Mykal's Return to Towbar's World

by Dave Hazel

  “I am called Perup. Since you are lost, are you and your people hungry and thirsty?”

  “Yes, we’re hungry,” Boris answered before Mykal or Kim could say they had their own rations.

  “You are welcome to bring all your people back to our village. We will feed you. After our bellies are full I will satisfy your minds with the knowledge of our people and the land you presume to be lost in.”

  Mykal looked to Lieutenant Kim to see if he disagreed. Kim shrugged as if leaving it to Mykal. “Okay, we’ll go with you,” Mykal said but kept glancing around the area.

  Perup smiled and turned to his people. They spoke among each other in a quick incoherent high-pitched language. When they finished speaking they turned and smiled warmly to Mykal and his people.

  Most of the males bowed and most of the females did a curtsy. They turned and went ahead of the group to work on the preparations. Perup and a few others waited for Mykal to bring the rest of his group from hiding.

  “Ferria,” Mykal turned to the Private First Class, but hesitated for a moment. Something didn’t seem right and he didn’t want to put the men at risk. But what could these children do against their weapons? “Go back and tell Diaz what we got here. Tell him I think it’s safe, but I’ll leave it up to him if he thinks he should bring everyone in.”

  “Yes Sir, Myk,” the Marine replied and ran away.

  “I’m having the rest of my men join us,” Mykal said when he turned to Perup.

  “Very good,” Perup said with a nod. “If you would like we may start toward our village. I will leave some of my people here to guide your people to our village.”

  “Sure, that’ll be fine,” Mykal nodded and looked to Lieutenant Kim to make sure he didn’t disagree.

  Perup spoke his chipmunk sounding language to his people and a dozen of them agreed and stepped aside. “Come, we shall walk,” Perup said as if he was an older wiser leader despite his appearance of a pre-school child. Twelve stayed put and the rest followed Perup and the five guests.

  “Are you the only one who can understand what we say?” Kim asked as they walked.

  “All of my people speak the common tongue. It is easier if I, as the leader, communicate between us. Our primary language is a swift spoken tongue. It is much faster to speak to each other in our language. May I now ask how you became lost in our land?”

  “That would be difficult to explain,” Mykal answered and tried to avoid giving any detailed information. He feared the little people might have ties to Zizmon-Tarl or his allies.

  “Can you tell me where it is you aspire to go?” Perup asked with a raised eyebrow that made his young face look comical.

  “Have you ever heard of Towbar?” Mykal asked.

  “Towbar?” Perup made a funny face at the unfamiliar name. “Is that a town or is it a country?”

  “No, Towbar is a man,” Mykal replied. The others laughed.

  “Not just a man, but a giant,” Boris added. “He’s a giant with the kindest heart in your world.”

  “Why do you say my world?” Perup had a quizzical look. “Are you not from our world?”

  Mykal did a quick double take. It was so challenging to look at the little boy while listening to the grown man. Mykal wanted to ask Perup if they could talk standing back to back but he knew the pint size leader wouldn’t understand his humor and would probably be offended. “We’ll explain that later, okay?” Mykal wanted to change the subject. “The country we’re looking for is the land of Labins. The capital city is Beramus. It is also called the Great Walled City. Oh,” Mykal snapped his fingers. “The King’s name is Loankore. He is King Loankore III. Does any of that sound familiar?”

  “No. I have never heard of the names you speak of,” Perup shook his head. His little blue eyes rolled upward as if searching his memory bank in the top of his head

  “Have you ever heard of Sosos?” Boris asked.

  “Is that another country?” Perup asked, clearly unsure.

  “Have you ever heard of Zizmon-Tarl?” Boris fired off.

  “Zizmon-Tarl?” Perup seized up in his tracks and his voice cracked with a gulp. “Tell me, my visitors, are you in league with Zizmon-Tarl?” He suddenly sounded fearful, though he tried to mask his terror. He unconsciously stepped back.

  “Why’d you get so excited at that name?” Boris asked.

  “No particular reason,” Perup said as if he lost his breath. “I wish to know what relationship you have with Zizmon-Tarl.”

  “To be honest with you Perup, we don’t even know who or what he is,” Mykal answered. Mykal hoped they didn’t scare the little guy from helping them. “It’s a name we’ve heard. Zizmon-Tarl is pushing a people called Sosos to fight my friend Towbar and his people. We need to get back to Towbar and the land of Labins. We need help because we don’t know where we are.”

  “We don’t even know if this Zizmon-Tarl character really exists or not,” Boris said to ease the sudden tension.

  “You do not know if Zizmon-Tarl exists?” Perup scoffed which showed his disbelief. “I do not know of this Towbar. Or Labins. I do know, however, of Zizmon-Tarl,” Perup said and studied the strangers and their reaction. “I am amazed you do not know where you are? If you are truly lost, I will tell you. You are in the home country of Zizmon-Tarl,” the little boy said without blinking. His friendly demeanor changed to that of fearful hostility. He stared intently into their faces as if attempting to detect any deceit in their eyes or body language. “You are twenty days march from his fortress in that direction,” Perup said and pointed in the general direction toward the North West.

  “Whoa. What? Are you sure about that?” Mykal’s tone and expression changed just as suddenly as Perup’s. Only Mykal’s face told of shock and frustration.

  “Yes, I am sure,” an angry adult voice grumbled from the child’s body. “I should know. Zizmon-Tarl is the one who put the curse on us,” he rambled angrily. “Zizmon-Tarl has imprisoned us by forcing us, grown men and women, into the bodies of mere babies?”

  “We didn’t know. Please understand we’re not on the side of this Zizmon-Tarl. We’re on the side of those he’s fighting. I think he sent us here.” Mykal said referring to the threatening voice heard in the green fog. “We were brought here against our will,” Mykal clarified.”

  “You can relax, Perup,” Boris said to reassure the anxious looking man child. “We’re good people.”

  “I find it strange you claim to be enemies of Zizmon-Tarl yet you became lost and are almost at his door step. Please, satisfy my curiosity.”

  “I’m not gonna go into detail right now,” Mykal replied to the child’s curt, sarcastic, accusation. “But we’re not from this world. That’s all you need to know about us for right now. I think Zizmon-Tarl wants to destroy us because we are from another time and place.”

  “Oh my, this is indeed a strange tale,” Perup said and scratched his head. His short blonde hair and baby face was hard to accept with the manly voice that conversed with the adults. Perup paused, shook his head and rubbed his little hand over his chin. It looked like a nervous response while thinking over the words spoken. It seemed like his dilemma was to determine if the strangers were true enemies or really allies with his enemy Zizmon-Tarl.

  “I have a question for you Perup,” Mykal said as if he demanded an answer. “If this is the land of Zizmon-Tarl and if he and his people are evil how do your people survive out here? Are you evil people too?”

  “No, no,” the child face and man voice chuckled. “We have been cursed by Zizmon-Tarl because we refused to align ourselves with him and his forces. You do not understand our hatred for Zizmon-Tarl.”

  “Why didn’t Zizmon-Tarl just kill all of you?” Mykal asked showing his distrust. He turned to Taylor. “Taylor, real quick, run back and tell the rest to stay put until I understand what’s going on here,” Mykal ordered. He turned to Lieutenant Kim. “I’m not gonna bring them here. This sounds shady.”

  “I don’t under
stand what’s going on Myk?” Kim looked surprised by Mykal’s sudden change of attitude toward the little people.

  “Yes please, what is wrong my friend?” Perup asked. He looked confused as well. “I do not understand your sudden change in thinking.”

  “I’ll tell ya what the problem is,” he snapped and then turned back to Kim. “We’re in the middle of ‘evil central’, just twenty days from the big Z’s palace and these people live here as the good guys without any problems? It doesn’t make any sense. He wants us to bring all our people here. I think we’re being set up.”

  “I am confused by what you say,” Perup began to tremble slightly.

  Boris understood Mykal’s line of thinking. “How do we know you’re not setting us up to be attacked by Zizmon-Tarl’s army?”

  “Oh, of course not! This is utterly preposterous,” Perup scoffed and stood his ground. He seemed insulted by the accusation. “We have no ties with Zizmon-Tarl. You could not possibly understand the depths of our hatred for Zizmon-Tarl. All of our families, our loved ones, have been murdered before our very eyes. Those of us who were not murdered, we have been put under a curse. We are trapped as little children.”

  “Then why do you still live here?” Boris cross-examined.

  “It is part of the curse we are under,” Perup answered in a more civil tone. “The boundaries that hold us are invisible. His powers are real. Some believe Zizmon-Tarl is a god who chose to take his reign here in the world. Some believe he is a god who had been cast from the heavens by a stronger deity and now the sole purpose of Zizmon-Tarl is to get revenge on the people who live in the world. I know Zizmon-Tarl is real. However, I do not truly know if he is a divine being. I do know his powers are very real. Our very existence in these bodies can attest to the fact he is a genuine being.”

  “Why did Zizmon-Tarl do this to you?” Kim asked.

  “I am not sure. We were where we should not have been, I suspect,” Perup answered and looked like a child who was caught doing something wrong. “We fared better than most. We were cursed and the others were killed. At one time there were hundreds of us placed under this curse. Now we are seventy-eight who remain. We all await our time to pass from this life to the next so that we may be freed from this dreadful curse. Yes, death is our only escape.” The little boy’s face glared at them when he spoke. “As to your insinuation, we are not evil. We spend all our days living as children. We look like children, we play like children, we wait like children,” he paused after the crescendo of his manly voice. “Yet, we hurt and cry as adults,” he paused again to give Mykal a chance to apologize.

  “What happens when Zizmon-Tarl or his people come around here?” Mykal asked instead of responding with regret.

  “That will not happen. We have been cursed. For his army to come here and to kill us would be a blessing and an end of this wretched curse. What of you, my visitors? If Zizmon-Tarl or his army were to pursue you, how would you defend yourselves? Where are your weapons? Are those strange objects your weapons? I do not see any sharpened blades or points on them.”

  “You sure ask a lot of questions for a little guy,” Mykal chuckled to deflect. He wasn’t about to give up any information. “We can defend ourselves.” Mykal gave a polite smile.

  “Yes, I believe you, but how?” Perup seemed too eager.

  “If you keep pestering me I’m gonna start to distrust you,” Mykal replied with a cocked eyebrow. “And then I may forget that you’re a damn little kid.”

  “I am so sorry. Truly, I am sorry.” The child like body bowed and humbled himself before Mykal and his men. “Curiosity just happened to get the better of me.”

  “You can appreciate our position,” Kim said. “We are lost and now we discover we are in the land of the enemy who seeks to destroy us. We just can’t allow ourselves to be gullible.”

  “I agree. Will you now bring your people to our village?”

  “It depends what I see there,” Mykal answered, and tried to read the little innocent looking facial features to see if Perup had a hidden agenda.

  “We are a lonely people,” Perup said softly. “We desire the company of normal people.” The little face pleaded with a desperate frown. “When strangers happen our way it is a special time for us. Please bring your people to us. We will celebrate together.”

  “I might bring them after I see what’s going on in your village,” Mykal replied, deliberately conveying his suspicion.

  “Good, good, this is very good.” Perup smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “You must bring them in before night fall.”

  “Oh yeah? And why’s that?” Mykal questioned and looked to Boris and Kim.

  “There is much evil that lurks in the forest when it becomes dark.” Perup’s child arms fanned in all directions to cover the forest. “Much evil, much evil,” he said and shook his head.

  They followed Perup and his “baby tribe” into the little community hidden away inside the forest. Mykal and his men eyed everything. They looked for traps, grown-ups in hiding waiting to spring an attack or anything that didn’t look right. Mykal had decided if they came under attack Perup would be the first he would shoot despite his child like appearance.

  The camp had been built for little people. The wooden huts were small and the open communal area had several long tables with many stools and chairs for tiny people. There were a few open pit fires with large black pots set to boil. The pots looked half full of chunky muddy water.

  Mykal randomly asked to enter several huts to ensure there would be no surprises. The little people eagerly accommodated every request. They were extremely happy to have guests in their little village and they tried to be as hospitable as possible. When the toddler people complied with every request Mykal made, they went above and beyond to reveal more than what had been requested just to prove there were no traps, hidden adults or dangers lurking at hand.

  4.

  “Well my visitors, should you send for the rest of your clan?” Perup asked after joining Mykal, Boris, Kim and Adkins. “It will be dark soon. You are all welcomed to spend the night here. We have plenty of food and drink. The forest is too dangerous. Much evil lurks after dark.”

  Mykal looked to Lieutenant Kim. “Whadda ya think?”

  “It looks fine to me, Myk,” Kim shrugged raising his eyebrows. “We may be worrying over nothing.”

  “I agree Myk,” Boris nodded and watched the little children rush around, preparing food, as if they were adults. Perup stepped away so they could talk among themselves.

  “They seem to be sincere Myk,” Adkins added. “I’ve been watching them real close.”

  “Besides Myk,” Boris whispered so Perup couldn’t hear him. “With our weapons and our numbers, I don’t think we’ll have any trouble. If they are with people on the outside, they’ll get these little ones hurt,” he added as a threat.

  “They’re very friendly,” Adkins said as he rested his rifle/M-203 across the fold of his arms.

  “Yeah, a little too friendly if you ask me,” Mykal replied and watched the little workers going about their business as if the visitors were not present. “And a little too eager to get us all into their village.”

  “It could be they really don’t get visitors that much and being stuck inside the bodies of little children would be a drag,” Boris added. “I say we give them a chance. Besides if there really is danger out there, they may be concerned for us.”

  “Alright,” Mykal caved. “We’ll give them a chance.” He looked at Boris. “But I still don’t trust them. Kim, I want you and Adkins to go back and get everyone. Tell them what’s going on and how I feel. I don’t want anyone getting too comfortable. We’re going to set up our security details like normal and tell everyone they’re on high alert. I want this crystal clear,” he pointed directly in Kim’s chest. “I want only half the men to eat or drink anything. Then we’ll switch it up in the morning.”

  Kim nodded. “Got it Myk, we’ll go right now.”

  “
One more thing,” Mykal stopped them. “Tell Diaz to pass it on to everyone not to say a word about our weapons. Perup was hounding me about our weapons. I don’t wanna take any chances.”

  “Getting a little paranoid in your old age Myk?” Boris japed when Kim and Adkins left.

  “I’d rather be alive and paranoid than trusting and dead.”

  “I agree. Hey, when Perup told you that Zizmon-Tarl is about twenty days away you looked like he hit you in the face with a shit pie,” Boris laughed at his own choice of words.

  “Oh, you noticed that? Well, if you’ll remember, Towbar told us Zizmon-Tarl lives on the other side of his world, which means we’re now on the other side of Towbar’s world. That means we may never get back to the Pass,” he paused. Perup returned to join them. “I sent the other two to go get the rest of my men.”

  “Very good, very good.” Perup’s happiness couldn’t be contained. He walked off and spoke to some of his little people in their chipmunk sounding language which caused them to move a little faster. The entire group of ‘baby people’ seemed to be happier since they were going to have more visitors.

  “I have a crazy idea Myk,” Boris looked to make sure none of the little people could hear him. “Since we’re stuck around the world and we don’t know if we’ll ever make it back to the Pass, why don’t we change our plans right now and go to the fortress of Zizmon-Tarl and end him once and for all? Let’s turn this into something good.”

  “What!?” Mykal couldn’t keep from laughing. “That’s crazy.”

  “I mean it. Our chances of survival and making it back to the Pass from here are slim to none. Let’s turn this situation into a positive. If we’re finished, let’s go out with a bang.”

  “That’s insane. Perup said Zizmon-Tarl might be a god who was cast down to earth. How the hell are we gonna fight a god?” Mykal continued to laugh, but saw Boris was serious.

  Boris shook his head. “That could be a lot of talk. It may not be real.”

  “And it could be worse. I’ll give it some thought. When we were in the green fog someone threatened us so we are on the run so to speak. It might make sense to go on the offensive. We’ll talk about it with Diaz and Jake and see what they think. Our number one objective right now is to get back to the Pass.”