As the trio traveled farther into the woods, the young prince felt a sudden rise of dry heat and a presence of evil returning. The musky woods was a faded gray from the cobwebs, but now cinders and ash filled the smokey air. Cyrus caught sight of bright orange movement against the smokey gray backdrop and realized parts of the woods were ablaze with brush fires. The fire was slow moving and smoldered strongly, causing Cyrus to exclaim in alarm, “What’s going on here? Who’s setting the woods on fire?”

“Relax princey, it’s dry heat, not arson that’s causing this.”--Archibald gave a sly wink--”But now is the perfect time to teach you some more elemental trickery.”

Cyrus’ dark mood brightened. “Really?”

“Yep and don’t worry. There’s no way to mess this up…I think.”

Archibald swung his magical briefcase up into the air and it popped open with a bag of sparkling, beautiful water. Cyrus reached for it, but the Majester confiscated it with a quick snatch.

“Hey!” Cyrus shouted, “I thought you said I could try it.”

“Hasn’t being out in the world taught you the littlest bit of patience, princey? I need to cover the rules and regulations first. This water is from the Dragoon Lagoon and is blessed from the scales of a blue dragoon.”

“Whoa? So what does it do?” Cyrus asked.

“Blue Dragoon’s have large belly sacks that allow them to hold large amounts of water and release it in magnificent jet streams. If you swallow this, you’ll have the same ability.”

“What is the down side, Archibald, old bean?” Van asked twirling her finger through her imaginary mustache.

“Ah, now I don’t think Cyrus is in any danger and you’ll see why in a second. Just swallow some, wait a second, and pucker your lips like you’re gonna spit a flurry of pumpkin seeds.”

Archibald tossed Cyrus the bag and he loosened the string and took a gulp. Pretty soon his large stomach ballooned. It swelled under his shirt lifting it up.

Cyrus’ face expanded as he felt large amounts of water sloshing around inside of him, making his whole body feel like a water balloon.

Even Van in her hardened disguise couldn’t help but giggle at him, making Cyrus feel very self conscious. He still did as the Majester told him and puckered his lips like he was going to spit. As he did, all the water he was holding rose through his throat and shot through his mouth like a raging rapid. The water erupted from his mouth and doused the fire that blocked their path, reducing its roaring crackle to a steaming hiss.

“Do it again, princey.” Archibald said, clapping his hands.

Cyrus followed his words and released another blast, dousing the fires left and right. “Whoo!” Archibald cried “You’re the lead player in this game. You’re no water boy. Well actually you are but that defeats my analogy.”

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Van looked at Cyrus with sudden jealousy. She quickly snatched the bag away from Cyrus causing Archibald to wince. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, knighty.”

“Why?”

“You’re not exactly built for it physically.”

A certain fire brighter than the ones that Cyrus doused seared in Vanessa’s eyes. “Oh ho, you think that just because a feminine face and body lies behind these manly whiskers that I wouldn’t be capable of mastering this magic? Pox on that idea, good sir.”

Van untied the bag and gulped down some water and in response, Archibald gulped too. “That’s not what I meant. You have no way to hold it in.”

Vanessa smiled cockily but quickly that smile faded and an uncomfortable expression replaced it. “Where’s the wee lil john?” She asked, dancing in place.

“Choose your bush,” Archibald said with a deadpan expression.

For the next ten minutes, Cyrus and Archibald looked away as Van removed her armor and crouched in a bush. “Pox on my bladder,” she grumbled.

‘I think it’s more your brain that’s spotted,” Archibald snickered.

A few hours passed and the trio sat on freshly damp logs. Cyrus was proud of himself. He lacked Vanessa’s athletic abilities but he had found a new ability to call his own. The young pricne looked to Archibald with a warm smile. “Thank you for teaching me how to be a blue dragoon, Archibald.”

Archibald held his hands to his cheeks, “Are you really showing me gratitude? Gratitude from the royal who threw himself on the ground after he lost his golden throne?”

“Shh, not in front of Van,” Cyrus whispered as a sore Van sat on her log, bent over and groaning.

Archibald held his hands together and looked sternly at Van who sat with her knees together. “You should have listened to ol’ Archibald when I said the trick could backfire…and backfire it did.”

“Foul trickery,” Van spat in her impassioned feminine voice rather than her bold knight voice. “No wonder the Toccatta’s forbid it in their kingdom!”

“Forbid trickery? But it’s awesome!” Cyrus shouted back at Van.

“Not if you’re on the receiving end of a love potion or some nasty itching powder,” Van weakly groaned but lifted her sword from the ground. “From now on, swordplay is my only method of attack.”

“That’s some sharp thinking there knighty,” Archibald said, flicking his hand forward. “We could have used more of that from you today. Right Cyrus?”

Cyrus sat stupefied. He couldn’t believe Trinity’s kingdom forbid trickery. Tricks had kept him entertained since he was a child and it gave him the desire to become a trick master himself. He couldn’t believe there was a place in the world that would stoop to forbidding tricks. It was like outlawing fun itself. Cyrus decided that even if the princess disproved of his wonders, he would still learn some amazing tricks and dazzle her into liking them.

“What do you got there?” Van said and pointed to Archibald. The Majester was admiring himself in a silver spiked hand mirror.

“Ah yes,” Archibald nodded. “This is my magic mirror. You can communicate through it but more importantly it helps to keep me stylish.”

“Pass me that mirror,” Cyrus demanded.

“Why?”

“I need to check my hair,” He whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “There’s a girl here.”

Archibald winked and passed it over.

Cyrus squinted in the campfire light and held it up. He gazed at his own reflection. He had small marks of dirt on his cheeks, and his blond hair was ruffled and in need of a good shower, but much to his surprise, his double chin was receding. It must have been all the exercise. It was still there but even Cyrus admitted he looked fitter. Suddenly the mirror swirled, distorting his image. Cyrus tilted the mirror trying to fix it but it was of no avail.

Suddenly his features morphed into another face. The face was beautiful and belonged to a pale girl whose face was colored solely by her rosy cheeks and her miraculously blue eyes. Her lips under her small perky nose were held in a tightened frown and she frantically gazed out at Cyrus. Her lightly curled blond hair bobbed back and forth. “Hello?” She called out in a naturally delicate voice. “Can you see me?”

Cyrus immediately knew who the girl in the mirror was. “Princess Trinity!” he exclaimed.