Journeys in Myyttinen

Chapter Two

"Cassie, where are we?" Helen asked, tugging at my sleeve.

"I don't know," I replied turning in circles staring at the landscape.

The landscape. There was lush, green grass covering the plain we were on. There we lovely wildflowers speckling it. In the distance, mountains rose up and over them, well over them there were giant birds circling. Like the griffins I had seen in my mythology books. And next to us was a herd of horses, but the horses had a single horn in the middle of their heads. Like unicorns. There was a babbling brook running the length of the plain and down it a little ways was a small cottage that looked well kept.

I shook my head, had they put something in the airplane food? This couldn't be real! I grabbed Helen's hand and led her the only way that made sense: to the cottage. Maybe whoever lived there would have answers.

The walk was short and we had arrived in front of the cottage within ten minutes. I knocked three times before taking a step back to admire the cottage. It was circular with two windows facing forward and a pointed straw roof. The kind of thing out of a fairy tale, but I mean the whole place was straight out of a fairy tale.

I hoped it was a dream, but at the same time I didn't. If this was real, maybe we could save our mother like something out of a fairy tale. Have our story have a happy ending.

I was woken from my thoughts when the door to the cabin flew open to reveal a woman with white hair braided behind her wearing an old fashioned dress. She had a kindly face and I felt my worries melt away.

"Can I help you two?" She asked, smiling at us.

"Yes," I replied politely, "Could you tell us where we are? We are, um, lost."
The woman looked at me curiously and replied, "Why you're in the Land of Myyttinen! The land of mythical creatures! This is the Plains of the Peto. And if you are looking for the City of Aika, just fellow the Vesi Henki Brook!"

"What's in the City of Ai-Aika?" I asked.

"That's where the different beasts and such hold court and where the castle is. Of course that was years ago. It's changed now because of the new ruler. She brought herself into power by imprisoning the royal family. It's dreadful if you ask me. Nowadays the City of Aika is no longer the beautiful place it once was. It's dried up like a desert and no one ever enjoys visiting it. But I suppose if you want to get back home that's the way to go-but let me send you with supplies. It's a few days journey!"

She slipped inside and returned a few minutes later with a basket filled with food, water, and blankets. She wished us luck and we thanked her before beginning our journey along the Vesi Henki Brook.

"Why are the names so strange?" Helen asked, "It's like they are in a different language."

"They are," I replied, finally grateful that my mom had made me take so many language courses, "It's Finnish."

"Why Finnish? Why not something more traditionally, like Latin?"

"I don't know, Helen, I don't make the rules."

We walked in silence after that. The whole thing was so strange and I felt as though I excepted it too quickly. Like I excepted that my mom was gone. I paused a moment thinking about the vanishing. If that had truly happened, could it be linked to this land? Could it have to do with the new ruler that took over? Maybe our mother was here. Maybe we could rescue her! I voiced my thoughts to Helen, who became ecstatic at the thought.

"Do you really think we can, Cassie?"

"Only time will tell," I replied ruffling her curls.

With the prospect of seeing our mother again, we quickened our step and by nightfall had arrived at a the mountains. The thought of crossing them at night seemed foolish and not to mention dangerous if those were griffins circling overhead so we looked for a good place to spend the night. We found this place in a huge peach tree. I climbed up onto the lowest branch before reaching down and pulling up Helen. We then climbed halfway up until we found a good cluster of branches and peaches. I pulled the blankets out of the basket and covered us up with them and used some string to tie us to the tree. We then enjoyed a dinner of peaches and half a turkey sandwich (I had decided we should ration our food-just to be safe).

We slept well, but were awoken in the early hours of the morning by a loud crowing. I sent straight up, grateful for the string or else I would have gone tumbling towards the ground. I shook Helen awake and told her to be silent. We sat still for some moments before the cawing returned and materialized itself in the shape of a rather large griffin. And by rather large, I mean that it was the size of a house. It was circling overhead and screeching.

"What's it doing?" Helen whispered.

"It's circling it's prey. It's going to eat us," I felt myself shaking in terror.

Helen began to cry, rather loudly and try as I might she would not be silent. The crying attracted another creature, this one bright red. It flew like fire through the sky and descended upon the griffin. The brilliantly red bird stuck out its claws and slashed the griffin's eyes out. The griffin screamed in pain and reared back ready to retaliate, but the smaller bird, already with the advantage that the griffin couldn't see, flew forward and buried its beak in the stomach of the larger animal. When the fire bird pulled out its beak, a crimson liquid dripped off of it. Blood. The griffin screeched one last time before beginning to lose altitude. The red bird clawed it all the way down until the griffin landed in a heap at the foot of the tree. As the other bird came nearer, I recognized it as a phoenix.

The phoenix landed beside the griffin and looked up at us, waiting. I knew immediately what to do, I grabbed Helen's and our supplies and scrambled out of tree. Once on the ground, I lifted Helen up into the creature's back and climbed on after. The bird flapped it's wings once and then lifted off the ground.

"Hold on," I whispered to Helen before turning to the phoenix and shouting, "Can you take us to the City of Aika?"

The phoenix nodded as if it understand and flew higher. I soon dozed off again and when I awoke, we had begun to land. I looked at the country around us. It wasn't dried up like the old woman had described. In fact, it was snowing. There were little houses scattered everywhere with chimneys puffing smoke on them. The phoenix landed in front of an ice castle. Something wasn't right. Then it dawned on me.

The phoenix was working for somebody. Somebody who wanted Helen and me.

And maybe even our mom.