“The siafu are everywhere on the disc,” one of the gold digger ants explained to Rusa. “But only chosen leaders are allowed in the Chamber of the Unseeing All-knowing, so we are the only diggers who come here. We are the siafu crowns.”
“What exactly is this place?” Rusa asked. The majority of the gold diggers crowded around Pultine as they made their way to the throne formation, and Rusa was too far from her to benefit from her glow. The gold digger that he spoke with held the end of his long staff with the large pincers on her face that she used to lead Rusa in the darkness. She’d introduced herself as Dory.
“The Chamber is where decisions that effect cave dwellers are made. We are the voice of all siafu on the disc in this Chamber.”
“Sort of like the Defense Ministry on Wiis,” Rusa said with a nod.
“You are not an Fonlander, right?” Dory asked.
“How can you tell?”
“An Fonlander is made of the essence, and an Fonlander can sense the essence. There is none in you. Your esteemed companion is a rare Fonlander who makes her own essence and every Fonlander of every disc respects that. Her essence is lovely, almost as good the essence from the pillar to the Lofted Disc.”
“I wish I could experience Pultine’s essence,” Rusa said regretfully.
“Rusa!” Pultine yelled and he caught up to her, using his staff to feel in front of him as the ants parted to allow him to stand next to her. “That’s the throne formation there, stay close.”
Rusa nodded as he followed beside Pultine to a large rock formation that wasn’t long and conical like most of the others of the Chamber. The base of the formation was wider than the others and instead of coming to a point, it rose to a flat plateau. Rusa could see it because parts of it were covered with a mossy grass that glowed light blue; the glowing moss also lined the entrance to the formation that looked neatly cut into the stone compared to the entrance of Grootslang’s horde. Rusa watched the siafu crawl over the rock formation like they meant to eat the moss. In the glow of the moss, their coloring was golden but tinged blue like their exoskeletons were made of the moss.
“I guess they’re hungry,” Rusa whispered to Pultine.
“If they ate that moss, Yana would squish their guts from their golden husks,” Pultine said with a laugh. “If they didn’t immediately succumb to the poison, of course. That’s a good rule to live by in the Fonlands, if it glows, don’t eat it. Either it will kill you or some other Fonlanders will. Glowing in the Fonlands usually means that essence is being produced and the essence is the lifeblood of the Fonlands. This is the throne formation because it is covered in this essence producing moss, inside and out. The Queen inhabits it because it replenishes her and helps her to access her full powers, even if she is away from the caves.”
Rusa nodded thoughtfully, and soon they stood before the large entrance of the throne formation.
“Anybody home?” Pultine yelled with her hands cupped around her mouth. She let go of her essence then flitted her wings so that the yellow-white glow wafted into the formation.
“Pultine!” an excited voice practically screamed inside and the echo mirrored the enthusiasm over and over as Pultine walked inside and Rusa followed closely behind.
There were formations of rock inside that were like furniture; a long table covered in the glowing moss occupied the middle of the formation and the Queen of the Caves, Yana, hung upside down over what appeared to be a throne that was crudely shaped in stone. Her wings were spread full out and her wingspan hid much of the interior. Her body was larger than Pultine and Rusa if they stood on one another’s shoulders and her head was massive. The muzzle of her face was long and triangular, narrower along the ridge from her forehead to the end of her nose and gradually larger down to her jaw. She smiled with the end of her snout and her mouth seemed small for the size of her face.
“Girl!” Yana yelled enthusiastically and she jumped down from her hanging position to squat in front of the throne. “It’s about time you got here! I got your message from the siafu a while ago.”
“It wasn’t that long,” Pultine said. “Sakpata’s jewel was high over the mountains when I sent word, and it has set and reappeared once more since.”
“More like three times. What took you so long? Usually when the siafu are screaming your name, you’re already in the Chamber.”
“I have a companion,” Pultine said and put an arm around Rusa, and a hand on each of his shoulders like she was presenting him. “This is Rusa, Queen Yana. He is from the other realm, from the planet Wiis.”
“Wiis,” Yana said and the kindness of her face turned to scorn or annoyance. “That’s Lêgba stuff. Sakpata is so upset over Lêgba, working with him has been tedious lately. I dread our meetings at his peak, even if the view is breathtaking. Why did you bring this Wiiser?”
“He pledged himself to my service and he is hard to shake. I figured if he is going to follow me around, I might give him an upgrade. Do you think you can make him more like an Fonlander?”
This surprised Rusa and he looked at her with shock on his face. Yana laughed.
“This is news to him? I can do it if it’s something he wants.”
“Do you trust me?” Pultine asked Rusa, her arm still around his shoulder and she hugged him close.
“But you asked me not to come with you. Why didn’t you tell me that this was your intention?” Rusa asked nervously.
“A man like you is so full of pride, I knew my apprehension would make you more determined to complete the long journey through the tunnels, it is not for the faint of heart. Few things from your realm could make that journey. I have witnessed your strength, Rusa, and I want you to see my journey to its end by my side. I have tested your mind and body, and now is the test of your words,” Pultine said as Yana began laughing again.
“You picked a unique one to swear yourself to,” Yana said. “I’m surprised she even allows it, Pultine is a superstar of the Fonlands. Anything on the discs would be honored to follow her around as I’m sure you’ve witnessed.”
“What will happen to me?” Rusa asked softly and he sounded like a child.
“You will be stronger. You will be able to use the essence which will expose the latent powers of your body. Maybe you will be able to wield the lights like I do. Or you could forge like Yana, produce gems like Grootslang, eat stones and jewels to extract their properties to enhance your body like the siafu. I like traveling with you, Rusa, but my road ahead is treacherous. If you come with me, I can’t be distracted with your safety. Yana is the master forger, she will deconstruct your body and reassemble it to fortify it and optimize its performance.”
“Could it kill me?” Rusa asked, his eyes big and unblinking.
“Do you trust me?” Pultine asked.
“I do,” Rusa said, and then he looked to Yana. “Please, Queen Yana, turn me into whatever weapon my pristine desires.”
“Are all Wiisers like this one?” Yana asked with a chuckle. “If I ever go to the other realm, I’ll pick up one for myself.”
“Rusa is one of a kind,” Pultine said.
“I will gladly be your weapon, my pristine,” Rusa said dutifully.
“You won’t be my weapon,” Pultine said. “I need Yana to make me an ax as well.”
“Anything for the pristine,” Yana said mockingly. “Did you get what I asked for?”
Pultine produced three gems from her shirt and approached Yana’s face. The gems were all green tinted and seemed to glow from the inside.
“One for my axe, one for Rusa, and one for yourself,” Pultine said as she offered them to Yana whose face was consumed in wonder.
“One of these days,” she said dreamily, “I will dance over Grootslang’s bloated corpse and then have my pick of his diamonds. He is such a difficult creature to get along with, so delicate and just waiting to complain about a perceived insult. That is why they picked me over him. His jewels are amazing and do much good all around the caves, but who wants to deal with him to get at them? Only the great and wonderful Pultine of course.”
“Let’s get started,” Pultine said eagerly. “We have another stop after this one before we head back to the other realm. We’re going to Endla.”
“Destroy that abomination,” Yana said almost angrily. “Maybe Sakpata will get his head back. He’s always with his two brothers talking about all the nonsense Lêgba’s up to, and now they think he’s hoarding Third Hearts in that Endla place in the other realm. They say he’s giving those things he makes the hearts. I say destroy the whole thing, stop investigating and talking about it.”
“I don’t know about all that,” Pultine said. “But I do know I’m going to put Seraphiel down for good and since I spooked him on Wiis, he’s called for help.”
“I’m mad that I know so much about that place. Seraphiel is one of the archangels, the first seven sons of the yumbo Welboas in the other realm?”
“He’s a seraphim, Lêgba made him. Sort of like how you’ll remake Rusa.”
“Only for you, Pultine, because you can stand Grootslang. I wouldn’t touch an other-realmer otherwise, we must be discreet about this. I would never hear the end of it from Sakpata.”
“No worries,” Pultine said. “We do Mawu-Lisa’s work.”
PRL Serials 