The Account of the Brides

AN ACCOUNT OF DEFEATING EVIL

Bec didn’t want to know who or what it was that was moving the orb. She and the other girls stared at it, too frightened to move. Then Bichon ran up to it and grabbed a candle.

“What are you doing!?” Bec cried. “Be careful.”

But Bichon leaned forward and set fire to the board. What happened next, none of them were really sure. Kiki hid her eyes and heard a scream like nothing she had ever heard before. A piercing scream beyond any a human could make. Bec watched as smoke as black as tar issued from it and thought she saw a mouth form, creating the screams. Friju turned away and gasped as the statue of bronze started to melt right in front of her into a puddle on the floor.

“Let me go!” Piku started to cry. “Let me go! Jundon! Help me Great Spirit! Great Spirit!”

Piku was starting to struggle on the table, so Bichon ran and pulled her away from it. He passed her to Friju, who took her in her arms.

“Piku!” Friju cried. “Oh Piku!”

“Oh Jundon!” Piku wept. “I’m so sorry! It was calling me and I followed it. I didn’t know…it was the same one…that tried to hurt you.”

Friju wasn’t sure why Piku was calling for Jundon. But Bec took her arm and also Kiki’s.

“We’d better get out of here,” she said. “I don’t think he’s done yet.”

Bichon was advancing on another table that the orb had rolled under. The girls got out of the room just as they heard it shatter against the wall. The sound of more things being broken and burned issued from the room as they ran to their cabin. They closed the door just as they heard the sound of Grumans rushing to their shrine.

“What will they do to him?” Kiki whispered.

“I don’t know,” Friju cried, gripping Piku. “I don’t know.”

“It’s all my fault,” Piku whimpered. “It’s all my fault.”

“Don’t worry about that now,” said Bec. “He’s bigger than any of them.”

Kiki bit her lip and went to the door.
“I’m going to find out what’s going on. Stay here with her.”

“But Kiki…” Friju started.

“Stay here,” Kiki said. “If I have to speak for him again, I will.”

Kiki peeked out of their cabin and saw the Grumans dragging Bichon back to the main deck. She crept along behind them and peeked up around the stairs.

“He must be thrown overboard!” said the Gruman priests. “He destroyed our shrine to the god of the wind!”

“He broke the holy artifacts! He must die!”

The captain growled and turned to Bichon.

“What have you to say for yourself!?”

Kiki was ready.

“If your god is so powerful, let him punish me for destroying his shrine.”

Kiki was surprised how well she was able to say this. Her voice had been much deeper and stronger and her use of Gruman far more fluent. And the captain was giving a laugh.

“So be it then. Our god will punish you in a most severe way!”

Kiki hurried back to the room and shut the door.

“What happened?” Friju asked, still holding on to Piku.

“He’ll be fine,” Kiki panted. “He told the Grumans that if their god is so powerful, he should be able to punish him himself. They aren’t going to do anything.”

Friju gasped as Bec blinked.

“What made you think of that?”

“I…I didn’t,” Kiki said. “I prayed for words…then I said them. But it was more like…like the Great Spirit speaking…and using my voice to do it.”

“You can’t say anyone will blame you for that,” Friju said.

“I know,” Kiki smiled. “I don’t think anyone will.”

There was a knock on the door and Kiki let the large man in. He smiled and held out his hands to Piku, who was still shaking in Friju’s arms.

“It’s okay little one,” said Friju. “I think he forgives you.”

Piku cried as Bichon picked her up.

“Oh Mister Giant. It’s all my fault! They mighta hurt you Mister Giant.”

Bichon held her close and patted her on the back. The little girl cried and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Oh Mister Giant,” Piku cried. “I knew you didn’t want me to go in there. I shoulda listened. I’ll never disobey you or anybody else again.”

Bichon kissed her forehead and put her into bed. Piku still whimpered as Friju blinked.

“But why were you crying…for Jundon?”

“Because…I could see him,” Piku sniffed. “He was saying…that the Grumans almost killed him…the same way. He said I had to get away from it…and call out to the Great Spirit so He would save me.”

Piku sighed as she closed her eyes.

“Oh Jundon…I’m so sorry. I love you…Jundon.”