The Boy and His Curse

by Michael P Mordenga

  “The Earthian is going to join us in battle.”

  *****

  Mollet was ordered to put two twenty-pound stones on his wings and fly ten laps around the Drift Space for his constant dishonor to the Master of Defense. The soldiers outside the tent swore they had never heard Budgeron use the mez word so often.

  The sky grew dark and the warriors were ready to sleep after their hard work. What was normally a beautiful night sky loomed distraught. A gentle breeze swayed the field reeds like beckoning Phaenix fingers. A messenger Phaenix landed in the strategy tent with his satchel in hand, demanding to see Budgeron. Budgeron came over to him immediately.

  “You need to fly to the Queen now.”

  “Is she all right?”

  “She found something startling—an Earthian.”

  Mollet’s ears perked in disgust. Panic spread in the army.

  *****

  A new darkness rose over the East. The Kalhari trolls slept, anxiously awaiting their battle in the Drift Space. The sokratists bears drooled hungrily for their next meal. Within the caribou tents of the enemy, one troll was looking over a delivery by his newest troll. His eyes read it fervently, digesting every word written on the parchment. He ordered all of his servants and warriors out of the tent. With a scroll in each hand, he began to piece together everything he needed. The words illuminated, coming alive inside his mind, and a sinister smile tore across his face. He looked up from the Davik scrolls at a saber on the wall. It was almost time.

  “Assemble the armies: we march.”

  “The Daysun is an open ear to the weak Phaenix. He hears the pitiful cries of those who are in peril. The Daysun is an open hand to the poor Phaenix. He is ready to give. To the Phaenix who ignores the poor and needy, he is a closed fist.”

  - Proverb of The Shaye

  XVII: Kingdom Come

  Three hours before Mollet was dismissed.

  Up until this point in the journey, Ethan had seen only trees, water and mud, but never had he set foot in the confines of the glorious castle, known only as The Majesty. It embodied every castle-like feature Ethan could imagine. The palace featured long ivory gold towers, perfectly cut white bricks and medieval-shaped windows made of stained glass. There was a glass dome of purple and red hues resting on the top. He saw the expanse between the water and the base of the giant castle. It was just hovering over the water still! What was holding it up?

  The only way to get into the castle was through the glass tunnel leading like an elephant trunk into the body. It was quite intimidating, especially when the person on the other end had the inclination to kill him. He stood at the entrance to the glass tunnel. Caitilin told him not to get close to the underside of the floating castle because that was grounds for an immediate spear through the body. The guards weren’t going to let him or his friends in without a good reason.

  Mollet suddenly dropped to one knee with obvious relief. “I have done your bidding. Now where is my sword?”

  Hinson glanced at Caitilin and she agreed that his work was done. “You have fulfilled your purpose. The sword is in a hollow tree where we camped along the golden trail,” he said.

  Mollet acknowledged this. He looked at the broken creature who had caused this whole mess and thought again of how Ethan was clueless to everything around him. It would be a pity if the Queen hung him publicly, but such was life in Faeria. That attitude didn’t make Mollet feel any better about it. His heart actually started to ache for the boy. But why would Mollet tear himself from battle for the little straggler? He didn’t know. Perhaps being kidnapped gave him a weird relationship with the boy. But he had no time to show those feelings.

  Grabbing onto Ethan’s shoulder, Mollet brought him closer. “Boy, if I see the bonfire smoke rise over the North, I will know it’s you on the day of your death. I wish you well in this life and the next.”

  It was not a usual goodbye for Ethan, but Mollet was off to the battlefield before Ethan could say thank you for training him. He wondered for just one moment. Ethan had been assaulted by the super warrior who had abused him every chance he got, but the boy couldn’t help but smile at how much he admired Mollet. He might be what his school called a “total hater,” but he loved his homeland enough to act violently hostile to complete strangers. That’s the kind of presence Ethan wanted: the authority to strike fear in all outsiders.

  “Don’t worry, Ethan,” Caitilin comforted, “I have a great hunch everything will smooth over just fine.”

  “A hunch?” Ethan questioned. “It used to be a prophecy, now it’s a warm sparkly feeling that you have? That’s wonderful.”

  Hinson walked over to the door guard protecting the tunnel. The spagion wore gold-plated wooden armor and carried a long purple spear. Standing at perfect attention, he didn’t give Hinson the satisfaction of acknowledgment.

  “Sir, we have permission to see the Queen and we have a token of permission.”

  The guard took one look at the token to see its legitimacy.

  The world seemed to unfurl within the glass tunnel. Every exotic plant, exhibiting colors that would make the rainbows of Earth jealous, hugged the wall. There were massive flowers from the Elfin gardens and tiny ice roses from the Darken deep forests. The sphere of colors ranged from neon yellow grasses to a ten-foot flower with crimson petals. Everything thrived in the glass tube, perfectly situated as a greenhouse for the royal Queen. The rich smell infused the air in a fruity, tangy scent.

  Caitilin felt her excitement explode within her. She was in The Majesty that her teacher had frequented so many times. He always said the splendor of the glass garden was the most beautiful garden in all of Faeria. She walked the whole length with her eyes glued to the foliage. How could she be so blessed to be in the pride of Faeria?

  “Oh, Ethan, is this not the most beautiful garden you have ever visited?”

  “It smells like ketchup.”

  Ethan wanted to complain about the deep humidity and the misty feeling that caused his bandages to itch. The whole place seemed like a warm bathroom facility in a low-budget campsite, permeated with the smell of ketchup. He was amused by the transparent lilies that looked like holograms and the tiny yellow roses that moved their heads anytime someone spoke. He was more concerned with his life at the moment. Death could be only a few steps away.

  They found a new guard standing between two golden doors inscribed with many Phaenix insignias. This was the doorway to end their mission. No Earthian had come this far. The guard inspected their token and asked the Religistral members to turn over their Phaenix dust. Caitilin and Hinson happily obliged.

  The insignia on the door transformed as an unseen force welcomed them in. A lobby unveiled itself. The walls splashed with gold trim and paintings of Phaenix glorious with power. The room held only one door at the rear, guarded by some of Faeria’s finest. These guards were trained to sense threats in the facial expressions of their visitors. If they felt there was even a note of insincerity from them, their spears would be out.

  This was the first time indoors for Ethan in Faeria and it was absolutely wondrous. The walls were freshly painted with faerian figures and polished tiles mirrored his reflection from the floor. The castle was so immaculate and color-coordinated, Ethan stood a gap to the splendor. He walked into a burly guard who gave him a suspicious eye.

  “Wait here,” the guard said in Phaenix.

  Ethan jerked away and turned to Hinson and Caitilin. He was the only one trembling.

  The glory was stunted when an oblong Phaenix sporting a crimson beard approached them. This particular Phaenix wasn’t interested in small talk; just the formal matters. He rounded the corner of the hall grasping documents on Hinson and Caitilin. He did not have a formal document on Adoki. He turned to Hinson.

  “Welcome to The Majesty,” he said carelessly. “I serve as a counselor and a warning.” His eyes narrowed. “My counselor duties are to show you the more beautiful parts of the castle and give their history. My warning is to
make sure you are telling the truth about your visit and are true members of the Phaenix race. I am an expert in reading Phaenix personalities so if you have any ill-will, know that I will find it.”

  Ethan’s hands grew clammy. He was not a Phaenix by any stretch of the imagination.

  “At any time, I will ask one of you a question. You will need to answer it truthfully and honestly. The purpose of this question is to judge where your mind is. If I can see into your mind, I can tell what your purpose and your plan is in the castle. All of you will need to communicate and give an account.”

  The counselor’s lips smacked as he talked, which irritated Ethan. The counselor’s eyes would skim over the robed atrocity and he would quickly look back to the prettier Phaenix. He felt twinges of guilt that a veteran of the invasion had been so mangled.

  Caitilin began to get nervous, her hands shaking slightly. He would find something horribly wrong with Ethan. She began to cycle through her prayers as she walked.

  He led them through the lobby doors into a hallway with Phaenix murals painted on the wall. Every picture was a historical scene involving key moments as the Magistral established a government. Some Phaenix were making scrolls while others were declaring victory for the land. The Phaenix endured many revolutions and pivotal moments in history, surviving slavery, famine, and even a priest who split the ocean so that the people of Faeria could escape a monster.

  “This is the freedom hall,” the counselor spoke. “This is where we celebrate the creation of our Charter of Gravelin, which gave us law, freedom to worship the Daysun, and commerce. In this charter, we established that every Phaenix can be free and precious to the homeland without any responsibility to the other nations. Also you will notice we hold the most authority within the Truxton council, the global Magi council to govern our world that consists of key members of every race. We have never broken any of the council’s rules, such as refraining from growing enhanced sprout gardens and being sure not to fly through enemy lands in times of war. That is what gives us the highest authority.”

  Hinson studied the murals. The Gravelin treaty gave every Phaenix freedom and pride, but he could see why Erok was so concerned. Faeria had used that treaty to shun the other nations. Could this be why the Daysun wanted Ethan to be in the battle?

  The tour and interviews were exactly what Gibbs described, and he needed to focus. It was imperative that Ethan speak some Phaenix or risk being found out. Ethan’s body language alone was too foreign. Hinson readied himself for phase two. No one in the castle knew the details of Adoki. Now it was time to make sure the Earthian spoke like a Phaenix. Hinson glanced over the talisman hanging from Ethan’s neck. It had a pin on the back that could pierce the skin. He waited for the counselor to turn his eyes to the paintings and jabbed the blue shell necklace around Ethan’s neck.

  Ethan hobbled over in a choking fit, sputtering profusely. An intense buzzing erupted in his brain. He had been stabbed! His brain felt like white static from an ancient TV. Hinson had prepared him for this.

  This necklace will protect you when you get into the castle.

  How? It felt like it was killing him.

  He made a small commotion, but Hinson picked him up, barely avoiding the attention of the counselor. He had to do it now and Ethan would need to quickly adjust to what was happening. It all rode on the boy’s ability to catch on quickly.

  “Is everything all right?” the counselor spoke to Ethan. This was it. It was time to see if Ethan could perform the task. He would fly or fail.

  Hinson nodded toward Ethan.

  Caitilin took in a deep breath.

  Ethan’s breathing returned. The blue shell was hiding under his cloak. He didn’t realize for a moment that he could understand the counselor. The bearded man’s words traveled to his brain and translated everything as if the counselor was speaking English.

  The counselor tapped his fingers against the documents. “I will need a verbal response; is everything all right?”

  Hinson nodded again to Ethan.

  Caitilin took in another breath.

  Ethan stared blankly at the counselor. He wasn’t sure if this was going to work.

  “We can’t move on unless he speaks!” the counselor’s jaw tightened trying to keep formalities.

  Ethan felt the sweat drip down his face under the bandages.

  Hinson moved close enough to whisper in English, “Trust me. Say something.”

  “Jeyuda,” Ethan immediately stopped himself. It felt natural and he could do it again. Then he realized that even his thoughts were in Phaenix. It was like his tongue and his brain began to roll out this strange, understandable garble. He thought about his next words. He was going to say, Hi, my name is Adoki.

  “Jeyuda, cmikina iya Adoki.”

  “Gyu, kamina stenunka,” the counselor spoke.

  Ethan heard and understood it perfectly. He knew he was just insulted by the counselor and it put a beaming glow on his face.

  Although his dialect was on target, the counselor didn’t trust the battled one. He detected an eccentric Phaenix; damaged from war. Daysun bless him if he is a true veteran of a war. There was something about him that was new, innocent, and completely awkward. He decided to move on.

  As the group walked into the next room, Ethan’s mind was flooded with all the words he could say. A whole lexicon of phrases awaited him. Apparently all those lies about him being mute didn’t get to the castle. He just needed to dive into his head and pluck out a Phaenix phrase.

  Hinson got comfortably distant from the earshot of the large counselor.

  “I had to give it to him now,” Hinson whispered to Caitilin.

  “Won’t it kill him?” Her eyes widened.

  “We have to be quick.”

  The next room opened to rounded walls that were smoothed over in brightly colored tiles. In every curve of the room rested a bust of the Queen’s face, with blue flamed torches to accentuate her features.

  “This is The Majesty’s model room. The top molders of the community are chosen to make glorious art depicting the Queen. This cycle we chose the ceramic artist Pio Pionius. He made a bust of the Queen’s head, depicting her various facial expressions. What are your thoughts on this, Adoki?”

  The counselor called on him again. He needed to know what was wrong with the Phaenix in question.

  Ethan thought really hard about the answer. What would a Phaenix say? His mind cycled through constant Phaenix words and sentences, but he hadn’t discussed anything like this since he’d been here and didn’t know how a Phaenix would respond.

  “Oyu Prekio it s’ pyuga.”

  Caitilin was shocked. She couldn’t believe he had just said something so enlightening.

  The counselor nodded in approval because he also thought the busts were beautifully enriched with the glow of luminescence. Maybe the ugly Phaenix was awkward, but he was poetic.

  That was Ethan’s plan in thinking like a Phaenix. He needed to suck up to the Phaenix culture and say the most flattering things about it. He called this persona “save himself from death.” He was thrilled he had initiated his own plan: pretend to know about Phaenix culture. From what he’d seen, they liked luxury. He thought about how his mom gave him lectures about buying too much and not being thankful for the stuff he already owned. Perhaps this castle needed his mom to renovate it.

  The adjacent room was filled with ceramic war statues and Ethan said he thought it was exquisite beyond his mere recollection. The room after that was the royal kitchen, which could make more than three hundred different delicacies on any given day. It also had a meat locker filled with every foreign animal, from Octaflaught to drooling beast. Ethan noted that it was a gorgeous kitchen and he was in awe of its splendor. The final room on the tour was the Queen’s royal hall. Made of pure gold, the room inspired Ethan to carefully explain the room filled him with the light of jubilation and his very being could not contain the exhilarating feelings it gave him. He also tried to search h
is mind for negative Phaenix words like prideful and boasting, but they were nowhere in the Phaenix lexicon, at least not spoken from a personal perspective.

  The counselor laid his hand on the final door knob. He looked dangerously at the three with a sense of mistrust. He still felt something was not right. This was the last door for them.

  “This is where you will wait for the Queen. A guard will come and he will either present you a golden key or a spear. I don’t have to tell you which one means what, do I?”

  They all nodded.

  The door opened. The plainest room of all presented itself. No gold, no art, no Octaflaught closets, just four blank walls, some purple cushions and a wooden door rested here.

  How many liars had died in this room? The majestic ruler didn’t bother to decorate it because it was a room often used for judgment and death.

  Ethan sprawled out on top of a cushion and deflated with a huge sigh. He started to fidget with the necklace in his neck. It was starting to tighten his throat, making it hard to breathe.

  A fuzzy black creature brushed up against his leg, startling him. He watched it slide by with its tail darting to and fro; a cat. What was a cat doing in a Queen’s waiting room?

  “Careful Adoki,” Hinson pointed out. “That is a tattlekat. It can read your mind and it will tell everything to the Queen. Why don’t you think about flowers or happy memories?”

  Hinson thought for a second. “Maybe not your memories. Think of our memories.”

  Caitilin was more nervous than she thought she’d be. Her mind raced to the foul trouble she would be in for this crime. The tattlekat started to purr against her leg and she immediately thought about Hinson to calm her mind. She felt less than maiden-like for thinking about him, but it helped get her mind off of the danger she was feeling. He was everything that she wanted in a betrothal and her thoughts of adoration could have filled a library.