The Moon was slowly setting as the clocks were getting ready to strike five. Angelo, Giovanna and Ursula were sitting on a tall oak tree and looking through enchanted binoculars.
“I can’t compliment your skills enough, Giovy,” Angelo whispered. “These binoculars really make it look like it’s high noon.”
“Don’t mention it,” Giovanna whispered. “I wanted to refresh this ritual for quite some time.”
“I too think that it is an impressive spell,” whispered Ursula. “It surely required a lot of energy and ingredients.”
“Thank you,” Giovanna tried focusing on Mt. Corvus.
For nearly half an hour the three were observing the hill. They were trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious kidnapper who said he shall collect ransom there. The fake ransom they were using as bait was still there.
“It sure takes him a while,” whispered Ursula. “But it is okay. I kind of feel like I am in a sniper duel. Like in Metal Harness Solid.”
Suddenly Ursula saw something moving. She couldn’t see many details, but it looked like a man in a blue coat carrying a briefcase. He was moving from the south and climbing the hill.
“I think I see him!” Ursula whispered to Angelo.
He quickly looked in the same direction. His eyes were following the man to the very summit. He seemed to notice the book lying there. He kneeled and opened it. Inside there were a lot of fruits. The man looked around and took the book with him. He took a string from his pocket and a book from his briefcase. He put it on top of the book from the hill and wrapped the string around them so they wouldn't open. That other book was likely for camouflage.
“Jackpot…,” Angelo whispered. “Let’s wait until he comes down and follow him.”
“I wonder where he will get us,” whispered Ursula.
“Only one way to find out.”
The sun had risen completely and a janitor was opening the door to the Venerable Bede University’s linguistics building. He thought the weather was nice and it was going to be a good day. When closing the door the janitor noticed a professor walking to the building. He came outside and greeted him.
“Good morning, professor Kafka!”
“Good morning,” said the professor with a smile.
“You seem unusually happy today. Did something happen?”
“I’ve got a package I have been waiting for.”
“Lucky you. The post seems to go wherever it wants these days.”
“Well, I’m gonna go to my office now.”
And so professor Kafka vanished inside the building. The janitor also went inside and sat inside his booth.
On the nearby tram station there were Angelo, Giovanna and Ursula. They were constantly tracing the mysterious man. Angelo was listening to the conversation using a directional microphone. Mr. Ovid gave it to him a long time ago. It proved useful in some gigs. Angelo took off the headphones connected to the microphone.
“His last name is Kafka,” he said. “He seems to be teaching here.”
“So we know where he might be holding the kidnapped fairy…,” said Ursula. “I hope he has his own office.”
“We should check it,” said Giovanna. “There is a possibility she is there.”
Angelo put his fingers against his chin. He was intensively thinking about the building.
“We should act quickly when there are not too many people,” he said to the girls. “We also need some kind of plan.”
Then Angelo pointed at Ursula.
“For now call Sarah,” said Angelo. “I’ll try to come up with something before she arrives.”
“Got it.” said Ursula as she was taking out her phone.
As Sarah was going to meet her friends in the field she was still practising the mantra from aunt Caitlyn.
“My potential is growing. My energy is flowing… My potential is growing. My energy is flowing… My potential is growing. My energy is flowing…”
The loud engines of the bus were successfully silencing her. When the bus arrived at her stop Sarah experienced something strange when going out. She felt something jumping between her hands. Like an impulse or a spark. It shocked her. But then she started thinking about it as she was walking towards the Venerable Bede University. Maybe it was the moment. Maybe she finally has created her magical energy. Maybe it was the time to show it to aunt Caitlyn. Maybe she would think it’s time to start teaching her for real. Throughout this debate with herself Sarah almost did not notice her friends waiting for her.
“Hi, Sarah!” said Ursula.
She stopped and waved at her friends.
“How’s it going?” Sarah asked.
Giovanna explained the situation.
“Angelo is doing reconnaissance. When he comes back we’ll discuss the plan.”
“But we know who to look for,” said Ursula. “His last name is Kafka.”
“Interesting name,” said Sarah.
Just then Angelo came back.
“Yo!” he greeted Sarah.
“Hi there,” Sarah said. “Do we have a plan?”
“Yes, but a bit risky.”
“Then what shall we do?” asked Giovanna.
“I’ve managed to locate his office. He seems to be a dean here. We’ll sit under his window and wait for him to leave.”
“And then?”
“We’ll have to go in through the window.”
“What?” Sarah shuddered. “Isn’t that illegal?”
“Well… You’re right… So we’ll have to observe the office before we enter. I just want to confirm if he holds the fairy here.”
“For now let’s go find the window,” said Giovanna.
“Right,” said Angelo. “I’ll show you where the office is.”
Then he went to the window. Giovanna and Ursula followed him. Sarah had conflicting feelings about the legality of this whole procedure. But she decided to follow her friends. She continued to recite your mantra so she could calm down.
“My potential is growing. My energy is flowing… My potential is growing. My energy is flowing… My potential is growing. My energy is flowing…”
Professor Kafka went to his office. He subconsciously made a grin. He was glad that obtaining fairy realm fruits was so easy. He of course suspected they might be fake, but he had a way to check them. And he was very impatient. But he had time. That day he was starting his lectures almost at noon. Kafka put the tied books on his desk. He pulled a set of keys from his pockets and grabbed the smallest in his fingers. He put it in a keyhole in his desk and opened a built-in case. Inside there was a jar with holes in its lid. In the jar there was a trapped creature. The fairy kidnapped by Kafka. He took the jar out and put it on the desk. He removed the string from the books. He took a small plastic colander and put the berries from the book in it.
“Today I have something from your realm for you,” he said to the fairy.
The fairy could understand English, but she was too scared to speak. She was held in the jar in a dark case for two days after all. So she was only looking at what Kafka was doing. He put the colander next to the jar so the fairy could see the fruits.
“I only have to check if they are real,” said Kafka. “And you should really want them to be. Because if so I will let you free.”
The fairy understood everything. She tried to answer, but she did not speak English that well.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my word,” said Kafka. “But I really have to find out whether they are real or not. And if they are, I'll use them well.”
He took a fistful of berries and put them in the jar so the fairy could eat.
Professor Kafka had a goal he aspired to. He wanted to combine the magic of the fairy realm and the human realm. And he found the berries to be the key to that. If he could combine their magic with something found in his home realm that could lead to effects beyond anyone’s imagination. At least that was what he believed. But in reality no human could safely eat fairy berries. Or anything from the fairy realm. And Kafka wanted to find a way to neutralise the negative effects.
“Well… Time to go to the lab,” said Kafka. “I’ll wash the berries and feed you. And when I free you I’ll go back to my little experiments.”
Kafka took the jar and put it back in the case. After he closed it he took the keys and went to a document closet in the corner of the office. He opened it and took out the board at the bottom. He looked down the deep tunnel hidden under the closet. He took a headlamp from a shelf, turned it on and put it on his forehead. He carefully went down the tunnel on the ladder carved into the wall of the tunnel. When he reached the bottom he took the berries into it and closed the bottom of the closet.
The fairy could only hope she would be rescued soon.
