Cat Out of the Bag Read online

  “I don’t know what we can do now that it’s so advanced,” she said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you sooner. I stopped healing the junkyard sickness after the last shaman was executed for doing it. They wanted the pickers to pay for the expensive surgeries and medicines from the Landlords.”

  “Can you try?”

  “I’ll do the best I can, but we can’t do it here. We should take him down to the riverbank.”

  “He’s so tired. I hate to wake him.”

  “I will wake you at dawn, and we can do it then.”

  I nodded to her once, and she stood to go back to her own bed. I lay down beside Pappi and listened to his raspy breathing. There were many other elders with the junkyard sickness, and I knew that some of them wouldn’t make it.

  I turned onto my side, telling myself over and over again that Pappi would be fine, that he would make it to Sho’kin Forest, and that he would see our home again.

  Everything I had ever done and everything I had ever wished for was about seeing that day come to pass, and I wasn’t going to give up. It was the only thing that had ever mattered.

  “I shouldn’t have waited so long,” I whispered to myself. I should have paid for the surgery sooner. I could have done it if I hadn’t been so focused on winning a race with my hover bike.

  Sleep didn’t come easily that night. I tossed and turned on the rocky ground until I finally drifted off into a dreamless haze. It seemed as though I had just closed my eyes when Sasha came and nudged my shoulder. I turned over, groaning. The early light of dawn was hazy and pink over the highlands. I sat up, blinking and tired, my mouth dry. Pappi was still fast asleep, the sound of his breath no clearer than it had been the night before. In fact, I could have sworn he sounded worse.

  “Do you want to wake him, or should I?” Sasha asked.

  “I’ll wake him.” I said, touching his shoulder gently. “Pappi.” I nudged his shoulder until his eyes blinked open.

  He looked at me strangely. “Is it time to leave already?”

  “Pappi, Sasha is with me. She’s a shaman from Sho’kin Forest.”

  “Good morning, Sasha.” Pappi said, rising to a seat. He looked around blankly, as if searching for her face with his milky eyes.

  “I am going to attempt to heal you,” Sasha said, gripping his shoulder with her hand.

  “Magic?” He shuddered. It had been so long since our people had been allowed to use magic.

  “It’s okay, Pappi. We are not in the junkyard anymore. They can’t keep us from using magic here.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ll do it. I’ll do anything for the chance to see my little girl again.”

  We helped Pappi to his feet and slowly tiptoed through the sleeping Sho’kin until we made it to the riverbank. Sasha had created a spot for us to sit on the rocky shore. The river rushed by, sending sprays of water into the air.

  “Have a seat, and I will begin,” Sasha said.

  I helped him sit on the bedroll, and Sasha began to burn her sage and mutter the secret words of her spells.

  I watched from several yards away, sitting on a rock with my knees curled up to my chest. I wanted it to work so badly that I could taste it.

  Chapter 21

  Sasha chanted, and a shiver went up my spine. I heard whispering on the winds: “Put your faith in me. Put your faith in yourself.” It was To’tonya, my avatar.

  “What am I supposed to do,” I asked, feeling lost and afraid.

  “The answers will come.”

  Sasha continued to chant her spell, and Pappi was vibrating and coughing as he hugged himself in the chilly highland morning. My heart ached at the sound, and it was all I could do not to run over to him and take him in my arms. All I wanted was for him to be better. I would have given anything, including my own life, for that.

  Sasha clapped her hands over Pappi’s head, her words becoming more insistent and picking up speed. She chanted more loudly in what sounded like nonsense. Then she clapped her hands again, and Poppy collapsed on the blanket. I gasped, sprang to my feet, and ran to him. His eyes were rolled back in his head, and he was shaking convulsively.

  “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”

  “I was afraid of this,” she said.

  “Afraid of what? What’s going on?”

  “I’m afraid it didn’t work.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because he’s convulsing. If it had worked, he would be up and speaking to us now.”

  “You have to do something,” I said. “I can’t lose him. Not like this. Not when we are so close. Pappi… Pappi, please come back. Please come back.”

  “I’m sorry, Mango. I’m so sorry.”

  “Please do something. Please.”

  “There’s nothing that I can do.”

  “No! No!” I stood and called on my avatar, using every bit of strength and will. She appeared with a burst of light, raining water down on me from above.

  “You will save him,” I said with absolute conviction. “You will save him now.”

  “Blessing of healing achieved. Healing wave unlocked.”

  To’tonya spun in a circle above my head, spraying water down on me. I felt a surge of energy spring up from the base of my spine and fill my heart with inexplicable power. In that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay. There was a rushing sound like winds on water as To’tonya spun faster and faster. I spread my arms, absorbing all the power. I took a deep breath and threw my head back. A deep, guttural groan escaped my lungs, and I fell to my knees as a waterfall came down over my head. I was drenched and shivering, but I didn’t care. Somehow, in some way, I had saved Pappi. I had healed him.

  He stopped convulsing and sat up, blinking and looking around as if seeing the world for the first time in his life. “Mango? Is that you, my dear girl? Is that you?”

  “It’s me, Pappi. It’s me.” I took him in my arms.

  “I can see you. How can it be that I can see you?”

  “I healed you, Pappi, with my avatar, the water goddess, To’tonya. She did it. She told me I could do it, and we did it together—it’s a miracle.”

  “It truly is a miracle. No one has ever recovered from the junkyard sickness that advanced. You are a miracle worker, my daughter, an honest-to-gods miracle worker.”

  “I wasn’t going to let you go, Pappi. I said I would move heaven and earth to bring you back, and I did.”

  “That was incredible,” Sasha said in a hushed voice. “I’ve never seen anything like that. Your magic is strong, Mango.”

  Destroying a band of guards was one thing, but healing the sick was something else altogether. I held Pappi close. His breathing was clear and strong. His eyes were bright and twinkling. He smiled and looked at me like the Pappi I once knew.

  “Thank you, To’tonya,” I said. “Thank you so much.”

  “You believed when all was lost,” she replied. “You didn’t give up. You have the strength of a great summoner, and I am honored to work with you.”

  Chapter 22

  We walked back to the camp hand in hand, with Sasha at our side. My smile was so big it hurt my cheeks. The sun was rising in the east, and the Sho’kin were rising from their beds, stretching and yawning in the chilly morning. Campfires blazed, and the smells of breakfast and tea rose on the air. I was so happy my heart sang, and I couldn’t help but laugh. To’tonya’s spirit felt as close to me as my own breath. As I walked through the camp with Pappi, it reminded me how many of the Sho’kin had the junkyard sickness.

  “I want to heal them all,” I whispered.

  “You only have to ask,” To’tonya said, “but it will take much of your strength.”

  “I am prepared for that. Blessing of healing!” I opened my arms and called her name to formally invoke her. The goddess sprang from the top of my head, rose up behind me, then spread her arms and bestowed the healing magic upon me. It was a completely new spell, which I’d thought was beyond my ability, but my desire to heal my f
ather had enabled me to channel a new level of magic. I was going to use it to heal all of my people.

  “Multi target healing wave unlocked.”

  To’tonya grew larger and larger behind me as she rained her waters down over my head. I was already drenched from before, and the raindrops that fell on me cascaded down my fur and ran into my ears. I couldn’t stop my prayer to wipe them away. I leaned back my head and opened my mouth, drinking in the healing water.

  “All those who are sick, please come to me,” I said.

  The old and the frail sat up in their beds. Coughing kittens huddled close by. A woman held a wheezing baby in her arms. To’tonya grew until she took up the entire sky. The people around me were gasping at the majesty of the goddess. I felt her power all around me and inside me, through and through. Growing in speed, she twirled around me like a tornado. I opened myself completely to the full extent of her power, and as it flowed through me and into the sick and the frail, it was almost too much to bear. My body began to shudder and shake, and I screamed. My father yelled and reached out for me, but Sasha pulled him away. I wanted to assure him I was okay, but I couldn’t speak in the midst of the glorious spell.

  The goddess had entered me completely. I was drenched and consumed by her spirit, which flowed through me like the blood in my veins. The sick Sho’kin cried out as the healing magic entered them and swept away the toxins and the sickness.

  The baby wailed, and the mother rocked her in her arms. Tears streamed down my cheeks, indistinguishable from the rain that poured over my head. I was weeping with pleasure, happiness, and inexplicable pain as I drew the illnesses from their bodies and transmuted them with the magic of my avatar.

  I fell to the ground on all fours, completely spent, but the goddess continued to channel through me. Each and every sick Sho’kin was healed and shouting with happiness and renewed vigor. Those who had seemed old and frail before lost years and decades from their faces and bodies. They stood straight, with glistening eyes and bright smiles—they were renewed, the life that had been stolen from them returning.

  The goddess stopped her spinning, and the storm subsided. She retreated little by little, finally disappearing into the back of my mind. I gasped, panting on my hands and knees. I shook my fur, trying to dry myself, but it was no use. My clothes were soaked, and my fur was drenched—I felt as if I had fallen deep into the rushing river, only to be fished out and tossed prone on the shore, half drowned. Pappi ran to me and patted my back, helping me breathe. I coughed and sputtered. He helped me to my feet, but I was weak in the knees, and my head swam. I couldn’t remember feeling so weak in all my life. Pappi guided me back to my own bedroll and dropped a warm blanket around my shoulders. “Someone, get her some tea!” Pappi yelled.

  Sasha ran to the campfire then brought me a steaming cup. It was broth made from the bones of a raptor. I gratefully sipped the hot liquid. I felt frozen to the core and mushy like cactus soup. I didn’t know how I was going to ride my hover bike. I didn’t even know how I was going to walk. After I finished the broth, I curled up under a blanket on my bed and quickly fell asleep. The sun had risen high in the sky by the time I awoke.

  “Mango,” Pappi said. His bright-blue eyes were staring down at me. He smiled brightly, and it was worth everything.

  “It’s so good to see you like this, Pappi.”

  “That was a very brave thing you did, Mango, but it looks like you’ve worn yourself out. You’re going to travel in the bus.”

  “What about my hover bike?”

  “Don’t worry about your bike. I will drive it until you’ve regained your strength.”

  “Are you sure you’re strong enough?”

  “I am sure. I haven’t felt this strong in years. In fact, I don’t remember feeling this strong since we left Sho’kin Forest. I’m a new man.”

  “I’m so happy.”

  “Everyone you healed today feels the same. It’s amazing what you can do. We’re all so proud of you.”

  “It would be more amazing if I could walk,” I said, trying to stand.

  Pappi helped me to the bus, and I climbed inside. I rested my head on a pillow, and Hilde patted my hair and told me dirty jokes as the caravan started off along the river.

  Chapter 23

  We traveled for many days, and I lapsed in and out of consciousness. My strength was completely depleted. I had not anticipated healing the Sho’kin would take so much out of me. But as I lay in the back of the bus, trying to regain my strength, I was sure I had done the right thing. I could hear the sound of kits laughing and the older Sho’kin talking and playing with them in a way that I hadn’t seen since my childhood back in Sho’kin Forest. There was so much to be grateful for, and I was.

  On the third day after the mass healing, I finally felt like I had my legs under me again. We stopped for lunch at the edge of the river. The crossing was coming up soon, and we would pass out of the highland desert and descend into the coastal forests. I could almost feel the moist air on my skin when I thought about it.

  Pappi joined me in the trailer, and we ate a lunch of freshly roasted sand mouse and cool water from the river. I looked up at the clear-blue sky. The sense of freedom that we had gained over the last several days was sinking into my skin, and it felt as if I were living a whole new life. It was such a fantastic feeling that I had a hard time believing it was real. Everything I had worked for and everything I had wanted was finally coming to pass.

  After we finished lunch and renewed our water supply, we started the caravan back on the track along the river. The air was already turning more temperate as we moved towards the coast. I could see the whitecaps of the ocean, the peaks of the mountain, and Sho’kin Forest. Some of the villages were situated near the seashore—when I was a little girl, we often traveled to the ocean.

  The bus bumped over dusty gravel as we made our way toward the river crossing. The one place where we could get to the other side was just a narrow metal bridge constructed by the Landlords.

  “The bridge is only a few miles away,” the bus driver said through the loudspeaker. “I see it on my mapping system.

  A cheer went up from the passengers, and I joined in with their happiness. When the bridge came into sight, the caravan abruptly stopped, and there was an intense feeling of fear rushing through them. Pappi pulled my hover bike up beside my window, and I asked him what was wrong.

  “There are vehicles blocking the way on the bridge,” he said in a low voice.

  “Who is it?”

  “The scouts up ahead say they wear the insignia of Landlord guards.”

  “I should have known we wouldn’t be able to escape them so easily.” I climbed out of the bus to Pappi’s objection. “I’m going to ride up there and take care of this,” I said.

  He shook his head. “You haven’t gotten your strength back.”

  “I’m strong enough. I can summon Mythril and take care of this in a few minutes.”

  Pappi backed away and let me take the bike. I hopped on and hit the accelerator, speeding down the road until the guards’ vehicles came into view. I parked my bike just beyond laser-rifle range and slipped off. I dug deep into my will and said Mythril’s name then waited for him to appear, but nothing happened.

  “To’tonya, where is Mythril?”

  “You lack the strength to summon him, child. Your body is weak. You must learn to fortify yourself if you wish to do such great magic.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

  “You didn’t stop to ask. You didn’t stop to feel, either. If you had, you would have sensed how much strength it would take to heal all of the sick Sho’kin.”

  “What am I supposed to do now?”

  “Duck!”

  “What?” I asked as a shadow spread out overhead.

  A goblin voice rang out above me. “That’s her. Get her.”

  Something descended over my head, and I was ensnared in darkness. The bag that had captured me lifted from the ground,
and I was caught. I fought against the fabric, demanding that Mythril come help me.

  I heard shouting and laser fire shooting from every side. I pulled a knife from my utility pouch and stabbed the fabric that held me. It must have been made of reinforced mylar, because my blade would not puncture it.

  “Mythril, you have to come,” I begged, but the dragon did not come to me. My heart pounded, and I was on the edge of panic. I found my way to the top of the bag and pushed my blade into the opening. I was able to puncture it, and I continued to saw away at the ties holding the bag closed. Screams surrounded me as laser fire blared from both sides.

  “To’tonya, what’s going on?” I asked.

  “Your people are battling their oppressors.”

  “I need to help them.” I sawed harder and faster at the bag that held me.

  Finally, light cracked through the top of the bag, and I was able to poke my head out. I found myself suspended above the battle. The kittens were hiding behind the caravan, and the fighters were shooting at the goblin and kobold guards.

  I pushed with all my might and got myself out of the bag but regretted it immediately. I began to fall from the goblin ship that held me.

  I screamed for Mythril, and as if by a miracle, he emerged in his ethereal form from my hand.

  “It took you long enough,” I said as he grew into his full-sized form and swept up under my falling body. He caught me on his back, and I held tightly to him as he swooped over the battle.

  “You should have let me take care of these back at the junkyard,” he said.

  “Why did you take so long to come?”

  “You had to find some strength you didn’t know about. So here I am.”

  “Let’s get these guys and get back home to Sho’kin Forest.”

  Mythril flew over the battle and opened his mouth, breathing stardust onto the goblins and canines. Those caught in his breath disintegrated instantly, with a snap, crackle, and pop. Those who remained screamed and ran. The goblins in their ship cursed me as they flew away. Mythril landed on the ground beside the caravan, and the Sho’kin came out of hiding, toting their guns and panting from exertion.