moonbird
06-04-2010, 08:14 PM
Chapter 3: Triumphant Defeat
I’m staring at the floating crystal in amazement. I bring my hands close to my face, and it follows exactly in the middle of them. The tiny teardrop glimmers and shines, and inside of it there seems to glow a tiny fire.
Carefully I bring the crystal closer to my face and examine the internal flame it carries. The fire ripples and bends, and the flames seem to form pictures.
Faces.
One particular face stands out. For a moment it’s blurry, then slowly comes into focus.
It’s Kafil.
But he looks different; his hair is longer, his eyes brighter. And he’s smiling.
And then the crystal is gone.
I look up in surprise. Kafil stands in front of me (the real one, unsmiling as usual). In his hand is the crystal. “That’s enough for today,” he says. His voice sounds different. It’s sharp, but I get the feeling that underneath there’s something else...
Kafil tosses the crystal back into the river. “It is meditation time,” he says authoritatively. “Go into your tree.”
Obediently I step through the willow’s hanging leaves into the cool, dim circle with the tree’s trunk at its center. I sit down next to the trunk, close my eyes, and try to clear my mind.
After a few minutes I give up.
I keep thinking about that crystal, and the more cheerful version of Kafil I saw inside of it. The curiosity is eating me alive.
Finally I can stand it no longer. As quietly as I can I crawl to the edge of the tree and poke my head through its green curtain of leaves.
Kafil is nowhere to be seen, but I hear his voice coming from the tree next to me. He’s murmuring something too quietly for me to understand. He sounds pretty involved in whatever he’s saying, so cautiously I take a single step beyond the tree.
“Anuja!” Kafil shouts immediately.
I dart back into the tree. “Sorry,” I murmur.
Kafil pauses for a few seconds. Then the slow, rhythmic sound of his mutterings resumes from his tree.
Once again I poke my head through the leaves. The river lies a good five feet from me. There’s no way I can reach it without leaving the tree.
Unless...
No, it couldn’t possibly work.
But... What could be the harm in trying?
Finally my curiosity gets the better of me. I stretch out my arm, while keeping the rest of my body still inside the tree. My fingertips still miss the edge of the river by several feet.
And with all of my might, I try to pull a crystal toward me.
For what feels like a long time, nothing happens. My outstretched fingers reach for the river, my body strains under the immense effort I’m giving, but nothing else happens.
And then, a breakthrough.
I’m close to giving up when I hear the wind-chime sound of the river flowing suddenly get louder. The soft tinkling sounds more like clattering.
I look anxiously toward Kafil’s tree. He hasn’t stirred.
When I look back a small bulge has formed in the river, and it is leaning toward my hand. My determination relit, I continue to pull on the river. My face screws up, my body clenches. Gradually, the bulge grows to a little hill, and then a steep-sided mountain, pointing toward me. Its peak is inches from my grasp.
Suddenly, the crystal closest to me detaches itself from the rest of the river. It shoots forward, the pointed end aimed at the palm of my hand.
Instincts take over. In a fraction of a second my body curls up into a small, tight ball.
I feel a small wind as the crystal shoots by; then a small crack from behind me.
My hand is burning.
I look down and see it is bleeding. Luckily the crystal only grazed it, and I quickly tie another leaf around my hand. Then I turn around.
The crystal is stuck in the exact middle of the tree’s trunk. Its sharp tip is hidden in the wood. Carefully I pull it out and examine it.
This time the face I see inside is different. It’s the face of a girl. She has light blonde hair, long and wispy. Her eyes are such a dark brown in color they are almost black.
She’s smiling, and the smile is somehow frightening. It’s the way a robber would smile as his burlap bag fills with money; greedy, and evil.
Suddenly her hair catches on fire.
The fire is bright red, the color of blood, and then her entire body is on fire.
She laughs, and the fire burns more brightly around her.
What is she? I wonder. And suddenly I know.
A demon.
“Anuja!”
I jump when I hear Kafil’s voice so close to me. The crystal clatters to the ground.
Kafil snatches up the crystal and tosses it back into the river. For a moment he looks angry; then his face softens, and he sits cross-legged next to me. “So you are interested in the secrets of the crystals, young Anuja,” he says quietly.
I nod, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, I—”
Kafil waves his hand. “No need to apologize. I was fascinated by them too, at your age.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“I... I saw...” I debate with myself whether or not to tell him.
Kafil saves me the trouble. “Ah, you saw the faces,” he murmurs.
I nod. “What are they?”
“They are everything: the past, the present, and the future. Each crystal is unique. They are like little time capsules, and none is from exactly the same moment.”
His face darkens suddenly. “They are interesting, Anuja, but you must not look into them unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“But why?”
He sighs. “Sometimes the unknown is better left unknown. There are things in this world which you are not yet ready to comprehend. It’s safer if you learn of them from me, and not from the crystals. Do you understand?”
I nod silently, but in truth I don’t understand. Actually, I find myself wondering if Kafil is telling me the truth. Kafil gets to his feet and returns to his tree. A few seconds later I hear his quiet chants.
I sigh to myself and flop back down onto the ground. I lay there, my feet touching the tree and my head propped up on my elbows, and I exhale slowly.
The phenomenon which follows this is rather strange. It is like your breath fogging up a window, only in reverse. The ground looks like fogged glass to begin with, and when I blow on it, it becomes clear. I see an image hidden on it. I lean in closer to get a better look.
The demon girl stares back at me.
I scream and jump to my feet. In an instant Kafil is by my side. “What is it?” he demands.
I blush. “Oh, nothing. I only scared myself.”
Kafil leaves without a word.
Cautiously, I look back down at the glassy blue ground. Once again it is foggy and oblique. But when I crouch down and breathe onto it, it quickly clears again. This time I’m not startled by the demon’s face, but I’m still frightened as I reach out and gingerly touch her face.
Instead of skin I feel the cold, smooth ground against my hand.
I stare at the girl and realize she hasn’t moved an inch. It’s like staring at a picture of her, rather than the real thing. The ground fogs up again, and I blow on it. When it clears, I see she’s moved slightly to the left, but remains as still as a statue.
I try to make sense of what I’m seeing and can’t. I suppose I’m looking through some kind of window to the other world.
Is this girl the Orohb?
Kafil’s words flash through my mind. It is a terrible creature, forged from fire and smoke.
A demon, I suppose you could call it...
Suddenly I’m sure. She’s the Orohb, and not only am I looking at her, she’s looking back at me.
I observe her carefully between the clear and foggy periods. She looks somehow different from the version of her I saw in the crystal. Her eyes are a lighter brown, and they have no malice in them, no evil. Her greedy smile is nowhere to be seen; her face is grave. It occurs to me that this is how she looks right now, but the version in the crystal is how she’ll look when I battle her.
“Anuja, that is not meditation.”
I look up in surprise. Once again, Kafil has somehow sensed my movement. He stands at the edge of my tree, staring over at me.
I sigh. “Can’t we just do another lesson?”
“No. Not until you meditate."
“For how long?”
“Until sundown.”
“Sundown!” I cry. “But that’s hours away!”
Kafil’s face is solemn. “Your lessons take time to absorb into your mind, as you are young and inexperienced. As you grow and mature, meditation will not be necessary, or at least not for as long a time. But for now, this is how it must be.” He disappears from the willow’s draping tendrils.
I groan and lean against the trunk of the tree. I’m not even entirely sure how to meditate. Kafil’s rhythmic chants are so alien. Maybe if I just sit and think, that will count as meditating.
So I close my eyes, take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. My mind is as clear as a blank piece of paper, and for a few seconds, I actually feel relaxed.
And then, like a light bulb piercing the darkness, a small voice appears inside my head and breaks the soothing silence. It asks me a single question, which echoes eerily against the walls of my mind:
Should I tell Kafil?
Should I tell him what? I reply to the voice, although I already know the answer.
About what you saw in the crystals, it replies. And about your window to the Orohb.
Why should I?
It could be useful information.
I don’t see how, I murmur, except I can think of a million ways my information could be useful. If the crystals predict the future, maybe we can know the outcome of my battle with the Orohb before it even begins.
But what if they predict that I’ll lose?
Okay, so maybe you can keep that part to yourself, the voice negotiates. But what about the happier Kafil you saw? Aren’t you curious as to why he’s so grim now?
I admit that I am a bit curious. But I can’t see how Kafil’s past (or maybe even his future) could affect me right now. And besides, Kafil’s life is really none of my business.
Fine, then, says the voice, sounding exasperated. At least tell him about the window. Who knows? Maybe there’s a way to break the window. Then you could attack the Orohb now, while it’s weak and unprepared. This could save your life, Anuja.
No, I decide firmly. Then I would have to explain how I knew it was the Orohb, and that would mean telling him about what I saw in the crystals.
So you’re not telling him anything? You’re just going to keep this all to yourself? The voice is angry that it’s been defeated.
Yes, I reply. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Triumphantly I switch off the voice, and my mind goes blank again. And leaning against the trunk of my willow tree, I fall asleep.
**************************************************
I’m staring at the floating crystal in amazement. I bring my hands close to my face, and it follows exactly in the middle of them. The tiny teardrop glimmers and shines, and inside of it there seems to glow a tiny fire.
Carefully I bring the crystal closer to my face and examine the internal flame it carries. The fire ripples and bends, and the flames seem to form pictures.
Faces.
One particular face stands out. For a moment it’s blurry, then slowly comes into focus.
It’s Kafil.
But he looks different; his hair is longer, his eyes brighter. And he’s smiling.
And then the crystal is gone.
I look up in surprise. Kafil stands in front of me (the real one, unsmiling as usual). In his hand is the crystal. “That’s enough for today,” he says. His voice sounds different. It’s sharp, but I get the feeling that underneath there’s something else...
Kafil tosses the crystal back into the river. “It is meditation time,” he says authoritatively. “Go into your tree.”
Obediently I step through the willow’s hanging leaves into the cool, dim circle with the tree’s trunk at its center. I sit down next to the trunk, close my eyes, and try to clear my mind.
After a few minutes I give up.
I keep thinking about that crystal, and the more cheerful version of Kafil I saw inside of it. The curiosity is eating me alive.
Finally I can stand it no longer. As quietly as I can I crawl to the edge of the tree and poke my head through its green curtain of leaves.
Kafil is nowhere to be seen, but I hear his voice coming from the tree next to me. He’s murmuring something too quietly for me to understand. He sounds pretty involved in whatever he’s saying, so cautiously I take a single step beyond the tree.
“Anuja!” Kafil shouts immediately.
I dart back into the tree. “Sorry,” I murmur.
Kafil pauses for a few seconds. Then the slow, rhythmic sound of his mutterings resumes from his tree.
Once again I poke my head through the leaves. The river lies a good five feet from me. There’s no way I can reach it without leaving the tree.
Unless...
No, it couldn’t possibly work.
But... What could be the harm in trying?
Finally my curiosity gets the better of me. I stretch out my arm, while keeping the rest of my body still inside the tree. My fingertips still miss the edge of the river by several feet.
And with all of my might, I try to pull a crystal toward me.
For what feels like a long time, nothing happens. My outstretched fingers reach for the river, my body strains under the immense effort I’m giving, but nothing else happens.
And then, a breakthrough.
I’m close to giving up when I hear the wind-chime sound of the river flowing suddenly get louder. The soft tinkling sounds more like clattering.
I look anxiously toward Kafil’s tree. He hasn’t stirred.
When I look back a small bulge has formed in the river, and it is leaning toward my hand. My determination relit, I continue to pull on the river. My face screws up, my body clenches. Gradually, the bulge grows to a little hill, and then a steep-sided mountain, pointing toward me. Its peak is inches from my grasp.
Suddenly, the crystal closest to me detaches itself from the rest of the river. It shoots forward, the pointed end aimed at the palm of my hand.
Instincts take over. In a fraction of a second my body curls up into a small, tight ball.
I feel a small wind as the crystal shoots by; then a small crack from behind me.
My hand is burning.
I look down and see it is bleeding. Luckily the crystal only grazed it, and I quickly tie another leaf around my hand. Then I turn around.
The crystal is stuck in the exact middle of the tree’s trunk. Its sharp tip is hidden in the wood. Carefully I pull it out and examine it.
This time the face I see inside is different. It’s the face of a girl. She has light blonde hair, long and wispy. Her eyes are such a dark brown in color they are almost black.
She’s smiling, and the smile is somehow frightening. It’s the way a robber would smile as his burlap bag fills with money; greedy, and evil.
Suddenly her hair catches on fire.
The fire is bright red, the color of blood, and then her entire body is on fire.
She laughs, and the fire burns more brightly around her.
What is she? I wonder. And suddenly I know.
A demon.
“Anuja!”
I jump when I hear Kafil’s voice so close to me. The crystal clatters to the ground.
Kafil snatches up the crystal and tosses it back into the river. For a moment he looks angry; then his face softens, and he sits cross-legged next to me. “So you are interested in the secrets of the crystals, young Anuja,” he says quietly.
I nod, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, I—”
Kafil waves his hand. “No need to apologize. I was fascinated by them too, at your age.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“I... I saw...” I debate with myself whether or not to tell him.
Kafil saves me the trouble. “Ah, you saw the faces,” he murmurs.
I nod. “What are they?”
“They are everything: the past, the present, and the future. Each crystal is unique. They are like little time capsules, and none is from exactly the same moment.”
His face darkens suddenly. “They are interesting, Anuja, but you must not look into them unless it is absolutely necessary.”
“But why?”
He sighs. “Sometimes the unknown is better left unknown. There are things in this world which you are not yet ready to comprehend. It’s safer if you learn of them from me, and not from the crystals. Do you understand?”
I nod silently, but in truth I don’t understand. Actually, I find myself wondering if Kafil is telling me the truth. Kafil gets to his feet and returns to his tree. A few seconds later I hear his quiet chants.
I sigh to myself and flop back down onto the ground. I lay there, my feet touching the tree and my head propped up on my elbows, and I exhale slowly.
The phenomenon which follows this is rather strange. It is like your breath fogging up a window, only in reverse. The ground looks like fogged glass to begin with, and when I blow on it, it becomes clear. I see an image hidden on it. I lean in closer to get a better look.
The demon girl stares back at me.
I scream and jump to my feet. In an instant Kafil is by my side. “What is it?” he demands.
I blush. “Oh, nothing. I only scared myself.”
Kafil leaves without a word.
Cautiously, I look back down at the glassy blue ground. Once again it is foggy and oblique. But when I crouch down and breathe onto it, it quickly clears again. This time I’m not startled by the demon’s face, but I’m still frightened as I reach out and gingerly touch her face.
Instead of skin I feel the cold, smooth ground against my hand.
I stare at the girl and realize she hasn’t moved an inch. It’s like staring at a picture of her, rather than the real thing. The ground fogs up again, and I blow on it. When it clears, I see she’s moved slightly to the left, but remains as still as a statue.
I try to make sense of what I’m seeing and can’t. I suppose I’m looking through some kind of window to the other world.
Is this girl the Orohb?
Kafil’s words flash through my mind. It is a terrible creature, forged from fire and smoke.
A demon, I suppose you could call it...
Suddenly I’m sure. She’s the Orohb, and not only am I looking at her, she’s looking back at me.
I observe her carefully between the clear and foggy periods. She looks somehow different from the version of her I saw in the crystal. Her eyes are a lighter brown, and they have no malice in them, no evil. Her greedy smile is nowhere to be seen; her face is grave. It occurs to me that this is how she looks right now, but the version in the crystal is how she’ll look when I battle her.
“Anuja, that is not meditation.”
I look up in surprise. Once again, Kafil has somehow sensed my movement. He stands at the edge of my tree, staring over at me.
I sigh. “Can’t we just do another lesson?”
“No. Not until you meditate."
“For how long?”
“Until sundown.”
“Sundown!” I cry. “But that’s hours away!”
Kafil’s face is solemn. “Your lessons take time to absorb into your mind, as you are young and inexperienced. As you grow and mature, meditation will not be necessary, or at least not for as long a time. But for now, this is how it must be.” He disappears from the willow’s draping tendrils.
I groan and lean against the trunk of the tree. I’m not even entirely sure how to meditate. Kafil’s rhythmic chants are so alien. Maybe if I just sit and think, that will count as meditating.
So I close my eyes, take in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. My mind is as clear as a blank piece of paper, and for a few seconds, I actually feel relaxed.
And then, like a light bulb piercing the darkness, a small voice appears inside my head and breaks the soothing silence. It asks me a single question, which echoes eerily against the walls of my mind:
Should I tell Kafil?
Should I tell him what? I reply to the voice, although I already know the answer.
About what you saw in the crystals, it replies. And about your window to the Orohb.
Why should I?
It could be useful information.
I don’t see how, I murmur, except I can think of a million ways my information could be useful. If the crystals predict the future, maybe we can know the outcome of my battle with the Orohb before it even begins.
But what if they predict that I’ll lose?
Okay, so maybe you can keep that part to yourself, the voice negotiates. But what about the happier Kafil you saw? Aren’t you curious as to why he’s so grim now?
I admit that I am a bit curious. But I can’t see how Kafil’s past (or maybe even his future) could affect me right now. And besides, Kafil’s life is really none of my business.
Fine, then, says the voice, sounding exasperated. At least tell him about the window. Who knows? Maybe there’s a way to break the window. Then you could attack the Orohb now, while it’s weak and unprepared. This could save your life, Anuja.
No, I decide firmly. Then I would have to explain how I knew it was the Orohb, and that would mean telling him about what I saw in the crystals.
So you’re not telling him anything? You’re just going to keep this all to yourself? The voice is angry that it’s been defeated.
Yes, I reply. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Triumphantly I switch off the voice, and my mind goes blank again. And leaning against the trunk of my willow tree, I fall asleep.
**************************************************