by Mark Boutros
‘Today,’ Karl said.
Arazod tutted. He launched the rock. It went straight up onto a ledge above the Wounded Lionbear. Completely useless.
‘That wasn’t even hard!’ Karl moaned. ‘I can’t believe I’m locked up with the one person in all of Hastovia with a worse throw than me.’
‘It’s this sticky rubbish, it affected my…’ He struggled. ‘Technique…’
Karl took his shoe off. ‘Right, I’m going to do it.’
Arazod snatched the shoe from him. ‘I’m King…’ Arazod wheezed. ‘So that shoe is my property and I’m going to throw it.’
‘King of the Shoes. How far you’ve fallen.’
They wrestled for it and in the struggle Karl spotted the Little Lionbear. She reached the rock then threw it down on the Wounded Lionbear’s head. The pained roar made the Little Lionbear hide and shocked Karl and Arazod into dropping the shoe.
The Wounded Lionbear charged at the Guard Lionbear and knocked him down. They rolled around, punched, scratched and growled.
‘So, is this fight for our entertainment?’ Arazod asked.
‘Hey, if we die at sunrise, I’ll be glad I saw it,’ Karl replied.
The Wounded Lionbear rolled out of the Guard Lionbear’s grip and swiped the cage. She held a helpless Karl and Arazod above the drop.
‘Okay, so maybe I didn’t fully explore the consequences,’ Karl said.
The Guard Lionbear looked like he was going to charge at them.
‘No. That’s a stupid idea,’ Karl said.
The Guard Lionbear knocked them all off the path, Karl and Arazod in their cage sandwiched between the two hairy beasts.
‘Is this stage two of the plan?’ Arazod mocked as they fell towards the rocky ground and everything faded.
When Karl regained consciousness Arazod stirred. Their eyes met and they were horrified to find they were cuddling.
‘Get off me!’ Arazod pushed Karl away.
‘You get off me!’
‘Your arm was…’ He gasped. ‘Clearly around me.’
‘Well I could feel your beak nuzzled against my nipple!’
‘Don’t. Touch. Me. Again.’
‘Shush.’
Their cage was wedged between the mountain wall and the unconscious, Wounded Lionbear.
The Guard Lionbear was further away, slumped against a rock. Blood ran down his shoulder.
They were lucky the Wounded Lionbear broke their fall. Bony remains of eaten creatures littered the ground.
Arazod paced the limited area of the cage. ‘Why don’t you use your fancy new wings to get us out of here?’
‘They’re stuck down by this death juice. Plus, this cage seems to be made of a very heavy mineral. I tried to shake it and nothing happened. It’s probably the heaviest type of rock in all of Hastovia.’
Arazod scoffed.
The Little Lionbear, rock in hand, looked down at them from where the cage once was. She descended. Karl was worried she would fall but she seemed to be an expert climber. She approached the Wounded Lionbear and was about to wake her.
‘No, no, no.’ Karl waved his hands frantically, but the Little Lionbear really wanted to get past the Wounded Lionbear to give Karl the rock so they could carry on playing what Karl viewed as the worst game ever created by anyone in life.
‘Your stupid little friend is going to get us eaten,’ Arazod said. ‘Tell her to go and play with some poison.’
Karl ignored Arazod and pointed to the lock, doing his best impression of a key twisting. The Little Lionbear understood and walked over to the Guard Lionbear.
Karl smiled at Arazod. ‘Looks like my little friend is going to save us.’
Arazod rolled his eyes.
The Little Lionbear walked past the key and stopped at the Guard Lionbear’s head. She looked over at Karl, smiled, and lifted the rock.
‘No!’ Karl shouted then held his mouth; worried he’d stirred the beast.
The Little Lionbear frowned but still had the rock lifted over her head.
Karl wiggled his finger. ‘No.’ He waved the creature towards him and she walked. Karl flashed his palm at her. ‘Stop.’ She stopped. Karl pointed at the Guard Lionbear’s wrist, and she looked at it.
Arazod nodded, impressed.
Karl did his impression of the key again. She smiled and once again raised the rock.
Karl frantically gestured. ‘No.’ The Little Lionbear frowned.
‘Useless little waste of life,’ Arazod said. ‘I’ve…’ He wheezed. ‘I’ve commanded enough idiots. Let me.’
‘I don’t think she’s a fan of the aggressive approach.’
‘Just move.’ Arazod elbowed Karl out of the way and waved at the Little Lionbear.
She waved back.
‘Good, stupid creature. Now...’ Arazod waved imaginary keys.
The Little Lionbear mimicked Arazod’s gesture. ‘No. You. Idiot. That one.’ Arazod pointed to the key. She stared at him. Arazod clenched his claws and waved them at the Little Lionbear.
She hissed at him.
‘Congratulations,’ Karl said.
‘Stupid thing needs to learn to speak our language!’
‘Yeah, it’s clearly the Lionbear’s fault. We’re in her home, how dare she not speak our language.’
Arazod fixed his beady eyes on Karl.
Karl offered a warm smile to the Little Lionbear. ‘It’s okay.’ He showed his wrist and she understood, thrilled with herself. She slid the key from around the Guard Lionbear’s wrist and ran over to Karl and Arazod. ‘See. A bit of love goes a long way.’
The Little Lionbear threw the key to Karl. He dropped it but caught it on his foot. His heart thumped. Karl picked up the key and unlocked the cage. ‘Right. You ready?’
Arazod jumped onto Karl’s back. ‘Fly me out of here,’ he ordered.
‘Wings. Stuck. Remember?’
Arazod groaned.
‘After you, your highness,’ Karl said through a false smile.
Arazod jumped over the Wounded Lionbear, narrowly avoiding scratching her with his talons. He waited next to the Little Lionbear.
She sniffed his feathers.
Arazod’s beak twitched. He maintained a sideways glance at the creature. ‘Sniff me again and I’ll stuff you and put you on my wall,’ he said out of the side of his mouth.
The Little Lionbear sniffed him again.
Arazod kicked at her.
‘Stop it!’ Karl leapt and stood between them. ‘Thank you,’ Karl said to the Little Lionbear and stroked her head. She licked Karl’s dragon dung stained hand.
Arazod grimaced.
‘This looks a lot weirder than it actually is,’ Karl said.
‘Let’s go!’ Arazod snapped loud enough to be authoritative, but low enough to not alert the Lionbears.
A path of uneven rocks protruding from the mountain walls ascended like ledges towards a small, natural crack where the starry black of the night illuminated the red. It was too small for a Lionbear to get through.
‘It’s not the safest route, but it’s safer than going back through their home.’ Karl ruffled the Little Lionbear’s hair. ‘Goodbye, little friend.’
She frowned.
They walked towards the first ledge, avoiding stepping on any bones.
Karl turned back. The Little Lionbear’s sad eyes touched his heart. ‘Oh, go on then.’ Karl picked up a rock and waved it at the Little Lionbear. Overcome with emotion, Karl threw the rock a bit too hard. It missed and smashed the Wounded Lionbear in the eye.
A pained cry echoed through the mountain. The Wounded Lionbear’s eyes blazed with hatred aimed only at Karl.
‘Idiot!’ Arazod ran.
Karl followed. The Wounded Lionbear shoved the Little Lionbear against the wall and chased Karl.
Arazod was long gone, hopping up the rocks to freedom, while Karl’s lack of fitness showed. His wings wouldn’t flap. He took an age to climb and was sapped of energy. He struggled towards the exit and
leapt for the final ledge. He hung, tried to pull himself up, but he only presented himself to the Wounded Lionbear. She stood beneath him, growled and scraped one of her claws along the mountain wall, making the situation more unpleasant.
Karl was sick of this feeling of I’m about to die and resigned himself to being sliced in half.
Arazod hoisted him onto the ledge. Karl felt a scratch on his ankle.
‘You saved—’
‘Quick.’ Arazod pulled him through the crack. The Lionbear forced her arm through and felt around, but Arazod raked his talons down her hand.
She roared and they listened to her descend the ledges.
Arazod stood over Karl and looked at him in the same way he did in the dungeon.
Karl swallowed. He stared at Arazod’s claws, the night sun shone on them like a warning. They were sharp enough to drive through his skin.
Arazod stretched his arm out and helped Karl to stand.
29
Karl and Arazod stood in a star-lit stream below the Red Mountain and washed the foul marinade off their exposed bodies. Their clothes dried on a stick, hanging over a fire.
Karl sat in the stream and watched the blood mix with water around his cut ankle. He inhaled nature's revitalising scent.
The fire growled. Karl turned to see flames lick and swallow their clothes. He squeezed his eyes shut.
‘I thought you said you knew how to make…’ Arazod coughed. ‘A controlled fire?’
‘In my mind I’ve made many fires.’
Arazod stared at Karl.
Karl shook his head, disappointed with himself. ‘It looks easy when others do it…’
‘Idiot!’ Arazod kicked water at Karl.
Karl stood and walked over to what used to be clothes. He picked up the singed, two-headed turtle rock that Sabrinia gave him.
‘What’s that?’ Arazod asked.
‘Just a present from a good friend.’ He tucked it into the join of his wings.
Arazod nodded ‘Can you… just…?’ Arazod gasped, straining to clean his good wing. ‘There’s a bit I can’t reach.’
Karl nodded, approached Arazod and used his fingers to comb sticky filth out of his feathers. ‘A bit weird, this, isn’t it?’ Karl said.
‘We’ll just leave out—’ He wheezed. ‘These details. We fought all the Lionbears and escaped.’ He inhaled. ‘We’re heroes and that’s that.’
Karl liked that thought. He fanned out his wings, finally clean.
Arazod gazed at them.
Karl scratched his cheek, debating whether to ask what was on his mind. ‘So, umm… if you don’t mind me asking… what happened to your wing? You obviously don’t have to answer that.’
‘I know. I don’t have to do anything.’ Arazod walked over to the burnt clothes to see if he could salvage them. He picked up his armour, now useless. ‘But I will…’ He turned to Karl. ‘It was my father. Supreme Man-Hawk, Sarzo. He got…’ Arazod gasped and kicked ash. ‘Annoyed with me always flying off and exploring. He was strong and fearsome, but having children…’ He wheezed. ‘Gives you a weakness.’
Karl nodded.
‘And because he was scared I’d get kidnapped and used against him, he snapped my wing, so I couldn’t fly away.’ Arazod tried to move his broken wing but it twitched. ‘He died in an accident…’
Karl looked at the water flowing around his feet. ‘Sorry…’
‘Happiest day of my life,’ Arazod added.
Karl actually felt sorry for him. While he longed for his parents, Arazod probably wished he had never met his father. Like Karl, he probably never felt that bond to a parent even though he knew him. ‘Thanks for helping me,’ Karl said.
‘How else am I supposed to get back to Flowforn?’ Arazod joked, but probably wasn’t really joking.
Karl smiled. ‘You know. I prefer it when you’re not trying to kill me in weird and painful ways.’ Karl stepped out of the stream and flapped his wings dry.
Arazod let out a feeble chuckle and stared at Karl’s wings. ‘They’re impressive…’ He scooped a worm off the dirt and dropped it into his beak.
‘That’s because they’re magical. Not bad, eh?’ Karl remembered that Arazod had sought the wings so decided to share no more.
‘No. Not bad at all.’ Arazod scratched his working wing. ‘Karl…’
‘Yes?’
‘When you’re done looking in the cell, maybe you’ll want to come to—’ He struggled. ‘My council meeting? You know, before you’re banished again.’
‘Me, giving ideas on how to run things?’ Karl knew once he was in Two B he would be gone. ‘I’d be honoured.’ It didn’t stop him feeling important.
‘I’m sure Sabrinia will be pleased to see you too,’ Arazod said.
Karl smiled. ‘Perhaps before I leave Flowforn we can play Three Word Monster one final time.’
‘Three Word Monster?’
‘Yeah. You get three words. For example, magic, cave, and bread. You have to come up with a monster based on those words. Surely you’ve played it? It’s her favourite game.’
‘No. I haven’t...’ he said.
‘That's a shame. Ready to take a ride?’
Arazod didn’t answer, distracted by something.
‘Arazod… Ready?’
Arazod snapped out of whatever he was thinking about. ‘Yes. Just… I need to use those bushes.’
Karl nodded. He waited for Arazod to relieve himself, and was sure he heard him muttering something, but was too distracted by thoughts of freedom. The struggling was almost over.
30
Sabrinia rested on her bed and stared at the painted ceiling. It was a scene of her father cradling her, with Peezant covering his genitals. She was disturbed that it would either be the image above the bed she would soon be sharing with Arazod, or the last image she ever saw.
She wondered what hers and Arazod’s babies would look like? Would she give birth to a child or an egg? Would they even sleep in a bed or would he make a nest on top of one of the towers?
She heard a scratch against the bricks outside her window. Cries of, ‘Ow,’ ‘How can you be so weak?’ and ‘You’re scratching my beak!’ drew her to investigate.
Karl held Arazod and hovered below. He struggled to fly high enough to get through the window.
‘Karl! Arazod!’ Sabrinia called out, excited.
Karl strained. ‘I told you we should’ve just walked in.’
‘It’s not as dramatic!’
‘But less painful.’
‘You have no sense of flamboyance.’
‘Why are you both naked?’ Sabrinia asked.
‘I set our clothes on fire.’ Karl tried to lift Arazod that little bit higher, but only succeeded in scraping Arazod’s face against the brickwork.
‘Stop it! It burns!’ Arazod moaned.
Sabrinia pulled them up. They covered their nakedness with their wings.
Sabrinia got them each a feminine robe from her cupboard.
‘I wanted to surprise you and fly in like a hero.’ Arazod put the robe on and ripped the back to get his wings through. Karl did the same with his.
Sabrinia hugged Arazod. It wasn’t a loving hug. It was one of relief, and she hoped he wouldn’t sense it. ‘Were you harmed?’
‘Just some Lionbears. But we handled it.’ Arazod leaned in for a kiss but she turned her cheek, which he pecked and accidentally cut. She held in the pain and wiped the blood away.
Karl sat on Sabrinia’s bed. ‘You know, the only reason the Lionbears are being sighted is because the bushes and tree stumps they get their berries from are being stripped.’
Sabrinia stared at him, hoping he’d take the hint and get off the bed, but he didn’t.
Arazod placed his working wing around Sabrinia. ‘I’ll see to it that the woods and bushes around their lair are made sacred and untouchable.’
Sabrinia smiled at him. She’d perfected looking pleased while analysing his actions for something more sinister.
<
br /> ‘In fact, I’ll tell—’ He gasped. ‘Lord Ragnus now. Fools!’ Arazod shouted.
Three Fools ran into the room. They saw Karl and drew their daggers. ‘Ugly Karl!’
Karl backed towards the window.
‘You are not to kill Karl or Questions!’ Arazod commanded.
Yellow flickered in their eyes and they put their daggers away.
Karl looked like he could cry. Just like that, he and Questions were free, but Sabrinia wouldn’t let herself get excited.
‘Go and find—’ Arazod struggled and hit his chest. ‘Go and find—’ He wheezed.
‘Lord Ragnus?’ Karl suggested.
Arazod nodded. ‘Yes, Lord Ragnus.’ He waved the Fools away and noticed the keys on the chest of drawers.
‘I found them at the site we last saw you,’ Sabrinia explained.
Arazod accepted and took the keys back. ‘I’ll be in my quarters.’
‘Wait… What about Cell Two B?’ Karl asked.
‘I want to hold our meeting first. So tomorrow, after…’ He took a huge breath. ‘We’ve discussed ways to help Flowfornia. Then you can visit your storage cell.’ Arazod turned and exited.
When he was out of sight, Sabrinia threw her arms around Karl. ‘Thank you, thank you. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.’ Karl squeezed her.
‘Karl.’ Arazod poked his head back around the door.
Sabrinia’s eyes widened. This was the kind of hug Arazod wanted. The kind of hug she would never give him. She released Karl.
‘Maybe you won’t be banished,’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Maybe you will live…’ He wheezed. ‘In Flowforn again.’
‘Really?’ Karl said.
Arazod nodded and left.
Sabrinia closed the door and turned to Karl. ‘You need to go, now!’
‘Why?’
‘He’s being strange, more than usual.’
Karl took her hands. ‘Sabrinia, we’ve just been through a life-threatening experience together. It’s bonded us and I think it has melted away a lot of that hatred. Me and Arazod are now friends.’
‘He’ll peck your eyes out while you sleep.’
‘He’s not that bad. And this council meeting tomorrow is a great way to help people before I go.’