In which James and Monique gain a new sight, receive special items, and begin their quest.

A group of yellow-capped cup mushrooms carrying a cushion fashioned from moss approached Grimalkin. They placed the pillow on the ground behind her and stepped back. Grimalkin nodded her thanks and took a seat.

From the direction of the table, two more of the mushroom folk large red caps with white polka-dots like Vates came over bearing large pieces of cake on plates woven from leaves. They offered the cake to James and Monique.

Despite their achingly full stomachs, they took the slices and gave their thanks. The aroma of the dessert proved too much for the children, and they dug into the cake. The rich frosting coated their mouths with the sweet flavor of berries and winter's first snow.

"Eat up," Grimalkin said. "The cake will give you a special sight in the Dark Woods. That is the way of folk food."

Indeed, after a few bites, James could already feel the effects of the cake. Behind his glasses, his vision grew fuzzy. Confused, he removed the thick-lensed frames, and to his surprise, he could see clearly across the vast clearing.

"You fixed my eyes. I'm not nearsighted anymore!" James exclaimed.

Grimalkin held up a hand. "The change is temporary. It will only last while you are in the Dark Wood. Once you leave our realm, your vision will return to normal."

A couple of fairies flew to James and said, "We will keep them safe for you while you are on your quest." James folded his glasses and handed them to the fairies who flew off to one of the oak houses and placed them inside.

Germlakin let her gaze drift over James and Monique. "I am sure you have many questions, but sadly we don't have time to answer all of them now. Thunder is correct in his eagerness to be off into the woods. Oaf knows the way well and can answer many of your questions."

She shifted her weight on the moss cushion and cleared her throat. "Vates is readying supplies for your journey."

"How long do you think we'll be gone?" Monique asked. She tried not to think about their parents and the worry.

"Time moves differently in the Dark Woods. Hardly a moment will have passed on the outside," she reassured the children. "Your family shouldn't even notice you're not in your warm beds."

"Shouldn't?" Monique asked.

"Well, nothing's for certain in this world or any other for that matter. Things happen. Unexpected things." Grimalkin waved her hand, dismissing Monique's worries. "What is important is that you are here, and you've eaten."

Monique eyed the half-finished cake on her plate. Something in the back of her mind hopped up and down for attention. "Food," she mumbled. "What was that story about pomegranates," she asked James. "You know the one with the seasons and the underworld."

James, out of habit, tried to push his non-existent glasses up onto his nose while he thought, but finding nothing there, quickly placed his hand in his lap, blushing. "The Greek Myth of Persephone and Demeter?"

"Yeah. That one. What did it say about eating food from magical places?"

James opened his mouth to answer then stopped. His gaze drifted to his empty plate. "Oh!" he exclaimed, picking up on Monique's worries.

Between them, Oaf's posture stiffened.

"Did you make us eat this so we couldn't leave?" James asked, getting to his feet, his face red with emotion.

"Now, now," Grimalkin soothed. She placed her hands up in front of her, motioning for James to retake his seat. "The magic is temporary, as I said. You have magic in your veins, so you can eat our food and come and go as you please."

Monique turned to Oaf. "What about you? You're human. Can you leave here, or are you stuck?"

Oaf folded fae hands in their lap and turned to face Monique. "I am a foundling. I can not leave."

"What's a foundling?" Monique asked.

"The Folk of the Woods found me in a basket at the edge of the Dark Woods many years ago. They adopted me. Since I am human, I can not leave the woods."

"When a human with no magic eats our food, they are bound to this place. Oaf is part of the woods as much as the trees. Fae is part of the Dark Woods."

"I have no magical blood in my bones and blood as you both do. I am only human. When a human eats the food of the folk, they can not leave the woods. There are rules."

"Well, I think the rules are stupid," Monique declared. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Grimalkin. The taste of roasted carrots turning bitter in her mouth.

Oaf leaned forward and placed a warm hand on Monique's knee. "You don't have to feel angry for me. I've lived here a long time, and I'm delighted to call these woods home. They are vast and ever-changing. It isn't a prison."

Monique tied to smile, but her heart wasn't in it.

"So, what is the magic that makes us different? Why can we leave?" James asked.

"The magic tangled in your bones is from the Underneath. It is dark magic. Those who are vessels of the Underneath can pass from the Realm of the Folk to the Realm of the Dark. Those with light magic can pass from the Realm of the Dark into the Realm of the Folk. If one wishes to travel against their magic, they need permission, and that rarely happens. The two realms do not get along," Germalkin answered.

"James's magic is dark, as in evil witches and stuff?" Monique asked, eying her brother. He'd never seem evil to her, far from it. James was nerdy for sure, but evil?

"No, no. The idea of good and evil is a human invention. We Folk of the Woods and beyond are whole beings containing both dark and light. Dark magic means that it comes from the Underneath where the light does not touch naturally. Stardust is from the light. It is magic from above—the Realm of Light. Your magic will light the path, and James's will see in the dark. You can speak to those with stardust in their veins, and James can speak to those who have darkness in their bones," explained Grimalkin.

Monique and James exchanged puzzled glances. "Does anyone ever contain both light and dark magic?" James asked.

Grimalkin nodded. "There are those that travel freely between the realms. Burrowing animals mostly, but they are not all folk. Only a few remain. Beings containing both magics are ancient and rare these days. Since the two stopped mingling ages ago, there have been no marriages between the realms. We keep to ourselves."

"Do you think that the mud is from the Underneath?" Monique asked. "It is dark, and it's in the ground."

"It did swallow my shoe," James added. "That's pretty underneath."

Grimalkin leaned back on her mossy cushion, threw her head back, and let out a cackle that made Monique and James, along with a few of the folk sitting nearby, jump. He waggled a fleshy finger at the children. "I knew it was wise to trust Thunder." With that, she stood and clapped her hands. "Time to go. Your quest awaits. Oaf, take them to Vates."

The same red-capped mushroom person who'd brought Jams his cake appeared and pulled the empty plate from his hand. James, getting the message stood. Oaf hopped to fae feet and grabbed Monique b the hands and yanked her to her feet.

"Oh!" she cried as Oaf continued to pull her toward where she assumed Vates waited. James followed them, trotting to keep up.

They spotted Vates standing at the mouth of the clearing where they'd entered from the woods. He held a small, rough, brown sack the size of a lunch bag in one hand and his walking stick in the other. "Aw, good. I expect you ate well."

"Yes, everything was delicious," James said, patting his full tummy.

"Did you like the cake?" Vates asked, leaning forward. "It's an old family recipe. Back from when the Folk of the Woods used to trick humans into eating our food and staying in the woods forever." Vates giggled and winked as if he'd just told a great joke. "Oh, how they used to wander around searching for an exit."

Monique's and James's mouths went dry at the thought of being tricked and trapped in the woods by walking talking mushrooms.

Vates realized their discomfort and sobered. "But we don't do that anymore. Not since the Underneath and the folk parted ways. Here." Vates held out the bag to Oaf. "It carries everything you need."

James eyed the bag with suspicion. "How? It's empty?" he asked.

"And super small," Monique added.

Oaf smiled, eyes twinkling. "Hollow magic." Fae held the bag open so both Monique and James could peer inside, but they saw nothing. "Reach in," Oaf encouraged.

James looked from Vates to Oaf. He both trusted and didn't trust them. They seemed honest enough, but Vates's comment about the cake worried James. Slowly, he reached inside the bag, and immediately his hand bumped something. Startled, James snatched his hand back.

"What is it?" Monique asked, alarmed.

"It's full," James said and reached in again. This time he grasped the first thing his hand touched and pulled it out. He inspected the leaf-wrapped item.

"Leftovers from dinner," Vates said.

"There's much more," Oaf said, smiling. "We have plenty to eat."

Monique placed her hand on her hip and tilted her head as she looked Vates up and down. "And just how long do you expect us to be gone? How many days of food did you pack?"

Vates puts his hands up, deflecting Monique's accusation. "Now, when you reach my age, you plan everything your mind can imagine."

"How much food?" Monique asked again, tapping her foot.

"A fortnight's worth," Vates replied, looking guilty.

"Two weeks," James cried, tossing the leaf-wrapped leftover back into the bag. "You're crazy!"

"Especially since no one has told us why the singers are so important, how you think we can help you, or what we're supposed to do on this mission of yours," Monique added, tossing her hands in the air.

Vates rapped his walking stick on the ground. "You are right. We haven't been completely truthful. We need you because we can't fix the problem ourselves. Nothing like this has ever happened before. The Folk of the Woods are trapped, and the mud is getting worse. We don't know where it came from or who's responsible, but we suspect the Underneath is responsible." Vates steeped closer to James. "You are the only one who can travel below and stop whoever is controlling the mud."

"Please," Oaf offered, "don't be mad. We are tricksters by nature, and truth does not come easy." Far placed a hand on James's arm. "We need you to find the singers so they can set this right."

James and Monique exchanged looks. "Alright. Fine. Let's get this started so we can get back home," Monique said. "Oaf, lead the way to the source."

(1882 Words)

What will James and Monique find in the woods? What might the source hold? How will they use their newfound magic?

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