by L. EE
“How can I help you fellas?” the man asked in a friendly tone.
Andy opened his mouth to respond. Worms wriggling on the counter not far from where he intended to rest his hand caused him to pause.
The man chuckled. “Don’t pay them no mind. Just bait.”
After wiping his hand on his tunic, Andy recovered and began, “We’d like to rent one of your boats.”
“Have ya ever fished before?”
“Oh no, we don’t need it to go fishing. We need it to get to Sometimes Island.”
The man coughed and his eyes grew large. He stammered, “None of my boats is big enough to get you across the sea. My boats is fer local fishin’ on the Crystal River. ’Sides, there’s monsters in those waters. Between them and high seas, it’d break any of my boats. I’m sorry, but I can’t help ya.”
The pixie circled once around Andy’s head and settled back on his shoulder with a hiccup. He had become more comfortable with the pixie now that she had rested on his shoulder for a while with no adverse side effects.
“Actually, we’re looking for someone to be our skipper over to Sometimes Island. Know of anyone?” Alden asked.
“With Abaddon havin’ taken over the island a few months back, no one here’s fool enough to go anywheres near that place.” The man shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t help ya.”
“Well, thanks anyway,” Alden replied.
As they turned to leave, they heard the man mumble under his breath, “Crazy foreigners.”
Back out in the street again, Alden said, “Now what are we gonna do?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not giving up. We have to get to the island.”
The pixie fluttered up again, circling Alden’s hat and perching on top, again letting loose a hiccup. She looked like a hood ornament. Andy chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just that where I come from, people mount ornaments on the hoods of their cars. She looks like a hood ornament, but on your hat. Maybe we should call her a head ornament.”
“I have no idea what you just said.”
The sun began casting long shadows. The crowds of shoppers that filled the square earlier had now thinned as people headed back to their homes.
“Well, it’s too late to make camp outside town. Didn’t I see a tavern with an inn when we first got here?” Andy thought out loud.
“Yeah, I saw it too.”
“Looks like we’re spending the night inside on soft beds,” Andy grinned. “Come on.”
A sign swinging on an angle iron over the door of the tavern declared this was the Royal Pegasus Inn. They walked in and looked around. It was a dark, humble place. That’s to say, the tables were well worn and the chairs full of character. Customers just needed to be careful and not pick one with too much character lest they find themselves sitting on the floor. Several men were hoisting pints of beer at the bar. One joked with the old bartender, whose wrinkled skin and graying hair matched the décor of his establishment. Chirping and cackling came from among the sea of patrons. Andy and Alden made their way to one of the few remaining empty tables and a maid came to take their orders.
“What’ll ya have?”
“What have you got?”
“Cherry, raspberry, moonberry, or grape honeybeer. Lemon, lime, dill, dandelion, or green apple bitterbeer. Milk or water,” she expertly rattled off.
“I’ll have a moonberry honeybeer,” said Alden.
“Make that two,” added Andy, having no idea what he’d just ordered.
“Anythin’ for your friend?” the girl asked, nodding toward the pixie still comfortably situated on Alden’s hat.
“Can you bring her some milk?”
“Sure. By the way, hats off in here, please.”
Alden nodded and removed his hat. The pixie flew down to the table, eagerly awaiting the glass of milk.
“Milk?” Andy questioned.
Alden was about to answer when the boys realized a deafening silence had filled the room and all eyes stared at his neon green hair.
“Cartesian’s ain’t welcome here,” came a man’s voice from back by the window. Pockets of murmuring erupted around the room.
Andy reached for the pouch holding Methuselah, but before he opened it, the old barman rounded the counter and walked toward their table.
“We don’t mean any disrespect, sir,” Alden apologized.
“You’re fine, boys,” the man reassured them. Turning to face the accusers, he cautioned, “Jazer, Nat, and anyone else looking to make trouble tonight, the door’s over there. Don’t let it hit you on the way out.”
More grumbling echoed about the room, but no one made any move to leave.
“I’ll take that as your promise to behave yourselves then,” finished the man. He turned to Andy and Alden and introduced himself. “Name’s Thadis. Looks like you’re new in town and’ll be needin’ a place to sleep.”
“Thank you, sir,” replied Andy. “And yes we will. Have you got any rooms available?”
After a hearty dinner, the boys and the pixie, who flew properly once again, followed Thadis’s wife upstairs and down a ragged hallway. Alden glanced nervously at Andy as she escorted them to a room with an unmarked door. It all seemed too familiar. When she opened the door, they were surprised to smell fresh flowers even though the two beds were covered with threadbare blankets.
“Will there be anything else?” she asked.
“May we have the key?” Alden asked.
“Oh, how silly of me. Here you are.”
Both boys breathed a sigh of relief.
After settling in and propping Methuselah up so its blade could illuminate the room, Andy and Alden began discussing their situation. Of particular concern was their inability to locate a skipper to take them to Sometimes Island, as well as the challenge before them of finding the library.
It seemed they had exhausted all possibilities, and Andy grew frustrated. “Look, I’m not sure what our next step is!” he raised his voice after going over this same line of questioning for the fourth time.
Uncomfortable silence filled the room for several minutes.
The pixie broke the quiet as she began zooming around, circling the space.
“Would you stop!” Andy exclaimed.
“Don’t yell at her. She doesn’t understand what we’re talking about.”
“I can show you the way to Sometimes Island and help you find the library,” squeaked a shrill voice.
Both boys stared as she zipped around the room, laughing.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Spark
“You speak!” Alden exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“A girl can’t give away her secrets too quickly. That would take away all the mystery.”
“What, girls have a secret pact to keep guys guessing?”
“I’ll never tell!” she squeaked and flew another lap around the room.
The boys just watched and chortled.
“What’s your name?” Alden asked.
“Spark. My mama always says I like to ignite trouble.”
“I can see that,” remarked Andy. “But seriously, someone I know mentioned pixies have a reputation for being able to locate hard to find places like underwater caves. Until now I wasn’t sure I believed him, but you say you can get us to Sometimes Island and help us find the library?”
“That’s right!” Spark flew up to the ceiling and back down to the bed where the boys were sitting.
Her certainty made Andy feel uneasy. He’d recently learned when someone was too certain, it usually meant they’d missed a few important points. Like when he’d dismissed Sometimes Island as Abaddon’s location, costing them precious time in retrieving the stone.
“We’ve got a lot riding on this, Spark,” Andy cautioned. “How can you be so sure you can find it?”
Spark giggled. “I’m 724 years young. I’ve been to Sometimes Island several times, and the library you speak of—well, I’ve been there with
many of those snot-nosed brats of Oomaldee’s kings. They never treated me nice. The boys always tried to catch me and pull my wings off!”
“Wow! I had no idea you were that…young!” Alden exclaimed. “Awesome!”
“My only concern is whether Sometimes Island is visible at the moment. It’s been known to disappear, which is why it’s called—”
“Yes, I know, Sometimes Island,” Andy finished her sentence.
Andy wanted to ask more about her previous trips but chose to stay focused on the problem at hand. “How do you suggest we get there?”
“Well, first, you don’t need a huge boat like that guy said. A medium-sized rowboat will do just fine.” She laid out a plan to borrow a boat down by the docks early the next morning, then detailed significant points of the journey. She provided enough information that it sounded as if she knew, and Andy felt a little better. Plan in hand, Andy put Methuselah away and the boys turned in. It promised to be a short night.
“Let’s just hope the island is visible,” Spark said, tempering the mood.
Too early the next morning Andy awoke. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but looking out the window through the ever-present fog, he could see the gray twilight beginning to yield to the rising sun. He roused Alden then looked for Spark. She was nowhere to be found.
“I knew we shouldn’t trust her,” Andy exclaimed. “Looks as though she’s deserted us. And who’s she gonna run off and tell about our plans?”
“No. Really?”
Andy nodded.
The boys stowed their gear and Alden grabbed his hat, then stopped short. “Uh, Andy?”
Alden had left the hat topside down on the nightstand. Andy peered over the wide brim into its crown and saw Spark was curled up, fast asleep in the nest she had made of the lining.
Andy sighed, “I hope she didn’t hear what I said.”
Alden nudged her awake. Clearly she wasn’t a morning pixie. “Just five more minutes,” she mumbled groggily.
“Nope. Come on. We’ve got to get going,” Andy insisted.
“I need my morning milk,” Spark rambled, then stretched and yawned at Andy’s nudge. After a few minutes she took flight, although her path meandered and wove. She flew into the door before either of the boys had a chance to open it.
“Whoa, take it easy there,” Alden cautioned.
The trio made their way down the stairs and out the tavern door, back into the dirt road that circled the town square.
“Docks are this way,” Spark indicated with a yawn.
The thick fog hanging over the square began taking on a pinkish hue as they made their way to the waterfront. No one was out and about yet, and the boys took that as a good sign. After about twenty minutes they began to make out the top of Harbor watchtower like a sentry standing guard over the town in its shadow.
“How are we gonna get through the gate with the guards?” Alden whispered.
Andy pulled the pouch from under his tunic and extracted Hans’s ring. Alden brightened. They approached the two guards standing one on either side of the first portcullis at the foot of Harbor watchtower.
One soldier commanded, “Halt! Who goes there?” His voice was gruff and he took a threatening step forward, sword drawn.
Andy and Alden approached slowly. Spark had taken to riding on Alden’s shoulder this morning.
“Good morning, sir. I’m Andy and this is Alden. We’re on a mission for the King’s healer,” Andy replied. “Here. His ring.”
The soldier took the ring and examined it, then passed it to his compatriot. After the second soldier had studied it, he nodded to the first and said, “It looks genuine, but what would a couple of peasant boys be doing with it?”
“Hans gave me that ring to use at times like this, to gain safe passage. Please, sir, we are traveling on a mission to restore the King back to health.”
“Hans you say?”
“That’s right, sir.”
“What does Hans look like?”
“Hans is tall and thin with wrinkly skin and gray and white hair.”
“And where was he born?”
“Cromlech, sir.”
The soldier’s face softened. “They’re legit. Where are you heading?”
Andy hesitated. “Do we need to say?”
“No, just curious.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d rather not say, if that’s okay.”
“Suit yourself,” responded the man. “All right, let’s get these portcullises up and get you on your way.” He winked at Andy as he added, “Wherever that may be,” and handed back Hans’s ring.
They passed under the first gate and waited while the soldiers lowered it behind them.
“I feel like a caged bird,” Alden whispered as they waited for the men to raise the outer portcullis situated twenty feet away.
Several minutes later they started down the wooden wharf and noticed the absence of fog. Andy’s thoughts went back to their first journey and his excitement when they exited the tunnel under the wall and emerged into the clear skies of Hadession.
“Look, no fog!” he exclaimed.
“All right!” Alden celebrated.
The morning sun had lightened the harbor area, and they could see dozens of boats docked alongside the multitude of long wooden piers extending out into the Sea of Mystery. A white bird sprang into flight with a screech and several more followed.
“This way,” instructed Spark, pointing to a sign off in the distance. She launched off Alden’s shoulder to lead the charge. No one was around as they approached, but the sign offered the information they needed:
BOAT RENTALS
Dinghy—2 spannings/day
Raft—1 lar/day
Canoe—2 spannings/day
Lugger—1 lar/day
Pinnace—2 lars/day
“You want a pinnace,” Spark told Andy.
“But that’s the most expensive one,” he objected.
“It’s also what will get you there.”
“How many days do you think it’ll take?” Alden asked.
“I’d say three, tops,” Spark estimated. “One there, one to find what you need, and one back.”
Andy nodded and pulled out his pouch. He was nearly out of money, so Alden contributed from his own pouch and they left six lars with a note for the owner.
“Let’s take that one.” Spark pointed at a blue and white striped craft.
“Why that one?” Alden inquired.
“Because I like the name.”
Both boys read the lettering on the bow—Pixie Dust—and laughed.
They boarded the pinnace and found three sets of oars stowed in the middle with a canvas sail rolled up next to them. Andy crammed his backpack in the empty cavity ahead of the first set of seats. Alden shoved his hat in his backpack and did the same, sitting down in the adjoining middle seat across from Andy. They each chose an oar and sank the oarlocks into the gunwales, ensuring they wouldn’t lose their propulsion mechanism overboard. Task complete, Alden hopped onto the wharf and untied the ropes anchoring Pixie Dust to the dock. He threw the ropes in the boat and jumped back in. Andy pushed the craft away from the wharf and both boys extended their oars out into the water. The only sounds were the continual calls of seabirds and the quiet splashing of their oars in the water. Since neither boy had operated a boat like this before, it took several minutes to coordinate their strokes so they propelled themselves forward and not in circles, but they worked it out and pulled away from the dock.
Spark zipped around the craft, getting her bearings as the boys settled into a steady rhythm. After some time, the land faded away and Alden’s empty stomach rumbled.
“Guess we better eat some breakfast before your stomach goes on strike,” Andy joked.
The boys rested their oars on the gunwales and let the boat drift in the calm waters. There was no wind to speak of and the morning sun felt good on their faces. They ate a breakfast of the smoked lemon eel they had purchased the day
before and some of the crusty bread from Marta. The pixie contented herself with a few of the remaining moonberries even though they weren’t her favorite. She much preferred a diet of milk and blueberries or gooseberries. Hunger satisfied, the boys took up rowing again.
Sometime later, they spotted a school of creatures breaking the surface of the water. The animals looked like dolphins except for the twisting unicorn horns sprouting out of their foreheads. Shortly after, a whale breached nearby, sending a fine spray their way.
“Thanks, I needed that,” Andy remarked, having received the brunt of the shower. He wiped his face and arms on his tunic before resuming rowing.
Alden laughed.
The morning passed uneventfully and a growing sense of uneasiness crept over Andy.
“Everything’s too perfect. It’s making me nervous,” he said.
“Hey, don’t complain.”
“I’m not, but—”
At that exact moment, the boys felt a bump against the bottom of the pinnace.
“Did you feel that? What was that?” Andy’s eyes grew wide.
Another bump. This time the boat tipped a bit before returning to level.
Thud.
The boys pulled their oars inside the craft and chanced a quick peek over the side.
Bump.
Just below the surface Andy could make out a bright red crown of hair.
“Kappas!” Andy yelled. “What’ll we do?”
As he said it, the boat pitched.
“Let’s hit them on the head with the oars!” Alden shouted.
Three pairs of webbed hands shot up, grabbing the gunwale on either side. The boat rocked more violently.
“They’re trying to tip us over and drown us!” Alden screamed.
Spark zoomed forward and back, circling, unsure what to do since no place seemed safe.
The boat lurched again, catching Alden by surprise. He fell against the side where a webbed hand grabbed hold of his tunic and started dragging him overboard. Alden flailed, half out of the boat. He tried to grab the seat but missed. Andy pulled Methuselah from his holster and raised it to strike when suddenly the creature pulling Alden let go. Alden scrambled to get himself back into the boat.