said.
“I’m standing beside your pack, at the end of the trail.”
Hapless looked, but still saw nothing. Meanwhile the tromping was making the ground shake. “You must be invisible.”
“I’m not,” the centaur reassured him. “I can see myself and you plainly. But perhaps I am shrouded by illusion. That should dissipate once you return to the path.”
“How can we return to the path if we can’t see it?” Hapless demanded. The ogre came into sight. Twice the height of a man and broad in proportion, wielding a monstrous club. Mere trombones would not balk this beast!
“Fi fo fum fee,” the ogre chanted. “He she feed me.” He smiled, showing tusk-like yellow teeth.
“Close in on my voice,” Zed said. “I will reach across and take your hands when you are close enough.”
They went to the patch of brambles that masked the voice. Sure enough, they were illusion. They reached out. Then Hapless felt his hand taken, and saw that Feline was similarly caught. They were drawn forward another step, and the path formed around them. Zed was holding their hands.
The ogre stood amidst the brambles, scratching his hairy head. Where had they gone?
“Thank you,” Feline said, relieved. “That was nervous business.”
“I begin to see a reason for my presence on this Quest,” Zed said. “Not merely to find my own true love.”
“Well, when you find her, give her this,” Feline said, and kissed his ear. Hapless saw the ear brighten as the kiss landed. She did have the touch.
“It does seem that we are meant to be a team,” Hapless said as he put his pack back on.
“Yet I wonder,” Zed said. “If the path and I were covered by illusion, how is it that the cemoness and the goblins were able to see us?”
“They must be specially attuned,” Hapless said thoughtfully.
“Maybe we should learn that tuning,” Feline said. “So we don’t get caught out again.”
It was late, and they were tired, but they did it right then, taking turns stepping off the path and being guided back. Gradually they became aware of it, seeing its faint light as a phantom guide through the wilderness. Zed did it too, appreciating the need. Only when they were satisfied did they settle down again for the night, pitching another blanket tent.
Feline hesitated as the two of them lay down together in the tent. “Can I trust you?”
“I certainly hope so,” Hapless said, perplexed.
“Good.” She went to sleep in human form, lovely in her repose.
Oh. When he thought about it, he was inordinately pleased. She did trust him.
In the morning they resumed their hike, appreciating the surrounding scenery in a way they had not before. There were indeed demons, goblins, and ogres in these parts, not seen because of the protection of the path.
The path approached a mountain, but instead of going around it, it ascended, winding around it like a serpent, climbing high along a road inset into its steep slope—an inset that surely didn’t exist outside the enchantment. The ground spread out below like a variegated tapestry, with forests fields, rivers, ponds, and in the distance, the sea. As they looked at each feature, that feature enhanced itself, the forest becoming greener, the river smoother, the pond larger, and the sea more formidable. Hapless knew that was a standard aspect of Xanth, where not only animals but plants and geography had their awareness and liked to be admired.
“I do appreciate you, all of you,” he murmured, feeling a bit foolish. “You are a wonder to behold.” Then the whole scene brightened appreciatively, and he no longer felt foolish.
At last they came to a lofty dragon’s nest atop the highest crag. It looked exposed, but Hapless could see that it was soundly bound to the rock and was secure. The precipitous path went up to it and stopped, as if hesitating to leap on into space.
“Welcome, Quest,” a dulcet voice called. It came from the figure within the nest, not a dragon but a naga,
“I’m standing beside your pack, at the end of the trail.”
Hapless looked, but still saw nothing. Meanwhile the tromping was making the ground shake. “You must be invisible.”
“I’m not,” the centaur reassured him. “I can see myself and you plainly. But perhaps I am shrouded by illusion. That should dissipate once you return to the path.”
“How can we return to the path if we can’t see it?” Hapless demanded. The ogre came into sight. Twice the height of a man and broad in proportion, wielding a monstrous club. Mere trombones would not balk this beast!
“Fi fo fum fee,” the ogre chanted. “He she feed me.” He smiled, showing tusk-like yellow teeth.
“Close in on my voice,” Zed said. “I will reach across and take your hands when you are close enough.”
They went to the patch of brambles that masked the voice. Sure enough, they were illusion. They reached out. Then Hapless felt his hand taken, and saw that Feline was similarly caught. They were drawn forward another step, and the path formed around them. Zed was holding their hands.
The ogre stood amidst the brambles, scratching his hairy head. Where had they gone?
“Thank you,” Feline said, relieved. “That was nervous business.”
“I begin to see a reason for my presence on this Quest,” Zed said. “Not merely to find my own true love.”
“Well, when you find her, give her this,” Feline said, and kissed his ear. Hapless saw the ear brighten as the kiss landed. She did have the touch.
“It does seem that we are meant to be a team,” Hapless said as he put his pack back on.
“Yet I wonder,” Zed said. “If the path and I were covered by illusion, how is it that the cemoness and the goblins were able to see us?”
“They must be specially attuned,” Hapless said thoughtfully.
“Maybe we should learn that tuning,” Feline said. “So we don’t get caught out again.”
It was late, and they were tired, but they did it right then, taking turns stepping off the path and being guided back. Gradually they became aware of it, seeing its faint light as a phantom guide through the wilderness. Zed did it too, appreciating the need. Only when they were satisfied did they settle down again for the night, pitching another blanket tent.
Feline hesitated as the two of them lay down together in the tent. “Can I trust you?”
“I certainly hope so,” Hapless said, perplexed.
“Good.” She went to sleep in human form, lovely in her repose.
Oh. When he thought about it, he was inordinately pleased. She did trust him.
In the morning they resumed their hike, appreciating the surrounding scenery in a way they had not before. There were indeed demons, goblins, and ogres in these parts, not seen because of the protection of the path.
The path approached a mountain, but instead of going around it, it ascended, winding around it like a serpent, climbing high along a road inset into its steep slope—an inset that surely didn’t exist outside the enchantment. The ground spread out below like a variegated tapestry, with forests fields, rivers, ponds, and in the distance, the sea. As they looked at each feature, that feature enhanced itself, the forest becoming greener, the river smoother, the pond larger, and the sea more formidable. Hapless knew that was a standard aspect of Xanth, where not only animals but plants and geography had their awareness and liked to be admired.
“I do appreciate you, all of you,” he murmured, feeling a bit foolish. “You are a wonder to behold.” Then the whole scene brightened appreciatively, and he no longer felt foolish.
At last they came to a lofty dragon’s nest atop the highest crag. It looked exposed, but Hapless could see that it was soundly bound to the rock and was secure. The precipitous path went up to it and stopped, as if hesitating to leap on into space.
“Welcome, Quest,” a dulcet voice called. It came from the figure within the nest, not a dragon but a naga,
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