Nova woke up to complete silence. At first, she did not register anything as she was still in the half-conscious state one is when awoken from a much-needed nap. But then she jolted awake, eyes wide and wandering, while her brain tried to compute what was happening. She was still on the enchantmobile, but it was no longer flying; it stood stationary on the ground. Prince Theron was no longer in the driver’s seat, and the backseat was void of their belongings. The protective glass seemed to have also disappeared.

Nova jumped out of her seat without opening the door, fearing the worst. The bag she had slung across her body was still intact—at least there was that. But she had already made a mistake. How could she have fallen asleep? She was supposed to protect the Prince, but now it seemed he had been kidnapped. Whoever took him had decided to take all their luggage and leave her alone. Maybe they’d realized she was an astral.

As Nova panicked and tried to formulate a plan to find Theron, someone tapped her shoulder from behind. She sprung into action, grabbing the figure’s arm and twisting it behind his back. With one hand securing his arm and the other one pointing at his body, his back facing her, she muttered a spell that froze the perpetrator on the spot.

“Where is he, and what did you do to him?”

“Nova, it’s me.”

“Prince?” There was no mistaking his voice. She left her spot behind him and walked around to see if it was really him or if the perpetrator’s voice was just eerily similar to his.

“Oh my god, it is you.” Nova quickly muttered another spell, and the invisible force that had bound Theron to the spot disappeared, causing him to slump to the ground.

He looked up at her with genuine curiosity, his knees on the ground and his white hair hidden underneath a hat. “Why did you do that?”

“I thought you were someone else. Why are you wearing different clothes, and where did our luggage go?”

“We reached Quartzville an hour ago. I found an inn, so I parked the enchantmobile behind some bushes while I carried our luggage in and got us rooms. I was feeling pretty filthy, so I bathed and changed.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Nova sighed. “Just wake me up next time. Where’s the inn?”

“Follow me.” Theron got up and started walking, with Nova following at his heels. A few minutes passed, and the inn finally came into view. It was a simple construction, with a slanted roof, large windows, and a wooden build with a small garden in front of it. It looked cozy; Nova was impressed that the Prince had found such accommodation so swiftly. She was used to just laying her sleeping bag on the ground in a cave or under a tree while on duty.

Inside, it was as cozy as she’d imagined. She did not see anyone in the lobby or at the front desk while Theron showed her to her room, which was right next to his. It was not as big as her astral quarters, but it had a homey feel to it, and she was satisfied. However, she tried not to get too used to it as there was no telling how long they’d get to stay here. A single message from King Alaric would mean they would have to relocate to a new place to find the mysterious man. But for now, all she wanted to do was to bathe, wear some comfortable clothes, and eat a hearty meal.

So that is what she did. She took her time washing, meticulously untangling the knots in her hair, and used the bubbly powder she had brought with her to make the bath more relaxing and fragrant. Miss Bubble had introduced her to this powder, and she had obtained jars of it in different scents. She had chosen the strawberry scent to bring with her, as it was her favorite. Once she was done, she got into her pajamas, which were so soft it felt like they were sewn with clouds instead of fabric.

Nova wondered if the Prince had eaten yet. She hesitated to knock on his door, but it was necessary. She wanted to sit down and plan their next steps with him after she had eaten, but she could not do so if the Prince was starving, especially after hours of travel. Swallowing her pride, she stepped outside her room into the hallway. Her feet were planted outside his door as she took a deep breath and knocked.

She stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, her hands clenched into fists, rigid against her sides. After what felt like an eternity, the door finally creaked open. Theron stepped outside and asked, “What is it?”

She looked up at him as she asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Good. Let’s go find some food, I’m starving.”

“You don’t need to go anywhere. Mr. Ribbito said I could just use the dining bell if we got hungry.”

“Who’s Mr. Ribbito?”

“The owner of the inn. He said he’d be gone for a day or so because he had some wildberry harvesting to do, so he gave me the bell in case we got hungry. Come in so we can finally eat.”

He went inside, and so did Nova. His room was a tad bit larger than hers, but what instantly caught her eye was the fireplace.

“You get a fireplace, and I don’t?”

“I thought you’d have no objections to it, considering I’m your future King.”

Nova narrowed her eyes at that, but she was too famished to retort. “Can we eat already?”

Theron reached into one of his bags and pulled out the dining bell. Nova thought it was a strange contraption as it didn’t look like a bell at all, despite its name. Instead, it looked like someone had tightly furled a green picnic mat. He unfurled it and laid it on the floor next to the fireplace. Sitting on one side, he patted the other and said, “Come sit here.”

Nova did as he asked and sat cross-legged opposite him. The fireplace provided some much-needed warmth, as her wet hair from the bath was starting to feel cold.

The Prince then pressed a red button on his side that Nova hadn’t noticed. As soon as he did, a small golden bell appeared in the center.

“Think of what you want to eat. Picture it clearly in your mind and ring the bell.”

Nova looked at him. “Why don’t you do it first?”

Theron grinned back. “You’re scared?”

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“I haven’t used such a device before. I’d rather be cautious.”

“Very well.”

Theron leaned over to pick up the bell. He closed his eyes for a few moments and then rang the bell. It did not sound like a typical bell; it sounded more like wind chimes on a particularly breezy day. The dreamy sound was soon followed by the mat glowing, and where there was nothing before, now stood a delicious meal of rice, roasted chicken, stew, pastries, orange juice, fruits, and a set of cutlery.

Nova watched Theron intently as he dug in, opting for the rice and chicken first. She noted how he used his cutlery with precision, a testament to the lessons he was undoubtedly taking as the future King.

As she pondered what to eat, her eyes lingered on the roasted chicken, and she found herself craving it as well. However, the thought of choosing the same dish as him felt embarrassing, as if she were copying him.

Theron noticed her lost in thought, her eyes still on the chicken. “You can help yourself to all this if you want,” he said.

Nova snapped out of her stupor and looked up at him. “No, I was just thinking about what I should eat.”

“If you’re indecisive, you might as well share this with me. It’s too much for one person anyway.”

Nova hesitated but ultimately realized he made a decent suggestion. Besides, he didn’t have to know that the wafting aroma of the chicken was too good to resist. “Alright, fine. But only because you said so!” she replied, trying to sound casual as she reached for the serving utensils.

Theron smiled to himself. They both sat there eating in silence, the only sound being the crackling of wood from the fireplace. The warmth of the fire added a comforting ambiance to their shared meal, creating a rare moment of peace.

They worked their way through the meal, and once they were done, Theron rang the bell again. Instantly, the used cutlery and any leftovers disappeared into thin air, leaving the mat as clean as it had been before. Nova watched in awe and wondered whether the Prince had used this odd device before.

“Prince, have you used this little mat thing before?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Theron chuckled. “Yes, it’s quite handy, isn’t it? Father has a similar one in the palace. I borrow it for picnics or outings. Father prefers hand-cooked meals anyway, so it’s not used as much. I do wish I had brought it with me, considering we’re going to have to return this one to Mr. Ribbito once he’s back.”

Nova felt a twinge of disappointment as she remembered they would not have this mat for the duration of their task, but it was not something to dwell on. She had survived on many different quests without such a device, and she would do the same this time as well.

“Alright, now that we’ve eaten, it’s time to come up with a plan,” she said, looking at him with determination.

Theron groaned at that. “I was hoping I could take a nap once we ate, I’m still quite tired,” he said, yawning.

“There is no time to waste, Prince,” Nova insisted firmly. “We took a nap on the way here, and that’s enough. What if while we’re resting, the intruder creates more unrest or does something unwanted? His actions are unpredictable, and we need to act fast.”

As much as he wanted to argue with her, Theron knew that she had a point. Reluctantly, he agreed. “Alright, fine. Go get your journal from your room.”

Nova was relieved that he understood the urgency of the situation and wasn’t acting like a brat for once. She hurried off to fetch her journal. When she came back, she found Theron sitting on the bed, his journal open in front of him, surrounded by various separate notes.

“Did you start already?” she asked, eyeing the notes strewn across the bedding.

“I received the journal a couple of days before you did, so I had a head start. I do think we have different versions though.”

“What do you mean? I thought the King just gave us two separate copies with the same information.”

“No. Why would he give us two of the same copies if we we’re going to be together the whole time? Besides, you mentioned he was last seen in Quartzville. That was when I realized that we must have separate information. My journal does not mention Quartzville.”

Nova walked over to him, picked up his journal, and flipped through the pages. Hers contained a detailed description of where the man had been seen since his first sighting, while Theron’s seemed to focus more on his connections: the people he was seen talking to, and his behavior patterns.

“This makes so much sense,” Nova said, a hint of relief in her voice. “I was worried about how the King expected me to find him with only the places he was seen. If we combine this information, we should be able to get a much clearer picture, and possibly interrogate people.”

Theron nodded. “Alright then, let’s get to work.”

Nova sat down next to him and went through the notes he’d already made. She was surprised at how articulate and well-thought-out they were, and she realized he must be really serious about this. She was glad she wasn’t going to have to do all the work by herself like she thought. Theron’s equal contribution would make it much easier for them to find this man.

As they sat there, working through the information, the ticking clock on the wall indicated the passage of time. Through the windows, the Sun shone brightly. With a flick of her wrist, Nova turned off the fireplace. Theron didn’t say anything; he must have felt the temperature rising beyond comfort too.

When they were finally done, Nova felt exhausted but knew they would have to go out and do some fieldwork now. Through their combined information, they were able to figure out where exactly the man was seen in Quartzville. He had talked to some people here, so they would have to go interrogate them.

“Looks like we have some people we need to talk to,” Theron said, standing up and stretching. “It’s not a long way from here, so we can leave our belongings. Can you create a portal for the two of us?”

“Yes, but I can’t do that in this tiny room. We will have to go outside.” Nova got up and hurried out of the room, with Theron following behind her. She made a quick stop to fetch her mini portal from the bag she had hung behind her door and went downstairs to the inn’s garden.

The garden was a small area in front of the inn, filled with different species of flowers. Nova noticed roses, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums. Whoever planted them must be a gardening enthusiast, as they were well taken care of.

She placed the mini portal on a patch of grass away from the inn and the flowers. “Stay back,” she instructed Theron, walking a few paces away herself. Pointing her hands towards the small device, she murmured something under her breath, all her focus fixated on the portal. With a bright flash of light, the doorway appeared.

“No matter how many times I see you astrals do that, it still amazes me,” Theron said, as he admired the doorway. Although it was hazy, he could see their destination through it.

“Alright then, let’s go in. I have to warn you, since this is not an official portal, you’re going to feel some dizziness once you step through it. Just close your eyes till it passes.”

“It’s not official? Are you sure it’s safe? Where did you even find this?”

“Now’s not the time Theron. I’ve used it multiple times already, and I swear you’re going to come out of it in one piece.”

Theron looked worried, but he had little choice. “Alright, if you say so.”

As he braced himself to step in, he heard a scream and then running. He looked around and saw Mr. Ribbito running towards them, his hands clutching a basket full of wild berries.

“Oh my god, what is that?” Nova exclaimed.

“You mean ‘who’ is that,” Theron corrected her. “That’s Mr. Ribbito.”

“You’re saying the owner of this inn is a giant frog that can stand on its hind legs?” Nova asked incredulously.

“Well, yeah.”

Mr. Ribbito continued running, his webbed feet slapping the ground. He only stopped once he was directly in front of them.

“Patrons, my patrons!” he exclaimed in distress. “I was picking wildberries, minding my business, when this person wearing a dark cloak appeared out of nowhere. He looked at me directly and murmured something, I only had time to realize what had happened before it was too late. He set my berries on fire! Fire! My field is burning! I could only save this basket, but I ran here as fast as I could.” Mr. Ribbito finally stopped talking to catch his breath.

Nova and Theron looked at each other, their expressions conveying a shared understanding of the situation. The cloaked figure Mr. Ribbito described could only be the person they were searching for.

“How far is your field?” Nova asked the giant frog, who was now visibly trembling.

“Not far. Just a few miles ahead,” Mr. Ribbito replied, his voice anxious.

Theron quickly ran towards the bushes where he had hidden the enchantmobile. Within moments, the bulbous vehicle appeared. Nova hurried to her seat as Theron put in the location of the field. Pressing a few buttons, they took off.