Answer Seeking
"PAPAAAA...!"
THE YELL faded away into the air, the flames and smoke from Charmian's attack fading away along with it. Charmian stood staring into the woods and found herself looking at nothing but trees. The strange big man, and Turtle, were gone.
She lowered her hands, gaping in disbelief. "H-huh--?" She craned her neck. "Wh--where did he go--?"
She started forward, first with an unsteady step, then bolted. She heard rustling noises behind her--then Moon Wolf shot in front of her, throwing out his arms. She stumbled, nearly running into him just as Thomas grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. She managed to twist around, and saw that X'aaru and Mani had come up behind her; they too stopped abruptly, blinking in surprise. She could tell from the way their fur bristled that they'd been ready to follow her, until her path had been cut off. Only Lieutenant Barrington and Pakwa had held their places; Augwak still peeked out from the opposite side of the woods, and Manabozho lay on the ground, unconscious.
Charmian paused, then started struggling. "I have to go after him before he gets too far!!" she yelled.
Thomas's grip around her waist grew tighter and Moon Wolf gave her a dark look, still holding out his arms. "Use your head!" he snapped, and she blinked; he hadn't used such a tone with her since her first trip to the Island, when he'd taught her. "He defeated him--do you really think YOU could fight him?"
Charmian glanced back at Manabozho, sprawled on the ground, then let out a breath. She felt Thomas's grip loosen a little, and he lowered her so her feet touched the ground again, though he didn't let her go just yet. Her eyes stung and she turned back to Moon Wolf.
"What are we supposed to do then? He took Turtle! We don't even know where he's going!"
"The Michinimakinong went back to the Sky Tree," Moon Wolf said. "And so this is where we go! Exactly as planned!"
Charmian's muscles tensed up and Thomas chose that moment to let her go so that she stumbled forward. She stalked straight to Moon Wolf so abruptly that he jumped. "Does it look like PLANS are going to work anymore--?"
Moon Wolf scowled. "Whatever he's really doing, it looks like he's been planning it out for a while now," Thomas said, catching her attention. "I rather think that planning is the best step to take. What do we even know about him? He can beat a manitou, so what do we have to use against him?"
Charmian looked up at him as if she'd just been betrayed. Rustling noises came again and X'aaru and Mani jumped to the sides of the path when Barrington pushed his way in between them, the look on his face even worse than the one on Moon Wolf's.
"Do you honestly think standing around talking solves such matters?" he snapped, making them all blink. "In case you aren't aware, he ran off with that girl while everyone was standing around--TALKING! You think that beast will be true to his word--?"
"Even a manitou must keep his word!" Moon Wolf retorted.
"Oh really?" Barrington sneered in return. "Because that manitou looked no better than any of your sort."
"Enough!" Charmian yelled, clapping her hands to her head. They all looked at her; she squeezed her eyes shut and ground her teeth. "He's a manitou," she said, voice cracking. "Which means he's probably not even HERE anymore! Pakwa!" She glanced back at the GeeBee, who sat upright as if at attention. "Go fly after him and see if you can tell where he went!" Pakwa floated into the air and puffed into a gust of wind, blowing out of the clearing. Charmian jerked her hand southward. "The rest of us go to the Arch! Just like Niskigwun! That guy's more powerful than Manabozho is--so we have to tell Geezhigo-Quae!" She turned to X'aaru. "X--you have to carry Manabozho! I don't know when he'll wake up--but he has to come with us too." The demon nodded and hurried forward, crouching while Thomas stooped to help pull Manabozho atop his back.
"What--what about me--?" Augwak cried from the woods, waving his arms frantically.
"You too," Charmian said, as they started moving away from Arch Rock and toward him. "All of us. Geezhigo has to hear from all of us."
Augwak's eyes grew as round as moons and he started stammering. "B-but--I can't go through there!! I belong here! What makes you think I can just LEAVE here--?!"
Charmian shot him a look so vicious that he squeaked and jumped back as she passed. "You'll go through or you'll stay here and face that GUY when he comes back!" she hissed. "If you want to deal with him on your own then by my guest! The REST of us are going through!"
Augwak's face went two shades of green paler, then he scowled and ambled out of the trees. He hopped aside as the others passed on their way along the bluff. Barrington stood still in the clearing, giving them all a venomous look; he scowled as well and started trudging after them, though he did jump to the side when Augwak hissed and ran ahead of him.
Charmian rubbed furiously at her eyes as they walked, her feet thumping hard against the ground. I can't believe I didn't see it COMING! she railed at herself. The moment he looked at Turtle I felt SOMETHING weird! Why didn't I warn them sooner? Why didn't I see it?
What is he going to do with Turtle--?
They descended the bluff and reached the shore, the Fairy Arch looming up ahead of them; Charmian glanced up at it as they approached. On her last visit it had been hidden up higher on the bluff, among the trees and undergrowth; for some reason, the Island itself must have decided to move it to the shore, where anyone passing by could see it. Niskigwun had been appointed its guardian, but he was nowhere in sight--presumably he had gone through it, to speak with Geezhigo-Quae before they could arrive.
The Fairy Arch wasn't too much different from Arch Rock, except somewhat smaller, the hole beneath the arch not being quite as wide, and it protruded from the side of the bluff rather than spanning across an opening. Some shrubs had started to grow along the slope leading up to it and they had to swipe these aside as they went, Mani using his antlers to clear a path. Charmian hung back and watched the others go through the opening in the rock. Augwak hesitated, but a vicious look made him go scuttling through; Barrington was another matter entirely. Charmian turned to him only to see that he wasn't even standing on the slope anymore; she blinked and lowered her head, locating him down toward the shore again. He had crossed over to the other side of the Arch and was climbing up that way. She frowned and watched him for a moment.
A small breeze arose and Pakwa drifted down from the sky. He shrugged, a vaguely perplexed look on his face. "Flew all around the Island," he said, "and didn't see him anywhere. Asked a manitou or two passing, they didn't see anything either."
"That means he's gone then," Charmian said, letting out a breath. "Just like I thought. Well, thanks anyway...you should get going through, I'll be right there."
Pakwa nodded and vanished through the Arch just as Barrington finished climbing. He halted below the opening and stared through it, baffled.
"How did they all do that?" he demanded. "What sort of trick is this thing?"
Charmian let out a gusty sigh. "For the last time, it's not a trick. Will you just go through? This is important."
He glared at her. "And how do I know this isn't some other sort of trap? A deadfall, maybe--?"
"Oh for cripes' sakes!" Charmian exclaimed, and climbed up toward the hole herself. "STAY if you want!"
She reached the opening and stuck her head through it, seeing the startled look on his face before the image faded and she jumped through. She shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, bracing herself; just as expected, she struck something hard, and started tumbling head over heels down a steep slope. She landed at the bottom and let out her breath with a pained wince, before finally daring to untangle herself and lift her head, rubbing at it blearily. The others, aside from Thomas and Mani, were already making their way across the great field leading toward the silhouette of a gigantic tree in the distance. Charmian looked up at it as she walked toward them. Evening must have been coming on in the Fairy Realm, as she'd never seen the Sky Tree look quite like this; its trunk was still blue, albeit a dark inky blue, and the leaves, rather than being opalescent white, were glimmering a deep shade of blue themselves; she could see the little glinting crystals hanging within it, even from this far away. Thomas stepped aside and waited while she approached; Mani shook his head a little and she blushed, touching his neck as she caught up. "Sorry about that," she murmured, but all that he did was whistle.
Thomas fell into step beside her, Mani on her other side. "So, any particular reason why you didn't feel like filling anyone in on this Island destruction stuff...?" he asked, quietly enough so that nobody but Mani and herself could hear.
She sighed. "I didn't want everybody flipping out like they tend to do. Honestly, I really thought this guy was a creampuff and Manabozho could beat him easily! Otherwise how come we've never even heard of him before?"
"Are you sure we've never heard of him--? He's obviously got some sort of past here, else I doubt he'd just barge in picking a fight for no real reason. He spoke as if this Kabeyun fellow's embarrassed him in the past."
"You're right." Charmian slowed her step a little, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "He knows what Kabeyun smells like," she added, then looked up at him with a frown. "But Kabeyun doesn't have anything to do with the Island. I know why he would want to go after Manabozho, but why the Island? He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who just destroys stuff for the heck of it. Though I could be way wrong."
Thomas shrugged. "That's why we're here, isn't it...?" he said, and the shadow of the Sky Tree loomed over them, so they fell silent as they passed beneath its branches.
Niskigwun was standing at the base, atop one of the great roots; when he saw the state they were in his eyes widened and he hopped down, making a beeline for them. He halted beside X'aaru and looked Manabozho over.
"What happened?" he cried.
Charmian winced. "There was a little incident right after you left," she said. "Namely, that big guy showed up."
"'Big guy'--?" Niskigwun's wings flared. "You mean, the one who attacked the GeeBee--? He came back? What does he want with Manabozho of all people--?"
"I...heard...that," a muffled voice said, and Niskigwun jumped back. They all looked at Manabozho as he lifted his head, grimacing and holding a hand to it as if his skull were about to fall apart. He carefully pushed himself up, letting out a pained noise and rubbing at where the big man had struck him; then he blinked his eyes open and saw the others gathered around him. He blinked a few more times, then his eyes widened. He turned to look at the Sky Tree, having to crane his neck to see up into its branches. Then he looked at the others again.
"What's going on--?" he exclaimed.
Charmian took a step toward him. "You don't remember--?"
He blinked. "Remember--?" He fell silent for a moment or two, as if thinking; then his feathers bristled and without a word he shot up toward the branches. X'aaru yelped and jumped away, the others following suit; but Manabozho was already out of sight, the leaves rustling overhead. Charmian furrowed her brow.
"How did he do that...?"
Niskigwun gestured. "We must go up and speak with Geezhigo-Quae! If this man is attacking Islanders now, she should hear of it!"
As well as about what other things he has in mind... Charmian thought, yet didn't speak this thought aloud. She held out her arms and Niskigwun grasped hold of them, flapping his wings and soaring upward. Mani evaporated into water and slithered up the trunk of the Tree; Pakwa caught hold of Thomas, who let out a yell before being dragged upward. Moon Wolf climbed atop X'aaru, who flapped his own wings and rose clumsily; Augwak sat on the ground blinking up at them, before sucking in a breath and then hastening to follow. "WAIT FOR ME!!"
One by one they alit upon the high branches and made their way toward the entryway into the trunk, and then down the hallway toward the main room of the Tree; every so often they passed a Michinimakinong, but the Turtle Fairies did nothing but glance at them as they passed, as if sensing their tension. Everyone started to slow down to let Charmian take the lead; as soon as she noticed where she was, she blushed a little, but kept walking. She supposed she was in a better position to try to explain the situation than any of them were.
They came into a familiar hallway, and Charmian looked up in the direction of the doorway to the balcony room; she saw Manabozho pacing there, and he lifted his head to look at her as she came. She hated the look in his eyes and had to avert her own, holding up a hand toward the entryway. The door opened and vanished and she stepped over the threshold.
Geezhigo-Quae stood at her customary spot near the balcony, but she was already turned around and facing them. The look on her face made Charmian feel anxious all over again. She nodded and gestured them forward when they hesitated; Charmian took a few steps forward before stopping and noticing that she was the only one who had approached. She felt her ears burn, then stepped forward again. This time Niskigwun accompanied her, and she tried to relax a little.
"I was told there have been some developments," Geezhigo-Quae said.
Is that an understatement, Charmian thought, then berated herself when she noticed the manitou woman's ear flick; had she heard that? She tried to brush off her embarrassment. "I tried to find everybody who's had some kind of...encounter...with something that's trying to reach the Island," she said, not sure how else to put it; Geezhigo-Quae lifted her head and looked over each of the others in turn. "X'aaru and Khiieta and the others in the caves and lake have been finding cracks and openings, and the manitous are nervous, and there's a strange smell in the air," she said. "Pakwa said he saw something in the lake, like what I saw on the mainland--something with horns. You already know about Augwak..." She glanced back at the other GeeBee, who scrunched in on himself, looking utterly miserable just to be there. "And...well..."
She noticed that Geezhigo-Quae no longer even looked at her; she was staring at Manabozho. "Something has occurred," she said, and Charmian frowned, looking back at Manabozho herself. He was staring at Geezhigo-Quae in return; as soon as he was noticed, he took a step forward.
"Turtle," was all that he could get out, his voice as awful as the look on his face.
Geezhigo-Quae's ears flicked and she looked at Charmian so sharply that Charmian flinched. "Something occurred on the East Bluff," she said, her voice as sharp as her expression. "But the Sky Tree would not let me see it. Something obscured the view. What happened?"
"The big guy who attacked Augwak," Charmian somehow managed to answer. "He showed up again. Twice! The first time he surprised Mani and me--but didn't do much else--"
"I saw the two of you upon the bluff yet I saw nothing else," Geezhigo-Quae said in a distressed voice.
Charmian bit her lip hard enough to hurt. "All he did was say he was looking for someone," she said. "We went back to see the others and he showed up again. He--he said he was looking for the West Wind--and when we said we didn't know where he is--he..." She trailed off and cast Manabozho a look which plainly said that she hoped he could forgive her, but he didn't meet her eyes in return.
"He took the girl...?" Geezhigo-Quae filled in; when Charmian nodded her eyes grew even more troubled. "He did not give his name?"
Charmian shook her head. "I--I never got to ask him," she stammered, feeling suddenly stupid--why hadn't she thought of that, either? "But he was just like Augwak described him--big and tall--all muscles--and wearing all sorts of beads and claws..." She trailed off, then her face lit up. "He had tattoos! A seashell, and a feather. And he wore a big Megis-type shell too."
She was glad that she had nothing more to say, for Geezhigo-Quae's face went such a shade that she was sure the old woman was ready to pass out. Niskigwun must have seen it as well--not that it was easy to miss--as he gasped and hurried forward, grasping hold of her arm just as she started to sway. Charmian noticed the others tense though they refrained from rushing toward her; she stepped forward instead, taking Geezhigo-Quae's other arm. "What--what is it?" she exclaimed. "Is it that bad? I just thought he was some crazy guy--!"
"Grandmother--?" Niskigwun asked, anxiety on his face. "Are you all right--?"
"I..." Geezhigo-Quae's voice came faint. "I believe I should sit down."
Niskigwun glanced around, then met Charmian's eyes and nodded toward the side of the room. Charmian saw a part of the wall projecting out into a kind of seat, almost like the small trunk of a tree; they guided Geezhigo-Quae toward this and set her down. She put a hand to her head and rubbed it, her wings drooping behind her.
"Grandmother...?" Niskigwun echoed himself.
"This man," Geezhigo-Quae murmured. "He did not say his name."
Charmian shook her head. "I forgot to ask him." Her brow furrowed. "You know him...?"
Geezhigo-Quae lowered her hand without responding. She stared across the room for a moment before lifting her head a little to look toward the balcony, as if something stood there; she stared for so long that the others peered in that direction as well, yet all that they saw was the darkening sky.
"He seeks Kabeyun," Geezhigo-Quae said, drawing their attention back. "This is his true goal?"
"Well...that," Charmian said a bit meekly, "and destroying the Island." She felt the muscles of Geezhigo-Quae's arm tense and her brow furrowed again. She looked into the old woman's face and saw the way that her eyes glowed. "You do know him," she said, and the others looked at each other a bit anxiously before turning toward them again.
"I have not heard of him in ages," Geezhigo-Quae said at last. "I had thought he was gone forever. That when Kabeyun defeated him, he would never return."
"Defeated--?" Charmian stood up straight. "He said Kabeyun had beaten him in the past, and he wouldn't let that happen again. This is like with Chakenapok, isn't it--? Some crazy guy from Manabozho's past--?"
"It is considerably more than this," Geezhigo-Quae replied. She lifted her head and stared at the balcony pensively. "Kabeyun defeated him. On my orders."
"Your orders--?" The words came out before Charmian could stop them; she would have clapped a hand over her mouth, had it not been so obvious. Geezhigo-Quae didn't seem to notice; she put a hand against the wall and pushed herself up to her feet. Niskigwun looked as if he wanted to tell her to sit, yet bit his lip and merely hovered at her side in case she should fall. She took a few tentative steps toward the balcony before halting, wings quivering.
"You saw the shell and the feather upon him," she said. "This is his name. His name is Megissogwun. The Pearl Feather."
"Pearl Feather...?" Charmian turned the words over in her mind. It made sense, when she thought of it; Megis for the shell, and his name ended the same way as Niskigwun's, and his name meant Ruffled Feathers. She took a step forward. "What's his story with Kabeyun? Why would you have Kabeyun fight him?"
"It was for the safety of the Island," Geezhigo-Quae said. "He has tried such things before. I was not strong enough to subdue him on my own, so I asked the Winds to assist me. Every one of them fought him, but it was Kabeyun who defeated him. He was the only one strong enough, out of all the manitous."
"So Megissogwun can only be defeated by the West Wind?" Charmian asked.
Geezhigo-Quae's wings quivered again. "As far as I know, this is so. Even the North Wind could not defeat him, and until then, I had thought that he was the most powerful manitou."
"But this doesn't make sense," Charmian said, and this time even Geezhigo-Quae turned her head to look at her. Charmian frowned, confused. "You said you called Kabeyun to fight him after he'd already tried attacking the Island. That means that it was the Island he was originally after. So this isn't about Kabeyun at all. What did Megissogwun have against the Island?"
Geezhigo-Quae stared at her for a moment before her ears quivered, just like her wings. "You recall that this is not the original Manitou Island," she said, and Charmian frowned a bit more before nodding.
"Yeah, I remember...Manabozho said that you created it again after it was destroyed in a flood. That you used just a little bit of dirt to do it."
Geezhigo-Quae stared at her in silence for a moment or two. When she spoke, her voice was still almost as soft as a whisper, yet everyone in the room heard it.
"I did not call Kabeyun with the fear that Megissogwun would destroy the Island," she said. "I called him because I knew he would destroy it, if given the chance. Megissogwun is the one who destroyed the first Manitou Island."
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