Fall of Igneeria: The Half-ling

by Kaylee Soderburg

  ***

  Seth and I walked back to our clearing, both our brains not thinking. It was too much to take in at once. Destroy Kojas? We could barely take on a mass of monsters without dying, so how were we suppose to take down an evil, powerful demon?

  As the trees parted away to show the empty ground, I spotted Emily and Jason looking like they were about to go to war with a bunch of sticks. When they saw us appear, both dropped their weapons and smiled at us. Typical cover up.

  “Hey Seth, it looks like Jazell didn’t kill you after all,” Emily said and flashed me a grin. “What was that all about anyway, Jazell?”

  I opened my mouth to spill the whole truth when Seth glanced at me. I sighed at his expression, knowing that I couldn’t tell anyone if Seth didn’t want me to. I didn’t want to make it worse by revealing what I knew.

  When I didn’t reply, she covered her mouth with her hand to try to cover her chuckles. “Oh then,” she giggled, “I hope you two had a nice chat.”

  “Stop it Emily!” I snapped and felt my face burn.

  She snickered. “Okay whatever you say, Jazell.”

  “We have to tell you guys something,” I told her and Jason about how the dwarf had showed up and what he said about Igneeria. Emily listened quietly but when I got to the part that we were supposed to go there, her mouth fell open.

  “That’s completely crazy!” Emily gasped. “We’re supposed to just leave and go there? What about our parents?”

  “He told me, and I quote, ‘Miss did you not think that her majesty would have this all planned out? You don’t have to worry.’ I personally think it’s all a little skeptical, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said, digging for a pencil and paper from my bag, “I do. We don’t even know who this ‘majesty’ is and if this information is reliable. I understand the Half-way part, that makes sense, but the destiny part doesn’t.”

  I sighed and sat down on the log. “The dwarf said to meet him tomorrow morning near ‘the thorn that reaches the sky.’ What does that mean anyway?”

  Jason stepped over and spoke instead of Emily, who was furiously writing everything down, as if she’d forget in a couple of seconds, “It could be a description of something in town, maybe a building or a landmark.”

  I suddenly got an idea and took another piece of paper out. “Hey Jason maybe you could draw what you think it might be and that would help us.”

  “I’ll try my best, Jazell,” he said.

  I knew that his drawing would probably help us. He was the best artist I knew, his artwork was almost real.

  “Hey guys,” Emily piped up from her paper, “I think we should get home and speak to our parents. I want to see what this dwarf was talking about when he said that everything was already arranged.”

  “I agree.” I grabbed my backpack. “Wait, are we going to go?”

  Seth and Jason grinned at me and said together, “You bet.”

  “That is if we can find the place,” Emily reminded them.

  I turned the door knob and walked into the kitchen. My mom and dad were sitting in the living room looking extremely excited. Before I even had a chance to say hi, my mom jumped up and rushed over to me.

  “You never told us that you applied for a summer camp!” my mom squealed happily. “You also didn’t tell us that you were to be picked from the best. Congratulations!” She hugged me.

  “Um,” I choked out in surprise as I was squeezed, “I wanted it to be…uh…a surprise.” I managed to get the words out and seem intelligent.

  My mom released me from her clamp-like hug, “Well I am surprised, and very proud!”

  “Thank you?” I said slowly. This must have been the dwarf’s plan. Would have been nice if he had warned me, I thought bitterly.

  My dad got up and glowed happily behind my mom. “We are very proud, Jazell. You’re supposed to leave tomorrow, so you better pack.”

  “I’m going to go do that.” I said quickly, while I backed up towards the stairs. As soon as I reached them, I shot up so fast you would think I was running for my life.

  I closed the door, locking it behind me and then dialed Emily’s cell phone as fast as I could. I sat on my bed as the phone rang three times before I heard it click.

  “Jazell you wouldn’t believe what my parents just told me. They say I signed up for some camp and-”

  “I know the same thing happened to me,” I interrupted her quickly.

  I hear her breathe heavily, “This is crazy, it’s just happening too fast. We have to go or we’ll be in big trouble with our parents. But the thing is we don’t know where this meeting place is and-”

  She was cut off by the ringing of my phone. “Wait a minute Emily, I’ll have to put you on hold.” She huffed in reply so I pressed a button and said, “Hello?”

  “It’s me, Jazell,” Jason’s voice said breathlessly. “I know where the meeting place is.”

  “Great Jason, where is it?” I asked.

  A shuffle of paper sounded as Jason moved around. “It’s at the art statue, the one we call the rising hill. It’s in the park, remember?”

  “Of course, when we were younger, we used to try to climb it.” I replied.

  I heard Jason chuckle. “Who could forget? So I guess I’ll see you there?”

  “Of course, Jason, I’ll tell Emily.”

  “I’ll tell Seth then. See ya.”

  Emily’s voice came back. “Well, who was it?”

  “It was Jason, he found the meeting place,” I said. “It’s the public art piece we use to climb.”

  “That makes sense.” She paused. “I have to go, dinner.”

  “Bye Emily,” I whispered. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye.” She clicked off.

  After dinner I was laying in bed, my mind spinning. I still couldn’t believe where I was going tomorrow.

  To Igneeria.

  Chapter 6