Random Story, Part II

The Sun awoke at dawn and looked down upon the sleeping Daphne, still fast asleep after her encounter with the Moon the night before. Sun gently warmed Daphne face with rays of light until she blinked awake. Satisfied, the Sun proceeded across the sky.

Daphne lay still for a few minutes gathering her thoughts. It was a good day to start a journey. Sun was cheerful in the sky with no clouds to darken his mood. She was glad Brock was accompanying her. He was an elf, so they could go through the Elvin Tunnels. That would make the journey go faster.

“Are you ready, your majesty?” asked Brock from a moss clump a little ways off.

“Yes, I think I am,” replied Daphne. “Will we use the Tunnels?”

“That was my plan.”

Brock reached the queen’s moss nest and offered Daphne a slice of acorn. She took it and ate quickly. Then she reached for a thick blade of grass and tied it around her eyes. This was her least favorite part of the Tunnels; elves couldn’t knowingly reveal the location of the many entrances to the Tunnels, so Brock had to blindfold her. Daphne had traveled this way enough though, that she could probably find the entrance without Brock.

The Elvin Tunnels are beautiful, created by the ancient spirits of the world. The elves, being the most ancient of the peoples, were in charge of safeguarding the Tunnels. They were originally built just as a magnificent piece of artwork, but the alternate use of travel was soon discovered. Not only do the Tunnels lead to virtually anywhere, but they are so spectacular that Time himself slows as he walks through them.  Those that can resist the beauty can gain on Time, a very handy ability for traveling.

After about half an hour of above ground travel and a quick decent, Daphne removed the blindfold. As always, she was spellbound by the swirling iridescent patterns, ebbing and flowing to form images that almost immediately dissipate. Brock tugged Daphne along muttering something about it being easier to just leave the blindfold on. They continued this way for some time until Brock suddenly froze.

“Mother Earth!” he exclaimed.

Daphne jerked and looked in the direction he was staring. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The wall of the Tunnel, normally brightly colored, was mixture of blacks and sinister blues. It was still irresistibly beautiful, but it was a cold, cruel beauty.

“What’s happened?” inquired Daphne.

“I’ve only heard of this once before,” replied Brock, suddenly pale, “in the ancient story of Cat. He was vain and wanted all the power of the Moon and Stars, but the ancient spirits gave Moon and the Stars free will, and they could not be controlled by one lone faerie. So Cat kidnapped a weak star, Beetlejuice, and used its power to attack the ancient spirits in their tunnel. The Tunnels turned black for one whole day before the ancients could regain control. They condemned Cat and his children to life a four-legged creatures. Even now, all of Cat’s relatives are the vainest creatures on four legs.” Brock’s voice was shaky by the time the story was over. “That was when the ancients were strong and awake. They have been comatose for several millennia.”

“We have to prevent this from spreading!” cried Daphne, ever the practical one. “We have to find the source.”

“Yes, we must find Jack Frost.” Brock started off down the tunnel in a rush. “The faster we find him, the better.”