Starfall Read online

  In a stroke of luck, later in the day, they came across a crop of trees bearing plentiful coconuts. Radianne managed to shake a few down. She handed one to Henrick and smiled, pleased with herself.

  She didn't need him for everything, she thought.

  Though the journey into Sandalia had thus far been uneventful, it was during the middle of their meal that the huge Hermit approached.

  Radianne was lost in thought, humming a song to herself, and Henrick was daydreaming again, seemingly entranced by the waves of the ocean.

  It was Blink who saw the creature appear first.

  “Uh-uh-uh,” he stuttered, staring at the hulking giant crustacean fast approaching, waving its claws angrily in the air.

  Radianne stopped humming. “What is it Blink?”

  “Look behind you!”

  Radianne and Henrick simultaneously jerked their heads around and opened their mouths in shock. There, hulking above them, stood a giant red Hermit crab, snapping its mighty, murderous-looking claws. Claws that could grind bones to powder in an instant.

  The giant crustacean wore an evil smile, saliva dripping from the corners of its black and gaping mouth.

  Radianne could feel its fetid breath. The stench and horror of it was too much. Screaming, she stood up.

  “No!” Henrick yelled, trying to silence her. “Don't do that Radianne!” He jumped up, pulling his dagger from a hidden pocket.

  Continuing to scream, Radianne launched one of the remaining coconuts full force at the huge crab, hitting the beast squarely on the head. The crab made a sort of guttural sound and snapped its claws violently in warning.

  Henrick grabbed at Radianne's arms. “Stop it! You're only going to make it angrier.”

  The words had barely escaped his lips when the giant Hermit suddenly lunged forward and plucked up Radianne swiftly in one claw. It then began waving her around wildly in the air.

  “Help me!” she screamed.

  “Oh no!” Blink cried. He jumped up and down, his points waving around frantically. “We have do do something Henrick!”

  The Wanderer ran alongside the mammoth crab and began pounding on its tough shell with his fists, trying to get the creature to turn its attention to him and drop its prized possession in the sand.

  When the assault didn't work, Henrick whipped out the dagger, took a running leap, and jumped onto the creature's back. He then brought the dagger down – hard.

  Roaring in pain, the monstrous crustacean bucked as the weapon pierced through its shell. A crunch could be heard as the knife made its way through to the soft flesh beneath. Dropping Radianne onto the beach, the beast furiously shrieked and turned and focused its beady, vacant eyes on Henrick.

  Radianne rolled off to one side and and watched in horror as the crab snapped its lethal claws dangerously close to Henrick's head.

  It would not happen, she thought. As annoying as he'd been, and even though he'd sabotaged her journey, she had to help. He would not die this day. She had to do something. If only her mind would cooperate…

  “Run!” Henrick shouted when he noticed her frozen in place, trying to figure things out. “Don't worry about me, just take Blink and go!”

  But Radianne, and Blink – who'd scampered to her side – were immobilized.

  Henrick darted through the crab's legs and quickly grabbed Radianne's arm, yanking her to her feet. Grabbing Blink with her free arm, she held him close to her chest as they ran, the giant crab trailing close behind.

  “Head for the water,” Henrick panted. “For some odd reason, they don't like water. I think because they sink. Ironic, isn't it?”

  As they approached the ocean, Blink suddenly wrenched himself out of Radianne's grasp and hurled himself onto the soft sand.

  “What are you doing?” Radianne screamed, crashing into the waves. “Come back here!”

  But Blink stood his ground on the shore. “I can't go into the water!” he cried.

  The beast came to an abrupt stop near Blink and stared down with curiosity at the star.

  Radianne and Henrick watched the scene unfold with terror on their faces, knee-deep in the ocean and out of ideas.

  Time seemed to stand still. And then…

  Blink bravely looked up at the crab and raised his voice. “You can try to eat me, but I'll taste awful!” he warned.

  The crustacean looked at him with confusion.

  “I have no insides, only star particles,” the star continued. “I don't know what will happen if you eat me. Maybe you'll turn into a star yourself, or worse. Maybe I'm poisonous and will kill you, maybe you will explode into a thousand pieces.”

  The crab seemed at a loss of what to think for a few moments. However, it apparently soon decided to take its chances, as if the thought of a bite of star might not be a bad idea. It lunged toward Blink, saliva dripping down its mouth in anticipation once again.

  Blink stumbled as he tried to move out of range from the snapping claws.

  Radianne thought quickly. The mermaid's gift.

  Touching the pearl necklace again, she watched as the waves swirled high around her body, taking on a life of their own.

  Henrick watched the scene unfold in amazement.

  “My friend is in danger,” Radianne said to the ocean waves, which lapped playfully around her waist. “I would appreciate it if you would help us.”

  She gestured to the beach, where the crab was still flailing its claws around at Blink. “Please drag that horrible monster out to sea.”

  She no sooner had said the words then the waves swelled and roared, flowing toward shore. As they approached the crab, Blink moved quickly out of the way and the crustacean stared in shock at the towering wall of water.

  Suddenly, what appeared to be an enormous hand made of sea foam rose out from the center of the waves and lunged forward, plucking up the crab by its shell.

  The crustacean shrieked an ear splitting shriek as it was pulled into the sea against its will. It fought, snapping its claws into the air in protest, but to no avail. Within seconds the waves had taken it far away from shore, past Radianne and Henrick, pulling it into a deeper part of the ocean, where it soon was engulfed by foam and sank out of sight.

  Everything had happened so fast that the three travelers were left completely in shock. The ocean returned back to normal almost instantly and Radianne gazed at her pearl necklace with wonder. She touched the waves in gratitude.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “And thank you, Pearl.”

  Looking up, she found Henrick staring at her, also apparently awestruck for the moment.

  “A gift from a mermaid,” was all she said. She laughed and quickly made her way back to the beach, back to Blink.

  “You are so brave, you wonderful star!” Radianne scooped him up into her arms and planted a kiss on his top point. “I was so worried about you! I'm sorry we fled into the water like that.”

  “It is understandable, you were scared,” Blink said. “I'm just glad that thing around your neck came in handy!”

  “But I'm a little confused,” Radianne continued. “What happens if you go into the water, Blink? You should have told me your concerns before.”

  The star frowned. “The Man In The Moon said that if a star became water bound, he would automatically disappear in a puff of smoke. I don't want to to find out if that's true!”

  Radianne held him close. “I'm sorry we didn't know that,” she said apologetically.

  She then turned her attention to Henrick, who had joined them. “And I'm sorry I screamed like I did when we first saw the crab. We could have all been killed.”

  “I did the same thing the first time I saw one.” Henrick ran his fingers through his wet hair, still feeling a little stressed and amazed from the ordeal that had just transpired. “And almost met my death in the process. We were lucky this time. Let's just move on.”

  As they walked, he pointed out huge holes in the beach – dark, foreboding, and mysterious caves where slumbering giant
hermit crabs probably lurked. But thankfully, by nightfall, they hadn't encountered another of the unpleasant species.

  “Last time I was here, I had to fight off three of those things at once,” Henrick said nonchalantly.

  “And how did you do that?” Radianne asked him with a raised eyebrow. She wondered if he was exaggerating or simply trying to brag. “With that flimsy dagger you carry?” she teased. “That sounds a little unbelievable to me.”

  Henrick made a face at her comments.“Well, obviously they are too big for the dagger to do much damage, although it did seem to work at one point today, if I recall,” he added. “Last time, I climbed up the largest tree I could find and then I hurled coconuts at their eyes.”

  “Well then why did you shout at me when I threw coconuts today?” Radianne asked, annoyed.

  “Because you weren't at a safe distance and you were also screaming your head off,” Henrick retorted. “The sound of you screaming is more irritating than dealing with the Oodles. I figured all that noise would enrage the crab more than anything else.”

  Radianne put her hands on her hips. She thought he had some nerve. Sure, he had saved her, but once again, he was being rude. Maybe being a Wanderer so long had done something to his head to make him say the things he did, she thought. Maybe he lacked the skills to communicate properly.

  She said nothing as they began to collect branches from ocean shrubs that grew nearby. They arranged them for the fire on a cleared area of beach.

  “This will help keep the Hermits at bay,” Henrick said matter-of-factly as he started up the flame a few moments later.

  Radianne didn't comment.

  Night fell and the trio sat by the warm flames in silence. After some time, Radianne and Blink curled up together on the sand, gazing up at the sky and admiring its beauty.

  “I miss home,” Blink said quietly. “I miss my mother.”

  Radianne thought of Blink's mother pining away for him somewhere in his world and felt very humbled and sad. She could only imagine how she must feel.

  Though she didn't want to admit it, at that moment she too was starting to slightly feel a little homesick. The elation she'd felt when she'd first run along the beach had diminished. The encounter with the crab reminded her how dangerous adventures could be and how so many things could go wrong in an instant.

  She wondered how long she had been away now. Time was slipping by, days were jumbled together. Was her family looking for her? She wondered how Piri was, and if her friend had managed to tame Maiz's wild heart yet.

  For that brief instant, she longed for those simple, boring days and girl talk. The feeling surprised her.

  But despite such thoughts, she knew she had made the right choice in leaving. She was helping a friend in need; she had to help Blink get home. He needed her. That was the most important thing. And, as she'd reflected on earlier at the beach, it was the first time in her life she could make a difference. And she was actually having an adventure. A real adventure.

  “You will see your mother soon Blink,” she whispered to the star, focusing on the most important matter at hand. “I promise.” Bending down, she kissed him again and he closed his eyes. His light still shined; he hadn't any issues with it since that first night in Eustasia. She hoped their luck would hold.

  Cautiously, she glanced over at Henrick.

  The firelight flickered across his handsome, chiseled face as he stared out into the darkness, the light casting deep shadows across his skin. It seemed he was thinking about something important again – or brooding. She couldn't yet tell the difference with him. She wondered if the odd moods were always present.

  Sensing her gaze, he suddenly turned his eyes to her. “And what is on your mind? You doing alright?” he asked.

  His words surprised her. There he was, acting mightily interested in her well-being again. Even though he'd offended her earlier, as their eyes locked, her heart betrayed her again and skipped a beat.

  For a moment, that surprising feeling she'd felt with him the day they met came rushing back. Her skin felt hot under his gaze. She blushed, thankful it was too dark for him to see. She hated to admit it, but as crazy as he made her feel, her resentment of him was slowly vanishing the more time she spent with him. The acknowledgement, coupled with the irritation she'd been feeling all day at his shifting moods, left her very confused. Weary even.

  “I'm fine,” she said, looking away. She lay down and closed her eyes. At least she could pretend to sleep.

  **************

  Radianne was confusing, one minute acting like she hated him, the next moment, acting like a bashful young girl, Henrick mused. Such strange mood swings.

  As he looked at her then, in that moment it was unsettling that all he could see was how beautiful she was. Radianne looked like a giant-sized fairy. A complicated, but beautiful, fairy.

  He'd met the cheeky creatures in the woods sometimes during his travels. Fairies were flirtatious, ridiculous and mysterious all at once – with a little bit of naivety thrown in. Kind of like Radianne, he thought.

  He had a sudden urge to kiss her. What would she do if he tried? He'd seen many beautiful women in his life, despite being a Wanderer. He had even had wooed a lady or two, but Radianne was different than anyone he'd met. Even though she had her quirks, he was starting to think he liked her combination.

  However, he also knew such thoughts were foolish. Turning his eyes to the fire, he thought about what he was going to do after this spontaneous journey he'd invited himself on was over. He'd been without friends or family for so long. He didn't really know what to do about his growing feelings for Radianne and Blink. Yes, he was starting to care for the star too. Wanderers were not made for such ties.

  “You are a foolish person, Henrick Longfellow,” he mumbled to himself. “What were you thinking anyway? You have no direction, no path, and nothing to offer anyone. You were born to be a Wanderer. You were born for a solitary life. Always alone. No attachments. That's a Wanderer's world. Solitude is your fate.”

  Looking down at the girl again, he tried to burn the moment into memory. He would one day remember in his old age a point in time when a stunning young woman lay next to flickering flames and a golden star, the firelight and the star's gentle glow casting lovely shadows across her smooth skin.

  The images of Radianne and Blink would remain with him forever. They were magical.

  He looked up a the sky with a quiet sigh. Staring at Blink's beautiful and far off world, Henrick wondered where fate in his own world would lead him next.

  Part II

  -11-

  Confessions

  A

  s they trudged through the vast land of sand, another giant hermit crab walked by.

  For a moment, the trio braced themselves for an intense altercation. But the crab just grunted and said “No appetite,” as it passed.

  Radianne stared after its retreating back, dumbfounded. “That's odd,” she said. Still, it was a relief not have to deal with another battle all over again.

  “It is indeed a strange day when a carnivorous crab decides not to eat you for lunch,” Henrick shrugged, glancing sideways at Radianne and giving a small smile. “Maybe it's a sign of good luck to come.”

  The hours passed uneventfully. Radianne thought it peculiar, but Sandalia seemed pretty devoid of life other than the occasional giant crabs. As the air began to cool with the onset of evening, the group settled down in another comfortable looking spot to set up camp and eat. They ate more of the coconuts they'd gathered along the way.

  “Sandalia is quite a small place,” Henrick shared as he started the fire again. “We should be arriving in Vancor, otherwise known as the land of the endless jungle, by tomorrow morning. It is only endless to those who don't know the way. And I of course, do, so the journey through should be swift.”

  Radianne wanted to roll her eyes. But instead, she looked at Blink, who sat nearby. She had not assessed his physical ailments in some time and scan
ned him then, with a guilty conscience. He still appeared to be in decent shape, but she noticed that over the course of the afternoon his chatter had become less frequent and he seemed to be growing a little weaker and slightly listless. He sat quietly, his glow just beginning to pierce through the falling darkness. She noted there was a dimness to it and she thought back to the night in Eustasia, when his light began to pulse wildly. She hoped that wasn't about to happen again. She prayed it wouldn't.

  Scooting over to him, she patted her friend as he curled up next to her side. As he closed his eyes, she stroked him gently, feeling the strange star vibrations run up and down her arm. She shivered at the warm glow and felt her spirits lifting, as they always did when she touched him.

  The fact that the odd connection was still there was a good sign. She watched Blink sleep for a few moments and then glanced over at Henrick. As usual, he seemed lost in thought.

  He was proving to be too much of a distraction. Irritated with herself again for wondering about him, she turned her eyes toward the stars. She had to think about Blink first and foremost. Her focus had to be on her friend and getting him home.

  And then she could figure out what she was going to do with her life after the quest came to an end.

  But she couldn't resist another glimpse. An uncomfortable feeling fluttered in her chest as she cast another sidelong glance over to Henrick, feeling guilty that her thoughts were drawn once more to this stranger she'd met not that long ago.

  His hair looked ethereal in the moonlight. She'd always expected Wanderers to look rough and menacing. Nothing like that man sitting before her.

  He caught her looking. Again. The flush rose to her cheeks. Feeling ridiculous, she darted her eyes away in embarrassment. The feeling was truly getting old.

  “Radianne,” Henrick said slowly, “your family is probably very worried about you. At their wits end most likely. How do you feel about that?”

  His eyes locked on hers over the flicker of the flames.