by Sanders, Dan
“Well, well, what to-do.” Lupita thought for a moment and scratched her hair. “Follow me, and put that CBlade away little fella, it makes me nervous.”
The Air-Elf stretched her arms above her head and lifted into the air. Aldrick called out, “Hey, remember we can’t fly. Stay close.”
“Whoops, sorry ’bout that. Just glad to have my wings back. They hate being cramped.”
Chapter 14
Lupi and the Prophecy
LUPITA BOTHAN’S HOME
OUTSIDE MIRAKOTH, ANNWYN
Lupita led them deeper into the forest. Daimon hacked endlessly to create a path for the others. Only small slivers of sunlight bounced off the smooth white trunks. Emily was grateful for the cooler temperature provided by the overgrown foliage.
They stopped at the base of a thick trunk covered by vines. Lupita smiled and pointed to the shadowed treetops above. “It’s up there, my home.”
Aldrick and Emily groaned.
“I can lift the rabbit up,” Lupi said, “but you lot will have to climb. Looks like you could do with a bit of exercise, Pops.”
“How dare you!” Rupurt yelled.
“Don’t be offended, Rupurt.” Aldrick kneeled and rubbed Rupurt’s blue fur in thanks.
Aldrick surprised them all when he held onto the trunk and concentrated. Emily knew he was focussing his mind again to use TC. She wished she could do that. He used his power to hold most of his weight, laughing as he quickly flitted past Daimon up the trunk, like a hippo with the agility of a spider monkey.
Lupita’s home nestled in a large hollow in the trunk. When Rupurt hopped inside he rubbed his snout on the smooth wooden floor. The trunk rings circled around the room looked like a cosy amber rug. Aldrick bumped his head and promptly sat down, nesting his pack between his legs in exhaustion.
“What’s so tough Professor? You hardly used a muscle climbing,” Daimon said.
“The mental exertion from TC exhausts the body very quickly. But you haven’t learned that yet, have you?”
Daimon ignored the slight and looked at the progress of the others. Lupi was last in, dropping Emily with a huff on her footpads.
“Clouds alive, you’re big for a rabbit.”
“I told you she was special.” Rupurt folded his paws.
Daimon spun the blade between the palms of his hands, watching the dull glow of the sword as the light from outside glinted in. He said to Aldrick, “Were they the assassins you spoke of in the Inn?”
“I don’t think so. Too big for Jalpari and lacked the skill of an assassin.”
“They had skill, but Emily and I bested them in battle,” said Daimon.
“Make no mistake, you and Emily held your own today, admirably, but if they were Jalpari assassins, they would not have allowed such a spectacle to form in public. They were something else.”
They looked at Lupi for answers. Lupi laughed sheepishly and said, “Those goons were hired thugs from the Innkeeper. They thought I was breaking my contract. S’pose I was in a fashion, but not of my own choosing. Thanks for nothing by the way. I’ll have some explaining to do, and I don’t think they will believe this story.”
“Sorry,” Emily said, “it’s all very strange. But I believe Magas and the Emperor of Adros. I wish we could all just go back to our lives.”
Emily looked at the tree-ringed floor.
Lupi said, “Maybe you could explain this story to Topail tomorrow. What exactly is the story, Pops?”
“I think you’d better have a seat,” Aldrick said. “This will take a while.”
“Please Pops, call me Lupi.”
“Only if you call me Aldrick or Professor.”
The strained laugh was the first that broke the tension for the night.
It was dark when they finished telling the tale. Emily could see the change that came over Lupi as the tale progressed. Some things Lupi couldn’t believe; like Emily being touched by Eostra, which she promptly proved by showing the mark on her white forearm. She had only heard of Magas in myth and had only been to Adros once. Lupi said it wasn’t her kind of town, which Emily could believe. Daimon kept sneaking behind Lupi to stroke one of her translucent wings.
All through the night Emily wondered how this strange-speaking and impolite Air-Elf could help them. She didn’t seem to know as much about the things of power as Emily would expect from one of Annwyn’s exotic beings, and had only vaguely heard of the Wellwyn Prophecy.
Emily had that sinking feeling again that Magas or Prince Bevan had made a mistake sending them here.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Emily said, “but can you tell us where the prophecy is?”
“What, clouds alive my furry friend, I don’t have any information for you. If that’s why you’re here, I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time.”
Emily impatiently hopped over to Lupi and stuck her white snout right in front of Lupi’s piercing eyes. A shadow from the two blue moons softened the Air-Elf’s cheek.
“Are you telling the truth? Have you not seen or heard of the prophecy?”
“Wowa, if you don’t believe me, search for yourself. I thought they were tall tales.” Lupi spread her arms to indicate her home and said, “All my worldly possessions.”
“So that stuck-up Prince was wrong,” Daimon muttered.
“What Prince?” Lupi said.
“Prince Bevan Gwyngad of Ibendari,” Emily said.
“You met the Prince? Anyway, what would that rogue know?”
Daimon stood up and banged his head on the roof of the hollow. Rubbing his head he said, “If I am not mistaken the Prince said, “She gets around. Nobody knows better what goes on in the dark places of Annwyn than Lupi.’”
“Well…” Lupi blushed.
“Lupita,” Aldrick said. “Think hard. In all your travels have you heard anything that may lead us to the prophecy? We have little time and the shadow is spreading.”
Lupi sat with her legs crossed, hovering in the air, with her arms folded.
“You seem genuine. I don’t think you are here to harm or steal from me. But the Prince has erred. I cannot remember anything that might help you.”
The companions sat in silence. The snap of a twig echoed from the forest floor. Everybody froze. Lupi flew to the opening, peered outside, then stuck her head back in. “Just a gollion feeding on grubs.”
Everybody breathed relief, although Emily wondered what sort of animal a gollion was. She was getting desperate. She thought this disrespectful being was holding something back. She hopped around the room and pulled food and cups and plates off the shelves, hoping to find any clue.
“Careful rabbit,” Lupi said. “I do live here you know.”
Emily apologised and sat on her haunches. The wind outside had picked up and the tree’s finger-shadows danced across the round wall of Lupi’s home. A stream of moonlight washed across Emily’s large white nose.
Daimon said, “What’s that?”
“What?” Emily looked around. Her footpad was touching a cloth pack underneath Lupi’s straw sleeping pad.
Lupi’s wings buzzed angrily as she swooped across the room. “Leave that alone. It’s just some personal possessions.”
Emily picked up the pack. Lupi snatched the pack and the contents, mostly jewellery and old letters, rolled onto the floor. The largest item was a small orange crystal cylinder.
“Hey, look here,” Daimon said as he scuffled across the smooth trunk floor on his hands and knees and scooped up the cylinder. He ran his fingers over it.
“It’s nothing. I even forgot I had it.” Lupi nervously grabbed the other scattered items.
“Nothing, hey.” Aldrick took it from Daimon and held it up to the moonlight. Blue light glinted off intricate markings carved along the length of the cylinder.
Emily felt guilty for prying into somebody’s possessions, but she felt Lupi didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.
“It was payment for services,” Lupi said. As the suspicious gl
ances continued she added, “For my pipe playing. You know, like today in the town circle.”
Aldrick’s tone became serious. “Where exactly did you get this, Lupita? And what was said to you?”
“As I said…”
“Be precise.”
“Clouds alive, I’m trying. It was about thirty years ago, when I was doing a stint for a monk in Manoa, on the western coast. What you saw today is how I make a living. Inn and tavern owners get me to play in front of their business. The people enjoy my playing so much…”
“Aaahmm,” Aldrick cleared his throat, his fingers flittering over the cylinder.
“My pipe,” Lupi corrected. She pulled out a blue crystal instrument with eight different length pipes strapped together by a clear crystal band. Carvings ran along the length of each pipe.
“It’s beautiful,” Rupurt said in awe.
“A Pandrien pipe of Agramond,” Lupi said. “They have special properties that make normal people placid and open to suggestion. Business owners get more trade with my playing. Good for them, food for me, and no questions.”
“What is wrong with playing beautiful music?” Emily asked.
Aldrick looked up and interrupted Lupi. “Lupi broke the Agramond Law of the Ben-Trai. The Ben-Trai has the power to enchant and bewitch the mind. There are three strains of noble Agramond music and to use it outside its custom of healing and ancient ceremony is a serious offence.”
“Isn’t that trickery?” Noogie asked waving her beak in disappointment.
“Everybody has to make a living. Don’t judge me, little bird.”
Silence again. Daimon stepped over to Lupi and studied her face. He said to her, “You said they gave it to you thirty years ago. That makes you old, but you look like one with only a few years as an adult.”
“I am young for an Agramond, but not for an Earthling.”
“How old are—”
“This is interesting,” Aldrick said. “You say a monk?”
“From Manoa,” Lupi said. “Ticked me off really. I only ever want hard coins for services. Everybody knows that. It ain’t no use to me out in the real world. I was going to fill his lungs with a windstorm for ripping me off, but he said some things which made me think it might be worth keeping.”
“What did the monk say?” Emily was intrigued.
“I’ll try and remember. Anyway, here goes. ’Child of Air, Child of Sorrow– now I don’t know what he means by that sorrow bit, I’m—”
“Lupita,” Aldrick growled.
“Now, now.” Lupi sat cross-legged next to Daimon and continued. “’This gift holds more than all the riches of Alendi. Treasure it; the one with the mark will call forth its treasure. Let the seer-stone be the key. If you save a life, you save its twin.’”
The rhythmic chirping of the forest night-life echoed off the evening mist and into Lupi’s tree-cave. Emily was excited. “I think this is it, Professor. It has to be.”
He patted her excitement away, deep in thought, then said, more to himself than to the group, “The one with the mark. It has to be Emily. Child of Air is clearly Lupi, but the other things I have to ponder. This is meant for us, but I am not sure what it is or if it is the prophetic document we seek.”
“What do you mean?” Emily said, agitated. “It must be. Can’t you open it?”
“It can’t be opened,” Aldrick said. “I have tried TC, and other Lore incantations, but it is not responding. See, it has the symbols of the Elementals and other ancient Annwynian writings. I must be missing something.”
Daimon grabbed it and said, “I’ll try.”
He gripped the smooth cylinder between his sandals and used the blade to pry open the line along the centre of the ancient object. After a few attempts the CBlade rang as it slid off the surface. Daimon handed it back.
Aldrick shook his head. “You think everything is solved with a blade.”
“In my world, most things are,” Daimon said.
“Can I see it, Professor?” Emily hopped over with her paws extended in anticipation.
“Nothing to lose. It is yours, technically.”
Emily buzzed with excitement. As she touched it a shock cursed through her body. The object came alive. She felt its excitement, her fur stood on end, and her heart pounded as if it found an old friend. A gentle orange glow filled the room with tangerine shadows that danced off the walls.
Everybody looked on in shock and glee. When the song in Emily’s head died down and she could again open her eyes, she studied the cylinder. It was like glass, smooth and cool to the touch. Just when she thought she saw something inside, it darkened again, hiding its secret. Emily thought it was playing a game, urging her to look outside before inside. She studied each symbol. The only one she recognised was the symbol at the end of the cylinder. It was the same as the one on her paw, the Mark of Eostra. She held her paw up to the blue moonlight and saw it. She felt it itching to get to her. It was exactly the same size, and where her mark was burned into her fur, the symbol on the cylinder protruded like a stamp.
“Emily, it’s the same one as the one on your arm. They fit together,” Rupurt said, his nose almost on the cylinder.
Emily’s heart raced. This was it; she was going home. She held her arm up to the light and placed the stamp of the symbol directly on the mark on her forearm. Her arm burned in an icy reunion, but she would not let go. It felt like an entire dawn, but must have only been a heartbeat. The cylinder rejoiced in Emily’s touch, as though they had finally met. Emily almost dropped the cylinder from her red right paw. She sat back and laid it on the ground. A loud click broke the night silence and the cylinder opened. An orange mist seeped out to reveal a tightly wound scroll.
“By the winds of Arwin,” Lupi said. “I never knew after all these years, that monk was legit.”
“Well, go on, pick it up,” Daimon said.
“We need more light for this.” Aldrick reached across and placed his hands flat against the wall. He rubbed his hands across, back and forth in a pattern Emily could not understand. She thought it looked a bit like a star. He whispered to it in deep slow tones. Emily felt the energy from his mind and how the tree responded to his entreaty. A warm yellow glow filled the room with gentle light and heat.
“Wowa, that’s amazing. I haven’t seen such connection with the Lore since… well, never,” Lupi slapped her leg as she hovered above the scroll. The room was charged with excitement. Rupurt danced around in the usual rabbit way, from front to hind leg and back again. Daimon went to hug Lupi but she raised her hands and buzzed away. He wrapped his arms around Emily’s head. Large shadows joined the beings in their moment of celebration.
“This will tell us the way to get home, won’t it?” Daimon said.
“Yes, yes–“ Emily began.
The room had gone silent. Aldrick stood as tall as he could while keeping his head bent. He laid his hand on Daimon’s shoulder in consolation. Emily had assumed he would want to go home but felt bad at not thinking of any sadness he might have.
“We don’t even know if we can read the prophecy,” Aldrick said. “Assuming we can read it, the prophecy has a specific purpose. It will show Emily how to bring harmony to the elements again, and push back the darkness spreading across our world. I know what you seek, but your path lies with Emily for now. Where it ends is not known, by this manuscript or anybody else I know of. I’m sorry.”
Daimon pulled away and climbed out into the darkness. He stood on a thick branch and stared out over the forest.
“Emily, let me see if I can read this,” said Aldrick.
Emily handed it to Aldrick who unrolled it. The document was a smooth papyrus that glimmered at certain angles in the moonlight.
“I hear it as a song in my head, like when I saw Eostra,” Emily offered.
“I haven’t seen paper like this before,” Lupi said.
“Me either,” Aldrick said. “The papyrus is infused with a rare crystal that provides its strength and holds the
memories and Lore inside. Unfortunately I don’t know how to decipher it.”
Aldrick spent a few more minutes studying the scroll before handing it to Emily. “Its secrets remain locked. It is not meant for me. You’re its owner, Emily.”
“I can’t read, but maybe I learned things from Magas when our minds fused.”
Emily held the silky scroll in her paws and felt a surge of cheeky gladness fill her. She relaxed her mind and tried to connect with the open artefact before her. Glimmers of colour danced across the surface in the warm light of the tree wall. She pictured it in her mind as Magas had taught, and felt emotions, stronger than before. Images of strange people sped through her mind. Animals and trees and rivers all swirled. She was flooded with images of joy. After a moment it dimmed and became sombre, as though trying to warn her, but her mind was unable to make out specifics.
After a while, she let the connection go and was more despondent than ever. She dropped the scroll to the floor. It rolled to Lupi’s feet. Emily looked through watery tears, and said to Noogie, “I failed Noogs, I can’t do it.”
Noogie flew into Emily’s little forearms and wrapped her red wings around her head. “You can do it,” Noogie said. She swung her brown beak around the room. Everybody nodded in agreement. “See, we will all help you through this.”
“Blow that, I’ll even help you,” Lupi said. “I’ve got nothing holding me here.” Lupi glanced out into the night and shuddered.
Daimon was still on the branch outside, spinning the CBlade between his fingers. He didn’t look up when he said, “This is nonsense. We will never make anything of this. How will we ever get back home? I have a life. I have parents worried about me. My father…” He clenched his fist. “Emily, I think you’re being used.”
Everybody looked as though they had been slapped. Emily hopped over to the opening of Lupi’s home, and looked under Daimon’s hanging head. Was he telling the truth? Was she nothing more than bait for their bigger plans? She sat upright on her footpads with her paws hanging loose in front. She looked at Aldrick and demanded answers with her blinking black eyes.
