Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel]

by Robert Iannone

  “I . . .” he started to say but the rest of his words were drowned out by the voice in her head. His voice. “You and I will be the best of friends. You will trust me implicitly. You . . .”

  Her eyes flew wide at the verbal assault. “STOP” she screamed.

  The only Council members still left were Z’kkk, Storm and N’ssss and they all turned as one to the sound of Rose’s scream.

  “Do not do that again or I will have your head.”

  “Your Highness, I was only congratulating you on your upcoming marriage. I meant no offense.”

  “You are a liar, a charlatan and evil personified. You may fool the others, but you cannot fool me. I pledge that I will fight you with every ounce of strength that I possess. You may think you are winning whatever game you are playing, but in the end I will take away that victory and leave you with the bitter taste of defeat.”

  She stood up, glared one last time at those evil eyes and left. Z’kkk, Storm and N’ssss hurried after her.

  *****

  Based on a suggestion by Mobius, the next day the three youngest members of the Council were informed that their services were no longer required.

  “We have decided that the three of you are too inexperienced to serve effectively. In a few years we will reconsider our decision.”

  “Was it Mobius’ idea to have us removed?”

  “Daughter, I am at a loss to understand your animosity towards the man. It certainly shows an unfortunate lack of maturity on your part.”

  “Oh, father, I am truly sorry.”

  “Well, you are forgiven. You know I love you.”

  “You misunderstand. I am sorry that I cannot bring you to understand the mistake you are making. What will happen to Aerianna I cannot divine, but we are all in for a very painful time.

  Know this. I do not hold you responsible for what is to befall us. Mobius has corrupted your thoughts, your ability to reason. For some reason I am not affected. I will fight him. I will see him defeated even if it takes a thousand years.”

  “Very melodramatic, my little princess.” He shook his head sadly and continued, “It hurts your father to say this, but you are not being rational. You offer no proof of these absurd allegations. It would take a leap of faith and a flight of fantasy to come to the same conclusions that you so readily accept. I am at a loss as to how to respond.”

  Rose didn’t get mad nor did she continue to argue. She reached up and gave her father a kiss on the cheek then turned and left.

  Little did she know it would be the last time she would see him.

  *****

  Rose left the city the next day, as did the other two former Council members – Storm and N’ssss. It was the week of Mystivus – the celebration of the day M’earth, and all Aerianna, had received the gift of the Crystal Egg.

  “Where are you headed, Princess”.

  “My father would have me visit the people of Aerianna. Storm and I did that once many years ago and it was a heartwarming experience. It is time he and I did it again. There are evil days ahead I would have them know that their Princess will do what she can to protect them.”

  “I wish you well. In your absence, I will keep an eye on your flying suit. I believe we are making strides in finding the power source.”

  “Thank you, N’ssss. Stay safe.”

  “And you, Rose.”

  *****

  Mobius asked the King if he would join him in the room that housed the Crystal Egg.

  “For what purpose?”

  “I have a suggestion that, if I may be so presumptuous, could alter the course of Aerianna forever. I believe I can guarantee that your loyal subjects will never forget this day for as long as they live.” Into the King’s mind, he added, “Such bold words pique your interest and you must find out what vision I have to offer.”

  “I freely admit that such a dramatic statement rouses my curiosity. Come.” And the two men walked down a long hallway sharing polite and meaningless small talk as they made their way to the Crystal Egg.

  At the entrance to the Chamber, the two Knight Guardians saluted then opened the door for M’earth. The King and his new advisor walked in. Except for the niche that held the Egg, the room was empty.

  “Well, here we are. Please . . .,” said the King, indicating that Mobius should continue his discussion.

  But Mobius just stared at M’earth with his evil eyes . . .

  Into the King’s mind, he virtually shouted, “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”M’earth almost fell over backward by the force of that command as it pounded the very nerves in his brain. Every other thought literally flew from his mind. His mouth dropped open, his eyes flew wide and both arms came up in front of his face to ward off this unexpected attack. Of course, it was an empty gesture.

  Mobius continued to stare and repeat his silent command “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  And again . . . “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  And again . . . “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  And again . . . “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  Good King M’earth, standing a few feet away from the most potent object in the known universe, could not form the thought that would summon the power to stop Mobius.

  “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  “You will transfer the power of the Egg to me.”

  M’earth simply had no choice and did as he was commanded. With tears streaming from his eyes, he knew he had just condemned his people to unspeakable pain and suffering.

  *****

  Rose and Storm were visiting a town called River’s Edge when the news reached them.

  The messenger was Kl’air and she was shaking from fright and mostly incoherent. “Oh, Ro. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh . . . “

  “Kl’air . . . calm down and take a deep breath.” The dragon did her best to obey but wasn’t very successful. “That’s a little better. Now what’s wrong?”

  “Ro . . . your father, mother and sister are gone. So is F’Aerianne, E’ssss and S’eeee. Mobius has seized the Crystal Egg and has made himself the Emperor or something.”

  Even though she had anticipated a dastardly act from that evil Kallous outcast, it was happening much sooner than she expected. Rose felt a cold shiver run down her spine as if someone had just walked upon her grave. Her heart was racing and she had to force herself to take a deep breath to calm down.

  When she had regained her composure she asked “what do you mean – gone?”

  “Gone, as in vanished into thin air. One minute they were there and the next they weren’t.”

  “And Z’kkk?” she asked hoping for the best but expecting what she heard.

  “I’m sorry, Ro. He’s disappeared too.”

  In a blink of eye, the world she had known her whole life was gone . . . as were all those she loved. It was too much to absorb and she put her hands to her face to cover her emotions. Storm motioned to the other dragon to follow him and they moved some feet away to give the Princess a little privacy.

  “I’m so scared,” whispered Kl’air.

  “We all are. I want you to fly to Talon’s Peak. Make sure that they’ve heard the news.”

  “What about Ro?”

  “I’ll take care of her. Be careful, Kl’air.”

  “I’ll try” and she used her wings to give Storm a hug.

  After she left, Storm walked back to his friend and asked, “What do you want to do, Rose.”

  “I’m going to fight that ugly cretin.”

  “How? If he’s got the Crystal Egg we don’t stand a chance.”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  “And in the meantime . . .?”

  “In the meantime we should get out of here. We need to gather as many friends as we can.”

  “Where to?”

  “Se’rene.”
>
  “Rose . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “Sorry about your family and Z’kkk.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You don’t think Mobius . . . um . . . you don’t think that he hurt them, do you?”

  She thought about that. At first, she had assumed that he had done more than just hurt them. But thinking about it dispassionately, as the Old Duke had taught her to do, she came to a different conclusion; one that made her feel a little better. “No. For now, they’re more valuable to him if he keeps them safe.” To herself she added, “I pray.”

  Chapter 9 – Dazzle, the Warrior Princess

  Only a handful of Rose’s friends had escaped the veil of light sent by Mobius to all the cities of Humans, Dragons and Serpents. From what they observed, once touched by the light, individuals would grow so fearful of the tyrant that they could not think to resist him. It was obviously accomplished using the power of the Crystal Egg.

  By chance, all five escaped to Se’rene . . . the only safe haven they could think of.

  N’ssss, Ven’trrr and his assistant K’oral had fled from Nau’tika. From Q’umulus came Sir Gacious, Earl of Cambria, and a member of the Royal Academy of Science and Philosophy. With him was A’fonia the Medicus, a female physician who had served the Old Duke and his wife.

  It was hardly a resistance force likely to strike fear into the heart of Mobius.

  They were gathered in the main salon to share with each other what little information they had been able to glean . . .

  “I’ve heard that the only person to willingly join with Mobius is that half-wit B’ludd,” reported Sir Gacious.

  “That red-winged flying fool, ha” spat Storm. “That can only help us.”

  “Princess . . .”

  “K’oral, please, no titles. Not now.”

  “Princess, I’m so sorry . . .” and the serpent hesitated.

  The use of her rank a second time sent goose bumps down Rose’s arm. “Just tell me, K’oral.”

  “I overheard some people talking about your sister and . . . and the Prince.”

  “JUST SAY IT . . .” then in a softer voice “I’m so sorry. I just need to hear it. Please.”

  “Your sister was turned into a creature of some sort. She’s now green skinned and has translucent wings. They say she can fly and if you get too close to her, something bad happens.”

  “Oh my gosh”. Then after a few seconds, she asked about Z’kkk.

  The serpent looked like she wanted to be anyplace but where she was. “They say he’s been turned into . . . oh, I’m so sorry, Rosie . . . into a hideous creature.”

  The deathly silence that followed those words stretched from seconds to a minute or more. Rose finally stood up, her skin pale and her eyes moist, and said to the group “It’s late. Let’s get some sleep and will start fresh in the morning.”

  They all stood and wished her a good night – the words sounding as hollow as they actually were.

  When Rose got to her room, she closed the door, fell on her bed and wept until she fell asleep.

  *****

  And she dreamed . . .

  “Rose . . .”

  “Myst Tree?”

  “It is I.”

  “I have never dreamed of you before.”

  “That is true. There never was a need.”

  “Have you come to help?”

  “It is not for me to interfere directly in the affairs of your kind.”

  “My kind? Am I not a living, sentient being like you?”

  “No, not like me.”

  “Why did you deny me access to Sighing Whorl?”

  “It was too soon.”

  “And now, it is too late. If you do nothing to help the people of Aerianna, by default you are helping Mobius. Is that your intent?”

  “You must find your own path. If you are noble and brave, one will lead you to the resolution that you seek. Take that path and I will grant you what you will ask.”

  “What I will ask? I am asking you to remove Mobius and restore all that was.”

  “I cannot interfere. But that which you will ask of me later is in my power to grant.”

  “You disturb my sleep, Tree. Either give me guidance or leave me to my misery.”

  “You will choose to give up this fight willingly. It will be the first step on a thousand year journey. There will come a time when another will be born with the intelligence to solve a mystery of your design and the courage to accept a challenge far beyond her years. You will guide her, but not as you are but as the essence of what you once were. She will be your last hope.”

  “As usual you talk in riddles. Is this the way of your people or just of one silly old Tree?”

  Ignoring her words, the Tree finished with “Those that are gathered here tonight represent all the army you will need. You must fight the good fight for that is who you are. However, it will be wisdom and ingenuity – and not the brilliance of your sword – that will illuminate your path.”

  *****

  The next morning she told the others of her dream as well as the message the Tree had given her so many years earlier when she and Storm had visited Sighing Whorl.

  “I am at a loss to unravel these riddles,” concluded the Princess. “I welcome your thoughts.”

  “I think some things are fairly clear,” said Sir Gacious. He was a philosopher by training and his writings were considered brilliant by those that could actually follow his superior logic.”

  As sad as Rose was, as defeated as she felt, the man’s words forced a smile – a small one – to her lips. “Please don’t keep us in suspense, good Sir.”

  “You will fight the forces of Mobius tooth and nail, more as a Warrior Princess than as a Royal one. Your family, your fiancé and your subjects have been wronged and nothing will stop you from trying to avenge them. However one sword, even if that sword is Dazzle, cannot hope to defeat the power of the Crystal Egg. At some point you will be forced to accept the futility of your efforts and turn to another path.”

  “I think that much was fairly evident.”

  It wasn’t a criticism and Sir Gacious didn’t take it as one. “Of course. The one true riddle is the nature of the alternate plan that you – we – should follow. Our group apparently has the wherewithal to set this plan in motion. It will involve someone a thousand or more years in the future and the ability to fly for some reason is part of the solution. But most intriguing was the phrase the Tree used more than once. Somehow you will guide this future person, not as you are but as the essence of what you once were.”

  “And it’s meaning?” encouraged the Princess.

  But it was Ven’trrr who answered. “I believe I know.” They turned as one to look at the brilliant scientist. “There is only one way we could find to power the flying suit.”

  “Yes?”

  The serpent looked at each of the others before answering. “With the life force of an individual.”

  “WHAT?” squawked Storm.

  “Is such a thing possible? Have you tested it?” asked Rose.

  “No. It is designed; it is built but it is not yet tested.”

  “Why?”

  “Two reasons. First, we don’t as yet have the technology to make the life force transference from a living soul into the suit. And, secondly . . .”

  “The moral implication” interrupted A’fonia.

  “Yes” agreed the scientist. “It seems a steep price to ask of someone.”

  “Sorry to be so stupid, but what are you talking about?” asked K’oral.

  “Simply put, our bodies are only a convenient shell in which the true ‘us’ resides. Our intelligence, our personality, our memories, our ability to reason is the real ‘us’. And to make all that work as well as it does takes energy. The life force is a combination of all these things. It is . . .” and he paused to make sure everyone was paying attention “. . . it is the very essence of who we are.”

  With those words, the group was immerse
d in the silence of deep thought. Apparently, the Tree was telling Rose that her life force, placed into the flying suit, would be an integral part of the plan.

  “Very good” Sir Gacious said into the silence.

  “How so?” asked the Princess who was fairly disturbed by what she had heard so far.

  “The Tree said that we, this group, was sufficient to formulate the plan. Apparently, it was correct for we seem to be on the right track. We must continue this line of reasoning to a logical conclusion.”

  That statement triggered a line of thought and Rose cried “Oh my gosh!”

  “Princess?”

  “The Tree said when the time was right he would grant what I would ask . . .”

  “And you will ask it to transfer your life force into the suit” said N’ssss finishing the thought.

  “But not now. Not till I fight Mobius.”

  “And how will you do that?” asked Storm.

  “First thing that I will do – no, the first thing that I do from this moment forward – is to forgo the name Rose’Alynnia. I am now Dazzle, the Warrior Princess.”

  “To what end?”

  “It came to me in a dream, though at the time I did not understand its meaning. Dazzle will be a rallying cry for my people for the next thousand years and a constant reminder to Mobius that he will never defeat me . . . nor the people of Aerianna.” And she unsheathed her sword, held it up high and everyone watched the light shimmer and dance off its brilliant surface.

  “And so the Sword and the Rose” Storm said referring to the Princess’s insignia on her belt, “become one.”

  Somehow it felt right, not just to Rose but to her compatriots. And without thinking, A’fonia stood up, raised her right fist and slapped it against her chest in a traditional salute. “To you, Princess Dazzle, we pledge our lives and our loyalty.”

  “To Aerianna . . .” the others cried out.

  “Thank you, my friends. But if the Tree is to be believed, victory is a millennium in the future” and those words were like water on a fire and the flame of patriotism died down to a flickering ember of hope.

  “Let’s continue formulating our plans,” suggested Sir Gacious. “It seems to me there are two issues for which we need clarity. If the person that we seek is a thousand years in the future, why would that be? And what test do we devise to find that individual when the time is right.”