Mordvor

DEAR MAGNUS, LETTER 8

Dearest Magnus the Magic,

Thank you so much for your letter and your warning. I am aware of your virus and am safe collecting your tooth. Fairies are immune. Still, be on alert, there is much to be wary of in the world as of late. Perhaps you having more time for imagining is more important now than ever.

I told you before of being jailed by the Grand Realm Keeper, and I am afraid it could come to pass again, though next time, I should not escape so easily or with his approval. For you see, the High Fairy is also asleep now and I believe Po may be to blame.

The Grand Realm Keeper's name is Po shortened from Petrus Onyx. He is a regal beast of some four feet, difficult for me to approach due to his size. His head is similar to a panther's, sleek of black fur and whisker before tapering down to feathers and wings and the body of a massive raven. He is a Fur-feather; keen of eye, a fierce hunter, and quick wit. He ruled as a fair-minded Realm Keeper since I first hatched as far as I knew. Until just in these last days.

I arrived to his nest, high in the Kapok above Hintermusselheim to report to him, delivering your tooth with the promise of a bad habit stowed within next time. (And by the way, excellent work on removing sneakiness and endeavoring toward integrity.)

Po was out when I arrived and so I sat playing my psenobassolier and waiting on the branch below his nest when something shining red caught my eye.

It was no surprise that he kept treasure; fur-feathers are notorious treasure keepers. Like their raven brethren, they are driven wild with excitement by the shine and shimmer of sparkly things. In past millennia this has been their motivation to protect the separation of our realm as they have loved the sparkle of the geodes and seen them as treasure to protect. Meaning, they've protected the the birthplaces of fairies!

However, Po had been tempted. While the shining red was what initially caught my eye, when I looked closer at his treasure stash, there within his nest lay a single smooth blue stone. Slightly smaller than a robin's egg, the stone seemed familiar. Its familiarity was what kept me brooding.

I continued my song, still waiting, but it transposed to a minor key and grew viscous with mood. I began to see Mordvor as a thickness around my notes and felt my eyes droop and my hands were heavy.

Fortunately the noise of Po's return broke the spell and I did not fall victim to the curse.

"Tobias, what a grand surprise. Tell me good brother, what news of the Human Realm?"

I dropped my instrument. "No news but this tooth," I said, hurriedly, and proffered the tooth for his inspection.

"No news? Really? That is strange. Does the human boy, Magnus, not write to you of his plans?"

"Not so specifically," I replied, thinking of your letter.

"What do you mean? What does he say? Tell me what he wrote."

He then picked me up in his talon and carried me up into the nest where all the teeth rest. He set me down amid the feathery fur pillows in the nest.

"Now, read me what he wrote."

I felt off. My head swirled; I smelled the twitch of dishonesty before my mind could comprehend the problem. Yet some part of me knew, something was afoot. Just a few days ago, I'd have gladly spent this time with the Great Realm Keeper. He had ever been an honorable and reverend beast. So why could I not bring myself now to share your letter with him?

I had no choice but to read the letter to him. There was nothing so bad in there, right? Yet, I felt protective of you, of your purpose and your drive to fight Mordvor. Something about sharing your letter just felt, wrong. What if this made you a target?

I tried skipping "I am so excited to have such a BIG purpose. However having this BIG purpose is a heavy burden for both of us."

"I can't read this part," I told him.

But it was no matter. He'd already turned his keen eye to the letters and discerned every word. I swear I saw a flash of challenge in his eye when he read it.

It was then that I finally connected the blue stone to where I had seen it before. It was in your bedroom. It was your treasure.

For some reason, now, Po had it in his nest.

And there was something else there too...

It was a large, red, rectangle with a fist stamped on it, that said "R.Games." Something about it...I can't prove it but I'm certain this rectangle is from the human realm.

When the realms are properly sealed, laws obeyed, and separation kept; nothing from the human realm is able to come through to our realm. Which means the Realm Keeper, Po, has been compromised. I can't be sure of the full scope of the breach but seepage from one realm to another could certainly have caused a curse.

The High Fairy sleeping is a major setback but I am not giving up. I've successfully woken more than a dozen fairies now and we are taking turns playing music to those who sleep and keeping watch.

Further, I can feel your imagination working here in Hintermusselheim. Keep up the excellent work in all aspects of creating: poetry, the story of 47, music, pretending with Gavin. It's working. It won't be long at all before enough fairies here will have awoken and we will then wake the Grand Fairy.

And when she wakes up, your realm will have its greatest ally back again to pursue any fights that need luck and some magic.

With Love,

Tobias Hawthorne Gigglefoot VonRassmusson, III