THE FIFTH REALM: TURQUOISE

Skyblue continued her journey at an unhurried pace. She would watch the sunset until the last band of light disappeared, then stay to see the stars come out. One night she noticed faint lines crossing between the trees, the earth, and the sky. They trembled like threads in a fabric through which life itself flowed.

“That’s the planet’s web,” Helio explained. “Everything communicates through it.”

“How did I never see it before?”

“Your way of seeing has been changing too. Now you’re letting your heart take part.”

Skyblue gazed at the web until she could no longer tell where the landscape ended and she began.

Whenever she was hungry, she opened Evarista’s satchel. There was always fresh food and drink inside, in just the right amounts. It still amazed her that a gift could be such a faithful companion. She thanked the healer and everyone who made the food possible, then sent her blessing to the places in the enchanted lands where other creatures were going without.