|2| Broken Beta {Paul Lahote}

IX

"Eventually, Taha Aki tried to kill his body to save their Tribe from Utlapa's excesses. He brought a fierce wolf for his help down from the mountain, but Utlapa hid behind his warriors. When the wolf killed a young man, who was protectin' the false chief, Taha Aki felt horrible grief. He ordered the wolf all away."

"All the stories tell us that it was not an easy thing to be a spirit warrior. It was much more frightening, than as a lot of them claimed, exhilarating to be freed from one's body. This is why the spirit warriors, they only used their tribal magic in the times of need. The chief's solitary journey, to keep watch were a burden, and an sacrifice. Being bodiless was all of these words, all of them, disorientating, uncomfortable, horrifying. Taha Aki, had been away from his body for so long at this point that he was in agony. He felt he was doomed-- never to cross over to their final land where his ancestors waited for him, stuck in this torturous nothin' forever."

"The great wolf had followed Taha Aki's spirit as he twisted and writhed through the woods in agony. The wolf was very large for its kind, and, it was very beautiful. Taha Aki was suddenly jealous of the dumb animal. At least, it had a body. At least, it had a life. Even,  life as an animal would be better than this horrible empty consciousness."

"And then Taha Aki had the idea that changed us all now for the great good of our tribe. He asked the great wolf if there was room for them to share. The wolf complied. Taha Aki entered their wolf's body with relief and gratitude."

"It was far from his first body, it was not his human body, but it was better than the void of the spirit world."

"As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor of the tribe. The people ran in fear of the wolf, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran, to meet their enemy the wolf with their spears. But, it was Utlapa of course, who stayed all too safely hidden."

"Taha Aki did not attack his warriors at the time. He retreated, very slowly from them, speakin' with his eyes and trying painstakingly, to yelp the songs of his people. The warriors, they had a sudden realization, begun now, to see that the wolf was no ordinary animal, that there was a spirit influencing the wolf. One older warrior a man named Yut, decided to disobey the false chief, and his order and try to communicate with the wolf."

"As soon as Yut crossed to the spirit world, Taha Aki left the wolf, as the animal waited tamely for his return to speak to him. Yut gathered the truth in an instant, and welcomed his true chief home."

"At this time, Utlapa came to see if the wolf had been defeated. When he saw Yut lyin' lifeless on the ground, and he was completely surrounded by a good many protective warriors, he realized what was happening. He drew from a belt, his knife and raced forward to kill Yut before he could fully return to his body."

"Yut jumped back into his body, but Utlapa had a knife to his throat and a hand over his mouth. Taha Aki's body was strong, and Yut was weak with an age. Yut could not say even one word to warn the others, before Utlapa had silenced him forever."

"Taha Aki watched as Yut's spirit slipped away to the final lands that were barred to Taha Aki for all of the eternity. He felt a great rage, all more powerful than anything, that he'd felt before. He entered the big wolf again, meaning to rip Utlapa's throat out. But as he joined the wolf, the greatest our magic happened."

"Taha Aki's anger was the anger of a man. The love he had for his people as well as the hatred he had for the Tribe man who oppress them, were far too vast for the wolf's body, too human. It was then that the wolf shuddered and before the eyes, of the shock warriors, and Utlapa, transformed into a man."