by H A Tisdale
“I just don’t okay, and I certainly don’t want this dream to go on any longer.”
“A dream you said?”
“More like a nightmare actually,” I corrected myself.
“Well, if what you say is true, that you are dreaming, wouldn’t you at least like it to be a good dream instead of a nightmare?”
“I suppose,” I conceded with wooziness.
“That’s the spirit! Now, let’s start by getting you to Kokomanor,” he declared, hoisting me up on his back, “whether you deserve to be taken there or not.”
I wanted to ask the mysterious man what he meant by Kokomanor, but I could barely keep my eyes open.
“Stay with me now,” the man urged as he walked across the sand with me on his back. He had left his torch on the ground, and his dog was carrying his staff like a stick. “What’s your name, my boy?”
“Benjameh…” I breathed as my head spun more and more.
“‘Benjamin’ you say?”
“Yeah,” I giddily smiled, “Benjamin the Bold.”
“That’s a very interesting name,” he commented kindly. “How did you acquire such a title?”
“It was given to me,” I chirped loopily, “by the Master of Games.” I started giggling at the villain’s absurd name. “What’s your name?”
“My special title is the Master of Wind, but you can just call me Jedd,” I heard the man state as I faded into oblivion.
…
“Not again,” I grumbled as I opened my eyes to another unfamiliar place. I looked all around me and saw many hospital beds lined up next to each other in a large, white room, though no one else resided in this apparent hospital wing. My body was still aching me, and my head felt unbearably groggy. Vaguely remembering my encounter with the cloaked man, I did not desire to wait around for answers. Instead, I wanted to escape this ongoing sequence of ominous occurrences, wishing for the nightmare to finally end.
Slipping out from the satin sheets, I placed my feet on the ice-cold marble floor and stood up by the narrow bed. I was dressed in a hospital gown, the kind that actually covers your backside, so at least I wasn’t naked this time. Feeling rather tight, I stretched my arms and legs out like a starfish as I spotted the door out of the hospital wing. So I walked over to the exit, simultaneously continuing to loosen up my stiff body.
Slowly opening the door, I poked my head out to check for anyone roaming in the halls. No one seemed to be around, so I took my chance and stealthily tiptoed down a hallway. When I reached the end of that corridor, I reached another and another and another. After so many hallways, I started to worry that I might be in the Master’s Mansion again. This fear seemed confirmed when a blonde-haired man rounded the corner.
“Benjamin the Bold, there you are!” the blonde man excitedly announced.
Upon seeing the man’s unforgettable face, I instinctively sprinted away, fearing I had somehow returned to Come Play City. Through many halls I ran before coming to a door that led out to a grassy courtyard with a fountain centered in the middle.
On the left and right sides, the building ran the length of the courtyard, but no structure stood on the border of the courtyard directly in front of me where the stream of the fountain flowed down a subtle slope. So I quickly made my way towards the open space as my bare feet ran over the short, soft grass.
“Benjamin, hold on,” I heard my pursuer yell from behind. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I did not believe him for a moment. Though I did not understand how I had fallen back into the clutches of that man, I refused to be deceived by him again. So I sprinted as fast as I could down the slightly sloped land where I soon passed through a herd of sheep. In front of the sheep lay a stream into which the water of the fountain drained, and I quickly planned to swim across the stream so that I could escape on the other side.
Suddenly, a strong force made contact with my lower body, thrusting my legs over my head so fast that I did a full back flip. Consequently, I landed hard on my back, and the brunt impact with the ground completely knocked the wind out of me. Unable to move at that point, I did my best to restore the precious air to my lungs.
Out of nowhere, a dog sprinted up and licked my face with overwhelming gusto. With her long snout below my nose, her little galaxy eyes peered into my soul as her tongue unleashed a fierce medley of wet kisses.
“Off, Kairou, off!” my pursuer called from behind, coercing the dog to reluctantly obey the command. So she sat right next to me with eager eyes, hoping she would be allowed to lick my face once more. Amazed by her regal nature, I observed her beautiful fur coat, which consisted of three different colors. White mostly colored her underside, black her topside, and amber brown her face, though all three colors intermingled throughout her entire frame. Particularly, on her snout lay a pointed arch of white that led into a faint black line running over her head.
As I admired the canine’s colors, I did what I could to move, but my frail breath inhibited my body’s ability to flee. Just barely able to sit up, I turned around enough to face the approaching villain. To my surprise, the Master of Games did not stand before me, though the scraggly-bearded figure with moonstone eyes possessed a striking resemblance. The man was wearing a brown garment with torn flaps as the wind followers had, but his outfit also displayed a hood.
“Who are you…and what do you want with me?” I struggled to rasp.
“Easy, Benjamin, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Probaton really knocked you off your feet there,” the mystery man stated, referring to the nearby Ready Ram with C-shaped horns as thick as small tree trunks. “As for my identity, I am Jedd, not the one whose face resembles mine.”
“The Master of Games,” I breathed roughly.
“Or Bill as we once called him,” Jedd responded solemnly.
“What are you his brother or something?” I piped with more breath in my lungs.
Jedd sighed heavily. “More precisely, his twin.” My eyes shot open with fear, my body urging me to flee. “Don’t worry! Bill’s my enemy as I assume he’s yours too.”
I stared at him intently, completely baffled by the scenario. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?” I inquired, unwilling to take another deadly risk.
Jedd replied with an answer I did not expect, “I suppose you can’t. But I am.”
With my breath recovered, I slowly stood up and looked at the man who looked like my enemy. Jedd seemed sincere, and his dog Kairou appeared especially friendly as she sat majestically beside him with her tongue sticking out.
“So what is this place?” I asked warily.
“Kokomanor,” Jedd answered, “a refuge for those lost in the Pit.”
“And you’re in charge of it?” I asked suspiciously.
“My wife and I are, yes, ever since we built it together.”
“You built this place?” I asked incredulously.
“That we did."
“Why?” I interrogated.
Jedd looked down at Kairou. “Because we were once weary travelers who needed a place to rest from the woes of the Pit.” I saw a wave of melancholy fall over the bearded man as he gazed longingly at his canine. Then his moonstone eyes looked back up at me. “I’m sure you have your reasons not to trust me, Benjamin, and I don’t blame you for that. The Pit can often be a cruel place, so I understand why you would be keen to run off on your own. Thus, out of respect for your freedom, I’ll leave you to do what you wish.”
Jedd turned halfway around before he turned back to add one more thing. “Though if you would like to see it for yourself, feel free to come up to our home and have a look around. Lunch is almost over, but I’m sure there will still be plenty of my wife’s famous chowder if you’re hungry.”
With that, Jedd turned and walked towards the U-shaped Tudor manor on the hill, leaving me to my own discretion. I then turned to the stream I had intended to cross before Probaton flipped me over. Past that stream lay my chance to escape, and Jedd had respected tha
t. He had given me the opportunity to depart. So I could have walked away and left this crazy story behind me, forgetting the people I had met and the things I had heard. I could have forsaken the treacherous journey that revolved around finding the unfindable king.
But as fate would have it, my stomach was grumbling, so I turned around and called out to the man amongst the sheep, “Hey, Jedd, wait up!”
Jedd stopped, turned, and patiently waited to see what I wanted as I jogged over to him.
“What’s that you said about chowder?” I asked a little sheepishly.
“Enough said,” Jedd replied with a smile, turning back around to lead me to Kokomanor. “Follow me!”
Returning at a much more relaxed pace, I observed the extent of the estate before us. To our left, fertile fields ran as far as the eye could see with rows upon rows of various crops. To our right, I saw vineyards and orchards, providing an abundance of juicy-looking fruit. Across the entire land, interspersed flocks of poultry, pigs, cattle, and sheep roamed freely, and above the whole property, the cavernous ceiling shined down its same breathtaking hues just as it had in Come Play City. But what I found most intriguing scattered over the grounds were these kinetic sculptures that spun intricately as the light, gentle breeze interacted with them.
When we neared the courtyard enclosed by the U-shaped structure called Kokomanor, hordes of people had finished their lunch and were coming out into the fields where they proceeded to tend to the land. Some walked over to the orchards and picked the ripened fruit. Others made their way to the crops and harvested the plants budding from the ground.
I marveled at their peaceful transition from lunch to labor; everyone seemed joyful, healthy, and eager to work. Their eyes glowed brightly, and they all possessed a genuine smile as they passed and greeted Jedd.
We then sauntered through the courtyard where I noticed the following words written in stone around the fountain: Walk with the Domikos and enjoy the breeze. This strange saying only added to the mystery of this place, the wind followers and their Ruakia instantly popping into my mind, and I definitely did not desire another encounter with the woman made of rotten-lightning.
Looking uneasily at Jedd’s torn, flapped clothing, I followed him and Kairou through a door on the right side of the courtyard to enter an enormous dining hall filled with banquet tables. Many empty plates sat abandoned on the tables, and only a few residents remained seated at this hour.
Kairou suddenly skipped forward, seizing her opportunity to enjoy all the leftovers. Without hesitation, she jumped onto the deserted tables and ate the scraps off the plates, only taking a break for her wiggly butt to shake. Those who witnessed her audacious actions pointed and laughed while Jedd simply snickered as if not surprised by his dog’s rascally behavior.
Making our way to the end of the long dining hall, Jedd led me into the connecting kitchen where people were whistling and doing dishes, happy as could be. Jedd walked straight up to a woman whose strong arms were busy putting food away. She too wore a torn, flapped garment, though hers looked white as snow. Her zircon eyes dazzled next to her dark skin, and her corded hair hung long past her shoulders. She worked elegantly, smiling softly with a plethora of peace in her demeanor.
Jedd approached her gently and greeted her with adoring affection, “Hello, my love.”
“Oh, Jedd, hi,” she chimed as she looked up from her work.
“I’ve got one more hungry patron for ya before you put all the leftovers away,” he informed her with a smile.
“Oh, hey there, Benjamin! You’re looking much better,” she expressed when she saw to whom Jedd had referred. “I’m Kokoma if Jedd didn’t already make that clear, and I imagine you’re quite starving after being knocked out for so many days.”
I gazed in awe at this stunning woman, not even acknowledging the fact that I had been knocked out for so long.
“Are you alright there, Benjamin?” she asked with concern. “You’re looking at me like I’m a Ruakia or something.”
A little taken aback by her reference to the Ruakia, my reply came in a way I would not have intended. “Oh no, I’m fine! I guess I just didn’t expect you to be so gorgeous,” I said without thinking, instantly wishing I hadn’t, “not that I’m into you like that or anything.” Jedd gave me a funny look, and I felt like I was digging myself into an awkward hole. So I tried to fix it. “I suppose you just look a lot younger than I expected.” I wanted to look down at my feet or cover my face with my hand, for I despised myself so much in this moment and would have rather been in Hive’s clutches than to endure this self-made awkwardness any longer.
Kokoma and Jedd both laughed in the best way possible. “Say no more, Benjamin,” Jedd comforted. “We get this all the time.”
“Yeah,” Kokoma began to tease her husband, “you see, unlike Jedd here, I prioritized health my whole life. He, on the other hand, abused his body for a long time before I came into the picture and talked some sense into him. So now I like to think of him as my windblown geode.”
I tried to laugh along but could not escape the scourge of my embarrassed thoughts.
Just then, Kairou ran through the kitchen directly to Kokoma, jumping up and licking her face with a profusion of butt wiggles. “Ohh, my precious-sweetie-cutie-angel-baby-looove!” she addressed her dog as if it were her child. “How are you, Kairou?”
At first, Kairou made a strange purring noise, sounding like a little owl mixed with a cat. She then let out the most piercing bark, jolting my entire head to snap me out of my shameful mindset, and as she persisted in this unwarranted madness, all three of us had to cover our ears in order to shield them from the agony of her sonic-boom barks.
When her maddening noises ceased, Jedd quickly suggested our departure. “Well, on that lovely note, why don’t I grab a bowl of your delicious chowder for Benjamin?”
“Oh yeah, go right ahead,” Kokoma half-consciously responded, transfixed with Kairou now lying on her back with her belly turned up.
“I can see who your birthstone really belongs to,” Jedd joked with his wife as he scooped out the scrumptious-looking soup. He then handed me the warm bowl of chowder, and the smell of it permeated my nose, sending my mind into a whirl of bliss. “There you go, Benjamin. So would you like to sit inside or outside?”
“Outside, I guess,” I chose with the desire to enjoy the light, gentle breeze.
“Outside it is! Care to join us, Kokoma?” he asked as he ladled out his own bowl.
“What? Oh, I’ll catch up with you guys,” she responded after a moment while receiving a hug from the bellied-up pup. “Kairou clearly needs my affection right now.”
Jedd gave her a playfully judgmental look. “I can see that,” he laughed. “Alright, Benjamin, let’s go!”
I followed Jedd back to the courtyard where we sat at a cafe table near the quiet fountain. Once there, I did not waste a moment digging into the food, and as my spoon entered my lips for the first time, the warm potatoey cream instantly melted in my mouth and massaged the back of my throat as I swallowed. Chocked full of potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and other fresh vegetables from the garden, Kokoma’s chowder really hit the spot in that moment. Indeed, after enduring such hardship, I felt glad to be sitting down to eat a hot meal without the immediate threat of danger, fully satisfied by the trickles of water which soothed my restless mind with a much-needed peace.
“Is this not the best chowder you’ve ever had?” Jedd asked as I finished scarfing it down.
“Jiminy Willers yeah! It’s—” I started to say before the voice of Bill echoed through my mind: Is this not the best margarita you’ve ever had?
“You alright there, Benjamin?” Jedd asked, his moonstone eyes looking at me with concern.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, closing my eyes and pushing the bowl away. “I think I’ve made a mistake.” I scooted my chair back and stood up to leave as the traumatic night flashed through my head.
“Is it something I said
?” Jedd inquired apologetically.
I opened my eyes back up to Jedd with great discomfort. “Sort of…I guess you just really remind me of your twin.”
Jedd peered down at his bowl, looking heavily burdened. “Yes, Bill and I grew up inseparable,” he sighed, running his hand through his hair. “We were the best of friends for such a long time.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated less delicately, raising my hands in exasperation, “but your former bestie tried to kill me.”
“That makes two of us,” Jedd shrugged wearily.
I stood there speechless, hearing only the flow of water from the fountain. “Is that really true?” I questioned in an attempt to address the weighty claim.
“As true as it’s been every day since it happened,” Jedd replied with much sorrow.
“What happened between you two?” I inquired with the suspense evident in my voice.
Jedd took a few moments to respond. “Here, come with me,” he said bitterly. “There’s something I’d like you to see.”
Jedd stood up and walked towards a door on the left. He did not make sure I followed, again giving me an opportunity to leave this terrible tale forever. And so, torn between my survival instincts and curiosity, I hesitantly followed, unable to shut the door on this story just yet.
Chapter 11
Murals in the Manor
Jedd led me all the way back in the manor to a room full of murals that looked almost identical to the ones in Come Play City, and once again, I found myself staring at the image of Zedd looking up at the beam of sun coming down from the Haven.
Meanwhile, Jedd stood there somberly as he watched me observe the magnificence of the mural. “Do you know who that is?” he questioned curiously.
“That’s Zedd,” I answered. “And if I’m correct in assuming you painted this, you must have known him, right?”
“Of course I knew him. Zedd was my father.”
“Ohhhh,” my mouth uttered as I internally berated myself for not picking up on the rhyme of their names, “but wait, that means—”