Journey to Rainbow Island

by Christie Hsiao

  “Balthazar, now that we have completed my studies, may I return to Rainbow Island?” Yu-ning said hopefully.

  “I wish it were so, Yu-ning. But you cannot return to the Island just yet. I have a very important task for you and Suparna—involving Lightcaster.” As Balthazar said this, he looked at Suparna, who gave Balthazar a look of surprise.

  “Lightcaster! I haven’t heard that word spoken in nearly a century. What news have you of Lightcaster, Balthazar?” said Suparna, his voice animated.

  “It is rumored that Lightcaster survived the Great Obsidigon War, Suparna. You need to travel straightaway to Palova Island. As I told Yu-ning, I have heard from credible sources that a hunter who lives on the island may have knowledge of Lightcaster.”

  An hour later Yu-ning was ready to go, with Magic in his favorite spot in the pocket of her backpack, his head poking out the top. They said their farewells to Balthazar and Melodia, and Suparna lifted off the balcony, the Grey City far below. The height took Yu-ning’s breath away as they circled the top of the tower twice, waving farewell to Balthazar and Melodia, who were waving in return.

  They followed the straight line of the millrace out of the city—a shining line of water below—flew across the plain, and into the hills beyond. Yu-ning could see the water spring, flowing free and clear out of the canyon, as well as several mine shafts further up the ravine—she guessed this was where the city mined brillantium, the wondrous gem that powered the whirlicons that had nearly run her over.

  Soon they left the hills behind and reached the ocean, which stretched out before them as far as the eye could see, with no other land in sight. They flew all that day and into the night, headed northwest, back in the direction of Rainbow Island. “If only we were headed home, Magic,” she said to her little friend, whose head was peeking over Yu-ning’s shoulder from his position in her backpack.

  When night fell Yu-ning scooted down in the saddle, resting her head against the soft leather, and drew a blanket from her backpack, which she wrapped tightly around her. Soon, she was asleep, dreaming of whirlicons, mill wheels, and deep, dark forests full of terrible monsters.

  As dawn broke, Suparna could see a dark green line on the horizon. “Yu-ning, are you awake?” he inquired, peering over his shoulder at the sleeping girl, whose head was barely visible from the folds of the blanket enveloping her.

  “Yes, Suparna, I am awake. What is it? What do you see?”

  “There, Yu-ning, far on the horizon,” added Suparna. “That green line—I believe that is the forest island of Palova. We will be there within two hours, I would guess.” As they continued to fly northwestward, and the green band grew larger, individual trees could now be seen. Yu-ning ate a quick breakfast of dried fruit and prepared to land.

  Suparna flew high over the forest, thick trees covering every inch of the island from the interior mountains to the shore, right down to the water line. He was being cautious, not wanting to fly too close to the tops of the trees, not knowing what creatures lurked within the dark canopy. They flew on with nothing but thick pine forest below, a sea of green carpet in every direction. As they flew toward the center of the island, the terrain began to rise in a gentle slope, till at the center a mountain jutted out of the sea of green pines, rising well above the forest. The mountain’s peak was barren of trees, capped by a white rim of snow.

  As the pair flew toward the mountain, Yu-ning spotted something brown below—just a speck in the green carpet of the forest. “I think I see a cabin!” she said to Suparna, who banked in the direction Yu-ning was pointing. Suparna circled the cabin twice, searching for a safe place to land. “Yu-ning, I think I can land in that small green meadow not too far from the cabin. Do you see it?”

  “Yes, Suparna. That looks as good of a spot as any.”

  With that, the two descended slowly and silently, Suparna maneuvering his body vertically and beating his wings quietly in a slow descent. They touched down in the small meadow, bisected by a fast-moving, bubbling brook rushing over small rocks on its way down the mountain, seeking its course to the sea. They listened for the sounds of the forest. Nothing.

  And then, “Did you hear that, Yu-ning?”

  “What is it Suparna?” Yu-ning whispered. “I didn’t hear a thing.”

  “It sounded like a roar, or a growl, like that of a lion. But I can’t be sure,” added Suparna.

  Yu-ning carefully dismounted, and she and Suparna refreshed themselves in the cold water of the frothy stream. They strained to hear other sounds, but heard nothing more. “Suparna, I want you to stay here. I don’t want to startle whoever lives in the cabin. Just stay nearby, and I will call for you if I need help.”

  Without waiting for a response, Yu-ning unfastened her backpack from the cinch around Suparna’s neck and took out the Light of Balthazar—the glass orb that Metatron had given her before she left Rainbow Island. “It’s dark in the woods, and Metatron told me that this will be a light to me in dark places.” Yu-ning coaxed Magic out of the top pocket, instructing him to stay with Suparna. She slung her pack over her right shoulder and started walking toward the tree line.

  Magic hopped atop Suparna’s head to get a better view of Yu-ning as she walked in the direction of the cabin. Yu-ning entered the dark woods, where the air was heavy and still. The forest floor was spongy and slightly wet, as if it had rained in the past day. A deep carpet of pine needles covered the ground as far as she could see. As she walked deeper into the woods, the light grew dim; she peered above her, and though she could see patches of blue sky in the breaks of the tall trees, no light reached the floor.

  As it was still early in the morning, the sun was not yet high in the sky. Yu-ning considered removing the Light of Balthazar from her pocket, but decided against it, concerned that the light might draw attention from any unseen creatures that might be lurking. With that thought, she shivered and quickened her pace.

  After several minutes the air felt slightly fresher and the light grew brighter; she could see an opening in the trees ahead. At the edge of the forest, she positioned herself behind a large tree that looked quite ancient; its limbs were gnarled and twisted. She peered from behind it at a log cabin, which stood about forty feet away. There were no windows, and no signs of activity. A lone axe was imbedded in a large, squat tree stump near the front door, as if to say, “Keep Away.”

  Yu-ning closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. “One, please protect me.” She walked out from behind the tree, quickly but quietly crossed hard-packed dirt, and stood facing the door. She lifted her fist to knock, but stopped in midair. She closed her eyes again, and rapped on the door three times.

  Nothing.

  She knocked again. “Hello?” she called out timidly, and waited. No one answered. She knocked again, more firmly. “Hello . . . is anyone home?”

  A spine-chilling silence fell over her, and she was eager to turn and go. Fighting the urge to flee, she knocked a fourth time as loudly as her fist could hit the door and shook out her hand, wincing from the pain. “I don’t think anyone lives here.”

  Then she heard thunderous, booming sounds, followed by an angry bellow: “Who is it? Who’s there?”

  Yu-ning jumped with fear. It was a man’s voice and it was hostile. “Hello, sir? Sorry to bother you. I am Yu-ning,” she said, with a quiver in her voice.

  The footsteps grew louder until they were directly on the other side of the door. She heard two locks unlatch, then the door swung open heavily. Standing in darkness was the figure of a tall man. She couldn’t see him clearly, because the cabin appeared to be completely dark. There was silence for a moment, and then the man slammed the door.

  Yu-ning realized he must not have seen her—or was he just ignoring her? She was trembling.

  “Hello?” she said, knocking again. I don’t want to knock again. I don’t want to visit with him, she thought. She turned around, but there was nothing but unwelcoming, dark forest. And she knew what she had to do—what Balthazar had sent
her to do.

  “Hello?” she muttered helplessly. Yu-ning knocked again, and this time the door creaked open slowly. She pushed the door a little; it was damp and mossy to the touch. She poked her head inside and whispered, “Hello?”

  She heard a man’s gravelly voice say, “Come in if you dare!”

  She took a few steps forward into the pitch black—and recoiled in terror as a terrible stench reached her nostrils. “This is not right. The smell, this place,” Yu-ning whispered to herself, or perhaps to One.

  In a louder voice she called out to the man, “Hello? Sir, are you there? I can’t see. Where do I go?”

  “Who are you?” the voice snapped.

  “My name is Yu-ning,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t see where I am going. Do you have any light? A candle, perhaps?” Yu-ning took tentative steps and noticed the floor was sticky and moist beneath her feet.

  “There’s no light,” he responded in a flat voice.

  She couldn’t see him, but his voice was closer. Yu-ning stopped and said softly, “You have light. We all have light. Here,” she said, reaching into her pocket and taking out the Light of Balthazar. The sphere shined so powerfully that it lit up a ten-foot radius around her. Yu-ning blinked as her eyes adjusted to the yellow light.

  When she stopped blinking, the first thing she saw was an enormous bear head hanging from a hook right in front of her. She screamed at the top of her lungs. “No! Oh no!” Shaking, she took a few steps back, looking down at the wet floor. “No! Oh no! It’s blood! It’s blood! No!” She was crying inconsolably and trembling with fear.

  From where she stood, it seemed like the entire floor was covered in blood, and there were splatters of it on the wall. She took several steps forward with her sphere and found a tiny area where the floor was clear. She took a large step forward onto it, but the blood from her boots seeped out, leaving bloody footprints.

  She lifted the crystal, her small arm rattling like a kite as she moved it around the room. She saw several stuffed animal heads hanging from the walls and ceiling: bear, deer, wolf, and fox. On another wall, above a steel table, a large crossbow, scores of steel cutters, knives, and blades in all different sizes hung on rusted hooks.

  This gruesome sight horrified Yu-ning. “Oh no . . . all my friends.” She held the crystal ball to her heart and folded into herself, wanting to disappear. For at least a minute she stood silently, terrified and uncertain of what to do. Then she took a breath, lifted the crystal again, and walked carefully into the center of the room. There was no ventilation, and it was stuffy and damp. Just in front of her she saw the shadow of the man standing in the dark corner next to another bear head.

  He was tall and wide, with long, curly black hair. “Who are you and what is that?” he said angrily, referring to the glimmering crystal. “It’s too bright. Get that thing out of my house!” he said with fury, walking quickly toward Yu-ning. “Answer me! Who are you? Get that thing out of my house!”

  Yu-ning was still shaking, but she stood firm, trying to be brave. The hunter continued in a menacing tone, “I said, who are you?”

  “I told you, I am Yu-ning. Why did you kill all these animals? Who would do such a thing?” she yelled, bursting into tears.

  The hunter could see her clearly now. He was staring at her ferociously with his eyeballs popping out of his head and purple veins pulsating on his temples. He was fuming as his grip tightened around a serrated hunting knife in his huge hand. Seething through his teeth, he said, “No child has ever dared to enter my house.” Yu-ning lifted the crystal orb to see him talking. “Get that yellow light out of my face!” he continued with rage.

  Yu-ning held her ground. “It stays here with me. I asked you, why are so many dead animals hanging on the wall?” Yu-ning was still quivering, but she pushed past her fear. “You killed all these innocent creatures? You are responsible for this?” Yu-ning demanded an answer.

  “Yes, I killed these animals!” the hunter spat back, his voice cold and unfeeling as he shielded his eyes from the crystal light.

  “These animals are our friends. They are innocent. How could you?” Yu-ning was devastated.

  The hunter calmed his voice and said with a quiet, cold tone, “How could I do this? I do this because I am a hunter. This is what hunters do. Do they not have hunters where you come from, little girl?” He looked wicked in his indifference as he walked over to a high counter and started using the knife to chop up animal parts.

  “No, there are no hunters where I come from. We grow our food from the land—all the animals are our friends. We protect and treat each other with kindness. We are all one,” said Yu-ning, resolve and emotion thick in her throat.

  The hunter was not persuaded. “It’s none of your business what I do. If you keep talking, I’ll put you in that bag!” he said, pointing his knife at a thick, dirty burlap sack sitting on the floor near the front door.

  Determined, Yu-ning continued, “Animals have spirit and heart; they have babies and families. You must stop this suffering you are causing. It is why your world is so dark.”

  “Well, aren’t you a spirited one. You know nothing of the world, little girl, if you don’t understand the role of a hunter. Animals exist to feed and clothe us.” He growled as he rolled up his sleeves and continued hacking away, even more fiercely than before.

  “Where I’m from, we are all nice to each other; we don’t hurt each other,” Yu-ning responded.

  “I don’t know what kind of place you are from, and I don’t care,” the hunter countered, continuing to chop. “You can’t stop everyone from killing animals.”

  “You can be the example,” Yu-ning persisted. “If you stop, other people will stop too. We are all here to teach each other important lessons. Come with me outside, sir, and I will show you the magic I see every day with these beautiful animals. You will see how lovely they are. Please, please come with me.”

  “You’ve worn out my patience, child. You pound on my door, insist on disturbing my morning’s work, and then shine that annoying light around my house. I don’t need this. I need you to leave—now!” he screamed, pointing the knife within inches of Yu-ning’s face.

  As he said this, Yu-ning sensed a profound loneliness in the man. Perhaps it was in his tone, or in the slump of his shoulders, or in the veiled look of his eyes—she couldn’t be certain. But her anger and fear gave way to an unexpected emotion: pity. And it confused her. She just stood there, staring at him.

  “Child, are you deaf?” the man snapped. “I have no idea why you are on Palova—I know for certain you are not an islander. And truly, I don’t care. Just leave. Now!”

  Yu-ning didn’t flinch. Calmly she replied, “You asked me to come inside. I brought in my shining crystal light—light that you have never seen before. Why would you ask me to leave?” Yu-ning asked, in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “You are an annoying one, aren’t you? I have seen light, child. I see light enough when I walk out my door. I don’t need your stupid light.”

  “No,” Yu-ning countered, “you don’t belong in here. This devastation doesn’t belong here! The light belongs here.”

  Turning away from Yu-ning, and in a barely audible voice, the hunter said, “I have seen that light before, and it’s done nothing for me.”

  “You’ve seen this light before? What do you mean?” queried Yu-ning, taken aback.

  The hunter’s voice calmed down to a gravelly whisper. “When I was a boy. After my mother died.” He stopped as if he had forgotten himself. “I said get out!” he added, in a louder voice.

  “I am sorry about your mother. How did she die?” asked Yu-ning, trying to coax more information from him.

  “Get out and take your light with you,” the hunter countered, unappeased. He was silent then. He looked dark. He was holding onto his bloody knife tightly, his back to Yu-ning, hands resting against the metal table.

  “All right, I will leave. But I’m not taking this light with me. The Light of B
althazar remains.” Yu-ning gently placed the sparkling orb on the rough-hewn floor of the cabin and made her retreat. As she backed away from the hunter, he turned around, a look of utter confusion on his face.

  “What did you call it?” asked the hunter, in a startled voice.

  “I’m going. It is your choice to either embrace the light, or remain in darkness. I will leave my crystal ball for you. Goodbye.” Standing straight and tall, Yu-ning opened the door, and without looking back, closed it behind her, leaving the hunter alone with the Light of Balthazar.

  Eleven

  Forest

  THE HUNTER SEIZED THE DOOR HANDLE, the Light of Balthazar in his right hand. He threw the door open, sunlight pouring into the cabin, momentarily blinding him as he shielded his eyes from the brightness. Yu-ning walked away from the cabin, heading back toward the tree line and the meadow beyond.

  “I said I don’t want this light, little girl. Here!” shouted the hunter, hurling the orb high in the air, right in her direction. The orb rose through the morning air, headed straight for Yu-ning. The hunter watched in amazement as the girl paid no mind, not even turning around to look at the approaching orb.

  Instinctively, the hunter opened his mouth to shout a warning at Yu-ning. Instead, he froze: the round sphere had stopped in midair and was hovering several feet above Yu-ning. It was like a beautiful Christmas ornament hanging from the sky, attached by some invisible thread. Yu-ning turned and saw the orb suspended above her in the air. “Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed, marveling at the floating light.