Sealing Death (2 page)

Hashdukien

      The group of wannabe heroes drove through the crack once more. The minivan flew out the other side and fell into a bush. "Who dares land their craft in Montusdea's bushes!" a voice in charge called. Cassie stuck her head out and saw dozens of elves running towards them. "You will be punished severely for your treason!" the small man in the lead yelled.

      Cassie wanted to laugh in their faces. What could little men do? "Slow your roll, you little dwarves." Will ordered, "We are busy and have no time for your pointless attempts to capture us for wrecking your shrubs!" Cassie smiled. Will was so cute when he got all royal and started bossing people around.

      The little man got red in the face and started shaking about. "Trees! Attack!" he yelled.

      Charlie looked around. Did he just tell plants to attack? That was hilarious! The trees here looked just like trees on Earth, green and brown, stuck in the ground. He glanced at Cassie to make sure she wasn't worried. Nope, no worry! She was still as beautiful as ever! Charlie took some time staring at her pretty green eyes and long blonde hair.

      "Trees?" Stella asked, "Are the little men in such trouble that they are asking wood for help?" Stella got out of the van, fixing its leaning problem. She walked over to a tree and looked up at it. "What are you gonna do?" she teased, angering the midgets. They were only a foot tall, not even, and they thought trees were going to help. Ha!

      "Stella," Will warned, "Get in the van. Now." He had just put two and two together and didn't like the sum. "Little men plus tree attacks equals a realm called Hashdukien." Will told her when she was back inside, "These people are imperialists, as in they like taking over realms. Long ago was the Realm War. It was started by these tiny little imperialists and their army of tree warriors called the Hashduki." Will looked at Cassie.

      "So that means we're in big trouble." Mr. Braddock whispered. He stepped on the gas, but the van refused to move. "What's wrong?" Stella inquired, looking out the window at the tires, "Never mind, I know. Trees!" As Stella had said, the trees were the problem. Roots wrapped around the tires in coils, already sprouting leaves.

      "I got this!" Cassie bragged, sending the trees a hot message. If you've ever heard a tree scream, you'd know how freaked out everyone was when it did. The root loosened enough for the van to drive away.

      "Where are you going?" Will interrogated, "The crack's behind us!" Mr. Braddock looked back at Will as he ran over dwarves and said, "Relax! I got this!"

      Will was furious and Cassie knew it. She had to do something to stop a fight between the two. They had no time for arguments of such royal proportions! Cassie glanced at Charlie and mouthed the words, 'Trust me'. As soon as he nodded with his adorable confused expression, Cassie leaned over and kissed the enraged prince.

      She had to admit, she probably could have calmed him down in a different way, but she saw an opportunity, and definitely wasn't disappointed. Cassie was pretty sure that she was never going to see Will again, and when she did, she really wanted to kiss him. But it's not like she was going to dump Charlie because Will was an amazing kisser. She loved Charlie, but a last kiss wasn't that bad, right?

      Charlie was not expecting that! Yes, he trusted Cassie, but what was all of the smooching for! He was still her boyfriend, and he had the right to know certain things. Especially when he was watching his girlfriend make-out with her ex to calm him down! Of all the things!

      Will was in shock. Love shock. What was happening? Cassie was kissing him; just like she did when they were dating! Will couldn't resist and kissed back. He'd deal with Charlie later. There was no way he was giving up this opportunity!

      Was Will kissing her back? Holy cow in Atlanta, he was! Cassie needed to pull back before Charlie got mad, but couldn't. She was enjoying it. She breathed in deep and sure enough, Will was wearing his signature ocean breeze cologne. Beach thoughts streamed through Cassie's brain, her and Will, together forever. And then it hit her, the rainy night. "I guess this is the end of ever." he had said as he ripped away from her. The end of ever.

      Cassie ripped away as a small tear dropped onto Will's hand. "Are you better now?" she asked sniffling. Will looked at Charlie who was glaring at him with a look that could kill a dragon, and since it was impossible for anything to die, that was one heck of a scowl! Looking back at Cassie, Will answered, still stunned, "Yeah."

      Meanwhile, Stella was, well, she didn't know what she was or what just happened. Cassie just started eating Will's face off, and then pulled back like it was nothing!  'I swear that girl gets more confusing every second!' Stella thought.

      Mr. Braddock steered this way and that, making sure he didn't get too close to the woods. "Here's the plan." he announced once the excitement was over, "The Hashduki exist, only because of the Nymph of the Night allows it. If we can find her, and convince her we have good intentions, she'll allow our departure. Until then, trees, flowers, and anything else that's a plant can and will kill us. That means that green means 'AHH! WE'RE GONNA DIE!'"

      Stella raised her hand and posed a question, "Where's the Nymph?" Will spoke up, finally no longer dazed by the kiss, "The desert. She knows we'll be looking for her, and since that is the only place with no trees, that's where she'll go to meet us."

      "Good thinking, Will." Mr. Braddock congratulated, "Let's go!"

Susan And The Twins

      Susan ran outside too late. They were all long gone. She didn't want her baby to go save everyone by herself! It's too late now, though. Susan sat down by the twins. "What do you two think?" she asked hopefully, "You had a feeling about this mess, is everyone going to come back alright?" Vanessa looked at her brother and the two exchanged a strange look that gave Susan the chills.

      "Everyone is alright," Vanessa began, "for now." She glanced at Vander and he finished, "One will die, and one will return to Death, if they are successful." Vander stumbled over the last word a little bit and then looked back at his sister. "If they lose," Vanessa stated, "All is lost, and it will be the end." Vanessa returned to her regular self and said, "So no matter what, not everyone is coming back."

      Susan wanted to cry. Cassie may never return! The twins didn't say who was returning! "Anything else?" she inquired, trying to relax. Vander and Vanessa shook their heads.

      Susan looked at the clock. James should be home soon, and when he came, they were dropping the twins off to Charlie's grandma and going after their daughter!

      About a half hour later, James walked in the door and greeted, "I'm home!" Susan ran up beside him, all dressed and ready. “You know how you said you were jealous I got an adventure and you didn't?" Susan questioned. "I never said that." James cut in. "Well you did now." she ordered, "Cassie went to save everything there is from some sort of monster by sealing up Death. The twins said two aren't coming back alive, but not who, so we're going on a road trip in your cruiser."

      Susan dragged the rest of her family down to the cop car and got in. Susan called, "Go to Betty's, I'm sure she'll watch them!"

      "I won't watch them." Betty answered. "Why?" Susan questioned. "I am coming with you." she demanded, "My only grandchild is out there too, you know, and knowing there's a chance he'll die, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't come along." Betty moseyed to her cupboard and got out a fanny pack. "I packed this in case of an emergency." she explained walking out the door to the car. She was determined to go, and there's no stopping Betty when she's determined. "To that portal hole!" she ordered, leaving James and Susan no choice but to listen. James flipped on the flashers and siren and flew to the reality crack.

      The cop car drove through the portal. "This isn't Everlanon!" Susan screeched, "Go back! Go back! Go back!" James went in reverse and plopped onto a solid sheet of ice. Uh-oh.

      "That's it!" Betty decreed, "Susan, go ask for directions." Susan opened the door and got out, instantly slipping on the ice and falling on her butt. "Ouch!" she yelped.

      "This is such an exciting day!" yipped a woman from out of nowhere, "Who are you?"

      Susan looked at the woman who reminded her of a fairytale her mother used to read to her. So pale, and frosty! "My name is Susan Smith." she introduced, "I am looking for my daughter, have you seen her?"

      Sisilla grinned. If only it was Cassie. What a coincidence that would be! "Her name?" the Ice Queen inquired. "It's Cassie!" James called out. "You're kidding me!" Sisilla bellowed, "Yes! I know her! She just came through! She went back through the reality crack you just came from!"

      Susan perked up, "Thank you! Is there anything I can do for you?"

      Sisilla grinned. There was something. She formed an icicle in her hand and gave it to Cassie's mother. "This is a magic icicle, if you need help, break it, and I will automatically appear." she explained. "How does that help you?" Susan questioned.

      "I'm trying to change my image." Sisilla expounded, "When you hear 'The Ice Queen', you don't usually think 'warm and kind'. Get where I'm going?"

      Susan nodded and took the icicle. "I understand." Susan shoved the icicle in her pocket and ran back to the car. "Let's roll!" Betty commanded. James put the vehicle in forward, and they rolled into Hashdukien.

The Nymph Of The Night Part 1

      Hashdukien was a realm of poverty and chaos in the years since the Realm War. Elves huddled in the corners of their caves, and the Hashduki, the mighty forces backing their imperialistic desires, shriveled into weeds. It was a very dark time for the Hashdukies.

      However, all that changed when the savior of Hashdukien was born. It was a rainy night, and the Fairy Queen Vivian was at the peak of her pregnancy with the Elf King Josepher's child. In all honesty, it was political suicide and highly frowned upon that the king of elves and the queen of fairies have conceived a baby nymph. Nymphs were known for their tricks and deceiving of innocent passers-by. With their elfish cleverness, and their fairy magic, nymphs were a race to be feared.

      The sun sunk behind the mountainous landscape, and nighttime took to the sky. Fairy Queen Vivian rang the emergency bell. "It's TIME!" she squealed, "I'm about to have a nymph-ant!" Her nurses flew this way and that, and soon, a new life was welcomed into the world underneath the bright moons.

      "What's her name?" the head nurse asked, cradling the green caterpillar-like baby in her dainty little arms. "Her name is Alesha." the queen replied, gasping for air, "The Nymph of the Night. She shall rule over this broken land, and save us all!"

      Alesha was raised by her mother for fifteen years, until the day when King Josepher raged war on the fairies, and killed the queen with a stab from the Silver Shadow, the only knife that can kill a fairy.

      "Why did you do that?!" Alesha demanded to know, wiping the tears from her face. Her once majestic mother was now a mere pile of ash on the ground.

      "She wanted to give you rule over the whole realm, and I couldn't let that happen." Josepher snapped, "The Hashdukien throne belongs to the elves!" Alesha threw down her hands. "You killed my mother because of a stupid throne!" she screamed.

      "No, I killed your mother because she started it all." the elf explained, "I'm going to kill you because of the throne!" The Elf King ran at his daughter, knife in hand. Alesha flew up in the sky, snatching her father's cape. The two flew to the top of the room, and the Silver Shadow fell to the ground with a clang.

      "Let me go you crossbreed!" he screamed. "Whatever you say!" Alesha smirked. The nymph released the cape from her grasp, dropping the king to the ground, right on top of the Silver Shadow. Josepher screamed at the top of his lungs as the blade punctured his shoulder blade. His body shook and exploded into a flare of fiery elf dust.

      Alesha fluttered out the window and into the open, high above Hashdukien. "Attention everyone! I am now the Queen of Hashdukien!" she announced, "All hail your righteous ruler! From this point forward, anyone against me shall be executed, and any outsiders shall be brought to me for judgement!"

      Later in life, as all nymphs do, Alesha hit that one dreaded time in a young nymph's life when "special" changes happen. At the age of sixteen, nymphs receive the last characteristic that makes them a nymph. They go love-crazy.

      "Where are you going, Jacobsen?!" Alesha called, flying after the blue-haired elf she invited to her house, "Don't you want to stay longer? I'll make pot roast!"

      The 14-year-old elf scurried through the woods, hopping over roots and ducking under the low hanging branches.

      "Hashduki!" Alesha ordered, "Bring him to me!"

      "I don't get it, Syesha." Alesha sighed, looking at her trusted friend and associate, "Why will no one return my love?" "Maybe it's because everyone you chase ends up in the dungeon?" Syesha suggested.

      Alesha fluttered over to the door. "That’s not it." she sighed, looking out the window, "I really don't know."

      That night, the nymph snuck into her late mother’s chambers and placed her hand on the portrait that hung above her old bed. She felt the painting and grabbed the frame, swinging it open. Inside, books of all sizes were stacked on top of each other. Alesha carefully read each title and selected the one she needed. Tucking the spell book under arm, Alesha shut the compartment and flew out the window.

      "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Alesha read aloud, "Looks like I'll have to change that!" Reading the page, Alesha recited the spell exactly as it was written, "Omnium oculis intuentibus uideri!"

      The walls around the Nymph of the Night shone brightly with white sparkles. One by one, each speck of light drifted out of the walls and to Alesha, sticking to her like bees on honey. She held out her arms and looked to the sky as the millions of white lights were sucked from the walls and circled her awaiting body.

      The ground shifted and the castle jostled on its foundation, rocks from the ceiling and walls tumbling to the ground.

      The next day, with the palace in a heap of stones, Alesha set out to test her new "power". If all went as it should have, she should have whatever boy she wanted!

      Alesha combed her straight black hair and let it drape gently over her shoulders. She looked at her smooth teal hands and straightened her green dress. Alesha breathed, "Here goes nothing!"