Chapter 5-4

 

Chapter 5-4

Flowers

* * * *

 

It seemed like an eternity to Sly and Kodarel as they waited for those that were going as wittiness, having Derrick count the heads on a role. “Let’s see now, we have. Sly of courses and his bother Rollin and his wife, then Sly’s Dad of course…. Now we just need his Mother Cora… Where’s Cora. Lenard? Where’s your wife… she must be… No, No that’s not going to work at all…” Cora came forward looking like she was ten times older than her husband and her two boys. It was a mix match set.

Derrick said. “Ok, …there’s no time too fix it, not even with dragon magic or any kind of magic with seconds to go. Too many things can go wrong so we will just fake it. Sly and Elders know what going on. We have all the records for the recorded keepers, so we will deal with it when we get back. Ok Kate, Less I believe… that’s almost all of us including Dale and his wife as our record keepers. Clara and of course our own Queen of the pixies Lore… her new prince will join us later. Prince Solomon of the northern territory; a descendant of Rollins I understand; already I can tell we have wedding fever and it just getting started.

“Now then we are to watch Sly choose his bride from 7 girls that have been carefully groomed and selected. He does not know what order his girl is in and must find her using only things he knows about her from memory, he can ask her any question and he likes if he is uncertain who she is after narrowing the playing field. But once he has chosen his bride the decision is final.

“However his first question and test is as follow. He is to grow one single rose of the girl’s favorite color by hand using no seeds of any kind. Once that is done he may ask 5 questions or perform one task only… like, share a secret only they would know. If satisfied that she is not his. He may lift up her cape and revile her self for one last look and make his final decision and move on to the next one. Only four people besides Sly know her name or her description.

“Yes, Kodarel but Weer cat's don’t count. So I will clarify that if want me too? Fine… Four human people here and one weer cat here know her by name and her description. Are you satisfied Kodarel?” He nods Derrick said placing two hands on his hips looking down at the weer cat. “Honestly I don’t understand how Less and you guys put up with him, Even my own brother has laughed at me because you liked him better than me.”  Kodarel stuck his tongue at him giving him big old raspberry.

Derrick laughs. “Well alright you little devil I loved you, and you know it. You come over here and I will find the one spot that sends you to places only I know making you purr like you were on fire for days, By the way, I still have some of that special spiced fish you like, perhaps if your really good I’ll send Sly the recipe.”

Kodarel smacked his lips as he ran over to Derrick begging on little cat knees. “Pleases… Kodarel likes fishy very much he does. Especially the way you make special for him and only him.” Everyone laughs as Derrick knells and opens his arm and Kodarel jumps into them and makes himself comfortable upon his shoulders like a small kitten, as Derrick reaches into his pocket pulls out a small jar and opens it as every one nose wrinkles and turns sour in the air.

He handed over two of the little fish pickled in that jar to him as Kodarel takes them gladly and swallows them whole licking his mouth over and each of his paws as Derrick puts the lid back on the jar and back into his pocket. Tells Kodarel; “now you promised to be good while Sly picks her out, no cheating Kodarel rules are rules regardless even if only a formality to these mere mortals.”

Once they arrived at the designated spot there was no one there and it was nearly 2:30 Kodarel said. “I told you they are running late, mean buzzard and shadow people trying taking me and L at first light. But she fine Kodarel took care of it he promises, Kodarel called Grandfather Elder B said not to worry. I protect Sly he protects our L in between dream so they can’t find her. Kodarel set a nice trap nicely for hovering bad buzzard people that have darkness in souls. Shadow people run from Kodarel and Sly because of my gift to him he wears. Grand Duchess and Grandfather B coming now, look Sly hidden in is Shadow people and evil buzzard people in the bushes of trees, they walk these lands hidden between and beyond waiting for our L waiting for you.”

Derrick and King Salsern look, but neither of them can see them. The Oracle points I see them faintly...”

Kodarel says. “Sly stand in between so all can see them clearly, but only on the waking world so they remain hidden only in the beyond.” Sly moved to sand right in front of everyone as he turned to face his friends. In a blink of an eye his eyes clouded over as he stared at them all, but really he was somewhere else, Kodarel said. “Look, can you see them now. Sly is showing them to you in the dream world, listen with your minds you may hear them, but if you can’t. Sly and L can. They listen as they hear them.” Sly lips moved up and down as his head moved side to side. As each of the evil creatures moving back and forth is trying to get at them are talking, but Sly is protecting them.

“Kill them, kill them now. Before the boy and the girl is too powerful; He must choose our Queen and wed her by the day's end. Oh wow as me I lost her again. Hurry we must stop her before she reaches the second boundary. You make sure the boy choose out our Queen so our master who can not be named can rise again and sun and the moon Oracle is never more. Kill the rest their power is waning. Morgan and Hess did as our master asked as the worlds are slowly slipping into our master’s realm.” Kodarel eyes and body glowed as he grew to Bongo Tiger placing his paws on Sly’s shoulders and licked his face and then knocked him to the ground. And roared like Jungle Cat until he responded.

He moved down to his shoes removed one then the other before licking his toes and his feet and gave them a bath as he laughed until he couldn’t stand it. Sly said. “Sorry K they were stronger this time and three times as many. I saw 6 realms of worlds slipping into the beyond this time, we are not moving fast enough. We need to more help or L and I will be too pooped to pop a single Dream walk after all this testing and studying we have to do. Plus get ready for all those guests. I know, all in good time, but it breaks my heart seeing it all that destruction and we were stuck meeting stuff shirts that smell worst then that house where they keep L when her caretakers our out of town planning our wedding. I guess, but you see my point.”

Sly stood up as Kodarel remind at his side as a jungle cat, Derrick, and King Salarn looked worried and so did the Oracle. Even the Queen of the Pixies didn’t look that comfortable any more seeing what was lurking in those trees. Derrick simply said. “We knew they were there and it was a problem and we caught some of it when watched those videos of what taking place down in the old prison basement. So this shouldn’t be anything new for us, all it proves it’s that we didn’t completely escape it by coming here setting new protection spells. We just didn’t know what we were looking for, and now that we do we can do little further research. Perhaps these Elder may help us.”

Kodarel and Sly started busting a gut the moment Derrick suggested that the Elders would help them. Sly said. “Good one Derrick, the Elders help us? That’s not how things work is it Kodarel?” Watching him shakes his head no; Sly said. “The Elders prefer you to study the problem from all angles of the question. Prove to them why they should help, and if it is necessary? Then if they agree and I mean all 12 Elders they will only give you enough help and I mean just enough help to get you started.

“You must earn the knowledge first one piece at a time and prove to them you have learned and earned their trust. Once you have done all that. A quest is to give showing that you can use the knowledge you have learned. I mean all of it. Even if you must do it over several times or they will rip up all your hard work and you begin again from the beginning; proving to each Elder one at a time that you know it frontward and backward.

“Once that happens they set you upon the quest again, but this time the course has been changed and it harder than the first one. Most of all they trick you by giving you the answer, but you have to find the question and the order it’s in and way it’s used then perform the tasks using correct ingredients and words. If you do it wrong after the third try that day you must start completely over again.

“Once L and I finally passed with a perfect score, we both had the knowledge and the skills to Dream walk and use Dream magic in that world and this world as human or a dragon. Living in two realms which drove my Dad crazy because too him I was talking to invisible people all day then when turned in for the night. Would I say goodnight to L in waking world then write in my journals recording or thoughts for the day then go to sleep the people around us would think we just writing turning off the lights and going to sleep?

“When in truth; we were starting our 2nd life. Where we would spend the day with our teachers or they would send us off to spend the day together. So in truth the moment I became immortal and became an elemental dragon. L and I have never been apart. Like Kodarel said… this test today is for all mere mortals we have to impress and all those that watching me and her in the waking world. Hoping I will have to pick the wrong girl and kill us both before we reach our full potential, which is impossible for me to do is that right Kodarel?”

He nodded and pointed as everyone finally started to show up, as agreed in the letter where they would us like to meet, was in the main courtyard where the main fountain surrounded by every kind of roses. Which meant they had visited this part of the valley, by sending spies to give updates on our progress; yet for some reason, they weren’t even allowed to cross that part of the boundary.

Everything was set, soft elegant chairs for the witness on both parties sides two tables dressed in white cloth. Each table had a silver writing pin and ink. The things that were different on Sly side was a book of his progress were his, (life history, the other two books were his dream book and the book where they jot down all his accomplishments and scores,) which some of it is missing because they had no idea what he and Lorna have truly have accomplished. The only ones that knew what was really going on were Lorna, and her caretakers as well as the High Elders.

There were several tests that would be performed here in the main courtyard. Test 1: The choosing of the bride. Test 2: The presenting of gifts to the bride. Test 3 the making of the marriage tree…Which is the hardest test of them of them all, since it will require great skill and pageantry: that only Derrick, King Salsern, Lenard and his crew can pull off. With help from the Queen and King of the Pixies to make sure we stay within the boundary of the rules. Already there was preparation going on building of the sets for the courtyard live pageant the hardest thing would be to move the rose garden and the fountain placing a large metal beam that could sever many functions, but for now everything was left out in the open without a hint of what’s about to take place.

There were movement and noise in the trees indicating that their guests have arrived at last Kodarel and Sly sighed with relief. Yet closer they came both Sly and Kodarel jumped in high alert; causing Kodarel too change into a huge tiger as he made his way into the trees hunting down his prey. Lenard asked where Kodarel was going. Not getting a response seeing as the delegates have arrived with seven girls hidden behind grayish robes that covered them completely from the head and face down. Everything about them was duplicated of the other girls. One by one they enter the large garden. The Grand Duchess Lisa herself leading the way with her husband grandfather Jerold Elder Ben.

The Grand Duchess said. “If you would so kindly pardon our tardiness, we had some problems getting here. Which I would really like to see King Salsern and my dear friend of mine Derrick about? But this, not the time or the place… we are to see if Sly here can pick out his bride in the waking world where things matter most when it comes to mere mortals. So far he and his bride have passed every test together in the dream world, and among the Dead, as they each search for each other and bring them back using the knowledge they have learned together and been taught by the Elders themselves. Each of these girls here has not learned that skill, nor have they been taught, all except 1 girl, which is his bride to be.

“The rules are simple, Sly must grow a rose for each of the brides. Using only the knowledge he and the girl he has chosen to wed in the dream world. Only then can he either move on by lifting up the hood to see her face. He can claim her or choose to ask five questions, before moving on to the next girl. Once Sly has found the right girl, he will grow her 12 dozen roses. Or the flowers of her choosing, do we have an agreement?”

Sly nodded and moved towards girls, the tension was so thick you can cut it with a knife; watching everyone take a seat as they sat on their hands or balled up their hands into a fist as Sly moved into position. He was nervous as his hand began to shake and once more little tiny flowers started to grow. Sly calmed himself by whispering to himself “I’ve got this, L and I got this. He chuckled a little as looked at Duchess all covered in ice cream and he laughed even harder.

Grandfather came over and said. “Sly, this not the time for funny business and you know it.”

Sly smiled. “Sorry Grandfather, I was just thinking about how you and grandmother looked covered chocolate ice cream and how L covered us all whip topping adding the nuts and cherry on our heads.”

Grandfather chuckled and then really started to laugh. Grandma Elder came over to see what Sly and her husband were laughing about. Finding well-placed glob of chocolate ice cream dripping from her noses. She laughed even harder as Sly slipped into the dream world and came back with a trolley with more ice cream and toppings. Ice cream fight soon ended, and Sly was ready to pick his bride.

Sly did it quickly knowing which girls didn’t participate, knowing his L would never turn down Ice cream fight. Heck, she is right in the middle of it, racing thru the castle getting all the staff involved. It was those evil guardians that watch over her when her caretakers were away and that made life miserable for her. No one knew the reason why until they read that letter hoping to convince Sly to marry the wrong bride. 

Sly did what he was asked as he moved towards the first girl in line to his right. This girl wasn’t his bride to be, there wasn’t one hint of chocolate on her or a hint of sandalwood. He followed the rules by asking. “What color of rose would you like my darling?” She said red. Sly nodded asking for her two small hands closing them into his and carefully grew the roses, watching the green stem poke out and thicken and the red bulb grow up and petal, by petal soft and smooth as her skin. Sly stood up and pulled back the hood and wasn’t shocked to see not his bride, but a young girl with blond hair and blue eyes. He kissed her on the cheek and said. “Sorry, Darling I can not marry you for I am in love with another.”

Sly moved to the next girl in line or he tried to as the Grand Duchess stopped him in the process, said. “May I see your hands, young man? The rules state you are to give roses of your own making, no seeds, and no magic but roses that come from the heart and the true blood of a dragon in human form?”

Lenard said. “Madam Caretaker my boy here is using no trickery. Search him if you wish. You will find no seeds, which is why I told him to use the girl's hand not his own, but if you prefer to search him be my guest and washes his hands before growing his roses that can be arranged…Derrick a clean towel and basin of water please while they search him. The only magic he has is his Dragon magic he was born human and has remained human up until 4 weeks ago I can print proof of birth certificate the whole nine yards.”

She waved him off stating they are not necessary, she can spot a wizard hundred miles from here, and so far she convinced there are very few here in this part of the valley. Her part though she has her doubts now why she called King Salsern and Derrick who she has trusted for years and heard about the Oracle that she might have gone rogue like so many of her kind or been killed by Hess and Morgan. Wanting to put that rumor to bed quickly before they spread out more then they have. Once Sly was searched as Lenard held his top hat and cape. He rolled up his sleeves then remembers the capabilities of his new clothing and told his shirt to remove both of the sleeves and makes it look like they were ripped out and washed his hands and elbows and dried them and began again.

With more careful watch by the caretaker; he asked the young lass “Darling what color of the rose can I make you?” She giggled and it still didn’t sound right, but it was close. The rose she asked for was a rose… yellow as the sun. He nodded taking her hand in his made her rose softly as the sun touching her soft skin in the springtime. He lowered her hood finding red hair and hazel eyes. With a kiss to the cheek, he said. “I am sorry darling I can not marry you, for I am in love with another.” He made red, roses and a mix of two colors but still not finding his love.

He had two girls left and the wind blew from the north as he caught laughter in the wind and as a girl was running late being chased by an old man and woman. The girl had green hair was running towards them with a large tiger by her side preventing her guardians from catching her. Sly quickly removed both their hoods finding not his girl. He waited calmly as the girl quickly came to a stop in front of the other girl’s watching Kodarel take his place at her side as a tiger.

Grand Duchess was stunned seeing her not in her place, but these two girls instead The Grand Duchess yelled. “What’s the meaning of this; these two girls are not the girls I have prepared for this young boy to meet. However he has turned down all of these girls including yours and my two daughters so being as it may be I lay the blame at your door not his if this girl is also not his bride to be, but Kodarel the weer cat says she is my oldest daughter and this lad seems unafraid which means Kodarel has chosen Sly and my oldest daughter to share 5 of his life spans together the very moment these two are wed.

“So Sly the rule still applies... the records may say, do you find your bride to be among these girls?” He looked at each of the three over asking them their color of rose. Each girl picked one, but he knew those two were not meant for him; as he looked into his bride of green eyes and greenish silver hair, ruby red lips, and milky soft cheeks, the scent of heather in her hair. He asked her. “Darling Lorna… let me guess your color of your favorite rose considering they are none as beautiful as you are. For each night we have met under the stars. As we have walked and have talked among our garden hand in hand, night after night. You have asked me to grow only this one.”

He washed his hands and dried them off, placing her hands inside of his. He looked into her eyes and grew for her a bouquet of daisies pulling out the golden thread of ribbon and tided them into a bow, said. “These are for you my darling; my darling Lorna… the true rose of my life.” He opened his hand again and grew not one rose, but a dozen roses of frosted silver. The likes none has ever seen and blew softly on the tips as they turned a light shade of green with blue only at the tips leaving the rest in frosted moon-dust silver petal soft...

She and everyone gasped as they saw them but Sly said. “Wait. I need something more.” He took both his hands and dipped them into the water once done drying off his hands. He pointed to his cape with chirp type whistle as they watched Sly’s cape fly through the air watching it stop in mid-air. He asked his Grandfather and King Salsern to examine the cape. For seeds our hidden pockets. They nodded as they watched tell the cape to become a table, with the strength to holds 10 men. Again Sly had them check the table he just created and sit on it proving that this was more than just a trick or sleight of hand. Once they confirmed it Sly had them regain their seats.

The Guardian was getting restless, the old woman said. “Grand Duchess, this proves nothing, the boy is mistaken… the girl he wants is my oldest daughter. This girl has no birthright; she is nothing more than a scholarly maid. She doesn’t belong in the choosing such as this. He and his bride to have yet too proved himself worthy by the Elders. By learning the laws and teaching of dream magic by passing several tests, and not too mention the quests they must pass before they are trusted with such gift. For some, it could take lifetime some never pass them at all.”

Grandfather Elder stepped right in front of her and her husband as he folds his arms, said. “Sly my Grandson and Lorna have been working tirelessly day and night learning together and sometimes apart, so they can teach each other what they missed. All the high Elders have given test after test as they became not only their teachers but their students. You have my permission to ask them how they feel about Sly and Lorna. Then again it might not matter considering we been waiting for a very long time see you get your compensation for taking such good care each of these girls. It's only fair that you remain here with us, as a prisoner then a guest after what you have tried to do, But since your guests, I must ask the Grand Duchess if I have permission to act would she prefer to do so.”

The Grand Duchess said. “Oh, you have my permission my dear husband as always, but I have asked Less, to do anything he would see fit in regards to these traitors and worshipers of Morgan and Hess. I believe there might be a hundred more running around my domain as we speak. I have no intentions going back not until our Grandson Sly properly has wooed his bride to be with song and merriment and each of these lovely girls are married to some of your men. I heard something about love and marriage was in the air. We haven’t had a grand ball in many years do to the evil that has crossed our lands. Known as the shadow people. We have tripled the watched and increased the lighting, yet they still get through, only those trained with the sight can see them like Sly and Lorna.

“Yet they haven’t found a way to stop them, other than the fact we need more people that can. The High Elders have said on that subject they have done enough by providing Sly and Lorna the gift of sight as well as the power of dream walking, and the of gift dragon magic, stating he and Lorna can now control the mist in waking world and in the dream world. Either in Dragon form or human form, however, Lorna has yet to be transformed into a dragon, but when that happens, Sly and Lorna will become an unstoppable force. That each of their seed will contain that power as well. That’s why we were teaching to word his words carefully so when he makes a new dragon he tailor maids them to themselves, yet giving an exact copy of his gifts that he has now and in the future. 

“Now let see where were we? Oh yes the choice of the bride, she counted 8 girls including Lorna, making 9 she said. “Well I have 8 brides left, so I need 8 groomsmen. Since we have established that I am not going back until all of these brides here are married; and as caretaker of these two girls seeing how their parents will be going to prison right after tonight’s festivities. They will only be summed back to see their two daughters married. Even I am not that cruel. Every bride should have their mother present and her father can walk her down the aisle. That being said Less dear, find them seats among us so they can watch Sly demonstrate what he has learned using his new gifts. My husband and Sly have been working so hard on this, he tight lip regarding what these two been doing behind closed doors.”

They all took seats as King Salsern placed magical handcuffs on his two prisoners and gagged them both to prevent them from speaking. They all watched Sly pickup the basin of water and set it down on his cape table right in the middle so everyone can see it. He touched the sides of the bowl, then leaned down and blew into the bowl as the water started to spin to the right. Sly stood back from the bowl and kept blowing as he placed his hand at his sides then slowly started to raise his hands as kept blowing on the water.

All of sudden the water rose from basin tuning like a small water tornado. He moved his hands to the right stretching the water tornado. Sly took the tail of the tornado using his fingers to slowly unfold it as everyone gasped finding mist like cloth. Sly kept working the thin like material touching places as he blew hot and cold upon the cloth creating snowflakes of blue and white frosted silver. The cloth kept growing until reached 30 feet long and light as air. As he folded it handing it to his bride Lorna said. “You need a wedding veil if I am not mistaken. Let me see there was something else.

 “Oh yes a ring, no, that’s not it. That’s for the day of… Oh yes. Something too holds the veil in place. Now then, let see; Blue or silver… silly me, something that catches the princess' eye.” He goes over to the fountain and said. Sorry… I forgot; I must make everything of my own creation. Ok, here it goes. Madam caretaker; I need you to inspect the area for seeds; tree roots and such including water for as you can see this area except for the fountain there is no water available to me is that correct?” She did so; Sly asked Lorna to fill the basin dirt and only dirt having that dirt carefully inspected. Once it had he placed the basin on the cape table and placed his fingers into the dirt and concentrated. He only needed a small willow of a tree and a couple of leaves from it. He quickly grew the small tree, something he has done a million times. Once he had what he needed, passed the basin around proving it was of his own making. Once it was approved he asked Grandfather Elder to take the small tree and cut it up into small little piece and leave the pieces on the makeshift table.

Once he was done Sly went to work as he took the piece and created a weaved them into a crown at first it wasn’t much to look at as he worked his fingers, but as he worked them the small strips of tree bark started to meld together in the formed glass. Sly would blow on the certain parts and they too would become liquid glass in his hands. He worked quickly as the color changed from green to blue to greenish silver, with a light hue of blew. Once he was done he took his right hand picked up the small granola's of leaves and shook his hand like pepper shaker as the silver sparkles of glass dusted and settled on the crown itself. Everyone gasped at the beauty of it as he placed it upon her head. It was the most perfect crown for a perfect princess as every girl there felt a cringe of jealousy.

Sly said. “Ladies would you mind stepping under the bungalow from preventing anyone from getting wet; first off my darling which spot would you like to be wed tomorrow for I am about too grow us our wedding tree… and I need water to do that plus a few items to fulfill my obligations to you?”

She giggled pointing to the spot and the caretaker looked up at the sky and noticed how late it was getting and said. “You mean to prove you can do it all of this in one night young man?” He nodded yes. And she said. “No, no this won’t do. You proved to me that so far that you intend to wed this girl and she, you. But we do not rush marriages of this type in one social sitting you silly boy. We have guest lists and wedding plans to make and you still have to build her a house to live in or enough to know she has a roof over her head. Then there the games and you and her together will be meeting the delegation.

“After all she is a princess not simple barflies like these two girls are. We are not the only ones you have to show that you have won her heart young man. We would be the laughing stock of our entire nation. You will be wed here in two weeks time. Providing by the time we leave tomorrow you can prove to me you deserve her according to the rules. So far you have more so than any other person. You knew her name, up front, you knew her type of flower. And made her a bouquet of roses that not only fulfilled the rules but beat all the roses in comparison.

“You even made her a veil made out of the water, a trick I have never seen done before plus a crown. Very impressive; the people will be all a gaps about those two I assure you when she wears them. However, you still have to woo her off her feet, my young man. That little thing in the sky is very nice touch tonight all in color animated dropping her flowers all night long. Every night for the last week you have been shattering my eardrums as I look up at the sky.

“Maybe with her here, you can woo her more quietly I hope. At least that was my attention and to sees where you are in your studies. I am very impressed. Now then we ladies are starved and we would like to wash up. I noticed you don’t have a jail cell where I can drop these two off. So Derrick darling forgives me if I beg little, can you send them somewhere where they can’t cause any more harm?” He nodded and quickly grabbed them by the arm and just like that they were gone.

The Grand Duchess said taking King Salarn arm having everyone follow them. “I am hoping I can leave Lorna in yours Derrick’s hands while she is here. Since our realm is close to you and it close to us as we make wedding plans for both Sly and Lorna. We haven’t had such a wedding in over 100 generations. We have had to go in hiding for so long because how special this young girl will be to us.

“Which we can not discuss here, since already as you can see there has been already been one attempt on her life, already and we dare say how many more there will be, which is why she will be chaperoned here instead of back home. After all, we attend that she lives here with Sly, and have many, many children. So Sly please walk Lorna down to her seat you have provided for her and we look so forward to your performance. Perhaps Less here may recommend some fine young chaperons for these girls that were not so lucky to be picked by young Sly.”

King Salsern laughed. “Oh I think I might know a few young men, my question is my dear Duchess Lisa, are these young lads needing should we say permission to be wed or courted like young Princess Lorna or they free to pick and choose and see where it takes young lovers.”

She giggles as he takes her hand kisses it sweetly and said. “I will leave that to your discretion, my sweet darling Less. As long they treat them like young ladies and not bar maidens. Then they are the right boys for my girls. Every girl deserves to be a princess, my mother taught me and I taught these girls that first and form most. Now hurry back dear… you I don’t want you to miss your own ques.”