Storymania - The Tale Of Wee Tee by Brendan Flanery

The Tale Of Wee Tee
Brendan Flanery

In those days, the Wide World was cool and green and lush and the beasts roamed freely. The greatest of all beasts were the Tuuka, who strode the World since before the arrival of Men. Giants in the eyes of Men, these massive towers of fur and blubber grazed upon the forests, which were to them but grass. They had large snouts with many nostrils for breathing thin, cool air, and tusks and horns and large flat teeth, and a humped back where the hair grew thick and dark. Their legs were round and stout, like rock pillars, and the bottoms of their feet were covered in coarse callused skin. A rioting Tuuka could shake the ground with the pounding of his feet. Of the Tuuka, Wee Tee was the leader, the Herdmaster, and he was strongest of all, knowing no fear.

When Men first appeared in the Wide World, the Tuuka gave them little thought, counting them among the Smendil, the smaller beasts. Soon they realized that Men were different. They built structures and monuments to house themselves, and produced their own Wessil, plants, which they grew in a strict and unnatural order. Many Tuuka became intrigued by these strange creatures and conversed with them; Men received much wisdom. Wee Tee, dubious of the newcomers, ordered his people to avoid them. But these were peaceful days, and the law was not enforced, for Malumma, his wife, advocated on behalf of Men, whom she loved, and tempered her husband’s authority. Men loved her, for she taught them many things, and she let them cut locks of hair and even gave them milk.

Now the knowledge of Men outpaced their wisdom, and they sought to control powers they did not fully understand, attempting to reorder the World to their own designs. Indeed, the Wide World changed, but not to their wishes. The acts of Men were deemed criminal by those with whom the right to judge resides, and a great wrath befell Men. The Reckoning it was called, and the climate became volatile, turning dry and hot. Many Wessil died, along with many Men and beasts. All the monuments of men were razed and they cowered in holes on the cracked, desolate plain their land had become. The ground shook and fissures opened, spewing foul gasses.

From the south came Addakkubon, servants of the profane. Hairless carnivores with sharp teeth and claws, they carried disease and brought violence upon all they met. They were fast and stalked the Tuuka in packs. Many were devoured, others escaped -but not without harm. Some who were bitten became infected with the ignoble blood of the Addakkubon, and took on their traits. They lost much of their mass, but were quicker and more agile than before; and they had two large fangs. Thus sprung the Fango from the ranks of the great herd of the Tuuka.

Neither man nor woman ever survived an encounter with the Addakkubon.

Wee Tee became irate at the destruction of the forests he loved and the dangers brought upon his people. He rampaged, killing Men wherever he found them. His wrath extended even unto the dry, dying ground, which he stabbed with his tusks as he kicked dust into the air and all feared him. Both Fango and Addakkubon ran from his sight, for he tracked and slaughtered them.

Dreading the wrath of Wee Tee, Men fled for the mountain, Andu-mol, the Impenitrible Rock, which was the southern most of Ra-molo, the King Mountains. They planned to hide in caves but Wee Tee spied the remnants of Men racing along the desolate plane. So he gathered his people and organized a charge to annihilate the last of the race of Men. Many Tuuka shared their leader’s anger, but Malumma cried for mercy upon Men, arguing that the Tuuka were not without guilt. "We were ordained to protect all the creatures of the Wide World," she pleaded, "including Men, though they bring the danger upon themselves." But Wee Tee would not listen.

From afar Men could see dark shapes in a cloud of dust and they knew the Tuuka were coming for vengeance. They despaired, for Andu-mol was still far to the north and the Tuuka would reach them soon. In vain, Men redoubled their speed. Beyond Ra-molo the air was alive. Violent clouds did battle in the sky, bleeding a white mist. The shroud reached from the ground to the sky and dwarfed the mountain range. Through the valleys fog crept, encircling the mountains so only the peaks showed. Then the main force of the storm made the mountains invisible and Men came to a standstill, sensing a power more awesome than that of the Tuuka. Even Wee Tee and his herd stopped and gaped. The white wall approached at a fantastic speed and beyond it nothing could be seen. Men cried out for mercy, thinking this the end of the Wide World.

It was not.

The World became frigid, covered in snow. The cold moved on a wind of such speed and force that all became frozen; yet preserved. Men were safe for a time and they slept, ignorant that they were still alive.

Ice stilled the Tuuka as well, but they were not suspended like other creatures. Their minds remained active and the workings of their bodies slowed but did not halt. Wee Tee cursed the cold and its dispatchers, by whom Men were protected. He remained obsessed with revenge and meditated on his discontent, becoming as bitter as the frost. Now Wee Tee was wise and farsighted, but his thoughts were colored with rage, and he thought:

"Men have been saved by the same Powers that punished them though they know it not. My vengeance has been delayed, but not thwarted perhaps. The Reckoning is incomplete, for Men still live and this I will not abide."

Now the Tuuka have power of mind, beyond that of Men, and they share each other’s thoughts when they will it. As they slept in the ice they conversed and Malumma entered debate with her husband, saying:

"This cold was not sent for the benefit of Men alone. The Tuuka have been spared as well as Men and the Reckoning is over even if its shadow stays. Dwell not on the crimes of Men. Have hope! Even now the Wessil stir in the ground! The Tuuka will awake to young forests, though they be ancient to those of less life. If you will not guide Men, then at the least let them be, for they are both cursed and blessed. Meddle not lest judgment come your way." Wee Tee took the counsel of his wife, though his scorn remain.

After many ages the ice thawed. Men awoke to find the world green again. They rejoiced and found refuge in the caves of Andu-mol. But the World had grown more hostile. The Wessil resisted the will of Men and fewer fruits could be found. Some plants had become poisonous and many were of little or no use. The plants replenished themselves less quickly and weeds were abundant. Men trapped Smendil also, but the beasties were crafty and avoided their snares. Hunger was a part of life for Men.

Eventually, the Tuuka stirred. They were overjoyed with the new forests, and even Wee Tee forgot his bitterness. But they soon found the trees to be less satisfying than that of old. Wee Tee also noticed that the long years of ice had taken its toll on his people, for they had diminished in stature and much of their blubber had been lost. He despaired, his heart full of malice towards Men.

The Fango had diminished as well. They remained deadly, however, with sharp claws and dual fangs. They hunted in packs, preying upon lone or injured Tuuka; or at night, killing a great beast and dragging it away in stealth. Wee Tee hunted the Fango and was vigilant, but some losses were unavoidable. Though the Fango do not eat Men, they were still dangerous, murdering for sport.

So Men lived in the caves of Andu-mol, venturing out to hunt Smendil and gather what they could from the wild Wessil. And the Tuuka lived in Kayondu, the valley between Andu- and Kara-mol. The forests outside the valley were their source of food and that was the only reason they left their stomping grounds, and then never alone. The Fango prowled the forests and they were cunning and patient and would pounce without notice from a grove of trees. Gradually, the forest receded and the Tuuka had to go further and further to find suitable trees. Now the paths they took to the trees became well worn with Tuuka tracks and their marches churned the ground, which was fertile from the roots of trees they had eaten. Also their droppings, for Tuuka dung has many life giving properties, led to a growth of rich green grass. Many Smendil came to live on or around the great green field feeding on plants and dung; some preyed on other Smendil.

Over time, the green plane became sparsely littered with Tuuka bones that the Fango discarded. Tuuka do not bury the dead, but they still honor the memory of the fallen. They allow trees to grow around and between the ivory bones, so, after many generations of Men yet a brief time to Tuuka, patches of trees grew in the ever widening sward.

Wee Tee forbade any contact with Men and killed them when he found them in the open. Men were safe only in their caves on the mountain. But Malumma loved them and watched the little people from a distance. Men learned to distinguish her or other friendly Tuuka from the malicious. They also learned the habits of the great beasts and knew when it was safe to walk in the open.

Now, Tuuka ivory is as stronger than any rock or metal, but the Fango, akin to Tuuka, have teeth and bone just as strong and powerful jaws. Only with effort can a Fangi break the bone of a Tuuka, but in the frenzy that overcomes the ravenous creatures many shards and splinters fall to the ground. Men had lost most of their knowledge of old, but they remained crafty. They devised tools and weapons from the ivory and extracted marrow, which had many properties. They also found many uses for the dung, including bait to catch Smendil.

Of the Tuuka, only Wee Tee walked by himself. If Fango attacked, he unleashed his wrath, killing the aggressors and hunting any that escaped. In the midst of one such hunt, a Fangi fled, running up the Kara-mol. Mad with fear, the Fangi ran blindly, until it fell into a ravine and came up lame. The Herdmaster followed and trampled the helpless beast. As he returned down the mountain, Wee Tee took time for reflection, looking out at the Wide World. He admired the new and wild Wessil, which blanketed the landscape, and his eye followed the majestic Ra-molo, as the mountains marched away to the north. For a moment Wee Tee forgot the old World and was content to sit above the clouds. But as he gazed upon the land, his eye came across the skeleton of a recently slaughtered Tuuka. Tuuka have sight that can reach far and make out many details, and as he adjusted his view, he could see movement around the bones. He expected Smendil, for it was the manner of those beasts to feed off dung or lick the bones. But he also saw Men, carrying white tools, and they were engaged in an endeavor he could not interpret. He was horrified as the Men attacked the bones, putting holes in the ivory. The thought of Men desecrating Tuuka bones, and furthermore, benefiting from it, was more than Wee Tee’s pride could bear. He became angry and roared from the top of that mountain so all the Men and all the Tuuka and all the Fango and all the Smendil heard. The ground shook as he stampeded down the mountain, foaming at the mouth and cursing. The Fango hid deep in the forest and Men made for their caves. Likewise, the Smendil made for their burrows. Even the Wessil seemed to cringe. The Tuuka were also struck by fear at the sound of their leader’s exclamation, but they gathered together in Kayondu and awaited his descent. From a great cliff on the side of Kara-mol, Wee Tee jumped, landing in the valley with a thunderous concussion. He lifted his head toward the sky and let loose another bark of anger:

"Accursed Men! Despicable cause of all sorrows! I curse them all! Bone gnawers! Scavengers! Dung bathers! Muckrakers, I name them. We are the Masters of the World, not Men. Their time has come and gone, yet they linger; they overstay their welcome. Men are nothing more than pests that will not be terminated. They are guilty of a grave crime, but their debt has not been paid in full. Now these parasites live off our dead -but this will be their last crime. Dead or alive, no Tuuka must ever be a benefit to Men. Only in deep snow are the Tuuka safe. So let us quit this place! I decree that the Tuuka shall go on a great migration to the Absolute North, land of eternal cold. Neither Men nor Fango can last as long as us and we will watch everything die from our perch on the top of the World."

Most of the herd found their passions enflamed and their bellowing could be herd from afar. Malumma kept her mind and her mouth shut, knowing that her husband was beyond consolation.

Men watched from their caves and witnessed the exodus of Tuuka. Without Tuuka there was no marrow nor ivory nor even dung, and the Smendil would leave or die and Men would have difficulty finding the essentials of life. They had orientated their livelihood around the Tuuka and found in every part of their massive bodies a use. The Men despaired and debated a course of action. In the end, a greater part of the Men left to follow the Tuuka, not knowing their destination, nor understanding the motives that propelled the great beasts; but they knew to keep their distance.

The fate of those who stayed behind is told elsewhere.

Not alone did Men pursue the Tuuka. Fango and Smendil followed as well. Wee Tee saw all of this and was content, knowing they walked to their own deaths. He chose his path along the Ra-molo, which wound its way around the world, always to the north and east, ending, he knew, where the snow never melted. The Tuuka marched slowly, grazing on forests. Men built tents from Tuuka hair, setting up camp when they couldn’t find caves. Malumma often lingered near the rear of the herd, keeping an eye on Men, whom she still loved as if they were her own children. Men learned to trust her, remembering her kindness of old, and proclaimed her "the Truest Truth," for her name means, "mother of charity." She allowed them to pet her as they had once done and suffered them to cut locks of her hair and gave them milk.

Generations of Men came and went and they followed the Tuuka on their deliberate march. Ice storms would come from time to time, intervals short to Tuuka, but many ages to Men; a span of time so long that rumor of the great storms moved, in their minds, from fact to myth and back. To Men an ice age would be as one long night, though the nap last a thousand years.

At a time when the ice had thawed and the herd was on the move with all of their dependants trailing, they came to a valley at the foot of the biggest mountain they had yet seen of the Ra-molo. The Tuuka knew this to be Mossississus-mol, for the face of the rock was a sheer cliff scarred with a crack that reached from the middle of its base, half way up. The crack was widest at the bottom where the water of an ice cold spring trickled out, yet there was room enough for ten men to march. This Malumma noticed and contemplated its usefulness. The Tuuka were weary from their journey and Wee Tee declared the valley a refuge where they would rest, and named it Kukaromma, a blessed gift; with this Malumma agreed. Deep in thought she grazed, just as the other Tuuka, and they could feel the change in the air and knew that another ice age was imminent. She watched the Men when she could, but Wee Tee had become annoyed with his wife’s constant dawdling and kept her close. At night, while Wee Tee slept, Malumma slipped away out of the valley and came upon the encampment of Men. Some were fearful, not recognizing her in the dark, but she calmed them with her mind. She spoke to them, warning that a great storm was coming, but they could avoid the long sleep in the crack of Mossississus. She instructed Men to gather Tuuka bone that they had already hollowed of marrow and laid not far from their camp. They should load it with all their gear and leave enough room for themselves. They would also have to make ropes strong enough to support the fossils, she told them, providing the fibers herself. These were to be ivory gondolas, which they would tie to her belly. She would return in three nights and take them to the rock where they would be safe from the cold. But the people asked her how they would survive without food in that dead world, saying sleep is better than hunger. She replied, "I will provide food and more."

On the third night, Wee Tee slept a fitful sleep. He awoke close to dawn, to find his wife missing. Wee Tee did not stir, moving only his eyes to peer around the valley. At the base of Mossississus-mol, he spied his wife. She stood next to the crack with the stream running between her front and hind legs. Adjusting his vision to the dark and distance, he noticed movement below her torso. Sharpening his glance he could see Tuuka bones suspended from her belly, and Men climbing out of them. He was stunned. Realizing the reason for Malumma’s chronic tardiness and absence, he became enraged. He roared his voluminous roar awakening the herd. Wee Tee charged with intent to murder. Malumma did not move, awaiting the last of the Men to enter the crevice, but even then she did not move. She merely stared and waited. Malumma had neither tusk nor horn, but was not slight for her kind, while Wee Tee had four great curved tusks sticking out of his humped back, and two on either side of his jowls which pointed straight and sharp, and his head was crowned with blunt ivory bumps. He led with his head like a battering ram, breaking two of Malumma’s ribs in the initial assault. One of the ribs pierced her lungs and she fell to the ground, sealing the crack with her torso. Wee Tee stabbed with his front tusks, and tore open her gut. He spat and bit his wife, and cursed her with vile oaths. The left side of her body was bloody and bruised, but she did not cry out nor make an attempt to defend herself. Wee Tee reared back on his hind legs and brought his club-like foot crashing down. Again and again he pummeled her, delivering blow after crushing blow. Finally, the Herdmaster delivered the fatal impact, crushing Malumma’s skull with his foot; but his belligerence continued long after the body stopped moving.

Eventually, Wee Tee became tired and slowed his assault before stopping completely. He breathed deeply from the exertion and foamed at the mouth. He stomped the ground and paced, looking around the valley. He swore and roared and issued challenges. As he became calmer, he looked upon his people and perceived their sadness, for they loved Malumma. Some of the Tuuka knew of her indiscretion, and guessed at Wee Tee’s motives, but they did not pardon him. He turned and looked at the corpse. It lied, pinned to the rock, a motionless heap of bloody flesh and ripped fur, no longer resembling Malumma. Dawn came and Wee Tee realized the magnitude of his actions. He lifted his head and let loose a grief-filled howl.

In the midst of his wail, the great cold came, just as it had so many ages ago in the shadow of Andu-mol. Once again the Wide World was dusted in white crystals. Wee Tee fell into a sleep as dark as it was deep, and he could hear the lament of his people, who had mourning thoughts.

The Tuuka have bodies of extreme durability, but their souls are sterner still, and the spirit of Malumma did not leave the valley Kukaromma. Bending her will upon Wee Tee, she came to him in his dreams, saying unto him:

"Behold and beware Wee Tee! You have put yourself and your people in mortal danger. You are an usurper, counting Men among the beasts and calling them ‘muckrakers’. The Tuuka were to serve Men and guide them, not lord over them with fear. Woe to you for changing the order of the Wide World. Woe to you for unbridled fury. Woe to you for murder! I told you many ages ago that the Reckoning of Men was over but its shadow lies on Men. Now vigilante, the shadow passes to you, and you will be reckoned. Your punishment shall be the fulfillment of your own spiteful plan. Your migration to the Absolute North will be successful, but a greater part of your people will abandon you. In their hearts, many have already quit. All the Tuuka will diminish in size and number, as will our dark brethren, the Fango. Men will outlive us all and reassume their rightful place in nature.

"Have you not noticed, Wee Tee? You have lost much of your blubber in the long years of ice. Your power wanes. You and those who follow you to the bitter end, and it will be bitter, shall extend your lives beyond all other Tuuka - but at a cost. Your bodies will shrivel and you will become painfully deformed. Your skeletons, being of tougher stuff than your flesh, shall shrink at a slower rate. It will pierce your skin and tear into your sinews and muscle. All these things and more will come to pass.

"Lo! Men will rise and become more powerful than you. They do not sleep this ice age. Even now they are active under my influence. They burrow deep into Mossississus-mol. They grow strong, feeding off my body; they study it, learning much about the nature of life. Men will rejoice at the gift of Malumma. Every part of my body shall be engaged in assisting Men, and my spirit protects them.

"Already, I have become rock. Then I will become human and live among the people I love. Do not strike me down, dear husband, for I shall become water that burns, a force you cannot hope to match. And if I become water, do not cross me. Heed this warning or I will turn to fire, and consume you. Continue on your journey, beast, or you will be damned. This place my spirit will not leave until Men are safe from your wrath."

The words of his dead wife carried power and conviction, striking fear in Wee Tee - but he was stubborn. Over the centuries of ice, his fear subsided and pride returned to his heart. Once again obsessed with vengeance, he planned the final extermination of Men. He shared his plans with the herd and rallied them to renewed hatred. Some resisted, still angry at the murder of Malumma, but as they debated in the deep snows, Wee Tee sent out threatening thoughts, bullying the resistant into submission.

He kept secret the riddles of Malumma, and planned to bury her body though it be against the herd’s tradition. Wee Tee wished to erase all trace of his treacherous spouse.

In time, the ice and snow receded, and the Wessil were reborn. The Herdmaster awoke, still frozen with his head in the air. As if his wail had never ended, he again let loose a noise. This was not the sound of mourning; rather, it was a call to war. The great Tuuka flexed his muscles and shards of ice fell to the ground. Awakened by his call, the other Tuuka followed his lead.

Wee Tee cast his eyes upon the base of Mossississus-mol and saw before him, not the frozen body of Malumma, but what looked like the petrified skeleton of a Tuuka. The bones, however, did not lie in the places they fell nor were they scattered randomly, as if defiled by Fango. No, the arrangement of these bones screamed of order; an order which escaped Wee Tee’s imagination. Before him stood a white wall, half as tall as he, covered with intricate carvings, and segmented by what looked like ivory spikes growing out of the ground. In the middle of the wall was a Tuuka skull, the mouth propped open and filled with a slab of some unknown mineral. Behind the wall stood more white structures. There were ivory towers and pyramids, and smaller structures of varying shape. The wall curved and disappeared, it seemed, into the cliff, and encompassed all the other monuments. The skull marked the part furthest from the cliff, to which it was connected by a great arcing bone that fused with the rock behind. From it, other bones radiated to the outer wall. The cleft face of Mossississus-mol had changed as well. Recesses had been carved in the wall, and it was green with Wessil, which grew upon the cliff as if choreographed by some unknown power. Also, there were waterfalls; and the water issued from ivory pipes. Elsewhere, threads of smoke could be seen, but it was not wild, and it smelled funny. Wee Tee was in awe of the mystery that stood before him, unnerved by its morbid splendor. To his dismay, he saw Men walking upon the ivory wall. The cliff, also, was alive with movement. In the ages of ice, Men had been active, learning to engineer bone and rock to their own designs. And now they made there home from the remnants of Malumma.

Slowly, and with mounting strength, a vibration could be felt in the ground. The block of metal that covered the mouth of the white skull, split in two, leaving an empty, grinning jaw. The vibrations became louder before the source was revealed. From out of the gaping mouth marched Men, in rigid rows, ten across. They were decorated with fabrics of fantastic colors, and carried splinters of ivory twice as tall as a man. They draped themselves in ivory shards, even covering their heads in carved bone. With purpose, and in unison, they marched, spreading out on the field between Wee Tee and the ivory relics. A horn was sounded and the host of Men came to a stop. Wee Tee looked upon them and felt uneasy. Men had surely grown in number, and in size, it seemed to him. In fact, it was Wee Tee who had changed in size, diminishing in the snow, though he remain a giant. The Men formed two divisions, straddling the skull gate. Out of the mouth of Malumma walked a solitary figure swaddled in a flowing fur robe, less impressive than the ivory warriors. All was silent as it moved down the aisle of Men. It staggered, as if in pain, leaning on an ivory crutch. The frail creature was almost humped-back it stooped so low, and it did not lift its head, which was covered with a brown hood. The cloak was of Tuuka hair and resembled the beasts with its slow, deliberate movements. Wee Tee looked at this mockery with disdain as it came to a stop directly in front of him.

Wee Tee, regaining his composure, lifted back his head and bellowed. Finding strength in their leader’s call, the other Tuuka joined him in lifting up their voices and it echoed through the mountains. It was a challenge they roared; yet they were surprised to hear a response. The Men blew horns and yelled, and from the very mountain, it seemed, came a noise so deep that it could only be from a horn of great magnitude. This horn, indeed, was great. Its chambers were vast hollow spaces, dug in the belly of Mossississus, and the sound came forth from the crack. The horn was given a name by Men: The Lungs of Malumma. The Tuuka were struck with fear, but Wee Tee, sensing the urgency, decided to strike immediately. He reared back on his hind legs, and with all his might, brought his massive forefoot down upon the small fur-clad figure before him, smashing it into the ground. The Wide World seemed to quake from the impact. But the tremor did not stop, and even grew in power. Wee Tee cried out in pain, and, lifting his foreleg, steam spewed from the spot where his victim had fallen. A geyser erupted, shooting far above Wee Tee’s head, before dying down to a bubbling, boiling pool. The Herdmaster stumbled backwards, favoring his foot. Neither Men nor Tuuka made any move, for they did not understand. But Wee Tee understood; and he knew fear.

So the great king of the Tuuka lifted himself, and meekly limped out of the valley Kukaromma. His people were distressed as they followed him out with their heads hanging low. Some glanced back at the Men, and the bones, and the mysterious geyser, almost wishing to stay and make peace; but they were frightened of Wee Tee’s wrath, even with a lame foot. In sadness, the Great Tuuka Migration continued along the Ra-molo to the north and to the east. And the sound of the Lungs of Malumma echoed up and down the mountains and beyond, to the ends of the Wide World.