Chapter 6
Elphaba flew through the raging storm; the Flying Monkeys were keeping pace with her. They couldn't talk due to the ferocity of the wind, rain, and thunder so they were forced to use hand signals. The visibility was terrible and they were lucky that the Grasslands were mostly flat. If there had been any trees, finding the ones they sought would be difficult. Elphaba pointed and the Flying Monkeys nosedived to the group below.
"Mom!" Semir wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm glad you're safe. Let's get out of here before things get worse," Elphaba told him. Her son quickly climbed onto the back of his mother's broom while the elders were being lifted by the Flying Monkeys. They wouldn't have a comfortable trip but thankfully it would be a short one.
Elphaba pointed back toward the direction of home and they all took to the skies hoping to get back without any trouble. The gear had to be sacrificed as they could not carry it. As quickly as they could, the group made their way back toward the Palace. Elphaba heard something over the sound of the storm but she wasn't sure she was imagining things or not. Then came a noise that everyone was familiar with,
"Princess, do you need a ride?" It was Bonescraper. The mighty dragon had appeared as if seemingly from nowhere.
"Help the others please good friend," Elphaba smiled and he nodded. The Flying Monkeys landed on the dragon's back and they helped the elders stay on the mythical creature for the remainder of the ride. They landed back at the Palace and the Flying Monkeys ferried the elders down to the soldiers waiting on the ground.
"Make sure everyone is medically checked out and given a hot bath," Elphaba ordered to a young Sergeant by the name of Doruk.
"Yes your Highness," he saluted and quickly made sure the troops helped everyone inside. Elphaba kissed Semir's forehead and sent him on his way before indicating to Bonescraper they needed to talk. She walked underneath a balcony to try and stay out of the weather, despite being completely soaked.
"You should get inside your Highness. You don't want to get sick," the dragon said.
"I will; thank you for your concern. Don't take this the wrong way but where have you been? Why are you here now?" Elphaba asked.
"The first one is a long story better saved for better weather. The second is easy, I was called. I'm guessing by little Zara who is not so little anymore," Bonescraper said.
"Things are a bit crazy around here; she might have even done it without realizing it. I will talk to her. At any rate, thank you for coming. We needed the help," Elphaba patted the dragon's paw.
"I will stay as long as you need me. Though I will be above the clouds to get out of the weather," he said.
"Yes, do what you must. We will talk soon," the green woman smiled before hopping on her broom and flying for the front door. Bonescraper took to the skies.
"Elphaba, you're going to catch a cold," Ayla was there and quickly threw a blanket around her daughter-in-law.
"I'll cure myself," the green woman smirked.
"Yes but can you whip up a hot bath?" The Queen smirked herself as the two of them started to walk upstairs.
"That sounds fantastic," Elphaba began to notice that she was shivering despite the blanket.
"I bet it does. Fiyero is with Semir but Havva has your bath at the ready. Do you need anything else?" Ayla wanted to know as they reached the top of the steps.
"Yes, I need you to smack some sense into Glinda until I get out of the tub. Then I'll take my turn," the younger woman said.
"Oh honey we are way ahead of you. Zara told me that Izzy doesn't want to go home with her parents and I have granted her wish to stay here. I have sent out my most trusted Bird to Aytac relaying the situation and I want her and her family to escort Bartholomew out here. We are going to resolve this and resolve this the family way. If it cannot be resolved, Izzy will stay here, whether Glinda and Balfour agree or not," Ayla told her as they reached Fiyero and Elphaba's room.
"Their behavior confounds me. I have never known Glinda to be this way," the green woman said. They entered the room and headed straight for the bathroom.
"I completely understand where she is coming from. While we in the Vinkus are more understanding, the rest of Oz is not. She leads Oz, which was a precarious place to be when she took power and is no less precarious now. Should her daughter be viewed as a deviant, then, despite that it is not true, the rest of Oz could call for Glinda's removal. You know yourself that the Munchkins do not tolerate anything out of what they view as normal. I have no idea what the Quadlings think but they have been bullied since the beginning of their existence. The bigger issue, I imagine, is with the Gillikin. Glinda may have become more understanding in college but the Gillikin has a history of being quite intolerant. I was very surprised that their leadership would throw in with us when we overthrew the Wizard. At first, I was worried that Lord Arduenna had broken rank but relations have improved after the downfall of the Wizard. However, that does not mean Glinda still doesn't have the old picture of her home country in her mind," Ayla explained.
"If I wasn't sure before, I would be now. The Vinkus is lucky to have you as Queen," Elphaba smiled as they attempted to strip off her wet clothes.
"Yes they are," her mother-in-law teased. They finished getting her clothes off and Ayla helped her into the tub's warm waters. The two continued to talk about the future as the younger woman warmed up and the fact that Zara may have subconsciously summoned Bonescraper.
"I heard that my favorite person in the world is here and that my sister was trying to hide her from me," Semir spoke from outside Zara's bedroom door. He had practically jumped out of the tub when Fiyero had told him that Izzy was here.
"I would never do such a thing," Zara opened the door and let him in.
"Semir!" Izzy hopped up off the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head.
"Are you ok?" He was worried as he could tell she'd been crying.
"They know," she started to cry again.
"It's going to be ok. We'll get through this. I'll not let anything happen to you," Semir promised her. Zara gave him a look and mouthed, You knew? He mouthed back, You didn't?
To Be Continued…