The Greens and the Grays, Daylight and Decay

By Christopher Paul Guido

This book has very little to do with me, but I suppose I should introduce myself all the same. My friends call me "Dr. E". It's not the name my mother gave me, but for now it will do. Yes, the initial stands for something but, like I said, this story isn't about me. The "doctor" part I earned, but it doesn't stand for what you might think. I am not a physician. I am a doctor of the past. Archeology is my field, and this is the story of my greatest discovery.
You could say I stumbled upon this tale many years ago. More than three decades back is about as exact as I can remember. I am not as young as I was when I tripped over that piece of brownish stone and nearly fell to an early death, escaping then what I am afraid no man can hide from forever.
But allow me to get back on track, for their tale is much more interesting than mine. Underneath that rock, buried in the hard clay soil, was a leather-bound book wrapped in an oiled cloth; a worn journal that dated back to well before the dawn of man. Back to that little-known period after the last of the great dinosaurs vanished from our Earth. It was barely a blip in time. A half-dot of history, about which little is known. I've been to every continent, trekked through varied climates, and seen just about all the cultures that remain more or less untouched. I've been to places that either forgot time, or were forgotten by it. What follows is a tale taken from part of that first diary, combined with a few of the others I've spent my lifetime hunting down across this vast globe.
The story begins where all stories must. At that single event that triggered all the events that followed. That moment when everything changed forever. My moment was the discovery of the first journal. Theirs? Well, let's not jump ahead. I will tell you this, though: The world they lived in wasn't much different from ours. Sure, it was more primitive, but it also contained a lot less gray than our world does today. At least in the beginning, it did.
It took me nearly three years to translate that first diary. Their journey became mine to enjoy. Their insights were mine to behold. Their discoveries were mine to treasure. At the time, I thought the last thing the world needed was another tale of good versus evil, right versus wrong. After all, we seem to have long ago blurred the lines between the two. And besides, most would view their story as little more than a fairy tale. But then again, isn't life?
At first I never considered writing down their story. After all, I've always had trouble with grammar, and spelling has never come easy, either. Recently, though, my body has become weak and my lungs hard of breath, and I figure it is "now or never," as the saying goes.
So, if you enjoy an adventure, turn the page and discover the world as it once was: A world, until now, known only by a few privileged souls. It is the world of the Greens and the Grays, a world of daylight and decay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098368586

Book preview

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER 1

In a pristine rainforest near the center of the globe lived two distinct, yet similar, races. One was content and carefree. The other was cold and destructive. For many years, they remained close to each other, but for the most part, separate. One day, everything changed. What follows is the story of their conflict and how it came to unfold.

Abeto, the leader of the Greens’ newly formed army, peered out across the treetops. He stood upright, feet balanced on a branch beneath him while his hands grasped a smaller branch above. The lower branch swayed gently in the crisp morning breeze. At well over six feet, Abeto was taller than most Greens. His body was lean and wellmuscled. His eyes, like the light coat of fur that covered most of his body, were a dull shade of green. His ears stood out as half-circles on the sides of his angular face.

Dawn was breaking. Abeto sighed and stretched his arms above his head. He was tired. Tired of waiting for Ewike, his friend since childhood and the Greens’ best scout. She’d set off the night before to get a better understanding of the Grays’ movements, and should have been back hours ago. Under the cover of darkness, she would have been safe. Now, the forest was waking, and Abeto feared the worst. What if the Grays had captured her? What if the column of dust he’d spotted a few moments ago was a sign that the Grays’ army was on the march? What if they were gathering across the river?

He scanned the horizon. Smoke was curling skyward from the other side of the river. It rose from a section of forest near the banks of the river, one that the Grays had yet to cut down. Abeto swore that, starting today, the Grays would no longer be allowed to push his tribe back. The forest was not theirs to destroy. As he watched the smoke rise, his thoughts drifted back to a less anxious time: A time when the word war wasn’t in the Greens’ language. Today, that word would become reality. He could sense it all around him. He could feel it in his bones.

Abeto’s long fingers gripped tighter to the branch above.

Zhiga, he called out.

Yep, came the sleepy reply from below.

Abeto glanced down. He could just make out Zhiga’s small figure against the dense vegetation of the forest floor.

Go swiftly and warn Moika that the time is near, Abeto said. Tell him our army is ready. Let him know that I’ve decided to hold our ground here, where the forest meets the river. Ask him to send to the front every Green who is willing to fight.

Zhiga was the youngest member of the Greens’ newly formed defense force and, like his fellow tribesmen, was untested in battle. He stood all of about four-and-a-half-feet tall. His eyes, unlike Abeto’s, were still a bright green, and his coat was a slightly deeper shade of green. The news had startled him awake. He rose to his feet, stretched, and set off at a run. His blood raced as he darted along the worn forest path.

***

Across the river, fires still burned throughout the sprawling village of Wakan, the Grays’ home settlement. A smoke-muted sun was rising over the barren hillside into which they’d carved their dwellings, layers of caves stacked one atop the other. The surrounding landscape was mostly rock and red clay, with a few scruffy weeds poking from the soil here and there, along with the tortured, sun-bleached stems of what had once been small trees. The Grays had cleared the largest trees not long ago, and had used the wood to stoke the fires that provided a measure of comfort against the cool nights.

The Grays’ leader, Xodose, emerged from his dwelling, a spacious cavern situated at the bottom of the largest ridge. He made his way slowly up a stone-covered mound that had recently been assembled just a few feet from his dwelling. Pieces of unused cut stone littered his path. He walked with purpose, trailed by a long, thin shadow that flickered and danced in the light of a nearby fire.

Xodose could smell it in the air. He could see it all around him. His people needed resources. They needed space. The Grays of Wakan had begun resorting to sleeping outside their cave doors. There was no room left inside. They’d grown restless with his constant promises. It was time to move deeper into the forest. Today he would lead them across the river, into the Greens’ territory. Today he would show them he was still young enough to force his will upon anyone or anything that stood in his way.

Still, Xodose had more than his share of concerns about crossing the river. In the past, all he’d needed to do was to position one company of his massive army and every Green in his path would flee before it. This time would be different. Yesterday his forward scouts had noticed that the Greens appeared to be digging in along their side of the river. For a change, they were preparing to fight.

The news had kept Xodose awake all night. He’d used the dark hours to devise a plan for the coming day. He’d plotted, calculated the risk, and decided what he must do. He was plagued with a constant fear of losing all that he’d gained. His position of power was at stake. It was the fear of losing it that drove him forward as the sun’s rays crept down the hillside, taking his shadow with them.

Xodose lowered his head. He raised a hand and scratched behind one of his pointed ears. His grayish coat caught the sun’s rays. His tail, for the moment, stood still. He summoned his master with his deep voice, repeating the same word six times: Waweci. Moments passed before an even deeper voice answered: Come to me Xodose, and let me be your guide.

The Grays who were sleeping outside began to stir. Several of them crept back toward their cramped caves. Only Xodose remained, momentarily still in the morning sun. Then his tail began to sway back and forth as he stepped cautiously down from the stone mound, into the darkness. He slipped inside the cave’s mouth and started down a long series of rough-hewn steps that led to the largest dwelling in the village of Wakan. A fire burned in the center of the cave. Its flames danced back and forth, throwing eerie shadows against the walls.

Waweci sat alone, in a large throne carved from the cave’s stone walls. Flames reflected in his vengeful, bloodshot eyes; eyes that were now fixed on Xodose, who stood motionless before his master. Waweci’s massive body was hunched over. His powerful hands clutched the end of his seat’s armrests, which had been crudely chiseled with the shapes of flames and other symbols. His face was the color of crushed rose petals. His coat was a mixture of oranges and tans against a background of gray.

A Green has been spying on our village, Waweci grumbled, his voice amplified by the cavern’s walls.

Xodose looked puzzled. His tail went still as he struggled to find the right words. He eyed Waweci cautiously, trying to divine his master’s current mood, but Waweci’s cold stare revealed little.

Spying? said Xodose. Why?

To gather information on our forces, Waweci said dryly. Because this time they will not run from us. This time they will hold their ground and fight.

But what has changed? Xodose asked, as if surprised by the news. Waweci answered, I have seen it upon the walls and within the flames. Moika, their leader, has always pursued a course of peace. But his son, Abeto, is different. The son has persuaded his fellow Greens that they can no longer allow us to destroy their forest. That they must no longer be afraid of us. That they must stand and fight.

Then I will beat them back! came a voice from behind Xodose. It was Dage, the Grays’ second-highest ranking officer. Unlike Xodose, who stood a few inches short of six feet tall when fully upright, Dage was barely over five feet, but walked with his head held high, giving the impression that he was somewhat taller.

Xodose bared his long, yellow teeth at the younger Gray. How dare you enter here without being called by our Master! he said.

Dage laughed. But I was called, he said.

Xodose turned to face Waweci. A chill ran through his body. The black and gray hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He became transfixed by the sight of the reflected flames dancing in Waweci’s eyes.

For a moment, the cave was silent except for the crackle of the fire. Waweci rose from his chair and grinned down at the two Grays standing before him. Dage will attack now, before the Greens can prepare themselves for battle, he said. He will take a single company across the river and into their territory. I see no need to move our other troops at this time. They can continue clearing trees to our north. I expect we shall crush this ragtag band of enemies before it has time to plant its seed and grow.

Xodose, Waweci continued, you will call up your special forces to act as, shall we say, a clean-up crew for Dage’s troops. Have your lieutenant bring them to the river. For now, I would like you to serve as my chief observer while Dage carries out his mission.

Nothing would please me more, said Xodose, with a grin.

Then go, commanded Waweci. Begin your work.

Xodose turned. He tried to hide his smile from Dage.

***

Ewike knew she had ventured too close to the Grays’ village. She also knew that whatever information she could gather might mean the difference between victory and defeat. The problem was, she wasn’t exactly sure what she should be looking for. She had never spied on anyone, or anything before. What had surprised her most on all of her treks across the river was how the Grays existed in a constant state of disrepair. Everything around them needed tending to, yet nothing seemed to get fixed. Each time she’d crossed the river under the cover of darkness, and edged closer to their village, she’d noticed things getting worse, not better. The village itself seemed to be crumbling down around them. Caves lined the hills without any sense of order. Red clay boulders blocked some of the passageways. Fires burned through the night to warm the barren hillsides. The night wind made a howling noise as it raced past the cracks in the caves’ wooden doors.

A loud splitting sound focused Ewike’s thoughts. A second later, a tree just beyond the one she had been hiding behind came crashing toward her. Dust rose, golden in the morning light, as the massive tree came to a rest on the forest floor.

Ewike was smart enough not stay where she was. Instead she used the settling dust to her advantage. Crouched on all fours, she crawled across the damp ground for some distance before fear brought her back to her feet. She moved west for a while then cut north toward the safety of the river. Abeto had told her to listen to her instinct. Her instinct had told her that if she continued on a westward tack, she would be captured. The feeling was too strong to ignore.

The Grays knew that a scout for the Greens was close by, but they couldn’t figure out exactly where. They’d felled the large tree to send her into a panicked flight—and into the trap they’d set for her. The thought of it made Ewike smile as she darted over and around the many obstacles in her path. She knew that even if they’d spotted her, there was no way they could catch her. As the forest grew denser, her feet seemed to become lighter, and she moved even faster. The river was close by. In a matter of minutes, she would cross it. Once again she would climb the ferny bank, embrace her fellow Greens, and tell them all the strange things she had seen. Abeto had been right. The time had come for them to take a stand. Today was the day. She was sure of it now.

Would the Grays follow? she wondered. And if they did, would the information she’d gathered help defend her tribe against them, and the decay that would accompany them? She leapt over a rock just as she had done a hundred times before. Only this time, her feet did not touch the ground on the other side. Instead, she reached above her head and took hold of a vine that dangled from a branch above. She curled her fingers around it and pulled herself up as the vine swung forward toward the sky.

The vine carried Ewike over the heads of two Grays who had circled in from the east in an attempt to block her path. The Grays watched in breathless silence as Ewike soared above them, just beyond the dark tips of their spears. One turned to see her let go of the vine and land, running, on the forest floor beyond them. A