I Know Something You Don't Know!

"Ah! Look at all the dew! How wonderful!" Codai chirped happily. "These rains are a blessing to the Isle!" There was green everywhere, thanks to the recent rains that had fallen. The air still felt thick with humidity but the sun was winning the battle over the clouds today. Codai was happy to air out his coat a bit, let everything dry out. And though he knew to expect the seas of green around him, it still astonished him how so much could change in just a few short hours. All the more reason to praise the Isle that spawned them all.

Well, a Lillifalke's work is never done. Codai set about his daily tasks--he could always admire the greenery along the way! The cheerful little worker was diligent, as Lillifalke were. Happy to do his work and happy just to be outside. This was certainly the life for him!

Perhaps, being so attuned to nature, Codai should have been accustomed to seeing new things and should not have been surprised easily. But as Codai passed a bush, which suddenly expelled another creature, Codai jumped in alarm. "Ah!" He calmed himself and looked at the mess the bush had "vomited". It was green and gray, and very well camouflaged for that area. "A Sharnet?" Codai inquired, rather surprised to find one.

"Lillifalke!" the Sharnet exclaimed, shaking the moisture from his fur. "Lillifalke? Spring? No, no, it's not spring!" he muttered, seemingly confused.

"Why, it most certainly is spring! Spring has sprung, as those humans say!" Codai laughed, offering a paw to help the Sharnet up. "Now, what is your name?"

"No, no! Not spring! No!" the Sharnet argued, shaking his head. "Not spring. Puddle instead. Yes. Puddle." He made no move to accept Codai's paw, instead choosing to try to twist his back leg over his head.

Codai blinked a few times, stumped by this new information. "Puddle? Is that your name?" he asked, as confused as the Sharnet seemed to be.

"Not my name! Stupid Lillifalke! Zemira calls me Zil so Zil must be my name." Finally, Zil rose off the ground, bringing himself to a sitting position.

Ah. Finally, something of a straight answer. "Oh, Zil, well, it's nice to meet you! I'm Codai. And did you say Zemira? How wonderful! She is my companion as well. It appears we have something in common."

"Companion? Common companion?" Zil repeated. He craned his head back, back, back...until he suddenly fell backwards, on the ground all over again. "Not companion, no, no. Instead, it eats the leaves and kicks the bucket!" Zil began to cackle, sounding more and more insane the more Codai spoke to him.

Codai just watched the scene, more than a little confused. This strange little Sharnet was odder than most and Codai couldn't quite keep up with his train of thought. Half the time, Zil wasn't even looking at Codai and was paying attention to...well, only Zil would know that. "Uh, Zil? I'm afraid I have some work to do and cannot tarry here long. Are you quite all right? Need any help?" Codai asked.

"I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW!" Zil shrieked and before Codai could even think of a response, Zil was up and running, dashing away from the scene at top speed.

Codai was left standing there in silence, his mind filled with questions but no answers. "Another of Zemira's, eh?" he asked the trees and bushes around him. She seemed nice, for a human. Respectful to him and the other Lillifalke but after meeting Zil, Codai wondered if Zemira was all she seemed. Taking in a Sharnet was nothing bad, of course, but Zil was...quirky. That was the word for it. Quirky. Perhaps Zemira, too, was more...quirky...than she seemed. Well. No time to worry about that. Once again, Codai went off to do his job. It wasn't until late afternoon that Codai received another piece of the puzzle.

He was tending a small garden that had sprung up, mostly making sure conditions were ripe for, well, a ripe harvest, if you'll pardon the pun. Codai was just about to leave, to go to his next destination when he heard something of a squabble. Approaching the sounds, Codai saw two Djiri arguing about something. He remained back, mostly curious. They had something in front of them and seemed to be arguing over which one to eat. One Djiri was much more vocal and was in favor of eating some leaves on the ground before them. The Djiri's companion had some questionable-looking meat and seemed quite intent on eating that instead. "Nothing more than Djiri being Djiri," Codai murmured, about to go back to his tasks. But suddenly, the second Djiri coughed and fell to the ground. The first Djiri was there, already taking care of his companion. He fed the meat to his friend while Codai watched. Codai was about to interfere, and tell the Djiri to eat the leaves instead, but the second Djiri had already downed the meat. "Oh no," Codai said sadly, certain the meat would only make the Djiri worse. The first Djiri ran to get water, nervously nibbling on one of the leaves as he ran. Codai stayed and watched over the ailing Djiri while his friend was gone. Once back, the first Djiri regarded Codai with suspicion. "Don't worry. I want to help." The Djiri must have been able to sense the truth behind Codai's words because he didn't give him a second look.

They tended after the second Djiri until evening, when the first stars lit up the sky. No real improvement had been made, but the Djiri was still alive. Breathing and eating, sleeping normally. Codai wondered if there would still be two Djiri by morning. Eventually, the first Djiri fell asleep beside his friend, with Codai watching over both of them. He didn't sleep much though he did doze a bit for an hour or two before the dawn. But with the sun, the Djiri rose. The first one to stir was the sick one, who struggled to sit up. Codai was there in a flash, helping him up. His eyes seemed brighter and he looked more alert. Codai sighed with relief, bringing a few leaves of dew for the Djiri to drink and eat. He accepted and it appeared that the Djiri was on the mend! But something was amiss. The other Djiri was still asleep. Codai went over to him, almost laughing at his laziness when his friend was feeling better. But when Codai approached, he noticed something very wrong. The Djiri was dead. He must have died in his sleep. "No..." Codai whispered.

Codai and the other Djiri allowed the deceased to pass on, following the ritual for Djiri. The second Djiri improved more throughout the day, despite the thick air of sadness over them. By that afternoon, he parted from Codai. Codai hurried about for the rest of the day, completing what he could before going to his den. He knew that the Djiri's death would help the Isle, as the body would provide nutrients and eventually grow to support more life, probably more Djiri. But it was hard to accept. He'd been fine the night before. He'd been the one watching over his friend. Why had he...

"Not companion, no, no!"

The words suddenly rang through Codai's head. He bolted up, suddenly, remembering what Zil had said.

"Not companion, no, no. Instead, it eats the leaves and kicks the bucket!"

That was what Zil had said. And... The first Djiri, not his companion, ate the leaves. He ate the healthy, green leaves while his friend had the meat. And hadn't Codai heard humans say the phrase, "kick the bucket" before? It was a way of saying died, wasn't it? The first Djiri...had died...after eating the leaves. Codai felt a chill sweep through him. Zil had known something Codai hadn't. Or did he? Zil was spouting nonsense. He couldn't have known. He couldn't have known what would happen. But now, Codai couldn't stop thinking about it. It preyed on him. What more could Zil know? What was that strange Sharnet hiding? Was he truly something special? Or was he just playing with Codai, seeking his entertainment by tricking him?

They were questions with no answers, at least not yet. But Codai would get the answers. Zil was Zemira's companion. They'd be certain to see each other again. And then, Codai would discover what Zil was hiding.