Festival of Garks
The next day had always been one of Napodi’s favorite holidays, but somehow all those in the past seemed to pale in comparison to this one. Maybe it was the extra blue sky with thick, plump clouds. Or, perhaps it was the delectable aromas wafting from countless kitchens; the music and laughter echoing from every hut; or the bright, happy colors of festival decorations. All the same, today was going to be a day to remember.
The wait the night before had been torture for everyone, but, finally, the day had arrived and everyone was ecstatic. This was the one day in the whole year they were allowed to relax and just enjoy themselves, and they were going to make the most of it.
Down in Lower Byklaw, every person was making last minute preparations. If the day before was hectic, today was even more so. The activity of the Byklaws looked like a hive of bees; people were speeding every which way, some even crashing into each other. A couple of fights had already broken out over reasons no one remembered; the stress in the air was stifling enough to make anyone snap.
Finally, it was time for the opening ceremony. It seemed as if the entire village had squeezed into the space in front of the stage. They watched as three people climbed on top to look down at the people of the city.
Two were identically skinny, black-haired men and the other was a woman who looked like a female version of the first two. They stood in a row, facing the rolling mass of people that stared up at them with excitement. The mayors were dressed in the first white shirts Will had seen in Byklaw, as well as the usual brown, baggy pants and silver cloaks. Etched into the first man’s thick, leather belt was the word, “Wisdom.” The second man’s belt said “Strength”, and the woman’s belt said “Justice”.
The first man raised his hands, and a hush came over the whole cavern. Compared to the bustle earlier, it seemed to Will as if someone had pushed the mute button.
“Another grand year has come and gone!” the man shouted over the crowd. “And yet another Freedom’s Day passes to remind us of our blessings and of those who sacrificed so much for those blessings.” The man’s lips were surprisingly thick, especially compared to his thin face. Will’s mind wandered as he watched them form more soundless words. He shook his head, jolting back to reality. “Freedom,” the man said the word tenderly, as if afraid to break it with the weight of his puffy mouth. “That is why we are all here today. That is why we stand—united!—as the city of Byklaw!”
Looking over the crowd importantly, the other two Byklaws on the stage stepped even with the man, and at the same time, all three of them punched the air with their right fists, claws out. “Hurrah for Freedom! Hurrah, Hurrah, HURRAH!”
The last three words were shouted by every soul in the gargantuan cave, their right claws punching to the ceiling, echoes probing the air. Will looked around with surprise and amazement.
As the echoes faded, the show began.
Will watched with awe as an assortment of fire eaters, acrobats, jugglers, and clowns performed their astounding talents. When Millie and Max complained that they couldn’t see, Will hoisted Max up to his shoulders as Napodi did the same with his twin.
They watched a man stick a long sword down his throat and bring it out again, smiling. A small boy allowed himself to be tied to a wall, and the audience watched in amazement as he unflinchingly watched knives fly towards him. They stuck into the wall inches from his very exposed flesh.
A psychic hypnotized ten people from the crowd, and by the end of the show had them all hobbling around on the stage, convinced they were three legged sheep. In all his life, Will had never seen anything like this. He laughed, gasped and cheered along with the throng of Byklaws surrounding him.
Without warning, Will felt goose bumps crawl over his arms. He shivered as a wave of putrid wind fell over the crowd. Then there was darkness.
The crowd of Byklaws gasped and screamed, clutching at their family or darting around randomly, looking for protection. All but a few of the torches on the walls had been smothered.
The twins, still up on the teens’ shoulders, started to cry, scared by the sudden confusion. Will bellowed at Napodi, shouting on the top of his lungs. “What’s going on?”
“I do not know! This has never happened before!”
The muddled mass of black shadows began to scream even more than before, shrieks echoing about the cavern. When Will saw what was causing the sudden commotion, he yelled in surprise.
It was a Gark!
He remembered reading about them earlier in the book. They were hideous creatures with two mouths, one for eating, one for breathing, so they could devour their prey without having to stop for air. They had a horn on the top of their triangular heads and two on the sides that doubled as ears.
The creature he saw now stretched out its bat-like wings hauntingly from behind it. It had two skinny necks, each coming from beneath one of the mouths, and they crossed in the middle making a little area above its heart-shaped body for a black sphere. This sphere was a Gark’s only weakness, and it would die if it was removed. Unfortunately, to even attempt to remove this vital organ was pretty much considered suicide.
Roars filled the cave as the Garks began their attack. They slashed with uncontained fury as their knife-like claws on the left hands and the powerful talons on the other gored the people around them with overwhelming speed. They destroyed the well-built cabins and utterly obliterated the little shops and wagons as resounding screams grew in intensity.
White with panic, Napodi grabbed at Will franticaly, Millie and Max still balancing on their shoulders. They attempted to run in the opposite direction of the attack, but the pressure and panic of the crowd around them was so great they couldn’t get very far. The toddlers on their backs and the crutches in their hands made things even more awkward for the teens, and they struggled to just keep standing.
Finally, trying to ignore blood curling din echoing off the walls, Will spotted a space below a shop that had been knocked over that looked strangely like a hole in the wall. He led Napodi toward it and as they got closer he realized the space was a man-made opening.
Quickly, he shoved Napodi and the twins into the hole, hoping the space behind it was big enough. When he finally climbed in himself Will realized he shouldn’t have worried. The hidden, very dim cavern was—from what he could see—about as big as a Slam Ball field, and looked very sturdy.
After taking all this in, he peeked back through the entrance. Suddenly, with a sharp breath, he wished he hadn’t. The Gark’s attack had been so vicious, so rapid, the only thing he could see was piles and piles of bloody, gored, unrecognizable bodies. They must have just barely made it inside in time.
Shaking uncontrollably, Will ran to a corner of the cave and violently emptied his stomach. Finally, wiping his mouth, he turned. Napodi was trying to comfort the twins who still sobbed with fright, a look of terror on her face as well. Will stumbled over and collapsed onto the dirt next to them.
“Whoa,” he sighed, running his fingers through his sweaty hair.
Napodi glanced up from the sobbing twins but said nothing.
After a few moments of silence between the two, Will winced. He could now hear disturbing thuds along with the never-ending screams.
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Here's where it gets a bit more exciting, as you can see. I'm not completely sure I described everything clearly enough, so comments are much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
--Anna
