Chapter 2: Leaving

Five-thirty a.m.; an alarm clock goes off as the rising sun gives off a red-yellow glow across the carpeted floor. Brendon stretched and yawned, then walked over to his closed and opened it. He pulled out a blue bag, and walked over to his window, already dressed in blue jean pants, white shoes, a white shirt under a grey jacket, and a silver digital watch on his left hand. He picked up a sapphire crystal that was strung on a silver chain from off of his mini table that was beside him.

A warm breeze passed by through the cold morning. He jumped onto the side porch’s roof and descended down the ladder that took him safely to the ground. Taking a quick glance at the forest, he set off down the sidewalk. He soon came to a large, wooden house that was on the edge of town near a lake. First though, he walked down to the lake and petted the swans that were there, and a pure white dove that flew to the forest nearby. Then, he went to go to the house, but he saw who he was looking for; an old lady that was sitting in a rocking chair.

He walked up to her and she said before he could talk, “Konnichiwa Hereto-san, take a seat.”

“Hello,” he said, and did as told.

“So, what are you here for?” she asked.

“It’s Namida,” he said, “I want to go find her. After mowing the lawn two days ago, I saw a wolf with Namida’s eyes.”

“You mean my granddaughter’s hidden eyes?” she asked curiously.

“Well, they were the light ones,” he replied.

She shook her head, “You have many things to learn about others young Brendon. Though, where did you see this wolf?”

“Near the edge of the forest behind my house,” he replied.

“Well then, why didn’t you come here to me?” she asked.

“I want to know if it’s wise to go in the forest,” he said, then added, “And the quickest way is here anyways since the same forest is behind our houses.”

The grandmother thought for a few minutes, then said, “Wait here, I must get some supplies for you.”

“Ok,” he said and watched her go through the sliding doors of the house. Then, he looked at the lake that stood beyond the porch; it was magnificent with the sun’s glow. He sighed, and then heard the doors open.

The grandmother came out holding a medium silver box that had golden hinges and latches. On top of it laid a black belt and a dagger that had a grey handle. The grandmother held them out and Brendon stood up and took them. “Now, they are in your hands, and you must use them. It is your time to use the skills within you.”

“Skills?” Brendon asked.

“All shall be explained in time Hereto-san, all shall be explained in time,” she said. “Now, you must put on the belt, and put the box in your book carrier.”

Brendon stood there for a little while and looked at it; confused for a minute, then did as told. He put the belt on last and sheathed the dagger. He stood up and looked at Namida’s grandmother.

She nodded in approval and explained, “You must now go into the forest through the dirt path. When you come to the end, you must stop and wait; your first guide shall come.”

Brendon thought for a moment, What is she talking about? Though still confused, he gave a bow and went off towards the forest by the lake. Many fowl of the air flew overhead, and made their way through the forest. He wondered, Is this the path to my final destination, just like theirs? Or is there more to come before I’ve finished? He thought of this until he saw a separation of trees and a dirt path that slowly generated from the emerald grass.

There’s only one way to find out, he thought and came to the edge. Then looked down at his feet, and remembered a saying from somewhere, in which whom said it he couldn’t remember. Though his memory of it still lingered, and he lifted up his foot over the trail. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. He took that step.

…

The air around him became warmer as the day went on, and also has as he went further toward the end. He only stopped during breakfast time and lunch, drinking from his canteen whenever he became thirsty. Also occasionally, he unsheathed the dagger given to him to take a look at it. He also wondered about what Namida’s grandmother had talked about. Skills? What skills?

When it soon became the supper time of day, he came to the end of the brown trail. So, he sat on the rock that ended it and ate his food, then waited for his ‘guide’. What kind of guides are in a forest like this? he thought. He sighed, and then heard some whispering from behind some trees. Looking in the direction, he then saw a black and white panda come out from behind the trees.

His eyes widened and he fell backwards on the rock. Okay, he thought as he closed his eyes. It’s only an illusion, and will be gone when I come back up. He slowly looked up from the rock, and now the panda was leaning over it and blinked at him. “AAhhh!” he yelled as he backed up against the tree behind him, and then started breathing heavily.

The bear went over the rock and cocked its head at Brendon, then said, “Hello!”

“Wh-who are you?” he asked.

“I’m pearl! Who are you?” she questioned back.

“I’m-I’m Brendon Hereto,” he replied and blinked.

“Konnichiwa Brendon!” the bear said and stood on her hind legs.

“Daisy! Come here!” she said and looked in that direction, then back at Brendon.

A moment later, a Saber tooth tiger came out. “So, who is he?” she asked.

“He said that his name was Brendon Hereto,” Pearl replied.

Daisy looked over at Brendon and then went over to him. She sniffed the air around him, then went back to her initial spot. “Yup, he’s human.”

“Let’s go take him to Yoru-chan,” Pearl said.

“Ok,” Daisy said, then looked over to Brendon. “You’re gonna have to come with us.”

Brendon blinked once and nearly fainted, but he stood up anyways. He had a feeling that it was going to be a new experience for him. Well, there’s one way to find out, and that route was with these animals. They took him to a clearing where grass dominated, and it was all clear. He looked around at everything, and then looked over to the two animals as they were going in an eastward direction.

He followed them, and they soon came to a stop and called, “Yoruyonaka! Yoruyonaka!”

“What is it?” a voice behind the others said. The others cleared and Brendon saw the same wolf standing there. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Brendon Hereto,” he replied, seemingly in a trance.

“Call the others here,” she commanded to Pearl and Daisy, still staring at Brendon.

“Okay!” Pearl said and waddled off to the right.

“Fine with me,” Daisy said and went opposite of Pearl.

“So,” Yoruyonaka said to Brendon, “You come from the Hereto’s?”

“Yes, Yoruyonaka,” Brendon said, and he laughed in his mind.

She took a step further and asked, “Do you know what that means?”

“What?” Brendon asked confused.

“My name,” she replied confidently.

“No,” Brendon said.

“It means ‘midnight’ and nothing else,” she said to him. “You might want to remember that.”

“And why?” he asked, but then the bear and tiger came back with two other animals. One was a mongoose, and the other was an oversized mountain lion that had two tails and was jet black.

Brendon stared for a moment, and then he asked, “Am I dreaming?”

“Most likely not,” a dove said as it flew passed him and landed on Yoruyonaka’s head.

“I’d like some introductions please,” he said, and received them. The mountain lion, in which was actually a larkan was Kanami, the mongoose was Akasun, and the dove was Sakura.

“Ummm… thanks?” he asked.

Yoruyonaka looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting darker by the minute. “We should get to going to sleep.”

“Not until I get some questions answered,” Brendon interrupted.

“How?” Kanami asked, “It’s getting too dark.”

“Unless you can-“ Akasun began, but stopped.

“Can you make a fire?” Daisy asked.

“Yes,” Brendon said. “All I need is dry wood, and a dry rock.”

“I’ll get some twigs, grass, and leaves!” Sakura called and went off.

“I’ll get bigger pieces and rocks!” Kanami yelled and went in the same direction.

“We shall need food,” Pearl said.

“I’ll go with her for company,” Akasun said.

“Don’t go too far!” Yoruyonaka called to everyone as they left.

“So… do we wait until they come back?” Brendon asked.

“It won’t take them too long,” she said, “Trust me on this.”

She was right; they did come back in only a few minutes. Though, they did need to go back, but Brendon and Yoruyonaka set it all up. After a while, they started a controlled, small fire and sat down near it before nightfall.

“What are the questions?” Daisy asked.

“Well, one; why am I here and how?” he asked.

“You are the chosen one,” Akasun replied.

“Chosen one?” he asked.

“Yes,” Pearl said.

“I don’t get what it means,” he said.

“The whole thing would need to be explained,” Sakura said.

“Okay then, explain,” Brendon said.

“I’ll begin,” Yoruyonaka said, “but I need to know if you have a box in your nap sac.”

“Why?” he asked.

“It’s important,” she replied.

“Well, yes,” he said.

“Show it to us,” she commanded.

“Okay,” he said and zipped open his book bag and took out the box. He shown it in the light, and Yoruyonaka nodded in approval.

“That is the Letinaka,” she said, “Or the Great Barrier in the Lost Language of Lachame.”

Try saying that five times fast, he thought and said, “Makes sense.”

She continued, “Taking that to the Kushiene, or Crystal Waterfall, and using the Tear of Forgiveness, you have something that anyone in this woodland would envy for.”

The Crystal Waterfall, he thought, That’s what Namida’s grandmother wanted me to take it too. “What is that?” he asked.

“The Letinaka’s power,” she said.

“What is that power?” he asked.

“The power of healing and darkness,” Kanami explained.

“Like Ying-Yang?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kanami replied. “For long ago, the Kushiene had been initially created for all creatures of Lock to retain and revive their powers. Then, about one hundred years ago, a dark force gave the Kushiene darkness, and turned any good creature that drank or bathed in it either darkness or turned it to stone. So, the Great Creators make the Letinaka to withhold that power, with a price.

“They took it, and took every bit of power from the lake and waterfall, and the Kushiene became crystallized. Though the animals turned back to normal, no creature could regain their powers. Thus, the Great Creators made a way to return everything back to normal.”

“What they did was make the Tear of Forgiveness from the center of the lake and waterfall,” Pearl explained. “What you do is place the Letinaka in the center between the lake and waterfall, and you place yourself in the center of the lake, where the great light shines. The great light takes the crystal to the midair center of the lake and waterfall, and you are switched with the lake half of the Kushiene and suspended in midair. What happens next is a mystery.”

Brendon thought about if for a moment, and then asked, “What happened to the dark force and will the animals ever regain their powers?”

“Nobody knows,” Sakura replied.

“Oh,” Akasun said, “And only a human is able to do that.”

“Why?” Brendon asked.

“Because the dark force was a human,” Akasun answered.

Brendon blinked, then asked, “Where’s the Kushiene?”

“About a day’s journey for me,” Sakura replied.

“Okay,” Brendon said, “Let’s take a field trip there, and use this.” He held up the crystal that was hidden in his shirt. “We can leave in the morning.”

“Okay,” Yoruyonaka said, “Let’s leave first thing in the morning.”

:D (7 pages)