Beyond the Hold: Prologue
#1 of Beyond the Hold
Welcome to the world of Trem. As I'm posting this, I'm trying not to feel sad. This is something I had been sitting on for about 10 years or so, and Of The Wilds and Myre convinced me that maybe it's time I share it with the rest of you. There's not much to it yet, be warned. But...perhaps in posting this, I can make an effort to share more of this rather interesting continuing series (or perhaps novel) in the future. :D For your convenience, a little about Trem: The planet of Trem is 80% ocean, 11% polar ice, 9% archipelagos, with a wide scattering of islands across the planet, allowing for remote cultures and other tribes. The malima'ka are your basic sea-otters. The planet has one sun and three moons. For the prologue, at least, it's pretty important to know all this. :D This gets going in a hurry...although we start with an old, old fairy tale.
And so begins "Beyond the Hold" - I hope you'll enjoy it. :D
"The moons choose and the sea decides..."
With these words, a pup's eyes slowly opened again, filled with wonder and curiosity. She had only been half-asleep to begin with, caressed by the sounds of gentle churrrs from her mother and the soft beat of the ocean surf upon the rocks. "What means this?" the little girl inquired, nestling her tiny muzzle against the older malima'ka's chest.
The mother chuckled softly, lifting her child's furry chin and looking into her deep, dark brown eyes. "Know not the story of Ora'ne? Falling asleep when Lee-Lee tells stories to you all, hmm?"
Lee-Lee was an old, wizened malima'ka who would often visit the children on the beach and regale them with her tales. Because she was quite large and could not swim or walk fast, the children had once teased her, giving her the name "LeeLee" after the flightless birds that populated their shores. The elders had quickly silenced their ridicule. "Her words fly longer and higher than any wings," they would say. But "LeeLee" had stuck and few living in the village even remembered her true name.
The pup's whiskers drooped and she sighed. "LeeLee talk fast sometimes," she muttered sheepishly.
The mother laughed heartily now, and held the pup close to her bosom. "Listen..."
"When Ka was born, everything was quiet and dark. She made Kema'ka, the gift of fire, to guard the spirits waiting to come down and be born. But one day Kema'ka fell fast asleep and several spirits were lost, falling into the sea. This angered Ka greatly, for she cared much for her children and all she had made.
_ "When Kema'ka returned to her the next day, she scolded her._
_ "You, whom I chose as my guardian," she hissed, her waves rolling and crashing about her, "have failed. You are to watch over the spirits, keep them safe from harm, so that they can come down when the time is right. How dare you sleep, and in my presence!"_
_ "Kema'ka bowed low, greatly ashamed. "Ka," she spoke softly, "I cannot stay awake all the time. There are so many spirits to watch, and I can no longer keep them all safe. If we had help...."_
_ "Ka looked at Kema'ka, thinking to herself. "Kema'ka, you are right, I am not being fair. I shall make two more guardians. From this day forth you may sleep sometimes."_
_ "And so Ka's waves rolled and crashed high, and two more guardians were made, the twin brothers Ora'ne and Ora'na, to watch over Ka and her children while Kema'ka slept. But soon Ora'na grew tired of doing nothing but guarding. "Look, brother," he sneered once, "Everyone else sleeps while we stand here and keep watch. It is not fair, we are doing all the work ourselves."_
_ "But Ora'ne answered gruffly, "This is why we were made, Ora'na. If Ka heard you talk like this, she would send you back into her womb and perhaps change you into a lee-lee instead."_
_ "I am not afraid of Ka," Ora'na replied coolly. "She did not tell me all I would do is guard the spirits." He picked up a small rock and hurled it at one of the tiny lights surrounding them. "I am bored here. I will fall asleep just sitting here!"_
_ "And that is just what Ora'na did. Ora'ne could not watch the entire sky by himself and a few spirits were lost to the sea. When Ka awoke and realized some of her children were missing, she immediately sent for her guardians._
_ "What is happening?" she cried out, glowering at the three guardians. "I have lost more of my children. Who is to blame?"_
_ "Ka," Ora'ne said softly, "Ora'na fell asleep and left me alone to watch over your children. I am truly sorry, but I could not watch them all. It is my fault."_
_ Ka turned to Ora'na angrily, "This is true, is it not?"_
_ Ora'na dropped his gaze hurriedly, looking ashamed._
_ "Do not let this happen again, Ora'na, or I shall turn you into a lee-lee in short order!"_
_ When Ka was finished and sent them away again, Ora'ne looked over at his brother and smiled. "You would be wise to listen to her. She means it. And I tried to warn you." Ora'na just grumbled and waited for Ka and her children to sleep again._
_ When they were all asleep and the brothers took over guarding again, Ora'na turned to Ora'ne and spoke. "Why does Ka care so for these? They just sit there and do nothing, like us. We should awaken them, maybe they will talk to us and play!"_
_ "Ora'na, you speak foolish now!" his twin brother responded, suddenly alarmed._
_ But Ora'na was already gone, going up among the spirits and dancing around them. "Awaken, children of Ka! Heeheehee! Open your eyes and play with us, your guardians! Awaken!" He danced and danced all through the night. In his haste for play, he did awaken a few of the spirits and they immediately burst into fire as he tried to touch them. Horrified, Ora'na came back to his brother and said nothing the rest of that day._
_ When Ka awoke the next day, she felt the loss of her children, and heard their cries. "Ora'na," she growled, her waters amazingly calm, "you have needlessly destroyed more of the spirits. You are of no use to me as a guardian."_
_ Ora'na bowed his head low, greatly afraid._
_ "And as your punishment..." Ka stretched out a mighty wave that engulfed Ora'na quickly. When the wave came back to her, there was Ora'na, now nothing but a ball of fire. "You will suffer the fate of those you destroyed. Now, leave us!"_
_ Sadly Ora'na left Ora'ne and Ka, tears of sorrow in his eyes that flashed the moment the fire touched it and became a tail behind him. But later that day, as Ora'ne was left alone to guard as many of the spirits as he could, Ora'na returned._
_ "Brother!" Ora'ne cried out, "What are you doing here?"_
_ "I came to play!" But Ora'na did not yet fully know how to control his new form and hit his brother. Ora'ne's body broke apart at the impact and pieces of him drifted away to join the spirits. Ora'na, horrified, then turned tail and left again._
_ When Ka awoke the next day, she cried for her brave guardian and quickly gathered as many pieces of him as she could find. In the end, she could find only his head and hands._
_ "Ora'ne, you will be placed with the spirits as well," Ka sighed sadly, her waves rustling like a whisper. She set his head and hands high among the other spirits. "Here you shall guard them always with honor. And for your courage, you shall be the one that chooses which spirit will be born anew, Ora'ne. While I shall watch them all their lives to decide if they are worthy of returning to your custody to be born yet again._
_ "To this day, the moons choose the day at which the next spirit to be reborn will come and the sea decides if it shall be reborn again after they die. But every once in a while, Ora'na will come and dance and play with Ora'ne again. But he is careful not to harm his brother or those he guards..."_