Spirit Animals: The Chosen Three

Chapter 4: The Boat to Somewhere

Kat awoke with a shock, sunlight filtered through the odd round windows. She was in an unfamiliar room, with an unfamiliar smell of salty sea water mixed with something else.

The girl knew this wasn't her Amayan home. She wasn't ever sure this was Amaya. It could be some other unknown continent located on the other side of Erdas.

The strange room was decorated in traditional furniture. A desk, a chair, a tiny nightstand, and the twin bed she was in was all the room could hold. A tiny closet tucked away towards the back of the room, its accordion door ajar. Inside hung clothing that Kat was unaccustomed to. But, perhaps the strangest garment of all was a blue cloak so long it dragged the floor.

Kat was now out of bed and examining the place. She flipped through the dull-colored tunics, the brown pants, a sturdy pair of boots. Her gaze then landed on the cloak, she felt the material between her fingers. It felt silky, and soft.

Had she seen a similar cloak before?

Her brain seemed to be only half-awake. This was very strange to her.

She woke in a room she had never seen before, found peculiar clothing in the closet that seemed to be her size, and her head ached. Something weird was going on.

It wasn't til now she spotted the wooden door nestled directly in front of the twin bed. She paced towards it, pondering of what lay behind it. 

She placed a hand on the nob, the gold paint flaking off of it. With one final breath, she slowly turned it. The door creaked open, and the girl was now able to see a long, dimly-lit hallway. She stepped out, and gingerly closed the door behind her. 

She paced on, the hallway revealed two other rooms similar to hers. Both doors left opened. The sunlight flitted through the rooms' windows, illuminating the hallway. Both of the rooms were empty.

The hallway turned left, and Kat turned left with it. The left-turn revealed a cozy room covered from wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling in wood paneling. There was a long rectangular table in the center of the room, chairs scattered. Another table stood, but this one was different. This table was wooden round table and covered with a blue tablecloth and towards the right-hand side of the room. Sitting at the round table was three figures. The tallest figure's ginger hair was neatly braided, a row of freckles lined her face. One of the blue cloaks rested on her shoulders, a cup of green tea sat on the table 

She looked familiar.

"So glad you could join us," the ginger lady spoke. She took a sip from her tea.

"Betha..?" Kat asked.

"Yep, that's me!" The lady's voice was harmonic. "Come and join us."

Just then did Kat notice the other two sitting with Betha. A bored-looking girl and a blind boy with a smile on his face. 

Marissa and Kade. Kat had watched them summon their own spirit animals. 

Where was her own spirit animal? Where was their's?

A sudden panic rose up inside her. She anxiously glanced around the room.

A large blue blanket saw spread across the floor away from the tables. Laying on the blanket, an antelope and a fox. A harpy eagle perched on the window seal above them, preening his feathers.

Their spirit animals. Kat could resume normal breathing again.

The girl took a seat by the blind boy, Kade. He nodded, recognizing her presence.

A shorter man, whose name Kat did not know, walked up and set six plates on the table. One for each person, but there was one extra. 

The girl's confusion must have shown because Betha spoke up and said, "Galo will be joining us."

"Anybody but him," Marissa muttered under her breath.

Kade nudged her. "Be nice."

Almost as if it was planned, Galo ambled in moments later from the ship's bridge. He scowled when he saw the crowd.

The short man shuffled off to the kitchens to grab the meal. Betha grabbed Galo a chair from the long table. The room sat in an awkward silence, displeased glances exchanged. Marissa lifted a fork, spun it, and laid it back down. Kade rested his face on his hands, smiling and gently bobbing his head. Betha took another sip of green tea.

Kat was lost in thought.

How did she get here? Who were this people really? What did they want with her?

The girl then thought about the blue cloaks. She had seen Greencloaks, heard of the Redcloaks, but never any Bluecloaks. Acually, she didn't even know what they were called. What mess had she been roped into?

"Betha," Kat began. She needed answers.

"Go ahead, sweet girl," was the reply.

"Your cloak, its unfamiliar. "

Betha smiled.

"Your not a Greencloak, nor a Redcloak. Who do you work for?"

Betha sat down her tea and shifted more comfortably in her chair. 

"You'll learn soon enough. We'll try to explain it to you young ones over the meal." Betha spoke cheerfully. Her voice sounded like a sweet lullaby sung to you when you were first born.

This response did not satisfy Kat. She didn't want to wait for answers, she wanted them now.

Kat sighed and nodded.

The short man returned from the kitchens, carrying a large tray of breakfast food. On the tray was everything from syrupy pancakes, to thin sausages links. He sat the tray in the center of the round table. Kat's eyes widened when she saw the meal. She didn't know the last time she had had a bite to eat. Possibly days for all she knew.

"Thanks, Reggan," Betha spoke, clapping her hands together.

The short man, Reggan, nodded.

"I'm starving!" Kade said, sniffing the food.

"Well, lets eat," Betha replied.

Kat speared a pancake onto her plate. 

"I know you all have a lot of questions." 

Kat, Marissa, and Kade nodded in unison.

"Here are your answers. Now don't interrupt."

Finally. Answers at last.