“You’re too slow, old one. Youth will have its way with your decrepit body.”
Turning quickly, Ceidas swung one long arm, armed with razor claws, at Trist. His blow was almost fatal, coming within inches of the human. It ripped through Trist’s shirt.
“Close, very close, Goat Face, but close doesn’t really count for much.”
Adopting a new tactic, the King began swinging both arms in a scissors motion while advancing slowly at Trist. He drove the earthman backward. Trist fought valiantly, fending off the powerful claws with his sword.
Coughing deeply, the King continued to advance, suddenly shooting a large ball of phlegm at the Earthman. Trist dodged the expectorant, but a small amount of the liquid splashed on Trist’s legs. His skin began to burn from the acid. He bent to wipe his leg. Ceidas swung an overhead blow meant to cleave Trist in half, but Trist moved his sword upwards. The force of the blow against the sharp sword severed the King’s forearm.
“You think you’ve hurt me, fool,” roared the King as he reached to pick up the arm. Trist thrust with his sword and buried the tip of steel into one of the King’s eyes.
“Yield to me and live,” Trist offered.
“Never.”
“Then die.”
Fear and disbelief rushed through the King as he tried to reattach his arm. Trist slashed hard at the King’s legs and was pleased to see a flow of green blood sluice down its legs.
Ceidas’s attack was slowing. His deep labored breathing sounded similar to a snow-blowing wind machine. Trist could feel the fear emanating from the King. He was sure none of the King’s battles had ever lasted this long. He could see the Tonkian was beginning to tire as he backed away from him. He was tougher than the King had believed. He watched him bend low to slow the flow of royal blood from his legs.
Trist, sure of victory now, pushed his attack again, failing to see the King was prepared. The King had looked exhausted, but leaped at him, catching Trist, with a full-body blow. Trist flew several yards and crashed against the hard ground. He rolled over and tried to regain his feet. The King must have believed he could overpower the earthman with his weight, and leaped full body on top of him. Challenger and King writhed violently against each other. Then all movement stopped and the two lay still. The Royal Guardsmen walked close to see if either lived. They saw a little movement, then Trist’s hand worked its way out from under the body of the dead King. The guards pulled the dead King’s body off Trist, and the new King regained his feet.
When Ceidas had leaped at him, Trist had thrust upward with his sword. He could not penetrate the King’s carapace until the full weight of Ceidas came down and forced the two feet of steel into his chest. Trist had twisted the sword into the nerve center of the King, severing his life force.
Trist withdrew his sword from the body of Ceidas, held it high over his head, and announced, “All hail King Trist.” The Tonkian guards went to one knee and repeated the salute.
Trist rolled the body of the dead King over and cut the Andalusian Rastis beast’s tusks from Ceidas’s head. Using the point of the sword, he carefully pried two molars from each side of his own upper jaw, and pushed the tusks deeply into the sockets. He could feel the tusks begin to grow into his skull.
“Long live the King!” he shouted, and began to walk toward the village, followed by his now loyal retinue.
TRIST’S QUEST
After Trist’s rights as King had been established, he was determined to turn his people into a free society. He had been raised in a country that valued each person. He firmly believed that a free, peaceful society is a boon for any civilization. He sat alone in his hut, the Royal Guardsmen outside protecting him, while he worked on a constitutional proclamation proclaiming the rights of each individual. The wording had to be right, and he knew he was no Thomas Jefferson.
His mind weary and cloudy from the work, he shut his eyes to rest for a moment.
Save my people.
“Hello, Izixebi, my love. I’ve missed you.”
My people are dying. Save my people.
“I’m setting up a society which will help save all your people. I believe in freedom. I will establish a nation where each member will cherish his rights.”
You are the King of all my people. Save them.
“I am not sure what you mean, Izixebi. Tell me what to do.” Her presence had lightened the room, but now he could feel that she was gone. He was alone in his hut again. What had she meant? Clearly, she was worried about her people.
“Guardsmen, enter,” he ordered.
“You called, Your Royal Highness?”
The six Tonkian guards rushed into the hut.
“Relax, I want information from you. I need to know if any of our people are dying.”
“Your Royal Highness, our people are safe here on Tonk 2. We are established in a territory that is not under attack. Here on Tonk 2, all of our people are safe.”
Trist sat back for a minute, then he understood. The people on Tonk 2 were safe, the warriors on earth were dying.
“Which of you is senior?”
“I am, your Royal Highness,” one of the men stepped forward.
“You are now second in command. In the event that I am killed, you will be acting King. What is your name?”
“Xexridous.”
“Remain here. The rest of you are dismissed.” When he was alone with Xexridous, he said, “I will call you, Head Guard.”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”
“Head Guard, you, the Royal Guardsmen, and I are returning to earth. We are going to save as many Tonks as we can. Find the technicians. I want one exigator set up to allow us to return to earth. Have them set all the rest to travel from the battlefields back to this planet. Do you understand?”
“Yes, King Trist, and thank you. Many faithful and valiant soldiers are currently fighting on earth.”
“And Head Guard, this will be a dangerous mission. If you or any of the Royal Guardsmen do not wish to accompany me, I will understand.”
“It will be our honor to accompany you, Your Royal Highness.”
“Alright, glad to have you on board. Have the Guardsmen prepare to accompany us. Have a large white flag on a tall pole ready to go also. One more thing, does Tonk 2 have a flag?
“No, your Majesty.”
“Have one made. It should be green with a white cross on it. Go, do it now.”
Head Guard, saluted him and ran for the door of the hut.
One hour later, King Trist stood before the exigator. The reverse exigators were lined up, also. He stepped through, appearing on Earth in the middle of battlefield chaos. There were six Tonkian warriors near the entrance point. They turned to look at him with hostile intent. Then the Royal Guardsmen came through and surrounded him.
“I have defeated Ceidas. I am now your leader, King Trist. I order you to lay down your weapons, cease fighting, and begin returning to Tonk 2 through the exigater.”
Hesitant at first, the Tonkians near him saw the tusks taken from Ceidas and that he was protected by the Royal Guardsmen. They knelt on one knee, saying, “Long live King Trist.” Trist ordered them up and directed them to escape certain death, and they began filing through the exigators.
Trist held his white flag and the flag of Tonk 2 high and waved both at the Army lines. Seeing that the Tonks had ceased fighting and were backing away from the battle lines, the Army had begun to slow their rate of fire. When they saw the white flag, the universal symbol of truce, the firing ceased. The battle line parted and Sergeant Major Radel walked out to greet the Peace Envoy.
“I am King Trist from the planet Tonk 2. I am here to discuss the terms of surrender and the cessation of all hostilities between the Earth and Tonk 2. Please escort me to your supreme military commander.”
“Damn Trist, I hardly recognized you with those tusks hanging out of your mouth.”
“I am the Supreme Ruler of Tonk 2. You may address me as Your Royal Highness or King Trist.”
“I will take you to see him, Trist, but I can’t take the Tonkians in your retinue with you.”
“Otis, I realize we know each other informally; however, the circumstances have changed. Should you choose to speak to me without recognizing my authority again, I will withdraw my white flag, and you will be ripped apart by my guardsmen.”
Radel, at first taken aback by Trist’s remark and threat, began to understand the situation as it existed now.
“Please accept my most sincere apology, Your Royal Highness,” replied Sergeant Major Radel. “I will escort you to Major General Wyatt, but I cannot let your guards through our lines.”
“As I am King, their life is devoted to mine. They will cause you no harm, unless there is an attempt to harm me or you choose to disrespect me again. As you would accompany and protect General Wyatt, my guardsmen will go with me.”
“Well, what the fuck,” said the Sergeant. “I trust you, King Trist, bring them along, but please try to keep them close. After two months of battle, my men are tense and a little trigger happy.”
“Sergeant Major Radel, I have complete faith in your ability to control your men.”
At the door to the General’s tent, Trist ordered his men to wait. He entered alone and greeted General Wyatt. Izzie and the General had been consulting over plans still present on Dan’s desk.
“Dad, you’re back,” Izzie ran to his arms.
“It’s wonderful to see you, darling, but I need to talk with General Wyatt, right now.”
Izzie stepped to the rear of the tent and watched them, while remaining respectably quiet.
“Holy crap, Trist, you look terrible with those fangs hanging out of your mouth.”
“I am King Trist. It’s imperative that you remember my status. We are friends, you and I, but this is a formal occasion and not to be taken lightly. I am King of the Tonks. I am here to discuss terms of surrender with you. I will cease all hostilities against earth if you accept my surrender. My one condition is that you grant us time to remove all of my people from Earth.”
“I fully understand the solemnity of this situation, but absolutely can’t accept your surrender, King Trist. I’ve lost too many men. Over 50,000 soldiers here in Texas alone, plus an unknown number of sailors at sea, and many more soldiers up north. That’s not considering the millions of civilians that have died. If I accept your surrender and withdrawal, the people would have my head hanging from the yardarm.”
“I have lost people also. You, as a Military Commander, should understand that my men were ordered here. They fought under the orders of King Ceidas. They were unwilling pawns following a mad King’s orders. That government has been overthrown. Therefore, that war has ended. If you kill Tonkians, from this time on, the war will continue, you will be the cause. Any further deaths will be laid at your door.”
“I have the Tonkians on the run now. I will defeat them totally within the next month. If I kill them all, we will never have to worry about another invasion.”
“General Wyatt, you are severely under estimate the situation as it exists today. You are expressing confidence that you can defeat a leaderless mob. You have forgotten that I am King now, and I will not let my people die needlessly. This will of course be your choice. But your victory will not be assured with me as King. I am a significantly more formidable foe. I know earth, and it’s weaknesses. I have not consulted with my family, but I doubt that they will fight against me. Their withdrawal will reduce your effectiveness. I would not waste my troops fighting you. You do not have our mobility. All of earth would be vulnerable to me. But I do not wish to conquer your world, I just want to be allowed to withdraw my troops from the field.
“My family and I have worked to help you. Now I ask only that you let my troops return to their home, leaving your world safe. In addition, you will have gained the friendship of another world. No small thing in the universe today. The effort you would expend fighting the Tonkians could be used to help your world recover.”
General Wyatt turned to look at Izzie. “What say you, Izzie?”
“This is the hardest of my life’s choices. What my father is saying is true. He could defeat your army and all of Earth, which tears my loyalties into two parts. My father and family, I love now and will always without reservation. However, this is my planet, my home. This is a war on my world by invaders. Further, I cannot speak for my sisters and brother, but I swore allegiance to you, General Wyatt. My loyalties will not change while this war is still being waged.”
Trist looked at Izzie, now standing against the rear-tent wall. He was shaken by her choice and to clarify his thoughts, he walked slowly to the tent’s entrance, then turned to look at her. He saw the way she looked at the General and understood her stand.
“My dearest Isabella, I support you choice. Frequently daughters believe their fathers will not be sympathetic to them, but I am. Still, I am King. A King’s subjects are his children also and their welfare is in his hands. My love for you will always remain constant, my responsibility as King, is and must remain my primary focus. I will not condemn the Tonkian Race to extinction, to save one person, no matter how precious that person is to me.”
Trist turned to face General Wyatt. “You have gained a most formidable force for your side. The rest of my children will also have freedom of choice and may choose to stay with you. With their help and Izzie’s powerful support, you may be able to defeat the Tonkians here on earth. However, even should you win this war, your world would be shattered. Perhaps beyond repair.
“Therefore, I pray that you consider the lives of your fellow earthmen and accept my surrender. This is and will be my last offer.”
General Wyatt walked quietly around his desk, looked long at Izzie, perhaps with fresh eyes?
“King Trist, on behalf of the American Government and the forces of earth under my command, I accept your surrender. From this time on, we will no longer wage war against the Tonkians.”
“”Ah, Zanper, that’s good, Dan,” Trist said as he shook the General’s hand. “You and I can rebuild our worlds, much better with peace. Let us always keep the dogs of war chained.”
“Two months at the outside and I will have all of my soldiers on Tonk. I still need to get my troops from the north, hence the delay. However, we will begin no hostile actions against the people of earth while I search for all my people. They will protect themselves if attacked.”
“I will send out word of the truce and suspension of all hostilities today,” said Major General Wyatt. ”King Trist, can I keep consulting with Izzie while you’re still here?”
“Why are you asking him? Can you not see me here? I swear, Dan, sometimes you are just stupid. If you want me to stay and help you, ask me.” Izzie hugged Trist. “I love you with all my heart, Dad, but I have to be my own person, and I am going to stay and help here on earth until they have stabilized their society, or until some stupid galoot treats me like a child again.”
“I think she just gave you her answer. As for me, I want the people on earth to be safe also. However, I want a copy of our agreement to be sent to the army marching down from the north. After your actions in this war, Dan, I fully expect you to be elected President before long. You and I together can insure a long period of peace. You know, in spite of my tusks, I really am a human being.
“Izzie, would you please ask the rest of the family to join us?”
After she had left the tent, Trist turned to Dan.
“Do you want to have a drink with me to seal our deal?”
“Damn straight. You will always be a friend, Trist.”
“Well where do you hide your bottle, or did you think I brought one through the exigator?”
Dan opened a drawer of his desk and pulled forth a bourbon colored bottle of liquid.
“And Dan,” continued Trist, “I am thankful you were here and that you were always a straight shooter. I would suggest to you that we leave the passageways open. That way, we will have the capacity
to help each other if it should ever be necessary. Izixebi had located nine other civilizations and any of them could be hostile. A strong loyal ally is always an asset in a time of uncertainty.
“I hereby invite you to a visit. You’ll receive a royal welcome. With you and me working together for the Earth and Tonk 2, we will be the first two countries in what will one day be the Interplanetary Forces.”
Ten days later, Trist and his children sat down to a celebration dinner on Tonk. Their joy at being together was dampened by the death of their sister, Mary. Trist knew his dream of a safe place for his children had been fulfilled. He was proud of them all. He was sure Izzie would live on Earth. He believed Dan would ask her to marry him in the near future. Rick and Cheri had already announced their engagement. They would soon be moving to the cabin, Rick had built near the edge of the forest. His other children would all live close to him for the time being. Sam and George had agreed to work with the Tonk military, establishing a clear chain of command. As members of his cabinet and his closest advisors, Jinjer, Cal, Susan, and Dean would help him forge a new government on Tonk.
He smiled quietly knowing that Izixebi would applaud him for how far her children had come.
About the Author
David is a former U.S. Navy Corpsman who spent time attached to the Marine Corps. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern College and Master's degree from Western Illinois University. He currently resides in Port St. Lucie, Florida, with his wife and three dogs.
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