Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 20: Akiliamba


Author's Note: Please read my artist's comments before continuing. :3
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“You alright dude?” meowed O’liday as he nibbled on a hot, freshly-prepared dumpling, “you look wiped.”

Ribbontail yawned, scratching at an itch behind her ear. In the morning light that filtered into Kerberos’ house she sat and bathed herself, attempting to further acquaint herself with her new body. “Just... just had a bad night, that’s all,” she said, knowing full well that this was not at all true.

The young girl’s eyes fell on Kerberos, who sat by the firepit with them; he was cleaning himself in a similar manner. He lifted his mangy head to add to her statement. “Yes, I did not sleep well either. It must be something in the weather, lad, no worries.”

Silently Ribbontail nodded in affirmation of this. They both knew how much had happened the prior night: the dream, Kerberos’ realization, and the promise and advice that filled Ribbontail with hope. Ribbontail was happy to have gone back to bed, only to wake up to the shining sun and the fresh scents of morning breakfast.

“Well I slept perfectly dudes, and I think Puppet did too,” the feliulf declared, stuffing down the last bit of his dumpling. He promptly picked up a piece of bread and began coating it with a dark purple jam. “And this food... Gods! You’d think I woke up in heaven, huh?”

Kerberos chuckled at this.

In the rising sunlight the four sat, gathered around the fireless centre of the hut. There was a certain air of joy to the room; content and satisfaction streamed from O’liday, while PuppetRibbontail sat in her silent vigilance. Ribbontail and Kerberos, however, both had their wits about them. One of the two had to break the news of OmenBeast.

Ribbontail gulped. It would have to be her, obviously.

“O’liday, Kerberos told me last night before we went to bed,” Ribbontail began (grinding her teeth, of course; she rarely ever lied), “that we should expect an Eclipsian to pass by here soon.”

Suddenly taken aback, O’liday looked up from his breakfast. He flicked his ears in a sheer sign of confusion. “An Eclipsian, coming through here? Dude... when?”

“Anytime now, I think,” Ribbontail watched as O’liday paused a moment. When he resumed eating she recalled his lax personality; O’liday would never be one to freak out. “All Kerberos and I know is that he should be here within the next day or so. Tonight, maybe tomorrow morning... we don’t know.”

The puzzled look across O’liday’s face returned as he looked up at Ribbontail. “So why are we staying here, man? If there’s an Eclipsian shouldn’t we just pack it up and run?”

This time it was Kerberos who spoke. “Who would leave their home, at the will of an Eclipsian?”

O’liday and Kerberos’ eyes locked for a moment and the two seemed to exchange looks of contempt. But then O’liday took another large bite out of his bread. “Good point,” he meowed through his mouthful of food, “But do you think you can take on an Eclipsian? Hell, do you even know what its name is?”

“We can take it on,” corrected Ribbontail, “if we work together. Besides... it’s OmenBeast.”

“No way.” O’liday finished off his bread and shot a shocked glance at Ribbontail. “That’s bogus. He’s still following us?”

Uncertainly, Ribbontail nodded. But after this there was not much nerve for conversation. The four sat quiet, with O’liday and Kerberos nibbling at breakfast and Ribbontail and PuppetRibbontail sitting in contemplation. After much delay Kerberos finally brought the topic back up.

“You see, O’liday,” he suddenly said to the cat, “you can’t always run from your problems. I understand that you may be a wayward lad, but running from Eclipsians does not always solve trouble. Maybe this OmenBeast problem of yours can be solved only by ridding of it.”

O’liday forced a nod, then casually helped himself to another slice of bread. As he did this, Kerberos rose to his paws and made a slow beeline for the door. Then the scruffy beast opened the door, turning to say “I’ll be back shortly children. I’m just going to get a drink.”

Almost immediately after the door clicked shut behind Kerberos, O’liday shot a stern glance at Ribbontail. “Dude, this is no good at all. That OmenBeast is following us. I say we split, dude, just split and run.”

Ribbontail shook her head. She knew that OmenBeast- that Eclipse even- had word of her presence, and would do anything to have her head. In this mission he would follow her anywhere, at anytime. The girl gulped and looked down at her feline friend. “No... no, we really should stay. I have a feeling OmenBeast will do anything to get us.”

O’liday licked his lips and brushed his paws together. This time when he finished his slice of bread he did not reach for another one; instead, he folded his arms in a blatant pout. “Don’t know what’s so special about us,” he murmured, “You’d think he would go off and find somebody better to go after.”

“Yeah... he must just be bored.” Uneasy knowing that this was not at all true, Ribbontail shifted uneasily. She knew also that PuppetRibbontail had a similar feeling: PuppetRibbontail also seemed to be aware of the impending danger.

A long silence ensued, not a word spoken between the three friends as they sat there contemplating what was to come.

Then the front door creaked open and in sauntered Kerberos, licking his lips and clearing his throat. He almost immediately asked Ribbontail, “I was wondering, lassie, how much experience have you had with your Spirit Guardian?”

Ribbontail looked up. “Spirit Guardian?” she woofed, “You mean PuppetRibbontail?”

“Yes, lassie.” Kerberos padded into the room and settled down between Ribbontail and O’liday. He gestured towards PuppetRibbontail, smiling as he did. “How skilled are you at commanding her?”

“I...I don’t know,” Ribbontail stuttered. She had never truly used PuppetRibbontail for large jobs. In the week Ribbontail had been on Emalia, searching out Kerberos’ house and fighting against Screech were the only things she’d ever had her Guardian do. “I don’t use her to do things that often. I’ve only had her do two deeds for me.”

Quickly contemplating this, Kerberos nodded his head. “Good. So you know, to some extent, how to control her. Do you know her potential yet, Ribbontail? What she’s capable of? What she is willing to do for you?”

Ribbontail paused and scratched her ear ponderingly, still waking up. She shrugged. “She’s definitely willing to risk her life for me. She almost sacrificed herself when she saved us from Screech...”

This was entirely true, how valiant PuppetRibbontail had been. She would give herself for her new master, that little creature, mindless but loyal to every extent. Ribbontail shot her skeletal friend a doting smile.

“Have you got a good command over your guardian?” When the old beast saw the confounded look across Ribbontail’s face, he cleared his throat. “Do you know how to command her with your mind?

Ribbontail shook her head, slowly. She’d only been in this world for a week; she couldn’t be expected to know everything about the beings. “No...” she finally mumbled, “Is such a thing possible?” As the young wolf said this she glanced at her two friends. O’liday was picking distractively at a tooth, while the loyal PuppetRibbontail returned Ribbontail’s stare.

“Indeed, lassie,” responded Kerberos, “There are many secrets behind guardian spirits. They don’t simply follow you around and fight for you mindlessly, you know. Ho ho ho!”

Shifting his position, O’liday flicked his tail at Kerberos. “Right dude, and how do you know so much about spirits?”

The sarcastic tone made Ribbontail want to scold the feline, but she bit her lip and awaited an answer from wise old Kerberos. The creature cleared his throat, looked down at O’liday, and smiled. “When I was your age I had a guardian of my own.”

“Wow, really?” Ribbontail responded almost immediately. “You had one?”

Kerberos nodded solemnly, then gave a weak laugh. “Aye, she was a pretty lassie. Hanshui was her name, and she was everything a boy could ever ask for. Loving, brave, fierce...” A deep sigh escaped Kerberos’ lips before he added, “But alas, friends, not everything lasts forever. Even spirits have to depart sometime.”

“What happened to her?” asked Ribbontail, noting the bleak tone in the old beast’s voice.

Without even hearing his response, Ribbontail knew what the reply would be. Her ears flicked in confirmation when she heard the answer. “Eclipsians,” Kerberos mumbled, “of course.”

Ribbontail’s ears drooped.

“No need to fuss about that, though, my lassie.” This next remark came quick, suddenly lighthearted. “Good old Hanshui lived a full and cheerful life. A valiant old thing she was... it wasn’t like she died in vain, eh?”

Seeing that they both had the same feeling towards this statement, Ribbontail and O’liday nodded. Whatever the story behind Hanshui was, it didn’t seem to bother Kerberos too incredibly. Hanshui must have died a courageous death; to depart with such heroism would leave anybody with a calmed conscience.

“But enough of that. What’s done is done, and it’s best to just move on,” the old beast interjected. As though remembering something, Kerberos turned to Ribbontail and blinked curiously. “Oh yes, quite right,” he continued, “Ribbontail, would you like to learn some tricks with dear PuppetRibbontail? We’ve got time to kill just sitting here, so why not take in some info, ah!”

Agreeably, Ribbontail nodded and managed a smile at the old beast. “Sure... why not?”

Kerberos grinned his crooked smile and rose to his feet, dusting off his fur. As particles of dust danced in the morning light, the old creature cleared his throat. “Very well, lass, very well. It’s always best to pass on information such as that, hmm hmm.”

“Definitely,” thought Ribbontail as she glanced at the stolid PuppetRibbontail, “having better control over PuppetRibbontail would be really awesome. I wonder what powers she has...?”

“It’s best to always be outside, mates,” Kerberos stated as he turned and hobbled over to his cabinet. Without any further words he clicked open the case and reached for what appeared to be a jar of chestnuts; he popped a few into his mouth, replaced them in the cabinet, then returned to Ribbontail’s side. “I say, care to go out?”
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Ribbontail lay with PuppetRibbontail outside beneath the oasis canopy. Even at the side of the oasis pond, with her pawtips dipped into the cool water, Ribbontail could feel the heat of the desert. But it was bearable for once, here by the oasis. Such a haven in a harsh desert.

Sighing, the wolf opened a lazy eye to check upon O’liday and Kerberos. The two were a few feet away, talking quietly at the side of the spring. What they were conversing about was beyond Ribbontail; she picked up the word “bugs”, so she assumed the conversation was about Kerberos’ strange diet. In the week she’d known O’liday, it was obvious that the feline had an affinity for food.

The girl relaxed, closing her eyes again as she felt a cool breeze caress her fur. “Fur,” she thought, “The unimaginable, beautiful... fur.”

“Ah sorry about the delay, lass,” came Kerberos’ voice. Ribbontail lifted her head from her paws and turned to see the old man standing above her; O’liday stood impassively at his side. “Would you like to learn some tricks now?”

Passively Ribbontail nodded and got to her feet, shaking her paws dry as she did. She was sure that PuppetRibbontail was willing as well, so she smiled and barked, “Sure!”

“Alright, let’s get started then, shall we?” Kerberos cleared his throat and dusted his fur, then gestured for PuppetRibbontail and Ribbontail to line up. “Good now.”

Ribbontail did as she was told, taking a seat before the old beast. She had PuppetRibbontail do the same; in her stoic obedience she sat down beside her master, awaiting the advice of Kerberos.

“Okay now,” Kerberos began as he settled down in the shade with them, “Spirit Guardians, as you may know, are long-lost souls taken back into the mortal world. They’re normally plucked from the realm of the dead and taken here, by a necromancer or magician. They’re given a second chance to live and love, but in order to do so they must spent their new life as a slave to one master.”

With a slow wave of his hoof, Kerberos gestured to Ribbontail and PuppetRibbontail.

“It’s a sacred connection. The only way to break the bond, lassies and lad, is to kill either of the two beings. You can also have your Guardian given to somebody else, but this takes a priest or... perhaps even a holy power to do. Yes indeed, the Guardians’ connections are a mighty force to toy with.”

Already knowing this from her experiences with Riddle, Ribbontail tilted her head at Kerberos. “Okay. So what was the power you wanted to teach me?”

Kerberos closed his eyes and held up a hoof, as though to quiet Ribbontail. “Hush now, I’ll get to that eventually. The thing to remember is that Spirit Guardians are here to protect us. But this doesn’t mean, lass, that they are indestructible. They can die just like any mortal. Their resilience is obviously a lot better... they’re obviously built to take torture. But TOO MUCH can kill them.”

“Dude, they can die?” interjected O’liday, hopping over to PuppetRibbontail’s side. “Major bummer, man. I thought they could take anything.”

“Right, mate. Though Guardians can protect you most of the time, you don’t want to get yourself caught up in it. There are some bloody nasty Eclipsians out there, mm...?”

Silently Ribbontail gulped. “I hope PuppetRibbontail can take on OmenBeast...”

“...And that is why you’ve got to learn to work together. Alone you two may not be the greatest fighters, but if you learn to work together you can accomplish so much more. Hanshui taught me this, the lovely beast.”

Kerberos shifted and rose to his paws, brandishing a paw at PuppetRibbontail.

“The Akiliamba. It’s a command that every Spirit Guardian has... and it’s a pretty good one, I’ll give you that! With Akiliamba you can talk to your Guardian with your mind. PuppetRibbontail may not talk back, of course, but you can tell her things without even opening your mouth.”

Puzzled by this concept, Ribbontail cocked her head once more. “Sort of like telepathy, only with a weird name? And I can only do it with PuppetRibbontail? That’s odd...”

“Odd but quite helpful, my girl,” Kerberos smiled, “And it’s very easy to learn, too. Give it a go. First try and think of a phrase in your head, as though you were saying it aloud with your voice and all. Try ‘hello’. That’s easy enough, eh?”

Ribbontail nodded and closed her eyes. “Hello,” she said inwardly; her voice rang in her head audibly. Being the brooding person she was, knowing how thoughts worked came naturally for her. Ribbontail opened her eyes and nodded at Kerberos. “Sure. I think I’ve got it. I can hear my voice clearly. What now?”

“Now you imagine your internal voice being projected to your mate there. You want to imagine PuppetRibbontail hearing the thoughts herself, not just you. Give that a try. Just envision her hearing your voice, only with your mind.”

Silently the girl took a deep breath, tucking herself into her mind once more. Then she turned to her friend and gave her a look of stoic concentration. “Hello” she said in her mind, as perceptibly as she could.

A few tense moments passed before Ribbontail sucked in her gut. PuppetRibbontail’s face lacked any changes at all. Still inert and silent, the zombic wolf did little more than sit there. “Did...” began Ribbontail, “Did you hear that, Puppet?”

PuppetRibbontail was not a communicative beast, never showing emotions or feelings. But at this question Ribbontail noticed her puff her little chest and nod.

Instantly Kerberos grinned wide and laughed. “Hahaa, there you go lassie. You two made a connection!”

Stunned at this, Ribbontail rose to her feet with a graceful swish of her tails. “Really?” she woofed in a most astounded manner, “Did you seriously hear me in your head?”

Again PuppetRibbontail nodded. This rare glimpse of communicative skills was odd for the little creature, and the three others sat and stared at her. Even O’liday seemed impressed by it. The feliulf turned and waved a thumbs-up in Ribbontail’s direction. “Say that’s pretty cool, dude. This Aki-whatever skill is pretty neat!”

“Akiliamba is what it’s called, lad,” Kerberos confirmed, “and indeed it is quite neat. Try again, Ribbontail. See if you can say something to her. Perhaps a command?”

Ribbontail sucked in a short breath, closed her eyes and twitched her ears back. “Okay...” she thought, mulling over ideas in her head. She then clenched her teeth and attempted to make the connection with PuppetRibbontail’s mind again. “Puppet, if you can hear me I want... you to stand up... and nod your head.”

It was tough projecting her thoughts audibly, and having to project them to another being’s mind made it even harder. But when Ribbontail opened her eyes she saw- much to her delight- that PuppetRibbontail was standing obediently. The guardian gave her a single nod.

A smile broke out across Ribbontail’s face. Having seen this, Kerberos gave a single clap with his forehooves. “Marvelous!” he congratulated, “I don’t know what you told her to do, but the look on your face is a good thing.”

“I told her to stand up and nod, that’s all.”

“Ah! But you’ve learned so quickly, Ribbontail. It took me almost a week before I learned how to speak to my own Spirit Guardian.”

“Thanks...” Ribbontail nervously responded, “I guess it comes naturally for Puppet and I.”

There was a quiet grunt of agreement from O’liday as he turned and clambered up onto the shoulders of the little wolf goddess. He then laughed and patted her forehead with a paw, proudly declaring, “Sure thing, man. This little dudette can do it all!”

Ribbontail couldn’t help but grin as the feliulf commended her. “He still doesn’t know I’m a god... does he?” she thought to PuppetRibbontail. The little spirit’s eyes twinkled in agreement. “So Kerberos, how exactly is this useful?” Ribbontail finally asked aloud, “What’s the point of talking telepathically?”

“Oh many reasons, lass. Using Akaliamba doesn’t sound like it would be that helpful, but imagine how much more private your commands will be. If everybody else is asleep and don’t want to wake them, you can talk with her through your thoughts. Or you could use it more functionally, like good old Hanshui and I. I would rally out commands to her when we were fighting Eclipsians, and they would never know what Hanshui would do next.”

For once not oblivious to the conversation, O’liday lifted his head and asked, “So if you’re, like, in prison, you could talk to her with your mind. You can make up escape plans without guards hearing. Totally cool dude, that’s rad!”

“Indeed, my friend. It’s quite a ‘rad’ trick.”

Ribbontail nodded in affirmation with this; she was sure that she could use this ‘Akaliamba’ magic somewhere here in this world. But before delving too deep in the thought of this mind-speaking, she waved a paw at the large old beast. “Is there any other magic that you know?”

“Ah, not that I’m aware of. Most of the time you have to stick with your Guardian and learn what its like. Every Guardian has their own secrets and powers, so it’s up to you to discover them. Keep practicing that Akaliamba, Ribbontail, and you’ll surely find out in no time.” Kerberos grinned. “Perhaps PuppetRibbontail’s specialty is her sheer resilience. I’m sure she can withstand many beatings from Eclipsians, eh?”

Kerberos chuckled quietly as he rose and plodded slowly to the oasis pond’s edge.

Ribbontail watched as the old man drank from the cool water, his form frail in the shade. She breathed a sigh and pitched her head back to look at O’liday. Still perched on her shoulders, he stared back down at her with his usual cool of causality. The two locked eyes for a moment before finally Ribbontail said something. “Do... do you think OmenBeast is somewhere nearby?”

“Can’t take your mind off that guy, can you?” O’liday meowed, “I dunno really. As far as we know he could be anywhere.”

As the young feliulf said this, Kerberos turned and swiped a foreleg across his mouth. “Precisely. That’s why we’ve got to stay on our toes, eh mates?
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Later that night Ribbontail sat with her three friends, in the warm comfort of Kerberos’ shanty home. They encircled the fire pit once more as they listened to Kerberos and his tales of youth. His stories were very charming. He had had his Spirit Guardian Hanshui for the longest while, and she stayed with him even after his family had died of illness. Together Hanshui and Kerberos were Eclipsian hunters, and the tales he spoke of made Ribbontail almost desire for adventure herself.

But as the night crept on and Ribbontail forced herself to try to sleep, she became less enthusiastic about adventure and more worried. She lay in the quiet of night with her two friends curled against her; Kerberos and O’liday slept soundly, but she was restless. The thought of OmenBeast would not leave her mind, no matter what she did.

Placing a soft paw over her eyes, Ribbontail ground her teeth and attempted Akaliamba. “PuppetRibbontail?” she spoke in her mind, “I’m scared. Do you think OmenBeast will... show up tomorrow?”

PuppetRibbontail shifted in the straw bed and nuzzled closer to her master. The little creature could say nothing in response to the mind-question, but her message was clear: “Everything will be alright.”