Briar hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, the impact knocking the breath out of her lungs. Pain radiated through her body, and she lay there, groaning, trying to collect herself. Every inch of her screamed in agony, but she forced herself to breathe deeply, willing the pain to subside. After a few agonizing moments, she slowly moved her limbs, checking for any broken bones or injuries. Miraculously, nothing seemed broken. It was a wonder she wasn't dead after falling from such a height.

As she finally managed to scramble to her feet, she took in her surroundings. She was in an unfamiliar field, dotted with ancient-looking trees and large boulders scattered here and there. The landscape was eerily still, with no signs of human or animal life for miles around. The air was thick with the scent of earth and moss. The silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.

Briar squinted into the distance and spotted twinkling lights, like tiny stars, on the horizon. There was a city far away. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the outline of a distant castle perched on a hill. It seemed like they had fallen on the outskirts of the city.

She quickly turned her attention to finding her companions. Scanning the area, her eyes landed on Knight first. The horse's gleaming white coat was impossible to miss. He lay on the ground, unmoving. Briar's heart skipped a beat. "Knight!" she called out, but there was no response.

Next, she spotted Theodore. He was lying beneath Knight, his arms wrapped protectively around the horse's neck, as if he had tried to shield him from the fall. Theodore's satchel lay a few feet away, its contents spilled across the ground. But there was no sign of Prince Leon.

A horrible feeling clawed at Briar's stomach. What if Leon had fallen somewhere else? What if he was hurt, or worse? Shaking off the dreadful thoughts, she looked around more carefully. He was with them when they were falling. He must be nearby. "Leon!" Briar shouted, her voice echoing through the quiet field. "Where are you?"

"Up here," came a small, slightly irritated voice from above her.

Briar looked up and there, dangling from the branch of a giant tree like a hapless bat, was the prince. His royal attire was disheveled, and his face was flushed with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. Relief washed over her at the sight of him.

"What are you doing up there?" Briar called out, half-laughing in disbelief.

"Just enjoying the view!" Leon yelled back. "Can't you see I'm stuck?"

One of his legs was caught between two branches, and no matter how hard he tugged, he couldn't free it. He grunted, twisting his body in a desperate attempt to extricate himself. With a grunt of effort, he heaved his body upward, grasping the branch with his hands and giving a mighty tug on his leg. Finally, with a groan of triumph, he managed to free his leg but lost his grip on the branch. He tumbled to the ground, landing face down with a pained yelp.

Briar ran to him. "Are you okay?"

Leon winced as he removed his boot and clutched his ankle, which was bleeding. "My ankle," he said through gritted teeth.

"It's okay. Theodore will heal you," Briar reassured him.

"The healer," Leon snapped, his eyes blazing with anger. "We could have died! All because of him and his stupid horse."

"It's not their fault," Briar said.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "You're still on their side, even after all this?" he spat.

Briar knew Leon had always disliked Knight. She had hoped that as they spent more time together and faced danger, he would come to appreciate the bond they shared. But after this incident, it seemed that hope was in vain. "I'm not taking sides," Briar said. "I just don't think it's fair to blame them without knowing what really happened."

Leon sighed. "So, what happened then?" he asked, slipping his boot back on and struggling to stand.

"Let's ask Theodore what happened," Briar said, glancing over at the unconscious horse. "We need to get him up first. Can you help me?"

Leon muttered something under his breath but reluctantly moved to help Briar untangle Theodore's arms from around the horse's neck. Together, they managed to push Knight off of Theodore, who groaned softly as he was freed. The horse and the healer both appeared uninjured, though Knight remained unconscious.

Briar kneeled beside Theodore and gently shook his shoulder. "Theodore, can you hear me?"

Theodore's eyes slowly fluttered open. He blinked several times, his expression one of confusion. Suddenly, he grasped Briar's arms, his eyes wide with terror. "BABA YAGA!" he screamed.

Briar jumped back, startled by his outburst.

Theodore looked around wildly, his face pale with fear. "Did the witch capture us again?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"No," Briar said, trying to calm him. "We fell from the sky."

"Thanks to your horse," Leon added. "We could have been killed."

Theodore blinked several times, his fear gradually giving way to relief. "Oh, thank goodness," he muttered. "I thought it was the witch. Knight has never fallen before. I felt something...magical pull us down."

"Maybe it was gravity," Leon taunted.

"Gravity doesn't work on a magical horse," Theodore replied, not understanding the jibe.

Leon rolled his eyes and hiked up his pants, revealing his bloody ankle. "Look what he did to my leg," he said. "I might never walk right again."

Briar rolled her eyes at Leon.

"I'm sorry," Theodore said, his voice full of genuine concern. "But where is Knight?"

"Behind you," Briar said, pointing to the horse's motionless form.

"Knight?" Theodore called out, rushing to his horse's side. He shook the horse gently, but Knight remained unresponsive. With a look of desperation, Theodore grabbed his satchel and pulled out a small bundle of blue grapes. He pried open Knight's mouth and squeezed the juice inside, his hands shaking with urgency.

But the horse still didn't wake. Theodore's face crumpled with fear. "It should have worked," he said, his voice breaking. "It should have woken him up."

"Try something else," Briar suggested, her panic rising.

Leon threw up his hands. "Why are you acting like he's dead?" he snapped. "He's just knocked out. Do your healing thing already!"

Theodore nodded, his hands shaking as he fumbled with his mortar and pestle, grinding up roots and fruits in a desperate attempt to wake Knight. Briar watched anxiously, her heart pounding in her chest.

As Theodore worked, Briar's eyes were drawn to a movement in the distance. At first, it seemed like a large, gray and pink boulder was rolling towards them. But as it came closer, she realized it wasn't a boulder at all. It had hands, feet, and a head. Her breath caught in her throat as recognition dawned on her. It was an ogre, just like the ones she had seen in her storybooks, but much larger and more terrifying in real life.

"Look!" she cried, pointing towards the approaching figure. "An ogre!"

The ogre looked like it was sculpted from rough stone, with skin that had the texture of cracked granite. Its large, muscular hands seemed capable of crushing boulders. A round head covered in a tangled mane of blond hair sat atop a thick neck, and two short, curved horns jutted out from either side of its head. Its face was dominated by a bulbous nose and far-set round eyes that gleamed with malice. A wide mouth stretched into a grin, revealing two prominent teeth poking out from its lips.

What was particularly striking, however, was the ogre's attire. It wore an expensive silk gown, shimmering with a delicate sheen, and trimmed in gold that accentuated its bulk. Around its thick neck hung layers of diamond and sapphire necklaces. A small, elaborate crown nestled awkwardly between its horns, giving it an air of absurdity rather than majesty. The ogre's face was caked with makeup. Its cheeks were painted a bright, unnatural red, and its lips were smeared with a garish crimson.

The ogre stopped near Theodore, who was engrossed in preparing a potion for Knight. The ogre folded its enormous arms across its chest and smirked at the healer. "Hello, Theodore," the ogre said, its voice a grating rasp, like rocks scraping against each other.

Theodore looked up, startled. His eyes widened in terror, and he let out a yelp, dropping a bundle of herbs. "Marigold," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, his hands trembling.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" the ogre grinned, baring her gleaming white teeth in a parody of a smile.

"I—Marigold—" Theodore's face turned ashen, and he looked like he might faint from sheer fright.

"WHAT DID YOU THINK?" Marigold's voice boomed, causing the ground to vibrate slightly. "YOU COULD LIE TO ME, TO THE OGRE PRINCESS, AND GET AWAY WITH IT?"

"No—I didn't lie—" Theodore's voice quivered, and he took a step back, almost tripping over his own feet.

"Oh, really!" Marigold took a step forward, her heavy footsteps echoing threateningly. "But it's fine. I know how to make you fall into my trap."

"You?" Theodore asked, his eyes darting nervously around for an escape route.

The ogre laughed, a sound that resembled the rumbling of distant thunder. "Me, yes. You may be wondering how I caught you. So, listen, when I realized you would never come to me willingly again, considering what an ungrateful creature you are, I enlisted the help of a witch. Together, we set up a little trap for your horse. I knew you would fly over my land one day."

Theodore's expression turned from fear to anger. "You realize this could have killed us," he said.

"Don't overreact," the ogre said dismissively, rolling her eyes. "I made sure you wouldn't fall to your death."

Briar pieced together why they had survived the fall from the sky. Her attention sharpened as Marigold suddenly reached out with one massive hand, grabbed Theodore by his shoulder, and shook him like a rag doll. "You ungrateful human! Why didn't you bring me my potion?"

Theodore whimpered, his face contorted with fear. "I was very busy."

"What is more important than my potion?" the ogre roared.

"Hey, ogre, leave him alone!" Briar shouted, stepping forward with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Marigold's head snapped towards Briar. Noticing her for the first time, the ogre's eyes narrowed. With a snarl, she dropped Theodore to the ground and strode towards Briar in two long, purposeful steps.

"How dare you raise your voice at me?" Marigold shouted, towering over Briar. "Do you know who I am? I am Marigold, the fourth ogre princess. And I'm not an ogre. I'm an ogress."

"I don't care who you are," Briar said firmly, standing her ground and staring up at the ogress with defiance. "But you can't treat my friend like that."

"Yes, I can," said the ogress smugly, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "But you must treat me with respect and stay out of my way, or else..."

"Or else what?" Briar challenged, her grip tightening on her sword.

"Do not tempt me," Marigold growled, her massive chest puffing out in anger, making her look even more intimidating.

"Hey, ogress," Leon yelled. "Just because you can scare a weak man like Theodore doesn't mean you are powerful." He stepped forward, drawing his sword and aiming it at the ogress. "If you want to fight, consider a hero like me."

"Guys, please stop," Theodore pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "Don't mess with Marigold. You don't want the ogre army after you. And I'm not a weak man."

"Theodore, will you tell us what is going on?" Briar demanded. "How do you know this..." she glanced at Marigold and then back at Theodore, "...ogre princess?"

The ogress grabbed Theodore again. "Tell them!" she shouted, her face inches from his, and he flinched away from her.

"The world needs to know what a liar you are," she added, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Liar," Leon whispered to Briar, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "I told you we shouldn't trust him."

"I'm not a liar," Theodore said, struggling against the ogress's powerful grip.

"Yes, you are. The dirtiest liar in the world," Marigold sneered, her lips curling back to reveal her teeth. "You lied to an innocent girl like me."

"Wait, is she his girlfriend or something?" Leon said, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "A match made in heaven. Don't you think so?"

Briar shot a withering glare at Leon before rushing to Theodore's side. She grabbed him by the arm and tried to pull him away from the ogress. "You can't hurt my friend."

Marigold yanked Theodore back towards her with such force that she also pulled Briar closer. "I can," she said with a cruel smile.

"You can't," Briar said, her grip on Theodore tightening as she pulled him towards her again.

"I can," Marigold insisted, pulling back with equal force. The two princesses engaged in a fierce tug-of-war with Theodore caught in the middle.

"STOP!" Theodore shouted, wrenching his hands free from both princesses. "Are you planning to rip my arms off?"

"If you don't give me my potion," Marigold threatened, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "I'll rip every part of you apart."

"Marigold, we are on an urgent mission," Theodore pleaded. "I will give you the potion later."

"Nothing is more important than what I want," Marigold growled, her eyes boring into Theodore's.

Theodore looked troubled, his face pale. "What you want... well... it will take time."

"No, healer. You have taken enough time already. I can't wait anymore. Do it now," Marigold demanded, stomping her foot on the ground with such force that it caused a small tremor.

"What does she want?" Briar asked.

Theodore looked at Briar, his eyes filled with despair. "She wants to—"

"I want him to heal me," Marigold said.

"Then heal her, Theodore," Briar said.

"It's not that easy," Theodore replied.

"You are a great healer. Aren't you?" Leon asked, his tone skeptical.

Briar knew Theodore was a skilled healer. He didn't seem like a liar, and he had risked his life to help her. Perhaps Marigold was suffering from a disease that was beyond cure.

"Heal me now," Marigold demanded, her voice echoing through the trees, "or tell me if you can't. And if you can't heal me, then I'll take the price. Do you know what the price is?"

Theodore shivered visibly. "Marigold, try to understand. Some potions take time."

"BUT I WANT IT NOW!" she screamed, her voice reverberating through the forest. Leaves fell from the trees, shaken loose by the sheer force of her scream.

"Hey," Briar said, her ears still ringing from the Marigold's outburst. "If he's telling you the potion will take time, then listen to him. You can't rush it."

"Yes, Marigold," Theodore said, his voice steadying. "Give me a few more days."

"Fine," the ogress said reluctantly. "Take as much time as you want."

"Really?" Theodore asked with disbelief etched on his face.

Marigold nodded, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Thank you, Marigold. Thank you so much," Theodore said, relief flooding his features. "I'll return this time, I promise."

"I know you will," Marigold said, her voice low and menacing. Suddenly, she lunged at Briar, her hand wrapping around Briar's neck in a vice-like grip. "Because I'll keep your friend hostage in my dungeon until you return."

____