The Dagger-Key and The Lost Treasures of Kebadon

by Daniel Ferguson

  * * *

  Kyhawn was assigned an overnight watch with Bekim on the white sand beach. Well armed as he walked alone, he did his best to have pleasant thoughts, but all he could think about were his nightmarish dreams. Even the branches on the trees seemed to reflect their images. He thought recalling the episode with the tree Washburrn experienced, but again felt it was unbelievable. The runaway Zacs are most likely hiding in those ruins. He also thought about the sea creatures, and then the dagger-key. Arbra said she found it exactly where they entered the water. I wonder if they thought it came from the chest.

  He searched deeply within his soul, but could only come up with a shallow understanding of his dreams. Like a jigsaw puzzle without a picture to follow, he didn’t know where to begin. Somehow his innocence was slipping away. He admired Washburrn and Alil dearly; but he hated the cruelty of the world. A slice of enlightenment taunted his soul as he began to understand the reality placed before him.

  When he arrived, Bekim’s father Treb was there to greet him. Kyhawn pretended to be brave and traded a few friendly words with Treb, a strangely handsome dark-red Zac whose long double-breasted cloak covered his baggy shirt, vest, and trousers that flopped around his pointed toe boots. “You keep alert,” Treb ordered them both in his accented speech as he tipped his wide-brimmed hat and headed back to camp.

  Kyhawn plopped down on a long log, at the opposite end Bekim sat. He looked much like his father. They didn’t speak much at first, but as the night went on and Kyhawn studied his own thoughts, Bekim rambled on about a wallong ranch his father and he owned, which was on the large island of Narstellyon, north of Rhaw, Kyhawn’s homeland.

  While the moon reflected off the rippling movements of the tide, they shared some dried wallong meat with one another while Bekim told stories of his desert fields where they raised the large worm creatures along with cactus weed. “We dry the cactus weed and eat it. Here, I brought some with me … try it?”

  “I wonder why those creatures didn’t attack us the night of the wreck,” Kyhawn said taking the dried cactus to his mouth.

  “Don’t know. Could be they attacked and killed others that are missing. But we were too busy saving our lives to notice.”

  Kyhawn pondered this idea. “You saw the body today. No one who washed ashore looked anything like that.”

  “Personally I wish I could forget I ever laid eyes on that awful-smelling body.” Bekim looked out at the water. “I don’t care to talk about it either.”

  Kyhawn respected his request, then became quiet again, as if he’d drifted off into one of his dreams. He had a lot on his mind that he didn’t care to share with a stranger. He thought. Washburrn has buried the chest. Alil and I are the only ones who know of its whereabouts. We most likely have pirates about, and that trip to the ship today, why did Aestasol have to die? He was too young to die.

  Kyhawn glanced at Bekim, who was fooling with the night lamp. “You have to turn the entire top portion to adjust it.”

  Bekim looked at him oddly, then smiled. “Oh, I see, it’s not like the ones I’m used to, thanks.”

  Kyhawn gave him a friendly nod and returned to his own thoughts. A moment later a sense of rage overcame him. He slammed the log, caving in the side, got to his feet and shook off the pain afterward.

  Bekim, alarmed, sat straight up, wide-awake not saying a word.

  Kyhawn jumped down onto the white sand. “What do you say we take a walk along the beach.”

  Bekim, somewhat shy, gave him a surprising look. At first he thought they should remain at their post, but if he could make a friend why not.

  After walking along the beach, being cautious with every step. It didn’t take long for them to find the beach was rather tranquil. One wave after another vanished in to the white sands, with the moon reflecting off the rippling movements of the tide. They stood not far from where the two zacs were killed that day. They couldn’t help but wonder if those things that killed them weren’t still out there waiting for someone else to take a swim.

  “They could be land creatures too,” Bekim said as he began to look for any sings of them in the sand.

  “You’re right, they could be, but I doubt it.”

  “What makes you so sure of yourself?”

  “We’ve walked all up and down this beach more then once since we’ve been here. Not once have we found a foot print or trail indicating they have left the water.” Kyhawn answered; giving Bekim a friendly clapped on the shoulder. “Come-on, we can walk to the other end over here where the natural arches are. I haven’t been up close to the larger ones yet. Have you?”

  “No I haven’t.”

  “There’s nothing happening this way, come-on.”

  They ventured passed the Sealander, and overtop the sharp rocks, looking for any signs of the sea-creatures coming to shore.

  Kyhawn walked along the shoreline, lantern in hand. “I don’t see tracks of any kind here.”

  Bekim gazed at the ocean. “I don’t see anything of them out there, only a few dragonflies and waves breaking.”

  “It looks as though the tide’s covering most of the ground beneath these arches. They’re beautiful, especially in the moonlight.” Kyhawn admired the sight. “Look at the way they tower into the side of the mountain, and disappear in the trees and other plant life at their peeks. And the way they taper off at the bottoms and slowly vanish into the ocean. They must be over a hundred feet tall.”

  “Yeah, nice.” Bekim said chewing on a piece of wallong, he turned the opposite way. “We best get back to our post.”

  As they started back Kyhawn chuckled, “The only footprints out here are the ones we’ve left behind.”

  “I hope we don’t get into trouble leaving our post.”

  Kyhawn smiled. “We shouldn’t. If you think about it, we have been on watch. I mean, how much closer can we get to those things... and a passing ship?”

  Bekim chuckled. “I don’t think they meant for us to go sight-seeing.”

  The expression on Kyhawn narrow face quickly became surprised. “Out there. Did you see that?”

  “No.”

  Kyhawn pointed, “Out there, were those dragonflies are buzzing around over the water. A tentacle just reach up and took one down with it.”

  As they continued to watch closely the dragonflies buzzing near the surface of the water eating seaweed, another tentacle sprang from underwater and snacked yet another dragonfly. Kyhawn and Bekim gazed on as if being entertained. “I’ve seen enough of those things,” Bekim said as he continued on to the far end of the beach near the shallow cliffs.

  After they had returned to their post, they spent the remainder of the night and early morning eating and trading stories of their hometowns.