DRAGONFLY part 2

Copyright (c) 2018 by Randall R. Peterson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This is a work of fiction. All persons, locations and actions are from the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner.

By R. Peterson

Siltlin, Donone and Gebae, all mounted securely on the backs of dragonflies, were soon joined by a much larger groups of dragonfly riders. Fran lay across the segmented body of one of the flying creatures held in place by Siltlin.When she’d shrunk, Fran’s glasses had remained full-sized, but astonishingly, her vision was crystal clear. Cautiously, she sat up slightly to look around. She could see so much detail: Many of the riders appeared to be carrying cargo: woven nets filled with seeds, bundles of vegetant fibers and the round heads of thistles that had been lobbed from the stalks and were supported by tiny ropes coming from more than a dozen riders. “What are you doing with all this … stuff?”

            “The seeds and some of the leaves are part of our food supply,” Siltlin told her. “The spines from the thistles are made mostly into arrows and some of the larger ones are made into spears.”

            “Why not remove the spines instead of carrying the whole top back?” Fran asked. “It seems like lots of work!”

            “The hollow thistle heads are made into barns for our Koots - a kind of fast growing Gnat larva.” Siltlin explained.

            “Good heavens! You don’t eat gnats do you?” Fran looked at Siltlin.  The female creature with long green hair flowing in the breeze smiled but did not appear to have sharpened teeth.

            “Of course not!” Siltin laughed. “They are for our dragonflies to eat … these magnificent creatures bear us faithfully to where we need to go in return for our food and shelter.”

            “Why were those wasps chasing you when you left the church?” Fran asked her.

“Wasps are a natural source of food to dragonflies and the Boog who ride them are our enemies.” Siltlin made a gesture with her hand and the hundreds of flying insects began to group together. They were flying so close now Fran could see the different colors of the eyes of the riders. Their hair appeared to be mostly variants of green as it flowed in the wind but some shades had a brownish tint.

“I saw the wasps but I didn’t notice anyone riding them.” They were flying toward Motha Forest now. Fran could see the paper-like nest she had noticed walking through the woods hanging from a tree below them.

“The Boog wear cloaks woven from special plant fibers that only reflect moonlight Siltlin explained. “They are almost invisible during daylight.”

“Then why attack at night?” Fran tried to sit up but Siltlin held her down.

“The Boog have no vocal cords to create sound so they communicate with hand gestures,” Siltlin told her. “That’s why we forage during daylight hours … there are less of our enemies flying about!”

The group of dragonflies had just flown past the paper-like ball hanging from the tree when a black cloud of wings appeared to spray from the tiny hole in the bottom of the nest. “They’ve seen us!” Fran squealed as a droning sound hurt her ears.

            “Of course they have,” Siltlin told her. “But this is just a tiny outpost. We’ll slay them all before we reach our castle and we’ll send workers back here tomorrow to recover what we can use.”

The roar coming from the dark cloud  grew much louder. Most of the riders were fitting arrows made from thistle spikes into bows and letting the dragonflies guide themselves. More than three hundred dragonflies swooped and turned in a perfect tight formation. They had obviously practiced these maneuvers many times. “Stay down!” Siltlin warned.

The drone was now a roar like a locomotive crossing a bridge and it suddenly began to get dark. Hundreds of wasps surrounded the dragonflies and Fran was just able to make out the dark creatures mounted on their backs. Most appeared to have round heads with no hair and they slashed at the dragonfly wings with swords that looked like they were made from blades of grass. The dragon riders fought furiously with their bows. Siltlin and the others hands were a blur as they shot storms of arrows each second. A large wasp flying next to them looked like a pin cushion as it suddenly dropped from the sky. The Boog on its back leaped free and was picked up as it fell by another enemy rider.

Lendoria, the rider they had freed from the church was flying nearby and Fran noticed she was falling behind. A dozen Boog surrounded her and were slashing at her dragonfly’s double sets of wings. “She’s in trouble!” Fran screamed.

“I can’t help her,” Siltlin said. Fran detected a note of anguish in her voice. “You’re all the extra weight I can carry!”

Fran watched as the flying insect seemed to break in half and tumble toward the ground. Lendoria fell with it. There wasn’t time to think. Fran slipped off the dragonfly’s back and dropped toward the ground. Siltlin gave her an astonished look and then swooped down to pick up Lendoria.

It seemed to Fran that she fell forever. She was just about to strike the tree tops when Donone swooped below and caught her. “That was a brave thing you did,” she told Fran. “That’s the second time today that you’ve saved our beloved Lendoria!”

            “What’s so special about this girl that you all risk your lives for her?” Fran asked.

            “Siltlin didn’t tell you?” Donone looked astonished. “Lendoria is our queen’s daughter!”

-------2-------

            As Donone flew upward Fran noticed the sky was filled with dark streaks falling like rain.  “These Boog are no match for our archers,” Donone said. “I just hope none escaped to give away our location!”

            “It looks like you did a fantastic job,” Fran said. “What are you afraid of?”

            “If the Boog discovers the location of our castle they’ll return with not thousands but millions of wasp riders. They’ll bring along flying platforms and their own nests and lay siege until we’re exhausted.”

They were now flying over Motha Forest. The face of Bear Mountain loomed in the distance. “How come humans have never discovered you here?” Fran asked.

            “They have,” Donone told her. “A ruthless deer poacher from Spain who liked to kill fawns once found his way into the forest years ago and it took thousands of our arrows before the cursing lout finally stumbled, hit his head on a rock and drowned in the river … but incidents like that are rare. Sean O’Brian protects our realm as part of the Motha Forest Preserve and the white witch Melania once climbed up the face of the mountain alone in the horribly harsh winter of 1907 bringing sugar and vegetable oil to keep us from starving. She covered the entire entrance to the castle with one of her own bedspreads to keep out the relentless snow. The Nich, that were children at that time, recall the winter fondly as Melan’s great sleepover!”

            “Nich?”

            “That’s what we call ourselves.” Donone laughed. “The sons and daughters of Edinich … or Nich for short.”

            “Am I becoming a Nich?” Fran looked at her hair to see if it had a green tint.

            “Not yet,” Donone said. ‘It takes more than a handful of Sinker berries to transform you completely!”

It appeared as if they were going to fly right into the rock face of the mountain. Suddenly the lead dragon rider veered off and headed toward what looked like a large indentation. The rest followed.

            Fran gasped in amazement. Walls and ramparts appeared carved into the granite face of the mountain. Brown obsidian flaked so thin it was transparent was formed into hundreds of peaked windows adorning towers that rose above magnificent buildings. This was no mere castle but a city as if the entire inside of the mountain had been hollowed out and carved into a metropolis. Countless carriages and wagons pulled by a variety of bugs and insects filled the bustling streets.  

            As they flew farther into the city many of the riders broke away heading this way and that obviously going to their homes. They were almost alone, except for Siltlin and Gebae, when they passed over what looked like a park with giant flowers and a pond.

            “Queen Ednich sent word that you were to be brought directly to her,” Donone said. “I hope she will be most grateful!”

            “And if she isn’t?”

Donone looked shocked but did not reply.

The three dragonflies landed on a large flat rock. Siltlin, Donone, Gebae and Fran all climbed into a small white onion that had been hollowed out and carved into a carriage with braded spine wheels and pulled by a dozen white beetles. “Remember to address the queen only if you are spoken to,” Siltin said.

“Approach her majesty only if she directs you to do so,” Gebae added.

Fran was beginning to feel nervous. They rumbled down several paved streets and came to the edge of a pond. Two dozen Nich, dressed all in white and yellow stepped out of a boat made from an empty pecan shell-half and blew a cavalcade on tiny yellow flower blossoms that looked like trumpets. Fran was more than aware that she was naked and at least half of the Nich surrounding her appeared to be males. The four crowded into the boat and were soon being propelled toward the center of the pond by Gerridae (water skippers).

            A welcoming party of females  met them in the back of the water craft and Fran was given a yellow gown that looked like it had been made from rose petals sewn with spider silk and a pair of glistening red shoes made from hollowed out poppy seeds. She was able to relax but only for a moment.

            Lilly pads appeared everywhere,  each one filled with numerous richly dressed Nich who waved and shouted greetings. Obviously they were doing important work related to realm affairs. Fran knew they were getting close. Waves rocked the boat and several large fish swam past with at least a dozen Nich seated at tables on their backs … a cluster of streaming restaurants.

What looked like a hundred or more lily pads had been sewn together to form an island covered with white and yellow orchids. A golden stairway led to the top of a small mossy mound. “Remember to keep your eyes down.” Siltlin warned. “Unless the queen desires you to look at her!”

Delightful music was playing everywhere … Fran noticed crickets with harps and other string instruments scattered throughout the lush gardens on both sides of the stairs

Fran kept her eyes on the path, littered with smooth pebbles of what looked like pure gold. Suddenly they stopped. There was a silence that seemed to last forever. “So! You’re the one who meddled with my daughter’s first adventure!” The voice was so odd, so richly gruff and low in tone that Fran looked up without thinking.

The ruler of the Nich sat on a raised lily pad surrounded by dozens of attendants. Fran gasped. Queen Ednich was an enormous green and very plump … frog!

To be continued ….