by Richard Wood
In the blacksmith shop, Pala is hard at work as the sounds of pounding metal echoes from the building. He’s tempering metal way child appears at the shop entrance. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he shouts into the shop, “Jesse is back and he’s riding some kind of animal”. Pala instantly looks upward as the child turns and runs past the doorway. As Pala stands there alone in the shop, he raises his hand to his forehead and wipes away his sweat. For weeks now, he has been wrestling with the question as how to explain to Jesse the loss of his father’s body. Looking to the ground, Pala shakes his head as he mentally runs through the conversation with his brother Jesse. He’s examined it from every direction but there is no easy way to explain what has happened at his father’s grave. Pala has kept the secret to himself. He was the one who found the grave and he was the one who filled it back in. Ever since it happened, Pala has been secretly searching the dry lands and shrubbed cliffs but he never found Eli’s body. Looking upward, Pala whispers, “How do I explain to a man as good as Jesse that someone has stolen his father’s body?” Pala lays his tools on the anvil and thinks to himself, “This is going to break Jesse’s heart but I have to tell him the truth”. As he leaves the shop, he closes and locks the doors. Pala looks onward and sees there are no villagers outside of their homes. “Huh, there should be people waiting to hear stories of Jesse’s journey”. As he looks on, Valcor emerges from the house. Pala yells out to him, “Hey, where’s Jesse?” Looking in the direction of Pala, Valcor puts his finger over his lips, a signal to Pala to be quiet. Then Valcor signals to Pala not to come any closer. Pointing over to Dararro, Valcor once again gives Pala the be quiet signal. Valcor runs over to Pala and says, “I can’t explain it all to you right now Pala but please just stay behind me, my body will hide you”. Pala gives a confuse look and says, “Hide me? Why would you need to hide me?” “Please Pala”, Valcor begs, “There is a lot going on right now and one of them involves an animal that could eat you in one meal. Just follow behind me and I’ll tell you everything later”. “Ok”, Pala replies. Getting in behind Valcor, they walk in unison forward and finally to the house. Looking back, Valcor peers out of the doorway and sees Dararro still sleeping. As the Peace Cat lies motionless, he steps from his place and invites Pala to look out onto the sleeping cat. “See that thing over there”, Valcor explains, “That’s Jesse’s Peace Cat. He rode it home today”. Pala looks out the doorway and instantly his body becomes rigid. Looking back at Valcor, he says frantically, “Jesse rides that beast?” “Yes”, Valcor replies, “And it thinks we are its family”. Pala’s mouth drops open. Even though he has all his past experiences reminding him that Jesse does the impossible, this animal carrying Jesse still amazes him. Pala watches the animal a few more moments then he and Valcor walk into the main room where Jesse is now curled up on the floor next to his mother’s chair, fast asleep. Quietly, Valcor and Pala move on to another room in the house and sit to talk and relax. Looking over to Valcor, Pala asks, “What if that beast wakes up and decides to walk out around the village? How do we stop it?” Valcor smiles back and replies, “Jesse wouldn’t keep an animal that would go around and openly attack people. But as far as I’m concerned, he can go anywhere he wants, there’s no way to stop him. I know I’m not going to try to take him to the ground. He’ll eat me, toenails and all!” As they laugh together, Pala’s mind begins to go back to his question in the shop, “How do I explain the empty grave?” Pala knows that he has to get Jesse away from their home because he will surely break down and Shaira has heard enough for a whole lifetime. He must do his best to protect Shaira. She has lost so much. The only real safe place to tell Jesse is the Blacksmith shop. Pala nods his head and quietly whispers, “I’ve got to get him to the shop”.
As Valcor and Pala sit together talking, dusk settles over the village. Pala looks over to Valcor and says, “Jesse can’t sleep on the floor all night. I’ll wake him up and find out what he wants to do with the animal outside. Can you help mother to her room and make sure she’s covered up?” “Oh yes”, Valcor replies. Pushing off of the chair arms, he’s instantly upright and on his way to the main room. Shaira is already fast asleep, her chin is resting on her chest. Valcor tenderly slips he’s huge hands under her legs and back and raises her. Her right arm hangs limp swaying back and forth as Valcor carries her to her room. He lays her softly on her bed then covers her with a handmade quilt. Valcor smiles kindly down at her as he remembers his own mother back at the Capitol then leaves her to sleep quietly closing the door behind him.
Pala reaches down and slightly nudges Jesse’s chest. Jesse doesn’t respond so Pala gives a hard are nudge. As Jesse’s eyes flicker open, a blurred Pala quickly comes into focus. Glancing to the chair, Jesse asks, “Where’s mother?” Smiling Pala replies, “Valcor put her to bed. I think that she has been asleep for a while”. As Jesse rises to his feet, Pala asks, “What are you going to do with that cat of yours outside?” Rubbing his eyes Jesse remarks, “Oh yeah, I forgot about Dararro. I’ll ride him out to the dry lands and let him hunt for some dinner then I’ll put him in the shop for the night. Walking past Pala, Jesse heads for the front door. Opening it, he looks out and sees his companion Dararro still lying quietly, waiting for Jesse to emerge. His massive white head resting on his paws. The old man from his father’s village sure knew what he was doing. Dararro is the perfect blend of incredible power, sustained control, and unbelievable gentleness. He’s the friend that Jesse trusts more than any other friend. Slowly and quietly, Jesse creeps over to his furry companion then Dararro’s left year turns into the direction of Jesse’s movements. Dararro’s eyes open as his massive head turns toward Jesse. Laughing playfully, Jesse points toward Dararro and exclaims, “Ok boy you caught me!” Dararro raises up onto all fours and Jesse runs toward him and leaps onto his companion. Grabbing the hoops, Dararro is turned in the direction of the village border. Then as Dararro’s muscles flex, he springs into a dead run, flying past the border with a trail of dust hanging in the air. In a few minutes, they are miles past the village. Jesse stops Dararro and dismounts then gives the order, “Dararro hunt!” The Peace Cats huge claws tear through the rocks and ground as he leaps into a blaze of speed. Disappearing into the darkness, Jesse’s hungry cat is on the move looking for brush deer or even a resting goat. A short time later Dararro reappears, his face and front paws spotted with red and pink patches, sure proof that his hunger has been satisfied. As Dararro and Jesse meet, Jesse gives a friendly scratch behind the ear of his friend and asks, “Are you ready to go to sleep boy?” After arriving back at the village, Jesse puts Dararro in the Blacksmith shop then closes and locks the door behind him. Tapping on the door, Jesse shouts, “Goodnight Dararro”, and Jesse hears a comfortable growl from inside the shop then nods his head and smiles. Returning to his home, Jesse goes to his own room. There his cushioned bed lays from his childhood, the place he listened to the Lights of Elamor. Making his way to his bed, Jesse rolls back the covers, lays down and covers himself up. Quickly, he falls off to a safe and comforting night’s sleep.
The next morning, as Jesse wakes, the smell of mother’s bread and roasted meat fills the air. “Mother’s making bread”, he shouts, “Maybe she’s better now!” Throwing back the covers, Jesse leaps from his bed and runs into the center room where the oven and fireplace sit fully expecting to see mother smiling and humming as she goes about her morning duties. What he sees is Pala baking bread and boiling meat on an open fire. Looking at Pala disappointedly, he says, “Oh, I thought you were mother”. Looking back at him Pala replies, “No, it’s only me. But you can be thankful that mother taught me to make bread”. Soon, the room is full. Pala, Jesse, mother, and Valcor all sitting together and eating. Even though Shaira is now a very slight eater, Jesse is still very happy to see her there. Then out of nowhere, Jesse is pelted by a small stone. Looking around the room, he glances over to Pala who was smiling and almost giggling. Looking at Jesse, Pala points to his own eye then points over to Valcor. A qui
et gesture to Jesse to watch Valcor. Looking over to Valcor, Jesse raises his eyebrows, “Who knew a man could eat so much so fast!” Jesse watched in amazement as Valcor filled spoon after spoon with meat and broth. It was like watching a pack of wolves fighting over a dead animal. The sounds he made when he ate was like a symphony of grunts and hums that stopped periodically only when Valcor burped. It was a comical site. Soon Jesse found himself quietly trying to mock the sounds that flowed from ravenous Valcor, giving out quiet grunts and small, muffled burps. Looking over to Pala, Jesse sees that he has his hand over his mouth trying to quiet his own laughter with tears rolling down his face. In a burst of laughter comes bellowing from Pala. Valcor looks over to him and Pala laughs as he wipes the tears from his face. Completely entrenched in the eating process, Valcor is totally unaware of the private joke being played at his expense. Bewildered, he looks back and forth from Jesse to Pala and asks, “What did I miss? What so funny?” Patting Valcor on the shoulder, Pala replies, “Slopping hogs, Valcor. I always wondered why they called it slopping hogs then one day I heard a bunch of them eating. Once you hear a hog eat, you know why they call it slopping. They make these crazy noises and it sounds like two giant slugs fighting in a gunny sack”. Still totally unaware that Pala was teasing him, Valcor smiles back and says, “Oh, yeah”, then returns back to his bowl and spoonful’s of meat and broth. Soon, breakfast is done. Shaira seems satisfied. Valcor takes her plate and places a glass of water next to her. Jesse gathers their bowls and spoons, washes them and sits them out to dry.
Looking over to Pala, Jesse says casually, “I need to go down to the shop and see how Dararro’s doing. Do you and Valcor want to come with me?” Valcor, on his way out the door shouts back, “Not me, I have to go out to the dry lands. I’ll be back soon. I have to get something I put out there for safekeeping”. Pala then answers back to Jesse, “Yes, I’ll go with you. I need to tell you something”. As soon as Pala spoke those words, his stomach tightened and his pulse raced, still not sure how to explain to Jesse that his father’s body is gone. As they leave the house, Shaira sat comfortably unaware that she is all alone.
As the lock to the Blacksmith shop clicks open, Jesse smiles at Pala and says, “Watch how Dararro acts when he sees us. No one knows me like he does. The old man who gave him to me said that Peace Cats can see your heart. I had no idea how true that statement was. I’m telling you Pala, nobody knows me like he does! In just a few weeks, I went from not knowing what a Peace Cat was to trusting one with my life”.
As Jesse swings the door open, the dread of Pala’s task overwhelms him and he drops his head and covers his face with his hands. Looking up, Dararro sees his warrior companion. Sniffing the error, Dararro connects with Jesse’s scent and raises his massive white head and gives out a champions roar. The ear piercing roar echoes off the walls of the shop and billows through the village streets. The villagers all stop in their tracks and look toward the Blacksmith shop. Startled, the hairs on the back of their necks all raise. As they all stare motionless, Jesse playfully slaps his hip and bursts out in laughter. He runs over to the sitting Peace Cat and throws his arms around him, squeezing his feathered neck. Dararro returns the show of affection with a lick to Jesse’s forearm, again stripping the hairs. Jesse looks over to Pala, who is now leaning against the shop wall. His face is pale and the familiar signs of fear register in his body. This is not the personality of gentle Pala. Jesse’s hands fall from Dararro and he turns toward Pala. Even when he and Pala were in the throne room of the ancient giant, Pala never showed this much dread. Walking to Pala, Jesse puts his hand on his brother’s shoulder and asks, “What’s wrong Pala?” Pala looks into the face of Jesse and tries desperately to speak but all he could give were moans of grief. Pala stumbles and Jesse helps him to a chair and sits him down. Jesse sits down cross legged on the dirt floor in front of Pala then watches patiently as his brother slowly begins to compose himself. Pala closes his eyes, hangs his head, and begins to breathe deeply. After relaxing for a moment, he looks into the face of his brother Jesse and says, “I don’t know how to tell you this, I have failed our family and I don’t know what to do about it. Please forgive me Jesse!”
The bewildered Jesse shakes his head and replies, “Pala, I don’t understand. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone. How could you have filled the family?” Rocking slightly back and forth, Pala continues, “Just like you Jesse, I loved our father. I never felt like anything but a son from the time I got here until now. I wanted to honor our father because of the way he treated me so after we buried him, I planted flowers on his grave and went out to water them every day”. Jesse cuts in, “I don’t understand Pala, father’s death had nothing to do with you. You weren’t even there when he died and so you have nothing to be ashamed of”. Pala replies, “Fathers death left me half broken but that’s not what I’m talking about Jesse”. Jesse puts his hand on his forehead and answers, “I’m sorry Pala, maybe I should just listen”. Pala continues, “I went out every day to water father’s flowers. One day I was on my way to water them and I noticed from a distance that they were gone. I was sure someone stole them but when I got to father’s grave, I saw that I was wrong. Walking up to the grave, I saw loose piles of dirt everywhere and then I saw it, father’s grave was opened and his body was gone. I didn’t know what to do so I filled it back in so news wouldn’t get around and maybe disturb mother. I’m sorry Jesse! Please forgive me, I should’ve protected father’s grave. I’m so sorry. I’ve tried so hard to find father’s body Jesse, I searched the shrubs and dry lands for weeks but I never found it. I wanted to bury father’s body so he could rest”. Pala drops his head and mumbles, “It’s all my fault and I should’ve been there”.
Jesse’s mouth and eyes widen and all expression leaves his face. He sits motionless and over and over again utters a single word, “Father!” Jesse tries to stand but becomes dizzy and falls backwards onto the dirt floor. Lying there with his hands over his face, the dizziness fades and a dark bitterness takes its place. Jesse knows that Quygon’s Horde has stolen his father. Then an explosion, like in a routing sun, burst in the heart of Jesse. His teeth gnashed, his fists clenched and Jesse leaped from the floor. Turning, he runs to Dararro and angrily mounts the cat. Still harnessed from the night before, Jesse grabs the steering hoops and Dararro jumps to his feet. In an instant, he’s a pearly white blur as he flies into a full run. Their father was buried just outside the field that he and mother were married in. Minutes later, Dararro comes to a sliding stop just steps from Eli’s grave. Jumping from Dararro, Jesse falls face down on the mound of loose dirt and gravel. He tried desperately to embrace the mound but the dirt just falls from his arms. A sobering question echoes throughout the heart of Jesse, “Where was Elamor and why didn’t the Secret Guardians protect my father’s body?” How could a king so powerful and able to help, sit and watch as his family is destroyed. Looking upward, Jesse’s anger for Quygon is directed toward Elamor. Standing up next to the mound in bitter defiance, Jesse raises his angry fists to the sky and shouts loudly, “Elamor, you lied to me! You failed me Elamor! Don’t ever come to me again!” Instantly above the cloud line, a royal blue haze appears. Then an ear bursting crackle shatters the silence as a bolt of polished blue lightning strikes Jesse’s birthmark. As Jesse is thrown from his father’s graveside, Dararro flees into the dry lands with his feather mane fully raised.
Lying face up on the ground, a burnt hole in Jesse’s shirt exposes his birthmark, now glowing white hot. Amazingly, the skin around the mark is untouched. As his birthmark cools, Dararro can be seen returning to his companion. Dararro, now his normal, gentle, peaceful self, lays down next to Jesse waiting patiently for his friend to rise. As Jesse stirs, his eyes flicker open. Feeling Dararro next to him gives him friendly reassurance. Rubbing his eyes, he finds himself surrounded by a team of Secret Guardians, most of them he has never seen before. Looking over to Dararro, he sees a Secret Guardian scratching the Peace Cat behind the ear
. Jesse looks up to a familiar Guardian and asks, “Does Dararro see that Guardian?” The Secret Guardian smiles down at Jesse and says, “Oh yes, Master Zel-Elcon. All Peace Cats see us as well as do a few other kinds of animals. We have something like a family connection with them. It’s part of a greater design, one of your world’s mysteries”.
“Master Zel-Elcon, our King sent us down to protect you and answer your questions. Your life has been filled with some very difficult and painful events. I am here today to explain why you had to see all these difficulties. But in order for me to answer your questions Master, you have to ask them. Search your heart Master. Time is not an issue, we brought our time down with us”. Jesse understood that completely as he has visited Elamor and knew its structure of time.
Searching his mind, Jesse’s face become saddened. Looking up to the Guardian with desperate eyes Jesse asks, “Why did my father have to die and why leave my mother in an empty state?” The Guardian nods his head and begins, “Master Zel-Elcon, we have protected you and your family always. We protected you before you were even born. Protecting you was a privilege and a mandate from our King, but Master Zel-Elcon, while we were keeping you safe, your world was suffering fierce brutality. The dark lord exercised dominance over your world but you never knew its despair. When you passed from childhood to manhood, the time came for you to understand what your world has always known. Master Zel-Elcon, the death of your father and the twisting of your mother’s soul has given you personal knowledge of their painful world. Master Zel-Elcon, you now know the pain of a destroyed family. It has taken this, Master, for you to get a true vision to protect families”. The Guardian pauses, then continues, “Master Zel-Elcon, the King has a question for you”. Jesse’s attention is instantly alerted. “The King wants to know, Master Zel-Elcon, if you will protect families?” Jesse senses the weight of responsibility fall, not on his shoulders, but into his heart. He looks into the eyes of the Guardian and replies, “Yes Guardian, I will protect families”.