The Great Race Part One

                                        The Great Race

                              Part One

“The fire must be kept lit. It’s the only thing that keeps us safe from the darkness.” Hojan said, stepping out of a large crowd who had gathered to hear the council’s decision. Bailey’s glare met Hojan’s as she said, “We know but it is too great of a risk!” Hojan’s hackles rose and he barked out “It’s too great a risk?! You’re ensuring we will be overtaken!” Bailey shook her head stepping forward and placing her nose on Hojan’s before growling, “What would you have us do? Send you and a group of dogs out to keep the fire lit? Then what? Have the dark Sentinel either take you or lead him straight back here? No. We won’t do that. We stand the best chance of beating him here. With the Sentinels by our side. The messenger was clear. Do not race.” Hojan huffed, “Maybe, but no one else heard her, right?” Bailey’s hackles raised in response and her eyes narrowed, “What are you implying, Collie?” Their shouting alerted Sentinel Eleven who shouted for Hojan to go inside and he did. The crowd dispersed in separate directions and I followed after Hojan.

          My mind was reeling! A race had never been cancelled in the history of Sanctuary. What was going on? I ran inside to find Hojan talking to the Sentinel who had called him in. As I began to walk up, I heard them say goodbye and the Sentinel walked back towards the stacks, the place where the histories of Sanctuary are kept. “Why are they cancelling the race?” I briskly asked Hojan. He looked up at the ceiling then out a window “They are afraid. They don’t want anyone to get hurt out there.” He nodded his head toward the shed which Fonzie was guarding. “They’d like to believe if we pretend it’s not there that it will just disappear. It won’t. He is still out there. He hasn’t forgotten about us.” I leaned my head to one side, “He? Who?” Hojan rolled his eyes, “The dark sentinel.” A wave of fear and excitement washed over me, and I felt my hackles raise. I began to shake my coat and asked, “I thought the fire was supposed to keep him locked away?” Hojan nodded, “Yes, but there is a reason we send scouting parties to check on it. Sometimes it dies early. The last scheduled check was cancelled when the council decided to reduce the parts of the forest we patrol after Bella’s injury.” I nodded before continuing with my questions “Do you know how she is doing?” Hojan, again nodded, “She’s recovering. The flower Bailey and Strider found was the right one. Opal is looking after her now.” Hojan then looked me up and down and motioned me to walk with him towards the gate, “What do you think of all this Kalani?” I looked over at him, wondering why he would ask me such a thing, but I answered in a quivering voice, “I think we need to keep the fire lit. He smiled before saying “Good. I will see you tomorrow.” He walked off and just a few minutes later his keeper came to get him.

          The rest of the day went on without issue. We played in a pool the Sentinels had set out in the early afternoon and chased tennis balls as well later in the day. I saw Bailey and Strider kept an eye on me until Bailey called me over to speak to her. “How are you Kalani?” the massive Shepard asked. “I, uh, I’m doing well. How are you counselor?” Bailey scoffed at me, “Don’t call me that, Bailey is fine.” I nodded my head politely before she continued, “I saw you talking to Hojan. He’s a good boy and a good dog.” I nervously kept nodding, “Would you walk with me for a moment Kalani?” She began to walk towards the shed without waiting for a response. I reluctantly followed her, “I know he has a plan to escape here and try to keep the fire lit.” Bailey stopped in front of the shed and turned to face me leaving only inches between her mouth and mine, “When was the last time you were out there?” She asked nodding towards the shed. I shrank a little and slowly said “I, uhm, I. . . I haven’t been out since my training classes.” Bailey’s eyes narrowed further, “Come with me.” She opened the door to the shed and nearly pushed me through.

          When we got through the shed we came to a decrepit forest. The sky was dark except for a worn purple light emanating from a source some distance away, “the Oak.” I whispered. Bailey came from behind me “Yes. Now lift your nose and scent the air. Tell me what you smell.” I did as she asked, and a horrible smell filled my nostrils as I choked out “Fire.” Looking around I was horrified. Bailey nodded, “He’s not here. It’s just his scent. Why don’t we go back now?” As we returned through the shed and back to Sanctuary I was still coughing when we got back. “It is too dangerous to let anyone attempt to keep that fire lit. Not only will he be able to get them. They could lead him back here before we are prepared. You get that don’t you?” I nodded my head and Bailey smiled “Good. Now go, it’s time for bed.” As she finished speaking I heard a Sentinel calling my name and ran to them as they tucked me into bed. They told me a silly story of a cow jumping over the moon, as if cows could jump I thought to myself. Once they left the conversations I had with Hojan and Bailey returned to my mind. I remade my circle every few minutes attempting to sleep but it eluded me all night long.

          Eventually morning came and, with it, a decision. I knew what I was going to do. I knew the choice I must make. Hojan arrived early in the morning and jubilantly walked up to me, “She took you through the shed, didn’t she?” He asked. I nodded and looked at him to see him staring at the shed. His eyes didn’t leave it as he said, “It can be scary it’s true. Did you know the first time I went beyond the shed I was ambushed by a group of cats?” I shook my head, Hojan nodded while glancing at me before looking back to the shed and continuing his story, “Yea, I went ahead of my group and they led me on one of the back trails. You know the ones only the assigned scouts are allowed on? The cats had the golden ball. They led me out of the forest and to a cliffside. They surrounded me and nearly pushed me off the edge. Then the rest of the group came.” I too was staring at the shed and I whispered, “Who did?” But I didn’t hear a response, I looked at him as he was getting up to leave he looked over his shoulder as he popped the gate open, “Come see for yourself?”

          I eagerly followed. My tail up and wagging almost propelling me forward. We made our way past the Sentinels who bathe and trim our coats unseen. We entered a small hall with two rooms, one of which was open. Hojan walked in and beckoned me to follow. As I entered the room I saw three other dogs. The two chihuahua sisters, Cokey and Seven. Cokey was a black and brown dog who almost looked like a long haired Rottweiler if you shrunk her down to about five pounds. Seven was an all tan chihuahua whose green eyes looked like they were picked out of a display case showing the worlds’ rarest marbles. The two of them snuggled together in a blanket only sticking their heads out. The third dog wasn’t one I recognized. He was a bulldog who had a tan coat with a patch of white covering most of his stomach and left side of his waste, and with socks for paws. “It’s about time you showed up.” The bulldog muttered as Hojan and I walked in the room. Hojan looked at him “Well, I had to get the last member for our journey.” The bulldog snorted, “Yea, whatever. She doesn’t look like much. You sure she can hold her own out there?” I instinctively growled at him and I felt my hackles raise. He showed me his teeth and began to bunker down before Hojan hissed at the both of us, “Stop you fools! There will be plenty of time to fight, but not with each other!” Hojan stepped between us, slapping me with his tail and thwapping the bulldog with his paw. We both whispered “sorry”. We introduced ourselves. Turns out the bulldog’s name was Thomas and he came frequently to Sanctuary. Thomas has been coming less because of his keepers but Hojan needed a favor so Thomas came immediately.

          Hojan explained the plan. Seven and Cokey would distract the guard on duty and the three of us would sneak in. Seven and Cokey didn’t like the idea of just us three going in. They profusely protested but Hojan eventually convinced them this was the best plan. They couldn’t keep up with the rest of us and we couldn’t risk separating the group. After we made it through the shed we would make our way to the fire keeper. An old raccoon who kept the only fire in the place beyond the shed lit. He would give us a torch to carry to the fire where we would light it once more. It was our hope that doing so would help to push back the Dark Sentinel or at least buy us more time.

          The plan went off without a hitch. Seven and Cokey got the dog on guard duty to chase after them for a few minutes. This allowed us to get through the shed and to the place beyond. Once through Hojan began to lead us on one of the back trails “Are you sure this is the right one?” Thomas asked after about a half an hour of walking, “I thought the old badger was much closer than this?” Hojan nodded his head “Just a little bit further, and he’s a raccoon, not a badger.” Thomas huffed, “Raccoon, Badger, whatever, I don’t think it makes much of a difference.” Even though I could only see the back of Hojan I knew he was rolling his eyes at us. Then Hojan stopped and turned to face us “It might not to you, but it does to him. His cave is right up ahead, I’ll be the one who does all the talking got it?” I nodded my head. Thomas gave an over-exaggerated nod then rolled his eyes so far back I almost thought he lost them somewhere in the back of his head.

          We entered the cave to see a smoldering fire in the center of it and a small creature madly dashing around in the shadows “Oh no, oh no! Where could it be, where is it?” Hojan cleared his throat “Uhm, Mr. Howell?” I saw the creature stop scurrying around the cave the shadows and stand up on his back feet, “Hojan? Is that you? Oh dear, oh no. This wont do! No, this is very bad. Hojan you must leave now!” Hojan, clearly confused, asked “What do you mean Howell? What’s going on here? We have to get the torch to light the fire.” The creature scrambled into the dim light created by what was left of a dying flame “It’s too late Hojan. He has returned.” Hojan shook his head, “No it’s not actually him. It’s not fully him. The oak told us.” Mr. Howell put his hand up to Hojan’s mouth before whispering, “Listen.” We all fell silent and the only sound we heard was the crackling wood from the fire, to which Mr. Howell turned and shushed. I saw Hojan’s hackles stand up, “We’re too late?” The raccoon nodded, and our hearts sank. “The fire cannot be lit, at least not in the brazier the first sentinel brought in. You must start a new fire, a different one.” The raccoon scurried off into the darkness and came back with an old piece of paper. “Is that a map?” Thomas blurted out. Hojan shot him a look that reminded us to stay quiet, but Thomas pushed towards the raccoon, “I thought there were no maps of this place?” The raccoon shook his head, “There wasn’t, but I made one.” Thomas laughed, “A badger made one!” The raccoon snarled at him, “Well I’d like to see a mutt like you try! You’re big paws wouldn’t allow you to write even the faintest outline of a forest. Let alone outline the intricacies of this place! ” Thomas began to growl and Hojan pushed him away before growling, “Not the time Thomas.” Thomas hunkered down and turned away from us, facing the outside of the cave as Mr. Howell continued, “The brazier is here, about a day’s journey to the west. According to the legends and from what my kind has gathered and from being in this place there is another spot where a fire could be lit. This that would stop the Dark Sentinel.” Hojan shook his head, “No, the Sentinels would know about it, or the Oak would have told us.” Mr. Howell shook his head, “No. If we told you someone could have sabotaged it. We can’t risk it.  Not with the stakes as high as they are.” I leaned my head to the side, making a mental note to ask what Mr. Howell meant later, Hojan asked the obvious question “Where is it?” The old Mr. Howell looked up at us “It’s the first tree. The Elm.” We all stood there, quiet and motionless for a moment. I could tell even Thomas was taken aback by what Mr. Howell had just said. Hojan shook his head “No. We aren’t doing that to the first tree.” Then Mr. Howell sat down and looked at the fire, then looking back at Hojan he said, “Then you must return home and hold those you love close while you still can.”

          We all sat there in silence for quite a while. Thomas finally walked by, pushing Hojan out of the way saying “If Hojan won’t do it, I will. Even if I go alone.” Hojan stared at the ground but I rose “I’ll go too.” The words brought a flood of exhilaration over me. The three of us looked at Hojan who whispered “It’s the first tree. The birth of all of this comes from it. Who are we to destroy it?” Mr. Howell shook his head, “Destroy it? Has Sanctuary or the Oak taught you nothing? We aren’t destroying it, my friend, we are setting it free to the next life.” Hojan looked up and asked, “What is the next life for a tree?” Mr. Howell began walking towards the mouth of the cave, motioning for us to follow as well. Gathering around him, he pointed out at a young tree in the forest, “That, when the last ember of the mighty elm goes out a new tree will begin to form from the seeds that were dropped by the old Elm. Most will burn away, some will make it to the ground, and a few may even sprout. But at the end of it, all one will take the place of the giant Elm.”

          I began to look around, to see everyone glancing at each other a new spark in each of our eyes. Hojan whispered, “For Sanctuary.” Before looking at me and then Thomas. We both nodded to him, and Thomas spoke up “We will need someone to carry the torch.” Hojan looked at him, smiled, and said: “We already do.” He then looked at me and asked, “Are you ready, fire bearer?”

                              To Be Continued