The House in the Cerulean Sea

Linus drives through the island’s forest until he finds the house, which is large, brick, and covered in ivy. There is also a red van that has been sitting still for so long that plants have grown up around the tires. No one comes out to greet Linus, but he hears a child’s giggle. He considers staying in the car, where he knows it’s safe, but musters his courage and exits. His cat runs off towards the garden. Linus follows and finds a beautiful garden with a quaint statue of a gnome. The statue turns out to be a gnomish child named Talia. She is disappointed that Linus isn’t a trespasser whom she can bury in the garden. She agrees to help Linus find his cat and summons a wyvern (a small, flying dragon-like creature) named Theodore, who, she explains, needs some kind of payment before he’ll help. Linus finds a stray brass button in his pocket, which Theodore accepts with glee before flying away. Talia admits she just wanted to see what Linus would give him.

Talia summons another child, Phee, a forest sprite with red hair and wings. She tells them that the cat isn’t in the woods and says she’ll help later if they haven’t found it.