Image by James B

The Wishing Map is a full-length fantasy that is being posted episodically at this site. To read the previous episode, click here. To read the entire novel, begin here.

Gina and Zack had just arrived in the island kingdom of Sur Kellan, nearly drowning in Kellansend Bay. And now their rescuers were leading them to something called The Screaming Spiffwit. (See below for a Glossary of SurKellish words*)

The Screaming Spiffwit turned out to be an inn with a hand-carved sign depicting a tiny-winged, huge-footed bird. The inn was at the seaside edge of the village of Kellansend, behind which were dark, forested hills. All of the town’s buildings were made of deep-wefted wood, and roofed with scallop shells the size of dinner plates. Poles hung out over the doorways, with a kiss-shaped lantern at the end of each throwing a warm circle of light on the cobbles below.

To one side of the inn’s entrance were several toy wagons tethered to what appeared to be tiny horses. To the other side, Gina noticed a delightful little statue of a bird just like the one on the sign. She bent over to take a closer look.

“Have a care, chelding,” Shelcor warned, “not fond a’ humans are spiffwits.”

It was too late. The statue’s eyes popped open. It leaped forward and began a strange little stomping dance on the tops of Gina’s feet, which would have been merely ridiculous if its soles hadn’t been lined with something very like football cleats. It batted its tiny flipper-wings and danced fervidly, all the while emitting shrieks that were disturbingly similar to those of a screaming toddler.

“Ow!” shrieked Gina. “Ow! Stop!” She stepped back, but the spiffwit stayed with her. “Ow! Ow! Stop it!”

“Gully shekkle!” Maerith barked at the little creature. “Gully shekkle!”

The spiffwit ceased its frenzied dance and stepped back. It shivered and snuffled like a freshly calmed child. Maerith bent over and stroked the strange bird under its beak while whispering in a soft, soothing tone, “Shoogully, shoogully, baerka.” The volatile little creature gradually closed its eyes and turned statue-like once again.

“Yer’ve not been ter Sur Kellan afore, traith, cheldings?” asked Shelcor.

“Traith!” Zack replied.

φ

Thoughts: Have you ever visited a culture so unlike your own that everything, even the animals, seemed “alien”?

To read the next episode, click here.

*A brief Glossary of SurKellish words: Sur = south; Kellan = isle of the Kells; Kellansend = a small port city at the southeast tip of the island country of Sur Kellan; chelding = child; gully = calm; shekkle = now; shoogully = be calm; baerka = little one; yer = you; yer’ve = you have; ter = to; traith = a truthful or wise statement.