Austin wonder, could fairies see in the dark? He decided that they probably could. “It’s too dark for me to see.”
“Then you need light?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Now I understand why humans fear the dark. But you were not afraid. You are a brave magical warrior.” Alyssa squealed softly and made more fluttering sounds. Faint distant squeals sounded in response. Alyssa answered with more flutters and squeals and then the far end of the cave began to softly glow. A fat little glowing worm crawled out of a crack in a nearby stone. More appeared, followed by a flock of advancing lightning bugs, their combined presence lighting up the cave. The bugs swarmed until Austin could see the entire cave. Alyssa looked different. She had… “Wings?”
She blushed and answered, “They only just unfurled.”
“Wow, they sparkle in buglight. Awesome!”
Pleased by the compliment, Alyssa fluttered around the cave on her newly unfurled wings. “The bugs have agreed to light our way to the Xyloc. In return, I told them that you would remove the boulder that the Xyloc rolled onto the firefly den.”
Austin had never moved a boulder, neither had he ever fought Leals, nor rescued anyone, but this was not an ordinary day. “I’ll try.”
“That will be sufficient.” Her voice was packed with confidence.
Alyssa fluttered behind Austin as he followed the glowing swarm into a low tunnel. They avoided touching the sides of the tunnel and Austin had to duck his head to avoid injuring the little bugs that lined the ceiling. He expected an epic journey with mythical monsters, danger at every turn, and maybe a beautiful princess somewhere in the mix. Instead, he stepped out of the passageway into a tall chamber filled with moist soil, large roots coiled into peculiar shapes, giant mushrooms, four strange little men with pointed ears, and Sydney.
“It took you long enough,” Sydney glared up at her big brother with both hands on her hips, “Come on; I told them you would dig a tunnel.”
“Are you kidding? Your magic doesn’t work on me. We’re going home as soon as I move a rock.” Austin took Sydney’s arm.
She tugged away, “I don’t wanna go.”
“Fine. Stay. Dig tunnels all by yourself; I’ve got a boulder to move.”
Sydney’s brown eyes reflected the glow of bugs and fairy wings, “Alyssa, you really are a fairy. I knew it!”
Alyssa smiled, “Yes. I hope we can still play together in the forest, but you must go now. This is no place for a mortal child.”
The four Xyloc looked at Sydney as though she had two heads and began to back away from her, “Mortal,” one hissed. “Throw it in the pit,” another growled.
Frightened by the sudden change of attitude in her companions, Sydney moved under the protective arm of her big brother and whispered, “Okay, I’ll help you move the rock. I want to go home.”
The Xyloc repeated, “Throw it in the pit.” A dozen more of the stout little pointy-eared men swarmed into the chamber chanting, “Throw it in the pit. Throw it in the pit.”
Austin shifted to stand protectively in front of his sister and the little fairy. Alyssa fluttered her wings, lifted above him, and hovered over the strange little men. She fearlessly announced: “You shall all perish at the hands of this magical warrior.” She landed on a giant mushroom and sat, looking on expectantly, “Please get on with it; I am eager to bring news of your demise to the good creatures of Nether-Earth.”
Austin decided that maybe he should have clarified that magical warrior thing. Better yet, maybe the weird little men would believe it.
The Xyloc mumbled secretively, debating the fate of the mortal girl among themselves.
Austin whispered to his sister, “Turn on your IPOD. Keep the speaker where they won’t see it and turn it up all the way.”
Sydney smiled and manipulated the IPOD in her pocket. A loud base beat filled the chamber, causing loose soil to fall from the high ceiling. With the exception of an earthquake or nearby thunder, the Xyloc had never heard such a frightening sound. They huddled together, covering their big pointed ears with their thick fingers.
Austin moved toward the huddled mass of creatures, each step in synchrony with the familiar rock beat. His careful movements made him appear to be controlling the musical beat. He froze during a pause in the music, waiting. A sudden hush fell and held, one beat, two, three, four, the little men waited fearfully for Austin to produce his magic. On cue, the hard-rock beat resumed and the Xyloc sucked in a collective gasp. Austin grinned, lifting his arms and shouting so loud that he feared the cavern would collapse.
The Xyloc fled in terror, clearing the cavern long before the echoes of Austin’s voice did.
Austin turned and winked at his sister, “Come on, let’s go move that boulder.”
“I want to go home,” Sydney argued.
“We will go home soon, but we have to move the boulder or the fireflies will not be able to go home.” Austin took his sister’s hand and pulled her along behind Alyssa and the swarm of glowing bugs.
Sydney still wanted to go home. She stomped along behind her brother, pouting.
When they reached the firefly den, Austin confidently placed both hands on one side of the large rock and pushed. It didn’t move. He pushed again. Nothing.
“I can’t move it,” Austin said, still pushing with both hands.
“I can’t move it,” a small voice on the other side of the stone squealed.
“Fine. Let’s go home.” Sydney said.
“…go home,” the little voice squealed, followed by a series of high-pitched screeches.
“That is a Leal. It must be trapped in the firefly den.” Alyssa explained.
“Why is it screeching?” Sydney asked.
“Because Leals screech.”
“But why?”
“It is frightened. You said, ‘Let’s go home’. Do you intend to leave it trapped behind the boulder?”
“Oh, no.” As Sydney listened to the terrified sounds the Leal made, she felt sorry that she had not been more helpful. Sydney approached the stone and began to pull at it from the top. “Don’t worry Leal, we’ll get you out.”
The screeching stopped.
Alyssa fluttered to the top of the stone and pulled.
With the combined strength of a fairy, a little girl, and a brave magical warrior, the stone moved slightly, then it moved a little more, and then rolled away from the firefly den.
Just inside the den, a pale thin creature stared at Sydney with large solid black eyes. It stood about two feet tall, was dressed in cobwebs, or maybe spider webs, and appeared to be very fragile. “We’ll get you out,” the small creature mimicked Sydney’s last words.
“Aw, it’s so cute!” Sydney exclaimed.
“…so cute,” the Leal mocked in a small squeaky voice.
“Is it a boy or a girl?” Sydney asked Alyssa.
“…boy or a girl?” the Leal looked at Alyssa the same way Sydney was.
“Leals are just Leals,” Alyssa answered.
“…just Leals,” the creature repeated and then with a sudden burst of speed, the Leal ran past them to the dark tunnel.
“It didn’t even say thank you.” Sydney complained.
“…thank you…” The Leal’s squeaky voice echoed in the tunnel.
“You’re welcome,” Austin responded as though the Leal was not just mimicking them. “Let’s go home; it’s supper time.”
Sydney looked up at her big brave brother and decided that he really might be a magical and clever warrior, but she would never tell him that.
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