"When you ask the magician a question, do you have to do a service?"
Lightening asked his grandparents. Dor looked thoughtful.
"Well, I have never asked a question before, so I truly don't know." Lightening contemplated this.
"Well, if your king of Xanth, you can't be stuck doing a years worth of service, when you need to be ruling Xanth." Lightening concluded after some thought.
"And, "Irene cut in, "By being King of Xanth, you are doing all of Xanth a service, including the good magician."
Lightening and Dor both nodded. Then the carpet announced, "The Good Magician's castle is right beyond this mountain." The carpet began to ascend.
"Wait!" Lightening shrieked. "I'm afraid of heights!"
"Oh my, that could be a problem." Dor murmured.
"Oh course!" Irene exclaimed. "This is one of Lightening's challenges."
"Now how do we over come it?" Dor asked.
"Well it is my challenge, so I must find a way." Lightening stated. "Have the carpet land."
Dor angled the carpet down and it began to descend at the base of the mountain. He aimed for a piece of a cabbage garden, but instead landed in a large patch of curse burrs. Soon they were all covered in the bothersome burrs.
"Confound it!" Dor cried, and a few burrs let go. Gradually Dor and Lightening managed to get the burrs off of their clothing. Irene stood stuck in the middle of the patch.
"Irene's challenge!" Lightening cried, with sudden realization. Naturally, Irene was a proper lady, and it was not proper for ladies to curse. Lightening decided to take the matter into his hands. Literally.
He collected some energy in his cupped hands. A light began to glow, and then he threw it towards the curse burr patch, careful to not hit Irene. A bolt of lightening came down around Irene, scorched the plants and scaring the burrs off of Irene.
That was Lightening's talent, the ability to throw lightening. He inherited that talent from his mother, Electra, whose talent was shocking people. It was not magician caliber, meaning he would never be King, but it was useful at times. Besides, it was unlikely he would become King even if he was a Magician, because Ivy's children had magician caliber talents. Not that Lightening wanted to be King either. He was content with living at Zombie castle, while his parents were busy constructing a new castle by the Gap Chasm and North Village. When he was younger he enjoyed zapping the zombies into bits, because zombie could not die. Once Millie the ghost caught him and he was locked in his room for a month. He didn't zap any zombies after that, learning they are real people, even if they are dead. In fact, his best friend was a zombie named Zolof, who had the talent to make people happy, before he died.
The only thing that disappointed Lightening about Zolof was that Zolof could not grow with him, and that one day Lightening would be a full grown man, while Zolof will still be a 15 year old boy zombie.
Lightening paused, recognizing Vecium, the day mare. He waved, but he was not sure if she saw him, since day mares are very busy, delving daydreams to people. Vecium had taken the job of day mare after Imbri decided to become a nymph and live with Forrest Faun.
Irene came towards them, no longer bothered by the burrs. Burr's don't like getting scorched any more than humans do. When Irene caught up with them, they continued over the mountain.
"Funny, I don't remember this mountain here last time I was here." remarked Irene.
"Humphrey must be able to change geography with his book, or he has a pact with the Demon X (A/N) th. Probably the former." Irene and Lightening nodded. Demons could be very fickle, and not even Humphrey could be able to trust one, aside from a few select few with souls.
"Is there any shorter way over of around this mountain?" Lightening asked. His legs were aching, and he longed to sit down. He could tell Irene and Dor felt the same, by Irene's frown and Dor's slight limp. Irene grew three lounge chairs plants, for them to rest on, while they figured out what to do.
They sat quietly for a while, trying to figure a way over the mountain. Looking around, Lightening noticed a cave.
"Hey, maybe we can go through that cave!" Dor agreed while Irene looked apprehensive. They made their way over to the cave. Looking in cautiously, they began in. It was pitch dark.
"Stand back." Lightening ordered. Irene and Dor obeyed. Calling on his magic talent, Lightening caused a bolt of lightening to catch a bundle of sticks on fire, for them to use as a torch.
"Good thinking." Irene complimented. Lightening beamed at the praise from his grandmother.
They made their way towards the back of the cave, when they came to a fork. Lightening went one way, while Irene and Dor went the other, each with a torch Lightening had made. Lightening bumped into an invisible wall. He turned and went out the way he came, and ran into another wall.
He stood contemplating the problem. Focusing his talent towards the first invisible wall, he hurled a huge lightening bolt at it. There was a sound like that of shattering glass, and a sudden swoosh of wind. Lightening felt himself spinning around, then darkness.
A/N: yea I know this chapter is pointless, but I'm still trying to come up with what his question his and what his quest will be. I'm thinking about, well know. I'm not going to tell, but if you come with ideas, please tell me! Thanks!
"Well, I have never asked a question before, so I truly don't know." Lightening contemplated this.
"Well, if your king of Xanth, you can't be stuck doing a years worth of service, when you need to be ruling Xanth." Lightening concluded after some thought.
"And, "Irene cut in, "By being King of Xanth, you are doing all of Xanth a service, including the good magician."
Lightening and Dor both nodded. Then the carpet announced, "The Good Magician's castle is right beyond this mountain." The carpet began to ascend.
"Wait!" Lightening shrieked. "I'm afraid of heights!"
"Oh my, that could be a problem." Dor murmured.
"Oh course!" Irene exclaimed. "This is one of Lightening's challenges."
"Now how do we over come it?" Dor asked.
"Well it is my challenge, so I must find a way." Lightening stated. "Have the carpet land."
Dor angled the carpet down and it began to descend at the base of the mountain. He aimed for a piece of a cabbage garden, but instead landed in a large patch of curse burrs. Soon they were all covered in the bothersome burrs.
"Confound it!" Dor cried, and a few burrs let go. Gradually Dor and Lightening managed to get the burrs off of their clothing. Irene stood stuck in the middle of the patch.
"Irene's challenge!" Lightening cried, with sudden realization. Naturally, Irene was a proper lady, and it was not proper for ladies to curse. Lightening decided to take the matter into his hands. Literally.
He collected some energy in his cupped hands. A light began to glow, and then he threw it towards the curse burr patch, careful to not hit Irene. A bolt of lightening came down around Irene, scorched the plants and scaring the burrs off of Irene.
That was Lightening's talent, the ability to throw lightening. He inherited that talent from his mother, Electra, whose talent was shocking people. It was not magician caliber, meaning he would never be King, but it was useful at times. Besides, it was unlikely he would become King even if he was a Magician, because Ivy's children had magician caliber talents. Not that Lightening wanted to be King either. He was content with living at Zombie castle, while his parents were busy constructing a new castle by the Gap Chasm and North Village. When he was younger he enjoyed zapping the zombies into bits, because zombie could not die. Once Millie the ghost caught him and he was locked in his room for a month. He didn't zap any zombies after that, learning they are real people, even if they are dead. In fact, his best friend was a zombie named Zolof, who had the talent to make people happy, before he died.
The only thing that disappointed Lightening about Zolof was that Zolof could not grow with him, and that one day Lightening would be a full grown man, while Zolof will still be a 15 year old boy zombie.
Lightening paused, recognizing Vecium, the day mare. He waved, but he was not sure if she saw him, since day mares are very busy, delving daydreams to people. Vecium had taken the job of day mare after Imbri decided to become a nymph and live with Forrest Faun.
Irene came towards them, no longer bothered by the burrs. Burr's don't like getting scorched any more than humans do. When Irene caught up with them, they continued over the mountain.
"Funny, I don't remember this mountain here last time I was here." remarked Irene.
"Humphrey must be able to change geography with his book, or he has a pact with the Demon X (A/N) th. Probably the former." Irene and Lightening nodded. Demons could be very fickle, and not even Humphrey could be able to trust one, aside from a few select few with souls.
"Is there any shorter way over of around this mountain?" Lightening asked. His legs were aching, and he longed to sit down. He could tell Irene and Dor felt the same, by Irene's frown and Dor's slight limp. Irene grew three lounge chairs plants, for them to rest on, while they figured out what to do.
They sat quietly for a while, trying to figure a way over the mountain. Looking around, Lightening noticed a cave.
"Hey, maybe we can go through that cave!" Dor agreed while Irene looked apprehensive. They made their way over to the cave. Looking in cautiously, they began in. It was pitch dark.
"Stand back." Lightening ordered. Irene and Dor obeyed. Calling on his magic talent, Lightening caused a bolt of lightening to catch a bundle of sticks on fire, for them to use as a torch.
"Good thinking." Irene complimented. Lightening beamed at the praise from his grandmother.
They made their way towards the back of the cave, when they came to a fork. Lightening went one way, while Irene and Dor went the other, each with a torch Lightening had made. Lightening bumped into an invisible wall. He turned and went out the way he came, and ran into another wall.
He stood contemplating the problem. Focusing his talent towards the first invisible wall, he hurled a huge lightening bolt at it. There was a sound like that of shattering glass, and a sudden swoosh of wind. Lightening felt himself spinning around, then darkness.
A/N: yea I know this chapter is pointless, but I'm still trying to come up with what his question his and what his quest will be. I'm thinking about, well know. I'm not going to tell, but if you come with ideas, please tell me! Thanks!