Chapter Four - Mysterious Message
By the time the three had found out that Mom was in going for a brief stroll to the mall for milk (by IceFire and MoonFire searching through the sky looking for Mother), they had already heard enough of Hannah’s complaints. She babbled about what was happening and accused her annoyed sisters of not informing her. “How come I don’t know? Why you scrawny midgets! I’ll tell Mother, it’s all your fault!” Hannah retorted. Then in unison, the twins would beg Hannah not to alert their mom about the confusion by bending on both knees and grasping her legs firmly with a look so halfhearted, they’ll sure to be recognized as puppies begging for a biscuit. Finally, Hannah made her decision. She told her poor sisters that either to allow Hannah to join them for rides over land or she’ll notify Mom. And as expected, they agreed to let Hannah in for a rides at night.
Just as the bickering ended, mom came home asking what the squabbling was about. She was carrying a quart of milk in her hands as she stumbled through the living room and into the kitchen. A long silence fell upon them when their mom entered. So the sisters departed for their rooms. They had already planned out the schedule for that night if the moon strikes. Only at that time, Mother had become too curious why the children were so quiet. So she went up the stairs…
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In the beginning, everything was peaceful and soundless, for they were sneaking out with no permission. They set out of flight as soon as midnight. They were as quiet as mice, but occasionally, Hannah would yell orders at IceFire about being either too fast, or too slow. Hannah was full of energy, she secretly snuck 2 chocolate bars, 1 book, and a trail mix. Hannah was hyper enough to ‘jump off the plane’ when she ate her trail mix. Even though she was very manic inside, they kept calm. That was, until Hannah complained that the moon wasn’t shinning anymore. Instinctively, IceFire and MoonFire began to slow down, moment by moment, the dragons dived into the mountainous meadows. Mallory was stunned, Hallie-on the other hand-was absolutely calm. It was all so fast for Mallory, in a blink of an eye, they were on the ground, searching helplessly for a route home.
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About one twenty-seven, a shocking event happened. While IceFire, in the front, was leading the dragon riders back home, Mallory spotted a floating thing in the sky much above them. It looked like a person with wings… But she wasn’t sure for all Mallory could see was an outlined shadow with a human body and fairy wings. For a moment later, Mallory thought about everything she knew, could it be? A Fairy!
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Within minutes, IceFire and MoonFire were trailing for that fairy Mallory saw. They were much rather slower because the unknown fairy was transporting its self by flight and-poor dragons! They were running exhaustedly on foot, like a miserable chick after a hen. However, they weren’t for sure if that fairy would do any help at all. Mallory wasn’t so sure how she announced to the group that she had seen it but mysteriously, she did. (Obviously, Mallory was quite tired and she only focused on sleeping so the word just ran out of her mouth somehow.) And that was that.
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Not until a full day had the restless fairy stopped on land for a brief moment to relax. Hallie and Mallory took turns supervising IceFire and MoonFire. The dragons were having a very contagious and grumpy tantrum, as what Hallie remarked. Now it was Mallory’s turn to be on the lookout. Cautiously, as Mallory instructed, they approached the fairy. It was resting beside the streambed called Magical River, as it sat on a smooth rock. She waved her fingers in a slight strange motion and out of the blue, a book appeared out of thin air! The fairy was so busy whispering to her the words in the book, she hardly even noticed the girls. Suddenly, she jumped up, Hallie gave IceFire a piercing pinch telling her to approach others cautiously. As for Mallory, she instinctively shot the poor scared fairy an innocent look of disgrace. Unlike the uneasy twins, Hannah howled commandingly to take her home. Not horrendously frightened, she scolded her and remarked that she was only here because she was chosen to send the official wild beast hunters a message sent by the official wild beast hunter president.
This huffy fairy appeared to be quite a beautiful lady actually, but unfortunately for Hannah, she whished she was more ugly looking so it’ll match up with her temper tantrums. She had stunning blue eyes, reflecting every movement, like a lake with pure clear water. The graceful pair of translucent wings shaded gentle lavender and royal pink, with the silky, smooth brown hair, (apart from the leaves stuck in her hair) she seemed as if she had stepped out of a fashion magazine!
“Bonjour! How lovely!” the grumpy messenger scoffed at Hannah, “I went here by request and now you scold me on my generous volunteering! Ces’t tres rude, oui!”
It actually sounded more like, “Bon jewel! Howl lovely! I vent hair by we-quest ant nowl you scool me hon my jenius volunteering! Seh treh root, we!” Hallie held her breath so she won’t giggle.
With that French accent of yours, Mallory commented, how will I ever tell what she’s blabbing about?
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The fairy handed Mallory a map of the forest which showed where they were magically and gave Hallie a piece of hand-written paper in which she calls a ‘guide’ to anywhere they go.
“Just open the guide and smaller version of me, I call them fairy-map guiders, will appear. Then, tell her where you are using the map I gave you and it will say what common creatures you may see, what features that place has, things you should avoid and most generally, a diagram of a basic map. If the guide senses danger, it will fly around in circles… After you have your information you needed, simply shut the map closed. Au revoir, non?” Her elegant hair swung along with her head as she turned away and set out for a journey back to her country, far, far, away from human eyesight. While all this was happening, Mallory was imagining what would happen if Hannah told Mom. Sure enough, Mallory was prepared for that.
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As they headed home, according to what the fairy-map-guider proclaimed was the way home, Hallie was so relieved that it was summer because she wouldn’t be absent for school, but on the other hand, Mother would search endlessly for them while they while having a luxurious ride from an undiscovered flying animal. Hallie could really wait a few days until they went home.
“No stupid doggy!” Hallie could hear the fairy direct to IceFire as she was tipping came from, “this is Streaming Tower River! Streaming Tower River is a river full of bacteria, once you lazy bones find the Magical River, you may go and enjoy a fresh and clean sip of water. You no go there, seek the Magical River! That is where you feeble dragons belong.” Just as IceFire bent her outstretched neck, on the edge of taking a sip of river water, she stopped immediately as she was told. They set foot east again and returned back on their path home. Before long, IceFire and MoonFire reached a forest of ruins and short, stubby bamboo.
Hallie looked intently at Fernellah, observing her looks. She, differing from the messenger, was much more smaller. But had wings full of blue-colored richness. Fernellah shared many similarities with her too, such as her eyes, they were glistening brown, but as clear as a crystal. Her late summer jacket was truly charming, the outline was furry white, while the centers were light plum.
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“Shut up you foolish pest! Doesn’t anyone pack pest control spray around here?” IceFire argued.
By the time the bright sun could be seen completely, the two arguing couple accompanied with MoonFire had fought their way through the crowd of bamboo twigs and a left over ruin of an unmemorable forest fire.
“No wise or cunning doggy ever ignores my advice!” Fernellah the fairy-map-guider spitted back at IceFire, once she refused to snap a twig from the bamboo forest to let Fernellah gnaw on it for the sweat juice as she ordered immediately after going through the prickly forest.
“You call that mean order of yours an advice? Well am I ever glad to shut the map!” IceFire hollered back at Fernellah as she snatched the magical map away from Mallory and closed it tightly. Without a moment’s hesitation, Fernellah disappeared into the map.
“IceFire!” Hallie shouted with sternness, “I knew you’d ruin our fortunate chance of returning home if you ever argued with Fernellah!”
Mallory joined in, “She’s right for a change you know! Fernellah was one our only hopes of getting home, and now you’ve destroyed it for us all!” And so Hannah instinctively continued the complaining with rather hurtful words.
“You foolish idiot! Why on earth did I even trust you to give me a ride? First the secrets, then getting lost and now what?” Hannah questioned IceFire reluctant to get blamed for herself.
Hearing all this yelling at herself forced her to apologize to the grumpy Mallory and angry Hallie. Only it wasn’t fair to IceFire at all. Stupid Mallory! IceFire refused to insult her owner so she only offended Mallory in her mind. Everyone’s got to listen to bossy Fernellah! It that so? IceFire mocked Fernellah several times before she noticed that she had dropped the magical map on the dry desert-like ground a few meters away. Suddenly and finally, IceFire realized that the furious twins were shouting at her saying rude comments such as, “You nutcase!” and, “Come on Icy! I know you can be a more attentive dragon to your surroundings! Look around.” In a flash, IceFire knew who said she was a nutcase and who told her she could do better to be attentive; it was Hallie of course! Hallie occasionally called her ‘Icy’ and would never describe her as a dumb nutcase. IceFire glanced back at Hallie and Mallory, they were waving their hands high in the air like surrendering to a battle. But they also shouted comments unlike the soldiers at war.
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At once, Hannah snatched the map from MoonFire after she grabbed it from the floor. Without a single word, she unlocked the map and-what do you know? As suspected, Fernellah arrived. “What do you want?” asked Fernellah, in a tone more annoyed than friendly. This time, it was Mallory’s turn to coax Fernellah to be polite.
“Well,” Mallory replied back in hesitation, “we just, like umm, wanted… Oh, oh yeah! We wanted, like a…”
“Get on with it!” demanded Fernellah strictly.
“Okay,” Mallory finally answered, “we really need your help!”
With that, Fernellah smirked at IceFire, “Fine.”
She led the way all until Hannah criticized poor Fernellah’s directions. By now, Mallory and Fernellah had created an acquaintance for each other. At first, everyone tried to ease the insults, all but Fernellah herself, but unfortunately, everyone knew trying to get Hannah to shut up was like filling a bucket with holes in it.
