Intrepedda Series: Kumlani

By Autumn and Seester

"Mortina, a young girl, and her talking Rottweiler, Gabe, unknowingly, become mere victims of a practical joke played on them by the fairy-like creatures called Snippets. They wind up on the Island of Kumlani in fantasy world of Intrepedda. She and her dog enter the be...autiful, yet dangerous island where they are attacked by more Snippets, all packing weapons. She and her dog befriend these vicious little women and get introduced to King Tazahzar and
his group of fierce looking Gargryphons when the travel to Castle Yelrah Nos Divada. She falls in love with her new friends and her new found paradise. BUT. Turmoil happens when Mortinas curiosity takes her to the shore where she meets the dwarf-like creatures, the Maramids. While out in the ocean, she enjoys the ride on a Maramids back but the huge and very scary loch ness monster, Heathusala, torments them relentlessly, bringing their little game of water ball to a drastic end. Mortina gets separated from the group and winds
up, alone, on the center Island where she gets kidnapped by two of the evil Pig King, Alvator Sinsissero, men. She becomes his prisoner and is to be stuffed away in a cell in the cruel harsh Island of Draxxonia, forever. Yet, the race is on to rescue Mortina, for she and her dog must be sent back to earth. Intrepedda is no place for a human child."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 24, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453541043

Autumn

Born in Pa, yet lived most of her life in upstate NY, and is currently living in the Pocono Mountains, of PA., with her life partner King Tazahzar. She has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil; many short stories and poems etc. She’s a lover of the written word. And proudly introduces you to her book, “Kumlani” the first in the, “Intrepedda Series.” She raised three sons as a single parent, and two are currently serving in the Army, fighting for our country in Afghanistan. A lover of Nature, an eternal optimist, and a believer in Karma, Fairies, Ghosts, and all things odd. J.K. Rowling is her inspiration! BELIEVE… FOR ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

Book preview

Intrepedda Series: Kumlani

Mortina Meets the Snippets

Autumn

Copyright © 2010 by Autumn.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

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Contents

Chapter 1

A Girl’s Best Friend

Chapter 2

The Basement Voyage

Chapter 3

We’re in Big Trouble Now!

Chapter 4

The Black Room

Chapter 5

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Chapter 6

Snippets

Chapter 7

MeeDew Brax

Chapter 8

Those Smelly Snippets

Chapter 9

The Big Scary Meeting

Chapter 10

Goddess Ninawna

Chapter 11

The Long Journey

Chapter 12

Yelrah Nos’ Divada

Chapter 13

The Dressing Room

Chapter 14

Party Time!

Chapter 15

Draxxonia

Chapter 16

This Ain’t No Carnival Ride!

Chapter 17

Kidnapped!

Chapter 18

Back at the Shore

Chapter 19

The Search

Chapter 20

Alvator’s New Gift

Chapter 21

The Pig King and His Prize

Chapter 22

A Feeble Attempt

Chapter 23

A Sniveling Snippet?

Chapter 24

Game On!

Chapter 25

A Sneak Attack

Chapter 26

The Chilly Coal Mines

Chapter 27

The War Is Won!

Chapter 28

Let’s Go Home

Chapter 29

Home Is Only a Hole Away

In loving memory of my mother, Nina, the Goddess Ninawna. I miss you so much mom!

Publishing this book was one of my mother’s final wishes. Mom, thank you so much for all your encouraging words! May you forever rest in peace. 07/24/1949 to 12/26/09. And to my dad I just want to thank you for helping to make this dream come true!

I would like to give thanks to my best friend and life partner, TAZ. You believe in me, which has made this whole thing possible! And to my three sons, Michael, Jeremy, and Jesse, I love you all so very much! I am so proud of all three of you!!

Every fictional Character in this book is modeled after someone I know. Thank you all for keeping me entertained all these years!

Chapter 1

A Girl’s Best Friend

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It was a warm springlike day as Mortina knelt, one elbow pressed onto the newly painted purple sill, her other hand absentmindedly petting her huge rottweiler, Gabe, on the head. She was staring out of her bedroom window, a habit she performed daily. She was watching the long snakelike branches from the humungous willow tree in the side yard sway back and forth. Her quaint little neighborhood was rich with life as burgeoning flowers decorated every yard. Brilliant colors of yellow daffodils, purple lilacs, and red tulips now littered the ground where the white of snow had just recently covered. The redolent smell filtering in through the screen, which her tiny nose was pressed against, put her in a trancelike state.

She watched the lush green grass, which hadn’t been mowed since last summer, ripple toward her like long fingers playing with an ocean wave as a gentle wind blew. It was so beautiful, Mortina thought to herself as she dreamt about finding her real parents. She knew one day she would find them even if she had to travel to the ends of the universe to do it.

Mortina fell back unto her butt and positioned her legs to sit Indian style while scratching Gabe behind the ear. He loved it when she hummed the melodic little tune she always hummed on sunny days like this; it meant she was happy. And oh how he loved to be petted.

When all of a sudden, the sound of thunder boomed, but it wasn’t coming from outside; no, it was right out in the hall. Someone was running up the stairs. Mortina and Gabe’s attention from their lazy afternoon was stolen away. Their dreamy thoughts burst back to reality when her bedroom door exploded open, and there, standing in the entryway was Maria Athol, her adopted mother.

Maria was too thin and too dark from all the tanning she exposed her wrinkling skin to, making her look withered and ten years older than she was, and she was only forty-two. She had very short fire-engine red hair that was gelled up like the bristles of a dog brush, which Maria called the latest style, and she wore way too much makeup. Today her eyelids appeared to hold at least five pounds of sparkling sea green eye shadow and her lips were the color of apricot jelly. She was wearing a purple tank top that was tied into a loose knot at her midsection, exposing her pierced belly button and her bloated stomach that hung over the flaming orange capri pants that wrapped her spindly legs like colored saran wrap. Her high heels were the color of her hair, and white plastic roses were glued in the center of each of her size 11 shoes. And to top off the terribly mismatched getup, she had a lime green scarf wrapped too tightly around her neck, making you wonder how she even breathed. And when she talked, she waved the cigarette in her hand in crazy half circles, forcing you to notice that every one of her long gnarly fingers had short bloodred-painted nails and many cheap, gaudy rings.

It was a little after twelve noon, and Maria had been drinking again, but she was not quite drunk yet. She staggered only slightly when she announced with stern authority, C’mon, Mortina, I’m going shopping, and you’re going with me! Get ready, I’m leaving in fifteen minutes. She didn’t slur her words this time.

Mortina rolled her extremely large green eyes under her long dark hair, leaned forward, and kissed Gabe, who went back to his napping. She gently petted him on the head and simply replied, Maria, I don’t wanna go shopping today. Mortina knew how Maria hated to shop alone.

Mortina, please get ready. I want to buy you something, how about a new dress? she said with a pleading smile. Gawd, Mortina, you really do wear too much black, so I was thinking about something pink or . . .—she paused briefly—I know! Polka dots for you, it is spring you know! And with it being spring, I figured you might want something new. Yes! she exclaimed, excitedly waving her cigarette around that was in need of flicking. A pink dress covered with polka dots and frilly bows, oh, Mortina hunny, you’ll look so cute in a new dress. Oh, it will make your eyes look smaller too, she added with a twinkling in her eye, hoping to encourage Mortina into the idea, knowing how Mortina hated her huge eyes. She turned her head upward toward the ceiling as if she were actually picturing Mortina wearing something lacy and gross.

Maria, I really don’t feel well today, she lied; sometimes you have to, to keep from hurting people’s feelings and to basically keep the peace. I want to stay here and read. I have a new book by—

Maria cut her off.

Ya know, Mortina, you can’t stay tucked away in this room with that dog and those books of yours all your life. You need to get outside, get some color on that pasty skin of yours. Some fresh air will do you good. I know you love in it here—she smiled satisfactorily, looking about the room—especially since I have had it painted pink and put up the pretty purple trim. And those curtains I bought you, those lacy pink curtains—she folded her arms and gazed about—oh how I love those. Yes, it is very lovely in here, so I do see why you wouldn’t want to leave. She cleared her throat and paused. Ya know, Mortina, I am beginning to think there is something really wrong with you. I’ll tell your father to make an appointment for you to see a doctor. I think you need a shrink or something. Maybe you’re depressed. A young girl who doesn’t like to shop? Who doesn’t like the color pink or lace or bows? Very weird indeed, Mortina. Her lip curled in agitation as she placed her age-spotted hand to her hip and tapped her foot annoyingly.

Maria, I am not depressed, and I do not need a shrink or any other kind of doctor. And not liking pink bows doesn’t make me weird. Please, I just wish to stay here today. I will go with you next time, I promise, okay? She tried so hard to be polite.

Whatever, Mortina, she said, turning her head away. Yes, that’s right, just sit here all day, dreaming about finding your real parents who didn’t want you in the first place, she said, rubbing her earlobe and flickering her cigarette ash to the floor. Just remember that! THEY DIDN’T WANT YOU, Mortina. How many more times must I tell you that? She stressed every word.

Maria stood there staring at Mortina, who just hung her head, as she took a long drag from her cigarette. Maria really did love Mortina and tried so hard to turn her adopted daughter into a spoilt fashion disaster, but Mortina didn’t share the material fetish that Maria had.

She exhaled heavily, throwing her ringed hand to her forehead. Have it your way. I’m leaving. I’ll be sure to tell your father about this! As if he would even care.

She slammed the door behind her, making the tacky family portrait, which Maria drew in chalk and looked like a bad cartoon, hit the floor out in the hallway with a startling thud.

Mortina jumped, and so did Gabe.

What the hell was all that about? Gabe spoke gruffly, upset to have been awoken so abruptly. He didn’t care for Maria, and the feeling was mutual.

Oh, she has her pink frilly thongs in a bunch because I didn’t want to go shopping with her and let her buy me some dreadful polka-dotted dress on Geoffrey Athol’s credit cards. She always referred to her adopted father this way.

Geoffrey Athol was a drinker too, and although he didn’t mind Mortina when she was out of sight, he really didn’t care for her much and he let it be known often. It was more Maria’s idea to adopt Mortina than it was his. Geoffrey and Maria tried for ten years to have a baby, but for some reason, they just couldn’t produce one. Well, one day when Geoffrey Athol returned home from work, and bing . . . bam . . . boom . . . he was a daddy. There, lying on the living room carpet, was Mortina all curled up in frilly pink and purple blankets. When he entered the house, his jaw dropped. Maria just sat there and gloated over her new item. Mr. Athol was dethroned the day Mortina entered their lives because all of Maria’s attention went from him to her. He has resented Mortina ever since.

It’s not like he beat her or anything, he just simply tolerated her and, whenever possible, ignored her. Some might even go so far as to call it neglect, but in all actuality, Mortina preferred that he keep his distance. He was mean with his words, and there were days when he would yell and scream at her for really stupid things like not throwing a gum wrapper away or when she left her stuffed animals lying all about. And when she was five, he tried to teach her to ride a bicycle, but she didn’t put on the brakes and ran smack into a parked car. He was so mad, he grabbed her new bike and threw it into the jaggered bushes, and he walked away, leaving her standing there with a banged-up bicycle and bleeding from the kneecaps.

Gabe made a low growl and shook his head. Mortina lowered hers even more, feeling the pain of Maria’s words. Gabe, what if she’s right and my real parents really didn’t want me?

Mortina, how many times have I told you there is a perfectly good explanation why your parents did what they felt they had to? He stood, leaned forward, sticking his butt in the air as he lazily stretched his front paws and positioned himself to sit next to her. Mortina, they love you. You need to believe that, and one day, you will find them, I swear it. He smiled at her as she lifted her head slightly and smiled back. She hoped he was right as she patted his shoulder.

I know, maybe you’re right, Gabe. But sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s true. I just don’t understand why they just gave me up. Mortina looked at him and frowned then looked back out the window, feeling sort of sad.

Gabe is her best friend, and he would never lie to her, but she just couldn’t believe that she would ever find out who was responsible for giving birth to her. What does my mother look like? Do I have siblings? Where did I get my green eyes from? All these unanswered questions bothered her badly.

He lay back down, blinked up at her, and finally said, Mortina, everything will work out one day, you’ll see. He licked her knee and went back to his napping.

Mortina’s a young girl who’s more intelligent than most of the adults around her. She is a rather lonely child, and she doesn’t have many friends. She doesn’t want many either, she has Gabe, and that is plenty for her. Besides, Gabe can talk. She felt the girls her age were caddy, and the only topic of their conversations was to bad-mouth other people with gossip, and the boys were simply stupid.

Her hair was long and a dark chocolaty brown. She had slightly crooked but white-as-snow teeth, which made her smile simply contagious. Her skin was very pale, but that’s due partly from being anemic. And because her skin was so white, it gave her a rather unintentional gothic look. Maria always thought Mortina needed more color. Mortina would like to have been tan, but she just hated lying out in the sun, which Maria tried forcing her to do when the hot days of summer came. That whole sun worshipping thing wasn’t her style. She simply felt being pale was attractive, and those who didn’t like it could just go suck an egg.

Since the first grade, Mortina preferred to wear only black, which made her look even more gothic. But she just hated anything girlie like frills or bows or lace and anything pink; forget about it. Maria was totally appalled by Mortina’s taste in just about everything especially clothes. It wasn’t like Mortina had a death fixation or anything; she wasn’t depressed or into anything weird or evil. She just simply liked one color. It made getting dressed a whole lot less time-consuming. There wasn’t any need to stress what she would wear; with having only one color, she always knew what it would be—black—besides it matched everything.

It was Mortina’s eyes that gave her a unique, almost exotic Cleopatra appearance. Her emerald green eyes were really enormous and way too large for her very small oval-shaped face. The kids at school picked on her terribly. They call her names like Bug Eyes or Radar. They even sang a song about her every time she walked past them. Radar, radar, flew to Mars, her eyes got stuck from eating too many candy bars. She hated her eyes and often asked Maria to take her to the doctors, not to see a shrink, but to have her eyes reduced. She failed to see how truly beautiful she was at the special age of thirteen. And on very rare occasions, when she did go to a school dance or a birthday party, she wore thick black eyeliner, making her enormous eyes appear smaller and very much like a cat’s. And even though all the kids her age were wearing makeup, she opted for the o’naturalle look most of the time.

Mortina’s absolutely favorite thing to do in life was read. She loved books, and her bedroom shelves were packed full with so many that one day she will have to break down and get rid of some of them. But she just couldn’t part with a single one of them; they have become like friends to her. It wasn’t like she would ever reread any of them, but she hated the idea of throwing away books, and she didn’t know anyone who would want them. Oh, and she never dog-eared the pages to save her spot either. She felt that every book she read took her to places she could dream about going to one day. Books were a mental escape for her. And she read all types. She wanted to know everything there was to know about. She read books about fairies, vampires, gargoyles, and even How to Care for Your Rottweiler.

Mortina glanced down at Gabe who was sleeping peacefully beside her with a broad smile of a proud parent. Mortina saved his life by kidnapping him from his terrible owner, Mr. Matthewson, who had beat Gabe so often and gave him so little food, it’s amazing Gabe even survived living with the rotten old man. Mortina stared out the window, petting Gabe gently, remembering the day she brought him home as though it had happened only yesterday.

It was a chilly day in September a few years back. Mr. Matthewson had only lived a few houses down from Mortina, and every morning and every afternoon as she walked to and from school, she would hear Gabe ailing behind the fence in his dilapidated doghouse. All around the doghouse was where Mr. Matthewson had thrown out his garbage and the junk he collected: tin cans, plastic soda bottles, discarded lamps, broken chairs, van seats, junk car parts, etc. There was so much junk strewn all over the backyard, which didn’t give Gabe much room to move around on his very heavy and very short chain.

Being that Gabe was a giant rottweiler, Mortina was always too afraid to go and investigate. However, she would often muster up the courage and peep through a hole in that rickety fence to get a better look to see what was happening on the other side. But as soon as Gabe would move, even so much as twitch his leg, she’d run away shaking, swearing to never return, but sympathy and curiosity always drove her back.

Well, one day as she was walking by Mr. Matthewson’s fence, she heard wailing groans coming from the other side. The moaning was worse than ever. She paused for a moment and listened intently. The sounds were that of something suffering, in terrible pain, and she knew it was that big black dog. She set her school books down on the grass and stealthily approached the fence. She stood on tiptoes and peeked into the hole she had looked through so many times before, and there she saw poor Gabe lying on a pile of garbage and bleeding from a cut he had sustained on his huge paw from stepping into an open soup can.

As he lay there, too weak to even clean his wound, Mortina panicked. She just knew somehow that if she didn’t rescue him right then and there, he was going to bleed to death. She decided she had to be brave. She stuck her chest out, inhaled deeply, and proceeded to climb the unstable fence, which she wondered would even hold her very small frame. And just as she cleared the top, the fence lurched forward, abruptly making a loud angry sound, and she fell over with a thump right into Mr. Matthewson’s junk-covered backyard. Luckily, she landed on an old van cushion. She quickly found her feet and just stood there motionless. Her heart felt like a rumbling drum as fear pounded inside her chest. Several moments passed. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with him if she did actually save him. Geoffrey Athol liked rottweilers, but she wasn’t sure he’d let her keep a stolen one in serious need of medical attention.

A low growl snapped Mortina’s attention back to reality. Her whole body flinched as she just stood there covering her mouth. The hee-bee-gee-bees covered her body in gooseflesh. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose away from her skin at ninety-degree angles.

Wait, did she just hear this dog speak?

Mortina’s eyebrows inched upward, thinking she was nuts and nervously said, Excuse me, uh . . . but did you just say something?

The rottweiler lifted his big head slowly and turned his black watery eyes to her. Yes, my name is Gabriel, but you can call me Gabe, it’s shorter.

She looked around, holding her breath, to be sure the voice wasn’t coming from somewhere else as he spoke again. I will not bite you. Please, little girl, see if you can remove this soup can from my paw. It’s agonizing to say the least.

He speaks, and he’s intelligent? she thought, standing there in a state of awe, hands still covering her mouth.

Omigawd! You can talk? You’re a dog that can . . . talk?

Huh, yeah, and you can hear me. Okay, now that we’re over all that, won’t you please take this awful thing from my paw?

Oh yes, okay um, hold still.

She overcame her nervousness and quickly ran over to him, dropping to her knees by his bleeding paw and lifting it up ever so gently. He grumbled in pain as she slowly inched the rusty soup can off his foot. The soup can was filled to the rim with dark red blood that spilled all over her pants when she removed it. Blood was everywhere.

Omigawd, Gabe, you need a vet, this cut is deep, clear to the bone. You need stitches, she said with a shaky voice.

He merely grunted. She leaned forward and patted his head, and he seemed to smile, well, as best as a rottweiler who was in so much pain could. Then suddenly, the old rickety screen door from Mr. Matthewson’s back porch flew open, and standing there with a look of evil was Mr. Matthewson. He was tall and lanky and had more wrinkles on his face than Mortina ever remembered seeing on anyone’s face before, like a crumpled paper bag. His brown three-piece suit was dusty and hung loosely on his folded-forward body. His hair was not white but yellowish, matching his sparse teeth as he smiled wickedly at her.

What pray tell are you doing here, young lady?

She stammered in her speech as she looked up and down. She was riddled with fear. It wasn’t like her to go about breaking into other people’s backyards, ya know.

I was, uh, sir . . . your dog, sir, he’s bleeding badly. I . . .—she stuttered every word—I-I, th-th-th-think he n-n-needs a v-v-vet, sssir.

A vet you say, huh? Do I look like I can afford such nonsense? That dog will have to fend for himself. He’ll have to lick his wound until it heals on its own. Pray the maggots come and eat away his rotting flesh.

But, sir, he’s cut clean to the bone, and I fear if he doesn’t get stitches right away, he may bleed to death and die. She looked down at Gabe’s face anxiously; his eyes were closed as he dreaded the worst.

Die, you say, huh? It’ll serve him right for being such a lazy, good-for-nothing mutt. Let him die. I couldn’t care less if he does. He crossed his bony hands over his chest.

But, sir, Mortina pleaded desperately on Gabe’s behalf, may I take him then, please? I can put the vet charges on Geoffrey Athol’s credit card. It won’t cost you a thing. She had no idea what she was saying!

Mr. Matthewson wasn’t pleased. He grumbled and complained. He spoke in some strange language she hadn’t heard before. Perhaps it was Italian or German. He stuck his finger into his ear and shook it violently as he looked like he might be thinking.

Yes . . . yes, well . . .—his insane grin stretched over his entire face—yes . . . you, little girl, you take that filthy mutt out of here, BUT only on one condition!

Mortina was shocked that he was actually going to let her take Gabe to the vet. What are the conditions, sir? she said, hugging Gabe around the neck.

Mr. Matthewson popped his wax-covered finger out of his ear with a smacking sound, shook it at her, and bellowed loudly, THAT YOU NEVER BRING HIM BACK! He turned and slammed the door behind him.

Mortina and Gabe bonded that day in such a way words cannot describe. He was taken to the vet that day, and the charges were placed on Geoffrey Athol’s credit card, even though Maria complained about not being able to put more shopping charges on it because of the very expensive vet bill. The poor, helpless rottweiler was nurtured back to health by Mortina, and Geoffrey Athol didn’t seem to mind this very large dog in his house. Oh and Mr. Matthewson died some short time after that, so now Mortina and Gabe no longer worry he’ll come back to collect him, not that he would have anyway.

Mortina smiled down upon her beloved pet. She was filled with happiness that she was brave enough to rescue Gabe. She just could not imagine how her life would be if she hadn’t. She returned her gaze to look out the window when Maria’s brand-new red Mustang squealed loudly out of the garage, knocking over the garbage cans at the end of the driveway. She peeled out into the street like a burglar from a crime scene. Gabe’s sleeping eyes twitched open at the noise. He made a low growling sound and went back to slumber. And with the sunlight warming his skin, Mortina went back to the dream of finding her real parents.

Chapter 2

The Basement Voyage

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After what seemed like hours staring out the window, a very bad idea crept over Mortina’s brain. She deliberately twisted her body, turned her gaze, and faced the awful pink-colored walls with the purple trim and those gawdawful lacy curtains. Oh how she loathed the mere sight of it. And the longer she sat there staring at the four pink and purple trimmed walls, the more she grew to hate it.

Not liking pink is not weird! she proclaimed, pointing her finger at the wall in front of her. I hate this room! She stood up abruptly and declared rather loudly, scaring Gabe half to death, I am going to paint this deplorable room black.

She folded her arms across her chest, looked casually about with an arched brow, and began picturing her room with the color she loved. A fiendish grin formed at the corners of