| Board : | |
| Author : | |
| Subject : | |
| Date : | |
|
The Fox, Squirrel, and Shaman In the quiet heart of the islets, where the mists hang low and the trees whisper old secrets while begging for rain, lived a clever fox. This hair gleamed like copper ore, and his eyes were always searching for his next prey. He knew every trail in the islets, every cave, and every trick the islets could offer. One day, while the fox was chasing the scent of a rabbit, he heard something unusual. It was a low and steady thumping noise. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Curious, as a fox is, he paused from his rabbit stalking and listened. The sound came from deep within the islets. From a place the fox not yet dared to go. The fox thought to himself that it must be something important. Perhaps something important to him! He set off toward the sound, creeping along the low-hanging cliffs, and sticking to the waters edge. Along the way, he met a wolf. The wolf did not seem to phased by the thumping noise but did give our fox a warning. "That noise is not for us. It calls only to those who are foolish to think it is for them." The fox smirked, continuing on along the cliffs thinking to himself. "If I don't follow the thumping, how will I ever know if it was for me?" Deeper into the depths of the islet the fox went. The trees gave way to more cliffs, the river snaked its way more sharply, and the grass gave way to barren soil. He passed a raven who was perched on a dying tree branch, who squawked. "I have seen others chase that thumping noise! None return with anything but weariness. If they ever return at all!" But the fox continued on without looking back. He arrogantly thought to himself. "They were not me. I am cunning and stealthy. I will be the one to succeed!" Finally, he approached a cave he never noticed before. That's probably because the cave entrance was overgrown with thorny vines. He very carefully maneuvered his way past the thorns; only pricking himself once! Within the cave, he could smell something rank. The air was heavy and unmoving. He carefully walked as there was not much light. He stepped on something that crunched under his paw. He took another step and felt another crunch. He saw an opening ahead so he carefully went toward it. Crunch. Thump. Crunch. Thump. Crunch. He got to the opening but realize it was just another overgrown entrance to the cave. Thankfully this one was just a normal vine so he bite it and ripped it from the opening. Sunlight burst into the cavern! He looked back and saw a dozen skeletons. All wearing headdresses adorned with feathers. All with a drum in the place that would have been their lap. One skeleton stood from the others as there was a squirrel standing on its skull! It jumped down from the skull, and landed on the drum in the skeleton's lap! Thump! The skeleton scurried up the rib cage, over the shoulder blade, back to the skull. Jumped again! Thump! The fox let out a small yip to alert the squirrel. The squirrel paused for but a second before. Thump! The squirrel approached the fox, something no other squirrel had done before to him. "They are all dead. I saw them as they came into these catacombs carrying their drums. I think they were trying to summon life back into the community, but I think they lost track of time. They did not eat or drink, they just kept drumming until none drummed again. I am just trying to help out. Our community needs life!" The squirrel ran back over to the skeleton and scurried up once again. Thump! Thump! Thump! The fox, shocked, realized that the wolf and raven were right. He felt foolish and was now weary of the future. But he respected the squirrel, for all of his attempts to bring back life. Zenath, the Buffalo of the Mists | |