Crustel

Chapter 41

     I cast so many higher-level spells yet I wasn't able to turn Flexner into his human form again. Gale and Giel tried motivating me but nothing helped us. "How about we check Isa and Lexter? Hopefully, both of them are not butterflies too," Gale said as Giel was giggling. I stared at them and ended up laughing together. "Come on. Let's go check them." I said excitedly. We went back to the room. I knocked on the door twice but no one answered. "Hello? Isa? Lexter?" I lunged out. Unfortunately, no one answered. "Maybe they turned themselves into ants or tiny creatures. So, we couldn't hear them," Giel told confidently. "Well, I couldn't agree more," Flexner said but Gale and Giel couldn't hear him. As he was sitting on my shoulder, Giel and Gale couldn't hear anything that Flexner says. "He's just blabbering. Let's check inside," I said while I pressed the doorknob. All of sudden, someone called out my name, "Cora, are you searching for a kangaroo and a sling?" I turned to look at the person. "Who are you?" I asked a lady. She was wearing old clothes with a lot of patches on her dress. "That's momma!" Gale said. 

      "Momma, where are the kangaroo and the sling?" Gale asked. "They were inside the room. I opened it to clean the room. Unfortunately, the kangaroo and the sling escaped. I heard the Queen has arrived. I searched for you everywhere. Luckily, I met you, your highness," She said quickly. I was shell-shocked. "Momma, you can call her Cora. She's doesn't like formalities!" Gale said. I stared at Gale. "That's only for you and Giel!" I whispered to him. "Oh. Momma, give her respect. What are you doing? Bend momma, bend!" Gale ordered his mom. All I could do was laugh. "Well, where did the kangaroo and sling escaped? I mean which way did they went?" I asked her. She pointed to a hallway. I nodded and ran towards the hallway. 

       We ran till we bumped into a steel door. "I wanted to warn," Giel said as he was groaning in pain. I tried to open the door but it had some sort of sorcery trick on it. I closed my eyes. (Remember? My ability to see what happened before I was at a place when I step there) I was able to see, a kangaroo mounting a spell which enabled me to unlock this door. After mounting the spell, the kangaroo waved its hands sideways. I was able to hear the spell. "NEOP" I opened my eyes and did the same. When I was moving my hands sideways, I witnessed a sling swinging around the trees outside. "Isn't this place supposed to be underwater?" I asked. Both of them shrugged. I ran towards the sling. "Ah ah. Uh uh!" It said. I was startled as I couldn't understand animal language. "No way! It's the power that every Crustelicians have," I wondered. Suddenly, I heard, "Cora, it's me. Lexter! Isa, well mom turned me into a sling," He said. 

      I was elated initially, to know that I was still able to understand animal language. "What happened? You guys turned Flexner into a butterfly!" I growled. "I know! I know! When we turned him into a butterfly, I cast a spell to turn him back into his human form but Mom cast it too. So, both of our spells made the spell stronger and it started reflecting. Now, whoever enters the room, might turn into any animal form. The worst part is," I cut him, "The spell is too powerful to be handled by one!" He nodded. "Ugh! Can't you guys undo it?" I asked him. He answered unwillingly, "Only if mom cooperates! She doesn't believe that I am her son! How can I expect her to help us?"  "Your mom will cooperate because she's a kangaroo now! Of course, she doesn't want to stay as a kangaroo!" I groaned. "Yeah, you're right. I saw her. She was jumping that way!" He pointed to a bridge. We followed Lexter as he showed us where Isa jumped away. 

      "Are you sure that we're still in the palace? I mean isn't its an underwater palace?" I asked Lexter. "For the first time in my entire life, my answer is 'I DON"T KNOW'," he said dramatically. "Seriously," Giel said awkwardly. "Hey! I saw a Kangaroo!" Gale pointed under the bridge. We ran quickly. To my surprise, the kangaroo was crying under the bridge. "Isa?" I asked softly. "Don't come near me. I look awful!" She was sobbing. For a second I felt that she was being dramatic too. "Isa! Why were you arguing with Lexter? He's your son. Now, see the mess you created!" I growled. Lexter came down the bridge. "She's right! Why did you interrupt?" Lexter asked. She was sobbing. "I was afraid okay? I am not Isa. Isa put me in charge to check out the palace while she's gone to Hatakuna," The moment we heard those words, I felt dizzy. "Oh please, someone just kills us!" Lexter was being theatrical. He remembered me of Kanyal. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?" I roared at her. She sobbed even louder.

     "Isa told me to not believe anyone quickly. She never described Lexter before. Well, the one you met earlier before you came to the underwater palace was not me. It was really Isa. Then, Isa instructed me to watch out the palace. She said she had work in Hatakuna," She told while sobbing. Lexter and I exchanged looks. "Gale and Giel, watch out of this Kangaroo and Flexner. We will be back as soon as possible," I said. Both of them nodded and left Lexter and me alone. "We're going to Hatakuna," I said firmly. "Please don't tell, you've lost your mind," He said. "You better don't talk back. The mess you created is just too big. Let me solve this!" I thundered. For the first time, I saw him scared of me. Well, he was definitely irking. As we get back to the castle, I remembered that I brought the scroll from the ship. Luckily, it was still safe and sound in my pocket.