The sun was setting, and quickly. Corwin was sure of that. He dipped his paws in the cool pool wishing he didn't have to return to reality. Time was against him, though.
"Corwin, come on we're going to miss the assembly!" That was his Melody calling. She could be such a nag sometimes. Like he didn't already know it was time for the council meeting. He was a Custom after all. He did know these things. Regardless of how scatterbrained everyone else thought him to be.
His feet softly ran across the grass as he made his way towards the home cave. Casting a glance over his shoulders, he sighs. The sun was nearly down. Henry would be angry at him for being late to yet another meeting. He always managed to be late. His feet did not betray him and before long he had made it. Only a few seconds late. How mad could a group of his friends get anyways? The Corsie gulped, very mad at times.
Walking into the entryway he notices the usual. Twenty other Wajas, all customs, were scattered throughout the rock cavern. Some sitting quietly on stone ledges, some standing in a neat row, but the main Waja, the appointed group leader, stood front and center. Demanding the attention of the others. He had an almost Divine presence, but this made sense as he was a Divine after all.
"Corwin so glad you could make it." The leader's voice boomed.
A smirk creased around his lips. "Wouldn't miss it for the world Henry." Scanning the group Corwin spots his mate, Melody and quickly sits beside her. It was time for another pointless meeting to begin. A meeting of what you ask? The Council of Customs. Or for the sake of everyone's time the COC. The COC consisted of twenty one extraordinary custom Wajas. These Wajas ruled the small colony and its inhabitants. They were given this duty by her majesty Queen Kichi. For you see the Queen could not always be there and so her Wajas acted as its guardians.
The Divine lowered his gaze, and slowly scanned each of the Wajas. Making sure that everyone was here and accounted for. This always seemed intimidating to Corwin, as Henry had a fierce reputation.
"Now that we're all here, let's begin." He paused making sure all twenty pairs of eyes were on him. "As you may or may not know it's almost time for Her Majesty's annual appearance."
Calin, one of the two custom Aerials scoffed. All customs were prepared for this. They had to be. For when the Queen arrived the island had to be in tip top shape. Nothing short of this would be allowed. Henry and his Lily always made sure of that.
Clearing his throat the leader continues: "She is coming tomorrow morning, and we have little time to fix up this place." He casts a glance at the Corsie pair. "It's your job to maintain the living quarters and guest quarters, please make sure they are fit for the Queen."
That was their dismissal, Melody rises and in turn Corwin follows her out. Once he knew they were no longer within hearing distance he spoke: "Mel' why are we always in charge of this? Why couldn't we get the Fire's job of cooking?" He swipes his tongue over his muzzle.
Melody turned her big green eyes on him: "Because we were chosen for a different task. Simple as that." She rubs against his shoulder and with a flick of her tail moves off towards the living quarters. Corwin could never understand how she was so pleasant all the time. It was beginning to infuriate him. With a sigh he runs off after his mate. There was a lot of work to do in a very short ten hour period.
The night flew by, and soon all the preparations for the Queen's arrival were completed. The Fires had finished the chicken and dumpling stew, the Aerials had finished with decorating the port where the Queen's boat would dock, the Tempests had finished cleaning up the landscape of all debris, Henry and Lily had sent a carrier pigeon to the royal boat to ensure her majesty was coming along safely and finally the Corsies had prepared the room where she would sleep.
Henry was satisfied. The queen was coming along swiftly. Plus all the decorations, food, and resting areas were all in order. Nothing could go wrong. Looking up into the trees he calls to Dai the watchman. "Dai, can you see the ship yet?"
The red husky-wind shook his head. "Nope no vessel in sight. Otherwise I'd have hollered at ya' by now"
The exasperated Corwin sighed. The queen always did this every single year. She seemed to think that by delaying her arrival it created some sort of a dramatic entry. It seemed childlike and silly all the same. The customs knew little of their queen, other than she had created each and every one of them. Most Wajas honored and revered her. After all she had created them, gave them life, their very existence was tied to her. Not Corwin though. He resented her almighty presence. Sneered at her royal status.
So here he sat on another hot July day, waiting for his queen to return and inspect the island and it's Wajaian residents. He sighed; at least the grub was always good for this party. Even if the company could've been better. Katana's smooth voice startled him back into reality.
"Really Corwin you could at least look happy." She swished her long flowing tail in his face. "Dai just spotted the boat on the horizon. She'll be here shortly."
"Right, happy." He slapped a big stupid grin on his face. "Look good enough?" Katana raised an eyebrow. "No it looks like you just fell into a box of botox." He scowled quickly removing his goofy grin. The tempest smiled. "Perfect."
The tide soon brought in the large wooden vessel. One by one sailor Wajas unloaded the queen's personal possessions. Her suitcase, boxes, bags, everything imaginable was coming out from within the ships hull. It was enough belongings to clothe an entire city, let alone one woman. After every item was removed and placed in the royal guestroom she emerged from within the hull.
Henry quickly ran up to her, and his massive head stood at least 3 feet higher than her own. Gingerly she stroked his massive foreleg.
"I trust you've kept everything in order, dearest Henry?"
A low rumble emitted from his throat, as he gently shook his head up and down.
"Good, very good. Alright everyone let the feasting begin!"
Wajas of every shape and size scattered all over, rushing towards the feasting grounds. With their queen following close behind. But not Corwin, no, our little Corwin felt he didn't need to attend such a trivial feast. He sat on his haunches muttering, watching everyone make a fool of themselves over a human.
"Corwin? Whatever is the matter?"
Corwin all but snarled. He did not want to talk to her about anything.
"Oh, I see." She sat down next to the Corsie and laid her hand next to his flank. "My presence is upsetting you? As it always does." He nodded and quickly looked away.
"Why is this? You've always been special to me. Both you and Melody hold a unique place within my heart." He pointed his muzzle towards the banquet area, and quickly looked back towards the shoreline.
"Oh, you want me to leave?" She paused, and carefully removed something from her velvet handbag. Corwin's acute senses got the best of him. He turned and looked as she drew from within a crumpled up piece of parchment. Old, torn, and from the smell hardly used. The fair headed queen handed him the paper. He refused to take it.
"Alright, I must leave or Henry will get upset. Please take this paper Corwin. I'll excuse you from the festivities this one time." She winked at him, and before long she was gone. He cocked his head to the side, she must have left for the festival.
What could be so important that she'd hand it to him? She very rarely even said two words to him all the previous festivals. What changed now? He sniffed the crumpled paper, and couldn't resist the urge to peel it open. Pulling back the corners he lifts the page to see drawings. Strange lines painted here and there and in the very middle an 'x'.
Corwin knew humans drew strange things once a pen hit paper. But this was extraordinarily odd to him. Why go through all the trouble to draw silly little lines and then keep the paper, only to give it to him? Upon further examination it appeared to be a crude map of the island. Maybe these were primitive blue prints? No, perhaps this was what humans would call a treasure map. Maybe she was giving him her permission to find these riches and get of this island. A whole new life awaited him.
The Corsie studies the paper carefully, and soon remembers the whole map. He leaves the parchment on the ground and turns towards adventure, excitement, and hopefully a new life.
The directions were rather short, and from what he could see it lead towards an old cave he'd cleaned just the other day, on the Divine's orders. Henry did enjoy being bossy. Shaking these thought from his head he continues on. Up over the hills, towards the cliff side he goes until finally he reaches the mouth of the cave.
Inside he finds what he saw the last time he was here. The usual contents of a cave. Dark, drippy ceiling, rocks scattered about, and the occasional wooden box here or there. This place held nothing special and certainly nothing of great value. But what was that? Over next to a rock was a pile of rubble, a misplaced pile that wasn't noticed before.
He runs towards it and with all his might he digs, until at last in the bottom of the hole a chest is found. He carries it up the surface, quickly setting it on the freshly moved dirt. Corwin's stub tail wags excitedly.
"This is it. I can finally get off of this retched island!" He says aloud as he knocks open the lid of the chest with his nose. His eyes widen and within the chest he does find riches, but not the kind made of silver or gold.
Inside the chest were more drawings. But these were familiar to him. These were drawings of every custom Waja the Queen had created. He flips through design after design, taking careful note of the words written beside each of them. How the Queen loved and cherished the very thought of creating them one day. At last he comes upon his own page, and studies the intrigue design and the scribbles as she made as she brainstormed up ideas for his name.
The queen had carefully planned out all them. He wasn't just some random fill in. She really did care about each and every one of them. Kichi loved them all equally. No wonder Henry nearly worshiped the ground she walked on.
Carefully he puts the designs back in the chest, places it in the hole, and fills the dirt back in. He turns and casting a glance over his shoulder he leaves. As Corwin left the cave, he exited a changed Corsie, no longer would he harbor hate for his creator, but instead would remember he was creatively, and carefully designed. He was no accident. The crumpled map, the old chest, and the colorful blueprints had confirmed this in his mind forever more. Proving that paper could be more valuable than riches.
(July 2009 Kichi: 7077/57478)