The Way of the Ram Read online

  “There are plans to have trains running nonstop from the quarry,” Dreamer said. “Everyone is pitching in to mine raw materials for the reconstruction. They’re going to build their own refinery out there. There’s even talk of disassembling the wall completely to make transportation easier.”

  “That is wonderful,” Ponder said. “It seems things are going to be alright for you.”

  Mauler’s ears perked up. “Heavy winds coming in.” His eyes narrowed as the sky through the window grew noticeably darker.

  “That is very strange. There have been no clouds for miles all day,” Ponder added. The four of them exited the cottage and walked to the shore to see what was going on.

  A thick, dark cloud had appeared from nowhere a mile out from the lagoon. They were almost knocked over by the rushing wind. Lightning crackled across the sky.

  “Uh-oh,” Healer thought out loud. “That’s a familiar-looking storm cloud.”

  An ominous funnel descended from the cloud, writhing through the sky and hovering over the ocean. The cloud was drawn down into it, twisting around and around and generating wind so powerful it blew the rain nearly sideways. The mild surf was quickly transformed into a barrage of cresting waves, each bigger than the last.

  “Get inside!” Ponder shouted. But no one moved. The four of them stared at the wave building up under the eye of the storm. The near vertical wall of water grew taller and taller as it tore its way at an unnerving speed toward the island. The house would be no shelter from this tsunami. It was easily big enough to engulf the entire isle and throw them all out to sea.

  At its apex, just before it crested, they could all see the pair of violet eyes glaring at them from just below the water’s surface. As the wave rolled over for its final approach, the white foam morphed into a pair of outstretched wings.

  “Optera’s come back for us,” Healer growled, lowering his head and stepping into the waves.

  “You can’t fight her!” Dreamer gasped. She and Ponder grabbed hold of Healer’s wool. They could not drag him back onto dry land, however, until Mauler joined in. They pulled Healer back in the direction of the cottage against his protests.

  “It won’t do any good!” he howled over the shredding wind.

  At the last second the wave slowed down, halving its height before its impact with the island. The rolling water swept Healer up and slammed him into a tree trunk. Pinned there by the current, he struggled to keep his head above the water as he looked for Dreamer.

  There—Ponder had borne her onto the top of a palm tree. They were safe for the moment. Beside him, Mauler clung with gritted teeth to another trunk.

  “Karkus!” Mauler called into the noise of the storm. “Are you going to let this happen?”

  “That’s right!” Healer added. “We did what you asked!”

  The wave receded, splitting in half as it backed along the shore and revealing the form of the winged Goddess standing on the wet sand. She was screaming with laughter.

  “Karkus?” Optera cackled. “Why would he bother with you? He got what he wanted. He’s probably cowering from the wrath of Arghast right now.”

  Healer slid to the ground as the water level lowered, getting to his feet and shaking salt water from his wool. “Arghast? Why?”

  “Because Karkus broke Arghast’s commandment when he murdered Toxid! You mortals tricked me into being an accessory to a crime! This is exactly what I didn’t want! We’ve gone too far!”

  Dreamer appeared next to Healer. “So you’re in trouble with Arghast and you think killing us will fix that?” she snarled. “You’re even more insane than I ever imagined.”

  Healer jumped at the flash and jarring CRACK of a lightning bolt splitting the tree next to them. Dreamer, however, did not flinch.

  “She’s just toying with us,” she spat. “A child having a tantrum. She knows this won’t do her any good.”

  “Optera, stop this,” Ponder spoke up. “Your issue is with Karkus. Leave us out of it. You know we did not intend the wholesale slaughter of pigs. They forced our hand.” She stepped out onto the surf in front of the two sheep. Mauler joined her, his claws digging into the wet sand.

  “And you abandoned me instead of doing what I needed!” the Goddess shrieked. The wind and rain intensified along with her anger. “The birds and dogs were supposed to be the rulers of this world—not doing the bidding of sheep! You’ve taken my plan to regain Arghast’s favor and stepped all over it!”

  Ponder shook her head. “Optera. We have done exactly what you made us to do. We have broken the pigs’ hold on the world. We cannot make anyone else take the pigs’ place. Our sheep friends here have made us whole and taught us the value of freedom. Do you not understand? Dogs and birds can make their own choices now. For the time being, they have chosen to help sheep get back on their feet. Sheep have half a century of oppression from which they need to recover. More, if you count the time before the pigs.”

  Optera glared, saying nothing.

  Ponder went on. “Optera, the three peoples of the world are stronger together than any one on their own. Can you live with that? Can you take a secure position as co-ruler of this world, instead of an unstable one as a sole dictator?”

  The Goddess sighed. “I truly made you in my image, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, Optera. You know I am right. You made me to think this way. Perhaps so that I could remind you in the end.”

  “I’ve made a mistake.”

  “It is alright, Optera.” Ponder reached out.

  “Next time I need a champion, I won’t make her so independent.”

  Ponder withdrew, her little face drawn out in sudden terror. “What?”

  Optera let out another hawk-like shriek and dove forward. At that instant, another lightning bolt leapt down from the clouds.

  Healer averted his face from the flash and braced himself to be struck down. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clamped together as the crash sounded off above them. He clung to Dreamer.

  But they were not electrocuted or thrown apart. For a long minute, the two of them only heard the steady hiss of the wind and waves. Finally, Healer dared to look.

  Optera hung in midair, sickle-like talons reaching for Ponder. The Goddess was frozen on the spot, her eyes wide and searching, her breath shallow.

  The steady whisper seemed to cut right through the background noise. Healer realized he was only hearing it in his head.

  “Stop this, Optera.”

  Healer knew that voice. It had spoken to him when he first kissed Dreamer. It had counseled with the two of them from the animate flower in Dreamer’s satchel.

  “Father Orchid…” Optera panted. “I didn’t mean to—”

  She cut off, as if some invisible hand had seized her throat.

  “My youngest son is dead, and I know exactly who is responsible.” The voice gave a heavy sigh. “I will deal with the guilty parties in my own fashion.”

  Optera half-sobbed, half-laughed. “Thank you, Father Orchid. Kill these self-satisfied mortals.”

  “I may still need them in the future. These two sheep and your champions will not be harmed. For now.”

  “We’re not doing anything for you, Arghast,” Healer snapped. “We’re free.”

  “So you say. We will find out just how free, won’t we? As appalled as I am at the death of Toxid, I am impressed with you and Dreamer. You have gone above and beyond my expectations. As a reward for your performance, I will allow you to be the masters of your own fate—for the time being.”

  “You’re just out for chaos,” Dreamer cut in. “Don’t act like you have some great plan for us. Or for anyone.”

  “Oh, I had chaos for a time. Beautiful chaos. I empowered you and sabotaged the Chugg Corporation, didn’t I? I brought everyone down to a more level playing field so we could have a true battle. Far more thrilling than the Canine-Avian War. The way Fleece City burned… pure bliss. It would have gone on for much longer if Karkus had not ended it prematurely b
y killing Toxid. It would have fulfilled the directive given to me by my creator… and those from beyond this realm. Karkus denied me my victory. But that, too, will be remedied. Enjoy your peace for now. Optera, we are leaving.”

  “You said you’d deal with the guilty parties!”

  “And so I shall.”

  The parted waves crashed back together, engulfing the screaming Goddess. Kicking and flapping and thrashing all the way, Optera was dragged from the shore and into the depths by the invisible presence. With her went the storm clouds, the wind, and the rain. Nobody moved until the sky and ocean were clear and still again.

  Dreamer cleared her throat. “I think I’m ready to go back home.”

  Ponder let out a giddy laugh. “Come on, then.”

  They made the boat ready as fast as they could. With the sun at their backs, they headed east for the mainland. Ponder and Mauler were consumed in their respective sailing tasks. Healer stood at the bow, scanning the horizon in every direction.

  Dreamer came up beside him. “What do you think Arghast meant by ‘those from beyond this realm?’ How many gods are out there? What do they want with us?”

  He sighed. “We can’t know, can we?”

  She shook her head before laying it on his shoulder. “What’s going to become of our world?”

  “We’ve won some temporary peace,” Healer said. He scanned the horizon, not yet sure the danger had passed. “Now comes the real work.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Keeping it.”

  “Are you going to do that, Mr. Healer?”

  “I’m going to do all I can, yes. I’m going to remind everyone whenever I can that we can’t get complacent. You heard Arghast—this isn’t the end. These gods haven’t finished their game. Toxid may be gone forever, but there’s no telling who will show up to take his place. Like your father said, as soon as there is a power vacuum, someone will be all too happy to fill it. So we’ve got to stay sharp and stay in charge. This can’t ever happen again. No one can ever lay claim over sheep.”

  Dreamer watched the ocean for a few minutes. “I just can’t see how I’m going to forgive myself. The uptown pigs wouldn’t compromise with us, sure, but all pigs had to pay for it. Even the downtown ones who had no part in hurting us. Like Hork. And the family Swill said he had. We’ve become the monster we were fighting.”

  Healer glanced back at the island. “We did what they forced us to do. That was the choice we made. I’ll mourn Hork just as I mourn Boxer, Swill, my father, and everyone else who was lost as a result of this conflict. It won’t stop me from taking action on behalf of sheep.”

  “You’re never going to stop, are you?” she mused, eyeing him. “You’ll always be driving forward, watching everyone’s backs, looking for potential threats… no matter how long this peace lasts.”

  Healer finally met Dreamer’s gaze. “I’m a ram, honey. That’s what we do.”

  THE END

  Acknowledgments

  In Sheep’s Clothing Books 1 and 2 were written as a single manuscript. It is and always was an extremely personal story. Throughout its multiple iterations since 2007, one aspect has stayed the same: the story has had its roots in the people around me. Characters were inspired primarily by the personalities of Ben, Laura, Kurt, Fred, Mark, Patrick, and Devon.

  Edward and Betty’s contribution made publication possible. Others gave support, creative contributions, or were inspirational people, namely Ruth, Ricky, and Brad.

  This series owes Kali pretty much everything. In particular, for staying up with me to read the story out loud and make sure it all flowed; for dutifully “liking” everything I post on my book’s promotional Instagram, and for being the coolest of wives.

  A big portion of the credit belongs to KC Moffatt of TheStoryMechanic.com. She has my eternal gratitude for helping to make the first book into something I felt good about publishing. She hit this book hard, going way above and beyond my expectations to make it the best it could be. I wouldn’t want any other editor to help bring the rest of the Nexus Nebula Saga to life.

  As always, my greatest thanks goes to my son, Kyle. You would think having a baby while writing a book would be cause to put the writing down for a while, but in truth he made it easier. The clarity and focus he brought into my daily routine helped me to understand what my story was really about. I couldn’t have finished it without him.

  To you, the reader, thank you for seeing this part of the series through. Healer’s story will continue. But for now, we’re headed to a different world under the Nexus nebula’s reach to explore the story of Momma Grizzly.