Minerva's Summer (2018)

August 20, XXXX

Location X-A: chaparral and coastal ecoregion

            It was a Friday noon, with the sun shining brightest on the Mediterranean climate. It was here where one can see two foreign objects slowly traversing the harsh heat.  Upon closer look, the two objects appeared to be some type of food stall. There also were three black hounds pulling the larger food stall, much like a horse would with a carriage. On the smaller cart, was a young lady of a dress of lilacs, pushing it with the help of the handles. Even with the large multiple wheels attached to the carts and the square cantilever umbrellas hanging from the roof providing shade for the four souls, the blistering dry heat was too much for them. “Qyte a precarious situation we find thyself in, venturing this far o’er the Montagnes.”, spoke the lady in lavender. They had walked all morning traveling out of town and open shop, but it seems they did not expect a heatwave and were ill-prepared, to say the least.  

There were no people in sight, only the buckwheat, scrub oak, sagebrush with their grey mature foliage, and other waxy plants enduring the dry weather. The lady and the hounds had themselves to consult with amongst the flora and fauna; occasionally coming across a small pocket mouse, horned lizard, and on rare instances, a rattlesnake as well. The farther they ventured, the dryer it became, and the heat was not going anywhere soon. On the dirt trail they walked on, they spotted more and more dead plants accumulating from months if not years’ worth of life cycles. The further they walked, the more anxious the lady got. She began to realize with every step, the death trap they’ve gotten themselves into. With all these dead brushes and the unbearable heatwave, it was a recipe for a wildfire. She looked towards the hounds and the stalls with the sense of worry. No longer able to bear the heat, she calls out to the hounds, “Hold thy harness fast, Dextro, Sinestro, Arma!”. The hounds quickly came to a halt, and the lady soon released them from their leashes. She then ordered them to go inside the stall, and she soon followed. 

She checked their rations. They had enough food for several days however they were almost out of the water. Normally she carried enough to last a long trip, however with the heat and the fact all the streams and ponds they came across were either dried up or polluted, their water supply had no opportunities to refill.  She then looked on the cargo of her stalls, which upon closer look, revealed to be a vast array of herbs, essential oil, incense, spices, and other herbal remedies. She checked her live herbs, just as she expected, were still fresh and thriving even with the soaring temperatures, all thanks to her magic. However, her magic won’t last long, nor can she use it on herself and the hounds to cool off. Her magic only goes to the extent of her herbs, any bigger would take a toll on her sparse magic. She decides to give the rest of the water for the hounds and hands them some homemade biscuits to feast on.

“A moment’s respite, I bid from thee. Strength and stamina spent they seemed; Thought I that the annueleer hath queynte…” She no longer had any means to have a drink for herself, the hounds would only endure for a few more hours and waiting inside was not an option. “At erst, ich mihte not hath ynough might!”, she exclaimed as not only did they have a water shortage, but now she was short on magic. In addition to using a significant amount of magic to maintain her plants, she was also directing some for herself as she was prone to heat and her lilacs would quickly wither if she released her magic spell. With every passing minute, the situation became more urgent. She could not use any more magic than she already had, she had enough to last an hour or two at best, there were no towns nearby and she was not familiar with this terrain. She needed directions and quickly, but there was no one in sight. “I must sothen myn ruffled petals. I ben a travelour that hath lost here wae. Who koude I axe for forthren?”

In a final effort, she gazed outside an as expected, found no one in sight. However, just as things looked bleak, she spotted a large shrub of white flowers. “By the Seints, ‘f not myn eyes defunct, a Ceanothus crassifolius I seen!” She ran outside and headed towards the grey-leaved white lilac bush. Fortune bestowed her, for she could communicate with lilacs. She asked the lilac for any assistance it could offer, the lilac responded, telling her the tales of a lemon shark at a nearby beach. The lilac gave her directions, and to her surprise, it was a place that had no towns that she knew of. Perhaps it was a detour for fellow travelers or a popular spot for beach tourists. Fortunately, the lilac stated that it was about two hours on a carriage, unfortunately, the shortest route goes outside of the dirt trail. She had to make a decision; she could take the long route from the dirt path or take the shorter route and confront the wilderness.              

 Ultimately, she decided her best chance of surviving would be taking the shorter path. With that she thanked the lilac bush, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Verily, I say unto thee; dost thou yet sup’ upon a fest most fayre?” Before she had her hounds ready to go, she went back into the stall and pulled out two strange objects. She took out some brown powder and placed some around the base of the scrub, with the other metal object she pulled out a small rod with holes from the container and sprinkled some water while enchanting in a foreign language. With that, she prepared to set off and traverse the bare terrain in hopes of reaching the lemon shark in a hut. 

Translation

“Qyte a precarious situation we find thyself in, venturing this far o’er the Montagnes.”,

What a predicament we’re in, coming this deep from the mountains.

“Hold thy harness fast, Dextro, Sinestro, Arma!”

Hold on, Dextro, Sinestro, Arma!

“A moment’s respite, I bid from thee. Strength and stamina spent they seemed; Thought I that the annueleer hath queynte…”

I ask (from you) to take a break. I have used up my strength (magic) and stamina; I thought I was a goner. 

“At erst, ich mihte not hath ynough might!”

For the first time, I may not have enough strength (magic)

“I must sothen myn ruffled petals. I ben a travelour that hath lost here wae. Who koude I axe for forthren?”

I must calm down. I am a lost traveler. Who could I ask for help?

“By the Seints, ‘f not myn eyes defunct, a Ceanothus crassifolius I seen!”

Oh my! Do my eyes deceive me, it’s a (lilac species). 

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Verily, I say unto thee; dost thou yet sup’ upon a fest most fayre?”

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Surely, I ask upon you, have you had a meal yet?