“Well, that went in the worst way possible.” Laughed the Dawn of Fate.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Asked Luminous.

“What do you mean, do now?” Asked Barrett. “We get out.”

“But I can’t just leave.” Said Luminous. “Master Mouse said. I mean, it was his last words before…” Luminous bit her lip her words trailing off.

“And you're going to do what short stuff?” Asked the Dawn of Fate. “Keep going back, risking your life until he ice blasts you to death or you somehow wear him down?”

“I…”Luminous twittaled her figures.

“I wouldn't worry too much about Vainglorious anyways.” Scoffed Barrett. “I got a good look at that map on the ground next to you and saw his plans to go to Fe-Fi-Fo’s cave.”

“Fe-Fi-Fo?” Asked Luminous.

“A giant who has been living down in the canyon around here lately. Man, I know Vainglorious has strong magic, but messing with a giant is something else. He might actually die if he gets caught.”

“He’ll die?!”

“What do you care for? He doesn't want your help. Nor does he want to help you.” Said the Dawn of Fate.

“But if he gets caught he will…”

Luminous looked towards Barrett. The tall muscular teen scowled crossing his arms.

“You do what you want. I only said I would help you track him, not chase him to his death.” Said Barrett turning around and walking away. “You can come back with me or you can stay here.”

“But Barrett. I also need your help.Please.” Said Luminous.

“Do you know what I asked Vainglorious when my grandmother first started taking him in from the woods two years ago Luminous?” Asked Barrett, stopping in his tracks. “I told him that my parents left me with my grandmother because they didn't want me. Then I asked him if it was okay if he wanted to tell me what happened to his parents.” Barrett grimaced balling his hands in a fist. “He told me that it’s not that his parents didn't want him, it’s that he didn't want his parents. I asked him what he meant by that. He said he could go back to his house anytime he wanted instead of hanging around my small hobbal.”

The air was still for a moment, not a red leaf dare fall to the ground.

“He has everything he could ever want. But he turns his nose up at everything.” Said Barrett his heavy boot crushing a red leaf underneath as he passed. “I hate him.”

Luminous sat behind a tree in front of Vainglorious cave waiting and waiting, and waiting…

“So are we just going to sit out here all night waiting for the little ice queen to come out of her castle?” Asked the Dawn of Fate.

“You heard Barrett if he attempts to steal from that giant and gets caught, then he’ll die.”

“Again, short stuff why do you care? He doesn't want your help. Nor does he want to help us.”

“But Master Mouse said…”

“Master Mouse is obviously wrong. Look Short stuff, I know you’re going through something hard because he is gone. But sometimes, and I know this is hard to believe since, he is old, but sometimes he’s wrong.”

“But the library, he was always just there. It won’t feel the same.” Said Luminous. “Nothing’s going to feel the same.”

“I know.” Said the Dawn of Fate.

There was a moment of silence. Nothing but the wind blowing the red leaves from the tree.

“Hey, the ice is gone from the cave.” Said the Dawn of Fate.

“Huh?”

Luminous looked over from behind the tree to see the cave mouth standing wide open. Seeing her opportunity Luminous cautiously went into the cave. Peeping her head in Luminous called out.

“Hello!” Not seeing the boy from earlier she walked inside. “Vainglorious? Vainglorious, I just want to talk to you. Please I know you’re planning to do something dangerous!”

Luminous looked around the cave but no one was inside anywhere. And what’s more the little backpack she tripped over earlier was gone. It was too late Vainglorious was already gone.

“Impossible!” Wined Luminous. “How did he even get outside without me noticing? I’ve been standing at the tree watching this cave for hours!”

“Are you kidding me.” Laughed the Dawn of Fate. “You kept getting distracted by every little thing around the forest. You suck at being a lookout.”

“Come on, that’s not funny. Where did he even go?”

In Luminous panic, she accidentally kicked over a crate of maps. The maps fell sprawled out on the floor.

“Why do these all look familiar?” Asked Luminous looking at all the maps.

“Umm, genius one, ever look at a map before?” Asked the Dawn of Fate. “These are maps of all the six kingdoms.”

“Oh.” Luminous blushed. “Barrett said Vainglorious was going to steal from a giant named Fe-Fi-Fo in a canyon or something right?” Luminous stared hard at the maps. “But where would that be…?”

“Oh gee, I don’t know, how about the map of kingdom brown with a picture of a canyon on it?” Asked the Dawn of Fate.

“Ya, I saw that.” Blushed Luminous picking up the map that said kingdom brown on it. “Alright let's go save our wizard!”

Luminous began to step out of the cave holding the map in her tiny hand. When she felt a strong force tug her arm, the map flew out of her hand, the crate it was in stood back up right all the maps that were on the ground including the one in her hand flew back into the crate resuming the position they had before she accidentally kicked them over.

“What!?” Asked Luminous in shock.

“Oh that was clever,” said the Dawn of Fate. “I was wondering how he kept all his stuff from being raided.”

“What just happened?” Asked Luminous.

“Gee, sheltered much? He put up a protection rune around the cave. Normally people wouldn't be able to get in, but since you had good intentions it let you in. It still won’t let you take anything out, or trash the place though.”

“But then how am I supposed to find my way to the canyon?”

“Memorize it?”

“Uhh…” Luminous scratch her chin, almost peeling her bandage off.

“Oh folklore, were doomed aren't we?” Sighed the Dawn of Fate.

“Not necessarily…” Said Luminous, walking into the cave again and digging the kingdom brown map out of the crate. “I can do it.”

Luminous stared at the map, then she put her hands over her eyes for a bit trying to memorize it. When she was sure she got the map right she opened her eyes, but it wasn't like it was in her head.

“I uhh..” Luminous started.

“You can’t do it can you?” Asked the Dawn of Fate.

“I can too!” Luminous crossed her arms looking to the side. That’s when she noticed a quill and some ink sitting on a table. “I can too…”

Luminous got up grabbing the quill and ink from the table sat down next to the map. Then she unstrapped the Dawn of Fate from her back, setting him down on the blue carpet. If she couldn't take the map out of the cave she was going to make one herself.

“What are you doing short stuff?” Asked the Dawn of Fate.

Luminous then unbuttoned her shirt.

“Whoa! Shortstuff! What are you doing!?” Yelled the Dawn of Fate.

Luminous lay the shirt down on the carpet below the map. The inside of the shirt was a pale white. Taking the quill and dipping it in ink Luminous began copying the map on her shirt.

“Oh, that’s actually really clever!” Said the Dawn of Fate. “Assuming the ink won’t reset when you step out of the cave.”

Luminous stopped drawing on the shirt for a second, grimacing. 

“Please don’t say that, my wrist already hurts from copying this down.”

After Luminous was done she held up her shirt looking over her handy work.

“Well, time for the moment of truth.” Said the Dawn of Fate as Luminous strapped him back to her back.