Cry of the Ocelot

by Maya Grace

  When Jack asked again where Gran was, Ella told him. “We have to save her, Jack,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “We’ll need all of your potions.”

  He nodded solemnly.

  They were following Taiga through the darkness, retracing their steps back toward the jungle village. Overhead, branches crackled, as the ocelot leaped from tree to tree.

  When Ella glanced over her shoulder, she saw Rowan dragging her feet. She had strapped her saddle over her backpack, and now she looked like a sea turtle on land—and was moving just as slowly.

  Ella wondered again if bringing the saddle had been such a good idea. Maybe Jack had been right. It was so big! How could Rowan fight with that on her back?

  But she said nothing. When Rowan had set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.

  When Jack reached into his backpack and offered her potion of swiftness, to help her walk faster, she shook her head no. “I’m fine,” she said as she huffed and puffed along.

  That’s when an arrow soared over her shoulder and landed with a thunk in the trunk of a tree.

  “Run!” she cried.

  Jack ran up—climbing a vine-covered tree to be with his ocelot.

  Ella dove down, pulling Taiga under a patchwork net of vines and leaves. The wolf paced and whined, begging to be set free so he could attack the skeletons that were surely coming their way. But Ella wouldn’t let him. “You won’t take another arrow for me,” she said firmly. “Taiga, sit!”

  He whined pitifully, but he sat.

  Through the net of green, Ella saw Rowan pull her bow and turn to fight. Thwack, thwack, thwack! She sent a series of arrows into the thicket.

  Ella heard a grunt and the tinkle of skeleton bones.

  Again, Taiga strained to break free of the leafy green fortress. “Taiga, no!” Ella cried. “I said sit!”

  Then she reached for her own bow and cleared a hole in the vines. Her fingers felt sweaty as she loaded her first arrow.

  Rowan was still firing, thanks to the bow that Ella had enchanted with Infinity. Thwack, thwack, thwack!

  Her arrows will never run out, Ella remembered.

  But she had forgotten the enchantment she had used with her own bow. Until she aimed at the skeleton that had just stepped onto the trail.

  Thwack! Crack! Whoosh!

  The skeleton went up in flames. And so did the bush next to him.

  I enchanted this bow with Flame! Ella realized.

  As she watched the fire spread from one bush to the next, terror spread within her chest. Did I just start a forest fire? she wondered. Even here in the damp jungle?

  Then she remembered Jack. She sprang from her hiding place and searched the tree above. “Jack, come down!” she cried. “Fire!” She couldn’t see him in the thick canopy of the trees. Where was he?

  As the fire spread closer, Ella reached for Rowan’s arm. “Let’s go!” she cried. “Let’s get out of here!”

  But Rowan wouldn’t leave her post. “You go!” she said. “Get Jack. I’ll cover you.”

  “I can’t find him!”

  Ella could barely hear her own voice over the crackle and roar of the flames. If the skeletons were hiding in the trees, surely they would be running away too—or burning—wouldn’t they?

  But as Rowan waved one last time at Ella, urging her to get Jack and go already, something struck Rowan from behind. A skeleton arrow hit her square in the back. And she fell forward with a grunt.

  Ella froze. “Rowan!”

  Her cousin lay perfectly still.

  No, no, no! thought Ella. I can’t do this without you! She fought back the wave of panic rising within her.

  As the flames flickered along the trail toward Rowan, Ella finally sprang into action. She grabbed Rowan’s arms and pulled her forward. “Taiga, help me!” cried Ella.

  With her wolf-dog’s help, they pulled Rowan off the trail. But the skeleton who had launched the arrow was coming. Ella looked out of the bushes just long enough to see the glowing white bones of the undead mob—and to see Jack coming down the tree trunk, out of hiding.

  “Jack, no! Go back!” Ella cried. But it was too late. Her cousin was in danger, and Rowan wasn’t there to protect him.

  So Ella did the only thing she could think to do. She grabbed the trident from Rowan’s belt and charged the skeleton.

  She swung the trident as if it were a sword—an incredibly heavy sword. The blow knocked the skeleton to its knees. But still the mob raised its bow. And now Ella was the one in the line of fire.

  So she swung the trident again. And again. Until her arms ached and the bony mob dropped to the ground with a grunt and the tinkle of bones.

  Then Taiga was beside her. Instead of lunging for one of those bones, he licked her hands and wagged his tail with relief.

  But there was no time to celebrate.

  The fire was spreading. And there was no hiding from its flames.

  Ella reached back into the thicket, tugging on Rowan’s arms—trying to drag her cousin out of harm’s way. But Rowan’s saddle was stuck in the brambles!

  And the jungle was filling with smoke.

  “Jack, help me!” cried Ella, trying not to cough. “Where are you?”

  He answered her with the sound of breaking glass. A bottle whizzed past her and landed at her feet with a crack. And as the bubbles rose, she heard his voice from up above. “Splash potion of fire resistance!” he called.

  Warmth spread through Ella’s body—and it wasn’t only the potion. Jack’s still with me, she realized. Jack and his potions.

  As she glanced back into the thicket, she saw something else. Rowan lifted her head, ever so slightly. And reached backward to feel the arrow that had struck her from behind.

  “What happened?” she asked as she tugged the arrow from the thick leather of the saddle.

  Ella answered with a wobbly voice. “Your saddle,” she said. “That heavy, clunky saddle saved your life!”

  Even as a smoky haze filled the air between them, Rowan smiled. “So let’s go,” she said. “Now!”

  * * *

  A gentle rain was falling. As Ella turned back in the direction of the temple, she no longer saw a plume of smoke rising into the air. That meant the fire was out. It hadn’t spread. She blew out a breath of relief.

  Taiga scrambled ahead of them on the trail, nose to the ground.

  “We’re getting close to the jungle village,” Rowan whispered. “I can feel it.”

  Ella could too. She glanced up, expecting to see tree houses and vine ladders any moment now. She could hear the roar of the river nearby. And a red-winged parrot hopped along a low-hanging branch, as if to say, You’re back! Woot-woot! Follow me!

  But as the first tree house came into view, Ella held out her hand to stop her cousins. “We don’t have a plan!” she whispered. “How are we going to save Gran?”

  Rowan reached for her sword, but Ella shook her head. “There are too many villagers,” she said. “We could never fight them all. And I don’t want to hurt anyone. We just need to set Gran free and get out of here!”

  Jack didn’t reach for a weapon. He reached for something else—the potions in his backpack. When he pulled one out, Ella waited to hear which one he had chosen. “Potion of invisibility,” he announced.

  Clear liquid sloshed within the bottle, and Ella could see that there was plenty of it—enough for Jack, Rowan, and herself. And maybe for Taiga too? she wondered.

  “Jack, you’re a genius,” she declared.

  Rowan nodded. “It could work,” she said thoughtfully. “But before we drink it, let’s try to figure out where they’re holding Gran. Save the potion for when we need it most.”

  As they wound their way through the trees, skirting the edge of the village, Ella happened to look up at the sky. And she suddenly realized that finding Gran wouldn’t be very difficult.

  “Follow the parrots,” she said, pointing up.

  A flock of birds in every color of the r
ainbow hovered over the village, resting on tree branches, flying overhead, and hopping along fences and walls. They hadn’t left Gran behind. They had stayed, keeping watch.

  “Follow the parrots,” Rowan repeated.

  The thickest cluster sat on the rooftop of what looked like a blacksmith’s shop, near to the village well. The building was made mostly of stone, with a blazing furnace on the front porch.

  “I’ll bet Gran’s inside,” whispered Ella.

  Taiga nudged her leg, as if to say, I think so too.

  But as Jack pulled out the potion of invisibility, Ella wondered again, Can we use it on Taiga too?

  Jack’s ocelot was hidden in the trees above. But Taiga wouldn’t hide—Taiga would want to fight. To protect Ella. So I have to protect him too, she decided.

  “Jack, does your potion work on wolves?” she whispered.

  He shrugged. “I think so. We can try.” He began to pull the cork from the bottle.

  “Not yet!” Rowan cried. “Wait till we’re closer.”

  They crept as close to the building as they could without being seen. Villagers milled around the well. Most of them looked up, studying the parrots, as if wondering how to get rid of them.

  As a buzz of anxious voices filled the air, Ella was grateful for the noise—and the distraction. If the villagers were looking skyward, it would be much easier to sneak by unnoticed.

  Especially if we’re invisible, she thought with a grin.

  “It’s time,” Rowan finally whispered, reaching for the bottle. She took the first swig, and immediately began to disappear. Only her sword was visible now.

  “I’m next,” said Jack, reminding Ella that it was his potion.

  “Okay, buddy,” she said. “Bottom’s up.”

  Soon, Jack was gone too—except for his backpack.

  Ella reached for the bottle and brought it to her lips. But then she remembered Taiga. “We’ll share this,” she whispered to her wolf. “You have to drink it, okay? No matter how nasty it tastes.”

  She poured a small puddle of the potion into the palm of her hand and offered it to her dog.

  He sniffed it, took a step backward, and looked away.

  “Drink it!” Ella urged, moving her hand closer to him. “You have to!”

  He finally lapped up the liquid obediently. Then he licked his snout, as if to show her that he’d taken every last drop.

  “Good boy,” said Ella, just as her wolf-dog disappeared. “Now it’s my turn.”

  She tilted the bottle and drank the last of the liquid. It tasted slightly of carrots, and something else—something nasty. Ella nearly gagged, hoping she hadn’t just eaten a spider’s eye or some other gross ingredient from Jack’s bag of tricks. Ugh.

  But as she looked down, her arms and legs quickly began to disappear.

  “We’ll have to leave our bags,” came Rowan’s voice—from out of nowhere. “Take off your backpacks, or we’ll be spotted.”

  They piled up their things and hid them behind a tree trunk, taking only the weapons they needed. Then two swords and a potion bottle began bobbing toward the well.

  CHAPTER 14

  As they slid through the door of the blacksmith shop, Ella held her sword steady at her side, trying not to bang into anything or make any noise.

  But she bumped into Rowan over and over again. “Stop that!” her cousin whispered.

  “I can’t help it!” How can you avoid someone you can’t even see?

  Ella reached down again to be sure Taiga was still beside her. She felt his hot breath on her hand and a reassuring lick.

  Was Jack here too? Ella spun in a careful circle, searching for some glimpse of him. When she saw a potion bottle hovering over a wooden chest, she smiled.

  But don’t you dare open that chest! she wanted to say to Jack.

  Before she could, she heard footsteps on stairs, and a villager entered the back of the room. From his black apron and the soot on his hands, Ella could tell he was the blacksmith.

  But what was downstairs? Had he just gone to check on Gran?

  A hand reached back to stop Ella from moving.

  Don’t worry, Rowan, she wanted to say. I’m not walking—or talking. I’m barely breathing.

  They stood frozen until the blacksmith stepped onto the porch. Then Rowan’s hand tugged Ella toward the back of the room. Toward the staircase. And hopefully toward Gran too.

  The steps to the basement were cracked and crumbly. Ella took them one by one. But not Taiga. The wolf-dog brushed past her. Ella heard his claws click, click, click across the basement floor. Then she heard a whine. And a voice. An oh-so-familiar voice. Gran!

  Now Ella couldn’t move fast enough. She felt Jack nudging her back, urging her to get going. He must have heard Gran’s voice too!

  When they hit the base of the stairs, Ella could see the bars of a cage—a cell. A jail cell. The villagers had thrown Gran in jail!

  When Ella caught sight of Gran’s weary face, she nearly cried. Then she remembered that Gran couldn’t see her. But somehow, Gran knew they were there. Maybe Taiga had greeted her with a lick between those dreadful iron bars.

  Gran looked around the room, as if searching for their faces. Then she slowly raised a finger to her lips.

  Was someone else here?

  Ella quickly scanned the room. She saw no villagers, but she did see something glowing red along the wall. A redstone circuit led from the jail cell up to a lever. The lever that will set Gran free! Ella realized.

  Rowan got to the lever first, as usual. She flipped it down with a click. And the bars of the jail cell opened with a creak.

  Gran stepped out in a flash. Then she waved them toward her. “Shh!” she said. “We have to be quiet. Is the blacksmith still upstairs?”

  Ella shook her head no, and then realized again that Gran couldn’t see her. “He’s outside,” she whispered. “On the porch.”

  “Then we’ll have to use the back door,” said Gran. “And we’ll have to stick together. Jack, are you here?”

  “Yes!”

  Gran’s eyes fill with tears. “Good. Well done, Jack,” she said. “We missed you.”

  Ella imagined Jack’s face flushing with pride. But there was no time for happy reunions now. Because the parrots on the rooftop had started squawking.

  “They’re warning us!” said Gran. “We have to move quickly.”

  She led the way up the staircase, stopping at the top to glance carefully through the crack in the door. She pushed through it gently.

  But instead of turning right to go into the blacksmith’s shop, Gran turned left. The back door was ajar, and Ella could see a sliver of light shining through.

  The sun was up. That meant no mobs would spawn. But it also means that we’ll be seen, thought Ella. Or at least Gran will!

  Her heart thudded in her ears as she followed Gran outside. They hugged the wall as they rounded the corner of the building toward the well.

  More villagers had gathered now, as if summoned by the squawking of the parrots. The villagers seemed angry, or frightened—or maybe both. Some shook their fists at the birds. Others raised their swords or even their bows, threatening to send arrows into the sky.

  “Oh, dear,” whispered Gran. “We’ll need to leave quickly—and take those birds with us.” She waved the children on, away from the well and toward the gushing river.

  But Ella glanced backward. “Our things!” she cried. There was no way they could get to their belongings now. They’d have to run straight through the crowd of villagers!

  “My backpack,” said Jack. “It has my potions—and all the ingredients I collected. I need my backpack!”

  Gran started to shush him, but then Rowan started in too. “I’m not leaving without my saddle,” she announced.

  “Saddle?” Gran’s forehead crinkled. “Oh, dear.”

  “We have to go back,” said Ella. She took another look around the corner, wondering if the ocelot still stood guard over their belongi
ngs. Was the cat watching them now, from the trees above?

  I hope so, thought Ella. We need all the help we can get!

  Gran gave them permission to go. “But leave your weapons here,” she said. “Don’t carry anything that the villagers might see. Hurry!”

  Ella and Rowan handed Gran their swords. But Jack’s potion bottle hovered in the air.

  “Jack, give it to Gran,” Ella whispered.

  For a moment, the bottle didn’t move. Then it took off like a shot and disappeared around the corner. “Jack!” Ella cried.

  She raced after him—or after the potion bottle.

  They wound around the market, past the crowd of villagers who had gathered there, and past the well. Ella was breathing so hard, she feared someone would hear her. But the parrots overhead were too loud. And villagers were shouting now too.

  “Ring the bell tower!” someone suggested. “That’ll scare the birds away!”

  “Use TNT!” said another.

  Ella ran faster. If there was going to be an explosion here sometime soon, she wanted her wolf-dog—and the parrots—to be as far away as possible.

  Was Taiga at her feet now? She couldn’t be sure. There was no time to stop. No time to call to him.

  When she reached the place where they had left their belongings, Ella was relieved to see that they were still there, hidden behind a fat tree trunk. And when she glanced up, the ocelot was there, too, pacing along the branch.

  The ocelot gazed straight into Ella’s eyes. It sees me, Ella realized. Yet when she looked down, her arms and legs were still invisible. So how does it see me?

  There was no time to figure it out. Ella saw Rowan’s sword lift into the air, as if by magic. Then Jack’s backpack levitated off the ground too. But how would they get back across the courtyard without being seen?

  “Stop!” someone shouted.

  Too late, Ella realized. They had already been spotted.

  A teenaged boy stood only a few feet away. He held out his hand as if to keep them from running, but as Jack’s backpack zipped open—all by itself—the boy’s eyes grew wide. When he turned to alert the other villagers, Ella felt Taiga stiffen by her side. He began to growl.

  “No, Taiga,” Ella whispered. “Don’t hurt him. He’s not a mob. He’s a boy—a boy like Jack.”