I shrugged. “I know my abilities. Why should I fear something that probably can’t kill me?”
Ariel a sighed. “You’re missing the point. Or, perhaps you’re making it for me, I’m not sure.” She shook her head, giving me a lopsided smile, and for a moment, it was like old times again. Me, Puck, and Ariel a, braving unknown territory, not knowing what was to come.
I was suddenly aware of how close Ariel a was, our shoulders barely touching. She seemed to realize it as well, for we gazed at each other, hardly breathing. The river f lowed by us, and farther downstream Puck was shouting something, but for a quiet heartbeat it was just me and Ariel a and nothing else.
A yell interrupted us. Puck was on the banks of the river, pulling and yanking at his line, his face intense. From the looks of it, whatever was on the other end was enormous, making the string lurch up and down as it fought. In the center of the river, the water boiled up like a geyser, and Puck yanked harder on the string. Then, with an explosion of debris and mist, a huge serpentine form rose fifteen feet into the air, towering over Puck, holding the line in a curved talon. Blue, green and silver scales glinted in the moonlight as a dragon lowered its massive horned head—mane and moustache rippling behind it—to glare at Puck with somber gold eyes.
“Oh,” Puck said in a breathless voice, staring at it from where he sat in the mud and sand. “Um. Hey.”
The eyes blinked. The solemn gaze shifted to Puck’s left hand, narrowing. Puck looked down. “Oh, the hook.” He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah.
Sorry
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’bout that. No harm done, right?”
The dragon snorted, filling the breeze with the scent of fish and cherry blossoms. Rippling like sea waves, it turned and coiled through the air, skimming the surface of the River of Dreams, before it sank beneath the depths once more.
Puck stood, dusted himself off, and sauntered toward us. “Well, that was…interesting.” He grinned. “Guess I’ve been officially slapped on the wrist for fishing in the River of Dreams without a license. Hey, is that a peach?”
The Wolf appeared sometime later, gliding from the dark with no warning whatsoever, pacing up to the fire. Puck and Ariel a were both asleep, peach pits scattered about, and I had taken first watch, sitting on a log with my sword in my lap. Grimalkin had not yet returned, but no one was really worried. It was an unspoken knowledge about the cait sith: he would reappear when it was time to leave.
The Wolf padded into the f lickering light and f lopped down across from me with a huff. A few feet away, Puck stirred, muttering something about peaches and dragons, but didn’t wake.
The Wolf and I watched each other over the dying campfire for several minutes. “So,” the Wolf began with a f lash of bright fangs, “this quest of yours. You never told me much about it, little prince. It would be nice to know the reason behind this insane journey down the River of Dreams. I know you want to reach the End of the World, but I don’t know why. What lies at the End of the World that is so important?”
“The Testing Grounds,” I said quietly, seeing no reason to hide the fact. The Wolf pricked his ears.
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“The Testing Grounds,” he repeated, unsurprised, and nodded. “I suspected as much. Then, if you wish to go to the Testing Grounds, you must be looking for something.” He paused, eyeing me over the f lames, eyes glowing in the darkness. “Something you lack. Something very important. Your Name? No.” He shook his head, talking more to himself then to me. “I have a feeling you already know your True Name. What, then? You have power. You have immortality, in a sense…” He paused, and his yellow-green eyes turned gleeful. “Ahhh, yes, I know why. There is only one thing left.” He looked up, smiling wickedly. “You’re here because of the girl, aren’t you? You’re hoping to earn a soul.”
I gave him a cold stare. “What do you know about that?” The Wolf barked a laugh, and Ariel a stirred. “I know you are a fool, boy,” he said, lowering his voice to a low rumble. “Souls are not meant for us.
They tie you to the world, make you mortal, make you like them. Being human…it will drive you mad, little prince. Especially one like you.”
“What do you mean?”