The young Prince Caleng had grown into a strikingly handsome
young man. At twelve he was a rambunctious stripling. Keep
in mind that years of the faerie realm should in no way be
confused with human years. Nor should they be compared to, as
it is hard to determine just how much actual human time had
passed since the chaotic duel between wizards. Either way the
young Prince was but a child. His emerald eyes radiated against
his pale, milky face and sandy brown hair. He seemed rather
fragile due to his lanky appearance. Prince Caleng had grown up
in the care of others, lonely, yet loved by all. But his
brilliant eyes sparkled deceivingly. It was obvious the young
Prince was hiding something. Something hidden deep within his
heart, something that no one knew of, not even his estranged
father, King Perret.
But, setting all aside Caleng abandoned his inner most
secrets and gleefully zoomed through the narrow dim lit corridors
of Brzden castle. His wings fluttered behind him at a high speed
while rounding a corner. Boldly the upper half of his body came
dangerously close to the serrated bricks of the corridor wall.
Flushed his pointy ears laid back, as his chest daringly skimmed
past the wall again and only by an inch.
Though just as he arched, aiming towards the center of the
corridor, unfortunately his left foot didn’t quite make it. It
dragged slightly scraping the surface of the cold stone masonry
sending him rolling in mid air and out of control.
Like a distressed jet plane on a runway, one bounce, two
bounces, a spin for what seemed an eternity, then finally he plowed
into the dirt floor and skidded to a complete stop just one foot
away from a chamber door. Covered in dirt, his head lifted. His eyes
narrowed and his straight nose protruded out from his dirt-covered
face at a sharp angle. With excitement, a wide grin displayed a full
set of pristine white teeth! He laughed a hearty laugh, as he stood
up and dusted himself.
Meanwhile, in a tower chamber, a tattered black dress hem
slithered across the floor led by a pair of worn out black shoes.
Suddenly an empty tin cup fell to the floor with a clang then bounced
and rolled away.
“I said just a moment!” a raspy voice bellowed.
On the other side of the room, on a wobbly wooden perch, bounced
a black crow named Hollorbab, and the tin cup in the air was spiraling
back towards him at a high speed. He ducked. The cup flew past.
Hollorbab’s head lifted, “ha, ha you missed!”
Just then the tin cup ricocheted off the wall and hit him from
behind.
“Aaarghh!” he screamed.
A wicked cackling boomed back.
“You tried to kill me!”
A brimless, dust covered black conical lifted and Jwbrylla’s eyes
gleamed a wicked flare momentarily.
Hollorbab in a change of heart, “I’m sorry.” Terrified he flapped
his wings.
Jwbrylla gave a quick glance back to the small black cauldron held
inside a sparkling gold fairy ring. “Stop that nonsense already.”
He retorted with a short squawk.
“I’ve wasted enough time on you today.” She shooed him away and in a
blink the cranky old elfin witch returned to her spell in progress.
Jwbrylla was known as the wise woman of the court, it was rumored
that she was older than all the elves. But the one rumor that stuck with
her the most was that of a plain cranky, stubborn old witch.
“An eye of newt,” she quickly tossed it into the boiling cauldron. “A
drop of morning dew...” she lifted a vial and turning it over, a drop
ka-plunked into the mixture. “A pat of butter.” She repeatedly tapped a
wooden spoon on the cauldrons rim and the slab slid off and into the
bubbly liquid. With a wicked cackling she stirred the boiling brew.
“It stinks! It stinks!” Hollorbab squawked.
“Silence you useless bird,” she shouted as she continued with the spell.
“Silken threads,” her fingers flicked a medium sized spider web into the
smoking cauldron.
Hollorbab flapped his wings frantically, as if sensing something
terrible was about to happen.
Jwbrylla dipped a finger and tasted the potion. Instantly her nose
turned up. “Something’s missing?” her eyes downcast and within seconds her
face crinkled, while her eyes wildly searched the table. Her hands
strategically moved jars around like a well-played game of chess. “Now where
are those boar teeth?” She froze pondering a moment, while a long black
crooked nail scratched at the side of her brow. “Hollorbab have you...” but
before she could finish— abruptly the sound of desperately batting wings
interrupted.
“Nope –nope. I’d be lying! I’d be lying!” Hollorbab quickly squawked
hopping from one side of the perch to the other.
Jwbrylla’s head shot up. “Where are they?”
“Err. Err.”
“Well c’mon spit it out!”
“Err. You see...”
“Of course, I should have known,” she oozed then arched a brow, “and when
did he come for them?”
“Huh?” Hollorbab squirmed. “Of course not!” he squealed. “Did I say
something?”
Jwbrylla’s eyes were intimidating. An audible gulp from Hollorbab
announced his fear as she moved towards him. He quickly took flight and
shot out through an open window.
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