by J. S. Skye
Vallidore could not believe it would end this way. Thousands of years of peace were about to end with his own death. He struggled to get up, but Jack shoved him back down with his foot. The wolf’s fur was stained blue with his own blood. “Say goodbye,” Jack commanded the wounded wolf.
“Okay, goodbye!” came a small voice from across the throne room just as a stone struck Jack in the head. The impact caused the red panda to drop his sword and collapse to the ground. “Now Doggy! Now! Run!” Flurry yelled.
Vallidore jumped to his feet and ran toward Flurry. Jack stood back up and shook his head in his attempt to regain his senses. Flurry had struck Jack hard enough with the rock that he struggled to get back to his feet. From the red panda’s perspective, the stone seemed to come out of nowhere.
Jack’s vision refocused. He turned and saw Flurry and Vallidore attempt to escape. At the sight of Flurry, Jack’s face instantly changed from confusion to extreme anger and frustration. “You! You! You! What does it take to destroy you? Ahhh!” Jack was suddenly furious and lost all control of his senses at the sight of Flurry. The bear cub had somehow hit a nerve with Jack. A deep emotional response was triggered in the usually calm and collected villain.
The room shook and the walls crumbled all around. Jack’s scream and the increased weight of the snow from the storm caused the collapse of the buried palace to resume. Vallidore and Flurry ran for the newly opened exit that Flurry and Drizzle had dug together. Jack picked up his sword and chased after them. By his command, icicles rose up all around them. Jack attempted to cut them off from their exit with the ice, but Flurry and Vallidore had a head start on him. They made it to the exit and crawled out just as the cave collapsed in on Jack.
Rumbling and thundering could be heard as dust and debris coughed out of the cracks between the fallen rocks. “Yay! We did it!” Flurry exclaimed.
“Don’t be so hasty,” Vallidore spoke softly, for he was now very weak.
“Are you okay, Mr. Doggy?” Flurry asked.
“I’ll be fine,” the wolf lied. “They’re superficial wounds. What’s important is that we find The Protectors as soon as possible. Only they can defeat Jack.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. We may no longer need them. I don’t know anyone that can survive a cave-in like that,” Fall chimed in.
“Don’t underestimate him. I did, and that’s how I was just defeated. I think precautions need to be taken, just in case he survived.”
“We could always go back in and look,” Drizzle suggested.
Noah did not like that idea, and waved his arms back and forth while he shook his head “no”.
“Yeah, I’m with Noah on that one,” Flurry remarked.
“All of you need to head back to Christopher and warn him. I’ll go in search of The Protectors. This way, we have a better chance of success. Jack’s first priority will be to attack Kringle’s territory,” Vallidore insisted.
“Uh … I don’t mean to disagree, but you’re in no shape to go alone.” Fall voiced her concern.
“I think I should go with you,” Drizzle volunteered.
“Well, if he’s going with you, then so am I!” Flurry shouted, for he was not about to be outdone by Drizzle.
Noah buried his face in his paws out of sheer disbelief.
“We can’t all go with Vallidore. Who will warn the others?” Fall reasoned.
“You can!” Flurry replied.
“How typical of you, Flurry! Of course you don’t want your sister to go along! This whole mess is your fault anyway!” Fall screamed back at her brother.
“All the more reason for me to go with Doggy, so I can fix it!”
Vallidore realized the conversation was going nowhere fast, and someone needed to be the voice of reason and authority. “Fall, will you be able to go back and warn the others?”
Fall hesitated. “Yes, I should be fine … I think. Why?” she asked.
“Time is against us. We cannot afford to stay here and debate this. These three shall come with me, for I may need their help if we have another confrontation with Jack. You’re quick on your feet, and we need to send warning back to Christopher so that your family and friends won’t be taken by surprise if Jack attacks. Believe me, if he survived, he will attack.”
“Okay, but how will I find my way? Our tracks are gone.”
Vallidore paused for a moment to think. While in thought he noticed the staff that Drizzle held. “Where did you get that?” Vallidore shouted at the cub.
“Ouch! Not so loud! That hurts my ears,” Drizzle replied.
“I’m sorry, but I need to know. Where did you get that staff? It looks like one of Christopher’s staffs.”
“It is. I grabbed it when I snuck out. I intended to return it to him. I was only borrowing it,” Drizzle assured the wolf.
“You aren’t in trouble. In fact, we’re very fortunate that you grabbed this particular one. It would seem that the Great King is with us this day after all. This staff is named Path Finder. It leads its bearer to their intended destination without fail. Anyone using the staff will never get lost. Would you please lend it to Fall? It will guide her back safely.”
“Sure!” Drizzle handed Fall the staff. The cubs exchanged hugs and waved goodbye to Fall as she began her journey back to Ursus. Flurry, Drizzle, and Noah climbed onto Vallidore’s back. The wolf raced off across the snow toward the south and called out to The Protectors with his howls.
Fall pushed on toward her home alone, with only Christopher Kringle’s staff to guide her. The trip seemed to take forever — as it always seemed when one found themselves in an emergency. Hours later, she managed to reach the Kringles’ house, and stumbled up to knock on the door. It was answered by a bear who held a mug of hot tea in his paw. He wore glasses and had a yellow crescent moon shape on his chest which sharply contrasted his red fur.
“Hello, Jinja,” Fall addressed the crimson-colored bear.
“Let her in already!” came another voice. A purple and white panda bear named Mojo spoke up. Mojo and Jinja were great friends, but they constantly bickered with each other.
“I was going to let her in!” Jinja shot back at Mojo.
“Oh. So that’s why she’s still standing outside?” Mojo answered sarcastically.
“I’m letting her in now!”
“It doesn’t look like it to me.”
“Be quiet!”
“You be quiet!”
“Uh … guys … I really need to see Mr. Kringle. It’s important,” Fall interrupted.
“Right! Of course! Come in,” Jinja replied and shut the door behind her. He led the cub to Christopher’s study and knocked at the door.
“Enter!” came the voice from inside.
Fall stepped through the door and addressed the man who stood with his back to her while he gazed out the window. “Mr. Kringle?”
Christopher turned and saw Fall. He immediately rushed over to her and knelt down to give her his full attention. “My dear! Where have you been? Where are Drizzle and Flurry? Are they okay? Please tell me you have good news.”
“Uh … well, actually, I don’t. Sorry.” Fall shifted her gaze down to the floor. Her chin quivered.
“Don’t cry, my dear, it’ll be okay. Tell me everything,” Christopher’s voice consoled her.
“Well, you see, Drizzle wanted to prove that he’s valuable by doing something brave. He found this cave, and we went inside. I don’t know what else happened, because I got trapped in a scary room. Someone named Jack escaped somehow, and attacked Vallidore. Vallidore got hurt really badly, but he insisted that he was fine. I knew he was lying to me. He told me to come back and warn everyone that Jack got free and is planning to attack you. Vallidore went to find The Protectors or something like that. Flurry and Drizzle insisted on going with him, so they are all with Vallidore right now.”
Fear was prominently displayed upon Christopher’s face as he listened to Fall. However, he quickly regained his wits. The
man firmed his upper lip, stood back up, and ordered Jinja to fetch his wife. When Catherine came in, Christopher was quick with his instructions. “We have trouble! Go and send word to the elves that Jack Frost is free and likely to attack us. Send out your scouts and anything else that must be done. I’ll join you shortly.” Catherine nodded and rushed out of the room.
Fall stood there and cried. “I’m so sorry! We didn’t mean to do this.”
“There, there, now, it’s not your fault.” Christopher reached down, picked up the little cub, and set her on his lap as he took a seat in his chair. “Nobody is to blame here. It was only a matter of time before this happened. Together we’re strong, and together we can defeat him. We’ve done so before, and we can do it again. Now, let’s go reunite you with your parents.”
Christopher set her back down and led her to the banquet hall where her parents had gathered with the other bears. “Fall!” her parents shouted. They ran up and hugged their daughter. “How’s Flurry? Is he okay? Where is he?” they both asked.
“Yes, he’s fine. Well, he is for now anyway,” Fall mentioned as her eyes filled with tears again.
Fall’s parents looked down at their daughter and squeezed her tightly. “Well, at least you’re safe with us now. Let’s hope that Flurry will return to us safely, too.”
CHAPTER 5
CHINGU THE PROTECTOR
Vallidore was still on the run. The trio had worked their way south throughout the night. It was clear to the cubs that they were far from home due to the change in the sun’s behavior. The bright ball of flame worked its way from the horizon to cast a radiant yellow hue upon the landscape. At this point, Vallidore had run for far too long. He needed to rest, but he could not bring himself to stop. Too much was at risk. He pressed further. The wolf deceived himself into believing that he would take a break soon, in order to persevere a little longer. After the next clearing, he thought to himself, but rest never came.
Vallidore and the cubs had long been out of the frozen land of Ursidea. Hours had passed since they entered a lush and beautiful forest. The ground was littered with purple flowers.
Flurry felt hungry and could not believe he had gone the night without food. “Doggy! I’m hungry!” Flurry bellowed.
“Me, too!” added Drizzle.
Vallidore did not reply. He had only stopped briefly to drink. Beyond that, the wolf had continued through the thick bushes and in between branches with the single goal of reaching one of The Protectors.
Despite Vallidore’s speed, strength, and willpower, he could not keep this up for long. He had lost a lot of blood, and his wounds were untended. His eyelids became heavy, and before anyone knew what had happened, the valiant wolf collapsed. Vallidore’s fall tossed the cubs from his back and into a thicket.
“Ouch!” Flurry complained when he sat up and rubbed his head. He looked around and found Drizzle face down in a mud puddle, kicking his legs.
Flurry got up and ran over to Drizzle. Together, Flurry and Noah pulled Drizzle out of the mud. “Of course this would happen to me,” Drizzle grumbled.
“Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!” Flurry giggled.
“It’s not funny!”
“Yes, it is!”
Drizzle crossed his arms and pouted. Noah rushed over to check on Vallidore. The lion stood up and motioned for the bear cubs to come quickly. Flurry and Drizzle jumped up and made haste to Vallidore’s side.
“Is he okay?” Flurry asked.
“He’s breathing, but it’s very shallow,” Drizzle observed.
“He needs help!” Flurry insisted. The cub’s chin quivered. He fought back his tears as best he could.
“Well, obviously! But what are we supposed to do? I’m not a doctor, are you?” Drizzle replied.
“You don’t have to be rude about it!” Flurry snapped back.
Drizzle was about to escalate the argument, but Noah ran up and extended his arms to separate the cubs. Then he pointed at his eyes and then out at the tree line.
“What is it, Noah? Do you see something?” Flurry inquired.
Noah nodded his head. Flurry and Drizzle became tense. They quickly took cover behind a rock and looked around cautiously. Could Jack have caught up with us so fast? Flurry wondered.
“What do you see?” Drizzle whispered.
“Nothing,” Flurry replied. “Do you see anything?”
“Nope.”
Just then there was the sound of a snapped twig. Flurry turned his head toward the sound and caught a glimpse of a furry animal on the branch of a nearby tree. “There!” Flurry pointed in the direction of their visitor.
“Oh! I see it, too!” Drizzle affirmed.
“Noah, do you see it?” Flurry turned around and found Noah absent from their hiding spot. “Uh, oh. I hope Jack didn’t get him!” Flurry looked around frantically to figure out Noah’s whereabouts, but his fear was relieved when he realized Noah had circled out and around the trees to try to flank the intruder. “Good thinking, Noah,” Flurry murmured to himself. Unfortunately, Noah’s shrewd plan caused Flurry to concoct the terrible idea of being a decoy.
Flurry stood up and walked out into the clearing next to Vallidore and hummed loudly.
“What are you doing?” Drizzle whispered.
“Just humming. Why?”
“Get back here where it’s safe!” Drizzle insisted.
“Why?”
“It’s dangerous!”
“What? Danger is my middle n …” Flurry was about say “name”, but the figure suddenly jumped down from the tree. Flurry screamed, and leapt back behind the rock with Drizzle.
“Smooth, Flurry! Really smooth!” Drizzle poked at his companion. Flurry looked at him and grinned nervously.
The cubs watched on with fear. It was a red panda, no doubt about it. He also had a weapon. The cubs feared that Jack had come to finish them off.
As the stranger drew closer, it became apparent to Flurry that this was not Jack. Flurry and Drizzle looked up and saw a different red panda tending to Vallidore’s wounds. This red panda was without the scars Jack had on his right eye, and he also looked much younger than Jack.
“Hey! What are you doing? Leave Doggy alone!” Flurry shouted. The bear cub ran over and stood between the red panda and Vallidore. Just then, Noah snuck up from behind, but got his legs swept out from under him by the red-furred visitor. The red panda was lightning fast. Before Noah could hit the ground, the red panda grabbed him by the arm and tossed him into Flurry and Drizzle, which knocked all three of them to the turf.
Flurry recovered quickly. He stood back up, but found the point of a sword directed at his nose. Noah got up and pushed Flurry back. The lanky lion stood between Flurry and the visitor’s blade with his arms raised as a barrier to protect his friend.
“Stop!” murmured the white wolf. He had momentarily regained consciousness. “These are my friends. You must help us. Jack Frost did this.” Vallidore then collapsed again.
The red panda put his sword back in the scabbard slung over his back. The red panda pulled out bandages from the pouch at his waist, and continued dressing Vallidore’s wounds.
“I think he must be a friend,” Drizzle told Flurry.
“Then why did he attack us?”
“He isn’t now. He put his sword away. See! Maybe you should talk to him.”
“Me? You talk to him!”
“Excuse me, sir. My name is Drizzle. That’s Flurry, and the lion is Noah. We’re looking for The Protectors. Would you be so kind as to tell us where they may be found? We need to find them so we can stop Jack.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary!” came a bone-chilling voice in the distance. There stood Jack, alive and well. He confidently strolled toward them with his sword drawn. He wore a black leather trench coat which resembled a ship captain’s jacket. “And who might you be?” he addressed the other red panda. “Serve me, and I’ll let you live.”
The small red panda stood up and readied his sword. The blade insta
ntly glowed with a radiant blue light. The warrior pointed it at Jack. When Jack glimpsed the sword, he immediately recognized it. “That sword! I know that sword! That belonged to Tomodachi! You’re one of Tomodachi’s descendants, aren’t you? I may not have had the pleasure of ending his life, but I can certainly end yours!”
With a wave of his free paw, Jack caused shards of ice to shoot through the air toward the other red panda, but the young warrior was too fast. He leapt out of the way and continued to do so time and time again with each successive wave.
To and fro the fellow dodged each blast of ice that Jack sent his way. He was a more formidable opponent than Vallidore was, and it was clear that he had been well versed in the secret martial art of Yujin Do.
The nimble little warrior swung at Jack. He missed the villain only by a hair. Their battle continued to escalate. Jack tried to use his powers over ice and cold to stop his rival, but the younger one always managed to dodge everything Jack sent his way.
Jack leapt into a large tree, and the other warrior did likewise. Their blades clashed in fierce combat. The sound of metal striking metal resonated as they dueled among the branches.
“You’re skilled! I’ll give you that. You’re certainly much better than that mutt over there!” Just then, the warrior sliced Jack across the left cheek. Jack was stunned for a moment. After the shock had passed, he shouted, “You just cut me, little one! Cutting me was a mistake!”
Jack’s eyes burned with rage. He let out a war cry and locked blades again. This time Jack used his powers to send frost across his blade and to the blade of his opponent. If Jack’s rival had not acted quickly, his sword would have been encased in ice. It might have even frozen the warrior along with it, but the young warrior’s wits were as sharp as his blade. The warrior quickly detached a smaller blade, which had been interlocked with the main one. He let go of the main sword before the frost reached the hilt.
