Finally, we arrived at the Gremlin Peaks. Mother had always said that the Peaks were treacherous and full of danger.

She also said that none of the soldiers she'd sent there to claim the Peaks for Arcadia ever returned.

I smiled sadly at the memory, but there wasn't going to be any time to grieve until King Terran was overthrown.

I looked at the heavens above and closed my eyes. Eryre, I prayed, help me and my friends through the Gremlin Peaks. God of mountains and hills, I beg for your protection.

As we neared the beginning of the mountain path, we dismounted and started walking.

Tara peered at the mountaintops, her eyes shining gold for a moment.

"It's going to be a tough walk," she reported. "Two miles forward is going to be a crossroads. I sense a malevolent spirit on the left side, but the right leads straight to a false rope bridge over a crevice, unknown miles deep."

"Left crossroads, then. What sort of malevolent spirit?" I asked.

Peering again then looking disappointed, Tara shook her head. "I don't know. We've got to get closer."

We walked down the road, occasionally stopping to eat and drink a bit of water. Plump juicy fruits hung from the tree branches, but we were careful not to eat those. Fey were known to keep any human captive if they ate their food.

Suddenly, Tara stopped, shell-shocked.

"What's the matter?" Sir Frederick asked.

Ryan shushed him. "She's seen the spirit."

Tara seemed to focus, then recoiled. "Oh, no," she whispered.

There was terror in her eyes as she whispered, "The wicked spirit I sensed just now wasn't just a normal spirit."

She turned towards me slowly as she whispered, "It's a wraith."

Wraiths.

I remembered what the Royal Creature Keeper, Pallassa, told me about them. "Wraiths are evil spirits, formed from the uncompleted dreams of souls as they die without a legacy. They are near indestructible and they cannot be tamed. Young princess, never try to tame one. They are wild and unpredictable, and they have been the demise of many. They kill their victims by sucking out their wishes and dreams."

I shuddered. I didn't want to lose my dreams and hopes, and I definitely didn't want to be killed.

Suddenly, I remembered something. Devan's scroll! Quernam's capital, Alexandria, had a legendary library called the Library of Alexandria. There must be a book in it that described how to kill a wraith!

Dear Prince Devan,

  I need urgent help.
We, in order to find the Fey and pixies as allies, need to defeat a wraith. The Library of Alexandria is so ancient, there should be a tome in it that told of the way to kill a wraith. Can you please help me find it, and notify me of how to kill a wraith?

Best Wishes,
Rhianna

I waited for his reply. Before long, another paragraph of text appeared on the scroll, wiping out all my writing from before.

Dear Queen Rhianna,

  My servants have found it. The book says that to defeat a wraith, you must release all the dreams inside. The book does not specify how, but there is a riddle:

Dreams of many, incomplete
Lies inside the wraith's heart so deep
If you wish the wraith to defeat
Release the dreams, let them away seep.
Hunter, be warned, there is a price
To let out the dreams you will have to pay
A hope, a past, and a fear will suffice
As long as you choose the correct way.

  I hope this helps!

Yours truly,
Prince Devan

The correct way? What correct way? Was there a specific ritual we had to do?

As I pondered over the question, Ryan tapped me on the shoulder. "Rhia, what are you doing?"

I turned around. "To defeat the wraith, we need a hope, a past, and a fear, sacrificed in the correct way. I... uh... just remembered."

Sir Frederick heard, and his brow creased. "What sort of way?"

I sighed. "I don't know."

We sat there in silence, and a quiet atmosphere fell around us like a heavy blanket.

Tara cleared her throat. "So... what should we do now?"

None of us had the answer to that.

What could we do?

The crevice couldn't be crossed. The wraith couldn't be fought.

It was hopeless.

I gazed dumbly at my sword. The riddle went:

The answer belongs in your heart forever,
It is what you must always give:
To citizens, family, and friends,
In all of them it lives.

I smiled bitterly. I didn't have anything in my heart left to give my people that they could reciprocate. They thought I was dead; how could they even return anything I gave them?

Love? Love is long-lasting, but only as far as until a person's death if you don't know them intimately. I barely ever showed my face!

Passion is useless. I do have a passion---a passion to get rid of the traitorous King Terran, but look how far that got me. No kingdom, no throne, and the other kingdoms are on the verge of being attacked as well.

Peace? Don't even joke.

Loyalty can't be inspired by currently thought-to-be-dead queen. Also known as me.

But then, which virtue will activate the gem's power? People say that the gem has an amazing power, and I am hoping that it could help kill a wraith.

Suddenly, Tara stood up. "Wait! Maybe the answer is that we shouldn't try fighting with the wraith, we should try negotiating with it! Maybe fighting is the wrong way, and negotiation is the right way!"

Sir Frederick stared at her. "Tara, you're a genius. We should try strike a deal, before both sides get hurt. Just like a war!"

Polishing my katana for me, Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Hmm. Possible. Rhia, what do you think about Tara's idea?"

"Don't call me Rhia," I snapped.

He just shrugged and continued polishing (and sharpening) my katana. The monks never taught me how to polish a sword (or katana), probably because the Arcadian Sword doesn't even need to be polished or sharpened.

I turned to look at Tara. "I think it's a good idea. But, just in case, I think we should have our weapons ready at all times. Otherwise, we could be in serious trouble."

Ryan got up and handed me my sword. "Your katana is now ready for fighting, Rhia." He stressed the word strongly to make me annoyed, and grinned.

I growled at him and sheathed my katana.

We are ready for a fight.