Chapter
Two
It
was windy on the mountain, windy and cold, and Michiko's long red
scarf danced as she looked around the narrow peak. What
is this place?
she thought. Why
am I here? Where's Beth? She
could see four other mountains in the near distance, all of them tall
and slender.
A
piece of paper, blown by the wind, landed at Michiko's feet. She
picked it up and saw writing on it, in gold letters, in a script she
recognized as Sanskrit. It seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't
quite place it.
There
was loud, mocking laughter behind Michiko. She slowly turned.
Squatting
on a ridge above her was a monkey. He looked like he could pass for
human from a distance if one squinted, but he had a monkey's face and
tail, brown hair growing everywhere, and deep brown eyes. He was
dressed in red and gold, and he carried a heavy iron staff with ease.
"Little pretender!" he said with a chuckle and a
teeth-baring smile, jumping off the ridge and pointing at Michiko.
"You?"
Michiko reared back.
"Who
else?" the monkey roared. "Who but the Great Sage, Equal of
Heaven! The Victorious Fighting Buddha! Sun Wukong! The mighty,
masterful, handsome Monkey King! And I—"
He
stopped as Michiko ran up to him. "Oh my gosh!" she
squealed. "I'm so glad to meet you! I just wish Beth were here!
It's an honor! It's..."
Her
voice trailed off as the Monkey King glared at her. "Little
pretender," he hissed. "I did not bring you here for inane
chatter!"
"Does
this mean I shouldn't ask for your autograph?"
Sun
Wukong gritted his teeth. "Young fool! I bring a warning from
Heaven!"
Michiko
raised a forefinger. "If it's about the leftovers we found in
the back of the fridge—"
The
Monkey King grabbed Michiko by the throat. "Quiet!"
"Yes,
sir," Michiko said.
"I
don't know what the Gods were thinking!" He released Michiko and
continued, "The True Millennium is coming! We needed a hero! A
chosen one! And what do we get? An impudent slip of a girl with a
martyr complex!"
"But
I've done a good job so far!" Michiko said defensively.
"Compared
to who? Not me! I defeated demons and monsters! I held the Gods to a
standstill! I am a legend! What have you done?"
"Rescued
some kidnapping victims and lost kids?"
"Is
that all?" the Monkey King sneered. "I've eaten the Peaches
of Immortality! I have mastered the 72 Transformations! I can soar
through the clouds! What about you?"
"I'm
cute," Michiko said meekly.
"Enough."
Sun Wukong plucked a hair from his head, held it to his mouth, and
blew.
There
were a few more Sun Wukongs at first, then dozens, then hundreds. The
Monkey Kings raised their staffs as they surrounded Michiko. "Do
you think you can beat us all?" they said as one. "You
wouldn't even be a match for one of us!"
"But
I have no quarrel with you," Michiko said. "Why should we
fight?"
"What
if there were something worth fighting for?" The Monkey Kings
smiled grimly. "It would be so easy for us to go next door, so
to speak."
"Beth?"
Michiko whispered, her eyes widening.
"She's
so vulnerable to us."
Michiko
dropped into a defensive crouch, staff under her forearm. "Not
while I draw breath," she snapped.
Sun
Wukong laughed mockingly, a laugh that spread through his duplicates.
"Try something, little pretender! We'll crush you like a leaf!"
"The
only way you'll get to Beth," the Monkey Queen said, "is
through me. I may not be able to stop you, but I'll make you sorry
you tried." Her hand tightened on her staff as she stared down
the horde.
The
Monkey Kings nodded, and all but one of them vanished. "You have
spirit," the remaining one said.
Michiko
loosened her grip on her staff and straightened up. "You said
Heaven sent you with a warning. Tell me what this is about."
"Very
well." The Monkey King pointed his staff at Michiko. "You
will soon face a great challenge. I am here to tell you to prepare
yourself. You carry a secret, little pretender. A secret of the
heart."
"But
how—"
"Nothing
is out of the sight of Heaven! And no secret is forever! Soon,
everyone will know!"
Michiko
trembled, turning pale. "But—but—"
"And
what is more," Sun Wukong said as he stepped towards Michiko,
"to triumph, you will have to do something that even I, the
Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, could never do!"
"What
would that be?" Michiko asked.
"I
have already said enough! Do you think Heaven gives away the future?"
Michiko
nodded. "Thank you, then."
The
Monkey King turned to go. "Just remember, little pretender,"
he said, "your greatest weakness is also your greatest asset."
"What
do you mean?"
He
turned back and pointed at Michiko's heart. "Your compassion.
Your capacity to care. Your love. I had to be taught all that, but
you were born with it, and it guides you. It gives you strength. It's
what makes you a hero." Sun Wukong smiled, without a hint of
mockery. "Farewell, Monkey Queen."
He
gestured with his staff, and a cloud swooped out of the sky. He
jumped in the air, somersaulting and landing atop it. As it sped
away, Sun Wukong reached back and grabbed the mountain. He pulled
hard and tore away the peak, the skies above him, and the ground
Michiko stood on, leaving only a white, empty void. As the Monkey
King flew away, laughter trailing behind him, gravity overtook
Michiko and she plummeted—
* * *
Michiko
woke up with a gasp. She glanced around her darkened bedroom, making
sure everything was how it should be as her breathing and heartbeat
returned to normal. Wow,
she thought.
Now I know how Beth feels after one of her airship dreams.
She
glanced at the clock by her bed. Speaking
of,
she thought as she threw her blanket aside. Time
for coffee. And for apologies, I hope.
* * *
The
sun was losing its fight with the morning overcast as Beth got of
bed, put her bathrobe on over her pajamas, and stuck her feet into
her pink bunny slippers. She opened her bedroom door and stepped into
the living room, making her way towards the kitchen.
Michiko
was there, already showered, wearing a plain black t-shirt and
matching jeans. She was staring at the wall and holding a mug; Beth
could smell the fresh coffee. "Hey," she said to Michiko.
"Hi,"
Michiko said, moving slightly to make room.
Beth
grabbed her favorite mug and started to fix her coffee. "Michiko?"
she said.
"Yes?"
"I..."
Beth paused, trying to arrange her thoughts. "I just wanted to
say that...well, it's a little thing, but thank you for making the
coffee." She concentrated on her mug as she continued, "I
know I thank you for this every day, but I really do appreciate the
time you take, and your thoughtfulness. Thanks." She set the pot
down and hoped the icebreaker would work.
"You're
welcome," Michiko said, still staring at the wall. "Beth?"
"Yeah?"
Beth tried to not sound nervous, but her hand shook as she picked up
her mug.
"Beth...I'm
sorry." Michiko lowered her head. "I know I haven't been
treating you well lately. I've had things on my mind. Personal stuff.
And I've let it get to me. I've taken it out on you."
"Michiko..."
Beth swallowed.
Michiko
looked at Beth, the faintest hint of tears in her eyes. "I've
hurt you, Beth. And I'm sorry. I really am."
Beth
saw the sadness and regret in Michiko's face, and even with all that
happened the last few days, her heart went out to her friend. She set
her coffee mug down to keep from dropping it. "Is this personal
stuff something you feel comfortable talking about?" she asked.
Michiko
shook her head. "It's something I have to work out on my own."
Beth
reached out and took Michiko's shoulder. "Okay, then," she
said. "But you don't have to shut me out or push me away."
"I
know."
"You've
put up with all my complaining. I'll do the same for you any time you
want to talk. Okay?"
Michiko
nodded, blushing. "Thanks, Beth. And I am sorry."
"Yeah."
Beth stepped back. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you last night."
"I
probably deserved it. It's okay."
"Thanks."
Beth smiled and picked up her mug.
"Blargh!"
Michiko
and Beth looked over to the living room and the cage on the end table
by the couch. "You had to wake me up with this schmaltz?"
Gregor snapped. "'Oh, I'm so sorry!' 'Oh, I'm sorry too!' What a
way to start a Sunday!"
"Sounds
like someone's got the crankies," Beth said to Michiko.
"We
need to cheer him up!" Michiko walked over to the cage and
pulled Gregor out. "Poor little Mr. Crankypants just needs a
hug!" She lifted the guinea pig up and nuzzled him happily. Beth
watched from the kitchen, sipping her coffee and trying not to
giggle.
"Put
me down!" Gregor shouted. "How dare you treat a mighty
sorcerer like this! Put me down!"
"In
a second!" Michiko smooched Gregor on the cheek. He grimaced and
made a retching noise.
Michiko
put the guinea pig back in his cage and turned away. As she did,
Gregor caught Beth's eye and winked. She had to cover her mouth to
keep from laughing.
* * *
Sundays
for Michiko, Beth and Gregor always meant breakfast at the Wonderland
Diner and Tavern, the favorite hangout for the local Emigre
community. Their walk there was quieter than usual, but at least the
tension between the two friends had been broken, and Beth was willing
to settle for that for the moment.
Breakfast
was also quieter than usual, or at least as quiet as things got at
Wonderland on Sunday morning. All the regulars were there, and
Michiko and Beth were kept busy enough chatting with their friends
and acquaintances until the food arrived that there wasn't much time
for talking to each other anyway.
They
were sipping coffee after eating; Gregor sat in his high chair next
to them, still munching his sliced strawberries. "So, Michiko,"
Beth asked as she brushed crumbs off her Totoro t-shirt, "do we
have any plans for today?"
"Plans?"
Michiko said.
"Yeah.
Errands? Fun stuff? Unexpected last-minute things we should have seen
coming?"
Michiko
shook her head. "I hadn't thought about it."
"Quiet
afternoon at home, then?" Beth said.
"We'll
see." Michiko stood up and tugged at her baggy Pikachu sweater.
"But I have one thing to take care of."
"What's
that?"
"I
was up pretty early this morning. All that coffee finally caught up
to me." Michiko smiled sheepishly as she headed for the
restrooms; Beth giggled.
At
least she can still joke around,
Beth thought as she glanced down at her coffee. She had already gone
through a dozen worst-case scenarios in her mind, everything from
blackmail to serious illness to having to move. None of them answered
the question of what was going on with Michiko, and every last one
made her feel worse. If
only she'd open up! If only she'd tell me—
"Hey!"
Beth looked up, her reverie broken. Mandy, the pixie waitress who
held things together at the diner, was staring at her. "You are
so out of it today!" she said.
"I
know," Beth said. "Late night again."
"How
do you guys do it?"
"Coffee
helps—"
The
door flew open, and everyone stared at the woman who ran inside. She
was a faerie, young and slender, dressed in a white skirt and
wraparound top, gold trimmed with a matching sash; a crest with two
intertwined phoenixes was sewn on below her left shoulder. She had
long black hair, held in place by pearl-tipped pins, and deep brown
eyes. She reminded Beth of Grandmother Fox, but much younger. Two
fans hung from her sash, bouncing off her legs as she stopped near
the doorway.
The
faerie glanced around the diner as the door closed, visibly surprised
by the surroundings. "Greetings?" she said nervously.
"Hi,"
Mandy said as she walked up to the visitor. "Welcome to the
Wonderland Diner and Tavern. What can we do for you?"
"Am
I in the right place?" the faerie said slowly. "I was
trying to find—"
The
visitor fell quiet as the door started to open again. Mandy held a
finger to her lips and pointed at the pastry counter by the door. The
visitor nodded and ran behind it, ducking out of sight.
Seven
bearded faerie warriors stormed into the diner. They wore armor made
of small leather plates knotted together over red tops and pants, and
they had swords already loosened in their scabbards. "Good
morning," Mandy said calmly to them. "Welcome to the
Wonderland—"
"I
am Liao Po!" one of the warriors shouted. He was taller than the
rest, and had a fierce beard, a fiercer expression and a shield
emblazoned with crossed swords. "My men and I serve Lord Hong!"
"Long
life to Lord Hong!" the other warriors exclaimed.
"You
will tell us where she is!"
"Who?"
Mandy asked.
"The
Princess!" Liao Po glared at the waitress. "We saw her come
in here!"
Mandy
shrugged. "We're not that high-class a joint. No princesses
here."
"Tell
us where she's hiding!" Liao Po grabbed Mandy's arm. "If
you don't, we'll tear this place apart!"
"Like
Hell." Mec, who had been sitting and chatting with Puck, jumped
to his feet and dug into a pocket. "Get your filthy hands off
her," the gremlin hissed, a gleam in his eyes. Puck grabbed his
arm and pulled him back.
"You're
new here." The warriors turned to face Windsor as he leaned back
in his chair. "We have rules," he continued. "This is
a no-conflict zone. No fighting allowed." His hand grazed the
pommel of his sword.
"Right."
Beth stood up and folded her arms. "Take it outside."
Gregor looked up from his plate as his forepaws started to glow.
"Do
you think you can tell Lord Hong's elite warriors what to do?"
Liao Po said.
"We
can do more than that." A dark-haired faerie in black rose and
faced Hong's men, setting her book aside as she stood. "Much
more." Beth could see the fury in Scylla's eyes, and she
trembled for a moment.
"Aye."
Ulbricht pushed his chair in as he and the other dwarves got up.
"Let's take it outside. We haven't had a good scrap in weeks."
“Right.”
Aloysius was standing in the kitchen doorway, his wings flapping, and
for the first time that Beth could remember, the chef was genuinely
angry. “Out,” he growled in his deep voice, pointing at the door
as his red eyes glowed. “Now.”
"Lord
Hong's finest warriors do not fear..." Liao Po glanced towards
the back of the diner, and his voice trailed off.
Sam
had been sitting in his favorite spot, by the back wall in the one
chair in the diner that could hold his monstrous reptilian frame,
reading the Sunday paper. He was now standing, his head just short of
the ceiling. His tail swatted back and forth, and he roared a shout
of challenge as he took a step towards Lord Hong's men. Steam drifted
from his nostrils.
Liao
Po snorted as he pushed Mandy down to the floor and reached for his
sword. "If you stand with the Princess," he said, "you
will—"
"That
does it!"
Hong's
men gasped with fear as the Monkey Queen charged out of the restroom,
brandishing her staff. "You heard these people!" she
shouted as she ran at them. "Take it outside!" Liao Po and
the others tried to back away, but Michiko turned her staff sideways
and swept them along in front of her like lost and naughty sheep.
As
they neared the door, it was opened from the outside by a woman of a
certain age with curly gray hair and a purple sweater. "Good
morning, everyone!" Mary Crimble said. She noticed Michiko
shepherding Hong's men along just in time and moved aside, holding
the door open as they tumbled out.
Beth
jumped up from her table and ran after Michiko. "Thanks,"
she said to Mary as she hurried past.
The
visitor sprung from her hiding place behind the pastry counter and
followed Beth outside. "Have a great day!" Mary said
cheerfully as she stepped away from the door and headed in.
As
the door slammed shut, Mec pulled free from Puck and ran to Mandy's
side, just beating Aloysius there. "You okay, sugarplum?"
the gremlin asked as he helped the pixie up.
"I'm
fine, sweetie," Mandy said as she brushed herself off. "But
they'd better come back soon."
"Those
jerks?"
"No,
Michiko and Beth. They haven't paid yet."
"That's
not all they forgot," Gregor snapped.
Sam
took his lift-and-erase board from its spot on the wall. He wrote on
it with the talon of his forefinger and held it up: Should
we help?
Windsor
chuckled. "There's only seven of them, my friend. Michiko may
not even break a sweat. In fact—" He pointed towards the
window. "Maybe we can pick up a trick or two by watching her at
work."
* * *
"Okay!"
Michiko shouted as she moved away from the door. "You bozos have
caught me on the wrong end of a bad week, and that woman you pushed
around is a friend of mine! Time to get your butts kicked!"
"We
outnumber you seven to one!" Liao Po snapped as he and his
companions circled her.
"I
know." Michiko smiled. "This is gonna be fun!"
"And
it's actually seven to two!"
As
Michiko's smile widened, the warriors gaped and Beth watched in awe
as she stood by the door, the princess did a backflip over Hong's
men, landing next to Michiko as she pulled the fans from her belt.
"Surrender!" she shouted.
"You'd
fight us with fans?" Liao Po started to snicker. "Just like
a spoiled royal brat!"
The
princess snapped the fans open, and Beth could see they were iron and
brass, decorated with the same phoenix motif as the crest she wore.
"I am the granddaughter of the Great Tactician!" the
princess said. "I have studied under the Imperial Masters!
Underestimate me if you will, but the Monkey Queen and I will...what
did you say?" she asked Michiko, glancing over her shoulder.
"Kick
their butts!" Michiko grinned.
"Thank
you." The princess smiled as she raised the twin fans. "Shall
we?"
"Yep!"
Hong's men started to draw their swords, but Michiko swatted two of
them in the hands. As they winced, she parried a swing from a third
and caught him in the side on the backswing.
As
he toppled over, two more charged the princess. One swung at her, and
she brought her fans together in front of her. The sword clanged off
them and bounced back; as it did, the princess brought up her knee,
getting the warrior below the belt, in a place his armor didn't cover
properly. He sagged to the ground.
The
other warrior swung at the princess, but she jumped to one side to
evade the blow. She snapped her fans shut and struck her foe on his
helmet with one, then the other. He reeled, and a kick in the back of
his knee brought him down.
The
princess turned towards Michiko, who had disposed of four of the
warriors and was facing the last one standing, Liao Po. "I will
not surrender, Monkey Queen!" he shouted as he raised his sword.
"My Lord Hong—"
Michiko
parried Liao Po's swing hard enough to knock his sword out of his
hand and send it flying. She poked him in the stomach with her staff.
As he doubled over she kicked him, not hearing the faint tearing of
fabric. The warrior tumbled ten feet along the ground, smashing into
a nearby wood bench. "Never lay a hand on my friends again!"
Michiko shouted.
Liao
Po scrambled to his feet. "Retreat!" he yelled as he ran
off into the woods; the rest of Hong's warriors jumped up and
followed him.
Michiko
turned towards the princess. "Oh my gosh!" she said,
smiling joyously. "It's so good to—"
"Michiko,"
the princess said, "we don't have time to spare. We need to
return to the Far Lands at once."
"Why?"
"Lord
Hong's men are preparing to execute my boyfriend."
Michiko
gasped with surprise. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Not
if we can't get there in time to rescue him," the princess said
with a stern glare.
"Right!
You go ahead; we'll catch up."
The
princess nodded and ran, heading in the direction the warriors had
taken. "So how long are you going to be gone?" Beth asked.
"You
mean, how long will we be gone!" Michiko picked Beth up bridal
style and ran after the princess.
"Michiko!"
Beth said. "What are you—"
"There's
no time!" Michiko said. "We need to help my friend!"
"And
all it's going to cost is my dignity."
"We'll
laugh about this later. You should—"
"Get
my smartphone out and text Puck and Grandmother Fox that we may be
gone for a couple of days?" Beth was already tapping the screen
of her phone.
"Yep!"
Michiko said as she caught up to the princess.
She
glanced back at them and raised an eyebrow. "I thought we needed
to travel light."
Michiko
smiled. "This is my partner, Beth McGill."
"Hey,"
Beth said with a nod.
"Do
you always carry her everywhere?" the princess said.
"You
said we had to hurry," Michiko said.
"And
your...partner?"
"Yep!"
Michiko's face lit up. "We've been working together for about
three months now. She's smart, she thinks quickly—"
"She's
portable," Beth said, trying not to blush, as they veered off
the trail and pushed through underbrush.
Michiko
giggled. "And she's saved my butt more than once. She's my best
friend." Beth smiled; after what they had been through, she was
glad to hear Michiko getting back to her old self.
They
stopped near the auldgate. As Michiko set Beth down, the princess
said, "I've rarely heard Michiko speak so highly of someone."
She bowed to Beth.
"You're
forgetting something!" Michiko grinned.
"Of
course." The princess nodded. "I am Jiao, Princess of Nui."
Beth
bowed. "I am honored, Princess."
"Please
call me Jiao. Michiko, we do need to hurry."
"Right!"
Michiko and Jiao ran up to the stone platform; as they did, the
marble gate came into view.
"This
Nui," Beth said as she followed them. "I've been to Faerie
through this gate, but it takes you to Dawnhome."
"A
lesson I once learned, Beth," Jiao said as she stepped to the
other side of the platform, "is that all doors have two sides."
Beth followed her and saw that while the auldgate was the same on the
other side, the energy inside was different, red and pulsing instead
of swirling.
"They're
called the Far Lands for a reason," Michiko said to Beth. "If
we had a globe of Faerie, you'd see that where Faerie itself was, Nui
and the other kingdoms would be on the other side."
"Wow,"
Beth said.
"And
it's summer there, and the food is awesome!" Michiko said.
"Let's go, Jiao!" The princess nodded and led the way into
the far side of the auldgate.
Thanks for reading! Don't forget that you can read an excerpt from Chapter Four - "The Author, The Archer And The King Of Magpies" - here! http://monkeyqueenbooks.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-author-archer-and-king-of-magpies.html And stay tuned to this blog for the official announcement of the publication date!
©2015 Robert Dahlen. All rights reserved, except for those protected by local fair use laws.
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