Chapter 5
-No Tea Parties-
“I don't really want to be an empress,” said Emily, “but I definitely don't want to stay here.”
“Hoo, what a shame,” said the owl, putting on his day cap. “I was actually kind of hoping you'd stay and have slumber parties with me during the day. But this is fine too, I suppose.”
Emily asked, “How do I become empress, anyway?”
“Quite simple, really,” said the owl. “You just have to go to Lady Evilyn's castle and sit on her throne. Once you do that, the Lord of Shadows will have no choice but to obey you.”
“But where is this castle?” asked Senn. “And how do we get there?”
“I'll show you,” said the owl. “Step back.”
The owl swept his wing in a wide arc. In the blink of an eye a small table and three chairs appeared out of thin air. Spread across the tabletop was a small porcelain tea set. Emily touched the table to see if it was real.
The owl said, “What are you all standing around for with your mouths open? This isn't a magic show.” He pointed to the chairs with a wing. “Sit, sit!”
Emily said, “But I thought you were going to show—”
The owl shushed her. “Why are you not sitting?”
“I just don't see why—”
“Uh-tut-tut,” the owl snapped. “I wasn't looking for a reply. Now sit!”
Emily took a seat. Cecil, being a book, had a bit a trouble getting onto the chair; his hops were only about six inches high and he had no arms to climb with. Senn hastily sat down in his seat, threw a sideways glance at Cecil and tried not to giggle too loudly. But he soon noticed Emily's frightening glare from across the table.
Senn faked a grin. “Since we're buddies and all, would you like a bit of help there?”
“Sure, buddy,” Cecil grunted as Senn lifted him up to the seat. Even from the seat, however, Cecil still couldn't see anything, and so he hopped his way to the table's surface.
“Now what?” asked Senn, eying the table. “Are we having a tea party?”
“What do you take me for?” The owl laughed, taking the teapot by the handle. “Of course we're having a tea party! What kind of host wouldn't offer a cup of tea before a long journey?”
“No tea parties,” said Senn as he slammed his fist against the table. “I just want to know how to get to the castle. How did we end up having a tea party?”
The owl smiled. “Oh, I will show you how—but tea always comes first.”
The owl tipped the teapot over a cup. But what came out looked nothing like tea. Emily leaned forward and watched the pouring from up close. It wasn't even a liquid. A small blue fire was being poured out of the teapot. When he finished pouring, the three teacups looked like three little candles, each one with a small blue flame.
“Fresh brewed,” said the owl. “Drink it while it's cool.”
Senn refused. Emily, however, picked up her cup and put her hand over it. It was cold.
“Wait,” said Senn. “Didn't your grandmother ever tell you to never drink a cup of cold fire from a stranger?”
“No, actually. She said nothing of the sort.” Then Emily closed her eyes and took a sip. She sucked the fire straight into her mouth. It was a cool sensation, and rather refreshing. It had an uplifting feel... so much so that Emily was actually lifted up.
Floating above the table, Emily exchanged shocked looks with Senn. Before she could open her mouth to speak, her vision swirled in a blur and she blacked out.
Emily woke up seconds later on a stone floor with a throbbing headache. Her mind was clouded. Blinking slowly, she had no idea where she was or what had just happened. She stood up and glanced around, her knees wobbling.
The place was covered in a thick fog. It was impossible to see much of anything.
Still woozy, she took a few clumsy steps. All of a sudden she felt someone tug on the back of her shirt. It was then that her mind cleared up, and so did some of the fog.
She looked down and froze, the blood draining from her face. Her fear of heights brought her to her knees. She had no idea how it happened, but somehow she was now high in the sky. She peered down from the edge of what appeared to be a floating island and stared at the distant ground below. Then it dawned on her: She hadn't been walking through fog. She'd been walking inside a cloud!
Emily turned around to thank whoever had saved her from falling to her doom. But she didn't see anyone. The only thing behind her was a tree.
Emily tilted her head from side to side, examining the tree. She found it really suspicious. For one thing, the tree was standing on a stone path. Emily knew very well that trees needed soil to live and grow. For another, there was a mysterious trail of dirt leading up to the tree. Footprints? Emily stooped for a closer look. No, she thought, these were not footprints. They didn't look like feet. If anything... they'd be rootprints!
A walking tree? The thought would have never crossed her mind before, but now that she had met Senn the idea didn't sound so ridiculous. If there were mushrooms that could walk and talk, why couldn't there be walking, talking trees?
Emily poked the tree. The tree shook. She poked it again. It shook again. Her face was split by a mischievous smile. She leaped at the tree, dug her fingers against the bark and started tickling it.
The tree squirmed a little. “Pfft. Snerk.” It didn't take long for it to begin laughing out loud. It really wasn't a normal tree, thought Emily. It even had facial features on its trunk: two eyes, a really branch for a nose and a huge mouth. “AHAHA! Stop, STOP! I-I can't breathe! Ahaha! I give up! I GIVE UP!”
Emily released him from his torment. “So what's your deal? Who are you and why were you being all secretive?”
The tree fidgeted. “I, uh, um, well, I, uh, um, well, I—”
“Are you asking for another tickling?” Emily cracked her knuckles and stretched out her wiggly fingers. “Because that can be gladly arranged.”
“No, no, no!” said the tree. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide. I was just afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“That you'd be scared of me and run away.”
Emily smiled. “Were you the one who rescued me in the forest?”
The tree nodded silently.
She said, “And you're the apple tree that was always by my house, aren't you?”
The tree didn't reply. He stopped talking, and his face disappeared. He went back to looking like a typical tree. Then Emily heard the sound of footsteps coming closer.
“Hey!” Senn shouted from afar. “Emily, are you okay?”
Senn and Cecil appeared out of the fog.
“We came as fast as we could,” said Cecil.
Gulping air, Senn said, “We heard a scream. Did something happen?”
“A scream?” Emily placed a finger on her chin. “Oh. You must be talking about him.” She pointed to the ordinary-looking tree next to her.
“Him?” Senn said, sounding confused. “Who are you talking about?”
“Must be her imaginary friend,” said Cecil, snickering.
“Say hello,” she said to the tree, “unless you want to be tickled again.”
“Hello,” the tree said quickly.
Eyes wide, Senn said very slowly, “Emily, come here.”
“What?” She walked over to him.
Senn whispered into her ear, “I don't know if you've noticed, but you were standing next to a talking tree.”
“So? You're a talking mushroom standing next to a talking book.”
“I'm not a mushroom. I'm a shroomen!” he growled. “And that's beside the point. There's no such thing as a race of talking trees. Human, Shroomen, Stonen, Algaen. Those are the four natural races. This tree is like Cecil—unknown, unique, and unpredictable. Could be dangerous.” Cecil smiled to himself, thinking it was a rather nice compliment.
“He's also my friend,” said Emily. “I've known him for 600 years.”
“Oh, really?” Senn looked skeptical. ??
?Then you can tell me his name, right?”
“Uh...” Emily scratched her cheek.
“Surely, you wouldn't forget the name of your friend—one you've known for 600 years.”
Emily chuckled nervously. “Of course I know his name. It's—um—Adam.”
Senn stared blankly. “An apple tree named Adam. What's next? A sun named Ray? A hotdog named Frank? I won't believe it!” Senn turned to Cecil. “Now that I think about it, how are we supposed to know what his real name is?”
Cecil said, “Bit late for that now.”
“Oh, I know!” Senn pointed at the tree. “You! Say your name real quick without thinking! GO!”
“Um... Adam?” he said doubtfully.
“Aha!” Senn said. “You're either telling the truth... or you're lying.”
“Obviously,” said Cecil.
“It looks like I'll just have to take your word for it,” said Senn. “But know this, I've got my eye on you. Any funny business and you'll have to answer to me.”