What felt like a few days was actually the time it took for the sun to set. Owen recalled that Lumbia had said time in Etherea moved more slowly than it did in the real world. Maybe he really had been gone for more than one day already.

The path had wound on for miles through mostly plain fields with clear streams running here and there. An incident like that with the boar and the dragon didn't happen again, but Owen had accidentally brushed a finger against a cloud of red fog. For the next hour it had itched acutely.

Now the path was leading into a more forested area of land. Owen picked up his pace hopefully. In the fields he had found enough water, but food was almost nonexistent, and his own supply was running low. A forest was more promising.

"But how am I even going to know what food is edible?" the thought occurred to him. Even just looking at the forest from a distance, he could tell that it was strange. The colored clouds that had existed in abundance along the path seemed to converge within the trees, leading into it in striped streams of endless colors. Owen didn't want to think about what such a concentration of magic would do to a place. Maybe it would poison all the food.

The shade of the trees was now over his head. One of the first things he noticed as he walked among the trees for the first few minutes was that there were a lot more birds than there were in the forests he was familiar with. Sometimes there were ten lining a branch, sitting in rows. Their colors were bright and varied--a large bird with purple and golden feathers here, a small ice-blue one with deep red eyes there. He briefly wondered if they would be edible, but he dismissed this thought nervously when one bird fixed a particularly terrifying set of wide eyes on him.

Gradually all of the birds' eyes moved to watch him, yet though it made him uncomfortable they never did anything but stare. They didn't attack, and that was good enough for him.

Owen made his way through the forest cautiously under the endless gauntlet of beady avian eyes. The forest was peaceful enough besides this, and besides the increased concentration of magical fog patches that he had to avoid. If he hadn't been so preoccupied with finding food, he might have enjoyed the walk through the bright-colored and fresh-aired forest.

As it was, the extent of Owen's appreciation of the scenery was his rummaging around in plants that looked promising. He didn't end up collecting any of them since he couldn't possibly know which ones weren't poisonous.

"Another thing to add to the list of things Lumbia should have told me," Owen thought as he debated over a clump of electric yellow berries.

His stomach growled at frequent intervals. He was hungry, though not severely enough to brave the unknowns of Etherean plant life.

There was a slight disturbance in the undergrowth some distance away. Owen became alert. "Maybe I'll have more luck with the animals," he thought.

A small creature emerged, exploring its way out of a bush with a twitching nose and halting steps. It looked like a mix between a rabbit, a lion, and a deer with its leporine head and ears, ringed with tufts of longer fur, and its spindly legs that tapered down into hooves.

"Claire would go crazy over that thing," Owen thought. She would think it was adorable and want to keep it, and she would definitely disapprove of him eating it. But his growling stomach argued against whatever she might have to say.

Apologizing in his mind, Owen crept carefully toward the creature. He didn't get more than halfway before a stray step onto a pile of dried leaves alerted it to his approach. The rabbit ears perked up, and the dark eyes surveyed him innocently. Then, in a blink of an eye, it opened its mouth unexpectedly wide, showing a set of sharp teeth and canines, and released a tremendous roar that its tiny lungs couldn't possibly have created.

Owen jumped back a step, momentarily scared out of his wits. The animal turned and scampered into the bushes instead of attacking, which was good. If it had attacked, he wouldn't have known what to do.

"Another lesson learned," Owen thought once his mind started working again. "No wonder Lumbia didn't tell me any of this. It would fill a whole shelf of books."

Owen journeyed onward, avoiding any encounters with more animals and not examining any more plants. He wasn't sure what his plan was now. He had to eat, but frankly he was afraid to try. He just put his trust in the miraculous nature of the land, hoping that some magic would work out for his benefit.

The birds in the trees, which had lined the branches so completely and regularly that Owen had come​ to forget they were there, started to dwindle in numbers. At the same time the trees grew more thickly, spreading leaves that filtered the sunlight into a cool green glow. The unorganized spread of bushes and dirt patches dissolved into a forest floor of moist grass and slender ferns. The air smelled of fresh rain and earth.

Owen stopped a moment to breathe deeply and close his eyes. It was so beautiful and calming.

"Greetings," a voice said from somewhere. Owen opened his eyes quickly and saw a woman leaning with her back against a nearby tree. She possessed a face of perfect features and a mane of long, wild green hair woven with leaves. Her clothes seemed to have been made out of the forest itself. She smiled when she saw he had seen her.

"Having a pleasant walk through the woods?" she asked. Her voice was deep and melodious, like the sound an oak tree would make if it could speak.

Owen just nodded. He didn't need to tell this stranger about his quest.

The woman shifted her weight effortlessly off the tree and took a step toward him. "Not many creatures without magic come for leisure strolls in the Enchanted Woods."

That's where he was? Owen shrugged. "I don't see why not. It's beautiful here."

The perfect grin grew wider. "Of course it is."

Owen tried to avoid the woman's eyes. They were dark, but they seemed to glow with an unnatural light.

His stomach grumbled loudly. He tried to pretend he hadn't noticed and hoped the woman hadn't either.

Of course, she had. "A bit hungry, are you?" she purred.

Owen nodded.

The woman extended an arm out in front of her, hand palm up, beckoning. "The forest holds plenty. I can show you."

Owen looked between her outstretched hand and her dark eyes warily. He didn't know if he could trust her. But he needed to eat eventually, and he had a sword if it ever came down to defending himself. He walked toward the woman, though declining to take her hand and let her lead him. She only smiled mysteriously and turned to walk among the trees. Owen followed behind at a safe distance.

The walk was silent. He was glad; every time he had said something to the woman, he had felt like she had pulled more out of the words, like she was reading his mind.

"Here we are," the woman said, stopping after a few minutes. She wouldn't have needed to tell him, though. He could see that it was the place, with its trees laden with fruits of all colors and sizes, all of which looked extremely appealing, especially with hunger gnawing at the walls of his stomach.

He saw a bunch of egg-shaped fruits that glistened red and ripe and started salivating. "Are all of these edible?" he asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes." She noticed him staring at the red fruit and smiled widely. "But I suggest you sample the Dragonberries. They are delicious."

Owen turned to look at the berries she was indicating and saw a short tree covered in whitish leaves and dark green fruit. Looking closer at the berries, he could almost see the fruit bursting with juice. Even standing a few feet away he could smell its scent--sharp, yet  wonderfully sweet.

Suddenly he was suspicious. "These aren't poisonous?" he said, facing the woman.

Without a word she walked forward, daintily plucked a berry with her slender fingers, and popped it into her mouth with a satisfied smile. She closed her eyes in bliss as she chewed the small morsel. Then her eyes were on him again. "Edible, and delectable," she said.

"It's edible for non-magical creatures, too?" Owen questioned.

"Of course."

He may have let his caution go further, but the food was too tempting. Now that the woman had eaten one, letting the juices free between her teeth, the sweet scent was heavy in the air and almost driving him mad.

He picked a few berries, took a deep breath, and ate all of them at once.

The woman's grin was wider than ever. "There. Lovely, aren't they?"

Owen couldn't agree more. Just the small amount of berries was beginning to fill him, satisfying his hunger and thirst all at once, and filling his mouth with the most amazing taste. The berries were wonderful. His sight seemed to become clearer; everything was brighter and had more depth of color than before. All the subtle whispers of the forest blended together into music.

"Lovely," Owen said.

The woman moved closer, her smile ever dazzling and her eyes glowing with a hungry fire. Her hands latched onto his shoulders with long nails digging into his skin.

Owen felt the pain, but he didn't protest against it. The pain was just part of all the loveliness to him, like the colors and the sounds. His eyes looked forward, unfocused and complacent.

The woman drew her face in nearer, closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. "Mmm," she whispered. "Delicious."

"I'm delicious?" Owen thought absently. "Lovely."

The woman traced her fingers along his arms for a moment, looking as if she were about ready to bite into him, then pulled away. "Come with me," she said simply.

Owen obeyed without question.

The places where the woman led him were more lovely than any others he had seen in the forest. Light filtered through rich-colored canopies and danced along the ground. Fragrant flowers were scattered everywhere, setting the scene aglow with hundreds of bright pastel petals. A little stream flowed somewhere off between the trees, the water rushing over the stones sounding like a soft chuckle that blended in with birdsong.

Owen couldn't move as easily as he usually did; he found himself stumbling over a rise in the ground every couple of feet, then having to lethargically right himself. But he wasn't concerned about his lack of coordination. The woman didn't seem to be either, for she looked patiently back at him every step of the way with the same fiery gaze.

They finally came to open land, where the forest ended abruptly at the edge of a cliff. Spanning the gap was a bridge inlaid with gold that sparkled in the sunlight. On the other side was a forest that was beautiful beyond description, and a shining white castle that rose majestically over the treetops. As soon as Owen saw it he felt a powerful desire to be there that would eat away at him the longer he stood on the other side of the bridge.

"Go across," the woman said. "You can stay there forever."

Owen took a heavy step forward. His head was dizzy, and his feet felt as if they were weighed down with stone. But he didn't care. He smiled foolishly.

"You will never hunger or thirst again," she whispered in his ear.

He was at the edge of the cliff, standing before the bridge.

The woman stood back and watched with pleasure. "You will never have to worry about anything."

Owen paused. Wasn't there something, though? He couldn't remember what had been occupying his mind so greatly, but he felt as if it had been important.

"Go on," the woman pressed, her tone suddenly urgent.

He looked across the precipice at the white castle. An image flashed across his dazed mind. It was almost as if he could see through one of the tower windows, into the room. There was a big, elegant bed in which a young woman slept. She was exceedingly beautiful, and strangely familiar.

Then he remembered. The colors of the world lessened a hue in intensity as he took a step back and shook his head. "Claire," he muttered.

"There is no Claire," the woman said, her voice honeyed but turning vehement. "There is no one but us. Go across the bridge and you will be happy forever."

Everything was dark. The sun was not shining, as he had thought it was previously. It was nighttime, and the cliff face on which he stood was stark and cold. There was no beautiful castle across it, and there was no golden bridge that led to it.

Owen took a step back in alarm. "Where am I?" he said. "What is this place?"

He whirled around as the woman hissed loudly. He received a startling image of her fierce, glowing eyes and open mouth, bearing pointed teeth.

Owen glanced down the cliff at the cruel, jagged stones at the bottom, then back at the woman. "You were trying to kill me!" he shouted.

The woman's face contorted into a look of pure rage. "And eat you!" she spat. "You were such obedient meat at first. If you had just not struggled it would have been better for you. But now I see I must take my meal the nasty way!"

The woman lunged at him, slashing through the air with her fingernails. He dodged out of the way, but she followed her attack quickly and left four red stripes along his shoulder.

Owen gritted his teeth against the pain and reached for his sword, but the woman struck again. He stumbled backward, stepping onto some loose stone. As the unstable ground slid under his feet, he tipped backward, and his stomach dropped sickeningly.

The woman's face was in front of him, smiling in triumph, tilting into different proportions as Owen fell farther backward.

There was no ground to catch him. He had fallen over the edge, with nothing but the waiting jaws of the abyss with its savage teeth waiting for his unfortunate body below.