Made of Magic and True Grit

by Landry-Daniel Lié

  “I could get used to this,” Vince said, leaning back on his elbows. While he relaxed, Pinly couldn't stop thinking about his brother, Lion would have loved this. He considered mentioning it to Ayloo, getting some kind of information off him, but after everything that had happened today, he decided to give it a day or two before he said anything. They couldn’t do anything until Miss Poli arrived anyway, if she ever did... He couldn't help but think that it wasn't a coincidence he had met with Ayloo and his people first. Sure, the first exchange was anything but joyful, but there was something there, more than just fate. Was it Miss Poli’s doing?

  Ayloo turned to Pinly then back to the horizon, he did that a few times, as if he didn’t dare ask what he had in mind..

  “Go on, tell me,” Pinly said. Ayloo seemed confused and embarrassed before the words even came out his mouth.

  “Where are your wings?” Ayloo asked.

  “Well, apparently my folks have been mixing with humans for generations, so eventually the wings stopped growing.”

  “What about you?” Ayloo turned to Vince.

  “I was born a human and I was changed into a fairy by Pinly,” he said.

  “That is dangerous magic, hard to perform” Ayloo frowned.

  “Well we kind of failed anyway” Pinly said

  “Failed? I consider myself a success” Vince said

  “That is why you are half,” Ayloo seemed to mock. “If it was done by a master of fairy magic like Cammo, you would have had wings as big as mine, but a humming fairy is good.” he shrugged

  “I have to say, if I was as strong as you are, I'd have no problem. I'd be at peace.” Pinly could have saved his family and the whole village with such strength.

  “But you are, you both are,” Ayloo said.

  “Come on, we gave it everything we've got earlier and we couldn’t even come close to you,” Vince said.

  “But that is because you do not use fairy magic properly. Whoever taught you how to fight did well, but they do not understand fairy magic. You fight like wizards… too much on the defensive, the attacks are not strong enough.” A smug smile drew itself on Ayloo’s face. “Were you taught by one?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Pinly replied.

  Ayloo nodded. “You see, the only difference between you and I is that I use my powers to see faster, move faster and hit stronger…” The boys watched attentively as Ayloo punched and dodged the air. “You only use your powers to conjure weapons, and not very good ones,” Ayloo concluded.

  “Can you teach us?” Pinly asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Amazing!” Vince said.

  “So you are staying in Bonhill?” Ayloo asked. Pinly and Vince looked at each other, then nodded.

  “Yes, for a little while,” Pinly replied.

  “I haven't seen your golems yet. Do you not call upon them often?”

  “Golems?” Vince repeated.

  “Those creatures made out of rock?” Pinly asked, pointing at one. Ayloo nodded

  “We don't know how to do that.” Vince said.

  Ayloo stood up. “You have got a lot to learn,” he replied. “But tonight, we drink.” he said then drank some more.

  Chapter 28

  I will help you

  T he next morning Ayloo erupted out of his Booleaf, he then began stretching himself mid-air. The petals fully opened making Vince and Pinly roll onto the nest. They were barely awake as they stumbled down, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

  “Sorry!” Ayloo hurried to them “I am used to being alone”

  “It’s okay” Pinly yawned. A night in the booleaf had confirmed what he thought. It was more than just a bulb fairies slept in. There was magic at work there too. It somehow healed him in places he didn’t know he needed healing; it was far better than fairy dust. The rest he had had from it was far superior than in any bed he had slept in. It seemed to be quite early still, but Bonhill was very busy, both on the ground and in the air, where fairies spiralled up to incredible heights. Some even above the white clouds. On the ground a giant herd of very long horned cows were being shepherd through the island and into an enclosure.

  “So what’s the plan for today?” Vince asked, Ayloo shrugged and turned to Pinly

  “What did you plan on doing in Mendy?” he asked

  “We have to wait for Miss Poli” Pinly replied “Not sure how long she will be”

  “Let us clean and eat first” Ayloo was pointing at a lake, just visible on the horizon. “Last in the water is a Rooka” Ayloo shouted as he took off with one beat of his wings. The other two didn't know what a Rooka was, but they knew they didn't want to be it.

  “Does everyone always cheat at that game?” Pinly shouted as he tried to catch up. He saw Vince’s golden wings flash ahead of him and knew he was going to lose that race too and be the Rooka, whatever that was. The two winners, splashed in the water once they reached it. Pinly could see them clearly, as they sank deep in the water, they were surrounded by fish of all colours and sizes. Pinly rushed to join them in the water. The deeper they swam the bigger the fish were. Ayloo seemed to have made a friend; a fish as big as him followed him closely and spiralled every time the winged boy did. Ayloo gestured them to follow him as he sank deeper into the sea. There were caves down there. They entered through one of the many holes that acted as the cave's entrances. They swam until their heads were out of the water. The cave was filled with air. The boys flew out the water. Ayloo flapped his wings to try and dry them making Pinly feel like it was raining as he was standing directly under the great wings.

  “It's cold down here” Vince shivered. But Ayloo didn't have to be told, he was already conjuring wood that he gathered into a pile. He then snapped his fingers and a bright orange flame began to rise and grow bigger, drawing their shapes on the walls of the dark cave.

  “I will be back” Ayloo said before diving back into the water in an enormous splash. Vince and Pinly waited by the fire for their winged friend to comeback, they stretched their hands as close to the fire as possible, listening to the crackling of the wood echoing in the cave

  “I've never been out of Chavo, but I know there's not a more beautiful place than Mendy” Vince said

  “I've travelled a little before reaching Chavo and I haven't seen anything that compares to it” Pinly said. Ayloo's wings lifted considerable amounts of water as he rushed out the water and landed. His wings were dripping, once again he flapped them vigorously

  “Oi! Stop it!” the boys complained as they protected the flame he almost put out

  “Sorry” Ayloo said, then dropped three live fish next to them. They were as long as Pinly's arm and as thick as his leg. The prey beat their tails against the ground as they tried to find the water. Ayloo conjured three long sticks, long enough to come out the other end of the fish. They held their fish over the fire and waited for them to be cooked.

  “What is the reason you are in Mendy?” Ayloo broke the long silence, Pinly was glad the occasion to talk about it, finally popped up

  “My brother” he replied “my village was attacked by an army of skulls and leprechauns, they took my brother and a few others from my village, I want to get them back”

  “And I'm helping him” Vince added

  “There has been talks of creatures of such sort, led by leprechauns, kidnapping fairies for their powers”

  “What are the fairies doing about it?” Pinly asked

  “We protect our land the best we can”

  “But you could do so much more, it's only a matter of time before they come for you... Granted, they won't be able to do as much as they did to my city, but they will still cause serious damages, kill children and entire families” there was a moment of silence

  “But your brother would not be in Mendy” Ayloo said

  “I know, but Miss Poli sent us here to wait for her, so this is the best place for me to start searching for answers, maybe I can access the place my brother is in with the help of your people… Time is ru
nning out, we really need help”

  “The Kahoories will not leave Mendy to go fight unless they have proof” Ayloo said

  “Sorry but, what are Kahoories exactly?” Vince interrupted

  “We are tribes of fairies who live in the traditional ways, We are also the protectors of Mendy, We help the king’s army, protect the country” Ayloo turned to Pinly, “This is why you will need to give proof to them if you want their help”

  “Let’s give it to them” Pinly replied, Ayloo thought about it for a minute

  “I will help you” he said, Pinly and Vince celebrated with balled up fists “but first, you need to master using fairy magic and learn how to summon golems” Pinly dreaded more training, but it had to be done if they were going to stand a chance. Soon the fish were ready and the three boys, ate and laughed like old friends.

  Chapter 29

  Golems

  P inly and Vince were standing in front of Ayloo. The winged boy was pacing, the part of his wings that touched the floor made brushing noises every time he turned back. He seemed deep in thoughts, probably thinking about how he was going to teach them. They stood by a tall cascade. The succession of small waterfalls falling down the rocky slopes made it hard for the boys to hear each other, so they shouted over the noise to communicate. It was, from what Ayloo said after Vince complained about the noise, the best place to train away from prying eyes.

  “All you have to do is imagine your golem” Ayloo said after a long and silent reflection

  “Does it have to be made out of rock?” Pinly asked

  “No, but we will do rock today, rock is easy. With enough training a golem can be made out of anything you want” Ayloo replied

  “How big can my golem be?” Vince asked

  “As big as you can make it” Ayloo said “You must have seen Cammo's golem to get through the gates you used”

  “That thing was his golem?” Pinly gasped

  “Yes”

  “But it could talk”

  “Do not underestimate Cammo, he is a very powerful fairy, the most powerful I know” Ayloo said

  “Can we see yours again?” Vince asked, Ayloo stomped the ground with his foot once, then stepped back. Hands made out of rock began to dig themselves out. Soon a head appeared, then arms that pulled the rest of the body up. The golem stood tall in front of them. The boys approached and began to scrutinise the sturdy figure. Pinly had to fly a little to be on the golem's eye level, it leaned forward the same way Pinly did and their heads bumped.

  “Ouch” Pinly complained. The golem straightened up almost immediately. Although Pinly knew how strong the golem was, it seemed gentle and harmless, almost childlike.

  “And you go to war with them?” Vince asked, circling the imposing figure

  “Yes”

  “I would not like to be at the receiving end of these" Vince grabbed the golem's fist.

  “Your turn now, you are new at this so use your hands on the ground” Ayloo said, Pinly had never been so anxious to do anything. He placed his palms on the ground and began to imagine what his golem would look like. He ideally would have liked a golem like Cammo’s. He was sure to get his brother back no problem with such a beast at his side, but then again he wasn’t as powerful as Cammo, not even close. “It is like giving birth” Ayloo said

  “Ew, sick! What do you know about giving birth?” Vince protested

  “Just get on with it Vince” Pinly said

  “All I’m saying is I’ve seen someone give birth before, it’s not something I want to be doing”

  “Think of it as giving life to rock” a small patch of earth began to move under Pinly's hand then stopped. He moved his hand away, to make sure he wasn't blocking anything from coming up, but nothing moved again.

  “What?” Vince asked, Pinly pointed at the ground

  “Something moved” he replied

  “Really?” The boys gathered around the small patch of disturbed earth, wondering what had happened. Pinly began to dig carefully, until his hand hit a rock. He kept digging around it until it was clear. It was a golem's head, he pulled on it, the head came out the hole without any resistance. Pinly fell back holding on tight to it. He sat up and stretched his arms forward to have a good look at it. The lifeless head was heavy, the surface was rough and bumpy

  “That is good” Ayloo said before sending the head flying far away with a simple flick of the hand. The boys spent all afternoon trying again and again to raise golems out of the ground. Vince managed full bodies, but of a tiny size, even smaller than a humming fairy. All attempts remained lifeless for the first few hours. Vince began to summon bigger and bigger golems. Pinly had mixed results; the golems would either be half built or if they were fully built, they crumbled immediately after digging themselves out.

  “I think I get it” Vince said. He was focused, his eyes fixed on the ground. The boy slowly knelt and placed his hands over the earth, it took a few seconds but golden light began to emanate from under his hand. It was strange, it looked as though he was doing a different spell because when Ayloo summoned his golem, there was no light, nor when any other fairy did it. But the earth under their feet began to quake, Pinly took flight and as he did an enormous golem sprung out the ground and went crashing clumsily against a tree. The trunk cracked then snapped in half. The golem settled back on its feet. It was at least seven feet high and was as wide as three men. The boys marvelled at it. That golem made Ayloo's, although still impressive, look scrawny. Vince laughed and jumped around his golem. Now Pinly was the only one without a Golem, he was happy for Vince but couldn’t help but feel a little jealous too.

  “All you have to do is give it some life” Ayloo said as another of Pinly's golems crumbled into the enormous pile of failed attempts

  “I can't do it!” Pinly shouted at him “maybe I'm not meant to have one, I don't need one”

  “It is important, they will fight when you cannot fight anymore…” Ayloo said

  “Come on P, you can do it” Vince said, Pinly dropped to his knees and banged on the ground three times, determined to show that he couldn't do it

  “You see! It's useless... teach me something else” he demanded, but as his anger rose, so did three rocky figures. One dug itself out, another sprung out of the earth, it then turned around and helped a third one out which was stuck at the waist. They were all six feet, made out of grey rock and brown tree roots. They walked up to Pinly and circled him before lining up in front of him. All three boys were dumbstruck, it was such a big leap. From nothing to three golems. Even Ayloo was at a loss for words.

  “You did it” Vince and Ayloo finally celebrated,

  “I did it!” Pinly’s anger faded away

  “Three golems, how is it possible?” Ayloo asked

  “Well if you don't know, I certainly don't” Pinly walked up to his golems “they have souls right?” he asked

  “That is what Cammo says” Ayloo replied

  “And emotions?” Pinly ran a hand across their chests, searching for any sign of beating hearts.

  “Amazing!” Vince said as he hugged his giant, it closed its enormous arms gently around him

  “I want to name them” Pinly said

  “How will you recognise them?” Ayloo asked

  “The hold themselves differently, take for example Nits here” he named the first one “his shoulders are bigger than the others” he stretched up to put his hands on Nits' shoulders “you'll be the leader Nits” the Golem nodded “you will be hmm…” he walked up to the second one “Blindy”

  “How will you recognise that one?” Vince asked

  “He hasn’t got eyes” Pinly replied, waving his hand in front of the golem's face. He then walked up to the third and last one “you will be junior”

  “Junior?” Vince asked

  “Well yes, I have to have a junior”

  “But it's twice your size”

  “It doesn't matter Vince!”

  “Well I'm going to call min
e Trampler, I have a feeling he's going to do a lot of trampling” Vince said, tapping the enormous rocky chest

  “You are very funny, fairies do not name their golem” Ayloo said

  “Well they should” Pinly replied “if they have souls and feelings, they should have names. It’s only fair”

  “You should name yours too, you and your golem are now part of our small army" Vince said, Ayloo looked at his golem,

  “I will name mine the god of rock, for he is the strongest of them all”

  “It sounds like you’ve had that name ready for a while" Vince said

  “It is possible that I did” Ayloo said

  “God of rock is a bit long don't you think? How about Gor? Just use the initials”

  “I like that” Ayloo nodded “Gor you are, mighty warrior” he tapped on the Golem's shoulder.

  “Have you ever been to war?” Pinly asked

  “No, but I have fought many invaders”

  “That’s what you thought we were when you first saw us” Vince said,

  “But don’t they have to get passed Cammo’s Golem before they can even get to you?” Pinly asked

  “No, that is one of the main gates. Some open gates of their own”

  Later on the trio walked proudly into Bonhill, they were accompanied by their five golems which stood strong behind them. There were whispers as fairies probably wondered how they'd manage to summon so many golems. A young fairy walked up to Ayloo. She had long shiny black hair covered with pink feathers as if she had been wrestling with pink birds. She looked to be around their age. Her wings were white with the exception of a few red feathers. Pinly nudged Vince when he saw Ayloo blushing. The winged boy moved his hands about as if he didn't know what to do with them anymore. He barely dared look at her, he gave a soft smile which she answered with one of her own. She stopped as if she had something to say, but Ayloo walked past her.

  “What are you doing mate?” Vince asked

  “I am not doing anything”