Echo Island: The Clan Games

“I don’t often get to share my secrets,” Dominic said as he sat in a chair across from Calum, “you see, I have to be very careful in sharing what I know.”

“So why share with me?” Calum asked.

“For several reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that you are in possession of a highly sought-after item.”

“You mean the flower box?”

“If that’s what you call the box that fell out of your bag earlier, yes. Tell me, where did you get it? And don’t lie.”

Calum glanced away momentarily, then back to Dominic. He tried to devise a convincing lie, then thought better of it. Instead, he told Dominic everything from how he got the box to what it had done to him. After he finished explaining, Dominic sat quietly with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Are you sure it shocked you?” Dominic said slowly.

“Certain. Why?”

“For thirteen years, that box has been studied and handled by some of the brightest minds in The Ten Clans. In all that time, not a single person has discovered what that box is, let alone what it might do. If what you’re telling me is true, you may have just cracked the mystery wide open.”

“But, sir, what does it matter what the box does? It can’t be that important, can it?”

“Remember what I told you when I saw you had that box? There are some that would kill to get that box, much less discover what it does. That alone makes the box important, but to get to the root of the issue, we need to know what those people think the box might do.”

“What? shock people and give them weird dreams? I hardly see how that might come in handy.”

“It’s more complicated than that. Let me assure you, they have good reasons for believing what they do, but I can’t say more on the subject. It’s not my place.”

Calum was taken aback. “What do you mean it’s not your place? You didn’t bring me all the way down here just to tell me that, did you?”

Dominic leaned forward, “Calum, trust me. If you want to know why that box is important, especially to you, you must talk to your father.”

“My da? He wouldn’t know about this sort of thing. He’s just a builder.”

“Oh, but he would, boy. In fact, there’s much you don’t know about him. For starters, he’s been a member of a secret organization since before you were born.”

“The Fox Clan?” Calum guessed.

“So you’ve read about more than just the confidence box?”

“Just the introduction.”

“Right then, we can talk about all this more once you’ve discussed it with your father. I brought you down here for much more than to talk about your little flower box.”

Dominic stood up and moved to a nearby table.

“There are many things we in The Fox Clan have learned over the years, and I think it’s time you started to take advantage of them.”

“You’re not asking me to join this clan, are you, sir? I’m not sure I should without speaking to my da first. Besides, isn’t this whole thing kind of against the law?”

“Not an invite to the Clan, no. I don’t have that power. Just a peek into what we can offer. Tell you what—”

Dominic stopped mid-sentence as a loud smack echoed through the room. He shot a quick glance at Calum as they both froze and looked toward the source. A series of faint mumblings could be heard on the other side of the room’s door. The voice was muffled, but Calum thought he recognized it. Standing up, he walked toward the door.

“Don’t worry,” Calum said, “I know who it is.” He reached out to the door and swiftly swung it open. There on the other side sat Brenan, rubbing his shoulder.

“Go through the creepy secret passage, follow them down the spooky staircase, and it’ll all be fine!” Brenan said, then looked up with a defeated look at Calum. “Hi-ya buddy…”

Calum offered his hand and helped Brenan up to his feet. “You tripped down the stairs, didn’t you?” Calum asked, “I’m just surprised you figured out how to open that bookshelf. I thought I’d lost you after leaving you hiding in the hallway.” Calum smirked. “You know I noticed you following me, right? You’ve got to work on your sneaking.”

“My sneaking is not the problem,” Brenan said as he brushed the dust off his clothes. “You’ve just got a freaky way of always seeing what’s around you. Had that been anyone else, they still wouldn’t know I’m here.”

“Really? You don’t think a loud stumble against the door would have alerted others?” Calum said. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter much. You’re here now, aren’t you?” He gestured to the large room behind him, then invited Brenan to enter the door and sit across from Dominic.

“Can’t say I’m too surprised,” Dominic said. “I’ve seen how inseparable you two can be. It was only a matter of time. No matter. You both should know what I have to say. As I was just about to tell Calum, I’m going to let you two in on some… let’s say ‘confidential’ information.”

Dominic moved to one corner of the room where a tall waxy green plant grew from a pot. “I’ve just got to prepare something first. Until then, Calum, please fill your friend in on what we’ve discussed so far.”

As Calum updated Brenan, Dominic removed two leaves from the plant, then moved to a workstation where he went about using various instruments on the leaves. Once Calum finished, he and Brenan looked up to see that Dominic had turned the leaves into smooth glossy balls.

“The first thing I’d like to teach you is that The Ten Clans have very limited knowledge of the world around us. The biggest example can be found in plants.” He gestured around the room at the various potted plants growing. “As it turns out, there are many plants with uses that extend far beyond anything the clans know of.”

“Like willow bark?” Brenan asked. “My ma says it can help with headaches when prepared correctly.”

“Yes, but imagine a type of bark that could increase your strength or give you the agility of a saber cat or a type of moss that gives you the ability to breathe under water.”

“We may be young, but we’re not idiots,” Brenan said.

“And I don’t expect you to believe me. That is why I plan to show you,” Dominic said, holding up one of his leaf spheres. “But you have to choose this. I can’t force it upon you. That’s why I made these: Fog Spheres. In large quantities, the leaves from the plant in the corner can all but wipe your memory, but when processed down to the right amount, you can control the memory loss down to the minute.”

“And how is that supposed to help us choose to learn more? You want us to forget?”

“No,” Dominic said. “I only made these to give you that option. I’ll show you one of my more remarkable plants, then let you decide if you’d rather remember or go back to living the way you were. The choice will be yours.”

“Sounds good to me,” Calum said, and Brenan nodded.

“Excellent,” Dominic said, “in that case, I’ll give you both one of these.” He produced two small diamond-shaped objects. They looked like they were made of wood but had been carved so that all sides were perfectly symmetrical, creating sharp edges. “These are called Focus Nuts. I’d like you to use them to help you figure out how the confidence boxes work.” He handed one nut to each boy, then turned around and scooped water from a small silver basin into two wooden mugs. “The nuts have a rather nasty taste, so I find it easiest to swallow them whole with some water.” He smiled and handed over the mugs.

“What will they do?” Calum asked, eying the nut in his hand.

“As the name suggests, they will help you focus, but they’re so much more than that. I could try to explain, but I think experiencing the effects themselves will do you more good. Simply swallow it, then try to think back to when you opened the box. You’ll find the memory becomes vivid, and you’ll remember things like never before. Even things you may not have noticed when you actually lived it. Brenan, since you haven’t opened the box yet, I’ll teach you how before you swallow your nut.”

Brenan agreed, then Calum threw the nut in his mouth, sipped his water, and swallowed. The world around him almost immediately started to disappear. He could no longer hear the voices of Dominic and Brenan, nor could he see the room around him. Something about it felt natural. As he thought about the moment he’d opened his box, a flood of information filled his mind. He suddenly remembered the moment with complete clarity.

He could feel the temperature of the air around him when he’d been in the courtyard. He smelled a few different plants near his bench and felt the texture of the box in his hand. It was as though he was living the memory, only better. Choosing to focus on the box, he was able to hone in on more specific information.

Moving the memory forward, he focused on the moment he twisted the box open. To his astonishment, he could feel a faint but unmistakable click coming from within. Rewinding the memory, he focused on that click, and just like that, he discovered the secret. He still didn’t know exactly how it worked, but it was clearer to him now. He watched that moment over and over to reconfirm his theory. As he watched the box, two of the sides bent down ever so slightly toward the center. Each time he replayed the memory, the bending and the clicking perfectly matched his rising confidence levels.

“I’ve got it!” Calum exclaimed, opening his eyes. “That was incredible!”

“Welcome back,” Dominic said with a smile, “not bad. It only took you about twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?” Calum said in disbelief. “I didn’t take that long, did I?” For the first time, however, Calum noticed the room around him. While Brenan’s position hadn’t changed, much of the furniture had been moved around.

“How is this possible?” Calum asked.

“It’s the nature of the Focus Nut,” Dominic explained. “When taking advantage of the effects, the consumer enters a trance.” He gestured toward Brenan. “While focusing, your mind begins to work in overdrive. Information that was once only known to your subconscious moves to the front of your mind. You have to tune out everything around you.”

“So if you are in this focus zone, you can no longer feel time passing?” Calum guessed.

“Exactly!” Dominic said excitedly, “which is why you must never consume too many at one time. I once consumed five of these nuts in one sitting. I thought back to my studies and gained a wealth of information while I spent what felt like an hour in the focus zone. When I awoke, my throat was dry, and my body was weak. I’d both dehydrated and starved myself. I had been in my trance for nearly three days.”

“That’s incredible!” Calum said. “The whole experience was amazing!”

Dominic picked up one of the confidence boxes and tossed it lightly in the air, catching it in his hand as it came back down. “Let’s give Brenan a chance to come out of his trance, he slipped into his not too long after you did, so it should be soon. In the meantime, let’s move your chair directly in front of him. I can’t think of a better way to show him how unaware these nuts can make you.”

Calum agreed, and the two moved the chair. Seconds after Calum sat back down, Brenan’s eyes shot open.

“I’ve got it!” Brenan said. A slow look of confusion overcame his face as he noticed his surroundings. “What’s going on? How did you guys move all this around so quickly?”

Dominic asked Calum to teach Brenan everything he’d learned about the focus zone. Just as Calum had done, Brenan figured out how the box opened but didn’t understand how it worked. The two exchanged theories, but neither could come up with a satisfying solution. With both boys officially stumped, they turned their attention toward Dominic.

“The first thing you boys should know is that our world is full of undiscovered wonders,” Dominic began, “I’ve spent most of my life pursuing the unknown and doing everything I can to discover the natural world’s secrets. Outside of The Ten Clans lies a wealth of life and history, the majority of which we know nothing about. When the day comes that you get to explore it, you’ll be amazed at what you see. As you know, the Green Forest is a beautiful place, but believe me, it pales compared to what you’ll find in the Burly Wood.”

“But sir, if the Burly Wood is so much better, why are people forbidden from entering it?” Brenan asked.

“Just because something is beautiful doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Dominic answered, “Ask any government official that question, and they’ll tell you it’s because it is dangerous. To be entirely honest, I believe the reason The Burly Wood is forbidden is the very fact that there is so much unknown surrounding the place. If there is one thing the clans steer clear from, it’s the unknown.”

“Is that where the boxes came from?” Calum asked. “Did you find them in the Burly Wood?”

“In a sense, yes,” Dominic answered. “Come have a look at this.” Dominic motioned for the boys to follow him, and they moved to one end of the room where a small group of trees was growing out of the dirt in large clay pots. The trees were about six feet tall and three inches wide, with random sparsely leafed twigs sticking out of their sides. Each trunk was segmented in dark brown lines each about a foot apart and covered in light brown hairy bark.

“Notice anything?” Dominic asked. “Take a closer look, and I’m sure you’ll see it.”

Calum leaned in close and looked up and down the main trunk of one of the trees. Toward the base, something caught his eye. The bottom section of the trunk was missing a rectangular slot where a piece might have been chiseled out. Leaning in to get a better view, he confirmed his theory by noticing rough markings of tools that had once been used there. Looking at the other trees, each bore one or more of the same marks.

Calum stood up and retrieved one of the confidence boxes. Carefully placing the box next to one of the trees, he slid it perfectly into a slot. “You made them from these trees.”

“You’ve got it!” Dominic said, “and soon you’ll see why. Take a look at this.”

Dominic gestured for the boys to step aside, then stood with his back facing the trees. He held each of his hands in a fist and put them to his waist. Sticking his chin up high and smiling triumphantly, he held the pose of a proud warrior. As if reacting to the power pose, the trees behind Dominic grew taller, all of their crooks and bends straightened, and the bark pulled into a smooth tight barrier.

Dominic dropped his posture and moved away from the trees. Almost immediately, the trees returned to their previous state. Branches became crooked again, and the bark sagged and returned to its hairy state.

“I still don’t completely understand it, but something in the bark can sense feeling and emotion. By cutting out samples, I’ve learned that the bark holds these abilities, though the effect is greatly reduced when removed from a living tree. That’s why no one has been able to notice the change within the boxes. Most students mess around with their boxes for an hour or two, and then eventually, they get so frustrated they pull, tug, and twist until they’re sure something will happen. As soon as they think they can do it, they simply do.”

“So the bark still reacts even after being cut from a tree?” Brenan asked, “if that’s not magic, I don’t know what is. How did you figure out how to turn it into a box?”

“He didn’t.” Calum guessed, looking to Dominic for confirmation. “You found boxes like this in the ruins, didn’t you? Then you found these trees and put two and two together.”

“Good guess,” Dominic responded, “I will admit that I would never have been able to make these boxes on my own. I had the help of two others and a box we’d found. Even then, it took us a while to get the markings right. Even if you cut the trees and put a box together, the trick doesn’t work unless the right symbols are marked on the box.”

“Are you sure this isn’t magic?” Brenan asked. “Because it sounds like magic. How else would markings make the box work? And what about ruins? Are you saying that people used to live in the Burly Wood?”

“They did,” Dominic said. “Anyone willing to face the truth can tell that plain as day. There aren’t many ruins, but they can be found within the forest. As for your other question, I don’t have all the answers, but I refuse to believe that magic causes all this to work. Magic is just science we don’t understand. My leading theory is that the markings help provide relief points so that the wood shapes itself in a certain way.”

“Do you understand how this works then?” Brenan asked.

“Not in its entirety,” Dominic said.

“Then it sounds like we’ve got some magic on our hands,” Brenan said with a grin.

Dominic looked a little exasperated as he responded. “We’ll have to agree to disagree. I have good reason to believe otherwise, but I can teach you all this in time. You two had better return to training, or your teammates might wonder where you’ve been. Please return your confidence boxes to your classroom, and leave them there.” He gestured for them to follow him toward the exit. The group entered the spiral staircase and, with a tap on the ceiling, the way up was illuminated.

“I don’t think that’ll ever get old,” Calum said. “I can’t believe this stuff isn’t used all over The Ten Clans.”

“I thought the same thing when I first saw it,” Dominic said. “I’ve since learned that it is quite difficult to make and can cost a small fortune. Perhaps a better method will one day be found, but until then, only the more wealthy or clever among us can afford such novelties. Even the Innovation Clan, the clan that makes it, has a limited supply.”

“That’s too bad,” Calum said. “I can already think of several ways it could be used to make life better. Maybe one day someone will find a better way to make it.”

As the group reached the closed door at the top of the staircase, Dominic walked over to the side of the room and pushed on a small stone that was a slightly different color than the others.

“And perhaps that someone could be one of you,” Dominic said as the door clicked and swung open.

“Wait a minute,” Brenan said, scratching his head. “I was able to get this door open on the way in, but I still don’t understand how.”

“I can give you the simple version,” Dominic said. “The trees used to make confidence boxes are not the only plants that can respond to human influence. This bookshelf has one panel made from a type of tree that can respond to the touch of another living thing. When you touch that panel, a mechanism is released, and the door swings open.”

Both boys were noticeably impressed. Calum had to resist the urge to run back down the staircase and spend all day studying the new world they’d just discovered.

“A magic bookshelf. Who’d have thought?” Brenan said, earning a glare from Dominic.

“Will we get to come back and learn more?” Calum asked hopefully.

“Assuming you don’t want one of my fog spheres, yes,” Dominic said, “but let me make myself clear, if I hear that you’ve told even one other person about what you’ve learned today, including the confidence boxes, I will have no choice but to have you removed from the school. Do you understand?”

Both boys nodded.

“From now until the games start, I want both of you to read from that book you discovered, Calum. There is a whole world to discover, and that book marks your gateway to it.”

Brenan looked at Calum with a mischievous smile. “Don’t tell me that book you’ve been reading is magic too.”

“It is,” Calum said with a grin, glancing at Dominic.