The Fairy Diary Day 220 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I convinced Navril to allow us to scour the grounds towards that spot where we knew the crystalline structure lay. He accompanied us, loading us into some skiffs by which we gained the upper town and once there fanned out into the fields. 

We easily found what we were looking for. The fields were filled with those ugly black flowers. Together we began the task of uprooting the perfidious plants. Noralei took the opportunity to collect their red seeds and harvested the red ashes of those ones that burst into flame. 

Before we returned to Nililitil’s council chambers, the black crystalline structure materialized out the hazy distance – now plain to the view of all. 

It was a reality for which Nililitil and his people were unprepared.

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The Fairy Diary Day 159 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

The ends of the fields are in sight. The plain ahead gives way to hills, and mountains rise behind them. Geog and Grimace say that their home lies in a high valley behind the second chain of hills. 

But we are left to wonder how close we are to the refugees. Surely they did not press as far as the territories held by the trolls and pixies. 

When I conjectured that possibility Geog rejected it as not necessarily so and argued that they could have avoided any contact with his people and done so easily. It all depends on how deep was the fear that drove them. They might possibly have passed through the mountain passes to the land beyond. 

I sincerely hope not given the state of their fields.

The Fairy Diary Day 158 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Overnight there has been a marked difference in the fields we have passed through. Rumble thinks it imperative for the refugee farmers to return soon, as their crops will need to be harvested. 

We didn’t know but we soon had a more pressing problem. The troll brothers found a cache of iron weapons abandoned in a field and innocently brought them into us. Dunfallon stopped them well in advance of any danger, and had the two fling the rusty swords away. Then, he explained the harm such metal things could have to fairies. (I begin to wonder if we should have asked Noralei to take the enchanted cloth barrier with us).

Both Geog and Grimace were so contrite afterwards, to the point that I had to reassure them that we – Rumble and I, held no ill will towards them.

Dunfallon piped up saying in effect that he would beat them both silly if they ever did it again. Then he laughed uproariously at their blank expressions. 

The troll brothers were quick to react to his boastful banter with trollish mirth. And in the hollow we found ourselves they sounded like an army laughing.

The Fairy Diary Day 157 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Geog and Grimace were anxious to be moving along and were a little resentful at our slow pace. But once they had observed how the fields responded to the ministrations of Rumble and myself, they entered into the spirit of what we were trying to do. 

They came across a stream that had been dammed up and exerted every effort to clear out the rocks and tree trunks causing the blockage. 

They soon had the water singing merrily on its way. 

When we followed along after it, Dunfallon called my attention to a black bird sitting in a naked tree watching us. When it suddenly flapped away, the pixie wanted to summon his eagle and pursue it. 

Fearing a trap I held him back, promising that there will come a time for such action.

The Fairy Diary Day 156 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

When we were prepared to leave on our new mission the realization dawned upon me that we needed to send word to Noralei that we would not be headed her way until much later. So, when the king presented us with his proclamation to take with us to his people, I broached the question to him. He graciously offered to send a messenger to inform her. 

Having settled my mind on that matter, Rumble and I took leave of our new friends and joined Dunfallon and the troll brothers out in the field. The pixie was delighted to be on the road again and was looking forward to new adventures. 

I can say that I had similar feelings though I admit they were somewhat dampened by the evidence of destruction everywhere we looked. 

Rumble and I announced that we intended to make our way slowly and devote some of our time to coax the fields back to health.

Day One Thousand Thirty Four #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Elijah and I isolated ourselves today as best we could to seek guidance from the Spirit as to our next move.

His pupils, on his order have gone without the city to a place where they can do the same.

Elam had shared that the frequency of his trips has dropped in half. And he has heard rumors that what is coming in is being redirected to the fields around Babylon. Fields elsewhere are drying up at an alarming rate.

Elijah’s pupils down from the north echoed these facts, and talked of a schedule for towns to be cut off of supply.

And Tomas reported through them that all army units at the outposts were being removed and ordered elsewhere.

Day Nine Hundred Seventy Nine #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Our friend could talk of nothing else but the explosion. He was well past the town where it went off when it went off. He turned around and ran back to investigate. But he couldn’t get any closer than the fields outside. Nothing stirred, except the raging fire – everywhere. It seemed to be feeding on something within itself.

When he passed through before, not a soul would answer him. So he had wiped his feet and left in search of us.

When Tomas had unburdened himself, Elijah had us all turn in. Only with the new morning did we open up about our journey and about the rumor we had heard.

We parlayed and unanimously decided to pursue the lead.

Day Eight Hundred Sixty Two #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The villages we passed through yesterday and today were quiet and almost empty, for their inhabitants were out laboring in the fields. The requisite posters of Stan increased in number as we grew closer to Damascus.

And as we were getting closer, Elijah and I strategized about our entry.

We decided that we would hold up at a distance and observe the patterns of movement into and out of the city.

It would also need to be an out of the way site, the better to seek the Spirit’s direction.

We have noted already that at certain times of the day the road traffic slows due to an increase in vehicles and backs up. This may prove an important factor.

Day Eight Hundred Sixty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Town police rousted us from our sleep this morning. We had chosen a place too close to the town for their liking. Thus we were a little earlier on the road than planned.

It worked to our advantage as we made good progress being the only ones on the road at that hour.

Ahead we could see a series of villages nestled along the road surrounded with fields under cultivation.

I debated with Elijah whether or not to leave the road and go around them. He felt no need or compulsion to do so. I wanted to avoid anything like yesterday that could hold us back again.

We concluded that walking in the fields would bring unwanted attention to ourselves.

Day Eight Hundred Nineteen #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Our guide has switched roles today, looking to Elijah and myself as guides into the Truth. He hung upon every lesson as Elijah taught from the surroundings. The plants heavy with grain, the water nourishing their roots, and the very light of the sun’s rays helping us to see these things.

Time seemed to stand still as we kept on our way. Before we knew it we were beyond the fields and into unreclaimed desert. The dryness added discomfort to the heat.

We began a swing to the north following the contour of a bowl-like depression, the end of which meant a steep climb up to a new elevation and a view of the megapolis- minus its tallest building.