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

by Robert Iannone

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, like what?”

  “First, what do we do with Dazzle’s body? We have to be sure that Mobius doesn’t find it.”

  “Okay. That’s good. What else?”

  “He’s going to send K’aos and the F’aeri after us . . . I can just feel it. We don’t even know what they do?”

  “I already thought of that. But whatever we come up with . . . we can’t hurt them. Dazzle would never forgive us if we do something bad to her boyfriend and sister.”

  “You’re right. Good point.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Just the obvious . . . find a way to get passed the Fl’eyes.”

  “Yeah. I know.”

  “And there’s one more thing . . .” she hesitated.

  “What?”

  “We need a way to take the Crystal Egg away from Mobius.”

  “Oh my gosh, Syl. We can’t do that. I think we have to save that for Dazzle when she gets her body back.”

  “Anyway . . . if you happen to dream about that, it would be a good thing.”

  “That’s a lot of dreams.”

  “Maybe it’ll be one big dream.”

  “Maybe I won’t have any dreams.”

  “Then what?”

  “Dunno.”

  “Well, if you don’t need anything else . . .”

  “Syl.”

  “Yes?”

  “I can’t believe I forgot all about you.”

  “Thank goodness for your diary.”

  “Thank goodness you sent me that letter.”

  “Right. Thank goodness I made you take that picture.”

  “Yeah. Thank goodness I decided to put it in my diary.”

  “Egg?”

  “Yeah?”

  “That’s a lot of luck . . . all those things.”

  “You think maybe it wasn’t luck?”

  “Maybe we should ask Dazzle.”

  “Maybe. Goodnight.”

  “Sweet dreams.”

  *****

  That night the universe had a lot of things to say to Egg. Sylvia was right . . . she had just one dream. But it was long and filled with way to many messages. And in the morning, with her head spinning, she woke up screaming.

  *****

  Sassi was the first to reach Egg’s room . . . followed closely by Sylvia and the two dragons. Soo’ and K’ssss couldn’t easily climb the steps so they stayed behind, anxiously waiting for the others to tell them what was going on.

  “Egg . . . what is it? Are you okay?”

  “Oh my gosh.”

  “What’s wrong?” asked Sylvia. “Was it the dreams?”

  Egg was white in the face and she was drenched in sweat. “It’s Mobius.”

  “He’s here?” asked Bl’azzz in alarm.

  “No, no. But he tried to enter my mind like he did to Syl back on Earth.”

  “Did he get in?”

  “I don’t think so . . . but I can’t be sure.”

  Uncertain what to do or say, they waited for Egg to continue. It took the girl a few seconds to calm down and organize her thoughts . . .

  “Listen, I dreamt a whole bunch of stuff. Some of it I understand and some I don’t. So we need to talk and figure it all out.”

  Sassi asked the obvious question, “What about Mobius?”

  “I think we have to get out of here. It isn’t safe anymore?”

  “Right now?”

  “I think we have a little time before we have to leave. So we need to use it to figure out our plans. Sassi . . . could you cook a gigantic breakfast for everybody. We might not have time to eat until much later.”

  “Of course. I’ll do it right now.”

  “Get dressed first.” The girl was still in her pajamas. “You, too, Syl.”

  “Okay” answered her friend. “You guys (meaning the two dragons) . . . go tell the others what’s going on. We’ll be down in a minute.”

  “Right.”

  “Gotcha.”

  *****

  Egg jumped out of bed, changed into Dazzle’s old clothes, washed up and started for the door. She stopped, went back to the nightstand, and retrieved her diary. Then she hurried to Dazzle’s room and looked in her closet. She found the cape and the boots that went with the outfit. She tied the cape around her neck and tried on the boots. They were a little big so she put on a second pair of socks.

  She went back in the closet and looked around once more. She was looking for the sword . . . but couldn’t find it. That was probably a good thing. It might seem kind of romantic and all . . . you know, just what a warrior princess would have. But she had never held one . . . and had no idea what to do with it if she got into a fight. It was much better to rely on her wits that on a weapon.

  Everyone was waiting for her downstairs. Sassi had set the table and she and Bl’azzz were bringing out the food. When Egg made her appearance . . . with the cape and boots . . . they all stopped and stared.

  “What? Is it too much?”

  “Naw. You look terrific,” said Bl’azzz. “Now I can see why you guys like to wear clothes.”

  Egg smiled, but looked to Sylvia for final approval.

  “It’s perfect. I wish I had a camera.”

  “If you like, I can make a sketch . . . when we have time.”

  “That would be terrific, Sassi. Thank you.”

  “So what now?”

  “Let’s eat. I’m sure K’ssss is hungry.”

  “H’sssss.”

  So they ate their breakfast in silence. That was disappointing because they were anxious to hear about Egg’s dreams. But Flying Girl was hungry and not ready to talk. At least, not yet.

  *****

  After breakfast, they cleared the dishes then gathered around Egg.

  “Okay, we don’t have time to go through every last bit of the dreams. So I’ll tell you the most important parts — then I need to ask you questions about some of them. Afterwards, I’ll tell you what I think we have to do. Okay?”

  Everyone understood the danger of being caught by Mobius and they were as anxious as Egg to get going. So they all nodded yes.

  But before she would discuss the dreams, she had to ask, ”By the way, does anybody know what K’aos and the Green F’aeri actually do?”

  “Yes,” said Aeri’elle. “My father told me once.” The girls all looked at the proud dragon. There were so many rumors; it would be interesting to finally find out the truth. “K’aos has a sword made from serpent’s crystals. If he touches you with it, you turn into a living statue . . . frozen in whatever position you were in when he did it.”

  “That’s fairly freaky,” observed Soo’. “But, at least you’re still alive.”

  Sassi disagreed. “I’m not sure I would call that alive.”

  “Aeri’elle, what about the Green F’aeri?”

  “If the breeze from her wings touches you, your love for anyone turns to hate; and you no longer trust your friends.”

  “That’s horrible,” cried Sylvia.

  “Mobius is one sick person.”

  “I don’t like him. We should make him go away.”

  “We will, K’ssss. That’s why we’re here.”

  Since there was nothing left to say about the two strange enemies they were probably going to face, Egg started to describe her dreams.

  “First, there was a moth that was flying to a candle. But when it got too close, it flew away and I went after it and caught it in butterfly net. So that one’s pretty obvious.”

  The other six girls looked at each other to see if anyone had any idea what Egg was talking about. By the looks on their faces, no one did.

  “Ummm, Egg.”

  “Yeah, Syl?”

  “I’m not sure K’ssss understands. Mind explaining it to her?” She hated to pick on the silly serpent, but what the heck.

  “H’sssss.”

  “Oh, sure. It’s how we’re going to capture the Green F’aeri. Okay, then the next thing was a statue of a bi
rd falling into the water.”

  And so it went; weird images after weirder ones. Sometimes Egg would stop and ask the girls what they thought it meant; sometimes it was the girls who interrupted Egg to ask her to explain.

  After an hour of heated discussion, they were finally finished. So now, it was up to Egg to tell them her plan.

  “Sassi, I need you to find your mom. Then the two of you need to get as many of the Shades of Night as you can.” (Sassi’s mom was one of the Shades . . . an organization of Aerianna women who secretly fought Mobius).

  “Okay.”

  “Soo’ you need to go with K’ssss and talk to her dad about the stuff we need.” (K’ssss’ father was an inventor).

  “Gotcha.”

  “Bl’azzz and Aeri’elle, you two will be flying me and Syl.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “We have to find a place to set our traps.”

  “What about the Princess’s coffin?” asked Aeri’elle.

  “We can’t risk carrying it with us, so we need to hide it. Any ideas?”

  “I’ll take it with me.”

  They all looked at Sassi.

  “You mean on the boat?” It was how the humans got to the city down river from the Sisterhood.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” asked Egg who obviously didn’t?

  “The Shades of Night will protect it with their lives.” Egg still wasn’t convinced that she should let in out of her sight . . . until Sassi added, “Trust me.”

  That did it. “Okay, let’s all grab a corner and get it on the boat.” It took quite a bit of huffing and puffing, but they finally managed it.

  As they stood there on the dock, Egg felt like she should say something . . . after all she was the leader of this Quest.

  “Hey, guys.”

  They all looked at Flying Girl.

  “The Quest is almost over. But the next part is going to be tough . . . tougher than the seven lands. I need you to be very brave for a little longer. And when it’s over . . .” she hesitated looking for just the right words.

  “And when it’s over . . . we’re going to have a party at my house.”

  At first, their mouths just dropped open . . . until K’ssss did what K’ssss always did, “H’sssss.”

  They all joined in . . . hooting and howling and laughing.

  Soo’ said it best. “I can’t wait to see the look on your mom’s face when she sees dragons and serpents and green girls in her living room.”

  They all laughed again until Egg turned serious. “I think we should give the pledge again.” So they all recited the oath of the Hameggattic Sisterhood . . .

  “We are the sisters of mystery and we protect each other from danger and keep each other’s secrets for as long as the sun shines and the stars twinkle.”

  They hugged and kissed, then went their separate ways. Time was a wasting; they had a world to save.

  Chapter 7 – Mo Gotta Go

  Normally Egg would not split up the group but they were running out of time and there was so much to do to get ready for the big battle. Besides, they had their communications crystals so they would never be out of touch.

  However, Sassi was the only one going out on her own. And she was in charge of Dazzle’s body. Egg was taking a big chance . . . but she trusted her friend. Even so, Sassi had the biggest challenge — to find her mother, but avoid her father.

  Her dad had been captured by Mobius and turned into a Mo’beye. These were good people who were now forced to spy for the evil king. Egg had changed him back to being normal . . . at least so she had thought. But somehow, Mobius had made him into a Mo’beye again and forced the poor man to give his daughter a pendant that would allow the king to spy on the seven sisters.

  But in war . . . you sometimes have to take chances. And this was one of those times.

  As she sailed down the river, Sassi could hardly sit still. She was so excited that she would be seeing her mom again. When she was five, both her parents had disappeared. What Sassi later found out was that both of them had been fighting Mobius. After her dad was captured, her mom made the decision to leave her daughter with Sassi’s aunt and to join the Shades of Night. She was afraid that if Mobius found her, he would take Sassi as prisoner. And she could never let that happen.

  As fate would have it, when Egg asked the Shades to send someone . . . they sent Tr’yst, Sassi’s mom. And for one brief moment, mother and daughter had been reunited.

  And now, they would be working together . . . to fight Mobius.

  *****

  K’ssss and Soo’ were headed home to Nau’tika. K’ssss’s dad, Tink’rrr, was a famous inventor and they needed his help to create certain gizmos and gadgets that Egg had dreamt about.

  Since it was doubtful that her dad would believe K’ssss’s stories about the Princess and the Quest, Egg had told them to find S’eeee-sik. She was another member of the Shades of Night. On the day Egg visited Nau’tika to recruit the two serpents, S’eeee-sik had introduced herself and told her about the secret society that she belonged to. She told Egg that she knew of her from Storm.

  When they entered the underwater city, the two sea sisters made their way to what would be a town square. In the center was a large bulletin board where serpents could post messages of any sort. Sassi had made them a poster and they tacked it up, found a place to rest and waited.

  They were hoping that S’eeee-sik would remember that Egg had been looking for Soo’nami (which is almost like the earth word for tidal wave) and K’ssss when they first met.

  *****

  “So where do you want to go?”

  Egg was riding on the back of Aeri’elle looking for a place to set a trap for the Green F’aeri. Sylvia had gone with Bl’azzz to find someplace where they could fight K’aos.

  “I need to find caves . . . lots and lots of caves.”

  “Why?”

  “Cause that’s where we’re going to hang the spider web.”

  *****

  “Any idea what we’re looking for?” Bl’azzz asked Sylvia.

  “Not really. But I’m sure I’ll know it when I see it.”

  “What exactly did Egg tell you?”

  “That the only way to defeat K’aos was to get him into the water.”

  “And that was why?”

  “Because he’s a creature of the air. His powers won’t work if he gets all wet.”

  They were passing over a lagoon that looked very much like the lake behind Grammy’s house . . . the one where Grazy saw her friend fly.

  “That’s it,” said Sylvia pointing. “That’s where K’aos will go for a swim.”

  *****

  “Excuse me, but I’m looking for two girls named K’ssss and Soo’nami. Do you know them?”

  “Who’s asking?” said Soo’ defensively.

  “Why . . . I am.”

  Not really understanding that Soo’ was being cautious, the silly serpent volunteered, “My name is K’ssss. What’s yours?”

  “Shush, you loose-lipped leviathan.”

  “Let me introduce myself . . . I’m S’eeee-sik.”

  “You are? You’re the person we were waiting for. I’m Soo’ and like she already told you; this silly-ness is K’ssss.”

  “Pleasure to meet both of you. Why don’t we find someplace quiet to talk?” And with that, S’eeee-sik led the two girls to a secluded alcove and away from prying eyes . . . and ears. “How can I be of service?”

  “Egg has a plan to defeat Mobius but we need your help.”

  “Why is she not here to ask for this help?”

  “She and some of the others are looking for the perfect place to fight the Green F’aeri and K’aos.”

  “That’s a very ambitious idea. And how will she do what no one else could do?”

  “She’ll tell you when the time is right. But for now, we need your help in convincing K’ssss’s dad to make some stuff we’re going to need.”

 
; “Why me?”

  “Cause he’s not going to believe us. We’re hoping he’ll believe you.”

  S’eeee-sik took a moment to digest all of this information. “I will help you. What exactly do I need to do?”

  “Convince her dad that we’re telling the truth. That we’re really about to save the world from Mobius.”

  “Oh, is that all?”

  *****

  “Sassi, Sassi . . . hello. Can you hear me?”

  “Hi, Egg, is there a problem?”

  “No, no . . . everything is perfect. But I completely forgot to tell you one part of the dream. I just remembered it. Where are you now?”

  “I’m just a few minutes from docking. What about the dream?”

  “There was this person all dressed in black with ugly, horrible eyes . . .”

  “A Mo’beye . . . my dad?”

  “I think so. Anyway, I said to him something like ‘Hey, how come you’ve got creepy weird eyes?’ And do you know what he said?”

  Obviously Sassi didn’t, but she played along, “No, what?”

  “He said, ‘It’s just a Halloween costume.’ Isn’t that great?”

  Since Halloween is only celebrated on earth, and not on Aerianna, it was kind of obvious what Sassi was about to ask. “Egg . . . what is a hollow ween?”

  “No, silly; Halloween. It’s a holiday where everyone dresses in stupid costumes and goes trick or treating.”

  “Egg . . . I’m sorry but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, fiddlesticks,” said an exasperated Egg, “don’t you see? He’s just pretending to be a Mo’beye. It’s all make believe.”

  “How can that be . . . when he forced me to wear the pendant?”

  “Well . . . I’m not sure. Maybe he gave you the pendant because if he didn’t, Mobius would know he was no longer under his control. I guess he figured you were smart enough to find a way to get rid of that thing before it did any harm.” Then she added, “And you would have if it wasn’t for me making you forget”

  “Egg . . . are you sure?”

  “Ummm . . . we have to go with my dreams. So yes, find him first. But hide the coffin just in case.”

  “Where?”

  “Tell her to tie the boat in some out of the way place . . . and not at the dock. She can just leave the coffin inside,” suggested Aeri’elle.