The Boy and His Curse

by Michael P Mordenga

  “Back to the corner, Earthian.”

  She turned back to her respectable creatures. “ Consider yourselves blessed. This crime you have committed should have ended in the immediate torturing and death of all three of you.”

  She stopped to take a breath and her words turned sorrowful, as her face twisted in discomfort.” Since we are at war and we are losing precious time, I will permit the boy to participate. But he can only be in this battle if the Master of Defense grants his permission. I must warn you that he is less understanding than I. The Earthian’s fate will be in Budgeron’s hands.”

  From blacker fate

  To lighter world

  His strength of faithless sight

  To help the winged

  Bring down the troll

  And to make a balanced fight

  - Prophecy from the Scroll of Davik Part 2

  XIX: Keep You?

  The time for patiently waiting for the dark army was over; now they were marching victoriously toward their goal. With shouts of excitement and screams of war, they swallowed the ground with mighty footsteps. Each torch they held represented the all–consuming fury of the Kalhari. The black night sky pressing down on them was illuminated by their fiery movement toward the Phaenix.

  Fragile followed from the back, watching his glorious army yell the anthems of war. Donning his crimson cape and animal bone armor, he couldn’t help but feel like a god. This land, this beautiful land, was finally his. He pulled out the scrolls of Davik and scanned them. They spelled out sweet victory for him. Finally, he could give to his greedy father a gift that even the old warrior couldn’t refuse. The land of the Phaenix had been eyed by every king of Kalhari, but none had ventured to take it. He was the bravest son of all. The anthems swelled louder and Fragile soaked in their praises. Never before had he felt the fists of his god ready to strike so mightily. Not a single creature would be left standing.

  Ashen ran alongside his master general and tugged on his cape. “Fragile, we will be in the Drift Space soon. We need to prepare the warmongers their positions.”

  Fragile smirked at Ashen’s need to be safe, always trying to be one step ahead of his enemies. Ashen’s family had been meticulous mathematicians. They did not leave things to risk. That is why the noble general counted and recounted every phalanx, company, and garrison. He was a perfectionist among the sloppiest race in the land. “Dear Ashen, I have a strategy that will devastate the ranks and outsmart the enemy.”

  Ashen’s eyes lit up.

  “It’s called descending on the enemy in a wave of terror and washing them away.”

  Ashen thought about it; that was always the Kalhari way. In fact, no Kalhari had ever strayed from that strategy. He tugged on the master’s robe again.

  “You’re lucky I am in a good mood,” Fragile warned.

  Ashen nervously dug his clawed toes into the ground as they walked. “I was just hoping that you’d put me on the frontline against the best swordsman in the Phaenix ranks.”

  Fragile mockingly scratched his head, “I wasn’t aware that good sword play and Phaenix were synonymous.”

  The rebuttal flew over Ashen’s head. “The greatest warrior for the Phaenix is Mollet. They will put him on the frontline and he will fight with his coveted black longsword. I plan to slay him with my white sword!”

  Before Fragile could think about it, Urk slowed from the crowd ahead. He had blood caked on his jaws and hands.

  “General Fragile, have you seen your brother?”

  Fragile spit at the name. “No, wherever he is, I hope he’s dying.”

  *****

  Kashun walked out of sight of the generals. He climbed a small hill overlooking the marching army. He scoffed at the worthless ants journeying into the darkness, his anger burning brightly for the fool in the scarlet cape. Fragile was the biggest slob of the Kalhari and he did not deserve to have such a high rank with father. The only job he deserved was to wash father’s wart-infested feet for eternity. He closed his eyes and fantasized about being more powerful than his brother.

  A tree stood nearby, minding its own business.

  Kashun put out his hand and with a flick of his wrist the tree became engulfed in flames. Another tree presented itself to his left; he extended his hand and pushed a wind force that ripped the tree from its roots. He wished so much that he was harming Fragile instead of these trees. Surely he had the power to decimate his brother with a flaming hurricane of torture, but he couldn’t. Kashun bowed his head in shame, for father would no longer love him if he did—father would not love him any more even if Kashun gave him the world. The only way to get father’s love and the approval to kill Fragile was to take Faeria himself. A dry mud hole had been dug into the side of the hill. Kashun knew his next artistry would be the hardest yet. He put out his hand and clenched his eyes shut. The dark power crawled from his body. With all of his force he pushed streams of water from his hand, until the little mud hole was full. The artistry of water, the improbability of creation, he thought. Those who possessed it had the very powers of the god they worshiped. Even a small puddle meant great wrath from the artist. He smiled at his work.

  “My god Avero will call me to humiliate my brother.”

  *****

  Budgeron felt the urgency in his bones and he knew he needed to be at the castle quickly. He landed on the beach and let his wings recede into his back. The guards gave him instant access to the Queen. Nearing the throne room, he saw the guards poised and ready at the door. They were waiting for something to happen.

  “There’s an Earthian inside.”

  Budgeron’s pulse quickened. This was wrong. He entered the throne room to find it empty.

  “Majesty! Majesty!”

  He heard subtle moaning from nearby and ran to the table room. When he lunged through the door, he saw three at the table and one in a corner. The most important was the Queen who seemed to be giggling over something. A deaconess sat on her left, telling a story. Hinson sat watching the other person in the corner, which also caught Budgeron’s attention. At first glance it was an Elfin with his head smashed in. No, wait, it was definitely a conjuration of a darken monster from the Mystic Forest. Budgeron got a closer look: those ears, cheek bones, skinny body, small nose—what?! Budgeron put his hand over his mouth and stared at the Queen, who had just noticed he had walked in. He looked again and there it was, an Earthian in the castle. Not only was it an Earthian, but it was a live one. It was alive near the Queen of all Phaenix. Budgeron just stood there quietly.

  The Queen’s face became serious. “Sit down, you need to hear this.”

  Budgeron’s mind raced; he thought maybe the Earthian had the castle under attack. This outsider was holding everyone hostage. Sitting down, he looked over at the boy again. The Earthian looked apathetic and frustrated. Not the kind of proper look one would give in the presence of her majesty. It was time to find out what the Queen really wanted.

  The Queen pointed to the anomaly in the corner. “This Earthian was brought here by this deacon and the deaconess per instruction from Gibbs.” Her mouth turned sour.

  “The high priest says he has been given a vision that an Earthian boy would aid us in war. He said it was directly from the Daysun.”

  Hinson butted right into the conversation. “He wouldn’t bother your warriors. He would fight in the back. He would just be there to appease the Daysun.”

  The Master of Defense did not realize he was shaking his head at the Queen. This didn’t sound right at all. Then it occurred to Budgeron the visitors might be working for the Kalhari, blackmailing the Queen. Budgeron excused himself and the Queen for a private talk.

  They went back to the throne room. Budgeron eyed her helplessly. His mouth tried to find the words to explain this scenario.

  “Is this an evil magic?”

  Putting her hand on Budgeron’s shoulder, she stood calm. “All I know is that Gibbs has prophesied this Earthian should participate in the war. It is part of the
homeland submitting to its holy orders from the Daysun. I am putting this in your hands, because I want you to tell me if this will work. Can an Earthian be on the battlefield with us? Keep in mind that it is just one Earthian and even if that is the cause of victory, we can eject him soon after.”

  Budgeron thought deeply about it; so much disgrace and confusion would be added to the battle, but the Queen was right: the homeland always submitted to the holy orders. It was the natural order of things.

  “How do we know? How do we know this is from holy orders?” Budgeron moved closer to the Queen. “We have had reports of Phaenix spying for the Kalhari. Some of the Kalhari converted the Eastern survivors. I suspect it is dark artistry. Since the start of the invasion, some of our prophecies in the library have been missing and some of our battle strategies were stolen by the enemy camp. How else would they know our army is convening at the Drift Space?”

  She ran through her encounter with the Religistral to compare the spy idea against Hinson’s story. He had lied, cheated, and hidden an Earthian in the homeland—everything a spy would do. But there was one thing not congruent with that idea.

  The Queen shook her head. “It’s impossible. Kalhari spies do not offer to die for the truth. These three were ready to die for the truth. A spy will cower for his life.”

  Budgeron stomped on the floor of the throne room, forgetting he wasn’t talking to his daughter. “I just don’t get it. An Earthian, why an Earthian? What did we do to deserve this?”

  The Queen was stumped by that, and she wished she knew herself. “I don’t know, but I think we need a backup plan in case this doesn’t lead to victory.”Budgeron was listening as she continued. “If the boy fights on our field and it looks like we are losing, you must order your warriors to kill the Earthian immediately.”

  Budgeron nodded. “We will make a sign with one of our own. We will designate one warrior to be a living sign for the Daysun. If that warrior lives, then the Earthian will live. If that warrior dies, then the Earthian will soon follow. We will pick someone from the middle of the battle formation so we know it is not by chance. The Daysun will have to strike this warrior dead himself.”

  They both agreed and clasped hands.

  *****

  As the Queen and Budgeron entered the table room again, Hinson and Caitilin stood up to pay their respects. They may have been chatting with the Queen and telling humorous stories, but they still needed to show reverence.

  The Queen proudly proclaimed in her majestic voice, “We have decided to allow the boy in this battle, but only this one.”

  Caitilin and Hinson felt like they could fly with jubilation all over the room, but they kept a polite smile.

  Ethan’s eyes jumped up. He would not be burned alive as Mollet had predicted.

  “But if he ruins one iota of our battle strategy, he receives no second chance. Do I make myself lovely?”

  Caitilin thought about that word lovely. That was the Queen’s permission.

  “Lovely?” Ethan thought.

  They nodded, feeling the warning in her tone.

  Hinson spoke up, “Permission to speak, your highness?”

  The Queen said icily, “Now you decide to seek my permission in respect to the rules?”

  He shrugged. “In order for the boy to effectively be in this campaign, we need you to address the Phaenix and give an order not to harm the Earthian. We may have hidden him thus far, but we can no longer disguise him as a damaged Phaenix. He could be killed by someone before the battle begins.”

  She dug her sandal into the ground. That would mean having to endure every citizen’s outrage to the Earthian. This was worse than making a law banning all food. Hinson was right; Ethan would need to be presented to the people. There were many hard things she needed to do as a Queen, but she desperately didn’t want this to be one of them. She showed a calm, solemn face of discernment and judgment, but inside she cringed.

  “That will suit us well,” she said with an underlying edge to her voice. “Now leave this castle and never tell anyone how you got in. You are barred from the castle until further notice. If I so much as see you in public or get wind of your presence on the golden sands, I will have you put away in prison.”

  Immediately three guards grasped the deacon’s arms and rushed them out of the throne room. The third guard grabbed Ethan by the hair and yanked hard. The spagions conversed about Ethan’s smell and his ugly skin before booting all three of them out of the crystal tunnel.

  They were outside, back to the golden sands where they all could take a deep breath. The breeze from the sea was a reminder that things had calmed down. The sky had darkened. The night had given way to the multicolored stars. They still could not believe they had pulled that off.

  Ethan walked alone. He looked down at his feet, kicking seashells that were near him. He couldn’t help but feel his life was still in danger now that he was signed on for the war. Danger was not foreign to him. He had had a curse that almost crushed him and a Phaenix warrior who wanted to chop his hand off. He angrily kicked another conch shell into the sea. His life had been so easy and comfortable before this. All he had to do was wake up, do well at school, and his parents and geeky friends would leave him be. He didn’t ask to be trapped in a fantasy world, imprisoned to fulfill some vapor of a deity who couldn’t keep simple monsters out of his country. In reality, it was all his fault. This Daysun!

  Sharp-billed herons with glowing eyes swooped down on the beach.

  Ethan thought about the few minutes he spent in the light. It had been so warm and comforting, he hadn’t wanted it to go. He had been as light as a feather and at rest with his problems, but just for a moment. He kicked at another shell violently. Where was that peace now?

  Caitilin walked alongside Hinson. “Should we get him?” she asked, concerned.

  “Leave him be. Sometimes a man just needs to walk.”

  She pointed toward the depressed Earthian. “I am fretting over the boy. He doesn’t even believe in fate, destiny, or what the Daysun is calling him to be.”

  Hinson let the breeze comb through his hair. “Perhaps destiny, fate, and purpose need to stay in the back of his mind until the true realizations emerge. He needs to feel loved, wanted, needed. He needs to know that something is out there waiting for him. We don’t understand that because we have always had the Daysun, but not him. All he had were his parents and they are gone. Frankly, I’m glad he is with us. That is one chance we get to show him what that feels like to be loved by a constant, eternal being.”

  Caitilin nodded and let the crashing roar of the water speak for the rest of the night. The rainbow of stars shone brighter. Ethan returned to the only two friends he had in this world. His hair was disheveled, he was covered in drenching sweat, and smelled like cold fear. He needed a warm shower, an Earthian meal, his favorite music album and a place to sleep. Caitilin put her arm around his shoulders and squeezed him surprisingly,

  “Everything is going to be okay. We’ll get through this together.”

  Hinson put his hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Tomorrow the Queen gives her address and then you can freely walk into the Drift Space. But right now, get some rest.”

  Ethan raised his head to the two who had shown so much faith in him. They devoted their kotoma to his every need. Caitilin constantly watched him and had even pulled Mollet off of him. Hinson would die for him just to get the truth out. That was love for an outsider.

  “You really believe in this cause, don’t you?” Ethan asked.

  “With all my heart,” Caitilin said.

  “And all my soul,” Hinson continued.

  Ethan thought about every decision he had made up until this point. It was all leading to this.

  “Well, then I believe in it too. Let’s go.”

  When it was dark enough for Ethan not to be seen, they went back to the outer rim of the West, where they found a campsite on the golden trail. It was time to rest now.

  *****


  The warriors in the Drift Space would not be getting sleep. Two more days and they would be in the midst of battle. Every spy and watcher Phaenix knew it was coming. The soldiers stood outside their tents, ready for the blast of the horn.

  Budgeron landed, his face exhibiting pure shame. The warriors watched curiously as he trudged off to his tent and asked for Mollet. Thief was with Mollet when he was called off. Budgeron talked in a low tone, his eyes describing a tale of unforgiving annoyance. He seemed disappointed about something. Suddenly, Mollet tensed and pounded his fist into his hand, while Budgeron nodded in despair.

  Mollet yelled “Mez!” leaving the tent behind him. He patted Thief’s head as he passed. “Go home, Thief. This is not your battle. This is not anyone’s battle.”

  Mollet found a hollowed-out log and took a seat on it. With much frustration, he put his head in his hands. He felt like he would crumble into dust. The news made him cold.

  Thief got his perky nose really close to the warrior. “What troubles you, Mollet?”

  What was the harm in telling a babe? “That was the Master of Defense. He just told me I need to stand with our new visitor in the back and keep close tabs on him.”

  “New visitor?” Thief wondered.

  Mollet buried his head in his hands. “I will be a babysitter for a twig.”

  Thief grabbed Mollet’s hand and squeezed it. “Mollet, sir, this is the Phaenix of the homeland. We are fierce like Octaflaught and angry like battle moles. We will kill those crawlies and they will run away, wishing that they did not fight against our tena…tenc…teni.”

  “Tenacity,” Mollet helped.

  “Tenacity!” Thief shouted, standing up in victory.

  Mollet mustered a smile. Whether Ethan was there or not, they were still going to battle fearlessly until every Kalhari was dead. One infant slob Earthian wasn’t going to ruin the great and terrible army of the Phaenix.

  Mollet put his fingers through Thief’s ruddy hair. This would be the most glorious battle Faeria would see.