The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1)

by Larry Robbins

  She was amused by his size. What undertaking had the Awareness sent them on that would require one of such strength? When she had been assigned her duty there had been few details. She was simply leading him on the path that had been set before her. Whatever they would encounter would be as much of a surprise to her as it was to him.

  But now that he was asleep she had more work to do. His mind still retained some of the limitations imposed by the damage that had been caused by a small birthing complication. It was not a major problem but it did affect his confidence. And confidence was something that would certainly be required if they were to be successful. Fortunately, repairing the damage was not difficult.

  As she closed her eyes again in preparation for another projected exploration of his brain, she reflected on the name he’d given her. Tinker. Her examinations of his thoughts had revealed it to be a shortened version of the name for a wonderful creature. In the man’s world a Tinkerbell could flit through the air like a glowing dust bug while advising and protecting her friends. It was a name that she could be proud of.

  ***

  When I awoke I had no idea how long I had been out. I sat up, accidentally dislodging Tinker and earning myself a mild chittering rebuke. She watched me stretch and yawn, then did the same. I couldn’t help smiling. My own little “Mini-me”.

  My body, now clean and having received the more critical need of water, began to crave its next most urgent requirement. My stomach rumbled then twisted, reminding me it had been at least twenty four hours (in my time) since I’d eaten. The night before my scheduled surgery I’d been denied any food. So it was probably closer to thirty-six hours.

  Almost as soon as I began to think about my hunger Tinker got up and treated me to a soft tweet. I’d begun to enjoy her little sounds by now, probably because they were the only ones I’d heard here that were made by another living creature. She scampered to the stream and drank, then began to wash her hands like a little raccoon. Done with that she relieved herself and took two or three steps towards the beginning of the forest, stopping to look over her shoulder at me.

  “Okay, I’m coming”, I said.

  On the move again, we entered deeper into the woods with me trotting to keep up. I noted that these trees were a different type than those I’d encountered before, somewhat larger than those on the grassy plain, maybe twenty feet at the tallest. They were heavily branched and leaved providing a lot of shade even though it really wasn’t that warm. The ground was now covered with fallen leaves and something that looked like small walnuts. I picked one up, intending to see if it was edible. Tinker loudly discharged one of her sea gull squawks. I turned and saw she was looking directly back at me. Her tail had taken on the spiky bottle-brush appearance that I had come to equate with her being upset.

  At the same time, in my mind I felt…what? A pressure? No, it was more like a deep and heavy feeling, sort of like when I was a child riding in the car with my Dad when he was angry with me. The feeling, just like the atmosphere in the car, needed no words to be spoken. But the thought that it conveyed was clear nonetheless.

  “What?” I asked. “You don’t want me to eat this? Poisonous?” She continued to sit there on her haunches, motionless and glaring at me.

  As an experiment, I dropped the nut. Tinker hopped forward to sniff the fallen nut. She picked it up in her little fingers and examined it. Apparently satisfied, she tossed it deeper into the trees and I was rewarded with a squeak and a cricket trill. She then turned and continued on her trek. I fell in behind her.

  As I jogged along, my realization that there was more to this little animal than I had first determined was strengthened. Looking back over the last few hours of my life I recalled several instances in which she had very possibly reacted to my thoughts. I noted that in the first few seconds of my seeing her she appeared to understand that I needed to empty my bladder and had reacted by exiting the sleeping cave and doing the same thing. Shortly after I began to experience extreme thirst she had led me to water. Then there was the little drama with the nut. She had been running along, seemingly unaware of what I was doing, until I decided to try eating it. The moment I thought about it she had turned and fussed at me. Could she read my mind? Maybe the nut was poisonous. Maybe all of these actions were coincidental. But I told myself that I was going to keep an open mind about it. After all of the things that had recently occurred in my life it seemed absurd to discount anything, regardless of how unlikely it might first appear.

  Approximately thirty minutes after the incident with the nut Tinker led me into a little grove of low bushes, different from the surrounding trees. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me again, then scampered up into one of them. I approached them, marveling at how similar they were to the flora of my world or dimension. The bushes had small reddish leaves and numerous bulbs, about the size of a silver dollar. The bulbs were green, displaying golden streaks on the surface. Tinker snatched one off of the branch and sniffed it. She then used her teeth and nimble little fingers to begin stripping the green and gold cover from it. I was amused to see how dexterous her little hands could be. She had the bulb stripped in ten seconds, revealing a flat, tan disc which appeared to be covered with a thick layer of greenish substance about the same consistency as peanut butter. Tinker looked at me and gave one of her happy chirps. She then began licking at the greenish paste with gusto, obviously relishing the taste. After finishing with the paste she devoured the disk underneath. I could hear it crunching in her little teeth. When she was done with the first one she picked another. Halfway through peeling it she looked pointedly at me and gave a sound I’d never heard before. In my head and stomach I felt the yearning for food inside me growing. It was almost as if she had a direct connection to my mind and was asking “What are you waiting for?”

  Moving forward I plucked one and sniffed it. Tinker, still paused halfway into the peeling of her second bulb, sat watching me, her mouth chewing and her little nose twitching.

  I stripped off the covering with my nails and sniffed it again. Whatever this thing was it obviously wasn’t injurious to Tinker but what would it do to me? I thought it very possible that something she could easily digest could prove deadly to another species. But being poisoned was no more deadly than starvation so I took a small lick of the paste. The taste was pleasant and mild. I was reminded of avocado, maybe a touch of hummus. Encouraged, I took a small bite of the disc underneath and was amazed to find it very rich in flavor, kind of like a mixture of cashew nut and tortilla chip. At that point my hunger took over and I began to devour the things one after the other. They were easily stripped of their outer coverings and one could make a meal of them without much real effort. Each was attached to the bushes by a stem. Once plucked one only needed to grasp the stem and bend it backward, the covering split in the middle and slid off easily leaving the prize exposed. I lost count after twelve. At some point I began thinking of them as “chips”. Eating them was much like ingesting tortilla chips covered with guacamole. For someone as hungry as I was they were delicious.

  After stuffing as many chips into my mouth as I could hold I sat on the leaf-covered ground and sighed with contentment, looking around for Tinker. It was interesting that I no longer feared her running off. She appeared to desire my company as much as I needed hers.

  I finally spied her at the foot of one of the chip bushes, again tending to herself. It was her tail that was getting all of the attention now. It was definitely her prettiest feature and she took much time with it, combing small twigs and leaves from it with her fingers. She seemed to notice me watching her. She stood and walked over to me on her hind legs, her arms out to the side. When she got to me she hopped onto my thigh and stood up as tall as she could, looking directly into my eyes. She appeared to be studying me. I remained as still as I could, enjoying the attention and wanting to allow her to accomplish whatever it was she wanted to do. The light breeze ruffled her long fur. Her eyes were beautiful orbs, so black that
they appeared blue. They seemed especially bright because they were surrounded by the snow-white fur of her face. For the first time I noticed that her nose was a slightly pink color and that she had cat-like whiskers sprouting from her short muzzle. Her mouth was slightly open and I could see delicate white teeth, sharp as needles. The intensity with which she studied me was almost human-like.

  After several minutes I could no longer remain expressionless and gave in to my urge to smile at her. She reacted to the change in my features by producing three squeaks. It was as if she could tell that I found the sounds soothing. Finishing her survey of my face, but remaining perched on my thigh, Tinker turned her attention back to her tail. As she continued her grooming I took the opportunity to consider my plight anew.

  I was still a little surprised to realize that I had not felt much fear today. Certainly it would have been understandable if I had. My situation was still dire, even though my little friend Tinker made me feel not quite so alone. For the hundredth time since I woke up in this place I wondered if I would ever find other people. Evidently I was going to survive. There seemed to be plenty of water and edible plants. So my sense of impending doom had lessened. But the ball of ice that had taken up residence in my abdomen, though smaller, was still there. It dawned on me for the first time in my life how critical it is to the human animal to be part of a community. Even if one lived one’s life pretty much alone, just knowing that other people are there is critical to peace of mind.

  I surveyed my surroundings. The trees around us seemed to stretch on for miles. The temperature was a real blessing, hovering around seventy degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime and dropping only slightly at night. At least that was how it had been on my first night here. If not for the mild climate I might have frozen to death as I lay naked in my sleep-cave.

  The ground seemed to be gently rising in the direction we were heading. I saw no mountains or high hills through the trees to use as landmarks so I really didn’t know if Tinker was taking me in a particular direction or in circles within the forest.

  The pinkish sky over my head was pleasant looking but still appeared alien. Unlike yesterday I could now see thin clouds scattered about. I was about to rise and get a few more chips from the bush when I saw a group of four deer-like animals stride boldly into our little clearing. They each stood about four feet tall, walking on all four legs. The one in front was the smallest but appeared to be the leader. It was also the only male. He was a beautiful grey color, mottled with green stripes down his sides. He displayed no antlers or horns. The females were a darker grey and bore no stripes. The biggest difference between these creatures and their similar Earth cousins was that they had much larger eyes and shorter, sturdier legs. They obviously noticed me. The male raised his head from the forest floor where he appeared to be sniffing for something. He looked directly at me. We locked gazes for approximately thirty seconds. I was surprised that he showed no fear at all. He just casually chewed on whatever it was that he had found on the ground. The females tensed a little but they were taking their cues from the male. After our brief examination of each other he turned his head and walked away into the woods followed by his little harem.

  So… another piece of information had been dropped into my lap. Tinker wasn’t the only animal here. I wondered; did that increase the chances that there could be humans here? Certainly the deer-type creatures were very similar to the deer I had known in my previous life. Might there be humans or maybe something very human-like with which I could join up? The prospect filled me with hope.

  The new world in which I found myself was pleasant enough. I was thankful I hadn’t awoken naked in a frozen world, dying quickly from exposure. The climate, though comfortable now, could change with new seasons which would certainly occur here. And to be sure, the discovery of my little friend, Tinker, had been an enormous help. Without her I would probably be well on my way to starvation or dying of thirst. And she did have a way of making me feel as if she was communicating with me. Not in words, of course, but she had an ability to understand my needs and address them. It was really comforting and I couldn’t have been more thankful for her presence.

  But she was not a person. And people need other people. It was a need that had existed since we started walking the earth. Except for the rare hermits and recluses who shunned human contact all other people craved to be among their own kind, to be part of a group, pulling together, living together. It was a visceral desire. And for me, in this incredible situation in which I found myself, it was what I most needed right now. The most beautiful world imaginable would be a hell if I had to spend the rest of my life in it alone.

  Though I fought it, I felt tears stinging my eyes. Tinker, still in my lap, rose up on her haunches again. As one tear escaped from my eye and rolled down my face she reached out to touch it with her delicate little paw. She drew her hand to her nose and sniffed. Her head cocked to one side as she studied me. I could have sworn she wore a look of concern.

  “It’s nothing against you, little girl”, I said, wiping my face. “I’m just afraid of being alone. And of being here instead of home in my own bed. I just want my life to be what it used to be. What it should be. And I can’t understand why this happening to me”.

  Tinker hopped forward a little, snuggling into my chest, her little pink nose against my neck. And, somehow, I actually felt better. The fear faded like a mist in sunlight. The despair also. I felt better. Much better. And, like I had the night before as I lay praying, I felt, again, like I was where I was supposed to be. It made no sense but it was how I felt. And this time there was no doubt it was coming from my new friend.

  After resting for another half hour Tinker raised her head and squeaked. She then dropped to the ground, her tail swishing as she swiveled her head in every direction. She seemed to be deciding something. She shot me a look and skittered off into the forest again. Naturally I followed.

  As we traveled I noticed how Tinker would toddle forward on her hind legs about six or eight feet before dropping to use her arms for a few strides. It reminded me a little of the manner in which chimpanzees ran. But the actions of this little animal were so much smoother and more graceful. Despite her size she moved at a pace that I could just barely keep up with. When she was moving she rarely looked back to see if I followed. So it was up to me not to fall behind.

  On this leg of our journey I was able to spy several additional animal species. There were some large birds reminiscent of parrots flapping in the tree branches. They were not as garishly colored as the Earth birds but were beautiful nonetheless. Most were a muted yellow color, streaked with bright green to help them blend into the trees. A smaller bird fluttered around them that reminded me of a cross between cardinals and sparrows. Deeper in the woods we passed other small herds of the deer I’d seen earlier. Each pack had one male leading three to five females. I was surprised to see a creature very much like a lynx sitting overhead on a branch with one of the sparrow-like birds in her mouth. This was the first sign I’d seen of any predatory behavior. But I was not shocked. The world in which I found myself was so similar to my world that I expected to see many of the same types of animals in it. In fact I resolved to call the animals I’d seen by Earth names because I had to call them something and that made the most since. So far, everything I’d noted on this world, except Tinker, had a cousin on Earth that would probably have had no trouble adapting to life here.

  It appeared to me that Tinker now had a purpose, or at least a destination in mind. She set a brisk pace through the trees, traveling for hours at a stretch. We stopped three times, twice at streams for some wonderfully fresh and much-needed water and once at another tortilla-chip bush for a meal.

  I experimented with the lower gravity on our trek. Jumping was easier and the results were more impressive. I could cover several additional feet more than I could have on Earth. When we would pass rocks or fallen trees I would sometimes stop and lift them over my head, feeling powerful. I would neve
r have been able to lift similar sized objects back home. I also tried throwing medium sized rocks at trees and other targets, delighted at the power with which they struck.

  While I would definitely have preferred to be home it was nice to recognize that this new existence came with some benefits. One that I was pretty certain of was a slightly higher content of oxygen in the air. With the decreased gravity making my body less of a burden to move the small increase in oxygen seemed to give me increased stamina. I would sometimes even start sprinting impulsively, passing Tinker and earning myself a sea-gull squawk of disapproval.

  As I once again saw the sun sinking and the shadows lengthening I noticed something peeking over the treetops in the distance. It was a hill, the first really high hill I’d seen since my arrival here. Tinker had led me all the way through the forest and we were now looking at a stretch of rocky ground spanning a distance of some five hundred yards. The hill was just beyond that and had earlier been hidden by the trees. It now loomed before us, distant but close enough to reach in a half hour or so.

  As we came out of the forest I detected a glint coming from the top of the hill. The small sun’s rays were reflecting off of something shiny. My heart jumped. If this was metal everything would change. Metal meant people. People meant I did not have to be alone. Hopefully.

  As distracted as I was I hadn’t noticed that Tinker had stopped. I came up alongside her.

  “What’s the matter, Tink?” I queried. “You run me through the woods for hours like a bear was on our tail. And now that there’s something I want to check out you decide to take a break

  She ignored my question, rose up on her hind legs and watched the hill. It seemed to me as if she was trying to come to a decision about something. After some thirty or forty seconds she turned to me and trilled a beautiful sound I’d heretofore not heard her make. She head-swiveled between me and the hill several times. She then turned around and examined the sinking sun. That act seemed to decide the issue for her. She took off, moving laterally to the edge of the open ground and skirting the forest without re-entering.