This is the final part to my story. I hope you have enjoyed reading it almost as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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'So what brings you here this time?' Pirro asked as he brought them some hot tea and some blankets. 

They thanked him and Calix said, 'Kalonice's sister is very sick and they don't know what's wrong with her, and they haven't been able to find a cure. We were hoping you'd be able to help us like you did for my father all those years ago.' 

'What are her symptoms?' he asked as he motioned them to sit on his couch. 

'She has a high fever, a rash, and she won't wake up,' Kalonice said as she sat down. 'They've tried all the best medicine and magic they could think of, but nothing seems to have worked. I was hoping that you'd know of something we haven't tried.' 

'I might know of something, but it won't be easy to get it,' Pirro said. 'The dragon Tiamat who lives in a cave under the Sea of Tranquility has a sun pendant that some say has the power to cure any illness or madness. You just have to touch it to the person's heart. He'll let you have it if you can answer three riddles. However, of all those who have gone after it, none have returned.' 

Kalonice thought for a moment while she sipped her tea. When she had finished, she said, 'If it will help my sister, then it's worth the risk. How far is it to the sea from here?' 

'After you go back down the mountain, it's a two mile hike north to the sea,' he said. 

They spent the night before heading back across the lake. They threw the rest of the fruits and vegetables in the water and smiled as they watched the Kappa as he came to the surface to eat. They landed on the other side and tied the boat to the tree, and then they ran down the mountain path to the cave where they spent the night again. 

The next morning, they awoke, ate, and then set off down the path. It was almost nightfall when they got to the bottom. They whistled for their horses and they came trotting towards them. They grabbed their saddles, bridles, and the rest of their stuff and rode to the beach. They made camp and sat by the fire watching the waves crash on the soft sand. They sat silently thinking about every riddle they'd ever heard, trying to think of every answer there could be. They fell asleep in each other's arms. The next morning, they awoke and got ready for their dive. They took off all their clothes, except for their undergarments and jumped into the blue water. Calix was the stronger swimmer, so he had to help Kalonice through the water. They hadn't swum very far when they spotted the entrance to Tiamat's cave. They swam through a tunnel to an opening inside and surfaced in a pool. 

Tiamat, who was lying on top of a huge mound of treasure, was sound asleep. Smoke was billowing out of his huge nostrils. He had huge horns on his head, large black claws, big teeth, a fifty foot wingspan, a spiked tail, and was covered with blue scales. As they approached him, he lifted his enormous head and opened his yellow cat-like eyes. When he spotted Calix and Kalonice he roared, 'What are you doing here?' 

'We heard you had a sun pendant that has the power to cure any sickness or madness,' Calix said. 'We were hoping that you'd let us have it.' 

'You'll have to answer three riddles correctly before you can have it,' Tiamat said. 'However, if you answer any of them incorrectly, I'll devour you.' They nodded their heads in agreement and he said, 'Riddle number one is: What can you add to something solid to make it lighter?' 

They thought for a minute, and then Kalonice said, 'That's easy! It's a hole!' 

'You are correct,' Tiamat said. 'Riddle number two is: What bird flies from the east in the morning and lands in the west in the evening?' 

They thought for a little longer than last time. Calix then said, 'It's the sun!' 

'You are correct,' he said. 'Okay, this is the final riddle. The rich all want it, the wise all know it, the poor all need it, and the kind all show it. What is it?' 

Kalonice smiled and said, 'That's the easiest thing of all! It's LOVE! My mother and father taught me that the greatest gift a person could give to anyone is the gift of love.' 

The dragon sighed and said, 'Of everyone who has sought this pendant, no one has ever been able to answer this riddle correctly. Truly you are beings of kindness, goodness, and love. This is your reward.' Tiamat then handed Kalonice the golden sun pendant which was on a gold chain. She thanked him and immediately put it around her neck. 

They bowed to him, thanked him again, and then jumped back into the water and swam back to the beach. They got dressed, packed their things, jumped on their horses, and then galloped back through the forest and desert. The sun was just going down when they reached the edge of the swamp. Again, they took turns keeping watch just in case the Djinn were able to get out. Fortunately, the night was uneventful. They got up the next morning, ate, packed, and continued into the swamp. When they were almost out, the three faeries appeared before them as they had before. 

'Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our bargain,' Calix said as he pulled out the vial of Faerie Food and put one drop into each of their mouths. Satisfied, they let them pass unaffected. They traveled for three days across the hills of Fantasia through their kingdom, stopping long enough to feed and water their horses, drop off their supplies, and pick up more food and water for themselves. Then they continued on to Magoria. 

When they got to the palace, Kalonice ran straight to Phaedra's room. Everyone was standing around her weeping. Their brother Damocles who had blonde hair and blue eyes was the first to spot her. He stepped aside to let her through. 'I've brought something that I hope will help her,' she said as she removed the sun pendant. She placed it over Phaedra's heart and suddenly, a bright light emanated from it. They all gasped in amazement. Seconds later, the light dissipated. Phaedra's eyes fluttered and the color returned to her cheeks. The fever was instantly gone and the rash started to fade. She opened her hazel-green eyes and everyone cried with joy. Queen Thalia embraced her youngest daughter and stroked her long dark hair. 

'I thought we were going to lose you,' she sobbed. 

Phaedra hugged her mother and said, 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.' 

'It's just lucky that this pendant actually worked,' Kalonice said as she hugged her little sister too. 

'Let's let her get some rest,' said King Petrocles as he ushered everyone into the hall. 

When Phaedra was awake again, Kalonice and Calix recounted their journey to obtain the pendant. They all gasped whenever they told them about the dangerous parts. 

'Weren't you scared?' Damocles asked Kalonice when they told them about her being captured by Iblis the Djinni King. 

'I didn't really have time to be scared. I was immediately placed under a sleeping spell. Besides, I knew Calix would come for me,' she said beaming at Calix. 

He took her hand and said, 'I would go to the Netherworld for you, my love.' She kissed him on the lips and everyone, especially Calix smiled. 

'I hope I find someone who loves me as much as you two love each other,' Phaedra said. 

'Don't worry little sister,' Kalonice said. 'I'm sure that there's someone out there for you too.' 

They continued talking well into the night before they decided it was time to go to bed. Calix and Kalonice stayed for a couple of months until they were sure that Phaedra was well before heading back home to Fantasmagoria. They continued to live in love and happiness until the end of their days and had many handsome little boys and beautiful little girls. 

THE END

This is part 2 of my story. I hope everyone enjoyed reading part 1. If you liked it, please vote a thumbs up and leave a comment.

In this section, Kalonice and Calix are put into a little bit more danger and their love and faith are tested.

Enjoy!
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'I'm sure she'll be alright,' he said reassuringly as he put his arm around her to comfort her.

'Let's just get some sleep,' she sighed. 

They lay down together, and she was instantly asleep. He laid there for a few minutes before he too was asleep. Not too far below them, a Djinn village was just waking up. They always seemed to know when something was going on up on the surface. Ali and Razul; two Djinn guards; were on patrol, when they spotted Calix and Kalonice sleeping by a fire. They at once reported to Iblis; the Djinni King.

'Your majesty, there's two people sleeping on the surface,' Ali said.

'What do you want we should do?' Razul asked. 

'We will kidnap the girl!' Iblis laughed sinisterly. He transformed himself into a black cat and disappeared. He reappeared up on the surface. He bewitched Kalonice into following him, then several Djinn surfaced to grab her. Calix woke just in time to see her being sucked down under the sand. 

'KALONICE!' he yelled as he scrambled to his feet. He ran to the spot where he saw her disappear and started digging feverishly; trying to get to her. 'Just hang on! I'm coming!' he said as he continued to dig. Eventually, he dug down far enough that he uncovered a huge staircase. He ran back to the campsite, lit a torch, grabbed a vial of tar and a pouch of salt from his saddlebag, and put them in his tunic. Then he put on his sheathed sword and climbed down the stairs to the Djinn village. 

At the bottom, he doused his torch because the village was lit up so he didn't need it anymore. From then on, he kept to the shadows as he made his way to Iblis' castle where he knew he would find Kalonice. He kept one hand on his sword should he run into any Djinni. He crept around every corner, anticipating an attack. 

He made it all the way to the castle without running into any of the Djinn. 'This is way too easy,' he said aloud to himself. 

Unfortunately, he was right. The Djinn; who were invisible, suddenly appeared before him in vast numbers as big as a legion. Some of them were two-headed, and some breathed fire, while others had the heads of cats. Calix kept a cool head and didn't panic. He remembered the vial of tar he kept in his tunic. The Djinn detested the smell of tar because they had a keen sense of smell being that they were demons. He pulled the stopper from the vial and they scattered. 

He drew his sword and walked up the stairs of the castle. He looked around trying to figure out which way the dungeons were located. He spotted a door on the left and went through it. He walked down a long corridor to another door. He then walked down several flights of stairs and at the bottom, he discovered his beloved Kalonice chained up with bronze shackles. She was completely unconscious. He tried tapping on her face to arouse her and he called out her name, but nothing would awaken her. He looked around for something to pick the locks with. He found a skeleton from another prisoner, took a finger bone, and used it like a key. Then he lowered her gently to the ground. At that moment, Iblis appeared behind him. 

'Leaving so soon?' he asked in a sinister voice. Calix turned to face him; tears were streaming down his face. Iblis' face was a frightening sight. It consisted of a goat, two cats, and a boar with humongous tusks. Plus he stood at least three feet above him. However, Calix wasn't frightened. 

He drew his sword. 'My wife and I are leaving this place and no one is going to stop us, understand?' he said angrily. 

'I don't see how that is going to be possible, when you are completely outnumbered,' Iblis laughed as thousands of Djinn appeared again as before, and as before, Calix took out the vial of tar. The others scattered, but Iblis just knocked it out of his hand shattering it into a million pieces on the floor. 

'It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me!' he said angrily. 

'That's what I was counting on, which is why I brought my steel sword!' Calix said as he took a fighting stance. 

Iblis drew his sword and the fight began. Their swords clashed and echoed throughout the castle. Calix parried each thrust that Iblis threw at him and vice versa. The battle went on for quite some time, and eventually Calix got the upper hand. He was able to defeat Iblis by cutting off his head. It rolled across the room and his body burst into flames and was reduced to ashes. 

Calix then sheathed his sword, picked up Kalonice and carried her on his back as he ran as fast as he could towards the entrance. He ran through the streets towards the stairway with a few thousand Djinn in hot pursuit. When he got to the stairs, he took out the pouch of salt and sprinkled it on the bottom step to prevent them from following them. When he got to the top, he gently placed her on the ground and replaced the sand in the hole he dug. Then he picked her up and carried her back to the campsite. She was still in a deep sleep. 

Calix knelt down beside her. Not even killing Iblis had released her from the spell. He was distraught because he didn't know what to do to wake her. He knew she was still alive because he could still hear her breathing, but she wouldn't wake up. He brushed her dark brown hair from her face and gently touched her right cheek. He began to cry and he tenderly kissed her lips. As he did so, two tears fell onto her eyes. 

Suddenly, she began to stir. Calix was so overjoyed that he grabbed her and held her tightly. 

'Where am I?' Kalonice asked confusedly. 'What happened?' 

'You were put under a sleeping spell,' he said as he smiled and looked deep into her hazel-green eyes, 'but now you’re back here with me.' 

She noticed he had a cut on his right hand and said, 'What happened to your hand?' 

'Oh,' he said as he looked at the blood dripping from his hand, 'I didn't even notice that I'd been wounded. It must've happened when I battled the Djinni King.' 

She took out her handkerchief, tore it into strips, and used one to bandage up his hand. Then she put the rest in her satchel. 

'Thank you,' he said as he stood up. 'Do you feel like you can walk?' 

'Yes, I think so,' she said as she held out a hand to him. He took it and helped her up. Then they packed their things and mounted their horses. They galloped the rest of the way across the desert until they got to Pontmosh Forest. The cherry blossoms were just blooming and soon there would be cherries. They dismounted and cautiously walked through the woods. They saw several woodland creatures like chipmunks and squirrels, a mother deer with her fawn, a couple of foxes, a boar snuffling around in the dirt, a skunk and her litter, a rabbit, a few ferrets, and several bluebirds, robins, sparrows, cardinals, and blackbirds.

'We have to keep on a lookout,' Calix said. 'Kitsune are known to roam this forest. You should have your bow and arrow ready.'  Kalonice took off her bow and grabbed an arrow from her quiver. Three Kitsune sisters were watching them, and they devised a plan to kidnap Calix to drain his energy. As Calix and Kalonice were walking along, three beautiful women wearing long dresses came walking towards them. 

'Hold it right there!' Kalonice shouted as she drew back her bow and pointed the arrow at them. 'Who are you?' 

'I am Kyoko,' said one. 

'I am Kianna,' said another. 

'And I am Kiara,' said the third. 

'We need your help,' Kyoko said. 'Our father was attacked and needs medical attention.' 

'Sure, we'll help you,' said Calix. 

Kalonice took him by the arm and said, 'I don't trust these women; just look at how they're dressed. It's a little warm to be wearing long dresses, don't you think?' 

'You're right,' he said, 'they must be Kitsune.' He turned to the three women and said, 'I'm sorry ladies, but we cannot help you at this time. We're kind of on our way in the opposite direction.' 

Suddenly, the three women transformed into giant foxes. Kalonice drew back her bow and let the arrow fly. It penetrated the skin and entered one of the foxes' hearts. The other two ran for their lives with Kalonice in hot pursuit while shooting more arrows at them. 

'Let's get out of here before any more decide to show up,' she said as she walked back to where she'd left Calix.

To be continued...

Author's Note: This is a story about love, friendship, hope, and faith.

I dedicate this story to my best friend Chris Thompson who is Calix in the story and I am Kalonice.

Calix and Kalonice: A Love Story
by Tonee Rhian Rose
 
Calix and Kalonice were very much in love. They were the elfin king and queen of a kingdom called Fantasmagoria. When they were married, their families decided to divide their kingdoms of Fantasia and Magoria in half, hence forth Fantasmagoria was born. Everything was going well until Kalonice got word that her younger sister Phaedra was seriously ill. 

'What is wrong with her?' Kalonice asked concerned. 

'No one knows, your majesty,' said the messenger. 'Not even the best magic or medicine seems to help.' 

'Thank you, Theodorus,' she said as she fought to hold back the tears. 

'Go wait outside for further instructions,' Calix said. 

Theodorus bowed out and left. 

Calix took her gently in his arms. 'We'll figure this out,' he said gently. 

'But how?' she lamented. 'You heard Theodorus say that not even the best magic or medicine is helping her.' 

'I know of a wizard in Fantasia who might know how to help her,' he said. 'However, it's a rough and dangerous journey to get to his house. There's the Swamps of Despair which are filled with faeries which try to trick you into things you wouldn't normally do, then there's the Thanatos Desert which has Djinn. After that, there's Pontmosh Forest which has Kitsune and then we have to climb up Mount Christopher; an inactive volcano in the Caillouteux Mountains in which Tengu warriors live. At the top, there's a salt lake called Lake Lachrymose which is inhabited by a Kappa. In the middle of the lake is Mysterio Island. That's where we'll find the wizard Pirro.' 

Kalonice thought about this for a while, and then said, 'It's a risk I'm willing to take if he can help my sister.' 

Calix packed the things they'd need for their journey. A vial of Faerie Food which consisted of: sesame and coriander seeds, peach tree gum mixed with cinnabar, elixir of gold, powdered ash of mulberry, hemp, and the fruit of a Tree of Life. He also packed tar, salt, rice cakes, cucumbers, eggplants, and fleshy melon. 

'What are all these items for?' Kalonice asked curiously. 

'The Faerie Food is for the faeries, the tar and salt are to ward off the Djinn, the rice cakes are for the Tengu warriors, and the fruits and vegetables are for the Kappa,' he replied. 

'What about the Kitsune? How do we ward them off?' she asked. 

'You'll have to use arrows to kill them. They are very cunning for they are foxes. They sometimes change their shape into that of a beautiful young lady; however they cannot get rid of their tails, so they wear long dresses,' he replied. 

They packed other things they would need, like food, water, bedrolls, pillows, and warm clothes for the mountains. Kalonice sent Theodorus back to Magoria to tell her family where they were going. Then they set off down the road, but not before they placed a sign on the front gate saying, "We are going on a long trip and don't know when we'll be back. If you have any problems, the king and queen of Fantasia should be able to help." 

They mounted their Welsh ponies and rode for the Swamps of Despair. His was a white male named Accolade and hers was a black female named Venus. They rode for three days, only stopping at night to eat and sleep. While they slept, Calix would hold Kalonice in his arms. She felt safe when he held her and his warm breath on the back of her neck was comforting. She felt like she was capable of doing anything when he was around and she never felt scared either. He made her laugh and smile and he was always there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on, and she was always there for him too. They were the perfect couple for they cared about everyone as much as they did about each other. For the ten years that they had ruled their kingdom, no one ever went hungry, there were no homeless, and whenever anyone got sick, they would turn their palace into a hospice and care for them themselves. There wasn't anyone in the kingdom that they hadn't helped in one way or another. 

Early, the third morning of their trip, Kalonice woke up first. She gently removed his arm from around her waist. The sun was just barely coming up and she didn't want to wake him up just yet. There was a pond nearby, so she went and caught a couple of fish for their breakfast. When she returned to the campsite, Calix was still fast asleep, so she made a small fire, skewered the fish on a couple of sticks, and cooked them. She added a few herbs and spices beforehand. 

As they were cooking, she watched him sleep. A smile crept across her face because he was so adorable when he slept. She loved to study his face for she didn't want to ever forget anything about him. He had a heart-shaped face, short brown hair, beautiful brown eyes; that she loved to stare deep into, a smile that made her heart melt, and the cutest dimple on his chin. He was also short in stature for an elf because most were six feet or taller. However, she didn't care. She thought he was the right size for her being that he was only six inches taller than she was at five feet, four inches. The thing she loved most about him though was his kind and caring nature. 

A few minutes before the fish were done cooking, Calix awoke to see his beautiful wife staring at him, she smiled and said, 'Good morning, my love.' 

'Good morning to you, my darling,' he said smiling back at her. 'What's for breakfast?' he asked as he sat up and stretched his arms. 

'Fresh fish that I caught only a few minutes ago in a pond not too far from here. I think they're almost done,' she replied. 

'Well I'm gonna freshen up in the pond; call me when they're done,’ he said yawning. 

'Alright,' she said kissing him on the lips.
He took off towards the pond. When he got there, he took off his navy blue tunic and brown leather pants, and boots. He laid the shirt and pants on a bush and placed the boots directly beneath them. Then he took his blue sox and placed them inside the boots so spiders, insects, and snakes couldn't crawl inside. Then he jumped in the shallow water with nothing but his undergarments on. He had only been in the water a few minutes before Kalonice came to tell him that breakfast was ready. As he emerged from the water, it dripped from the hair on his head, the stubble on his chin, and the tips of his pointed elfin ears, the hair on his arms, and legs clung to his body, and his light olive-colored skin glistened in the morning sunlight. 'He's never looked more beautiful than he does at this moment,' she thought as she watched him get dressed. 

'Just give me a few minutes to wash up myself, and then I'll join you,' she said. 

'Alright, but don't take too long because after we eat, we have to get going. This is the easy part of our journey, it's gonna get a lot tougher before it's over,' he said as he walked back to camp. 

She took a handkerchief out of the pocket of her blue leather pants and dipped it in the water. She wrung it out and proceeded to cleanse herself by wiping her heart-shaped face and her long, slender, yet muscular arms. Then she lifted up her cerulean blue shirt and washed her stomach and back. When she was done, she went and joined Calix for breakfast. He'd already finished eating and was packing up their things. By the time he was done, she'd eaten her fish and was ready to go. They piled dirt on top of the fire to put it out and mounted their horses to continue their journey. 

Soon, they were at the Swamps of Despair. 'We have to be careful in this place,' Calix said. 'It plays tricks on the mind, not to mention the three dark faeries that live here. Do not let the gloominess of this place make you sad either or you'll be sucked down into the mud.' 

Kalonice nodded her head and said, 'Alright, I'll try.' 

They dismounted their horses and took each other's hands as they trudged through the mud and muck. 'We also have to be out of here by nightfall because there are also deadly vipers and black panthers too,' he said. It wasn't long before the faeries appeared before them on a tree stump. Their wings shimmered in the sunlight. 

'We don't get many visitors here in the swamp, do we sisters?' said one faerie who had long curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a sapphire blue dress. 

'No Amalthea, I don't believe we do,' said a second who had long, curly brown hair, brown eyes, and wore a ruby red dress. 

'What shall we do with them, Selwyn?' asked the third who had long curly red hair, green eyes, and wore an emerald green dress. 

'I don't know Elonwy, what do you suggest?' Selwyn asked. 

'Before you make up your minds,' interjected Calix, 'I just want you to know that I have a vial of Faerie Food.' He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to them. 'If you promise not to do anything to either of us, you can each have a drop. And on our way back, perhaps you'll get another,' he said waving it in front of their faces. 

It took only a few moments to decide before they all said in unison, 'Agreed!' Calix took the dropper out of the vial and squeezed one solitary drop into each of their tiny mouths. They thanked him, and let them pass unharmed. They rushed to get out of the swamp, for soon the sun would be setting, and that's when the black panthers came out to hunt. They made it to the other side just in time, seconds before the sun set in the mountains in the distance. 

'Are those the mountains that we're gonna have to climb?' Kalonice asked curiously. 

'Yes, those are the Caillouteux Mountains,' he said as he piled up the wood that they'd collected to build a small fire. 

'They're very beautiful,' she said as she laid out her bedroll and got some food out of her satchel. They ate dried meat and a few carrot sticks. She sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. She stared at the big, blue full moon and thought about her sister. She wondered if they were doing the right thing. Then she thought, 'Of course we are! This whole trip will be worth it if this wizard can help us.' 

'Are you alright?' Calix asked when he noticed the distant look on Kalonice's face. 

'Yes,' she said as she smiled sadly. 'I'm just thinking about Phaedra. I hope she lasts long enough for us to complete our quest.'

To be continued...