“Warriors of the Midnight Sun” - Act VII

This is the second to last act! I hope you're all enjoying!

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“Warriors of the Midnight Sun”
© 2008 by Charles Shaver. All rights reserved.

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ACT VII

MANY ROOTS HOLDING TOGETHER A GREAT TREE: Wherein Comet Fox is Reunited with Roku to Fight Against the Forces of Yaska Selith; Friends Fight Together as One; Xiao-tep Faces Fei Li Mi; Momoki Tastes the Bitter Vinegar of Failure; A New Hero Arises

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CHAPTER 1

Comet Fox cartwheeled towards Raiju Yu who stood, his three weasels Kama, Gala and Jian at his feet, holding a Moon-Toothed Spade. The fox-god then jumped, spinning as if in a cartwheel yet without his hands being placed on the ground and instead reaching to his waist to retrieve from his sash his two ulus. As his feet came down they cracked against Raiju Yu’s head, knocking him backwards.

The three weasels attacked, running to and biting at Comet Fox’s legs.

On came Roku the Misfit, passing by his former master. He, too, produced his two ulus from thin air and they glowed like a crescent moons on a cloudless night. Roku lunged, one of his ulus streaking out at the gut of the Weasel King.

Raiju Yu brought up his Moon-Toothed Spade, knocking away Roku’s hand with its shaft. Roku lunged again and again. Each time Raiju Yu blocked and parried.

Comet Fox kicked at the three weasels. He swept one off his leg and kicked at the other two. He then lifted onto the air and flew at Raiju Yu. The Weasel King lifted his weapon and spun it as a windmill, knocking away both Roku’s and Comet Fox’s attacks.

The three weasels turned and attacked Roku. They bit at him, climbing his form and where they bit new holes in his form appeared letting out small bits of crimson glowing light and droplets rising off him as if bleeding into the sky.

Roku ceased his attacks on Raiju Yu and swept his ulus down his form, knocking away the rabid, hungry weasels. As quickly as they dropped to the ground they were once more on Roku, eating away at his darkness.

Comet Fox thrust and lunged. He switched from Capoeira to Drunken Style, staggering and falling. This confused the Weasel King and he backed away to consider his foe, but Comet Fox was soon on him, stumbling as if not in control of his body and falling into Raiju Yu. The fox-god quickly, quietly slipped his ulus into the chest of Raiju Yu.

The Weasel King gasped, crying out more in horror at the successful ruse than at the pain, and backed away, using his Moon-Toothed Spade to push Comet Fox away so harshly the fox-god fell to the ground.

The weasels looked to their master, saw him hurt and abandoned their assault on Roku to attack instead the fallen Comet Fox. They were on him instantly, biting and chewing through his fur and flesh. Comet Fox yelped in pain and lifted into the air to hover over the plain before knocking the weasels free.

The weasels fell to the plain and ran to the side of their master to assure his safety.

Comet Fox descended back to the side of Roku, saying, “Mayhaps we should first kill the weasels so we may then attack their master in full concentrated effort.”

Roku nodded in agreement. They attacked.

Roku ran towards the Weasel King. The three weasels leapt into action, countering Roku’s attacks with their own.

Comet Fox came around from behind Roku and with his foot stomped on the head of Kama as the other two climbed onto Roku. He ground his pawed foot down, stomping on the neck of the weasel. Kama squealed in pain, but he did not die. Seeing this, Comet Fox then placed his ulus within his sash and reached down, grabbing up the weasel and held it fast. He looked to Raiju Yu as he slowly twisted the Kama’s neck, breaking it, the sound of cracking bone echoing between them.

As Comet Fox let Kama’s dead body fall, Raiju Yu smiled at him. The Weasel King gave a small cry, a chittering, chattering form of talk and from the mountains, down the foothills and onto the plain came a new weasel to replace Kama. It first drew to the side of Raiju Yu before turning to attack Comet Fox.

Roku used his ulus and stabbed at the weasels on him. They fell and where they landed he bent and stabbed them, slicing them each in two.

With more chitterings and chatterings from Raiju Yu, two more weasels came from the mountains and joined the fight.

Comet Fox and Roku bit, sliced, stomped and strangled weasel after weasel. With every dead weasel came a new one from the mountains.

Raiju Yu cackled wildly. He said, “You cannot kill all the weasels in the world!”

Comet Fox sighed. As he brushed off a new weasel he said to Roku, “I fear he may be right. Perhaps my plan of action was not fully correct. This Gifted One obviously commands the weasels and can call as many as he needs to his side, fortunately always in threes. If we do the same, yet this time concentrate all our efforts on the Gifted One instead of the weasel, mayhaps his demise will end the oncoming weasel horde.”

Roku once more nodded in agreement.

Comet Fox flew at Raiju Yu while.

Roku ran at their foe, ignoring the weasels biting at his chest, arms, legs and face. More and more, with every bite, new crimson holes appeared on Roku’s body. While it pained him greatly and he desired to free himself of them, he instead attacked the Weasel King.

Raiju Yu brought up his Moon-Toothed Spade and knocked away Comet Fox’s ulus.

Roku rounded the Weasel King and together with his old master, attacked the Weasel King from both sides.

Comet Fox speared out his ulus.

Roku ducked the Moon-Toothed Spade and extended out his arm, the ulu in his hand biting the air and hungering for Raiju Yu’s flesh.

Raiju Yu defended, his spade reaching out first left, then right. The crescent-shaped blade bit into Comet Fox, his blood spilling onto his fur as he yelped. The spade then bit into Roku’s form, a new gash opening on his darkness in a streak of flying crimson.

At last Comet Fox put away on of his ulus and grabbed the spade by the shaft. Raiju Yu smiled, working the spade so as to flip Comet Fox around and send him falling to the ground.

Comet Fox landed hard onto the plain, yet he did not let go of the spade. Instead, he held it fast, looked up at the Weasel King and smiled.

Raiju Yu wondered at him, at the fox-god’s smile. He then realized his weapon was held fast and he was therefore unable to defend with it. His head turned, his eyes wide, in time to see and feel Roku rush at him with both ulus. Roku slid one of his weapons up into the Weasel King’s armpit, the other sinking into his chest.

Roku placed all his ghostly weight onto his left arm with the hand holding the ulu in Raiju Yu’s chest. The ulu slid sideways and down, slicing open the chest and gut of the Weasel King.

Raiju Yu gasped. He gurgled. Blood filled his mouth and spilled down his chin as it spilled also down his gut and waist. His head turned as his eyes went from Roku to Comet Fox. He tried to call, command his weasels. They stood instead, still latched onto Roku and no longer biting, staring at their dying master.

Roku pulled free his ulus.

Comet Fox let got the Moon-Toothed Spade.

Raiju Yu fell.

The weasels jumped from Roku and ran for the hills, up and over the mountains, leaving the Plain of Adoration far behind.

Roku’s ulus disappeared. He bent low and offered his old master a hand. Comet Fox accepted and, with Roku’s help, stood. Together they sighed. Together they breathed deep and accounted for their wounds. When they each saw the other would survive, they each produced their ulus and, together, returned to battle.

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CHAPTER 2

Angolas had broken from the side of his fellow Warriors and instead fought at the side of his former liege and commander, King Aniabas and General Vitor. They fought, the three of them, side-by-side as one until they came before the commander of the Bone Warrior army: Sinverguenza.

“Give up your forces now,” called King Aniabas to Yaska Selith’s second. “We will let you live.”

Sinverguenza cowered. He was not much of a fighter, he knew, but was surrounded by the best of the Bone Warriors, many former mercenaries and soldiers from other parts of the world. He looked skyward and found the giant Yaska Selith there. He felt comforted standing within the demon-dog’s shadow and looked to Aniabas, calling out, “Bring all you can! Your best will not be good enough!”

King Aniabas the Ugly, Vitor the Loyal and Angolas the Soldier charged at Sinverguenza and the Bone Warriors. Weapons flashed, dancing off one another. Angolas whipped out his arms and from them extended his massive boulder weapons chained to his wrists. He swiveled his shoulders, lifting the boulders into the air and bringing them down, heavily crashing into the heads of two Bone Warriors, crushing them completely beneath the incredible weight. He swung the boulders about, knocking his enemies aside and killing others.

Aniabas charged through the Bone Warriors to the side of Sinverguenza. He lifted his sword high and attacked. Sinverguenza backed away nervously and two Bone Warriors stepped between their commander and the king. Aniabas lunged at the Bone Warriors, thrusting and parrying their attacks.

Vitor’s blade sank into the chest of a Bone Warrior just below his leather chest plate adorned with bits and pieces of bone. The blade drank deeply from the enemy as Vitor worked the sword, turning it sideways to wreak severe damage inside the Bone Warrior. He pulled free the sword and the Bone Warrior fell. He turned and attacked another.

Angolas crushed three Bone Warriors at once and was suddenly at the side of Sinverguenza who, looking to Angolas, thought he recognized the black and crimson ghost.

King Aniabas slashed widely, the tip of his sword biting deeply into both the Bone Warriors before him. The two foes fell and Aniabas was once more standing before Sinverguenza.

Vitor stabbed the last three Bone Warriors at their commander’s side, each after the other. He then drew to the side of his liege Aniabas.

Sinverguenza shook nervously. Once more he looked to Yaska Selith, wishing the demon-dog’s interference. At last he felt his death, though he did not want to die, may not be well placed in the service of such a creature. He eyed Aniabas.

The king ran forward, his general at his side. Together their swords sank into the gut of Sinverguenza below the ribs. Together they twisted their blades. Together they pulled free their swords and stepped backwards, looking to their ghostly fellow soldier.

Angolas twisted his shoulders. One of the boulders lifted into the air, crashing down on Sinverguenza who stood watching his gut bleed.

The boulder broke every bone in Sinverguenza’s body. The body disappeared beneath the weight and girth of the boulder. Only the trickling, spattering, squirting blood that came from under it gave any sign that once a man had stood there.

Word spread of Sinverguenza’s death spread quickly through the battle. Many Bone Warriors broke and ran from the plain.

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CHAPTER 3

Xiao-tep broke through the cloud layer, pulling level with the catfish Fei Li Mi. The two fish hovered in the air, amidst a mass of cloud cover, staring at one another.

Fei Li Mi worked his guandao in his fin.

Xiao-tep repositioned his hand on the Spear of Sorrow.

“Come to our side,” lured Fei Li Mi. “The power of Yaska Selith is comforting. It fills one with purpose, with place.”

At this Xiao-tep thought of Taliesin, of the rolling fields and garden, of Oti and Aglina and Zingtai. He answered Fei Li Mi, “I have such a place, such a purpose in my life. I need no demon-dog to fill me with purpose.”

“Mayhaps,” said Fei Li Mi, “but the strength of the demon-dog is felt worldwide. We do something here that affects lives everywhere, if at least indirectly. You cannot argue the importance of Yaska Selith.”

Xiao-tep nodded, mockingly agreeing by saying, “You are correct. I cannot argue with the importance of ridding the world of his presence.”

“Bah!” spat Fei Li Mi.

“Demons belong in the Many Hells,” said Xiao-tep.

Fei Li Mi felt the argument moot. He shifted to another matter plaguing his thoughts, “Are there many like us?”

Xiao-tep shook his head. “Not that I know of. I must confess I did not know of you until we met over the plain a day ago.”

“You said you were a god?”

Xiao-tep nodded. “I am son to Hapi the River God and Lei-zu the Thunder Goddess.”

Fei Li Mi’s jealousy welled. He said, “I am no son of gods. I was made by a mad alchemist bent on making Gifted Ones. The very alchemist that made me made Balori Shongoyo. As I was once a mere catfish, so too was Balori once an elephant. We did not choose this life, it was brought onto us.”

“I could say that very thing,” said Xiao-tep, thinking of the father that hated him.

“You know nothing, fish-god!”

Xiao-tep gave no answer. Instead, he asked, “Why are you here, Fei Li Mi?”

“I came seeking the Jewel of Zingtai, much as Balori does. I may yet grab it for my own, yet,” Fei Li Mi’s eyes gazed down through the clouds and thought of Yaska Selith sitting upon the plain, “I have found a home here.”

“Leave it,” said Xiao-tep. “Leave the demon-dog’s side. He will lose this battle and be destroyed. Help Balori instead return the jewel to Zingtai.”

Fei Li Mi considered the matter once more. He then wondered at the response of the Eternal Empress to such a union. He refused to share the glory with Balori and told Xiao-tep as much.

“Then you will fall with the demon-dog,” said Xiao-tep. He brought the Spear of Sorrows level, pointing its blades at Fei Li Mi.

Fei Li Mi’s eyes narrowed in anger. He said, “Come, fish-god. Let my guandao taste the blood of a god.”

The two fish flew at one another. Spear and guandao locked, slapping against one another. Each blade slid across the other and from it fell great sparks that fell to the ground far below. The clouds filled with the thunderous roar of their fight, shaking the very grounds far below. To this day it is said when one hears the thunder of a coming storm and witnesses lightning flashing across the skies, it is Xiao-tep the Ankh-fish and Fei Li Mi the Protector perpetually locked in battle.

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CHAPTER 4

Akadia Dorn swung his large stone war hammer with such force it knocked the head off the shoulder of a Bone Warrior. At his side fought Macia Thrace and Shabar. The three dug deeper into the plain, fighting constantly, never given ground.

A sudden surge of Bone Warriors stalled their progress. Their back to one another, they defended themselves from every side. They had been cut off from the main part of their fellow force.

Akadia said, “Let’s send them to the Many Hells!” and charged, working his hammer left and right, taking wound after wound to his body.

Macia dove into the fray and was cut repeatedly by a Bone Warrior and his masterful skill with a short sword.

Shabar, having been trained long ago to protect the Eternal Empress but never having been proven in battle, took his first life, blooding himself.

Macia backed away from the Bone Warrior with the short sword. This opened the side of Shabar, leaving him exposed to a flank attack. Macia did not read this and was much too late to block the swift sword of the Bone Warrior as his sword flicked out sideways and down. The short blade cut into and through Shabar’s leg below the knee.

Shabar lost his balance as his left leg fell away from him. He fell backwards to the ground.

Macia lunged out, the short swordsman now open to attack, and killed him.

The Bone Warriors, smelling the blood of Shabar, hearing him scream in pain at the horror of his lost leg, crushed in on them.

Macia looked down to Shabar. He commanded his friend, “Get off this plain! They’ll kill you!”

Shabar, hearing the words of his friend, rolled onto his belly and crawled between legs, blocking and dodging weapon attacks the best he could.

Akadia and Macia together screamed in a loud, awful battle cry. Their screams distracted the Bone Warriors and gave Shabar time to crawl away, off the plain and into the awaiting arms of those few loyal servants to Aniabas who could not fight and chose instead to remain behind near the kingdom to heal the wounded.

As the servants picked him up, Shabar eyed his friends. He watched, as he was being swiftly carried away, as a Bone Warrior closed on Macia and slipped his sword up into Macia’s gut. The blade ascended inside Macia, cutting through heart and lungs until the tip of the sword came out at last to protrude through the back of Macia’s neck.

Shabar watched as Akadia hammered one Bone Warrior after another, yet found himself suddenly alone and vastly outnumbered. The Bone Warriors, lusting for the blood of their enemies, descended upon him. They beat and battered and stabbed at him, but Akadia did not fall. He hammered two more Bone Warriors, crushing their skulls, before he was beaten and battered and stabbed again. The Bone Warriors fought with one another to get closer to him, to hit and slice at Akadia, but Akadia stood his ground for a time longer than most men could not. At last, minutes later, after Shabar had been taken far from the sight of the battlefield, Akadia took his last breath and fell.

With the deaths of these two mortal men, though the Bone Warriors had lost many of their numbers and some key figures, the battle shifted once more in their favor.

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CHAPTER 5

Fei Li Mi flew at Xiao-tep, his guandao extended and circling the Spear of Sorrows.

Xiao-tep knocked Fei Li Mi’s weapon aside, spinning to bring his spear high into the air before bringing it down to slice through the cloud beneath him, then up once more to knock away the guandao.

Fei Li Mi’s barbs wavered on the air as he lunged at Xiao-tep.

Xiao-tep’s long fins flowed noiselessly as he flew at Fei Li Mi.

Thei weapons clashed and sent sparks to the plain below. Together the two fish spun, attacked, defended, working the clouds into roiling fervor about them.

Fei Li Mi threw out his guandao, catching it at its very base.

Xiao-tep swam through the air sideways, bending his body to dodge around the oncoming guandao and, with his spear, slapped at the offending weapon.

Fei Li Mi swung the guandao down and around, bringing its blade screaming down atop Xiao-tep.

Xiao-tep lifted the Spear of Sorrows up, placing it over his head and blocked the attack. He then flipped backwards, knocking the guandao away by the shaft with his tail.

Fei Li Mi backed away.

Xiao-tep pressed the fight.

The Spear of Sorrows lunged at Fei Li Mi, Xiao-tep extending out his arm and shifting his weight forward.

Fei Li Mi backed away.

Xiao-tep attacked in the same manner.

Fei Li Mi studied the attack, feigning a gasp of surprise as he back away.

Xiao-tep, having believed the feint, lunged a third time.

Fei Li Mi smiled. he shifted his body to curve around the blades of Xiao-tep’s spear then, with his body rubbing harmlessly against the shaft of the spear, spun twirling his guandao and bringing its blade down at Xiao-tep.

Xiao-tep gasped a real gasp as the guandao’s blade slid past his spear, through his defenses and sliced open a part of his chest and gut, taking with it many scales that fell away, slowly floating on the wind and into the foothills and mountains bordering the plain.

Blood spattered from Xiao-tep. His eyes widened in horror. He arched backwards and as the skies overhead grew silent, as those fighting on the plain noticed the end of Xiao-tep’s and Fei Li Mi’s fight with the following silence, they witnessed the long, beautiful butterfly koi known as Xiao-tep the Ankh-fish of 100,000 Sorrows and beauty fell from the sky.

Xiao-tep landed hard on the ground near the foothills. Nearby, his friends Gogi, Szu Ri and Twila watched him.

Gogi eyed the fallen Xiao-tep,saw his chest heave with labored breath, and said, “He’s alive! Though badly wounded. We must help him!”

And without thought Gogi leapt from the grass in which he was hiding and went to Xiao-tep’s side with Szu Ri and Twila following.

Amongst the many that had witnessed Xiao-tep’s fall was his half-sister, the demi-goddess Wu Chan Chu. With a leap, then another, she left the depths of the battlefield and land at the side of her brother. She lowered herself to him and said, “Brother, are you alive?”

Xiao-tep moaned.

Wu Chan Chu eyed the cut.

Gogi crawled up on Xiao-tep’s side and examined the wound, as well. He said, “It’s not too deep, but long. Szu RI and I can heal it, but not quickly.” He looked to Wu Chan Chu. “We must find turmeric. It grows wildly. There must be some on this plain.”

“There’s some over there!” said Szu Ri as she spied some of the plant growing at he base of a nearby hill.

Gogi looked then looked at Wu Chan Chu. “We have to quickly grab some and polace it on the wound, but it is much to large for Szu Ri and I to do alone.”

Wu Chan Chu understood and said, “I will help.”

With a single jump Wu Chan Chu was at the hill and picking the turmeric. With another jump she was back at Xiao-tep’s side and following Gogi’s instructions. Szu Ri followed along behind the fast working frog demi-goddess’ hands, patting the turmeric down into the wound where Wu Chan Chu’s large fingers could not go.

Twila moved to Xiao-tep’s head, speaking softly to him with loving words. “We miss you Xiao-tep. How brave you and your friends are. Please stay with us. Your sister is here and she’s helping Gogi and Szu Ri heal you. Please, oh please do not die.”

Gogi then thought alound, “Can a god truly die?”

Wu Chan Chu, without pausing in her work at placing the turmeric upon the wound, answered, “Yes, at the hands of a Gifted One or another god.”

Gogi worked quickly, following Szu RI’s example and patting down the healing herb where Wu Chan Chu could not.

“Please,” said Twila, her small head rubbing against Xiao-tep’s temple, “Please do not die, Xiao-tep.”

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CHAPTER 6

Momoki crawled and climbed his way to the very top of the demon-dog without notice. He came up the back of Yaska Selith’s head until he was clutching the thin hair above the third eye. He examined the eye, now tightly closed. He thought his finger wide enough to slip into the socket, so he forced in a finger and felt around.

Yaska Selith felt this and tried to look atop his head. He could not, so he raised a clawed hand up and felt.

Momoki saw the hand coming and ran to hang off the back of the demon-dog’s head and avoid being swatted at or found out by him.

When the hand retreated, Momoki once more crawled to a spot above the third eye. His finger plunged into it once more and before Yaska Selith could take action to bring up his hand once more, found his finger simply was not long enough to reach deep into the socket and fetch the Ruby Bug.

Momoki scurried back once more as the demon-dog’s hand came near. Yaska Selith, Momoki could tell, was growing impatient and most likely was now convinced Momoki was there. He took only a brief moment to watch the hand retreat one last time and think out how he could reach into the depths of the third eye.

He then thought of his long, thin pipe and it appeared once more in his hand. Momoki, determined to get the Ruby Bug, crawled back to the front of the demon-dog’s head a last time. He raised the pipe and plunged it deep between the eyelids. He felt immediately, as the pipe sunk halfway into the demon-dog’s head, its mouthpiece strike something hard.

Yaska Selith cried out in pain.

Panicking, Momoki dug around with his pipe, found a side of the jewel, and worked the pipe furiously to dislodge the Ruby Bug.

This time Yaska Selith did not raise a clawed hand to his head, but instead opened his third eye. A great ruby beam of light flowed out from it and as Momoki’s pipe, arm, shoulder and half of his head was disintegrated, he thrust hard with the pipe and the Ruby Bug pulled free from some of the muscle that held it fast deep within Yaska Selith’s head.

The pipe burned up into ash. Momoki’s hand, arm, shoulder and face fizzled and burned away. Yet slowly, slowly, almost immediately, his missing body parts began to grow back.

Yaska Selith forced his third eye open, but the destructive beam did not pour forth. The Ruby Bug had not been removed to destroy Yaska Selith, but it had been dislodged enough to disable his third eye.

Momoki thought this over. Thought he that he could continue to dig into the socket and pull free the Ruby Bug.

Yet Yaska Selith’s leg, not his arm, raised up. Momoki, fearing it another searching hand, scurried to the back of the demon-dog’s head. The pawed foot came up and scratched at the back of Yaska Selith’s head.

Momoki was grabbed by the paw and pushed, thrown out from Yaska Selith fur.

Momoki the Marmoset fell, landing hard on the plain near his friends that now tended to the wounded Xiao-tep.

Balori, having spied Momoki falling from Yaska Selith’s head, flew to his side. Comet Fox and Roku soon joined them, as well, soon followed by Ebi and Zom Loa.

The turmeric took, its healing properties seeping into Xiao-tep until his eyes snapped open and he raised himself slowly off the ground.

Gogi and Szu Ri jumped from his rising body and, with Twila, went to Momoki’s side.

Wu Chan Chu eyed her brother Xiao-tep. “How fare you, brother?”

Xiao-tep eyed the turmeric along his wound. He looked up, “Better now, thanks to your aid.”

“It was not so much I,” said Wu Chan Chu, “as our little friends Gogi and Szu Ri and Twila.”

Xiao-tep flew to their side and thanked them.

Gogi nodded, accepting the thanks.

“It pleases us you are well once more,” said Twila.

“What has happened?” asked Balori of Momoki, unconcerned with Xiao-tep’s wound for he suspected more fighting was to come.

“That third eye of his, the one with the destructive beam, I think it might be the place the Ruby Bug has settled within Pup to make him into Yaska Selith,” explained Momoki.

Ebi nodded at this, understanding the thread of Momoki’s next thoughts. He said, “If he pluck it out?”

Momoki nodded back at Ebi, “We may be able to end the curse of your Pup, the curse of the world and it would destroy his form as Yaska Selith.”

“Then we will pry out that ruby eye!” Balori growled.

Momoki shook his head. “I do not know that you could, Balori. I am far smaller than you and my fingers could not fit into its depths. I had to use my pipe simply to dislodge it. I think it may be enough to rid us of that light, but not to rid us of Yaska Selith.”

Balori raised his axe, saying, “I will chop my way through his skull to retrieve the Ruby Bug.”

“His skull would be thicker than your arm,” said Comet Fox. “It would take us an eternity to cut through that demon-dog’s head.”

Balori growled again, this time in frustration.

Momoki thought of the moment Radiant Gui had charged him with the task of ridding the world of Yaska Selith. He thought that his purpose. He said, “No, if we are to destroy Yaska Selith, it is I who must do it. I have the smallest fingers and my pipe has proven effective in digging out the Ruby Bug.”

“But all the effort you have put forth at this moment,” contested Balori, “you have disabled his destructive light, that I cannot argue, yet here you are swiped from his head as a flea. How many more times must you climb him and be swatted off? How long must we wait for you?”

Balori shook his head. “No, there must be another way.”

“There is no other way,” argued Momoki.

“The only other way is to find someone smaller,” Wu Chan Chu chimed in.

And then the smallest, tiniest voice amongst them spoke up.

“I-I think, perhaps, I-I could fit.”

They all turned to look at little Gogi the Grasshopper as he nervously worked the brim of his hat within his hands.

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The tale wraps up next week with Act VIII! See you then!