Vindicator of Dreams Chapter 5

Chapter 5 — Forest Guardian

The band of unlikely companions led by Mask was anything but merry while trekking through the forest at the foot of the Starfall Mountains. The midday sun wrapped itself up with a blanket of clouds and remained elusive. Rain poured from above and within the hour the rain droplets collected into pools in the uneven patches of the forest floor. The very air was damp, cool and heavy. It threatened to slow down their already cumbersome progress but they pressed onward.

The moisture in the air brought out a certain beauty in the plant life. In their misery, Ozzie and Jess took little notice of how lush and green the forest had become. Every leaf on every tree, every blade of grass, every patch of moss, became a vivid, magnificent green. The world was green and noticeably vacant. Few creatures ventured out in the rain and fewer approached the strangers trekking through their wooded home.

The world around the small band of dreamkeepers began to blur as they passed tree after tree. The trees gradually began to change, their trunks and heights elongating. Unobserved, each passing tree was larger and larger. The light shining on the forest floor slowly faded, unable to penetrate the leafy ceiling of the colossal intertwining tree branches.

In the forest depths, everything glowed softly. No doubt the enriched runoff from the Starfall Mountains endowed the streams with the mystical blue white glow from potent minerals and nutrients. The bug life took a special affinity towards the glow. Like small lights in the distance, they faded in and out as they navigated through the sea of trees.

Pausing to catch their breath, Ozzie and Jess marveled at the forest’s beauty. Never before had they seen anything even remotely close. The exotic environment was exciting and full of mystery. It was completely untouched by civilization.

“Keep moving,” Selene whispered and nudged Ozzie and Jess with her bow. “We are being followed.” Selene spoke just loud enough for Mask to hear.

“Yes,” Mask said quietly over his shoulder. “He has been following us for quite some time.” He made no move to ready for combat, nor find a way to retreat. Only the next step forward was on his mind.

“He?” Selene asked. She received silence for an answer. Her head darted from one tree to the next, her purple eyes ever vigilant. With an iron grip on her weapon, there was no way she was going to be taken by surprise.

Ozzie tried to follow Selene’s gaze, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. “I don’t see him.”

“Of course you don’t,” Selene replied and flashed him a smile. “Only the eyes of a warrior could spot such a threat.”

“I see him,” Jess replied softly. She pointed towards the trees off to their left. “See? He’s right there, with the glowing face paint.”

They looked at where she was pointing but saw nothing. “I missed him,” Ozzie replied.

“That is because nothing was there,” Selene said irritably. Something got under her skin. She seemed fine earlier, but the moment she dropped her guard Ozzie realized she was concealing her misery: her real feelings.

Selene nodded with her head towards the direction in front of them. “She made it up. He is over there somewhere.”

“I didn’t make it up!” Jess replied crossly, her cheeks reddening with anger. She placed her hands on her hips and stared daggers at Selene.

Selene’s tall form loomed over Jess. “Got something to say, Tiny?” she asked, amused by Jess’s pouting face.

“Shh.” Mask motioned with his hand to halt. “Look.”

Beyond the leafy foliage was a small clearing, overgrown with large blades of grass. In the middle was a formation of rocks plagued with a spider web of narrow vines. Smoke billowed out between the rocks, lofting into the air with a faint blue white glow.

Selene knitted her eyebrows together and scowled, annoyed. “This is it? Your friend lives there, in a pile of rocks?”

“No,” Mask said cheerfully, overcome with a strange excitement. “He lives underneath the rocks. Come, I’ll show you!”

He grabbed Selene, much to her dismay, and darted into the overgrown field. Zoeka sensed Mask’s excitement and leaped after them, jumping in and out of the high grass.

Jess rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I hate her so much,” she said sadly, referring to Selene.

Ozzie could tell she didn’t mean it. Hate wasn’t in her nature. He rubbed Jess’s shoulder, squeezing ever so slightly. “She’s not that bad. It could be worse.”

They followed after Mask and Selene, stepping on the trampled grass in Zoeka’s zigzag trail. As the rocks came closer into view, they discerned hundreds of symbols carved into the surfaces. The symbols were erratic. Some were old and weathered; others were freshly carved. Whoever made them lived here for years.

Selene leaned against the rock while Mask knocked on a wooden board that apparently was the front door. Everyone watched the door eagerly with the hope of a warm shelter on the other side. Nothing happened. Mask shrugged his shoulders and firmly grabbed the small door with both hands. He tugged the door open little by little, until he dislodged it completely from the rocks.

“Oops.” Mask balanced himself with the door until he set it down next to the entrance. Warmth seeped out of the opening, fogging in the cool outside air. He ducked under the low ceiling and began descending.

“Honestly, one of these days I’m going to show him how to build a proper door,” Mask grumbled. His voice grew fainter until they couldn’t hear him at all.

One by one the others followed. Even Zoeka stuck her head into the small doorway, squirming unsuccessfully to burrow through. With a defeated growl, she backed out and watched the others disappear underground.

The doorway led to a steep sloping tunnel leading underground. A faint flicker of yellow light danced on the dirt walls, growing brighter as they approached the bottom. Strange smells filled the air: a mix of unfamiliar food aromas. The warmth was a pleasant change, though they found themselves in an alien environment.

“Friend, and friends of friend, welcome!” a voice shouted just beyond.  There was a commotion of noise followed by indiscernible talking.

The tunnel roof leveled off and they entered a large chamber made of dirt walls, floor and ceiling. A number of other tunnels branched out, no doubt creating a small underground network beneath the forest. In the center was a stone pit with a small fire, the smoke exiting through small chutes in the ceiling. Overtop the fire was a metal kettle pot, steaming with the aroma of food. In one corner of the room was a heap of possessions and in the opposite corner was a vast amount of sun-baked clay cups brimming with water.

However, the most interesting part of the room was the tenant that lived there. It was difficult to see him clearly as he darted randomly from one place to another at impossible speeds. His movements blurred together in a streak of brown with an orange light following him.

“Are you hungry? I’m making my soup. It’s special! It’s good!” His words bounced all over the room, coming from different sources and sometimes different directions. It didn’t help that he talked faster than he moved.

Mask made himself at home and warmed his hands by the fire. “Sounds excellent, friend.”

The blur of brown and orange darted in front of the others and halted. What was once a blur became a thick furred dreamkeeper with dark eyes, large floppy ears, smeared blue white face paint under his cheeks, and a lustrous orange halo over his head. Peculiarly, he was standing on all fours instead of upright. The loose clothes frayed at the seams and faded in color suggested he was older than what his appearance suggested.

Their host rushed forward towards Jess and Ozzie, sniffing with his nose and searching with his wild, dark eyes. He picked at their clothes and pockets, completely oblivious to personal space. “City folk. Mineral smell. Western clothing. From Calypsa, no?”

“How…?” Ozzie’s jaw hung loose, his mouth open at an angle.

Their host turned to Selene. “Strange smell. Not of Anduruna city,” he said with giddy excitement.

“What do you mean by strange smell?” Selene replied defensively. “Hey!” She tapped his hand as he reached into a pouch by her waist.

“Foreign accent?” he asked himself softly. He hesitantly pulled his hand away and with nimble fingers grabbed an arrow out of Selene’s quiver. His eyes widened in fascination as he examined the barbed arrowhead. Placing the arrow by his feet he attempted to reach for one of her daggers, only this time Selene caught his hand.

“Someone get him away from me!” Selene shouted angrily. She held him away from her, unsettled by his inquiring nose sniffing in her direction.

Mask placed a hand on their host’s shoulder. “Be careful, friend,” Mask said cheerfully. “She likes to hurt others.”

“I do not!” Selene shoved the man away and snagged the misplaced arrow on the floor. Her movements were frantic, her eyes never leaving their host.

Jess snickered; she mustered all the effort she could to restrain herself from bursting with laughter. There was too much contrast between the brash, seductive Selene they knew and this timid fearful Selene they saw now. It was the first time in a while Jess was in a cheery mood. Ozzie must have felt the same way because he began laughing wholeheartedly.

“What’s so funny?” Selene asked in a higher pitched voice. Her cheeks reddened and her tail swished furiously behind her.

“I know! I know!” their host shouted and laughed manically.

“I am a warrior from the badlands!” Selene yelled. “I will not be laughed at!” She moved aggressively towards their host but Mask blocked her path. He draped an arm around the back of her shoulders and guided her away from the others.

“Calm down, Selene,” he replied between chuckles. “It’s all in good humor.”

Their host cocked his head to one side, his long floppy ears dangling almost past his chin. “Selene? Old language name. Ancient battle armor and weapons too. Not of Anduruna at all.”

Selene froze and fell silent. Her gaze intensified as she tried to discern just how much knowledge this stranger knew. She had him pegged as an erratic fool, his hyperactive mind bouncing from one thought to the next. There was no way he knew of the badlands or what lies beyond the borders of Anduruna.

“What’s your name?” Jess asked their host, finally simmering down from the excitement.

“Beans!” he shouted promptly. “Beans Beans Beans!”

Ozzie and Jess exchanged sidelong smiles. Ozzie silently mouthed “beans?” and Jess rolled her eyes. Both of them were in agreement: this guy was nuts.

Beans ran over to the kettle and stirred feverishly with a wooden rod. “Oh, oh! Soup done! Come eat! Come eat!”

Jess gazed skeptically at Beans and then at Ozzie, who only shrugged in response. They cautiously moved towards the kettle and peered inside. Beans of all colors mixed with a few bright vegetables swirled around in the kettle.

“Here, use this.” Beans shoved bowls into their hands. Taking his own bowl, he swiftly plunged his bowl in and out of the kettle with a practiced hand. It was so fast he didn’t seem to burn his hand from the excessive steam.

Jess watched in amazement and quickly realized she would burn herself without something to reach in the kettle for her. “Umm, do you have a ladle?” Jess asked politely.

“No need! Move faster than steam, no burn.” Beans took his bowl and slurped the contents, as it was too hot to eat right away.

Mask reached into the kettle as Beans had with a thick gloved hand, filling his bowl. He held it out towards Jess. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Jess swapped the bowls, watching Mask fill them for everyone else. The food in her bowl looked much less appetizing than before. She narrowed her eyes while she tried to discern if she really wanted to eat food made by some crazy person that lived underground. Was she that hungry?

Ozzie dug right into his bowl of food, not even allowing time for his soup to cool. His eyes widened as he ate mouthful after mouthful, pleasantly surprised.

Jess wondered how he could always eat food while it was hot. She felt out of place, watching Ozzie and Beans eating with their mouths and fingers. She missed her life in the city. If her friends could see her now, she thought before taking a hesitant taste.

Flavor exploded on her tongue. There was an odd taste of soft and chewy beans that didn’t quite blend together. The vegetables were tough and crunchy and there was an overpowering herb that left a bitter aftertaste. The heat opened up her sinuses and her eyes began to water. With a meager frown, she wondered how everyone else could stand eating this stuff.

Mask leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Not the best taste, but it is good for the body.”

Jess nodded and raised an eyebrow, noticing his bowl was completely untouched. Instead, he set the bowl down and filled three more. “Not hungry?” she asked.

“Zoeka loves Beans’ soup.” He stood slowly, balancing all four bowls in his arms. With a content sigh he left the room.

Jess sighed in disdain and watched him leave. She poked the beans with her claw and then set her bowl down.

“I know,” Ozzie said to Jess. “I wanted to see him without the mask too.”

“Why?” Selene asked brashly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “His face is normal like everyone else.”

Beans chuckled and slapped his hands on his knees. “To say my friend is normal is far from the truth, one from land of bad warriors.”

Selene glared crossly at Beans, flexing her fingers into a tight fist. “Badland warrior. Not land of bad warriors,” she said coarsely.

Beans frowned, puzzled. He raised one of his hind legs and scratched behind his ear. “Warrior from land that’s bad? Bad warrior land?” he asked, not understanding her words.

“No! Badland war— never mind. Forget it.” Selene stood and followed after Mask, apparently done eating.

When she was gone, Beans smiled broadly: an all knowing smile. He began to laugh while gesturing towards the tunnel. “Badland Warrior,” he tried to say in explanation before flopping on his back and laughing a storm.

“You were messing with her?” Ozzie asked, grinning.

Beans feverishly shook his head up and down and continued laughing. Ozzie and Jess smiled at the little prank. Of all people to make fun of, Beans chose Selene.

Jess sat back on her hands and viewed the room. “How long have you lived here?”

“Eight years! No, nine! Umm, whatever 2841 days equals.” He ran his hand through his greasy hair and held his head for a moment. His cheerful expression slowly faded to one of frustration while he tried to do the mental math.

Ozzie and Jess noticed his simmering anger. The poor guy was manically smart. He knew everything but couldn’t access all the knowledge right away. His mind simply blanked and hindered his focus.

“Are you from Anduruna city?” Ozzie asked, hoping to pull Beans out of his mental slump.

“What?” he asked. “Oh, the city. Yes, I lived there, in the Kojiki district. Beautiful place. Wonderful place. You’ve been there?” The words sped up as he talked. His cheerful excitement once again lifted his mood.

“No, we didn’t travel much,” Jess replied.

“Shame,”—he paused, his furry tail sliding on the dirt floor—“Oh I know!”  Beans rolled over and ran on all fours towards the heap of junk piled in the corner of the room. His orange halo began to shine while he sorted through everything.

“Here!” he exclaimed in gleeful joy. He zoomed over with a large binder, the dust from the cover trailing off in midair where he was moments ago. Beans lay on his belly and placed the binder between them.

Opening the cover, hundreds of pictures in plastic sleeves filled the binder interior. Beans turned the pages until they were halfway through. “Look there,” he said excitedly, while tapping the page. “That was my flat in Kojiki.”

His voice was full of pride. The smile on his face stretched from cheek to cheek and he closed his eyes. Sitting back onto his hind legs, he reflected upon his memories of home.

“Looks lovely,” Jess said softly. The picture was faded from age like all the rest. The home was small: nothing grand or awe-inspiring. The streets were teeming with dreamkeepers, a rather busy afternoon by Calypsa standards.

“I’ve always admired the simple architecture of the eastern districts,” Ozzie said while examining the other pictures of the street.

“Oh not this again, mister architect,” Jess said nudging him with her shoulder.

“What?” Ozzie asked, smiling. “It’s what I do. I mean,”—Ozzie’s ears flattened and his smile faded—“it’s what I used to do.”

“A noble profession,” Beans said, reopening his eyes.

“Is this your wife?” Jess asked, pointing at the picture at the bottom of the page. The woman had lush long hair, a pleasant smile, and wore a kimono. She stood under a full moon on a grassy hill, happy and content.

Beans sat forward and quietly gazed at the picture for a long time. “She loved that outfit. That night I gave her a silver necklace for our fifth anniversary. We loved each other to no end then.”

“Aww,” Jess replied bashfully. She leaned closer to better view the pictures. “Do you have a picture of her wearing the necklace?”

Beans shuffled away, digging through the pile of junk once more. He took his time, sorting through his things carefully. When he was done he held an engraved silver necklace with a charm made from black crystal.

“It was a tough year on us, so I wanted to get her something special for our anniversary. Every day after work I browsed the Kojiki market, but nothing truly special caught my eye.” Beans handed Jess the necklace for her to examine. Sitting down on his hind legs, he gazed at the picture once more before continuing.

“One day, this necklace turned up. I asked the jeweler about it and he told me the charm was a love stone, one of the rarest resources in the world. Of course he probably exaggerated, but I bought it anyways. It was a true work of art.”

“This is a love stone?” Jess asked, examining the black crystal in the center. “I thought they were red.”

“It was,” Beans replied pragmatically. “The night I gave the necklace to her, the stone shined a vivid red: brighter than a setting sun. It shines as strong as the bond between the two souls connected to the core, if you believe that sort of thing. It was red for many years…” Beans became quiet, the pain clear in his eyes.

“I'm sorry.” Jess handed the necklace back to Beans who took it carefully.

The room fell silent: Beans quietly lamenting on the past, while Ozzie and Jess tried to think of a way to cheer him up. The fire had died to a low kindling and the light was fading. It was in the quiet that all three heard Mask and Selene approaching.

“The rain cleared out,” Selene replied cheerfully, not noticing the serious expressions on their faces. “It should be an easier journey north than it was coming south.”

Mask crouched down next to Beans and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. “You okay, friend?” he asked, concerned.

“Just old memories,” Beans replied, smiling to greet his friend. He closed the photo album and placed it in the mishap pile of possessions.

Mask stood to help Beans cleanup, towering over him. “Beans, do you recall the day we met?” he asked discreetly so the others couldn’t hear. “Specifically, the request I made?”

“Yes, yes! How grand that day was! It was but a year ago! Or maybe two?” Beans paused, getting stuck on the mental math again.

“Beans, the things I left with you for safe keeping, I need it. Do you remember?”

“Yes! Um, possibly. Maybe? Let me think.” Beans closed his eyes, straining to remember.

Mask waited patiently, knowing better than to cause any distraction near Beans. Gazing over his shoulder, he saw that Ozzie, Jess and Selene were getting along to some extent. He couldn’t quite hear their conversation but at least they were all smiling.

“Ah!” Beans exclaimed, his bushy tail wagging. “I remember now!”

“Did you hide it far?” Mask asked calmly. “Time is important.”

“One second,” Beans said while he dug through his pile of possessions. Clearing out a small area, he removed a floor mat covering a small hole in the ground. Reaching in, he pulled out a rectangular object covered with a cloth.

“Really?” Mask said dryly. He shook his head in disbelief of the simplicity and took the object from Beans’ hands. Pulling the cloth down, he subtly examined the object before covering it back up.

Mask gently bowed. “Thank you. You are a true friend.”

Beans smiled and scampered to rearrange his things once more. “Happy to help!”

The ground shook with a low rumble, causing Bean’s pile of possessions to shift. Loose strands of dirt fell from the ceiling, hitting the ground in a thick cloud.

“What was that?” Ozzie asked worriedly. Everyone looked at each other but nobody offered an explanation.

“Beans, is this sort of thing common?” Mask asked calmly.

Beans rapidly shook his head to the sides. He scurried through his possessions and sorted through them in a panic.

“We need to go,” Selene said, using her hand to clear the dirt away from her face. “That is, unless you want to be buried down here.”

A horrid roar split through the air, causing everyone to freeze in place. Hearing a pattern of small pops and another roar, Mask broke into a run towards the tunnel. 

The rest of them followed Mask to the surface, the sounds of battle getting louder. Outside, a large muzzle flash from a huge firearm shone behind the tree line, making it impossible to see the shooter. Bullets whizzed overhead, smashing into the rocks by the door. Mask ran into the open towards Zoeka frantically calling her name while the others remained in the tunnel.

A few bullets sprayed the tunnel roof, dislodging dirt onto their heads. Jess screamed and held her ears, trying to block out the sound of the enormous gun. She stared at Ozzie, fear in her eyes.

“I’ll draw them away,” Beans shouted. "Run when safe."

“What? No. Stay here. You can’t fight them.” Selene said blocking his path.

Beans smiled manically, vibrant orange light glowing over his head. “Watch, badland warrior.”

Dirt kicked up where he stood as Beans zoomed forward. The high grass rippled in his wake as he burst through the clearing and into the tree line. When the dirt settled once more, the muzzle flash was gone. They could still hear gunfire, but at least they weren’t shooting at the tunnel entrance anymore.

“Quick, let’s get out of here!” Ozzie shouted, helping Jess stand.

All three ran from cover out into the open. Spotting Mask and Zoeka, the group made a beeline towards the tree line away from the gunfire. Zoeka hissed violently, bleeding from numerous wounds, but Mask pulled her away from the fighting.

“Why are they not shooting at us?” Mask hollered.

“Beans! He…” Selene’s voice trailed off.

Mask nodded and pointed towards the trees. “Head that way! We’ll lose them in the trees.”

“What about Beans?” Ozzie shouted.

“He knows what he’s doing. Spirits with him, we’ll see him again.”

Mask waited until he reached cover before glancing back for his friend. There was no sight of Beans or the shooter. He knew Beans was capable of defending himself, but this felt different. Something wasn’t right. With a final glance, Mask ran after the others and noticed the deathly quiet within the forest.