Pulchra and Akaru
By
Anthony Vanderscheuren
Copyright 2014 Anthony Vanderscheuren.
All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 1
In a simpler time, when monsters, spirits, and daemons still populated the forests and plains, a young woman, the wife of the magistrate of the small but prosperous town of Angustia, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The third child her mother had borne, this girl was by far the most handsome of her siblings, indeed the most handsome in the entire province. On seeing his new daughter, the magistrate was overjoyed and named her Pulchra, which means beautiful.
As she grew her beauty only increased. Her hair was a dark brown, nearly black, and shone like polished wood in any light. The color of her eyes was the deep blue of the sea at twilight, and her perfect figure was more stunning than the greatest work of any master sculptor. Her loveliness became known throughout the region so that anyone traveling through the narrow valley Angustia sat in would try to catch a glimpse of the beautiful, young girl.
At that time, unknown to the men, the daemon Lord Akaru drove his rivals back and extended his domain into the valley where Pulchra’s father served as magistrate. The daemon was enchanted by the girl and often sat unseen in a tree outside the town hoping to see her. He ordered all those in his domain not to harm the town and saw to it that harvests were always plentiful and no foreign force marched into the valley. So the townsmen lived in peace, never knowing who made that peace possible.
Akaru appreciated the respite from hostilities. Walking through the forest he recalled the many campaigns he had led against other daemon kings. First, when he was much younger he had defeated proud Goshimun. Then a few years later the sly Haninki. Then in rapid succession came the wars against Bijuka, Meuchi, and Ziemoromu along with his legendary Band of Butchers. Next had been the war against Yikipo, in which Akaru had taken the worst losses, but afterwards followed decades of relatively easy and swift victories. Now his borders were secure and Akaru could finally rest from war.
Turning down a path, Akaru sighed as he remembered the faces of all the dear friends and loved ones who had been lost in those campaigns. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to enjoying the soft songs of the birds and the chattering of the squirrels in the forest on the mountainside. A few wild goats skittered away when he climbed over a rise and the human town came into view.
Akaru could see the large market place at its center, bordered by the tall temples to the deities. The city council hall and the large theater were also easily identified from a distance. Akaru continued walking closer and he could soon pick out the herdsmen with their livestock in the pastures and the farm hands working in the fields which surrounded Angustia. The humans’ skill in cultivating large numbers of plants had intrigued Akaru for some years. He had attempted similar projects with mixed success though never on the same scale.
Akaru paused on the edge of the forest and watched the stalks of wheat sway in the breeze. The wheat fields made up the majority of the cultivated land and the wind moved in hypnotizing waves through that golden sea. But among the gold was mixed spots of grey. Akaru stooped down and looked closer at the plants in front of him. Small worms were crawling up many stalks, nibbling as they went. Akaru did not recognize the species. The pests must have been brought by a foreign trader.
Angustia was well situated on a road which connected the villages on the mountain peaks above it to the cities on the plain below. All travel and commerce between the two regions funneled through this valley, making the town grow and thrive. Unfortunately, sometimes it also brought undesirable visitors such as this worm. It would have to be dealt with immediately before it impacted the harvest or spread to the forest.
Reaching out his slender fingers, Akaru plucked one of the offending creatures from the wheat. Surely he could find something interested in eating them. He lifted his hand and sent out a silent call. It was a shame that despite their affinity for the flora, the humans could not so readily influence the fauna surrounding them. A small black bird was the first to answer his call.
“Hello, little fellow,” Akaru said as the bird alighted on his fingers. Its dark eyes surveyed the worm twisting in Akaru’s grip. It moved its beak closer but then retreated and turned its gaze to Akaru. “Not to your liking?”
The bird spread its wings and took to the sky again just as the nearby wheat began to sway, but not because of the breeze this time.
“Lord Akaru, if I had known you were coming this way today I would have waited and walked with you,” a voice came from the field.
“It was not a planned visit, my friend,” Akaru greeted his servant Tobart. He held the worm out and said, “I did not think you would be interested in something like this.”
“No, of course not,” Tobart said, wrinkling his nose. “I was looking for a snack and just as I was approaching something, a mouse or a shrew I’m not exactly sure, he darted this way. Responding to your call no doubt.”
“A shrew,” Akaru said pointing to a small rodent who was greedily munching on the worms on the wheat stalks.
“And now he is occupied in your employ meaning I can’t eat him,” Tobart sighed and rubbed his empty stomach. “Pity.”
Akaru tossed the worm in his hand toward the shrew as more of his brethren arrived to aid in the extermination.
“It’s a shame that Celisha isn’t here,” Tobart said. “They look like the sort of thing she would enjoy.”
“Only Celisha, not her sister?” Akaru smiled as Tobart looked sheepishly at the ground.
“Well yes, Carmina would like them also,” he stammered.
“I thought you usually waited for nightfall to hunt the rats near the town,” Akaru said, changing the subject.
“Yes I do” he replied. “They grow fattest near the magistrate’s storehouse. But I had heard that Rankiku might be passing by the southern road this afternoon and I have further heard that a sublime female is traveling with her.”
“And just a moment ago you were eager to have Celisha here with us,” Akaru said and smiled again.
“Well she is a fine woman, but-“
“I understand, Tobart,” Akaru laughed. “You are still young.”
“And you are not so old, sir,” said Tobart as he leaned closer. “Come with me. Rankiku is also an attractive female and she may be interested in making a home nearby. I’m sure you could give her an incentive.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll pass.”
“Talecta has been dead a long time, sir.”
Akaru’s eyes narrowed. Tobart took a step back but continued, “You have grieved long enough. Could she tell you so now I am sure she would not want you to spend the rest of your days alone.”
“Talecta would have plenty to say about Rankiku,” Akaru snarled. “A woman who still wanders from land to land long past the days of her youth, who beds any daemon who catches her eye, and eats whatever appeals to her without regard for maintaining a territory.”
Tobart remained silent. For a moment neither moved, then Akaru’s expression softened. He bent down and again grabbed a worm that the shrews had not yet found.
“Do you know what Talecta would have done with these?” Akaru asked.
“Yes, sir,” Tobart said smiling. “She would have gathered them in a sack not lea
ving a single one, and walked through the forest offering them to chicks in their nests, young frogs in the streams, or any poor creature in need of nourishment. And if she could not find any that found them appetizing she would have eaten them herself.”
“Exactly,” Akaru sighed and placed the worm in his mouth. After chewing for a second he also smiled. “But she would have enjoyed it.”
They both laughed. Akaru put a hand on Tobart’s shoulder and said, “I know you mean well, but someone like Rankiku is not for me.”
Tobart nodded but remained silent. The two daemons watched the shrews scurrying after the worms for a few minutes until the distant whinny of a horse drew their attention to the road. Several men on horseback were making their way toward Angustia.
“It seems that Rankiku is not the only one traveling through the valley today,” Akaru said wondering who the men could be.
“They’re not merchants,” Tobart said as if reading his master’s mind. “Not enough baggage for that and they are too well dressed. Noblemen on a journey would be my guess.”
“I wonder what their purpose is here.”
“Any of a dozen trivial issues.”
“See who they are, will you?” Akaru ordered. “But don’t frighten them.”
“I never do,” Tobart said grinning. Then he dropped to all fours, and disappeared into the wheat.
Retreating a ways into the forest Akaru agilely climbed high into a tree. He reclined on a large bough where he could see over the town’s walls. A play must have just ended in the theater since the market place was flooding with people as they exited the huge structure. Akaru envied them. He had read many of the works by the play writes of many nations and had longed to be able to enjoy a close range view of a performance. Which of the great heroes’ deeds had been recreated on the stage that afternoon, he wondered.
Akaru’s thoughts were interrupted when he caught sight of the magistrate’s youngest child leaving the performance. Tobart had told him that the girl’s name was Pulchra and Akaru had to agree that the name fit her perfectly. Pulchra was stunningly attractive and graceful, but more than that there was a beauty in her attitude towards her people that was rare among human nobility. As Akaru watched the maiden distributed alms, likely the change left after purchasing her admittance to the theater, to the elderly and the children in the market place. After emptying her purse she disappeared into one of the temples to offer prayers to one of her gods. Yes, she was truly beautiful by every definition of the word.
There was a scratching noise below him and Akaru looked down to see Tobart making his way up the tree. The lesser daemon perched on a bough opposite his master and reported, “The well-dressed caravan is indeed a young nobleman from the low lands and his entourage.”
Akaru turned to watch the line of horses now approaching the city gate and asked, “Did you find out what trivial issue has brought them into the mountains?”
“Oh it’s not so trivial after all,” Tobart said, scratching behind an ear. “One of the men was describing to another some of the gifts this nobleman is to present to the magistrate as tokens of his undying friendship when he asks for the hand of the magistrate’s lovely daughter.”
“What?” Akaru exclaimed and turned quickly to look at Tobart who simply shrugged. He turned back toward the nobleman who was now entering the town and said under his breath, “Pompous fool.”
“He seems to be a fine specimen of human masculinity,” Tobart remarked.
“He is not,” Akaru scoffed. “His beauty does not compare to Pulchra’s. He’s not worthy to even lay his eyes on her. She deserves so much better.”
“There is nothing keeping you from presenting yourself to the girl for a night,” Tobart said leaning forward, a sly expression in his eyes. “Many daemons have enjoyed fine nights with human maidens.”
“No, no, no. And leave her a broken, raving shell despised and labeled a lunatic like that poor fellow of Anjuin’s a few years ago? She deserves much better than that, Tobart.”
“There were many who said you punished Anjuin too harshly for a crime against a human, a race that doesn’t even know of our existence. Was the man’s fate your reason for such severity?” Tobart asked.
“Mainly, yes.”
“Well in any case, if those are not your intentions,” Tobart returned to the present situation. “Then I do not understand your interest, sir.”
“I don’t understand it myself,” Akaru sighed. “Come, let’s go home. I can’t watch anymore of this.”
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