Chapter 29

Chapter 29

      After a quick mean of sunflower seeds and honey, Nixie and I headed out, each of us having a dagger which was a sharpened rock attached to a carved wooden handle, strapped around our waists with some vines.  This was in case we were attacked again by those Crognards, or something worse.  Nixie unharnessed her huge monarch butterflies, which to the people of Nocotee had the same equivalent to them as cars do to us.  However, cars are nowhere near as much fun as butterflies.  I looked at Nixie with confusion,

“Um, how do you get on?” I asked, feeling my face flush red of embarrassment.

“You put your foot in the stirrup and climb up, haven’t you ridden a butterfly before?” she replied.

“No, but I rode a horse once or twice,”

“Good enough.  Get on Flutter just like you would a horse, as you call it,”

      After that ‘thorough’ explanation, I managed to get on.  Nixie then clicked her tongue and the butterfly took off, I followed her lead and soon we were flying through the air.  I never felt so free, I threw my hands up and yelled “Woo hoo!” as loud as I could.  I couldn’t help but smile as the crisp air brushed through my hair.  I looked to my right and saw the sky turning a brilliant pink and orange as dusk was approaching.  This gave the tree Gwen showed me a pinkish tint to all the dream filled leaves.  I had never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life.  I knew we were close to home.

      Nixie gradually pulled both of our butterflies to the ground in front of Gwen’s tree where we got off.  We sent the butterflies off and immediately noticed something weird.  It was quiet, the usually busy ‘town hall’ was totally still.  Nixie and I exchanged glances before we heard a familiar voice.

“Annabelle, Nixie, inside.  Now.”  It was Gwen, and we could tell by her voice something was wrong.  With that we followed Gwen inside the tree where guards locked at least twenty locks on the door.  Inside people were screaming and talking amongst themselves, children were crying, and even Marissa and Clarissa were behaving, which never happens.

      Gwen took Nixie and I upstairs to her room where she shut all the shutters on her windows and locked her door.  At that point we were getting scared.

“They are here…and they don’t just come in pairs,” Gwen said, her voice filled with worry.

“Who’s here?” Nixie asked.

“The Crognards, that rotten ball of mold, Varkus, has begun sending in his troops.  We are under attack.  We have to defend this tree at all costs, if Varkus gets ahold of one of those leaves he turns that dream into a nightmare.  We can’t let him do that, that’s why everyone is here, they volunteered to fight the Crognards just so their children and loved ones can stay here.”

“Wow…what are we going to do?” I asked, sitting down on her bed.

“We fight.  They started the war and we will finish it.  Ladies, you’re going to want some different clothes for this,” Gwen stated, signaling towards her closet.  Nixie and I looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

          As Annabelle and Nixie prepared for their journey home, trouble was brewing on the opposite side of the forest.  The rotten stench of an evil plan was filling the nostrils of Varkus and Kroy.  They had been in discussion over what to do with Gwen. 

“Brother, she can’t be stopped by just us, you saw what she just did to you! I will say, it was hilarious but she is powerful,” Kroy said with a wide grin on his deviously charming face.

“You don’t say?” Varkus replied sarcastically, stroking his chin.

“This calls for a plan…an evil one.  The most evil of evil plans ever! The most explosive, evil, vile plan of all kind that will live on for years to come!” Kroy was now standing on the table and laughing hysterically until he started coughing.  Varkus rolled his eyes,

“Well, what do you have in mind, genius?” Varkus asked as Kroy was catching his breath.  Just as Kroy opened his mouth to speak, the door slammed open.  Both men froze.

      Standing in the doorway was a very attractive, mid thirty year old woman.  She stood there with her hands on her hips and hazel eyes locked on both men.  She had sleek, dark chocolate brown hair which went to right above mid back in length.  She had on a skin tight shirt, made out of dead vines.  Her skirt was a little above her knee, it was made of crow feathers and was torn.  Under that she had on a pair of cobweb leggings.  On her thin legs she wore a pair of black gladiator styled sandals which here tied half way up her calf.  She had very pale skin along with heavy eye makeup and long black nails.

   “What on earth is going on in here? You two are grown men, I should never hear this much commotion from both of you at once!” she yelled strictly at both of them.

“Sorry Miss Elphina…,” Kroy said apologetically.

“Yeah, sorry mom…,” Varkus added.

“You two are enough to make me lose my mind, which I’m surprised hasn’t happened yet with the hogwash you two have come up with!  Now what is going on here?” Elphina’s deep voice echoed off of the rotting walls in the small room.  Kroy was the first to reply,

“Varkus is having girl problems,” he said laughing hysterically until he fell to the floor.

“That’s it!” Varkus took off his cape and with the single motion of his hand he grew tree branches through the floor, locking Kroy in a cage.

“That’s not fair!” Kroy whined from inside his cage.  Elphina’s mouth dropped at what they were doing.  With that she grabbed Varkus by his ear, using her hands she smashed through Kroy’s cage, also grabbing his ear and dragging them both out of the room.

      After walking into the room across the hall, Elphina slammed Varkus on one stool, and Kroy on the other.  Both were rocks carved to make a chair, and on opposite sides of the room from each other.  Elphina didn’t sit, as she stood in the middle of the room, totally silent.  After a few moments, Elphina sighed before speaking.

“Now, would one of you tell me what is going on?” she said, eyeing up Varkus.

“It’s a long story…I think Kroy could sum it up better…,” he said quietly.

“Ok, Kroy would you care to explain what happened?” she said sternly.

“Gladly.  Basically, Gwendolyn came over, literally beat Varkus to the ground, and left.  So now Varkus and I have decided we need an evil plan to get rid of Gwendolyn once and for all,” Kroy replied.  Elphina walked over to Varkus who shifted uncomfortably in his chair at her gaze. 

“Varkus, she was here?” the anger in Elphina’s voice was very evident.  Varkus swallowed hard,

“Y-yes, but I had no idea! The guards had to of let her in!  Some of our Crognards got to their side of the border and that’s what attracted her,” Varkus pleaded.  With that Elphina nodded slightly, and without saying a word she sat down.