Erewhon Chronicles IV: Higher Calling

[rocklobster]

Chapter 1: Nightmare
Lucia was not sleeping well. A recurring nightmare was plaguing her.
In her dream, she was four years old. The dream started out peacefully. She was playing outside her house when she heard a crash.
She rushed inside to find a disaster area. The front door had been torn off its hinges. Broken chairs were all over the floor.
"Momma? Daddy?" she called out. But no answer came. She became more fearful with every step. She called out to her parents again, but still no answers came. When she entered the kitchen, she saw why. There were two corpses and blood all over the floor. She backed up in horror. Then she saw a giant, green-skinned, hairy monster. An ogre. She screamed and woke up to find a brown-and-red-haired, black-winged fairy. It was her guardian, Nightingale.
"It happened again, Lucia?" she asked. She could tell Lucia was having a nightmare from her tossing in bed.
"I-I thought I'd put it behind me." Lucia stammered.
"Our dreams have trouble forgetting what we'd like to." Nightingale said as she took Lucia into an embrace, as if she were a mother comforting her child. Lucia continued to cry despite Nightingale's efforts.
"But why can't I stop dreaming about my parents' deaths?" Lucia whispered with choking sobs.
"Who knows?" said Puck. "It's best not to dwell on it. The more you think about it, the more persistent the nightmares become. Try not thinking about it."

[rocklobster]

Lucia left her guardians. She didn't like the fact that they suggested she simply ignore her nightmares.
She walked up to a bush and picked some red-and-blue spotted berries for her breakfast.
"Lucia-taj." A familiar voice greeted her. Lucia turned to see her friend, Kindred. She was munching on a blue leaf. The fairies had done a good job teaching the changelings which of the Veldt's numerous plants were safe for foraging.
"Kindred-taj. Good to see you." Lucia returned the greeting.
"Something wrong?" Kindred asked.
Lucia swallowed a berry and told Kindred about her nightmare.
"You're lucky. You had parents that loved you. I hate to say it, but I'm envious." Kindred sighed. "Mine fought all the time. I finally got tired of all the fighting and ran away. "
"I guess you're right. I was lucky." Lucia said as she picked more berries. "But I still miss them. Especially my mother. I always felt safe when she nursed me."
Suddenly, they heard footsteps. The sound was too deep for humans, and fairies were too quiet to make noises when they walked.
Kindred suggested, "Let's go see what's making all the noise." She turned invisible. Lucia did the same and followed her.
They soon found the source of the footsteps. It was a green-skinned, human-looking figure wearing a loincloth. Lucia grew white with fear. It was an ogre. She concentrated a spell and a ring of fire surrounded the ogre. But the ogre was prepared. He took out a small rock and placed it on the ground. Immediatedly, the fire vanished.
"Me have no time for fight with puny humans!" the ogre bellowed.
Lucia made herself visible. "Then make time!" she exclaimed.
The ogre took out a spiked club. He swung, but lucia adopted her fairy form and dodged his attacks.
Kindred mumbled a spell. Vines wrapped themselves around the ogre, making him drop his club.
Kindred slapped the ogre. "Talk! Ogres are forbidden to enter the Veldt. Why are you here?" she asked angrily.
"Me do as me please!" the ogre answered. "Me no need to take orders from puny humans or fairies!"
"Wrong answer." Kindred shook her head. Then she made a fist, which caused the vines to tighten.
"Puny humans!" the ogre grunted. "Not know how to fight ogres!" He flexed his muscles and the vines snapped. Then he took out another rock and dropped it. Smoke encircled them.
"Me said me have no time for puny humans!" the ogre repeated. When the smoke cleared, the ogre was gone.
Kindred picked up the rocks. "These are Pogentos. They come in different colors and can control the elements. See?" she held one up for Lucia. "This's blue, so it controls water. This's black, and it creates smoke. Anyone can use them, but they only work once. But that's not the problem. We'd better let King Oberon and Queen Titania know this immediately! The ogres must be planning something."
Lucia nodded and the two friends flew towards the Royal Garden.
When they arrived, Kindred told the king and queen about their encounter.
"Do not fret over your failure to subdue the ogre. What concerns me are those Pogentos. It appears the ogres have been mining them." said King Oberon.
"They were easily beatable before." said Queen Titania. "But now they have become formidable because they have a source of magic."
Lucia's heart was racing. She couldn't hide her fear. Had war truly broken out in the Veldt?

[rocklobster]

The ogre that Kindred and Lucia had fought returned home. But he was not welcomed warmly.
"Balrog!" their King, Tordo thundered. "You blow our cover by going into Veldt! You not supposed to let them know secret!"
"But King Tordo!" Balrog pleaded. "Me tought you be pleased. Me scare puny fairies! And me learn changelings with them!"
"Idiot! We already knew that!" King Tordo growled. "You also probably waste Pogentos, right?"
Balrog sprawled on the ground simperingly. "Have mercy! Me not know that wrong!"
Torlo hit Balrog on the head with his scepter. "You not deserve mercy!" Then he turned to a bat-winged human. This was Lokiseth, the son Queen Titania had out of wedlock.
"Will this be problem?" Torlo asked Lokiseth.
"No, it's not a problem." Lokiseth responded nonchalantly. "So they know we're using Elemental rocks. They still don't know everything. But remember, when we do invade, I want that girl Kindred to be killed last. She ruined my original plan to conquer the realm of Faerie. I want the last thing she sees to be the Veldt in smoldering ruins."
King Torlo nodded. Lokiseth vanished in a puff of smoke.
"My King", said Kurgo, Torlo's advisor. "Why you listen to demon?"
"Fairies our enemy. Lokiseth their enemy." King Torlo explained. "Enemy of enemy is friend. That reason."