The Realms of Faerie. Linda Massola

       For Ella and Dominique

      Chapter 1

      There had been peace for a long time after the cataclysm. Willow and the Whispers had created their underwater grotto, bringing with them the magical fish Lyssa. This special fish was a dreamer. Swimming in the musical waters surrounding the grotto, she dreamed the peace and tranquillity of the land. But much had changed in the Realm of Marissima. The magical fish had disappeared and Theodora, the once mighty ruler of Marissima was now held captive on the plains of Olombo with her followers. She sat and remembered better days. Days when she and the Lion-men had been free to wander in the lush valleys of Marissima before the cataclysm had occurred and turned it into a water world. Before the dreaming fish had disappeared. Before the battle which had occurred after which she had been forced to flee with her followers from Silurion and his Lizard-men resulting in their captivity in the Realm of Olombo. She sighed a huge sigh as she continued to hold the picture of Marissima in her mind, confident that someday she would return. Someday, something would change, allowing her to return. It seemed unlikely, but not impossible. Perhaps the fish Lyssa would find a way to return to the waters. Perhaps … perhaps.

      Far away in the Realm of Marissima, the leader of the Lizard-men, Silurion was also reminiscing about the time after the cataclysm. Constantly at war with the leader of the Crocodile-men, Mamba and unable to take full control of Olombo, he had turned his attention to Marissima. Now that it was mostly a water world, he knew that he would have advantage over the Lion-men. It was time to challenge their leader Theodora for the right to rule. Silurion was very greedy for power. He also knew that it would be impossible for him and his followers to enter the waters while the dreaming fish, Lyssa was there. He needed her out of the way. If he sent her to the Kingdom of Fairy, he knew that the fairy queen, Mab, would help her. If he sent her to Olombo, then Mamba might use her against him. No, he was very cunning. He decided that the best place to send her was to the Land of Mortals. In the Land of Mortals, nobody would be any the wiser. It would be impossible to kill Lyssa, so he had cast a spell and sent her into a river in the Land of Mortals. With Lyssa out of the way, he had moved into the waters of Marissima and challenged

      Theodora. Silurion ran his tongue around the outside of his large mouth as he remembered with satisfaction how the Lizard-men had easily been able to out swim the Lion-men. As a consequence, Theodora and her followers had fled and had consequently been imprisoned in the caves of Olombo by Mamba the leader of the Crocodile-men. The once powerful Lion-men had been imprisoned for many years behind a force-field on the plains of Olombo.

      But that was long ago, he thought to himself smugly. He reminisced about the wonderful bloodthirsty battle that had occurred between the Lizard-men and the Crocodile-men. Many lives had been lost, but he didn’t care too much about that. He remembered how not long ago the fairy queen, Mab had cast a spell on Mamba and shrunken him into a tiny crocodile. He chuckled to himself in satisfaction at the thought. Even this event had not released the force-field that Mamba had placed around the Lion-men. While Mamba lived, the spell was still powerful. That’s why the new leader of the Crocodile-men, Dentron kept Mamba alive.

      Dentron was not as effective as Mamba had been. He was very violent and acted quickly without thinking things through. Still, what did he, Silurion care? He had what he wanted. He was ruler of Marissima, even if Willow and Whispers still had their castle in the musical waters. Nowadays they resided in the River of Forgetfulness in the Kingdom of Fairy. He turned on his back basking in the sun; his huge mouth fell open as he slept.

      Chapter 2

      ‘I feel sorry for that creature,’ Laura sighed.

      The large Guarami fish was contained in a smallish tank.

      ‘Mary is quite happy in that tank,’ the shop owner said. ‘She’s been in it for twenty years!’

      ‘Twenty years!’ Ella echoed.

      ‘She’s very happy,’ the shop owner said defensively. ‘She has lots to eat. We even feed her strawberries for treats. She’s very happy,’ she repeated.

      ‘I still think its cruel keeping a big fish like that in a tank that’s not much bigger than she is for twenty years,’ Dominique muttered under her breath.

      ‘She’s not happy you know,’ Laura told her friends later as they were making their way back home.

      ‘She’s not?’ They had forgotten that Laura had the gift enabling her to communicate with animals.

      ‘No. She … she doesn’t belong here.’

      ‘Course not,’ said Tristan. She needs to be in a river somewhere. She needs to be free to swim and roam wherever she wants …’

      ‘No,’ Laura interrupted. ‘I mean she doesn’t belong here in our world. She comes from the Kingdom of Fairy!’ Her friends stopped in their tracks. The Kingdom of Fairy was their true home, but it had been many months since they had returned.

      ‘What do you mean her real home is in the Kingdom of Fairy?’ Georgia asked.

      ‘That’s what she said. She says that she was brought here against her will twenty years ago. She needs our help to go home.’

      ‘You mean we have to kidnap her and return her to the Kingdom of Fairy?’ asked Zara.

      ‘Maybe Tristan can use his gift of invisibility and steal her,’ Georgia suggested.

      Laura shook her head. ‘Not a good idea; too risky for Mary. She was sent here through a magical spell. She said that we need to ask Mab to help. She will know what to do.’ The children looked at each other and smiled.

      ‘That means we have to pay a visit to the Kingdom of Fairy,’ Dominique said.

      Laura nodded. ‘Oh, by the way, her name isn’t Mary!’

      ‘It isn’t?’

      ‘No – it’s Lyssa!’

      ‘Lyssa,’ the children breathed.

      ‘Tell Lyssa not to worry; we’ll help her,’ Ella said.

      For the next few days, the children were in a flurry of excitement. School assignments were hurriedly finished and plans to cross over into the Kingdom of Fairy were being made. Ella began to mentally call her fairy mother, Mab informing her that they were coming.

      A couple of days later, the fairy children stood in a circle with Dominique and blew on their colored feathers. They had crossed over so many times now that they had perfected the art. This time, they arrived right in the middle of the courtyard of the Castle of Feathers and were quickly surrounded by delighted fairies. Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Tristlin alerted the other mortal children that their friends had arrived. Mab and Oberon greeted them warmly and Lottie, Laura’s fairy mother had baked special treats with the help of Lorelei and Drew.

      ‘It is so lovely to see you,’ Tatiana smiled, ‘but what brings you here?’ The children looked at each other.

      ‘We missed you,’ Ella began, ‘and…’

      ‘Yes, yes,’ laughed Mab, ‘but come now, there is another reason isn’t there?’

      ‘Yes,’ admitted Ella. Then the children told them about the fish Mary who was being kept in the Land of Mortals, only her real name was Lyssa and she was from the Kingdom of Fairy.

      ‘Lyssa?’ Mab and Tatiana looked at each other quickly. ‘You have found Lyssa?’

      ‘I … I guess so,’ Laura said.

      ‘And