by M. Arcturus
The others stood around pondering this for a bit. Still upset over Pandora’s treatment, they tried to reason with their own motives. This pale green haired creature before them had just added a new variable to their actions that they didn’t consider in their rage. Though conflicted, in the end, they felt like they too were handling the situation the best way they knew how. Treating blood the way he did was not acceptable to them no matter how rational the theory was.
Selené felt their eyes fall once again on her. She reached up and touched her hand to the edge of the light. Before entering the cell of light, she turned toward them for one final question. “I imagine that I’m still physically in Juron’s chamber. I’m pretty sure that it’s only his touch that can allow me to reenter and talk to the girl. Is there any way that you can bring the both of us down here to use his touch to trigger the cell and place me inside? I would like to wake up beside the girl. I hope I can gain her trust before the meeting.” Not knowing how the cell of light actually worked, she didn’t know if Juron’s touch was needed. Maybe it didn’t matter who touched the cell of light to enter as long as there was a person on the outside of the ring to pull you out. Her request was not that imposing to them. The creatures had all intentions to bring Juron to the Council room to encase him in a cell of his very own.
Selené walked on into the cell of light and laid down on the floor. Though they didn’t give a response, she trusted that when she awoke she would find herself trapped in an actual cell of light, waiting for the trial to begin. Without verbal confirmation, hearing them slither away was a good enough answer to her. Curling up on the floor, holding Kajaka’s green feather, she took a brief moment to look past the feather and watched her mom leave. For the second time in her life, her mom walked away into the darkness. A little saddened, she turned attention back to the feather. Staring at the feather was the last thing she remembered before slowly closing her eyes and drifting off into sleep.
Shadow and Oberon sat talking, and although Sorbek listened in, for the most part, his attention was more on the surrounding woods. His ears twitched back and forth as he heard something in the brush. His hand started to clutch the hilt of the closest elven sword. His maw pulled taut across his teeth, and the hair on his back began to rise. Sorbek’s reflector-like eyes settled on one location as he prepared to stand and fight. Shadow was the first to sense the tension in their wolf companion and tried to keep calm and appear as if nothing was wrong. If one could have gotten close enough, they would have seen that Shadow had unclipped his wings and was preparing for battle as well.
Sorbek focused his hearing on a soft panting sound coming from the thickest part of the brush. The muscles in his legs twitched as he fought to keep himself seated until the right moment.
Forgetting the seriousness of the moment, Shadow spoke up, “You know, Sorbek, you’re beginning to unnerve me.”
Sorbek shot him a warning look as if to say, if you have blown our surprise attack by that comment, unnerving you is the least of your worries. But he kept his comment to himself. The look on his face said it all.
Oberon smiled at the situation. No one had ever verbally poked his most trusted ally like that before and thought it was either going to be a fun-filled moment of entertainment, or a great test of strength for Sorbek to learn how to exercise discretion. That’s when Oberon felt a pair of eyes fall on him coming from the same direction. The sands began to shift at Oberon’s command as he became edgy and ready for anything.
Jarrah sat there in the brush eyeing the collected encampment, not knowing whom he could talk to without a big commotion. He took a deep breath to calm down and decided that anything he did to get their attention, no matter how subtle, was going to cause an enormous disturbance. Observing the group, he realized that he had already attracted the attention of one of the most intimidating creatures he had ever laid eyes on. Its red eyes combed the foliage just above his head. Jarrah was no coward and could hold his own, but he preferred peace rather than to pick a fight to express aggression. If a conflict could be avoided, he would do his best to stay out of trouble. Taking a closer look at the armed wolf, he knew it was going to be hard to make contact without conflict.
Without warning, the brush all around him started to stir. Something of gigantic size was approaching. If timed just right, he could use this event to his advantage. Followed by a slithering sound, the creatures from the palace passed him on both sides. As they started breaking twigs and rustle with the leaves in front of his hiding place, it took the attention off of him and onto the new commotion.
As the rustling sound became louder, Sorbek stood and unsheathed the elven sword. Placing the sword in his mouth, he got on all fours and raced toward the action. As the sea creatures burst forth from the brush, his eyes became wide with shock, as he was expecting an adversary to break through the foliage, not their allies. He tried to stop his canter with all his might. Screeching to a halt, he came nose to nose with the tips of the leaves on the brush and backed up on his hunches.
While Sorbek was caught off guard, Jarrah quickly used the moment to stand up and peacefully get their attention. With Kajaka thrown over his shoulder, he didn’t make any fast movements. “I was sent from the palace. Please help us!” He said keeping his eyes low.
Still acting on adrenaline, Sorbek stood, took the sword out of his mouth and started to attack. Jarrah dodged Sorbek’s thrust and jabs the best he could, but eventually, he had to set Kajaka down just to defend himself from Sorbek’s offensive maneuvers. Shadow was standing next to Oberon when the creatures approached to announce that Juron had been incapacitated and was now well within their custody. In the distance, Shadow’s attention gravitated toward someone’s cries for help. Watching Sorbek wield his sword in swift, calculated swings, Shadow took notice of the stranger. Straining his sight, he examined the newcomer. Completely stunned, he recognized him as the man from the Kinnowwa, but most importantly, saw a large clump of green feathers resting on the ground by the stranger’s feet. Kajaka! Shadow ran as fast as he could. He didn’t have much time before Sorbek would strike his opponent.
Jarrah’s defensive moves were slowing down, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Sorbek would get the best of him. After all he had been through, he didn’t know it would come down to this. Flexing his muscles beneath the skin, he mentally prepared himself for another round of dodging fatal blows. His knee still ached from his trek down to the shore, and it was starting to take its toll on his stamina.
“Stop! He has Kajaka!” Shouted Shadow without thinking of the consequence.
As Shadow drew near, Sorbek whirled around and bit him on the lower part of his arm. Acting on impulse, he pulled his arm out of Sorbek’s mouth, which tore muscle and tendons from the bone. Shadow wailed out in pain. Sorbek instantly let go when he realized who he had bitten and knew his actions could not be undone. Shadow looked at his arm, knowing it would never be the same. Collapsing to the sand, he looked at his arm with more scrutiny.
Shadow’s cries of anguish and fury echoed across the skies. His emotional and physical distress conjured a Bennu which flew out from the horizon like a streak of red-orange light. Before Sorbek knew what was upon him, the firebird tore at his chest with its talons. He could feel the assault penetrate his armor, rip through his fur down to his flesh. The giant wolf was taken back. He buckled over, winded from the pain.
Oberon intervened and forced the firebird to stop its second attack on Sorbek. Knowing that Oberon wouldn’t be able to hold the avenger for long, Jarrah ran to Shadow and laid Kajaka on the sand next to him. He then stood up and waved his hands in the air until he got the firebird’s attention. The bird hovered glaring at him with suspicion and contempt. Hanging around Jarrah’s neck was a medicine pouch from his homeland that his tribe’s shaman had given him. Cutting off a leaf from a nearby elephant fern, he sprinkled some powder from the pouch onto the leaf and wrapped up Shadow’s arm.
A cool, flameless smoke rose as the healing process began. Shadow brought his arm to his chest. The pain had subsided. Content with Shadow’s peace of mind, the firebird flew back up into the skies.
Once he collected himself, Shadow didn’t give the situation a second thought as he started to attend to Kajaka’s condition. It didn’t take long for the leaf to get in his way, so he took it off and handed it to Jarrah, who had knelt on the other side of Kajaka. To everyone’s surprise, the wound was completely healed. His arm was a bit contorted, but there was little pain, and it functioned without any complications. Shadow, who took pride in his looks, was crushed with the sight of his arm, but Kajaka needed his help, so he dropped the thought until later.
Sorbek took off his armor and looked at his chest, which ran free with blood. The bird had opened his armor like a pop can and pierced his flesh with deep gouges. As an elven medic ran over to tend to his wounds, Jarrah glanced at his wolf-man adversary.
Giving Sorbek his condolences, Jarrah spoke up, “I can’t heal that. Though it cannot be seen with your eyes, even I am marked with a scar that can’t be healed. Every once in a while, it still bleeds.”
Oberon turned his gaze to Jarrah, “What type of powder is that?” gesturing to the pouch.
“Nothing,” said Jarrah flatly as he turned the pouch upside down. “It’s tradition. Once used, it needs a new owner. With each owner, the contents change. You will know what the bag’s contents are and what to do with it when the time comes. Up until that point in time, it’s empty,” he said taking off the pouch and gesturing for Shadow to take it. “It only works if you use it for someone else.”
Shadow paused and kindly took the pouch and put it around his neck. Kajaka laid motionless on the ground with such pale feathers that Shadow wondered if he was ever going to come around.
Shadow looked helplessly at Oberon, and said, “The only energy strong enough to heal him is from the World Tree, our birthing place. I’m too weak to take him there myself. It is galaxies away. I’ll need assistance.”
“What if we use a summoning circle to send a message to your people for help?”
“That may work,” replied Shadow, but Oberon knew he was out of stamina from the injury to his arm. Although it had been healed by magic, sometimes the body still needs to rest to recover completely.
Oberon motioned to one of the elven scouts. The scout ran over. After Oberon whispered a command into his ear, the scout took off toward where the other soldiers were gathered. A few of the soldiers from Oberon’s militia came running over with a stretcher. Shadow didn’t have the mental will to fight them as they moved Kajaka onto the stretcher. He was too upset to do much of anything.
“Don’t worry old friend. We’re here to help,” said Oberon helping Shadow up onto his feet.
By the time Shadow and Oberon reached the center of the encampment, the casting circle had already been drawn, and Kajaka floated in the center of it. The elves had drawn a summoning circle in the sand that was more intricate than anything Shadow had ever seen. They instructed him to sit within the circle and rest. All he had to do was think about his friends and family, and the circle would do the rest. He had a hard time sitting there not doing anything at first, but when the evening winds picked up, they were so soothing that he had no choice but to feel their tender caress on his cheek.
The clouds began to separate, revealing the moon and stars above. In all of her brilliance, the waxing crescent moon hung high on her throne. Through the clouds on the horizon came flashes of color, almost like multi-colored lightning caused from heat. As the lightning came nearer, it streaked across the clear night sky like a rainbow ribbon, which bled into the stars like the mysterious northern lights.
Shadow closed his eyes as a big gust of wind blew into his face. It was as if it had picked him up and blown all of his cares away, cleansing him of all negative thoughts. He felt inspired and relieved all at the same time. Oberon smiled at his old friend. He seemed much more at peace. Besides, they couldn’t finish healing Kajaka all by themselves. They would need Shadow to make sure cooperation was maintained. Their guest from the World Tree would not like being called without one of their own participating. From Oberon’s experience with them, Kajaka and Shadow’s people never seemed to turn away anyone truly needing help, but Oberon didn’t want to take that chance.
Without any warning, four nearly simultaneous thuds hit the sand. Shadow looked over and saw that the ribbon of colored aura had landed on the shore and released four creatures with wings like his own. Almost instantly, he remembered who they were. They were from the Bennu Council.
Vermilion had pale skin and intense red eyes which engulfed him as he sat on the sand. As she approached him, her crimson gown glittered with excitement. Touching him softly on the side of his face, she examined him closely. She gently pressed her lips to his cheek; then she backed off slowly. The gold sharpened strips of her headdress arched like a peacock’s plumage from one side of her head to the other. It brushed together, sending a hushed chiming sound as she took her place beside Kajaka.
Though he didn’t like it when she got that close to him, he wasn’t about to offend her for fear that she may not help. The others were not like her. They didn’t waste any time in taking their positions. Then again, they weren’t interested in him like that and were happy to see Kajaka and him together. Vermilion, on the other hand, had tried to capture his interest since the first day they met. Kajaka had always been a threat to her, and she did everything to separate them outside of verbally announcing her hatred of their union.
Although, Shadow had to give her credit. She was always nice to Kajaka and smiled every time they encountered each other. Despite her aggressive nature, she always found it in herself to be humbled and serious when things needed to get done. Truthfully, she was why Kajaka and Shadow played a traveling role on the Council. Though they weren’t the only ones who held that position, most members on the Council had to stay at the World Tree, except during emergencies of course, and this was one of those times. Shadow found it hard to understand why Vermilion had chosen this particular mission. She never showed her feelings of jealousy to Kajaka, but those hidden feelings were still there. So why would she choose to heal Kajaka? Why would she accept this assignment fully knowing whom she would have to help?
Aros stood grand and majestic as always at Kajaka’s head. With his goldish-brown coloration, he practically lit up the surrounding area. His turquoise eyes were brilliant against his light gold colored skin. The wavy texture of his hair almost matched the texture of his wings, so no one could tell where his hair ended and where his wings began. God, how he’d missed his brother! He was always wise and understanding. Now that Shadow had matured, he didn’t need Aros’s advice quite so much, but he still needed his older brother. It had been a long time since they had seen each other, maybe too long.
Gepsom and Hermetrien were each one of a kind. Gepsom stood on Kajaka’s right-hand side. She wore her long purple hair in tiny braids, which overlapped the rest of her long straight hair. Decorated in all of her mystical purple veils, she seemed so distant and dream-like. Her pale violet skin glowed in the moonlight. The stars shed their light in her deep eyes, and the sight of her took Shadow back to a time before he even knew Kajaka existed.
She had been his obsession. All of the lavender and pink flowers in her hair, the enchanting strides of her walk, the scent of her skin—those were what his daydreams stemmed from, but she wasn’t into him. She was always meticulous about her work. Her seat on the Council was her lover, and there was no room for anyone else. Then there was Kajaka, who passionately took Shadow from her grasp and showed him how love was meant to be.
Tears started to well up in his eyes as he remembered their first kiss. The sound of Kajaka’s flute and how it amplified his own abilities. Kajaka had always been there for him. In strenuous situations, they knew each other so well that they could defeat
anything as long as they were together.
Hermetrien must have heard his thoughts. Shortly after the four of them had opened a rift through the realms revealing the World Tree, she stepped away from the foot of Kajaka’s body.
Kneeling in front of him, she touched his shoulder and commanded his gaze with her own green eyes.
“Shadow, he’s not lost yet. We need you to be strong. Please don’t give up.”
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. Again, she wasn’t like Vermilion. The kiss only meant to instill courage and peace. Not waiting a second longer, she turned with a swish of her green gown and retook her place at Kajaka’s feet.
Hermetrien was the strongest spiritual person he ever had the chance to meet. Unlike Vermilion’s headdress, Hermetrien had a headdress made out of long finger-like twigs, which started at the front of her head and shot straight up and back. It was as if she had to face such turbulent winds that her headdress had been wind blasted into its present position. Her pale green hair had natural kinks in it, making it look like a well-cleaned rat’s nest. She brushed one of her long bangs out of her eye, looked at him and smiled.
Shadow watched as their spirits separated from their bodies. Physically, they stayed on the shore, but spiritually, they left through the vortex for the World Tree. If anyone could heal Kajaka, it would be the Mother, who had created the World Tree and was the first Bennu ever born. Her mate stood at the roots of the sacred Tree except for an occasional get together with the Mother.
Jarrah and the others had to use their hands to shield their eyes from the bright light that poured out of the universal opening and into their eyes.
Jarrah smiled, “Ah, the Dreamtime!”
Oberon looked at him for a moment as if he was crazy. “What is this Dreamtime you speak of?”
Jarrah gestured to the vortex. “My people call that a walk in the Dreamtime. It’s a place where existence is continually created. Our surroundings are just a thin vale between us and space. Time does not truly exist, only space.”