Legend Seekers: Mysterious Magic - Part Ten

     Almost unconsciously, Pemero’s paw slipped into his back pocket and drew out a sheet of parchment. Tears welled up in his eyes and threatened to spill. Even now, it was difficult to look back and remember the friend he had lost. Jen. He would never see her again; no magic could bring back the dead, no amount of wishing could change reality. After everything that single sheet of paper had been through, it was a wonder it had remained intact for so long, untouched by the monstrous seas and tearing winds. Perhaps it was magical, after all... but if so, it was a special kind of magic. Not the destructive kind.

     A heavy thudding sound rattled through the room, and Pemero almost jumped out of his fur. Carollers, most likely, he told himself, trying to calm his breathing. Before he could get up to answer it, one of the Faeries had done the job for him. When no singing drifted through from the kitchen, Pemero stood and quietly peered around the doorframe.

     “Pemero, there’s someone here to see you.”

     A Faerie Wocky clad in a flowing black cloak strode into the kitchen. There was something decidedly familiar about her posture, about the way she smiled and the narrow slant of her eyes... but...

     “Pemero, is that really you?”

     “What are you...?” Pemero whispered, suddenly feeling very afraid. Jen was back from the dead...! He wanted to believe it, desperately, but he knew it was too good to be true.

     “I know it must be a shock for you,” Jen said kindly. “I’m finding this kind of hard to believe myself, but here we both are, alive and well...”

     “...I guess we have a lot of catching up to do, huh?”

     Both pets broke into hysterical laughter, as if realizing for the first time that it was real, it was happening, and there was no point in acting paranoid.

     “Would you like a cup of tea, Jennifer?” Peonie asked politely. “We have eleven different kinds.”

     “Uh... thanks, but I’m okay.”

     “It’s best to start at the beginning,” Pemero muttered, handing the paper to Jen. “In the forest, when we were separated.” Jen took the parchment and held it carefully, as if it might crumble at any second.

     “You go first.”

     ***

     Heavy footsteps rattled through the lavender marble hall. Pillars of smooth, dark amethyst lined the walls leading up to the throne. A huge arched ceiling carried the voices of the Faeries who spoke there, amplifying and confirming their statements. Once an official of the Faerie court had reached a decision, there was little chance that it would be revoked.

     Fyora would watch over the procession from her golden chair, carved in ancient times yet still as brilliant and well-kept as the day it had been made. She always had the final say. Luckily, she was a fair and understanding ruler and rarely made a bad decision. It was one of the things that had earned her the title of Queen.

     “Rise, Thialma, and state your case.” Row after silent row of angry Faeries stared down upon the Light Faerie, and the pressure of their eyes seemed to weigh on her more than any number of chains. She could not bring herself to look up.

     “Fyora, I... I was framed... that cub Pemero is just a troublemaker, and the sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be. How can you do this to me, your former advisor and friend? How can you accept his word over mine?” she spat. “I didn’t throw him into that volcano. He threw himself in! He knew it would get me into trouble! He wanted to see how far he could push your patience, how much he could get away with... please... try to understand that...” Fake tears rolled down her cheeks and dappled the floor at her feet.

     “Thialma,” Fyora snapped. “Do try to get a grip. If what you say is true, then why does all the evidence say otherwise?”

     For that, she had no reply. The Queen saw through her like a wet paper towel, and Thialma knew it.

     “If that is all you have to say,” Fyora intoned gravely. “I’m afraid I must sentence you to exile, both from my kingdom and from your powers, until you have seen the error of your ways.”

     “No,” Thialma cried desperately, struggling against the magical chains. They had become drains on her life-energy, sucking up her power... and when there was nothing left, she would be a Grey Faerie. A faerie completely and utterly without purpose. “No, you can’t do this to me!”

     “Unfortunately, I can, and I will. Because you have given me no other choice.” With that, Fyora stood, turned her back on the court and left the room.

     ***

     Seth gazed confidently into the eyes of his former master. Though he stood before him alone, he had the power now to fight for himself, and that was enough.

     “Sethorias...” the creature hissed, glinting blackly from the depths of the undergrowth in which it hid. “You have done well. I see you have new powers.” Seth’s mouth dropped into a surprised oval. So much for the element of surprise.

     “I’m afraid the others have deserted me.”

     “It is of little consequence. However, you were a proud fool, Sethorias... had you commanded Pemero to provide you with magic, he would not have been able to refuse.”

     “I-I know that now. There was no time—” Seth gasped, desperate to be free of the clearing, away from the Haunted Forest forever.

     “Calm yourself. As I said... it is of no consequence. You are free to go.” The Kyrii felt his eyes drop to the leaf-littered ground.

     “I didn’t mean to offend you--”

     “You may go.” Next time, it wouldn’t be an invitation, and Seth knew it. Wasting no time, he darted back down the path, towards the plains at the edge of the woodlands, where he would disappear and gather himself together. Perhaps make a new start, run a candy store or a hot dog stand or become a poet or something. Anything. Though it was more likely that he would continue to seek vengeance against those who had done him wrong (and there were a good many people, pets and faeries alike, on that list). Now that he had the means to exact his revenge, he couldn’t exactly turn tail and walk away, although a part of him wished it could do just that. The only questions that remained were exactly how, and where, and when...

     ***

     For the rest of the year, Pemero and Jen relaxed and related tales of their adventures apart. Pemero was astounded by how much she had learned, how far she had come since their separation in the tangled rainforests of Mystery Island. It seemed like a different era, long-distant and unreachable now—their only link with that long-ago time being the single sheet of paper.

     “I wonder if it really does have magical powers,” Pemero sighed. He had neglected to tell her about the falling dream. “Can you tell?”

     “Let me have a look.” With careful paws and searching eyes, Jen scanned the page. How unusual...

     After ten minutes, Pemero asked, “Well?”

     “I don’t know. It definitely has power of some kind, but I can’t tell what it is... or even if it’s magic of the traditional kind.” The snow had long since melted, and perpetual summertime had returned to the cloudy hills of Faerieland. In the new year, Pemero would be expected to start his training for real... to learn magic. For some reason, it no longer held quite the same appeal. Magic had never been a passion of his, and he had wondered why such a responsibility had come to rest with him. I don’t need magic to live my life. I can do anything without it. It just takes longer.

     As he gazed down through the thin clouds at the world below, an idea came to him... so simple and so perfect that he was surprised he hadn’t thought of it before.

     “Jen...” he started. “How would you like to study magic, here in Faerieland?”

     “If it were only possible, I would love to,” she sighed. “But I can’t accept that.”

     “Look, I didn’t get you anything for Giving Day, so consider this a late gift. I’ll ask the Faeries tomorrow if you can take my place at the training school.”

     “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”

     “Yes... I know how much you love magic, and well... I’ve had enough of it to last me a thousand lifetimes.”

     Jen beamed. “Thank you so much. I wish there was some way I could repay you...”

     “There is.” He looked down over the world again, and felt his own face stretch into a grin. “I’m going to travel the world, Jen. Wait here in Faerieland, and study as hard as you can for me... become a great magician, and when I get back I’ll be full of tales and souvenirs.”

     “Pemero... I... I wish I could join you, but...” she sighed. Her eyes were unusually bright in the glimmering, glorious sun. “My place is here. This is what I’ve always dreamed of. It seems right that we should follow our own dreams.”

     “It’s okay, Jen... you don’t need to make excuses. No matter how far I go, I won’t forget you.”

     Tears tracked silently down Jen’s face.

     “Don’t you dare get hurt, Pemero. You’re my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do if-if you—”

     “Shh. Don’t think like that. We’ve got to hold on to that hope,” Pemero smiled. “Just like Kail Selvar would have said, right?”

     “Of course it is. I’m being silly.” The old smile was back, and she wiped the remaining tears from her fur. “When are you leaving?”

     “Tomorrow,” Pemero said at once. “Or as soon as I can. Time is a precious thing, and I don’t want to waste a second of it.”

     Samila appeared in the window of the castle, but before she could call out, Jen waved up at her.

     “Come on. Our dinner’s almost ready.”

     ***

     The next day, Pemero awoke to find his things already packed. The Faeries had been most willing to accept Jen as a student in his place.

     “You can’t go against your dreams,” Lisa had advised. “If you do that, you’ll never be happy.”

     “I still can’t believe you’re doing this.” Jen laughed. “But it’s an amazing opportunity, and it will mean that I can do a lot more for Mystery Island.”

     “I guess it all turned out for the best,” Pemero smiled. “Good luck with your studies, Jen, and I hope I’ll see you again before next Christmas.”

     There was nothing more left to do but catch an Eyrie taxi to carry him and his stuff back down to the surface. His first stop; Krawk Island, to meet up with his family and let them know he was still alive. After that... he would catch a boat. He didn’t know where his next adventure would take him, and that was just the way he liked it.

The End