“Alright, son. Here’s how it goes.” Gizmo said as he brought over a few books to the table where several shards laid undisturbed. “Magic lesson 102. Believe. The more you believe in your magic, the more it will work.” Ridley gave Gizmo a skeptical look. Gizmo only sighed at his expression. “It’s like faith...in religion. The more you believe the more faith you put in and the more powerful it gets.”
Ridley still had a puzzled face on but he started to understand it. “So if I believe I can fly, I’m going to fly.”
“Sort of. You breed of humans have been away from magic for so long it’s ingrained into your brains that it doesn’t exist. You’re going to need to overcome that bit before you can start casting spells.” Gizmo said as he opened one of the books.
“Since you have entered through the barrier, not sure how you were able to get in, getting out is going to be tricky. Still want to know?” Ridley looked up at the hole in the ceiling.
“I’m guessing I just can’t go up there.” Ridley said as he looked back at Gizmo. Gizmo shook his head.
“The barrier was constructed to keep things in and not let anything out. To get back to your world, your choices are either wait til the barrier breaks or…” Gizmo said as he started to flip through the book.
“Wait, ‘breaks’? Ridley asked. “The barrier can break?”
Gizmo looked back at him from his book and pointed at the shards on the table.
“Oh…” Ridley said.
“Back to my previous thought. I may know of a person. Think of them like an old business partner of mine. They’re a little kooky but they know their stuff.”
“Okay.” Ridley said. “So where can I find them?” Gizmo grinned.
“Ah how about information for information. Tell me about the outside world.” Gizmo asked. Ridley looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Uh, right now the country I live in is at war with itself. And-”
“I don’t care about politics, son. What are you humans building?” Gizmo asked.
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“Oh. Well we have giant steel boxcars that run off on coal we call trains. And they can carry big loads of people, cargo or whatever, across the continent at a very fast speed.” Ridley said. Gizmo had a twitch in his eyes of wonder. “Now tell me where I can find your friend.”
“Fine. You can find my friend around the Forest of the Lost near the Hills of the Forgotten. She likes to play with travelers there. Go there and she’ll find you.”
“Perfect.” Ridley said. “Got a map?”
“Map costs extra.” Gizmo said in a cheerful tone.
Ridley reached into his bag and pulled out another shard. Gizmo took the shards and placed them into his pocket. He then walked over to a box and pulled out an old piece of paper and passed it to Ridley.
“Some of the cities may or may not exist. I’m sorry but it is outdated. Geographical locations should still be accurate though.” Gizmo said with a smile. Ridley pulled out another few shards and placed them on the table. “Going to need some supplies.” Ridley said as he pulled out another shard.
“A service I can happily provide for you.” Gizmo said with a greedy smile.
Gizmo was more than happy to supply Ridley with the necessities he would need for his trip, for a price. Ridley already had a sword and a pistol so weapons were not a big concern. Gizmo handed Ridley a backpack with supplies in it, along with a scarf, a hat, and a long coat. As Ridley was about to leave the workshop GIzmo ran up to him and held out an iron horseshoe.
“As a token of our friendship I present you this horseshoe and a few words of caution.” Gizmo said. Ridley took the horseshoe and looked at it confused. “You are the first human from outside the barrier to venture here. Who possess no magical abilities or skills that will help you against what’s out there. Frankly I don’t like your odds. But where you are going, The Forest of the Lost, is home to a lot of Fae. Fairers. Watch your step and your tongue. They hate iron so use the horseshoe if you have to defend yourself. Goodluck! Take care now. Bye bye. Don’t forget to write.” Gizmo said as he shoved Ridley to and out the door of his workshop.
Ridley spun around as he toppled out of the building and onto the street. Ridley looked around and amazed at the scenery. He was in the middle of a city and the sky was blazing with fire and light. Buildings of cobblestone frozen in place as they were falling and people stuck in moments of fright and terror. Ridley approached one of the people stuck and took a good hard look. Their eyes were lit with shock and awe and their bodies looked as if they were about to run. The most striking feature that caught Ridley’s attention was the length of their ears. They were pointed and curled slightly at the tips.
“Elves.” Ridley said. A look of curiosity came across his face as his eyes started to wander near the elf’s pockets.He took a glance around. No one was moving.
“Sorry about this, chap.” Ridley said as he slipped his hand into their pockets and retrieved several silver coins. Ridley counted the coins and started to walk away from the scene. As he placed the coins in his left pocket, he reached into his right pocket and pulled out the bloodstained shard that was embedded in his leg.
“Sorry, Gizmo. Too slow.” Ridley said with a mischievous grin as he placed the shard back into his pocket. He turned back to the front doors of the workshop with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe I should write to the family?” Ridley thought to himself out loud as he adjusted the straps on his pack. He shook his head. “I’ll figure that out later.” He said as he pulled out the map. “Alright. Here we go.” Ridley said as he began his journey to the Forest of the Lost.