The Realm of Heartella

By Debra Mossberg

Dustin is a ten-year-old boy. He and his family lives in another realm called Heartella. Dustins lifelong dream is to go to another realm. He has six-year-old twin sisters and a best friend that is a minotaur.

After a talking vine captures Dustin, his father convinces her to release him with the promise of getting her a sapling so she will not be alone. Dustins mother tells him he cannot go with his father to another realm. He becomes rebellious and runs away from home, where he finds himself in more trouble than he can handle alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524553593

Debra Mossberg

She was born in southern California and lived there until she was twenty-eight years old. The beach and mountains was her playground. Then she moved to southeast Kansas, where later her six siblings, parents, and a lot of nieces and nephews followed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. She moved to a small city with a population of 2,500. After a brief moment of culture shock, she settled into her home. She loves the outdoor adventures Kansas offers her. Camping, fishing, painting, and watching the wildlife are her favorite pastimes.

Book preview

The Realm of Heartella

Debra Mossberg

Copyright © 2016 by Debra Mossberg.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016917667

ISBN:      Hardcover   978-1-5245-5361-6

                Softcover     978-1-5245-5360-9

                eBook           978-1-5245-5359-3

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 10/20/2016

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

1. Heartella

2. A Journey with Dad

3. Convincing the Vine

4. The Black Powder and the Magic Stick

5. Dustin’s Journey

6. Waiting on the Girls

7. Grandma Douglas

8. Vine

9. Mary and the Snake

10. The Feast

11. Firebirds

12. King Trissys’s Gift

13. Jessup

14. The Saplings

15. Aldo Caro Tenuto (Soul Keeper)

16. The Journey Home

17. Confused

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Chapter 1

Heartella

They were playing in the meadow like any other day. The sun was bright but not too hot. They heard a noise in the tree line and stopped rolling down the hill. They both stood up and brushed off the grass that clung to their dresses.

Their big brother appeared in the distance walking out of the trees. He was older than they were by four years. A bit bossy, but for the most part, he was a good brother. It was his job to look after them when their parents were away. All three kids had dark hair like their parents. The girls had green eyes and were kind of small for their age; the boy had blue eyes and was broad shouldered like his father and tall for his age.

Hi, Dustin, did you come out to play with us? the girls said at the same time.

We were rolling down the hill, waiting for Jessup to show up. But he hasn’t yet. Maddie, the younger of the two by three minutes, was more talkative then her twin sister. Not saying that Hope was quiet by any means and not saying that Maddie talked too much. She just talked more.

Where do you think Jessup might have gone, Dustin? We have been waiting all day for him. Maddie pouted.

Dustin walked up to his six-year-old twin sisters and looked around the meadow. Well, I don’t know. Maybe all your screaming and laughing scared him off. You both know how sensitive his ears are.

But he promised to give us a ride around the forest today. He said he would take us to the great falls, Hope said, also pouting.

Well, I’m sorry but I am not his keeper. I haven’t seen him all day. Mom asked me to come and get you guys. It’s time to come home.

Oh, can’t we stay and wait for Jessup? Maddie said.

You know you can’t. Mom wants you home now.

Dustin turned and walked away from the girls. He looked back to make sure they were following. They walked side by side with their heads down, pouting. He led them into the forest the way he came. The trail was thin and well worn. It curved deeper into the forest where the trees were thicker and the sun not so bright.

Now in the land of Heartella, things were a lot like the rest of Earth: forests, mountains, oceans, rivers, streams, valleys, hills, grass, and dirt.

However, what was different were the doorways to different realms were different animals and plants not on Earth lived. Here in these realms were dragons, phoenixes, behemoths, griffins, Pegasuses, unicorns, Centaurs, Fauns, Gorgons, mermaids, Minotaurs, sirens, brownies, dwarves, elves, fairies, and any other kind of creature that is just a myth in the realm of Earth. This realm where we are now is the land of Heartella. This realm and the land of the elves were the only realms with humans in them.

When the humans found the portal to Heartella, the creatures in all the realms panicked and destroyed all the portals leading to Earth. Only seven humans made it through. They were allowed to stay in the land of Heartella as long as they did not destroy and corrupt the land, like they did in the realm of Earth.

If they did not agree to this, then they would be killed. They could not just be sent back to Earth because all the portals had already been destroyed. Of course, all seven humans agreed rather than die. They didn’t want to live on Earth anyway.

Most creatures and plant life in Heartella were the friendlier ones. The realms were split up by how evil a creature was. What elf or fairy wanted to live among demons? What elf or fairy wanted to live in nothing but sand or lava? That land might be suitable for a dragon but not for a frail little fairy.

Now if a creature wanted to go to another realm, the portals were opened to them. Any creature could go to any realm as often as they pleased. Except Earth.

Just walking down a trail that you traveled every day of your life was dangerous. Plants could grab you, or an ogre could snatch you up and serve you for lunch.

Dustin was cautious leading his sisters home. They came to a clearing where their cabin stood. A large two-story log cabin, built by their father, grandfather, and uncles. Every tree was cut down and notched out to fit perfectly in place. Large windows in the front allowed the family to sit inside on cold snow-filled days and still be able to watch all of nature outside.

Jan, the children’s mother, was out in the garden, pulling vegetables for supper. Hope ran to her yelling about Jessup.

Mommy, he promised to take us for a ride to the great falls! He never even showed up.

I’m sorry, honey. Maybe his mommy told him he couldn’t go away from the herd today. Don’t be mad at him until you find out for sure what happened.

I guess. But that don’t make me no happier. Hope turned and walked back to Mattie and Dustin. Dustin put his arms on each girl’s shoulder and told them to go into the house and get ready for supper. The girls ran off, and Dustin walked to his mom.

He stood there for a minute and bent down to help her. As he pulled carrots out of the ground, he said, Mom, Jessup is always in that meadow. I’m a little worried about him.

Jan looked up at her son and wiped her black hair out of her face. Son, Jessup is getting to the age that his father is going to want to start teaching him the skills he needs to know.

What kind of skills?

Minotaurs are very protective of their land. He will need to learn the skills of protecting his land and his family for when he grows up to have one. His father needs to teach him just like your father needs to teach you. Hunting food so they can eat, making tools to hunt with, and finding shelter so they can stay out of the weather. I’m sure he is fine. Don’t you worry about him. Besides, he is half bull and half human. He is much tougher then we are.

He may be, but he is not smarter. And he is only two years old.

Come on, Dustin. You know Minotaurs mature much faster than humans do. He is a little older than you are in that sense. She took the carrots from his hand and patted him on the shoulder. Go on now and get ready for supper. I got this. She put the carrots in her basket and stood up. She brushed off her hands and walked to the house a few steps behind Dustin.

After the kids got ready for supper, they went into the kitchen and sat at the table hungry and ready to eat. Jan called Joe, who is her husband, in from the living room; and he joined them at the table.

This looks better than last night’s meal, Joe said. He said that or any compliment that came to mind every time he sat down at the table.

Thank you, honey, Jan said to her husband as she sat down. The girls passed Jan their plates one at a time so she could dish it up for them. Pork roast, potatoes and gravy, carrots, and dinner rolls—these were what they ate most nights.

They raised their own hogs and cows. However, the cows were for milking, not for eating. Well, not until they were too old to milk. Then they were supper. They also hunted the wildlife that was in the realms. Some of the realms were full of herds that must have had free access into the portals before they were destroyed. Deer, moose, and elk were the main choices.

Eating the cows made the Minotaurs angry because those cows were half of what they were. Jessup’s father had no idea why his son would want to play with such savages. Jessup had to sneak off to see the humans because his father forbade him from talking to them.

After supper was done, Jan cleared the table. The kids took off outside while the sun was still bright enough to play. The girls ran around, swinging at the fire fairies that were way too high for them to reach. Only a few fairies were in Heartella. The rest stayed in the fairy realm.

The fire fairies were the size of a hummingbird and just as quick. They swooped down at the girls and then back into the air. When they were a safe distance away from the girls, they blew fire out of their mouths toward them. They purposely were missing them by two or three feet.

The fairies loved the attention the twins gave them. Two of them flew behind Maddie and two behind Hope. All four of them grabbed a handful of the back of the girls’ dresses and pulled them both to the ground. The girls laughed hard and then stood back up to chase the fairies some more.

All of a sudden the fairies froze. They all looked to the north path that led into the forest. They frantically flew to the girls and pointed to the house. One flew to Dustin, who was sitting on the porch, reading his favorite book. This got his attention. She also pointed to the house.

Dustin knew what this meant. Something bad was in the forest coming their way. In the house now! he yelled to the girls. They ran toward Dustin while he ran toward them. He grabbed them both and lifted them off the ground. He ran for the house as fast as he could.

Joe came out onto the porch to see what all the yelling was about. A fairy flew to him and pointed to the forest. What is it, Beth? Joe asked as he stared up the path. Dustin ran past him as the girls were yelling, Mommy! The fairies all took off as soon as the kids were safely in the house.

Jan came out with a double-barrel shotgun and a magnum 357. She handed Joe the shotgun. They both stood there with the guns pointed at the ground but ready to raise them if they needed to.

They could hear limbs breaking off trees and what sounded like whole trees falling to the ground. Soon they could see the tops of the trees swaying and then falling in the forest. Whatever it is, it’s huge, Joe said.

They could see a dark spot in the forest that was moving. Joe, what is that? Jan said with a shaky voice.

I don’t know. But it’s coming our way for sure.

Just then it stepped into the tree line and looked around. Joe, that’s a dragon!

A coal-black dragon bigger than either of them had ever seen was standing at the edge of the forest. It was half the size of the trees. That made it about twenty feet high. It stepped into the clearing as Joe and Jan raised their guns. It looked up into the sky, squatted down, spread its wings, jumped into the air, and took off flying over the house. It roared a very loud and deep roar that rattled the ground and vibrated up into Jan’s and Joe’s chests. It did not even seem to notice them.

Jan and Joe ran to the side of the house where they could see the dragon. It just kept flying farther and farther away. They both looked at each other.

Joe said, "What was that thing doing