Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The Pixie Test







Gary Jones- Reader's Challenge:
Young Female Pixie,
A rundown hotel,
Homeless looking for somewhere to live,
Little brother

"Isabelle, it is time."  Belcher said, opening the door to the great pixie hall.  All the elders had turned out to observe the test and as she fluttered in, the room became silent.

Isabelle flew nervously to the center of the ring.  Her last two final tests had been in the same room, but there had been few eyes to witness her failures.  There were young lords and some of the oldest pixie families in the seats. She looked about for her mother and was pleased to see that she was there.  It gave Isabelle a sense of calm and she built on this to become centered.

The aged elder fluttered erratically to the small pedestal that was suspended by magic up above the many gathered.  Isabelle's heart jumped when she looked upon the royal box.  The Queen and her entourage filled the box far above the others.

"Let the final test of magic begin for Isabelle of clan Mistywing."  The crowd fluttered the wings and the hall became a buzz.



Inside Isabelle was groaning.  It was bad enough to be the first pixie to fail such a test, let alone twice.  It was going to be a blow to the clan if she could not pass it with the Queen watching.  She liked magic and found it quite useful.  It just...was not important to her.  She could form it fairly well when no one was watching. The problem with the test was that someone was watching.  Now everyone was watching.

Isabelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She had picked a fairly easy spell for her first one.  Her mind formed the lighted sphere.  She opened her eyes as she spoke the words watching the globe formed.  It pulsed with energy and she sent it dancing down the stands till it blinked out beyond her range.  Everyone in the room stood up and clapped as their wings buzzed.

The pixie flushed with embarrassment at such attention.  It was a simple spell and nothing worth cheering over. She felt her apprehension grow as the applause settled down.  The next spell was also one she excelled at casting. Her hand rose and dazzling array of flashing, colored light springs from your hand.  She smiled at those closest to her began to blink their eyes.   To close to a color array could be blinding for a short time.  This time, no one stood, but they still clapped and cheered.  Isabelle blushed and snuck a look up to the Queen.  The aged pixie sat with a severe expression. 

Isabelle knew one more spell that she had practiced repeatedly and would not fail.  If she could cast this last one, she would be allowed her own nest within the underground complex.  Their village lay beneath a great dolmen; the gray rocks shading them from rain, yet the angle allowed warm sunlight to filter through well placed openings. The room grew silent as the clan waited for the young pixie to cast her last spell.

The words of the spell formed on her lips, and she felt the magic well up within her.  It almost hurt it was so intense.  She breathed out the air she was holding as three other images of her took their place beside her.  The mirror reflected so well that if one did not know which had been her to begin with, they would have no way to tell.  The audience jumped up, the room swelling with shouts, whistles, buzzing and clapping.  The two pixies tasked with ending any miscasts fluttered to her and began shaking her hand.  Relief flooded through her.

The room suddenly hushed; all eyes on the Queen.  Isabelle followed their gaze and fell silent.  The Queen had risen to her feet.  When the last clap and buzz subsided she began to speak.  The Queen rarely spoke and as such, Isabelle stood in as much awe as the rest.

"Never, in the time of my reign has a pixie needed retesting."  The Queen's eyes bored into Isabelle.  "The spells she has chosen could be cast by any budding wingling. I do not accept this result.  I wish to see this youth cast a spell of battle.  We cannot have a pixie we do not trust at our sides to cast truly.  If such a spell is cast successfully, then this matter will be concluded and Isabelle Mistywing accepted into the world of adults."

It felt as if every eye turned to her at once.  Her heart dropped.  She hated hurting anything and therefore found practicing such spells repugnant.  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to think of any spell that the Queen might find acceptable.

Bravely she lifted her head.  "I cannot," she admitted.

The crowd's eyes flashed to the Queen. Not a single wing flutter could be heard. The Queen's eyes bored into Isabelle till finally the young pixie dropped her gaze to her feet.

The Queen's next words seemed to fill the barrow, the voice booming out with damnation.  "I hereby banish Isabelle Mistywing from this burrow for the period of 40 turns.  If she wishes to return to her kin and home, she must retake this test with a spell of offense."  She looked down at Isabelle, whose eyes had widened with horror at the sentence.  "I will give you a single turn of the hour glass to gather what you can carry and to say your good-byes."  The Queen leaped and fluttered out of the room.

The room erupted into a cacophony of voices. Some pixies fluttered away.  Some rushed around Isabelle shouting to her to cast such a spell, others bemoaning her sentence.  Amongst the uproar, Isabelle stood still with her mouth agape.  The onslaught of advice and questions were a distant din to her mind's shock and dismay. A little hand took hers and began to lead her out of the crowd.

As they moved, Isabelle looked down to see her little brother.  Alop had just graduated from his flight and maneuver classes and had started his study of magic.  She said nothing as he pushed his way through the crowd.  Many pixies buzzed their wings as she passed.  Isabelle had never heard of anyone being banished before.

"Let's fly,"  Alop let go of her hand and gracefully lifted into the air.  He led them through winding passage ways to their nest.  Their parents were not there as they set their feet onto the entry floor.

"I will help you pack."  Alop fluttered off as Isabelle collapsed down onto the soft bench their father had built. 

She had never imagined that the Queen would attend or that her spell choices would be considered lacking. She had practiced spells that others had tested with and they had not been set the task of an offensive spell.  No matter how she looked at it, she could not understand learning spells that might harm another.  Their burrow had never been attacked except by a weasel.  The fairies simply made such a creature fall to sleep. They carried it off and when it stirred, shot it with a special arrow that erased a short time of memory.  The creature would be on its way and the matter forgotten.

"Isabelle, go pick a few personal things while I pack some seeds for you."  Alop was very serious, something out of character for the younger pixie.  "You should be ready when Mother and Father return."

"Where did they go?"  Isabelle asked as she floated to her feet.

"To plead with the Queen to reconsider." He laid her bow and quiver down by the door as well as a small pack and bedroll.

"Where will I go?"  she whispered.

"I honestly don't know." Her brother looked at her; little wrinkles lined his young face.  "I have not been allowed out on my own yet."

Isabelle nodded and woodenly plodded to her room.  She ran her fingers over different things that she had collected on her solo flights.  She would not be able to take any of it as she could not weigh herself down too much. She would lose her ability to avoid other creatures or find safety before dark.

She picked up her sketch book and her charcoals and slipped them into a small bag.  Isabelle gathered two changes of clothes.  She realized she did not have anything for the winter to keep warm.  The burrow stayed warm most of the year around and if the chill did manage to penetrate into the ground, the fires were lit.

Moving back into the room as her brother returned from the stores, she fluttered to him and took the flight bag.  She glanced in it and was surprised at the efficiency at the supplies and packing.  As she looked, her brother set a blanket rolled tightly down at her feet.

"You can tie it up once you put your personal things in it, Isabelle." He looked at her proudly.

"When did you get so smart?" She smiled at him, knowing that he needed it.

"I watched you," his soft whisper cut into her heart.

Isabella pulled him close and hugged him tight.  "I will miss you little brother." She would miss them all.

The door opened and Isabelle looked up hopefully.  Her mother would not look at her.  Both their faces were grim as her father shook his head.  Their pleas had failed to persuade the Queen.

Isabelle knew instantly what she needed to do. "Well, this will be fun. What a grand adventure.  I will go abroad and learn of the world."  She drew herself up and pasted a great smile on her face.

"Isabelle," her father snapped firmly. "This is not a good thing.  A pixie alone is nearly a death sentence."

"It might as well be!" Her mother began to sob and Alop fluttered over to hug her.

"I will be all right.  Don't worry.  It is not like I haven't been out of the burrow before," she reminded them gently.

"We don't have much time.  Find a home without a pixie or a fairy.  Make it your home.   It is considered great luck to have such a magical creature live in your home.  No tricks on any that they call friend and your welcome will remain.  They will leave out food for you and you will be safe in the winter," her father counseled, his words hurried.

"Just watch out for the rats," her mother sobbed increasing the sound of her pain.

"Rats?"  Isabelle had seen a rat before but did not see why they would be a problem.

"You will be competition to a rat's territory.  They will seek to destroy you or make you flee at best." Her father voice became calmer.  "Never sleep in the open, until you are given a home by your hosts, you must sleep where a rat cannot reach you.

Isabelle's heart thumped as she swallowed the lump in her throat.  She had heard of house fairies in stories, but she had not realized that a pixie could fill that roll.  The thought of being eaten by a rodent, however, was quite alarming.

A sharp rap sounded at the door.  Isabelle flung herself into her father's arms and her mother did as well.  Alop ended up in that mass of arms and wings as well.  As they pulled apart, Isabelle's father kissed her forehead.

"You are a smart girl.  Just take a breath and think," her father whispered into her ear.  "Never just react, plan for all possibilities and you will have a grand life."

The second knock startled her.  "It is time to go," a guard called.

Isabelle slowly pulled away, tears dripping down her face as she realized this was good-bye.  "I love you," she whispered and scooped up her supplies.  She opened the door and the two guards stepped politely back.

"I know the way," she smiled at them despite her tears.  She closed the door shut on her mother's sobs, unable to look back.   One guard nodded and both of them waited to follow her.

Isabelle took the shortest way out of the burrow.  She did not want to meet many people.  As it was, a buzz filled the burrow as she passed, its noise reminiscent of a bee hive.   At the stones near the ground, Isabelle carefully poked her head out to look about for predators.   It was a beautiful sunny day and the fall air was still warm.

She turned to look at the guards as if hoping a message rescinding her banishment may have occurred.  One of the two said sorrowfully, "Good luck, Isabelle.  Good luck."

"We make our own luck, remember!"  She could not help the short reminder.

She took a breath and fluttered away.  Once up into the trees, she felt a bit better.  Birds, larger birds, would sometimes try to catch and eat pixies.  She had learned long ago to follow the sound of the song birds.

She traveled throughout the day, fluttering from one tree to the next.  Her wings grew tired, but she had found no safe place to spend the night.  She took short breaks, her eyes wary as she drew long breaths and stretched her wings gently.

As evening fell, she came to a human road.  Remembering her father's words, she decided to follow it to a barn or house for the evening.  Finally, she happened upon a large thatched building.  It was two floors and to Isabelle, it looked like a whole burrow of humans could live in it.  She had never seen a human before so waited to see how big they were.  Finally, one came out the door and headed to a smaller building behind the big one along the road.

Humans were enormous.  They were giants.  Her little wings buzzed with her fear.  How could they take in a pixie? Why she could sit in one of their great hands.  She followed the human carefully, using the small opening at the top.  There were six horses in the room.  The large male, anyway she hoped it was a male, began grooming the great beasts. She had seen a horse before, gazing in the distance.  They also were quite large up this close.  She fluttered to a beam where she could see better, setting her flight pack down beside her.

It was warm in the building, the heat of the animals somehow comforting.  She reached out with her magic and felt no other nearby.  Perhaps this would be her new home?  She heard the sound of another horse and the big man went out of the great double door.

"Mistress says we have another guest for the night, wants this horse put up proper with grain."  A shadowed figure out the door called out.

"Grain?  Must have a fair amount of coin. Mistress don't part with grain often."  The big man gave a large toothy grin.  Isabelle rather liked that grin.

"Don't know.  Just get it done, Jasper."  The shadowed man walked off.

This Jasper led the horse into the barn and began to take the leather straps and devices off the gentle beast.  Isabelle settled against the post to watch him.  Soon a brush was raking through the horse's hair.  Jasper began to hum a little tune.  Isabelle's eyes fluttered shut.  Her last thought, 'perhaps this life would not be so bad.'



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