“We bring a gift for your king!” bellowed Riverpaw, realizing that he and Ben were on the verge of being attacked.
“We have no king,” said a man that looked as though he was Captain of the Guard. “And you’ll not be seeing the Count as long as we stand alive.”
“If word of what I’ve done in Sanctum has reached your ears, you know what a short time that might be.”
“Every man that stands before you has sworn to give his life to the Count. We’ll see how strong you truly are, demon!”
“ENOUGH!!” came a shout from beyond the wall of spear-toting guards. The guards did not drop their spears, but they did stop advancing upon Ben and Riverpaw. Slowly the guards began to part, and a small, balding man, clad in a white robe and a sash of many colors made his way through. The man’s skin was tanned and smooth and though he had no hair atop his head, he wore large, white sideburns and a long, white beard. He looked at Riverpaw and furrowed his brow, ignoring Ben completely. “You come to our land and take the life of the great Ulinawi as if it means nothing. Then you have the gall to return, flouting our laws and destroying our property. Who are you, bear?”
“My name is Riverpaw, and this–”
“I did not ask who he was!” yelled the little man, balling his fists. “Let me tell you something, bear. You may have strength to move through this world with impunity, but you have made powerful enemies and we will bring you to justice. You may take my life, but my blood will be a bitter taste you will never escape.”
“We did not come here for violence,” said Riverpaw.
“Why did you come here?” asked the man.
“My friend and I wish to reconcile with your people. We were never aware of the damage we caused the mighty Ulinawi, until long after his death. We wish to accept punishment for our deed and give to you a gift, in hope of reconciling with Felaqua.”
The small man’s face darkened with anger and he slammed his fists into his thighs. “Your punishment is death!! Felaqua has levied your sentence. You rejected it. How dare you come in front of me now with this – this – insolence.”
Ben lowered his head close to Riverpaw’s ear. “Maybe Selva was wrong.”
“No,” said Riverpaw lowly.
“Speak up!” yelled the man in his many-colored sash. “You dare whisper secrets now. After all you have done!”
“No!!” roared Riverpaw and the men with their spears took a tentative step back. “We will not accept death. We have come here for peace, but death is not acceptable. We will give you our terms or there will be no terms at all.”
All of the guards with their armor and their spears shook for fear in their clinking metal, but the small, bald man did not flinch. He stood his ground with a scowl on his face.
“You continue to insult our honor,” the man said.
“And you continue to ignore ours,” replied Riverpaw.
The bald man sucked his teeth and swallowed his pride hard. Slowly he straightened his back, stood as tall as he could, and made every effort to release his anger.
“My name is Count Tiberius Allahnder, chosen leader and protector of the land of Felaqua. You say you wish to reconcile with Felaqua, then I will give you the opportunity to do so. This is not the place for such discussions though. My guards will escort you to the proper chamber and I will be there directly. At that time, you may give me your terms and I will decide if they meet the standards the great land of Felaqua requires.” Without waiting for a response, the man spun on his heel and began walking away from Ben and Riverpaw, toward the Palace of Gen-D’hisi.
The guards closed around the two travelers and the Captain spoke.
“You will follow us.”
Riverpaw nodded and the guards led the foreigners into the palace.
Past the massive, white arches at the front of the Palace of Gen–D’hisi and down a long flight of marble stairs, Riverpaw moved at spearpoint. Ben had been asked to dismount and walk behind. The light of the world dimmed as they descended the stairs and Ben looked at the guards nervously. It was not a long walk before the procession stopped and a door was opened at the foot of the stairs.
“Please wait for the Count inside this room,” said the Captain of the Guard. “This is where he will speak with you.”
Ben and Riverpaw did as they were told and moved inside the room. The guards shut the door and the foreigners could hear it lock on the other side.
“I don’t feel good about this,” said Ben as he looked at Riverpaw.
“Don’t worry,” assured the bear. “We have the Evermight.”
As they looked around the large room, it was obvious that they were alone. The chamber was a tall cylinder with stone walls, maybe thirty feet tall. Red light dimly lit the room, though neither man nor bear could tell from where it emanated. Ben looked at the floor and noticed that it was damp. He then looked up the walls to see open pipes jutting from the walls. The pipes dripped with water, explaining the dampness of the floor, and it wasn’t long before Ben recognized the trap.
“Riverpaw, they’re going to drown us. If they turn those pipes on, the room will fill with water and we’ll be trapped.”
“They won’t do that,” said Riverpaw. “Not after they hear what we have to say.”
On the far side of the room was a large, oval piece of glass with an ornamented frame, and as the travelers walked closer to it, they recognized the face on the other side. Suddenly, the voice of Count Allahnder came booming into the room.
“Now, as I’m sure you can tell, you have lost the leverage you may have had in the open air. Keep this in mind as you give your terms.”
The small man’s head seemed gigantic through the thick glass. It was warping his appearance like a disturbed pool of water. Ben and Riverpaw assumed that they could hear his voice so well only with the help of the pipes that they watched carefully, knowing the danger they could bring. Riverpaw looked back toward Count Allahnder and began to give him their terms.
“Reconciliation is not possible if we surrender our lives, and though you may think that will bring Felaqua peace, it cannot bring back Ulinawi.”
“Nothing can change what you have done to Ulinawi. At least your death would bring justice,” argued Allahnder.
“That may be so,” admitted Riverpaw. “But we can offer you a piece of the great turtle that you would never have with our deaths.” Allahnder raised an eyebrow and Riverpaw continued. “We were given no choice but to kill Sudali, he was evil and we do not apologize for his death. His own actions put him in jeopardy. But we do apologize for the death of Ulinawi, we did not intend for him to perish. It is for his death that we bring you a gift in order to reconcile, but you must accept this gift on our terms or we cannot part with it.
“We have recently learned that a gift was given to Ulinawi, long ago, by the Skyfather. This gift, called the Evermight, gave Ulinawi great strength and power. When Ulinawi died, the gift remained with him, until recently, I retrieved it from his remains.”
“Your words do you no favors,” growled Allahnder.
“We wish to present you and Felaqua with the Evermight,” said Riverpaw, “but only after we have used it to fulfill our quest. A great evil has taken Ephanlarea. We call him the Great Tyrant, and we need the Evermight to help defeat him. It is the purpose for which the Evermight was first given to Ulinawi. Using the Evermight against this evil is what the Skyfather intended. After it has been used for its purpose, we swear to return it here, to Felaqua.”
Count Allahnder rubbed his white beard as he considered the bear’s words.
“We also revere your Skyfather, though we know him by a different name. However, your words have no credibility. How do we know that this gift truly exists and this is not a ploy?”
“Why would we present ourselves to you, if there was no gift?” asked Riverpaw. “We could have escaped and returned to Ephanlarea.”
“My ignorance of your plans is no proof of your integrity,” argued Allahnder.
�
�How do you account for my abilities?” asked Riverpaw.
“I don’t need to account for your abilities. As far as Felaqua is concerned, you are a demon.”
“If you refuse to believe anything we say, we will forever be at an impasse,” interjected Ben.
“It is you that must prove your intentions,” barked the Count. “Give this Evermight to me and we shall see if you speak the truth.”
“We won’t give the Evermight to you until we’ve used it to defeat the Tyrant,” answered Riverpaw. “Ephanlarea will be destroyed if he is allowed to continue.”
“And what should I care of the misfortune of Ephanlarea?” asked Allahnder.
“If you think the Tyrant will stop with Ephanlarea, then you are a fool. Felaqua will surely be next.”
“What if you can’t stop him?”
“Without the Evermight, we won’t stand a chance.”
Count Allahnder considered the issue for a moment. His face looked pained, as if he were contemplating something that was quite unsavory to him. The Count looked to someone on his side of the glass that Ben and Riverpaw could not see and mumbled some words they could not decipher. Moments passed, and then Allahnder looked back at the travelers.
“Felaqua will release you, in a gesture of temporary peace, but only if you can meet two conditions. First, you have one month to return Ulinawi’s Evermight to Felaqua. After that time, you will become a sworn enemy of the people and we will stop at nothing to bring about your death.”
“What is the second condition?” asked Riverpaw.
Allahnder sniffed and narrowed his eyes. “The man remains our prisoner until you return.”
“Unacceptable,” answered Riverpaw with a growl.
“Then this is where we say goodbye.” Allahnder spun on his heel, gestured with his right hand, and walked away from the glass.
“No!” yelled Ben. “Riverpaw, the pipes!”
Bursting from the pipes in the walls came the water, red from the light and gushing onto the floor. Within mere seconds, Ben was soaked up to his knees as water sloshed around the room.
“Get on my back!” yelled Riverpaw.
“What will that help?” asked Ben. “Look how fast the water is rising. Can you break the walls?”
Riverpaw launched into the air and threw himself at the wall. Rock crumbled away with Riverpaw’s impact but the damage was minimal. The water was now above Ben’s head and he was treading water to stay afloat.
“The walls are no use, they’re too thick,” yelled Riverpaw. “I’ll try the door or maybe the glass window.”
“No, they’re both submerged, and they must be as thick as the walls. Our only hope is the ceiling.”
Riverpaw looked up at the ceiling and noticed a smooth texture. It looked as though it were made of different stuff than the rough, stone walls.
“I’ll have to hold you underneath me,” said Riverpaw. “If I can break through the ceiling, some of it is likely to come falling down on you.”
“Whatever you do, hurry,” shouted Ben as he struggled to keep his head afloat.
Riverpaw grasped Ben in his arms and flew at the ceiling as fast as he could. With a shuddering crack, Ben and Riverpaw came through the palace floor with their eyes closed tight. The people in the palace screamed and ran as if the palace were coming apart. Riverpaw dropped a soaking Ben, feet away from the hole he had made, and landed just next to him.
“Get them!” ordered an all too familiar voice.
Riverpaw looked for who had given the command and saw Count Allahnder pointing and scowling like a madman. Guards rushed toward Riverpaw with spears bearing down, but they had no idea what they were getting into. Riverpaw roared with such ferocity that the guards stopped and looked up as if the palace might implode. The moment of hesitation was enough for Riverpaw to take control.
The bear burst through the ranks of the guards, scattering the men and knocking them to the ground. Rage had taken the bear, and before Count Allahnder could even attempt to defend himself, Riverpaw had the man pinned to the wall by his shoulder. Blood ran red down the wall behind Allahnder, as Riverpaw’s claw had pierced the man’s shoulder.
The Count grunted in pain and called for aide.
“No one moves,” roared the bear so loudly that it must have been heard in every room of the palace. Staring with fire at Count Allahnder, Riverpaw addressed the man in a menacing grumble. “Why did you try and kill us?”
Even in mortal peril, the man was defiant. “It is what you deserve.”
“We came here for peace.”
“Oh,” laughed the man sarcastically. “Is that what you call this?”
“You’ve given me no choice,” said Riverpaw, raising his voice again in frustration.
“You chose to decline the terms Felaqua had given you. Don’t tell me there was no choice.”
“Riverpaw,” said Ben, placing his hand on his friend’s furry back. “I’ll stay.”
“What?” Riverpaw released his hold on Allahnder and the man fell to the floor with a cry of pain. Ignoring him, the bear turned to look at Ben Floyd, standing tall and resolute.
“I will stay here while you return to Evercloud. I can’t help in the task that you have to perform. If I can help in any way, it’s only to help you and Evercloud to achieve your purpose. Let this be my contribution. I’ll stay in Felaqua.”
“No,” said Riverpaw. “We do not have to accept their terms.”
“If we truly wish to reconcile for what happened to Ulinawi, then shouldn’t we accept their terms? Peace can’t be made because one side has no choice in the matter. It would only breed resentment in the Felaquans. As soon as you gave the Evermight back to them, they would use it against us. I need to do this if peace is truly our goal.”
“The man is far more intelligent than you are,” said Allahnder, slouching against the wall and holding his shoulder.
Riverpaw turned on the Count and glared. “If you don’t get that shoulder tended to, you’ll die. I suggest you concern yourself with that.” Guards rushed to aide their fallen leader and dragged him away as Riverpaw returned his attention to Ben. “What you suggest is too much of a risk.”
Ben gave Riverpaw a grin that was both solemn and cavalier. “I’m pretty sure we’re beyond worrying about risk, my friend.”
Chapter 5: Search for Blue
What now?
Eveneye walked slowly across the grassy plains of Ephanlarea. The sky matched the chalky remnants of Gray Mountain that clung to his fur like dust upon a forgotten relic. Looking up at the cloud cover that stretched across the sky, Eveneye recognized his soul mirrored in an infinite stretch of ashen light. He ached with sorrow and regret. What king walks the world like a lost child? he wondered. Forever followed by ghosts and lost souls.
Fifty bears were all that had followed their pleas. He, Goldenheart and Autumnbreeze had tried to convince the bears of the Kingdom to listen, to leave the mountain as soon as possible. No one listened. No one believed. It had been a narrow escape for the fifty, those that had the horrible guilt of having been right. It felt like a punishment as they walked through the world, without home, without hope. The forest had been a haunted dream of pain as they plodded under the hanging canopy. The world was silent and sad for the procession of bears, and when they finally escaped the dust-covered leaves and branches of the forest for the sprawling plains of Ephanlarea, it seemed as though they could fall off the edge of the earth forever. They walked onward for escape, not for hope, but escape can never come for those who walk with hell in their heads.
My heart hurts. What do we do now?
Eveneye looked at his wife as she walked, and his fragile heart cracked further. The fur under her eyes was dark and matted from the wetness of her tears dampening the dust. They had tried to shake the dust off, but it wouldn’t go away. They wondered if the dust of the mountain would ever come off, or if they were doomed to walk the world as muted effigies of what bears once were. They were gray and hollow like g
hosts, trapped in a never-ending labor of listlessness.
Eveneye wondered about that labor constantly. Where would they go now that they were without a true home? They had left the forest and they would not stay in the plains. Would they find a new forest, a new mountain? Would they just walk forever as the nomads of Ephanlarea? How much longer would the other bears want to follow him? What choice did they have? The elder bears had taught that the forest around Gray Mountain chose the bears. Eveneye wished for ancient powers to aid his search now, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that the elder bears had merely been fools. The latter feeling built guilt that only made him feel worse. However, thinking about this problem and obsessing over it was the only exercise that kept the nightmare images from Eveneye’s mind.
They had been at the foot of the mountain when it had all started. The fifty bears, pleading with anyone they could find, bear or human. No one would believe that the dreams of the few might be the only thing that could save the future of the many. They couldn’t believe that such a drastic measure as leaving the mountain might save their lives. By the time it had all started, they had already lost the ears of the Kingdom.
After days of trying, it had been frustrating and truly sad. Most would barely listen to the reasons supporting exodus. Others would listen briefly, growing skeptical quite quickly. Autumnbreeze received pitying stares. They had all thought she was finally broken from the pain of losing her husband, and now… her mind had gone. Whispers of madness were not far behind for the King and the Queen. It seemed to be popular opinion that the royal family had run out of ideas to protect the mountain and were now falling prey to some sickness of fear. The few that had heeded their words, and were trying to help convince others, were simply dismissed as fools, unintelligent followers of any nonsense they had heard.
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