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33
THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT
Countless stars frolic with trillions of eyes, in the cosmos cast.
Among them glitter two, now twelve,
Searching the universe so vast,
On my heart to delve.
Their thoughts delivered on a restless wind,
Rushing blindly, their hope to extend.
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Countless exotic floral aromas clung to us as we embarked under the hazy ringed moons toward Abramura. The songs of wild birds chattering in every rhythm, tone and pitch composed a never-ending sonnet. Their soothing melody touched me at a primative level.
At a bend, Gatta crouched.
“From the South, Purrsu approaches, and a storm arises in the East.”
Without so much as a greeting, Purrsu crossed her arms. “Follow the narrow path, Gatta, across the Cherazon River leading to Sora No Megami’s shrine. Take Shawmow, Biladi, Pushiri, and the Mandagral with you. By the will of the Goddess, the rest your band must head to Abramura to bond with their newneyow. The cook grilled gundum bird for Bob. The word spread how much he savors winged prey.”
“Save some for me before our walking bottomless stomach consumes the entire barbecue, Mewmew.”
“For a price, I will, Gatta.”
Elsewhere, rambling incoherently, Purrsu tried to revive an optimistic outlook before she lunged ahead.
“Let our obedience to the law of the jungle defy this cataclysmic situation.”
Flabbergasted, Mewmew’s voice raised.
“What a self-contradicting oddity. How does a rainy night equal a cataclysm? Tell me, where in her incoherent babbling does an intelligible thought exist?”
[Further down the trail]
“Wait,” Pushiri caught up to Purrsu, “This inexplicable frenzy does not suit you, sister.”
With a sigh, she perspired like she had traversed Mahavadoom. “The Goddess, Sora No Megami summoned me, Pushiri, to split up the group. My deity’s unprecedented call looms, ominous. By name, she instructed me who to bring. An unparalleled summons disquiets me. The benevolence preceding her wisdom cannot quiet me.”
So that she might guard my privacy, Pushiri separated me from the others and unveil the prophecy.
“Kiisu, Kusing, Purrsu and I will guide you, Mandagral. Should you dare face the future unaided, you will end up like your predecessor.”
For the first time, Pushiri’s words unsettled me.
At flood stage, the raging torrent dared us to cross, like a maniacal troll.
“This night’s destination unveils herself of those thunderous, churning clouds.”
Hidden from view, Khatool coveted the mighty forces encompassing us.
In a hurry, Purrsu dove in with the elegance of a trapeze artist. “This way.”
The anxiety of drowning welled up in me. My fear gave way to the dread of shame.
“Inhaling deeply, I plunged in and grappled the jagged rocks with my claws. Beneath the battering waves, I hauled myself two feet at a time. With every moment I spent under the dark rushing water, I grew nervous. Slimy moss on the stones caused me to lose my grip. To compound matters, the torrent slammed me into a rock, knocking the breath out of me. Adrenaline rushed through my veins allowing me to drag my aching body across the riverbed.
After I shook the water out of my fur, I glanced around. Everyone grinned at me. My mākutu surged along with my ego. What happened next did not surprise me. A surge of testosterone fought back with the desire to call out in victory, like a tremendous ape, but I did not give in to either force. Instead, our silhouettes strobed below the fierce skyline.
Drenched, Purrsu approached the temple with caution. Fragrant incense filled the inner sanctum with a haze. In an act of reverence, she threw herself face-down before the entrance and prayed.
“My Lady, your guests await.”
Three small, corked bottles with Sora’s symbol adorned a solid silver credence table, covered by a silken corporal cloth.
“Your faithfulness honors me, Purrsu. Take these three elixirs for Shawmow.”
As Purrsu arose to accept the invaluable gifts, she paused to behold Sora’s transformed persona. Like sky-colored drapes of air, her gown flowed.. Soft fingers of electricity from the conductive walls reached toward her in a gentle caress. Charged with their energy. The sweet fruity fragrance of fracus blossoms perfumed her lovely presence. She transformed into a human likeness, with thick mascara, braided hair in one long tether.
“Why do you delay? Take the elixirs and send the Mandagral to me.”
“Yes, Goddess.”
Outside, the Innocent One pulled me cheek to cheek.
“Answer your summons, Mandagral. Enter and bow before her. Worship her.”
With my head lowered, I entered the shrine and bent down on my knees.
“Praise your holy name.”
Like a disturbing clap of unexpected thunder, her voice shook the recesses of my closed mind:
“In a distant galaxy, limitless, undying love searches the cosmos. Tiny eyes gaze back at me. The echoes of their devotion ring across the universe, in my ears. Your former life lays claim to you as strong a Terradon Prime does now. Among your progeny, one of immense potential calls out to her mother. More brilliant than all the stars combined, your mate’s love for you shines. Now, I assume her form.”
When I lifted my head and squinted my eyes to adjust to her radiance, my blocked mind opened.
“Dear Goddess, I remember, my wife, Rachel! Oh Goddess, throughout creation, nothing lovelier exists. YES, I recall her now, Benevolent One!”
A faint voice grew in intensity with each repetition, “Janus, Janus, Janus.”
“Janus Durant!”
Like a geyser of steam, pleasant memories erupted from the once vacant corridors of my mind.
“These recollections, devoid of your dark side, will sustain you. Soon, your past will confront you in all its gory details. Moreover, you must encounter Hi Gami. Trials will you face along the way. Without failing, you must determine the correct one.”
“How far away?”
“By your scale, three-thousand, three-hundred light years.”
“What, if anything, limits your sight?”
“Across the heavenly expanse, no celestial body can hide from me. No event escapes my perception. Your children’s names on the door frames identify their rooms, where you measure their growth. The youngest one, Karyl, will fulfill her predestined role. Inherit your mother’s abilities, she will.”
Only in my imagination does my mother nurture me.”
“Embrace you one day, she will. For now, three cubs need you in
Pantramura. Though you will not understand their challenge, help them, you will. The journey of a lifetime awaits you. For now, I will grant you the lightning and wind until you discover your own gifts.
What else can you tell me, so I may prepare?”
“True heroes never happen like the legends recount. Those like me encase them in various avatars. So, when mayhem rampages on any world, a chosen one arises to restore tranquility.”
Like a sponge, I soaked up every word.
“Understand this, discord erupts from mindless arrogance. By bloodshed, the chaos propagated despair. In the aftermath, malignant egotism breeds. Worse than any infection, more horrible than chained trepidation, a foul stench bides its time. Yet, when the reluctant one embraces his calling, my whisper emboldens the buried hero to embattle every character flaw his ill-bred society propagates.”
“Go now.”
The downpour subsided at the exact moment I walked out of the temple. For the first time, our Gatta’s voice shuddered. “How strange, Mandagral! Somehow, you’re different. I can't explain it”
“My name, I remember now,” my companions.
Gently, they all rubbed their rain-soaked bodies against me.
“If you do not mind, I would like to keep my title. My Earth name does not belong here.”
A huge, adoring smile burst like a balloon across Pushiri’s face.
Purrsu interrupted, “Gatta, the Infinite Sighted One requests you.”
“Why would she want me, Purrsu?”
“Time will reveal your all, Gatta. Nearby, Pushiri listened to me.
“Awakened, my history now brings charges against me. How can one close a portal against a Judgment? This pervasive entity of my own design permeates my existence. No trap lies waiting as deadly as the one I set for myself. No doubt, you suffered with my internal conflicts these past days, Pushiri.”
Sheer futility prevented me from spewing my next agonized words. “Our forbidden affection now embitters me,” I accused, as my Oracle bit her lip.
“The guilt you impose, Mandagral, I refuse to own. My self- sacrificing love not only protected you, but it also enlivened you.”
“The fact remains, Pushiri, that I made decisions which will cause suffering to those closest to me.”
Like a steam kettle, my anxious thoughts erupted. “For certain, you prepared me to deal with this night’s burden. You supported me, a lost soul. My clouded reasoning tells me to run like a gazelle. Take care you do not falter with me.”
Pushiri maintained her composure, though she second guessed herself. “With us, you will grow more potent than you imagine possible, Mandagral.”
As we headed out, Shawmow inventoried the new medicines she received.
“Aw, more Bactricidium root! In addition, the goddess gave me an emerald decanter of Emotus elixir.”
The astute curationist recalled the recipe.
“This one, we distill from pigmentus herbs and rainbow berries, which activates dormant mood glands. Wonderful, a marine-colored flask of Yagratin elixir. The divine one fermented this brew from microbes, bacterium, curative proteins, some fungus, and Draconis Lake algae!”
A rush of excitement animated the ecstatic healer.
“The cure-all for any nondescript aliments and some rare fatal diseases adorns my collection. Ahh, the new ease of curation.”
“Now, my rosy red bottle, what do you contain?”
The words on the label allowed her to exhale with relief. “Ecstasy Elixir! How astonishing, a psychoactive cure for any chronic emotional wounds! The treatment renders a long-lasting, mild euphoric condition.”
A skull and crossbones warning glared on the back of the decanter. “This will kill any stable, well adjusted creature with happiness!”
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34
THE SPIRITS OF THE CAVERN
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When our spirit no longer understands its task,
Then we discover our true calling.
Only when unknown paths branch in every direction,
Then we take our true journey.
For the dumbfound mind is ill-engaged.
But the beaver-damned brook gurgles melodically.
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Did you summon me, Holy One?”
“To the southwest of my temple you will discover a cave. Find the Spirits of the Cavern.”
“Why?”
“Guidance, she resides within. Nevertheless, the answer you seek will require you to move beyond your self-imposed limits.”
She crossed her arms and burst out in a stubborn tone. “And If I do not want to go?”
“Well, you will fail the Mandagral.”
“All right, I will go, but I do not desire the delay.”
Entering the subterranean corridors, Gatta walked up to an ancient Mandragora, chipping away at an artifact in the wall.
“Excuse me, where are the Spirits of the Cavern?”
“To them, I will lead you.”
“Please show me where they are?”
“First you must wait.”
“Thanks, I will do whatever you ask.”
Swirling her paw in the dirt, the Sage mixed a cobalt compound and painted Gatta’s face.”
“What? Does cubish play amuse you?”
“Tell me how to pass your test?”
“Ugh, tests, you are proficient at them. Obvious outcomes please you, yes? Take your precious evaluation.”
“No problem.”
“Enter this gateway.”
The sliding stone hatch closed behind Gatta and sealed itself. Three more Mandragora sat with a laid-back composure.”
“Incline yourself to sit and wait with us.”
“Your patience may exist as an infinite resource, mine does not. Sorry, I’m in a hurry to proceed. Are you seeking the Spirits of the Cavern too?”
The one on the right made eye contact with the one in between. “An assessment, she expects.”
The middle one said, “Smart, she is, but impatient.” Turning to Gatta, “Hmm, no time to wait?”
The one on the left said, “Want to sit with us, she does not. How rude, she is.”
“Let me catch up to the Mandagral, so I can help him.”
“How will you aid him?”
“Whenever I receive the spirit's response, I will understand what to do. Ah, the other end of the room. Are the Spirits secluded there to test me?”
“The beyond room is inconsequential. Pause with us. Besides, the door is locked.”
Gatta tried to force the unyielding barrier open. In frustration, she kicked loudly enough to alert any occupants to her presence. The Mandragora on the right gloated in a higher pitch.
“I told you.”
Undaunted, Gatta knocked harder on the door. This time her pathfinder appeared.
“You're stubborn, Gatta. Well, come on.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
As they rounded the corner, a beautiful rainbow-lit forest scene came into view before Gatta with giant glowing mushrooms. A blurred image of the Mandargal came into focus, with his right arm burned.
“Mandagral...”
Before she finished her sentence, he faded down the distant trial. “What will happen at this place? Wait, because I recognize this location, I can prepare.”
The mysterious attendant took Gatta back to the door and let her in.
“Behold, the way out.”
When Gatta opened the door, the first Mandragora slid aside to make room.
“Welcome back.”
“So, the place I beheld clues me in; I am ready now.”
The Mandragora’s eyebrows lowered. “Whatever you do will is irrelevant. Save him, you cannot.”
“Why am I here at all? Please explain.”
“Nothing you can do will matter.”
The exasperated explorer forced air out of her pursed lips.
“Why do you expect me to do nothing? Do you wish me to let him die?”
“Wait with us.”
With resignation, Gatta sat down. “All right.”
“She understands.”
“Yes, she releases her logic.”
“Despite her eyes, she learns faith.”
Gatta’s face lit up like a solar flare. “You’re the Spirits of the Cavern!”
“Indeed, your resolution will bind you to him before he dies. Here is the paradox. Your sisterhood will allow him to live. However, you must believe with your whole heart. If you doubt, if you try to deliver him, he will not survive.”
35
UNLEASHED
Over the next ridge, Abramura awaits. Please, unleash your captive thoughts before we arrive, Mandagral.”
“My precious one, the image of Rachel’s face flooded me with emotions. Torn between two worlds, every night, I will dream of her all the while embracing you. A curse claims my life, for I cannot dwell in both places. How can I process all this when Sora No Megami revealed a perilous path for me to follow? Still, you allowed me to fall in love with you, aware the whole time of my wife. Why?”
“No shame do I bear. More revelations await you. My devotion will empower you when you need me the most. Stay close. Still at risk, your heart resides with two others, not just Rachel. A careless, mercenary tongue from your past let fly lava plunged, poison laced, distasteful words, dumping your spirit to bleed torrents of your sanity on frozen ground.”
The newneyow, twelve now, greeted each other, excited to bond. Alone, I reexamined my alien life. The-faint-of-heart never thrived here or anywhere else on Terradon Prime in my approximation. Moreover, the conception of Leopardmura’s leader began to congeal before my eyes, with Bob as the center attraction. The get-to-know-you game faded into history because the news spread of his playful relaxed nature.
Like a blessing, our newest additions, Yeowthera and Ekinisu, welcomed me with affectionate rubs.
The more-daring-one’s courageous stance spoke louder than her introduction. “I’m Yeowthera.”
“Fear never clouded your vision, Yeowthera.”
“What is this foreign concept, you speak of, Mandagral? No matter, I do not want to learn the meaning. Remember, whatever you need done, you can count me in.
With her head lowered, she paused.
“Sorry, but a meaningful response escapes me.”
“Your loyalty outweighs any words.”
Beside me, I half-way expected the other shy newly named one to gaze away, but she did not. Pushiri thought to herself, “Ekinisu’s influence may bring him back on track.”
“Take him to your cottage, Ekinisu.”
“I understand how to care for him, Pushiri, what to say.”
A miniature garden of exotic flowers grew in the moonlit planters of each window. My new-found counselor held my arm and guided me to her plush furutu-hide bed.
“Lay down your weary soul.”
Without a doubt, furutu-hide beds rated a five-stars on my scale of comfort because of the way the cuddly pelts caressed my back.
“Relax, my overburdened friend.”
With tender patience, she moved her hips forward and back for the next thirty minutes. Near the end, she massaged my skin the way I love, all over, with gentle, rippling taps, invigorating me. With her arms extended to show a measurment, she broadened her smile.
“Your heart has grown a thousand times the capacity of any other, impassioned enough for two planets.”
With words of comfort, separated by her long pauses, she rubbed my temples. “Imagine everyone's love returning to you... Experience their affection through me. Let my soft touch revive every inch of your skin and blanket your fractured heart.”
All my stress released inside her. Without separating from me, she rotated her spotted back toward me. True to her nature, she rolled me along side her, reclined. In the quiet hours, she fell asleep with me in my firm, gentle arms.
I realized how many people I needed in my life if I'm to face tomorrow.
[At the nearby cooking fire]
Tracking the scent of the grilled Gundum bird, Gatta skidded to a stop.
“Wonderful, you saved me a leg.”
“The vicious fray with Bob for possession of your meal almost cost me my life.”
The initiated feline flashed an amused grin. “Thanks, Mewmew. I love your humor.”
“What happened to you whille you were gone?”
“Suffice to say, my little get-together pegged the unbelievable chart. Where is the Mandagral?”
“In some capable paws, getting some much-needed rest.”
“Typical, I’m stuck in a cave while he carouses and cuddles.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing... Are you aware how inscrutably the spirits hide their purpose?”
“What?”
“Forget I opened my mouth.”
“Note to self. Should my friend say she accompanied enigmatic specters in a cavern, she means nothing.”
“At last, you understand, Mewmew.”
“Yes, Gatta, I’m glad you shared your deepest feelings about your adventure with me in such detail.”
“Go away, I insist. Actually, I'll take my food and go.”
36
THE PATH TO RECOVERY
Violence and blood, the rush, the thrill.
Each throbbing vein, I burn to spill.
My savage rage I now unsheathe.
The beating heart dies clamped in my teeth.
Our sense of adventure intensified as we approached the Bluewood Forest. In every direction, night blooming neon dazzle blooms, gerzel nuts and mui fruits flourished.
Yeowthera reflected the hunters’ thoughts outloud. “Ah, the thrill of cornering the elusive birds in their natural habitat. If only our appetites growled. Neverthelees, we shall enloy today's training." Her heart swelled. "Close to here, I earned my name by taking down a gundum four times my size.”
“Impressive, Yeowthera,” said Kattur.
“A familiar scent drifts this way.”
Though massive in size and power, the scared flightless birds lurked behind the trees with their eyes searching for salvation in every direction. They had escaped Mandragora before.
Nearby, two furry chuchrakabas became alarmed at the hidding omnivores’ presence next to their hole. The rodents twitched their whiskers, and tensed their muscles, ready to dart away at the first sign of danger. Because of the fowls’ interest, however, in the blossoms, the skittish mammals resumed their foraging.
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I foucused on my Makutu. The prowess made us all silent, imperceptible, and harmonious with our surroundings. I had grown much since my first hunt.
Self-confident, I moved to the front of the party.
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The eyes of the trembling pair mirrored the twin moon’s light from deep within the foliage. With everyone in position, Yeowthera opened her mouth to growl, planning to climax the training exercise.
In the same instant, Khatool lunged with unbridled fury. The unexpected attack triggered the Mandragoras’ primitive instincts. Feathers silhouetted by the moons drifted into the bloody puddles on the ground. My pulse rushed as I tore a piece of flesh from the female.
With a snarl, Yeowthera asked, “Why?”
“We are predators, Yeowthera, aren’t we? Savor their terror. Relish cracking their carcasses with your leoppard jaws. Let the comforting warmth of their lifeblood drench your fur.”
Yeowthera cringed and her blood boiled. “Madness possesses you, Khatool. Don’t you understand, only to live, must we break a body and shed the blood! When we hunt to sustain ourselves, we take part in a goddess-pleasing sacrament. However, if we chase and kill because we can, we desecrate her.”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and finished her thought. “Today, we condemned our lives to wretchedness, and others to some small deprivation. From now on, an aboriginal drum beats in place of of the rhythm of our hearts. With no way to return to our prior life before the slaughter, we will suffer in the drum's unyielding addiction.”
Brandishing a fiery malfeasance in her eyes, Khatool stood in silent opposition, never breaking eye contact. Inside, she dreamed of tribal glory. "They shall see, I will make them see. we shall be great again."
“Better for all of us, you ripped your worthless throat with those clandestine claws. All right, you make a funeral pyre. We will not leave the bird's carcasses here to rot, nor shall we eat of this desicration.”
After the Mandragoras' unprecedented funeral, prayer's for fogiveness and a prolonged silence, the local wildlife also revived their audible endeavors.
A ferocious hunger to mangle and mutilate tugged at my core. With every fiber, I restrained myself from acting on the violent obsession welling up in me. Before I gave in, like a revelation from heaven, I remember the map. My distraction paid off !
“At the fork of Cherozon and Le Negra rivers, the current will sweep us down river. Let’s ride the waves and wash up on the opposite shore.”
Yeowthera exhaled with relief as the addiction subsided. “Extraordinary, Mandragal. Let’s go.”
Down the trial, she dove into the rapids. The rest of us followed without hesitation, drifting like broken tree branches in a flood. Bob bounded from one rock to the next, preferring to stay dry. The exhilaration ended on a tiny beach, taking an hour off our journey. Shaking off the water, we headed east toward Pantramura.
“Pushiri, let’s sneak off to Crescent Lake to marvel at the scenery, while the hockerels catch night flickers.”
“Your hopeless romanticism polishes my stained heart. Let’s pray this damned estrangement from mākutu doesn’t consume us.”
“Wait for my signal.”
Later, at the back of the line, she glanced over her shoulder, and timed our escape to the second. With a wink, we disappeared into the night.
While we swept through the enchanting region, I pondered my guide’s ability to glimpse the future and stay in the moment. Such a pure person never existed in my estimation. No ambition crept in. No desire for power assumed residence. Her shear humility sanctioned her victories. She would never abandon me, her adoring Mandagral. The prospect of us soaking in the cycle of life, unfolding before us, brought contentment where conflict once dwelt.
Splashing top feeders swallowed the glowing insects buzzing over the star-lit water. Inspired, Pushiri stepped into her composition like a ballet dancer. “Mandagral, listen, the breeze invites us and invigorates her wings to take us on her flight. And though we will soar, no destination exists in our sight Heed the riddle of the wind, my Strong One. Unlike those bees arriving at the pollen, our voyage matters more than the journey’s end. So long as we arise, the wind’s spirit, her living breath, will carry us through ten-million nights.”
Far from the shore, on the rocks protruding from the water, she snatched a four-pound hockerel fish with her claws and gobbled the treat like a starving dogral.
“Trips like this always brighten my day. Thank you for selecting a charming rendezvous.”
Out of nowhere and without warning, Waphoon turned sanguine red, casting a rustic, violet appearance on the landscape.
“Will you enlighten me, Pushiri?”
“The prophecy we spoke of when you arrived foretells of the Sangre Luna Furion, the blood moon. It foreshadows the decisive battle of a divine war.”
Sinnawar halted in her tracks. In front of the others, a concerned expression crossed her face.
“Where’s our Oracle and the Mandagral?”
“Let’s keep going. The jungle will spit them out eventually,” said Kattur.
“As usual, you’re right sister. The thought of consuming untenderized Mandagral meat repulses my discriminating palate.”
Much later, the odor of dogral’s reached the Mandragoras' noses. An unfamiliar rush in their veins heightened their senses.
The doctor checked her carotid artery.
“Do any of you also want to succumb to this hastening, like a crazed phantom primate on your back?”
“Oh my Goddess, yes,” they replied. How do we fight an invisible enemy? What’s happening to us...”
With a deep intoxicating breath, Kattur picked up another whiff. “Now, I’m not hungry and I don’t track mangy mutts, much less eat those foul-smelling beasts. Yet, every strand of my body burns with the urge to annihilate them.”
Feigning an apologetic tone, Gatta betrayed her intentions.
“Well, not all dograls are repulsive, some are dead.”
The Innocent One’s blood pressure began to rise. “Deliver me, Diachi No Megami. This urge pounds on my back and screams in my ears. Please stop me from shredding them apart.”
Biladi roared in a desperate attempt to fight her urge. “The deities do not approve of genocide.”
Each Mandragora made eye contact with her.
“What about killing half of their race? That would not displease the Merciful Ones, right?”
“Confession cleanses us. Therefore, I admit I love those four eyed menaces. Forgive me for wanting to hug them until they stop breathing.”
Frustrated, Bob sat down, looking quite puzzled at Khatool as she covered her face and grinned.
Necko, Pusuku and Maosuku did not hold back their throbbing obsession, rushing into the woods.
“Shawmaow, I plead to the heavens your skill with a medicine pouch can prevent our rampage before we all give in to this compulsion.”
“Without delay, Sinnawar.”
In a panic-stricken frenzy, Shawmaow focused to overcome her relentless, blood-thirsty appetite. The sapphire bottle grabbed her attention. The curationist bolted into the rainforest, chasing her mākutu-less companions.
Not far ahead of Sinnawar, Khatool caught up with the three impulsive newneyow leading the clandestine pursuit of the unaware pack. The rebel faked her velvet words, “please, stop.”
Necko sighted the dogs drinking from a pond and pounced on the nearest one. While she ripped the startled creature’s throat out, Pusuku and Maosuku struck from their flanks. The Mandragora’s defiant roars chilled the dogral’s spines.
Like a proud mother, Khatool gloated as they finished off the last three victims beneath the huge leaves. With the others closing in, she hid her triumphant smile as Sinnawar raced into the middle of the carnage.
“I tried to stop them!”
“How hard did you try?”
Under silence’s condemnation, the three addicts slipped out of the dense undergrowth with slumped heads.
“I’ve never dealt with addiction before, but this remedy is potent. We caught the dependency early, so this just might work. I’ll take antidote last just in case there are any unexpected side effects.”
“Everyone, line up,” roared Sinnawar. “I’m go first.”
Chanting the poetry of Sora No Megami, Shawmaow dosed the brave teenager.
“Well, Sinnawar?”
Sinnawar sat down as her muscles began to tremor. “I’m dizzy, my chest is tight, and my heart is racing.”
Then, without warning, she threw up the gundum bird from her last meal into the pond.”
Shawmaow spoke in a comforting tone.
“Embrace your spots. This should not last long. When you recover, I’ll give medicine to the others and then you can give me a dose.”
In the confusion of the mass withdrawal party, Khatool vanished, untreated, with Bob close behind her.
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