Emajen

by Ashley Ledigo

  A young girl had drawn him many years ago. Crevitos, who had very much liked the design, had long since discovered that he could produce Creations of his own, simply by drawing them. He had designed a number of them, based on a similar theme: human beings with one simple animal attribute – which could be deadly.

  There was only one snag with Crevitos’s Creations and a rather large one, he had to admit. They were weak. Because he himself was someone’s creation (though he shuddered to admit it to himself) he simply did not have the power behind his imagination that human beings had. And, despite his warnings, and despite a huge number of deaths amongst Doomland’s population, there were still some who defied him. And those very Creations who defied him had discovered his own Creations’ weakness.

  But he would find them. He would find these traitors and when he did …

  Crevitos stretched, smiled and hummed a little to himself. If all went according to plan, he would double, treble, maybe even quadruple his strength and then, then his Creations would not be so easily overcome.

  Then HE Crevitos, the greatest ruler any world had ever known, would be invincible.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  A small group of people stood at the corral fence watching events with a variety of emotions ranging from horror to awe. Merlin was having trouble with a youngster. At least he didn’t look very troubled, but Destiny didn’t think there was anything that could persuade her to stand where he was standing right now.

  The youngster, a stallion called Toby, was four years old. He was, apparently, a rescue horse, which meant, so Anthony explained, that some loathsome creep had mistreated the horse. The venom in his voice as he told Destiny this, had quite taken her aback. In three days she had only ever seen him smiling and sunny. But the fact that people could be cruel to animals was a subject that sickened her to the core, so she could totally understand why he felt the way he did.

  You wouldn’t know Toby was a rescue horse to look at him. It seemed that Anthony’s dad had brought him over from England three months previously, at which point he had looked like a walking hat rack. There was no sign of that now. No long curled up hooves, no open, bleeding sores on his face, legs and body. He was plump, shiny and beautifully groomed, but Destiny could see the fear in his face by the way his eyes rolled and his nostrils flared.

  As they watched, he reared high above Merlin’s head, front hooves thrashing ominously close to the man standing patiently before him. Destiny marvelled that Merlin could stand so still and so apparently unconcerned.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ she breathed into Anthony’s ear, terrified of making any noise that might upset Toby further.

  ‘He’ll wait it out,’ Anthony whispered back. ‘You watch, in a bit Toby will realize that Merlin’s not threatening him and that rearing isn’t getting him anywhere. Then he’ll stop.’

  Destiny watched. It seemed like an age passed as Toby plunged and reared around Merlin and she watched with dread, expecting at any moment to see half a tonne of horse come crashing down on Merlin’s head.

  Then it was over!

  Toby stood still, his coat matted with sweat, eyes still rolling but, nonetheless, quiet. Merlin reached forward very slowly and rubbed the stallion’s neck. After a couple of minutes, he began to lead Toby gently around, circling first one way and then the other.

  ‘Watch now,’ Anthony mouthed sideways, although his gaze was concentrated entirely on Merlin and the young horse.

  ‘Look at Toby’s eyes and mouth.’

  Destiny looked, not entirely sure what she was watching for. As she observed, Toby’s head dropped.

  ‘There!’ Anthony sounded triumphant. ‘See him licking and chewing?’

  Sure enough, out came Toby’s tongue. He seemed to lick his lips for a bit and then make a motion as though he were chewing grass.

  ‘What does that mean?’ Destiny whispered tentatively, afraid of breaking whatever spell it was that held Anthony in its grip. ‘He’s thinking!’

  ‘Who is?’

  ‘Toby. Look at his eyes; see how they’re softening!’

  And Destiny could see. It surprised her how obvious the body language was and yet it would never have occurred to her without Anthony’s input. Which was odd, she thought, when it wasn’t so different from what she’d learnt about cats and dogs. Of course cats and dogs were predators, not prey animals like horses, but fear was fear whichever way you looked at it!

  From that point on the tension was gone. Merlin continued to walk Toby around, halt him, back him up and give him lots of praise. Anthony explained that it was the first time Toby had been in the corral.

  ‘He’s got a lot of hang ups, you know, like mental baggage, but Merlin’s really amazing. He’ll get Toby right.’

  Destiny was inclined to agree. She thought what she had just seen was the most amazing, moving, magical event she had ever witnessed. Toby was now following Merlin around without a lead rope, stopping when Merlin stopped, turning when he turned.

  ‘It’s like he really is a magician,’ she whispered to herself.

  Anthony caught her mutter and grinned.

  ‘He’s what’s generally known as a “horse whisperer”, but there’s not a lot of whispering going on. Mostly it’s about psychology. Horses are pack animals and they’re looking for a herd leader. That way they feel safe.’

  Understanding kicked in and Destiny beamed at Anthony.

  ‘So that’s what Merlin’s done, he’s become herd leader!’ Destiny was fascinated. ‘Whoa, that’s incredible!’ She gazed thoughtfully at Toby who was now grazing by the side of the corral, back leg resting, as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  It was amazing how it had only taken Destiny a week to shake off her fear of sitting on a horse. Now she woke up in the morning, excitement fluttering in her stomach at the prospect of riding for a few hours.

  On this particular morning she woke with an equal measure of eagerness and apprehension. For the past four days she had watched, fascinated, as Merlin worked his magic on Toby. She had also been more than a little impressed to see Anthony handling Toby with much the same sort of calm assurance as Merlin himself.

  Toby was no midget at sixteen hands and he towered above Anthony. Once or twice, Destiny had seen Toby spook while Anthony was leading him around, skittering sideways and throwing his head up in the air. Even with her newfound confidence, Destiny knew it would have terrified her. Anthony seemed to just calmly let out his lead rope a little, moving, so Destiny noticed, with the horse rather than away from him, careful to keep out of harm’s way but not seeming at all afraid. Then, when Toby settled, as he inevitably did, Anthony would talk softly to him and stroke his head, neck and ears.

  Today was going to be a special one for Destiny. Merlin had said he thought she might be ready to canter, a prospect which half delighted and half terrified her. Destiny felt too queasy to eat breakfast, but Jenny insisted she had an apple, as riding could be strenuous work. As they walked up towards the yard, Destiny looked tentatively at her mum.

  ‘How is it,’ she began, ‘that you can really, really want to do something but feel terrified at the same time?’

  ‘I don’t know, I think it’s a bit like actors who feel sick every time they have to go on stage. I take it it’s the riding you’re talking about?’

  ‘Merlin says I can canter today!’ Destiny blurted out.

  ‘And you want to, but you don’t?’

  ‘Something like that!’

  Jenny gave her daughter’s arm a squeeze. ‘You’ll love it. It’s much more comfortable than trotting!’

  Destiny was glad her mum hadn’t tried to explain away the nerves, or suggested that she breathe deeply or something. Jenny’s matter of fact certainty that Destiny would enjoy it was more helpful than anything else she could have said.

  Tacking up Wasp was becoming second nature now, but Destiny was so nervous she kept fumbling with everything. Merlin as usual was totally patient
. Having led Wasp around a bit, backed him up, flexed his head left and right and made a fuss of him, Destiny prepared to mount. Wordlessly and without so much as a flicker of a smile, Merlin handed her the herbal remedy. She reached out her hand to take it and then stopped. Trapping her bottom lip with her teeth, Destiny took in a huge breath and then let it out slowly. She shook her head. Merlin, in return, gave her a curt nod of approval and tucked the bottle back into his pocket. That look felt better than any amount of remedy and Destiny placed her foot firmly into the stirrup before springing lightly onto Wasp’s back.

  From then on, nerves forgotten, Destiny went through the exercises she was beginning to know so well, with quiet determination. After a while, Merlin asked her to bring Wasp into the middle of the corral to have breather.

  ‘Now,’ he said nonchalantly, stroking Wasp’s neck gently, ‘we’re going to try something a little bit different, but I’ll be right here with you.’

  By now Destiny had learnt to trust Merlin. She knew he never asked her to do anything he didn’t think she was capable of. Obviously they weren’t going to canter yet. Even with Merlin’s long stride, she guessed it would be impossible for him to ‘stay with her’ in canter. Intrigued and also slightly disappointed, Destiny said, ‘Okay’ in as cheery a voice as she could muster. Merlin raised an eyebrow and smiled a little as though he had guessed her thoughts.

  ‘Okay, we’ll start this slow, but I want you to tell me straight away if you get scared or you don’t like it, or whatever – promise?’

  ‘Promise!’

  From his Doctor Who like pockets, Merlin produced a dark-blue silk scarf, which, he explained, he was going to tie around Destiny’s eyes as a blindfold. It felt supremely odd sitting on top of a horse with a blindfold on!

  ‘Okay?’ Merlin’s voice sounded louder and crisper somehow, now that she didn’t have her vision.

  ‘Fine.’ Destiny tried a smile, but even that felt strange; sort of disjointed.

  First of all, Merlin led Wasp around at a quiet walk. He kept his hand resting lightly on Destiny’s ankle so that she knew he was still there. He kept talking too, which was reassuring. He told Destiny just to sit, relax and go with the movement. Walking was fine, but then Merlin suggested a trot. Destiny wondered where all this was leading, but she murmured her consent. To begin with she clung nervously to the front of the saddle. Then she found that, in a funny sort of way, it was easier to pick up on Wasp’s rhythm without her vision. She began to relax and rather enjoy the feeling.

  ‘That’s good, real good.’ Merlin’s voice came from a slight distance and Destiny became aware that she couldn’t feel the pressure of his hand on her ankle any more. She smiled to herself. It was just like her first lesson. Merlin told her to bring Wasp down to walk and then halt. She felt him pat her ankle.

  ‘Okay, that was the easy bit. I’m not going to hold you or Wasp, but you’ll be completely safe. Do you trust me?’

  ‘You know I do!’

  ‘Just sit. The way you have been. Don’t do anything, okay? Wasp’s done this before. He knows the score. If you touch your hat, we’ll stop!’

  To Destiny’s surprise, a slow melodious tune began to drift across the corral. Wasp stood still.

  ‘Now,’ Merlin said softly, ‘forget everything you’ve learnt about riding; just feel the rhythm and move with the music. There’s no one else to see. Just feel it!’

  Destiny felt a hot rush of blood stain her cheeks and was instantly furious with herself. It didn’t matter if anyone else was there, she couldn’t see so it didn’t matter.

  The music grew louder and time trickled to a standstill. She was in a world all by herself. Deprived of sight and all sound apart from the melody she was hearing, she began to sway with the music.

  Gently.

  Shifting from one seat bone to the other.

  Slowly.

  Rhythmically.

  And Wasp moved with her.

  A small gasp escaped her lips, but the feeling was magic! Wasp walked in time with Destiny, as Destiny moved in time with the music.

  With no sudden change, the music flowed into a faster pace. Destiny was completely immersed now; totally absorbed in the sound around her. Wasp quickened beneath her and rippled like silk into a trot. Destiny moved with him, hardly aware that anything had changed. She had no idea where Wasp was going, but it didn’t matter. The beat, the sensation, engrossed her.

  Now the music was changing again. This time a three-beat rhythm. Destiny’s hips swung with the motion.

  And Wasp cantered!

  She knew. Deep inside her, part of her knew what he was doing, but she was too absorbed to register it fully.

  Adrenaline coursed through her. The feeling was electric …

  Destiny moved with the rhythm that Wasp had relaxed into, totally swayed by the music and feeling of power underneath her.

  The music slowed gently and so did the pace until finally Wasp glided out of his canter to … trot … trot … trot … trot … waaalk …

  The music stopped.

  Wasp stopped.

  Silence.

  Stillness.

  Destiny came to.

  A wild cheering and clapping erupted and Destiny whipped the scarf off to see half a dozen people, including Anthony, whooping by the corral fence.

  She looked at Merlin feeling an uncontrollable, foolish grin on her face and saw it mirrored there on his.

  ‘Beautiful,’ he croaked and she was stunned to see that his eyes were full of tears.

  ‘Beautiful!’

  CHAPTER NINE

  Boff shivered in the darkness.

  Life, he thought, would be so much better for all these Creations in another dimension than life on Doomland. Anything would be better than the constant wearing grind of working in one of Crevitos’s pits and even here, in the North, he had forgotten how hard and bleak and cheerless an existence they led.

  Crevitos had found that Doomland had an abundant supply of some sort of stuff called ‘diamond’. It looked, when the workers dug it out of the ground, like lumps of dirt. When it was cleaned up, it looked pretty enough, but Boff could see no real value to it at all. However, Crevitos demanded that thousands of Creations toil in the mines, digging up these apparently worthless lumps of rock. It was hard, heavy, dangerous work, made no easier by the lashing of whips by Crevitos’s spiteful henchmen.

  Creations were not strong by nature and many faltered and disintegrated every day. Many more were left mutilated or scarred by the merciless blows dealt out by Crevitos’s chosen few.

  However, all creatures look for hope even in the direst adversity and Creations were no exception. A small society of them had got together and had managed to elude Crevitos’s constantly roving eye. They had, over some time, gathered what meagre provisions they could muster, hiding them carefully from Crevitos’s corrupt band of supporters. Then, one moonless night, they had set off for the barren wastes of northern Doomland, where no sane Creation – not even insane ones like Crevitos – would choose to live.

  The journey had been arduous, but they had finally found a place where they could eke out a tough and watchful living.

  Every so often, a small party of these liberated Creations would make the long journey back to central Doomland and recruit another handful of Creations, who were only too ready to clutch at any straw to be free of Crevitos’s tyranny. In this way, they could save at least a few of their friends from drudgery, despair and most likely, death.

  Now, however, the Eldons (as they liked to call themselves) of the Liberated Creation Party were getting worried. The number of Creations who had escaped Crevitos’s domination was rapidly growing. It was becoming harder and harder to remain hidden. Not only that, but Crevitos was well aware of their existence and they were increasingly worried that one of their new recruits might well turn out to be one of his escalating army of spies.

  They called a council. It was agreed, with much sadness and despair that, for the moment, ther
e could be no more rescue parties. It was time for the group to find somewhere safer to live. It had long been common knowledge that there were other dimensions, other worlds than Doomland, but how you might travel to these other places had remained a great mystery.

  Until now!

  A small figure stood up hesitantly and raised a tentative hand. ‘I only arrived back here last night,’ he said quietly, ‘and I didn’t come from the mines, I came from a place called Emajen. I can show you how to get there!’

  CHAPTER TEN

  After her amazing experience on Wasp, Destiny hadn’t looked back. Her confidence had soared and Merlin at last had deemed her ready to go out on her first hack. She loved it, not least because she, Merlin, Anthony and her mum went out as a foursome. She was a bit uncertain at first – she suddenly felt very vulnerable being up on Wasp in all that open space – but Wasp was as good as gold and Destiny soon relaxed.

  On the way back, Merlin and Jenny trotted off on a different track to jump over some small fences. Anthony and Destiny rode the short route home together. They chatted away easily. Destiny and her mum had been there for ten days, but it seemed to Destiny as though she had been there forever. The bond she had forged with Anthony made her feel like she had known him all her life.

  They were in sight of the ranch when there was a vivid flash and a tremendous boom of thunder. From seemingly nowhere, sheets of water cascaded mercilessly out of a rapidly darkening sky. At that moment, Toby newly backed and far less experienced than Wasp, snorted, threw his head up and thrust his front legs wildly up into the air.

  Wasp started dancing, but only on the spot and Destiny watched with horror as Toby plunged down and then reared again, a valiant Anthony clinging desperately to his mane.

  By now, they were all soaked through. The lightning seared again, shooting streaks of white fire in jagged lines towards the earth. Toby screamed when the next thunderclap boomed. Hooves flailing, he soared upwards, standing almost upright. Anthony had no chance. The rain had made everything so slippery that he was thrown up in the air like a rag doll and Destiny could only watch helplessly, as he catapulted through space to land with a sickening thud, only millimetres from Toby’s thrashing hooves.