Ch. 18

It was night. Rosemary stopped when the sun went all the way down because she was afraid that she would get lost in the dark. Michael settle for a pile of dry leaves for a bed as Rosemary made a fire. Her wing was still sore, and her fangs still large, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t make a fire and get Michael some food. Alice had given them a leftover chicken at last minute.

“Here’s dinner. I need some sushi. I can’t believe I’m actually getting a little thirsty!” said Rosemary, digging in her bag. Michael looked at her, scared that he might be a midnight snack.

Rosemary sensed this and told him, “I’m not going to eat you. That’s why I’m having sushi. Raw meat. It helps a lot. Besides. If I didn’t have sushi, I would never of had the cow. Now eat and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Lots of air to cover. And it could be difficult for me to get what I need from the mermaids.”

Michael finished his chicken and sat back on his bed. He was nervous, but when he saw Rosemary rest her head on a tree, he knew there was nothing to worry about. He then fell asleep quickly.

It was a long night for Rosemary. She didn’t know what she would meet in the forest. Not all goblins are good. Many of them are, but some go bad. She would have to be extra careful.

In her worries, Rosemary did nothing but stare at the sky for a large portion. But every once in a while, Michael would snore loudly and it would remind her that there was nothing to worry about in this part of the forest. There were good creatures. The next day, however, they would have to cross land owned by more evil creatures.

Rosemary took out a map. They were just at the border between Romania and Hungary. She took out her map and planned their route for the rest of the trip.

When Michael woke up, Rosemary was ready with his breakfast and everything packed.

“What happened last night? I thought I was sleeping for a night, not a week,” said Michael. He quickly ate and looked at the map that Rosemary had set out in front of him.

“Here’s the plan,” Rosemary told him. “We’re going to go to Velencei Lake. That’s where the mermaids are. Then we have to go to Budapest just a little ways away. After that we’re going to Brno, and then back to Prague. Budapest and Brno are both human cities. We have to stop and get food. I have money for both cities. Let’s go.”

Michael was confused.

“So we aren’t going straight back to Prague? We have to go to other cities, too?” he asked.

“Like I said. We have to get supplies. We’re still in Romania. There is still Hungary and Slovakia that we have to pass through before we get to the Czech Republic. Don’t you know your geography?” Rosemary asked him. He shook his head. Rosemary rolled her eyes and put the map away. After that, Michael climbed on her back and they were off.

It was a while before Michael asked, “What is it that you have to do to get that thing? And what is that thing in the lake?”

“I can’t tell you that yet. It’s too dangerous. Not that I can’t trust you, I just don’t want the creatures here knowing about it. Don’t take it personally. Please, don’t,” said Rosemary. She looked down at the forest, thinking she had seen something. When she saw nothing, she shook her head and continued flying at incredible speed.

After an five hours of flying, Rosemary said, “We’re almost to Hungary. We’ll be at the lake by tomorrow. And then to Budapest. After that, we’re going to the goblins. Brno is the only other major stop we have to make before Prague.”

“That’s great. We’ll be flying for another week. And then just another week or two before school starts up again. We’ll be going to the High School!” complained Michael.

Rosemary chuckled and asked, “Why are you so bummed. I thought you wanted to get out of the Middle School. You won’t have to be with annoying sixth graders anymore.”

“Yeah, but I’m dating a vampire. And that will kill my rep,” said Michael. Rosemary just looked at him.

“If you think that’s hard, try actually being one. Don’t you think that no one will talk to me, or that people will afraid of me? I’ll be a nobody again. It’ll be like Elementary School. People thought I was strange because my parents died and I was living alone. That was when Bodoleck was having problems. He’s had them for years, and things never changed. So, you’ve got it backwards. I’m sorry,” said Rosemary. She turned her head away. Michael didn’t know if she was crying or not, but it looked like it.

Michael paused to think of something to say, but couldn’t think of anything, and they were quiet until they had to stop to let Michael sleep.

“No. We’re almost there. I’ll ride on your back. You keep flying,” he insisted.

“I can’t. It’s too dangerous to fly at night. The mountains over there will be safe. The forests aren’t anymore. Romania was safe, but not Hungary. Just like the name states, the creatures are hungry. And you’re just a snack to them. We can’t take any risks,” protested Rosemary. Michael had no choice but to obey.

Rosemary landed in a small clearing. It was still mostly covered by trees, and there was only enough room for a small fire and Michael. Rosemary had to sit next to a tree.

“Well, this is as good as it will get. G’night!” Michael said. He curled up into a ball and fell asleep. Rosemary sat and watched the fire slowly die away. When it was almost completely gone, she put more wood on and let it come to life again. None of this woke Michael.

The only thing that did was Rosemary’s screams.

“Wha - what’s going on?” he asked himself. He turned to look at where Rosemary was, and found her tied up surrounded by creatures that he didn’t know. They were just about to tie up her mouth when she yelled to him, “They’re goblins! The bad kind! You have to get out of here! Go far away. Very far away!”

The goblins finally noticed Michael, and he had no chance of getting away. They threw Rosemary at his feet and surrounded him. They did run or walk. These creatures glided in a circle around them. Their eyes were pure red, shining.

“We haven’t eaten in so long. We go hungry, our tribe. Our tribe dies, and becomes less powerful. Human and vampire taste very good to our tribe. So we bring dinner home,” said one of the goblins. They all had long claws that . . . was it just the moonlight, or were the claws getting longer?

The goblins, however, didn’t know Rosemary’s skill level. Her dagger was more powerful than any rope that they could produce, and she cut the ropes that tied her in a second. The next, she had her wings and was grabbing Michael. But something caught her, and was dragging her into the ground.

“They’re underground! They’ve got me!” Rosemary told Michael. He tried to get her out, but it was a useless attempt. Rosemary’s wings were gone, and the harder he tried the pull her out, the lower she went and the tighter the earth was around her.

The goblins laughed. Another said, “Foolish human. You will never be able to release her. Only our lord can do that. She is Lord Iris. I am Fishcreek. Goblins! Let Lord Iris pass! Separate!”

The goblins did as they were told, and they showed Rosemary and Michael a goblin so beautiful, so peaceful, that they wondered if she was even a goblin at all. But the pointed nose was right, and so was the crippled hands and feel. Lord Iris was wearing a dress of green oak leaves, and shoes of fresh moss.

“Good, my men. You hunted well. Dinner will be in honor of your names. Let’s get them prepared,” said Iris.

Rosemary was enraged, saying, “How dare you do this to me. I am the granddaughter of none other than Lord Batwings and Miss Darkness, King and Queen of the vampires. Third in line for the throne, once Miss Darkness is gone. I am practically royalty. How dare you do such a thing to the royalty of a stronger race than your own!”

Michael was stunned. He had no idea that Rosemary was royalty, and he didn’t know that she was third in line for the throne of the vampires. That she could rule them all someday.

“Who’s before you?” he blurted out without even thinking.

“Veripema and Susan are before me. Medeleck and Bodoleck aren’t blood-related, so they don’t count. Well, Medeleck is after me, and then Bodoleck. Then there is Dukes and Duchesses and powerful families of vampires to sort through for the throne,” Rosemary replied.

Lord Iris was stunned.

“I am so sorry, Princess. I had no idea. Please forgive me. This will never happen again. How can I ever repay you?” Lord Iris asked Rosemary, releasing her from the ground.

“Well, I need two things for the rest of my journey. A talisman of some sort to protect me and my companion, and something to help with the pain from my injury. It was made by Princess Veripema, my aunt, back a week ago. It’s still bugging me. Oh, and don’t feel so sorry. True, I am royalty, but the King and Queen have been trying to kill me, and that is the reason that I am here,” said Rosemary, brushing off all sorts of bugs, beetles, and dirt of her clothing.

“Yes. Yes. Right away. Buglen! Fishcreek! Get the princess what she needs! Again, terribly sorry for all the trouble we caused you. That will never happen again. I hope to see you soon. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going?”

“First we have to go to Velencei Lake. Then Budapest, after that Brno, and finally, Prague. Long journey, I know,” said Rosemary.

Iris told Rosemary, “Be careful when you go to Velencei Lake. The mermaids have been having vampires all over the place bugging them for what Princess Margaret put in there.”

“Princess Margaret was my mother. Princess Veripema killed her on the night I was born. Mother was first in line, too. Even if Veripema was born a few minutes before her,” said Rosemary. Fishcreek handed Rosemary a grubby little package that had the cream to stop the pain in it, and the one called Buglen handed her a two necklaces.

“Wear these. They will protect you. And the cream has to be mixed with water to work. I am sorry, again, for all the trouble we caused you,” said Lord Iris. She and all of the other goblins bowed gratefully.

“One more thing. How do you feel about fighting royalty above me?”

“Terrible, but we are in your debt.”

“Lord Batwings, Miss Darkness, and Princess Veripema are trying to rule the world. Kill them when you have the chance. See you later!” said Rosemary taking off. Michael watched the goblins wave back to them until he rose above the trees.