Tangled

Unshift 269

Unshift 269

269 Lisa: The Farmhouse

LISA

The entire world shakes and shudders, and I wake with a jolt. "Earthquake!"

"We landed, you idiot." Elverly scowls at me. "Next time, don't use me as a pillow."

"Don't take her vitriol seriously, Lisa. She's the one who covered you with a blanket." The Grand Sage nods toward me, and I glance down, surprised to see a flannel fabric about as large as a baby's blanket. She yanks it off me with a huff, folding it and tucking it under her arm, where it disappears.

I blink.

"Where did it go?"

*Dimensional storage, The Grand Sage tells me, pushing different buttons. The vibration of the room ceases. "Stay here. I'm going to check on matters, and the cloaking device isn't enough to cover everyone outside"

A hatch above us creaks open, letting in a sliver of light that makes me squint. I hold my breath, not daring to move as the Grand Sage maneuvers his way between Elverly and me. His robes brush against my arm, and I catch a whiff of something herbal-sage, maybe?

Funny. Sage for sages.

my

As he climbs, I can't help but stare at the rungs he's using. Were those there before? I wrack brain, trying to remember if I'd noticed them during our journey, but come up blank. It's possible they were there all along, hidden in the shadows of this cramped space.

But it's more probable that they popped out of the wall when he was pressing one of those many buttons.

The Grand Sage's feet disappear through the hatch, and I strain my ears, trying to catch any sound from above. The silence remains unbroken, broken only by my own shallow breathing and the faint rustle of Elverly's clothes as she shifts in her seat.

"Do

whisper, but Elverly cuts me off with

Stay quiet.

long has it been since the Grand Sage left? A minute? Five? Time

soft thud from above snaps

and I blink against the sudden influx of light.

his words are grim. "You

first, gracefully rising from her seat and climbing the

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

hesitantly, my muscles protesting after being cramped for so long. As I near the top, I can't help but look down, curiosity getting the

wall, as if they've always been a part of it. Another bit of magic? Or some kind of advanced technology? The line between the two seems increasingly blurred

what looks like an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. The air smells of hay and something earthy I can't

we magically

to ask, but I already know

oversized metal egg with a flat top. If I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd never believe it could

ask, unable to contain

Grand Sage turns with a faint frown. "We did not go far. About two hours'

of the

to be here." Glancing around, I ask, "Are you sure

It certainly seems quiet.

"This is in case we are parted. If anything happens,

That seems terrible. I

carefully. "Don't introduce yourself by name. Use a pseudonym, if you must. His nose wrinkles. "This place doesn't

of farmland stretching out before us. Horses and cows graze peacefully in nearby paddocks,

nose wrinkles as she surveys our surroundings. Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but share

one would expect to find two gnomes

motions for us to follow him towards the