The Wallaroo World 4

It was all Jora could do not to run and hop and jump around for joy- Aboradrakes were a semi-wild yet friendly race, and the greatest gift any Wallaroo cub could receive was a ride on an Aboradrake, high above the trees; when the occasional traveling fair would stop by every cub (and more than a few grown-ups!) would hope an Aboradrake was with it!
"Ohhhhhhhhhh, what a little darling," gasped the giggling green creature, "Grufd, you didn't tell me he was just so huggable!" and indeed she did just that, almost smothering the "little darling!"
"Trenfila, would you be serious for once? We must be going!" said the old wizard, but the green furry and leafy creature didn't seem to pay any heed for several moments- Jora was becoming worried about annoying the stern old Wallaroo, but couldn't break free, even when she dropped him and then playfully swung him up with her long tail.
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Finally she did put the little cub down, and soon what luggage the two Wallaroo had brought was packed and ready to go. "Hold on tight, dears, and here we go!" Jora held on to the tough vines that grew on the wingless creature, and then she left the ground, almost seeming to flow around trees and rocks, spiralling up, up, and up, until they were above the tallest trees, up they went still, higher and higher, until finally the Aboradrake turned and flew in a straight line northwest.
Jora was enchanted. He looked down and could see his little village, looking like a miniature model; there, he could just glimpse Miss Flora's cottage, the meadows, lakes, hills and mountains, things so far away, the whole wide world stretched away in all directions, it was absolutely wonderful! The whole time Trenfila sang a song of faraway and cloud kingdoms, as they journeyed on along in the airy realm above the world. The little Wallroo cub almost wished it would never end...
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Every so often Trenfila would land to let her passengers have a bit of lunch or stretch their legs, claiming that those of the ground should frequently touch the ground, but Jora noticed that such stops always coincided with meadows filled with honeydew where she would delicately sip the sweet nectar, or little pools fed by waterfalls where she would take a quick dip, and other such pleasant places. She herself would sometimes romp through the meadows, using her ability to fly to run on the tips of grasses and tops of flowers, giggling and singing the whole time!
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Master Wizard Grufd, although somewhat annoyed at these delays, nevertheless allowed Jora to run and hop about or be playfully tossed up in the air by Trenfila until she was ready to continue on. He knew that when travelling with an Aboradrake, one just had to accept this sort of thing; he also wanted the cub to enjoy the trip as much as possible, because before long...yes, let there be delays...
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When evening fell it was pure magic. Just after sunset when the stars started coming out they would land for a bit of supper, Trenfila always landing near water and not getting too close to the campfire, as her kind was not fond of flame.
Then, travelling on in the high airy ways, flying beneath the stars and moon, stars twinkling like countless diamonds and emeralds, the silver-lit clouds sailing past, Jora noticing tiny green lights glittering among the foliage of the Aboradrake, he almost laughed and cried at the same time, it was all so beautiful, and in the moonlight he could have sworn he actually saw the old Wallaroo smiling- had he, as a cub, so long ago, gone on a similar voyage, and was remembering how it had been? Again Jora wondered why Wallaroo so liked the night, even when not flying.
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When it was late then in safe, grassy little places Trenfila would land for the night, "off you both go, now, it's past bedtime for cubs!" Jora would rest his head against the warm, furry side of the kindly Aboradrake, warm and cozy in his sleeping bag. The leaves on her head and back would rustle even when there was no breeze, in a soft, almost musical way, and to the little cub's surprise Master Grufd would spend a bit of time playing a small silver flute, its soft, eerie sounds enchanting in themselves, making the crystals embedded in it softly glow in patterns almost hypnotic...soon the cub would be sound asleep.
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At one point dark rain clouds loomed ahead as the sun was setting, so the Arboradrake swerved and landed at an isolated inn for travellers, where Master Grufd and Jora would spend the night. The soft ground and centuries-old age of the inn had caused it to become somewhat lopsided, which caused no end of giggling from the Aboradrake, whom warned them to try and not slide back out!
Jora stood at the little window in his little room, looking with concern at Trenfila whom was still outside in the rain- why had she not asked to stay in the large main area? But then he saw that she was slowly dancing in the rain with long, slow, spinning leaps, the green lights in her foliage glittering- why, she was enjoying the wet weather!
Just then there was a brief lull in the rain; she saw him at the window and floated over; he opened it to talk to her.
"Gee, Miss Trenfila, why don't you come into the main room, they'll let you and it's big enough?"
"Oh, I'm fine, little Jora, I'm actually wondering why you silly Wallaroo insist on being inside when the skywater falls, it feels so delightful, air and water! Now, to bed with you, we've a long day tomorrow!"
And so he fell asleep moments later as the rain fell again, dreaming of being a raindrop falling from up high, then becoming a flying Wallaroo...
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For several more days they journeyed on, until finally the emerald-furred flying creature flew lower and lower; then, at the bottom of a line of high wooded hills, she landed. She turned her head to them, and Jora was surprised to see a hint of fear on her face- what was wrong?
"Master Grufd...I...I can go no closer, I'm sorry."
To Jora's amazement the old Wallaroo put a soothing paw to the side of her head, and said in a kindly voice "it's all right, Trenfila, I understand. We are grateful for you taking us here."
And so the two Wallaroo continued on foot, hopping through the woods and small fields. After several hours of travel they climbed a small hill where the trees ended, clouds looming over the top, and then...
From the top of the hill Jora saw the Edge of the World, for his world was a gigantic floating island in seemingly endless skies; a half-mile away from where they were was the very edge of that island.
"We wait here, little Jora." They sat on a mossy rock in that strangely silent place, the Wallaroo cub staring in awe at the view before him, and waited. And waited. Night fell, and still they waited, for what Jora did not know, but even when he finally fell asleep the elder Wallaroo remained awake, watching and waiting for something. Then came morning, and still they waited.
It was early afternoon when Jora heard a somehow familiar sound, slowly growing louder and louder, and then...
"...edge of the world...Edge Of The World...EDGE OF THE WORLD..."
He understood.
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***The Beginning***

***The Wallaroo World 3***

***The Wallaroo World 5***