Jinx stood helplessly in front of the small depression in the ground, where months earlier he’d rung the doorbell of Rainmoor, and a day earlier he’d broken in to rescue the people of Rainmoor. At the moment, it seemed a very unprepossessing little hole in the ground.
He wanted to turn and protest loudly to First Lord Peter, who was standing a bit behind him and to the side, but he did not even look up- instead, he stared at the small hole in the ground with great determination.
This was understandable, however, considering his surroundings. It was a nice enough spot, really, the bright morning casting cheerful sunlight on Jinx as he stood.
And on his First Lords, gathered behind him.
And on the entire refugee population of Rainmoor, who’d followed him to this spot.
And, behind them, the entire population of Full Hollow, who hadn’t had entertainment this interesting in years…
Jinx hissed sideways to Peter, “Who invited them?”
“Be fair,” said Peter, “they’re pretty desperate to go home. A lot of them haven’t eaten since they got here.”
“Why, don’t they like it here?”
“There’s no food, Jinx, we’ve been over that. Quite a lot of them wouldn’t know how to clean or dress game anyhow even if they caught it- and Full Hollow’s gardens wouldn’t feed this lot.”
“Our King will return us safely home!” declared Hugo.
“Oh, I will, will I?” snapped Jinx. “Mind filling me in on exactly how?”
Hugo fell back, flustered. “But… of course you will.”
“That’s the spirit!”, said Peter. “Now, try again.”
“Try what? I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!” protested Jinx.
“It’ll be something like using the King’s Gate, only, well, a bit more serious.” said Peter. Jinx raised an eyebrow at this, and the First Lord elaborated. “It’s… well… as Rainmoor is chaotic, you’ll have to visualise your desired state of it and force it to your will. Essentially, you’ve got to imagine Rainmoor up from nothing now.”
“Oh, is that all!” grumbled Jinx. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Look at all these people, Jinx, exiled from their homes. Look at me- my home was Rainmoor, and it’s lost now. We need your help. I am not kidding.” replied Peter, with gravity.
“But I don’t have a desired state of it, Peter!”
“Make one.”
Jinx turned back to the unresponsive hill- and fell silent. Nobody dared breathe a word… except…
“Is it working, my liege?”
Jinx whirled on Hugo. “Damn it, don’t do that! I almost had it!”
Hugo fell back a step. “Oh, I am sorry, my liege…”
“What were you trying to make it?” asked Peter. “Perhaps I can help.”
Jinx sagged in frustration. “The forest. I wanted it to be like my forest, of course. I thought I could feel it happening, just for a moment.”
“But, that’s an awfully demanding thing to attempt, Jinx.” said Peter. “And, though I say it, rather limited…”
“But Rainmoor is much better than a forest!” interrupted Hugo, in high dudgeon. “How can you prefer a forest to a plane of living magic?” He sighed. “Pray forgive me, my liege, I am frustrated and homesick. Can’t you be a good chap and lead us home?”
Jinx snarled, “‘S not my home. You want that place, well, you find it!” He turned away.
Hugo stiffened, caught between loyalty and outrage, and shut his eyes. He seemed tense, desperate. Then, Mick gasped.
“Peter, do you feel it? Do you feel it? The snobby bugger’s got a hold of something!”
“By God, Mick, you’re right- hang onto that feeling, Hugo! Hang on! He’s a First Lord, that’s what’s happening here! He’s resonating with it!” exclaimed Peter. “Jinx… Jinx!”
Jinx had begun to walk off, but he turned around at Peter’s call. “What do you want now?”
“For God’s sake come back here and try to open the gate now! We think Hugo’s got hold of it!”
“Let him do it, if he likes Rainmoor so much.”
“Damn it, Jinx, please!” hissed Peter, at which Jinx blinked in surprise. The assembled people of Rainmoor were beginning to get an idea that something was happening, and they stirred and whispered back and forth. Jinx began to feel an overwhelming desire to run home, to flee into the woods, except for some reason his head was filled with visions of caves and passageways bubbling cheerfully through strange substance that would conform to his imagination, mighty caverns and cozy nooks, and this overwhelmed his own wishes…
And as the First Lords shouted excitedly at him, pleading with him to come and help, Jinx murmured to himself, “It was true!”
It was all true- he was their King. All his people around him were feeling desperately homesick, and their yearning was so strong that he in turn felt it, even though it was nothing to do with him and nowhere he wanted to go- and as the whispering of the crowd grew to a roar, Jinx stepped up to the spot where he’d entered Rainmoor the first time, and looked around with an air of command, buoyed up by the excitement and belief of his people. He met Peter’s eyes unapologetically, glanced with a nod at Hugo, who was still deep in concentration, and then he turned to the entrance spot.
And as the crowd drew in its breath, King Jinx of Rainmoor lashed his tail in vexation, and addressed the empty air. “Okay, you dumb magic place…” he began, and then, with a roar- “LET ME IN!”
The air shimmered, seemed to crackle, and suddenly the ground opened up in terrible haste, and behind it, the kingly residence he’d inherited from his predecessor, flinging itself into existence as if it’d been caught undressed. Behind him, the crowd erupted in a cheer that was a single wild scream of delight from thousands of voices, that redoubled as additional gates began to open up all across the mountaintop where they all stood. Jinx stood, tailtip twitching, ears flattened against the blast of noise, haughtily still until Rainmoor had reformed itself completely, throwing open gate after gate to take in the wildly excited populace.
Then, King Jinx turned, and faced the masses, and in response to their long-treasured expectations of what Kings do, all the people of Rainmoor fell silent, staring at him, convinced that he was going to favor them with a timeless speech, tell them how to feel, sum it all up for them. Jinx looked out over the people with a glittering eye. His tail lashed, once, violently, but his gaze did not drop or turn away.
“Go home.”
The cheer was even more ear-mangling this time, and Jinx’s ears went flat again, but he didn’t look away. All at once, everyone was moving, mobbing the entrances scattered around the mountaintop. Amazingly, nobody attempted to enter Rainmoor through the Gate that led to the King’s chambers, except for Sean. Hugo was seen making for one of the other Gates, seeming dazed and overjoyed. Off to one side, the dragon Vernon dickered loudly with Peter, asking to be returned to his old cave, before he was interrupted by the woods mage Mick, who tried to give Vernon an amulet- at which the dragon recoiled, before it was explained to him that it was no dragonbinder amulet, it was a locator, and anytime he wanted to drop in- not on, mind you, not on, but in- he’d be welcome, he’d be welcome. The dragon appeared delighted, and informed Mick that he was a gentleman and a fine human, and the three huddled together figuring out how to transfer the dragon back to his own space- said huddle broken by the monstrous FOOP of Vernon vanishing and returning to his own home, after which Mick cheerily followed a group of Rainmoor refugees into one of the Gates, remarking that he thought he could do some fine things in such a willing place, and Peter shepherded some refugees through the gates, went and fetched some other refugees who were lingering to say goodbye to Full Hollow villagers they’d met, and turned as the last people were entering the Gates and as some of the Gates were beginning to close, remarking, “Thank goodness you found a way, Jinx… Jinx?”
“Jinx?”
Back in his cabin, in bed, Jinx trembled from reaction, pulling the covers up over his head and curling up fretfully, and he favored the Rainmoor refugees, his people, with one final benediction.
“…and stay there!”
