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Escape From Manitou Island: Part 201 |
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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.)
THINKING CRAZY "WELL, LITTLE GIRL?" Mishosha said with a gracious smile. "Find out everything you wanted to?" Charmian blinked, then yelped and jumped up--sat up, and nearly fell over, as she hadn't even known she was sitting. Her heart leapt into her throat when she noticed the strange atmosphere she sat within--several vague dark shapes hovered around her at various distances, but she couldn't make them out, they were just smears of black against dark gray, shadowy and indistinct; only Mishosha was easy to make out, fire flickering from his fingers. Charmian glanced around herself again. She sat upon the ground, legs stretched out before her, the wabano crouching at her side; she jerked a foot toward herself when one of the dark hazy shapes shifted in her direction, and lifted her own hand, ready to attack it if it drew too close. "What the heck's going on?!" she cried. Mishosha gazed skyward. "Nothing worth worrying your empty little head over. It's astonishing, how you're willing to go wandering around in someone else's dream, but spend a few paltry moments with me and suddenly you lose all your senses. Well...what was left of them, anyway." "Huh--?" Charmian squinted at the shadowy form which bent closest to her now, a tendril of it even reaching out as if to touch her shoulder. She furrowed her brow; it wasn't acting threatening, whatever it was. In fact it even seemed familiar... She sucked in a breath and her head whirled around to face him again. "What did you do to the others?" she demanded. "I didn't have to do anything to them. Look for yourself; they're perfectly as they should be." Charmian squinted even harder at the nearest black smudge. It was about the same height as Winter Born. A careful study of the others that were closest had her almost convinced they must be Thomas, Stick-In-The-Dirt, and Mani. There were other dark shapes--including one that hovered just behind Mishosha himself in a menacing manner, a murky bit of glow before it--but they were further away and she couldn't really make them out. "What the...?" she started, then trailed off. "How the hell did I end up in your dream?" she snapped at last, understanding seeping in; she remembered visiting him in such a state before, as well as the weird indistinctness* of the others in Winter Born's dream.* "If you even think of trying anything weird with me--" "Don't worry--your friend here thinks he's keeping a close eye on me." He gestured at the vague form hovering behind him; Charmian realized that the feeble glow mixing with and breaking apart from it must be a fireball. "Seems he isn't quite as adept at dream traveling as we are. As you are, surprising as that is. Impressive. Tell me, did someone teach you all these little tricks, or were you just born with a talent...?" "You didn't answer my question," Charmian grated, pushing herself up; he rose and stepped aside as she turned in an uneasy circle, waving a bit at the Winter Born-shaped smear and biting her lip when she couldn't be sure of any reaction. "How I ended up here and what it is you think you're doing." "And you didn't answer my question, might I add. Seeing as you're in a vision state, and I myself have such a power, it's quite easy for one to overstep and miss their landing spot, one could say, and perhaps splash into the water rather than set foot on the shore. You just happened to splash into my little patch of water, is all." "Yeah, sure. I just happened to do that, without any help at all." "You seem to know what you're doing, albeit in a quite limited fashion, so I imagine you'll make your landing spot just fine when you decide to. And so now for your answer. I assume from how thoroughly out of it you were that you made it to speak with that creature and received some sort of answer to your pressing questions...?" Charmian fought down a flare of anger. "She's not a creature. You know full well exactly what she is--you pretty much told me yourself.* You said from the start she wasn't created to be a weapon, that I should know for myself what she is, and now I do. What I want to know is what you have to do with any of this. What you're doing watching over her when you have absolutely no right to be, and what it was you planned on doing with her all this time!" Mishosha pursed his lips. "I'm afraid the answer isn't as dramatic or interesting as you might hope, little girl. As for how I myself found her, the answer is sheer luck. I happened to find an island I wanted for my own and she just happened to be buried under it. Oh, no, I didn't realize she was there at first--as much as I'd love to claim I did. I did know there was something unusual about the place, however. It took some poking and prodding for me to figure it out." His smile returned and she fought not to shudder; it always creeped her out. "Imagine, seeking the place where you'll work the rest of your life to become the greatest manitou imaginable, and what should you find already awaiting you there...but one of the greatest manitous imaginable! So great that even she isn't aware of her power yet. I knew exactly what she was the moment I first found her, little girl, and that's why I made sure she stayed put. I'm certain you've found it out for yourself. The moment she realizes exactly what she is is the moment all that power, all that medicine..." His gaze drifted skyward as he made a fluttering motion with his fingers. "Goes poof. Disappears. She's much more useful as she is. No, she was not created to be a weapon. But that doesn't mean that's not how she can be used." "She's not a weapon or something you can USE!" Charmian shot back. "She's a person, with feelings and everything, and it doesn't matter anyway since she's not strong enough to fight off Megissogwun. So no thanks for keeping her locked up all these years! Lot of damn good it did!" Mishosha's eyes narrowed and he stared at her intently. "So," he said after a pause. "You mean to tell me you won't be asking her to kill off that nuisance? I rather got the feeling that was the whole point of this exercise." "Yeah, well, plan changed. As long as she's separate she's not strong enough. She can fend him off, but not defeat him, else she probably would've by now. You never answered me why you're the one holding her captive. Especially now that it serves little point for you, at least." "You're going to hate to hear me say it, little girl, but I'm probably the very reason why she's even still alive and kicking. If not for the safeguards I've placed around her, that nuisance of a so-called manitou would have found her out ages ago. Or if not him, then another. You realize what sort of beings would be all over themselves trying to finish her off? Even my Lynxes would have done the job, had I not the control over them that I have. Unfortunately, it looks like he might be gaining an upper hand in that at the moment, unless you should come up with another plan...fast." He snapped his fingers, the fireball vanishing. The dark haze over everything vanished along with it and Charmian blinked. Winter Born dropped to her knee beside her, hand on her shoulder, and Moon Wolf, another fireball hovering over his own hand, took a step back when Mishosha arose. "Charmian?" Winter Born asked, her face worried. "Are you okay?" "Fine," Charmian said, mostly to Moon Wolf, who gave Mishosha a threatening glare before standing down. She let Winter Born take her hand and help her up. "How long have I been out?" "Perhaps ten minutes or so," Thomas, standing nearby, said, coming toward her as well. "You're sure you're all right? You were so deathly pale..." "Good luck figuring out what the heck you plan to do once she decides to wake up and get out of that place," Charmian muttered at Mishosha, ignoring the questioning looks she got from the others. "Change of plans," she said to them instead. "The Red Swan won't be helping us out. She can keep us connected to the Island, but there's nothing she can do about Megissogwun." She hated the looks they got on their faces at this. "Then...what are we supposed to do?" Stick-In-The-Dirt asked, aggrieved. "If she can't fight him off..." "You guys head north* and see if you can dig up Manabozho," Charmian said to Kwemoo and Maang, and the two loons flapped off. "You saw how he got the last time," she added. "I'm sure once he snaps out of it he'll set things straight." She kept her thoughts carefully guarded, knowing this was no plan at all...if Manabozho could have defeated Megissogwun, he would have done it the last time...but anything to keep their spirits up would have to do for now. She could tell most of them didn't believe the plan would work, but no one spoke out against it, and she was glad for that. "You and Augwak can keep having your fun keeping him detained," she said to Mishosha, "while the rest of us try to figure out the fastest way back east. I'm wondering if and how we can locate one of those tunnels we used...though things have gotten pretty mixed up by now, those would be useful..." Everyone started gathering their belongings and walking. Winter Born slipped her hand into Charmian's, then Charmian felt Thomas do the same with her other hand; her face grew warm when she pictured how like a family they must look, but she said nothing. Stick-In-The-Dirt walked to one side like a father figure, Moon Wolf, Francois, and Niskigwun to the other side like three uncles. "I'm out of ideas," Charmian murmured. "I'm sure Manabozho can do something," Winter Born said, "if it's for Turtle. He really hurt him, at least, and that's something, isn't it?" Charmian winced. "How come you guys aren't pissed off at me or freaking out or anything?" she asked, glancing at the others walking around her. "Every single frigging idea I've had so far has failed. I'm usually doing better this far through the game." "That's the reason why," Francois said; she frowned at him and he clarified, "You've done better every other time, everyone believes you'll do the exact same this time. Why would anyone think you'd fail after all that?" "Just because I did so well the last two times doesn't mean the same will happen this time," Charmian sighed, feeling her spirits sink. "I can't think of anything else. We've tried everything. I'm not willing to give up, but..." "I'm certain that idiot must be awake by now," Niskigwun said, shaking his spear northward.* "He may not be able to defeat him but it's something. A shred of a chance is something, isn't it? It's better than nothing." "But 'better than nothing' doesn't mean that much if it's not enough." "Well, while we have better than nothing, start thinking of what will be enough." Charmian's face screwed up and she felt the urge both to hit him and to start crying. "It's easy for you to say! I'm open to suggestions!" "Mani and I were talking a bit while you were out," Thomas said. "What was it he said to you a while back? Start thinking crazy?" "Father thinks it was crazy to send me after Megissogwun," Winter Born said, "but you thought it up anyway." "I thought it was crazy to send Manabozho after him," Niskigwun said, "but it seems to have helped things." "You were crazy opening yourself up to that vile thing," Moon Wolf said, nodding at Mishosha, "but it hardly stopped you." Charmian looked to Stick-In-The-Dirt. He squirmed, then blurted out, "I think this entire thing is crazy! Every single time you arrive and so casually trot out to fight off whatever creature comes after us. But you always do it. And you always will, no matter what I or anyone else says. Crazy seems to be normal for you. In fact, you believing you've run out of ideas is what sounds truly crazy to me." Charmian said nothing. She shrank into her vest a little and stared at the ground as they walked. Her mind was blank, and she hated that; she always had some idea--no matter how stupid, there was always something there... But nothing I've faced has ever been this hard! It's almost like things were just...meant to fall into place, with Ocryana, and Chakenapok and Malsum and everyone else...as if it were written that way...yeah it was hard, but things eventually made sense, they eventually fell into place. Why isn't it working this time? We've done every single thing right. Even a bunch of stuff I'd never have imagined doing any other time...I have thought crazy, what else is there left to do...? She let go of the others' hands and tugged at her backpack, again ignoring Winter Born's inquisitive look as she rummaged around in it; the contents were damp and vaguely mildewy smelling by now, but she didn't care. She poked at a few of the gifts she'd brought but hadn't given away yet, then let them fall back in. Holding the pack in one hand, she felt the little carved pinecone in her pocket, then the Megis shell and cedar sprig around her neck. She pulled out the skin wrapping up her dreamcatcher and removed it, staring at the stones and feathers and webbing, and no ideas came. She felt her eyes sting. Maybe Black Elk Horn is right. Maybe I'm the one who messed the entire Island up just by visiting it. Things do always seem to go wrong every time I arrive. Would there even have been an Ocryana, a Chakenapok, a Megissogwun, if I'd just stayed at home? Would they all be better off now? I could take this dreamcatcher and just head back right now...would it be like a dream and they'd keep carrying on without me as if I'd never even been here, maybe even better than before...? That's a bunch of junk and I know it! Ocryana caused trouble for them way before I ever showed up--and Chakenapok was killed way before I was ever born--and Megissogwun destroyed the first Island, which I never even knew about earlier! I didn't make those problems...but I could've made them worse... What makes me think their lives will go on as if I were never here should I head back home? That wasn't the case the last two times. It won't be this time. Even Augwak didn't just bail out. I can't possibly make myself even worse than him... She stared at the webbing of the dreamcatcher--Weaver webs, replacing the ones that Chakenapok himself had once burned away--and saw how the faint light shimmered over them. Somewhere a memory sparked. Several memories sparked. Glowing webs... He tells me of seeing a great web that may somehow endanger you. No, not a Weaver web. He claims this is different. More powerful. And something fearful... Bands of power cutting through the air, ensnaring the Red Swan... She blinked and the shimmer vanished from the webbing, the only sound the thud of everyone's feet against the grass and the soft whisper of the wind. You mean to say that her power works--just only on beings from the Island...? Start thinking crazy. Think of the Island. And think of no Island. If out of ideas, start thinking crazy. Crazy ideas better than no ideas, right? When Island is in trouble, no idea is too crazy to say yes... She didn't say anything when Thomas took her free hand again, just continued staring at the dreamcatcher, or rather through it, as she wasn't seeing it anymore. It was several moments before she even allowed the dim idea she had in mind to come to the surface and take solid form. Even then, she hesitated to think it...but the longer it niggled at her, the more sense it made. What's been the entire point of all my lessons since first coming to the Island, after all? And how has it become so weak, opened itself up to beings like Megissogwun who'll just destroy it if given the chance? Exactly what am I willing to do or give up to save it? I thought I faced the worst the first time--and then again the second time--is there something even worse to face this time? Is that what it's going to take...? Her step slowed down and she at last stopped without even realizing it. The faint sound of footsteps went on for a bit, then faded as well, and after a moment she vaguely sensed the others gathering closer but she didn't look at them. Silence filled the air. Thomas's fingers squeezed hers. "Charmian? You all right?" "I'm fine," she murmured, still staring through the dreamcatcher. More silence. "You thought of something?" Winter Born asked; then, after a pause, "She's thought of something!" she whispered, as if Charmian couldn't hear, and the others came even closer yet until they surrounded her in a large huddle. None of them spoke, though a dim part of her knew that they wanted to. Footsteps approached and stopped before her. "What is it?" Stick-In-The-Dirt asked softly. "I have an idea," Charmian murmured, not looking up at him. The webbing on the dreamcatcher glimmered. The silence drew out so long that it was a wonder everyone didn't start fidgeting. "And?" the medicine man prompted. Emotion at last returned, and Charmian felt a spark of unease at merely replying. "You're not going to like it," she warned. "That matters?" Thomas asked now. "It can't be any worse than anything we've already tried, can it?" "If it's for the Island," Winter Born added, "then it's worth it, right?" More footsteps. Moon Wolf appeared at her side. "What are you going to need to do?" he asked, and although that was easier to answer than What's the plan?, still, she hated answering it. Charmian lifted her head a little and peered at each of them in turn. "I need to find a way back to the Island somehow. Just me. To the Borderlands." She bit her lip. "I need to see Ocryana." |