Panic led to swift packing without proper thought. Droillo stood outside my front window with his long fingers smearing up the glass. Under normal circumstances, he would have heard my lecture on the matter. I stormed out the back door, taking two steps at a time.

The best place for my sons was in the garden, but I had no assurances on the time frame this arduous journey would take. I filled their travel container with dirt and placed them securely inside. Droillo caught up to me with a black canvas bag that had brown sticks poking out the top.

I took a second to glower at him. "This is why you need to stay in your burrow with your stick collection. We need to save room for supplies, and sticks are what you decide should be brought?"

He chuckled, patting his belly in irritating cheer. "This isn't my stick collection, best buddy. They are for if we need firewood. Remember when we stayed in the desert. No trees to burn anywhere."

"We're not going to the desert. We don't need firewood in the desert. Your tiny sense is showing again."

"It's okay if we don't use them. It won't make me sad or anything. My heart feels happier with sticks close."

"My heart feels happier with you in your burrow."

He put his arm around me. "Your concern for my safety always warms my heart. You're the best friend I've ever had."

I shoved off his arm and hurried to the field where wildflowers broke up the dull yellow grass and reminded me how Zin always loved them. The wind blew through the trees that grew on the field's outskirts. Butterflies fluttering around Droillo's head brought ridiculous delight to his goofy face, and his pointy teeth appeared in a snarly grin. He had a love for all things delicate to the extent he often happy danced when he caught sight of anything that amused him.

I brought my fingers to my mouth and whistled a few times until, off in the distance, three white dragons beat the air with their massive wings. They landed a short distance away, and I hugged the middle one.

"Lark, Thorn, and Nuri, we have a giant problem and require assistance." I told them of Zinnia's disappearance.

They lowered their heads, indicating their desire to help. Droillo rode on baby Nuri as he always did, and I took Thorn, who was Lark's husband. Lark would fly alone until we located Zin. The ground from the sky spiraled with colors from the shimmering river that swirled with pinks and blues and flowed next to the red-leafed golden trees. Pterippi galloped and took to the sky to zoom into the fluffy cotton clouds.

We journeyed until tents popped a bright purple among green foliage that grew in abundance in this area. My dear friend and mother figure Naysava lived in the portable city. She was a full elf, but of a different clan than Zinnia. Her magic was the more natural sort compared to the smoke and mirrors most wizards brought with them. She had great insight and healing, and Zinnia often sought Naysava's wisdom. This made it the most likely place Zin would have ventured to find a cure for her mother.

The dragon landed in an enormous blue grass patch that, in some spots, had purple tips that matched the color of the tents. Garlic and other herbs wafted through the air and brought gurgles to my stomach. A jolly melody poured from five elderly elves who sat in a circle playing wooden instruments while several children danced in circles, hooking arms and twirling. My boots crunched hay that rested against squishy mud that marked the pathway to Naysava's tent. The healer could reliably be located in the village middle to give equal access to all.

I knocked on the tent flap and waited until I was granted entrance and took the seat Naysava offered me. Droillo sat next to me, and I nudged him to end his obnoxious humming.

"Say nothing unless addressed. We need to keep this quick, not go off on a tangent about your love for twigs," I whispered.

"Can I talk about my sticks?"

"I just told you that you could not."

"You said twigs. That's entirely different than a stick." He searched through his bag.

"Put that away. I don't care about the difference. Keep silent."

His mouth closed, leaving a pointy tooth to press against his upper lip. Incense burned out from the eyes in dragon skulls carved from blue wood. Scales and blade-like teeth etched details into the carvings and sat close to red shelves covered in potions and leather books.

Naysava stood at a table and sprinkled yellow and blue powders into a marble bowl. A white stone rod served to crush and mix the powder. She kept her flowing black hair braided, which gave a clear view of her pointed ears. "Bogumuth, I'm glad you have finally paid me a visit after so much time."

I removed my red cap and lowered my eyes to the ornate floral rug at my feet. "I am sorry I have neglected our friendship and have no excuse other than days tending to my garden are long and sometimes harsh."

A small smile tipped her lips. "It's all well. I'm only happy that you've arrived now to pay me a visit. How is Zinnia?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me. She's gone missing, and all that is known is that she left her village without a word while her mother is gravely ill. My assumption is she has gone to find a cure, but I can't fathom why she'd exclude me."

Naysava walked over to a shelf and tapped her chin. "She didn't stop here, and I'm not the greatest at location spells. I'll give it my best. Do you have something she's touched recently?"

"Recently? I'm unsure. I should have thought of that."

Droillo waved his arms frantically and bounced in his seat.

Naysava stared at him with a creased brow. "You may speak at will, Droillo."

He huffed out a breath and wiggled in his chair. "Oh, good. Good. Bog said I couldn't speak unless addressed, but I have important news." He undid his bag and searched until he brought one of his sticks out.

"I told you no one wants to hear about your sticks." Heat rose through my face that he'd waste time on foolish things.

Droillo held the stick poised in the air as he looked me over. "You okay, Bog buddy? You're looking like your fancy tomato fruits."

"We don't have time to talk about your hobbies. Put the stick away."

"But she wanted to know if we had anything Zinnia had touched recently. She did this."

I narrowed my eyes as skepticism quelled the anger the tiniest bit. "Out of all sticks, you know that?"

"Yeah, she liked the purple leaves and asked if I was keeping it. I told her no because I had five already. A little critter nibbled on it here. We played a game to guess what it looked like."

Naysava held out her hand and took the stick Droillo offered. "It's worth a try, and there's no harm if he's wrong." She brought the stick over to her table and poured a green substance over the top. A floral aroma drifted with a blue smoke cloud that she studied. "She did indeed touch this, but too much time has elapsed for me to get a full picture. I can tell she headed toward the wizard realm."

I groaned. "Of all the places, it had to be there. I guess it makes sense. She's trying to make her mother better. It makes little sense why she didn't stop here first."

"That is a mystery as she has seen me for much smaller things in the past." She picked a wooden box from a high shelf, removed four clear stones, and dripped liquid from Droillo's stick over them. They glowed blue, and she put them back in the box and handed them to me. "Once in the wizard land, toss one of these in front of you. It will spin, and when it stops, a blue light will point the way to a place Zinnia has gone. Hold the stone as the blue light will lead you, and when you arrive at the location it means, it will go clear again. That may give you the next clue. You will get four chances and hopefully after that you'll have either found her or know where to go next."

We ate dinner with Naysava because my mother had long ago taught me to accept dinner invitations when offered. Droillo happily slurped his soup and attacked his blueberry pie. My spoon weighed heavy in my hand, and I had to force myself to take each bite. Each spoonful brought discomfort to the ache that missed Zinnia. Her untimely death would bring the end of me, because losing Zinnia would bring no return for my sanity.

I removed my worm sons from my satchel and brought them to Naysava. "I hate to ask, but I was wondering if you might be able to keep an eye on them?" I grabbed two coins from the brown bundle strapped to my hip. "I can pay you."

She pushed back my payment. "You keep it, and I will watch your worms for free."

"This is the list of all their requirements."

"They will be well cared for. Find Zinnia and let that be all that concerns you." She hugged me and sent us on our way with bread and jam.

The dragons would take us as far as the wizard lands. They didn't like to travel inside them because too many magic people tried to fillet dragons for the magical properties contained within their scales. I scrunched my blanket for a pillow and used my blue cloak to cover me. Sleeping on the way would give me the energy to start my hiking journey as soon as we arrived at the place that the beasts couldn't continue.

I shoved away the tears to keep grief from grasping my heart. Zinnia would be okay. She had spirit, courage, and strength. I would see her again. There was no way I wouldn't, and that was the only belief that would get me through this uncertain journey.