Angel's Quest
Part 2

    Please let me take a moment to remind you that all characters, settings, etc. are © Chezza Goacher. Can I also remind you not to redistribute this without my permission, and not to copy or alter it full stop? Thank you.

    By the time Aaron’s captor had stopped pushing him around the building, they were in a room that bore banners on every wall, each one showing the same image as the flags. It certainly looked like Raleck had desperately tried to make his mark on the place.
    A short while later, King Raleck himself marched into the room. Although he was still wearing his pyjamas, his thick, black hair had been neatly combed and he had still found enough dignity to wear the royal crown. A gold chain could be seen around his neck, but what it held was hidden underneath his nightshirt.
    Behind him was the knight who in a few short hours had become something of a thorn in Aaron’s side. He held in one hand a large cage containing Carmoss. The little dragon chirped pitifully when he caught sight of Aaron.
    “This had better be good, Sir Lewis,” Raleck muttered, “Do you know you interrupted the best dream I’ve ever had in years?”
    “Sorry, Your Majesty,” Sir Lewis replied, “but I thought you’d like to see the Sky warrior for yourself.”
    “Typical,” the king rolled his eyes, “You wait ages for a decent dream that involves hordes of beautiful women, and then you have to wake up and deal with some winged pest instead! Right, where is he? The little creep that had to go and ruin my evening?”
    As soon as he finished speaking, the king caught sight of Aaron. He paced around in front of him, looking the angel over.
    “So, you thought you could sneak into my castle and assassinate me, then?” he asked.
    “Well, I wanted to give it a try,” Aaron mumbled.
    “It’s funny,” Raleck said as he turned around and sat on his throne, “You would’ve thought a Sky warrior would have put up more of a fight. Clearly, they don’t make them like they used to.”
    “No one sent me,” Aaron admitted boldly.
    “What, so you just decided to fly down here and off me, then? Very silly mistake to make, Sky warrior.”
    “I didn’t even fly down! I fell, OK? It was an accident!”
    “You fell?” Raleck allowed himself an amused chuckle, “Sorry, what kind of Sky warrior are you? Sky people don’t fall, they soar gracefully in the air.”
    “My wing was hurt, I couldn’t fly!” Aaron was livid at this point, “I’m doing this to repay the family that took care of me while it healed!”
    “How noble of you.”
    “Get him! Get him!” Carmoss shrieked from inside his cage.
    Ignoring the outburst, Raleck continued to gaze at Aaron. “What were you told?” he asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
    “I know you overthrew the previous king and even killed his son! And now you use your power to rob your subjects of their food and money!”
    Raleck waved away the rest of the guards, except for Sir Lewis, and then walked towards Aaron again.
    “I admit that I may have had something to do with the death of the dear old king and his wife,” he said in a dangerous tone, “But I never killed Lucan. I merely got rid of him. He’s free to challenge me whenever he wants to, although I would find it funny if he ever did!
    “Trust me, I’m much better monarch material than he ever would be. Snobby, vain, foppish little snot he is! Believe me, I was working in this kingdom’s best interests.”
    “So it was in the kingdom’s best interests that you killed its current king, then?”
    “Yes, I know, that may have been a little rash. He was a nice king. The people loved him. But I’m protecting their future! I’ve saved them from future years of being ruled by that prat Lucan! He deserves to live with pond life, and that’s where he’s staying!”
    Aaron glared at him defiantly and spat, “You’re no better! I’ve never met Lucan, but I’m already certain he’d make a better king than you!”
    “And what are you going to do about it, Sky warrior?” Raleck challenged him, coming face to face with the angel.
    “This!” Aaron announced, and he punched Raleck in the stomach with strength that surprised even him.
    As the king doubled over in pain, Aaron dashed over to Lewis. With his free hand, the knight drew out his sword and pointed it at his opponent, trying to track Aaron’s movements. The angel ducked and dived in an attempt to find an opening, eventually kicking out at the hand holding Carmoss’s cage.
    Once the cage fell to the floor, Aaron scrambled to open it, freezing only when he felt the point of Lewis’s sword against the back of his neck. Riled up by the recent events, Carmoss squirmed out of the cage through the narrow opening that Aaron had managed to create, and tried to breathe a shot of flames at Lewis. However, like before, the flame withered and vanished into thin air with a puff of smoke.
    “That’s it?” Sir Lewis said mockingly, “Looks like your pet is no threat to us after all.”
    With a sharp cry, Carmoss jumped up at the knight and pierced his claws into his chest while nipping at his nose at the same time.
    “Aargh!” Lewis screamed, “Get him off! Get him off!” He dropped his sword with a loud clatter to the floor and tried to prise the angry dragon off him with both hands.
    Seeing his chance, Aaron grabbed the sword and ran towards King Raleck, who had finally managed to get up.
    “You… you wouldn’t,” Raleck pleaded as the angel hovered the blade by his neck, “You wouldn’t kill an unarmed man, would you? Look at me! I’m still in my pyjamas. This is hardly a fair fight now, is it?”
    “I was unarmed seconds ago and your lackey tried to kill me with this very sword,” Aaron pointed out, “Was that fair?”
    “Oh please, give me one more chance!” Raleck begged, “I swear, I’ll be a good king!” He fell to his knees and fumbled with his shirt as he spoke.
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “Then you leave me with no other choice.” Reaching into his shirt, Raleck pulled out the amulet that he wore around his neck. The talisman was in the shape of a horned, demonic head, the eyes of which glowed bright red with an eerie light.
    Red smoke billowed from the amulet, blew away behind Raleck, and twisted and formed into the ghostly apparition of a dragon. This was a full-grown dragon with wild red eyes and fiery breath that was a great deal more deadly than Carmoss’s.
    Within seconds, the smoky shape took on solid form, and the black and red dragon immediately rounded on Aaron.
    Sir Lewis eventually found the strength to pull Carmoss off himself, took one look at the ferocious dragon that had suddenly appeared and, dropping Carmoss before he went, darted out of the throne room and slammed the door shut behind him.
    The guards stationed outside the throne room overheard the commotion, but as soon as they opened the door and clapped eyes on the giant dragon, they instantly ran back out again.
    Aaron watched the dragon closely, dodging its every move as best he could. However, as he ducked under a swiping talon, he failed to notice the tail swing towards him, and found himself knocked over to the other side of the room.
    Aaron tried to stand up, but the dragon soon loomed over him. He coughed and choked as the reptile’s foul breath invaded his nostrils, and crawled towards the sword that he dropped a little way away from him. As soon as he found it, he held it in both hands and tried to pierce it straight through the dragon’s underbelly. However the task was not an easy one, as the dragon’s scales provided it with strong protection.
    The dragon tried to burn Aaron with its breath and squash his with its claws, but he swiftly crawled and rolled underneath the creature. After minutes that felt like hours had passed, Aaron shot the sword straight up through a gap in his foe’s scales.
    The beast roared in pain for a while, and then dissolved into the red smoke that it had appeared from, which soon disappeared after that.
    King Raleck gasped in shock when he saw that the monster had been defeated. He then squirmed in fear as Aaron took a giant, wing-assisted leap across the room and pointed the sword at him again.
    “No, please! I’m sorry! Just one more chance! Please! I beg of you!” the king exclaimed.
    But Aaron was having none it. He stabbed the blade straight into Raleck’s chest, and didn’t remove it until the king slumped lifelessly onto the floor, the crown falling from his head.
    “He wasn’t so tough,” Carmoss remarked once the pair were certain that he was dead. “So, who’s king of this place now?” he added, cocking his head to one side curiously.
    “Well, if Raleck was telling the truth when he said that he didn’t kill Prince Lucan, then I suppose it must be him,” Aaron replied.
    “You’re not saying that we have to go and find him now, do you?” Carmoss sounded almost aghast at the thought.
    “No, we don’t have to. I vowed to kill King Raleck and I’ve done that.” Aaron bent down for a closer look at the pendant that Raleck’s body still wore. It looked pretty much the same as when he had first seen it, except now the eyes had stopped glowing and looked dark and hollow. Something about it seemed familiar, but Aaron couldn’t work out what it was. “Have you ever seen this before?” he asked, showing Carmoss the amulet.
    The little dragon shook his head. Aaron removed the amulet from Raleck’s body and placed it around his neck, hiding the demonic head underneath his own shirt.
    “Come on, Carmoss” he said, “let’s get out of here. I think we’ve caused enough trouble for one night.
    He approached one of the many windows lined between each banner, opened it, climbed onto the sill, and flew out into the moonlit night with Carmoss clinging onto his back.
    “Where to now?” the little dragon chirruped pleasantly.
    “What do you think?”
    “You don’t know?”
    “Exactly,” Aaron sighed, “but before we work out where we don’t know we’re supposed to be going, there’s one other place I want to go to first.”

    Carmoss gave Aaron a confused look when the two arrived at the lake they had passed on the way to the now deceased Raleck’s castle. By now the night had begun to diminish, and the sun was rising at the east.
    “Don’t worry,” the angel reassured him, “This won’t take long.” Looking out at the vast lake, he called out, “Hey, froggy!”
    It took a moment of shouting and waiting until there was any response. After a while, the frog that had spoken with the pair earlier emerged from the deep waters.
    “Did somebody call?” it asked. Spotting Aaron and Carmoss, it beamed a toothless, froggy smile. “Oh, it’s you two. Given up, have we? Good choice, lads. Best to keep hold of your lives for as much as you can, right?”
    “Actually,” Aaron grinned widely, “we’ve just come back from the castle, having killed King Raleck already.”
    “Impossible!” the frog snorted, “I refuse to believe such nonsense.”
    “It’s true!” Carmoss cried, snarling at the amphibian.
    “Just hear us out, OK?” Aaron said, trying to keep the peace between the two creatures, “I just want to ask you something, that’s all,” he added.
    The frog sighed and folded his arms. “What is it?”
    “It’s this.” Aaron reached down his shirt and pulled out the amulet that he had retrieved from Raleck. Upon seeing it, the frog screamed and nearly fell back into the water.
    “That’s… that’s…”
    “This is an amulet I stole from King Raleck after I killed him,” the angel explained.
    “It can’t be! Raleck uses that thing to summon monstrous creatures from the Netherworlds.”
    “The Netherworlds?”
    “Yes, the terrible, evil world below this one. Raleck would often use that amulet, or rather, the beast it summoned, to kill anyone who opposed him. And you… defeated it?”
    Aaron nodded.
    “My word! Bravo, oh mighty Sky warrior!”
    “Bit of a far cry from ‘have a pleasant funeral’, isn’t it?”
    “I take it back. I take it all back! You have my respect, Sky warrior, and my thanks.”
    “Your thanks?” Carmoss asked.
    The frog sighed again. “When I challenged him, I ended up with a better result than the others. I remember when I fought him, Raleck said that I wasn’t even worth killing, so although he summoned the monster, I was spared the terrible fate that usually resulted. I think the fact that I screamed my head off had something to do with it.”
    Carmoss tried to suppress a laugh at that last sentence, and ended up snorting out a large puff of smoke.
    The frog ignored him and continued, “Anyway, I instead let myself get captured. If I didn’t do what Raleck said, then he would have killed me for sure. Raleck then took me to an old witch he knew of.”
    “Witch?” Aaron interrupted him.
    “Yes, a witch. You don’t know what a witch is?”
    “Never mind. Just carry on.”
    The frog thought for a moment before picking up where he left off. “Anyway, they talked in private for a while and then the witch cursed me. She transformed me into what I am now and then left me here. I’ve been stuck here ever since.”
    Aaron took a moment to mull the story over. He then remembered what Raleck had said before he killed him.
    “‘He deserves to live with pond life’,” he muttered to himself. Staring down at the frog, he then asked, “Are you Prince Lucan?”
    The frog looked away, his green cheeks turning red with embarrassment.
    “You are, aren’t you?” Aaron tried not to sound amused.
    “He’s Prince Lucan?” Carmoss couldn’t stop himself now; he burst out laughing hysterically and rolled around the grass.
    “OK, stop it now,” Aaron said, desperately trying to keep a straight face, “Listen… Your Highness, can you tell me anything else about this amulet?”
    “All I know is that it’s used to summon Netherworld creatures.”
    “So you don’t know how he got it or anything?”
    “No.”
    “Could I use it if I wanted to?”
    “I doubt it. Especially since you killed the creature that it summoned.”
    “What if the creature was still alive?”
    “Again, I doubt it. No one knows, really. It’s not like anyone else ever got a chance to try. Raleck guarded that thing with his life.”
    “Right.” Aaron put the chain back on and then sat down on the ground, deep in thought.
    “What is it?” Carmoss asked.
    “I’m trying to work out what we should do now,” the angel replied.
    “I think the first thing you should do is try and get your memory back,” the dragon suggested.
    “Get his memory back?” Lucan asked.
    “I had an accident about a week or so ago, and I lost it,” Aaron explained, “I can’t remember anything that happened before I fell down to this world.”
    “Oh. I’m sorry. Was it important?”
    “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
    After an uncomfortable silence, Prince Lucan spoke up, “You know you were asking earlier what a witch is?”
    “Yes?” Aaron asked hesitantly.
    “Well, as stupid a question as it was, I will tell you now. A witch is a woman who knows about things like medicines and potions and stuff like that, as well as do things like magic and curses. Not many people like to be around them, but they are useful to have on your side.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah,” Carmoss confirmed, catching on to Lucan’s idea, “If we can find a witch, perhaps she can help bring your memory back.”
    “Do either of you know any witches?” Aaron asked, sounding hopeful at the idea.
    Carmoss shook his head, but Lucan replied, “Only the witch that cursed me.”
    “Great! Where is she, then?”
    “Somewhere far away from here,” Lucan said. “Sorry,” he added, noticing the disappointed faces he saw, “but after she cursed me, she hid me in one of her smelly pockets and took me here. Unfortunately, I have no idea which directions she took since the smell of the inside of her pocket was enough to knock me out! I dread to think about what she normally keeps in them! Even if I had seen where we went, it was a long time ago now, and I wouldn’t remember every little detail.”
    “If we go by air, it shouldn’t take long to find her,” Carmoss said.
    “As long as we go in the right direction,” Aaron added wisely, “Can you remember roughly which direction she went after she left you?” he asked Lucan.
    “Somewhere over there, I believe,” the frog prince replied, waving a hand vaguely towards the north of the lake.
    “Then we go that way,” Aaron decided.
    “So you’re really going?” Lucan asked in surprise.
    “Definitely,” Carmoss replied, leaping up onto Aaron’s shoulders.
    “Really? Well,” the frog looked somewhat ashamed, “if it’s fine with you, can I come? I mean,” he quickly regained his usual snooty dignity, “I’m the only one of us who even vaguely knows where she lives. Plus, I wonder if she will consider removing the curse on me since Raleck is now dead,” he added to himself in an undertone.
    “If you feel you must,” Aaron replied, “but you’d better make your mind up quick, because we’re leaving right now.” It seemed the angel wasn’t joking, as Prince Lucan had to hurry and grab onto Aaron’s leg as he took off and flew away in the direction he had been pointed in.

    Unfortunately, even from the air, the group couldn’t quite work out where the witch was supposed to live. They stopped early that afternoon for a rest and a snack. However, with Carmoss’s and Aaron’s limited hunting abilities, all they could find to eat were a few small birds. Lucan stared hungrily at the bird Carmoss was ripping apart, longing to eat it. It wasn’t a grand feast, but he would’ve given both arms and both legs to eat anything, absolutely anything, other than flies and insects.
    As the group finished off their dinner, they heard a soft thumping noise coming from the distance. Steadily, the noise grew louder, and the ground began to shake more and more as it did so.
    “What’s that?” Carmoss asked in a worried voice.
    “It’s coming from over there,” Aaron said, pointing at the source of the commotion.
    The sound in question was coming from the heavy footsteps of a giant marching his way towards the group.
    “Quick! Hide!” Carmoss cried, and the three rushed behind a nearby tree. Carefully, they each peered around to see what the giant was up to.
    It trampled some more until it was a little way away from where they once sat. From their hiding place, the trio could see that it was indeed giant. It was taller than the tree they were hiding behind. They could also see that it wielded a large club that was about the same size as the tree.
    The giant stomped towards the tree, causing the group to back away quickly and quietly. Carmoss suddenly started scratching himself and yelped in surprise as he felt something on his scales.
    “Quiet!” hissed Lucan, “He’ll hear us!”
    “But my scale feels itchy!” the young dragon whined in a low voice.
    “Here, let me have a look,” Aaron whispered, studying Carmoss’s scales. He identified the source of the trouble as being a bit of loose skin and swiftly pulled it off. This caused Carmoss to yelp once again, which in turn caused Prince Lucan to take a sharp breath and await the giant’s wrath that would surely result from the short outburst.
    However, the giant didn’t seem to hear them. It was too busy crouching down and inspecting each branch on the tree carefully. It then tore one off, stripped it of its leaves, and then used it to pick its teeth. It then carelessly tossed the branch away and stomped off somewhere else.
    Once they were such it was gone, Aaron, Carmoss, and Lucan all breathed a sigh of relief.
    “It must have come from that mountain,” Carmoss said, pointing his snout at a tall, rocky structure looming in the distance.
    “You imbecile!” Prince Lucan scolded the dragon, “You nearly got us killed! What was the matter with you?”
    “It was just this,” Aaron replied, holding up the piece of skin he had pulled from the dragon.
    “I think I might be shedding my skin again,” Carmoss said.
    “Oh good grief, does that mean we have to put up with you moulting now?” Lucan sounded both annoyed and horrified.
    “Hey! I’m getting bigger, you know! I need to shed my old scales so I can grow new, bigger ones!”
    “That is disgusting!” If Lucan could have wrinkled his nose, he would’ve done so.
    “Come on, you two,” Aaron said, walking off, “We need to find this witch.”
    “Aren’t we flying there?” Carmoss asked as he sidled up next to the angel.
    “Sorry, Carmoss, but I’m not carrying you if you’re going to be moulting everywhere.”
    “You can still carry me, though,” Prince Lucan said, leaping first onto Carmoss’s back, and then onto Aaron’s arm, before finally clambering onto his shoulder. “I can see now why you like it up here so much,” he added to Carmoss, “It’s such a nice view. I had forgotten how it feels to be as tall as this.”
    Carmoss snorted smoke in annoyance as he tried to keep up with Aaron’s pace, pausing only to scratch at the odd loose scale.

    It took hours of aimless wandering before the group came across a remote village near the foot of the mountain. Or rather, a somewhat devastated village with several giant footprints weaving through it.
    One of the distressed people caught sight of the trio, picked up a large plank, and tried to force them out.
    As Aaron tentatively stepped back, he spread out his wings for balance. The grizzled old man who was threatening them suddenly gave them a look of shock and awe.
    “It’s a Sky warrior!” he exclaimed. “Hey everybody!” he called out to the crowd behind him, “There’s a Sky warrior here!”
    Suddenly, Aaron felt as though he was back with Hope and her family, as waves of people rushed up to him, each wanting to get a closer look at him.
    Carmoss and Lucan scurried off as their friend was swallowed up in the crowd.
    “Should I bite them?” the little dragon asked, baring his teeth at the mass of people.
    “Don’t bother,” Lucan replied, “Let’s just wait until Mr. Popular either gets himself out of there or is suffocated by them. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

    “Carmoss? Lucan? Carmoss!” Aaron called out for his travelling companions as he searched the outskirts of the village for them.
    It had taken him a while, but he had finally managed to free himself from the crowd, but not before promising them that he would sort out their dilemma for them. It had dawned on him early on, ever since his encounter with Father Jack, that people would rely on him to fix their problems simply because he had wings and therefore must have come from the Sky Kingdom. And because the Sky people didn’t usually visit the ground world, then that made his arrival even more special and important.
    He was beginning to get fed up of this fuss. All he wanted to do was get his memory back and work out who he was and the real reason that he had ended up in this world. He wanted to go to the Sky Kingdom himself, but that mysterious barrier had blocked his way. That was something that puzzled him even more than his missing memory. If he had come from the Sky Kingdom, then why couldn’t he return?
    “Carmoss?” he called again. “Now I know how Marcus must have felt!” he muttered to himself before calling out for Lucan.
    “You called, Sky warrior?” the proud tones of Prince Lucan reached the angel’s ears.
    He looked up and saw the frog and the dragon settled up on a tree branch. Carmoss lay stretched out along it on his belly, sound asleep in the dimming light, while Lucan sat against the trunk.
    “Where have you been?” Aaron asked angrily, “I’ve been looking all over for you two!”
    “Up here,” Lucan replied, “away from the predators. So, how did it go with those peasants, then?”
    “Terrible,” Aaron said, slumping against the tree himself, “They were all over me like a rash! I couldn’t even fly away, they were surrounding me that much. In the end, I had to promise them that I would deal with their little problem, and then they let me go.”
    “Just out of curiosity, what is their ‘little problem’?”
    “That large man… thing.”
    “You mean the giant?”
    “Yes, that guy. The one that we saw earlier. Apparently, he’s been turning up in that village every once in a while, trampling roads and knocking houses over. He’s become something of a pest among the locals.”
    “Wait, he turns up every so often? Knocks houses over? And then the peasants rebuild the houses again?”
    “And then he knocks them over again.”
    Lucan stuck his tongue out slightly as he tried to mull everything over. “No, I don’t get it,” he said, “Why don’t these people just build new houses somewhere else?”
    “From what they said, the giant’s only a fairly recent problem,” Aaron explained, “That village has been thriving there for hundreds of years, and the townspeople don’t want to abandon it so easily.”
    “Oh, so it’s full of those stubborn types, then?” Lucan said. Putting on a mock elderly voice, he said, “‘I was born in this house and by gosh, I’ll die in this house!’ Those sorts of people, right?” he added in his normal voice.
    “I think that sums it up, yes. Couldn’t your father have done something about it? Before Raleck overthrew him, I mean?”
    “I suppose he could’ve done, if the giant moved in when he was still king. I don’t know much about what he did. I was all for the ladies, myself. Wanted to get a bit of excitement in before the dull, harsh realities of royal life set in, you know what I mean?”
    “No.”
    “Fair enough.” Sensing Aaron’s silence, the frog asked, “You’re not really going to deal with that giant, are you?”
    “I don’t know,” Aaron replied.
    “If you want my advice, don’t,” Lucan said, “What are these people offering you in return?”
    “Well, I tried to ask them about the witch, but they didn’t seem to listen, so I don’t think they’re offering anything.”
    “Exactly! Stuff them! Stuff the whole lot of them, that’s what I say!”
    “But they seem to think I’m some sort of saviour.”
    “But you can’t know if you are or not unless you get your memory back.”
    Aaron then looked slyly up at the frog prince. “You’re helping me get my memory back, aren’t you?” he pointed out.
    “Yes. What of it?” Lucan asked, trying to sound indifferent.
    “What are you expecting in return? I haven’t offered you anything.”
    “Well,” Lucan fidgeted for a moment, “this is my way of repaying you, for killing Raleck.”
    There was something in the prince’s voice that bothered Aaron. “And…” He said, hoping to coax out more information.
    “‘And’? There is no ‘and’! What makes you think there’s an ‘and’?”
    “You want that curse of yours removing, don’t you?”
    “Well, OK! Yes! Fine! I also want her to remove the curse on me! Is that so wrong?”
    “I don’t actually mind, but you should’ve said before we left,” Aaron said, “Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re just using us to get your curse removed.”
    “I did say. In a quiet voice. To myself.”
    “Fair enough.”
    “What? Is that it?” Lucan asked, “You’re not going to punish me or anything?”
    “Maybe, if I can find a suitable punishment for you.”
    “Oh, great. I look forward to it with great anticipation.”
    “You do that.”
    “I will.”
    As the two sat in uneasy silence, amid Carmoss’s quiet snoring, a single drop of rain began to fall. This was followed by another drop, and then another until the heavens burst open in a vain attempt to flood the world.
    While Lucan found the downpour quite refreshing, Aaron fussed over his wings. He had seen rain before one day when he was staying with Hope, but he hadn’t been out in it before, and worried about how long his wings would take to dry afterwards.
    Groaning, he glanced down at a small puddle forming by his feet, gazing hard at his reflection. Then, the image suddenly changed into one of a beautiful woman. Her delicate features were formed into an expression of concern, framed by locks of long, silvery hair. However, before Aaron could lower his head down for a closer look, the face disappeared as quickly as it came.
    He looked up at the branch above him, wondering if Lucan had seen anything. But the frog was fast asleep, lying on his back with his bulging belly sticking out.
    Aaron leaned against the rough bark and gently closed his eyes, allowing the rhythmic sounds of the rain to lull him to sleep.

    Neither Aaron nor Lucan mentioned the village’s plight to Carmoss the next morning. They just travelled onwards through the mountainside forest, Aaron still refusing to fly because of Carmoss’s scales.
    “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Aaron asked Lucan after a while, “Because I can’t help but get the feeling that we should’ve found her by now.”
    “What makes you think that?” Lucan asked in response.
    “Well, she can’t have gone far to drop you into that lake.”
    “Hey! Maybe her house is hidden somewhere, covered by trees and stuff, and we could’ve passed it without noticing a thing!” Carmoss suggested.
    Aaron and Lucan exchanged glances.
    “So? Was it hidden in any way?” Aaron asked.
    The frog prince tried to remember. “No, it wasn’t,” he replied, “It wasn’t hidden, I know that much.”
    “Then do you think you can help us out a bit more? Does anything look familiar, for example?”
    “I don’t know!” the frog prince shouted.
    “Remember this,” Aaron said sternly, “If we don’t find that witch, your curse will never be lifted.”
    “I know,” Lucan calmed down, “I swear, I’m helping you out as much as I can.”
    “Good. Because we both want to see this witch for our own purposes, and like it or not, Carmoss and I need you to help us find her, and you need us to protect you.”
    “Yeah!” Carmoss added, glaring at the small frog, “You wouldn’t last five minutes out here on your own!”
    “Oh, put a sock in it, Smoky!” Lucan said.
    “So, I’ll ask you again,” Aaron said, wishing to avoid the imminent confrontation, “Does anything here look familiar? Are we on the right track?”
    Prince Lucan took a deep breath and surveyed the surrounding area. All around the group were various trees and mossy rocks. Unlike the beautiful, lush green forest where Aaron and Carmoss had first met, this place seemed to mix greens with varying shades of greys and purples, giving the place a slightly colder atmosphere.
    “I think we’re on the right track,” he said slowly and carefully, “But I don’t quite recognise this particular part.”
    “But it’s definitely in this place somewhere, you’re sure of that?” Aaron asked.
    “Definitely.”
    “Are you really sure?” Carmoss asked, glaring at the frog prince again.
    “Yes, I’m sure!” Lucan wailed.
    “Do we need to go back at all?” Aaron queried, “Did anything we pass earlier jog your memory?”
    By now, Lucan was getting fed up with the interrogation, but he replied that there was no need for them to turn back.
    And so the group travelled on, their legs growing ever more weary and their patience slowly diminishing. As they marched on, Aaron and Carmoss realised that it wasn’t just in looks that this mountainside forest differed from the other forest they had been in. The jolly sounds of lively songbirds had been replaced with the harsh cries of eagles, and the eerie howls of wolves.
    But they pressed on nonetheless, still wary of Prince Lucan’s directions, or lack of them.
    “I think this might be the place. We’re getting close,” the frog prince eventually announced.
    He hopped away from the group and desperately searched around the undergrowth, while Aaron and Carmoss watched curiously.
    “Found it!” he soon cried, tugging at some low-hanging, mossy leaves, “It’s just through here! I’m sure of it!”
    Aaron and Carmoss glanced at each other before congratulating Lucan on his discovery. They then followed him through the curtain of leaves and along a winding path through some thorny plants, where a simple, stone house waited for them at the end of the trail.
    “That’s it! That’s it!” Lucan pointed at the house, “That’s where the witch lives! I remember it all now!”
    “I have to admit, you’ve done well. Now, let’s see if she can help me with my memory,” Aaron said in what he hoped was a jovial tone, and approached the house in much greater spirits than when the day started.
    He knocked on the door with his knuckles and heard the sound of footsteps coming from the inside. The door was then opened to reveal a young woman with raven-coloured hair in a black dress.
    “I thought you said she was old!” Aaron hissed under his breath at Lucan.
    “She’s a witch!” Lucan hissed back, “She can probably make herself young if she wants to!”
    “I take it you want my grandmother,” the girl said, rolling her eyes. She then beckoned the group in with a dainty finger.
    “Who is it, dearie?” an old, wizened voice asked from the darkness of the interior.
    “Just some guy with wings, a talking frog, and a cute little baby dragon,” the girl called back as she closed the door behind her visitors.
    Carmoss puffed his chest up with pride and grinned smugly at Lucan.
    “A man with wings?” the hidden voice repeated, “Oh, my! Just let me get my stick.”
    Now, the trio could see a strange, black mass moving about at the other end of the house’s sole, dimly lit room. After a lot of clattering about, the mass turned around and showed a wrinkled face underneath a black hat.
    The old woman came up to Aaron and stared at him in the face with her small, beady eyes.
    “My, my,” she said as she examined him, “Could this be? Why, yes. Yes, it is! It’s the Sky warrior, dearie,” she added to her granddaughter, “You remember? The one who that woman spoke of a few weeks ago. You know the one.”
    “Excuse me?” Aaron said, “Did you just say that someone came here a few weeks ago and spoke about me?”
    “Not about you, exactly,” the witch replied, “But you certainly match the description I was given. And before you ask, I cannot divulge who it was. And don’t bother pestering me about it, either. I have no time for pests! Gah!”
    With one swipe of her walking stick, the witch swatted an insect that had been buzzing around inside the room.
    “So, my dears,” she said, turning back towards the group, “What is it that you’re after? I assume that you are in need of my services.”
    Aaron cleared his throat nervously. “Well, uh… old witch…” he began to say.
    “Please, dear, call me Remina.”
    “Right.”
    “And this is my granddaughter, Jemima,” the witch introduced the young woman stood by her.
    “Hi, Jemima,” Carmoss said shyly, “My name’s Carmoss.” He waved a claw at the younger witch.
    “Anyway, Remina,” Aaron said, “the thing is, well, to cut a long story short, I fell down to this place from somewhere, presumably the Sky Kingdom, I think, and I sort of lost my memory.”
    “Your memory?” Remina repeated, “My dear, that’s a very precious thing to lose, and one that’s difficult to recover. But I will see what I can do. Tell me,” she continued, “what can you remember, if anything?”
    “Falling,” Aaron replied, “I definitely remember that. But I can’t remember what I was doing before I fell, or much about myself before that point.”
    “I see. Can you remember anything that happened to you after you fell?”
    “Oh, yes, I can remember everything that’s happened to me after I fell, just not before.”
    Remina reached up at Aaron, held his head in her hands and shook it gently.
    “Hmm… Seems full enough,” she mumbled to herself after releasing him, “Since your fall, has anything occurred to you that has jolted one of these memories that you claim to have forgotten?”
    “Well, now that you mention it, there have been one or two things that caused a few things to stir,” Aaron said, “like finding out about dragons and the Netherworlds.” At that point, Aaron suddenly remembered the amulet he had stolen from King Raleck, but Remina spoke before he could bring the subject up.
    “So your memory is salvageable, that’s good news. However, I cannot bring it back for you by myself. I can provide you with a medicine that will help things to stir in that brain of yours, but ultimately it is you who must retrieve your lost thoughts. Do you understand me?”
    “I think so.” Aaron looked around uncertainly for reassurance as he spoke.
    “Good lad,” the old witch said, smiling greatly, “Now if you could just wait a moment, I’ll nip out back and whip up a little medicine for you, dear.”
    Aaron hesitantly agreed and Remina hobbled out towards a section of the room that was curtained off. In the brisk split second between the curtain opening and closing, he caught a glimpse of a large cauldron.
    He turned to speak with Carmoss, but the dragon had scurried off to see Jemima, who was fondling him and helping him shed some of his last remaining old scales.
    “You didn’t tell me the witch had a granddaughter,” Aaron remarked to Lucan, the only thing left in the room for him to talk to.
    “I didn’t know she had one, either,” the frog said, “She was probably out or something when Raleck dragged me here.”
    “Out? In this murky place? Why? It doesn’t look too safe for a girl to be wandering about alone out there.”
    “She’s a witch’s granddaughter, remember. They’re not like other girls. Anyway, she was probably out collecting whatever rancid stuff was needed for her grandmother’s potions or something.”
    Aaron decided not to press on with the subject, and instead surveyed the room. It looked as gloomy as the thorny place in which it was situated, lit by a few candles.
    He leaned against the back of a wooden chair and realised that it was dusty. In fact, most of the furniture seemed to be carrying dust. Clearly, witches were not big fans of spring cleaning. A small, stone fireplace was situated in one wall, its flames burning gently.
    The angel looked at a similarly dusty mirror hanging on the wall. It was cracked and broken in places, but still useable. As he gazed at it in the corner of his eye, Aaron thought he could see the image of the sad, beautiful woman that he had seen in the puddle. But when he blinked and stared at it again, all he could see was his own reflection.
    Aaron wandered towards a bookshelf which housed many grimy tomes. He pulled one out and, after blowing away the dust that he had unsettled, flicked through the pages. Inside were images of plants with detailed descriptions about their known healing and poisoning properties. Aaron then placed the book back on the shelf and pulled out another one. This one contained drawings of various creatures, some looking quite sweet and cuddly, others appearing more ferocious, with their claws outstretched and their fangs bared. There were even drawings of these creatures’ claws, teeth, bones, scales, and feathers.
    He looked at a page containing a lot of writing and a picture of some giant bird’s claw before turning his attention to the page opposite, which consisted of a single large drawing. It depicted a giant, black creature stood on a cliff, looking wild and proud. Its front half resembled that of a giant eagle, but the rear half looked like it belonged to a big cat.
    Atop the creature sat a tall, intimidating man. In actuality, Aaron wanted to use the word ‘man’, but it certainly didn’t seem to resemble one in the usual sense. Whatever it was, the thing wore armour that was a similar colour to his steed. And it looked familiar.
    Aaron reached into his shirt and pulled out the demonic amulet. Comparing it with the picture, he realised that the shape of the talisman was the same as the tall man’s horned head. He then wondered if it was worth showing the amulet to the witch.
    “Won’t be a moment, young man!” The cheery tones of Remina took Aaron by surprise, making him jump slightly, and quickly replace the amulet.
    “Um… Right, OK. Thanks,” he called back. He then closed the book and placed it back on the shelf, pushing away all the dust that had gathered on it out into the air.
    “Filthy riff-raff!” Prince Lucan muttered in a quiet voice as he hopped over to Aaron, “Look at this place! Spider’s webs in the ceiling, rats scuttling about, dust everywhere! If I weren’t so desperate to get this curse lifted, I wouldn’t be seen dead in a place like this!”
    Aaron said nothing. He was used to being in poor conditions after living with Hope and her family, so it didn’t bother him too much. Of course, Hope’s family at least tried to keep their house clean, he reasoned.
    Eventually, Remina returned, carrying with her a goblet of strange, blue liquid.
    “Careful, it’s hot,” she warned Aaron as she handed the goblet to him. The warmth of the liquid seeped through the metal into his hands.
    “I think I’ll wait until it’s cooled down a bit,” he said, staring at the bubbling potion.
    “Nonsense, my dear. You must drink it while it’s hot!” Remina then took hold of Aaron’s hand and, with strength that greatly surprised the angel, forced the goblet up and towards his mouth, pouring the hot potion down his throat. “That’s it,” she added, “It has to be hot to shock your brain into working.”
    Aaron coughed and spluttered after the last drop slithered down into his stomach and the witch gently let go of his hand.
    “There we are,” she said kindly, “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”
    “No, ma’am,” Aaron squeaked, his throat sore from the warm liquid.
    “Good. Now, the important thing is that the medicine alone won’t bring back your memories. You’ll still have to try and remember them yourself. However, that potion will give your memory a good kick and should make it easier for you to find your lost past. Got that?”
    “Yes.” Aaron’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse when he spoke, and he was still wheezing a little.
    “Good lad,” Remina then looked at the room as a whole, “Now, then. Is there anything else before you go?”
    Aaron opened his mouth and was about to mention the amulet when Lucan interrupted him.
    “Yes, there is,” he said, hopping into view, “I’m not sure if you remember me. I am Prince Lucan.”
    Remina peered down closely at the frog for a moment before replying. “Oh, good grief! Prince Lucan!” she exclaimed, “Why I haven’t you since old Raleck dragged you here! How is life treating you?”
    “How is life treating me?!” Lucan repeated, astounded, “Since you turned me into a frog and dumped me at that lake, I’ve spent the past few years swimming about and eating flies!”
    “So you’ve had a very good life by frog standards, then.”
    “But not a very good one by prince standards!” Lucan realised that he was getting angry, so he took a deep breath and said in a much more polite manner, “So, I’m asking you, nicely, can you please remove this curse from me?”
    “I could do,” the witch said, “but I don’t think you’d like it if I did.”
    “I don’t care!” the frog wailed, “Just do it!”
    “But the cure is simple…” Remina paused mid-sentence, “No. I can’t say. If Raleck ever found that I was the one who told you the secret of removing the curse…”
    “Raleck is dead!” Lucan cried, “He’s dead, gone, buried! And now there’s an empty throne with my name on it, so you’d better tell me how I can change back into a prince, you old hag, or else I’ll…”
    “Hag?” Upon hearing that one word, Remina’s kindly demeanour suddenly disappeared.
    “OK, I’m sorry! I take that back! You’re not a hag. In fact, I’d say the years have been very kind to you. Now, just tell me how…”
    “No, I don’t think I will tell you. I’ll let you find out for yourself.”
    “I’m really, really sorry!”
    “Raleck was right about you,” the old witch said, “You are a snobby, selfish little creep!”
    “Can you at least give me a hint?” Lucan gave a pleading grin, but Remina was having none of it.
    “I think we’d better go now,” Aaron said, disappointed that the frog prince had virtually ruined his chances of trying to find out more about the amulet, “I think we’ve outstayed our welcome.”
    “Oh, you haven’t,” Remina reassured him, “and neither has your adorable dragon,” she added, indicating towards Carmoss, who was having his head stroked by Jemima while they watched the confrontation. Aaron noted that Jemima was giving Lucan quite a calculating look.
    But he no longer felt comfortable in the little house. He didn’t want to stay and deal with an angry witch.
    “I insist that we go,” he said firmly, trying not to cough so much.
    “Must we?” Carmoss whined.
    Aaron nodded. The dragon nuzzled Jemima one last time before scurrying to Aaron’s side.
    “Lucan, we’re going now,” he said to the frog, “You’re not going to get her to change you back, so you might as well come with us.”
    Lucan gave Remina one last glare of contempt, and then hopped after the angel and the dragon.
    As they trudged back along the path towards the mountainside forest, no one said a word to each other. They all simply walked on in silence. However, once they approached the hanging, mossy leaves that separated the forest and the witch’s house, a voice called after them.
    “Hey! Wait!”
    The three collectively turned around to see Jemima running up to them. In the sunlight, they could see how her hair seemed to shine a bit, that her eyes were a blue-green combination, that she was capable of making a rather unnerving smile, and that she walked barefoot.
    Aaron was the first to pluck up the courage to speak. “Jemima? What do you want?”
    “I know there was something else you wanted to speak with Grandma about,” the younger witch replied, “And I know it had something to do with one of those books you were looking at.”
    “It wasn’t anything important,” Aaron waved a hand dismissively and turned to leave.
    “If you say so,” Jemima shrugged her shoulders casually.
    “Was that it?” Lucan asked snidely. He glared up suspiciously at the young witch.
    “Well, no, not really,” Jemima said, “I know Grandma refused to say after you made that ‘hag’ comment, but if you wish, I could tell you how you can change back into a prince.”
    “Could you?” This news seemed to cheer Lucan up immensely.
    Jemima nodded her head sweetly. “It’s very simple,” she said, “In fact, I thought everyone knew it. Anyway, if you want to change back into a prince,” she bent down close to the frog, “you have to be kissed by a girl.”
    Lucan’s face fell. “You’re joking,” he said, “You’re kidding me! Do you have any idea how hard it would be for me to get a girl to kiss me! Look at me! I’m a flipping wet, slimy frog! Who in their right mind would want to kiss me?”
    “He’s got a point, there,” Carmoss said, nodding sagely.
    “Well,” Jemima said, “one condition of the curse’s removal is that you have to marry the girl that kisses you.” She grinned widely as she said this, and realisation dawned on Lucan’s face.
    “No!” he said, “No, no, no, no, no! No! If that, indeed, is the case, then I am not kissing you!”
    “Then I wish you luck in trying to find another young lady around here who will. Like you said, you’re just a wet, slimy frog.”
    “Don’t think you can use your womanly wiles to get around me!” Lucan shouted, “I know what your kind are like! You only want me for my money!”
    “Which you currently don’t have,” Carmoss remarked.
    “Shut up!”
    “Fine. Suit yourself,” Jemima said, standing up again. Turning to face Aaron, she said, “I know that other thing you wanted to talk to Grandma about earlier was important. If you wish, you can ask me about it. I might be young, but I know enough to match any older witch.”
    When Aaron hesitated in his reply, Lucan hissed at him, “Don’t let her get to you! Resist her womanly charms!”
    “Look, it doesn’t matter,” the angel insisted, stepping away from the witch. Lucan made a little sound of joy at this.
    “Fine,” Jemima said again, “I’ll leave you guys alone, then. But remember this; if you do find yourselves needing my assistance in any way, just call out my name, and I’ll be there to help you.”
    And with that, she turned back around and marched on back down the path.
    “What do you think she meant by that last part about us needing her assistance?” Carmoss asked.
    “I don’t know,” Aaron replied, “Come on. Let’s just get out of here.”

    “So, what now?” Carmoss asked later that afternoon. The trio were sat a little way up the mountain and admiring the view.
    “Why bother asking, since none of us have any idea,” Prince Lucan replied.
    “Oh.” Carmoss shrugged his shoulders and went back to fussing over his scales and wings.
    “Aren’t they shiny?” he had said earlier after the group had left the witch’s house, “They’re definitely shinier than they’ve ever been! And I think my wings have grown, too. Look, look!” He had then spread out his wings for all to see. They still looked small, but were indeed larger than they had been when Aaron had first met him. “Soon, I’ll be able to fly with these, just like you can with your pretty wings, Sky warrior,” he had exclaimed joyfully.
    Since then, he had spent nearly every waking minute boasting about them. He would climb onto to small boulders and leap off them, wings outstretched. And every time he fell just made him even more determined to try again.
    “Do you think I should try to fly from this rock?” he asked, peering over the edge at the ground below.
    “Yes, if you fancy ending your life quickly,” Lucan replied. Hopping behind Carmoss, he added, “Here, I’ll even give you a little push to help!”
    “Lucan, don’t try and kill him,” Aaron scolded the frog, “And Carmoss, I’d wait until you can hover from shorter heights before trying to fly from here.”
    He took out the amulet and studied it again.
    “Oh good grief, Sky warrior!” Lucan cried, “You don’t still have that, do you?”
    “At the witch’s house, there was a book there,” Aaron said.
    “I saw the bookcase. There were lots of books there!” Lucan said sarcastically.
    “This book had pictures of all sorts of creatures and monsters in it. One of them showed a,” Aaron paused, “four-legged bird creature. It looked like something I’d seen before.”
    “A four-legged bird? You mean a gryphon?” Carmoss suggested.
    “Yes! That was it! A gryphon! Anyway, in the picture, there was a tall man riding the gryphon.” Aaron held up the talisman on the necklace, “His head was the same shape as this amulet. I know that man. I’ve seen him before. Him and his gryphon.”
    “Sounds like that potion’s working, then,” Carmoss commented.
    “I know that man,” Aaron repeated, “And I know I didn’t like him when we met. I know he must be connected to the Netherworlds somehow, but I still can’t work it out.”
    “Keep trying,” Carmoss said reassuringly, snuggling up to Aaron’s wings, “I’m sure it’ll come to you soon.”
    Lucan had kept quiet during Aaron’s musings, staring wide-eyed at the angel. But at that point, he muttered in a low voice, “The Warlord. You’ve met the Warlord and survived?”
    “Did you say something?” Aaron asked, looking over at the frog.
    “Hmm? What?” Lucan thought frantically, wondering whether or not to divulge what he worked out. But by the time he had opened his mouth a second time, Aaron had turned away and was now stroking Carmoss.
    The frog prince looked around anxiously and nearly jumped up in fright when he saw a raven perched a short distance away from the group. It gazed at him with its beady eyes, then it ruffled its feathers and flew away.
    “Hey! Froggy! Are you coming?”
    Lucan turned back around to find the others preparing to climb back down the mountain. While Aaron had already begun to climb down, Carmoss was staring at Lucan impatiently.
    “I’m coming. I’m coming,” he assured them, carefully hopping down onto the parts of the rock that jutted out the most.

    As the group wandered aimlessly, wondering what to do next, they heard a familiar thudding sound coming from the distance.
    “Oh no,” Prince Lucan moaned, “That’s not the giant again, is it?”
    “Oh, yes it is,” Carmoss said, looking over his shoulder. The steadily growing outline of the giant could be seen marching towards them, its footsteps growing ever louder.
    “Where can we hide this time?” the frog prince asked frantically, darting his head this way and that.
    “We’ll have to go up there and see if there are any caves we can hide in,” Aaron said, inclining his head to indicate the mountain. He picked up Lucan and Carmoss, and then flew up to the nearest cliff. Unfortunately, there were no caves to be found, or even anything large enough to hide behind, and the giant was getting closer.
    “Stay calm,” Aaron instructed, “Don’t panic. If we stay very quiet, it might not even notice us.”
    “We’re going to die,” Lucan muttered miserably, “I’m going to die a frog! Can you believe that?”
    As the giant approached, the trio pressed their backs against the furthest wall they could find and hoped for the best.
    The giant was about to trudge past, when it stopped and, in what felt like an eternity, turned its head towards the group. It had a large tuft of light brown hair on its head, two deep brown eyes, a nose that looked like a flesh-coloured boulder with holes in it, and big ears.
    “Um… Hello,” Carmoss said as cheerfully as he could manage, waving a hand amiably.
    “Hello,” the giant replied, also waving. He had been wearing a rather glum expression when he walked past, but Carmoss’s greeting seemed to perk him up. He beamed a grin, showing rows of crooked, yellow teeth. Lucan tried not to pull a face of disgust.
    “Go on, say something else,” the frog hissed, nudging Carmoss with his elbow.
    The dragon cleared his throat and then said casually, “Uh… H-how are you?”
    “Fine, thank you,” the giant replied.
    The trio cast each other surprised glances. Then, Carmoss said to the giant, “Glad to hear it.”
    “Thank you. And how are you?”
    “I-I’m OK. Thank you.”
    “Hey! Is this guy going to eat us or what?” Lucan whispered loudly in confusion.
    “Eat you?” the giant sounded amazed, “Eat such nice people as you? I couldn’t. Besides, I already ate two whole deer, a fox, and half a goat earlier. Lovely!” He patted his stomach contentedly.
    “Well, uh, thanks. I guess,” Aaron said.
    “Yeah, that’s really nice of you,” Carmoss added.
    “Think nothing of it,” the giant said, “You know, it makes such a change to meet lovely people like you. Not like those people in that village near here.”
    Aaron, Carmoss, and Lucan cast each other glances again before urging the giant to carry on talking.
    “I go down there every now and again,” he explained, “Nothing major. I just want to meet people and stuff. But they make such a ruckus! Everyone starts screaming and yelling and running off, and next thing I know I’m all alone. I try to knock on doors and such, but I end up knocking the whole building down! And then they get even more mad and frightened and I have to go away.”
    By now, Aaron was sitting cross-legged on the ground, listening intently to the giant’s story. Carmoss was resting his head on Aaron’s lap, and Lucan was sitting nearby.
    “It’s been like this for ages,” the giant went on. He, too, was now sat down on a large boulder, his club resting beside him. His eyes seemed to be welling up with tears as he spoke. “Every time I go there, people get frightened. It’s always been that way. I’ve never been able to convince them that I won’t eat them or squash them or anything. Not on purpose, anyway.”
    Now the big, fat tears started to fall, splashing in little puddles at the giant’s feet. He reached into one of his pockets and took out a large, dirty piece of cloth. He then blew his nose on the cloth so loudly that Aaron and his friends had to hold on tight to prevent themselves from being blown away by the force of the sound.
    “Sorry, this is so embarrassing,” the giant apologised, “I mean, how many giants do you know that cry? None, that’s how many!”
    “True,” Lucan said, “Usually, they’re too busy eating people and causing complete chaos to even think about crying!”
    At this, the giant wailed even more, the sound echoing across the land.
    “Lucan, shut up!” Aaron whispered, “Don’t take any notice of him,” he added to the giant.
    “But he’s right!” the giant cried, “Every other giant goes about making carnage and stuff!”
    “Well, you can understand why the villagers react the way they do, at least,” Aaron said, unsure of what else to say. He didn’t feel very comfortable playing the role of counsellor, and was hoping that Carmoss would interrupt him and say something.
    “I’ve tried helping them out,” the giant said, “You know, herding their animals, collecting their crops and the like. But they still don’t like it.”
    “Have you tried saying anything to them?”
    “Lots of times!”
    “And they still run away.”
    The giant nodded sadly.
    “Well, why don’t you stop trying for a moment?” Aaron suggested.
    “Huh?”
    “From what you’ve said, you seem to be trying too hard to make friends with these people. Maybe if you take a step back for a while, it might help.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “Well, the way you’re going about it now is you’re trying to introduce yourself and people don’t realise that. They just think you’re going to eat them. But if you stayed away for a while and then tried talking to people who are travelling by or lost or something – people like us, for example – then you might be seen in a better light.”
    The giant screwed his face up as he mulled the suggestion over. “Yeah!” he said, finally, “I could stay back and make friends with those who get lost, or are in danger, or something. And when I help them, they’ll tell everyone about how nice I was, and then everyone will like me! That’s brilliant!”
    “Great,” Aaron smiled nervously.
    “Oh, thank you all, Mr. Winged Man, Mr. Dragon, Mr. Frog,” the giant roared with happiness.
    “Actually, my name is Carmoss,” Carmoss said, “this here is Prince Lucan, and the Sky warrior is… well, he can’t remember right now, I’m afraid.”
    “Really? Well I’m Bert,” the giant introduced himself, “And how can I ever repay you for your kindness?”
    “There’s no need,” Lucan replied hurriedly, his voice tinged with worry, “I think it’s best we get going again. Got a long way to go, you see.”
    Bert’s face fell. “Go? Go where?”
    “Uh… somewhere.”
    Just as Lucan prepared to hop away, Carmoss’s stomach rumbled.
    “Are you hungry?” the giant asked.
    “Just a little,” Carmoss responded.
    “A tiny bit,” Lucan added, “Nothing for you to worry about, though.”
    “Well, if you wanted to, you could come over to my place for tea,” Bert said hopefully, “I’ve still got half a goat left and it would be a shame to waste it.”
    “Thanks for the offer,” Aaron said, “but we really ought to…”
    “You mean you’ll come? Oh, thank you! You’re the best friends I ever had!” The giant then scooped up the trio with his huge hands and carried them off to his cave.

    Despite the unsettling darkness of the cave, Bert had done his best to make things a homely as possible. There was a large rug on the floor made out of the mismatched skins of various animals, several rocks that were crudely carved into shapes that were supposed to resemble chairs, a larger rock with its top clubbed flat that was supposed to be a table, and even a stone bed in one corner with a blanket of even more animal skins.
    “Nice place you’ve got here,” Carmoss said in an attempt to make polite conversation.
    “It’s not much, but it’s home to me,” Bert said proudly.
    Aaron shuffled about in one of the large stone chairs, trying to make himself comfortable. Carmoss was perched across his shoulders, while Lucan occupied one of the chair’s arms.
    “I don’t usually get visitors,” Bert said excitedly.
    “I think we figured that out already,” Lucan muttered sardonically.
    “Here you are,” Bert said, placing a large, cracked plate on the table and beaming proudly, “Freshly caught two hours ago.”
    The trio peered over at the plate. It held what was quite literally the rear end of a goat. Two hind legs and a bottom were sat on the plate, looking quite burnt and not very appetising at all.
    “I think I’m going to be sick,” Lucan muttered, gagging slightly.
    “Oh, and for you, Lucan,” Bert announced, “a cup of flies!” He placed a cup, or rather, a hollowed-out stone, full of dead flies on the table next to the plate. “Found ‘em all in my precious spider webs. You know, I was amazed at how many there were. Go on, tuck in!” he added, seeing his new friends’ anxious faces.
    While Bert hurried about making drinks for everyone, Carmoss began to tear some pieces of meat from the goat’s rear and wolfed them down hungrily.
    “It’s not bad,” he concluded.
    “And you eat animal bottoms a lot, do you?” Lucan asked, raising an eyebrow.
    “I would’ve preferred the front end, but I don’t think this is a time to be choosy.”
    Meanwhile, Aaron had picked up a strip of meat that Carmoss had torn off and was staring at it as though it might attack him in any second. He then opened his mouth wide and dropped the piece in, trying not to make a disgusted face as he chewed.
    “I’ve got some more for you, here,” Carmoss said, forming a pile of meat in front of Aaron.
    “Thanks,” the angel said as he tried not to choke.
    Eventually, Bert returned carrying a large jug of wine. “This was all I could find,” he said apologetically.
    No one questioned where the giant had gotten the wine from and simply drank from the large cups they had each been given. As they drank, they tried not to pull any strong reactions.
    “Is it all right?” Bert asked worriedly.
    “No, it’s fine, really,” Aaron croaked.
    “It’s quite nice, actually,” Carmoss said cheerily, poking his head into his cup to lap the wine up.
    “Good, good,” Bert sat opposite the group, drinking from his own cup.
    For a few minutes, no one spoke as everyone ate and drank. Bert seemed to be enjoying the company, even if said company weren’t quite enjoying the situation themselves.
    “This is good,” Carmoss said as he slurped the wine, his speech starting to slur, “This is very, very good.”
    “Thank you,” Bert said happily.
    After some time, the wine began to take its effect on the trio, who soon ended up slurring and giggling together. Bert, however, continued downing the wine as though it were water.
    “I’ll tell you what,” Aaron said, feeling rather jolly, “I haven’t felt thish… thissh… this good in ages! I mean, there’s not a lot to be happy about when you,” he hiccupped, “Sorry. When you lose your memory and have to deal with evil kings and find witches and hang around with shtuck-up frog princes and stuff. It doesn’t do much to make you feel good.
    “I mean, it’s nice to help people, or to be on the way of helping yourself, but it doesn’t always feel nice… You know what I mean?”
    Carmoss was too busy gulping the rest of his drink to listen and Lucan simply groaned in reply.
    “Oh, OK. Forget I s-said anything then.” And then Aaron hiccupped again.
    “Are… Are you OK, fellers?” Bert asked. He was becoming quite worried for the well-being of his guests.
    “We’re fine,” Aaron replied. Looking over at his two companions, he added, “Well, almosht fine, anyway.
    “Actually, I’m not fine,” he eventually said, “I should be going about trying to restore my memories. But instead I’m in here drinking this stuff!”
    “I’m sorry,” Bert said, his worry increasing, “I’m very, very sorry.”
    Lucan then hiccupped and fell backwards off the table. Carmoss laughed drunkenly at this. Aaron fell forward onto the table and then sat back up again when the necklace he wore dug into his chest. That single action seemed to sober him up a bit.
    “Can I ask you something?” he asked, his words still slurred.
    “What is it?” Bert asked in response.
    “I know you’re a nice giant and all that,” Aaron said, “but do you know anything about this?” He clumsily took off his necklace and passed it over to the giant.
    Bert slammed it back on the table after looking at it with wide eyes. “Where did you get it?” he asked, his voice filled with worry.
    “I stole it from some dead king,” Aaron replied, grinning stupidly.
    “This came from the Netherworlds,” Bert said, “This sort of thing’s only given by the king of the Netherworlds to those who truly follow him.”
    “Can you tell me who the king of the Netherworlds is?” Aaron continued, “Because,” he hiccupped again, “I think I’ve met him before, you see. Before I lost my memory.”
    “He’s a bad man,” Bert said simply, “and I wouldn’t go looking for him if I were you. Heck, I wouldn’t go looking for him if I were me, either!”
    “Eh?”
    “I left him, many years ago.”
    “Can you tell me who he is, though? Actually,” the angel added, “can you tell me where I can throw up? I feel sick!”
    “Me too,” Lucan groaned from the floor.
    Once he cleared up the table and everyone else finished vomiting outside the cave entrance, Bert placed his guests in one of the chairs, tearing off a piece of his rug for them to use a blanket, and let them sleep the alcohol off.
    Outside the cave, a lone raven was perched, trying to forget what it had just seen.

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FireHawk, FireHawk's Realm, Gary the Gryph, and all other original characters and settings are ©2004-2008 Cheryl (Chezza) Goacher. Other characters, settings and whatnot are © their respective owners where indicated.