As The Astral descended from high orbit, it had to pass through a dense cloud layer that obscured the surface. When they finally broke through, Bree exclaimed, “It’s ruined. Everything is ruined. How horrible.”
The surface was covered with the skeletal remains of broken buildings, the mangled wreckage of unidentifiable transportation vehicles, roads that were pitted and cracked – overgrown with vegetation and littered with debris strewn everywhere. Apparently, in the hundreds of years since their Great War, no one thought to clear the rubble and rebuild. It was very sad and more than a little frightening.
“I’ll set us down over there,” and Spirit found an isolated area – away from prying eyes – to land and discharge her two non-human passengers. As they were about to depart she wished them good luck.
It was Egg’s voice coming from the Sera’Fina avatar that answered. “Thanks. But you two get out of here right now. If they find you, no telling what they’ll do.”
“Who’s they?” asked Bree.
“The bad guys.”
*****
The avatars walked side by side down the remains of what once was a road – carefully avoiding potholes, rusting rubble, broken glass and the worse of the thorny vegetation that was trying to reclaim everything man-made. Needless to say, the going was painfully slow.
The landscape was so desolate, you could almost feel and taste the disaster that had befell it. Feeling like they were walking through a graveyard, neither girl was inclined to speak. They just studied the devastation, eyes wide. Such destruction was something they had not expected . . . nor had ever experienced. It was frightening.
Finally, Bl’azzz’s avatar said, “Egg, there’s another one,” as she pointed at what remained of one of those mysterious towers that Serenity had found.
“That’s like the tenth one we passed . . . all of them destroyed.”
“Any idea what they were?”
“No, but Serenity will figure it out.” Back on the ship, the girl in the wheelchair smiled.
Eventually they crested a hill and stopped to gape. On the other side was another city . . . but this one was obviously alive. They could see lots of buildings, a fairly large number of people either walking or riding in open-air vehicles and, swarming above it all, the sky was filled with something akin to blimps in a variety of shapes and sizes.
There was also a veritable forest of those towers – these, however, were all standing tall. Very tall. The girls really couldn’t judge their size when they passed the ones that were lying down broken and mangled. But here, standing like silent sentinels, they were probably the height of the Empire State Building.
“Well, I’m guessing this is Amber Heart.”
“Looks a lot better than what we just passed through.”
“True dat. Well, let’s go find us a librarian.”
“How do we do that exactly?”
“Bl’azzz, I’m guessing if we ask someone, they’ll be able to direct us.”
“And if they look at us like we we're two aliens?”
“We are two aliens.”
“Are you planning on telling them that?”
“Maybe. Let’s just play it by ear.”
“Which one?”
“Which one what?”
“Which ear?”
“You’re pulling my leg, right?”
“Your right leg?”
“What?”
“Why would I pull your right leg?”
“Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Hey, whoever is listening up there . . . slap the dragon.” High above the planet, four girls were rolling on the floor laughing.
“Egg.”
“Yeah?”
“I was just teasing. Sorry.”
“Really?”
“Kind of taking over Soo’s role.”
“Well done, Hot Lips.”
The avatar curtsied. “Did I do it right?”
“Very human.”
“It’s really weird . . . being human.”
That was something Egg hadn’t considered. “Weird good?”
“Um . . . I feel kind of puny. And a couple of times I had to stop myself from flapping my arms to fly. On the other hand, I feel more like a girl.”
“In what way?”
“My skin is so soft and I have pretty hair. My feet are dainty and I feel as light as a feather.”
Her friend smiled. “That’s not feeling like a girl. That’s just feeling human.”
“You don’t understand.”
“What do you mean?”
“Being a female dragon is nothing like being like a female human. Well, that’s not completely true. From being around you and Syl and my other human sisters, it’s pretty obvious that we girls think, feel, and look at things in ways that are way different from boys. We love our friends and family, we care for the people that need our help, we hate violence and would rather find any alternative than to fight. We feel the emotions of our sisters, empathize with their sorrows, share in their happiness and would, and have, readily sacrificed ourselves to save any one of us.”
“Oh my gosh, I have never heard you talk like that before.”
“Maybe I’m just growing up. We dragons don’t change much physically, but mentally we do become . . . um . . . less silly, more thoughtful.”
“That’s depressing.”
“Why?”
“Because I love the Bl’azzz that I’ve known for all these years. It’s going take some getting used to an older, more mature, version.”
“Don’t sweat it. It’ll be a few hundred years before I’m totally boring.”
Egg felt compelled to say something on behalf of men. “Some guys feel like we do. Not all of them are jerks.”
“Sure. I know a few of them. Anyway, the reason I said that I feel more like a girl is that for a dragon, the way you look is just the way you look. It’s the way nature made us. We don’t worry about hairstyle, mainly because we have no hair. We don’t shop for clothes . . . since we don’t wear any. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we female dragons don’t identify with our physical selves the way humans do. Your appearance means a lot to you. Truthfully, that’s something I never did understand. Till now, anyway.”
“And?”
“And I think it’s . . . um, what’s the word?”
“Epic?”
“Yeah, epic. You can pretty much change into whatever you want . . . or feel . . . on any given day. On the other hand . . .”
“Go on, say it.”
“On the other hand, it seems a little silly. The dragon in me says it’s not how you look, it’s how you feel inside. And how you feel should dictate the way you behave with others. But what’s really sad is that human males judge you by the way you look. That’s so . . . so shallow.”
“Hot lips, now you’re scaring me. You’re beginning to sound like Grammy.”
“Really. Oh, thank you Egg. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Since it wasn’t actually meant as a compliment, Egg’s avatar looked away to avoid making eye contact. Over her shoulder, she muttered, “You’re welcome.”
“Excuse me, you two,” came a voice in their heads.
“What’s up, Butterfly Girl?”
“I think you guys need to be focusing a little harder on the task at hand. This isn’t just a stroll in the park,” she chastised.
“Ha. What you really mean is that you want to be part of this conversation and you prefer if we wait till we get back . . . so to speak.”
There was the briefest of hesitation before the girl replied. “Shut up.”
The two avatars turned to look at each other and smiled. “Now that’s what it means to be a girl.”
But they heeded the advice and walked toward the city in companionable silence. Eventually they spotted an old woman carrying a basketful of foodstuff. She was walking away from them so all they could see was her back.
“Excuse me, could you direct us to the Li
brarian?” Egg called out. This was the sixth or seventh person they had asked. The others seemed to pretend not to hear and scurried off and out of sight.
The elderly Spell’ Bounder turned toward the sound of the voices then dropped her basket. The foodstuff that it held spilled out. Falling to her knees, her eyes wide with fright and her face now ashen, she kowtowed with her head touching the dirty ground. With her face inches above the dirt, she muttered, “Please forgive an old woman, Divine Ones. I meant no disrespect.”
Egg looked at Bl’azzz who shrugged. Kneeling down, she gently tapped the woman on the shoulder. “Um, sorry. We didn’t mean to scare you.” She then began to gather the items that had fallen out of the basket.
The woman raised her eyes . . . but not her head. “Divine One?” she said as if she wasn’t sure that she had heard Egg correctly.
“No, no. We’re not Divine. I think you have us confused with someone else. We’re just from out of town.” Bl’azzz rolled her eyes at the comment since there was no other town to be from.
“But . . . but you wear red.”
Egg looked at Bl’azzz who in turn looked back at her. Sure enough, they both had red outfits . . . something neither had noticed. In the dragon’s defense, she was . . . well, she was a dragon. On the other hand, Egg was so focused on the mission that silly things like the color of her clothes didn’t register.
“Hey, you’re right,” exclaimed Hot Lips.
Before Egg could ask her why that was significant, she heard Serenity’s voice. “I did a quick scan and apparently almost no one is wearing red. The few that do have red capes and hoods. My guess is they are the magicians or whatever the Librarian was talking about.”
Spirit suggested, “Use that to your advantage to learn what you can about what’s going on.” However, she didn’t explain how that might be accomplished.
Egg needed a little time to figure out her next move. “My companion and I need a moment. Please get up and wait here.”
“As you command,” said the old woman as she rose slowly and unsteadily to her feet. Bl’azzz reached out to steady her. Shocked by the touch of a Divine One, the woman had to force herself not to pull away. Bobbing her head in a cautious thank you, she accepted the basket now restocked with the items that had fallen out.
Egg looked at Bl’azzz and nodded at her to follow a few paces away.
“What are we doing?”
“If she mistook us for one of those in power, others will, too. It might become a real problem. Let’s have her take us to her house and we’ll try to get as much information as we can. Then after dark, we’ll go find the Librarian.”
“Why would these Divine Ones go to her house?”
“Hey, that’s a good question.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Do you have a good answer?”
“Not yet,” but she turned and walked back anyway.
While the girls were talking, the old woman took the opportunity to study the two – and for the first time noticed something she had missed in her previous glances. Though they wore Holy Red, neither had the traditional cape and hood of their Order. That was more than odd, it was wrong. Moreover, one of them touched her – offering a helping hand. The thought of such action was inconceivable! And the other one, the one that seemed to be in charge, helped her with the fallen food . . . and used the word ‘please’. Most telling of all was that they asked for directions to the Librarian . . . how utterly absurd. She may be old but she wasn’t stupid. These two were not Divine Ones. Somehow, she needed to get them together with her husband. He would be able to make sense of this. He had warned her to keep an eye out for ‘strangers’ but wouldn’t explain what that meant. “You’ll know when you see them,” was his cryptic response to her questions.
The girls rejoined the woman. “Thank you for waiting.” Egg just couldn’t be anything other than polite. “May I ask your name?”
This time the woman faced the other two and a small smile played at her lips. ‘May I ask your name’ – indeed. Such politeness was proof beyond doubt. These two were not Divine Ones. They might not even be Spell’ Bounders. Pretending deference but still with a modicum of caution she answered, “Taysen, Divine One.”
“Taysen, do you live nearby?”
“Just over there,” and she pointed in the direction she had been walking. “Would you Divinities care to see where this unworthy citizen lives? Perhaps I could offer you food . . . a chance to experience a culinary taste that may prove new to you?”
Egg stole a quick glance at Bl’azzz. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“Why don’t you let me carry that basket?” offered Hot Lips.
Taysen couldn’t help it and barked out a laugh. A Divine One making such an offer – absolutely ridiculous. She put her hand to her mouth and pretended it was just a cough. “Apologies. As to the basket, thank you but I can manage. Please, this way.”
*****
They reached Taysen’s modest dwelling . . . a cottage that would be right at home in eighteenth century rural England. All that was missing was the traditional English garden. Not only was there none, but there was no green vegetation of any kind.
Taysen opened the front door and invited her guests in. Like the exterior, the interior was quaint with no sign of modern conveniences. “Please, have a seat and I’ll get you some wine . . . it’s not much but it should quench your thirst.”
Neither girl had ever tasted wine, though Egg had the opportunity at Thanksgiving if she were so inclined. Noting their hesitation, Serenity said, “Don’t worry. You’ll feel no ill effects from the alcohol.”
Egg was relieved (though Bl’azzz was a bit disappointed. Dragons never consumed spirits of any kind and she was curious what effect it might have on her). “Thanks. That would be great,” she responded to her hostess.
Taysen fetched two glasses and poured an amber liquid into each. “To your good health.”
“Aren’t you going to join us”?
“Unless you insist, Divine One, I will decline. I have much work to do and wine muddles this old head.”
Before Egg could respond, she heard, “Tay, is that you?”
“That’s my husband. May I ask him to join us?”
“Sure.”
“Hay’gar, in here. We have guests.”
A moment later a heavyset, but distinguished looking man with a lion’s mane of white hair walked in. His craggy face hinted of manly good looks when he was younger. Upon seeing him, you would take an immediate liking . . . though you would be hard pressed to say why.
He entered the room sporting a warm grin . . . that instantly disappeared upon seeing the red-clad girls. “Oh, Divine Ones, what an unexpected honor”. Unlike his wife who had fallen to her knees, he only bowed his head as a show of respect.
“Hay’gar, what’s going on?” and in walked a young man. “Oh, please forgive this ignorant person, Divine Ones,” and he fell to his knees, forehead touching the floor.
Egg couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Please, just get up,” but he didn’t respond.
“What is he doing here?” growled Taysen with obvious displeasure.
Instead of answering his wife, Hay’gar introduced his groveling ‘guest’ to the two Divine Ones. “This is my . . . um . . . this is Kr’eep, our neighbor.”
“Great, just tell him to get up, please.”
Kr’eep stole a glance at the older man who gave him a slight nod. He staggered to his feet with as much grace as an inebriated clown. “As it pleases you, Divine One.”
Impulsively, Bl’azzz walked over to him and brushed a bit of the dirt off his forehead. The young man’s eyes went wide in . . . well, in fear. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t have done that,” she said in embarrassment.
Kr’eep got the courage to look at Bl’azzz’s avatar . . . and he liked what he saw. For a moment, he forgot who she was (or who he thought she was) and smiled. Hot Lips smiled back. As they leered at each oth
er in silence, Taysen cleared her throat loudly.
Realizing his mistake, he forced his eyes to look away. Staring at his shoes, he mumbled “apologies.”
Into the awkward silence that followed, Taysen said to her husband, “Our guests are staying for dinner. Show Kr’eep out then come help me in the kitchen.” She was almost certain that her two guests weren’t Divine Ones, and equally as sure that they were the strangers her husband had warned her about. She needed to discuss her observations with him in private.
“Dinner?” Hay’gar thought he had misunderstood. “Did you say dinner?”
“Yes . . . and we are much honored. Now, please do as I ask.” To the girls she said, “Please make yourselves comfortable. If there is anything you want, you need but ask.”
“Thank you. You’re most kind.”
Taysen nodded, gave Hay’gar a stern look, then hurried into the kitchen and gently closed the door.
“If you will excuse us, Divine Ones, I must see my fr . . . Kr’eep to the door.”
“No problem.” Normally Egg would have said something like ‘nice meeting you, Kr’eep,’ but she said nothing. The kid gave her the creeps.
*****
While they had a few minutes alone, the dragon asked, “Is he cute?”
“What?”
“I can’t tell with humans. Is he cute?”
“Bl’azzz . . . hello. We’re on a mission to save this world.”
“I know. But, I think he likes me.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you see the way he looked at me?”
Egg gave that a moment’s thought. “Oh, yeah. Maybe we can use that to our advantage. We’ll have to see what happens.”
“But is he cute?”
“Oh my gosh . . . shut up.”
“Just asking.”
The guy was definitely not cute in Egg’s opinion. In fact, he had a face like a weasel . . . and the most appropriate name to go with it. However, there was no use in being honest with her friend. Instead, she said “very cute.”
“Epic.”
Egg shook her head – a small part from frustration and a large part from amusement. “Behave yourself.”
“Can I kiss him?”
“Yuk. Don’t forget you’re still a dragon.”
Box Set #5: Nemesis: [The 4 book 5th adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood] Page 4