“Megg. Thank you, I will.”
“Can I ask you . . . would it be possible to take me sailing?”
That question surprised everyone. “Where do you want to go?” asked Egg.
“I wish to know more about the Wind’dancers. Experiencing how they sail seems like a logical place to start. After all, if I am to convince them of our worthy intentions, I should be as familiar with them as is possible.”
Everyone was impressed with that logic . . . especially Aeri’elle. “Well, not only will I never be leader of this sisterhood, I’ll never be a Royal Princess.”
“Why do you say that?” asked Bl’azzz. “. . . besides the fact that we already have a leader and you’re not royalty that is?”
“Of all of us here, I’m the college professor. You’d think I would have taken every opportunity to study the people I need to win over. Well . . . it didn’t even occur to me and that’s incredibly embarrassing.”
“Do not be too hard on yourself, my sister,” said the Princess. “I have been trained since birth to this role. It probably helps explain why I assumed I was deserving of everyone’s love . . . all the while being an obnoxious brat.”
BreeZee turned to Egg, “Another long story, I’m guessing.”
“Oh, yeah.”
The Wind’dancer turned back to the Princess. “I would be honored your . . . um . . . Megg. Take my hand.”
The Princess did and the Wind’dancer spread her wings and the pair slowly rose off the ground.
“Be back before dinner,” yelled Egg.
While everyone was looking skyward, Sylvia slipped in behind her friend and dropped a particularly ugly spider on her shoulder. It was the bravest thing she had done it quite a while . . . she just hated spiders.
“Oh, Egg,” she called softly.
“Hey, Syl . . . sorry about that. I think I crossed the line.”
“Oh, fiddlesticks”.
“What?”
“Now I feel terrible.”
“Why?”
“Because I just put a spider on your shoulder.”
“Yeah, right” but Egg looked down anyway. Then she screamed, “GET IT OFF. GET IT OFF.”
“Humans” said Soo sadly.
“They are totally weird, aren’t they” agreed Bl’azzz.
“They would make great pets,” said Aeri’elle “that’s probably why I like them.”
*****
Megg wasn’t sure which she liked better . . . flying with Flying Girl or sailing with BreeZee. She was surprised how different each experience was.
With Egg, they sped along at a very fast clip. Everything flew by quickly, almost in a blur. It was the ultimate flying sensation.
However, with the Wind’dancer, they just glided with the breeze . . . feeling like one with the sky and the clouds and scenery they flew over. It was a very relaxing sensation.
“Tell me of your people,” she finally asked BreeZee. “What are they like? What would they want to hear from me? What would offend them? What . . . “
BreeZee laughed which caused the Princess to stop talking. “I think you have a lot of questions.”
“Sorry. I am just terribly excited.”
“Excited? About meeting my people?”
“Yes and no. I am excited that I am a member of the Sisterhood. I am excited that I have been given this diplomatic challenge. I am excited to face the same villains that my mother and the Sisterhood once faced. I am excited by the danger in this mission. I am excited by the thought that I am helping rescue my father and the others. And I am excited by the prospect of helping you and all the inhabitants of Zynn-Zaz’zia.”
“You and all of them (meaning the sisterhood) are incredibly brave.”
“They have proved their bravery many times over. I have yet to prove worthy to be a Sister.”
“But you’re a Princess.”
“An accident of birth. What my sisters have done was no accident. They deliberately put themselves in harm’s way for a greater good. And they do it yet again. I am yet unworthy to be called a Hameggattic Sister. But, I will give my life if need be to keep them safe and to ensure our success.”
BreeZee was very moved by Megg’s honesty and she squeezed the girl’s hand a little harder. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“There was a time that I would not have thought that way . . . and would never have shared those feelings with someone not of royal blood. Thankfully, that person is gone. Unfortunately, she is not forgotten. This will be my chance to change how history will remember me. I cannot allow myself to fail.”
“You won’t. I just know it.”
“Thank you. I do hope you are right.”
“I have something to prove too.”
Megg looked at the Wind’dancer. “What would that be?”
“I need to prove to Egg, to all of you, that I’m also worthy of being a Hameggattic Sister. In my heart, I just know I’m meant to be one.”
The Princess smiled at BreeZee. “Then you and I have something in common.”
*****
A couple of days ago
Mobius intended to destroy the Wind ‘dancer’s Sun Seeker Tree but he also wanted to inflict as much terror on the villagers as possible. To achieve maximum chaos, he had to remove the one individual that could possibly bring order and calm to the situation . . . Zephyr.
And to do that, he would use Skye and Windy to lure the man into a trap.
*****
Present Day
“Where are we going?”
“The serpents live mostly in a cave complex in an underwater canyon about half way between the Nauti village and BreeZee’s clan. Since they are my prime responsibility, I check on them every day or two. I’m not sure how long I’ll be away helping you and your Sisterhood reconnoiter, so this is my last chance to visit for a while.”
“H’sssss.”
“Why do you laugh?”
“I’ve never reckon . . . um . . . that word you said.”
“Reconnoiter means to look around to see if there is any information we can learn that might be useful.”
“Oh. H’sssss.”
“Why do you laugh now?”
“I don’t know how to reckon . . . um . . . that word you said.”
Zazzi smiled. “Not to worry. I’ll show you what to do.”
They swam in silence, side by side. After a few minutes, Zazzi asked, “K’ssss, may I ask you a personal question?”
“Okay.”
“Do you have a boyfriend back on Aerianna?”
“H’sssss.”
“Why do you laugh?” said the other serpent who just had to grin at his companion.
“I can’t have a boyfriend. Boys scare me.” Then she quickly added, “Not my dad or brother . . . just everyone else.”
“Do I scare you?”
“H’sssss.”
“Why do you laugh?”
“You’re nice.”
“Maybe if you talked to other boys you would find them nice, too.”
“H’sssss.”
“Now what?”
“I can’t talk to other boys. They scare me.”
Zazzi didn’t mean to, but he started to laugh (well, h’sssss). After a minute, K’ssss started to laugh in sympathy. The H’ssssie fit lasted for a good five minutes.
“Oh K’ssss, you are truly unique.”
“Is that good?”
“Absolutely.”
Once again, they swam in silence until Zazzi stopped. “K’ssss, do people make fun of you because you’re not as . . . bright . . . as they are?”
“You mean not as smart?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“They don’t?” That surprised the serpent.
“They’re not allowed to make fun of me. After I became a Hammygatic Sister and a hero six times, the Queen told everybody that if they did, she’d send them to the Seven Lands.”
“Well, that was very nice of her. But before that?�
��
“Oh, sure. But it’s okay because I’m not very smart.”
“Would you like to be?”
K’ssss scrunched her face. “I can’t. I don’t know how to be smart.”
“But if you could?”
“Would it hurt?”
“Why would it hurt?”
“I don’t know. I’m not smart enough to know.”
Changing the subject abruptly, he asked “K’ssss . . . have you ever been in love?”
“I love to eat eels.”
“No. I mean in love with a boy?”
“No, silly. Boys scare me.”
Zazzi was face to face with the other serpent . . . with about four feet between them. He was looking into her eyes when he asked the most important question “Have you ever been kissed?”
This time K’ssss didn’t say anything silly. For whatever reason, she understood what was going on at that heartbeat in time. And with a feeling born of a millennium of evolution, she got the impulse to do something that until that moment never entered her simple head. She swam forward and kissed Zazzi.
And, more amazingly, she didn’t h’sssss.
“K’ssss, I believe I’m falling in love with you.”
Well now she h’ssssed.
*****
It was mid-afternoon when Megg and BreeZee returned.
“How was your flight?” asked Egg.
“I do envy you, sister. Flying is glorious.”
“Well, maybe your mom can have another flying suit made for you.”
Megg was horrified. “Never.”
“Why?”
“There is only one Flying Girl. I would not permit another suit to be constructed. Never.” She said it with such vehemence that the other girls were a bit taken aback.
“Meggy, I wouldn’t mind. Really. I don’t have the right to be the only one to have a suit like this.”
“You could not be more wrong. You have every right.”
“I agree,” added Sylvia.
“Egg, there is only one Flying Girl in the universe and that’s you,” said Aeri’elle.
“I, for one,” hissed Soo in a very rare moment of seriousness, “would be really upset if the Queen ever made another suit. You are Flying Girl . . . there can’t ever be another one. In fact, Meggy, as a Hameggattic Sister, would you promise that you would never have another suit made. Maybe you can make it a law or something.”
“Absolutely. I swear it as a Hameggattic Sister.”
Egg’s eyes began to mist up. “You guys are too much,” she managed to say in a very soft voice. She gave the Princess a hug then began to walk towards the water. She needed a minute to get her emotions under control. The love and loyalty of her sisters . . . her friends . . . was utterly amazing. The fact that they came from two different planets and three species made it more like a fairy tale than real life.
“Hi, guys.” It was K’ssss coming out of the water followed closely by Zazzi.
“Hey, K’ssss. Did you have fun?” Egg was glad for the distraction.
“Oh yes. Egg can I tell you a secret?”
“Sure.”
The silly serpent slid up to her earth sister and whispered in her ear.
It wasn’t much of a surprise but to protect her feelings, Egg said, “K’ssss, that’s wonderful. He’s such a nice . . . um . . . guy. How about you, do you love him?”
“H’sssss, I’m not sure. It isn’t like when I love to eat eels but whenever I see him I feel funny in my tummy. And when he’s not here, I think about him all the time.”
“I’m no expert, but I do believe that’s love.”
“Really?”
“Really and truly.”
“H’sssss.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you shouldn’t kiss a boy that you don’t love . . . that’s what my mom says.”
Egg smiled. “That’s probably good advice. So, are you going to kiss him now?”
“H’sssss”.
“What?”
“I already did. H’sssss.”
Chapter 7 – Bedtime Stories
Present Day
The sun had finally set on this day of mostly inactivity and waiting. Everyone had some level of anxiety about the coming confrontation with Mobius and the mysterious Reven but they were eager to get going . . . to let this story play out as it was destined to.
The girls were sitting around the campfire eating and talking in small groups about mostly nothing. Zazzi had excused himself to return to his cave for a few minutes.
Naturally, it was K’ssss who got everyone engaged in a silly conversation.
“H’sssss.”
“What are you laughing about?” asked Soo.
“I kissed a boy today.”
“Why you naughty girl,” said Aeri’elle with a smile. “You better not tell Zazzi or he’ll be jealous.” She was kidding of course.
“Oh no,” cried the silly serpent.
“What’s wrong?” asked Bl’azzz.
“I think he knows.”
The girls all laughed, but leave it to Soo to respond appropriately. “You are one ditsy dipsy-doodle. Of course he knows . . . he’s the one you kissed.”
“So he won’t be jealous?”
“Good grief.”
Sylvia was surprised. “I didn’t know that sea serpents kissed.”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
“Well . . . I don’t know. I just didn’t think you guys did.” She was beginning to blush from embarrassment.
“Did you think kissing was invented on Earth?” teased Soo’.
“No, of course not”. Then without thinking, she added, “It’s just that on earth fish don’t kiss.”
“Hey . . . I ain’t no fish,” cried the serpent in mock horror.
“Oh, oh . . . no, no, no . . . I didn’t mean that you were a fish . . . no, I mean, I . . . umm . . . I . . .” but then she gave up when everyone else started to howl with laughter. “Oh, fiddlesticks.” And the laughter grew louder.
“K’ssss has a boyfriend. Bl’azzz said she once had one. Do the rest of you have boyfriends?” asked BreeZee.
“Syl and I are kind of dating brothers back on earth. It’s nothing serious . . . yet.”
“And have you kissed them?”
“Well . . . not on the lips.”
“I have,” said Sylvia with more than a little misplaced pride.
Egg was shocked. “You have not.”
“Have to.”
“Have not.”
“No way.”
“Way.”
Before this nonsensical conversation could continue, Zazzi returned. “Am I interrupting?”
“No,” said Egg. “We’re just about to start telling our stories. Would you like to go first?”
“Truthfully, I have no story to tell. The only life-changing experience that I have had is . . . well . . . the last two days. You seven . . . , ” he stopped and turned to BreeZee, “you eight . . . are the first interruption of a lifetime of routine. I apologize.”
“For what?”
“That I have nothing of interest to tell.”
“Zazzi,” said the Princess, “everything about you is extraordinarily interesting. You harvest memories, you nurture a semi-sentient species trying to bring them to full awareness, you work in a lava pool, you live in a cavern where time stands still, you speak to Zynnia and you speak for Zynnia. To us, your whole life is fascinating.”
Zazzi said nothing for a moment as he considered the Princess’s words. “Sadly, you are wrong.”
“Why do you say that?”
“One’s life experience can only be measured or judged in comparison to his or her family and friends. I have neither.”
“H’sssss”.
“What do you find amusing, my lov . . . um, dear K’ssss?”
“You have eight friends. Me and Egg and Sylvia and Soo and Aeri’elle and Bl’azzz and Meggy and BreeZee.”
That was greeted by a choru
s of yesses and yups.
Zazzi looked around the fire, from face to face. “Then I can tell you the first part of my story.” He hesitated then continued. “One day I met my first dragons, my first wingless girls, my first sentient serpents and a Wind’dancer with beautiful wings. For the first time in my life, I had friends. And, for the first time in my life, I fell in love with a beautiful girl.”
That brought mist to seven pairs of female eyes. K’ssss on the other hand leaned over to Soo and whispered, “Do you think he meant me?”
It wasn’t the time to tease, so Soo whispered back “Yes, he meant you. Now you need to say something nice to him.”
“Ok”. She looked at Zazzi and said, “You’re pretty.”
“Oh, good grief.”
*****
When it was BreeZee’s turn, she told them about the person she was – too afraid of everything to enjoy life. Then she took the Rite and with the help of Zynnia, she passed the most difficult test she had ever taken. She had faced her worst nightmare and lived to tell about it.
The girls were in awe of her bravery and had a thousand questions, which the Wind’dancer patiently answered. The Sisters had a newfound appreciation for this exotic winged girl. She obviously wasn’t just another pretty face . . . she had as much courage as any of them.
“Bree,” said Egg, “we could have used you in the Seven Lands.” It was the highest compliment that Flying Girl could offer and the other girl beamed with pride at such words.
“Is it not strange,” said the Princess, “how each of us must face our own unique demon . . . to stare it face to face . . . before we can take the next step in our personal growth.”
That was kind of deep, but most of the girls understood what Megg was trying to say. Everyone has at least one fear that can consume you or, if you’re brave enough to confront it, you can use it to make you a better person.
“So what’s your demon, Meggy?” asked Soo.
“Sadly, I have more than one.”
“Care to share?” asked Sylvia.
“The first demon I had to face was staring at me in the mirror.”
“She’s afraid of mirrors?” asked the silly serpent.
Zazzi leaned over and whispered, “No, dear K’ssss. The demon was her own reflection.” Realizing that was still too esoteric, he added, “That means that there was something inside her that she did not like.”
Box Set #2: Zynn-Zaz'Zia: [The 4 book 2nd Adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood] Page 24
