The Pearl Fox

Queen of the Jungle

At the end of the Green Snake River, was a tunnel that was built to daylight the water the water underground. This region of Diaphry felt muggy and oppressively green by the thick forests. Arasine dismounted from tired Nutmeg, then sat on a rounded stone. She wondered if this journey was going to end. After she helped defeat the goblins, all of the statues were restored to life, including the animals. Word spread from Temple Jasmine on how they destroyed the goblins so that others will beat them and restore everyone from their stone. She learned that goblin doors were found in parts of Central and South Diaphry.  Now that problem was solved, she had to continue with her mission to find the Pearl Fox, the Valley of the Dead and the Hag Pearls. She came this far north, to where the Green Snake ended, and wiped tears that streamed down from her eyes. North of the tunnel with the Green Snake underground was jungles. She didn't know where to go now. Nutmeg was becoming upset and the tail was clamped down in fear. The ears were swaying. Panting heavily, Nutmeg  showed his teeth, and snorted a few times, then fled into the trees from the direction that she arrived from. Nutmeg was afraid, and Arasine looked about, now her horse had gone. She hoped he ran all the way back to the temple and wouldn't get lost. The jungle would be hostile for any horse, she had overlooked this. 

"Now I'm alone," she reminded herself. The leaves folded together to form giant curtains and canopies, and when she parted them aside, more leaves fell back. She pressed through the leaves, and then the jungle became dense with enormous ferns, hanging vines and bright flowers. There was a small clearing with a dimness as twilight but green like bitter sludge apple juice. Glowing insects and phosphorous fungi lit there like stars. The noises were constant of animal noises, with droning and hums. Then it made her ears ache and her head pound. The compass showed true north. The trunks of trees became wider and greater in size, then the species of trees were lapuna and kapok giants . The air was thick, and full of green and life. Spidery plants, poisonous fruits, colourful spiders, edible plants and hyperactive creatures. It was a place of life. No death here and it couldn't be the Valley of the Dead. 

Up ahead was a thin stream where curious animals were drinking. A red armadillo, a monkey with a human like face and a striped body, camouflaging monitor lizards, chattering hyenas, yellow and blue wild dogs, butterflies that sang like birds, two headed snakes and okapi. She cupped her hands to fill with some water, and sipped. She tasted more. Now her clothing became bothersome, as she wore thick fleece from the South, and the atmosphere was muggy here. She took her heavy clothing off and left on her cotton undergarments. She folded the thick clothes and placed them under a cocoa tree, that was clustered with red pods. At the base of the cocoa tree was a moat of herbs, lush green speckled lillies covered in dew, cracked eggshells, and a glittering red snakeskin. Hooked fronds grew up along the base of the tree, and shimmered with tiny lights. Arasine called it her Lantern Tree.  

After three hours of walking through the jungle, Arasine's feet were sore inside her boots. She stopped to rest, and removed her boots. She put them beneath a white banyan tree with divided twisted bark and fig fruits. Yellow butterflies covered in black spots lived on the tree. As she went around the large tree, she found an ants nest, cobwebs, perfumed flowers with cat faces, ivy and a skull of a monkey on the ground among fiery coloured flowers. Arasine called this banyan tree her Boudoir Tree.   

She walked for hours. Too further north would bring her to the Blue Snake River, but she didn't want to go there. Ikatra Niya never mentioned the Blue Snake River and Arasine was losing hope of finding this Valley of the Dead, Hag Pearls and the Pearl Fox. As the hours changed, so did the sounds of the jungle. Then there was laughter. It sounded exactly like children! She stopped and listened to it. She decided to investigate where the sounds were coming from. She noticed the laughter came from behind some thick ferns, and she parted them. A swarm of yellow moths flew out towards her face, and the moths made distinctive sounds that were high shrill and similar to children. She was startled and watched them all scatter up into the branches, giggling and chattering. She remembered that in the books in the Grass House, there was mention about a curious species of moth called the Yellow Children that lived in the jungles of Diaphry, who tricked passers by with their childlike sounds.

Later she fell asleep. She wiped moisture from her face, and rubbed her eyes. As her vision cleared, she noticed many shining eyes looking at her. They belonged to one creature: a spider. She scrambled up and looked properly at the awesome looking Crystal Spider, the size of an emu egg, multifaceted, silver and white like jewels. The legs glittered frostily. She marvelled at the spider and then the creature ran away beneath a hollow of a tree. 

She wanted to go back and inform the Zirch how she failed her task. Large snails appeared. Arasine returned to her Boudoir Tree and collected her boots. She shook off bugs and found her boots were wet. Her hair was lank and covered in insects. She shook her hair and started to feel sick. She returned to the Lantern Tree and picked up her folded clothes, now damp and dirty. Arasine stopped, as a sudden silence covered the jungle. Nothing made a sound. Then a heavy shape moved through the dark and appeared in front of her. There stood a beautiful large feline, golden and covered in black diamonds. Its eyes were blue as lapis stones and staring at Arasine. Then she could hear a woman's voice inside her head, that was coming from the cat. 

"Why are you in my territory, human?"

"I'm looking for the Valley of the Dead," Arasine answered nervously. "I seek the Hag Pearls. I need to find the Pearl Fox."

"This is not that place, human. Now leave!"  

"Yes, but where can I find it? What are you?"

"I'm Jerra, the queen of the jungle. Go South. Leave now!" The large cat opened her mouth and showed magnificent sharp great teeth. The darkness within her throat was terrifying, but it became brighter, and a golden flame rose up and out of Jerra's large mouth. Flames issued forth and Arasine took a sudden turn and quickly ran. Fire engulfed shrubs with rumberries and hog plumes. The queen cat breathing fire caused the other animals to go silent. Arasine had to abandon her mission now, as the shrubs burned behind her. She continued to run, and the queen was far behind and never gave chase. The fire was a warning.