by D. L. Jordan
****
A week and a half had passed by since Dean had begun reading the twenty-four books Queen Lila had given him. Within that time period he had already read eight. Six more days had passed and within those days he had read all twenty-four books. These works of literature contained the histories of Erlon’s famous people and places, nearly all of Erlon’s creatures and plant life, astronomy, and even the Avesian alphabet. The last two he had read from scrolls.
Dean quickly passed through the books because every bit of information each one contained held his every interest. One piece of information, that interested Dean the most, dealt
with the forging of the scepter of Pulchra. It was written that the scepter came into being by the will of Amenhotep and his use of the natural elements.
****
Early on Monday morning, on the last day of Terhune, King Salim awoke Dean to begin another part of his training. They were going to the underground cave that was located in a region of Avesia’s jungle called The Infestation. The Infestation was a large quantity of the jungle that was infested with Cramkees, reptilian creatures that had the resemblance of a monkey. Dean got out of bed, dressed, and met King Salim in the entrance hall.
The bright sunlight grasped Dean’s eyes as he and Salim went past the sixteen-foot doors. They went through the front courtyard, past the doors of the front gates, and into Avesia’s jungle.
The pair then went down the trail that was right beside the surrounding wall of The Marble Palace. This trail led down into The Infestation. The leaning tree, beside the wall below the palace, gently touched their faces with its hanging leaves as they passed by it. They slapped the leaves from their faces as they walked.
Dean and Salim entered the borders of Avesia’s jungle, which were also the borders of The Infestation.
“There is a reason,” began King Salim, “why many of the Yailonian people fear entering any part of the jungle. There is a legend regarding the ancient creatures that inhabited this jungle long before Avesia was founded. It is said that, during every full moon, the creatures rise from the tops of the trees and roam freely throughout the jungle.” Salim stretched his hands upward and gently moved them down, which resembled a rose finally budding into bloom.
He turned to Dean and said, “If any intruders enter or disturb their resting grounds during their roaming period, the creatures become bloodthirsty flesh eaters.” Dean was amused by
Salim’s animated demonstration of the creatures but, at the same time, he was deeply horrified that these creatures existed in a place they were entering.
Dean and Salim walked deeper into the jungle. The air was moist and Dean nearly stepped in the filth of a Cramkee. But he missed it after smelling the odor. Dean looked up. He could see a group of Yailonians on their Tigrises fly overhead in the sky as he walked behind Salim.
Dean and Salim went past many trees, bushes, and vines until two rows of tall trees could be seen. One row of trees was on each side of a dark cave. The entrance of the cave was shaped like an igloo and led to the underground through a series of steps. Suddenly, an awful smell entered Dean’s nostrils.
“What’s that smell?” Dean asked.
“It is probably the Gagfolmaid,” Salim responded, looking around cautiously.
Dean remembered reading about the Gagfolmaid. It was a native creature of the jungle that was half man and half centipede. He was slow-minded and always asked one riddle repetitively to strangers. He also always forgot anyone ever guessing the answer to the riddle. The Gagfolmaid’s writhing legs, long hair, and sharp claws along with his furrowed brows gave him a look that was both frightful and intimidating.
Salim felt a hot breath on his neck and a low giggle. He turned around and saw that this thing had climbed into the trees above him. Dean kept close to Salim, fearing the worst.
“Why do you enter the borders of my…borders?” said a low voice from the trees. The Gagfolmaid then crawled his way to the edge of the top of the cave.
Dean was both intrigued and disgusted by the creature’s appearance. He was very large and had long, dark hair that reached from the top of his gray head all the way to the back of his
black, centipede-like body that started at his torso. Dean looked into the Gagfolmaid’s maroon eyes.
The Gagfolmaid shifted his head back and forth as he looked at both Dean and Salim. A strand of the Gagfolmaid’s own hair had gotten caught beneath his legs. He then experienced the misfortune of tripping on his hair and, as a result, fell clumsily to the ground…chin first.
Dean and Salim chuckled as he settled himself back up, massaging his chin. He snapped at them both in a threatening manner and began his riddle in a conniving voice. Dean and Salim hushed instantly.
“O’ what mere travelers have journeyed to my clutches?
I guarantee you will leave my grasp needing a cast or crutches. Perhaps you want to see the wonders of the cave behind me?
Of course, they always want to see. ‘How many chances do I have?’ you may ask.
Just one and only one.
Answer this riddle correctly if you can.
And I soon will let you scan.”
Dean and Salim eagerly awaited the riddle as the Gagfolmaid finished his statement. Dean hoped that it wouldn’t be anything too difficult. He desperately wanted to witness the wonders of the cave that the Gagfolmaid so dutifully guarded.
“I never was, I am not predictable, nor ever will. What am I?” said the Gagfolmaid.
Dean struggled trying to find the answer to this difficult riddle. He looked at Salim who had a relaxed look. Apparently, Salim knew the answer due to his encounters with Yailonians
who had been to the cave before by solving the creature’s riddle. The Gagfolmaid gazed suspiciously at them both.
He moved from his place at the top of the rock and slithered his large centipede body around Dean and Salim. Dean felt the small legs of the Gagfolmaid’s segments pat against him, which made him shudder. The Gagfolmaid placed his mouth near Dean’s ear saying, “Do you have an answer?”
Dean was about to say that they didn’t, but he was interrupted by Salim. Salim then said in a matter-of-factly tone, “Yes, we do!”
The Gagfolmaid took his place atop the cave again, ready for their response to his riddle.
Salim faced him, ready to give the answer.
“The answer to the riddle is…the future.” The Gagfolmaid yelled at the top of his lungs, pulling out strands of his lengthy hair in distress because of their response. Beads of perspiration began to form on both Dean and Salim’s foreheads, anticipating what action the Gagfolmaid would take next in his outrage. But, surprisingly, the unnerving creature had subdued before replying to their response.
“That is correct, you may enter the cave,” he said shortly.
Dean and Salim entered the cave, which was lit by many torches set into the walls. Salim grabbed a torch from its bracket and continued. The Gagfolmaid’s mind had become clouded and he climbed into a tree, bumping his head on a branch as he went.
Dean and Salim walked down into a long tunnel. Dean was relieved at the thought of being away from the Gagfolmaid. The long tunnel ended at a series of spiraling steps that led deep underground.
Dean figured that they had to be under the beach by now. King Salim held the torch up as it revealed a decorated archway completely made of solid rock. Golden Avesian letters were written above the archway. Salim interpreted the letters aloud.
“Through this way you enter a place of knowledge and protection. You may touch all but the crystal orb. Do not collide with the orb.”
“What’ll happen if the orb is touched?” Dean asked.
“I am afraid the outcome might be deadly,” Salim assuredly responded. They both walked into the ancient and very large room. Painted inscriptions covered every inch of the room like a tomb. The orb was settled upon a tall pedestal in the center. Dean looked at the walls around him in fascination. He read their descriptions that inclu
ded secrets of Avesian and Erlonan history that had never been exposed before in books.
“The reason I brought you down here,” said Salim, “is to reveal more of our world to
you.”
Dean examined an inscription on the wall and learned the tale of a Teotihuacan leader who saved her people from a natural disaster. Salim watched Dean as a flock of bats flew out of a large crack in the ceiling and exited through the entranceway of the cave. The sudden surprise of the bats caused Dean to fall back against the pedestal of the orb, making it fall from its place. Salim quickly caught the orb with his left hand before it hit the ground, while the torch was still in his right one. He gently settled it back in its place. Salim and Dean then felt a slight vibration beneath their feet.
The ceiling and walls of the room started to crack and shake. Dean’s body began to shake, his heart pounding. They both ran, trying to make for the exit. The heavy vibrations around them caused a heaping amount of rocks to fall from the wall into the archway, not
allowing them to pass. One of the walls collapsed in front of them. The torch Salim held was knocked out of his hand by a piece of the fallen wall. Due to the sudden darkness, the inside of the once illustrious cave had become a paralyzing reminder of the danger that surrounded Dean and King Salim. Other walls around them started to tumble in the darkness. Only a small ray of sunlight shined in through a crack. There was no way out.
Dean closed his eyes and saw the tumbling walls in his head. Taking a leap of faith, he stretched his arms outward as if they were wings. He closed his eyes and felt a rush run through his body.
Salim gasped in amazement. Dean opened his eyes, also gasping in surprise. Everything around them had stopped. Dean assumed that he had the ability to move objects without any physical contact.
“Keep concentrating, Dean, while I move these rocks away from the entrance.”
Dean looked at the rocks in front of the entrance. He closed his eyes and saw the rocks move away in his mind. Dean opened his eyes and saw to his surprise that they had indeed moved from their place, leaving the entrance clear for them to travel.
“Never mind then.” Salim was relieved at the sight of the revealed entrance.
Dean and Salim ran through the entrance. Dean let go of his mental grasp of the rocks and heard them collapse behind him. Though he was unable to see it, the orb still remained untouched in its place despite all the destruction that had occurred around it.
Dean ran up the tall stairs of the underground cave and saw the light of the sun enter as they reached the opening of the jungle. They exited the cave and, without hesitation, ran back to the palace to prepare for the events that were to take place that evening.
AN EXPECTED SURPRISE
Later that night, the festival that Dean had been so excitedly looking forward to had finally come. Fireworks exploded, scintillating the dark night sky above the island. The enjoyment that had been sowed through the city for so long was finally in bloom. The celebrations were happening and Dean was truly enjoying himself. He saw everything that he had envisioned only a few weeks ago on the balcony, including all the music and dancing.
From the food and decorations, the lights that glittered like neon, and the exciting laughter that filled the faces of everyone around everything Dean saw in these communal surroundings gave him the feeling of being home in his old world once more. Dean went down a main street to browse in shop windows, which all sold things relating to the celebrations, enticing his will to buy something.
The vibrant celebrations were happening, and a final parade was about to begin. Dean saw jugglers and large, false dragons with multi-colored scales that resembled hundreds of shining rubies. Dean was captivated by the riders on decorated Tigrises. A large coach, pulled by Tigrises, carried the Rulers as they waved to the joyous crowds throughout the city.
Later on, as the celebrations were drawing to a close, a man in a high tower in the city looked to the sundial beside him. He shouted to the rest of the city and the people started to count down to the hour of a new year for Erlon. Dean gratefully joined in to celebrate when they began.
“Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one!” everyone shouted.
The hour had finally come and the Yailonian people shouted “Happy New Year!” It was now the month of Malay, the first month of the year, and the fireworks in the night sky exploded. The Yailonians celebrated until the pre-dawn hours.
A sharp sound zipped across the sky. A green chariot aligned with skulls had appeared out of the Ice Waters, turning the joyous laughter and excitement of the crowds into horrifying screams of fear and terror.
The chariot was being pulled by large menacing-looking sea serpents with white scales. Their eyes were wreathed in green flames along with twisting horns and gruesome sharp teeth that hung from their mouths. Dean and everyone in Yailon looked on in fear at these creatures and saw the one figure in the chariot that controlled them.
The serpents released a loud, deep roar that impacted all those who heard it. The figure dressed in an armor made of iron pulled on the reins of the serpents and landed the chariot onto the main street of the city. The figure stepped out from the chariot. A large sword was wrapped on the left side of his cloak by a red band that went around his waist.
Dean remembered Queen Lila’s story and knew immediately the cloaked figure’s identity.
“People of Yailon…I, your once great ruler, have returned for the one they call Dean. He is the only one who stands in the way of my ruling you all once again!”
Dean felt as if he had just been pierced through the heart. His breathing was becoming slower. Xanire, the one person he had been trained by the Rulers to confront, had finally made his move to take over the city once again on the most celebrated day of the year. Dean didn’t know what to do after Xanire called his name. He gathered his senses and stealthily hid amongst the crowds, trying to sneak back toward The Marble Palace. Dean suddenly stopped and looked back when he heard a voice from the crowd.
The voice came from a man named Cernan Remnan.
“We will never bow down to you! Dean will defeat you, and you will never bother our city again!”
The Yailonians cheered for Cernan’s courageous words. Dean looked on in admiration at the man who at least attempted to do what he was too cowardly to do at the moment. But Cernan’s act of valor was crudely interrupted. Xanire took the large sword from its sheath on his left side and struck Cernan in the chest. Xanire calmly placed his sword back in its sheath, while blood crawled through Cernan’s fingers. Cernan died in front of the onlookers, still holding his chest. The citizens of Yailon watched as his family came over and cried before his lifeless body. Some came to comfort the weeping family by pulling them away from Cernan’s body as it lay in the street.
“Where is he?!” Xanire demanded angrily. Yet, still, no one spoke.
“Very well, then. If no one will tell me of his whereabouts…I will find him myself.” Xanire quickly settled himself back into his chariot as the Yailonian people and Dean watched.
Realizing Xanire’s intentions, the Yailonian people and Dean ran screaming for their lives as Xanire took off and destroyed the festive decorations.
Xanire destroyed homes, gardens, and buildings out of his growing frustration searching for Dean. He then cast a small device into the air. The device stopped and exploded, releasing a fume that changed into a blood red cloud that bathed the island in a red light. After the explosion, Xanire set his serpents to go free, allowing them to go on a rampage throughout the island.
Dean was running for his life now along with the Yailonians towards the steps of the palace. The Rulers were waiting for them at the palace walls along with the guards to let them all inside. Once Dean was past the entrance of the sanded wall, he aided the Rulers in directing the people into the largest room of the palace…the throne room.
When everyone was settled within the throne room, the Rulers helped calm the people. Dean wal
ked to the tall windows to see if Xanire had ceased his destruction and saw the once beautiful city of Yailon in almost complete ruin.
A feeling of desperation was beginning to overcome Dean, so he turned around to tend to the people as well. Dean watched miserably as a little girl named Klevene, who was the daughter of Cernan Remnan, wept mournfully into her mother’s chest while her older brother and sister
sat beside her. Dean looked around and saw an elderly couple shivering in the corner of the room, so he went to fetch them a blanket. They thanked Dean for the blanket and a sense of empathy and compassion for their unfortunate situation overwhelmed him. Tears began to form in his eyes and, wanting to stay courageous in the eyes of those he had just helped, Dean turned away from them. He allowed the tears to flow down the smooth surface of his cheeks before wiping them away. Dean could only think of the couple as they wept for their home, which was now left in debris. Yet still, they were thankful for their lives and that fact alone comforted him in his mournful disposition.
When everything was peaceful and silent in the throne room Dean was surprised to find that the noise from the destruction Xanire was making had stopped. Curious, he walked towards the window once more and looked towards the sea. What was Xanire’s reason for stopping his destruction? Could he be gone? Dean looked down at the Ice Waters and saw green lights below the surface coming towards the palace at an increasing speed.
