Louis in the Land of Tetra

by Frank J. Ling

  “The Wise Ones knew the behemoth molted a small amount of its wool only once during its lifetime. They reasoned if they could gather some of this shed wool to make a garment, they might attain the same powers as the Rothgan.

  “The Wise Ones possessed ancient documents describing the optimal conditions in which the creature would molt. The first problem encountered was where to locate one of the elusive animals. Not only were they extremely shy, they were also quite rare.

  “However, through many years of untiring persistence, they discovered one in the Assure Caves, west of the Valley of Stones. They fed it succulent flowers every day until the creature grew accustomed to their presence. In time, the Wise Ones were able to approach the Rothgan at will, without frightening it off. The plush diet of plant life created the perfect conditions for it to molt.

  “When the Rothgan finally shed its wool, there was enough of the rare material to make a sweater. The Wise Ones wanted to use the garment to defend the inhabitants of Tetra, specifically from the Shadow Warriors. There resides no good in them. They live to conquer and enslave the weak. If not for the Wise Ones and the garment, Tetra, no doubt, would still be under the control of the evil Shadow Warriors.

  “The garment made the Wise Ones virtually undefeatable. They roamed the land of Tetra and used the sweater to protect those who could not defend themselves from the Shadow Warriors. At every turn and every confrontation, the Wise Ones were victorious over the enemy. A tranquil peace settled over all the land.”

  “If the Wise Ones owned the sweater, how did the shadow guys get a hold of it?” asked Gus.

  “It was obtained through subterfuge.”

  “What did he say?” asked Crystal.

  “He said they tricked the Wise Ones,” explained Louis.

  “Correct, the Shadow Warriors knew they could not defeat the Wise Ones as long as the sweater was in their possession, so they hoodwinked them.

  “The Shadow Warriors made a treaty with the Wise Ones and promised to permanently cease all warfare. Of course, they never intended to honor the treaty. They duped the Wise Ones into a false sense of security by stopping all aggression for a time. The Wise Ones lowered their guard and were lulled into a false sense of security. The sweater was put away in a rosewood box inside the tribal leader’s hut. Since there was no threat, or so the Wise Ones thought, it was unnecessary for them to use it any longer. That is when the Shadow Warriors launched their assault.

  “The Shadow Warriors attacked the Wise Ones’s village during a dark moonless night. They confiscated the sweater and resumed their reign of terror throughout the land of Tetra. However, they did not hold onto it for long.

  “According to the history recorded here, the sweater was stolen from the Shadow Warriors by the Binkee tribe! The Binkees concocted an ingenious and risky plan. They transformed themselves to look like Shadow Warriors and secretly infiltrated the enemy camp, so as to find a way to reclaim the sweater. The Binkees learned that the tribal leader never wore the sweater to sleep for fear of being kidnapped by enemies. He ordered his warriors to hide the sweater in a different tent each night to ensure its safety.

  This was the opportunity the Binkees had been waiting for.

  “Early one morning, before the real tribal leader and most of his army woke up, a Binkee masqueraded as the Shadow Warrior leader. He commanded a guard to bring the garment to him.

  “The soldier brought the sweater, not suspecting that he was actually handing it over to an imposter! The Binkees slipped out of the camp before the Shadow Warriors knew what had happened.

  “The Binkees reconvened in their village and called a council meeting. They agreed that the sweater was much too dangerous for anyone to own. They did not want it to fall into the wrong hands again.”

  “So, what did they do with it, Mr. Bixbee?” asked Crystal.

  “They decided to hide the sweater where no one would ever find it.”

  “But why didn’t they just destroy it. Wouldn’t that have been safer?” she asked.

  “That would have been the preferable solution, but the sweater is indestructible; it cannot be destroyed.”

  “Oh. I forgot about that. What happened next?”

  “They went to the Valley of Stones. This valley is literally filled with millions of rocks and boulders. They reasoned no one would ever find the sweater if it was concealed there. A large boulder was chosen to hide the garment. With much effort, they lifted a stone high enough to stash the sweater underneath. However, as they did so, the sweater disappeared before their eyes. They did not anticipate the fact that a rare transport hole was under the very boulder they selected. An amazing coincidence! The sweater has not been seen since — or, should I say, not until Louis’s arrival on Tetra. That is why the Shadow Warriors are in pursuit of you. They wish to recapture the sweater and regain their control over Tetra.”

  Louis pondered the history of his sweater and arrived at a startling conclusion, “So this sweater was lost through a transport hole underneath a rock. My mom said my sweater was discovered by my great, great grandmother under a large boulder in her village. . .

  “I know it sounds crazy, but I think there is a link here. There must have been a transport hole under the rock where my great, great grandmother found the sweater. My guess is these two holes, the one in the Valley of Stones and the other one on Earth, are somehow connected!” said Louis.

  “What you say sounds very feasible. There is no other explanation. The sweater you wear is the same sweater that was once owned by the Wise Ones and the Shadow Warriors. Astounding but quite plausible!” said Mr. Bixbee.

  “The dreaded Shadow Warriors, must you fight. That is the reason, came here, you did. But to be successful, not only must you be brave, the ring of two hearts you must have,” Chalandoor explained.

  “You’re talking about my mom’s lost ring. Well, I can’t help you there. We looked and looked and couldn’t find it. Besides, all I want to do is to go home. I’m tired of having to battle everybody all the time.”

  “No. You are to help us all. It is written in the Book of Tetra.”

  “That makes no difference to me. I’m not planning on fighting anymore. So, that’s that. Go find yourself another hero.”

  Louis was exhausted from the long journey. It certainly was exciting, but the stress of protecting his friends and keeping them all safe was wearing him down. He was just a kid after all! Not many adults could have accomplished what he had in so short a time. Louis wasn’t interested in saving a world; all he wanted to do was return home, see his family and friends, and live a normal quiet life. Before arriving on Tetra, he said everything was boring and typical, but now all he wanted was an existence that was typical.

  Shining Star, so quiet during most of the journey, spoke up. “You do not understand, Louis. Everything that has happened to you has occurred for a reason. You may not understand it all, but it was meant to be. You must help us in our fight to be free from the Shadow Warriors. Look not on your own desires or feelings, but look at the many you will be able to help. I know you want to go home badly, but you must look beyond your own needs and think of our destiny. You can change it for us, Louis. Here, I think this will help you.”

  The Zeeboo unfolded one of his wings and turned it over to expose a small tiny object entangled underneath.

  Louis looked closely and saw that it was something made out of metal and a brightly colored jewel. He unraveled the object carefully, taking care not to damage any feather, and shouted in surprise, “It’s the ring! It’s my mom’s ring!”

  “I apologize for not telling you sooner. Let me explain. When we were searching for your mother’s ring in the Land of Lost Things, I slipped and fell off the hill of rings. When I got up, I felt a small irritation under one of my wings. I asked you to see what it was.”

  “Oh, I remember. I was about to look, but Crystal started to shout for help, right?”

  “Yes. We went over to help Crystal, but, by then, I had fo
rgotten about the annoyance. It didn’t occur to me until later to investigate what was causing my discomfort. I strained to look underneath, but could not see what it was.

  “I saw a puddle nearby, opened my wing, and saw underneath by looking at the reflection on the surface of the water. It was then when I realized that I had ‘found’ your ring.

  “I was very excited and would have told you at that very moment, but the Xombo tribe attacked us. After that ordeal, I totally forgot about my discovery. These events came back to my memory after the prophecy was read.”

  “You see, all things have happened for a reason, they have. Doubt still, do you, of what you must do?” said Chalandoor.

  “It all seems so fantastic and unbelievable,” said Louis with wonder.

  “But the fantastic, often it is unbelievable, is it not?”

  Louis weighted everything in his mind and reviewed all that had transpired. Was it really true? He thought how unlikely a person he was to fulfill a prophecy, let alone being the instrument in freeing the inhabitants of an entire world. Yes, he wanted to go home, but his compassion for the Tetrans was hard for him to ignore.

  “Yes. I guess you’re right. I don’t understand everything, but I will do what I can to help. I don’t know if I’ll be successful, but I will try.”

  “And we’ll all help you too,” added Crystal.

  Chalandoor pointed at the ring and said, “It would seem that the ring may have special abilities, it may. But what they are, unknown to us, it is. The book tells us not. See here.”

  Chalandoor carefully turned another creaking page and read:

  “The ring and the garment, together they must be,

  for both will be present for possible victory.

  A true ring within a ring, indestructible, can never be torn,

  It can never be hurt and can never be worn.

  The garment to protect and fight against Evil,

  two close hearts within a ring of friendship to do what cannot be revealed.

  One without the other, this can never become,

  for if the two are separated the Final Battle will not be won.

  No hope of triumph, success or glory in any shape they will say,

  only despair and defeat to follow all the rest of the days.

  But if the two are victorious, it will perplex and amaze,

  for those who once were, will change in all of their ways.”

  Gus looked over Chalandoor’s shoulder and noticed that the page opposite the prophecy was blank.

  “Where’s the rest of the writing?” he asked.

  “Words which were once there have disappeared. Not one remembers. We only know that the words will return when all is over,” Chalandoor said in his odd way.

  “Crystal, I want you to wear my mom’s ring. It’s too small for me anyway and there isn’t anyone I can think of I could trust more than you.”

  “Wow, this ring is really pretty. I’ll take care of it as if it were my own. I won’t let you down.”

  “Okay, it’s a deal.”

  The two shook hands in absolute agreement like only best friends can.

  CHAPTER 14

  THE COURAGEOUS CONFRONTATION

  Just as the water in a winding river can be deflected from its course by various objects and debris in it, so is a person’s life can be changed by the decisions one makes in it.

  It is said by some that life has many crucial turning points or crossroads. These events do not have to be great in scope. They can be as mundane as selecting one street over another to travel, or as monumental as saving someone’s life. But whatever the choice, the final outcome will always be for good or evil. This fact, however, is not understood by many.

  Louis understood.

  He decided to put the welfare of others ahead of his own. In doing so, he was risking what he wanted more than anything else — to go home. It was a difficult decision because there were no guarantees of success. He was risking everything because he believed what he was doing was right.

  Even so, he was still afraid. The huge responsibility weighed heavily on him. What would happen if he failed to defeat the Shadow Warriors? What if he panicked and made the wrong decisions? If he was successful, would he still be able to go back home? There were so many questions, so many uncertainties.

  But there was one thing he was certain about — the strong devotion of his friends. Although the task ahead was daunting, knowing that his friends were supporting him was reassuring. Outside of Crystal, he had never met anyone else as dedicated and loyal as they were. Their faith in him gave him the courage to go on.

  “Your only hope lies with the garment and ring. You must do what you must do,” the Wise One said.

  “And what is that?” Louis asked.

  “You will know when you will know.”

  “Thanks, that really helps a lot,” Crystal said sarcastically.

  “You are most welcome,” Chalandoor said.

  “I don’t think she really meant it that way, Chalandoor.”

  “Then why does she say so if she does not mean it?”

  “Sometimes, people say things to mean the opposite of what they say,” Louis tried to explain.

  “And you say that I speak unclearly? At least with me, what I speak is what I mean!”

  “I’m sorry, Chalandoor. I didn’t mean to be unkind,” Crystal said.

  “I only tell you what I know, I do. You will know what to do when you know what to do. I cannot say more. I cannot say less.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to go by faith and see what happens,” Crystal said.

  “That, you must do, you must,” Chalandoor agreed.

  Mr. Bixbee offered some observations about the Shadow Warriors, “The enemy is cunning and dangerous. They are but phantoms when they travel, but deadly when they materialize to engage in battle. I have seen their weapons of devastation. They possess swords that cut through trees as if they were comprised of papier-mâché. Their spears emit lightning flashes that demolish anything in their way. Many Tetrans simply give up when faced with the destructive demonstrations of the Shadow Warriors. They are fearless and have no dread of anything or anyone.”

  Louis listened but questions were forming in his mind. The Shadow Warriors could have attacked him at the very beginning of the journey, but didn’t. Even with the sweater, Louis couldn’t possibly have defeated them; not with the weapons they had. Louis thought these things over, and sensed there was something important about all of this, but was unable to form a reason why.

  Louis’s thoughts were interrupted when Crystal cried out in shock.

  “What’s wrong, Crystal?”

  Chalandoor answered instead. “We have been found, we have. The Shadow Warriors are at the entrance. We have been discovered!”

  They looked at the transport hole leading into the Wise One’s village and saw a Shadow Warrior atop a large round object, peering through the opening.

  “So, we have finally uncovered your hiding place! I am certain that my tribal leader will be happy to hear of it!” he laughed with delight. The figure disappeared as suddenly as it had materialized.

  “Oh, no! We’ve been discovered! They must have seen us enter the village through the portal. But how was that Shadow Warrior able to look through without falling? The hole is suspended in space on the other side, isn’t it?” asked Crystal.

  “It is, yes,” Chalandoor said.

  “If I had a ladder, I could get a better view through the hole.”

  “Have one, we have to leave and enter our village more easily,” said Chalandoor.

  He brought out a creaky ladder that didn’t look very sturdy.

  “Are you sure this won’t break when I climb on it?” she asked.

  “If you weigh not too heavy, break the ladder, you will not.”

  “Who’s too heavy?” Crystal yelled.

  “I think you hit a sore spot with her, Chalandoor,” Louis whispered.

  “But touch her, I did not,
” said the Wise One puzzled.

  “Never mind. It’s a long story.”

  “Look, just catch me if I fall, okay?”

  She carefully climbed up and peered through the portal.

  “What do you see, Crystal?” Louis asked.

  “So, that’s how he did it!”

  “What?”

  “They’ve got a long log that leads from the edge of the cliff and reaches to the opening of this transport hole. That Shadow Warrior must have been standing on the log. They’re getting ready to walk across the log to here. I don’t think it will be long before they start their attack!” she said.

  “Let’s push the log away from the entrance. That way they won’t be able to come across,” said Gus.

  “An excellent idea but that will not prevent them from coming. They merely have to make the leap from the cliff ledge to here. The log was purely used as an exploratory device to see what was on the other side of the transport hole. They wanted to make sure it was safe,” reasoned Mr. Bixbee.

  Louis again, questioned the Shadow Warrior’s actions. “Didn’t you say that they were fearless? Why would they need to find out if it was safe to make the jump? They saw us do it. Why did they go through all the trouble of using the log? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  “If we had more time to discuss this, we might find answers to your queries; however, time is what we do not have. The Shadow Warriors are practically upon us, and we must devise a plan to defend ourselves. The time for questions is over. We need to act quickly!” said Mr. Bixbee with great urgency.

  “Allow the Shadow Warriors to enter our village, we cannot. The village and the Book of Tetra, we must protect. The Shadow Warriors, enter they must not!” added Chalandoor with emphasis.

  “What are we going to do, Louis?” Crystal asked.

  “There’s only one thing that we can do. We go through the transport hole and keep them from coming in.”

  “How are we going to do that?” she asked.

  “I wish I knew. Maybe I’ll think of something by then.”

  “Louis, this is not the most encouraging news that I have heard from you. Is that the best plan you can come up with?” Mr. Bixbee asked.