Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel]

by Robert Iannone

*****

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Liar.”

  “Dragons never lie.”

  “Ha. You just did twice.”

  “So where’s your boyfriend?”

  “That’s what I came to talk to you about.”

  “Let me guess. He asked you to marry him.”

  “You could have at least pretended not to know so I could have the satisfaction of telling you.”

  “Sorry.”

  “You don’t sound sorry.”

  “No . . . you couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “I want you to give away the bride.”

  “Thanks, but I already did.”

  “What are you talking . . .” she stopped in mid-sentence. “Oh”.

  Storm looked at the girl. It was hard to read emotions in a dragon’s face unless you were another dragon. But Rose knew her friend as well as he did her.

  “Oh, what?”

  “Oh, I’m such an insensitive fool. I am so sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “I never even considered how you were feeling. We’ve spent so much time together these last six years then I just walk away and spend my time with Z’kkk. Oh, Storm, I just want to cry” and she did.

  The dragon knew how much Rose hated for anyone to see her shed tears. For her to do so for him was a compliment beyond measure. It was as loud a proclamation of their love for one another as any words might render.

  He walked over to the girl and folded his wings around her. “It was going to happen sooner or later. I’m just a little sad that our time together has come to an end.”

  “NEVER” she yelled. “Don’t you ever think that. He may become my husband, but you will always be my best friend. FOREVER!”

  Now the dragon wanted to cry. “Thank you.”

  “Will you give away the bride?”

  “It would be my honor.”

  *****

  “Where shall we honeymoon? Some secluded beach baked by the sun? Or perhaps an isolated cottage high on a mountain top buried to the rafters in snow?”

  “We have four years to make that decision.”

  “True, but I enjoy thinking about it.”

  “Men!” and she poked her betrothed in the ribs.

  “Lady, you wrong me.”

  “How so, sir?” she answered in mock seriousness.

  “My thoughts are pure. I only meant that I long for the time when I may call you wife.”

  She giggled and pushed him away when he tried to kiss her. “Your actions belie your words, my Prince.”

  “I am undone by my own behavior” but he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her closer. “But I do love you.”

  “Then kiss me you foolish man before I have you beheaded for trifling with the Royal Princess.”

  “As my Lady commands” and he did.

  “By the by, I do know where I wish to honeymoon.”

  “And where might that be?”

  “Earth.”

  “Where?”

  “Earth” she answered innocently.

  “And where is Earth? Is it someplace you and Storm stumbled upon in your journeys?”

  “Not exactly. It is a planet some several trillion miles from Aerianna.”

  “Several trillion! Seems a tad far to travel for one’s honeymoon.”

  “Perhaps. But, of course if you loved me as you are always professing, the distance would not be an obstacle.”

  He looked at her and knew she wasn’t kidding. “Ro, does this have something to do with the Crystal Egg?”

  “No. It has to do with sea serpents.”

  The handsome young man thought about that for a moment then came to the correct conclusion. Well, almost. “Has Ven’trrr invented a vehicle that can travel the stars?”

  “Not exactly. It’s an inter-galactic gateway. You can pass through it and be instantaneously transported to another world of your choosing. I had been in Nau’tika some years ago just weeks after they had discovered this planet. I would love to visit it.”

  “Is it safe?”

  “I think so.”

  “Well, if you are eager, so am I. It does sound exciting.”

  “Now you have a legitimate reason to think about our honeymoon,” teased the girl.

  “Oh, no my lady” and he hugged her close. “I have a number of reasons to think about it.” And he kissed her yet again.

  *****

  “Father.”

  “Yes, daughter?”

  “Do you consider the Crystal Egg to be beneficial for our people?”

  “Of course.”

  “Does it not take away our desire to innovate, to invent?”

  “Have you been talking to Ven’trrr?”

  “No.”

  “Sounds like something he would say.”

  “Would he be right?”

  “I believe the good outweighs the bad.”

  “What would happen if the Egg fell into the hands of the wrong person?”

  “Wrong? In what way?”

  “Someone who would use its power for their personal gain and not the good of the people.”

  “That is why I created the Knight Guardians of the Order of the Crystal Egg.”

  “And they can protect it from falling into the hands of someone evil?”

  “Of course.”

  “That troubles me, Father.”

  “How so?”

  “The best plans of men and sea slugs are usually equal.” She was quoting an old adage about how things can go wrong regardless of how well conceived an idea might seem.

  “Trust your old father in this. The Crystal Egg protects us all. That is why the Old Ones gave it to me.”

  “Perhaps it was a test?”

  “What kind of test?”

  “To see if we were clever enough to understand the danger it represents and wise enough to decline the gift.”

  Chapter 7 - The Order of the Crystal Egg

  Two years later

  “No, absolutely not. I forbid it.”

  “Kat, be reasonable.”

  “I am always reasonable, you portly fool.”

  “Honestly, I am more stout than portly” and he put his hands on his ample belly.

  “Fine. You stout fool.”

  “Do you really believe that I am a fool?” he asked hurt.

  Some of the tension left his wife’s features. “No, of course not. You will go down in history as M’earth the Wise.” She was being serious. A more humble man had never ruled their world. His decisions were always to the benefit of his subjects. He was honest with himself so he could be honest with his people. His trust in the goodness of others was unshakeable – even when they occasionally lost sight of the high standard he expected of all Aeriannians. His one fault, if one had to be found, was his certainty that everyone shared his beliefs.

  But he never liked being serious if levity would serve better. “I will go down in history as M’earth with the Large Girth.”

  She hated herself for laughing at his silly joke but she couldn’t help herself. “You do drive me insane.”

  “Kat” he used this momentary lull in hostilities to press his point. “She is old enough, worthy of the honor and . . . well . . . and insistent. Very insistent to be honest. She has been nagging me for the last year. She obviously received that endearing quality from her mother.”

  “I never nag.”

  “Hurummppph” he chortled.

  “I hate politics.”

  “I know you do.”

  “I hate the thought that Rose will immerse herself in it. To be consumed by it.”

  “Kat” he said gently. “She will inherit the crown someday. She needs to be prepared.”

  “Then in two years you will name her to the Council of Equals” it was a statement of fact and he didn’t reply.

  The Queen walked over to a window and looked out at the gardens below. Lost in thought, her mind didn’t register what her eyes were seeing. M’ear
th knew his wife well enough not to interrupt her train of thought.

  Finally, she turned around and said, “I will agree but there is a price to be paid.”

  “What price?” he asked suspiciously.

  “First, on the day she becomes a Knight Guardian you will give her Se’rene. I know it was to be a wedding gift, but I want her to have someplace to retreat to when the burdens of the Order become too much.”

  “Done.” He waited knowing that the worst was yet to come.

  “I will take Ss’ong and leave Q’umulus.”

  “What?”

  “I have no intention of allowing my youngest daughter to become embroiled with the machinations of governing. She is an extraordinary artist and I intend to nurture her gifts. I will start a retreat for young people of similar skills and of a like mind. You will pay for it.”

  “Kat, be reasonable . . .”

  “I am being reasonable.”

  “Are we to divorce?” He had turned white. M’earth was the most powerful man on the planet, but he was hopelessly in love with his wife.

  “Of course not” she said shocked at the thought.

  “Oh” he sighed in relief. “But you are my wife and I, I mean we, well you and I . . .” He was too embarrassed to complete the thought.

  “My last demand is that you will visit me every week. Every day if you can manage it. Did you think I intended to dishonor my marriage vows?”

  “I . . . I had hoped not” he whispered.

  “You, my dear husband, are a stout fool” and she walked over and kissed him.

  *****

  Z’kkk had been inducted into the Knight Guardians the prior year; Storm the year before that. And that just frosted Rose.

  Not that she begrudged her fiancé and her best friend the honor; she just felt that she was as worthy as the either of them.

  But no woman had ever been given the honor.

  “Father, why is that?” she asked. Since her other arguments for her induction into the Order always fell on deaf ears, she thought to be clever with this new argument.

  “Well, no woman was ever worthy” and he gritted his teeth waiting for his daughter’s verbal assault. He wasn’t disappointed.

  “NOT WORTHY! NOT WORTHY! How dare you say that? Women are at least as intelligent as men but we are not governed by your ridiculous sense of pride and arrogance. As for strength, a female dragon – pound for pound – can best any male her own size. Same is true of serpents.”

  “But you are neither” he reminded her.

  “I was trained by the Old Duke himself in the use of a sword. I am a master, as you well know. I may not be as strong as my opponent, but what I lack in muscle I more than make up with cunning.”

  “It is good that you do not suffer with male pride and arrogance.”

  Rose’s eyes went wide as her blood began to reach the boiling point. But before she could explode into a cloud of angry steam, M’earth said, “I did not mean that they – that females – were not as intelligent nor lacked the strength. I meant they lack the temperament. When you defend the Crystal Egg, you must be willing to sacrifice yourself, your countrymen and your family if necessary. No woman I have ever met would put a piece of technology, no matter how miraculous, over her family.”

  “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” It was an adage supposedly passed down by the Old Ones.

  “Think about it Rose. Really and truly think about it. Could you do it without hesitation?”

  She wanted to shout ‘yes, of course’. Instead she said, “I do not think any of the Guardians would sacrifice their family without hesitation. That would not be the kind of individual you would choose for such a position.”

  M’earth smiled kindly. “My daughter, I have decided to make you a Knight Guardian of the Order of the Crystal Egg. Do you accept?”

  Stunned that the argument had finally ended the way she had hoped, Rose was momentarily speechless. Then regaining her poise she answered as protocol dictated “You do me great honor, my Liege. May I prove worthy of the challenge.”

  “Then, as the Sovereign of Aerianna, I command you to give your father a hug.”

  She did. Then something dawned on her. “How did you get mother to agree?”

  “Um, she could not resist the charms and the persuasion of her husband.”

  “Ha. What did she want in return?”

  “Only one thing of importance. But I will let her tell you herself.”

  *****

  “Se’rene!”

  “Yes, my daughter. And I expect you to use it as often as possible.”

  “Oh, mother. Thank you. Thank you.”

  “It was to be a wedding gift, but I think that you will need a haven of peace and tranquility sooner.”

  “The Duke knew, did he not?”

  “It was his suggestion.”

  “I knew he was keeping something from me when he said that he sold his home. May I invite him to the ceremony?”

  “May you? You absolutely must. He will be so proud.”

  “By the by, what else did you extort from father?”

  “Nothing of importance.”

  “Tell me.”

  And Kat’Alynnia did. That led to a heated discussion between mother and daughter that some might term an argument. But in the end, Rose decided the arrangement between her parents wasn’t as onerous as it first appeared and she reluctantly accepted it.

  *****

  “Will you stand behind me?”

  “What will Z’kkk say about that?”

  “I’ve already discussed it with him and he thought it was a marvelous idea.”

  “Really?” asked Storm doubtfully.

  “Since he is my fiancé, he felt it would look too much like a family affair if he did it. Plus the symbolism of a dragon sponsoring a human will make F’Aerianne happy.”

  “Happy, no. Less grumpy, maybe.”

  Rose smiled at that. “So you’ll do it?”

  “Of course I’ll do it. What are you going to do about the sword?” It was traditional at this ceremony for a Human to be presented with a ritual sword symbolizing his or hers commitment to the Order. And though the King made the presentation, the individual actually designed the sword for himself and gave it a name.

  “Oh, I have something in mind” she said with a mischievous grin.

  “You always do. Are you going to tell your best friend?”

  “No.”

  “I’m deeply hurt.”

  “Live with the pain” she said playfully.

  *****

  “Can you do it?”

  “Your Highness, you should have been born a serpent.”

  “You flatter me, Ven’trrr.”

  “It will be ready for your inspection in a week. Will that suffice?”

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  *****

  It was a room like no other in the city.

  It was a room like no other on Aerianna or on any world in the entire galaxy.

  This room contained the Crystal Egg…

  It hung suspended in a field of cosmic ether the nature of which was not understood by the scientist of Aerianna.

  On either side of it stood three of the Knight Guardians – one Human, one Sea Serpent, and one Dragon.

  Outside the chamber stood two Knight Guardians – sentinels that secured the entrance from those without reason or purpose to pass within.

  The King arrived to the fanfare of two trumpets and a single beating drum rat-tat-tatting like a machine gun. Everyone bowed until M’earth sat upon his throne.

  “Knight Guardians of the Order of the Crystal Egg we are gathered to induct an individual of character and worth into your ranks. May I present the Princess Rose’Alynnia.”

  Rose walked in from a side entrance. She was resplendent in an outfit of her own design. Behind her stood Storm standing in the traditional position of sponsor.

  “Who sponsors this person?” recited Ven’trrr in his role a
s the Order’s Master-at-Arms.

  “I have that honor,” answered the dragon. And he bowed his head as required.

  “Rose’Alynnia, do you accept the obligations of the Knight Guardians? Will you protect the Crystal Egg from any who would misuse its power, sacrificing your life and the life any other – friend or family – to insure that this gift from the Old Ones will not be used for personal gain?”

  “I solemnly do.”

  “Then I present you with this sword – dubbed Dazzle. Wear it as a badge of honor as the newest member of the Order of the Crystal Egg.” He unsheathed the weapon, which until this point he had not seen, and like everyone else in the room, gasped at the sight.

  The sword was not made of metal, but of Serpents’ Crystal. It had been cleaved from a single gem. It was both stronger than steel and sharper than any blade ever forged. But utility had been married with unmatched beauty for the crystal was iridescent and the light of the room shimmered and danced off its polished surface.

  At this point, M’earth was to hand the sword, hilt first, to his daughter. But his eyes were wide as he continued to stare at the breathtaking sight.

  Storm leaned over to whisper to his friend. “Good grief girl, you are the only person in the world that could actually outdo yourself.”

  “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  “Pretty deadly. I don’t think your father is going to give it back.”

  “Father” Rose whispered. But the King was mesmerized and didn’t hear her over the buzzing of the crowd. “Psssst”.

  “What? Oh. As I was saying, I give you Dazzle” and he handed the sword to his daughter.

  “Thank you. Upon this weapon I pledge my fealty to you, my King, and to serve with honor the Knight Guardians.” And she raised the sword for all to see . . .

  And with that, the ceremony ended.

  Everyone came forward to congratulate her though their true intent was to get a closer look at Dazzle, which she continually had to unsheathe for their inspection . . .

  When the mob of individuals finally began to thin, she heard a familiar voice.

  “Well, Rose, you do an old man proud.” It was the Duke of Bo’ring.

  The princess in a completely undignified manner threw her arms around her mentor. “I am so very glad you could make it.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Rose smiled “Wouldn’t? Such a contraction would give the Duchess nightmares.”