After countless attempts Tulip has still been unsuccessful in bringing me out of this state, and my vision brings me to Cade and Jax discussing preparations for the groups journey. "The maids will see to a starter bundle of provisions. I suggest we find the others and make sure they're packed for the trip" Cade suggests to him. "Alright, once I find them we should meet up in Shelly's room" Jax tells him. Cade gives him a nod and they go their separate ways.
A few hours later...
Cade and Jax bring Bonnie and Arthur with them to Shelly's room where they find Thatcher in the midst of packing his and Shelly's things. Shelly snuggles Juliana tightly, and promises for their safe return home. "Not to worry majesty, she will be alright with me" Midi pipes up from behind Shelly as she lays Juliana in her tiny crib. "I know, but I just can't help but to worry. Please keep us informed if anything should happen" Shelly tells Midi, who gives her a nod and smile. Thatcher puts his arms around Shelly and says, "Come on darling, everyone is ready and waiting for us." She gives a slight smile and gently kisses Juliana's forehead. "We love you sweetheart. Alright, I think I'm ready now" she tells the group while she fights off tears. "Babe you don't have to come if you would prefer to stay here with our little one" Thatcher says tenderly as he knows she is battling the decision of either staying at the castle or finding Cirrus. "No dear, I need to go, not for me but for Cirrus. She has been there for me a lot. I think helping you all find her is the least I can do" she replies. "Alright, it's settled then! Let's head out to the barn and ready the horses for the trip" Cade instructs. Everyone agrees and follows him out to the barn.
When the group enters the barn, I can't help but notice all of the beautiful horses there. Cade chooses his personal and favorite black Mustang, Arthur and Bonnie pick out a stunning brown and while Appaloosa. Roonie and Luke a dark brown Shire horse, Jax a white Arabian, and last but not least, Thatcher and Shelly choose a light brown Clydesdale. As the group prepares their horses they discuss where to begin their journey to find Cirrus. "Well we know she didn't make it to Stone Ridge as of yet, she might have stopped at Castlerock. We should stop there first and see if she may have been there," Jax suggests. Cade nods before suggesting, "I agree, and if she isn't there, we can make our way to Stone Ridge. Hopefully someone has heard from her by then. "How far is Castlerock?" Bonnie wonders out loud. "It's a few days travel from here, but not nearly as far as Stone Ridge. I agree that we should check Castlerock first. Once the group is in agreement, they saddle their horses and set out on their journey for Castlerock.
Riding through the forest for nearly three hours now, the group has barely made any progress on their journey. Thanks to Clover's whining and having to pee every twenty minutes. At this rate, it will take them more than a week just to get to the castle gates. "Stop your belly aching and suck it up buttercup! We have a long trip ahead of us, and your whining is only holding us back" Shelly tells her in frustration. "I'll shut up when I'm good and ready to! It's not my fault that I'm pregnant, and this trip is taking forever" She retorts at Shelly. Bonnie raises her eyebrows in disbelief and asks, "Question: um, Clover if it's not your fault that you're pregnant...who's fault is it exactly?" Clover scowls at Bonnie, and refuses to answer. Instead she looks at her tummy and tells it, "See if Daddy would have stayed in Brendlewood like he should have we wouldn't be here in this awfulness."
Roonie, who usually stayed out of things like this, couldn't resist holding back any longer. "Well if you hate it so much then just go home! We are looking for our dear friend Cirrus, and if you don't care then just leave!" she explodes. Everyone stops a moment and looks at Roonie. "I've never seen her like this, she must be really upset about it" Luke whispers to Jax. "It's not that I don't want to help Cirrus, it's just miserable out here. How are we supposed to shower, and this horse is all smelly" Clover whines. "Oh for goodness sake, shut up Clover! I've got a stocking in my saddle bag and I think it would make a great gag!" Bonnie huffs. "You wouldn't dare!" Clover exclaims. Cade, who had been trying to ignore the situation, stops in his tracks and turns to face them all. "Listen everyone! We've got a long journey ahead of us, it might be uncomfortable, or unpleasant, but we aren't here to vacation! We're here to find Cirrus. Now, if you can't keep quiet, keep up, and keep nice, then you are welcome to turn back now. Otherwise let's get along and get it in gear! The faster we get there , the faster we can all rest" Cade tells them authoritatively. Clover makes a pouting face and wraps her arms around Jax and figures it best to keep quiet for the majority of the ride. Jax tells her that she better enjoy that while she can. "The only reason I'm letting you do that is so you don't fall off the horse, don't take it the wrong way" Jax grunts.
Five hours later...
Night has fallen and the group grows tired and hungry to the point that everyone is having a hard time keeping their eyes open. "We'll stop here and set up camp for the night. We can head out early in the morning" Cade announces to them. In a small clearing in the forest they dismount the horses, and begin to get to work setting up a camp. "Look hun I'm sorry for makin' such a fuss back there, but a girl like me isn't used to all this uh, nature. I need my big strong man to keep me save and happy" Clover tells Jax as she pulls him to the side and leans in for a kiss. "Stop it Clover! Listen I don't know who this kids father is, but it isn't me. We weren't even together when you got pregnant, do the math! You wanted to come along to find Cirrus, and that is great, but I am not interested in being together, ok?" Jax says bluntly. "How can you say that babe? You'll see we belong together, with our baby" Clover says completely ignoring what Jax was telling her. "Look I need to help the others now, why don't you see if the girls need any help" he replies angrily before heading off to find Cade.
Thatcher begins working on getting a nice fire going, while Shelly begins to get everything ready for their meal. "We found some nice berries!" Arthur announces as he and Bonnie return to camp. "Where is Clover?" Bonnie asks, and Shelly gives a hateful nod toward the tent. "Lounging. She said that she can't handle physical activities" Shelly scoffs. "Physical? Isn't that what got her in her predicament in the first place?" Bonnie chuckles. "I heard that!" Clover calls from the tent. "All you heard was the truth" Bonnie snaps back. Shelly rolls her eyes and hands Bonnie a bowl for the berries. "Good work on that fire! Have Cade and Jax returned yet?" Arthur asks Thatcher as he inspects the roaring fire. But, before Thatcher has a chance to answer, Cade and Jax emerge from the woods. Jax stands proudly holding up two large hares, "Got us some dinner!" he beams. "He's a pretty good shot with that bow" Cade adds as Jax hands off the rabbit to Shelly. The next half hour or so the group works hard preparing the meal, well all except Clover that is. "Funny how the royals seem to be the ones doing all of the work, while a commoner sits fanning herself in the comfort of the tent" Bonnie mutters. "I swear these mosquitoes just love to eat me up!" Roonie frowns slapping one off her forearm. "Well now, I'd say that is a bang up job! Good work everyone" Cade tells them as they sit down to the delicious meal they've prepared. Roasted rabbit, wild strawberries, and a chunk of the last of the bread.
Later that night after an evening full of singing songs and sharing laughs, they each lay sound asleep in their tents; Arthur snoring loudly. Bonnie sits up straight in the tent, "Always with the snoring!" she mumbles. Something catches her ear though, and she peeks out of their tent. "Oh no! What the.." she says in a startled tone before shaking Arthur awake. "Wake up! Wake UP! Someone's forgotten to tie up the horses; they're gone!" she exclaims. Rousing the others she begins darting through the forest making a clicking sound to call the horses. "Surely they haven't gone too far" she tells herself. "Bon you can't just go running off alone into the forest. Come back to camp where it's safe" an out of breath Arthur tells her. But as they approach camp they hear a very angry grunting, and reaching the clearing they find the men with their swords at the ready facing a great bear! Arthur and Bonnie freeze, and they glance at the women huddled together in fear.
"Don't move" whispers Cade, who is closest to them. For what seems like an eternity no one moved, no one made a sound. The bear remained on all fours giving a small grumble, just 3 feet away from Luke. He stood brave as he could muster, with his sword outstretched, but he was trembling a bit. Suddenly Clover bursts out into tears, alarming the bear! The now startled bear rises to his hind legs and lets out a ferocious growl as panic sweeps over the camp. Luke remains frozen solid, unable to move. "Luke, look out!" Jax cries out as he tackles him to the ground. Cade jumps in with his sword ready. He tries to attack but the bear swings his mighty paw against him, and he is thrown to the ground. The bear drops to all fours and takes off at a run towards the girls, who begin throwing nearby rocks at him and screaming. Arthur reaches for his sword but finds that his has gone missing, and he too begins throwing nearby objects at the very angry bear. Thatcher jumps in front of the women; sword in hand, just before the bear reaches them. It rises back to its hind legs and roars in fury, sending saliva raining over the lot of them. Thatcher prepares to strike, but suddenly it cries out in a groan and the giant bear begins to fall forward. Thatcher, Shelly, Roonie, and Clover look on in fear as the bear comes crashing down on them. They leap out of the way before its great weight crushes them, and are amazed at who has taken the bear down. Knuckles white from the tight grip of the blooded sword, Bonnie stands bravely behind where the bear once stood.
The group scrambles to get the camp back in order; the men dispose of the bear and the women prepare the bed tents. Finally after calming Clover, and everything in camp back to normal everyone settles back into their tents, and await dawn.
Hours later the sun peaks over the horizon as one by one the tent dwellers awake. They discuss the remaining trek to Castlerock over breakfast, and the craziness of the bear attack in the night. "Bon that was some impressive swordsmanship!" Thatcher tells her cheerily. The others chime in on her bravery and she thanks them. "Could that be a hint of blushing I see?" I think to myself as I'm certain her cheeks turn a faint pink color. "We're just on the edge of the forest, through there enters out into a massive prairie. We cross that, and we'll be arriving at Castlerock!" Cade informs them. "It's going to take us even longer now that that stupid bear ran the horses off, but we'll manage" Thatcher adds. "Better get a move on then" says Luke as he begins gathering up things scattered around the camp. They pack their things and set out to Castlerock, a little worse for the wear but ready to take on the day none the less.
Later that day...
As the late afternoon approaches, the group nears the edge of the prairie. Tall straw grass brushes against their skirts and trousers, and some of the girls collect wildflowers that are growing willy-nilly along the way. The bright sun shines through a mostly clear sky, with fluffy clouds strewn about here and there. They create large shady patches across the prairie, which is a perfect break from the direct sunlight. "Are we ever going to get there? I don't like all this tall grass, it's so itchy!" Clover complains. "No one asked you to come Clover, you demanded it" Jax huffs as sweat drips from his brow. Not pleased by his reaction Clover falls back and strides along slowly behind the others. "I've never been to Castlerock before, what's it like?" Bonnie asks Roonie as the two gather more wildflowers. "Well I've never been there myself but I hear it's beautiful, and the mermaids are really friendly!" she replies eagerly. "Mermaids? I never knew they existed!" Bonnie exclaims. Overhearing their conversation Arthur chuckles and chimes in, "Oh yes! They are very interesting creatures, just wait and see!"
Large gray boulders separate the vast prairie lands from Castlerock, and the group slowly works their way down the rocky steep. "Watch your step!" Cade calls out. The base of the rocky bluff turns to smaller stones, and eventually to a sandy beach. The ocean waves crash against the shore, and the group collect seashells from the sand as they walk. Around a curve of the beach they suddenly stop, and stand in awe! "There it is!" Cade calls out to the rest of them. Embedded in the side of the cliff the rocks form a grand entrance with a large stone door.
Tired and weary from the journey, the group reaches the entrance. The stone door wears a lavish decoration of sea shells, and in the very center is a large hand print. They each look from one to another, asking who should be the first to try to place their hand upon it. "I think it works as sort of a door bell" Cade tells them. "Maybe anyone can just place there hand there...I'll give it a try" Jax offers. He places his hand into the hand print on the door, and the shells glow a bright yellow before the door slides open.
Everyone enters, and they find themselves in a small stone room. Pictures of merfolk hang on one of the side walls of the room, while masks and wetsuits are hung on the opposite wall. They each select a mask and suit, placing it on themselves. Roonie points to the furthest wall where a large lever is placed. Thatcher steps over to it, waits for Shelly to close the stone door leading to the beach, and pulls the lever. Suddenly the room begins to fill with water, and once it has been completely filled, the door with the lever swings open.
Through the door they find themselves in an underwater tunnel, and at the far end lies an elevator. Climbing in, they proceed to push the large button and travel downward. Down, down, down the elevator sinks. Finally it lands and the doors slide open. In front of them lies an underwater paradise of fish, coral and beautifully colored seaweed. They step out onto a path on the ocean floor that has been lined with odd sea plants with large yellow flower bulbs at the top. "They must use those as streetlights" I think to myself as I watch the group walk down the path. It narrows and at the end is a large metal gate covered in barnacles, set between two huge rock walls. Roonie peeks through the gate and see's up ahead is a magnificent castle and merfolk swimming happily about their evening. "Welcome! Please come in!" a cheery guard greets them. He opens the gate latch and motions them all inside.
The castle stretches high toward the surface and almost seems to sparkle from the shell embellishments. Behind their masks, I know that the group must be truly excited. They follow the guard to the castle entrance where a middle-aged mermaid behind a counter gives them a smile. "Visitors! They shall be requiring the breathing kelp" the guard tells her. "Oh of course!" she replies, giving them a smile. "Ok step through this door and pull the lever to drain the water. Then eat your kelp, immediately pulling the lever to return the water to the room. The kelp will allow you to breath under water as we do! The effects will last until you eat a bit of sea cucumber, this will return your breathing to its normal oxygen habits" she tells them pointing to a door nearby.
Everyone does as they are told and join the woman at the counter again. "My name is Priscilla, if you have any questions about the castle or kingdom please let me know" she says. Everyone greets her and Shelly pipes up, "Well actually we were wondering if we would be able to see the King and Queen." Priscilla nods, "Yes! Sure thing, follow me." She leads them up a golden staircase and down the hall to the throne room. Just outside the door, Priscilla asks for our names, then opens the door and announces us.
On two huge glittering thrones sit a merman, and mermaid. There was no doubt they were nearing old age, but their sparkling hair and eyes shone brightly. Both have crowns made of shell and coral that adorn their heads, and bright flashy tails that flick every so often. The King's tail looks strong and is a brilliant orange hue, while the Queens appears more dainty and has a brilliant purple coloration. As the group approaches them, they both smile brightly to welcome them all.
"Welcome newcomers, welcome to Castlerock!" the sea King greets, "I am King Tidus and this is my wife, Queen Nerina." Everyone greets the King and introduces themselves politely. "What brings you to Castlerock? We don't have many visitors such as yourselves" King Tidus asks. "We're looking for a dear friend of ours, she once was Queen of Brendlewood actually. She's an enchantress, goes by the name Cirrus Wisteria" Luke tells the King and Queen. The group takes turns describing the events that have led them thus far, and the old King strokes his beard in thought, while Queen Nerina looks on in worry. "Gracious!" she whispers. "My that is something, haven't heard of a Cirrus I'm afraid. You say she was on her way to Stone Ridge? That's quite far from here.." he trails off. "Well your majesty we thought she may have gotten lost you see" Roonie squeaks. "Perhaps some of the villagers have heard of her. You are more than welcome to ask around, in fact why don't you stay a day or two. We have more than enough room for you, and that way you will have time to check with everyone you wish" Queen Nerina offers.
"Splendid idea my darling! Won't you all stay?" the King asks. The group softly discusses the idea before agreeing happily. King Tidus laughs happily and motions for a guard to see them to their rooms to get cleaned up. "We'll be having dinner soon, so we will see you then! Make yourselves at home, and please don't hesitate to ask for anything you need" the Queen tells them. "Thank you so much!" Bonnie and the others reply with gratitude before following the guard to get settled.
A few hours later...
Cade and Jax bring Bonnie and Arthur with them to Shelly's room where they find Thatcher in the midst of packing his and Shelly's things. Shelly snuggles Juliana tightly, and promises for their safe return home. "Not to worry majesty, she will be alright with me" Midi pipes up from behind Shelly as she lays Juliana in her tiny crib. "I know, but I just can't help but to worry. Please keep us informed if anything should happen" Shelly tells Midi, who gives her a nod and smile. Thatcher puts his arms around Shelly and says, "Come on darling, everyone is ready and waiting for us." She gives a slight smile and gently kisses Juliana's forehead. "We love you sweetheart. Alright, I think I'm ready now" she tells the group while she fights off tears. "Babe you don't have to come if you would prefer to stay here with our little one" Thatcher says tenderly as he knows she is battling the decision of either staying at the castle or finding Cirrus. "No dear, I need to go, not for me but for Cirrus. She has been there for me a lot. I think helping you all find her is the least I can do" she replies. "Alright, it's settled then! Let's head out to the barn and ready the horses for the trip" Cade instructs. Everyone agrees and follows him out to the barn.
When the group enters the barn, I can't help but notice all of the beautiful horses there. Cade chooses his personal and favorite black Mustang, Arthur and Bonnie pick out a stunning brown and while Appaloosa. Roonie and Luke a dark brown Shire horse, Jax a white Arabian, and last but not least, Thatcher and Shelly choose a light brown Clydesdale. As the group prepares their horses they discuss where to begin their journey to find Cirrus. "Well we know she didn't make it to Stone Ridge as of yet, she might have stopped at Castlerock. We should stop there first and see if she may have been there," Jax suggests. Cade nods before suggesting, "I agree, and if she isn't there, we can make our way to Stone Ridge. Hopefully someone has heard from her by then. "How far is Castlerock?" Bonnie wonders out loud. "It's a few days travel from here, but not nearly as far as Stone Ridge. I agree that we should check Castlerock first. Once the group is in agreement, they saddle their horses and set out on their journey for Castlerock.
Riding through the forest for nearly three hours now, the group has barely made any progress on their journey. Thanks to Clover's whining and having to pee every twenty minutes. At this rate, it will take them more than a week just to get to the castle gates. "Stop your belly aching and suck it up buttercup! We have a long trip ahead of us, and your whining is only holding us back" Shelly tells her in frustration. "I'll shut up when I'm good and ready to! It's not my fault that I'm pregnant, and this trip is taking forever" She retorts at Shelly. Bonnie raises her eyebrows in disbelief and asks, "Question: um, Clover if it's not your fault that you're pregnant...who's fault is it exactly?" Clover scowls at Bonnie, and refuses to answer. Instead she looks at her tummy and tells it, "See if Daddy would have stayed in Brendlewood like he should have we wouldn't be here in this awfulness."
Roonie, who usually stayed out of things like this, couldn't resist holding back any longer. "Well if you hate it so much then just go home! We are looking for our dear friend Cirrus, and if you don't care then just leave!" she explodes. Everyone stops a moment and looks at Roonie. "I've never seen her like this, she must be really upset about it" Luke whispers to Jax. "It's not that I don't want to help Cirrus, it's just miserable out here. How are we supposed to shower, and this horse is all smelly" Clover whines. "Oh for goodness sake, shut up Clover! I've got a stocking in my saddle bag and I think it would make a great gag!" Bonnie huffs. "You wouldn't dare!" Clover exclaims. Cade, who had been trying to ignore the situation, stops in his tracks and turns to face them all. "Listen everyone! We've got a long journey ahead of us, it might be uncomfortable, or unpleasant, but we aren't here to vacation! We're here to find Cirrus. Now, if you can't keep quiet, keep up, and keep nice, then you are welcome to turn back now. Otherwise let's get along and get it in gear! The faster we get there , the faster we can all rest" Cade tells them authoritatively. Clover makes a pouting face and wraps her arms around Jax and figures it best to keep quiet for the majority of the ride. Jax tells her that she better enjoy that while she can. "The only reason I'm letting you do that is so you don't fall off the horse, don't take it the wrong way" Jax grunts.
Five hours later...
Night has fallen and the group grows tired and hungry to the point that everyone is having a hard time keeping their eyes open. "We'll stop here and set up camp for the night. We can head out early in the morning" Cade announces to them. In a small clearing in the forest they dismount the horses, and begin to get to work setting up a camp. "Look hun I'm sorry for makin' such a fuss back there, but a girl like me isn't used to all this uh, nature. I need my big strong man to keep me save and happy" Clover tells Jax as she pulls him to the side and leans in for a kiss. "Stop it Clover! Listen I don't know who this kids father is, but it isn't me. We weren't even together when you got pregnant, do the math! You wanted to come along to find Cirrus, and that is great, but I am not interested in being together, ok?" Jax says bluntly. "How can you say that babe? You'll see we belong together, with our baby" Clover says completely ignoring what Jax was telling her. "Look I need to help the others now, why don't you see if the girls need any help" he replies angrily before heading off to find Cade.
Thatcher begins working on getting a nice fire going, while Shelly begins to get everything ready for their meal. "We found some nice berries!" Arthur announces as he and Bonnie return to camp. "Where is Clover?" Bonnie asks, and Shelly gives a hateful nod toward the tent. "Lounging. She said that she can't handle physical activities" Shelly scoffs. "Physical? Isn't that what got her in her predicament in the first place?" Bonnie chuckles. "I heard that!" Clover calls from the tent. "All you heard was the truth" Bonnie snaps back. Shelly rolls her eyes and hands Bonnie a bowl for the berries. "Good work on that fire! Have Cade and Jax returned yet?" Arthur asks Thatcher as he inspects the roaring fire. But, before Thatcher has a chance to answer, Cade and Jax emerge from the woods. Jax stands proudly holding up two large hares, "Got us some dinner!" he beams. "He's a pretty good shot with that bow" Cade adds as Jax hands off the rabbit to Shelly. The next half hour or so the group works hard preparing the meal, well all except Clover that is. "Funny how the royals seem to be the ones doing all of the work, while a commoner sits fanning herself in the comfort of the tent" Bonnie mutters. "I swear these mosquitoes just love to eat me up!" Roonie frowns slapping one off her forearm. "Well now, I'd say that is a bang up job! Good work everyone" Cade tells them as they sit down to the delicious meal they've prepared. Roasted rabbit, wild strawberries, and a chunk of the last of the bread.
Later that night after an evening full of singing songs and sharing laughs, they each lay sound asleep in their tents; Arthur snoring loudly. Bonnie sits up straight in the tent, "Always with the snoring!" she mumbles. Something catches her ear though, and she peeks out of their tent. "Oh no! What the.." she says in a startled tone before shaking Arthur awake. "Wake up! Wake UP! Someone's forgotten to tie up the horses; they're gone!" she exclaims. Rousing the others she begins darting through the forest making a clicking sound to call the horses. "Surely they haven't gone too far" she tells herself. "Bon you can't just go running off alone into the forest. Come back to camp where it's safe" an out of breath Arthur tells her. But as they approach camp they hear a very angry grunting, and reaching the clearing they find the men with their swords at the ready facing a great bear! Arthur and Bonnie freeze, and they glance at the women huddled together in fear.
"Don't move" whispers Cade, who is closest to them. For what seems like an eternity no one moved, no one made a sound. The bear remained on all fours giving a small grumble, just 3 feet away from Luke. He stood brave as he could muster, with his sword outstretched, but he was trembling a bit. Suddenly Clover bursts out into tears, alarming the bear! The now startled bear rises to his hind legs and lets out a ferocious growl as panic sweeps over the camp. Luke remains frozen solid, unable to move. "Luke, look out!" Jax cries out as he tackles him to the ground. Cade jumps in with his sword ready. He tries to attack but the bear swings his mighty paw against him, and he is thrown to the ground. The bear drops to all fours and takes off at a run towards the girls, who begin throwing nearby rocks at him and screaming. Arthur reaches for his sword but finds that his has gone missing, and he too begins throwing nearby objects at the very angry bear. Thatcher jumps in front of the women; sword in hand, just before the bear reaches them. It rises back to its hind legs and roars in fury, sending saliva raining over the lot of them. Thatcher prepares to strike, but suddenly it cries out in a groan and the giant bear begins to fall forward. Thatcher, Shelly, Roonie, and Clover look on in fear as the bear comes crashing down on them. They leap out of the way before its great weight crushes them, and are amazed at who has taken the bear down. Knuckles white from the tight grip of the blooded sword, Bonnie stands bravely behind where the bear once stood.
The group scrambles to get the camp back in order; the men dispose of the bear and the women prepare the bed tents. Finally after calming Clover, and everything in camp back to normal everyone settles back into their tents, and await dawn.
Hours later the sun peaks over the horizon as one by one the tent dwellers awake. They discuss the remaining trek to Castlerock over breakfast, and the craziness of the bear attack in the night. "Bon that was some impressive swordsmanship!" Thatcher tells her cheerily. The others chime in on her bravery and she thanks them. "Could that be a hint of blushing I see?" I think to myself as I'm certain her cheeks turn a faint pink color. "We're just on the edge of the forest, through there enters out into a massive prairie. We cross that, and we'll be arriving at Castlerock!" Cade informs them. "It's going to take us even longer now that that stupid bear ran the horses off, but we'll manage" Thatcher adds. "Better get a move on then" says Luke as he begins gathering up things scattered around the camp. They pack their things and set out to Castlerock, a little worse for the wear but ready to take on the day none the less.
Later that day...
As the late afternoon approaches, the group nears the edge of the prairie. Tall straw grass brushes against their skirts and trousers, and some of the girls collect wildflowers that are growing willy-nilly along the way. The bright sun shines through a mostly clear sky, with fluffy clouds strewn about here and there. They create large shady patches across the prairie, which is a perfect break from the direct sunlight. "Are we ever going to get there? I don't like all this tall grass, it's so itchy!" Clover complains. "No one asked you to come Clover, you demanded it" Jax huffs as sweat drips from his brow. Not pleased by his reaction Clover falls back and strides along slowly behind the others. "I've never been to Castlerock before, what's it like?" Bonnie asks Roonie as the two gather more wildflowers. "Well I've never been there myself but I hear it's beautiful, and the mermaids are really friendly!" she replies eagerly. "Mermaids? I never knew they existed!" Bonnie exclaims. Overhearing their conversation Arthur chuckles and chimes in, "Oh yes! They are very interesting creatures, just wait and see!"
Large gray boulders separate the vast prairie lands from Castlerock, and the group slowly works their way down the rocky steep. "Watch your step!" Cade calls out. The base of the rocky bluff turns to smaller stones, and eventually to a sandy beach. The ocean waves crash against the shore, and the group collect seashells from the sand as they walk. Around a curve of the beach they suddenly stop, and stand in awe! "There it is!" Cade calls out to the rest of them. Embedded in the side of the cliff the rocks form a grand entrance with a large stone door.
Tired and weary from the journey, the group reaches the entrance. The stone door wears a lavish decoration of sea shells, and in the very center is a large hand print. They each look from one to another, asking who should be the first to try to place their hand upon it. "I think it works as sort of a door bell" Cade tells them. "Maybe anyone can just place there hand there...I'll give it a try" Jax offers. He places his hand into the hand print on the door, and the shells glow a bright yellow before the door slides open.
Everyone enters, and they find themselves in a small stone room. Pictures of merfolk hang on one of the side walls of the room, while masks and wetsuits are hung on the opposite wall. They each select a mask and suit, placing it on themselves. Roonie points to the furthest wall where a large lever is placed. Thatcher steps over to it, waits for Shelly to close the stone door leading to the beach, and pulls the lever. Suddenly the room begins to fill with water, and once it has been completely filled, the door with the lever swings open.
Through the door they find themselves in an underwater tunnel, and at the far end lies an elevator. Climbing in, they proceed to push the large button and travel downward. Down, down, down the elevator sinks. Finally it lands and the doors slide open. In front of them lies an underwater paradise of fish, coral and beautifully colored seaweed. They step out onto a path on the ocean floor that has been lined with odd sea plants with large yellow flower bulbs at the top. "They must use those as streetlights" I think to myself as I watch the group walk down the path. It narrows and at the end is a large metal gate covered in barnacles, set between two huge rock walls. Roonie peeks through the gate and see's up ahead is a magnificent castle and merfolk swimming happily about their evening. "Welcome! Please come in!" a cheery guard greets them. He opens the gate latch and motions them all inside.
The castle stretches high toward the surface and almost seems to sparkle from the shell embellishments. Behind their masks, I know that the group must be truly excited. They follow the guard to the castle entrance where a middle-aged mermaid behind a counter gives them a smile. "Visitors! They shall be requiring the breathing kelp" the guard tells her. "Oh of course!" she replies, giving them a smile. "Ok step through this door and pull the lever to drain the water. Then eat your kelp, immediately pulling the lever to return the water to the room. The kelp will allow you to breath under water as we do! The effects will last until you eat a bit of sea cucumber, this will return your breathing to its normal oxygen habits" she tells them pointing to a door nearby.
Everyone does as they are told and join the woman at the counter again. "My name is Priscilla, if you have any questions about the castle or kingdom please let me know" she says. Everyone greets her and Shelly pipes up, "Well actually we were wondering if we would be able to see the King and Queen." Priscilla nods, "Yes! Sure thing, follow me." She leads them up a golden staircase and down the hall to the throne room. Just outside the door, Priscilla asks for our names, then opens the door and announces us.
On two huge glittering thrones sit a merman, and mermaid. There was no doubt they were nearing old age, but their sparkling hair and eyes shone brightly. Both have crowns made of shell and coral that adorn their heads, and bright flashy tails that flick every so often. The King's tail looks strong and is a brilliant orange hue, while the Queens appears more dainty and has a brilliant purple coloration. As the group approaches them, they both smile brightly to welcome them all.
"Welcome newcomers, welcome to Castlerock!" the sea King greets, "I am King Tidus and this is my wife, Queen Nerina." Everyone greets the King and introduces themselves politely. "What brings you to Castlerock? We don't have many visitors such as yourselves" King Tidus asks. "We're looking for a dear friend of ours, she once was Queen of Brendlewood actually. She's an enchantress, goes by the name Cirrus Wisteria" Luke tells the King and Queen. The group takes turns describing the events that have led them thus far, and the old King strokes his beard in thought, while Queen Nerina looks on in worry. "Gracious!" she whispers. "My that is something, haven't heard of a Cirrus I'm afraid. You say she was on her way to Stone Ridge? That's quite far from here.." he trails off. "Well your majesty we thought she may have gotten lost you see" Roonie squeaks. "Perhaps some of the villagers have heard of her. You are more than welcome to ask around, in fact why don't you stay a day or two. We have more than enough room for you, and that way you will have time to check with everyone you wish" Queen Nerina offers.
"Splendid idea my darling! Won't you all stay?" the King asks. The group softly discusses the idea before agreeing happily. King Tidus laughs happily and motions for a guard to see them to their rooms to get cleaned up. "We'll be having dinner soon, so we will see you then! Make yourselves at home, and please don't hesitate to ask for anything you need" the Queen tells them. "Thank you so much!" Bonnie and the others reply with gratitude before following the guard to get settled.
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