A Jammer’s Dream, Book 2: The Forgotten Alpha
Ahh, a Jammer’s Dream. Yes, a Jammer’s Dream. If only that was what I went through. If only it was all a dream. None of this would’ve happened, and I wouldn’t of had to been the face of Jamaa during battle. I am no hero. I’m a coward!
“My old Jammer’s dream was to get that diamond sword. But I guess the journey did change me. Kurkah, Nova and I were sent to figure out where the Phantoms were at. We went on an adventure. Along the way, we met the Tribe of Ersel animals. They taught us how to find the Phantoms. So, we went their way. We escaped witches. We got out of swamps. We got through creepy jungles with forgotten temples. We even got a crystal that eventually we lost, but it was a good thing because it summoned bad luck. Then we got to the oceans, where we met the pirates. Keenen was a rat that lived on the ship. The ship took us to Carntimyus Island, where the Phantoms were, but we barely made it because of a storm. Once we were there, Sinsar and Mincero, two lost explorers, helped us find the fort. Kurkah betrayed us then and there. We used a portal to get back to Jamaa. We battled the Phantom, and almost lost. But then Ersel and his tribe came. Even though Ersel is small, he quickly pinned Kurkah to the ground and killed him. If it wasn’t for the Tribe of Ersel animals, we wouldn’t of won. I learned that being greedy doesn’t get you anywhere. Kurkah betrayed us out of greediness and became the Phantom King, and now he’s dead. That’s my story,” I finish.
“Cool story!” the small lion shouts. Another one of his friends claps.
“But now we have to find the Forgotten Alpha. The real battle is yet to come,” Nova interrupts.
“Yes. Now all of you go. We have to get ready for our journey,” I say out loud. The small animals leave us. Nova and I begin to talk. Right now we’re on the bridge in Jamaa Township, in the shade and away from the blazing sun.
“Nova, the final battle will be a betrayal. Liza told me that before those smaller animals wanted to hear our story,” I explain.
“But who will it be against? The Phantoms?” Nova wonders with curiosity.
“No, Nova. I have no idea who will be stronger than the Phantoms,” I answer.
I stare at my light brown fur. I am small for my age. Two wolves in their late teens stand by each other, and they are Nova and I. I am much smaller than her. She is the normal size for a wolf. But I’m not. I have light blue eyes and my light brown fur makes me seem even weaker. Oh, I wish I was as bold and kind as Nova. She has seemingly pink eyes and dark gray fur. She has known me or my whole life, and is my best friend.
“Come on, Nova. We have to find two other animals to come with us. I’ve decided that Mincero, Sinsar, Keenen and Rapicik are coming with us,” I tell Nova.
“Okay. I’m thinking about Padanda coming, too. Her reputation is enough to convince me,” says Nova with a load of confidence.
“All of these warriors live with us and help the alphas fight against the Phantoms. I’m sure there’s more, but where are they?” I ponder.
“I don’t know for sure, but I’m assuming that they’re scattered around Jamaa just like everyone else,” Nova responds.
Nova and I get off the bridge and start walking into the heart of Jamaa Township. There’s no warriors around, just small animals that are still young.
“Maybe in the Chamber of Knowledge- warriors and alphas like going there,” Nova comes up with a bright idea.
“Yes!” I reply.
Nova and I sprint to the bridge on the other side of Jamaa Township and into the Temple of Zios. The jungle reminds me of what I saw on the journey to find the Phantoms.
The fallen statue is a landmark in the Temple of Zios. They say phantoms come out when you sleep by it, but nobody knows for sure. It’s just another myth like the ice. But, we did break the ice… and found a hidden land.
“Cup! What are you doing? Come on!” Nova shouts to me. I realize that I’m lost in thoughts and just sitting here while Nova is already at the Chamber of Knowledge. The trees block the sun so it’s a little hard to see, but I manage to make my way to Nova and the Chamber of Knowledge.
Once we’re inside, I can see how ancient the place is. There’s old books and ancient floors in here. There’s bookshelves upon bookshelves and so many artifacts from the original battle against the Phantoms. The only light in here is from a torch, which makes it dimly lit.
“Hey! Look! It’s a warrior over there!” Nova point at a very old, wise looking rhinoceros.
Nova walks over to the rhino and explains the journey we’re going on. The rhino stares at us for a long period of time, then says “I will go on the journey. But I don’t want anyone annoying me. If they do, I will destroy them instantaneously. Oh, and you can call me Dawn,” Dawn warns.
He seems brave. Nova and I nod at each other. I’m not afraid of these kind of animals anymore.
“Okay, we have to hurry. We’ll meet the others at my den,” I demand.
The three of us head to my den, with myself leading the way. Once we arrive at my den, Nova goes to gather the other six animals coming with us.
“Oh, Cup! I’m so glad you’re alive!” my mother races to greet me. I just now realize that I haven’t talked to my mother since I got back from the journey.
“Cup, even though I may seem mean, I will always- no matter, even if I have to give my soul to the Phantoms… I‘ll always love you as my son. I wish you luck on your new journey,” my mother, Rosa, another light brown wolf with blue eyes, says.
I hug her. I don’t really want to go on another journey because I know I’m not the one. Why on Earth would I, of all animals, be picked to go on these dangerous quests?
My mother lets go of her grasp on me and Nova arrives back with the rest of the six animals.
“Okay, let’s go to Liza for directions,” Nova says. I say one final goodbye to my mother then the eight of us head down into the back part of Jamaa Township, where Liza lives in her hut.
“Liza, we are ready. These are the six animals we’re bringing with. We need to know the directions to find the Forgotten Alpha now,” I explain.
“You will all have to visit The Tribe of Ersel Animals once again. I’m sure you two already know the way. They know where the Forgotten Alpha lives from what I’ve heard. But we don’t. I am sorry for this distraction, Nova and Cup, but you must ask Ersel himself where the Forgotten Alpha is,” Liza explains thoroughly.
“It’s okay, Liza. An adventure is exactly what we need,” Nova winks at me.
“Now go You have to get back soon. I have no idea when the final battle will start or who it will be against. Leave now, because it could start at anytime!” Liza orders.
The eight of us exit Liza’s hut and head towards Mt. Shiveer. While Nova leads the way, I get to know some of the animals coming with us on our second quest.
I first approach Rapicik. He is a middle-aged fox with lots of humor from what I know. Ut he is also brave to be helping us. He has a bright orange and white pelt.
“So, Rapicik, you used to be friends with The Forgotten Alpha? What was his name, and what was he like” I ask him, trailing behind Nova.
“His name, I believe, well… it’s been so long I can barely remember. It was at least when I was in my teens I last saw him. I think it was Faber, and he was a large and wise tiger,” says Rapicik.
“That sounds interesting. Rapicik, have you ever been on a quest like this?” I ask him.
“Yes, multiple times. I love to fight the Phantoms and help save Jamaa,” Rapicik laughs.
“Well, I don’t think I deserve to be on this journey. I’m too small and I’m weak. I can’t fight a battle! Kurkah almost killed me if Ersel didn’t come in time,” I explain my worries.
“It doesn’t take looks and strength to win a battle. It’s your wits,” Rapicik lets a wise quote escape from his mouth.
I think about the quote for a second. Rapicik is a great addition to our party.
I walk over to Padanda, who I’ve never talked to before.
“Padanda, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m glad you’re on the adventure with us. I’m sure you’ll be a large help!” I smile.
“Thank you. It’s an honor to meet you, too. I’ve heard you saved Jamaa,” Padanda relies with a large grin. Padanda looks very similar to Liza- wearing alpha clothes. She has a pink flower in her head and has a sceptre she always carries around.
I nod, knowing that I didn’t really save Jamaa. It was Ersel. But I keep quiet. I don’t feel like talking to anybody else. Keenen follow behind me, along with Mincero and Sinsar.
“Hey, Cup, do you remember the pirate ship I used to live on?” Keenen asks right as we arrive at Mt. Shiveer.
“Yes, I do,” I reply while looking at the large crowd of animals by the broken ice.
“Well, I decided that I’m not going back to live on another pirate ship. I’m staying in Jamaa with you guys,” Keenen smiles.
I smile, then continue looking at the crowd around the broken ice. Oh, yes- Nova and I had to break the ice with the mysterious wolf to get down to the prairie.
“I advise you all not to go down the slides. It’s too dangerous for you. Only animals on this mission can go down there,” I tell the large crowd. All of the animals are still in shock that the ice is broken. They nod in understanding, though.
The eight of us go down the ice slides and into the prairie. I glance and Nova, and she glances back.
Here we are, just where we started last time.
“Nova, we have to get into those mountains. In the Mythical Forest will be the Tribe,” I tell Nova. All of a sudden the two youngest members of the party are leading the way.
“What you all are going to see soon will take your breath away,” I tell the others.
“I can’t wait, then!” Rapicik laughs.
We travel through the prairie. The tall grass blocks part of my view and it’s hard to see with the blazing sun. There’s little clouds out and there’s a blue sky. Up ahead the mountains are visible; so tall there’s snow on the peaks of them. And the trees where the Tribe of Ersel Animals lives are visible, too.
“Hey, Cup? Are we headed towards the Mythical Forest?” Rapicik asks, squinting his curious eyes.
“Actually, yes. There’s a Tribe of different animals there, and they are helping us find the Forgotten Alpha. They know his destination,” I assure.
Rapicik nods, and we continue our journey through the prairie. Just then I spot an opening in the ground. I know exactly where it leads.
“Nova, that’s Kurkah’s old house,” I whisper.
“I know. Let’s just ignore it,” replies Nova.
The sun gets brighter and I need to take a quick break. I am sweating badly and the heat is really getting to me.
“Let’s take a break from walking for a little while,” I tell everyone. Rapicik is the first to nod. Keenen follows him, along with everybody else.
I sit down on a wooden log that looks like it’s been here for a while. Sinsar sits next to me.
“So, how do you feel about finally being off that dreadful island?” I ask him.
Sinsar glares at me, and then says “wonderful”.
“Have you ever seen the Forgotten Alpha before?” I continue the conversation.
Sinsar glares at me once again. His expression quickly brightens up, and he explains that the Forgotten Alpha is older any of the other Alphas.
“He was everybody’s friend, and was the best fighter Jamaa has ever had. He was a ginger wolf and loved to train everyone the best he could. He was wise, very wise. Wiser than anyone I knew. Barely any of the Jammers know about him today- they say he’s just a myth. But if it wasn’t for him, Jamaa wouldn’t of won the first battle against the Phantoms. He’s an amazing animal to be around. Sadly, even before I got lost on Carntimyus Island, he disappeared. Some say that he sides with the Phantoms, but I know that’s not true. There has to be a greater reason, a much more important one, as to why he’s gone today. But nobody knows the truth,” Sinsar finishes.
All of us decide to continue the journey to the Mythical Forest now. The sun is at its highest point. We might have to stay the night there.
Once we reach the forest that leads into the mountains, the mythical feeling hits us all right away. I remember the last time I was here- Kurkah, Nova and I were going through this forest when one of the Tribe’s members found us. I was scared, but it turned out to be a great part of our adventure.
The forest is shady, with green trees surrounding us. We are climbing up the mountainside and I know that we must be getting close to The Tribe of Ersel Animals. There’s not alot of sunlight in here because there’s so many trees the leaves block it.
Finally, I spot Ikenus, one of Ersel’s most trusted tribe members.
“Ikenus, we need to see Ersel,” I say out loud. Everyone except for Nova and I is staring at the large wolf in wonder.
“Oh, Cup! I remember you now. I will certainly take you to Ersel,” the large, black wolf Ikenus responds quickly. He glares at the rest of us with his gray eyes.
“Who are these? I know Nova, but none of the rest,” Ikenus questions us.
“We’re on a journey, and they’re coming with us,” I explain.
“Okay then. I’ll take you to Ersel now,” Ikenus turns around and races to the hidden staircase that goes down into the dome.
We all follow him through the thick branches, fallen leaves and green grass. It is late summer and autumn will be coming soon.
Rapicik flinches as we walk down the winding, wooden staircase. It almost seems too dangerous to walk on, but it doesn’t give out. I’m thankful for that. Vines grow through the cracks in it, and it creaks every time you take a step on it. The only light there is in this area is from dimly lit torches. We all eventually reach the bottom, and I can easily spot the dome at the top of the ceiling. All of the wooden huts are still here, and there are larger versions of every animal in Jamaa scrambling around. I clearly remember being here. Once again, the light is only coming from the many torches, and the light coming from the dome.
“Ersel’s palace is at the other side of this part, so it’ll take a minute or two to get there,” Ikenus points out.
“Okay,” Nova and I reply.
Every other member of our party is staring at the underground world of wonder except for Nova and I. We have both been here, but the others haven’t. Padanda is getting glimpses of every part, along with Rapicik and Dawn. Mincero, Sinsar and Keenen are doing the same. Sinsar seems to be the most curious, however, because he was one of the best explorers Jamaa has had and he likes to discover things.
I peer at the wooden huts. They are all small compared to the larger palace that Ersel lives in. I can get a view of it from here- tall, broad, and full of rooms and windows. It looks large, and it has many more torches in it than a regular wooden hut. Each member of the Tribe stare at us and wonder, just as we stare at them.
After walking down the dirt path for a few more minutes, we reach the large palace that Ersel lives in. Ikenus opens the door and tells the guards to let us all in. They obey, since Ikenus is most likely second in command for the Tribe of Ersel Animals.
Inside Ersel’s palace it is much fancier than the wooden huts Kurkah, Nova and I stayed in the last time we were here. There are much more torches, red carpet, and fancy art along the walls. We climb another flight of stairs, and these stairs are made of stone, not wood. They aren’t as dangerous, either. Once we’re at the top, Ikenus leads us down a narrow hallway and at the end we enter Ersel’s room.
“Visitors? I haven’t had them since… Nova! And Cup! It’s you two again?” Ersel exclaims.
“Yes, and we need your help again,” I answer.
Ersel is a very, pitch black wolf. He’s so black he could be a shadow slithering in the night sky, just waiting to pounce onto its prey. He has ice-blue eyes and a huge scar across his face. Wait… it now looks as if his right eye is completely white, while his left eye is still the ice blue. Compared to the the other members of the Tribe, he is very small. He is only Nova’s size, which is average for a Jamaasian. But most of the Tribe members are double Nova’s size.
“Ersel, what happened to your right eye?” I say out loud. I regret asking now.
“The Phantoms invaded us, and I had to fight them off. The King got me in the right eye, and now I’m blind in it. I still killed the King, and the Phantoms fled,” explains Ersel.
“Okay, but anyways, this is our story,” I get back to the main subject. Ersel sits on a stone throne that has vine growing over it. I can peer out of the windows and see the village below us.
“After we got back, we fought off the Phantoms with your tribe. Then Liza told all eight of us to go and find the Forgotten Alpha, because he would help us in our final battle to save Jamaa,” I tell Ersel.
“The Forgotten Alpha?” Ersel squints at me.
“I thought he was dead…” I can hear Ersel whisper.
“No, he’s not. And according to Liza, you know where he could be at,” I raise my head high.
“Well, it’s been quite a long time since I last saw him. We used to be best friends, but then… well, it’s a long story. I know so many secrets they are hard to find the depths of my brain. But if I’m not mistaken, he is northeast from here. Very far northeast. He’s even farther than Carntimyus Island. I think he could have a Tribe or something, too, but it’s been years and I can’t remember. You’ll find out for yourself, I guess. Just go very far northeast, and eventually, there will be a rocky area with rivers around it. I think that’s where he is,” Ersel gives us the directions.
“Okay, thanks,” I tell him. Then I start yawning.
“And, I’m sorry about this, but can we stay the night?” I ponder.
“It’s fine just as long as you stay within my palace,” Ersel orders.
“Cup, I can guarantee you that not all of your members going with you will survive the journey. I barely did myself. You better watch you back for danger,” Ersel warns.
“Now, Cup, there are some rooms for you to stay in on the first floor You can bring your friends with you, too,” Ersel breaks the sudden silence after his warning.
“Thanks,” Nova beats me to it.
We all begin going down the stairs, but Ersel tells me to stay behind while the others find rooms.
“Yes, what is it, Ersel?” I ask.
“Cup, you are brave. I know that for a fact. Do you remember Ice? The lonely wolf that helped you and Nova break the ice? It was me all along,” admits Ersel.
“But why?” I questions his actions.
“I needed to figure out how the Jamaasians were doing. You see, there isn’t just one Forgotten Alpha. There’s two. And the second one was me,” Ersel lifts up his chin.
“Then how come Liza never mentioned you?” I ask with disbelief.
“Because I was part of Jamaa before her. I am the creator of my Tribe, while Zios created his. We were both friends, and after Zios created Mira, they had to recruit Alphas. I was the first chosen. But when I realized that their animals were going to hev evil souls, I ran away. I created the Tribe of Ersel Animals because most of the Jamaasians are greedy and cruel. It’s the truth, and you have to admit it,” Ersel points out.
I think about Archie and his followers. Then I think about the Jammers that bully others. And then Kurkah. Not all of the Jammers are bad, though… even the famous Jammers can be good.
“Yes, I know it is,” I say, “but it is my home, and we can always change. It is the greatest land that any animal could ever live in.”
Ersel stares at me. Then he says “indeed it is great. But anyways, they never told the Jamaasians about me. That’s why I was never in their history books. They wanted to forget all about me because I left Jamaa. That’s why I am with the Tribe today,” Ersel finishes.
“Then why did you help Jamaa during the last battle with the Phantoms?” I ask Ersel.
“Because I couldn’t just watch all of you die. The Alphas still won’t say anything about me to the new generation of Jamaasians, though,” Ersel swears under his breath.
“Ersel, you can’t blame them, though. They’ve changed alot, and if they even remembered who you are, they’d welcome you back,” I try to convince him.
“Yes, I can blame them.”
“Well, then you can. But they are all still my family and nothing can stop that,” I glare at him, deep in his good eye.
Ersel glances at me, and then looks down a his paws.
“Yes, I know they are your family. I am sorry for my rudeness. And I know they need your help, Cup, because you will be the greatest warrior they have ever seen before their eyes,” Ersel guarantees.
I give him a forced smile. It’s hard to smile when your home is in danger.
“Thanks, Ersel. But how did the other Forgotten Alpha leave?” I ask my final question.
“Oh… it’s been quite a long time. But I think he left and told me this before he was gone: ‘Ersel, I am leaving because of a Prophecy from Zios. He has explained I need to start a tribe of animals to help Jamaa in the distant future. I am sorry to leave Jamaa, and I am sorry you left, too. I hope they explain you in their history soon. Goodbye, Ersel’,” Ersel quotes what Faber, the Forgotten Alpha, had told him.
“So he has his own tribe, too?” I ask Ersel. He nods quickly.
“I went there a long time ago, but the guards wouldn’t welcome me in through the gates. Good luck getting past them. By the time I arrived back here, I was weakened by the long and tiring journey,” Ersel says.
I look around the room . I need to get rest so we can get up bright and early for the journey tomorrow.
“Ersel, I must leave now. I need to get rest for tomorrow,” I end our long conversation.
“Okay, I’ll see you soon. The Tribe of Ersel Animals has got your back anytime, despite the Alphas not liking me that much. By the way, once you finish this quest, I want you to come back here before going home again. I have something I need to give you,” Ersel winks.
I stare at him in confusion. Then I tell him goodnight, and I race down the stairs to find my room.
I find a room next to Nova’s. It is wooden, with little light in it, but it’s enough for the night. I quickly fall asleep.
“Cup, remember what Kurkah did. He betrayed you. And the final battle with be a betrayal, also. Remember, Cup… trust only the ones you know you can…” Zios says. We are currently sitting in the Chamber of Knowledge, chatting.
“But Zios! Can you tell me who we will battle?” I beg.
“We don’t know, but we only know there will be a final battle and betrayal. Cup, you will save Jamaa and your dearest friends. But first, you must go through training with…” Zios stops.
“Training with who?” I ask.
“You shall find out. Now I must leave you. You have a long journey ahead of you,” Zios squints. Right now Zios is a dark brown Koala, but according to legend, he can shapeshift into any animal that he wants to.
I suddenly jolt awake. Nova is hovering over me.
“Finally, you’re awake! We have to get going on the journey right now, otherwise the final battle could happen before we even get home. Remember, it could start at any time,” Nova grabs me and pulls me to my paws.
The eight of us race out of Ersel’s palace, and he waves goodbye.
“Remember, visit me before returning home!” Ersel shouts as Ikenus leads us out of the underground dome.
We exit the Tribe of Ersel Animal’s underground lair, and Ikenus tells us goodbye.
“We have to all go northeast from here. If we run into a rocky area with rivers around it, that should be where the Forgotten Alpha is,” I tell the other seven members coming with me on the journey.
I have the mythical feeling inside myself right now as we are in the Mythical Forest. Then we all start heading northeast, which will lead us higher into the mountains.
“Cup, northeast is going into the dangerous mountains. We’re going to have to make sure we don’t fall off a cliff,” Nova laughs.
“Why are you laughing about that?” I question.
“Because I could only imagine what Kurkah would do if he was on this adventure,” Nova replies.
“Yeah, he’d fall off,” I laugh a little.
“Cup, I’m glad that you’re my best friend. If it weren’t for you, none of this would’ve happened, and we wouldn’t of been able to save Jamaa,” Nova blurts out.
“I’m worried about you,” I reply with an icy stare.
“What do you mean?” asks Nova.
“These adventures and all- well, we’re just regular animals… what’s so special about us? We could easily be killed,” I explain.
“Don’t get your hopes down, because we were chosen for this. We are the ones to save Jamaa. I might not like the fame, but I know we can do it. You and I, we’re like one animal. I believe we can save Jamaa and I care about every animal there is in it. They might be annoying like Wandel, but everyone is my family. And if you’re right, about us being killed, then I’m glad I will die defending my home,” Nova raises her head up high.
I remain silent, thinking about what Nova said. I guess she’s right. We have to save Jamaa.
We’re now in the tall mountains. On the peaks of them is snow because of how tall they are. It’s getting extremely difficult to climb the mountainside because it’s is now steeper than ever. The morning sunlight peers down onto the eight of us, greeting us with glee as we continue climbing. And then I see something rustling behind a bush.
I sneak over to it, then pounce onto whatever is behind the bush. Everyone else pauses, waiting to find out what’s going on.
“Oh, hey, Cup! Is Nova here?” Rocky, the lion around my age, exclaims.
“You again?” I raise my eyebrows.
“Yes, me again.” Rocky grins.
“I’ve been following you because I didn’t want to stay in Jamaa. Wandel is the new leader of the bridge in Jamaa township since Archie, well, was consumed by the Phantoms. But he’s been bullying me, and I can’t stand it. Then I followed you guys secretly. Can I please stay with you, and find the Forgotten Alpha?” pleads Rocky.
I stare at Rocky. He looks like the average lion, and is bigger than me. He has ocean blue eyes, but they don’t have an icy tint like Ersel’s.
“Fine, you can stay with us. But don’t cause any trouble on the journey,” I demand.
“Thanks!” Rocky sprints over to where Nova is.
“Nova, I’m sorry about acting so weird the last time I saw you. I’ll admit it, I like you, but you don’t have to like me. But can we be friends?” asks Rocky.
“Umm, sure,” Nova stares at him awkwardly. Suddenly I feel a small pang of guilt for Rocky. Maybe he is just misunderstood. But that’s exactly how Kurkah acted on our last journey, so I don’t trust this Rocky yet.
As Nova and I lead the way with Rapicik, Rocky catches up with us and wants to talk to me.
“So, the Forgotten Alpha? But why do we have to find him?” Rocky wonders.
“For an upcoming battle. He’ll help us,” I tell Rocky.
“Oh,” Rocky says.
We’re now on the peak of the mountain, and it’s chillier than I expected. The snow hits my paws as cold as winter’s breath.
Since we’re at the top of the mountain, I can clearly see what lies ahead. Another forest that stretches for miles- but is covered in snow. It lies on top of a flat mountain, but it is still high in the air. That’s why it has a white blanket of snow covering it.
“Guys, we have to go through a snowy forest. It’ll be tough, and it goes on for what looks to be miles,” I glare at the forest ahead of us.
“Well, that’s exactly what we need. A harder adventure. Let’s go!” Nova begins running down the slope and towards the white forest.
I glance at Rapicik. He glances back at me. Then the rest of us start our ways down the mountainside and into the forest of snow. I’m just hoping on the other side we’ll be away from the mountains.
Once the eight of us are in the forest, it is freezing cold. And then I think about Ersel’s warning that not all of us would make it out alive. What dangers could lie ahead?
Sprinting through the forest, the eight of us are glaring at our surroundings as we zoom past them. I know we have to hurry if we want to get through this forest on time. My fellow companion, Keenen, is having trouble keeping up.
“Keenen, get on my back,” I request.
“But won’t it be alot harder for you then?” Keenen counters.
I gesture for him to get on my back, without responding. He scrambles on top and I begin sprinting again. I catch up with the others easily. I believe being slightly smaller gives me quickness.
“Cup! Watch out!” I hear Padanda gasp. I glance below my paws, running through the deep snow. There’s a gigantic hole in the ground ahead. I skid and try to stop, but I was running so fast it’s hard to stop. Keenen jumps off of my back right as I fall into the deep hole. I hit the cold, hard ground with a thud.
It’s very dark down here, and the ground is wet mud. There’s only a dim light from above.
“Cup, I’ll get you!” I can hear Padanda say from high above. Padanda jumps down into the hole and hits the ground with another thud. She gets up, and grabs me by the scruff with her mouth. Then I hear Rapicik up above.
“Guys, you have to hurry. I think this is a human trap!” Rapicik warns. He then lets a large branch hang down into the hole so we can use it to climb back up. He hangs onto it with his super strong jaws.
Padanda tells me to go first. I tell her that she should go first, but she doesn’t listen.
“Cup, you will save Jamaa. They need you. If the humans trap someone, it’ll be me, and not you,” Padanda then tosses me onto the branch, and I start climbing.
I think about Padanda. What a brave warrior. I hope that I will be like her someday. But I don’t want the humans to get her. I leap to the top of the branch and crawl out of the hole. Rapicik tells Padanda to hurry as the branch is getting harder to hold. I stare into an opening, and find a wooden cottage. Humans!
“Guys, there’s umans here! They must be trying to trap animals!” I warn. Dawn starts pacing the ground, waiting for Padanda to get back up here, while Mincero and Sinsar whisper to each other.
Nova hugs me quickly, and I get embarrassed. She looks me in the eye, then says, “I really thought you were going to be stuck with the humans. I’m glad Rapicik could save you. And Padanda was brave to go down there with you. Cup, I’m not brave. I would’ve had no idea how to save you…” Nova backs away.
“I’m sorry,” she finishes.
“Nova, it’s not your fault,” I tell her. I know she would’ve done anything to save me, but how on earth could she lift a branch and let us crawl up? Only experienced animals like Rapicik could do that.
We all continue walking through the snowy forest in silence Nobody talks about anything. We decide to rest in a cave hidden under many trees. I quickly fall into sleep.
“Cup, great danger awaits. Not all of your members will survive the journey you are on. I cannot tell you when this will happen, or how, because I can’t see that. I can’t tell who, either. Keep your eyes open,” a mysterious voice says in my mind.
“Wait- who are you?” I ask. I’m talking to nothing but a voice in the air. I can see myself, but I’m floating in blackness. All I can see is the color black, and nothing else.
“You will find out later. But not for a long time. Cup, you are the one to save Jamaa. The mysterious force is not who you believe it is, but the unexpected arrival of our greatest fears. Something similar has happened to you. I am warning you, Cup, there are many battles to be fought, but the most dangerous one yet isn’t far away. You will save jamaa. You will become a legend,” the voice booms.
“Who is the mysterious force?” I question.
“We do not know that much yet. But it will consist of many, many animals. It will not be the Phantoms,” the voice replies.
“And by the way, I am not the one to save Jamaa. I am weak!” I try to explain.
“Not, you are night. The greatest warrior Jamaa has ever had will teach you the ways,” I shudder at the thought of being trained. Could this weird voice be talking about the Forgotten Alpha?
Suddenly, the voice shrieks, and the blackness turns to deep ice. The ice cracks beneath my paws, and I fall down. And down. Down. Down, down, down…
“Oh, Cup, you always knew I would take over Jamaa!” a hiss comes from an animal that sounds familiar.
“Who’s there?” I raise my eyebrows. I am no longer falling, but in a cave made out of ice.
“Put together the clues and you’ll understand every prophecy,” the new voice says with a sarcastic tone.
“I am the one that will be your greatest enemy,” the voice continues.
I glare around, looking for a sign of any living creature. Nothing is there except for me and the ice that surrounds myself.
“Then show yourself,” I order.
A quick glob of fur races out of nowhere, fast as lightning. I can’t catch what the animals looks like, but it pounces on me. I close my eyes in terror as the animal bites down onto my throat. No! I can’t die here!
I sit up. I’m still in the ice cave, but I’m not dead. There’s no sign of the attacker.
“So, you thought you’d seen the last of me?” the invisible force questions.
“I will make you suffer before you die. You will not expect me to kill you later! You will watch Nova die, but you will be so badly wounded you can’t help!” the evil entity laughs.
“I would not let that happen, no matter what!” I scream back.
Then I jolt awake.
Beside me, an ancient wolf sits. He looks strong and wise.
“Cup, you aren’t awake yet. Do not fear the enemy; for he fears you. Trust your instincts. Don’t forget that. Deep down, even if you think you’re wrong, your instincts will always turn out to be right. You knew Kurkah wasn’t a great animal, but you didn’t admit it. You didn’t even think about it. You wanted to believe yourself, but your instincts said otherwise. Don’t let that get in your way!” the wolf demands. Just then, I realize I am in the presence of Zios. I’m in the cave the others and I discovered, but they aren’t here. I have to still be dreaming!
“Zios, thank you for the advice. I need to wake up now. We have to move on!” I tell him. Zios gazes at me with bright yellow eyes. I now remember that he can shapeshift and be anything he wants.
“Thank you, Cup. If you see the enemy again, be careful. Even in dreams this animal can be deadly,” Zios warns. Then I see his vanish into thin air. I all of a sudden wake up.
“Wow, Cup! Have you been having nightmares? You’ve been tossing and turning all night!” Nova laughs. I rub my eyes with my paws and spot Keenen across the cave.
“Hey, Keenen, are we almost out of the snowy forest?” I ask. I can’t remember, but I know that Keenen remembers things well.
“Yes, Cup.”
Rapicik tells us all that we have to get going. I get up and stretch, while Padanda comes over to me.
“Cup, were you having dreams about the future?” she asks.
I stare at her, tilt my head to one side, then nod.
“How do you know?” I raise my eyebrow.
“I know how you feel. I can tell if someone is having those kinds of dreams. I can see what animals are dreaming about if I can concentrate hard. I was born with that special power,” Padanda explains.
As we exit the cave with Rapicik in the lead, Padanda and I continue talking.
“Padanda, have you ever met the Forgotten Alpha before?” I blurt out.
“Yes. When I was very little. Maybe about your age. He was maybe double my age. Rapicik has been alive longer than me, and he knows the Forgotten Alpha very well. But the Forgotten Alpha and I have a odd backstory,” says Padanda with a chill in her voice.
“Can you explain?” I ask.
“Well, umm… it’s hard to…” Padanda stares out into the wilderness, beyond the snow covered ground and into the thousands of trees.
“You can tell me,” I assure.
“We fell in love. But I knew it wasn’t going to work out. He was in love with Ireena, another brave soldier of Jamaa. And there was the age difference. Faber, the Forgotten Alpha, had to let me go. That’s all in the past now,” Padanda sheds a single tear down her cheek.
“I’m glad that you trust me with this information,” I say. “It makes me feel like I have more friends.”
Padanda smiles, and then the trip turns back into silence.
Up ahead Rapicik is leading the way with Mincero and Sinsar by his side. I travel up to Mincero. He looks about Rapicik’s age, so he might have some information on the Forgotten Alpha, too.
“Hey, Mincero, did you ever meet the Forgotten Alpha?” I ask.
Mincero, being the brave and intelligent lion he is. Replies with a nod. He then begins to speak.
“The Forgotten Alpha was the bravest animal I’ve ever seen,” Mincero guarantees.
Just then I spot Rocky talking to Nova. I can see Nova blushing, and Rocky smiling like he’s all that. I feel a surge of anger flowing through my body.
“Hey, Nova, are you doing fine?” I step in between the two.
“Yeah,” she says without any emotion in her voice.
“Hey, Cup, what are you doing over here? Go back and talk to Mincero,” Rocky snarls.
“Make me!” I argue.
Dawn, the large and tough rhino, walks over to us.
“Enough of this nonsense. There will be no fighting here!” Dawn orders.
“There will be fighting if Rocky doesn’t go away,” I warn with fire blazing in my eyes.
“How about you go away?” Rocky counters.
“Enough!” Dawn shrieks. Both of us are silent now. The authority in Dawn’s voice shuts us both up.
“Nobody shall fight on an important journey like this. Be loyal to your peers. Loyalty is one of the foremost traits, and fighting doesn’t improve your loyalty. Loyalty is earned through friendship. You must learn to get along if you want to fulfill this journey!” Dawn hands out his words of wisdom.
I let Dawn’s words sink in, but I still can’t believe that Rocky thinks he can take Nova away from me. I’m not Nova’s boyfriend or anything, but we’re friends and Rocky can’t take that away. If he thinks he does, he has alot more coming to him than he realizes.
The Snowy Forest is long gone. All of us have made it out of it alive, but now we’re in a valley. The sun is at its highest point. It blazes down onto us, and the weather is now extremely hot. The blue sky doesn’t have any signs of clouds in it. We are walking by a river that flows through the center of the valley, and in the valley there are many trees. The grass is very green for early autumn.
I gaze at Rocky. That lion thinks he can take Nova away from me. I know he likes her, and if she accepts him as her man, she won’t talk to me anymore. Nova paces along in silence; she must be deep in thought. Could she be thinking about Rocky and I?
I take a step back from the group and drink some of the water from the river. I haven’t had water for days, and I was starting to think I would die of dehydration.
The others decide to stop for water, too. And that’s when I realize Nova has disappeared.
I wander off into the distance, getting closer to the trees. Then I find a large rock that looks like it has just been moved. I walk over to it, and I fall into another deep hole. The ground is hard, but there’s light down here- and it’s coming from a torch.
I scramble to my paws, shaking off the fall. I look around. I’m in another hole, but this one looks like it is a home for something- or someone.
Looking around once again, I find a dirt path that leads into a different underground room. Torches still light my way, and it looks like someone has been here recently. The scent is definitely not stale.
I then enter a large room filled with hay and grass- and more of it. There is so much hay and grass down here you could fill up a forest.
But why?
“Is that you, Cup?” a hear a female voice ask. In the corner of the enormous room, and dark grey wolf comes out. It’s Nova!
I rush over to her, but then find out that hundreds of rabbits are behind her. They look like the ones from Jamaa. They are very similar.
“Is this your friend?” the largest rabbit asks Nova. She nods.
“Hello, wolf. We are the Rabbits. We are not just rabbits, though. As I said, we are the rabbits,” the rabbit explains thoroughly.
“I like your home,” I say. The largest rabbit looks confused.
“This is our home, but why do you like it? I thought wolves did not like anything about rabbits,” he still looks lost in thought.
“No, we come from a land called Jamaa. All animals live in peace, and we support everyone- even rabbits. Jamaa is a wonderful place to be, and without it-” I start to tell the story of Jamaa, but the rabbit interrupts with a grin that looks like a quarter moon flipped onto its side.
“Jamaa! We are the ancestors of Jamaa! Is Liza, a kind and caring panda, one of your alphas?” the rabbit questions us. I stare at him in shock. How does he know?
“The Panda took our spiritstone we offered her. It was a long time ago, and we had two, so we gave her one. She told us we would be part of a new land called Jamaa,” a female rabbit much smaller than the original one speaking comes out from the crowd.
“Actually, the spiritstones were changed to heartstones,” Nova says with a grim look on her face. I look her in the eye, and I can tell that she wants us to get back to where the others are. Rapicik, Padanda, and the rest of them are probably looking for us. Maybe even Rocky.
Then the female rabbit speaks up again. “I am Kirisha, the leader of the rabbits. That larger, male rabbit you talked to was Ankoos.”
“Have you heard of Peck?” Kirisha suddenly asks. I gaze into her green eyes. Kirisha, the leader of the rabbits has dark grey fur like Nova. Ankoos looks just like her. He has the same green eyes and dark grey fur.
“Actually, yes. She is the Bunny Alpha for Jamaa,” I explain.
“Is she doing well?” Kirisha continues to ask questions.
“Yes.”
“Ankoos, Peck and I were all siblings But she decided to go with the panda to help create Jamaa,” Kirisha looks down at her paws.
“I’m sorry about that. But I promise you that she’ll never forget you and Ankoos,” I guarantee. I feel a pang of guilt for the two of them.
“Cup, we really should get going…” Nova whispers. I nod, and explain to the rabbits that we have to go.
“Very well,” says Kirisha. “I wish you well on the rest of your journey.”
“Wait a second- how do you know that we’re on a journey?” I question before Nova and I leave.
“Why else would a Jamaasian be out here this far?” Kirisha says. I understand now. Nova and I say goodbye, and then we head towards the area where we both fell into the hole.
“Umm, Nova, how do we get back up?” I ask. She tells me that there is magic in this place. Out of nowhere, we both start to float up into the air. And then we’re out of the rabbit’s burrow.
“Woah- how did that just happen? That couldn’t of been magic!” I raise my eyebrow.
“Every one of the ‘the’ animals have a tint of magic,” Nova explains.
“The ‘the’ animals?” I get even more confused.
“Yes. They called themselves the rabbits. That’s how all of Jamaa’s ancestors did. They all have magic within their paws, and the burrow is made of magic. That’s why it is available to use there. The magic is why Mira chose all of these animals. They would never lose their imagination,” Nova smiles.
It makes sense now. These animals are special, and Mira chose one from each of their tribes to start Jamaa. I completely understand now! The spiritstone was taken from each tribe that had more than one. They wouldn’t want the ‘the’ tribes to die, so they only took one to help Jamaa grow.
Then Rapicik spots us. He races over to us, and hugs us both.
“Where were you? All of us were so worried!” he exclaims, glaring at us.
He follow Rapicik back to where everyone else is sitting, waiting for us to make our return. Rocky hugs Nova quickly, and I feel more anger flow through my veins.
Just when I am about to say something to him, a new thought comes into my mind. What if one of the ‘the’ tribes got angry with Jamaa, and they invaded us? They seem innocent, but maybe not all of them are. What if the final battle will be against one of them? They might want revenge for taking one of their members, which is what Nova explained to me. Nova must’ve asked Kirisha how the alphas came to be, and how the ‘the’ tribes are our ancestors. What if my new thoughts are true? All of us decide to stop and rest for the night.
As I explain to Rapicik what Nova and I discovered, we finally manage to get out of the valley. It is a new now. We have to be getting close by now. But I now remember that Ersel told us this journey would be much longer than the last.
It is now getting late in the afternoon and all of us have entered a cloud forest. The sky is turning darker, and it is really cloudy. Fog surrounds the trees, and it’s hard to see my way around. I continue following Rapicik in the direction Ersel told us to go. Then I see a shadowy figure sprint in front of us. I can’t make out what it was, though.
“Rapicik, what was that?” I ask with a concerned tone.
“I have no clue, but let’s just keep going,” Rapicik orders.
Nova races up to us, and it is now us three leading the way. This cloud forest is creepy. The trees seem awkward. Their branches are longer than normal, and the leaves are very, very, dark green. The branches also form to twist odd shapes. And to top it all off, you have the fog that swallows the forest whole.
Out of nowhere, a large brown wolf with seemingly red eyes attacks the three of us leading the way. It pins Rapicik down, but he bites at its paws and he tosses the large creature off. Rapicik snarls, and then the wolf attacks me. Why would a wolf attack a creature of its own kind? I scramble out of its grip, and try to claw its face, but it dodges it. It slams its huge paws against my chest and it knocks the wind out of me. I try to get back up, but I am stunned. It leaps onto me, and tries to bite my neck open. Luckily, Nova pulls the wolf off and claws it across the snout. It whimpers, but that doesn’t stop it. The wolf picks up Nova with his teeth and throws her into a tree. She slams against it hard.
Rapicik jumps onto the wolf, trying to kill it with a bite to the neck. The wolf shakes him off, but Rapicik gets back up again. Rapicik and the wolf get into a wrestling battle.
“You shall not disturb the Wolf King!” the wolf snarls as he bites onto the left leg of Rapicik. Rapicik squeals, but still doesn’t back down.
“Hey, look over there! Watch out!” I can hear Rapicik scream. Is he talking to me?
The Wolf King looks in the opposite direction, and as he does, Rapicik bites into his throat. He clings onto it, and the Wolf King struggles. Bt Rapicik’s strong grip is to hard to get out of. The Wolf King falls down dead.
Still stunned, I can see Rapicik scrambling to his paws. He races over to Nova, who is barely breathing. If it wasn’t for her, I would’ve died. Wait! Is she dying right now?
I sprint to where Rapicik helps Nova with her wounds. Nova looks badly injured from when she hit the tree. Just as Nova slowly speaks, the others arrive. They had to of been a little ways behind.
“We heard fighting going on. Is everything alright?” Padanda asks, panting.
“We have to help Nova!” I explain my concerns.
Rocky comes up to where Nova lies, and starts helping her. He licks her wounds clean, and then searches for something. He then pops a bone back into place, and I can hear Nova screech with pain. But then Rocky tells her to calm down. She stares at him with a gleam of happiness in her eyes.
“You saved me,” Nova exclaims.
“It was for your own good,” Rocky replies.
He helps her to her paws, and they walk together. As I go up by Rapicik to start the journey again, I can see Rocky staring at me with a cold and calculating look.
“Cup, I have a feeling that the Wolf back there wasn’t alone. He must’ve been the King of a Wolf Tribe that lives here in this cloud forest,” Rapicik whispers as we both continue leading the way through the trees.
And he’s right. Ahead of us are hundreds of wolves that look similar to the last one.
“Everyone stop,” Rapicik demands. Everyone, including the animals behind us, obey him. Then Rapicik explains that we have to bolt northeast to get out of here. On the count of three, we sprint as fast as possible. The wolves try to bite us, but we all barely dodge them. Rocky is carrying Nova and they both fall behind. Even though I don’t care for Rocky, I need to save Nova.
I fall behind and pick up Nova. Rocky just stares at me. Then I ruin forward as fast as possible. Rocky is right behind, and we catch up with Rapicik. The wolves are still following us!
We finally make it out of the cloud forest and the wolves stop dead in their tracks. It’s almost as if they can’t exit the forest. Rapicik stops, then the rest of us do. I take one look at the wolves, and then they disappear back into the forest. Then I spot what Rapicik is looking at. Ahead of us is another mountain- but it has a beautiful lake on it. Trees surround it, along with many rocks. There are many animals up there. Could this be where the Forgotten Alpha is staying?
I then realize that there’s a river in the way. And it’s getting late at night. The mountain is much farther away than we all think it is. Rapicik agrees that we should rest here for the night, and that’s what we do. The wolves won’t leave the cloud forest, so we’re safe in this small hollow surrounded by several trees. I lay down by Nova, and on the other side of her I spot Rocky. We lock our eyes together, then stop. I fall into a very deep sleep.
I am in a very, ancient cave. Carvings are all along the walls. There is a dim light in here, but I have no idea where it is coming from. I look down at my paws, and put them together as I lurk around the cave. What is this mysterious place?
Peering at the carvings, I realize that none of them make any sense. So why am I dreaming about this? Is there something I’m supposed to understand here?
“Remember, Cup, follow your instincts.”
The same voice Zios has is the voice that just spoke. There’s no sign of him, though. Since he tells me to follow my instincts, maybe my instincts should figure out what I need to do here in this weird cave.
Then it comes to me. Go right, Cup!
My instincts are ordering me where to go now. I decide to go right, and as I go right, I start to understand more of the carvings. The farther right I go, the more easy they are to understand. Then, at the very end of the cave, I can see Zios sitting. He smiles.
“I am glad you followed your instincts,” he says out loud. He is currently a brown arctic wolf with blue eyes.
Then I gaze at the final carving.
The final carving reads “a former enemy shall return, and be under the order of your greatest. Be aware, and listen carefully to the Forgotten so you may succeed.”
A former enemy? Could this be the Phantoms? Kurkah? Archie? Or anybody else? Heck, even Rocky is my enemy. This opens up alot of ideas.
“Zios, I know you probably won’t tell me the actual answer, but can I have a hint at who the former enemy is?” I beg.
Suddenly, the cave cave turns to blackness. Just blackness. And I hear two animals laughing, side by side.
I jolt awake. Everyone else is already up and about, ready to continue the quest to find the Forgotten Alpha.
Nova and Rocky are talking to each other. I ignore them, and go up to Rapicik. We now start heading towards the mountain in front of us, and once we get to the river, Padanda offers to help everybody go before her.
“Thanks, Padanda,” Rapicik and I say at the same time. The three of us go and gather logs around the river, and bring them back to the shore. The river looks to deep to wade through. Also, we only have three logs.
“Everyone, grab onto a log when you get into the river, and don’t let go of it until you get to the other side. Use your hind legs to push yourself to the other side,” Padanda orders. The oldest stay behind. Nova, Rocky and I all grab a log first. We all easily make it across to the other side, then push the logs back across the river. They hit the other side with a thud, and this time Rapicik, Dawn and Mincero get onto the logs. They push through the water, and eventually make it to the other side. They all weigh more than us because of their age, so it takes them slightly longer.
The final three, Keenen, Padanda and Sinsar, get onto their logs. They push themselves across the water. Once they all get to the other side, Rapicik and I begin marching forward again, leading the group of animals towards the mountain northeast of here.
“Rapicik, does the Forgotten Alpha live alone or no?” I ask as we continue making our way towards the mountain.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I never saw him again after he left.”
We continue walking in silence and I stare at the mountain. The day is getting close to noon, and is almost halfway over. We might be getting close to where the Forgotten Alpha is now! I suddenly feel energy surging through my body, and I feel ready for whatever events are going to occur in the near future.
There are barely any trees now, but there is a ton of grass and flowers. We continue walking through the grassy area and we finally reach the mountainside. We travel along the mountainside, and then I spot Rocky laughing with Nova. I go over to Rocky.
“Rocky, get away from her. She doesn’t even like you,” I snarl, baring my sharp teeth.
“She never said anything like that?” Rocky defends himself, and gets up into my face. Luckily, nobody else is looking, so I pounce onto Rocky and pin him down. I try to bite his tail, but he wriggles out of my grip and slams me onto the ground. He claws my face, but then I scratch his belly and blood trickles down it. It gets onto me and he screeches. I bite his right paw and he backs off, but then out of nowhere we start to wrestle around. Nobody is getting the upper hand. Then, to my surprise, Nova is the one to separate the fight.
“Guys, if you don’t stop fighting, I won’t be either of your friends. Now stop acting like little babies and behave yourselves!” Nova speaks with just about as much authority as Dawn. I never knew Nova could be so stern.
We finally reach the top of the mountain. On top, there are hundreds of different animals staring at us all in shock. The lake gleams in the sunlight, and the sight up here is much more beautiful than I expected.
“Who are you?” a dark gray wolf slightly bigger than Nova comes out from the crowd of animals. He must be their leader.
Rapicik steps forward. “We are from Jamaa, on a journey to find Faber, the Forgotten Alpha.”
“Faber? He is the leader of Zone Two,” the dark gray wolf with nearly white eyes replies.
“What is this place, then?” Rapicik asks, stepping forward even closer to the wolf.
The dark gray wolf hesitates, then decides to respond. “Zone One. Animals live in peace in these areas, but are divided into two different zones. The humans are slowly destroying our land, so our peace is fading. On the other side of this mountain is a large city, and if you travel through it, Faber’s zone is on the other side.”
“Thank you,” says Rapicik.
Nova, Rocky and I push our way through the crowd of animals, and on the other side there’s a large cliff. Down below it are tons of buildings. But the humans live down there. They live in those buildings. How are we ever going to get past them?
Rapicik comes by my side. He says that we should spend the night here. I look up at the sky, and I can see that the sun is setting. I nod to him.
“What is your name?” I walk up to the dark gray wolf. He spins around quickly, and glares at me.
“I am Imin, the leader of Zone One.”
Imin continues staring at me, and I realize how much authority he has. Then he turns around and continues talking to the members of his zone. There’s a mix of many different animals here, and suddenly I feel a pang of homesickness. This is just like Jamaa.
Rapicik talks with Imin, and in the end of their conversation Imin nods. He must have allowed us to stay the night. Rapicik comes over to me, and tells me that there are dens in the bushes. I follow him to the bushes, and there’s a little opening next to one. We enter it, and inside, there are mini openings for every animal to stay in. These bushes are huge.
I cuddle up next to Nova. Rocky looks angry, but he finds a spot elsewhere. And then Padanda finds me, and gestures for me to come with her. I exit the den, following her.
“Cup, I need to tell you something,” Padanda says. We are chatting by the cliff, and no other animals are by us. The sun is just barely showing its final rays of light, and the darkness is consuming the light that makes daytime possible.
“What is it?” I ask.
“You know how I was once in love with the Forgotten Alpha, Faber? Well, I am nervous now. I’m scared about what he’ll do to me, or what he’ll say,” Padanda admits.
I can’t believe that a brave Panda, that has been through so many battles, that is so wise… would worry about anything. But why, of all animals, would she tell this to me?
“Don’t let that get to you. He’ll be your friend no matter what,” I guarantee to Padanda. She looks at me with a gleam of hope in her eyes.
“I just need to tell you, Cup, that I’ve never seen any Jamaasian like you. You truly are the one to save us all,” Padanda smiles largely. Before I can say anything, she dashes off to the dens.
I stare out into the city below. Weird, futuristic things are moving- are those what humans call cars? And all of the humans are bustling around, even at this hour. What will the city be like? I’ve never been in a human city. I guess I’ll just have to find out tomorrow. I head back to the den, and fall asleep in the same spot that I found earlier.
“One shall not survive The rest shall be fine. One shall not survive. The rest shall be fine. One shall not survive! The rest shall be fine!” a voice shrieks into my ear.
I open my eyes. I’m in a dark, dark forest. A beautiful blue heron is staring into my eyes. She repeats herself again. “One shall not survive. The rest shall be fine.”
Does this mean one of the members coming with me on this journey won’t survive?
Then a whisk of air comes my way, and an arctic wolf shows up in my dreams. It looks very familiar.
“Hello, Cup,” Archie says. He grins.
“Archie? How are you in my dream?” I ask him, raising an eyebrow. It’s just Archie and I, but everything else is plain whiteness. We’re the only two colorful things in this white void.
“I came to apologize. For everything I’ve ever done. I never got the chance to do that in the real world. I never thought you would become the one to save Jamaa. Cup, I was jealous of you,” Archie admits, looking down.
I stare at him with hesitation. Is he telling the truth?
“I was killed by the Phantoms. I can’t believe I liked Kurkah. He was evil, and if it wasn’t for him, nobody would’ve died that day,” Archie stares up now, growling.
“Nobody likes Kurkah. But Archie, I’m glad you finally understand. Thanks for visiting me,” I dip my head. The spirit of Archie smiles, then disappears.
Then, out of nowhere, a dark entity comes into the whiteness.
“You will be killed. I will kill you, if the one doesn’t himself. I will take over Jamaa!” the shadowy figure laughs hysterically.
That’s when I realize there are two other shadowy figures by the entity. Who are these two? They are much smaller. The shadowy figures then disappear. I find myself on a very, very frail bridge. We’re in a rocky land! But then, I feel terror surge through my body. Something terrible is about to happen.
“Wake up! Get up, Cup, we have to go!” I feel Nova breathing beside me. I race out of the den, side by side with Nova. Rocky looks at me with another icy stare. I ignore him this time, though. Rapicik tells Imin that we have to go, and he nods.
“Hey, Imin, if you want, you could always come back to Jamaa with us. There’s no humans there,” I offer before we leave. Imin just stares at me. But before we start scuffling down the almost vertical cliff, I look back and see that Imin has hope shining in his white eyes.
We go down the cliff, and it is very hard. I have to pierce my claws into the dirt sometimes to make sure that I don’t slide down the cliff. I’m leading the way with Rapicik, Nova and Padanda by my side. Once we get to the bottom, we’ll be in the human’s city.
And once we get down, fear pulses all through my veins. We are on a cement pathway. Cars are going down it. We have to hurry, otherwise, we’ll all be dead on here!
“Rapicik, run to the other side. Now!” I say out loud, while everyone else is confused with the human pathway.
We all bolt to the other side of the car path, and just after we make it to the other side, two cars bolt down the path in the same spot we were just in.
There are tall poles with lights on them. These must be lamplights! And then I look around, staring at the city. There are so many buildings here it’s unbelievable. How are we ever going to make it to the other side, where Faber controls his zone?
“Guys, I think I have an idea of how to get out of here,” Rapicik says as he spots five humans staring at us. One point, then they all start to run away. They’re staring at Dawn, the very large rhino that accompanies us. Then I realize that we are wild animals. If we don’t hurry, they might try to kill us!
“We have to get out of here. Now. What is your plan, Rapicik?” I ask.
“We need to find an animal that lives in this place. They might know how to get through the human city and to the other side without being caught by a human,” Rapicik explains.
And we’re in luck. A cat the size of Nova comes out from behind a trashcan, stuffing his face with food he found on the street.
“What are you doing on my territory?” asks the cat, acting tough. But then he looks closer at all of us, and starts to back away.
“Don’t go away. We need your help,” I hear Rocky, of all animals, step forward.
“Have you heard of Faber? The one who controls Zone Two?” Rocky asks the leader of the cats, who has tan fur and blue eyes.
“Yes. You can call me Kaine. None of the other cats have names, they are just my followers that want to survive,” says Kaine.
“If you want me to take you to Faber, can you tip over that trashcan for me? There’s alot in it, and it’s too heavy and big for me to do,” Kaine demands, staring at Dawn, the biggest of us. Dawn almost immediately goes over, and tips the trash can over. Kaine digs into the food, and once he’s done, he starts leading us northeast. Yes, we are going the right way. But then I spot many more humans staring at us, probably wondering what wild animals like us are doing in the city. Especially Dawn. And then a car comes down the cement pathway, and on the side of it says “animal control”.
“Kaine, run! We are being followed!” I scream. Then we all start to run. Kaine dodges the cars on the path. We are heading straight down it. Is Kaine idiotic or what?
Dawn steps forward, and his horn plows through all of the cars in front of us. I stare at him in amazement. The cars are sent flying through the air. Now there are humans in some kind of uniforms shooting bullets at us. We’re racing through the city, though, at top speed, and it’s hard the bullets to hit us. I can see human babies being frightened, and many of the humans are running away. All the cars have turned down a different cement path, and now it’s clear that we’re going to make it out of the city.
Kaine leads us down a very small cement path that is dark. The humans behind us don’t see us go in here, and they are now gone. There are large buildings surrounding us, so we must be safe here, where we are hidden for a little while. Kaine explains that we are taking a risk by coming through the city. But then I realize that the city isn’t as big as I thought it was. According to Kaine, we’re nearly out of it!
Kaine peeks out of the dark area we’re in, and nods for us to all come. Outside, the city is now deserted, probably because the humans are too scared to come out. Kaine still sprints down the cement pathway, however and we follow him as quick as possible. The buildings fly past us, and I know that I never want to see this place again. I hate going into cities.
“My thought must’ve been wrong. We are only halfway through the city,” Kaine blurts out. We take a rest for a moment on the deserted street.
Only halfway? How big is this place?
“Right there!” I hear a human shouting. They start pouring out from all of the corners, carrying nets and some kind of guns. They shoot one at me, but I dodge it.
“You guys follow, Kaine, I’ll hold them off!” Rapicik, Dawn and Padanda say together. Mincero joins them, but I don’t want to leave all four of them behind to fight off the human. I start to go to where they are, but Rocky stops me.
“If you’re going to save Jamaa, you have to be alive,” I see a little glint of humor in his eyes. He’s never been like this to me before.
Keenen, Sinsar, Nova, Rocky and I all follow Kaine northeast. I look over my shoulder to see that the humans are still having trouble fighting the four off. And when a human finally shoots a bullet into Rapicik, I stop dead in my tracks. I turn around, and race towards them. Kaine stops, shouting for me to come back, but I ignore him. Then Nova catches up with me, thinking the same thing I am. We can’t let the humans do this to Rapicik.
I pounce onto the human about to pick up Rapicik’s limp body, and knock him over. I bite down onto his hand hard, and blood starts to trickle down. He shrieks in pain and I let go. Nova knocks two of the guns away from the human’s hands and then Dawn shoves them away. The rest of the humans start to retreat. We are finally safe from them!
Padanda limps toward me, with her leg badly injured. Dawn looks tired, and he is breathing heavily. Mincero has scars all over his body now, and everyone has wounds from fighting off the humans. Those humans have so many weapons on them.
“Okay, we have to catch up again. If we stay here, they’ll all come back with more reinforcements,” says Dawn, who is carrying the limp body of Rapicik. He is still breathing, so it must’ve been a sleep bullet. Or whatever the humans call it.
Kaine once again leads the way, with all of us sprinting behind him. I spot more humans up ahead, but they don’t have any weapons. Most of them make weird noises then move out of our way. I guess not all of them are harmful.
The city finally ends after a long period of running, and Kaine tells us to keep going northeast for a little longer.
“Faber is tough when allowing animals to enter his Zone. Good luck,” Kaine says as we exit the city. Kaine stares at us until we’re out into the open. Then he disappears back into the city.
We’re now in a rocky landscape with jagged cliffs. It is getting dark and it is impossible to see here. Dawn is now leading the way, and Rapicik is finally waking up.
“I think we should rest here for the night,” I say out loud. It’s getting too dark to find our ways through the rocky land. We could fall off a cliff at any moment.
“I agree,” says Rocky. Since when does he agree with me?
We all settle down on one large, flat rock. It is dangerous out here, but soon we’ll meet the Forgotten Alpha. Tomorrow we won’t have to travel much farther. He could be here anywhere. But then I remember. One shall not survive. The rest shall be fine.
I awake with the sound of Rapicik talking to Dawn. Rapicik is finally fully awake after the bullet.
“Hey, Cup, we have to go now,” Rapicik says at the sight of me waking up. Padanda is already awake, and she smiles at me. Everyone else is ready too.
Nova is the first person that I talk to today.
“Hey, Nova, what do you think is going to happen once we meet the Forgotten Alpha? Will he agree to come back to Jamaa with us?” I wonder as we start making our way through the rocky landscape again.
“I believe that it might take alot of convincing,” Nova says
“I do too,” I reply.
We continue walking through the rocky land and then I find a very large mountain made completely out of rock.
“I have a feeling that The Forgotten Alpha’s zone is on the other side of that mountain,” I say to everyone. They agree. We can’t go around the mountain because its width is even more than its height.
We start climbing the rocky mountain with Rapicik now leading the way again.
“Hey, Rapicik, what kind of bullet did the humans shoto you with?” I ask him while we both lead the way.
“It was a tranquilizer bullet. It puts you to sleep,” explains Rapicik.
We continue walking up the sharp, rocky cliffs. I cut my paw on an edge of one and it starts bleeding. I lick it as we continue making our way up the mountainside. Rocky stares at me with disgust on his face. Now what is he mad about? I was actually beginning to think he liked me.
As if Dawn knows that Rocky and I were about to exchange blows, he steps in between us. I just continue walking up the mountainside, and then Nova dashes to me.
“Cup, I know that we are almost there. This journey has been amazing. We defied the odds. Ersel said someone would die, but nobody has!” Nova exclaims.
Padanda comes back to me, and starts talking.
“I am still nervous,” she whispers into my ear.
“Don’t be. Why wouldn’t he like you?” I tell her.
“I regret so many things I’ve done in my life. I used to do some bad things, and I know he’ll think I’m a bad animal. But I’m not. I’ve changed. And I’m ready to prove it. After all, with you by my side, could he really doubt me?” Padanda looks up into the blue sky. Why does she keep mentioning me? There’s nothing special about me.
We are about halfway up the side of the mountain. This one is taller than the last, but it is easier to travel up because it isn’t as steep.
“Rapicik, I feel like time flies by too fast. I feel like I just started the journey, and now it’s over. Everything happened so fast,” I tell him, but everyone else hears me.
“I feel the same way,” Padanda exclaims.
“In fact, this journey has brought us all so much closer together,” Dawn admits.
“Yes, it has,” says Sinsar, then Mincero nods. Keenen steps by my side now, and he whispers into my ear that he feels like this journey was the best part of his life.
Rocky doesn’t say anything. He just stares ahead, waiting to find the Forgotten Alpha Faber.
We continue walking up the mountainside, and then I see that Nova is once again talking to Rocky. Then Rocky looks at me with satisfaction in his eyes. He’s slowly getting Nova back onto his side again. No, I can’t let this happen!
I start to tell Rocky to get away from her. I can’t stand this lion anymore. I hope he’s the one that dies on this journey.
Then Rocky tries to pounce onto me, but Dawn catches him in the air.
“There will be no fighting, Rocky! How many times do I have to tell you?” Dawn snarls.
Nova looks the both of us, then closes her eyes. She falls to the back of the line that’s heading up the mountainside. I know she doesn’t feel very good right now. But if it wasn’t for Rocky, none of this would’ve happened.
Finally, we reach the top of the mountain. And on top, there is flat land with no plants or trees on it. Just rock. But in front of us, maybe in about twenty feet, there are two animals guarding a bridge. Under the bridge is an empty river, which is now just a bunch of jagged rocks way down there. The water must’ve evaporated. It is the place Ersel was talking about, but over time the water has evaporated. But is this the bridge from my dreams?
“Is this Zone Two?” Rapicik asks one of the guarding animals, which is a wolf. The wolf nods.
“We need to speak to Faber. We are from Jamaa,” rapicik exclaims. The wolf gets wide-eyed, and immediately lets us in after hearing the word Jamaa.
One shall not survive. The rest shall be fine.
Is this bridge going to collapse? I stare at the wooden planks that form it. It seems very old, and I’m very worried that it is going to fall. We could all plunge to our deaths and hit the jagged, sharp rocks below.
“Rapicik- I had a dream. Just be careful when crossing this bridge,” I say as we start walking over the wooden planks. He just nods.
Once again, one of us won’t live on this journey. But who will it be? When will they do? How will they die?
We all make it onto the bridge without it collapsing. I gulp as the planks creak. I step carefully across each one, following Rapicik, who is in front of me. We are about halfway across the bridge when there’s a loud cracking noise. One of the planks falls off of the bridge and snaps in half once it hits a sharp rock below. Keenen gulps, because he was just in front of the plank when it fell.
“Everyone, just be careful,” I warn.
We continue crossing the bridge in a crouching position, ready to sprint as fast as possible to the other side if the whole bridge collapses.
Rapicik is the first to make it to the other side. Then I make it. And everyone else does, too. We have survived the old, scary bridge!
To my horror, there is another, even older bridge ahead of us. On the other side is a boulder, and I assume that the Zone’s camp is behind it.
Now we have to cross the second bridge. Rapicik steps off of the small, stone rock that elevates high into the air, and starts walking across the second bridge step by step. I follow him. Behind me, Nova races to my side, and Rocky is just behind her. Dawn follows, and Padanda is the last.
Once we all get onto the bridge, I figure that it’ll be just like the last one. No problem. It just makes you scared.
But I am wrong.
Halfway through, the side opposite of Zone Two falls off the small rock that we came from. The other side clings on, but now the bridge is vertical. I’m hanging onto a plank with my teeth as we all dangle above the jagged rocks below.
Nova closes her eyes tightly. Rocky and I remain close to her, but Rocky lets out a snarl as I do the same he does.
“Hold on, everyone, I’m going to get to the top and pull the bridge up. Just stay where you are!” Rapicik orders. He bites down onto the plank, then moves up. His strong jaws help him, but none of us can go up as easily as Rapicik.
He gets to the top, and starts tugging on the bridge. It doesn’t budge.
“It’s too heavy!” I can hear Rapicik gasping.
Then I hear Padanda mumble something.
“Cup, you remind me of Faber. That’s why I’m so fond of him. He always doubted himself until he became the greatest soldier Jamaa has ever seen. He’ll pass on the torch to you. I will always be watching over you,” Padanda is now the only thing I can hear. Her voice echoes through my mind. No wonder she kept talking about me. But she is going to be watching over me… wait a second!
“Padanda, no!” I shout with Nova, as she realizes what I know. Then Padanda lets go of the bridge. It seems like time is frozen in this spot as Padanda stares me at me once more with her beautiful eyes. Then she plummets to her death and hits the horrible, deadly sharp rocks below.
“No!” I shriek at the top of my lungs. “No!”
I feel myself being lifted up on the bridge. With Padanda gone, Rapicik, has just enough strength to lift the rest of us up. The bridge is now at the top of the cliff, but Padanda is dead. I feel so bad. Tears roll down my cheeks.
Rapicik just stares down below. I don’t want to look. Rapicik closes his eyes and dips his head, along with everyone else except for me.
One shall not survive. The rest shall be fine.
Yes, that prophecy is now true. Padanda died for the rest of us. But we’re fine. Well, no, I am not fine. I feel horrible.
And then a large, wise-looking tiger walks out from behind the boulder.
“Who is there?” the tiger asks. It’s Faber, the Forgotten Alpha!
“Faber!” Rapicik shuts at the sight of him.
“Rapicik?” exclaims Faber. H looks very shocked. His dark, amber eyes are filled with sudden excitement and his tiger fur looks more loyal now.
Rapicik and Faber have a great reunion.
“Faber, we have so much to explain,” Rapicik admits.
“Tell me right now,” Faber demands. I listen to their conversation, trying not to think about Padanda’s death.
“Jamaa is in danger. Our greatest enemy is coming soon, and it won’t be the Phantoms. We need you to help us defeat them. So, we embarked on a journey to find you. We met so many different groups of tribes and animals. We came so far, and now we’re here. But the bridge collapsed and I couldn’t lift everyone up. Padanda risked her life for us to survive,” Rapicik explains with tons of respect in his wise voice.
“I always knew she wasn’t a bad animal. I just didn’t know when she’d change. I wish I could see her now,” I feel guilty now, thinking how Padanda will never see Faber again.
“But, I don’t believe that Jamaa is in danger. Not yet. I have my Zone to take care of. You’ll have to convince me alot more for me to return there,” Faber now talks sternly.
“No, Faber, you don’t understand. We need you right now!” Rapicik exclaims.
“You’re right, I don’t understand. And that’s why I’m not going yet. If you want to stay, you can, but you have to have alot of evidence for me to return,” Faber explains.
Faber then leads us all into Zone Two. It is much bigger than Zone One, which Imin controls. This zone has tons of caves that go deep into the mountain. Plants are growing from cracks on the flat, stone surface. The cracks have dirt in them. There is an even larger variety of animals here than in Zone One. It looks much healthier here, too. There is even a river on the far side of this zone, and no sign of humans around unless you count the city.
“We’ve been having trouble lately with a member of our Zone. He wants power, but I won’t let him have it,” Faber whispers to Rapicik. Rapicik nods, still thinking about returning home to Jamaa.
Then, on a higher cliff, I spot a shadowy figure. Then it comes out a little farter. It is a wolf that looks exactly like me. He glares at me with a look that’s hungry for power.
Is this the one who seeks power? The one that Faber is talking about?
I am lead to a den by Faber, and Nova ignores me all the way there. Rocky stares at me again, and I stare at him- into his soul. He’s evil, and I know it. In the bush dens, I spot the wolf that looks like me again. He has light brown fur and light blue eyes. He jumps down from the cliff and into a den. He settles by me.
Then he speaks. “Hello, Cup.”
1 comment:
Pandanda...no! D,:
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