29. Horizons

           It felt nice to leave the Wilderness behind. Those trees were suffocating, but here, as Athena, Brooke, Meredith, and Ellis faced the rural planes of Desdemonia, the air turned clear and sweet. Brooke took in a deep breath and drank the air. It awoke her like coffee. Relief washed over her. Now as she looked back at the Wilderness, she realized she had conquered one of her greatest fears. Just a moment ago, it seemed Brooke had spent her entire life ridding on Athena’s back, fighting a defected crossbreed, arguing with a stubborn princess, and plunging headfirst through the darkness of a forest with neither beginning nor end. But of course, given the chance, she didn’t want to experience this ever again.

Meredith had fallen asleep, laying her head on Brooke’s back. Ellis had followed her. Brooke remained awake, but her eyes had begun to flutter. The stretch of horizon was dark and faint with stars. Brooke saw houses and lighted windows in the break line. She only wished they were the rural plains of Alagracia. She missed home and didn’t want to admit aloud, she missed her father. She missed Rogue and Shawn who probably forgot all about her. 

Athena turned right and followed a distinct granite pathway, taking Brooke by surprise. Where was she going? They started to pass trees with silvery leaves and lush fruits Brooke had never seen before. Few seemed nothing more than oblong plums and apricots with colorful variations. The rest, however, appeared alien like translucent, furry fruit, and color shifting, round fruits.

Athena slowed down to a stroll and she started to approach a grand, white mansion. Its white stones gave an iridescent glow in the night. “Who lives here?” Brooke asked.

“A friend of mine that I believe can help us.” Athena approached the door.

“Athena, you’ve returned!” Brooke looked up and saw a human woman with short brown hair, wearing spectacles. She sat on the balcony a few stories up smiling down on them. “And you’ve brought some interesting guests.”

The woman rushed from her balcony. Once the woman opened the large door, Athena rushed to the woman, jerking everyone on her back forward, and nuzzled her cheek. Meredith awoke. “Are we there yet?” She blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Where are we?”

“Do join me in the backyard, Athena.” She nodded and brought Brooke, Meredith, and Ellis around the mansion, following the woman. “And, my name is Lyriel.” 

Lyriel sat in one of the few chairs around a tiny table. Athena sat behind the chair across from her. Brooke hopped down. Meredith and Ellis followed. They each took one seat. Lyriel studied them, adjusting the spectacles on her face. “I knew you’d escape from that awful little goblin eventually.” That little blue thing was a goblin? Lyriel crossed her legs clothed by jeans. “What brings you here?”

“We need a way off Desdemonia, possibly a ship,” Athena answered. “I was hoping if we could use yours.”

“Hmmm, it’s the only ship I have, who are your companions?”

“This is Brooklyn, the brave swordswoman who saved me.”

“And this is Meredith, Princess of Alagracia.”

Lyriel uncrossed her legs and gawked at her, shaking her spectacles. “Grayer must have treasured you and if it is so that this swordswoman must be incredibly strong for her to pry his hands from you.”

Meredith blushed and nodded. “This is Ellis,” Brooke continued. “And the baby is Yoko.”

“Is he yours?”

 “He belongs to one of my servants, but she couldn’t come with us.” Meredith’s eyes darkened for a second, but then faded into adoration for Yoko.

Lyriel nodded. “I see.” She stood and pointed to the ocean in the break line. “A kingdom needs its princess, especially one so powerful as you.”

“Are you sure?” Meredith asked.

“Yes, besides, I’m rich; I can afford to get another.” Lyriel chuckled. Yoko cried and all attention crashed to him. Brooke began to ponder on what to do with him. They didn’t have any food, clothes, diapers, anything to care for the baby. “Come, I invite you all into my mansion.” Brooke and Meredith exchanged glances. “Only Athena bites now come on.” Lyriel walked to a slide door and waited for them to enter. Brooke looked at Athena and she nodded.

“I will be fine, Miss Brooklyn.”

Meredith, Brooke, and Ellis walked into the mansion and faced a large room with an atrium cutting its way through. Lyriel guided them passed it and to a dinning room with a chandelier glimmering over the long table. It smelled nice in the dinning room, like a mix of cinnamon and licorice. The walls were blue and reminded her of the sky in the early morning. “Have a seat.” They sat at the end of table. Lyriel disappeared behind an archway. She reappeared with two plates and set them in front of the princess and swordswoman. She went back in and returned with food for the anymalis as well.

An average pile of bitter purple nuts began the meal. Lyriel insisted they were nutritious and came from the trees she planted outside. She talked about how she got them from this kingdom called Eros and all the places she traveled. She told them she owned five stores in the rural area, and she reminded Brooke of her father, only Brooke found Lyriel to be cheery.

Brooke and Meredith washed them down with hot tea that tasted frosty with a mix of honey and milk. The main course was striped sunshade mushrooms, accompanied by a side of dry orange berries with a sweet flavor like chocolate. Meredith licked her lips and quaffed most of them down. Brooke stared at her. Weren’t princesses supposed to be a lot more polite than that and pick at their food? Brooke wanted some.

The mushrooms were bigger than Athena’s paw. They possessed a tender, plump, steadiness and a salty savor. Meredith consumed two of the sizable fungi and Ellis ate three of them.

 Dessert consisted of the pie stuffed with green pulp textured like pumpkin guts. At first, Brooke denied she wanted any because of its appearance, but took one bite and she wanted more. They were all delighted to find the pie sweet and delicious. Lyriel had taken Yoko and promised that he was in a room sound asleep.

“So, what is your last name, Brooklyn?” Lyriel asked.

“Keeper.”

“I thought you looked familiar.” Brooke dropped her fork and gawked at the woman. Lyriel rose from her chair, ran her hands through Brooke’s hair. She whispered into Brooke’s ear, “A woman who had your eyes and the wavy texture of your hair stopped by here.”

Brooke gasped. Lyriel placed her hands on her shoulders. Brooke shrugged them away and said with urgency in her voice, “Where did she go?” Her mom was still alive? And she’d passed through here? Brooke’s heart raced, every part of her restless.

Lyriel smirked. “I don’t know; I just know she came here looking for a book.”

Brooke grabbed the woman by her sweater shirt. “What book?”

“I don’t remember,” she stammered, “Something about magic seals.”

Meredith touched Brooke’s arm. “Release her, Brooklyn.” Her name sounded weird coming out of Meredith’s mouth. She calmed down and let the woman go.

Lyriel cleared her throat and straightened out her sweater, adjusting her spectacles. “I have a guest room upstairs, I implore you to relax and start your journey home tomorrow.”

She showed them the guest room, which had two futons, a floor lamp, a television, a window, and a dragon decorated clock above it. “There is a bathroom down the hall, and you all can use my wardrobe; I’ll be back with appropriate clothes.” Finally, a shower. Brooke desired this so much. On top of that, Brooke didn’t have to wear this jumpsuit anymore.

Lyriel left them alone to fetch the clothes. Meredith hopped on the bed and sighed loudly. “I feel just a little cold wearing this dress all the time!”

“I agree minus the dress part.” Brooke glared at Ellis. “You’re sleeping on the floor, got it?”

“Oh Brooklyn, stop being so mean.”

“Yeah, I’m picking on an anymalis that tried to frame me; yeah, I’m wrong.”

“Well, she can’t anymore.” True, but Brooke just didn’t trust her or like her.

“Floor.”

“It’s okay, Milady.” Ellis clawed the carpeted floor and laid down, falling fast asleep. Meredith took a shower and slipped on a pink gown. Brooke decided she would take one in the morning. As Meredith and Ellis slept, Brook stared out the windows into the plains, the break line of the sky and seas. Somewhere in that beyond was her mother, alive, and running. Running from something.

 

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

I hope you got a feel of the relaxed mood. Lyriel was another experiment character. I wanted to use some eccentric characterization and sporadic description. Tell me what you think of her and the mystery of the runaway mother.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless