The Crystal Keepers, An Overseers Novel
Page 21
Still wearing their golden headbands, Loki and Waysu followed Kado out of the Grand Cave. Waysu had an intent look on her face as she continued listening to whatever sound she was hearing.
Play, miss. Spin wit’ us!!
They stopped just outside the dining area. Then Waysu turned right, obviously following her sound, at the same instance that Kado found his scent again and turned right as well. Loki followed behind, aware of the ‘tweenlings’ excitement and playfulness as they twirled and brushed past.
Oiyeah! Oiyeah!!
Just like old times, thought Loki.
They walked through the tunnels with Waysu’s ears and Kado’s nose leading the way. Loki barely paid attention to their location until she noticed that they were going uphill. They were in an area of the mountain where she hadn’t been before. They turned right again, still going up an incline, lit by spinning crystals on the walls.
Loki glanced behind, in the direction from where they came, and a swarm of fairies was following, doing their own choreographed dance of swirling through the air. It was the same whirling motion in which the ‘tweenlings moved. She reminded herself to get accustomed to referring to it as energy instead of the ‘tweenlings, but as she gave it some thought, she realized that the fairies were a visual example of the manner in which the energy traveled across the ethers. She wondered if all energy had a spinning motion to it.
The ground leveled off and Loki looked past Kado and Waysu. She noticed an area farther ahead where the lit crystals stopped and there was a dark wall beyond. It looked like they were at a dead end, with no light on the end wall. Kado and Waysu didn’t seem to notice, they were so engrossed in following their senses.
As they approached the end, Loki felt a rush of pure, cool air and realized they were near an opening to the outside! The dark area was a cave opening leading out into the nighttime. They stood inside the opening and peered into the darkness, taking in deep breaths of fresh air.
Loki closed her eyes and enjoyed the crisp air filling her lungs, revitalizing her being. She took a few more steps and was outside the cave. The night was brightly lit by a full moon accompanied by millions of sparkling stars. The moon had a rainbow-colored ring around it, as if it had been given its own brilliant headband to wear. It was a sight she had never seen before.
As Loki looked further, she made out tall pine trees and boulders below the cave opening. The earth sloped downward, which made sense since they were high up on the mountain.
Kado stepped beside her, sniffing the air. “What is that scent? I’ve never smelled anything like it.”
Next to the cave was a rock cliff that ran the length of the mountain, its flat surfaces shining in the moonlight. Waysu stepped beside them, facing the same direction. From the way she tipped her head, apparently her sound was coming from the same direction as Kado’s scent.
The swarm of fairies that had been following them flew out of the cave opening and into the night air. Loki heard murmurs from the ‘tweenlings. Suddenly the fairies came back and fluttered in mid air in front of them, making barely audible squeaky chirps.
“I think they want us to follow,” offered Loki.
“I think you’re right,” agreed Kado.
The fairies guided them in front of the rock cliff, on a well worn trail, and then stopped above a young pine tree that was about four feet tall. Kado sniffed some more, still trying to identify the source of the scent. He bent forward to smell the pine and as he did, his eye caught something on the other side of the tree.
“Wow,” he whispered as he stepped around the tree.
Loki and Waysu moved closer to see what caught his eye. It was a plant, about two feet tall, with a single blooming flower. The plant was tucked next to the new pine and against the rock wall, well hidden from view of the cave opening. The flower had rounded, white, petals laced with purple around the edges. Fuchsia-colored stringy filaments edged each petal, like delicate fingers dancing in the moonbeams. The flower glowed in the full moonlight!
“What is it,” asked Loki.
Kado cradled the petals with his hand, careful not to hurt them, as he leaned into it and sniffed. “Aaahhh. Incredible,” he added. “It’s a Sprite Orchid. I’ve heard of them but have never seen one. They only bloom in the full moon and when you see one, it means that fairies are nearby.”
Waysu stepped closer. “It makes a sound like a lyre playing.”
Loki knelt beside it and sniffed. “What a lovely scent.”
The fairies floated above with grins on their tiny faces, as though they were happy to share their secret flower. Their wings flashed white, then went dark, then flashed white again. They continued to flash on and off, like fireflies. Then, in a burst of energy, wings blinking intermittently, the fairies flew straight upward. They twisted their bodies and flipped over backwards, flying straight down toward the ground. Then, before reaching the flower they righted themselves.
They be proud cuz it’s their special flower. They wantin’ to play, miss. Spin. Spin, miss!
The ‘tweenlings brushed past Loki and she felt their whimsical energy, enticing her to join them. She stood and took a few steps away from the flower. She raised her arms out to the side and began to turn. As if the fairies knew what she was doing, they flew over to her. Some landed on her arms, one landed on her head, and the others flew playfully through the air.
Loki increased her momentum.
Oiyeah!
She increased it a little more, as much as she dared on the uneven, moonlit ground. She tipped her head back to gaze at the moon as she spun, not realizing a fairy was sitting on top. The fairy did a back flip off her head and took flight, joining the others dancing in the air around her.
Oiyeah! Oiyeah!!
Loki was caught up in the moment, the ‘tweenlings’ excited energy, the clear open sky and fresh air and, for a moment, forgot about everything else. The fairies on her arms took flight as well, joining the others in the joyful celebration.
Kado and Waysu watched the performance of the fairies interacting with Loki’s motion. After several minutes of spinning in place, Loki dropped to the ground. Kado rushed over to her, thinking she had fallen, but then appeared uncertain as to what he should do next. Loki lay on her back and giggled.
“Are you okay?” asked Waysu.
Still giggling, Loki responded. “I’m fine.” She sighed. “That felt good.”
Kado and Waysu joined Loki on the ground. The fairies landed on various plants around them and watched.
“It’s been awhile since I did that,” Loki said as she realized that this might be the last time she would spin with the ‘tweenlings.
She thought back to the playful look in Morten’s eyes when he told them to enjoy their evening. Shortly after he said that was when Waysu acted as if she heard something and Kado started sniffing. Then she had heard the ‘tweenlings for the first time in awhile. She smiled to herself and couldn’t help but wonder whether this was Morten’s way of giving them one last evening with their old senses before everything changed.
EIGHTEEN
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