III. The Mudpearls (Chapter Two)
Your body feels warm, but not from the fireplace, where the wood gently crackles and pops. The warmth comes from inside you. As you and Burt become glued to the crochet couch, the hieroglyphics on the walls begin to move. These symbols aren’t scattered randomly throughout the cottage; they tell a story. As you stare at the iconography across the walls, trees and plants begin overtaking everything around you. Is this the Eastern Forest? As the moments pass, the images you were studying become reality, and you find yourself a part of the very story you were just reading.
It’s early in the morning, just before dawn, and the forest seems enraptured by the chorus of ribbiting frogs and chirping crickets. The air is warm and full of moisture, collecting along the top of your brow. Trees and marshland are all you can see around you. A dimly lit cabin in the mist can be seen in the distance. Three whiskers in green cloaks exit the cabin with lanterns and head toward a trail leading farther into the marsh. You call out to them, but they ignore you, so you begin to follow them out of curiosity.
“Darius, you are walking too fast!” one of the whiskers shouts as she tries to catch up.
“We must hurry, Leila. This is the peak hour for harvesting,” Darius replies.
You continue following them closely, wondering what they are harvesting. The trail quickly dissipates, and the journey becomes more of a trudge through shallow waters filled with reeds and lily pads. The three whiskers move soundlessly through the water and grass alike. Suddenly, they stop near the edge of a much larger pool of water and crouch down. You crouch as well, not knowing why. The sun is beginning to brighten the sky, but it’s still hidden beyond the trees. You look around, waiting for something to happen. Then, little white dots of light appear, hovering just over the water. There must be thousands of them, flying around like butterflies. You watch one as it nears the group in front of you. Slowly, it drifts toward a stalk of reed and lands.
*Sssthp*
Out of nowhere, a giant tongue catches the little white light and swallows it whole. All the lights go out, but you can make out the tongue retracting to a well-camouflaged frog. The whisker named Darius blows a dart in the frog's direction, killing it instantly. He walks over and lifts up its head. The frog is much larger than you anticipated. It is about the size of a whisker, and Darius struggles to hold it up.
“Nice shot, Darius,” one of the whiskers whispers.
Darius opens the frog's mouth, pulls out the little light that the frog just ate, and examines it.
“Perfect. Here’s to the first mudpearl of the morning.” Darius says, trying not to be too loud. “Your turn, Leila.”
“That’s so gross!” Leila shouts.
“Shhh,” the other whisker says.
“Sorry, Reza,” Leila whispers. “How does that turn into a mudpearl? It was just flying around.”
“The flickerbugs collect nectar from the moonbow flowers that bloom at night. When the sky brightens, so do the flies,” Darius says.
“But that doesn’t explain why you had to kill that monstrous frog,” Leila replies.
“The frog’s stomach holds acids that immediately solidify the nectar. If the nectar stays in there too long, the pearl dissipates. It’s all about timing,” Darius explains.
They crouch in silence, waiting for the lights to return. After a few minutes, the lights reappear, and the hunt begins anew.
The sun has risen higher in the sky. Reza blows a dart, claiming another mudpearl from another frog. They cheer as the hunt comes to an end.
“It’s time to go. The sun is too high,” Darius says.
You begin to feel warm again, like you’re close to a fire. You find yourself dizzy and losing balance until you fall into the water. It swallows you up, as if the marsh itself were a frog and you a flickerbug. You reach for something to grab hold of, but find only nothingness as you are consumed by the enveloping darkness.
You awake in what seems to be a palace library. The chair you’ve been placed in is upright and wooden, almost like you were attending a meeting and dozed off. Sitting beside you are the three whiskers from the previous vision, but older, glaring at two other whiskers resting behind a grand desk with elaborate engravings.
“In the event of my death,” the whisker behind the desk reads, “the inheritance will be split equally among my three children. Darius, Leila, and Reza will all accept these terms without dispute and remain equal partners in the Mudpearl Luxury.”
“Not a chance!” Darius shouts.
“I’ve worked far harder than you, Darius!” Reza yells back.
“Without dispute!” the whisker yells from behind the desk. “You mustn’t quarrel amongst yourselves during this time of grief. How dare you mock your father’s will? The last thing we want is for the public to hear of this. You all have appearances to hold up.” He grits his teeth.
“Brothers, please. It’s okay. We will sort this out. I’m sure father had a reason for all of this,” Leila says in a subtle, sweet voice.
Darius and Reza storm out of the room one after the other. Leila stands up, apologizes to the other whiskers, and excuses her absence. You follow her as she leaves the library. She walks to the living room, where another whisker sits, reading a book.
“Darling, I’m sorry about the shouting. Although we will be receiving our third of the estate and business, I feel this may have caused a rift within our family,” Leila says as she sits beside her partner.
“No need to apologize, dear. I’m sure everything will be okay,” he says in a relaxed voice. “Your brothers are quite dim and will fizzle out like a fire lacking fuel.”
“There's no need to insult them now, Douglass.”
“Hmph. They’ll get what’s coming to them soon enough.”
You watch Douglass peer at Leila like prey, waiting to devour her at the right moment. His teeth are sharp, and his nose is long and pointed. His demeanor teems with mischievousness. You wonder how Leila put herself in such a position to be with such a vile whisker, although you know many elitists are betrothed to other royal families for political gain.
You walk closer to Douglass, perhaps to see if he’ll notice you. No use; you’re in a dream, and you can do nothing.
You begin to feel the warmth coming back to you. This time you fall through the rug on the floor, engulfed by the darkness once more.
You awaken to the smell of fresh roast and potatoes. The dimly lit dining hall has ceilings that tower so high you almost can’t see the top. Douglass sits at the head of a long wooden table with a fireplace behind him. Leila sits to his right, with two other place mats on the opposite side of the table. You notice she frequently touches her stomach, and after further observation, you realize she’s pregnant. The door to the hallway swings open.
“Well, look who decided to show up,” Douglass says mockingly.
“Douglass, please, they are my brothers,” Leila whispers.
“Why, I wouldn’t miss a chance to eat with my lovely brother-in-law,” Darius says incredulously.
“What’s so important that you couldn’t send in a letter?” Reza says.
“Please, Darius and Reza, I want us to be together again. There are no hard feelings,” Leila says, clutching her stomach.
“No hard feelings? Douglass almost ruined our relationships with every Windrosian bureaucrat,” Darius replies.
“And harvest season is near impossible with that damn heron!” Reza shouts.
“How’s the heron my fault?” Douglass asks.
“It’s… I’m solving it,” Reza replies.
A heron? You begin to think about the large heron that swooped to pick up the enormous whale carcass from the land bridge.
“Can we please stop? We are family!” Leila shouts. “I’m tired of arguing all the time. We used to enjoy each other. I remember my first mudpearl hunt with you all. We all got along. So please, for me and for father, let’s all sit and be nice to each other!”
Darius and Reza grunt, but still take their seats at the table in front of them. A large feast covers most of the table. Douglass grabs his glass of wine and raises it in the air.
“To the Mudpearls, may our differences be buried along with our egos, at least when at the dinner table. As a member of the family, I want to be surrounded by my brothers. You all mean more to me than you know,” Douglass sneers at them.
Darius, Reza, and Leila raise their glasses and cheer with Douglass. Darius drinks the whole glass to mock Douglass. Reza follows suit.
“If you’re family now, can you stop influencing the rebellion in Wisteria?” Darius says, looking at Douglass.
“I haven’t a clue what you're talking about,” Douglass replies.
“Douglass, what is he speaking of?” Leila asks. “King Lozendar is one of our best clients.”
“Douglass has been… *cough* … has been… *cough cough*.” Darius struggles to catch his breath and grabs his chest.
You sense something is wrong. You panic and run to help but you can’t do anything. You’re like a phantom, almost incorporeal. You watch as Leila rushes to the other side of the table, only to see Reza fall from his chair.
“Reza! Darius!” Leila cries out. “Douglass, call the guards!”
You run to the other side of the table to join Leila. She bends down to aid her brothers, but it’s no use. She lays her hand on Reza’s chest as tears stream down her face. Reza grabs her weakly and pulls her close.
“Protect… the… *cough* …clutch… of… *cough* … the hero-,” Reza says, barely getting the words out before falling limp.
You stand there, eyes wide, watching as Leila cries for her brothers, who lie lifeless on the floor of the dining hall. Douglass sits at the table, sticking a potato to his fork and pushing it into his mouth. The fire rages behind him in the fireplace.
“Douglass! You did this!” Leila cries out.
“Of course, I did this! Look at you! You weep for these idiots? They were holding us back! We now control one of the wealthiest empires in The Great Pond and you, you are the key to all of it. We will become more than your father ever imagined," Douglass exclaims as he stands tall.
“Douglass, we can’t live like this,” Leila cries.
“Your brothers lie in your dining hall, dead. You will inherit their portion of the company. You have no choice other than to accept it.”
The warmth returns to your body, and you try to grab onto the dining hall furniture in a futile attempt to prolong the vision, but you are fading quickly. You fall to your knees, and then through the floor again, back into nothingness.
*snap* *snap*
You wake up to find yourself back in the cottage. You turn to Burt, who immediately runs outside and begins to vomit.
“The journey can take a toll on the body…” Maeflorian says as she walks to the window to watch Burt, “...and the mind.”
You look at Soraya, who is crying with her hands covering her face. Maeflorian walks to her and pats her back.
“Some don’t always like what they see,” Maeflorian whispers. “Let’s walk outside and get some fresh air.” She opens the door.
You and Soraya agree and walk outside to meet Burt, who is still recovering.
“Did everyone go through all of that too?” Burt asks.
“Yes, Burt, they did,” Maeflorian confirms. “Now, let’s talk about it.”
You all begin to walk back to the brook. The day is just as it was when you arrived, although it seems like a year has passed. The fresh air does help.
“Your mother, Leila, came to me after you were born. She had completely left her duties for the company in search of what her brother, Reza, had told her in his dying breath,” Maeflorian says, looking at Soraya.
“So, what was it?” Burt asks.
“The clutch of the heron. An egg from Skullpicker’s grasp,” Maeflorian says.
You, Burt, and Soraya stop in shock.
“And my mother found it?” Soraya asks.
“That she did. However, she held it for over a season, and it never hatched. This is why she ran to the Northern Mountains in search of Andromodus. If she could see the prophecy come to fruition, perhaps the egg would hatch and fight for her. She could take back her company and settle the score. It was her way of taking back what had been taken from her,” Maeflorian says.
“Sheesh, she should have just divorced that guy, Douglass,” Burt says.