Chapter 3 Great Spirit Thandrana

The night air hung around Turtle swamp like a dark blanket. The area was shrouded in darkness as cold drops of rain fell from the sky. The water pounded upon the earth, plopping into the mossy ground in the swamp, and splashing in the water. The wind blew gently, stirring the steady flow of rain. And as the darkness covered the land, two silent voices could be heard speaking in the darkness.

'I wonder if I can trust you.'

'I wonder the same for you.'

'You cost me my home, and my prey. I do not think you are my superior anymore.'

'I was the one who lead us here.'

'But how long will it take? I grow impatient.'

'As do I. But we fail when we act too soon.'

'What then is your plan? So far you've made a point of making yourself evil.'

'Did I lie?'

'No.'

'And I'm not sure I'll need to this time. But for now, I must do what I am doing. For the ghosts have a silent, but strong voice.'

Galen walked through the pouring rain to his tiny shack right next to his wife's grave. As he walked by, he looked at the ancient stone and the words written upon them. They read: "Nina Setira. Beloved wife of Galen Setira. Born February 2, 1935 died May 13, 2006."

Lighting struck, illuminating the stone, in an eerie light. Galen turned to his house, and opened the door quietly.

"Pssst," Galen thought he heard a silent voice behind him whispering.

He turned, and saw no one but the empty gravestone. Lightning flashed again. Galen, seeing no one, turned, and entered his home. All that was left outside was the white gravestone. Suddenly it began to glow in an eerie light.

Back inside his home, Galen lay down in his bed, and fell asleep. But he did not sleep soundly. In the middle of the night he was awoken by the thunder. His eyes opened, but Galen found that he couldn't move. All he could do was move his head slightly left and right. And as he looked from side to side, he heard a silent voice speaking to him.

"Galen, Galen," it said in a creepy feminine way. "Come to me. I'm waiting for you."

Galen shut his eyes in fear, and willed himself to fall asleep again.

"Galen, come to me, be with me."

Galen shivered under his covers as he refused to look into the darkness of his room as the ghostly voice spoke to him.

"Well, its a beautiful day out today. The sun is shining, and the rain has stopped. That's good, after the major electric disturbance we suffered a month ago, we don't need another crisis! Actually there have been a number of deaths recently on Mineral Island..."

I opened my eyes into slits, and found myself looking at an alarm clock which rested on a night stand right next to my bed. Who had authorized that? I sat up, and stretched, my tired muscles sore from who knows what. I got out of bed, and began dressing myself as I continued listening to the radio.

"...some of the deaths have been attributed to heart attacks. But it is not clear if this is the true cause of death. Surprisingly enough, the people of Mineral Island seem to be convinced that the deaths were not caused by something natural, and all of them deny that the deaths could have been caused by heart attacks. More on this later."

I finished dressing myself, and turned off the radio. I then went into the bathroom and splashed water on my face. It was my first day farming, and even now I knew that it would take some getting used to. I stepped out of the house about a half an hour later, and looked up at the sun just barely rising above the surface of the horizon. I looked over at the cow which stood out in the field. First I would have to milk it, and brush it. Luckily Takakura had given me a crash course on how to do all this the night before.

I stepped into the field, and approached the large beast tentatively. The cow regarded me thoughtfully, but let me continue to approach it. I reached a hand out to it, and the beast sniffed it quietly. It then reached down, and took a bite of grass. I took a step towards it again. The cow cocked an eye at me, and then looked away, bored. I began stroking it lightly on the side. The beast didn't seem to mind. I pulled up a chair, put a bucket under its udders, and began milking the gigantic cow. It looked back at me briefly, and then turned away. It just didn't care.

After I finished milking the cow, I went into my tool shed to get the tomato seeds which Takakura had bought for me. I took them out to my field, and planted them in the soft soil. I had to give my old man credit, he had done a good job of keeping the fields weed free. But he hadn't done a good job of taking care of his son. I closed my eyes, and banished my thoughts. They only made things worse.

"Josh," I heard Takakura shout. "Don't forget to go by Vesta's Farm later today and pick up some more seeds. Three tomato plants aren't going to yield much of a profit."

Suddenly my eyes flashed open. I had forgotten to go and visit that girl who I had met over by the Turtle Swamp two nights ago! I immediately stopped planting, and went to the shed to put my tools away. I then ran off to find Vesta's Farm.

Celia sat on her bed, wondering why the boy that she had saved hadn't come to visit her yet. Maybe he wasn't better yet. Maybe he hadn't recovered at all. Celia was getting worried, so she got up, and ran off towards the spring to see if the Harvest Sprites were still taking care of him.

Galen went to the city that day to get his film developed. When he did get it developed, he immediately took it straight home. He looked over each picture carefully, searching for any sign of the supernatural. Then he saw it. In the corner of one of the pictures he saw a small spirit orb glowing in otherworldly light. Galen just stared at the picture in amazement. So there really was a ghost in Turtle Swamp.

Flak watched Mukumuku pacing around the spring. Something was bothering him. Something was wrong.

"What's going on brother?" Nic asked, jumping down from the tree.

"Mukumuku's been acting up lately," Flak replied. "Some thing's bothering him."

Nic looked over and watched Mukumuku passing around. Then he turned back to his brother.

"Mukumuku's just a big fur ball!" Nic said, giggling childishly. "I'm gonna go play with the big fur ball!"

Nic then started running over towards the great white beast, while shouting a mock war cry. Mukumuku looked up in surprise. Then a sort of grin appeared on the great beast's features, and he turned and ran away from Nic. Nic then jumped on his back, and held on tightly as Mukumuku ran.

"I caught you!" Nic shouted, triumphantly holding tightly to the great beast's fur.

Mukumuku was a large white beast with apelike arms which seemed to sprout from the top of its body. Its head was fixed right on its body, and it didn't appear to have much of a neck. The Harvest Sprites called him the Guardian of the Forest.

Mukumuku reached back, grabbed the small Harvest Sprite off his back, and threw him into the spring. Mukumuku jumped up and down while waving his arms over his head excitedly. Nic's head popped up from under the spring water.

"No fair!" he protested.

"Mukumuku!" Mukumuku cried, for he was named for the sound he made.

Nic climbed out of the spring, and walked over to the large beast. He then looked out at the Spring.

"You know Muku," Nic said. "They say that if you take good care of a spring then a Harvest Goddess will come to live in it. Do you think we could get a Harvest Goddess to live in this spring?"

The Guardian of the Forest's eyes widened.

"They say the spring has to be wonderful though," Nic said. "Maybe we could get a wonderful and put it in the water, and then a Goddess would come. Wouldn't that be great?"

Mukumuku reached down, picked up the tiny Harvest Sprite, and placed him gently on his back. Then, the beast turned, and walked back towards the tree. Mukumuku then picked up Flak and placed him on his back. Then, without warning Mukumuku turned, and charged towards the spring.

"Mukumukumuku!" the mighty beast cried.

Flak and Nic yelled at the top of their lungs. Then Mukumuku jumped, and cannonballed right into the water, causing it to splash out in all directions. Nic and Flak popped back up above the surface, laughing.

"Did the big puddy tat just want to swim?" Nic said in a cutesy voice.

Mukumuku broke the surface, and swung his arm around, sending a wave of water upon the two Sprites. Nic and Flak laughed, and threw tiny splashes back at Mukumuku.

"Wait for me!" they looked, and saw Nak running out of their tree home towards the Spring. He then jumped, diving into the spring, splashing water upon his friends.

All four of them swam around in the spring for a while, until they got tired, and climbed out and layed down to let the sun dry their clothes out.

"I tell you guys," Nak said. "The spring water always seems so pure and fresh."

"Hello Harvest Sprites," Flak looked up and saw Celia walking into the forest.

"Its Celia!" Nic shouted like a child who is announcing that Santa gave them presents on Christmas morning.

Mukumuku jumped up to his feet.

"Hi Muku," Celia said. "So Flak, did the boy that I brought here ever get better?"

"Josh did," Flak said. "He went home."

Celia frowned.

"That's odd," she said. "Didn't you tell him to come see me after he got better."

"Of course we did," Flak said. "Remember, he's been through a lot, he probably just forgot."

I walked into the forest quietly. I had gone to the farm where I had met Vesta, the owner. When I asked for Celia she got all excited and said that she knew that she was right. I didn't understand it, but Vesta told me that Celia had gone to the spring, so that's where I was going.

As I walked through the forest I listened to the birds chirping in the trees. But they did not sing happy songs of spring. Their voices held a darker tone of warning. Then I noticed a flock of birds fly across the island from the direction of the swamp. They were flying to the forest to take refuge.

My attention was drawn from the birds when I heard voices further up in the woods. One I recognized as Flak's voice, but the other was the voice of a girl. Maybe it was Celia. I stopped. How exactly was I going to approach her? I had never been very good at befriending girls, or even just talking to them, so I really didn't know what to do in this situation. I took a deep breath, and stepped into the clearing.

"Oh hi Josh," Flak said, upon seeing me.

"Hello," I said, smiling slightly.

"It's Josh!" Nic and Nak both cried.

Celia whirled around in surprise.

"Hi," I said timidly.

"How... how are you feeling?" Celia asked.

"I'm okay," I said. "I'm still a bit shaken. Oh, I never got a chance to thank you for getting me to the Harvest Sprites."

She smiled modestly before extending a hand.

"I'm Celia," Celia said.

"Josh," I said, taking her hand, and shaking it.

Her fingers were warm. She released my hand, blushing slightly, and turned towards the Harvest Sprites.

"Word of what is going on has been going around," Flak said with a frown. "People seem to be expecting something great to happen. Many think it is a sign from the gods or something."

"I don't think its a sign from any god," I said. "I saw that creature's face. It was... horrible. I don't think a God would do something like that to me without reason."

"I know," Flak said. "Did you notice the birds? They are leaving the swamp, fleeing to the woods."

"I did notice," I replied.

"And the turtle," Flak nodded towards his two brothers. "Can you give us a hand with him?"

"What turtle?" I asked.

"Come, I'll show you," Flak replied, running down the path on his tiny little feet.

Celia and I followed the small Harvest Sprite. As we walked, I felt the soft wind of the valley brush against us gently, causing Celia's beautiful brown hair to blow up in the soft breath of air. A soft kiss of what was good. I looked away from the beautiful girl beside me when she noticed me looking. She was beautiful, to say the least.

Flak lead me to a turtle which was slowly pulling its way up the hill into the forest. Its eyes looked sorrowful, like those of a dog, or a cat, when they are sad. It looked very tired, as if the turtle had been up the whole night working its way up the hill.

"This turtle lives in the turtle swamp," Nic said. "But he doesn't like it their anymore because of all the strange things that have been happening. So he's trying to get into the forest to the spring, cause its safe there. But he's slow, and he's been working all night. We'd carry him there, but he's too heavy. Can you help us?"

I looked into the turtle's sad eyes, and my decision was made. I lifted up the turtle, and began carrying it up the hill.

Celia watched Josh carry the the turtle up the hill. She smiled. Well, at least he seemed kind and caring. But she didn't know him very well yet. Her aunt always was pressuring her to find the perfect husband, so much that she tried setting her up with people. Celia wondered if Josh may be the man she was looking for.

He was cute, and had a childlike face which attracted her. He seemed like a soft kind of person, not one of those tough arrogant men whom she often saw putting on a "macho" act. Josh seemed different. He didn't look like one to act better than others, he seemed more humble. And she admired that in a guy. Suddenly she became aware that Nik was looking at her. Celia turned red, and turned away from Josh, embarrassed that she had been starring at him. Nik smiled, and turned away.

I carried the turtle through the forest and gently lowered him in front of the spring. He crawled forward, and began drinking the spring water. Drinking the water seemed to calm him, cure him of his sadness, and before I knew it, the Turtle closed its eyes, and went to sleep.

"Wow," Flak commented. "He must have been very tired."

"Then why didn't he stop to rest?" I asked.

Flak gave me a blank look.

"I don't know," he said. "The turtle seemed pretty determined to get out of the swamp, even though the swamp is his natural home. I guess he'll have to stay here with us in the Spring from now on."

"I guess so," I said.

"Mukumuku?" I looked up, and saw a strange white beast walk out from the forest, staring at me.

"What the..."

"Oh Josh," Nic said, looking at the white beast. "Forgot to introduce you to Mukumuku."

Flak must have noticed my surprise, for he began trying to explain it to me.

"He's the guardian of the forest," Flak said. "We don't know what he is, or where he came from, but he entered this forest three years ago, and has stayed with us ever since."

"I see," I said, eying the strange white beast.

The cold wind blew across the swamp, chilling the cold earth like the hand of darkness. In the swamp cold hands seemed to reach up from the green waters, reaching for the sky. A cold aura filled the air as a faint ghostly figure stepped across the cold waters. Its feet sent no ripples through the water, and its hair seemed to blow in an eternal wind. Its eyes were piercing and ghostlike, and they seemed to reach out from the swamp like a cold hand of fear. Darkness was truly coming, but what form would it take?

Galen sat in front of the large swamp, looking out across the moonlit waters. His eyes looked sad, but at the same time, extremely interested.

"Who are you?" he spoke, as if to the dark water of the swamp.

'I am a great being from far away, sent to watch over this town as its guardian.'

"Do you have a name?" Galen asked. "A title? Are you a Goddess?"

'I am the Harvest Go-'

"Harvest what?" Galen asked.

'No, that was one of my former lives. Now I am the Great Spirit Thandrana. When you're this high on the scale of nirvana, you tend to relapse to your past lives.'

"Tell me Thandrana," Galen said. "What are you going to do as the town's guardian?"

'I will guide the people down the path of righteousness, towards their next lives, until they become a Spirit like me.'

"So you're hear to help," Galen said. "Then is there anything I can do to help?"

'Well... yes. The swamp is not where I want to be. I have my sites set on a domain which closely resembles one that I lived in on another island that I guided until it grew great. I have my sights set the spring in the forest. It would be a good home for me. And when I reach the spring I can rest, and then the entire town will be my territory, and I will help everyone. Right now all I have is this swamp.'

"Right," Galen said. "Anything else?"

'Well, I could use an assistant, and I do believe that you are in need of a guardian spirit.'

Galen nodded.

"Do you know how my wife is doing? I get visited by her spirit every night."

'She is fine, but she misses you.'

"I miss her too," a tear slowly rolled down Galen's cheek.

Suddenly Galen felt the presence leave.

"Thandrana?" he said.

But there was no response. She had gone. Galen stood up, and walked away.