Immortal (4 page)

Tears filled Staysia’s eyes as she recited the nursery rhyme. “It—it’s true, isn’t it?” Staysia asked.

The Princess gave the rose back to her. Staysia frowned and looked down at the rose. “It isn’t true.”

The Fairy Princess left her throne and flew into Staysia’s hand. “You must give it to the Mother yourself,” she said. She pointed to a fountain where a statue stood elegantly over a pond. The pond was encircled with roses. It was a fairy, a fairy that was the same size as Staysia or larger.

“Of course!” Staysia uttered.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” said the Princess.

Staysia stood before the fountain. The Fairy Princess pointed to the pond that was filled with roses. Staysia dropped her rose in. Red fairy dust appeared in the statue’s cupped hand. Staysia looked down at the Fairy Princess who nodded in approval. Staysia took a vial necklace out of her bag and filled it with the fairy dust.

“Came prepared, didn’t you?” asked the Fairy Princess.

“Oh yes, your Majesty. I have been waiting for this day for all of my life. Only I thought—” She stared at the statue. “I guess I always imagined she would be real.”

“She is
real
. She is very real,” the Princess told her. “This is only a reflection of what she is my dear. There are billions of fairies throughout the world, Staysia. She cannot be everywhere all at once now can she?”

“Of course not,” Staysia replied.

The Fairy Princess tugged on Staysia’s necklace. “As long as you hold her close to your heart she will be with you. As will peace and purity, Staysia. If you keep it there for always, one of these days you will meet her.”

“I am so pleased to have met you. Thank you for allowing me to meet you and come into your home.” Staysia turned to leave.

“There is one more thing, Staysia. I have something to give you and your friends for your travels. I will show you outside my dear.”

“You don’t need to give us anything Princess, nor show us out. You have done enough.”

“I would like to, Staysia. I wish you my best.”

“Thank you your Majesty.”

Staysia, Gabriel and Jasper followed the Princess back down the steps and outside where she found Isis and the creeper waiting for them as promised. Beside the unicorn was a beautiful black stallion. Beside the stallion was a tiny buggy suitable for Jasper. A giant lizard was in the place of a horse.

“This should help the three of you as you continue your journey. May peace and purity be with all of you,” the Fairy Princess said.

“Oh thank you, Princess. Thank you so much. You have been very kind.”

“Goodbye Staysia.”

“Goodbye.”

With that they were on their way. They traveled down the road without speaking until Staysia blurted, “So why is it so important that you travel with me, Gabriel? And why did you bring the troll and this — this beast?”

“I would like to join you for mere company, and to help you along your way. You see, I was headed back to Gnome Hills myself to help my parents,” Gabriel began.

“Yeah, well at least you still have your parents,” Staysia muttered.

“I am very sorry you lost yours, Staysia. I truly am.”

“So, why did you bring the troll?” she asked.

“The
troll
, the
troll
, the
troll
,” Jasper raved.

“He does have a name, Staysia.” Gabriel told her.

“Ah, yes he does, but he didn’t show any respect for the fairies, now did he?”

“Well, I guess he didn’t. He came along with us because he has someone he needs to see in Gnome Hills,” Gabriel replied.

“Of course he does. So you invite yourself to travel with me and then you decide to bring a tr—sorry—
Jasper
with you along with a beast, with a vine wrapped around his mouth, makes
perfect
sense,” Staysia said sarcastically.

There was a moment of silence. “If you do not speak I will,” Jasper blabbed. “I do not like the fairies!”

Staysia interrupted him, “How dare you say such a thing when the Fairy Princess gifted you with such a fine buggy! How dare you!”

“Listen to what I have to say. The fairies have taken over parts of the forest that were once ours. The humans have taken over parts of the city that once belonged to us. Now we have nowhere to roam.
Now
we are confined to our bridges as outcasts. How would you like a fairy if it did such a thing to you?” Jasper said.

“Oh yes, you abhor the fairies and the humans but yet you travel with two of them? Then you decide to venture beyond your bridge on your own free will without being stopped, yet you act like we have confined you? Unbelievable, troll! Absolutely unbelievable!”

“Bah!” is all he said as he waved his hand in the air at Staysia.

“Bah to you!” said Staysia. She turned to Gabriel. “How is it that the creeper follows us instead of going his own way?”

“Because I am Gabriel the Great Beast Tamer!” He stuck out his chest and smiled, showing a mouthful of pearly whites.

“I have asked you a question!” Staysia demanded.

“The creeper will not wander off with the vine wrapped around his mouth, because he has no way of removing it. This makes him dependent on Jasper, which makes Jasper his master.” Gabriel explained.

“Oh—Oh.” Staysia stammered.

“You know you haven’t a good reason to be angry with me so would you stop?” he asked.

“I just don’t know who you are.”

“He is—” Jasper began. “I am—” Gabriel joined him. “The Great Beast Tamer!” they said together.

“You two sound like you have become friends.” Staysia said.

“Well, it’s just that Jasper would like to learn how to be a beast tamer, is all.”

“I see, well he had better behave his self. I have something important to do and I do not wish to be slowed down.”

“I understand and so does Jasper. Don’t you, Jasper?”

“I don’t like the girl much!” Jasper replied.

“Oh yeah, is that so? Well, I don’t like the
troll
much either!”

“You two will get used to one another and become great friends, I am sure!”

“Fat chance of that happening,” Jasper snorted.

“See what I mean? He is just down-right rude!”

Gabriel laughed to his self and decided it was a good time to change the subject. “So what is it you need to know Staysia? Ask me anything at all and I will provide you with nothing but truth.” He stopped in the middle of the road. Staysia looked back at him. “Nothing but truth,” he promised.

“I would like to know why you have strayed from Gnome Hills. How long you have been gone from there, and why on earth are they holding your parents behind their gates?” Staysia asked.

“I will tell you everything you need to know, Staysia. First of all I would like to tell you that you have a big black spot on your forehead and secondly—” Gabriel began.

“What?” Staysia interrupted. “Wha—Where?” Staysia slowed Isis and scrubbed her head with her hand.

Gabriel turned his head and grinned without her seeing him, before halting his horse and waiting for her. When they were side by side he reached his hand out to help her.

“No!” She waved her hand at him.

“You’ve almost got it. Move your hand up just a bit.”

“Was it there at the Grandfather Tree as well?” Staysia asked hopelessly.

“No.” Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh a little.

Staysia looked down at her hands. “It’s on my hands! Are you sure it wasn’t there before?”

“Just calm down.” Gabriel reached his hand out in another attempt to wipe her face clean, only this time he offered her his handkerchief instead. He smiled tightly and watched her clean it off.

“What was that?” Staysia asked. Just as she asked, she spotted Jasper eating a handful of blackberries and whistling as he rode snug in his buggy. “You!” she said, pointing a finger at the troll.

“Me?” Jasper put a hand on his chest. He looked down at the hand print that he had made by touching his shirt and then back up at Staysia.

She showed him the handkerchief. “Yeah you!”

Jasper smiled shyly and put a handful of blackberries in his mouth before throwing the rest out. Staysia tossed the handkerchief back to Gabriel.

She glared at Jasper and faced forward and started down the road again.

“As I was saying, I snuck out of Gnome Hills to find a way out for all of us.” Gabriel began. “There are wars breaking out every day back home. The whole town has gone mad. Are you familiar with the Dureau brothers?”

“Yes,” Staysia replied.

“I was looking for them when I found trouble. I was accused of murder! That is when they hit me over the head with a board. They thought me dead and so that is when I got thrown over the bridge and met you.”

“Yes but—if you were so concerned about your parents, then why did you make such a horrible buffoonery as you did when you said, ‘Ah yes! I am thought to be a dead man. I can go anywhere I wish’?”

“I didn’t mean anything by that, Staysia.”

“Of course you didn’t!” Staysia threw her arms up and let them drop.

“I really didn’t mean anything by it!”

“You were being quite rude to him when he said it anyhow, as usual,” Jasper added.

“I was not!”

“Well yes, you were being fairly hard to get along with, but that isn’t why I said it. I just—well, maybe I felt free for the first time in a long time. You know, I have been taking care of everyone else for as long as I can remember. The truth is I need to get back home so that my parents will know I am alive. Once they hear I am dead, I don’t know what they will do. I didn’t mean what I said”

“Yes, they will go out of their heads once they hear such a thing. Well, I am glad to hear you care about that.”

“Of course I do. I care about all kinds of things.”

“Why don’t you give him a chance, and if you decide you do not wish his company later than you may bid him away?” Jasper suggested.

Staysia didn’t say anything, but she knew inside that he deserved a chance, and she decided she was willing to give him one. After all, it wasn’t so bad having him travel with her.

They came upon a small bridge with a glistening stream flowing underneath. Gabriel came to a stop first, followed by Staysia and Jasper.

“What is it?” Jasper asked.

“Take the vine off of that beast Jasper,” Gabriel instructed.

“No, not me, if I do, he will certainly have his way with me. He could take an arm or a leg. He could take my
head
!” Jasper sounded terrified, and had every right to be considering the circumstances.

“Jasper, we have spoken about this! I would like for you to take the vine off now.”

“Just do as he says Jasper, he is the Great Beast Tamer, after all. You did say so yourself!” Staysia said.

Gabriel got off of his horse and kneeled in front of Jasper. He put his hands on Jasper’s shoulders. “How bad do you want your voice to be heard?”

Jasper took a deep breath and stood before the creeper. He looked at Gabriel and then back at the creeper. He began unraveling the vine. Just before it was off he closed his eyes tight and peeked at the creeper with one eye before removing it.

As soon as the creeper’s mouth was free it snarled and snapped at Jasper more than it had before. Jasper ran under Isis and grabbed her leg. Gabriel wrapped his arm around the creeper’s neck. “Come now, Jasper! Wrap the vine back around his mouth!”

“Are you out of your mind? It will kill me!” Jasper bellowed. Isis wiggled her leg and took a few steps away from him.

“Isis wants you to!” Staysia added.

“Bah! I can’t believe the nerve of you people! Why are you making me do this?” Jasper yelled. Staysia smiled secretly under her hand and watched him hobble nearer the creeper. Gabriel held the creeper’s mouth shut as Jasper wrapped the vine around his mouth again.

“He will do without water! Tell him Jasper, tell him he will have no water.” Gabriel instructed.

“You will have no water!” Jasper crossed his arms and made his way to his buggy.

“Shall we be on our way?” Staysia asked irritably.

“Yes, my lady!” Gabriel responded.

“Next stop is the village!” Gabriel pronounced.

“Yes, the Village of the Dark Ladies.” Staysia said.

“Who are the dark ladies?” Jasper asked.

“You really need to get out more,” Gabriel replied to Jasper.

“The dark ladies are witches. They will certainly try to woo Gabriel with their deceit.” Staysia answered.

“Thanks for that,” said Gabriel, sarcastically.

“How many times have you passed through the village?” she asked Gabriel.

“A time or two.” Gabriel said smoothly.

“A time or two, that is all?”

“Yes, a time or two,” Gabriel lied. He had never actually been through the village at all.