Mostly Normal: Magic Cannot Cure Sickness

Chapter Nine: The Alf & the Alp

"Jeremy, where are you going?" asked Bianca in surprise when she saw the half-Brownie boy, who was dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and hiking boots and wearing a backpack slung over one shoulder. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked back at her sadly.

"I'm going to search for a cure for my--for, um, Nia and Natalie."

He thought they might not be his siblings anymore, as he was not technically a real demigod but more like a nature spirit.

"You have to let us come with you, you won't make it a day out there without any of us!" Bianca said, anger running thick through her voice. Jeremy shook his head and turned around, tears thick in his pure black eyes. "Come back!" she yelled, angry for him running away from his problems instead of facing them.

Jeremy wouldn't listen, instead running as fast as he could away from the angry vampire princess. Bianca's anger turned to hopelessness as she turned away, blinking back tears.

When he was far enough away from the palace, he stopped, leaning over and taking in great gasps of breath. He cast the glamour spell over himself as he walked into a small town. He took a deep breath and walked into a small inn, "One meal please," he asked the keeper.

"Do you want a room?" she asked, he shook his head and seated himself at a small table by the window.

A petite waitress with slender, pointed ears seemed to glide up to his table, a smile on her pretty face.

"What can I get you, hon?" she asked in a sweet soprano voice.

He felt his shoulders relax at seeing the Alf, "Um, Brownie Special please, I haven't had a proper meal in a while," he said softly, ridding himself of his human appearance.

"All right," said the pretty Alf, "That's one Brownie Special, coming right up. Would you like something to drink as well?"

"Honey and milk if you will," he said, reverting back to the speech pattern he had grown accustomed to when he was smaller. She smiled a dazzling smile at him and then walked away, clicking her pen on her pad of paper as she walked over to another table that was filled with Faeries, who were giggling to each other.

Jeremy smiled slightly, looking around him and noticing that everybody else in the inn was some kind of Fae creature. He saw a few ogres in a booth, gorging on some kind of bloody meat. Just a few seats away from the ogres was a booth full of pixies who were chattering in high-pitched voices. Jeremy's smile grew as he realized that he finally felt at home, more than he had ever felt at Camp Half-Blood.

He lounged back, smiling at the magical atmosphere. The waitress returned back to him and placed down a meal that glowed lightly, she set down a saucer filled with a yellowish milk, sweet with honey. She also set down a plate filled with cookies that glowed as they were dusted with hardened nectar. Jeremy felt his eyes light up and the waitress laughed, "You haven't had a good meal in a long, long time, have you sweetheart?"

Jeremy smiled sheepishly. "No ma'am," he said, "I've been posing as a human for years. Human food just doesn't have the same taste as Alf-made food."

She blushed at that. "Oh stop it," she giggled, "It's not that amazing."

"When you've been eating apples and barbecued meat for five years it is," he joked, flashing a dazzling smile at the Alf. She smiled and let him eat in peace. Though, this luxury only lasted a few moments before someone with grey skin, pointed ears, and sharp teeth slid into the booth across from him.

Jeremy tried to ignore the creature, but it was eyeing him almost hungrily, as if it had recognized him.

"Can I help you?" the brownie asked, looking up from his meal with distaste.

"Listen, as an Alp, I hate asking favors more than any other Fae creature, but you know the Werewolf king, and I need to see him. He has something of mine," the fae said quietly, almost whispering the words.

Jeremy blinked. "What does he have that's yours?" he asked, "I have to know what I'm dealing with before I agree to help."

The Alp narrowed his hungry eyes and didn't answer for a second. When it did, its voice was so quiet Jeremy had to lean in close to hear it.

"He has my tarnkappe," the Alp said, its voice now so low no one else could hear them, "he doesn't realize that he can control me with the stupid thing. Yet. Which is why I need it back, I thought you might be able to help son of Hecate."

"H-how do you know I'm a son of Hecate?" Jeremy stammered. He hadn't been that obvious, had he? He looked down at himself, trying to see himself in the Alp's eyes.

The creature laughed, a hoarse, grating sound. "Alps have special senses, don't you remember me anyway Jeremy?"

Jeremy shook his head, the memories before camp were all a bit fast-lived and rather fuzzy, he couldn't make out meeting this Alp anywhere. "I'm offended Jer, after all I raised you for quite some time." the gray-skinned creature exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I can't remember a whole lot from before I masqueraded as human," the half-brownie apologized, "What's your name again?"

"Amanda," the Alp said, her sharp teeth baring themselves as she smiled. Jeremy shivered and then slid his mostly finished meal away, standing and heading out of the bar with the grey-skinned fae tailing him closely.