The Water Faerie Necklace: Part Six

     Julie was astonished. “I never thought of it that way.”

     “What else did the scroll say?”

     Julie reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the folded piece of paper. She read the poem carefully.

     Each Faerie has power

     But it needs to be found

     A necklace does not give somebody power

     It has come from within

     A moral deed is one sign

     That there is power in you

     But along with

     A lighthearted joke

     An icy mind for quests

     A strong heart and body

     And a little bit of luck

     The necklace can do its job.

     Bryce tapped his chin with his finger. He said, “Apparently the scroll wants you to think outside of the box when you complete each quest. For instance, the next item on the list is ‘an icy mind for quests’. When I first heard this, I immediately thought: ‘Snow Faerie!’ But, the Snow Faerie is probably not the best person to go to, because it is too obvious. So, Julie, where else is it icy, but you also complete quests?”

     “I don’t know,” said Julie. “I have to admit, I don’t think I’m as worldly as you. I’m the wrong person to ask.”

     “You’re saying that I’m worldly?” Bryce asked. He clasped his hand to his heart. “Really? I’ve never had anyone say that to me before. You do know that I’ve never stepped foot outside Meridell in my entire life. You can imagine how boring my life probably is.”

     Julie sighed. “Doesn’t Illusen live here? I hear that she gives quests.”

     “I don’t think that’s a good bet,” said Bryce. “I’ve fulfilled many of Illusen’s quests and have won prizes that aren’t that good anyway. Besides, I don’t think that she is particularly ‘icy’.”

     “You’re right,” Julie said. “What about her sister, Jhudora?”

     “I don’t think she’s ‘icy’ either.”

     “Well,” said Julie, sitting down onto the cold stone beneath her. “I don’t know who else to turn to besides the Snow Faerie.”

     “Okay,” said Bryce. “I guess you were right. I was just over thinking things. Maybe the King just decided that your joke was funny a few minutes after you left.”

     Julie had to laugh at that. “I doubt it.” She turned around to look into the distance. “Well,” she said. “How do you suppose we get to Terror Mountain from here? It took me almost an hour to walk from Faerieland over to Meridell.”

     Bryce flapped his wings for emphasis. “Have you forgotten that I am a Pteri?”

     “No,” said Julie, rolling her eyes. “But I don’t know if you can carry me on your back as you fly.”

     Shrugging, Bryce said, “I probably can.”

     ----------------------------------

     Just a few moments later, Bryce landed, with Julie on his back, in Happy Valley. He rested his sore wings on an ice-capped rock as he looked around. He panted.

     “Are you okay?” Julie asked. “I hope you’re not too tired.”

     Bryce was wheezing a little bit. “Yeah. I’m just a little bit out of shape. Normal Pteri can fly to here and back to Meridell without breaking a sweat. That’s what I get for sitting around playing Ultimate Bullseye all day.”

     Julie did not respond. All she could do was stare at Happy Valley. It seemed like every destination she visited was more beautiful than the next. The entire landscape was shrouded with snow, and it seemed like everything glittered with ice. She shivered as a harsh wind hit her frail bones. Bryce was still resting on the rock, breathing heavily. She wondered exactly how she became such good friends with him so fast. She shook her head, realizing that she was barely friends with him at all. Was it King Skarl that brought them together, or the necklace’s beauty?

     Bryce’s breathing returned to normal. “I’m ready now,” he said. “I hear that the Snow Faerie lives at the top of the mountain, but it’s only a short walk away.” He stood up.

     “Okay,” said Julie. She was reluctant to leave such a beautiful landscape, but was sure that the top of the mountain would be even more beautiful.

     As they walked, Julie had a vague, itchy feeling. Something that Fyora had said to her was starting to become significant as they readied to meet the Snow Faerie, but she could not remember exactly what it was. She knew that it was somehow important, and wanted to slap herself for not recalling what Fyora had said.

     They were approaching the top of the mountain, and Julie could see the Snow Faerie’s igloo in sight. She was standing outside, looking awfully warm inside her heavy parka. Snow was falling heavily.

     “Hello,” said the Snow Faerie when she saw Bryce and Julie. “Would you do a favor for me?” When they nodded, Taelia said, “I need a cube shaped strawberry, a mortogberry, and a vanilla gnorbu biscuit. Please come back within one hour and ten minutes.”

     Julie wrote down the ingredients on the same piece of paper that held the poem of the scroll. Taelia placed the hood of her parka over her head.

     Suddenly, Julie remembered what Fyora had told her. “Taelia, do you know anything about a Pet named Finn? Apparently he created your parka, and I need to know a little bit more about him.”

     Bryce looked confused, but Julie shot him an all-knowing glance.

     Taelia frowned and whispered, “How do you know about Finn?”

     Julie held her necklace in her hands. “I know about him because I am also wearing one of his creations. This is--”

     “Nereid’s necklace,” said the Snow Faerie. “Yes, I know all about it. How did you get your hands on it? I thought she hid it where no one else could find it.”

     “She picked a pretty lousy hiding spot,” said Julie. “Because I found the necklace, and I cannot take it off. Apparently, I need to complete one of your quests to help me remove it.”

     “No, you do not,” said Taelia.

     Julie reached for one of the stones on her necklace. “Why?”

     “Because I know about the scroll,” Taelia said. “I helped Nereid write it, actually. Everything written on the scroll is a lie, just to deceive anybody trying to get rid of the necklace.”

     Julie furrowed her brow. She turned to Bryce, thinking for a moment that he would understand, but he looked just as confused. “What?” she asked. “Can you explain, please?”

     “Sure,” Taelia replied. She looked around and said, “I should probably explain this in secret.” She led the two Pets into her igloo.

     Taelia turned on the lights and started to explain. “When Nereid decided that her necklace contains too much power, she tried to use it as a punishment to anybody who ever tried to deceive her. She would give them a ‘present’, or namely, her necklace, and outright say that it gave them ultimate power. Then, she would wait. It would take some time for the Pet or Faerie to realize that the necklace was not a gift, but a punishment, and when they did, Nereid would send them a scroll to help them take it off. However, the scroll would give them all the wrong instructions, so they would be stuck with the power of the necklace until they begged for Nereid’s forgiveness. Then she would release them from the necklace.”

     Julie was silent, but she finally spoke. “I still don’t understand a few things,” said Julie. “First of all, I dreamt about the scroll. A talking Anubis and a red Nimmo gave me a scroll tied with a blue ribbon inside a palace. Then, when I woke up, Nereid’s scroll would appear somewhere in my room. This has happened twice.”

     Bryce laughed. Julie had forgotten to tell him that part of her story.

     “It is just the power of the necklace playing tricks on you,” Taelia said simply.

     “Also,” Julie said, “Fyora told me a completely different story than yours. Apparently, Nereid’s necklace can only be worn by a Water Faerie, and I am one. And she lead me to Meridell to complete the second task on the scroll.”

     “You did not believe for one second that Fyora was also trying to deceive you?” asked Taelia. “She was just playing along with the scroll. It was given to you for a reason.”

     Julie wailed, “The necklace was given to me? But there is nothing I have done that needs a punishment! And you even said that Nereid hid it so nobody could find it.”

     “I did say that,” said Taelia, “and it is true. Maybe the power of the necklace is stronger than we think. Maybe it does not need a Pet or a Faerie to unleash the power.”

     Folding her arms, Julie said, “I do not need to be punished.” After she said that, she remembered the many times that she skipped school, but did not want to admit it to Taelia. She shuddered. “Also,” said Julie, “why did two of the stones fall off of my necklace already? And why were they right after I did something written on the scroll?”

     “Utter coincidence,” Taelia replied. “Even I do not know what causes the stones to fall off; only Nereid does. Actually, I do not think that a stone has ever fallen off before.”

     “How do I take the necklace off?” Julie asked. She tugged at the largest blue stone. What was once the most beautiful thing that Julie had ever seen now turned into an imprisonment, choking her and hurting her collarbone.

     Taelia shrugged. She led Julie and Bryce out of her igloo. “You must do what every other wearer of Nereid’s necklace has done, and I will accompany you two on your quest. You must ask for her forgiveness.”

To be continued...