Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Royal Shift

The closer they got to the tip of Hudmere Mountain later that morning, the less grass they encountered and instead of pressing through tall leaves, Damon and Adelaide found themselves walking along another gravel road that coiled along the mountain and was hidden entirely by tall trees on the meadow-facing side.

By the time they neared the peak, Damon noticed that the trees along the trail grew closer together, closing them in more with each step. Then, the road rounded another corner and all of a sudden…ended, leading into a large flatland at the top of the mountain.

“Uhm…where’s the Royal Shift?” Damon asked as he spun in circles, looking for any sign of an entrance. And judging by Adelaide’s expression, she was wondering the same thing.

Adelaide took out her map and Damon wandered over to her, peeking over her shoulder from a bit of a distance.

“I don’t understand…” she stated. “It should be here. I know they like to be hidden…but I didn’t think it was this reclusive.”