The Misfortune of Distorted Truth

Blue Sky

When M's heart had settled back into its proper place and was beating calmly, she stood up straight and nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw that Dehllah had appeared.
"Gosh, you scared me," said M accusingly.
Dehllah was unconcerned. She smoothed back her voluptuous mane and her eyes were set on something past the girl's shoulder. "Oh, did I? Anyway, I was summoned by Peace, as I'm sure you know. I'm here now to show you the way to Ehmohree and Joshilynn's cave."
M felt a wave of relief wash over her. "So she's okay."
"She is, yes. Why would she not be?" Dehllah raised her eyebrows at her, then shook her head. "Never mind that, get a move on."
The Teahdee and human girl walked further down the tunnel together, twisting around various corners until M could no longer remember her way back through the maze. She made an effort to note the gemstones on the walls and how they were different colors or patterns in the corridors. This strange, quiet land of Fortunia may have lacked street signs, but at least there was some system of marking. Although, M noticed as they trekked along that she could hear conversation becoming closer and closer, and she recognized the squeaky voice of the creature she had heard on the speaker. Or, it may have been another animal of its species.
"Stick close to me, girl," Dehllah spat, smacking M with her butterfly wing. It didn't hurt on the outside, but it did make her miss Isaac more. He would never have hit her like that.
"Why?" M couldn't help inquiring.
"The Mousen. Some of them reside here. If they smell you, find you, and you're unprotected, they will eat your flesh and shatter your bones." Teahdee swung her head wildly to search the tunnels, and pulled M to her side.
"Oh," whimpered M.
There was a brief flash of compassion in Dehllah's eyes, and she gently squeezed the girl.
They went on for some time longer, until Dehllah thrust her wing out to block M from going farther. M proceeded to smack her face on the sudden colorful wall that had appeared in front of her. "We have arrived unscathed." The Teahdee sounded triumphant.
"If the Mousen are so awful, why doesn't Duygu banish them?"
"Cease your questions, fool. It is time to meet Ehmohree, my cousin and my mother's nephew." Dehllah conjured up her finest cold, condescending expression and rapped on the wall beside a cave entrance that was covered by a heavy, orange curtain. Seconds later, the Teahdee that M presumed to be Ehmohree answered his cousin's call and opened the curtain, gesturing for them to come in. He had a pleasant smile on his face. His hair was the dark, healthy green of well-watered grass, and his body a minty tint. His eyes sparkled meadow green, and M, with a spark of homesickness, was reminded of Isaac. Ehmohree seemed to spot the girl's tiny frown and offered her a bowl of garden salad that had come out of thin air.
"I like to hide my cupcakes under the lettuce so Duygu doesn't find out," Ehmohree explained with a wink. M popped a cherry tomato in her mouth and peeled back the leafy greens to see that he hadn't been kidding. There was a chocolate cupcake wrapped carefully in plastic and topped with green-dyed icing and emerald sprinkles, sitting at the bottom of the bowl. The girl immediately knew that this Teahdee was a friend. She grinned up at him, and he returned it.
"That's a good idea," M told him. Her spirits had been lifted just at the sight of the tasty treat, and she felt as if she had been a dusty lamp whose light had been blocked by a sheet until Ehmohree had removed it.
"Don't mind him. My uncle Rohman says he simply hasn't matured yet." Dehllah stuck her nose in the air and brushed past her cousin. M marveled at how often her Teahdee changed.
Ehmohree wrinkled his nose. "I'm older than you, little cousin. I am simply nicer, and appreciate a good cupcake salad." He put his wing over M's back and guided her into the cave he shared with his apprentice. "I am certain you - M, is it not? - will love the company of my Joshie. We recently had training, so she is tired and taking a rest. Do sit down and enjoy your 'salad'. It is a shame that our leader does not approve of such wonderful sweet things, for a bizarre reason I do not know, but a few of us visit the outside world on occasion and smuggle them here." He winked again.
M went over to the small, round stone table that had three stone stools around it. She thankfully took the bowl of salad from Ehmohree and set it on the surface, sifting the crisp lettuce around until she found the fork that had slid to the bottom with the cupcake. As she absentmindedly unwrapped the mouthwatering dessert to release it from its plastic prison, M's gaze hopped about the quarters. The cave had one main room that branched off into three smaller rooms, two of which were bedrooms and the other one a lavatory. Chrysoprase, peridots, jade, malachite, and emeralds lined the upper walls and cast a warm light into the homey areas. The main room had a fire flickering in a hollow place in a lower wall, the table and stools, a roughly made stone counter with drawers and a basin filled with water, and a bucket of ice in one corner.
"Mistress M, come here so I may show you one of my secrets." Ehmohree's eyes were shining as M got up from the table to join him, and she noticed that unlike Dehllah, there was no trace of tiredness on his face.
Azuhre's nephew was pointing up at the ceiling. "What is it?" M saw nothing to be excited about.
"You remember the entrance to Duygu's cave, yes? It is like that. I had one of my Mousen friends use magic to conceal it." Ehmohree stretched his long neck until his nose was nearly touching the stone above, and he whispered several words to himself. Then he perched on the tips of his paws, and his head disappeared into the ceiling. M gasped. She went to his side and peered up, and saw that there was a hole that had not been there previously - or so it had seemed. She whipped her head around in a quick survey of the room, but Dehllah must have quietly gone into the lavatory or back to her own cave.
"Come on in. It's bigger than it looks," Ehmohree offered. His hooves scrabbled for a grip in the tunnel until they found climbing holds, and he hoisted himself up with surprising strength. "There are several small additional holes to rest in on the way. It's a long trip, and my advice is to use those holes so you're less likely to fall." M's stomach lurched a bit at that thought.
Once the green Teahdee's whole body had vanished into the dark, and he had traveled three yards or so upwards, M followed him. Since she was not as tall at full height, she had to drag a stool over, and at twelve she was not too strong, but she managed. The stone climbing holds soon turned to dirt, and M frequently stopped in the rest holes.
"I thought Mousen were evil," M said to Ehmohree, who had also stopped to wait for her to catch her breath. "And where are we going?"
"It depends on how you look at it." The Teahdee sighed. "Some are misjudged, but honestly, most of them are as bad as Dehllah will tell you. My Mouse friend is one of the few who will reject an opportunity to have a human meal. She tells me she's dedicated herself to magic, and besides, she loves my cupcakes more than anything." He laughed. "As for where we are going, young friend, that is a surprise. You will be pleased."
They kept venturing steadily onwards until M, to her disbelief, thought she saw light shining through cracks cutting through the hard, packed soil.
Real, outside light.
"No way." M had nearly forgotten what fresh air and sun rays on her skin felt like until Ehmohree was sitting perched upon a nearby rock, hauling the girl out of the dark. She had to squint at first, for her eyes had long adjusted to the low light of the Fortunia tunnels and were surprised to be in the outside world again.
"A few of the Teahdee caves have these," said Ehmohree sullenly. M didn't understand his change in mood before he kept speaking. "It is the only way we may escape to this land, the Bright Land, to see and feel and smell and hear what we may not below. It is unfair. But since Duygu claimed the Fortunia throne centuries ago, they have prohibited all inhabitants of the underground world to be around humans. They have demanded of us that we bring them no trouble, though I cannot imagine how we would, and Duygu is a stubborn brute. Our Teahdeean ancestors, some decades back, began to build these tunnels in secret. To this day no one is certain why Duygu banned the Bright Land, except, perhaps, the Eyes."
M lifted her chin and tucked her hair behind her ears as a breeze tried to blow it into her face. She gazed yearningly out at the world that was hers, at a part of America that she did not recognize but missed nonetheless. A wide expanse of meadow stretched around her, the shimmering grass unusually green for autumn. It was lovely against Ehmohree's complimentary patterns. The sweet scent of flowers brushed soothingly by her nose, and she absently stroked the soft yellow petals of a nearby sprout. M laid down on the grass that caressed her brown skin, encouraging her to stay. Stay forever. But then she met Ehmohree's saddened eyes, which behind the gleam contained a deep, internal pain that he hid from the rest of his kind. Somehow, for some reason, he had shared his secret with M, a girl he did not truly know. In that moment he reminded her of Kasa, and she decided right there she would save him as she had sworn to rescue Asagwara.
"It's awful, isn't it." M could not find consoling words that would do much more than make her cry. She wanted to grieve, to mourn, to weep for a life that she was then unexpectedly positive she was leaving behind. She tried to absorb the cloudless blue sky that was above her, attempted to take one of the things that made her happy to her advantage while she could.
Ehmohree glided gracefully off of his rock and landed beside M. "I did not intend to make you upset, Mistress." His eyes of viridity reflected pity, guilt, and other feelings that were tossed into a storm of emotions raging inside of him.
"I'm not upset," she said, "just homesick." M pictured Isaac at his house, worrying about her. His brows would be knitted and his green eyes would be dull, for he would be missing her so much. That's how she imagined it, anyway. She wasn't even sure of how much time had passed since she had stood alone in the halls of her school.
"I do not mean to defend their actions," Ehmohree cut in, his voice slicing through the still air like a sword, "but Duygu ordered Asagwara to kidnap you because they knew you would not come cooperatively. They have been practically dying to know you since Val learned of your existence. Duygu wishes no harm upon you, Mistress M. Not intentionally, no matter how heartless they may appear."
Again, M thought. She tried to think about who Val might be, and how he knew her, and why she had heard his name now thrice - if she recalled correctly - in a fairly short period. "Who is Val?" asked M finally. She had been practically dying to know him since she had learned of his existence. She sat up and patiently watched distant cars pass by on a distant road, though she was itching for answers, and wondered if any person on earth had yet noticed her and a strange green creature sitting together on the vast field.
"Val is a nurse. Or, that is his assignment. He has the Gift, as you do, and he came many years ago - more than you would understand - to Fortunia at Duygu's summons. He is now happily at their beck and call. Val was working in Greece about twelve years ago when he happened to be one of the nurses in the hospital room with your mother, Capucine Moreau Desjardins. He was one of the first to see you, and returned immediately to Fortunia with the news. At the time, it had been a while since a baby girl was born with the Gift, and so Duygu rewarded Val heavily. He has not returned to Greece since then."
M was baffled. "How do you know all this?"
"We Teahdeean know quite a bit, whether it be our business or not," Ehmohree replied with a wink. "Ah, my girl, but I shall say no more!"
M wondered and wondered for many minutes after that. She wondered what an "assignment" was, exactly, and if Duygu gave them. She wondered how old Val was now if he had first come to Fortunia decades ago. She continued to wonder, but no one bothered to cease her wondering. M knew it was best not to pry.
"I would very much like to meet Joshie, if you don't mind," M requested. That would be - with luck - a pleasant distraction for her current worries. Perhaps nothing happened to those with Gifts after all, if Joshie and Val were still perfectly well.
But Asagwara...
M rubbed her forehead. You must not think of him, she scolded herself. He is not your problem, not at the moment. Then, she remembered what she had promised Kasa and berated herself further.
Ehmohree smiled at her and his wing slid over her back, so the two went back to the tunnel and began the journey down. No fortunate or unfortunate happenings occurred, and for another length of time there was nothing but dirt, stone, and skittering bugs to lay eyes upon.
"We're here," M proclaimed, and she was relieved.
"Oh, are we?" a new voice said slyly. "Ehmohree, have you already replaced me with another girl? Shown her your secrets?"
"Why, I would never, Mistress Joshilynn!" The Teahdee gasped. "My word, I did not know you would be awake when we -"
The owner of the voice casually waved his words away. At last, M saw her, and they exchanged silent smiles. It was something like meeting Kenji; they instantly clicked.
Joshie was a girl of elevated height, average weight, and fine proportions. She must have been about M's or Kenji's age. Her short, layered hair was a natural pure-diamond blonde, with pleasantly unusual highlights of medium champagne and beeline honey. Joshie's Retroussé nose complimented her round face nicely, additionally as her cheeks were flushed pink - like if she were in a constant state of being out of breath, or had a mild chill. She managed to be intimidating even while a lovely smile danced on her rosy lips. Her skin was light, and her arms and legs were just noticeably toned, indicating her often strenuous labors. She could have easily been a Malibu Barbie girl, if critics were not to point out her slight tummy, or her somewhat crooked bottom tooth, or her odd eye color, or her less than symmetrical features. But although her outward appearance was not perfect, as perfect does not exist in a human, Joshie's personality was much more important and, thankfully, outstanding.
"We like to mess around," Joshie told M. "Hello, 'M'. I'm Joshilynn Conradina Hafner. Is your name short for Emily?"
"No," said M hurriedly. She considered just asking to be referred to as M, as she always had been, but to her own surprise, she chose otherwise. "My name is Lyra. M is my middle initial, is all."
Ehmohree emerged from the tunnel and dropped onto his fours. He was satisfied by the girls' almost immediate connection. "I am glad to see you two are already friends. I knew you would be, from what I've heard."
M nodded cheerfully and sat at the table, equally glad to have a break from climbing. The Teahdee went over to the kitchen arrangement and began to brew tea. Joshie took a seat across from her, fiddling with her hair with one hand and with something papery in her pocket with the other. She was... calm.
"How long have you been here?" M looked curiously at the girl.
"A couple of months. I was invited for training, and my parents agreed it would be a fine opportunity." Joshie snorted. "I wouldn't say it is. Boy, they didn't know what they signed me up for."
"What do you mean?" inquired M fearfully.
"Oh, don't worry. The Teahdeean train us to use our Gifts properly. See my eyes?" Joshie pointed at them, and M leaned in to take a closer look without coming too near. Her irises were pale orange, from melon around the pupil, darkening to apricot, then ochre, squash, bronze, spice, and dark amber. It was a lovely array of color that M found as remarkable as Asagwara's silver.
"They're beautiful." M blushed. "Not to be weird."
"It's alright," Joshie said with another wave of her hand. "I used to get it a lot. Random boys and girls and relatives would say something like that, then turn red. But if you ask me, it's okay to call someone beautiful without meaning it in a deeper way. You know? Sorry, I'm rambling. Guess I'm flushing pink now too, huh?"
M couldn't help but giggle, and Joshie joined in. They laughed together until Ehmohree came around with a steaming pot of tea and plopped it on the table, setting cups in saucers in front of both of them. Something suddenly felt right in M's heart, like an empty space had been filled.
"I wish I could say my parents had agreed to send me here." M shook her head dubiously. She didn't think her mother or father would have ever let her go underground for "school". If they had been present, she probably wouldn't be in Fortunia.
Would that have been better?
Meeting Joshie had been felicitous, a four-leaf clover in this endless field of misfortune the M had stumbled upon because of something she had been born with.
"Did you leave a note for them when you left?" Joshie asked, interrupting her thoughts.
M wrinkled her nose. "I was kidnapped. And my parents are off on some party boat, or were, probably indulging in choice champagne."
Joshie nodded empathetically, smoothing down her pure-diamond locks. She twisted her legs into a different position and sat on her ankles. "My own parents are teetotalers."
"They destroy golf tees?"
"No," laughed Joshie good-humoredly. "'Teetotalers' are people that don't drink alcohol."
"You have a consummate vocabulary, I see." M was charmed.
"Not so bad yourself," she smiled. She took a tentative sip of hot tea out of the china cup that was cradled in her two hands. M had been taught all sorts of words from a young age and so was unusually literate for a twelve-year-old. Perhaps Joshie's parents had been similarly insistent on their daughter's ability to speak English at a high level.
Small talk was no consolation for being trapped here. M had learned, in her brief but frightening experience thus far in Fortunia, that she could learn from all of her encounters. She noticed that Joshie was different from her - that the girl seemed at home in a place that was not.
M and Joshie kept conversing nonetheless. She learned that the Hafners - Joshie's family on her father's side - were from Meißen, a small town of approximately 30,000 in eastern Germany. About seventeen years ago, her mother Cassandra moved from America to that very town. Cassie had been twenty at the time. She met Joshie's father while studying at Meißen University, and, as Joshie described it so eloquently, "five years later they'd been married for two and had a baby girl of their own." When M asked where her name had come from, Joshie said that her mother had insisted their daughter have a unique, "very American" name and would only agree to her middle title being German. Her father had relented and went with Conradina, which was his great-grandmother's name.
"That's what my parents told me, anyway," finished Joshilynn with a smirk. "I'd go into more detail but I hate to bore you. I was thinking..." She trailed off, casting dark looks around the room before turning to face her new friend. "Lyra, I'm not the only one who's scared, right?"
M met her orange eyes and saw, with a start, that Joshie was genuinely, unexpectedly frightened, though she had hidden it well. Clearly she had heard something about the "collection", or even something worse. "No. You're not." At the same time, M was relieved she wasn't the only one with her suspicions about Duygu and the Eyes.
"Is everything all right here?" Ehmohree said as he swooped by to pour them both more tea. M could see in his face that he already knew it was not.
"Could you please get Dehllah? I want to start my training soon." M tried to appear calm and collected, but she had formed an idea in her mind and was actually somewhat excited.
"You do?" Joshie and Ehmohree said in unison. All three of them laughed, and the tension quickly dissipated.
"I do." M didn't like how fast the conversation had turned negative, and was feeling the need to go somewhere else - but on the other hand, she didn't want to leave behind new friends. It only took her a moment of doubt before she made a request. "Could you two come with me? I'm eager to see what exactly a 'Gift' is, but I don't want to be alone. My friend Asagwara left with his Teahdee, Azuhre." Friend, she continued in her mind. I called him a friend without a thought. When has he ever been a friend to you, M? He is the one who got you into this mess! "Well - my associate. Asagwara, that is." Correcting herself didn't have the satisfying effect she thought it would.
"Training might not be a bad idea, I suppose," Joshie advised. "It'll make you feel better, I think. Don't you worry your pretty little head over nothing, Lyra, I've been here for months and no one's ever tried to steal my eyes or anything."
M started. "I didn't tell you about that." Her eyes rolled upwards as she questioned the truth of that statement briefly. "No, I definitely did not." She folded her arms across her chest accusingly at her friend.
"Read your mind. Sorry, it's a habit." Joshie shrugged casually and tapped her forehead, which was creased with faint worry lines that were unusual on someone of her young age.
"But Asagwara told me..." M stared at the grey, dull stone ceiling above her and blinked rapidly. He had lied, hadn't he? Joshie was not touching her. Was that all Asagwara did, just constantly fib to her? He must have had a reason for doing it, unless it was solely for poking fun at her gullibility. She had fallen for his tricks more than once, she was sure of that. M squinted and scrunched up her nose and thought very, very hard, in her best angry tone, Asagwara, you ought to tell me what kind of game you're playing or I will not cooperate any longer.
She hadn't expected a response.
Mistress Lyra, a voice like silk thought back at her, if I were to do that, what kind of entertainment would that be?
M was practically fuming, now. "That witty, clever fox of a brat!" Joshie looked taken aback. Ehmohree was stifling a smile, perhaps even an amused chuckle.
"There's a lot of words going 'round your brain you might not want him to hear," commented Joshie, the usual humored expression playing on her lips. M quickly blocked her mind - as well as she could manage, anyway - and pursed her own lips tightly.
Her new friends had small frowns on their faces as she said her next words, her anger rapidly increasing, without even acknowledging Joshie's attempt at a light joke. "I want to see Dehllah. Alone, actually. I'm sick of this garbage, do you hear me? This is a stupid, cruel, liar's game, and I'd like to win it before somebody else gets the prize."