Meanmna: Book One of the Daearen Realms (12 page)

Elwin was not there when I got back to the room. On the bed, next to a pile of clothes and a folded towel, was a note in Elwin’s handwriting.

Princess,

There’s a shower in the next room to the right. You’ve got 30 minutes.

Knight

The clothes were not mine. I picked up the first item and shook it out to get a look at it. It was a completely see-through light blue top. My eyes got a bit wide and I looked at the pile. There was a dark blue tank top underneath.
Oh, thank God! Or is it ’Thanks Goddess’ here?
I put it to the side. Next, was a pair of khaki utility pants that were sitting on top of a giant gold fluffy towel.
Not bad. I guess this is a five-star cave.
I went to my backpack and got my toiletry bag and underclothes. I grabbed everything in a big messy pile and went to find the shower room.

I open
ed the door, looked into the empty hall, and muttered, “Huh, I thought there was supposed to be a guard.” As I walked out, a bright flash of light hurt my eyes. “I guess there
is
a guard. Is there any warning before you guys do that? You’re going to hurt my retinas.” I blinked the dark spots away and opened my eyes. In front of me was a girl who looked younger than me. She had an Asian appearance, beautiful exotic dark brown eyes, and delicate features. At about five-feet tall, she was shorter than me. Her black hair was twisted up into a ton of tiny buns all overhead, kind of looked like a pin cushion. Her black leather dress looked like it was straight out of
Zena Warrior Princess
and she had a giant sword on each hip. When she caught my eye, she did the heart-fist-bow thing
. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.

“
You don’t need to do that royal salute thingy. Where’s the shower?”

She looked and gave
me a strange look, “But you
are
royal.”

“
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t turn into a princess until I am introduced or whatever to the court.”

“You are what you are, P
rincess, with or without the pageantry of the court introduction.”

“
I command you to call me Sarette and to act like I am a normal girl,” I said in my most queen-like voice. W
orth a try, right?
She started laughing and covered her mouth with her hand. “What? Too much? I must really I suck at this.”

“
Do you know what Sarette means?” She was still laughing.

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Actually, Sarette means princess. So, I
can
call you Sarette.”

“Awesome. I wish I
had Googled my name a long time ago. I’ll have to use that little nugget of information to my advantage at some point. Shower?” She pointed to a door on my right. “Thanks. What’s your name?”

“
Lilly.” She was smiling at me with a big toothy grin. Lilly looked so small and innocent.

“Y
ou seem a little young to be a guard. And with
those,
no less.” I pointed at the swords she had on either side of her. I bent to get a closer look. The swords were three-feet long with a tapered blade that was thicker at the end than the hilt. It also had a spike coming out near the tip, which made the end look like an open mouth.

“
I’m twenty, the same age as Elwin.” She walked to the door and held it open. The shower room looked like a campground bathroom, but without the musty stench. It smelled like flowers.

“
Do you have to guard me outside? Or can you come inside and continue this conversation? This is the most honest conversation I’ve had since all this started, and it would be nice to not feel so in the dark. Plus, I probably only have twenty minutes before I start training non-stop until we leave.”

“
Sure, Sarette.”

I walk
ed in past her and she followed, locking the door behind her. I walked into one of the shower stalls and shut the door. I reached in and started the water before I undressed in the attached changing room.

“
What kind of fey are you?” I asked through the wooden door.

“I am of the
Air Fey.”

“
I didn’t see you when I first arrived. Are you also a firefly and I just missed you?”

“
No, when I change, I take the form of a fly. It’s easier to travel; there is no need to bring food or a tent. I just stay in fly form and eat and sleep wherever I am.”

“
What do you do with your swords?”

“
My
kampilans
are an extension of me; they also change when I become a fly.”

“
Am I going to change into anything?”

“No
idea. We are all more than curious to see how you turn out. You are the first half-blood in Daearen in over 1,500 years and your magic will be weak. But, it’s actually really rare for any fey, other than air, to be born with the ability of a changeling. It does happen, but there’s no rhyme or reason to it. I think your scientists would call it genetics; we call it being ‘touched.’ We will have to wait and see if you are in fact touched, but it’s unlikely.”

“
How is this place so much like the human world?”

“
Our world isn’t all that different from yours. Imagine the human world in which science has been replaced by magic. The Earth realm would look like this. All things are made and held together by magic here. Things just are what they are and we accept it. We do love the human world though; you folks are so ingenious. We take the technology we need or like from your world, and convert it to magic in ours. Does that make any sense?”

“
Yes, it does. So my iPad will work here. Do you have the Internet?”

“
We don’t
need
an Internet. We
are
the Internet. We can communicate telepathically to any fey we have ever met in person. We can recall their knowledge, ask a question, and get a response as quickly as your machines process zeroes and ones. Besides, we are in the middle of a war, so IP addresses, status updates, and geo-location check-ins are a really bad idea.”

“That makes sense.
I’m going to miss my Words with Friends, though.”

“Huh
?”

“
Never mind, just rambling. So what’s your take on all this? You’re here, so I’m assuming you’re on my side, but what about the other fey?”

“Of course I’m on your side. But,
I’m not sure I should be the one to explain the rest to you. You should be concentrating on getting to Meanmna. Worry about the rest later.”

“Lilly, please? I feel unprepared. I’ve got a good vibe from you. You already feel like a friend that I can trust.”
I cracked open the door a couple of inches and looked at her.

Lilly was leaning
back on the door with her hands on the hilts of her swords. “You trust me?”

“Good vibes.”

“I don’t understand what that means. But if I were in your situation, I’d want all the dirty details. A lot of fey are afraid of you. They’ve forgotten what’s it’s like when there’s a half-human around, and there has
never
been a half-blood queen. Uncertainty, fear—the fact that you’re an outsider and a half-blood—and so many unknown issues exist that those who have turned dark can use in their favor. A fey that loses faith will be more susceptible to turning dark. Your other opposition honestly does not care what kind of queen you will become. They want the power for themselves and will try everything to stop you from ascending to the throne. With you dead and gone, they will take over.” Lilly shrugged and looked sad. “Issues with the ruling family have always existed, but when the rumor of you became more of a truth…” She took a deep breath. “…it stepped up the unrest and gave the dark ones all the ammunition they needed to stage a coup.”

“
I’m doomed,” I said as I shut the door and got in the shower.

“
If you’re doomed, we are all doomed. A little more positive energy if you could, or we will lose and you know what will happen then.”

“
Got it, the fate of the world is in my hands. Thanks for explaining, Lilly. I actually appreciate the bluntness,” I shouted above the water.

After my shower,
I resumed chatting with Lilly through the door. “So, what I remember about changelings is that you can change into whatever you want. Is that true?”

“
No,” she replied, “our forms choose us. It’s one of our first clues as to what our part will be.”

“What the heck does that mean?”
I asked as I opened the door a crack, stuck my hand out and reached around for my towel. She handed it to me.

“
We all play our parts in the big scheme of things. Melinda offers direction and shelter for travelers.”

“
Lightning bugs—or fireflies, as some call them—seem to light the way. What about all the thousands of lightning bugs that were here last night?” I stepped out of the shower. Lilly was standing in the exact same place as before.

“
Melinda is their leader. Last night was just a party. That’s why so many were here.”

“
So, what’s your part in the scheme of things? Why are you a fly?”

“W
here do you think the phrase ‘fly on the wall’ comes from? I’m a spy.”

“
That’s hysterical. So why are you doing something as menial as guard duty?”

“Menial?
Sarette, you don’t understand, do you? You are the most important part in everything. Without you, all would be lost. It’s the greatest honor to guard you and forfeit my life for yours, if necessary.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. So,
then . . . you’re a total badass, aren’t you?” I tried to lighten the mood.

Blushing, Lilly responded
, “I guess you could say that. Ready to go back to your room?” Lilly held the door for me, then followed me into the hallway.

“T
hanks for treating me like I’m normal for a little while.”

“
Any time, Sarette.”

We headed to my room and I gave her a quick hug. Lilly had a surprised look on her face as she opened the door to my room, but she smiled when she shut it behind me.
Great! Another faux pas on my part. Hugging a woman who majored in bad-assery? Not a good idea.

“Ready?” Elwin
asked as I walked through the door.

I lock
ed the door behind me and turned around to lean my back on it. “So what are you going to train me to do first?”

“
First, Melinda is going to show you how turn your stick into a proper wand.”

“Why can’t you show me?”

“My magic isn’t strong enough. Melinda’s is very strong and she will give you some of her own magic once the stick becomes your wand.”

Great
, one more example of my magical shortcomings and my predetermined crappy destiny. Move on, Sarette.
“And then what?”

“
Then I’m going to teach you basics of magic.” Elwin grabbed his spirit blade and wand from the desk.

“And tonight
, when we go back to the dream realm?” I said without moving.

“
I will begin your combat training. Whatever happens there will not hurt you here and your safety is paramount. Also, when you awaken, you will be able to do whatever we learned without any of the pain of the mistakes.”

I walk
ed over, grabbed my stick, and said, “Where’s Melinda?”

The fact that
Melinda was not the queen of the Air Fey did not mean she was not royal. She was the youngest unmated sister of Sampson, the ruler of the Air Fey. Their family bloodline was very strong and Melinda’s air magic was unparalleled. She had left Eitlean Castle long ago, but I had not yet learned any of the dirtier details.

The process to turn the stick into a wand was much like how we bonded the Lavakite crystals.
After I used my spirit blade to prick the middle finger on my right hand, I dropped a bead of blood on the wood. The blood soaked into the stick and the rod let out a small burst of purple light.

Melinda then used her own spirit blade and pricked her ring finger on her left hand.
“Princess Sarette of the Spirit Fey,” she said, “I give you the gift of my blood and, with it, the magic of the Air Fey.” Melinda let a drop of blood gather on the tip of her finger before she released it onto the wand. The blood was absorbed into the wood and the rod began to shimmer. The shimmer surged out of the wand with a burst of bright white light. Melinda’s knees weakened and a guard was at her side before she fell. “I gave you a lot, so you need to be careful.  Now, if you will excuse me, I think I need to lie down to recharge for a little bit. I’ll leave you to your training.” The guard helped Melinda cross the room with her head held proud and high. When they thought they were out of sight, the guard swept her off her feet and carried her down the hall.

Elwin and I
went to our amazonite spot after my stick became my wand. It was an intense day of spell training. Elwin didn’t say it, but I think I impressed him. I was a quick study. Nothing I learned took more than two tries, most only took one. There was a ton of information to take in, and casting spells was draining. I was exhausted when we got back to Melinda’s for lunch. I lay on the bed and went over everything I had learned so far: protection, flying, defense, and a couple of magic ninja combat spells. My brain was full and I was on information overload. I groaned and closed my eyes. I kept my eyes closed when I heard the door open and shut.

“
You need to eat. It will help restore your energy.” Elwin said.

I opened my eyes and sat up. “So, how long will it take my body to
charge up correctly? When will I be able to stay awake for a normal length of time?” I joined him at the table.

“
Not sure. Hopefully soon, but this is new to all of us, not just you,” he said. “Maybe you should rest for a couple of hours before we continue. We’ll eat, you nap, I’ll plan, and in two hours we get back to work.”

“
Three hours,” I bartered.

“Three hours is fine.
Melinda will have dinner ready about then; so, we can eat, then practice magic, then start combat training after we fall asleep.”

“
Can’t wait!” I said with fake enthusiasm. “I just want to sleep. No training, or thinking, or planning for me for the next three hours. My brain needs a break.”

“
Whatever you wish, Princess.” He started eating.

Whatever I wish? Really, well that’s a load of bull! If I got my wish I would choose you, dumb ass.
I made sure to think these thoughts in a way that he could not hear them telepathically. That was something I had learned to do in my training. Thoughts and ideas can betray you if you don’t guard yourself appropriately. Elwin didn’t react at all to my thoughts, so I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear me.

After lunch
, I headed to bed and Elwin started for the door.

“Elwin.”

“Yes, Sarette.”

“
Could you wait until I fall asleep before you leave?” I asked as I was getting under the covers.

“Sure
,” Elwin walked over. He lay down on top of the covers and tucked me under his arm with my head on his chest. I sighed and breathed deeply. If I could have, I would have stayed awake and to enjoy the moment. But, like always, I felt safe with Elwin and fell right to sleep.

After my nap and dinner, Elwin and I used our amazonite crystals to practice all the spells and magic I had learned earlier that morning. He wanted to see if any elementals would listen to me. They obviously heard me and responded, but they had difficulty understanding my intentions.

“
Holy crap,” I said as I stared at the surf. Well, it would have been the surf if I hadn’t made all the water form into a giant column. It reached up so far into the sky that I couldn’t see where it ended. I looked down at my wand.
I can’t believe I just did that!
I looked at Elwin and he was gaping at the column.

“
So, how was that?” I was a little proud of myself.

“
How was
that
? I’ve never seen anything like that! You didn’t say anything out loud— not in the ancient language or in English! As far as I know, no one can do that.”

“All I did was think
water
and give a little flick of my wrist with the wand. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“
I don’t know yet. Let’s try something else!” He sounded really excited.

Over the next two hours
, we tried everything we could think of. I thought
rain cloud
and a little rain cloud formed. I thought
fire
and a fire sprang up out of nowhere—no wood, no charcoal, just a blue flame rising out of the sand. I went through about ten different wind speeds before I stopped. I thought about the White House in D.C. and sand at the same time, and a six-foot model of the White House, made entirely of sand and probably to scale, appeared in front of me.

“
This is so cool!” I exclaimed as I sat down on the sand. “So what’s your magic like?”

“I’m
a Water Fey, so I can only do things involving water, like standing on it, moving it, et cetera. Lilly’s magic involves air—wind, flying, floating. Mathew’s dad was a Fire Fey, so that’s what Mathew will be.”

“Won’t he be a
Spirit Fey?”

“Technically
? Yes, he will be a Spirit Fey. But only the king and queen have spirit magic. It comes with a lot of responsibility, mostly your ability to hurt the fey with magic.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a catch to our magic: we can never use it against any other fey. The only exception to the rule is the spirit queen and king. They alone wield enough power to affect a fey directly...” Elwin cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable, “…usually justice related. They are essentially the final law of the realm, like the US Supreme Court, but with the most severe punishments at their disposal.”

“
If all this power and crazy amount of responsibility that I don’t even want to think about right now comes with the job, why can’t I make my own decisions about things?”

“
First, it takes an incredible about of magic to pass the crown itself. We still don’t know how strong you are. Parlor tricks aside…?”

“
Parlor tricks
? The look on your face didn’t read parlor tricks to me!”

“I don’t know what you want me to say. It is what it is.”

“
I’m starting to get really annoyed with that phrase. Why do
you
think I can do all this magic stuff—especially if I’m such a weak ‘half-blood’? Which, by the way, is the other phrase that’s really starting to piss me off. If I’m such a weak half-blood, how can I do all this magic?” I waved my arms over my creation. The sand that formed the Whitehouse started to vibrate until a spark occurred somewhere in the middle of it and the whole thing burst into a blue flame. Once the structure was completely consumed by fire, a nimbus cloud appeared over it and rain began to fall, putting out the fire and leaving a cloud of blue smoke behind. I heard something that sounded like an approaching freight train. It was so loud that Elwin and I both had to cover our ears. As the sound came closer, the smoke gathered and shot toward Elwin, dissipating as it passed by his face. His mouth hung open in surprise, then he began sputtering.

I started laughing so hard at his expression
that I fell backward, holding my stomach. “I’m starting to think I’m not so weak. Maybe I
am
powerful enough to save the world.”
And if I am powerful enough, maybe I can choose whoever I want to be king. Don’t get your hopes up, Sarette, stick to the task at hand.
“What do you think?”

“
I really don’t know what to think yet. I don’t think we should tell anyone about how strong you
could
be, though—at least not yet.”

“
I guess I understand,” I said and closed my eyes to enjoy the sun on my face. This place was odd; it was always the same, every time we visited. “Quick question: I keep forgetting to ask you how come the sun never moves when we are here. And why aren’t there aren’t any birds or animals of any kind? It changes in the dream plane, but not here.”

“
This is our place, a place frozen in time just for us. Where we are right now is more like a snapshot of the exact moment the amazonite was found. Our crystal came from here and that moment is our backdrop. In the dream plane, it will change according to the time and we can manipulate it because it’s not a real tangible location, it’s a dream,” he answered. “We should have enough time to shower and clean up before dessert is ready, if you want to.”

I did
n’t wait or say anything; I just separated my crystals and left.