Activities entries

Drifting Off

She looked up. There was certainly something different about today. The sky was cloudy. She preened her sleek, black and white feathers and then looked around. There was an ocean wherever she saw. The ice she was on broke off from the mainland, and she didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that home was far away from her now. Then she turned to look at Cabway.

"Uh, I think we are far away from home," Cabway said. "There is an ocean all around us, Tusbia. I don't see the mainland anywhere, and I'm hungry."

"Lix had a wild ride the other day with the Orcas. May he be remembered." Tusbia fluttered her wings. She was hungry too.

"Let's dive in together and get food and come back to the ice block together. Three, two, one- go!"

She dove in like there was no tomorrow. There were a few fish around, and she was able to grab them all. Then she went up for a breath of air. Something was off. She thought she felt the presence of an animal larger than her. What she hoped was that it wasn't an Orca. She spotted the ice block and dived again. Then she saw it. Big teeth coming straight at her and an annoying pitch that made her dizzy. An Orca was here!

Claws dug deep into he side, and she blacked out. The next thing she knew when she woke up was lying on her back on an ice block. This was the same ice block she and Cabway were on. Only in a cave? She looked toward the sky but was met with rock structures. Then she looked beside her and saw him. He was breathing. He was okay! So was she. Then he woke up.

"Where are we?" He looked around, blinking his eyes.

"I don't know." Tusbia wasn't confident, but she felt this place was familiar from the stories.

"Look out!"

There, at the end of the cave, was a huge bird with glass-like feathers that exceeded the size of both of them. She thought they were the largest birds around. It bowed its head before raising it again. She trembled. The Great Ice Phoenix! Yet it saved them instead of eating them. What did it want?

"Greetings, penguins of the Antarctic. Feel free to make yourself at home. You are in my sanctuary. There will always be plenty of food to eat for you. I need you two to go on a mission. Find the source of the rise of Orcas. The journey will be difficult. But only penguins could do it. I am too large. Your number is dwindling due to them. Just like our number is dwindling from a lack of food. We feed plenty on meat. Orcas included. Now prepare yourself to freeze. They won't go near you with this magic. Close your eyes."

She closed her eyes. A chill went through her body. The feeling was slow at first, then rose rapidly. Then it stopped. After this, a warm sensation overcame her. She opened her eyes and saw a Fire Phoenix beside the Ice Phoenix. Then they were left alone. The ice block didn't melt from under their feet. She was surprised. Never had she heard a story of meeting the Phoenixes. Just myths and legends about them from her parents.

"What was that? And we are on fire now! Not literally. Why isn't this ice block melting? What are we waiting for?" Cabway looked around. "Plenty of food to eat here!"

"I'd say we take our fill of food and then wait for the Phoenixes to come back for further instructions. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Tusbia concluded.

"Indeed."

Word Count: 621
Activity: "The Bradbury"