Beloved pushed her way through the charms and chalices dangling in abundance from vines; the decaying remnants of trinkets designed to ward of the dark spirits that could torment a place until it was worn and bare.
A fire glowed to the rear of the cave, and the walls were covered in shelves- shelves filled with centuries upon centuries of dust-coated potions and concoctions; jars of magicks and remedies to cure all ailments and maladies jammed roughly together, seemingly in no particular order. Beloved approached the nearest shelf curiously, gingerly picking up a circular glass phial containing a deeply crimson liquid, and dusting off the time worn label to read;
“Amor Sempiternam?” she read aloud; staring into the depthless liquid contained within.
“Ah... Amor Sempiternam... Love; everlasting. Is that what you seek, Beloved child?” a crackling, aged laugh emerged from what Beloved had taken to be a heap of dusty rags, next to the fire. The Witch- bright-eyed and eager despite her decrepit, withered frame- ambled up closer to her; looking her up and down.
Beloved had never seen such an ancient being; everything about her appearance was as dusty and unkempt as her surroundings, from her wild, straggling mane of white hair, to her eccentric dress of what appeared to be cobwebs, interwoven with beaded necklaces and dangling, carved bone pendants; symbols to ward off the spirits that the old woman seemed so resolute in deterring.

The Witch –for Beloved ascertained her to be so- reached towards a shelf and shakily retrieved a jar so covered in dust that its shape was unrecognisable. She blew upon it, and suddenly all of the dust disappeared to reveal a very ordinary, label-less cylindrical glass jar full of a strange, ethereal liquid.
“Drink this potion, and your Familiar will be free from his bond; and in his freedom he will be able to guide you to the one that has the power to send you back to the world from whence you came... the Queen of the Elven Kingdom, the Guardian of the Portals to the next world...”
She removed the lid, and with a trembling hand; held out the potion for Beloved to drink.
“How can I be sure that I can trust you?” Beloved eyed the potion suspiciously, “Your advice could all be a trick to ensnare me! I do not know if I can trust you to be true.”
“And would you have trusted the Lamia too; if not directed along another path?”
Still doubtful- yet abashed by the Witches subtle reprimand- Beloved took the jar into her own hands, and with a deep, nervous sigh; swallowed its entire contents, feeling the strange liquid seeping down her throat and into her insides.
She stood motionless for a time; waiting for its magic to be unleashed... for some kind of happening. But nothing came; nothing had happened.
“It does not work!” Beloved cried accusingly at the smiling old creature, who laughed at the youngster’s impatience.
“Well, now that is done, you have to wake up for the spell to be complete.”
“Wake up? I don’t understand what that means... how can I awake if I am not asleep?”
The Witch laughed knowingly, returning to stirring the contents of the cauldron bubbling upon the fire.
“Even the in the moments where we feel most alive child; somewhere inside we are asleep. Close your eyes Beloved... feel what you have forgotten!”
Beloved closed her eyes, shifting uncomfortably as she waited for her mind to wake; but again nothing came.
“All you ever needed to do was to wake Beloved; and only you can do that.”
Beloved tried to calm her tumbling thoughts- to make sense of them- and quite unexpectedly, the thought of how miraculous it really was that she had journeyed so far; and she suddenly started to remember... memories that had seemed so hazed and elusive for so long that she had been so certain they were only the remnants of old tales echoing within her mind.
...She was sitting upon her father’s shoulders as he proudly carried her back home... feeling on top of the entire world as she kicked the swing higher and higher... into the perfect blue sky as she lay beneath it in the rustling yellow grass, at perfect peace with nature... free from all worldly troubles... standing at the edge of the tumbling rocks that looked down upon the great expanse of exhilarating emptiness... crying out wildly to the sole island that freedom was overflowing from her heart so greatly that she could not contain it in silence any longer... awaking her soul... remembering what is was to feel so true... so truly; alive...
The cave around Beloved seemed to swirl together; fading under the scrutiny of the bright, burning light source that illuminated the fields... the dragonflies’ wisped lazily past her and the waters of the world swilled about her feet... she was diving off the edge of the world once again... falling... falling...

“Wake up Beloved. I need you. Come back to me.”


Beloved’s eyes snapped open; staring straight into Gauveinn’s. The ecstatic expression of relief in his sparkling eyes was quickly replaced with guarded looks of concern, as the confusion in hers overwhelmed him.
“You are awake at last. The fever seemed to have taken over you last night; but I found herbs to cleanse your wounds, and the infection is passed now. The harpy’s disease will no longer trouble you.”
Beloved smiled weakly, and reached out to touch the lock upon Bhagavati’s cage. Gauveinn unwillingly gasped in alarm as the lock crumbled into a thousand tiny pieces at the bottom of the cage; and the door sprang open.
Bhagavati shot out into the air, the pure delight of his long awaited freedom too much to contain. He swooped and dived around Beloved, trilling and chirping with such happiness that even Gauveinn could not help but divulge in laughter at the pure, exquisite happiness that surrounded them all.
“I AM FREE!! FREE TO TAKE YOU TO PARADISE AT LAST!” Bhagavati sang, fluttering around Beloved, “I shall take you to the Kingdom of the Elves Beloved; and you can find your name again at last, and our journey will be complete!”
Gauveinn helped Beloved to her feet, watching as she slowly regained her balance- following as she ran out from under the canopy of the Weeping willow, chasing Bhagavati. They ran joyfully into the glorious sunshine that lit up the forest; warming their elated souls, lighting belief in the possibility of a multitude of happy endings as they embarked upon the final part of their long and arduous journey.