The First Adventure

by Mark Boutros

  That night, Karl listened to drops of water echo off the floor. Each splat was another moment of his life gone. He didn’t want to sleep, but the darkness, coupled with mental exhaustion took hold. He tried to fight it, but he slipped into what he believed would be his final sleep before the eternal rest…

  Karl awoke startled and he wondered if he had died. When the light of Sabrinia’s lantern allowed his eyes to focus, the fear melted. ‘Come to say goodbye?’

  ‘In a way.’ Sabrinia pulled a key from the pocket of her blue cloak.

  Karl’s body tingled with hope.

  She unlocked his chains. ‘You have to go. And whatever you do, never return.’

  ‘But I’ve never left Flowforn. I’ll die out there.’ Karl’s eyes shot around Sabrinia’s face, hoping she’d recognise his desperation and offer another solution.

  ‘Out there, you might die. In here, you will absolutely, definitely die.’ She pulled him to his feet.

  ‘But there’s a reason your father didn’t want us going outside the capital. There are creatures. Some hungry and probably not fussy about what they eat.’

  ‘It’s time to be brave.’

  ‘That didn’t go so well at the burial.’ His sore head reminded him of that.

  Sabrinia turned to the cell door and listened. When there was only silence she checked the corridors. ‘Hurry. Before Fools see us.’ She grabbed his arm and led him to the stairs at the bottom of the administration building. ‘When you get out of Flowforn, pick a direction and keep going. But not east, that just leads to desert.’

  He swallowed. ‘Okay.’

  ‘Oh, and not west. Best to avoid the tribes.’

  ‘So south or north?’

  ‘Actually, no. Not north. Lionbears have been spotted in the northeast so it’s too risky.’

  ‘Lionbears?’ A lump formed in Karl’s throat.

  ‘I showed you a sketch of one when I returned from a visit to the northeast coast.’

  ‘You mean that horrible devil of a monster with teeth like spikes and claws like scythes?’

  ‘Yes. That’s a Lionbear.’

  ‘The beast more solid than a tree, with death in its eyes?’

  ‘The sketch made it look a touch more menacing than it is, but yes.’

  Karl welled up. ‘I’ve spent my life calling them demon beasts.’ His legs felt like sacks of stones. ‘Well I’m definitely not heading towards them.’

  ‘If you see one, don’t provoke it.’

  Karl sighed.

  ‘I’m not sure what’s going on in the south but it’s probably best you go that way.’ She handed Karl a pouch of gold. ‘This will help, and so will my dear, loyal parrot, Peezant.’

  ‘Okay…’ Karl knew Peezant. He regularly squawked outside his window to wake him up.

  ‘When you are far enough from the castle Peezant will find you and give you the message I wanted to before my father passed.’

  Karl nodded. ‘Can’t I just use this gold to pay some unhappy Fools to turn against Arazod?’

  Sabrinia shook her head. ‘The Fools are born with a curse to do exactly what their leader says. I doubt he’s told them to kill him if the right offer comes along.’

  ‘Lord Ragnus?’ Karl asked more out of hope than expectation.

  Sabrinia raised an eyebrow.

  Karl shook his head at the hopelessness. Despite never fitting in, he was leaving the only place he’d ever called home.

  Sabrinia gave him a long hug. It confirmed this was goodbye.

  ‘Why are you even marrying that idiot?’ Karl could tell she was being brave. She’d always been, but this seemed wrong.

  ‘If I want to limit innocent deaths, I have to.’

  It wasn’t fair. ‘This is Flowforn. The point is nobody has to do anything they don’t want to.’

  ‘Things don’t always work out as planned, it seems.’ The hopelessness in her voice was devastating.

  Karl couldn’t believe she would have to bind her soul to Arazod’s and be tormented by him in life and death. ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.’

  She placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’ll miss you.’

  ‘Will I ever see you again?’ He knew it depended on him staying alive.

  ‘Who knows?’ She shrugged. ‘Good luck, and be careful. It’s a strange world out there.’

  5

  Karl stood in the doorway to the courtyard and watched Sabrinia walk out of his life. Just like that, she faded into the night as a memory, one of the few good ones.

  He sighed and stared at the arch to freedom and uncertainty.

  Two Fools rolled a rock towards the alleys.

  Karl waited until they passed and then he ran to King Sastin’s statue and ducked next to it. Karl imagined the king saying, ‘Look at me, a hero. And you, well you are nothing.’ Karl cursed his luck at being born useless while King Sastin entered the world heroic.

  A Fool spat in the well, then turned and walked in Karl’s direction. Karl peered around Sastin’s legs until the Fool was close, then he rolled himself around the statue and ran for the arch.

  Fools approached from outside Flowforn so Karl pressed his back against the cold, stone wall, staying out of sight. He hoped the lip of stone lining the arch would be enough to hide him.

  Several Fools struggled to carry boulders to the Lookout Tower.

  Karl poked his head out. Arazod and Lord Ragnus stood in the arch and in the way, facing Flowforn Forest.

  ‘I think it’s time you gave me command of the Fool army,’ Lord Ragnus said.

  ‘Soon,’ Arazod replied. ‘Once I get everything I…’ He wheezed. ‘I want.’

  ‘And what is it that you want?’ Lord Ragnus scanned the trees, probably seeking something to punch.

  ‘I’ll know when I have it…’

  Lord Ragnus folded his arms. ‘I need the Fools to help me explore the land for relics and fighters.’

  Arazod nodded and scratched his talons against the ground. ‘Very well, Ragnus. Fools! Wherever you are, on one knee!’

  Whether they were lifting stones, patrolling the alleys or eating, all the Fools Karl could see dropped to one knee.

  ‘If I die, I want you to all kill yourselves,’ Arazod ordered.

  Their eyes flickered, accepting the command.

  ‘What?’ Lord Ragnus clenched his terrifying stone fists.

  Arazod chuckled. ‘And if Lord Ragnus kills me or threatens me, you will never serve him, and will make it your life’s mission to kill him.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ Lord Ragnus asked.

  ‘I enjoy our alliance. But I need to make sure there are no surprises.’ Arazod kicked dirt at the Fools near him. ‘Back to work.’

  The Fools returned to their duties.

  ‘It’s nothing personal.’ Arazod wheezed. ‘I just want to make sure you remain properly motivated.’ He shrugged. ‘You’d do the same.’

  Lord Ragnus scoffed. ‘What if someone else kills you?’

  ‘Well. If you don’t want the Fools to kill themselves you’d better make sure nobody gets to me.’

  Lord Ragnus huffed and the pair turned to face the capital.

  Karl pressed himself against the wall and held his breath, trying to slow his heartbeat.

  Arazod coughed. ‘I’ll try this marriage and ruling thing... see what it’s like. Then you can have them.’

  Hargon had given Karl some background on Arazod while he was in the dungeon. His father, Supreme Man-Hawk, Sarzo, was said to be more brutal, but was loved by all Man-Hawks. Arazod seemed to be good at the conquering thing, but he had no love, just Lord Ragnus who clearly wanted his Fools, and Fools who he ordered to follow him, so that didn’t count.

  ‘And when is the wedding?’ Lord Ragnus pressed.

  ‘It was meant to be yesterday, but Sabrinia…’ He gasped. ‘Said it wasn’t warm enough for a wedding.’

  ‘Then make her wear a scarf.’

  ‘If it turns out this isn’t what I want…’
He coughed. ‘We’ll burn this place down, everyone in it, then find a new kingdom across the sea to destroy as part of a farewell conquering celebration…’ He wheezed. ‘Then I’ll keep some Fools and the rest will be yours.’

  ‘Perfect.’

  ‘Now, let’s go to the gardens and look at which statues to remodel. Then we can kill that idiot, Karl.’

  Karl’s body tensed.

  ‘Nothing like killing before bed to help one sleep soundly,’ Lord Ragnus said.

  ‘It is already tomorrow, so Sabrinia can’t complain.’

  ‘Are you still going to have him transformed?’ Lord Ragnus asked.

  ‘Well, I thought about it, and…’ Arazod gasped. ‘Maybe I’ll run my axe down his spine, then you can choose stage two of death.’

  Karl’s chest tightened as if it was trying to crush his heart.

  ‘Marvellous,’ Lord Ragnus replied. ‘I’ve recently been enjoying punching the sides of people’s heads with both fists. You get the crushing of the hard skull followed by the cushioning of the brain. It is quite a soothing sensation.’

  Sickness rose in Karl’s throat. He closed his eyes and listened, hoping the sound of their footsteps would fade, but they grew closer.

  He took a deep breath, ready to fight, but fully aware he would lose.

  ‘Where are you going? The gardens are this way,’ Lord Ragnus said.

  ‘Ah, still getting used to this wretched place.’

  As soon as the footsteps faded, Karl peered through the arch at the forest. Behind him was imprisonment and death, and out there was mystery and a high chance of death.

  He took a deep breath, waited for patrolling Fools to be far enough away, and then he ran into the unknown.

  The dull green and red-leaved trees of Flowforn Forest twisted around each other, fighting for space. Any clear path was buried under a knot of roots bursting through the mud.

  Karl sat and rested his weary body against a broken tree, which had been snapped by the weight of two others wrestling to grow either side of it. He placed his hand on a dry, dull leaf. Colourful leaves faded into a ghostly grey further into the forest, as though a sickness swept through it.

  Flowforn sat on top of its hill and Karl thought about Sabrinia. There was no way her situation would end well. He wondered if he’d ever see her or his home again, but it wasn’t his home anymore. It had changed so much already.

  The Fools carried stones across the King’s Eye towards a statue of Arazod being built on the King’s Tower.

  ‘Peezant!’ a chubby, dirt-orange parrot squawked and swooped down. He pecked around in tree cavities for nothing in particular.

  ‘Peezant. What’s the message you have for me?’ Karl asked.

  Peezant stopped pecking. ‘Feed me, I’m tired.’

  ‘What? You’ve only flown down the hill. You probably just glided.’

  ‘When tired, I’m hungry. When hungry, I’m not in the mood to deliver messages. Especially ones this important.’

  ‘Fine.’ Karl, annoyed, searched his surroundings. He collected a handful of rotten berries scattered on the dirt and stretched his palm out. ‘Here, these look good for a parrot.’

  Peezant turned his beak up and flicked the berries out of Karl’s hand with his wing. ‘No! Gold feed,’ he squawked.

  ‘I need this gold to survive!’

  The royal trumpet alarm sounded. Arazod knew Karl had escaped and Fools would be hunting him.

  Peezant licked his beak.

  ‘Fine…’ Karl huffed, gritted his teeth and shoved coins into Peezant’s mouth to feel like he’d achieved a minor victory. ‘Speak.’

  Peezant’s voice changed into Sabrinia’s. ‘Karl. Now that you are free, there’s something you should know. After my mother died, for a while Father would write letters to her in the hope her soul would read them.’

  Karl scratched his head.

  ‘He would write to her about everything, and I had recently been reading some of these letters. It’s hard for me to say, but it turns out your parents weren’t your parents, or even real people.’

  ‘What?’ Karl scrunched his eyebrows and sat up.

  ‘One letter tells of Father finding you in a heap of Lionbear dung while visiting a burned down village. He took you in and then sent word to all corners of Hastovia, offering gold to those who could claim you. But only thieves came forward. When they couldn’t identify your name that was embroidered on your sock, Father knew they were just after riches.’

  ‘Is this the part where you tell me this is a joke?’

  Peezant pecked under his wing and took out a small, stained sock with Karl’s name embroidered on it.

  Karl held it in his hands and stared.

  ‘When Father realised nobody legitimate would come forward, he made up your parents so you never felt abandoned, and he made sure we looked after you.’

  Tears tickled Karl’s eyes. He spent so much time building up his supposed parents that they were very much real. He had imagined scenarios where they cooked together, had bow and arrow contests, and simply went for walks where they could be seen as a family, even if they weren’t saying much and were wishing they could be elsewhere.

  ‘I think there’s more to it, Karl. I believe you are from another world.’

  ‘What?’ Karl scoffed. ‘She’s been grieving, Peezant, is her mind?’ He tapped his head.

  ‘You’ve always been a bit… different. Struggling to do any kind of work, not fitting in…’

  ‘That doesn’t mean I’m from another world. It just means I’m a bit hopeless.’

  ‘However, the main reason is your name has no roots in Hastovian history. I studied all the History Orbs on all the families, and there is nothing linking your name to any of them, not even to the animals. Nothing.’

  Karl stared ahead, his chest twisted. No roots. No attachment.

  Peezant’s voice returned to normal. ‘There’s more.’

  Karl’s shoulders slumped. ‘Does there have to be?’

  A Fool patrol left Flowforn but thankfully walked in the opposite direction.

  ‘Maybe let’s do this while walking.’ Karl stood and walked away from Flowforn.

  Peezant perched on his shoulder and his voice changed back to Sabrinia’s. ‘In Hastovian history it has been documented that portals appeared between our world and others. A story tells of a great beast appearing from one. Father sent a group of mages to find and destroy the monster and the portals, but they must not have found them all, because you must have come from one. You need to find any remaining portal and get home before Arazod catches you. Good luck, and be careful. It’s a strange world out there.’

  Karl stared at the sock in his hand and ran his thumb over the wool. He had felt worthless before, having a dead family and no place, but now he felt lower than worthless. He couldn’t even class himself as a stray. What’s below a stray? A stain? A piece of dirt in the air? He had no idea what to do. He leaned against a tree and went over what he’d heard, trying to make sense of it.

  Peezant pecked his ear, which didn’t help.

  ‘I’ve got no parents, and I’m from another world?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘So my entire life has been a lie?’

  ‘Yep.’

  Karl sighed into his hands. It was like a boulder had been catapulted into his stomach.

  The royal trumpets invaded the air.

  Karl looked towards his feathered companion. ‘What do I do, Peezant?’

  Then, like most living beings put under unwanted pressure, Peezant did what came naturally.

  He flew away.

  Karl stared as Peezant got smaller and smaller in the distance. Tears streaked Karl’s face.

  6

  Karl lay in the shade of a dead bush and closed his eyes. He had spent two sunsets lost in the forest, avoiding Fools while trying to understand everything. He would walk, and then a wave of grief would wash over him. He would sit to think, and then a gust of anger would smack him. Em
otions surrounded his brain and took turns punching it. What did she mean? Could she be sure? Was there any point in running? Why did his parents abandon him? The cyclone of questions was more exhausting than the journey. Sleep was the only time he was at peace, and with Fools hunting him, he didn’t get much of that. Every noise shook him, from unknown creatures howling to his stomach crying for food.

  This was life now, sneaking rest when possible and eating anything that didn’t look like it would eat him first. Growing up in Flowforn, the only danger was figuring out what to do with his life. Out here, the danger was the endless number of things that could end it.

  Splat, splat.

  Footsteps slapped against the wet mud. Karl forced his eyes open and listened.

  Splat, splat.

  He sat up and looked through the twigs. Three armed Fools searched for him, covering most angles. One had a dart shooter while the others wielded spears.

  Karl crept behind a tree. He’d be safe pressed against the ashen bark, but the branches above him rustled. A purple ant the size of a barrel leapt from the branches and landed in front of him.

  Karl’s neck stiffened. It was as if this ant had eaten all of the other ants. Karl smiled at it and waved, hoping it would understand a friendly gesture.

  It clicked violently and stood on its back legs, aiming its abdomen at Karl. Perhaps it misinterpreted the gesture. Its body throbbed, stretched and cracked.

  Karl ran.

  ‘It’s him!’ a Fool yelled. A dart whistled past Karl’s ear and chipped the side of a tree. ‘It’s ugly Karl. Must capture ugly Karl.’

  The other two Fools repeated the order. ‘Must capture ugly Karl.’

  The ant’s abdomen exploded. The force knocked Karl to the ground and the air abandoned his lungs. A dull purple mess burned the trees and singed Karl’s trousers. He grasped at the air.

  The ant, now tiny, burrowed into the dirt.