🕰️ 3 AM: The Departure from Thrivaldi
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 Location: The Candy Cane Lighthouse, High Ridges of Thrivaldi
The hour of three in the morning held a particular kind of silence on the high ridges of Thrivaldi, a crisp quiet broken only by the whistling wind and the distant, rhythmic hum of unseen energies. From the salt-crusted balcony of the Candy Cane Lighthouse, two figures stood as sentinels against the swirling snow.
The Jolly Red Wizard, his crimson robes a vibrant splash against the monochrome landscape, remained steadfast. His hand rested on the broad, striped shoulder of Baby Tiger Claws, the guardian cub whose deep purr vibrated through the cold air. Together, they watched the solitary figure below.
It was the Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin, now a small speck of grey and brown against the vast, white expanse of the tundra. He moved with a purpose born of long journeys, his weathered cypress staff tapping a steady rhythm in the deep snow. His path led him directly towards the dark, heavy line of the Evergreen Forest, a boundary where the mundane faded into the ethereal. Even from their great height, the Jolly Red Wizard could discern a faint, rhythmic pulse emanating from the forest's heart—the ancient trees themselves reacting to the presence of the Hedge Gate hidden within their depths.
As the Hedge Wizard reached the very edge of the woods, he paused. For a single, poignant moment, he turned back, raising his staff in a silent salute towards the distant, towering lighthouse and the figures who stood watch. Then, without another glance, he stepped beneath the heavy, snow-laden boughs and was swallowed by the impenetrable green. The forest closed around him, marking the completion of his terrestrial journey in Thrivaldi. The rifts of 2025, now a mere whisper on the wind, began to hum with an anticipation that only the very old and the very wise could perceive.
"Until next year," the Jolly Red Wizard whispered, his voice carried away by the wind, as he turned back towards the interior of the lighthouse. Beside him, Clause let out one final, knowing chuff of agreement, his eyes reflecting the deep, silent glow of the horizon, awaiting the magic that was yet to unfold.
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Earl C. Hedges Jr.
Product Identity & Legal The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The Candy Cane Lighthouse, the Jolly Red Wizard, Baby Tiger Claws, the Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin, and the Hedge Gate. Monsters! Monsters! is a trademark of its respective owner. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
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