"The Watchers"

(As told by Queen Sapphire to her adopted son Sky.)

 

The massive badger crept forward on large, wide paws. Ebony's comrades ducked into their shells and suctioned themselves to the earth. But the great badger had no interest in them.

 

Ebony continued to flash warning colors as the badger edged closer. Believing all was lost, the great snail ducked inside his shell and secured himself to the ground as his companions had done. The badger reached him and sniffed all about. Taking a great paw, the badger pried at the High Lord's shell where it was secured to the earth, trying to dislodge him. And the great beast would have succeeded had not two voices called to him.

 

"Be still," ordered the first voice.

 

"Or you will surely die," said the second. The smooth, sinister ribbon of his voice chilled every soul present to the very core.

 

The great badger turned his lumbering frame slowly about to see who had dared interrupt his meal.

 

To the side of the path, the land sloped upward into a low mound dotted with young trees. In a little clearing among the trees stood the red-orange form of a fox with wooden pegs drilled through his ear and blue jay feathers braided into his tail.

 

Beside him lay the source of the second, unnerving voice--an enormous black snake as large around as a sizeable limb.

 

A snake blind in both eyes...