Journey to Rainbow Island

by Christie Hsiao

  “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you, Romeo,” said One, the light pulsating so brightly that Romeo had to shield his eyes from its intensity. “You have no earthly power that can defeat the obsidigon.”

  “Then how can I escape, One?” cried Romeo.

  “By using your light, Romeo. The light within your heart is not an earthly element, but a divine one. The obsidigon, who is made only of hatred, cannot comprehend this light, because he does not possess it. For a century the obsidigons were not seen on the face of the earth. But the warlock who kidnapped you was able to conjure this creature from the last remaining skull known to humankind.”

  “But why would they want to steal the Seven Sacred Crystals?” Romeo asked.

  “Because greed and lust for power are ominous forces, and left unchecked, they can bring chaos to the entire world. Hobaling once lived in an idyllic empire ruled by a beautiful, benevolent Empress. But he was thirsty for power, and knew that the only way to defeat the Empress was to use a force thought dead and gone to humankind—the Darq power of the obsidigon. Hobaling heard rumors that the last known obsidigon skull was kept in a secret hall in the Imperial Palace of the realm. He went so far as to seduce a daughter of the royal court to marry him, so he could gain entrance to the Imperial Palace.

  “Hobaling was patient,” added One. “He waited, biding his time, and earned the trust of the imperial court. For three years he played the role of a loyal member of the court, slowly gaining access to the most private and secret parts of the palace—places where even some members of the royal family had never been. Late at night he would enter the hidden catacombs and passages under the palace, searching and searching for his prize.”

  “And he was searching for the last obsidigon skull?” asked Romeo.

  “Yes, Romeo. The Empress’s grandfather, Emperor Ming, secretly took it from the battlefield, after the Emperor’s army defeated the obsidigons in the last battle of the Great Obsidigon War. And though Hobaling did not know for certain that the Emperor had brought the skull back to the palace, he had a strong feeling that he had. And so he devised a plan to infiltrate the royal household and find the skull.”

  “But why did the Empress’s grandfather take the skull in the first place?” Romeo asked.

  “The ego of man,” said One. “The skull was a tempting trophy for a triumphant emperor—a memento to treasure in secret, and a reminder of the Emperor’s crowning victory. So the Emperor returned with the skull hidden in his private luggage, and kept it hidden in a dark room deep in the catacombs below the Imperial Palace at Tunzai.”

  “But how could an army of mere men defeat such powerful creatures?” asked Romeo.

  “Ah, now that is where the story turns, Romeo. These were no mere men. Well, yes, they were flesh and blood, just like you, but they had something that the obsidigon horde did not comprehend.”

  “What was that, One?”

  “The light of eternal love, Romeo; the light that dwells in each one of us, and is there to guide and empower us—if we are able and willing to let the light shine. It was the divine lights of 10,000 warriors that destroyed the obsidigon army, and forever rid the world of their sickening darkness.”

  “But if Hobaling has the obsidigon, why did he also need to steal the sacred crystals of Rainbow Island?” Romeo said.

  “Greed is a deceptive mistress, Romeo. Hobaling was seduced by the power he held in his hands and wanted even more power. So he stole something of which he has no understanding: the Seven Sacred Crystals. He thinks that by capturing the crystals, he will be able to kill the light and subdue all the kingdoms of the world. And the crystals are powerful, Romeo. They are more powerful than most humans know. Placed in the wrong hands, their pure energy can be manipulated in terrible, deadly ways. That is why the obsidigon kidnapped you, Romeo.”

  “I don’t understand, One. Why would he kidnap me? I am not powerful.”

  “My dear boy, you are powerful.”

  “But how, One? What is my power?”

  “Your power, Romeo, is revealed by—”

  There was a loud screech—a horrible, unearthly scream louder and more disturbing than anything Romeo had ever heard. He realized he was awake. Blackness again. No more One.

  Had it all been a dream?

  Romeo’s head pounded from where he had hit it on the stalactite of the cave. He lifted his hand to feel his head and realized that he could actually see his hand! As he peered into the gloaming of the dank cave, he could make out—just barely—the floor, littered with rocks, mineral deposits, and sharp stalagmites. And in the distance, some 300 feet away, he could see a small keyhole of light—an exit from the cave.

  Dizzy, but able to stand, he was determined to make it to the mouth of the cave before the light faded. He carefully made his way across the cave floor, and, in the weak light, was now able to see the enormity of his subterranean prison. The cave was at least 200 feet high and 100 feet wide.

  In the distance, behind him, he again noted the sound of water. He decided to follow the sound, as his need for water was stronger than his need for light. As he walked, the sound of the water grew louder, leading him downward, toward the middle of the cavernous hall. At the bottom was a small stream that ran downhill from where he stood, deeper into the bowels of the cave. He knelt down and drank deeply of the icy cold water, and rubbed it on his throbbing forehead, which was painful to the touch.

  He stood up without any dizziness, feeling refreshed from the spring water, and headed back up the gentle incline in the direction of the light. Ahead of him the cave entrance was getting closer, and he realized the brightness he was seeing was sunlight. As he approached the light source, he saw that it was coming from around a bend in the cave tunnel. He was now about fifty feet away from the place where the tunnel turned and where the light was streaming in. As he approached the turn, intent on peeking around the corner to discover the source of the light, a foul, disturbing odor hit him like an avalanche. So strong was the smell that he had to concentrate just not to lose whatever food was left in his stomach. How many days had he been in this cave, anyway?

  Slowly he crept near the bend in the tunnel, and as he did, the light seemed to fade again. He peered around the corner, and his heart sank as he saw that a gate blocked the tunnel about ten feet away. He turned the corner and quietly crept up to the bars of the gate; peering down the tunnel, he saw that a large black rock blocked the exit to the cave.

  But now the rock was moving. And as it moved, light burst through from the outside world, blinding Romeo. After days of lying in the dark, his eyes adjusted slowly; finally, as he blinked desperately to see what was before him, he recognized a large shape: there, scuttling down the tunnel toward him, light streaming in from behind, was the obsidigon, whose skin resembled black obsidian rock, but with fine, sharp scales.

  Romeo pulled back, confident the creature had not spotted him. He began to retreat backward, putting distance between himself and the gate, the stench of the creature approaching swiftly from the other side. As he backed up, his heel hit a flat rock, which skidded across the floor and hit the wall of the tunnel. The sound reverberated throughout the cave, echoing momentarily. Romeo froze, closed his eyes, and hoped the foul monster had not taken notice.

  Though Romeo had backed around the corner so the gate was no longer in his line of sight, he could see the long shadow of the obsidigon dancing before him on the opposite wall of the cave, growing larger as the creature approached. Is the gate locked? Romeo wondered. And then he had a strange thought: I’d rather be locked in here than face that disgusting beast!

  He paused, standing still. Then he noticed that the light had faded. Was the sun setting, or was the dragon again blocking the light from coming in through the tunnel? Curiosity in an eleven-year-old boy is a powerful force, and Romeo was no exception. He couldn’t resist the temptation to peek around the corner and see what was what. He quietly approached the spot where the cave bent right, and pee
red around the corner. As he did, there was a flash of movement, and the shadows danced again on the wall. There in front of him the dragon moved swiftly, its neck whipping around as the massive head turned back toward the gate. The dragon’s jaundiced left eye was staring right at him.

  Romeo was so startled that he stumbled backward and began to run back into the large chamber of the cave, no longer concerned about the noise he was making. As he ran, he heard the terrible call of the obsidigon, the sound so piercing it forced him to his knees, his hands shoved against his ears in a vain attempt to block out the shrill screech.

  Well, there’s no escape in that direction, he said to himself, shaken by his confrontation with the dragon. As he retreated further into the darkness, his mood seemed to darken along with the fading light of the distant tunnel. He was utterly alone, and was now beginning to wonder if One’s visit had been real, or just a fevered dream—meaning nothing.

  Sensing the boy was gone, the obisidigon left the gate and made its way back to the main chamber. Hobaling was standing over the same dark pool of water where he had conjured the obsidigon. “I see you were having a bit of fun with the boy, yes?” Hobaling said, cackling at the dragon. The obsidigon only smiled, revealing his sharp, bloodstained teeth, his yellow eyes shining with recognition.

  Hobaling turned back to the pool of water, staring into its black depths. “We will finish what my grandfather and the last Great Obsidigon Horde failed to do—light and dark cannot exist together—as the light fades, our destiny and strength grows, and the Darq powers will reign,” the warlock exclaimed.

  “We must spread the darkness not only through the air, but also through the sea,” he told the obsidigon. He bent down at the edge of the pool and placed various elements into the water—bits of dried animal flesh, hoofs, roots, and bones—as he began to recite an ancient incantation. He took a long, curved knife (the very blade that had killed Jacob’s mother many years before) and removed three scales from the back of the obsidigon. He tossed them into the water, one by one, and as he did, the water began to boil.

  Hobaling scooped out a large bowl of the dark boiling liquid, exited the cave, and descended a long, narrow set of stone steps carved into the face of the cliff. The staircase wound down hundreds of feet to a large flat rock just above the raging sea. There, with the waves crashing about him, he knelt down, closed his eyes, mumbled indecipherable words, and slowly poured the black liquid from the large bowl into the frothy waves below. As he did, a dark circle of water began to spread outward from where the liquid fell into the sea, like drops of black ink falling into a basin of water.

  Under the water, various fish began to writhe and transform into twisted, evil creatures, their teeth growing long and sharp, and their eyes turning yellow. The dark pool of water began to expand and move slowly away from the sea cliffs, out toward the open ocean.

  The circle of water seemed alive as it moved as one away from the island. The transformed creatures—barracuda, sharks, and other fast-swimming fish—could be seen darting out of the Darq pool, their silhouettes just below the surface, swimming north, south, east, and west, as if on a mission.

  From his rocky ledge just above the crashing waves, the warlock stood and screamed in a high, haunting voice, “Yes, Darq hunters, seek out and destroy creatures of light. Go now!”

  Fourteen

  Lightcaster

  YU-NING AND SUPARNA flew most of the night to get back to Rainbow Island. A shining full moon bathed them in shimmering light, and they encountered no trouble. Suparna was aided in flight by a gentle wind at his back, which was a welcome relief after all the flying he had done the past few weeks.

  The first hints of dawn were breaking as the majestic bird, along with a sleeping Yu-ning and Magic, approached Rainbow Island. From far away, in the early morning light, the Island looked perfect and undisturbed. It wasn’t until the trio flew into Rainbow Cove that the telltale signs of the obsidigon’s attack could still be seen. Though most of the village was rebuilt, there were ugly scorch marks upon the earth, and dark scars on the hillsides where the forest had burned from the dragon’s fire.

  As they landed on the beach, Yu-ning removed her pack and the great bow, Lightcaster, and headed straight for the school hall/hospital in search of Metatron. She found him awake, sitting up in bed eating his breakfast. She hugged him sweetly and perched herself on the edge of his cot.

  “It is indeed very good to see you again, Yu-ning,” said Metatron, smiling at the dark-eyed girl. “You and Suparna have been in my prayers, and it is a great relief to know that you are safe and sound.” Yu-ning felt as if she had been gone for months and months, even though it had only been two weeks since she had left for the Tower of Light and the Grey City. So much had transpired, and she didn’t know where to begin.

  “I see you have brought something back from your travels?” asked Metatron, pointing at Lightcaster. Yu-ning looked at the bow, running her hand along the finely carved surface and tracing along the inscription etched into the inner curve of the bow.

  “May I see the bow, Yu-ning?” asked Metatron. Yu-ning handed Lightcaster to him, and he examined it carefully for several minutes. It was a magnificent artifact—like none that Metatron had ever seen. “I knew many of the Darq Render archers, but this is the finest bow I have ever seen,” marveled the wizard. He tested its weight and read the inscription on the inside:

  Strike sure, strike bright.

  Strike with stealth, strike with might.

  Rend the darkness, bring the light,

  Invite the day, or fade as night

  Yu-ning asked the meaning of the inscription, and Metatron said, “‘Rend the darkness, bring the light’ refers to the light in all of us, Yu-ning. I cannot discern the rest—Darq Render ways are well-guarded secrets, and there is very little known about the power of their bows and arrows, or what magic lies within. But what I do know is that the bow and the arrow are useless against an obsidigon unless used together. Do you have the arrows, Yu-ning?”

  “No, Master, I don’t,” Yu-ning said. “The man who gave me the bow, a hunter named Jacob from Palova Island, says that his brother has the arrows. The problem is that he and his brother parted ways twenty years ago, and he doesn’t know where his brother lives.”

  “Jacob,” repeated Metatron. “We once had a Rainbow Child here on the Island named Jacob. What is his brother’s name?”

  “Joshua. And that is the same Jacob—both brothers once lived here on Rainbow Island.”

  “Yes, I remember them very well,” Metatron recollected. “They were sad boys who had suffered a terrible ordeal. I believe they lost both their parents and were brought here by ship from Darqendia. Set off on their own when they came of age.”

  “Yes, that’s right, Master. The one I met has guarded Lightcaster all these years. After he and Joshua left Rainbow Island, they traveled back to Darqendia to their old village and retrieved the bow and the quiver of arrows. But then Jacob stayed on Palova, keeping Lightcaster, while Joshua went back to sea on a merchant ship and kept the arrows. And Jacob hasn’t seen him since—that was more than twenty years ago.”

  “Then we need to find Joshua, Yu-ning,” concluded Metatron. “Does Jacob have any clues as to where his brother might have gone?”

  “No, none,” replied Yu-ning.

  Metatron and Yu-ning talked for a long time and eventually took their conversation outside onto the shaded veranda surrounding the school hall. Metatron moved slowly, using his sturdy staff for support. It was a perfect Rainbow Island day, the sun shining warmly, white puffy clouds dotting the sky, and a lovely warm breeze blowing. When they moved outside, Suparna joined them, and they discussed what steps needed to be taken to track down the long-lost brother, Joshua.

  “There is no way of knowing where he is, Metatron,” offered Suparna. “All we know is that when they left here they went back to Darqendia, to their old village. A close relative showed them where Lightcaster was hidden, and then they le
ft again on a merchant ship. From there, they traveled throughout the islands until the night that Jacob decided to stay on Palova. That is all we know.”

  “It seems to me that we need to go back to the beginning, so we might pursue a successful end,” mused Metatron.

  “What do you mean, my friend?” asked Suparna.

  “We need to go to Darqendia, and see if Joshua ever returned to his boyhood home. Even if he is not there, perhaps he has visited, and someone in his old village will know where he lives now.”

  Suparna looked thoughtful, considering Metatron’s logic. He nodded in agreement, and both he and the wizard looked at Yu-ning, who was rubbing her left arm where her scars were healing. Though the wound was not as painful as even a week before, the arm still caused her pain.

  “Yu-ning, I need to send you out again—with Suparna. I wish I could take on this task myself, but I am still quite weak,” said Metatron. He nodded at Suparna, who took his leave so that Yu-ning and her master could be alone. It was now late in the day, and Yu-ning felt very, very tired.

  “I don’t want to leave you, Metatron. I am frightened, and my arm hurts me still.”

  “I am sorry it has come to this, Yu-ning,” said the wizard with love in his eyes, removing a wisp of hair from Yu-ning’s face and tucking it behind her ear. “This is your path to follow, Yu-ning, and I think that has been confirmed to you, as it has to me. In another place and another time, others older, stronger, or more experienced might have been chosen for this task. But today, for this time, and this task, it comes to you.”

  Yu-ning nodded sadly, not wanting to face the full force of Metatron’s words. She knew he was right, but wished with all her heart he wasn’t. The two sat quietly for a while, the soft breeze blowing across the veranda. It was so peaceful that Yu-ning just rested in the tranquility of the moment, almost able to forget all the unsettling problems of the world.

  After Yu-ning shared a quiet meal with Suparna and Metatron, Suparna flew back up the hillside, depositing Yu-ning, her backpack, and Magic on the trail in front of the cave.