Dinosaur Dreams (Indian Trail's Book 1)

by David Charles Leitner

  Closing her eyes, she began to pray to the Lord and the warrior almost jumped as a charge of energy flowed through them both.

  When she opened her eyes again, he felt almost light headed as she smiled down at him and pulled the cloth away. To his utter amazement, not a scar or drop of blood remained on her strong smooth leg that was only inches from his face.

  *****

  Guia stood with her back to the rising sun looking westward where she had been since the wee hours of the morning. Nodding, the old woman got down on her knees praying to the lord of all for the gift that he had given to her people.

  The mother of the dark star came out of the hut which the two of them now shared. She came over and helped her mentor up wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.

  “You’re in a good mood this morning Great Mother.” she said to Guia who only nodded excepting the cup of tea which they called Cha. The two made their way into camp as the other members of the tribe had begun to greet the dawn.

  “Zuta, Ronf, Sali!” she called out to the gathering tribesman. “Here Great Mother.” “Hear my shaman.” “I am here Great Guia. What do you require of us?”

  “It is time.” was all that she said to them fluttering her hand for them to go. Each one bowed low before racing off out of site. They soon reappeared riding on their war birds heading out of the village in different directions.

  “Eestn! Get our people ready.” “Yes our Holy One.” A man who looked to be almost as old as Guia said. “What is going on?” Franchesca asked bewildered.

  Her hut mate stopped shuffling and stood looking at the much younger woman for a few minutes before she finally spoke. “The Eastern tribes must be gathered as war is coming.” “What? How do you know?”

  “Our God has told me. In time you will hear him more clearly and understand what you must do. Now, help the others gather the children and elderly to move them.”

  “Yes Great Mother.” Franchesca said with a bow and headed off to do as she had been told. The war bird riders sat impatiently as their mounts squabbled and bobbed their heads impatiently.

  The other tribe’s warriors poured into the little valley swelling the ranks to almost four hundred. Once the collective tribesman had greeted their kin, they settled into loose ranks and sat waiting to be ordered to battle.

  The Shaman stood before them watching the sky silently as storm clouds brewed on the horizon and the caravan of elderly and children began to head further southeastward headed for the seaside cliffs to shelter the coming storm.

  Suddenly out of the clouds a shadow dropped growing steadily larger until the familiar wings of the Great Eagle came clearly into view. It circled the gathering calling out several times before landing before Guia kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

  Sliding off of Horhay’s back, the princess walked up to the shaman and bowed as low as her dress would allow her. “Rise my child.” “War is coming great mother.” “Yes I know and have prepared the warriors for you to lead.”

  “That will not be necessary Great Mother as our enemy will come to us.” “Then they will be well met here.” “No. I have a better way to end this and will only need sixty of our most fierce and willing warriors.”

  Guia looked at her a little confused as gasps of amazement rippled through the tribes as the sky darkened with the large flock of Great Eagles coming from the north.

  Horhay gave a loud cry that was replied to by the flock above as they blocked out the sun before they began to land on the edge of the village.

  *****

  The army, his army, had been assembled on the open plain outside of the Kings Capital city. They would start to head out in the morning after the king had spent the night with his harem girls pleasing his every whim.

  First though, he decided to abuse his servant Onja a bit as she had shown Alitta kindness ceasing to report on the princess’s plot to escape.

  The girl was starry eyed and didn’t see the pain coming which only made Paul laugh all the more while treating her cruelly. He ignored her pleas until he had sated his twisted desires shoving her hard to the floor and tossing the ripped dress at her.

  “Now get out.” he said coldly stretching back on the bed closing his eyes. Her sobs could be heard even after she’d closed the door and run barefoot down the hallway.

  The king decided to take a brief nap before he got cleaned up to go visit his other pleasure slaves. He woke to the sounds of alarm as bells rang out and men shouted for a call to arms.

  An explosion rocked the keep startling him into action. Rebellions had been common place since he had the old royal line murdered.

  Jumping up out of bed, Paul hastily put on some cloths and opened the door to find out what was going on and to direct his troops to quell it.

  Smoke and dust filled the hallway billowing into his room causing the king to choke as people ran past in both directions in confusion. Grabbing a passing peasant, the man resisted until he saw who it was that had hold of him.

  “My lord, we are being attacked.” “Obviously you idiot, but by who?” “No one knows my lord.” Paul threw the man into the stone wall of the passage and then stalked off to find the captain of the guard to find out what in the name of Saint George was going on in his castle.

  *****

  The host of eagles flew far north before turning westward heading towards the enemies lair. Alitta had Horhay swoop down and grab a hold of a cooling lava boulder sitting on the edge of the volcano’s newest spout that had erupted out of its southern side.

  She could feel the heat of the lava steam as it singed the royal birds under feathers as it passed by. Sojurn held on tight probably assured of her insanity now as they climbed back up high into the sky.

  The other eagles followed suit as their riders clung desperately to the falling beasts praying that they’d pull up in time. Once more all flying in their large flock, they winged their way due west to the capital city of the Western Tribes. It glowed with the light of thousands of torches in the evening sky.

  Ignoring the main army and gatehouses, Horhay flew towards the high tower. Alitta looked back to see the fiery explosions that ripped into the main gates of the palace with the precision of a World War II B-52 bomber.

  Alarm bells began to gong and several crossbow bolts bounced off Horhay’s chest armor as they passed low over the cities rooftops. The castle was now coming into view and Alitta had her payload dropped into the main gate of the palace as they flew on past with wingtips grazing the palisade walls above the gatehouse.

  The thick wood cracked from the impact and the lava ball exploded sending a small shower of molten lava into the dried wood. The great eagle flapped hard swerving as more bolts shot past or through parts of its mighty wings.

  He cried out in pain and anger coming back around low over the castle walls. His sharp talons slicing and ripping at anyone foolish enough or unlucky enough to not dive for cover.

  Wingtips brushed her and Sojurn’s head as another rider flew past adding to their payload and the small blaze that had begun at the main gate. It joined them in dive bombing the castle walls as three more gigantic birds of prey dropped their lava bombs hitting the gate and through the wall exploding inside the works for the gate and portico.

  Horhay hovered over the large crossbow that shot bolts six feet in length and flipped it over the wall into the courtyard fifty feet below. Alitta slid off and rolled when she hit the stone palisade of the outer wall.

  Coming up in a full run, the princess surprised the three guards that had come out of the gatehouse. They held crossbows and took aim at the enormous eagles head ready to fire unaware of her presence until she was upon them.

  Sojurn came in behind her cleaving two of them down before they could turn on the princess as she took out the last. Horhay cried out and circled the walls looking for more enemies to throw from on high.

  She and Sojurn ran down the stone steps felling several other guards as they popped up to block their way. The great eagles
landed one at a time allowing their riders to scramble off then took flight again into the darkness to attack from above.

  Ducking as a lava ball rocked the front door of the keep sending shards of rock, wood and lava in every direction, the two ran through the fire and smoke into the palace.

  A commotion at the front gate signified that the Deposed Queen’s followers had thrown in their lot and attacked as well. Alitta ran down the hallway holding the sword that she carried by her side doing the best that she could to blend in with the others who ran about confused.

  With Sojurn directly being her, the two almost made it to the royal suites before being spotted. Swords clanged as they danced the dance of death felling four of the twelve guards before ten more arrived cutting off any chance of retreat.

  Their attack had instantly been turned into a fight for survival as the two sides began to squeeze in on them from both sides. Alitta’s sword was knocked away and some of the guards in the back loaded crossbows to take them down.

  As the twang of the strings reached her ear, the fair skinned stranger held out her arms calling on Gods intervention for them. She felt the surge of energy as it passed through her creating a protective shield around them.

  The crossbow bolts bounced harmlessly away surprising even the paleontologist. The warrior was in awl too, but held his head and leapt into action before the guards could recover from their shock.

  Throwing out her hands again, the princess sent a wave of energy down the hall in both directions bowling over the enemy soldiers with the unseen force.

  “Like getting a strike.” She said then realized that her analogy was lost on her companion. The guards clattered to the floor dazed as the two ran past finally reaching Paul’s quarters.

  Now that she understood more how to control it, the thick door blasted into the room taking out six more guards that had been posted in its foyer.

  Searching the four rooms revealed them to be empty and Sojurn punched the hutch in frustration shattering the door. “Of course.” Alitta said before rushing back into the King’s bedroom without explanation.

  Using her God given powers, the large wooden bed big enough for eight slid across the stone floor crashing as it hit the wall. Another wave of energy cracked the hidden door revealing the secret tunnels under the floor.

  The warrior nodded grabbing a glass enclosed candle as he dropped into the hole with his long knife drawn and ready. The Princess followed close behind and she pointed out the path to follow till they reached the broken out brick.

  The king had escaped.

  *****

  Paul ran into the Great Hall as his subjects ran to and fro frightened. Another explosion rocked the castle and the main gate was heard crashing to the ground.

  The stained-glass windows of the hall exploded inward from the concussion of the next blast that rocked the castle. “To the front gate!” he yelled at some guards milling about unsure of where or what they should do.

  The king only watched a few moments to make sure that his orders were being carried out before taking off headed back to his quarters to get dressed.

  Once done, he started to go back down to the Great Hall and ran into his slave girl who was hiding behind a statue in the main corridor. Grabbing her by the hair, he yanked her head sharply back demanding to know how she had spied on the Princess during her stay here.

  The main doors to the castle exploded inward sending charred wood, smoke and molten rock into the keep. “This way.” she coughed out with tears in her eyes pulling Paul towards the harem room.

  Once inside and the door locked, his little tart went to the bath and jumped in. the king thought that this was a trick as she went under water, but then did not resurface making him start to panic as sounds of battle could be heard now in the castles hallways.

  Resurfacing again out of nowhere she waved him to join her in the large pool that could hold fifty women. If she was playing some sort of game he would slit her throat and leave her floating face down in the marble bath.

  Holding his breath, the king followed his servant under the water where she pulled him into the hole that the water exited from being fed from two fountains.

  What seemed like forever, but was only about fifteen feet, put them in a place where they could breathe and he was helped out of the water into a low tunnel. The sides of which he could touch without even extending his arms.

  Urging him on while the battle above continued to rage, Paul found that they were at a section of brick overlooking the north gardens.

  “Here! You must break out the bricks. Hurry your Majesty!” she urged looking back at the tunnels darkness. Paul began to kick out the wall finding that they fell out most easily after he had knocked out the first one.

  When there was a hole large enough to accommodate him, he thought about his armor still in the Great Hall. At least he had his weapons to protect himself if caught.

  Dropping down the ten feet to the patio overlook, the king caught his bed wench and then they slipped over the balcony and into the gardens. The two headed to the War Bird Stables where he ordered the stable boy to saddle one for him.

  “…and be quick about it if you want to live!” he said over his shoulder while looking back at the castle to see if anyone had discovered his escape yet. Turning around, Paul saw the defiance in the young boy’s eyes and his darting glance at the axe leaning against a stall door.

  The boy moved quickly, but the king was faster and cut him down to the cries from his young whore. Grabbing the handle of the first stall, he opened it grabbing hold of the reins that were already attached and tossed a saddle on the war birds back.

  With its straps secured, he reached down grabbing hold of Onja’s arm and pulled her up before him. Digging in his heals, Paul held on tight as the ten foot tall bird took off going back towards the castle before he steered it in another direction.

  Racing through the gardens, he pulled up only long enough to see an armored group of rebels coming out of the last remaining burial chamber. The deposed queen was among them and met his eyes as he acknowledged her vowing silently to kill her once he’d retaken his seat of power.

  She ordered her forces to cut him off only too late as Paul turned the war bird heading north towards the cold regions where the ‘Ice Men’ still lived and thrived.

  *****

  The queen was frantic seeing the fake king escape from the two front attack which had been so painstakingly planned by her and the princess. Sending the last of the reserves to help retake the castle, she went with her six body guards to the royal stables.

  There she found the young stable boy and knelt down cradling his head as he gasped out his last words of apology and devotion to his queen before death claimed him.

  Tears hit his face as she held him for many minutes before gently laying his head down on the ground. Standing, the restored queen stood looking at the castle with anger in her eyes.

  “Take care of his body.” she ordered one of her guards before storming off to the palace to bring order back to her subjects. Stopping long enough to see Alitta and an eastern warrior drop from a hole in the castle wall, she watched the two of them run into the garden to meet her.

  “You’ve already missed the snake. He headed north.” the Queen said with venom as she looked at the smoke rising into the morning sky from the castle.

  “Arrrrr!” Alitta called out loudly only to have it replied from half a dozen of the great eagles that had been bombarding the keep with whatever large boulders they could pick up.

  They ceased and flew down to the stables as the princess took her hand, pressed it to her lips and excused herself before bolting off. The warrior bowed his head and then shrugged with a smile on his face as he too took off following in the princess’s tracks.

  “Come, the kingdom must be restored.” Josefina said leading the way up a series of stone steps that opened up into the Ball Room just off the Great Hall.

  The door there was locked and bolted but was
soon opened once the guards on the other side knew who it was that had come calling. “General!” “Yes my Queen.” “Have your men stand down. I have returned to retake my throne.”

  “And the King?” “Is running northward with his tail between his legs like the common dog that he is.” She told the officer striding past him and into the Great Hall.

  *****

  Horhay took flight leaving the rest of its flock behind as it headed north after the mad king. She and Sojurn held on tightly as it flew low searching for the path that would find him so that the princess could finish what she had started.

  *****

  Onja was dumped onto the ground roughly before her king and master slid off the back of the war bird. It thrashed around before falling over and didn’t rise as it finally succumb to the arrow wound it had taken.

  Looking around, he ordered her to her feet and then began walking north. She followed out of obligation and fear not questioning him when he stepped into a thick clump of pine and began removing his clothing.

  As expected, she performed her duties crying out as he invaded the only place that had yet to be violated on her body so far. Pushing her away, he began to dress as he spoke of the ‘Icemen’ far to the north and how he would use them just as he did her people building up their society until he could come back and retake his rightful place as undisputed lord of the entire continent.

  “You Onja will go back as I have no more use of you. Perhaps I’ll find a warm little snow Princess to warm my bed and amuse me next.” He chuckled happily.

  She didn’t even register the words as she was still numb from the pain and humiliation which he had caused her only minutes ago. The last shred of self worth that she had seemed to break and somewhere deep inside her soul cried out for vengeance.

  Moving on pure loathing and self-preservation, Onja pulled the Kings dagger from its sheath and plunged it into his side as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

  This was the last time that he would hurt and humiliate her and the slave girl stabbed Paul a second and third time. The king was stunned and he viciously back handed her before stumbling away through the dense tree limbs.