Snippet #2201610

Having the Beard sucked out of him was the weirdest thing. It was uncomfortable, disconcerting, and Day strained against the dragon’s paw on his head. It felt like Mortimus stuck a feather up through his nose, tickled his brain, and then brought it back out again. Day coughed as the wisp escaped him and then covered his face with his hands and leaned over.

“Holy beanstalk, Mortimus! Agh!” Dayerin coughed. “That didn’t feel that great.” He rubbed his nose, hoping to make that ticklish, shivery feeling in his brain go away.

After that initial shock, though, Day felt the perks of coherence. Mortimus’ interference also seemed to take away some of his drunkenness. Though, witnessing the bizarre conversation between Mortimus and the pixie, he still felt like he was under the influence. When Mortimus conjured a glowing ball out of the pixie’s ear, Day shook his head. What was sobriety worth when what was going on was worthy of an Airy Moss hallucination?

When Mortimus said that the glowing ball was his mom’s essence, Day’s face froze, unsure if this was a joke. He watched, stunned, as the pixie was freed, swore loyalty to their cause, and then flitted away.

Day, feeling sober but disoriented, held the glowing blue ball in his hands. He stared at it, trying to come to terms with the fact that this could connect him directly to his mother. Relaying a message to a pixie was strange enough, but could he grasp talking to an abstract glowing orb, and having his communication be instantaneous and telepathic? The possibilities were vast and frightening... but also too promising not to experiment with. What if he could also talk to his sister in this way? If only she sent him a pixie...

“Okay, sure, thanks Mortimus,” he mumbled, transfixed by the orb and only partially hearing what Mortimus said.

The prince closed his eyes and pretended he was in the same room as his mother, that suddenly she was there. What would he say to her?

With his eyes closed, he was far more convinced that the orb was her essence. It felt like she was there. He could even smell her. It was such a comforting presence, that he moved near the wall and curled up with the ball. Its blue light illuminated his face. With his eyes still closed, he spoke close to it:

“Hey, Mom...” he began, tentatively. “Can you hear me? Don’t freak out... it’s Day.”

---

“Your reasoning is entirely sound, Lady Aquila,” Captain Tipst pronounced. He had been floating near Bettina and ‘Enry, but was pleased that Aquila was the first to answer. His wings drew him closer to her. She made him nervous, this wise, beautiful eagle-woman. He had pixies in his stomach, it felt like. But after this ordeal, he felt more at ease in addressing her.

“It is no wonder to me how my Lord King Lufgaw chose you as his greatest advisor, my Lady,” Tipst complimented whole-heartedly. “You’ve been unflappable during this situation. And your ideas on what to do with Mortimus... could not be improved. He is clearly a security risk to Effledus.”

He frowned again at the mess below them. “Of all days for this to happen, the Queen’s celebration!”

It was at that time that Tipst felt a ping in his head. There was a message, someone trying to impart something to him telepathically. It was rather rude to impose a message like that without prior consent, like an unsolicited call. But Tipst put down his mental guard in slightly annoyed curiosity, with a guess that it was Mortimus.

It was strange, suspicious, that Mortimus did not want the King brought to this briefing. ‘I think the King ought to know, Mortimus. He is the most important citizen of Effledus,’ Tipst returned a mental message. ‘But I shall come, and hear what you have to say.’ He turned to Aquila. “Were you contacted by Mortimus just now, as well?”