REM Life Blendy

Winland The Sapphire Star

The most wounded of the group were the smallest or lightest: Brav, Estrella, Rose, Ralph, and Phanta, with the exception of David, who spent the most time on the ground during the fight. They patched them up as best they could with makeshift bandages from Wesley and Rose's winter coats with a few to spare for the less wounded kids. Luckily, none of their bones broke or fractured.

"What are these? Some kind of flashlights? Air traffic lights?" asked Grant as he pulled out Wesley and Rose's toy swords whose blades were still retracted.

"They're toy swords; to extend the blades you have to swing the handles," replied Wesley. "They can light up if you press that button, but they stopped working when we got out of the water. I suspect they'll have to dry up."

"Cool! Lemme see!" cried Brav as most of the kids gathered around the toys. Grant passed the other to Brav as he swung the one in his hand. The plastic blades were thin elongated cones sitting in the hollowed out handles with light bulbs at the bottom of them pointed upwards. "At last yesterday's nemesis! We'll settle yesterday's war with trial by combat, and I'll prove your face is your mother's punchline!" Brav declared to Ralph as Grant looked at both of them. "Throw him the twin, it'll be funny," Brav said to Grant as Ralph's face reddened slightly. Baton's ears perked up as he walked over to Ralph's side, but Columbo recognized this little conflict as human child's play. The other dogs followed Columbo's take on this and took no interest.

"I'd be mad if we both weren't bleeding and due for a doctor's checkup. I'm too sore and I doubt you're any better off," replied Ralph with a forced half grin. "Besides, calling my mom a joke's a bit tired, even for you, isn't it?"

"I'll show you tired," retorted Brav as he started to raise the toy sword, but immediately lowered it again as his own wounds caught up with him. "Shown you tired; you're right. Sorry about the mom joke, not sorry."

"Even then, these are nice; you two can sort that out later and with sticks. This plastic looks better for light play than rough housing," said David.

"After they talk first, yeah?" Jonathan said to David. "If Ralph loses before talking, Brav will become a barbarian." David paused for a moment.

"Fair point. Brav, I know it's hard, but can you please hear Ralph out?" David said.

"Let me remind you, Davy, it was Ralph's circle who answered in violence," replied a frowning Brav. "Wasn't that the point of retaliating?"

"We started leaving after Tim came back, remember? Besides, it's not for your sharp tongue we fought back," retorted David in an even tone. Brav looked down for a second, remembering his locker door's torn pictures and drawings. In fact, Brav felt a mounting tinge of guilt for caring more about getting away with verbal bullying than his locker door's ruined layout.

"I'm sorry Ralph, I suppose we should wait for clear heads until we fight next," Brav said. As the group led by Heather walked on, some of the kids reflected back on the fight. Brav, Dremmer, Jonathan, and Wesley tried to impress each other by going on and on about how they weren't as scared during the fight than they actually were, while Grant, David, Timothy, and Estrella explored their thoughts on the talking dog, and Phanta, Connor, and Ralph kept Columbo's pack company. Rose was visibly disappointed in Wesley for trying to impress people when it wasn't necessary, and after minutes of talking, Wesley took notice. A guilty feeling sank into Wesley's knees when he remembered how worried he was over Rose. The guilt spread further after remembering how Rose worried over Wesley more while being more bloody with cuts and bruises than he was.

"You don't need to act so tough you igit," Rose said to Wesley as he was about to say something. Wesley kept silent. "That was scary. You should've stayed close to the tree back there," Rose continued.

"Yeah," Wesley started. It took him a moment to respond in detail. "Thanks for pulling me back after I broke the branch. It sounded worth it when those dogs were yelping, but I should've paid more attention to the surrounding dogs," Wesley said. Wesley wanted to justify himself at first, but his initial indignation was quickly converted to deepening guilt as he remembered how and why Rose became more injured than himself.

"Anyway, what were the dogs' names again? They're much cuter up close!" Rose said, turning to Kona.

"The names on the vests are Columbo, Kona, Deputy, and Baton. There seems to be patch repairs on the fabric of some of the vests, but the armor parts seem intact," said Wesley. Rose sought out the patchwork Wesley pointed out.

"Ooh, they must've seen a lot!" Rose said after seeing them for herself.

"So why do Jonathan's friends keep you around? Surely, I can't be the first or only one to make fun of your bargain deal genes," Brav asked Ralph.

"Unlike you, some people see past my looks," Ralph replied. "Not many people give me a chance because of how I look, so I'm kept close to the bottom of the totem pole," Ralph continued.

"Really? Even in Jonathan's company?" asked Brav in surprise.

"No, not while I'm around them, but in school not many of my classes are the same ones as theirs," said Ralph.

"Why don't you take those classes then?" Brav asked.

"My elective classes aren't shared interests with them, but even though I try to sign up for some of the same ones, other students usually beat me to them," Ralph said.

"Ugly and slow. How were you able to land those first hits on me at the school fight?" Brav asked.

"That's a good thought! How was I quick enough for that but slow in class sign ups?" Ralph sarcastically replied with an added split-second frown. "People sometimes move my name to other spots even when I sign up on time, but it's OK though. Sometimes Jonathan greenlights revenge pranks or even after school fights sometimes."

"Your mother's a joke, but not a bad one," Brav said after a moment's pause.

"Haha, my mother's not a bad joke, and I'm a good punchline?" asked Ralph. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Come now, not all crowds are decent enough to appreciate a good show. Really; it's good Jonathan defends you as well as any friend worth sticking to," replied Brav. "Wrecking my locker door on the other hand; that pushed buttons."

"Yeah. I mean if letting trash sit around meant better, I'm sorry we cleaned up," replied Ralph, and Brav chuckled.

"Maybe the talking dog was talking to you," Brav said as he gave the toy sword to Ralph.

"I'm pretty sure he was looking at you," retorted a grinning Ralph as he took the toy. "This reminds me of those collapsible batons, don't they?" The sunrise came, and clouds in the shape of a flock of birds flew towards the horizon looking like origami birds on fire against the light. Further back along the beach, thick clouds in the shape of crashing waves rolled back and forth like the ocean waves below them. Seagulls flying and resting in the water called here and there, and a small cloud drifted in front of them. From that cloud, a ray of soft orange light fell onto a patch of grass ahead of them.

"We're almost there kids; Winland's friend is here to take us to him," Heather called to everyone. As they got closer, an array of butterflies and dragonflies flew out of the grass in spirals reminiscent of the upside down cone shape of a whirlpool. The orange light made the bugs look like slow to fast flying campfire sparks with bright wings; a small fairy wearing a glacier blue dress and tiny bright red flowers in her nearly transparent hair emerged from the butterflies and dragonflies. Her wings were transparent like the dragonflies' wings, but their shape was the same as the butterflies' wings, and three hummingbirds accompanied her. The butterflies and dragonflies hovered a couple of feet above her, and the ray of light seemed to be absorbed by her wings.

"Hello Heather, Winland is waiting," the fairy said. "Children, you look terrible and tired. We'll make proper introductions later, but for now, Winland will see to your well being first." Her voice was small and light as one her size would seem to, but its volume sounded as loud as a normal adult. All four dogs were surprised and looked curiously at the tiny humanoid. The orange light and flight paths of the butterflies and dragonflies extended to the group while the insects started to make a mist that trailed behind them like chem trails from airplanes. The mist grew heavy and turned into a fog so dense it dimmed the sun for the kids; when the fog started to let up, trees came into view. They were tall trees with no branches near their stumps, and some of them grew on lower ground than others. Clouds in the distance, not much higher than their own elevation, stretched and staggered across the area; they were on a mountain path.

"Good morning, Mistress Ensley," said a boy's voice that sounded younger than the fairy's. When the fog cleared, a boy slightly taller than Brav stood in their path. He was wearing a brown leather vest, white cloth ankle-high pants, and a light blue shirt, and his eyes were bright blue while his hair was a cold white except for a patch of slightly blued hair, though it blended so well with the white that it was almost hard to tell where it started. The fairy was surprised. "Are there dogs with them?" the boy asked.

"Good morning Seth," replied the smiling fairy. "Yes, there are four dogs here." As the fog in their area completely cleared, everyone saw that Seth was already looking at the four dogs, and the dogs were looking back at Seth. After a few seconds, the dogs sat down, and Seth turned to the fairy.

"The oneiric fairy queen and two other fairy queens will pay you and Winland a visit later tonight. My father talked with Winland, and we'll need your violin tonight," said Seth; the fairy's smile brightened. "For now, I have these to give to them," continued Seth as he pulled four gray rocks out of his pockets, and ate them. He inhaled, and breathed smoke out of his mouth onto the four dogs, and the dogs wagged their tails for a moment.

"What's happening?" Brav asked, taking a step towards the dogs.

"You can ask Winland and Ms. Ensley here later, but for now I imagine Ms. Ensley said you are in need of rest first," replied Seth. "Until we meet again." Seth took a few steps back away from the group, took a deep breath, and breathed fire onto the ground. The fire seemed to consume Seth, but nothing burned, including the ground he stood on. Seth crouched, and from the fire bright white vapors shot up into the sky. Seth disappeared, and as the fire died out with the last of the vapors ascending, Ms. Ensley darted to and fro in the air happy.

"I'm so sorry children; that was unexpected. Oh! I need to prepare!" Ms. Ensley took a deep breath. "This way." The path Ms. Ensley took them on wasn't long; after a couple of upwards and downwards inclines they reached a circular stone cabin with a coned wooden roof with a smoking chimney. A small waterfall ran beside it, and a roof window near the top of the cabin was open, revealing a telescope pointing above a nearby mountain. Heather stepped forward and opened the door, and the dogs entered first, followed by the kids. Inside, the place was lit with orange from a fireplace and tall candles here and there, a few shelves of books sat against the walls, a couple of wooden tables sat near the fireplace and a window, a few elevated shelves of glass jars labeled with various spices, teas, coffees, and sugars sat beside the fireplace, a couch sat beside the entrance while a set of stairs leading to a second floor started on its opposite side, and an old man wearing sapphire blue robes and a pointed hat sat in a tall wooden rocking chair. He looked half asleep.

"Good morning," said the old man. His eyebrows, mustache, hair, and belly-long beard were white, and the front and back were in two big curls as if they were secured with two old-fashioned hair curlers, but nothing was there. His beard seemed to want to curl at its end too, but it only sharply curved outwards. The pointed hat had no bill or brim and was partially turned inside out at the bottom, and it had yellow stars and a crescent moon sewn into it. The hat seemed to be worn by him at first, but a closer look revealed it floated above his head though it moved according to his head movements as if it stayed secured. He held a long, unlit wooden pipe in his mouth, and wore large circle-framed glasses.

"I'm glad to see Ms. Ensley found you! Come! Sit down while the kettles and coffee pots are still hot, and please do not be alarmed. In a few minutes some of Ms. Ensley's friends will arrive to help," said the old man; his voice had a calming effect on everyone. "And welcome back, Heather!" His wrinkled face combined with his glasses and eyebrows made it difficult to see if his eyes were open. Ms. Ensley flew to him and sat on his shoulder while the three hummingbirds flew out an open window. The group sat around the tables while Ms. Ensley and the old man asked what comfort drinks and snacks they liked, and served what they could to closely match their favorites. The room was droning with hushed conversation, and a bell rang outside.

"Come in!" said the old man, and pixies half the size of Ms. Ensley flew in from the window carrying bandages and cleaning towels. They got the group to take off their makeshift bandages, cleaned their wounds, and replaced their bandages. Though half the group grimaced from pain, only Brav, Estrella, and Phanta let slip short-lived cries and David a suppressed whimper. After all the bandages were replaced, Ms. Ensley followed the pixies out the window catching up with her friends.

"Now that that's taken care of, forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Winland. Winland Asterisk," said the old man as he sat back in his rocking chair. "Ms. Ensley will be back shortly, and you may have noticed she prefers to be called by her last name. It's that way with most fairies, and only close friends in most fairy cultures use first names. Her first name is Carina, and I'm led to think you may have already met Seth. Don't be misled by his appearance, for though he has a reserved demeanor, he is one of the few high dragons among the planets," Winland went on.

"Dragon? But I thought those were reptilian kinds of beasts," interjected Rose; Brav slowly turned his head towards her.

"I'm kind of surprised you're surprised by this Rose, he did breathe fire and spirit away like a Houdini," Brav told Rose with raised eyebrows. "And flying in outer space? What's that about?"

"Yes, he is. You saw him in his human form; only high dragons can naturally change like such, and fewer still can fly among planets. The rocks you would've seen him use on these dogs are rocks from our moon. Seth flew to the moon earlier today to collect those four, and you may or may not see him again soon," said Winland, and Ms. Ensley returned.

"Hi Ms. Ensley, Winland said your first name was Carina. I like Ms. Ensley, but I like Carina better: may I call you Carina?" Estrella immediately asked Ms. Ensley, which quietly buzzed among a few in the group.

"Yes you may, though you should know calling fairies by their first name is generally not recommended, and what may I call you?" replied Ms. Ensley.

"Yay! Um, my name is Estrella, but people shorten it to Stella sometimes. You can call me Stella too," said Estrella.

"I like that name, and yes I'll use your full name," said Ms. Ensley. "You look curious about something, is it about Seth's last name?" she asked Rose.

"Yes, unless he doesn't like people knowing his last name," Rose quietly replied.

"It's good you're considerate especially concerning dragons, and more so of a high dragon!" said Ms. Ensley. "I ask you all to not call him by his last name, though it's common knowledge. His last name is only used in certain places and situations, but most of the time you should only use 'Seth.' His last name is Museveni, and while you'll never see his father anytime soon, his father is Conifex Museveni," the kids were apprehensive in learning Seth's father's name and fell silent.

"We'd love to talk more of where you are and what brought you here, but you're all tired. Tomorrow isn't going anywhere, and Ms. Ensley has some preparations to make. Let's find you beds and pleasant dreams until then," said Winland; his voice's calming effect extended to the kids' mounting want for sleep. Winland and Ms. Ensley led them up the stairs into a room with beds against the walls. "There's a few outhouses across the waterfall when you need to use the bathroom, and these may take some getting used to, but there's toothbrushes and toothpaste on the nightstands beside each of your beds," said Winland, and while he didn't say it directly, his voice compelled them to do these things. After the kids did what they needed to, Ms. Ensley tucked some of them in and learned the names of those who hasn't talked with her yet. As the kids would later notice, the company of Winland and Ms. Ensley was inviting and enchanting in a way that comforted them in a way few others would in their parents' absence.

"It's a bit strange the toothbrushes are wooden and presumably local made, but the toothpaste are in plastic tubes like the ones in our world," commented Grant.

"Well he is a wizard," replied Estrella.

"Is he? I don't think anyone said that," said Ralph as Ms. Ensley tucked him into bed.

"Yes Ralph, Winland is a wizard, and a kind man," Ms. Ensley said. "You'll cross others who met him or at least heard of him," she seemed to be distracted by one of the windows. "Sleep well, and sweet dreams!" She concluded with a smile. Though it was only approaching midday, sleep claimed the tired group. The last few who fell asleep may have seen Ms. Ensley say a few words on her way out, and Winland wound a music box and set it on a nightstand in the room. As the music box went on, its song seemed to darken the sunlight even though no blinds or drapes covered the windows, and if anyone stayed awake long enough, they would've been able to see the stars while the music box was playing. If by chance this time was nighttime while the music box played, they would've also seen other fairies in the room who are normally invisible.