Rain and the Seven Stones
A Short Story by Jill D'Entremont
Chapter 2
Rain’s eyes blinked open and saw the breaking of sunlight shining into her cave. The sounds of the waves were soft as they rolled across the beach outside. Hunching her back, she pressed her hands against the ground and took in a deep breath.
“Ah, you’re finally awakening.”
Her eyes flew open. That was not her mother’s voice.
She scrambled to all fours so hastily that the sticks of her nest were strewn across the cavern walls. She grabbed her staff from the ground and spun around as her head darted from side to side, trying desperately to find the source of the voice she had just heard.
“Calm yourself!” The voice was deep and masculine and seemed to be floating just inside her ears.
Her heart was pounding as she backed into the wall to view both exits to her cave, and she still could not see anyone. She crouched low and continued to scan through her shadowed surroundings as she firmly gripped her staff. “I hear you, but I can’t see you!”
“There’s no need to worry where I am. I am speaking to you directly, so you will not see me.”
“How?”
“That doesn’t matter right now.” The voice spoke with a hint of annoyance under its breath.
Rain, however, was not satisfied. “Then, why are you talking to me?” She pointed the tip of the staff toward the ground and turned around again.
“I have been watching you for some time, Rain.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “...How do you know who I am?” She scarcely uttered, staring blindly ahead at the cave walls.
“Because you are unique; your skills, knowledge, and bravery far outrank any other of your kind. Your tracking skills are superb, and when I saw you defeat three tyrants last night—”
“You saw that?” Her purple eyes were wide as she slowly turned her head.
The voice paused. “Yes,” it continued. “Your craftiness was outmatched. You rescued the children, and you did it all without a single major injury to anyone involved. I was impressed, to say the least. When I saw your work displayed there, I knew it was time to make myself known to you.”
It was at this point Rain’s brows began to lower. “Why?”
“I have work for you.”
“Work?” She arched her neck.
“Work that only you have the skills to do.”
As much as she wished to take his words as a compliment, Rain could feel the flattery wearing thin. “I’m... honored? But I’m not exactly sure I can commit—”
“Without knowing my plan? But of course.”
Rain let out the remainder of her sentence as a huff. “No,” she stood taller. “Without knowing who you are.”
The voice remained silent for a moment longer than she would have expected. “I see. I suppose that can be arranged.”
Rain’s eyes grew wide as a form began to rise from the ground. It remained black, as a shadow, even with the light from the cave’s mouth behind it. She shrunk back as the shadowed form molded into the shape of a tall, crested grazer like herself. Face to face with another of her kind, she eyed the staff in her hands and set it down in embarrassment.
“My name is Kotah,” the crested shadow announced, through the sound of his words still only echoed within her head. “As you can see, I am merely a shadow; I am restricted to where I can go and what I can do. This is why I need your help.”
Rain’s curiosity had only been piqued by this revelation. “All right, Kotah.” She frowned, unable to restrain the questions that flowed into her thoughts. “But... how are you a shadow? And why? How can you look like a crested grazer? I don’t understand how—”
“I will not answer any more questions about myself at this time.” The shadow dropped to the sand and disappeared as the voice boomed in her head. “I am here to garner your help, and if I may, I will explain my plan to you.”
She swallowed her remaining questions and nodded silently.
“There are seven stones that need to be recovered. These stones have been scattered throughout this land, and because of their great beauty, they are treasured and often horded. But these stones, when brought together, offer immeasurable power.”
“Like what?”
“Power far beyond anything you could imagine.”
“To do what?”
The voice grumbled. “That isn’t important right now.”
Rain scowled at the place Kotah once stood. “Fine, if you’re bent on telling me next to nothing—what’s in it for me?”
“For you?” Kotah was growing increasingly agitated, “All of your other acts of kindness you perform without need of repayment, and you ask me for something in return?”
Rain was also building up heat in her chest. “I expect you noticed that all of my ‘acts of kindness’ were actually helping others—not tracking down a bunch of rocks!”
“But that’s exactly it...” the voice had grown solemn. “If you find the stones and bring them to me, it can revive me...”
The grazer blinked. “Revive you?”
“From my shadowed form. I could live as you live again.”
Rain was quieted, but she retained a skeptical look to her face. “Yeah... so why was that bit of knowledge not important right now? ‘Cause I’d say that’s incredibly important.”
“Rrruughh!!” Kotah roared angrily.
“Ah!” Rain clutched the front of her crested head at a painful twinge. “What what that?” She flailed further when her fingers gripped at something cold and smooth. “What is this??”
“Calm down!” Kotah let out a deep breath. “That is a shadow orb; it is how I am able to speak to you. Do not attempt to remove it!”
“You could have started out this conversation explaining this part a little better, too!” Rain continued to pick at the orb on her forehead harriedly.
“And you could stand to listen a little better! Do not attempt to remove it!!”
Another pulse rattled her head and numbed her fingers. She whimpered, curled her hands against her body, and heavily sat down into the sand.
“Will you listen to me, now?” Kotah’s voice commanded.
The grazer puffed air through her nostrils. “I suppose I have no other choice.”
Kotah sighed. “Please remember I have only come to you because of your great skill. I already know the locations of the stones, so I need you only to retrieve them. I can offer any assistance I can, including understanding the weaknesses of each of the stone’s keepers. I do not plan to throw you into this blindly.”
“That’s comforting,” Rain mumbled.
“And, despite my best judgment, I will offer you a reward for your services.”
Rain sat back, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“I can offer you the chance to speak to your mother.”
Rain’s heart nearly stopped as it leapt into her throat. “You... what?”
A shadow again was pulled from the ground, merging again into the form of a crested grazer. But the form was not stiff and tall, but gentle, and it held out its hands toward Rain.
“Rain...”
A look that was somehow joyful, sorrowful, and stunned twisted Rain’s face as the sound of her mother’s voice echoed in her ears. Her body began to tremble, fighting the desire to rush towards the figure. She instead remained in place in utter disbelief. She only found the strength to lurch forward when the shadow dropped and faded, and, once alone, her body sunk until all four limbs were pressed into the sand.
“Can I count on your help now, Rain?”
She allowed the sound of his voice to fade into the sound of the waves rolling outside of her cave. “I just,” she finally found words. “I don’t understand...”
“I need you to help me find seven stones so I can be revived, and in return you will be able to see your mother. I’m not sure how much simpler I can be.”
“No, I get that, it’s...”
“Your mother doesn’t have to see you,” Kotah’s voice sharpened, “And I don’t have to show you anything. So, can I count on your help or not?”
With so much still so new and unknown, she felt uncomfortable to take on such a task. But she had just seen her mother—if only for a moment—and if Kotah could grant her even a moment’s more, she felt as though nothing could be too great to receive such a payment.
Her crested head nodded with a spark of determination in her purple eyes. “All right.”