One of the Shades that looked like Egg found the courage to ask, “Your Highness, why will you not be with us?”
“Egg shall explain.”
“All of the dragons . . . except the F’yre Dragons . . . will be going to the Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl. Sylvia (and she pulled her friend close to her) will be in charge. She’ll be riding with Aeri’elle’s dad (and she pointed at her sister). They will be carrying Dazzle’s body and her spirit. The Tree will put her back together again. But you have to help them get past the Fl’eyes. They’re little bug like pests that are very dangerous . . . so you have to be careful.”
“How do we get past them?” asked the same Shade.
“We’ll show you in a little bit. Anyway, once Dazzle’s a real person again, she’ll meet me on Q’umulus. Actually . . . I want all of you to meet me there.”
“Now, I’m going to send all the humans to Nau’tika to wait for me. Then I’ll explain to the F’yre Dragons what they have to do.”
Egg tapped her communications crystal. “Soo’, can you hear me?”
“Hi, Egg. We’re all set here. The Shades got their blood oath and K’ssss and I have all the stuff her dad made. What’s next?”
“Have K’ssss’s dad open a portal here so I can send some more Shades down there. Once you get them settled in, you and K’ssss bring all that stuff here.”
“Can do.”
*****
So the Egg look-alikes went to wait in Nau’tika and Soo’ and K’ssss returned to F’Aerianne’s castle with all of the gadgets they would need.
“What the heck are those?” asked Egg pointing at dozens and dozens of cages.
“Them there things are Fl’eaters; you know . . . Fl’eye eaters.”
“What?”
“Actually K’ssss made up the name. They’re mechanical lizards that are programmed to eat Fl’eyes. Win’dacious . . . aren’t they?”
“More like weird. What do you do with them?’
“You just drop them wherever the Fl’eyes are. They can’t fly, but they’re supposed to be able to leap really, really high.
“What about the other thing I asked for?”
“Here you go . . .” and she pulled out an Aeriannian version of a fly swatter.
“Great. So as soon as Sassi gets back, we can send them to Sighing Whorl.
*****
About an hour later, Soar’elle landed with Sassi and the glass coffin. Egg came to greet them.
“Any problems?”
“No. None.”
“Soar’elle, Sylvia will be out in a few minutes along with the rest of the Shades that will be going with you.”
“Very good.”
“And you understand that the suit she’ll be wearing holds Dazzle’s spirit.”
“Yes. My grandfather told me the story many years ago.”
“And when you finish in Sighing Whorl, would you fly Dazzle and Sylvia to Q’umulus?”
“It would be my honor.”
“Thank you for everything” and she gave the dragon a big hug. “Oh, I almost forgot . . . you should know that Aeri’elle has been a great Sister. She’s incredibly brave.”
“Thank you for saying that. And thank you for giving my grandfather that wonderful gift.” He smiled then added, “and thank you for what you’re about to do.”
“You’re welcome.” Egg hugged him once more then turned to leave.
“Egg . . .”
She stopped and looked at the dragon “Yes?”
“You said that Aeri’elle had an important part to play in the coming battle . . . and that it would be particularly dangerous. May I ask what you intend to have her do?” He was talking like your everyday concerned father.
“She’s going to steal the Crystal Egg.”
“I see. May I kiss her goodbye?”
“Of course. She’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Thank you.”
*****
Each dragon received one fly swatter and a cage of Fl‘eaters. After which they went outside and waited with Soar’elle.
Sylvia changed into Egg’s flying suit. “How do I look?”
“It looks so much better on me,” kidded her friend.
But Syl was too nervous to laugh. Instead, she said, “Well, I guess this is it.”
The seven sisters were standing in a circle looking anxiously at each other. No one seemed able to make the first move.
“Listen,” said Egg. “We worked really hard to get to this point; and everyone is depending on us. I’m going to be really upset if the history books say something like, ‘there were seven silly stupid sisters that thought they could win back a planet.’ It better say, ‘there were seven super sisters that sent stupid Mobius sailing into the stars.”
“Hey. I like all those ‘s’ words.”
“H’sssss. She sounds like you.”
The girls all laughed . . . but it was a nervous laugh. Then they hugged and wished each other good luck.
“Would you give me a minute to say goodbye to my dad?”
“Sure.”
So Aeri’elle went outside and found her father. The Shades all politely moved away to give them a little privacy.
“Daddy . . . you be careful.”
“I will, sweetheart. And the same goes for you.”
“I will; I promise.”
“Aeri’elle . . . I am so very proud of you. I have always been proud of you.”
“Daddy . . . I’m so sorry for ever having doubted your loyalty. I’m just a foolish little girl.”
“No, Aeri’elle . . . you are no longer a little girl. You are a Hameggattic Sister and one of the heroines of Aerianna. And as for the other thing . . . I made you believe that I didn’t care. It was grandfather’s orders and I dared not disobey. Believe me when I tell you it hurt me to hurt you.”
She hugged her father while fighting back her tears . . . until she saw him crying. Then she joined him. After a few moments, he gently pushed her away and said, “I will see you on Q’umulus.”
*****
“What now?” asked Bl’azzz after they finished their final preparations.
“Let’s wait for Sassi, and then I’ll tell you.”
Sassi was making herself up to look like Egg . . . just as all the other human Shades had done. She finally came out of the bathroom in her new disguise.
“Well?” she asked her sisters as she did a little pirouette.
“I feel like I’m looking in the mirror.”
“I like you better with greenish skin,” added Soo’ who also had green skin.
“Okay, you guys, here’s what we’re going to do.” She explained the plans and asked if there were any questions. There was only one.
“How do we get K’aos and the Green F’aeri to attack us?”
“I’ll take care of that,” said Egg to Bl’azzz. “Mobius is always trying to get inside my mind. This time I’ll let him in long enough so he can see where I’m going to be. He won’t be able to resist sending his sick sidekicks.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“We just have to trust my dreams.” As usual, that statement ended any debate. “So, let’s go.”
“Oh, wait,” said Soo’. The girls turned to look at serpent. “I forgot to give you this . . .” and she handed Egg a crystal the size of a . . . yeah, you guessed it . . . a small egg.
“What is it?”
“Tink’rrr said it’s like a battery. It lets you use one of your powers . . . but just for a short time.”
“What good is that?”
“He said it might make a difference.”
“How does it work?”
“He said to just use your powers like you normally do. That thingy will do the rest.”
Egg took the battery and put it in her pocket. “Remind me to thank him.” Then she looked at each of the five remaining sisters and smiled. “I guess it’s time.” And, she was right . . .
The time for planning and preparing was over.
The time for courage and sacrifice was now.
The time to fight Mobius had begun.
Unfortunately, even the best plans don’t always work as they should.
*****
In the fight against the Green F’aeri, it would only be Egg, Bl’azzz and four other F’yre Dragons. Sassi’s mom couldn’t get the twelve that Egg had asked for in such a short time. So, they would have to make do with what they had.
Flying to the cave complex that Egg had discovered, they looked around for the perfect place to lay their trap. They were inside in the central cavern, which had smaller passageways leading off in about eight directions.
“Okay, I want everyone to split up. Fl’ame, you go that way (she pointed to the first passage way on her left); Sizz’le, take the one next to it, G’loww, the one after that and . . . ummm . . . I’m sorry I forgot your name,” Egg said to the last dragon.
“That’s okay; you have a lot on your mind. My friends call me Char.”
“Thanks, Char. Anyway, take the last passage on this side. Bl’azzz, you and I will take the first one on this other side.”
“Sounds good.”
“Ummm . . . what exactly are we looking for?” asked Char.
“A place to put this web,” and she held it up. It really was more like a fishing net but the strands were so tiny, it would be impossible to see. After it was set, they would apply some kind of sticky stuff that K’ssss’s dad had given them. Once the F’aeri landed in it, she would be stuck fast . . . like a fly (or like Bl’azzz) in a spider’s web.
“So how do we get her to fly into it?” asked Fl’ame.
“She’s afraid of fire. You guys are just going to keep breathing flames at her until we force her into the web. Just make sure the wind from her wings doesn’t touch you.”
“Why?”
“It’ll make you hate those you love . . . and be suspicious of your friends.”
“That’s mean.”
“I’ll say. Anyway . . . we don’t have much time so let’s start looking,” and the girls walked off in different directions.
Chapter 10 – Lucky to be Lucky
Egg found the perfect place for the trap. She really should have called the others, but she was anxious to get it up before the Green F’aeri arrived. So, with Bl’azzz’s help, she hung the web.
“It’s just amazing . . . I can hardly see it.”
“It is kind of dark in here.” What little light there was came from holes high in the ceiling and through the cave’s entrance.
“Yeah . . . but even so. Anyway, I’ll finish up while you get the others.”
“Okay,” and Bl’azzz scampered off.
Five minutes passed and Egg had finished putting the sticky stuff on the web. Everything was now ready. But the others hadn’t come back yet.
“Hey, Bl’azzz,” she called on her communicator crystal. “What’s taking you so long?” But there was no answer. “Hey, Bl’azzz . . . can you hear me?”
“She’s gone.”
Egg jumped at the strange voice. Turning around she came face to face with . . .
“Oh my gosh.”
“Did I frighten you? If I did, I’m terribly sorry.”
Egg stared at the beautiful creature. She wasn’t really sure what she had been expecting . . . but this certainly wasn’t it. The girl . . . or whatever she now was . . . seemed shy, sweet, and not at all dangerous.
“Where are my friends?”
“They flew away.”
“Did you hurt them?”
“I’ve never hurt anyone.” The F’aeri seemed upset by the question.
“Did you do that thing with your wings?”
“What thing?”
“You know . . . flap your wings so the breeze will make them hate the people they love . . . and all that stuff.”
“Of course, silly . . . that’s how I help people.”
“Are you crazy . . . you hurt them.” Poor Bl’azzz, she thought, first it was the P’xxxies, then the spider and now this.
“You have it all wrong. I just let them see that people . . . especially the ones they love or befriend . . . are really not very nice. I let them see the truth . . . people are evil.”
“No they’re not; most people are nice. You’re the evil one. And so is Mobius.”
“I wish it were true . . . what you say about most people. But Mobius has taught me otherwise. He’s been very kind to me.”
“Kind? He turned you into . . . whatever you are.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve always been what I am. Haven’t you always been what you are?”
“Well, of course . . . well, you know if you don’t count the whole Flying Girl thing. Oh, never mind.”
“You’re kind of sweet . . . but just a little confused.” She sounded so normal; it was hard to believe she was so dangerous.
“By the way, how did you sneak up on me?”
“I can float like a butterfly.”
“Yeah, but you sting like a bee.”
“I don’t sting and I didn’t know that AyBee could.”
“What?”
“I didn’t know AyBee could sting.” She was referring to the Octopus Man that the sisters had met in the seven lands.
“No, no, no . . . not AyBee. Oh, fiddlesticks . . . just forget it.”
“Okay.” Then the F’aeri slowly floated closer, forcing Egg to step back.
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Why not? I mean you no harm.”
“You want to zap me with your wings.”
“I just want to help you.” And she came closer.
Egg wasn’t sure what to do. This wasn’t supposed to happen . . . at least it didn’t in her dreams. Thinking fast, she decided to try something. “Your name is Ss’ong, isn’t it?”
“Song? No.”
“And your sister is Rose’Alynnia and your dad is M’earth.”
“I don’t have a sister. And I never knew my father.”
“And your mom is Kat’Alynnia.”
The F’aeri stopped and stared at Egg. Sometimes the bond between mother and daughter is so strong that not even someone as evil and powerful as Mobius can break it.
“Kat’Alynnia,” she repeated the name as if it were a prayer.
“Yes, your mom. She loves you a lot.”
“I love her so much. Why did she go away and leave me all alone?”
“It wasn’t her fault . . . Mobius made her leave.”
“That’s not true. Why are you lying to me?”
“I’m not. Mobius is evil. He hurts everybody.”
“Oh dear. You’re still confused . . . but I can help you.” And she started to float closer.
That’s when Egg panicked. She turned around and started to run towards the web that she and Bl’azzz had hung. But even she couldn’t see it . . . until the last second.
Just before she ran into it, she cut hard to her right and barely avoided getting tangled. But her leg brushed the sticky web and it stuck to her pants. As she continued to run . . . the bottom of the web followed her.
And so did the Green F’aeri.
Then she got really lucky. The web was so stuck to her clothes that she eventually pulled the whole thing down from the ceiling where it had been attached.
And it landed on the F’aeri.
“Oh!” The creature struggled to get out . . . but the more she did, the more she became stuck. “Help me, please,” she begged.
Egg had stopped and carefully removed the web from her pant leg. Then she walked over to the very tangled winged girl. “Are you okay?”
“Yes . . . but I’m stuck. Please help me.”
“I will; I promise.” She tapped her communications crystal and called Aeri’elle. “Come and get me.”
“Where’s Bl’azzz? Are you all right?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here. Oh . . . and bring a knife, a big coat and rope.”
*****
With Aeri’elle’s
help, they freed the F’aeri by cutting away the sticky web. However, they kept her wings stuck together so she couldn’t flap them. Then just to be extra careful, they put her in the oversized coat that covered those dangerous wings.
“I’m sorry, but I have to tie your hands together.”
“Why?” The pretty green creature just couldn’t understand that what she did to people with her wings was just plain wrong. She truly believed she was doing something nice for them.
“So you don’t try to escape . . . or try to do anything funny.”
Aeri’elle flew them to F’Aerianne’s castle where they left the Green F’aeri with one of the Shades. Then they flew off to find the others.
It was time to face K’aos.
*****
Along the way, Egg told Aeri’elle, “I’m a little worried.”
“Why?”
“It didn’t work out like my dream said it would.”
“But you got her. That’s all that matters.”
“It was stupid luck. What happens if my dreams are wrong about K’aos and Mobius? We could be in serious trouble.”
“I think it’s too late to doubt your dreams now.”
“Yeah . . . I guess.”
“Besides . . . being lucky is good.”
“That doesn’t seem like a good plan.”
“What?”
“. . . hoping that we’re lucky enough to be lucky.”
*****
Sylvia, Soar’elle and the rest of the Shades were approaching the valley of Sighing Whorl. They were close enough to see the swarm of mechanical Fl’eyes that Mobius had created to stop anyone from approaching the Myst Tree. The Tree was the one thing that he had no power over.
They had already made their plans and Sylvia gave the dragons the signal to proceed with the first part . . . dropping the Fl‘eaters. They swooped down as low as they could get without bumping into the Fl’eyes . . . and then released the leaping lizards.
Flying back up to a safe height, they watched as the Fl’eaters hit the ground like so many bouncing balls. When they finally came to rest . . . they looked around, found a Fl’eye and leaped high in the air.
Sometimes they succeeded in eating the weird little pests.
But sometimes the pests won.
*****
As Egg and Aeri’elle approached the place where they were to meet Soo’ and K’ssss, they saw something that sent chills up their backs . . .
Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel] Page 80
