Monsters & Fairytales (36 page)

“Do you have to be that way?” I asked finally.

I let go of his arm. I wanted to run away and chase them down.

“Be what way?” He retorted.

Snatching my arm back, he tried to keep walking, but I wasn’t budging.

“You treated them like they were your servants. This is how you have loyal people?”

I crossed my arms. The sky snapped and the gray spread farther. I ignored it.

“Like servants? What do you think they are?” He laughed.

“Your people?!”

I was appalled at his remark. How could he be this way? How could any leader take such advantage of their people like this?
Don’t his people realize what they are living with? Surely they see how unfairly he treats them.

“Yes, Aegyssusians.
And in being that, they are my people. I am their leader. They serve me however I see fit. The only Aegyssusians I do not demand servitude from are the leaders of the four tribes.” He snorted.

“How could you demand servitude from your people in any way?”

I waved my hands in the air. My temper was flaring. I had to walk away at that point.

“What does that mean? What way?”

“They have feelings. You treat them with no respect.” I whispered.

“Aegyssusians don’t know what feelings are.”

He leaned over and smiled at me. It was devious and yet luring. Was he was trying to regain my trust? Was I being too naïve? This is his world, after all. 

“Then how come Sebastian cried last night?” I sneered directly back.

“He did what?”

The Minakai seemed to lose his footing. Had I won?

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible. He does not have the right parts
to achieve
this emotion. You’re a liar.”

“Forget it.” I sighed.

“Good. I very much would not like to put on a show in front of my people anymore. There is a reason they can go without ever seeing me. So how about you pretend I can feel feelings, too, without me having to say another word, and let’s get on with it.”

“That’s called anger.” I blurted out. I couldn’t help myself.

He stopped trying to walk away from me. I felt very threatened. My heart was pumping and my adrenaline was racing, I didn’t do very well with intimidation. Apparently, he saw right through me. His lips curled in a very evil way. He reached his hand out towards me and I flinched. He hovered there for a second and then latched onto my arm.

I went to scream but my voice was engulfed in the wind swirling around us. My arm was burning. I tried to shake his grasp off of me. When he finally let go I had zero time to regain my voice. We seemed to be standing on the edge of a cliff.
             

My eyes widened. The burning in my arm was no longer there. I wanted to step back but I was frozen. I looked behind me and screamed. We were on the mouth of an old volcano. It was bubbling green and yellow. Was he going to throw me in? Had I offended him that badly? I lost my footing and stumbled backwards. He caught me with perfect balance.

“Do not question my judgment!” He ordered. “You are losing your vision! You must be stronger and understand this is how we live. There is a reason we have rules and titles. Just because your people have free will, does not grant the rest of us the same luxury.”

He stared into my eyes. He wasn’t mad. I nodded my head in agreement. I wanted to get off the edge of this bubbling pit of doom.

“There. Now, I’m very sorry that had to happen. Can we carry on and meet up with the boys?”

His voice was back to normal. It no longer lingered and echoed in the nothingness that surrounded us.

“I’m sorry, too. It never occurred to me to think that life outside of America was possible. I’ve been foolish, and sheltered, it was foreign to me. I just saw what you were doing as cruel and felt the need to…”

“I know.” He held up his hand to stop me. “Now, look again.” He nodded towards the middle of the volcano.

I swallowed down my fear and faced the edge again. There wasn’t any yellow or green lava swirling around. There were clear purple water ways, bright green grass, and brown sand shining like crystals. The animals had wings full of colors and they soared and twirled into the oasis. There weren’t many trees for shade, except for in this one patch near a lagoon down in the valley. I saw two black figures moving around. Could it be Sebastian and Carlyle?
             

The Minakai lowered his hand towards mine. He didn’t latch on as before, but waited for me to take it on my own. I trusted him this time and clasped my fingers around his. The familiar awful burn went up my arm.
             

We were standing underneath the trees. The water was such a beautiful shade of purple. I knelt down and ran my fingers in it. A fish suddenly jumped up. I fell backwards, unprepared for it. It took two huge gulps of air through its golden lips. The
noise that act
created was a strange whistle sound. Its scales were a darker gold than its lips. I watched it turn sideways and smile at me. I smiled back. Before I knew it, there was a suction sound, and its fins turned into feet. I watched the creature hobble off like a giant lizard towards some bushes. How peculiar.
             

Brushing the sand off my legs, I stood up and looked around me. Where was Sebastian? I couldn’t see the black figures anymore. There was a wooden table in front of me. It wasn’t carved or manmade; it seemed to have been created by the trees themselves. The trunks had sharp curves in them and went upright for chair support. Then they spiraled and swirled to their tops. The tops were bushy and each was a different shade of yellow.
             

When my head made its way back to the ground, I finally saw Carlyle and Sebastian. They appeared at the end of the table, facing us. The Minakai scooted in and crossed his legs at the seat on the right. The only spot left was the one on the left. There was no room for Sebastian or Carlyle. I didn’t like it but I tried to avoid that feeling
..
They were
here,
at least they weren’t being excluded.

“As you asked.”

Sebastian bowed and moved his hand across the table. Plates and bowls of funny looking food appeared. There was a pile of green
fruits,
the one on top was cut in half. Inside, I could see that it was pink with black seeds. It was hollow, like a green pepper. I hoped it didn’t taste like one. There were also two slabs of some sort of meat. The pieces had white skin, or maybe bone, with the meat being orange. There were sesame seeds on the top of it and a sauce that was orange like the meat. The one thing that made my stomach curious was the one thing I recognized, a bowl of black and red berries. They were on top of a pile of green bread that made them look unappetizing.

Sebastian started putting one of each on a plate for the Minakai; Carlyle did the same for me. I thanked him when he set it down. From the tree, he pulled a purple oval-like fruit. From the ground he plucked a hollow piece of vegetation and stuck it into the fruit. I made sure to thank them again.

“Oh, we need silverware, don’t we?” The Minakai asked.

“No, no. I ate breakfast just fine without it. I don’t need any, really.” I smiled. He smiled back.

“Very well.
If you pick up the laque, the orange meat, that is where you should start the meal. Afterwards have the dydra, the green and pink...oh, you would call it a vegetable, I suppose. And then, you would call it desert, the cannonberries. They’re just lovely this time of the year.” He smiled.

He tipped the purple fruit Sebastian had placed in front of him towards me for a toast. I picked mine up and examined the juice inside through the straw mechanism.

“Just water from Murka.”
He said with his mouth full of the laque. I nodded.

I picked up the laque with two hands. It was very odd to see meat this color. I wondered what sort of animal it came from. It smelt like it was cooked and seasoned; I really didn’t want to eat raw foreign food. There were so many horror stories of people getting parasites that way. I was being rude though, I needed to take a bite.
             

I closed my eyes and just did it. I chewed it to one side of my mouth and swallowed the flavor down. It wasn’t half bad. Appearance certainly wasn’t everything in this place. The sauce was the best part of the laque. I would have finished the entire piece
solely
to not waste any sauce, but I wanted to have room for everything. I figured trying a little of each would look a lot better than stuffing myself on one item and not eating any others. 
             

I stared at the dydra next. I was pretty reluctant, especially after he had called it a vegetable. It screamed green pepper. I didn’t realize I was making a face until the Minakai said something.

“You wanted to try it.” He said matter-of-factly.

“I know.” I sighed.

I broke a piece off and munched on it. It was horrid. I looked at Sebastian and Carlyle for help. They were just standing there, purposely not making eye contact again. I just wanted them to be normal.
I very well understood what the Minakai
had said earlier about the way life here must be, but I wasn’t a Minakai. They should treat me like normal. I wanted to enjoy this day with them.

“You care that much?”
The Minakai asked, bringing my thoughts out of my head.

“I do.” I nodded.

“Right, then,
Myri
- ugh, Sebastian, Carlyle, pull up a seat. Join us.”

Instantly, my world got brighter. I felt my heart beat heavier. I couldn’t believe he was doing that for me. Sebastian and Carlyle didn’t show the same emotion as I did, but they did nod and step aside. I heard an awkward sound from the tree next to us and watched it bend and shape itself into chairs. This world was amazing. Sebastian sat next to the Minakai, where he had been standing, and Carlyle was next to me.

“No, no, no. This will not do.”

The Minakai brushed them away. Carlyle and Sebastian jumped up at once. I looked at him, questioning his actions.

“Sir?”
Carlyle asked.

“He needs to be sitting with the one that is in his heart.”

The Minakai pointed next to me. My smile spread from ear to ear. Sebastian really loved me that much, too? I was in his heart? I was speechless. Sebastian nodded and took his place next to me. Carlyle sat down and we all stared at the Minakai, waiting for the invite to eat. Well, they were. I was staring at Sebastian. I was so happy he was close to me again. 

“Enjoy yourselves!”

The Minakai waved his laque in front of them. Sauce flung everywhere. He was an obnoxious eater. I didn’t care anymore. Sebastian was sitting next to me. I put my hand on his knee. He didn’t seem to acknowledge it. Was he still under the Minakai’s command?

“What’s the matter?” I whispered.

“They aren’t supposed to talk in my presence unless asked. I am the one that gives them their orders. They act no other way. It has been bred into them.” The Minakai said.

It almost sounded like he felt bad for them. I wasn’t sure how to take it, really. I went to say something but he interrupted me.

“This is all very new to me, too. You can’t expect this to come easy.” He sighed. “You two can relax and pretend I am one of you.”

Carlyle and Sebastian looked at each other to see if they had both heard the same thing. They studied the air, they thought about it, and then a smile came across their lips. Sebastian’s hand found mine and he squeezed it back. Carlyle took his own hand and dug into the laque. The air felt better, it was easier.

“Do you like it?” Sebastian leaned over and asked me.

“Yes. It’s delicious.” I lied. I missed his voice.

“She lies!” The Minakai said.

I looked at him and glared.

“I was referring to the laque.” I lied again. I did like the laque, but I knew Sebastian was asking about the dydra.

“You are taking advantage of what I am doing for you. You should try your own advice.” He warned.

“Sorry. I didn’t want to be rude, but the dydra tastes like grass with honey. I don’t really care for that.” I said.

They all started laughing. Carlyle spewed tiny chunks out of his full mouth. I looked at all of them with disdain.

“You only ate the shell. The inside is where the flavor is.”

Sebastian pointed to the pink part full of seeds.

“So I basically just ate what would have been the peeling of an orange?” I said.

“Yes.” Carlyle laughed again.

“Lovely.” I sighed.

I picked the vegetable back up and held it to my face. It
smel
led sweet. I took a bite of the inside and chewed it around. It was much sweeter; sour, almost. It tasted better. The seeds were more like poppy seeds and didn’t affect the flavor at all.

“And?”
Carlyle asked.

“It’s good.” I nodded.

“Excellent.” The Minakai said.