The Driver in Walahalem

Steel Driver

Chapter 4

The Driver in Walahalem

Bubba woke to the night's chill just before dawn as always. Getting out of his outdoor bed he stumbled into the RV. He went straight to the sink and brushed his teeth. He glanced out the window, seeing Wakasi and spat out his toothpaste, having forgotten just where and when he was. Wakasi gave him a nod and went back to shooting ice shards into redwood bark as though it were a normal Tuesday.

“Forget something, big guy?” Asked Seraph from the internal speakers.

“Yea. Centaurs and magic.” Bubba said with a mouthful of new toothpaste.

“Well good news, I have a plan!” Seraph announced as if expecting huge applause.

“And?” Bubba quipped, rinsing his mouth.

“Hmpf! Men. While you slept like the dead I spoke to our resident ice slinger and she mentioned a city in the state. Where the rivers meet, it's called Walahalem. I didn't get much out of her other than that she has family there, but it's a start! We can get our bearings there. Also, the weather balloon is ready to deploy once we clear the canopy.”

“That will really give us our bearings. But I guess the city should have maps of settlements and… oh boy. Just what are we supposed to do here Seraph?”

“Don't look at me. You drove us here all sure of Seph's plan. But hey, don't fret, your ai super genius is here! I'm sure you'll find something to do. That's what you're good at, big guy.”

“I hope you're right.” Bubba grumbled as he began the coffee machine.

He put on his glasses and spoke outside the window to Wakasi, “Good morning! We're moving up a bit to release… a balloon.”

“Bah-loon?” Wakasi sounded out the unfamiliar word.

“You have uh… kites? Sky string?” He tried to convey his meaning.

“Ah manu aute! What for?” Wakasi asked.

“Mah-noo-ow-teh? It's uh… a sky eye for Seraph, to find our place.” Bubba sounded out the new word with his HUD.

“You can put an eye in the sky for your spirit?” Asked Wakasi, head tilted.

“Yes, we'll move Mountain Girl forward now.” Bubba said this but realized his bed was still outside.

“I'll move the RV, you clean up your bedding.” Seraph told him.

Stepping outside Bubba took in a deep breath of the forest air. A smell like pine and dew greeted him, with the sun's rays now dancing in the canopy. He rolled his sleeping bag and folded his chair, all the while admiring Wakasi. She held out her arm and cast her ice shards, piercing a Redwoods thick bark.

“Careful or you'll give it a cold.” Bubba joked.

Wakasi burst into laughter she suppressed with her hand. Giggling she cleared her throat and put her serious face back on. “Don't make me laugh, Red Tails.” She tried, but couldn't suppress a light blush.

“Aye I'll try to remember that sorry.” Bubba suppressed a laugh of his own.

The RV started with a rumble and Wakasi spun around in a puff of dust and leaves. Her heavy breath settled as it gently rolled forward into the trees. It parked in the middle of the road stretching out into the endless grassy hills. On the roof a flap opened and a blue balloon began to air up. It took shape, becoming a large blue sphere and catching the wind.

Wakasi again couldn't hold back her feelings. Her wide eyes and hushed breath were met with the balloon taking flight, sensors and cameras hanging below it. The breeze blew her scent to him, and he enjoyed it.

“I hope they'll let us in the city peacefully.” Thought Bubba.

“Wakasi,” she turned to him, stealing glances at the balloon as it rose high into the sky, “Will we be welcome in Walahalem?”

Wakasi furrowed her brow and looked to the RV and back to him. “I'll mention my family and things will go smoothly. We will get you a,” the next words didn't translate, but she repeated the word “tehuilotl” and showed him the crystal necklace she wore.

“teh-wee-loh-tl?” He tried the strange word.

“Nahuatl for crystal, big guy. Seems it took the role of some common words that weren't used or weren't shared in the surrounding regions to their territories.” Seraph explained.

“We ride to the village? Go to Walahalem?” Asked Wakasi.

Bubba grunted and stepped back into Mountain Girl. Seraph drove down the smooth dirt road that dipped and rose with the terrain. Bubba brewed coffee and an extra for Wakasi to try. Soon the village took shape. Wakasi called out to them and rode ahead to warn the village of the “steel wheeled home”

“I'm worried about how we'll be perceived on our travels, Seraph.” Bubba mentioned as he took a seat, putting too much sugar into his cold mocha.

“Oh come on, how bad could it be?” She joked.

“Hey! I hate it when you say that!” He spoke between sips.

Seraph's laughter echoed as the RV reached the village edge. Bubba gripped his coffee and rode in the driver seat, waving to astonished centaurs. Slowing down, Wakasi and Skookum Tyee stopped the RV on the road.

“Here goes nothing.” Thought Bubba.

He stepped out of the RV and was met with the continued pointing and looks of awe and confusion from the village. Skookum Tyee, for his part, simply stood with his arms crossed as though this were a mere annoyance. Bubba greeted him with a “Klahowya” and received the same.

The Chief's voice was low and measured, “A Home of Steel on Wheels. And you, along with the machine spirit, are the Otoniani?”

Bubba's HUD translated the word to, one who rides or mounts. “Fitting.” He thought.

“Yes, we travel in our home.” Bubba explained.

“Travel? Hm. We understand travel. You, Red Tails, came to our aid. Now we will aid you,” Skookum Tyee took off his crystal necklace and gave it to him, “This will grant you entry to Walahalem. They will know of us, and the crystal will speak of your deeds. It will understand your intent.”

Bubba accepted and put on the crystal. A sudden green glow startled him as the crystal touched his chest.

“That thing’s giving off a weird electromagnetic field. Like the totem you reviewed.” Seraph mentioned.

Wakasi murmured something to the chief and then back to Bubba, “We go now, the village is moving, so is the sun.”

Bubba thanked the chief again and returned to the RV, giving the village people a few waves. Mountain girl’s brakes released, and the RV drove forward down the dirt road and out of the village. Wakasi ran beside them as their speed increased.

“How fast do you wanna go?” Bubba called out the open window to her.

Wakasi smirked, and spoke, his translator giving him a broken, “We'll see who's fast first,” before she charged into a sprint.

“Oh, it's on!” Said Seraph, speeding up the RV.

“Uh oh.” Thought Bubba, “Careful Seraph!”

Seraph's console hologram gave him a thumbs up and wink as the RV reached 35 miles an hour and caught up to Wakasi. Bubba looked out the window to meet her fierce gaze. She accelerated again, followed by Seraph, now reaching 45 miles an hour.

Wakasi slowed and shouted to them. Seraph let out a triumphant whoop. They slowed to 30 miles an hour, setting that as their resting speed, following the smooth road through hills of trees, grass, and creeks. Ducks mingled with Parasaurs at a water's edge. They raised their heads to greet them as they passed. In the distance Bubba saw a herd of Brontosaurs lumbering through the land, on their way to their next meal.

Relaxing into the driver's seat Bubba took out the totem the cashier had given him and compared it to the centaur girls. On the tops was a small circle. Inspiration struck him and he placed his first totem atop the other, finding that they fit together snugly. The totem and crystal suddenly surged green once more, causing Bubba a rush of butterflies in his stomach.

“So this is magic?” He thought. Smiling, he now wore two necklaces, one with a clear and green crystal, and the other with his two totems. He fiddled with his ring as they passed a flock of Pterodactyls and birds coexisting along a hilltop. The creature's giant heads turned to greet them as they passed.

. . .

Hours after noon and they were nearing the city. The land was beautiful, tall grass and creeks dominated with a few forests mixed in. Bubba noticed a herd of Bison wandering with several small brontosaurs and his mind started spinning.

He opened the door and called out to Wakasi, “Why do they travel together?” and pointed at the herd.

Wakasi gave him a puzzled expression, “Small Brontosaurs aren't welcome in the herds, so they travel with Bison.” she explained as though it were obvious.

Over the next hill the city revealed itself. 30 foot painted cob and stone walls surrounded an arrow head shaped city placed between two rivers that met at the point. The paintings seemed to depict battle and ritual, with people and animals. It reminded him of Roman carvings into their temples. There were log, cob and adobe buildings surrounding the city and inside.

Prominent and awe inspiring buildings were 4 step pyramids, a mix of Aztec and Cahokian mounds. They rose 4 to 6 stories high. Huge long houses of log and Mat carved the city into distinct blocks between wide and narrow streets alike. However the largest and central building took his breath away.

Standing in the center of the city was an enormous shell made of stone and cob. Easily 8 stories high, it was painted an earthy tan with depictions of people and events painted on its curving walls. The top of the shell held a huge crystal, as if it were a lighting rod. The building was full of holes that housed bells and colored glass.

The hour struck 5pm and some of the bells rang to mark the hour passing, Bubba watched the bells, most silent and full of mystery. The sound wasn't jarring, but a soothing vibration, as though he had become a tuning fork. His growing anxiety was replaced almost instantly with a serene sense of belonging, like he had heard the bells all his life. His crystal glowed for a second as the bells rang their tune.

“Oh fantasy Portland’s got class! That shell is just over 8 stories tall, and those pyramids aren't anything to scoff at. The city has an enormous footprint. I can see why Wakasi said it was the capital of Nchiwana, their Oregon or the Colombia river lands.” Seraph spoke in wonder.

“What about mountain girl?” Asked Bubba.

Seraph used his HUD to point outside the city, where a huge grassy plain was full of various dinosaurs. They were the mounts left behind before entry into the walled city. Bubba realized he would still be using parking lots in another world, and wasn't pleased.

Getting closer to the city, Wakasi trotted in front of the RV. They took a slower pace as they began to share the road. Raptors and triceratops were the common carriage beasts. They walked and lumbered by, each taking a good look at the strange steel contraption. Wakasi put up a hand and spoke to passers by to calm them.

Children and adults alike had their jaws drop at the sight of Mountain girls murals, or the contraption itself. People pointed, some even shouted. Bubba witnessed some of the various demi-humans going about their travels. A woman with wings for arms, a boy with cat ears flickering in the breeze, people with fur, ears, wings and tails dotted the growing line of traffic that had slowed just to witness the bizarre sight.

“Well it looks like you've gotten yourself a name, big guy.” Seraph's hologram flickered to life.

“Heh I thought Red Tails was my name?” Bubba asked.

“Wakasi is using the words Tepoztli Otoniani. I think I've translated it after listening to dozens of chats she's been having while we cruise at less than 10 miles an hour,” she grumbled,

“Steel Driver.”