Finally facing the source of the warm voice, ten year old Cer glares into the eyes of a young woman donning a long riding cloak with a blood red and black dress underneath. “How’d you.. Sneak up on me.. Like that?... Get back or I’ll fight you!”
Throwing her hands up in surrender, the woman backs up to ease Cer’s aggression. “Whoah, I mean no harm. I smelled your food and had some of my own. I think we can trade.. Or even share.”
Attempting to whisper to Cer, Quinn unintentionally speaks loud enough for the woman to hear. “She has food, Kuya. AND SHE IS PRETTY! Can she join our family?”
Chuckling at Quinn’s feeble attempt to whisper, the woman responds. “Hehehe Thank you for your kind words, little one. Please call me Nethmaya. I do have food for us to share. I figured you all have a cozy picnic away from the busy roads, I can come and join you. I am hiding from the men in town.”
Before Cer could interject, Quinn’s mouth drops open as she responds with enthused surprise. “You are hiding from the people too? You can hide with us.”
Fearing for their safety, Cer jumps up and stands between Nethmaya and the other kids with his arms stretched out. “No. I won’t let you hurt them. Leave NOW!!”
Smiling, Nethmaya places her knapsack on the ground and backs away, giving space and room, showing them she means no harm and for Cer to feel less threatened. “Here, looks like you all are more hungry than I am and there is plenty of food to go around.”
Stepping back even further after placing the knapsack down, Nethmaya squats and raises both of her hands to where Cer can see them. “I am not your enemy. I am like you. The people do not like me everywhere I go and they hunt me and my kind down.”
Keeping a watchful eye on Nethmaya, Cer reaches back and beckons the others to retrieve the food.
“Oooooh CANDY!!!” screams Quinn as she plunges into the bag, nearly falling in.
“Lemme see!” Miyas squeals as she skips up to peer into the bag. “Oh, that’s just fruit. That’s not candy.”
Pulling out of the bag, Quinn holds up a blue and red piece of fruit. “Wow… fruit… it smells like candy.”
Giggling, Nethmaya smiles at them as they pass the fruit out. “Fruit is natural candy. It is mother nature’s candy. She provides us with everything we need. Can I have some of your bread?You can have the rest of the fruit if you’d like.”
Scrunching his eyebrows with suspicion, Cer reaches back for the bread with one hand and reaches down by his side with another hand. “Everyone stop! Toss her some fruit and gimme some bread. She has to eat it first so we know she isn’t trying to kill us like they do the rats. POISON!”
Stepping forward, Lark hands Cer some bread and tosses one of the colorful fruit bulbs at Nethmaya. “Good luck, you make any tricky moves and Cer will bash your head in.”
“Shh” whispers Cer to Lark. “A cat never shows its claws. Don’t tell people anything, ever.”
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Catching the fruit, Nethmaya smiles and takes a bite. “A cat can also port wherever it wants, so it can show its claws and still surprise you. Have you ever seen a cat before? I have many in a safe haven of mine. Have you ever seen or tasted this fruit before? It’s called a pomzure bulb. It is special and only grows where I live. It gives you energy and makes you feel full.”
Gasping at the prospect of feeling full for the first time in a long time, Cer and the others gawk with their mouths open, salivating at the thought of eating the fruit.
Looking at her pomzure, Miyas rubs it softly, preparing to eat it. “Can we eat some now? She didn’t die.”
“Wait. I will try it first. If I get sick, hit her with my hammer.” Responds Cer as he hands his hammer to Lark.
“Or.. you can hit her yourself!” grins Lark as she pushes the hammer back towards Cer with one hand while taking a bite of the pomzure she is holding with the other hand. “Ooooh delicious.”
Furrowing his eyebrows, Cer looks back displeased at Lark and then looks back at Nethmaya. “If she gets sick, I will smash you with this. Don’t think I won’t.”
After a few moments of realizing the fruit is not poisoned, the others each take a bite of the fruit. Acknowledging the kind gesture of Nethmaya, Cer tosses the bread to Nethmaya. “Here -fair trade. You wasted our time, so you paid in fruit. That bread is a trade for this pomzure.”
Taking a bite of the fruit, Cer fills his hunger pangs disappear and a sudden flow of strength and energy fills his body. “This is good. Where did you get this again?”
Smiling, Nethmaya stands up and raises her hands and performs hand sigils slowly.
Without warning, shimmering glitter dust rises from the ground and forms an image of an island with a tall building, small cottages and a fountain in the center of the buildings.
Alarmed by the sudden apparition, Cer shoves the remainder of the pomzure in his mouth and then raises the hammer towards Nethmaya. Following suit, Lark draws out a short knife and Miyas draws out makeshift rags braided like rope.
Scared of the confrontation, Quinn grabs the knapsack full of pomzures and drags it behind Lark and Miyas. Several other kids surround Quinn, holding rocks as they prepare to protect their youngest member and the food they just acquired.
Unphased by the children’s defensively hostile posturing, Nethmaya smiles warmly and raises her open palms towards the 3-dimensional image, inviting the children to observe the sculpted dust before them. “This is my home. I am a farmer of magic. Here I partner with special bees that make the honey that everyone wants and needs.”
Gracefully waving her hand, Nethmaya weaves the air as mist forms around her hand, coming together to form a bubble. “I teach young people like yourself to live with nature and to reap the pain that others sow- harvesting sorrow and grief. We are healers of the land and nature’s laws. I have some friends you may want to meet. Would you like to meet others like you, left behind and used and hurt? Look into the bubble.”
Looking into the bubble before him, Cer sees various kids of different ages, shapes, sizes, and even races tending to flowers, carrying water, riding large bees, and chasing each other. The kids behind Cer, peer over each other, looking into a glimpse of being with others in a safe place.
Hearing the kids in the bubble talking, a small voice shouts to another kid in the image of the bubble. “Claire, when is Mother coming home?”
Shaking out of the trance, Cer catches a single tear that nearly slipped of Cer’s cheek. That’s right. Home. That is when we were invited Home. Mother… Quinn… I am sorry. I will find a way to revive our Home, once I find Quinn and make these lands safe again.
Placing a warm hand on Cer’s shoulder, offering comfort and ease, Miyas whispers in Cer’s ears. “I may not have the ability to scry what it is you saw just now in the moments you were away Cer, but I know you. That smile. You saw the memory of Home didn’t you? The place we can no longer see in our hearts and minds.”
“S…S’cry? You want to cry like daddy does?” interrupts Punkin as she tugs on Miyas’ cloak.
Turning to look at Punkin, Cer offers a strained but warm smile like someone appreciating the time they have left. She is so much like Quinn. I can see why she would not harm Pupu. She has nothing against Pupu. It is me she is mad at. “I saw something more than just Home, Miyas. I saw the memory when we first laid eyes on the Grand Isle and the Grand Apiary through Mother’s magic bubble. I didn’t just see the Grand Apiary; I saw the look in her eyes, as we looked into the bubble for the first time- I saw her looking past me- she was looking at Quinn the whole time.”
Abruptly interjecting, Miyas squeezes Cer’s shoulder and begins to storm away. “No! It can’t be! We were playing cat and mouse- tracking her, then running away and hiding from her. This entire time we needed to be running towards her. She has been stalling. We are running out of time. Tonight is the Reaper’s moon. A witch is only as strong and limited as the source from which they draw mana from. We are her source, Cer! She tricked us! We need to find her and find where she is hosting the ritual and stop the Reaper’s Rite.”
“Who do you actually think you are gonna stop?” echoes a familiar voice, now with a keen but light coarseness to it.
Quintessential Wonder… I’m sorry… I never abandoned you. I was lost, but you found me…I will bring you Home.