Journey to Rainbow Island (23 page)

Anne grew keenly interested and said, “My village is at the foot of Snowy Mountain, the tallest peak on Farcara Island. There is a local legend that a mysterious warrior lives near the peak of the mountain, and that he has magic arrows that were once used to kill dragons. It's just a story that I used to hear around the campfire as a young girl, but many of the elders swear it's true.”

Yu-ning was skeptical; what were the odds that this mysterious warrior could be Jacob's long lost brother, Joshua? “Did this hunter have a name, Anne?” asked Yu-ning.

“I think his name was Jeremiah,” Anne said. “No, wait, it was Joshua. I remember his name because I used to have a cat named Joshua. Funny how I remember that after so many years.”

Yu-ning became animated and smiled broadly at Anne. “Thank you, Anne. I think the man on Snowy Mountain might actually be the person we are searching for!” Yu-ning sprinted down the beach in search of Suparna, whom she found splashing in the waves with a large group of children. The kids were climbing up on Suparna's back and jumping and diving into the waves. Suparna was very encouraged to hear the news and told Yu-ning that they would need to make a plan for traveling to Farcara Island.

Once the sun set on that momentous day, the children all pitched in to cook a meal of rice, carrots, and beans, which
they had brought from the fortress's pantries. When night fell, it became surprisingly chilly. The children gathered up a large amount of driftwood, and soon a huge bonfire was blazing on the beach in front of the camp. Yu-ning and Suparna stood apart from the warming glow of the flames, discussing what to do with the children.

Suparna would return to Rainbow Island and gather all the pink dolphins he could find to come to the bay, so the children could return to Rainbow Island. At first light, Suparna prepared to head back to Rainbow Island to arrange transportation for the children. He and Yu-ning calculated that he would need to gather a pod of at least fifty pink dolphins, each of whom could carry ten children on its back. “I will see you in two days' time, Yu-ning, assuming the weather remains fair,” Suparna said. “Take care of yourself, and make sure the children don't wander away from the beach camp. The desert here is cruel, and a child could easily get lost out there.”

“Anne, myself, and the older children will keep a close eye on all the little ones, Suparna,” Yu-ning assured her feathered friend. “Safe travels!”

Suparna headed out, flying swiftly southward, as Yu-ning looked on, watching her friend until he was out of sight.

T
WO DAYS HAD PASSED
since Suparna had left for Rainbow Island to gather the pink dolphins. All was well on the beach, as the children were still celebrating their release from the factory and the joy of knowing they would never have to return. Despite all the happiness surrounding her, Yu-ning felt tired and lonely. And though her scar was no longer painful to the touch, it ached at night when the temperature dropped. At both ends of the long beach, the land poked out into the sea—two long fingers that nearly met in the middle, forming a natural cove within. Yu-ning walked to the end of one of these fingers, a rocky peninsula that led her away from the laughter and playful sounds of the children.

At the end of the headland, she found a soft patch of grass growing atop the rocks, which afforded her a full view of both the ocean and the bay. It was hot, but the cool ocean breeze made for a perfect day. She lay down on the grass, wishing she were back on Rainbow Island. For a while she
dozed off but was awakened by a wave that crashed against the rocks, hitting her face with sea spray. From the position of the sun, she guessed she had slept for two hours.

She stared up at the perfect blue sky, feeling small and ill-equipped for the task of retrieving the arrows or confronting Hobaling—not to mention the unthinkable prospect of fighting the obsidigon! “One,” she whispered. “There are surely others in this world better able to find the sacred crystals than me.” The only response was the sound of the wind through the grass and the waves against the rocks. Magic had accompanied her on her walk, and had been hunting for bugs nearby. He brushed up against her leg, and she picked up her sleek green friend and held him in her hand. Yu-ning began to cry, sitting with her knees tucked up against her chest.

“What are these tears about? The little girl I know is more full of laughter than tears,” came a voice from behind.

“Metatron!” Yu-ning yelled, as she sprang to her feet and ran into his arms. He was walking heavily, with his staff as a crutch, and nearly fell down from her hug.

“Easy, child, your master teacher is still weak! But when Suparna told me you were here with the children, contemplating a trip to Farcara Island, it seemed to accelerate my recovery,” Metatron said. “So I returned with Suparna to see how you are faring.”

She hugged him again, more gently this time, understanding that the trip had been difficult for him. She had missed him more than she realized and was encouraged to see how far he had come in his recovery. The afternoon was gone and the sun was ready to set by the time they reached the beach camp. Metatron was delighted to meet all the children, and
he told them about their impending journey back to Rainbow Island.

He and Suparna had left Rainbow Island at the same time as the great pod of pink dolphins, but despite how quickly the magnificent mammals could swim, Suparna could fly nearly twice as fast. So the dolphins weren't expected to reach the cove until the next morning. That evening after a simple meal of rice and fish, Yu-ning, Metatron, and Suparna talked around the fire about the plan ahead. Yu-ning relayed all that Balthazar had told her about Hobaling and his grandfather, the strengths and weaknesses of the obsidigons, and the strategies and methods of warlocks.

“As to why Hobaling stole the stones, the answer is not complicated,” Metatron offered. “Though the Seven Sacred Crystals have little power of their own, they project the light of love further into the world. In this sense, the stones are like the moon, which reflects the light of the sun—the crystals simply reflect the light of love from our hearts, and project it outward. Those who embrace goodness and love bring the light, and the rainbow sends it further into the world. Hobaling understands this, and by taking the crystals, he reduces the reach of the light. Could he win a war without the crystals? Perhaps. But he knows he needs every advantage he can muster.”

Suparna and Metatron informed Yu-ning that darkness was spreading across the ocean—they had seen it in the distance as they flew from Rainbow Island to Darqendia. It looked like a large dark stain, moving across the ocean's surface. As well, several sea friends—including a pod of Tunzai blue whales—reported seeing the darkness coming from Baggul Island, a main nesting site for the last Great Obsidigon
Horde a century earlier. The whales also spotted strange, shadowy creatures racing across the sea, coming from the direction of the dark pool.

“Master Balthazar also believes that Baggul Island is the most likely place for Hobaling to hide,” Yu-ning said. “It is where Hobaling's grandfather hid from the royal armies after the Great Obsidigon War.”

Metatron smiled with pride at his young student. “Very good, Yu-ning. I see you were listening to old Balthazar's lessons.” Yu-ning gave a sheepish grin, and Metatron continued in a more serious tone. “This changes our plans, Yu-ning, as I did not realize that this darkness had spread so far so quickly. Suparna and I will need to bring the children to Rainbow Island as swiftly as possible. I don't know if the ocean lanes are safe, so Suparna and I will stay with the dolphins in case there is trouble. Though I don't like to split up, I believe we will have to: Yu-ning, when the royal pod of dolphins arrives tomorrow, I want you to rendezvous with King Minkaro and travel with him to Farcara Island to see what you can find out about this mysterious man who lives atop Snowy Mountain. With any luck, it is the hunter, Joshua, whom we are seeking.”

“But Master, why can't Suparna take me—I would feel so much better if I was going with him,” Yu-ning said. Suparna smiled kindly at Yu-ning as Metatron said, “That would be our first choice, Yu-ning, but Suparna is not built to fly in frigid temperatures. Minkaro, on the other hand, is used to swimming in cold waters. There is no other way.”

Yu-ning did not want to leave Metatron again so soon. She understood, however, that she needed to be the one to bring Lightcaster to Farcara. Showing Joshua her Darq Render birthmark, along with the great bow, should be sufficient
proof to convince Joshua that she was, indeed, the right person to receive the Darq Render arrows.

“But what about the children at the boarding school—Anne's sister, and the other kids who are being mistreated?” Yu-ning said. “We must help them, Metatron!”

“We will, Yu-ning, in due time. But that is of secondary concern to us right now, with Hobaling on the move, and these Darq creatures prowling the waters—coming ever closer to Rainbow Island. We will not forget the children of Malinga Island, but they will have to wait a little longer for relief.”

“Metatron, this school is a horrible place, and we must—”

“Yu-ning, you need to trust my judgment in this situation,” Metatron insisted. “We have two crises to deal with, and we must handle the larger one first—making sure the obsidigon does not attack Rainbow Island again unawares. Suparna and I must make sure that all the children and the pink dolphins arrive safely back on the Island. We will be about a half day behind you when we arrive on Rainbow Island. But again—do not wait for us. Make all haste for Farcara in search of the arrows. We must unite the arrows again with Lightcaster!”

Yu-ning was silent, sensing that Metatron would not budge from his position. But the thought of those children suffering in the boarding school—it was almost too much for Yu-ning to bear, especially after seeing what had happened to the children in the factory. She had never seen children suffer like that, and it had made her very sad.

So the plan was set: all would travel to Rainbow Island in great haste, with Metatron and Suparna guarding the great dolphin pod and the children. Larger and swifter than his
dolphin subjects, King Minkaro would race ahead with Yu-ning, stopping on Rainbow Island only long enough to gather fresh supplies before heading south for Farcara.

“Once Suparna and I finish guiding the dolphin pod and children safely to Rainbow Island, we will depart eastward for Baggul Island, to see if Hobaling has made himself comfortable there,” Metatron continued. “With luck, we will find Romeo along with the crystals, and manage his escape. When you have finished your exploration of Farcara Island, I want you and Minkaro to head to the island of Tunzai and meet us at the Imperial Palace.”

“Why the Imperial Palace, Metatron?” asked Suparna.

“I must brief the Empress about this foul business with the obsidigon, and seek her council on our forward movements. She knows Hobaling, since he was married to her younger sister. She may know his mind, or what he might be inclined to do with the seven crystals.”

In the morning, Yu-ning and Metatron woke early and walked down the beach toward the headland to get a good view of any arriving dolphins. But before they left the beach, several children started yelling excitedly, “Look, the pink dolphins are here! The dolphins are here!” At the mouth of the bay, several pink dolphins could be seen swimming into the cove. More and more kept coming, and as they entered the cove's calm waters, they began to leap into the air, much to the delight of the children.

In all, forty-seven pink dolphins had answered Suparna's call for help, traveling all the previous day and night to come to the aid of their friends. Many dolphins were out patrolling Rainbow Island; otherwise more would have come. All the dolphins were dancing in the cove; some jumped high into the air, while others performed what looked like a choreographed dance, with timed leaps, flips, and dives. Best of all, the largest animal, a majestic pink dolphin nearly twenty feet in length, skipped across the entire length of the cove on his tail. This was Minkaro, king of the pink dolphins.