The Lost Tayamu (The Legends of Kiamada Book 1)

by Ben Cass

  Ellie and Jerry emerged from the kitchen then. Egg yolks dripped from both of them, and flour coated their shirts. A gooey batter fell from Jerry’s beard, and Ellie had chocolate smushed onto her mouth. Doyle just looked at them, one eyebrow raised.

  “He started it,” said Ellie, pointing at Jerry. Jerry shrugged innocently. “What was that all about?” she asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder, toward the departing car.

  “The sheriff came to check on us. We said our goodbyes, but he said he’d come by to see us off.” Jen explained.

  “Goodbyes?” asked Jerry. “Did I miss something?”

  “Aw, man. I wish you’d called me out here,” said Ellie. “I love that man. At least I’ll get to see him again.”

  “Can we focus here?” Jerry waved his arms. “What goodbyes?”

  “I’m taking Jen and Ellie to Kiamada in a few days,” Doyle said.

  “Oh.” Jerry thought for a moment. “A few days, huh? Yeah, that’s enough time.”

  “Enough time for what, love?” asked Kira, looking at her husband curiously.

  He reached into his hair and pulled a few Rice Krispies out. “To wrap things up before we go.” He reached out and suddenly mashed the Rice Krispies into the back of Ellie’s head. She screeched in protest, but laughed when he wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed.

  “Go where?” Kira asked, still looking confused.

  He gave her a confused look. “We agreed to move to Kiamada, right?”

  Jen watched Ellie’s eyes light up in excitement, and even saw Doyle give a small nod of approval. She knew she was relieved. It had been hard to think of leaving Kira behind.

  Kira considered her husband for a moment. “Jerry...I told you I needed to go back, that I had things to take care of, but I do not want to take you away from your world. I will come back to you. My life is here now, not there.”

  He knelt down and took her hand. “Honey, you’ve not been there since you met me, and I know you miss it. You’ve spent years sacrificing for me, but now it’s my turn to sacrifice for you.” Jerry stood up, still holding Kira’s hand. “Your brother is finally going home. Jen and Ellie are going home with him. You’re going with them. Quite frankly, I’m not willing to be apart from any of you.” He looked over at Doyle, eyebrow raised. “Not even your jackass of a brother.” A faint smile on his mouth and the twinkle in his eyes removed any possible sting from the words. “We’re all family now, and family sticks together.”

  Doyle nodded. “I agree. Family stays together.” Jen reached out, taking his hand and Ellie’s hand. Ellie took Jerry’s hand in her own.

  “Together forever,” said Jen, smiling happily.

  “Dibs on the dog,” Ellie suddenly said, making everybody break into laughter.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  It had been a whirlwind three days since they’d agreed to leave together, and that time had been filled with activity. Jerry had settled his and Kira’s affairs. Doyle had elected to keep his house—“Who knows what’ll happen?“—and just had to shut off services to the home. The sheriff had promised to keep an eye on the property, and Doyle had told him how to send a message into the forest and reach them in Kiamada.

  Ellie’s friends had spent the last three days with her, and they were together one last time, the goodbye as heart-wrenching as they’d known it would be. Tears dotted all their faces as they sat in a circle on the living room floor, the sounds of sniffling filling the room.

  Maddie suddenly smiled brightly. “You’re a legal adult over there, right?” Ellie nodded. “Which means we all are, too. So...if there are any good strip clubs, you’d better bring us over for a visit!”

  “Hell, yes!” Abby chimed in.

  Olivia crossed her arms. “And if you meet a guy, you had better make damned sure we meet him before you get serious. And I will never forgive you if we’re not there for your wedding.”

  Kira walked by them, smiling at the girls, carrying a large pile of clothing. She had been busy sewing clothing for the women to wear, as Kiamadan fashion was not as modern as this Earth’s fashions were. She’d also made Jerry some plain outfits, much to his dismay. Jerry walked alongside her, apparently pleading his case for keeping his own clothes.

  “Those styles do not exist in Kiamada,” she told him flatly.

  He shrugged. “Then I can be a trendsetter, right? And I’m bringing the dinosaur slippers.”

  The girls broke down laughing as Kira smoothly pretended not to hear her husband, even though he kept trying to get her to agree to the slippers. They disappeared up the stairs.

  Maddie tapped her lip thoughtfully. “What’s her story?” she asked. “Kira, I mean. Her brother is some badass magical warrior, and she’s just a housewife? I don’t think so.”

  Ellie thought about it. “You know, I honestly don’t know,” she finally said. “She came here before he did, and never went back. I think she was looking for Jen; they were best friends in Kiamada.”

  Maddie raised an eyebrow doubtfully. “And she never found Jen before Doyle did? That makes no sense. She’s at least as resourceful and intelligent as her brother.”

  “More intelligent,” Olivia said. “Obviously. Girl power, you know.”

  “Definitely,” Maddie agreed. “Still, she came here to find her best friend, got married a few weeks into her search and then basically abandoned it?” She shook her head. “No. Not buying it.”

  “Who said she abandoned it?” Ellie countered. “It took Doyle nine years. She was only here for a year longer. And they had an entire planet to search. Maybe they split up and took different areas.”

  “Okay, fair point,” Maddie admitted. “Still...something doesn’t add up about her.”

  “Have you ever noticed the way she speaks?” Olivia suddenly asked. “Just like your mom used to?”

  “Yeah, I have,” Ellie agreed. “So proper. Very...cultured? Is that the right word?”

  Olivia leaned down and scratched her calf muscle. “She never uses contractions, does she? I haven’t heard her use any at all. Have you?” The other girls traded glances, shaking their heads. “Didn’t think so. Your mom also talked that way, but she slipped up from time to time. With her, it was like she’d learned to speak properly, but forgot to once in a while. Kira never forgets.”

  Abby looked at her twin. “I know that tone, Olivia. You have a theory, don’t you?”

  Olivia nodded as Doyle came into the room. He no longer used the walking stick, but there was still a slight limp when he moved. He smiled at them and went to the stairs, stopping when Olivia called out. “Hey...Coa..umm, Doyle?”

  He turned to her. “Yes, Olivia?”

  “I’m Abby.”

  Doyle sighed. “No, you’re not. When will you stop trying to pretend you can fool me?”

  Abby spoke up. “When will you tell us how you know who’s who?”

  He grinned. “As soon as you figure it out. What did you want, short stuff?”

  Olivia brushed her hair behind her ear. “Your home...Kiamada? You said it’s a monarchy?” He nodded. “And the queen went missing?”

  “Uncrowned queen, yes.”

  “What about her parents?”

  He frowned. “Why do you want to know?” To Ellie’s ear, he sounded the tiniest bit...defensive?

  Olivia shrugged. “Just trying to understand what kind of place my best friend is from. It’s very different from America. Passing down the throne from father to son. Or daughter, I guess.”

  “Mother to daughter, actually. The oldest daughter is always the Queen, unless she dies, when it goes to the next oldest daughter.”

  Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Really? What if there is no daughter in a family?”

  He shrugged. “The people are supposed to choose a new royal family when the current Queen dies.”

  “So...the future queen vanished and that threw Kiamada into anarchy? What about her parents? Why can’t they rule?”

  Doyle folded his arms. “
Her parents are no longer alive, unfortunately.”

  “Oh. Okay. Thanks for the information! Clears a few things up!”

  Doyle looked at Olivia a moment longer, his eyes narrowed, before turning and going up the stairs, his hand rubbing his left thigh muscle.

  Abby leaned back against the blue ottoman, resting her arm on it. “What was that about?” she asked. Olivia smiled.

  “I figured it out. Kira’s story, I mean.”

  Maddie raised an eyebrow. “Well, don’t keep us wondering!” she whispered. “What do you think it is?”

  Olivia smiled. “Kira is the uncrowned Queen of Kiamada,” she said smugly.

  Ellie stared at her for a moment before bursting out into laughter. “Kira?” She shook her head. “No way.”

  Olivia raised an eyebrow, and began ticking off points on her fingers. “Mother to oldest daughter, he just said, remember? She always speaks properly, and have you ever seen her in pants? No. You haven’t. Dresses or skirts only. She walks the way a queen should, talks the way a queen should, even looks the way a queen should.” Olivia thought about this last point for a second before shrugging. “Well, at least the way I imagine a queen should look. You said Doyle came here to find Jen and hopefully bring peace back to his land. That would mean finding the queen, right?”

  Ellie nodded slowly. “I assumed so.”

  “And now Kira’s agreed to return with him? Because she had ‘things’ to take care of? Mm-hmm. Besides, wasn’t Jen her best friend in Kiamada?”

  “Yes, but...”

  “And your parents were some kind of advisers to the royal family, and lived in the castle?” Olivia rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped around her knees. “If your parents were so close to the royal family, wouldn’t it make sense for their daughters, who were born on the same freaking day, just minutes apart, to be best friends?”

  Olivia made good points, Ellie had to admit. She thought about it, watching Maddie and Abby also thinking. “Maybe....” Ellie said slowly. She suddenly snapped her fingers. “No, wait. Doyle told Jen his family was part of the farming community.”

  Maddie snorted rudely. “True. He also told us he was a coach, didn’t tell you two you’re actually sisters, is keeping your parents’ past from you, didn’t mention his gorgeous good boy of a dog, kept his magical powers a secret...”

  Ellie held her hands up. “Okay, okay! I get your point!”

  Olivia pointed up the stairs. “Besides...can you really picture that woman living on a farm? Cause I sure as hell can’t.”

  “Well, whoever she is, Kira is definitely my spirit animal,” Abby said admiringly. “I need to take lessons from her on dealing with men. She just points and her husband and brother listen to her.”

  “Like you would if a queen gave a command,” Olivia said cheerfully.

  Ellie rubbed her neck. She remembered how Theonus had obeyed Kira the night Jerry had arrived. Kira had simply pointed and scolded him, and the Wiler had stopped. Sure, she was his family, but was that enough to stop Theonus?

  Was it possible? Was Kira, her new pseudo-sister, the uncrowned Queen of Kiamada?

  A few hours later, Ellie stood with Jen at the edge of the forest, her friends a few feet off to the side with Sheriff Bellsley. The three girls were all holding hands, tears again running down their faces. The sheriff’s arms wrapped around them, trying to comfort the girls. Behind them, spread across Doyle’s property, most of the town had gathered to see them off.

  A giant harness wrapped around Theonus’s body, containing several seats, and large leather satchels hung within easy reach on each side of him, containing their possessions. As usual, Theonus was humming a song. The Beatles, Ellie thought, but couldn’t remember. Maybe it was the Monkees. One of those old bands, either way.

  Ellie put her arm around her sister. “Are you nervous?” she asked quietly.

  Jen shrugged. “A little bit,” she admitted. “I still don’t remember much of my childhood, except most of my relationship with Doyle, so I don’t know what to expect. Still, I’ll be with him, and all of you, and that’s what matters to me.”

  They watched as Kira and Jerry walked up. Kira looked slightly nervous, yet still excited, while Jerry looked worried, but not as much as Ellie would have expected. She wondered again if Olivia was right about Kira. Could she really be the Queen?

  Doyle suddenly popped into existence out of thin air, making her friends and the sheriff jump. Ellie had become used to it over the last few days. It helped that he seemed to do it every chance he got. Wind travel, he’d told her. Somehow, someway, Tayamu were able to literally turn themselves into the wind, and, going by what Jen had said about the fight with the Chiami, they could turn into water, too.

  Ellie had done it that night in the park. She didn’t know how, and hadn’t been able to do it again, despite trying desperately to make it work. Still...Ellie knew it would eventually happen, and couldn’t wait to learn.

  So. Freaking. Cool!

  Doyle turned, straightened to attention, and saluted the sheriff, who saluted back. Doyle turned and studied the small group standing near Theonus.

  “Are we ready?” he asked finally. Everybody exchanged glances and nodded in reply. “All right, then. Let’s get this show on the road.” He took hold of one of the leather straps that dangled from a satchel on Theonus’s body and held his other hand out to Jen. One by one, they joined hands, forming an unbroken chain.

  “Let’s go,” said Doyle. “Theonus, lead the way.”

  Off we go, into the wild blue yonder....

  Ellie shook her head, smiling. “Oh, Theonus. Of all the songs to sing.”

  “I don’t want to know, do I?” asked Jerry.

  “He’s singing the Air Force theme song,” Jen explained.

  Jerry lowered his head and sighed. “Of course he is.”

  They moved together into the clearing ahead. As Theonus’s body crossed the tree line, Ellie looked back at her friends, her heart aching.

  “It’s not goodbye!” she called out. “I promise!”

  She watched as the girls put on brave smiles and blew her kisses. The crowd behind them broke into cheers and applause, waving goodbye. Ellie kept her gaze on her friends until the air suddenly shimmered and they all vanished from sight. She took a deep, shuddering breath, her sister squeezing her hand tightly in comfort, and looked over at Doyle.

  Something powerful rippled through Ellie, raising goosebumps all up and down her arms and legs. It felt like...satisfaction? Relief? Joy? It was hard to say. She didn’t even know where the sensation was coming from, which was a little weird. She looked around. The forest had changed. The trees were different; their branches moved in the breeze, but they moved despite the breeze, not because of it. That one, over there, with the bright orange trunk, looked like it was bowing to them.

  Wait...is a TREE actually BOWING? What the hell?

  Ellie shivered with nervous anticipation. She was on a completely different plane of existence, a world both familiar and yet utterly foreign. The world her parents and sister had traveled from. A world that didn’t have the modern luxuries she was used to, nor even the same countries and their histories.

  She was in the land of Kiamada.

  The lost Tayamu had finally come home, and he’d brought them all with him.

  EPILOGUE

  South of the town of Krionte, in the middle of Kiamada’s northern territory, Hual appeared out of the wind, his feet alighting on the ground. He looked around, spreading his senses out for the woman he sought. He found Seaile’s fading scent quickly, coming from perhaps a quarter of a kolta away to the east. Hual began moving through the countryside, his senses alert for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing appeared.

  The bright purple owango trees surrounded him, their spiky leaves drooping down near his head. Hual ignored them; Tayamu had nothing to fear from the flora of their world. The fauna, though...the fauna could be deadly, even to a Tayamu.

  Hual consi
dered the ground as he walked, careful to watch for holes or rocks. He’d broken an ankle before because he hadn’t watched where he was going, and had no desire to repeat the experience.

  He arrived at the lake within a few minutes and slowed to a stop, looking around. The pleas for Tayamu assistance had reached the innkeeper DuSoul, who had in turn contacted Seaile through the usual channels. Hual hoped they hadn’t gotten the message too late to be of help. An out-of-control ciroc was not something the townspeople could handle on their own.

  The giant lizards typically did not bother humans unless it was mating season, which it unfortunately was. Something had happened to set the ciroc off, and it had been attacking the homes around the lake for several days. A normal-sized ciroc was easily five times as long as Hual was tall, and would weigh nearly fifteen times what he did. This one was supposedly larger.

  He looked towards the homes that lined the shore of the lake. There were only a dozen or so, their high stilts keeping them well above the water line, should any flooding occur during the heavy rains. A ciroc of the reported size would be able to destroy those stilts with ease, and Hual could see some were recently rebuilt or reinforced. He blew out his breath slowly, wondering again what had happened. Seaile should be here, somewhere, but where was she?

  The waters rippled, and he turned his gaze to the lake. A head broke the surface of the water, the brown hair darkened with dampness. He watched as Seaile, First of the Tayamu, slowly emerged from the lake, trudging up to the shore as if she had no energy left. Her shirt was torn and tattered, exposing most of her torso, but she paid no attention. Hual tried not to notice, to be respectful, but he couldn’t help but sneak a quick peek. He immediately felt ashamed of himself and looked away. Tayamu weren’t supposed to care about nudity, but he still found it difficult, as he knew others did.