The Black & White Saga

Chapter 18 - Preparations (5)

As they were wrapping up for the night, Melinda called Lunette to the library on the first floor.  She passed her an oval palm-sized token.  The token was carved out of silver, and had a large tree engraved on it.  The trunk of the tree split the token into two halves down the middle.  The tree’s canopy spread across the top of the token, and was carved with many detailed leaves and delicate branches.  Its roots intertwined in a complex web toward the bottom of the silver oval.  On either side of the tree trunk, under the leaves of the tree, were two engravings.  The symbol on the left was the crest for Melinda’s clan.  The symbol on the right was the picture of two hands raised at a 45 degree angle, grasping each other.  It was the symbol for friendship.

“Take this token with you.  It is the friendship token from my clan.  It may be useful if you stop by any elven cities on your journey,” explained Melinda.

Lunette thanked her and put the token away into her space bracelet.  She took out a blue disk that was about the size of a small plate, and handed it to Melinda.  “This is a portable magic device that controls the barriers around our home.  It is much easier to carry around, so you don’t have to go to the study every time you need to access the barriers.  It is currently set to its normal protection mode, so there should not be any incidents unless there is an emergency.  The functions of the disk are the same as the device in the study, so you should have no problem using it.  Just in case though, the manual for it is here in the library if you need it.”

“Great,” Melinda responded.  “When did you come up with this?”

Lunette walked over to the desk next to the window, and pulled open the second drawer.  She took out a thin grey pamphlet, with black writing.  “After New Years.  Remember how much trouble we had adjusting the barriers last autumn?  We needed to keep running back and forth between the study and the borders in all directions.  I thought it would be better to make a portable device we can just carry around with us.  I had some down time before spring planting started, so I played around with a few parts, and it came together pretty nicely.  Here is the manual.  I’ll keep it in the second drawer on the left, with the other pamphlets for the magical devices for the fields.”

Melinda took the grey pamphlet that Lunette was offering her and flipped through it.  “Seems simple enough.”

She put the pamphlet back into the second drawer, and closed it.  She pressed the black strip under the drawer handle and locked it.  Putting away the blue disk into her storage ring, she went over to one of the shelves closest to the sofas.  Lunette leaned on the edge of the desk and watched as Melinda pulled out a thick red book with silver writing on the cover.  

“There is some information about a mysterious fog in this book.  It is not pink fog, but the effects are similar.”  Melinda handed Lunette the book and flipped it open to where she had left a light green silk bookmark.  The book was part of a ten volume series on non-mainstream alchemy techniques.  Lunette perused the excerpt Melinda found for her:

The illusion grass is a versatile herb that is often used in formulas for drugs that influence the mind.  Its characteristics are thin light green blades, with short streaks of white lines running vertically along the grass.  It has a strong earthy scent with notes of…….. It is very potent and only requires a couple of strands of grass in a single portion of medicine.  Using too much illusion grass will cause those who come in contact with the d**g to fall into a coma.  Victims will not be able to wake up without the assistance of a concoction of counter herbs………. When boiled with thistle ashes, a white fog will form about two feet above the ground.  Anyone who is exposed to the fog will fall into a coma a few days after contact depending on their mental strength…….  

“A white fog?” Lunette pondered.  “Trey said that Banshee Mountain had a pink fog…..”

“Right,” Melinda agreed.  “It’s not exactly the same, but the symptoms are very similar.  Maybe this could help with the investigation.  I added a few herbs that can counter the illusion grass to your package.  Hopefully, you and Savana will not need it, but it’s better to be prepared.”

“You are the best, Melinda.”  Lunette smiled gratefully and added the book to her storage bracelet.  “We will come back here after the mission, instead of following the rest of the students back to the academy.  We will head back to the academy for the annual exams in two months.”

“That would be best,” Melinda nodded.  “Gaia and Skye might not recognize you anymore if you wait until after your exams to come back.”

“I’ll go read the twins a bed time story, before they go wild again,” said Lunette after laughing with Melinda.

******

“Mimi miiii mi miimiiii?” Gaia whined to her mother who was gently wiping her down with a soft towel.

“Mii miiii,” added Skye.  He was sitting in their crib with his fine white hairs already fluffed up.  He jumped up and down on the bed.

“You two just can’t sit still, can you?” sighed Sam, who walked into the room from the bathroom with a towel around his neck.  His clothes had noticeable patches of wet spots all over.

A series of three gentle knocks came from the bedroom door.

“Come in,” said Nebula.

Lunette walked into the room with a picture book in her hand.  “How was bath time, kids?”

“Miiiiimii miiiimii mii mi,” squealed Gaia, jumping up and down with her brother when she was placed into the crib.

“Miiii mii miiimimi,” agreed Skye.

“Haha, if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that the twins were the ones giving me a bath.  Not the other way around,” chuckled Sam.  Nebula laughed with him.

“Alright kids, be good now.  Lunette will read you a bed time story, and then you will go straight to bed,” Nebula said as she gave both of the twins a kiss on their heads.  “Good night.”

“Sweet dreams, babies,” Sam said as he also placed kisses on Skye and Gaia’s foreheads.  Nebula then left the twins’ room holding Sam’s arm.

“Let’s read a story about a princess knight today,” said Lunette as she tucked Gaia and Skye inside their blankets.  The panda cubs nodded obediently, and stared at the picture book in anticipation.

“Once upon a time…..”