Private Tales Sierra's Storytime

[Sierra]

"Once upon a time there was a half-fire giant named Gerra. He stood taller than even the tallest of orcs. His eyes were as red as his hair set upon a canvas of ashen skin. While his spoken words could be as smooth as honey his actions were always sharp as a knife and calculated. He to-,"

"Mooom," Rose perked up. socked-foot tipped out of the edge of the blanket as she squirmed on the bed. "Are you saying when he spoke, he spoke honey?"

Sierra leveled her daughter with a look even though she tried to keep her lips from twitching. "What did we talk about during storytime?"

Rose released an exasperated sigh. "Don't interrupt Mommy during storytime. But I just have to know!"

Reaching across the bed, Sierra smoothed down the edges of Rose's blanket. "No darling, he did not speak actual honey. But I'm sure he enjoyed eating many a honeycake. That food is quite popular in Amok-kalit. Now, where were we?"

 

[Sierra]

She could hear Cillian cleaning up from dinner downstairs. Sierra was just happy Rose asked for one of her stories this time because Cillian told some amazing tales himself.

"Amol-kalit was full of disorder. Warring tribes all across the vast deserts. And Gerra saw an opportunity. He made his way to the blistering lands and slowly began to unite the different peoples and tribes."

Rose perked up. "How?"

"Sometimes he spoke to them and they listened. Other times he had to take out his hammer and fight."

"He sounds scary."

"He can be."

"So can he breath fire and stuff?"

Sierra shrugged. "Some say steam comes out of his ears when he's mad. Or when he's sad he cries lava."

"Does that hurt him?" Rose's little face scrunched up in concern.

"Well, I'm sure when he's upset he distracts himself by riding his dragon made of fire."

Rose's bright blue eyes bulged as she whispered: fire dragon.

 

[Sierra]

Sierra finished off the story and began to stand. "Alright kiddo. Time for bed."

Rose squirmed and sat up. "But Mommy. One more story. Pleeaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeeeeeeeee?"

Sierra pinched the bridge of her nose and settled back into the chair by Rose's bed. Little crayon and marker drawings of unicorns and water nymphs decorated the walls. So did a drawing of the baker of the Upper Crust in the town over, a fae beast that Rose had become best of friends with.

Only her daughter.

"One more story. How about the tale of the Autumn King?"

 

[Sierra]

Rose scrunched up her little nose. Head shook negatively. "I'd rather hear about Queenie Mab. The Erlking is scary and he takes little kids."

"Only kids that don't listen to their moms."

Rose rolled her eyes and gave Sierra a look like she wasn't buying it.

Sierra still didn't know many stories about the fae and when she'd listened to Cillian's tales she never knew how much was exaggerated. Even though she knew he couldn't lie.

"Queenie Mab might visit you in your dreams tonight so maybe we should do a different story..."

 

[Sierra]

"I know," Rose whispered and sat-up, the blanket falling to her waist. "How about the four friends from school?" Sierra tried to keep her expression still. She knew this was one of Rose's favorite stories. She'd told it to her since she'd been born.

But telling it always made her sad.

And she hoped her feelings would drift back through the bond she shared with Cillian.

She was still trying to figure out everything that went with that bond and the last thing she wanted to do was worry the leprechaun downstairs.

"Back under the blankets and I'll get started." Her no-nonsense mom look crossed her face and Rose slid slowly back to her pillow.

 

[Sierra]

"Once upon a time there was an evil kingdom in the land who went around taking children from their families. But not just any children. Children who could do magic."

Rose reached across the bed and grabbed her stuffie unicorn, hugging it closely.

"These children were forced to serve in their armies to protect the people. Even at the cost of being taken from their families. Of losing all they loved."

 

[Sierra]

"There was a small town right on the sea. A little girl grew up there, happily chasing the gulls away from the docks near her house. She would wake up to the salty air and the sound of water splashing against the shores. And the sounds of some of the largest ships being built."

Rose had her eyes locked on her mom. Even as a yawn escaped her little mouth.

"She helped her family run a trading post right off the docks and met all kinds of folk. Sailors from Cerak'A'thul. Explorers from the Spine. And wanderers from the Tundra."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra paused as she still heard the sink running downstairs. Cillian was really scrubbing that skillet tonight.

"When the little girl was tending to the store she was often found sneaking aboard the massive ships being built. Swinging from ropes and jumping from planks. Pretending to be a pirate with her friends."

Rose interrupted, "she was fearless and an adventurer right?"

Sierra gave a small smile, "Yes, she thought she was. Even when the dock master Mister Brackstein caught them once. He had a puffy, red moustache and a jagged scar down one of his eyes. He knew the children would come late afternoons and so one afternoon, he lay a trap. He called extra dock workers in to catch the kids."

Rose shook her head, "why was he so mean?"

"Well, the children weren't supposed to be playing there."

"But they were just having fun."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra leaned forward and smoothed some of Rose's dark hair away from her face.

"Sometimes, even if you just want to have fun, you need to follow the rules. Anyway, Mister Brackstein happened to trap two of the children but little Si got away, the little girl. He couldn't trap her and she was about to skip home with a smug smile on her face when she heard one of her best friends cry out."

"Oh no," Rose groaned and covered her eyes.

"Si couldn't leave them and found herself going back. She walked right back toBrackstein and stopped right in front of him. Placing her little hands on her hips she commanded that he let her friends go. And do you know what happened?"

Rose shook her head, dragging one hand down to peak.

 

[Sierra]

"He got a funny look on his red-haired moustache's face. A blank and relaxed look. Even as Si wished with all her might that he would just let them go. That he wanted to let them go."

Sierra took a breath as Rose lowered her other hand, waiting.

"And he started to nod, mumbling that they could go. They were all free to go. Little Si just blinked. She could hardly believe her good fortune and not one to look a gift pony in the mouth, she quickly untied the ropes that bound her friends and they all left. And for the next few days her friends wouldn't stop ooing and awwwing about what happened. How Si saved them from that man. And from going to jail, probably. But then strange things started to happen to Si when she was in the shop."

 

[Sierra]

"There was an angry young man who wanted his coin back for something he'd bough and broke. He was very demanding even though it was his fault that his vase broke. Si was tending to the store and she wished he would feel differently and just go away. Or better yet, buy more vases and then go away."

"Mom, this is boring."

"Rose..,"

"But when will we get to the school and meeting all the other wizards?"

"Rose...,"

"Okayokay," Rose huffed and waited.

 

[Sierra]

"So, the angry man from the store's expression changed. And he suddenly did want to buy more vases and he did. He even spread the news about the little trading post and how wonderful it was. Eventually word got out and more and more people went."

Sierra took a breath.

"Strange thing was, most folk came in to buy maybe one or two things. But they always left with more. Si's parents were ecstatic and their business was booming. They talked about all the vacations they would be able to take together, as a family. And things were going very well for them. Until one day the shop's bell on top of the door sounded and two very imposing soldiers walked in with an even more imposing man between them."

 

[Sierra]

"Soldiers from the evil kingdom," Rose whispered.

Sierra nodded. "Si was scared. The man in the middle came and stood next to her and he asked her to complete a series of tests. She remembered looking to her parents. But her parents looked just as scared. And the soldiers did not look friendly. And this time, when Si wished for them to change or feel differently...they didn't."

 

[Sierra]

"As part of the test, Si was told to reach into a black bag full of white marbles. There was one red marble in the bag of white and if Si could pick it out without peeking, she would win. And guess what? She did."

Rose's forehead crinkled.

"But how did she know if she couldn't see them?"

"Ah, well my dear daughter, these were no ordinary marbles. They were enchanted to respond to another's magic. And because Si could do magic, even if she didn't really know yet, she was able to find the red marble."

 

[Sierra]

“And because she found the red marble, she was taken by the soldiers and that man. Far away from her home by the sea. And she didn’t know it then but she might've given her parents one last hug before leaving. Because that was the last time she’d ever see her parents again.”

“But she couldn’t,” Rose grumbled. “Because the soldiers wouldn’t let her.”

Sierra smiled sadly and nodded her head in confirmation. The sounds from Cillian cleaning downstairs has quieted. She wondered if he’d gone to his workshop for a late night session.

 

[Sierra]

“So, Si found herself in a new place with lots of other kids just like her. And there were older kids, too. Kids who had already been at the school for awhile.”

“But they weren’t very nice,” Rose sniffled.

“No they weren’t.”

“And the teachers yelled a lot and were mean,” Rose blurted.

Sierra sighed. “Yes. And every night Si and the other kids were made to line up in the courtyard. Storm or shine. The teachers and older students earned them of the rules to be followed. And if they didn’t follow them…,” her voice trailed off.

“Scary things happened,” Rose muttered.

“Yes. And Si was sacred and homesick.”

 

[Sierra]

“She was trembling in the rain the first week. Lonely even among all the other children. The rain hid her tears. The teachers didn’t like it when the kids cried.”

“Why?” Rose asked.

“The teachers thought it showed weakness. But they were wrong, Rose. Do you understand?”

Rose nodded slowly. “I think so.”

 

[Sierra]

Sierra paused. She wanted to make sure Rose learned the right lessons from this story. Taking a breath, she continued.

“There was a little boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes standing next to her in line. He reached over and took Si’s hand and gave it a squeeze.”

“He was being nice?”

Sierra nodded. “He was trying to comfort her and he was a year older. But…he wasn’t supposed to move or show affection so the teachers saw him and dragged him from the line. They punished him in front of Si.”

Rose frowned.

 

[Sierra]

“But why?” Rose asked. Worry splashed across her face.

“It was an evil kingdom with evil laws.”

Rose frowned.

“But things got a little better for Si. She learned to do what they wanted her to do. And one day she made friends with three other children.”

Rose’s distressed look began to ease. This was her favorite part of the story.

 

[Sierra]

"The evil teachers took the children on an adventure. They took them all to a magical wood and gave them weapons and left them there. Many of the children were scared and some were angry. Some of the children started fighting against each other until the beasts came."

Rose threw the blanket over her head and hid.

"But," Sierra drew. "There were three other children by Si. She recognized them from her class. One boy in particular. He had dark hair and bright, cold blue eyes."

 

[Sierra]

"It was the boy from earlier," Rose whispered but kept the blanket firmly over her head.

"It was. And there were two others. Two boys with blond hair. Si and the boys decided to make a pact. Stick together. And survive. Si learned that the boy with the dark hair and cold blue eyes was named Hal. And the two other blond boys were Luther and Talus."

"But how did she know that she could trust them?" Rose's muffled voice murmured.

 

[Sierra]

"Ah, well. Si finally learned about her magic. That was one good thing about the evil school. She learned what she could do. Si could sense other people's emotions and manipulate them...if she wanted to. It's called being an empath."

Rose flipped the blanket down. "Oh so that's how she convinced the dock warden to let her and her friends go and that person in the shop?"

"Umhm," Sierra confirmed. "Now, where were we?"

 

[Sierra]

"The magical woods," Rose whispered.

"Right," Sierra leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees. "Si and the three boys banded together. She could sensed they were as scared and determined as she was. And they weren't lying about wanting to stick together. So, she trusted them. They began to pick off any students that threatened them. One by one. And then when night came and the monsters started to come out...well, they fought those too."

Rose squirmed.

"What kind of monsters?" Her voice trembled a little.

 

[Sierra]

"There was a huge beast with the head and tail of a bull and a body of a man. He killed a few of the children before he got to the fearsome four. And do you remember what this creature is called Rose?"

Rose scratched her head and then shook it.

"A minotaur. And it wasn't just the size of an ordinary man. It was the size of a giant with very sharp horns and large muscles. Blood oozed off the sharp-tipped horns on its head and covered his mouth. His eyes were as red as the blood and he just wanted more."

Rose shivered.

 

[Sierra]

"Hal, the boy with the dark hair and cold blue eyes could control and make ice. He covered the ground in ice even though it was the middle of summer. The minotaur slipped and slid as it charged at the four."

"Talus, one of the blond boys was very good with the sword and he could ghost himself."

Rose's face scrunched up. "What?"

"Well, he could make his physical body fade and essentially turn into a ghost so anyone or anything else just passed through him. As the minotaur slipped toward them, he ghosted and the minotaur went through pure air. Talus solidified and swung his sword down at the minotaur's back."