EMRYSA

Chapter One (IV)

Prudy nodded in response. "Yes, he is outside preparing the carriage."

Garrett walked out to join him, and Ciara remarked, "It was kind of your father to lend us his carriage."

Prudy shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I am his only daughter."

Ciara smiled at her friend's presence. "So, C, are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?"

"Yes," Ciara affirmed. "Ickies, get down here! We are leaving!"

Soon, the group gathered outside, saying their farewells. Ciara handed Garrett a brand-new magi-slate. "Father, take this. You can use it to communicate with us whenever you need to. Before you say anything, I used my savings to buy it. See you in a few weeks, father. We love you." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "I love you too, my dewdrops. Goodbye, boys. Behave and don't give your sister a hard time," Garrett said, waving at them as Ciara drove the carriage in the direction of Askia.

As evening fell, the group decided to find a safe place to camp. Ciara assigned Ricky the task of checking their location on the map. "Ricky, check the left side of my back. The map is inside. See where we are now," Ciara instructed. "Or we could just use your magi-slate?" Ricky suggested. "Not a chance," Ciara replied firmly. "Fine. According to the outdated map, we should be somewhere in the Valley of Cendred. And... Uh oh," Ricky said, his tone filled with concern.

"Uh oh? What uh oh?" Prudy asked, visibly worried. "There is good news and bad news," Ricky replied. "What's the good news?" Prudy inquired. "The good news is for Micky. There are rare spices from his Chef Tom cooking book here," Ricky explained.

Prudy eagerly asked, "And what's the bad news?"

"This valley is home to afacs," Ricky revealed. "What's an afac?" Micky asked, unfamiliar with the term. "They are hideous creatures made of clay and water, born of magic. They are said to be faceless, with huge sharp teeth used for tearing their prey apart. But if you can tame one, it will serve you forever," Ricky explained, causing tension to fill the air.

Ciara noticed their worried expressions and tried to reassure them. "There's no need to worry. A couple of weeks ago, the king of Askia had all the afacs captured and brought back to his castle. So, there probably aren't any left." She offered a comforting smile.

"Yeah, don't be scared, girl. I'll protect you," Dicky chimed in, attempting to appear courageous as he brushed his hair out of his face.

Deciding to stay in the valley for the night, Ciara suggested that they search for the rare spices Micky desired. Micky eagerly agreed. Ciara and Micky ventured into the valley, leaving Prudy with Ricky and Dicky. As darkness enveloped the surroundings, Ciara and Micky returned. "We're back," Ciara announced, emerging from the bushes with Micky by her side. They found Prudy visibly unsettled, while Ricky seemed unfazed as he warmed his hands by the fire.

"We can't find Dicky, C," Prudy informed Ciara, her voice filled with anxiety. "What happened?" Ciara asked, concerned. "Well, Ricky and I went to gather wood for the fire. When we came back, he wasn't here," Prudy explained. "We concluded that a fugitive afac got him," Ricky remarked, adjusting himself on the log he was seated on. "Ricky!" Micky exclaimed, disapprovingly.

Ciara quickly went to Old Gertie, the horse that had pulled their carriage, and returned. "I'll be right back," she assured them before disappearing into the valley. "Don't worry, she'll find him," Prudy reassured the group. "I'm not disturbed in the slightest. That birdbrain probably went somewhere and got lost," Ricky commented with a smirk.

Rustling noises emerged from the bushes in front of them. "Dicky?" Prudy squinted her eyes to see. Suddenly, Dicky jumped out of the bushes. "The one and only," he said. Prudy hugged him, then slapped the back of his head, "Where did you go? We were all worried sick," she scolded him. "Not me. I couldn't care any less," Ricky chimed in with a dismissive tone. Dicky sarcastically thanked him, to which Ricky smirked. Curious about Ciara's whereabouts, Dicky asked, "Where's Sis?"

"She left to go find you, you nitwit," Micky replied.

The half-moon shone on Ciara as she cautiously approached the creature that emerged from the bushes. "Dicky?" she called out, trying to discern its identity. The dripping creature growled in response. "Stay back. I do not want to hurt you," Ciara said, maintaining her calm demeanor. The afac, limping, moved closer. Ciara noticed its injured state. "I'm not going to hurt you," she reassured the creature.

Slowly and carefully, Ciara reached out and treated the afac's wound with her handkerchief. "There you go, all better. You're a strong one, aren't you? No yelping? No crying?" she remarked. She found the afac adorable despite the creature’s hideous appearance.

Returning to the group, Prudy excitedly informed Ciara, "C, you're back! I'm glad you're safe. Dicky is back and safe too," she blurted out in one breath.

Ciara walked toward Dicky with a murderous expression, causing him to give a nervous chuckle. She stood in front of him and embraced him tightly. "I'm relieved you're okay," she said. She then pulled on his ears, eliciting a yelp from Dicky. "Dickson Robert Camborne, where on earth did you disappear to?" Ciara demanded, her tone both relieved and scolding. "Ouch! Ow, ow, ow! I'm sorry, Ciara. I won't do it again, it hurts!" Dicky pleaded, hoping she wouldn't pull his ears off.

"Tell me where you went," Ciara released his ears and insisted. "I got tired of sitting here. I can't talk to animals like someone can, and the log was hurting my butt. So, I decided to look for somewhere better to relax. I found a lake and took a nice, long refreshing bath. I lost track of time," Dicky explained, pouting slightly.

Prudy noticed that Ciara's pouch had been moving and dripping throughout Dicky's explanation. "Ciara, why is your pouch moving? And dripping?" Prudy asked, her suspicions aroused. "No, it's not," Ciara replied, avoiding eye contact and sweating despite the cool night breeze. Prudy continued to scrutinize her. "You're sweating. You only sweat like this when you lie. What's in the pouch?" she probed, growing more suspicious.

"Fine," Ciara relented and brought out the baby afac from her pouch. "It's a baby afac," she admitted. Dicky and Ricky stared in astonishment as they moved closer to observe the creature. “It’s smaller than I imagined,” Ricky said. "That's because it's still growing," Ciara explained. "I'm going to help you find your mother," she declared with determination.

After a few days of travel, the group finally arrived in Auraton, the capital city of Askia. The bustling city was vastly different from their own, with common folk going about their business, paying little attention to the newcomers. Ciara guided the carriage toward the address specified in the letter. "Take in the view, Ickies. We're finally in the legendary kingdom of Askia," Ciara exclaimed, though her laughter carried a hint of nervousness. The others chuckled nervously in response.

Ricky directed Ciara toward a comfortable, dirty-white cottage, nestled among other houses. Ciara got off the carriage and walked up to the cottage, knocking on the door. "I hope this is the right house," she muttered, exhaling softly. A tall, elderly man in a long red robe opened the door, his clean-shaven face contrasting with his long white hair, and his voice had a deep, languid quality to it. "Can I help you, young lady?" he inquired, his gaze unsettling Ciara.