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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 132 |
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(DISCLAIMER: This part, and all parts hereafter, are works in progress (WIPs) and have not been proofread or checked for plot inconsistencies. I've decided to present them "as is" for now, as there is a significant amount of unfinished material; yet this story has been on hiatus for a long while, I've forgotten certain details, and I have no plans to resume work on it any time soon. Please keep in mind while reading that details may change in the future. Should you spot an inconsistency, however, please feel free to point it out to me for possible correction.)
Two Hearts, One Mind THE MANITOU PAWED furiously at the ground, snorting and fuming to himself, but it was all futile. The trail seemed to end right in the middle of the woods with a pile of rocks. He could smell a whole bunch of different scents here, leading to the rocks, but all that was to be seen was a large deadfall,* and nothing else. Nothing could have made it through such a tangled twisted mess of trees. Yet there was no other way that the tracks could have gone. He sniffed all the way around it, and all through the woods, but even the strange scents of the two okis* vanished in the same area, eventually. He felt the fur on the back of his neck prickle when he heard footfalls coming up behind him, and he resumed his vigorous sniffing at the rocks and deadfall, trying to conceal his nervousness. They were human footfalls, not bear ones, and that made him even more anxious. Mishosha was much easier to deal with in his bear form, oddly enough. He stepped back and respectfully lowered his head when the two* wabanos halted, staring at the pile of rubble. Mishosha narrowed his eyes thoughtfully while Makwaquae just scowled. The mitchi manitou lowered his head even more. Makwaquae was even less pleasant to deal with than Mishosha was, if that were even possible. "Hm," Mishosha said after a moment's silence. "It appears they've had help again."* He made a sour face. "And what exactly is it that they keep doing to keep deserving such help...?" The manitou furrowed his brow. Help...? The wabanos both looked at him. "And you say that you can't sense it...?" Mishosha asked in a mild voice; when the mitchi manitou lowered his head meekly he gestured at the pile of rubble. "I suppose you think this is a deadfall." Silence; the manitou gnawed on his lip but couldn't think of anything to say. Truthfully, he had thought that it was a deadfall, but now that Mishosha mentioned it, he knew that it couldn't be. Mishosha sighed and crossed his arms as if quite wearied; Makwaquae spoke up now, giving the manitou a peeved look. "And when a trail vanishes straight into a deadfall, doesn't that rather tell you something--? That perhaps some manitou more intelligent than yourself has lent them some assistance...?" The manitou blinked, then took in a breath and lifted his head. Will go in and search myself! he hastily volunteered, and aimed his antlers at the pile of rocks. As soon as he butted against them, he vanished. Mishosha rolled his eyes. "Why did we bring him along, again...?" "I've been asking you that this entire time," Makwaquae replied, and they both stepped forward to peer more closely at the rubble. "Hm. I hate to admit it, but this is rather good work, for a third-rate* manitou." "Hush now," Mishosha chided her; when she gave him a look his mouth twitched. "You can mock superior manitous after we've joined their ranks. Which shouldn't be too long from now." They both smirked, and he held up his hand before the pile of rocks. Several of them glowed, and an entryway was revealed; they rolled their eyes at each other now before stepping right through. The manitou reappeared in the woods* and trotted back toward the pile of rocks before halting and deciding to stay outside, though he did pace in several disconcerted circles, quite flustered. "Hm," Mishosha said again, looking around at the neat section of pine forest* which spread out before them, contained within the walls of the deadfall. "Interesting. Though I would have chosen better decor myself." "He has no sense of style," Makwaquae agreed, making a disdainful face at the pine trees. "Dank stone and water* are so much better." Mishosha's mouth twisted. "Now that's why I like you so much, Makwa-dear, you share the same mind as me." They both grinned at each other, then turned to look further into the deadfall lodge when a shape appeared among the trees. Wisakedjak stood gawking at them for a moment, mouth hanging open. "How--how did you get in--?" he blurted out, then came storming toward them. "Ah," Mishosha murmured out of the corner of his mouth, "I take it that this is the manitou behind this piffling hideout." "He hardly seems that impressive," Makwaquae murmured back. Wisakedjak halted before them, fists clenched. "I'll have to see about fixing up that stupid entryway AGAIN this time!" he growled. "Rock wall doesn't work, pile of rocks doesn't work, what does it take to keep you people OUT of my lodge?" He glared from one to the other. "Well? You're here! Now what? You think you can just come barging into the lodge of the great Wisakedjak--?" "The great who?" Makwaquae asked boredly. Wisakedjak's eyes widened and his face paled. "Wis--Wis--you've never heard of ME--?!" he gasped, his voice rising. Mishosha shrugged and shook his head. "Can't say that we have. Why, are you an important manitou here...?" Wisakedjak gnashed his teeth. "Of COURSE I am, you pathetic puny humans!" He stomped his foot and the deadfall shook. "Does my hidden lodge not convince you of my power?! You think you can storm in and insult me so terribly? What sort of insignificant pests are you? I'm of the mind to throw you right back out for talking to me in such a--" "He's getting boring," Makwaquae interrupted, glancing at her husband. "Can we dispense with him now--?" Wisakedjak cut himself off, gasping and sputtering. "Not quite yet," Mishosha chided. "First we need to figure out where it is that the others went. I assume there's some other exit from this lodge, which we don't know about yet." "And that's EXACTLY how it's going to STAY!" Wisakedjak barked. "How DARE you intrude in here and think that I'll tell you where--" "Oh, why not just get him out of the way then," Mishosha sighed, flicking his hand. "I'm certain we can find it on our own, we did find the lodge, didn't we--?" Wisakedjak's eyes flashed blue* and he started glowing. "WHAT--?!" he bellowed. "HOW DARE YOU WEAKLING HUMANS SPEAK TO A MANITOU SO--!!" "I do so hate to break it to you," Mishosha said as Makwaquae raised her hands, "but soon enough, we will be the manitous, and you and your kind will be nothing more than specks to us." Wisakedjak opened his mouth, eyes goggling in disbelief. Makwaquae flung her hands forward and a ball of blue fire* enveloped the manitou so that he first cringed, then blinked and glanced around himself, surprised. The two wabanos smirked at him in his fiery prison as he beat his hands against it and shouted what looked to be some pretty colorful insults, but his voice didn't break through in the least. As soon as he noticed this, he stopped talking and looked all around at the walls of fire, then began battering them and attacking them with his own medicine, panic growing in his eyes. Makwaquae sniggered. "Rather impressive," Mishosha commented, "for a weakling human!" He flicked his hand again and started walking toward the back of the lodge. "Come on now. We have to find that passageway, and figure out where to head next. I take it that it's back here* somewhere." "Aw," Makwaquae pouted, and flicked her own hand at the large fireball; it abruptly vanished and Wisakedjak had enough time to let out a gasp before he was flung backwards, slamming into a pine tree and collapsing to the ground in a muddled heap. "And it was just starting to get fun, too." "You'll have enough time to keep yourself from getting rusty later," Mishosha replied, peering around at the base of the walls*. "Right now we have more important things to do. You take the other side. I assume they've used yet another one of those passageways they seem to favor so much.* And why is it that we are always taken to task for using shortcuts...?"* They examined the ground for a short while before Mishosha kicked aside a log and discovered the hole.* "Right in the ground...how amateur," he said as Makwaquae joined him. "Do remind me, when we finally become manitous, to never contemplate creating a passageway that's so obvious." He stared at it for a moment, then frowned and leaned closer. "Hm." "What is it?" Makwaquae asked, also leaning down to peer inside it. "Listen. Do you hear that...?" They fell silent for a moment or two, then both got strange looks. "Water...?"* Makwaquae said with a frown. Mishosha nodded. "I assume this passageway was dry when they took it...yet somehow it appears to have gotten a bit damp since then." His mouth twitched. "I do wonder how? My Mishupishus seem to be having fun without me."* He stood up from the hole. "The nearest water I sensed was that great river to the west.* Seeing as they're seeking Kabeyun, and they've already spoken with all of the other Winds...I take it that they're on the last leg of their journey, so to speak!" "You mean they've crossed it already--?" Makwaquae said, her look growing ugly. "Now now." He gave her a smile. "Do you think this passage would be flooded if they were having an easy time?" "Some...manitous...you two will be..." Mishosha blinked, then lost his smile. He and Makwaquae turned. Wisakedjak was slowly pushing himself to his feet, grasping onto the pine tree for support. His legs shook and he winced as he stood, putting his free hand to his back to rub at his bruised ribs. He lifted his head and gave them a malevolent glare. Mishosha's eyes narrowed slightly. "For just a moment I'll pretend that I'm interested in what you have to say." Wisakedjak let out a wheezing sound that might have been a laugh. "Go right ahead," he gasped. "It doesn't matter. Sure, my tunnel is ruined now,* but I think luck is on the side of those who just went through it." "What do you mean by that?" Makwaquae snapped. Mishosha waved at her. "Don't let the piddling manitou rile you up, Makwa-dear. You know already how they love to boast." "No boast, I'm afraid." Wisakedjak forced himself to stand up straight, though it was obvious that he was still in pain. He crossed his arms and gave them a smirk. "Just step outside my front door and take a listen for yourself--and tell me again if you still think your Lynxes are having 'fun'!" The two wabanos stared at him for a moment. Then Mishosha turned for the stone entrance. "Stay here and make sure he tries nothing stupid," he muttered to Makwaquae, striding toward the pile of rocks* and throwing up his hand. The entryway appeared* instantly. He stuck his head out and everything fell silent again while the others waited. After a pause, he drew his head back in, and turned to face them. Makwaquae's frown returned at the strange look in his eyes. "What is it--?" she asked, taking a step toward him. "Mishosha--?" Mishosha blinked a few times. "Thunder," he said at last. Then his eyes slowly narrowed to slits and his mouth twisted into an ugly snarl. "An Animiki!" Makwaquae blinked now in surprise. "But--how? Most of them were killed off at Gitchi-Gami--!"* "They had one in their company already!" Mishosha stood up and stormed back into the deadfall lodge, fists clenched at his sides. "A little one, but an ANIMIKI nonetheless!"* "He was a WEAKLING Animiki!" Makwaquae insisted, clenching her own fists. "How could such a pathetic runt distract our Lynxes?" "I'm assuming of course that he had help!" Mishosha faced Wisakedjak, who paused when the former's eyes almost seemed to glow for a moment. "They passed straight through your lodge*--so tell me, you stupid manitou--whether they had one with a wounded shoulder* in their company!" Wisakedjak frowned, at last seeming confused. "How would I know? Like it's my duty to go--" He didn't get to finish. Mishosha snarled and lashed his hand through the air, and a fireball smacked Wisakedjak straight under the chin. He collapsed right where he stood and didn't get back up. Makwaquae stood staring at her husband with wide eyes as he turned and went storming back to the tunnel entrance, hand still raised and glowing. She hastened to follow. "You're truly that concerned about an Animiki runt--?" she whispered, hurrying along at his side. "You've never struck down a stronger manitou so!* Do you think this was a wise idea--?" "If he were truly a stronger manitou he wouldn't have LET himself be struck down by a human!" Mishosha growled, halting at the tunnel and aiming his hand at it. Makwaquae opened her mouth but didn't get to speak before a fireball shot out and blasted the tunnel entrance into smithereens. She held up her arm to shield her face from the flying hunks of dirt, then grasped onto a nearby tree as quakes reverberated throughout the ground. The mitchi manitou outside whistled in alarm, but Mishosha just stood glaring furiously at the remains of the tunnel. Makwaquae listened but the sounds of splashing water had vanished; the tunnel must have completely collapsed. She gave her husband a furtive look. "How...how are we going to follow them, now...?" "Easy," Mishosha snapped, and turned back for the entrance. "Just listen for the thunder--and then the SCREAMING once I reach them MYSELF!" He strode back for the entryway. Makwaquae followed just as before, not even bothering to question; the mitchi manitou did the same, head lowered meekly as they quickly walked back toward the way out of the woods. Thunder boomed in the distance, and every time it did the other two peered westward in unease. Makwaquae looked at Mishosha again, then touched his arm just a little. "Mishosha...?" She bit her lip, then moved to walk beside him. "He's just one Animiki," she said under her breath. "Even if they somehow do defeat those Lynxes, Mishupishus are expendable, and the Pearl Feather is always willing to grant us more. Just as long as we remember our real duty here." "It's not that Animiki I'm worried about!" Mishosha hissed, and she took pause on hearing him say the word worried. "It's those BRATS they have with them! The winter-haired one whose powers we were supposed to have curbed by now,* and that fire-haired one who keeps ENCOURAGING them all! They're just children and one of them is an outsider! How do children gain such power--? When we've been working for OUR power for AGES--?" "Think on what you just said!" Makwaquae insisted. "Just children. Don't concern yourself with them. Remember your plans! As soon as we reach them, you can have your fun by taking it out on that teacher of hers.* Won't that put you in a better mood--?" Mishosha's eyes narrowed and she clasped his arm. "And once he's taken care of, the fire-haired girl will be demoralized--you recall what they say happened after she lost her teacher the last time*--and then everything will neatly fall into place. Just as it always does! And the Pearl Feather will get what he wants, and then we get what we want--and then nothing will matter anymore!" "There's still one little issue you're forgetting," Mishosha said, and she furrowed her brow. "Our loose end," he said, his eyes narrowing further. "Somehow, I have the strong feeling that he's forgetting his teachings, and his mission, and will be a bigger problem than we thought." "What--Little Wind?" Makwaquae blurted out, then gave a harsh bark of a laugh. "As if he was ever capable of taking your place someday* as it is! He's just as expendable as those Lynxes. Remember--once this is over with, we won't need any of them anymore. We'll have all the power we could ever need, ourselves. So much so that we won't even know what to do with it all. You'll see." Mishosha turned his head slightly to stare at her for a moment, then the corners of his mouth twitched upward into a sneer. "What did I say earlier...?" he asked, and she tilted her head. "About why it is that I like you so much? Sometimes, I could swear we share the same mind." Makwaquae's eyes widened a little, then narrowed just as his had. Her mouth twisted up as well, and they both grinned at each other in a way that the mitchi manitou following behind them didn't quite like. He didn't say anything though, as anything was better than having their attention focused on him. The two wabanos turned their attention back westward, and with a flash of light changed into two fireballs, darting away toward the distant river so quickly that the manitou whistled and had to hurry to keep up. Kenu flapped his wings, then blinked. "I'M--I'M TIRED!!" he bellowed, then his eyes dimmed and with a whoosh of breath the crackle of electricity around him vanished and he tilted and started plummeting like a stone down toward the river. X'aaru gasped in panic and flew after him as fast as he could, not sure of what he could even do, but it hardly mattered anyway, as a moment later he was thoroughly doused by the great gush of water that shot up into the air as soon as the Thunderbird crashed. "Kenu!!" he cried, and flew in circles as low as he dared over the water. The corpse of one of the Underwater Lynxes* was still visible nearby, its body tattered and mangled from Kenu's attacks; but he couldn't tell where the other one* might be, and that worried him almost as much as the fact that he had no clue either where the Animiki had gone. For there was no giant Thunderbird now wallowing in the water, either. He whimpered as he flew, at last spotting something small bobbing in the waves; with another gasp he flapped down toward it and grabbed Kenu up by the collar, dragging him from the water. The Animiki had reverted back into his human form, and he was sopping wet and sputtering for breath, but at least he was alive. X'aaru sighed with relief as he carried him to land and deposited him on the riverbank. Then he squatted beside him and fanned him with his wings while Kenu coughed and shook himself, grimacing. "I'm SOAKED again!"* he wailed, then gasped and sat upright, feeling at his head. "Grandfather Nigankwam's feather!!* Have I lost it--? Is it gone--?" X'aaru sniffed at his head. "No...here it is!" He showed the little boy the wet feather, and Kenu let out a great sigh of his own, sinking back to the ground. "What an attack that was!" the demon continued in awe. "You killed one of them, I saw it myself!* And I bet the other one was pretty badly hurt too!" "I don't know if I got it or not," Kenu said, eyes watering. "I'm just so tired all of a sudden! Grandfather always made it look so easy--he could thunder and storm for HOURS! And I, his grandson, can do it for only a few MINUTES?" The tears welled up in his eyes and he started sniffling and rubbing at his nose. "What sort of grandson am I that I can't even fill my grandfather's moccasins--?" X'aaru furrowed his brow. "I--I think you did wonderfully!" he insisted, moving to crouch in front of the sniffling Thunderbird. "I never would have been able to kill a Lynx myself!"* "THAT'S not it..." Kenu whined, rubbing at his eyes now. "Grandfather could have killed all of the Lynxes in this river EASILY! And my storm runs out in no time at all. I'm hardly fit to take over my tribe in this shape!" And he started sniffling and whimpering. X'aaru whined himself, lowering his wings, not sure of what to do. He didn't have time to think of anything, however, as the water behind them began splashing again, and they both gasped and turned to look at the river. Kenu got to his feet and they stepped toward the bank, staring at the waves. "Do--do you think that's it--?" Kenu whispered. "I don't know!" X'aaru whispered back. "I never did see what became of it..."* Kenu began shifting from foot to foot and nibbling on his lip. "If it comes up now, I don't have nearly enough medicine left to fight it myself!" His face scrunched up. "I wish Grandfather were here!!" "I wish Charmian were here!" X'aaru whined, then they both gasped and looked at each other with wide eyes. "CHARMIAN!" They rushed right down to the river's edge and craned their necks, looking down into the water. It was brown and murky, and growing even murkier as they watched. They both began whining now. "Oh dear...oh dear!!" X'aaru whimpered. "That doesn't look good at all!" "Do you think the tunnel's collapsed--?"* Kenu managed to say, before a dull booming, thudding noise from deep within the river made them both pause and listen. They then recommenced their whining and fidgeting, even more anxious than before. "I do hope Mishupishu got them safely out in time!"* X'aaru cried. "If he did--then where is he?" Kenu exclaimed. "I don't see him ANYWHERE!" "They have to be safe! Charmian's gotten in a lot of close pinches before, but--she ALWAYS gets out alive!" "But has she ever faced a bunch of Mishupishus--?" X'aaru lowered his head and made a face. "Not really!"* Kenu hopped up and down. "I say we start searching the river for them! I head north, and you head south!* And we go back and forth and back and forth until we find them! Do you agree--?" X'aaru bobbed his head quickly. "I agree! They must be somewhere!" He turned and went running south, Kenu trotting north. They ran as far as they could without losing sight of each other, then came dashing back to the middle--then went running in opposite directions again, then back. After three turns of this they were both whining loudly and hopping from foot to foot, Kenu gnawing on his fingernails and X'aaru's tail ducking between his legs. At last neither could stand it any longer and they turned and looked into the water again. "It's driving me crazy!! Where could they be?!" X'aaru yelped. "The water's all muddy now! They could be ANYWHERE and we wouldn't even know!" Kenu yelled. His face screwed up and he put his fists to his eyes. "I, THE WAR-BIRD* KENU, HAVE FAILED! FORGIVE ME, GRANDFATHER!!" He let out a horrible keening wail which made X'aaru duck his head with a wince, it was so loud, and even the clouds overhead started gathering and grumbling again.* Something popped up out of the water with a gasp and started spitting. The two of them shrieked and jumped back, clutching at each other, before noticing that it was a Nebanaubae. It blinked several times, then made a face and began rubbing its eyes with a grimace, still making spitting noises as if quite disgusted. "Oh!" X'aaru hurried back toward the water. "Excuse me! Excuse me!" The Nebanaubae at last lowered a hand to squint at him. "Um--hello! We were wondering what's going on down in the river--?" The Nebanaubae made the face again and placed its hand on the surface. X'aaru frowned a little, then did the same, poking his claws into the water. He nearly jumped again when the Nebanaubae spoke in his head. The water is going foul! Mud everywhere! One can hardly even breathe down there! "Mud--?" X'aaru fought down a whimper. "Perhaps it's the Lynx!" Kenu hurried forward and stuck his hand in the water as well. "Can you tell where it's coming from?" he asked. The Nebanaubae shrugged. From the riverbottom. Loud noises are down there now, and mud spews into the river. It turned its head to see the dead Lynx floating nearby,* then turned back and stuck out its tongue. Ew! Did you two do that--? When they nodded* it gave them a foul look. There is ANOTHER one* down there dirtying the water as well! We had to drag it away--I came up to get clean air! And now you tell me there's a third one--?* "Third?" X'aaru and Kenu echoed, sharing a worried look. "What do you mean, a third?" Kenu demanded. The Nebanaubae shrugged again, obviously irritated. Another Lynx, of course! Still swimming around, quite alive. And we sense more in the area, coming this way.* "Oohhhh!" X'aaru cried, shifting anxiously. "Is it Mishupishu or is it one of those other two* Lynxes--?" "We have no way of knowing until it comes up!" Kenu exclaimed. He waved imperiously at the Nebanaubae. "That will be all, Sleeping One*! Go back to what you were doing and let us handle this mess!" The Nebanaubae rolled its eyes. "Mess"? Somehow I doubt you will bother cleaning up this river... It splashed back into the water, tail breaking the surface, and the two on the bank shielded their faces when droplets of water flew their way as it vanished. Kenu lowered his hand and turned to X'aaru. "That Lynx will be sensing us here because of all my thunder and lightning," he said with an anxious frown. "So it should be coming up soon! We'll have to be prepared for it just in case it's one of the other ones!" X'aaru bobbed his head. "I'll do everything I can!" "I don't know how much medicine I have just yet," Kenu said, chewing on his lip and looking doubtfully at his hands. "Just turning into a Thunderbird uses up so much of it! Maybe--maybe I should try fighting it this way." He fiddled his fingers, now gnawing. "Maybe...? I mean...I'm so much smaller, but...well..." "How about," X'aaru offered, "when it pops up, I'll try to surprise it? Then you can see just how much power you have? And if you even need to change? The Nebanaubae said it was alive, but it could still be wounded! Maybe you won't have to use your strongest medicine on it--?" Kenu's face lit up. "You think?" When X'aaru nodded he clenched his fists, face set. "Very well then! This is our plan! Let's find where most of that mud is coming from in the river--and wait there because that's surely where the beast will first show its head." And they looked a bit along the riverbank until they found the spot where the water was still roiling a little, mud and sand floating up to the surface and turning the water opaque brown. They both took up positions, Kenu bracing himself in case he had to change, X'aaru crouching with wings spread. Neither was quite sure of what to do exactly if something showed up, but they decided to worry about that when the moment came. After a while bubbles began drifting up and popping as they met the air. The two on the riverbank tensed. "Do you see that--?" Kenu whispered loudly, and the demon nodded. "Whatever it is comes! Prepare yourself--we'll have only one chance to surprise it!" X'aaru nodded again, face pale and eyes wide. The bubbles grew bigger and more frequent and the water began to churn. "H-here it comes!!" Kenu cried, voice cracking, and hurriedly took a few steps back as copper* horns finally broke the surface, a great black* head and flashing green* eyes following them. The blood drained from X'aaru's and Kenu's faces when they realized that this Lynx wasn't Mishupishu, and without thinking they both let out a yell and began to attack. |