WIP Wednesdays -The Perdæshian Chronicles; Friends (Patreon)

Greetings everyone! Todays' WIP comes to you from my novels that I started with my brother: 'The Perdæshian Chronicles' ! This is a scene from the first book with Zeth (the main character) and his friends fooling around and being teens together! 

Hope you enjoy!

-Britt xoxo

It was only about a twenty minute trek through the forest in a roughly northeastern direction before the small clearing and waterfall were visible ahead of them. “WHOO!” Androth whooped as he ran the remaining several yards, throwing off his boots and pulling off his hose and shirt as he went. He scrambled up the rocks of the side of the falls to the first ledge dressed now in only his underclothes and trousers and jumped eagerly into the water.

“Can’t wait for us!?” Chess hollered as he looked in disbelief at the others. They all began to run too, dropping their clothes and sacks to match Androth’s attire before repeating their friend’s action and jumping into the water.

After several minutes of splashing around they decided they’d better grab their clothes and bring them closer in case a mischievous creature of some sort came across them and dragged them off. It would not do well to have to return to the village in nothing more than underclothes and the odd pair of trousers and be embarrassed and ridiculed for all of the foreseeable future!

Having done so, they pulled some food out of their sacks and began to eat and chat.

“So Erod…about that young Fay you met the other day…” Chess exclaimed. Erod looked away with a smile, embarrassed. “Anything going on there?”

“Wait, what? You met a Fay?” Zeth asked incredulously.

Androth’s eyes sparkled as he nodded at Zeth. He and Erod had been together that day.

“Yeah the other day at the Market Court. It’s… there’s nothing more than that…” Erod answered reluctantly.

“Oh c’mon, there’s more than that!” Zeth prodded, sitting up from his position lying on his side. “I want details!”

After seeing the inviting and eager expression on Chess’ face, Erod gave in. “Alright fine. Her name is Kaëytriah –Kaëyt for short– and um, she’s got long dark hair and uh… I don’t know why I’m telling you this…”  Erod blushed as his friends began whistling and whooping teasingly. They saw his hesitation and prompted him to go on, “And she’s really pretty. Well, no, she’s gorgeous actually and she’s got the most beautiful blue eyes and she’s just– just perfect. And when she walks… ahh…” Erod sighed happily. “But we just talked for a few moments –there was nothing going on there. And besides, I’m not good enough for her anyway. She’s a Fay for goodness sakes. They don’t– they’re not even attracted to a mere sorcerer like me, I mean… they probably don’t even find humans that attractive; they’re too gorgeous themselves to even care.”

“No Erod! Don’t say that! She liked you!” Androth encouraged. “She said she hoped to see you again, didn’t she?”

“Yeah but like that’s ever going to happen. The group of Fays isn’t even going to be in town for that long. They’re only here a short while to attend that convention the King is putting on. And it would be rude to seek her out anyway since I have my own responsibilities to be taking care of. It’s hopeless. Besides, I don’t need to fall in love right now. It’s not practical.”

“For gob-lynns’ sakes Erod. Stop being practical for once and relax. If she talked to you, and you’re interested, then in the name of Merlin’s beard you’ve gotta take a chance!” Zeth exclaimed exasperatedly. 

“She’s lovely, right?” Chess asked. Erod nodded approvingly. “So go for `er! There ain’t nothin’ wrong with chasing after a beautiful young creature and trying to get her attention. Heck, that’s how my parents met. Here’s my dad –a fine looking young fellow just about to go into his Refinement for his Wizarding Practical when he sees my Mom; a dryad, and he just knew he had to talk to her. And here we are some eighteen or so years later with them married and having me and all… You gotta do it Er!” Chess entreated. 

“That’s different though… With your parents… Your mom is pretty Chess, don’t get me wrong, but like you said, your dad is handsome himself and pretty high up and successful. And she’s no Fay like Kaëyt…and I’m just a teenage sorcerer. Like c’mon, she’s not gonna think twice –even if she doesn’t already have her eye on someone or something. She will eventually; some male Fay is just going to walk right up and poof, like a puff of smoke from my cauldron the memory of me’ll just leave her and she’ll go off and be happy with him instead. So why don’t we just let her be and pretend I never even talked to her.”

“I really don’t think you see the point here Erry! You talk to her; she gets to like you. Then she’ll introduce us all to her other Fay friends and like you said POOF! We’re in buddy! All of us’ll have Fays!” Androth proclaimed excitedly.

“Hey! Yeah!” Zeth agreed happily. “What’s more practical than that?!”

Erod shook his head in disbelief, looking skeptical.

“C’mon man you know we’re only teasing! Just talk to `er again; you gotta!” Androth declared.

“Alright, I will then,” Erod decided confidently. “I’ll do it!”

“Yeah that’s my man!” Chess chuckled, punching Erod’s arm good-naturedly. They laughed, and finished their snack quickly so they could go back in the water.

Chess went back up onto a ledge to dive and the others jumped in on the side, where large slabs of rock bordered all around the pool of water making it easy to pull oneself up from.

“Hey guys! Is it just me or is it really hot in here?” Androth exclaimed as they swam away from the edge to the middle.

“What? No, not really,” Erod replied.

“I dunno, sorta yeah I guess…” Zeth admitted.

“What are you guys talking about?” Chess hollered over the sound of the water, “It’s still the same as before!” he declared as he walked a few feet to their left and felt some of the water that was cascading down from above him.

“No, actually I think Androth’s right! The water’s getting really warm!” Erod admitted. “What’s going on?”

“Hey what’s that?” Zeth pointed to the bottom of the pool where he spotted something dark lying there. 

“That wasn’t there before,” Erod remembered. “Chess can you see it?”

“Yeah! I’ll dive and go get it!” he called down. They watched him leap out and slice into the water and swim straight to the bottom. When he came up he held a rather large round object. “Fiddlesticks! Get me a shirt, quick! It’s hot!” he cried. Erod stroked quickly through the water and leapt out. 

“Here!” Androth exclaimed, putting his legs out to which he still had his unrolled up pant legs covering his limbs. Chess dropped the object on them while they waited for Erod’s shirt.

“What is it?” Zeth asked as they had it safely in their hands on top of the shirt.

“I dunno, but it’s pulsing out heat!” Chess stated anxiously. “It was fine when I reached it at the bottom but all of a sudden it got really hot and then stopped and then did it again by the time I reached the surface.”

“Let’s look at it out of the water,” Androth suggested and they all swam to the edge and got out holding the object and the shirt carefully in their arms. It was the size of a small watermelon in a much similar shape.

They walked over to their things and sat down. “What in the name of Helsingor is that?” Erod swore.

“Let’s see that,” Androth moved in closer and looked carefully at the surface of their discovery. It was at first glance almost black in color but upon better observation they saw it was a dark blue with lighter stripes of navy and grey across it. The pattern was not much unlike that of a watermelon which the object already much resembled. It was slightly more oval shaped, however, and Androth’s eyes lit up.