Chapter 4 - Dancing With The Fairies

Chapter 3 - Dancing with the Fairies

"So......this is the Forest of Fairies......"

Chris was stood outside the entrance to that very place, the Forest of Fairies. It simply looked like a massive wall of trees, and the entrance was dark. He felt like if he walked inside, he'd be swallowed up.
The unnatural green of the trees was more noticeable now that he was right up close to the forest. They seemed to be full of life compared to any normal tree or greenery he'd ever seen.
Then there was the tale of the fairies. A fairy was a tiny spirit of nature, and all fairies were female. They were said to be made of magic, and that they gave life to whatever they touched. Those who got their hands on their power could be blessed with eternal life, in theory.
Chris wasn't expecting trouble, but this forest was hidden for a reason. He'd only found it in the first place thanks to the Hammer & Anvil bartender, and his own keen eyesight. He doubted that the fairies would give a warm welcome to an intruder, even if he was on a mission of good.
"Time to go dancing with the fairies....." he quipped to himself, walking into their domain. The thick leafy entrance seemed to swallow him up as he entered it.....

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"Stop your whining, you pipsqueaks!"
The incessant wailing and sniffling of those damn creatures was getting to Geoffrey Eridanus, ESQ. He was as sick as the next man of roaming the blasted forest, but the prize would be well worth it.

Eridanus was a very pompous nobleman, always used to getting his own way. His round face would suggest he was a jolly man, but in fact he was a rather nasty character.
He looked at his captured prize through intrigued brown eyes. His equally brown hair was tied in a posh style ponytail. Draped around his portly frame was his large and favourite red cloak. He looked every inch a posh man....which he was.
He'd inherited his fortune from his late father, who unfortunately had no idea how greedy his son would become. Eridanus had squandered his vast assets on every pleasure and item that he desired, until there was almost nothing left. He lived a life of decadence and disregard for people lower than himself.
However, despite having all his treasure possessions, Eridanus craved something more valuable than these things. Something that no man had the secret to.

The key to eternal life.

He'd become obsessed with the notion, researching it diligently, and paying others to do the same when he got bored. For years, all he found were obscure clues and dead ends, and it seemed that eternal life was a mere dream.

Then, he found out about the mythical fairies, the sowers of life itself.

He searched high and low for the sacred Forest of Fairies. He learned that they'd chosen to live there in order to guard their life giving powers from people like him. He'd scoffed at this, saying "They're just fairies, what can they possibly do to me? The secret of eternal life should be mine, as I am the one man who truly deserves it!"

One day, he finally located the sacred forest, and took a bold step inside. He met with a few difficulties...it seemed that the fairies had created an illusion to keep trespassers away.
However, Eridanus' greed was indeed a powerful force. "I'll tear this blasted forest apart tree by tree if I have to!!!"
He'd begun to destroy the great trees, cutting a path through the forest....but each time he did, more trees seemed to appear. He knew it was the clever illusion trap, and at first was exasperated.

Then he came up with a devious plan. "I'll lure one of those simple creatures out here, then I will trap her and the gift of everlasting life shall be mine!"

He laid his trap, planting a tree just outside the forest. It took a few days, but his prey finally took the bait.

A lone fairy, tiny and fragile, flew out of the forest. Seeing the lone tree struggling to survive, she began to spray fairy dust onto it. It was this fairy dust that gave the gift of life, and enough of it would grant it for eternity.
Eridanus then sprung his trap. He had invented a special fairy catching weapon, an Aerobolt. It was like a crossbow, only as the bolt reached its target it would fire out a dense net, which trapped the fairy inside and prevented her from escaping. Eridanus could then retrieve his target at his leisure.

The poor fairy was taken by surprise by Eridanus and the weapon, and was soon in his hands. He tied her up to the same tree that he'd begun to grow.
Unluckily for him, he discovered that one fairy alone could not generate enough fairy dust to give eternal life. However, the lone fairy's dust was enough to make him feel ten years younger.

So, Eridanus had used the fairy to break through the illusion trap, and pursued the other fairies, catching them one by one.

It had taken him a long time, but now he was but one fairy away from realising his greatest desire.

"Soon....very soon.....I shall live forever!" he declared, laughing loudly. His mad laughter could be heard halfway through the dense forest.
"You have no right to do this!!!" shouted one of the fairies. The tiny being shone with a beautiful light, as all fairies did. Nearly fifty of these lights, all different colours, were glowing around the now fully grown tree, which glowed an extremely unnatural green, due to the effect of having forty - nine fairies strapped around it.
"Silence!" roared Eridanus, and he pressed the switch on a box that was tied to the middle of three. It was a device he'd made himself after learning about the fairies. They would not willingly produce any fairy dust for him, so he had to force them. The device had exactly fifty wires encircling the tree and strapped into each poor fairy. At the press of the switch, the wires forcefully extracted fairy dust from them.
That's what it was doing now. Every single fairy on the tree cried out in pain and the machine forced their precious dust out of them.
Eridanus smiled with glee. "Soon......very soon.....now I must find the last fairy....."

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The flora and fauna of the forest all watched Chris' slow progress through the deep undergrowth. It was a very confusing place, and there was no clear path through the natural haven.
Chris was impressed. "This place is even more peaceful than Cherryglade Forest!" he exclaimed. Everywhere he walked he could see beautiful flowers growing everywhere, pretty uncommon for a forest. At some points, the treetops completely blocked out the sun, and he wondered how so many of these plants flourished here.
The animals that were watching him scurried away whenever he turned around to look. "I guess they don't trust me, and judging by what I've heard, I don't blame them." he thought sadly.

It was only a few minutes later that Chris began to notice something odd. He saw something familiar, and stopped walking. "I could have sworn I've seen that rose before....." he said, looking at the ruby red flower.
He shook it off and continued walking. To his surprise, he saw the rose again, in the same place and looking exactly the same as it did.
"OK.....something funny's going on here." The puzzled knight looked around him, and his eyes caught a thin beam of light poking through the undergrowth back down the way he'd came. He walked towards it, and stepped out into the light.

"What the....?" he gasped in surprise.

He was right back outside the forest, where he'd started!

Confused, Chris stepped back inside the undergrowth. He was being sent back to the beginning of the forest no matter how far he walked! Up ahead of him was the same rose, yet again.

It was then that he realised what was going on. "This must be how the fairies stop people getting deeper into the forest.....an illusion." He sighed, and sat down next to the rose. "I was right....they do see me as an intruder."
"I don't want to disturb the fairies, but I have to find Cornelius." He rested his back against the tree behind him. "If only I could make them see I'm not an enemy...."

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"Yes, I believe I saw some guy riding north of here on a white horse. Come to think of it, I remember the young lady with him didn't look best pleased about being there." The old tradesman scratched his head.
"Thanks for your help, sir. You've been very helpful." Wedge smiled at the old man.
"So....her Highness has really been taken by evil-doers?" asked the man. "I hope you find her safe and well."
"Don't worry, we'll make sure she's safe." Wedge let the tradesman go about his business, and walked over to Crystal, who was brushing her hair with a red comb.
"I've got something!" Wedge informed her excitedly. "I think Michelle's been taken north, most likely along the Tradesman's Road!"
"Yeah, but they could have turned off anywhere along there, Wedge." sighed Crystal dejectedly. "Whoever took her isn't stupid."
"It's better than nothing, Crystal. Don't lose hope!" said Wedge, rallying his friend. "Heh, Chris may even be on his tail as we speak!"
"Or he may be dead....you saw what happened to Commander Westring......" Crystal looked down sadly. She hoped that both Chris and Michelle were safe, but the odds of that were unlikely.
"Don't think like that!" exclaimed Wedge. "Chris isn't one to go down so easily, you know that! Come on, we'd better report this to Commander Rudy!"

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Chris had tried several methods of getting past the illusion trap. He'd tried touching the rose, thinking it was some kind of switch. He'd tried doubling back after going past the rose, and walking away from the forest entrance while keeping it view, so he wouldn't be tricked.
However, it was all in vain. Chris was still stuck at the entrance to the domain of the fairies.

"Damn it!" He kicked at the ground in frustration. He'd never find Cornelius now, or Avalon. Michelle was as good as......
He began to cry, tears rolling down his warm cheeks. He buried his face in his hands and cried softly to himself.

His sadness was broken by a sudden cry of "Help!!!! Somebody HELP!!!!!"

He got to his feet, looking around frantically. He couldn't see anyone, but the voice was close by. He rushed past the rose once more, searching for the damsel in distress....the voice had been female.

Suddenly, something bumped into his chest. "Oof!" he groaned, and looked at what had hit him.
"Watch where you're going, buddy!" came an annoyed voice. Chris couldn't believe what he was seeing.
In front of him, frowning at him for bumping into her, was an extremely tiny pink haired girl flying in mid-air with small fluttering wings. She was staring daggers at him through pretty eyes. She emitted a glowing pink light which shone on Chris' armour.
"A.....A fairy?!" gasped Chris. "You do exist????"
"Of course, buster!" answered the fairy sarcastically. "Who else could have made this forest as great as it is? Not that you or any other human who comes here appreciates it!" She glared at him furiously.
"H-Hey!" frowned Chris, looking angrily at the tiny girl. "I'm not here t cause any trouble for you fairies, and I actually like what you've done with the place!" His annoyance at the fairy faded fast, and his face fell. "I'm trying to find someone, so I can save someone dear to me..."
"Oh..." The fairy's face fell, and she zipped up close to the knight's face. "I'm sorry.......us fairies just naturally think everyone who tries to get in is out to get our fairy dust...." She began to cry, wiping tears from her pretty face.
"Hey....what's wrong.....?" asked Chris. He wished he could hug the fairy, but his being a giant human wasn't helpful. "Were you the one calling for help?"
"Yes...." sniffled the fairy, looking at Chris with frightened eyes. "Someone came....and tricked us. He's kidnapped all my friends, and tied them to a tree, and he's hurting them! He's trying to get all our fairy dust......"
"That's terrible......" Chris shook his head. "Why would anyone want your fairy dust?"
"Our fairy dust has life giving properties...." answered the fairy, fighting back her tears. "We can give full life to any living thing, it's why this forest is so pure and alive. However...." Her voice turned sad. "...when your kind find out about this, many came after us to steal our fairy dust. You see, if enough fairies generate dust at the same time, it can give eternal life to whatever is touched by it. We abandoned the rest of the world and took refuge in this forest, so that mankind could not take from us anymore." She paused, her face full of worry. "This man, who's kidnapped my friends.....he's after that same thing. He needs one more fairy, and he'll have enough fairy dust to give himself immortality!"
"You're all another victim of hate...." sighed Chris, gently touching the fairy's cheek with his finger. "Those humans are driven by their greed for everlasting life. But we're not all like that."
The young fairy smiled. "You seem really nice, Mr....."
"Appleyard, Christopher Appleyard." replied Chris, smiling. "Just call me Chris, though. I'm a Knight of the Crown....well a cadet..."
"I'm Ariel!" replied the fairy, giggling. Her face then turned serious again. "You're a knight.......will you please help me and my friends? Please....?" She put her hands together, begging him.
Chris smiled. "You didn't even need to ask. Of course I'll help you!"
"Thank you!!! Thank you!!!" shouted Ariel, spinning around in the air excitedly. "Come on, let's go! I'll stop our illusion trap so you can get through. We'd better hurry though!"

She snapped her fingers and the path before them changed. the rose and the tree behind it vanished, and before them, a distinct green path snaked deeper into the magical forest.
Ariel zipped off along the opened path, and Chris ran after her.

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Geoffrey Eridanus slowly stalked through the thick foliage. The smell of the flowers around him detested him. He'd never been one for sweet smelling plants, and so he took great pleasure in stomping on them.
"Once I achieve immortality, I'll have the bloody place chopped down! The fairies shall be added to my personal collection, mwahahaha!" He showed a toothy grin as he continued searching for the last elusive fairy.

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Chris was almost out of breath as he finally caught up with his new fairy friend. She was certainly fast for a tiny girl....
Ariel was stopped, looking in horror at something. "Ohhh.....it's terrible...." she said quietly.

They were behind a thick bush, and Chris and Ariel were looking through a thick gap. Chris frowned as he saw a tall tree glowing with many small lights. The tree itself was a brighter green than all the rest, and wires were wrapped around it, each one leading into the lights.
Upon closer examination, Chris could see that the 'lights' were in fact fairies!
"That fiend...." he said under his breath, his fist shaking in fury. "How can someone do this?!"
"Like you said, he must be driven by his greed.......and anyone driven by greed will do anything." replied Ariel, looking in desperation at her friends.
"I don't see him around.....he must be looking for you." observed Chris, poking his head through the bush slightly. "Now's our chance! I'll free your friends while you keep a lookout. If he comes back, I'll deal with him." The teen gave Ariel a knowing wink.
"You got it, Chris!" Ariel winked back, and the two of them walked through the bush into the clearing.
The fairies, still in pain from the extractor, were shocked to see that another human had entered their forest. However, once they saw that Ariel was flying around free, they sensed that he wasn't a threat to them.
Chris looked all around the tree, and winced as he saw the poor fairies in pain. He had to shut off that infernal machine! "Don't worry, I'm here to save you!" he said fairly loudly, so that all the fairies could hear him.
He walked around the tree until he saw the device, a large black box. Masses of wires came out of it, and Chris wondered how such a device had been made.
"I see the switch....this should do it...." His gauntleted hand reached out for the switch.

"AAAAHHHH!!!!! Hellllpppp!!!!!!" screamed a familiar tiny voice. Chris whirled around to see Ariel getting wrapped in a net! She dropped to the ground, completely entangled. The determined young fairy tried to force her way out of the net, but it was no use. She was stuck fast.
"At last....the final addition to my collection!" declared a high and mighty voice. Behind Ariel was Eridanus. "Ah, it seems I have a visitor! Where are my manners? I am Geoffrey Eridanus, ESQ." he spoke with impeccable courtesy. "Who might you be, young sir? I take it you're interested in the secret of these delightful little creatures as well?" He laughed with an annoying guffaw, and straightened his monocle. "I must thank you for delivering the last of these annoying little brats to me, they have been oh so difficult to get a hold of."
"You make me sick, Eridanus..." Chris glared at the greed filled 'noble'. "I've got no interest in the secret of eternal life, and neither should you! It's not something that mankind is meant to know!"
Eridanus's tone changed very suddenly. "I won't be lectured on ethics by a young upstart like you! You're all the same, you military types!" He thought Chris was a member of the Galatean army. "Well, I'll have you know this! I, Geoffrey Eridanus ESQ, am one of the greatest men this world shall ever know! I DESERVE eternal life!"

He held up Ariel, still stuck in the net. "As soon as I hook this little wench up to the extractor, I shall have what I desire!"
"Some of us don't agree with what you want!" Chris drew Michelle Memoria. "You're one of the most selfish people I've ever met, and I'll be damned if I let you bring suffering to these fairies any longer!"
Eridanus drew his own weapon, a crossbow similar to his Aerobolt. However, this was loaded with arrows that glowed with a strange light. "I call this the Aurabolt!" he grinned, holding it proudly, then aiming it at Chris. "The arrows have been augmented by the fairies' magical dust. I've thoroughly tested them, and they're more than capable of punching through that armour of yours! Unless you want me to prove it, I suggest you back off, you whippersnapper!"
The posh villain stepped towards the tree, ready to hook Ariel up to the whirring extractor. The other fairies could only watch helplessly.

"Then you leave me no choice!" Chris pointed Michelle Memoria straight Eridanus.

"GRAND MEMORIA!!!!!"

The burst of energy flew at the crazed noble, but he was sharper than he looked. He managed to jump away from the attack, but barely. It tore his top hat from his head, and vaporized it. The Grand Memoria smacked straight into a tree, causing it to crash down. It dragged other trees with it, each one tearing up the ground as their roots were pulled out. The fallen trees began to grow dark, losing their healthy green colour.

"Don't DO THAT!!!!" screamed Ariel. "You'll destroy the forest!!!"

"My best hat!!!!" wailed Eridanus, his voice filled with rage. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU DEVIL!!!!" He took aim with his Aurabolt and let loose one of the powerful arrows. It rushed towards Chris, glowing with the magic of the fairies.
"Woah!!!" Chris angled his body so that the arrow flew underneath his shoulder, and it stuck in a tree just behind him. However, he'd only JUST dodged it.
"Not so clever without your fancy big bangs, are we my little friend????" laughed the diabolical Eridanus mockingly. He was slowly moving towards the tree while keeping his weapon pointed at Chris. "Take.....this!!!!"
He fired shot after shot at Chris, who struggled to dodge the quick arrows. He was forced to roll and dive all over as the arrows whizzed past him. A less agile person would have become a pin-cushion.
"Grrrr...." growled Chris, frustrated. He couldn't get close enough to use his sword, because the second he rushed Eridanus, he would be shot to bits by the Aurabolt. All the time Eridanus was moving close to the tree and if he got there, he'd hook Ariel to the extractor and receive eternal life, and he couldn't let that happen!
He couldn't use Grand Memoria as he would likely destroy a lot of the precious forest. It was the fairies' home, he had no right to tear it apart like that!

Suddenly, Chris had one idea. It was risky, but it was his only chance. He'd kill two birds with one stone!

"You've think you've got all your bases covered, Eridanus." he called out to the entrepreneur, "but you forgot one thing. Machines can be broken!!!! Fairies, look out!!!"
He took aim at the extractor. He hoped that by the Goddess he didn't hit any of the fairies.

"GRAND MEMORIA!!!!!"

Seconds later, the attack blasted into the black machine, and it blew up in a shower of sparks. The explosion rocked the tree and caused Eridanus to wobble. "Waaaahhhh!!!!!!"
The fairies, by a miracle, were unhurt by the attack, but had brace themselves for falling debris. However, with the extractor destroyed, the wires holding them fell loose, and they were free! Eridanus dropped the net holding Ariel, and the little fairy got herself found her freedom as well.
"My machine!!!!!" squealed Eridanus, jumping up and down angrily, sobbing. "My dream of eternal life....all gone!!!!!"
He stared daggers at Chris. The gallant knight simply stared back, grinning.
"I'll murder you for this, boy!!!!!" he yelled, readying Aurabolt. "Nobody takes what is rightfully mine from me!!!!"
"I think you should be more worried about all these lovely ladies." said Chris with a knowing smile. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.....and there's fifty scorned girls staring at you right now."

Eridanus looked around him, and shivered. The fifty pretty fairies were looking at him with anger painted across their faces.

"Stay BACK!" he shouted, pointing Aurabolt fearfully around him.

"Get him, girls!!!!" shouted one of the fairies.

Eridanus screamed as the mass of fairies swooped down on him, hitting him, scratching him and wrestling his weapon from his hand. He waved his arms around frantically, trying to brush them away, but the determined fairies pressed the attack.
"Agggghhhh!!!!! Get away from me, you pests!!!! Owowowowowowow!!!!!!!"

After letting Eridanus have it, the fairies backed off, going into a formation around him. They formed a target shape, with Eridanus right in the middle of the bull's-eye.

"Chris......he's all yours!" called Ariel, winking.

"My pleasure, ladies!" Chris aimed at the bull's-eye.

"GRAND MEMORIA!!!!!!"

The Grand Memoria went cleanly through the 'target', not even scratching a single fairy. It barrelled into Eridanus, and blasted him off the ground, straight into the sky!
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Eridanus went flying, far, far away.
"I hope he took flying lessons." grinned Chris, sheathing his weapon.

The fairies crowded around the knight, cheering him and thanking him.
"Thank you, Chris!"
"You're sooo brave!!!"
"Way to go, Mr. Knight!!!!"
Chris scratched his head, embarrassed. "Hah....it was no big deal. I can't just let injustice like that happen."
"Thanks to you, we can once again live in peace!" Ariel came up to his face and smiled. "We have to reward you somehow, but I fear there is nothing we can give you." She and the rest of the fairies looked crestfallen.
Chris laughed a little. "I don't want a reward, but I would like to ask you a question. Do you know of an Albert Cornelius? It's urgent that I find him, and I was told he resided in this place."
"Cornelius?" smiled Ariel. "He's really nice, like you! He lives in a house that is hidden even deeper within our forest. In return for keeping this place secret we agreed to let him live here. He's such a great person!"
She pointed off to the east. "Keep following the path east. Look for the bell on the side of a big tree. When you ring it, Cornelius' house will appear. He hasn't had any visitors besides us for a long time however....but I'm sure he'll be happy to help you! By the way, you could do with this!"
Ariel suddenly began to fly around Chris, showering him with golden fairy dust. Instantly, Chris felt revitalised, as if he'd just had a great night's sleep. Also, his earlier wound from fighting Scorban was healed fully.
"Thank you very much!" smiled Chris, looking at all of the fairies. "I promise I'll never reveal this place to anyone."
"Thank you, Chris." Ariel bowed slightly. "We wish you luck on your journey as well. I hope you find that person dear to you. I can tell she means a lot to you.....we all can. We can feel the love in your heart......we've never felt such a great love from a human before."
"Yeah.....she means a lot to me....." Chris nodded, and hitched up his armour. "Goodbye, and thanks for the help!"

"Thank you again for everything, Sir Knight!" grinned Ariel. "Everyone, let's give Chris a fairy goodbye!"
The fairies all rushed towards Chris, who was shocked at first. Every single one of them planted a kiss somewhere on Chris' face, and Ariel kissed his nose. The young knight blushed a deep red. "Uhhh....ummmm.....thanks!" he said, shyly.
The fairies all giggled, and made a new formation in the air, spelling out a message:

BYE BYE, CHRIS!

They all waved at their saviour, who waved back as he ventured on through the forest, alone.

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"So, the Princess has really been kidnapped? Oh woe for us all!"
"Who would commit such a monstrous act? Perhaps the Halcyon Imperium?"
"I hear the army is blocking all main roads through the kingdom! I don't think the kidnapper will get very far!"

The towns of Galatea were buzzing with the news of the Campbell Castle incident. Some people were even in a panic, fearing invasion.

Roads through the kingdom were now blockaded by the army, who were on the lookout for Michelle and her captor.

Little did they realise, he'd already slipped past them.....

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Chris was to walk for another half an hour before he finally happened upon the place that Ariel told him about.
There was a thick wall of foliage in front of him, and it seemed impassable. However, a thorough search of the bushes revealed a tiny brass bell.
"The bell tolls....." thought Chris out loud as he tapped the instrument.

It rang much louder than he expected, and the piercing sound forced him to cover his ears. Fairies were small, but they were big when it came to action!
When Chris uncovered his ringing ears, he saw that the wall of leaves had vanished, leaving an opening which opened out into a beautiful clearing. There were a vast amount of flowers here, and a small pond, in which frogs were playing about. Insects flew around the flowers and trees, and there was even a couple of birds watching the young knight enter. Unlike before, they did not shy away from Chris. It seemed that like the fairies, they trusted him now.
Ahead of all this natural beauty was a wooden house. It was rather splendid for a house only made of wood, and looked rather like a miniature mansion.
"Nature didn't make this house...." said Chris knowingly. He knew magic when he saw it.
He walked up the front door, which was coloured red, yet still wooden like the rest of the house. Brushing his hair out of his face, he knocked on the door.

The door opened, and Chris came face to face with a fairly old man. He wore tiny spectacles on his blue, narrowed eyes, and a lengthy white beard hung down from his jaw, twinned with a white moustache. He was dressed in a dark blue cloak with red highlights, and he looked at his visitor with inquisitive eyes. Chris had no doubt in his mind that this was Albert Cornelius.
"Well hello there! This is quite a surprise!" beamed the magician, looking Chris up and down. "I haven't had a visitor in 20 years, aside from those delightful fairies."
"Hello, sir." said Chris politely. "Are you Albert Cornelius?"
"Indeed I am, young man." smiled the wise old wizard. "And you are Christopher James Appleyard, of the Knights of the Crown, serving the Kingdom of Galatea."
Chris was taken aback. "How did you.....?"
"I'm a magician, my friend. Mind reading is one of the many abilities I've perfected in my solitude. Please, come in!" He gestured with his hands for the young knight to enter, and Chris did so.
The inside of the wooden house couldn't be more different from the outside. It was like a mansion! A lush, blue carpet adorned the entire floor, and the walls were filled with wonderful, varied paintings. On the shelves around the room were many pots and containers, obviously for storing magical items.
"Wow......." said an impressed Chris. "You did all this with magic?"
"Yes." replied the wizard, chuckling a little. "A magician's got to have his creature comforts, you know!" He sat down in an old rocking chair, which was next to a wide black fireplace. The ancient chair creaked as the old man began to rock gently in it.
"You're not here to ask about me, though." he said suddenly. "You wish to know where Avalon is."
Chris wasn't surprised now, knowing that Cornelius had read his mind already. "Yes....I was told that you were the only one who knows where it can be found. I must get there.....the fate of the world may rest upon it....."
"....And the life of the one you love." finished Cornelius, nodding. "My friend, few have ever found the ancient fortress of the angels, and those who did never returned."
He stood up, and waved his hand in the air. A shimmering circle appeared in front of Chris, and showed him something.....a large castle, ruined but still standing firm. Several towers jutted out from it, including a central one that dwarfed the rest. The castle looked white, but was decaying and parts of it had turned brownish, having been weathered away by time.
Chris had seen this place before, during his conversation with the Goddess of Love. "That's Avalon...."
"Yes. It is a mere shadow of its former self now, as the angels left it long ago. Without the angels there, it has fallen victim to the hands of time. Yet its still stands as the only barrier between existence, and the Goddess of Hate." Cornelius waved his hand again, and something else appeared.
Lines began to draw in the air, seemingly random. They twisted and curved and seemed to mean nothing. Small and large dots also began to pop up at random places in the air. It all seemed to be pointless at first...

Then, Chris began to recognise the shapes, and the locations of the dots.
"It's a map.....a map of the world....." he thought out loud, amazed.
"Avalon is not an easy place to find, young Chris." spoke Cornelius as the map finished drawing. "There is only one path to reach it, and it will take you across most of the kingdom."
A large red dot appeared on the map, somewhere around the southeast of Galatea. Chris noticed something peculiar about it.
"Isn't that...the centre point of the world...?" he asked.
"Hmmm....very perceptive!" grinned Cornelius, 'zooming' the map out. It now represented the entire planet, as if they were looking at it from space. The red dot that showed Avalon was right in the centre of the planet.
"It will be a dangerous journey for you, of that I am sure." said Cornelius. "However, you have the heart, the courage and the skills to see it through. However....you must make haste, my young friend."
He zoomed the map in this time, and it centred on a point close to a large lake in Galatea, which Chris knew as Lake Angelis. The map then turned into a view of the lake itself. They could see what was happening there at that moment!
A white horse was galloping next to the lake, so close that they could see the reflection of it, and its two riders in the lake. Chris gasped as he recognised the riders.
The first was his opponent back at the castle, the one who had killed him......and the second was Michelle, tied up!
"Michelle!" he yelled, as if trying to speak to her through the 'map'.
"You know what will happen if they reach Avalon first." said Cornelius, but he smiled as if he knew something. "However, even if they do, all is not lost. She may be the key to the Seal, but she will not open it willingly."
Chris looked at the wizard, puzzled. "What do you mean, she's the key to the Seal?"
"The Princess is the only one who can open the Seal. However, her captor will have to force her to do so, meaning you have more time than you believe." answered the wise magician. "However, now is not the time for questions, my young friend."
He waved his hands once more, and the view of Lake Angelis became the map again. It then vanished in a puff of smoke, and reappeared in mid air as a parchment. Cornelius plucked it from the air and gave it to Chris.
The knight unfurled the old paper, and saw that it was the very same map they'd been looking at. He also noticed three dots, all of them glowing on the paper! One of them was the red dot which symbolised Avalon, another was blue, and a third was pink.
"You won't find a map like this anywhere else." grinned Cornelius, pointing at the three dots. "The red dot is the location of Avalon. he blue dot is your present location. The pink dot is the location of the Princess."
"Amazing..... now I won't get lost, and I'll know how much time I have left...." Chris saw that the Michelle dot was moving gradually near Lake Angelis.
"You'd best get moving, Chris. If you hurry, you may be able to catch up to them. Do not lose heart if you don't, however. All is not lost unless the Seal is opened." said Cornelius.
"Thanks.....I'll do my best." Chris rolled the map up and shook Cornelius' hand. "Thank you for your help."
"Anytime, my friend." smiled Cornelius. "Glad to be of service!" He watched as Chris headed for the door, and then said one more thing. "And.....before you go, I know about your meeting with the Goddess...."
"You do?!" Chris gasped, wondering how Cornelius could have gotten that from his mind. "In that case.....can you tell me what 'Love's Knight' means?"
"The Love's Knight.....even I know little about this legend." Cornelius rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "The Tale of the Two Goddesses mentions that before she bonded herself with the world, the Goddess of Love said that one day, a champion of love would come, and he would be called 'Love's Knight'. A knight imbued with the power of true love, able to wield incredible power and destroy the dark emotion of hate."
"I see.....it's just......she called me that before I left her realm...." Chris paused, letting this information sink in. "I must go.....thank you, again." Chris left the house, leaving the old wizard along once again.

Cornelius stared out of the window, watching Chris leave his little place. "He's still unaware of his destiny......and I fear he may not be able to take the pain he will suffer.......but he is indeed the one....."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness.
Blackness.
Emptiness.

Three of the traits of Hate.
It was rather fitting the person currently surrounded by them. She lay dormant, only her deep subconscious knowing what transpired in the outside world. A world she had not known for over a thousand years now.
She wanted to rend that world, destroy the precious life that her sister had created. She wanted to recreate it as per her own desire, into a living Hell.
"No....the world is not enough for me......everything that lives shall soon bow before their new master......"
The void still binded her, as strong as it had since was placed there. She remembered the great battle, being struck into submission by those cursed angels.....and then blasted into the void by the one thing she hated the most.....

Her sister.

Her body lay still in the void of the Seal, unable to break free because of the holy barrier forced upon her. However, her precious power, the sweet aroma of Hate, had not been stemmed by the Seal. She had continued to force it upon the world, despite her sister becoming a barrier against it. She was all that stood between her and domination.

Only, she had found a truly weak minded fool. One who craved power and glory. He believed that by opening the Seal, he would gain it. However, he would make an excellent champion of hate.

"Soon......soon I will be free.......and then, dear sister......I'll send you, this world, and this universe to a new dimension of pain and suffering!"

[/i][/b]Biding her time behind the Seal of Avalon, the Goddess of Hate continued to manipulate her pawn.......

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