the Hunter’s courage in you, eh? I like you, little White Fiuri. You’ve earned my respect.”
Mad. They were all quite mad.
Chapter 7: Cave Seventeen, Spinward
D espite a vile-smelling herbal remedy Chardal concocted and slathered over half of Viri’s face, her eye soon swelled shut. They spent the day fluttering along the seemingly endless tunnel, which branched off in a few places–but all of the smaller tunnel entrances were heavily warded. Chardal checked each entrance meticulously, renewing the complex chains of wards where needed. The wards boasted very Fiuri-like names such as blockers and scares and traps, connectors, repellers and frazzlers, screamers and sleepers. He had an amazing memory for every tiny detail that made the different magical wards work.
Viridelle declared that he was ‘as good as any Blue Fiuri’ in his skills.
Chardal showed Shioni the signature work of Cave-Crawlers. She saw pulverised crystal, and the wide trails of crushed plants covered in poisonous slime where no living thing would grow until the slime had been completely cleaned away. The pile of what was left of a Cave-Crawler lying within one of the warded tunnels measured at least ten Fiuri tall and many more wide.
Phew. She would not want to meet one of those monsters in the flesh.
Toward sleep time, they came to a place the Fiuri called the Crystal Forest. Moist heat sucked the breath out of her lungs. Enormous trees of branching crystal in many hues of green grew out into a huge open space, which was so large that Shioni could barely make out the roof or edges of the tunnel. It was a forest of crystal, she thought, a maze so dazzling it required the Fiuri to tie a strip of cloth over their eyes to protect against the blinding glare.
Viridelle led them between the great crystal branches without hesitation. Sweat trickled down Shioni’s stomach. Oh for a cool breeze! But the air in the Crystal Forest hardly seemed to stir.
After they left the forest behind, the tunnel seemed to change character, becoming even denser with plants and flowers than before. They found a small patch of water bubbles and paused to bathe and create some mist. Rain, Shioni teased Chardal.
“Ah, wait until the scholars get a whiff of your perfume,” he said.
Shioni screwed up her nose. “A whiff of me?”
“You stink.” Viri elbowed her snidely. “Teach you to bathe in blue water. What are you doing to Iridelle’s hair?”
“ Shuruba braids,” said Shioni. “Want to help?”
“I’d rather you taught me how to strangle my enemies,” Viridelle said brightly.
“I can teach you that next–if you stay up after sleepy time.”
“Pah, losing a few winks of sleep is nothing to a mighty Hunter,” she boasted, but sat next to Shioni on a Puff-Ball plant to learn how to braid hair Shioni’s way. After a while, she said, “Hmm. Very practical. Keeps the hair out of the way of your weapons, I see.”
“Who needs weapons when you can punch a mighty Hunter in the eye?” asked Iridelle.
“Why don’t I braid your hair to your wings?” Viri suggested.
Iri retorted, “Why don’t I braid your tongue to your nose?”
“Sisterly love; it’s so sweet,” Char muttered over his writing. Shioni burst into a fit of giggles. He said, “Now, tell me all about rain and rainbows. Are rainbows like light refracting through a bubble of water?”
After a perfect night’s sleep tucked up in a hammock flower, Shioni and her friends flew Moonward, up-tunnel, toward the Fiuri town Viri had called ‘home base’. According to Char, its proper name was Sherfiuri Ball.
Shioni stared about her until her neck ached. The sheer number and variety of flowers and blossoms was uncountable. Pollen hung so thickly in the air that it shimmered in golden veils, dusting the petals and branches of the towering blossom-trees and the perfectly tended flower gardens. There were so many glowing colours above and around her that Shioni became quite dizzy. Her
Mad. They were all quite mad.
Chapter 7: Cave Seventeen, Spinward
D espite a vile-smelling herbal remedy Chardal concocted and slathered over half of Viri’s face, her eye soon swelled shut. They spent the day fluttering along the seemingly endless tunnel, which branched off in a few places–but all of the smaller tunnel entrances were heavily warded. Chardal checked each entrance meticulously, renewing the complex chains of wards where needed. The wards boasted very Fiuri-like names such as blockers and scares and traps, connectors, repellers and frazzlers, screamers and sleepers. He had an amazing memory for every tiny detail that made the different magical wards work.
Viridelle declared that he was ‘as good as any Blue Fiuri’ in his skills.
Chardal showed Shioni the signature work of Cave-Crawlers. She saw pulverised crystal, and the wide trails of crushed plants covered in poisonous slime where no living thing would grow until the slime had been completely cleaned away. The pile of what was left of a Cave-Crawler lying within one of the warded tunnels measured at least ten Fiuri tall and many more wide.
Phew. She would not want to meet one of those monsters in the flesh.
Toward sleep time, they came to a place the Fiuri called the Crystal Forest. Moist heat sucked the breath out of her lungs. Enormous trees of branching crystal in many hues of green grew out into a huge open space, which was so large that Shioni could barely make out the roof or edges of the tunnel. It was a forest of crystal, she thought, a maze so dazzling it required the Fiuri to tie a strip of cloth over their eyes to protect against the blinding glare.
Viridelle led them between the great crystal branches without hesitation. Sweat trickled down Shioni’s stomach. Oh for a cool breeze! But the air in the Crystal Forest hardly seemed to stir.
After they left the forest behind, the tunnel seemed to change character, becoming even denser with plants and flowers than before. They found a small patch of water bubbles and paused to bathe and create some mist. Rain, Shioni teased Chardal.
“Ah, wait until the scholars get a whiff of your perfume,” he said.
Shioni screwed up her nose. “A whiff of me?”
“You stink.” Viri elbowed her snidely. “Teach you to bathe in blue water. What are you doing to Iridelle’s hair?”
“ Shuruba braids,” said Shioni. “Want to help?”
“I’d rather you taught me how to strangle my enemies,” Viridelle said brightly.
“I can teach you that next–if you stay up after sleepy time.”
“Pah, losing a few winks of sleep is nothing to a mighty Hunter,” she boasted, but sat next to Shioni on a Puff-Ball plant to learn how to braid hair Shioni’s way. After a while, she said, “Hmm. Very practical. Keeps the hair out of the way of your weapons, I see.”
“Who needs weapons when you can punch a mighty Hunter in the eye?” asked Iridelle.
“Why don’t I braid your hair to your wings?” Viri suggested.
Iri retorted, “Why don’t I braid your tongue to your nose?”
“Sisterly love; it’s so sweet,” Char muttered over his writing. Shioni burst into a fit of giggles. He said, “Now, tell me all about rain and rainbows. Are rainbows like light refracting through a bubble of water?”
After a perfect night’s sleep tucked up in a hammock flower, Shioni and her friends flew Moonward, up-tunnel, toward the Fiuri town Viri had called ‘home base’. According to Char, its proper name was Sherfiuri Ball.
Shioni stared about her until her neck ached. The sheer number and variety of flowers and blossoms was uncountable. Pollen hung so thickly in the air that it shimmered in golden veils, dusting the petals and branches of the towering blossom-trees and the perfectly tended flower gardens. There were so many glowing colours above and around her that Shioni became quite dizzy. Her
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