Rangi

 

Rangi

 

As Jack and Joel started to eat (not very tidily), the chief began to tell a tale.

 

“He says that many years ago, before time itself was even recorded and not long after the story of the gods took place, the first Maori cam to Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud, the land was first split up between the tribes, with the gods controlling it.  There was a dispute between the great Tane Mahuta and his brother, which turned into a great battle, which included humans.  But as Tane Mahuta seemed to have lost the battle, he suddenly found strength and cursed them to live forever, to never rest, eat or drink.  To this very day, they still hate my great grandfather.” 

“He’s related to a god?” Jack was speechless.

 “I guess so,” replied Joel.

 

As the feast continued, Joel and Jack grew tired and retired early to a soft grassy bed.  As Jack fell asleep next to the drooling Joel, he saw the shadows of a man waving his arms about.

 

When Jack woke up, he fell particularly feathery.  He turned to wake Joel up and all he saw was a great bird fast asleep. As he looked closer, he realized that this bird was half boy and as he took in the broken glasses lying next to its head, he understood it was Joel.

 

“Joel, Joel!” he shook him awake. 

“What?  What?” Joel blinked. 

“Ahh! Get away from me!  Bird brain!” he screamed.

“Shut up!  It’s me!” Jack said. “Look at yourself!” 

“We’re birds!” Joel screamed again. 

“Come on!  Before anyone tries to hunt us,” Jack whispered.  “Do you think those people that Tane Mahuta cursed captured Matthew?”

 “I don’t know, but it’s a start.” Jack looked at the sun rising, warming the small village as they walked out awkwardly with the extra weight of the wings. 

 

Suddenly, the chief walked out from the lush bush and said something.  “He says ‘He whom learns the ways of Rangi shall be greatness,” Joel translated. 

“Who is Rangi?” 

“God of the skies,” Joel said. 

“Skies…” Jack looked up.  “We can fly!  Come on, let’s go!”

 

They came to a bare cliff and Joel began to run but tripped on something and fell face first in the mud. 

“Eeeeh!!! You stupid birdy butt brain!” squealed the thing. 

“What the hell is that?” Jack looked down at the pale pointy eared-thing.

“My name is Gobo, Gobo Gillobo to be precise,” he brushed down his rags.  “The almighty Messenger Goblin, and you have a message!”  He looked up. 

“To the crater at the top of the mountain and all shall be revealed,” he scratched his head. 

“Funny that!” 

“Thanks.” Jack said starting to run with Joel following.

 “You’re the f-first to ever thank Gobo.” Gobo sat in awe.

They jumped off the cliff, soaring through the clouds. 

“This is great!” Jack smiled. 

“What? How can this be great?” Joel screamed.  Then something jumped on his back. 

“Get off! Get off! Get off!” he screamed again. 

“Hey!  It’s me!” it said. 

“I thought I recognized you and I thought I’d take a ride.”

“And you are?”  Jack looked at him. 

“Possum-Boy AKA James!  The greatest half -possum, half-boy ever!” he looked up. 

“Well actually, I’m the only half-possum, half-boy ever.” He started doing the Charleston on Joel’s back. 

“You’ve had a bit too much caffeine, aye?!”  Jack commented.  Possum-Boy sniffed around. 

“Caffeine?!  Where?! Where?!” 

“Look!  The crater!!”

 

There were already all sorts of creatures ranging from spiders to great living trees assembled on the dry cracked ground of the crater, no trees or bushes or little birds like Wekas or fantails.

 

As they flew closer they began to see two lines being formed on either side of the crater.

“It’s a battlefield,” Jack said being the first to realize it.

“Come on!” he shouted.

 

As they came to one side Jack began to turn back, seeing the bloody creatures before them; the others quickly followed.

 

They soon came upon the other company in which they where greeted and shown to where a tall girl stood, as grubby as the rest of them, passing out greenstone swords that where being crafted by a boar and a phoenix.  Jack went up to the girl,

“Who is in command?” he asked.

“Fliers, go to him.” she pointed at a boy with wings.

 

He was giving a speech to the other creatures with the ability of flight.

“… And we shall never give up!”

“What if it goes wrong?” asked a girl.

“We shall fight to the end!”

“No,” Jack shook his head.  “If that be the case we might as well kill ourselves right now.” One took out his sword.

“Figure of speech,” Jack shook his head again. “I say we need a plan,” he said.

“Aye!”

“And what d’you suppose our ‘plan’ is?”

Jack hesitated.  “Build a place of retreat, a fortress! And make sure it’s not just a trap.”

“Aye!” again went the others.

“Agreed?”

“Aye,” the boy frowned.

 

 

 

 

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