by Obert Skye
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.
Omitted
The Omitted are very insecure and untrusting beings. They can see everything in Foo except for themselves and their reflections. They are dependent on others to tell them how they look. They reside in caves and trees in the mountains outside the Invisible Village.
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.
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.
Rovens
Rovens are large, colorful, winged creatures that are raised in large farms in the dark caves beneath 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.
Shatterball
Shatterball is a popular sport played in a suspended giant orb of glass created by special engineers in Foo. The players are nits who have the gift of flight. It is a violent and exciting game that ends either when the orb is shattered or when only a single player remains inside. It is played with a small black ball called a pit.
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.
Thorns
Thorns are possessive and whimsical beings. They are as small as bees, but they have great strength. They often live and hover around things they have grown attracted to, spending their days protecting and taking care of what they admire.
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.
Turrets
The turrets of Foo are a large circle of stone turrets that surround a mile-high pillar of restoring flame. The turrets sit on a large area of Niteon and are surrounded by a high fence. The main way to the flame is through the gatehouse that sits miles away.
The Want
The Want is the virtually unseen but constantly felt sage of Foo. He lives on the island of Lith and can see every dream that comes in. He is prophetic and a bit mad from all the visions he has had.
Waves of the Lime Sea
The Waves of the Lime Sea are a mysterious and misunderstood group of beings who guard the island of Alder. Their loyalty is to the oldest tree that grows on the island.
Whisps
Whisps are the sad images of beings who were only partially snatched from Reality into Foo. They have no physical bodies, but they can think and reason. They are sought after for their ideas, but miserable because they can’t feel and touch anything.
Leven Thumps and Ruins of Alder
Visit us at leventhumps.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Skye, Obert.
Leven Thumps and the ruins of Alder / Obert Skye.
p. cm.
Summary: Leven discovers that he must travel to the island of Alder to
find the answer that will save the realm of Foo from destruction.
ISBN 978-1-60641-146-9 (hardbound : alk. paper)
[1. Fantasy.] I. Title.
PZ7.S62877Ler 2009
[Fic]—dc22 2009022749
Printed in the United States of America
Bang Printing, Brainerd, MN
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Loo, Goo, Punk, Bubba, and Nay.
May your dreams fly as high as your hats.
“My fellow Americans,” the president began, looking straight into the camera, “and citizens of all nations. It is with complete soberness and urgency that I address you tonight. Recently our world has begun to experience some unusual events. Fields are coming alive, tornados have personalities, buildings are walking, bugs are carrying people off, and clouds are interfering with planes. We believe there are logical and sane explanations for these occurrences. We must keep a cool head and calm mind. I have been in touch with many world leaders, and this is a global concern. I want you to know that your government is doing everything in its power to keep you safe and combat this problem. We are urging everyone to . . .”
Nobody heard the rest because it was at that point that everyone’s TVs, computers, and phones went temporarily dead. It was also at that point that almost everybody began to understand that the world was most definitely in a mess.
Prologue
Long Night
The night was as dark as any serious sin. Only the yellow stars in the sky had any presence up above, and the ground below shook as Foo continued to transform. If you remember correctly, Leven had just cut the Dearth in half and dragged a near-dead Azure back to Geth and Winter. If you don’t remember correctly, then Leven had just hosted a birthday party and Winter had come to give him a new sweater that matched his eyes.
Let’s hope you remembered correctly.
Directly after Leven had returned with Azure, they had all moved their camp to some hidden tents at the edge of the Swollen Forest. The tents, built on stone, were a secret place where Azure had sometimes come to get away from the constant dark whisperings of the Dearth. Once they got safely there, they had all collapsed into a tired sleep.
Thirty minutes later, Leven jumped up, yelling. He looked around, catching his breath. The tent was unfamiliar, and the dark of night made the surroundings look like a dream.
“Are you okay?” Geth whispered.
Leven sat down on a wooden chair—nothing more, he just sat, but in sitting, the weight of the world seemed to settle. His large shoulders relaxed and he thrust his fingers back though his long black hair.
“It was a weird dream,” Leven said.
“Could you keep it to yourself until morning?” Winter pleaded.
“Wait,” Geth prodded. “What do you feel?”
Geth stood up to the right of Leven. His left hand was on Leven’s shoulder, and his blue eyes glowed in a way they had never previously done. Geth was over six feet tall, and his dark blond hair was wild and hung in front of his right eye like a ragged curtain that was hiding something entertaining and secretive. He was muscular in his green robe and black pants and stood like a statue that nobody could easily push over or damage.
Geth smiled. “It’s all changed, hasn’t it?”
Leven looked up at his friend and smiled anemically. “Yes—it’s all changed
. I can see so many dreams.”
“I don’t understand,” Winter said, looking around. “What’s changed?”
Leven smiled a half smile. Winter was no longer a child; she was beautiful, and as strong as any nit in Foo. Her green eyes looked at Leven, the depth of them immeasurable and mesmerizing. Winter was wearing a snug white shirt with burgundy pants. She had a thin white robe hanging loosely over her left shoulder, the hood of it tossed back, exposing her lengthy blonde hair tied loosely behind her head. She blinked, and the green in her eyes seemed to rise to the surface.
“I’ll take this one,” Clover said, fielding Winter’s question. “Leven’s no longer just that boy who lived with those awful people in that . . . what was it called?”
“House,” Winter answered.
“No,” Clover sneered, “in that long box with wheels hidden beneath it.”
“That was their house,” Winter said.
“Really?” Clover shrugged. “It had wheels.”
“It was still a house,” Winter insisted.
“But the floor sagged and the walls were made of paper.”
“It was still a house.”
“Does anyone have a dictionary?” Clover asked. “I think you’re—”
Leven stopped Clover by patting him on the head. He smiled at the small sycophant and stood up. Leven was taller than Geth now, and his face was well defined and framed by a strong jawbone. His eyes burned so strongly that when he closed his eyelids they still glowed lightly. Leven stretched out his right arm and Clover sprang from the ground and twisted up his arm and onto his shoulder, looking like a bulky snake.
“It was a house,” Leven smiled. “But it wasn’t home. And I’ll tell you what’s changed,” he went on, looking toward Winter. “Everything.”
“That’s pretty vague,” Winter complained. “What’s coming next? Something?”
“So, how many days?” Geth asked.
Leven closed his eyes.
“How many days till what?” Winter questioned.
“He’ll know,” Geth said softly, nodding toward Leven. “He should be able to see the end.”
“End of what?” Clover whispered excitedly.
“The end of it all,” Geth answered.
“And it’s in just a matter of days?” Winter asked anxiously.
“Can’t you feel it?” Geth said gently. “One would have to be emotionally dead not to recognize how close we stand to the end.”
Winter and Clover were quiet as Leven lifted his eyelids and let the gold shine brightly. He looked at Geth and smiled. “I should let you know that in the end you will fight yourself.”
Geth rocked on his feet and grinned. “I can’t wait to meet my missing piece.”
“You’ll have to get back to where we began,” Leven added. “And you,” he said, turning to Winter. “You might save us all.”
“Might?” she said, blushing deeply.
“Oh, oh, do me, do me!” Clover said, jumping up and down.
Leven’s expression dropped and he let his gaze fall to the ground. He raised his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes with his palms.
“What do you see?” Clover asked excitedly.
Leven was quiet, his eyes closed.
“It must be something really great,” Clover whispered.
“It is,” Leven said solemnly, his eyes opening slowly. “But you’ll have to wait.”
Clover shivered and disappeared.
Leven began to cough, and his eyes flashed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My throat gets hot and one leg feels longer than the other and my eyes keep freaking out.”
“You’re changing,” Geth explained. “The gifts will really start coming on now.”
“Just think of it as kind of like a Foovian puberty,” Winter joked.
Leven stared at her.
“So, how long do we have?” Geth asked again, looking like a soldier awaiting his orders.
“It’s already begun, but once the exit opens, no more than three days,” Leven answered. “That’s all the time we’ve got.”
Geth cheered.
“All of that stuff will happen in three days?” Winter asked frantically. “The end will be here in three days? Three literal days, or figurative? I mean that’s only . . . seventy-two hours.”
“Should be a wild three days,” Leven smiled.
“Then I’m getting some sleep,” Winter insisted. She stood up and gathered her blankets and furs. “I’ll be in the other tent.”
Winter walked out to go to the other tent, where Tim and Janet and Azure were sleeping, while Geth continued to quiz Leven.
Chapter One
When Peace Is Shattered
Two small sycophants stood on a tall gray rock and gazed out over the Veil Sea. The dark waters were choppy, and the largest moon was pulling and pushing huge waves up on the shores only to call them back again. The banks were covered with sycophants all poised and waiting for battle.
“They’re coming,” Rast whispered, his voice sounding old and tired.
“I know,” Reed replied. “I’m worried that each breath might be my last.”
The night felt poised to fall and shatter, as if someone had stacked it precariously on a high shelf and now the smallest motion might send the whole thing tumbling down. Orange flares shot across the sky, drawing lines from one end of Foo to the other.
“Keep your heart light,” Rast pleaded. “Please.”
“It’s not in my nature,” Reed admitted. “But I’ll try.”
Rast smiled at his friend. Rast was one of the most important sycophants and the brightest point in the Chamber of Stars. He had been entrusted with the well-being of Foo, and now the entire realm teetered on the brink of collapse. Rast stared at the thousands of sycophants who were all poised and waiting along the shore for battle. In the past, the only way to see the sycophants would have been to look through the special glasses he had. Now, with the secret of the sycophants floating around everywhere, and so many Lore Coils exposing the words that stole the sycophants’ invisibility, there was no need for the glasses. Rast, along with anyone who had vision, could easily see every sycophant.
“Everything’s changed,” Reed complained. “How can we ask our children to fight when they are visible?”
“They must,” Rast said. “And they still have their claws.”
The claws Rast was speaking about were temporary and usually came during the few years all sycophants spent committed to guard the shores of their homeland. The claws were tremendous and razor sharp and shot out from their knuckles and could slice through just about anything. Their claws were extremely effective weapons, especially when sycophants were invisible. Now, however, they would be fighting against larger foes without the ability to disappear.
“I wish Brindle were here,” Rast said. “His heart is always light.”
“He’ll be back,” Reed said, too worried about himself to think of others. “We’ll win this, right?”
Rast looked at his friend and sighed. He put his small hand on Reed’s shoulder. Reed was a kind but anxious sycophant. He was one of the lower points in the Chamber of Stars.
“I can only hope,” Rast answered.
“Foo can’t fail,” Reed argued.
“Can you hear that?” Rast asked in a hushed whisper.
Reed jumped and then steadied himself. “Hear what?”
“Look,” Rast said, pointing. His voice was filled with sorrow. “The gloam now connects to our home.”
Reed looked, but there was nothing but darkness and thousands of sycophants standing motionless and on guard. “I can’t see anything but our troops.”
“See how the black of night moves right above the gloam?”
Reed slowly shook his head.
“We should have shattered that map,” Rast said.
“We tried,” Reed shivered.
“Well, it’s too late now,” Rast said sadly. “Can you feel that in your feet?”
Reed
fell to his knees and pressed his palms down against the stone. “What am I supposed to . . . the ground’s shaking.”
“Ready the captains,” Rast ordered. “Claws out and eyes wide. Look over there now.”
Reed looked toward the gloam and could faintly see thousands of twinkling bits of silver reflecting under the moonlight. The lead rants were carrying huge silver poles, and the staffs were strung with thousands of coin-sized pieces of silver.
“Reed,” Rast ordered, “I was wrong. Claws out and eyes like slits—don’t look at the metal.”
Reed leapt from the stone as the largest moon increased in intensity, doubling the light of the night. Rast could see the armies clearly now. The shimmering metal looked like a net of sparkling lights. All over, sycophants who should have been fighting for their home began to stare at the silver and fall into a trance. Their small bodies splashed into the water or onto the shore, lying there motionless, looking like rag dolls.
“Keep your eyes closed and fight!” Rast demanded, screaming out to those in front of him. “Remember: Without us, Foo fails.”
Thousands of rants spilled onto the shores of Sycophant Run. They were swinging metal swords and wooden kilves. Rast jumped from the pointed stone and sprang up over a dozen considerably younger sycophants. He struggled up onto another flat stone and looked out over the scene.
Rast’s small heart slid down into his right foot. He watched as thousands and thousands of sycophants were thrown aside or trampled over. Stunned or wounded, the valiant beings fell. Everything in him told him to turn and run, but Rast knew that this was the sycophants’ last chance to stop what was happening. His eyes became wet and he could no longer see clearly.