StoryPaws: A Mystical Old World Story: Toxics (10)

StoryPaws: Stories to help you pause, and relax.
Felicity is swept into a mystical Old World where plants and beasts are equal, and all are heard. There she meets Reuben, whom she must help save his beloved Old World from the threat of the Toxics…if she wants to return home.
Use this story to help you unwind, rest, and take a mindful pause.
You might like to listen to the first nine installments of the story first.

Transcript

Chapter 10.

Scrapped.

The matings had commenced.

They arrived at the town,

Thornton,

In the late afternoon.

In front of them were the derngates.

Felicity peered up at the tall wooden structures.

They were magnificent.

Gnarled and knotted,

They could have grown there naturally,

But the tightly woven strands knitting them together revealed their construction.

Today they were flung wide open in honour of the contests,

And the small band of quest followers passed through.

Georges followed,

Needing the entire gap for himself.

The roars of excitement from the crowd were the first thing to reach Felicity's ears,

But as they reached the centre of Thornton and rounded the last bend,

The furious snarls of the Lupata became clear.

Looking behind her,

Felicity could just see the tops of the great gates above the hedges.

They were closing.

Their day was almost over,

And the town was preparing for the evening.

In front of them,

The arena awaited.

Georges thundered up and bellowed,

Now you will see some magnificent contests,

Little Felicity.

His great nostrils flared and he shook his head.

Prancing into the arena.

Felicity looked about her in wonder.

They were in a vast clearing.

Large thorns had arranged themselves to close off all entrances,

Apart from seven openings.

There were only two wide ones.

The remaining five were narrow and dark.

The spectators gathered in self-arranged groups between these entrances.

They continually jostled to stay the furthest away from the gaps.

Two young Lupata,

Locked in a vicious wrangle,

Rolled and thudded into the quest group,

Scattering them everywhere.

The beasts sprang up and tore after each other,

Their blood-flecked saliva splattering Pippi and Felicity as they flew past.

The larger one's eye flicked a glance at Pippi,

And Felicity heard her softly growl.

Not for you,

You brute,

She said,

Her large eyes surveying the chaotic scene.

Felicity ran to the back and grabbed Ruben's arm.

Is there no control?

She shouted above the noise.

Can't you make them stop,

Ruben?

She cried out.

But her voice was lost in the tumultuous sound of the giant wolves' battles.

Pippi stayed focused on the action.

This is the end of the story.

The wolves' battles.

Pippi stayed focused on the action.

This is their calling,

Felicity.

The thorns honour this great event by allowing their defences to be assaulted.

The Lupata have travelled far to seek their thorn and harmonic.

And having triggered maturity,

They must compete to find a good mate.

It's the way of things,

And always has been.

The competition is fierce,

And the injuries may be great,

But the rewards are great also,

He continued.

He was looking at Felicity and found his eyes fixed to her mouth.

It was a wide mouth,

And her lips were pink.

He inspected her face further.

Her eyes were one of his favourite colours,

A sort of blue-green.

Her small chin jutted out.

A strong face,

But with much beauty,

He thought.

Felicity stared back at him,

Annoyed but distracted from her fear.

How rude.

She may have peered at him now and then,

Like the first time she saw him.

And just like our first meeting,

You're making me smile,

He said,

Interrupting her thoughts with his silent words.

Felicity didn't know what was so amusing,

The noise of these overgrown walls was terrible,

And the pungent smell of their sweat and blood was sickening.

She was horrified by the violence.

How could they all think this was an entertainment?

She wanted to rest and eat after today's travels,

But here they were in some sort of Roman amphitheatre.

She expected a gladiator to stride out half-naked at any moment.

She narrowed her eyes,

And Ruben's smile increased even further.

It was impossible to stay angry with him,

Though,

When he smiled so beautifully.

Ruben relented.

The Lupata will soon stop.

The diminishing light will make the sparring too dangerous.

Felicity snorted inelegantly as Lupata was helped away with its left ear dangling and a great tear in its throat flapping and gushing blood.

Only a surface wound,

She heard it murmur in a small voice.

Its victor stood proudly in the distance.

Its victor stood proudly and let out a howl of glory that bleached all other sound.

A great victory,

Said Pippita Ruben,

Loping over to them.

It was a son of Lupata 4000 that was defeated.

He will not be pleased.

Felicity saw the victor literally grab a large grey female by the scruff of her neck and drag her out of the arena.

The female allowed this.

Charming,

Said Felicity.

She is very lucky to have this mate,

Said Pippi.

He will make good cubs.

Our lands are harsh and our young must be strong.

She loped away,

Carrying her head a little lower than usual.

Felicity knew she had a lot to learn yet about this simple,

Raw world.

A chorus of howls ended the day's contests.

The light was fading fast.

Competing Lupata stopped immediately and left by the narrow exits.

The crowds and newly matched pairs of Lupata left by the two wider gaps.

Where are the single Lupata going?

Felicity asked Sib,

Who had sidled up.

He was eating something that looked like a shiny stick.

It smelled a little nutty and sweet.

Felicity licked her lips.

Sib grinned and ignored her.

They're going to cleanse their wounds.

Felicity decided tomorrow she would shelter by him.

In spite of his large body,

His legs were short and it would be hard for thrown Lupata to clear his underbelly.

Cheered by her plan,

Felicity asked Ruben.

What was Sib eating?

It looked like a stick but smelled good.

I thought it was only stodballs in the temperate north.

The two were still in the same place.

They were still in the same place.

They were still in the same place.

I thought it was only stodballs in the temperate north.

No,

We do have a few variations,

He replied.

That was a sticky bud.

The thorns produce them in vast piles for this annual event.

Their recipe is secret.

Naturally,

Thought Felicity.

Can we get some?

Tomorrow,

Said Ruben in the arena.

Oh,

Goody stodballs for supper,

She said loudly.

Ruben raised his eyebrow at her temper.

George snorted.

His experience of Torrelles was silence is best at these times.

Ruben,

He said,

Where will we sleep tonight,

My friend?

As the weary group wove their way through the narrow damp avenues once more,

Felicity looked at the thorns,

Who stood like sentries as they passed.

They were tall with lovely swirls and patterns on their trunks.

Their branches were close and within them were slightly broad,

Flat spikes.

She presumed the avenues of bush simply sat there all year,

Their entire life cycle one of waiting for what they're happy to just be said a tiny thorn who rustled up beside her.

Felicity looked down at him.

She wasn't quite sure where his face was,

So she politely looked a little above his fluffy,

Bright green new growth.

We perform our enharmonic duty with the Lupata at the matings,

And then we're free to form our own alliances.

The soil nourishes us and we have the year to meditate in peace,

He said.

The annual excitement of the matings is a time of great energy for us,

And it's enough.

His voice was chirpy and strident like a bossy little boy,

She thought.

Felicity's dimple appeared as she smiled at him.

Thank you,

She said.

May I introduce myself?

I'm Felicity Isabel Penfold,

And I'm not of your world.

I know,

He said,

And your name is?

You couldn't pronounce it?

Felicity's face wrinkled up as she made a face.

The little thorn jumped back,

Unsure of this new expression.

Those around chuckled,

His laughter was infectious and Felicity found herself giggling too.

Thorn three hundred thousand thirty-third,

Said Felicity,

Her tongue thick with the tongue twister.

Nope,

He said.

I'm Thorn six thousand sixty.

He did a little bow as he said it.

Felicity bowed back and then she said,

May I call you by name?

I can remember Thorn six thousand sixty.

The young Thorn nodded in acquiescence and Felicity pondered on it as they walked along.

The air was damp and the sound of dripping water sliding off each rubbery leaf onto its neighbour created a backdrop of sound as they squelched along.

Felicity sighed.

It had been a long day.

At that moment there was a shout and a scuffle behind them.

Pippi knocked them aside as she rushed to the defence.

Young Thorn planted himself between Felicity and the noises.

Defensive from young,

She thought,

As the diminutive bush protected her.

Pippi didn't return.

Ruben and Gus set off to see what had happened.

Georges gathered the remainder of the group together.

The hedge walls were high.

It was almost dark and other spectators were long gone to their homes.

Felicity shivered and watched Sibb.

He always stood alone unless she,

Ruben,

Georges or Gus talked to him.

Pippi seemed to avoid him as much as possible.

The sibling were not comfortable in this old world.

Who are your enharmonics,

Sibb?

She asked.

He looked at her in the gloom.

His small eyes grew smaller.

The colour changes,

He finally answered.

Of course,

Said Felicity.

Tipping her head to one side as if to make the two species meet better on a slanted view.

Sibb watched her.

He sighed.

We do not question the laws of our world,

He said,

And half dropped his eyelids as he continued.

Our soul bondings are brief and we rarely reseek our enharmonic.

Why would you,

Sibb?

She asked,

Confused.

She thought this part was pretty simple.

One plant,

One beast.

They meet and trigger somehow their maturity.

Then they go off and find a partner of their own kind for the rest of their life or thereabouts.

Why would you reseek your enharmonic even if you wanted to?

She repeated.

We can use our combined enharmonic energy in a time of crisis,

If absolutely critical.

But it's dangerous and rarely done.

It saps us both.

It may end our lives.

So why would you,

Said Felicity,

Even more confused?

Why don't you just deal with the crisis with your own mate?

Why return to a colour changer or whatever?

Because the special combination of plant and beast is possible only with two enharmonics.

They share a secret link,

As you heard Gus explain.

This draws from the energies of the world and its mistress.

This is the greatest energy of all.

Zip-Zed.

He sidled off,

Bored by her questions.

Felicity tried to picture Sib and a pile of leaves as they sort of squashed together.

She decided to name young Thorn Scrat,

After a character in a book she'd read once,

And was just about to tell him when Pippi came running round the corner.

Gus hung on to her tail and Reuben was pounding behind.

Quick,

Quick!

Reuben shouted.

Move,

Run,

Follow Pippi,

Quick!

He screamed as they all hesitated.

Reuben grabbed Felicity's hand and tugged her along.

Her feet were only touching the ground every other step,

She was panting,

The blood swished in her ears and she felt faint.

Her jelly legs were giving way.

She was going to fall.

What was happening?

Reuben looked truly scared and she was terrified.

Young Thorn cried out,

There,

Pippi,

There!

He pointed to a gap in the hedge that was barely noticeable.

The whole group tumbled through.

Young Thorn wedged himself into the narrow opening and the hedge seemed complete.

Everyone stood in the secret clearing.

Shoulders heaved,

Breaths were gasping,

But the thick wall of green occluded sound.

They were safe.

Then Felicity heard them.

Ugly,

Strange voices.

A creaky language,

Like the silly croaks she and Freya had made as children that had the whole family laughing as they tried to decode it.

But why could she hear it?

Was the hedge breaking down?

Her heart jumped to beat.

She took a shaky breath and looked to the others.

Gus was standing totally still and listening hard.

His big eyes looked at her and she understood.

He was mind-listening and she was catching his thoughts.

She looked at Reuben.

He was frowning hard.

He can't understand.

It was up to her and Gus.

She focused on Gus's eyes and the ugly words were clear.

A toxic,

A voice said,

A toxic with this arrogant Orion.

Shame on him,

Shame on him.

Shame on him,

Shame on him.

A chorus of foul tongues chimed.

The menacing voices passed on.

Reuben said,

What do they say?

Gus,

They know I'm with you,

A toxic.

How do they know?

Asked Reuben.

Why do they say betrayer?

Interrupted Felicity.

You understood,

Said Reuben,

Looking at her with surprise.

Yes,

She said.

Reuben seemed pleased.

Thank goodness,

He muttered.

Gus looked at him.

You chose well,

Reuben,

He said with a reassuring smile.

What on earth are they talking about?

Wondered Felicity,

Not grasping Reuben's need for reassurance at this early stage of the quest.

He took her ability to translate the toxic's language through Gus as extra affirmation of her belonging in this quest.

Even better,

He could not.

He smiled happily.

He's losing the plot with the stress,

Thought Felicity.

But she smiled in return,

Helpless as always when faced with his charm.

Gus returned them to the task.

Only the aquatics know I wished to join the quest.

They must have a spy working with them.

It's beyond belief,

But there's no other way,

He said quietly.

But you're safe with us,

Bellowed George.

And Pippi rubbed her thick,

Furry neck against Gus' prickly body.

Felicity saw a movement from Sib out of the corner of her eye.

He'd sidled closer to the hedge and seemed to be listening.

He didn't see her watching him.

Gus had flattened his spines with pleasure at Pippi's caress.

Reuben was chewing the edge of his finger as he thought fast.

Why are they here?

Gus thought they were gathering in the shadowed south,

Ready to attack the caves.

Why are they here?

It must be a small renegade group just looking for trouble,

Said Pippi,

Catching his thoughts.

We couldn't have communicated with them.

Their minds were black.

We had to run.

There was no light entering them.

They were evil,

Said young Thorn.

Uncontrollable,

Said Reuben.

This world has seen many,

Many things,

Rumbled George.

But let's sit and talk now the danger has passed.

As they all found somewhere comfortable to rest,

George's deep voice continued.

There have been other imbalances in the early days.

It's recorded in the Great Root that as we came into being each new pair of enharmonic species tipped the energies up and down as they settled upon the terroir.

So do not be scared,

My friends.

These toxics have such anger and bitterness.

Their hearts are black and ugly,

But they were created on this world.

He looked at Reuben as he said this.

Thank you,

Said Reuben,

Mind sharing.

He was so very glad of George.

The group were at peace and Reuben decided to make camp right where they were.

Gus came close to Felicity.

What would they do to you,

Gus?

Felicity asked the unspoken question.

All eyes looked down.

Gus did not respond.

Felicity thought again of those voices.

They were truly ugly,

Spiteful and full of malice.

She could not imagine Gus sounding like that with his gentle voice.

Camp was set up,

A small fire built,

And Scrat showed them all how to toast the stog balls until they were crispy.

As she crunched them,

George and Gus entertained Felicity with some of the food.

From the high,

Frozen parts of the eastern wastes,

Down to the deep caves and valleys of mist and moor,

And across the seas to the damp temperate north,

They took her on a visionary journey.

Gus lit up the inky black night with his tales of colour,

The pastel perfection of the fragrance,

The bright green lands of the Orion,

And the tiny,

Sheer,

White,

White,

White,

White,

White sun,

And the tiny,

Shimmering chimebirds that populated the golden lands of the Western Isle.

George spoke of baking plains where lived the great Toreau.

Felicity learnt of the violent waterfalls that crashed and thundered down the softened cliffs,

And of the rumour that their unattainable heights were the heavenly nests of the Strata.

She longed to see these things.

In spite of today's drama,

She felt her courage increasing each day,

As if the world was slowly seeping into her.

I can't imagine not being here,

She thought sleepily.

As the small group fell silent,

Reuben alone remained awake.

Tomorrow he would actively seek the key member whose arrival kept them here.

They must move on.

Today had been a warning.

Reviews

Hello Maite, Thankyou for this series. I am enjoying it very much. Your voice is so emotive, yet peaceful, which is perfect to fall asleep by. And I do. 🌌 🐨☺🐱😼🙏🌸