Hunting
Dedicated to my BFF, London and her cat!
Chapter 1: Meeting Novus Dragonets
“NO! N-O! Why don’t you get it, Maple, I am not reading your prized scroll collection, GOT IT?” Ginkgo said to her older brother, Maple.
“You were, Ginkgo!” he insists
“WAS NOT!” Ginkgo said, right back!
“What’s going on?” asks Vine, Ginkgo’s ten-year-old younger sister, as she sleepily walked into Maple’s room.
“Nothing,” Maple and Ginkgo say simultaneously.
“Stop it. I can tell when something’s wrong!” Vine shouts at us. Even though she’s four years younger than Ginkgo and six years younger than Maple she can be super assertive.
At that moment Ginkgo’s mom (Clover) and her dad (Moss) run into the room.
“What’s going on?!” asks mom in a panic. “We heard shouts!!!”
“Maple’s accusing me of reading his prized scrolls and...” Ginkgo started.
“Because she is,” cuts in Maple.
“And I was just looking for you,” Ginkgo finished.
“You knew I was in the kitchen, looking for strawberries-by the way, mom, we need more strawberries-I had the last!” says Maple.
“No I didn’t, I thought that you were in your room!! And stop interrupting me!” Ginkgo angrily exclaimed!
“Maple, I’m sure your sister didn’t know you were in the kitchen looking for strawberries-we will get some more for you, My Little Leaf!” Father said.
“That’s it!” ginkgo say. “I’m taking a walk.”
Ginkgo stormed from Maple’s room to her own and opened the secret leafy trapdoor on the bottom of her room. She flew out, closing it behind her. She flew and flew and finally reached the edge of the village. Ginkgo walked around for a bit until Ginkgo met a dragon about my age walking around the village.
“Hi, what’s your name? My name’s Fern and I just moved here from Aeter Island, it’s named after the Latin word ‘aeternum’ or ‘forever’ because its been in the Poison Jungle in the middle of Num Lake for forever!” Fern asks, quite quickly. “Where are you from?”
“Hi, I’m Ginkgo. I moved to Nov Village a couple years ago. I’m pretty sure Nov Village is from the Latin word ‘novus’ or ‘new’-it’s only been here 10 years or so!” Ginkgo said nervously.
“Where did you move from?” Fern queries further.
“I moved from Giis Village in the center of the Poison Jungle. I know that Giis Village is named Giis Village after the Latin word ‘regiis’ or ‘royal’ because Queen Sequoia lives there!” Ginkgo responded, hoping that this is impressive.
Fern and Ginkgo look identical! We are dark green and our wings have light green veins, with the underside flecked with gold. Our claws and talons are gold, as well. We have silver eyes. Maple, Vine, Mom and Dad look identical. They have beautiful light green bodies. Their bright green wing membrane matched with the dark green veins is amazingly stunning, add on the maple leaves they have on the underside of their wings and they’re just perfect!! It’s super annoying!
“That is so cool. I wish I hadn’t lived on Aeter Island and now I live in Nov Village,” she said. “Sorry, no offense, you know about Nov Village.”
“It’s cool,” Ginkgo said. “I mean, I miss Giis Village a lot, especially Meanderer, that’s Queen Sequoia’s daughter! She was my best friend.” Ginkgo start to tear up.
“THREE MOONS, QUEEN SEQUOIA’S DAUGHTER? Awww, don’t cry.” She said to Ginkgo as tears started rolling down her dark green cheeks. She started wiping my tears away from my cheeks again and again and again! Usually that would annoy her, but the way Fern did it, it didn't! Kinda weird, right?
“Yeah, Queen Sequoia's daughter,” Ginkgo said, laughing a little.
“Queen Sequoia’s daughter, three moons, so coooooooooooooool!, For the love of Saint Scavenger,” She mumbled to herself
Chapter 2: The Collapse
“Wake up,” yelled the Easter Bunny at Ginkgo.
Ginkgo laughed. He held up a carrot. She started to drool.
“Hahahahahahahahahahahaha,” the Easter Bunny laughed, then suddenly Ginkgo jolted awake to see Fern rolling around with laughter on the floor of her bedroom. She blushed a darker green then she already was! Then Ginkgo remembered, Fern and her were having a sleepover!
“School time,” yelled dad.
“Coming,” Ginkgo yelled back.
“What about breakfast?” asked Fern.
“We’ll eat on the way,” I asked.
“OK,” Fern replied.
Suddenly Fern and Ginkgo heard a loud THUMP! We looked at each other in terror. Thumps and Bumps never, ever, ever, ever happened at 19 Vesti Place (Vesti came from the Latin word ‘vestibulum’ or ‘stunning’) actually they didn’t happen anywhere on Vesti Place! That was a very, very, very, did-I-mention-very bad sign!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fern and Ginkgo shot down through the secret trapdoor in my bedroom and down to the garden Fern got there first and shrieked when she saw what was there! She turned around and gave Ginkgo a "to-be-continued look... "
Chapter 3: The Look's Meaning
Ginkgo looked and saw her mother collapsed next to an ericulo leaf pot.
“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!” Ginko screamed.
Suddenly Fern went into ‘Full-Doctor-Mode’ (she’s training to be a doctor) she said calmly but sharply “Ginko you stay here-I’m going to get a real doctor! Monitor her Breathing Rate, OK?”
“‘Kay,” Ginkgo said, all trembly. Vine shot down the stairs at Lighting Speed!
“MOM!” she shrieked-then she turned to Ginkgo. “Is she OK? What happened? I’m serious! Oh, wait-let me get Maple.”
“Uh…’kay,” Ginkgo’s head was spinning from how fast Vine had said it. “And dad.”
“OK!” she said and flew up to Maple’s window all flustery.
“GINKGO!"Dad yelled. “Is Clover alright? No, are you OK? No, is Fern OK? No, where is Fern? No, answer my first question!”
“I don’t know if Mom’s alright. I’m OK. Fern’s also OK - she went to get Dr. Nauczyli !” Ginkgo said much slower than Dad! At that moment Fern came flying back, Dr. Paracletus hot on her tail! Dr. Nauczyli, Fern and I look the same.
“UH-OH!” Dr. Nauczyli exclaimed.
“What?” queried Dad.
“It seems Mrs. Halcón has contracted Ericuloitis, a slow-to-develop allergy transmitted to the neurons by the victim’s claw. It comes from a long history of touching Ericulo Leaf LeafWing plant pots. The symptoms are: sudden dizziness, itchy claws and sudden, unexpected fainting. And the only cure is the Tum Leaf. The catch is it doesn’t grow AROUND HERE!!!!!!!!!! It does grow on the most northern place in Pantala: Mount Mors, The Morti Mountains, Ferum Island!” Dr. Nauczyli said. “You will have to fly all 1,000 km in only four days!”
“OK, we better start then!” Ginkgo said, trying to sound brave when really she was shaking in her claws! “Vine, Fern: we better get ready and go!”
“OK,” Fern said.
“OK,” Vine echoed.
We got ready and then set off!
Chapter 4: The Journey
Dear Auntie Hilang,
Mom has fallen ill and we are going to get her a cure. She has ericuloitis and we have to go to Ferum Island for Tum Leaf (the cure)! Please come soon?
-Maple, Ginkgo and Vine
We had to write to our Auntie Hilang, whom we had never met, so that she would come and see Mom, Dr. Nauscyli said, so Vine wrote to her, asking to come to Nov Village. Just before we left a Rush Messenger flew up to our house and delivered her answer:
Dear Maple, Ginkgo and Vine,
I am so sorry to hear that dearest Clover has fallen ill, but I am afraid that my sloth (her name is Membelai) has a little sniffle and I must stay with her.
My deepest apologies,
Hilang Halcón and Membelai Halcón
Western Aeter Island
“Seriously? “I am afraid that my sloth (her name is Membelai) has a little sniffle and I must stay with her.” Membelai Halcón? Hilang is crazy!” Vine shrieked at the top of her lungs!
So Ginkgo wrote to Uncle Malaperu in Eastern Aeter Island:
Dear Uncle Malaperu,
Mother has fallen sick and we must find the cure. She has a disease called ericuloitis and the cure is located in Ferum Island. Tum Leaf shall relieve her of ericuloitis. But we need a family member with her and we have already asked Auntie Hilang. Her sloth has a “little sniffle” so she cannot come. We were wondering if you could come instead?
Sincerely,
Maple, Ginkgo and Vine
Uncle Malaperu’s response was this:
Dear Maple, Ginkgo and Vine,
I am so sorry that your mother has fallen sick! Also, ever since Hilang bought her sloth, she has been Membelai-obsessed. Membelai rocks is her motto, she told me like she was proud! Whaaaat?! Anyways, I would be obliged to come!
Sincerely,
Malaperu Halcón and Chat Botté
Eastern Aeter Island
P.S. I shall bring my kitten, Chat Botté!
P.P.S. For therapy
Knowing that Uncle Malaperu and Chat Botté were on their way: we left, flying north towards Ferum Island and the Tum Leaf. The sunrise to our side. We were about 250 km into the journey there when we realized that it had already been two days and that we needed to come up with a plan to get there in time!
“Maybe we could...hop a ride on some agreeable orcas once we get to the shore and ride them to Ferum Island and back to shore once we get the Tum Leaf?” Fern asked.
“Three moons, that’s IT !” Ginkgo declared jubilanty.
So, we zoomed away to the shore. We found some orcas that were happy to take us to Ferum Island, which was weird because nobody wants to go to Ferum Island of all places! So the orcas took us there and flew across Ferum Island to the center and flew up the Morti Mountains and across them to get to their center: Mount Mors the highest peak in all of Pantala!
Chapter 5: The One Itsy-Bitsy Problem
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” shrieked Vine as she saw...a monster?
“THREE MOONS!” Fern shouted.
“YIKERS!” Ginkgo cried.
The monster was tall, hairy and green-and-brown. It’s eyes glowed red and it had long black claws. I thought of a poem she’d made up in her Notebook Of Poems:
Monster By: Ginkgo Halcón
I see...green-and-black
I smell...rotten eggs
I taste...dryness
I touch...my backpack strap
I hear...roaring
I know...monster
This is a monster from her worst nightmare. Everything is happening just like her dream! Oh no! Ginkgo thought because in my dream she dies. She always forgets how but she just does. The monster’s claws zip past her, barely grazing her cheek. Ginkgo heard Fern cry out “Give me the sacks we brought!” Vine throws her sack to Fern and Ginkgo followed suite. Fern darts between the monster’s legs and fills all three bags with Tum Leaf! We flew fast to get away from the monster and made it down to the shore. We shot away on our orcas and got to the shore. We zoomed away as fast as our wings could carry us! We finally got down to Nov Village and found Uncle Malaperu with his cat, Chat Botté (Puss In Boots in French) waiting for us.
Chapter 6: Sunset
We ran inside the house to find Auntie Hilang and Membelai sitting at mother’s bedside.
“I decided I would bring Membelai to see Clover,” Auntie Hilang haughtily explained.
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” Ginkgo responded absently. I hadn’t thought of that. Ginkgo quickly ran over and dumped some Tum Leaf into mother’s snout. Suddenly, as the Tum Leaf twirled into her snout she had a seizure scratching my snout. Then she sat up, apologized for hurting me and hugged and kissed everyone, including Auntie Hilang and Membelai. We told her everything. Five minutes after mother scratched Ginkgo started to feel very dizzy so Ginkgo said she felt a little woozy and was going up to my room. But first Ginkgo hugged Mom and said “I’m so glad you are better, Mama!” smiling, when, out of nowhere Ginkgo collapsed! Dr. Nauzcyli diagnosed Ginkgo with ericuloitis and said the Tum Leaf that Fern, Ginkgo and Vine collected was already too old and that with dragonets ericulotis kills its victims within one day! “I’m sorry Mrs. Halcón, it’s over for young Ginkgo here,” he solemnly proclaimed.
As the sun set Ginkgo passed away.
Epilogue: The Tree Wars
A few decades later Maple’s tree house was set on fire.
Look for ‘Whole-Hive Mind’ coming out 2020!
And this is Whole-Hive Mind
Prologue
Sundew looked out over Dragonfly Bay’s calm waters with gratitude. “Wow, I love Pantala so much”, she thought. “I love our world, thank you Clearsight for all of Pantala, thank you so, so much.”
“Hey Sundew, anyone at home?”, called Willow, startling Sundew out of her thoughts.
“Yes”, Sundew replied. “Just thinking”
“Cool, me too”, Willow said.
“About what?” Sundew asked.
“The Distant Kingdoms”, Willow said as she stared out across the ocean.
“By the Book”, Sundew exclaimed, exasperated. “Willow, it’s just a myth, you know that!”
“But maybe it isn’t”, Willow insisted.
“Well until you give me proof, I won’t believe you”, Sundew said.
“Maybe a dragon from the Distant Kingdoms will come to Pantala”, Willow said.
“Aaargh”, Sundew thought to herself.
“Maybe”, she said.
By Amani