((As you read this final installment of the Chora Series, please remember that these have all been first drafts. I may, as time allows, or if other circumstances allow, edit them and improve upon them. Thanks for the patience you've all show. I hope it was worth the wait.))
Chora the Explora – Part 5
If laughter is indeed the best medicine then Chora is nearing complete recovery. Her laughter carries over tall grasses and wild flowers as she chases Noli in an elaborate dance of “Catch Me If You Can”. Unknown to the participants of this game is that for many centuries Enkidukai have used such games to teach their children how to fend for themselves without the children even knowing that they are even learning anything at all and today is no different in that regard. However, the type of chase is vastly different.
“Use your mind to find me Chora. Don't run around aimlessly. Settle yourself, breath deeply, let all your worries float away from you, then let yourself reach out with your mind to find me.”
Chora taps Noli lightly on the shoulder and smiles, “I already did.” and then bursts out laughing as Noli begins tickling her.
“My, my you are a fast learner.” Noli remarks with a proud grin.
“Let's take a break and sit under the tree for a bit.” Noli pauses and looks at Chora seriously for a moment, “Tell me child, what have you learned today?”
Chora pauses as if deep in thought and then says, “That there is a lot of information in the silence.”
Noli nods her head proudly at Chora, pulls out an azure way glyph and says, “It's time for you to learn more my Dear.”
***
“But I don't understand Chora. I thought the rumor was your parents moved to a lower level,” Chandopi begins, “but you say you never saw them again?”
“Chan,” Chora sighs, “I didn't know about the rumor until just a short time ago. Besides I kind of forgotten what they look like. I don't think I'd recognize them if I ever saw them again. My new family has been very good to me and I love them very much.”
“Works for me! Now come on. Let's go find this mysterious person you're looking for.”
Chora nods and takes a moment to settle herself. Slowly, she looks off towards the openness of of the countryside and starts walking North.
***
Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would come upon such a scene as the one haunting her now. In the distance she can see a male Enkidukai being tortured while what appear to be rogues with a deep blue aura around their eyes seem to be taking great pleasure in the screams emitted by the young hostage. Remaining out of sight for the moment, Chora and Chandopi try to come up with a plan.
“All that will serve to do is get him killed.”
“But at least then he'll be in the relative safety of the Death Realm. He'll have a better chance there than he will at the mercies of those horrible creatures.” Responds Chora.
Shocked, Chandopi continues, “But if he's never died before, he won't know his way out! There are horrors down there Chora that no one should see.” Chandopi lowers her head, “I should know. I've been there before.”
Chora places a hand on her friends shoulder, “Do you have a better idea?”
“No.”
“If all goes well, then he'll reemerge from the depths with only a bad memory of the event, but he'll be alive. At least he won't be suffering as he is now.”
“Okay, what do I do?”
“Just distract them long enough for me to get a clear shot at him. I love him so much, but he doesn't deserve to suffer like this and we are no match for those rogues.”
From behind them a familiar voice quietly greets them, “Need a hand?”
Chora looks up from what she is doing and smiles with a tear in her eye. “Now we stand a chance.”
***
“Ubyna? Are their other ways of magic?”
Noli looks shocked for a moment and responds, “You know that's the first time you've ever called me mom?”
Smiling, but looking down Chora says, “I hope you don't mind, but...”
“Mind? My child I have been longing for the day!”
After the two embrace Noli says, “Now. Tell me. Why this sudden interest in other ways of magic?”
“I had a dream where I had to fend off some bad people and I was shooting arrows, but I didn't have a bow.”
Without flinching Noli asks, “What color were the arrows?”
“Blueish, but kinda see through.”
“Blue way.” Noli nods, “not that different from what we use now, but I won't be able to teach you. For that you will have to talk to,” Noli pauses and looks at Chora, “your father.”
Chora nods and smiles back at Noli. “Is it a difficult way?”
“I don't think so, but like I said, Tenosh knows better than I do.” Noli pauses for a moment then asks Chora, “Who is the young one you see in your dreams? Why are you helping him?”
Chora begins to tell Noli of the dream in which a young Menki got lost in a system of caves near the edge of the first level. She shares the description of the men with blue eyes and how the young Menki howls in pain when ever they are near him. She and some other people she couldn't see were trying to help him and she was shooting arrows, but she didn't see where they went.
“I don't know for sure, but I think I knew the Menki. He almost looked like one of my brothers from before.”
With a concerned look on her face Noli sends Chora of to speak with Tenosh.
***
“Okay, does everyone know what they are doing?”
As Chora looks at both of her friends, they nod in response.
“Good. Let's get this over with.”
Slowly they get up from their hiding spot and approach the men with blue eyes. All of a sudden blue eyed men begin coming at them from all directions.
“We didn't expect this to happen so just do what ever you can!” Chora yells out as she dodges a dagger.
Finally Chora gets close enough to see the face of the young Menki hostage and looks with horror at her bloodied brother. “Edig!” she screams with tears beginning to cascade down her face. “No! I Can't!” She screams out with a piercing pain in her voice.
Her brother Edig looks up in time to see the point of a broadsword coming out the front of his sister's chest. At that very same moment another man approaches Chora and shoves something in her mouth and holds his hand in place until she swallows. A black stained line in the corner of her mouth is all that remains of whatever she swallowed.
After the two men drop Chora to the ground, one of her friends approaches her while still fighting off the other rogues. “Chan, get them off of me for a sec would ya?”
As Chandopi sprints into action, the friend looks at Chora's brother and then at Chora. With her last bit of strength Chora yells out to Edig, “I've always loved you!”. Before she passes out, and so the last thing Edig sees is his smiling sister, the Menki lets loose a single fireball which instantly kills Chora's brother. Then looking down at Chora he says, “At least he saw you smiling and he has a better chance in the Death Realm. Let see about getting you out of here.”
***
Noli's tear filled eyes look down at her daughter. “There is nothing more anyone can do. She will not survive the night. She will,” her voice cracks for a moment, “she will suffer true death.”
Then turning to the friend who helped her, “I want to thank you young man for bringing her back to us. I don't know how you managed to do it; bring her all the way back here so quickly, but thank you.” “Do you know if her brother survived the Death Realm?”
“I don't know yet, but I will keep an eye out for him. If he could survive what I saw, then I have no doubt that he survived down there. He was suffering pretty badly when we got there.”
Nodding slowly Noli responds, “Chora will be pleased her brother will be looked after by you. Is there anything, anything at all you need?”
“No.” Then looking down, the Menki says, “Tell her... tell her thanks. She'll understand I hope.”
Before he walks out the door, a sweet melody chills the air. The sudden realization that Chora has passed away brings a strange sense of belonging to the young man who helped her.
As he listens to the rhyme, he wonders of the kit and his own new life to come.
“Winter...
Freezes all the joy and happiness,
smiles and laughs,
and suspends them so that each lasts as though they will continue for an eternity.
Spring...
Melts away the promise of joy
to expose the realistic hardship that life deals with such cunning and perfection.
Summer...
brings the needed re-birth
of character
and personality
that so effects the way the charmflowers bloom to a victorious glory.
Fall...
is the time for relaxing and
blessing counting
as the hibernation for an endless cycle weighs down on our minds and we begin...
Just Passing Time"
