Neither Drat nor Dree knew it would be the last time they were to see her again. "The Queen is sending me on an important mission that is going to take me into places unknown," Meen realized as she listened to the flutterby message again. "She even told me to pick someone to serve in my place as her chief, but who should I pick that will do as good as a job as I do?" With that thought, Meen continued hopping towards the Shadows' Queen's castle to pack for her journey. Meanwhile, Meen was not the only one packing... "Don't forget the spoon and my favorite shoes," Goodie2shues told her sisters.
"Hurry sisters. My vision told me that we must catch this next transport if we are to be timely. If you don't have time to pack it, we will just have to find another when we get there," Goodiegood told the others. "What about the stuff we have to leave behind? What's going to happen to that?" asked Goodie4u as she finished filling her traveling case. "I have taken care of that. Someone who the door guardian knows well will be in charge of the cottage for us," answered Goodiegood. It was then that the knock sounded at the door and the door opened wide letting in the Borrower. "Hi Arnie. Take a seat and we will be finished shortly. I already poured you a cup of that pumpkin spice tea you like so much," Goodiegood said as she resumed packing. As Arnie sat down, Goodiegood and her sisters started for the door with their traveling bags. "Sorry, we don't have time to chat, replied Goodie2shues. "And we can't tell you why but please consider this cottage your home," Goodie4u told her as they all left. "I can only tell you that what we have to do is important and it is taking us to a unknown place," and closed the door leaving Arnie by herself in the quiet cottage.
"This is a strange place," thought Arnie as she looked at the circular tangle of sticks that was slightly moving (as if breathing) hanging over the entrance door. She then pulled out her favorite keys and locks as she thought of new places to hide her treasures in this cool looking cottage.
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"What are we to do now?" replied one member followed by "What do you think he will look like?" from another council member. In the middle of all this chaotic noise, Fiddlefaddle leaned over towards the Baron. Being the Baron's all around handy man and procurator of travel arrangements he quietly asked, "Do you know where he will be staying since we don't have what the Outies call a hotel here in our small village?" With that small question, the noise stopped instantly in the council chamber that one could have heard a pin drop if one was listening for that pin. Finally, Nemmer was the one who broke the silence. "There is a room over at the Rusty Nail Pub. I was just there this past week with my fellow archers and I am sure I heard the owner mention he had a spare room available." Which of course set up another flow of highly opinionated views on that suggestion.
"No, I don't think that is a good idea," replied Awena. "I walked by there on my way to the council meeting and heard that the little old lady that owns the place just picked up a set of Peerrots (in the Outie world would be known as parrots) that squeal 'Rise & Shine and Git Out' every morning now. I don't think we want our guest to think we don't want him here," continued Awena. At that moment a golden coach pulled up in front of the Village Council's building. All the members stood in anticipation for the Herald to exit the coach. As he did he simple stepped down, gave everyone a cold look, paid the coach driver, and then turned towards the center of the Village as if looking for something. He then proceeded to walk off and left without a word of acknowledgement or greeting as the coach departed in the opposite direction. So, just like the Pied Piper in tales of old, the Herald continued walking down the center of the small village neither looking left nor right with the Council members (now with a few curious villagers who were wondering where the parade was going and what was it for) all following behind him. Little did they know that Aralt was focusing on the ley lines of the area. He could feel them and though it had been many many years since being here, especially without the Dragons to feed them, the lines were still here, though very faint.
"If he thinks he is staying at my castle without an invitation or greeting, I don't think so!" Ffion growled to herself as the crowd all turned towards the Shadows' Queen castle. They all continued walking down the road like a gaggle of geese following the Herald's lead as he walked into the courtyard of the Shadows' Queen's castle and proceeded to the back upper garden where several of those following soon realized it was the same garden where the young Wish Dragon had transformed into a Moon Dragon. Aralt then went past the waterfalls (that covered the entrance to the secret cave that held the Dragon tablet recently taken by a Borrower) towards a wall covered with bramble vines that grow only in a darker corner of the garden. With his arms raised and the stone in the locket glowing that he always carried with him, Aralt spoke. " Rise to the left. Shift to the right. Reveal these doors to my Sight." Magically the brambles began to pull to the left with some shifting to the right, soon a massive stone door appeared that slowly opened for him. Apparently, by everyone's stunned reaction, Aralt realized that most of these simple people didn't know about the Dragons' Cave below. He finally decided to address the crowd of followers and turned to face them. "Excuse me. This is where I'll be staying. It has been a long day. I will meet with you tomorrow," and with that walked through the now open doorway with them shutting behind him. All the villagers stood there stunned with their mouths hanging open, wondering just what had happen.
The Baron sat on the left of his mother, the Dowager Griselda, while Awena was on her right side at the front of the room. Everyone else gave respect due to the new royalty of the Realm - the new Queen Ffion and Troll King Dulbbe, who sat facing towards the head table wondering what this meeting could be about. The Gooblin King was not into protocol. He preferred to sit off in the grey hidden shadows of the back of the room observing what was going on. He told others that he preferred to be off to himself, but most believed it was because he couldn't stand all the bright lights.
In the section reserved for the minions (so they could be called upon to deliver edicts from the council) Arnie had taken one of the seats because she had never sat at council before. It's not like a 'Borrower' is invited to many functions since they have a tendency to 'find' things that they take with them when they leave. Leaning over to Meen she asked in a low voice "What's so important about a dragonfly? I chase them all of the time when I am not out borrowing." Meen whispered "I am not sure if it's the same thing. It could be I suppose, but I remember once that the old King of Shadows' referred to having a relic of one posted in an ancient scroll. It was an ancient way of sending important messages when the Dragons where around."
"This is where we see if the recipe is right," answered the Goodie sister, "and if all goes well, the Wish Dragon will have undergone a transformation. This is rare and if enough magic is not released to finish the recipe, then the mixture will fail." It was then that enough of the haze had disappeared that everyone could see what was happening inside the egg. Both Hunter and The CAT were standing near the Wish Dragon, but the little Dragon had changed. Hungry had grown and turned blue! From the top of his head to the bottom of his claws - even his eyes were now a shade of blue. As most were looking at Hungry, it was the Goodie sisters that noticed the small magical portal opening behind the Dragon. "It will need more magic," each of the Goodie Sisters thought, but it would take more than they possessed to finish the transformation.
He had been watching Ffion through the crystal egg and already saw that his beloved daughter was approaching closer to the egg with the blue lights glowing around her. It was the time for him to act or lose his daughter forever. There had never been a choice, he knew what he must do. Stepping to the edge of the crystal egg, he started pushing his magic into it! Slowly, as as his magic swirled around in a circle, it began to expand... larger... and larger... and finally large enough to reach his hand through it. "Daughter, a young fae sacrificed herself to give magic to the dragons, I will not have you do the same," pleaded the King to Ffion. He reached out his hand taking hers. As soon as that happened the blue lights flowed into Hunter's hand turning him blue. "Hungry," Hunter told the Wish Dragon, "The Portal requires magic for magic. This was what was required for the young fae that first gave her magic to the dragons and why I told you the tale. When I step through the portal it will finish your transformation and begin your destiny. If I don't, you and the magic in the Realm will perish!"
"Ah, that's where the Dragon tablet went," thought Dulbbe as he stood behind Ffion's with one hand keeping her from going to the portal. For when the portal appeared, she had been slowly pulled towards it. If it wasn't for Dulbbe holding her back while the King held her hand, by this point she too might have entered it with the Dragon. "No! You can't have it!" yelled Druzzy. "I need it for my revenge," he screamed as he continued to cling to his crown with the Dragon tablet hidden inside as it pulled him towards the egg. Even the Gooblin King was startled by what was happening. "Let it go Druzzy," hollered Hir'aeth. "It's just a thing... let it go!" Glaring at the Gooblin King, Druzzy just smiled as he continued to clutch his crown, "Don't you wish. I will win this round!" It was then that three things happened all in a blink of a Dragon's eye. The Shadows' King let go of Ffion's hand and with a wave pulled the Dragon tablet towards him. He then stepped through the portal with the tablet following him... with a Troll King still holding on while the crystal egg shattered in a bright glittering glow like fireflies dancing in the evening. As Druzzy was being pulled into the portal, grabbing anything to stop the pull of the King, he grabbed The CAT's tail which pulled the CAT in as well. As Ffion watched her father, she saw him giving her one final look as he whispered "I love you" as the blinding flash occurred.
"Hungry," Hunter whispered to the little dragon, "Don't be afraid as I am here to help you." The king continued, "First, let me tell you a story about how dragons got their terrific powers... where it all started..." As the Shadows' King told Hungry how a Nyte Shade had given her powers to her dragon friend he also was trying to keep the Dragon calm so that he would not realize that the two of them were subtly changing and trapped inside of a large crystal. As the tale was being told, the Troll King, Druzzy, was standing by a tree and thinking of ways to get out of the garden with the Dragon tablet he had hidden under his crown.
The problem was he did not know which one did and a lowly bookkeeper does not accuse a King of taking something. "I will have to make sure neither leave with it before this is over," he realized. Making sure of how to do that was simple he quickly decided. Walking over to the Gooblin King he whispered, "Did you notice how King Druzzy keeps looking around. I wonder what he is up to." This started the Gooblin King to watch the Troll King even more than normal. "Now all I have to do is keep an eye on the Gooblin King," thought Dulbbe, "since then he will be watching the Troll King." By the time Hunter finishes his tale to Hungry, the Goodies had returned and were beginning their ritual with Ffion and The CAT. It is then that the Wish Dragon realized he was trapped inside of a crystal cocoon surrounded in a blue mist. At first startled, he stood up hitting his head. That is when the crack appeared throwing off the Goodie's spell and causing the release of the blue ooze. "Ouch!" Hungry yelled as he reached for the top of his head. Trying not to smile, Hunter took one of Hungry's hands and told him to relax. "This crystal shell will not last much longer. Look, there is already a crack in it," Hunter said as he pointed to the crack. As they were looking at it, something else started to appear inside of the crystal with them. Whatever it was looked like it had been stretched quite thin and shoved through the small crack. As they both moved back as far as they could, The CAT appeared (not looking too pleased ) in front of them. "I don't ever want to do that again!" The CAT growled when he fully materialized. Happy that his Spite was with him, Hungry moved up to give The CAT a hug. Too surprised to get away, The CAT let the Wish Dragon hug him (but only briefly) before telling him that was enough. "Not in front of the King," he whispered in Hungry's ear as he was being squeezed. Hunter only watched them, trying to hide his sad smile, before either saw it. "If things go right, then you two will be both be changed forever," thought the King. Also knowing that if things did not go right, all of them would be changed forever but not in a way each would have liked... Outside of the crystal and in the garden, Ffion, the Goodie sisters, and Hewy have joined hands as Hewy begins to sing. Soon, the others joined the circle and as the music became louder, everyone was holding hands and singing as they circled the large blue glowing crystal. Even Druzzy had to join in as Hir'aeth had grabbed his hand so he could not disappear. Inside the crystal, The CAT, having the keenest of hearing, all of a sudden perked up his ears. "Do you hear that?" he asked the others. Before they could answer he continued, "Hewy is singing." In a minute all three of them could hear the singing since it no longer was just Hewy. "It sounds like a whole bunch of Twitter Birds," thought the Dragon and he soon was tapping his foot to the beat of the music. Things were going along smoothly until Hungry accidently tapped too hard - on The CAT's tail! Leaping into the air, The CAT startled Hungry who stood up completely and again hit his head on the crystal ceiling in their cocoon causing the crack to start getting even bigger and spreading.
Off to one side was Hewy, the Troll, who was busy giving the Gooblin King, Hir'aeth, the evil eye as the Gooblin King wondered to himself where had Druzzy, the Troll King, snuck off too? Efem, the Tree Mother, was huddled with Dewin by a small bench and waving her hands in the air trying to make a point as she tried to get his complete attention. While Dewin was trying also to see where the Troll King had wondered off as well as try to keep one ear open to listen to Efem. Things were certainly tense and confusing. It was then, as Goodiegood was looking around at everyone, that she noticed the large crystal-like egg in the the middle of the garden. "I doubt that has been here very long," she asked without expecting much of an answer. She realized what it was as she looked closer seeing something blue swirling around inside of it. Turning to her sisters she said, "It looks like what we feared has happened. The Prophesy has begun with the Last Wish Dragon being lost. Now we must find out who sacrificed their magic for this to have happened." As the three sisters started looking around the garden to see who might be missing from the vision they had earlier, Goodie2shues finally hollered to the crowd, "Everyone! We don't have much time so listen up! We need to talk to Ffion or the Shadows' King. Does anyone know where they are?"
When the Dowager finished, Goodie4u mumbled loud enough for only her sisters to hear, "Now we know who sacrificed their power, as the King and Ffion being Nyte Shades are the only two beings strong enough to give up their power and not be swayed by the Darkness or Greed." Realizing that speed was now needed, Goodie2shues spoke again to the crowd. "We need to speak to Ffion immediately! The Realm depends on it!"
As her sisters disappeared, Goodiegood quietly mumbled to herself, "The best thing we can do now is get Ffion back to our place so we can whip up our 'Surrogare' recipe before this egg fully hatches. The Ntyemares are the best choice to fly us home in time." As the other two sisters flew off to do her bidding, Goodiegood thought about trying to explain to Awena and the Dowager what was happening, but there just wasn't enough time. All she could do was shout out "Trust ME!" as she ran to follow her sisters.
The first to arrive was Awena which the Dowager was very glad to see. Griselda had quickly grabbed her and took her down into the depths of the library where the Shadows' King had been holed up for the past several days.
As they approached their destination, a green glow was emanating from under the door to room 101. When they knocked they had already decided not to wait for an answer and rushed in before the King could refuse seeing them. What they saw was a surprise! Both spied the King sitting on a low stool with his head in his hands. His clothes, normally clean and spotless, were rumpled and dirty. His hair stuck out in all directions, no longer combed and braided, but the part that shocked them the most was the defeated look in his eyes. As they rushed to his side to find out what ailed him, the Dowager was first to speak. "What is it King Hunter?" she asked as Awena placed her hands on his slumped shoulders. Awena could feel the tension and frustration that was floating around the King but also something she thought she would never see in him. She could feel his despair! Slowly the King looked up at them and in a weary voice asked, "What do you know about the Dragon tablet?" "Very little," the Dowager replied. "Other than what the flutterby just shared with me a little while ago. It has been located and coming here by way of a Borrower as well as with your faithful Scribe, Dulbbe." "Then there is hope!" murmured the King. Slowly he stood up with a little wobble since he truly hadn't eaten much in days. He placed the silk cover over the green glowing crystal ball that had been beside him. While he was doing this, the Dowager was sharing that she had felt the need to assemble everyone in the King's garden, while she was apologizing that she had used his personal messengers the Nytemares. The King nodded to her as he picked up the crystal ball and proceeded to leave the library room. "I agree," answered the King. Appearing to gain strength from all that he was hearing from the Griselda, he continued, "We will all assemble in the garden as soon as everyone is here, especially Hungry. He is the key element and now it seems is his time. I had hoped to give him more time by sending him to his teachers when he first arrived in the Shadows' Realm. When the tablet had been taken, it started the process and whether or not he is ready, it seems that Hungry will now be coming into his power."
King Hunter, the Shadows' King, lead everyone out into his garden and then down a trail and through a veil of hanging vines that parted as the participants approached. Hidden inside was a secluded garden of Moonflowers which surrounded a small stone bench in the center. The night was black with the new moon and only a handful of dimly shining stars were in the sky but everyone could see the white trail of stones that lead through the Moonflowers and surrounded it. "Hungry, would you please sit yourself on the stone bench in the center of the garden?" asked King Hunter while directing the others to stand in a circle around the bench and the now seated Dragon. "Arnie, as I understand it, you have my tablet?" asked Hunter to the Borrower who was trying to hide behind some of the others in the circle. With a bowed head, Arnie approached the King while offering the tablet in her hands. "It is the one time I am sorry that I 'borrowed' something Sire Sir," Arnie meekly replied. Hunter gently took the tablet from her hands. "You are forgiven, for it was all part of the prophecy and you were just the element that sparked the beginning of it," the King told her. He then turned to Awena of the Sleeping Sisters and asked, "Did you bring the Blue Rose with the Tear that your Order has been watching over for eons?"
"No, Awena, Please hand it to me," the king replied. With the Dragon tablet and now the rose in his hand, King Hunter approached Hungry. "Do you trust me?" asked the King to the lil' Dragon. As Hungry looked up into his eyes he could see a great sadness in them but he could also feel an over whelming sense of peace and love. "I don't know you well Sir, but I do trust you," Hungry replied. "Then eat the rose," the King commanded as he handed it to the Wish Dragon. Hungry replied, "That should not be a problem for I am forever hungry and sure could use a little snack right now. Is it sweet? I do love sweet things, especially from the Sugar Plum factory." The King nodded his head and told Hungry that he wouldn't be hungry afterwards. Hungry ate the rose. As he started chewing, he closed his eyes savoring the sweet taste and the lovely smell of the magic ambrosia. Then he burped. It had come from his tummy where a little spark had arisen while he chewed the flower. It had floated up his throat and out his mouth as he burped. The spark continued to rise and was quickly hovering over his head where it grew bigger and brighter. Larger and brighter it grew like a shining star in the sky. The light was almost turning this dark night into day with it's glow and then all of a sudden it burst! Sparks flew everywhere causing those standing around the Wish Dragon to shield their eyes and turn their heads away. When they turned back to look at Hungry, the Dragon tablet laid on the ground, the Shadows' King was gone, and a huge crystal orb was in the middle of the garden where the Wish Dragon had been sitting. As everyone was examining the crystal orb, the others did not notice as the Troll King quickly picked up the tablet and slide it under his crown. 
"You must make this right," Goodiegood had told her. "What will be served all depends on your preparations now." Before Arnie could ask her questions or say "Why me?", Goodie2shues added her two sheckles worth. "Where you take the Dragon tablet will set the table." Not to be left out as they were pushing Arnie out of the door, Goodie4u finished by saying, "Sometimes you must wash the dishes before you can dine again." "Grrrhh," the Borrower thought, "I hate these cooking references! It might mean a lot to them but it doesn't tell me a thing." Still waiting for her when she had left the Goodies were her other three traveling companions too. It was the Wysp who spoke first as it bobbed around in the air in front of Arnie. "What did you take? Can you show me? Do you think they forgive me? Let's go do something?" Ignoring the Wysp (which wasn't easy as it kept flying up to the Borrower's face), Arnie started to tell Dulbbe and Drat some of what the Sisters had shared with her. She realized though that she could not trust either of them completely as they must have designs of their own about the Dragon tablet. "Just how much they know and what do they really want," she thought as she continued to travel the path.
"I don't know if we should be so hasty... hmmm. I know the Shadows' King is currently busy with a problem of his own and something as small as this might only be a distraction to him. I suggest we go and see my boss, the Troll King. He knows something about magical items since he has been collecting them for years. He isn't very far from here and I can get you right in to see him. You might have to wait a while before the Shadows' King is available." It was at that moment Arnie and her fellow travelers arrived at the crossroad in the path to take them whichever direction she decided. This was the moment that could possibly change the Realms forever. "Where to go," the Borrower thought. It was then that she remembered the last thing that Goodiegood had said, "You must make this right."
"Dulbbe, if we go to the Shadows' King, can you get me in right away to see him?"
Goodie2shues knew most people would not leave a Borrower alone for even a second, but she decided she wasn't going to worry. The house (and especially the kitchen) had a way of protecting what was in it. The Dinner Bell was located by the backdoor of the kitchen hanging off the rafter of the cottage. Only the Goodie Sisters could hear this ring and if they did, they knew they needed to come home NOW! Goodie2shues noticed that the Borrower was still standing by the table, looking confused, she pointed at the chair and then slightly pushed down on Arnie's shoulders while saying, "Please, Arnie, sit here at the table while I ring up my sisters." She then turned and walked out the back door to ring the Dinner Bell.
The mention of the tablet brought Arnie back to what why she was there in the first place and started her to thinking for a moment before she answered. "The Wysp knows some because the pesky thing won't leave me alone. Though she did help me to find you as I really do need some help in trying to understand what this is all about. The rat and the cute troll guy just happened to sneak up on me when I went home and that says a lot of how distracted I have been ever since I discovered this treasure."
As the tablet was set on the table, Goodie2shues could see the magic glowing around it and certainly felt the age of time connected to it. Just as she was drawing closer to take a better look at it, the kitchen door slammed shut. "What is going on Goodie2shues?" asked her oldest sister Goodiegood. "Why were you ringing the Dinner Bell? What's the trouble?" asked her other older sister Goodie4u. Not taking her eyes off of the Dragon tablet, Goodie2shues replied, "Look at what this Borrower dragged in." As the three sisters stood around the table, the tablet slowly began to spin and slightly raise off the table. Before the tablet could lift any higher from the table, the Goodie Sister's Baking Spoon flew across the room and landed on top of the tablet to lower it back down to the table. Seldom did the Baking Spoon open up to all the Sisters at once, but at this moment each of them had their hair flying and their eyes rolling back in their heads as a vision appeared to each. "Great danger to all," whispered Goodiegood as she saw a vision of war between all the races in the Realm of Wymsy. "The lust for power will destroy the peace of the realms if what I have seen is not averted." "The secrets of the tablet will reveal a great transformation. When that happens, the magical energy generated will create a powerful being that has never been seen in the Realm," said Goodie4u in an eerie voice that did not sound at all like her normal one... it gave all of them a slight chill. It was then that the vision left each of the sisters and they now stood there looking at each other with concern in their eyes as they all then stared at Arnie. It wasn't until the last sister, Goodie2shues, finally told her part of the vision that made Arnie wish even more that she had never found the Dragon tablet.
He too wanted to hear what the Goodies had to say and maybe learn something else about the Dragon tablet for the Troll King. The problem was that when Arnie crossed the threshold of the door, what looked like a circular bundle of sticks over the doorway turned into a tangle of snakes! Since rats and snakes don't get along very well together (unless one knows he is invited to be the dinner which doesn't usually turn out well for the rat), Drat jumped back from the doorway just in time to hear Goodie2shues tell Arnie to close the door. "Ugh! I hate snakes," shuddered Drat as he heard the lock on the door click shut. Knowing he was now locked out of the cottage did not slow Drat down though. Quickly he started walking around the cottage trying to peek into the windows to see if he could at least see what was going on. But as he approached every window either they closed their shutters or the curtain hanging over it blew together tightly. "Oh Drat!" muttered the rat.
Watching the two laughing so hard finally got the rat to start smiling and even he started to snicker. "All right, fun time is over. Now what was so funny?" again asked Drat. "You are!" answered the Wysp. When you said 'Drat' we thought you were talking to yourself until we realized you were frustrated... When Drat finally figured out what the Wysp was telling him, he just shook his head from side-to-side and groaned, "I have got to get different traveling companions." With the three waiting on the doorsteps discussing what they were going to do now (especially with two of them hoping to get another chance at the obtaining the Dragon tablet), and Arnie inside the cottage, the Dowager over at the Shadows King's castle was planning her next steps also.
"Since an ancient Nyte Shade had given their magic to the dragons it made sense that the flutterby could feel the Dragon magic in the princess," Griselda realized. Soon she was in one of the guest rooms and was preparing for her next conversation with Ffion. "I must see how much the princess knows about her heritage and if she is aware of the connection with the Dragons," thought Griselda. "But first, I must get a message to Awena." Realizing that using a flutterby to send a secret message might not be the best option at the moment (especially if they were attracted to Ffion), the Dowager decided to use the next best thing. Quickly she took out a small package that she had been carrying with her and began her message. Opening a window in her room, she soon spotted a small Bee-G buzzing around a strange looking flower (it was in fact B-Glad who had been sent by Cornelia for some pollen from one of the plants that only grew in the Shadows King's garden). She waved the package in the air so the Bee-G could see it.
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GreetingsWelcome to my blog. This is where I will reveal the magic of my Fae and their stories and share with you some of the success and pitfalls through the journey of doll making, sculpting, and other crafts that all come back to my dolls in many ways. Archives
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