Chapter 9: Doing the Impossible

Artists: if this story inspires a piece of art, please share it and what it means to you. We'll share it here on the blog. Send to joycewycoff@gmail.com.
Sarana's GiftChapter 9: Doing the Impossible
(Available here until 4/27/2016)

Melek's CaveAt first it seemed like just an ordinary cavern filled with stalagmites and stalactites. However, the incredible sapphire light that shimmered with every breath of the god turned the room into a light show. Overcome with awe at the glowing light and fear at what might happen next, I gingerly sat down next to a small stalagmite. I hoped the Blue Peacock god wouldn’t wake up, at least until I had a plan or an idea.
As I sat there, racking my brain about how to get the feather, my chest tightened until I could hardly breathe. I knew I didn’t dare wake him, however, watching him sleep peacefully, it was hard to remember how evil he was.
Melek dazzled my eyes. His body glowed with a deep, almost cobalt blue and behind him stretched huge wings of iridescent-teal peacock feathers. A small fire in front of him glimmered with turquoise flames that made his body glisten with pale azure highlights. The entire stock of the world’s blue seemed splashed all over this one room.
Without thinking, I took off my opalescent shawl and laid it in front of me, where it picked up glints from the fire and shot rainbows dancing on the ceiling. Fear trembled through my body and I kept hearing Turtle Mother’s words ... “turn ... fear ... around.” What did that mean?
Maverna words also came back to me, “Inside you is a place where nothing is impossible. Find it.” I shook my head, denying those words.
“This is, Maverna. This is completely impossible,” I whispered.
I toyed with the small, white pebbles that surrounded the stalagmite in front of me while I thought about what needed to be done. How could I get one of his feathers without waking him up.? If I do wake him up, he will be angry and destroy the world. If I don’t get the feather, the world burns to a crisp. Either way, the world dies. “You may not want to admit it, Maverna, but, some things are, indeed, impossible.”
To calm my mind, I picked up a tiny stone and tapped it against the glossy, pale column. It sounded a soft, clear note that reminded me of a sleeping baby. I picked up another one and began to rub both against the hollow tube, picking out different tones along its length. Then I ran a pebble down the side and a low, mellow note reverberated through the room.
I tried different pressures against the stalagmite and gentle music began to weave through the cavern. An old knowledge came back into my fingers, back into my mind. The music grew, joining with the wavering blue light and the dancing rainbows and the air began to twirl and sway with the melody.
Tia sat with her eyes closed, rocking back and forth to the tender rhythms, lost in her own world. I swayed, too, as my hands became one with the music coming from this primitive instrument. Everything in the room joined in a gentle whirl of notes and tones.

I didn’t notice when Melek twitched.
The sound he made melded with the music almost like a new voice joining a song. Then he opened his eyes, glanced around, and roared. My hands dropped away from the stalagmite and I froze.
“Who are you?!” Melek demanded, standing up. He towered over us, immense and stunning, the most radiant thing I had ever seen. His peacock feathers fanned out, almost brushing the walls. Blue filled the room.
I ducked my head, unable to look at his incredible brilliance. My throat closed and I couldn’t utter a word.
He stomped toward me. His voice blasted through the quiet, “How dare you? How dare you wear blue? MY BLUE!”
I grabbed the amulet, held it close to my chest and clambered backward as far as I could, looking around for Tia. She crouched, almost invisible behind one of the smallest stalagmites. No help there.
Melek lunged across the room. I felt sure each step would launch the dreaded earthquake that Tia had predicted. He roared with each stride. Then he reached for me, but his hand bounced away. He staggered backward, roared and lunged again. Once more, he slammed up against something unseen and fell back.
I didn’t know what was happening. Obviously something was stopping him and protecting me. The blue god’s face flamed red. Howling in frustration, he tried to punch through the invisible barrier. He made one more running charge to get through, but bounced back again.
There he stood, glaring at me, stunned and furious. I held my breath hoping whatever was keeping him from pummeling me would keep doing its job.
He spun around, looking in all directions. Then he noticed the opalescent cloth and the rainbows shining on the ceiling. He cocked his head and swiveled it back and forth between the rainbows, the cloth and me. The lines in his forehead deepened into a disoriented gaze.
He searched all around the room as if there might be someone else there. Then he demanded, “Where is she? Where’s Ix Chel? I know she’s here somewhere.” He paced back and forth looking in every corner before stomping back toward me.
Even though I had no idea what he was talking about, it was clear that Ix Chel was a person, someone Melek feared. I breathed a little easier when he backed away, still frowning while avoiding the cloth.
Suddenly his expression changed and he barked, “What was that noise?” He glanced over his shoulder again before looking back at me.
Before I could answer, he snapped his head around and demanded, “Make it again!”
My stomach flipped and my hands shook so much that even holding the pebbles was a challenge. However, by now, I realized that my cloth had created some sort of barrier that protected me, so I managed to make a couple of tiny sounds.
Melek glared at me and, still shaking, I began again. Slowly my fingers took over and the music came without thought, creating a melody that soothed my quivering body and seemed to calm the Peacock god.
Melek stopped pacing and listened. I let my hands play freely and harmonies waved through the room and that immense, blue body began to weave side to side with the music. My breath slowed and I wondered how long I could keep playing.
“Stop!” he shouted. I froze again.
“What is that? What is that sound?” he demanded and stepped closer, stopping well before he reached the barrier created by the cloth.
“M-music.” My voice squeaked.
“Do again!”
I started playing once more.
“Stop!” he shouted again. He came over as close as he could to try to see what I was doing. “Show me how.”
My heart drummed as I remembered what I had to ask him. “Please, sir,” I started, not knowing quite how to address a god. “I would be honored to show you how, but,” I hesitated before continuing, “but, could I ask you for a favor first?”
Melek’s head jerked up and his eyes narrowed. “What favor?”
I couldn’t think of any way to ask except to just say it. “Could I have, uh, would you ... would you give me one of your feathers?”
He scowled and bellowed. “What?! Why want feather?”  
He towered over me. My voice shook. “Lord Melek,” I began, trying to be polite and respectful, “the world is suffering. Blue is lost. Without blue, heat is rising and the world is dying. Without blue, people cannot breathe the air or drink the water. Without blue, there is no beauty, no life.”
The Peacock god harrumphed and crossed his arms. He didn’t care.
I quaked at the sight of that hard face surrounded by that colossal, iridescent fan. Shifting forward a bit to gather my courage, I forced myself to continue, “If I could have one of your feathers, we could paint blue back into the world, and ...” I picked up speed, “and I could teach you to play music and you could share that with the people and ... “
An idea struck me, a completely crazy, ridiculous idea. “And, if you could play music, you would become the most beloved god in all the world.”
Melek’s face flashed scarlet and I feared thunderbolts and destruction were coming. He scoffed and blasted air out of his mouth. Then he cocked his head a bit and leaned down toward me. “Most beloved god in all world?”
His voice oozed greasy insincerity and a fierce hunger. “You think world like music?”
Fear quaked through my body, down my arms and into my toes. It was hard to look at him, let alone make up a story I thought he would want to hear. It crossed my mind that lying to a god might not be a good thing. Then I remembered that hot, devastated meadow and the trees. I inhaled as much air as I could and slowly exhaled.
“Oh yes, great Lord Melek” I started. “You will be the most immortal and beloved of all gods. People will make music and sing your praises every day for the rest of time.”
Where was this coming from? I couldn’t believe my own voice and words.
He paused and then said with a vile, crooked grin, “First, give me her cloth.”
I grabbed the rainbow cloth and pulled it close. Her cloth? Does he mean Ix Chel’s? If this is her cloth and my amulet holds the power of Ix Chel, she must be very powerful, maybe even a goddess.
I didn’t want to surrender it. I didn’t trust this jealous god. I had to find a way to keep it. “Oh, please Lord Melek. Ix Chel gave it to me; I think that means she wants me to have it.”
Melek stopped and his eyes riveted on the cloth. “Why you little ... . Why I break you in two.” Anger vibrated in his voice, and, without thinking, he stepped forward until the cloth flung him back again.
He roared, “I need cloth!”
I backed up as far as I could and leaned against a stalagmite to consider my options. If he didn’t give me a feather, we’d never get blue back. Melek wanted to be the most beloved of all gods and he thought the music would help him. Now he also coveted this powerful cloth, presumably Ix Chel’s. But, I wanted it, too, needed it. It protected me and maybe it could even help me find my way home.
While Melek huffed and stomped with his fists clenched, glaring at me, scowling at the cloth, I searched for ideas. His face flushed red and the veins in his neck throbbed. Frustrated by not being able to get what he wanted, he looked like he might explode at any minute.
Suddenly, he stopped and glared down at the cloth again. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me then twisted his neck as he reached back and yanked a luminous feather from his fan and held it in front of me.
“I give you feather.” He held it just out of reach and jiggled it a bit tempting me. He knew he had the upper hand.
“We trade,” he continued, “My feather for music and cloth.” Then he twirled the feather in front of me and sneered, “Or else I make anger in world.” He drew himself up to his full height, towering over me.
Suddenly the room was icy and I shivered thinking about the earthquakes and devastation he might unleash. I didn’t want to give up the cloth, especially to him. It was mine; I had earned it saving the turtle babies.
I stood up and wrapped the cloth around my shoulders. Rainbows danced around the room and confidence flooded through me. “Ix Chel tells me not to trust you.” I was amazed at my own daring, acting as if I actually knew who Ix Chel was.
Melek’s eyes went wide and I could see scarlet anger flush across his face.
I continued before he could blow. “She tells me that I should teach you music and help you become the most beloved god of all time.” I could see him hesitate, listening.
“She tells me that I must keep her cloth to protect me while you learn music and gain the love of your people.” My words sounded strange even to me. I waited while Melek just scowled at me.
Time slowed while I held my breath and my knees began to wobble. Rings of blue from azure to cobalt rippled out from Melek’s body and cold silence filled the room. I waited. Just when I thought I might faint, he spoke.
“Come tomorrow. Teach music,” he said and thrust the feather at me.
Keeping the cloth wrapped around me, I grabbed the feather and went over to Tia who had shrunk to the size of a mouse. I picked her up and ran out of the room, back toward the canoe. Soon, I had to stop and put her down. She was almost back to her full size and squirming and carrying on so much, I couldn’t hold her.
When we reached the canoe, Tia snatched the feather out of my hand as if she herself had pulled it from the peacock god. She stepped into the canoe and the light around her began to shimmer. Her robe changed from dirty brown to emerald green. Teal spirals, and pink and yellow patterns emerged.
She sat like a queen, regal with a peacock feather wand in her grasp. When we landed, she glided from the canoe and ordered, “Come. We paint.”
We trotted through a short tunnel to the outside world of hot reds and oranges and yellows. Tia shielded her eyes while she waved the peacock feather across the meadow. The grass turned green, grass green. She waved it again and the sky became a pale blue streaked with wispy, white clouds. Another pass of the feather and the trees transformed into a dizzying variety of greens. A few sported bright orange-red flowers.
On her last wave, the neon blue butterfly returned with a cloud of other butterflies of all different colors and shades.