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eBook Category: Fantasy
eBook Description: This second novel in the Emerald Eyes Trilogy starts on the non-magical Earth. It is Christmas and Cindy and Sylvia from Emerald Eyes Destiny are skating on a lake in Washington State . A strange mist swirls in and a little bird arrives with a message on his leg asking for help. They travel through a magical void to another world and find Muftin, the bird, can speak. Gikre a dwarf, is with Tulco, a girl with emerald eyes like their own. She is caught in a bear trap set by human invaders trying to catch them. After freeing Tulco from the trap Cindy and Sylvia help her to escape from the humans. However, they must cope with strange mists called vapin that appear to come in two forms; a white one helps them but a red one is a terrible enemy. After being attacked by the red vapin the white vapin comes to their assistance and communicates with them with thoughts. They are told to head to White Sword Peninsular, far away up the coast. Xentrix the dragon provides transport for this perilous journey.There they meet a strange community isolated on a small peninsular. For some reason these humanoids cannot leave the peninsular. Why is this so and what is the dark secret held by these people? What of the strange mists? Are they just a force or something alive? In this adventure all these problems must be solved including the one about Tulco, herself. It appears that Cindy loses her magical powers as Tulco gains them. The youngster matures at a phenomenal rate to become a woman the same age as Cindy and Sylvia. Why is this so? How does this new Emerald Eye Wizard use her special powers to solve the problems in this magical world? If you've read Emerald Eyes Destiny you'll love being with Cindy and Sylvia again. This novel, though, is a complete story in itself that can be enjoyed in its own right.

eBook Publisher: Eloka Systems, Published: 2004
Fictionwise Release Date: April 2004

This eBook is part of the following series:

• Ross Richdale's Emerald Eyes Series

10 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [215 KB] , ePub (EPUB) [176 KB] , Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [190 KB] , Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [693 KB] , Palm Doc (PDB) [211 KB] , Microsoft Reader (LIT) [203 KB] , Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [233 KB] , hiebook (KML) [525 KB] , Sony Reader (LRF) [298 KB] , iSilo (PDB) [173 KB] , Mobipocket (PRC) [220 KB] , Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [255 KB] , OEBFF Format (IMP) [286 KB]
Words: 63270
Reading time: 180-253 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Portable Document Format (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

Even though it was only late afternoon the winter sun had disappeared behind the North Cascades in Washington State. Two blonde women skated on the frozen lake and smiled as the foreshore suddenly lit up and a gigantic fir tree burst into Christmas lights. To a stranger Cindy Meikin and Sylvia Von Hilderthorn looked so similar they could be twins, which was indeed what they were. The two sisters, though, had been brought up separately and had only met three years earlier as teenagers. Their deep emerald eyes hinted that these young women were somehow different from normal humans. Now, however, they were normal sophomores studying at a local college. Their other world experiences were only spoken of in family meetings and, for two years now, the pair had led the life as ordinary students.

It was the start of the Christmas vacation and they joined a party of thirty fellow students visiting a mountain lodge for a vacation of skiing and skating. The snowfall from earlier in the day covered the forest and a district smell of wood smoke clung to the lakeshore, white in frozen beauty.

Cindy was quite an expert on her skates but Sylvia appeared more nervous.

"Wait for me," she shouted as her sister did a twirl on the ice and bent forward with her arms swinging wide. Cindy accelerated forward towards a bend in the foreshore and was momentarily out of sight.

"Show off," Sylvia called out and followed, not as graciously but still with a rising confidence she demonstrated in any new endeavor.

She reached the bend and could see only the natural twilight as no lights reached this far. Ahead in the silver ice, Cindy glided off shore turned and began to return. Her skates hummed on the surface and flung up minute particles of ice as she circled in and halted.

"You're doing well," she said. Condensation puffed from her mouth in a tiny cloud.

"Sure," Sylvia retorted. "I'm like an old lady of ninety while you make everything seem so easy. How do you manage?"

Cindy chuckled. "Just experience I guess. Anyhow, shall we head back? I reckon it's dropped twenty degrees since the sun went behind the mountain."

Sylvia, though, wasn't listening but instead stared up the lake. "That's strange," she whispered.

"What?" Cindy replied and swung around.

"That mist."

Where Cindy had been skating mere seconds before, a sheet of white mist had descended. The view of ice and firs silhouetted on the lake's far shore was now a blanket of shimmering white. Even as they watched there was movement from one corner and a small object flew out. It was a bird but one quite unlike any Cindy or Sylvia had seen before. Its wings beat frantically but the bird's forward momentum seemed restricted as if it was fighting a current, but there was no wind. Everything was so calm even the firs remained motionless under their blanket of snow.

Suddenly, two things happened simultaneously; the sheet of mist disappeared with a faint sucking sound and the bird was propelled forward. It rocketed into the air above the pair, found its wings and flew back, straight towards them.

Before Cindy had a chance to react the new arrival landed on her shoulder and gave her a tiny peck on her frozen cheek.

"It's tame," Sylvia said. "Poor little thing looks frozen. It looks like a colorful sparrow, not a native."

"You're right," replied Cindy. "There's more. Look!"

She reached up and the bird hopped across to her extended gloved finger. Two black eyes looked at her. A brown beak opened the bird chirped and held up one leg. Attached to it was a naming tag.

Sylvia reached across. "There's a clip," she said. "Can you hold him a moment?"

"Sure."

The bird didn't object when Cindy reached out and tucked her fingers around the yellow, orange and gray feathers. She turned the bird slightly to give Sylvia access.

Her thick gloves were a hindrance but Sylvia managed to move a clip back so the tag expanded and slid over the bird's claws. "There's something inside," she said.

With Cindy peering over her shoulder and the bird's head cocked sideways as if it, too, knew what was happening. She pulled out a long strip of tissue paper.

"Oh my God," Cindy whispered.

There were words written on the paper. They were crudely written in capitals as if the author was unfamiliar with the English alphabet. It could, though, be understood. We need your help. If you are real, please come. Muftin will guide you.

"Who's Muftin?" Sylvia asked. Immediately the bird flew across to her shoulder and gave her covered ear a distinct peck. Even though the woolen earmuffs she felt the distinct nip. "So you are?" she continued and lifted her other hand up.

The bird hopped onto her finger and peered at her. Sylvia turned to Cindy with her face drained of color. "Muftin, here, can't communicate because magic doesn't work on Earth. Isn't that right, Muftin?"

The bird fluffed its feathers and whistled three shrill notes.

"Of course," Cindy replied. "Like with us, his magic doesn't work on Earth." She turned to the bird. "You can talk back in your home world, can't you, Muftin?"

The bird almost jumped up and down on Sylvia's finger and whistled again.

"Okay,' Cindy said. "One whistle for no and two for yes. Can you understand me?"

"Whit! Whit!"

Cindy glanced wide-eyed at her sister. "You are in danger?"

The bird cocked his head. "Whit!"

"Someone else?"

"Whit! Whit!"

The girls were oblivious to the encroaching darkness as they both questioned Muftin. Through trial and error they found out he came from a world unknown to them and none of their friends from Sylvia's original home was involved. Muftin, though, knew of them and needed their help.

Finally, the frustrated bird leaped back across to Cindy, ran down her right arm and pecked at her wrist where her jacket and gloves met.

"Oh hell," Cindy whispered. She pulled her sleeve up to expose a golden bracelet, a very special item of jewelry that both the twins wore. For the first time in two years the bracelet glowed and felt warm.

Sylvia gasped and felt her right wrist with her own left hand. "Mine's hot, too," she said.

"So what do we do?" Cindy asked.

The bird flew up onto her head and gave an almost angry craw.

"It's important?" Sylvia asked.

"Whit! Whit!"

"But we have no supplies or anything to help."

"I think it is urgent," Cindy said. "If we don't do something quickly we may never be able to help Muftin."

"Whit! Whit!"

"Oh my God!" Sylvia gasped and squeezed Cindy's arm.

The sheet of white mist had returned and was hovering in the center of the lake. Muftin squawked in alarm for the solid sheet was dropping water like condensation off a heated window! Sylvia screamed and began a frantic skate straight towards it.

"Wait!" Cindy yelled but already Sylvia was half way across the ice with Muftin flying above her head. "Well, here goes," she muttered to herself and followed.

With her superior skating skills she caught up and grabbed Sylvia's arm just as they reached the mist. Muftin landed on her head and the lake disappeared. There was a sensation of clammy dampness, swirling clouds and a high-pitched buzz that grew in intensity. Cindy wasn't skating any more but felt as if she was floating, perhaps swimming in a thick substance like trickle.

But she could breathe and all her senses operated. Sylvia's hand found hers; the bracelet shone red and almost burned her skin. Muftin's claws dug through her woolen Balaclava as if he was gripping with all the strength his tiny body could manage. It must be important that they all remain in physical contact with each other. With her one free hand she reached up and gently held the bird in her glove.

The buzz became a high-pitched scream that hurt her ears scream and white light appeared ahead. No it was sunlight. She saw the sun high in a pale blue sky. Wherever they were it was midday and not the evening. Oh my God, they were hundreds of feet in the air above a valley of firs. Below was a snow-covered valley while a distance mountain chain towered into the air, steep craggy mountains unlike any she'd seen before.

They were falling.

"It's okay," Sylvia called. "We're slowing down. It's as if we have a parachute."

"You're right, Sylvia," replied a high-pitched voice.

Cindy jolted in fright at the voice until she realized it came from immediately above her ear. It was Muftin speaking. "We're in your world aren't we Muftin?" she said.

"That's true," the bird replied. "You almost missed the white mist. Lucky Sylvia had the sense to follow me. I can't say I liked your place. You guys couldn't understand a world I said. Why do you want to live in a blank world?"

"Blank world?"

"One with no magic, Mistress Cindy. How could you survive there?"

"Just Cindy will do," she replied and, in spite of their current situation, had to laugh. She had had the same problem with Sylvia when they'd first met. Her twin had come to Earth though a void and it wasn't until much later that they learned they were sisters. Now, it appeared they had traveled through another void into an entirely different place.

The snowy countryside rushed towards them. With a jarring crunch, they landed in a snow bank and the screaming stopped. The bracelet on Cindy's arm turned back to gold and cooled down. The weather was even colder than the frozen lake they'd left and it was snowing.

"Wait," Muftin cried as he flapped into the air. "I'll check to see if they're still here."