Part II. The Dig and the Tree
In the morning April met with the Elder Mole. The little furry humanoid was
sitting in his hammock-chair as he always did.
"Welcome, April Bandu-embata! How goes the quest?" asked the Elder Mole.
"All done. The world's all saved and everything," April said with a grin.
"Well have the spirits named you Bandu-embata, she among the little ones who
seeks and finds. You have fulfilled the first half of the prophecy and saved our
world," said the Elder. "The second half is that you will destroy it. You are our
hope and despair."
"I hope I can skip that part," said April.
"It is all of a piece, I fear," said the Elder, shaking his mole-like head.
"Do you have any news of the battle in Marcuria? I have some friends there.
Things should be better now the Chaos Vortex is gone."
"Late last night while you slept men of the Ayrede army came through the forest.
We heard them say the Chaos Vortex vanished yesterday and they began to drive
the Tyren out."
"That's good."
"Then in a flash of blue light a row of armored men appeared, armed with wands
that fired destruction on them. The men who came were fleeing them."
"Not good. Did the... wands fire blue beams with a kind of whooshing sound?"
"Yes, so they said."
"Then I know who they are. They're the Shifter agents that the Vanguard's been
working to make. They have weapons from Stark called blasters."
"If the Vanguard can make Shifters, things are very grave. The prophecies speak of
a War of the Balance, fought in Arcadia with weapons of science from Stark. Even
the Guardian will not be able to prevent the triumph of Chaos."
"Oh no! Do they say anything about how to stop it?"
"That is all I know. The Venar prophets may know more."
"Do you know of a huge tree in Riverwood where the Venar have an outpost?"
"We know all the great trees from their roots in the soil. We could not tell you the
way above the ground, but if you join with the singers to the earth in the Dig we
can tunnel you there."
"I'm not fond of dark damp tunnels, but if it'll get me there..."
"Not fond of tunnels? How strange. They are a sweet home to the Banda."
"To each his own, I guess."
"Farewell, April Bandu-embata! May you always have soil between your toes!"
"You too, Elder."
April called to Crow, sleeping by the fireside. "Wakey-wakey Crow! I'm going to
the Venar. I'll be tunneling there underground."
"Huh? Underground! Count me out! I'm not a worm. I eat worms!"
"That's OK. I'll pipe you there when I arrive at the Venar's tree."
"No respect. A Crow gets no respect. Just call me in the evening. I'll find plenty to
do in the forest."
April crawled into the Dig and found that her digging party was Ben-bandu and
his brother. They had insisted on the honor because April had once saved
Ben-bandu's brother from the carnivorous Gribbler. The Banda were a lot
smaller than humans. They stood upright in the tunnel and walked comfortably
while April found it a tight fit.
"W-will you be all right, April?" asked little Ben-bandu shyly.
"I'll manage," said April. In a short while, she was regretting it. ". This is so not
pleasant. I'm getting dirt in my hair, dirt under my fingernails, and dirt in my
boots. 'May you always have dirt between your toes' is coming true for me."
But the tunneling itself was fascinating. Instead of digging by hand, the Banda
were singing to the earth, gently asking it to move for them. The song was
haunting and touching at the same time. And it was effective. The earth simply
slid away before them and packed itself to the sides of the tunnel. The song was so
moving that April found herself singing along with them, memorizing the words.
At one point Ben-bandu stopped and picked up a knobby root. He passed it back to
April.
"I'd like you to have this, April, if you want it," said Ben-bandu. "Humans soak it
in water to make a sleeping drink. Once you told me you'd give anything for a good
night's sleep, so p-please take it as a token of gratitude."
"Thank you, Ben-bandu," said April, touched.
After a very long, exhausting crawl April finally emerged at the base of an
enormous banyan-like tree. Ladders went up to holes in the trees at three levels.
Several Venar, with large heads and skins like brown-stained wood, bustled and
waddled about.
"This is the place. Thank you so much, both of you," said April to the Bandu. They
smiled shyly and gave her the Bandu blessing again and popped back into the
tunnel.
April went up to the closest Venar and asked, "Do you know where I can find
Abnaxus?"
It simply looked at her for an instant as if puzzled, then hurried off. She asked
several other others and got the same reaction.
"Hmmm," thought April, "Abnaxus said that he was the only one who had learned
how to deal with people. They don't experience time like we do, so they must not
understand me. I'd better just yell for him." She drew breath to yell.
"Greetings April-Ryan," said a voice behind her. She whirled and saw it was
Abnaxus.
"Oh, there you are! I've been asking all over for you, but no-one would answer
me!"
"Sorry April-Ryan. My people will seem rude to you. They do not comprehend
those who flow with time."
"How did you know I was here?"
"In a possible future you called my name, so I hear you."
"I'm glad I caught you. I was afraid you'd have gone home across the Border
Mountains by now."
"My people are making this place to meet me, to be together in the time of
darkness. We can see only small glimpses of moments because of the veil of
Chaos. When it is cleared and time opens up again I will return to the home of my
people."
Abnaxus led the way to a hollow high up in one of the trees. Another Venar
bustled out of the room just as they arrived.
"April-Ryan, my helper Abbinus will leave the package of things you needed," He
pointed to a bundle wrapped in large, flat leaves on the table.
"Things I'll need... I wonder what they could be?" asked April.
Abnaxus opened the package. Inside was a set of boys' farmer clothing: a shirt,
pants, and sandals. It would do to get around in Stark. There was also a pair of
wooden goggles with narrow eye slits and a small oil lantern. She put all the items
in the Pocket. She'd learned to scrounge everything she could get that might come
in handy.
"The clothes are good, but I wonder why I need the rest? It reminds me of weird
things I kept finding last week in Stark. Things showed up just before I needed
them. There was this punctured rubber duck and somehow it got patched. I needed
the duck later and I needed the patch somewhere else. My gold ring, which should
have been in a box in my room, ended up under the couch so I had it on me when I
needed it."
"It would be easy to explain if a Venar will be helping you. But there are no Venar
in Stark. There is not enough magic there for us to live."
"I guess it's just one more mystery in this crazy life of mine. By the way, have you
heard of the War of the Balance?"
"The War of the Balance, yes. The veil of Chaos hides the future but there is one
thing in the prophecies. Unless the young Draic Kin Mother grows up and will join
the battle the forces of Chaos have won."
"The new Mother is my sister. But she's just a hatchling! I saw her hatch a few
days ago. How can she grow up in time to help?"
"She needs help from the old Mother."
"But Mother is dead. She passed away just before the egg hatched."
"There was a way. A legend you will tell me you have read," said Abnaxus. "The
Silver Spear of Gorimon."
"The Silver Spear of Gorimon! Yes, I've read it. It's the story of a wicked
Bakshevan emperor who attacked the White Mother with a magic spear because
he wanted the hand in marriage of the Mother's unborn daughter. Her blood
cursed his land. It turned into a huge desert and he and his palace are buried in the
sand. But what does it have to do with anything now?"
"If the story will be true, part of the life-essence of the Mother was trapped in the
spear, allowing her to be harmed by a human weapon. That life-essence will help
the new Mother to grow. You must go across the southern ocean to the desert of
Ch'angagriel and find the Spear."
"So I've got to go across the ocean, into a desert, dig up a spear which dozens of
adventurers tried to find, find my baby sister who has flown off
who-knows-where and give the spear to her?"
"Yes, April-Ryan."
"Another prophecy and another quest. This is so typical. Why can't I have a
normal life like a regular 18-year-old?"
"You are known to the Venar prophets as Kan-ang-la, the small seed that grew
into a tall tree."
"I'll do it," she sighed, "and I'll probably like it, too. I think I'm a quest addict. But
how am I going to get across the ocean to Chagaggle, that desert? I don't dare try
for a ship again after what happened last time."
"The island empire of Baksheva is far south of here across the sea. I do not see
clearly how, but there is a way you have found."
"How will I find the Spear once I get there?"
"Your Draic Kin blood will call to it, and it to you"
"One more question. What was your prophecy about the Kan-ang-la, again?"
"The Kan-ang-la will bring order to Chaos, only to release Chaos on the innocent.
You will restore the Balance, only to finally break it."
"Sorry I asked."
---------
April's Diary: August 8, 2209 Tuesday afternoon
Now I have the clothes I need to Shift over to Stark. I really want to check on
Emma and Charlie and find out how hot the situation is there for me. But I've got
to be REALLY CAREFUL not get them into any more danger!!
These prophecies of doom are getting to me. I'd be less worried if I hadn't fulfilled
the good half already. Maybe "bring order to Chaos only to release Chaos on the
innocent" means what I did when I trapped the Chaos Vortex in the Talisman of
Balance and later released it on Gordon Halloway. That made him whole again so
he could be Guardian. But I don't see how breaking the Balance and destroying the
world could be anything good. Maybe if I do this quest I'll screw up so bad it'll end
the world? But probably if I decided to do nothing and let Chaos win the War of
the Balance, that'd end it. Prophecy's gotcha no matter what.
If I can just talk to Charlie I'll tell him everything and maybe he can help me make
sense of it all. I need a real human being to talk to, not just these magical guys who
talk in riddles and prophecies.
----------
April piped for Crow and told him she was Shifting to Stark. He declined to come
along to the dangerous high-tech place, saying that he'd "watch her back" from
Arcadia.
In the morning April met with the Elder Mole. The little furry humanoid was
sitting in his hammock-chair as he always did.
"Welcome, April Bandu-embata! How goes the quest?" asked the Elder Mole.
"All done. The world's all saved and everything," April said with a grin.
"Well have the spirits named you Bandu-embata, she among the little ones who
seeks and finds. You have fulfilled the first half of the prophecy and saved our
world," said the Elder. "The second half is that you will destroy it. You are our
hope and despair."
"I hope I can skip that part," said April.
"It is all of a piece, I fear," said the Elder, shaking his mole-like head.
"Do you have any news of the battle in Marcuria? I have some friends there.
Things should be better now the Chaos Vortex is gone."
"Late last night while you slept men of the Ayrede army came through the forest.
We heard them say the Chaos Vortex vanished yesterday and they began to drive
the Tyren out."
"That's good."
"Then in a flash of blue light a row of armored men appeared, armed with wands
that fired destruction on them. The men who came were fleeing them."
"Not good. Did the... wands fire blue beams with a kind of whooshing sound?"
"Yes, so they said."
"Then I know who they are. They're the Shifter agents that the Vanguard's been
working to make. They have weapons from Stark called blasters."
"If the Vanguard can make Shifters, things are very grave. The prophecies speak of
a War of the Balance, fought in Arcadia with weapons of science from Stark. Even
the Guardian will not be able to prevent the triumph of Chaos."
"Oh no! Do they say anything about how to stop it?"
"That is all I know. The Venar prophets may know more."
"Do you know of a huge tree in Riverwood where the Venar have an outpost?"
"We know all the great trees from their roots in the soil. We could not tell you the
way above the ground, but if you join with the singers to the earth in the Dig we
can tunnel you there."
"I'm not fond of dark damp tunnels, but if it'll get me there..."
"Not fond of tunnels? How strange. They are a sweet home to the Banda."
"To each his own, I guess."
"Farewell, April Bandu-embata! May you always have soil between your toes!"
"You too, Elder."
April called to Crow, sleeping by the fireside. "Wakey-wakey Crow! I'm going to
the Venar. I'll be tunneling there underground."
"Huh? Underground! Count me out! I'm not a worm. I eat worms!"
"That's OK. I'll pipe you there when I arrive at the Venar's tree."
"No respect. A Crow gets no respect. Just call me in the evening. I'll find plenty to
do in the forest."
April crawled into the Dig and found that her digging party was Ben-bandu and
his brother. They had insisted on the honor because April had once saved
Ben-bandu's brother from the carnivorous Gribbler. The Banda were a lot
smaller than humans. They stood upright in the tunnel and walked comfortably
while April found it a tight fit.
"W-will you be all right, April?" asked little Ben-bandu shyly.
"I'll manage," said April. In a short while, she was regretting it. ". This is so not
pleasant. I'm getting dirt in my hair, dirt under my fingernails, and dirt in my
boots. 'May you always have dirt between your toes' is coming true for me."
But the tunneling itself was fascinating. Instead of digging by hand, the Banda
were singing to the earth, gently asking it to move for them. The song was
haunting and touching at the same time. And it was effective. The earth simply
slid away before them and packed itself to the sides of the tunnel. The song was so
moving that April found herself singing along with them, memorizing the words.
At one point Ben-bandu stopped and picked up a knobby root. He passed it back to
April.
"I'd like you to have this, April, if you want it," said Ben-bandu. "Humans soak it
in water to make a sleeping drink. Once you told me you'd give anything for a good
night's sleep, so p-please take it as a token of gratitude."
"Thank you, Ben-bandu," said April, touched.
After a very long, exhausting crawl April finally emerged at the base of an
enormous banyan-like tree. Ladders went up to holes in the trees at three levels.
Several Venar, with large heads and skins like brown-stained wood, bustled and
waddled about.
"This is the place. Thank you so much, both of you," said April to the Bandu. They
smiled shyly and gave her the Bandu blessing again and popped back into the
tunnel.
April went up to the closest Venar and asked, "Do you know where I can find
Abnaxus?"
It simply looked at her for an instant as if puzzled, then hurried off. She asked
several other others and got the same reaction.
"Hmmm," thought April, "Abnaxus said that he was the only one who had learned
how to deal with people. They don't experience time like we do, so they must not
understand me. I'd better just yell for him." She drew breath to yell.
"Greetings April-Ryan," said a voice behind her. She whirled and saw it was
Abnaxus.
"Oh, there you are! I've been asking all over for you, but no-one would answer
me!"
"Sorry April-Ryan. My people will seem rude to you. They do not comprehend
those who flow with time."
"How did you know I was here?"
"In a possible future you called my name, so I hear you."
"I'm glad I caught you. I was afraid you'd have gone home across the Border
Mountains by now."
"My people are making this place to meet me, to be together in the time of
darkness. We can see only small glimpses of moments because of the veil of
Chaos. When it is cleared and time opens up again I will return to the home of my
people."
Abnaxus led the way to a hollow high up in one of the trees. Another Venar
bustled out of the room just as they arrived.
"April-Ryan, my helper Abbinus will leave the package of things you needed," He
pointed to a bundle wrapped in large, flat leaves on the table.
"Things I'll need... I wonder what they could be?" asked April.
Abnaxus opened the package. Inside was a set of boys' farmer clothing: a shirt,
pants, and sandals. It would do to get around in Stark. There was also a pair of
wooden goggles with narrow eye slits and a small oil lantern. She put all the items
in the Pocket. She'd learned to scrounge everything she could get that might come
in handy.
"The clothes are good, but I wonder why I need the rest? It reminds me of weird
things I kept finding last week in Stark. Things showed up just before I needed
them. There was this punctured rubber duck and somehow it got patched. I needed
the duck later and I needed the patch somewhere else. My gold ring, which should
have been in a box in my room, ended up under the couch so I had it on me when I
needed it."
"It would be easy to explain if a Venar will be helping you. But there are no Venar
in Stark. There is not enough magic there for us to live."
"I guess it's just one more mystery in this crazy life of mine. By the way, have you
heard of the War of the Balance?"
"The War of the Balance, yes. The veil of Chaos hides the future but there is one
thing in the prophecies. Unless the young Draic Kin Mother grows up and will join
the battle the forces of Chaos have won."
"The new Mother is my sister. But she's just a hatchling! I saw her hatch a few
days ago. How can she grow up in time to help?"
"She needs help from the old Mother."
"But Mother is dead. She passed away just before the egg hatched."
"There was a way. A legend you will tell me you have read," said Abnaxus. "The
Silver Spear of Gorimon."
"The Silver Spear of Gorimon! Yes, I've read it. It's the story of a wicked
Bakshevan emperor who attacked the White Mother with a magic spear because
he wanted the hand in marriage of the Mother's unborn daughter. Her blood
cursed his land. It turned into a huge desert and he and his palace are buried in the
sand. But what does it have to do with anything now?"
"If the story will be true, part of the life-essence of the Mother was trapped in the
spear, allowing her to be harmed by a human weapon. That life-essence will help
the new Mother to grow. You must go across the southern ocean to the desert of
Ch'angagriel and find the Spear."
"So I've got to go across the ocean, into a desert, dig up a spear which dozens of
adventurers tried to find, find my baby sister who has flown off
who-knows-where and give the spear to her?"
"Yes, April-Ryan."
"Another prophecy and another quest. This is so typical. Why can't I have a
normal life like a regular 18-year-old?"
"You are known to the Venar prophets as Kan-ang-la, the small seed that grew
into a tall tree."
"I'll do it," she sighed, "and I'll probably like it, too. I think I'm a quest addict. But
how am I going to get across the ocean to Chagaggle, that desert? I don't dare try
for a ship again after what happened last time."
"The island empire of Baksheva is far south of here across the sea. I do not see
clearly how, but there is a way you have found."
"How will I find the Spear once I get there?"
"Your Draic Kin blood will call to it, and it to you"
"One more question. What was your prophecy about the Kan-ang-la, again?"
"The Kan-ang-la will bring order to Chaos, only to release Chaos on the innocent.
You will restore the Balance, only to finally break it."
"Sorry I asked."
---------
April's Diary: August 8, 2209 Tuesday afternoon
Now I have the clothes I need to Shift over to Stark. I really want to check on
Emma and Charlie and find out how hot the situation is there for me. But I've got
to be REALLY CAREFUL not get them into any more danger!!
These prophecies of doom are getting to me. I'd be less worried if I hadn't fulfilled
the good half already. Maybe "bring order to Chaos only to release Chaos on the
innocent" means what I did when I trapped the Chaos Vortex in the Talisman of
Balance and later released it on Gordon Halloway. That made him whole again so
he could be Guardian. But I don't see how breaking the Balance and destroying the
world could be anything good. Maybe if I do this quest I'll screw up so bad it'll end
the world? But probably if I decided to do nothing and let Chaos win the War of
the Balance, that'd end it. Prophecy's gotcha no matter what.
If I can just talk to Charlie I'll tell him everything and maybe he can help me make
sense of it all. I need a real human being to talk to, not just these magical guys who
talk in riddles and prophecies.
----------
April piped for Crow and told him she was Shifting to Stark. He declined to come
along to the dangerous high-tech place, saying that he'd "watch her back" from
Arcadia.