Maid Madelyn stood on a large boulder on the rocky beach gazing Northward as the sky began to grow darker. “There is trouble brewing on Stormwatch.”
“What?” Princess Nataleigh looked up from the rocks she had been examining on the ground below. “What are you talking about? What’s Stormwatch?”
“It is a dark mountain to the North that is always surrounded by black storm clouds and strong winds. Legends say that the storms match the mood of the evil spirit that lives at it’s peak.” Madelyn answered. “No one goes near Stormwatch for fear that they might make the spirit angry and unleash a terrible storm on the surrounding lands.”
“Oh, I remember seeing it before in my mirror.” Nataleigh said turning to see what Maid Madelyn was looking at. “So why is there trouble brewing?”
“I don’t know why, but there is a big storm building around the mountain that looks angrier than any I’ve ever seen before. Perhaps it has something to do with the Serpent’s Eye.” Maid Madelyn jumped down to stand by the Princess. “We must find this workshop entrance quickly before it is too late!”
Nataleigh was frustrated. “Well I don’t know where else to look. We’ve searched this entire beach and there’s not a single clue except for that ventilation pipe up there on the side of the cliff.”
“Well at least we know they are around here somewhere. That pipe didn’t just grow out of the rocks.” Madelyn reasoned. “What else can you remember from your mirror watching?”
The Princess shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I already told you that the entrance was somewhere near the beach. But I don’t know anything else. The inventors make it look just like the side of these cliffs so no one will find it and disturb their work. I’m not even sure how they make it open or close. They’re very smart, like I told you.”
“Well we must be smarter.” Maid Madelyn insisted.
“How can we be smarter? They’re inventors after all. They must be super smart! What do you think we’re going to find anyway; a welcome mat that says ‘Come on in’? Or maybe a doorbell? Yeah right. We might as well give up!” Nataleigh plopped herself down on a chair-sized rock next to the large boulder and felt it shift beneath her.
There was a rumbling sound under their feet that grew louder and suddenly a geyser of steam exploded into the air with a loud trumpeting whistle behind the rock where the Princess was sitting! She jumped off of the rock with a squeal of surprise and both maidens stumbled back in shock!
When the whistle had ended, they looked back at where the steam had blasted the side of the boulder and blinked in astonishment. There next to the chair-like rock was indeed a sign! It had been covered over with seaweed and barnacles, but now the steam had blown it all off!
It read:
“Welcome to the Laboratories of Frangen, Hiendel, and Boz: Darrowold’s Inventors Extraordinaire!
Having problems with your gizmos, gadgets, or war machines?
Please take a seat and one of our technicians will be with you shortly.
Thank you.”F. H. & B.
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