Shallow Oceans

Part 1

1

The distant clashing of the train and the mournful ringing of the crossing light flowed in with the tide in the full moon’s light. Creeping from the dense forest to the sandy beach that separated it from the water’s edge, she stepped lightly into the water. Tipping her head back and closing her eyes, Ayo sighed. Stepping farther into water, the feel of walking on sand stayed with her as the water suspended her, leaving temporary indentions in the water’s surface of her bare feet.
Ayo wore a floppy old t-shirt and blue-jean shorts with the traditional white flip-flops to go with them, though she carried them in her hands, instead of wearing them. Her hair was long and dark, spiraling loosely down just past her shoulders and her skin was creamy and soft. She wore no make-up to hide her complexion or the brighten or dim the color of her eyes, which were a deep shade of azure with hints of black and even a little purple. Her build was thin and small. She was only just past 5 feet in height.
She was leaving again. Every time she left, she was drawn closer and closer to the conclusion that the Human’s Ocean did not hold her answer. In every way, she wished that her journey would be over. She wanted to be home.
Silver and blue fish darted near the surface of the water beneath her. She walked towards the next station the train would stop at. There were many places you could go via the train, and only a handful that you could not. Ayo hummed gently as she walked, her eyes cast toward the star spattered sky. The watercolor sweeps of dark purple and blue against the black of the endless space seemed to sparkle with the glow of the visible planets.
A soft radiance seeped from the surface of the shinning water like a silver mist. Translucent black shadows swept in with the wind, curling around her bare ankles and winding gently around her slim frame. They drifted alongside her, uttering echoing whispers like those that waft through out the deep caverns in the rocky bluffs to the north. Ayo reached out and stroked the cool breezes that formed one of the silhouettes. The spirits traveled in groups if they ever traveled. Since most were already gone from the Human’s Ocean, she thought herself fortunate to have seen them again.
They walked together toward the last station before entering the Spirit’s Ocean and Ayo felt a familiar love for the night and water even as she walked upon it. The wake from the train was approaching though the train was just entering the Human’s Ocean. It washed over her feet and she stepped upon the train tracks. Soft moss covered the metal and then she stepped up onto the concrete platform that served as the station. Ayo sat with the spirits and tried to remember all the people she’d met on the train.
~
A dark skinned man with dark green eyes and scruffy black hair sat by her. They were on the bank of a trickling stream surrounded by weeping willow trees and thick grass. The sky visible through the willow-wands overhead was endless cobalt. Cole coughed abruptly and sat up gasping. The man jerked from his thoughts and looked at her, helping her sit up as she sputtered. She was completely soaked and water dripped from her clothes and hair.
‘I fell into the river,’ Cole remembered. ‘Tom and I were walking…and I fell.’
Still coughing, she observed him. He wasn’t as old as he had looked at first glance; he couldn’t have been any more than a few years older than she was. His hair was dripping, as she guessed that hers was as well.
“What happened?” she gasped.
He didn’t answer, but instead stood up and abruptly turned and left.
“Hey! Hey, where are you go¬¬ing?” she stood to follow him but instead fell back dizzily, watching his shadowed figure lumber away. She leaned back against the willow tree and listened to it whisper. Padded footsteps echoed from every direction until only a tall boy, golden haired and fair of face was visible across the stream coming from down river. He looked worried. “Tom!” she called. His attention jerked immediately to her and relief flooded his beautiful face.
“Cole, you made it!” he called.
“Why wouldn’t I have?” she snapped, sitting up and wincing at the bump on her head. He started to wade into the water but stopped abruptly and stared. Cole turned around to see that the tall man was back. A smaller, thinner teenage boy stood beside him. Though the man was taller, it was obvious that the boy was in charge. With a nod of his head, the tall man disappeared in a whirl of wispy white breezes. A large blue carp replaced his spot. It writhed and flopped on the grass and the boy sighed, with a little scowl, flipping it into the water.
When the carp was gone and the boy turned his attentions back to Cole and Tom, they were gaping at him. He sigh and turned away, mumbling something about not understanding transfiguration and that they always stare at him when magic leaves him the only one there. He then turned to face them, holding up his hands in surrender.
“It’s alright; it was just a little magic. Nothing to worry about.” He spoke slowly and clearly. Tom backed out of the water and bolted away, leaving Cole screaming foul names at his back. She turned back to the boy to see him crouching before her, his eyes round with interest, and his head cocked sideways in a hint of curiosity. He had silvery-gray eyes. That was rare enough in these parts, but more so were his hair and his skin tone. Most inhabitants in these parts had lighter hair and darker skin, but this boy was more of the opposite. He had black hair that shot out in every which way and pale skin. To Cole, he looked almost elfish, though the thought was completely foolish. ‘Then again,’ she thought. ‘As close the border as we are…’
“Ah! You know about the Border! Great! That’ll save some time.” He plopped down beside her. She started. Had he just read her thoughts?
“Who are you?” Cole inquired, warily. “What are you?”
“Well, first of all…I’m an elf.”
‘As I thought,’ Cole mused. This was going to get interesting.
“Second of all, that was Carapi. He’s a carp who has learned magic by his own means. He’s perfectly harmless.” The boy nodded toward the river. “And third of all…” he paused. “My name is Kaiobe.”
“I’m Cole.” Cole said quietly. “That idiot was Tom. He’s like a brother, but he’s not.”
“But you do have a brother?” Kaiobe smiled, amused.
“Yes…” Cole said uncertainly. She generally avoided speaking of him. “We won’t be seeing him anytime soon.” She snapped, sitting up, ignoring the swimming in her head.
“A sister? Do you have a sister?”
“You didn’t tell me if you had a sister, so why should I?” the sister subject was even more touchy than the brother subject was.
“Sorry.” Kaiobe apologized nonchalantly as though it were something he was used to doing. It obviously held little importance to him. “Come!” he perked up. “I’ll teach you something.”
“Magic?” Cole scoffed, taking his hand and standing up dizzily.
“I myself can’t do magic. No, this is just a little trick.” Kaiobe led her to the water’s edge.
~
Ayo was on the train by midmorning the day after she left the shore. Once she got aboard, she collapsed and tried to fend off the wave of fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her. She had traveled far from the city on the continent to the ocean and all the way to the platform. Only when she had recovered slightly did she notice the little girl sitting across from her, wide-eyed. Ayo looked out the window uncomfortably, but watched the girl from the corner of her eye.
She could not have been more than 4 or 5 years old. Her thin blonde hair was tied in a pink bow at the top of her head. The pink matched her shorts and her shoes, though her floppy old shirt was blue with a yellow flower in the middle.
“Hey!” the girl squeaked. “Hey did you know there’s a dragon on the train?”
“A dragon?” Ayo humored her quietly. She secretly held a great amount of discomfort around children. The blue eyes were getting to her and making her extremely nervous as she couldn’t see any motive behind striking up a conversation.
“Yeah! I’ve met him.” The girl bragged proudly. “His name’s Crispin.”
“Crispin?” Ayo’s mind fluttered as she muttered the name and then she caught her self at the brink of an outburst.
“Yeah. He said he was looking for someone, and if I saw them, I was supposed to tell him.”
“Where is he now?” Ayo asked.
“I dunno. He comes back at night.” The girl shrugged. “Hey, is your name Ayo?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“My name’s Freya!” she shrieked, giggling crazily. Ayo smiled awkwardly and went back to gazing out the window, trying to ignore the blue-eyed stare.
~
The train wove its way through the ocean, stopping at the concrete slabs that served as stations. Any number of things got on the train, for it was the only way to travel world to world. Pixies flitted about in the shadows with their blue faces leering and their pointed wings fluttering. Spirits rustled old newspapers, sometimes whispering to one another about the nuisance that the border city was causing to the rest on the worlds. Sometimes a human would step aboard. For the most part, they were children, but once, a slim mother with a thin shawl around her shoulders stepped onto the train, cradling a still, pale infant to her chest.
Ayo slipped into dreamland with her eyes open, still staring out into the endless blue and green of the water and sky. She dreamed of her only memories concerning her past, though her nightmares frequently dipped into her fears. The rain, the screaming, and the whispering of the river that surged by, sweeping her away into the ocean, therefore, the train’s nearest station. That had been so long ago…
She jerked out of sleep to see the sky outside black and a boy only a few inches from her face.
“Oh god, Crispin, it’s you!” she shouted, backing away abruptly. He laughed and plopped in the seat beside her. He looked to be in his older adolescent or mid twenty’s years of age, wearing loose Levi jeans and a black shirt. He wore black sneakers and his hair was black to match them, hanging in loose, straight locks in his eyes and feathering lightly around his ears and down his neck. His eyes were green and his face was reasonably tanned. His face was soft with a little bit of stubble, his features smoothly defined.
“Freya said you were here,” he laughed. “What are you doing back here?” he kept laughing as she scowled at him.
“I’m leaving.”
“The Human’s Ocean? You finally gave up?” he laughed again and then was serious. “‘Bout time.”
“What do you mean ‘bout time’?” she snapped.
“‘Bout time you stopped living in your fantasy world and started listening to me!” he snapped. “I told you that you would find nothing there. When you’re found drifting near the border, it most likely means that you came from the Spirit side, not the Human side.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I just thought there was hope.”
“Hope for what? For you to be a human? Not likely.” He laughed again.
“What are you talking about?” she grumbled.
“Never mind, it’s a lost cause anyway.” He sighed. “So…the Spirit’s Ocean, huh? Where to in?”
“I dunno.”
“Well, why don’t you come with me?” he offered. She gave him a skeptical look and laughed.
“Where are you going, Crispin? Why’ve you come back?”
“Ah, I’m going home.” He grumbled. “Got some things to take care of. Recently there has been some terrorist activity along the border. Bombings, slaughters, gang violence. The whole deal.”
“Is it Agrin?”
“Yeah. That poor old city has gotten the worst of it. Actually, that’s really the only place that’s gotten any. You know, you’re from Agrin?”
“What!?” she turned on him.
“Chill out! You didn’t know you were from Agrin?” he laughed.
“How would I know that? Why didn’t you tell me?” she paused. “Well, I guess I might’ve known, but I never really considered it home, or a place where I might’ve been from. Actually, I’ve been very stupid, of course that’s where I’m from.” She groaned at the loss of time when the answer was right in front of her.
He grinned. “I told you that you should have listened to me. I tried to steer you away from the Human’s Ocean toward the border, but you decided to strive towards humanity.”
“Is that all? Was that your only reason?” she was upset now.
“No. Not the only one.” His grin widened. “But, you’ll have to wait for that one.”
Ayo threw herself further into her seat. “So, how do I get to Agrin?”
“What happened to going to the Spirit’s Ocean?”
“You told me where to go, so I’m listening to you. How do I get to Agrin?”
“Are you crazy? There’s no way you’ll get in, let alone get out!” he snapped. “You can’t go!”
“You show me where I need to go and then tell me I can’t? What is wrong with you!?” she stood up and looked out at the up coming station. Crispin stood and grasped her arm.
“You won’t find what you are looking for in Agrin. Superior is not there.” He said evenly. Ayo froze. She turned her cold eyes to his, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Why would I be looking for him?” he voice cracked. “Why wouldn’t he be in Agrin?” Crispin held her gaze until she looked away and led her back to her seat.
“He’s not in Agrin…because he’s in the Spirit’s Ocean. Lark told me about a month ago. He’s still there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I figured that as long as you had been gone, you no longer wished to search for him. I’m not going to track you down, drag you away from a place you are contented to live in just to help you find that prick.” He smiled again.
“You should have.” She muttered. “I would have gone, just to see him again…” she closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder, ever so slightly. Crispin looked around their carriage. The spirits were staring at him. He smiled and waved, nearly jumping out of his skin when Ayo’s full weight was transferred to his shoulder. He shifted so that he could lean better against the wall, shooing away a silvery shadow of a cat. He turned his head to look out the window and was soon asleep as well.

2

“There’s no way that this isn’t magic.” Cole whimpered, gazing down at the rushing current beneath her feet. She was standing in the middle of the river, barefoot, somehow being supported by the water below. Kaiobe stood comfortably beside her, laughing as she took tentative steps forward, squeaking at the least bit of unbalance. Carapi floated leisurely beneath her, enjoying nipping at her toes every occasionally, sending her into fits of unsure whimpering about falling in and drowning. She brushed her brown hair constantly behind her ears, even though it stayed perfectly in place.
On the shore, more animals had gathered. A stag followed by two silver fawns and a golden doe crept up to watch. They seemed to hum, rather than to laugh, as did the rabbits. On the opposite shore, hidden in the thick bushes, Tom watched carefully, a thin dagger in his belt. Finally, he emerged and the animals on the opposite shore scattered. Kaiobe looked over his shoulder at him. He reached out an arm to steady Cole as she stumbled and yelped, then directed her gaze to her friend on the shore.
“I think that he has come to collect you. This is where I take my leave, so it seems.” Kaiobe smiled, noting the dagger. He turned to Cole. “You’d better go.” He walked her to the shore, but stood on the water instead of following her to Tom.
“Put that thing away!” she snapped as Tom reached for his dagger. “Hey Kaiobe, thanks again. Will see each other another time?”
“Not if I can help it,” muttered Tom.
“If it should please you, then yes, I think.” Kaiobe walked away humming cheerily.
Tom dropped to the ground when Cole hit him, though more from shock than pain. The back of his head throbbed as she walked away from him, whistling as cheerily as the elf. “What the heck?” he grumbled, getting to his feet. “When was the last time you whistled? I didn’t even know you knew how to whistle.”
“Shut up, idiot.” She snapped. Once they rounded the corner, she turned on him. “What is wrong with you anyway? First you run, then you come and threaten me?”
“I wasn’t-” he stumbled, but she cut him off.
“Did it occur to you that I might not want to leave?” she yelled. “Especially after your first pathetic little attempt at a rescue.”
“Well what was with the whole walking on water thing? I bet that guy was waiting for you to get in deep water to let you fall and drown!”
“No, it wasn’t him enchanting the water! It was I, walking on it! See, I can still do it!” she stepped onto the surface, concentrating on all that was supporting her and encouraging it with all her might, as Kaiobe had instructed.
“’It was I’.” he laughed. “’It was I, who was walking upon the water!’” he mocked. “You’re such an idiot. He’s obviously still enchanting it! I’m telling you, I don’t like that guy!”
“I don’t care. You’re not-” she halted in mid-sentence. “You’re not my brother.”
He stopped. He turned and walked the other way, ignoring her apologies and pleas. “Do what you want. Seeing as my opinion means nothing to you, I’m of little use to you.” He said coldly.
“Tom, stop! I’m sorry! I didn’t-”
“No. You meant it. And you’re right. I’m not your brother.” he choked. “I’ll never be him. I can’t change that.” He tossed the dagger at her feet. “I’m telling you. The next time you see that elf, run him through. I know a crappy guy when I see one.” He walked away, disappearing around the bend, leaving her alone. She fell to her knees and snatched the dagger, raising her arm to through it in the river. She stopped and stared at it. She closed her fingers around the blade and squeezed it until blood ran down her wrist into the water.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. Cole stood and tucked the dagger the belt loop of her shorts. “Now where?” She grumbled. She looked over the trees to the city to the East. The sun was sinking in the West. Now would be the time to leave.
~
Cole had a fairly good idea where in the Spirit World she was. She would walk to the point and then go to the island city, Agrin. She had come from there and figured that surely her family was back there now. Maybe even her siblings had returned.
As she began to walk, there was a faint rustling in the woods behind her. Grey shadows flitted this way and that, weaving around her trail. An arrow whizzed by her head. One of the shadows howled as it was pinned to the nearest tree. She turned toward the direction the arrow came from.
A tall figure stood with his bowstring taunt. “Kaiobe?” she whispered meekly. “Tom?” she whimpered. The silhouette disappeared appeared once more whispering in her ear.
“What do you know of Kaiobe?” the voice was low, much lower than Kaiobe’s.
“I-I only just met him. He’s a friend.”
“Is that moron still in the area?” the man laughed. He grasped her arm with stone-hard grip and pulled her toward the tree where the shadow was pinned. In the remaining light, a huge gray wolf was visible in place of the shadow. It panted and writhed, whimpering pitifully. The man pulled the arrow out as quickly as Cole could see, catching the wolf as it dropped and setting it gently on the ground, running his hands over the wound inflicted by the arrow. Cole was baffled. “Sorry, bud, I didn’t mean to hit you.” He crooned. “You’re lucky the light was bad,” he said to Cole. “Or that would’ve been your head.”
The man stood, dragging her through the woods and in her stunned state, Cole let her self be dragged until he tripped. Then she stood and sprinted the other way, fully aware that the man was fast approaching her from behind.
“Get down!” a loud voice echoed through the clearing they were crouched in. On instinct Cole hit the ground. Another arrow flew overhead, burying itself in the tree beside the man’s head. This one’s feathers were a brilliant blue where as the hunter’s had been simple goose-feathers. A blur came down in front of her from the tree overhead. The hunter looked up, hungrily.
“Kaiobe…” he muttered, standing up.
“Teddy,” came Kaiobe’s voice.
“Don’t call me that!” snapped the man, sinking deeper into the loam as he fell to a wolf-like form. “My name is not Teddy!” he spat.
“Whatever, wolf-man.” Kaiobe laughed. A full quiver of arrows perched on his back and a long bow in his hand. Shadows came from the forest and surrounded them.
The wolf-man/Teddy grinned; spit dripping from his almost human mouth. He weaved and ducked beneath the branches of the bushes, coming out to snap at the elf’s heels at the least expected moments. Though his eyes widened, Kaiobe kept a slight smile as he dodged, keeping his bow clutched tight in one hand. The shadows were growing denser as the sun went down and the wolves gathered.
Cole stood and tried to creep away, only to be pulled back from the snapping jaws in the shadows by Kaiobe’s free arm. “I wouldn’t.” he muttered. “When I tell you to, toss that dagger as hard as you can at him.”
“Um,”
“Now!” Kaiobe shouted. She yelped and hurled the dagger into the wolf-man’s face, grateful that the shadows had covered his body and features so that she could not see them. In a frenzy of whimpers and howls, the wolves receded. “Good job, you made your first kill. Let’s skin ‘im and eat ‘im.”
“What?” she choked. He laughed.
“Just kidding. Bad stuff, that meat…too tough and stringy.”
“That wasn’t my first kill…”
“Yes, I know.” He muttered.
“The mind reading thing?”
“Of course. Actually no, I just guess and sometimes I guess right.” He smiled, pulling her dagger from the wolf-man’s body and flicking the red blood from it before handing it back to her. She took it with mild distaste. He slung his bow across his back, still smiling. “Follow me.”

3

A dark little shadow of a girl stood at the concrete platform as the train slowed to a stop somewhere near dawn. Stepping silently aboard she stood in the corner, for the car was nearly full and all the empty seats were situated beside the pixies that constantly bickered with others around them. Crispin watched her from the corner of his eye. Her eyes were wide black voids that matched her hair and her loose t-shirt, and she wore small jean shorts and dark flip-flops. She barely seemed to blink.
He looked out the window at the sun that peeked over the horizon. Pink and yellow and grey clouds meshed together, forming a web of color that stretched across the sky. All around him spirits yawned and stretched, unfolding newspapers once more to reread and muse over. Ayo was still asleep beside him. They would be on the train for a while if they were going to his homeland and even longer if they were looking for Superior.
All was calm and the sun slowly slid into the sky, sending warm light through the windows. Crispin relaxed, looking around the cabin. Every time his eyes went past the girl in the corner, she flinched and drew further back into the corner.
The screeching of the train wheels was a sound that no one expected. The announcer’s voice spoke loudly and clearly over the suspicious mutters of the passengers. “We’re having some technical difficulties. This should only take a minute to correct, so please remain calm and stay in your seats.” His voice was deep and monotone and as he spoke, the lights flickered and the speakers squelched. A faint smell wafted through the air, like grit, or gunpowder in turn. In the dim light, Crispin could barely see the look of alarm that went across the girl’s face before the first explosion rocked the train.
Screams and shouts mixed with the ripping of metal and splintering of wood. The car in the back of the train had erupted in a volley of smoke and flames. Other passengers craned their necks to see out the windows. Another explosion pitched the train onto its side off the tracks. Water flooded through the windows.
Ayo was awake now and wide-eyed as the explosions grew closer and closer to their car. Crispin shattered the window behind them with the thick railing that lined the ceiling for passengers to hang onto when they stood. He climbed out and stood on the side of the train, watching the smoke rise from the wreckage. He reached and took Ayo’s hand, pulling her out, careful to avoid the shards of glass. Freya scrambled up with them and dove into the water, swimming away and assuming her water sprite form.
The girl who had stood in the corner was suddenly beside them as the explosion hit their car and they were all thrown into the water. The train completely sank along with them.
Though the majority of the passengers had been spirits, the devastation was enormous. They seeped from the water and congregated together, trying to decide what to do next. The train groaned as it sank deeper into the sea, sending up jets of bubbles and luggage from the storage compartments.
Bursting from the water Crispin gasped for air, pulling him self onto the surface. Ayo was nowhere to be seen, but the other girl was coughing and gagging on the surface, sitting cross-legged. He strode over to her and pulled her to her feet.
“What just happened?” he snapped.
“I-I don’t know!” she choked, clawing at his hand that held her collar.
“You know what happened. What happened?” he said lowly, dragging her away from the spirits and tightening his grip on her shirt, looking for Ayo the whole time.
“Get off me!” she snapped, ripping from his grasp. “I said I didn’t know, but I’ll tell you anyway if you stop choking me!”
“Fine. What happened?” he repeated exasperated. Ayo was nowhere in sight.
“The train exploded.”
“I know that!” he shouted. “Why did it explode?”
“I’ve been tracked. I’ll explain later.” She muttered. “You’d better go find your friend. I’m not going anywhere.” Crispin gave her a hard look and dived into the water to search for Ayo.
~
She woke and wiped the grit from her eyes. She was underwater and in the train, though she remembered climbing out with Crispin. Ayo looked around and up to the surface. A mass of bubbles escaped her and she maneuvered her way away from the wreckage. She began working her way to the surface, clawing through the water the best she could. The surface was fairly far above her. In a swirl of bubbles someone was beside her, gripping her hand and towing her to the surface. She didn’t recognize him, but he had Crispin’s build and strength, though the shirt he wore was blue, he wore blue jeans, and his hair was blonde.
When he looked back at her, it occurred to her that she might not be totally conscious, for he looked at her with deep unease that he wouldn’t have shown if he though she were awake. Another flow of bubbles got away from her and he continued to pull her to the surface. She began to choke when they broke through the water. He managed to pull together enough to pull him self and Ayo onto the water, though he seemed to float in the air, rather than stand on the water. Ayo guessed that he expected her to lie down and wait for her to regain consciousness, because he blinked in astonishment when she smiled, took a breath and thanked him.
“Hey, are you alright?” he steadied her as she stumbled.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ayo brushed him away.
“Are you looking for someone?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She looked back at the boy and her breath caught as she recognized him. “Ontario?”
“You look familiar.” Ontario laughed.
“I thought you went to the Spirit’s Ocean years ago.”
“Nope. Rode straight through it and stayed on the train ‘til it came back here. What in the worlds are you doing back?” they walked along, Ayo looking for Crispin all the while they talked.
“I’m looking for home, as always. Crispin said that Superior was in the Spirit’s Ocean, so that’s where I’m headed at this point.”
“Superior’s in the S.O? That sounds interesting.” Ontario said quietly.
“Does it?” she cocked an eyebrow.
“That’s not what I heard. I thought he was in the Unnamed Ocean. That’s where he’s from, ya know.”
“Yeah, I know.” She peered down into the water.
A hand grabbed her ankle and hauled her down into the water. When she came back up, she was looking into Crispin’s face. Both he and Ontario were laughing uproariously. She splashed water in Crispin’s direction and climbed back out of the water, trying not to smile. Crispin followed her and together, all three walked towards the sun, watching the clouds change and talking of old times.
Crispin led them to the girl who, as promised, had remained in the place where Crispin had left her. The all sat in a circle, letting the current push them in the direction of the border, though it wasn’t possible to cross without the train.
“So what’s with you?” Ontario asked the girl.
“My name’s Alice.”
“Oook, but what’s with you?”
“I dunno. I’ve been…someone’s hunting me.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“How do you not know who’s hunting you? That’s messed up.”
“I’m sorry, I just don’t.” Alice paused. Suddenly she stood up. “Nikki!” she called. A small, plump black cat came waddling from the horizon, mewing in a high-pitched, continuous whine. Its eyes were blue and green and cross-eyed and it stumbled a little when it walked. She scooped it up and spent a few seconds crooning to it as it purred. She then plopped down and cradled it.
“What’s with that cat?” Ontario muttered, leaning away from the feline.
“This is Nikki Leigh. He’s my buddy. Here Nikki, talk with us.” She put the cat down and he glared at her before waddling a little ways away. He stopped, sat down and disappeared into a poof of pink air. A short, thin, dark skinned boy in black came and sat by them, ignoring their stares.
“That’s sick.” Ontario said, shaking his head.
“Nikki’s a cat. He’s learned how to do magic on his own. We met a few years ago.”
“Does he talk?” Ontario asked. Ayo and Crispin watched him interrogate Alice and Nikki, barely concealing fits of laughter.
“No. He’s a cat.” Alice scowled. She turned to Ayo and Crispin. “So where are you guys headed?”
“The Spirit’s Ocean.” Crispin said grimly. “We’ll have to wait now.”
“Not necessarily.” Alice said.
“What? The train’s the only passage. There’s no other way.” Crispin argued.
“There’s always the Windmill.”
“What?” Ontario laughed.
“That’s just a myth isn’t it?” Ayo asked. She had heard the rumors of a boy who resided alone on a floating island somewhere in the sky. The island had but one structure still remaining on it, where as there had once been a city. A golden windmill made completely of glass (windows really). It was said to have similar powers to the train.
“Nope. I’ve met Ploo personally. She’s really nice.”
“Ploo? The fable says that it’s a boy?”
“The fable says Ploo, though it’s spelled P-a-l-u-t-o. The ‘t’ and the ‘o’ are silent, as is the ‘a’. Paluto is a boy’s name originally if you say it the way it’s spelled, so it’s an obvious mistake. Ploo’s a girl though, and she spells her name P-l-o-o to make it easier to say right.” Alice explained.
“Well, how’re we going to contact ‘Ploo’?” Crispin asked, amused.
“With this.” Alice produced an egg-shaped, transparent blue stone. She dipped it into the water and a bubble appeared in the middle. She took her index finger and pushed through the rock to the middle, popping the bubble. The water beneath them iced over and the air grew cold.
All at once they were on land. Tall, wild grass covered most of the island, though near the middle, a towering structure punctured the scenery. They were above the clouds in the clear blue of the sky just as the sun broke away from the horizon. Ayo stood up and smiled, while Crispin and Ontario remained seated, gazing around them with mouths open.
A cheerful river trickled across the island, streaming off one side of the island in a waterfall. It was certainly a gorgeous and eerie island with the golden windmill glimmering in the background of it all.
A low rumble erupted from the sky around the island and a silver, serpentine figure appeared. The dragon craned its head to stare at them, pulling back its lips into a grin. Its head was that of a wolf’s, with thick tufts of hair feathering its neck and face. Its scales were soft and white, shifting like feathers on a bird’s wings and its legs were dappled grey with silken tresses of cloud levitating it.
“Alice, you came back!” they turned toward the voice.

4

“Where are we going, Kaiobe?” Cole groaned. They’d been traveling since nightfall and it was nearly morning.
“We’re going to Agrin.”
“Agrin’s not that way!”
“You’re turned around. That way is East, not West.” He pointed.
“Ooooh. All right then. How did you know that Wolf person?”
“Teddy? We grew up on the same island and we lived next to each other.”
“Do you need to go to Agrin for some reason?” Cole asked carefully.
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Ok. I’m looking for someone too.”
“He’s not in Agrin.”
“Who?”
“The one you’re looking for.”
“How would you know who I’m looking for?”
“The person I’m looking for just happens to be looking for the same person you are.”
“Ok. Well, are we just going to walk?”
“That was the plan.”
Cole sighed. The sun was nearly straight above them when she spoke again. “Look!” she whispered. Kaiobe stopped.
Standing in the clearing a little ways away from where they were stood a doe. She cocked her head and her ears pricked. She turned and led a fawn into the brush-surrounded arena. It wobbled and stumbled, looking up at her with huge brown eyes. Its pelt was dark brown with white spots speckling down its back. Following them came another fawn, this one a little surer on its legs and lighter in color so that its spots were faded. A gigantic 14-point buck pranced about the clearing, lifting its head high and craning its neck. All at once it stopped and looked towards where Kaiobe and Cole watched.
“Wow.” Cole breathed. A slight smiled played about Kaiobe’s lips.
“You want to meet them?”
“What?” Before she could stop him he carefully strode forward, startling the deer, though they did not run. He spoke in low tones, never taking his eye from the buck. Finally the buck balked a little and bowed his great head. The doe and the fawns did likewise. Kaiobe knelt by the smallest fawn and stroked its tawny fur, motioning for Cole to come.
Cole edged her way into the clearing, still wary of the horns on the buck’s antlers, though he sat contently a few feet away. She knelt by the fawns and ran her fingers through their downy coat. The doe came over and nosed her shoulder gently. Cole looked up as the doe nudged her again. She placed her hand on the doe’s neck. The thick smell of dry leaves drifted from the doe’s body it nuzzled Cole’s cheek. Kaiobe sat by the buck now, leaning against his broad side.
The fawns stood and stumbled toward their mother, balking slightly when Cole stroked them as they passed. Kaiobe stood and brushed himself off.
“What’s her name?” Cole asked, nodding to the doe. Kaiobe turned to the buck and uttered the question.
“Her name is Do re.”
“Do re?” She pondered over the name. ‘Do’ was pronounce ‘doe’ and re was pronounced ‘ray’.
“The fawns are Mi so and Fa la, and he is Ti do.” Kaiobe motioned to the buck behind him at the last name. Mee soh, fah lah, tee doe.
“Do re mi so fa la ti do?”
“That was the intended plotline.” He smiled. The buck seemed to have a smug look about him as well.
“Clever.” Cole laughed. She stood up and stroked Do re and the fawns one more time before walking to Kaiobe to continue their walk. He waved to the family and left, still smiling. Cole followed him. When she looked back the deer were gone off into the forest, with nothing to represent their presence put four sets of cloven footprints.
After a bit, Kaiobe spoke. “There are many creatures like that in this forest. I know quite a few personally. Most are lonely, eager for companionship.”
“That’s sad.” She muttered. She knew the feeling. Before Tom had found her in the cold city to the North, she had been alone, with little memories of home. She remembered that she had a brother, but not his name. She remember her sister specifically, her name, her face, her voice. There was someone else there, but no name or face or clue of where they belonged on a family tree.
She nearly ran into Kaiobe when he stopped. A plump, grumpy looking, grey squirrel sat on his forearm that he held out in front of him. He spoke with the squirrel and glanced back at Cole once or twice.
“This,” he turned around, presenting a baby squirrel in his palm. “Is Chrome.” The squirrel glistened in all colors of white, grey and silver, from its whiskers to its tail. It opened its eyes and chirped like a chickadee. He sat on his hind legs. He had blue eyes. Cole stared and held out her hand. The squirrel gurgled and hopped nimbly into her palm, examining her with intelligent eyes. “He can’t do magic, but he’ll be a good companion.” He waved to the larger squirrel as it bolted away.
“Why don’t the other squirrels want him?” Cole asked, caressing Chrome’s head. There was an almost blue shine to the star on his brow.
“Something about how he eats too much and is a nuisance.” Kaiobe grinned at Cole’s horrified expression. “He’s yours if you’ll have him and feed him.”
“Of course!” Cole said happily. She set the squirrel on her shoulders. He skittered around onto her head and up and down her back until she tapped him gently on the head when he was on her shoulder. Like an on/off switch works on a machine, the squirrel immediately planted himself where he was, digging his little claws into her shirt. She smiled and knelt carefully to give a discarded acorn to her new friend. He clutched in two paws and it was gone in a matter of minutes. Kaiobe shook his head, still grinning and turned away to continue.
As they walked Cole told her story to Chrome and asked his opinions, for which she was answered with a series of chirping and fidgeting. She told as much as she knew about her memories and her friends and, in turn, Kaiobe. Kaiobe walked silent a head of them, listening to her talk to the squirrel until the sun was starting to sink in the sky. When he looked back, he would always see the squirrel in a different place, either on the top of her head, or on either shoulder or nestled in the crook her elbow or in her palm. At least it gave her someone else to talk to and in turn, pester.
“Kaiobe, is there a way that we could teach Chrome to speak so that I could understand him?”
“In time, he’ll learn to communicate on his own.” Kaiobe answered stopping and setting his light pack on the stump in the middle of the clearing where they stood.
“When?”
“I dunno, it depends on how smart he is.” He turned and laughed at her dumbstruck face.
“I didn’t thank you, did I?” she muttered.
“For what?”
“For a lot of things.”
“What, the wolf-man thing?”
“And for introducing me to the deer. And for Chrome. And for helping me with all of this.” She seemed to crumble a little.
“Hey, don’t mention it.” He said. “I happen to be going where you’re going, so why not help?”
“All the same.” She sat in front of him, releasing Chrome from his little spell and watching the squirrel scamper around trying to find acorns.
“You shouldn’t let him eat the others’ acorns.” Kaiobe commented.
“Chrome, come!” Cole called just loud enough for the squirrel to hear. “Put those back.” She poked the squirrel’s acorn-stuffed cheek. It blinked and deposited the nuts before her. She grimaced and tapped him on the head to make him stay. “So what should he eat?”
Kaiobe stared at her. A few hours with the squirrel and it was obeying her every word like it had been doing it for years. “Um,” he paused.
“Hold on, I got something, I think!” Cole dug in her pocket and pulled a good-sized bag of non-shelled peanuts. “Will he eat these?”
“Uh, sure. How long do you think they’ll last him?”
Cole turned to the squirrel and conferred with him. “Maybe a week or two.” She answered.
“Go for it.” Kaiobe sat beside her, watching her open the package and place two peanuts with the shells still on them before the squirrel. She picked up the acorns and tossed them away before releasing the squirrel from its automatic captivity. It sat on its hind-legs and munched on the shell, very slowly devouring the food in a similar fashion. “Quirky little rodent.” Muttered Kaiobe.
They watched the sun go down on their first day of travel. Chrome soon settled in Cole’s pocket for the night and she was careful to lie on her back the entire night. Kaiobe noted that she did not sleep. Stars sprinkled the new-moon sky and he heard her humming a soothing tune. A lullaby perhaps. He smiled. It was good to have a companion again.

to be continued...