The trio trekked through the fog and bog as the horizon slowly vanished in the overbearing mist.

The wizard struggled to keep up with the two gnome brothers, and as he trailed behind them, he asked, “Mind telling me what that plan of yours was? What was so important that you needed to jump off the train?”

“Oh, it's wonderful, Figwit,” Ono answered as he looked toward the fog in front of him.

“It’s an idea me and Ono had for the longest time!” Ini completed. “To build a park of sorts, just a place filled with fun and amusement. Things to do!”

“Yeah, think it like a summer fair but with nothing but entertainers; and instead of merchant stalls, think of stalls with fun activities for people to be amused at.”

“Thus the name: an amusement park.” The two gnome brothers stopped as they looked upwards and thought they could almost see their dream project realized in the midst of the fog.

“Imagine, Figwit: a big wall surrounding the entire place; walkways from the entrance that connect every ride and place one would ever want to go to.”

“An entire city, designed to provide as much fun and happiness possible to a person.”

Figwit stopped squinting into the fog. To his shock, the shadowy profile of the ideal park was emerging.

“Huh. Are you doing that?” The wizard pointed to the conjured park in the mist.

“That, Figwit, is called imagination,” Ono answered with an unbridled, whimsical tone. He placed his hand on the wizard's shoulder, his conic hat matching with the wizard's own pointy authority.

“No, the ... ugh. Forget it,” the wizard admitted in defeat, not even realizing the sudden increased sized gnome that had stood next to him. He continued walking, dragging the gnomes in tow with him as they continued to describe their dream project.

“Remember the projects we drew up, Ono?”

“I sure do. A haunted house, a giant pendulum.”

“A racetrack, a giant tower ... but we were always missing something, weren't we?” Ini looked at his brother as Figwit slowed his pace in fear. Each of the rides they spoke of seemed to materialize in the ethereal reality of the fog.

“Please stop,” the wizard pleaded as the shadows began to overpower his psyche and sense of reality.

“We always had trouble picking something big! But that dwarf train, that is the solution!”

“Yeah! We need a ride, something like the dwarf train but less horizontal, with lots of curves and also ups and downs that go real fast.”

To the wizard’s surprise, the black profile of their dwarf train tracks seemed to materialize in front of him. A ringing echoed deep inside his ear as he heard a whistling, seemingly coming from in front of him.

“Yeah, we need something that makes people go— --”

“Ah!” Figwit screamed as he jumped to the left pulling the gnomes into a puddle in the swamp as he felt the whooshing of a black, shadowy cart trail past him.

“Figwit, what's wrong with you?” Ini asked the soaking wizard and his fellow puddle mate.

“What's wrong with me? What’s wrong with you! Did you not see that!” he fumed as the overwhelming dampness of the swamp and fog seemed to thicken.

“See what?” the brothers asked in confusion, looking back at the shaking and twitching wizard.

“Don't give me that ‘oh see what?.’. Look! You are doing this to mess with me! I know your gnome tricks!” the wizard said with a shaky voice as he tried to ring murky water from his clothes.

“Oh that's a low blow, Figwit. That's discrimination, thinking everything bad happening to you is just because we are gnomes pulling tricks on you. That's a stereotype. Not all gnomes are like that.”

“Yeah, that's very rude of you to say. Typical human behavior, huh Ini?”

“Exactly, Ono.” The brothers crossed their arms and disrespectfully turned their backs on the wizard.

Figwit, however, merely grumbled and stayed quiet, not wanting to upset the gnomes— --or their hats— --any further.

As he finished cleaning his clothes, though, he asked, “Can you please just tell me, how far are we from the place you want to build this park at?”

The brothers silently hummed to one another. With the signal of a whistle from Ono, Ini jumped on top of Ono's shoulders and scanned the horizon for a good camping spot until finally he said, “Hard to see from here. But hey, how about we go ask in that building there if they know a good spot?”

“What building?” Figwit asked. To his shock, the mist parted and revealed in the middle of the great swamp a perfect pristine palace of beautifully cut white marble, complemented by artisan-made stained glass windows and topped by regal blue roof tiles.

From underneath the castle radiated a great oval circle of recently cut high quality grass from where various exotic flowers and all manner of garden decorations formed a barrier against the surrounding and enveloping marshland.

“What,” the wizard simply uttered at the bizarre, contrasting mansion and its paradise-like domain standing deep in the heart of the stench-ridden swamp.

“C'mon, let's go, Figwit,” the gnome brothers urged as they pulled the wizard by his robe and staff into the enchanting garden. All while the wizard merely let out, “I must have gone insane.”

“Snap out of it, Figwit. Whoever is there is sure to help us,” Ini said as the wizard began to take initiative and move his body of his own will.

“That's it ... you did it, Figwit.”

“You have lost your mind,” the wizard said incredulously as the gnomes finally reached the great wooden door to the entrance of the palace.

As they knocked on it Ono said, “Oh c'mon Figwit, don't be such a drama queen. It's just a building in a swamp.”

“Eh, ‘Just a building,’ they say. ‘Follow the gnomes,’ they say. ‘Someone needs to keep an eye on them,’ they say ... I'm gonna need someone to keep an eye on me at this point,” the wizard finished as the gnomes’ knock ended and the great wooden gate opened itself to the trio.

With a sudden push from the brothers, the wizard entered, while the gnomes in the back closed the door behind them. The wizard steadied himself, holding firmly onto his staff, readying his resolve for whatever it was that inhabited such a strange place.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

#

“Hello?”

“Anyone home?”

The gnome brothers called out as their voices echoed through the grand entry hall. The white stone walls raced upwards, decorated with portraits of long-forgotten figures in archaic regalia.

“Merely let yourselves in? There truly is no respect for etiquette these days.”

A voice came out from the upper floor of the entrance hall. The trio's eyes followed the silk red carpet laid before their feet, upwards toward the central staircase and to the left, where a figure emerged.

It was that of a human princess, or so at least Figwit thought.

Her skin was pale, spotless without any blemish. Her eyes were a piercing and enchanting deep blue and they seemed to see straight through the wizard's soul.

Her hair was voluptuous, well kept and flowed with a truly regal and divine blond. And her dress was made of extreme high quality silver silk. Clothing fit for an empress as it emphasized her movement, almost disguising her steps with a quasi-divine hovering, and culminating at the top of her arms as she swayed them with the grace of a true princess.

“Ugh, disgusting.”

“She's not even hearing a hat,” Ini and Ono respectively answered in disdain as the wizard merely looked at them with a silent shock and confusion.

“Hmph,” the princess grunted as she finished her descent from the stairs and rebuked the gnomes. “Think what you will. One knows better than to trust the sharp wit of gnomes. For it is as reliable as their inventions.”

The brothers scoffed at the princess, crossing their arms. “Big words for someone without a hat,” said Ini.

The princess dismissed them with a motion of her hand, turning to Figwit.

She approached him and Figwit noticed she appeared to be as old as he was. Almost instinctively, he knelt before the regal princess and bowed his head in her divine presence.

“I see someone at least still respects the ways of the high court,” she said with a warm inflection, extending her hand to the wizard. “Please rise, most esteemed seer.”

The wizard took her hand, kissing it as he rose up. It felt as soft as cotton on his lips. He looked into her eyes and saw a subtle red blush beginning to color the princess's cheeks.

“Oh heavens, such a gentleman too. May I please know the name of the handsome guest that hath landed upon my abode?” the princess said in a clear, playful tone.

The wizard gave a slight smile, reciprocated a blush, and said, “I am Figwit, your highness. I am but a humble seer ... currently tasked with keeping watch over these two.”

“I see,” the princess said as she looked at the two gnomes, who were clearly disgusted by the romantic air between the princess and the wizard.

“Please, let me introduce myself. I am princess Ivy Wolfsbane of house Haretrapper.” The princess gave a curtsy.

“House Haretrapper? I'm sorry., I don't believe I have heard of them before.” Figwit lifted an eyebrow at the strange-sounding dynasty.

“Really, Figwit?” Ono said

“I can't believe he's humoring her like this,” the gnome brothers said. Both the wizard and the princess ignored them and resumed their courtly game.

“You do not need any apologies, my dear seer Figwit. It is a faraway kingdom. You see, I was banished from it. Shunned by my family. So I have come to dwell here, in this accursed swamp and in this wreckage of a shelter.” The princess gave a dramatic turn, her eyes watering as the thought of home returned to her.

The wizard took a step forward, grabbing her hand and as she turned to him, he looked into her eyes, cleaned away the tears that were forming and with warm voice he comforted her.

“Your highness, please do not cry. Your beauty is astounding and these lodgings are enchanting. Your presence makes them the envy of any royal or imperial household in these realms.”

“Oh, and how.”

“Truly.”

The gnome brothers sarcastically riffed to each other as they saw the strange display of courtly exchanges.

The princess brought her hands forward, holding them to Figwit's as she lost herself in the wizard's eyes. A gentle smile emerged from her soft and fragile skin. She tried to speak but was taken over by an emotion she had never felt. It coursed through her entire body, loosening her posture into a more personal and relaxed stance.

The same was true of the wizard. He felt his control slipping away as he pulled himself closer to the princess, inexplicably attracted to her beauty and demeanor.

The words that followed came naturally, almost reflexively. “Do not worry, Your Highness. Even if the stars do not align, I promise to you as a seer that I will come to your aid. To move the very celestial orbs in place so that they always bestow to you their grace and aid your divine beauty and destiny.”

“Oh,” the princess said at his words.

Beside them, the gnomes tried to avoid looking at the off-putting display in front of them.

Princess Ivy’s hands gently brushed the wizard’s face, and as she held him and stared deep into his eyes, she said, “Oh, my star champion clad in magic. Your words fill my heart with such hope and desire. I have never met anyone as wonderful as you. Please, even if it is improper of me, I must request this.”

The wizard and the princess’s hearts raced with a hitherto unknown force, and the princess spoke the words that would bind them together. “Please, my star champion. Kiss me. Let us seal your oath, our union and fated destiny. For I know I shall never meet again one as wonderful as you.”

“Neither will I, one as magnificent as you,” the wizard completed as both of them closed their eyes and leaned into each other, their lips meeting and their hearts beating as one.

“Ugh, alright that's it. That's disgusting,” Ini cried out as the wizard and the princess were unmoved by the gnome’s words.

“I can't stand this Ini, and I can't stand this swamp smell anymore. We have anything for it at least?” Ono said as the brothers turned their back on the display of affection behind them.

“Aha!” Ini let out triumphantly, taking a glass perfume bottle from his hat.

“What is that?”

“Elvish vomit. The most scentful of all vomits.”

“Ooh, caught from the finest Elvish wine tasteries I bet.”

Ini nodded. “Indeed. Nothing is as strong as this. We'll clear out this swamp gas in no time. Maybe even wake up Figwit from what he's doing.” Ini began to walk through the room, spraying the dwelling with the elvish vomit, replacing the swamp gas with the fanciful and delightful smell of mint, pine trees and stomach acids.

“We'll have to remember this when we build the park. Seems the swamp has some weird effect on human perception,” Ono added as his brother finished.

“Dully noted.” Ini took a notebook and pencil from his hat and scribbled the statement down, along with a crude doodle of the wizard kissing the princess.

The smell of elf vomit began to overpower the room as the latent swamp gas finally dissipated and was pushed out towards the windows, clearing from the wizard's body. As it did, Figwit felt something was off.

He kept his eyes closed and his hands firmly hugging onto the princess, but as he did, something seemed to change.

Her skin was no longer soft. It was rough, leathery and as he moved his hands, he felt that the princess was quite short. Almost as if her height had been cut in half, perhaps only slightly taller than the gnomes.

He opened his eyes and recoiled in horror, falling onto his back on the floor. The truth revealed itself to him. The once beautiful human princess had now turned to a goblin.

Her flowing blond locks were frazzled black hair. Her piercing blue eyes were two big red eyes with green irises that stared at her sworn companion, and her skin was green and mottled.

Two big pointy ears sprouted from her head. Her dress, Figwit noticed, was at least indeed one of royalty. For it was a dark purple with gold stripes in its collar and sleeves, but it was ravaged and patched together with rags, leather strips and all sorts of colored clashing fabrics that the exile had used to mend her sign of nobility.

Indeed, she was a goblin. She crouched to hug the floored wizard as he quickly sat back up, only for the goblin princess to adjust herself by placing her arms around his neck. As she smiled, he saw a sharp row of teeth.

It was a bit deeper than before and her accent shocked the wizard as she nuzzled him and spoke. “You are really, most nicer of humans that has ever comes to my shack. I will nevers forget your kindnest and warmth.”

“What? ” the wizard said in quiet disbelief as the gnomes snickered to themselves at his side. “What have I done? ”

“Oh!” the goblin princess shrilled as she let go of the wizard and brought her hands together to her head. “We must celebrate this union. I'll grab something hot! Although...” She knelt at the wizard’s side and ran her sharp goblin finger on the stunned and nervously smiling wizard. “I know nothing is as hot as you. My beautiful, star champion.” She kissed Figwit on the cheek, chilling the wizard to his core.

She lifted herself and scattered to the back of her dwelling as Figwit finally realized what the castle was. Around him was no majestic royal palace; it was merely a small, rundown, rotten wooden shack.

There was an opening in the ceiling, where the cloud of elf vomit prevented the outside fog from flowing in. The staircase was merely a wooden ladder that led to a small bedroll nested on a shoddy platform close to the ceiling.

The rug— -- there was no rug. There was turf and a small blanket of moss that covered a few rotten floorboards.

The wizard shook at what he had done, holding his head as the gnomes pointed and laughed at him,“Your girlfriend’s cute, Figwit.” Ini said.

He closed his eyes and pleaded softly. “Shut up ...”