Day 2 - Monday

Blessilda hadn’t seemed a bit annoyed at having me foisted upon her. Actually, she clucked over me like a mother hen, giving me a nightgown to wear, fixing me a hot meal, and telling me not to worry about my dress, it would be clean and ready to wear by morning. Most surprising of all, she didn’t question me about Captain Greg.

And that gave me plenty of time to think about him. He seemed the most likely candidate to be in cahoots with whoever in Beechwood Cove thought up this incredible prank. And that made me sad, because if I had met him under different circumstances, I think I would like him. A lot. And, so far, in Beechwood Cove I hadn’t met anybody with whom I would care to pursue a relationship.

Blessilda is as good as her word, and my clothes are returned to me freshly laundered. She asks me if I would like to purchase anything from the store, perhaps an energy drink? It seems rude to say no. She urges me to drink it all up. It looks, smells, and tastes vile. Lucky wants no part of it. Smart squabbit. I’ll try to find you a carrot somewhere, I promise.

Next Blessilda drags me off to a place where people can bring various collections of things and exchange them for other resources. Seems I can get ten pieces of obsidian for one set of moonflowers. What the heck, I make the exchange.

Then it’s back to Town Hall for a lecture about the value of friends from the Mayor, followed by an explanation of the postal system by Linea. Maybe if I send a letter to somebody back in Beechwood Cove, they would come get me. It’s worth a try.

In the tiny office at Town Hall, all the junk I found yesterday is now on one desk. That desk bears a name plate reading ‘Queen’s Steward’. It also hold a stack of papers, a fountain pen, a pot of ink, and an ink blotter. The other desk is completely empty except for a name plate reading ‘Captain of the Queen’s Guard’. I can’t think when I’m surrounded by clutter, so I transfer the junk to the storage cupboard and hope that the rickety shelves don’t collapse. I then sit down and look through the papers.

Most of the papers appear to be ‘work orders’ describing the tasks I was asked to perform yesterday. The pile of papers also include the three letters from Queen Sophia and my ‘citizenship’ papers. Captain Greg arrives and tells me I need to write ‘approved’ on the ones that I completed yesterday and to sign my name. I meekly do as I am told and scrawl B Stewart in the appropriate place.

While I do so, he is busy gluing what looks like a map to the wall opposite his desk. Once he’s gone, I intend to have a good look at that map and try to figure out just where I am. For now, I’ll just go with the flow and continue this silly charade. What do you want me to do next, I inquire.

Captain Greg asks why I chose to approve those projects and not his request for trees. Because, I explain as if to a child, your trees are a luxury and the buildings are a necessity. The General Store will bring in revenue, Town Hall houses the government of the kingdom, and the Squabbit Den will keep the pathways free of abandoned animals and hopefully keep Quinn occupied and out of trouble. All your trees will do is shed leaves.

Instead of getting angry, he looks surprised. Oh, I get it, you don’t think I can do this job. Captain Greg admits he thought, rather, he still thinks I’m too young for so much responsibility. And besides, it’s no job for a woman.

Well, you’re wrong, I snap. Back in Beechwood Cove, I was instrumental in rebuilding the entire community. I single-handedly raised over $100,000,000 buying and selling collectibles at auction in less than 9 months. He just shrugs and leaves.

Lucky looks at me dubiously. Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little. Then again, maybe not. There was over $10,000,000 in the store’s bank account and I had inventory worth more than quadruple that. Add the things I had bought to fix up the antique shop, the money I contributed to fix up other people’s stores, and the money I contributed to fixing up the town’s infrastructures, and maybe I didn’t toot my own horn loud enough.

Workmen are arriving, so I grab the papers from the desk and get ready to make myself scarce. But first, I need to check that map. Most of the locations on it are labeled ‘off limits’. None of the locations are of places that I had ever heard off before yesterday.

Looking through the papers, I see that I’ll need pet food and poster glue, meaning visits to Mystic Copse and Forgotten Glen. And a visit to the Rose Garden to look for another relic. Who knows what sort of hocus pocus, presto chango will happen when I place it in the pedestal?

The answer to that question is none. What I find is a relic fragment. The Mayor informs me that the relics got destroyed during the wars with Dreadmyre and the pieces scattered around the kingdom. So is everything else, I mutter under my breath, as I head off to see the Squabbit Den and feed the animals.

Quinn thinks I should buy my squabbit something to wear. I choose a brown fedora. Lucky doesn’t look too pleased about wearing a hat so I tell him he looks distinguished and the hat sets him apart from all the other ordinary squabbits like Mr Vanderkins. Lucky perks up.

The work on Town Hall is finished. The office is larger but the storage cupboard still has the same rickety shelves. I cautiously place the things I’ve found today on the shelves, pick up some poster glue and work on another poster for the Mayor. He is pleased with the result.

The Mayor introduces me to Chumblepot who used to be a souvenir merchant but now he has ideas about opening a glassworks shop. Inspired by the posters, no doubt. He’d be even more inspired if I would only find him a Pocket Dragon Egg.

The Mayor also tells me that there are gems hidden in Forgotten Glen which will open the armory at the Fairy Dragon Nest. Is that a fact? How convenient that everybody knows where things landed when the wars scattered them. Might I go look for them? Not until I receive the necessary paperwork is my imperious reply. If these people want to play silly games, they can follow the rules they put in place.

Paperwork is soon received and I set out, with Quinn and Mr Vanderkins, who for some reason want to come along, to look for the gems. Lucky and Mr Vanderkins don’t appear to like each other very much. I admonish Lucky to play nice and stop making things more difficult than they already are.

Gems are found and handed over to the Mayor. Gems and paperwork are handed back to me. It’s my job to open the armory. While I’m there, I can find that egg for Chumblepot. Once again, Quinn and Mr Vanderkins want to come along.

At the Fairy Dragon Nest, the armory is unlocked, I find the Pocket Dragon Egg, and Quinn finds the dragon scales he wanted. Now he wants to go to the Rose Garden to see where the cloaked stranger attacked the Forester. Tomorrow, I promise.

Back at Town Hall, I find ledger books on my desk and a note telling me that they are up to date as of the work orders completed yesterday. All items in the cupboard have been logged as well. The note is signed Captain Greg.

The entries are all neat and written in a clear legible hand. Obviously ‘Captain Greg’ is an accountant in real life, I inform Lucky. This will be a tough act for me to follow without the use of a computer or calculator. Better get started.

I’m still at it, counting on my fingers at times, when the Captain arrives. He looks very tired. It’s time for him to walk me ‘home’. Not necessary, I tell him. It can’t be more than ten steps away. Besides, I’m not finished with the books.

I’m told it is necessary. The last thing he needs to deal with is the cloaked stranger abducting me. I can finish the books tomorrow, I am informed. It’s dark, it’s late, he’s tired, so would I please stop arguing. The sooner we get home, the sooner we can go to bed. I nearly choke, and Captain Greg’s face has turned scarlet as he realizes what he’s just said.

The awkward silence is broken by the arrival of Blessilda. She was worried about me and... Her voice trails off as she looks at me, then Captain Greg, then back at me. I quickly scoop up Lucky, say goodnight and leave, quickly followed by Blessilda. Don’t ask, I tell her, just don’t ask.
 

Day 4 - Wednesday

Quinn is waiting at Town Hall, ready for me to go with him to Faire of Light and meet his grandfather, Old Man Seth, who wants to show me the Wingferry. Mr Vanderkins is with him. Lucky squeaks his disapproval. We all have crosses to bear, I tell Lucky. You have Mr Vanderkins; I have Captain Greg.

Alas, the Wingferry is broken. Seth gives me a list of what is needed to stabilize it and repair it.

Glumly, I head back to Town Hall to see whether I have the necessary items. I open the supply cupboard and stare in disbelief. The rickety shelves are gone, and in their place are sturdy new shelves made of smooth golden oak.

Captain Greg’s work, I assume. I don’t know whether to be grateful that I’m no longer in danger from the shelves collapsing on top of me or to be annoyed that once again, Captain Greg has asserted his superiority in being able to do something I couldn’t. Since it’s now unlikely that I will be leaving this place today, I decide to show a little gratitude and approve his request for decorating the pond.

The Mayor stops by to inquire about my visit to the Faire of Light. I explain about the broken Wingferry. The Mayor suggests that I also consider supplying Troglid with the necessary resources to rebuild his carpentry shop and hands me the work order to be approved. I sign it.

While I’m waiting for the Wingferry to be repaired, I might as well take care of Blessilda’s request and find those moonflowers for her. I need a jade one, a scarlet one, and a blue one, meaning trips to the Fairy Dragon Nest, the Rose Garden, and Forgotten Glen.

The potion is a dud and Blessilda now wants Pocket Dragon Eggs, yellow moonflowers and another batch of scarlet moonflowers for her second attempt at creating a root removing potion. This time nothing needs to be freshly found and I can use items from the supply cupboard.

The second potion is not quite there. I need to fetch something, anything, from Mystic Copse. Really, it would be much simpler if somebody would just tell me how to get back to Beechwood Cove. I could stop off at Home Depot on the way and have them deliver gallons of Round Up.

Finally, the potion is finished. I’m to use it on the roots that have overgrown the royal carriage in Forgotten Glen. Blessilda is sure I’ll find something valuable inside. She’s right! I’ve found another fragment of Landsong’s Serenity Relic.

Time to return to Faire of Light and see how the new construction is coming along. I meet Troglid, the carpenter the Mayor told me about, who thanks me for helping him rebuild. Troglid wants to build flying machines. Hmm. Another possible way for me to make my escape.

He needs blueprints, which I can find for him in Apricus Plaza. Only catch is I need a ticket to visit Apricus Plaza and he neglects to tell me where I can get one. Well, there’s another catch. Apricus Plaza is still marked as forbidden territory on Captain Greg’s map. At least it was this morning. Maybe he’s updated the map since then.

The Wingferry is now up and running, somewhat, but it doesn’t go to anywhere I want to go. Well, it does go to Apricus Plaza, but I need a ticket, etc. Old Man Seth has a ticket, which he no longer wants. I can have it...if I can find it. He thinks he may have dropped it somewhere in Landsong Village. He also would like help sorting the gears and machine bits used by the Wingferry. So I sort some widgets.

News of the repairs has spread fast and Seth is already dropping hints that the Wingferry will need to be further upgraded to handle the increased traffic. I utter some vague remarks about looking into the matter and start to head back to Landsong Village. As I leave, I notice that there a purple haze where the orchard should be. I wonder if Captain Greg is aware of this. Oops, forgot. Purple haze doesn’t seem to fall under his jurisdiction.

So what’s left to do? I have the glass shards and poster glue Chumblepot needs to repair the castle’s glasswork panel. He also requested various eggs, which I also have on hand. Might as well deliver them and get two more pieces of paper in the completed pile. And I can ask him if he’s seen Seth’s ticket for Apricus Plaza.

Seth did visit the Glassworks, but he didn’t drop the ticket there. Chumblepot gives me two more order forms requesting more glue, glass shards, and eggs. So yet more trips to Forgotten Glen, Fairy Dragon Nest, Mystic Copse and the Rose Garden.

I ‘ll go to Mystic Copse. If nothing else, I’ll probably find enough pet food to complete one of Quinn’s requests. Correction, when added to the pet food on hand back at Town Hall, I’ve found enough to complete both of Quinn’s requests. So two more work orders filled.

I really should go up to the castle and see if the pond has been filled. And if Captain Greg is there, maybe tell him about the purple haze.

Not that I want to see Captain Greg, I hasten to tell Lucky. But, as Steward, I have an obligation to see that the work orders I approve are carried out. Lucky gives me a ‘yeah, right, pull the other one’ look.

Okay, so I want to see him. I need to thank him for the shelves and...Lucky is still giving me ‘the look’. Fine, you win. I like him. Happy? Not that it matters whether I like him. He obviously thinks I’m an idiot and besides, I’m not likely to see him after I leave here.

But before we go up to the castle, we’ll visit the Squabbit Den. You can play with Mr Vanderkins while I feed the other animals. Lucky is not at all pleased with this turn of events.

The baby animals are really cute and I’m amazed how well they all get along together, especially considering all the different species that Quinn has given a home to. So why can’t Lucky and Mr Vanderkins play nice together?

When I arrive at the castle, there’s no sign of Captain Greg. The pond, however, has been filled in and there’s tiny white flowers growing in the grass surrounding it. Short green shrubbery has also been planted along the pathways. A definite improvement, I tell Lucky.

A voice behind me announces that there’s still so much that needs to be done. Captain Greg has emerged from the castle, and in his hand is what appears to be yet another work order. I sigh and hold out my hand. It’s a request for lamps and repairs to the pathways, which are needed if we want the citizens visiting us.

I’m not sure we want the citizens visiting us, not as long as there’s a cloaked stranger abducting people and a purple haze over the orchard, I point out. We can work on that problem tomorrow, Captain Greg replies. Right now, we’re going to enjoy the sunset.
 

Day 6 - Friday

This is my sixth day here. If I don’t get to Apricus Plaza today and find those blueprints for Troglid, I might not make it back to Beechwood Cove in time to save my job. I’m running out of vacation days, not that I even submitted a request for time off. But surely James and Grace must know that none of this was my idea.

And I have so much to do before I can go to Apricus Plaza. I need to finish up yesterday’s paperwork. It would be wrong to expect Captain Greg to do it. And I really should find that relic in Mystic Copse.

For a change, I manage to get to the office before the Captain. I’m getting better at doing math in my head and it doesn’t take as long as I thought to update the ledgers. In fact, I even mange to put away all of the various items I found yesterday. Now my desk looks as tidy as Captain Greg’s does!

Speaking of the man...Captain Greg arrives and goes straight to the maps on the wall. Apricus Plaza and Dawnshadow Lake are no longer off limits. He’s on his way up to the castle to work on those lamps and pathways. Maybe I’d like to meet him there later this afternoon to see the finished result. I’d like to, and not just to see the latest improvements.

Quinn arrives with Mr Vanderkins. He wants to go to Apricus Plaza with me to look for fairy dust. I tell him that first I have to go to Mystic Copse to look for a relic fragment. He wants to go there with me as well to look for a different kind of fairy dust. Captain Greg smiles and tells me to enjoy my day.

Quinn finds his dust and I find a yet another fragment of Landsong’s Serenity Relic. We then hurry to catch the wingferry. During the journey, I sort through my paperwork and think about Captain Greg.

At Apricus Plaza, Quinn quickly finds his fairy dust and starts pestering me for puppet toys for the animals in the Squabbit Den. But he doesn't want the puppets I have on hand. Those are girl puppets, and he insists the animals only want boy puppets.

I’ve only found one blueprint and still need four more, but I’m at my wit’s end trying to deal with Quinn’s constant "When are we going to leave?" and two alpha-male squabbits. Not to mention that there’s a tiger in the plaza.

So I decide to leave Apricus Plaza and go search for those stupid puppets. I make a note to remind myself to ask Captain Greg if the Castle has a dungeon suitable for holding a small child and a not very well behaved squabbit.

Back at Faire of Light, Quinn and I part ways. Maybe I can save some time and buy the puppets at the auction. If it gets Quinn off my back, no price is too high to pay. Alas, nothing I need will come up for bid any time soon.

So I search the usual places, find the puppets, and dash back to the Squabbit Den to give them to Quinn. Quinn tells me the Mayor wishes to see me. So it’s back to Town Hall.

The Mayor informs me that the Forester "had a sudden memory of his vine attack and was struck ill by magic!" Seriously, they - whoever ‘they’ are - need a better scriptwriter. I’m to see Blessilda, who will give me a list of things she needs to cure the Forester. And none of the items are hidden at Apricus Plaza. I see my chances of going home in the next couple of days fading away.

I find what Blessilda needs but, of course, it’s not enough. I need to find a blue shard crystal from the Ancient Pond. According to Blessilda "It has healing properties and repels harmful magic". If you say so.

Off I go, muttering under my breath. It's getting late, and I really need to get back to Apricus Plaza and find more blueprints. I return shortly, shove the blue shard crystal at Blessilda and start to leave, but the Mayor asks me to wait and see if the Forester is cured.

Quelle surprise! The Forester is cured. He remembers the cloaked stranger mentioning the Dreamless Castle and thinks I should look there for a lead. Do I look like Sherlock Holmes? The Mayor must think so because he’s gung ho to play John Watson and accompany me.

The lead turns out to be a bunch of rocks which, after I assemble them in the shape of a man, shatter and reveal Prince Edric, a long-haired blond with a vacant look in his blue eyes. He says he’s from a far away kingdom and doesn’t remember what happened to him. Petrification can do that, I suppose.

The Mayor is alarmed because the cloaked figure used petrify magic and thinks he could be Dreadmyre. I’m alarmed because it’s getting late and I need more blueprints.

Old Man Seth shows up and tells me Gobie is waiting in Apricus Plaza and he has something to show me that can't wait. So back on the wingferry I go. Gobie has found (and lost) what he thinks is a relic fragment. It takes forever to find it, but it gives me a good excuse to keep looking for blueprints.

Even after I find the relic fragment I’d like to keep searching for even more blueprints, but Lucky reminds me about Captain Greg. I hurry to catch the wingferry back to the Faire of Lights. The fragment is part of the Faire Luminous Relic and finding it has lifted the curse from the Orchards.

The Forester thanks me and requests permission to rebuild the Orchards. I tell him my policy is to discuss such matters with Captain Greg before making any decisions. Lucky looks at me as if to say ‘Since when?’ I ignore him and start to make my way up to the castle.

The soldiers are all standing around looking annoyed. Upon my arrival, Captain Greg dismisses them. The Captain is not looking pleased and angrily asks where I’ve been. Everywhere, I snap back. More than once. I’ve found two relic fragments, cleared the curse from the Orchard, cured the Forester of magical flu, and unpetrified a prince. What have you been doing all day?

What he’s been doing is finding reasons to keep creepy soldier busy so that he wasn’t free to go looking for me, which meant keeping all the soldiers working past quitting time. He adds that it’s getting dark and we should return to Town Hall. I can see the lamps and pathways tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I inform him, I plan to on my way back to Beechwood Cove before I get fired from my job. I’ve been here six days so tell whoever is in charge that it’s ‘game over’ and let me go home.

Captain Greg no longer looks angry, he looks sad. He tells me that this is my home and he hopes in time I will be happy here. We walk back to Landsong Village in silence.

 

Day 8 - Sunday

My new dress was waiting for me when I arrived back at the General Store last night. With the amount of walking and climbing I do each day, jeans and a tee shirt would make more sense. Then I remember creepy soldier. Maybe I should have ordered a burka.

I’m not sure what to do about Captain Greg. He’s been a lot friendlier since he came up with his ‘plan’. But suppose he decides that I ‘owe’ him and gets too friendly? I really need to stop letting him convince me that the day’s ending paperwork can wait until tomorrow. He ends up doing it and I end up further in his debt.

Just as I suspected, once again Captain Greg is already at Town Hall and the paperwork is already completed. He informs me he’ll be working up at the castle all day, removing more of the rubble, and wants to know what my plans are.

My plans including feeding that frog at Dawnshadow Lake and finding the missing musical candles. After that, if nothing else more urgent turns up, searching for glass shards at Fairy Dragon Nest. Captain Greg nods, starts to leave, and then returns to give me a goodby kiss on the cheek.

Can’t imagine why he did that, Lucky, there’s nobody watching. And he didn’t seem to notice my new dress, not that I bought it to impress him. I needed new clothes. Not for the first time, Lucky gives me a look that says he doesn’t believe a word I’ve said.

Before heading to Dawnshadow Lake, I need to see Triffledore and tell him I’ve approved his plans to open a magical artifacts shop. He thanks me and asks for more materials to make the shop better. I don’t know why the people here don’t ask for everything up front.

At Dawnshadow Lake, I find one of the musical candles and feed the frog. Just as Blessilda predicted, the frog moves away and I can enter the cave. I find another candle at Ancient Pond, and a third at the Fairy Dragon Nest.

I return to Faire of Light to drop off the candles before heading back to Town Hall to see if anything new has been left on my desk. Triffledore’s Magical Artifacts is now open for business and I’m invited to be the first customer.

Triffledore has visited the castle and wants to repair the chandelier, but he’ll need a larger shop. And some more shelves. I nod my head yes. Also, Triffledore has also decided that I should hold on to the musical candles. Since I found them, I should have the honor of opening the Yura shrine. Why do I think that was the plan all along? I head back to the Forgotten Glen to unlock the shrine.

Before I go, Linea arrives with a letter from Queen Sophia, who wants me to do her a favor and cheer Linea up by finding a portrait of the Queen and a Sophia plushie. A little over a week ago I was buying and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of antiques. Now I’m finding stuffed animals for talking owls. What did I do to deserve this?

The shrine is unlocked and I’ve found a portrait for Linea. We’re going back to Town Hall and taking a long lunch hour, Lucky. We’ve earned it.

Looks like lunch will have to wait. Town Hall is engulfed by a purple haze. The Mayor claims to have seen a cloaked figure casting a spell in the Town Hall and to have heard the figure mumbling about something in the Yura Shrine. The Mayor says he feels some ominous presence there and wants me to check it out. I think we need to call an exorcist. Or ghostbusters. Or both.

Yet another trip to the Forgotten Glen. Inside the Yura shrine I find a vile object which I bring back to the Mayor. The Mayor examines it and announces that it reeks of the vile energy of Dreadmyre! With all the rushing around I’ve done today, I’m becoming a bit concerned that I might be starting to reek as well.

The Mayor rushes off to have the sages research the vile object. Before long, Town Hall is no longer cursed. Now the purple haze surrounds the Squabbit Den and the Glassworks. But not the General Store. Guess the energy drinks are vile and cursed enough.

When the Mayor returns, he proclaims the presence of yet more vile artifacts that must be found in order to remove the curse and decides that they can be found at Fairy Dragon Nest and Ancient Pond. I find the vile artifacts, the Sophia plushie, some more glass shards, and the final skycrystal earring that Triffledore needs to repair the castle’s chandelier.

Linea is thrilled with the portrait and plushie and decides that I’m really nice. I decide that I’m really tired. But the day’s not over yet. According to the mayor, the vile artifacts need to be sealed. He needs five containers of Glittering Dust (got them), five sky crystal earrings (he can have the one’s I was going to give Triffledore) and five Moon Cards.

I’m two cards short, so Lucky and I must search Dawnshadow Lake yet again. Somehow I find the cards, a fragment of the Landsong Serenity Relic, and the strength to make it back to Landsong Village where I hand over the requested items to the Mayor and continue on to Blessilda’s for a nice hot bath and a change of clothes before returning to Town Hall to deal with the paperwork.

The rest of my dresses have been delivered. All of the dresses that Fahleed made me are blue. The dress I was wearing when I arrived here is blue. Maybe Fahleed thought stewards are required to wear blue? Blessilda informs me that Captain Greg’s favorite color is blue. I fail to see what that has to do with anything.

Back at Town Hall, Lucky munches on some carrots and I have a very late lunch of cheese, fruit and nuts while I tackle the massive amount of paperwork generated by today’s events. The Mayor stops by to inform me the vile artifacts have been sealed and Landsong Village has been saved.

Captain Greg hasn’t returned to Town Hall and its already getting dark. I don’t remember being told to meet him up at the castle. Maybe he’s heard how I saved the village and decided I’m capable of walking from Town Hall to the General Store without a body guard.

He finally arrives. His day has been similar to mine. They Mayor has had him running here , there, and everywhere trying to catch the cloaked stranger. I ask him if it’s always like this here in the kingdom. He replies, no, during the wars with Dreadmyre it was worse.

Captain Greg sits down and starts to write up his reports. I persuade him to leave it until tomorrow morning. Just once, I beg, let mine be the desk that’s neat and tidy with everything up to date. He smiles and asks if he might walk me home.

 

Day 10 - Tuesday

I’m not looking forward to seeing Captain Greg this morning. Last night’s first kiss was a ‘proper’ one, but the subsequent ones were progressing rather rapidly into ‘improper’ territory, too rapidly for my liking. I’ve only been here ten days. We hardly know each other! How do people get to know each other in this place, Lucky? When do they find the time?

For the second straight day, Lucky and I arrive at Town Hall before the Captain. Good, that will give me a chance to get my day organized. I need to review yesterday’s paperwork to jog my memory as to what still needs to be done.

I completely forgot about going to the castle to see the chandelier. I’ll just have to hope that Triffledore doesn’t ask me any questions about it when I see him about the Moonfell staff. And getting the necessary resources for that staff is at the top of my to-do list. So Dawnshadow Lake will be the first place I go.

Captain Greg still hasn’t arrived. He must be having his own doubts about last night’s events. Better leave him a note as to where I’m going, though. Once less thing for him to complain about, especially if he’s having regrets and looking for somebody to blame.

At Dawnshadow Lake, I use the Sun Emblem and unlock the shadow pool. I also find the crystal orb Triffledore needs to craft the Moonfell staff. Next stop, Ancient Pond for some coruscating fairy dust, then on to Triffledore’s.

While I wait for the Moonfell staff, I speak with Troglid. He offers to repair the castle’s interior pillars, joking that it’s only right since he’s a pillar of the community. Of course his shop is too small and will need to be expanded. He’ll also need some more blueprints. I agree to allocate funds for the upgrade of his shop and to find him more blueprints.

Triffledore needs more bolgite and obsidian to strengthen the staff. Finally it’s finished. Linea joins Lucky and me for the trip to the Rose Garden. The Moonfell staff dispels the waterfall’s magic, revealing Rosepetal Cellar. Linea finds a tile for the castle’s door, and I find a fragment of the Faire’s Vibrancy Relic.

Back at Faire of Light, I insert the relic fragment into the pedestal. I still have many more to find. Troglid want to talk to me again, this time about the castle’s tower. He thinks it’s time that it was repaired. I thank him for his expert opinion.

Now I have three reasons to visit the castle: the door tile, the chandelier, and the tower. Guess that’s where I should go next. It’s quite probable that Captain Greg and the other soldiers will be working up there, but at some point I’m going to have to meet the Captain in public and put up with the stares, sniggers, and whispers of the onlookers. Might as well get it over with.

The soldiers stop working as I approach. I ask Captain Greg when it would be convenient for us to discuss possible repairs to the castle’s tower. He says now is fine. I suggest he accompany me to check out the chandelier and drop off the door tile.

Troglid thinks it’s time to repair the castle’s tower, I inform him. We have the necessary resources, but...But what, he asks. I can’t figure out who is charge of what, I explain. All other requests for castle repairs have been made by him. I don’t even know who does the repairs. All I do is sign a piece of paper, release the funds and supplies, and next thing I know, the work is done.

Captain Greg tells me that’s all I have to worry about. He will discuss structural issues with Troglid and see that the repairs are done. If I can arrange to be back at the castle later in the afternoon, I can see the finished result. I think I can manage that, though it might mean working late finishing up the paper work.

Next thing I need to attend to is acquiring blueprints, lots of them. Rather than spend the rest of the day at Apricus Plaza, I decide to check out the auction. I manage to purchase enough Namia Conclave Fairy Crests and enough Veira Conclave Fairy Crests to complete three Fairy Crest Sets. I exchange three sets and receive forty-five blueprints. That should be enough for now.

I give ten of the blueprints to Troglid so that he can begin his stability tests. Quinn would also like five blueprints. He’s decided he wants to design flying machines, but he’s lost his sketchbook in Apricus Plaza. Could I take him there to find it?

Why not? Maybe I’ll find even more blueprints. After finding the sketchbook, Quinn wants to try assembling models. Troglid is swamped with orders and needs help. That works out nicely. I can help him and assist Quinn at the same time. Quinn gets bored after two models. They are a lot more difficult than he thought. I finish another three by myself.

Troglid returns with the results of his stability tests. He needs 30 obsidian and 10 bolgite to strengthen the pillars so that they never fall again. And I’ll be able to see them later this afternoon.

Quinn is back. He is all upset because he lost his belt, cap, and vest and needs me to help find them before his grandfather finds out. We find his belt in the Forgotten Glen, his hat at Mystic Copse and his vest at the Fairy Dragon Nest.

Being nice to Quinn today has paid off. He tells me about a tree in the Mystic Copse named Darkbark. If I can find a Crystal Lamp at Dawnshadow Lake, I can open up Darkbark's secret stash and maybe find a relic in there. Looks like I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow.

Before returning to the castle, Lucky and I stop off at Town Hall to drop off everything we’ve collected. There’s some new work orders on my desk. I really need to update my wall chart. I’m no longer sure what I need from where.

When I arrive at the castle, I’m surprised that Captain Greg isn’t waiting for me. Maybe he’s waiting inside? The repairs to the tower accentuate the bad condition of the roof. There’s still so much that needs to be done.

The sun is beginning to set and inside the castle it’s dark and gloomy looking. Captain Greg is there talking to Troglid. Troglid obviously expects me to say something about the pillars so I thank him for his contribution toward restoring the castle to its former glory and pronounce the pillars very study. He’s pleased and makes his departure.

I tell Captain Greg that we’d better leave, too. It’s getting dark fast, and I still have work to do back at Town Hall. Neither of us says a word on the walk back to Landsong Village.