Jaded Dusk

by Scott Wale

  Fenrit sat himself on the forest floor curious if time would reveal the pool’s secret. If it had truly changed states twice over the last few moments, then a short wait would potentially unravel this mystery. He began to strategize other tests he could perform to learn about the pool. Would it be safe to stick his arm into the opaque cloud and possibly test the depth? Maybe a leg would be safer? Could he dam up the stream and would that have any effect on the pool? If the stream was simply transitioning to an underground stream at the point of the pool, it seemed logical that damming up the stream would answer some questions.

  A crunching of leaves interrupted Fenrit’s train of thought. Fenrit peered around struggling to spot the source. Now that the noise had Fenrit’s attention, another crunching revealed a lizard that was well camouflaged against the pile of dead leaves that had built up on the forest floor near the pool. The lizard paused as if sensing Fenrit as a potential predator. The lizard knew the advantage it held over most of its predators. The camouflage bought the lizard time while it considered its two options. It could remain still and wait for the predator to pass on or it could pick a safe spot and dart for its life. The lizard chose the latter and sprung for the pool.

  Almost immediately after the lizard had submerged the cloudiness of the pool began to diminish while a faint, but audible, suction noise could be heard. Fenrit leaned in closer to get a better view of what laid beneath the pool. A hole appeared that was roughly one third the diameter of the pool. The low ambient light of the forest was no help in making out the dimensions inside the dark hole. Fenrit got on his hands and knees to get the best look he could without actually entering the hole. Dim glowing red beacons allowed him to draw an outline in his head and make an estimate as to the depth of the hole. The depth appeared slightly less than his height. Other red beacons gave a perspective of the capacity of the hole. It was Fenrit’s best guess that this was a small underground cavern, which had likely been carved out by the stream much like the crevice itself.

  The water began to rise in the pool which at first held its transparency. Mud from the edge of the pool began to swirl into the water as the pool completely filled. The transparency was gone and it appeared the pool had once again reached its equilibrium state. Fenrit reasoned that the pool was a pinch point. The stream carried on underground; however, there was also a cavern that could be explored, which at the very least contained an air pocket. Somehow the water dammed up unless a force helped temporarily push it through. If the force of a lizard was enough to smooth out the stream’s path, then surely a log or rock would do the same.

  Now a new question began to eat away at Fenrit’s curiosity. What had emitted the red light within the cavern? Fenrit decided it would be safest to run another test before jumping into the pool feet first. The test would allow him to get another view of the cavern and while he had lost sight of the lizard he could hopefully follow the path of a larger object. Sight would not be his friend, but if the object was large enough and dense enough then maybe he could use sound to determine the true depth of the hole. There was no difficulty in finding a medium sized rock that would meet both requirements for the test. It should break through the backlogged pool and hopefully make a loud enough sound when it came into contact with what was likely a rocky cave floor. He launched the rock into the air creating a parabolic path that would strike the center of the pool. The splash itself nearly drained the pool and a brief moment later came the sound of rock against rock contact. The time between the splash and the noise confirmed Fenrit’s estimate that the depth couldn’t have been much more than his height. He spent the remaining moments getting visual clues from the dim red beacons until the pool once again backed up and returned to its murky state.

  Everything inside Fenrit’s body urged him to jump into the mysterious pool. He had satisfied his suspicions about the safety of jumping in as best as he could. There was still a small amount of risk as there always was around speculation. He assured himself that there was at least an air pocket below, so the risk now seemed to lay with being trapped underground rather than drowning. Then the idea returned to him. What if he could dam up the stream as originally planned? The hole would open up and he would have at least a short amount of time to explore. This was the safest alternative that would satisfy his curiosity about the hole and not fret about drowning or being trapped underground.

  Fenrit back tracked the stream to the point where the two walls forming the crevice began. He feverishly gathered logs, rocks and other forest floor debris and began to construct a makeshift dam. It wasn’t necessary to cut off every drop of water flowing into the hole. Fenrit only needed to reduce the stream’s already sluggish current to a minimal level that he could fight against when it came time to exit out of the hole. All the loose construction materials he had gathered allowed him to accomplish this goal. A trickle of water was making its way through the dam while the remainder of the stream was beginning to pool in front. Fenrit had built the dam out to the crevice walls and as high as his knees. This would buy enough time for a quick exploration.

  Fenrit rushed back to where the pool had formed. It was slowly draining as the volume of the stream was beginning to empty. The pool eventually dried up exposing the hole as Fenrit had planned. It was now temporarily safe to climb down into the cavern and investigate the red beacons. Fenrit cautiously lowered himself into the hole and gazed at the first red beacon that caught his sight. It appeared to be a mineral that was embedded into the cave wall; however, Fenrit was still unsure how it contained its own light source. Fenrit had seen gems sparkle from the reflection of light, but that was not the case here. With the minimal light from above Fenrit oriented himself in the direction of the cave passage. There was an abundance of gems embedded in the wall that when viewed as a whole lit up a tunnel passageway. Fenrit spent some time trying to dislodge a few of the gems from the walls, but was unable to succeed in this endeavor. He decided to follow the tunnel hoping to stumble across a loose gem that he could remove from the cave for further examination at a later time. The tunnel only went on for a short ways before ending in a chamber coated with the gems. Fenrit could make out a dome ceiling above him and gems were now embedded on the floor outlining another hole. That must be where the stream continued.

  “I wouldn’t follow that hole”, suggested a voice from the darkness.

  Fenrit struggled to lock on to the voice’s location. Whoever spoke must have been small enough to hide in the darkness between the numerous gems.

  “Does the stream flow that way?” Fenrit asked.

  “Ordinarily, yes”, replied the voice.

  “I didn’t mean to permanently disrupt the stream, I only wanted to see what was the source of the red light”, Fenrit replied sensing judgement in the voice.

  “Ah, yes, the aft crystals are curious, aren’t they?” observed the voice. “They all glow, but aren’t always red. The color is usually a result of impurities in the water.”

  “I suppose that answers my questions about the crystals”, Fenrit said.

  “Yes, and now for your questions about me”, the voice replied.

  “Who are you and well, where are you?” Fenrit asked.

  The lizard that had darted into the pool ahead of Fenrit moved directly in front of the light emanating from a large nearby aft crystal.

  “I am here”, the lizard answered. “No, you’re not hallucinating. Forgive me if I’m being too forward, but I’ve dealt with guests in the past.”

  “Guests?” Fenrit asked in confusion.

  “You’re in my home”, the lizard explained. “Well I suppose I share it with a few other creatures. This isn’t my first cave dwelling. It’s not even the first that contains aft crystals. Personally, I find that a white, green or yellow goes well with the darkness.”

  “I apologize for intruding”, Fenrit said. “You’ve chosen an alluring site for your home.”

  “Thank you and no apology is necessary”, the lizard responded. “If guests bothere
d me, I’d have chosen somewhere less inviting.”

  “How many people stumble across this place?” Fenrit wondered aloud.

  “You’re the first of your size”, the lizard answered. “I imagine your size is quite a hindrance in getting down here. Mostly the stream pulls in unintentional guests. Those types don’t have your curiosity and it usually comes down to me promptly helping them find their way out.”

  “That reminds me”, Fenrit said. “I had dammed up the stream in order to get down here. It’s probably best if I made my way out before this chamber refills with water. No offense, but I don’t think you’d be much help if I got stuck.”

  “I think you came down here seeking more than a gem”, the lizard observed.

  “I believe I’ve already got more than I bargained for by having a conversation with a lizard”, Fenrit pointed out. “This encounter alone will baffle most, save my sister.”

  “What makes you say that?” the lizard inquired.

  “Speaking with creatures is a skill of hers”, Fenrit explained. “She has spent a better part of her life building a bond with at least one creature in particular.”

  “Your sister sounds very dedicated”, the lizard said. “It is a great undertaking to embark on the journey of knowledge about the bonds that exist between all living things. It takes even more diligence to reach a level where you can communicate with what most would classify as lesser beings.”

  “She is definitely dedicated”, Fenrit replied incredulously.

  “I hear the skepticism in your voice”, the lizard observed. “Does her way of life trouble you?”

  Ordinarily Fenrit would begin to shut down when a conversation with someone he hardly knew began to consist of depth. This was different in some way. There was something soothing about the lizard’s voice and the tone came across without judgement. This was Fenrit’s first experience with talking to a creature that would actually respond. Alejade had often encouraged Fenrit to speak with creatures even if he couldn’t understand them. Alejade had pointed out that if nothing else it would create an opportunity to bounce thoughts off a perceived listener and ultimately have a conversation with himself. The lizard definitely appeared sentient and likely wanted to understand Fenrit as much as Fenrit wanted to understand it.

  “I wish I knew the answer to that”, Fenrit finally replied. “I want to have her faith and positive outlook of the world.”

  “And what stops you?” the lizard asked.

  “Sometimes I think she fails to see that the evil that exists in the world can’t always be handled through transformation”, Fenrit surmised. “Sometimes elimination of that evil is the answer.”

  “That is always a difficult decision one must make”, the lizard responded. “You can trust the judgement of others and follow their interpretation of what is right and wrong or you can trust your own intuition and create your own path.”

  “That is very true, but how does one know if it’s right when it chooses one path over another?” Fenrit asked.

  “Sometimes there is no confirmation of our actions”, the lizard explained. “That is where you rely on passion to carry you along.”

  “Passion?” Fenrit asked confused by the explanation.

  “Love, spirituality, education, they are all tied to passion”, the lizard answered as if it was a universally accepted fact. “The former cannot exist without the latter. Passion can’t be created, but it can be discovered and destroyed. Passion is the ultimate motivator and when in full force can be used to drive a relentless determination. Lack of passion can adversely kill motivation. One of the biggest predicaments a being can be put into is the requirement to give an effort towards a cause in which all of their passion has been destroyed or never existed to begin with.”

  Fenrit realized the lizard was focused on making the conversation about Fenrit’s thoughts. It’d be no use misdirecting the discussion now or even hiding the fact that Fenrit was trying to ask in the name of all creatures capable of moral reflection rather than him individually.

  “I think I understand, but won’t creating my own path just create constant conflict with others?” Fenrit asked. “I still believe my sister is right for believing in a mutual respect for life.”

  “You’re following your intuition, not necessarily creating a new path at each decision”, the lizard corrected. “Sometimes your instincts will guide you to be the follower as opposed to the leader. The distinction is between knowing yourself and aimlessly carrying forth.”

  Water began to pour through the hole and flood into the tunnel breaking up the conversation. Fenrit had lost track of time and now it had cost him a safe, easy exit. The torrent of water had now moved into the dome shaped room containing the second hole. The water thrashed around as it molded to the shape of the room. The lizard scurried up the wall to a safe height. Fenrit attempted to brace himself against the wall, but it was useless against the surge of water that had yet to reach a stable state within the confines of the cavern. Fenrit fell into the water that was no deeper than his knees. A powerful whirlpool was being created as the water found its next path by way of the hole in the floor. There was nothing on the floor for Fenrit to grasp and soon he was sucked into the center of the whirlpool and on his way to whatever lay beneath.

  ***

  The light making its way through the thick canopy had not improved, but it had not deteriorated either. Fenrit found himself lying on the forest floor face up. The fact that his last thought was him nearly drowning while being sucked into the whirlpool did not escape him. Fenrit was simply relieved to have his consciousness returned to him. Remembering the fall from the watcher tower, Fenrit mused that he would do everything that he could to prevent future head trauma inducing activities. He felt no pain in any part of his body, unlike when he had emerged from the wooden debris pile. He decided to spend a brief moment on the ground and take in the view. The tree branch hovering over his head was the first thing to catch his attention. The tree was unmistakably a tenik tree.

  Fenrit pushed himself off the ground with ease. A second surprise awaited him only a few arm lengths away. Two beautiful limbs lay next to each other that with minimal carving would make a perfect bow and handle. He took another moment to take in the rest of his surroundings. It appeared he awoke in the exact position where the pool used to be. The crevice was still in place; however, the stream had vanished. He considered the fact that this was a different crevice, but the nearby markings felt familiar. There was also a dead end with a rock wall that appeared at what Fenrit estimated was the same distance from where the pool would have laid.

  The tenik tree drew Fenrit’s attention once again. Fenrit’s eyes followed the path from the tree limb, to the trunk and then to the base of the tree, which had stemmed from the layer above the crevice floor. He remembered his original strategy of surveying the crevice wall for exposed roots that had bored their way through the rock. There was a desired thickness for a tenik root, which was to be used as a bow string, and if multiple root samples were exposed the search would be faster than digging around the base of the tree.

  Fenrit reached into his satchel and felt around for his wood bladed knife. The texture of a strange object shot from his fingers to his brain. To the best of his memory his satchel only contained his two knives, the piece of faunite and some seeds that could be charred to extract resin used in the treatment applied to arrows. The shape and texture of the fifth item did not trigger any memories of its presence in Fenrit’s satchel. He removed the item and opened his palm to a red emanating glow. An aft crystal had somehow made its way into his personal inventory. He wasn’t sure what value it had other than an internal source of faint light, but it was not as if his satchel was over flowing and maybe Alejade would find the item intriguing when he got back to the camp. He returned the aft crystal back into the satchel and removed his wood bladed knife.

  Tenik roots were easy to spot after one had used them to construct multiple bows. The tenik root itself was a t
asty treat to many woodland creatures. Many had hypothesized that the electrical current preserved in the root was a defense mechanism to prevent creatures from devouring all of the tree’s roots. You could snack on thin roots and only expect a minor shock or you could find a dead tree and feast away without the worry of any hazards. The tree itself was quite resilient and typically only met its end at the hands of insect infestation or a sentient being’s intentional destruction of the entire tree. The roots could be severed and kept alive by continually applying moisture. When the roots were used for a bow string it was a more common problem for the root to become too thick rather than die from improper care.

  The rock wall was predominantly bare except for a single spot that appeared to be a tangled mass of roots. From a distance the mass appeared to be composed of a variety of roots. Fenrit stepped up to the wall for a closer examination. He gazed around trying to spot a tenik root within the mess. After a few moments he spotted his mark, but the portion he had discovered was too thick to be used as a bow string. He began to follow the root as it weaved in and out of the massive tangle. The root would obviously get thinner as it approached its tip, but Fenrit had no idea which direction headed towards the tip. He finally traced the tenik root until it reached a thickness that would be ideal for stringing a bow. He needed about one and a half arm lengths of root, but the exposed portion of the root was only about half of this length. The root had weaved itself under a thick bundle of other roots. Fenrit carefully cut away the overlaying roots making sure he didn’t mistakenly nick any portion of the tenik root that might lie below. Untangling the mass exposed the full length of tenik root that Fenrit required.

  The unexperienced might have hacked away at the roots trying to get to their ultimate goal. Fenrit knew better just as he knew that simply cutting into the exposed length of tenik root could also be hazardous. He had used his wood knife throughout the entire process, but the final cut was also crucial. He needed to make sure he made nice clean cuts, so the tenik root could be preserved as it served as a bow string. The root also appeared to be extremely tight probably due to the way it had entwined itself with the mixture of all the other roots. Fenrit wasn’t sure on the best way to approach the initial cut considering how taut the root appeared. He decided to brace the root a few hand lengths away from where he intended to cut so that he could ease the tension and save the lengthier side from any unnecessary stress. Fenrit’s bracer protected most of his forearm. He began to saw away at the root until SNAP! The root sprang back and caught an unprotected portion of Fenrit forearm. Fenrit examined the wound ensuring that it was nothing serious before continuing with the second cut. The second cut required less concentration now that the tension of the root was no longer a concern. Fenrit performed the second incision with ease. Now that both hands were free, Fenrit used his hand to put pressure on the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. The dissection had successfully produced an intact root, but not without a cost.