Bakkian Chronicles, Book I - The Prophecy Read online

  “So we just need to find someone that knew them? That’s the plan now?”

  “Yeah, don’t you agree? If we can find any friends of theirs, then they would have to know that my grandparents weren’t natives here. They would know that they returned to their home occasionally. If we’re lucky, they will know how they did it. Or at least point us in the direction of somebody that might know.”

  “What if they didn’t have any friends?” Sarah was doing an excellent job of playing the devil’s advocate. “What if they preferred their solitude?”

  Steve suddenly smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “The journal! Remember the journal? That entry I read to you. Hey, in fact…” Steve began systematically patting his pockets. With an exclamation of triumph, he pulled the small, leather book from his inside jacket pocket. He opened it and started flipping through pages.

  “Oh sure, found it before, can’t find it now. Damn. Where is that freakin’ passage?”

  “You mean Capily?” Sarah’s short-term memory was a shade better than his, a fact that she didn’t hesitate to remind him of from time to time. “I thought that entry referred to a place, not a person.”

  “Capily,” Steve repeated. “I remember that now. Wasn’t what I was referring to, though. I thought there was something else. Where is that friggin’… Ah! Here it is. Listen, listen to this: ‘The Nayan is eager to read about Voltan’s legendary journeys…’”

  He snapped the journal closed and looked at Sarah.

  “That’s two names to work with. Nayan and Voltan. Although, now that I think about it, I think Voltan refers to some historic figure. ‘Legendary’. Doubt that dude is still alive. No,” Steve shook his head, “I think we need to concentrate on Nayan, whoever that might be.”

  “Nayan? That passage said ‘the’. I thought that referred to a title, not the name of a person.”

  “Name of a person, or a title.” Steve shrugged. “It’s still something to go off of.”

  “I just hope ‘the Nayan’ doesn’t refer to the lady of the house, or some other generic title. Or could be…” she trailed off. Steve was staring at her. “What?”

  “What is it with you??” He started laughing. “Let’s try and be a little optimistic, huh?”

  Sarah took a deep breath. “Okay, until evidence suggests otherwise, let’s assume ‘the Nayan’ refers to just one person.”

  They proceeded east for another couple of hours. Steve noted with dismay that it was starting to get dark. He hadn’t realized it until now, but he was also quite famished. He was fairly certain that Sarah was hungry as well. He nervously scanning the area, looking for a suitable place to camp for the night, when his luck held out. About two miles down the river a tiny cottage had appeared, complete with a thatched roof. A single stone chimney was sending out tendrils of smoke against the darkening sky.

  “Oh, thank God! Look, look!” Sarah was pointing at the cottage. “Do you think they’ll help us?”

  “Only one way to find out.” He took her hand. “Come on.”

  As they approached the small house, the flowers in the flowerbeds that were scattered all about the house pivoted in unison until they faced them.

  Steve blinked a couple of times. Were those flowers watching us?

  Several of the violet-colored flowers were actually starting to glow, and the orange-colored ones started vibrating. In fact, they started producing a ringing noise that was growing steadily louder.

  Sarah was dumbfounded.

  “They’re protecting the house! Amazing!!”

  Muffled shouts could be heard coming from the dwelling. The door banged open and a young, bearded man barged out holding a long stick with an equally long metal blade attached at the end. He was dressed in worn, non-descript clothing. The man took one look at them and assumed a menacing stance.

  “Ummm, take it easy friend.” Steve raised his hands, palms up. “We mean you no harm. We were hoping to…” he broke off and looked at Sarah. “New problem. I doubt this guy can even understand me.” Steve sighed. He turned back towards the bearded man. He took a breath but was instantly cut off by the young stranger.

  “And why would I not understand ye? Ye are human, are ye not?” The weapon remained trained on them. “Who are ye? What do ye want?”

  The peasant looked beyond Steve and saw Sarah standing quietly. His eyes widened.

  “Ye took yer woman out at night? I see no sword, no weapon. If ye are attacked, what then??”

  “You can understand me? How is that possible?” Steve shook his head. “Scratch that. Listen, we mean you no harm. But we need your help. We’re lost, we don’t know where to go. It’s late. Can you help us?

  The peasant looked them over again. Apparently they were deemed harmless, because he straightened up and lowered the weapon.

  “Ye seem to be decent folk. Aye, I’ll help if I can. I am Kornal.” He extended his arm. “What kind of assistance would the two of ye be needing?”

  “My name is Steve. Steve Miller.” Steve went to shake the proffered hand, but before he could grasp his hand, Kornal had grabbed his forearm and gave it a friendly shake.

  “Glad to meet ye, Stevemiller. Strange name.” Kornal looked over to Sarah, then back at Steve. He nodded in Sarah’s direction.

  “Oh, sorry. This is my wife, Sarah.”

  Sarah stepped forward and clasped his arm in the fashion she had seen Kornal use. “Pleased to meet you, Kornal.”

  Steve stepped forward. “Kornal, we really need your help. We’re not from around here. We need a place to stay for the night. I really hate to impose, but can you help us out? And tell you what, call me Steve. It’s easier.”

  “Steve. Aye. Sounds better.” Kornal gestured to the cottage. “Let us go inside. It is safer and ye can meet my woman.”

  He opened the door and beckoned them to follow. Steve glanced at Sarah. They stared at each other for a moment. Taking a deep breath, Steve stepped inside, with Sarah following close on his heels.

  Kornal had disappeared somewhere in the back of the cottage, presumably to bring his wife out to meet the visitors. As Sarah entered, she caught the last parts of a whispered argument.

  “Are ye crazy??” A woman’s voice was hissing out the words. “Ye meet total strangers and invite them into our home? What the blazes are ye thinking??”

  The man was trying to smooth things over.

  “Nilly, just come and meet them. Ye will see that there is something different about them.”

  The lady of the house, followed closely by Kornal, came out of the back and stared at her guests. She spoke but one word.

  “Greetings.”

  Steve glanced quickly at Kornal. Being a married man, he recognized the danger signs brewing in an irritated female. Kornal smoothed down his beard and took a deep breath.

  “This is my wife, Nilhanu.”

  Nilhanu deliberately met each of their eyes.

  Kornal gestured to their guests. “These are the people that need our help.”

  Sarah spoke first.

  “I’m really sorry to impose on you like this, ma’am. We don’t mean to be an inconvenience to you. Truthfully, we’re lost. Very lost. Your husband has very generously offered his help.”

  “As you can see,” Steve added, “we’re not from around here.”

  Nilhanu eyed her husband dangerously before returning her gaze to Steve. “Aye, I can tell ye are not from these parts. Who are ye and what are ye doing here?”

  “My name is Steve, and this is my wife, Sarah.”

  Sarah, remembering how Kornal clasped Steve’s forearm, duplicated the gesture of greeting with the lady of the house.

  Nilhanu stared in disbelief at the stranger. She had just been greeted as though she were a man! Either this was an elaborate prank concocted by her oaf of a husband or else these two were truly not from this kingdom, or any of the neighboring kingdoms for that matter. She looked to Kornal to see what his reaction would be, but discovered instead he was
engaged in conversation with the strange man.

  “I’m so sorry! Have I offended you?” Sarah was upset. She had watched Nilhanu’s eyes open with surprise, so she knew something had transpired. The question was, was it good or bad? She looked to see what Steve’s reaction was. Her husband, however, was trying to unsuccessfully describe to Kornal what a telephone was and where the closest one could be located. “If I have, I am truly sorry. I’m unfamiliar with the ways of this land. In fact, I don’t even know where we are.”

  “I was not certain of ye before,” Nilhanu admitted, “and since ye have greeted me as a man would greet a man,” (Sarah blushed and looked down), “I am more convinced that ye and…” she gestured to Steve.

  “Steve,” Sarah supplied helpfully.

  “Aye, right. Steve. Apologies.” Nilhanu took a deep breath. “The two of ye must be true strangers here. And as such, Kornal and I will do our best to help ye out.”

  Sarah was so grateful that she sank down wearily into the closest chair. Tears started forming in her eyes. She took Nilhanu’s hand this time and clasped it tightly. “Thank you.”

  “Are ye hungry? We were about to have our supper. There is plenty here for four.”

  “Yes, we are. We are very grateful.” Sarah looked to Steve, still in conversation with Kornal. “We haven’t eaten anything for the better part of the day. The last thing I had was a couple bags of beef jerky.”

  “Beaf jerkie? What is that?”

  “Ummm, dried strips of meat. For traveling.”

  “Ah! I understand.” Nilhanu gestured towards the hearth where a small, iron kettle was hung over the flames. “I have put some dried meat in the stew. Bolger meat is quite tasty, dried or fresh.”

  “Bolger?”

  “Aye, bolger. Is that not the type of meat ye ate earlier?”

  “Ummm, no. It was, well, it was cow meat.”

  “Kow?” Nilhanu said the unfamiliar word slowly. “What manner of creature is that?”

  “One that is bred for its meat in my homeland.” Sarah paused, never believing in her wildest dreams that she’d one day have to describe what a cow was. “It’s quite good.”

  Nilhanu smiled hospitably. She still didn’t know what a kow was, but it was not important to her. She rose and left the room, to return moments later with four bowls and four flat, wooden spoons.

  Sarah again looked over to Steve. He was still talking with Kornal.

  “Steve?”

  Steve’s eyes snapped over to lock on hers. “Yes?”

  Sarah gestured to the bowls. “Have some stew.”

  “Great! I’m famished.” Steve walked over to his wife and took his bowl of steaming stew. The spoon was half-way up to his mouth by the time he sat down in front of the fireplace. The fire flared just then, giving off enough light for him to catch sight of the contents of the bowl. Chunks of green meat caught his eye, with unfamiliar vegetables and bits of leaves and other unknown greens floating around in a light green broth. His eyes widened, and then narrowed in speculation.

  Sarah, who had suspected this behavior would come from her culinary-retarded husband, elbowed Steve discreetly in his ribs. Hard, but not hard enough to spill the stew. Fortunately, their hosts were busily consuming their own bowls.

  Sarah whispered a fast set of instructions to her hesitant husband. “Hon, just eat it. Don’t ask.”

  Steve looked at his wife, back at the bowl of stew/glop, back to his wife and took a bite. Fortunately, his hunger prevailed. Besides, it wasn’t that bad. With a side-long grin at his wife, he ate another spoonful. And another. “It’s very good.”

  Chapter 3 - Encounter

  Steve awoke the following morning blissfully unaware of where he was. He turned on his side and snuggled closer to his wife, only Sarah wasn’t there. Nothing to worry about. His wife usually started moving around long before he did.

  He smiled. Today was Sunday, wasn’t it? That meant that Sarah was most likely in the kitchen cooking something wonderful for breakfast. Sighing contentedly, he started daydreaming, wondering if it would be fresh cinnamon rolls, or maybe some french toast and bacon.

  I really should get up, he thought. See if I can be of some help.

  He cracked open his eyes and inhaled, hoping to smell something good. Instead, he instantly locked eyes with his wife from across the room. She wasn’t smiling.

  “So you’re finally up, huh? Good. There’s a lot to do and I don’t want to appear like ungrateful guests. Go see if you can help Kornal with anything.”

  “Kornal? Oh, man. It wasn’t a dream.” Steve sighed. “Okay, okay, I’m up. Where is he? Probably outside chopping wood or something, huh?”

  “He’s outside, but I’m not sure doing what. I’m going to go try and help out with breakfast. You just try not to hurt yourself, okay?”

  “Hurt myself, huh? Think highly of me, don’t you, babe?” Steve grinned at his wife.

  “Do you really want me to answer that?” Sarah smiled back as she walked to the opposite side of the small cottage.

  Steve stretched and sat up. His gaze traveled about his immediate surroundings. The hearth on the far wall already had a steady fire going. An iron kettle was hanging over it with some steam escaping now and then from the lid. It smelled wonderful. He didn’t want to think about what it might have in it. Nilhanu was busy mincing some type of root and adding diced something-or-other to the mixture whenever she paused. She gestured for Sarah to stir the kettle on the fire.

  Steve got up and walked to the door. Kornal was nowhere to be seen. Okay, now what was he supposed to do?

  The flowers that had previously acted as sentinels swiveled again to face him, but did not start chiming, or glowing, or whatever it was that they were doing last night. Steve got the feeling that they were keeping an eye on him.

  “Kornal? Are you out here?”

  There were rustling sounds coming from around the back of the cottage. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he headed off to investigate.

  When he made it to the back of the house, he still didn’t see or hear anything. Just then, he heard a shout of surprise, followed closely by several splashes and a slew of curses coming from the general direction of the river.

  Steve sprinted towards the riverbank, ready to help out in whatever way he could. What he saw when he got there, however, drew him up short. What the hell? Steve blinked a couple of times.

  Kornal was wrestling with what appeared to be a salmon-sized, eight-legged fish that was making it quite clear it preferred not to be a meal. The “fish” kept wriggling and kicking its way out of Kornal’s grip and managed to flop back into the water. With a fresh string of curses, the young man dove after the creature.

  “Get back here, ye stinkin’ pile o’ naka dung! I am not finished with ye!”

  More splashes and angry shouts. After a few more moments, Kornal emerged triumphantly with his catch. He strode out of the water with the limp fish and spied Steve.

  “Ah, Steve, good mornin’ to ye.” He held up the creature. “I caught breakfast!”

  Steve gestured to his catch. “What is that? We don’t have any fish that look like that where I’m from.”

  “This is a rypo. There are plenty of them all throughout the river. They are a bugger to catch. Practically impossible to see in the river. Ye have never seen a rypo before?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I haven’t. I’m curious as to what other types of creatures live around here. Anything dangerous?”

  “Dangerous? Well, there are the dragons, naturally. Ye do not want to tangle with one o’ them. They can be… Steve, are ye well? What is the matter? Do ye not know what a dragon is?”

  Steve’s eyes had gone wide open and had an utterly shocked expression on his face.

  “Dragons!! Hell yeah, I know what a dragon is. Holy crap, are there really dragons here? Are they big? Do they breathe fire?”

  “Ye sound like ye want to encounter one. If ye did, ye would not live to see another day. Very dangerou
s, are dragons. Thankfully, there are none in these parts.” Kornal pointed to the mountains far to the north. “Ye would have to journey many days into the Bohanis if ye truly wanted to see one.”

  Steve thought a moment. “Okay, no dragons around here. What other types of animals live in this land? We saw a pair of griffins yesterday. I was almost dinner for them.”

  “Aye, there are plenty of griffins in these parts. They can be very dangerous if provoked. Ye are not allowed to hunt or kill a griffin. Considered to be sacred. Not sure why.” Kornal scratched his beard. “There are no shortage of griffins here, that is for sure. The best advice I could give ye would be to steer clear of ’em.”

  “How many people live here? Are there others like yourself and your wife?”

  “There are several large villages. The closest can be found to the west. Avin. ”

  “Kornal, think carefully, have you encountered any other travelers that appear to be total strangers, like us? More specifically, an old man named Simon, or a woman named Grace?”

  Kornal thought a moment. “We do not get many travelers throughout these parts of the mountains. Of the few that we have met and spoken with, there has not been anyone calling themselves by those names.”

  “What about people that looked completely out of place, such as ourselves? Do you get many visitors like that?”

  “Nay, no one like that.”

  Steve suddenly brightened. “What about points of interest? If someone were to come to this place from a far away land, what do you think they would like to see? ”

  “A‘poynt o’ intrehst’?”

  “Okay, okay, let me think. What about a ruler? Someone in charge? If a distant traveler came to this land looking for the representative of…” Steve paused a moment. “Exactly what land is this? What do you call it?”

  “Ye are standin’ smack in the middle o’ the kingdom o’ Lentari.”

  “Kingdom? Then there must be a king and queen?”

  “Aye, Kri’Entu and Ny’Callé.”

  “Where do they reside? I mean, how would I find them? They might be able to help us.”