by P B Hughes
“Right! It was nice doing business with you, Mr. Moda,” said Daniel.
“Of course, of course—always a pleasure doing business with Mordecai and his students. Well, most of his students.” Moda gave one last dirty look to Jude. “Now if you three could move over a little to the left.”
They looked up at Moda with a confused expression, but complied.
“Just a hair more,” said Moda, motioning with his hand.
Jude gave Daniel a look that spelled suspicion. Daniel shrugged, and the three of them inched over.
“Goodbye!” said Moda as he reached up above his head and pulled a golden tassel.
The floor vanished beneath their feet. Down they fell with a thud onto a polished stone slide. Gregory gave a shout as the three of them were whisked through the darkness, faster and faster. A small dot of light appeared before them and grew like a yawn until it swallowed them. They toppled out of the tunnel and onto the grass in a heap. Back through the hole, the sound of cackling laughter rang out as a stone door rolled into place.
Chapter 8
Daniel lay at the bottom of the pile of boys, unable to breathe. Gregory climbed off, followed by Jude.
“That was actually kind of fun,” Gregory said as he adjusted his pack and dusted off his cloak. “I suppose if you’re going to be kicked out of a shop, a secret hatch and quick slide through a tunnel is the way to go.”
Daniel looked up at Jude, but couldn’t say a word as he struggled to inhale. Jude snatched the bag of mana-crystals from off Daniel’s stomach and swung them over his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go. We need to find a place to set up camp.”
Gregory bent over and stared Daniel in the face. “What’s wrong with you, Daniel? You look like a scared catfish.”
Suddenly, Daniel gasped for air and rolled over on his side.
“He got the wind knocked out of him,” said Jude.
“Oh, I see. You okay, Danny boy?” Gregory reached out his hand to help Daniel up, but Daniel refused it.
“I can’t believe it,” gasped Daniel. “I have never been treated so rudely in all my life!”
“We got what we came for. That’s all that matters,” said Jude coolly.
“I don’t care, we are paying customers! And we paid well!” Daniel rose to his feet, anger pulsating through him in waves. “Do the vine trick again.”
Jude gave a shrewd smile. “You really want me to do that?”
Daniel stared at Jude, his eyes filled with fury; then to the cliff, and back to Jude. He felt rather foolish for his response, and that made his anger all the worse.
“People need to know they can’t treat others like that,” snapped Daniel, his eyes flashing blue for an instant. “It’s not okay.”
“That thing is not a person—it’s a creature,” said Jude as he turned and walked back into the woods.
Daniel followed begrudgingly, the sky growing ever darker as the sun set. Soon, they reached the road and began to head back the way they came. Jude handed Gregory the mana-crystals and studied the map as they walked.
The sky’s edge burned with sunset, slowly fading beneath an encroaching indigo twilight. The night felt clear and warm, and Daniel’s anger disappeared with the last rays of light. The creatures of the day retired, and the beasts of night began their song: crickets, frogs, owls, and bats—chirping, croaking, hooting, and whirring. The trees by the roadside swayed back and forth in the wind; bulbous plants grew squat beneath their branches.
“Not a bad night to be out and about,” said Gregory as he inhaled a breath of the warm night air.
Jude stopped and held up his hand, signaling Daniel and Gregory to halt.
Gregory stared about the woods nervously. “What is it?”
“Shh,” Jude commanded.
Jude pointed to the bushes by the side of the road. He hurried over and held up a branch for the other two to crawl under, then followed after. The three of them peered out from beneath the branches. A strange sound was coming from ahead—like dozens of tiny, ringing bells.
“Do you think it’s the wyvern?” asked Gregory.
Jude held a finger to his lips.
An ethereal green glow flickered through the trees. Daniel gripped the training staff tightly. Suddenly, several balls of light dashed across the road—one, two, three, four-five-six—and then flew out of sight. Daniel and Gregory exchanged confused looks. Jude did not move. Then they came again, spiraling through the air, bouncing across the tops of the bulbous plants. As each bulb was touched, it unfolded, revealing an enormous sparkling white and purple flower.
Jude turned around to the others, excitement written on his face. “Forest fairies,” he whispered. “Be careful not to scare them. I hear they give kind travelers priceless gifts.”
“Gifts!” cried Gregory.
The little green lights shot upwards into the trees and were darkened.
“Now look what you did,” hissed Jude. “You frightened them.”
Daniel looked up toward the tops of the trees. “We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you,” he said as kindly as possible. “We mean you no harm.”
Jude gave Daniel an aggravated look. “Stop it!”
A desire he had never felt before pulled at Daniel. Inexplicably, he felt as if the fairies were searching for him, and he had to speak with them. He crawled out from underneath the bushes and stood to his feet.
“I’m here!” Daniel shouted. “Come back!”
The whole forest became quiet. The fairies were nowhere in sight. Jude slapped at the leaves in frustration. “And what were you trying to accomplish?” he said, crossing his arms.
Suddenly, Daniel felt exceedingly foolish. Why would the fairies be looking for me? He fumbled in his mind for an explanation to give to Jude when, one by one, the treetops began to blink with life. And there they were—petite little creatures with pointed ears, bushy hair and wings like dragonflies—staring down at them with questioning expressions. One of them jumped from his branch over to where a smaller, brown-haired fairy sat and whispered in her ear. She smiled at him and nodded. He flew off the branch, and slowly descended. Daniel extended his finger and the fairy landed lightly on the tip.
“I don’t believe it,” said Jude with a dumbfounded expression.
“Hello,” said Daniel softly. “You’re looking for me, aren’t you?”
The fairy had a curious expression, head cocked and eyes narrowed—like he was examining Daniel, peering into his soul. Then the fairy looked up and motioned to the others. They dashed and whizzed down from the trees, ringing like wind chimes. The fairy on Daniel’s finger jumped up and joined the others. As a group, they swiftly circled Daniel from bottom to top, then moved on to Jude, and finally Gregory, who were both still in the bushes. Then they snatched Daniel by the front of the cloak and began to pull.
“Hey now,” said Daniel. “Stop that!”
Jude scrambled out from the bushes. “They’re taking you to our gift. Go!”
Daniel started walking, and the fairies released him, smiling and escorting him along.
“What if they’re taking him to his doom?” said Gregory, still sitting underneath the brush. “Has anyone thought of that?”
“They’re fairies, Gregory,” scoffed Jude. “It’s impossible for them to be evil.”
Gregory looked up to see Daniel being led away through the woods, Jude at his heels. He let out a moan, crawled out from the bushes, and hurried after.
The fairies sped ahead, forcing Daniel to follow at a dead sprint. Over roots and under branches they raced, Daniel tripping and ducking, eyes fixed upon the trailing green light. His heart began to pound, faster and faster, eager anticipation growing with each step. With his anticipation came a tinge of fear. Whatever they found would change Daniel’s life forever—he felt it to the core of his being. And change wasn’t always good.
Finally, the fairies stopped, hovering in one place, allowing the boys to catch up. Daniel stooped over and took heavy breaths,
his chest burning, Jude and Gregory behind him. The same male fairy, apparently their leader, flew down and pulled on Daniel’s sleeve.
“What…Is…It?” said Daniel between breaths.
The fairy led Daniel over to the edge of a dried creek bed, and pointed downward. He peered over the edge. There, in a heap, beneath a fallen tree-branch lay a dark figure.
The pendant around Daniel’s neck grew hot, and the strange feeling—the anticipation, the trepidation—peaked. Daniel looked to the fairy, which in turn gave him a concerned expression and pointed again, vehemently.
“Jude, Gregory,” Daniel whispered, “come here.”
The two boys walked over to Daniel and followed his gaze.
“What is that thing?” asked Gregory, a little too loudly as he backed away.
The heap stirred.
“I’m not sure,” replied Daniel. He swung his legs over the ledge and dropped to the ground below.
The fairies followed him, landing on his shoulders and head.
“Daniel, come back,” called Gregory. “It could be dangerous. Fairies might be good, but they also might be stupid—we don’t know for sure!”
Jude shushed Gregory. “Don’t insult them. They might leave before we receive our gift.”
“You’re one to talk,” said Gregory as he watched Daniel inch forward. “You insult everything.”
“Not if it benefits me,” retorted Jude.
Daniel’s eyes flickered blue, and the sphere at the top of his staff illuminated the space. There, huddled in a mass on the ground, lay a creature, utterly black except for a bright yellow beak. Its body was feline, like that of a panther, and its long furry tail was coiled around its body. A pair of enormous feathered raven wings were folded at its side.
“A gryphon,” breathed Jude. “A female by the looks of it.”
“Hey, we read about those once,” said Gregory. “Why is it all black? I thought they were brownish-gold.”
“Must be an unusual breed,” replied Jude.
The fairies grew excited, and pointed to the gryphon’s wing. She was bleeding; several gashes slid down her side, and her wing looked unnaturally bent.
Daniel stared for a moment, and then he understood. “You want me to heal her, don’t you?” His staff ceased glowing and his eyes returned to normal.
The fairies glowed brighter, shaking and jingling their approval.
“I’m not a very good healer. My skills are more honed for combat—we should take her to Martha.”
The fairies pointed to Daniel’s staff and then back to the gryphon.
“What—what if I mess it up even worse?” stuttered Daniel. “Martha is a much better healer, really.”
The fairies shook their heads and tugged on Daniel’s cloak for him to move forward.
“Don’t be so selfish, Daniel,” said Jude. “Do it—I want the gift.”
“I can’t, I—”
Her eyes met his, orbs of gold, pupils of the blackest ebony. For an instant Daniel could not move. It felt as though he were looking into the eyes of a lost friend. Again the fairy pulled upon his sleeve.
“All right,” Daniel whispered. “I’ll give it a try.”
The gryphon was small compared to most—around seven feet long, not including her tail. A low growl rumbled in her throat. Daniel stopped. The lead fairy frowned, fluttered over to the gryphon and landed on her shoulder. He stood on his tip-toes and whispered in her cat-like ear. The growl stopped, though she never took her eyes off Daniel.
Daniel reached out his hand. She sniffed it warily. Daniel gently stroked her ear and under her chin. She hesitated, but then accepted the gesture by leaning her neck into his hand. There was a flash across Daniel’s vision—the sea, a storm, light shining through the sky.
Daniel took a step back. It felt as though he’d lost his breath all over again.
He looked up at his friends. “There’s something…There’s something strange about her.”
“Of course there is,” Jude replied. “See that?” he said, pointing to a golden collar around her neck, a metallic cylinder fastened to its side. “That’s a carrier collar. I bet she’s a mail-rider gryphon.”
“Not exactly what I meant,” Daniel replied, reaching over with trepidation and unfastening the cylinder. He unscrewed the lid, and a scroll fell out into his hand, closed with a dark red seal. Daniel studied it a moment, and then shoved it in the side pocket of his pack.
“What was that? A letter?” asked Gregory.
“Not sure,” said Daniel as he turned his attention back to the gryphon. “This might hurt a little,” he said nervously as he took hold of his staff.
Daniel’s eyes glowed, and he lowered the staff inches away from the injured wing. He inhaled deeply, and then slowly exhaled. A blue mist poured out from the glowing orb and covered the area of the injury. A shiver went through the body of the gryphon and she tucked her head under her other wing.
“Sorry,” said Daniel. “It will take some time.”
Daniel stood for close to an hour, nervously glancing from the gryphon to the fairies as if he was taking an exam and they were his professor. Jude and Gregory got comfortable and had their dinner while they watched. After finishing his meal, Gregory laid down on his pack and slowly nodded off. Half an hour passed, and Daniel began to breathe heavily, his posture worsened, and sweat poured down his face.
Jude noticed and reached into the sack of crystals that lay next to Gregory.
“Here,” he said as he tossed a crystal to Daniel.
Daniel caught it and closed his eyes. The crystal shone a bright crimson for a moment, and then the light absorbed into Daniel’s hand. He straightened up; energy renewed, and resumed his work.
Another half an hour passed.
POP!
Her bone slid back into place, and the cuts on her side closed. She let out a guttural screech, and sprang from behind the branch. She paced back and forth, her wings spread out. The fairies danced with delight and then, suddenly, sped away into the darkness.
“Uh, bye?” said Daniel after them. He turned to Jude and shrugged.
Jude looked furious. “What, no gift?” he called after the fairies. He rose to his feet. “We followed those ridiculous, flighty devils all the way here and what did we get? Nothing! Wake up Gregory, we’re leaving.” Jude kicked Gregory in the side.
“Oomph!” grunted Gregory. “I promise I didn’t—where am I?”
Jude shook his head in disgust.
Daniel turned around to find the gryphon right in front of him, staring him in the face.
“Oh, hi there. We’re, uh, glad we could help you—”
She rubbed her nose under Daniel’s arm affectionately. Daniel stroked her head, turned around, and began to climb back up the ledge. He was struggling to reach the top when he felt himself being nudged upwards by the gryphon’s nose.
“Thanks,” he said back down to her.
The gryphon crouched down as if she were about to pounce, then opened her wings.
“Wh-whoa now, be careful!”
She leapt in front of Daniel. He gave her a confused look, and walked toward Jude. She followed.
Daniel stopped. She stopped. Daniel moved forward. She moved forward.
“She’s following me,” said Daniel. The others ignored him.
Jude grabbed the sack of mana-crystals from the ground. “Life changing gift, they said. I bet the person who wrote that textbook was just a bleeding heart who liked fairies, so he wrote that they’d give you a gift if you were kind to them. What a waste!”
Daniel stared back at the gryphon. “I don’t think it was a waste; I’m glad we stopped to help. She needed me.”
“Needed you? That thing?” Jude fumed. “She is destined to be at the bottom of the food chain. Can’t out-muscle that wyvern. He’ll eat her.”
Daniel froze. “Then we can’t leave her alone.”
“Why not? If she dies, she dies. Some creatures are worth nothing more than being
a meal.”
“Aren’t you the one who just spent half our trip mending damaged trees?” said Gregory wryly.
“That was different.”
“Really?” laughed Daniel. “You think vegetables are more valuable than actual living creatures?”
“Fool!” Jude retorted. “Trees are alive—all plants are alive. Those trees are ancient landmarks—they tell a story!”
“Why would you save trees but not a gryphon?” said Daniel. “I’m not leaving her to be butchered by some hunter and his pet—who, need I remind you, destroyed your precious trees.”
Gregory stepped in between them. “Look, Daniel,” he said anxiously. “I think wanting to save the fluff ball is noble and all, but realistically speaking, the thing’s healed up. She can get away on her own. She’s made it this far. And we’d be putting ourselves in danger if we tried to take her with us. Now let her go and let’s get out of here before we all get eaten.”
“No,” said Daniel matter-of-factly. “You two go on without me. We’ll find our way back on our own.”
“We’re not taking that thing with us,” shouted Jude. “Now come on!”
Daniel sat down.
“Oh, you’re coming with us, you little shrimp,” seethed Jude. “You’re coming with us if I have to drag you the entire way!” His eyes flashed green and he made a move toward Daniel.
Whack!
Jude was met with a face-full of tail, and went reeling to the ground. The gryphon stood over him, a low growl in her throat.
“Uh oh,” said Gregory.
Jude scrambled backward and jumped to his feet. “Fine, if you won’t make her go, then I will!” He pointed his staff at the gryphon. A vine rose up from the ground behind him, and with a flick of his wrist it slashed forward like a viper.
As if by instinct, Daniel leapt between the gryphon and Jude. His vision blurred as the vine met him across his face; agonizing pain seared through him.
Jude cursed as Daniel crumpled to the ground, hot blood pouring from his wound.
“Fool! Always in the way—”
“Stop it, Jude!” Gregory demanded, pulling Jude by the arm. “Can’t you see he’s hurt?”