Opposites Attract, Likes Repel
"THE WEST WIND IS MY MORTAL ENEMY!" Wisakedjak roared, the pine trees in the enclosure swaying in a sudden gust that seemed to emanate from him. "ANYONE WHO SEEKS HIS ASSISTANCE IS THUS MY MORTAL ENEMY TOO!!"
"What--what the hell--?!" Charmian cried, but that was all that she got to ask before Wisakedjak hurled his hands forward and a gale of wind soared right at them.
She didn't even think of trying to counter the attack, as he was a manitou and likely much stronger--so she did the next-best thing--and threw her arms over her head. She just barely saw Singing Cedars do the same, when another gust of wind buffeted them from behind and they nearly fell over. When she glanced up, Wisakedjak was stumbling backwards and shielding his own head from what she could only assume was Manabozho's attack. The look that Wisakedjak got was livid; as soon as he regained his balance, he threw up his hands again, teeth bared, but Charmian waved her arms before he could hurl another gust of wind.
"WAIT--!!"
Too late; Singing Cedars grabbed her arm and yanked her out of the way. The wind blasted against Manabozho and the two of them watched as the other two kept attacking, one after the other now. After a moment of this Charmian began to suspect that this might be more for show than anything else, seeing as they kept taking turns, and neither seemed able to beat the other; she relaxed a little, then frowned, then started to scowl. After another few moments she pulled away from Singing Cedars, took a few steps forward, and held up both hands out at her sides. "Wind!" Then both Manabozho and Wisakedjak let out an "Oof!" of pain when the little spouts of wind knocked them on the chins and nearly knocked them over. Manabozho gave her a quite aggrieved look but Wisakedjak's expression was something else entirely.
"HOW DARE YOU!!" he screamed.
"We're looking for the West Wind!" Charmian said again.
He clenched his fists. "I heard that! And in case YOU didn't hear, anyone seeking his assistance is MY enemy as well!"
Charmian's own fists tightened. "We're looking for him so we can STOP A FLOOD!!"
Silence. Wisakedjak had been raising his hands to attack again--but now he lowered them a fraction, giving her a surprised look. He blinked once or twice, then his brow furrowed. "Flood--?" he echoed at last, and lowered his hands completely. "What are you talking about...?"
"The Island where we came from," Charmian said. "It's going to be destroyed, probably in a flood, if we don't find the West Wind SOON! I'm sorry that he's your mortal enemy and all but we're not exactly friends with him either and we REALLY need to find him! It's the only way to save the Island!"
"Flood?" Wisakedjak said again, as if he hadn't even heard her. His tensed muscles relaxed and he gave her a strange look. "But...didn't that already happen?"
Now Charmian was the one to blink a few times. "A long time ago," she said, a bit of hope dawning that at last she was getting through to him. "This Island is the second Island. The same manitou who destroyed it the first time is trying to do it again. His name--"
"Shell-Feather," Wisakedjak said, and Charmian had to pause to regather herself before replying.
"Um...yeah...only where we come from, we call him the Pearl Feather," she said, feeling a little unnerved. "You've heard of him here, then...?"
"Heard--? Of COURSE I've heard of him!" Wisakedjak quickly shook off his obvious confusion and drew himself up to his full height--which was exactly the same as Manabozho's. "The Shell-Feather is my mortal enemy!"
"I thought you said the West Wind was your mortal enemy," Singing Cedars said with a frown.
Wisakedjak gave him an evil look. "I can have more than ONE mortal enemy! Especially with my standing, and all!" He turned back to Charmian. "In fact, I had vowed that I would take this awful manitou on myself, as soon as I'm done with my present duties, which are quite pressing and at the moment demand my entire attention!"
"What duties are those...?" Charmian asked, genuinely curious.
Wisakedjak blushed. "V--very important duties! You doubt me--?"
"Oh, I get it," Manabozho groused. "You mean sitting around doing NOTHING!"
The other manitou seethed. "No, I DON'T mean sitting around doing NOTHING! As it so happens, I made it my duty to seek out the West Wind MYSELF and face him down! THIS is my current duty--what currently keeps me from fighting this bothersome Shell-Feather!"
"You mean you're at war with the West Wind--?" Charmian asked, confused.
Wisakedjak nodded, as if this were something to be quite proud of. "I certainly am. I will not rest until he is taken care of for good!"
"So what is it that you're doing now--?" Manabozho started to retort, but Charmian cut him off.
"If you're at war with him then maybe you can tell us where he is!" she exclaimed. "Since we're looking for him!"
Wisakedjak narrowed his eyes at her. "And how do I know that YOU three won't go stealing all my glory...?"
Manabozho opened his mouth very wide. "Easy," Charmian cut in. "We're nowhere near as strong as you."
Manabozho's mouth shut with a click and he gave her the most vicious look imaginable. Wisakedjak had opened his mouth as well, obviously expecting some sort of argument; when he didn't get one, he blinked, then untensed. "Oh," he said, and blushed a little before coughing. "Well...of course! Silly of me, to worry that someone else might consider themselves capable of such a thing..." He straightened out his clothes. "Unfortunately...I cannot tell you where he is. It turns out that I'm not certain where to find him."
"What?" Charmian, Manabozho, and Singing Cedars all blurted out at once, making him jump. "What do you MEAN you don't know where he is?" Charmian cried. "You just said you're at WAR with him!"
"Well that doesn't mean in PERSON!" Wisakedjak protested. "One can fight a war from afar, you know!"
Charmian pulled at her hair. "NO THEY CAN'T!"
He clenched his fists. "YES THEY CAN! Haven't you heard of medicine? I've been throwing bad medicine at him for ages now...the thing is...I have no clue if any of it is actually reaching him!" He made a face as if embarrassed and rubbed at his head. "I realize it's a horrid waste...but just like you three I've looked and I can't exactly find him either. Hey!" He clasped his hands together. "Perhaps if you find him you could point him out to me--?"
Now Singing Cedars had to step in before Charmian could lose it. "Maybe you could help us in another way," he said, clasping her arm to hold her back. "We've been told to head west until we reach the great plain, but a river has appeared and we have no way to cross it as we are."
"Oh. The river," Wisakedjak said, and smoothed himself down again. "Yes, that rather keeps a lot of people preoccupied. I've had many hours of amusement simply watching people trying to get across that thing."
"Do you know a way across?" Singing Cedars asked.
"No," Wisakedjak replied.
Charmian yanked her arm away from Singing Cedars and whirled away. "Thanks for your time!" she snapped, heading for the entry out of the rock face.
"I know a way under it," Wisakedjak added.
Charmian halted and turned back to face him. He gave her the exact same look that she felt Manabozho would be giving, if he'd been the one with the information; and that just made her want to smack him atop the head. She forced herself to take a breath and let it out, and walked back toward him, biting hard on the inside of her mouth to keep the scowl from her face. Wisakedjak, for his part, just crossed his arms and looked quite smug.
"Under the river...?" Charmian echoed. "You mean like a tunnel?"
He rolled his eyes. "No, I mean like I go out and use a stick to prop the river up a bit, and then everybody crawls under it." He waved his arms. "Of COURSE I mean a tunnel! How else does one get under a river--?"
"We can't use any Weaver tunnels here," Charmian snapped. "We have to stay in THIS land and this land only else we might end up getting lost!"
"Who said anything about Weavers?" Wisakedjak retorted. "As far as I know no spiders ever used this tunnel. It's too far under the water. It used to be flooded."
"Flooded--?" Charmian echoed him.
"Yes," Wisakedjak said, "but I emptied the water out and it's dry now. For the most part." He kept talking before she could ask what that meant. "It's just a regular old tunnel. I like to use it now and then to get a laugh when silly people like you three can't find the way across."
"Could you point it out to us, then?" Charmian said, and forced herself to add, "Please?"
Wisakedjak pursed his lips. "I don't know...you three have been rather rude since you barged into my lodge..."
The blood surged up in Charmian's face. Manabozho stomped forward and halted so that he and Wisakedjak were nose to nose, and immediately both of them struck the same pose, looking like mirror images of each other. "THE NERVE OF YOU!" he fumed. "Turning us down and mocking us when we deign to offer TOBACCO. The only reason we're here is for a GOOD reason! You say you're fighting this Pearl Feather? This is our goal too! At the rate YOU'RE going it's NEVER going to get done!"
"As if I should let you steal THAT victory from me, too!" Wisakedjak snapped. "I should have known that's what this is all about! Some pale mimic like yourself thinks to take my glory away from me--? Unlikely!"
"This isn't about GLORY, stupid!"
"Likely story! First you want to find the West Wind and now you want to take the Shell-Feather away from me too! Well I'll hardly allow it!"
Manabozho flung his arms around. "YOU CAN HAVE THE DAMNED WEST WIND IF YOU JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!"
His voice echoed off of the little pines standing in the enclosure. Charmian's eyes shifted sideways to see just how wide Singing Cedars's were, and she was certain that hers looked the same. Wisakedjak gawked at Manabozho for an awkward moment, then got a strange look on his face. Charmian felt her arms tense, ready to hurl a fireball if need be.
Wisakedjak leaned toward Manabozho, feathers pricking. "You hate the West Wind too--?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.
Manabozho blinked, then suddenly deflated. "Huh--?" he said stupidly.
Wisakedjak spread out his arms. "I've been after him for so many moons I can't even count anymore! Anything to get him to own up to his wrongs. And he never shows his face. Not even once! For such a powerful manitou you would think he would have the time to do this one little thing, would you not? But no matter how hard I go after him he never bothers to show up and accept the challenge!"
Manabozho stared at him for a moment, eyes wide and mouth open, then narrowed the former slightly. "Hold on. Why is it that you're fighting the West Wind, anyway--? What sort of business do you have with him--?"
"Easy," Wisakedjak said with a snort, crossing his arms. "He abandoned my mother and me!"
Charmian almost heard everyone's jaws hit the ground.
"WHAT?" Manabozho yelled, the deadfall quaking. He took a step toward Wisakedjak so that they were nose to nose again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? That can't be TRUE!"
Wisakedjak started to puff up again. "Do you call me a LIAR--?"
"YES I call you a liar!" Manabozho shouted. "Because that's what he did to ME!!"
A long silence commenced, and the two of them just stood and stared at each other as if they'd just turned polka dotted.
"But..." Wisakedjak rubbed his head. "That can't be right! I don't have any brothers!"
"I have four brothers," Manabozho said, "and none of them are named Wisakedjak!"
"Hold on a minute!" Charmian said, rubbing at her own head; this situation was quickly giving her a headache. They both looked at her. "Let me get this straight...you say the West Wind is your father and he bailed out on your mother and you?"
Wisakedjak nodded vehemently. "At least, that's what I was told, by--"
"Grandmother," he and Manabozho both said at once, and then gawked at each other. They pointed at each other and started talking at the same time.
"I fought a giant sturgeon!"
"I turned into a tree!"
"My favorite birds were all painted!!"
They both drew their hands back and started chewing on their fingernails, looking quite affrighted. "How did we do all the same things?!" Wisakedjak cried. "The West Wind was MY father, not YOURS!"
"He's MINE, not YOURS!" Manabozho exclaimed. He turned to Charmian at the same time that Wisakedjak did. "Tell him!!" they both wailed.
"This is getting strange," Singing Cedars said.
"Okay, okay--calm down!" Charmian exclaimed. "I'm sure there's a reasonable...well...sort of...well...okay, just an explanation." She lowered her hands. "'Bozho! Remember Kabebonikka's mountains. We were told that they exist SOMEWHERE, but not EVERYWHERE. That's why we didn't want to take another Weaver tunnel, because what if we end up in the wrong land where there ARE no mountains--?"
"Yes, I remember!" Manabozho snapped. "What's that have to do with THIS?"
"I think maybe it's the same thing! Sort of." She winced. "Somehow in this land it's not you who's the hero, it's him." And she pointed at Wisakedjak.
Wisakedjak let out a huge sigh. "Thank GOODNESS! I was getting worried!"
"HOLD ON!" Manabozho roared. "I'm the hero EVERYWHERE! Hasn't anybody told you that--?"
"You're not the hero in the east," Charmian retorted. "Glooskap's the hero way over there. I think it's the same here! Francois said the two of you are a lot alike, and take a look, you are! You're like the twin brother who...never...tried to kill him and destroy the Island," she said, confused.
"You mean--where you come from, I don't exist?" Wisakedjak said, brow furrowing. "But how can that be--?"
"Charmian! You mean I don't exist here?" Manabozho cried.
"It's not as bad as it sounds! Believe me!" Charmian said, clapping her hands over her ears. "There are all sorts of people who don't even know about you guys. I didn't even know about either of you until not that long ago! That doesn't mean you're any less real." She waved her hands. "But there's no time for all of that! What we really wanted to know was how to cross the river--and you said there's a tunnel?" She looked to Wisakedjak. "Could you please show it to us--?"
He started gnawing on his lip. "What do you plan on doing once you do reach the West Wind?" he asked. "Because I really do have a score to settle with him!"
"I don't even know if this is the same West Wind you're looking for," Charmian admitted. "But if he is, trust me, we're not going to fight him. We just want to ask him to come back east with us to help defeat the Pearl Feather."
"My OTHER mission!" Wisakedjak exclaimed, fists clenching.
"If we beat him, we'll give you some of the credit," Charmian said, exasperated.
"HEY!" Manabozho yelled.
Wisakedjak bit his lip again. "Why should I give you any of the glory...?" he persisted, though she could tell that he was wavering.
"Because he's about to destroy the place where we come from," Charmian explained once more, trying to hold in her temper. "I realize things seem to be different here, but it's really important! And besides--you do want to be known as a hero EVERYWHERE, right--?"
Wisakedjak blinked. "Oh. Right." He paused thoughtfully, then pointed at the far end of the deadfall lodge. "All right then...but only if you give me some of the credit! The nearer end of the tunnel is right over there, in the back of my lodge. There are no side tunnels because I blocked them all off. It leads right to the other side of the river. But it's a long walk and you'll get dirty."
Do I even look like I CARE about that...? Charmian thought, but decided not to say it aloud. "Thank you," she said, and nudged at Manabozho to say the same, though all that he did was scowl. "Is there anything we should know about this tunnel...?" she asked, just in case.
Wisakedjak pursed his lips thoughtfully. "No, not that I'm aware of. Just a regular old tunnel. You three are the only ones going, then--?"
"Actually, no," Charmian said. "There's a bunch more of us waiting at the river, so I hope you don't mind if we fetch them to come along. I promise we won't ruin your nice...um...lodge," she said, peering up at the fallen-timber ceiling.
Wisakedjak stood up straight. "I built it myself! Isn't it ingenious? NOBODY ever thinks to look for a manitou inside a deadfall! Well...until you three came along." He got a sour look, then waved it off. "But anyway. I suppose I could be kind enough to let your friends through...if they all show the proper deference...and that includes these two here..."
Singing Cedars just blinked but Manabozho started looking ready to murder someone. "Sure they will," Charmian said, glaring at them both. Singing Cedars blushed a bit but bobbed his head deferentially. "Manabozho...?" Charmian pressed; he gave her a look that was absolutely livid, but she met his eyes and didn't break the stare, her own boring right through him. He began to squirm after a moment.
"Fine!" he snapped at last. "PLEASE let us go through your tunnel!"
Wisakedjak looked skyward as if in thought. "Hmmm...that doesn't sound nearly sincere enough..."
"Time out," Charmian said quickly, stepping forward before Manabozho could begin committing homicide. She waved at Wisakedjak and he frowned but accompanied her to the nearest pine tree. "Look," she whispered. "I know he's kind of pissy, but honestly, I'm surprised I even got him to say that much. This is even more important to him than to us because the Pearl...um...Shell-Feather took his daughter, and--"
"Why didn't you SAY that?" Wisakedjak suddenly exclaimed, his voice echoing. He whirled away from her and went stomping back toward Manabozho, who promptly lost his infuriated look as soon as Wisakedjak grabbed him by the arms. "We must forget our rivalry!" he exclaimed, in the kind of voice that made it seem like he felt he had an audience of thousands. "There are greater things at stake than our pride! We are BROTHERS in our fight against the hideous Shell-Feather!"
"We are--?" Manabozho blurted out.
"Of COURSE!" Wisakedjak clamped his arm firmly around Manabozho's shoulders and gestured at their invisible audience; Charmian and Singing Cedars both peered into the back of the enclosure, just to make sure they were alone. "I admit--I've longed for the day when I could bring this vile creature down--but my quest was about nothing more than pride. You have something much greater in mind--BLOOD!" He let go of Manabozho so abruptly that he nearly fell over. "I ask only one thing of you, Brother, and that's that, as soon as you kill this manitou, you shout your victory out loudly enough that it can be heard even in this land, and I will proclaim the victory as well--we will both proclaim our victory far and wide over this menace to the world!"
Manabozho's brow furrowed. "But--if I defeat him, then how come you get--" Charmian elbowed him and he cut off coughing. Wisakedjak apparently didn't notice, as he just turned back to face them, still gesticulating wildly.
"Then might the world know not to ever cross the manitous WISAKEDJAK and...er..." He trailed off, then rubbed his head. "I'm sorry...what was your name again...?"
Manabozho's eyes goggled, then the blood began surging up into his face. "Manabozho will do!" Charmian said hastily, grabbing his arm and hauling him toward the stone formation. "Thanks a bunch! I really mean it! We'll be back and out of your hair pretty soon, promise!"
"Oh. All right." Wisakedjak gave a halfhearted wave as they went to the entrance. "Be careful with that rock, it seems to have an attitude problem!"
"The NERVE!" Manabozho fumed as they made their way back through the woods toward the river. "All of those other insults and offenses I can easily withstand--for I realize he's just an ASS who clearly can't think right--but forgetting my name? I remembered HIS! And what sort of a name it is! WISAKEDJAK! What sort of tongue-twisting asinine name is that--?"
Like "Manabozho" is any better--? "Let's just gather the others and get this over with," Charmian sighed. "We still have to face him at least two more times--so it pays to smile and be nice just a little bit longer! Remember, we're in his neighborhood, so of course he's going to bluster around a little. I mean, you would do the same thing if he came to visit you."
"Thank Gitchi that THAT will never happen..." Manabozho muttered, but left it at that. Singing Cedars gave Charmian a sympathetic shrug and she sighed again.
The others back at the river--including Kenu now, who, having grown bored with flying, had returned to join the greater group and see what was going on--were understandably relieved to hear of the shortcut they could take, and turned to head north into the woods. There was a slight delay at the stone formation when first Peepaukawiss, then Augwak, touched the stone and vanished from sight, then of course Marten and Remy and Winter Born just had to do it too, simply to see what would happen, and the others had to wait until everyone had reappeared intact before heading inside. Niskigwun did have the sense of mind to grab up Marten before he could touch the stone again just for fun.
Charmian was relieved that the presence of Wisakedjak appeared to awe them somewhat, as the half-manitou stood with his arms crossed and his head raised proudly while they made their way through his deadfall lodge and to the tunnel pointed out in the back. Charmian stood and watched as the others all began climbing down into it and disappearing from sight, and turned to wave at Wisakedjak as the lodge emptied out.
"Thanks again," she said gratefully. "I'm sorry about all the trouble, but I promise we'll be more careful on the way back."
"It's no bother. Well...not too much bother," he replied haughtily. "Just make certain you truly defeat that Shell-Feather once and for all--honestly, I had no CLUE how I was going to do him in on my own!"
Charmian fought not to roll her eyes. "Well, at least that's no longer a problem." She turned to the tunnel and put her foot in it. "Don't worry. Hopefully once we find Kabeyun there'll be no more Megissogwun or Mishupishus to worry about anymore." And she jumped down into the tunnel.
"Of course," Wisakedjak said, nose still in the air. Then he lowered his head and blinked. "Wait a minute--Mishupishus--?" He whirled to look at the tunnel, then dashed toward it and dropped to his hands and knees, sticking his head down in it.
"HEY! You didn't say anything about MISHUPISHUS!!"
The word Mishupishus echoed far down into the tunnel, but nothing came back along with it. Wisakedjak stayed bent over at an uncomfortable angle, ears straining to hear any response, yet none came. When at last he pulled his head out he started gnawing on his fingernails like crazy, looking quite rattled.
"She didn't say anything about Mishupishus!" he cried. "That's a whole other story!!" And he got up and began pacing around the tunnel hole in circles, not quite certain what to do.
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