The wood remained in a constant twilight that repelled the approach of darkness but also kept dawn at bay. Time here moved slowly or not at all, and while there was peace, there was also melancholy. I had no wish to spend eternity in this petrified Eden, but I was content to stay for a while in the lazy warmth of an endless summer afternoon.
Knowledge of the sleeping goddess whose breath sustained this enchanted garden soothed my mind, but I had no intention of surrendering to the dreamy torpor of a half-life and a sleep from which I would never fully awaken.
I stared at my wavering reflection and, on impulse, dove into the cool, clean water, hoping to cleanse myself of the enchantment. Afterwards, I lay on my back on the turf, allowing my clothes to dry in the warm air, and the voice of the spirit returned.
Do not fear me, Peregrine; I am Aura, the envoy of the slumbering goddess who breathes life into this glade. It is my voice that pleaded with you to stay, but only so I might find a companion in my eternal existence. The goddess to whom the Grove belongs has commanded me to bring you to her side. She lives as a mortal in another land, but I urge you to gaze upon her sleeping face.
Aura sent a breeze ahead, threading a path across the woodland floor and through the trees. I followed in its trail, wrapped in a green tunnel that wound its way through the dense undergrowth in a swirling pattern of perfect circles that faded behind me as I moved forward.
I began to float through the perfumed air and, with my arms outstretched, soared towards an ever-retreating sky, rising and falling on the spiralling currents of warm air like a seabird above a green ocean. Perhaps I had died in the Grove, and the tunnel led to the light and my final judgement, but I was not afraid and felt a sense of peace. If this were to be the end, so be it.
I was not dead, and Aura laid me down gently before a huge oak tree. Its thick tubular roots had embedded themselves in the surface and snaked outward in every direction.
I stepped forward and saw the goddess on the ground among the roots, her head resting against the trunk of the ancient tree. She wore a simple white robe and appeared to be sound asleep, with her red lips set in a gentle half-smile. A silver circlet around her forehead shimmered faintly beneath her golden hair. Her flawless face showed no signs of ageing, and her cheeks bore the blush of eternal youth.
I looked down at her in awe.
"Go forward," breathed Aura in my ear, "and see what gift she bears for you."
I knelt by the sleeping body and saw a silver key lightly grasped in her hand.
In your quest, the key is the treasure, and its unknowing guardian sleeps forever.
The clue was now too obvious, but I did not know the goddess or the Grove where she slept when I first heard it. I reached for the key and took it gently from her hand.
What now?
I sat on the woodland floor, clutching the precious key, unsure of how to discover the door it unlocked. How long I remained there I shall never know, but I suddenly noticed that the light had faded, and the sleeping goddess was now only a pale white shadow among the roots of the oak tree.
The temperature here scarcely fluctuated, resembling a warm night in a tropical forest. However, as it darkened further, the shadows in the undergrowth grew more mysterious, and I recalled the huge snake that had trailed me through the woods.
The Slitherer.
Was it still here?
Aura had gone; there was no breeze, and the air was turgid and still. I had no idea of my exact location, but I turned around and started to walk back the way I thought I had first come. Once I left the clearing, the overhead vegetation blocked out more of the light, and my path became dark and gloomy.
Then I heard it dragging itself through the undergrowth, not behind me but to the side, and travelling a parallel route. I stopped, and as before, the beast stopped too. It had to be the snake, and it was remarkably close. If I turned to the right, it would be upon me before I had any chance to escape.
For a long time, there was absolute silence, and I concentrated fiercely, straining to hear the faintest sound until I became convinced that I could hear the gentle hiss of its smooth skin passing over the damp grass. I hoped it was my imagination, but the noise became clearer as the creature moved slowly towards me.
I could not outrun such a powerful reptile in its natural habitat, but I would not stand there passively and let it devour me; I would fight back to the end. I gathered a small heap of rocks, picked from the woodland floor, and prepared to hurl them at the beast when it attacked.
There was a loud clap of thunder, and a cloudburst of heavy rain poured down from above. I heard the terrified screech of the snake as it crashed through the undergrowth, desperately trying to escape the deluge. I could hardly stand upright as the rain hit every part of my body, and I crouched under a bush for shelter. As quickly as it began, the downpour stopped, and soon all I could hear was the steady dripping of water from soaked leaves.
"Those scaly beasts never liked water; it always sends them running. Luckily, I can control the weather to a limited extent, very locally, of course—nothing extensive, but it comes in handy at times."
"Uncle Albert! I exclaimed, Where are you?"
"Just a voice in your head now, Peregrine, but I'm working on it. Glad to see you are still in one piece, young feller."
"Uncle Albert, it is so good to hear from you. I have retrieved the key, but I don't know what to do next."
"Find the door, of course," said Uncle Albert.
"I know that, but how?"
"I cannot lead you there, but you are on the right path to leave this world. Keep on going to the very edge, and then see what comes to mind to do next.
"Just follow your nose."
"Will you be with me?"
"Only at a distance, but I will be on hand in any emergency. Must go now. Montana sends her love."
I inhaled sharply.
"Does she? That's wonderful news, Uncle Albert. Send mine back to her and tell her I can't wait to see her again."
"Consider it done. Goodbye, old boy, take care of yourself."
"I will," I said.
"Uncle Albert, would you…"
But he had gone.
I was sad for a moment, and then I remembered, 'Montana sends her love.'
I had to finish this quest and get back to her as soon as I could.
I resumed my trek, and soon the vegetation began to thin out until I found myself walking on open ground and straight into a mist that materialised in front of me. I felt the ground shift beneath my feet, and then the world altered course with a gentle jolt. The sensation was exactly like a locomotive crossing a set of points, and I had experienced it many times before. It meant that I had entered another dimension.