Exercise Your Imagination! Do you like stories with mystery and suspense? Well, if you do, keep reading and enjoy Eggcentricsagas. If you are just joining Eggcentricsagas, start from the beginning: A La Mano: Part 1-The Treasure
“Mason,” Ravenna told him, “Come and sit here. Next to me,” she said as she patted the couch. Mason did so reluctantly. He had been eyeing Magic and was approaching him. Ravenna had intervened to avoid any injury by either party. Having taken up residence on one armchair, his tail flicking back and forth intermittently, Magic monitored Mason carefully.
Typically, Magic would have stayed outdoors once he espied the neighbor’s children inside, but a moderate rainfall began. True to his species, he did not like water or getting wet. The big black cat had gladly run indoors when Ravenna called him. The smell of food in the oven had perhaps enticed him as well.
“Scoot over, Magic!” Zerlinda said, and plopped down next to the cat to share the seat with him. Magic drew back his head and stared at her with crotchety eyes. Ignoring him, Zerlinda told her friend as Myrtle headed towards her and her pet, “You sit there, Myrtle,” and pointed to the other armchair.
Myrtle complied and then complained, “Why doesn’t Magic like me? I don’t throw rocks at him.”
Shoulders back and her chin up, Zerlinda explained. “Myrtle, you must learn about cat ways. They don’t enjoy fussing or being held. They prefer to be left alone most of the time. And… You get more love from Magic if you ignore him or don’t want him around. Right, Baba?” To confirm this, Magic groomed his paws and disregarded his chair partner.
Ravenna nodded. “This is true. Then, to get your attention, they will come around and sit in the most inconvenient places.”
Zerlinda asked her grandmother, “Who will we hear about today, Baba? Cora or Thaddeus?”
Trying to be diplomatic, Ravenna replied, “Let’s let our guests pick.”
“Thaddeus!” Mason said as Myrtle chimed, “Cora!”
“How about both?” Ravenna suggested. As the children all approved, Ravenna began story-time.
“The Sun Princess held tight to her pack and the lantern as she and Owl flew across the sea to find the Moon King. ‘How far is the Island of Wyrd?’ she asked her feathered friend.
‘Whoo knows?’ he answered and hunkered down to avoid getting hit with sea spray.
The wind blew her long hair back, and the princess felt the warm sun on her face. So good to have sunshine again! On and on, they traveled over the waves. The magic boat followed the silvery blue dolphins, leaping through the water.
At the other end of the world, Thaddeus and Goban traveled, going through the Sun kingdom and following the directions of the placard. They had passed the village of Beacon, walked through the graveyard, followed the signs after the Bridge of Sol, and had arrived at last at the small well. As he had never walked this much in his whole life, the prince was tired. Sitting down on the wooden bench, he spoke to Goban. ‘Let’s rest before we go down the steps.’
‘I agree,’ said the gnome. He sat down next to the prince, took out his pipe, placed some tobacco in it, and lit up. Puffing on the stem, the old man then blew a few smoke rings. Thaddeus watched as Goban blew a smaller one into a larger one. Both rings floated heavenward and disappeared into nothingness by the wind.
‘Do you know what the One is?’ Thaddeus asked the gnome. ‘And the One that I am supposed to give it to?’
‘Well, m’lord, I have been told that the One is a great treasure. You are to give it to the Sun Queen as well as solve a riddle. After that, well, only time will tell.’
‘And we will find this treasure at the foot of the mountain?’
‘See what I wrote.’ Goban dug into his pants pocket and handed the prince a hastily scribbled note.
Thaddeus read it out loud. ‘At the foot of the mountain, there you will find sigils on the rock. The Divine Doorway awaits.’ Scratching his head, the prince mused aloud, ‘I suppose that means the treasure is behind the Divine Doorway?’ Goban was silent, so Thaddeus looked at the gnome. His pipe still in his mouth, the old man’s chin drooped towards his chest. Nudging the gnome with his elbow, Thaddeus scolded, ‘Hey! No time for sleep!’
Goban, thus jostled, sat up quickly, and his red cap tipped crooked on his head. Straightening it, he inquired, ‘What were you saying?’
‘I’m saying that we had better get going before you start snoring.’ The prince stood up.
Myrtle laughed. “My grandpa does that when we watch TV!”
Zerlinda laughed too and motioned towards Ravenna. “So does my grandma!”
Hearing this, Mason laughed too.
Ravenna smiled and jokingly wheedled. “Can we please get on with the story?”
“Cora and Owl eventually saw the Island of Wyrd in the distance, a gorgeous place. A bright emerald set in a sea of turquoise. As they got closer, they could see that it had a pure white, glowing, sandy beach. The boat landed, and they got out. Their dolphin guides whistled and did flips in the air.
Remembering her royal manners, the princess called out to them as they swam away, ‘Thank you!’ Walking towards the tangle of greenery, she could see many exotic flowers hanging from it. ‘With all this beauty, why would the king want to live in the dark?’ Cora questioned. As Owl flew by her to the edge of the jungle, she asked, “How will we find the entrance to his hidden lair?’
Owl didn’t answer as he slammed into an invisible wall, fell onto the beach, and then rubbed his head with his wing. Cora ran to him. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Yes,’ Owl answered. ‘The Moon King has placed a boundary spell. Fetch Grimsby’s Book of Spells. We must find a way to enter the enchantment. Then we should see a pathway through the trees to his cave.’
Cora did what he asked. Together they did this, and a Golden Road appeared before them. Following the avenue, they arrived at the entrance to a large, dark cavern. Cora hesitated. For once, not bored, annoyed, or exhilarated, the princess was a little scared because she didn’t know where this pathway would lead. Trying to see better into the lair, Cora raised her lantern. The flame only weakly penetrated the gloomy shadows.
Reassuring her, Owl placed his wing over her hand. ‘Don’t worry Princess. I’ll be at your side.’
Continuing their journey, the prince and Goban came to the bottom of the mountain and found the markings on the rock walls. The gnome stroked his beard, tapped his foot, squinted, and stared at them. Finally, he spoke. ‘These are Elven Runes, m’lord. One of them is the magical mark that will make the door appear, but I am not sure which one. It is up to you to choose.’
‘What if I choose the wrong one?’
The gnome shrugged in response.
Thaddeus remembered he had used his imagination earlier to solve the problem. So he closed his eyes. He envisioned his knife pointing towards a symbol before conjuring a doorway. Opening his eyes, the prince looked for this symbol and found it scratched high in the mossy rock face. Standing tiptoed, Thaddeus traced the mark. When he finished, the mark glowed. He and Goban watched as the outline of a doorway emerged. The stone transformed into a large, ornamental iron door with pointed arches. Opaque green windows were now where the moss had been.
Thaddeus grasped the doorknob and the hilt of his knife tighter. Looking at Goban, he asked, ‘Are you ready to enter?’”
Booming thunder reverberated over their heads. Magic’s eyes flew open, and he looked up at the sound but remained in Zerlinda’s lap where he had curled up earlier. They could hear the rain increase suddenly. The downpour pounded the roof.
Myrtle remarked, “I wonder when Grandpa is coming. I hope he doesn’t get wet.”
Ravenna checked her watch. “He should be here soon. I’d better check the roast.” As she got up, the doorbell rang.
At the door was Herman, and he was wet. She ushered him in quickly.
Wiping his feet on the doormat, he said, “Something sure smells good.” Then he smiled and handed her the bouquet that he had been using to shield his head from the rain. “These are for you.”
Next: The Myth of Madame Mariposa No. 2: Part 6- The Search
