Immortal (9 page)

“You did! And it
is
bigger than mine! Good job, Jasper!”

After they ate their fish, it was getting dark. Staysia was propped up against Isis and Jasper was lying on a Nero flower.

“Staysia,” Jasper began.

“Yeah?” Staysia stared at the sky.

“What do you plan on accomplishing by doing away with the murderer of your parents?” he asked.

“Jasper!” She sat up and pulled the tooth out of her bag and held it up. “I am doing what they want me to do for them. This tooth was left behind for a reason! I must get revenge for them!”

“I’m just saying, Staysia, it’s not going to bring them back!”

“It will not, Jasper, but it is what they want me to do. Besides, he deserves death for what he did to them! They did nothing to him!” Tears began to well in her eyes.

“It won’t take the pain away,” Jasper said.

Staysia buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

“Now look what I’ve done! I’ve made you cry.” Jasper hobbled over to her and sat next to her. “I just want you to be sure that this is what you want to do.”

“Well, it is!”

“That is fine then, Staysia! It is up to you.” He rubbed her back. “Please don’t cry.”

Staysia lifted her head and wiped her tears. “I’m fine.” She laid her head back on Isis and stared at the star filled sky. “You know, I went camping with my parents many times. My father—” she paused and laughed. “My father would always tell us stories of his travels and the troubles he had encountered, but somehow, he always made it through. That’s what keeps me going. I know I can get through anything that comes my way. You should think that way, Jasper. You are a lot stronger than you think you are.”

“Tell me one of his stories, Staysia.”

“You want to hear one of his stories? Okay, I will tell you one. Let me see here.” She put a finger on her chin. “Okay, I got one! The night was dark and stormy. My father Warrick, rode upon his black unicorn through the dark forest,” she began.

“Black unicorn?” Jasper asked.

“Yes, haven’t you ever seen one before?”

“Never.”

“Well, his was black. He rode through the dark forest. He was headed for Misho Island. He was on a quest to save the people of the island from a Sea monster. The monster was making the island quake. My father had the power to defeat it, and the people of Misho Island were awaiting him. My father Warrick, was the only one who had the Sword of Drake. Drake had lived on Misho Island centuries ago. Drake had defeated the Sea monster called Shiime years and years before. My father had found his sword in a cave.

When he found the sword, the sea whirled around in circles and the Sea monsters wailed in fear. The sword had been dead until my father found it. It came to life again on the night he found it. The people of Misho were awaiting my father—”

“You already said that, Staysia.”

“Hush, Jasper. The people of Misho awaited him, knowing he was their only hope. They stayed inside their homes, where they felt it was safe. When the monster growled, they would hear the fish men and woman screaming. The whales sang deep inside the ocean. The island critters scattered about, and crashed into the walls of their caves, fell out of their trees, and scurried into their holes. The Sea monster’s growl stung the ears of the people of Misho Island. When morning came, the restless residents would open their eyes knowing not that morning had come. The shadow cast by the monster left the island in total darkness. My father Warrick, was nearing Misho when he heard the Sea monster’s roar echoing over the ocean. A boat had been left for him on the shore, he boarded it, and made his way towards Misho. He paddled his way to the island knowing the monster could peer out of the ocean and show its ugly head at any moment. He was ready for this occurrence, but he happened not to cross the face of the monster as he sailed to the island. All was still and all was quiet from the time he stepped onto the boat to the time he arrived at Misho. “Warrick!” the people screamed in relief at the sight of him. My father hushed them and instructed them back inside their homes. The safety of the people was most important to him. He would journey on his own to a cave near the ocean, where he would stake out the ocean and await the monster. Guess what he found when he hid himself inside a cave, Jasper?”

“Tell me Staysia,” Jasper said anxiously.

“What he found inside the dark cave were Sea trolls. There were a number of them, Jasper, and they weren’t exactly thrilled with the presence of my father. They told him to flee from their cave. Do you know what my father did, Jasper?” Staysia laughed briefly. “My father simply showed them his sword and they ran off screaming. He laughed to himself as the little trolls fled the cave.”

“Humans,” Jasper snorted.

“As he awaited the monster he could feel someone looking over his shoulder, someone breathing down his back. He turned to see who this someone might be. You know who it was?”

Jasper shook his head fiercely.

“It was a troll. This certain troll was called Greywacke. My father turned to face the troll. The two of them stared at one another, eye to eye. My father’s hand clutched around his sword, the troll’s hand clutched a trident. They were squinting their eyes at one another and walking around in a circle, staring one another down, when the Sea monster rose from the sea. The monster’s shadow cast over the cave and over the entire island. It was too dark for my father to see, too dark for Greywacke to see. My father turned to face the direction of the hideous monster and held his sword out high in the air. When he did this, the sword lit the cave. A bluish glow outlined the sword.

Warrick and Greywacke could now see the creature. Greywacke was quite a brave little troll. He did not go deeper inside the cave to hide. He did not tremble or cover his face in fear. He stood and faced the monster along with my father. The Sea monster became afraid, for he knew it was my father who carried the Sword of Drake. The monster began to tremble in fear. He swung his tail around and held it in his grasp. His lip began to quiver and he began to cry.

“Why is it that you are harassing the people of Misho Island, Sea monster?” my father asked the monstrous creature.

The Sea monster sniffled and hung his head. “I do not mean the people any harm! For I have grown too large,” said the Sea monster as he frowned. “I cannot catch food for myself. I cannot go from one end of the sea to the other without waking the people and causing a great ruckus. If I wouldn’t have grown so large, the people could look upon me with great awe and wonder. They wouldn’t wish me gone or curse the sea below them. I used to have a great time underneath the sea. I’d frolic here and there, and everywhere. Now, I have grown much too large in size. Could you tell the people that I am sorry for what I have done?”

My father felt bad for the Sea monster. Though he was very intimidating to look upon, the Sea monster had a heart of gold, and my father knew he had to help him out of the mess he was in. “Come closer,” he instructed. The Sea monster bent his long neck and held his head up, looking upon them inside the cave. His breath smelled of something awful. My father and Greywacke held their noses and turned their heads away from him. Finally, my father faced the monster. His eyes were a glowing red color. His teeth were as sharp as the sword my father carried. His nostrils were large and round. My father told me he remembered the creature to be green. Though his eyes were red, my father told me he could see a softer side of the Sea monster by looking into his eyes. That was the moment he made his decision. My father painted a picture in his mind of the monster frolicking about once again, and swimming from here to there. In my father’s mind he could see the people of Misho swimming with the creature and even allowing their own children to play with the creature. My father didn’t need to use the sword to slay him. You know what he did, Jasper?”

“What did he do, Staysia, What did he do?” Jasper asked her.

“Warrick ordered Greywacke to stand back. The brave little troll slowly crept away from Warrick, keeping an eye on the Sea monster, just in case something was to happen. The troll walked backwards with his hands out. Finally, he looked over his shoulder and sat on a rock that was behind him.

Warrick waved the sword in the air and wished the Sea monster a smaller size. And by the power of the sword, the Sea monster immediately shrunk to a more fitting size. The Sea monster was no larger than any of the other sea monsters who frolicked here and there at the bottom of the ocean. The people of Misho cheered and delighted my father with a warm meal and a glass of wine.

My father had painted the perfect picture in his head, because that is the exact picture that he looked upon when he traveled back to the island to visit. The Sea monster swam with the people and even the children of Misho Island. He frolicked from here to there, and romped at the bottom of the ocean without shaking the island above him. But that’s not all, the Sea monster was now the perfect size for the perfect female Sea monster. They had perfect children Sea monsters after that, and they all lived happily ever after.”

“The End?” Jasper asked.

“The End,” Staysia told him.

Jasper smiled as he looked up at the star filled night’s sky. “Your father was a good man, Staysia. He was a very good man.”

“Yes he was.”

With that, the two of them were out like lights for the night.

When morning arrived, Staysia stretched her arms and legs and turned to her side. She raised her arm and felt for Isis, who wasn’t there. When Staysia realized this, her eyes shot open. She spotted Barthesis asleep near a tree.

“Barthesis!” she called. The creeper smacked his lips and slowly opened his eyes. “Barthesis, have you seen Isis?” she asked him. She was now on her feet. “No, I haven’t seen Isis,” he answered briefly, and closed his eyes. “Ugh!” she said, obviously annoyed with the beast. “Of course you do not care!” she said as she threw her arms up and let them drop to her sides.

She turned and faced Jasper. She hurried over to him. She dropped to her knees and shook him. “Jasper, Jasper!”

Jasper opened his eyes and stared at her, trying to adjust his eyes and focus on her for a moment. “What is it, Staysia?” he asked, as he shot up from where he lay and hopped to his feet. He looked right and left and spread his arms and legs, doubled his fist as if he were getting ready to run.

“Isis is gone! She’s gone, Jasper!”

“No she’s not gone. She cannot be gone. We will find her!”

“Let’s look for her then. Come quick, let’s look for her!”

Jasper hobbled down the road. Staysia walked beside him. “Isis!” she called. “Isis, please!” She turned to speak to Jasper. “She wouldn’t do this. She would never just leave this way. She was taken, Jasper! She was taken during the night.”

“It is all my fault!” Jasper placed his palm on his forehead. “I should have stayed awake and watched out for thieves. Back home, we take turns watching for thieves and trespassers.”

“No, don’t you blame yourself. We all needed rest. We all desperately needed rest.”

“Isis!” she called again. She stared at the ground. She caught sight of her vial of red fairy dust that hung around her neck. A tear fell from her eye and dropped onto the vial. Staysia turned and looked down the road behind her. “Isis is gone! Gabriel is gone! I have lost them just as I have lost my parents. What was I thinking to ever come on this journey?” She turned and began to walk down the road. Jasper turned and took long strides to catch up with her. “Staysia, wait! You cannot just give up now!”

“Why not? It was you who told me that nothing would be gained from all of this anyhow. They aren’t coming back and now I have lost Isis as well!”

“I did tell you that they weren’t coming back, but still, you need to do this for yourself. I do realize that, Staysia. And I do not think you will be happy until you do.”

“Isis!” she called, before falling to her knees. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Jasper came up beside her and put his arm around her.

“There, there, princess!”

“I am no princess; I am a sorry excuse for a mortal!”

“Look Staysia!” Jasper pointed down the road at Gabriel’s horse, who galloped towards them. Staysia came to her feet and threw her arms around his neck as he galloped into her arms.

She wiped her tears. “Where is Gabriel?” She kissed him on the nose and rubbed his mane. “That’s a good boy,” she said. “We must find Isis,” she said to Jasper.

“There’s the Staysia I know,” Jasper replied.

“Isis!” her voice echoed. “Isis!” she called with all her might, turning around in a circle as she called.

“Staysia, we will find Isis and we will find Gabriel. Just give it some time. Let me get my buggy and Barthesis, and we will be on our way.” He did just that, and in a moment’s time they were riding down the road, back on track as planned.

“Keep an eye out for Isis,” Staysia said.

“I will definitely keep an eye out for her, Staysia. Who would have taken her?”

“I do not know,” she answered. She thought of the immortal.

Jasper noticed she was hiding something from him by the look on her face.  

“Staysia, you are sure you do not know?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“The look in your eyes tells me you haven’t told me everything.”