The Summer Vacation
Chapter 44
Written by rachel76m
Edited by Don Kaufman

We wake up in the morning fully rested. The morning is a repeat of the last few days. Once we have eaten our morning meal, I pack up the car what I need to bring with me. I put the armor and ranger clothes in the trunk. I fold up my gi and sash and put them in a small duffle bag on the back seat of the car. I make sure to take Amber and Cobalt’s food bag along with me. I make a chicken sandwich from the leftovers. I take an apple. My water skin is still filled with the mountain water and some blueberry yogurt as well. There is another container filled with nuts and small fruits for myself. I put all that into the small ice cooler with some ‘blue ice packs’. Croin flies into me and Amber and Cobalt fly into the car. I take the spare garage door opener along as well.

Once the place is locked up, I drive out to the Peaceful Dragon dojo. I arrive there in time by 8 A.M.. There are a few cars in the parking lot. I get out of the car, Amber and Cobalt fly into my shirt pocket. I put their food bag into the duffle bag. I bring my duffle bag and cooler, then lock the car up.

I walk inside and see the instructors and some of their wives are here. I see sensei shaking their hands. Soon, they can hear the Creator speaking to them in their minds. They see me come in and stand in the foyer area. They come up to greet me.

“This is amazing Richard. I can hear G-d speaking to me.”

“He’s telling me we must help you earn the brown sash here.”

“Is it true, you are part unicorn and part dragon?”

“I am, my friends.” I take off my shoes and put my duffle bag on the floor. I walk onto the mat and turn around to face them. I thrust my hands to the side. The twelve unicorns appear and Croin appears above me. Amber and Cobalt fly out of my shirt pocket and circle around me.

“This is a miracle. Dragons, unicorns and fairies really do exist. We’ll definitely keep your secret. Too bad we won’t be here as you guide Earth along the way in the future.”

“That will be one of my problems. I will see my friends and family members die as they get older. It may not be fair, but it is what our Creator sees every day when he sees someone gets killed in hate or dies of old age or a disease.”

“I hadn’t thought of that, Richard. You will be like Macleod from the Highlanders’ movie series.”

“Yes, I will be like that character.” Is he for real, Creator?

He is, Richard. However, he has completed his journey according to the movies and books on a parallel Earth.

Okay, Maker.

“Richard, please go get changed. You need to do a review of your forms and weapons for the purple sash. Then we’ll proceed from there.”

“Yes, sensei.” I give a quick bow. I walk back to pick up my duffle bag and shoes. I step into the dressing room nearby to change my clothes. I leave my leather corset on.

Amber and Cobalt fly about to check the instructors out. They giggle and laugh when they see them come near.

When I come back out, Amber and Cobalt fly to me and sit on my shoulders.

“These are good people, Richard. We can trust them to keep your secret.”

“We must, Amber and Cobalt. They will be teaching me how to fight at a higher level. But, now you must sit somewhere else and watch me go through my practice. Your food bag is in my duffle bag if you become hungry.”

“Thank you, Richard. We’ll fly over to that potted plant to take our rest and watch you.”

I step into the center of the mat. “Before I start, I must tell you I’m about three months pregnant with my first set of fairies.”

“What?” Some of the men exclaim.

The ladies smile.

“This will be an automatic process from the Creator. They will be due in November. Then I’m given a six-month rest. Then I’m pregnant again. That is why I’m wearing this corset. I also have a metal corset and a lighter corset to wear as well.”

“This is too much, Richard. I don’t see how you will stay focused. You need total concentration to avoid being hit in the stomach.”

“I must do that, sensei. This is an automatic miracle from the Creator. This is to increase the population of fairies on Earth. They will be very common in the future. When I get married, I will have two daughters and two boys. The boys will be dual gender as well and give birth to fairies. They will all live to 120 years while my wife and I will continue on to live until the Ultimate Last Battle.”

“What we could do for Richard is to incorporate the mantis stomach exercises and forms along the way. That will definitely help him build up his inner core strength.” Suggested by Master Goldwyn.

“I’ve heard of that technique, sensei. I can do that during the six month rest periods.”

“Then we must prepare you for that goal. Richard, begin with the forms.”

“Yes, sensei.”

Croin, I must use my own strength for this. Then we can work together to be a team. Help my new born to be calm through this.

Okay, Richard.

I start out slowly going through my forms of the purple sash. I try to control my breathing while I get into several stances with my feet and leg positions. I do the wrist grabs, punches, hand sweeps to block attacks from above and below. Then I progress to the leg and feet movement of blocks, kicks and take down leg swings. When that is done, I do all of the forms involving the entire body. It takes about a half hour to do them all. I come to the final stance. I stand straight up and give the proper bow and hand clasp. “Pant . . . pant . . . pant . . .”

The instructors all clap their hands, the give me a courtesy bow and a hand clasp as well.

“Well done, Richard. You remember them all. Now do the weapons for the purple sash. That would be the staff or bo, the two batons and the short wooden sword.”

“Yes, sensei.” I walk over to the wall and retrieve the staff. I get into the first defense position. Then I start doing movements of blocks, swings and spinning the staff in the air. I end each spin with a block and hit moves. Once the basics are done, I move into the acrobatic moves of blocks and hits.

The instructors see I’m more polished with the moves. They see I have more confidence, strength and endurance. They determine I had to do some fights recently.

Once I get done with first set, I end it with the triangle defense form. From that I move into the forms from the triangle defense. I remember it all, even the ones I didn’t use on Twainor. Once I get done, I stand erect and give a bow and hand clasp to the instructors.

“Excellent, Richard! You must have had to use the staff when you were on Twainor.”

“I did, sensei. I participated in their midsummer festivals and the regional festivals. The events I participated in are the star throwing, wrist bow darts, staff fight, spear throwing like our javelin and the sword fight.”

“That is very good. We can tell your moves are more polished and smooth than you did it the last time here. You probably had to come up some new moves and defenses.”

“I did, sensei. It was a really good challenge. The staff fight came in two parts. There is a fight on the balance beam. The second part is the ground fight.”

“That is just like we do here. Did you have to use the flip on the balance beam?”

“I did, sensei. I was backed up to my end on the beam. I quickly had to use it or lose. If you win, it is five points. If you fall off the beam, you get no points. I was able to land on the other side of him. I surprised everyone when I did that. You know that move has a 50-50 chance of being successful.”

“It certainly is, Richard. With more practice you will gain more confidence.”

“Another contest they had is the spear throw. The spear throw they had came in two parts. There are the long distance and the target for points. You do two throws for the long distance and average that number. You add that distance number to the points from the target practice to get your score. There are three throws for the target practice. I saw several styles of throwing. I used the one I learned here. They were impressed with how good I was.”

“I’m sure you were. Your eye-hand coordination is very good. On to the two batons or fighting sticks, Richard.”

“Yes, sensei.”

I walk over to the wall and put the staff where I got it from. I then pick up the two batons and walk to the center of the mat. I do a quick bow and stand straight up. I then get into the first stance. This is the one I showed to Sir Claxton.

I then move the batons and form the ‘X’ for a block. I swing it around to the ground to trap an imaginary staff or spear. I come up and hit the imaginary opponent several times as I come up. I then walk around in a circle and keep the lead baton to match my lead foot. When I complete the circle, I do a roll forward and bring up the batons and form the ‘X’ again for a block.

Then I move into the quick slash style. It is a quick series of moves that are usually seen on the movie screens. I block and attack quickly the imaginary fighter in front of me. Sir Claxton didn’t push me this far to take him down.

Once done with that set of moves. I start mixing it up with the legs doing kicks and sweeps. Then I do some flips while still protecting myself. I used one of these moves when I dived over Sir Claxton’s staff and block his swing hit at me with the ‘X’ block.

Once I get done with all of the moves taught to me, I stand straight up and do a quick bow.

“That is very good, Richard. Did you have to use some of those moves?”

“I did, sensei. There was a knight who tried to cheat his way to a win. He gave me a staff that was already broken. He had it repaired so it would appear new. Of course, the original strength is gone. He came in with an overhead smash. I brought up my staff to block the hit. The staff broke into two pieces and I held them in my hands.”

“So, did you use those two pieces and defeat his arrogance and pride?”

“Yes I did sensei. He learned a hard lesson that day. He was rebuked by his Castle Lord and said he deserved the humiliation I gave him. I beat him 10 to 0.”

“That’s very good, Richard. The last weapon to use is the wooden sword.”

“Yes, sensei. Sensei, before I do the sword form. I did all right in their contests. Most of the time I came in third, fourth or fifth. I was paired up with some excellent swordsmen. They were a challenge, even without the use of a shield.”

“That’s good, Richard. Proceed with the form.”

“Yes, sensei.” I walk over to the wall and put the fighting sticks back where I got them. I take the wooden sword. I walk over to the center of the mat and get into position.

I do the basic blocks and attacks. Then I move into the advance moves and blocks. When that is done, I mix in the martial arts of getting underneath the attacker to get them off balance. After several different moves of that, I move into the half moves of catching one off guard when the swords clash. Once I get done with the forms, I stand straight up and do the bow again.

“Excellent, Richard. You did really well. I’m always impressed with your determination. I can tell you improved your moves with the sword.”

“Thank you, sensei. There was one time. The sword was taken out of my hands. I had to run quickly to get it. But he would have hit me several times if I did go after it. So I tripped him first and then I reached for the sword. I was able to hit him in the leg as he hit me.”

“Yes, that is an excellent decision to catch them off guard. Did some of the fighters get the staff out of your hands?”

“Yes, sensei. It forced me to go after the staff. If it had hit the ground, the fight is over and the opponent would have been awarded ten points automatically. I was determined not to be beaten that way.”

“Excellent decision, Richard. You improvised and insured a continuation of the fight. We remember your hand weakness the last time you were here. When you had those weapons taken from your hands, it proved you need to get your hand grip stronger. We’ll work on that while you earn the brown sash. The three new weapons to learn for the three degrees and from then on, are metal. They are the sai, the sama or sickle and the broad sword. Within each degree we’ll now get into the animal forms of the crane and the tiger. The remaining animal forms will be learned during the black belt degrees. Are there any questions?”

I smile at him. “We need to call Anna Dawson and make sure these sessions are paid for. She told she would have it done by 10 A.M..”

He smiles back, “Then I will call her to make sure they are paid for. Go ahead and take your break. We’ll resume when I get done talking with her.”

“Yes, sensei.”

I walk over to the foyer area and retrieve my duffle bag. I open the bag to retrieve Amber and Cobalt’s food bag. I open my cooler and retrieve my nut and fruit container along with my water skin. I walk over to the tables and chairs near the foyer. I take out their food bag and place it on the table. Amber and Cobalt open the bag to take out what they want to eat. I pour some water into their cups to drink from. I have my snack as well and a cup of water as well. I put my right toward the water skin and recite the refill spell. Amber, Cobalt and I smile when we see it get filled up. I recite another spell to make the water cooler.

Richard, what are these animal forms your sensei mentioned?

The masters noticed the movements of the animals and saw how they attacked a potential predator or defend themselves, Croin. They develop the moves so the fighter is more confident to defend or attack someone. The animals are the crane, the tiger, the panther, the snake and the dragon.

The dragon? I like that very much.

I thought you would. It depends on which school you go to. The instructors will add the preying mantis for its compact style of fighting. The monkey is added for its elusive moves. There are some others, but each one has their advantages.

We continue eating our snack. When we get done, I put it away and leave it on the table. Amber and Cobalt fly back over to the flowering plants, I walk onto the mat and line up with the instructors. They start demonstrating the initial moves for the crane. I then try to repeat their moves. They correct me several times until I get it right. This continues until the lunch break.

“You’re doing good, Richard. Did you bring your lunch with you?”

“I did, sensei. It is in the cooler. I will have to adjust my meals as we proceed through the weeks.”

“Yes you will, Richard. The exercises will demand more nutritional foods to stay at a good weight.”

“Yes, sensei.”

“The after school students will start showing up at 3:30 this afternoon. I will need your help with the one on one session. You can assist the students who are below the purple sash.”

“Thank you, sensei. It will be an honor to help you.”

We do a quick bow to each other with the hand clasp. I walk over to the table to have my lunch. Amber and Cobalt fly over as well. I give a quick thanks to the Maker before we start eating.

“You will have to be in butterfly mode when these students show up. If you like, you can spend some time outside and check the area out.”

“Thank you, Richard. We’ll check the woods to see if there is anything there available for us to eat.”

“You’ll have to be aware of your surroundings. There are birds who like to eat butterflies.”

“Have no worries, Richard. Even though you haven’t seen us how we defend ourselves against birds. We know how to maneuver quickly around them and give them fits. The birds will learn they can’t attack us. They will fly away in frustration.”

“I hope so, Amber. I will have to use my breath to heal you if you are injured.”

“You must, Richard. That is very important.”

“Come in when I have my next break.”

“Yes, Richard.”

We continue eating our lunch. Once we get done, I go to the door and open it. Amber and Cobalt fly out to explore the area.

I walk to the mat and continue to learn and practice the crane moves. They also taught me the beginning forms for the preying mantis as well. It takes another two hours of that. I’m given a thirty minute break until the students show up. I put my shoes on and walk outside to find Amber and Cobalt.

I look around the field quickly. Then I see Amber and Cobalt flying to me quickly. I see three birds chasing them. Amber and Cobalt fly in beneath my gi for protection. The birds come to a stop when they see me. They circle around me and hover in front of me.

“They are not food. Now go back to the forest.”

“Squawk!” Who are you?

“I am the Omega Unicorn.”

“Squawk! Squawk!” I see a man, not a horse with a horn.

I thrust my arms out to the side. The twelve unicorns appear quickly, then I put my arms down. The twelve images return to me just as fast.

“Squawk!” It is true.

“Squawk!” We heard rumors from the East.

“This is Amber and Cobalt. They are fairies. They are with me. They came from Avel the unicorn.”

Amber and Cobalt peeks out from my gi and show themselves. They smile and wave at them.

“Squawk!” We have not seen fairies here. They stay in the mountains.

“I will be giving birth to more fairies. Peace will come to Earth. It will take time.”

“Squawk!” Then we’ll watch out for you and the fairies.

“Thank you. Enjoy your lives.” I quickly blow some air to them quickly.

They all squawk in delight. They fly back to the forest to tell the good news to the other birds. I turn around and walk back to the dojo. I start to see cars coming in and dropping off their children. I see some high school students as well driving their own cars. When I get inside, Amber and Cobalt change into butterflies before leaving my gi. They fly up quickly to the flowering potted plants to have their rest and a drink of nectar to restore their strength.

Some of the students recognize me when I get inside. I take off my shoes before I step onto the mats.

“Richard! You’re back!”

“How long are you here?!”

“I read on the web about your family. We are sorry you lost your family.”

We hug each other quickly.

“I’m only here for a month. Then I will continue my summer vacation in the mountains. Then I will be back at NC State to continue my classes.”

“That’s cool. Are you going after the brown and black sashes?”

“I am, Brian. I just started the brown sash today.”

“All right!”

We gather on the mats in neat rows and columns. There are about thirty students who come here for the after school classes. We go through the warmups and stretch routines to start off. Then we go into the standard moves of hands, blocks and grappling techniques. Then it is the legs. After an hour of that, we break apart into belt groups. I’m given the white and yellow sash students. There are ten in this group. I go over the moves for each of them. We practice for another hour until they get it right. When we get to 5 P.M., we have a fifteen minute snack and drink break. Then for the next hour, the instructors have the tests for the students who are ready to take them. Then we have some practice fights between the students. They see how the techniques are used in attacks and self-defense. When it becomes 7 P.M.. It is time for everyone to go home.

Once everyone is gone, except for the instructors and their wives, I say my good nights to them and that I will see them in the morning to continue learning the moves for the brown sash.

This continued on for the next four weeks. During two of those weeks, I start to learn to use the sai weapons. I learn the thrusts and how to hold them in the various different positions. By the end of the first month, I earned the first degree of the brown sash. The instructors also focused on increasing my hand strength as well. I did a lot of air finger grabs, hand squeezing of rubber balls and hand rolls on the wrist strengthening machine. To help focus more on the wrists, I also did a lot of push ups using the fists and knuckles.

Croin can feel a difference in me as the days roll along. He is impressed with the crane kicks and the maneuvers to fly like a bird to do the strikes, the hits and the blocks.

When it came to the tiger moves, Croin feels the intensity I try to bring up and act like the great cat. Once the basic moves are learned for the tiger forms, the instructors allowed Croin to participate in the attacks with me. Immediately they sense the additional power and strength being added to me. We worked together again until it is under control and used for maximum effectiveness.

When I swing my right hand out like a tiger claw slashing at an opponent, Croin extends his hand and finds he can tear the sheet of paper without me touching it. I can tell Croin is very happy about that outcome that he can extend himself. So do sensei and the other instructors. They can tell I will be a very dangerous opponent if attacked. They continue to teach me how to control my emotions and be calm when under pressure.

The additional strength from Croin allowed me to break the stacks of bricks and wood very easily. We were able to learn and concentrate on a specific brick in the stack as well. Soon, Croin begins to get his own strength and power under control as well. His mind has become very clear and sharp. When I used the blind fold on my eyes, we tried it both ways. Croin let’s me try to block their attacks first. I was able to block about ninety percent of their attacks. When I let Croin help me, I am able to block all of their attacks. With more practice over the years, I will be able to block them all on my own.

We had a nice ceremony on Friday before I had to leave and drive back to the mountains on Monday. Everyone congratulated me on attaining the new rank. When I get back to the house, I have a chance to wind down the next two days and get packed up for the trip back to the cabin. I make sure there is no food left in the fridge and open bags of nuts and fruits on the counter. What is left over and can fit in the cooler and bags, I take with me. I make sure to bring the stone carved mountain and a few other things from my room back with me like my guitar and some other software packages that are important to keep.

I call Anna Dawson to tell her that I’m leaving the house and driving to the mountain cabin. She thanks me that I told her.

“Drive safe, Richard. Enjoy your time and getting yourself together. That is great you were able to earn the brown sash and the first degree.”

“Thank you, Anna. I will be calling you at the beginning of August to decide about staying on campus or moving to an apartment off campus.”

“I look forward to the call, Richard. Drive safe, Richard.”

“You do the same, Anna. Say ‘hi’ to Brenda as well.”

“She heard you, Richard. She says ‘hi’ as well.”

We end the conversation on the phone. I turn off the lights and the breaker switches to the fuse box. I make sure the alarm is still on and active before I leave the house. Once it is all locked up and standing outside the house, I look at it one more time. “Sigh . . . “

”What are you thinking, Richard?”

“Our family moved here when I was ten or so. I thought I would hate this place. The move separated me from Brianna, my next door neighbor friend. I miss her a lot. I still haven’t found her yet.”

“You might find her yet, Richard, or she might find you.”

“I keep telling myself that, Cobalt. Well, let’s head back to the mountain cabin.” We get into the car, and I drive back to Mt. Blanc. It takes about two hours to drive there.

As we approach Mt. Blanc, we see some butterflies along the side the road.

“Those are fairies, Richard. They recognize your car.”

“I thought as much. I’m sure they are glad to see us again.”

“Yes they are, Richard.”

I pull into the driveway and open the doors. The butterflies change into fairies. As soon as the three of us get out, we get warmly greeted by the fairies.

“You’re back! Welcome back, Omega!”

“Thank you for the warm greetings, my friends.”

“You’re welcome. You’re welcome!”

“I will be here now until the end of July, my friends.”

“That’s great, Omega. We’ll be sure to tell our King and Queen.”

I unlock the door to the house and get my luggage and things back into the cabin. The same six fairies who escorted Amber and Cobalt follow us in. The rest of the fairies fly back into the forest to inform King Oren and Queen White Dove that I have returned.

I call the police station that I have returned safely. Sergeant Domasi thanks me that I told him I’m back.

“Thank you for calling, Richard. It felt strange when I parked in the driveway to tell the fairies you won’t be back for a month.”

“Did they put you at ease?”

“Yes they did, Richard. King Oren was pleased you thought of them and the possible delay. It all worked out for them. They reported to the Captain and me once a week to tell us all is quiet with your property and the trails near the town.”

“That is good news, Sergeant Domasi. Well, I’m here now until the end of July. I earned the brown sash and first degree at the dojo. I will be here for the next two summers doing the same thing.”

“That sounds great, Richard. Enjoy your time here in Mt. Blanc. Stop by the Butterfly Conservatory. You will get a nice surprise when you visit there.”

“I’ll do that, Sergeant. Have a great week.”

I hang up the phone. I finish unpacking the car and the luggage. Once that is done, I go into the garage to check out the grill. When I look at the grill, I remember my dad bought a gas grill the last time we were here. I check the tank by lifting it. “Oh well the tank is empty, I can always build a wood fire grill out back. I will keep this for emergencies. I will check the internet. There should be a local company that can build one in the backyard.”

I walk back into the house and check the kitchen. I see two notes on the fridge door from the Wilkersons.

Week one - Hello, Richard. We came by the first week you left. We took the eggs, the milk, the veggies and greens right away. We moved the containers of meat in the fridge to the freezer. We left the container of nuts and fruits in the fridge as the note suggested you stuck there. Hugs, Elizabeth W.

Week three - we came by again to check the place out again. Everything is fine. Our family had a nice time out back enjoying your backyard and pond. It is very beautiful now with the additional flowering plants around the pond. We were able to catch two fresh water trout. We brought them back to our house for a meal. It will be good to see you again soon. Give us call when you get back. Hugs, Elizabeth W.

I open the fridge to see what is left. All I see are Amber and Cobalt’s original nuts and fruits still there. I take it and place it on the counter. I close the fridge and open the freezer. I see the containers of meat there. Then I see a surprise in the freezer. I see two freshly wrapped cleaned and gutted trout sides. I see another note on the packages from the Wilkersons. I smile when I read the note.

As you might guess. We caught two more trout for you. Chuck cleaned them and prepared them for you when you get back. They are great on the grill. Hugs, Elizabeth W.

I close the fridge. I look at the fairies in the cabin. “I need to go shopping for some more food. The Wilkersons’ took the food in the fridge during the first week. I need to check something on the internet first.”

“Okay, Richard.”

Cobalt flies over and follows me to the computer. He watches what I do to turn on the computer in turning switches and turning on the TV. Soon the browser comes up. I type in the search line several words. ‘Wood fire grill makers, Mt. Blanc.” I then hit ‘enter’.

Soon a list of local area companies appears on the screen. I click on several to see what styles they make.

“I like the look of that one, Richard. It has two places to grill. It has a protective stack on top to catch the flying embers.”

“Yes, that is important, Cobalt. We don’t want those flying embers to get loose out back to start a forest fire.”

“I thought as much, Richard. But is that enough room when you have your family of four children? It might need a third grill.”

“Also when we have guests here. That will be important as well.”

“I know the Cherokee will do their own cooking when they come here. I’ve seen the glade nearby. There are several small burnt fire rings in the glade.”

“Yes they will, Cobalt. Well, I’ll just make some calls to several companies and see what kind of price we get. I won’t spend the money until I’m sure of the style and how long it will take to build.”

“You could ask the Wilkersons. We saw their backyard once. They have a wood fire grill behind their house.”

“Thank you, Cobalt. That is a better suggestion. Word of mouth always lead to good suggestions.”

“You’re welcome, Richard.” He smiles that Richard accepted the suggestion.

I turn off the TV, but leave the PC on in hibernation mode. I take the house phone and dial the number for the Wilkersons.

“Ring . . . ring . . . ring . . . . click . . . Hello this is the Wilkersons residence. Is that you, Richard?”

“It is I, Elizabeth.”

“I thought I recognize your cabin phone number. Welcome back to Mt. Blanc.”

“Thank you, Elizabeth. I need to pick Chuck’s brain. I’m thinking of putting a wood fire grill in the backyard. My dad has a portable gas grill in the garage.”

“Wood fire grills are better, Richard. We’ve tried the gas grills. We didn’t like the after taste. Chuck is working at the gas station right now. I have the company’s name we used for our grill. Hold on a second. I’ll get it for you.”

Cobalt hears every word we are saying. He smiles that we are getting good information.

“Here is the name, Richard. The company is Mountain Grill. The phone number is . . . .”

I write down the name and number as she tells me. “Thank you, Elizabeth. I don’t know when this grill will be put together. How long did it take to get yours built?”

“It took a week, Richard, once the order took place. We are very glad to have ours done. It seems we cook on it more often than the stove in the house. Well actually, we cook a bunch of meat for a whole week, once a week.”

“That’s a good plan, Elizabeth. See you later in the week.”

“See you later, Richard. We need to get together at least once a week. You have six weeks left until the end of July.”

“We should, Elizabeth. What would be a good day?”

“I’ll discuss it with Chuck when he gets back today. I’ll call you later.”

“That’s fine, Elizabeth. I look forward to the phone call. Leave a message if I’m not in.”

“That’s fine, Richard. Have a great week.”

“You do as well, Elizabeth.”

I hang up the phone. “Well, that settles that. I’ll call this company now.”

I dial the number to the company.

“Ring . . . ring . . .ring . . .click . . Hello, this is Mountain Grill. How can we serve you?”

“Hello, my name is Richard Moore. I received your name from Chuck Wilkerson. You built his outdoor wood fire grill awhile back.”

“Let me look that up. . . . ah . . . here it is . . . I remember the order now. You reside in Mt. Blanc do you?”

“I do, sir.”

“That is no problem to see the site. What would be a good day for me to see it?”

“How about you pick a day that is more convenient for you?”

“I see, how about this Wednesday at 9 A.M.?”

“That is fine, sir.”

“9 A.M. it is. How elaborate a set up are you looking for?”

“The backyard is natural and has only a back porch under the rear roof eave. There are a lot of trees in the back yard. I’m thinking it will need a stack to catch the flying embers. As far as number of grills, I think three will do. It won’t be the center piece for the backyard. You’ll see when you get here.”

“I think I have some designs that will work for you. How many family members do you have?”

“Well, right now I’m single and not married. I do like to cook on the grill. I’m just planning ahead.”

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, that’s a new one for me, planning ahead. I don’t get too many customers like that. I’ll see you Wednesday morning.”

“See you then, sir.”

I hang up the phone. “Well, that takes care of that, Cobalt. Now let’s do some food shopping.”

“Yes, Richard.”

Cobalt flies about the cabin until he finds Amber. He finds her positioning their clothes boxes on the dresser in Richard’s room.

“It is time to do some food shopping, Amber.”

“Okay, Cobalt.”

They leave the bedroom together. They fly into my shirt pocket and get comfortable.

“Traphel, I need to do some grocery shopping before it is too late.”

“We understand, Richard. We’ll be back in the morning. There are some more areas for Amber and Cobalt to see.”

“That sounds fine, Traphel. See you tomorrow morning.”

Once I am open the door, the six fairies fly out together and into the woods. I lock the door and get into the car. I drive to the open market to see what is available. I get some tomatoes, apples, yellow squash, zucchini, two Vidalia onions, celery, carrots and assortment of fruits. I buy some seed packages to try and grow my own herbs. I also see some small pots for sale as well. I pick up ten plastic pots and a bag of soil to start off with. I pay it all with my debit card.

I put the food on the back seat of the car. I drive to the local supermarket. I pick up a dozen eggs, grits that are made from the nearby mill, jellies, olive oil and a few other food items as well. I pay it again with my debit card. I put it in the back seat of the car with the other bags of food. I drive to the Wilkerson gas station to fill up my car.

Chuck sees me coming in for a fill up.

“Hello Richard. I see you are loaded up with some more groceries.”

“Yes, I’m here until the end of July this time, Chuck.”

“I got word from Elizabeth. How does this Friday evening at 6 P.M. sound to you?”

“That’s fine, Chuck. I’ll make my plans.”

“When is Mountain Grill coming over?”

“They will be there at 9 A.M. on Wednesday to check out the backyard.”

“That’s great. You’ll love the grill. It is easy to take care of and easy to clean.”

“I will need to call Anna. See needs to know if large purchases are happening.”

“Ours cost about $1,000 to build.”

“Mine will have to bit a bigger for four children.”

He smiles at me, “That is a big family to take care of.”

I smile back. “It will be, Chuck. We’ll I need to head back to the cabin.” I pay the gas bill. “Oh, before I forget. Here are the ten dollars I owe you.” I hand him a ten-dollar bill to him.

“Thanks, Richard. Have a great day.”

“You too, as well.” I get in the car and drive back to the cabin.

Once I’m back, I unlock the front door. Amber and Cobalt fly into the cabin. I walk back to the car and start bringing in the groceries. It takes three trips to do it. Once everything is put away. I make sure there are some bowls put out of nuts for Amber and Cobalt to eat when they want to.

I take the plastic pots and potting soil into the garage. I carefully pour the soil into each pot and use up the bag of soil. I then bring the pots to the back porch and place them there. I use half the pots for the herbs. The other five pots are for the seeds from Twainor. Amber and Cobalt smile when I do this for them.

“We’ll take them with us when I go back to college this fall.”

“That’s great, Richard.”

Amber and Cobalt take their seeds from the bag and push it into the soil. They take a small cup and fill it with water from the pond nearby. They pour the water into the pots. It takes several trips for them.

I do the same in planting the seeds from the packages. I use the small plastic signs and attach the empty package onto the sign and stick it into each corresponding pot. Amber and Cobalt do the same thing in pouring some water into the other pots.

I put my hands above the pots and say some words to give thanks to the Creator, “Thank you Creator for providing your blessing over these seeds. Let your miracle of growth be given to these seeds. May we enjoy them for years to come and remember where we come from. Thank you, Maker.”

All three of us respond in one voice, “Thank you, Maker.”

“Well, let’s clean up and get ready for the evening repast.”

“Yes, Richard. Do the birds or insects go after your herbs?”

“Some will try, Amber. If we grew tomatoes and blueberries for example that will be a problem. Even the birds and other animals will go after it. We might have to set up a cage around it to keep them away.”

“I thought so, Richard. It is same problem on Twainor. There are birds and other animals that will eat the fruits that we like to eat as well.”

We go into the kitchen to wash up and get ready for the evening meal. While Amber and Cobalt put together they want, I get my meal together as well. It is similar to the ones I made in the past. I’m saving the trout for later when the grill is built. I decide to cook up some chicken for a meal this evening.

The rest of the evening and morning turned out to be the same as the others. When we waked up in the morning, I decided to stop by the butterfly conservatory to see what is happening there. When we arrive, we see about ten cars parked there. Amber and Cobalt fly into my shirt pocket to get comfortable.

When I get inside, the owner sees me right away. “Richard! It is good to see you again.”

“It is good to see you again, ma’am. I see it is very busy.”

“It sure has been since you were here last time. Come into the Conservatory. You’ll see why.”

We walk over to the doors. She opens them, and the blast of air greets us on top of our heads. We walk inside and see more butterflies than ever before.

“Where did they come from?”

“The high school electronics class was able to build that tunnel gateway we talked about. It is over here.”

She points to it. “The butterflies from the outside have come in checking the place out and then leave. The original group of butterflies decided to stay here because they know it is safer here. They know they are not common in this region.”

“Did they land and your shoulders for the yes and no questions?”

“They did Richard. I soon figured out what is going on and what they are trying to tell me. Most of the butterflies in the area will be still be flying south, but there will be some here through the Winter. It looks like I might have to build onto the conservatory and make it bigger.”

“You’ll probably have to, ma’am. Congratulations on the success of the business.”

“Thank you, Richard.”

Amber and Cobalt change into butterflies and quickly fly out of my pocket. The owner sees them and doesn’t make the connection they are with me. She assumes they are from outside the Conservatory.

“I’ve never seen those two butterflies. They seem to be rare and from another country.”

“I think they are ma’am.” I smile at the remark.

Amber and Cobalt fly among the other butterflies. I can hear them whispering to the other butterflies. They are telling them who they are and who is Richard and what his title is.

Then the rest of the butterflies flutter about me. Some of them land on my head. I blow some of my breath into the air. They flutter with delight from my breath as they fly through it.

The families there smile and laugh when they see the butterflies fluttering about me.

Then the butterflies return back to the plants to rest and drink some nectar or honey water in the bowls. Then Amber and Cobalt fly back to me. They quickly change and fly into my shirt pocket when I have back to the people in the conservatory.

I continue walking around the conservatory and in the shop. I purchase some beautiful plastic butterflies with magnets on them. They will be stuck on the refrigerator door to hold notes there instead of tape used by Elizabeth. I also purchase a butterfly calender as well. I will scan the photos for the screen saver on the PC back at the cabin.

Anna gives permission for me to purchase the wood fire grill for the backyard. I sit on the porch waiting for the company. Creator, I need to allow this company onto the property.

Since you are giving permission, they will not be blocked by the Wizard’s spell on the land.

Thank you, Creator.

The company van arrives on Wednesday morning. I greet them as I step down the front porch stairs.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Richard. I see this is a nice spread you have here.”

“Thank you. Come around back to look it over.”

He takes his clip board and pen with him and some brochures that have pictures of his grill styles. As soon as sees the back yard, his mouth hangs open a bit.

“You’re backyard is incredible. How much of this is your property?”

“Well, actually at one time it belonged to the Cherokee Nation.”

“Of course, of course. Is that a ceremonial ring over there on the other side of the creek?”

“It is sir. It was just used for the opening Planting Moon festival last May.”

“I’m sure it was. Well, I won’t touch that or the pond area over there. We can build one here on the left side with the fewest trees. Are you planning a green house some day?”

“I am sir. I don’t know when it will be built. But that is something to plan for.”

“That’s good. I know of a company that can build you one next to the house. They can also put in a fountain in it as well.”

“I like that idea. Well, what do you suggest for a grill layout here?”

“Well, let me sketch this up first and get a few measurements.”

I help him hold the tape measure as he sketches the backyard onto a pad of paper on his clip board. Once he gets done, he turns his attention back to me.

“I have several brochures here.”

I take them and take a long look at them. Amber and Cobalt are in butterfly mode and sitting on a tree branch above me. I hear them whispering to me.

“That one looks good, Richard. It has three grills on it.”

“How about this one, sir?”

“That one? That is a step up from the Wilkerson’s grill. It has the three grills you are looking for. We can build a decking around it, with a wooden walkway to the back porch. It will be one foot above the ground level. It will be pressure treated wood so it will last longer.”

“What are we looking at price wise?”

“The grill itself is $1,000.00. The decking will be another $500.00.”

“I would like to have that in writing. I need to hand it to my accountant.”

“That is no problem, Richard.” He takes out a pricing pad. He writes up an order for what he stated and adds the state tax to it. Once he gets done with it, he gives me my copy. We shake hands for having the meeting. I don’t feel anything exchanged with him from the Creator.

“Thank you, Richard. When will you know for approval?”

“I don’t know, sir. Since today is Wednesday, I should have an answer by this Friday. I will give a call then.”

“I look forward to the phone call.”

I escort him back out to the front yard. He gets in his van and leaves my driveway and back onto the main road.

I get approval from Anna on Thursday after I scanned and emailed her a copy of the price proposal on Wednesday. I call the company that Thursday morning. The company came out next Monday and built it in two days. They also scraped the ground around it to make it a little more flat. They installed the elevated wood deck a foot above the ground and are connected by a wooden walkway to the cabin. It looks very good.

Amber and Cobalt spend some more time with the local fairies. They see more of the area and learning what Earth is all about.

The rest of the week went as planned. The Wilkersons treated me to a nice home cooked dinner on Friday night. Marcie and CJ showed me the backyard and what they are doing to make it more fun. I sense from them they don’t remember too much from the ceremony that night a month ago. All they remember is singing the Cherokee songs and watching the Planting Moon dance. Then they went into great detail on the day they visited Cherokee on Friday during their time at the festival.

I ask Chuck to drive us to the nearest park to watch the sunset. When we get there, we are treated to spectacular view of colors changing in the clouds and seeing the stars and moon comes out. We all clap our hands and give thanks to the Creator for another wonderful week.

On the following Tuesday night, all of the fairies and I gathered in the back yard of the cabin. I light up the outdoor fireplace to make it more inviting and provide warmth to the atmosphere. King Oren and Queen White Dove tell some old stories of how it was when Caliber was still here on Earth. Some of the fairies put pecan nuts near the fireplace to warm them up to taste better. I grill up one of the trout packages from the freezer with some veggies. Everyone enjoys the aroma with the spices I used to grill the trout and veggies with.

“This story is rather interesting, Richard. We were enjoying another peaceful day on Cymry. We received word from Caliber that someone gave him a message of high importance. Somehow word got out that we exist. The local Druids tried their best to hide us. They put Caliber into a boat and shipped him to Eire. We went with him. Leviathan sent some sea dragons to follow the boat to keep us safe. We arrived there safely. He lived for another one hundred years before he was found again. Caliber looked at us and told us of a promise.”

~~~000~~~

“Oren, you must be brave and strong for my children and your kin. There is someone out there who wants my horn.”

“Why, Caliber?”

“They think it has magical properties to render any poison neutral.”

“But we know that is not true, Caliber.”

“That’s right Oren. However, if my horn is cut from me, I will die within thirty days.”

“Don’t say such things, Caliber! You gave us life! What are we to do? We will be in butterfly mode for a long time!”

“You must have hope. For one day in the future, the Omega Unicorn will come and restore your lives. He will usher in the beginning of the world to be redeemed. In time, the forests will reclaim the deserts and the waste places. Earth will be green once again. Peace will come to all peoples not through him but through the Creator. He will be tested to make sure of his call. I was also told by the Creator, he will find Avel and the others who were here before the Great Ice sheet melted.”

“But we know they will have their wars of conquest. Where can we go to be safe?”

“You know my children and your kin are scattered throughout the Earth. They are waiting for that day as well. The sea dragons have told me there are two continents to the west of here. They are beyond the setting of sun in the western sea.”

“Yes, I remember you telling me that. Are you telling me that I should take a group of us there?”

“Yes, Oren. The sea dragons will provide transport for you along the way. They will stop at islands so you can rest and feed as well. I was told the Omega Unicorn will come from this land.”

“But, we were told the Omega Unicorn will be a descendant from these lands here.”

“That’s right Oren. There will be some people here who will get in boats and arrive there in the future. He will give birth to his own fairies.”

“I will miss you very much.”

“I know, Oren. I will miss you very much as well. Tell White Dove these things over and over and to the rest of your kin. Commit my words to memory.”

“I will, Caliber.”

~~~000~~~

We all have tears down our faces. The fairies, one by one fly up to me and touch my hair or face.

“I can do something for you King Oren and your kin to help remember me when I’m not around. As my hair grows longer, it will be trimmed to keep short. I can give you pieces of my hair. You can do with it whatever you want so you can keep me close to you when I’m not here.”

The fairies cheer when they hear the good news.

“Thank you, Richard. That is greatly appreciated. We can put a tuft of your hair inside our clothes, so it is not far from us.”

“Amber and Cobalt, please do the first trimming of my hair.”

They smile widely. “Yes, Richard.”

Cobalt and Amber take their knives and cut off some of my hair. They hand the first of the hair trimmings to the King Oren and Queen White Dove.

“Thank you, Richard. We greatly appreciate this.”

Amber and Cobalt continue to trim my hair and still keep it looking neat. They hand enough hair tufts for another twenty fairies. The other fairies will gladly wait until the next time I get a hair trim.

The evening allowed us to bond together like lost souls who have found each other after a thousand years apart. I can sense from them they are more at peace now. I too start to feel myself at peace as well. Slowly, I feel my soul is slowly mending from my family losses and what I missed on Twainor.

I did tell them, if I find myself called to Twainor, I will be glad to bring some of them with me so they can see the other unicorns and fairies on Twainor. They appreciated for that rare opportunity. After the evening is over with, the fairies returned to the forest.

The next morning, I take the twelve unicorn gifts out and see what I can do to mount them for a display. I look in the garage to see if there is any scrap wood there. I found a nice wooden plank about five inches wide and two feet long. Amber and Cobalt arranged them on the wood before I secured them to the panel.

Amber and Cobalt grouped them by family. The parents are on top with their children underneath them. It starts with Avel and Makaela on the left side, then Athena and Einhorn in the middle. On the right end is Star Dancer and Silverwind. Once we are satisfied of the layout. I take some small decorative brad nails and secure the pouches to the board. Then I do the same thing in putting small name plates underneath each one. I use my language and Twainor’s language on the name plates. When I look at the words from Twainor, I get a surprise. It has to be from the dwarf and centaur influence on Twainor. I see almost a letter for letter correspondence between the words.

Once done with the project. Amber, Cobalt and I smell each one to remember their scent and presence. “Thank you, Richard. This will help us to remember where we come from, especially from Avel.”

“Yes, Amber, I remember him as well. I remember the scent of his breath when he breathed on us. We’ll let King Oren, Queen White Dove and the other fairies smell them from time to time to remember Caliber.”

“Yes, they will appreciate that very much.”

The days continue on during the summer months. The fairies did come by and check out the twelve gifts from the unicorns. Once they smelled and touched them, they felt more energized that a connection has been made to Caliber.

“Thank you, Richard. We greatly appreciate it. We almost forgot Caliber’s scent and the touch of his mane. This will definitely help the rest of the fairies who have been waiting for the Omega Unicorn to be among us.”

“You’re welcome, King Oren.”

By the time July ended, I made most of the food in the refrigerator is eaten. I leave some food in there for the Wilkerson’s to take back to their house. We give each other long hugs.

“I will be here for the next two summers at least, Elizabeth and Chuck.”

“You better come back here each year. We love you very much.”

“I’ll try. I know I will be here for Thanksgiving. That is a promise that I made to Sarah and the fairies.”

“Then you must join us for a Thanksgiving meal.”

“I’ll certainly do that.”

The ten potted plants that we started six weeks ago are coming along fine. We see the green shoots come forth. Amber and Cobalt smell the herbs I planted. They like how they smell. I planted oregano, thyme, basil, dill and rosemary.

We see the seeds from Twainor are coming in as well. They haven’t bloomed yet to produce the flowers and small seed pods. I slowly get everything in order at the cabin. I call the police department to let them know it is time for me to leave. I call the utility companies to let them know as well. They appreciated the phone call ahead. They will send the last bill to Anna Dawson to have her pay the amount owed.

The day we left was not too bad. The fairies are now more hopeful the Omega Unicorn is now on Earth. Traphel and two fairies who are assigned to watch over me, come along with me in the car. They appreciate the opportunity to get back to Raleigh with minimal effort in flying this time.

I call Anna Dawson that I’m leaving soon.

“I’ll be there to help you find an apartment. I already did some phone calls to the university. There is a set of on campus apartments called Western Manor. They have a one bedroom with a balcony on the second floor.”

“That’s great Anna.”

“I thought so too. It will give you privacy you need. I asked about setting up a patio garden.”

“What did they say about that?”

“It must be stand alone and be able to taken apart when you leave. It is your responsibility that no damage happens to the porch or the apartment itself.”

“That is the usual attitude any way, Anna. I can probably use some rope to tie the trellises to the railing.”

“They said that is allowed and highly recommended that you do that.”

“How much time do we have to move in?”

“You have the first two weeks in August to move in. This means we get to keep the campus living scholarships active and not lose them. If you lived off campus, we would lose that money.”

“That means I would have to get a job to support the expenses.”

“Yes, and we would be dipping into the inheritance money from your dad. This way we get to keep that.”

“That sounds good, Anna. I will see you at my old dorm at the beginning of August.”

“I’ll see you then, Richard. Drive carefully on the roads.”

“I will, Anna.”

Once I make sure everything is taken care of, I get in the car and drive to the gas station to say my goodbyes to Chuck Wilkerson one more time.

“We’ll miss you, Richard.”

“I know, Chuck. Take care now and have a great summer.”

“I know I will, Richard. Take care now. We’ll be by the cabin to check in from time to time.”

“That’s fine, Chuck. I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”

We hug each other again. Once I get filled up again and pay the bill, I get in and drive back to NC State at Raleigh, NC.

We enjoy the leisurely travel along the roads in North Carolina. The fairies stay out of sight when I come to a stop at lights. We have a lunch break at a state park along the way. It takes about four hours to arrive back at NC State.

I get there at about 2 P.M. in the afternoon. When I get there, I see Anna there waiting for me at the dorm. The fairies change into butterfly mode. Traphel shows them around the campus while I do the paper work with Anna.

Once everything is settled at the Housing Center, I proceed to move my things from the old dorm to the new one at Western Manor. It takes the rest of the day to get everything moved over there. The fairies flutter over to the balcony. Once I open the back door to the balcony, they fly in quickly.

I give my hugs to Anna and I promise to keep in touch with her once a month. I get the bags and luggage unpacked and put away. Fortunately, there is already furniture in the apartment. It takes the rest of the night until midnight when I get most of it put away. I put the board with the twelve gifts from the unicorns in the bedroom. Traphel and the other two fairies leave the apartment through the balcony back door. They look forward when I get the garden set up on the balcony porch. For now, I leave the ten potted plants back there until it is built.

I decided to bring the same pillow that Amber and Cobalt slept on at the cabin. I put it on a spare chair from the dining room in my bedroom. We finally get to bed very late. We decided that we will wake up when we want to.

I write some notes what I’ll be doing tomorrow. The first thing is registering for the fall classes and reporting to the Raleigh Police Department that I’m back in the city. I change my clothes and get ready for bed. Once Amber, Cobalt and I are under the covers, I turn off the lamp next to me on the dresser nearby.

We fall asleep very quickly and have many dreams of being on Twainor, home with family and other scenes we can’t make sense of yet.