Chapter Four: Fly
A/N: Alright, there we go. My chapters are short compared to what I'm used to writing, but I expect they'll get longer. I think it's because I'm writing within set guidelines. I'm not really used to it so things might seem hurried. Anyway, please, if you're reading this, please do the courtesy and at least tell me you're reading it. It takes a lot of creative energy to write these and it's kind of disheartening to get online and upload and see that I've got a lot of hits but no comments. So if you're reading this, when you finish the chapter, please do me one small kindness and comment - even if it's telling me my story is awful. I mean, I'm kinda writing this for you guys too.
______________________________________________________________________________
Zeke was in a state of near panic as he fled from the Outlaws. It was millions of years of evolutionary instinct that told him who was following him. Behind him trailed the old boat and the tank with the baby gabbiwog inside. Water would occasionally slosh from it and for a moment his heart would skip a beat. Odd help him if Gabby sloshed out and hit the ground.
He'd awakened with a start that morning, and having realized he'd fallen asleep, he scooped Gabby out of the pond and changed the water in the tank. If there was anything he knew about confined fish it was that they didn't do well in stagnant water. Without stopping to eat, he moved on, hoping maybe there would be time to do so. Unfortunately, his instincts were telling him one thing: Keep moving.
The land was nothing but a series of low hills, and it was clear he was far away from the Mongo River. Zeke was too terrified to stop, too terrified to do anything but run. He had to run and save Gabby, he had to run and save himself. He had to run and save the entire Gabbit species. Somehow the fate of another species rested on the shoulders of a gabbiwog.
Zeke noticed the earth had changed somehow and he looked down at the boat. It was creating nice lines in the ground. Zeke winced and realized he'd have to leave his boat again. And after all his hard work.
He emptied his bag quickly and attached to his belt the most important items: water, and his knife. He rinsed off the bag in the trough water and filled it up, scooping the gabbiwog with it. Fortunately for him, the bag was water-resistant, and held. But for how long? Zeke whispered softly to the Gabbiwog and picked up his pace as best he could. Gabby sank down near the bottom of the bag so it wouldn't slosh out.
His time with her was growing short. Somewhere behind him, he knew the Outlaws would surely find him. He had to trick them somehow. His mind reeled back to older days, where he was as elusive as the Steef itself. He was going to have to sink into the trees. But he was also going to have to save Gabby. He would have to set her free - but not here. Not now.
Zeke thought carefully. Gabbits often made their way to the Spawning Springs when they were old enough to develop lungs, and after that would swim to the sea in pods. That was where he had to go, but he only knew it was downstream - farther downstream than he had ever traveled. And, fortunately for him, further east. In the current direction he was going, the river was still a distance away. He would have to get back to it.
------
"Hey Hal! Check this out!"
It was mid-morning. Hal looked over to see Bill messing with a series of tied branches. He wasn't a fool. He knew what it was.
"Ah, so the little Grubb's left his boat behind." Hal lowered his head over it and sniffed deeply. "Pretty fresh too - not more'n a couple 'ours old. Heh heh."
Shorty rummaged through the other materials there. An axe, among other things.
"Well, I got a present!" Shorty announced, parading about with the axe.
Hal rolled his eyes, reaching over and grabbing Shorty by the wrist that held the axe, and slung him roughly to the ground.
"We ain't got all day. If we hurry we can catch up to him by dinner! Come on!" Hal shouted, sprinting after the scent the Grubb had so kindly left him. The others followed suit.
------
Zeke had found his way back to the river. He pondered stopping by to see his old settlement, but changed his mind. He would be tempted to stay if he did. He did, however, stop and quickly catch a fish so that he and Gabby could eat. It was a small fish, but it would do. Poor Gabby was not happy - he could see that in its eyes. It terrified him that he would probably have to leave it alone sooner than he would've liked.
A chilly wind had begun to blow - partly due to the elevation. As much as his kind revered the Gabbits, he himself had no idea where the Spawning Springs was. It was highly difficult to locate. However, he knew two things: It was in the mountains, and it was somewhere along the Mongo River. In fact, it was likely to be downstream of his homeland, if he hurried.
Skirting his home village, he was much further downstream by mid-afternoon. Zeke was exhausted. In fact, he wondered if he'd even run into the springs at all. The Mongo River wasn't a large river, but it took nearly two days if one wanted to follow it from its main estuary in the east to its source, Ma'Spa. That is, if you were going downstream. Gabbits going upstream often took up to two weeks.
Zeke wandered on, pausing every now and then to open his bag and check on Gabby. It seemed well, although it was clearly unhappy and would've liked to swim at its leisure.
"I promise," he whispered, "I promise I'll get ya home. Somehow."
The little gabbiwog made a strange cheeping noise and sank down deeper into the bag.
-----
"We're gettin' closer!" Shorty nearly squeaked with excitement. "Can you smell it?!"
Hal grinned. "'Course I can. There's the Mongo, too. Let's go."
------
They moved up into the mountains again. Zeke was all too relieved the Outlaws hadn't caught up with him yet. In his bag, he noticed the gabbiwog inside had become much more still. A glance inside told him that Gabby was resting, but it didn't look healthy anymore. He prayed silently that they'd find the spawning springs before the Outlaws. Every now and then, he'd look behind him and thought he heard something, and it made him all the more worried.
He was dogged for much of the day and into the night. This time, he was certain they had caught up to him. Behind him, dangling just out of clear vision, he spotted a flash of movement. As night fell, he found himself climbing. He kept whispering to Gabby, begging her to be okay. The bag wasn't exactly the cleanest bag in the world, but hopefully the gabbiwog would survive.
Zeke thought he was unable to continue at last. It was past midnight, and he'd had no choice but to stop. Heaving, he trembled, sniffing the air and trying to get his bearings. Just to his right, he spotted a steep, rocky slope, and the river continued to flow in another direction. All around, there was nothing but mountains and low valleys. He'd be lost for certain. Suddenly, he heard behind him something that made his blood run cold.
"Ahaha! We got 'im, boys!"
Zeke whirled to see the three Outlaws from earlier that morning, sprinting towards him, one of them holding his axe. He jumped backwards, forgetting all about his exhaustion, and went the only way he knew how - he climbed up the slope.
Sweating profusely, body trembling from sheer exhaustion, nearly rebelling against every move he made, he forced himself onward, adrenaline pumping like wildfire in his veins. The Outlaws closed in and leaped after him, up the side of the slope. Being much younger and stronger than he, it was no wonder they made it so quickly.
To his surprise, Zeke reached the top of the cliff, and threw himself onto the rocky ledge. Gasping for breath, he caught the strange, almost sweet smell of something below him. At the edge of the cliff, there was mostly steam,rising up from beneath the rock. Still panting, his eyes went wide and he realized what was underneath him.
Another gust of wind picked up and some of the steam billowed out of the way. He had made it at last. The spring was large, well hidden in the mountains, and delightfully warm. The pools were of varying depths, but he couldn't see more, as steam billowed up and replaced it. In terror, he pulled his bag around to face the front.
"Gabby! Listen to me," he hissed. The Gabbit moved up near the surface. "Stay here until your lungs form, then follow the river downstream - find your own kind, and live!"
And with that, Zeke reached in and dropped the gabbiwog over the edge into the water. There were no rocks beneath, so she would be fine. Then, he righted his bag and whirled to face his attackers. Still panting, he ran to the edge, where the Outlaws were getting closer to the top.
"HEY!" shouted Zeke, heart pounding, watching them.
The Outlaws grinned up at him. Suddenly Zeke spotted a landing not too far down. He could make it. He dropped over onto it.
"Want your Gabbit! You'll have to come and get me first!" Zeke taunted them, and in a moment, had pulled his pants down and mooned them.
"Why, you little!" Hal snarled, leaping away from the rock and lunging straight for him.
Zeke, more out of luck than instinct, jumped off the rock and hit the ground with an unpracticed roll. He hadn't done that in years, but he was glad he still knew how. He sprinted away as fast as his legs would carry him, the Outlaws hot on his heels.
While he ran, Zeke sent out a silent prayer for Gabby. Please live, he begged her. And please don't be too lonely.
