Starfall Read online

  The feelings didn't really seem to be affecting Blink – perhaps he had too much light within himself to think on dark things, she thought. It must be nice to always feel that way. Her own management of the feelings certainly must have had something to do with the special energy he seemed to be giving her.

  She noted Henrick's pained expression again and wondered if there was something more spurring on his feelings than the hopelessness and darkness lingering in the air. She felt the urge to talk to him about such things, but her pride wouldn't allow it.

  The trio continued to trudge along in the desolate landscape, lost in their own thoughts, sometimes stumbling on pieces of rotten vegetation. The vegetation soon gave way to dusty black earth and eventually, vacant trails, void of plant and animal life.

  Then came the shrill voices.

  “The last of those beastly, nasty butterflies will be ensnared if they come near our mountains!” one voice growled. “What great and wicked slaves they are!”

  “Yes, yes! They will ALL one day become our vessels of destruction,” another voice sneered. “Just like those disgusting Eugladians!”

  There was an evil laugh. “That will be a fine day! I look forward to it!”

  The voices echoed out from a cave that sat ahead to the right. Not speaking to one another, Radianne and Henrick came to a stop and listened.

  “All in due time!” an angrier voice bellowed. “Now GET BACK TO WORK!”

  Grumbling followed, as well as a scuffling noise and a terrific crash, and then there were stomping feet, as if a giant herd of animals were fast approaching.

  Henrick and Radianne looked at each other with terror in their eyes, both thinking the same thing. Time to go – quickly!

  “Hurry!” Radianne grabbed Henrick's hand without thinking, and they ran full speed ahead past the cave, Blink once again attached to her hair.

  Kicking up clouds of black dust as they fled, they ran down one of the long and snaking trails and headed toward a thicket of decaying trees that would provide adequate shelter for the time being.

  That is, if there were no Snorgs lurking about in the shadows.

  No sooner had Henrick and Radianne found safety in the cover of the trees than five ugly Snorgs emerged from the cave. The dark-haired, giant lumbering creatures wore scraps of brown leather over their bumpy, prickly bodies. Even from the distance, their stench was nauseating.

  The fiends each held two squawking chickens in their hands. They narrowed their soulless black beady eyes at the birds as they walked.

  “Stop your yapping!” one Snorg growled, shaking a chicken. “It will do no good. You're done for. ”

  Peering out from the shadows, Radianne swallowed nervously and watched as the Snorgs approached the steaming black lake. It was difficult to see exactly what was happening from her vantage point, but it was obvious the chickens were intended to be a meal for whatever lived in the bubbling sludge.

  Henrick clenched his fists in anger as the scene unfolded; Blink stared with horror etched across his face.

  “What sort of creatures are these?!” he exclaimed.

  “These are those Snorgs I told you about,” Radianne whispered.

  As the trolls came to a halt on the bank of the lake, they shouted out something unintelligible. A few moments later, the black water began boiling and smoking, and a two-headed fire crocodile the size of a Thunderfoot surfaced. Smoke flared from its nostrils and it let out a shrill scream.

  Radianne bit her lip to keep from screaming herself. The beast was hideous. It snapped its massive jaws against the air, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth. Angrily, it turned both its heads toward the Snorgs, staring them down with four bulging, yellow eyes.

  “Here you go Morga! More chickens to feed your belly,” one of the Snorgs shouted as it tossed two chickens into the air.

  The poultry were promptly scorched as blasts of flames shot out from the creature's two mouths, instantly cooking its dinner. The enormous jaws snapped shut around the birds and swallowed them in one gulp.

  Radianne couldn't believe her eyes. A fire-breathing, two-headed crocodile! She wondered where the thing came from. The sight was terrifying.

  “Here's more!” a second Snorg shrieked. Feathers flew as the next group of poor, unfortunate chickens were tossed up to their violent and fiery fates.

  After the Snorgs fed the chickens to the beast, they stood watching and laughing as the creature slunk back into the blackness. Then they turned and walked back to the cave. They had almost all but disappeared when one fiend paused and looked toward the trees where the trio hid. It sniffed the air.

  “Get down!” Radianne said quickly.

  She and Henrick squatted and peered through the dark foliage, waiting to see what the troll would do.

  It took a few steps down the dusty pathway and and sniffed the air, pausing again.

  Holding her breath, Radianne prayed to The Creator that the creature would turn and return to where it came from. After what seemed like an eternity, the Snorg grunted and retreated, disappearing into the black abyss of the cave.

  “That was close!” Breathing a sigh of relief, Radianne stood. She turned to look at Henrick. His eyes were full of rage – and, curiously, what seemed to be grief as well. He stared at the lake, transfixed.

  Radianne knew in that moment that Henrick's anger and sadness were influenced by much more than the bleakness of the land and the fact that the unfortunate chickens had been sacrificed in such a violent manner.

  It was something personal.

  Tension was rife in his body. Her eyes trailed down to his hands, one of which was curled tightly around a wicked looking curved dagger.

  “Where did you get that?” she demanded, taken aback. Had she known he had been carrying such a nasty looking weapon, she may have really put her foot down at his traveling with them.

  Then again, if she was being honest with herself, she was glad – and a little envious – he had the dagger. She felt a little relieved. Though she would feel even more comfortable with her own weapon…

  “Never mind that now,” Henrick muttered. “There are much more pertinent matters to worry about.”

  “Poor little creatures.” Blink shook his head sadly, shaken up by the fate that had befallen the chickens. “I've never witnessed such an awful thing in all my life.”

  Radianne patted and comforted her friend. Stars were such innocent creatures, she was quickly learning. It was a shame his innocence was being ruined in her world. She only hoped his light was strong enough to carry him through all the negative moments.

  “Yes, poor chickens,” said Henrick, narrowing his eyes. “Yet, that creature has also had many other victims. And it is spawning children in the water with a mate as well, no doubt.”

  He faced Radianne and Blink. “The Snorgs have to appease the beast or it won't bend to their will. It and its offspring are going to join their army of dark warriors and mind-warped slaves one day in the very near future. May The Creator help us when that day comes… and who knows how many more of these creatures exist.”

  “How do you know so much about such things?” Radianne questioned, raising an eyebrow. She knew Wanderers did tend to live secret lives and probably could spy and collect a good deal of information, but she was curious.

  “Some things are better off not mentioning, at least not for now.”

  Henrick didn't make eye contact as he said the words; only continued to stare at the lake with hatred in his eyes. After a moment, he turned away.

  Though Radianne was not satisfied with his answer, she decided to leave the subject alone. For the moment. As he hadn't known her that long, she knew she couldn't expect an instant explanation when it came to his apparent strong emotions. He didn't owe her that.

  Confused by how quickly her feelings toward him fluctuated, she patted Blink. The gesture comforted them both. The electric hum instantly ran up her arm and filled her with warmth. She relaxed a little.

  As soon as
it was safe, the trio came out of hiding, scanning all directions to make sure there were no Snorgs wandering about.

  Radianne continued to fight the battle within herself as they walked, the desolate ambiance of the place relentlessly trying to defeat her own spirit. Shadows and sadness lingered in Henrick's eyes, which didn't help things.

  The ugliness of the land didn't change. Bleak and despairing scenery loomed up at every turn, around every corner. It was as if the life and soul of the world had been sucked away.

  It was a place, Radianne thought, that seemed without The Creator's touch. As if it had been forsaken and left to the darkness.

  Much to her surprise, by nightfall, they arrived at the edge of the center. There were no Snorgs in sight and they had miraculously escaped an encounter.

  “We should find shelter, quickly, before Blink's light attracts unwanted attention,” Henrick said, as the star's first soft glow began to light up the early evening.

  They decided on a small cave – one they thoroughly checked out for Snorgs before entering – and noted how fitting it was that the cave was so much more foreboding than the last one they had spent the night in.

  Ugly and bleak seemed to be the theme of the land. There was a sort of blackened fungus growing on the interior walls, and a foul stench filled the cavern air. Blink's soft glow filled up the cave and the flickering condition that he'd previously experienced thankfully did not return.

  Radianne supposed Snorgs had spent some time in it not too long ago. Shuddering, she knew there were few additional options, they had to spend the night somewhere, but she didn't like the nearness of their newest quarters to the enemy.

  Henrick turned his glo-worm light on for awhile, but when the bouncing shadows made the night seem even more eerie and unsettling, he shut it off.

  Radianne watched Blink as he rested in her arms. She reminded herself of the real reason for her journey.

  Yet… the doubts crept in. What if she failed in her quest? Her heart sank. What if she let her new friend down? She fought against the negative thoughts as she closed her eyes.

  They all had difficulty sleeping that night.

  At the first rays of morning light, they were up and eager to move on. They finished crossing the center of Eustasia in a day, without encountering another Snorg. Several more uneventful days were spent in a somewhat healthier looking part of Eustasia. The excitement returned when they came across a lovely river which proved valuable for bathing and filling up the water flask. The shadowed mood and atmosphere began to lift.

  It was time to leave Eustasia behind.

  -10-

  Sandalia

  T

  he food ran out the day they crossed into Sandalia – a land of palm trees, sand, and a beautiful clear ocean that stretched on for miles. Radianne felt her spirits rise up completely again, being away from Eustasia, even if the food supply was gone.

  “Things do change quite often in the Nether Lands!” she exclaimed with wonder as she watched a bunch of white sea birds squawk and dart into the nearby ocean, splashing around as they hunted for fish.

  “This doesn't look like such a bad land, Henrick,” she said pointedly, as she took in the sweeping, lovely views of the sea. She turned to her companion. “What about those giant crabs you mentioned before?”

  “Well wait until you meet one of those giant Hermits,” he shot back teasingly, with a raised eyebrow. His spirits had also seemed to improve. “You'll not mock me then.”

  As the sun rose high in the sky and the day grew hot, Radianne ran along the beach, kicking up the sand as she went. The run took her back to her younger days, when the charms of Eugladia had been enough for her. When her family had been enough. Back then, her land had seemed to have its own special magic. Everything about her world had seemed interesting in her youth. She smiled and thought of her family as she sifted through the memories.

  As she recalled one glorious day spent with her mother picking wildflowers, she wondered when it had all changed.

  Discovering new lands and experiences seemed the only thing that would make her happy now.

  Would her world ever be the same again? How could she go back to the life she'd lived before? It would seem so boring compared to this… it would seem so unbearable compared to this.

  She stretched out her arms and came to a stop. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the feeling of the warm breeze across her face. She opened her eyes and glanced down at Blink, who smiled up at her as he hopped along by her side. She smiled back.

  Radianne vowed that after she helped her new friend return to his rightful place in the world, her own journeys would not come to an end.

  The adventures were only just beginning.

  Maybe she'd become a Wanderer, like Henrick, she thought. Though she still wasn't quite certain of all that a Wanderer was, and, admittedly, she'd criticized him a bit unfairly for having the title. She for one would have to visit her family from time to time…

  She wondered how many female Wanderers there were… and if Henrick had befriended any of them. Turning her head, she looked at him then.

  He stood a distance away, watching her and Blink walk along the shoreline. His hair blew in the breeze and her heart skipped a beat as she could not help but notice how handsome he looked standing there in the sunlight. How wild and free…

  She knew she shouldn't be worried about him, his occupation, or become overly concerned with what he was thinking or doing. Because after all, this was her newfound freedom and adventure. And after all this was over – or maybe even sooner – they'd part ways. This was her time. What she had been searching for. No more simple days in Eugladia, with the same boring routine day after day. Now she had the chance to become something more.

  A rush of energy suddenly flowed through her body. Embracing the feeling, she took off running again, nearly leaping into the air, heading straight for the rolling waves of the ocean. Crashing through the cool water, she enjoyed the feel of the spray hitting her legs.

  She suddenly thought of Pearl, the mermaid she'd met in Eugladia, and wondered if she would meet one of her ocean sisters. Her fingers trailed along the necklace the lake mermaid had given her and she wished Pearl could be there with her to experience the joys of this particular ocean firsthand. The sea back home was not nearly as beautiful Sandalia's. Pearl would love it…

  As Radianne touched the pearls, the waves seemed to suddenly come to life. The water curled up and swirled around her knees in caressing tendrils, as if they were the hands of the ocean itself.

  How uncanny, she thought. It was as if the necklace were somehow connected to the flow of waves.

  She dived under the salty water and surfaced, not caring that her clothes were thoroughly drenched. Shaking her wet hair out of her eyes and licking the salty water from her lips, she guiltily searched the shoreline for Blink. Her emotions had overtaken her.

  She knew she shouldn't have left him just standing there on the shore, as he seemed to have an aversion to water. But then, there he was.

  Henrick stood at his side and she waved.

  “Why don't you come in? The water's great!” she shouted.

  Henrick shook his head and frowned at her. Blink followed suit.

  Radianne thought she was being nice to extend the invitation – and she had thought Henrick's mood had improved, but maybe she was mistaken. It was difficult to understand his feelings.

  Shrugging off his downtrodden demeanor for the moment, she went back to swimming. When her limbs grew weary of working through the waves, she trudged back to shore and plopped down on the sand next to Blink. He inched out of reach as the droplets of water fell from her skin.

  “That,” she said breathlessly, wringing the salt water from her clothes and hair, taking note to do it away from her friend, “was amazing.”

  “I'm sure.” Henrick rolled his eyes.

  Radianne didn't like his attitude. “What's wrong with you?” she demanded.

  “Nothing.”
Henrick averted his eyes and set his mouth in a scowl.

  Blink said nothing. The interaction of the Eugladians confused him.

  After some time, Radianne stood up. She didn't want to be part of Henrick's negativity at the moment and decided she needed time away from him.

  “I'm hungry. I'm going to find food,” she announced. She turned to her star friend. “Blink, do you want to come with me?”

  Blink, suddenly torn between his two companions, shrugged – at least, as much as a star could shrug. He sensed something was wrong with Henrick, and, kind soul that he was, chose to stay by his side.

  “OK, well, I'll be back soon,” Radianne said. She turned on her heel and walked down the beach.

  **************

  “She is quite a strange girl, you know that?”

  Blink was nonchalant at Henrick's words. “I don't know much about girls,” he admitted. “But I do know she's my friend. And she rescued me. That's all that really matters, right?”

  Henrick smiled a small smile. Personally, he was starting to think Radianne was a little selfish and was too focused on 'having an adventure' and oblivious to dangers and maybe even reality sometimes. But he also knew she had lived a pretty sheltered life and was inexperienced in the ways of the world. That explained a lot about how excited and naive she was.

  On the other hand, he had to admit, she did seem kind too and she evidently did care for the star. Blink was right about that. Friendship did matter. Such things in life did count for something, though they were things Henrick himself knew very little about.

  He stood and hoisted Blink onto his shoulder. It probably would be best to trail Radianne, even though he was still feeling drained from the soul-sucking experience in Eustasia. Despite the fact the victims were only chickens, it was a cruel reminder. As time went on he tried to put on a happy face, but it was not working. The memories were fresh.

  “Let's go make sure she doesn't get into trouble,” he mumbled to Blink.

  **************