Hello Bookdragons and welcome back!

A few housekeeping items before we get started. I normally post at the end but since we've had a break, i'll get it out of the way now.

Firstly, I missed all of you. Returning to find so many heartfelt messages on my feed, inbox, etc was truly special. Thank you all. I'm so lucky to have you, and even LUCKIER that you love Dragonwall.

Second, I'm doing great. A 6-week break was exactly what I needed mentally and physically. I allowed my hand to heal for the first few weeks off, enjoyed my holidays, and then put my head down and got to writing as soon as January rolled around. My hand is almost 100%. It still aches here and there, with the cold, or when i've done yoga, things like that. 

Third, I got a significant amount of ROUGH draft material written (ten chapters worth, but they need A LOT of work before they can be posted). I focused mostly on Claire's storyline and nearly finished hers for this book. However as I was writing, I made a realization that in the past couple chapters I posted (tamara specifically), it was mentioned that Talon (and company) would march on Fort Squall in something like two weeks. It's the MIDDLE OF WINTER, y'all. Both here in our lives if you're in the northern hemisphere (coincidentally) and also currently in Dragonwall. Armies don't march (or fly) off to battle in winter, not usually if it can be helped. As I was writing and realizing this, I thought "Doh! Now I need to go update that," so i'll make sure to do so in the final published draft. Just keep that in mind as you're reading subsequent chapters and wondering why this "two weeks" is taking more like two months. LOL!

Also, I'm feeling generous since I missed you all so much, so I think i'll be posting two chapters this weekend instead of the usual one. I probably won't post them back to back since I need to do lots of editing on both, and I have ice practice in a few hours. But keep an eye out for the second.

Finally, I'm just so happy to be back. I will begin catching up on chapter comments soon. I returned to some 30,000 notifications. As you can imagine, that's a lot to get through. Heh! 

Okay, enough from me. Enjoy!

-Mel

Ashvalle

Claire found Feowen, of all people, in the kitchen the next morning. He had a towel thrown over his shoulder and was pulling a loaf of bread from the giant brick oven. Jeanine wasn't there, so she had a rare opportunity to be alone with him. He set the loaf on a wooden board, grinned at her, and said, "Morning."

"You? Since when do royal princes bake bread," she teased.

"Ach! My mother would have a fit if she could see me now. Baking is...servant stuff, apparently. But I enjoy it. It's one of the things I love most about coming here. Baking bread. There's something therapeutic about kneading dough, don't you think?"

She grinned. "I couldn't agree more." She drifted over to the pantry, looking over its contents. Her grin turned to a pleased smile. "There are oats! And...blueberries?" She turned and stared at him holding a jar large enough for cookies. There was also a selection of other fruits, but it was the blueberries that had her most excited. "How?"

He grunted, like she ought to have already known the answer. "It's all spelled to stay fresh. Not frozen, per se, but magic keeps it from decaying."

"I love Sprite magic," she whispered, turning back to the pantry. She collected a handful of items, found a pot, and began making enough oatmeal for everyone. While she was stirring, Feowen stuck a slice of buttered cinnamon bread in her hand. She sighed as she bit into it. "Delicious! You really can bake." She paired a wink with her compliment.

He grinned and glanced away, perhaps flattered by her praise. "I hope Jeanine thinks so too," she heard him say in a low voice. As if summoned, the female warrior stepped into the kitchen dressed in her usual. Claire didn't miss the sword strapped to her waist. Taylynn and Koldis meandered in shortly thereafter. They both pretended the other didn't exist, but Claire didn't miss the increase in frowns Taylynn threw at Koldis whenever he was occupied. It was killing her—not knowing if Koldis had indeed gone down and apologized. Judging by the increased tension between them, something had happened.

They sat around the large table eating Claire's favorite—oatmeal with a handful of blueberries and brown sugar—along with slices of Fewoen's cinnamon bread. "This is heavenly," Jeanine said, looking at Feowen as if she'd discovered a new secret about him.

"Yes, yes," Taylynn tutted. "My brother always enjoys cooking and baking when he can squirm out from beneath my mother's grasp. And he's rather good at it, too." They all heartily agreed.

After a leisurely meal, they set out to meet Lixiss. Her cottage was at the edge of the city. She greeted them warmly when they arrived, saving Claire for last. "Kevjahi, Claire. Welcome to my home." She spread her arms wide. "Enter, enter."

The first thing Claire noticed was that Lixiss's home reminded her of Pelwynn's—filled with clutter. Some Sprites, she realized, fell prone to all the same confections as humans, like severe hoarding. Lixiss led them through to a kitchen. Her house was smaller than the royal cottage, only a single story like most of the others, but just as warm and inviting. They all crowded into the kitchen, and like the royal cottage, there was a large table in the center. They took seats around it.

Lixiss busied herself at the fire in the hearth where a small cauldron hung, bubbling. She was short for a Sprite, but like all other Sprites, her skin was pale and covered in markings. Her hair was jet black and hung down to her waist in thick sheets. Her gown, like most sprite gowns, was sheer, but more opaque over the areas she didn't want to show off.

"The drink of enlightenment is only brewed on special occasions, but I consider the arrival of Isabella's long lost descendent to be one of those occasions," she said, keeping her back to them. "Taylynn tells me you come in search of answers. I cannot promise the drink will bring you such, but it has been known to do so in the past. It is made from the bark of the ash tree. But not just any ash tree, an ash tree grown in this area that bears the soul of one of our own. It must not be taken without permission, or the brew is rendered useless."

Claire opened and closed her mouth several times before settling into a frown. The idea of consuming anything belonging to a living tree that housed a dead Sprite didn't necessarily sound appealing. But she supposed that for the magic to work, there had to be something semi-sinister about it. And what was more sinister than consuming the bark of a dead Sprite, even if it was just the leftovers of the Sprite's soul.

"Don't fret Dearie, the ash tree gave us permission for the brew. Normally we go through a full ceremony, invoking the King Tree's permission for something like this, for seeking truth and answers, but Taylynn informed me that secrecy would be better. And where Taylynn is involved, so too is the King Tree." She hesitated. "There are only a handful of us in Ashvale who know how to brew such a drink, and I pride myself on believing I'm the best at it. If answers are to be found, your best bet is through me." She busied herself about the kitchen gathering a goblet and a ladle as she began scooping some of the muddy looking sludge into the goblet. Then she muttered a few words and what was leftover—there wasn't much—disappeared. "There now. It's a little hot but ready for consumption." She handed the goblet to Claire.

Claire looked down at it then swirled its contents around a bit. It's viscus consistency didn't allow it to move as much. It almost reminded her of a sauce more than anything. She could only imagine how it tasted. Koldis leaned in to look over her shoulder. "And...I'm just supposed to drink it? What will happen once I do? Does it start immediately? Am I going to pass out? Have visions?" She knew nothing about the drink of enlightenment, other than small rumors she'd heard.

"You'll remain mostly coherent," Lixiss answered. "I would just be sitting when you drink it. Whatever happens afterward is the Tree's doing. You'll see what the Tree wants you to see, learn what the Tree wants you to learn. Beyond that? It's different for everyone."

Claire nodded. "Well, bottoms up." She took the goblet and tilted it up, drinking down the sludge. It was a slow process. And she was right, it very much tasted like it looked, like mud—not that she knew how mud tasted. She might have known if she were still four. It was just how she expected mud to taste.

She choked it down, trying not to let her roiling stomach show on her face. But she couldn't help the sound that escaped when she polished it off. It was absolutely revolting.

"Well, I never said it would taste like strawberries." Lixiss's amused expression told her the Sprite knew exactly how badly it tasted.

But she hardly heard the female's words. The kitchen tilted on its axis. She slammed the goblet down on the table and grabbed the table's edge with both hands. It felt like she was on a ship, rocking back-and-forth. She closed her eyes, squeezing them tightly. Beside her, she heard Koldis come to his feet, felt his steady presence up against her back, his hands on her shoulders. He squeezed to let her know he was there, so she leaned back against him.

Everything stopped spinning and she opened her eyes, but what she saw was absolutely not what had been there a few seconds ago.

***

The forest was falling into twilight. It was the time just before full darkness sets in, when the effervescent glow surrounding her would increase tenfold. The night bugs had already started their singing. The sounds of trickling water tickled her ears. A gentle breeze fluttered the leaves around her, caressing her skin.

She sighed with her whole body. It was peaceful; pure. Not that the forest wasn't generally peaceful. But this was a different kind of peace, one that told her that here, there wasn't the same sickness lurking.

But why was she here—and where was she exactly? Had she strayed too far from Esterpine? Was this a quest Pelwynn had sent her on? Part of her lessons? She frowned, trying to remember what had brought her here.

"Come to me, child. Let me see you."

She tensed at the intrusion. The voice was neither male nor female. And it spoke to her mind the way the dragon voices often did. But it wasn't Koldis's voice. And he was the only Drengr in the forest. At the thought of him, she felt a reassuring pressure on her shoulders, like he was here with her. But he wasn't, was he? She put her hand on her shoulder but it came up empty. A phantom memory of his touch, perhaps.

"Come. Come," the voice coaxed. She hesitated. It wasn't frightening, this lure. So she decided to follow it. "There you are." She came to an abrupt stop before a pool. It wasn't the babbling brook she thought it was. Instead, there were small falls that trickled out of it, feeding feeding the forest. "Ahh yes, the pool of eternity some call it. Life water—living water."

She lifted her head—up, up, up—and gasped. "You...you're the King Tree." She would have recognized the giant anywhere. But mostly she remembered the stained glass window in Kastali Dun, a surprise she and Desaree and Saffra had stumbled upon months ago, back when they first discovered all the secret passages.

"I am many things in many places. And in many places to many people, I am many things. But here, yes. To you, I am a giant tree." The hairs on her skin stood on end. Chills skittered down her spine. She blinked, and gasped, then blinked again, because now the tree was gone and in its place, the Crystal Palace loomed before her. The dirt paths around the palace were bustling. Those who saw her, nodded with polite recognition. Had she teleported herself? She blinked a few more times and the Tree returned.

Blink—Tree. Blink—palace. Blink—Tree.

It was dizzying. Her stomach lurched.

Another blink, and there was Queen Jade standing before her in the throne room, pulling on a pair of silk gloves. "I must go and find Lady Claire," she said to someone out of sight.

Blink—the forest. She stood alone, looking at a path. Twigs snapping behind her had her whirling around. Her eyes widened.

"Lady Claire! Thank the Tree. There you are." Jade's appearance had changed between one blink and the next. Her hair was coming undone. Her skin was dirt smudged. Her silk gloves were gone. But it was her voice that captured Claire's attention most.

"Your...Your Majesty? Is everything all right?" She offered the queen a formal curtsey and glanced around. They were alone.

"I'm glad I found you. You must come with me. There is a sickness in the forest, Lady Claire and I have found its source. We must defeat it. Come with me and we will put a stop to it together."

"I..."

So Jade knew? Jade wanted to cleanse the forest too? She had wondered, believing that perhaps only Taylynn and a select few others knew what was festering. But if Jade knew, if Jade wanted to do something about it, then Claire would help her.

"You've found a way, then?"

"I have. Hurry, follow me." Jade didn't wait but slipped back into the dense foliage. Claire blinked after her. Perhaps the Tree she'd seen had been a mere hallucination and this was the here-and-now of her real life.

She quickened her step to follow after Jade, eager and filled with the jitters of anticipation. It was time to cleanse the forest at last. A measure of peace stole over her at the thought.

Blink. Bright white light replaced the dim effervescent glow of the forest. She stumbled and turned taking in the openness. Cold bit into her face. A world covered in snow. Her breath caught in her chest, frigid air burning. Jade was gone. There, behind her was the Marble Dragon, its body covered in snow accumulation.

"What...?" ...was she doing here?

She'd seen it once, during her travels across the kingdom. Had touched its lifelike body only to be sucked into its mind. Reyr never could explain what had happened. To this day, she still believed Jovari and Koldis thought she was merely making a scene, being overly dramatic. But she was certain that whatever slept in the marble body had been hostile. Had wanted to kill her.

Blink. She saw an image of herself reaching out to touch it. A flashback of a memory?

Blink. Her image was gone. The dragon opened its eyes. It saw her. She gasped and stepped back. "I will have my revenge," it said. "Free me from this prison. You have tortured me long enough, Isabella. I have paid your price. Free me."

She licked her lips. "I...I'm not Isabella."

Blink. Taylynn appeared beside her. "He shouldn't be impossible to wake." The dragon's eyes were closed now, as if Claire had only imagined them opening. "Come, let us go to him."

Instead of following after Taylynn, she turned in a wide circle, creating patterns in the snow. What was happening? Why was Taylynn here? And why in the name of the gods would Taylynn want to wake up a monster? This was a dream—it had to be.

"Are you coming?" Taylynn asked over her shoulder, lifting an eyebrow.

Blink. The world darkened again. Back in the forest. This time she stumbled and landed on her knees. Pain bit into her skin and reverberated up and down her legs. She was surrounded by more than just the forest. It was all darkness, cloying, stifling darkness. She hissed, trying to scramble away away. "You cannot run from me, my dear. My bargain was sealed in blood. I will have you."

"Kane," she gasped, more of a cry. She froze in panic, tears of anger and fear filling her gaze—tears of betrayal. This had to be a dream. She blinked again, hoping that like the other blinks, this would send her somewhere else. But no amount of blinking made him disappear from view. Behind him, a sheet of glass, or...water—she couldn't quite tell—made a wall. There was a dark cave beyond it.

Kane uttered a single word pain seared through her, forcing her mouth open, forcing the scream that broke from her lips. Absolute agony. He laughed as she struggled to free herself from his invisible cage. She tried to speak, to sing, but nothing happened, and her wrists—they were already bound. So were her feet. That's why she'd stumbled. That's why she'd fallen to her knees. She'd been tricked—and yet, her mind was foggy. She couldn't quite make sense of anything she was seeing. Too many fragments—too many broken pieces.

Blink. Kane disappeared. A sob broke from her chest—doused in relief. The world was entirely white, except for the giant Tree before her. Had Kane done something? Struck her? Killed her?

A new fear took hold, but only for a moment as she noticed more of her surroundings. Giant roots were wiggling like snakes, digging into the whiteness around her. Below them—somehow she could see below—was another world. A flash of a child's smiling face lit her mind—her smiling face. She was so innocent, so carefree in her laughter. She knew nothing of what would happen some day. What would happen when a mysterious Drengr would fall into her corn field and send her racing through a seemingly impossible world. Beneath the roots was her world.

The Tree had roots in all worlds, Taylynn had said. And she could see those worlds, like layers upon layers, smashed together.

"If you are worthy, I will give you what you seek," said a disembodied voice. She lifted her attention from the nothingness-floor and pinned the Tree with her gaze. "But first, there is something you must do. A balance that must be struck. A thing that must be fixed."

And then images began flashing before her eyes where she stood. Some of them were foreign, and some not so much. She saw Talon and her heart skipped—saw him dressed in iridescent black, standing at the base of the dais in his throne room, filled with people, as she behold him on the day of their wedding. She saw them flying together in battle, Pelwynn's bow nocked with a phoenix feather. She saw Reyr, traipsing through the forest, determination written on his features. She saw the Dragon Stones, hidden around the kingdom in various flashes. She saw the other shields too. But mostly she saw flashes of all the same things she'd just seen. Queen Jade, Kane, the sick forest, the Marble Dragon, and Princess Taylynn. The images flitted by faster and faster, jumbling into a confused mess. She blinked to clear her vision. Blinked again, and the scenes disappeared. Before her, stark against the white, laying on the Tree's roots, was the a quarterstaff. She gasped and jumped forward, reaching for it. The movement was instinctual. She did it without thinking. The moment her hand made contact with its wooden surface, the Sprite markings along its length flared into life.

The world went dark.

She was tumbling, tumbling through the roots—through darkness. She jerked and felt herself slam into something soft and unyielding. Something familiar. There were hands on her shoulders. Her vision cleared. For a moment, all she remembered was the prize she'd seen, the prize she'd grabbed. But when she opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, they were empty. There was no staff. 

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