She walked up to the first dragon she found and knelt down. The dragon was obviously in agony . . . but she couldn’t tell why. She tried to ask her what was wrong . . . but the poor creature simply couldn’t talk. The pain was too intense.
She checked a few more . . . but they were all in the same condition.
And then in shock at seeing her father lying in a heap, she nearly dropped the Crystal Egg. Running up to him, she fell on her knees and lifted his head.
“Daddy. Daddy,” she called softly.
The dragon managed to open his eyes when he recognized his daughter’s voice. He looked at her face, smiled . . . then passed out.
“NOOO. Daddy. Daddy, wake up. Please wake up.” But that wasn’t going to happen.
Aeri’elle was beside herself with grief. She started to cry but stopped when she heard a voice.
“Do not cry, young one.”
“Who’s there?”
“It is I.”
“Myst Tree?”
“Yes.”
“Please . . . help my father.” Then she remembered the Shades, “And the other girls. Please.”
“You have the power of the Crystal Egg. You may use it however you wish.”
Aeri’elle had forgotten all about that. “Oh, of course.” But then she remembered her promise to Egg and the Princess. “I can’t. I promised I wouldn’t.”
“But it is only this one time. And it is for a good cause. Surely they would understand.”
Aeri’elle gave that some thought. “I can’t. I promised.”
“Not even to save your father?”
Without hesitating, she answered, “He wouldn’t want me to betray a trust . . . to break my promise.”
“I see.”
“Please, Tree. You can do it. Please.”
“Your honor and loyalty deserve a reward. It is done.”
“Aeri’elle.”
The dragon turned to see her father and the rest of the Shades rise to their feet. “Oh, Daddy; are you alright?”
“Yes . . . now.”
She gave him a big hug and a kiss. “Wait here . . . I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to give this,” she held up the Crystal Egg, “to the Myst Tree.” She turned to go then stopped. “Daddy, I love you.”
“And I am so proud of you. Go, my daughter.”
*****
With Mobius safely imprisoned, Dazzle called a meeting of all of her advisors. At the moment, this consisted of the four remaining Hameggattic Sisters, Soar’elle, S’eeee-sik, Tink’rrr, Tr’yst and Fl’axx (Sass’ mom and dad). They were seated around a large round table in the Hall of Ministers.
All of the pleasantries and congratulations were out of the way. It was now time to get down to important business.
“The first thing we must do is to rid this world of Mobius.”
“Your Majesty . . . what of my daughter and the others?” asked a very concerned Tr’yst.
“The Myst Tree has promised to return everyone to what they were before Mobius interfered with our lives. But, first, we are required to remove him from this planet. That is our first priority.”
“I am not sure I understand the word ‘remove’. Are you suggesting that we execute the villain?” asked Soar’elle.
“He richly deserves such a fate. But the time for violence is over. So we will put him back in his spaceship (that’s how he first got to Aerianna) and send him back to his own planet.”
“I believe I can help with that, your Majesty. I could use the space portal and we can exile him to his home world in a matter of minutes.”
“Thank you, Tink’rrr, but that is not what I wish. Once back on his own world, he would be free to do whatever wickedness he desired. I would like to confine him to his ship . . . and send it as slowly as possible to his world. A journey of one or two hundred years would give him ample time to reflect on his evil ways.”
Everyone smiled at the wisdom of this idea. “I will see to it immediately.”
“One more thing, Tink’rrr. Be sure there is room . . . and provisions . . . for a dragon.”
“A dragon, your Majesty?”
“Yes. I believe Bl’udd should accompany his master.” Now everyone’s smile turned to laughter.
“Since that is now settled, there are two more items to be attended to. First, Soar’elle, my father does not wish to remain king. Therefore, I will become Queen.” Everyone applauded. Dazzle raised her hand to quiet them. “I would have you plan the coronation ceremony.”
“It would be my honor and my pleasure, your Majesty.”
“Thank you. And right after that ceremony, I plan to marry Prince Z’kkk. Even though his proposal of marriage is a thousand years old . . . I intend to hold him to it.” She smiled and everyone laughed. Egg nudged Sylvia and they high-fived each other. “To that end, I would like S’eeee-sik and Tr’yst to make all the arrangements.”
“Of course, your Majesty,” said the serpent.
“It is an incredible honor. Thank you, your Majesty,” replied Tr’yst.
“Ladies, I have only one request . . . I will not be married in any royal gown. I choose to be married in the traditional wedding dress of the people.”
The two ladies nodded their understanding.
“If there are no further questions? Good. Then I will speak to Egg and her Feminion privately. Thank you all . . . for everything. To have remained loyal to my family and me for so many years is beyond imagining. I promise to find a way to repay each of you. To repay all of Aerianna.”
*****
After the others left, Dazzle said, “Much is going to happen in the next two weeks and I will have very little time to spend with you. So, I wish to take this opportunity to express my love and my undying gratitude for all that you have done for me and my people.
I have come to know and admire both of you. What amazing young women you are. You have endured much suffering, conquered insurmountable odds and have achieved the impossible. You and your other sisters have become the heroines of Aerianna.
And you, Egg . . . you have willingly sacrificed Flying Girl to bring me back. That is a selfless act beyond words.
After my coronation, there will be a special ceremony honoring the Hameggattic Sisterhood. Perhaps, Egg, you would like to invite your grandmother. She deserves to be present.”
“That would be terrific, Dazzle.” She hesitated then added, “I mean your Majesty.”
“Never, my dearest sister, are you to refer to me by such a silly title. I am Dazzle . . . and I will always be that to both of you.”
Both girls hugged their big sister . . . and they stayed that way for a full minute. No one spoke for fear they would break down and cry.
After a bit, Dazzle surprised both girls when she said, “Sylvia, before I forget, please return the flying suit. And, I must borrow your ring.”
Sylvia was surprised by the request. “Dazzle . . . why the ring?”
“Because I will have a second one made . . . for Egg. Then she, too, will be able to visit Aerianna whenever she wishes.”
“Oh my gosh . . . that’s super wonderful. Thank you, thank you,” cried Egg with pure joy. Then she asked, “Dazzle, since you’re taking back the flying suit, did you want this outfit back too? (it was the one she had worn the day Z’kkk had asked for her hand in marriage).”
“No, my sister, it looks much too cute on you. And as for the flying suit, the science that was used to make it has been lost. I would like Tink’rrr to study it. If it were not for that, I would let you keep it.”
*****
A day later, Egg received her ring. As you might expect, it was K’ssss’ dad that had made it. “Thank you, Mr. Tink’rrr.”
“You are most welcome, Egg. But please, just call me Tink’rrr.
“Okay. By the way, can you tell me when that spaceship is going to be ready?” She was anxious to get her three sisters back.
“Very soon. We are hopin
g by tomorrow we can launch that horrible man back from whence he came. Like you, I can hardly wait. I’m so eager to see my daughter again.”
“Yeah, me too.”
*****
“You are hereby exiled from Aerianna. We are sending you back to your home world. If you ever return, you will be imprisoned.”
“My dear princess . . . you are much too kind.” It wasn’t meant as a compliment. “A leader has to be strong and rule with an iron fist.”
“I prefer to rule with kindness and compassion. However, if you return, I will take your advice. So . . . be warned.”
“At least spare me the company of this imbecile of a dragon,” he said as he pointed at B’ludd.
“Oh, yes, your Majesty. Please, please don’t send me away. I beg you. Have mercy on your misguided servant.”
“Your fate was sealed when you willingly betrayed your people. Aerianna is no longer your home.”
As he was about to board the spacecraft, Mobius turned once last time and looked for Egg. She stared back at him . . . smiling. “Egg of Earth . . . be very afraid. I know where you live.”
Egg wasn’t the least bit frightened. She looked the big, mean man right in his eyes and said, “I think you have a little goo stuck on your nose.” She pointed to the side of her own to indicate the spot.
Without thinking, Mobius went to wipe it away. Then he realized she had been joking. “Grrrrrr . . .,” he growled. “How I hate little girls.”
After he and the dragon entered the spacecraft, the door was closed and locked. All the spectators stepped behind a protective barrier and Tink’rrr pressed a button on a console. Smoke and fire came out of the engine of the craft and after a moment, it started to lift off. It rose slowly at first . . . then it gained speed.
And in a minute, Mobius and Bl’udd had disappeared out of sight. Their two hundred year trip had just begun. All the people who had come out to watch the launch cheered. They were finally and truly free of the tyrant.
“Dazzle . . . when do you think everyone will come back?”
“I believe it has already begun,” and the Princess pointed to the sky.
It was Bl’azzz . . . and she was carrying Sassi and K’ssss.
But that wasn’t all . . .
J’azzz-min’s head poked out of the ground . . . followed by her body. She looked around and said, “Oh my gosh . . . I’m home.” Then she reached down the hole and pulled AyBee up. “Come on, husband. And, do act like a king and not a fish.”
Then a white cloud descended from nowhere and covered both creatures. A moment later, it was gone . . . and there stood King M’earth and Queen Kat’Alynnia. The crowd erupted into cheering and applause.
Next came the Green F’aeri who proceeded to turn back into the shy and beautiful Princess Ss’ong.
Dazzle ran forward and embraced her parents and her sister.
Seconds later, K’aos’ zombie dragon flew down and landed. Everyone stared at the gruesome, creepy creature wondering what it was doing here. As it stood there, the same cloud descended again. When it cleared, there stood F’Aerianne, the legendary rainbow queen of the dragons. And the crowd applauded mightily.
Then a truly strange sight materialized in front of the crowd . . . it was the Guardians of the Maze. The mass of onlookers were stunned into silence until the two huge faces transformed into E’ssss and S’eeee . . . the king and queen of the serpents.
The crowd was now delirious with joy. All of the long lost kings and queens had been returned to them. All of Aerianna would rejoice when they heard the wonderful news.
The only one not smiling, however, was Dazzle. Where was her Z’kkk?
“Rose, I believe you have made me wait long enough . . . don’t you?”
Dazzle spun around . . . and threw herself into the outstretched arms of her dearest love. And they kissed passionately . . .
A little ways away, the Hameggattic Sisters were trying not to stare . . . but without success.
“You just gotta love his blue skin,” said Egg.
“Wow,” said Sylvia, “he really is cute.”
“Do you think he has a younger brother?” asked Sassi.
“I guess he’s not bad looking . . . for a human,” said Bl’azzz.
“H’sssss . . . I think he’s pretty,” added the silly serpent.
Chapter 13 - Eloise
The coronation of Queen Rose’Alynnia was unimaginably beautiful. It was held in a large cathedral-like building with soaring arches and room to seat thousands and thousands of humans, dragons and serpents . . .
“Oh, dear one, this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I’m so glad Dazzle . . . I mean, the Queen . . . invited me.” They were sitting right in the front row with F’Aerianne, E’ssss, S’eeee and Prince Z’kkk. Aeri’elle’s father, who inherited the title of Prince when his grandfather Storm passed away, was also there. And, of course, so were all of the Hameggattic Sisters. In the row behind them were the family and friends of the other five sisters . . . including Sassi’s parents and K’ssss’s family.
“Grammy, I only wish that we could take pictures and show it to everyone back home.”
“You’re right. It is sad that this incredible adventure of yours can’t be shared. However, I certainly expect that your diary will have captured everything that happened.”
“Well, of course, silly. I even have sketches of all my sisters. Sassi did that for me.” Sassi heard her name, leaned forward and smiled at Egg.
Then all conversation came to an end while the Lord High Minister, along with M’earth and Kat’Alynnia performed the actual coronation ceremony. At the end, Princess Ss’ong placed the crown on her sister’s head and proclaimed, “I crown thee Queen Rose’Alynnia of the House of M’earth, first of that name and sovereign of Aerianna.” Everyone stood and cheered.
The new Queen bowed in acknowledgment, mounted a lectern and addressed the gathering . . .
“This is a glorious day for all Aeriannians. Not because I have ascended to the throne, but because this ceremony symbolizes the end of a thousand years of tyranny and pain.
Now, there is much to be done. In the coming days and weeks, I will lay out a plan to restore all that has been lost under the evil rule of Mobius. And I will call on every citizen to participate . . . as equals.
But before we can go on . . . we must thank those who were instrumental in eliminating the evil that had befallen Aerianna.
First, I would like to thank one that is no longer with us, except in spirit . . . my comrade and best friend, Prince Storm. There has never been a wiser, gentler, more kindly and noble soul then he. Without his help, none of this would have come to pass.
There are so many others to thank . . . I beg your indulgence. Their contributions must be acknowledged.
There is Tink’rrr who made the material used in our victory.
Soar’elle carried my body and my spirit to the Myst Tree.
Tr’yst and Fl’axx Tru’hart gave up their daughter to fight Mobius and restore my family to the throne. And their knowledge of Q’umulus was key in the final battle against the evil one.
There is an individual from Earth whose wisdom and love helped shaped one of our heroines. Her name is Eloise . . . but we shall call her Grammy (and just as you would expect, Grammy started to cry).
The Shades of Night, led in part by S’eeee-sik, great granddaughter of the Queen, fought side by side in the final battles to win back our planet.
And, then there are the Hameggattic Sisters . . . “
Dazzle . . . um, Queen Rose’Alynnia . . . paused in her speech to look lovingly at the seven girls. Unexpectedly, the thousands and thousands of people in attendance all stood up and applauded. They all knew of the incredible deeds of the Seven Sisters and wanted to show their respect and appreciation.
The girls sat their stunned by all this attention. Finally, Egg stood up and waved to the crowd. The other six stood and did the same. The applause got so loud it felt and soun
ded like thunder.
The Queen allowed it to continue for a few minutes then held up her hand for silence. “I would like to introduce each of my sisters . . .
Bl’azzz, who fought the P’xxxies to save her sisters, who was wounded by a giant spider and who succumbed to the dark magic of the Green F’aeri. But through it all, she never lost her sense of humor. And, if I might add, she looks adorable in her hat. (The girls giggled).
Soo’nami who sacrificed herself in Switch Swamp to save her sister from that very spider. Her unwavering loyalty to her sister K’ssss won the respect of all of us.
Sassi, who sacrificed herself in the Maze of Forever . . . twice. Her artistic talents helped in the final battle plans against Mobius.
Aeri’elle, the great granddaughter of Prince Storm, was as brave as any. She saved her sister from the beast AyBee and it was she that reclaimed the Crystal Egg for all of us.
And K’ssss, the sweetest sister of them all. She saved her sisters more times than I can count . . . in K’actus Kiln and the Crystal Forest to name just two. If it were not for her, Mobius would still rule. And my dear sister. . . ” (she looked at the silly serpent) “. . . without a doubt, your scarf will start a fashion trend”. (Yup, they giggled again).
Then we have two extraordinary young women from Earth.
Sylvia was Feminion. Brave and wise, she was to Egg as Storm was to me. I can pay her no greater compliment.
And finally, I would like to present to all that are here . . . my sister Egg of Earth. She is singularly the most amazing person I have ever met. I do not diminish the contributions of everyone else when I say that the heart and soul of the Hameggattic Sisterhood is this young woman.
She has been brave, selfless, resourceful and incredibly fearless. I once gave her unusual powers . . . and all of them she gave up willingly to bring me back. And she never wavered in that decision.
But what is most impressive was that she, with the help of her sisters and others, defeated Mobius, B’ludd, K’aos and the Green F’aeri without those magical powers.
Boxed Set: Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood: [The 12 book 1st adventure + the series prequel] Page 83