Page 40 of With the Potion in the Courtyard

"Nice meeting you." The creature said, then he and the others hurriedly walked up to us, their movements ungraceful and strange.

When they got close enough, Robbie extended his hand, but the Peregarnian just blinkedat it before turning to grab something from another who had appeared beside him.

"Are you here for the festival?" another asked, bouncing on the balls of their feet, their voice a peppy tune.

"No, actually," Jessie stepped forward, her tone kind but firm. "We're looking for a friend of ours. She looks kind of like us, but shorter, and with long dark hair, a darker shade than ours. Her name's Jaylyn, and she's lost here somewhere in your world. We need to take her back home."

"Lost?" The first Peregarnian tilted their head, and I could swear the lines of their face rearranged themselves into a look of concern. "That's no good. But don't worry, we'll help you find her! We know the person to help. Our wise elder knows everything, even more than me, she’ll be able to find that which you seek."

"Thank you," I said, relief washing over me. It felt good to know we weren't alone in this. "We really appreciate it."

The Peregarnians led us down a winding path. We passed houses that seemed to be made of modelingclay, each one more whimsically colored than the last. The air was filled with the sound of peculiar instruments, creating a melody that felt both joyful and out of this world.

"Here we are," said a Peregarnian who had introduced herself as Twinkle. She stopped in front of a tall structure that shimmered as if sketched with a silver glitter pen. "Let me see if she can see you."

The Peregarnian disappeared inside. Robbie, Jessie, and I exchanged glances, unsure what to expect. Hopefully, this elder was as friendly as these little guys. It’d be nice if something about this rescue mission went smoothly.

"Have you seen much of our world?" one of the Peregarnians, a purple one asked, and this one I suspected was a boy.

"We’ve explored a bit of the north from here, but this is the first town of any kind we’ve seen."

"The north?" He twittered like a bird, and the others did too for a moment. "The north can be very dangerous, not as dangerous ashislands, but very dangerous."

"It was quite an adventure,"I said.

His head tilted up. "And are all the creatures from yourhuuumanrealm as tall, oddly shaped, and dully colored as you?"

I laughed. "Not all. We have a lot of different creatures."

They twittered again, which I suspected was a sound of interest, or maybe them laughing. I couldn’t be sure.

The first Peregarnian stepped back out of the strange building and gave a little bow. "Luna Starflint will see you now." As we got closer, she said in a low voice. "Show respect Luna is our most important elder, and the only one I suspect that will be able to help you in your quest."

"Of course," I murmured softly.

We stepped inside and were greeted by a sight that made me catch my breath. Luna Starflint stood before us, her piercing purple eyes seeming to appraise us with a single glance. Her pink and black hair, braided with silver charms, fell over her shoulders, and she wore dark robes that twinkled like the night sky. Her presence was as commanding as herreputation suggested, even though she still stood at about a foot shorter than us.

"Welcome," Luna said, her voice steady and authoritative. "I understand you're searching for your friend."

"Yes," I responded, trying to match her confidence. "Her name is Jaylyn. She looks like us, but with long, black hair. She stepped into your world a few days ago. We believe she's lost somewhere in your world, and we need to get her back, and then return to our own world."

Luna nodded slowly, her gaze drifting from me to Robbie and then Jessie. "I have information on your friend's whereabouts," she began, weighing her words. "However, information like this, between strangers, is never free, per our customs. I must ask for something in return. Something that will not be easy, as this information is very valuable."

We had to do something in order to learn where Jaylyn was. Of course. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy, but at least she did know where Jaylynwas. That’s a start!

"Of course," Jessie said before I could respond. "What do you need?"

"A Scribleberry," Luna replied, her expression intense, like she’d said something very important.

"Did you say scribbleberry?" Robbie interjected with a furrowed brow.

"Um, no," Luna corrected him with a hint of impatience. "Scribleberry."

"Right," Robbie mumbled, scratching his head. "Scribleberry."

I cut in. "What is this… thing?"

"It looks like a berry, growing from a tree, a giant red thing, smooth, and glass-like."