The One Armed, Three Legged Chair

by Joseph Vincent

get the bleeding heart rock into the nest. All of the birds looked at each other, none especially wanting to get that close to the evil beating stone.

  “Alright,” it was Zaaxim; he had a nice sturdy, pointed on one end stick, in his talons. “I am going to jam this into that crack and lift the rock into the nest. Then I will pick up the front and one of you will have to pick up the back.”

  “That will be me!” Zair said hopping down only zinches from the nest. “I am ready.”

  Hundreds of birds watched anxiously as Zaaxim flew slowly and deliberately and with a skill that they had not seen before. He moved his wings in such a way that he seemed to hover in slow motion over the bleeding heart rock. Slowly he pointed the end of the stick towards the crack barely making a sound. Then as fast as a blinking eye he dropped straight down, his weight forcing the stick deeply into the crack.

  “Are you ready?” he asked as he effortlessly lifted the dripping rock from its resting-place and dropped it into the nest.

  “I am ready,” Zair answered and took his place in the rear.

  Then Zaaxim and Zair dug their talons deeply into the nest, making sure they both had an extremely secure hold. Together they lifted the nest with the bleeding heart rock cradled between them. Their wings moving in sync carried the load with little effort.

  “One of you fly ahead and tell the Omach that we did it and that we are coming.” Zair said with pride and excitement.

  “I will go…” Aires shouted and flew as fast as he could towards the deadwood grove.

  The Omach tossed another log on the fire, wiped his hands and turned to the Ozure. His brother was sitting still in the place against the rock near his hut. There was a peaceful look on his face… a calmness about his being. There had been many omzs lost between them and the Omach felt a joy when he thought about the days to come.

  “You know my brother,” the Omach said walking towards him. “With a little work, some planting and seeding…”

  The Ozure interrupted, “I know, it is nothing like the lovely meadow you live in. I have neglected the gift of life that once surrounded me. I am ashamed for letting all the beauty that once was around me wither and die.”

  “Oh but that is where you are wrong…” the Omach reached down and from under a pile of dead and tangled brush he plucked a fresh little flower. “It is not dead… only hiding from the feet that once trod heavily upon the ground all around it.”

  “Those feet will step lightly now,” the Ozure said smiling widely. “I would like your help brother, to repair my dilapidated hut.”

  “Certainly… any time you ask…” The Omach handed his brother the tiny sweet smelling flower and held out his hand to help him up.

  “Omach,” the Ozure looked over his shoulder towards the south. “There is still an evil out there… what shall be done with it?”

  “Well,” the Omach put his hand on the Ozure’s shoulder. “I am sure you remember the birds that rescued the chair. They are on their way to find that evil and bring it back to me.”

  The Ozure pinched his eyebrows and asked, “But how?”

  The Omach smiled, “I am not sure of how, but knowing those birds, they will find a way.”

  Just then the little bird with the big ideas flew into view and landed on the round roof of the Ozure’s hut. He was afraid when he saw the Ozure and was just about to turn and fly away when the Omach called to him.

  “Do not be afraid my little friend. The Ozure has had a change of heart and is no longer to be feared.”

  The little bird chirped and cheeped and squawked loudly his disbelief. The Omach reassured him and asked of their progress in finding the bleeding heart. The bird trusted the Omach. Cheeping loudly that they had found it, knowing Zair and the others were on their way.

  “Omach,” the Ozure said quickly. “The only way to destroy the evil inside the stone is fire. They must drop it into the fire!”

  “Quickly little one,” the Omach instructed the little bird, “fly back and tell them to drop the rock into the fire; quickly fly quickly.”

  The little messenger turned and flew swiftly to intercept the approaching flock.

  “More wood…” the Ozure hurried to the woodpile and threw more branches on the fire. “It will have to be very hot… very hot!”

  Joining his brother, the Omach started throwing more and more fuel on the fire. Soon there was a blaze that was so hot; they had to stand quite a distance away. The two brothers stood watching and waiting for the birds to return. Neither of them knew what would happen when the bleeding heart fell into the flames.

  Zair and the other birds were about half way to the deadwood grove when Aires met them. He told Zaxim, the big colorful bird carrying the front of the nest and Zair that the Omach said that the rock must be dropped in the fire… “That is the only way it can be destroyed!”

  “Then that is what we will do.” Zaaxim said, ‘matter of factly’.

  One of the birds that was flying higher than the rest spotted the flames. “Oh my, that is the biggest fire I have ever seen. You are going to have to be very careful. If you get too close the heat will kill you.”

  “Zair,” Zaaxim said.” We need to fly as fast as we can. When we get close we will turn and if you let go first that will fling the nest, and the rock forward. I will let go right after you…”

  “No,” Zair said, “we need to let go at the same time or the rock will fall out before it gets to the fire.”

  “Okay… I will say when… “

  They flew faster and faster until they were at top speed. The breeze caused their eyes to water and Zair felt the nest stating to come apart.

  “There! Do you see it, the fire?” one of the birds just to their left shouted.

  “Yes.” Zair said, “and just in time, the nest is starting to…” just then the nest came apart from his left talons. “I am losing it! It is going to fall!”

  “Hold on, we are almost there.” Zaaxim started to descend.

  Zair grabbed the nest just to the left of the bleeding rock with his free foot and spread his wings letting the lead bird guide them. They quickly approached the clearing where the enormous blaze heated the air even as far away as they were. Zair felt afraid but did not let go.

  “There they are,” the Omach shouted!

  The Ozure looked at the birds and then the fire… “They can not miss brother. They can not miss.”

  The Omach stepped back and started rubbing his hands together. He slowed his breathing and concentrated on the makeshift basket. He watched as the birds made their approach and focused his eyes on the nest.

  Zaaxim was ready; it was almost time. He looked back at Zair quickly and said; “Here we go… ond, twict… NOW!”

  Zair let loose the nest and pulled back. Zaaxim held the nest for a split second more and turned sharply. When he let go the nest and the bleeding heart headed straight for the fire. The Omach and the Ozure watched as the twig wrapped stone exploded violently when it entered the inferno. The flames turned blood red and shot straight up high into the sky.

  “Look out!” Zair shouted at Zaaxim who was about to be swallowed by the flames.

  The Omach blew into his cupped right hand and threw his breath with all of his might directly at the bird. The blast of air knocked him out of the flame’s path and he tumbled out of control for the ground. Zair flew to him and in an instant caught his right leg and saved him from crashing into the rocks and dirt.

  “Thank you Zair”, Zaaxim uttered under his breath after getting back on his feet. “I thought it was the end of me.”

  Zair smiled with his eyes knowing that Zaaxim would have done the same for him. “It was nothing my friend.”

  The reality of what they had done filled their minds. They looked at the blazing flames and jumped straight up into the nearest tree when a horrifying scream came from the inferno.

  The Omach and the Ozure stepped back a few steps and watched along with the birds as the fire convulsed and bellowed with painful c
ries. They saw from within the blaze distorted and evil forms and faces crying out in pain. They were they faces of young and old creatures and beings that were familiar and unfamiliar.

  Zair flew to the Omach and landed on his shoulder. “What are they?” he asked.

  The Omach thought for a moment and answered; “They must be all those that the bleeding heart possessed at one time.

  Then they saw the face of the Ozure and then the Omach…

  “You are right Omach,” Zair said, “It is you and the Ozure…

  The Ozure stepped closer to his brother. “It is over,” he said. “The evil that is was is burning in the fire. The evil brought to our planet is leaving.”

  “And what a beautiful sight it is,” the Omach said resting his arm around the Ozure.

  After the flames stopped screaming they began to change color. At first they faded to orange and slowly into yellow. The birds and the brothers then saw the color leave all together and there was only heat waves dancing and licking at the air. It was the most amazing sight they had ever seen; they could hardly believe their eyes, Then it happened… spectacle beyond anything imaginable…

  There was a whisper came from the clear fire; a whisper that was spoken with words no one understood. It was a calming soft whisper and with it came a delicate translucent blue to the clear flames. All watched the flames diminish and the bed of coals turn from glowing red with heat to cool gray ash… then there were no flames at all.

  Zair flew over to the fire pit and hopped on a large