Bello and the Sprite

At the base of the tallest, most gnarly tree of the prehistoric glen, a wet rat scurried to a halt. Out of its mouth hung a yellowing scroll nearly in tatters. The rat paused, sniffed, then scratched four times on the bulbous trunk of the gargantuan bristlecone.

"I know you're up there, my liege! I can smell you! Take heart: today's tidings from the hamlet are hopeful, not ominous!"

Lugubriously, I sighed. What difference now could any tidings make? Just days before, the emperor announced his intent to level this glen. My creatures faced an immediate choice: exile or doom. I would most certainly perish. Still, in the form of an imperceptible sprite, I exited through my tingling branches and fluttered in a downward spiral, landing just behind the rat pawing at my trunk.

One rat nose crinkled and turned vaguely in my direction. I'd whooshed to the side a few loose sedges but otherwise left no trace. "It's the High Emperor's nephew, Bello," began the rat breathlessly.

"They've found him, I suppose?" I responded in monotone. "I apologize, Sky Yelper, but rumours about the Castle celebrities cannot save the glen."

"I wouldn't make such hasty judgments," Sky Yelper replied slyly. "What if one among the Castle celebrities had the interests of our glen at heart?"

The rodent spat the scroll out, unfurled it, and flattened its edges with her damp paws.

"REWARD" read the scroll in bold letters across the top. Most of the parchment's space was a charcoal sketch: a distinguished young man with large eyes furrowed in worry. "The safe return of Prince Bello to the Castle shall be rewarded with the Prince's hand in marriage*" read the caption below the sketch. Fine print below read "*to a fair maiden in the warrior's tribe who is deemed worthy by consensus of the Castle."

Breathing slowly and deeply, I mulled the possibilities. Then, turning toward Sky Yelper's expectant grin, I declared, "At the next sunset, a Creatures Council shall be held. Inform the others." I morphed back into the sap of my bristlecone.

***

"You mustn't go!" opined the stag. "Have you seen Cygnathia's Battalion of Fire? They are far too dangerous for woodland creatures to face!"

"Yeah!" concurred the mink with enthusiasm. "Anyway, what has the emperor ever done for us, huh?"

"My woodlanders! Your gorgeous glen is scheduled for demolition!" I cried. "And it's the emperor's nephew who we're rescuing! I am certainly no more fond of the emperor than you, but we must put politics aside to do what's right—together!"

"Politics aside?" retorted the cynical snail. "You just explained your ulterior motive: infiltrating Castle politics with one of us! Even in the slim chance that scheme works, the emperor's men will still raze this glen to the ground—mark my word!"

A warm, dark growl broke across the clearing. "May I interject?" It was Great-Grandfather Grizzly, the largest and oldest creature to call this glen home. "Thank you, all, for sharing your perspectives, my friends. I'd like to offer a somewhat different one. Many of you do not remember an era before the humans settled downstream—which is fine. Though you have my condolences." He smiled wistfully. "This glen—its millennia-old trees, its pristine springs of water, its abundant patches of boysenberries—all of it was a wonderful secret, like a family treasure passed furtively through the generations. Now I could ramble like a windbag for hours, but suffice it to say: if our home glen is not worth the quest of heroes, then what in this world is?"

As Great-Grandfather Grizzly slumped back to his regular spot in the back, sounds of approval—first the small buzzes of insects, then the stamps of hooves and the croaks of bullfrogs—filled the glen's clearing. No creature doubted the decision to be made.

***

"WOOOO!" shouted the tortoise. "Never had I ever imagined seeing tree tips below me!" A handful of the bravest woodland beasts and I were currently en route to the distant Caves of Cygnathia. Our quest would last the whole night long, but under no circumstances could we risk shocking the human peasants by voyaging under the Sun.

"Amuse yourself now, because never will you ever see such tree tips again." I emphasized. It enervated me to waste my ethereal powers on such trivial matters as carrying beasts in the wind—and I wasn't fond of risking their lives either. "Additionally, none of you will ever fly higher than I am tall, agreed? If so, I cannot aid you."

"Yes, we are well aware," responded the python in a kind tone. "I know this plan is stressful, but you have incredibly brave and responsible beasts backing you up. Don't worry about us."

"Hear hear!" blurted the woodpecker. The skunk and the hawks joined in. I smiled in the wind and flew onward at the speed of thunderclouds, reaching the Caves of Cygnathia long before the others.

***

First came the haze. Then came the enormous tary barricades over the horizon. Filth of the years pumped from Cygnathia's mysterious inner caves out into the valleys. Deep in the mountains, her headquarters were impenetrable. Who could guess what plot she was carrying out so meticulously? Who knew what she was doing to poor Bello...

Once over her walls, I witnessed the full power of the enchantress's operations. For miles, smoke columns billowed. Vast cesspools of smelt bubbled. Minions darted to and fro. Hunks of animated volcano rock—the Battalion of Fire—strutted around and guarded every last entrance. How could I ever find one gangly prince buried in this behemoth? Invisibly tracing guard after guard, I eventually chanced upon the prison of the complex: a stony labyrinth swallowing the mouths of several dark caves.

In the deepest, dankest cavern, I saw the boy leaning against a slippery stalagmite. Just emerging from adolescence, his bony shoulders flowed with his breath. Not wanting to startle the lad, I swooped in slowly, admiring his truly distinguished facial features as I neared. Even the most chiseled of charcoal artwork could never have captured these! The blond of his flannel shirt matched his medium-length hair. Swaying imperceptibly back and forth, he appeared to be babbling quietly, eyes wide, face empty, and mouth ajar.

"Prince Bello? Is that you?

No answer.

"You can't see me, I know; but I'm here to rescue you!"

Silence.

"Excuse me? Prince Bello? This is difficult for me to explain, but a convoy of wildlife from the glen northeast of Eischeldorf is about to save you from the claws of Cygnathia. Do you hear me, Bello?"

"Bello... Bello... Bellllllooo..." he repeated mindlessly. "You know why I'm called that? It means "handsome" in Italian. Did you know that?

This would be far more difficult than I anticipated. I ploughed ahead regardless.

"Saving you is, however, conditional. These animals are risking their lives and need to know their tribe will be taken care of. Do you know what your uncle has offered to the warrior who saves you?"

"My uncle? Like the emperor? Did you know my uncle's the emperor? Do you know who the emperor is?" His speech was slow and slurred.

"Everyone knows who the emperor is. And what he offers as a reward for your safe return is your hand in marriage."

"Marriage?" Bello flipped his light blond hair away from his dreamy hazel eyes. "I'm getting married? I always wanted to get married! Who am I marrying?"

I took a deep breath. "Me. You'll be marrying me, Bello."

Silence.

"Bello? Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, you're cool. I can marry you, no prob..."

"I shall assume that means 'yes.' "

"Yes."

What more could I expect? Out through the cast iron prison door, I flew ethereally to greet my miniature paratroopers.

***

"Look! See those hawks up there Dwumpo?" A rocky sentinel slapped another on its pyroclastic back. "They've found breakfast! We should do the same."

Indeed, my woodland friends were playing dead, hanging in the hawks' grasp. I did not expect the shiver of melancholy that accompanied my view of their roleplays of death.

Imitating the hawks, I exuded a shriek of my own, sending the creatures knowledge of Bello's locale. No further urging proved necessary. Anxiously, I watched my handful of shadows in the sky fall towards the villain's lair.

"HEEERE WEEE GOOOO!" The tortoise let himself drop the full height upside down, landing his solid shell on a flabbergasted and terrified guard. The hawks divebombed again and again with their vicious beaks and predatory talons. The woodpecker maneuvered behind guard after guard. Each one tried and failed to scratch the bird off its back before the woodpecker knocked exactly along the fracture line, reducing each guard to a crumpled basaltic heap.

But none of our assailants' efficacy matched that of the final woodland creature: the skunk. The only duty I'd given him was landing gently and sitting smugly, paws together. At the mere sight of him, minions wailed and fled, emptying the courtyard and stony labyrinth in mere seconds. I turned and hurried back, satisfied. These were mere distractions. The true plan was now set in motion, aside from one certain stumbling stone—a very handsome stumbling stone.

***

Returning to the cavern, I tried condescending to Bello's level at the time: "Take heart! In a few hours time, Lord, you'll be safely tucked away in your Castle bed. Doesn't that sound splendid and warm and—"

"You wanna marry me?" he butted in. "But how can I marry... like... some voice in my head?"

"I am a sprite, my Lord. I have the power to assume a corporeal form—any sort you should desire. I'm only able to see and manipulate the body from the outside, but a fully functional human body I can still create from the mud."

"Any body I want?"

"Yes, any body or bodies. I construct myself like a chimera."

"Can you be, like, a tall warrior man? From the distant ally kingdom? With brawny arms and smooth legs and big hands and delicate flower eyes? We'll get married over the waterfalls of Eridanus, and my mom will be there, and your mom will be there—if you have a mom. Do you have a mom?

"We can discuss these matters later in safety. In mere moments, a brave and wily python will be slithering up the head guard's pantaloons. Once she's found the keys, she'll slither up the door jamb to unlock your cell.

A distant, horrifying yelp echoed all the way to Bello's cavern. Not a minute later, the door creaked open, revealing the python, keys in mouth. Draped behind her, attached to the keys by a twine, lay a heap of fabric: the head guard's pantaloons, I presume.

"Hello there, little snakey friend!" Bello moaned through a crooked smirk. The python hissed and left.

"Now, Bello! Escape into the dawn as quickly as you're able!"

"Is this real life? Have you ever thought about cucumbers? Like, what are they?"

"Prince Bello!" I was nearly shouting. "Here is your ripest opportunity! Other guards may come to investigate momentarily!"

"All my friends like cucumbers. Strudel face and I ate cucumber sandwiches on the beach sand once..." While this information did not especially help, I was desperate now: "STRUDEL FAAACE!" I shouted. "At the poisoned estuary..." Bello continued. "Then those swan guards lassoed us and the avocado tree..."

"Hello?" Under Bello's babblings, I thought I heard a whinny as from miles away. "I'm here!" the voice continued. "Is someone there? I'm here!!"

"Yes! We're here to rescue you! Keep calling, so that I may find you!" I swooped through the corridors, across the greatest smelting pit, through Cygnathia's palaces, and finally to the source of the cries: the stables.

"I'm here! You can't see me, Strudel Face, but I'm here."

"Oh, thank you!" She sounded nearly teary. "Have you found Bello? Is he safe? Bring him to the Castle—save him! And maybe, if you have time, then come back for..." Before she finished speaking, all four of her hooves left the hay-covered ground. I raised the whole horse up in my artificial wind.

"Yes, Bello is freed, but he... requires assistance, which I believe you, of all creatures, can best provide him." I paused while Strudel Face adjusted her bearings in the air. "I'm surprised I can communicate with you. Ordinarily, I can't communicate with animals who've been domesticated."

"Well, I'm wild, so that could be it," Strudel Face said distractedly. "Bello and I met years ago, and I naturalized him." She paused. "You're a tree sprite, I assume?"

I nodded tersely. "Yes. Bristlecone. Now here's the path you should fly to rescue Bello..."

***

Halfway across the wide grey smelting pit, several guards finally spotted Strudel Face on the lam. Scimitars flew, but she masterfully dodged them all, diving into the stony maze of corridors. With one final glance backward, I spotted her: Cygnathia herself glaring across the fiery pit. Regally clothed in her glassy chamber, she stood with crooked neck, curly black hair heaped across her ghostly pale face and black holes of eyes. In contrast to appearances, in that moment, she stood as powerless and exposed as my glen.

The python lay awaiting our return.

"If you've made it here, no need to worry about the Battalion of Fire," she immediately reassured. "I've locked all entrances to the corridor, so all we have left is flying up, up, and away. When you're ready," she added.

"My Bello: is he here? Is he safe?" Strudel Face asked immediately upon landing.

"Yes! Just this way," hissed the python. "But... Don't expect the same Bello you left behind. He's a bit... under the weather at the moment."

I sped to Bello's side. "Strudel Face is free, Bello! She's here to carry you to safety."

"Heeeey! My love! You're back!"

"Please at least have the sense to hold on to your horse."

"You bring any cucumber? I like it when—" At that instant, Strudel Face neighed a friendly greeting to her long-lost rider. Bello gasped, standing on two feet for the first time in months. "Strudel Face? Strudel Face!" He sprinted over, wrapped himself around her neck, and gently nuzzled her forehead.

"I have a husband now, girl! At least, I think I do..."

"That would be me, Bello. Your fiancé."

"Who said that?" His eyes scurried about in a panic. Finally, he was lucid!

"I'm a bristlecone sprite; you needn't try to see me."

Bello leaned on one foot and let one hand run through Strudel Face's mane. He laughed and shook his head in wonder. "Not only have I finally been rescued today, but my rescuer turns out to be a charming sprite who asks for my hand in marriage. Could I ask for a more splendid day?"

"It's been wonderful, I agree. Let us do this again. But before moving forward, I must insist upon one of your attributes: the attitude you take toward the world of nature—toward my world."

"Indeed." Bello raised his eyebrows over those beautiful, sad eyes of his. Seeing an opening, I finally let a human know firmly but lovingly what I'd long rehearsed in my head to tell their kind.

"We don't need you feigning strength or attempting to 'rescue' us. We don't need you commanding us or 'improving" us in the ways you see fit. We don't need you analyzing or categorizing every aspect of our existence. We simply need you to be there for us and always be on our side."

"Wonderful! I couldn't agree more. And your trust is most sacred to me. But could we get to know each other better at the Castle? How can we possibly escape the complex?"

"I'll follow you and Strudel Face up and out. She can fly now, you know."

"And my horse can fly now! That is precisely the boost my day still lacked!"

"What's Lord Bellerophon saying now?" Strudel Face asked me, voice charged with anticipation.

I blinked. Then I understood both the predicament and Bello's given name. "I suppose I'll need to translate between the two of you," I told her thoughtfully. "How have you managed to become this inseparable with no communication?"

"Oh, we communicate constantly. Language is convenient and helpful, but our relationship transcends all that."

By this point, Bello had finally wandered out of his prison. He gaped up at the warm sunshine and trees on the distant peaks. "It was still winter when they kidnapped me," he murmured to himself. Together, the three of us departed upward into the early spring sun.

***

Here I stand, 189 years hence, at the mausoleum of Emperor Bellerophon. I miss him bitterly each day. With a life so long, clinging to a mortal may seem peculiar or petty of me. Yet so I cling. The days at Bello's side as a woman and the nights at his side as a man remains embedded in my soul ever after.

I sigh, remembering the centuries passed. Chariots continue their rush down country routes. Farmers continue their harvest of bountiful acres. Masons continue their labor at desolate quarries. In the midst of it all, my charming patch of woodland continues to stand ever after.