Chapter 30
By this time the boat had glided to a halt in preparation to tether the whale to the ship. All heard the splash. "Man overboard!" cried one of the crew. The sailors abandoned their tasks as they ran to where the two had jumped.
Breachmaster sounded and back swam but a single gigantic stroke as he came up underneath the girls, taking them on his back. They were both lying prone when the whale surfaced. They carefully stood on the whale's back. They laughed uncontrollably and slipped and fell and stood and fell and slipped, though the whale's skin really was not slippery.
Finnegaff yelled from the rail. "What in Saa are you two doing?" They were laughing too hard to respond. "Miagaff! Romessee!" he hollered. Mia waved. Finnegaff slapped his hand on his forehead.
"They be safer upon Breacher's back than aboard me own Heretielle," the captain remarked to the wizard, not taking his smile or his eyes from the adventurous girls. "Aye, to be young!" He then looked at Finnegaff. "Leave them be, conjurer." Finnegaff pointed at the girls on the back of the huge animal, who now took a lead on the ship. His mouth silently hung open. "Y've never rode a whale?" He knew that Finnegaff had; he was there when it happened.
"Well, yes. But I, uh, I..."
Sheremeth slapped him on the back, held his hand there and gripped his opposite shoulder. He tapped the corn cob pipe stem to Finnegaff's chest. "And what did ye feel?"
Finnegaff's opened mouth metamorphosed into a smile as he truly recalled. He nodded, saying not a word. "Besides," Sheremeth continued, closing one eye tightly as he spoke, "I was nay the one who picked a flock of giggly lasses for such a journey!"
"You may retract your statement, you salty old man, as you know...hey! Return me, scoundrel!" But it was too late.
Captain Sheremeth laughed, corncob pipe clamped between his molars. "Hee hee hee hee hee!" he sang in a high voice as his bow legged, fist clenched gait took him swiftly across the slowly rocking deck to supervise his crew in setting the towrope.
With Mia and Romessee's aid, the sailors had secured the rope to the king of the sea. King Breachmaster began the honored towing with Mia and Romessee on his back. They posed on one foot, danced, and yelled at the people on board. Breachmaster would dive just enough to allow a few inches of water to go over his back, not enough to dismount the girls, yet enough to fill his blow hole to shower them. The first time he executed this maneuver, the two screamed and laughed, surprised by the enormity of the airborne water.
Belemeriath had appeared out of nowhere. He zoomed over the waves to catch up with his friends. "Mia! Romessee!" He buzzed to the whale riders. "Watch this!" When he was sure they were both watching, he plunged into the water and disappeared from sight. In a few seconds one of the other whales surfaced where he had submerged. The whale spouted his blow hole, Belemeriath was within the spray, whooping and hollering as he was shot many feet into the air. Mia and Romessee applauded. Belemeriath proudly took his bows.
Each hour or so the whales would take turns towing the Lady Heretielle, sharing in what, if one were a Morran whale, was a great honor. It was thus the two friends Mia and Romessee, as Mia had allowed for the Mumbwe to cross the 'casual acquaintance to real friend' bridge, spent most of the afternoon: riding on various whale's backs. Both received a good case of sunburn from the reflecting water. Finnegaff had to insist that Mia and Romessee dismount King Breacher, who was the first and the last in turn for towing the Lady Heretielle.
Soon the dark, sandy, rock-free shores of the Plains of the Great Beasts came in to view. The land was so flat that it was hardly distinguishable from the ocean. Captain Sheremeth claimed that the beach they approached was swampland on the opposite side. He had the whale tow them westward, past the swamp, in the direction Mia's Stand was going, though Mia could see no difference in the landscape. It did in fact all appear identical to her. She was going to say something, but reconsidered, as Sheremeth probably knew what he was doing. He was, after all, Captain Sheremeth, quick with word and sharp of mind. She knew that if she confronted him on any matter without first thinking about what she was asking, she would most likely end up on the embarrassing side of the conversation.
Leagues passed. It was late evening when they pulled into the wharf of a small settlement, ten or twelve houses clumped together on the plain. Having sighted the ship, two men approached along the wharf with lanterns and hung them on poles attached to the pillars. Sheremeth's able crew took over, expertly sailing the craft to the obvious (as it was the only) place to dock, threw ropes to the men on shore, and in a short time the Lady Heretielle was securely moored. Gangplanks were set in place as the crew and all took to land.
Sheremeth had elected to stay with his ship and bid Mia's Stand farewells from there. They stood at the base of the gangplank. "Old conjurer," Sheremeth gripped wrists with Finnegaff, "It be grand seein' you!" They released and smiled in mutual admiration. "Good luck, me ladies," he winked at Mia, Romessee, Zimm and Karthich, who stood in a small group. He aimed his long corncob pipe stem at Carameth. "Fare thee well, friend elf, and give me best to yer mother! Strongwind, ye have a job as mate any time on me ship. Besides, ye talk right for the job!" They laughed with him. On that seemingly final note, Captain Sheremeth, pipe between teeth clenched behind opened lips, fists at his side and bowlegged, hobbled up the gangplank to his ship. Half way up the plank he stopped, yet he did not turn to face them.
Mia felt the warm rush of Saa within her; not the hard, fast rush like some of the other times. This flow of Saa was gentle, if not a bit intoxicating. She staggered and caught her balance on Romessee's shoulder.
"Karthich..." Finnegaff motioned to the dainty Mantid to ready her scribe's book. To his pleasing, he saw that she already had it opened.
"Captain Sheremegaff!" Mia voice was almost sweet, contrasted only by a tone of authority. She recognized this type of Saa to be a prophesy, and this time was fully aware of what she was saying. She raised her eyebrows in surprise for her own placement of the suffix on Sheremeth's name, for now, by the grace of Saa, she knew him to be a wizard.
The captain slowly turned to face her. "Speak, Carrier!"
"Thanks for letting us ride the whales!" she grinned. He jerked back. It was not what he had expected, as suspect he had. She went on. "For as the whales rule the sea, so does the sun rule the day. If I could take them to the Glen of Giants with me, this I would do, for they are giants themselves in size and in Saa. Saa is great in water as in wind and rock, and when giants swim with giants, Saa will be naught except for them both. Heed, and take care the whales, Captain Sheremegaff!"
He took his corncob pipe in hand. Smiling from the side of his mouth, he pointed the stem of the pipe at her. "It be me pleasure, lass!" He spun on a dime and resumed his odd gait, hobbled up the gangplank and boarded the Lady Heretielle. He disappeared behind the guardrail and never looked back.
It was Mia who broke the silence. "I remember all of it this time!" she exclaimed. Finnegaff took the scribe's book from Karthich and studied her writing of Mia's second prophecy. He spoke while he read.
"Giants swim with giants," he said. "What's that supposed mean?"
Mia was walking beside him. "How should I know?" she said.
He waved her off with one arm without removing his eyes from the book. He strained to see in the dim light. "No, no. I wasn't asking. But Mia. Romessee. This I gotta ask." He closed the book. Here it comes, Mia thought. She had been thinking about how to answer what Finnegaff would inevitably ask. She had undergone frequent, detailed instruction and drills at Marigaff's Farm for learning the thought process of predicting questions and the preparedness to answer them well. He kept his eyes on the road. "What prompted you to jump overboard?"
Mia didn't answer at first, for she knew that to do so would reveal her foresight. She shrugged the shoulder that Dielielle was resting upon. "It had to happen." She gave an intentionally evasive answer and for effect, also maintained her view of the road.
Finnegaff raised a hand.
He opened his mouth to speak, forefinger pointed upward. He closed his mouth, then lowered his arm and sighed.
"Ye be the one who picked 'em, brother! Heee Heee Heeeeeeee!" Captain Sheremeth's voice came from the ship. Mia turned to look for him. Her eyes scanned the ship, but he was nowhere to be seen. Finnegaff didn't even bother to turn to look for the captain.
"Why does he keep calling you brother?" Mia asked, thinking that perhaps Finnegaff belonged to the same organization as the captain, or maybe it was something wizards do.
"Because," Finnegaff said, "Sheremeth is my brother."
"Brother brother?!" she stabbed a finger at the ground.
"Well, yes. Why else would I call him that?"
"I thought that maybe, you know....” Finnegaff waited patiently for the girl to stammer. "Some people call each other brother, but they're not really related."
Finnegaff had a puzzled look. "Why would they do that?"
"I dunno. I guess because they feel close, like brothers."
"But what about honor to family?" Finnegaff reminded her.
"I don't know!" She threw her arms in the air. "Forget it. Just forget it." She sighed deeply. "Hey!" She changed subjects again. "He's a wizard!"
"Yes, he is! He has been for a long time."
"Where's his hat and staff?" she asked.
"He only wears his hat when he's out to sea," Finnegaff explained. "He was wearing it today. And he never sets his staff aside!" He smiled at her.
There was a moment of silence as Finnegaff allowed his audience to absorb his little riddle. Romessee caught on first. "His pipe is his staff?"
Finnegaff stooped, squinted an eye, mocking Sheremeth. "Aye, it be the finest staff ever to sail the seas!" The imitation was perfect! They were, after all, brothers. Mia had learned that sometimes asking questions raised more questions than there originally were. Finnegaff had created more murk for Mia than he had cleared, thus giving her yet more to think about. Much, she knew, to his own design.
They arrived at the Durma's Point Inn. Mia assumed the settlement was Durma's Point, since that was the name of the inn, and indeed it was. The inn was run by a large, jolly, aging man who ironically was named Durma, who happened to own all but one of the buildings along Durma Road. Durma Road ran along the beach, which was known as Durma's Beach.
The four girls took one of the two rooms they secured, the others, the second room. Strongwind, as usual, stayed in the stables with the horses. They were exhausted after the long day, and went straight to their bunks after saying their good-nights. Finnegaff, however, elected to show honor to the tradition of 'being towed by whales' or 'being towed by whales to Durma's Point' or something similarly fabricated. Mia didn't quite catch which one it was; she believed that Finnegaff didn't, either. He did, however, quite easily get the idea of honor to tradition across to the crew of the Lady Heretielle, for, as it is well known, sailors are a superstitious lot. They believe it to be bad luck to not show honor to tradition when offered.
Mia talked with her companions of the day's events. Soon they were asleep. Mia, despite the soft, warm residue left her by Saa, was a bit restless. With effort, she fell into a dreamy sort of slumber.
She dreamed she was the caretaker of a particular child. She was in a park, of sorts: grassy, a small brook, trees, warm breeze in the midday sun that gave one a feeling of serenity. A girl of perhaps two years of age played on the nearby dirt path, using a short stick to chase tiny purple butterflies that nearly matched the color of her summery dress. Her undeveloped coordination was amusing to Mia. Mia sat on a very light pink blanket that was spread out on a sunny part of the ground and leaned back on outstretched arms,. She felt a fondness, even a love for the nameless child.
Soon the child's awkwardness got the best of her. She fell face first onto the dirt path. For a second the little girl gasped in surprise, then let out an alarming, ear piercing scream. She burst into tears. Mia sprang to her feet and ran to the child's aid, took up the crying child and carried her to the pink blanket, sat with the little girl and held her close. The child continued crying. Mia spoke softly to her and tried to look at her boo-boo. The toddler only rejected her sympathy. She offered her a drink. It was not consoling. She tried to rock her. The child squirmed free, still crying hard tears. She held her arms up as if wanting to be picked up, yet had just wanted to be put down. As if Mia knew exactly what the girl wanted, she removed the Book of Life from around her neck. She handed it to the little girl, her heart full of the joy of comforting a beloved toddler. As soon as the little girl took the Book, she stopped crying. She held the Book with both hands and gave Mia a heart-warming, sweet smile. The child giggled and placed the edge of the Book in her mouth, which, as everyone knows, is what two year olds do with most anything they pick up. The girl was jumping up and down, laughing, biting the Book. Mia’s heart was warm and light and contented.
She bolted awake in a hot sweat. She groped for the Book of Life. It was still there. Her heart raced. This, she thought, is too weird. She would tell Finnegaff about the frightening implications of the dreams she'd been having the first opportunity she had. She slept poorly, fearful of recurrence of the dream, yet when she did finally fall into sleep, she slept deep and without dream. At least without any of those dreams.
The big, orange-red early morning sun to the right side of Mia's northbound stand quickly heated the air. Much to her delight, the weather was without the persistent rain they had been subjected to on the opposite side of the bay. Living green against deep blue dominated ground and sky. A warm wind blew from the east, making soft waves in the vast, flat fields of the Plains of the Great Beasts. The entirety of the stand decided to walk for a while, horses following close behind.
Mia walked with Finnegaff. "I was like, a babysitter, or a big sister, maybe. The cute little girl fell, and..." Mia told Finnegaff about her dreams in a voice loud enough for all to hear, for she knew to not withhold information such as this from the stand, as one could never tell how vital an otherwise innocent incident might prove to be, and who may hold the key to unraveling a mystery.
"Allow me," Finnegaff interjected. "The mother, the old hag, and the cute girl all wore purple dresses." Mia had not mentioned this.
"Yes! That's right! How did you know that?"
"She always wears a purple dress, the same one."
"She?!" Romessee questioned.
"And though it might not have appeared the same each time, I assure you it was indeed the same dress." Finnegaff stated. "You see, dear, it was the dark sorceress that visited your dreams."
She halted. All stopped with her. "No!" She shook her head. Her breathing increased. "No! I, I gave her, each time, I just gave her the Book of Life! And I felt happy about it! I was like, cool about it!"
"It was only a dream, dear!" Finnegaff placed a hand on her shoulder.
"But it felt so real!"
"Well, yes. She wants it to feel real. She's trying to soften you."
"She’s not softening me any more!" Mia spat.
He took the other shoulder as well and turned her to face him. He locked wise, blue eyes on hers. "No! For now we know. We can use this against her! I know what she's up to. She'll return to your dreams, and when she does..." Finnegaff explained to her what course of action to take upon her next dream visit with Eringaff, and what she could expect when she executed the plan.
During the conversation, Mia felt that presence again, something from above, a good, a warmth. She looked to the deep blue mid-morning skies and saw what she had seen at other times she'd had this feeling: nothing. She returned to Finnegaff. He nodded once to her. "Yes," he then looked up to the sky. "I know. It seems we are being followed."
"Followed by what?"
"You don't know?" Finnegaff smiled at her, and she shook her head. The horses had caught up to them. The wizard mounted Grinnolle. All followed suit. "I guess you wouldn't. Not 'till after the Reading. Anyway, I can't say. Let's put some of Morrah behind us."
"That's not fair of you, good wizard!" the Mantid remarked.
"Do you mean you won't say, or you can't say?" Romessee pressed.
"Don't even!" Mia said.
"What I mean is," he said as he lit his pipe with a flame emitted from the tip of the right ear of his steed, "that far be it from me to spoil a surpr...Whoooaaaaaaa!" He held on tight, for in mid-sentence, Grinnolle caught sight of his burning right ear. Even though the horse was a very tolerant animal (as was required of any horse that bore Finnegaff), he most definitely drew the line at being set afire, even if the fire were painless. He reared, whinnied in fear, and bolted full speed across the knee-high grass. Finnegaff held on and yelled for the horse to stop. Strongwind took chase. Belemeriath gave chase as well, but more for the opportunity to antagonize Grinnolle and thus, Finnegaff.
"Rodeo!" Mia yelled. She waved an arm in the air and mocked twirling a lariat.
"Miagaff?" Carameth smiled at her warm, laughing face. "What's rodeo?" All had heard; all awaited her answer.
"Ohhhh Hoooo!" She laughed. "You guys are gonna like this one!"
It was nearly half a mile when the company caught up to Finnegaff, who, to this day, has not attempted to light his pipe with a living horse. He was seated on a grazing Grinnolle, accompanied by Strongwind. Both were looking away from the approaching party. They were on a small grassy knoll peering northward.
"Hey, cowboy!" Mia yelled from forty feet out. Finnegaff's hand shot up, palm out toward her, indicating the necessity of silence. He didn't turn to them. They stopped in their tracks. Mia took a release of adrenaline. Her heart rate doubled as she thought of darkhounds, shadowrought and worse. Finnegaff then turned his head to them and motioned for them to approach. They rode forward and stopped at the crest of the small mound. They gaped at the majestic sight the wizard and Strongwind had discovered.
A grassy, shallow valley spread out before them for miles. A lake marked the center of the valley, where sun glistened off the even waves created by a soft wind. It was a thousand yards in diameter and emitted a winding stream that ran east through the tapered end of the gigantic depression in the plain. Hundreds upon hundreds of large animals dotted the valley. From this distance Mia could tell that many were the size of cattle, and that many of the larger beasts dwarfed even them.
"Elephants!" Mia could see their trunks from where they stood.
"Mammoths," Finnegaff corrected.
"Mammoths are extinct!" she pointed out that which was obviously not true on Morrah.
"Well, yes. On your world," Finnegaff reminded. "This I know about. The mammoths are extinct at your home. But no here!"
"There aren't any dinosaurs here, are there?" Mia recalled movies from her home that depicted lands dominated by animals that put Man at a position of less than at the top of the food chain.
"No," Zimm buzzed. "They are gone many years." Mia was glad for that.
They watched the great beasts for a time, the slow moving animals going about their business of grazing or sunbathing or playing in the water. A mammoth shot water from his trunk high into the air. So large was the animal that the spray seemed to move in slow motion, giving a perspective of size. Mia then realized that they were even larger than she had originally perceived, three times the size of an elephant or better. Some had long, twisted tusks. Others were lacking. Many had babies, for it was the birthing time of year.
"They're short-coated this time of year," Finnegaff explained. "They're migrating north for the coming of summer, where they rear their calves. For them, this is a place to rest along the way."
"They're beautiful!" Romessee whispered.
“Is this the first time you’ve seen them?” Mia asked her.
“Oh, no. But I marvel them each time I do.”
"Are they dangerous?" Mia asked.
"Not if you do not stand where they step," Zimm offered.
"Or be caught in the path of a stampede," Carameth added.
"Well, yes, of the smaller ones,” Finnegaff finished. "The mammoths have no enemies and don't stampede." The smaller ones the wizard referred to were the cattle-bison-like animals, wild horses, smaller pachyderms that were half hippopotamus, half water buffalo, zebras (except they were black and orange striped), several species of small deer-like antelope and a host of other herd animals. Birds flew everywhere among the great beasts, bright white wings gently flapping against the deep green of the valley.
The great beasts were harmless, for the most part. As with any animal, threat made to their young was cause for combat, thus in particular did one avoid a parent mammoth. Though the huge mammoths did not engage in stampede, every other species did. When this rare occasion took place, it was all of them at once.
It was the third afternoon of their ten-day trek across the plains. The path had broadened as they proceeded northward, and it was on this same broad trail that they had all stopped to observe something very big approaching above the horizon in the sky, coming straight at them from the north.
"Ah!" Finnegaff spoke strongly. "The dragon Cinndar!" Mia had learned about the Keeper of the Great Beasts, the indisputable warder to the wild plain, if self appointed. Not that any would challenge his claim. He was known for being exceedingly, if not obsessively social, cordial in all ways, less those who should threaten his herds or natural wonders, of which few lived to tell. Swiftly, silently, he came upon them. With the abrupt snap of a giant sheet being shaken out, he back flew, and gracefully set down on the path right in front of them. It took a few moments for Strongwind to calm the horses. Mia had, of course, experienced dragons before. Well, Cwyth, anyway. On each encounter, she had been taken by his immense size. But Cinndar was bigger even than Cwyth, much bigger. He looked just like Cwyth, except more colorful and much larger. For he was, as it was well known, the largest of the four dragons.
"Great day, dragon Cinndar!" Finnegaff bowed formally. The Mantid girls were on Mandarin, twittering quietly yet nervously, touching their antennae to the other's in a frantic duel-like action.
"Lord Finnegaff!" The dragon's voice was as deep as he was big. "I thought I smelled you!" One could hear long known affection in his words. "Dear Strongwind!" The Centaur bowed, smiling. "Carameth, Prince of elves!" Carameth bowed as well. "Belemeriath!" The fairy had flown over to his monstrous friend. He perched on the tip of Cinndar's nose. The dragon's huge light blue banana-shaped eyes crossed.
“Great day, Cinndar,” Belemeriath said, bowing low to the dragon.
"Ah, friend, you have a beautiful energy!" He uncrossed his eyes to look at Finnegaff. Belemeriath remained on his nose, now turned, and seated cross-legged to look at whomever Cinndar addressed. "Wizard! Please introduce!"
"This, friend dragon, is Miagaff, Romessee, Zimmictreckt and Karthich." The Mantids had slowed their twittering, yet sat upon their horse huddled together.
Cinndar, sitting in the manner of a dog, a very, very big dog, swept the group with his eyes. "This would most certainly be the eight Carrying of the Book of Life. And you, Miagaff, would be the Carrier." Belemeriath, still seated on the great dragon's muzzle, nodded his head
Mia was amazed. "How do people...dragons... know who we are all the time?" Her shoulders slouched. Here they are trying to be sneaky, Mia thought. It seemed that lately everywhere they went everyone knew who they were. She was, of course, exaggerating a bit by claiming they were known everywhere they went. But it certainly seemed so!
Cinndar cocked his head. "You keep company with a human, a fairy, an elf, a Mumbwe, a Centaur and two Mantids. Such a gathering only happens during the Carrying. This mixture of races would otherwise not stay together long, if at all. Their ways differ too greatly."
"He's right, Miagaff!" Belemeriath said. "Me and Finnegaff and Romessee and Zimm and...."
"Friend fairy," Cinndar interrupted him. "Could you please perch somewhere elsewhere? It's most difficult to converse with my eyes wanting to cross."
Belemeriath flew over to Mia. He cupped a hand to the si
de of his mouth as if divulging a secret. "We kinda stick out!"
"Oh. Yeah," Mia said, looking toward the ground in contemplation. "I guess we would.”
"I see," Cinndar turned his great head in the direction of Zimm and Karthich, "that you have not before encountered a dragon." They looked very nervous, particularly now that they had been addressed directly. They were sitting absolutely still, rare for Mantids except for defensive reasons. Cinndar was indeed intimidating, more so if one had never the opportunity to take in the full expanse of such a marvelous being. He slowly placed one of his huge fore claws palm down on the ground some thirty feet from the frightened Mantids, double opposing thumbs flat in converse directions, the other three claws flat. He held very still. A single nail was nearly half of one of the tiny Mantid's height in thickness and almost twice as long. In a kind, gentle voice, he urged the two. "Please, friend Mantids. Come forth to touch my claw. I promise you that I will remain still." He waited. Neither Zimm nor Karthich moved.
Romessee used Pirasaa, feeling the Mantid's fear, understanding it. "Zimm, Karthich, dear." She was standing right next to them. "Do not judge him by his size. Judge him by what you know of him." This was a concept in which the little Mantids were very experienced. They moved, chittering small, meek sounds. Slowly they dismounted their horse. Slow, that is, for Mantids. They glanced to Finnegaff, who extended a hand to the waiting dragon, giving his approval with a smile. They stepped to the dragon's nearest claw and touched it with their antennae, quick stabs at first, then with gaining confidence.
"Now." Cinndar was whispering. "Take a few steps back and stop. I'll then move my claw." They stepped three or four steps back (it's hard to count such things of races that walk on anywhere from two to six of their legs at any given time). Upon stopping, Cinndar slowly lifted the claw and set it a few feet to the left. "Now, Mantid friends! Touch it again!" He did this a few times with such skill that within five minutes Zimm and Karthich were, for the practical side of things, shaking claws with the dragon.
He warned them. "That's enough for now, and I'd advise you trust no other dragon like this, not Cwyth, not Corgg, and least of all, Creggar, for we are different from one another," he paused.
"Mantids are wonderful," he said, "though Queen Xyledes can be, dare I say, difficult. How is the royal thorn, Zimm? Karthich?" He had been paying attention, and recalled both their names.
The jittery laughter of Mantids shook Karthich. Zimm followed suit. Mia laughed as well, knowing that the two, as well as she, did not think very highly of their ruler. She was also very impressed with Cinndar. So different was he from Cwyth!
"She is a difficult Mantid, so I am sure!" Zimm said.
"Yes, she is!" Karthich added. "She does look after herself!"
"The same, then. Unchanged." Cinndar nodded. "What is your assignment?" He knew of the mechanisms of the hierarchy of Mantadia, that each citizen had a job, usually for life, that was referred to as an assignment. The end result of this system of task produced some of the planet's finest craftsmen.
Karthich spoke first. "I am a jailer, and scribe to the dungeons."
"I am a jailer and apprentice to Skallagaff, wizard advisor to Kings." She placed a claw on Karthich's shoulder. "Karthich is also scribe to Miagaff the Eighth Carrier!"
"So honored are you! And Skallagaff is a dear friend! I see you have both been blessed with a cleft clypeus," he added.
"It is not so much a blessing," Karthich said.
"Is it not?" the dragon said. "Where are you, now, at this time? What are you doing here? And how important is it?" He paused as the Mantid girls considered his words. He watched their expressions, revealed by their curling antennae. "Yes, friends, you are truly blessed!
"Carameth, Prince of elves! How fares your wonderful mother?" Cinndar was anxious for news of those he knew. He kept a philosophy of always being polite enough to ask of their welfare.
"She does well, kind and great dragon!" Carameth nodded with a single slight move of his head as he spoke. "She does send her best, and plans to visit the plains later this summer. Official business, of course."
"Of course! I shall look forward to our meeting!" The dragon moved his thick neck effortlessly, raising this massive head to tower above them. "I do offer quarters this evening and ask you be my guests."
"We would be delighted!" Finnegaff stood tall, touching the brim of his hat as he spoke.
"Wonderful! This trail leads to my lair, five leagues north. I have first a tiger that is getting a little out of control and must speak with him on the matter, for sadly he does kill for pleasure, and he must cease or be disposed of. I shall be there by night fall." With those words, the mighty dragon stepped backward four long strides, leaped into the air and took to flight, causing powerful swirling air currents that twisted in all directions. They were strong enough to blow Finnegaff's hat off and mess everybody's hair. At least those who had hair. They watched his slow, strong wing beats as his huge form grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared over the horizon.
"He's huge!" Mia exclaimed.
"Yes, he is!" Romessee echoed.
"So is his heart," Finnegaff concluded.
"We touched a dragon! We touched a dragon!" Zimm and Karthich were facing each other, bouncing, clapping their fore claws against each other's.
Zimm ran toward the others. "Did you see that?!" She bounced as she aimed her fore claw to where the dragon had stood only minutes ago.
"What did he feel like?" Romessee was genuinely enthusiastic.
"Like," Zimm looked at Karthich.
"Like a big rock!" Karthich finished. Mia later learned they had never seen a dragon, that dragons never ventured into Mantadia, and few Mantids ever left the country. Consequently, myths of terror and legends forbidding contact had evolved about the gargantuan, fearsome fire-breathing creatures of the north. As it is with all myths and legends, they had elements of fact backing them. Cinndar was no exception to the alleged ferocity, though he reserved that part of himself for the enforcement of his golden rule: if you kill it, you eat it. Other dragons did not conduct themselves so. With the preconceived concepts of dragons thus set forth by their race, Zimm and Karthich were at the very least cautious when Cinndar showed up. At the very most, they were on the verge of flight. Yet the dragon Cinndar conducted himself in a manner that truly bore fruit to the Mantids. But Mia learned later that, to Zimm and Karthich, what the wise old dragon had given them in reference to their deformity was a hundred fold the value of having touched his claw.
It was just Cinndar's lair to the dragon. To everyone else it was the Inn on the Plains, an array of wooden and adobe buildings, perhaps twenty or so. Two families lived at the Inn on the Plains with Cinndar, two human families. One was with five children. The younger couple had but two children. To the last one were they darkly tanned, the result of being scantily (yet tastefully) clothed. They tended the grounds, the buildings and the guests.
The younger of the two children was a girl of four or so, her elder sibling a boy of six. Of the other family the youngest was a blond-haired girl of three years, the only blond of the entire population of the Inn, as it were. The second and third, both boys, were twins, seven years of age. The fourth and fifth children were girls, fourteen and sixteen. The adults were standing in the yard of one of the houses, ankle deep in grasses that were heavily clustered with little white, pink and blue flowers. Of the children, all but the two older sisters were playing nearby their parents. The teenage girls were seated on a bench under a medium sized weeping willow. The younger was sewing something while her older sister peeled potatoes for their evening's supper.
It was of little surprise that Finnegaff knew some of them, the couple with five offspring, yet he knew not a one of the children. It was a lesser surprise and could even have been foretold that having not ever met any of them was not a factor that prohibited Belemeriath from flying straight away to the two oldest girls.
"Great day, fair maids!" He
bowed in mid air as he hovered between the two. They set their work aside. "I am Belemeriath of Elfwood," he flourished his hat. "And who might you wonderful ladies be?" That was about as close to formal talk that Belemeriath ever ventured.
"I would be Kammah," the older girl said. She stood and curtsied and smiled at the fairy, playing up the formality. "And this would be my sister, Amielle."
"Kammah! Amielle!" Belemeriath bowed twice. "Hey! We ran into Cinndar down there,” the formality was over for the little green fairy. He pointed toward the road they had traveled. "He sent us here while he goes to take care of a tiger!"
"Yes, we know!" Amielle said. "That stupid tiger needs to go!"
"Amielle, I don't think so!”Kammah reprimanded.
"A lot you know! He's a menace!"
"He's an animal, gnort face!" The sisters quarreled as sisters do. "That's what animals do."
"I would love to go on a tiger hunt!" Belemeriath interrupted the little spat.
"I don't know," Kammah smiled at him. "Tigers are very fast animals!" She prompted the fairy to show off. She had met fairies before, yet not Belemeriath, and knew, as does everyone, that fairies loved to show off, and that they would do so with very little encouragement. Not to exclude that entertainment was scant when one lived a day's walk from their nearest neighbor, let alone anything that might qualify as a town.
Finnegaff and Strongwind were speaking with the two couples. Men grasped arms with men in greeting, talking warmly with many smiles and nods. Mia, Romessee, Carameth, Karthich and Zimm had walked over to the two girls seated beneath the tree.
"Miagaff!" Belemeriath buzzed her face. He sped to Romessee. "Rom!" He coaxed. "I'm faster than a tiger, huh?!"
"Oh, I don't know! Tigers are pretty fast!" Mia teased. She turned to the two girls. "Hi! I'm Miagaff, and this is..."
"Fast?! Watch this!" With that, he bolted across the yard, circled the house once and returned in just two seconds. The two girls, now seated at the edge of the bench, applauded. Belemeriath stood on the bench armrest, puffed out his chest with his hands on hips and his eyes closed.
"Belemeriath," Romessee asked him, "Do introduce us to your friends!"
The little fairy changed his manner in a flash. "Oh! Yeah!" He flew to each in turn. "This is Miagaff, Romessee, Zimm, Karthich and Carameth! We're Mia's Stand! Miagaff is the Carrier of the Book of Life!" He certainly wasted little time getting to the point!
The gleeful smiles of both of the girls turned to amazement. "No!" whispered Amielle.
“Yes!” Belemeriath whispered back.
"Saa!" spoke Kammah. They looked at Mia. "I am honored, Carrier!" She sprang to her feet. She gave Mia a nervous curtsy, as did her sister.
Mia was tongue-tied. "Uh...." She shot a glance at Belemeriath and shook her head. “Fairy!"
Finnegaff and the others were watching the teenagers from a distance. "I see we've been found out!" he said.
"That be quick!" Strongwind said.
"Belemeriath, I'm certain!" They both nodded. The two couples were puzzled.
It was the eldest man, Hereth, that caught on first. His eyebrows raised. "I see!" he exclaimed. "You Carry the Book of Life!" The younger woman gasped.
"We are truly honored, Lord Finnegaff!" the younger man, Shandonne, said. They all had their eyes fixed on the group of loquacious youth. "Does Cinndar know?"
Finnegaff didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even move in acknowledgment.
"Oh. Yes," the man continued. "Never mind. I'm sure he would know. A week ago."
"More than likely," Hereth confirmed.
The caretakers of Cinndar's Inn invited the rest to cookies, tea and lemonade at a large bench situated under yet another huge tree, a pine of sorts. As Kammah and Amielle aided the adult women in the kitchen in preparation of serving their guests, the girls were reminded to act accordingly, to behave in a civil manner. Yes, they were very important guests, but they were guests just the same, and to treat them as such. That most of them were in their age group and likely enjoyed the same things they did. And to try to not put on any airs, they were so carefully told (as their mother, Dierelle, knew them all too well), that being themselves would suffice.
Six girls placed bets with Belemeriath on his feats of speed as they intermittently talked of fashion, hair and other girl things. Carameth, not well versed on those subjects, joined Finnegaff and the others and informed them of happenings abroad, and discussed the state of affairs of Elfwood. Cinndar returned later than expected. He touched down in the pit he called his home several hundred yards to the west of the guest homes. He soon joined them, walking in great, graceful strides to where they congregated.
Others, even those with abilities such as Romessee's, might not have noticed what the caretakers did of their employer (so loosely called). Knowing him well as they did, they could see that Cinndar was solemn, if a bit distraught. They concluded correctly that the tiger regretfully had been disposed of. Cinndar never liked this part of his job, but he cared for injustice even less. Thus he held that this kind of service must be implemented if the Plains of the Great Beasts were to maintain an ecosystem that had survived many a millennium.
"It was not I, friend Hereth," Finnegaff squinted as he leaned on an elbow, seated at the yard table across from the eldest man, "who chose this menagerie of adolescents!"
"I'm certain that things are never dull for you!" Hereth smiled broadly, knowing of Finnegaff's awkwardness with children.
"No, no! That they aren't, friend! That they aren't!"
"And I’m certain,” Cinndar added, “that they keep you busy. Adolescence is a lively age for humans. For all the races!”
"I would say not to darkhounds. They all be the same to me!" Strongwind said.
"Yes," the dragon agreed. "That's the one species that has many elements missing. Did you know their children don't play-at all? And while we're speaking of them, darkhounds are in the forests north of here. I believe that's your destination, is it not, good wizard?"
"I thought as much!" Finnegaff said. "Yes, yes. It's where we're headed."
"Perhaps I might be able to lend a hand. Or claw, as it were," offered the great dragon. Finnegaff knew Cinndar well. He knew the dragon meant he was willing to fly them to the borders of his land.
Finnegaff waved him off. "No, thanks anyway, Cinndar. But Saa, as you know..."
"Yes. Of course. I'll see you to the border of the Plains then, but from high above."
"We would be in your debt, friend!" Finnegaff lit his pipe with half a cookie.
After a wonderful dinner of vegetables, pies, and a mystery meat that Mia to this day has been fearful of learning the identity, Finnegaff pointed out that the ‘ancient’ tradition of 'meeting at Cinndar's Inn while Carrying the Book of Life' must be honored, if ancient was constituted by the two minutes it took for Finnegaff to conceive the line. He must be tired, Mia thought. She knew him capable of fabricating much more convincing 'honor to traditions' than that.
The girls had obtained permission to hold a slumber party in one of the larger guest houses. Shortly after dark, they decided to undertake their social event. They walked to the cabin they were staying in, their packs in arm, cookies and pastries in hand.
They seated on two of the eight beds. Mia and Kammah were on one bed with Karthich, scribe book open in one claw, a pen in another claw, inkwell in a third. The dexterity of the little Mantid never failed to amaze Mia. Romessee, Amielle and Zimm were on the other bed. All gave Mia their undivided attention, Kammah and Amielle in particular.
Hours passed. Mia was developing her story telling skills, something she found she loved to do, by giving accounts of their adventures of late. "A clear cloud, like colored glass, came crackling through the trees!" She made crackling sounds as she writhed her fingers. "It flowed all over us, and it made everything quiet!" Her voice fell to a whisper. "So quiet that even when you talked you could hardly hear yourself! Then it got hard to breathe. I thought I was gonna pass
out, when, and it wasn't me, mind you, but Saa, had me get out a Stracombe that Marigaff gave me."
"Wow!" breathed Amielle.
"You know Marigaff?!" Kammah said.
"What's a Stracombe?" Amielle said.
"Yes! I know Marigaff very well! A Stracombe is...."
The slumber party had their laughs and cries, especially when Mia told of the fall of Starrelocke. The Mantids Karthich and Zimmictreckt had never been to such a social event. Their lack of confidence had them speaking little. When Mia told of the oppression they had been subject to in Mantadia, Karthich did mention that, in light of social acceptance such as this, return to Mantadia was not something either of them would ever entertain. Mia told stories late into the night.
Mia dreamed, vivid, with the clarity of reality. She was in school, not her home school, but one she knew well yet did not know at all, for this is sometimes the way of dreams. On a hot summer's day, she and her best friend, though not Susan, a girl in a purple dress that she knew well yet had never met, sat in the grass beneath a shade tree in the schoolyard, their books strewn on the ground beside them. Her friend was upset about something Mia knew all about yet could not quite recall.
Her heart went out to her friend as the sandy haired girl spoke. "And I just don't know what to do!" she cried. "I can't seem to...I...I just don't know what I need!"
Mia was hit by a wave of compassion. Somehow she knew that it was the Book of Life her friend needed. Her consciousness pushed the tainted magic of Essaa aside. "Is this what you need?" She grasped the string that tethered the Book. She withdrew but the tip from her tunic.
"Yes...yes!" Her friend's tears ceased. She reached for the Book with both hands. "Yes!" But Mia did not give her the Book. Instead, she returned it to its hiding place.
"Give it to me!"
"I don't think so." She stood and held her hand over the Book concealed beneath her clothing and smiled down at the girl. "You shall never possess the Book of Life, dark sorceress!"
Eringaff emitted an evil hiss, then screamed hideously. Like the feeling one can imagine from hearing fingernails on a chalkboard while chewing aluminum foil, it chilled Mia right to the bone. Her form changed into her true identity. Mia found herself face to face with the dark sorceress herself. Fear swept her. She concentrated on that which Finnegaff had instructed: Starrelocke’s death; the darkhound attack in Elfwood; Marigaff and Aaramerielle’s torture. The fear gave way to anger. He had also advised that Eringaff couldn't harm her in dreams. She hoped he was right, as she was about to find out.
Eringaff's eyes were red with rage. She held the black Maraska Pon Durk threateningly, the deathred viper in the staff's mouth snapping wildly. She spat through clenched teeth. "Miagaff, the FAKE! You will lose this battle. I am tenfold the sorceress and a thousand years wiser!"
"You haven't been able to get the Book in three thousand years," Mia retorted. "What makes you think you'll get it now?"
"WHAT MAKES ME...AAAAHHHHEEEEE!" The dark sorceress emitted the most terrifying blood chilling scream Mia could have imagined. The scenery, the school, the grounds, everything flashed rapidly back and forth from color to black and white. Mia felt as if the very life of the setting were being pulled from it, for indeed, that was what was happening.
Mia awoke in a cold sweat, heart pounding, breathing hard. She bolted upright, groped for the Book about her neck. It was still there. She glanced quickly around the room to find all asleep but she. Then she felt the rush of Saa, the dirty, contaminated taint of Essaa with it, a mind sickening trembling like an earthquake. The vibration of it was so extreme that it most certainly alarmed every wizard on the planet and perhaps a few that weren't.