The Pearl Fox

Orange segments for birds

There were rocks all over the hills and the cliff's green walls. Vandox climbed down the rocks that made a natural staircase, and it wasn't too far down. He came to large round rocks covered in green algae and moss, islets from alake of frothing bubbling water beneath a waterfall curtain. Rainbows arched across the lake and around the waterfall, shining colours into the spray.

He looked around and saw an island with grass, trees and a white marble structure  in the middle of the lake. He then swam through the cool crisp shallow water to the deeper centre, where the water looked green among the rushes, and he reached the little island. Butterflies flew around the plants and wild flowers there growing around the marble. It looked like a circular doorless shrine, with a domed roof. On top of the dome stood a lifesized statue in the shape of a young woman with outspread wings instead of arms. The hair was made of amber and the eyes were vivid blue mercury crystals.

He climbed from the water and stepped inside the marble shrine. It was shady and cool within, and there was just a wooden bench to sit on. It smelled curious. There were niches in the walls containing baskets of fruit, nuts, stale bread and raw vegetables. The food were offerings. He didn't want to touch the food even though he was hungry, out of respect for the followers of this particular belief. He didn't know what religion it was that honoured statues of winged people, and this was the first time he came across such a statue. He arrived here, understanding that the missing tax man was last seen in the area. He must, he knew, look in every place. He was tasked for that, despite being Night Patrol, because Willow believed in him. The seniors fell back on the Night Patrol instead of the police sometimes, because of their intense psychic powers.

"The lady is Tinterella!" said a gruff man's voice coming from outside. It echoed like the wind beside the constant gushing sound of the waterfall. Vandox stood outside to see. Just rainbows, water, green plants, blue sky. It seemed as if no one was there. Then halfway up the waterfall, an an old man stepped through the curtain of water. Dressed in faded dark robes and a grey cloak, he made a remarkably quick ascent down the slippery boulders on sandled feet. Vandox plunged into the green water and swam across to help the old man, as it was almost clear that an accident will happen. "No need to assist me, young fellow of the Nights Patrol. I was about to make a dive in and swim over towards Tinterella."

"I'm Vandox, of the Night Patrol," he said, while the old man sat on the edge of a smooth rock and looked at him with eyes that were yellow. "How did you know sir? I'm not in uniform."

"Word reached me from the village. My name is Unjic and I'm a priest of the Skylore faith."

"It's good to meet you, brother. I'm looking for a man called..."

"Rebik Helder." Unjic had put in. "Yes I know." Then Unjic slipped into the water and swam across towards the island with the marble shrine. Fish were around Vandox as he watched Unjic climb up and pull a red bundle from his pocket. He opened it and there were three fresh oranges, imported from the north of Diaphry. Unjic peeled them and broke the segments and put them inside the shrine. Then six birds in splendid colours of blue and yellow swooped and fluttered around the statue of Tinterella. These were Diaphry doves who eat fruit, and they also eat strong citruses. They surrounded the orange segments and feasted. Unjic produced more oranges from his other pocket and broke them open to feed the birds. Vandox swam over and pulled himself out of the water that was now turning cold.

"You mentioned Rebik Helder, as if you knew him."

"I know he's well."

"Where is he?"

"He's in the Angel Falls cave, healing from wounds."

Vandox stared at him. "You didn't mention this before. What happened?"

"He fell and injured himself on the stones. One must be careful at the top of Angel Falls. I will take you to him."

They swam over the lake to the waterfall, and climbed up. Behind the waterfall was a cave, hidden from view, and Vndox followed the priest down a narrow tunnel with niches containing salt lanterns. They reached a wider cave and more passages vanished into darkness, but they stank of fruit bats and mice that hid down there. Unjic turned the cave into a room with some furniture and candles, a bookshelf, beds, fruit bowls and a wardrobe. A man was resting in one of the beds, his arms covered in bandages, and he looked at Vandox with heavy eyes.

"Vandox," Unjic spoke, "The young man is Rebik. Rebik, this is Vandox from the Night Patrol that I was telling you about."

"What happened to you?" Vandox asked Rebik.

"I fell and woke up in here and that's all I can remember," he said.

The answers were unclear and troubling. Vandox touched the man's head with his receptive left hand, and the tanguin alarm flashed on its light. It was so brief, and in a blink of an eye, that both Unjic and Rebik barely noticed it happened, but Vandox knew. He was deeper into Rebik's mind, a perfect moment to encourage answers, and the flash of light made it easy.

"I will ask again, what happened here? This time you'll remember well enough. Don't be afraid to be honest. Tell me as you remember everything," Vandox said, as he communicated to Rebik who was under the hypnotic trance.

"I arrived to Southernville 2 for tax inspection. It was routine although I've never been here before. There wasn't any people in the village, and I met the priest, who led me to the edge of a waterfall and he pushed me. I landed on the rocks below. Pain. A woman helped me. She was strong and lifted me up into the cave, here, when she healed me. Unjic arrived and the woman disappeared. He wanted to kill me, then heard you arrived to the village. He gave me drugs and said he wanted to kill you."

Vandox turned around to make an arrest, but Unjic fled. Vandox rushed to the mouth of the cave, and saw the sandled feet of Unjic vanish beneath the green water of the lake. Unjic swam across towards the shrine, and climbed out of the lake. He wanted to hide there, and Vandox grabbed his arms and placed handcuffs on his wrists. "You're coming with me now priest!" Vandox snarled. "Is it true that you're a murderer as well as a bird feeder?"

Unjic sobbed. The police got involved the instant that Vandox reported it. A few days later, Vandox was called to sergeant Willow's office.

"Vandox, you've done well to locate the missing tax inspector, and I knew you could do it."

"What about the woman that cared for Rebik? Any sign of her?"

"No," said Willow. "I think she's an invention. There's been no trace of this woman, whoever she was. Perhaps she might've been an old healer from the village. But Rebik was injured after a nasty fall. He might've just had an hallucination."

"Sorry but this woman was real enough to help him recover."

"Rebik said, yes. He could've dreamt her. Afterall, no person like her exists. He described her as a woman with a pair of wings instead of arms."