by Mary Coffin
The second time she woke, she saw a quarter moon appear above the trees. As she looked at the stars around it, she saw a second moon, also only a quarter full. She rubbed her eyes thinking they were just blurry from having just awoken. The two moons were still there. How odd!
Tibby stirred.
She whispered, “Are you awake?”
He looked at her. “Yeah, I thought I heard something. Must have been dreaming.”
“Look.” Fynn pointed to the sky.
“Are there two moons?” he asked.
“Yeah. Strange, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Cnāwan cried out. “Jon, NO!”
Everyone sat up.
“What is it?” asked Ben. It took a moment, but the sight before them registered in his brain.
Jon was sitting up, reaching out. Cnāwan sat next to him, trying to get his attention.
“Jon, that’s not me. She’s not real.” She hit her chest with her hand. “I’m here, Jon.”
Next to him, an apparition that looked exactly like Cnāwan was handing him a cup from which to drink. The real Cnāwan shook Jon.
“I don’t know what to do. His fever is causing him to hallucinate. He thinks I’m giving him something to help him recover but if he drinks that, it will kill him for sure. I don’t doubt the negative forces would consider it a notch on their belt if the ymbgang claimed the life of a Wær.”
Ben jumped to his feet and restrained Jon. He pushed him back to the ground and held him down.
“Jon, say wigle. Say it, Jon. Say weeejull,” demanded Ben.
Jon muttered incoherently and tried to reach for the cup again.
“Cnāwan, since that’s a leogan and you’re real, maybe it will work if you say it. Try it! You’re as much a part of this as he is. Call it!”
Cnāwan looked at the illusion with anguished eyes and cried out. “Wigle!!”
The form looked like sparkles from fireworks as they exploded in the air and burned themselves out. Cnāwan threw herself onto Jon’s chest and let out a big sigh. Ben backed away and sat next to Fynn.
They appreciated the graveness of how close Jon had come to sealing his own fate. Sleep came in brief spurts the rest of the night. Slight sounds or movement caused them to wake. They were relieved when dawn came without further incidents.
Jon was the only one who was still asleep as daybreak came. During the night, Cnāwan had rested her head on his chest with her arm and leg draped over him. In case she dozed, she wanted to know if he moved. As the others started moving around camp, she sat up and looked at him. She put her hand to his forehead.
“His fever is gone. Ben...Mel...his fever is gone!” She smiled.
Ben and Mel knelt beside him.
“Looks like we might be out of the woods, so to speak,” offered Ben.
“That was a close call last night,” said Mel.
Cnāwan nodded vigorously. “Yes, it was! I’ll be relieved when we get out of here.”
“That’s for sure. I thought I saw two of you last night,” spouted Jon.
They looked down and saw him smiling.
“You’re awake!” Cnāwan put her hand on his leg.
“Who can sleep with all of you gawking over me?”
~~~
Jon was given a double dose of the rescue tonic. After a few hours of rest and some soothing soup from Chef Tibby, color had returned to his face. He was still weak but growing restless.
“C’mon, Ben. I know I can make it. You all want to get going – I can feel it,” he said. “Well, so do I. How far have we travelled?”
“We’re only about half a mile into the ymbgang,” replied Ben. “After what you’ve just been through, you’re seriously ready to go for a hike? Don’t you want a little more rest?” Jon gave him a deadpan face so Ben looked at Cnāwan to see if she had any reaction. “You don’t have anything to say?”
“When it comes to you two, I stay clear of conversations like this.” She smiled.
Jon put it up for vote. “I’m heading out...how many of you are with me?”
The kids observed their interaction and decided it was best to stay out of the conversation.
After a moment, Ben gave in. He picked up a pack and tossed it to Jon. “Then I don’t want to hear any belly aching.” He tried to put up a front that he was serious but Jon noticed the corners of his mouth were turned up.
Jon mocked a shocked look. “Have you ever heard me belly ache?” He saw that everyone had their eyes on him. He slung the pack on his back. “On second thought, don’t answer that.”
Ben slapped him on the back. “It’s good to have you back.”
Chapter 44
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“Just relax. Think about Elione. Picture it like you saw it in the painting. Embed it in your mind.” Ben brought up the tail end of the group with Mel. Fynn and Tibby were in the middle while Cnāwan and Jon took the lead.
Suddenly, a small brown furry thing darted across the path ahead of them. Along with it came a high pitched, nasally “Ooouuueeeee. Yip! Yip! Yip!” It took a flying leap and dove behind a bush.
Fynn and Tibby jumped.
“It’s okay.” Ben tried to assure them. “Just keep Elione in mind and act like you belong here.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” mumbled Tibby. He stared straight ahead.
“But what are they?” pressed Fynn.
Another one jumped from behind a tree onto the path directly in front of them. It stared for a moment, like it was trying to assess the situation. Jon and Cnāwan didn’t let it slow them down and the creature had to jump behind a tree to get out of the way. As it did so, there was another high pitched “Ooouuueeeee. Yip! Yip! Yip!”
Fynn looked at it as they walked past. The animal, or whatever it was, peered from behind the tree. When she made eye contact, it took several rapid steps and leapt behind a bush. It was a brown fuzz ball, only a foot wide and slightly taller, with pointed ears and short legs that moved with amazing speed. It reminded her of how the short-legged porcupines moved so fast. All the more surprising was its ability to jump. Two small, insignificant wings were extended as it ran, probably more for balance than flight.
“They’re called Creatura Aemulus. They were imported from another dimension. We call them Craemulus for short. They were put here as a last fail-safe for intruders trying to get through the ymbgang. They’re very sensitive creatures – they pick up our vibrations,” explained Ben.
“In other words, they know – from our vibrations – who belongs here and who doesn’t,” added Mel. “They were trained to weed out trespassers.”
Fynn spotted a smaller one eyeing her from between two bushes. She stopped. The critter looked at her with big brown eyes and unexpectedly its long fur, which had been puffed out around its round body, parted on top and hung lifelessly. The ears folded down and its eyes took on a sad look. It whimpered.
“It looks so sad,” she said.
Ben put his hand on her back. “It’s picking up your feelings about...losing your mother.”
Fynn looked down at the ground. “Oh.”
“We need to keep moving,” he added. Fynn sensed a tinge of urgency in his voice.
She stayed another moment and watched it. When it looked at Ben, she saw its ears perk up and its hair fluff back out around its body. It seemed fine again. “They’re cute.”
“Looks can be deceiving.” Mel nudged her from the other side and she started walking again.
Several more Craemulus calls spread throughout the forest.
Tibby slapped his hands over his ears. “Why do they keep making that sound?”
Jon made eye contact with Mel and then stepped back to walk beside Tibby. “They’re calling to the others. They’re checking you two out. Just stick close. It will be fine.”
“They remind me of a dog that bit me once. It had a high pitched yelp
just like that...and needles for teeth.” He shuddered at the memory.
A Craemulus eyed him from the shrubs beside the trail.
“It was a nasty little dog,” he continued. “You never knew what it was thinking.”
The Craemulus took a couple steps closer to the trail.
“One minute it acted like it wanted you to pet it and the next minute it wanted to bite off your hand...”
Jon noticed the Craemulus inching closer as they were about to pass near it. “Not a good time to be thinking about that...”
“I thought it was just a harmless little dog at first...cute eyes...”
“Tibby...”
“...charming face...it was the dog from hell...”
“Tibby!”
Just as he passed, the Craemulus let out a deep growl and leapt through the air, its jaw wide open, baring sharp spikes which were intent on biting into Tibby’s backside.
Fynn squealed at the sudden movement and tripped over a rock.
Seeing this from behind, Ben jumped into motion. With a flick of his hand, a flash appeared between Tibby and the Creamulus, and he yelled, “Farthel Bardum! Healt! Hangian!”
He said it as though he were scolding a kid for not making his bed.
The Craemulus halted in midair, its jaw revealed jagged teeth and its eyes registered surprise as to how it was suspended, mid-jump. Its feet kicked at thin air. Then, as if it reached an understanding, its eyes rolled upward and its jaw closed. A small nasally, monotone voice said, “Farthel down.”
Ben stepped closer to face the animal. “He’s one of us.” He pointed at Fynn, still sitting where she fell. “So is she.”
“Farthel doing job.” It looked at Tibby who had turned around. “Fearful vibrations, that one.”
“He was remembering a fearful incident,” explained Ben.
Then it glanced at Fynn on the ground. “Not much confidence, that one.”
Fynn looked hurt by the observation.
“These are special circumstances.” Ben looked a bit peeved. “Besides, you should know better than to think that we would bring someone through the belt that didn’t belong here!”
The critter looked at Ben. “Farthel down.”
“Do we have an agreement?!?”
The Craemulus stared at Ben. Its big brown eyes blinked but it said nothing.
Ben let out a sigh. “I’ll take that to mean that we do.” He stared back for a moment and then pointed with his finger. “If you make one move, I’ll hang you up for eternity!” Then he motioned with his finger. “Slaw dropa.”
The Craemulus was slowly lowered to the ground. Once its feet touched, it turned toward the bushes and waddled away.
Chapter 45
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Cnāwan danced circles around each one of them, singing. “We made it...we made it...we’re on our way home.” They were so close to Elione, there was no more concern about whether they would make it.
Previously, when they were about a half mile beyond the ymbgang, Jon had to stop and rest. More rescue tonic was given to him and he napped. Now he seemed all the better for it as they hiked up the mountain on a well-travelled trail. The closer they got to Elione, the more the laughter and giddiness increased. but they would only make it half way before they had to stop for the night.
Fynn and Tibby were amazed by the mountain. As they climbed in elevation, they felt as though they were – almost effortlessly – being pulled upward. Tibby said he felt the tingling sensation in his body again.
Considering the volcano had been dormant for eons of time, they assumed there would be vegetation but what they saw filled their senses to the fullest. Fynn commented on how the air, the plants, the rocks, vividly pulsated the farther up the mountain they went. It looked as though a double dose of color was given to everything, animate or inanimate. The sky was deep blue with brilliantly white cotton ball clouds. The greens of the trees and bushes were deep and rich. The colors of the wild flowers were so stunning it was as though she could feel their color. Even the rocks were multi-colored. Fynn basked in the vibrations and the pleasant, sweet scent in the air.
“It looks like the plants are dancing, too,” she commented.
Cnāwan took Fynn’s hands and they danced in a circle. “Of course they’re dancing. Your senses are heightening the farther up we go. That’s why you’re seeing more color and movement.”
Fynn giggled. Cnāwan’s happiness was contagious. They reached out for Tibby’s hands and pulled him into the dance. He laughed.
Mel added, “That’s why it was hard to describe this place to you back in Tungate. Words don’t even come close to the actual experience.”
Fynn understood her meaning now. They stopped and set up camp for the night. Only one more night and they would make it to the caldera tomorrow.
Tibby prepared a tantalizing meal. It seemed that the environment was further stimulating his senses. He sat on a log and imagined the supper. He let the taste he dreamed-up roam over his taste buds, making him salivate. When it became so real that he could smell it, it appeared. He provided roasted chicken covered in a dark chocolate mole sauce with an assortment of warm, herbed vegetables on the side. Before he served it, he stepped into the woods and picked some lavender and added the fresh flowers to the sauce. It proved to be an intoxicating combination.
After supper, they gazed at the sky. Several minutes went by before Fynn said, “I hear music.”
“That’s the mountain,” explained Ben. “Various caves, tubes and fissures were created when the volcano was active. Now, the wind blows through some openings and water, from the spring, flows through other openings. It makes music.”
“That’s so cool,” said Tibby.
“There are other treasures in the mountain as well. It’s not your typical inactive volcano,” offered Jon. “Oh, by the way,” he reached into his pack and pulled something out, “this is yours.”
“The locket!” Fynn reached out to take it. Some of the wire lace had been damaged when the key was removed.
“It can be repaired,” said Ben. Then he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Besides, you might want this put back on it, in case you decide to go on an adventure of your own some time.”
Tibby cut in. “I don’t know. This is more adventure than I’ve ever experienced.”
Fynn gave him a lopsided grin. “Ya think?!?”
~~~
Fynn and her mother walked through the forest. It felt like they were near Elione.
Kay said, “You made it, Fynn. I told you things were going to play out the way they should – it was all orchestrated perfectly.”
“But I wish you could stay with me.”
“Fynn, there’s a time for everything. It may not feel perfect to you but it was my time to go. I learned a lot from my experience. Don’t be sad; be happy for me. Learn to relax...you’re among other Wærs now.”
Fynn woke to the sound of the others moving about. It was daylight and time to trek the last distance to Elione. She lay still, reflecting on the dream. Her mother’s presence felt so real, she wondered if it was actually possible for her mother’s spirit to visit her. Real or not, though, she felt different today.
The dream gave her a sense of closure. Death and birth seemed to go hand-in-hand. It felt as though a part of her life had completed its cycle and, while she still had all the memories, she was able to let it go and move forward. She saw life through new eyes: releasing the old gave way for the new. A feeling of excitement and anticipation was building for the life she was about to embark upon.
“Come on, Fynn. Time to head out,” said Mel.
Chapter 46
_______________________
They hiked the remaining distance in silence. The air was thick with expectation and eagerness on everyone’s part; each person was lost in their own thoughts. With their senses overwhelmed by the bran
d new environment, Fynn and Tibby were totally engrossed in the experience.
A movement caught Fynn’s eye. “I just saw something. There’s someone in the trees.”
A pang of nerves hit Tibby as he looked around. He wondered if the Craemulus had followed him.
“Hmmm,” said Ben. “Yes, I suppose so.”
Tibby noticed how casual he sounded. In fact, he realized, Ben always sounded calm and collected. For the most part, they all did. He wondered if that composure came naturally to Wærs.
Tibby gave Fynn a curious look and they both shrugged. Ben hadn’t explained any further but since he didn’t appear to be concerned, they remained quiet - but alert - and continued to scan the forest as they hiked.
After several more minutes, Tibby spotted movement and pointed it out to Fynn. Then there was the sound of children giggling.
“I guess we’ve lost the element of surprise,” said Mel dryly.
The laughter got louder. Suddenly, in one of the trees next to the trail, something swung from a branch. It surprised Fynn and she gasped. She couldn’t tell if it was human, plant or animal. It seemed to be a mixture of all three and it hung upside down from a tail. Then, its eyes opened. It gasped, just like Fynn had gasped, and then giggled.
Fynn saw another one peek from behind a different tree. She pointed it out to Tibby. It was the size of a small child. It had big, round, blue eyes, with hair that looked like moss and its leaf-like ears fluttered. It had arms and legs, like a human, with the claws and big, bushy tail of a squirrel.
There was a beautiful magenta flower in one paw and a bright yellow one in the other. It shyly glanced back at a taller being who nudged it forward. The small one stepped forward, closer to the trail. It started to hand the flowers to Fynn and Tibby. Then, as if it changed its mind as to who got which color, it crossed its paws and handed Fynn the yellow flower and Tibby the magenta one.
They both said, “Thank you.”
For some reason when they spoke, it made all the strange creatures giggle again. Fynn sniffed her flower. The scent was unlike any she had smelled. She wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not but it was so strong, however, that it caught in her throat and made her cough. It startled the smaller being, which ran back to the taller one for protection.
