As the sun set, Notaku felt himself being shaken gently awake, and saw Brookvoice sitting there looking serious. Not grim, only serious. Rubbing his eyes, the cub sat up. "What's happening?" he asked sleepily.
Brookvoice smiled a little bit. "Nothing. But today you will be taken to the gem you seek."
"Oh." Suddenly very much awake, Notaku stood and rubbed his eyes once more, dashing the last of the sleep from them. "So...what will I have to do to get it?" he asked.
"Well, you've proven your trust, now you must prove your skill and bravery. I'll let Windsong explain it to you. But having gone through what you went through, I highly doubt you will have a problem."
Pleased at the vote of confidence, Notaku looked at his bag. "Will I need my weapon?"
"Likely. Go ahead and bring your bag, and Windsong will let you know what you'll need."
Notaku nodded. "Okay." He grabbed the duffel and followed Brookvoice through the fae realm. "I had a question. Once my honesty and stuff was tested...no one was wary of me, or disliked me...I was kind of surprised."
"Well, fae societies are based largely on faith and trust. And the chief Guardian is that because he was well liked, well respected, and well trusted. And if he believes a thing to be true, it occurs to no one to disbelieve it. That, and the instincts of an innocent are never wrong. And little Earthkin likes you very much."
Notaku smiled. "I like him too, he's cute."
They said no more as they returned to the place where Windsong lived. He was waiting for Notaku when the cub arrived, and nodded cordially to him. "Good evening, child."
"Hello," said Notaku, a bit nervously. He waved at Earthkin, who peered out from behind its guardian with a grin.
"Well, I am going to bring you to the area you will be tested in," said Windsong. "This place of the earth is quite sacred, and will not allow just anyone to obtain that which it guards. You will be tested...and if you succeed, then gem is yours."
Taking a big breath, Notaku nodded. "Will I need my weapon?"
"That is for you to decide. I can tell you that you will not be delayed more than a day if you succeed." Notaku nodded, and decided he would eat and take a big drink before going. "When will we go?" he asked.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Okay. Okay, I'm going to eat then, first...keep my energy up. And take a big drink. Then...then I'll be ready."
"That is fine."
Notaku ended up asking one of the trees if he might have another fruit, as that had given him a lot of energy, and the tree complied. It was the strangest thing; the tree did not speak aloud, or even as a telepath might, but Notaku nonetheless felt the answer in his heart. Laughing delightedly, he hugged the tree in thanks, then climbed up and snagged one of the fruits. He sat in a crook of a branch and ate it, thoroughly enjoying the meal. And once he had taken his fill of water, he went back to Windsong, and told him he was ready. He carried his knife and sling.
The fae looked a little bit apologetic. "I must blindfold you for the trip down there. Please realize that usually only fae go there, and we have only known you a day. In time when we've grown to know each other, you will be allowed to know where it is, but for now, I must keep its location secret."
Notaku was a little surprised and disappointed, as he was fairly curious by nature. But he understood. He felt honored to be here at all. "Okay," he said, nodding his head.
Windsong gave a bit of a knowing smile, and nodded. "Earthkin will accompany you, I am leaving the child in your charge." Notaku blinked, but nodded agreeably enough. "He will lead you there. I wish you luck, young Notaku."
"Thanks." Notaku allowed Windsong to tie a large, folded leaf around his eyes, and secure it with a thin vine. He stood still then, and waited for the fae child to lead him, and felt a small, slim hand take his. At a little tug, he began to walk, hoping the fae cub would warn him if he was about to bump his head.
As it turned out, Earthkin was quite determined to perform his responsibility as well as possible, and warned Notaku of everything that might cause him harm. Inclines or declines in the path, vines that could trip him, low-hanging branches, mud... Anything that could be an obstacle to him, he was warned about. And Earthkin did not go fast.
After about a half hour of walking, Earthkin stopped, and let go of Notaku's hand. "You can take the leaf off now, from your eyes. Did I do well? Did I do it right? You didn't bump your head, did you?"
"You did very well," answered Notaku, slipping the vine from around his eyes, and taking off the leaf. "I don't think it was possible to fall, or hit my head, you told me about everything. Thanks!"
Beaming, Earthkin jumped up and down a couple of times, pleased at the praise. "Okay," he said, pointing down a dark corridor. "We gotta go down there."
Notaku nodded. "Okay. Stay close to me, okay? I would feel very badly if you got hurt."
Earthkin nodded, and stayed less than a foot from Notaku's side, and Notaku felt a sudden rush of fondness for the tiny fae. When he did something that was requested of him, he almost overdid it, and it was rather endearing.
His sling ready, Notaku crept down the lightless path, peering into the darkness. He wished he had brought his lantern, as not even Earthkin's natural glow was enough to penetrate this darkness. But at least it allowed him to keep and eye on its whereabouts!
At first, nothing really did happen. They walked down the path, listening to the sounds of the wood, Notaku trying to peer ahead into the darkness. Earthkin trod carelessly alongside the young Barbic, seemingly enjoying the hike.
After a few moments, they came to what looked for all the world like a natural doorway, blocking the entire path with a face carved into the bark at Notaku's eye level. The jungle on either side was so dense that not even a Gummi infant could have fit through. The shocking thing was, it spoke. Notaku blinked as the face opened its mouth and demanded that Notaku state his purpose in the jungle.
"I...am Notaku Barbic. I'm here for a blue gem, to return it to the mountain."
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"Well then. You will have to answer three riddles to get past me. If you fail to answer any one correctly, you may not pass."
Notaku took a big breath. Oh boy, he thought nervously. Riddles. He had never done well with that kind of thinking in school, and he had to quash a sudden attack of fear that he would be thwarted in his quest here, so close to the end. Clenching his fists and forcing himself to calm down, he gazed at the wooden face. "What is the first riddle?"
With a dignified lilt of its head, the face replied: "I scream but ne'er can I be heard. I fly, but it I am a bird. The darkest cave is where I stay. I see the night as plain as day. What am I?"
Notaku blinked, at what first seemed like gibberish to him. He stared at the door, dismayed, and looked down at Earthkin. It shrugged, sitting down on the cool moss. "How can something scream but not be heard?" Notaku asked in bewilderment. He dwelled on this for several minutes, before giving up and trying the next part of the riddle. It flew, but was not a bird. What the heck flew without being a bird? A bug? For a moment, he thought he might have gotten the answer, but then he realized that bugs did not scream without being heard.
The boy sat down and started going through all of the life lessons he had sat through with the Teachers of the clan, thinking of every creature he had been taught. Caves...what lived in caves? And could see as plain as day in the night... The boy's eyes widened as he realized the only thing that could fit all of the clues. He stood up, his expression that of excitement. "A bat!" The wooden face smiled, and nodded, and Notaku laughed in relief. "Okay. The second?"
The second ended up being a riddle that Notaku had heard before, and so knew the answer to. "What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks? Has a bed but never sleeps, has a head but never weeps?"
"A river!" Pleased with himself, Notaku grinned.
The face nodded, and gave his worst yet. "It is better than the gods and heaven, and worse than the demons of the underworld. If a mortal eats it, he will die an unpleasant death, but once he dies, he will eat it always."
"What? It's better you say the whole thing again?" The face willingly obliged, and repeated the riddle, and Notaku sat back down on the ground in disbelief. That wasn't a riddle, it was a jumble of complete contradictions! "Nothing can be better than heaven, and worse than the demons in the underworld at the same time!" he protested. The face looked at him impassively. Standing up and beginning to pace, Notaku furiously went over it in his mind.
What could a mortal eat that would kill him painfully? Poison came to mind, but while it might be worse than some demons, it certainly wasn't better than the gods! And what would a mortal eat once he died? Nothing! "Mortals don't eat!"
A few more minutes worth of pacing gained Notaku nothing but a frustrated mood and a head that had begun to hurt. Earthkin watched the young bear pace the Jungle up and down as he thought. Finally, Notaku turned to the tree and exclaimed in frustration, "There can't be an answer! I can't think of anything that's better than the gods! And nothing that is worse than the demons!" The face stayed silent. "And mortals...eat nothing when they die, they're dead! People don't eat when they're..." Notaku trailed off, stopping short, as he realized what he had just said. He quickly whispered the riddle to himself, trying the answer that had come to him at each part, and laughed aloud when it all fit. "Nothing," he said wonderingly. "That is the answer: nothing!" For certainly if a mortal ate nothing, he would die of starvation...and after he died he would eat nothing as well! And nothing was better than the gods or the demons in their respective realms!
Smiling on the young Barbic, the wooden face closed his eyes and sank into the bark-covered doorway. A second later, the doorway sank slowly into the earth, granting Notaku and his young companion passage!
Proud of himself, Notaku laughed and grinned at Earthkin, who had jumped to his feet to follow him in.
The next thing that Notaku encountered was a sheer cliff. He blinked, wondering if he had perhaps gone the wrong way, but a quick backtrack told him that this was where he was supposed to be.
Frowning, Notaku came right up close to the cliff and peered at the dark barrier. After a moment, Notaku could feel that there were little recesses in the hard-packed earth that Notaku could use as handholds, and finally he shrugged. This should not be any more difficult than the first part of his Test of Bearhood had been.
He stuck his fingers into one of the handholds, a foot into another, and thus began his climb. Earthkin, he had no worries about, as he had seen now naturally and easily the fae could climb, even on the sheerest of tree trunks. And sure enough, the child easily kept pace with Notaku's laborious climb.
He managed it, though was quite tired when he got to the top. He decided to sit still for at least fifteen minutes and give his arms and legs a chance to rest before continuing. When he was ready, he stood and stretched his sore muscles, and gave Earthkin a small smile. "Well, you ready?"
It nodded its head. "Yep!"
Sighing, Notaku once more set foot on the pitch dark path.
Again, there was nothing for a good long time, except the barely discernible footpath and the almost suffocating darkness.
But then, as the pair turned a corner in the path, a horrible roar made them both of them recoil and cry out in startlement. Notaku raised his sling, quickly loading a stone into it, and stepping between the noise and Earthkin. He listened frantically for the sound of footsteps, or breathing, and heard none...
Without even a rustle to warn him, Notaku was suddenly batted in the face by a huge paw, and tumbled several feet into the foliage. A fearful scream from Earthkin brought him to his feet, sprinting back towards where he'd been attacked, praying that he'd get there before the child was killed. He caught sight of a large beast shape in the gloom, lunging at Earthkin, and launched himself at Earthkin's small form. Notaku caught the fae around the shoulders and tackled him to the ground, catching the beast's claws across his back. He screamed, but shielded Earthkin as the beast took a second swipe. Clenching his teeth, fighting the tears that blurred his eyes further, he picked the little fae up and ran. He did not hear the beast follow, but that didn't necessarily mean anything; he hadn't heard it before, either.
Earthkin was crying softly, huddling against Notaku's side, and Notaku kept the child very close to him. He shook with the sudden pain and the sudden terror, his eyes darting everywhere he could see. He had dropped his sling, and here in the darkness, had little chances of finding it again.
The slightest growl made Notaku shove Earthkin behind him. He looked desperately into the woods, trying to catch the shadowed form, and remembered suddenly that he had his knife on him! He grabbed it up and held it in front of him, growling softly into the darkness.
Suddenly, he caught movement! He leapt backwards, dragging Earthkin with him, barely avoiding being slashed by the claws. He lashed out with his dagger and was rewarded by the beast's roar of pain. Not that he was happy to have hurt something, but maybe the beast would think twice before attacking them.
But as he dodged another furious swipe, he thought, 'perhaps not.'
Notaku wasn't sure how long he could keep this up, fighting a beast he could not see. He wondered angrily if this was a part of the test, and if it was, then Windsong had put this innocent child in the path of danger, not to mention terrifying the poor thing! "Come on," he hissed, urging Earthkin along the path. If they could get far enough away, maybe they could escape the beast's notice.
But it became painfully clear a moment later that this was not to be so. Notaku yelled as something enormous landed on him from behind, knocking him face first into the soil. Twisting fiercely around, he brought his arm up to shield his throat, which was normally what all beasts went for in their prey, and screamed again as a sharp set of teeth tore into the skin there. "'Kin, get back!" he snarled, tears soaking into the fur around his eyes. As the beast gave his arm a shake, nearly breaking it, Notaku was able to wrench his other arm out from under himself, the arm whose hand clutched the hunting knife. He slashed up at the beast's face, and it howled as a line of blood was opened across its muzzle. When the beast reared back, Notaku scrambled out from under its body, rolling out of the way as the enraged beast pounced once more.
He would not have another shot at this, if he didn't move quickly, the beast would have him. Letting out the sort of Barbic war cry that had struck fear into the hearts of much larger foes, Notaku struck with the speed of a viper. He lashed out with the knife, plunging it into the beast's side. The beast yowled, jerking away from Notaku's knife and reeling away. But notaku did not retreat; could not retreat. If he did not finish the beast, it would attack again, or perhaps ambush them unawares. And even not, if it retreated, it was hurt badly enough that it would die slowly and painfully, and that wasn't right, either. Adrenaline surging through his bloodstream, Notaku leapt up and this time caught the beast in the side of the neck. Hot blood flooded down Notaku's hand as he slashed downward.
The beast gave a weak growl and staggered, finally falling heavily to the ground. It tried once to get up, but collapsed back down to the ground, and lay still.
Choking back a sob, Notaku looked frantically around for Earthkin, and found it crouching by a large stone, seemingly unhurt. He wept with fright, but had not been harmed. "A-are yo-ou okay?" Notaku managed to choke out.
The child nodded, slinking over to Notaku to clutch at his fur. Notaku did his best to comfort the child, but nearly having lost control of his own fear, he was not that good at it. In a halting voice, he tried to gently persuade the child to sit down for a moment while Notaku looked over his injuries. Weeping softly, the child did so, sitting on the ground, its arms around itself. Shaking badly, Notaku looked down at his arm, which had been ripped open by the beast's claws. He took off his kilt and tightly wrapped the wounds, using a vine from a nearby tree to tie it on. He could not reach his back, where he'd been clawed, in fact could not even see how bad it was. But he prayed that it was not bad enough that it would endanger his life, as he had no way to tend it.
For a long time, the boy stood in the middle of the path, fighting the sobs that tried to wrack his chest, choking back the whimper that threatened to escape. And eventually, he managed to exert some modicum of control over himself. He still wept, not able to stop, but his chest did not heave anymore with retrained sobs. He shook, but not so that he could not walk.
"Come on," Notaku finally whispered to Earthkin, and the little fae stood, carefully clutching Notaku's fur. Notaku did not protest; if anything else happened, he wanted the child close.
As it turned out, nothing else did happen, and it was not two minutes later when the pair came across a gigantic wall of entangled roots and twisted vines. In the very center of this, there was a circle of what looked like glass, with glow behind it, but when Notaku approached it, he could see it swirl and move, like water. Frowning, he peered through the liquid, and saw something that made his breath catch in his throat. The gem. It had to be.
He reached out his hand to grab it through the water-glass, but was not surprised when his hand could not go through. He bit his lip, looking at the gem, and growled, "I need the gem."
At first nothing happened. All Notaku heard was Earthkin's breathing, and his own ragged breath. All he saw was the glow behind the water that somehow took the shape of a glass window. And the gem...he definitely saw that, and it was in perfect focus.
But then white, glowing letters appeared on the outside of the water-glass, and they read thus:
To obtain what I guard, you must sacrifice the child with whom you travel."What - Earthkin?" Notaku cried incredulously.
Yes."No!" By the gods, had the words truly demanded that Notaku sacrifice an innocent child? A thing of the jungle in which the fae lived, demanding one of its children be given up to...to what? Notaku growled, the anger and fear of the last twenty minutes coming to a boil within his spirit. He clenched his fists and let loose with a furious tirade at this barrier. He shouted at the top of his lungs. "I have quested for weeks to find you! My people are going to die if I don't get this gods-blasted gem back where it belongs, it is NOT YOURS! It belongs in the mountain! This Jungle is supposed to be a place of innocence, and if you don't give me this gem, innocents are going to die a horrible death, now give it to me!"
Earthkin looked up at Notaku in fascination, and with an expression that was a little fearful. But he did not stray from Notaku's side, which if Notaku had been in any condition to notice, he would have realized indicated a good deal of trust.
The next message said:
You will not sacrifice the child?"NO!"
There was nothing for a couple of seconds, and then a final message appeared to Notaku's eyes.
It is well.Notaku blinked, as the water that formed the barrier began to trickle down into the soil and the roots surrounding it, until it was gone. The gem sat in a little hole in the mass of roots, free for Notaku to grab. He stared at it in shock for a very long time before reaching in a shaking hand to grasp it.
When he grasped the gem, it was not hard and angular, as he had expected it to be. Its surface was smooth, almost velvety to the touch, like a thin sheen of water on a smooth rock wall. A sense of calm and serenity eased into his mind, calming his shaking, and easing the rage in his head. As he stared at the gem, he could easily see how its magic could keep a fiery volcano from spilling over.
"Thanks..." he told the wall of roots, in a dazed voice.
Clutching the gem in his hand, Notaku nudged Earthkin to turn around and head the other way, which they did. When they got to the wall Notaku had climbed, he found that it was now a gradual slope that led back the way he had come. Registering this with a half-numb mind, Notaku simply walked.
A dozen faefolk waited for the pair once they reached the beginning, including Brookvoice and Windsong. Bursting into tears, Earthkin let go of Notaku's fur and ran to its guardian, throwing its arms around Windsong's legs. Windsong picked the child up and hugged it for a long moment, murmuring in a low, melodious tone. Meanwhile, Brookvoice had rushed forward to Notaku, who regarded him with a blinking gaze. "Get a poultice," Brookvoice said to one of the other fae. "Get two. Hurry."
The fae hurried off, and Brookvoice turned back to Notaku. "It will be all right, the poultices should heal most of the injuries you , sit down. Come on." Brookvoice spoke in a low, worried voice, and Notaku let himself be led to a patch of moss, where he very nearly collapsed. "You will be a great warrior, Notaku," said Brookvoice. "There are not many grown fae who could take on a jungle cat. And with such courage. You will succeed in your quest and save your people. I am certain of this."
Notaku could not find the energy to reply, and only slumped exhaustedly against a nearby tree. He vaguely noticed that several vines shifted downward to cushions his body and make him as comfortable as possible. When the poultices were brought, smelling strongly of herbs and of healing, he scarcely noticed. It was only when Brookvoice unwrapped his injured arm and wrapped the poultice around it instead, that he took notice; the pain was beginning to leave him, and the blood stopped seeping into his fur. Whatever the poultices were, they were powerful.
Brookvoice gently leaned Notaku forward, to place the second poultice on his back, where he had taken the vicious claws.
As the wounds began to heal, Notaku looked up at the fae who were gathered there. There were about six who held bows, now at their sides, with no arrows nocked at their strings. Windsong and Earthkin were there, and of course, Brookvoice. Notaku addressed Windsong. "Th-the beast...the beast, it was...was it part of the test?" And if it was...
Windsong shook its head. "No," he said quietly, and Notaku realized that he was worried. "The beast was a jaguar, a creature seen on occasion in the Jungle. But we did not imagine that one would patrol so close to fae territory. Normally we respect each others' territories. This test was simply to test your wit, and your athletic skill, and of course your ethics at the end. The leopard was a surprise."
"B-but...but you knew it happened?"
"We did. I saw, and as fae are telepathic with each other, I was able to tell others as well. From the first attack, these archers were sent to watch. Several times they nearly shot the beast down, but did not, once they saw that you could fight the beast yourself." He knelt next to Notaku, and put a hand on the boy's head. "You risked yourself to shield my child. And for that I cannot possibly thank you. But you have proven yourself, to me, to be an ally of our kin."
Notaku gazed at Windsong for several moments, before smiling a little bit, and nodding. He had heard, and felt, the sincerity in Windsong's voice, and even in his condition he appreciated it.
Windsong stood, his voice a little brisker. "You will be tended tonight, and healed as much as we can. And upon the next nightfall, you will given whatever supplies that you need to be going on with. And Notaku, you will be welcome here...at any time."
Notaku could only nod, as Brookvoice tended him, and Windsong left then, carrying Earthkin in its arms.