"The Surgeon"
Lyrics to a new song can be found on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wisdomnovels
Musical composition has been completed, along with various others.
From the Fae
Mierna opens the story with a reading from her favorite faerie book...
"There are Givers, and there are Takers. Some say there are both, but a person can only be one at a time. To Give is to bring joy and life into the world, to shape it into a thing of grace and mystery. To Take is to destroy all that was made good. It darkens dreams of those sleeping and makes the frail even frailer until they simply wink out of existence altogether."
Can This Be Real?
Mierna swallowed nervously. “This... can’t be real.” She wanted so much to reach out and touch his soft fur, to be sure what she was seeing was real. That was when she noticed the glow. It had never faded and seemed to pulsate from his horns. “What is this?”
She suddenly froze, listening. A slight sound came from the bottom of the trough. The sounds were brief, like prying something sticky off a wet surface. Her heart beat faster when it moved behind the trough. Then it stopped, leaving only the faint sounds of snoring.
Deciding it best to leave, Mierna started to back away when she noticed two dark buds creeping up into the colored light. The round forms reminded her of large roaches she sometimes saw out in the barn, but when these kept extending, it was all she could do to keep her own breath steady.
The forms were like two snakes rising from the back of the trough. Yet instead of mouths, they fanned opened like Venus fly traps. Tiny bristles continued to move independently within these mouths with a strange glow emitting from its core. Mierna was spellbound, watching as the glow from around the horns intensified in their presence. The pulses increased as the glow started to drift upward like smoke – and sounds! Mierna was almost certain she heard the faint laughter of a crowd, a crowd that suddenly changed to wails of agony once those beams were sucked into the mouths.
An Unexpected Visitor
Mierna suppressed a smile as she studied him up close. The glow had dulled from around his horns, but there was enough lighting in the room to check out his large hooves. Beneath a thick covering of dark feathering, the hooves curved out to form two sharp points. She could not ignore how dangerous they looked. Even his fingers were not normal, for instead of regular nails he had small claws.
Vlanders must have gotten the hint, for his ears laid back and he hid one hoof under the other. “You must forgive me for intruding on your personal space. Was only fair, you know, as you were in mine. A bed for a bed, they say.”
“Funny, but you haven’t answered my question yet.”
“Because we take our time, Mierna!” Vlanders jumped back on the bed. He gave it a good bounce that sprung him to the ceiling. From there, he waltzed overhead, humming and laughing excessively as his hooves tapped with precision.
Amazed, Mierna watched him spin effortlessly on a single hoof, magic flowing from his horns to the rhythm of his moves. It enticed some of her favorite stuffed animals sitting around the room to join in frolic. On her shelves, characters from some of the books came alive in their picture windows.
It defied all gravity as he danced and spun down the sidewall, only ending when he bounded back on the bed. “Even you should know that, my dear!"
The Faerie Wilds - Poem
Throughout the story, Mierna likes to quotes stanzas from her favorite faerie book. In order, this is how the poem reads. However, in the story a couple of them are switched to fit the situation better.
* * * * *
One magic makes you remember
While the other makes you forget.
Its color defines a unique design
And from those you've surely met.
While laughter defines a púca.
Charm defines the Fae.
Ask one too many, you might get plenty
More riddles than answers your way.
The road less traveled seems clear
And not so far from town.
But travel alone, you're sure to be shown
The roads have been busy all year.
Beware the woes of faerie foes
With lies upon the tongue.
They lead you astray, then beg you to stay
Until your days are done.
Whether field or forest, or water still,
Be an ever watchful child,
For mischief is expected for the unprotected
Beware the Faerie Wilds!
Blinded by a Blue-Green Light...
Even with her hands covering her face, she could feel the warmth of its glow and furry body that whisked passed her. There came a thud from a well-placed kick, followed by a yelp. Mierna lowered her hands to see a white animal crash into the table, knocking over books. Claws ripped into the carpet to get a foothold before it was up and leaping off the walls back toward her. Just as quick, it was met a with another swift blow that must have knocked the wind from it. Huffing and choking on its back, Mierna stared at the distinguishable form of Vlanders towering above it with a cloven hoof pinning down his opponent.
Yet as swiftly as it started, it was over. He withdrew without hesitation, allowing the other to her feet. For a moment, the two stared each other down, horns aglow with equal amounts of power. Yet it was Vlanders' pulsating glow that persuaded the other to back down. With a slight bow, it turned and vanished. The lights flicked back on. A click of doors unlocking, and they were reopened to their original states.
Entering the Fae...
"Magic has levels, my dear. But there is only one type of belief. You either believe... or you don't! Now then..." He gestured through the haze of shape-shifting clouds. "Are you ready to see what dreams look like? Are you ready for the Fae?"
"Are you asking if I believe in it, then I'll see it?"
"I wouldn't be here if you didn't, girl!" he snapped. "It's a yes, then. Good!" He released her hand.
Sudden gravity took affect and she found herself not floating but rapidly descending. The haze of purple faded into a brilliant azure sky. Wisps of white clouds whipped past her, and for a moment a colorful spread of landscape blanketed the earth below. Yet she had little time to enjoy the sight, for it was fast approaching.
Picking up Speed...
There came a responding snort as Vlanders stood with the breeze whipping through his mane and tail. They faced the sun rising overhead from the East. A dip of the head and they started toward the mist, toward the Tree of Eternity. Excitement welled inside Mierna to think she might see it so soon.
Vlanders eased into a canter, flicking an ear back at his rider's enjoyment. A lip curled upward in a slight sneer, and his speed began to increase.
Mierna was acutely aware that they were picking up speed. Ahead of them, she began to make out the silhouettes of twisted limbs, although she suspected these were not the same branches from the Tree.
Faster.
Mierna leaned in closer, a pang of worry ebbing into her thoughts that if they went too fast she would not be strong enough to hang on.
Faster.
By the time they entered the shrouding mist, Vlanders had already surpassed the speed of a normal horse. His horns, now aglow with building power, lit the way through the sudden darkness while blue sunny skies were blotted out by the mist.
