#37 Ashes, Ashes... part 4
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:14 pm
“Foster?” Micah shook the fairy. “Foster, come on. Please don't be... dead.”
Micah did as his friend requested and laid his body near a grove of willow trees by a body of water. He whispered to the trees to find Gelfrey and said he’d wait right there. The trees didn’t really do anything and he hoped they’d listen to a foreigner to Eolande.
The trees rustled in a perfect breeze, lulling Micah to sleep.
*giggle*
*giggle*
“Hello, sleeping boy. Are you sweet or are you coy?”
“Um… are you Gelfrey?”
“What is a Gelfrey? Is it a bat in a belfry?”
“No, I don’t think so. He might be a fairy.” The creature blinked as if waiting for more. “Um… a fairy that mustn’t tarry?”
The wee creature clapped her hands in delight, but her eyes widened at the sight of Foster’s lifeless form.
“Did you kill… “ Micah interrupted the rhyming creature with desperate protests and explained their situation. The creature seemed genuinely touched. “A grand gesture for a friend. It led him to his sad, sad end.”
“Do you happen to know a naga named Vargas? He’s brown, has blond hair, wears a jade claw, and… um… he’s large-as.” Micah winced. This rhyming thing was difficult. The creature looked to the trees, seeming to listen.
“The brave naga was crowned a serpent king. He doesn’t like it and to his rock he’d cling. Poke him with a stick and he’ll come round. Shall I call him? My voice is sound.” With that the purple sprite flittered off.
“Raarrrr!” The child puffed his chest. “Hooman go home!”
“Are you Gelfrey?”
“No. I’m Rhordae. My mommy and daddy say I’m not allowed to talk to hoomanses.” The impish little dragon boy grinned. “Is dat fairy your supper?”
“No,” Micah said. “It’s my friend, Fo… ah, ah…”
“Foahah? Weird name for dead fairy. Why do you sit by de twees?” The dragon boy looked up at the leaves then nodded. “Dey talking a lot. Deciding what to do with cheeky hooman dat talked to them.”
“Really?” Micah looked up at the branches. He didn’t hear a thing.
“Waste of good fairy meatsies. Daddy and mommy make yummy fairy pie. Never eated a hooman pie. You stinky though, so probably taste bad.”
“Yeah, humans are gamey and tough, you’d hate it.” Micah really wished this Gelfrey would hurry up.
<3 <3 <3
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz………
“Go away. I want to sleep on my rock and be left alone, yes I do.”
*giggle*
Vargas let out a long, slow sigh. “I’m not rhyming at you, no I am not. Neither am I moving from this spo-- rock.” Vargas refused to say spot.
“Then I won’t tell you that a human boy brought a dead fairy through a portal. Oops! My mistake, I wasn’t going to tell you about that mortal.”
“What? Take me to them right away! And no games, sprite. I am a brave naga, yes I am. Brave and strong.”
“Micah, hello my friend. I miss your heat vent, yes I do. It was warm. What happened to the nasty fairy?”
Meanwhile…
“He keeps it in the coffee tin!” Lee cried out.
“I’m just here to kill a vampire. Get in my way and you’ll be sorry.”
“No!” Ryan cried out. “Ivan is our friend, he’s never hurt anyone.”
(insert a sad little scuffle that lasted no time at all)
“Chumps,” Zo said. “Where would they hide you, eh?” Zo searched the apartment.
“Stop right there!” Jillian commanded. “Hands where I can see ‘em.”
“Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be pointing a gun like that. Might hurt yourself.”
“Drop the wood or I drop you.”
“Oh, you’re too late. I dusted your vamp. But if you shoot me, you won’t know what I did with your Asian friend.”
BAM!
“You shot me!” Zo lay bleeding on the floor. “You actually shot me!?! Are you crazy? I’ve got your… ah… I’m bleeding! Damn it!”
“I winged your shoulder, crybaby. It must really hurt. It’s going to hurt a lot more if you don’t tell me what you’ve done with Micah.”
“A friend of a vampire deserves… yaaaAAAHHH!!” Jillian offered a little encouragement. “I’m not telling you a thing! What are you, girlie?”
“Don’t call me GIRLIE.”
Abraham and Gabe appeared. What timing!
Gabe said, “Damn it, Half-pint. What’d you do?”
“Abraham. I knew you were involved in this. What have you done with Micah?”
“I assure you I have not hurt the boy. He didn’t show up at the library this evening. It’s the only reason I’m here.”
“How very convenient.” Jillian motioned toward Gabe. “And you just happen to know Big Mouth over here, too.”
Gabe flashed a toothy grin and said, “You know it, babe. I get around.”
Jillian said, “This little punk claims to have taken Micah hostage and… oh no. Ivan. He said…”
“Hey Ryan, you okay buddy? Say, vouch for me so the lady soldier here will put her piece away.”
“It’s okay Jillian.” Ryan rubbed his head. “He hangs around with Micah sometimes. Someone please check to see if Ivan is okay.”
“It’s… it’s full of ash.” Jillian was stricken. “I was too late.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Lee said. “He was so fast and… well, I couldn’t do anything. We tried but that guy was too good.”
“Micah has to be told. Someone find him. We should have a memorial service. Saturday would be nice, at sunset maybe. He always liked to try and watch the sunset with sunglasses and a mirror.” Ryan rubbed his eyes. “I had to handle Mom’s funeral when Dad fell apart. I know what to do. I’ll make some calls.”
“We’ll need an urn. Something medieval and kingly. We’ll collect up all that we can. Lee, get the broom and dustpan. Jillian, would you get the vacuum? Clean the canister first. I don’t want lint getting mixed up in the ashes.”
Jillian leveled a deadly gaze toward Abraham and Gabe. “I want answers and I want them now.”
TBC
NEXT:
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Poor Ivan! I hope there's some way to bring him back... though perhaps the bag of ashes was a clever ruse while the real Ivan pulled a disappearing act. He's a king, after all; he should be prepared for assassination attempts! 