by Sanders, Dan
For the first two days Aldrick mostly slept, slouching in his saddle, snoring like the growl of a crocodile. When an icy wind whacked the group, the Professor stirred, cursed, shook the crusted ice off his shoulders, slapped his wind-burned whiskers, closed his eyes and pulled his cloak farther over his red nose. Emily and Rupurt chuckled. She was grateful for Eostra making her a snow rabbit.
Other thoughts hovered in her mind. Something had changed with her ‘mind connection’ or ‘Thoughtspeak’ as they called it with Magas. She didn’t want to tell anybody her mind was too small to understand most of it. All she knew for sure was that finding this strangely called Wellwyn Prophecy was an important step. It would help her get home, despite what the Emperor said. The rest she would leave to Magas and Eostra. She would do the best she could.
Early on the third day Daimon cantered alongside and said, “The guards say we are near Mirakoth. They say to be alert, given what happened at Adros.”
Daimon was a strange boy in his own way. He was obviously smart, but obsessed about fighting. ‘War this’ and ‘war that’, he would say. But she was grateful for his doting on her, that is, whenever he wasn’t trying to work with the Adros soldiers to connect with his CBlade. She shared his frustration at not connecting with the land, and in Daimon’s case, his new power sword.
After the multi-coloured grandeur of Adros, Mirakoth was ordinary. Settled in a scooped out valley of giant trees, the city was more like a large village, a cosy collection of circular doughnut dwellings made of smooth stone walls with dark pitched roofs and wide eaves. The hollowed out centre of each house was an open courtyard, where Mirakoth parents tended their vegetable gardens while the children played, oblivious to the outside world.
Aldrick instructed the Adros guards to stay at the entrance of the town. “And don’t be noticed,” he said. Their bulbous heads wobbled in obedience.
As they moved through the town-centre Emily marvelled at the bustling streets with horses pulling carriages that floated above the ground. She recognised them as using the same Power Planks as those under the Rabbit Rail. The streets connecting various circular buildings were so crammed she was amazed that everybody avoided colliding.
The group tethered their horses and continued on foot through the town. Aldrick said by walking they would move faster and not be noticed.
Shortly after noon, Daimon refused to go on without food and drink. Aldrick seemed to anticipate this demand and soon they stopped at the once popular Bolstar Inn on Fethel Lane. Aldrick spent time drinking and extracting information from the barman; Daimon suspiciously watched two blue-skinned men reading a floating crystal ball, while they all marvelled at the dining tables that floated, stacked above each other in neat rows.
“I just hope the Prince is right about this girl we seek,” Daimon said, through a mouthful.
Aldrick grumbled his assent. “A wild goose chase that wastes our time, so on and so forth.” He waved his hand to finish the sentence.
The old Professor pointed two fingers at a tray of food. It shuddered, floated through the air and banged on the table in front of Daimon who wolfed the food down.
“How did you do that?” Daimon muttered.
“TC,” Aldrick said.
“What’s TC?” Emily asked.
“ThoughtControl,” the Professor sighed. “Once you are connected with the land, you can connect with objects and manage the elements around them.”
“Everybody?” Daimon poked at the tray. It didn’t move.
The Professor sighed again and said, “When will you learn to connect? Connect first, control later, always.”
Two men and a woman, no taller than a youth, deep in conversation, slowly flew past Emily’s own hovering table, their delicate wings humming.
“Is one of them Lupita?” Daimon asked eagerly.
“They are Agramond,” Aldrick said, “one of the Exotic peoples, but like most here, this Lupita does not want to be found.”
“What are Exotics?” Emily asked.
“I had forgotten,” Aldrick said. “You don’t know anything yet.” Aldrick ignored Daimon’s glare and continued. “Exotics are the ancient representations of Elemental Lore. The Elementals cannot interfere directly in the affairs of the world and its begins, so they created Exotics. The Agramond or Air-Elves represent the Air Elemental. The Faoir or Fire Fairy represent the Fire Lore. The Reven represent Earth Lore…” Aldrick’s voice trailed off as he looked out the second-storey window. The table wobbled as he reached across Rupurt.
“Professor?” Noogie squawked. She lifted off the table and landed when Aldrick settled again.
Aldrick squinted and said, “Oh yes, where was I? In fact, the Earth Lore is divided between two Exotic nations; the Reven are rock beings and are Keepers of the Earth Lore. There is also the Treebith-Nod, the Keepers of all plant Lore. Plant Lore is part of the overall Earth Elemental Lore.”
“Are they trees?” Emily said fascinated.
“Of sorts,” Aldrick said.
“What about water?” Daimon asked.
“Ah, the Styx, or Water Sprite in the common tongue. They are the Keepers of water and rivers and seas; masters of the Water Lore.”
“Wow,” Daimon said, “this is an incredible world. I can’t wait to bring my friends to this place. What the general could do with the power of these people!”
Aldrick darkly stared at Daimon.
Emily became impatient. “Professor, are you going to tell us why we came here?”
Aldrick continued, “This Lupita woman has been seen around. But she’s trying to hide her true identity.”
“Why?” Rupurt hopped onto the table.
“Why do people do anything?” Aldrick wiped the plate with a stick of bread.
“If she’s an Air-Elf like Magas said, she should be easy to find.” Daimon pointed towards the three Agramond seated across the room.
“Not if she doesn’t want to be found,” Aldrick said.
A thought struck Emily as she was working through the steps outlined by Magas. “Professor, what does the prophecy look like?”
“I haven’t seen it,” Aldrick said, “but it will be in manuscript form. I don’t think that will be the problem. The challenge is understanding it. The Seers from Wellwyn are an ancient people who irritated the rulers throughout the ages with their vague prognosticat—”
Rupurt interrupted, “Can you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Daimon moved his long hair from his ear and cocked his head to one side.
“I hear it,” Emily said. “Beautiful music.”
“Yes, beautiful,” said Rupurt, “but haunting.”
“Rabbit hearing,” Aldrick said. “Rupurt, think now. Are they Pandrien pipes?”
“What are pipes?”
“By Eostra, what have I been lumped with?” Aldrick said. Irritated, he spoke to their floating table. “Down.”
He said to the others, “Stay close. Remember, others also chase what we seek.”
They scuffled across the dusty road and into the main town colosseum, a four-storey circular building. Emily was struck by the sad music echoing off the high stone walls. She hopped over to a large gathering of people and bounced in the air, trying to get a glimpse over the crowds pushing to get closer to the music.
Noogie had taken flight, and Emily reached out to her in Thoughtspeak.
“What can you see?”
“Somebody small, making music. People are crowded around.”
Emily wove her way to the front of the crowd. Daimon followed with his hand on the hilt of his CBlade. Emily slipped her paw into Daimon’s hand. Not looking down Daimon returned the squeeze. They watched in silence for a few minutes. Just then a young man accidentally stepped onto Rupurt’s blue footpad. The rabbit’s yell was swallowed by the haunting melodies that filled the stadium. Emily pushed the boy off Rupurt’s paw. The boy hadn’t noticed because his eyes were fixed at the hooded figure playing pipes. Daimon lifted Rupurt and rubbed his fo
otpad.
Aldrick was agitated. The sun glistened off the sweat-beads hanging on his fading black curls.
“Professor, why the fuss over the music?” Emily yelled.
“I have a hunch. Follow me closely. The girl playing the pipes, we need to speak with her. Do exactly as I say.”
They moved closer to the girl in the bronze robe. Aldrick signalled for them to break from the front of the crowd. They ambled to either side of the girl. She did not see them as the hood completely shadowed her face.
Aldrick tapped Emily’s ears and Thoughtspoke her, “Take Daimon and go to the other side of the girl. If she runs, follow. Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll explain later.”
Emily’s heart pounded and her pads itched against the soft dusty ground. She signalled with her ears to Daimon and Noogie to follow her.
Three large men with round heads and thick chests had also pushed their way to the front of the crowd. They watched Emily and Daimon move away.
Aldrick Thoughtspoke Daimon, who had placed his hand on the blue hilt of his CBlade. “You don’t need that yet, boy.”
Once in their positions, Aldrick sauntered up to the girl, lifted her hood aside and casually whispered into her ear. Her playing stuttered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. The crowd swayed in rapture from the ghostly melody. Emily hopped a little closer. Noogie suddenly swooped and flapped into the face of the hooded girl. The girl tucked the pipes in her robe and dashed into the tavern behind. For a moment the crowd was still mesmerised by the show.
“Go round the back, be ready for her,” Aldrick said. “We need to talk with her. Don’t hurt her. Tell Noogie to be ready to follow.”
Emily, heart racing, followed Daimon as he pushed aside the mesmerised crowd, hand on his CBlade, his jaw determined.
Daimon stood beside Emily and waited for the signal from the Professor. They didn’t have to wait long. The door burst open. Searching for freedom, the girl’s shadowed face jerked from side to side. Emily took two large hops and landed in front of her. The girl pulled her hood tighter over her head.
“We only want to talk with you,” Emily blurted. Daimon stood tall beside her.
“Look, quick,” the girl said and pointed behind Emily.
Daimon said, “We’ll not fall for that.”
Emily however turned and screamed, “Daimon, quick.”
The three large men towered behind them. One grabbed Daimon and another reached for Emily. She jumped into the air, spun around and thumped her footpads into the man’s chest. He fell into the dust, grabbing his bruised body. She landed and nodded in surprised satisfaction.
The last of the men reached for the girl in the bronze robe. She ducked below his sweeping arms and disappeared into the thinning crowd. Emily hopped into the air and pounded the back of the man who had his arms around Daimon. The man gripped tighter. Emily jumped higher and slapped his head with her forepaws. The man dropped Daimon and reached for her instead.
Daimon whipped out his CBlade and slapped the side of the blade against the backs of the man’s knees. The man staggered and crashed to the ground with Emily firmly in his grasp. Emily hopped madly on his face. He released her, cowering under her onslaught.
“Let’s go,” Daimon said, puffing. He grabbed Emily’s red paw.
Emily hopped off the man and in the direction of the girl. The man Emily had kicked in the chest lunged at Daimon, who stepped aside. With his CBlade held loosely in his hand he cut the belt off the man as he pushed himself upright. The man grabbed at his pants and the crowd laughed.
“Leave us,” Daimon warned with his sword. “Next time I won’t spare your life.”
Emily gulped at Daimon’s growling threat. Suddenly she saw Aldrick run into the bushland just outside the arena.
They followed the Professor outside the arena and up into the dense trees.
“We couldn’t get her to—” Daimon said as they easily reached the tiring Aldrick.
“Stop talking and get after her,” Aldrick puffed as he stumbled on a stone and Rupurt fell from his robe.
Daimon took the lead up the mountain path, cutting a swathe through the clinging vines with his blue blade. A canvas of sticky leaves replaced the sunlight. Emily realised the plants were moving of their own will, lashing at her, trying to trap her. She was scared, having never seen a moving plant before, except that one time when…
She glanced back up the hill at Daimon and saw sky appear before them. They reached the top of the path which ended in a flat grassy plateau. The path forked. One path to the right led deeper into the jungle and the other ended nearby at a thin line of bushes at the cliff’s edge.
Pointing his CBlade deep into the jungle, Daimon said, “She must have gone this way.” He then pointed down the other path over the cliff’s edge. “It’s a dead end that way.”
Emily panted, her whiskers dripping sweat onto the damp ground. A strange feeling came over her. She had felt it a few times over the past couple of days. Sometimes it was a vague impression; at other times she felt clear emotions coming from a tree or a rock or even the grass. This time it was as though the trees were giving her an impression and image of the person they were looking for, as though they were guiding her. She pushed her round black nose deep into the grass and breathed in deeply, as Rupurt had taught her.
She decided to Thoughtspeak Noogie. “Noogie, can you see where she went?”
“Sorry Em, I lost her in the trees. They are too dense.”
Emily watched Daimon cleaning his CBlade on his tunic. Were they ever going to find this person? Emily padded in circles.
“What’s wrong Emily?” Noogie said as she landed on Daimon’s shoulder.
“I have a feeling we should go this way,” she said, pointing to the path that led to the cliff’s edge.
“That’s crazy, Daimon said. “There is nobody there. We need to hurry this way before she gets farther away.” Daimon waved his sword towards the white trunks down the other path.
“Listen to Emily,” Aldrick said as he arrived, puffing.
Daimon shrugged and walked over to the bushes near the cliff’s edge.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed anything strange about the person we are chasing, Professor,” Daimon said haughtily, “but she has no wings. I thought Lupita was an Agramond.”
Aldrick pushed past Daimon towards the cliff’s edge. He called out, “Lupita Bothan, one of the exotic and revered Agramond, musician, and fair friend of Eostra, we come in peace. Please reveal yourself so bonds can be made and fates shared.”
Emily and Daimon were both surprised at Aldrick’s formal manner. A few minutes passed, and Emily thought they should have followed Daimon’s lead.
There was a rustle in the bushes. Noogie took flight and dived among the leaves. Squawks and feathers flew when the bronze-robed girl ran out waving her hands above her head.
“Leave me alone, you strange bird,” said a child-like voice from the hood.
Emily squinted at the sun behind the petite stranger standing defiantly before them, her thin hands on her hips and her legs firmly apart. The stranger threw back her hood, revealing a porcelain face and thin nose. Soft spiky black hair sat behind small pointy ears pulled into her head. She was a head shorter than Daimon but Emily thought her lovely to look at. She couldn’t see why Magas thought her important. The girl stared at each of them.
“I am not the one you seek. I am Lavi from Errenor.”
Emily’s heart sank. Aldrick smiled, stepped forward and bowed.
“You are not who you pretend to be,” Aldrick said patiently. “Your playing of the Pandrean pipes could be only from one who is musically schooled in Thilameth. Rest assured, I have no concern for your past, only for your future.”
“Really, Mr Clever, if I was an Agramond, where are my wings?” The young woman turned around, and removed her robe to reveal a tan tunic, tied by a thin red belt.
“Can’t you see she doesn’t have any wings, Pro
fessor?” Daimon sighed. “She’s the wrong one.” He rammed the point of his blue blade into the grass with a thud.
“I didn’t want to do this,” Aldrick said, “but I have no choice.”
Aldrick held his palms open at his belly, fingers stretched wide. He concentrated and firmly pushed into the space in front of him. The air shimmered and an unseen force, created by his will, pushed the surprised girl through the line of bushes and straight over the cliff.
“What have you done?” Emily screamed and hopped to the cliff’s edge looking for the girl. Her only hope of getting home had been killed.
Aldrick stood calmly and straightened his tunic as if ironing out an unseen crease.
Noogie flew out over the ledge and down the cliff. A few moments had passed when they heard a light buzzing sound. The girl bobbed in front of them, the sun sparkling off the purple veins inside her four teardrop-shaped wings. Her small pointy ears hugged black spiky hair. The tan tunic had been replaced by a velvet blue robe. Noogie grunted as she flapped by the girl’s side, holding her original tan tunic in her claws.
“Welcome, Lupita Bothan of Thilameth.”
“How do you know I just won’t fly away, old man?” Lupita’s almond shaped eyes flared at Aldrick as she hovered closer.
“I have a hunch you would rather be found by us instead of others in Mirakoth who seek you. Rest assured, our task is great and we will follow you to the Abandoned Lands if necessary.”
Lupita drew her breath in at the mention of the name. After a moment’s hesitation, the Air-Elf flew over to Emily, squinting suspiciously.
“You are a strange looking bunch. What could you want with me?”
“This is Emily, the Chosen One of Eostra, come to bring harmony to the elements again,” Rupurt said proudly.
“Oh my!” Aldrick threw his head back in despair. “Will you ever learn?”
“By the winds of Arwin,” Lupita said. Her face widened, her eyes digging for lost memory. “That’s a fancy title for an overgrown rabbit.”
“Can we go somewhere and talk, privately?” Aldrick said.
