“I could fly,” whispered the bear.
“Yes,” smiled Selva, “but you are not well enough, and it will not be necessary. Tomorrow, your friends will be brought into the public square and executed for your crime against Felaqua.”
“Our crime?” asked Riverpaw, obviously confused.
“You killed the turtle, the great Ulinawi, who had bonded with the monk, Sudali.”
Riverpaw was shocked into silence; he could not believe what Selva had said to him. He remembered Ulinawi, the turtle who was a member of the Wind; the group the Skyfather had bestowed his gifts upon. Ulinawi was the original possessor of the Evermight.
“You did not know?” asked Selva. Riverpaw shook his head slowly. “Come. We must go back.” The woman and the bear moved away from the prison, and when they had walked some distance, Selva spoke without whispering. “The turtles are sacred to the Felaquans, and Ulinawi was one of their most revered. Sudali was not cared for, and many believed he should have been disposed of, but none acted because of Ulinawi. They knew if Sudali died, they would lose Ulinawi as well. So Felaqua endured Sudali. The punishment for taking Ulinawi’s life is death. That is what you and your friends face as the consequence of your actions.”
“What can we do?” asked Riverpaw, still finding it hard to believe that his group had caused the death of a member of the Wind.
“Reconcile,” answered Selva.
“How?”
“The immediate need is for escape,” said Selva. “What comes beyond that… we will address tomorrow.”
“What if Ben and Tomas don’t last until then?”
“They must.”
•••
Tomas was sure that his nose was broken, and he was fairly sure that a number of his ribs were broken as well. He had been so badly beaten that his eyes were swollen shut, and he no longer had the strength to hold himself up. The prison guards removed his shackles, which had cut into his wrists and ankles. He was no longer a flight risk, he could barely move. The man with the gravely voice, who had been charged with beating him, no longer came to Tomas’ cell. He was no longer needed. The man who had told Tomas that Ben was dead was now trying a new approach.
“You only have a small amount of time left before you will be killed,” said the man. “If you give the location of the bear, your punishment will be reduced. We will not beat you any longer. You will be taken care of. We will not kill you, as we have your brother.”
“I wouldn’t tell you if I knew,” said Tomas through his swollen and bloody lips.
“I would advise you to change your mind. You have one day to give us the information we desire before we kill you.”
“I would rather die,” said Tomas, curled upon the cold stone floor.
“Would you?” asked the man rather nonchalantly. “Because I don’t think you would say that if you knew how we killed your brother. Let’s just say that the prison chief’s dogs are not as quick at dispatching prey as they used to be. However, they are still effective.”
“You lie!” screamed Tomas.
“Do I?” asked the man with a sickening calm. “This was all that was left when the dogs were through.” The man reached down and placed Lithlillian’s eagle feather in Tomas’ hand. “You have one day.”
Tomas groped the feather and cried through swollen eyes as the man left his cell.
They can’t have killed Ben, thought Tomas, they can’t. And what of Riverpaw? Could he have survived that fall from the air? Think, Tomas, think. You have to get out of here.
Suddenly, Tomas realized that he still had Dendrata’s eagle feather, as well as the one he had just been given. Harena had told them that if they should ever need her, that they should use the eagle feather. Tomas had no idea how to call upon Dendrata, but he had to try something. He pulled the feather from where it was hidden in his pants and gripped it tightly.
“Help me, Dendrata. Please. You must help me. Help me…”
Tomas’ body slowly faded, though he felt no change, and within seconds, he had disappeared from his prison cell without a trace.
•••
“Awaken, Mighty One. Today you shall fly again.”
Riverpaw stood from the mossy, jungle floor and stretched. There was no pain as he did so, for the first time since he had found himself in the jungle.
“How did my body heal so quickly?”
“I have ways,” replied Selva. “Now, you asked me yesterday whether I would help your quest. I will. What is your desire?”
“I need your help to free Ben and Tomas,” said Riverpaw.
“Yes, yes, but there is more, is there not? Why have you and your friends returned to Felaqua?”
“We were searching for you,” replied Riverpaw. “We search for the gifts of the Skyfather.”
“Good, this is how I will help you. Follow me.”
Riverpaw obeyed, though he did not understand Selva’s intentions. He followed her through the jungle as he had the day before, but this time, they moved in a different direction. As they walked, Riverpaw noticed the jungle around him becoming less dense. The terrain was far less rocky and Riverpaw could see patches of blue sky through the canopy above. Riverpaw and Selva walked in the same direction for almost ten minutes, before the jungle finally began to break apart and opened itself onto a sandy beach. The crystal-clear waters lapped the white sands of the Felaquan shoreline, and as Riverpaw looked down the coast to his left, he could see the Port of Sanctum.
“Is it time to go to Sanctum?” asked Riverpaw.
“No, not yet.”
Selva pointed to tree logs that were strung together as a flat raft, and anchored on the beach. Riverpaw followed her to the raft and helped the spirit push it out into the water. Then, they both climbed upon it and Selva asked Riverpaw to paddle the raft as she guided him. Riverpaw followed Selva’s commands, further and further out into the ocean, for over a half of an hour. His arms began to tire from propelling the raft, and they grew cold from their time in the water. But before Riverpaw could grow tired enough to ask for reprieve, Selva asked him to stop paddling.
“You have exhibited patience, and for this I am glad.”
The raft rocked upon the water and Riverpaw looked at the ocean around them. “Why are we out here? How will this help me rescue my friends?” asked the bear.
“You must dive down into the water from where we are now. You must swim as far down as you possibly can, and then, you shall have your answers.”
“Dive down? I’ve never done that.”
“You are capable,” smiled Selva. “I have faith in you.”
“All right,” said Riverpaw hesitantly. “This will help me save my friends?”
“Most definitely.”
Riverpaw nodded and rolled off of the raft into the ocean. He treaded water for a minute, with his head above the surface, so that his body would be conditioned to the sea.
“When you have rescued your friends,” continued Selva, “return to my beach. I wish to see them.”
“Yes, Selva,” said Riverpaw, “and thank you.”
Selva smiled and nodded, and then, Riverpaw took a deep breath and dove down into the sea. At first, Riverpaw swam with his eyes closed. It seemed unnatural for him to open them under the water. However, after a moment, he realized that he would never find what Selva had sent him to find if he couldn’t see. The bear opened his eyes and marveled as the waters twinkled around him. He looked toward the bottom of the ocean and could see nothing, though the waters around him were clear.
How can I hold my breath long enough? he wondered.
He quickly realized that the longer he hesitated, the less likely it would be that he could hold his breath long enough. So, Riverpaw furrowed his brow and dove, hard. He swam as hard and as fast as his strength and skill allowed, and after two minutes, he could see a faint glow far below him. Many fish began to come into his sight, large and small, colorful and dull. Riverpaw found it uncomfortable to be amid creatures in an element he w
as so unfamiliar with, but he pressed on. The bear knew how important his success was, and he understood exactly what it would mean if he failed. Ben and Tomas Floyd would be executed. The thought seemed impossible. Riverpaw had shared so much with those two humans, more than he imagined he ever would. They had laughed and cried with him, they had shared fear, anger and most importantly, purpose. Ben and Tomas were more than companions to Riverpaw, more than friends. They were like family. He realized that he cared deeply for them. He could not fail them in their most desperate time of need.
So, Riverpaw continued his torrid dive, even though his arms, legs and lungs burned. He followed the glow down into the depth of the sea, undeterred by doubt, undeterred by fear and undeterred by the unknown. The glowing thing grew as he descended. He could tell now that it was a thing much larger than him. He swam harder, and as he did, he realized what he was diving for. He was swimming toward Sudali’s great turtle; he was diving down to meet the sunken body of the great Ulinawi. He could see the pattern of the turtle’s shell now. It glowed brilliantly, as it never had in life, and Riverpaw understood why. The great Ulinawi was dead, but the Evermight lived on. It was glowing, reaching out, looking for a new being to carry it onward. And now Riverpaw understood how he would save Ben and Tomas. There would be nothing that could stop him.
With what felt like his last bit of air, Riverpaw strained his body forward, and finally, made contact with the immense shell of the fallen turtle. Riverpaw’s body burned as if it were on fire. He roared and water rushed into his lungs, but the power, the strength. He could feel it coursing through him. He swam upward and was astounded by the speed with which his limbs propelled him. Riverpaw burst forth from the frothy mouth of the sea and soared into the air, unleashing a roar that cut the air like a giant blade.
The Evermight, he thought with pride. I have the Evermight.
Riverpaw turned his body and shot himself, like a cannon, toward the Port of Sanctum. It was time to save his friends.
•••
A large crowd was gathered in the public square. Many citizens of Sanctum had come to see punishment exacted upon those who had taken the sacred turtle away from them. They booed and cursed as a man with a burlap sack over his head was led up onto a platform. A noose was fit over his neck, tightened, and then, he was positioned to stand over the gallows.
“This man has been found guilty for the crime of murder against the great Ulinawi,” cried a man out to the crowd. It was the very same man who had been responsible for the torture of Tomas Floyd. His long, black hair blew in the coastal breeze and his eyes bulged from his tan face. “For this crime, the penalty is death!”
The crowd roared their approval and the black-haired man turned and faced the accused.
“Your brother may have escaped us,” said the man so that only Ben Floyd could hear, as he stood with a noose around his neck. “But that only means that he didn’t care to save you from death.”
Tomas escaped! thought Ben. He escaped! Thank the Earth and the Sun, Tomas escaped!
Ben had not known what was happening with Tomas during his captivity, but it had tortured Ben’s soul to think he had undergone the same torture that Ben had. A man with large, thick hands had plunged his head in water, over and over again, until Ben was sure that he would drown. He was beaten, and given razor-thin cuts all over the bottom of his feet while being made to stand in something that burned like he hadn’t imagined was possible. He was deprived of sleep and of water. He was barely able to stand now, as his head hung in a noose.
At least Tomas will live. At least Tomas will live.
The man began to shout to the crowd again, but Ben blocked it out. He knew what was coming to him, and now that he knew Tomas was free, he was able to make peace with it. The crowd began to scream and Ben wondered why. Was there another horrible torture he would have to endure before his death? Then, he heard a roar like he had never heard in his life, which seemed to come from the sky. It sounded so large he imagined it must have been coming from a beast the size of a building. Could it be a Farsider?
Ben could tell that whatever had roared was causing a distraction. He struggled to free his hands from the shackles that bound him. This might be his only chance to escape. He writhed against the metal, even though it was cutting his wrists. Screams came from the crowd, and then, suddenly, the rope around his neck fell loose and he was falling from the platform. Ben hit the ground and groaned in pain, the bag still on his head and his hands still bound. He could hear more screaming, people running, and wood splintering, and then, suddenly, he was being lifted. High into the air he was carried, and soon the sounds of bedlam were replaced with the rushing of wind.
“Don’t worry,” said a familiar voice. “You’re safe now.”
Riverpaw! Ben tried to scream it, but there was a gag in his mouth.
Soon, the rushing wind stopped and Ben Floyd found himself being set down upon soft ground. With a clink, his shackles were removed, and then, his eyes were blinded by bright light as the burlap sack was removed from his head. He reached his arms up and removed the rag that was gagging him. As his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he finally saw the smiling face of his friend. Ben threw his weak arms around the bear in thanks.
“Thank you, Riverpaw. Thank you. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”
“What happened to Tomas?”
“He escaped. I don’t know how,” said Ben. “How did you survive, Riverpaw? How did you rescue me?”
Riverpaw walked to a tree at the edge of the beach, and with one swipe of his claw, he cut it down with ease. Ben stood in awe.
“No!” yelled an agitated voice. “That is not what that gift was given to you for.”
Selva stomped out of the jungle and pointed a finger at Riverpaw, and the bear gave her an apologetic smile.
“Who is that?” asked Ben.
“Ben,” said Riverpaw, regaining his happy demeanor, “this is Selva, daughter of the Earth and Sun, spirit of the mysterious jungle. And my ability to cut the tree down, in the way that you just saw, comes from a gift known as the Evermight.”
“No,” said Ben with his mouth agape. “How did you? Where did you?”
“I’ll explain everything,” said the bear, “but first, we need to find Tomas, so we can return to Evercloud and the others.”
“No,” interrupted Selva.
“No?” asked Riverpaw.
“No,” repeated the spirit. “First you must make it right. You have taken the sacred Ulinawi away from Felaqua, and you must make it right. Reconcile.”
Ben and Riverpaw looked at each other with great concern, and then, looked back at the agitated spirit.
“How?” asked Riverpaw.
“You take away something sacred, you give back something sacred.”
Riverpaw again looked at Ben, and they both quickly realized that their trial in Felaqua was far from over.
Chapter 35: Collision
I’m sitting upon a patch of soft, green grass that tickles my ankles and comes through my fingers as I lean back upon my hands. The breeze blows warm against my cheek and I close my eyes, because I’ve been in this dream before… and it terrifies me.
The man, who all our hope rests within, is sitting next to me; sitting with me. He remains silent. He allows me to have my moment in time. I slowly open my eyes and the clear, blue sky above us becomes translucent. We can see all the stars, twinkling like tiny glimmers of life, exhausted from constant existence. They seem so fragile at this distance, as if they could be crushed between a thumb and forefinger, erased from history forever, without a trace.
But the stars are not our ultimate focus. The massive spheres that inch, ever closer, toward each other demand attention. What is slow, inching movement, to our perception, only emphasizes how strange it is that we sit calmly upon the grass of earth, watching the sun and the moon about to collide. It will destroy us all. I feel compelled to speak.
There is so much regret within me, I say
to the man at my side. There is so much anger and frustration behind that regret, and I am so sorry for all that I’ve had part in. I’ve struggled so much to find my own reason, and now that I know it, I fear to think it might never be.
The man at my side watches me and listens to me, and his gaze is like a warm blanket when I am cold. The realization that he understands how I feel swells my heart so much that it seems it might explode. I love you, I tell him. I love you more than a million times, and I am sorry. I am so sorry.
He holds me in his arms and I give him a kiss, unyielding. He opens his mouth to speak, and then, there is light that is bright beyond measure. The moon touches the sun and brings forth a storm that destroys all that is.
“Iolana!” yelled Evercloud, shaking the woman from her sleep. “Iolana, wake up! It’s Annie!”
Iolana shot awake and rolled to her side. Two meters away, Annie was sprawled upon her back in convulsions. The group had recently found the shores of Ephanlarea, after long departure, and feeling quite exhausted, decided to sleep.
“I woke up and found her like this,” said Evercloud in a panic. “I don’t know how long it’s been happening. I don’t know how to stop it.”
Iolana crawled over to Annie, amid her fit, and placed her hands upon the woman’s torso. “I don’t know if I can stop this,” said Iolana. “It’s not a wound. I don’t know what I’m trying to heal.”
“Just try,” pleaded Evercloud. “It worked last time.”
Iolana closed her eyes and white light emanated from her hands. Slowly but surely, Annie’s convulsions became less violent, and after only a minute had passed, the woman was still and slowly opened her eyes.
“Are you all right?” asked Iolana.
“Yes,” said Annie as she was sitting up. “The Eversense. I’ve figured out how to tap into it, but once I’m in, it’s like I’m trapped. It controls me. I need to learn how to master it.”
“How are you supposed to do that if you seizure every time you try?” asked Evercloud.
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