Away to Realania (ONC 2023)

Chapter 3: From a Maraluje's Point of View

Angélio looked around the forest as he followed Roende. The trees and bushes were thinning in some spots, revealing shimmering turquoise waters in the distance. Angélio took a deep breath. How he missed the beach.

Memories from bygone days washed over his mind like a blue wave frosted with white foam. Laughter echoed in his ear as he remembered splashing in the sea with his mom and dad.

Papá used to come home early from work on Fridays, so we could go straight from school to the beach. Mami's freshly made fish empanadas in the back made the car smell delicious. She always turned up the bachata songs too loud when they played on the radio.

After we had swum all our food off, Papi would get the Tres Leches cake he made the night before out of the ice box. And we'd sit on the shore with our toes in the sand, eating cake and watching the sun sink into the ocean.

"The sun's going to bed now," Mami would whisper in my ear like she was telling me a secret no one else could know.

"Whatever Mami's saying about me isn't true," Papi would say...

Angélio exhaled as the memory faded. "Can we have my birthday party on the beach?" he asked Roende.

The maralujo turned around. "Of course. A birthday party on the beach sounds like a perfect idea," he smiled.

Angélio beamed from ear to ear. "¡Genial! (awesome)—and can we have fish empanadas and Tres Leches cake too?"

Roende frowned. "Unfortunately, I don't have any fish in the castle at the moment--I'll have to go catch some another day." Castle? Angélio thought. Did he say castle? "I don't have any milk ingredients to make a Tres Leches cake either."

Angélio's smile melted like an helado (ice cream) on a hot day.

"But" Roende quickly added, "I know just the place we could get those ingredients, but we'll have to hurry."

Roende started walking faster. Angélio had to almost run just to keep up. The maralujo crouched low as he went under a tree, which his human amigo didn't have to do. Angélio held up his hands in front of his face as he pushed through bushes. Rustling leaves roared in his ears.

Stumbling out of the forest, Angélio planted his feet on the sandy shore to find his balance. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the glaring beams of the golden sun burning high in the sky.

The sight in front of him took his breath away. An elegant castle with grey hexagonal towers stood atop a tall and steep cliff far above the crashing waves at the hill's base.

Each tower varied in height; many had blue cone-shaped roofs that flew identical long and narrow flags. The colours on the flags were a gold stripe at the top, a fiery stripe orange in the centre, and a thick white stripe at the bottom.

Near the middle of the castle was a wide, strong-looking tower. It featured parapets shaped like slender stepped pyramids, which also ran atop most of the walls between the towers.

"Take my hand," Roende said, holding out his arm.

"Why?" the boy asked.

"It'll be faster--just trust me," was the reply.

Angélio looked at Roende's outstretched hand for a moment, wondering if he should take it. He did promise me a cake, Angélio thought.

Hesitantly, he took Roende's hand. The maralujo threw the boy onto his back like he was a feather.

"Hang on tight," Roende said.

"Okay." Angélio locked his arms around his friend's neck.

Roende bent his knees slightly, spread his stunning wings, and shot up into the sky like an arrow. Angélio worried about choking Roende because he was clenching his arms so tight. But who could blame him? It's not like he wanted to fall to his death.