouldn't last the whole way."

"So...who is going to be traveling with me?"

Vark's answer was interrupted by a shout from Suhad, directed at a short, dark figure that had appeared at the top of the ship's gangplank, which, like the rest of the craft, was made out of living trees. The branches of two of the saplings that formed the boat's railing sloped downwards onto the pier, with several smaller branches along their length sprouting out inwards at right angles, making it look more like a leafy ladder than a gangplank.

"What's taking you so long?" Suhad barked to the figure. "Everything should have been aboard by now!"

With a sweep of her hand, she indicated the pile of supplies.

"We're goin' as fast as we can," the figure yelled back in a thickly accented voice. "But that stupid slecher spilled a sack a' potatoes all over the storeroom an' refused to pick 'em up, even when I told 'im to! "

"He can pick them up later," Suhad replied. "Right now I want you to get the rest of this cargo loaded while Vark and I explain the particulars of this voyage to the king, do you understand?"

"Aye, Lassie," the figure replied, starting to walk down the gangplank. Suhad snarled quietly, but otherwise didn't reply. As the figure drew closer, Alexander could see that it was a shaggy black dogman. He trotted over to the pile of supplies and lifted a small crate.

"Er...are you the one who is going to be traveling with me?" Alexander asked as the dogman turned and started walking back to the gangplank.

"I?" the dogman with a chuckle. "Naw, Sire, not I, but rather the gowk I be workin' with."

"And...who is that?" Alexander inquired cautiously.

"I'll bring 'im down here an' let 'im greet you hisself," the dogman said gruffly, beginning to trudge up the gangplank and onto the deck of the ship before Alexander could ask anything more.

"You'll have to excuse his behavior, Your Highness," Suhad said softly when the dogman was out of earshot. "He may be ill-tempered at times, but he is still a very loyal subject. Shappa too has his faults, but I feel that he will be a worthy companion to you during your voyage."

Before Alexander could query as to who Shappa was, another figure appeared at the top of the gangplank and began walking down it at a quick gait. Like Suhad, it stood as tall as a man and from a distance resembled one as well, but this creature was not part dog, but part cat. Its body was lithe and slender, its fur was striped, and its eyes were large and luminous. It wore a plain brown loincloth and had a large piece of fabric draped over its chest, back and shoulders, with its head sticking through a hole in the center.

"King Alexander," Suhad said, "This is Shappa. Shappa, this is King Alexander."

The cat gazed at Alexander out of its round, amber eyes and inclined his head respectfully. Alexander, not sure whether Shappa was familiar with the custom of shaking hands or not, mimicked the cat's gesture.

"I am sorry that the two of you don't have more time to become acquainted," Suhad said, "But we have to make use out of what little time we have. The sooner you set sail, the closer you are to finding your child. So hurry up and get the rest of the supplies loaded, Shappa."

This last sentence was barked at Shappa, who recoiled slightly and flicked an ear apprehensively. Still, he obeyed Suhad's order and picked up two bulging sacks and started back up the gangplank. Alexander stared dubiously after him.

"I know that he doesn't exactly seem the best choice for such a perilous undertaking," Vark piped up, "And he has a few eccentricities, as well as some traits that may be difficult for you to acclimate to at first..."

"Then why was he chosen to accompany me?" Alexander asked, trying to hide the unease in his voice.

"He wasn't chosen," Suhad interjected. "He volunteered. In fact, he was the only one who did."

Alexander scratched his head in bewilderment.

"Why?"

"I don't know. He never told me or anybody else why he wanted to join you," Suhad said. "Although I suspect wanting to do that might just be in his nature."

"His nature?"

"Yes...he and his kind have always been extremely curious. They are cats, after all."

Chapter 7:

"Looks as if we're almost set," said Vark some time later, when nearly all the supplies had been taken aboard. "You and Shappa should be ready to depart very soon."

"But once we depart, where do we go, Vark?" Alexander asked helplessly. "You've never even told me where the realm of these Sea Fairies is!"

"That," Vark replied, "Is because I don't know, and since you don't either, you can't tell your ship to go there...but I do know a place where you can find out where the fairies' kingdom is."

"What place is that?"

"Glaucus," Vark said. "It is a tiny coastal town built next to the Southern Sea, and with this ship, you should reach it within three days. The lands of Daventry and Serenia are east and north of Glaucus, but because of the town's remote location, few people know about it except travelers or sailors who accidentally discover it. The inhabitants of Glaucus are intimately familiar with the sea and its many inhabitants, many of which are rarely seen by mortal eyes. However, it is also a place that seems to attract unusual entities and phenomena like a lamp attracts moths by night. One saying regarding Glaucus is, 'Where the sea meets the shore, the mundane meets the miraculous.'"

"I see," Alexander remarked. "And you think that the people of Glaucus might know where the Sea Fairies live?"

"Indeed," Vark confirmed. "However, finding the realm is one problem. Entering it is another."

Alexander's heart sank. How on earth could he gain access to a kingdom situated at the bottom of the sea?

"Don't despair, though," Vark said kindly, noticing the hopeless expression on the king's face. "Though I myself know not how you can reach the realm, there is a benevolent wizard in the town of Glaucus whom I am certain does know."

"A wizard?"

"Yes," Vark nodded. "We practitioners of magic need to keep in touch with each other, you know. Unfortunately, I do not know his name, and I haven't heard from him since I left the Isle of the Crown. He is, however, skilled beyond compare in magic pertaining to the sea. If he wished, he could make the tides reverse or change a whale into a minnow. If anybody in Glaucus can help you enter the Sea Fairies' kingdom, it is he."

Alexander felt his spirits lift at the mention of such a powerful wizard, though the mention of magic made him recall something else.

"Wouldn't I be safer if I brought my genie Shamir on this voyage, Vark? He could protect us against any malevolent magic we might encounter."

"I'm afraid you wouldn't be any safer, Sire," Vark said with a shake of his head. "I've studied genies and learned virtually all there is to know about them, and I know that a typical genie taken from his place of origin will find his magic depleted for some time, and it can sometimes take years for his power to reaccumulate. Even if this weren't the case, Shamir would be of little use to you in dealing with the magic of the Sea Fairies. He is a spirit of the air, while the fairies are connected to the element of water. He would be powerless against them, in their own realm."

"I see," Alexander said soberly. He paused and stared at the living ship and the waves that gently lapped against its hull. After a few moments, the black dogman came scampering down the gangplank.

"Ever'thing be onboard, m'Liege!" he panted to Suhad.

"Good," Suhad said. She turned to Alexander.

"Well, it looks as if you are ready to leave," she said. "I wish you the best of luck. Remember: Shappa may be aloof at times or refuse to obey your words, but you must be patient with him, for is only the way of his kind. Give him enough time and he will learn how to coexist peacefully with you, just as you will certainly discover what a useful companion a half-breed can be."

"I hope so," Alexander muttered under his breath.

"Varkie, when're ye gonna take us home?" the black dogman crossly barked to the aardvark. "I thought we were done here."

"We are," Vark said with strained patience, "But I don't want to teleport the three of us back until we've answered every question that Alexander might have for us as well as bid him farewell."

He turned to Alexander, who stared back at Vark and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm certain that there are a lot more questions I ought to ask you," he sighed, "But I can't think of any more at the moment."

"Don't fear," Vark replied. "I've told Shappa everything there is to know about this ship, and of course, he is well aware of your son's predicament and the urgency of your mission. He should be able to help and advise you in any way possible."

Alexander nodded apprehensively and glanced up at the ship. Shappa was standing on the deck with his furry hands on the gnarled railing, silently watching him. Alexander turned and looked at Vark, who stood fidgeting on the pier, then at Suhad and her short, shaggy subject. He then turned east, looking through the ship's twin masts at the Castle of the Crown, which was barely visible over the tops of the trees and the buildings of the village. Finally, he turned to face the sea, its dark surface shattering the light of the stars and slowly shifting in a mesmerizing manner. Beneath that surface was a world that Man knew very little about, filled with plants, animals and other beings never seen by the eyes of mortals...and somewhere in that world was Devin.

"I think I'm ready," Alexander finally said. He approached the ship and began making his way up the branch-comprised gangplank. When he reached the deck, he turned and waved to the trio standing below.

"Remember, it's the town of Glaucus," Vark called, waving back at the king. "And when you find him, be sure to speak to the wizard about a way of entering the Sea Fairies' realm!"

"I will," Alexander replied. "And thank you, Vark. You too, Suhad."

Suhad nodded solemnly.

"Good luck, King Alexander," she said coolly.

Alexander turned to examine the ship from his new vantage point aboard it. The deck was made up of straight, narrow saplings growing so close together that he couldn't see any gaps between them. There was an opening between the so-called masts that resembled a hatch, but it was covered by a thick cloth rather than a trapdoor. Other than that and the masts, the deck was completely bare. There wasn't even a wheel at the stern. Alexander glanced at Shappa, who was still standing at the railing, looking bored.

"So," Alexander said, trying to recall Vark's words, "I just tell the ship where to go and it will set out for that location on its own?"

Shappa nodded.

"Is there anywhere I should stand when I address the ship, or any particular manner I should speak to it in?"

"Just give it the name of the town," Shappa said tersely.

Trying to mask his irritation at the half-breed's response to him, Alexander faced the bow of the ship and slowly spoke the word "Glaucus."

There was a loud creaking and rustling noise to his right. Alexander spun around to see the ship's gangplank splitting apart, the branches that formed the steps flattening themselves against their respective limbs, while the main branches folded themselves against the gap in the ship's railing. In a matter of seconds, the branches had flattened themselves against the side of the ship, making it appear as if there had never been a gangplank there at all.

As Alexander was marveling at this, there was a sudden lurch beneath his feet. The ship had begun to move forward, and at an impossibly swift speed. Within seconds, it was clear of the docks, and heading towards the open ocean. How this could possibly be happening with no sails was beyond Alexander's comprehension, but this was magic, after all. It was as if the ship had an intelligence of its own, or was possessed by a benevolent force or spirit.

In spite of the excitement of the moment, one last simple question suddenly popped into Alexander's mind. He ran to the stern and called out to Vark, who was still standing on the pier with the two dogpeople.

"Does this vessel have a name?" the king hollered.

"Why, yes," Vark called back. "The Dryad!"

Alexander thanked the aardvark yet again, then turned his attention back to his ship. As the unusual craft sailed away from the Isle of the Crown and towards its distant destination, Vark gazed silently after it. After a long while, he sniffed disdainfully, an action greatly amplified by his large nose.

"I still say I should have used willows," he remarked to no one in particular.

Chapter 8:

Alexander walked up the length of the ship and approached at the railing on the port side. He looked down at the black water, which was being churned into a thick froth by the Dryad's prow. Behind him, the Land of the Green Isles was quickly receding. This was the first time he had been outside the kingdom's boundaries on a boat since he had first sailed to the Isles -- all the other times he been outside the kingdom, he had departed with the aid of the genie Shamir's magic.

Alexander considered himself lucky to be able to travel in such a way, since the waters around the Isles were so treacherous that only the most experienced crews would be able to enter and leave the archipelago by ship. It seemed as if magic was the only safe way in and out.

The Dryad seemed to be further proof of this, the way it steered itself through the hazardous reefs and jagged rocks that lurked beneath the ocean's surface as if it could somehow see them. It looked as if Alexander's apprehensions about sailing on a magic ship accompanied by a nonhuman stranger were quite unwarranted. He only hoped that things would continue to go as smoothly as this throughout his journey.

As Alexander continued to stare over the railing, he suddenly yawned deeply. Now that the chaos of preparing for his journey had died down, he realized just how tired he actually was. He felt as if he hadn't slept in two days -- which probably wasn't that far from the truth.

"Shappa?" he asked his sole crewmate. "Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"The room ahead of you and to your left as you descend the steps that lead down from there," Shappa said, pointing towards the cloth-covered "hatch" between the masts. "There are two hammocks there. The one on the right is mine."

Alexander mumbled his thanks and trudged towards the opening, where he found that the square cloth on top of it had one of its sides bound to the edge of the hatch, while its two free corners had holes in them and were stretched over two stubby vertical twigs on the opposite edge of the hatch, forming a taut covering and greatly minimizing the risk of someone accidentally falling into the opening. Before unfastening the cloth from the pegs, Alexander looked over his shoulder at Shappa.

"Are you going to be staying up here?" he asked.

"I believe so," Shappa replied. "Sleep well, Lex."

The last word of the half-breed's sentence confused Alexander, and for a moment, he knelt staring dazedly at the hatch, trying to figure out why Shappa had called him that. However, fatigue soon made him give up and concentrate on the task of finding a place to rest. Pulling the cloth from the pegs and flipping it back revealed a row of gnarled stairs similar to those of the gangplank. Alexander descended these stairs and found himself on a lower deck that seemed to be the only other one that the Dryad had.

There were two doorways before and behind him, but Alexander was in no mood to enter any of them except the one Shappa had directed him to. He stepped through the doorway in question and into a small room that was sparsely furnished and had two hammocks spanning it, one on either side of the entrance.

Gratefully, Alexander removed his boots, belt and sword and climbed into the left hammock. The gentle rocking of the ship calmed him, and too tired to worry anymore, he soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When Alexander awoke late the following morning, he didn't recognize where he was at first. Then he remembered Vark, Suhad, the Dryad and Shappa, and his voyage to the town of Glaucus to find a way to gain access to the kingdom of the Sea Fairies and rescue his son. He slowly eased himself out of his hammock, pulled on his boots and refastened his belt around his waist.

He didn't see Shappa in the hammock adjacent to him, so he decided to search for the half-breed and explore the rest of the ship as well. Stepping through the doorway to the sleeping quarters, Alexander could see the stairs leading to the top deck, as well as two doorways near the opposite end of the boat. He approached these doorways and decided to see what was through the one on the right.

As it turned out, it was the storeroom for he and Shappa's food and water, and it looked as if Shappa had cleaned up the potatoes that the black dogman claimed he had spilled there. Feeling a little hungry after the long, exhilarating night, Alexander removed the lid from one of the barrels nearest to the door and discovered that it was full of apples. He removed one of the firm red fruits, replaced the barrel's lid and walked into the adjacent room. This room was nearly bare except for a large bare branch protruding from the wall at a 90-degree angle.

The branch's dimensions were very odd: it was barely an inch thick, yet almost three feet wide and four feet long, looking as if it had been stepped on by a giant. In fact, the branch almost resembled a desk, and Alexander realized that with the vial of ink, the quills and numerous sheets of paper on it, it was difficult to mistake it for anything else. Since there were no chairs in the room, he would probably have to use one of the smaller crates from the storeroom as one.

Munching away at his apple, Alexander headed towards the one remaining room next to the sleeping quarters and found that it contained a variety of miscellaneous items: some large rags, several coils of rope, one or two blankets, and a few unlabeled crates. Alexander marveled at the way Vark had constructed and loaded the ship, but he couldn't help but wonder exactly where and how the aardvark had gotten some of these items.

With the entire deck explored and no sign of Shappa, Alexander made his way up the stairs to the deck above. The cloth over the hatch was stretched over the pegs, but a little persistent pushing unfastened it in moments.

The sun was bright in the sky, and the sea beneath the Dryad was blue and calm. The tiny leaves sprouting from the ship fluttered gently in the breeze while the craft plowed resolutely forward. Alexander noticed Shappa standing at the railing on the Dryad's starboard side, and he slowly approached the half-breed, who spun around quickly as he drew near, but calmed slightly as he recognized the king.

"Good morning," Alexander said.

Shappa nodded silently. Now that it was daylight, Alexander could see the creature's colors much more clearly. His short fur was a brilliant orange with stripes that seemed almost crimson, while his eyes, which gazed piercingly at Alexander, were a warm amber.

"Things seem good so far, don't they?" Alexander asked. "The ship seems to be holding up, and the weather looks friendly."

Shappa shrugged.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Alexander inquired.

Shappa shrugged again. Alexander began to become slightly impatient with the half-breed.

"Is there anything I can say to you that will make you say something in return?"

Shappa's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I will speak to you only if I want to," he said coldly. "I don't see the point in wasting my words on such pointless talk."

Alexander paused, taken aback by Shappa's indignation.

"I was only trying to make conversation," he said crossly.

When Shappa didn't respond, Alexander turned away from him for a moment, looking around the deck of the ship. Vark and Suhad were right about Shappa being difficult to get along with, but since he was the only crewmate Alexander had on this journey, he would have to find some way to get Shappa to see eye-to-eye with him.

As Alexander examined the ship, he suddenly had an idea. After a moment of contemplation, he turned back to the half-breed.

"Shappa?"

Shappa slowly turned to face him, with a look of indifference in his eyes.

"Why did Vark build this ship out of trees rather than constructing it in the conventional way out of planks?"

Shappa's expression quickly changed. For a moment, he looked up with the expression of one deep in thought, and then he glanced down, his brow furrowed.

"I believe that making a ship like this was simply easier for him," he finally said. "Vark knows nothing about building ships out of wood and nails, and though he never built a living ship out of saplings before, with his knowledge of magic it only took him a few days to think up and create. I'm surprised he still puts so much faith in magic ever since that mishap of his, but I suppose old habits die hard, as you humans say."

That was the most Alexander had heard Shappa say at one stretch. He tried another question:

"Is there any particular reason why he used living trees to make the Dryad instead of, say, magically stitching planks together?"

"There's a very good reason," Shappa said, his enthusiasm growing by the second. "You humans make vessels out of dead wood, which can get smashed to pieces if something hits it -- but watch this."

Shappa held out his hand, and out of the tip of each finger shot a small, sharp claw. He then turned towards the railing and raked his claws over one of its thicker branches, leaving four thin gashes. Before Alexander's eyes, the gashes slowly became smaller and less distinct until all was left on the branch was a slightly mottled area that looked like a patch of scar tissue.

"Since this ship is alive, it can heal itself," Shappa said. "And much faster than any normal tree as well. Even if it were to hit a rock or a reef, it would repair itself so quickly that it couldn't even begin to sink."

"Amazing," Alexander said with genuine astonishment, not only at the description of the ship, but also at the change that had come over Shappa. Though the half-breed had refused to strike up a casual conversation with Alexander, he had spoken at great length when Alexander asked him to talk about a subject he was familiar with. Perhaps speaking about such a thing gave him a feeling of superiority over Alexander and made him see the king as a harmless individual rather than a potential rival. Cats were certainly proud, self-obsessed animals, and Shappa, it seemed, was no exception. Alexander hoped that if he continued letting the half-breed feel this way, he would eventually start speaking to him as an equal.

"What about these masts?" Alexander asked, pointing upwards. "This boat doesn't have any sails or any need of them, so why did Vark give it masts?"

"I think every ship he's seen in the past has had masts, so he included them out of habit," Shappa said. "I think it also makes the Dryad appear more like an ordinary ship, at least from a distance. I could also climb up one of those masts if I needed to get a better look at something."

"It seems as if you're the only one that can do that," Alexander observed, glancing down at Shappa's shoeless feet, which undoubtedly each hid a set of claws just as sharp as those in his hands.

"Yes," Shappa said reflectively, "I suppose I am, Lex."

There was that word again. Alexander stared quizzically at Shappa, and then suddenly realized that "Lex" wasn't a meaningless word at all, but the second syllable of his name.

"Shappa, why are you calling me that?"

Shappa's features promptly wilted into a look of cold indifference.

"You probably wouldn't be interested by my explanation."

"Perhaps not, but I'd still like to know why."

"Perhaps later," Shappa said coolly. "If it's not too much trouble, I would like to be alone now."

Alexander started to work up a retort to this, but thought better of it. It seemed that he had said the wrong thing, and he didn't want to annoy Shappa any more than he already had. Instead, he turned and walked towards the stairs to the lower deck.

Chapter 9:

Alexander walked into the ship's sleeping quarters and flung himself into his hammock, frustration and anger overwhelming him. He could barely believe that Shappa's becoming his crewmate was an act of diplomacy from the Isle of Wisdom. It was as if Suhad had deliberately chosen the most incorrigible creature on her island to accompany him. Though Alexander had had some very unpleasant experiences with cats in his past, he was just open-minded enough to accept Shappa as a companion at first, but now it seemed like that stupid animal was just as bad as the ones he had had the misfortune to encounter before.

The voyage had started out smoothly, but already it seemed to be spiraling out of control. How could Alexander succeed in his quest if he couldn't even get along with that insufferable half-breed, and even if he could locate and enter the realm of the Sea Fairies, would he even be able to rescue Devin? What if the fairies refused to give him up? What if there was no way to earn their sympathy? Then there was Cassima...why did he have to lie to her? If his journey were a success, would she ever forgive him, making her stay in the Isles, unknowingly looking after that distorted facsimile of her son? What would her parents think...

No, Alexander suddenly thought firmly. No. Stop it.

With a mighty effort, he pushed the thoughts away from him. He couldn't let his worries tear him apart. Not now. It would do him absolutely no good to fret about the future. He was in the present, and that was where he had to stay. He would worry about those hurdles when it was time to jump them. For now, all he could do was battle with the problems at hand.

Alexander rolled over in the hammock, causing it to swing sharply for a moment. Now that his mind had calmed down, he tried to think about his current situation more clearly: perhaps he had simply started off on the wrong foot with Shappa. Maybe addressing him directly wasn't the right way, and maybe Shappa himself wasn't sure how to communicate with the king. Alexander tried to figure out what approaches he could try, and after a few minutes of staring at the branch-lined ceiling, an idea finally came to him.

For the rest of the day, Alexander paid little attention to the half-breed. He would occasionally encounter Shappa on the deck or in their sleeping quarters, but the king would pretend to ignore his presence completely, not even mumbling a greeting whenever they happened to pass each other.

He continued this act into the next day as well, and by that time, Alexander thought he could discern a slight change in Shappa's demeanor. The half-breed had become strangely interested in Alexander, and Alexander would often turn and find Shappa staring at him intensely. Still, Alexander refused to speak to Shappa or interact with him in any way. Later that same day, however, his efforts finally paid off.

He and Shappa were standing on the top deck in the early afternoon, Alexander at the bow while Shappa was leaning against one of the masts. Alexander was so deep in thought that the sound of the half-breed's voice made him jump:

"You don't trust me, do you?"

Alexander turned to face Shappa, who was staring earnestly at him.

"I only met you night before last," he replied. "I'd say it's too early for me to decide whether I trust you or not."

Shappa's expression remained unaltered.

"But you still distrust me, do you not?" he asked.

"To some extent, yes."

Shappa nodded slowly.

"I thought so. I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I don't trust you entirely either."

"Considering that you've only known me a little more than a day, I don't blame you."

It seemed as if Alexander's plan had worked. Shappa's innate curiosity had finally overcome his aloof indifference towards Alexander, but only when Alexander had started behaving the same way that Shappa behaved towards him: like a cat.

"Your point is well made, Lex," Shappa said. "I suppose that we're...'both on the same ship?'"

"Both in the same boat," Alexander said. "And yes, we are -- "

He was interrupted by a sudden puff of smoke that erupted between them and a sound like a thunderclap. Shappa jumped backwards in surprise, and Alexander would have done the same, had he not been standing against the railing. The smoke cleared as quickly as it had appeared, revealing a creature that looked just as startled as the king and the half-breed were. It had pinkish skin, a long snout, large rounded ears, huge claws and a thick tail, and was standing on its hind legs and looking around dazedly.

"Vark??" Alexander and Shappa exclaimed at exactly the same time.

"Good gracious me," the correctly identified Vark cried, blinking nervously. "I'm so terribly sorry, I don't know what happened. I was going back to the Isle of the Crown to see how things were, but...oh, skip it. Again, I'm sorry for popping in like this, and I promise it won't happen again. Good travels to you, Sire. You too, Shappa."

With that, the aardvark vanished in a second puff of smoke similar in every way to the first.

"What the blazes..." Alexander muttered, staring at the spot where Vark had been standing a moment ago.

"Earth's wounds," Shappa breathed.

The two crewmates simultaneously looked up at each other.

"What in the world was that about?" Alexander wondered.

"I have no idea," Shappa shrugged. "Perhaps he made a mistake while he was teleporting...I don't know how he could have ended up here when he was aiming for the Isle of the Crown..."

"I suppose we can ask him about it when we return," Alexander mused.

There was a pause. The man and the half-breed stared at each other for a short while, then the former spoke again:

"What were we talking about before Vark showed up?"

"We were talking about how we're both in the same boat," Shappa recalled.

"Oh, yes," Alexander said. He hesitated, carefully formulating what he was going to say next.

"Shappa, I know I'm not like you, and that's probably one of the reasons why you distrust me. Still, please understand that I'm trying my best to treat you fairly, despite my knowing little about you or your kind. All I want is for us to get along together, and if you could try to behave towards me the same way that I have tried to behave towards you, I'm certain that this journey will be much easier for both of us. Do you understand?"

Shappa was silent. For a few moments, the only noise was the waves rustling by the Dryad's prow. Then the half-breed blinked slowly and addressed Alexander without a shred of contempt:

"I believe I do, Lex."

Alexander nodded solemnly, but he couldn't keep his curiosity to himself any longer.

"Thank you...but if it's not too much trouble, Shappa, would you please explain why you keep calling me 'Lex' now?"

Shappa stiffened slightly, but then quickly relented.

"Very well, I'll tell you. You humans attach much importance to naming things. A human child is given a name shortly after his birth, the seed planted without any thought as to what sort of plant will grow. Those born into royalty immediately have 'Prince' or 'Princess' placed before their names, and because of that, they are looked upon with respect from the moment those names are bestowed upon them. With my kind, however, we are not given names until we become individuals. You see, we earn our names, ones that embody our traits, our appearances, our very souls."

"That's fascinating," said Alexander, "But what does that have to do with the name you've given me?"

"When we truly know what the mind of a young half-breed is like," Shappa continued, "Be he cunning, cowardly, wise or ambitious, then he earns his name. It is usually a short, simple one, despite the vastness of what it symbolizes, although some half-breeds may chose a different, longer name if they feel they have 'outgrown' their first, and if the others feel he has earned a longer name, then they call him by that name."

Alexander was starting to suspect what Shappa was leading up to.

"So," he said slowly, "Since you don't know me completely yet, you're going to call me by a shortened version of my name until...until you know me and respect me well enough for me to earn my much longer full name from you?"

The corners of Shappa's mouth turned up in a convincing imitation of a human smile.

"Correct in every way, Lex," he said.

Chapter 10:

Alexander wasn't sure whether Shappa's "naming" him was an act of reverence or mockery, but he didn't want to press the half-breed anymore. The king had to admit that Shappa was right about humans attaching so much meaning to names. For nearly seventeen years, his name was Gwydion, and for much of that time he never thought that he would be anything but Gwydion the slave boy. Finding out that he was in fact Prince Alexander of Daventry had been the surprise of his life, and in retrospect, though it had taken some time to "grow into" his new name, once he had grown accustomed to it, it seemed as if he had acquired a new life as well. Perhaps there was some truth to the unusual beliefs of Shappa's kind.

Shappa had been true to his word. He spoke politely whenever Alexander addressed him, and Alexander tried to be less forward than he had been before. During the various conversations they had that day, Alexander learned that Shappa was by no means enamored with the ocean. Like all cats, he detested water, and was embarking on this voyage just to do his part in improving relations between his Isle and the Isle of the Crown. Alexander also found out that the sparse garments that Shappa was wearing were Suhad's idea:

"She said I would be more presentable to you if I were to wear some sort of clothing," the half-breed said irritably, flinching a little. "I can't stand the things, though. They make me feel like I'm being smothered."

"Then why do you keep on wearing them?" Alexander asked.

"I'm trying to remain faithful to our leader's orders," Shappa said adamantly. "Besides, in these rags, I'm less likely to be mistaken for a tiger and get skinned."

Toward the end of their third day at sea, after Alexander and Shappa had eaten and were standing on the deck, watching the sun sink into the glittering sea, Shappa quietly remarked:

"We might be spotting land soon. Perhaps tonight. We'll surely reach Glaucus come the morrow."

"What makes you so certain?" Alexander asked.

"The air is different," Shappa said, sniffing deeply. "Yesterday and the day before, there was nothing but salt and spray on the wind. Now, it carries a different smell -- the smell of land, a lot of land. More land than I've ever known before."

Alexander nodded and thanked Shappa, while silently reflecting on something he hadn't realized before: not only did Shappa resemble and act like a cat, but he also had the heightened senses of one as well. His nose and ears were much keener than those of a man, and if his vision was truly as sharp as a true cat's, then he could see clearly even in near-complete darkness. Alexander was finally starting to see why Suhad had spoken so highly of Shappa.

The next morning, Alexander was awakened by something soft prodding at his shoulder. He slowly turned to see Shappa's huge amber eyes gazing down at him. The king winced in surprise.

"My apologizes, Lex," Shappa said, "I wanted to tell you that the town of Glaucus is ahead of us, and we should be docking within the hour."

Still groggy but eager to see the town for himself, Alexander hoisted himself out of his hammock and pulled on his boots. He followed Shappa up the steps to the top deck and walked slowly towards the bow. From there, he stared in wonder at the sight that lay before them.

Barely three arrow-shots away, land was visible. Sandy cliffs jutted abruptly from the sea, topped by small, wind-warped trees. One section of the land stretched out into the sea in a wide peninsula, but what was on this peninsula was impossible to see, for at the end of the peninsula, a vast, whale-gray rock face loomed, almost completely obscuring everything beyond it. It seemed to be almost a hundred feet high, and almost the same distance across, yet it seemed to be only a few dozen feet thick. It was split in the middle, forming a narrow channel through which the tide gently flowed, and several scrubby plants sprouted on top of its highest peaks. Its rough surface was pockmarked with large holes bored by eons of wind and water, some of which were large enough to be called caves.

Though the rock face itself was astonishing, what Alexander found even more astonishing was what was constructed on and around it: it was the town of Glaucus. The town wasn't built on the ground, but up the steep slopes of the cliff. The houses were all made out of wood, some appeared to have been created out of wrecked boats, and a myriad of rope-and-plank bridges, carved footholds and wooden walkways connected the various structures. Some of the houses were near the waterline while others were nearly at the top of the cliffs. A semicircular pier spanned nearly the entire cliff, resembling a fence protecting the tiny town, but between Alexander's ship and the pier was a veritable forest of protruding rocks, all of them resembling tinier versions of the cliff that Glaucus was constructed upon.

"So that is Glaucus," Shappa remarked. "It does look like the sort of place where one would be likely to have an encounter with the unusual."

"It does indeed," agreed Alexander. "But...what about these rocks?"

"Don't you remember that the Dryad instinctively avoids rocks?" Shappa said.

"Oh, yes," Alexander muttered.

The pair watched in silence as their ship drew closer and closer to Glaucus, weaving through the maze of boulders with uncanny agility. The town was certainly well protected from invasion from the sea, though Alexander couldn't help but wonder how it fared during storms.

Soon, they had reached Glaucus's curved pier, where Alexander observed that aside from two other small ships moored near the its left side, the Dryad was the only one there. As soon as the Dryad had come to a complete stop alongside the worn pilings, its gangplank began to unfurl and extend downwards, swiftly forming the same leafy steps that Alexander had seen when he had first encountered the Dryad.

The young king had successfully reached his first destination. Now he had to find somebody in the town who knew the whereabouts of the kingdom of the Sea Fairies, as well as seek out the wizard that Vark claimed could help him enter it. Without wasting any more time worrying about whether he could accomplish either, Alexander strode down the gangplank, then turned and waved back at Shappa.

"I'm going to explore the town," he said. "Are you going to stay here with the ship?"

"Yes, Lex," Shappa replied. "As accepting of the bizarre as Vark claims these Glaucans are, I'd rather not take my chances with them."

Alexander nodded and began making his way towards the strange, charming locale that lay before him, which was hopefully was the key to his son's rescue.

Chapter 11:

There weren't many people on the streets of Glaucus -- if the various bridges, walkways and ledges stretching throughout the town could truly be called "streets". The people appeared no more unusual than any other villagers, but as Alexander knew, appearances could very often be misleading.

Most of the smaller buildings affixed to the rock face like swallows' nests seemed to be private residences, but some of the structures looked more like shops or storehouses. One particularly large building on the left side of the gap that split the cliff in two caught Alexander's eye, and he decided to examine it more closely. He made his way along a wooden walkway, crossed a narrow rope bridge, then cautiously walked across another walkway, which had no railing of any sort to prevent people from tumbling into the sea.

He stopped before the door of the rickety-looking building. There was no sign to indicate what purpose the structure served, no discernable noise came from within, and the windows were too encrusted with salt for Alexander to make out anything inside. With nothing more to gain from speculation and observation, Alexander pulled the heavy door open and stepped inside.

He found himself in a spacious room. This building wasn't nearly as rickety inside as it appeared from the outside. There was a solid wood floor underfoot, and the planks that lined the walls were a marked improvement over the salt-stained ones that lined the outer walls, though the windows were just as crusty from the inside.

There were several tables and chairs positioned around the room. These echoed the rustic look of the place's exterior, since some of them were partially constructed out of pale driftwood. Only a few of the chairs were occupied, some by sailors, some by people who had probably arrived by land, and one by an elderly man who sat alone in a corner with a distant look in his eyes, as if he were lost in a dream.

Towards the rear of the room was a wooden counter, with several shelves lining the wall behind it. Behind the counter, facing away from Alexander, was a woman with a slightly plump figure, with brown hair pulled into a tight bun. There was also small door behind the counter, and another larger door to the right of the counter.

Taking all that he saw into consideration, Alexander decided that he had found a tavern, or possibly an inn. In either case, it was a place that attracted many people, and thus a place where he could seek advice on where to find the realm of the Sea Fairies.

He walked towards the counter at the back of the room. Supposing that the woman behind the counter owned or at the very least worked at the tavern, Alexander approached her and cleared his throat politely.

"Pardon me, my lady?" he asked.

The woman turned his way as he spoke, and at the sight of her face, Alexander tried not to cry out, though a startled gasp managed to escape him. The woman had only one dull blue eye set in her forehead, with a single downy eyebrow arching over it. She smiled graciously at Alexander, who tried to regain his composure as he spoke again:

"Good day," he said. "My name is Alexander, and I am new to this village."

The woman grinned, exposing several long, slightly yellowed teeth.

"So you are," she said in an unmelodious, yet kindly voice. "Welcome to our inn and welcome to Glaucus, young man. My name is..."

She was interrupted by the slam of the door behind the counter. A second woman had entered the room. She was slightly taller than the one Alexander had been speaking to, with a gangly frame, a long, horse-like face with a large mole on one cheek, and thin black hair. A large kerchief was wrapped around her head, arranged so that one corner hung draped over her forehead. Like the other woman, she was no beauty, but she wasn't terribly hideous either, and at least she had two blue eyes instead of one.

The one-eyed woman narrowed her single eye in anger and glared at the black-haired intruder.

"I told you not to slam that door!" she snapped. "No wonder business has been slow lately! No one wants to stay here with that sort of noise going on all day!"

Before the black-haired woman could respond, the one-eyed woman turned back to Alexander, her furious glare replaced by a wide smile.

"I'm sorry about that, good sir," she said sweetly. "Now where were we...Ah, yes: my name is One-Eye, Alexander, and this is my sister Three-Eyes. Three-Eyes, this is Alexander."

Alexander stared at the woman that the aptly named One-Eye had called Three-Eyes. With a shiver of fright, he looked at the section of the kerchief that covered the woman's forehead.

"Um..." he said. "Hello...Three-Eyes?"

Three-Eyes grinned and flicked back the kerchief's corner with a sinewy hand, revealing just what Alexander had dreaded seeing: a third eye above and between her two conventionally positioned eyes. Three-Eyes seemed to notice his uneasiness, but she hardly seemed hurt because of it. In fact, she threw back her head and laughed as he gaped at her.

"Yes...All the better to see you with!" she guffawed.

"But don't worry," One-Eye said gently. "She's perfectly harmless, and so am I. Don't judge a book by its cover, dear."

"Of course," said Alexander hastily. "I apologize if I..."

"You did nothing that offended us," declared One-Eye with a wave of her hand. "In fact, you're one of the most polite visitors we've had in a long time."

Alexander smiled and nodded his thanks, then paused to think for a moment. If these strange sisters owned this inn, they probably overheard a good deal of talk from their customers, and they seemed like the sort that would cling to every word they overheard and gossip about them afterwards. As eccentric as they were, they seemed to be the best people to ask about the land that Alexander was seeking.

"Ladies, do you know anything about the realm of the Sea Fairies?"

"Sea Fairies?" Three-Eyes said with a sneer. "What in blazes are they?"

"Fairies that live in the sea," Alexander said frankly. "Not many people know about them, but I was told that this town possesses a wealth of knowledge of the sea, and..."

"Try that old gent over there," One-Eye said, pointing over Alexander's shoulder. "He's been around a lot, and was quite an adventurer in his day, or so he says. If anyone knows where these Sea Fairies of yours are, it's that fellow."

Alexander looked in the direction One-Eye was pointing to see the elderly man he had noticed upon his arrival.

"Very well, I'll speak to him right away. Thank you again, ladies."

Alexander turned and began walking towards the man One-Eye had indicated. As he did, he heard the voice of Thee-Eyes whispering mischievously behind him:

"He's a handsome one, isn't he?"

"Indeed," One-Eye replied.

"I think he likes me."

"You? After you showed him your third eye like that? I think not! I think he likes me."

"You little worm! I suppose he didn't jump at all when he first saw your face!"

"Oh, shut up! I can't wear that silly hood every day, you know!"

"More like you won't wear it every day!"

"Shut up!"

"Fine! I still say he likes me, though."

"He does not!"

Their voices grew louder and shriller, and several of the guests seated around the inn's tavern started staring at the two women. Alexander tried his best to ignore the noise as he neared the table where the alleged adventurer sat.

Chapter 12:

The old man sitting alone at the table in the corner wasn't as feeble as he had appeared to Alexander at first glance. His arms looked as if they had once had muscles as hard as rocks, and though he appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, a spark of alertness lit up his eyes when he turned to look at Alexander. Even though his hair was a downy white and there was pale gray stubble on his shriveled chin, this man must have been quite a fighter in his youth.

"Pardon me, sir," Alexander said courteously, "May I ask you something?"

The old man sighed wearily and beckoned Alexander to one of the empty seats. The king sat down in one of the ornate yet slightly uncomfortable driftwood chairs.

"What is it you want?" the man asked.

"I was told that you traveled much in your younger days," Alexander said respectfully.

"Ah yes," the man said sadly with another deep sigh. "I traveled all over the world when I was a lad like you, boy. I would encounter fierce monsters and diabolical individuals, travel to foreign realms, sail uncharted seas, uncover lost treasures, free maidens destined to be sacrificed to dragons...every day I faced danger, and somehow, I would almost always come out triumphant."

"Remarkable," Alexander said, "But why do you speak of your accomplishments so gloomily?"

"When I woke up one day and found that my hair was completely gray, I suddenly realized that while I had been doing great deeds for others, I had done nothing at all for myself. I was so busy adventuring that I felt that I could never live a life like everybody else. I had never taken a wife or stayed in one place for more than a month, and the only way I survived was by trading the wealth I discovered for food and shelter.

"In what seemed like only a few years, my bones became too weak to support me for another journey, and since adventuring is the only trade I know, I had no means of making money any longer. Now I have nothing save the clothes I wear and this old knapsack, -- " here he gestured towards a large leather bag leaning against his chair " -- my whole life wasted on nothing but foolish pursuits while my best years passed me by, with nothing to show for it but a head full of memories and a few old scars. In fact, I can't even remember my own name after all these years, and people have taken to simply calling me 'the adventurer.'"

He fell silent. The room seemed to have grown colder from the old adventurer's tale, and in his pity for the poor man Alexander almost forgot what he wanted to ask him.

"I'm deeply sorry for your misfortune, sir," the king said, "But will you please let me ask something of you?"

"Certainly," the adventurer replied.

"I'm looking for the realm of the Sea Fairies," Alexander said. "Do you know where it is?"

The adventurer sighed yet again. However, it was not a sigh of weariness or grief this time, but one of fond remembrance and longing. The old man's eyes grew misty, and a faint smile crept onto his face as he spoke again:

"Ah yes," he breathed. "The kingdom of the Sea Fae...though I was only there for a short time, it was as if I spent all my life there. It is a fantastic place, and even though it sits on the bottom of the sea, it is always as bright as a summer day there. It is the home of all the fairies that dwell beneath the sea, creatures that are close kin to mermaids and tritons, but are very rarely seen by man. There is a great city in the center of the realm, and within this city is a great palace, wherein the Lord and Lady of the Sea Fairies dwell. Alas, I wasn't able to gain access to that palace, but merely seeing the kingdom itself was more than any mortal could ask for."

"So you do know where this land lies?" Alexander asked hopefully.

"Indeed I do," the adventurer nodded. "Somewhere in my knapsack is a map that shows precisely how to locate the fairies' realm, and it served me well in my quest to find that elusive kingdom."

"I see," Alexander said. "Friend, I know this may sound foolish to you, but I need to get to the realm of the Sea Fairies as quickly as possible. Could you please let me have this map?"

The adventurer looked slightly offended.

"My boy, I went to a good deal of trouble to find this map! It was once torn in two, and I had to look all over this land to find both halves, then I needed to sail to the western continent just to find a wizard capable of repairing it!"

"Then could I make a copy of it?" Alexander suggested.

"This map is no mere scrap of parchment, lad," said the adventurer. "It is an enchanted map."

"Enchanted?" Alexander repeated. He had certainly had experience with such maps before.

"Indeed. It is nearly impossible to locate the Sea Fairies' kingdom because the fairies hide it from mortal eyes. If a ship is nearing their realm, they may create the illusion of a storm or some rough waves to make the ship turn away from them, or even disorient the crew to make them think that the ship is going the wrong way. My map is the only way around these tricks, for it shows you exactly which direction you need to head in order to successfully reach the area of the ocean that is directly above the Sea Fairies' domain."

Alexander was silent for a moment. Although he had found a means of locating the realm of the Sea Fairies, he had no means of acquiring it for himself.

"Is there anything I can do for you to in exchange for that map, sir?" he pleaded.

The adventurer put a hand to his stubbly chin and furrowed his brow.

"At this moment, the only thing I want now is money," he finally replied. "I've had to resort to doing menial chores at this inn in exchange for food and a place to sleep, but I cannot go on living like this, and I refuse to end my days begging for coins. My boy...if, by some incredible stroke of luck, you happen upon enough gold to buy a house with and give that gold to me, perhaps then I would be willing to part with my map."

"It's that precious to you?" Alexander asked.

"It is," said the adventurer coolly. "Though I would like to help you in your travels, son, I still wish to hold on to what little I have left from my younger days."

"I see," Alexander said, rising from his seat. "Thank you for your help, sir."

"The pleasure is mine, lad," the old man said, "But please, just call me 'Adventurer.' It's the only name I have now."

"If you say so, Adventurer," the king replied. "My name is Alexander, by the way."

"Ah. Well then, good luck on your journey, Alexander," said the adventurer.

As Alexander was slowly walking towards the door, his mind bubbling with questions as to what he should do next, he suddenly remembered the second reason for visiting Glaucus. He turned and headed back to the adventurer's table.

"Pardon me once more, Adventurer," he said, "But there was one other thing about the Sea Fairies I forgot to ask you."

"And what is that?" asked the adventurer.

"How am I to enter the Sea Fairies' kingdom?"

"That," the adventurer muttered, "May be much more problematic than finding it. I myself was able to capture and train a small sea serpent and ride it through the kingdom, but I was only able to remain underwater for a few minutes -- I could only hold my breath for so long."

"I may need to be there longer for a few minutes," Alexander said. "And I don't think I have the time to find and catch a sea serpent."

"In that case, the only way to enter the realm is with magic," the adventurer said. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I know very little about magic."

"Do you know of anyone in this town who does?" Alexander asked. "I was told that a wizard skilled in magic involving the sea lives here."

The adventurer frowned.

"I don't know of any wizards here," he said, "But I have heard that there is a reclusive man that lives on the top of West Wedge who apparently is in possession of a good deal of magical knowledge. He is probably the only one in this town who could tell you how to enter the realm of the Sea Fairies...but of course, I'm not that acquainted with the people of Glaucus..."

"Thank you, Adventurer," Alexander said. "That's just what I wanted to know. Where did you say this man lived?"

"On top of West Wedge," the adventurer repeated. "That's the name of the cliff this tavern is on. The one on the other side of the gap is East Wedge. They're just names the townsfolk gave the two halves of this rock face to make it easier to get around. Just keep heading west and you should find some stone steps that lead up to his house."

"I see -- and this man, does he have a name?"

"If he does, I've never heard of it," the adventurer said. "I've heard most of the people who speak of him simply call him 'the recluse'...a little like my own name, now that I think about it..."

"Thank you again," Alexander said, extending his hand. "And if I should come into the possession of a vast amount of money, I'll be sure to give it to you in exchange for that map."

"Fair travels to you, lad," the adventurer said, shaking Alexander's hand with a surprisingly strong grip. "May you find all that you seek and avoid that which you do not."

Chapter 13:

Alexander stepped out of the inn and into the cool, salty air. To his right, the wooden walkway continued along the side of the rock face and eventually disappeared around the side of the cliff. Alexander followed the walkway, past a rope ladder leading to a walkway above him, and past several small houses. Once a townsman passed him, but fortunately, the walkway was just wide enough for two people to walk abreast. Nonetheless, Alexander felt obliged to flatten himself against the rock face as the man approached, not wanting to take his chances walking along the side nearest to the fifteen-foot drop to the ocean.

When Alexander reached the end of the walkway, he discovered a flight of steps sloping steeply upward, carved out of the Wedge itself. The steps seemed to continue up to the very top of the cliff, and Alexander wasn't sure whether climbing them was a wise idea; a strong wind could easily knock him off. Still, he had to admit that they looked much easier to ascend than the Cliffs of Logic on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain.

With that thought in mind, he began to make his way up the steps. After only a few minutes of climbing, his breathing began to grow labored. It seemed as if the steps were constantly growing steeper, and there were still so many of them left to climb. After a few more minutes, Alexander could see a ramshackle, oddly shaped building perched precariously on the cliff above him. It looked as if several random parts of various houses had been pushed together to create it. He was tempted to look down to see how high he was, but didn't want to risk growing dizzy and falling.

The stone steps finally ended, not at the door of the odd house, but beneath it. Part of the house's base projected out over a large recess in the rock, and it was there that Alexander took the time to catch his breath and examine his new surroundings. At first he was puzzled about how there seemed to be no way to enter the house, but then he noticed a trapdoor in the floor above him. However, it seemed too high overhead to reach.

Just as he was contemplating how he could get into the recluse's house, he heard a loud, resonant voice beside him:

"Hello?"

Alexander whirled around, trying to find the person who had spoken to him. All that he found, however, was a brass pipe protruding from the house's floor. The end of the tube was flared out like a trumpet's bell; in fact, the device resembled a trumpet more than anything else.

"Is anyone there?" came the voice again, and this time it was clear that it was emanating from the trumpet. Seeing no other way to reply to the unseen speaker, Alexander turned and spoke into the trumpet:

"Yes. I wish to speak to the recluse...or rather, the man who lives here that is often called 'the recluse.'"

"What is your business with him?" the voice asked.

"It's a matter of some urgency," Alexander said. "I need to speak to a man who has much knowledge of magic, and I was told that you are such a person."

There was silence from the trumpet, then:

"Very well. Just a moment."

There was a slow shuffling sound from the floor above Alexander. Then the trapdoor hinged upwards, and whoever had opened it knocked what looked like a coil of rope through the hatch. The coil turned out to be a rope ladder.

"Climb up," said the man who had opened the trapdoor. "Come on in, now."

Alexander did with some difficulty, considering the steps he had just had to climb. When he reached the top of the rope ladder, he crawled through the hatch and into a room that strongly resembled a ship's cabin. Rows and stacks of books were placed here and there, shelves holding seashells, chunks of driftwood and old bones decorated the walls, and a variety of charts and maps were pinned above a makeshift worktable, which was constructed out of a large plank supported by two tall stacks of old books.

A window seat graced the south side of the room, with several sad-looking cushions placed on it. The window itself looked more like a porthole than a window, and Alexander felt that he could see the whole town of Glaucus from it. He also noticed a familiar-looking tube protruding from the floor adjacent to the window seat, which continued upwards for several feet before curving towards one end of the window seat with a horn-like end to it. It was the other end of the trumpet that Alexander had seen beneath the house. Apparently the recluse used the trumpet to communicate with anyone he heard outside his home to ascertain whether he should invite them in or not.

Alexander examined the recluse himself: he was a short, plump, middle-aged man, wearing a long robe that was so covered in patches that it was difficult to tell what the original garment was. His face was round and friendly, and his dark brown hair was turning white, but only around a spot just above the center of his widow's peak, making it look as if a pale sun were rising above his forehead.

"Good day to you, stranger," the recluse said.

"Good day," Alexander echoed. "Are you the one known as 'the recluse?'"

"I suppose I am," the recluse said. "What is your name, traveler?"

"Alexander."

"I see...and what exactly is it you want of me, Alexander?"

"I need to get to the realm of the Sea Fairies. I was told that the only way for me to do that was by magic, and that you were the one to ask about such an undertaking."

The recluse sighed and nodded slowly, casting his eyes downward.

"I suppose I am," he said gloomily. "I know more about magic than anyone else in this village."

"I was also told that there is an accomplished wizard in this village...are you he?"

The recluse shook his head.

"No, no,' he muttered. "That was my father. He was the most skilled magic-user this town has ever seen. As for myself, however..."

Here he sighed again.

"He tried his hardest to teach me, and I tried my hardest to become as great a wizard as he was, but I simply never had the knack. After a terrible magical accident, I swore off casting spells forever, and decided to become a doctor. Ten years ago, while I was traveling, Father disappeared. When I returned to Glaucus, I found all his belongings still scattered around this little shack. I never knew what happened to him."

"I'm sorry," Alexander said softly, trying to hide his own despair at the prospect that this recluse wouldn't be able to help him enter the Sea Fairies' kingdom after all. Vark's information about the wizard had been quite out of date.

After a respectful pause, he spoke again:

"So your knowledge of magic isn't enough to help me, then?"

"I didn't say that," the recluse said. "All I said was that I refuse to perform magic, but I still have a head full of magical knowledge and a house full of magical books and knick-knacks..."

Here his face became downcast once more.

"...But if I were you, I wouldn't risk your neck brewing up some dangerous potion or reciting some diabolical incantation. Magic is simply too dangerous for novices to meddle with."

"I've had experience with magic before," Alexander said. "And nothing's ever gone wrong..."

"Yet," the recluse interjected. "I had that same overconfident air before my little accident. Take my word for it; it's simply not worth the danger. I suppose you might think it's thrilling to risk death by traveling to that realm, but that kind of adventure just isn't..."

"I'm not doing this just for the sake of adventuring," Alexander said defensively.

"Oh?" the recluse asked. "For what other reason, then? Riches? Fame?"

"Family," Alexander replied coolly.

The recluse's eyes became wide, and he ran a hand though his hair.

"What happened?" he asked quietly. Something in the man's voice demeanor convinced Alexander that he could trust him.

"My son was taken by the fairies," the king said quietly. "I don't know why, but I'll do anything in my power to find him again and persuade the fairies to return him to me."

The recluse stared at Alexander in astonishment and pity.

"Good heavens," he finally gasped. "If I had known...please forgive me, friend. I had no idea..."

"No need to apologize," Alexander said, raising his hand. "Just help me, Recluse. That's all I ask."

"I shall, Alexander," the recluse said. "By the way: my name is Emmett."

"Then I'm glad to meet you, Emmett," Alexander said, warmly shaking the hand that the recluse offered to him.

Chapter 14:

"Now let me see," Emmett said, "I believe the best way to enter the Sea Fairies' realm would be through some form of transfiguration...have you undergone any sort of transfiguration before, Alexander?"

"Yes," Alexander replied, recalling the spell he had cast that had enabled him to briefly change into a fly and an eagle several years before.

"Good," Emmett said. "I suppose entering the realm as a seal or a fish would work, but you probably want to stay as close to your own shape as possible, correct?"

"Yes," said Alexander again. "I don't know how I'll be able to carry my son back with me if I have fins instead of arms."

"Then I think I know just the right spell you need," said Emmett, shuffling over to the nearest pile of books and starting to dig through it. After a few minutes of digging, he sighed and moved over to another pile.

"This may take a while," he said to Alexander. "Feel free to make yourself at home."

Alexander nodded and turned to examine the room once more. There were two doors leading off to adjacent rooms, but he didn't feel like exploring the rest of the recluse's house. The book-supported table he had noticed earlier was covered with beakers, retorts, glass tubes and vials, a mortar and pestle, and various other similar implements. They seemed like the sort of things a wizard would possess in order to create certain potions, but it seemed that a doctor could easily get some use out of them as well. There was another table near the north wall that had several medical instruments resting on it, and some distance from it was a large, leather-bound trunk. Various trinkets decorated the sparsely furnished room, either sitting on shelves or hanging from the ceiling. Among these odd knick-knacks were a piece of colored glass that was twisted like a piece of taffy, a small crystal ball, a sharks' jaws, and a tiny model of a castle inside a glass bottle -- the sight of which stirred some very unpleasant memories in Alexander.

"Ah-hah!" Emmett exclaimed triumphantly. "I found it!"

Alexander turned back to the recluse, who came shuffling eagerly towards him. It seemed like the length of his robe prevented him from walking normally. Emmett held out a large, crumbling book, which was open to a page near the middle.

"This is what you need," Emmett said, jabbing at one of the pages. Alexander frowned at it.

At the bottom of the page were the instructions for the creation of three different spells, written in an elegant, precise hand. The instructions called for a variety of odd ingredients that had to be combined in various ways. Above the instructions and to the left were two engravings labeled "Spell 1" and "Spell 2", both depicting a creature with the tail of a fish and the torso of a woman, but the top right section of the page was completely gone. It looked as if it had rotted away or been chewed to pieces by vermin.

"Emmett, this page..."

"I know," Emmett sighed. "It's been like that for decades. I don't know how it happened."

"But what was on the missing piece?" Alexander asked. "It might be something important."

"I'm afraid it was something important," Emmett said sadly. "You see, these instructions are for three spells: the first one allows the person who uses it correctly to breathe underwater, but as you probably know, humans are terrible swimmers. Thus the inclusion of these other two spells: one will temporarily transform a person into a mermaid or a merman -- or triton, as they are sometimes known -- while the other will transform a person into a merrow."

"A what?" Alexander asked.

"A merrow is a close relative of the mermaid," explained Emmett. "The females are almost identical to mermaids, but the males are spectacularly hideous and grotesque: clawed hands with webbed fingers, small beady eyes and thick warty skin. Though I have no firsthand experience in such a thing, I am certain that changing into one is hardly a pleasant experience."

Alexander nodded uneasily in agreement.

"So...which spell is the merman spell and which one is the merrow spell?"

"Ah," Emmett said sheepishly, "That's the problem with this page being incomplete. As you can see, the illustrations show how the spells change women, but since mermaids and female merrows are identical and the illustrations depicting how the spells alter men are gone, there's no way of telling the two spells apart."

Alexander groaned inwardly.

"And you can't remember which spell is which either?"

"No," Emmett said, shaking his large head. "I'm sorry, Alexander, but this is the only thing I have that can help you."

Alexander gazed cautiously at the incomplete spell page. Even though the instructions were complete, the missing illustrations made him apprehensive. However, the thought of Devin quickly made up his mind. He reached for the heavy book, but to his surprise, Emmett held up a hand to stop him.

"You don't need to take the entire book," the recluse said. "Just take the page. I have no need of it myself, after all."

He tore the thin page from the book and gently handed it to Alexander, who carefully pocketed it.

"I'm deeply grateful to you, Emmett," the king said reverently.

"I'm glad that I could be of assistance to you, friend," said Emmett. "Just remember what I said about magic: be careful with it. You never know when it might turn on you."

"I will," Alexander said solemnly, turning towards the trapdoor and preparing himself for the long climb down.

"Wait," Emmett suddenly said. "Do you plan on returning here?"

"To Glaucus or your house?"

"My house."

"I might. I may have need of your advice on other magical matters."

"In that case," Emmett said, digging into a pocket of his robe, "I want to give you this."

He held out a small silver ring, which Alexander took from him.

"Wear that ring and turn it on your finger thrice whenever you wish to return to my house. It will transport you to just below my door when you are elsewhere, and when you are here and wish to leave, it will transport you to the base of the stone steps."

"Why, thank you," Alexander laughed, slipping the ring onto the little finger of his left hand.

"My father forged that ring and many others like it," Emmett smiled. "And they've remained some of the few magical items that I still trust. They certainly make leaving and returning here less of a horror."

Alexander smiled, thanked Emmett for his help once more and carefully turned the ring three times. Instantly, the interior of the recluse's home vanished, and Alexander found himself standing on the lowest walkway of West Wedge.

Chapter 15:

Alexander pulled the page from Emmett's book out of his pocket and began to read the instructions at the bottom. Despite being unable to tell which of the two main spells was which, he knew that he had to start hunting down the various ingredients. Above the three spell directions was the heading "Spells For the Temporary Transformation of a Mortal into a Merbeing or a Merrow". Alexander continued reading:

Initial Spell (Caution: Prepare this potion first)
1 vial seawater
A small handful of the magical grass which grows about the village of Glaucus

1. Grind the grass to a pulp in a mortar.
2. Boil the seawater in a glass retort, separating the water from the salt. Discard the salt.
3. Squeeze the juice from the grass and mix it with the pure water. Keep the spent grass fibers, for they will be needed later.

This potion will enable the drinker to breathe underwater. It must be consumed before either of the two spells below are attempted.

---------------------------

Spell 1:
A talisman to invoke the powers of the sea
A thimble-sized lump of wrung-out Glaucan grass
A sprig of Cryptalis sea moss
A finger-sized section of the root of a red shrub from the Wandering Island
A large drop of fish oil
Seawater

1. Chop the root as finely as possible.
2. Mix the moss, grass and root together with the fish oil.
3: Add seawater to the mixture until it begins to congeal into a solid lump.
4. Wave the talisman over the lump. It will split open, revealing a tiny pill.
5. See bottom of page for further instructions.

---------------------------

Spell 2:
A talisman to invoke the powers of the sea
A thimble-sized lump of wrung-out Glaucan grass
A sprig of Cryptalis sea moss
A finger-sized section of the root of a red shrub from the Wandering Island
A silverheart shell
Seawater

1. Chop the root as finely as possible.
2. Scrape out the shining inside of the shell.
2. Mix the moss, grass and root together with the shell scrapings.
3: Add seawater to the mixture until it begins to congeal into a solid lump.
4. Wave the talisman over the lump. It will split open, revealing a tiny pill.
5. See bottom of page for further instructions.

---------------------------

After either of these spells has been completed, swallow the pill, but only after the preliminary potion been taken and the subject has immersed himself completely in water. The transformation will last until the subject leaves the water and intones the following:

Though a life 'neath the sea
Is for what some yearn
My home it is not
To earth I return

Alexander read the text carefully, then read it again a second time. Some of these ingredients seemed common and easy to acquire, while some were quite alien to him and gave him no clue as to where they could be found. Where did Cryptalis moss grow, and was this magical grass simply any type of grass that grew around Glaucus? However, out of all the strange and unusual ingredients listed on the page, it was the red shrub that made Alexander the most curious. The page clearly stated that it grew on the Wandering Island, but where was the Wandering Island?

Though Alexander didn't know where this island was, he did know someone who might. Tucking the page back into his pocket, he walked down the boardwalk towards the first place in Glaucus he had visited: the inn.

The old adventurer was still seated at his table in the corner. Alexander greeted him and again sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs.

"Tell me, Adventurer," Alexander asked. "Have you ever heard of the Wandering Island?"

"The Wandering Island," the adventurer breathed, "Yes, indeed I have. I spent many years searching for it, and eventually I discovered it. A very peculiar place indeed, covered with strange, thick soil, many strange plants but no animal life save for the birds that fly by it. And true to its name, that island wanders a good deal -- it is never in the same place twice."

"Then how did you find it?"

"I found a trader in possession of an amulet that he claimed would direct a ship towards the island," the adventurer replied. "I was skeptical at first, but amazingly, the amulet worked perfectly, and I reached the island within two days. I only stayed long enough to cut a sprig from one of the plants to prove that I'd been there. After all, I didn't want the island to drift off and leave my ship behind."

"Do you still have this amulet?" Alexander asked.

The adventurer stared incredulously at him.

"You want to go there, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," Alexander admitted.

"Well," the adventurer grumbled, "Seeing as how I have no more need of the amulet, you may take it, but on one condition."

"And what is that?"

"Please return it whenever you come back to Glaucus. As I said before, I still want to keep what little I have with me."

"I promise I will," Alexander said with a bow of his head. The adventurer opened his knapsack and rummaged around in it, eventually withdrawing a small amulet on a silver chain. The amulet was roughly triangular in shape and had a thick ridge running along its center. It was made of an odd, shiny material that was hard, yet strangely light, almost like bone. Attached to the amulet was a tiny silver arrow, mounted on a small, vertical rod sticking out of the amulet's center.

"Once you are at sea, that arrow will point the way to the Wandering Island," the adventurer said. "And once you have reached the Wandering Island, it will direct you back to the place you departed from -- in this case, Glaucus. That's all there is to it."

"Thank you very much, Adventurer," Alexander said. "

"Just be careful out there, Alexander," the adventurer warned. "There's something very sinister about that island..."

Chapter 16:

Alexander returned to the Dryad. Shappa wasn't on the top deck, but after a quick search of the lower deck, the king found him curled up in his hammock in their sleeping quarters. Alexander quietly cleared his throat, and Shappa sprang awake as if he had heard a cannon go off.

"Sorry, Shappa," Alexander said, "But we have to set sail."

"Are we through in Glaucus already?" Shappa asked.

"Definitely not," Alexander said, "But I need to visit a certain island before I do anything else in this town."

"And you know where this island is?"

"In a sense," Alexander faltered. "That is, I have this amulet that is supposed to direct a ship to the island."

He held the amulet up, and Shappa squinted intently at it.

"I don't know much about magic," he remarked, "But that amulet should work with the Dryad. Try putting it on one of the prow's branches."

Alexander turned and headed back towards the top deck, with Shappa close behind him. The pair headed towards the bow of the ship, where Alexander placed the silver chain the amulet hung on over one of the many branches that the Dryad had instead of a figurehead. Immediately, the gangplank began to fold itself up and the ship gracefully turned away from the pier, heading away from the rocky shallows and towards the open ocean.

"Looks like it works," Shappa said smugly. "I'm sure Vark will find your supplementing his magic with some of your own rather interesting."

"I suppose he might," Alexander agreed. "By the way, Shappa: what in the world keeps the Dryad from drifting away from the pier? That gangplank can't possibly be heavy enough to hold it in pl