The
children stood looking at the townspeople in confusion. Their faces
were serene, as though they had no knowledge of what ever had done
this to them. “It's uncertain who they were after, but it's clear
what has happened” Parrow announced. “Yea, more fighting between
these idiots. Looks like they found whoever they were looking for or
this town would be buried. Stupid Grounders couldn't even release the
townspeople” Pasha added. “I thought we talked about rude name
calling?” Parrow frowned. Pasha instantly started apologizing, and
while the two were talking Laric looked at the confused expressions
that the others wore. Before Dovie had a chance to ask, Laric
answered her question “Clayish; people of the soil and winds. Two
parts of their kind does exist.” While that didn't necessarily
clear anything up for them, they figured it was the best answer Laric
could give them. From the corner of her eye Brietta saw Parrow
hugging Pasha tightly, and assumed they worked it out. She felt
down-hearted because she could have sworn she and Parrow shared a few
special moments. That hug looked a little more than friendly , and
she watched and Pasha ran her fingers through Parrow's hair
playfully. She put the thought out of her mind and asked Pasha about
the Clayish. She looked startled, but answered quickly. “Well ya
see there's two types of Clay. There's the peacemaker one's that care
for the soil so plants and food can grow. Decent people from what I
know. They help build things and work with the land. Most
importantly, they help put out wild fires” she explained with a
glance at Laric. He cowered in embarassment and a little fear, but
then replied, “I hold no responsibility for my ancestors!” Dovie
stomped her foot, “ANYHOW? What about this other group?”
Pasha
continued, “Both groups work with The Blossom. Those are a special
race that who ensure care for all plantlife. The Blossom has been
good to all of us. But, since the Queen died and her daughter has
taken over, some of the Clayish have turned against everyone. They
blame the Jollies for destroying the earth and plants. But mostly
they blame the Fluxians for their terrible floods that wipe out their
homes and food sources. That's the other group of Clayish...the ones
dead set on eliminating all Fluxian. Oh yea!! Fluxian people control
water, if you haven't guessed already” She chuckled at their faces
after her lengthy explaination. Dovie, Brietta and Abbott stood
flabbergasted with their mouths hanging open in complete information
overload. “All these years I went to school...I thought I was
learning stuff, but it just seems like I don't know nothing at all!”
Dovie rambled. “What? They don't teach you Jollies this stuff in
school?” Parrow laughed heartily. He composed himself and added,
“Ok on a more serious note. Do you guys understand what is
happening now?” “S-Sort of. The bad sided Clay people attacked
this town?” Brietta guessed. “Righto! They must have been looking
for a Fluxian person that was staying here, and instead of searching
quietly, they decided to dredge up a mud storm” Pasha said angrily.
Abbott wondered if there was any way to help the people of Haraway,
and asked Parrow what could be done. “Well the good thing is that
we can help them. It's just gonna take awhile. But the more we help,
the more of them will be able to help us” he told them.
After
Pasha and Parrow told them all how to help the townspeople, everyone
began searching for buckets to fill with water. “Alright so we're
gonna have to dump this on everyone” Parrow instructed. “Well
that seems pretty easy” Dovie said. “Yea just be careful because
they could have poisoned the mud” Pasha called over her shoulder as
she dumped a bucket of water onto a nearby woman. The hard dirt shell
turned to goopey mud and began to slide off the woman. She shrieked
and tried to wipe her eyes but just stirred the mud around. Pasha
quickly gave her a wet rag, and the woman wiped her eyes and face.
“Thank you! I think I'm alright. We'd know if it was poisoned. I
just think I got it in my eye” the woman said. Everyone started
quickly helping the townspeople, and several of them told Parrow that
this wasn't the first time the Clay had attacked their town. “Time
before last no one came along to help us, and we had to wait for a
rainy day. 5 days stuck in that dirt prison!” an old man informed
them.
“How
terrible!” Brietta empathized. “But what do they want?” Dovie
asked. The old man looked at the ground nervously, and then back up
at the children. Just as he opened his mouth to speak a middle aged
man interupted, “No tellin' with these folks. They just show up,
cover our town in mud and leave.” Parrow frowned at the man, “So
you're telling me, this keeps happening and you have no idea why?”
The middle aged man laughed awkwardly and nodded. He wasn't a very
good liar. He took the old man by the elbow and tried to pull him
away from the group, but the old man stood his ground. “I mean to
tell these nice young people what's been going on!” He fumed. “Suit
yourself! I'll not be part of this! You're gonna get yourself
killed!” The middle age man shouted as he stormed off. The group
exchanged looks of surprise. “Maybe we should find somewhere a
little more private for this conversation” Pasha suggested. The old
man nodded and motioned for them to follow him. As they walked
quickly behind the old man, they saw other townspeople cleaning up
mud from themselves. The town itself was actually quite nice. Tudor
styled buildings lined a large main road and carts of food and
supplies were parked here and there. Just before the main road ended
leading out to a field away from town, the old man ducked into an
alley. At the far end an old wooden door stood waiting for them, and
they entered it silently.
A
small room with a great fireplace, a table for two, and a rocking
chair took up the space. In the corner was a small kitchen area, and
a ladder that led up to what could only be the bedroom. “Ain't the
fanciest place in town, but it gets the job done” the old man said.
“What burdens have you in this town” Laric asked him in his odd
way. The old man glanced at him carefully and asked, “And you're
one of them fire people ain't ya? I've met one er two of yer kind
before.” Laric nodded slowly, “Yes. I am not like the others. I
mean no harm to your people.” The old man waved his hand
dismissively, “I know what them fire folks do! Stealin' our crops,
and burnin' our fields! I don't want nothing to do with ya!” At
this Parrow spoke up, “He's telling the truth! Please hear him
out!” He wasn't sure why he trusted this Laric kid, maybe he just
reminded him of a younger version of himself. Or, maybe he felt a
bond with him because of his decision to leave the Thermic life
behind. Whatever the reason, Parrow could tell that the old man had
something important to tell them, and he didn't want him holding back
because of Laric's family.
The
old man sighed, and lowered himself into the rocking chair. He was a
thin, frail man, and was totally bald with a long stringy white
goatee. His watery blue eyes looked from one group member to the
next. They gathered around and took a seat on the floor nearby to
show him they were ready to listen. “Well I reckon I can trust ya,
and if not then my fate will greet me when it's set to. That feller
that was talkin' to me in the street, he's an ugly sort. Couple of
them folks 'round here actually. Didn't pay 'em no mind until this
weird stuff started happening. I done exactly the wrong thing, and
went pokin' around. They didn't take too kindly with that, but I
found out some interestin' things. Turns out them odd folks been
hiding even stranger folks in a room under the Boarshound Inn. Folks
that move water around, and speak in a strange accent. I even seen
one of 'em drown somebody...had this big bubble over their head 'an
they was tryin' to scream. Then he fell over, dead! It's true! I seen
it with my own eyes! Well next thing ya know a new group o' weirdos
show up, and they was blastin' us with mud, and stirrin' up tornaders
right in front of folks! One day I was out huntin', and when I came
back the whole town was covered in mud. At the furthest end of the
road I seen 'em, them Clay people. Two big guys from our town was
holdin' one of them water folks...uh, Fluxian I reckon they call
themselves. A couple other dirt fellas were there too. That water
feller tried to blast the woman that was there with water, but since
the whole town was covered in dirt there was no water to round up. The
brown-haired woman forced him to drink some kinda liquid. Then it
happened! Looked like mud shot out of that mans mouth and I saw him
hit the ground. Soon after it was like he dried up, then he turned to
dust, and blew clear away...was like he never existed!” he finished
with a confused expression.
Everyone
sat dumbfounded at this wild story. Pasha clenched her knuckles, and
gritted her teeth. Parrow and Laric shook their heads with disbelief.
Brietta, Dovie, and Abbott didn't know what to think! A month ago if
someone told them a story like this, that's exactly what they would
think it was...a crazy story. No way anything like this could really
happen, but now after all of the incredible things they saw for
themselves, it was almost easy to believe something like this could
happen. “What happened after the Fluxian guy disappeared?” Dovie
wondered aloud. “Welp the dirt folks took a sack of coins out and
gave it to our two town fellers...Thomas Norwood and Jeremiah Duncan.
The rest of us didn't hear from them strange Clayish until next time”
the old man explained. “Sir, what name are you called” Laric
asked him next. “Why I don't reckon that's any use to ya for this
here problem! But, I guess it won't hurt none if I tells ya. Name's
Jerry McCloud, pleased to meet ya. Ya'll figure you can help us out
with our little problem?” he asked them. Pasha seemed confident as
usual, but Parrow looked like he had some doubts. However unsure the
rest of them seemed, they couldn't say no to an old man in need of
help, not to mention an entire town. So they told Mr. McCloud they
would certainly do everything they could to help the townspeople.
Eleven,
it was eleven times that Dovie mentioned how hungry she was as they
walked back into town, and Pasha was over it. Pasha rolled her eyes,
walked away, and huffed something about camping in the woods without
food for 3 days. Once everyone had been freed from their muddy
prisons, and gotten cleaned up, the town seemed to bustle with
activity. The street lights now shone with a warm comforting light
along the main street. The shop windows were illuminated as well. The
townspeople, although shaken from the earlier events, seemed in a
merry mood. There were two restaurants in the town, and they stood
right across the street from one another. The first was a cheery pub
style place named Calhouns, and the second seemed a bit out of place
in such a small, unwealthy town. It was called The Silver Spoon, and
seemed to be a more upscale type of place that served fancy foods.
The group was covered in dirt, and sweat from their travels, and felt
that Calhouns would be a more suitable place for them this evening.
With that decision made, they finally headed over to the restaurant,
with Dovie skipping ahead of everyone of course.
She
reached the large wood and iron doors, and pulled hard. The heavy
door swung open to reveal a quite cozy scene. A large fireplace stood
at the far side of the place, and several long wooden tables
stretched from end to end. Three of the huge tables were already
filled to the max with townsfolk laughing and scarfing down legs of
turkey, plates filled with veggies, and pints of that bubbly stuff
only adults seemed to enjoy. It reminded Brietta, Dovie, and Bo of
the picnic style benches they had at school, and they smiled at the
display of people enjoying each others company over a good meal. An
arched doorway opened up to the left of the giant fireplace, and
suddenly a woman came rushing through it. “Good evenin'! Sorry to
keeps ya's waitin', didn't hear ya come in! Who would with all this
racket? Well, I'm just glad to see everyone able to bounce back to
their old selves after all this nonsense from earlier. You lot wanna
have a seat? Ya sit where ya likes, an' I'll be round with a menu or
two. Names Nan, holler if ya's need me” she told them pleasantly.
She was a stout woman with a huge messy brown bun gathered
strategically on the very top of her head, she gave them a smile, then
took off through the archway again.
Once
everyone had ordered their food, and Nan brought out some ice cold
soda's for them, they talked about their travels, and went over
idea's of how to help the people of this town. Laric seemed
especially put off by the Fluxian's prescence, and made some rather
rude comments about how they will get what's coming to them. Parrow
didn't necessarily agree with Laric, but didn't seem that he exactly
disagreed either. Brietta was surprised by this, but said nothing.
Instead she pushed a half eaten new potato around on her plate with
her fork, and sighed. “What is it?” Parrow asked as he noticed
her downcast gaze. “Oh, I j-just don't see why everyone seems to
have a problem with these Fluxian people” she said before she
realized it. Pasha shot her a look, and opened her mouth to speak,
but instead guzzled down the rest of her soda, and announced that she
was going to the restroom. Parrow and Laric seemed shocked that
someone wouldn't know why Fluxians were not well received. “I think
they seem alright, well from what I can tell anyhow” Bo blurted as
he gnawed on a drumstick. “What do you know about them” Dovie
said in a snarky tone. Bo stopped chewing and blinked. For a moment
he sat in silence, clearly flustered by Dovie's question. “Oh,
uh...I just meant that from what the book says, they don't seem so
bad” he said nervously. He had a horrible knot in his stomach, one
that told him he shouldn't say anything about meeting the Fluxian
Laraya, or that her daughter could be one too.
Laric
stared at Abbott in disbelief, then spoke in a very disgruntled tone
indeed. “If you had read its contents you would understand that the
reason for the start of the desintergration of everything was begun
by a Fluxian hand. Yield your words fair-minded!” Laric huffed
angrily. Dovie looked shocked, and frowned at him, but before she
could speak Parrow caught Laric by the elbow. “This group has come
together to bring peace to the elements, the people of the land, and the skies.
Take your Thermic tongued ugliness, and leave us!” Parrow hissed.
Laric stood quietly, took a final look around at them, then turned to
leave. “Well that was a bit dramatic! I don't think we should just
leave him here all alone!” Dovie snapped. She sprang from her seat
to chase after him. Brietta rose to follow her, but Parrow said,
“Agh! She'll be back. Just give her a bit.” Brietta nodded, and
rested her head in her hands. Parrow slid over to the seat next to
her, and gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. When Pasha
returned, she noticed the two and asked what had happened. Bo quickly
filled her in, and she seemed indifferent about it. “Well c'mon
let's go see what can be done. I never thought I would be signing up
for babysitting. Sheesh!” she complained. Parrow left some coins on
the table for Nan, and the four of them wandered outside to find the
other two.
“Understanding
does not wash over you, my beauty. The Fluxian are a dangerous
people, they mean much harm to the Elementals and the Jollies as
well. I mean to protect you, I mean to ensure your safety at all
costs. I mean to...kiss you one day” Laric told Davita before the
others had joined them. Normally Dovie would have decked this guy for saying something like that,
but for some strange reason anger didn't fill her mind. Instead, her
face grew intensely warm, and she felt it very difficult to maintain
eye contact with Laric. She stifled a silly giggle, and looked down
at her shoes. Laric took her hands into his, but just then he saw the
others exiting the restaurant. Dovie spun around to see what was
happening, and Parrow told them that they were heading over to the
Boarshound Inn to get some sleep. “We can make a plan in the
morning” he informed everyone. As they all walked over to the inn,
Parrow and Brietta hung back a bit, and the two could be heard
whispering together. “W-We'll meet you inside” Brietta called to
the rest of them as they reached the doors to the inn. They all gave
a shrug, and pulled open the entrance doors. All of course except
Pasha, who tried to catch Parrow's eye but finally gave up and joined
the others inside.
“
It's
a good night for a walk. I have some things that I wanted to talk to
you about” Parrow told Brietta as he gently lead her down a little
path off the main road. The trail was lit with torch style lights,
but they were sparsely placed and only gave a soft glow. Soon the two
reached a little pond where fire-flies danced above the water, and
the occasional bull frog croaked. Someone had carved a wooden bench
out of a fallen log, and it made a perfect place for the two to sit
together. “What a day. Seems like everytime we turn around another
obstacle finds it way into our path” Parrow said looking out at the
pond. “I r-really appreciate you helping me, my sister, and cousin.
There is so m-much going on. Please don't feel like you have to look
after us. If you want to go your own way, I-I understand” she told
him hesitantly. He turned to look at her, and smiled a dazzling grin.
“Brietta, I think you're great. None of this is a burden of any
kind. I want to help you and your family. It's truly a pleasure
spending time with you, even if the circumstances aren't exactly
perfect. Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asked
her sweetly. She blushed, and looked down at the flower in her hands
that she'd picked earlier. Silence fell between them, and she began
to fidget with the stem of the flower nervously. Suddenly, she
realized that she hadn't even replied. Her gaze left the little
daisy, and met again with Parrow's. He was truly a handsome fellow,
probably the most handsome Brietta had ever met. She thought of all
the boys that used to tease her at school, and wondered how such a
cute, sweet guy could say such wonderful things to her. She smiled
bashfully, and searched his eyes for a clue as to what he was
thinking. He leaned in closer and Brietta's eyes darted away, only to
return again to his gaze. All at once he was kissing her, his tender
lips upon hers. She closed her eyes, and seemed to drift away as they
shared this magical moment.
When
they broke away from each other, Brietta felt her face grow very hot
indeed. Parrow smiled at her, and tucked Brietta's hair behind her
ear. “You're a good kisser” he said softly. Brietta's face turned
a bright red, but thankfully Parrow couldn't really tell in the dim
light of the torches. He took her by the hand, and mentioned how they
better meet up with the others. She let him lead her down the path
once again, but this time she was sure that she was floating.
That
night, as everyone slept in their beds at the Boarshound Inn, Abbott
tossed and turned. His odd sleep behavior was acting up again. He
heard voices speaking to one another in a strange way. They sounded
like they were standing right beside his bed. Louder and louder the
voices were talking, almost as if they were yelling. Finally Abbott
sat up, but this wasn't like the other times he walked around at
night. It wasn't like the times when he lived with his aunt and
uncle. No, this time he was actually awake. He wandered out into the
hall, then down the large wooden steps leading to the first floor. As
he approached the main floor, he saw the hotel clerk leave her post
and slip into the back room. A perfect opportunity to sneak past her
and explore. He just had to find out where those voices were coming
from. Quickly he dashed across the lobby following the sound of the
voices, and found himself in front of a plain wooden door. This one
wasn't lavish and heavy at all. It was hardly more impressive than if
they would have used a piece of plywood. Abbott turned the handle and
door opened with a gentle creak. He glanced over his shoulder to see
if anyone was watching, then slipped through the doorway.
The
voices seemed to sound like a normal volume now, not like before when
they seemed to be in his mind. An unstable looking wooden staircase
took him down what felt like two stories, until he finally reached
the bottom. He thought to himself “Geez, there's nothing even down
here.” Then plopped himself down on the last step. All that was
around him were the two side walls of the staircase and a solid rock
wall in front of him. As he sat in frustration at the disappointment
of where the stairwell led him, he noticed something. The voices had
stopped. He was sitting in complete silence, staring at the stone
wall. “Why would someone build a set of stairs that leads to
nowhere? There has to be something behind that wall” he thought to
himself. He walked up to the wall, and pressed his ear against its
cool smooth surface. He thought perhaps if the wall wasn't very thick
he could somehow break through it. He strained to hear anything, but
all he could hear was the dripping of water from the ceiling. He came
away from the stone wall, and held his hand out to catch the water.
Looking up he saw that the drops weren't falling fast at all. Someone
had placed a little silver pail to catch the water of the leaky
ceiling. He dipped his hand into the water, and found that it was
quite hot. Surprised he withdrew it quickly, then grabbed the pail
and flung it at the stone wall. The force of the bucket had no effect
on the wall, but the water revealed something etched into the stone.
“Upside down right hand must be, 3 of left foot, then you'll
see” Bo read aloud.
For
some people, riddles and such are a mind boggling thing. For Abbott
Winterdale, riddles were as easy as riding a bike. So, when he read
the riddle, he chuckled and knew exactly what to do. He twisted his
right hand so that his palm faced out, and his fingers pointed to the
ground. Then he placed it against the stone wall. Next, he pressed
his left foot against the wall, careful only to have his first three
toes touching the wall. It was an awkward position, and he had to
steady himself carefully so that he wouldn't fall. The wall softened,
and Abbott seemed to fall through where the stone wall once stood.
Strangely, he found himself lying on the ground in another room. When
he picked himself up, he saw that he was standing in a lavish living
room. Everything about this room was elegant, and everything was
stark white. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the fluffy fur
rug in the middle of the room, and the expensive leather couches,
were all white! Large curtains hung in front of murals painted to
look like the outdoors, and the décor around the room was all made
of crystal, and pearls.
Bo
looked around and wondered if he had bumped his head, and was just
imagining all of this. Just as he was thinking this, the single white
door in the room opened. A man and woman came through the door,
smiling and laughing. They were odd looking, sort of like those
strange people he saw by the river when he first left on this crazy
journey. The man was slender with a muscular build. His wavy brown
hair was styled like someone from the 1930s would have it. Deep set
blue eyes sparkled under his brows, and a thin (truly unnecessary)
mustache sat on his lip. The woman was beautiful with a pearl-pink
skin tone, and long blue dreadlocks. She was tall and lean built, and
her dark brown eyes seemed like they held a secret behind them. The
two of them were both dressed in strange outfits as well. The man
wore a nice suit with a jacket made entirely of woven seaweed, and
the womans dress was dazzling and covered in purple clam shells. Both
of them wore a pendant with a drop of water. Abbott recognized this,
and came to the realization that these people were Fluxians.
They
didn't seem to notice him at all, but instead walked over to the
couch and sat down. They talked in that strange accent about
something called the Masconese, and the mysterious book Abbott and
the girls found. He crept closer to them, unsure whether or not to
reveal his presence. “They grow quite impatient lately. The new
leader will be known soon, yet they seem to be losing hope. The
messenger has been sent to him, but his mind remains distracted”
the man mentioned to the woman. She nodded and responded politely,
“My dear Quimby, our hopes need to remain steadfast. The boy will
soon be found, and persuaded. He will realize his importance to our
people. His heart will understand the betrayal of his sister. He will
know how she turned her back on him before her first words, and his
anger will ensure his loyalty to us.” The man nodded in agreement,
and wore a relieved expression. “Wise words you speak my darling.
Whenever I think of your words, my heart fills with love. For your
name truly reflects the ways of your soul. Calliope, how true your
harmonious poetic name suits you” He kissed the woman's hand,
leaned toward her, and spoke softly. Bo could barely make out what
the man, Quimby was saying. As he took a step forward to be in better
earshot, his foot caught on his shoelace and he went tumbling
forward.
He
should've hit the back of the couch where Quimby and Calliope were
seated, but instead he kept falling until he hit the ground. He
crashed to the ground, catching himself on his elbows. As he winced
in pain he looked around the room again, but this time the beautiful
room had disappeared. Instead of the airy white room, he now gazed at
a dim lit room with old furniture scattered about. There were no
painted murals to resemble outdoors, instead there was a small wood
stove, a four top table, and a little cupboard placed nearby. On the
opposite side of the room was a large thick curtain that hung from
wall to wall, and floor to ceiling. Bo noticed a light coming from
behind the curtain, and curiosity got the better of him. He moved
slowly toward the curtain, and pulled it away from the wall just
enough to get a glimpse of what was behind it.
Five
single beds were positioned in rows, a small candle on a table lit
the space, and in the last bed a figure lay sleeping. Bo carefully
released the curtain, and stepped backwards carefully, but suddenly
he felt himself in the clutch of someone's grasp. He tried to scream,
but a hand quickly covered his mouth. Then suddenly everything went dark.
