Ella Peach and the Council of Manus

By Jan Pareja

Ella Peach loves playing games on her tablet, hanging out with her friends, and dreaming about eating every kind of cookie that came into existence! On the other hand, Ella Peach's father thinks she is better off doing her daily chores, staying put where he can see her, and studying to perfect her potions. You see, Ella Peach is no typical teenage girl—she's an Alchemist! And she is about to discover her destiny when the magical Council of Manus appoints her as the guide for a group of recruits travelling to the Human world with the mission to save all creatures from eradication. What makes a thirteen-year-old, cookie-munching Alchemist qualified for the role of guide? Isn't she just a little girl who needs to listen to her father and stay home where it's safe? Shouldn't she leave such a serious task to the manliest adult suitable for the role? And why is she named after a fruit? Join Ella Peach as she embarks on a twisted quest to save the world, uncover her worth, and eat her first cookie ice cream sandwich!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543906394

Book preview

Beyul

Back when there was only darkness, the Creator stared at an empty universe. The vast space stood still in pitch black and deafening silence. He looked at his hands and a ray of light rushed into his eyes. It was a vision of his grandest masterpiece—he saw the beginning of life.

The Creator made Earth to vessel his creations. He erected mountains high and sturdy. The meadows, forests, and jungles flourished with plants and animals of all varieties and forms. Crystal clear water was constructed to flow constantly through and around all the lands to nurture those feeding. The sky was made limitless and pristine to welcome sunlight at dawn, reflect the oceans’ many hues of blue by day, and exhibit the stars’ festive glow at night time. When the Creator finished moulding Earth, he looked back at his hands and remembered the vision he had.

A hand has five fingers,

Five fingers that work together.

Creatures I bring to this world,

Live, thrive, and last forever.

With his thumb in mind, the farthest of all fingers, he made the Darkling race. Vampires, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Ogres, and Trolls were created to keep some of the Earth secret and ever virgin. They guarded the hinterlands and all the recluse creatures in it. With the Darklings’ nocturnal nature, they dwelled in deep dark caves, near treacherous cliffs, up on mountain peaks, and in the shadows of giant boulders.

With his index finger in mind, the finger that gestures ideas and wisdom, he made the Magian race. The Witches, Hermits, Wizards, and Alchemists were created to preserve ancient knowledge and to discover the magic concealed within Earth. Magians favoured living near the seas. Their homes ranged from cottages to castles—any structure with an accessible, deep, wide basement that could be utilized as a laboratory, tabernacle, or atelier made an ideal residence for a Magian.

With his middle finger in mind, the tallest of all fingers, he made the Angel race. Living in utopia above the clouds, the Angels were ordained by the Creator to watch over Earth and become advocates of peace and order.

With his ring finger in mind, the finger that represents the heart, he made the Human race. Humans were told to roam freely and live in the flat lands. They were bestowed with loving hearts. Loving hearts reverberate with emotional decisions, defying the mortal instinct to survive in order to feed its connate and altruistic desire to care, protect, and justify.

With his tiniest finger in mind, the finger of elegance and grace, he made the Faerie race. Pixies, Elves, Dwarves, and Nymphs were all part of the royal Faery kingdom located beneath Earth. They were created to nurse faunas and tend floras. Sweet-tempered and clement in nature, they held the hardest responsibility of sustaining Earth.

After finishing his work, the Creator retreated to his home up and beyond the heavens. He never looked back and trusted all will be well among his creatures. In case of an exigency on Earth and the Creator was needed to intervene, he placed a sacred chantry within one of Earth’s hidden locations and imprinted his hand on five chosen creations from each of the races to lead and represent their kinds in the order. These five chosen creatures must assemble around the sacred chantry in order to summon the Creator. They were known as . . . the Council of Manus.

She opened her eyes without budging. A trace of last night’s drool can tell she’s a snorer (a heavy one). The alarm clock went off seconds ago and the annoying ring didn’t bug her at all. She kept still in bed with eyes half-opened, staring at the ceiling. A few more seconds passed before little movement was done. She slowly rubbed her eyes and turned her body on the side to stretch while releasing a mixed sound of yawning and grunting that was distinctly hers. She stretched her arms high, revealing her pale skin and tiny freckles. Slowly and with certain accuracy, she reached and hit the alarm clock.

It was silent—not even a chirp from a morning bird was heard. She got up and sat on the side of the bed. Her short wavy hair was as golden as corn (but was as messy and frizzy as a corn cob’s silk). She yawned one more time. She got up and dragged her feet in front of the mirror. Thirteen years old and petite in size, she looked like a porcelain doll in her purple pyjamas.

Good morning, ugly, she greeted herself.

She turned around facing the bed and quickly jumped in face first. She reached under her pillow and grabbed her tablet. She swiped to unlock the screen. There were no messages. There were no notifications. There was no signal and no internet connection. Others would be alarmed, but her face showed no displeasure. She stared at her tablet’s background of a quirky-looking cartoon cat zooming across a starry sky with a rainbow trailing behind it and smiled.

‘Ella Peach Gentler! Kitchen, now’! Her father’s voice zipped through the bedroom floor from downstairs.

‘Just a sec, Dad’, answered Ella Peach as she released an awful grunting and heaving noise before getting out of bed for the second time.

The kitchen was a mess. Days’ worth of dishes were piled up in the kitchen sink. Uncapped bottles of condiments, empty tin cans, flasks and beakers containing coloured liquids, and a mix of kitchen utensils and laboratory apparatus were scattered on the table. No one could tell anymore if the room was used for cooking or experimenting. The conventional purpose of divisions in spaces obviously did not apply in this particular household. One thing was certain—Willard Gentler was not having the best morning.

‘What’s up, Dad’?

‘What is up is that I almost drank your potion instead of the coffee’.

‘Sorry, that’s a failure anyway. So technically, you’d just be drinking salt water’. From an apologizing culprit to a sly lawyer, Ella Peach shrewdly responded.

‘Speaking of which, we’re low on salt water. Please get some today, and this time, honey, make sure you put it inside the tank’, said Willard. ‘I need to rush to the town hall...’

‘But Dad, that means I have to go down to the basement’, complained Ella Peach. ‘You know the dark gives me the creeps’.

‘Honey, darkness only exists in the absence of light. Use a candle or your tablet’s flashlight and, voila, no more darkness’, said Willard.

‘Fine, I guess...’ answered a scared Ella Peach with a heavy sigh.

Willard took out his watch from a coat resting on the dining chair and checked the time. ‘I have to go. The mayor hasn’t returned yet from his family trip, and as his secretary and Chateau Odelia’s caretaker, I declared myself interim mayor’. Willard sipped carefully from the steaming coffee mug, placed it on the cluttered table, and continued, ‘Big day today’! Without looking, Willard grabbed his coat and work bag. While busy juggling everything he was carrying, Willard picked up a beaker of bright pink liquid instead of his coffee mug. He hurried out the house as Ella Peach watched and chuckled for her own entertainment.

The door closed and not a second later, ‘Ellaaa Peaaach’!

The little menace burst in laughter as she quickly grabbed the coffee mug and rushed to the door.

‘Dad, mug’s for coffee and beaker’s for potions’, joked Ella Peach.

Willard kept a straight face and traded the potion for the coffee.

‘Play with your tablet after chores, Ella Peach’.

‘Yes, sir’! responded the obedient daughter with a salute.

Willard continued to walk down the porch when there was a commotion not too far from him. Quack! Quack! Quack! A clamouring mob of hungry ducks rushed to Ella Peach with Willard caught in the middle of the miniature stampede.

‘And don’t disappoint your mom. Feed the ducks’!

‘I will continue her legacy’, answered Ella Peach as she tried to block the fowl critters from entering the cottage.

After she was able to calm the feathered mob, she took the hanging bucket by the door and scooped a handful of feed. She scattered the feed, making sure every duck got to eat a fair share. ‘Just eat! Or I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little ducklings too’, humoured Ella Peach in a wheezy, wicked (and nasal) Witch voice. Right after, she went back inside the house and picked up her tablet from the table and noted on her calendar:

1. Feed the ducks. (Done!)

2. Clean the house. (Tomorrow?)

3. Meet Matilda and Punch.

4. Get salt water.

5. Bring Dad lunch. (Steamed artichoke with butter sauce.)

It was believed by the wisest of Alchemists that the most effective of potions were concocted using only the purest and finest ingredients nature could provide—the best liquid to use was the salt water from the seas. Among the Magians, only Alchemists were born naturally inclined to making effective potions and inventing new concoctions. They could turn unwanted junk into coveted gold, create panacea from liquefied dragon scales to cure chronic skin diseases, and brew poisonous teas that seem harmless to taste but able to dissolve innards.

A thousand years ago, it was an Alchemist named Bonart Quare who first thought of substituting the liquid base in potion-making. Instead of regular fresh water, he used salt water from the Niobraran Sea. Bonart studied and proved that salt has the natural attribute to affect magical energies. Dry salt was used for purification to repel curses and dark magic. When sprinkled in a circle, dry salt becomes an invisible barrier for all sorts of enchantment. Bonart explored the use of salt water and found that when used as a liquid base in concocting potions, salt water attracts magical energies and bonds them to effectively create all sorts of potent potions for all sorts of uses. A few twigs of lavender, two spoonfuls of rosemary oil, three drops of desert Nymph’s tears, and a dash of Vampire’s ash when altogether boiled in salt water could cure almost all known common ailments in the world. Since then, the rest of the Magians followed and used salt water in brewing potions.

A hundred years later, it was the Witches who started making potions for profit. They provided their services to Humans, making love or glamour potions. The Alchemists and Wizards also offered their services to Humans. The Alchemists sold remedy potions while Wizards provided magical assistance to Human royalties seeking to conquer lands (or to defend their own). It was not long before Human customers became unbridled by dissatisfaction. Witches were either shunned or hunted for allegedly causing unexplainable deaths, infidelity, and marital problems. Afraid of the same fatal fates that had befallen persecuted Witches, other Magians fled from Human societies and joined the Hermits in isolation—far, far away from Human interaction.

‘There’s no way I’m carrying that’, Matilda pointed at the three-gallon container of salt water.

Matilda Feeble was Ella Peach’s best friend and neighbour. She stood taller than Ella Peach, and her skinny frame made her appear giant compared to most kids her age. Socially awkward and spending most of her days inside her room (that may be mistaken for a library), Matilda found comfort in books and preferred to keep her social activities to one person a day; in most circumstances, that would be Ella Peach. It was not that she was shy, she just didn’t see the point in having many friends.

‘Punch, help Ella Peach carry this’, ordered Matilda.

‘You sound like Mother’, Punch answered back. ‘It’s annoying’.

Pancho Feeble, Matilda’s annoyed twin brother, was a scrawny kid in dire need of a haircut. He earned the nickname Punch after Matilda took his pacifier and punched him in the face when they were babies. He was a splitting image of his sister (not a compliment at all for the boy). Though not a bookworm, he was imaginative, always daydreaming. Punch tagged along the two because it was more tolerable than assisting their parents at home with the family business of making garden potions.

‘Pancho Feeble, now’! Matilda stomped her foot to add drama as Ella Peach just watched in amusement how the two bickered but managed to coexist. (Truly baffling, indeed.)

Punch carried one end of the handle and Ella Peach grabbed the other side. Drips were spilling on all sides of the container as they walked, leaving a trail of salt water on the ground.

‘You know, by the time we get back to Ella Peach’s house, that container will only have half its original content’, Matilda muttered without taking her eyes off the book she brought with her. ‘You both swing too much’.

‘And if you don’t shut up, I’ll pour the rest on you’, Punch answered, while blowing his hair away from dangling on his face.

‘You guys are funny. It’s amazing you haven’t killed each other yet’.

‘Mom won’t let me’, Punch joked and snickered.

Punch glanced at Ella Peach right at the moment she responded to him with a chuckle. He was easily mesmerized and found it even more adorable when Ella Peach kept a smile right after chuckling; Punch thought it was cute. Her hair was bouncing as she walked and her cute little pink backpack swayed, jingling the little key chains attached to it. The boy found everything about Ella Peach perfect that moment. Punch blushed and looked away. He wanted to take a second glance but got scared of getting caught. After a long walk, they arrived at the Gentlers’ cottage. Matilda sat on the couch in the living room while Punch and Ella Peach took the container down to the basement.

‘Thanks, Punch, for helping me out’, said an exhausted Ella Peach while catching her breath. ‘I’d be terrified to walk down here by myself’.

‘Don’t mention it’, responded Punch while gasping for air. ‘I’m . . . I’m not afraid of the da . . . dark. So, whenev . . . whenever you need someone to accompany you down here, um, just let me know’. The boy’s body tensed up when left alone with a girl he had a crush on since they were babies sharing rattles and teething toys.

‘Awww! That’s really sweet of you’, said the delighted Ella Peach. ‘But I get salt water every week. I couldn’t possibly take you away from your friends’.

‘They’re friends only when it’s school season. I’m really okay not seeing them during break’, the boy quickly responded. Punch realized his statement made him look insincere, but he was quick to reason by saying, ‘I mean . . . they’ll understand. You . . . you’re, um, praltica . . . prac . . . prac-ti-ca-lly family, Ella Peach’.

The excitement and tension of being alone with Ella Peach got Punch stumbling over his words. His heart was thumping so hard, if it got any quieter in the basement, Ella Peach would have heard it. The poor boy quickly lifted the container off the ground and poured the salt water in the tank. He thought perhaps his brawny act would make up for the stumbling and keep Ella Peach from noticing his sudden jitters.

Ella Peach’s backpack started to vibrate; it was the tablet inside, buzzing.

‘What’s that? Where’s that coming from’? Punch tried not to panic in front of his crush, but it was too late.

Ella Peach took out the tablet from her backpack and showed it to Punch.

‘It’s my tablet. I noted, using my calendar app, to get some salt water and it’s just reminding me’, Ella Peach explained.

‘That device . . . that’s a Human invention’, said Punch in astonishment.

‘Yup’! Ella Peach handed it to Punch, whose eyes enlarged after feeling the smooth black casing of the tablet with his fingers. His eyes grew bigger with every touch of the smattering widgets on the tablet’s screen.

Punch discovered the game apps and started playing. Ella Peach watched from a feet away as he catapulted birds to topple mountains of pigs. Punch seemed to be in the zone, but he then noticed Ella Peach getting closer.

‘Um, so how come you have this Human device’?

‘Ya, what’s that and why do you have it’? Matilda appeared at the last step of the stairs with her arms crossed.

‘It’s a tablet . . . kinda like a cell phone, but bigger so you can see and type better’, Ella Peach answered. The twins’ faces were totally blank as if they were deciphering alien words uttered by their friend. ‘It’s a machine, okay’? The twins slowly nodded, but still lost. Ella Peach continued, ‘I got it a few days ago. That merchant, Mister Mitto, delivered it while I was asleep and Dad surprised me when I woke up. I wanted it for my birthday, but shipment took a long time because not much of us, Alchemists, travel to the Human world. Anyway, Humans use it to communicate with their friends from everywhere around the world via instant messaging applications. Um, it can do video calls or take pictures...’

‘Like sending letters or a simple greeting, but way faster’, Punch interrupted.

‘Ya, like that! And it has awesome features like a calendar where I can see the days and months and years and cool stuff like a memo pad so I can write stuff I need remembering. Oh, and lots of awesome games like this one with the birds and the pigs’, Ella Peach explained with a light chuckle when she heard the bird in the game squawking mid-air.

‘Sounds pretty nifty . . . but why don’t you ever call me or message me’? said Matilda.

‘You need your own tablet for that to happen’, Ella Peach answered. ‘Or . . . a cell phone or laptop’.

‘Ya, you dummy’, Punch intercepted and waved the device in front of Matilda’s face.

‘Besides, there’s no signal here. I doubt any of our neighbours has Wi-Fi’, Ella Peach explained.

‘I’m not sure if you’re using correct terms or making them up, but you certainly know a lot of things about the Human world’, said Matilda. ‘You’re weird, Ella Peach’.

‘Aren’t we all’? defended Punch without looking away from the game.

Ella Peach had always been curious about Humans and their inventions. At an early age, she showed undeniable infatuation for many Human creations such as board games and pink rolled-up bubble gums (which her father purchased from Veronese Mitto). It was for her thirteenth birthday that she wished for a tablet. Ella Peach knew she wouldn’t be able to fully utilize it, but she wanted to have one anyway. Willard loved Ella Peach so much, he gave her the Human device as present.

There was a knock on the door. Ella Peach and the Feeble twins made their way back to the living room. The young Alchemist opened the door and found an old, stout gentleman in a quirky outfit.

‘Hello there, Ella Peach’!

‘Hi, Mister Mitto’!

‘Goodness, you’re looking more like your mother every time I see you. Ha! Don’t grow up too fast now, kiddo. You’d break your father’s heart’, Ver joked and chuckled. ‘Speaking of which, is Willard home by any chance’?

‘He went to Chateau Odelia, Mister Mitto. "Big day today", he said’, explained Ella Peach.

Veronese Mitto had been a reliable delivery man and close friend of the Gentlers. Ella Peach was yet to realize the depth of Ver’s impact on her parents’ lives, but the old man’s trading business was her access to all the goodies from the Human world. The jolly plump gentleman with an excessively tall tin top hat gave up making potions after his micro-merchantry (small business of gathering ingredients from around the world and selling it to fellow Magians for their magical perusals) became successful. He believed that touring the world and being up on his feet at all times made him feel young again. Ver even collected refrigerator magnets from the different places he had been to and used them as embellishments on his top hat.

‘How’d you like your dad’s surprise to ya’?

‘Oh, the tablet? It’s the coolest thing ever! It took me a day to figure out how to operate it, but my friends and I are playing with it right now’.

‘I’m glad you’re happy with it. Well, here’s a package for Willard’, said Ver as he took out a small box from his trusty old bag (more like a worn-out potato sack, to be honest). ‘Make sure he gets this’.

‘Sure thing, Mister Mitto’.

‘You have a good day now, Ella Peach’, greeted the merchant as he merrily whistled away.

Ella Peach closed the door and placed the package on top of the coffee table in the living room. The Alchemist noticed and wondered about the sudden silence in the house. The Feeble twins were undetectable by their unusual silence and it alerted Ella Peach. She did not hear any bickering from the twins nor did she hear any squawking bird about to smash pigs. She looked around the corner and saw Matilda and Punch standing in the archway leading to the kitchen. The two were looking down, until Matilda broke the silence.

‘It was my fault’! cried Matilda. ‘There was a blinking red light . . . then it went blank’! Matilda was holding Ella Peach’s tablet with both hands to her chest like a fragile baby.

‘She broke it’, burst out Punch, throwing his own sister into the fire pit of culpable souls.

‘You’re not helping’! cried Matilda.

Ella Peach took the tablet, wet with Matilda’s tears (and probably snot), and pressed the side button.

‘It’s alright, Matilda. You didn’t break it’, calmly said Ella Peach. ‘I think the battery just got drained. It just needs some charging and it’ll be fine again’.

‘Really’? Matilda was relieved as she wiped her tears with her skirt.

‘How do we charge the betar...’? asked a curious Punch.

‘Battery’, Ella Peach corrected. ‘Well it came with a charger, but we have no outlets to plug the charger in. We don’t even have electricity in this town’.

The twins looked at each other as if their friend was speaking an alien language again.

‘Anyway, I need to bring Dad his lunch’, said Ella Peach. ‘So, I’ll see you tomorrow, Matilda’?

Matilda rushed to her friend and hugged her tightly. ‘Thanks, Ella Peach. Sorry again about your Human device’, she whispered as she tried to catch her breath from crying too much. She grabbed her book on the coffee table and approached the main door.

‘See you around, Ella Peach’, said Punch with a