The longer I spent in this strange era that is oft referred to as the Age of Enlightenment, the more displaced I felt. It is as if I must learn a new language, for the people here speak of things I know not of. Even their manner of dress is alien to me. In my day, women in trews was unheard of. My heart ceased beating for a wee time the first time I beheld a woman in shorn black trews. Her T-shirt, as I heard it called later, was red with the word “Expensive” attached somehow to the bosom area. Such manner of…well…undress…would have been grounds for incarceration in my time. However, I discovered that such garments are of the norm during this era. How these people manage not to catch their death while so scantily clad is beyond my understanding.

For a time, I lived a quiet, unassuming life. I read as much as I could about this period in time while observing the people around me. I desperately wanted to belong but realized I must find my own way. If I should ask someone the wrong kinds of questions, I fear I would be shut away in an asylum or worse. Och, but I was lonely for some friendly company and yearned for a guide to teach me what I must know here.

With the passing of each day, I brooded more and e’er longer about my lot in life and what might have befallen my mother. I was getting on very favorably at work even though some of my colleagues beheld me with strange expressions. It was during those times I realized I likely said something strange for this time or asked a vexing question. I decided it was best to speak less and observe more, hoping it would help with my learning.

One day, I longed for some excitement to break up the monotony of my days. Och, I did not mean the kind of excitement that would get me arrested again. I just desired a difference in the day. My mother oft said, “Have a care what you wish for, child, for it might come true.” I am living proof of how true this statement is.

It was a beautiful day, so I decided to walk through Dragon Valley to better acquaint myself with my surroundings. Dragon Valley is a lovely, peaceful place, and I could feel the magic of it engulfing me. As I explored, I came upon a strange black object that resembled a large egg. It radiated warmth, and as I held it, I could feel it pulsate between my hands. It was somehow alive. The peculiarities did not cease there, for I sensed it desiring to communicate with me. //We are the Ancient People of the Fire. We once roamed this world in peace until the Great War amongst our people commenced. Many perished, and the few of us remaining fled to another realm. Once there, our kind was free to grow and thrive once more. Many of our brethren remain there, but a select few returned to survey the area and attempt to befriend the humans who dwell here. I sense great power, wisdom, and a gentle spirit within you. For that reason, I have made myself visible to you. If you wish, you may bring this egg to your dwelling, for inside will be a lifelong friend. You may also choose otherwise, leaving this egg for another worthy soul to find. Make your decision with care. It is a great honor and privilege to have one of our kind appear to you and make this offer.//

I gasped, barely succeeding in holding onto the egg. It was always my mother who received such opportunities of this magnitude, never me. However, I did not dispute what I distinctly heard and sensed. //I am honored, O Great One, that you have chosen to appear in my presence. I shall, indeed, take this egg to my dwelling and care for it. Och, but…ah…what is your kind and how must I maintain what is inside?// I asked inside my head. I had never imagined I would possess gifts of telepathy, but nonetheless, I was speaking in thought and whatever was inside the egg was speaking to me in the same manner.

//We are dragons; People of the Fire. Our distinctiveness is in our color. Each color represents a different breed, if you will. Each breed possesses unique abilities. All you need to maintain the hatchling, who is me, is to take this egg to your dwelling, keep it warm, and be kind to it. I am due to hatch within three days. If you do all this while I am still inside, our bond will be very strong. It will grow even more once I am in the world,// the egg said.

//Och, a dragon! But you will grow exceedingly large and be massive in size by the time you are an adult. My house will be much too small for you in due course,// I worried.

A tinkling otherworldly laugh sounded inside my mind. //Oh nay, dear human! Our people are a different sort of dragon than what you have read in fairytales. We remain quite small. In fact, we remain so small that you can carry us on your arm or shoulder.//

//My heavens!// I exclaimed. //What must I do once you have hatched?//

//Just care for me and remain my friend. I eat very little and am not finicky. I enjoy being spoken to, both with mental thought and aloud. I will show you my abilities once I am hatched and have spent some time getting acclimated.//

I cradled the egg carefully in my arms, feeling as though I never wanted to be separated from it. //I am in sore need of a friend, for I, too, am displaced. Perhaps we can help each other.//

//Indeed,// the egg said.

I spent every moment I could just talking to the egg, telling it stories of my life and how I came to be here. I poured my heart and soul out to the egg, and I was rewarded with waves of great compassion and empathy. //Your heart will ache only a short while, dear one. Take courage, for you will find great joy anon.//

//How do you know this?// I inquired, wiping tears from my cheeks. //Are you a soothsayer?//

//Of sorts,// the egg said. //Our scope of vision is wider than that of humans. Just know that what I say is true.//

Three days later, the egg began to glow and tremble violently. I shrieked and backed away, feeling suddenly afraid. “Och, please forgive me! I am sorry if I harmed thee in any way. I beg your forgiveness!” I covered my face, feeling tears sting my eyes.

//Be at ease, dear friend, for I am hatching. No harm has befallen me. In a short while, we will meet face to face,// came the egg’s serene message in my mind.

I decided to call him Onyx, which he liked. As it happens, Onyx is of the Guardian species of Fire People and so wears the sacred armor of the Queen. //You are a human of privilege to have my kind at your side, Alina, for my powers are unique. You will find that as we interact, refreshing energy will boost you when you grow weary, and my magic will give you sustenance when food might not be available. I have the ability to clear your head for logical thinking, but most of all, I can protect you from certain death.” He produced a Death Flower, which is legendary.

//Och, you are, indeed, a wonder, my dear friend!// I exclaimed as I carried him on my shoulder.

//I am a friend who will never leave you,// Onyx said. //You only need call me when you wish to talk or if you need me.//

Over time, I felt more confident around my colleagues, and most of us struck up a blossoming friendship. I was promoted and given a very nice bonus. I then was pleasantly surprised when I found a gift in the mail from someone named Starr Slayer, who sent me an easel and some paints. I unashamedly danced around the room with Onyx on my shoulder. I love my sketchpad, but there is nothing like actually painting. I immediately set it up and began a small painting. I was elated to discover that I had not lost my touch.

I continued with my study of Alchemy and found mixing elixirs to be very relaxing. Aye, one must pay attention and have a care while mixing, but it is a good activity to stimulate the brain.

Unfortunately, things do not always go according to plan. One day, I made an unforgiving error, and the elixir I was making was destroyed. To make matters worse, I became quite ill from it. Everything came up in a rush, and I heaved until there was nothing left. Och, I wanted nothing more than to climb into my bed and sleep for a month.

With my promotion came an exciting and vexing opportunity. I was asked by my employer to travel to France, learn how to make crepes, and teach the technique to my colleagues. It was exciting, for I have oft longed to visit distant lands. It was vexing because I would have to travel on some kind of bird called an airplane. I had never heard of such a bird before. If it was large enough to carry me to France, I reckoned it must be gigantic and majestic. I imagined it had very beautiful feathers and a glorious song to match. I reflected on how this bird might carry me to my destination and how it would know to come for me and when. In my time, we used pigeons to carry our mail, and ships and boats carried people across large bodies of water.

How relieved I was when I chose not to voice my questions aloud! I wanted to know more about this airplane, so I sought my answers in the pages of a book. When I discovered that an airplane was another great beast like the constable’s car, only larger, I felt my muscles seize up in fright. To know that this beast was to carry me through the air was terrifying. The only things I knew of that could remain airborne were birds and insects, not great hulking beasts.

There are some witches, like my mother, who can wish themselves to a destination and get there instantly. Unfortunately, I am not such a witch, for my powers are not yet developed enough for such a powerful spell. I wished I could travel aboard a ship but knew it would take too long. To achieve what my employer had asked me to undertake, there was no choice but to travel on this airplane and trust that the beast would not dump me into the ocean or worse. I did not want to turn down the chance, for I was honored that my employer sought me out for this. As the people of this time are fond of saying, I was going to just have to suck it up and do it.

When I arrived at the airport, I gaped. I had never seen such a sea of humanity. Everyone was in a mad rush to get from one place to another. I had never felt more like a wayfaring stranger than I did as I stared, dumbstruck, around me. I thanked my lucky stars when a kind soul came to my aid. She helped me check my luggage and retrieve my boarding pass. By the time I arrived at the gate for departure, I felt like a specimen under constant scrutiny. The hullabaloo was called security, which I did not understand. I say, if a body acted inappropriately, would not the great beast stop it?

I sank into my seat feeling completely bewildered. Again, I thought of Mother, who would have handled this situation with much more grace and dignity than I did. Mother would have never run screaming as I wished to when this whatever called a metal detector screeched at me. I had bought myself something called a watch in order to help me keep time. I was told it was the reason for the horrid noise and was instructed to put it into a bin. “I will get it back, will I not?” I asked before I could stop myself.

The man threw back his head and laughed. “Of course, Ms. Blankenship.”

I smiled wanly and retrieved my watch when the man gave me the nod. Now, in my seat, I rubbed my temples and sighed. What on Earth had I agreed to?

I found out what I had agreed to when the great beast roared and I was hurled against the back of my seat. I tried to cry out in fear, but no sound came. I feared I was going to die at any moment.

“Relax, honey,” a smiling, elderly woman said from the next seat. She uncurled my clenched fist and patted my shoulder. “I see you have never flown before. You’ll get used to it and love it once you see the view. Open your eyes, dearie, and look out the window.”

“I do not wish to fall,” I squeaked, my voice finally recovering a fair bit.

The woman laughed. “We won’t fall, dearie. I have been flying this airline for years and have had the same pilot a number of times. We won’t fall. Look now before you miss your chance.”

I gulped and slowly opened my eyes. As I looked out the window, I saw something I thought I never would see without being on a broomstick. The ground fell away, and we were rising. Everything began to look diminutive in size, and ere long, we were actually in the clouds. “It is amazing! Truly, it is!” I said, feeling my fear dissipate by the minute.

the woman laughed again, her face crinkling and blue eyes shining. “I never tire of the view no matter how often I fly, dear. My name is Georgiana. You can call me Georgie if you wish. Georgiana Whittaker at your service, my dear.”

I introduced myself, smiled, and shook her hand. “I am thanking you kindly,” I said. “Mayhap I would have swooned anon had you not taken pity on me.”

Georgie smiled and patted my arm in a grandmotherly gesture. “It’s nothing, dear.” She studied me then, and I blushed under her scrutiny. “You are a stranger to these parts, aren’t you?”

“I am,” I confessed. “I have not lived in Dragon Valley long, and I am still getting acclimated.” I felt as though I had “Stranger” penned across my brow.

“Yes, I thought so.” She lowered her voice. “Your way of dress and speech clued me in. Also, I sense magic around you.”

I must have grown pale because she smiled kindly at me again. “There is nothing to fear, honey. I’m just astute about these things. You are a witch, as am I. You cannot live in Dragon Valley and not know of such magic. Ah, and you are alone, poor lamb.”

I gaped at her. “How…but…how?”

Georgie smiled again. Och, I loved her smile, for it instantly put me at ease. “I am what some might call a Sensitive. I am able to catch glimpses of someone’s life and even emotions if the person is feeling them strongly enough. I am not a true Empath nor a Seer, but I have enough of those kinds of abilities which helps me read people very well. I sense you have traveled a great distance over time. You must be a very, very powerful witch to do such a thing.”

“My heavens!” I said, almost unable to believe what I was hearing. I felt I had found a kindred spirit in this kindhearted woman, to which I was extremely thankful for. I then remembered her statement. “It was not I who performed that magic. It was my mother.” My voice caught on the last word, and I could not stop the single tear from trickling down my cheek.

“Oh, you poor dear,” Georgie said, putting an arm around my shoulders and giving me a tissue. “You and your mother were close.”

“Aye, we were,” I choked out.

“Is she living?” she asked.

“Aye, she is. She…erm…” I felt I could tell this woman anything, and och, I was in sore need of a woman’s friendship. “My mother is an immortal and therefore cannot die.” I told Georgie of how Mother had sent me through the time portal. “I must believe she is looking for me and that there is a reason she cannot find me.”

“Blankenship…Blankenship…” She tapped her temple in reflection. “There is a witch I know of with your last name. She is Head of the International Witches’ Council and is probably the most powerful witch in existence that I am aware of. She is a goddess, second only to Ariadne, herself. I have never met her myself, but I believe she lives in Moonlight Falls but also spends a great deal of time in Aurora Skies. Mathilda Blankenship. Ah…no, Kelly now that she has married.”

I gasped upon hearing the name. “That…that is my mother’s name! Oh, you must tell me all!” However, my excitement died as quickly as it came. Mother had oft told me of parallel worlds and other realms and that many people had a counterpart of themselves living in said other realms and worlds. This Mathilda sounded like my mother, but it could be a counterpart of her who would have no knowledge of me whatsoever.

I think some of this must have shown in my expression, for Georgie smiled reassuringly. “If she truly is your mother, she will stop at nothing to find you. Word has it that Mathilda never stops when she is on a mission. Have you read her biography?”

“N-no,” I stammered.

Georgie wrote the title and author of the book on a slip of paper and handed it to me. “The instant you are able to visit a bookstore or library, you ought to read it.”

We spent the next few hours in deep conversation. Georgie invited me to her house for dinner once we both arrived home. She was going to France to visit her son, who was working there. After that, we spent the rest of the trip reading or napping in our seats. When the plane landed, she hugged me tight and made me promise to keep in touch. Once again, I thanked her for her help and company, but mostly, I thanked her for giving me hope for finding my mother. I now had a place to begin looking and vowed I would start my search the instant I arrived home.

I checked into the hotel, unpacked, showered, and then went straight away to the bookstore. I am always mesmerized when I enter a bookstore, and the one here was no exception. I found several recipes to my liking, including the one for crepes, and immediately sat down to read.

I even learned some French songs which I eventually could not stop singing. They implanted themselves into my mind and always brought about a smile when I sang them.

I very quickly learned the technique for making crepes and was quite pleased with myself. I loved experimenting with using different fruits for the filling and combining several types to add variation. I would have much to teach my employer and colleagues upon returning to work.

With that accomplished, I longed for an adventure. I bought a map from the local tourist bureau and realized there were many tombs to explore. In my guidebook, I found a list of necessary supplies for tomb exploration and went to the Celtic Ruins. I entered the tomb, finding it damp, dark, and dank. It was rather frightening, but I went onward.

I realized there were many secrets in a tomb. I found that if I stood on certain parts of the floor, doors would slide open or become accessible to me.

I learned that tomb exploration is not for the faint of heart or weak of muscle. There must have been a cave in at some point, for there were several piles of rubble that needed to be cleared. It was not in vain, for I found treasures underneath the piles. I argued with myself about picking them up. I did not want to vex the spirits who dwelt in these tombs. However, nothing happened and I felt no curses come upon me as I took piles of coins, gemstones, and relics.

There were hidden panels and tomb holes to inspect. I found even more treasures. The tomb holes unnerved me once or twice because horrid little insects lived in them. They flew angrily at me when I disturbed their rest, but I persevered. When I grew weary or hungry, I simply called upon Onyx whose magic sustained me.

Before I departed for home, my colleagues informed me that a voyage to France was not complete without a visit to the wineries. I adored that as I am a great lover of wine. It sometimes vexed Mother, for there were instances where I partook of too much and felt the effects the next morning. Och, I have many weaknesses, and wine is one of them.

I had never tried my hand at making wine and so wanted to attempt it. I quickly conjured some apples and inquired about the use of the wine maker. I released my inner child by stomping on the apples and laughed sheepishly when I lost my balance. Once I regained purchase, I finished squishing the fruit and then turned to yet another beast, hoping this one would not roar so loudly. I pulled the lever and turned the wheel a few times, then laughed at the sound it made. It was not a roar but a funny whistle and purr. “Ah, so you like wine as much as I do, great beast,” I said, patting it fondly. I decided to purchase some wine to partake of at home and even bought a wine maker. I had been wishing to start a garden and reckoned I could use some extra produce for my own wine making endeavors.

Regretfully, the trip ended all too soon. The flight home was uneventful, and I was sorry to not have Georgie flying with me. I talked to her once I returned home, and we promised to visit one another this week. I returned to work feeling rested and in high spirits. I only wished I could have shared my adventures with Mother.

Author’s Note – A big thank you goes to PiazzaGirl1015 for the gift sent to Alina, who got an easel. If you have not read her story, please feel free to check it out in the link. You can find it here.