by Tom Hoffman
“Stranger things have probably happened. I suppose it just depends on what you mean by being alive. I have a physical body and so does Proto. I have a physical brain and so does Proto. I sense a deeper purpose to my life than scurrying around hunting for food and now so does Proto. I don’t believe his transformation was part of the Elders’ plan, but it does seem as though he’s become... self-aware. That sounds like life to me. And also, when you think about it, a little bug doesn’t have deep self-awareness or a sense of purpose but we don’t question for a moment whether they’re living creatures.”
“That’s a good point about the bug. I think Proto’s probably right that our friendship was the catalyst for his transformation. He told me yesterday he’s taking walks almost every day down in Pavorak Gorge. When we first arrived he couldn’t even leave the Cube.”
“That makes me wonder.”
“Wonder what?”
“About the true purpose of our adventures. I’ve been so focused on finding the truth about Papa’s death and I’ve been gauging my success by how that one task is progressing. But look at what happened along the way. Proto was transformed. Was that really just a coincidence, or was his transformation the grand plan, and my personal quest just a means to that end?”
“It could be both. You said everything is connected and everything affects everything else. My inner voice told me to always follow the truth I find in my heart. If we do that, then everything we do brings positive change to the world, like Proto’s transformation.”
“That does makes sense. You’re a lot smarter than you look.”
“Wait, what?” Orville gave a loud cackle and pretended to punch Sophia’s arm. “Hey, we’re almost at the ocean. Mmmm, smell that salt air. It reminds me of the Vesarak Sea. I only went out once with my Papa on his fishing boat. Mum didn’t want me to go because she thought the seas were too rough.” Orville trailed off, his thoughts drifting back to the Vesarak Sea and the day his Papa didn’t come home.
“Hey, let’s do something fun. Let’s skip stones across the water. I don’t want to boast, but I was a champion stone skipper back on Quintari.”
Orville rolled his eyes. “The only thing you’re the champion of is making up big phony stories. Grab a stone and we’ll settle this here and now. My record is twelve skips with one stone.”
Sophia snorted. “A mouseling could beat that. Watch and learn, little mouseling.” Sophia picked up a smooth flat stone from the sandy beach and stepped closer to the water. With perfect form she flicked the stone smoothly just above the surface of the water, counting the number of skips. “One, two, three–” Unfortunately, before she could say ‘four’ a terrifying creature resembling an angry buzzing centipede with six wings and a jaw filled with razor sharp green teeth flashed out of the water and swallowed Sophia’s stone.
Sophia and Orville stood gaping at the foaming white water, barely able to breathe. Finally Orville said, “Okay, that’s three skips for you. Now it’s my turn.”
Sophia gave a shriek and pounded Orville on the arm. “This contest is over. I’m never setting foot near that water again. Now I know why Gnorli told us not to go swimming.”
Orville laughed, but the creature who swallowed Sophia’s stone had made him realize that crossing the nearly two thousand mile wide Senyph Ocean now appeared quite clearly to be an impossible task.
The two adventurers headed north along the sandy beach, both of them keeping a safe distance from the water’s edge. They had no idea what kind of bizarre beasts might come shooting out of the water up onto the sand.
Other than the dreadful creatures in the ocean, the coastal area was quite idyllic and their walk along the shoreline to the scout ship’s landing spot was leisurely and enjoyable. Three hours later they were approaching the small rocky peninsula that jutted out into the ocean. The silver scout ship had landed about one mile directly inland. Orville pointed past the tall beach grass swaying in the warm ocean breeze. “The ship landed about a mile in that direction. I saw it land, but I didn’t see it leave.” He glanced over at Sophia. She nodded grimly but said nothing.
Sophia was the first one to spot the ship. “I see it. I see the ship.” The thick beach grass had been gradually replaced by a forest of dense spiky trees with long dagger shaped orange leaves. Sophia pointed through the trees to sparkling sunlight glinting off a gleaming metallic surface.
They slipped silently between the trees, finally approaching the wide clearing which held the silver ship. Neither of them spoke, their eyes scanning the area, afraid of what they might find. Sophia shook her head. “I don’t see anything. We should look inside.”
“You wait here. I’ll check.” Orville stepped over to the ship and tapped the violet disk next to the outer hatch. The door whirred open and Orville stepped inside, glancing anxiously into the control room, then into the two cabins and the propulsion room. He saw nothing which would indicate an act of violence had occurred inside the ship. He stepped out through the hatch and waved to Sophia. “Nothing. Everything looks normal. It looks as though the ship was simply abandoned.”
Sophia nodded. “I want to search the ship before we use the time goggles.”
Ten minutes later Sophia was sitting alone in one of the small cabins. She had her paws over her face and Orville could hear her crying. He waited outside the ship until she came out.
“It’s the right ship. I found a photo of Papa and me that he always took with him.” Orville watched as she carefully tucked the photo into her pack. Sophia turned to face Orville. “We need to use the time goggles and find out what happened.”
Orville pulled the cap and goggles out of the brass box. He slipped them both on and connected the two cables. “I’m going to stand back so I’ll have a wider view.” When he was in position Sophia dialed the time goggles to three hundred and ninety-eight, the day of the ship’s arrival. Orville pushed the small silver tabs and began rotating the brass time dial.
“I see it. I’m running it forward now. I can see the ship coming down. They’re landing.” He twisted the dial forward slightly. “They’re standing outside the ship talking. It’s your Papa. Your Papa Rowland and Draken Mouse.” Orville paws were shaking. “They’re leaving now, both wearing packs. They must be going out to search for the monastery.”
Orville continued turning the dial until he finally saw the two mice return to the ship. There was no sign they had found anything but it looked as though they were arguing. A few minutes later they emerged from the ship. Sophia’s Papa was gesturing with both his paws, apparently trying to convince Draken Mouse of something, perhaps persuade him to do something. Draken Mouse abruptly and violently pushed Sophia’s Papa away from him. Draken appeared furious and was shouting. Rowland held up both paws and backed away from Draken, then turned, heading off toward the trees.
Without warning Draken held out his paw and a brilliant blast of focused purple light shot out, hitting Sophia’s Papa directly in the back. Orville watched in horror as Rowland Mouse toppled over a small ledge into the dense underbrush. Draken turned away with a scowl and headed back toward the beach. Orville turned to Sophia, the look on his face telling her everything she needed to know.
“Draken killed Papa?”
Orville nodded mutely.
“We need tangible proof. We have to be able to prove it happened just as you saw it.”
Proto poked his head out of Orville’s pack. “This is what glowbirds are for. Let me look through the time goggles. I can make a record of it – a record we can show on a display panel to the Metaphysical Adventurers.”
Twenty minutes later Proto had the record of Draken’s murderous crime safely stored on a crystalline memory cube.
Orville put his paw gently on Sophia’s arm. “You wait here. I’ll be right back.” Orville walked over into the dense brush where he had seen Sophia’s Papa fall. It only took a minute to find him. Orville felt sick, but this was something he had to do. He gently removed Rowland Mouse’s silver Metaphys
ical Adventurers ring and searched his coat pockets, finding only a gold pocket watch and a wrinkled piece of folded paper. He stood up, bowing his head for a moment before heading back to Sophia. He handed her the ring and put his paw on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Sophia put her arms around him and held him for a long time.
Finally she broke away and he handed her the gold watch and the folded paper. “This is all I found.”
“Mum gave him this watch. It’s Mintarian, very old. It was his most prized possession.” She unfolded the piece of paper, scanned it quickly, then read it aloud to Orville.
Dearest Sophia,
If this letter has found its way to you then you know something has happened to me. Things have not gone well on this trip. Draken Mouse is far more dangerous than I had previously thought. I suspect him to be quite an evil fellow. He has attempted to convince me again and again that Metaphysical Adventurers should be able to use lethal force as they see fit. He also has the delusional idea that the Metaphysical Adventurers should be transformed into a military force, using their combined shaping powers to take control of Symoca, then invade our neighboring countries Lapinor and Grymmore. It is sheer insanity, and also the reason I have not been entirely forthcoming with him regarding our mission here on Periculum.
Sophia, I know more about the lost monastery than I first told you. At the time, I felt such knowledge would put your life in jeopardy, but I no longer have the luxury of protecting you. This is what I know. There have been rumors for centuries about a monastery on Periculum which contains the secret to unlimited power. I always assumed this was a myth, a tall tale, but during my research on ancient Anarkkian communication crystals I discovered the Anarkkians were searching for the lost monastery during the war. I also learned they had narrowed their search area to the western coastline of the Senyph Ocean. I made the mistake of telling Draken what I knew and he immediately volunteered to help me look for the monastery. It’s very clear to me now that he craves power beyond all else, and in my estimation he is the last mouse in this world who should have access to such power as the monastery might hold. We searched up and down the coastline for the monastery but found nothing. At least that’s what I told Draken. Draken was studying some old charts while I piloted the scout ship, scanning the ground below. Sophia, I believe I have found the monastery, which appears to be in ruins. But things are seldom as they appear, which is why it is important that someone carefully investigate these ruins. There is no one I trust more than you, Sophia, and I know if you do find a source of unlimited power you will use it wisely and with great compassion. I have sketched a small map on the reverse side of this letter showing the location of the ruins. Sophia, always remember we are far more than our physical bodies. We shall see each other again, just as a dropped marble must fall to the ground.
With all my love,
Papa
Orville and Sophia buried her Papa on Periculum, but she knew he had left the planet two years ago, off to the next world, off to his next adventure. She would see her Papa again. It was only a matter of time.
The next morning Sophia found Orville gazing thoughtfully at the scout ship. “There’s no way we can fly this across the Senyph Ocean?”
Sophia shook her head. “No, I checked. The CDETS is missing and I have no idea how to shape one. There’s auxiliary power but that’s not enough to fly it. Draken did not want this ship to go anywhere.”
“You’re right about that. He said the CDETS had failed and the craft had been destroyed in the crash, so if someone brought the ship back to Earth he would be exposed as a liar and a murderer.” Orville furrowed his brow. “Well, I guess... wait, what about your Papa’s map? Should we look for the monastery?”
“Absolutely. Remember what I was saying about the secret purposes hidden within our adventures? The universe has placed this map in our hands for a reason. We need to listen to what it is telling us and then follow the truth of our inner voice.”
“Do you think when I first noticed the clockwork glowbirds, the universe was laying down a trail of breadcrumbs which would lead us to the monastery?”
“Well, I suppose the short answer is yes, although none of that really matters. We don’t need to know the grand plan, we just have to listen carefully to the universe and do what our hearts tell us. My heart is telling me we need to find that monastery. Every event on this adventure has been leading us in that direction.”
Sophia unfolded the map her Papa had drawn and studied it carefully. “This is where we are, right here at the landing sight. We have to head south along the coastline for well over a hundred miles, then move inland for three or four miles. There’s a drawing of a big tree right next–.”
Orville interrupted Sophia. “Wait, a big tree? Do you think this has anything to do with my dream about the huge tree with the round blue leaves? And that mouse in the blue robe?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if your orange grove dream was connected to this. Dreams often reveal the invisible strings that connect seemingly unrelated events.”
They closed up the scout ship after Proto had made a detailed record of the gleaming craft, showing clearly it had not been in a crash and that someone had carefully removed the CDETS. They now had more than enough proof to bring Draken Mouse’s mad scheme to a sudden and ignominious end. Orville slung his pack onto his shoulder and the two adventurers headed south along the Senyph coastline.
Proto was having a marvelous time flying above the ocean and making records of the frightful beasts that leaped out from the depths. The scarier they were, the louder Proto squawked and the more he liked it. “Oh, my, did you see that one, Orville?? Hideous beyond measure!”
Other than the occasional dreadful beast leaping out of the ocean, their journey south was quite relaxing, and now that they had proof of Draken’s guilt there was no longer a dire sense of urgency. They stopped to pick up seashells and oddly shaped pieces of driftwood. Orville shaped campfires on the beach and they took turns preparing their meals, often with very exacting bits of culinary instruction from Proto. The days were sunny and lazy and seemed to roll by without effort. Orville was learning a lot from Sophia about shaping and a lot about her former life on Quintari. The more stories she told, the more he wanted to visit the planet and see it for himself.
“You could visit, Orville. It would be so much fun to show you Quintari. I have a lot of family and friends there, and once Draken Mouse is out of the picture, Master Marloh could open a spectral door for us. I think you’d love it, especially all the advanced technology we have.”
The sunsets along the Senyph Ocean were glorious to behold, and marked the time of day when Sophia would shape sleeping bags and Orville would shape the cots. If it looked like rain he would also shape a waterproof canopy to keep them dry. Their long daily treks along the sandy beaches agreed with Orville and also assured he would fall into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Chapter 27
The Forest Wolf
The first thing Orville noticed was the double bladed axe. He had split a fair amount of firewood over the years to heat their home in Muridaan Falls, but a broad double bladed axe wasn’t something he normally dreamed about. Then there were his clothes – heavy canvas trousers, a thick woolen shirt and stout leather boots with more than a little wear to them, all topped off with a dark blue woolen cap.
Orville was quite aware he was dreaming. Sophia had taught him how to focus on his paws during a dream until they became sharp and clear. Once his paws had become real, the rest of the dream followed suit. The dream became as real as his world of Muridaan Falls. A rush of awareness would fill him, and in less than a second he would be fully present and fully aware in his dream.
He had awakened in this particular dream to find himself strolling through a dark forest, a heavy axe resting on his shoulder. The sun had not yet risen, but a golden glow from the horizon was reflecting off the branches high overhead.
“What is th
is place? What an odd dream. Why in the world would I be dressed as a woodcutter? Hmm... I must admit it’s quite lovely in this forest, quite peaceful really. A little dark, but the sun is coming up. I suppose I should just keep walking and see where this path takes me.”
Orville strolled on through the forest, admiring the trees and watching with interest as the morning sun rose higher into the azure blue sky. He had been walking for a little over a mile when he heard the piercing scream.
“What was that? It sounded like a mouseling! Creekers, I have to find them!”
Orville dashed forward through the forest toward the sound of the scream. The forest path veered sharply to the right and after fifty feet opened up into a small sunlit meadow. The first thing Orville noticed was the beautiful yellow wildflowers. The second thing he noticed was the enormous growling forest wolf facing a cowering little mouseling wearing a red cloak. The mouseling was terrified, her arms and legs shaking, tears streaming down her face.
“Oh, no, I hate forest wolves! Why am I dreaming about one?”
The wolf whirled around at the sound of Orville’s voice. It’s eyes narrowed to two small glowing red slits. Orville felt every muscle in his body tighten. “Unghh, red glowing eyes. This can’t be good.”
A low guttural growl rolled out of the wolf’s throat. Its ears were flattened back against its head as it slowly crept toward Orville.
A sudden thought popped into Orville’s head. He was a rough and tumble woodcutter. Woodcutters didn’t put up with nonsense like this, and besides, this was his dream. He could do whatever he wanted to. He could even fly. He would teach that wolf a lesson it would not soon forget. With a roar that shook the forest Orville shot up into the air high above the forest floor, raising the huge double bladed axe above his head, then flashed down toward the wolf.
