AKLESH (Under Strange Skies)

by Samuel Jarius Pettit

  It was a royal duty he could actually stomach. Not the politics at the center of it, but the traveling and experiencing of other cultures. There was such richness to the universe and each wondrous place was so different from the every other place. When he visited a new world, he lived as its citizens lived. It was proper etiquette, although as royalty, he did receive the best they had.

  And each place always had something that resembled a bar -- among other things.

  There was a soft rustling as the red grass curtain in the doorway was gently pushed aside. Gar had been lying on the cot and letting his mind wander.

  The shape in the doorway brought him crashing back into the world.

  A lovely woman stood in front of him.

  She held a basket on her hip that contained bread and strange fruit. Her white hair was braided back on the sides but was left loose on top. It gently cascaded down her back. The native wore the same kind of dress that he’d seen on the other young women of the tribe. Her breasts and hips were full and her frame was smaller than that of Cho and Vol. In fact, she was their polar opposite. Where they were more masculine and aggressive, this new female was the epitome of femininity. She had a small mouth that was contrasted to large grey eyes with heavy lids. Her voice was gentle when she spoke.

  “I am Seema’shal. I’m joined with Tyro,” she said, introducing herself. “You are called Gar?” As she spoke the prince noticed another pair of grey eyes, just like woman’s but smaller, timidly peering around the side of the entryway.

  “Yes,” replied Gar, warming to the sight of the little child. “Who is your friend?”

  She smiled down to the young boy who could not have been more than four and was now clinging to one of her legs, staring at the stranger in wonder.

  “This is Tilo, our son.”

  Gar smiled. He liked little kids. They never had hidden motives beyond basic youthful pursuits.

  And their opinions could be trusted since they usually lacked the ability to conceal their thoughts.

  “Hello, Tilo.”

  The little boy giggled.

  Gracefully, Seema entered the hut and went to the table. Once there she drew out a cutting implement made of bone and began to slice the fruit and bread. The child followed her and stayed close by his mother’s side, not daring to be any nearer to Gar than she was.

  “You must be hungry,” she said.

  Seema presented him with some fruit, nuts and bread on a stiff, red woven mat. Then she poured water from the pitcher into a clay mug for him. She and her child sat on the floor. The little boy had gotten over his initial shyness and now rested in her lap and played with his toes. She waited quietly as Gar ate, a patient smile on her face. Her gaze was serene. If his strangeness to her was at all off-putting, she showed no sign of it.

  The Aklesh female had been right. He was famished and eagerly ate the food she’d offered.

  “This is very good,” Gar said, indicating the sweet, blue fruit in his hand. “Thank you.”

  “It’s sical. Abundant this time of year. Would you like more?”

  Gar had just taken a large bite out of the dry bread. His mouth was full so he shook his head in response. He could see the little boy looking at the last piece of the sical on his mat, so he picked it up and offered it out to the child.

  The little boy instinctually pulled back. His face was a mix of want for the fruit and a desire to not get too close to Gar. He looked at his mother who nodded encouragingly. When she indicated it was alright, he tentatively took the offering. Once the fruit was in his grasp he nibbled on it and giggled.

  “So,” said Gar, his manner inquisitive, “You and Tyro are joined. What does that mean exactly, joining?”

  Her smile was sweet and soothing. Seema was so soft and easy in her movements it seemed perfectly natural that she was a mother.

  “Joining is the combining of two people who wish to be together till the end of their days. There is a ceremony with the two families and the tribe.

  Then the couple presses their yanath together,” she said, indicating the small protuberance on her forehead, “And, they share.” She seemed to have trouble finding the right words to correctly explain. “They share everything. They become united. Two people and one person at the same time. It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s horrible,” said Gar. Even though Kai was nowhere near him, he could still feel him. The unpleasant feeling made him give an involuntary shiver.

  “It’s natural,” said another voice from the doorway. “Every creature on our world is telepathic to some degree.”

  Standing there was an old woman whose many years were written across her face. A wrinkled smile went from ear to ear, and there was a twinkle in her eyes. Her body was stooped and her hair was arranged in two long braids that practically went to her feet. Due to her short stature, though, that wasn’t too far. She wore several bead necklaces and a large gnarled staff that she leaned upon.

  Tilo immediately went to her.

  Seema made the introduction. “This is Zaela‘vhal. She is the healer of our tribe.” The old woman tilted her head up and observed Gar. Her inspection of his person wasn’t like Vol’s had been, full of distaste and fear. This woman’s scrutiny was laced with an unbiased, but intense, interest.

  She came into the hut a few steps and leaned her face closely into Gar, staring into his eyes.

  Then she jabbed his arm a couple times with her bony fingers, sniffed the air around him and tapped her staff on the ground once decisively. The whole thing was very peculiar.

  “Sky Tribesman, you are no Other.”

  Having announced this, she then waddled over to the other side of the cot where he was sitting. Being this close, Gar got a good whiff of her. She had the stale odor of old person mixed with exotic herbs. Her beads and other pouches made clicking noises as she sat.

  “Still, the Elders will want to quibble about that, I’m sure. It is their way, but eventually they will see it as well.”

  The old woman gave him a bright, semi-toothless smile. The little boy found her very amusing, but all her attention was focused on the newcomer. “So,” she said, drawing out her words.

  “You fell out of the sky.”

  Gar began to repeat his story, “I am the servant of the Orestian crown prince. I was testing… “

  He was cut off by the old woman’s explosive laugh. She slapped his knee.

  “You may be many things, young one, but a servant is not one of them.”

  It was clear he was not going to get anything by this woman. He knew he was at the complete mercy of these people. What he wanted to know was where he stood with them. It was quickly becoming apparent that his title was going to do him little good here. “What’s going to happen next?” Gar asked.

  She nodded a few times then accepted a piece of fruit that Seema offered her.

  “In a few hours you are going to be presented before the council and the tribe. Your fate will be decided there.” With this she got up and started to head for the door. “I don’t understand why you feel the need to have secrets, Sky Tribesman. But don’t worry, Kai is keeping them for you.”

  “Kai attacked me. He…invaded me! He…” Gar was having difficulty talking about the rape of his mind. He stood up, his hands tight and extended. For a moment he felt like he could hit something. Then he exhaled forcefully and dropped onto the cot.

  The healer sighed as well.

  “Kai is impulsive, but he meant no harm.

  Someday, he will be a healer. Possibly the greatest. He was trying to do something he once saw me do. There is a way of bringing people back from the other side if they are not far gone.

  But it takes great focus and control, which are qualities he is a long way from mastering.”

  “That’s great,” Gar said with sarcasm, touching the clotted scar on his forehead. “He gets to practice on me. I get screwed over by a novice!”

  “Be grateful for your life,” said Seema, kindly.

  A
heat of emotion suddenly rose inside his body but Gar forced himself to calm down. “I am.” He hoped Kai could feel his anger wherever he was. “I am, really…It’s just…” he addressed this to the healer, “Can this be fixed?”

  She took a moment and thought before she spoke. “The situation is not without hope, but there is no precedent. Something like this will take time to sort out.”

  “Do whatever you need to. I just can’t be linked to this…” He was going to say ‘savage’ but stopped and managed a weak smile. She was the first person he’d encountered who he felt might be able to actually help him.

  “Do what you can,” he said quietly.

  She nodded, patted Tilo on the head and exited, leaving Seema and Gar in the hut.

  As she walked down the short ramp she turned back and looked at Kai who had been sitting outside the doorway the entire time. The young native’s expression was tortured. Their eyes met for a moment. He looked as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t bring himself to and turned his face away.

  She sighed once more and walked on.

  CHAPTER 5

  In this dream he was running along a river.

  He had been swimming. He was like Tilo, yet not Tilo. Free and small as a child.

  In front of him was an Aklesh warrior, tall and strong like Tyro. The man smiled at him and there was nothing but the warm feeling of love. The man was his father. The Aklesh warrior picked him up and tossed him in the air. The feeling was wonderful as he felt the air around his body and the thrill of soaring soon to be caught in strong hands.

  Father held son. Son loved father.

  The warrior put him down, then his expression changed. It became shock. His eyes went dead.

  A tusk from some unseen creature was run through his chest and the wound was gushing blood. It was a horrific sight. The warrior fell at his feet. Gar, as the child, screamed.

  The prince awoke with a jolt.

  Dreaming sucked.

  Gar sat up on the cot and rubbed his eyes. It took him only a few moments to realize that what he had just seen were not his memories at all, but Kai’s. The sooner they could be separated the better. Besides, he had his own father issues to wrestle with. There was no need to add anyone else’s.

  It had grown dark outside. The only light that illuminated the hut was coming from a torch attached to a pole outside. It gave him just enough light to see. Although the air was a little cool, it wasn’t intolerable, but he figured at some point he was going to have to learn how to build a proper fire.

  And he really needed a bath.

  Gar knew it was a bad sign when you were aware of your own odor. He toddled over to the table and filled a wooden bowl with some water.

  It was then he noticed a small black square on a small mat in the corner. The object resembled a lump of soap. He picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled a little spicy but the texture was that of soap.

  It was good enough and Gar quickly set to the task of washing.

  He had just finished what he figured was the best job he could under the circumstances and dressed when Tyro appeared at the door. Kai was a shadow behind him. Even if he hadn’t been able to make out the young native’s form, he would have already known he was there.

  “We must go now,” he said. “It’s time for the gathering.”

  Gar felt like a captive walking between the two of them. Kai would not meet his eyes which was something Gar was fine with. Seeing him made his stomach knot up.

  The night air grew cooler as they ascended the stairways. Gar looked down towards the huts on the ground as they became tiny rounds at the bottom of the huge tree. Although all the torches had been lit, the keep was empty. The flickering lights gave the tree a warm glow. The skies were ablaze with stars. They were Gar’s only reminder of home and yet there were no constellations that he could recognize. For a moment the sprawling canopy of night tugged at his heart even though he was a stranger under strange skies.

  He would soon be recovered, he knew it.

  The trick was keeping his head attached to his body until that happened.

  They were headed to the large structure at the top of the keep. He had seen it earlier that day.

  It was obvious now that this was the Aklesh’s meeting area since the whole thing was surrounded by torches and looked to be packed full of the locals. Much conversation could be heard punctuated by the sounds of people shouting. Gar got the sense he was about the find out how savage these people really were.

  Given the number of hunts in the village, he was surprised that so many people fit in the space and were not stepping on each other’s feet. When they reached the top platform, the natives parted way for them.

  The size of the gathering area was a surprise to Gar.

  What he hadn’t suspected was that the inside was actually sunken about three stories into the great tree. They were entering from the top floor.

  Torches lit the inside and threw shadows around madly. Two large poles supported the large framed canopy that stretched above them, woven from the now-familiar red reeds. The sides were left open. There were thatched overhangs that looked like they could be pulled down in case of inclement weather. The area was divided into three tiers and was about the size of a nistle ball court. The Aklesh people were situated on the different levels or sitting on the steps, engaged in eager discourse. The air was static with anticipation.

  When the natives nearest them became aware of his presence, they stopped talking and became still. Gar could watch the hush travel like a wave over the crowd. Soon all faces were looking at him. No one spoke.

  “Bring him,” said a solid, matronly voice.

  All in attendance fell silent.

  Kai and Tyro walked with him as they went down the wooden stairway to the bottom of the small arena. Gar thought of ancient gladiators and fearsome animals they fought. He was hoping no fate like that was awaiting him at the bottom.

  Once they arrived, Tyro and Kai guided Gar to the center of the space, which was about 40 feet across and 20 feet wide. He was surrounded on all sides by the Aklesh tribe. All eyes were fixed on him. Gar realized he had grossly underestimated their numbers. There had to be about a thousand of them sitting there, standing in judgment of the stranger in their midst.

  Gar looked around for something, anything familiar and found Seema sitting one tier back with Tilo in her lap. She smiled encouragingly. Tyro and Kai now stood about ten feet away on his right. Gar could sense apprehension coming from Kai. Something about this situation and these people put him entirely on edge. Feeling the young natives unease did nothing to relieve his own.

  Again he mentally cursed their connection.

  Directly in front of him sat a panel of ten individuals made up of both men and women, each one older than the other, as if they were competing for who could be the most withered. On the far left sat the Healer. All of their faces were dour except for hers. Though he was sure he was mistaken, he could have sworn he saw the old crone wink at him.

  “Who are you?” said the hard alto voice he’d heard earlier.

  This time, though, Gar could see the speaker.

  It had come from the robust woman in the center.

  The assumption was that this was the High Mother.

  She did not have the trappings he figured someone of that position would possess. While the others had furs, feather and decorations, she wore a plain tan dress and her hair was braided simply. Her only distinction from the other council members was a bright blue shawl that was draped over her right shoulder and pulled into the ropes of her belt.

  She may have been old, but a person could easily sense her strong will.

  Gar looked first to Kai, whom he assumed already knew the truth, and then to the Healer.

  There was no use in lying. He drew himself up and took a breath.

  “My name is Gareth Jaruisse Orestes the Third,” he said with a full voice. He was used to public speaking and very comfortable with projection. “I am the crown p
rince of the planet Orestus and heir to the Galactic Orestian Dynasty.” The crowd began to murmur. Tyro appeared to be confused. The warrior looked to Kai whose expression was of interest but not surprise. Gar turned his gaze to the Healer, who only smiled and nodded once to him. The young prince assumed the people gathered would only understand a fraction of what he had just said.

  “Those who know me call me Gar.”

  “You are royalty?” The High Mother asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then why say you were a servant?”

  “Protection,” Gar stated simply. He stood firm, then added. “My identity is my business.” This statement brought forth more whispers from those assembled

  “The people from your tribe are not expected here for another ten years,” she said.

  When Gar heard this, his heart sank. “Yet you have fallen from the sky. Did you come alone?”

  “Yes.”

  Another of the council spoke, this woman features were very thin and long. “You claim you are royalty yet you travel with no warriors? No party? No protection? Is it not odd?” She was right and he could only answer one way. “Yes, it is. I sometimes fly…” when Gar said the word ‘fly,’ he heard audible gasps and hushed discussion. He changed verbs, “…travel alone. I find it peaceful.”

  “He’s lying,” accused an older man on the far right. His nose was large and his mouth thin.

  He had large warts which Gar found repulsive.

  “It’s more probable he’s an Other,” said another man.

  “I don’t even know who you are talking about. But I assure you, I am not an ‘Other’ or whatever you call these strangers on your world.” This exchange roused the crowd a bit and the High Mother had to stand up in order to quiet the throng. Once she asserted her presence, the people calmed down.

  “There is an agreement between our peoples from long ago, Gar. Are you aware of this agreement?” asked the High Mother.

  “Yes, I am. In my,” he paused, “tribe, it is called the Planetary Entitlement Act.”

  “And do you know what it says?”