Driving Into The Champions
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The first time I saw the champions, it was in a dream. They were all around me and they didn’t seem to be able to hurt me at all, but then suddenly one of them got angry with me for something that wasn’t my fault and he hit me so hard I woke up
. And when I opened my eyes, there they were again: the champions from the stories. There are twelve of them altogether—and each is different from every other.
Some have horns or tails or wings; some wear armor made out of shining metal, while others are naked except for their swords. But no matter what kind of champion you meet, his sword always has magic powers inside it, and if he ever gets angry enough, those magical powers will come right out of the blade and do whatever he wants them to.
And since everyone knows about these weapons, most people try not to get on the bad side of any of the champions because once they’re mad, nothing can stop them until they’ve killed someone…or maybe even after that!
So whenever anyone sees a champion coming toward him with his sword held high over his head, he runs away as fast as he can just in case the champion decides to kill him instead of fighting back. That’s why nobody likes to fight against the champions unless they absolutely have to. Because sooner or later, almost everybody winds up dead anyway.
So now you know how important it is to stay alive. And here we go. This is where it starts getting really exciting.
I’m going to tell you everything I remember about the champions’ world. It’ll probably take us quite a long time before we finally reach our destination, though. For one thing, this story isn’t very short yet. Also, I don’t want to leave anything out. After all, if I forget something, who else would know?
But let’s start by telling you about the place where the champions live. For starters, it’s far bigger than Earth, which means that there must be lots more land down below, too. Since the champions aren’t allowed to travel anywhere without permission (which never happens), they spend most of their lives underground.
Most of them like it better that way because they say that the air is much cleaner down there, especially near the waterfalls. Anyway, wherever you look, the ground is covered with green grass and flowering bushes.
All kinds of birds fly through the sky above your heads, and sometimes big animals like deer or wild pigs wander across the landscape. There are also many trees that grow straight up into the air, so tall they make the tops of the tallest buildings look tiny.
There are two rivers running through the whole country, both of them flowing downward toward the sea. One of them is called the River Of Blood, and the other is called The Great Abyss. These names might sound funny to you, but the real name of the river is the River Of Tears. Why?
Well, I guess you could ask the same question about the other one, too. Both of them are very deep, and the bottom of each one is full of rocks and sharp stones. If you fall in either of them, you won’t be able to swim back out. You’d drown just like that.
And if you fell off the edge of the Abyss, you wouldn’t even feel yourself falling until you hit the bottom. Then you’d die instantly, just the way you died when you slipped on the ice outside my house last winter.
Well, I hope you’re still awake. Now that we’ve seen how nice the champions’ world looks, let’s see what kind of food they eat. In fact, I think it would be fun to describe their meals for a while. Let’s begin with breakfast. First of all, the champions drink milk every morning.
Not the kind of milk you buy in stores, but the kind that comes directly from cows. No wonder they’re so strong! They also eat a lot of eggs and cheese. So does everybody else, actually, but the champions have special ways of making scrambled eggs and omelets.
They use things like onions and garlic and bacon fat to flavor them, and they cook them in pans that are shaped like human hands. When the egg whites turn yellow and the yolks start turning brown, the champions dip the cooked eggs in bowls of hot chocolate sauce before serving them to their guests.
Here’s another interesting thing about the champions’ breakfasts: Each one of them eats an entire chicken in front of everybody else. He doesn’t cut it open and remove its organs or carve it up into pieces, though. Instead, he takes a huge knife and slices the bird in half lengthwise.
Then he holds the halves together with his arms and begins to chew. Everyone has to watch him do this because it’s part of the ceremony. But when the champion swallows the first piece of meat, the others cheer loudly.
Now let me tell you about lunch. The champions usually eat fish, although some of them prefer to hunt rabbits and squirrels. They boil the fish in pots made out of clay, but they fry the rabbit and squirrel meat in large iron skillets.
Sometimes they season the dishes with salt, pepper, and herbs. Other times they add spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. Once again, everyone at the table cheers whenever someone finishes eating.
After dinner, the champions often play games together. Some of them enjoy playing chess, but others prefer to engage in wrestling matches. As soon as the sun sets, they sit around campfires and roast marshmallows over the flames.
And then they talk. A lot. About everything and nothing. Their conversations can get pretty loud, especially during the evenings. That’s why the people living nearby always hear them coming.
The champions love music almost as much as they love food. At night, they sing songs and play instruments. They use different types of flutes and drums, and they create melodies using wind chimes and bells. It sounds strange, but it really adds to the atmosphere.
By the way, the champions never sleep in beds. They lie down on the floor and rest their heads against pillows made of cloth or animal skins. They also wrap themselves up in blankets and cover their bodies with quilts. What I mean is that they wear clothes instead of sleeping naked under covers, just like normal humans.
I’m sure you must be wondering by now whether the champions ever go to bed. Well, here’s the answer: Yes, they do. Actually, they don’t stop working once the sun goes down. They keep going right through the night, and they work harder than anyone else. Even when they close their eyes, they imagine new ideas and solutions to problems. And sometimes they solve those problems without waking up.
If you want to know more about the champions, I suggest you read the books written by the seven wizards who live in the castle on top of Mount Olympus. There are six of them, and they write in Greek. Unfortunately, none of them knows anything about the champions’ world.
So there you have it. I’ve told you all about the champions’ world. I hope it was helpful.
***
THEY WERE ALL EATEN UP BY THE TIGER.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
SARAH STRUCK HER FATHER AGAIN AND HE STOOD THERE IN SHOCK. “YOU NEED TO STOP THIS!” she yelled.
He looked at her, stunned. After a moment, he said, “How could you say something like that? You’re my daughter.”
Sarah didn’t respond. She had been thinking about what she’d heard earlier that day. Her father hadn’t killed any animals lately, but that wasn’t unusual. He only hunted deer and wild pigs, which were plentiful in the forest where they lived. Still, Sarah couldn’t help feeling worried. Maybe it was time to take action.
She went inside their house and sat down at the kitchen table. Then she took a pen and paper out of her backpack and started writing.
Dear Father,
It’s getting dark outside, and it looks like rain. I hope we’ll still be able to find enough food tomorrow. We haven’t eaten properly since last week. I’m scared. Please come home early tonight.
Love, your daughter.
As usual, Sarah put the letter in an envelope and sealed it with wax. When she finished, she went back to the kitchen and carried the package to the mailbox. Then she headed for the woods.
When she came upon the tiger, she stopped dead in her tracks. The beast stood on its hind legs, sniffing the air, looking around. Its mouth hung open, and saliva dripped from between its teeth.
Its fur was matted and dirty. There was blood on its face and paws. It raised its head high and roared.
A few seconds later, Sarah saw her father walking toward the tiger. His bow and arrow were slung across his chest. He held a long knife in one hand.
He walked straight into the tiger’s path. Instantly, the creature turned around and charged him.
Sarah screamed and ran away. She kept running until she reached the edge of the forest. Then she climbed onto the nearest tree branch and watched the fight unfold below.
Her father attacked the tiger at first. But after a while, it began to hurt him. Blood flowed from several wounds.
Then the tiger pounced forward and bit off his arm.
Sarah gasped. She jumped down from the tree and hurried back to the village.
At the entrance to their hut, she found two villagers standing guard. One of them was holding a spear; the other had a sword. Both weapons were pointed at her.
“What happened?” asked the man with the blade.
“There’s a tiger,” she replied. “It ate my father.”
“Didn’t he tell you not to wander so far from the village?”
Sarah shook her head.
“Why did you disobey us, then?”
The woman with the spear stepped closer. “You should be grateful that we saved your life. If you weren’t here, the tiger would have killed you too.”
“But why?”
They exchanged glances. Then the man spoke again. “We can’t let you leave the village. That’s our rule. We need to protect everyone here. Otherwise, the tigers will destroy everything.”
“Tigers aren’t dangerous anymore,” Sarah protested. “My father shot the one that killed the old woman.”
The men glanced at each other again. Finally, the man who had spoken before said, “That’s true. Your father is very brave. But we have to obey the rules. Those are the laws set by the Council of Elders.”
“Who are these people?”
One of the guards answered. “They’re the leaders of this community. They make decisions together. Sometimes they even decide things without asking anyone.”
“I don’t understand. Why do they have to keep me here?”
“Because you’re a child. And children must always stay close to their parents. Do you think we should risk letting you go free? What if the tiger comes back and attacks another villager?”
Sarah felt tears well up in her eyes. “Please, I beg you. Let me see my mother. At least give me permission to visit her grave.”
After a moment, the man nodded. “All right. Go ahead. But you must return immediately. No matter how much you want to stay there forever, you won’t be allowed to remain in the cemetery. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Sarah bowed her head. Then she turned and left the village.
***
AS SOON AS SHE LEFT THE VILLAGE, SARAH HEADED FOR HER MOTHER’S GRAVE.
When she arrived, she knelt down next to the tombstone and touched it gently with her fingertips.
“Mother, I miss you,” she whispered. “I wish you could come back to us.”
She stayed there for a minute or two, just staring at the stone marker. Then she got to her feet and continued walking through the graveyard.
As she passed the graves, she tried to remember where every person lay buried. Her mother was in the middle row, closest to the road. Next to her was a small stone statue of a man sitting cross-legged under a tree. It looked like someone had carved it out of wood, but Sarah knew that wasn’t true.
The man was actually a spirit called Yama, the god of death. He lived inside the trees and forests of the world. Whenever someone died, he took the soul to the underworld and helped guide it to the afterlife.
Yama was also known as the Lord of the Dead. In some places, he was worshiped alongside the god’s Shiva and Vishnu.
The spirits of the dead often visited graveyards. Some of them wandered aimlessly, searching for something to eat. Others roamed the land in search of their lost loved ones.
Sarah didn’t know what to expect when she approached the grave. Would her mother appear to comfort her? Or would the ghost simply ignore her presence?
When she finally stood beside the tombstone, she heard footsteps behind her. She spun around and saw an old man coming toward her. He wore a white robe that covered most of his body. A pair of sandals hung from one foot. The other rested on the ground, causing him to walk awkwardly.
Sarah recognized the man’s face instantly: it belonged to her grandfather, whom she hadn’t seen since she was a baby.
He stopped a few yards away and smiled. “Hello, Sarah.”
“Grandfather!” she cried. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I thought you’d never come back.”
“Don’t cry, dear. You’ve grown into such a beautiful young girl.”
His voice sounded different than she remembered. It seemed deeper now. More powerful.
“How long has it been?” Sarah asked. “Since you came home?”
Her grandfather hesitated for a moment. His smile faded slightly, and his eyes filled with sadness. “It’s hard for me to say. Time doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. All I know is that I’m still alive… and yet not really living. I can’t explain it any better than that.”
“What happened to you?” Sarah demanded. “Where were you all those years?”
“I went to find my wife.”
“Your real wife?”
“No, I haven’t found her yet. But someday I hope to meet her again.”
Sarah frowned. “You told me your wife died many moons ago.”
“Yes, that’s true. But I didn’t tell you everything. My wife did die—but only after giving birth to our daughter. Afterward, she became trapped between life and death. So I traveled far and wide, looking for a way to save her.”
“And you couldn’t find a cure?”
“Not until recently. That’s why I returned to the village.”
Sarah stared at her grandfather. “But you said no one else could enter the cemetery.”
“That’s correct. Only the people who are already dead can pass through the gates. If anyone else tries to get in, the gate will slam shut before they even reach it.”
“So you entered the graveyard by accident.”
“Yes. I guess I should have realized that sooner. I’ve been trying to figure out how to open the doors ever since I first appeared here.”
“Why didn’t you ask me for help?”
“I wanted to make sure I could solve this problem myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel very confident about helping others if they needed it.”
“Well, you’re doing a good job so far.”
“Thank you, Sarah. Now let me show you something.”
Sarah followed her grandfather across the cemetery. They walked past the rows of graves and stopped near the edge of the forest. There, her grandfather pointed to the ground and motioned for Sarah to sit down next to him.
“This is a special place,” he explained. “A sacred spot where the dead can speak with their relatives. When you hear someone speaking, don’t be afraid. Just listen carefully, and you’ll understand exactly what they want to say.”
Sarah sat quietly while her grandfather began talking. At first, she couldn’t make out what he was saying. But then she understood.
“Are you okay?” her grandfather whispered.
“Yes, Grandfather. How did you do that?”
“I used my magic powers to bring us closer together.”
“Magic? What kind of power does that give you?”
“My ability to see the future.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but there’s more to it than that. I can also use my powers to communicate with the souls of the dead.”
“Can you teach me how to do that?”
“Maybe later.”
Sarah looked up at her grandfather. “Will you stay here forever?”
“As long as you need me.”
“Do you think we’ll ever meet again?”
“I hope so.”
Sarah watched her grandfather leave. Then she turned back to the grave and listened to the voices inside her head.
The End