Yes, I do realize it's a little late at night to post this. However, I'll go on with it. Here is the next part of the Jammer's Dream series! Make sure to read the other books/parts before reading this one, too.
“You did it again, didn’t you, Cup?” I hear Rapicik’s voice surge with anger behind me. He sees Bellina and Archie being crowded by a bunch of animals. Then I instantly know what he is talking about.
“Yes, I did, and I’m sorry,” I reply with sorrow.
“Come to my den. Right now,” Rapicik demands. He begins to lead me towards the very edge of Jamaa Township where his den lies.
“What is my punishment?” I ask Rapicik as we both enter the den.
“Nothing. We need to have a long, through conversation,” responds Rapicik. I enter his large den and see that many of the adult animals are here.
The den is dimly lit. Rapicik’s den is huge, but only consists on one big room. There is a long, skinny table throughout the center of the room. Elderly animals, important animals, and even alphas sit on each side of the table in silence.
“I have found him,” Rapicik dips his head and sits down in an empty seat.
Faber is sitting at the right edge of the table by Greely, Liza, Cosmo and Sir Gilbert. He gets up silently.
“We have reason to believe Rocky is our final enemy,” Faber admits.
I stare Faber directly in his eyes. How could anyone think that Rocky is our enemy? What has he ever done to us? Was Ersel right?
“I just can’t believe it. You all think that he is our enemy. But he is not!” I scream at the top of my lungs, slamming my paws down on the hard ground with pure agitation.
“Calm down, Cup! We are not exactly for sure yet!” Faber guarantees me.
“Yes, Cup. Please,” Dawn chimes in.
I take a deep breath, then sit down in the nearest spot available.
“Please keep an eye on Rocky, Cup. He could be dangerous- even if you don’t think so. After all, the final battle will be a betrayal,” orders Dawn with squinting eyes.
“A betrayal? If it is a betrayal, it could be any of you! Any of you! Any of you!” I repeat my words three times to get my point straight.
“But Rocky is jealous of you. He likes Nova, just like you probably do. He will want to betray you and everyone in Jamaa by creating a band of traitors. That’s why you will save Jamaa- you’re the only one to convince him not to destroy it, ” Greely argues.
I suddenly fight back the urge to pin Greely down. These animals do not understand me! Why are they blaming Rocky with no evidence?
“Ersel also believes us. He agrees with the fact that Rocky is our enemy,” Liza explains.
“Please, just listen to me! I think I know who-” I begin to say, but Sir Gilbert interrupts.
“No, Cup. We shall not argue anymore. We need to talk about a new topic,” he puffs up his chest. I nod in agreement, but I am still angry that they’re all accusing Rocky of being our enemy. He would never team up with Kurkah to kill the Jamaasians, or make a traitor group!
“Do you remember my warning about the three disasters?” Sinsar starts a new conversation.
“Yes, I do,” I say, expressionless.
“I got another vision last night. The second disaster will be a terrible disease without any cure,” Sinsar stares down at his paws.
“The disease is deadly,” Mincero finishes the sentence that Sinsar wanted to say, but Sinsar starts coughing up blood and leaves to his den. I am very worried about Sinsar. He could die at any moment.
“We will have to make sure every Jamaasian is active and healthy before it arrives,” Faber puts his large paws down on the table.
“That should start immediately,” Rapicik adds to the idea.
“Yes, before it comes. Armin and Cosmo- I would like you to go an check the health of every animal. Once you are finished, let me know,” Liza orders. Cosmo and Armin both trot out of the den right after Liza finishes.
“Now, the disease may be terrible. But we will not go down,” Rapicik lifts his head up high.
“That is true. Now, we have several more things to discuss with you, Cup,” explains Faber.
“One of them is the Dream World,” Rapicik glares directly into my eyes. I stare down at my paws. I feel so much like a young wolf again, being controlled by the older animals of Jamaa. But I won’t disobey them, for they are my kind.
“The Dream World is dangerous. But I see that you have brought Bellina and Archie back to life,” Liza says.
“Why would you bring Archie back to life? He deserved to die, anyways,” Greely laughs in the corner.
“It’s not time for jokes, Greely,” Rapicik stares at him with a little hint of laughter in his eyes.
“I have my reasons, though. I personally believe that our final enemy is Archie’s grandfather,” I admit to everyone.
“You mean… the original Archie?” Faber suddenly looks surprised.
“Yes, Faber. He was jealous of you. He ran away a long time ago because he didn’t fit in. He is going to return and get revenge on Jamaa,” I warn.
“Archie? That small, black wolf?” Faber asks once again.
“That is just like Ersel,” Liza gasps.
“Could Ersel be the real enemy?” Faber suddenly looks confused.
“I doubt it. He might be small and has black fur, but he’s an amazing fighter. He could probably pin any one of you the the ground with ease. Besides, if he wanted to kill us, why would he of killed Kurkah long ago? Kurkah could’ve helped him,” an extremely old, raspy voice argues from the very end of the table. I look down to the end. In the dim light, I can see a scrawny, elderly rabbit.
“Who are you?” I ask with awe.
“I am Varlonn, the oldest Jamaasian alive,” Varlonn replies.
“Just how old?” I question him.
“One-hundred forty-seven Jamaasian Years. I trained Peck to be a great fighter,” Varlonn replies with pride in his voice.
“That old? You came from before the Phantoms!” I gasp. Varlonn nods.
“Jamaa used to be in peace. The original six alphas were chosen by Mira and Zios once the Phantoms came. I became an alpha after them, despite me being older,” Varlonn croaks out. Liza laughs a little in the distance.
“Being old is never fun. You could die any day, and the thought comes into your mind. But wisdom is achieved at this age. It is amazing to see how much life has changed. Most animals don’t live to my age. Some even die from being old before they reach one-hundred Jamaasian years. It all depends on luck,” Varlonn explains.
“But let’s get back to the point. Ersel could not be our enemy here. His name isn’t even Archie,” Varlonn rolls his left eye. As I look closer at him, I realize that his other eye is completely gone. He has no eyepatch. There is a huge scar over his right socket.
“He could’ve changed his name, though,” Rapicik argues with Varlonn.
“Anybody could do that. Also, Ersel might be a great fighter, but he is starting to get weaker. Have you seen him? I heard that he battled so many Phantoms a year ago that he is scarred for life. He has a disease, too, but he won’t admit it. What kind of condition is that? There’s no way he would fight us,” Varlonn backs up Ersel.
“You’re right, Varlonn,” Rapicik winks at him. Varlonn smiles.
“Then I believe the original Archie is still out there somewhere. He must be in disguise if we know him,” I put my paws down on the table, now relaxing.
“Follow your heart, Cup. That’s what will always be true,” Varlonn stares into my light blue eyes.
“There is one more thing to discuss,” Rapicik says out loud with a deep breath.
“What is it?” I ask.
Rapicik looks at Faber. Dawn looks at them. By his side, Mincero groans. Varlonn looks confused.
“Cup- we’ll tell you later. It is important, but isn’t needed now,” Dawn chimes in.
“No. Tell me now,” I demand.
“We don’t want you to get your hopes up. It’s dangerous, too. We’re sure you can do it, though. But now is not the time,” Dawn argues.
“Please tell me!” I beg.
“Cup, it is actually a dangerous thing to do. You don’t want to do it yet. You need to gain your self confidence, wisdom, and battle skills,” explains Mincero with empathy in his voice.
“But you can at least tell me!” I argue with them. How important could it be?
“It’ll only get you worried. Don’t tell them, any of you,” I hear Sir Gilbert’s voice.
“Gilbert is correct. We will tell you soon, but not yet,” I hear a girl’s voice say.
At the other end of the table, sitting by Liza, is a middle-aged female lion. She looks extremely worried, depressed and doubtful.
“Who are you?” I ask, speaking to the new figure.
The lion looks up at me. She has dark brown eyes and many muscles for her gender. She has to be Rocky’s mother. They both look the same. Her golden fur reminds me of Rocky, too.
“Rondala. I’m Rocky’s mother,” she looks down at her paws. Rocky is currently untrustworthy. At least, according to the alphas. I don’t believe them. This must be why she is so sad.
“But why can’t I know about what’s to come? What kind of event is it? How is it going to make me worry?” I question the alpha’s actions.
“Just trust me. It is dangerous. You could die from it. We’ll tell you when the time comes,” Rondala tries to convince me.
I get ready to make a sharp reply, but I don’t. My eagerness to find out what will happen is strong- but my manners are stronger.
“Okay. Tell me when the time comes,” I dip my head to all of the animals.
“Thank you, Cup. We will,” Rapicik has an apologizing tone of voice.
“You all are dismissed. We need to prepare for the disease. It could come at any-” Liza begins to say,
At the same moment, Armin and Cosmo both come rushing into the den. They carry a small, crying wolf in their paws. The wolf is covered in large, bumpy spots. Armin and Cosmo are both wide eyed with shock and fear.
“The disease has arrived,” Faber gulps.
“I have no plants to heal it. Shaya will die,” Cosmo stares down at the ground.
Shaya is the small, gray wolf in their paws. Her eyes are covered in water from crying. Her brown eyes are barely visible underneath it. She looks like an animal stung by a million bees. The bumps are huge and sticking out of her body. Green puss spurts out from each of the bumps.
“I have studied her, however. The bumps are on the inside of her body. This will damage all of her organs and other body parts, and in the end, she will die from it. There is nothing to heal this disease,” Cosmo gently lies her down on the table.
“I’ve never seen anything so gruesome,” Armin turns away from the body.
I stare at Shaya one more time, feeling horrible for her.
“Anyone that gets infected by the disease will come to my den. I’ll help take care of them,” Rapicik offers.
“They are all contagious. I believe you can get it by eating something poisonous, but I have no idea what it is, or where,” Cosmo interrupts.
“Are we going to get it?” Mincero gasps.
“I hope not. By making contact with one of the animals infected, you will definitely get it. It might spread through the air, too, but I’m not sure about that. Make sure to go wash yourselves off after the meeting,” Cosmo demands.
“We will,” Mincero nods.
“But what about Cosmo and Armin? Are they going to get it now?” I stare directly at them.
“It is contagious, so there is a high chance we will. But I‘d rather die than a young Jamaasian,” Cosmo sighs.
“I fear the disease. I will probably get it now, but I will not die until I have helped every single Jamaasian,” Armin speaks with a brave voice.
“You all may go now. Thanks for speaking today, and stay safe,” Liza finally dismisses us all. Everyone hurries out of the den, while Rapicik, Armin and Cosmo stay in to take care of Shaya.
“Faber, I am worried,” I admit to Faber as we walk down the path to the center of Jamaa Township.
“Everyone is. Bad things are going to happen,” he responds, seeming distant. He stares off into an unknown area, far away.
“But how is the disease spreading?” I wonder.
“I don’t have a clue, Cup. I just hope we can all do our best to stop any deaths,” he looks at me now.
“I don’t care if I die, either. I’ve lived a great life and-” Faber begins to say, but I interrupt his wise words.
“You are not going to die, Faber. Not under my watch. I am the one to save Jamaa. I will save everyone I can. I do not care about my own, either, and I will die to protect my home. Nothing can stop me. I will destroy our enemies and make sure that the Jamaasians live their best and longest lives possible,” I take a long breath. Suddenly, I realize that many of the animals around me just listened to my small speech. They still stare at me.
“You’re right, Cup. Even I have learned from you,” grins Faber.
In the center of Jamaa Township, Archie is crowded by a bunch of other animals. I say goodbye to the older Jamaasians and head over to my friends.
“Oh, hey Cup!” Archie shouts out from the center of the crowd. He has the same features as Ranel. Gray fur and forest green eyes.
I push my way through the crowd around Archie. I finally reach him, and then I greet him.
“I was always a horrible animal to you, Cup. I am sorry for it all,” he apologizes.
“I understand, Archie. But time has passed and there are new troubles ahead of us. I need to speak to you,” I tell him.
Archie raises his eyebrows, confused. But he follows me away from the crowd of animals, just as I said.
Nova, Rocky, Ranel and Orellan all trot up to us as we head towards the northern part of Jamaa Township, where there is the famous Mira Statue.
“Hey, Cup. Hey, Archie,” Nova greets us.
“Nova- we should all speak. Just come with us,” I tell her. Rocky follows behind Nova, along with Ranel and Orellan.
As we arrive at the Mira Statue, the sky starts to darken. Night is drawing close. Small, gray clouds start to cover up the sky. There must be rain coming, but from the look of the clouds, it definitely won’t be as bad as the first disaster.
I look at the top of Jam Mart Clothing. The windows are busted out and the roof is damaged. There are still signs of the tornado everywhere.
We all sit down in a circle around the Mira Statue. I am finally ready to tell them about the disease.
“Do you all know Shaya?” I ask.
“She is my cousin,” Nova replies with curiosity in her voice. After she says this, a pang of sorrow hits me.
“The second disaster has arrived,” I look down at my paws.
“What do you mean, Cup?” Archie looks confused.
“I’ll explain to you soon, Archie. I know you’re confused as to how you are still alive, too.”
“Now, the second disaster is a disease. The disease is deadly and there is no cure. An animal has already been affected by it, and Shaya is probably going to die now,” I gulp.
Nova stops breathing for a moment, then a tear rolls down her cheek.
“But she can’t die! She’s too young!” Nova cries.
“I am so, so sorry Nova. We can both visit her later and try to come up with a cure,” I guarantee.
Nova silently sobs, but then nods her head.
“Now, Archie, meet me tonight at my den. I will explain every single thing to you,” I offer.
“Okay,” he responds. Nobody seems happy. I feel the urge to cry, too, just for Shaya. But I can’t. I have to be strong. Nova is just as strong as me, though. But she is actually related to Shaya. I wish I could help both of them…
“What are we going to do if the disease spreads?” Orellan gasps.
“Pray to Zios. We need help. Each day we are becoming weaker. And nobody knows when Kurkah will attack,” Rocky interrupts before I can say anything.
“And guys… there’s one more thing I need to tell you,” I take a deep breath. I really don’t want to admit this to Rocky, but I must. Friends do not lie.
“Rocky, I was discussing many topics with the alphas and other important Jamaasians. They all seem to think that you are going to betray Jamaa and be the final enemy,” I blurt it all out in a matter of seconds.
“That’s nonsense!” Ranel raises her head.
“I wouldn’t do that!” snarls Rocky.
“I don’t think you would, either. But most of them still are suspicious of you,” I finish.
“I know Rocky. He wouldn’t betray us,” Orellan growls.
“And most of all, they think you are jealous of me,” I bite my bottom lip.
“Jealous?” Rocky says. Everyone suddenly goes silent. Is Rocky going to get angry with me?
“Cup, I was jealous of you. I did like Nova. But that’s when we were young and didn’t understand anything. I do still like her, just like you probably do. But we are all friends now. No matter who likes her, the trustworthiness of all animals is important. We are all loyal to each other, no matter what. All of us are all important to save Jamaa, and I would now risk my life to save any of you,” promises Rocky with concern in his voice.
“You’re right, Rocky. But they don’t think that way,” I growl.
Nova still lies in her spot, silent. She probably already knew everything Rocky just said.
“I still think that Archie’s grandfather if our final enemy,” I point out. Archie’s ears perk up.
“What is all of this stuff about enemies, battles, and disasters? And I never even met my grandfather!” Archie is curious to know more.
“‘I’ll explain everything to you at my den tonight, Archie. Come to it at midnight when everyone else is asleep,” I tell him. He nods quickly, ready to know what is going on. Maybe should bring Bellina, too, just so she understands everything. Bellina looks similar to Wandel, but she has brown eyes. This is how I’ll remember to identify her.
“Alright. Nova, come with me. We’re going to visit Shaya,” I finish the conversation.
“I’ll see you soon, Cup,” Orellan smiles and walks off with Rocky, Ranel and Archie by his side.
“Nova, I can’t explain how sorry I am. I feel horrible,” I tell her, looking into the stars of the now night sky. My heart is stabbed with depression as I think about how Nova feels. A vision suddenly floods into my mind.
“Come on, Nova! We have to get away from the humans!” Shaya’s young, frightened voice sounds. It is a dark night and the forest is full of tall, muscular humans. The stars shine bright as Nova and Shaya sprint away from the danger.
“Don’t worry, Shaya. I’ll always be there for you,” Nova promises. Shaya begins to cry as the humans gain on them. The two are being chased through a large, dark forest. Shaya trips over a large branch on the ground and cries with pain.
Nova stops dead in her tracks. The humans finally arrive right behind them, and Shaya is lying on the ground. The three humans laugh.
Out of nowhere, the tallest one with dark gray hair gets a huge grin on his face. He pulls out of weird, L shaped object. Whatever it is, it looks dangerous.
Nova pounces onto the human as quick as possible. The weird object flies into the air. Nova bites down hard on the tall man’s face and he shrieks as blood pours down it.
The other human with long, red hair and brown eyes grabs the object out of the air. It pulls something on it, and a small, smooth, metal thing is shot from the object. Wait- I have heard stories about these weapons. Humans call them guns, according to Rapicik. The things being shot out of them are bullets, and they can kill anything.
Nova barely dodges the bullet and it flies into the tall human’s flesh. The human goes limp and the other one, holding the gun, screams. Nova jumps onto it and knocks the gun out of its hands. The third human, who is the shortest, runs off into the distance. Nova bites down on the red-haired human’s neck, and it also goes limp. She then hops off of the body and over to where Shaya still lays on the ground.
“I will always protect you, Shaya,” promises Nova, crying. Both of them hug each other, then begin to head away and back towards the world of Jamaa.
I shake my head, getting the vision away. I am still walking with Nova towards Rapicik’s den. Did Nova really experience what I just saw?
Nova- were you ever chased by humans, and had to save Shaya?” I question in a quiet voice.
Nova then stops and looks me in the eye.
“How do you know about that?” her mouths drops open.
“Because I do understand you, Nova. I had a vision. I know how horrible you feel, and I will do anything to help you save Shaya,” I promise her.
Nova hugs me out of nowhere, and I hug her back. The moment seems to last forever, and the stars shine down bright on both of us.
She finally stops, and then looks at me once more.
“Thank you, Cup,” she grins widely with a small tear forming in her right eye.
“Anything for you,” I respond.
We continue walking to Rapicik’s den in absolute silence. Many thoughts are on my mind, and I am worried about the future.
Nova and I enter Rapicik’s den once we get there. Inside, it looks the same, except for the fact that there are now seven animals infected by the disease inside.
I gasp in horror. My own mother has been infected. Next to her is Shaya, and the rest are Jamaasians that I don’t know. Rapicik, Cosmo and Faber all work together to help the dying animals.
Nova and I both rush to Zara and Shaya. They look horrible. The bumps are so large now that Shaya is bigger than Nova. Zikah holds my mother’s paws, grasping onto her for one last time.
“Cup… is that you?” my mother can barely croak out under her breath.
“Yes, it is,” I dip my head, silently crying.
“I love you, Cup. I used to be rude, but I no longer am. I know one day you will save Jamaa and you will become the greatest hero of all. I might not live to see it all happen, but I’ll be watching you from the Jamaasian Heavens…” she barely gets out the words.
“Don’t leave me, mom…” I beg in a quiet voice. She looks almost ready to die.
“Please, Zara. Don’t do this,” Zikah cries, trying to convince her to fight the disease.
“It is too strong. I cannot. I am sorry,” she cries.
“Mother! I was a horrible animal! I never spent enough time with you. We needed to bond! I am so, so sorry… please understand me!” I shriek.
Suddenly, she goes completely limp. My own mother is now dead.
Zikah and both grab onto her, burying our heads into her fur. She had so much more to live for. She was still young compared to many of the other Jamaasians. She did not deserve to die! Zios, please! Tell me that she is only sleeping!
Nova looks out of the corner of her eye at Zikah and I. She is crying, and I know that we are both going to feel pain for our losses.
“We’re going to get through this together,” Zikah whispers into my ear.
“I know, father. She’ll still be with us in our hearts. She will always watch over us,” I respond, still crying.
After a whole ten minutes of crying, I finally wipe the tears off of my face. I can’t be an emotional wreck. There are still other animals in my life that need help.
“I have to go, Cup. I’ll meet you in the den later,” Zikah sighs and trot out of the den. We are now both at a very high risk of getting the disease, but I hope Zikah does not die. He is now my only surviving parent.
I huddle next to Nova, looking at Shaya.
“Shaya, Nova will always be there for you. You are not going to die!” I demand her to stay alive.
“We can’t lose another Jamaasian…” cries Nova.
Suddenly, I feel the strength of my mother in me. I feel like I know what the cause of this disease is. It has something to do with water…
“Give her water. Now. Melting ice from Mt. Shiveer. Do not get it from the river!” I demand. Rapicik looks confused as he walks by, but immediately races out of the den and towards mt. Shiveer.
“What is it, Cup?” Cosmo asks, sitting down besides me.
“My mother is dead. However, I feel her spirit alive inside of me. I feel like this disease was caused by poisonous water from the stream. The melting ice from Mt. Shiveer is real water, and somehow, it’ll cause the disease to go away!” I explain to him my thoughts.
Cosmo nods, interested. He must understand. This has to be correct!
I lay down beside Nova, reassuring her that everything will be fine.
“I know how to save Shaya. She is not going to die!” I guarantee Nova.
She doesn’t respond, but just continues crying.
I tap my paws on the ground, waiting for Rapicik to return. He has to hurry, or else Shaya will die from the disease!
“Shaya… did you drink from the river?” I question her. She barely nods, then continues remaining still so the pain doesn’t get any worse.
“The river was poisoned. I don’t how how, but-” I start to say.
“Our final enemy wants to kill us all off. You might be right, Cup. The melting ice will turn into water at Mt. Shiveer, and they couldn’t of poisoned ice,” Cosmo suddenly realizes my theory could be true. But it’s not actually my theory- I can feel my mother telling me everything inside of my heart.
“The water from Mt. Shiveer might reverse the poison since it is the good kind. Zios, I hope this works!” I pray that Shaya will live, along with every other Jamaasian in the hut.
Mincero bursts through the entrance, carrying Orellan. Orellan is enlarged by the many bumps of the disease.
“Orellan!” I scream. Mincero quickly sets him down by Nova and I.
“Hey, Cup… you were right… the disease is here…” Orellan barely manages to whisper, then becomes silent again as the pain starts to engulf him.
“You will not die. No other Jamaasian will die,” I promise Orellan. Now Shaya and Orellan are sick. I just hope nobody else can get the disease.
“I know the cure. I just hope that Rapicik gets here soo with it,” I tell Orellan and Shaya. They both nod slightly.
Rapicik finally enters the den again, carrying buckets of water from the melted ice of Mt. Shiveer.
“Here you go, Cup. Let’s hospe this works!” Rapicik takes a deep breath as I take the water.
“Sava Shaya first. Please,” Orellan says begs before I start to pour water over him. I nod in understanding. He wants Shaya to live. Besides, she is in worse condition than him, and he’ll live longer if I don’t do anything to help Shaya.
I pour a large amount of water all over Shaya, soaking her in it. The bumps suddenly start to get smaller. They start to disappear one by one as time flies by.
“It is the cure!” Faber gasps, joining in behind me.
“Yes, it is,” smiles Rapicik.
I take some more water and dump it all over Orellan’s body. He shivers at the coldness of it, but the bumps start to go away. I go around to each of the other Jamaasians and begin to pour water on them, too.
“Thank you so much, Cup,” one of them smiles as they begin to heal and the pain goes away.
The last animal is already dead. I close my eyes in respect for them. One more Jamaasian has been lost, but they will now live in a better place.
On the other end, Orellan and Shaya both start to get up and walk around. I smile with delight. Nova remains by Shaya and Orellan’s sides and she helps them walk off all of the remaining pain.
“How can I repay you, Cup? You’ve done too much… I would die for you,” Nova races over to me and hugs me once again.
“I’m glad that you care that much about me. I care that much about you, too,” I smile as wide as possible. My mother has died, but she will always live on in my heart. Today has been a horrible day, but I have helped save lives.
Nova and I walk side by side back to my den. It is now nearly midnight, and many animals are asleep. Inside, Zikah is still awake, waiting for me.
“The disease has a cure now. Nobody else will die,” I rush to him and we both hug.
“No matter what, I’ll always be there for you, too. You are my son, Cup,” Zikah promises.
We finally stop hugging each other, and then the clock strikes midnight. Nova stares at the door, waiting for Archie to arrive at any moment.
My den is much smaller than Rapicik’s. There are only a few pieces of furniture, and it’s not even close to being as large as his. It could definitely not fit a table that big in it.
The door finally opens and Archie comes in. Orellan, Rocky, and Ranel follow him in.
“Now Cup, explain to me everything,” Archie says as he sits down on the floor. He waits patiently for me to speak. Orellan still looks thankful and I catch his gaze. His gaze seems to be thanking me, so I nod.
Ranel stares at me, also waiting for me to speak. It’s almost as if I’m telling young animals a story again.
“Well, Archie, you were killed long ago in the battle against Kurkah. But I then had to set out on a journey to find the Forgotten Alpha, who turned out to be Faber. I learned about so many new things and my life actually got better. I then realized that your grandfather could possibly be the one to destroy Jamaa. You see, I was told that a horrible battle would soon happen and it would be a betrayal. So I brought you back to life to ask you questions. I brought you back because of the Dream World. It is where you can travel through the past, present and future. You can bring animals back to life. But it is dangerous, because the portals through time can close at any moment they decide. If you get trapped in that time period, your body from the present will go into a coma and sleep for the rest of its life. That’s what happened to Brent,” I explain to Archie. He suddenly seems to understand everything that happened.
“I hope nobody else ever returns to the Dream World. I had a bad experience there myself,” Zikah chimes in. I remember when he entered my dream.
The door suddenly flies open. Katira, Wandel, Bellina, Daymond, Nile, Quinn, Marr, Nymin and Rosa enter the den. What are all of these animals doing here?
“What are you guys all doing here?” Rocky asks, raising his eyebrows.
“We’re here for a reason,” Daymond responds.
“Well then, what is it?” I ask.
“We need to be together. All of us combined are the future of Jamaa,” Marr steps into the center of the small crowd.
“I need to speak with you, too, Cup,” Wandel smiles largely.
“I wanted to thank you for saving Bellina again. I missed her so much. She is actually my sister, and I lover her so much,” he dips his head with respect.
“I understand, Wandel. You are welcome,” I smile back at him, beaming with pride.
“I’ve already heard everything about how I was brought back to life. We all listened very carefully outside of the den,” Bellina stares at me now.
“I’m glad that you all are happy, but when is the third disaster going to come?” Orellan asks out loud.
“I have no idea,” Nymin cocks his head sideways. Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as the disease.
“My mother died from the disease… I miss her,” Rosa, the young seal, croaks out from the back of the crowd.
“I feel empathy for you, Rosa. My mother died, too. But all of us will move on. Our dead ones will be with us in our hearts forever. We still remain strong!” I assure all of the animals. Everyone agrees and happiness surges through me.
“I think I might know what the third disaster will be,” Nile, the wolf in the crowd, speaks out.
“Remember the whole legend about Kurkah, the Phantom King? I believe someone brought him back to life through the Dream World, and no Kurkah is returning to Jamaa,” Nile explains his theory.
“It makes perfect sense,” Quinn the otter adds on.
“We both discussed it earlier today. But when will it happen?” Quinn wonders.
“I do agree with you. But Kurkah would have to have a bunch of Phantoms to take us down,” I puff up my chest.
“And that’s exactly what happened back in Zone Two,” Marr gasps.
”We have to prepare. Kurkah is going to attack soon,” Ranel firmly orders everyone.
“My second battle! I have to help save Jamaa this time,” I can hear Rosa squeal. She must be so excited to battle again. But I, however, am not.
“Another battle? But why?” Shaya enters the den, confused.
“Shaya? Why are you here?” asks Nova.
“I overheard you all talking outside of the den. I found the conversation interesting, so here I am now,” she explains.
“I don’t want you to battle, Shaya. I’m still worried about you. Just not yet,” Nova orders her.
“I know. You might only be two Jamaasian years older than me, but I’ll always look up to you,” smiles Shaya. Nova grins widely back at her. I feel so great right now.
“We have to make a plan to defeat this ‘Kurkah’ again,” Zikah says out loud.
“And my plan is to learn teamwork before any battle,” Katira raises her head up high. Then she looks directly at me.
“Katira, are you still angry with me?” I ask her.
“No. I realize that Brent died to save you, and I’m sorry for when I got mad for his death. I just had nobody to blame, and it didn’t seem possible that he didn’t get killed by someone. I’m sorry, Cup. I know he died in a brave way now,” Katira finally apologizes.
“I am also sorry, too. I should’ve died instead of Brent. He deserved to live instead of me. But I also misjudged you two. I didn’t trust either of you after what happened with Jalar and Karant. It was hard. But I do now, and I hope we can become great friends,” I tell Katira with empathy in my voice.
“Me too.”
“Now, teamwork is important. If we all work together to defeat Kurkah, he will have no chance. But if one person battles him, he will easily fight them off,” Katira suddenly gets into the battle spirit.
“Makes sense. But it would be stupid if everyone in Jamaa fought one phantom. That would be a waste when one animal can kill one Phantom,” thinks Orellan.
“Then we should all fight side by side, taking on Phantoms by ourselves. When it’s time to fight Kurkah, we will all team up on him,” suggests Daymond.
“Yes, this is a great plan. We will all follow through with it,” Nova smiles.
Sinsar comes into the den, panting. He looks exhausted, but Mincero is by his side in case he collapses.
“Cup… I had a vision. About the third disaster,” he begins to say.
“What was it?” I ask him with curiosity.
“Kurkah. He is coming to Jamaa. Tomorrow at noon, he will attack with his Phantoms…” Sinsar barely manages to croak out. Then he starts coughing, and Mincero tells him that he’ll finish talking for him.
“Kurkah has been confirmed to be alive. The vision explained it to him. Also, Kurkah is working with another animal to destroy Jamaa, but that animal will not be in tomorrow’s battle,” Mincero finishes Sinsar’s words.
“Then the best thing we need now is sleep. Get rest and be ready for the battle tomorrow,” suggests Zikah.
“He’s right. Mincero, have you told the alphas about this yet?” I ask.
“Yes, I have. Everyone is preparing. Have you all thought about how to battle Kurkah yet? Everyone has been speculating about when he’ll attack, anyways,” Mincero asks with a crack in his voice.
“We’ve all came up with an idea of how to battle. Now we just need rest,” I repeat my father’s idea, looking at Mincero. Then he begins to reply.
“Then everyone, return to your dens and get rest. Tomorrow will be the biggest battle we’ve had so far.”
