“That will be the first part of your plan.”
“Me? How the heck can I do that?”
“You will find a way; of that I am certain. Now we should go.”
Egg shook her head in discouragement. She was still only nine years old . . . she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do.
*****
They walked to the edge of the fog. Taking a deep breath, Egg put her foot into the swirling grey cloud and it disappeared. Sylvia’s foot, however, bounced backward. “Hey” she cried.
“What’s the matter?”
“I can’t get in.”
“Here, take my hand” and Egg reached out and Sylvia grabbed it. “Okay, let’s try again.”
And much to their relief, they were both able to enter. They made their way along a path that seemed to appear out of the thick mist and soon came to a large tree. But this tree was not quite like the ones on earth. It glowed so brightly that it hurt to look at it. And they could feel something like static electricity running through their bodies. Weirdest of all, they could feel the tree’s thoughts inside their brains . . . as if it was talking to them in a dream.
“You have returned, Princess. Welcome home.”
“I have brought with me the individual that will help save Aerianna from Mobius. Her name is Eloise, and her Feminion is Sylvia.”
Egg and her friend were surprised that the Tree could see and talk to Dazzle. But they had met so few talking trees, so what did they know?
“I would hear this child speak her mind.”
“Umm . . . Mister Tree, we would like you to put Dazzle back into her body.”
“I cannot grant what you would have.”
“Why not, Mister Tree, sir,” demanded Sylvia as politely as she could. “You promised Dazzle that you would.”
“The people of Aerianna do not deserve one such as this Princess. She fought with courage and honor. They do not fight at all. I will not give them their champion unless they can prove themselves worthy.”
“My people live in fear of an evil they cannot control. Their fear is justified. Let me free them of this tyranny. I beg you.”
“No. I will not until they can prove themselves.”
“It is not possible to get all of my people…,” but the Tree cut her off.
“Because you plead for your people, and because you have shown extraordinary bravery, I will grant you this . . . choose a mere handful that represent the best of Aerianna and have them demonstrate their worth. I would then give them back their Queen.”
“Mister Tree . . . what does that mean?” asked a confused Egg.
“And because you have chosen these two to represent you” the Tree continued (ignoring Egg’s question), “then I add them to my challenge.”
And with that, the Tree went silent. They continued to ask questions, but the Tree did not answer. It was obvious that they would get no more information. So they turned and walked back the way they had come.
“Dazzle . . . how do we do what it wants us to do?”
“I’m not sure I even know what it wants us to do,” added Sylvia.
“Nor do I. But . . .,” and the girls looked at her expectantly. “But, I know in my heart that you and your Feminion will find the answers.”
Egg looked at Sylvia with an expression of irritation and utter hopelessness.
After they left the fog, they flew high above Aerianna and back through the portal to earth . . . each very quiet, lost in her own thoughts.
Chapter 3 – Creepy Critters
“Oh my, how come you’re back so soon? Didn’t you make it to Aerianna?” Egg had landed behind her grandmother’s house, knocked on the back door and walked in.
“We did make it, Grammy.”
Puzzled why her granddaughter wasn’t more excited, she asked, “Well, what was it like? Are you two alright?”
“Oh we’re fine, Grammy. It’s just that it was . . . ummm,” Egg was looking for just the right word, “overwhelming.”
“It was beautiful and scary and amazing,” Sylvia added.
“Ahhh,” replied the older woman. “I shouldn’t doubt it was all those things. So sit down and tell me everything.”
So the girls sat down next to each other on the couch while Dazzle hovered off to one side. The warrior princess was the first to speak. “Your granddaughter and her Feminion are very brave. Coming face to face with a dragon for the first time requires much courage.”
The girls smiled at the compliment. “Thank you, Dazzle,” said Sylvia,
The older Eloise looked up with a startled expression. “You heard that?”
The girls turned to each other and started to giggle. It wasn’t that funny of a question. But the look on Grammy’s face and the fact that they were both a little goofy from being tired from all the excitement made them crack up. Dazzle finally had to tell the poor lady what had happened.
“Well, that’s just wonderful. I’m sure it was very frustrating having to hear everything second hand. Now if you two have regained your composure, please tell me the rest. And I want to hear every little detail.”
So over the next half hour they described everything they had seen and done. Dazzle was amused at some of their descriptions and impressions. She had lived her whole life on Aerianna and it all seemed rather ordinary. But for her two companions, it was nothing but eye-popping wonders and jaw-dropping surprises.
They finally ended their story by recounting the conversation they had with the Myst Tree.
“So Grammy, the Tree wants us to find a handful of people that can show that they’re umm . . ..”
“Worthy. That’s what it said.”
“How come you always remember everything?” asked Egg.
Sylvia just shrugged.
“Since the Tree’s instructions are of great importance, we must understand exactly what it wants of you.” The other three nodded their agreement. “First, you must find five of my people to demonstrate this quality.”
“Why five?”
“That is considered a handful . . . as in the number of fingers on your hand.”
“But what if I had been a serpent? They don’t have fingers . . . do they?”
“Not such as yours. As to five, the Tree knew you were human.”
Sylvia then asked, “Does that mean that the five have to be human?”
Dazzle gave that some thought. “No, I do not believe that is the case. Serpents and dragons are just as important to Aerianna.”
“It also said that Sylvia and I had to prove ourselves just like the other five.”
“Really?” asked a very surprised grandmother. “Why you two?”
“Because I have chosen them to represent me.”
“Oh . . . that makes sense; I guess.”
“So, Dazzle, what exactly is it that we have to prove? How do you prove your worth?”
“That, my sister, is less certain. A person’s worth could mean many things.”
“Like what?”
“Courage . . . compassion.”
“How about intelligence?” suggested Grammy.
“And . . . ummm . . . what’s the word that means you care about other people more than yourself?
“Selflessness.”
“SYLVIA,” yelled an exasperated Egg. “You’re just too weird.”
“Why?” she asked innocently.
“Because you know too much.”
“Did you want a dumb Feminion?”
“I guess not.”
“Okay, girls, that’s enough. This is important.”
“Sorry Grammy. So, anything else?”
“I would add loyalty to our list.”
“Hey, that’s five – a handful – maybe we have enough.”
“Perhaps, but there will be five from Aerianna and you and Sylvia. Let’s come up with two more if we can.”
They thought and thought until Sylvia blurted, “How about resourcefulness?”
“What does that mean?” asked Egg with a
frustrated frown in her voice.
“It means imagination,” Grammy answered for her.
“Then perhaps another would be creativity. On Q’umulus, we wrote poems, stories and plays that moved the heart to sing or the eyes to cry. It was part of the reason we won the Crystal Egg.”
“Dazzle, maybe these aren’t the right ones. Maybe the Tree was thinking of something else.”
“Perhaps. But I am as certain as I can be that if we can demonstrate these seven qualities, the Tree would be satisfied.”
“That only leaves three more questions,” added Grammy.
Everyone turned and waited for her to continue. “First, how do you find the right five people . . . if I may use that term?. And if you do find them, how do you convince them to join your quest?”
They waited for her to continue, but the older woman was lost in thought. “What is the third?” Dazzle finally asked.
“Oh, sorry . . . I was just wool gathering. The third question, of course, is how do you demonstrate those qualities?”
They all looked at one another hoping somebody would have the answer or at least an idea. But, no one did. Egg finally turned to Dazzle and asked “What do we do now?”
“When you sleep, you must dream on this.”
“What will that do, dear?” Grammy asked the princess.
“On Aerianna, we believe dreams are the universe’s way of talking to us. The collective wisdom of all those that came before is ours to share if we open our soul to their voice. This can only be done in our deepest sleep when our mind stops resisting that which it cannot understand.”
The three earthlings looked at the princess with awe and wonderment . . . and a little bit of disbelief. But, since no one had a better idea, they said nothing.
After a minute of silence, Sylvia said, “I’m sorry to be a party-pooper, but I have to go home. I promised my mom I would help her clean the house. We have guests coming over for dinner.”
Egg and her grandmother looked a little relieved. This whole adventure with Dazzle was beginning to be a little . . . maybe a lot . . . overwhelming. “Well, if you must leave, dear, I’ll drive you home. Egg, you need to change first. And Dazzle, maybe we can all get together in a day or two to continue this discussion.”
“There is nothing more we can do now. We will talk after Egg has dreamed.”
So Egg said, “Bye, Dazzle. And thank you for showing us Aerianna. Ring, tend to my suit.” A cloud appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the young girl. When it cleared a few seconds later, Egg was wearing her jeans. The flying suit was safely hidden away in her ring, shrunk down to the size of a pinhead. And like smoke from a chimney, Dazzle had faded away.
*****
They had dropped Sylvia off and the older Eloise now headed back to Egg’s house. “Grammy.”
“Yes, dear?”
“Can we talk about something that’s bothering me?”
“Of course you can. Why don’t we go to the Shake and Bake for something sinfully delicious and we can talk there.” The Shake and Bake was a bakery that specialized in the world’s best-tasting cakes and brownies; and it also served ice cream and fountain drinks.
So they turned right instead of left and made their way to the eatery, found a quiet booth in the back and sat down. They took their time looking over the incredible menu and finally decided on two chocolate shakes. Since it was obvious that Egg was a little reluctant to begin the conversation, her grandmother talked about this and that until the waitress brought their milkshakes.
“So, my brave little princess, what’s on your mind?”
“Oh, Grammy, I’m not a princess” Egg said with a big smile. “But maybe Dazzle will make me one. Wouldn’t that be just too amazing for words?”
“Princess Egg . . . it has a nice sound.”
“Hmmm, I think I would have to give up my nickname and be Princess Eloise. That’s much more grown-up, don’t you think?”
“It sounds perfectly lovely to me. Now, dear one, tell me what’s troubling you.”
Egg sipped her shake slowly while she gathered her thoughts. “Grammy, did you know that the people on Aerianna can be different colors . . . like bright red or green or blue or purple.”
“I believe you told me that.”
“And the dragons we met were all different shapes and colors.”
“That makes sense.”
“I haven’t seen the sea serpents yet, but Dazzle showed me pictures.” Dazzle could project images into Egg’s mind. “And, Grammy, they’re weird colors and shapes, too.”
“That seems perfectly reasonable for sea serpents.”
“Grammy . . . I’m not sure I like them.”
“What do you mean, dear?”
“Well . . . they’re so much different than we are. They’re kind of creepy.”
“Oh, I see. And why does that bother you.”
“It just doesn’t seem right. Why aren’t they more like you and me?”
“Is everyone on our world the same?”
Egg considered that for a moment. “Well, not exactly the same . . . but pretty much.”
“Aren’t some kids in school bigger or smaller, taller or heavier than you?”
“Well, sure.”
“Aren’t there kids from different ethnic backgrounds?”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means different cultures or nationalities. For instance, I’m sure some of the kids are Asian or African-American. Maybe there’s even one or two that are Native American.”
“Oh, sure. One of the boys in fourth grade is Lakota. I’m not sure what that is exactly, but it’s a kind of Indian.”
“I believe the Lakota are part of the great Sioux nation.”
“So what are you saying?”
“Do you like these kids?”
“Some I do and some I don’t. Most of them I don’t really know.”
“For those kids that you don’t like, is it because they’re different? Maybe different color skin, or different type of hair or they look a little different?”
Egg was shocked by the thought. “NO. I don’t care about that stuff. The ones I don’t like are just mean or boring or . . . ummm . . . boys.”
“So why doesn’t it bother you that they’re different, but it does for the folks from Aerianna?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How many have you talked to, or gotten to know . . . besides Dazzle?”
“Well we met that one dragon for just a second and he was mean. Then we met Storm.”
“Do you like Storm?”
“Oh, yes. He was wonderful.”
“But he was a dragon.”
“Yes, but he was so sweet. Did you know he hugged me so Dazzle could feel it?”
“Did he . . . that great big dragon gave you a hug? How did that make you feel?”
“I wanted to cry because he really wanted to hug his best friend Dazzle but he couldn’t.”
“Sweetheart, I think the same rules apply for Aerianna as they do for Earth. It doesn’t matter what color the person is, or what form she takes . . . dragon or serpent or human. It only matters if that individual is nice or not. Don’t you think that’s true?”
Egg took a deep breath and considered the question very carefully. “So I should give them a chance to show me that deep inside they’re good. And if they are, the rest doesn’t matter. Right?”
“Almost. The differences between you and the friends you’ll make on Aerianna will make you stronger.”
“How?”
“That, my precious one, is one of the great mysteries of the universe. When you bring together people of different backgrounds and they work together, the sum of what they can accomplish is always greater than what they can do alone.”
“GRAMMY . . . that gives me a super idea,” Egg said with a huge grin.
“And what is that dear?”
“The five people that we get from Aerianna . . . I’m going to make them Hameggattic Sisters.”
“But what happens if they’re boys?”
Egg looked at her grandmother as if she was a five-year-old girl saying something goofy. “Grammy . . . if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times. NO BOYS.”
*****
That night Egg dreamt of the Myst Tree and Storm and milkshakes. But if the universe was trying to give her a good idea, she didn’t hear it.
Two blocks away Sylvia also dreamt of Aerianna. The first image that came to her was that big scary dragon they first met. His big mean face gave her a nightmare . . . and Mobius took advantage and entered her mind.
“I warned you not to follow your friend.”
Sylvia screamed at the horrible face that appeared in her mind, but since she was still asleep, no sound came out.
“I will know all that you have seen and heard on my world, and then I will . . .,” but he did not finish.
“We meet again, Mobius.”
The evil eyes stared at the newcomer. “So, this is where you hide.”
“Leave now . . . you have no power here.”
“Have I ever told you, my dear Princess, how much I dislike you?”
Dazzle smiled then answered “And I, you. Now leave.”
“You think I am powerless, do you? As long as I possess the Crystal Egg, there is nothing in this universe that I cannot do.”
“I think that you have dishonored the Old Ones by misusing the Egg and they will not long stand for such abuse. I think your days on Aerianna are numbered.”
Just for a second, there was a flicker of doubt in Mobius’ eyes. But it soon passed. “Will I have the pleasure of seeing you on Q’umulus? I would love to show you the coffin that contains your body.”
“Perhaps you will. There is so much for us to discuss . . . so very much.”
Chapter 4 – Boy, Oh Boy
Every night for the next two weeks Egg went to bed dreaming of Aerianna hoping for an idea. But every morning she woke up still confused about what she was supposed to do. She was beginning to feel guilty, thinking that she was disappointing Dazzle. But the Princess told her not to feel that way. “The universe cannot be rushed . . . when it is ready to talk to you, it will. I have been patient for a thousand years; if I must wait a few more weeks or even months, it is of no consequence.”
Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel] Page 37