|2| Broken Beta {Paul Lahote}

VIII

"Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki's strongest spirit warriors-- a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He was of the thoughts, and the greatly mind, that they would be better of if they do use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and their Makahs at once, and build an empire. Now, we know that when the spirit warriors in this time, were their spirit selves, they knew each other's thoughts." Billy, his tone had changed, while, Juliana said nothing, as she knew that she was the sole exceptions, to that particular rule and again, as with most things to do at pertains to her as the red wolf, there's a whole lot of things that they don't at all, have a clue about.

"Taha Aki, he saw soon what it was that Utlapa dreamed, and was angry with Utlapa. Utlapa was commanded to leave the people, and, to never use his spirit self again. Utlapa was a very strong man, but the chief's warriors, a lot, they outnumbered him. He had no real choice but to leave. He, a furious, and quite rather deadly outcast, hid in the forest nearby, waitin' for a chance to get revenge against the chief."

"Even in times of peace, the Spirit Chief was vigilant in protecting his people. Often, he would go to a sacred and secret place in the mountains. He, would leave his body behind and he'd sweep down through the forests and a along the coast, making sure no threat approached."

"One day when Taha Aki left to perform this duty, Utlapa followed. At first, Utlapa simply planned to kill the chief, but this plan had its drawbacks, for certain. Surely, it would be their very tribe and their strong, very much strong spirit warriors could and very likely would seek to destroy him, and they could all follow faster, than he'd be able to escape. As he hid inside the rocks, and watched the chief, prepare to leave his body, another plan occurs to him."

"Taha Aki left his body behind in the secret place as he flew with the winds to keep watch over his proper. Utlapa, he waited until he was sure, that their chief had traveled some distance with his spirit self."

"Taha Aki knew it the instant that Utlapa had joined him in the spirit world, and of course, he also knew of Utlapa's murderous plan. He raced off and back to the hidden place but even the winds, weren't fast enough to save him. When he returned to that sacred place, his body was already gone. In it place, Utlapa's body lay dead, Utlapa's throat having been cut open, by Taha Aki's body, but it was Utlapa who had done it."

"Taha Aki followed his body all of the ways down the mountain. He screams at Utlapa, but Utlapa only ignores him now, as if he were mere wind."

"Taha Aki watched with despair as Utlapa took his place as the chief of the Quileutes. For a few weeks, Utlapa did absolutely nothing but make sure that everyone believes that he was the great chief, Taha Aki. Then the change began-- Utlapa's first edicts was to ban or forbid in his words, any warriors to enter the spirit world. He claimed that he'd had a vision of danger, but really, he was afraid. He knew that Taha Aki, would be waitin' for the chance to tell his story. Utlapa was also afraid to just enter the spirit world himself, knowin that Taha Aki could, would quickly all of him, claim his body."

"So his dreams of conquest with a spirit warrior army were impossible now, so he sought to content himself with ruling over the tribe. He became a burden-- seekin' privileges that Taha Aki had never requested of them all. I mean such as, refusing to work on his own land alongside his warriors now, taking a young second wife, and then a third, though Taha Aki's wife, she still lived on-- something unheard of in the tribe. Taha Aki watched in any sort of helpless fury."