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

by Robert Iannone

  It drove Egg crazy that the warrior princess expected her to always have a plan. In truth, she almost never had a one; she just did what seemed right at the time. Instead of getting irritated, she gave it some serious thought then said, “Let’s find a park.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “Well, my whole dream about the kites and dragons and everything happened at the park. So . . .” she didn’t finish because she couldn’t.

  Dazzle’s only response was to give Egg directions to the one park that she knew of. As they flew into Fire’s Breath, the girl was struck by the sheer beauty of this city as compared to Talon’s Perch. That place had been dark and gloomy while this city seemed to glow.

  “Oh, Dazzle . . . what a pretty place.”

  “It has always been known for its beauty and for its superior places of learning.”

  “You mean like schools?”

  “Yes. In fact, the park where we are headed is dedicated to the dragon that is credited with the founding of their first university. We shall start at his statue.”

  They circled the city until Dazzle got her bearings then headed for the expanse of green that was the park. They landed in front of a truly gigantic black marble statue of a winged dragon . . . the famous Aven-Gingangel.

  “Wow . . . is that like the weirdest name you ever heard?”

  “He was a remarkable Dragon and a legendary teacher. My father knew him and held him in very high regard.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”

  “No offense was taken.” She walked over to the statue and studied it for a moment. Finally, she called Egg over and pointed at the name inscribed in marble. “What do you see?”

  Egg looked and said, “It’s his name . . . right?”

  “Yes. But see what happens if you make two words from it. Use the first eight letters for the first word and the last five letters for the second.”

  The girl mentally moved the letters from Aven-GinGanGel to AvenGinG and anGel. “OH MY GOSH” she cried. “It says Avenging Angel . . . just like the statue in the park back on earth.”

  And then she heard it. It had been there all along, but sometimes you’re so preoccupied with one thing that your mind doesn’t register it. She was hearing a strange sounding musical instrument. She listened intently because something about the melody was all too familiar.

  “Oh my gosh,” she cried again. “Do you hear that song?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s a Fandango Sally song.” Dazzle looked at her quizzically. “No, really. It’s one of my favorites. It’s called ‘We Can.”

  Dazzle’s expression turned to amusement. “I do not believe that your Earth band has ever played on Aerianna.”

  But Egg wasn’t listening to her. Instead, she ran around the statue and found the source of the music. It was Bl’azzz. Egg stood there watching the young dragon play her instrument. When she finished she said, “That was very good. What kind of instrument is that?”

  Bl’azzz looked up to see a human girl talking to her. She couldn’t remember the last time that happened. “Hi” she said.

  “Hi. I was just saying that I liked your song and was wondering what that instrument is called.”

  “It’s called a Booyah-b…” but she didn’t finish the word ‘base’; instead, she burped and a ball of fire shot out.

  “OW,” screamed Egg . . . more from fright than from pain. “Why did you do that?”

  “Oh . . . oh . . .,” stammered a very embarrassed dragon. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She was close to tears.

  Egg wasn’t sure what had just happened or why. But it was obvious the girl (she assumed it was a girl) didn’t do it on purpose. “No harm, no foul,” she replied, remembering a sports phrase her dad was always using.

  Unfortunately, Bl’azzz had never heard it before and misunderstood. “Did you say don’t harm a chicken?” A fowl . . . spelled differently than foul . . . is a chicken.

  Now Egg was confused. “Why would you harm a chicken?”

  “I wouldn’t . . . but I thought that’s what you said.”

  “Perhaps you should start this conversation again,” suggested Dazzle.

  “That’s a good idea,” Egg said aloud without realizing it.

  “What’s a good idea . . . hurting a chicken?”

  “No, no. Look, let’s start this conversation over. My name is Egg and . . .”

  “Egg? Really? No wonder you didn’t want me to harm a chicken; it might be your mother.” The girl just loved to joke.

  But Egg was in no mood. Besides, she had heard it all before. “Look, I’m sorry for bothering you. So, I’ll just leave.” She turned to walk away then stopped. “By the way, what was the name of that song you were playing?”

  “I was just kidding about your mom being a chicken. And I really didn’t mean to burn you.”

  “Sure. It’s okay.” Egg turned and started to walk away.

  “Hey,” yelled Bl’azzz, “the song is called Razzle-Dazzle.”

  Egg stopped dead in her tracks then turned around. “What?”

  “It’s called Razzle-Dazzle. I’m not supposed to play it. King Dopey said it’s illegal . . . can you believe that?”

  “King Dopey? Oh, you mean Mobius.”

  “Yeah, him.”

  “Are there words to it?”

  “Sure. I don’t sing very well but the first part goes . . .

  She could, she could . . . fight, fight, fight

  She could, she could . . . fight, fight, fight

  Never-ever let him say, that she lost, that she lost

  She could, she could . . . fight, fight, fight

  Egg was amazed that it sounded so much like Fandango Sally’s song “We Can.” Then she asked, “It’s about Dazzle fighting Mobius, right.”

  “Yup.”

  “Why do you play it . . . especially if it’s against the law?”

  “Cause . . . well, because . . .,” no one had ever asked her that question before and she had to think about the answer. “Cause . . . it’s the only way I can fight back.”

  “No it’s not.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “How would you like to join my club? By the way, what’s your name?”

  *****

  Back at the Sisterhood, Sassi had finished modifying Sylvia’s ring. Since she had some time before Egg and Dazzle would return for dinner, she decided to take the boat into town and get some freshly baked bread for the meal.

  She sailed down the river, went to the market place and bought two loaves and some sweet pastry. As she walked back to the dock, she passed by the shed where her father – the pretend Mo’beye – lived. She hadn’t seen him in awhile, so she stopped in.

  Five minutes later Sassi came out . . . her face was white as chalk. As she ran to the boat, she was crying. It took her the entire trip home to finally compose herself.

  *****

  “Sassi, I’d like you to meet our new Sister. This is Bl’azzz.”

  “Hello.” She was trying very hard to act normally even though she felt sick at heart from the conversation she had had with her father.

  “Hi. Wow . . . nice house you’ve got here. Is that fresh bread and cheese I smell . . . I’m starved.” The thought of food made her burp and she nearly burnt down the castle.

  “By the way, Bl’azzz has a little gas problem.”

  Chapter 7 - Summa Cum Loudly

  Egg was anxious to get home and give Sylvia her ring back but she had promised Sassi that she’d stay for dinner. Besides, it would be rude to recruit Bl’azzz and then just leave her. And even though Sassi did the cooking, Egg was still the hostess. Like it or not . . . this was her quest and her sisters were here to help her.

  “Too bad K’ssss and Soo’ aren’t here. And Sylvia of course.”

  “Are they all as nice as you two?”

  “That was a sweet thing to say . . . thank you.” Poor Sassi was desperately trying to act normally but she wasn’t too su
re she was succeeding. She wouldn’t . . . couldn’t . . . look at Egg or Dazzle being too afraid that they might see that something was wrong. Unfortunately she was right . . . both of the other two noticed but said nothing.

  “So you’re the artist of the group. Did you make that pendant?” Bl’azzz asked while pointing to the necklace around Sassi’s neck.

  Sassi instinctively tried to hide it with her hand. Realizing it was a little too late for that, she answered, “No. It was a gift.”

  “Well, it’s really very unusual. What is it?”

  “Oh . . . it’s just something that belonged to a . . . umm . . . family acquaintance.” Changing the subject, she asked the dragon, “Egg needs to find one more Sister for her Quest. Do you know any other dragons that might like to help us?” It was the perfect question to divert the attention away from her and on to Bl’azzz.

  “Great question, Sassi. I should have asked her that myself. So, Bl’azzz, do you?”

  The dragon gave that some thought. “Well, I don’t really have too many friends because of my . . . you know . . . my gas problem. Even the few I have would never dream of actually fighting Mobius. Sorry.”

  Egg was disappointed but really hadn’t expected that recruiting the last sister would be that easy.

  “But come to think of it, I heard about a sorority that supposedly has a debating club that meets to talk about ways of fighting Mobius. No one takes them seriously. It’s just a bunch of silly girls who think they’re so smart that they have all the answers. Even Mobius ignores them . . . how humiliating is that?”

  “What is their sorority called and where do they meet?”

  “Ummm . . . the sorority is Tora Tora Tora. The debating club has a pretty dumb name. Let me think” and she paused to give her memory a chance to remember the name. “Oh, yeah it’s called the Heroines Against Mobius’ Nasty, Evil and Ghastly Government Club. Is that dumb or what?”

  “Where do they meet?” asked Dazzle again.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s Aven-GinGanGel University.”

  Now that was an interesting coincidence thought Egg. “How do we find these girls?”

  “Believe it or not, they actually have a big red sign on their sorority house with the club’s dumb name. But they couldn’t fit the whole thing so they had to use the abbreviation.”

  “What’s the abbreviation?”

  “The H.A.M.N.E.G.G. Club.”

  “OH MY GOSH!”

  “What?”

  “Sylvia’s nickname is Ham. Back on earth we’re known as Ham and Egg.”

  “Wow . . . isn’t that too weird.”

  “I believe Egg and I need to pay a visit to this sorority and their club. Do you know who is in charge? Who we might speak to?”

  “I think their president, or whatever she’s called, is Aeri’elle.”

  “That’s a pretty name.”

  “It means Angel of Aerianna,” said Dazzle.

  “OH MY GOSH!” Egg said yet again.

  “Indeed. It is curiouser and curiouser.” Dazzle had learned to mimic some of Egg’s favorite sayings.

  “Glad I could help,” said the dragon not really knowing why it helped.

  *****

  After dinner . . . which Egg ate as fast as she could without seeming impolite or piggish . . . she helped Sassi take the dishes to the kitchen. While the other girl washed, she dried.

  Sassi seemed so quiet and troubled that Egg just had to ask, “Something’s bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?”

  “Oh, thank you, no. It’s nothing really.”

  “You were awfully quiet at dinner.” Sometimes people say they don’t want to talk but they really do. You just have to ask the right question.

  “Ummm . . .,” Sassi didn’t know what to say; she couldn’t possibly tell Egg what had happened with her father. “I’m sorry but I can’t talk about it just yet.”

  “I understand. When you’re ready, just let me know. Promise?”

  Sassi’s eyes started to tear up. What was she going to do? She gave Egg a little smile and just nodded yes. She couldn’t say anything without breaking down and crying.

  Egg gave her sister a comforting hug. Then she quickly put her hands on the girl’s head and said, “Be not sad. Forget that which has caused you this unhappiness until such time as you can put to rights that which is now wrong.”

  Immediately the expression on Sassi’s face changed and whatever sadness had been bothering her was now forgotten.

  What Egg did not know was that this act of kindness may very well have doomed her quest to failure and end Dazzle’s thousand-year plan to save her people from the evil that had befallen them.

  *****

  Egg and Dazzle said their goodbyes to Bl’azzz and Sassi.

  “If K’ssss and Soo’ venture by, thank them for acquiring the crystal and ask them to await our return.”

  “And Bl’azzz, please don’t . . .”

  “I know, I know. Don’t burn down the castle.”

  *****

  Egg rang the bell to the sorority house. A moment later a relatively small dragon . . . she was only about six feet tall . . . opened the door. “Yes?”

  “Hi. May I speak with Aeri’elle, please?”

  The young dragon stared at the human for a couple of seconds before answering. “We don’t pledge humans.” She said the last word as if it were made of bitter lemons.

  “Pledge? What does that mean?”

  The dragon looked at Egg as if she was incredibly stupid. Then she said, “Are you incredibly stupid?”

  “To pledge is to join the sorority,” Dazzle explained to her companion.

  “Who would want to join your dumb sorority?” answered a slightly irritated Egg. “And don’t you dare call me stupid.”

  “Listen human, Aeri’elle is too busy to talk to the likes of you. Just go away. Skedaddle,” and she started to close the door.

  “HEY,” yelled Egg who was now really and truly irritated. “At least tell her Egg of the famous Ham and Egg of Earth is here to see her.”

  “WHAT?”

  “Now who is being incredibly stupid? Just go tell her.”

  The dragon glared at Egg then slammed the door shut. The noise made the girl jump. “You think I made her mad?” she asked Dazzle.

  “Perhaps a bit more sweetness might help,” suggested the Princess.

  “But wasn’t she rude?”

  “Yes . . . but you needed her to get to Aeri’elle. On the other hand, there was nothing that you had that she wanted.”

  “You sound like Grammy.”

  “Thank you. She has much she can teach me.”

  Egg laughed, “Grammy would be so happy to hear you say that.”

  One minute passed then a second. “I don’t think she’s coming.”

  “Be patient.”

  And sure enough, the door opened and there stood Aeri’elle looking very important but none too happy.

  “I am Aeri’elle. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” The way she said it made it obvious that pleasure had nothing to do with anything.

  “Please to meet you. My name is Egg.”

  Aeri’elle peered down and looked at the little girl with obvious contempt. “So I was told.”

  She just wasn’t going to make this easy on Egg. “I’ve heard that you belong to the H.A.M.N.E.G.G. club.”

  Aeri’elle gave a snort, “On the contrary. I am the founder.”

  Egg wanted to say something mean . . . just to knock a little of the hot air out of this silly dragon but remembered Dazzle’s advice. Swallowing her pride, she said, “You must be a very special person to have done that.” She wasn’t sure if you referred to a dragon as a person.

  Aeri’elle was surprised by the compliment. “Thank you . . . I am.”

  Egg had to take a deep breath to keep from laughing. Some people were so full of themselves it was laughable. “Well, I’ve come from . . . very far away just to talk to you about Dazzle.

&
nbsp; The dragon looked at her in disbelief. “Are you referring to Princess Dazzle?”

  “Yes.”

  “Perhaps you haven’t heard the sad news in as much as you live far away . . . as you say. The Princess no longer lives.”

  “What would you say if I told you that she does live?”

  “I would say that you have wasted my time as I suspected you would. Good day.” She turned to close the door.

  “I had a dream about you.” Egg wasn’t sure why she said that . . . but she had to say something.

  Aeri’elle turned back to look at her visitor. “You had a dream . . . about me? I find that difficult to believe.”

  “Why?”

  “Humans rarely . . . if ever . . . dream about dragons or serpents. What was your dream about?” Aeri’elle’s curiosity was aroused; she was something of an expert on dreams. Well, at least in her mind she was.

  “I dreamt that I would find a dragon that lived in Fire’s Breath who was named for an Angel.”

  “Really?” She continued to stare at Egg. Then she said, “Is that all?”

  “No. I dreamt that this person would join me and my sisters in a very special quest.”

  “A Quest? What Quest?”

  “We shouldn’t really talk here. Is there someplace we could go . . . you know . . . to be alone?”

  Aeri’elle was torn. On one hand she felt any time spent with this . . . this . . . human would not be time well spent and certainly beneath her dignity. But on the other hand, she was intrigued that this girl had dreamt about her. “Very well. I can give you ten minutes of my time. . . and not a second more. Let’s walk across the field and towards those trees.” She pointed in the direction she wished to go.

  As much as the Dragon was torn between talking and not, so too was Egg. If first impressions meant anything, Aeri’elle was not what she was looking for. She was stuck-up and rude. But her dreams hadn’t failed her yet . . . so she took a deep breath, put a smile on her face and began to walk with Miss Know-It-All.

  “Well, I’m listening.”

  “When you guys talk about defeating Mobius, did you ever come up with a plan?”

  “Yes . . . several.”

  “And why haven’t you done anything . . . if I can ask?”