Leven Thumps: The Complete Series

by Obert Skye

  “What was that?” Leven asked, lowering his palms from his ears.

  A violent, hissing sound rose into the dark night, filling the air and sounding as if Foo had sprung a leak.

  “Leven,” the air hissed. “Leven.”

  Clover shook.

  Geth stood as tall as he could at the moment. “The Dearth.”

  Clover shook harder.

  The hissing slowed and faded until all that they could hear was the sound of Lith being sucked under.

  “The Want spoke of a Dearth,” Leven said anxiously.

  “It appears that the movement of Lith has started the wheels in motion for setting the Dearth free,” Geth said solemnly. “It seems likely that the very soul who controlled Sabine and who moves Azure will finally rise above the soil. The master is alive.”

  Geth almost looked scared as he shrank a bit more. “We are near the end,” he said. “Or a great new beginning.”

  “He whispered my name,” Leven pointed out uneasily.

  “He knows the one person who can stop him,” Geth answered. “The first Want enslaved him. Only you can hold him back.”

  Clover stopped shaking to look proud of Leven.

  Lith sank even lower.

  “Do you think maybe we should get going?” Clover said.

  Leven stepped back away from the grave and extended his right arm, instructing Geth to lead. Leven followed Geth down a small path that led to the edge of Lith. Even from where he was, Leven could hear the water down below. The sounds it made swallowing the last bits of Lith were repulsive but hypnotic.

  Leven stopped.

  A small spot of light bubbled up out of the dirt in front of him. It blocked his passage, rising from the soil in swirling, feathery patterns. The circle grew to the size of a bathtub and pushed up in a well-lit spire. The light arched and moved in Leven’s direction.

  “Can you see that?” Geth whispered.

  “What is it?” Leven asked.

  “A dream. A very rich dream,” Geth smiled. “Your first, I believe.”

  Leven reached his palms out as if acting like a slow mime in a glass box. The warmth of the dream rippled across his hands. His fingers vibrated and clattered like loose silverware.

  Leven wanted more.

  He stepped into the light and let it circle around him. The feeling was unlike anything he had ever experienced. The dream squeezed in through the soles of his feet and the underside of his chin. It seemed to draw out the confusion in Leven and fill him with hope. It felt holy and personal, so personal that Leven closed his eyes to let those things happening around him happen in privacy. His closed eyes could not keep out the images. Leven could see the outlines of a dream, their pictures flashing through his mind like a spot of bright sun on a black day. There was a faded child in the dream, and a man. The man was tall, wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. He had dark hair and brown eyes that looked as unsettled as the sea they were sinking into. The man wore glasses and seemed to be looking frantically for something.

  The man stopped.

  He turned to stare at Leven with a frightened gaze.

  Leven collapsed and fell to his knees. Color drained from his face as the dream slid back down into the dirt.

  The last bit of Lith turned and tipped sideways.

  Geth lost his footing and had to push himself back up. He put his hand on Leven’s shoulder. “You’ll be weak for a while,” Geth said. “The first dream can be quite taxing.”

  Leven looked up at Geth. “Do the dead dream?” he asked, the sound of water so loud he almost couldn’t hear his own voice.

  “Not in the ways we can see,” Geth answered. “Why?”

  “That dream belonged to my father,” Leven said with emotion.

  Clover didn’t know whether to clap or nod reverently. So he sort of shuffled his feet and clicked his fingers.

  “Your father’s alive?” Geth said.

  “If the dead don’t dream.”

  “Fate is pulling out all the stops,” Geth smiled, shrinking just a bit more.

  Leven could no longer fight the overwhelming feeling in his heart to run. He was more than he had ever thought possible. He could clearly see the moment he had decided to step into Foo. He knew now that it had been under false pretenses, that he and Geth and Winter had been tricked. But he also knew that what had happened had to be, and that he was a large part of what was to come.

  He could still hear the whisper of the Dearth bouncing around in his mind. There was evil greater than he yet understood.

  Leven stood up and pulled his hood down. The white streak in his long, dark hair glowed. He reached down and pulled Clover up onto his shoulder.

  “Ready for all this?” he asked his sycophant.

  “Of course,” Clover replied.

  Leven took off running as fast as he could, a faint trace of gold energy buzzing around him. Geth followed closely behind. They reached the edge of Lith and leapt forward into the dark air.

  Geth shouted as if he had just received a great inheritance, while Leven breathed in deeply, never doubting for a moment that the Waves would catch them and take them to Winter.

  Clover, on the other hand, closed his eyes and held tightly to the neck of the Want.

  Glossary

  Who’s Who in Foo

  Leven Thumps

  Leven is fourteen years old and is the grandson of Hector Thumps, the builder of the gateway. Lev originally knew nothing of Foo or of his heritage. He eventually discovered his true identity: He is an offing who can see and manipulate the future. Lev’s brown eyes burn gold whenever his gift kicks in.

  Winter Frore

  Winter is thirteen, with white-blonde hair and deep evergreen eyes. Her pale skin and willowy clothes give her the appearance of a shy spirit. Like Sabine, she is a nit and has the ability to freeze whatever she wishes. She was born in Foo, but her thoughts and memories of her previous life are gone. Winter struggles just to figure out what her purpose is.

  Geth

  Geth has existed for hundreds of years. In Foo he was one of the strongest and most respected beings, a powerful lithen. Geth is the head token of the Council of Wonder and the heir to the throne of Foo. Eternally optimistic, Geth is also the most outspoken against the wishes of Sabine. To silence Geth, Sabine trapped Geth’s soul in the seed of a fantrum tree and left him for the birds. Fate rescued Geth, and in the dying hands of his loyal friend Antsel he was taken through the gateway, out of Foo, and planted in Reality. He was brought back to Foo by Leven and Winter.

  Sabine (suh-bine)

  Sabine is the darkest and most selfish being in Foo. Snatched from reality at the age of nine, he is now a nit with the ability to freeze whatever he wishes. Sabine thirsts to rebuild the gateway because he believes if he can move freely between Foo and Reality he can rule them both. So evil and selfish are his desires that the very shadows he casts seek to flee him, giving him the ability to send his dark castoffs down through the dreams of men so he can view and mess with Reality.

  Antsel

  Antsel was a member of the Council of Wonder. He was aged and fiercely devoted to the philosophy of Foo and to preserving the dreams of men. He was Geth’s greatest supporter and a nit. Snatched from Reality many years ago, he was deeply loyal to the council and had the ability to see perfectly underground. He was a true Foo-fighter who perished for the cause.

  Clover Ernest

  Clover is a sycophant from Foo assigned to look after Leven. He is about twelve inches tall and furry all over except for his face, knees, and elbows. He wears a shimmering robe that renders him completely invisible if the hood is up. He is incredibly curious and mischievous to a fault. His previous burn was Antsel.

  Jamoon

  Jamoon is Sabine’s right-hand man as well as a rant. Because he is a rant, half of his body is unstable, transformed continually into the form of the dreams being entertained by humans. He is totally obedient to Sabine’s wishes. Jamoon believes Sabine’s promise that if he and hi
s kind can get into reality, the rants’ unusual condition will be healed.

  Hector Thumps

  Hector Thumps is Leven’s grandfather and the creator of the gateway. When fate snatched him into Foo, he fought to find a way back to the girl he loved in Reality. His quest nearly drove him mad.

  Amelia Thumps

  Amelia is old. She is the woman Hector Thumps married after he returned to Foo a second time. She is Leven’s grandmother and lives between Morfit and the Fundrals of Foo. She was the protector of the gateway to Foo.

  Tim Tuttle

  Tim is a garbage man and a kindly neighbor of Winter. In Reality, Tim and his wife, Wendy, looked after Winter after being instructed to do so by Amelia. When Winter goes missing, Tim sets out to find her.

  Dennis Wood

  Dennis is a janitor whom fate has picked to carry out a great task. He leads a lonely life and has never dreamed.

  Janet Frore

  Janet is a woman who believes she is Winter’s mother but has no concern that Winter is missing. She has spent her life caring only for herself.

  Terry and Addy Graphs

  Terry and Addy were Leven’s horrible-care givers in Reality.

  Osck

  Osck is the unofficial leader of a small band of echoes. He is deeply committed to the meshing of Foo with Reality. He has also taken a very strong liking to Janet Frore.

  The Order of Things

  Baadyn

  The Baadyn are fickle creatures who live on the islands or shores of Foo. They seek mischief to a point, but when they begin to feel guilty or dirty, they can unhinge themselves at the waist and let their souls slide out and into the ocean to swim until clean. The clean souls of the Baadyn have been known to do numerous good deeds.

  Black Skeletons

  These great warriors rose from the Cinder Depression many years ago. They occupy the land nearest Fté, and are known for their ability to tame and ride avalands.

  Children of the Sewn

  The Children of the Sewn live beneath and amongst the roots of the Red Grove. They are patched together from dreams and imaginations. They are the only framers in Foo. Their task is to frame the strong dreams so that they can be focused on and achieved, and to frame the darkest dreams so that they are contained and stopped.

  Cogs

  Cogs are the ungifted offspring of nits. They possess no great single talent, yet they can manipulate and enhance dreams.

  The Dearth

  It is said that there is none more evil than the Dearth. His only desire is for the soil to have the last say as all mankind is annihilated. He has long been trapped beneath the soil of Foo, but has used his influence to poison Sabine and Azure and any who would stand still long enough to be fooled. In his present state, the Dearth works with the dark souls who have been buried to move the gloam and gain greater power on his quest to mesh Foo with Reality.

  Echoes

  Echoes are gloriously bright beings that are born as the suns reflect light through the mist in the Fissure Gorge. They love to stand and reflect the feelings and thoughts of others. They are useful in war because they can often reflect what the opponent is really thinking.

  Eggmen

  The Eggmen live beneath the Devil’s Spiral and are master candy makers. They are egg-shaped and fragile, but dedicated believers in Foo.

  Fissure Gorge

  Fissure Gorge is a terrific gorge that runs from the top of Foo to the Veil Sea. At its base is a burning, iridescent glow that creates a great mist when it meets with the sea. The heat also shifts and changes the hard, mazelike air that fills the gorge.

  Gifts

  There are twelve gifts in Foo. Every nit can take on a single gift to help him or her enhance dreams. The gifts are:

  See through soil

  Run like the wind

  Freeze things

  Breathe fire

  Levitate objects

  Burrow

  See through stone

  Shrink

  Throw lightning

  Fade in and out

  Push and bind dreams

  Fly

  Gloam

  The gloam is the long arm of dirt stretching from below the Sentinel Fields out into the Veil Sea. It is said that the Dearth uses the black souls of selfish beings buried in Foo to push the gloam closer to the Thirteen Stones in an effort to gain control of the gifts.

  Gunt

  The gunt are sticky creatures that seal up and guard any hole too deep, thus preserving the landscape of Foo and preventing disaffected beings from digging their way out. Once gunt hardens in the holes, it can be harvested to eat.

  Lith

  Lith is the largest island of the Thirteen Stones. It has long been the home of the Want and a breeding ground for high concentrations of incoming dreams. Lith was originally attached to the main body of Foo but shifted to the Veil Sea along with the other stones many years ago.

  Lithens

  Lithens were the original dwellers of Foo. Placed in the realm by fate, they have always been there. They are committed to the sacred task of preserving the true Foo. Lithens live and travel by fate, and they fear almost nothing. They are honest and are believed to be incorruptible. Geth is a lithen.

  Longings

  A near-extinct and beautiful breed, longings were placed in Foo to give the inhabitants a longing for good and a desire to fulfill dreams. They have the ability to make a person forget everything but them.

  Lore Coil

  Lore Coils are created when something of great passion or energy happens in Foo. The energy drifts out in a growing circle across Foo, giving information or showing static-like images to those it passes over. When the Lore Coil reaches the borders of Foo, it bounces back to where it came from. It can bounce back and forth for many years. Most do not hear it after the first pass.

  Nihils

  Nihils are black scavenger birds that pick at the leaves and bark of trees, searching for and eating small bits of leftover dreams that have settled in the trees. They are aggressive and a nuisance.

  Nits

  Niteons—or nits, as they are referred to—are humans who were once on earth and were brought to Foo by fate. Nits are the working class of Foo. They are the most stable and the best dream enhancers. Each is given a powerful gift soon after he or she arrives in Foo. A number of nits can control fire or water or ice. Some can see in the pitch dark or walk through walls and rock. Some can levitate and change shape. Nits are usually loyal and honest. Both Winter Frore and Sabine are nits.

  Offings

  Offings are rare and powerful. Unlike others who might be given only one gift, offings can see and manipulate the future as well as learn other gifts. Offings are the most trusted confidants of the Want. Leven Thumps is an offing.

  Onicks

  Raised near the Lime Sea, these winged beasts travel mostly by foot. An onick is loyal only to the rider on its back, and only as long as that rider is aboard.

  Palehi

  The palehi are a group of beings who refuse to take sides. They run people through the Swollen Forest. They are pale from all the frightening things they have seen. Their arms are marked with rings that keep count of how many trips through the forest they have made.

  Rants

  Rants are nit offspring that are born with too little character to successfully manipulate dreams. They are constantly in a state of instability and chaos. As dreams catch them, half of their bodies become the image of what someone in Reality is dreaming at the moment. Rants are usually dressed in long robes to hide their odd, unstable forms. Jamoon is a rant.

  Rings of Plague

  The Rings of Plague were created by Sabine. There were originally two, but Geth defeated one of them. The remaining Ring consists of twelve nits plus Sabine, each possessing one of the different gifts of Foo. Collectively having all the gifts, they are a threat to most.

  Rovens

  Rovens are large, colorful, winged creatures that are raised in large farms in the dark caves be
neath Morfit. They are used for transportation and sought after because of their unbreakable talons. Unlike most in Foo, rovens can be killed. They are fierce diggers and can create rips in the very soil of Foo. When they shed their hair, it can live for a short while. They often shed their hair and let it do their dirty work.

  Sarus

  The sarus are thick, fuzzy bugs who can fly. They swarm their victims and carry them off by biting down and lifting as a group. They can communicate only through the vibration of water. They are in control of the gaze and in charge of creating gigantic trees.

  Siids

  There were originally seven siids—humongous, mountain-sized beasts whose weight helped balance the landscape of Foo. Siids have the gift of killing and in turn can be killed. Years ago some were hunted and killed off, and now many in Foo feel that the unbalance and darkening of Foo are somehow connected to their absence.

  Sochemists

  The Sochemists of Morfit are a group of twenty-four aged beings who listen for Lore Coils and explain what they hear. They are constantly fighting over what they believe they have heard. They communicate what they know to the rest of Foo by using locusts.

  Sycophants (sick-o-funts)

  Sycophants are assigned to serve those who are snatched into Foo. Their job is to help those new residents of Foo understand and adjust to a whole different existence. They spent their entire lives serving the people to whom they are assigned, called their “burns.” There is only one way for sycophants to die, but nobody aside from the sycophants knows what that is.

  Tharms

  Tharms are short, smelly creatures who populate the Swollen Forest. They have a third arm where a tail would be. They are mysterious and love to capture and bury things in the forest. They also like to ransom those they have caught for favors.

  Thirteen Stones

  The Thirteen Stones were once the homes of the members of the Council of Wonder, with the thirteenth and largest, Lith, occupied by the Want. Each of the smaller stones represented a different one of the twelve gifts. With Foo in disarray, many of the stones are empty or are being used by others for selfish reasons.