Hey guys and gals! We have a winner for the school name contest. SKYMUSHROOM!!! I got the idea for the school name from you! Author's note Uyotsvhi is pronounced ooh yoh juh he. Thanks again for reading. Finally the fun begins. As usual read, vote comment, and tell your friends. Without further delay, Falcon Feathers chapter seventeen is. a. GO!
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Chapter 17
A Journey of a Thousand miles
Moses' POV
The final bell rang and everyone began to shuffle out of class. I got up from my desk and grabbed my bag. Once I was in the hallway I took a quick walk down to the bottom floor of the main building where the library and archives were. I asked the librarian where the reference section was, and she got up and walked me towards the back. I quietly thanked her and began looking along the walls of books. Once she was gone I stopped looking at the books and started walking towards the door at the end of the the row. The archives, tucked away in a humble corner in the bowels of the expansive library. Most people never come here least of all students. I tried the door and found that it was locked. Since there was no window in the wooden door for me to look through like most other doors on campus I ended my tour and began to walk back to the front of the library making a mental picture everything in my head.
"Did you find what you were looking for sweetie?" The old librarian asked.
"Yes ma'am I found exactly what I needed" I replied.
"Well you know you can't check out reference books, but you are free to come back anytime and browse the books again" she said with a smile.
I thanked her and smiled back. Quietly I left the library and headed up the stairs to the main floor. Quickly I walked to the guild building. Once there I headed up to my room to finish packing. The last thing I put in my bag were my fighting gloves. As I zipped up my bag, I looked at the photo of the six of us that I had framed and put on my nightstand. I unzipped the bag and picked up the photo. I held it in my hands for a while and gazed at it silent reverie. (We had alot of good times since we got here, but still I feel empty.)
Once again, I saw the lights flash before my eyes. They were as bright as they had been back then. The night was just as dark. Despite being inside my room I felt the cold. The chill of winter. I closed my eyes. When I opened them I was outside on a lone hill overlooking a small town. I kept my gloved hands in my pockets as I gazed up at the stars. I was ten years old again. I was sitting down with a full-grown female grizzly bear laying down beside me. I sat with my back against her side as we looked up at the night sky. In our small town in up-state New York far from the city lights, the skies were free of the light pollution that the Big Apple suffers from. We sat there for an hour and a half before the cold got the better of me. Although I was laying next to giant furry mountain, the snow that blanketed the ground still sent its icy tendrils crawling up my body.
"Come little one, it's time for you to get to bed" Ursa said picking me up off of the ground as she rose herself.
"But I'm not tired" I protested as I began to yawn.
"Of course not" she said and laughed her great thunderous laugh. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and began running down the hill skipping across the street whenever I came to it as I got closer to my house. Once again I came to the woods that surrounded my neighborhood. I carfully picked my way along the path that let out on the main road at the front of my complex as I had a thousand times before. As I had a thousand times before I walked around the bend in the road and onto the one way bridge that lead into the back of my neighborhood. Because of my fatigue I failed to notice the SUV coming around the bend in the road. I was halfway across the bridge when I noticed the headlights. Once again I turned and to my horror saw the vehicle speeding towards me. I jumped and waved my hands to get the driver to stop. The car kept coming. I figured the driver either couldn't see me in the darkness or was drunk. I later found the latter to be true. Once again the adrenaline coursed through my veins propelling my legs faster tha ever before. The car came closer and closer. I was only a few meters away from the end of the bridge. I was fast, but the car was faster. It was so close now that I could hear the engine and feel its heat. I knew I couldn't outrun the car and my legs slowed. In one hellish instant I looked up and saw the earth and sky engaging in a mad swirling waltz and I sailed through the air, pushed by an unknown force. I felt the air surge out of my body leaving me weak and breathless. When I looked up from where I had landed on the ground, I saw that the car had crashed into a large dark mass. The mass shuddered.
Once again I got up and stumbled over to the furry lump that lay at the front of the wreckage. I collapsed to my knees scraping them on the pavement. I would feel the throbbing in my knees later once I could get over the shock. Ursa lifted her head up into my lap as her last breaths were choked out of her. As I held her I layed my head on top of hears and sobbed into her fur.
"Don't cry little one" she said. Her chest ceased its rising and faling. Her heart stopped its rythmic beat. I tried to stop them, but the tears kept streaming down my face. And they kept coming long after her body faded away into nothingness. I kept crying long after I heard the sirens, and long after I was safe in the arms of my Aunt and Uncle.
The last of my tears fell onto the small stone I had stood up to mark where I had buried her totem on the lone hill where we watched the stars together for so many years. I blinked at the sunrise and faced away from the grave. Never again would I allow myself to be weak. Never again will I shed a tear. I stopped and took another look at my lifelong friend. I felt a burning in my eyes before I closed them.
When I opened them I was laying on my bead back at the guild. I got up and checked the time. it was 10:15 it was time to go. I zipped the bag and placed the photo face down on the nightstand. ( I'm going to bring you back Ursa, and nothing is going to stop me.) I closed the door behind me. I crept down the hallway and met Lance outside the front door.
"Ready?" he asked. I nodded and we left to go meet the others at the main building.
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Derek's POV
I crouched on my rocky perch outside my room. I dug my talons in as I watched Moses and Lance leave the building. (Ok so you were right about hearing Lance sneak out into the hallway, but that doesn't mean that they are up to something. Well besides breaking curfew anyways. Besides they'll probably get caught by the one of the treants or the golems so why do we have to do anything?) FIRST OF ALL OF COURSE THEY ARE UP TO SOMETHING. AND SECOND OF ALL YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR FRIENDS. (Fine. I'll tail them and see what they are up to.)
I launched my self into the air and let myself be carried up on the breeze. Staying as high up as I could without loosng sight of them in the darkness I followed them across the fields towards the main building. (What do they want at the main building?) As I flew closer I could make out the forms of five other people.
I circled around near the top of the building while I waited to see what happened next. Once they went inside, I quietly landed on the ground. Quietly I opened the door and slipped in. I heard the faint sound of footsteps and followed them down the hallway to my left. When I reached the end of the hallway, I peeked around the corner and listened again for the footseps and the base of the staircase. When I could no longer hear them I crept silently down the stairs to the bottom floor. The lights were out except for in the library. I crouched down low to the floor and stole swiftly over to the library's door frame. I stayed crouched with my back against the wall listening.
"What are you-" the librarian began before I heard a soft thud. I waited for a few moments before I peered around the corner. There was no sign of anyone save for the librarian with her head laying face down on her desk. I quickly walked up to her and checked her pulse. She was alive, just unconscious. I crept quietly out of the circle of light provided by her lamp, and ventured into the darkness of the rows of books. I crept soundlessly as I listened for any noise that might give an indication of where they had gone.
My search took me to the back row. Looking to my right I saw a door at the end of the row. I crept to the edge of the open doorway and looked into the gloom. (Great, more stairs.) Quietly, I tiptioed down the spiraling staircase. At the bottom there were tow large oaken doors encased in a wall of stone. On the otherside of the now open doors I could see torches lit inside the large room. I stepped inside the doors and looked around the large gallery of dust covered artifacts. I gazed at the opposite end of the room where the group that I followed here assembled.
"It seems that we have a guest" Lance said as he turned to face me. The rest of his group followed suit.
"What are you up to?" I asked furrowing my brows at him.
"Well if you must know we are in the process of stealing a very important artifact before you showed up" he said.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked taking a step forward.
"Because I'm going to take my revenge on the world. Er, sorry about that. We are going to take our revenge on the world" he said gesturing to the chained totem hanging around his neck. "Moses if you would be so kind as to take the totem so we can be on our way."
Moses smashed the glass casing around the pedestal. Before he could grab it I summoned blades of condensed air and fired a salvo at them.
"Blaine" Lance said irked. A boy stepped forward and threw his arms out sending a crushing wave of force to destroy my blades sending me flying against the wall. I got up and dusted myself off. I shot a large blast of air at them followed by a small stream aimed at Lance. Blaine blocked the blast but my second shot grazed Lance's leg.
"Enough" Lance said visibly irritated. "It's time to go now."
"Wait!" I yelled. I ran forward but Lance had opened a portal and they were already leaving. Moses was the last to leave. He was about to step into the portal and be gone with the rest of them. I covered my hand in a twister and aimed it at his face. At point blank range he knocked swatted my attack away and grabbed my face in his hand raising me off the ground.
"I can feel her" he said his other hand clenching the chained totem.
"Moses!" I said. He tightened his grip and brought my face close to his.
"Who's weak now?" he asked and hurled me through a row of artifacts and into the wall. I fell to the floor and stumbled towards the ever closing portal. I reached at the fading aura of magic. I collapsed to the ground and groped the floor. My right hand closed around a folded piece of paper just as I fell out of consciousness.
When I awoke,I was in the infirmary. The curtain was drawn and I was laying on a hospital bed with white sheets. I looked out the window to see late morning sunlight. While I stared out the window a nurse came in.
"Oh good you're awake. If you're feeling better now the headmaster would like to see you immediately" she said and walked past the curtain and left the room. I got out of the bed and noted that I was still wearing the clothes that I had passed out in. I looked at the bedside table and saw the folded piece of paper that I had grabbed before I got here. I put it in my pocket and headed up the stairs to the headmaster's office. After crossing the long doorless hallway I stopped infront of the door. (I wonder what this is about.) I opened the door to find Akita sitting in one of the chairs at infront of the headmaster's desk.
"Take a seat, Mr. Sky" the headmaster said still standing looking out the window. I obeyed and sat quietly down in my seat.
"Look I didn't-" I began.
"No one is accusing you of anything, Mr. Sky. I just have a few questions I would like to ask you" he said turning around. His expression was calm and appraising. "Last night an important artifact was stolen from the archives. You were there. The surveilance charms on the room recorded the visual that happened, but the audio was affected by the large ammounts of magical interference. What did the culprits say?"
"Lance, the boy who was leading the group and a close friend of mine, said that he was going to take thier revenge on the world."
"The group's revenge?" he said.
"That's just it, he was corrected himself and said 'we' refferring to himself and the chained totem around his neck" I said. At that they both look at me intently.
"Did you say chained totem?" headmaster asked.
"Yes."
"This is troubling. This is more serious that you can imagine" he said folding his hands togther and resting on his elbows.
"Actually, I believe I know fully well just how serious this is. I only saw it for a little while but every spirit master knows what the chained totems mean."
"The generals" Akita chimed in.
"I'm sure that the totem that Lance already possesed was Coyote's" I said and held my breathe gauging the headmaster's reaction.
"Your hypothesis is disturbing, but I fear you are correct" he replied.
"That said I would like to go after them and stop them before they can get the others" I said. The headmaster narrowed his eyes at me.
"This is a situation of the highest severity. And yet you seemed determined to stop him. Why?" he asked.
"Lance is my best friend. If he is planning something that endangers people, it is my duty to stop him" I replied.
"He is a dangerous fugitive; and he isn't alone" the headmaster said.
"I can vouch for Derek's fighting ability myself. He can handle himself in a warzone. He's my best." Akita beamed.
"It is true that he can handle himself against children brandishing toys, but these are ancient forces we are dealing with. If any of the totems are allowed to be released then there will be little that you can do about it" He said piercing me with his gaze.
"I'll stop them before that happens" I said firmly.
"You're confidence is infectious. You have my permission to go and pursue the fugitives. Be prepared to use lethal force if necessary. I will not tolerate failure."
"Thank you,sir" I said.
"I certainly hope that map of yours is accurate" the headmaster said. I gaped and felt my pocket. Reading my expression he said, "I stopped by the infirmary earlier."
"Oh." I said dumbly.
"I am allowing you to go on the premise that you prevent your friend's plan before it can continue."
"I understand."
"However due to the gravity of the situation, I am forced to notify the Ellysium Magistrates. Something this serious must be reported immediately. If I know them as well as I think, at the first word of this they will convene the council and undoubtedly they will release Uyotsvhi to erradicate the problem."
"Uyotsvhi? That means 'destruction'" I said.
"Indeed. Uyotsvhi is the ultimate magical weapon the council has. They only use it in the most dire of circumstances. The last time it was released we ended up with the grand canyon. In any case it should take them a while to decide on that. One week for me to travel to speak with the Magistrates in person. Two for them to come together to examine the evidence and decide on the best course of action. Assuming the worst, which will inevitably happen, they will decide upon releasing the Uyotsvhi. They will be careful in aiming it so as to prevent unnessasary loss of life. That should take about another week. Then it is released and it will commence in its orders to destroy all of the dissidents and anyone else who happens to be in the way."
"That gives me one month to stop Lance."
"Should you succeed, I will immediately notify the council" the headmaster said.
"Thank you." I said.
"But be warned Mr. Sky, I will not tarry in leaving to perform my duty. I suggest you do the same. You are dismissed."
Akita and I both left the office. Once we were in the hallway Akita clapped me on the shoulder.
"I'll have a portal ready outside of the guild ready for you in an hour" she said.
"You don't waste any time do you?" I asked.
"No, and neither should you" she said and trotted down the hall and down the stairs. I followed suit and left the building as quickly as I could. I flew at top speed to my room skipping over the door altogether. I gathered my clothes, watch, and bow and packed them in my bag. I took one last look at my room. (We probably won't be seeing this place for a while.) YEAH. (Let's go.) With Gagan perched on my shoulder I headed down the steps of the grand hall and walked to the door. I pushed open the door and saw my friends waiting on the grass infront of the building.
"What's going on?" I asked as I reached them.
"Akita filled us in on what was going on" Nala said.
"She also said that it was our choice on whether or not we follow you" Angel said.
"And she said it would be dangerous. So it sounds like fun" said Will.
"But-" I began.
"We only have a month to stop Moses, Lance and Zeke's gang and save the world before the Council sends in the big guns thusly blowing us to kingdom come" Joelle interrupted, " ya we got it".
"And you're sure you all want to do this?" I asked. They just dropped thier eyebrows and looked at me. "I figured it was worth a shot. Ok."
"Here comes Akita now with our transportation" Angel said. We all turned to look at Akita who approached with one of her generals.
"William if you please" Akita said nodding at the boy with glasses whom she came with. He nodded in return. He walked a few feet away and opened a large portal above us.
"Just tell him where you want to go" Akita said.
"Ok" I said getting out my map. All of the dots on the map were in America. They were all of one of three colors. The one where we were was green. There was another one that was glowing blue. The others were red. The blue one was over the grand canyon.
"Take us to grand canyon national park" I told William. He nodded and the portal started pulsing.
"Good luck to you all" Akita said backing away from us, "a word of advice: don't die."
"Thanks" I said. I looked around at my friends as we were lifted slowly off of the ground. I took one last look at the guild building and the trees around campus. Suddenly we picked up speed and were sucked up into the twisting energies of the portal. I kept my eyes looking up towards the exit. Behind us lay Elo Plane Academy in Colorado, before us was the Grand Canyon in Arizona.