Beginning to stand up, he was feeling a little shaky. Palm trees? He had seen them in pictures in storybooks and in the magazines his mom liked to buy.
But Real palm trees!? Slowly he turned in a circle looking around in awe. He had just been in complete darkness. Had he hit his head? He wondered. Everything was so green and beautiful, there were gigantic flowers everywhere and colorful birds. He was in some kind of forest, meadow, but like none, he had ever seen.
He could hear the familiar sound of a waterfall somewhere close and realized it was water falling down from some rocks into a little pool. Very lovely, but certainly not like anything you would see in Canada. Some kind of plant was all around, like the bulrushes he was used to but there was no fuzzy top like at home and they were so high like small trees.
“Bamboo?” He wondered. That was impossible.
Then he saw it, a few feet away. The body of a strange creature lay in the grass very near. What looked like blood was everywhere around it! At least he thought it was blood as it was oozing from gaping wounds, but the color was off. Kind of a greenish hue to it, mixed with purple. It was like something out of a dream or a nightmare. Like a wolf, but all messed up with lizard-like face and claws. The claws were long and wicked looking and he realized covered in what had to be blood it was crimson. Then he remembered being chased and it all came back in a rush.
He chuckled. So a dream then he thought. He must have hit his head in the cave. He had never remembered a dream being this vivid though.
Now the voices were clearer and he looked in that direction. What appeared to be Duke standing there looking at him, but something was very wrong. He wasn’t standing on all fours as he should, he was up on two feet, there was blood all over his muzzle and a very strange intelligence in his eyes. He was holding a very bloody knife in his… hand? Why did he have a hand at all?
"Yup, I'm dreaming," Billy muttered, but he did not feel well. He had begun to be aware of something warm running down his back; all the way down into his socks and shoes. He was feeling very dizzy. He looked down at his feet and could see what looked to be blood seeping out of his ripped trousers.
“Oh,” he said as his brain registered the fact that it was indeed blood. Probably his blood as a matter of fact. Very realistic dream, he thought. Things were beginning to go black and he could feel himself begin to fall and heard a shout in a language he did not understand. There was a commotion as he slowly slid to the ground. Then the familiar face of the old dog leaned over him, but it seemed to be trying to talk to him.
Another face leaned over him talking in such a strange language. He wondered as he began to slip into unconsciousness if it was because he was so dizzy that he couldn't understand. He saw long black hair and strange slanted eyes. The most beautiful face, he had ever seen. He wondered if this was an elf. Dream, he thought as he drifted off.
Zhoulin stared down at the boy lying in the moist grass.
“Oh Brother Dog, he has fallen, what shall we do?”
“I know not, sister Zhoulin, but we cannot stay here.”
Brother Dog, looked back at the creature lying dead not far away.
"This is all wrong if anyone sees the boy and that thing, there will be questions, and we cannot answer even the smallest one.”
"Yes, and you must hide yourself! Put on your cloak if you intend to walk like a man."
He looked at her for a moment. "I apologize if my appearance offends you, little one."
“Brother Dog!” She gasped. “Such a thing is not possible, please do not say such things to me! I am weary and as you say this all wrong. What is that creature? Why was it trying to kill the boy? Oh Brother Dog, what about this Boy? He is so foreign!”
He looked at her for a moment not sure what question to answer first. He wasn’t all that familiar with human customs. Especially regarding crying females of the species.
"I am sorry. I am not used to all this either and I have just myself spent too many days walking on four feet. Like an animal! All just to save this fool boy, and he is nothing but trouble, always into something. He should have been dead a hundred times from his foolishness, but still, he survives. It is beyond me how," He thought for a moment. "Please do not be offended by me, little sister. I am weary as well and now he is ill. Perhaps the Wolver cut him somewhere? Roll him a little we will look at his back."
“Aiiya!” Zhoulin gasped, as they both saw the deep gash on Billy’s back.
“It caught him,” she said.
“So it would seem,” Brother Dog said. “We must find Uncle Xu or he will surely die.”
. “But he was supposed to be here!” she said.
“Yes, and I am not as sure of the old man’s magic as I would like it to be,” Brother Dog said. “Too many things have gone wrong for a man of his reputation.”
"Look at me!" He said, with some rancor. "I am a man of high office and noble birth in my own kingdom, and here I am running around on all fours like a pup, and fighting my enemies with my bare teeth. I barely survived the trip to get this damn boy’s… time… country?” He was still somewhat confused about where he had actually been and how he had gotten there. “And he is… Just a boy, damn my soul! He is supposed to be a hero, a man of valor to save us all. The old man said. For the sake of the gods, he's years too young! How in the name of the Goddess Assus, will he save anyone? And this nonsense about a magic jewel. He has no jewel. He has no jewelry at all. Even his mother had nothing but baubles and fake jewelry. I searched their house from top to bottom while they were away and found nothing!" He stared at the still bleeding cuts on Billy's side. "Look at this wound, it is already festered. I have never seen such a color in a wound!”
He pulled on a long cloak and covered his face with the hood. He turned for a moment and
Zhoulin tried to look away. She knew what he was doing, transforming. She had no idea how this happened, but according to Uncle Xu, it was some kind of alien natural ability like a chameleon.
She had accidentally seen him make the change one time and almost vomited when she thought about it. When she turned back again, he appeared like a normal, although oversized dog. He shrugged the cloak off.
“Put him on my back. Use some rope from my kit and my cloak. I will run faster that way. I think he will die soon if we don’t find a way to remove the poison in that wound. Where do you think Uncle could be?” he growled.
"The cottage by the lake," she said, trying to think. As she tied the boy to his back, which it turned out wasn't that easy to do and in the end looked very cumbersome, “But he said he would be here and he is not.
"I will take this boy there." Brother Dog said. "If Uncle arrives, tell him to meet me."
“I will travel with speed little sister, please, I hate to ask this, but someone must stay behind, something must be done with the Wolver body.”
"Yes," she said. "I will do what I can."
With that, he ran into the forest. She sat for a moment, shivering. She had only met this dog creature several months ago and was still amazed when he acted in human form. At first, she was unsure if he was a magical creation of Uncles inventing or something older. Now she was fairly certain that he was completely alien even to Uncle.
There were so many things she didn't understand. She had always heard stories about a Monkey King and the strange creatures of that type. Fables, she had always thought. But to associate with this dog-like creature was overwhelming she wondered if perhaps the children's stories were true and there was a monkey king out there somewhere with a pig friend, trying to find the way west.
Uncle had never clearly explained about him or how he and the dog warrior had met, but now she was unsure about everything. Come to think of it, she wasn't all that sure about Uncle either. He was the only family she had. If he was really her family at all, and he was so strange. He used real magic!
She only had an unclear memory of coming to his door. She felt no regret, however, like a child with no family. She no idea if she had
been given up. Having been with him as long as she could remember she assumed he was some relation. Uncle Xu was the only name he allowed and he would not reveal anything about their kinship. And she doubted it was his real name. He seemed ancient not just old, but beyond old, like he was from another era
He had never abused her in any way, other than being cranky when she blew stuff up while he was training her. Something had gone very wrong this day, however. He had said they would bring a great warrior from the past to restore the rule of the house of Wu. He said he was about to change the history of the world and return the Warrior King to his rightful place.
He had been working on incantations for a week. She knew he had eaten nothing for days as he pranced around the small cottage casting spells and chanting like a mad fool. He had predicted the warrior would enter through the little falls and so it had happened. But not at all as he had said! The one Brother Dog now carried was no warrior and his clothing was so strange. He couldn’t be much older than she, and what was the odd language he had spoken?
She shivered as she looked at the creature Brother Dog had killed. Even though he had covered it with a blanket, the outline was contorted, some evil thing. Is this what Uncle had meant to bring forth with the strange boy? Was it from his world…? Was he from this world? He looked human enough, but this thing? This was all frightening in so many ways, and it was almost nightfall, darkness was closing in rapidly. So many questions and she was sure she would get answers to none of them.
She slowly went over to the dead body and stood for a moment, she knew she couldn’t just leave it here. There would be questions if someone stumbled on it. She looked around the clearing and remembered a large hollow in the ground that she had stumbled in earlier and began to drag the surprisingly light body toward that, thinking she could bury it. Once it was in the hole she realized this was going to be harder than she thought. She went to a pile of brushes she had seen and dragged it over the body trying to cover it up, but she was unsatisfied.
It was not enough. She was beginning to panic, it was getting dark. She did not want to be out here in full darkness, not after what she had just witnessed. And what lay before her gave her chills. She found some sticks and deftly created a small bundle to use as a torch. She looked around to make sure no one was there. She concentrated all her will on the smallest of the twigs and was delighted as it popped into flame. She whispered a few words coaxing it into life as she dropped it on the small pile atop the dead body. She continued chanting the fire spell as the flames licked higher and higher.
This day had not gone well at all.
The strange scene was still in her mind. She had been waiting patiently for Uncle Xu to show up with Brother Dog. She had thought they were going to use the power of the magic spring to bring some hero from another time to help in Uncle Xu’s crazy attempt to revive the family of kings. To rebuild the once great Empire.
To her surprise, a strange green light emanated from the very sky above the spring. Then, as a child being pushed from the womb, this strange boy had popped out of the green light, followed closely by Brother Dog and this strange twisted creature who were still in a life and death struggle.
She had watched in shock as this boy had dropped from the sky, smashing into the ground while Brother Dog seemed to be losing this epic battle. The only thing she could think to do was grab the small ax she had been carrying to chop wood and join in the fray. It had been a desperate few moments and she managed to distract the foul creature long enough for Brother Dog to cut its throat.
Still back to the problem of disposing of the body. She felt quite satisfied as flames licked into the air. She was becoming quite adept at such small spells, she could even carry a little light in her palm by use of a certain stone Uncle had shown her. It was not very useful, though, you couldn't use it around normal people. Most things she had learned had to stay hidden.
She heard men's voices somewhere near. She couldn't tell exactly whether they would approach her position or not, but she couldn't take a chance on someone catching her. Without further thought, she shoved her torch deep into the pile and sent a fire spell along the torch. The result was an instant flash the flames leaped in the air. She instantly realized her error as there was a shout from beyond the bushes. The spell had been meant to incinerate the body, but she was not sure of the amount of force needed.
There was a rustling in the tree and several burly guards burst out of the bush into the clearing.
“What do you think you are doing?” Came a harsh voice out of the group as half a dozen more men stormed onto the field. Even in the firelight, she could see that they were a motley group. Several had bent, broken noses and not enough teeth.
The man who appeared to be the leader shoved his way to the front he was even uglier than the rest if that was possible and he was huge. She stumbled back as the man shoved closer to her and she could smell his terrible breath.
The pile was completely engulfed now and flames shot far into the darkening air.
Before she could work up a response he slapped her hard across the cheek and she fell to the ground. Rough hands grabbed her and pulled her to her feet and she cringed expecting more abuse.
“What do you think you are doing? Is this your land that you can put a fire anywhere you want?" The biggest guard said not waiting for her to answer. "What is this about, girl? How old are you to be out so late?"
His huge rough hands knocked her down and then dragged her up again, her cheek smarting from another harsh blow. The guards were vivid around her in the flashing red light of the fire. All tough-looking men and she gasped as the big one grabbed her by the face and pulled her so close she could smell his foul breath.
"A little girl a little too alone at night," he chuckled. There was another nervous chuckling and she felt her fate, slipping away. Another slap and she fell to the ground. The men stood over her menacingly. She had no defense, they could easily kill her or worse and no one would know. She shuddered to think what worse might be. Rough hands ripped at her cloak and all of a sudden she was naked except for a thin tunic.
It happened so fast that the whole company stood there shocked for a moment.
The man standing there holding her tunic had a strange smile on his face. He sniffed her clothes.
“Hmm. Flowery. I like flowery little girls!” he said, as he leaned over her. “Ever so sweet smelling. Not like my wife. ha-ha.”
Then someone laughed.
“Perhaps a little too thin, for the likes of you as well aye, Guoxiong? Seems you like them with meat on them by the size of' your wife.”
This brought howls of laughter from the group
“Maybe I am in need of a change,” said Guoxiong, a strange look on his ugly face.
She felt his arm wrap around her and begin to drag her closer. His hands were hot through her tunic and she could feel his hand, trying to find an opening in the thin fabric.
“I hate to have to rip this pretty little frock from you girl, perhaps you could cooperate and remove it for me!” She was almost sick from the strange smile he gave her. She struggled but he just held on tighter. “Very well then,” He said, and she could hear the fabric begin to tear.
“Wait!” someone yelled, “wait, wait! I know this one!”
Guoxiong leered at her.
“I don’t care if she is the emperor’s daughter,” he said. “He isn’t here and she won’t live to tell.”
"No! No, you fool! She's the old man's apprentice!"
Her butt hit the ground before she had even realized she was in the air. The man who had been holding her stared at her for a long moment. Trying to make up his mind. It was easy to tell he was frustrated. He kicked her so hard she flipped over on her face. She lay there panting as boot smashed into her back and pushed her deeper into the grass of the meadow. She was sure she was about to die, or worse. Then the pressure released. Apparently, Uncles name held more sway that she had realized.
“Still, she has
no business being here. We have a right to take something from her. What do you have fool girl? If you say one word to the old man I will kill you.” He grabbed her cloak that was on the ground and after looking in the pockets, tossed it at her
“Put it on and tell your master, this is a warning, if we find you again out alone at night you won’t be so lucky!”
"Hey!" one of the men said, "Smell that?"
Everyone stopped and sniffed the air
“What is that?”
There was a wonderful aroma coming from the smoldering fire
Guoxiong looked at her.
“Hey, she's cooking’ something.”
“From the smell of it somethin’ delicious!” he shoved his sword into the fire and on the blade came out a piece of cooked meat that had the most delicious smell she had ever smelled.
She would almost have willing to take a taste herself, but she had seen it alive and the thought sickened her.
“Please sirs,” she said, thinking fast. “I was sent to burn this beast that was ill and my master was afraid it might taint the other animals so you shouldn’t eat it and that is why I am here.”
The men stared at her for a moment in silence and then they let out a laugh.
“She’s lyin!” one of the men said.
"I'm not, I swear," she said. "It is a tainted beast."
"Really? The man said, "If such is true, then why did you not say it when our glorious leader here asked you?" He laughed. "She's lying I tell you, It's a bloody barbecue!"
“You were fixin' a barbecue for your master?” Guoxiong said. So where is the ugly old coot? Everyone looked around the meadow somewhat nervously. Zhoulin wondered what they knew about her master that she did not, that caused them such nervousness.
The Jewel of Nirune (The Sword of Time Book 1) Page 4