She chuckled. “My guess,” she shrugged nonchalantly, not even considering for a moment that she might be wrong, “is that a poet like you didn't drive three angry, muscular, sharp-toothed, sharp-clawed, ego-maniacal, mouth-frothing animals out of the forest.”
“Yeah, you know me all too well.” Chev's trunk touched Coda's back. “Coda saved us all, actually. And, if it wasn't for Zoey's bravery I'd have teeth marks in my side.”
“Yeah, probably,” Numee responded. “You're such a goof. You should have thrown the attackers off by singing them some tunes.”
Chev scratched the top of his head with his trunk and closed one eye, pondering the idea. “You know? That would actually be a good idea.” His trunk waved with excitement. “Yes, that's a great idea! I'm going to do that next time. It will throw them off, and maybe even make a fan out of them.”
Numee rolled her eyes. “Okay, I was just kidding, but you go ahead and do that, Chev.”
She walked away snickering, calling over her shoulder, “I'll see you all in the water!”
Coda grinned at Zoey and Chev. “Let's go jump in!”
Zoey nodded in agreement, then stole another quick glance up at the sky. It was getting even darker as the sun slid past the horizon, making everything a little more difficult to see. It's probably almost eight in the evening, her time, she thought.
“Well, I can't wait to jump in. Let's go!” Chev exclaimed.
At that moment, Nova called their names. Turning, they saw her sitting by the Snow Tree, gesturing with her tail for them to come to her. They immediately went to her side.
A calm whisper came through the wind and landed in Zoey's ear. It was a message from the Snow Tree. Thank you for staying, Zoey.
Zoey glanced at the Snow Tree, and saw the Snow Tree's face take form in the bark. She winked and smiled at Zoey, then vanished. Zoey smiled back.
“Chev?” asked Nova, “would you be willing to take them to the Circle of Elders? We'll be meeting in five nights passing.”
Zoey sensed a mixture of anxiety and frustration coming from Chev. But why?
“Yes, I'll do that,” replied Chev solemnly.
“Are you sure?” asked Nova, who noticed the shift in Chev as well.
Chev nodded affirmatively.
“Thank you, Chev.” She stood up and waved her tail. “Bless you both for saving our friend here.”
Nova turned toward her golden hut, then paused, and looked up at the moon.
“The full moon is ending and five nights passing will come shortly. This will give you several moons to observe and understand many of our ways,” she remarked to Zoey and Coda. She then dipped her head and turned on her heels, disappearing into the hut.
After several moments of silence, Zoey asked Chev, “What's the Circle of Elders?”
Chev shuddered and sat on his rump. “We have to pass through the southern Fog to get there. I've done it once, but am not keen to do it again.” Looking forlornly at the river, he added, “There's a lot of important talk at the Circle of Elders. A lot that I don't understand—” He changed the subject. “I think perhaps it's best to get you all acquainted with your sleeping arrangements, instead of the river. You'll be here until the next full moon, so you'll be able to enjoy the river another fine evening.”
Zoey shifted uncomfortably. The next full moon? She wondered if her decision to stay was a good one.
“Let's get you settled in,” said Chev, pulling himself up. “You ready?”
Coda grinned. “Ready for what?”
He seemed ready for whatever adventure awaited, thought Zoey.
The big, bulky gray elephant pointed his trunk south. “First stop, Spruce Hollow!”
Chapter 12
Dim sunlight peered through gray clouds and into an eastern bay window, bouncing off a flat rock floor to a gray, smooth wall on the west side of a rock room. A fire roared in the fireplace on the northern wall, glowing brightly, and replacing any darkness in the room with much needed light.
The room was empty, except for a large floor rug strung of red and gold, emblazoned with the image of a Komodo dragon clenching a lightning bolt in its fangs. It stood triumphantly, as if winning a major battle.
On the north side of the room stood a massive door. It was carved out of redwood and outlined in hardened silver. A latch, the shape of a half moon, occupied the middle.
Two knocks and a loud creak echoed within the quiet room. The door slowly opened. Wispy, yellowish-red light curled from around the door.
“Yes?” came a voice from inside of the room.
An ape, large and muscular, stepped through the doorway. The crystals ingrained in its forehead and chest glowed a light gray color. He bowed, and then looked up, searching for his master. “Lord?” he called out as he shut the door behind himself.
“What is it?” Crepus hissed, stepping of the shadows. His tough green scales rippled and his claws tapped the ground loudly.
The ape lowered his eyes. “Yes, my—”
“Do tell me why your lack of manners has interrupted my meditation!” growled Crepus.
The ape's eyebrows arched in surprise.
Crepus ambled toward him, stopping in the middle of the rug. He sat down on the emblazoned caricature of himself and glared at the ape with cold, piercing eyes. “Don't you know what manners are?”
The ape nodded contritely.
“Knocking during a time of meditation is one thing, but walking in without an invitation is another!”
The ape averted his eyes and nodded again, hiding a wry smile. “Yes, Lord.”
“So, what is it?”
“Yes,” replied the ape. His eyes stared at the smooth, gray rock flooring beneath his feet. “We've just been given some information I think you might want to hear.”
“And?”
“A group from the invading party has returned with a message.” Waiting for a response yet not hearing one, the ape continued, “They think Orion, the black panther, is back.”
For a moment, Crepus looked alarmed and his shoulders drooped. The ape had never before seen a sign of weakness in Crepus and he stiffened in surprise.
Recovering quickly, Crepus drew himself up and asked in a voice low and soft, “In Sihu Tribe?”
“Yes, my Lord. Inside the Sihu Forest, in Sihu territory.”
Crepus rolled his eyes. “Yes, you bumbling ape, I know where the Sihu Forest is.” He remembered seeing a black panther standing next to the skylark earlier in the day. The black panther was a little too skinny to be Orion. “That wasn't Orion, but you did well to bring the message. It will be noted.” He shooed him away with his foot. The ape turned to leave.
“Stop,” Crepus sniffed. “What's your name?”
“It's Maldwyn of Gwenfree, my Lord.”
Crepus hissed and the ape flinched.
“You fool! Your name does not end with Gwenfree, it ends with Dim now. I rightfully took over your land of Gwenfree. You either call yourself Maldwyn Dim, or you'll never be seen alive again. Understood?”
Maldwyn nodded. “Yes, of course, my Lord.”
“Good.” Crepus's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “In Gwenfree, did you know Aderyn the VioletLight?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know her well?” Crepus already knew the answer.
“Yes, my Lord. I knew her well.”
“How well?”
“We were close.”
“Was her death gruesome? I imagine it was.” Crepus searched for a response in Maldwyn's eyes.
Maldwyn's breathing hastened. He clinched his fists as fury rose in his belly. He took a deep breath, letting his fingers relax. “I did not witness her death.”
Crepus snorted. “You have control over your emotions. That's impressive.” He sauntered over to the fireplace and stared into the fire. “Where did she die?” he asked.
Maldwyn shrugged. Crepus could feel the ape’s discomfort, so he pushed even harder.
“I said,” hissed Crepus, the fi
re mirroring in his eyes, “where did she die?”
“I don't know, my Lord,” replied Maldwyn. “May I leave? Or do you need anything more from me?”
“I heard that they clawed her eyes out, and picked her bloody feathers off her body. I think that would be a rather terrible death, don't you?” Crepus cracked a sinister smile. “Did you hear how we used her body for food the next day?”
Maldwyn clinched his fists again. He spoke through gritted teeth. “I heard, Lord, that she single-handedly killed a hundred Dims before she fell.”
Crepus gave a hearty laugh. “VioletLights don't kill. They're so predictable.” Crepus cocked his head. He felt a twinge of deceit from Maldwyn. What was he hiding?
“Maldwyn. Look at me.”
As Maldwyn lifted his head, Crepus' black forehead crystal started to pulse. It turned from several shades of gray to black, over and over again, until Maldwyn's eyes locked onto it. A moment later, Maldwyn fell back, against the door. He folded over and gasped for air.
Crepus had gotten what he wanted—the truth. Aderyn the VioletLight was still very much alive.
Crepus lunged and clamped his fangs into the ape's shoulder. He pulled the ape hard to the floor, ripping coarse black hair and skin. He spat the hair onto the ground, and then put one foot on Maldwyn's back. “You've betrayed your VioletLight, Maldwyn. I thought you had better control than that.”
Pushing himself up, Maldwyn looked the dragon squarely in the eyes. “I've betrayed no one. Now, do with me as you wish!”
Crepus sniffed the air, hissing, “Leave my quarters! I still have use for you.”
A little dazed, the ape opened the door.
“And Maldwyn?”
Maldwyn glanced back at Crepus with sadness in his eyes.
Crepis continued, “You're my messenger. From now on, where I go, you go. Don't think you can get out of this life that easily.”
Maldwyn gave a nod and shut the door.
Crepus slowly shook his head, pondering how the PureLights could be so foolish. Naive, in fact. VioletLights, the sages of the PureLight Tribes, had power, but very little intelligence. They steered their tribes wrong and because of this, only two PureLight tribes remained intact. His ways had shown that there was no use for the PureLight Order. It only gets you so far, thought Crepus. Those who think for themselves will eventually think themselves into trouble. They'll collapse under so much freedom.
He walked over to the bay window and surveyed the large trees below, dimmed by the evening dusk. Snow, he could tell, was on its way. It's funny, he mused, how the thoughts of the masses can be manipulated to create change in a positive way—or in Crepus' claws—a negative way. The negativity tainting Ohm Totem had not only changed most of the lives on the island, but the weather, also. The once warm and plush island was about to experience snow for the first time. A massive shift was occurring. The darkening consciousness on the island was bringing forth a period of freezing, a period where most would shiver. Good, he thought. The Windstorm Prophecy was wrong. The Shiver is amongst us and here it will stay.
Staring at the scenery below, he watched the snow starting to fall, engulfing the land with icy flakes. Without warning, the thought of a particular VioletLight entered his mind—Nova, the Snow Leopard.
How fitting.
A memory came forth from long ago. It opened in his mind like an exploding star and Crepus saw Nova sitting next to him on a sandy stretch of beach along the River Ohm. She was laughing with him. Crepus' heart, for an instant, leaped with joy at the memory.
He searched the gray clouds above with a single thought. What made us laugh?
But, like most of his memories, the joy faded as quickly as it had arrived, and from the recesses of his mind he heard a voice that wasn’t his own.
You must stop Nova. She must fade into the ethers like smoke in a heavy wind. Finish what we started!
Chapter 13
Ten yards away, Chev, Zoey, and Coda stared at a gigantic tree—the Spruce Hollow. It still amazed Chev, no matter how many times he'd seen it. It was as wide as five large boulders, and as tall as five trees stacked on top of each other. It stood at the southern region of the Sihu Tribe, next to the southern Fog.
Knowing she was going to stay here, sleep here, and do whatever else there was to do here; Zoey wasn’t excited, nervous, or anxious about it. She was numb. Too much had happened to her in one day, and to top it off she wasn't certain what to expect with this big tree. Really, what was it and why was it so big? During the walk from Deer Meadow, she did, however, feel amazement when she first saw the Spruce Hollow standing way above the forest canopy.
Looking at the large spectacle up close, she saw that it had a grayish, brown bark covering the length of it, and light green moss scattered in the cracks. At the base of the northern side of the tree stood a golden door with a brown wooden latch to open it. A peephole was just above the latch and three silver bells hung over the door frame.
“I hope you like your room. I hear it's nice and comfortable inside,” remarked Chev. “Don't get too comfy, though. You still have your place in...um...” he scratched his ear with his trunk and looked off into the distance. “Well, where did you come from?”
“The Cornell Forest,” said Coda. “It’s in the town of Gladstone, where we live.”
“Okay,” replied Chev, continuing to scratch his giant ear. He patted the top of Zoey's head and grinned. “You still have your place in Gladstone. I suppose you'll be going back as soon as the next full moon comes around.” He blinked his eyes, and then said seriously, “Thank you, again, for saving my skin back there. You're a brave bird, you know.”
Embarrassed, Zoey looked down. Chev would have seen her face flush red if she hadn't any feathers. She shrugged her shoulders. “Thanks.” The truth is, she didn't really plan on flying at the lion, but sometimes when love is involved, things just happen.
Coda playfully nudged his sister. “Don't get too scared of sleeping all by yourself.”
“I'm not scared, Coda,” Zoey rolled her eyes.
“So, where do I get to go, Chev?” Coda asked excitedly.
Chev pointed with his trunk. “See that large lump of dirt topped with grass way off over there?”
Zoey looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a trail leading up to a big mound, with a rather large hole. The hole looked like it went deep into the earth. It had hazy white, bluish light beaming inside of it that seemed to stop at the entrance of the hole, going no further. How does it do that? thought Zoey.
“That's the Marble Burrow. It's for the Paws.”
“The Paws?” asked Coda.
“You're a Paw,” Chev said, tapping the top of Coda's right foot with his trunk. “And Zoey's a Wing,” he said, tapping Zoey's wing with his trunk. “Paws and Wings train in different ways, so there are two different living quarters for two different types of students.
“I've never trained,” Chev sniffed. “Well, I did for a day. I slept in the Marble Burrow with my classmates, but they quickly realized that my talents lay elsewhere.” He grinned, “Still, I found my home with the bards at the eastern beach.”
“Oh,” said Zoey softly, “I've never heard of bards.”
“They're the poets, storytellers, and singers in the Sihu Tribe. Some day I'll sing you a little tune.”
Coda twitched his tail and Zoey felt a twinge of anxious energy from her brother.
“Zoey and I are students here?”
Chev stepped back, astounded that Coda would ask such a question. “Well, yes. You're both young, and haven't been trained in the Art of Defense.”
Zoey’s blue eyes shone brightly. “Why would we train if we're going home soon?”
“Oh yeah, that's true.” He thought for a moment. “Well, of course, you don't have to train. It's your decision, but most of us here do it anyway. It's actually fun and you'll learn a lot of important information and skills.” He added, winking at her, “I'd say do what I did and give it a try.”
“Sounds like fun!” said Coda.
Zoey squinted her eyes at Coda in a way that he knew meant, how would you know?
Coda responded with a shrug that said, I don't know.
Chev's brow rose. He'd never seen a brother and sister act that way with each other. He decided that brothers and sisters probably communicate much differently in Gladstone.
“Coda, I’ll take you to the Marble Burrow so you can get a good night’s sleep. You’ll need it to help to prepare you for your training sessions, which will in turn help to prepare you for the Circle of Elders.”
Again, a wave of anxiety crashed over Chev when he said Circle of Elders, but he caught himself right away, and did his best to hide it. “Okay,” he said with forced cheer, “it's time we said goodbye, for the moment.”
With that, Coda and Chev bid Zoey farewell. Coda gave her a friendly flick on her cheek with his tail and Chev did his usual patting of the head with his trunk. Zoey watched them head toward the Marble Burrow. Then she turned and stared at the door of the Spruce Hollow. She took in a deep breath, exhaling, “Here we go.”
She walked up to the door and did what Chev explained to do on the way to the Spruce Hollow. The secret knock. She gave three knocks with her beak, then paused, then knocked two more times, paused again, and ended with one knock.
The peephole slid open.
“Who goes there?” came a high-pitched male voice.
“Umm... Zoey?” she said.
“Umm-Zoey? Is that a question or a name?” replied the voice.
“It's a name.”
“How do I know it's a name? What if you're a skylark posing as a name or a name posing as a skylark and trying to spy on us? You know, the Dims attacked us earlier and you could be one of them trying to be one of us.” There was silence, and then a shuffling of paper or something behind the door, “If you want to come in, then answer this question.” There was more shuffling and then Zoey heard the voice hum a song. “Aha!” he yelled. “I got it. What's the square root of 18,324?”
The PureLights of Ohm Totem Page 11