Day 17
Rachael Ceronio rubbed her tired sore feet. She hated felling like a poor person and looking like one. She wasn’t even pretty anymore. Her body was covered in scares and pink healing skin. She still ached if she walked for too long. She put on a strong face for everyone else but when she was alone all she wanted to do was cry.
She wondered where their new blue haired friends were. But having a little alone time was also nice. She scratched her foot. The more she scratched the more she itched. She stuck her foot out of the tent and looked at the strange brown spots on her foot.
‘What is this?’ Rachael wondered.
She used a stick and scratch the brown spots.
‘Is this fungus?’ she asked herself.
Rachael woke Lakisha up.
“Mmmmmm.” Lakisha groaned.
“Shhhh.” Rachael said.
Rachael chicken out of showing Lakisha. She put her shoes on.
“Time to get up. We need to get back to the castle.”
Keimoni sat up and stretched.
Rachael left the tent. It was early but their two new blue haired friends had already caught fish and had started a fire to cook it on.
“I am glad you are awake.” Cascada said hugging her
“I have an amazing skin gel at home. It will do wonders for yours.” She added.
Rachael who had once been so beautiful and confident was now ugly. She was not a pretty sight. But Keimoni knew that in a few days Rachael would be beautiful again.
“I don’t understand you.” Rachael told her.
“She doesn’t understand you.” Raiden reminded Cascada, he didn’t understand Rachael either.
“I should have brought it with.” Cascada said, carrying on anyways.
Raiden noticed Rachael scratching her foot.
“What is she doing?” he asked.
“Scratching.” Cascada said not really paying attention.
“She is still scratching. She’ll take all her skin off if she keeps going.”
Keimoni was helping take down the tent. He was listening in. Lakisha was singing a song in Danish and enjoying the feeling of not being afraid of the water.
Keimoni looked at Rachael, she was scratching her foot a lot.
“What are you doing?” he asked her.
“My foot is itchy.” Rachael replied.
“Did you get bitten?” Keimoni asked.
“No.” Rachael replied.
“Let’s see.”
“No!” Rachael exclaimed “It’s an itch that’s all.”
“Maybe you stood in something poisonous.”
Rachael thought about it. ‘The brown spots had come up very quickly.’
She took off her boot.
The brown spots looked like mushrooms were growing from them.
Everyone stared with big eyes.
Rachael pulled a face. ‘Great’
“That’s bad.” Keimoni said.
“It’s fungus, an aggressive kind. It spreads very fast so we will all have symptoms soon. But washing in salt water will slow it down. Also, direct sunlight. In my lab at home, I have a remedy for this kind of fresh eating shroom. Shall I go fetch it?” Cascada asked.
Keimoni translated.
“Flesh eating shrooms and we all have it!” Lakisha objected.
“Yes, she must go get the cure.”
“It will delay us by a day.” Keimoni informed.
“I don’t want mushrooms growing on me.” Lakisha exclaimed.
“Are you not an ecologist or something? Don’t you know how to kill it?” Rachael asked.
“Mushrooms in nature are not mushrooms that grown on people. I am not a space doc!”
“I want to go to the castle and have the Mystic Healers heal me.” Rachael said.
“It’s still more than half a day away.” Lakisha stated.
“Fine I will go to the castle you can wait for your friends to come with special stuff.” Rachael replied.
‘Hope it grows on your face!’ she wished.
“Give me food. I can see the castle. I will walk by myself if I must.” Rachael added.
Keimoni told Cascada and Raiden “They are still discussing what they want.”
“Fine you go with Keimoni and I will go with Raiden and Cascada.” Lakisha said.
“Try not to come back married.” Rachael smirked.
Lakisha marched off towards the river. Rachael marched off towards the castle.
“They cannot agree. Lakisha wants to go with you, and Rachael want to go to the castle. She believes the Mystic Healers will be able to heal her.” Keimoni told them.
“Mystic Healers. I have read about them. Very interesting people. Amazingly really. If they weren’t so kind, they could take over the world.” Cascada said thoughtfully.
“No that’s the Lovac’s and they are not kind.” Keimoni corrected.
“Yes, the Lovac tribe are incredible as well. I met one named Autumn. She was so angry.”
“They all are. Honestly everyone is angry, the world we live in is very harsh. Your swamp city and their harshness to outsiders should indicate how terrible the world is.” Keimoni said.
“They are just comfortable.” Cascada was defensively.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Now imagine uncomfortable?” Keimoni said.
“So is Lakisha coming back to Mirage with us?” Raiden asked.
“No let’s all just go to the castle. The only reason to go back would be to get help for Rachael and she doesn’t want it.” Cascada replied.
“Lakisha!” Keimoni called.
“We are all going to the castle.” He shouted after her.
Lakisha stormed back. Saying nothing she marched towards the castle.
Rachael had already reached the field of flowers. She hadn’t looked back she was being stubborn. She was not willing to have stuff grow on her for another day when the castle was only half a day away.
Really! Who would want mushroom growing on them for so long?
Her feet began to hurt. She took her shoe off. The shrooms where getting bigger and more uncomfortable. She couldn’t wear a shoe on that foot anymore.
‘Really?!’
Rachael hobbled with one shoe. Being careful where she stepped with the shoeless foot.
“Let me help you.” Keimoni said.
He had caught up.
Rachael looked over her shoulder. Lakisha and the blue haired Tskhali were still some distance away.
Rachael put her arm over his shoulder and they walked together. He was stronger than she expected.
“Aren’t you afraid you will catch whatever I got?” Rachael asked.
“Do you mean your fungus?” Keimoni asked.
Rachael nodded.
“Well yes, I am terrified of catching what you’ve got. But not of your fungus!”
“I’m being serious!” Rachael moaned.
“So am I!” Keimoni answered
“You have strange earth diseases. Fungus is nothing compared to that.” He was all serious.
Rachael hid her smile.
A storm approached; they could see it rolling in. Dark clouds decorated with lightning, threatened to engulf them. A wall of wind hit them. Rachael leaned into the wind. Lakisha was blown right over.
The field they were in provided no shelter from the wind, nor the quickly approaching storm.
They tried to set up the tent. The wind made it a difficult task that caused sorrow. The tent kept ripping out of the ground and lifting. They couldn’t get it to stay still long enough to secure it. Hail beat down on the tent and them, while trying to set it up.
“Let’s just get in and hope for the best.” Lakisha said.
“For once I agree with her.” Rachael said.
Keimoni told the other’s and they squashed into the tent with all their things. There was no space to move. People’s body odors were in your face, and Rachael’s fungus foot was the only thing that got any space. The tent whipped about and moved on them as if they were being eaten. They were in a monster’s stomach and the monster was battling to digest them.
The tent started leaking as the storm raged, tearing parts of the tent loose from its ground pegs. Only a few had been put in and they were now getting ripped out.
Lightning struck the ground giving them all a fright.
The wind lifted the corner of the tent flinging Cascada on top of Keimoni.
“Sorry” she said.
As she tried to move back to her spot the tent ripped out of the ground and fling them all. They started rolling inside the tent, the wind took it and even their weight was not enough to hold it down. Elbows and knees collided with soft bits as they were rolled and rolled in the belly of the beast.
“Oh!”
“Ow!”
“Hey!”
“Ou!”
Thud, thump and bash they went.
“OW!”
“Offf”
Bash and crash. They finally stopped against a big rock.
Rachael’s foot was in Lakisha’s face. Cascada with upside down one foot on the roof, one in Keimoni’s face and Raiden on top of her head. Lakisha was on Raiden and Keimoni and Rachael was squashed under Lakisha.
“Get off me.” Rachael moved.
“Get your fungus out of my face.” Lakisha objected.
“Ow!” Keimoni groaned.
“This is why we have never left Mirage!” Raiden stated.
“Let’s not do that again.” Cascada agreed.
They untangled themselves and rubbed their sore parts. Which was most of them.
“Your nose is bleeding.” Rachael said to Lakisha.
“It’s your foot!” Lakisha answered.
“Talk about my foot again and I will keep it on you.”
“You can’t do that!” Lakisha stated.
“Who’s gonna stop me?” Rachael taunted.
Lakisha looked around.
“What’s your problem?” she demanded.
“You.” Rachael answered.
“Why? What did I ever do to you?”
“Sometimes it’s what you don’t do.” Rachael snapped.
The tent blew free from the rock and they rolled and tumbled again.
“Ohh!”
“OW!”
“Omff”
“Ahh”
“Errr”
Thumping along the tent tore open and one by one they were dumped into the hail storm. Hail stones the size of marbles beat them. Wind and rain stung their skin. Lightning crashed all around them. It was a sad state of affairs for them all.
The storm eased and the five no longer had to dodge hail stones. Not that they were any good at it.
They grouped together and looked around them with no idea where they were.
“Maybe we can start a fire. Get our wet cloths drying?” Rachael suggested.
Everyone tried to find something that would burn. It was not easy. Everything was so wet. There was nothing that they could start a fire with. Everything was saturated.
The hail had stopped but the rain and wind hadn’t. The wind cut through them, the rain stung their exposed faces.
“We need shelter!” Lakisha said.
The storm was so savvier and the rain was so heavy that they couldn’t see more than one and a half meters ahead of them.
Rachael thought she saw something. She walked towards it shielding her eyes from the stinging rain with her hand.
A cottage was there in front of her. She knocked on the door. It opened.
“Hello!” Rachael called into the empty room.
“Is anyone home?”
She could see light coming from another room.
Rachael looked behind her but she couldn’t see her traveling companions.
She entered the cottage. The door closed itself behind her.
“Hello…” Rachael called again.
She walked towards the light. She pushed the door open. A book whooshed passed her.
Rachael stepped back. A man stood in the middle of the room. He was as black as coal. Books flew around him and he floated off the floor.
“Hi, sorry to disturb you. I need help. For one there is a terrible storm outside and I lost my friends.” Rachael informed.
“I did knock on the door but no one answered. I didn’t intend to just come into your home.” Rachael apologized.
The man looked at her. His blue, blue eyes staring into her soul.
“I love having visitors. Please have some tea with me.”
“I have friends outside. May I call them to join us?” Rachael asked.
“Friends?” he asked.
“Yes, people I am travelling with?” Rachael said.
Then it dawned on her he was speaking English. She also noticed that her clothes were dry and she was no longer cold.
“I hope it doesn’t bother you? You were leaving water in my home.” He said.
“Are my friends alright?” she asked unsure what to ask.
“The storm has stopped. They will find shelter and even food.”
“I am Rachael Ceronio.” she held her hand out for him to shake.
“I am Coalton the wizard.”
“Is that why your books were flying around by themselves and are now putting themselves away?” Rachael asked.
The room she was in was much bigger than the appearance of the whole house.
He smiled. “Tea is here.”
A tea trolley with a tea pot and cups and milk and sugar arrived. It rolled itself in.
“Mrs pots we have a guest. Please pour the tea.” Coalton said.
The tea pot poured tea into the cups.
Milk poured itself and the spoon put sugar in and stirred.
“Is it safe to drink?” Rachael asked.
Coalton laughed
“Out of all the questions and scared looks I have witnessed this is the first time someone has asked me that.”
Rachael waited for an answer. Coalton finished laughing.
“Yes, it is safe to drink.” He assured her.
Rachael saw her reflection in the silver tea tray and looked away.
“Ugly, but you don’t have to be.” The wizard said to her.
“At least you’re not sugar coating it and telling me in time you will be beautiful, and the fungus on your foot will be gone and this will be a distant memory.”
“Who told you that?” he asked.
“Me.” She answered.
“Drink your tea. It’s how you like it.” The wizard said.
“I prefer coffee.” Rachael answered.
But she took the tea and drank, it was amazing. She realized that her foot wasn’t itchy anymore.
She looked at her foot. It was normal. No fungus, no discoloration.
“When did you heal my foot?” Rachael asked.
“When you walked in. Can’t have my guest hobbling around all wet and in pain.”
“Can you heal my face?” Rachael asked.
“Yes, but think carefully want you want. I will give you one thing, and only one thing.”
Rachael thought about it. The mystic healers could heal her at the castle. So, she didn’t need him to fix her flesh. What did she want?
“Food for our guest.” The wizard ordered.
“I don’t know what to ask for. I want to go home. But not only me all of us trapped here.”
“I gave Kerri-liana Jones the answers.” He replied.
“She sent us looking for the crystals so we can go home. Thank you.”
“I sensed my magic on you. It’s what drew me here.”
“Oh, James was healed from a magic gone wrong thing, he had purple spots on him, he was dying. He then gave me blood when I needed it and now, I am alive but still ugly.” Rachael said.
“Yes, you are ugly.” He nodded.
Rachael looked sad.
“Here eat.” He presented earth food to her. Roast potatoes and gravy. Lamb and mint sauce. Even chocolate.
Rachael ate. As she ate the wizard asked her a question
“What will you tell your mother when you return?”
Rachael’s heart sank.
“I was kidnaped by Chris the Columbian. I escaped, he is dead and I don’t want to talk about it.” Rachael said.
The wizard looked at her.
She took a deep breath.
“I hadn’t thought about it.” She confessed.
“What will you tell your father?”
“He wouldn’t even have noticed that I was gone. I won’t need to tell him anything.”
“Both your parents are worried sick. There is a police case in several countries looking for you. After all you are the face of the Ceronio diamonds company.”
“Not anymore. I am ugly.”
“Your face is not what is ugly.” He said.
Rachael covered her boobs and gave him a you pervert look.
“I am not looking through your clothes.” He reassured “What is ugly?” he asked
“Unattractive to the eye. Like my skin.” She answered.
“Can someone behave ugly?”
“Yes.” Rachael answered not sure where he was going with it.
Rachael finished eating.
“Pudding?” he offered.
“No thank you. I have eaten too much already”
He smiled.
“Spend the night. I have a room ready for you.” He said.
“Thank you for everything. Letting me into your home and the food. But I am worried about my friends.” Rachael said.
“Your friends?” he asked “Who are these friends?”
“You already know. You told me they have shelter and food.” Rachael replied.
He smiled
“You are a clever one. Still tell me why they are called your friends?”
“We are from earth. No Lakisha is from earth. Keimoni is just nice to me sometimes.”
She was sad. “And we picked up two others who are helping us find they crystals we need to get back home.”
“Why does Keimoni make you sad?”
Rachael shrugged. “I guess it’s because as soon as he gets what he wants he will be gone. I will be a memory.”
“Indeed, you will return to earth and be but a memory to every you have met.”
“So, I will return to earth.” Rachael asked happily.
“Where there is a will there is a way.”
The wizard looked at her. “Rachael, I want you to think about what you want.” He said.
“Okay.” she agreed unsure.
“It’s time for me to go to bed. We will talk tomorrow. Sweet dreams. Mrs lamp, please show Rachael to her room.”
A lamp floated on its own and slowly left the room.
“Thank you, wizard Coalton.” She said.
Then she followed the lamp.
Rachael got to her room. It was beautiful with a real bed and pillows. A bath with hot water was in the ensuite and it had a flushing toilet. A big towel with pajamas were neatly folded.
Rachael delightfully had a bath. She washed her hair and scrubbed her body. It was so nice to be in a place that felt a little bit normal.
She was curious about the wizard but she appreciated his hospitality and therefore respected the privacy of his home.
She went to sleep in the bed.
* * *
Keimoni looked around but couldn’t find Rachael. A barn came into site and he ran for it.
“Come everyone.” He called.
The barn was safe and dry. It was a storage barn. Filled with food.
Suddenly the rain stopped and bits of sun shone through the dark clouds. Rachael was gone.
“Rachael!” Keimoni called.
“If she is lost, she knows to go to the castle.” Lakisha said.
“She can hardly walk.” Keimoni objected.
“She will be fine.” Lakisha insisted.
“Do you just dislike her and not care if something happened to her like being mauled by beasts?” Keimoni fought.
“No, I don’t like her, but she is strong and she is stubborn. She will not be killed by beasts because she refuses to die. Keimoni,” Lakisha took his hand
“She will be ok. We will send a search party with horses and maybe even dragons if Tẽra’s fiancé is willing. You don’t need to be so concerned. Yes, I think her fungus was funny and deserved. But I don’t wish real harm on her. She just beings out my bad side.” Lakisha explained.
“I am not leaving without her.”
“Then don’t. But everyone else needs to move.”
“It will be dark soon. We have barrels of water and lots of food. Maybe we head out in the morning and look for Rachael until then.” Keimoni said.
“Ok.” Lakisha agreed.
They all looked for Rachael but no trace of her was found. Not even a shoe. It was like she vanished into thin air.
Night came and they rested. But Keimoni couldn’t, he was too restless. He kept thinking she was injured and dying.
Maybe dragons were a good idea.