text: (WP) Stasis The seasons didn’t change anymore; in fact, they hadn’t had a real season in years. Now, we were stuck in the strange limbo of winter and spring. The land had been ravaged, the plants and animals were enchanted into a deep and unnatural sleep. No one knew what caused it, exactly, but that didn’t stop the rumor mill from going on and on. Some said that it was a dangerous, contagious plague, caused by supernatural, otherworldly mischief. Others were convinced that this was only the beginning of the blight on the land, a precursor of what was to come. Astrologers were brought in, as well as thaumaturges that claimed for a certain sum that they could set everything to rights again. But it turned out that the princess was the one who set out on a quest to restore balance, and she chose me, of all people, to accompany her. Never mind that I was only her handmaiden because my mother was a cook in the palace, or that I was crippled with a twisted foot and have to walk with a cane. “I’m going on a journey to try and fix the land,” She told me, her face already locked in a scowl that let me know she wasn’t going to be talked out of this mad quest. “And I want you to come with me.” I stared at her, certain that she was pulling an ill-timed joke on me. But she didn’t laugh, or smile. She was completely serious. The first word out of my mouth was “Why?” She blinked, as if, of all the things she’d expected to say, that was the last thing. But no matter how I pleaded, she wouldn’t budge. Either I was going with her, or she wasn’t going at all. It didn’t matter, what the king and queen said, or their cabinet of advisors. The princess was going with her servant. Only this wasn’t just for companionship, I realized later. No, my purpose in this was sinister, but I didn’t realize that until later. \*\* We both rode a horse, with her behind me, holding the reins. We were following a lead, and I gritted my teeth, feeling my bones rattle with every new hoofbeat. There had been rumors that the source of the disruptive magic came from tainted river water, and the princess thought that it was as good a lead as any to start with. We left our steed tied to a tree and walked on, with me struggling to keep up. Even on a manmade floor it was nearly impossible for me to stay upright, let alone the forest’s. Roots and plants lingered under my feet, and I swore as the pain increased. The princess shushed me, holding out a hand to block my way. I looked at her, confused, but then the scent of magic, sharp, sweet and distinctive, tinted the air. “I can sense something within the heart of the wood. Something old and powerful. Come with me and see where it’s coming from.