Shortys 2024

Grandmother Clock

"Grandmother clock?" Jurella shook her head. "I've never heard of them."

"You find them in dining rooms, or bedrooms. Sometimes on the landings on a stairway beside the window there," Alster explained.

"So, why Grandmother instead of Grandfather clock?" Jurella asked. Elnora's tail twitched where she was curled up on her bed. The unicorn cat's horn gleamed in the spot of sunshine warming her fur.

"Size mainly. They're shorter, more elegant, and they have inlays of mother of pearl or other shells. Lots of carving, especially flowers or leaves, and they are narrower than a Grandfather clock.

"I can perch on the top of one of them. Like the one stairway up to the infirmary. Why is it up all those stairs? It should be downstairs in by Codgaffer's office. Emergencies shouldn't require running almost fifty steps to bring the injured to aid." Brogan folded his wings, as he spoke. His recent ability to project his voice for all to hear, was a pleasant surprise. No more time wasted translating mind link into audible words.

I think of the Grandfather clock as a stern old man. Grandmothers are far more approachable. Winding them isn't such a chore. But why are we talking about these clocks?

Everyone nodded. Elnora's voice reached the mind of whomever she decided to speak to now. Jurella knew there would be other surprises as she grew. The cat no longer rode on her shoulder. Sometimes, if Elnora was really tired, she draped her around her neck, but it was a rarity.

Brogan stretched his forearm claws into a small nook in between the stones forming the arch of Alster's window. He hooked one claw around a tube of parchment and pulled it out.

"It's still there. Good hidey hole. The key is there too, but I'll leave it for now. It's even more important than the map." Brogan held it out toward his bonded wizard.

"A treasure map. But it isn't a map, it's a piece of poetry. Sort of," Alster said as he unrolled the parchment. He spread it on his worktable, using clear glass paperweights to hold it flat, he waved Jurella over.

"We found the key, we'll find the clock, and whatever might be inside it," she said. She read the elegant script.

The steps are nine, but not all the time

On a full moon night, she stands with might

Between color and stars

Scarred from wars

The grandmother holds secret of

Shadow book lore

Professor Codgaffer identified the key as belonging to a clock. It was highly polished brass, easily mistaken for gold except it was too light. Jurella pulled herself up on the window sledge and raised herself up on her knees. Using her little finger, she slipped it into the same tiny spot Brogan retrieved the scroll from.

Fishing the key out, she jumped back down.

"Look at this. It has the maker's mark on it. Usually it's a silversmith that uses them, like on Almera's tea set and the mirror I have," Jurella said. "We need to find out who it belongs to, and if they remember making this key and what it was for. We're assuming a clock, because of the time reference. It could be a statue too, with a secret compartment."

"The clock idea just seems right, though," Alster argued.

"Elnora agrees, and we found the key and scroll in a that discarded box behind the clock store in town," Jurella admitted, swinging her peach toned braid over her shoulder.

Aster's pale lavender eyes rippled through tones of purple, and settled back to their monotone. Brogan's skin went through the same changes.

"What did your dragon say?"

"He thinks it might be in the castle on Moon Mountain. It appears and disappears with the lunar phases of Gondar. Maltra doesn't seem to affect it."

"So, only one of our moons needs to be full. I'll bet that's when we need to be there to search," Jurella declared.

Both. Although it might be more dangerous, considering the strange occurrences when they coincide.

"Really, Elnora?"

Jurella knew the dragon hated the double full moon cycle which happened once every three of Gondar's cycles, and on the seventh Maltra orbit. Maltra almost always occluded the bigger moon because she was closer to Malma. Funny how the legends had them as lovers forever separated. Romance was only for the old stories.

Really. I believe Brogan is right. And I don't think the castle has long before it disappears forever. There's another legend, or if you will prophecy, which says when orange and purple come together, their magic will find what was always there. The curse will break and the castle shake, beware the steps of nine.

"You think it's Moon Mountain Castle in that little piece of wisdom, Elnora?" Alster asked.

I'm almost certain of it. It's a good place to start. We just passed the last double full, so you have three months to prepare. I would think spells to protect yourselves and give your perceptive searches a chance, Jurella.

"Agreed." She said. "And now to find a treat for you, Elnora. Brogan, are you up to get her a fish?"

"Challenge accepted. Open the window. I'll bring one for each of us."

Alster scratched behind Brogan's crested crown ridge then cranked the windowpane wide open. "I'll oil your skin when you get back. Fishing always dries you out."

"Many thanks, mate." The dragon faded out as he took his first wing stroke.

"Jurella, are we going to be ready in time?" Alster asked.

"We don't have a choice. The shaking in the city is getting worse. My mother wrote the Science Symposium was disturbed by an earthquake of such magnitude the building partially collapsed. Prime Director Einstern was severely injured when a brick landed on his head."

"Why is he still recommending termination for all things magical? Magic is para-physical, and far more scientific that he thinks. It's the tonal quality of the words and syllables we speak in our spells which activate the power they call. Remember how using the wrong cadence and stressing the incorrect word, changed the success of our first complex combined spell?"

"It's like fitting a key into a lock," Jurella hopped back up onto the windowsill where Elnora was watching for Brogan to comeback with their supper. She slid the key into its spot, making sure it went all the way to the back.

"It's dinner time. We'll have to run," Alster said.

"The bell has just started ringing." Jurella laughed and grabbed his hand, tugging him through the door. "Last one down, cleans Elnora's litter box in the morning."

WC: 1109