poemtry and prose

Hazel smiled at Cassie, "It should not be long now."

"About how long you think it will take us to get from here to there?"

Hazel looked at the sky once more. The sun was almost directly above them. "Not that much further, I would wager. Besides, it is all downhill from here. Come on, let's get going."

The trail they were on changed. It grew wider. The stretch between each side grew from being able to fit one person to being capable of carrying two moving cars side by side. Cassie felt like she was traveling down a primitive road. There was no warning that the trail was going to grow from being a small, foot-worn groove in the earth with grass and plants growing in and out of it to a smooth, well shaped roadway. Impressions left by various creatures and wheels appeared frozen in the in the dirt, aged by years of rain and snow.

Standing side by side they continued sauntering toward the stone town. Hazel slowed the pace down a bit. It was almost as if he felt better about having Stonehaven in sight. His colors smoothed out and softened. Cassie could tell that he was no longer in an very alert state of mind.

Natural gravity helped them finish walking the hill quickly. The road widened with each step. The obelisk, still off in the distance, grew taller. Soon, they found themselves standing at the edge of two farms. Small plants, neatly arranged in tiled rows, stretched out to Cassie's left. From the way they were carefully planted into small rows hoed by some unseen beast, she guessed that this was a vegetable farm. Miniature light green tree tops grew up from the soil, marking the tips of the bounty. A puff of wind picked up, sending the tops waving back and forth in the air. Five feet off to their left a faerie farmer kneeled at the ground. She stared at them, pausing from her work.

Red, yellow and green colors bundled her head in a protective turban. A broach displaying a scarab held the wrapped fibers tight. Curly locks of gold hair dripped out from under the turban, dripping wisps of hair over the faerie's shoulders. White pearls of sweat beaded her forehead, the physical badge of hard work. Her face was tanned, having spent long days working in the sun. Smudges of dirt powdered her face. Her grey eyes expressed a warm welcome. Her lips pursed but they made no sound or words. Her chest expanded, filling with air, as she caught her breath.

Green, loose fitting shirts layered her delicate frame. Her wings overlapped one another, laid tucked behind her back. The way they sat almost made her appear human. Her legs were covered in leather like pants and her feet were bare. She held the bush of a freshly pulled vegetable in her hands, gently cradling it as she brushed off the dirt. It was round and looked like a tomato that had been buried. It probably could have been too, if tomatoes grew underground and were blue. A poorly woven basket made of vine sat next to her, filled halfway with the strange fruits. Her house, made of stone and capped with grass stood off in the distance. Only a second or two passed and the faerie turned away from Hazel and Cassie, placing the vegetable in the basket and moving down the line to the next one.

More neatly crafted rows dug outward to their right side. Brown columns had been dug into the ground. Dark green vines were planted around each post. As the sun and soil gave them strength, the plants grew upwards, deftly scaling the shaft. When the plants ran out of vertical climb, they didn't stop growing. Long strands of cord decorated the tops of the columns, connecting the space between each pole. When the vine could not climb up anymore they extended outwards. The weight of the vines caused the cord to bow toward the middle. Huge leather like blades of leaves grew out from the vines, appearing at strange angles. Small tendrils of roots grew from the bases of some of the leaves, securing them to the rope. Clumps of round, red berries grew between the huge leaves. The structures appeared to stretch outwards for miles. Cassie was not able to see where they ended and the next farm began.

The farm changed to either side of them every half-meter or so. Each grew a different fruit or vegetable. Each with their own peculiar display and orientation. Fences separated each farm's property, some made of wood, others of stone. There was a herd of sheepish animals in one farm. Their fur was brown and grew long and shaggy, wooly looking. They gathered in small groups. One or two larger creatures and a few smaller ones. One beast with a horn stood away from the others. His was not eating. Instead his eyes, placed on either side of his head, scanned the countryside and sky. He seemed to be their leader and was protecting the heard from enemies. Two lone beasts had left the heard and wandered close to the fence to where Cassie and Hazel stood. Their long necks stretched over the stone fence. It seemed as if they were grazing, looking for better grass on the other side. A long pink tongue shot out from one of the creature's mouths. It flickered and flailed along the ground. Where Cassie thought they were eating the grass, she now could tell that they ran their long tongues over it, searching the dirt for insects or other small morsels of food. Their eyes blinked sideways, chewing whether their tongues placed back into their mouths. The horned beast bleated and the two loners pulled their heads away from the fence and galloped back to the herd.

Small rectangular stone markers had been planted every meter or so along the street. Strange markings carved into the face of each one. The same symbol was carved at the top of every one. It looked like a crown with a circle enclosing it. Beneath it were lines. As they got closer to the gates of the town, more marks appeared. Cassie thought that they looked like mile markers, ticking off the distance to reach the gate.

The farmlands stopped. Replaced by a tall, smooth slab of stone. Dead ivy roots grew along the wall. Cassie could tell that they kept the wall clean of anything that could grow on it. Anything that could provide a faerie or enemy with stable foot holds to enter the town unwanted. Guard posts appeared at the top of the wall, three for each direction. An additional guard post sat on either side of a gap in the wall. They reached Stonehaven gate.

Two ogres stood at the posts, their chests encased in heavy chain and plate mail shirts. Long, muscular hairy arms hung to their sides, their hands poised near the hilt of the gigantic swords each had sheathed to a belt. They wore metal helmet, obscuring their eyes so Cassie could not see them. The colors surrounding them were guarded, shifting from trust to suspicion. They stared blankly at Hazel and Cassie, their eyes tracking their every move. They were ready to strike them down into oblivion at the first sign of aggression towards the town.

Cassie stared at the ogres as Hazel escorted her past the stone blockade into Stonehaven. Thick hinges rounded each side of the wall, tucking two giant stone slabs behind them. A tall tree husk leaned against one of the doors. It was stripped of its bark, its white meat stained with years of use and weather. Two more ogre guards stood at each gate, prepared to close the door if they needed to.

The dirt road ended at the gates. Once they walked through the wall, it turned into cobblestone. The single road grew out to their left and right as well as continuing straight ahead. Buildings lined the road everywhere Cassie looked. Most, if not all the buildings in Stonehaven, were made of the same grey stone as the wall that surrounded the entire town. Each building was unique in its design, identified by the style of roof that capped it. Very few of the buildings stood at a single floor. As far as Cassie could tell each building had at least two or three floors. Some had more and Cassie found herself growing dizzy as she tilted her head upwards to see it all.

A wide variety of materials went into enclosing each building. Straw and mud seemed to be the favored material, fashioning rounded building tops with fat pitches. Others had steep pitches and were framed with wood. Clotheslines stretched between some of the upper levels, marking the telltale signs of residential rooms and floors. Clothing tied to the strings, flapping in the breezes drying. Faeries and mythical creatures were everywhere. If they were not sitting and talking, they flooded the streets, walking, riding or flying. It was like Cassie was living out her best dreams all at once.

While the town was not as big as Portland, it had a strange metropolitan feel to it. Weird and wondrous personalities filled the city. Each person appearing stranger and more unique than the next. A small blur of red flashed out of Cassie's peripheral vision. She turned her head, trying to catch up with the flash. Small winged faeries the size of Stick floated in and out of open doors and windows. A group of five small faeries playfully chased each other, darting in and out of the streets and between the buildings. Smiling, she turned her attention back to street level.

Carts lined the lower levels of almost every building. Colorful banners hung from their canopies, describing each vendor, giving names and prices to their wares. A blue faerie dressed in a gown of gauze stood haggling with a dwarven faerie over the price of a bundle of fruit. The taller fae wanted a cheaper price while the short man shook his bearded head. The dwarf stood on a box, allowing him to see into the eyes of his taller customers. Cassie smiled at the sight.

A cart crossed in front of them. Pulled by a small donkey. Another dwarf sat on the wooden cart, reigns in his hands. Bales of red hay filled the back of his cart. The donkey bobbed his head up and down, his tiny feet stretched to their limits as it pulled its owner and wares down the cobblestone. Hazel allowed the cart to pass before motioning Cassie to cross the street.

They headed straight down the middle road. Cross shaped posts hung suspended by faerie magic in midair at each cross roads. A diamond shaped lamp made of black iron metal topped each post. No glass sat between the lamp's frame and there was no wicks inside the lamps. Cassie wondered how they worked without the aid of fire to light them. Pieces of stone, two-holes punched at each center, hung around each post. Words had been carved into each stone, written in the same strange language that appeared on the posts outside the town. Cassie figured that the marks told the citizens what each names of the street were.

Boards and stone slabs marked the names of each business and building. Some had pictures on them, others did not. Cassie peered into the window of a tavern. Well-endowed faerie women carried large platters filled with food and mugs around to each table. One slammed down a pitcher of foaming liquid as a sly customer from another table grabbed at her backside. She whipped her head around in annoyance, her mouth forming words back at the surprised faerie. He stuck his hands into the air with a feigned look of innocence on his lips. The whole room roared out with laughter.

Two small children huddled down a dark alleyway. One of them had long black hair tied back into a ponytail with a piece of thread. A silver ring pierced through his pointy left ear; it was clear that he was older than the other one. The other had short, shaggy green hair. Their clothes were old and torn and not well mended. A small loaf of bread sat on a unwrapped piece of cloth between them. Their eyes followed Hazel and Cassie as they passed by them. Their colors appeared subservient and tired. Hazel reached into another pouch and flipped a few coins at them. The boy with the black hair continued to watch them as the younger one rushed out to collect the coins. It was Cassie's first glimpse into the town's darker side. Just like any other city or town, Stonehaven had its fair share of poverty and homeless.

Hazel led Cassie thru the streets. He obviously knew where he was going. There was no way that Cassie would have ever known where they headed let alone on how to get back to the gates. They twisted down a few side streets and larger busier streets. Then Cassie found herself staring at the obelisk.

It was black. And very, very smooth. Like glass. But not shiny or reflective because no shadows or reflections were cast in the stone. Cassie could not see herself in it. It was solid and did not appear that anything could live or be inside of it. Another ogre guard stood watch at a small building set in front of the obelisk. Cassie wondered what he was guarding as there was no door to be seen in sight. She wanted to walk around the perimeter of the obelisk but figured that it would be a waste of time and effort. She was sure that there was no physical entrance, like a door, placed anywhere around the stone.

She threw her head way back. Standing on the ground, up so close, she was not able to see any windows or doors cut further into the stone. No balconies or outcroppings appeared from the rock either. She figured that the whole thing had been enchanted with powerful faerie magic and that was the only way to gain entrance inside the building.

Hazel walked over to the guard and said a few words. The ogre looked at Cassie, nodded and stepped towards the obelisk. He drew his sword and tapped the stone. Once, twice and then three times. Nothing happened at first and then Cassie heard a rumbling.

Six feet up and four feet across from where the stone met the ground a slit grew from the obelisk. An orange glow spilled out from behind. A rectangular chuck of stone slid downwards, exposing a portal in the stone. The ogre returned to his post and nodded for them to enter. Hazel grabbed Cassie's hand and they entered together, side by side.

They found themselves standing in a long hallway. Tapestries hung from the walls, touching the floor. Some of them displayed portraits of important faeries and elders. They were dressed in elegant costumes and their faces painted with outrageous patterns and tattoos. They rarely smiled and in all cases they had their wings stretched outwards, showing the beautiful markings. Other tapestries exhibited scenes of stories or historical events. Some were outlandish battle scenes, complete with blood and beheadings. Others depicted weddings between two houses. Cassie was impressed by the long history of the world.

White marble with swirls of black composed the floor. It was smooth and reverberated every step they made. Torches hovered by the walls, the flames from the fire dancing bright red colors. Cassie wondered if they were going to end up having to climb lots of stairs to get to the Elder's chambers. But the hallway did not lead to a staircase; instead, it stopped at another wall. A old faerie, with a long white beard stood next to the wall and pushed a hidden button.

A section of the wall faded, replaced by a small rectangular box. It was an elevator. Another torch floated near the ceiling and the faerie pointed at them to enter the box. The wall reappeared behind them. The elevator walls were also covered in tapestries. No control box appeared embedded in any of the walls, not that Cassie could see. Her body swayed as the elevator leaped into action. It made no sound as it climbed the inside of the obelisk. Cassie had no idea how far off the ground they were. The trip only took a minute and the elevator stopped.

The wall faded once more and a hand appeared motioning them to step out. Hazel went first and assisted Cassie next. She stared at the faerie next to Hazel. Her mind did a double take as she realized that she was staring at the same old faerie with a long white beard who had helped them into the elevator. Somehow he had beaten them to the top of the obelisk just in time to help escort them out. He winked an acknowledgement as she passed him.

A rock embedded curtain hung before them. The stones sparked in the torchlight as the curtain pulled back exposing a large cathedral. Three hand carved chairs made of oak faced them. Sitting in the chairs were three faeries. A woman sat on the left. Her silver hair was braided and she wore a simplistic crown woven from thin oak branches. A small, round piece of jade was set in the center of the crown. Wisdom and age heavily wrinkled her face. And yet her blue eyes sparkled, defiant with youthfulness. An amulet of Celtic designs hung around her neck on a silver chain. It was the only piece of jewelry she had on. She wore a long plain, green silk dress. Brown, leather slippers adorned her feet.

Another woman sat off to the right. Her brown hair hung long and straight tumbling down over her shoulders. A deep blue streak painted a braid that started on the right side of her head crossing her forehead and then hanging down to her chin on the left side of her face. She also wore a crown woven from an oak branch. A purple stone, flecked with golden stars sat in the center of her crown. The woman appeared younger. If Cassie could guess her age she was maybe ten years older than she was. She wore a deep purple and black dress, the sleeves fairing out beyond her wrists. She also wore the same amulet around her neck. Two rings pierced her right ear while the left had only one ring in it. Rings also wrapped around the thumb and ring finger on her right hand. She wore black slippers.

The middle chair was occupied by a middle-aged man. He also wore a oak woven crown, but it was bare, no stone had been set into his. If one was to be set in it at all. His hair was short, black and speckled with grey streaks. His skin was brown. A third eye appeared in his forehead, between his two blue eyes. It was cloudy and white and Cassie could not tell if he could even see out of it at all. It looked broken. Lines of worry etched into his forehead. Cassie could see he was concerned about fighting a sickness to which there was no known cure. He wore a white tunic, perfectly sewn so that none of the seams showed. A black leather jerkin covered the white shirt, its collar embossed with the same Celtic designs that hung on charms around the women's necks. He wore black tights, the bottoms tucked into the tops of his calf-length boots.