Lyzbeam: The Prophesy ~ Chapter 3

31

unexpected friends2

A WEEK AFTER LYZBEAM AWOKE FROM HER long dark sleep.  Neggi and Lyzbeam were ready to go Lyzbeam seldom saw Earstine but heard his heavy sledge hammer hitting the soft, hot metals in his forge.3

Lyzbeam was packing fizzy juice, fruits, and meats for their trip to the Tree of Mifflin when Earstine came running into the kitchen.4

“Hi, Earstine!  What have you been up to?” Neggi asked as he packed two large mice into a haversack.5

“Lyzbeamer!  I’ve made choo, em, sumfink!  Vor choor vings!”  Earstine rushed over to Lyzbeam pulling her wings out to their full extent.  He set some metal claw-like structures on the table and started fitting them onto the corners of her wings.6

“There!  Now choo can fight all zee vay to, em, the Tree of Mivvlin!”  Earstine scurried about grabbing a cloak as he did so.7

He went to his front door and motioned Lyzbeam and Neggi to come to him.  “Come on now!  Let uz go!  We’ve gots a long roads ahead of uz!”  With this he walked out the door and down a path. 8

“He’s coming with us?” Lyzbeam exclaimed.9

“Now, I guess!” Neggi replied sarcastically.10

*****11

The trio had been walking west and slightly north for three hours.  They had eaten lemon squeezed water (with a hint of orange), rotisserie-style mice, and a few pieces of blueberry pie underneath a large oak12

They had satisfied their hunger and had continued their long journey to the Tree of Mifflin.  The sun was at its highest point and was beating constantly down on the bare wings of Lyzbeam, Neggi, and Earstine.13

Lyzbeam raised her scarf to her head and wiped the sweat from her forehead.  14

“Wow it’s hot out here today!” Lyzbeam gasped.  “Maybe we should sit down over there by that tree and flower garden.”15

Neggi and Earstine stopped.  They hadn’t the slightest idea what Lyzbeam was talking about.  There were no trees or flowers for miles ahead.  They watched as she lay down on the sandy ground, scrunching up into a tiny ball.16

Suddenly, Earstine sniffed the air.  A strong aroma filled the perimeter and it smelt fo rotten eggs with a touch of spearmint.17

“Negger!  Ve must git Lyzbeamer oot of dere!”  Earstine stopped talking and looked down towards the ground.  Neggi did the same.  The earth beneath their feet shook and Neggi and Earstine fell to their knees.18

Shrieking filled the air and out of nowhere, Beexo’s came scurrying out of small holes in the ground.  Their eyes were green and illuminated inside their squinting sockets.  Their fur was black with white tips and the tails were twice as long as their body that stood three feet off the ground.  They leapt like lemurs toward Lyzbeam who was underneath their spell.19

“No!  Lyzbeam, snap out of it!”  Neggi scrambled to his feet and rushed toward Lyzbeam, attempting to save her before the pod of Beexo’s got there.20

But Neggi’s attempt was futile and the Beexo’s grabbed Lyzbeam.  When they saw Neggi running towards them, one Beexo stomped on the ground five times.  Instantly, the ground beneath them vanished and a gaping hole replaced the Beexo’s and Lyzbeam. 21

Earstine scurried towards Neggi who was staring down the hole.  “Vell, ve can’t git Lyzbeamer zat vay!  Let’s go!”  Earstine turned and walked away from the hole across the hard, dusty, cracked ground.22

“What?  You’re just going to leave her here?” Neggi asked unbelievingly.  “They could be torturing or killing her right now and we’d be walking away without doing anything!”23

Earstine sighed but kept walking on.  24

“Then ve better move vaster now, hm?  Unlike, em, choo, dear boy, I’m going to do sumfink aboot dis…sitcheeyation.  Now unless choor going to stand dere all zee day, I suggests ve make our vay to the, em, east.”25

“Why the east?  Earstine, you’re not making any sense!”  Neggi caught up to Earstine but as he did so, Earstine hopped onto his feet and was, for once, right side up.26

“Git ready to vly, boy!  Ve go by zee air!”  With this, Earstine ran a few feet forward and jumped into the air, his little wings flapping wildly.27

Neggi’s shoulders dropped and he rolled his eyes as he too took flight.28

Neggi looked back to see where they had been.  It was replaced by a hole and Beexo’s screeching unhappily.29

*****30

“OK,” Neggi replied as he watched Earstine put on his cloak.  “Where are we going?  Explain yourself.”31

Earstine closed his eyes and started to quote an ancient manuscript from memory.32

“Zee vay is eazt,33

Behind zee beazt.34

Now turn southeazt,35

Sixty pacez each.36

Now approach zee vaterhole,37

It controlz zee mind and zoul.38

Ztay too longz, loze control,39

Beware zee hungry’z troll.40

Beyond ziz, below a tree,41

On zee border of ziz country.42

Ziz be vhere your journey43

Leads, it’z iz Loctzee.44

Under zee tree trunk,45

Zee land haz zunk,46

Iz vhere’z zee Beexo’z bunk,47

Amongz zee gunk…but allz drunk!”48

“What?  As if I wasn’t confused enough all ready!” Neggi complained angrily.49

“It’z iz dirvections!” Earstine screamed, his eyes bulging out more than ever.  “If youz vould only listenz to me for once in choor life.  It uzed to be only a zchool poem, meant for  one poopil to memvorize!  But I’z looked harder, em, to find it’z real menings.  Don’t choo zee?  It leadz rightz to zee Beexo’z zity openink!”50

A new light seemed to shine in Neggi’s eyes.  He now understood why they were heading away from where Lyzbeam had been captured.51

“Lead on, Earstine.  Where does the poem tell us to go?”52

“Zat’z more likez it!  First, ve must find zee beast!  Lucklyz, I already knowz vhere it iz!”53

*****54

Lyzbeam suddenly noticed her real surroundings.  The hallucinogen formula had finally worn off helping her to realize the odd, green luminescent eyes about her.55

Startled, Lyzbeam shot up and spread her wings out like Neggi had done.  The small creatures that surrounded the flat-topped boulder, which she was standing on, ranted and chortled.  They obviously didn’t fear her.56

Yet Lyzbeam was afraid of them.  Even though they were only three feet in height, their chattering, insane music, and daunting antics were intimidating.  Lyzbeam wished she could fight like Neggi.57

/Wait!  I wish I could fight like…that’s it!/ Lyzbeam remembered her claws that Earstine had made and put on her wings.58

“Now choo can fight all zee vay to, em, to zee Tree of Mifflin!” Lyzbeam recalled what Earstine had told her.  But how can these claws help me to fight?59

As Lyzbeam was thinking, two Beexo’s crawled up beside her and sat down on each side.  They were two feet tall and only babes.60

“Mesa Lopco.  Thissa sista, Traita.  Wesa twinsa.”  Unlike the adults, these two Beexo’s were less intimidating and had soft, turquoise eyes,  Their black and white-tipped fur had not come in yet.  Instead it was a light chocolate brown.61

“Mesa no eatsa yous likes our masas and papas.  Wesas thinks yous too prettys tosa eatsas!” Traita spoke this time.62

They want to eat me?  Oh dear!  I wish Neggi and Earstine were here!  Lyzbeam’s hope died away.  She could never get out of this noisy cave alive.63

Lopco and Traita shimmied down the boulder and ran away to whom Lyzbeam thought were their parents.  They whispered some things in their parents’ ears and the father held up his hands for silence.64

“Ours childrens have mades a requesta!  Theysa wishes tosa nots eats ours prisonera!  Insteadsa theys wants it’s for a petsa!  Do yous agrees!”  Lyzbeam quickly caught onto their way of talking and made a mental note.65

There were scattered mumbles and “nosas” through the cavern when the mother spoke.  “Sosa bes it!  The prisonera gets tosa bea withs our childrens!  Continues tosa feasts!”  66

The music came on again which was just a lot of randomly beaten drums and clanging of metal against metal; once in a while a flute could be heard.67

Lopco and Traita scurried towards her again and sat next to her.  Traita held her hand.68

“Wesa goings tosa bea besta friendsa!” Traita replied excitedly.  Lyzbeam sighed.  Looked like she wasn’t going to be served on a platter…today.69

*****70

Neggi and Earstine didn’t have far to go.  ‘The beast’ that Earstine was referring to was a gigantic limestone mountain that took the shape of a dragon’s skull.71

“Zere it iz, em, zee beazt!”  Earstine landed down at the base of the mountain.  Neggi followed, beating his long wings slowly for landing.72

“So, this covers the first part of the poem.  What next?”73

“Time and patience, dear boy.  Stuv likez zis takez lotz of thoughtz!74

Zee vay is east, 75

Behind zee beast.76

Now turn southeazt,77

Sixty pazez each!78

“So it vants uz to turn southeast?  So be itz!”  Earstine turned and face southeast and began to walk, counting the steps.79

“What are you doing now?”80

Earstine rolled his eyes, and fire started to form in his throat.  He whirled around and shot a fireball wreathed in blue and white flames towards Neggi’s unprotected body.81

Neggi ducked just in time surprised that Earstine’s usual hard temper was broken.82

“What---”83

“Don’t vhat me!  I have ben tryink to helpz choo butz choo don’t listen to one think I zay!”  Earstine flew up to Neggi’s face so they were at eye level with each other.84

“Zo!  If’n choor ready to listen, show me!”  Earstine returned to standing on his hands and he took off is cape.  “Now I’z lozt count!”85

Neggi shut his mouth and followed Earstine who was counting each step he took.86

“Tventy-vone…tventy-too…tventy-vree…tventy-fore…”87

*****88

Traita and Lopco led Lyzbeam down a slimy, mildew stricken hallway that was only lit by a burning torch every few yards.  Lyzbeam soon figured out that these creatures liked the dark.89

“Followsa usa, friendsa!” Traita said as she pulled her down the passage, firmly grasping Lyzbeam’s hand.90

“Yousa likes our rooma.  It’sa cozys!”  Lopco held an extra, small torch and independently led the way.91

The long passage opened up into a dimly lit corridor.  A bunk bed, made with a wooden frame and that had hay for a mattress, stood against the far cave wall.  Tree roots came down out of the ceiling and went beneath the floor again.92

“Thisa bea yours beda, friendsa!”  Traita led Lyzbeam over to a heap of hay that lay underneath a thick, sturdy root.93

“Thisa bea our favorits rootsa to hangs froma!” Lopco chimed in.  “Yous cana plays withsa us!”94

“Buts firsta, we’s musta makea wingsa biggers!”  Traita hopped up the thick root above lyzbeam’s head and disappeared into a dark hole.  Clattering and glass bottles being bumped together could be heard.  Traita returned with an old perfume bottle filled with a clear liquid.95

“Drinks thisa!” Lopco suggested as Traita handed the bottle casually over to Lyzbeam.96

Lyzbeam, not wanting to disappoint the youngsters, uncorked the glass bottle and brought the opening to her lips.97

The clear liquid was gooey and stuck to the back of her throat.  Yet the concoction seemed to give her an odd warmth.  The warmth spread throughout her body, but the tingling went specifically to her wings.98

Suddenly, sparks of blue, yellow, and red began to burst about her.  Lyzbeam then realized that she was supernaturally lifted off the ground.99

It took all of Lyzbeam’s thought to make sure she didn’t pass out.  The spinning had made her nauseous, and even now she could feel the air beneath her body lift.100

Lyzbeam slowly but gently floated down to her hay bed breathing heavily.  She could feel an increasing pain in her back and wings.  Her eyes were heavy but she strove to stay awake.101

Everything around her was becoming clearer.  The bunk bed, the dim torches, the root, and the two small brown faces of Lopco and Traita.102

Lopco approached Lyzbeam and put a drop of cold rainwater in her half-closed mouth.  Lyzbeam swallowed and for some odd reason didn’t feel drowsy anymore.  She gradually sat up, rubbing her aching back.  Lopco and Traita were smiling like Cheshire cats and Traita took hold of Lyzbeam’s shaking hand once more.103

“What happened?” Lyzbeam managed to ask the babes.  But they did not answer her.  Instead, they lead Lyzbeam over to an antique, chipped, and cracked mirror.104

“What are you guys…Oh my goodness!”105