Proposal

PART VI

Glued to the spot, Cammi stared on at his shadows as it swayed and changed form. It was impossible, his enemy couldn't have had passed the walls of Gummadoon and be standing before him.

Watching as the shadow finished transforming and spoke sending shiver down and up his spine,

"We meet again, Cammi"

Cammi's eyes hardened and turned dead serious, he was not to be messed about with. Dropping into fighting stances, the shadow mimicked his moves as he did so, but Cammi didn't care as long as he had his wits about him, and was prepared for whatever tricks this spirit had up his sleeve.

"Who are you?" Cammi asked growling, his tone dangerously low.

"Altainion"

"And why are you here?" asked Cammi.

A smile very slowly crept up on Altanion's face, as the wind blew passed them, billowing his cloak of mist, and Cammi's long hair.

The tension between the two being so strong it could be sliced with a knife, when Altanion spoke

"Join me"

"WHAT?!" replied Cammi, with complete utter surprise registered on his young expressions.

"Think about it, Cammi, what we could accomplish together, we could rule this world together with our powers we could be invincible" Altanion replied boasting, in an attempt to try and lure Cammi into his trap.

"So?" replied Cammi, overcoming the shock of Altanion's request.

Now it was Altanion's turn to look surprised, though of course he hid it very well from Cammi. He thought that by now he would of being able to seduce Cammi into ruling the world, with him, but it seemed not to be. So why did Cammi have to be so difficult?

He could see by looking at Cammi, that he was no dumb gummi, in fact he was the complete opposite, he was a smart and very intelligent gummi. Yes he was smart, but so was Tarquan, though true to say that he was not as intelligent as Cammi, as Tarquan fell so easily with his tempting and seduction to rule the world, his greed and desire for power taking over him, and look where he ended up now, dead.

Altanion's eye's sharpened and darted straight at Cammi, still angry at him for killing his brother, Tarquan, as past memories refreshed in his memory when the two spent several hundred of years together, devoted to nothing but the plans, but now Tarquan was gone. He attempted to get Cammi to take his brother's place, and rule by his side so that he would become invincible once again, but greater than before.  But he wanted more than that, he wanted to make Cammi suffer, to be weak and feeble, unable to do anything, and make him nothing but an ordinary gummi, then where would all his fame, out the window. Then it would be him that would have all the fame, all the glory and power in the world, it would be him that would be invincible, and to rule the world for eternity, and have everyone bowing down before him, even Cammi.

"You killed Tarquan, and I intend to avenge his death, though I will let it pass if you…"

"If what?" asked Cammi, clearly obvious determined to end the conversation soon.

"If you join me" replied Altanion coldly.

"No!" replied Cammi, outstretching both his hand in front of him, and preparing a spell.

"Foolish bear, now you shall suffer my wrath, including your family" replied Altanion.

Cammi pulled a look of disgust at his new identified enemy, as a blue energy ball began to form in his hand, then grunting, the ball of energy, grew bigger, almost triple the size it was a moment ago.

"Be gone!" yelled Cammi in fury, releasing the energy ball and firing it directly at the Spirit.

"So, that is your decision, I will return soon" and with that he vanished again into thin air, Cammi's shadow shifting and changing, returning to how it should've been and meant to be, mimicking his every movement. Panting heavily, his brow beaded with sweat as he stood up straight, though his hands remained in fists, still furious with Altanion's request to join him.

Turning and looking out below, where all the cubs tended to play, he watched as the cubs ran around, completely innocent and carefree from all trouble, remembering that he was once like them, if only for a short while. Watching them, he then realised just how much danger Gummadoon was in, and it was all because of him, again.

Cammi wondered now whether it was a good idea coming home in the end, after all he had only brought with him a load of trouble. He pondered as to whether he should've stayed in the forest and dealt with the spirit there and then, rather than bringing his family into this ordeal too.

Either way he knew that his family would've been involved, no matter what, whether he was in or out of Gummadoon. Cammi's thoughts then began to sway, and wonderment filled him, thinking that Altanion in some respect was a bit stupid, marching in here and requesting Cammi to join him, as if he couldn't already see through his little game. True he did not know everything, but he was smart enough, that this person was going to use him, and for a purpose before then discarding him as something useless, and not worth his time.

Clearly it obvious that Altanion thought that Cammi would just drop everything that he had been working so hard for, for what for him to be so willingly to join and follow him.

Uh, uh, no way, not in this life time. He may have screwed up a couple of times in the past and even now, but you had to admit not everyone was perfect, though Cammi was determined to make sure that he would do better in this life, while he had a second chance.

Walking down the corridor towards the Councillor's Tower, all thoughts on his family for the time being abandoned, only focusing on passing this important information to inform Gummadoon of the situation, but little did he know that all along a small cub had been watching everything that had just occurred.

Indeed it was Isabelle, though none of the two noticed her being there, being too busy discussing alliance, betrayal, and deals.

True to say that she had been knocked out cold for a few days, but she had just of recent woke, though it was still too early in the medics opinion, but what she didn't tell them was that she had woken up sensing something bad would happen. And knew almost instantly that it would Cammi, but she felt that she must be around, knowing that he would need her help, what with she did not know. Wanting to make sure her brother was safe, she sneaked out of her room, despite what the medics told her, saying she needed to get plenty of rest, as they so called it, well they could think again.

Now hurrying back to her room, through the secret passageways, and climbing into bed, before anyone noticed that she had disappeared, she secretly hoped that Cammi would tell someone soon of what he saw in his dreams, because if he didn't do something about it soon, then she would have to do something about it. She knew that she may only be a cub, but she was a smart cub and knew of what she was doing and getting herself into. Though she did hate the adults when they didn't listen to her when she had something important to tell them, saying she was only a young cub, and was too young to 'understand' as they so put it, saying she was too young to know anything important at her age.

***

"HE WHAT?!" said the whole Gummadoon Council.

"Like I said, he just appeared before me, taking my shadow as a form, and spoke to me, of a request" replied Cammi.

A moment silence passed throughout the whole Council, everyone deep in thought when it was broken.

"It's seems that Gummadoon is in more danger than we thought" said Councillor Berryboum.

"What shall we do?" asked Cammi.

"There is very little that we can do, for this enemy we all know is far more powerful than Tarquan, and surpasses even in our knowledge in ancient magic" he replied.

Cammi let his head fall, his chin resting on his chest, and was in thinking mode. He knew he would get an answer similar to this, but the Council were right, there wasn't very much that could really be done, unless he was to find a way.

"Then I shall find a way" replied Cammi, his tone stern and determined.

The Council all stared at Cammi, and smiled at his determination. No matter what situation they were all in, even when they had an enemy on their hands, surpassing all their magic, Cammi was still determined to go through it, and see it to the end.

Cammi looked among the Council and could see that they had complete faith and trust in him, and that was all he needed, now turning and heading towards the door, when his father spoke up and stopped him in his tracks.

"Cammi"

Cammi stood there, his back to his father, his paw on the door handle ready to turn and step out the room, to fulfill another mission, with a new enemy.

"Yes, father" he replied.

"What was it that Altanion requested of you?" his father asked curiously.

"To join him" he replied, and could feel immediately all eyes on him again "But I refused, for my place is here in Gummadoon, with my family, not in another realm where only the desire of power and evil exists" he replied solemnly.

Hearing the Council fall quiet once again, Cammi took this as an opportunity to leave the room, as he turned the door handle, and exited the room, all eyes staring after him.

A FEW HOURS LATER

Standing upon the balcony, crystal sapphire blue eyes scanned the city, filled with depression and sorrow.

Gum's sake why did it have to be him?

To fulfill these quests?

To almost be killed? Why?

Looking at the sky for an answer and receiving none, his eyes casted down to the ground below again. He was just fed - up now, being hunted down by others to be challenged, why because they thought they were more powerful than him, but every time he proved them wrong.

He wanted desperately for a way out, out of this mess, to be free, never to be troubled again, but that would be impossible for him. His only way out, was committing suicide, but he would never do that. He considered that as a cowardly way to escape life, all he could do was look and move forward, with hope that one day his wishes would come true.

Cammi knew, deep down within his soul that Altanion was after him, for more than one thing, one being that he wanted to avenge Tarquan's death, and secondly he wanted power. Cammi thoughts often replayed back to his small debate with Altanion, as to why Altanion was so bothered that Tarquan was dead.

After all, what he had seen in his dream, it seemed that Altanion didn't much care for Tarquan, so why should he be so bothered by it now.

Though he did wonder, that if Altanion was so bothered about Tarquan's death, why didn't he come to avenge him sooner, or was it that he had some great plan behind it.

It looked to Cammi, that he was missing something, like a piece from a puzzle, it all didn't make sense with went on between Tarquan and Altanion, but he guessed like all things, he would find out in the end.

END OF PART VI

PART VII COMING SOON!