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2024-10-29 19:42:56Back at the Obsidian Palace beneath the Aquamarine Ocean, Empress Renée had picked up a mussel shell and stormed into a garderobe for privacy before speaking with anyone. She required immediate answers before she could face any seafolk. There she urinated on the underside of the shell and set it aside for a minute to process. She paced dramatically in the tiny chamber, anxiously waiting for the time to pass quicker.
"Change color," she growled at the shell. "Change, change!"
Nothing happened to the color of the shell. Once the minute was up, the empress bashed and punched the walls of the garderobe. The Mystery Miracle Worker's theory had been proven accurate, at least in Renée's case.
"Curse you!" Ren&
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The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Prologue: A Difficult Task Indeed
Three hundred years had passed and there were new rulers to the kingdoms on land and the empire under the sea. Gerardo had left his mark on the hearts of the seapeople and his name had gone down into history on land and throughout the five oceans. Gerardo's only child, a son he and Mira named Jaskaran, became emperor after he married a naiad named Renée. Renée was infertile, so she and Jaskaran adopted a mermaid and named her Nadia. After a ceremony to make her heir, Nadia became the only heir to the throne. It was not long after that Nadia became deathly ill and Renée refused to leave her child's bedside. A couple more months passed, and the miracle worker whom the emperor and empress hired said that Nadia was getting better and should be healthy again in a year, but when Renée looked at her daughter, she didn't believe the miracle worker and remained hopeless.
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter One: Hasty Assumptions
The day was only hitting its peak at the Obsidian Palace where Emperor Jaskaran and his two advisors held a meeting in the grand drawing room. They sat at a round, polished stone table with another naiad and a merman with a shark's tail. The dim light of the glowfish chandelier above them left dramatic shadows on their faces as they feasted on their luncheon and discussed matters light-heartedly. The meeting seemed to be going very well for the emperor and his advisors until a booming voice jolted the smooth current surrounding them."I require a word with His Majesty!Immediately."Jaskaran paused for a moment to eye who had dared interrupted them. When he recognized it was his wife, he breathed a heavy sigh and addressed his guests. "I apologize for this. Please wait outside, we shouldn't be long."
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Two: The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
Unfortunately, Rein had not yet recovered from her regrettable episode three hundred years ago when the infamous Emperor Mentir tore her wings off her back. Ever since, she had been eating the petals of the burdania flower to keep alive as pixies cannot live without wings for the most part. To further Rein's misfortune, this flower was native to the Maja Forest and when she had left this forest the first time, she had not done so on good terms. Returning without wings was humiliating, and making amends was painful. Interestingly enough, even after spending another three hundred years in the forest, not all hard feelings had been amended and Rein was anxious for this opportunity to leave again.Throughout these years, Rein spent much of her time perfecting her hunting, running, climbing, and jumping skills. She now looked about the age of a twenty-year-old with a black design devel
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Three: An Island for the Immoral
Arcor was an ungoverned city where the most dedicated criminals came to smuggle and trade, where the outcasts came to live, and where the bloodiest of pirates came to hire their crew. This gave it a reputation of being the most unpleasant city in the world and it nearly took up the entire island.Unlike Rein, Empress Renée was unmolested on her way to Arcor and she shored the same day as Rein was carried onto the pirate ship. The empress took cover in a snowed-out wooded area away from civilization as all the ports and beaches seemed to be in constant use by filthy, crazed Arcorians. She kept her light gray cloak wrapped tight around her and pulled her hood on to hide her streaming blonde hair and most of her face. Then she waited in the frozen air of the woods for a while where she struggled to invoke the courage required to enter the city.
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Four: The Proposition
The two pirates who had taken Rein captive returned to the cabin with the captain just as the jar containing Rein began to tumble off the desk. Immediately the captain dove for the jar and caught it just moments before it shattered on the floor."What did ya do?" the captain scolded as he brought himself back to his feet."We left the jar on the desk so it wouldn't roll like that, Cap'n," the first pirate said. "She musta did that herself."The second pirate observed Rein closely. "She don't look so good.""You fools!" the captain exclaimed as he removed the lid. "She's suffocating 'cause ya put the lid on the jar!" He poured the limp pixie into his hand and set the jar on his desk. "Return to yer posts, ya bottle-h
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Five: Desperate Times...
Rein buried her face in her hands. All species of fairies had witnessed the creation of Xyntriav and they knew of all the wonders of the world... almost every detail. For instance, they knew how the Cataras Springs worked, they knew about the two keys allotting people inside, and they were aware of the three entryways which existed."What interest, exactly, do you have in the Cataras Springs?" Rein asked as she sat on the edge of the cigar case."I desire to drink the waters of the Spring of Agelessness," answered the captain."You do realize it is only agelessness you will receive and not immortality.""I do realize this," he replied. "But it be agelessness I want and not immortality. If I wanted immortality, I wou
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Six: The Oath
Rein jumped back with a yelp and kept low in the trinket box. She couldn't bring herself to look Captain Tzatara in the eye as he gazed down at her with an expression on his face which she couldn't read."There ya are, Little Pixie."Rein had no way to reply. She thought about begging for mercy, but quickly ruled that out as pointless. Without a word, the captain held out his large, musty hand for Rein to climb onto it. She hesitated and looked back and forth from the captain to his filthy hand. Finally, she reminded herself that it might be wise to cooperate."Now, ya know I have to punish ya for that," Captain Tzatara said as he carried Rein back to his desk.Rein hated the way his tone implied that he didn't want
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Seven: The Key Goes Missing
Rein sat atop the tallest mast of theBlood Omenfor several hours waiting for a bird—any bird—to come within her rope's reach. For the first hour, she didn't mind the wait. It felt grand to finally be out of that cigar case—out of the cabin entirely. Fresh air, even salty sea air, was healing. But at the end of this hour of breathing the odors of fish and low tide, Rein felt like she had enough and enacted the use of the bird calls she had taught herself during the past few centuries without wings. Just when she thought she would lose her voice, a seagull landed about two feet from her. She slowly pushed herself to her feet after learning it couldn't talk and grasped her small rope of twine.When Rein successfully looped the seagull's beak, the bird took off with her clinging desperately onto the end of the rope. She struggled to climb the twi
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- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Twenty: The Truth Comes Out
Back at the Obsidian Palace beneath the Aquamarine Ocean, Empress Renée had picked up a mussel shell and stormed into a garderobe for privacy before speaking with anyone. She required immediate answers before she could face any seafolk. There she urinated on the underside of the shell and set it aside for a minute to process. She paced dramatically in the tiny chamber, anxiously waiting for the time to pass quicker."Change color," she growled at the shell. "Change,change!"Nothing happened to the color of the shell. Once the minute was up, the empress bashed and punched the walls of the garderobe. The Mystery Miracle Worker's theory had been proven accurate, at least in Renée's case."Curse you!" Ren&
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Nineteen: The Cataras Springs
The garden of the Cataras Springs was the most beautiful wonder on Xyntriav at its time. Specks of gold light floated about the brightly-colored trees and bushes. Mossy vines draped the silverstone walls and bright, colorful bubbles served themselves as rocks beside the shimmering rivers and streams. The sweet smell of lotus, lilies, lilac, and lavender was so strong that the visitors could taste it. And though the Springs were located underground, there still seemed to be a light blue moonlight present to illuminate everything in this enclosure."Me eyes have never beheld such a sight," murmured Captain Tzatara."Aye," agreed Yacomé with his jaw dropped.There was one visible waterfall right beside the entrance which poured into the same body of water through whi
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Eighteen: The Cursed Waters of Carnific
Not long after Ravan had left Roznova, the Mystery Miracle Worker packed a small bag of food for herself and a couple of oddly shaped, multi-colored, glass bottles. She wrapped the bottles in a thick, soft cloth and tightly packed them in her satchel to make sure that they were kept safe. Then she put on her large-brimmed hat, threw a gray shawl over her shoulders, and turned to her king cobra who was perched in his tree."Are you ready, Stephocra?""I couldn't be more ready, Miss," Stephocra replied as he slithered up her arm.The Miracle Worker put out all the lights in her lair and raced to a dinghy she kept some distance from the beach, her burgundy skirts catching and tearing on foliage along the way. She had covered the boat with damp moss to hide it from any visit
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Seventeen: The Sirens' Threat
Rein couldn't find any sign of Renée as she made her way to Carnific, so she decided to wait until the empress arrived inside the Cataras Springs. She landed in a tree on the island after about three hours of non-stop flight and scanned the jungle-life around her to make sure she was in the right place before she set the seagull free.Rein opened a hidden hatch in the tree, jumped inside, and slid a long distance deep into the island. It had been a while since she last visited the Cataras Springs, so this dark tumble into the underground made her nerves a bit flustered. She soared out of an uprooted tree root and safely caught herself in the air. She glanced around to verify her location and then flew toward a small mushroom town deep in the garden. There, she approached a specific lavender mushroom home next to a sparkling blue stream and she knocked on the tiny wooden doo
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Sixteen: Meet Ravan the Great
The Mystery Miracle Worker removed two copper cups from her cupboard and set them on the counter. Meanwhile, the mysterious man took a seat in front of the fireplace and never removed his hood to show his face."You knew I was here all along," he said. "And here I thought you would be surprised to see me again.""The only thing that surprises me is that you stayed for so long," replied the Miracle Worker. "I thought you would surely leave after I convinced my last clients to stay. You must really want what you came for.""Indeed, I do.""So, what is it?" the Miracle Worker asked, turning to face him. "My instructions failed you?""You remember everything, don't
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Fifteen: The Deal
Empress Renée was confused. She furrowed her eyebrows and waited for an explanation from the Mystery Miracle Worker. However, she didn't get one."I thought we had already established that I won't give you the key," she said."Yes, and then I figured, 'what if she didn't need the key?'" the Miracle Worker replied. "You see, Empress, I know of an entrance into the Cataras Springs where you don't need a key. You can enter from beneath the island in which the garden is located."Renée processed these words. "I still need the key to know how much time I have left.""How does the key show you?" asked the Miracle Worker. She held out her hand to receive the key.
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Fourteen: The Mystery Miracle Worker
This time the noise came from behind and goosebumps crawled along Rein's skin. She could swear that whatever it was rose tall above her head. She twirled around to make eye-contact with a king cobra as it towered over her. Before she could do or say anything, it snapped at her.Rein bounded out of the way and slashed its face with her knife. The cobra hissed and attacked again. She pounced onto its head and tried to slide down its body while slicing it open on the way down but the cobra jolted and she fell off, losing her knife in the fall. The snake struck at her once more before she had the chance to get up, but she managed to roll away and jump to her feet. She drew her sword and waited for the cobra's next move. The cobra hissed and attacked her, but she dodged again and moved to stab it through the eye. The cobra avoided her blade and knocked the sword out of her hand with it
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Thirteen: Escape to Roznova
Rein climbed above the cave where she and the empress had previously taken refuge and frantically scanned the island, trying desperately to remember where else she had stayed centuries ago, but her mind came up blank. Though, she realized that she could use a better, higher view of the island, and perhaps that could jog her memory. So she quickly climbed back down and dodged a few rabid creatures as she bolted to a tree and shot up its trunk. She nearly collided with a woodpecker when she got to a satisfying height, which immediately attacked her with its beak. After narrowly avoiding its savage strikes, Rein slashed its throat and continued to the cusp of a branch. Now that she had a better view, she scanned the island again and spotted a large black void approximately thirty yards away where nothing around glowed, shined, or gleamed. From what Rein could tell, it appeared to be void of wildlife as well. She didn't recall this spot fr
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Twelve: The Facio Ritus
Rein scaled down the castle walls. The mysterious man watched as the tiny speck of light weaved about bushes and tall flowers, sneaking up to the ceremonial stand as quickly as she could without wings. Once Rein reached it, the mysterious man lost sight of her and had to find a new hiding spot. Fortunately, the city's residents were currently located in the Grand Master's courtyard, so sneaking about wasn't too difficult for him, though he did decide on a much closer refuge. He tucked himself away behind a tree and a few bushes where he could watch Rein execute her mission.Meanwhile, Rein shimmied up one of the legs of the stand and used her sword to saw away at it. She didn't want to saw all the way through, of course; just enough to make the stand fairly precarious for when they brought out the empress. As Rein did this, Cloid and Lazar hung the cauldron in place and started th
