“I am not entirely sure as this is my first time. Continue what you’re doing, and I will let you know when to stop.”

  “What are you going to do?” he asked. “Aren’t you going to help me?”

  “Ho ho!” Bohga gave a mighty belly laugh. “There are many more things to be done in the meantime, Prince Damron. And you are in my service, yes?”

  “Yes.” said the prince.

  “Then begin sifting all the sand you can. The grains that cannot be sifted can be put back in the buckets and returned to the sand bar further downstream. I am sure you will do a fine job. And the task will make your arms stronger! Strong as a titan or cyclops, hoo hoo!” Bohga stooped to step inside his cave before returning with a stool. “Here a place for you to sit while you work. As you are sifting, I must go find more fish. Our pot is getting low, and no one can eat from an empty pot. Many more fish will be needed, indeed! Stay busy and I will return when the sun touches the trees. I will make us a fine meal of fish and greens and vegetables and berries. That would be nice, yes?”

  “Very nice.” said Prince Damron. “Thank you.”

  “Ahhh, there is the kind air of one who should be a king. Courtesy is free but giving it away buys us more joy. I will see you when I return.” The cyclops said before starting down the hill. Hoxley watched the prince shake and shift the makeshift bag to filter out the fine sand within. He sweated and grunted to keep it going but never stopped. When the bag was all but depleted of fine grains she clopped over and picked up the closest bucket and placed it next to him. And as the prince toiled to sift the sand, Hoxley took a seat next to him on the ground and leaned her head against the stone of the cave. Gazing out upon the clouds, she thought of her missing friends and magically the shape of a cloud resembled the features of a certain silver haired witch she longed for.

  Meanwhile in Steelbriar, Atticus and Loxo fled in fear from the Titan sized plants that stalked them across the labyrinth of a bog. Covered in muck up to the waist, they scrambled to reach dry land and find a place to hide.

  “They’re almost upon us, Atticus!” cried the pirate.

  “I know they are, keep your voice down!” said the man as he snatched up an armload of leafy vines and pulled them away from the ground like a blanket. “Here! Let’s use this undergrowth as a cover and perhaps they won’t see us.”

  “Do you think that will work?” asked Loxo.

  “If you have better plans then you are welcome to share them. Until then, we will do things my way. Lay down, be still.”

  “But I haven’t the mind to be still, Atticus.” Loxo told him with wide eyes, his pupils as big as coins. “I have the strangest inclination to dance and stomp my feet and play in the echoes.”

  “You’re out of your head on wild spore that you took out of Morell’s pack.” The soldier grumbled, forcing the man to the ground and draping the undergrowth over them both “You haven’t a mind at all when you’re not on spore and now you have even less when you are. Now be quiet unless you want those nasties to find us and turn us inside out.”

  “I’ve never been inside out before.” said Loxo with an even crazier look upon his face. If my skin were on the inside, would I even need to wear clothes? I guess we’d better not take any chances.” The pirate then began to unbutton his shirt and remove it.

  “What are you doing?” hissed Atticus trying to keep still while grasping at the man who was in the process of trying to pull off all of his clothes. “Stop, you buffoon! You’re going to get us killed!

  “We can hide from them if we’re inside out, Atticus!” Loxo giggled. “They’ll be looking for our outside skin and not the inside! Yes! Ha ha! I’ve figured it all out on my own, Atticus! This will trick them for sure! We must take off our clothes and flip our skins inside out to be grand disguises!”

  “You’re a raving madman and if you want to get yourself killed then by all means make your best effort.” The man finally said, gruffly. “I have no intentions of following a numbskull on his path to destruction.” By this point, Loxo had completely removed his shirt and wrapped it around his head with the sleeves tied on the back like a mask. Even while blinded, he pushed the camouflage aside, stood up and began to stomp and stamp around din a circle while yelling and whooping.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “I’m the inside out man who cannot be seen! I can do anything!” He clapped and whistled. “Oh whoopity doo callaayy! Oh yes, I am the inside out skin man and I am doing as I please!” Loxo even went as far as to draw his sword and swing it haphazardly around him as he staggered. Atticus grabbed two handfuls of the undergrowth and pulled it high over his head to conceal himself. Then, just as fast as Loxo’s shouting had started a low, ominous, vibrating sound cut the mist.

  “Shhhhhiiirrrrruuuummmmmmeeeeettthhhhhhhh.” It sounded, making the ground tremble beneath Atticus’ head as his ear touched the soil. “Shhhhhiiirrrrruuuummmmeeeeettthhhhhh.” The sound was more terrifying than anything Atticus had ever heard upon the fields of battle. “Shhhhhiiirrrrruuuummmmmmeeeeettthhhhhiii-Ka-ka-ka!” It rang out.

  “Yes!” shouted Loxo still dancing a jig on one leg. “Soup for me, shi-ka-ka!” Atticus was about to pitch the cover aside and attempt to subdue the imbecile, but just as he found the courage to pull the sheet of greenery aside far enough to steal a peek, a sight came into view that made his blood run cold. The nightmare creatures of green razorbarb came floating into view, fifteen, no twenty feet tall they stood. Tentacles of vine waved weightless in the air around them making the beasts look even more sinister. An iron grip of fear coiled itself tight around his heart and froze him to the spot in a way that no foe or rival army had ever dared. His throat tightened so that he couldn’t swallow. Loxo continued to dance as more creatures emerged to surround them. Two, three, four, six. The crazy pirate had done it. He’d brought doom upon them. Atticus’ mind reeled at the terrible way the creatures would draw and quarter them, their razorbarb leaves eviscerating them before throwing the rest they wouldn’t eat to the ground. Closer the beasts moved in, their grating noise filling the bog. “Loooooorrrrrrrroooooxxxxxuuhhhhsssshhthththt!” It hissed like a snake.

  “Yes! Yes!” Loxo danced and twirled his sword as a maniac. Looooxxxxxxxxxxooooooo is my name! Come and dance with me, strange nightmares! There’s plenty of music in the air to dance to! Oh, can’t you see the notes and fiddles and strings of songs wild and untamed? They’re all floating in the air! Oh, jolly day!”

  The pirate’s foolishness had gone too far. So angry and frightened was Atticus of the dismemberment about to take place that he could hold his hand no longer. With great vigor he pitched the underbrush aside and emerged, drawing his mighty sword in the same motion.

  “Come and get your death!” He shouted at the closest beast with the splayed white flower petals where a face should be. “Do your worst and all slice you all to a thousand pieces, you fiends!” The creatures moved a little closer but stayed out of reach of the big waving sword. “Come on! Come on!” Atticus goaded the creatures, his shining sword glinting in the little light seeping in through the fog. “Come a little closer and I’ll carve you up like pumpkins, you big green sickness you! Come on!”

  “Atticus! loxo!” yelled one of the plants in a boy’s voice. “Atticus! loxo!”

  “Did…did that thing just say our names?” asked Loxo with utter surprise. “Did that thing just speak?”

  “Up here!” yelled the voice again that sounded so familiar. Both men looked high up on the beast to see a human sized silhouette clinging to what looked like the neck of one of the creatures “Loxo! Atticus! Look up here!” it said.

  “Good heavens…” said Loxo with a grimace. “That sounds like Morell! Oh no! the beasts have already eaten him whole and now he’s being digested in their plant bellies!”

  “He’s not been eaten, you absolute buffoon.” Atticus scowled at him. “Look! He’s riding on the foul thing! Boy! boy! Get down from there at once before these monsters slice you to ribbons!” A big leafy appendage raised itself like a hand up to the silhouette and the boy stepped out upon it like a bard on a travelling cart. To the delight of the men, the big leafy part lowered and Morell, with his full locks of bright red hair came down into view. The smile on his face was almost as wide as the thing that carried him. Lower the hand came until it set him on the ground. The two men put away their swords and rushed to embrace their lost companion.