The Way Home | ONC2021

Chapter 11

Forgetting all about the creature (who was slowly making his way out from under the bed), Alex jumps off the bed and tugs on his sister's shorts, "Really!?"

"Mn." She nods, and without warning, picks up Gabe. The fairy doesn't protest. Probably too shocked at this act.

"Gabe, the riddle was hinting at the creature that Alex referred to as a monster. But look," Zhandra bends down just as the creature slithers out from where it was hiding. Gabe's body stiffens, but other than that, he does nothing except stare at it intently.

"It is so small." Zhandra continues. "I think the riddle is asking us how we feel about it." She smiles at the creature. "Maybe we are supposed to decide if it is our friend or enemy." Zhandra sniffs the air. "Alex, do you smell anything now?"

The boy shakes his head.

"Neither can I. I think it's because I can see it now."

Alex blinks, confused and a little irritated, for it was way past his bedtime. "You think the stinky smell was coming from that." He asks, pointing at the creature who was looking at the floor and wobbling (or was it swaying. Alex wasn't sure).

"I think so," Zhandra replies and squats down next to the creature, who slithers back a few inches as if scared. Its bright-yellow eyes land on Gabe, and a lemon-sized goop of green slime oozes out of his eyes and falls to the floor.

'Are they his tears? Is he scared of Gabe?' Zhandra guesses and is about to voice her thoughts when the creature speaks. "I didn't mean to bump into you. I was about to go home when we bumped into each other. It was not my fault." The creature snaps his mouth shut. Two jello-like arms sprout from either side of its waist (the middle section of its body), and he covers his mouth.
Gabe keeps mum. Zhandra finds it very odd. "Gabe, you did not answer my question." She urges, and he finally looks at Zhandra.

"You are right. These things are called Demasters. The fairies from Dwelling of the dark allied with these things to inflict pain on both human beings and other fairies. Luckily, My Lady handled the situation."

"We did nothing wrong!" The creature, Demaster, retorts.

"You stole my crayons!" Alex interjects.

"I... I-" The creature stutters. It opens its mouth several times but closes it without adding to the sentence it had started.

It only serves to motivate Alex further. Not so scared anymore, he adds, "You stole them! I can see pieces of them in your tummy." He states, pointing at the Demaster's middle.

"I ate them. I was hungry." The creature bites out. Another blob of slime hits the floor, confirming Zhandra's suspicions. She looks at Gabe questioningly, but the latter chooses silence once again. Her gaze shifts to Alex, who is staring at the pieces of crayon inside the Demaster's translucent, wiggly stomach.

"What were you doing here in the first place? Gabe was surprised to see you here. That means that he didn't expect to see you here, right?" Zhandra asks, turning to look at the fairy. The creature averts his yellow eyes.

"Yes, you are right, my dear. It's forbidden for its kind to venture out in the human world." Gabe replies and fixes the Demaster with a cold gaze. "How did you enter this realm?" He enquires.

"We had no choice." The Demaster says in a barely audible voice. "We were forced by the fairies to create nectar for them."

"Lies!" Gabe bellows. "Why would we ask for your help in creating Nectar!?"

"Because you can't create it in Dwelling of the Dark." Comes the confident reply. Another blob of slime hits the floor. "We were barely surviving. But we were happy. Then you came along and stole the purple lotus."