Kewanee — Chapter 4: The Endeavor
Previous chapter: Living Things
Everywhere you went, someone was talking about the election. Everyone had an opinion. Daddy Chayton got surprisingly angry. “Old aristocracy against new aristocracy, and they make us believe we have a choice,” he said. But Kewanee didn’t care which class the candidates came from, as long as they cared about everyone. And she was certain Amaro did.
Among the Bravos, the Rediscovery Endeavor was almost unanimously supported, and Kewanee herself was very excited about it. But when she saw them all exulting and celebrating this Kojo for killing the Kraken, she couldn’t share their joy. Sacagawea’s words were still painfully carved into her mind: “When summoned, will you join your sisters and brothers in their Leviathan hunt?” She knew that the Kraken was evil. She had been taught about it countless times. It was good that it was gone. But cheering for death? It didn’t feel right. By distancing herself from the general mood, she found herself questioning the whole thing. Finding Rune, finding the Lost and Exiled Tribes, finding the Primordiae—all of it sounded appealing. But there were people—and animals—who needed help here and now. That’s what Amaro was saying. No matter if he was living in a palace, she agreed with his ideas.
What she could not understand was why the Muna also supported and joined the Rediscovery Endeavor. They, too, focused on the present, on supporting local communities. During one of what had become a weekly visit to Ontemon, the Muna healer, she asked for his opinion.
“It’s an interesting question. First of all, Muna don’t have leaders, or guideline, or any kind of common organization. We cannot really talk of ‘the Muna’ as a single entity. The only link between us all is the Skein. And unlike the Gestalt, the Skein doesn’t carry ideas—only feelings. Some Muna support the Endeavor; others don’t. I understand both sides, and I’m sure you can too. What is out there for us?”
After listening to political debates, Kewanee was expecting a rhetorical question. But no—Ontemon was genuinely asking for her opinion.
“Well… new ground to grow stuff?”
“Among other things, yes,” he replied. “But we already have more than enough land in Asgartha. We’re not really fond of human expansion and the environmental impacts it brings. So, why else?”
“To push back the Tumult and save animals from its grasp!” she suddenly realized.
“Yes,” he answered, “I believe that is the main reason—to bring balance to the world. And the Skein will help in that matter, to locate new threats.”
The healer went quiet for a while, but Kewanee could tell he wasn’t entirely finished. He poured more hot tea into both of their cups, took a sip, and finally spoke again.
“There is also a story—a legend,” he said. “About dwelling creatures presiding over entire ecosystems.”
It had been years since Kewanee’s fathers had told her a story, and she was instantly captivated.
“No one knows what they are. Similar tales came from travelers of the Great Migrations, both Eastern and Western. These beings were said to rule over vast wild lands, far from any human settlement. Some Muna believe they are the key to stabilizing the world, that the gift of Alteration should be shared with them. We call them the Sarwa.”
