Ellanor and the Curse on the Nine-Tailed Fox

by K T Durham

  The girl shook her head. “Please, this will only take a minute.” She placed a small piece of notepaper on his desk. “I know a family that would want to adopt Jong-Min.”

  He gawped at her. What did this brat know about Park Jong-Min’s adoption? He’d been trying for weeks to find a suitable family, but no luck so far. “He’s a bit too old,” some concluded regretfully. “Oh, but he still has a father and a grandmother. That doesn’t really make him an orphan, does it?” some would ask warily. “What if they later decide they want the boy back?” Those questions always gave him a migraine.

  He shook his head and sputtered, “This is preposterous! I must speak to Mrs Park—”

  Elly took a deep breath and stepped closer. “Please speak to Charlie Cobble and his wife. They would want to adopt Jong-Min. Soo-Min would recognize his name.” She gave him a pleading look. “Please, it won’t hurt for you just to contact them.”

  “Get out of my office before I call—”

  But the girl looked him in the eye, and he froze. Something about her stare made him listen and pay attention, though he had no idea why. She was just a little girl. “They are my friends,” she said. “Please, please contact that family.”

  He started dialling the number for Park Ga Yin and then realized she didn’t have a mobile phone. He glanced at the clock and groaned. The old woman wouldn’t yet be home to pick up his call. Was this girl for real? What was she doing barging into his office and telling him to call some family on behalf of his own client?

  The girl turned and put her hand on the doorknob. “Grandma is dying. This is one thing I can do to repay her kindness, before it’s too late,” she said softly, but Mr Lee caught every word. Then she opened the door, revealing the shocked face of his receptionist.

  The girl swiftly walked out the front door. Min-Yee gulped. “Mr Lee, I swear I didn’t see her go into your office! She’d vanished right before my eyes!” she cried.

  Bewildered, Mr Lee sat down wordlessly in his chair, then stared down at the note on his desk. It was an address and phone number in London, the United Kingdom.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The Island of Sea Women and Stone Grandfathers

  Back at the corner store, some colour had returned to Grandma’s cheeks, and she smiled as Elly came dashing towards her. “The food did me some good,” the old woman announced with a burp. She popped two pills into her mouth and downed them with water. Elly sighed with relief, and they ambled slowly towards the bus station together.

  When they got home, Grandma went into her room to rest. Elly sat down with her library books and looked up information on Jejudo. She had to get a feel for the island if she were to teleport there successfully. Grandma didn’t own a computer; otherwise, she could have searched up information on the Internet, as Horace had taught her. She could’ve gone to the library and used their computer, but she didn’t want to leave the old woman alone and have Jong-Min come home to a quiet house while Grandma was still sleeping.

  Grandpapa had told her bits and pieces about the Korean culture but nothing about Jejudo, possibly because he had not been there despite his extensive travels all over Gaya. Greymore did not have information on Jejudo either. So this island was unchartered territory as far as elves were concerned, and this excited the explorer in Elly.

  Finally, she found a chapter on Jejudo in a thick book and started reading:

  Jejudo is an island located in the south of the Korean Peninsula. Hallasan is the tallest mountain in South Korea and a dormant volcano on Jejudo. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), Jejudo was a place for horse breeding and exile for political prisoners, and Jejudo islanders were regarded as foreigners by the Korean mainlanders.

  Jejudo is renowned for many local legends that inspired cultural artefacts that can still be seen all over the island today. The dol-hareubang (“stone grandfather”) are statues carved from basalt resembling hunched-over old men, and they can be found all over the island.

  Jejudo is also renowned for its matriarchal family structure. The haenyeo (“sea women”) often headed families because they earned the family income from free diving all year round in cold water without scuba gear, to harvest abalones, conches, and various other marine products. Due to economic development and modernization, presently only about 4,500 haenyeo, most aged over sixty, are still actively working.

  Elly started when the front door opened, and Jong-Min trundled in with a blast of cold, drafty air. Miss Choi had just walked him back from school. He pouted when he saw Elly, muttering as he took off his boots. “What have you and Grandma been up to without me?” he demanded grumpily as he stalked past her. He had been distracted in class thinking about them all day. He heaved his school backpack onto his lap and rummaged around.

  Elly knelt down next to him and was reminded once again of her little brother, Luca. “We just took the bus to the city and did some boring grown-up stuff,” she said with a smile, playfully ruffling his hair. She didn’t want to mention her encounter with Sunglasses, not while he was in such a petulant mood.

  He took out a book and plunked it on the table. “I have to do a presentation on ancient folk creatures,” he mumbled. “But I just want to watch that cartoon I was telling you about last night. It’s showing right about now—”

  “No TV until you finish your homework!” Grandma said shrilly, emerging from her bedroom. She winked at Elly, indicating: “The rest sure did me some good.”

  “Hello, Grandma,” he said with a sheepish look, flipping open the book. “I was just about to make a start.” The old woman scoffed and went to the kitchen to prepare a snack for Jong-Min.

  Elly’s hand shot out towards the book. “What is that?” she asked, wide-eyed. She stared at the picture on the page.

  Jong-Min raised an eyebrow. “This? It’s the kumiho, the nine-tailed fox. It’s a very famous legend in Korea. Do you know anything about it? Maybe you can help me with the presentation,” he said hopefully.

  Elly gazed at the picture and quickly read the description below:

  The legend of the Korean kumiho, the “nine-tailed fox,” can be traced back to Chinese myths dating back centuries. The kumiho is known to be a powerful fox spirit that has lived thousands of years and has the power of shape-shifting, usually appearing as a beautiful woman. However, while Chinese and Japanese versions of the nine-tailed fox are often depicted as possibly good or bad, the Korean kumiho is almost always regarded fearfully as an evil, bloodthirsty creature that feasts on human flesh and the organs of young men and boys. It is unclear at which point in time Koreans began regarding the kumiho as a purely evil creature, since some ancient texts have mentioned the kumiho as a kind, benevolent spirit …

  Elly gulped as she continued to stare at the picture. It felt like only yesterday when she met the snow-white fox with its nine tails spread out like a peacock’s, standing on the roof of Lily’s house, looking down at her with glittering blue eyes. The fox did not seem malevolent, and she didn’t think it looked like the type of creature to feast on human organs. But then again, what did she know?

  And then it dawned on her. Coming upon the legend of the kumiho was not a coincidence. No, it must be a sign! This kumiho – the white, nine-tailed fox she had met last year – must be the Guardian that was waiting for her on the island! She stood up abruptly, startling Jong-Min. “I have to go to Jejudo,” she blurted.

  Jong-Min’s jaw dropped, and Grandma dropped the bunch of kimchi she was cutting with scissors. “What? You mean tomorrow?” Jong-Min cried, his heart sinking.

  Elly looked at him, whose eyes suddenly looked shiny. “The person I need to meet finally, umm, made contact. Turns out that person is on Jejudo. I have to go right now.”

  Grandma frowned. “It’s almost dinner time! Surely, you can wait until tomorrow morning?” she demanded, her voice strangled. Upon hearing Elly had to leave so suddenly, her weary old heart a
ched. What would she do without Elly’s help? And would the cancer take her before they could meet again?

  Elly felt her stomach clenching. She didn’t want to leave them, not with Grandma in her condition. “I’m so sorry, but it’s really urgent. I have to leave now. But I will come back before I return to London,” she promised, not entirely sure that she would be able to.

  The old woman knelt down on the floor shakily and sighed. “Well, you came to Korea for a purpose, so you got to do what you need to do.”

  Elly nodded, and a surge of gratitude welled up inside of her. She bowed low, in the traditional Korean way. “Thank you for taking me in when I didn’t have any place to stay,” she said softly. “I am forever thankful for the kindness and friendship you have shown me.” The old woman and her grandson were so taken aback by this formal display of thanks that for a moment they were both awkwardly speechless.

  Grandma spoke up with a tremor in her voice. “You are a wonder, Elly. Like a gift wrapped in a secret. You are truly our guardian angel.”

  Jong-Min started crying. “Don’t go, Elly,” he pleaded, and his grandmother put an arm around him. Elly’s eyes teared up, for it occurred to her that she might not see the dying old woman again. Jong-Min sniffled as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Then he got up, muttering something about needing the bathroom.

  “Are you sure you know how to get to Jejudo?” Grandma asked, concerned.

  Elly nodded, though she wasn’t sure. “Don’t worry about me. I will come find you and Jong-Min again before I leave Korea. It shouldn’t take too long,” she said hopefully.

  Jong-Min ambled back in to the living room and sat down, his eyes dry but red. Elly bent down and hugged him. “I’ll see you again very soon. Take care of Grandma, OK?” Her throat tightened as she looked down into his small face and hoped that Mr Lee had already contacted the Cobbles. She prayed that Soo-Min wanted her son back, no matter what.

  Grandma noticed that Elly did not carry any luggage with her, except for a small backpack. But she didn’t comment. “Goodbye, dear. Stay safe and come back to us soon.” She hugged Elly and whispered, “Please pray that everything works out for Jong-Min.”

  Elly nodded. “I will,” she whispered back. “Please take care of yourself.”

  Grandma smiled sadly. “Jejudo is lovely. Very tranquil and very different from Seoul. Before Jong-Min was born, Soo-Min liked going there to visit her grandmother, but the old lady passed away a few years ago, God bless her soul.” She sighed and shook her head.

  Elly narrowed her eyes. Soo-Min’s grandmother had lived on Jejudo? That could not be a coincidence, either. The puzzle was slowing piecing together, though she could not yet see the bigger picture. What did all these coincidences lead to?

  At the door, Grandma and Jong-Min huddled together against the cold and waved goodbye. Elly adjusted her backpack, for it was now a bit heavier. “You’ll need some sustenance for the journey,” the old woman had murmured, packing a bottle of water, tangerines, and rice crackers into the bag. Elly thanked her profusely, though she didn’t have a need for them; there were plenty of supplies contained in her Royan. As she waved back at them, she realized she was trembling. She was one step closer to having the first orb restored.

  “Good-bye, Elly! Come back soon!” called out Jong-Min, and his grandmother waved silently, both silhouetted in the narrow doorway. With a lump in her throat, Elly waved one last time before turning and walking away quickly. The sky had fast grown dark, and the snow swirled down prettily in the dimly lit street. How she wished she could sit down on a silent hill and watch the snow blanket the world in white, without a care in the world.

  Right now, she had to find a private place to teleport. Where could she go at this hour to be alone? She saw a group of students walking towards her, laughing and chattering, and she bowed her head and pulled the hood of her coat low over her face.

  Then she lit up. The library! It was past six o’clock, so it should be closed by now.

  She walked down three more blocks, and there it was; the small, yellow-brick building with the square windows already looked dark and desolate. Checking that the coast was clear, she skirted to the back of the building and saw that the place looked deserted. The library was surrounded by a medium-height picket fence, and the dense foliage of the surrounding trees concealed her somewhat from prying eyes. She darted behind a thick tree trunk, and for a while all she could hear was her own breathing and the passing of cars.

  She took out Nebulane and clutched it to her chest. She had to teleport to the south, over four hundred kilometres to Jejudo. At least that distance was much shorter than what she’d had to cover teleporting from London to Seoul. Closing her eyes, she recalled all that she had read about Jejudo: its history, culture, legends, where it was located, and more.

  “Erhon, mova,” she whispered, and immediately a warm wave washed over her body, and she prayed: Please, Freya, help me get to Jejudo safely. Help me.

  Then she was being squeezed through a very small hole, and the next moment her chest was tightening and she was fighting for breath. “Erhon, mova!” she cried, gasping for air as she clutched onto Nebulane for dear life, the compass now warm in her hands.

  Then she felt herself being pulled out from that tiny hole, and then she was plunged back into freezing cold. She gasped, coughed, and sputtered, then opened her eyes. There was the sound of lapping waves, and the cold salty wind whipped against her face. It took a moment to realize she was teetering on the edge of a cliff, and she gasped and leapt back to safety. Trembling, she peered over the edge and looked down and saw the raging sea crashing against the wall of the jagged cliff, foaming and bubbling angrily. Looking up, the sky was awash with a sprinkling of constellations.

  Then she looked down at Nebulane, and her heart leapt at the sight of the glowing silver dot.

  She had teleported to Jejudo! Looking up again, she spotted the Star of Freya emerge from behind a grey cloud, twinkling at her. “Thank you,” she whispered, her heart soaring.

  You are getting better at this, Ellanor.

  She smiled wryly. It’s just another pit stop. There’s more work to be done.

  Then her stomach turned over when the silver dot dissolved and slowly separated in two: blue and red. She had to head southwest.

  Good to go?

  Elly nodded, her heart hammering. Wherever she was headed, whatever terrors were ahead, she was spurred on by one hope: there she would find Graille, the Guardian of Light.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The Petrified Forest

  After a moment’s adjustment, she could see clearly in the moonlit dark. The stars were particularly bright, and she could see the Milky Way adorning the sky.

  She walked over hills and rocky slopes, her breath coming out in white puffs, her cheeks reddening against the whipping wind, and soon her eyes began to sting and water. She walked for over two hours, following Nebulane, and it seemed like the blue dot was moving ever so sluggishly towards the red dot. She pushed on, thinking to herself over and over: Graille is there. Graille is there.

  Then she looked up and found herself facing a tall dark wall.

  Startled, she put a hand out and realized that it was a wall so densely packed with trunks, branches, and dipping foliage that she wondered whether it was a living forest or a graveyard of dead trees, for there was something stiff and lifeless about them. She closed her eyes and listened; she could not hear a single rustle. She sniffed and could not smell that deliciously fresh scent of thriving forestry.

  What was this place? She frowned and craned her neck as she looked left and right, hair whipping across her face. The wall of trees seemed to stretch on endlessly on either side.

  A feeling of dread descended upon her, and she stepped back instinctively.

  Greymore, I don’t want to go in there. I have a bad feeling about this place.
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br />   Remember Mrs Silverwinkle’s words, Ellanor. Always trust Nebulane. If it tells you to go there, you should heed its command.

  She drew in a shuddering breath. But I’m scared.

  I know. Have courage and faith, Ellanor. I am here for you.

  Her elf eyes could not see a thing past the dense trees – only darkness, despite the narrow openings between the stone-like trunks.

  Suddenly, she felt compelled to retrieve her bow and quiver of arrows and the dagger from her Royan. If she had to go into this forest with her heart heavy with this awful feeling of foreboding, then she better be equipped for whatever might be awaiting.

  She swallowed nervously. Was the Guardian waiting for her inside? Would the Guardian help her or try to hurt her? She pressed the dagger close to her side, checking that it was safely sheathed and securely fastened to her belt. She shouldn’t need to resort to these weapons if she could take care of things with magic, right? The thought comforted her and raised the little courage she had by a notch.

  She checked Nebulane, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that the blue dot was close to merging with the red. If this macabre forest indeed was the place at which she was supposed to be, then Nebulane would let her know.

  For a while she stood there frozen to the spot, too afraid to take that step, but then she felt Marlow squirming impatiently in her pocket, and she knew she could delay no more. So she took a shuddering breath, murmured a quiet prayer to Freya, and squeezed through one of the narrow openings.

  And the strangest thing happened.

  The moment she squeezed through that narrow opening, she heard a very faint whooshing sound, like curtains being closed, and she had the odd sensation that she had just entered an enclosed space much like a dark, windowless room. It was so quiet that she could hear her own ragged breathing, her heart pounding madly against her ribcage.