Gold

{35}

I walked with everyone as we reached a clearing. I looked up as I heard Emma's gasp to see a beanstalk. I'd never seen one in person before, and it looked a lot more creepy than I'd imagined.

"The compass is up there?" Emma asked Hook, who nodded.

"Well, it's a little freakier than I remember reading about in the story." Emma told us and I grinned. Yes, the stories from the other world seemed so watered down compared the truth.

It seemed only Henry's book got it right.

"Reminds me of death." Mulan remarked and Snow and I shared a look. I liked Mulan, but sometimes she was a little too morbid for me.

"Encouraging." Snow remarked.

"Well, your compass awaits. Shall we?" Hook said, beginning to walk to the beanstalk.

"Wait. If these..beans create portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?" Emma questioned.

"Because there aren't any more beans. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, it is most certainly wrong."

I rolled my eyes as she called Emma my dear. At least she didn't look like she was falling for his charms.

"There was a guy named Jack and a cow and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose. Or a harp." Emma said and I snickered. Very watered down stories indeed.

"Sounds like a lovely tale, but the truths a little more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack was a man who fought a terrible war, destroying all but one of these giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have the magic, no one could. It's really bad form." Hook said, finishing his tale.

"Evil giants who made magic portal beans. Why not just go up there and grow some more?" Emma asked him.

"Because one giant survived. The strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to..."

"The magic compass." Snow finished and Hook nodded.

"Indeed, the treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find the your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her and we'll be on our way."

Hook talked way too much for my liking and Mulan seemed to think this too, because she scoffed.

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan asked him. She had a good point. Besides, I didn't trust him and wouldn't ever probably.

Hook glanced at her. "Because you four are safer company." He remarked. "There's five of us." I told him and he smirked. "I know, but only four of you aren't trying to kill me."

I rolled my eyes at that. "All I want is a ride back I'll swear allegiance to whoever gets me there first." Hook said, and I thought to myself he wasn't going to be getting that ride, but said nothing.

"Then we better start climbing." Emma said, walking towards the beanstalk.

"Right, so I failed to mention that the giant enchanted the beanstalk to repel intruders." Hook said and Emma turned to him impatiently.

"All right, so how do we get up there?" Emma asked him.

"I've got a counter spell from Cora. If you'd be so kind..." Hook said, holding up his tied hands. Snow walked over and untied him. He leaned forward and grinned at her. "Thank you, milady."