by Lee Magnus
“You mean he hires you to sneak around spying on people?”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “Like that.”
“But this is different. You could’ve been killed by the troll. He must mean more to you than just occasional work.”
“Yeah. He is. He taught me read from the stories in those books. As you can imagine, my dad wasn’t around much. I actually haven’t seen him since I was eight.”
“Nomad.”
Ant looked at him angrily.
“Oh. Sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
“He caught me running by the library one day and asked if I was a Segralite. To this day I don’t know how he knew. I, of course, said no and ran away. But curiosity got the best of me.”
Trey’s eyes lit up followed by a sideways squinty-eyed look from Ant who said, “Don’t say it!”
Trey smiled and didn’t say “curiosity”.
Ant continued, “So the next day I went back and asked him why he wanted to know. He said he needed someone to be sneaky and unrecognizable which was right up my mischievous alley back then. I started coming by the library a few times a week. Cierden would give me a task and when I returned, he would read me a story. This went on for years and even some today.”
“That’s pretty cute that you still do story time.”
“Hey! Don’t make fun. Cierden’s voice can be incredibly soothing.”
“I don’t doubt that. So, what you are saying is that when your dad bailed on you, the librarian filled in some of the holes?”
“You got it, Mate.”
“Cierden is the one you believe about the imps isn’t he.“
“Yeah.”
“I know now why you believe in the imp’s magic. I feel he has a few magical tricks himself,” Trey said.
“Cierden is pretty amazing.”
“I have a guy like that. Not magical or anything. Mr. H has taught me a lot. He’s been more of a father than my actual dad ever was.”
“It’s nice to have those people in our lives isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It is,” Trey replied with a warm reminiscent smile.
“What’s the deal with the bow? You’re pretty good with it.”
“This old thing? It’s my dad’s. It was the last thing he taught me before he left. It was all I had to play with as a kid so you can expect to get pretty good at something if it’s all you have.”
After a few minutes of silence Ant asked in a way that indicated the question’s only purpose was to continue the conversation, “Tell me about your Earth, Trey. Is it like here?”
“It actually is. It seems that the land features are nearly exactly the same in some instances. However, this mountain isn’t back home. Also, the buildings, horses and what people wear are like Earth two hundred years ago. I go to school and my mom works at a museum. I suppose it isn’t much different from here other than we don’t have whatever nighttime dangers you have.”
“There are dangerous creatures out after sunset along with the imps. The imps are very active at night.”
“I’ve had enough of those guys.”
Ant chuckled at the comment then said, “Is there a girl waiting on you back home?”
“A girl? I don’t know.” He looked down before continuing, “Maybe. It was sort of complicated before I left.”
“Complicated is interesting. Tell me more.”
Well, I’ve sort of had a crush on this one girl for a long time. Her name is Sarah. But she never paid me any attention until recently. But now she has this older boyfriend with a car and…I guess…I hoped we could have been something. I must have been mistaken with her.”
“A car? What’s that?”
“It’s sort of like a wagon but has an engine and you don’t need a horse to pull it. The engine makes it go.”
“That’s amazing! A wagon that moves without a horse. You must tell me more about these cars.”
“That’s about all I can say other than some go really fast.”
“I’d love to ride in a car one day.”
“If you ever make it to my world – maybe.“
“Tell me how you were mistaken with the girl?”
“I’m not sure. I guess she’s been talking to me recently and we walked home from school one day and that was really great. We made plans to walk again together but I didn’t show up.”
“You guess she’s been talking to you? Was she or wasn’t she, Mate? You’re not making any sense.”
“She was. She was definitely talking to me. But that’s not all. There’s this other girl, Leslie. I don’t know what it is with her. I’ve never noticed her before this year. My heart speeds up when I’m with her and I can’t help but smile. She’s just so sweet. I’ve always had a thing for Sarah, but Leslie is totally different.”
“Two girls! Whoa! You do have a problem, Mate!” he hooted.
“Why didn’t you show up for the first girl?”
“Ha! Yeah… that’s sort of the beginning of why I’m here. I was attacked by these weird gross things, then ended up halfway across the world fighting for my life?”
“Really?” Ant replied languidly.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here.”
“What else have you done to get you here?”
Over the next hour Trey told Ant about the attack of the rogglets, Lyza, Simon, the Keeper and his dreams. He kept the events around the eye, the dragon and time relic to himself.
“You know. I thought you were full of it when you said you weren’t from this world. You tell the stories like they actually happened.”
“It’s all true. I swear. Look at this.” Trey removed the disk from his pocket. “The stone in this disk is what I pulled from the Keeper and right here is the scar the rogglet left when he grabbed my ankle.” Trey looked confused. “Well, it was there. I guess it healed.”
“You’re something else. That’s an amazing story.”
“I guess. Thanks.”
“You sure do guess a lot. I would expect someone that has prevailed as much as you have in such a short time would be more confident.”
“I’m really just trying to stay alive, which I haven’t always been successful at. Remember? I died defeating the Keeper.”
“Yeah. I remember,” Ant said with leery eyes. Ant walked away looking out the cave entrance, then said, “Like I said before. You have no business here. It’s way too dangerous for a boy.” He paused for a minute, evaluating the nighttime activity. “My father once told me – “ he began as he turned to find two large lizard-like creatures hauling off an unconscious Trey deep into the mountain.
“Arggg! Trey!” He ran after the abductors but was unable to catch up to their brisk unrelenting pace.
King Koltek
Trey was tossed into a crude rusty cage with a pounding headache. He lifted himself up, then looked out into the vast cavern lit by a phosphorescent glow that casted ghostly shadows across dark brown walls. There were lots of strange noises about; a clanging here, a random screech there, grunts and grovels from numerous mysterious creatures. Trey became frightened and feared the worst.
His eyes adjusted to the eerie light to reveal various lizard creatures scurrying about a rocky terrain. Slimy vegetation decorated the walls. A sour smell, like expired milk left out in the sun mixed with stagnant pond water filled the air.
Trey hung his head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe it! This is the end,” Trey said in a sad wimpy voice. “After all I’ve been through, I get captured in this stinky mountain. There’s no way I’ll get out of this cage. I’ll probably die here – alone.”
Trey closed his eyes and rested his head on the crusty bars.
“Don’t be distraught, little guy. I’ll keep you company,” a low cheery voice said from the shadows across the cage behind him.
Startled, Trey jumped around. A man-like creature with bulging muscles, sloped ridged forehead, furry waist and clawed feet sat across him in a cross-legged position. He sat because he was too large to
stand upright in the small container. Trey on the other hand had room to spare when he stood and could move freely.
“Oh my God! I didn’t see you!” Trey said alarmed at the hulking figure that somehow escaped his eye initially.
“Don’t be scared. We can be buddies,” he said with a welcoming smile. His low voice could have been any famous TV or radio host – pleasant and warm. It didn’t match his appearance at all. “I’m Calhoun.”
Trey calmed a bit. His voice wasn’t quite as hysterical as he made the assessment that Calhoun, at the moment, wasn’t dangerous. “Nice to meet you Calhoun,” Trey said apprehensively.
“What brings a guy like you to a place like this?”
Trey assumed Calhoun was being silly with humorous banter, so he replied while examining the cage, “Well, the popular vacation spots are always so crowded. I thought I’d try something more, you know, exotic this time around.”
Calhoun responded intensely serious, “Why would anyone vacation here? It’s damp and smelly.”
“It’s a – nevermind,” Trey replied, unsure if the beastly man was messing with him or not. “I was captured up the mountain by those things. I’m not supposed to be here.”
Calhoun’s expression remained the same as when Trey first arrived, “I’m not either. Take me, I was just minding my own business when they captured me.”
“Minding your own business, huh? In this mountain? I know you have a better story than that?”
“Maybe I was trying to steal back the cradle and got caught,” he said nonchalantly. “I’m not exactly sure how I got in this cage.”
“Now that makes more sense. What’s the cradle?”
He leaned forward. He became comically intense. “It’s a large magical crystal that is the source of life for my people.” His eyes bulged with sincerity. “It’s what lights this cavern. It makes everything grow,” he said spreading his arms in outward circles from lower to higher. “But Koltek’s imps stole it years ago.”
Trey nearly fell over. His mind spun as Calhoun continued, “He doesn’t know what it is. He just uses it to somehow control the over-grown lizards that have been wreaking havoc on the surrounding cities. I just now found it. I have to get it back before it’s too late and thousands starve.” He began to speak again before Trey stopped him.
“Please stop for a second. Did you say this guy’s name is Koltek?”
“Yeah. He’s a real nasty guy.”
“Is he a demon?”
“A what?” Calhoun replied with a curious face.
“You know, a demon.”
“I don’t know what he is. I just know I have to return the cradle to my people.”
It has to be him, Trey thought to himself. Logos said we were destined to meet.
Realizing the futility in learning about Koltek from the bulky beast, Trey asked, “That one crystal is really all that stands between harvest and famine for your people?”
“Without the cradle, our land will soon be barren.”
“I see. And the demon … I mean Koltek, is also responsible for the nighttime terrors around here?”
“Yes. These lizard things don’t handle daylight well and do their plundering after sundown. The cities are usually well lit at night which thwarts the midnight raids.”
“So, these are the creatures everyone warned me about.”
Calhoun scrunched his nose and said, “Yeah. They’re nasty boogers.”
“Haha!” Trey laughed. “And they’re green!”
Calhoun remained expressionless.
“You know?” Trey said laughing. “Boogers. They’re nasty boogers…and boogers are green.” Trey’s laughter turned to a confused smile.
Nothing from Calhoun.
“So, uh, yeah.” Trey cleared his throat. “They’re the bad guys around here. What’s that tattoo on your forearm?” Trey asked to change the subject.
“I was once a warrior for the Rasius tribe,” he said shamefully, “before the great peace. All of us bear the scars of our turbulent past.”
“Warrior? Tell me more!”
“It is not something I am proud of. I killed many of my brothers for a worthless cause.” He held his head low and pulled his knees close to his chest.
“There never seems to be a good reason for war. Please go on,” Trey said sincerely.
“The four tribes of my land lived in peace for thousands of years. As our numbers grew, we began arguing over resources and territory. Squabbles turned into a thirty-year war decimating large swaths of our people. We could have easily worked together to efficiently produce enough for everyone, but influential leaders took power and pitted each tribe against the others.”
“How’d they come to power.”
“That is the funny part. We chose them to lead us. We became convinced we needed someone else to tell us what to do in order to solve our resource problem. Each tribe chose a leader for representation in negotiations. It seemed to go well for a while until our leader, Oligan came to us saying we can no longer trust the other tribes and must defend our territory. We began building an army of warriors. Oligan soon-after pressed for preemptive attacks on the other tribes which led to the war. We were so busy with the war and lost so many good people our land withered. Crops failed; herds left. We were on the brink of starvation.”
“It’s amazing to me what power will do to a person. How’d the war end?”
“On a peaceful Sunday afternoon, the cradle crashed from the heavens to a neutral area between the four tribe lands. The land around the cradle soon flourished. Thinkers from all tribes studied it and learned how to harness its power to solve our resource problems. We soon realized our leaders were intentionally instigating war between the tribes to separate us. Once we were separated and began feeling superior over the other tribes, it was easy for them to manipulate us to do the things they wanted us to do. We all became subservient to the system they created. For thirty years we lived like slaves under the guise we were protected when in reality they were stealing the resources they were claiming to protect.”
“And then?”
“We banished the corrupt leaders and once again became a flourishing society. The cradle enabled the land to sustain our growing civilization. That is until the imps came in the night nearly fifteen years ago and stole it. We’ve managed since then but the decline in food is noticeable. I along with ten others were sent to find it. I must not fail my people for I fear war will resume.”
“And you came so close but got thrown into this cage. I’m in a similar situation. I will help you recover the cradle,” Trey said heroically.
“Thank you, small boy. But I have a hard time believing you can help, even if we get out of this cage.”
“I’ll do what I can, and after hearing your story, I feel we’ll find a way out.”
“How’d you get here?” Calhoun asked Trey.
Trey began to tell the story he told Ant when a large toady creature, bulbous and bloated, entered the room. He addressed a large crowd of fat toady followers. He angrily shook at Calhoun and said with a huge ribbed mouth, “How callous and stupid could someone be to believe they could steal from the great King Koltek!” He spit slobber about when he spoke.
The crowd roared while masses of large lizards scurried about seemingly aimlessly – some stood on hind legs while a majority on all fours close to the ground while others stationed near strategic points didn’t seem to move at all. The still ones held gruesome looking curved bladed weapons with pointy tips.
“Looks like my party has started,” Calhoun said dryly.
Amid the speech, Trey turned to the bulky man-ish creature, “Your party?”
Koltek wore a dull metal crown and waived a crooked wooden stick in the air when he yelled, “Bring me the thief!”
Trey quickly turned back to see an army of portly pig-bodied frog headed lackeys storming toward the cage. They brandished long sticks with white/green sparks popping from the tips. They rushed Calhoun’s side of the cage a
nd quickly subdued him with several jabs of the electric weapons. Each strike arced with a loud pop before sending him down in a violent spasm.
The mob brought Calhoun to Koltek who’s globular human-like legs under well-tailored pants propelled him back and forth on the inset stone carved stage.
“This thief!” he spat but missed Calhoun wide to the left, “Tried to steal our sacred lifestone!”
The crowd yelled in unison, “Oy!”
“He tried to kill us all with starvation!”
“Oy!”
“His punishment will be – “ he looked down at the minions and raised his hands high like a symphony conductor entering the crescendo then yelled in a deep throaty voice, “death!”
“Oy! Oy! Oy!” screamed the throng.
Trey watched helplessly through the bars as Koltek and his minions set out to execute the sentence.
As Koltek rambled on, one of the lizards snuck up behind the cage, then quietly said, “You want to come out to play? I mean, I like the king’s boastful speeches and all but this one has gone on too long.”
Trey shared a confused look.
“I promise I won’t eat you right away, Mate. I’m just so very bored.”
Trey continued to not understand the situation. Suddenly he showed a faint smile as he said cautiously “Ant? Is that you?”
“Yeah, Mate! And I know where your stuff is,” he said excitedly then turned back into the fox. With a wink, he opened the cage door.
The rusty hinges creaked loudly. The room silenced as everyone looked their way.
Calhoun said politely to Koltek as he bowed respectfully, “I do appreciate your hospitality, but I really must be moving on.”
Koltek gave a confused look then shouted, “Get them!” His jowls jiggled in fury. He then rushed through a company of armed guards into a room behind him and touched something anchored to the wall. Instantly the aimless lizards halted then all dashed toward Calhoun, Trey and Ant. The guards behind Koltek reformed their original order and remained out of the chase when he returned.
“Run!” cried Ant.
Several of the frogpigs bounced into one another. Calhoun ravaged numerous others with swift punches. He crushed one into a wall with a large foot. He then picked up three electric sticks and javelined them all at the same time toward Koltek. As Koltek clumsily avoided the barrage, Calhoun darted toward Trey and Ant. Koltek left the great room amid several frogpigs.