One Little Spark: Part 1

Chapter 6

  "What do you mean you're the king's daughter?" Rachel asked in shock.

"I mean King Fur KaZing is my father." Coaxoch clarified.

"But how can he...what is his...why is he like this to you? What could you have possibly done to make the king treat you like this?"

"Live. Living my life as his daughter. He wanted sons, not daughters. I'm not his son, I'm his daughter. Not a prince, but a...uh..."

"A princess!"

"Y-yes."

"So you're saying the king has never given you any love just because you're born a girl?" Rachel guessed.

"It is true." said Coaxoch, "When my mother gave birth to me, the king became angry and then had my mother executed when I was four years old. He has never believed that I should ever have the right to rule so long as I'm a girl. He believes I'm not worth anything. Myself, my ideas, my existence..."

"I...I know exactly how you feel."

"What?"

"My father was the same way with me. He had others daughters aside from me, but he also wanted sons. He loves my eldest sister because she's more responsible with her future, then my younger sister because of her somewhat boyish style, and her younger twin brother because well...he's a boy. He hated me because he thought I was going to be the last child he would have before having a boy. He's always appreciated my siblings for the successes they have as both hard workers and the children he could have, yet my siblings have always tried to convince my father to share his love with me as he does for them. But he wouldn't. If anything or anyone, I'm the one who is worthless in all of existence; therefore I shouldn't even have the right to be called your goddess, not to you Woosoes or anyone. I'm nothing."

"...Then I guess we are the same." Coaxoch concluded, "Neither one of us can do anything to please anyone we share our love with nothing in return."

          Rachel looked into her own reflection through Coaxoch's eyes. She had come to know the pain and animosity her own father cast onto her for all her life, but seeing how much younger Coaxoch is compared to her receiving to same kind of hatred breaks her heart most. Rachel gripped onto Coaxoch's hand tightly, but not to the point of crushing her. A bond has begun to grow between her and the little furry girl, sharing the same feelings they have been given all of their lives. Seeing her like this just makes Rachel angry, seething at the terrible memories that are appearing in her head from her past. With every memory that came into her, tears have begun to form at the edge of her eyelids.

"No...we're not the same." Rachel growled through her teeth, "There is no hope for me from this point on, but there is still hope for you. As a princess, you deserve better than to be treated this way."

"What are you saying, Goddess Rachel?" Coaxoch asked.

"I'm going to pardon you from this false justice of a prison and help you get the respect you have long waited for. So long as the king believes my friends and I are your gods and goddess, he will have to listen to us and do what we say no matter how badly he thinks of it."

"It's not going to matter whether or not he will listen to you, he will later gain acceptance back from my people like nothing has happened before."

"What do you mean?"

"My father has always been aware of the prophecies and legends the Woosoes have carried for as long as our civilization has been in existence, and he, too, wishes to be named as one." Coaxoch answered, "But to do that, he thinks that no other prophecy should ever come to between him while he continues to rule us or he would lose power. So he's hidden away all of the manuscripts and secret diaries that has told about them, forced everyone to forget those prophecies and focus more on him and he will stop at nothing to keep it this way."

"That's not right." said Rachel, "That's no way to treat his kingdom."

"I want the Woosoes to live in peace, believing in the things they wish to believe. All the way from the greatest stories of heroism and sacrifice to even the smallest things like...like flowers being able to bloom in a night's length."

"...Flora..."

"Huh?"

"You said your name Coaxoch means 'serpent flower,' right? That's a terrible name to be given to a little girl and you have a heart so tender and kind. From now on, your name will be Flora. And that means 'flower.' "

"Flora...I love it."

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          The Dreamfinder and Figment have followed the guard's directions to find the Wooso King's dungeon. It still didn't make much sense to them both to understand why Rachel would just go down there out of the blue. There is an estimated guess, but it doesn't seem definite at this point. At the entrance of the door that leads down below to the dungeon, there is a Wooso warrior guarding it. They ask that guard if he has seen Rachel come by and if they could go down there. Of course the guard had to say yes. They are his gods; they deserve every kind of treatment. The guard brings Dreamfinder and Figment to the dungeon as he is asked to do. The way down is gloomy and dark, but not as much as the actual dungeon itself. Even the actual door that separates the world of Fillidore from the dungeon is pretty gruesome looking, too. Another Wooso warrior guarded the dungeon door from the inside and he is one tough guard who takes his job very seriously. The warrior who has escorted Dreamfinder and Figment knocks on the door and the other guard's eyes appear through the small window.

"Who goes there? Friend or...not a friend?" the Wooso warden warrior in the dungeon said.

"Frank! Seriously? I was just here ten minutes ago!" said Denny the guard who escorted Rachel earlier and now Dreamfinder and Figment, "Our gods are here to see someone in the dungeon, too."

"As our gods command. And how am I supposed to know who is who? We literally look alike."

"Denny, we're Woosoes! We're supposed to look alike! It's in our blood!"

"Well exuuuuuuuuse me! I have to sit inside this dark stinking place everyday and night without being allowed to go outside and see the half-sun shining. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"How should I know? At least you get to sit inside the shade. I have to stand outside in the half-sun until dusk. My fur is nearly singed from that!"

          The two Wooso warriors continued bickering and ranting at each other. It's left Dreamfinder and Figment standing there feeling awkward of the situation. What is happening right now? This is pretty ridiculous. Two grown Woosoes working in service of the king acting like a bunch of little kids fighting over a toy. Somehow this has to stop right now.

"Uhh...gentlemen? Gentlemen!" Dreamfinder then whistled through his fingers to gain attention and said, "*Ahem* Gentlemen, I hate to interrupt your little...chat, but would it make you both feel better if you could switch jobs every other day?"

"Yeah, that way you two could get your fair share of shade and sunlight." Figment concluded.

          Denny and Frank looked at each other and realized that what Dreamfinder and Figment proposed is actually a really great idea! It would be nice to get a little bit of each accommodation every once in a while.

"That would grand!" said Frank.

"Absolutely!" said Denny.

"I guess that means that we can put in a good word for the king then." Figment said confidently.

"Indeed, we can, Figment!" said Dreamfinder, "So now that we have got this all settled, may we enter the dungeon and find our friend?"

"As our gods command." both Frank and Denny agreed.

          Denny the dungeon warden opened the door from the inside and allowed Dreamfinder and Figment to come inside. Just like Rachel, they both saw how terribly treated the prisoners are sitting in the corners of their jail cells. Every prisoner they have passed they could hear them crying, moaning, and sniffling for mercy and compassion to come and bless them with a second chance of life. It is a terrible sight to see. It almost made Dreamfinder and figment wish they had decided not to come, but they had to if they wanted to find Rachel, which they do.

          Finally, they come across a jail cell that is being guarded by two large warriors. Each one of them looks fiercer than the other holding their clubs and spears in case any Wooso were to come break into the cell or out. Because of how intimidating they look, Figment felt the need to hide halfway behind Dreamfinder. It seems only Dreamfinder should gather up the courage to speak to these to warriors.

"Pardon us, good sirs." Dreamfinder began, "You haven't seen a young women, or your 'goddess,' in your case, come by here would you?"

"Yes, my lords." said one of the warriors, "Our loveliest of beloved of goddesses from song and legends is inside this cell talking to our lowliest prisoner who resides in it right now. She had arrived about five minutes ago."

"Alright! We found her!" Figment cheered.

"Would it be alright if we could join them?" Dreamfinder asked.

"Of course you may." said the other warrior guarding the cell door, "That is, if your bride wishes for your company at present."

"Wha-?" Figment became shocked, but not as much as Dreamfinder did.

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! Wait a minute!" Dreamfinder exclaimed, "Rachel is not my bride! We're not married at all! We're not even close to...we had just met not too long ago!"

"Really?" one of the guards said, "We just assumed that you two were married since most of our legends of immortals involved married couples."

"Yes, we did not think you two would be an exception." said the other guard.

"Indeed. If I were given the chance to meet the perfect beauty fit for a bride to share a lifetime with, I would want her to shine brightly as heavenly as our Goddess Rachel would be. She would have to have a great sense of humor to lift me from this dark-infested job of a dungeon post and dance in a meadow full beautiful flowers glistening in the purest light brightly brimming than any immortal being would contain."

"Uhhh..." Dreamfinder interjected.

          Dumbfounded, the Dreamfinder just stood there quietly. Everything that Wooso warrior just said left him speechless. Sure, Rachel is wonderful woman so far as he is concerned considering they have just met, but he did not think something like this would come at him at this time. If Dreamfinder's beard couldn't hide his blushing underneath it for no one to notice, I don't know what would. Still, the wonderful man smiled at the words the warrior said in regards to knowing what this Wooso plans to do for his future. Not every man, or male Wooso, wants to be a bachelor forever; they want and they need some girl they can love and support for the rest of their lives. Dreamfinder had hoped once that once he was able to collect enough funds from working at Scientifica-Lucidous he would find a beautiful woman he could call his own, but with his ongoing career of exploring new worlds and inspiring people to dream big he hardly found any time to do any of that. Maybe, if this keeps going on, he may never achieve that personal goal.

"That is so beautiful!" Figment sniffed, letting a tear fall, "Isn't that right, Dreamfinder? Dreamfinder?"

"Hmm...oh yes, yes it is!" Dreamfinder exclaimed, "I do hope you find some female Wooso to fill your life with genuine happiness. Consider that a godsend blessing!"

"Thank you, my lord!" the love struck warrior thanked in glee, "That will surely help me!"

"I'm sure it will. Now may we go in?"

"Of course! Of course!"

          The two guards opened the prisoner's cell door for their two gods. After that whole conversation about switching jobs and lovey-dovey stuff, Dreamfinder had to sigh deeply in relief. As they entered, Figment noticed something about Dreamfinder and playfully tantalized him for it.

"You're turning red, Dreamfinder." Figment teased lifting his eyebrows up and down.

"I am not!" Dreamfinder hushed Figment harshly.

          Inside the cell, just as the two Wooso warriors had told them, Rachel is sitting there on the filthy ground. They find her tenderly rocking the little furry girl in her arms like a loving mother would do for her child. As Dreamfinder watched her do so, perhaps Rachel may be something, no- someone he could keep his hopes up in sharing a life with. But he's going way too far ahead of himself. They had just met so there is no reason to jump to the conclusion into having a relationship with her.

"Rachel?" Dreamfinder coughed.

          Rachel hears Dreamfinder and Figment coming into the cell, greeting them with glistening teary eyes of great pity. She continued holding Coaxoch, now named Flora, as Rachel stood to her feet while her knees shook a little.

"Oh, hey guys." Rachel said sadly.

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"How did you find me here?" Rachel asked.

"We asked a couple guards outside to see where you were." Figment replied, "Plus, we wanted to make sure you were okay and get you back in time for the feast."

"Your kind, both of you. Thanks." she smiled.

"Rachel, what are you doing in here?" Dreamfinder asked in a serious yet calming tone.

"I came to get some answers...from her." Rachel said referring to Flora.

"Hey, isn't that the same Wooso girl we found outside in the valley when the other Woosoes found us? The one the king sent to the dungeon when we arrived?"

"Yes, yes it is. This is Flora. Well, her original name was Coaxoch, but I renamed her Flora because it suits her better."

"I like my new name better." said Flora, still awake in Rachel's arms, "My father named me cruelly when I was born."

"There's a lot to explain, but I think it's best we go back to our room where no one would listen." Rachel suggested.

"What a pretty name!" said Figment with delight, "I'm Figment! And this is my friend, Dreamfinder!"

"Hello." Flora said shyly and whispered, "I know who you all are, even though you're not gods as everyone else believes you are."

"Rachel! You told her?!" Dreamfinder exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"Again, I'll explain all of this in the bedroom." said Rachel, "We should go now as soon as I tell the guards that I am pardoning her from her quote-on-quote 'crimes.' "

"If that is the way you want it." he sighed, "Let's go."

"Hey, why are you red?" she asked.

"Uhh...it's the heat." Dreamfinder started sweating, "R-Rachel!"

"Hmm?"

"I love your hair."

"Thanks." Rachel said, hiding her blush away with her flowered hair facing the Dreamfinder and Figment.

          As Rachel passed by him with Flora in her arms still, Dreamfinder sees Figment making mushy hearts appear and starts making kissing noises.

"Lover boy!" Figment teased.

"Hush up!" Dreamfinder hushed loudly.

          Leaving the dungeon the warriors, surprised as they are for hearing Rachel giving pardon to Flora, or in their case Coaxoch, against the king's command, allowed all four of them to leave the dungeon. The four friends returned to main hall on the way back their bedroom, but along the way, Flora happened to see her father in another room working on something in secret. It involved some sort of science with potions and bottles. Flora was able to see the king pouring a certain potion into three golden chalices. Gasping, she figured what the king is up to. Before Rachel, Dreamfinder and Figment came along, Flora has always watched her father come up with ways to get the things he wants and put them to effect. The king is not exactly the kind of being to be fooled so easily. He sees all he can see and yet he does not always see his own daughter spying on him from the shadows. Flora always knew to lay low from KaZing's watch so she wouldn't get into trouble. But now that her three new friends are involved as soon-to-be victims to the king's newest scheme for power, she feels all of this is her fault for ever meeting them in the first place. What she must have started she needs to finish.

          Everyone made sure the bedroom door was tightly bolted after shutting it closed behind them. Nothing has changed in there while they were gone. Rachel had put Flora down knowing she is safe so long as Flora with them and away from the king, but Flora had to felt she should hold her hand in case anything else happens. Her tail twitched a little; she tried to hide it away from everyone in the room fearing someone may be watching them with or without the door closed...as if spying. But there isn't. Everyone is altogether present and safe from listening ears hiding away from them.

"You okay, Flora?" Rachel asked.

Unsure if she is truly alright, Flora still replied, "Yes."

Turning her attention towards the entire group Rachel began, "I don't think KaZing is happy we are here."

"What? Not happy?" Dreamfinder spoke, "But the king has greeted us as immortals and has given us great hospitality."

"With a feast and everything!" exclaimed Figment.

"I know." said Rachel, "But there is definitely something not right about him. And asking Flora about it sort of proves it. So long as we're here, the king might do something terrible to us. And whatever it is, he doesn't want any one of us or the entire Wooso clan to know."

"So you are saying we should leave?" Dreamfinder guessed.

"No, no I don't think so. Not yet. The Woosoes believe the king is a good person, but after hearing Flora's side of the story and seeing some other things about him I think it's best if we try to convince everyone otherwise about him."

"He's a terrible Wooso!" Flora admitted, "And I don't like saying this even though it's true, but he's the worst father ever."

"What did you say?" Dreamfinder asked in shock.

"King KaZing is your father?!" Figment, also in shock, said.

"Yes." said Flora, "He treats me like I'm nothing. All the ideas I have that has to do with making Fillidore a better place he disregards them just like that. He is not the kind of Wooso everyone sees him as."

"Then I guess it's a bad idea to ask him about the geodesic sphere." Figment pointed out.

"A what?"

"That's right! I totally forgot about that." Rachel exclaimed, "Flora, have you or any of the Woosoes seen the geodesic sphere? It's a giant sphere with over a thousand tiny triangles for an outer shell and six legs holding it up."

"I don't understand."

"I think we ought to draw it out for her, Rachel." Dreamfinder suggested.

          Agreeing with Dreamfinder, Rachel takes out a sheet of paper from her logbook and a pencil and draws out the geodesic sphere, which in her term is the Spaceship Earth. It starts off as a plain circle, then a few horizontal lines are drawn and then few more lines cross those horizontals diagonally from both sides left and right, and finally six pegs at the bottom of the sphere to support its weight. And viola, the geodesic Spaceship Earth!

"Geodesic sphere?" Rachel asked Flora asked again.

"Uhh...I'm not sure I'm familiar with this geodesic sphere." Flora replied.

"If she hasn't seen it, then neither the king or the other Woosoes wouldn't know about it either."

Dreamfinder sighed, "Then I guess we will have to continue our journey and leave Fillidore tomorrow morning."

"I don't think that's not going to happen." Flora said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I have a bad feeling my father will do something to all three of you before you ever get the chance to leave."

"Like what?" Figment asked, "What's the worst thing he could do?"

"He could use some kind of spell to turn you into one of us." Flora replied, "To make you three Woosoes just like me and torture you all forever."

"Can he really do that?" Rachel asked.

"It's possible."

"I DON'T WANNA BE A WOOSO!" Figment freaked out, "I LOVE MY OLD SELF!"

"Figment, calm down!" Dreamfinder ordered, "I'm sure this is just a wild idea." He turns to Flora and says, "Please say that it is."

"I'm not completely sure." said Flora, "There are other things he could do to you, but I'm too afraid to tell you."

"Then we will have to keep our eyes completely open on him tonight at the feast." Rachel proposed, "How soon is it from now?"

"It shouldn't be long now." Dreamfinder said, "It's getting pretty late in the afternoon."

          Suddenly, a knock on the door was heard. Figment answered it and in came the king himself. Small gasps were made when everyone saw KaZing walk in, but not as big of a gasp as the king will make when he sees Flora standing next to Rachel.

"Hello, hello!" the king cheered as he came inside, "I just wanted to see if everything is alright and-GASP! GUARDS! The prisoner has intruded and is bothering the gods of their luxury!"

"Coaxoch didn't escape!" Rachel yelled.

"What did you just say?"

"Coaxoch didn't escape the dungeon. I pardoned her from her crimes. She is under my influence now and no one else's."

"Oh, I see." the king said, gripping his fists with anger behind his back seeing to it that nobody notices, "Then is she to do anything as far as labor is concerned?"

"You mean community service? Flora- I mean, Coaxoch seems a bit young to be doing that sort of thing. She's only a girl."

"Yes, she is, but all pardoned prisons in the Wooso clan must serve at least three days of labor before being given the full grant to be free from their prison, as part of Wooso regulations, and that includes children, too. But you are the gods, and lovely goddess if I may say so myself, so you may choose what to do with that child. In the meantime, I have arranged some tailors to come in and have you three prepared for tonight. They will be here at any moment. The feast starts in a half hour. Don't be late!"

          And with that, the king left the bedroom in a cheery tone, perhaps a bit too cheery. Everyone stood there speechless. They didn't know what to make of it. They were just talking about how cruel King KaZing must be and just waltzes in a good mood as if he were either trying to fake his way to their trusts or if Flora was wrong about him and he was being serious. He did seem to come in and out in a hurry. Then again, he has to prepare everything for tonight. It doesn't make sense.

"What the heck did he just say about regulations?" Rachel asked.

"That all Woosoes including children who have been pardoned have to do a community service in order to be free." Dreamfinder clarified.

"That's not fair!" Figment exclaimed, "Children should be free automatically! In fact, children shouldn't go to jail in the first place!"

"Well at least the king can do nothing against Flora's well being anymore, so that's a good thing."

"So am I really safe?" said Flora, "Will my father not harm me anymore?"

"I hope so." said Rachel, "But I wouldn't keep my hopes up just yet if I were you."

"Let me take the labor service."

"What?" Rachel, Dreamfinder, and Figment exclaimed.

"If I do the service, I can gather all I will come to know and tell you what my father plans to do next. I want to do good for the Woosoes' sakes, for everyone's sake. Let me be your servant."

"Well..." said Rachel, "okay. I don't like doing it, but-"

          The door knocked again. It must be the tailors the king sent over. This time Rachel opened the door and she, as well as everyone else, had guessed correctly. The tailors came in giggling with excitement to be at the presence of their gods and goddess. Respectfully, they bowed to them and then they got to work. The Wooso men took over Dreamfinder and Figment's outfits while the Wooso women took care of Rachel's. They have brought in the finest fabric woven in the Wooso civilization: silk, cotton, and linen. The women made sure not to mess up the flowers the little Wooso children had put in Rachel's hair. It gave them the perfect inspiration on what color and style Rachel should wear at the feast. Flora stood by and watched the dress up happen, worrying what her father might be doing. For sure, she figures that preparing the feast is only a small matter he is working on.

"Flora." Rachel called over the Wooso women, "Is it possible for you to bring me some water?"

"Sure!" said Flora, "I'll go get some right now."

          Leaving the bedroom, Flora scurried along to do her service for Rachel. Little did she realize she is being watched. As Flora went on her own through the main hall, a hand came out from behind and covered her mouth. Screaming through that hand, she got pulled back with one of her arms behind her. When Flora turned her head, she found that her father is the one restraining her. It turns out that the king was outside waiting for Flora to come out sooner or later. He figured she was going to do whatever the gods would tell her since Rachel had pardoned her from her crimes in the dungeon. When the girl came, he sought his chance to pounce on his prey and take control over her for just a little bit.

"Peep a single word about what I have in store for you and our gods," the king threatened in a hushed gruff tone, "and I will make you squeal to your last breath!"

          KaZing let her go immediately and went on his way. Flora had been correct all along that the king is up to something. And now that he had been given the ultimate threat of her life, she has to choose for herself. Should she keep quiet and let Rachel, Dreamfinder and Figment become victims of the king's greed and wrath? Or should she stay true to them and have her life taken by her own father in the end? Frightened out of her wits, Flora hurried to the nearest fountain with an empty bowl, filled it with water, and ran back to the immortal's bedroom.