StoryPaws: A Mystical Old World Story: The Toxics 4

Chapter 4.

Gus.

The sun shone clear as Felicity woke to a beautiful new world.

The mists had dispersed and there was a feeling of anticipation and excitement.

The bedraggled band of followers gathered together their few belongings and prepared to travel.

Ruben told Felicity they were heading north-west.

The followers seemed determined to stay with Ruben.

They're like band groupies,

Thought Felicity as she sat hugging her knees and watching them.

She was nestled into the bracken that had kept her warm through the night.

There were more Orion like Ruben,

But whilst they appeared to be human,

They had long,

Furry,

Black and white striped tails that they moved gracefully behind them.

Like a cat,

She thought.

The Orion certainly moved with a grace and beauty that did not appear to have been endowed upon some of the other creatures.

There were no other Sibylline.

She peeked at Sib as he moved about the camp.

His huge,

Scaly hair turned towards her.

Felicity shuddered and looked away.

Peering into the spiky bushes,

She was fascinated by what she saw.

There was a group of tall plants,

Almost trees.

Their heads were a collection of grooved,

Broad leaves that glimmered and shimmered in the early sunshine,

Vast geisha fans of the brightest green.

Their outstretched branches hovered,

Dangling aerial roots elegantly like long golden sleeves.

Felicity was transfixed.

There was a regality about these plants.

She noticed the other plants and beasts made way for them wherever they quietly moved.

They're the greens,

Said Reuben,

Making Felicity jump.

It is their kind who make the roots that store all knowledge.

How do they move,

She asked.

On fat root balls that spin slowly.

Like casters,

Thought Felicity.

How clever.

Reuben,

If you think I meant to be here,

Then you must have some idea of what on earth I'm supposed to do.

I can walk a fair distance,

Thanks to the Welsh Hills.

I hate spiders and all bugs.

And I don't like being wet,

So I really do think you might have the wrong person.

Was it my friend Al you were after?

She's taller than me and runs really fast.

She loves nature programs.

She'd fit right in here.

Felicity took a breath.

She was panting.

Felicity,

Felicity,

You are the one.

I felt it the moment I saw you on your hands and knees,

Said Reuben,

Laughing.

Your friend Al would be most welcome,

But it's you who has been chosen by my world.

Do you not feel the connection?

Felicity looked up at the vast sky and across the camp as if seeking a sign.

She felt nothing.

I'm sorry,

Reuben.

I feel nothing,

She replied.

Although.

.

.

She felt a tiny tremor pass through her as she gazed at this proud young man.

A tiny surge of energy.

And with it came a memory.

A buried memory of a dream.

His face in the dream.

Well,

The aquatics will help us,

Said Reuben.

He was keen to move.

Felicity would see she was the one.

She had to be.

Have confidence,

Dearest Felicity.

Taking her by surprise,

He put his arms around her and held her for a moment.

He was warm and his jacket smelt of spice and earth.

She stayed still.

He patted her on the back as he released her.

He started to walk ahead,

But Felicity caught up with him.

Reuben,

Why is your world broken?

Last night you said your world was broken.

If you need my help,

I have to understand what's happening here.

Reuben took her hand and walked with her.

Listen,

He said.

We have little time,

But I'll try to explain.

We have many creatures and plants on our world.

And as we travel,

You'll meet or hear of them all.

However,

There is one kind who feel neglected.

And over time,

They have become bitter.

They seek to destroy our world,

The world they feel has betrayed them.

Exactly how and when is not entirely known.

But the wisest and oldest of our species have begun to react to protect and defend our world.

I am chosen to lead this quest.

Its aim is to counteract the destructive forces of the toxics.

Toxics,

Repeated Felicity,

And strangely the name felt bitter on her tongue.

As if this mystical world was trying to tell her something.

What do we do to stop them then?

She asked practically.

What are they doing?

Killing people?

Well,

Beasts and plants.

The plan is not known yet.

We know they wish the traditions and laws of the old world to end.

We know they have turned black with bitterness and resentment.

We do not know precisely what they intend.

But Sib tells me they are gathering force in the shadowed south.

The aquatics advise we head north-west.

We must find the other members of the quest.

Or hope they find us soon.

Who are these aquatics?

Asked Felicity.

They are plants who give us information as we travel.

They work with the Oceanids,

Large sea creatures and the oldest of the beasts.

It's the Oceanids,

Together with the Elder Greens,

Who formed the idea of the quest.

They felt it was time to protect the world.

Felicity's eyes rolled upwards in expression of despair.

So many new kinds,

So much information.

She would keep it simple.

One,

Stay with Ruben.

She liked and trusted him.

Two,

Stay away from these black,

Vile toxics.

Three,

Try to memorise all these creatures and plants,

So Ruben did not think her stupid.

Four,

Help if she could,

Although it was not her fight.

Even if she had dreamt of Ruben's face once.

Five,

Work out how to get back to the place she'd landed and see if she could find a way back to that staircase.

A colour changer flurried past,

Passing out earth balls.

Felicity took one and rolled it between her palms,

Biting into the juicy ball.

She was pleasantly relieved to find it tasted rather nice.

Like a pomegranate,

But more filling.

Ruben watched her.

Eat at least two,

Felicity.

We may not stop today.

The journey to the temperate north is far,

And we have much land to cross.

As he spoke,

His golden eyes travelled slowly over her,

Assessing her strength.

She seemed a little slender,

Like his enharmonics,

The fragrance.

But there was stamina in her frame.

Felicity began to blush as Ruben stared at her.

His eyes jumped up to her face as he sensed her unease.

He smiled to reassure her.

You're stronger than you look,

He said,

Still smiling.

Hockey pitches are cold in January,

She replied cryptically as she stood up straight,

Brushing off the leaves and dust.

I'll manage.

Ruben tipped his head to the side.

She said some odd things,

This Felicity.

But she was in his world now,

And he trusted it.

With the power of our earth,

Yes,

He replied.

But Ruben broke off as they both heard roaring and shouting on the perimeter of the camp.

He spun round to face the intruders and was surprised to see two Lupata.

They're a long way from home,

He thought.

They padded into the clearing,

And between them walked a Toxic.

Felicity's eyes widened as these huge creatures came right up to Ruben.

They were huge,

A wolf built like a Shetland pony.

Their heads hung heavily on broad shoulders,

And their jaws thrust forward from deep,

Intelligent brows.

The one closest to her flared its nostrils at her strange scent,

And Felicity actually felt herself tremble.

I can't believe I'm standing here.

Why don't I just run?

She slowly edged out of the line of sight of the smelly,

Hairy duo.

Ruben,

However,

Seemed quite calm.

His gaze was steady,

And only on the Toxic.

The deep,

Grey Lupata nearest Ruben spoke.

He seemed to be the leader as the white one turned its head and listened to his words.

We found him wandering at the foot of the hills,

He said.

His voice was full and growling,

But Felicity understood perfectly.

In fact,

Now she came to think of it,

She understood everyone perfectly.

Name yourself Toxic,

Commanded Ruben,

And Felicity saw how tall and strong he suddenly appeared.

He had drawn himself up,

Shoulders square and head raised as he spoke.

The ground had slightly risen where he stood,

As if in readiness for the meeting.

The band of followers had backed away,

And all movement ceased.

Felicity peered past Ruben.

The Toxic was standing in the full sunlight.

It was the height of a very tall man.

Is it a plant,

She wondered.

It was grey-green and long spikes stuck out of its limb-like appendages.

It had two legs and three arm branches,

With its head simply a fatter version,

More bulbous.

Yuck!

The involuntary thought popped into her head.

It was disgusting.

It tipped its head sideways and looked straight at her with its large,

Black eye.

She met its glance.

Its eye was deep,

Dark,

Fathoms of pain.

It spoke to her of sadness and loss and loneliness.

Felicity felt a tear trickling down her cheek.

I am Ruben,

Four thousandth,

Ruben said to the thing.

I am Toxic,

Toxic,

It replied.

What a lovely voice,

Thought Felicity,

Surprised.

She heard a few sniggers from the bushes around her.

Silence,

Called out Ruben.

We are all of the old world,

And in that world there has never been a place for disrespect and small thoughts.

The Toxic seemed to relax at Ruben's words.

Felicity took a better look at him and decided his eyes were a lovely shape,

As long as you avoided meeting them.

Ruben spoke quietly to the two Lubata,

And Felicity let out her breath with relief as they backed away and sat down.

One of them started rootling in the ground,

And she saw him unearth a lump.

So that's where the earth balls come from,

She realised.

He crunched it greedily and a large drool of saliva hung down from his pink and black gums.

Why have you risked yourself to come to our quest?

Ruben asked the Toxic.

Why isn't he scared of him?

Felicity wondered.

He has just said he's Toxic.

But Ruben seemed comfortable with letting the Lubata leave their prisoners stand free.

She sat down,

Reassured by Ruben's attitude.

It was his world.

He must know what he was doing.

The thing wasn't black.

Perhaps that meant something.

I have heard mutterings of this quest for many months now,

The Toxic was saying in his melodious voice.

Felicity started gently scratching at the ground with a stick to see if she could find another juicy earth ball whilst she listened.

The old world is dying,

And my kind are to blame.

They cause imbalance to the essential harmonies with their anger.

Chaos is erupting throughout the South.

The power of communication is becoming limited.

And with this,

The energy of our old world that flows seamlessly between us all and our land is being weakened.

As we all know,

Life's flow depends on an open mind and an open heart.

All can see and understand.

Words are only a part of the flow.

The Toxics breed fear and mistrust and the flows of communication are being stunted.

The plants and beasts can no longer connect with the land from whence they come.

They grow weak,

And the truly malicious Toxics have formed a small army that grows fast.

They encourage insularity and spread their malicious intents as they begin to traverse the world,

Hundred by hundred.

These new Toxics recruit wherever they go.

They say it's time to act.

What do they want so badly?

Asked Reuben.

A new world in which we Toxics can belong.

You live among us already.

Yes,

But you know our story,

Continued the creature,

Who Felicity had decided to call Gus.

She wasn't really sure why.

Perhaps it was his big black eyes?

They reminded her of a big gorilla she had once fallen in love with at a zoo,

Gus.

Her mother had been forced to buy her a hard plastic replica,

Which had stayed in her bed for the next four years,

Chilling her cheek in a satisfying way.

Gus the Toxic was talking fast now.

Sip had reappeared and he sat a little distance away listening.

Your story is the story of all of us,

Toxic,

Said Reuben,

Interrupting the flow of speech.

Do not be afraid,

He said to the followers and gestured to Felicity to come closer.

This Toxic is clearly not blackened with bitterness yet.

He comes in peace.

Let us all remind ourselves of the sad history of his kind,

Of the birth of the Toxics and the beginning of the downfall of the old world.

He sat down gracefully and Gus folded himself neatly together and continued.

Felicity gave up grubbing for food and focused on the story.

It is said that in the old ages all life lived in great harmony and balance with the Great Spirit.

It created pure goodness and joy,

Which seeped out into all other worlds.

Sometimes an Orion travelled to those worlds to share our message of love and joy.

The Great Spirit was proud of his wonderful creation,

Which was doing so well.

His pride was his undoing.

He took his eyes away for a moment and the Toxics were born.

A male Fragrant fell in love with a female Orion Beast.

It is foretold when two enharmonics join,

A special force is created,

But to reproduce is against the Great One,

It cannot be.

But they did.

They found the tiny part of themselves that matched and they reproduced.

The thing that came from them was ugly,

Strange,

And they separated in shame,

Telling no one.

They left it to its own fate in the natural way of things.

But it survived.

It had the powers of both species and the love of none.

It reached maturity watching,

Learning,

Yearning.

The first one reproduced itself out of utter loneliness.

Subsequent Toxics learned to do the same,

But it was a miserable,

Pathetic affair.

Their descendants scattered throughout the lands,

Unwanted even by their own kind.

The Plants and the Beasts saw these sad creatures that lived in the shadows of their world and they ignored them,

Misfits of ugliness in an otherwise perfect,

Beautiful world.

They were misunderstood and sometimes reviled.

Over the years they became angry and bitter.

Bitterness turned to wickedness and revenge became their cry.

Their only hope was the great spirit of the old world who had comforted them from the beginning.

But why did he not intervene?

Life has its own destiny,

They were told.

It is rumoured he planted a root deep in another world,

In order that at the right time the two worlds would entwine and somehow heal each other.

This was his design and it would come to pass as all things do,

They said.

But the years passed and nothing changed.

The story moved something in Felicity's heart.

The more she heard of this sad,

Proud world,

The more she was beginning to understand.

Maybe this was not her world,

She thought,

But how very real and tragic it all felt.

We thank you for reminding us,

Gus,

Said Reuben.

There were a few mutters of confusion as Reuben gave the Toxic Felicity's name.

It's a very fine name,

Said Gus,

And he fixed his big black eyes on Felicity.

Felicity thought his funny,

Spiky face was trying to smile,

Although she couldn't be sure.

Why have you come to find me,

Reuben asked the Toxic.

I was living with the Greens in their homelands,

The South East,

But visiting the darker parts of the shadowed South frequently.

I feel different from my kind.

I see no sense in resentment and bitterness.

I don't feel ugly.

I'm happy to be different.

Intrigued,

I have felt lonely.

But I face the Great Spirit and I feel joy.

I face the sun and the wind and the night moons as I travel across the glorious lands.

And I feel hope.

I must join your quest.

I can understand the new Toxic's strange language.

I see their fury and black hearts.

Yet I feel tiny slivers of light trying to penetrate the darkest recesses.

My place is with you.

I think I can help.

I consulted the Aquatics.

They told me to seek the quest.

Did they give you any further information on the Toxic's plans,

Asked Reuben.

His shoulders were slumped and Felicity felt her fingers twitching to touch him.

To lay a small hand on his shoulders upon which so much was resting.

Thank you,

Dear Felicity,

Came his voice into her head.

Felicity felt a warm sliding in her stomach.

I need you,

Felicity.

Listen and learn.

So Felicity listened.

As the sun climbed high in the sky,

The rumbling voice of Gus spoke of all he knew of the Toxic's plans.

The Aquatics had discovered a plot to find the roots of the old world and furthermore to reveal the place of the ancient root that held the knowledge and secrets of the beginning of the world.

No one apart from the Toro are allowed into the sacred caves which contain the roots,

Said Reuben.

In the pause,

Felicity could hear a tiny bird singing high in a bush and an echoing reply from another.

The sun was warm and she felt thirsty.

She was just wondering how to ask for some of that wonderful honey drink when Gus spoke again.

Furthermore,

Reuben,

He means to destroy it all.

The ancient root first and then all of them.

He declares all knowledge will be burnt and hacked until the caves are empty.

The roar and outrage of the beasts and plants filled the air.

They cried in pain and terror.

Felicity looked about her.

She felt odd.

She saw herself from above,

A small human surrounded by a horde of screaming,

Turbulent creatures and plants.

Is this how the first explorers felt on landing?

She wished Al could be here with her.

But the noise of the outraged plants and beasts overcame her.

And as she stopped thinking and listened to the sound,

The old world gave up its strength to her.

She felt unified with these wonderful,

Strange beings.

She realized she knew what they were.

She felt their love and their pain.

There were plants and beasts of all the world in this quest,

Although she had yet to learn their names.

There were greens,

Thorns,

Fragrance and color changes,

Toro,

Lupata,

Orion and of course one sibling.

There are more in the oceans and the skies,

The land whispered.

And she felt honored that it opened its heart to her.

She looked up and saw vast flying shapes soaring high.

She was filled with wonder and joy.

What a truly incredible place.

But for now she filled her lungs with the pure air and found herself joining in their cry.

Life is joy.

Joy is love.

Love heals all.