Questmyre

by HaaJar Johnson

  The tiny hand was a deep purple color as opposed to the various shades of green prevalent among the rest of the city dwellers. The hand was followed by an arm and a head as the baby steadily pushed itself out from the ground.

  The child’s hair was a shocking red color and curled nicely against its face. It was stark naked but unlike any infant Robin had ever seen, it began walking within just mere seconds of its birth.

  “Garbage! He’s produced common garbage! I knew it!” Someone yelled from behind Robin. She turned to see who would say such a disgusting thing about such a cute baby. Before she could open her mouth to respond to the thoughtless remarks she realized that almost everyone there was screaming out similar comments.

  “He’s leaving! Boonies going!” Roami cried in astonishment.

  “What?” Robin asked as she looked to see Boonie was indeed rushing past the crowd in the general direction of his home. They saw too, that Beenie who had been standing among the crowd was now at his side racing away from the city while crying hysterically.

  “What about your baby? Boonie! Beenie, where are you two going?” Robin screamed as she began to run after them.

  Roami grabbed at Robin’s wrist and pulled her back towards him. “Don’t. He knows what he is doing. I don’t think either he nor Beenie want anyone bringing them back here.” He said sadly as the truth hit him.

  “But… Roami what about their baby?” Robin asked in astonishment.

  “We will take it. We can’t let this crowd get to it. Everyone here is glaring at it like it’s some sort of monster.” Roami said with equal amounts of shock.

  “I think it may be a little too late for that. They are leading him away!” Robin screamed as she ran after the tiny purple youngster.

  The small infant’s large luminescent gray eyes shown with fright as it was dragged from its birthing spot. The poor child was being pulled towards the base of the large Nommo tree by two large dark green soldiers dressed in their traditional emerald armor.

  “What are you planning to do to him? He is just a baby!” Roami yelled as he raced past the crowd then quickly grabbed the child from the soldiers. Before the soldiers could react, Roami had the baby safe in his arms.

  Robin rushed to stand by Roami’s side then faced the soldiers and the crowd of Fitzians with an angry glare on her face. She looked at her feet searching frantically for something to use as a weapon. While she had been premature in looking for weapons in the past, she was pretty sure this time she would definitely need to kick some serious butt.

  Just then a loud bell sounded across the city. Moments later, Thister appeared from within the crowd. “It appears we have yet another piece of garbage to dispose of. I am so sorry you all had to witness this, my dear people. But do not worry. I am ready and willing to do my job as Desposer. Please my dear guests; our beloved Sky-Ones be so kind as to hand it over so that we may discard of this filth appropriately.” Thister moved towards his two guests who now held the naked child in a protective stance.

  “No! Back up! I am sorry Thister. We thank you for your hospitality but we cannot sit here quietly while you destroy this innocent child. Why exactly are you ready to kill this little baby anyway?” Roami asked although he was almost sure he already knew the answer.

  “That should be plain enough. Do you not see its purple skin? It is not one of us. It is common refuse and must be discarded of at once!” Thister looked annoyed at having his job delayed by none other than his own house guests.

  Roami stared at Thister in disbelief but had his suspicions confirmed. “This is unbelievable! This child should not be killed just because it is not the same color as the rest of you. Believe me it is wrong to judge something by its color. Just because this baby is purple it is still Boonie and Beenie’s child. He should be allowed to live his life.” Roami said loudly for the entire crowd to hear.

  King Hurtz, who had heretofore quietly stood among the crowd now stepped forward in his emerald encrusted robes. He glared at the kids and bellowed, “Please hand that thing over now Sky-Ones or you will share its fate! We would hate to see you go for we think you may have been a sign from the heavens. However, we will do what we must to keep order in our world. Make your decision now!” The king said as he stepped before the entire crowd with his tiny chest puffed up.

  “We have already made our decision. We will not allow you to destroy this innocent baby. There is no other logical choice to make.” Roami said and Robin nodded her head in confirmation.

  “Okay, so be it. Guards! Take the Sky-Ones and this… garbage and send them all up the great tree now! When they reach the surface they will be obliterated into tiny pieces just like all the rest of the trash!” The King yelled.

  The Guards who were each well over six feet tall and quite large in girth, moved forward menacingly. Grabbing hold of the Robin and Roami’s arms, the kings’ men began to push them towards the base of the large purple trunk of the Nommo tree.

  Before the guards could push them towards the series of wooden steps constructed into the side of the tree trunk a voice within the crowd piped up, “Stop it at once! Leave the sky-ones alone!”

  Everyone turned to see who would dare speak out against the king’s edict. Robin and Roami also turned to get a good look at their champion. There in the center of the crowd of tall and lithe green faces of varying shades stood one even taller. She nearly towered over even some of the kings guards.

  “Mirub!” Robin said happily. “You made it!”

  Roami looked at Mirub, happy that she was there as well. He had been afraid they would be forced away before he could explain to Mirub why they could not keep their promise to save her.

  “Who is this?” The King sputtered, his face turning nearly purple with emotion.

  Roami looked at him and noticed there was some level of guilt just lurking beneath the surface.

  Mirub spoke up, “You know full well who I am! Don’t dare lie to these people, don’t dare lie to your wife, and don’t dare lie to yourself!” Her fiery mane of hair swirled about her making her look like an avenging warrior princess. She wore the same gray dress they had seen her in while in the tower. The bottom, however, was now reddened from dragging against the ground.

  “I am the one without a name. The one taken from her home as a babe; the one too beautiful for her own good; the one her own people shunned out of jealousy; the one whom they called the Tower Ghost… the one you made your unwilling slave all these many years King Hurtz!” She said this with such anger Robin was sure she would attack the king. However, Mirub kept her cool and did nothing more than glare.

  “How dare you, you common piece of Mobbin trash!” The King’s wife stepped forward. She was just as short and squat as he was and looked as if she could have easily been his cousin. They looked almost identical. The Queen wore a dress and robes of green velvet weighted down by hundreds of green gemstones. Her straight fuchsia hair was pulled up in a severe bun atop her head. Her dark green skin sagged with wrinkles.

  Robin and Roami had seen her in passing from time to time. However, the quiet women seemed to stand demurely in her husbands’ shadow so well they could not even recall her name.

  “I dare because I can. I am no longer anyone’s slave; no longer anyone’s possession! I will go with the sky-ones and away from this ugly society. I want nothing more to do with this city and the evil that occurs here. I have seen all of your deepest darkest secrets from my tower window and I am sick…so very sick and tired of it all…” She said sadly. Her anger seemed to die out as she made her way to stand at Robin and Roami’s side.

  “Yes, well go! Go with your lies and silly accusations! Anyone who would think I would stoop so low as to be with a Mubbin must truly be out of their mind. You and that crazed old disposer Mantu can rot for all I care. You’re both delusional traitors! Guards, send them up the tree and to their deaths!” King Hurtz bellowed loudly waking everyone from their shock.

  The guards moved to stand between the King
and the outsiders; blocking their way and making the tree their only choice. The three large soldiers then began to prod Robin, Roami and Mirub’s shoulders forward.

  The young baby who was already bewildered by everything that had occurred since its birth, finally seemed to react to the insanity. He began crying as his little shoulders were also prodded by the guards’ large hands. Roami turned to see Thister running back to his home while yelling something about confirming ‘the removal’ from his watch tower.

  When they reached the base of the trunk Roami placed the child between himself and Robin so that they both could hold each of his purple hands securely. Mirub took up the rear.

  From this vantage point, they could now see the small wooden steps running along the tree trunk to the top of the water. Apparently, they were meant to go up those steps as the guards were brusquely pushing them towards just that. Robin and Roami obliged and began walking up the steps as they knew fighting the large hulking mammoth sized men would be useless.

  “Don’t worry little one, we will find a way out of this somehow. Don’t be afraid of those meanies.” Robin said soothingly. She smiled reassuringly for the benefit of the baby then glared at one of the guards as he shoved at her shoulder.

  “Do you have any ideas Robin?” Roami whispered worriedly.

  “Nope, none whatsoever.” Robin said sadly.

  “Well, unless we can figure out the riddle to this world in the next few seconds… I guess we’re dead.” Roami stated the obvious.

  “What are you two whispering about? What riddle?” Mirub asked in confusion. They ignored her as they were too busy looking for an escape plan and just moments away from their imminent deaths.

  “Yes, well… I don’t think that would work either. If we solved the riddle we’d be free but what about Mirub and Boonie’s baby?” She said sadly.

  “Oh, yes. I wasn’t thinking. Who knows if they would be able to come with us back to Source One?” Roami said.

  “Move it or lose it!” One of the guards yelled at them as they continued walking up the steps.

  “Walk quickly! We all have places to go and things to do. You have to die and we have warm meals waiting for us at home.” One of the guards said and ended with a few huge guffaws.

  “Oh, Roami! I am so sorry. I don’t have a clever plan to share with you. I can’t think of anything but walking up this tree to our deaths.” Robin said as tears formed in her large brown eyes.

  “Don’t be sorry. We are doing the right thing. We could not stand by and let this poor innocent baby see such a horrible fate. If we had we would be just as bad as the rest of those people down there.” Roami said as he quickened his steps up the tree and tried desperately to think of an ingenious plan for all of their survival.

  “Okay, Sky-Ones. This is as far as we go, keep walking and don’t you dare look back. You made your decision and now you must die for it.” The largest guard with the hairy fuchsia colored uni-brow said as he shoved the group forward to the edge of the watery sky.

  Fear shone in all three of their eyes and before another moment passed Roami stepped forward, “I will go first. Robin, while I am broken to bits and they all watch, push the guards down the stairs and race down the tree as quick as possible. You may be able to outrun them and get away from the city. I know it’s not a great plan but it’s worth a try.” Roami whispered into Robins ears.

  Robin began to cry bitterly. “No. No, you stupid, stupid boy! I won’t do it! I won’t let you die!”

  Roami stared into Robin’s eyes silently pleading with her to be sensible. Turning abruptly he began to walk through the surface of the water above them. His face was stoic and his steps were sure. “Please help us get out of this alive.” He whispered under his breath softly.

  Just as Roami’s head surfaced he tensed up waiting for his body to break into a million pieces. He guessed the sensation would feel like being sliced and diced by a meat grinder. His legs kept moving him higher and yet the slicing pain never came. In fact, nothing happened at all. Roami’s brow furrowed in confusion.

  He continued to ascend the stairs only to feel Robin’s hand grab his as she too ascended the stairs and broke the surface of the water with the young baby in her hands.

  “No!” Roami shouted as he realized that by following him she was on the verge of killing herself.

  He was just about to give her a piece of his mind and turned around to confront her. Suddenly he was struck by something. Staring at her beautiful brown face dripping with droplets of water, he realized she had not been chopped to bits but was staring at him in amazement.

  “We’re alive. We’re all still alive Roami!” She screeched and hugged him to her. The baby giggled joyously and the three pushed themselves to continue up the steps of the Nommo tree to give Mirub room to fully surface as well.

  “Yes, of course we’re all alive. What were you two going on about?” Mirub looked at them as if they had lost their minds.

  “Well…just like the people below we thought we would be killed once we hit the surface.” Robin explained while wiping the water from her face.

  “Yes, well. I’ve been in the tower long enough to know that that’s just a myth. Once I finally got access to the locked disposer’s room in the tower I was able to see through the telescope. The babies they banished did not die at the surface but continued on. To what? I don’t know but I know they all kept on moving onward…” She said as she too wiped the water from her beautiful face and arched her head back to look up at the top of the tree. She quieted as her private thoughts consumed her. Robin and Roami took in what Mirub had shared then focused back on one another.

  “But what does this mean?” Roami said to Robin as he led the way higher to the heights of yet another sky. He tried his best not to look down at the endless body of water surrounding them.

  “These steps in the tree were not here when we first came into this world, I’m almost sure of it. Isn’t that odd? What do you suppose is up there at the very top?” Robin asked.

  Before Roami could respond Robin heard a loud splash in the water below them. Jerking in surprise she turned around to see if Mirub was okay. She was not. She had fallen several feet and into the sea water.

  “Oh no!” Robin screamed out. “Roami we have to go back down and get her!” She turned around and started back down the steps towards the water’s surface. Roami pulled the baby in his arms securely and turned to follow Robin when Mirub yelled, “No!”

  They both froze at her scream. She was leaning over a broken purple branch of the Nommo Tree and using it to keep herself buoyant.

  As Roami’s feet slowed to a halt he realized something was not as it seemed. “How did that branch get down there…” He wondered aloud.

  “I broke it off… I did not fall…by mistake.” Mirub looked up at them; her wet hair plastered against her minty white face. Her large green eyes stared into the distance sadly.

  “Can you explain why you’d purposely do something like that? Now we have to go down there and-" Robin was about to go into a full out tirade when Mirub interrupted her again.

  “Dear Robin, there is no place for me… The City of Fitz was no home for me and I could not return there even if I wanted to. But this place you are going now… I know…deep in my heart…I would not belong…” She said as she pushed her legs behind her and began to drift away from the tree; away from Robin and Roami. “Believe me when I say this; There are not many places a beautiful woman with a good heart can call home…” She added in explanation when she realized Robin and Roami still appeared shocked by her decision.

  “What are you talking about? What place are we are going to? We don’t even know where we are headed…Let’s just follow the steps up past the clouds and we’ll figure something out…eventually.” Robin knew even to her own ears this sounded like a weak argument.

  “No, dear Robin and honorable Roami… I know what you do not… For me there was never a place I could call home… at least none that I kn
ow of. This is the curse of all that is beautiful in the world of man…any…world of man… I must go elsewhere…either I’ll find a place that is safe for me or… I’ll die alone. Either way I’ll finally be at peace. Do not argue and do not try to stop me… It is what it must be…” With that said she maneuvered herself around, facing away from them and looking towards a horizon of only reddish sky and murky gray water. Holding onto her small branch Mirub pushed her long sleek legs out behind her and dove towards the unknown.

  “Mirub! No Mirub please come back! We can fix this! We can help!” Robin cried with tears spilling from her eyes and wetting her already water drenched cheeks.

  “Robin… Robin! It’s okay…” Roami came down a step and grabbed her to his chest to calm her down. The small baby wiggled between them and hugged Robin as well. His soft chubby purple hands wiped at her eyes and somehow seemed to make some of the pain go away.

  “We cannot fight her. This is her choice and who knows… maybe it actually is the best choice for her…” He said while still hugging Robin to him tightly.

  Robin hiccupped and ceased her cries. “Oh Roami… I hope she’ll be okay… I really can’t think about… I mean… what if…” She did not know how to finish her fearful thoughts.

  “Don’t worry about ‘what if’… We have to believe she will find what she is looking for… Come now… We have to keep going. We have the baby to think of now…” Roami pulled the toddler securely against him and started walking up the steps. He turning slightly to ensure Robin was following him.

  “Keep going where… what is up there anyway?” Robin asked while dutifully following Roami’s lead. Every now and then she could not help but look out at the gray water as Mirub’s figure drifted farther and farther away, getting smaller with each moment that passed.

  “I don’t know… Guess we will find out in a few moments. But please Robin, let me go up first to test it out and make sure it is safe for you and the baby. Okay?” Roami asked.