Spirit Animals: The Keeper's Book

Chapter Six: The Badger & The Jackal

By the next day, Jenna could be seen pacing back and forth in her room. Her thoughts and questions went through her mind as she paced. Laid down on her dog bed was Destiny, who was watching her bonded partner with curiosity and concern.
With a weary sigh, Jenna sat down on a cushion near her lute while holding onto it and gazed at Destiny. "Can you help me make a decision girl?"
The red wolf walked towards her and sat down in front of Jenna. They sometimes did this whenever Jenna gets overwhelmed with her decisions, so Destiny helped her rein in her anxiety and choice her decisions.
(The video will play her song).

Feeling a little anxious, she began to play. As she played the lute, it had let out beautiful and relaxing melodies as she continued playing it. But after a few minutes, Jenna began to feel something else. A wide-open peace. Jenna knew that emotion was coming from Destiny. This was part of the red wolf's power too. Her peace has calmed her racing heart.
A very strange thing happened then. Jenna imagined she was surrounded by small, floating planets. Smaller moons circled some of them. She knew that these planets were her choices. As the lute sang in the background, Jenna realized that the closest little sphere represented the path to stay at Greenhaven Castle. It was certainly the closest option, but it was also the smallest. And there were no other moon-choices floating around it. If she stays here, it was easy to see that it left her with nowhere else to go.
Destiny's power kept pushing at Jenna. She glimpsed the orb that represented the choice of helping Worthy search for his missing friend in underground tunnels. It was a troubled, stormy planet, but it was surrounded by even more. It wouldn't be an easy choice, but it had more possibilities close by.
Jenna stopped playing all at once. The mysterious orbs vanished. Destiny blinked at her. The two of them both locked eyes. Jenna's decision have been made.

Waiting by the docks was Worthy, he wasn't sure if Jenna was going to join him or not. With a sigh, he sat down on one of the boxes and curled up on himself. He's started to feel the heavy weight of the survivor's guilt when he unintentionally left Talon behind in the tunnels. It's not just the survivor's guilt eating in his heart, Worthy also felt guilty for attacking his beloved crush during the Second Devourer War when she was suffering from her amnesia.
That's when an achingly familiar voice broke through his guilt. "What are you waiting around for Worthy?" He looked up to see Jenna watching him with a bright smile and was carrying her pack, and her red wolf was gazing up at him.
She offered her hand to him, Worthy hesitantly took her hand and gotten up from his seat. "I've thought about it for a while. And I made up my mind." Worthy felt a turmoil of emotions going through him. "I'll come with you." He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "But where are we heading?"
"To Nilo," replied Worthy.

Once they both arrived to the jungles of Nilo, Worthy led Jenna to the secret underground tunnels that were underneath a temple. She gave a startled flinch at the sight of the underground tunnels. She was waiting for Worthy to return from his scouting. Jenna perked up when she heard Worthy's almost feline footsteps and Destiny followed her gaze, alert and curious.
"I scouted ahead," Worthy told Jenna. "An infected animal is blocking the path into the caves. You'll need to free it for us to proceed."
They walked through the tunnels below the world, casting a train of eerie silhouettes, all stretched out and flickering against the cave walls. Jenna tried to focus on her companions instead of their monstrous shadows, but she couldn't stop her eyes from wandering to the rock walls, where their distorted versions twisted and hovered. Worthy's shadow was also in a spindly form while Destiny's shadow spread in the tunnel.
Jenna swallowed and closed her eyes, trying to separate what was real from what was fear and anxiety. She has rough memories of her past, especially when she was exploring the underground tunnel. But that's when a voice had broke through her and snapped her back to her senses.
"Keeper." The mentioned girl slowed down in her steps and lowered her head slightly to listen to Worthy as Destiny walked alongside Jenna and the Keeper's hand stroked her fur. "You're awfully quiet. Are you okay?"
At first, she didn't say anything and her expression was very hard to read. But she finally found the courage to reveal her fear to him. The girl's eyes rested on the underground world and seemed to be reflecting off of it, as if she was seeing the history happening in the midst of the earth. "Sorry. I'm a little claustrophobic."
Worthy smiled at her gently and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Everyone's afraid of something." She smiled softly at him, which caused his heart to skip a beat.
But at that moment, the two of them had entered a giant cave that had four ancient pillars in the shape of a square. Jenna frowned when she saw a giant badger crawling in what seemed to be an abandoned courtyard. She spotted a disturbing gray spiral on the giant badger's forehead. Jenna noticed that Destiny started growling and Worthy became tensed at the sight of the beast.
Jenna caught Destiny's eye and they both exchanged a knowing glance. With a slight nod, the two partners both ran towards the infected badger together. That's when a fierce battle has begun between the bonded partners and the infected badger. The infected badger against the young Keeper, the badge is enforced by the spiral while the other is bonded by Nectar. The badger was a sturdy opponent, but so was Jenna and Destiny. Her weapon clashed against the infected badger, powers against power and enemy against enemy. Destiny's agility and strength is a strong match against the infected badger's abilities. Jenna had used her skills and powers to get out of trouble more than once from badger's attempted attacks at her and Destiny. After a few more hits, there was a white flash and it turned back into an ordinary badger. Everyone watched as the badger scurried off. Apparently, it's just like the battles she and Destiny had in Second Devourer War.
"Incredible..." Jenna and Destiny both turned to look at Worthy, his voice in awe. "What the Greencloaks say about you is true. That power to free animals is amazing." Jenna smiled warmly, but the three of them soon found some red dye plants near them. "What's this? Some kind of dye..." Worthy bent down and carefully picked it up, eyeing it with wary curiosity. "You could use this to change the color of your equipment."
"That might come in handy," admitted Jenna, eyeing the dye curiously.
"This is unlike anything on the surface of Erdas." Worthy observed it with wary curiosity. "We may find more dyes here."
"Aye, we might." She soon gazed at the entrance of a new tunnel that was across from them. "But we have to keep going."
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Jenna gave a startled flinch at the sight of the glowing crystals. She was waiting for Worthy to return from his scouting. Jenna perked up when she heard Worthy's almost feline footsteps and Destiny followed her gaze, alert and curious. Though, he sounded rushed and worried.
"Worthy?" Jenna stood up with Destiny. "What's wrong?"
"There's another monstrous animal up ahead," explained Worthy, sadness and guilt(?) filled his voice. "Please, help it. Something is making it act this way."
Jenna nodded to him knowingly. "On it."
They walked through the tunnels below the world, casting a train of eerie silhouettes, all stretched out and flickering against the cave walls. Jenna tried to focus on her companions instead of their monstrous shadows, but she couldn't stop her eyes from wandering to the rock walls, where their distorted versions twisted and hovered. Worthy's shadow was also in a spindly form while Destiny's shadow spread in the tunnel.
But at that moment, the two of them had entered a giant cave that had four ancient pillars in the shape of a square. Jenna frowned when she saw a big jackal walking in an abandoned courtyard. She spotted a disturbing gray spiral on the giant jackal's forehead. Jenna noticed that Destiny started growling and Worthy became tensed at the sight of the beast.
Jenna caught Destiny's eye and they both exchanged a knowing look. With a slight nod, the two partners both ran towards the infected jackal together. That's when a fierce battle has begun between the bonded partners and the infected jackal. The infected jackal against the young Keeper, the jackal is enforced by the spiral while the other is bonded by Nectar. The jackal was a strong opponent, but so was Jenna and Destiny. Her weapon clashed against the infected bagger, powers against power and enemy against enemy. Destiny's agility and strength is a strong match against the infected jackal's abilities. Jenna had used her skills and powers to get out of trouble more than once from jackal's attempted attacks at her and Destiny. After a few more hits, there was a white flash and it turned back into an ordinary jackal. Everyone watched as the jackal whimpered and ran off.
"Well fought, Keeper," said Worthy. "I'm grateful that you decided to join me."
Jenna nodded. But she was burning with curiosity as she gazed at him. Why was he wearing a mask? To hide his identity? But why is he hiding his identity? Was he being hunted or something like that? "Worthy, why are you wearing a mask?"
Worthy seemed nervous about her curious question regarding his mask. "My mask? I'm... Sorry, but I can't take it off."
"Really?" Jenna gazed at him in curiosity and confusion. "Why? Don't you trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you," said Worthy quickly. "I wear the mask for a reason." He looked down from her eyes and met hers yet again, but more hesitantly and sadly(?). "That's all I can say for now."
Jenna and Destiny both uncertain about their situation, but determined to face it. They soon walked towards the entrance of a new tunnel that was in front of them.