The Tiny Hero
Seth awoke the next morning to find a mouse squatting on his nightstand. The little creature sat upright, nose twitching, and began to squeak.
Seth continued to use one of the beds in the attic playroom, while Kendra had moved into an empty bedroom on the next floor down. Though the playroom was large, and cluttered with enough toys to hide a hundred mice, Seth had never seen a rodent inside the house.
"You're not a mouse," Seth said.
The furry intruder waved both arms and kept squeaking. The only wild mice Seth ever glimpsed had scurried away at the sight of a human. This one was clearly signalling him.
"Sit tight," Seth said. "I'll be right back."
He hurried down the attic stairs. The mouse was just an illusion. Seth needed some supernatural dairy. Sometimes he envied Kendra's ability to see magical creatures as they really were without drinking Viola's milk.
Grandma Sorenson stood at the stove tending a large pot of oatmeal, her greying hair bound in a large bun. "Good morning, Grandma," Seth said, grabbing milk from the refrigerator.
"Good morning," Grandma said. "Your cousins and the Larsens are coming to breakfast."
Seth poured some milk into a glass. Oatmeal had never been a favourite of his until he had eaten it at Fablehaven. Grandma Sorenson always offered lots of tasty toppings. "We'll have extras to put in it?"
Grandma smiled. "We have honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, almond slivers, sunflower seeds, walnuts, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and boysenberries. Plus, homemade bread with my special jam."
"That should keep them from running away," Seth said, then finished the milk in his glass. "You really do spoil us."
"It's one of my fundamental rights as a grandparent," Grandma said. "I'm saving the pancakes and French toast for later in the week."
"Good finale," Seth said. "Don't forget the huevos rancheros."
"Or the heavenly hash," Grandma said.
Seth put the milk bottle back in the fridge. "See you in a bit."
"Is everything all right?" Grandma asked. "You seem in a rush."
"Should have gone to the bathroom first," Seth said, racing off. He swung by the bathroom on his way to the attic, partly so his statement would be true, and partly because the claim had awakened an urgent need.
When Seth entered the attic playroom, he found a little man waiting on his nightstand where the mouse had been. Proportioned like a normal human, the tiny fellow stood not quite three inches tall. He had black hair and blue eyes, and he wore a dark yellow shirt tucked into brown pants. A little sword hung at his side. His boots looked travel-worn.
Seth knelt down beside the nightstand. "Hi there," he said. "Sorry I rushed off. I had to drink some milk to see your true form."
"Understood," the visitor replied in a squeaky voice. "You are Seth Sorenson, correct?"
"Who's asking?" Seth wondered. "What are you?" The little guy didn't fit the profile of any of the creatures Seth knew—though fairy-sized, he had no wings and was male. He didn't look like a brownie or a leprechaun, either.
The diminutive man bowed. "I'm Calvin of the nipsies."
"You're too big," Seth said. "Nipsies are like . . ." he put his finger and thumb about half an inch apart.
"Good eye," Calvin said. "I wondered whether you would realize I was out of scale with the rest of my kind."
"I've been to the Seven Kingdoms of the nipsies," Seth said.
"I know," Calvin said, "along with the Supreme Gigantic Overlords, Newel and Doren. You three are hard to miss."
"I guess so," Seth said, remembering how easily they could have smashed the elaborate cities full of miniature buildings, bridges, monuments, palaces, ships, and people. "Why are you so big?"
"The elders cast a spell on me," Calvin said. "Among the nipsies, I have a reputation as an adventurer. I hate to toot my own horn. It always sounds hollow. I should have brought letters of recommendation. But anyway—they chose me as their champion and used a spell that turned me into the Giant Hero. Well . . . to them I look like a giant. Seems silly in front of you. Maybe you should call me the Tiny Hero."
"Calvin, the Tiny Hero," Seth said. "That works. Did they send you to fight me?"
Calvin laughed and shook his head. "No! You are Seth?"
"Yeah."
"Slayer of the Lord of Filth?"
"I've killed some gross things."
"You destroyed the Foulest of the Foul? The Cursebringer?"
"Probably," Seth said. "Does he have a name?"
"We don't enjoy the taste of it," Calvin said. "The demon Graulas."
"Yeah, I killed him," Seth said. "I wish I could have done it more than once."
"We rejoiced at the news," Calvin said. "We had begun to worry nobody would ever slay him."
"He was almost dead for a long time," Seth said, not wanting to mention that he had healed the demon before killing him later.
"Which is why we were concerned," Calvin said. "Because of the curse."
"What curse?"
"The terrible curse of the nipsies," Calvin said. "It was placed on us long ago, before I was born."
"What did it do?" Seth asked.
"The details are obscure," Calvin said. "The elders refuse to elaborate. But we used to be more powerful. And bigger. Maybe even as big as I am now."
"Enormous," Seth teased.
Calvin scowled. "Hey, it makes a difference to us."
"I get it. So did the nipsie elders somehow remove the curse from you?"
"No. But they had ancient magic to create a giant champion. I was chosen."
"What does the curse have to do with Graulas?" Seth asked.
"A deal with Graulas led to the curse," Calvin said.
"I believe that," Seth said. "He pretended to help me, then stabbed me in the back. He overthrew Fablehaven and killed my friend Coulter."
"The curse came with a prophecy," Calvin said.
"Tell me."
"All nipsies can recite it: The curse arose from the demon's blight; the lord who slays him will set it right."
"It rhymes," Seth observed.
"Most of the good ones do," Calvin said. "Some strain more than others. But the basics are clear. Whoever kills the horrible demon will help lift the curse."
"I slew that horrible demon," Seth said.
"Thank goodness!" Calvin cried. "If the Foulest of the Foul had died from a disease, who would we turn to?"
"I'm supposed to break the curse?"
"With the help of a nipsie champion. There's a second half: The slayer shall restore our pride, the Giant Hero at his side." Calvin drew his sword, dropped to one knee, held out the blade with the point downward, and bowed his head. "I, Calvin son of Brendan, pledge myself to you, Seth Sorenson. From this day forward I am your vassal, keeper of your secrets, protector of your honour, servant to your interests, and defender of your causes."
"Wow, thanks. I'm still not clear on this curse, let alone how to break it."
With his head still bowed, Calvin said, "Nobody is really clear about it. But if you're willing to help, please accept my devotion."
"Aren't you kind of small?" Seth asked.
"You're small compared to a giant," Calvin replied, glancing up at Seth, though his head remained mostly bowed. "And compared to Graulas. You did all right against him! There is more to me than my size."
"But what if you get squished?" Seth exclaimed. "I'd feel awful."
"I'm tougher than I look. It's all part of the champion spell. Stronger than I look, too. Let me worry about the risks. I don't squish easily. You won't regret it. Little people can come in handy. I knew I should have brought some letters of recommendation!"
"Okay," Seth said. "I'll help with the curse."
"Try to be a little more specific. I'm offering my devotion. This is a dramatic moment. Very ceremonial. Something like 'Rise, Tiny Hero, and join your new liege lord.'"
Seth swallowed. "This means I'm responsible for you?"
Still kneeling, Calvin lifted his head a little more. "It just means you accept my service. We're a team, and you're the leader. It'll be fun! I'll help you with anything you need, and we'll also keep an eye out for ways to break the curse on the nipsies."
Seth paused. The little guy seemed eager and fun, but he didn't want this to lead to trouble. "How did you get in here? The house is shielded from intruders."
"Being tiny has advantages. In this case, the brownies helped me out. With brownie permission, anyone smaller than a brownie can gain access to the house using the brownie passageways."
"That's impressive. My sister and I got in that way once. Long story. How do I know you're not an evil spy?"
"I'm a nipsie," Calvin said defensively. "We've never allied with evil! The shadow plague turned some of us dark for a while, but that wasn't our fault. You can count on me. Go check with our elders. Or ask your grandfather. I pledge to serve you faithfully. With an oath and everything!"
"Rise, Tiny Hero," Seth said, doing his best to make the words sound official. "I believe you. I'll be your partner."
Calvin hopped to his feet, swung his sword, then sheathed it. "You won't regret it. Should I call you Supreme Gigantic Overlord?"
"No," Seth said. "The satyrs made up that title. I wasn't part of it."
"Master?"
"How about Seth?"
"Very well, Seth. Want to carry me in a pocket for now?"
"Really?"
"Why not? I'll be fine. That way I'll be with you if you need help."
Seth was currently in shorts and a T-shirt. "Okay. Let me get dressed for the day."
Grandpa and Grandma Larsen brought Knox and Tess to join Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson, Kendra, and Seth for breakfast. They all gathered around the table, a big bowl of oatmeal waiting at each place. Bread, butter, and jam occupied the centre of the table, along with the many add-ins for the oatmeal. Knox eyed the bowl of oatmeal with a mix of suspicion and disappointment.
"Thanks for coming over for breakfast," Grandma Sorenson said. "We're happy to have Knox and Tess visiting."
"How was your first night?" Grandpa Sorenson asked.
"Wonderful," Tess enthused. Though she had shed her fairy wings for breakfast, she still wore a tiara. "Fablehaven is a magical place."
Knox snorted. "I don't know about that. But the other house is pretty sweet."
Seth wanted to say that he should have seen it before the brownies fixed it up. The manor had been abandoned for years before Grandpa Sorenson invited a group of brownies to take up residence there and repair it for the Larsens. But of course, Knox didn't know that brownies were real.
"Dig in," Grandma Sorenson invited.
Knox looked down at his oatmeal without excitement.
"Add stuff," Seth prompted, spooning in some sugar. "It can get amazing."
"There's warm bread, too," Grandma invited.
Knox's interest increased as he sweetened up his oatmeal with berries and sugar. Seth snuck little pieces of bread to Calvin, who was hiding in the front pocket of his cargo pants.
"You don't have a basketball hoop anywhere?" Knox asked as he finished his food.
"We could maybe rig one up," Grandpa Sorenson said. "For now, why not let Seth show you around outside. We have a pool here, and a great yard to explore."
"I want to catch some fairies," Tess declared.
"I can help," Kendra offered with a nervous smile.
Seth wondered what would happen if Tess drank the milk. He figured either it would be no surprise at all, or it would completely blow her mind.
"I'm done," Knox announced, blotting his lips with a napkin. "That was the best oatmeal I've ever had. It usually tastes like mud."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Grandma Sorenson said.
"Grandpa Larsen reviewed the rules with you two?" Grandpa Sorenson checked.
"Stay out of the woods because of ticks," Knox said. "No problem. I'm not a big fan of trees. Or bugs."
"I'll stay by the flowers," Tess promised.
"Run along," Grandma Larsen said. "I can see you're ready to go."
The kids left the table. Seth followed Knox out the back door. He might be annoying, but he was still company.
"What are we going to do?" Knox groaned.
"I can show you the yard," Seth offered.
"I can see the yard," Knox said, gesturing at it. "Lots of bushes. Tons of grass. What are you going to do? Tell me the names of all the flowers? This is the most boring place on Earth."
"It's actually not," Seth said.
"Right," Knox said with a huff. "Prove it."
Seth had seldom felt so tempted. He had called Fablehaven boring plenty of times, but hearing it from somebody else made him defensive. What if he gave Knox a sip of Viola's milk, then snuck him down to the dungeon? He could introduce him to the goblins. Maybe release a wraith or two. Wraiths were the opposite of boring.
"Look at your sister," Seth said. Tess was running around a rosebush waving her wand while Kendra tried to keep up with her. "She's having a great time."
"She thinks she's having fun," Knox said. "Tess tries to make everything into a storybook. She believes anything you tell her. Once she got stuck on the idea of fairies being here, she was all set. Tess lives up in the clouds. One of these days she's going to be really disappointed."
"Are you sure?" Seth asked. "What if there really are fairies here?"
Knox stared. "You have to be kidding! That is the lamest thing I've ever heard. Maybe you should go play with Tess."
Seth knew he needed to proceed with caution. Yes, there were fairies at Fablehaven. And so many other amazing things. And yes, Grandma and Grandpa Larsen probably had some interest in sharing those secrets with Knox and Tess or they wouldn't have let them come here. But Seth knew he would be in huge trouble if he showed Knox what was really going on. Grandpa Sorenson had pulled him aside yesterday and insisted Knox and Tess needed to figure out the secrets of Fablehaven on their own.
"What if I told you there were demons here?" Seth asked. "Or monsters? Or treasure?"
"At least that would be interesting," Knox said. "But still dumb. Except the treasure. I wouldn't mind some treasure."
Suddenly Seth had an idea. It would require taking Knox into the woods. But it shouldn't be very dangerous. Not for Knox. Since he didn't know about the magical creatures, the treaty would protect him.
"How about a dare?" Seth challenged.
"I like dares," Knox said hesitantly.
"We'd have to go into the woods."
"What about—"
"I have bug spray. I go into the woods all the time. And I've never seen a snake here. I'll show you cool stuff. And I'll give you ten bucks if you do the dare."
Knox grinned. "You've got a deal."