Stone Ram (Leopard King Saga) Read online

  “I don’t need that fathead, Joffe,” Fabian said.

  “Who’s Joffe?” a man’s voice asked.

  Fabian paused, he was so absorbed in his own problems he didn’t even consider the fact that someone else was here, using the fountain. “Please, excuse me, sir, I was just thinking out loud.”

  The voice turned into a warmhearted chuckle. Fabian suddenly felt the sting of Joffe’s rejection abate. “That’s alright kid,” the voice said. “I like to come here and relax too.”

  Fabian inched his way toward the edge of the fountain, making sure each step brought him closer. “Can I help you, kid?” the man said. Fabian felt two strong hands fasten around his wrists, guiding him out of the pool of water.

  “You really need not have done that, sir.” The man handed him his crook and looked him over.

  “Just doing my good deed of the day,” he replied. “Say, you alright kid?”

  Fabian’s ears picked up the location of the man’s voice and turned toward him. “But of course; why do you ask?”

  The man waved his hand across Fabian’s eyes and the shepherd boy, while not able to see the action, could sense it. This man wasn’t the first to test his vision.

  “I’m sorry,” the man said. His lighthearted voice had suddenly become somber. “I didn’t know you were…”

  “Blind? Why yes I am, thank you very much. Does that make me less in your eyes?”

  The man’s good natured laugh returned. “Why of course not. On my planet, many centuries ago, there was a blind woman named Helen Keller: she was one of the most famous blind people that ever lived.”

  “Helen Keller?” Fabian scanned his mind for that name. “Might I ask which planet you’re from sir?”

  “Earth of course.”

  It made sense now. There was only one man in all of Rek who hailed from Earth.

  “Lager McVick?”

  “Yes,” the Earthman replied. “The one and only. But let’s not talk here. I’ve got a dwelling a few blocks from here. We can talk more comfortably there.”

  “Blocks?”

  “Yes, come now, I promise not to bore you.”

  ***

  McVick took Fabian’s arm and guided him to his home. When they arrived, Fabian’s nose was greeted by a musty smell mixed with alcohol. McVick guided him to a seat and Fabian waited for his host to address him.

  “Truth is I don’t get many visitors,” McVick said.

  “I don’t believe that, you’re one of the King’s most trusted advisors.”

  “You mean I was one of the King’s most trusted advisors. Now I just appear next to him for show mainly.” McVick paused and Fabian heard the sound of someone guzzling down liquid. “But where are my manners, would you like something to drink?”

  “No thank you,” Fabian said. He decided not to ask McVick about his current tribulations.”Although I would like to learn more about Earth.”

  McVick cleared his throat. “Well, it’s the third planet in a system called Sol. That’s twenty-nine light years from this planet.”

  “Light years?”

  “Light years are used to determine the distance between two planetary systems in outer space.”

  “I see, forgive me sir, I am only a shepherd.”

  “Please don’t call me sir, makes me feel older than I already am; call me Lager.”

  Fabian nodded. “What’s it like to travel through the stars?”

  “Nauseating,” Lager replied. “But at times it can be exhilarating.”

  “I would think so, do you ever miss it?”

  “Sometimes, but I don’t miss the bureaucracy that comes with it.”

  “Bureaucracy? What’s that?” Fabian asked, hoping to gain insight on Earthlings.

  “It’s better if you didn’t know; so, you’re a shepherd? What brings you to Rek City?”

  Fabian was reluctant to explain his setback at the stables, but maybe Lager might be of help; he may even recommend someone who would be interested in taking him along on the Quest. “The Golden Mane.”

  “Ahh, yes, terrible tragedy; reminds me of Pearl Harbor.”

  “Pearl Harbor?”

  “It was a battle fought on my world three centuries ago; during Earth’s second major conflict. Two powerful Earth states, The United States and the Empire of Japan, fought for control of a large body of water called the Pacific Ocean. I mentioned it because the battle was the result of a sneak attack.”

  “Sounds similar to early Rek history. But if I might ask, Lager, do you know where I can find some other adventurers, perhaps there’s a band out there still looking for a member?”

  Lager sighed. “You don’t mean to tell me you’re planning to go to the Darklands? Kid, that Blood Reeper’s bad news, if the journey doesn’t kill you, he definitely will.”

  “I had a feeling you’d say something like that.” Fabian was getting tired of hearing the limits imposed by others. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my short life, it’s that you don’t make a name for yourself by standing around.”

  “Look, you seem like a smart kid, but let others risk their necks for this Mane. Becoming a hero won’t make you famous, it’ll get you killed.”

  Fabian grew weary of Lager’s overprotective banter. At the first opportune moment he would excuse himself and continue looking for a band.

  “What’s so special about this Mane anyway?” Lager asked.

  Fabian’s mouth nearly dropped. “You mean to tell me you’ve lived here amongst us for years and you still don’t know the story of the Golden Mane?”

  Lager took a gulp of brew from a bottle . “Well I never bothered to ask the King.”

  “It is the symbol of our Kingdom,” Fabian added. “Our sustenance, without there can be no Rek.”

  “It’s kind of stupid to place your entire livelihood in one thing.”

  Fabian smirked. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”

  Lager nodded. “I’m sorry, yes, please continue.”

  Fabian grasped his crook. This Earthman was indeed a strange alien. Probably all that flying around in space has affected him somehow, Fabian thought. “Well many centuries ago, before Rek became a unified Kingdom, we were a group of divided city-states, constantly at war with one another.”

  “Sounds like Earth’s history,” Lager interjected.

  Fabian continued, “Well, one day a Chimerat, a monstrous beast with three heads: lion, goat and serpent, began attacking the city-states. It inflicted great damage and loss of life, not to mention raiding larders and crops to feed its infinite appetite.

  “Then, one day, one of the governors, a man named Heraclost Bram, sent out a message to all the other governors. The message was a proclamation to meet with one another to find a solution to the Chimerat problem. It was the first time they had agreed to meet face-to-face without making war. It was decided that a temporary alliance would be formed, to counteract the Chimera, and finally rid themselves of its menace. The city-states soon began coordinating organized plans to defend their territories, and, for the first time in known history, the governors had dispensed suspicion between their states and began working for a common cause. One day, weeks after the alliance had been formed, the Chimerat attacked again. Now the city-states were prepared, and with the help of one brave Earl, they were able to vanquish it forever. The victory over the Chimerat occurred on the brightest day ever recorded on this world; it was said the sun resembled a large gold medallion in the sky. The people regarded this as a good omen. That is why the emblem of Rek is a Golden sun.

  “After the battle, the mane on the Chimerat’s lion head was shaved off, coated in gold dye as tribute to the sun, and paraded around the city-states as part of a victory celebration. The people rejoiced, now that they had their livelihood back, and somehow, this great victory had washed away all ill-feelings between the once-warring states. A charter was later drawn up, and Bram was proclaimed the first Gold King.”

  Fabian paused and cleared his
throat. In the background Lager was slurping on something, probably more drink. After a loud belch the Earthman started clapping. “Well congratulations to you and your people, Fabian,” he said.

  “I think I’ll have something to drink now,” Fabian said. “Water, please.” His throat was dry from speech. “Nothing alcoholic though, I have to head home soon.”

  Lager guffawed. “Well you’re no fun kid; but hey, I don’t want to develop a reputation for serving underage drinkers.”

  “I don’t understand, Lager, Alcohol is enjoyed by every citizen of Rek, regardless of age.”

  Lager handed Fabian a cool glass and the shepherd sniffed it to make sure it was indeed water. Lager laughed once more. “True, but on my nation-state back on Earth, a place called North America, it’s considered inappropriate to serve youths alcohol.”

  “But I’m over sixteen cycles old,” Fabian replied before taking a mouthful of water. It was sweet and cooled his throat.

  “My point exactly, you need to be at least Twenty-Two Cycles, or years as we call it, to drink.” He took another swig from his bottle. “Who knows what it is now since I’ve been gone? Maybe they raised the damn age limit again.”

  “My, Earth is a planet of strange rules.” Fabian gulped down some more water. “Was it always that way?”

  “God no. About three hundred years ago, we nearly destroyed ourselves during the early years of our nuclear age—that’s a form of energy, its messy and we Earthlings banned it right before the start of the twenty-second century.”

  Fabian marveled at how advanced Earthers were. “I’m impressed.”

  “You are? Why?”

  “How you’ve progressed, you have ships that travel through the stars, and an interstellar presence.”

  Lager sighed. “Yes but it wasn’t easy, Fabian, humanity had to endure many trials before we finally learned our lesson: global terrorism and ecological disasters nearly drove us to annihilation. We paid for our mistakes in spades. You say we’ve progressed, perhaps a little, but as soon as we Earthers began expanding throughout space we found new enemies to go to war with. How do you think I got here? It’s not as if I booked a pleasure cruise here.”

  Fabian did not know how the Earthman arrived. Rumors floated around for years: some say he was sent here to establish diplomatic relations with Rek. But that didn’t make sense. Why would a culture as advanced as Earth want relations with a people as primitive as his? “So how did you arrive here Lager?”

  Lager exhaled. “There was a major battle up there.” He pointed his finger above his head.

  “In space?” Fabian said excitedly.

  Lager nodded. “Yup. My star carrier was sent to intercept an enemy fleet which was trying to gain a foothold in a neighboring star system annexed by Earth. Well, my squadron was part of the first attack wave to engage the enemy. Well, we ended up taking heavy losses.”

  “So you lost the battle?”

  “Not quite. My Starfighter was damaged and I had to withdraw from the battle. It wasn’t in any condition to return to my home carrier so I had to crash land here, on your planet. Glad I landed in Rek and not some other kingdom. Your King tells me the neighboring Kingdoms that border Rek are very suspicious of outsiders. Who knows what they would’ve done to an alien from another world.”

  The tales of adventure filled Fabian with thoughts of the Gold Quest again. “Now do you see why I wish to undertake the quest, Lager?”

  “Not really.”

  “I want to make my own legacy; look at you, a great warrior, from a distant planet, serving his people in a great conflict. I wish to serve my people as well.”

  “Now hold on there a moment, partner,” Lager said. He placed his bottle next to his seat. “You’ll have plenty of time to forge your own legacy, but war, it’s not what it’s cracked up to be— people die.”

  Despite Lager’s condemnation, Fabian’s enthusiasm didn’t abate. “Sure, then they become legends.”

  The pilot shook his head vociferously. “No…no…no! They become corpses. All that crap about honor and glory, you can throw that all out the window. If you’re lucky you get a basic ceremony and burial. Most of my friends didn’t even get that…they were incinerated when their ships were shot out of the stars. You think going after this Golden Mane will make you a hero? Nope. But it will shorten your life.”

  “I think it’s time I should be leaving, Lager; thank you for the water.” He found his crook and stood up slowly. He could hear the Earthman approach him, probably to offer him assistance, but then back off. “It appears I’ll have to hire an adventurer or two to undertake the Quest.”

  “Bad idea kid…you go home and think about what I’ve said, get all that nonsense outta your head. Live a long life and die of old age, not from someone sticking a sword through your heart. You listen to your Uncle Lager on this one.”

  Fabian thanked the Earthman again and left the cottage. As he walked away, McVick was still watching him from the doorway, muttering a prayer.

  III

  The next night, Fabian had gathered his belongings for the trek to Outville. He would look for adventurers there; he figured he’d need at least two more people to undertake the Quest. After counting his savings he realized he had just enough to pay whoever he hired, and for his own personal expenses. Supplies would cost a lot too, so Fabian would have to spend his money in a frugal manner.

  His heart was filled with anticipation of the future. What types of adventures would he have? And strange creatures would he meet? A part of him would be sad to leave his parents behind, and they would probably be devastated when they found his written note detailing his desire to travel to the Darklands.

  He crept silently to his parents’ bedroom and stared at them as they lay in their bed. He could hear their peaceful breathing and hoped that fate would bring them together again. I’m really sorry to have to put you through this; you’ve both been wonderful parents. Maybe one day you’ll understand why I chose to do this, Fabian thought. Not wishing to wake them he retraced his steps slowly back to his room and shouldered his bag before leaving a farewell note on his bed. Taking one final look around his room he sighed and slipped out the window. Outside, he turned around and looked back at his home. He had never seen it with his eyes, but that did not mean he could not picture it. To him it would always be a warm place, filled with love from two people who had brought him into this world.

  He made his way to the stable. Here was when his conscience began bothering him, even more than leaving his parents. He saddled Starspeed, his father’s finest horse and left another note, this one attached to a small pouch of his earnings, just enough for his father to purchase a replacement. He didn’t know if the new horse would be as durable as Starspeed, but it was all he could afford given the current circumstances.

  He led the horse outside and checked it thoroughly to make sure all his supplies were secure. Then he heard a panting sound. Matilda. “Go on now,” he chided her. “I don’t want you coming with me, this isn’t herding; this is dangerous,” he said in a hushed tone.

  Then he mounted Starspeed and urged the horse forward. Matilda began barking, loudly. Fabian halted his steed and looked down at her. “Now hush! You’ll wake them both and then what will I do?” But she continued barking. Fabian exhaled. “Alright, alright you can come too, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  They left the house behind and found Crescent Road. Fabian suppressed his emotions and turned his thoughts to Outville.

  ***

  Traveling on Crescent Road, Fabian felt a mixture of excitement and fear the farther Starspeed took him from his parents’ home. He hoped the adventurers he hired would be of use, alone, he stood little chance of success making it to the Darklands.

  The darkness above him faded into a dark violet hue, and a swath of blinking stars became visible when a congregation of charcoal clouds moved eastward, toward the direction from where he came. He estimated that he’d reach Outville in the last hour o
f darkness, just before the first hour of dawn ushered in the new day.

  To her credit Matilda kept up with him admirably. But he did not worry about the herder dog’s determination. She had always come through for him when the herd was concerned, and her sharp nose would no doubt prove useful during this journey. Two clocks later Fabian decided to rest his horse before it got too lathered. He did not want to exhaust it before he was many leagues from his family domicile. He had travelled Crescent Road before, both alone and with his father, so when he reached the border of his province he slowed Starspeed and found a spot where he could rest the horse and have it drink. A stream split through the ground below the marker bridge which signaled the end of his province. The night was silent except for the chirping of buzz-beetles, which soothed Fabian’s nerves.

  He sat down on the banks of the stream and listened to the water sieve through the bed. Matilda nestled up to him and he stroked her back. Her fur was warm and he had picked a good time for both her and Starspeed to rest. “I wonder what awaits us?” he told his dog. Matilda offered no response except bursts of heavy breathing, and Fabian allowed her to catch her breath.

  Fabian’s eyes began to tire and he yawned. In the rush to depart his home without waking his parents he had forgotten to sleep. “Keep an eye out Matty,” he said to his dog. Matilda barked once and he stretched out to rest.

  ***

  His dream was one enigma after another. He found himself in a labyrinth its walls towering over him as he tried to find his way out of it. “Matty? Starspeed?” he called out, but neither his faithful dog nor his dependable steed appeared. “What in Rek’s name is this place?” The strange thing was that, in his dream he could actually see. Yes! For the first time in his life the world around him wasn’t just a big dark blur with hazy figures but a clear field of vision where he could actually make out shapes and sizes.