Story Paws: A Mystical World: Toxics 13

CHAPTER XIII.

THE STRATA RUBEN was up first.

He went straight to the water's edge and peered intently each way along its banks.

Therefar,

Ruben,

Said Georges with a yawn.

Thank you,

My friend,

For your safe guardianship,

Ruben said to him,

With a pat on his furry flank.

Clouds of smelly dust rose as he did so,

And he turned his head away discreetly,

Trying not to cough.

Well,

We managed to avoid discussing Sib last night,

Said Georges.

What will you tell Felicity?

The mind-sharing worked well.

Felicity was distracted by the toxic scare.

Yes,

Replied Ruben,

But the minute she awakes she'll remember.

He chewed his lip absentmindedly.

He had to consider the possibility that Sib was now a threat to reaching the Western Isle safely.

Furthermore,

He was beginning to think it was insanity to try and reach the South East,

Homeland of Little Green.

They would have to pass directly through the edges of the shadowed South,

Home to the majority of the toxics now.

Last night's skirmish had shown the toxics were completely out of control.

The idea of violence for its own sake was a horrifying new development in this beautiful world.

Territory and breeding issues might cause short breakouts,

But these were never in vain.

They would achieve a decision,

And each side would accept it.

They had the Banyan Meats,

The wisdom of the Oceanids,

And finally the unbiased help of the Strata,

When issues were complicated.

It had worked since the Old World began.

Never,

Never,

He thought,

Had any beast or plant sought violence for its own sake.

It was horrific to him,

Like wounding himself.

Why would a creature seek to harm another for no reason?

He could accept the toxics' bitterness born of rejection,

Even understand their abhorrent campaign to destroy the very heart of the world,

The roots laid down since time began,

Thousands of generations of work by the Stipple Greens,

Guarded so faithfully by the Toro.

Even in that violent threat there was some misguided motive,

He thought.

But what he'd witnessed last night chilled his soul.

He looked at Georges before mind-sharing.

It was getting a little easier as they headed west.

Small gifts,

He thought.

Why,

Georges,

Do we guard the cave?

He asked silently.

You ask of things of which we do not speak.

Frustrated Ruben sighed.

Well,

It didn't matter now.

The caves and the roots needed more than guarding,

They needed defending.

He curled up his hands into tight fists.

He felt the tension travel up his arms as his despair grew.

The answers to every question were contained in those roots.

They contained all that was and is and shall be.

If the toxics succeeded in destroying them in their utterly ignorant frenzy of hate,

He thought angrily,

What would become of his beautiful,

Loving world.

He looked up at the sky.

There were about seven strata circling and wheeling high in the early light.

It was as if his despair had called to them.

He went and stood by Georges as they gracefully descended.

The flurry of wings and strata song woke the sleepers,

Who scrambled up and stood quietly watching.

The listie was mesmerized.

They were incredible creatures.

Sort of huge birds,

They reminded her of the pterodactyl pictures at the Natural History Museum in London.

Except they were quite stunningly beautiful.

Their feathers were glossy and of so many rich colours.

She had once seen some tiny birds on a wildlife programme.

She remembered the nature man raving about their hues of infinite variety.

Well,

Beat this,

Mr.

A,

She thought to herself,

Smiling.

They had long beaks and a crown of feathers on their heads,

Which would have been comical if their eyes had not been so wise and serious.

With their wings folded,

They stood as high as Georges' shoulder.

Their breast feathers were a marvellous concoction of curl and shade.

With the first strata leading,

They began their lilting song of words.

There is not time for formality.

We are the strata of the West Sea.

We come to you and you on this day.

Ruben the Brave,

Hear what we say.

The Greens are calling,

Return their prized child.

But we see from our skies the toxics from wild.

They spread from the South to the edge of the West.

They move in a wave and have heard of your quest.

They gather more renegades each passing hour.

We the peacemakers,

Diplomats of power,

Say tarry no longer.

The Sibwan has gone.

Watch us and follow.

This quest must succeed.

We'll divert stray toxics and call winds for your speed.

At the end of each phrase,

Their wings lifted,

And with beaks pointed to the sky,

They let the harmonies soar into the humming air.

Flisty squashed a giggle as she noticed Scratts swinging from side to side.

Their song finished,

Ruben inquired politely.

I cannot break the traditions of our world,

Most honourable ones.

I cannot take an underage Green without the permission of her elders at her banyan.

I am forbidden to go West by this law.

How can I proceed?

The first Strata stepped forwards again.

Flisty prepared for verse two.

But he sang simply.

Seven will send three to inform the Green elders that the child is safe,

And there will gain your pass.

Four will be your guides.

As he finished,

The three were already taking off.

They leapt towards the stream and in the first bound their wings unfurled,

Gave a couple of massive beats and they soared up into the pale blue skies.

Felicity was entranced by these powerful creatures.

Wow!

Was all she said.

They ate a hurried breakfast,

With the huge birds preening their glossy feathers a little way away.

Soon they were off.

Two of the four cruised at a low level,

Keeping close.

The other two flew at higher altitudes,

Looking for potential trouble.

Wolfgang and Pippy walked side by side.

Wolfgang's furry back was twitching,

And Pippy kept looking behind her.

George was cantering gently along in the rear.

Felicity was sure he was surreptitiously chewing on something as he ran.

Gus and she walked in companionable silence,

And Scrat and little Green trotted along just behind Reuben.

Where did Sib go,

Gus?

Felicity asked at last.

It was absolutely weird that no one had mentioned Sib apart from the strata in their song.

Why had she not last night?

She tried to remember the sequence of events.

She had just been glad everyone was okay,

And then too tired to even care.

It was all becoming a bit of a blur.

Her tummy rumbled.

Breakfast had been short.

No wonder George was scoffing something illicit back there,

She thought.

Gus had still not answered.

Mum said she was like a dog with a bone when something was on her mind.

Clearly Gus did not know who he was dealing with.

She tried again.

Gus,

She said in a firm tone.

He looked at her,

Big black eyes,

Suspiciously vacant.

Where is Sib,

She repeated,

Pronouncing the words slowly.

Gus' spiky shoulders drooped,

And he glanced forwards to Reuben.

Pippy loped up and gave her a huge lick.

It's time to tell her,

Reuben,

Pippy said in her kind voice.

The strata circled the group anxiously.

Reuben called up to them.

We halt for a short break.

At his words,

They soared up to join the other two without reply.

Reuben looked at Flisty.

He took a deep breath and let the air out slowly.

The rest of the group halted,

Glad of the rest.

Reuben brushed Flisty's cheek with the back of his hand.

Her skin felt warm and soft.

Flisty concentrated on the downy layer of blonde hairs that caught the light.

He needed time to organise his words.

Flisty sit down,

He said,

She sat.

Sib is left with no communication.

He was blocking his thoughts for the last few hours,

So none of us can tell where he went.

As you know,

The sibling can be disloyal.

But I have told everyone,

And I tell you,

There must be a good reason for his sudden disappearance.

He will explain when he rejoins us.

He glanced at Georges.

And Flisty knew she just knew there was more.

What?

She said.

I said nothing,

Said Reuben.

Yes,

You did.

I've lived on this world for long enough now to mind share a bit.

I heard you,

Reuben.

I heard you say to Georges just then that the rest could wait.

Georges snorted in delight at Reuben being caught out.

Reuben came to Reuben's aid.

Felicity,

He bellowed,

Swallowing first.

Felicity,

We must protect you for your own sake.

No,

Said Flisty.

To her huge embarrassment and frustration,

Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

No,

That is not fair.

I am dragged to this world of balance,

She said.

And someone we trusted on our side of the balance has run off.

A great flock of flying dinosaurs arrive and you all look terribly worried.

It's not good enough.

You have to tell me what's going on with Sib.

What is so bad?

I never trusted him anyway.

Why is everyone so surprised he went off?

The rain,

Which had been threatening all morning,

Finally came,

And as Felicity finished her rant the deluge soaked them all.

Felicity,

There are many risks to us losing Sib at this stage,

And the toxics are more widespread than we thought.

Please trust me,

Felicity.

I will never keep anything important from you,

But we must gain the coast to-night.

We'll talk on the voyage.

Felicity thought of the oceanid journey and gave in.

Reuben did look exhausted.

She wiped her face,

Which was wasted effort as the cold water streamed down her cheeks now.

The troop marched on and the strata returned.

The rain was miserable.

Georges' woolly coat smelt like a zoo pen,

Little green and scrat clung miserably to Pippa's back,

And Felicity thought she would even ride on Wolfgang rather than suffer this muddy,

Boggy march any longer.

Night fell and the exhausted travellers trailed up to the brow of the last dark rise of land.

The vast ocean sparkled silver in the moonlight as they crested the hump.

Thank goodness,

Thought Felicity.

She was past tears or pain.

She felt numb from the gruelling trek.

We camp here to-night.

To-morrow we head for the Western Isle,

Said Reuben.

There was a feeble cheer.

With no colour-changers,

They had to forage for food.

Sand-shoots,

But they were a welcome change from stodballs.

Gus passed round the ornate flask of amber liquid that Felicity had first tasted on her second day.

Oh,

Spirit-drink marvellous!

Exclaimed Georges.

Gus wrestled the flask away from him as he sucked deeply.

It will last us all,

As you know,

Georges,

But even spirit-drink needs time to replenish,

Admonished Gus.

Everyone took a few large gulps.

Felicity felt it warm her up and satisfy her thirst all at once.

It was reviving and filling.

Al would have loved it.

So would Dad,

Came the unbidden thought.

Little Green and Scrat passed round the sand-shoots.

Thank you,

Felicity said and smiled at Scrat.

His chirping voice had been noticeably silent to-day.

She looked at him again.

He was taller.

And by his side Little Green had grown noticeably too.

But they grow so fast.

Nothing in this world would surprise her,

She thought.

She wanted Reuben to come and lay beside her again.

The fire had dried her soaked clothes and the spirit-drink had made her sleepy.

Wolfgang and Pippi lay close.

Her eyes closed,

But as the peace of sleep claimed her,

A huge spume of water rose out of the ocean and splashed down onto the sand between their dune and the sea.

As everyone leapt up,

The oceanid had arrived.