SWNOVELS Chapter 23: Restored
Molly, King Simon, and Hoddi looked around in utter disbelief as homes suddenly reappeared. The air was filled with the scent of new blossoms as they burst through the earth. Grass thrust through the brown earth, its hue a bright green. Red rose trees stood tall and proud. One by one, new buildings appeared, whole and undamaged. The dense smoke of a few moments ago was gone and a fresh new breeze blew.
The fairy’s eyes, that moments ago were brimming with tears of misery, were now shining with pleasure. “How wonderful!” she cried. “A brand new village!” Running into her own house, Molly found everything was as if it had never been destroyed by Jar-Ed. Even the mystic receptacle stood in its proper place, the half formed wands floating in its magical brew. Looking carefully, she discovered there was not a black one among them.
“So much for Jar-Ed’s magic!” screeched Hoddi, staring in sheer astonishment as the village continued to rebuild itself around them.
King Simon was as excited as the others. However, now that they realized the sorcerer was no longer in the village, he was clearly worried. “He is not here. I think he must have gone to the palace!”
“Then we must go there,” said Molly, determined to help her friend. Her heart was lighter than it had been for a long time.
“But how, Molly?” asked King Simon. “How do we get through the Invisible Divide into the World Outside?” His puzzlement showed clearly on his handsome face, his dark brown eyes becoming anxious. Without success he searched for an exit, running his hands over the Invisible Divide.
Molly’s hand touched her pendant, her fingers caressing the red stone. “Create a way for us to the World Outside!” she said in a clear strong voice. Grey skies opened with a blast of light and thunderous noise. Red stone dust swirled at their feet, forming itself into a solid stone path. Continually extending itself, the stone pushed its way through a portion of the Divide.
“Look!” cried Molly. “A way to King Simon’s palace!”
Without hesitation the king, Molly and Hoddi stepped upon the path and quickly passed through the Divide. Walking swiftly along it, the group finally approached a grove of trees just outside King Simon’s palace. Once more, the red stone had worked its magic, creating an easy access to the World Outside and the king’s home.
“Look!” said King Simon. Jar-Ed’s men were no longer around the perimeter of the palace where they once stood guarding it. Now that it was turning into night again, the lights from the palace windows illuminated the grounds. Loud voices and music poured into the night. “Jar-Ed plainly believes he does not have to worry about us anymore,” King Simon stated, his fists clenched at his side.
“We will just have to show him he has plenty to worry about!” said Hoddi, his anger on behalf of his master, clearly visible. His hand rested upon the long sharp knife he had tucked inside the rope that held up his trousers.
“We will definitely have to outsmart them,” King Simon told the others. “There are only three of us against Jar-Ed’s band of nasty bullies and I don’t know what he has done with my men.”
“We do have the red stone,” Molly reassured her friends. “It will be a great help to us.”
Standing close together watching the palace, the small group did not hear the men approaching from behind, until it was way too late.