“Whoa, that was cat-a-strophic.”
“I guess she wasn’t kidding?”
“Oh, the poor kitty,” cried K’ssss. And before anyone could stop her, she slithered over to the fur ball to pick it up. But it, like the body, went ‘pffff’ and disappeared.
The serpent saw the motion and began to lunge for the silly serpent. “K’SSSS,” yelled Egg, but it was too late. The sand serpent moved quickly and was about to strike the Sea Sister with its tail. Egg did the only thing she could.
Running, jumping, and waving her hands in front of the beast, she managed to get its attention. It swung away from K’ssss and its tail lashed out and swatted Egg. She went flying through the air and landed hard on the sand.
There was a chorus of “EGG,” as the sisters screamed in unison. But before anyone could do something foolish like run to her, Dazzle yelled, “STOP . . . do not move and become victims yourselves.”
“But we have to do something. She’s hurt.” Sylvia was near tears.
“I will tend to her.” She assumed that the beast couldn’t see her. But she didn’t want the sand serpent to follow her over to Egg and do her more harm. So to be safe she disappeared then rematerialized next to the fallen girl.
“Egg . . . Sister . . . can you hear me?” Dazzle would have loved to hold her friend, but that wasn’t possible. All she could do was talk to her. “Egg.”
The girl began to moan but she still wasn’t waking up. “We must set up camp and build a fire. Your Sister is injured and I cannot tell to what extent. But first we must lose this monster.”
Just then, a cat’s head popped out of the sand next to the girls - scaring the bejebees out of them. “Hi, girlies.”
“What do you want . . . you bodiless buffoon?” Bl’azzz was blazing mad.
“Not to worry about me . . . my body will be around here someplace.”
“Then go look for it before we use your head as a dodge ball.” Sylvia was really angry at the cat for what she hadn’t done . . . namely help.
“I’m leaving. I just wanted to know if it’s going to rain.”
“What?”
“Rain . . . rain. Geez, you know the water that falls from the sky.”
“We know what rain is . . . fur ball.”
“Well, if it’s going to rain then I should warn you . . . none of the creatures of the Kiln like water. Makes them angry and they usually run away and hide till it’s gone.”
“I thought you couldn’t interfere?” asked Aeri’elle.
“Me . . . interfere? Never. Against the rules, you know. Well, gotta go. Thanks for the little talk.” She hesitated before she left then said “Does this make me the cat with a hat who likes to chat?”
“That rhyme is a crime,” said Soo’ but J’azzz-min had already disappeared beneath the sand.
“What was that all about?” asked Sassi.
“She was telling us that the sand serpent doesn’t like water. Sassi, you’re smaller than me. Can you sneak over to the supplies and take out a water bottle. Just be careful.” It was the nice Aeri’elle talking.
Sassi slowly slipped to the ground and crawled over to the supplies. She found the bottle and returned to the dragon. “Here it is.”
“Ummm . . . I can’t throw things like a human. Maybe you should do it. Just undo the stopper first.”
“Perhaps I’m not the best choice to do this. I’m not very athletic. Sylvia . . . would you do it?”
So Syl slowly crept over to Sassi, took the bottle, undid the top but she didn’t throw it. Instead she ran at full speed straight at the fearsome creature yelling, “This is for Egg you stupid, ugly freaky thing.” The serpent saw the movement and reared its head and tail . . . ready to strike. But at the last moment, Sylvia squeezed the bottle with all her might and a spout of water shot out and hit the sand serpent. It roared in pain and began to slither away, making shrieking sounds that were scary enough to wake the dead. In a moment, it was gone.
“Wow,” said Bl’azzz referring to Sylvia’s incredibly brave dash into danger.
“Double WOW,” added Aeri’elle.
“You do realize that what you just did was a tad mad, don’t you?” asked Soo’.
“K’ssss, why are you crying? It’s over.”
“I messed up, didn’t I? That’s why Egg got hurt. It was my fault. I forgot to stand still. I just wanted to help the poor kitty.”
At the mention of Egg, the girls realized they had momentarily forgotten their friend. They ran over to her to see how badly she was hurt.
Sylvia got there first, knelt down and put her hands on her friend’s head. She stroked her hair and said, “Egg, it’s me, Syl. Wake up. Please, Egg, wake up.”
The injured girl began to stir. Then her eyes slowly opened and she looked at the seven faces looking at her. There were dragons, sea serpents, a ghost, and a girl with green skin.
There was only one thing to do. She screamed.
The girls jumped in surprise. At first, they assumed Egg was yelling in pain. But they were wrong.
The girl knocked away the hands trying to help her then scrambled away on all fours. When she was out of reach of their hands (or talons), she stood up and started to run. First, she ran left then stopped and started to run right. Then she stopped and ran back. Then she ran the opposite way. She kept running and kept changing direction. The effect was that she was kind of running around in circles.
“What’s she doing?”
Dazzle suggested, “Perhaps it is the effects of the serpent’s scales.”
“You’re right. She’s hallucinating.”
“What should we do?”
No one had any idea.
“I think we should just let her be for awhile,” suggested Sylvia. “All that running around is bound to tire her.”
The girls looked at each other then at Dazzle.
“Perhaps you are right. Let us camp here for a few hours. Sylvia and Sassi . . . set up the tents. Bl’azzz, build a fire. Soo’ and K’ssss, prepare some food. Aeri’elle . . . you will follow Egg to be sure she does not get into trouble. But do not get too close and frighten her. If she wanders too far be sure to use your communications crystal to tell us where you are. We shall all take turns watching her. And we must hope the effects are not permanent.”
Now that was a scary thought . . . what would happen if Egg didn’t regain her senses? How would the Quest continue? With those thoughts swirling through their heads, the girls proceeded with their chores very quietly.
*****
Egg didn’t know who she was. And she certainly didn’t know where she was. But one thing was for sure, she knew she had to get away from those hideous serpents and dragons . . . not to mention the ghost and the green girl. What a nightmare.
For some reason, she thought she could fly. So she started to flap her arms . . . but nothing happened. She tried to flap and jump at the same time, but still nothing.
Then she saw the lake and she knew that if she could swim to the other side, she would be safe. So she ran towards it, waded in and began to swim. Now that was better . . . she’d be long gone before those monsters could get her.
Aeri’elle was watching the whole time. She became frightened by the strange things that her Sister was doing so she called back to camp.
“Hey, you guys.”
“This is Syl . . . where are you? How is Egg?”
“I’m just over the hill from you. Egg is doing all sorts of weird things and it’s beginning to scare me.”
“Like what?” asked Sylvia in alarm.
“She was jumping up and down and flapping her arms like she was trying to fly. Now she’s lying on the sand and trying to swim. What should I do?”
Sylvia turned to Dazzle looking for advice. “Slip around to the other side of her, then let her see you. Hopefully she will start to run back in this direction. I do not want her to wander so far from us.”
“Okay, I’ll try.” Aeri’elle did as she was told and it worked.
Egg saw the dragon, abandoned her swimming and started to run in the opposite direction . . . back towards camp.
Meanwhile, J’azzz-min chose this opportunity to reappear . . . with both her head and her body. “Hi, girlies. I guess it rained.”
“Thanks for the help,” said Bl’azzz, “which of course you didn’t give ‘cause you weren’t allowed to.”
“No idea what you’re talking about. So, how’s the Egg-ster?”
“She is hallucinating as you said she would. Is there anything we can do for her?”
“Come on you guys . . . don’t make me repeat everything a million times. The rules say I can’t interfere.”
“But you can answer some questions. Is there a cure?” asked Dazzle ignoring the cat’s comment.
“Nope . . . no cure.”
At this terrible news, K’ssss started to cry, Sylvia to moan and the others to groan.
“Do the effects of the serpent’s scales disappear over time?”
“Well, of course. Nothing lasts forever.” That bit of good news got K’ssss and the others to smile.
“How long does it last?” demanded Sylvia.
“Usually long enough for the serpents to eat their prey.”
“The serpents don’t come out during the day, do they? It’s too hot for them.”
“What was your name . . . Lassi?”
“Sassi.”
“Stupid name. I think I’ll call you Lassi. And she’s (pointing at Bl’azzz) Gassi.
“What is your point, Sister?” Dazzle asked Sassi.
“They sting their prey at night when they come out to feed. By sunrise, they go back into hiding. So maybe in a few hours when the sun comes up, Egg will return to normal.”
”Gee, Sassi. That was good.” At the compliment from Sylvia, Sassi blushed ever so slightly.
“What of her theory, J’azzz-min?”
“Hmmm . . . well, all I can say is that in about two hours you’ll know if Lassi was right. Or wrong. Anyway, I’m bored. See ya later.” And the cat vanished.
“I’m beginning to hate cats.”
K’ssss had a different feeling. “I think she’s funny.”
Chapter 5 – Girl Talk
“RUN, RUN,” Egg yelled to her sisters. “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.” When no one moved, she yelled again, “IT’S A DRAGON . . . A HORRIBLE, UGLY DRAGON. RUN.”
The girls wanted to laugh but that would have been rude. So they settled for a more polite giggle. “She must be better,” teased Bl’azzz.
“Oh, good,” said K’ssss missing the sarcasm. Then she added, “Does that mean we should run away from the monster?”
“No, you thick-headed, tubby tube. Egg isn’t better. She thinks Aeri’elle is a monster.”
“Your Majesty, what should we do?” asked Sassi.
Before Dazzle could answer, Sylvia said, “I have an idea.”
Everyone looked at the girl waiting for her to explain. But all she said was, “Wait here . . . and don’t move or say anything.” Then she ran towards her temporarily crazy friend.
“You’re running the wrong way,” Egg told her breathlessly when she approached.
“We can’t outrun a dragon.”
“Oh my gosh . . . we’re doomed.”
“But I have an idea.”
“What?”
“Dragons won’t bother us if we’re asleep.”
“Oh, that’s great. But I’m not tired.”
“Listen to me very carefully. It’s a trick my mother taught me. Put your hands on your head . . .,” she waited for Egg to do it. “Now say these magical words . . . ‘sleep, sister, and do not wake till the sun rises.’”
“That’ll never work.”
“Hurry . . . there isn’t much time. You have to trust me.”
“Okay . . . here goes” and she repeated the words . . . and fell to her knees, then on her face. She was fast asleep.
Aeri’elle and the other girls ran over to Sylvia and the sleeping form of Egg.
“What happened to her?”
“She fell asleep.”
“Is it because of the serpent’s sting?”
“No. I just tricked Egg into using the bracelet that Dazzle gave her. I told her that dragons wouldn’t eat us if we were asleep. So, she put her hands on her head and told herself to sleep till sunrise.”
“Feminion, you are clever indeed. I would not have thought to do that.” Such a compliment from the Princess really impressed the other girls.
“Nice going,” added Bl’azzz.
“That was really quick thinking for a human.” Then Aeri’elle added, “for a dragon too.”
Sylvia beamed with pride. Anytime you can make a contribution to a cause, it makes you feel very proud.
“Can you put me to sleep too?” asked you-know-who. “I’m really tired.”
In her own way, even K’ssss was making a great contribution to the Quest. Besides saving their lives on the Devil Dunes, she was always making her sisters laugh . . . even though she never knew why.
*****
The six girls sat around the campfire while Egg slept. There wasn’t anything they could do until sunrise and that was more than an hour away. So girls being girls . . . they talked. Even Dazzle joined in.
After a lull in the conversation Dazzle asked, “May I tell you a story?”
“Oh, yes please, your Majesty.” Even though it was Sassi saying yes, the other girls were incredibly thrilled at the prospect of sharing such an intimate moment with the next Queen of Aerianna. It was exactly the reaction Dazzle had expected.
“Shall I tell you of my father (M’earth had been king until he was overthrown by Mobius) or how I was spoiled as his oldest child or about life in Q’umulus? (Q’umulus was the capitol of Aerianna. But what made it very special was that it floated high above the ground.)
The girls smiled at the possibilities. But surprisingly, Aeri’elle asked for something different. “Your Highness . . . would you tell us about Prince Z’kkk.” She blushed at her own boldness.
The other girls were shocked at their sister’s question. It seemed way too personal . . . especially since the poor guy had been turned into the terrible Wraith, K’aos. On the other hand, they would love to hear all about the man Dazzle was supposed to marry.
If Dazzle had been offended by the question, she didn’t show it. She just smiled and said, “I will share the story of how Z’kkk came to propose to me. Will that suffice?”
“Oh, yes, oh, yes,” responded Aeri’elle breathlessly. This Quest thing was turning into a dream come true. She couldn’t wait until it was over and to tell her sorority sisters about it. They would be so jealous to know that she had sat with the Princess and heard such private stories. She reminded herself to thank Egg for choosing her. She would reward the human by letting her pledge her sorority.
“It was my eighteenth birthday and my father had prepared a large celebration. On Aerianna, that is the age a Princess is old enough to marry . . . though my mother had told me she would not allow it until I was twenty. Needless to say, every eligible young man wanted to be my husband. It was not because I was beautiful, but because I was next in-line to inherit my father’s throne.”
“But you are beautiful,” interrupted K’ssss, “. . . for a human.”
“Thank you, Sister. And you are beautiful . . . for a serpent.”
“H’sssss,” laughed the plumpish serpent.
“Didn’t they all know that you were in love with Z’kkk,” asked Sylvia.
“Goodness no. Only Z’kkk knew that I was in love with him. That happened two years earlier at my coming-out party. It was when I first saw him as a grown man. His beauty stopped my heart. . .
And the Princess projected a picture of her love into the minds of the Hameggattic Sisters . . .
The dragons and serpents could not appreciate what they were seeing. But Sassi could. “OH MY,” she exclaimed.
“Sister?”
“Your Majesty, he is breathtaking,” an
d the green-skinned girl blushed red.
“Maybe he has a brother,” teased Soo’.
“Thank you, Sassi. Your taste in men is beyond reproach.” When the girls quieted down, Dazzle continued. “It would not have been proper for me to show my affections for any man before I was of age. Though we spent much time together . . . we were almost never alone. I was always surrounded by my other friends. Storm, of course, knew of our feelings and he tried to give us as much privacy as possible.”
“If you couldn’t be alone very often, how did he know that you loved him? And vice-versa?”
It was a special gift that Dazzle had to make her subjects feel comfortable in her presence. So comfortable that they forgot that she was royalty and should not be asked such questions.
The Princess, however, just laughed. “I am surprised you have to ask Bl’azzz. You had a boyfriend.”
“I never had one,” said K’ssss somewhat sadly.
“You will my sister. Men will not be able to resist your inner beauty and your honest nature. Trust me. When the time is right, you will have to beat them away with a stick.”
“Won’t that hurt them?”
Soo’ cringed in disgust. “That’s just a figure of speech, you brainless bag-of-bones.”
“Oh.”
After the giggles had died away, Dazzle continued, “That night I told my ladies-in-waiting that I would not wear any dress that made me look like a silly girl. They tried to convince me that traditions must be maintained. But I politely refused. Instead, I wore a red body suit under a high-waisted skirt. I had knee high boots made from some exotic leather and a cape that matched in color. I wore no crown or jewelry except a pendant my father had given me. And just to complete the effect . . . I carried one of my father’s ceremonial swords.”
The girls were thrilled with the description of the clothes. It sounded so . . . so . . . glamorous. But they were especially thrilled with the Princess’s rebellious nature. It made her seem like one of them.
Then Dazzle projected an image of the outfit into the minds of the girls. But this time, something was wrong.
Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel] Page 56
