Someday, when you tire of this world, you will find a door.

It will be ancient, scarred cedar wood that feels like an old friend. You will knock on it. Whisper the answer to the question asked. Shh- softer than that. Speak too loudly and you risk scaring it. Magic is rather fragile, and the door is quite shy.

Pause here. Remember all you have to give up and all you may gain. Remember the instructions given to you long ago and the rules governing magic.

Are you ready?

Good.

Pick up your sword. Open the door. Begin your adventure.

You will follow a path through a forest filled with mushrooms that tower far over your head and old, old, trees. You may take berries for food, wood for fire and the occasional log to rest on but only what you need. No matter what, always thank the dryads. They live for thousands of years and hold grudges even longer.

Deep in the heart of the woods lies a sprawling manor. It will be filled with gnomes- dancing, singing, creating those clever illusions that they are so famous for. Be polite, and they will allow you to pass through. They will offer you gifts: beautiful trinkets, elegantly crafted. You will decline them respectfully. To take them would be to owe them a debt, and you can’t let anything get in the way of your journey.

Greet the gulls at the stairs of the sky. Listen to them. They have come a long way and have good stories to tell.

Do not enter the sky. The monster inside will not let you pass through its domain as easily as the dryads. Continue on.

You will find a sleeping princess in a castle choked with ivy and magic. You could kiss her, but you aren’t the right person, nor have you come at the right time. Curses are finicky things.

Instead, explore the castle. Watch the ghosts of the maids, cooks, kings and dogs that once lived here. Fix the crumbling walls, so when a prince does come, he has a place to sleep. Try on the bejeweled dress and finery that somehow fits you perfectly and spin, smiling at how pretty you look. Remember that riches always invite calamity. Pause. Put them carefully back in the wardrobe. Finish repairing the stable roof. Leave these empty halls.

Do not follow the silver birds. They are faeries in disguise. Or do. Follow them, venture into the Fae realm and meet its aloof, graceful inhabitants with their haunting voices.

Some of them mean to trick you. Do not allow yourself to be enchanted.

Some of the ones you meet will be friends. Remember them. They will help you on your way.

If you are lucky (you are very, very, lucky), you may fall in love with a few. Continue on. Try to forget what her laugh sounded like.

If you are unlucky (you are horribly, tragically unlucky) one may love you back. Continue on. Try to forget what her lips felt like before you left her world forever.

Leave this enchanted city.

Two paths will stretch in front of you. One of them is the right path. The other one is not wrong. It is unknown. Remember that there are no wrong paths and take the second one. Do not look back.

At the end of the path, you find the underworld. Stay vigilant. You will face demons. You will face old, forgotten gods. You will never face an angel, although you have felt the heat of many eyes glaring at you from the deepest parts of the earth. Do not stare back. Do not stay long. Those worlds are not for your kind to see. Be brave and think of all you have come through- your thoughts will protect you until you find the surface again.

Follow the mountains until you reach the sea. Beware of griffins- they love gold, hate trespassers and are far cleverer than you.

Travel by the shore of the sea for a while. It’s quiet there. It may take you years to find what you’re looking for. You may walk along the coast until the forests burn, the princesses wake, the elven cities crumble, the caverns of the underworld collapse and every last story in the world is told, until one day, at last…

you will find a door, one that looks familiar, an old friend from a lifetime ago. It will ask a question, and you will answer how you always have. No, again- louder than that. The door is very old, and it can be a bit hard of hearing at times.

Pause here. Remember all you have given up and all you have gained. Remember the instructions given to you long ago and the rules governing magic.

Are you ready?

Good.

Pick up your sword. Open the door. Begin your adventure.