Kendra In Granada Back In Granada, Faith Fairweather, a professional tennis player, tennis court was all finished and ready to be used today. She called up her friend Filia Anderson that is also a pro tennis player to come over and try out the the new court. Both girls are world cup champions but since Faith started competing in tournaments, Fila always ended up losing to Faith and had to settle for second place. They both decided that if they joined up and played in the women's doubles tournaments then they would clean up as being the two best women tennis players in the world. Once Filia showed up at Faith's cottage they got changed into more tennis like clothing then went out back to check out the court with their rackets and a few balls. Well it sure does look like the offical size, said Filia and the court floor is perfect, just like the pro courts. Ya it sure looks perfect to me too, said Faith. We can practice together for now but we will need another couple to practice against. I have never played doubles before. Leave that to me, said Filia. I know lots of pro players that would love to have a chance to play against you. Okay well lets do a few serves to each other first and see if they drew the lines right. I'll know by where the ball lands. Okay, said Filia and they took there places on the court. Faith served first and Filia was able to hit the ball but it didn't make it over the net. Then Filia served and Faith returned the ball to the other side of the court just out of reach for Filia to hit it back. They did a few more serves and managed to get a bit of a rally going but Filia was just no match for Faith. Okay show off. Take it easy on me, said Filia. Were partners remember. She walked up to the net to get the ball and Faith walked up too. Did you hear that news broadcast about some kind of dimension portal scooping up people here and taking them somewhere? asked Faith. Ya, sounds like they are doing drugs or something, said Filia. There is no such thing as dimension portals. I don't know, said Faith. It comes on every hour on every station. Something weird must be going on. Sounds more like the government covering their ass for not being able to find the missing people to me. I think they have been kidnapped by a sex crazy man or gang, said Filia. Well they are blaming the heat wave and scientist seem to think it is a portal but your probably right. That makes more sense, said Faith. Filia looked up and saw something falling from the sky fast. What the hell is that? Faith turned around just in time to see what looked like a girl with wings crash to the ground. They both dropped their rackets and ran over to see if the girl was still alive. They ran over to her then Filia went down on one knee and Faith knelt down too. The girl started to lift her self up and said, "Crap it got me". Well she's alive, said Filia. The girl looked up at Filia and said, "Your pretty". Filia looked at Faith. Maybe there is something right about that broadcast, said Filia. Are you okay? asked Faith. You hit the ground very hard. Oh it takes more than a little fall to hurt me, said the girl. Little fall. You must of been a hundred feet up when I first saw you coming down, said Filia. Ya I lost control when I came out of that portal. Couldn't get my wings to flap fast enough to stop falling but slowed me down some, said the girl. My name is Kendra from Fae Land, can you two girls help me up please? I am a bit sore but it will pass. Filia and Faith helped her to her feet. She then shook each leg then both arms. Good nothing is broken. Pretty sure there are no faries here to heal me if something was broke, said Kendra. Fairies, no, we have doctors, said Faith. Kendra smiled at her. Well I am here now for a bit, so what are your names and shouldn't one of you welcome me to Granada? Okay, that is a good start, said Faith. Welcome to Granada, I am Faith and this is Filia but where is Fae Land? Oh so you two haven't heard of it yet, said Kendra. Well from what Alieta has found out so far, Fae Land is right here, just in a different dimension but more likely an alternate reality. So all the broadcast warnings are true and everyone should stay indoors, said Filia. Warnings, why is there a warning about Fae Land. It is the most beautiful and magical land on the planet and everyone there is very friendly, said Kendra. Oh well the broadcast doesn't know where the people end up, said Faith. No one here seems to know where that portal thing takes people. Well we know it takes you to about the spot where we left but in Granada so it makes sense that any that left here would end up in about the same place in Fae Land, said Kendra. I don't know if any people from Granada have shown up in Fae Land yet but I live in the fairy forest where no portal can get and secluded some from the hest of Fae Land. Some from Fae Land have been here. Actually there are three girls here right now from Fae Land just visiting. Plus two live in Fae Land now, Mika and her sister Layla, That is where I was heading when that stupid portal appeared in front of me. and one got caught by the portal but is having a great time last I heard. Anyways no one should be scared to being teleported to Fae Land. And Sapphire goes back and firth every two days so if they want to go back, she will take them but once you have been to Fae Land you always want to come back or stay there. We don't have electricity yet though Ivy and Alexa are working in solar panels now but we got magic and lots of it. I don't know if I could live with out electricity, said Filia. Really, but the white magic everywhere makes it so people live a very long time, said Kendra. We have humans living in Fae Land that are over two hundred years old and never get sick and they still look like they are just twenty five tops. Ya I could definitly give up electricity for that, said Faith. So you live in the fairy forest si that makes you a fairy? asked Filia. No fairies are much smaller and do magic tith their wands, said Kendra. I am a forest sprite, I don't bo magic but can talk to trees and plants that makes them very happy and they grow faster and healthier. So what is this on the ground, it looks like some kind of game and forest sprites love to play games. Yes this game is called tennis but we are professional tennis players, saif Filia. We can teach her and just go easy, said Faith. Do you want to learn how to play tennis Kendra. I sure do, is it hard to learn, I am pretty smart you know, said Kendra. Sure why not, said Filia. Lets see if she can hold up against Faith. One thing though, there is no flying allowed. Okay, said Kendra and they all headed over to the court. When they reached the court Faith grabbed another racket off the table and handed it to Kendra. Then she went and got her's. Filia got her racket and the ball. Faith showed Kendra how to properly hold the racket and did a couple test swings for her. Okay I get that, said Kendra. So just hit the ball over that big long net. Ya but there are rules to follow, said Faith. She told her how the ball has to stay inside the white lines and the ball has no clear the net when serving. What is serving? asked Kendra. That is when each round starts. I will serve first so you can see how it is done, said Faith. Now you have to try and hit the ball back and get it over the net. It can hit the top of the net when returning the serve but it must go over it. Now like Filia said you can't fly. Humans can't fly and this game was created by humans. You can jump for the ball though. Okay I am not human, I am Fae but I will follow the rules, said Kendra. Okay you go to that end of the court in right rectangle and get near the back and I will go to the other side and show you a simple serve. Filia tossed the ball to Faith and headed to the outside boundry of the court. Faith got set and when she saw Kendra was ready she served the ball over the net. Kendra hit it but the ball went into the net. Nice try, said Faith. Lets try that again. Faith served again and this time Kendra got the ball over the net. Faith hit it back to her and Kendra did the same. This is easy, said Kendra as they were just hitting the ball softly. Easy she says, thought Faith and she hit the ball hard and it bounced on Kendra's side and was going to go over her head out of reach but she jumped up high and slammed it back and Faith missed it. Hey no flying, said Filia. I didn't fly, I jumped. Faith said jumping is allowed, said Kendra. Okay then that is allowed, said Filia. First point goes to Kendra. Okay your turn to serve, said Faith. Kendra looked at where Faith was standing in a ready pose. She threw the ball up high then jumped and slammed it over the net. Faith barely got to the ball and hit it but it went out of bounds. Second point goes to Kendra, said Filia. Kendra served three more times but Faith was unable to return the very fast moving ball. Okay Faith, stop fooling around and show her your stuff, said Filia. I'm not fooling around, said Faith. The ball is moving too fast for me to get to it. You come out here and help me. Filia grabbed her racket and went out on the court. Two against one, is that allowed? asked Kendra. It is against you said Faith. Here you try serving and show no mercy. Filia did one of her best serves but Kendra returned it and Faith was able to send it back but Kendra was so fast on her feet that no matter what the two of them did, they couldn't get the ball past Kendra. Okay, that is enough, said Filia. You just beat the two best female tennis players in the world and in barefeet. Besides you just put a split on the seam of the ball. You know if Kendra is here for a bit, we could practice against her, said Faith. If we can get some very good rallies going against her then we certainly will distroy any couple that we face. Ya but she will have to stop hitting the ball so hard, said Filia. She will have to return it like a normal human tennis player does. Well all I was doing was chasing the ball and hitting it back fast but ya I can tone it down a bit, said Kendra. Good then be ready tomorrow. So lets go in out of the heat, said Faith. The aircontioner keeps it nice and cool in the cottage. Okay, do you have any chocolate ice cream? asked Kendra. Ice cream is good for my wings it makes them nice and strong. Yes I always have ice cream, said Faith. They all went into the cottage and Filia took Kendra to the couch in the living area while Faith went to the kitchen. There are no rooms in here, just one big room, said Kendra. Well this is called an open concept cottage, said Filia. One big room with just a divider in the middle but the kitchen and bathroom are separate rooms of coarse. This is the way Faith likes it seeing her appartment in the city is small and cluttered. Faith came back with the ice cream. Sorry Filia, did you want some too? No I had a bowl before I came over, it maikes my legs strong, said Filia with a smile. It is so cool in here, is that what an air conditioner does? asked Kendra. Yep it's outside beside the cottage and the fans push cold air out of those vents on the ceiling, said Faith. Took a while to cool down this big place though with all the windows but now it is perfect and the airconditioner inly has to come on once and while now. So what is that on the table that keeps lighting up every time I move my feet? asked Kendra. That is my cell phone, it lets me talk to people with having to go to there place plus it takes pictures and makes short movies, said Faith, do you want to see some pictures I took? Sure, I like paintings and other kinds of art, said Kendra. Faith picked up her cell phone and started showing some of the pictures she took of her friends and place she had been as she travelled all over North America and told her a bit about each picture. Wow, I want one of those, said Kendra. Well you will need electricity to keep the battery charged, said Filia. Take a pocture of Kendra and show her how it works. Okay just look at the small round lense then smile for me, said Faith. Kendra smiled and Faith took her picture and showed it to her. Wow it is a fast drawer, said Kendra. I kind of look pretty right? Oh you are a very pretty girl, said Faith. What is that over there by the windows? asked Kendra. That is my pianio, I like to relax ince I get home after a tournement and play some songs, said Faith. Really you can make music with that, what does it sound like, I love music, said Kendra. Well lets go over to it and I will show you how it works, said Faith. They all walked over to the grand piano and Faith sat down in the bench and hit a few keys. Wow, that sounds nice, how does it work? asked Kendra. Well when I push down a key under the lid inside the piano, a little rubber hammer comes down and hits one of the strings and plays that note, said Faith. Kendra stuck her head under the opened lid and looked at all the strings. It is like a harp that is laying in it's side in here, said Kendra. Ya I guess you can say that, I think it has the same number of strings as a large harp, said Faith. Do you want to hear me play a song? Yep, music is good for the soul, said Kendra. Okay then here is a good one you should like, said Faith. She started playing a song that a popular band from Granada played at concerts and was heard on the radio. Kendra started to smile then began to dance to the music. Filia smiled. You are a good dancer, said Filia. Yep everyone in Fae Land loves to dance at parties, said Kendra. Fairies and sprites air dance like this sometimes too. Kendra started to flap her wings and lifted off the floor while still dancing. Now that I have never seen before, said Filia. Very impressive! Well that was fun, you are good at playing that piano, said Kendra. Yep, I took music in highschool and picked the piano to learn on plus they teach you how to read music too, said Faith. I can't read music but I can read elven and old elven plus tree language, said Kendra. Really trees have a language too? asked Filia. Yep, on paper it looks funny and is mostly made up of symbols but is sounds very nice, said Kendra. I think it is the most beautiful sounding languages of all languages. Do you want to hear me talk to one of your trees over there? Okay, so it will understand you? asked Faith. These are fig trees. I know, all trees understand the same language, it is more how you speak to a tree than what you say to it, said Kendra. She walked over to the tree closest to her and touch a branch, the small tree began to shake it's branches a bit. Kendra began to speak softly to it and the tree began to lean towards her. Kendra then let go of the branch and the the tree straighened up and grew abiut an inch taller. Wow, that was amazing, said Faith, what did you say to it? Just that it was a very beautiful tree with lively leaves, said Kendra. It said it needs some water. I didn't hear ot say anything, said Filia. Trees can't talk silly, I read it and it likes living in hear too but likes it best when Faith is here playing music, said Kendra. Plants love music too you know. So I am hungry, must be lunch time, do you have anything to eat? Well yes if you like left over speghetti and meat balls, said Faith Are you kidding, I love speghetti, that is my favorite food, except ice cream is my most favorite, said Kendra. As they were walking past the dividing wall Kendra spotted the trophy on the mantle peice above the fireplace and ran over to it. Kendra looked at the trophy with wide eyes. That's a real big trophy, said Kendra. You must be good at playing tennis. She read the plack that said, "Faith Fairweather, Woman's World Cup Champion 2024". Hey that is this year, you are the best in the world, said Kendra. This trophy says so. Ya I guess I am, said Faith. I just love playing tennis. Sometimes I feel bad for beating girls that have been playing longer than me like Filia. Ya I used to get thebig trophy like that one until Faith here started playing three years ago, said Filia. Now I have to settle for second place but now we are a team so we will both be getting big trophys. Faith has two more at her apartment for winning the world cup in 2023 and 2022. Well you two are friends and a team now so that is good right, said Kendra. Yes it is very good, said Faith. So lets head into the kitchen and I will heat up the speghetti on the stove, I won't take long. Where is the kitchen? asked Kendra. Just through that door past the bed, said Faith. Oh okay, race you there then Kendra ran to the door. She is a bit of a nut isn't she, said Filia. Yes but a very lovable nut, said Faith.
|