May Bell is transported via the usual means into the land of dreams. This time she is not afraid at all and the forces working on her only intensify her interest and the fun. She even has the nerve to look downward rather than keep her eyes as far from her destination as possible. Is she perhaps, getting over her slight fear of heights?
She can see Liza who waves to her from the middle of the room which has reverted back to its original form. She returns the gesture as she lands on the oversized chair, bounces off the cushions and lands in front of her friend. The two give each other a massive hug that stresses all of their muscles in the gentlest way.
"Hello Liza," May Bell grunts as she squeezes that much harder.
"Hello May Bell," the woman returns and leans her body so as to completely cover the little girl.
They hold each other close for several moments, before breaking away from the embrace.
"So," Liza begins as she wipes the teardrop from her eye. "What would you like me to create?"
May Bell twists her face and body in a thinking posture. She remains this way for several moments, then she's ready. "I would love to see some fantasy creatures," she makes her mind known and beams with great excitement. "Could you do that?"
"Yes, I can," Liza assures her and smiles broadly. "Is there any particular creature you had in mind?"
May Bell thinks long and hard. "There are just so many," she blurts as she scrambles her hair. "I can't decide."
"Would you like me to do it for you?" Liza offers and holds out her hand.
"Sure," May Bell concedes and smashes her fist in her hand. "If I can't figure it out, I don't have to, because you can for me. That's what friends are for."
"They most certainly are," Liza agrees and twirls about as she gestures to the smoke demons which follow her commands without any hindrance or hesitation.
She starts by dismissing the basic structure of the room and casting a long walkway in the middle of where it had once been. To either side she creates a sort of enclosure that does not inhibit the viewer from interacting with the exhibit. It is also being built with an open architecture in mind.
There are no bars, or fences, or any other obstructing device that would otherwise keep one from enjoying the unbridled wonder of the creatures being observed, both the spectacular and the dangerous. A dispay to really get the blood pumping and the heart beating, making the watcher feel more alive than if they weren't at some risk.
Liza calls forth a smoke demon and drives it into the floor, forming an ever expanding depression. It is then filled by another helper who transforms into a liquid that slowly rises till it nearly reaches the top. All the while the sculptor of smoke continues her gestures and exaggerations to bring the dream truly to life.
May Bell kneels down and looks into the continually rising fluid as she dips a hand inside and lets it slip from her hand back into the main body. The ripples it leaves are enticing as to what will come next, and for how long it will be delayed in order to whet the appetite. But she's already salivating for more.
Then something catches her eye and she peers deep down into the depths the best her naked eyes can do. She can see something near the bottom which is floundering all around the basin, moving erratically. It's a shadow of some sort and it's rising rapidly toward her person. So fast, in fact, she hasn't time to react when she determines the danger she's in.
It launches itself like a torpedo and soon breaches the surface, catapulting itself several feet in the air, before returning to the deep blue from which it came. Water explodes in every which direction and the two participants are soaked to the bone. Luckily, it is only truly smoke so they dry in a matter of moments.
The aquatic creature again breaks the surface, but this time in a more genteel fashion. It's a mermaid, a creature of the sea, with a fish-like tail and a woman's torso. She rises up till she's practically standing on top of the water and flopping her tail in rapid succession as she draws near to the edge and dips down with each forward motion.
She dips down completely till only her head and tail are above the surface and the former she cradles on her arms, framed by her blonde hair tinged with green, while the latter floats lazily in the middle. It's clear that she is naked, without even a set of clams to cover her more womanly attributes, though she remains on her belly so there is no revealing flesh as such.
The rest of her dignity is preserved since her sex is that of a fish and not clearly visible to any but the more educated on the matter. She flops her tail lazily as the ripples rush to every end of the pool where they splash up against the border and flow back into each other, interrupting the cycle.
May Bell is delighted and squeals with joy. "Can I touch her?" she asks and looks with sparkling eyes.
"You may," Liza relays as she stands over all of them, gazing upon her work with pride. "She will do whatever you ask of her."
May Bell shifts her gaze back to the bizarre aquatic hybrid. "Can I touch your hair?" she places her query before the fishy woman and holds a hand out.
"You may," the mermaid allows and pulls several twisted lochs nearer to the curious child.
May Bell places a gentle hand upon the outstretched strands that have been presented for just such a purpose. It's a strange mane that is quite slimy, more like seaweed than any kind of hair she'd ever touched in her life. It's so bizarre, but nothing compared to the tail that remains outside of her reach.
The mermaid takes note of the look and rolls about several times as she draws her scaly end to the edge of the boundary, throwing droplets of water outward. These splashes cause the girl to giggle and she slides her fingers against the rigid scales of the friendly creature who continues to flop her tail in and out of the water. The girl uses her hand to do the same and they both have a blast.
As May Bell busies herself with the first attraction, Liza begins crafting the second. She summons another of the smoke eyes to her hand and it rolls end over end over and over again inside her palm. All the while, she shapes it by compacting it till it's a tiny sphere that she etches little scrawlings all over.
She drops the ball on to the floor and as soon as it impacts it drives itself inside. The next moment the floor gives way to a shoot which grows rapidly into a tree a small tree. The roots of this specimen breaks of its grounded restraint and little by little shapes itself into a more humanoid shape without leaving its plant roots behind. Pun definitely intended.
May Bell catches ear of the cracking floor and turns about to espy the new creature taking proper form. She turns back around to excuse herself, but finds the mermaid has dipped beneath the water. Seeing no other recourse, the girl lifts herself from the side of the water's edge and approaches the new creature.
It's a dryad, a humanoid creature that is composed of a tree. The girl places her hand on the rough, bark skin and the denizen of the trees sways in delight. It even lowers its branches to allow the child a proper from which to climb unto a higher elevation. The lone participant obliges and is soon seated in a stable crook.
Noting that its passenger is well secured, the denizen of myth starts to swish back and forth as though caught up in a light storm. The violence is subdued enough as to allow for intense feeling without being so overwhelming that all feeling of pleasure is lost to the overwhelming sensations of fear.
May Bell chirps with pleasing sounds as she holds on while rising her person so as to get lost in the motions, like a monkey who has found pleasure in simple activity. She could have stayed up there for hours, but a slight misstep and a scrape against the wooden skin reminds her just how dangerous her position is at this time.
The dryad senses the apprehension and stops swaying while its lone occupant climbs down and sets her feet on solid ground. She gives an uncertain smile and pats what she assumes to be the side of the face, but she can't be sure. After which, she looks to Liza who has already continued on with the next exhibit.
She crafts a sphere of smoke which she shapes vigorously as she flattens and expands the material. She pulls and prods as she slowly crafts and with each stroke of the hand she crafts a manticore. A creature with the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion and the face of a man, all of which are tinged in red.
The newly formed mythic animal approaches May Bell and rubs its body against the little girl as though it were nothing more than a regular sized house cat. The child wishes to enjoy the feline figure, but the red face and bumpy tail with a stinger on the end puts her ill at ease and she physically repels from the beast.
Liza is already hard at work crafting the next mythic animal and from the outset it is clear that this one will be half the size of the last one. Little by little, it becomes clear that she is sculpting a cerberus, a large dog with three heads. This one in particular has dark grey fur with lightning bolt streaks of white cutting down the chest and deep down the body.
May Bell runs to the fresh quadraped and gives it an embrace while the three heads give her sloppy kisses and she giggles at their tongues' touch. The denizen of the underworld behaves just like a regular dog with wagging tail and pleasant yips as opposed to sharp barks. It even slumps forward and raises its hindquarters, ready to play.
The girl looks down at her feet and finds a rope toy which she whips about as the snapping snouts try to stay clear of snagging each other. They soon take hold of it and roll over onto their back, exposing their belly, prompting the child to sit down beside it and rub its chest vigorously, to which it issues a pleasing sound.
Liza proceeds with her work and crafts a much larger creature with a massive wingspan. It is a gryphon, an avian creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. The hybrid plods its way forward and rests its self down within hand's reach of the girl who obliges with scruffing the hairs on its belly and running her fingers across the length of the wing which is splayed.
All the while, the hostess sets about yet again and this time comes up with a unicorn, a horse with a horn gracing its forehead. The packiderm struts about, stretching its legs and prancing a circle around the other creatures receiving attention from the sole attendee to these bizarre attractions.
May Bell squeals with delight when she catches sight of the new addition, and quite beside herself, leaps up from her place and rushes over to the magnificent creature. It stops all forward motion and nuzzles her while lowering its head so the horn can be touched, which the girl obliges and delights in the weird, bumpy texture.
Sensing the intentions of its admirer, the unicorn lowers its body and allows the pintsized enthusiast to climb onto its back and find a comfortable position before rising up again. Once the rider is secure, the quadraped starts off at a canter and is directed toward the architect of all this wonder, who is preparing her next creation.
May Bell rides up and sets a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I cannot tell you how incredible this all is Liza. I love all of it," she realys as she looks deep into her eyes. "But could I ask one more favor?"
The woman gives a nod. "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you," she intones and stops all action.
"Could you make another unicorn?" May Bell requests with a beaming face. "That way both of us could go riding together."
"Are you sure?" Liza returns and tilts her head. "There's still loads more animals to see."
May Bell doesn't even have to think about this decision. "Oh yes please," she returns with great enthusiasm and a bright smile.
Liza smiles back, and with a wave of her hand the other animals begin to dissolve, returning to their smoke forms. Once complete she returns to her current work and sculpts a perfect mate for the previous construction. After which, she weaves a proper saddle and a bit with reigns for both of their mounts.
Now they're ready for the adventure that unfolds before them as a field materializes where the zoo had been. The duo start off at a slow gallop and are soon blazing across a stretch of tall grass which spreads before them, and everywhere a hoof lands a flower is soon to bloom. This creates the most lovely of carpets.
They ride to their hearts' content enjoying every second of the foray into a new, magical environment. All at once the two of them feel the displacement that comes on suddenly whenever the morning sun starts to rise. Whether they lie it or not, it is time for the two to part, till the coming evening.
May Bell draws near as she starts to disappear. "I miss you already," she says with great sadness and hugs her firend.
"As do I," Liza responds with equal sadness and shrinks down as she holds on for dear life.
May Bell continues to dissolve and soon her hostess is alone once again.