Besides the occasional breeze, it was quiet in the jungle. Harmony pranced along, Silvey beside her, toward the Wizard Fairy's home.
Ash and Makenna said not a word for a while, but then Ash glanced over his shoulder and asked, "You all right, Makenn?"
Makenna had finally come to, but the only words that escaped her lips were frightened rants. "No! Not only is my beautiful face and transformation ruined, but we left Tracey in the hands of the Octopus Man, or whatever that creature thingy was! We have to go back!"
"Calm down," said Ash. "What you witnessed, Makenna, wasn't real. It was merely a vision of what you can expect in the future. That was your first encounter with the Kraken."
"The what?" Makenna screamed. He did not just say that!
Ash continued: "Or at least its humanoid form."
"Its what?"
"The Kraken has two forms, Miss Delling. Each has pros and cons. What you saw today was its humanoid form. With that one, it can leave the ocean and journey across land for a certain time. The other appearance is the one you're used to seeing in movies. That's its octopus form."
"How do you know? What if that wasn't a mirage? What if Tracey really is captured? Argh, this makes me furious!"
"That's your problem," explained Ash. "Makenna, do ya not even realize what ya did back there?"
Makenna took a wild guess. "I made a PB and J sandwich?" She honestly did not remember.
Harmony stepped over a smaller log and continued on her way.
Ash twisted his head and again peered over his shoulder. "No. You used dark magic to attack the Kraken because you were angry. During the short time we've known each other, I've gotten to know ya pretty well. Miss Delling, you have serious anger issues. A warrior must never attack in anger. Basically, what happened was that the Octopus Man pulled ya to his side. That's why ya felt cold."
Makenna refused to believe she had turned evil for a bit. "You're wrong! How could you say that? I did not turn evil! Ask the Wizard Fairy whenever we meet him!"
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true." Ash sighed and turned back around. "Let's drop the topic for now and focus on the Wizard Fairy. You're going to really like him, Makenna. He and I are like brothers."
Harmony huffed and rolled her eyes.
"Shh!" Ash told her.
Makenna huffed next. "If that's so and you're so smart, Ash, then why don't you be the Wizard Fairy? You probably have nothing better to do."
That statement offended him. Ash pulled back on the reins, and Harmony screeched to a stop. She stopped so suddenly that Makenna fell forward and crashed into his back.
Ash pushed her off and again glanced back, but with a glare that time. "I do not accept that kind of statement, Miss Delling. That is not something a Metamorphic Fairy should say. Ya may be able to get away with it at home, but you're sure ain't going to get away with it here! It's time to accept that you are a Metamorphic Fairy!"
Makenna gulped. Like Tracey, she didn't like it when Ash got mad.
"Now I'm sorry for yelling," he continued, "but the threat we're facing is not to be taken lightly. This Wizard Fairy is essential. You're not going to get any closer to victory if ya don't find him."
Makenna lowered her head. She said nothing else as she, Ash, Harmony, and Silvey continued their journey.
***
It took another half hour, but the four friends finally reached the Wizard Fairy's home. It was at the tip of Coutarine Island's longest beach. Makenna knew she was in paradise the second she saw it. There were beach chairs, a volleyball net, a clothesline, and to top it all off, a Fiji-like hut that had amazingly been untouched by the tropical storm. Two kayaks and a few fishing rods sat under the hut. Palm trees danced in the breeze, and the turquoise-colored water sparkled in the rays of the rising sun. Behind the hut, fairies and animals were on an elevation of land that led to a cliff and a shrine. It was covered with coconut palms, banana palms, pineapple palms, and ferns.
Ash halted Harmony before the hut and patted her. "Thank you, girl." Still wearing the hood, he hopped off and approached Makenna, who admired the area.
Silvey plopped down in the sand and rolled.
"This is our stop." Ash offered Makenna his hand.
She took it and hopped off Harmony next.
"All right, now, before we meet the Wizard Fairy," said Ash, examining Makenna's muddy body, "we need to get ya clean."
Makenna said nothing, still feeling bad about offending him. She merely peered down and nodded.
Ash stood before her and cleared his throat. Lifting his hands, he closed his eyes and, in a firm voice, announced, "Hidden in the shadow! Across the vast meadow! Hiding in the ghetto! Return her skin to its previous form!" Right after he said that, Makenna's body glowed blue. When it stopped, she was clean again.
Makenna studied her sparkling hands, and her jaw dropped.
"That's better," Ash spoke. "You're ready, Miss Delling. Trust me, you're going to like this fairy. He loves visitors. Well, are you ready?"
Makenna shrugged. "I guess."
Ash patted her shoulder. "Don't be nervous. This fairy's going to really like ya. I know."
"I hope." Makenna stayed close to Ash as he and Silvey led her to the Wizard Fairy's house.
They approached the sturdy wooden stairs, whose bases were decorated with clusters of shells, and climbed them. The front deck had two white chairs and a shell wind chime. Just looking at it, Makenna already knew the house was lovely. She didn't understand why she felt nervous, though.
Ash took her to the front door and sighed. He knocked on it.
Nobody answered.
"Hm, he must still be asleep," Ash guessed. "What a typical friend. Makenna, why don't you saunter down there and look through that window? You may be able to spot him in bed if you do." He gestured her toward a window on the right.
She nodded—"Yes, sir"—and did as she was told.
Silvey followed.
Ash called after them. "I'll look down here! Just look sharp! Whew." It looked like Ash himself was nervous. He turned his back to Makenna and took a deep breath. "You can do this, Ash. You can do this." When he lifted his head again, he saw Harmony standing on the beach.
Before Ash moved forward, Breena called in his head again. "You're doing great, little brother. Don't beat yourself up. You're powerful to be doing this right now in your condition."
"But what if I fail?" Ash asked into the atmosphere. "What if I screw this up? I'll disappoint you, Merlin, and Selene."
"You're not going to fail. I know you aren't. Tell me, Ash, why do you think you're going to?"
Ash lowered his head again and sighed. "Ah dinnae kin."
"You're not alone," Breena told him. "I'm here with ya. Ya merely have to believe ya can do this. You can."
Ash thanked her and started toward a piece of paper on the hut's wall.
Makenna reached the window Ash had told her to investigate and swallowed, looking inside. She smiled, though, when she saw the inside of the hut. It had a polished wooden floor with a grey rug, two cloth chairs with leaf-and-white-flower designs, a straw stand in front, and a bed to the left. The windows had blinds and white curtains. What was strange was that Makenna couldn't see the Wizard Fairy anywhere. Where was he?
Ash's voice was soon heard. "Mi-Miss Delling! I found something!"
"Do what?" Makenna asked back, glancing in his direction.
Ash stood before the piece of paper hanging on the wall and pointed at it. "Look at this! My friend's not going to make this easy. It seems he wants us to find him."
"What do you mean?" Makenna's wings flapped, and she soared to her friend, landing.
"Read this," Ash gently ordered, pulling the paper off the wall.
Makenna huffed and took it, reading it aloud:
"'Dear fellow guest,
Thank you so much for visiting! It is not every day I get a visitor. If my friend hasn't told you already, I love to play hide-and-seek. I enjoy having fairies and sprites search for me. I hope you're up for a game. Follow the instructions on this sheet of paper to find where I'm hiding. Once we find each other, you have my permission to ask me anything.
Sincerely,
Wizard Fairy of Coutarine Island.'"
After reading the letter, Makenna lowered it and asked Ash, "Wizard Fairy of Coutarine Island? Doesn't he have a name? What's his name, Ash? Ash?"
Ash had spaced out. He stared blankly at the ocean.
"Yoo-hoo!" Makenna poked his cheek. "Earth to Ash."
"Huh?" Ash snapped out of his doze and glanced at her. "Oh. Sorry, Makenna."
"Are you okay?" Worry was in Makenna's voice.
"Yeah," Ash answered. "It's just... May I see that paper for a second, Makenn? I want to see what tricks my friend has up his sleeve this time."
"Sure." Makenna nervously handed Ash the paper, and he thanked her.
Adjusting his glasses, his eyes rolled down to the words. What happened next was the strangest thing. Even with his glasses on, Ash could not make out the words. All he saw were jumbles of letters floating in outer space.
Just trying to read gave him a searing headache, and he yelled, "Ahh!" The paper dropped from his hands, and Ash grabbed his head, falling to his knees
"Ash! What's wrong?" Makenna shrieked.
Ash plopped down on his backside and clutched his head as hard as he could. "My head! That paper is a monster!"
Kneeling beside him, Makenna said, "It's your concussion. You've already done too much, Ash. You rest, and I'll find the Wizard Fairy."
"No!" Ash removed his hands from his head and stood. "I'm not going to let you do this alone. We need to find the Wizard Fairy together. You hold onto the paper, though, and read out the instructions."
"But, Ash."
"Makenna." His voice was stern.
Makenna had no choice but to let him tag along. It was hurting him to read, though, and that was something to worry about.
Makenna picked up the paper and helped Ash to his feet, but he looked away from it.
"What does it say first?" he asked her.
Makenna squinted her eyes and examined the paper. "It says first to cross the lagoon to the other side and find some kind of scroll."
"Hm, interesting. I wonder what the scroll is for, though."
"Me, too." Makenna's eyes moved down to the bottom of the paper. "What the heck? It says that no flying or swimming is allowed while searching for him."
"Really? I wonder why he doesn't want you to. He never forbids flying or swimming."
"Ugh!" Makenna snapped. "This stinks! How are we supposed to cross the lagoon, then?" They couldn't take the beach because plants around the lagoon overgrew it.
Ash thoughtfully scratched his beardless chin. "I have some kayaks." He then realized what he just said. "I mean, he has some kayaks! I'm sure he won't mind if we use them."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go, Ash."
Ash sighed. He led Makenna back down the stairs of the hut to where the two kayaks rested. One kayak was blue, the other green. Makenna took the blue one, and Ash took the green one. Together, they slipped their paddles into their kayaks and dragged them toward the lagoon.
Harmony and Silvey curiously watched them.
Ash ended up being slower than Makenna.
She reached the water before him and was already ready to go when he arrived. "What took you so long?"
"Nothing. Just thinking." Ash and Makenna heard a faint noise behind them and turned.
Silvey stood before them, desperation in her eyes.
"Hey, Sil," spoke Ash. "Would you like to come with us? You can ride with Makenna."
The fairy dog barked and nodded excitedly. With her tail wagging, she approached Makenna's kayak and stood, pressing her paws against it.
Makenna couldn't help but smile. Did Silvey actually really like her? She thought she liked Ash more.
"Silvey," Makenna said, "are you sure you don't want to ride with Ash?"
Silvey gestured yes with her head and hopped onto the kayak's bow. She didn't weigh much, so it didn't shake.
Makenna turned and stared at Ash.
He smiled. "I think she really likes you, Makenn. Well, are you ready to find the Wizard Fairy?"
"I am," she spoke in a brave voice. "If I find the Wizard Fairy, I can save Tracey."
Ash nodded, but said not a word. He gently pushed Makenna's kayak into the lagoon, and she started to float.
Silvey turned on her sea legs and seemed to smile.
Makenna didn't take off until Ash was with her.
He pushed his own kayak into the lagoon and climbed aboard. The two fairies now floated freely in the turquoise-colored water of the lagoon. They immediately headed toward the other side, where the Wizard Fairy told them to go.
A distracted Makenna said, "Look at this, Ash. It's so clear; I can see everything."
Ash paddled to her and sternly spoke, "Get your head in the game, Miss Delling. No more wishy-washy. I know it's beautiful, but we have more pressing priorities right now."
Makenna tried a joke. "Like what? Jumpstart a car?" She laughed and clapped, but Silvey and Ash didn't laugh back. It was strange. Ash was usually carefree, but he looked serious. "All right, I'm sorry," Makenna finally apologized. "You're right. We have more pressing priorities."
Ash sighed. "Awa' an bile yer heid, and just follow me. Make sure the dug doesn't fall into the water."
"Dug?" Makenna watched as Ash lifted his hand and pointed at Silvey, who leaned over the side of the kayak's bow. "Oh. 'Dug' means 'dog,' duh." Tapping Silvey with her paddle, she grabbed her and pulled her close. When they were sure she was safe, the friends kayaked on.
Makenna and Ash hit a few waves and a bit of current on their way to the other side, but managed to get through them. It was still a bit too rough to sail or boat on the ocean, though.
The other side of the lagoon was just as beautiful as the side the Wizard Fairy's house was on. Fruit trees grew on it, and there was a mini palm tree forest.
Makenna and Ash's kayaks slid up onto the sand and stopped.
Silvey hopped out of the kayak onto the beach, and Makenna followed after putting down her paddle.
Ash was left to pull the kayaks onto shore. Once he did, he turned around and saw Makenna staring at the palm tree forest. "What's up, Miss Delling?"
Makenna's mouth gaped like a fish's. "It's just—this place turns even more and more beautiful."
Ash smiled and placed his hand on his hood to prevent it from flying off in the wind. "Well, it is Coutarine Island. Merlin's Island is just as beautiful. Now, come on. Let's find that scroll."
Makenna nodded and followed him into the palm tree forest.
Silvey pranced along behind.
The palm trees provided shade, and it was magnificent to watch the wind blow them.
"Where could that scroll be?" Makenna asked Ash, who was behind.
"Let's check this," he answered. Since they left the beach, he had held onto the Wizard Fairy's instructions. He made a mistake of trying to reread them, though. The jumbles of letters floating in space returned, and he suffered from another severe headache. It hurt so bad that he couldn't stay standing.
Again, Ash dropped the instructions and put his head in his hands. He stopped dead.
Makenna continued along, Silvey beside her.
Even though he wore his glasses, Ash's world turned into a green blur. Within seconds, he dropped his hands from his head and collapsed onto his side. His glasses fell from his eyes and landed in the grass and sand beside him. Before Ash knew it, he had slipped into unconsciousness.
Unaware that Ash had fallen, Makenna and Silvey sauntered on through the forest and searched for the scroll. Makenna tried to follow her fairy instincts, but they didn't take her anywhere. Temporarily, she stopped to grab a banana that had fallen from the treetops and ate it for breakfast.
With a full mouth, she asked an invisible Ash, "Does that piece of paper, by any chance, give a clue to where the scroll is?" When he didn't answer, she and Silvey stopped. "Hello? Ash?" They peered over their shoulders at the empty forest behind. "What the heck?" Makenna yelled. "Where did he go? He was behind us just a second ago!" Another worried look flashed across her face, and she met Silvey's big, cyan eyes. "You don't think?"
The two jumped. They moved their legs together and hurried back through the forest toward Ash.