I - Hatching Eggs
It was not possible to see any star in the sky. Huge dark clouds kept flushing down an endless and torrential rain, all night long. Powerful lightnings crossed the air, making visible for a moment the whole land, from the valley below until the high mountains in a long distance. After every quick flash of light, followed the shadows. Then, there was that devastating sound, which one could believe was produced by giant drums, played by hundreds of colossal titans beyond the horizon, a terrifying thunder strong enough to shake the ground. That mighty manisfestation of nature was one of the biggest storms to be remembered in the free land of Mudos for ages to come.
The valley was surrounded by a vast forest of large and very tall trees. The wind blew at fantastic speeds in the higher layers of the woods, forcing the magestical trees to curve their bodies as a profound reverence to the invincible power of that storm. Some of them, thousands of years old trees, had already faced similar circumstances countless times in the past. Perhaps because of that, in an attempt to show a proud resistance, one or another would decide not to bow like their younger sisters. With that one, the storm was merciless. The wind kept roaring furiously and, although an old rigid trunk could resist that fight, long roots began to be ripped off from the deep layers of the ground, making their owner to slowly fall to an agonizing death, while cracking wood and screeches of their inhabitants could be heard, frightened creatures eagerly looking for a safe shelter to scape from the cold rain. After a battle she couldn't win, the imponent tree was in the floor, resting in peace with the remains of her ancestors.
Aware of such cataclysmic happenings, a very thin, skinny creature walked in the floor of the forest, among the roots of the trees. He was moving slowly, because the heavy rain had transformed the ground of those lowlands in a dense wet mud, which covered his big, three fingered feet up to his knees at every step. But it didn't seem to be a problem, he was actually happy, mumbling some melodious song while walking. He liked to keep in touch with the raw elements of his land and feel the vital forces of the earth flowing through his body. In his left, three fingered hand, he was holding a wooden staff. The pale gray color of his wrinkled skin and the weight of the years on his bent body showed that he was a very old creature, even for his own kind, the mudokons. In the meantime of two strong thunders, he could distinguish a very familiar loud noise from nearby, a falling tree. He felt sorry for her, but he knew it was how his world worked, every living creature had its rise, and its fall. He walked in the direction of the sound, knowing that maybe there he would find what he was looking for.
After a while, the old mudokon finally managed to reach the fallen tree. Her canopy was reduced to a leafless amount of retorted and broken branches. He started to go up the branches, until he reached the main trunk. It was around a few dozen feet wide, and from where he was, to the point where the broken roots could be seen, it was about four hundred feet long. - The roots... - he whispered. Walking a little faster following the main trunk, he got to the end of the tree. Looking further, he saw a wide crater where once the great tree lived for more than three thousand years. Passing through the large roots, he stopped in the middle of the hole in the ground. Getting on his knees, he slowly put his right hand into the wet soil, then his whole arm up to his shoulder. Remaining in that position for a few seconds, closed eyes, chanting a low melody, he finally stood up still, with a heavy look in his face. - I'm sorry, sister. I'm afraid the Gardeners might not be able to help you up. - Looking up, toward the point where the main roots of the tree converged, the old mudokon got closer, looking for something. He saw a dim green light coming from something. - Here, here, I found you - he said, with a little smile. Unfolding a bag from a pocket in his red loincloth, he filled the bag with what he had found. - Now, back to home.
oOoOoOo
The journey back took the rest of the night and half the other day. By noon, the rain had stopped and the sunlight could pass through the thin remaining clouds. Getting close to a clearing in the forest, the old mudokon saw a group of five mudokons studying an injured tree. It seemed to be struck by a lightning bolt and almost everything was consumed by the fire. Only the base and a few feet of the trunk were intact. The mudokons were using big rounded purple hats. He joined the group and they happily received him.
- Hello, folks!
- Hi, Bones! What are you doing here, so far from the village? - asked one of the group, a young mudokon.
- Oh, I'm in a little mission to the Mother - replied Bones, slightly tapping the bag he was carrying.
- Wow, it must be serious stuff, then! Well, come here and take a look at this, we want to hear your opinion. - The mudokon pointed out the injured tree to Bones. He noded in agreement, walked to the base of the tree, putting his hand in one of the main roots, and closed his eyes.
- Hummm... strong foundations... good vibrations... - After a while, he turned back to the young mudokon, who was looking at him with a curious face.
- She is still here. She only needs a little help to pull it through.
- Thanks, Bones. I totally agree. Come on, join us on this one for the old times!
-Sure, I will! - replied Bones instantly, as he was actually expecting that invitation.
The mudokons made a circle surrounding the tree, and looked each other with concentration. One of them made a signal with his head. The group raised their hands and started to chant loud and continuously. Suddenly, small sparks of blue light began to pop up in the air above their heads, and moved toward the tree in the center. Then, something amazing happened. Slowly, the burnt trunk regenerated and a new one grew in its place. Ten feet, fifty feet, a hundred feet up. New branches full of green leaves appeared above. The healing was completed. The mudokons congratulated each other for that well done job. Although Bones had already seen those guys working a lot of times, he always stared in awe because of the beauty of those moments.
- Now, I'll leave you, Gardeners, with the forest. I'm pretty sure that you have a hard work to do, after that big storm.
- It's true, Bones. You know, the rain is necessary, but some of our friends get hurt in the process. - He made a thoughtful pause. - Anyway, I hope we see you soon!
- Bye, folks!
Bones observed the Gardeners heading to the woods, disappearing very fast among the trees. He admired those guys very much, for he was also a Gardener when he was young. He hadn't spent much free time walking around, watching over the forest, since he freely accepted the assignment to be the Master-Nurse of the Mother. After all, he couldn't believe there was a more pleasant company than his very own mother. Bones turned back and continued his walk to the village, expecting to arrive there before the end of the day.
oOoOoOo
Gradually, the forest became less dense, and Bones already could see the top of the watch towers that surrounded the village. He had been born in that valley ninety eight years ago. Since then, so many had been born, and other many had died. That was his home, and there he felt happier than in any other land he had travelled during his long life. The sun was starting to hide behind the west mountains, and the first lights could be seen in the village.
In front of a small building, a mudokon was unpacking some tools from his bag. Right above the entrance door there was a board where, carved in the wood, the following words could be read: "THE BUILDERS' HUT".
- I suppose it was a busy day, Hammer! - said Bones, with a little grin on his face.
- Hello, Bones! Oh Yeah, it was - replied a very tired Hammer. - I've just got back from an inspection to the wells of the valley.
The Travel Wells were an ancient web of connecting tubes, created by the great mudokons of the past, and maintained by hundreds of dedicated builders for many generations. By using them, someone could travel, in an hour, a distance that otherwise would take him a day, on foot . But only a few of them knew the whole intricacy of pathways distributed over the land of the Mudokons, and Hammer was one of them. He knew all kinds of materials, all kinds of techniques, and all kinds of secrets to keep the wells working.
- It seems that a pack of hungry paramites ate a whole section of one of the wells, letting a big hole in the skin we use to make them. You can imagine what could happen to an absent-minded user, don't you?
- Sure I can... My back still aches in cold days - agreed Bones, remembering a painfull episode of his youth, when he was tossed dozens of feet away from a broken well, resulting in a few broken ribs. His contorted face made Hammer let out a good laugh.
- Heh... Well, I fixed the problem before anyone got hurt, and I spread some scrab pee over the area. I hope it can scare away the paramites for a while.
- Great, I think it will do. Now, if you don't mind, I have an audience with our Mother. She is waiting for me right now - said Bones.
- With Mommy? I saw her this morning. I noticed that you weren't there with her, and she mentioned something about a little mission...or a little quest. In this case, I won't delay you any longer. Besides, I really need to take a rest right now. See ya tomorrow, Bones!
- See ya tomorrow, Hammer!
Hammer finished unpacking his tools before going to a well deserved rest, while Bones continued his walk through the main road that crossed the village from end to end. He was also exhausted of his energy, and as soon as he met his mother, he could then spend a few hours taking a nap.
It was already night now, and everything was calm in the village. A few animals were still awake in the Elums' Stable, growling to each other as if they were deciding who was going to take the best place to rest. Through an open window, Bones saw a dim yellow light inside the Drinking Den, and a few friends were still there, taking their last cup of tea, before going to sleep. The other only lights in the neighbourhood were the holy fire on the top of the Shaman Temple, over the hill, and the torches of the Watch Towers.
oOoOoOo
In the middle of the village, there was a small structure, protected by a couple of Guardian Warriors. They were tall, vigourous young mudokons, armed with spears and clubs. They were dressed and painted with the color pattern of the Loyal Guard of the Mother. That was indeed Bones destination. When one of the Guardians saw Bones walking toward them, he immediately unlocked the big, old wooden door behind him.
- Bones, your presence is expected in the main room - said the other one, in a solemn voice, giving Bones passage through the door.
- Thanks guys, and have a good night. - He knew those two strong mudokons since they had been hatched from their eggs, and he thought that they might frighten and impose respect to anyone in the valley, but not to him, who had watched over their first steps since the first days of their lives.
As Bones passed the main door, he reached a descending corridor . It was narrow and only illuminated by a few torches hanging in the walls. The small structure seen from the outside was just the top of a huge building that extended for hundreds of feet below the ground, and was formed by dozens of chambers and connecting tunnels, dug out in the rock. He was in the Mother's Hive, his home. He kept walking through the tunnels, crossing chambers, going down more and more, until he got to the entrance of a very large room, in the middle of the building. It was fifty feet tall, from the floor to the ceiling, and around a hundred feet wide, from one side to the other. In the entrance, there were two Guardians. They seemed not to be bothered by Bones presence. The room was full of Nurses, about twenty of them, the other two hundred might be in the other rooms of the Hive, taking care of the eggs and nurturing the children. They work day and night watching over Na'ina, the matriarch of the people of the whole valley, the Mudaina Tribe. The room Bones had entered was Na'ina's nest. She was his mother, and his queen. Compared to a worker mudokon, Na'ina was huge like a rounded house. She was talking to Bill, a young mudokon, the second Master-Nurse, when Bones met them.
- Hello, everybody! The old Bones is finally back!
- Oohh, my dear Bones! Come over here, my little kid, let me give you a big hug! - said Na'ina, opening her long arms to Bones. He accepted the hug and almost disappeared when she closed her arms around him, in a tight embrace .
- I'm so happy that you've come back! Bill took care of everything during these days of your absence, but I missed you so much... You know what? I've already had so many master-nurses in my long life, more than I can remember, but you are my favorite, my dear son.
- Bill is a great guy, mother. When the time come, and my retirement can be allowed, Bill will take my place without any problem - proudly observed Bones, putting his hand on Bill's shoulder, his most briliant apprentice.
- Nah... You taught me everything I know, my friend. You're the best! - replied Bill, somewhat embarrassed by the confidence Bones put on him.
- Ah, Bones... My time is coming, and a new queen must be born to keep alive the Mudaina tribe, the people that takes care of all this valley and its surrounding lands. Lost in the past are the days when I was a great queen. In my best year, around five hundred years ago, I had a tremendous production. I wish you could be there to see, Bones... This place was swarmed by my little children, all running around happily, making all those lovely noises... If I can remember right, in that year I had two and a half... No, two thousand and seven hundred little mudokons!
- Two thousand, nine hundred and twenty hatched eggs, Mother, according to our reports. - promptly corrected Bill.
- And how about last year? Do you know how much children did I have last year?
- Seven hundred and fifty three hatched eggs, Mother... - calmly replied Bones. - But it was just like your average years, mommy. I only remember one single year in my whole life when we got more than one thousand eggs. You're in a fabulous shape! I'm sure you could fill our valley with happiness for centuries!
- No, you're being kind to me, and I appreciate that, Bones, but I'm only a shadow of a queen I was in the past. After a thousand and a half years, it's time to pass my legacy to someone stronger than me. Someone who can resist the hard days that our people is going to face... - Bones and Bill looked at each other, a little worried, and puzzled by the words of their mother.
- Anyway... I brougth the last item you asked me for, Mother.
- Oh, this is wonderful! And where did you find it?
- Just like I told you, a very old tree, exactly in the core of her main roots. The amazing thing is that I spent three days digging up holes below the roots of living trees, but I only found it in a recently fallen one! - replied Bones, almost not believing in his luck. - Unfortunately, she was nearly dead when I found her -completed him, feeling sorry for the old creature.
- Don't fell so bad, my dear - added Na'ina, with a sweet look to Bones. - Nothing happens by chance in Oddworld. The forest gave us that tree in sacrifice, so that you could find her, and through her life, we can finally complete a life cycle. Well, let me see what you've brougth! - Na'ina anxiously waved his hands to Bones.
Bones turned to Na'ina and carefully opened his bag. A dim green light came out of it, and Bill also got closer to look inside.
- Look, it still glows, isn't it fantastic, Mother?
- And what is it? - asked a very curious Bill.
- This... This is the core root of a mighty tree, Bill. - replied Na'ina. -This was the first one to develop when her owner was little more than a small seed, growing in the middle of the woods. As a Gardener you was in your youth, how old do you think it is, Bones?
- By the size of the tree, I guess around three and a half thousand years, Mother. - replied Bones, using his knowledge about the creatures of the forest.
- This fragile, little green thing, my dear Bill, is even older than I am. That's why I have a profound respect for her. - said Na'ina, visibly touched by the energy of that small piece of root inside Bones's bag. - She glows because of all the amount of spooce she had gathered during her life, concentrating more and more energy each day, each year, never stopping, until her death. With the help of this little being, we will be able to create a new life, a very special one... - She made a pause to increase the dramatic meaning of her words. - Another Queen...
Bill almost couldn't hold his enthusiasm, seeing now the power of that insignificant being, and a warm wave of energy involved them, letting a light feel in their hearts. At this moment, another mudokon came from the other side of the room. He was carrying a beautiful wooden staff, adorned with colorful feathers and all sort of small pieces of bones. His head was full of long feathers, blue, yellow, and red ones that touched the ground as he walked, and his body was fully covered by paintings.
- And here comes the great Shaman of the Mudaina Tribe, the mighty Syzygy! - loudly announced Bones, as he stepped forward to receive his old friend. - Hello, Syz, good to see ya!
- Good to see you too, my fellow. The spirits already told me that your task was successfully achieved. Please, let me see it.
The old shaman joined Na'ina and Bill in the center of the room. She received him with a tender smile, and showed him the open bag. Syz's eyes widened as he carefully grab the little root from the bag. Its light grew stronger and suddenly all the Mother's Nest was filled with a weak green atmosphere.
- It's beautiful... - Syz's body was completely motionless, only his wide open eyes was moving, examining every bit of that jewel in his hand. For a few moments he was entranced. Suddenly, he put back the root in the bag and hold it carefully in his arms. Turning to Na'ina, he said: - My Mother, all the details of the ceremony are being prepared, and in five days from today, I give you my word that everything will be ready.
- Wonderful, Syz! I trust you my life, you know that. -she holded Syz's shoulders with her big hands, and gently kissed his forehead. - Go, my son, and let me know when you are ready.
Without wasting any other precious second, Syz left the Mother's Nest, vanishing through one of the tunnels, followed by four well armed Guardians. Na'ina directed her attention to Bones.
- Bones, do you want to know your new brothers?
- Sure, Mother. I guess they are from the eggs that were supposed to hatch three days ago. Bill, could you bring them here, please? - asked Bones.
- Okay. Just wait a second... - Bill quickly rushed to the nearest nursery chamber, where the new hatched mudlings spent their first days. After a few minutes, Bill returned to the Mother's Nest, followed by four nurses, each one carrying a little mudling.
- Aren't they just so lovable, Bones? -said a visibly moved Na'ina.
- Hehe.. Yes, they are, Mother - happily nodded Bones. He examined the first one. - Look at this boy, he is so huge! It's maybe twice as big as an average three days old mudling!
- He also eats twice as much as an average three days old mudling, Bones. - explained Bill, smiling. The big fat ball on the nurse's arms was completely unaware of the people around him. He was calmly dozing, and once in a while his eyes would lazily open to look around, only to close again after a couple of seconds.
- How about this little boy, over here?! He is so thin and small... - Bones carefully took in his arms that fragile baby. His limbs were so thin that, despite the long years of experience as a nurse, Bones was almost afraid of braking them if he didn't hold the little one softly. - We need to take this one to the intensive care chamber right now. - Forgetting everything else, Bones headed to one of the exits or the room. As he walked away, the first mudling suddenly woke up, and became very agitated, ending in a very, very loud cry. Bones immediately returned. - Everything is okay?
- Oh yes. Sorry, I completely forgot to mention that to you! - explained Bill. -These two are a very uncommon couple. It always happens when we try to separate them. You see, they were hatched from the same egg! Can you believe it? We all were so surprised when we found out!
- It only happened twice before, in my entire life... - Na'ina thoughtfully reminded. - They are called Twins, and because of this rare condition, they share part of each other's spirits. They are bound forever.
- Very curious, indeed! So, we need to take both of them to the intensive care chamber. - Bones gave back the small mudling to the nurse. - go ahead, I'll be there in a minute. As the strange couple left the room, Bones look at the third baby. - What a cute, cute , cute boy - played bones, scratching the mudling's chin with his finger. The little one narrowed his eyes and prepared to attack.
- Wow, OUCH!!! What a powerful bite! - the kid grabbed his hand, trying to bite again. - And he is very strong too! I'm sure he will be a great warrior!
During all the time the babies entered the Mother's Nest, the fourth mudling followed everyone with his wide open eyes, observing, quietly examining everything. Bones noticed that.
- And what do we have here? Hello, kid? I see that you pay a lot of attention to us all. That's a very good sign. - Bones had that particular ability to predict babies' personalities. -I'm sure you're going to be a very wise mudokon in the future.
- Just like you, Bones - observed Na'ina, and Bill nodded to reinforce her opinion.
- No, no... I fell that this little one is going to be a great mudokon, much more than I would dare to dream...
The small mudokon was not looking at Bones anymore. He was looking at somewhere else. His expression was worried, fixed in the ceiling, as if his sight could go through it, above the ground, going toward the mountains that surrounded the Mudaina Valley, until it reached the lands beyond the horizon, where the shadow grew slowly, covering everything below, bringing the death and despair to the Mudokon territory. He was worried, as if an unconscious feeling was preparing him to the painful, hard and inevitable events he would have to face in a very near future.
Mudokon Nation, Chapter I: Hatching Eggs
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CCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
