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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 161 |
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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.)
LYNX HUNT A HORRENDOUS CRUNCH noise came from the narrow cave, followed by an awful shaking, and water spurted and began sloshing out of the cave and spattering against the floor. Chakenapok bared his teeth at Ishkode-Aanakwad and Tal Natha. "It's coming! Straight through!" The faces of the other two went pale. More crunching and smashing noises were coming even as he spoke, and the gushes of water spraying out of the low cave were only increasing in intensity. Tal Natha bristled in panic while Ishkode began sparking, but Chakenapok just jerked his hand at the exit from the cave they were within, hissing at them. "Get going! Once that thing comes up, anything remaining in this tunnel will DROWN!" What of the Shadow Wolves--? Tal Natha asked as he and Ishkode turned to run. And Khiieta and Tiiku--? Chakenapok ground his teeth and glanced over his shoulder toward the low cave entrance. He lifted his hand and flames appeared over his fingers. "I'll hold it back until they can all get out. But as for after that--" "What sort of LUDICROUS plan is that--?" Ishkode demanded, whirling back around. When they looked at him he waved his arms. "You can hardly hold it back forever! What's to stop it from battering its way straight through the Island--?" This plan IS impossible! Tal Natha exclaimed, also turning around. The Ocryxes and lake manitous--and who knows what else--live in these tunnels! It's one thing for Croghan Water and Khiieta's and X'aaru's cave to flood--it's something else entirely for ALL of the tunnels to be destroyed! Not to mention the damage this would cause to the upper Island itself! Chakenapok clenched his fists. "What then would you have me do--?" he barked, just as the CRUNCH noise came a third time, the distant howls of the Shadow Wolves growing even louder. There was a short pensive silence, then Tal Natha's ears flicked up. This Lynx is after either the Island or you--? he asked Ishkode, who nodded. He turned to Chakenapok. I will head out into Odawa-Gami and draw it away so it may be attacked, then, he said, and turned and hurried from the bigger cave. The other two stared after him with their eyes practically goggling. Chakenapok opened his mouth to speak, only to grimace when the cave shook. The snarling noises of the Mishupishu in the crack below became more pronounced as it was obvious that it was slowly battering its way up toward the cave system, gouts of water still spraying into the room every time it struck against the rock with its head. They both looked back at the spewing cave, then at each other; then Chakenapok scowled and flicked his hand in the direction that Tal Natha had gone in. "Go on! You already said you can do no good down here. See if between the two of you you can clear this mess up!" Ishkode took a second to give him a foul look, then dashed off after Tal Natha. Chakenapok remained behind in the cave and watched the water pour in. Ishkode glanced over his shoulder long enough to see him lift his hands and strike the low cave with a blast of fire, apparently attempting to stall the Lynx somewhat, but that was all he got to see before he was plunged into near-darkness and had to follow the scent and sound of the demon traveling ahead. Khiieta and Tiiku were awaiting them when they reached their part of the cave system, the former shifting anxiously from foot to foot. "What's that awful noise?" Khiieta cried, but all that Tal Natha did was brush past them, seeking the way out. Sister, he said as he passed, and she turned to face him. Take Tiiku and head to my cave. Stay there with Red Bird until it's safe. And tell Dakh and Sikt to head to the Devil's Lake and warn the others that there might be some trouble belowground. Khiieta's eyes went wide and her face pale but she bobbed her head without question. She picked up a protesting Tiiku by the scruff and hastened away down the tunnel that Tal Natha was about to take. The demon turned to look at Ishkode now. I will go out into the lake and try to draw its attention away from the Island. I trust that you and your men can then attack it from above--? Ishkode frowned but then gave a curt nod. "You will have to swim or fly away quite quickly, though," he warned, "else you could end up destroyed as well." Tal Natha nodded and disappeared. Ishkode hastened to follow lest he get lost in the darkened cave system. Once outside, the sky was again flickering and thunder was booming over the lake, as it was obvious that the Lynx's presence had been noticed, at least to some extent. Tal Natha glanced around to see that Khiieta and Tiiku were gone before spreading his wings and taking off, sweeping a few branches from the trees as he went. Ishkode watched him go, then spread his arms and readied himself to change. He abruptly halted, however, as soon as he remembered what the demon had advised, and scowled a little before hurrying off to the bluff's edge. He glanced around much as Tal Natha had done and then jumped out as far as he could, shifting back into cloud as he sailed down toward the lakeshore. His own wings brushed against the rippling water before he pulled back up, and flapped his way toward the rest of the Animiki looming overhead. Tal Natha had already plunged beneath the water and was making his way out to where it grew deeper in a slight dropoff. Most of the lakebottom sloped gradually away from the bottom of the Island, and he'd never had any reason to thoroughly explore the great lake itself, so he wasn't sure how best to get the Mishupishu's attention from here. He wasn't even sure how exactly such a creature had gotten beneath the Island from way out here in the first place. Mystified, he swam into the dropoff and looked around, seeing nothing; yet that didn't necessarily prove anything. He swam out and looked around for more depressions in the rocky sand. Everything around him was lit a dim greenish hue which the lightning flickers from far above brightened every now and then; the thunder was but a muted throbbing, and below the surface everything seemed deceptively calm. After a few moments of circling, however, he felt another throbbing coming from below this time, and swept down to the bottom to place his hand against the sand. There, he could feel what must be the Lynx still battering its head against the bedrock of the Island. He cast about again, seeking a means of entry, his frustration growing when he realized that he couldn't see any. He swam back and forth a few times, having to swerve to avoid running into a stand of brecciated boulders which rested just beyond the shore's edge, obviously having fallen from the bluff some time in the distant past. It was only on his third time passing that he at last halted in midswim and turned to look at these boulders more closely. He blinked and a few surprised bubbles flew out of his nose. What he'd always assumed to be tumbled boulders were in fact natural limestone formations rising from the bed of the lake, where perhaps something much akin to the Sugar Loaf or the Fairy Arch had stood long before his memory. Realization hitting him, he began digging away at the loose sand and gravel surrounding them until a burst of warmer water rushed out against his face. A bit more digging revealed several large openings under the rock, and when he wriggled his way into one, the throbbing noises intensified. He couldn't be sure if this was the exact route the Lynx took, but it was better than nothing. Fighting down a twinge of anxiety at plunging so recklessly into something completely unknown to him--and a bit of confusion at discovering that he didn't know quite as much about the Island as he'd thought he did--he squeezed his way through the opening, losing a few feathers in the process before the hole opened up into a wider, forgotten tunnel under the Island. Tal Natha decided to wait until later to feel awed and picked up his pace, using all of his senses to try to determine where the Lynx must be and how he could reach it from here. The water itself began to throb as the pounding noises grew louder and closer, and Tal Natha noticed that what he had taken to be walls made of sand and gravel had changed into limestone around him. He passed another, wider tunnel off to his left, and reverberations passing through the water from ahead told him that this was the way the Lynx must have taken. He slowed down, trying to think of how best to draw it away from its mission of destruction, before he realized that he probably didn't have to try much of anything at all. He took a mental breath to steady himself. You wish to attack our Island--? he called out, at which the pounding noises abruptly ceased. Then come after me! I am the one sworn to protect this place, and any who have a problem with the Island had best bring it to me! What is that pathetic mewling--? a raspy voice thought back, and Tal Natha shuddered at the awfulness of it. Somebody thinks they are worth my time? There was a faint shift in the water, and a moment later he was staring at two large luminous yellow-green dots floating far ahead in the darkness. Know you that I was sent here to do as my forefathers have done? the awful voice said. And who are you to distract me--? I am Tal Natha, Tal Natha said, Dreamspinner and Guardian of the Island. He hadn't been hoping for much, but the Lynx's reaction told him that he must be at least somewhat known. The great luminous eyes grew slightly bigger and he could feel the Mishupishu's body swaying from side to side in the tunnel. I see, it said. This Island dies--and YOU die with it! The glowing disks narrowed to slits. I wonder then if it would be the same the other way around--? Tal Natha's fur had been prickling and his muscles tensing even before the Lynx lunged forward, so he knew to expect it. He used the wide side tunnel to turn himself around, and plunged back the way he'd come, his tail whipping hard to propel him. He felt sharp teeth just barely miss him, and whipped his tail again, fighting down the panic that threatened to spring up in his breast. Panic could wait until later--when the Island was safe. He made his way back out into the lake, as, even though he was sure that the Lynx had many advantages over him, there was at least more room to move, and a chance to flee back to the Island if he had to. He kept peering upward at the darkened sky as he swam, but couldn't tell if the Animiki were still overhead or not. Whenever the Lynx got too close, he made sure to swing aside as quickly as he could so that they swam in wide circles just off the shore. Tal Natha put on a burst of speed before daring to plunge his head up out of the water, sputtering and taking in a breath. He took this chance to glance back at the Island--he could just barely see little forms gathering along the East Bluff, peering out of the trees, the natives of the camps along that side of the Island evidently watching what was going on in much awe. He then looked upward just as a boom of thunder came, and saw the threatening way that the clouds swirled. He dove back into the water and resumed swimming before the Lynx could catch up. Animiki! he cried. Are you there--? I am right overhead, Ishkode-Aanakwad's voice came to him. I can see him trailing along behind you. But he's still too close to the Island. See if you can draw him off further, and I'll do my best to avoid striking land or anyone upon it. That didn't sound terribly promising, but Tal Natha steeled himself and swam even faster. The way that the water rippled told him that the Lynx was coming up fast right behind him, and the size of the thing was such that he didn't doubt that it could easily bite him in half. He readied himself to use his horns if he had to, though he didn't relish the thought; if he tried fighting it off, Ishkode's attack would likely hit him as well, but he could think of nothing else to do. He was rapidly making his way out toward even deeper water when it was almost as if he caught his neck in a noose. Tal Natha jerked to a painful halt, head snapping back, and sank nearly to the bottom. He shook his head a bit dizzily, and tried again to swim out further, only to find that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. The anxiety returning, he turned to look back behind him. The long sinuous form of the Lynx was growing closer but that wasn't what he was looking for. He couldn't see it from here, but he knew that it was Manitou Island itself that was holding him back. I have always been connected to that Island. I can never stray too far away, as it always calls me back. It's like a leash around my neck...it's both my refuge, and my prison... What's wrong, little demon--? the Mishupishu's voice taunted. Can't wander off too far lest you get lost--? Demon! I can strike him from here, but you must MOVE! Tal Natha finally panicked then, straining against the intangible leash which bound him to the Island, then swimming left and right and left and right again, blindly. The Lynx actually slowed its approach just to watch him, appearing rather amused. Bubbles flew from the demon's nose and he started whining as he whipped back and forth like a rabbit caught in a trap, unable in his frenzy to think of what to do. DEMON! Ishkode's voice came again, and he snapped to a stop almost hard enough to choke. His eyes went wide and his ears pricked. THINK! Ishkode ordered. This is YOUR Island and you of all beings know what is best for it. Don't let something so trivial make you lose your focus! Surely you've faced graver things than this! Tal Natha blinked, another bubble flying up from his nose. His eye shifted to look at the Mishupishu still winding around in the water some distance away, chuckling to itself at his panic--but the sight of the very creature that had set him off so much served to calm him down, now. For he could see that the very thing which had halted his progress, his fear, had done the same to the Lynx--at least for a moment. Now use your head, Ishkode said, and without further prompting Tal Natha whirled around to face the Lynx directly, and went swimming right at it. The Lynx's great glowing eyes grew wider and its spines flared in surprise. It tried stopping in the water, but the result was that the rest of its long serpentine body jumbled up into a great messy coil, and for a brief moment it was disoriented trying to untangle itself. It did get in one desperate snap at Tal Natha as he sailed by underneath it, but of course it missed as right now the demon was much faster. He took the chance to slash its exposed side with one of his horns, even though he had to bend his head at a painful angle, before swinging his tail even harder to reach the Island before the Lynx could recover itself. He heard the bubbling blast come from its mouth when he did so, and felt the warm spray of blood flowing into the water, and it made him grimace in disgust. He lifted his eyes to see the vague shape of the Island looming ahead over the water, and prepared himself for a quick but brief flight straight up the East Bluff. His wings and fur would be wet, which would make it doubly difficult considering how exhausted he already was, but the noises of the enraged Lynx struggling to come after him again gave him a bit of extra strength and a moment later he was plunging out of the water and shooting up into the sky. He saw the bulk of the Fairy Arch far off to the side, and a blur of cedars, then a brief glimpse of startled faces all in a row, then more trees before he was clear of land and beating his wings hard, wheeling to the left and pushing his way higher toward Fort Holmes. It was another moment before the rise of the Turtle's Back became visible and he made for this as fast as he could, hearing the pounding of thunder and the sizzling crack of lightning as it lanced the sky. He passed Sugar Loaf at a distance and saw the entrance to his cave growing larger ahead; Red Bird and Khiieta were peering out of the entrance, Tiiku in Red Bird's arms, and he let out a breath of relief on seeing them. Then he wondered why he'd thought they might not be there. A deafening blast of thunder, coming at the same time as a blinding flash of light, made him nearly lose his balance, and he flapped his wings frantically and made a dive for the rock ledge. The other three hurried within before he could strike them, and he made what was possibly his clumsiest landing ever, nearly slamming nosefirst onto the ledge before picking himself up and shaking the dust and water from himself with a dazed snort. He glanced over his shoulder to see what was happening out on the lake. The water was plainly visible from here, the highest point on the Island, but even so he couldn't be sure of what exactly was going on. The great mass of the clouds had converged over the lake and bolts of lightning were regularly shooting down into the water, which rippled and frothed, but he couldn't tell if any of them were striking the Lynx or not. The brightness of them made him have to blink and squint a lot. Red Bird and Khiieta crept back out. "It's been doing that for the past few minutes," Red Bird said softly, her eyes wide. "It just started up out of nothing!" "Are they going to kill that Lynx that was trying to get into our cave?" Khiieta asked. Tal Natha shook his head and frowned. They are going to try to...though I have no idea if they will. What would stop it from making its way back under the Island through those tunnels--? He couldn't believe that this idea had only just struck him, and a troubled look settled over his face. Red Bird and Khiieta peered at him uncertainly before all three of them and Tiiku fell silent, staring at the lightning storm over the lake. The Mishupishu had long gone, but cleaning up the mess it had left was going to be no small task. Chakenapok was already busy attempting to seal up what cracks and fresh openings in the rock that he could find, though some of them were stubbornly resistant to all of his efforts to meld the stone together with his fire. He scowled often and vowed to himself that once everyone returned, he would drag Manabozho down here kicking and screaming and get him to weld the rocks back together just as he'd fixed up the broken Fairy Arch the last time the mainlander had come. He hoped that the Dreamspinner had made it safely out of the lake, though a vague feeling he had--confirmed by several of the silently skulking Shadow Wolves--told him that he didn't have to worry about him, at least. He could slightly hear and feel the violence of the thunderstorm raging outside, and wondered what the Islanders must be thinking. Surely none of them had ever seen Animiki so close before. Lost spirit! a voice suddenly called in his head, and he halted abruptly, his hand still raised before a narrow vertical crack in the wall. He made a face. I have a name, he replied in irritation. He sensed how flustered Ishkode-Aanakwad must be. I realize this--but I do not remember how to pronounce it! Chakenapok rolled his eyes. If you haven't yet, you should seal up the tunnel we looked into. This Lynx is putting up more of a fight than I expected, and I think he might attempt to go back in the way he came out. Tal Natha will not be needing it--? Chakenapok asked. No. I saw the Dreamspinner fly back to the top of the Island but a moment or so ago. Chakenapok let out a breath of relief. But this Lynx is another story. He must still be shielded, for it's difficult for me to get an exact fix on him from here. If this keeps up, I will simply start tossing lightning bolts everywhere I can to wipe him out! Just make certain none of them go astray, Chakenapok said, his irritation returning. My Wolves say there are humans watching on the bluff, and they'll hardly need any of you setting them on fire! He turned back in the direction of the low cave. I'll go seal the opening now. But make sure you kill that thing, because surely there are at least a dozen other openings I'd never even find in time. There was no reply, so he changed back into a fireball and drifted into the narrow cave and then into the deep crack in the floor. He took it back as far as he could; it had changed since Ishkode had gone crawling down into it, seeing as the Lynx had battered itself nearly brainless attempting to force its way through. Water still sloshed in, but at least it wasn't spraying every which way anymore; most of the tunnel that they'd taken was now submerged and he could never hope to reach the end of it and seal it from there with any success. So he touched against the lowest bits of rock that he could, patiently melding them together here and there, toppling over a loose hunk whenever he could to try to fill in the remaining holes. He wasn't sure how strong his barrier might be but hoped that it would at least deter the Lynx long enough should it try coming back this way, and if it didn't, he would try doing that himself. He crept back into the wider section of tunnel and changed back into his true form, resuming the work with his hands. The rock was practically sliced to jagged ribbons here, and he sighed to himself as he melted them together and then watched them harden. After this was over, he would really have to do a more thorough examination of all the tunnels and caves beneath the Island, and seal off the proper ones, just in case anything else unpleasant might try to gain access. He couldn't believe that the Island had been so woefully underprotected this whole time. If there is an "anything else"...with hope, this will be the last time such measures are needed, but it seems all the world's forces keep centering on this place... This thought made his fire falter a little, and he stared pensively at the now solid wall of rock before him. A low boom of thunder made him shake himself out of it, and, seeing that this part of the tunnel was sealed as tightly as he could make it, he turned to the first of the numerous cracks now branching out from it, off to his right. He sealed all of these with ease, but the far left one, leading furthest toward the middle of the Island, was bigger than the rest, and if the Mishupishu did manage to break its way back through the underwater entrance, it could use this crevasse to worm its way further through the bedrock. This thought troubled Chakenapok so much that he doubled the intensity of the fire shooting from his hands, though the work was difficult here seeing as the opening was so wide. He looked around for stray boulders to shove into the empty space. An odd feeling in the back of his head made him halt, and he stood as still as a rock himself for a moment or two, trying to figure out what it was. He peered back into the opening and got the vague impression that the feeling had come from there somehow. Was there another Lynx already making its way beneath Manitou Island--? The odd feeling was replaced by a spark of tension, and Chakenapok hurried into the opening, holding his hand with its fire aloft and glancing from side to side to look for any further entrances. Every little crack that he spotted, he sealed shut, but this tunnel itself was so long as to seem almost endless. He even wondered if it had sliced up into one of the existing tunnels and could even now be connecting him to X'aaru's cave, or Croghan Water, or one of any number of other places. The odd feeling made him halt again and this time he realized that it was coming from his right. He edged ahead a little further and saw that at last the wide crack through the rock ended just ahead, after veering sharply in this same direction. Chakenapok let out his breath. He couldn't sense any of the dank, humid air from the numerous underground caves, so perhaps the tunnel didn't stretch as far as he'd thought. Instead he felt a waft of warm air drift out of the end of the tunnel, and this made his skin prickle. Uneasy now as well as perplexed, he peered into the crack where it veered to the right. There was nothing here but a gouge in the rock where it had abruptly halted its progress, bits of glowing crystal glittering here and there, but in the very midst of it was a sliver-thin crevice from which a few grains of soil had fallen to the floor. Chakenapok's brow furrowed and he stooped down to touch his fingers to them. Soil...? This far beneath the Island...? The warm air breezed over him again, and he lifted his head to stare at the slivery crack. He frowned and leaned toward it, putting his eye up against it. He couldn't see anything, but he did get the strange feeling again, and it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. He had the feeling that there was an Ocryx down here. But...Ocryana is way over toward Crack-in-the-Island! And this doesn't even feel like her presence! So...what...? A BOOM that made the ground shake sent him toppling over, and he landed hard with a grimace, bits of stone pelting him from above. He shook his head even as Ishkode's voice came to him again from somewhere far outside. Lost spirit! You'd best have that tunnel sealed--for he's heading straight back for it!! |