I thought about taking today off but after having a good time at the local WriMo Game Night, I felt compelled to add a thousand words or so to my story.
A bald eagle circled over head. The wings of the bird stretched long and it dipped down as the tail feathers twisted and shaped themselves. Through her enhanced hearing, Xep heard the bird call out and skreech to the sky. Xep smiled and strained her head against the window as to get a better view of the magnificent bird. She had read about the omens that many of the ancient cultures of the local area placed on the bird and smiled. “Only good things,” she repeated in her head hoping that the appearance of the bird meant that her journey would prove successful. “So many interesting new things,” she thought to herself, “it will be a shame that I cannot hang out here more often to explore and see what else is around. I never knew that this side of the veil had so many wonderful things.”
She leaned her head against the cold, shatter proof car window. They had been on the road for almost two hours now. She felt like the task before her was becoming more and more impossible to do. From what she could gage from the reactions of her companions, no one had found anything worth while as a solution to close the fissure. Not that anyone was talking anyways.
She adjusted her posture in the front seat as her wings fluttered uncomfortably behind the weight of her back. She gazed down at her pouch and spotted three vials of the life giving elixir. She was running low, and she did not want to think about what would happen if they ran out before she did what she came here to do. Frowning at her dilemma she turned her head to watch the green trees as they sped down the highway.
“It is getting late,” Sardonios said yawning, “I feel as if I have been driving all day. Something that I normally ever do. I am old and get tired fast. I really need to rest for a bit and we need to stop anyways and figure out what we are going to do once we get to where we are going. I get the feeling that we will need to go to an outdoors store and get some winter items. I know that I am not prepared for tromping around in the snow in this outfit.”
Paige yawned, “I second that. Can we please find a hotel. I have some money in my bank card that we can use to cover the costs. It is the least I can do after what I have done.”
A few miles later, Sardonios turned off the highway and pulled into a quaint and quiet local motel called The Cascade Inn. The sun had begun to set, painting the sky in bright shades of red, pink, orange and purple. When they walked into the main lobby the smell of pine scented cleaning solution and dust hit them. A short, elderly lady greeted them at the reference counter, “Hi there weary travelers. Can I offer you a room or two for twenty-three dollars?”
Paige looked over her shoulder at her tired companions, everyone nodded in agreement that they had found the right place. At twenty-three dollars per room, they found the rate quite reasonable and Paige slid her plastic debt card across the counter, to pay for the cost for two rooms. The innskeeper smiled back as she slid across the transaction slip and two keys across the counter. She muttered under her breath about the key unlocking one room belonging to the Gentlemen and the other for the ladies. Tristian snicker and winked to Paige suggesting something else.
They all thanked the lady and wandered off to their rooms. Everyone was so tired that they ended up saving any intense planning or discussions for the next morning. Everyone, except Xep, slept soundly that evening. Instead, Xep kept to herself, sitting in a soft comfortable chair that faced the television set. She had the machine turned on and watched the moving pictures dance across the screen in a soft glow. Occasionally, she turned her head and watched the strange lights that had started lighting up the sky almost immediately after the sun had set for its nightly nap. She frowned again, her mind churning ideas for what could be done.
The next day they found a nearby Village Inn and headed in for breakfast and discussions. The restaurant was empty, save for the waitress and cook, and they propped themselves down in a comfortable booth. The waitress came by, told them her name in an almost too perky sounding voice, and handed out menus to everyone. She cocked her head oddly at Xep and then shrugged as she spun away on her heal to go grab a olive green pot full of coffee and three Earthern mugs.
Everyone watched her wander off, waiting to speak their minds when they could not be overheard. Sardonios spoke up first as he situated his white cotton napkin in his lap. He bent forward and spoke softly. “Okay, what are we going to do once we get there?” Sardonios proposed. “I heard lots of gossip at the market yesterday but nothing seemed to help. Some people did think that a magical invocation or other ritual might help. Apparently, many groups have already tried to heal the incident by spewing many incantations. A vendor even hinted that the Papyri Graecae Magicase had even been repeated with much flair with no visible results.”
“How long ago did that group speak the cant,” Tristian inquired.
“Two weeks ago, and from what the vendor told me, there have been no effects. Nothing visible or detected in the energy levels around the area. Nothing seemed to change at the beginning and nothing seemed to change later, when some of the members went back to check in on the location again.”
“I see,” Tristian said looking down at the menu. “In that case, let us eat something. I am completely starved.”
The perky waitress came back and took their orders. She skipped over Xep who just smiled and nodded at the young girl. She skipped back, hollered at the cook staff and then stood back at her post waiting for them to holler that the order was up.
Paige spoke up next, “So then, what are our options. I know that I am not ready to head into the ice and cold. I think there is an outdoor stoor nearby. We will need to get some warm jackets and gloves and maybe some snowshoes. Oh, can we get those snowshoes? I have never gotten to wear a pair and I think it would be really cool to get them.”
Tristian snickered and nodded, “If it pleases you pet, we will get you a pair of snowshoes. However, I have heard that they are quite hard to walk in. I myself would rather walk in boots. Now back to the topic at hand. What are we going to do once we get there? If magical incantations do not work then there must be a physical component that we may need to do.”
Sardonios sipped from his mug and looked up, “That gives me an idea. Perhaps you are right. Perhaps magic is not the only thing that needs to be done. Perhaps there is a physical component that needs to be done as well. Like an offering. As much as I wish we could go into this prepared, I think that we may want to just get some gear, drive up to the location first and investigate the area. I have the feeling that once I am there, and able to visually see what is going on around the area with my own two eyes, I may be able to understand what is going on a bit better.”
“Agreed,” Xep said. “I wish I had more to contribute but at the moment I do not have anything to say. Why do we just pay the bill, head out of here and get you all dressed for the fissure. I presume that we are getting close?”
Sardonios checked his watch, “Actually, yes. I think we have maybe another hour or two of driving. We need to keep heading north and then turn off the highway when we see the signs to Mount Rainier. Then we drive another hour, on the backroads, and maybe logging roads to the location. I am hoping that the roads will not be too horrible seeing that so many people have been driving to that location.”
“Once we get there, we may want to wait until everyone has left for the evening. So we can be left to investigate the area on our own without arousing suspicion,” Xep said.
“Good point,” Tristian nodded in agreement, “I can place some runes on the car that will make us sort of hidden until people are not there. We will need to wait in the car but it will give us some time.”
“Sounds like we have our plan then,” Paige said. “I say we blow this joint and get moving. I really hope Serena is not going to be too pissed off that we have her car. I should call her and leave a message. I will probably be paying her off until I am old and grey.” She gave her companions a worried look and went off to go find a pay phone.
A few hours later, after having found a local sporting goods store, they were back in the car and more prepared. Paige was looking down at her new coat and mittens and admiring her jacket in the rear view mirror. Sardonios turned the radio on and started hunting for music that did not sound like noise to his ears. Tristian and Xep sat in complete silence in the back seat. Xep turned her head and watched the world whizz by outside. Dark clouds swam and swirled overhead, a storm was brewing and Xep hoped that they could outrun it.
