Rebecca Moon & the Magical Monster Hunt

Chapter 5: The Sanctuary of the Dragonfly Lady

Rebecca sat on the porch of the house that looked out at the sanctuary of the Dragonfly Lady, drinking iced tea, while she waited for Ty and Normac to replace the wheel of the mill in the river. For some reason, the Dragonfly Lady, who insisted that she be called Laney, which Rebecca didn't think fit her at all but went along with it anyway, took to making Rebecca relax and do no work. From the moment she explained to Ty what she needed him to do, and Rebecca tried to help, Laney put a glass in Rebecca's hand and kept her from moving.

The woman then went off and spoke to several pixies and grabbed some herbs from just off the porch. She was short, but she was fit, and Rebecca figured that it was due to the life of being out and about in the wild. She seemed very strong, Laney, and she took no lip from Ty when he tried to argue that his purpose was more important. She shushed him, and explained that the only way she could get anything done in the house, the only source of power, came from that river. Ty could no longer argue that her need for power was less important than his.

He went over to the wheel, Normac following behind, looking at the wheel with contempt and ambivalence. Rebecca was still taken back by the boy's appearance, but tried not to make it known. He had to be around thirteen, though his age was hidden behind his grotesque frog and snake like features. He walked like a teenager though, without the urgency of an adult, nor the energy of a young kid, he sucked on the pipe almost religiously, and the smoke smelled terrible.

Rebecca waved the puff, which he had left behind, out of her face and took a sip of the tea. It was amazing. Delicious was an understatement, the tea was sweet, but not without losing the flavor of the leaf. Rebecca couldn't help but hum in delight as the cool liquid conditioned her from the hot sun. Laney looked over and smiled, "You like the tea?"

"Yeah, it's really good," Rebecca said with a sweet smile, and a higher voice than she normally spoke in. She thought about the sudden change in her voice, figuring it was due to the fear of being in this place, and around this woman. When she wasn't wearing the massive black witch's hat, she was less intimidating, but still odd nonetheless.

She wore a large sweater, flowy and knitted, and black tight pants, an outfit that Rebecca thought would be torture in this weather, but Laney seemed happy to endure it. Rebecca wanted to say something, mostly so that she could try and bring her voice back to normal, as well as cut the awkward silence that was building.

"So, this tea," Rebecca asked. "Did you cultivate it here? In your garden?"

Laney chuckled a little, which Rebecca disliked, feeling as though she said something stupid. "No, Hon," Laney replied. "No, I got it from the Teavana at the mall. It's the monkey picked oolong."

Rebecca was taken aback for a moment. Not just because in this place of beauty and magic they drank tea from the mall, but because it was her favorite tea. She had spent hours in Teavana, to Ty's great dismay, trying to figure out which tea she wanted to take home. Because they had so many choices, it seemed an impossible task, but eventually she made her choice. Monkey Picked Oolong.

"I sometimes head into the city to get some basic things," the Dragonfly Lady began. "Teavana is always a stop I make, as well as things for Normac; he usually has a list for me."

"So," Rebecca ask quickly, "You can travel through the door as you please?"

Laney took a sip of her tea, "Any Magi can. That's the beauty of the door."

"And, and what exactly is this place? Are we still in... ya know..." The question seemed silly. "The same world?"

Laney thought about the question for a second, then put down her glass. "Yes and no, ma dear. See, the universe is greater and grander than any person could comprehend. Most people want to give it a limit, a boundary. They see it as a linear thing, but that's not how creation and life and time work."