As we stepped forward across the dew-flecked grass, I couldn't help but glance around, taking in the details.
The farm was quaint in the way old storybooks painted them from Darling's words: crooked fences, patches of tilled earth, a scattering of cows that seemed to stare at us like they had some sort of judgment to pass and right in front of us, standing like an audacious skyscraper was a beanstalk so enormous it disappeared into clouds that could easily have swallowed Earth itself, had anyone foolishly dropped it there.
Beside it was a simple little house. Its wood was slightly warped. The roof was a patchwork of shingles that had clearly seen better decades. Honestly, it looked like the owner was casually neglecting basic home maintenance while his vegetable garden took on cosmic proportions.
Ely looked at the beanstalk and sighed
"So is this another fairytale?"
"Yes. This is the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. In its traditional form, a boy named Jack trades a cow for five magic beans. The beans grow into an enormous beanstalk reaching the clouds, where a giant resides with a golden goose, a harp, and other magical items. Jack climbs it, steals from the giant with help from the giant's wife and uses his cunning to survive and bring prosperity back to his household. That's the narrative, although the details vary slightly depending on the storyteller."
Ely was clearly about to interject, but Veneri continued:
"The golden goose, which lays golden eggs, is the objective. Our task, in accordance with Hansel's parameters, is to ascend this very beanstalk, acquire the goose and return alive. It's simple, if one ignores the complexities of mystic flora and the possibility of giant-induced trauma."
Ely blinked again, slightly incredulous, then muttered to me;
"He really isn't letting me speak, is he?"
"Not in the slightest. Don't take it personally. He's always like this. After all, it's a story in his world."
She scowled but didn't argue further. Honestly, it was for the best. Interrupting Veneri mid-exposition was like trying to argue with gravity.
I had just started scanning the farm when Ely muttered something about stealing the goose being easy in theory but difficult in execution. Veneri paused for just a fraction of a second, then resumed:
"You're actually right. Any trial designed by an AI who has the faintest understanding of classical literature is never easy."
"Famous last words," I murmured, just loud enough for the two of them to hear, gliding above the grass as I made a small spiral for dramatic effect.
And that's when our little narrative bubble got real.
We spotted movement near the base of the beanstalk. Real villagers were huddled together, looking at the beanstalk. They spoke in clear English and for Ely, it was completely incomprehensible.
"Uh… what?
Veneri, of course, translated seamlessly in his head and explained to her.
"They're ordinary humans native to this world. Somehow, Hansel included them in the scenario."
I floated closer, zooming in slightly with my holographic scanning sensors. That's when I saw her: a mother, standing with her hands on her hips in what was clearly panic. Her voice was loud too.
"Jack! Come down this instant! You will not climb the beanstalk!"
She shouted, gesturing frantically at the enormous green colossus above.
"Wait… wait wait wait. The fairytale… it's real? The story is literal?"
We didn't answer her. In this scenario, I guess it's literal. Jack climbed the beanstalk and these are his neighbors. Seriously, how did they make a fairytale come to life?
I hovered a little closer to Ely, nudging her gently with a ghostly elbow.
"And here I thought Hansel was just messing with us. Turns out, the AI's sense of humor includes literal children and extremely anxious mothers. Charming."
As we drew closer to the small cluster of houses and the dirt paths winding between them, Veneri slowed down our pace as he looked around. The people began to talk about us.
"Looks like they're from the city."
"Why the hell is there a beanstalk here?"
"They look rich."
One of the villagers—a broad-shouldered man holding a chipped axe that probably hadn't seen real work in a decade—stepped forward. His eyes flicked over us.
"You look far too well-dressed. You three are from the city, aren't you? Or are you royalty? And why do the two ladies have those pointed ears?"
Veneri leaned casually against a low fence, gesturing vaguely with one hand as though explaining the most mundane thing in the world.
"They were born this way," he said simply, referring to Elyonari and, by extension, the uncanny elegance of her ears. "It's genetics. Kind of a family trait, actually. Anyway, what's with that giant tree?"
The man blinked, looked at Elyonari again, then shrugged.
"Huh. Fair enough. And that appeared because of a boy. A baker's widow had a son—Jack, they call him. Sold a cow for beans and the beans... well, they grew overnight. Whoever gave them to him must've been a witch. We burned all the witches around here, or so we thought."
I raised an eyebrow behind Veneri, unable to resist muttering under my breath, "A witch, huh? And here I thought we'd seen it all."
Veneri ignored me—he was used to my commentary—and asked the logical next question.
"Where's this Jack now?"
"Seen him climbing up that stalk early this morning. Tried to go after him, but that beanstalk grows thorns for anyone attempting to climb it. You step wrong, and it will shred you to bits."
"So anyone who climbs without knowing the tricks is toast. Good to know. Makes the challenge more… honest, I guess."
He glanced at Ely, who was frowning but glaring at it. The man cleared his throat, drawing our attention back.
"Why are you three wandering out in this side of the countryside anyway? Not many venture this far unless there's a reason."
"We're actually heading to another kingdom."
"France, isn't it?"
Ely was clearly confused by the words and looked at Veneri.
"Yeah," Veneri said casually, nodding. "We're going there."
"Then you must be rich. Not many can afford that kind of trip. Don't take this wrong, but be careful out here. A lot of people are poor and desperate. You're in the middle of nowhere and desperate people do desperate things."
We nodded in understanding, Ely gave a slight, polite bow while Veneri smiled faintly.
"Thanks. We'll be careful."
After the brief conversation, we stepped back, letting the villagers retreat to their homes. We took a moment to regroup, to watch the beanstalk stretching impossibly high above us and to plan our next move. Veneri told Ely what the man talked about.
"This is… insane," Ely muttered under her breath, more to herself than to either of us.
Veneri chuckled softly, almost to himself, then looked at her with that calm, teasing grin of his.
"Insane is one word for it, but it's the kind of insane I like. If this adventure was boring, I would actually believe I'm in a illusion."
I hovered above, scanning the place for more information.
"This is going to get worse before it gets better. I'd settle for just one day without someone nearly dying. That would be nice. There's an inn in the area. We should stay there for the night, though I doubt it's going to suit our tastes..."