by H A Tisdale
…That inner wind is known as the Domikos, and the Alchemist blew that inner wind into the ancestors’ gems to bring them to life. So when the ancestors fell into the Pit, they lost the Alchemist’s inner wind, but Kokoma showed me that if you seek the Domikos with all of your birthstone, you can regain that which was lost to the ancestors. Your birthstone can reconnect to the love of the one who created us…
Suddenly a wave of water splashed over my reflection, and I looked up to see Jedd with a childlike grin. A similar smile mirrored upon my face as Jedd slashed his arms on the surface, showering me with wave after wave from the glistening stream. Covering my eyes from the barrage of icy sprays, I retaliated with delight and gave the old man a run for his money while Kairou’s concerned barks contributed to the wild frenzy taking place in her vicinity.
As the benign bombardment of water continued on either side, the colored light from above shined on our splashing, and I caught glimpses of the most breathtaking rainbows as I shielded my eyes with one hand and continued the battle with the other. The two of us carried on like children, unrestrained in our ethereal joy.
Eventually, the splashing subsided as an armistice was reached, and I stood eagerly in the water, ready to experience what this strange, new life had to offer. “What now?” I requested readily.
Jedd took a moment to think. “Now…” he pondered, “now we play with the sheep.” He hurried out of the water and sprinted over to the nearby herd. When he passed the dumbfounded Kairou, she popped up and chased after him as he chased the sheep. I proceeded to join their wild chase, running around like a madman in the billows of the breeze.
Though I did not completely understand Jedd’s view of the Pit, knowing I would die connected to the Alchemist definitely allowed me to enjoy such a silly activity. For if the ultimate trajectory of this windy dream would lead me to Lake Shale, then I figured I may as well seize any and every opportunity that offered me this innocent and sublime bliss.
“So what else is there to do here?” I asked as I leaned over to catch my breath from the exhaustion of running.
“There is plenty to do at Kokomanor!” Jedd announced with a thrill. “How would you like a tour?”
“Yes please!” I consented, feeling more intoxicated from the Domikos than I ever had from any alcoholic drink.
“Right answer, my friend. Now, folllllooow me!” he beckoned, hoisting his staff in the air.
Thus, Jedd showed me every nook and cranny of the magnificent estate. The orchards contained the freshest fruit, and the vines produced the choicest wine. Every man, woman, and beast roamed happy and free, all of them residing in philanthropic unity. And so, without a second thought, I decided to dwell in this lavishing land where I daily lived the dream, and I would have been perfectly happy to remain in this wonderful place, never to wake from my truly pleasant reality.
Chapter 13
Sings, Strings, Stings
“Rise and shine, Benjamin,” Kokoma announced one day with a warm smile, waking me up from one of my cuddle breaks with Kairou by the Dream Stream. “I see you’re working extra hard today.”
“Oh, Kokoma,” I said, standing up and trying to shake out the dizzy spins from my nap. “I must have dozed off for a bit.”
“I’m not surprised after all the running around you’ve been doing here,” she remarked with kindness. “A good nap is exactly what you needed.”
“Well in that case,” I joked, pretending to lie down and continue my slumber.
Kokoma giggled. “But if you go back to sleep now, then you’ll miss the show.”
“That’s tonight?” I popped up in alarm, having forgotten about Jedd’s orchestral concert.
“Sure is,” she confirmed. “I was about to head over to the amphitheater when I saw you passed out with Kairou over here.”
“She’s just so cuddly, you know?” I posited as Kairou posed on her back with her arms in the air.
“Oh trust me, I know,” she responded, leaning over and embracing her pup as Kairou’s arms wrapped around her in a hug.
I chuckled at the amusing sight and wanted a Kairou hug for myself, though I stood content. Walking with the Domikos had made life so good. For weeks, I had been working outside on the beautiful land with all of the various plants and animals. Jedd had taught me how to turn grapes into wine, and Kokoma had showed me how to prepare the most exquisite food with an abundance of rich spices. I had even learned how to properly climb trees in the orchards with a guy named Bamboo. Yes, life could not be sweeter with the many people of Kokomanor, and I truly hoped I would never have to leave the little haven.
“Shall we head to the show then?” Kokoma suggested when Kairou’s paws finally released her.
“Yeah,” I replied with excitement, “let’s go!”
As the breathtaking lights from the cavernous ceiling dimmed, the two of us arrived at the crowded amphitheater. Greeted by many friends, we took our seats and waited for the show in eager anticipation. Members of the orchestra sat on the stage below, lightly playing and tuning their instruments in preparation for the performance while darkness settled on the scene.
When the light of the day fully departed, torches were lit near the stage for the musicians to have some light in the dark. Jedd then emerged from the shadows, dressed as a conductor with a baton in one hand, his staff in the other. Gradually, a reverent hush fell over the crowd, and everyone looked on with esteem for their venerable leader.
“Before the orchestra plays,” Jedd announced, “I’ve been told that we have a special a cappella number to be sung by eight of our friends who each hold a special place in my birthstone, as you all do of course.” Everyone laughed at Jedd going out of his way to include everybody. “So without further ado, put your hands together for Pit Perfect.”
As the crowd welcomed them with applause, four males and four females jumped on the stage, stomping their feet to a bluesy beat. The tallest of them sang an opening note for all of them to find their harmony, and the song commenced with each of them performing a solo, two between each chorus:
We were all found by our friend Jedd,
Thanks to his wife, we have a bed.
Now they serve us, and we serve them;
This couple’s a jewel, a beautiful gem.
I stumbled upon a secret garden;
Within such beauty, my gem did harden.
The nature hid the scandal that occurred;
Asleep to the real, memories blurred.
All the scents and colors left me in awe;
In flowers’ petals, I saw not a flaw.
But Jedd unburied the broken leaves;
To the inner wind, my birthstone now cleaves.
I always wandered through thickly dense fog;
Without my vision, I roamed in the smog.
Silence: the language of that foul, still place;
In a drought of words, I knew no one’s face.
I found no way out of that crowded cloud;
Forever alone, in the misty shroud.
But Jedd fearlessly marched through the shadows;
And now I live here, where the Good Gale blows.
We were all found by our friend Jedd,
Thanks to his wife, we have a bed.
Now they serve us, and we serve them;
This couple’s a jewel, a beautiful gem.
I once discovered a very large book;
To a single page, a paintbrush I took.
I fell in a dazzling world from my mind;
My birthstone searching, but I could not find.
In anger I tore out page after page;
Unhappy with life, despising my wage.
If not for Jedd and his beautiful wife;
I would not have turned, that page in my life.
I took a route I would not recommend;
In my conscious mind, where thoughts never end.
I spoke to myself without direction;
Lying on the ground, dodging detection.
; I sought to find the answer for myself;
But I gathered dust, a book on the shelf.
But Jedd came with more than just pure reason;
He showed me pure love, the endless season.
We were all found by our friend Jedd,
Thanks to his wife, we have a bed.
Now they serve us, and we serve them;
This couple’s a jewel, a beautiful gem.
I was once lost where the songs never stop;
The music would play, the jazz and the pop.
My mind would soar in skies of melody;
Always unaware, of my malady.
There comes a time for the tune to finish;
for the mania, not to diminish.
So glad Jedd arrived and closed the curtains;
My spirit’s at peace, no more uncertains.
I was once lost in a big giant house;
For days upon days, I felt like a mouse.
I searched all the hallways with no way out;
Through each of the doors, I took the wrong route.
Without any hope I just stared out a window;
Oh wasting my days, watching the wind blow.
But on a windy day Jedd came along;
And he led me out, oh whistling a song.
We were all found by our friend Jedd,
Thanks to his wife, we have a bed.
Now they serve us, and we serve them;
This couple’s a jewel, a beautiful gem.
I used to live on a mountain real high;
On the cliff’s edges, there I’d stand to cry.
Alone in my misery I wallowed;
On that sad summit, strong drink I swallowed.
I looked down at the world ready to quit;
Despising it all, I hated the Pit.
But Jedd came and took me from the mountain;
To Kokomanor, this flowing fountain.
I once lived upon a tiny isle;
Many little men, they made me smile.
And on this small island I was their queen;
Dances on the beach, always our fun scene.
A storm arrived one day and washed away;
Every single man, and I had no say.
There seemed no end to my lonely sadness;
Until Jedd arrived, bringing me gladness.
We were all found by our friend Jedd,
Thanks to his wife, we have a bed.
Now they serve us, and we serve them;
This couple’s a jewel, a beautiful gem.
The crowd went wild and cheered for Pit Perfect’s marvelous rendition. Kokoma had already walked to the stage where she was now giving each of the singers a heartfelt hug. Then they all embraced Jedd before jumping off the stage, leaving Jedd and Kokoma at the center with tears in their eyes, and the two of them hugged before Kokoma retook her seat. Too emotional to comment, Jedd simply turned to the orchestra still sitting on the stage.
At his turn, the musicians straightened up, holding their instruments at the ready. Slowly, Jedd raised his baton, and the musicians tightened their focused stance in absolute silence. And with the flick and wave of Jedd’s wrist, the music gently lifted by the fire in the darkness as the colors from the cavernous ceiling shimmered over the stage like the northern lights dancing across the hemisphere. Truly rendered with perfect unison and harmony, this eclectic ensemble produced the most melancholic melody I had ever heard in all my years.
Awakening the Domikos inside of my heart, the music resonated through my soul, striking the core of my being and reaching me with a sense of truth that words could not express. The rise and fall of the stringed instruments gave voice to the deepest desires of my heart mixed with its most painful aches. As a whole, the symphony revealed the comprehensive tragedy of life in the Pit, that nothing good would ever last. And yet, Jedd’s symphony strangely offered something more to me. His magnum opus held out a transcendent light, a light that promised freedom from the ruinous plague of the Pit. Tears subsequently streamed down my cheeks, and in the last moments of the piece, I knew without a doubt that Father Edd’s dream could come true, if only Jedd would help me see it through.
The single-song performance ended in quintessential form, leaving the audience satisfied beyond compare. Everyone cheered fervently and gave the bowing musicians a standing ovation while Jedd held out his hands to give his orchestra the credit they deserved. Fresh flowers were then thrown on the stage as the hollers, claps, and whistles persisted without end. Finally, Jedd bowed with genuine humility, and when he arose, I noticed his eyes looking out on the crowd as if he were looking for someone specific.
Suddenly, a woman screamed. A man with ripped clothing then walked on the stage, severe burns pervading his exposed skin. Everyone’s attention turned to the unexpected horror and held their breath as the wounded man collapsed in front of Jedd.
Jedd quickly kneeled down next to him and checked the man’s pulse. “We need to get this man to the hospital wing!” Jedd cried out with authority.
“No, wait!” the burned man coughed out his request. “Don’t move me. I don’t have…much more time.”
Dismally, Jedd looked at the fallen individual, torn apart by his dying demands. This sapphire-eyed man’s mortal fate was hastening near, so tenderly, Jedd put his hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Who did this to you?” he asked.
“The Windcatcher Hive,” the man croaked, inducing a gasp from the crowd who knew the name well. Upon hearing the identification of my mortal enemy, I needed a closer look at his most recent victim and quickly made my way next to Jedd on the stage. “I tried to stop him…but Hive has the Flame now.”
I looked on with confusion and horror, unable to restrain my question. “What do you mean Hive has the Flame?”
“Let the man breathe,” Jedd commanded me rather sternly as if I had overstepped my bounds. I turned and met Jedd’s scowl of disapproval while the dying man attempted to answer my inquiry.
“Hive found…the Flame…in Lake Shale…and now…” he was wheezing towards his impending end, “they are building a vessel for the Flame…a beastly shell for it…to wreak havoc on the Pit…and when they finish…no one will be safe…the world as we know it is doomed…”
I stared in terror as the man spoke his final word, the sapphire light from his birthstone departing from his feeble eyes. Having never witnessed death come upon a person, I leaned over him completely stunned. Though the phenomenon of life leaving someone’s eyes can technically be described, the sorry description cannot truly convey the inexplicable sight to one who has never watched the irreparable irregularity occur.
What now lay before me was the hollow shell of the man who had just been speaking only moments ago. Hence, anguish and woe welled up from the depths of my heart, for I had witnessed firsthand the death of a fellow man, a man whose name I did not even know. And now more than ever, I understood how someone like Reina or Jedd could care so deeply for a complete stranger.
“We have to stop, Hive,” I declared, addressing Jedd who was still kneeling by the lifeless corpse.
Riddled with grief himself, Jedd slowly opened his moonstone eyes in my direction, speaking softly, “I know your birthstone is in the right place, Benjamin, but we can’t just storm Lake Shale and wage war against Hive.”
“Why the Shale not?!” I protested obstinately.
“Because we are not warriors!” Jedd responded forcefully as he stood up over me. "Kokomanor is a refuge for the lost, a retreat for the weak, not a military base that can battle against all the villains of the Pit.”
“It sounds like we don’t have much of a choice, Jedd,” I rebutted. “If we don’t take the battle to him, then Hive will bring it here and unleash on us whatever soft of monster they’re constructing.”
Jedd turned his face away, restraining his tongue from another outburst.
“What about entering the Dream Stream that leads to Lake Shale?” I pressed in anger, flustered at Jedd sustaining his silence. “If we’re al
l destined to die, then this is our chance to take control of that destiny.”
“That’s not what I meant by that, Benjamin,” Jedd scolded me as if I were a misbehaving child. “I won’t consent to your suicidal mission, and I refuse to let that wretched man take anyone else from my life.”
“But that won’t happen,” I insisted.
“What makes you so sure?” Jedd baulked at my assurance.
“Because you’re the Glorious King!” I pronounced in front of the onlooking crowd.
A hushed pause followed. “We’ve already been over this, Benjamin,” Jedd stated reservedly. “It’s just not the truth.”
“It is true!” I objected. “Just look around you, Jedd. Look at all of these people who you’ve brought together, who you’ve rescued from the cruelties of this dark world. They would all gladly follow you wherever you would lead them. So lead us now to Lake Shale as our King. Lead us to that desolate place to thwart Hive’s plans for destruction. Lead us, Jedd, so we can escape the Pit once and for all.”
“Benjamin, please, I understand where you’re coming from, but you have to listen to me—“
“No, you listen,” I interrupted, surprising even myself. “You need to let go of your past and embrace your destiny as the Glorious King.”
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Jedd roared, far angrier than I ever could have imagined him to be. “I am not the Glorious King!”
His words thrusted into my heart like a sword. I felt crushed and overwhelmed, not understanding how this story could be so maddening. The sapphire-eyed man, who lay lifelessly on the stage, had been born and raised in the Pit, having been led to serve a ruthless man. But then he fought the good fight and resisted that man for the good of the world. And now Jedd insisted that we let this courageous man die hopelessly in vain.
Even with the peace of the Domikos, I could not swallow this injustice. As the inner wind blew fiercely within me, I could not stand by and accept Jedd’s seemingly nihilistic approach any longer. What happened in the Pit mattered, and we had a say in it. We, the people of the Pit, had a duty to stand up against the forces of evil that threatened our existence, and as the Sunseer, I had an obligation to shine whatever light I possessed for the purpose of casting out this present darkness.