Everville: The City of Worms (4 page)

Chapter 5:

The Box

At Professor Samil’s estate, Drusilla watched in eager anticipation as Zee lifted the lid of the first box that Odious had brought them. Peering inside, he reached in to grab some of the objects. There were documents, a notebook, some letters, a few photos, and a smaller box. He thumbed through a few of the photos, which had pictures of Professor Samil along with some people he recognized from paintings in the Art Club. He handed them to Drusilla, who glanced at them with similar disinterest. It was the smaller and cube shaped wooden box that had grabbed their attention.

Zee lifted it out of the container, unsure exactly how to open it. The box was almost smooth, but there was a slight grainy texture to it that gave away its wooden composition. There was no visible entry. He turned it over a few times, inspecting it for a crack or an opening, and then he touched one of the corners of the box.

As soon as Zee touched one of the corners, two lines formed from the center of the top and continued towards the edge and halfway down the sides. The top of the box then split into four equal sections that opened up and folded halfway over the sides. The inside of the box contained three separate compartments, equal in shape, each held a different object.

Zee lifted the first object out of the box. It was a glass jar that contained a shimmering liquid. It had hints of opal and fleeting rainbow colors that faded into white as he swirled it around and inspected it.

The second object was a miniature landscape oil painting on canvas with a gold frame. It was about the size of wallet photo. The painting had stunning detail including very tiny brush strokes that looked like they were made with a miniature brush.

The final object was a tan scroll, frayed around the edges and tied with a thin red ribbon. Zee pulled on one of the ends of the ribbon until it opened and the scroll uncoiled.

They looked intently at the scroll, which contained a map. The map was divided into two sections. The left side contained a half sphere with a circle in the middle surrounded by eight regions of near equal size. The center of the circle had the words “Everville and the land of the Fron” written on top. The other eight regions on the right were named as well and contained symbols that Zee immediately recognized. The symbols were identical to those that were engraved in the bo staves that were used during training and the roundabouts.

Lines connected each of the eight regions on the left to the eight regions on the right side of the map, which contained the right half of the matching sphere. The right side was the mirror image of the left; only the names and symbols were different. The center of the right side was named “The Other In Between,” with the word “Them” written underneath. The eight regions surrounding the center of the right circle were also named and contained different characters, which Zee also recognized as being symbols used for different bo staves.

Between the two halves of the sphere was written the word “Borderlands,” and in the center was a sphere called “The Earthly Realm.”

“What the heck is that,” Drusilla said.

“I don’t know, but it looks pretty cool. It’s obviously an old map of some kind, but is it a map of something real or something else, a story in a book maybe?”

Zee put down the scroll to take a second look at the miniature painting.

“Hold on a sec. I’m going to go get a magnifying glass.”

Zee put down the painting, which Drusilla proceeded to pick up, and then he ran off to the other room. Drusilla held the painting up to her eyes in an attempt to see more detail, but nothing stood out.

After Zee returned, they both looked at the painting through the magnifying glass, hoping to find a clue.

“I don’t see anything special here,” Zee said.

“Neither do I,” remarked Drusilla.

They put down the object with a look of disappointment on their faces, and then started shuffling through the other documents that were in the currently open box, and the other three boxes.

Drusilla picked up the photos and said, “You know, Zee, most of the people in the pictures are in the paintings at the Art Club.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too, but that doesn’t really help us much.”

They continued looking through the documents, and then they picked up the notebook.

“Look. It’s Professor Samil’s.”

“Yeah, it looks like my dad’s handwriting.”

They flipped through the notebook then turned back to the first page.

Entry Number One:

I’m getting closer to finding a way to stop the breach, but I think The Keeper is holding me back. After talking with some of the other creatures here, I think there must be more ways to stop Them and the other races surrounding The Other In Between.

“Well, I guess we know what the map is for now,” Drusilla said.

“Yeah, but we still don’t know what it means. Was
he writing a book, or maybe some kind of novel?” Zee said.

“Maybe, but let’s read the whole thing, and we might get a better idea,” Drusilla said.

Back in Everville, The Keeper had been alerted as soon as Zee had opened the box, and he had been watching as Zee and Drusilla attempted to decipher the purpose of each object. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Zee discovered his father’s past. As The Keeper observed them, his face took on a look of concern and uncertainty.

The Keeper approached one of the endless shelves in his workshop and looked at the objects which rested on one of them, glass containers identical to the one that Zee had found, each filled with the same shimmering liquid. The Keeper picked up one of the containers and inspected it while stroking his beard thoughtfully. He put down one container and picked up another, looking at it with the same curiosity.

“It can’t be. Can it?” The Keeper said to himself, aloud. He rubbed his chin and continued to stroke his beard as he pondered the thought that had just occurred to him. He also sensed that Owen was about to transport himself to Everville. And with that thought, Owen arrived.

“Owen, I know why you’re here and I don’t have any answers for you just yet.”

“Keeper, I was talking with Cleophas and his notes suggested we might find some answers in Brackenbone. Do you think I should go there?”

“I’ve sent a small contingent of Fron to travel behind the walls of Vermogen near the center of Brackenbone. It’s the origin of the breach. When they return, I’ll have a better idea of what we’re dealing with, and hopefully some answers and a possible solution to your problem. Until then, there is nothing we can really do here. I suggest you go back to the earthly realm. Take care of your friends. Right now, they need you more than I do. I’ll alert you when you are needed here.”

Owen transported himself back to the home of Cleophas.

“So what did you find out?” Anika said.

“It looks like Cleophas was right. Something’s going on in Brackenbone. The Keeper sent some of the Fron to go check it out. He said that the origin of the breach is located somewhere in Brackenbone, and once they figure out what caused it, he might have some answers.”

“Well guys,” said Cleophas, “while we’re waiting, why don’t I prepare you a proper supper? I’ll have Avery and Dante’s Uncle Jack over as well.”

“Yeah. That sounds good,” Anika said.

“Sounds good to me, too.”

“Splendid. I’ll call them over right away. How would you guys like to help me in the kitchen?” Cleophas said in a deep, confident tone.

“Sure. No problem,” Anika said, as they both headed off in that direction.

Chapter 6:

The Walls of Vermogen

Within a short time after leaving the main village in Brackenbone, the Fron and the others had arrived just outside the walls of Vermogen.

“The walls are taller than I expected,” Toe said.

“Why? Is it because we’re so small? Well it’s not our fellow Ubaloo we’re trying to keep out,” Asher said in a high-pitched voice that sounded like a person who had just inhaled some helium. “It’s the creatures from the other side that we’re worried about. Normally, Brackenbone is protected, as with other realms in Everville, but when there is a breach, sometimes one or two of Them can get through. It’s also meant to stop those friendly races who, on rare occasions, may not have the best of intentions.”

“That makes sense,” Sako said.

“There is a small cave hidden at some distance behind these walls. The cave is special. The universe has certain points where energy and power are released. This cave is the most powerful of these focal points. It’s situated behind a waterfall that’s located just beyond the forest that lies in front of us,” Asher said.

“Well, how do we get through?” Toe asked.

“We walk through,” Faine replied.

“Yeah, we walk through,” Felix said as he bounced up and down on Grenmar’s torso, who didn’t seem to mind carrying him along for the ride.

“The walls of Vermogen are made with rare minerals found in Everville, which can sense those with good intentions. All others have to find another way to get over. That is, if they can get in at all,” Asher said.

Asher approached the wall and walked straight through it. The remaining Ubaloo followed Asher and began walking through the walls. The marmooks trailed close behind from the outside of the wall.

“Come on,” Felix said as he continued to jump up and down on Grenmar, who used his tiny hands to cover his large eyes as best he could while he walked through the wall with a cringe of apprehension on his face. Once Grenmar had crossed, he started bouncing up and down and signaled for the others to follow. The other marmooks bounced across, and shortly thereafter the Fron followed suit. As soon as everyone had made it through, a loud muffled noise came from above the trees.

“What’s that?” Toe shouted.

“I’m not sure,” Asher said.

A rustling in the canopy above them got louder, and the wind began to howl.

“Oh, my goodness! Is that one of Them?” Felix said with apprehension.

Grenmar suddenly stopped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, and he started whimpering. Felix was thrown clear of Grenmar and landed on his head.

“Geesh. Did you have to stop so quickly?” Felix said as he rubbed his sore head and looked at Grenmar in anguish.

Grenmar pouted his lips and winced. Seconds later, the sound returned.

“Run!” shouted Faine all of a sudden.

Without hesitating for a moment, the entire group started sprinting forward. The marmooks were ahead of everyone else, bouncing along at an obscene pace. The Ubaloo were not too far back, with the small contingent of Fron falling well behind the other two groups. The Fron ran as fast they as could, which wasn’t that fast.

Kearney was out of breath and had to stop. As he took a few seconds to rest, he looked up at the trees just as the sound returned. Before he had a chance to start running again, a large flock of tiny blue and red birds revealed themselves.

The birds were anything but ominous. They had small shiny aqua-blue eyes and flapped their wings faster than hummingbirds. They had unusual beaks shaped like vases that were larger than the rest of their bodies.

“Hey guys. Asher, Sako, Toe, it’s okay. It’s just a large flock of small birds, nothing to worry about,” Kearney shouted as loud as he could.

The Fron and the Ubaloo stopped and allowed Kearney and the others to slowly catch up before they started moving again. The marmooks, however, were out of range of Kearney’s voice and continued bouncing ahead for a while longer. It wasn’t until Grenmar reached the edge of a cliff and nearly fell off that the marmooks finally stopped.

The Fron and Ubaloo took a few moments to rest while they waited for the marmooks to return. Toe looked up at the trees, which stood higher than a hundred feet tall, and he breathed in several gulps of fresh air from the forest. The air was crisp, cool, and clean, what one would expect from one of the lush lands surrounding Everville.

“This way,” Asher said as he turned towards the west exit of the forest.

Everyone continued, but followed at a much slower pace, especially the Fron who were still winded from their earlier sprint. They came upon a large series of waterfalls that extended for miles to the east, west, and north of them. At the base of the falls, a deep river stretched several miles wide and as far as the eye could see. Spray extended above the falls and all the way to the bottom several thousand yards below. It obscured much of the view below the edge of the cliff.

“Follow me,” Asher said as he continued to walk towards a small trail that scaled the side of an enormous cliff and led to another large waterfall about half a mile to the west. The Ubaloo took the lead. The trail was no more than a few feet wide, which gave the Ubaloo plenty of room to maneuver, but the Fron and the marmooks were not so lucky. It took some coaxing, but Kearny and Sako were able to convince the marmooks to follow.

The trail was covered in grass and was rather slippery from the spray that provided a constant source of moisture for the plants near the cliff’s edge. The top of the cliff was a lush green and covered in small shrubs until just before the edge of the waterfall.

They continued walking, mindful of the steep drop-off to their immediate right, but about halfway to the entrance of the waterfall, Grenmar slipped on a narrow portion of the trail and started to slide over the edge. The marmook directly in front of Grenmar was able to grab his arm just before he fell over the precipice.

“Careful back there,” Sako said.

Grenmar trembled in fear from his near-death experience. Kearney walked back behind Grenmar to reassure him and trailed the marmooks the rest of the way to the edge of the waterfall.

Suddenly, Asher jumped over the side of the cliff, and then Faine jumped, followed by Felix. One by one, each of the Ubaloo jumped over the cliff just short of the entrance to the waterfall until all of them were gone. The Fron gasped. The Marmooks made grunts and moans, winces and whimpers.

After a few moments, Sako jumped, too. Toe jumped next, followed by each of the Fron, who one by one followed the lead of the Fron in front of them. Only Kearney and the marmooks remained. Grenmar, who was the trailing marmook, turned in the opposite direction and started to run. Kearney stopped him, picked him up, and threw him over the edge. Kearney jumped after that, and one by one the marmooks which remained jumped over the cliff, albeit at a much slower and more hesitant pace.

“Glad to see you made it,” Asher said to Kearney.

“Same here.”

Everyone had landed safely on the lower level that was hidden by the spray of the waterfall. A much wider ledge of about twenty-five feet extended from the edge of the cliff and sloped down to the cave underneath the main falls just ahead of their current position.

Asher led the way and everyone else followed. The rushing noise of the water made it almost impossible to hear as they walked underneath the waterfall. The trail led directly into the side of the cliff and several hundred feet behind the falls.

After a nerve-wracking journey, they had all made it to the hidden cave without any serious incidents and no losses. Asher and the other Ubaloo began inspecting the walls and pools of the element that collected at the bottom near the base of the walls. The element looked like a thick, opaque, shimmering liquid. It sparkled like diamond water and moved like thick molasses.

Asher, Faine, and Felix approached the small liquid pool of the element and they each took out a small measuring stick and placed it in to determine its depth.

“This is not good,” Asher said.

“What’s wrong?” Sako inquired.

“Well, you see, this pool of the element contains enormous amounts of spent energy that’s collected from all over the multiverse, but the energy is not like normal energy. It’s concentrated from inanimate objects as well as the thoughts and desires of every living creature, both good and bad. Whoever gets access to the element in this pool gains the ability to wield tremendous power; they gain the power to see the thoughts of everyone in existence, both past and present. If they gain access to very large amounts, they can even walk across worlds and make other changes.”

Before Asher had a chance to continue, Felix interrupted, “Yes, both past and present, past and present!”

Several of the marmooks started jumping up and down with great big grins on their faces. Felix once again climbed on top of Grenmar and proceeded to jump up and down, raising one of his muscular arms in the air, extended as far as possible from his twelve-inch body.

“Past and present,” Felix continued chanting.

Faine chimed in and looked at Felix with a stern eye. “The decision was made a long time ago that the pool could not be allowed to collect too much of the element. If it did, the element might one day corrupt the person who gained access to it.”

“So what was done to prevent it?” Toe asked curiously.

“Well, over the course of hundreds of years a great waterway was constructed. The waterway that flows into these falls and the river below dilutes the power of the element in the pool, but only while it remains in the water. The element sticks together and exits the waterway as a small stream of heavy liquid deep below the river. It is then sent through a portal that is connected to The City of Worms across the expanse.

“The concentration of power is so great that only certain objects or beings can hold more than a few drops of the element. In The City of Worms, giant worms with special attributes consume the element, and over the course of a millennium they dissipate its power. The material that makes up the bodies of the worms consumes the energy and converts it back into the foundational energy of the multiverse, which is then transported evenly to all times and places and all persons and things. Without the return of energy the system starts to breakdown.

“The worms are the only known method to dissipate more than a few drops of the element. All others are simply collectors. Only the glass found in the walls of the catacombs of Everville can safely hold the element, and the size is restricted to prevent access to too much power. All other collectors have certain consequences.”

“What kind of consequences?” Kearney asked.

“Well,” Faine continued, “the consequences can be unpredictable. It depends on what is used to collect the element and how much of the element is stored in the collector.”

“How was the energy dissipated before the waterway was constructed?” Sako asked.

Asher interrupted. “I’m not clear on all of the details, but I do know that the element would collect and then break off into chunks and transport itself to unknown nows and thens when it got to be too large.”

“It looks as if the pool is being dissipated too quickly. The depth of the element is too low. This can only mean that someone has found a way to divert tiny amounts of the element from the pool using makeshift collectors,” Fain said.

“I think our task is clear, then,” Kearney replied.

“Indeed. We must find out how the element is being diverted and stop it. After that, we need to find the location of the makeshift collectors and destroy them,” Sako added.

“Sako, we need to split up into two groups. We need a few people to exit the walls of Vermogen so we can notify The Keeper. In the meantime, the larger group can start looking for the location of where the element is being diverted.”

“I agree,” Sako said to Asher.

Toe said, “I can take Felix and a few marmooks, and we’ll notify The Keeper.”

“All right then. It’s settled. Get there as quickly as you can, and we’ll find out how to stop whatever is diverting the element from the pool,” Sako said.

The marmooks took off bouncing in the direction of the wall’s entrance. Felix was happy to catch another ride on Grenmar’s back, and Toe did his best not to fall too far behind.