Si & Jay

      It was a beautiful fall day in Meridell: crinkling multicoloured leaves carpeted the surrounding forest floor, and though the sun had just risen, already town was bustling with activity.

     But it was not the sun that awoke Siyana, as irony goes, but instead a persistent Buzzer. Sometimes light faeries oversleep, too.

     "Zzzz-p, zzzz-p," back and forth the little petpet flew, hurriedly enjoying the last of the summer flowers’ nectar. Unfortunately for Siyana, all of these flowers were right beside her bed: a pile of crunched autumn leaves.

     Si blinked awake and scrambled to her feet after checking the sun. "Light faerie – ha! Too much gossiping last night around the fire," she muttered to herself, and glanced quickly around.

     Speaking of which...where is Illusen, anyway? She pondered.

     Tying the faded marigold ribbons on her leather sandals sloppily, she staggered off bleary-eyed towards what looked like auburn locks in the clearing over.

     A cup of coffee, tea even. She'd even settle for borovan, she thought.

     Sure enough, in the next clearing Illusen sat, propped up on a faux throne of sorts constructed of oak sticks and the loveliest of the summer’s flowers. Before her was a sweaty looking blue Kacheek, rubbing its paws together and wagging its tail nervously.

     The Kacheek stammered, "I'm so, I'm so sorry Illusen, I couldn't retrieve the item you asked for in the time you gave. I tried my best, I did ..."

     Illusen held a hand to her heart and inclined her head. The emerald streaks in her hair glinted in the sun when she did so. "Oh, brave Neopian, I know you did. Next time I'm sure you'll retrieve it. But, until then ..."

     An enchanted gold board beside her showed glowing names and beside them, numbers. She waved a hand past it, and one of them disappeared. The Kacheek stifled a small gasp with its round paws.

     Illusen looked back at the Kacheek and nodded. "Next time, I'm sure, dear brave Neopian. Now, on your way! And remember – don't run off to start doing quests for Jhudora."

     The Kacheek nodded and scurried off towards the path to Meridell.

     Illusen slumped in her chair and leaned back with an exhale, kicking her feet out.

     "Quite a show you put on," Si said, walking into the clearing.

     "Dude, if you don't put on the fancy-royal-faerie-thing they'll never bring you stuff. Don't ever become a quest-giving faerie. Once it starts, it never ends. They just keep coming back." The high pitch of her voice from her act was gone, and now she spoke in her usual alto tones.

     Si laughed. "You don't have to tell me. I would hate to be in one place. What do you do with all the junk you ask for, anyway?"

     Illusen is wishy-washy for an earth faerie. Direct questions will never do. She was already gazing at the rising sun.

     "Hey, you wanna go to town for breakfast? Merifoods owes me a favour."

     Si yawned. "Yeah, sure. It's not like I have anywhere to be."

     Illusen gathered her satchel – somehow perfectly stitched together birch bark with glistening, seemingly forever youthful peonies adorning it. Illusen caught Si admiring it.

     "You liiike? Whipped this one up last week. Endless summer, man." Illusen winked.

     Si laughed. "If you can make things as beautiful as that from your surroundings, why ask for so many expensive items?"

     "Ookay, they're not all expensive. Well. Some, okay, yeah. And anyway, it's sort of a charity thing to be a constant quest-giver. All of those other faeries are so stingy (no offense). I'm a constant. You come to this forest? I'm here." At this last statement, Illusen’s usually relaxed features became stiff, her eyes set on the horizon.

     Si laughed again. "I see. All very noble, of course. You're here and you'll scrape away high scores in five minutes or less and ..."

     "Alright, alright," Illusen grabbed Si's arm and began to march them towards the dirt path.

     "Let's get you some coffee, you grump-o."

     Meridell isn't very far from the glade, but it took the pair a little longer than expected to arrive at Merifoods.

     Illusen looked about with a frown. "Sheesh, the streets are usually only this busy this early on Meridell Day. I don't know what's up. Usually my News Guy gives me updates."

     "Who's your news guy?"

     Illusen glanced at Si to make sure she was serious. "Oh – okay. I guess I didn't tell you his name. My Buzzer, his name is News Guy. He gets me all the gossip, happenins, whateva."

     Now in the town square, the pair was met with a crowd gathered around a small wooden platform. On the platform a white Skeith draped in gold robes, embroidered with the Meridell blue and red crest, held a scroll and a wooden megaphone. The crowd was just quieting down, and it seems he was ready to announce his message. This might not have been the first time he announced it – messengers like this are often posted in the town square for hours at a time.

     Si and Illusen made their way over to the crowd. Already, Illusen was getting noticed by townsfolk and was waving, smiling, and reciprocating hugs at intervals. The Skeith began.

     "Hear ye, hear ye! Our great and prosperous King Skarl is searching for a new Court Sorcerer!" He paused for a moment, either for effect or because he was already growing hoarse.

     Clearing his throat, he continued, "This Sorcerer must be able to prove themselves in front of King Skarl himself and the royal court. Auditions will be held today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.! Tell all – this Sorcerer need not be a Meridell resident! Hear ye, hear ye!"

     And the announcement was over. The Skeith wiped his brow with a white cloth from his robe pocket and retrieved a small water vial, which he drank from.

     Illusen, now not being badgered by adoring fans and friends, grabbed Si's arm and shook her.

     "SI! THIS IS IT! That could be you! Why can't a faerie be a royal sorcerer? You could do probably any spell Skarl asks for. And you could be my neighbour! Think ... decent wages, a warm place to sleep, good friends. What do you think?"

     Si was still gazing at the Skeith. "Do you think they know that microphones exist? Or CDs? Or speakers? This poor guy."

     Illusen loosened her hold and sagged for a moment, but brightened again. "That's part of the Meridell charm! Whatever. But, c'mon, what do you think? It'd be nice to have another famous faerie around here."

     Si looked down at her feet, already a dusty brown from the walk. "But Skarl is kind of a weirdo."

     Illusen laughed. "Yeah, but he's our weirdo. Meridell loves him, and all leaders have quirks. I have friends in the castle and they say he's nice to work with (when he's not hungry)."

     Illusen grabbed Si's arm again.

     "Si, this could be it! What you've been looking for. At least tell me you'll try out?"

     Si kicked around a few loose pebbles on the cobblestone street. "Okay! Okay. You're right. I'll try out. I'll never know what's calling me if I don't first pick up."

     Illusen clapped her hands and slapped Si on the back. "That's my Si! Now off to Merifoods, before they're sold out of Draik eggs again."

     ---

     Merifoods, thankfully (for Si), was sold out of Draik eggs.

     The purple Meerca shopkeeper brightened as soon as he saw Illusen approach his wooden stall, quickly hurrying his current paying customer off with their change and a "Good day!"

     "Hey, Chris," Illusen said.

     "Illusen! It is always such a wonderful, fortunate, glorious surprise when you're here! What can I do for you?"

     Illusen elbowed Si and whispered under her breath, "I shop here at least twice a week."

     Si stifled a laugh with her hand as Illusen said, in her most ostentatious voice, "You know you are my favourite vendor in all of Meridell – nay – Neopia! Now, you do recall the favour you owe me after I did not reset your grandson's high score."

     Chris appeared to get a little fidgety and sweaty at the mention of this deal, and he said in a quieter voice than before, "Yes, yes, of course, I would never forget and I thank you greatly for such a noble allowance." He cleared his throat and placed his paws on the wooden counter.

     "Now! How about a full breakfast for the both of you, on the house. It is not often you bring a fellow faerie here! What is your name?"

     Si had been admiring the variety of wheels of cheeses and hadn't heard when her cue was spoken.

     Illusen laughed, waving her hand as if brushing something away. "Not a morning person. That's Siyana, or, Si, and she's auditioning to be the Meridell sorcerer this afternoon! She's going to get it, easy."

     This part Si heard. Rushing over, she blurted, "No, no, there's no guarantee I'll get it. Just trying something new out. And Meridell is such a ... lovely place!"

     Even when she listened to herself, she knew her voice fell a little flat at the end – a bit unconvincing. Chris, all politeness, did not notice.

     "Well, I'd love to see more of you around. Seems like Illusen should spend time with more faeries, I'm sure us townsfolk get quite irksome."

     Illusen gasped. "Never you, Chris! You're my favourite. Don't tell anyone." Illusen winked.

     Chris bustled off to package their meals in an effort to hide his happiness. After all, a compliment from a faerie is rare and treasured.

     Illusen and Si enjoyed their late breakfast in the Meridell palace courtyard; Illusen had clearance to be on palace grounds in any event. The two sat under a birch, its leaves a brilliant orange, and spread out their brunch. Chris had been more than generous and had prepared for them a basket of raspberries and blueberries, two wheels of Spicy Juppie Cheese, two bread wreaths, and four Illusen Day cupcakes. Chris had even brewed them two mugs of coffee, an item he didn’t even stock at the shop. They ate slowly, then laid on the grass for a while as they digested, lazily watching cumulus clouds drift by.

     Illusen insisted on showing Si around the palace after brunch. She introduced her to all of her favourite guards, as well as the palace staff, all the while touting Si's magical abilities.

     After the tour, it was time to begin signing in for the audition.

     "I wish I could stay and see you! You're gonna wreck them. It'll be over in a second. Buuut my questees need me. So I'm off! I'll have a nice veggie soup ready for you when you get back. Good luck!" Illusen said quickly, giving Si a hug, then hurrying off while still waving.

     "Make sure you put extra beans in that soup! I wanna see every kind!" Si yelled after her jokingly.

     Si looked back at the palace and sighed.

     Here we go, she thought. I hope I don't disappoint my friend.

     Already, neopets had been bustling inside to the palace main hall. She had only seen one other faerie – an air faerie whom she was unfamiliar of.

     She entered the main hall again. In the little time she had been touring the palace, the castle staff had already decorated the main hall for the event. Garish red, blue, and gold ribbons hung everywhere. Even balloons, too – jokey ones with Skarl's face on them and others with a simple Meridell crest. There were lavish drinks and appetizers, too – Smoked Snorkle Cheese, Honey Cheese, and Golden Cheese chopped into small cubes on large silver trays, with braided loaves of bread beside them. Voidberry and Jumbleberry fizzed drinks stood in neat rows in crystal glasses.

      Si made her way to a registry table, greeting the older starry Zafara sitting there. She, too, wore robes like the messenger Skeith, except they were a deep royal blue with the embroidered Meridell crest on the chest and the hems embroidered with gold.

     "Hi, I'm here for the sorcerer position?"

     The Zafara gazed up at her shrewdly. "Are you asking or telling?" She asked.

     Si laughed. This Zafara did not want to be troubled with this menial task, it seemed.

     "I'm sorry, that was silly of me. My name is Siyana, I'm here for the audition. Where do I go from here?" Si said. She felt as if she should have been nervous, but she wasn't. She had only learned about this competition just this morning, after all.

     The Zafara informed her that she would wait in the main hall with all other contestants until they were called into the throne room. She handed Si a piece of parchment listing the types of magic that were allowed and disallowed. You would be given ten minutes to impress the King or to answer his requests.

     The only type of magic disallowed was simply, "Dark magic."

     Si laughed at the simple instructions and returned the parchment to the Zafara.

     "Oh, that's for you to keep – to help you," said the Zafara.

     Si shook her head. "Won't need it, I'm afraid."

     Si wasn't sure where all of this confidence came from. It's not like she was a shoo-in. Just because you're a faerie doesn't make you that much more powerful than a trained sorcerer. Fretting over things like this was not Si's way, she preferred to rely on her relaxed nature. But usually, she felt at least a small stir of nerves.

     Si grabbed a Voidberry drink and leaned against a stone wall in the corner of the room. She knew why she wasn't nervous. She didn't want this job. She was just doing this as a weak attempt to find her place in Neopia, but she knew this wasn't it.

     Just because it fit her friend perfectly, did not mean it would fit her. She didn't like Meridell food, or even Meridell. She felt awful thinking about this while standing in the main hall of its castle, but it was true. She was a traveller. And when you travel many places, you learn what you like and what you don't.

     "If only somehow that equated to finding your place," Si murmured to herself.

     A fire Blumaroo near her overheard her musing and frowned, edging away slightly.

     "Sorry," Si laughed.

     It's a competition, remember? Si thought.

     The room had filled with twenty-three other contestants, the max capacity for the competition. If the King did not find a sorcerer of his choice today, he would hold the contest again for as many days as it took. A red Lenny adorned in the same royal blue robes as the Zafara walked around the room handing out time slots for each contestant. They were written on small strips of folded parchment, held in a wicker basket.

     Si reached her hand in the basket. '24' was written on it in slanted ink.

     Cool, last place. This is going to be a long wait for just an introspective job interview, Si thought.

     After time slots were distributed, the Zafara and Lenny guided the group to the throne room, where all who were waiting would sit on a pair of small wooden bleachers until their turn.

     Si scooted into one of the last free spots next to a blue Aisha. The bleachers had been decorated with blue, red, and gold ribbons, as well as banners with the Meridell crest. Still, these decorations could not hide the old state of the wood used, as well as the rust on the nails. The bleachers creaked as Si sat down.

     Si elbowed the Aisha beside her and whispered, "Sheesh, they could've at least given us a throne, huh?"

     The Aisha maintained her blank stare forward.

     Si fidgeted and cleared her throat. "I'm Si," she said, and offered her hand for a shake.

     The Aisha cast a sidelong glance at her, then resumed her focused stare forward.

     "Jerdana," she stated.

     "Jerdana! That's a cool name. We share half of a name. I always thought mine was too long, though. Full name is Siyana," Si said, lowering her unshaken hand.

     She didn't usually feel so chatty, but she was bored. It was going to be a long three hours without some conversation.

     "If you don't mind, Siyana, I would like to remain silent so I can focus. And I don't know why one would shorten their given name," Jerdana huffed.

     Siyana studied the Aisha. Her paws, covered with tattered brown gloves, were clasped tightly together and she bounced her right leg up and down nervously. Her face was scrunched up in focus. Her robes were what set her apart from the other applicants – they were beautifully embroidered with moons, stars, and planets. It was lovely.

     Si decided to try a different route.

     "Your robes! They're insane. I've never seen anything like them. Did you make them?"

     Jerdana scoffed. "Yes, I'm sure these tattered things are better than some of the finest materials you've seen as a faerie."

     Si scratched her head, then stroked her golden locks in thought. "You know, I honestly think I'm telling the truth. I don't interact with a whole lot of other faeries." She glanced down at her yellow dress. She had hemmed it to be shorter so it wouldn’t get dirty as she walked many miles. The different shades of yellow were beginning to fade.

     Jerdana shot her a sour look. "Then what kind of faerie are you?"

     Si laughed. "A weird one, I guess. Not all of us have our stuff sorted. Clearly," she gestured around her.

     Jerdana turned her whole body now, so that she was facing Si. Si thought she had such a stern face for a young neopet.

     "Are you telling me," Jerdana began, "that you simply came here to audition on a whim?"

     Uh oh, Si thought.

     "No," Si said. But Si hated lying. "Yes. Yes, I did. Like I said, not sorted."

     Jerdana scoffed and shook her head, turning away.

     "And yet you will win. Faeries are more powerful than I could ever be," Jerdana said quietly.

     "Hey! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. This means a lot to you, I guess."

     Jerdana nodded and looked at her paws in her lap. "I've been training for years to someday become a court sorceress. This is my one chance."

     Si placed a hand on Jerdana's shoulder.

     "I believe in you. Anyone who cares that much about something like this is sure to get it," Si said.

     Brightening, Si added, "And, you never know, the Brightvale sorcerer might kick the – "

     Si trailed off, removing her hand from Jerdana's shoulder upon seeing her begin to bristle.

     Good try, Si, she thought.

     At that moment no further conversation could occur. King Skarl, a rotund blue Skeith draped in crimson fur-lined robes, took his place on the throne and the contest began. Watching other contestants perform made Si feel those tiny bits of nerves that she rejected, so she resigned to counting the stones in the walls.

     Skarl had turned down all twenty-two contestants before her neighbour, Jerdana, apparently number 23, was to perform. Most had been uneventful: either the contestants could not conduct the magic they were attempting or they could not complete the request Skarl asked of them. The one moment of note was when the fire Blumaroo accidentally caught its cloak on fire with a spell. Thankfully, a special court assistant sat in wait with a ceramic pot of water nearby, just for this sort of incident.

     Si had thought the air faerie might have put on a decent show, but disappointingly did not. As she made her exit, Si shot a glance at Jerdana to see her reaction. She remained as stern and quiet as before.

     "See? Faeries aren't automatically perfect," Si wanted to tell her.

     Skarl called out Jerdana's number a second time. She had not risen from her seat yet. Si nudged her shoulder.

     "Hey, c'mon, it's your turn. You've got this!"

     Jerdana slowly, mechanically, stood and made her way over to the center of the scarlet rug set before Skarl.

     "Woo! You go, Jay!" Si cheered, clapping.

     Skarl's guards frowned at Si, eyeing her uneasily, and stamping their spears. It would be strange for a fellow contestant to cheer another in a competition.

     Jerdana shook her head, looked at the ground, and closed her eyes, her paws folded. A few seconds passed like this.

     "Well," Skarl said. "Since you have failed to begin, I will give you a task. I would like to see an image of Spyders crawling in webs that is not real."

     Jerdana's eyes snapped open, and she bowed.

     "Yes, your majesty, I apologize for my silence. I am Jerdana. I am happy to serve you this vibrant vision."

     Jerdana stood up straighter, closed her eyes, and waved her paws in gentle circles, getting faster and faster. Then, she stopped, holding out one paw pads-up. A small gold music box fell to the ground, then clicked opened.

     Dancing inside was a toy Spyder, rotating in time to a popular Neopian lullaby. As the Spyder spun, light in the room began to shift.

     Glistening crystals appeared, refracting and flipping, then centering into a form – many intersecting lines creating an enormous web, as big as the room. Now shadows gathered, and a huge Spyder, eyes blazing red, creaked into the center of the web, gazing at Skarl and chomping its mandibles.

     It was so real that the movements of the hairy Spyder could be heard and even felt, due to its unfathomable size. The web was so real that everyone's hands began to feel sticky.

     Skarl sat, rigid, eyes wide and mouth agape. Sweat streamed down his forehead.

     "Please!" He coughed. "Please, stop, stop, stop! Get it away from me!"

     Skarl recoiled and hid his face into his robe, as he kicked his legs about.

     Jerdana waved her hand once and opened her eyes. The Spyder remained.

     Skarl's yelling began to become more frantic, and Jerdana waved her hands again, brows creasing in concern. The Spyder, web and all, disappeared into nothing.

     Skarl was furious now, and his whimpers became ambiguous grunts of rage. One of his guards, a white Lupe, came to his rescue.

     "That is enough for today! Don't you know Skarl is afraid of Spyders? And you have broken the one offense: using dark magic," he said, holding out his shield, almost as in real defense.

     Si had seen enough. She jumped out of the bleachers to meet Jerdana, holding her right arm around Jerdana's shoulder protectively.

     "Shame on you!" She yelled. "Shame on you all! She did exactly what the King asked, all without dark magic (I should know!) and you renounce her? Demonize her, even? Shaaame on you!"

     Skarl and his guards were appalled at this outburst. When you're royalty, you never expect something like this.

     "GET OUUUUTTTTT," was all Skarl could screech before Jerdana and Si were dragged to the palace gates and tossed to the street.

     "Ow. Ow. Ouch."

     Si rose up on her elbows and cast a glance at Jerdana. She was lying on her back, staring up at the sky, melting now to sunset.

     "You okay over there, Jay?" Si asked.

     "You know," Jerdana said. "I actually like that nickname, and I thought I didn't like nicknames."

     There was silence for a few minutes as the two reflected on the afternoon.

     "Thank you," said Jerdana. "Thank you for standing up for me. I wouldn't have wanted to work for him, anyway."

     "He's lame," said Si.

     "He is," Jay agreed.

     "Well. You wanna join me for dinner at Illusen's? She's making veggie soup, if you like that sort of thing."

     "I'd be happy to," Jay said, standing.

     "You know," Si began, accepting a hand-up from Jay. "That was some of the most amazing magic I've ever seen."

     ---

     Over soup and bread at Illusen's, the duo told all of the events of the afternoon to their host, who, upon hearing the result of the afternoon, could not stop laughing.

     "That is the funniest thing I've ever heard. I mean, I'm sad you both didn't get the job, but … asking for Spyders then getting upset about it? If that's not the most Skarl thing I've ever heard."

     Si and Jay looked at one another and laughed, too, then. What a silly king. And what a wasted afternoon.

     "So, what's up next for you, Jay?" asked Illusen.

     "I … don't know. I don't have a home since my apprenticeship ended. I suppose I should travel and look for work now."

     Jay looked glumly down at the fire crackling before them.

     "Hey! That's what Si here is doing. Why don't you two travel together? It's cheaper and safer, after all. Gotta watch out for bandits," Illusen said, her mouth full, and pointed a wooden spoon at Jay meaningfully.

     "No, no, I wouldn't want to impose …" Jay trailed off.

     Si elbowed Jay. "Hey, I'd love the company. It'd be no problem at all. And you can teach me how to decorate my outfits like you do."

     Jay smiled into her soup bowl, and for the first time in a long time, felt no anxiety.

     To be continued…