Read Online Dear Muse (Those Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy Book 1) by Shawn Mackey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shawn Mackey
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understanding of the offense. The thrashing prevented public breakdowns, besides the occasional plea to return home, which clearly indicated their old country. My students have become so comfortable and candid, they come to me with questions, and I am always eager to provide an answer in most cases.
Today was one of those exceptional cases. Phoebe asked if my father’s name was Charles or another that her parents mentioned in a conversation last night. I did not wish to curb the girl’s inquisitive nature, no matter how much she pressed the question, nor did I appreciate the carelessness of her parents, specifically her mother, who had unkind words for me, as well. I was influencing the town’s people with my charms in a bad way, according to her. Something about witchcraft and whatnot. The accusation was laughable, though her gossiping nature grates my nerves. The hen was already rubbing off on her poor daughter. Unless I intervene, she will grow to be a sour scandalmonger.
These children will believe anything. I knew it from the start and made frequent sport of their ignorance. Why not take it to another level?
I was from a magical land, an otherworld beneath the Earth. My father was a king, my mother a queen, and my uncle a regent. As a princess from the otherworld, I needed their solemn vow to keep my origin a secret; else the evil monsters will come to the island and kill everyone. This simple explanation was enough to keep them under my trance. They had never been so enthused. For a moment, I relaxed in the silence before continuing.
The monsters stormed our castle and ate all our soldiers. Before they could attack the throne, we were whisked away by a wizard. In our exile, the monsters stole the castle and ruined the land. Without an army, we could never return.
Phoebe wanted to know if the wizard was safe, Thomas wanted me to describe the castle, David asked about the monsters, and Hailey could not comprehend the prospect of another world, assuming I came from the sea no matter how many times I told her otherwise. People cannot breathe underwater. How can they breathe underground? My counter argument must have been directly from the muse. I quivered with inspiration.
There is a whole world underground, with a sky and sun and moon and water, including a large lake named Lakustria. At its center is an island, and on that island is a cave. My family traveled through the catacombs to reach this island. Was that why everyone wanted to explore the forest? Precisely, I responded with a smile. Phoebe’s astuteness forever cemented her as my favorite.
The island was a perfect parallel of ours, only inhabited by hungry monsters instead of people. Thomas was the one who got me on a roll, asking, who fights these monsters? If nobody was fighting them, they would have followed us through the cave. To answer his question, I warned, the whole history of my world would need to be divulged. Their attention fully focused, I was able to tell the story without interruption.
The world known as Lakustria began as an egg held by the mouth of a giant snake, coiled deep within the bowels of the Earth, traversable through a dark fissure and into the snake’s second mouth. No mortal may pass through the two-headed serpent, whose insides are vast beyond the measure. Woe to the man who finds himself stranded in the belly of this behemoth.
Two boundaries of earthen material divided the egg into three portions, the top full of frozen liquid, the middle full of turbulent air, and the bottom full of everlasting fire. After being continuously singed by the flame, the lower boundary began to heat up and soften the earthen material. The air eroded the surface, dispersing the dust and heating the ground even further. It caused the dust to intermittently ignite into tiny balls of fire. The smoke accumulated into a large cloud and, carried by the dusty air, clung to the top boundary. The warmth caused the colder earthen mass to sweat cool
Today was one of those exceptional cases. Phoebe asked if my father’s name was Charles or another that her parents mentioned in a conversation last night. I did not wish to curb the girl’s inquisitive nature, no matter how much she pressed the question, nor did I appreciate the carelessness of her parents, specifically her mother, who had unkind words for me, as well. I was influencing the town’s people with my charms in a bad way, according to her. Something about witchcraft and whatnot. The accusation was laughable, though her gossiping nature grates my nerves. The hen was already rubbing off on her poor daughter. Unless I intervene, she will grow to be a sour scandalmonger.
These children will believe anything. I knew it from the start and made frequent sport of their ignorance. Why not take it to another level?
I was from a magical land, an otherworld beneath the Earth. My father was a king, my mother a queen, and my uncle a regent. As a princess from the otherworld, I needed their solemn vow to keep my origin a secret; else the evil monsters will come to the island and kill everyone. This simple explanation was enough to keep them under my trance. They had never been so enthused. For a moment, I relaxed in the silence before continuing.
The monsters stormed our castle and ate all our soldiers. Before they could attack the throne, we were whisked away by a wizard. In our exile, the monsters stole the castle and ruined the land. Without an army, we could never return.
Phoebe wanted to know if the wizard was safe, Thomas wanted me to describe the castle, David asked about the monsters, and Hailey could not comprehend the prospect of another world, assuming I came from the sea no matter how many times I told her otherwise. People cannot breathe underwater. How can they breathe underground? My counter argument must have been directly from the muse. I quivered with inspiration.
There is a whole world underground, with a sky and sun and moon and water, including a large lake named Lakustria. At its center is an island, and on that island is a cave. My family traveled through the catacombs to reach this island. Was that why everyone wanted to explore the forest? Precisely, I responded with a smile. Phoebe’s astuteness forever cemented her as my favorite.
The island was a perfect parallel of ours, only inhabited by hungry monsters instead of people. Thomas was the one who got me on a roll, asking, who fights these monsters? If nobody was fighting them, they would have followed us through the cave. To answer his question, I warned, the whole history of my world would need to be divulged. Their attention fully focused, I was able to tell the story without interruption.
The world known as Lakustria began as an egg held by the mouth of a giant snake, coiled deep within the bowels of the Earth, traversable through a dark fissure and into the snake’s second mouth. No mortal may pass through the two-headed serpent, whose insides are vast beyond the measure. Woe to the man who finds himself stranded in the belly of this behemoth.
Two boundaries of earthen material divided the egg into three portions, the top full of frozen liquid, the middle full of turbulent air, and the bottom full of everlasting fire. After being continuously singed by the flame, the lower boundary began to heat up and soften the earthen material. The air eroded the surface, dispersing the dust and heating the ground even further. It caused the dust to intermittently ignite into tiny balls of fire. The smoke accumulated into a large cloud and, carried by the dusty air, clung to the top boundary. The warmth caused the colder earthen mass to sweat cool
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