Gift of Gold (The Year of Churning Bloods)

by Leone, Hudson

  The cart fell like a lead balloon and while that's realistically what it was, it seemed to zoom down the ramp faster than physically possible. I had to get the brakes unjammed and stop the cart before the end, otherwise it would fly off the end of the tracks. I grabbed the piece of leather wedged in between the brakes and eventually dislodged it, sending two bomb rocks flying in the process. One of them landed on the track in front of me, and began to fizz in preparation for detonation. I released the grip I had on the brake and leaned forward, ignoring everything else. Nothing more mattered than this unlikely survival. I had to make it over this bomb rock before it exploded. The cart flew over the bomb rock just as it blew up and the force of the explosion sent the cart careening down the final hill even faster than before.

  I gripped the brake firmly and leaned back, hoping against all hope that this would be enough to spare my life. A cascade of sparks made from friction flooded from behind the car, turning the track red hot. I ignored this and tugged back hard enough to make me tremble from sheer force. To my relief, the cart slowly came to a stop and stopped with a small tink as the head of the cart lightly tapped the end of the track. I forced a single eye open and practically floated away with creamy relief as I realized I had made it down to the bottom floor safely. I opened up the grubby straw sack and carefully began to place the bomb rocks one by one back into their original container. A distant echo sounded out from somewhere far above me. “It's the other rock,” I assured myself. “It’s the other rock that got launched out of the car.” As soon as I said this though, I knew something wasn’t right.. This explosion lasted far too long. It was a loud crack, followed by deep sinister rumbling.

  The grim realization struck me harder than any blunt object ever could have. The entire storage depot was collapsing. I grabbed the sack and immediately tumbled out of the cart, nearly falling in the process. To my right and left large pieces of the shelf hit the ice floor with amazing impact, sending painful shards of ice scattering across every inch of free space. I wanted to run. I wanted to just dash out of the room, but I couldn’t risk slipping and damaging the bomb rocks. Large pieces of stone cracked open the barrels of blood, and like some sick hallucination, the clotted liquid began to gush out in streams, spattering across my armour, and sinking into my skin.

  Cloudy, dense dust shot into the air from every angle. I cupped my hands over the mouth and struggled to keep my eyes open as the stinging dry particles clung to my eyelids. I tumbled to my right, and narrowly avoided a large stack of books which fell in rapid succession. I distorted the earth around me into a primitive barrier which only just managed to block a large boulder tumbling from nearby. I turned sharply and quickly slithered up the staircase, swatting away whatever was blocking my path with my distortion abilities. I gaped as I saw the exit was about to become smothered by the tumbling remains of the shelf, preparing to seal me in.

  As I raced against time I experienced an odd sensation in which I never once felt my feet touch the floor. Whether I was falling, running or flying I didn’t know. I knew only of my destination, seconds away from being completely smothered in ruin. I felt the wind of the rocks fall past my ears, but never heard the sound of their clatter when they tumbled noiselessly to the ground. With mere seconds to spare, I had crossed the threshold into safety. The passageway behind me spat dry puffs of dust as it was suddenly shut off by the wreckage. It was almost as if the last hour was just some strange dream. I fell to my knees, too disturbed to cry, and too tired to shudder. The Grimlars would know this was no accident. The Grimlars would investigate. They would come looking but whether or not they would suspect me, I hadn’t the slightest idea. I rubbed the soot out of my eyes and almost found myself laughing.

  Chapter fifteen

  A Tale of Two Brothers

  Space below us

  Sky above

  Wonder where land is

  Wonder of love

  “Here,” I said, tossing Minget another bomb rock.

  The metal eagle insisted I feed him myself, seeing as he had no arms. I made the unfortunate mistake of just placing the first rock in his beak. As he crunched down on the substance, the force of the explosion sent me flying back a few feet, which in turn left nasty burns all over my lanky arms. Minget bit down on the rock I had just thrown to him, before making a noise of approval as smoke poured out of his elegantly carved nostrils.

  The next one I chucked to him missed almost entirely, and hit the floor with a clatter. I picked it up gingerly as it started to fizz and threw it back inside the cold beak.

  Minget clamped his mouth shut, muffling the noise of the explosion. “Last one,” I said with absolutely no remorse in my voice. If anything, I said this all too positively.

  The statue scowled at me.

  “Don't tell me you want more. The passage is sealed off. There is no more.” I reminded him patiently.

  Although he did not appear happy, he quickly unhinged his jaw as the last piece flew into his beak. He shuddered and looked suddenly fearful. “You know, are you sure you wouldn't just like a nice fancy shield along with your sword?” Minget asked suddenly. “It might get you a good bit of gold in a pinch.”

  I paused, suddenly noticing something odd in his voice. “You haven’t yet told me why you don’t want me to go to that other room,” I noticed, looking at him curiously.

  He sighed, looking down. I saw a trace of fear in his cold iron eyes. “I see no reason to tell you why,” he snapped begrudgingly.

  “I gave you food. I risked my life for this and it’s rather rotten of you to make a promise you simply won’t keep.”

  The eagle looked at me with a pained expression, as if there was nothing more he would like than to tell me, but just couldn't get past the actual action. “My oldest brother guards the door to that room,” he said eventually. “A long time ago, I had a squabble with him that left me mad enough to do the unthinkable.” He paused, taking this moment to blink rapidly. “When the Grimlars came down to do a routine check, they asked me if there was anything suspicious going on. I told them my brother had let someone into his room without any question.” The iron eagle began to quiver with guilt. “For our family, that is the biggest taboo. It’s a proud family tradition to protect, to guard and to safekeep. Since my brother was in charge of the most important door, they... Had to punish him.”

  “What did they do to him?” I asked, instantly chastising myself for asking.

  Mud began to leak out of Minget’s eyes and in amazement I realized that he was crying. Of all the things that these statutes could do that would mimic life, this was by far the most human. “They let him keep his door which was good at the least. But... They stopped giving him the charms that would continue his life functions.” Minget began to stutter. “He's slowing down; close to stopping at this point. In a month or so he'll be gone, and I'll have no one to blame but myself.”

  I didn't know what to say. So I didn't say anything. I just sat there with my back hunched in a mortified silence. It seemed like an eternity of me picking the floor and trying not to make eye contact with the creature before I spoke.

  “Would you like to send him your apologies?”

  Instantly he began to sob. “He didn't even know it was me!” Minget said in hysterics. “He's so far gone he wouldn't even know what the word betrayal means! “I just want him to know. I want him to know...” I tried to look sympathetic.

  “Know what?” I asked softly.

  Minget regained some of his composition, but there were still large streaks of sandy mud all over his face, “I want him to know... That I love him.” I stared up at him in confusion. What on earth was he talking about?

  “Minget? That’s your name right?”

  Again, he tried to nod, but ended up looking a little silly, so instead he replied with what could have only been a very shaky yes.

  “Minget... What is love?”

  He sniffed loudly and gave a shaky laugh. “I keep forgetting that none of you Grimlars
know anything about love.” He stared into me deeply, and even smiled a warm smile. “Imagine someone you care about very deeply.”

  Almost immediately, the smiling face of Preston popped into my mind.

  “Now triple that emotion until you can't increase your care any more.” Minget whispered quickly. “Then triple that.” It made my head hurt simply trying to care that much.

  “So its like having a friend?” I wondered quietly. The eagle laughed softly in response.

  “No. Love is hundreds of times stronger than friendship. Men and women alike will break down mountains, swim through seas, and level forests just for the people they love. It’s the most powerful substance in the world.”

  I frowned and found myself immensely confused.

  “Why don't the Grimlars use love then?”

  Minget’s beaky smile grew even wider at this question.

  “You can't give something you don't have. The Grimlars have barrels and barrels of mage blood but they don't have a drop of love.”

  I tilted my head to one side, finding it now rather difficult to breath. I was truely befuddled.

  “Why do people love Minget?” The statue facing me paused.

  “Well, from what I understand, it’s the reason people start families, it’s how they continue to exist. Because those who love one another become a part of each others lives. You can't spell woman without also spelling man.”

  “I don't know any women,” I said slightly embarrassed. “Can you only love them?”

  “No... I don't think so. People seem to confuse love for attractiveness. Men generally claim to love women because they are beautiful. The real, pure, irreplaceable love, comes from the desire to be with a person forever and that applies to both man and woman.” I gasped, sharply inhaling the cold air.

  “Forever? Can you be with someone you love forever?”

  “As close to forever as you can get, young soul.”

  “How close to forever can you get?”

  “You won't have even taken the first step by the time you stop.”

  “Then why try?”

  “So that your children can continue to love and continue the journey to forever.”

  I stopped trying to think at this particular moment. The puzzle of this strange and foreign substance that may or may not exist had been dumped before me in a jumble of disorganized bulky pieces. They bedazzled and confuddled me, stupefied and muddled me. It was an addle-brained, pudding-headed disordered garble of bright and shining interlocking emotions strong enough to make absolutely no sense at all. I sat in silence.

  “You want me to tell your brother that you love him,” I replied lamely.

  “Yes,” He replied in a somber fashion. “Yes, tell him I love him more deeply than my own existence. It’s the least that I could do for him after our little spat. He began to tear up once more. “You will do this for me. Won't you?”

  “I promise.” F’anger the Beast suddenly clattered to the floor beside me and a new passage slowly began to open up to my left, leading up a pleasant looking flight of stairs. I sheathed my sword, and was just about to set up the passageway when I stopped myself. I turned to face Minget with newfound admiration.

  “My name is Jacob Ofpacis. I want to be a hero someday.”

  Minget’s empty eyes glimmered at these few words. He let out with a small involuntary gasp. “That’s a wonderful name!” he remarked with such sincerity I could help but feel my eyes fog up.

  “It’s a common name,” I replied modestly.

  “Yet aren’t they all?” He paused to consider his next few words. “You humans name everything there is in the world. Yet it’s not the power of the name that makes up the person, but the power of the person that makes up the name.”

  I opened my mouth and smiled, because I had never really thought of it that way before.

  “Farewell Jacob Ofpacis,” Minget said as I began to ascend the staircase. “May your name be known by all but the Grimlars and may your name be filled with love.”

  I climbed and climbed the narrow flight of stairs, ducking occasionally so as not to hit the lowly placed ceiling. Eventually, the staircase simply stopped before opening up into a long plain room.

  “Who are you?” a croaky voice asked from the end of the shallow cave like corridor.

  I whipped around and saw a horrible figure. It would have been similar to the make of Minget, however folds of metal sank over one another, making it almost look like the statue was melting in a furnace. Every time his stumpy beak moved, the metal around it would droop even further, making it look like like it might simply fall to the ground with a loud splat. The creature had a glazed look in his eyes that may have once shown power but now looked older than anything or anyone else I had ever seen before.

  “Who are you?” he asked once more.

  “My name is Jacob.”

  “Eh?” He said, shaking a little on the spot. “What's that? Your naked? Thats not exactly the best thing to be here. I take it you want some clothes?”

  “No, my name. Is Jacob.

  “Well its mighty fine to meet you naked, but I would rather much rather meet you clothed, so If you'd kindly go downstairs I'm sure my brother might just be generous enough to give you some armor.

  “MY... NAME... IS... JACOB.”

  The statue suddenly looked offended.

  “Well there's no need to shout Cailub.”

  I pressed my hand into forehead. “Close enough,” I thought to myself wearily. “What do you guard here?”

  “What do you mean I can't hear?” The statue replied angrily.

  I repeated my question, this time screaming.

  “You know what? I don't dern remember what I'm garden 'ere. I hope it’s petunias. They're my favorite! Actually no... It might be some big ol' pendant. But what does I know about gardening big expensive pendants?”

  It was clear that my prize was just past this eagle. I was so close.

  “I have a message for you!” I shouted, which reverberated off of the cavern walls. “From your brother!” I added, motioning down the passage. The sloppy mass of material stopped moving altogether and froze.

  “I haven't heard from any of my brothers in nearly a decade... I have to wonder what’s happened to them. Cailub, you wouldn't happen to know which one of my brothers sent the message do you?” The molten metal covering his eyes rose, revealing a pair lonely eyes so shockingly bright and blue, it was as if they were made out of sapphires.

  “It’s from your brother Minget!” I bellowed.

  The eyes gleamed brighter still, and a slow grin crept across the sagging beak. “Well go on then! Best not wait until I’ve melted. What's the message?” he whispered, like a child about to unwrap a present.

  “He... Wants to let you know that... he loves you.” I flinched when I uttered the word.

  “Love.”

  I found it to be such a strange and comfortable word in such a horrifying place. In a place where only these weird bird statues lived, there was still room for this... Love. “He loves you more than life,” I concluded softly but I doubt the statue was listening at this particular moment. For he was smiling. No, more than that. Grinning. A grin as wide as the sky filled with freedom and joy. It was impossible not to feel overjoyed looking at a life that had suffered so much, but was now happier than anyone I had ever seen. All of this because of one stupid word. It was a while before the statue replied.

  “That’s good,” he said, closing his eyes “That’s good.” I heard the sound of stone crumbling, and the rock face below the old bird moved and shifted until the a new passageway had been opened. “You're a good sort you know Cailub. I have forgotten everything there is to forget in my life. My name, my origins, everything's gone. Except for love. I expect you'll be going soon. If you're like me, and you forget all that’s happened in this place, don't forget about love. You may need it someday.” All grew silent as the statue in front of me slowly fell asleep, grunting and snorting every so often a
s he quietly snored away his last few days.

  Here I was, at the doorstep of my quest. The thing that Professor Wenchenberg had wanted was just a few more footsteps away. It all seemed so worthless now compared to everything I had just done.

  “You’re a fool, for craving that which is not there.” The eyes of Umber blossomed into view like a grotesque flower emerging from the depths of a swamp. “Power is here and power is real. Mortal you even said it yourself, the power will give you freedom! Is that not what you wanted from the very beginning?”