The Promised Ones

by Brad Stucki

  Whatever happens now, I've made a good first impression.

  A shove on the back, and a kick for good measure propelled him into the semi-darkness. The cells were barred on all sides except the back, which stood against the cavern wall. They saw little light from the strangely lit globes across the far side of the dungeon. The roof was of stone, which, after they cleared the cells, arched higher, vaulting to an immense open area, down which the stairs traveled.

  It was the same dungeon they'd been in before, but he'd been relegated to a section far back, away from where anyone would have a chance to see him.

  Right out of a Gothic Novel, Javin thought then mentally kicked himself. Gritting his teeth, trying to force his mind to remember something -- anything of substance -- he stalked to the back of his cell.

  The floor was strewn with slimy patches of straw. On the back wall sat a bench that doubled for bed and seat. He took a seat staring out the door, rubbing the growing scraggly beard on his chin. He really wished he could shave!

  A noise to his right caught his attention, and he turned to see the cell next to him was occupied. Sitting back in the dark gloom another being stared back. Something about the stare made him want to avert his eyes. Maybe it was the memory of the big lizard.

  He busied himself with examining his cell. The first duty of a prisoner: Escape. Javin didn't know where he got that from. By now, these little thoughts popping into his head were more irritating than wonderment. Maybe in the future he'd be able to unlock his memories. That's where these things were coming from he was sure.

  He brushed his hands across the rough stone at the back wall then followed it around to examine the bars on to the barred entrance. One of the Lion men guards was watching him carefully from a distance. Javin smiled and waved, which brought a snort from the next cell over.

  "I don't think he's very friendly," came the comment from his neighbor with the glaring eyes.

  Javin turned as the being stood up from the shadows and moved closer. It was a lion man, but the biggest of the race he'd seen. The majestic figure came forward and rested his hands on the bars separating their two cells. He was dressed in tattered trousers of a sort that Javin was sure once belonged to a uniform. His feet were bare and the fur covering his legs skinned. His arms were similarly marked. A bruise purpled one whole side of his face. His immensely muscled chest was sliced in several places with scabs healing roughly. The rest of his pelt was dank and streaked with grime from the cell, his flowing mane matted. There was a wound on his side that looked like a stab wound had been hastily dressed, then ignored.

  With all the injuries and grime, he was a handsome figure, powerful in bearing and regal in appearance. Here is a serious leader, Javin thought. No wonder Tranthra' Joh has him down here. Too much competition otherwise.

  "It would seem they haven't been too friendly to you," Javin said, inclining his head at the injuries."

  "Hazzards of my position, I'm afraid," the being responded, the quirkiness of a smile crossing his face. "They didn't want me to be around, for fear of what I might do."

  "It seems they wanted you around for something," Javin noted. "They haven't killed you."

  "True, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time. As soon as I serve my purpose, then I'm going to be more trouble than they want."

  "Why is that?" Javin pressed. It was funny that they were talking this way. He didn't know this man from anyone, yet somehow, he felt instinctively he could trust him. In any case, talking wouldn't hurt. He may learn something.

  "I'm to be used as a form of persuasion, I think," the man said, looking out at the guard who was still staring at them. His voice was pitched low so that none but Javin could hear. Then he looked back at Javin, and caught himself, somewhat surprised that he'd said so much. Or at least that's what Javin took out of his expression.

  The man shrugged his shoulders, and grinned, showing pointed canines. It was infectious and Javin grinned back.

  "I'm Javin," he said holding out his hand. "Javin Cox."

  The lion man looked at his outstretched hand curiously then put his own through the bars. "Sauros' Bho is my name."

  Javin clasped the limp hand and shook it. "Pleased to meet you," Javin could tell Sauros didn't know what shaking hands meant for he just looked at Javin and tilted his head to one side.

  "That's called a handshake," Javin said. "Where I come from, it's a greeting among friends. Or at least a form of introduction between people who might become friends . . ."

  "Ah," Sauros said, pulling his hand back to rest on the bars. "And where is it that you come from. I've never seen a . . . person like you before."

  "That's a good question. I don't come from anywhere near these parts." He hesitated a moment. "At least I don't think I do."

  Again, the lion man tilted his head. "You don't think you come from near here? Don't you know?"

  "Sounds pretty lame, I know, but believe me, it's the truth. I don't rightly know where I come from. Just a few weeks ago I awoke in the jungle, naked and alone, with no memory of where I came from, and who I am. All I know is what I just told you. My name, that's it . . . Oh, well, that's if you don't count the friendly people I've met along the way. Javin gestured to his surroundings.

  "One thing I'm sure about, though," Javin continued, moving just a bit closer to the bars so they could speak in lower tones, "this isn't the planet I was born on. I think I was brought here for some reason I haven't figured out yet."

  The lion man nodded, though it was clear he was confused by Javin's explanation. "What's a planet? Do you mean the country here? Is that a term in your language?"

  "That's right," Javin agreed. "That's a term in my language, or at least what I remember of it. It means your world here. I guess with the mist covering your world, maybe you don't realize you're on a planet, or that there are other worlds."

  "Other worlds?" Sauros asked. "You must mean other countries; those near and far to us."

  "In a way," Javin said. "Look, you mind if I sit down? I'd like to talk with you a bit more and I think it would be good to make ourselves comfortable. Maybe there are some questions I can ask that might help me out."

  Sauros' Bho gestured for Javin to sit and stiffly slid down to the floor near the bars. "There's nothing else to do."

  "Thanks." Javin brushed aside the soiled straw and cleared a place to sit. "First, can you tell me about your city, here?"

  Sauros opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, looking carefully at Javin. "I'm not from here. Didn't you know?"

  "No," Javin said. "Should I have?"

  "You really must be a stranger, then."

  "So, you're not from this city. How did you come to be here? Are you an enemy? Are they holding you for ransom or something?"

  "I'm hardly an enemy -- at least to the legitimate government. You could say I'm an enemy of the usurper sitting on the throne." He fell silent again staring at Javin, then spoke. "I don't know how much I should tell you, but for some reason I think I can trust you. It’s strange. You must now tell me more about yourself. How were you captured? Why were you placed here?"

  Now it was Javin's turn to pause. If this big man was an enemy of Tranthra' Joh, then he might be on the same side as him.

  "I think I've told you just about everything I can," He continued to hesitate, trying to choose his words carefully, not wanting to jeopardize the security of the princess in any way. For all Javin knew this Sauros' Bho fellow really could be an enemy.

  “One thing’s for sure, if you’re not a friend of Tranthra’ Joh then I think we’re on the same side. As for why I’m here . . .” Javin scrubbed his head, trying to think. “I told you about waking up naked in the jungle, right?” Sauros’ Bho nodded. “Then as I wandered around I finally came to this old city. It was hidden in a valley and it looked as if it’d been there a very long time.”

  Javin watched Sauros closely hoping that maybe it’d strike a chord of recognition, but there was none. Continuing, Javin
spoke of his walking down into the city, even to the point of where he explored the main pyramid. He was just about to start relating about finding the strange gateway, then falling asleep and waking up back out in the jungle, but he caught himself. It sounded impossible even to him. There was no reason to make his new friend think he was crazy as well as strange. Quickly glossing over and giving some explanation about being back outside the city without really learning anything, and then being captured and brought back here. At the last, he didn’t know whether he should say he’d been taken in front of Tranthra’ Joh, for then he’d ask questions about who he was with. That’d bring in the princess, and it wasn’t something he was ready to talk about. Being safe he left it out, instead focusing on the chameleon men. At the mention of them, Sauros definitely reacted.

  “The Pontu’ Gi!” He growled. “They are people of legend who the Keepers have always preached would come from the hidden parts of the country to save us! Instead they are only another tool being used by Tranthra’ Joh to take power!”

  Javin was silent for a time, looking at Sauros. He was breathing heavy with anger, his teeth clenched. Then it hit Javin.

  “They attacked you too! You and a delegation coming here to help the princess! You’re the prince she was talking about!”

  Sauros’ Bho hissed in surprise, jolting back.

  “Don’t worry!” Javin held up his hands, looking back at the guard who was now standing over by another, talking, so they hadn’t noticed Sauros’ reaction. “I was captured with her. She’s been looking for you.”

  A fur covered hand shot through the bars faster than his eyes could follow, grabbing him by the throat. His breath caught, and he felt claws extracting from fingers starting to sink into the skin of his flesh.

  Why do I keep making such good impressions? He thought, struggling a losing battle to loosen his new friend’s death grip.

  ***

  Chahzuu stood on a sparse cliff overlooking a broad valley. The great light in the sky was growing dimmer signifying the end of day. He'd been traveling for several hours straight and had only now taken more than a brief rest. His thoughts were beginning to crystallize into what might pass for a plan. The direction he’d chosen to travel had seemed random, but there was something inside, nudging him to come this way. He’d been distracted enough by his thoughts that he hadn’t considered why he’d chosen to follow, and just did. Now as he stood peering over the ledge, he stopped to consider.

  Spread out below was a broad valley where he could make out lines on the jungle floor. It was odd in that the lines were symmetrical, not erratic from natural growth. It was a puzzle distracting him from the current problem always in the front of his mind.

  He realized his mind needed the rest too. All the way through his traveling his mind had been occupied in formulating his new plan. It was just a shred, even as it was, but it was the only hope he had. And it depended on his knowledge of the records, older even than the prophecies which had brought him this far.

  Now he hoped that the basis of those very records could save his people.

  Suddenly, a powerful, gusting wind came up from the broad valley and pushed him back a pace from the ledge, breaking his thoughts. Then something happened which he'd never seen before. The high mist overhead was opened for a bare moment from the gusting wind pushing up through, and a single ray of light speared down into the valley marking a spot that blazoned with reflected light as if it were bouncing off a crystal pool of water. It was different, though, in that it scintillated with all the hues of colors he knew, and some he'd never seen before.

  Chahzuu’s mouth gaped open. He’d never seen the source of the Great Light before! And he’d never heard of such an experience as he’d just witnessed. He stood for several minutes just trying to make sense of what he’d just seen.

  It had only been the briefest of flashes, yet the scene had enthralled him, and he continued to stand and stare. Then something ‘clicked’ and his breast warmed. A memory from those old records he'd been trying to recall slid into the forefront of his mind -- a part of his plan!

  "When the great light shines, the mask will descend, and all who desire will begin to amend. The colors will flash, and the light will display the place where the power of growing does lay."

  It was an old rhyme children chanted during harvest. Everyone thought it was just a meaningless dittie that helped pass time. No one ever thought about what it might mean, or that it meant anything at all. Chahzuu was thinking it did mean something.

  It was old. Never mentioned in any of the newer records with the prophecies of his race being Pontu’ Gi, but it was mentioned along with several other similar nursery rhymes in the oldest records he'd kept.

  Chahzuu had thought it odd at the time. That was the way the older records were. Cryptic in their content, never offering an explanation or even a reasonable organization of their content, just a random snatch of something, then it moved on to something completely unrelated. Or at least that's what they seemed to do. He'd started realizing there was a pattern he was only beginning to unlock. And the flash from the great light overhead was part of it.

  Was it a coincidence he was standing on this ledge when the light flashed? He doubted it very much, but what had triggered it? Standing here? Thinking about it while standing here? There must be something. It couldn't have happened by mere chance.

  A test then, he thought. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall what he'd been thinking of just before the flash.

  Yes! He opened his eyes and focused them down into the valley, then focused his thoughts on the old records, particularly the rhyme that'd come to mind just after the flash of light. It was part of the records he'd been pondering over.

  Again, the gust of wind surged, pushing through the foliage in the valley like a great wave, then rushed up the cliff, again pushing Chahzuu back several steps. Then he watched in awe as the mist overhead parted again from the rush and a narrow beam of light speared down on a distant spot in the valley below that Chahzuu marked well. Again, the brilliant scintillation of colors reflected back to fill the entire sky with a rich panorama of dancing colors.

  This time he also noticed the crystal in his breast warmed. That must be it! A connection between his thoughts and the crystal.

  Chahzuu concentrated on the rest of the rhyme and noticed the crystal in his breast grew even warmer.

  "The growing will spread and prosper the field, of all who love right and never do yield. The power is there when it is used with light, for when darkness comes it will power the fight."

  It had actions to it where the little ones would always greatly exaggerate the ending, the "fight" part. He remembered doing it when he was young too. Making a big fist and shaking it at the sky then beating it against his chest. It was all nonsense, without meaning. . . except now!

  His new plan had been simple. When he'd been studying the oldest records, his intuition had told him they must mean something. There were different rhymes the children did during various duties. One during the harvest, another during family time at night, and the last when they were most frightened. It was supposed to calm them in the dark.

  Along with these rhymes were mentions of certain "Articles," they were called; "Articles of Power and Light." Chahzuu at first had thought they were writings of some sort, telling of principles as part of the religion of the ancients, but the more his mind had dwelt upon it, Chahzuu felt they spoke of actual things. “Articles” of Power that were actual instruments of some sort that when used, did specific things.

  The first one, for instance, Chahzuu had puzzled out was used to help crops grow. But there was something else mentioned in the records. That it enhanced the initial growth -- or the creation of growth -- or the beginning of growth. The power of creation! Could it be that the actual Article was in this place below?

  Here was one of the things Chahzuu was looking for! Hopefully Nemesis had not seen the same potential in them as a weapon. Chahzuu had never really thoug
ht of the old records other than mere curiosities before he'd run up against Nemesis. It wasn't in the forefront of his mind as were the prophecies of his people and their role for his world.

  He'd only been puzzling over these things on the most minimal level when the dreams came -- the dreams of prophecy -- coming every night that had drawn him on this quest. At least he hoped it wasn't prominent enough to have been picked out by Nemesis.

  Then another doubt struck him. With what Nemesis did to the crystal, does he still have contact with me? Could he be discerning my thoughts even now?

  He forced his mind to go still and tried to discern any other presence, any feeling of any sort.

  None.

  Still, he couldn't be sure.

  Waiting won't stop him if he knows, Chahzuu thought and started working his way down off the ledge towards the center of the valley where the light had flashed. He started wondering about how he’d ended up here as if by random chance. Then he remembered the slight push in his choosing a direction upon leaving the canyon. What was guiding him? Below was one of the keys! One of the keys he hoped would enable him to face Nemesis again and take his people back!

  Chapter 11

  Javin grasped hold of the great hand encircling his throat. He could feel the claws extracting and starting to pierce the skin. There was nothing he could do, the grip continued to tighten cutting off his wind, but he continued to pry with all his strength, turning to look directly into the eyes of the giant lion man. He saw something there. Rage and hurt burned, but then they started to soften, as did the grip, and his eyes grew wider, realizing what he was doing. Finally, the grip was released, and Javin gasped a large lung-full of air.

  "I'm sorry," Sauros gasped. "I did not realize what I was doing. When you mentioned the princess, I thought you might have had something to do with harming her. When I realized you were here in the cells with me, I knew I was wrong."